Saturday, August 31, 2019

Internet Predators Essay

Internet predators and pedophiles are a major concern of our country today. The danger and potential risks that these men are committing on children has to be stopped right from the start Law enforcement and local police have set up predator crack down teams to lure and catch these sexual deviants and get them out of the suburbs and towns before they can cause any harm. The police use entrapment in certain cases to convict and put away these men which some say is unethical and a violation of these men’s rights. Defense attorneys are arguing that police unrightfully cause these men to commit crimes and that these men would have never tried to solicit these girls if it weren’t for the police starting the conversations. The only productive method of catching these men is by causing them to act upon their feelings and lure them to get with these girls. Though unethical, I believe that the methods these police use are the only ways to stop them from committing these crimes and endangering society’s children. Child molestation cases are hidden from the public in order to preserve the privacy of the victim. The downside to this is that this also protects the criminals. Studies revealed that only a small percentage of people accused of child molestation have their names published. A smaller number of cases are even printed in articles. What we mostly see in the papers are the arrests and the arraignment. The outcomes of the cases are rarely heard. (Copp, 42) As much as the internet has become quite helpful in technology and interconnectedness, it has also placed the lives of our children at risk. Sexual predators lurk the worldwide web because they can be anonymous when they are on the internet. A child has no idea who he or she is actually talking to. The sexual predator can present himself as a relative or a school friend. It is hard to tell who the actual person is on the other end. Before, sexual predators interact with the children on the playground. Today, they can do the exact same thing while the children are in the comfort of their own homes. (Philaretou, 2) Child sexual exploitation can happen to anyone – regardless of their ethnic, social, economic and religious background. The internet increases the chances of this occurring because it is a worldwide and powerful medium. Pedophiles and sexual predators can easily turn their computer on and log on to the web and easily get the names and addresses of their victims. As sick as this may sound, the reality of it is that there are a number of child predators who get together and swap child pornography through their internet connection. They share their conquests and discuss ways on how they can lure more children online. They also exchange seduction techniques. These excite their addiction so they go for the hunt even more. (Philaretou, 3) Through these group conversations on the internet, the sexual predators exchange techniques on how they can avoid being detected by the police. When they are not on the internet, pedophiles and sexual predators are loners. They do not commune as much with other people as they do so when they are online. (Philaretou, 4) The most common way for sexual predators to interact with children through the internet is by visiting chat rooms and exchanging instant messages and email. Sexual solicitations are made even as you read this very statement. 25% of kids participate in real time chat and a number of them are already interacting with a predator – whether they be aware of this or not. (Philaretou, 5) This becomes a problem because predators establish an intimate relationship with their potential victims through their online interaction. Teenagers use online forums in order to deal with their problems. This is the very first place predators go to in order to look for their victims. They seduce their targets through affection, kindness and time. They exert so much effort to establish a trust with them through the internet. They know the interests of their victims, such as the latest movies, TV shows, music, books and sports, in order to converse with them more. (Kincaid, 65) They sympathize with their targets by listening to their problems. As soon as the trust has been formed, that is when the sexual predator slowly introduces sexual content to their conversations. Some even shows the child sexually explicit photographs or videos. Worse, these sexual predators may even schedule a victim with their targets so they can meet and personally interact with one another – which often leads to rape, sexual exploitation, kidnapping and worse, murder. (Kincaid, 66) Because of this problem, television and media do what they can in order to alleviate the problem. Dateline NBC created a series titled â€Å"To Catch a Predator† intended to catch child sexual abusers before they actually do the deed. By using hidden cameras, these investigations have an undercover sting operation assisted by an online watchdog group called Perverted-Justice. The police are active participants in the procedure. These lead to the arrests of sexual predators. (Drake, 34) To elaborate it further, this is how â€Å"To Catch a Predator† does it. They build the profiles of minor children on networking websites. They also enter the chat rooms disguised as children and teenagers. They wait for an adult to be the first to message them. The dialogue begins. Once the conversation becomes sexual, the police encourage them even more by making it appear that minors want to know more. Through this interaction, the legal officers are already gathering evidence from the alleged sexual predator. These come in the form of conversations of sexual content via chat or email, pornography and pictures. (Burgess, 122) This brings us to the argument presented in the introductory paragraph of this paper. The sexual predators claim that it is the police who start asking them about solicitation. This is the policemen’s method of entrapment. Sexual predators believe that through the conversations triggered by the police, they wouldn’t be soliciting girls in the first place. This is the case of extreme measures. The police must do something ‘unethical’ in order to prevent an act that is more ‘unethical’ (raping a minor) to happen in the first place.

Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy Essay

â€Å"Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems† (U. S. Department of Justice, 1994, p. vii). Throughout the years, community policing has become a more popular strategy to help law enforcement officials control and deter crime; however, some areas across the United States has had problems in the past with communities and law enforcement working together to ensure a secure and safe environment. Although it is an officer’s duty to maintain order, keep the peace, and solve problems within the area he or she is patrolling, it is also necessary for the people of the community to come together to help prevent crime. Everyone wants to feel safe in his or her place of dwelling and know that he or she has individuals who will serve and protect the area. Ergo, when problems occur between law enforcement and communities, the citizens develop a stigma against law officials and do not want to help solve or prevent criminal acts. On the other side, when law enforcement officials develop a positive rapport with the community, the citizens are more likely to come forward to help solve crimes or problems that evolve within the neighborhood. Community policing is a necessary program to have within a community and many neighborhoods have adopted these programs. The Chicago Police Department is one city that knew a community-based program was a necessity to solve criminal problems within the neighborhoods of the city. In 1993, the Chicago Police Department implemented the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), which is a community-based program that helps solves neighborhood crime problems with the collaboration of community members and law enforcement officials. According to Office of Justice Programs (n. d. ), â€Å"The program began in five policing districts but expanded to encompass the entire city of Chicago after a testing phase. Program development included the collaborative efforts of each district’s commanders, senior department executives, and ivilian planners† (para. 4). The underlying goal for CAPS is to solve problems within a community instead of reacting to their symptomatic consequences. This program has a five-step process for police officers to follow to ensure that the community and law enforcement agency works together to control crime. For this program to work effectively, one must identify and prioritize the problem at hand, analyze the situation, organize a plan to handle the problem, implement a strategy, and evaluate the outcome (Office of Justice Programs, n. . ). If the outcome is not effective, changes are set in place to correct the mistake and move forward by working together as a team to solve future problems that may arise. Furthermore, the CAPS program has an assortment of tactics, which include officers who patrol the neighborhoods, community meetings that involve the residents and law enforcement officials, training programs for both parties, city services, and technology to help identify the criminal hot spots in the area (Chicago Police Department, 2008). This program allows the officers to continue to patrol and handle their daily duties as well as work together with the community and other city officials to fight crime in one of the most notorious criminal cities in the United States. The Chicago Police Department works in teams for this program to be effective. One team will concentrate on the community and preventing crime, whereas the other team will handle the lower priority issues as well as respond to calls. The program splits the law enforcement officials into teams, which are beat officers, rapid response officers, and other city agencies. The beat officers patrol a certain area for at least a year, which allows each officer to know the neighborhood as well as the residents. This allows the officers and the residents to form a bond with one another and build trust between both parties, which allows them to work together as a team to monitor, strategize, and solve problems within the community. The rapid response officers assist the beat officers on emergency calls as well as back up the beat officers while they are in their community meetings. Undercover and gang officers help the beat officers on solving crimes and detaining suspects. With the collaboration between the law enforcement teams and the citizens the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and proven to be a successful weapon to fight crime. In addition, the success that has come from the implementation of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy only hows that in the future it will become more successful. This program has helped improve the residents’ confidence that the police are there to help combat crime, to ensure the community is a safe place to live as well as a reduction in major crimes. â€Å"Evaluations of the alternative policing strategy in Chicago show that from 1993 to 2002, the fear of crime went down by 20% among groups most fearful of crime and victimization† (University of Ottawa, n. d. , p. 1). This is only one benefit that has come about from this program, so with the bond between law enforcement and residents of the communities becoming stronger daily, this program has a bright future on helping prevent and deter crime. Although many neighborhoods adopt community-policing programs, not all are successful in controlling crime. Some communities adopt these programs believing that it will evolve into a successful program were police and residents work together; however, not all programs are effective. For a program to be successful, each party, such as law enforcement officials and residents must work collaboratively through the entire process, which is to identify, implement, and resolve the issues at hand (Chicago Police Department, 2008). Community-based programs are constantly developing throughout the nation and with communities, adopting programs like the Chicago Alternative Program Strategy, community policing has the potential to be successful in any city or state.

Friday, August 30, 2019

English 79 Essay on Role Models

English 79 Role Models Some humans feel that â€Å"people such as entertainers and athletes are ideal role models for young people. † I disagree with that. In fact, I feel the opposite is true. I have seen many cases where young people end up in all sorts of trouble because they where imitating something that an entertainer or athlete did. People such as entertainers and athletes are poor role models for young people. To begin with, entertainers and athletes usually live immoral lives. Even if their mouths are not polluted with foul language, their actions are unwholesome.An example who comes to mind is Barry Bonds, who took drugs to improve his sports performance. Other athletes take drugs to improve their physical appearance. This is a horrible example for young people. Similarly, many entertainers they too are morally unclean. It seems like every other day I hear about an entertainer who has a drug or alcohol problem. You can read about all of their slip-ups in the newspape r. Their various problems are also portrayed by the media. Sometimes movies are made about their addictions. Songs have been written about their very risque lifestyles.Both of these cases prove that athletes and entertainers usually live immoral lives. Moreover, entertainers and athletes usually do not have a satisfying, nor life-long career. They may become outdated or out of style, or they may get hurt. For instance, entertainers usually don’t have a long career, because they get replaced. A younger generation is brought into the spot light, and the older generation is pushed out of the spot light. Similarly trends change so frequently, that what was once popular before is now out of style. With that comes the challenge of pleasing people’s demand for the newest, and the best.All of that would make me want to end my career too. Likewise, athletes face numerous physical problems causing harm to their bodies. Many break bones, or injure themselves beyond the point of r epair. Often an athlete retires at an early age permanently injured and severely crippled. Just think about Bo Jackson, who had to give up his football and baseball careers because he injured his hip while playing. As shown by these two examples, entertainers and athletes usually don’t have a satisfying, life-long career. Lastly, entertainers and athletes do not live in the â€Å"real† world.They are not in touch with reality and live extremely extravagant lives. For example, you can look at almost all of the athlete’s homes, and you find not just normal houses, but plush mansions. Their incredibly large homes house only a few people. Most require the best of the best in everything. Many people can’t even afford to eat, yet athletes chow down on Kobe beef and caviar. How can somebody actually spend so much money on things that really are not necessary? Finally, entertainers and athletes do not receive repercussions for their bad actions.If caught driving under the influence, they rarely spend one night in jail. I have seen so many court cases where a â€Å"star† was merely given a warning. Had they been a â€Å"normal† person they would have gone straight to jail. Entertainers must have a get out of jail free card, or something. Not only are they endangering themselves, but also everyone around them. Judges just don’t pay any attention to that. Look at Jack Nicholson, who was caught driving while heavily intoxicated; he only had to pay a very small fee. Entertainers are let off the hook way too easily, and athletes have too much money to spend.In these instances it is obvious that entertainers and athletes do not live in the â€Å"real† world. As you can see, entertainers and athletes are poor role models for young people. With all of the evidence brought forth, how on earth could they be a good role model for anyone? Entertainers and athletes usually live immoral lives and they do not have a satisfying, or life-long career. Also, they are not in touch with the â€Å"real† world. Unfortunately, many people still believe that athletes and entertainers are good role models for young people.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

How Do Teachers Use the Internet in Education Essay

How Do Teachers Use the Internet in Education - Essay Example Today, teachers have also incorporated internet in their classroom environment. According to a survey by NetDay (a nonprofit education technology organization), approximately 84% of the teachers consider use of computers and internet a vital part of their curriculum. They think that internet enhances the education quality and 75% of them believe that it is an essential tool to bring new resources for the classes. Today, almost all teachers have access to internet in their respective schools and about 80% of all classrooms have online computers. The internet is beneficial to all its users, be it teachers or students. Most teachers find internet as a research device for retrieving new information for their students and then teaching it in class. According to NetDay, 48% of the teachers view internet as a significant tool for teaching and for the past twelve years has been used in almost every school environment. In the past, books were the only source of information for the teachers an d students but in today’s globalized world, internet has become an important source for all types of information and teachers use it daily to teach their students. (Pastore, 2001) Teachers not only use internet for research and academic work in today’s society. ... In developing nations, it is still vulnerable for girls to attend schools on a daily basis or terrorist activities do not permit daily education; in such instances, online education is the ultimate answer. Teachers at Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, New York University and many other higher educational establishments worldwide give online classes to their students. Video conferencing and virtual education have grown to an extent that people use it widely in all demographic regions of the world. Teachers also update their lesson plans and homework for their students on the internet on various websites of their universities. (Pastore, 2001) Teachers not only use internet for research and communicating with their students, but they receive trainings for their courses online as well. With the expansion of internet and information technology, principals of school find it important to train their staff to use the world of internet. Teachers today receive IT trainings via the internet so that th ey are better able to teach their students. Complex courses and advanced technologies’ trainings are given to teachers worldwide. Teachers are trained in information technology so that they can better integrate it in their classrooms. Approximately 34% of all teachers in Hungary, Canada, Japan, and Iceland use external training for advanced courses over the internet. At least 30 percent of primary school teachers in Hungary and New Zealand have received IT trainings. (OECD, 2001) The percentage of teachers making use of internet for educational purposes has immensely increased during the past ten years. Today, the concept of missing a class and missing all class work and homework has long gone. Teachers make sure that the students work on their

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Moral Issues ( Open Topic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Moral Issues ( Open Topic) - Essay Example Since an immensely unpleasant smell is his initial olfactory encounter which progresses to highly unimaginable degree of keenness, he professes in his own right to create a perfume that would relieve the French society of its abominable airs. What consumed him the most with respect to this ultimate objective is the quest to capture scent which his apprenticeship to a retired perfume-maker Giuseppe Baldini fails to give him discernment of so instead, he follows his own instincts which then cause the serial murder of exactly thirteen women within his area of influence. In reference to Kant’s proposition, Grenouille indeed has a sense of duty upon evaluation of his craftsmanship as he painstakingly takes the ordeal of gaining mastery of an uneducated specialization through help by another expert in the same field, except to him it is more of an ardent natural inclination than a call of duty. The goal is consciously projected to obtain the greatest benefit for the many only that, such drive has had power over him much more than rational realization does.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Management and Development of a Model Process Essay

Management and Development of a Model Process - Essay Example TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..... 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 2 ABSTRACT †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 1.0 INTRODUCTION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 1.1 Investigation & Project Definition 1.2 Statement of the Project 1.3 Objective of the Research Study 1.4 Arrangement and Approach of Study 2.0 PROJECT PROPOSAL & PLANNING †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 9 2.1 Target Audience 2.2 Methodology of Research 2.3 Corporate Description 2.3.1 The organization’s activities 2.3.2 Strategic Management 2.3.3 Current projects undertaking 2.3.4 Industry Analysis 3.0 RESEARCH RESULT & DATA ANALYSIS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 3.1 Organizational Analysis 3.1.1 Secondary Data 3.1.2 Specific Operational analysis 3.2 Data Analysis 3.2.1 Tables, Charts, Histogram and Pareto Analysis 4.0 DISCUSSION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 35 4.1 Research Findings 4.2 Contribution of this Project 4.2 Limitations 4.3 Recommendations for Further Development 5.0 CONCLUSION AND LESSONS LEARNED †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 36 6.0 REFERENCES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 39 Introduction 1.1 Investigation and Project Definition The risk of an event leading to the loss of all data could be devastating and could have a consequential impact on the functional ability of a company. Confidential company information could fall into the wrong hands by either the breach of security of the company databases or by the leakage... The application of risk assessment tools and processes such as a tracking model that would help reduce loss of documents and enable more efficient tracking of documents at the operational level will be examined along with the development of market strategies to achieve the company objectives. This essay declares that the risk of an event leading to the loss of all data could be devastating and could have a consequential impact on the functional ability of a company. Confidential company information could fall into the wrong hands by either the breach of security of the company databases or by the leakage of information either intentionally or unintentionally by the employees who are authorized to access the information. A good account information system that is computerized would aid the company in keeping a good track of company financial and accounting information, reduce the risk of losing sensitive information that could result in costly lawsuits, breaches of data and serious damage to the reputation of the company. During my internship I intend to work on a tracking model in the general services department that will reduce the loss of documents and ensure the security of electronic documents of the company. With the continuous improvement and adoption of new ideas an d innovation by the Borouge Company as well as the expansion of their market to form contractual relationships with partners from different geographic regions, it is necessary to keep a track on the company documents.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Using the knowledge of Hillsborough disaster, how far the resignation Essay

Using the knowledge of Hillsborough disaster, how far the resignation of Norman Bettison was appropriate - Essay Example With numerous peoples reportedly climbing on fences, the crush barrier collapsed. Following the investigations, Duckenfield told higher authorities that the sudden destruction was caused by people who rushed at the congested area (The Independent, 2012, p. 1; Hall, 2012, p. 1) The Taylor report however pointed failure of police control as the main cause of such tragedy (The Independent, 2012, p. 1; Hall, 2012, p. 1) Background of the case The independent investigation was reopened last September 2012 which exonerated the liabilities of Liverpool fans and revealed the omissions made by authorities to cover up the incident, including the concealment and alteration of statements from 164 respondents (Hall, 2012, p. 1). Findings further concluded that of those 96 fatalities, 41 could have been saved if immediately brought to hospital for medication. The report further bared that the situation could have been forecasted from the vantage of the security monitoring control box where records of mounted CCTVs are managed (The Independent, 2012, p. 1; Hall, 2012, p. 1). Dismayed by the findings, West Yorkshire chief constable Norman Bettison tendered his resignation on October 24, 2012 but denied blaming the football fans for the tragedy (The Independent, 2012, p. 1; Hall, 2012, p. 1). ... 1). Police authority vice-chair Les Carter  likewise publicly announced that Bettison’s resignation was appropriate for the institution that is currently saving its image and its performance management from the controversies (The Independent, 2012, p. 1; Hall, 2012, p. 1). Total Security Management Police enforcers that are tasked to enforce security management should have been acculturated of its role as authorities that can readily assess the indicators of vulnerabilities, risks, and possible disasters with the massive influx of people in an area (Whetten & Cameron, 1991, p. 1-87). The police should also have cared undertaking strategic plan about how to manage the people and ensure their security and safety (Whetten & Cameron, 1991, p. 1-87). They could have also made some measures to control the crowd and have readied all medical supports at bay for any possible dangers that may befall (Whetten & Cameron, 1991, p. 1-87). With supposed strategic plan at hand, those deploy ed at the site could have prevented the occurrence of the incident or could have, at the minimum, efficiently mitigated the disaster risks (Whetten & Cameron, 1991, p. 1-87). Their roles should have been clarified and they should have geographically analysed the capacity of the venue. But apparently, the lack of unified, strategic, and (post-accident) pro-active response to the situation proved that they lacked the capacity to employ total security management in the area. True, the situation might have been overwhelming but as the case is brought into administrative investigation, the team should have faced it with professionally and honestly-- without concealing and omitting necessary information that could shed light to such tragedy (Mindtools, 2012, p. 1). They should have

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Macro Written Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro Written Assignment - Essay Example The latter on the other hand, augments the overall money supply in the economy more precipitously. Expansionary policies are conventionally utilized in the attempt of combating unemployment in an economic downturn. This is achieved by depressing the rates of interest with the intention of allowing easy credit to entice business expansion. Contractionary policies are expected to decelerate inflation so as to prevent the consequential distortions combined with the relapse of the values of assets (Weale, 2013). The United Kingdom public might expect a change in monetary policies because of the falling unemployment and economic recovery that the country is experiencing. The change anticipated to happen is the overhauling or revamping of the interest rate policy of the Bank of England. The interest rates are to be determined by unemployment, among other indicators. The introduction of the forward guidance policy kept the bank from increasing interest rates to beyond 0.5 per cent. The bank governor, Mark Carney, however, asserted that the policy needed revising because of the outstanding strong growth in employment. This adjustment involves rising rates of interest. This is to be done following the observation of such indicators as spare capacity within the economy, wages as well as productivity. The bank is to provide predictions on these range of indicators based on expectations of the market of 1.5 per cent increase by the year 2017. The Bank of England outlined its stratagems for alterations in rates of interest in the future. This could probably mean more suffering for the saving population but there would continue to be inexpensive mortgage rates. The Bank would only consider increasing the current low interest rate levels if either inflation or unemployment or both was no longer manageable. The stratagem or change in monetary policy known as the forward guidance would affect the main indicators in

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Merits and Drawbacks of Central Bank Independence Essay

Merits and Drawbacks of Central Bank Independence - Essay Example Money is important in the economy of a country due to the several functions it serves. Since central banks are charged with critical roles, it becomes challenging for most countries to decide whether the mandate of the central bank should fall under the control of the executive or whether the institution should operate autonomously and independently. This paper discusses focuses on the independence of central bank and discusses the merits and drawbacks that are associated with an independent central bank. The theoretical case for central bank independence is founded on the notion that price stability is critical and is the main objective of any monetary policy. However, politicians of a country are mainly not interested in fully safeguarding this major objective of the monetary policy since their concern is focused on the short term and politically dependent central banks. To address this, it becomes vital that the main objective of monetary policy is entrusted to agents that have a long term focus and who are not politically elected by the masses. Theoretically, central bank independence is considered to a solution to three major problems. First, this is considered to have the capacity of making it difficult for fiscal authority and policy to have relative dominance on the monetary authority and policy. Additionally, based on the models of political business cycles and partisan cycles, central bank independence is considered to provide protection to society against the distortions th at business or partisan cycles can result into. Finally, basing on the dynamic inconsistency theory, central bank independence is considered an effective way of addressing dynamic inconsistencies in monetary policy.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Answer 5 questions - do not need MLA style Essay

Answer 5 questions - do not need MLA style - Essay Example Models could be easy or difficult to understand depending on the company’s flow of transmission of value for consideration. The level of complexity in a model could be the deciding factor for investment by an investor. (Ritchie)Moreover, unless one comprehends a company's business model, one would not know what the drivers are for future growth, and he will leave himself susceptible to being blindsided. For instance, Warrant Buffet never invested in an IT firm because he was unable to comprehend their business model. Competitive Advantage   Another key aspect is the identification of company’s competitive advantage over others. An investor is particularly interested in long-term success of the company and to reach that he needs to know which element would keep the company’s performance better than others. For instance, Wall-Mart possesses competitive advantage in price of the product. It means that it provides the product in the lowest price and no competitor c an beat them in a price war. Ultimately, if a company achieves competitive advantage, then its shareholders will be rewarded for decades. Management   A company cannot reach its objectives and cannot implement its business model if the leaders of the company fail to execute a plan. This information is present on the website of each company but it’s always sugar coated and one would not find anything useful on the site. Therefore, some ways to get a feel of management would be through a. Conference Calls- talk between CEO and CFO could reveal results. b. Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A)- compare what management has said previously and what are they stating today. c. Ownership and Insider sales- If management holds share options then you have confidence that they will do well. d. Past Performance-identify companies CEOs have worked in the past and their performance. Corporate Governance   An important thing to analyze is the compliance of governance policies and ap plicable government regulations (such as the  Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002) by the company. Corporate governance policies normally cover a few general areas: structure of the board of directors, stakeholder rights and transparency of financials and information. As an employee, it is imperative that these factors are taken into consideration. An employee as well as the organization would like to share similar values. If the organizational culture is based on honesty and integrity, then a person with unethical behavior would not sustain for long. Therefore, employees’ actions should be in-line with the company’s competitive advantage and core values to benefit him as well as the organization. Moreover, an employee should know before entering a firm about its business model. There may be actions by the company which are against the values of the employee. Before the burn gets exacerbated, preventive measures should be taken. Furthermore, employee should consider the style of leadership practiced in the organization. If the company follows a bureaucratic structure, then the employee should be prepared to work hard on flattering his/her bosses. These aspects are not given equal weight ages in every company. However, all these factors are always considered by company’s stakeholders before jumping on to the decision. From an employee’s perspective, management’s role should be the factor to be analyzed closely. Usually, employee turnover is caused neither because of company’

Aviation Safety Reporting Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aviation Safety Reporting Systems - Essay Example Correct analysis of this data would enable people to catch a problem before it actually happens, and be proactive in their respective area of work. It also works in two additional dimensions which are very crucial. The ASRS finds out the problems that are there in the MAS, and then it gives recommendations for future procedures, operations, facilities, and equipment. This is by far the most important role of any reporting system, which would not just end up as a datasheet at the end of the day, but would also prove to be the foundation for future policies. Since the advent of industrialization, nobody has liked inspections. However, in order to ensure the safety of both man and machine, this is mandatory. The Air Safety Week (2004) presents the view that rigorous inspections are actually costing lots of time, effort and of course, money to the companies. But then again, this is considered to be an inevitable requirement by the regulation authorities these days. With security and safety being paramount for both customers and the companies, this is a cost that has to be paid. There are three major areas which the FAA feels need to have a consistent and continuous inspection for best standards of safety and quality. Firstly, the Electrical system safety has to be ensured. ... 3. Training programs regarding aviation safety Mech (2004) explains the requirement for a transformation change in aviation safety concepts and understanding. It is elaborated, that no matter how much and how many aviation safety training programs are conducted for the personnel, the actual difference will be made only when the philosophy about this is changed in the minds of the people who matter. It is the time for a change in the culture of how we look at safety. Safety should not be merely prevention from accidents. Safety is an intrinsic value, which comes naturally to human beings and needs not be taught as such. What needs to be ingrained is the value for scientific systems of safety to be in place, where reports, inspection and investigations are respected as the need of the system, without which effective safety will not be possible for the wellbeing of the personnel. This change shall be possible only through the change in leadership style of the people at the helm of affairs. Aviation safety workshops have concluded overwhelmingly, that the administration is the only element in the system that can bring about and sustain a cultural change. This cultural change is the backbone of all aviation safety training that is to be conducted in the future. 4. A recent air transport investigation that is still in progress This is about a most recent crash, which had three fatalities, including the commercial pilot and two passengers. This is as reported by NTSB on 'Landings.com' (2007). On April 15, 2007, at 1210, a Beech BE 35-B33, N9556Y, impacted the terrain while on a low approach while landing towards Sedona Airport, Sedona, Arizona. All three humans in the flight received

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Human Behavior in Organization in Global Perspective Essay Example for Free

Human Behavior in Organization in Global Perspective Essay Organizational behavior is a study that investigates the effect that individuals, groups and structures have on behavior within an organization for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organizations effectiveness. Human behavior in organization defines also on how the employees work in certain organization, on how we build the interpersonal relationship towards to the superior and co-workers, according to the Maslow’s theory the people get motivated by the five categories of maslow’s, this would be help the employee to more productive in his work and contribute to the organization, basically, when we speak human behavior in organization, it is the behavior of the employees inside the organization, on now they act in their perspectives work and on how they do their duties inside the organization. How-ever in some cases people get motivated in money, with this they develop their skills in order to get some incentives, money is also one of the factors that people are motivated but there is a negative side on this, sometimes this are this factors that we are always depend in. Human behavior in organization in global perspective defines that on how the employees work in different company and also the relationship on organization to another organization, it is also the motivating factor of the bout company and the employee on how they interact inside and outside the organization, in order them to build the relationship inside and outside of the organization, it is also make the organization be more effectiveness. One of those motivating factors is the ethics, basically ethics in organization is important to make the employees be more productive to their work, and ethics defines as the character of one person. In human behavior in organization in global perspective is the relationship of one people to another, it is also the relationship of one country to another in order to build a trust, for example the manager of one organization will go in other country to for some proposal of business in order to get the heart of the one country the leader must build a trust to his company first, with this global perspective defines as on how we deal to another. In management global perspective one of the keys to successful management is the ability to understand andapply modern management principles and techniques effectively. Managersmust develop an in-depth knowledge of past and present models, theories andprocesses in order to manage effectively and intelligently. Contemporarymanagement practice is pervasive in every aspect of human life within all typesof organizations

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Analysing marketing strategy at Morrisons

Analysing marketing strategy at Morrisons Marketing strategy is a technique of focus on business capabilities and resources toward a defined task which leads the organisation toward sale promotion and target marketing place. Marketing strategies are the combination of product advertising, distribution, pricing, relationship administration and other essentials; identifies the companys marketing objectives, and make clear how they will be accomplished, preferably inside a fixed time. Marketing strategies are concluding the target market division, positioning, marketing mix, and distribution of resources. In recent years, several conceptual frameworks have been developed to better understand the processes of strategy formulation, and for such processes, the term strategic marketing is used to describe the decisions taken to develop long-run strategies for survival and growth About Morrisons We are the UKs fourth biggest food retailer with  403 outlets. Our business is primarily food and grocery. distinctively the company resource and practice most of the fresh food that Morrisons put up for sale through their own manufacturing services, giving us close manage over provenance and quality; and the company have new people preparing extra food in store than any other retailer. Every week nine million customers pass through our doors and 124,000 colleagues across the business work hard each day to deliver great service to them. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, we are proud to save our customers money every day. Definition of Strategic Marketing Marketing Strategy is a procedure that can permit an association to give attention to its restricted assets on the greatest opportunity to increase sales and achieve a sound competitive edge. (Baker Michael 2008) Principles of marketing strategies People Oriented Marketing The purpose of marketing strategies is to create the added advantage of the company. The strategies that are supported to the customer orientation is the most important one because the customer is the king of market. The Cost Of Something Is What You Give Up To Get It. Marketing strategies are planned according to the pricing of their products. Company set their pricing that are supported their products and customer are likely to buy it. Reward System Strategies Strategies are prepared to satisfy the customer and employees. Bonus Cards, loyalty cards are the rewards that organisation gives to their customers just to retain them. Competitive Advantages Marketing strategies are prepared according to the competitive advantage of the competitor. Marker Base Assets Marketing strategies are supported to the brand name, brand image, company name and then cash them to gain advantage. Vision of Morrisons food specialist for everyone Food specialist We really understand food we know where it comes from; we pack it and make it in our factories; we make it in our stores; and we employ craft skills in every store. For everyone Great food which is also: great value; and for every day, not just special days. This vision is supported by our brand values and strategic objectives. Brand value Our brand values are important to delivering our strategy and underpin all our strategic objectives. Fresh, Value and Service are discussed in the right-hand box above. SMART Analysis: SMART is an acronym which tells us that when ever we set any companies objectives they should be ,S =Specific M= Measurable A = Actionable or Achievable R = Realistic T = Time Frame Morisons strategy maintenance things trouble-free: Our vision to be the Food Specialist for Everyone is at the presentbecomes superior. Morrisons regular spotlight on freshness, great worth and wonderful service is alluring to more and more people. The company now more closer to the customers. http://www.morrisons.co.uk/Corporate/2010/AnnualReport/_assets/ims/FreshValueChart.jpg Morrisons share of UK grocery marke In 2009/10 the share of morrisons was worth of 90.2bn in the market. Morrisons market share continues to increase as we move from National to Nationwide. Morrisons market share(percentage %) 2007 2008 2009 11.9 12.1 12.3 Morrisons share of grocers UK 2010 (percentage %) http://www.morrisons.co.uk/Corporate/2010/AnnualReport/_assets/ims/graph_shareOfGrocers.gif Morrisons market share intensification was superior than the whole market growth year-on-year and as a outcome we grew market share. The crown four superstore shared accounted for around 76% of the market. (Source: Kantar Worldpanel) Porters five forces New comers Morrisons have also a fear the new entrents in the market because the company is now on growth stage. Competitors Another important issue is the competition in the industry or sector.there are a lot of competitors in the market and this is the big therat for the company. Suppliers Suppliers are also affect the companies strategies.in this industry suppliers are strong and they have a strong bargaining power. Customer The potentional customers have a planty of options to buy the product.the competitors of the morrisons like tesco and asda are market leaders and they are offering the cheap products.the power of customers is also affect the Morrison,s marketing strategy. Substitute products There are many others compnies are offering the same products which are offering the morrisons so this thing is also affecting the morrisons marketing strategy. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis in the technique to understand the internal and external analysis of the company that tell companies strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat of the company. STRENGTH Market share growth in 2009/10 http://www.morrisons.co.uk/Corporate/2010/AnnualReport/_assets/ims/graph_marketShareGrowth.gif acquirement of co-operative stores Opening of 34 new stores Food expert expert in food Owen supply chain Own distribution channel Morrison structure for food Owen stuffing factories In store grounding of food Quickest go around time among order and delivery Employees education programme (MBA) WEEKNESSES Lack of the customers trust Very less number of stores Less Advertisement Little bit high pricing OPPORTUNITY Home Delivery extension of small stores to cover the more customers start the new business line as Morrisons pharmacy Move into non-food retailing in the UK. Entry into new retail segments, such as drugstores, department stores, speciality units Increase the number of stores to cover the more population areas THREAT Low pricing of competitors Communication is weak High competition Open market for entering new competitors Purchasing of co-operative store are not maintain Morrisons standard Uncertainty will affect the sale and profitability of the company Competitive Analysis Competitive analysis conducted for the comparison of company to the other different companies/ competitors. It tells the company that where their products are and where the other have, they are in the good position are their competitor. Competitive analysis is tells advantages and the weaknesses of the companies over the competitors. Morrisons have strong competition with Tesco, ASDA, and Sainsbury etc. Boston Consulting Group Matrix Star High growth business or products that competing the market where they have competitive advantage/ edge as compare to the competitor. Normally heavy investments are required to exist in the market. Morrison may not fall in this part of the matrix. Cash Cows Business growth is low or product having relative market share. There is normally low business and little investment is required to retain in the market. Good leadership and strategies are required for growth. Morrisons is in this area of matrix. Question mark Business or product have low market share but exist in the high growth market. Businesses in this area are required high investment but they have potential to grow high. Management have to make some growth strategies that Morrison have done and now in the growth position of the market. Dogs Businesses or products have low market share and unattractive market. Business fall in this area may generate profit to come on breakeven point. MARKETING STRATEGY OPTITIONS Pricing strategies There are number of pricing strategies that companies used in according to their purpose that are fit and matched with objectives and goals. The strategies are: Premium Pricing Economy Pricing Penetration Pricing Psychological Pricing Skimming Pricing Captive Product Pricing Product Bundle Pricing Promotional Pricing Geographical Pricing Morrisons are used various pricing strategies from the above mentioned strategies. Economy Pricing Morrisons are using this strategy in their products that are daily use items. All most all the grocery items are under economy pricing scheme. Psychological Pricing Morrisons are also adopting this pricing technique just for psychological impact on the customers. For example 99P Promotional Pricing Morrisons are using this strategy for promotional items. Example: buy 1 get one free or two item 2 pound etc. STP Strategies STP is another type of marketing strategies that companies kept in mind while formulating its marketing strategies. STP stands for S- Segmentation T- Target P- Positioning Segmentation Demographical Geographical Psychological Behavioural Demographical Uk is a multi culturel country.according to this morrisons set its strategies.company divided its market according to thr race,gender and age etc.for example i many places where Asian people are living they are providing those products which the people like.they are giving a very carefull attention to this strategy becausr when the company fulfil the need of the people then they can attract more and more people. Geographical Company divided its area into different parts than these subareas are also divided into regions. Morrisons have divided its UK market into 4 parts that are the states then these are divided into cities and then cities are divided its sides like central, north, east, west, northwest etc.in this way it is very easy for the company to give proper attention to all sites. Distribution and channel strategies Morrisons have their own distribution channel that is use to deliver its products to the retail stores for the end use of customers. Fresh foods are taken from own forms than they distribute to the concern factory for packing and finally distribute to the retail stores effective and efficient use of the supply chain management.they have also a strong back up if some problem arises.they are paying a lot of attention to its distribution network. DIFFERENT STRATEGY OPTIONS Morrisons have a different strategy options to stay in the market because morrisons is the fourth largest retail store in the uk market.morrisons is now trying to adopting the mixture of three strategies.these are differentitation,cost leadership and focus.morrisons regularly offereing different cheap offeres to attract more and more customers.they are also offereing planty of products for a special age group people.in which they are adopting the focus strategy.morrisons are offering many services to its customer like free eye check up to attract more and more people or customers. Task 3: Implication of changes in the marketing environment for organization The change in marketing: The marketing is the big aspects for any company so the NESTLE making the marketing strategy to attract there customers by there advertisements. Because every one want to see their Childs happy and healthy and the NESTLE is doing that and they are getting the attention of the moms by their baby healthier marketing advertisements. Advertisement marketing of the NESTLE is getting the good business, Every day they want to make moms happy. The effectives areas for the organizations changes: The company cannot bring the change in without their participants and stack holders, directly effected are the big responsible for the organizations change. The employee motivation is most effective way for the organizations step to go to success and the NESTLE has a big motivation for their employees because they are a good motivator for the moms. Customers satisfaction is a need for good company if your customer happy then you will be happy and in the world of competition the NESLTE is providing that satisfaction by their healthier products. Inter departmental collaboration is the big concern of the organizations achievements because they are the all internal factors for the organization. Now we are going to discuss the companys affective areas where the marketing will be effect. The company NESTLE has the big share in the world business because the people like the milk range of this company to make their kids healthy. The company is going to meet his objectives and the customers aspects because it is fulfilling the needs of the peoples. The marketing environment is a marketing term and refers to all of the forces outside of marketing that affect marketing managements ability to build and maintain successful relationships with target customers. The market environment consists of both the macro environment and the microenvironment. These are the factors which can changes the marketing plans by these factors any organization bring the changes in there marketing environments. Micro environmental aspects: The microenvironment refers to the forces that are close to the company and affect its ability to serve its customers. It includes the company itself, its suppliers, marketing intermediaries, customer markets, competitor, and publics. The company aspect of microenvironment refers to the internal environment of the company. This includes all departments, such as management, finance, research, purchasing, operations and accounting. Each of these departments has an impact on marketing decisions. For example, research and development have input as to the features a product can perform and accounting approves the financial side of marketing plans and budgets. The company supplier: The suppliers of a company are also an important aspect of the microenvironment because even the slightest delay in receiving supplies can result in customer dissatisfaction. Marketing managers must watch supply availability and other trends dealing with suppliers to ensure that product will be delivered to customers in the time frame required in order to maintain a strong customer relationship. The people: Marketing intermediaries refers to resellers, physical distribution firms, marketing services agencies, and financial intermediaries. These are the people that help the company promote, sell, and distribute its products to final buyers. Resellers are those that hold and sell the companys product. They match the distribution to the customers and include places such as wall-mart, Target, and Best Buy. Physical distribution firms are places such as warehouses that store and transport the companys product from its origin to its destination. The customer: Another impact of micro environment is the customers. There are different types of customer markets including consumer markets, business markets, government markets, international markets, and reseller markets. The consumer market is made up of individuals who buy goods and services for their own personal use or use in their household. Business markets include those that buy goods and services for use in producing their own products to sell. This is different from the reseller market which includes businesses that purchase goods to resell as is for a profit. These are the same companies mentioned as market intermediaries. The government market consists of government agencies that buy goods to produce public services or transfer goods to others who need them. International markets include buyers in other countries and includes customers from the previous categories. The departmental people: The final aspect of the micro environment is publics, which is any group that has an interest in or impact on the organizations ability to meet its goals. For example, financial publics can hinder a companys ability to obtain funds affecting the level of credit a company has. Media publics include newspapers and magazines that can publish articles of interest regarding the company and editorials that may influence customers opinions and our mostly products are selling on the public advertisement because the people are the too much concision about their health. The macro environmental aspects: The macro environment refers to all forces that are part of the larger culture and affect the microenvironment. It includes concepts such as demography, economy, natural forces, technology, politics, and culture. An other thing in NESTLE refers to studying human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, gender, race, and occupation. This is a very important impact to study for marketers and helps to divide the population into market segment and target markets. Markets: Every market impacts have different characteristics and causes they find important. This can be beneficial to a marketer as they can decide who their product would benefit most and tailor their marketing plan to attract that segment. The market could be made by the company itself because if you are selling your product as much you want then you can drive the market by yourself. Demography covers many aspects that are important to marketers including family dynamics, geographic shifts, work force changes, and levels of diversity in any given area. Another aspect of the macro environment is the economic environment. This refers to the purchasing power of potential customers and the ways in which people spend their money. Natural: The natural environment is another important impact of the macro environment for the organization. This includes the natural resources that a company uses as inputs and affects their marketing activities. The concern in this area is the increased pollution, shortages of raw materials and increased governmental intervention. As raw materials become increasingly scarcer, the ability to create a companys product gets much harder. Also, pollution can go as far as negatively affecting a companys reputation if they are known for damaging the environment. The last concern, government intervention can make it increasingly harder for a company to fulfill their goals as requirements get more stringent. Technical: The technological environment is perhaps one of the fastest changing factors in the macro environment. This includes all developments from antibiotics and surgery to nuclear missiles and chemical weapons to automobiles and credit cards. As these markets develop it can create new markets and new uses for products. It also requires a company to stay ahead of others and update their own technology as it becomes outdated. They must stay informed of trends so they can be part of the next big thing, rather than becoming outdated and suffering the consequences financially. Political: The political environment includes all laws, government agencies, and groups that influence or limit other organizations and individuals within a society. It is important for marketers to be aware of these restrictions as they can be complex. Some products are regulated by both state and federal laws. There are even restrictions for some products as to who the target market may be, for example, cigarettes should not be marketed to younger children. There are also many restrictions on subliminal messages and monopolies. As laws and regulations change often, this is a very important aspect for a marketer to monitor. Culture: The final aspect of the macro environment is the cultural environment, which consists of institutions and basic values and beliefs of a group of people. The values can also be further categorized into core beliefs, which passed on from generation to generation and very difficult to change, and secondary beliefs, which tend to be easier to influence. As a marketer, it is important to know the difference between the two and to focus your marketing campaign to reflect the values of a target audience.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

A study on narrative therapy being emotionally focused

A study on narrative therapy being emotionally focused When one imagines a spouse coming home from work there is usually a question asked in the scenario, how was your day? Now in the household I grew up that question was usually responded to with a story or anecdote as oppose to a simple fine or bad. My family has always been emotionally open, but generally withdrawn from using the emotion words like happy or sad instead explaining their days through the events. I think that narrative therapy has much potential to be emotionally focused, and still accept the social constructs we all are inundated with from birth. In many ways narrative therapy celebrates life as two stories intertwine with one another and the therapist is not the expert, but an interested collaborator. Rather than look for pathology or flawed functioning couples the therapist works to develop awareness of problematic discourse and offer couple the opportunity to describe and evaluate the effects of those discourses on their relationship. (Freedman Combs, 2008) I full-heartedly agree with narrative therapies take on goal setting. By being too specific in any goals life possibilities are eliminated and single-mindedness tends to reign supreme in ones mind. Life has a fluidity that presents and eliminates obstacles. Goals do not always account for these variations. The goal setting of narrative therapy is to help the narrative remain fluid from moment to moment and what positive emotions can be reached. (Freedman Combs, 2008) I think that objectivity is a key component to solving dysfunction and once two people become too enmeshed in a conflict, objectivity disappears. Working with narratives is an excellent way to separate oneself from a conflict and see a perspective without as much irrationality. The couple in the provided scenario is losing objectivity in their current worldview of soon to be married professionals. Narrative therapy is not a concrete process with a list of events that have to occur before the next step can occur. It is a more cyclical process that allows the therapist and couple the ability to move back and forth between the processed goals. That does not mean a regression in thinking will not happen, but narrative therapy is based on building forward a story that has its own ebbs and flows. It is the role of the therapist to guide and advise the client in ways to construct the narrative. (Brimhall, Gardner, Heline, 2003) I thought of narrative therapy when I started thinking about the couple in the scenario, because with only three months before the wedding I feel that constructing a narrative would work with the time period available. Narrative therapy has a free structure that has a distinct jumping off point, but overall a structure that has chapters that include emotions one can return to. I would personally be weary of how many sessions I would be able to have with this couple with their wedding being so close. The first thing to do in the initial session and assessment with the couple in the scenario is have them identify their problem. Ask them to give a name to the problem, associate the emotions with the problem, and identify the alteration in each member of the couples lives and relationships due to the problem. The couple stated that the problem is constantly getting into fights and cannot discuss anything without being angry and defensive. For the sake of brevity the problem will be shortened to fighting. The next thing is to construct the narrative that leads up to the anger, fights, and defensiveness. While the narrative approach is based on the clients being the experts on their own lives, a therapist must still assess disorders, dysfunctions, and negative thoughts. The therapist is also responsible for making the dialogue progress so that all the necessary emotions and cognitions about the relationship emerge. It is easy to see one side of the couple dominate the narrative. Each member of the couple should have equal time to present their own narrative and the therapist should make sure of this. One member of the couple tells his or her narrative of the relationship to the therapist while the other partner listens. The therapist reiterates it back to make sure everything is clear. This gives the therapist the chance to reframe the narrative structure and encourages the listening partner to understand the narrative from an objective viewpoint. Then the same process happens with the other partner. Each partner must feel that their own story has been heard. One partner should not dominate the session. After each partner has shared his narrative then the therapist has a clear vision of all the problems which in this couples case are anger and defensiveness. Ultimately, I think there should be a completely shared narrative also, but that is idealistic. The couple spins the narrative in the sessions a greater understanding of the relationship between couple and problem presented in the narrative. By mapping the influence understanding of the problem a therapist can begin to trace back where and when the fighting started. (Corey, 2009) This couple does not have an enormous history of fighting, so the historical precedent can be traced to an origin point. I would also work on preferred points in the relationship. Both members of the couple could benefit from positivity with questions such as what initially attracted you two to one another? What kinds of things do you like to do together? What do you most appreciate about your partner? Exploring the narratives of the successful times of the couples relationship can be just as much a positive benefit as looking at their problems. The therapist can begin to see the patterns that emerge in each narrative where the named problem is present. From this point, hopefully with rapport built, it will be time to start externalizing the narrative the couple has presented. Externalization means a new and more objective perspective and the ability to re-author the narrative into alternative meanings. The externalization of conversations is the key to an objective attitude when in an emotionally charged situation. Part of externalization is the need to know their relationship with the problem. How does the fighting start? What makes the fighting worse? What makes the fighting stop? These are all questions each partner should address when looking at the relationship with the problem. There is a very good chance that the couple will each have their own answers to these fighting relationship questions, but it is of the utmost importance to note both partners have a relationship with the problem. (Freedman Combs, 2008) The co uple should then start seeing each others narratives and the attached emotions. It is really important to monitor each clients emotions and follow them up with additional emotionally focused questions. Just because the couple has a better emotional understanding does not mean hurt feelings and negativity cannot appear, especially in early stages. If needed returning to positive questioning and the preferred time could be part of the strategy. The next step is the search for unique outcomes. This is to search for moments during the problem that point to success regarding the problem. (Corey, 2009) What are the exceptions to the problem? I like to think of the lessons learned of unique outcomes is like capturing lightning in a bottle. Is there anything that this couple can do to recreate the incident that stopped the fighting? These unique outcomes often are accompanied by events that cannot be recreated. When that unique outcome is found a new story can be formed. With this unique outcome solutions are starting to materialize amongst the couple. More history should be evaluated amongst the clients. After restructuring clients start determining the pattern of negativity and they have the ability to team-up against the problem that is sabotaging their relationship. (Johnson, 2004) It is important to see all members of the counseling party united against a common goal now. After progress with the couple and successful externalization of narratives the couple will talk directly to each other instead of dialogue being filtered through the therapist. The therapist still acts as the guide and monitors the dialogue to avoid or counter-act the relational problems and the regressions from the prefered story. Hopefully, the couple has moved past the strict turn based structure initially presented amongst the first sessions, but still respects each others dialogue. (Brimhall, Gardner, Heline, 2003) With the scenarios couple the therapist has to monitor awareness of anger and defensiveness and point out the problem when it arises. When a couple is aware of the path their narrative is takin g they actively try to avoid the problem and restructure the dialogue of the narrative. The therapist is trying to pursue unconditional positive regard between the partners without having them discount their emotions. After they have finished the therapist guided sessions the clients should have created a mutual preferred narrative and start complete non-turn based dialogue based on a solution focused result. The positive regard is more apparent in the couple and they are able to focus on unique outcomes.The couple now has new interactions and alternative stories. The couple is in the last stages of their therapy and have an awareness of their problems and strategies for coping with regression back into the problem. The narrative is now ready to be solidified. This stage is close to termination with the couple. The couple now has a unique preferred narrative that both partners have contributed to. This story contains positive outlooks and more objective views. This concrete preferred narrative is also fused with positive emotions and noticeable cooperation attacking the problem from both partners. Bringing in an outside party to share the completion of the new narrative is an improtant activity for the client to participate in. This shows the client has completed a goal. I believe external validation away from therapy couch is necessary to promote growth in any problems, whether individual, conjoint, or group. This demonstrates self-confidence in the client as well and shows they are self-reliant when facing their problems. (Brimhall, Gardner, Heline, 2003) The only step left for the couple now is to prepare for the future. The couple can now circumvent their problems of anger, defensiveness, and can use externalizing questions to explore emotions and attain an objective perspective on their problems. There are steps that this couple learned that they can use for the rest of their relationship. The theory of narrative couples therapy has many diverse skills a couple can learn to help them through relationship problems and prepare them for the future. The therapist can combine many aspects of different theories in narrative, including emotionally focused therapy so they can attack client problem from many different angles.

Monday, August 19, 2019

John Walker :: essays research papers

John Walker Lindh, the American accused of fighting alongside the Taleban, has been formally indicted on 10 charges of conspiring to kill fellow Americans. The US is a country of laws, not of men... Walker Lindh only recognised the law of brute force US Attorney General John Ashcroft The indictment, which was handed down by a grand jury in eastern Virginia, formalised the six charges filed against him last month and added four more. The 10-count charge sheet represents the next step in the case against the 20-year-old Californian Muslim. He faces multiple life sentences if convicted. Asked at a press conference whether the government would ask the grand jury to charge Mr Walker with treason, US Attorney Paul J McNulty said: "As far as other charges, we have the opportunity or right to have a superseding indictment if the evidence justifies that." 'Trained terrorist' Announcing the indictment at the US Justice Department, Attorney General John Ashcroft said it described Mr Walker as "an al-Qaeda-trained terrorist who conspired with the Taleban to kill his fellow citizens." He said the indictment was based in part on voluntary statements made Mr Walker. The new charges are: Conspiracy to contribute services to al-Qaeda Contributing services to the network Conspiracy to supply services to the Taleban Using and carrying firearms and destructive devices during crimes of violence Mr Walker had already been charged with: Conspiracy to murder US citizens or US nationals Two counts of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to designated foreign terrorist organisations Two counts of providing material support and resources to terrorist organisations Supplying services to the Taleban Mr Ashcroft said the indictment presented a timeline of Mr Walker's involvement with terrorism. The charge sheet said that in early summer 2001, Mr Walker was in an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Later, as the network made their alleged preparation for the attacks of 11 September, Mr Walker was "forging ever deeper bonds" with al-Qaeda and met America's foremost suspect, Osama Bin Laden, Mr Ashcroft said. Mr Ashcroft said that on the day of 11 September, Mr Walker was fighting alongside the Taleban in Afghanistan, and in the weeks after the attack he remained with his fighting camp, despite knowing about the suicide attacks and being aware that additional attacks were planned. Walker's father is standing by his son

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Child-like Mind on One Visual and Verbal Prodigy :: Childrens Literature Beverly Cleary Papers

Child-like Mind on One Visual and Verbal Prodigy "Bob lived on a big farm. Everyone has to learn to work on a big farm. Bob helped his father with the work. He learned to help with the corn. He learned to look after the chickens and the sheep and the cows. He learned always to shut the gate to the pasture where Tony, the big black bull, lived" (Dolch 1). In the late 1940's and early 1950's, post-World War II, there was a shift back to domestic interests. Both libraries and bookstores were increasing in frequency and popularity, attracting education-minded families on the weekends and after school. However, children visited these institutions often to find merely stuffy stories about prim and proper children without any realistic emotions. "Where are the books about kids like us?" one librarian recalls being asked repeatedly. There simply were none. Hungry minds looking for empathy and adventure found emptiness; anyone not bored by Bob's story, found in a 1954 children's anthology, probably wished him to be mauled by Tony, the big black bull. Kids were often left with moral-laden Little Golden Books such as the 1950 edition of Susie's New Stove: "'Carol is bringing her dolls here to play,' said Susie. 'May I ask her to stay for lunch? We could cook it on my little stove.' 'Of course,' said Mother. 'Let's see. You could have canned soup with toasted crackers and cheese. Then peanut butter and honey sandwiches with milk. And how would you like to make candle salads? They are quite grownup' 'Wonderful,' said Susie. 'I will ask her right away.' And soon she was back with Carol... 'Daddy's birthday is coming,' said Mike. 'What can we give him?' 'I wish we could cook him a birthday dinner,' said Susie. 'That would be lovely,' said Mother. 'Oh, but our pots and pans are so tiny,' said Susie. 'We could never feed you and Daddy.' 'And us too,' said Mike. 'We would eat at the birthday dinner, wouldn't we?' 'Of course, dear,' said Mother. 'It would not be a party without you. But we can manage. You two are such good cooks now, I will let you cook on my big stove just this once... 'My,' said Mother. 'You children are a great help to me. This will be a wonderful birthday dinner.' It was, too. Daddy said it was the best meal he had ever eaten in his whole life" (Bedford 14).

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Duchess of Northumberland Essay

What impressions of the Duchess of Northumberland do you get from Rachel Cookes article. The article began by saying how a ‘splendid but hugely expensive garden would be created in the grounds of Alnwick castle’. This gives us the impression that she is rich and is wasting her money away on some project that is costing 5 million pounds. It is until around line 70 when the readers get a bad impression of the Duchess as until then it says how ‘the locals’ ‘were less than impressed’ asking who ‘does she think she is’. This gives us the impression that the locals don’t think that she is a worthy Duchess and are not fond of her. It then goes on to say how the ‘duke and duchess believed they just had to click their fingers and everyone else would come running’. This gives the impression that they think they can do what they want and they think they are so powerful that everyone will come running to them and do whatever they please. By line 70 however, the readers start to see a different side of her when Rachel Cooke’s actually goes to see her when she realises that she’s not actually a bad person. The Duchess goes on to say how she ‘should try to win the critics round’ but she cannot be bothered. This gives the impression that she doesn’t care about impressing the locals and if they don’t like her then she will deal with it and not chase after them persuading them to like her. When she speaks she then says how she never expected to be Duchess and how it was ‘difficult for [her] to leave the farmhouse’. This gives us the impression that she’s actually a normal person and her background isn’t from royalty. Just because she is a duchess doesn’t mean that they have ‘unlimited cash’ she goes on saying. This gives us the impression that she feels that people instantly judge and think that she is very rich and doesn’t have any money problems but she has to ‘pay card bills’ just like anyone else. Furthermore it gives us the impression that she doesn’t feel like royalty she just feels l ike a normal human being.

Is Liberal Autocracy the Optimum Form of Governance for Lesser Developed Countries?

Is Liberal Autocracy the optimum form of governance for Lesser Developed Countries? Andre Lim, Joshua Tjahjadi August 2011 1743 Words Hypothesis: Liberal autocracy is the optimal system of governance for lesser-developed countries (LDCs) Democracy at home, and abroad: In this essay, the authors aim to compare the systems of governance in Indonesia and Singapore, as well as how their differences have led to varied repercussions in both countries; those (repercussions) that will be closely examined here are the growth/development of stable governmental institutions, as well as the just rule of law.These are relatively newly-decolonized states existing side by side, in recent years taking different paths of governance. This resulted in wildly different outcomes. What was it about their different political paths that caused the difference? Is the fault with the democratic process, or with their implementation? Is there a certain developmental threshold within which democracy is just doom ed to failure? Many of these questions traverse along peripheries of political doctrine and liberal ethics. Certainly, democracy is an unpredictable, and often messy process.Only by answering hard questions like these can it be better understood, and refined. This is what the authors hope to achieve. To start off, however several key terms first have to be defined. Liberal autocracy refers to a non-democratically elected government founded on the principles of liberalism, that is a fundamental belief in the importance of liberty and basic fundamental rights. Notably successful examples include Singapore, and in the past Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as Japan. Lesser developed countries are nations exhibiting low levels of socio-economic development.Criterion include- low economic development (GNP of less than 905 USD, per capita) as well as human resource weakness (indicators include Adult literacy, nutrition and education). Liberty vs. Democracy- Rise of illiberal democracies? As Faree d Zakaria once brilliantly put it, ‘there today exists two strands of liberal democracy, both inextricably interwoven into Western political fabric- liberty and democracy. ’ The former is floundering even though the latter is flourishing. What is the significance of this co-relation?Democracy at its purest essentially means the rule of the people, whatever it may entail. Liberty recognizes that every man is born with certain unalienable rights- rights to religion, to life, to own property and be free from unfair prosecution. These are rights that cannot be infringed upon. Thus the crux behind constitutional liberty is the construction of institutions such as an independent Judiciary and Treasury to safeguard these rights. Only with a firmly-established Constitutional Liberty can democracy become a force for good.People frequently understand these concepts in reverse. Without the restrictive tenets of a strong Constitutional Liberty, the democratic process will end up ma nipulated and reinforcing corrupted/tyrannical/incompetent governance, elevating mediocrity and triggering stagnation. This is made apparent with Indonesia’s example. Without the checks and balances provided by libertarian governance, elections more often than not grant victory to illiberal forces. Contrast with Singapore’s single-party rule that gave rise to political stability and little corruption.A lack of liberty turn erodes the egalitarian and majoritarian principles casted by founders of modern constitutional-democracy doctrine- Madison, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu. After all, the democratic system obviously has many admirable qualities. It allows a peaceful transfer of power, and renders tyrannical rule impossible. In both Singapore and Indonesia, this conundrum has been made apparent, time and again. 1960s to 2000: Emerging from the upheavals of 1960s, both the LKY and Suharto regime placed utmost emphasis on stability and order.Thus a common tactic was to st ifle political opposition; co-opting whoever they could, and proscecuting the rest. For instance, in the 1980s a group of Indonesian intelligentsia composed of former military men, public intellectuals and officials signed the Petition of 50(Petisi 50), criticizing the regime’s authoritarian tactics and following a 1984 accusation that Suharto was building a one-party state, the group was cracked down upon and many of its leaders were jailed. In Singapore, many prominent opposition leaders such as Chee Soon Juan and Joshua Jeyaretnam were proscecuted and jailed for their political activities.In both nations, the government also played a major role in different sectors of society; be it religion, social or economic. The results were astounding. Between 1960 and 1990, GDP/capita increased four-fold. After the debacle made by the Sukarno regime of economic affairs, Indonesia slowly regained trust of investors, and foreign markets. Hyper inflation was brought under control, and a s slew of measures were implemented to make Indonesia competitive again. By early 1980s Indonesia had achieved self-sufficiency of rice production, as well as basic education for all and successful family planning measures.The Golden Age of Autocrats? In the 1960s-1980s, in midst of the Cold War, amidst the geopolitical turmoil engulfing South Asia then, strong leaders were required maintain unity, as well as stability. In a sense, the turbulence of those years gave legitimacy for autocratic rule. In developing countries where the populace was mostly uneducated and politically illiterate/susceptible to radicalism, the strong hand of an Autocrat was required to provide the stability vital to building the economy, creating strong instutions, pushing forth important reforms. These would in the future be key to building a working Democracy.If there was one thing men like Mahatir, Marcos, Chiang, Lee and Suharto agreed on, it was that in an LDC, the strong, unwavering hand of autocratic rule was necessary to temper populism and keep check radicalism. 2000 onwards: Since the fall of Suharto in 1998, Indonesia evolved into a full-fledged democracy. However, democracy has brought about a whole slew of problems. For instance, the judiciary’s impartiality and reliability have often been questioned. In June 2011, a judge was caught receiving bribes from a lawyer that amounted to Rp250 million in various currencies.In addition to this, the country also faces problems such as crumbling infrastructure, falling tax revenues, environmental degradation, corruption as well as religious tensions. Singapore on the other hand has been powering forward, be it in terms of education levels, or the economy. Its political elite, un-encumbered by electoral demands is able to make long-term decisions that otherwise would have been rendered impossible in a full-fledged democracy. For example, Singapore fiscally is exceptionally disciplined.Its population exists on little subsidies, and through measures like the CPF, whereby people pay for their own compulsory healthcare insurance, it has large surpluses and little deficit. This allows the MAS and GIC to invest in new technologies and facilities vital to Singapore’s long-term growth, such as the Petrochemical facilities on Jurong- Island, or Biopolis biomedical facilities. Contrast this to Indonesia, whereby the electorate is unwilling to give up on fuel and food subsidies they once enjoyed during the boom years, but are nowadays unsustainable and detrimental to Indonesia’s economic growth.What constitutes good Libertarian Governance? Having looked at the preceding case studies, several correlations can be made between democracy, governance and progress. Firstly, it is that democracy can only become a force for progress and stability were it to come hand in hand with strong governance. When left to itself, democracy by no means lead to consensus and effective decision making. Instead, it will end up getting manipulated and corrupted by infighting, vested interests and corruption. Take the Indonesian Parliament. It is an archetypal example of the democratic process getting hijacked by corruption and ideology.Given that Indonesia lacks strong governmental institutions and mature civil society, the democratic process frequently ends up as a medium for parties in power to battle out their vested interests and for racial, ethnic groups to push forward their own agendas. Some may ask, what is the value of strong institutions? The crux behind Constitutional Democracy lies in checks and balances. No single party should have all the power, instead; power and the decision making process should be diffused among the different branches of government.This way, it would render cronyism, patronage politics and in general bad governance less likely. Were this accomplished, decision making rests not so much on who is in power; but rather the institutions that formulate and implement them. T hus the underlying problem with immature democracies like Indonesia. Without a civil society and strong institutions to balance out the powers of the executive, there is nothing preventing irresponsible governance on the part of those who seek to use democratic institutions to push forward their undemocratic agendas.For instance, with the presence of a strong judiciary and treasury to formulate and implement a just tax code, it would be impossible for Indonesian conglomerates and their cronies in Parliament to push for tax breaks and other concessions. This is inherently undemocratic. What Democracy thenceforth would end up doing is aggravating conflicts and instability, as can be seen in places like Lebanon and Iraq, whereby the advent of democratic elections have given rise to an ethnically, politically polarized electorate. Secondly, a certain amount of economic growth has to be achieved before a stable democracy can be established.There exist several reasons for this. On one han d, a government capable of producing sustained economic growth is more likely to be stable and effective, possessing the strong institutions required for this. Their presence increases the chances of a Liberal Democratic regime surviving. Economic prosperity also means that a society is more stable, with an educated, empowered population likely to hold government account to their actions. Paradoxically, as inherently undemocratic the PAP regime may seem today, Singapore 45 years after independence is closer to becoming a successful Liberal democracy than ever before.Having a motivated, uncorrupt elite in more or less total control of public policy means that Singapore had been able to enjoy decades of sustained economic, political and social growth. This has created stability, as well as strong institutions and a flourishing civil society. With its vast ruling majority, the PAP regime has also been able to build legislative and judicial institutions that counterweigh the power of th e ruling body, since it has no need to cope with frequently detrimental populist sentiments or political infighting.The legislative body can then focus solely on advancing national interests. Therein lies the crux behind effective governance. Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be surmised that establishing the pre-requisites required for a strong Democracy is a complicated process. Developing countries lack these pre-requisites, and trying to develop Liberal institutions in these countries under democratic circumstances is arduously tough. When this process fails, as it often does, the Democratic process loses its value as a force for stability.Herein lies the value of a Liberal Autocracy; to build the foundations for a working democracy. Certainly, liberal autocratic rule has its disadvantages. With such a high concentration of power within the ruling government, things only work out if the government is able, uncorrupt and works to build the institutions required for future transit ion to democratic rule. This was the case in Singapore. In Indonesia, the establishment of growth, stability and Liberty came hand in hand with cronyism and patronage politics. This is undemocratic; a possible offshoot of autocratic rule.Like America’s founding fathers, Lee and Suharto were both elitists with a democratic cause; to improve the lot of as many people as possible. They had one consensus- Democracy has to be meticulously built, rigorously defended. Developing countries require autocracy first, were a strong democracy to be conceived. However, with the advent of internet and a new generation of young people eager for rights and freedoms, this formulae may not work in other developing countries today. After all, any system needs to be revised from time to time. No system last forever.This thus, is the dilemma developing countries face today. They face the problem of consolidation, of making a democratic regime successful, because self-government is never easy. Afte r all, democracy can be entrusted to any society, but not everyone can make it work. (1743 words) Bibliography Hard copy sources: 1. â€Å"Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 2. â€Å"Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew: Citizen Singapore-how to build a nation† by Tom Plate.December 1 2010, Marshall Cavendish Corporation, ISBN-10 9812616764, ISBN-13 978-9812616760 3. â€Å"Lee Kuan Yew-Hard truths to keep Singapore going† by Ignatius Low, Chua Mui Hoong, Han Fook Kwang, Zuraidah Ibrahim, Lydia Lim, Rachel Lin and Robin Chan. February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 Soft copy sources: 1. Is Media Helping or Hurting Push for Democracy Ismira Lutfia, May 9 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/arts/is-media-helping-or-hurting-push-for-democracy/440043 2. LeeKuanYew-istan Forever Parag Khanna, May 24 2011 3.Indonesian Democracy at Standtill John Macbeth, Str aits Times Indonesia May 10 2011 4. A Replacement for Suharto’s Iron Fist Mohamed Iqbal Ahnaf April 08, 2011 5. Liberalism and Democracy: Cant Have One Without The Other Marc Plattner, 1998 http://www. foreignaffairs. com/articles/53815/marc-f-plattner/liberalism-and-democracy-cant-have-one-without-the-other? page=show 6. The Thinker: Indonesia Unplugged? Mahpud Sujai, May 27 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/opinion/the-thinker-indonesia-unplugged/443379 ——————————————– 1 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 2 ]. http://www. indonesia-digest. net/3300suharto. htm [ 3 ]. ibid [ 4 ]. Jakarta Post, November 5 2009 [ 5 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 7 ]. 6 ibid [ 8 ]. 7 ibid [ 10 ]. Conversations With Lee Kuan Yew February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 [ 11 ]. ibid [ 12 ]. ibid [ 13 ]. Foreign Policy, May 2007

Friday, August 16, 2019

Allport’s Motivation, Functional Autonomy and Study of the Individual Essay

VI. Motivation To Allport, an adequate theory of motivation must consider the notion that motives change as people mature and also that people are motivated by present drives and wants. Allport believed that most people are motivated by present drives rather than by past events and are aware of what they are doing and have some understanding of why they are doing it. A. Reactive and Proactive Theories of Motivation Adult behavior is both reactive and proactive, and an adequate theory of motivation must be able to explain both. An adequate theory of personality, Allport contended ,must allow for proactive behavior. It must view people as consciously acting on their environment in a manner that it permits growth toward psychological health. A comprehensive theory must not only include an explanation of reactive theories, but must also those proactive theories that stress change and growth. In other words, Allport argued for a psychology that, on one hand, studies behavioral patterns and general laws (the subject matter of traditional psychology) and on the other hand, growth and individuality. Allport insisted that a useful theory of personality rests on the assumption that people not only react to their environment but also shape their environment and cause it to react to them. He criticized psychoanalysis and animal-based learning theories as being reactive because they saw people as being motivated by needs to reduce tension and to react to their environment. Personality is a growing system, allowing new elements to constantly enter into and change the person. B. Functional Autonomy Allport’s most distinctive and controversial concept is his theory of functional autonomy, it is Allport’s explanation for the myriad human motives that seemingly are not accounted for by hedonistic or drive reduction principles, which holds that some (but not all) human motives are functionally independent from the original motive responsible for a particular behavior. Motives that are not functionally autonomous include those that are responsible for reflex actions, basic drives, and pathological behaviors. If a motive is functionally autonomous, it is the explanation for behavior, and one need not to look beyond it for hidden or primary causes. Functional autonomy represents a theory of changing rather than unchanging motives and is the capstone of Allport’s idea on motivation. 1. Perseverative Functional Autonomy Allport recognized two levels of functional autonomy. Perseverative functional autonomy is the tendency of certain basic behaviors to continue in the absence of reinforcement. Allport borrowed the word â€Å"perseveration† which is the tendency of an impression to leave an influence on subsequent experiences. Perseverative functional autonomy is found in animals as well as humans and is based on simple neurological principles. Addictive behaviors are examples of perseverative functional autonomy. 2. Propriate Functional Autonomy The other level is propriate functional autonomy; it is the master system of motivation that confers unity on personality, which refers to self-sustaining motives that are related to the proprium. Examples of propriate functionally autonomous behaviors include pursuing interests that one holds dear and important. 3. Criterion for Functional Autonomy Present motives are functionally autonomous to the extent that they seek new goals. That is, functionally autonomous behaviors will continue even after the motivation behind those behaviors change. 4. Processes That Are Not Functionally Autonomous Allport listed eight processes that are not functionally autonomous: (1) Biological drives, (eating, breathing and sleeping) (2) Motives directly linked to the reduction of basic drives, (3) Reflexes actions (eye blink) (4) Constitutional equipment (physique, intelligence, and temperament) (5) Habits in the process of being formed,   (6) Patterns of behavior that require primary reinforcement, (7) Sublimations that are linked to unpleasant childhood experiences, and (8) Certain neurotic or pathological symptoms. Allport suggested a criterion for differentiating between a functionally autonomous compulsion and one that is not. For example, compulsions that can be eliminated through therapy or behavior modification are not functionally autonomous, whereas those that are extremely resistant to therapy are self- sustaining and thus functionally autonomous. C. Conscious and Unconscious Motivation Although Allport emphasized conscious motivation more than any other personality theorist, he did not completely overlook the possible influence of unconscious motives. Pathological behaviors are often motivated by unconscious drives, but healthy individuals are ordinarily consciously in control of their behavior. VIII. The Study of the Individual Because psychology has historically dealt with general laws and characteristics that people have in common, Allport strongly felt that psychology should develop and use research methods that study the individual rather than groups. To balance the predominant normative or group approach, he suggested that psychologists employ methods that study the motivational and stylistic behaviors of one person. A. Morphogenic Science Allport distinguished between two scientific approaches; Traditional psychology relies on nomothetic science, which seeks general laws from a study of groups of people, and idiographic which refers to that which is peculiar to the single case or study patterns of traits within the single case, but Allport used morphogenic procedures because the term â€Å"idiographic† was so often misused, misunderstood and misspelled. Morphogenic procedures refer to patterned properties of the whole organism and allows for intraperson comparisons Allport accepted self-reports, such as diaries, at face value. B. The Diaries of Marion Taylor During the late 1930’s, Allport and his wife became acquainted with personal documents, including diaries, of a woman they called Marion Taylor. Although the Allports analyzed much of this information, they never published an account of Marion Taylor’s story. Their work with Marion Taylor probably helped them organize and publish a second case- the story of Jenny Gove Masterson, another pseudonym. C. Letters from Jenny A short time later, the Allports analyzed and published a series of letters they had received from an older women named Jenny. These letters constitute Allport’s best-known example of morphogenic science in that they reveal one person’s pattern of behavior. Two of Allport’s students, Alfred Baldwin and Jeffrey Paige, used a personal structure analysis and factor analysis, respectively, whereas Allport used a commonsense approach to discern Jenny’s personality structure as revealed by her letters. All three approaches yielded similar results, suggesting that morphogenic studies may be reliable. IX. Related Research Allport believed that a deep religious commitment was a mark of a mature person, but he also saw that many regular churchgoers did not have a mature religious orientation and were capable of deep racial and social prejudice. In other words, he saw a curvilinear relationship between church attendance and prejudice. A. The Religious Orientation Scale This insight led Allport to develop and use the Religious Orientation Scale to assess both an intrinsic orientation and an extrinsic orientation toward religion. Allport and Ross (1967) found that people with an extrinsic orientation toward religion tend to be quite prejudiced, whereas those with an intrinsic orientation tend to be low on racial and social prejudice. A review of later studies (Trimble, 1997) found that prejudice is positively related to an extrinsic religious orientation but unrelated to an intrinsic religious orientation. INTRINSIC RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION – refers to motivation arising from goals set forth by the religious tradition itself, and is assumed to have an â€Å"otherly,† nonmundane, even self- denying quality: religion is regarded as a master motive whereas other needs, strong as they may be, are regarded as of less ultimate significance. EXTRINSIC RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION – refers to a flagrantly utilitarian motivation underlying religious behaviors: the individual endorses religious beliefs and attitudes or engages in religious acts only to the extent that they might aid in achieving mundane goals such as feeling comforted and protected or acquiring social status and approval. B. Religious Orientation and Psychological Health Research by Ralph Hood (1970) and others (Hansen, Vandenberg, & Patterson, 1995; Kosek, 1999; Maltby, 1999) has found that people who score high on the Intrinsic scale of the ROS tend to have overall better personal functioning than those who score high on the Extrinsic scale. In general, these studies have found that some highly religious people have strong psychological health, whereas others suffer from a variety of psychological disorders. The principal difference between the two groups is one of intrinsic or extrinsic religious orientation; that is, people with an intrinsic orientation tend to be psychologically healthy, but those with an extrinsic orientation suffer from poor psychological health.