Diversity Essay Essay

As an educator in any school you have experienced a diverse range of students; from boys and girls, young adults, to immigrants starting a new life. In each classroom you will encounter and continue to encounter a different mix of student demographics. In order to be an effective educator you learn to adapt the curriculum and teaching methods to each unique situation. In most teaching experiences the students are the usually the ones adapting to the surroundings, however in my current teaching position it has been myself that has had to adapt to the surroundings. Teaching in a different country brings whole new experiences and places you outside of your comfort zone. It is not just adapting to a new curriculum and surrounding, but adapting to a new culture, and in my case a religion that is highly present in my classroom. Although my students do not differ from the other students in the classroom, does not make my classroom any less diverse. There is still a broad range of experiences and perspectives brought to the classroom that offers a powerful resource for everyone to learn more—in different ways, in new environments, and with different people. Every single person in this enormously diverse and ever changing system has the power to serve as an invaluable resource for all others, students, teachers and the community as a whole (Cummins, Brown & Sayer, 2007). As educators we all have strengths and weaknesses in our practices. It is  true that every day as a teacher you learn something new. It is those experiences that strengthen our strengths and help our weaknesses. According to Walden’s Diversity Proficiency Self-Assessment my strengths relate to understanding how cultures, family, and communities influence how my students understand, as well as knowing the needs of English language learners to support their learning. My weaknesses stem from meeting individual needs in various ways. Teaching in a different country has allowed me to place myself in a situation where I can fully immerse myself in a different culture other than my own. Being culturally sensitive to their ideas has made my relationships with the students and parents stronger than I ever thought I would be. Something as simple as dressing in their traditional clothing can be a gesture of respect, especially to the parents. Some of my students have never been around western people before so dressing in an Abaya (traditional dress worn by women) can make the students feel more comfortable. Aside from the way I present myself, my classroom setting has to be structured in a way that is acceptable as well. In the Muslim world they do not eat pork, or have anything to do with pigs; so finding an alphabet, and reading or singing songs about a farm has to be planned and alter to fit the culture inside the classroom. My classroom usually has between twenty three to twenty five students ever year. In the past several years we have had to share Arabic teachers because we do not have enough. In this case being able to meet all twenty five students’ individual needs has been a struggle for me. Also having special needs in my classroom and no special needs program to help me, a lot of my extra energy was spent with them. I try to balance by having groups set up by academic level, but even within those groups I struggled to find ways to address all individual strengths and weaknesses. Although I struggle with finding ways to ensure all my students are getting the appropriate instruction for each individual need does not mean my students to do feel a part of everyday life in my classroom. I still find  ways to show my students that they can succeed. My goal is to help facilitate my students’ pursuit for knowledge and help them acquire the communication skills, problem solving skills, and critical thinking skills which will enable them to be life-long learners. A major part that has helped me promote these skills in my classroom is through professional development. Collaborating with my colleagues keeps me focused and engaged on tasks inside the school and classroom. Observing different styles of teaching has motivated me to try new ideas in my classroom and when my students show excitement about trying new things I know that they are succeeding in their own way. Not only does professional development help me become a better teacher but also the courses from Walden University. I have learned and adapted numerous ideas from other teachers and professors. The strategies and teaching English language learner’s courses have been the most influential. As teachers, student success is also a priority. It is important to remember as a teacher that success is measured in different ways. Success can be getting a good grade and for another student it could an increase in involvement. Whatever the success teachers must be able to help each student reach their full potential. In order for my students to succeed I must have goals set for myself. My first action is to continually grow in my profession. I want to be involved in new ideas and research that can enhance my day-to-day teaching. Keeping up with the latest information through courses, workshops, and professional journals can lead to more student interest and greater student success. My second action is to vary my instructional techniques. Instead of getting to the routine of doing routines I want to vary my teaching methods and provide my students with a greater opportunity to learn. Instead of differentiating one or two ways I want to have a variety of ways that will allow for different learning styles. I also want my students to understand how to succeed. I want to provide my students with a success criterion so  they understand how I will be grading their work. The broad range of experience and perspectives brought to school by culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse students offer a powerful resource for everyone to learn more in different ways, in new environments, and with different types of people (Epstein & Sheldon, 2007). The growing diversity in classrooms encourages the development and use of diverse teaching strategies designed to respond to each student as an individual. References: Cummins, J., Brown, K., & Sayers, D. (2007). Literacy, technology, and diversity: Teaching for success in changing times. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Epstein, J. L., & Sheldon, S. B. (2006). Moving forward: Ideas for research on school, family, and community partnerships. In C. F. Conrad & R. Serlin (Eds.), SAGE handbook for research in education: Engaging ideas and enriching inquiry (pp. 117–138). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Biology Lab Report Ib Hl Osmosis

Biology Lab Report 2 Investigating the phenomenon of Osmosis in plant tissues: Potato in different concentrations of NaCl Tutor: Maria Tsaousidou By Marina Gkritzioudi Biology Lab Report 2 Investigating the phenomenon of Osmosis in plant tissues: Potato in different concentrations of NaCl Tutor: Maria Tsaousidou By Marina Gkritzioudi Investigating the phenomenon of Osmosis in plant tissues: Potato in different concentrations of NaCl Introduction: Osmosis is the movement of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane from low concentration to high concentration. Research Question:How does the concentration of salt (NaCl) affect the mass of a potato soaked in water (H2O) with different concentrations of NaCl over the course of 30 minutes? Hypothesis: It is expected that the solution with the highest concentration of salt will cause more mass loss to the pieces of potato. The pieces that will be placed in the solution with the lowest concentration of salt will have small weight los s. Finally, the pieces that will be placed in water (NaCl concentration 0) will gain weight. This is expected because of the phenomenon of osmosis which was examined in a previous lab. Variables:Independent: concentration (%) of salt (NaCl) Dependent: mass (g) change Controlled: * shape and material of the beakers * size and weight of the potato pieces * volume of the aqueous solution The beakers need to be of the same size, of the same shape and of the same material, either plastic or glass. The size of the potato pieces needs to be the same in order for the surface to volume ratio to be the same and the initial weight of the pieces should also be the same so that the mass change can be compared. Since this is not always possible, we calculate percentages and make the pieces approximately the same.Lastly, the volume of the water solutions should be the same in all beakers so that the osmotic effect will only depend on the concentration dissolved in the solution. Materials: 5 beaker s sized: 250cm3 (Â ±0. 5cm3) Tap Water Potato Knife Weigh balance (Â ±0. 01g) Salt (NaCl) Watch glass Spatula Timer (Â ±0. 1sec) Volumetric cylinder Procedure: Step 1: Line up the five beakers and with the help of a volumetric cylinder add 100cm3 of water (H2O) in all of them. Step 2: Place the watch glass on the weigh balance and after zeroing it, measure four different concentrations of salt by adding it with the spatula.Start by measuring 0. 5% of NaCl, then 1%, then 3%, and finally 5% and add each one in a different beaker. Step 3: Stir the solutions using the spatula in order for the salt to dissolve. Step 4: Take a potato and after peeling it with the knife, cut it into 10 same size small pieces. Step 5: Measure each one of the 10 pieces and in order to equalize their mass chop, or scrape off some of the piece if needed. Step 6: Record the initial mass of the potato pieces and place 2 potatoes in each beaker. Step 7: After 15min take each of the pieces out of the beakers an d measure its weight and record it.Step 8: Repeat Step 7 after 30min and after 35min in order to get the rate at which the mass changes. Data Collection: Table 1: Mass measurements of the potato pieces in solutions with different NaCl concentrations over the course of 35min | Time in min| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 0. 5% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 1% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 3% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 5% NaCl concentration | Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 0% NaCl concentration| | Trial 1| Trial 2| Trial 1| Trial 2| Trial 1| Trial 2| Trial 1| Trial 2| Trial 1| Trial 2| 0| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 6| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 15| 1. 80| 1. 80| 1. 63| 1. 63| 1. 57| 1. 57| 1. 58| 1. 58| 1. 95| 1. 95| 30| 1. 80| 1. 80| 1. 54| 1. 54| 1. 50| 1. 50| 1. 51| 1. 51| 1. 97| 1. 97| 35| 1. 79| 1. 79| 1. 52| 1. 45| 1. 49| 1. 42| 1. 48| 1. 45| 1. 98| 1. 98| Data Processing: In Table 2 the average mass of the measurements of the two trials from Tabl e 1 over the course of 35min is shown. The information in the table was a result of adding the measurements from both of the trials, at a specific time, and dividing this sum by two. For example, in the 5mol dm-3 NaCl concentration the mass (g) after 35min was 1. 8g in the 1st trial and 1. 45g in the 2nd trial (see Table 1). The average of these two measurements for the time of 35min, in concentration 0. 5mol dm-3 NaCl, is found by adding them and dividing their sum by two: (1. 48+1. 45)? 2=1. 465, rounded to 1. 47g. Table 2: The average mass measurements of the potato pieces in solutions with different NaCl concentrations over the course of 35min| Time in min| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 0. 5%3 NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 1% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 3% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 5% NaCl concentration | Mass(g)(Â ±0. 1) in 0% NaCl concentration| 0| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 1. 76| 15| 1. 80| 1. 63| 1. 57| 1. 58| 1. 95| 30| 1. 80| 1. 54| 1. 50| 1. 51| 1. 97| 35| 1. 79| 1. 49| 1. 46| 1. 47| 1. 98| In Table 3 the average mass change of the measurements over the course of 35min is shown. This is calculated by subtracting the initial measurement of the average mass of the pieces of potato (measurements of 0min shown in Table 2), which are submerged in different solutions with different salt concentrations, from the final measurement of the mass of potato present in the same concentration (measurements of 35min shown in Table 2).For example, the average mass change over the course of 35min in NaCl concentration of 05mol dm-3 is found by subtracting the first average measurement of the mass, 1. 79g, from the final average mass, 1. 76g: 1. 79-1. 76=0. 03g. Table 3: Average potato mass change in each solution over the course of 35 minutes| | Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 0. 5% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 1% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 3% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 5% NaCl concentration | Mass (g)(Â ±0. 01) in 0% NaCl concentration| Mass (g) change (Â ±0. 01)| 0. 03| -0. 27| -0. 30| -0. 29| 0. 22|When the mass change is a positive number, this means that the mass of the specimen, the potato piece, increased from the initial mass. On the contrary, when the mass change is a negative number, this means that the mass decreased from the initial mass that was first measured before it was submerged in the solution. In Table 4 the rate at which the mass increases or decreases in the five different solutions is shown. This is calculated by dividing the absolute average mass change of each solution (shown in Table 3) and dividing it by the maximum time used in the experiment, which is 35min.For example, the rate at which the mass drops or increases in the 0. 5mol dm-3 NaCl concentration solution is shown by taking |0. 03| (Table 3) and dividing it by 35min: |0. 03|? 35=8. 6*10-4g/min. Table 4: Rate at which the mass increases or decreases. | | In 0. 5% NaCl concentration solution | In 1% NaCl concentration solution| In 3% NaCl concentration solution| In 5% NaCl concentration solution| In 0% NaCl concentration solution| Average mass (g)/time (min)| 8. 57*10-4| 7. 71*10-3| 8. 57*10-3| 8. 28*10-3| 6. 28*10-3| In Table 5 the percentage% mass change is shown.This is calculated by subtracting the average initial mass measurement from the average final one, dividing it by the average initial mass and multiplying it by 100. For example, the percentage% mass change in the 0. 5mol dm-3 NaCl concentration solution is calculated like this: [(1. 79-1. 76)/1. 76]*100=1. 70%. Table 5: Percentage% mass change| | Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 0. 5% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 1% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 3% NaCl concentration| Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 5% NaCl concentration | Mass(g)(Â ±0. 01) in 0% NaCl concentration| Percentage%Mass change| 1. 0| -15. 34| -17. 04| -16. 47| 12. 5| Graph 1: Mass changes of potato pieces bathed in NaCl solutions Graph 2: Ra te at which the mass in each solution increases or decreases Conclusion: The data collected confirmed the hypothesis that that the solute with the highest concentration of salt will cause more mass loss to the pieces of potato, the pieces that will be placed in the solute with the lowest concentration of salt will have small weight loss, and the pieces that will be placed in water (NaCl concentration 0) will gain weight thus increasing in mass.After observing the changes in the mass of the potato pieces we can tell that the higher the concentration of salt in the water, the more the mass of plants will decrease because of osmosis. The lower the concentration of salt in water, the more the mass of the plants will increase or just decrease but not dramatically. If we submerge a plant in water with no NaCl dissolved in it, the mass of the plant will increase, because water molecules will move from the low concentration solute to the high, thus entering the plant tissue and increasing i ts mass and weight.Also, time wise, the more the plant specimen soaks in the solutions the more its mass will relatively increase or decrease. Lastly, from the first graph it can be estimated that at concentration 4. 2% the potato in the NaCl solution will reach equilibrium, thus the concentration will be the same inside and outside of the potato. Limitations: There are some limitations to this experiment that prevent the results from being perfect. First of all there was not enough time to repeat the experiment and because the lab was crowded there was no time to chop more han two pieces of potato for each beaker so only two trials were performed instead of three or five. Secondly, the sizes the potatoes were chopped in were not exactly the same because more attention was given to having the same mass and thus neglecting the size which leads to different surface to volume ratio and affects the results. Thirdly, the timer that was used was the classroom clock and therefore the time at which the pieces or potato were measured were not very accurate.Improvements: In order to improve the results of this experiment, it is necessary that some changes be made. Firstly, a tool should be found that will allow potato pieces to be chopped in the same size so that the surface to volume ratio will be the same and not change, thus affecting the results. A proper timer should be used to count the time intervals. Lastly, more repetitions, at least 3, need to be made so that the results are more precise.

DB 2,3,4 Your thoughts Al Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DB 2,3,4 Your thoughts Al - Assignment Example cticut, Hawaii, New Jersey and the District of Columbia are comparatively in a better position with a B+ grade, as they grant the facility of paid sick leaves, paid medical leaves for pregnancy and paid family leaves. According to Wilke (2014), although there are 181 countries providing maternity leaves and 81 nations providing paternity leaves, the US offers none of these leaves either to new mothers or new fathers. Additionally, none of the US national employment policies is identified to assure remunerated sick days, pregnancy accommodations and other supports to new parents. Nevertheless, the states are now taking steps to establish a parent-friendly workplace by implementing various laws, as per Wilke (2014). The various Acts, such as the â€Å"Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act†, the â€Å"Healthy Families Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act† are also on the lane to get implemented in the US (Wilke, 2014). Apparently, the inferences of the artic le reveal scenario major developmental need of parent-friendly workplace in the US, wherein, apart from the above-mentioned policies, authorities are suggested to bring more flexibility in organizational schedule and telecommunicating facilities. In this article Maurer (2014) intends to summarize the impacts of the new reporting system of Brazil, referred as eSocial. The new system takes account of centralizing and standardizing information on tax, social security, labor and company data into a distinct database and then supplying it to different governmental organizations. As per Maurer (2014), even though the date of implementation is yet not finalized, but it is sure to include all large and mid-income employees. Subsequently, reduction in insolvency, tax evasion and fraud along with development of the inspection of employment records are anticipated as the result of implementing the new reporting initiative. As per Maurer (2014), the process attached to the new system is simplified and can be

American Cultural Mythologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Cultural Mythologies - Essay Example Rhetorical strategies majorly take the form of questions. Their speeches entailed logos, ethos and pathos in their rhetorical techniques. Rhetorical questions do not necessarily require an answer from the audience. They just offer a platform of sharpening and cognitive reflections of the audience. Audiences ponder on the implications of the questions and detect the bias presented by the author or presenter. Therefore, the answers of the questions are already disseminated by the course of the speech. The stand of the author or presenter produces the answer to a rhetorical question. This is an apparent implication that the answers of the questions are already set by the authors and presenters of the speech. This is an evident phenomenon in the speeches by Frederick, Truth and Jefferson. Regardless of the position of the audience, the answer of the rhetorical question remains static during the speech. Therefore, this appeals to the wits of the audience and it possesses a substantial con vincing power. Audiences mostly take the positions of the author or presenter due to the conveyance of the bias through the rhetorical strategies. In this case, authors and presenters have the liberty of capitalize on rhetorical strategies to convey a message to the audience. Rhetorical strategies have a basic role of persuading the audience. ... In this case, his speech starts with a rhetorical question. A rhetorical question is a strategy that has an immense contribution to the persuasive power of the speech. His speech has the title â€Å"What to the Slave is the 4th of July?† Definitely, this qualifies to be a rhetorical question. It does not require an immediate answer from the audience. It also spells the stand of the author or presenter vividly. Therefore, the answer for this question is already set. It spells a definite feeling within the slaves upon the existence of the 4th July date. Ideal expectations of the slaves are major consequences of this day’s existence (Douglass, 7). Frederick appeals to the cognitive reflections of his audience during his presentation of the speech. Ethos is an evident rhetorical strategy in this speech. This speech entails a substantial ethical appeal towards the audience. Through the ethical appeal, Frederick gains a convincing capacity to the audience of his speech. Socie ty has a high tendency to listen and adopt ideas from trustworthy icons. In this case, Frederick’s speech gains much persuasion to the audience due to the ethos technique. Pathos is a rhetorical technique that appeals to emotions of the audience. Frederick uses this rhetorical technique to facilitate his persuasive capacity to his audience. The title of the speech appeals to the emotions of the audience (Douglass, 4). All rhetorical questions also have a substantial emotional appeal, and therefore they facilitate the persuasiveness of the speech. Frederick appeals to the emotions of the audience through the exploration of historical experiences of America’s forefathers (Douglass, 7). By revealing their painful encounters, he convinces his audience to retain their historical glory. Logos

Fashion and its importance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fashion and its importance - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and its importance" explores what is fashion and analyzes its importance. Fashion designers’ lives revolve around fashion, they start outfit trends and people follow them based on their taste. People may use fashion for many different reasons, some might use it for self-expression; the way they dress and appear might seem extreme and that might be what they personally feel about life. Also, other people might use fashion to communicate and present their status. Apart from personal usage, the economy uses fashion to grow. Some might think that the fashion industry is not important and does not need to be taken serious or be interested in. They might see it in a negative way that can be offensive to the fashion icons. Fashion is an important aspect in the day-to-day life in society because it defines a person’s personality; it is used as a way of communication and benefits the economy.Fashion does define a person’s personality in the way an indiv idual dresses. The phrase ‘you are what you wear’ that was made famous by fashionistas has been proven to be correct. says that a person’s fashion personality defines who they are, and it is shown in the way they dress. People will always classify others according to the clothes that they wear. One can be said to be classy, elegant, decent or indecent depending on how they dress. Most of the people do not pay attention to others outfits, while some who are interested in fashion tend to complement their outfits. These could be simple things. like color clashing, accessorizing and making sure that clothes are a perfect fit and not a size bigger. Fashion also helps in the identification of a person’s career, attitude towards certain things and personality (Ingram, 2000). This is more obvious in careers like police service, nursing, doctors and pilots among others that require their professionals to have a specified form of dressing/uniform that can be used to identify them easily. Fashion is a major tool used to express ones personality. This is evident in most communities in Africa and the various religions of the world. The Maasai of Kenya have a distinct way of dressing, which shows that they value their tradition that has stood the test of time for centuries. This community in Kenya is famous for its red shukas that have even been imitated by some designers in the west for their uniqueness, (Werlin, 2011). The Gothic community is yet another example of fashion been used to express attitude, and to show personality. These people often prefer to wear dark colors mostly black with black make up, and accessories. Fashion does not only represent personality but also defines people’s status in the society. Important people in the society, have defining dress codes that distinguish them for the general public (Ingram, 2011). The Royal family of the United Kingdom has expensive, elegant clothing that are custom made and not many can afford. Status of a person is shown in the way they are dressed, not only the status but also a person’s inner expression. Fashion has been used as a form of self-expression in many occasions. Valens (2013) says that â€Å"colors have meanings and we often express the same feeling as the colors that we wear on our clothes†. Fashion used in dull occasions is utilized in such a way that the mood of the people in that occasion is brought out in the fashion used during the occasion. In sad occasions, dull colors are

Fashion and Anesthetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fashion and Anesthetics - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Anesthetics" discovers the connection between fashion and the anesthetics. Fashion ensures that people get to lead confident lives since the kinds of clothes that they wear make them feel better thus raising their self esteem. On the twenty fourth of April in the year 2013, one thousand one hundred and thirty three people lost their lives and over two thousand five hundred people got injured when there was a collapse at the Rana Plaza Factory Plaza in Dhaka. However, the environmental and social catastrophes of the supply chain of fashion still continue. Therefore, the Fashion Revolution Day is on the fourth of April. Many people in sixty countries all over the world participated in the first revolution day which was on the fourth of April this year. People wore their clothes inside out, and they were asking of the person that made the clothes. That shows that people are embracing the fashion trends that are in the society today. That is because there are very many fashion trends, and people have come to embrace all of them. The day is used to celebrate fashion, and it also helps people to learn of the various trends in fashion that are there in the society. The day has not been recognized as an international fashion Day though efforts are being made to make it formal. I tend to believe that clothes really matter. Clothes contribute a lot in changing the perception that people have regarding a certain person. They give a clue on how much money one makes and they also help.

Corporate Finance ------ Analytical report Essay

Corporate Finance ------ Analytical report - Essay Example Let's begin by taking a closer look at the board of governors and what its members do. Together, management and the board of governors have the ultimate goal of maximizing shareholder value. In theory, management looks after the day-to-day operations, and the board ensures that shareholders are adequately represented. But the reality is that many boards are made up of management. The company Adobe Systems Inc., has a good balance between internal and external board members. Other good signs within Adobe Systems are the separation of CEO and chairman roles and an assortment of professional expertise of the board from accountant, attorney and executives. It's boards comprised of the current CEO (who is chairman), the CFO and the COO, along with the retired CEO, etc. This does not necessarily signal that the company is a bad investment, but, as a shareholder, it should question whether or not such a corporate structure is in shareholder best interests. The interaction between Financial Markets and Corporate Governance Corporate governance is merely one feature of the superior framework of macroeconomic policies, global capital, products and labour markets, competition, cultural norms, ethics, tax policy and diverse state regulatory systems. The expansion of global capital markets has shaped the potential for superior access to a bigger investor pool. However, the prime attraction of long-term patient capital, if it is domestic or international, the ability to offer corporate governance systems that are clearly expressed within regulatory and legal frameworks that support contractual and ownership rights. The importance of global capital markets and the governance debate continues to a purely property based regime with private property by which resources are used efficiently in our society. Global Financial markets focuses on the need to protect those property rights under vastly differing legal and political regimes, correlating shareholder protection and developed external capital markets. Capital markets are key to economic development. Economies, particularly in those nation states that are emerging or transitional, need foreign capital to make the investments necessary to generate wealth. Developed market economies also require additional capital to meet product and other market changes, and to ensure that they are globally competitive. Transparency of Corporate Governance Norms Provide Market Information Accounting principles differ from country to country, with differences often reflecting varying business practices, reporting practices and disclosure preferences. For corporate governance to be effective, official regulation of public disclosure will produce company information that is accurate, complete and timely. Interestingly and transparency of corporate governance norms are widely accepted capital market requirement. Disclosure and transparency requirements allow shareholders to monitor the use of their equity capital, enhancing board accountability mechanisms. Institutional investors such as pension funds are increasingly likely to use these transparency guarantees

Business Research Methods Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Research Methods - Term Paper Example From the paper the most obvious weakness of the questionnaire is the lack to give a brief description of the purpose of the research, there is need to include a brief description to the respondents on what the research is aimed at finding out. The other problem with the questionnaire is that the questions are not logically set, there is a need to set the questions in a logical manner and opt to mix them up. This is achieved by grouping questions that tend to get some information together and arranging the questions from simple questions to the more complex question. The format of the questions in the questionnaire is mixed up and does not follow this rule. The other crucial information missing from this questionnaire is the information on confidentiality, there is need to add a note on the extent to which ethical issues on confidentiality will be observed, this will ensure that the respondents don't give biased information as a result of fear of exposure of information. Therefore there is a need to give a statement that tells the respondent about the level of confidentiality. Descriptions on where to return the complete questionnaire are also missing, there is need to clearly explain where to return the form and also advice the respondent to completely fill out all the questions because a questionnaire that is not fully filled is always discarded. The other drawback with the questionnaire is that there are two questions in one question, this is evident from the use of the word "and" in the questions, a research question in a questionnaire should not contain two question and thi9s is avoided by not using and in the question, this is evident from question 15 and 7, the problem with the two questions is that the respondent is not sure which question to answer and this leads to biases in responses given.  Ã‚  

Skills and Competencies in Human Resource Management Essay

Skills and Competencies in Human Resource Management - Essay Example HR departments are not designed to provide corporate therapy or social or health and happiness retreats. HR professionals must create the practices that make employees more competitive, not more comfortable. (1999). Competencies help organisations to focus on the characteristics their employees must possess in order for them to be successful. Competencies also provide a way to measure employee’s performance and to align performance with business strategies. Competency may be grouped as â€Å"the underlying characteristics of skills, knowledge, self-concept, traits and motives.† (Tucker and Cofsky, 1994) But one cannot ignore at the myriad of problems that the HR Managers confront. Among them health related incompetence bear the most serious implications, for part of it lies in the individual affiliation for lifestyle and food habits. Therefore, it gives rise to a question â€Å"Do companies have the right to get involved in peoples’ eating and exercising habits? The obesity epidemic is robbing our youth of their future and our generation of their leisure years in retirement. What can be done about it? Is it a pubic or private matter?† (Smith, 2006) http://www.cfib.ca. From the sphere of being totally a private matter the issue has reached an insurmountable proportion that needs proper mechanism in place to tackle it. It concerns the companies mostly as it is a human resource issue rather than being a result of private individuals’ eating habit. Needless to say all companies are earmarking huge amounts for the health issues of the employees and much of this outl ay are eaten away by obesity related problems. An efficient workforce is the backbone of all companies and efficiency is relied on the health of the employees. If the wrong life style and food habits get the better off the employees, their negative implications are manifold. All concerted efforts at modernization, and

Geography in the Arab region Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geography in the Arab region - Essay Example Though contested boundaries and territorial disputes are factors that are not solely typical to Middle East, these factors still assume an immense importance for the region in a strategic context because of the existence of immense petroleum and natural gas resources in this part of the world (Held 1). As per Michael T. Klare, almost 65 percent of the entire world’s unexploited petroleum wealth is located in this region (54). The magnitude of these oil reserves is expected to be approximately 673 billion barrels (Klare 55). So, it is both about money and political clout. Over time, the world is expected to get increasingly dependent on the Middle East oil reserves (Klare 57). As these oil reserves are expected to augment in value over time, many of the powers placed in this region may be tempted to develop hegemony over large tracts of this region through the use of military might (Klare 57). Some of the developed nations may resort to alternate methods to exercise influence o ver this oil wealth by forging alliances with the regional powers, which is readily feasible, considering the existence of multiple non-democratic and authoritarian regimes in the region (Klare 57). The long standing regional rivalries in the region are one more salient factor that has the potential to time and again jeopardize the regional stability. This refers to both Arab-Arab rivalries and the Arab-Israel rivalry. There exists little hope regarding the potential of the outside forces to help the regional enemies negotiate a way out, as most of the important external powers do have economic and strategic interests in the region. The United States tends to have vital economic interests in the region besides having related strategic interests like the survival of Israel and the withholding of regional energy reserves from the other competitive powers (Kemp & Harkavy 7).

The Renaissance Essay Example for Free

The Renaissance Essay The Renaissance can be considered as the golden age of the arts and of intellectual pursuits. Literally called as a ‘rebirth,’ the Renaissance was a period in Western civilization serving as a gateway to the modern age. By going back to the classical texts that were made from the heydays of the Greek and Roman Empire, this period allow this buried knowledge to be unearthed and expanded. It was basically focused on enriching and utilizing the capabilities of the human mind not just manifested in the academic or artistic growth but as well as to social change. One concept of that has been developed in this period was Humanism. This pertains to the aspect of human intellect as the developer of all things. Though there is the belief that God is the source of all creation, it is the human mind which cultivated and brought progression as well as maintaining world order. The active participation of using human intellect progressed into developing new ideals in the field of arts, politics, religion, and society. As Renaissance gradually spread throughout, the need for reformation intensified. As people were encouraged to think, to ask, and to examine everything to be able to use the capabilities of human mind, society started to demand change. Subsequently this desire for change led to many drastic developments which shaped the early stages of the modern era. Renaissance can be described as the period of upheavals of innovations. â€Å"What the renaissance achieved for the modern world was the liberation of the reason, the power of starting on a new career of progress† (Symond, 2006, p. 118). With the limitless possibilities that were offered the moment people went back for the hidden knowledge of classical antiquity, human intellect did not from discovering new horizons which paved the way for innovations which progressed further into the modern era. The Renaissance opened the doors for a huge intellectual exercise which eventually led to the most important progress of human history. The freedom to expand reasoning in all aspect of knowledge became a huge stepping stone for human and social development. Reference Symonds, J. A. (2006). Renaissance in Italy. London: BiblioBazaar. 1 page Apa 1 source In what ways is the Renaissance the `portal` to the modern age?

What Constitutes True Friendship Philosophy Essay

What Constitutes True Friendship Philosophy Essay Why, according to Aristotle, is the true friend such a rare area and abiding benefit. What constitutes true friendship and how is it distinguished from other forms. Why is the true friend necessary for the good life? Why is true happiness impossible without the true friend? Evaluate Aristotles argument: does his ideal of friendship continue a measure, or, if it is an impossible standard, should we toss it out as unrealistic? What then, in your view, constitutes a true friend? How does Aristotelian phillia differ from (and is similar to) Platonic eros? In his book, Aristotle has conceived an ethical theory which aims towards providing a better and more improved way of life. Like Socrates and Plato, Aristotle too believes that virtues play an essential role in order to achieve the goal of a well-lived life. However, while acknowledging this claim, Aristotle differs from the pre-requisite that of training in the sciences and meta-physics as suggested by both Socrates and Plato. Aristotle instead believes that the virtues are a product of rational, social and emotional skills. He further states that aspects such as friendship, virtue, honour, wealth and pleasure are essential for this purpose. Thus comes into play the factor of a virtuous character, who according to him aims and seeks for the good by which he refers to the highest good of happiness. Thus we desire for the best in order to live well. Living well and happiness are synonymous concepts for him. For Aristotle, human being is different from all other creatures present on this planet, and is the smartest among them all since he is the only creature that possesses the ability to reason his thoughts and hence is rational in nature. Thus he is compelled to exercise his reason with virtue so as to achieve the state of happiness. For him to be able to exercise this reason with virtue, Aristotle points out the necessity to discipline eros present within man. This disciplining begins at a young age with the acquisition of good habits. Yet the exercise of virtue in the right amount that is by means of securing the golden mean can only be achieved with the help of a true friend. Aristotle then undertakes the job of describing and defining the types of friendships that exist. He thus classified them into three categories: (1) friendship of utility: under this form of friendship, the basis is laid down on account of the utility to be derived by each individual. Thus here, the whole relation is based on sort of a precondition where a person is to be used only for the benefit of oneself. Thus one remains friends for just as long as they continue to derive their benefits from engaging in this kind of a relationship. Any individual at any point of time is not capable of managing everything on his own throughout his life. At this point he does feel the need for someone that could help him out in situations which if were to be handled alone, would turn out to be complete dead-ends. If we go to see, most of the relationships in todays world have such kind definitely present at any given point in time. Well in defence of such relationships, I would like to say that no t every individual is capable of handling everything by himself. He most certainly is not a perfect individual. He will need the help of some other individual, a person who makes up for the qualities that he lacks and thus is able to fulfil his needs. So obviously at such times, he cannot go up to a stranger to ask him for help. At such points it is absolutely necessary to have some contacts, these contacts usually are more similar to acquaintances, yet they do stand up for you. And as Aristotle has defined, the longevity of this kind of a friendship is very short as when we finish seeking utility, we no longer have any interest or rather any incentive left that provokes us to continue with this relationship. This to some extent is true because a certain individual is capable of providing only so much utility that after a point he can do nothing more. Also, it is very easy to be replaced by someone else for the same purposes, for the seeker has no real personal attachment to the per son who fulfils his utility. Hence the duration of this kind of a friendship is not long since it exists on nothing more than a give and take relationship. (2) Friendship of pleasure: this kind of friendship as well is not really different from the one that we have discussed above. The differences lie in the factors such as it (friendship) is seen to develop during the young days of any individuals life span since as we can observe, with the process of aging, one cannot derive the same pleasure that was attained at an earlier date. When we observe old people, their friendships usually have the possibility of changing their nature from that of a friendship of pleasure to friendship of utility as they have nothing to gain at their age. They are concerned about the company and help required with carrying out day to day activities as they cannot perform them the same way as before. When concerned with lovers, their pleasure is usually constrained to the youth of the body, once that has been taken away, there is nothing more that remains. Unless the people involved have grown fond of each others company, otherwise, even this kind of friendsh ip does not have a great longevity. (3) Friendship of character: This is the type of friendship that Aristotle is interested in. While talking about the friends that will help any man achieve his golden mean that would in turn lead him towards the acquisition of happiness by means of living well, he refers to the true friends who will help him in this process. He describes them as nothing like what has been described in the above two categories. In fact, the true friends maintain this relationship with each other because they enjoy each others company in the truest sense. They aim for the well-being of each other. For whatever they intend to do, their actions always aim for the best interests of their friend. He thus describes such a friendship as rare as it is permanent in nature, they are always in close proximity, and there are no selfish purposes included on part of any friend in such a friendship. He also states that there exists this very important feature of reciprocal good will that is very distinct and is spec ific only to the third category of friendship. In discussing the characteristics that help define this type of friendship, Aristotle does not deny the fact that among the other things that are fulfilled by such friends, it is very much possible that they can derive some utility in such a relationship and that the occurrence of such an event is foreseeable but he further goes on to specify that this event is justifiable only as long as while seeking utility, the friends continue to enjoy each others company. Thus according to Aristotle, all these aspects of such a friend distinguish them from the other categories. According to Aristotle, it is this friend that helps you to make the distinction between a lot of things and helps you to reason with virtue and act in accordance with it. It is this friend that helps you to obtain the clarity of thought that is required while making any decisions. Thus as Aristotle has mentioned earlier that in order to lead a well-lived life which leads us towards happiness, mans eros needs to be disciplined. This friend helps in the disciplining after the first task of acquisition of good habits has been achieved. We often find our elders mentioning quotes like one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel and advising us on the importance of keeping good friends by our side always. I think that this has a great deal of significance because once we step out of the protected boundaries of our homes, leave the ever caring and nurturing warmth of our loved ones to face the real world, our primary socializing group does not hold the same effect on the way we go on to shape our selves after this point. There is no denying that they do continue to influence us in the way we think but the level of influence begins to diminish with the growth in the amount of exposure that we continually gain with time. As human beings, we can never really run away from the influence of the people around us and hence at such a point, it becomes very crucial to stay in good company. Hence I feel Aristotle emphasises so much on the need to have a true friend in ones life. Because after all, we are constantly being groomed and guided by the people in our company and in a way we allow them to shape us and guide us in our future endeavours. I believe that every person must have noticed the change in himself over a period of time. As with time, a lot of things change around us, the most important factor among which is the situation that we are in. In this process, we do gain and lose the company of the friends that we have around us resulting from which we realise, in the abse nce of the certain people in our life, we end up reacting differently each time. Thus with this change in the people around us, we constantly allow ourselves to be motivated or affected by somebodys presence and their influence on us. I assume that as a result of this facet of life, which is a common factor for every human being despite the differences that they are born with, that Aristotle stresses on the need for this one true friend. The true friend in ones life will continue to be the one steady factor that will continue to stay constant despite all the changes and this is something that is essential. The one true friend who loves our company and believes in doing what is best for you. Part of being a part of a friendship that is true is that the two friends involved, are both good people. Thus all that they do together is virtuous in nature this why their friendship is pleasant and beneficial. And since virtue is something that is stable, this friendship can stand strong against the tides of time. For bad company has often lead people down the wrong path and looking at the fact that how easy it is to find friends that belong in the first two categories, the true friend is very much rare and an abiding benefi t. Also to add to the reasons why true friendship is rare, it takes time and effort to build a relationship and maintain it at the same time. This is not something which is possible to do with a lot of people. It is only with the selected few that such a bond can be established. Apart from the characteristics of the types of friendships that have been discussed before, there are a few more things that help distinguish true friendship from that of the other two types. One of the most obvious reasons is that the bad or the evil people cannot participate in a friendship that is long lasting owning to their nature. As according to Aristotle, the necessary component of a true friendship is that it requires the two people involved to be virtuous in nature. These bad individuals are then found to be indulging in a friendship that is based on the utility or pleasure aspect. Whereas true friends continue to maintain their bond because they are a part of it for the sake of each other and that their friendship is not obligated to any sort of qualifications or pre requisites. True friendship does not subject itself to the inequality among the two friends for it mainly rests on liking the other and not on being liked. Being liked is a pre requisite that is in place for t he other types of friendships described by Aristotle as these friendships cannot possibly tolerate any form of inequality between the friends (inequality with regards to wealth, status, virtues, etc.) as such friendships basically concentrate on being liked than liking the other. Hence friendship between such individuals is unlikely to develop or last for that matter. They mainly thrive on being liked by the one who is in the inferior position, as most individuals prefer being flattered by someone and they often regard this flattery as the confirmation of their own opinion about themselves. Thus they enjoy being liked for the sake of themselves and not for that of someone else. True friends, according to Aristotle can never engage in erroneous activities as they have each other. Whereas the bad friends only enjoy each others company as long as they can benefit from the evil habits of their friends. The friendship between such people is based on the utility of their contrary interest s and these are some more aspects that distinguish the true friends from the other types. The true friends believe in loving unconditionally rather than being loved since it is the virtue that characterizes them and as a result of this very reason that the friendship between two unequal individuals can be successful. The whole aspect of loving unconditionally added with reciprocal desire is what helps eliminate the inequality between them and helps them to become equal. They indulge in sort of a competition which is healthy in nature. Since true friends always indulge in doing things that result in acts of good will, this competition is certainly healthy in nature also for other reasons such as when friends indulge in such competitions, they do not do so for the sake of winning rather they indulge in it so as to compel their friend to succeed and excel beyond their capacities with a view to perfect themselves. They engage themselves in an act of pushing each other to their respective limits, which is reciprocal in nature, as they desire for the well-being of one another. Thus this resultant perfection gets them closer towards the ultimate goal of happiness and it is only a true friend who helps one proceed towards it. Hence the need for the true friend is advocated by Aristotle in leading a good life. To conclude, I would like to say that though Aristotle conceptions may be too idealistic in certain aspects, yet they are not completely inapplicable. Even today, in a world that is drastically different from what existed back then, the rules, characteristics and the basic mechanism put forth by him still is righteously applicable to all in some form of the other. Putting in my personal opinion, I think this text has helped me gain certain insights regarding situations in my life and I must admit that I have found answers and peace of mind that none of the other people who tried to counsel me, could provide me with.

Change Management Proposal For Parkway Nursing Care Management Essay

Change Management Proposal For Parkway Nursing Care Management Essay Park way nursing is also a business and, like every other business, it needs good management to keep it running smoothly. .The occupation, medical and health services manager encompasses all individuals who plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of healthcare. Medical and health services managers include specialists and generalists. Specialists are in charge of specific clinical departments or services, while generalists manage or help to manage an entire facility or system. The structure and financing of healthcare is changing rapidly. Future medical and health services managers must be prepared to deal with evolving integrated healthcare delivery systems, technological innovations, an increasingly complex regulatory environment, restructuring of work, and an increased focus on preventive care. They will be called upon to improve efficiency in healthcare facilities and the quality of the healthcare provided. Increasingly, medical and health services managers will work in organizations in which they must optimize efficiency of a variety of interrelated services. The healthcare professions all involve life and death situations. In these situations, quality is crucial and quantity is irrelevant, Health care is continually changing in the way health care professionals like individual practitioners and clinical managers organize and deliver care to the patients. For this reason, health care knowledge must continuously grow and expand to keep health care approaches relevant, current and appropriate. Without new knowledge, health care professionals cannot improve techniques for therapies and even management. 2 Survey Results: Survey results suggesting that No of patients going up but the staff members quantity are still the same. The staff member having plenty of problems like injuries, incidents, absences. Lots of this problem indicates that AI is not good for the company. Hospital nurse staffing is a matter of major concern because of the effects it can have on patient safety and quality of care, members are worried because management only focuses on expand the business, but they couldnt able to balance the ratio between staff member and patients. If the management doesnt able to manage staff properly then the problem comes. The concern is certain things cant calculate like caring of the patients, feelings, help, and relationship etc. The management should be develops service unit goals; identifies, plans, and coordinates new programs; reviews policy and procedure manuals to assure that they are current; provides expert nursing consultation to staff, patients and public; monitors and evaluates patient c are for ethical, legal, and safe conduct; ensures proper and safe functioning of unit equipment and promotes individual and environmental safety; resolves patient care problems and provides direct patient care. The Nurse Manager makes final decisions regarding operations of work unit and defers to an administrative superior regarding policy decisions with broad impact or agency-wide scope. Problems Identification: Parkway having sufficient problem with staffing injuries, patients satisfaction, communication, absences, incidents with patients, many staff are dissatisfied with their jobs, shifting problem, stressà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc the most common problem are followsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Staffing Parkway focuses on filling the beds. Quality and service drop Staff and patients injuries Communication No of patients are increases but no extra staff. No Increment no bonus. Physical Demand Need to recruit strong new staff who can lift the patients easily Female nurses troubling to lift male patients Able to push the Beds, gurneys, and wheelchairs Communicate face to face with individuals Read, write, speak and understand the English language Documentation: (Electronic) Government requirement Staff has to learn new things A medical record should accurately reflect Electronic health records systems can also provide additional functionality, such as interactive alerts to clinicians, interactive flow sheets, and tailored order sets, all of which cant be done be done with paper-based systems. Training Focus on filling beds: Shortages of staff but no of patients increase Management always need big business Not enough motivation Not enough staff Change Management Strategy: Any nature of business employees is a most important assets; this is why they created the Human Resource department. Its purpose is to manage, train and look after the workers of the business. It is also their responsibility to implement health and safety legislation at work and look after the employees. There are many roles that this department manages; these ultimately help the business to achieve its objectives. These include: Manpower planning. Recruitment and selection. Induction and training. Promotion and transfers Appraisal and termination of employment Rewards and conditions of employment. Working conditions. Career development and welfare. Wage bargaining and disputes. An effective and efficient business manages their employees or human resources well. The better this is done, the more the workers will be happier, better motivated, more productive and more responsive. Forms of resistance Leadership must come from the top level. Not enough staff against increase patient staff has to work long hours. Focus in the profit never increase staff position can worse. Documentation (Electronic) old staff using manual, if you go for new electronic system the old staff do not want to use new system. Patient staff injuries Absents . Resistance in Parkway People feel unsecure with their job. People not willing to take on additional responsibilities Lack of communication with management. Nurses not willing to let go of the bond that they have developed with the patients. Overcoming the resistances Improve the working environment. Train new people (if recruit new staff) and current staff too. Implement documentation (electronic) Communicate with the current employee thats if they start new training is good for them once they know job is safe for them resistance ratio will come down. Try to reduce injury to patients as well as staff. Motivation Implementation : Our methods use several basic principles. You are always the leader we only facilitate. When facilitating, demonstrating and teaching we use examples from our personal experience. If an exercise or workshop is needed you do not perform theoretical exercises. You will use actual live situations in your own organization. Here are some of the exercises that can be used in Leadership Implementation: Survey: You identify the areas which will get affected by change in the implementation in the first step. We conduct a survey that will reveal to you the size of challenge you face in implementation. It includes essential information for successful implementation: identification of positive/negative attitudes that will help or hinder critical tasks to make it happen, milestones that must be met and much other data for a successful plan. Breakthrough: This exercise focuses you on the one or two key elements that block the implementation. Once identified, we help you break through the blocks so that the implementation proceeds smoothly and quickly Start Event: This facilitated event is designed to communicate your message and the essential steps for a successful implementation. The audience is all the people that will implement or be affected by the process. The feeling of commitment out of this event is profound and without parallel in conventional training. Strategy Event: Strategy for implementation is required at many different levels. There is the overall master strategy. There are also mini-strategies within it. The most important are the many mini-strategies that departments, work-groups and individuals must use to adapt from their current state to the new process. The techniques used in this event make sure that they are comprehensive, pertinent to the master strategy, and truly implementable. Change Event: Most people are familiar with the Change Curve that describes the inevitable emotional reactions people experience before they finally accept and embrace a change. But how to straighten it? Or how to compress it? Whatever analogy you use, the techniques used here help people move through the Change Curve as quickly as possible. This accelerates the benefit of the implementation Communication Plan: A well executed communication plan is critical to the success of a new project. These techniques help you identify what must be communicated, how, the audience and the best methods. Executive Coaching: One of our central competencies is Executive Coaching. It covers CEOs and all other executive levels. What sets our method apart is its focus on rapid results. Senior executives do not have time for multiple-year codependent therapy-like coaching relationships. The market environment rewards or punishes quarterly. Our method is attuned to this requirement for speed. The above examples are illustrative of some of our Leadership Implementation services. They can be used singly, such as Executive Coaching, or in combination for a full-fledged implementation of a new process, project, program or corporate culture change. Our Facilitators are experienced, trained and sensitive to the dynamics of group meetings. Their participation in your implementation will help you achieve optimum results fast. Implement your project by contacting us at the phone, e-mail or address below. Creating a leadership strategy: Strategic leadership provides the vision, direction, the purpose for growth, and context for the success of the corporation. It also initiates outside-the-box thinking to generate future growth. Strategic leadership is not about micromanaging business strategies. Rather, it provides the umbrella under which businesses devise appropriate strategies and create value. Review the business strategy Leaders play a critical role during change implementation, the period from the announcement of change through the installation of the change. During this middle period the organization is the most unstable, characterized by confusion, fear, loss of direction, reduced productivity, and lack of clarity about direction and mandate. It can be a period of emotionalism, with employees grieving for what is lost, and initially unable to look to the future. In addition to forecast and amiability, the characteristics that leader must have are ability to recognize employees talents, the know-how to make teams work and an open mind. Leadership does vary to some extent as per the positions i.e. it may be slight different for manager and different for a union leader but the basic qualities of leadership does not change. 1. Good communication skill Communication is the key to be a great leader. The reason for this is simple: if he possesses the other nine leadership qualities but if he fails to communicate well, he will never be great leader. What he can do is communicate with others in the organization about what IT can do to move the company forward. In other words, good communication is the key for developing good business relationships. If he cant establish a good business working communicate how IT can add long-term value to the company. The modern leaders must therefore be equipped with good communication skill and use new ways to do effective communication. 2. Honesty The most valuable asset of a leader is honesty. He must be honest with both his employees and the management committee. Another part of his features is integrity. Once a leader compromises his or her integrity, it is lost. That is perhaps the reason integrity is considered the most admirable trait. The leaders therefore must keep it above all else. 3. Visionary outlook Leadership qualities are different for different position. For a CIO he must be thinking for stabilizing the current business and always looking for future scope of expansion. He has to be able to look beyond where we are today, know where the business is going, and be able to use that vision to move the company forward. Being able to do this is a rare skill indeed. 4. Selectingagoodteam A good CIO although he possesses sound technical skills he assures that the team he selects is efficient enough to back up any skill he lacks. Choosing the best people for such team is a skill. A CIO after all is a human being and does not have answer for everything. But by working together he creates an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect; the team then always find the best solution. 5. Action speaks louder than words Managers must be able to put aside their concerns to listen to (and appear to listen to) those around them. As a result, they come know what is going on, and know what is both said, and said between the lines. They have the knack of appearing to know what people need even if those needs are not expressed directly. However, knowing what is going on, and identifying the needs of those around them is not sufficient. The responsive manager also acts upon that knowledge, attempting to help fulfill the needs of employees, superiors, etc. Responsive managers wield influence to solve problems for those around them, often before even being asked. 6. Ability to motivate people around a good leader must always keep motivating his team mates for good work and should maintain healthy environment. He must give first priority to safety of workers and see that they are not exploited by superiors. 7. Consistency Leadership effectiveness is impossible without consistency. Every leader has an approach that is unique to them. Dont change your personal style radically after all; it got you in a leadership position. Modify the rough spots but take care not to confound your staff by displaying inconsistency. Your expectations, though subject to modification based on ever-changing business needs, should remain as constant as possible. The business world is confusing enough without you adding unwelcome surprises into the mix. Keep things simple and consistent. 8. Ability to stand against critics as the success rate increases your critics multiply and become louder. Come to peace with the fact that you will always have a camp of people who critique every decision you make. They are generally the ones who are excellent problem-identifiers rather than problem-solvers. Develop your skills of repelling such critics so that they do not diminish your confidence or enthusiasm. It takes focus and confidence not to be adversely affected by criticism. Strong leaders learn the art of listening to critics, but ultimately making decisions for the good of the department, not to simply please the critics. Identify the driver of strategy Management should introduce different types of elements. Focuses on customer. More opportunity Improvement Assess current leadership situation compare to the desired future In current leadership situation in Park way asking following quotations What leadership skills and perspectives are critical for success now and in the future? How strong are current leaders in these critical skills and perspectives? How aligned is todays leadership strength with what will be the most important skill and perspectives in the future? Desire future in Parkwayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Change of environment Strong leadership Solution for staff Communication Recruitment and training Security Growth Recommended leadership style There are many kind of leadership style à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.some are as follows Autocratic leadership Bureaucratic leadership Charismatic leadership Democratic leadership or participative leadership Laissez-faire leadership People-oriented leadership or relations-oriented leadership Servant leadership Task-Oriented leadership Transactional leadership Transformational leadership For Parkway recommended leadership style should be Charismatic leadership because Parkway having a serious problem with communicationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Charismatic leadership style can seem similar to transformational leadership, because these leaders inspire lots of enthusiasm in their teams and are very energetic in driving others forward. However, charismatic leaders can tend to believe more in themselves than in their teams, and this creates a risk that a project, or even an entire organization, might collapse if the leader leaves. In the eyes of the followers, success is directly connected to the presence of the charismatic leader. As such, charismatic leadership carries great responsibility, and it needs a long-term commitment from the leader. Leader behaviors of Home Directors Behavioral theories focus on how leaders behaveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Common Behaviors are: (1) Creating a leadership platform; (2) Becoming the principal-learner and principal-teacher about leadership (3) Affirming and teaching the powerful roles of organizational beliefs, vision, and Mission. (4) Leading and modeling reciprocity of accountability (5) Building collegiality around problems of practice (6) Emulating the actions of successful coaches (7) Developing the cultural understanding and affirmation that leadership and growth bring discomfort. (8) Developing a sense of professionalism throughout the organization consistent with professionalism as demonstrated in and expected of other learned professions. Leadership behavior of supervisor: THE SUPERVISORS ROLE Supervisors have a general legal duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers. In addition, they have the following specific duties outlined in the Act and regulations. Supervisors must be familiar with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety. Supervisors must be knowledgeable about potential or actual health and safety hazards in the workplace and advice workers about these hazards. Supervisors must ensure that equipment; materials and protective devices required by regulation are provided to workers and maintained in good condition. Supervisors must ensure that workers follow workplace procedures and use protective equipment required by the University or by any applicable regulations. Supervisors must provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker. Supervisors must ensure that subordinate supervisors have or acquire knowledge of the Supervisors must ensure that an up-to-date inventory is maintained of all designated substances, hazardous materials and hazardous physical agents present in the workplace. Supervisors must ensure that all hazardous materials present in the workplace are identified and labeled. Supervisors must ensure that material safety data sheets are readily available for all hazardous materials present in the workplace. Supervisors must ensure that workers exposed to a hazardous material or hazardous physical agent receive and participate in prescribed instruction and training. Supervisors must ensure hazardous materials present in the workplace are disposed of in the manner prescribed by University procedures and applicable regulations. In the case of a workplace injury, supervisors must ensure that prompt medical attention is provided and must report the circumstances of the injury to the Office of Environmental Health and Safety within 24 hours. Job Stress in Parkway: Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. arly Warning Signs that coping with workplace stress is becoming difficult for an employee are Headache, Upset stomach, Sleep problems, Irritability and short temper, Difficulty in concentrating, Job dissatisfaction, Low morale, etc Source of Stress Job stress comes in many different forms and affects your body in various ways. Minor sources of stress may include equipment that wont work or phones that wont quit ringing. Major stress comes from having too much work, not having enough work, doing work that is unfulfilling, fearing a job layoff, or not getting along with your boss. Usually it is the major sources of stress that lead to burnout, causing people to become unhappy and less productive in their work. Job stress can affect your health and home life as well. Low levels of stress may not be noticeable; slightly higher levels can be positive and challenge you to act in creative and resourceful ways; and high levels can be harmful, contributing to chronic disease. According to the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), these are job conditions that may lead to stressà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. The design of tasks. Heavy workload, infrequent rest breaks, long work hours and shift work; hectic and routine tasks that have little inherent meaning, do not utilize workers skills, and provide little sense of control. Management style. Lack of participation by workers in decision-making, poor communication in the organization and lack of family-friendly policies. Interpersonal relationships. Poor social environment and lack of support or help from coworkers or supervisors. Work roles. Conflicting or uncertain job expectations, too much responsibility, too many hats to wear. Career concerns. Job insecurity and lack of opportunity for growth, advancement, or promotion; rapid changes for which workers are unprepared. Environmental conditions. Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution, or ergonomic problems. Action Require: Control: This factor is the most closely related to job stress. Studies show that workers who believe that they have a great deal of responsibility but little control or decision-making power in their jobs are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and other stress-related illnesses. Increased responsibilities. Giving on additional responsibilities to the staff job can be stressful. This can be worse if your staff have too much work to do and they are unable to say no to new tasks or projects. Competence. Are your staffs concerned about their ability to perform well? Are they challenged enough, but not too much? Do your staff feel secure in their job? Job insecurity is a major source of stress for many people. Clarity. Feeling uncertain about what their duties are, how they may be changing, or what your departments or organizations goals are can lead to stress. Communication. Workplace tension often results from poor communication, which in turn increases job stress. An inability to express your concerns, frustrations, or other emotions can also lead to increased stress. Support. Feeling unsupported by to your staff may make it harder to resolve other problems at work that are causing them stress. Significance. If your staff dont find their job meaningful or take pride in it, they may find it stressful. Stress Management plan- Emotional stress usually occurs in situations people consider difficult or challenging. Different people consider different situations to be stressful. Physical stress refers to a physical reaction of the body to various triggers. The pain experienced after surgery is an example of physical stress. Physical stress often leads to emotional stress, and emotional stress often occurs as physical stress (e.g., stomach cramps). About to reduce stress of staff Parkway should follow à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Improve environment Organize get to gather for staff Celebration Laughter Time management Some form of physical exercise Sharing and connecting with your support network on a regular basis Attention to good diet and healthy nutrition Regular time set aside on a daily basis to unwind relax A repertoire of leisure activities Regular sleep and rest Some employers assume that stressful working conditions are a necessary evil-that companies must turn up the pressure on workers and set aside health concerns to remain productive and profitable in todays economy. But research findings challenge this belief. Studies show that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and intentions by workers to quit their jobs-all of which have negative effects on the bottom line. Conclusion: A nurse is someone who basically takes care of the people. They are in charge of the welfare of their patients who are recovering from sickness and disease. They work with a health team which specializes on this matter. They are usually tasked to work with a doctor to ensure the proper medication and care is given to their patients. Since nurses are a part of the medical team, they too can work in the research field. They can contribute to the existing knowledge about nursing. Of course, nursing is also a science and nurses just do not do what the doctor tells them to do. Research s something which should be done continuously, so working in the research field is always in demand. Nurses are the workhorses of any hospital or health care facility. They are the ones who care for the patient taking vital signs, recording symptoms, giving medicine, bathing and comforting, moving the patient from place to place, and making sure the patient is getting everything that is needed to help them get well. Some nurses can prescribe certain medications, just like doctors. Nowadays, you are more likely to receive medical care from a nurse than from a doctor, since nearly all doctors offices have nurse practitioners who can do almost anything the doctor would do. Implicit rationing of nursing care is an important newly identified organizational variable reflecting processes in acute care nursing and appears to be directly linked to patient outcomes. Rationing offers promise as a measure of the impacts of staffing and the quality of the nurse practice environment on patient outcomes. As an indicator of the understudied processes of care affected by organizational conditions in hospitals, measures of rationing could assist in building theory in this area of outcomes research. Rationing levels, analyzed alongside other data, may help health systems and hospitals determine the minimum staffing and skill mix levels necessary to achieve desired patient outcomes and inform administrative decisions and policy.

King Khafre Seated Essay -- Egyptian Art Egypt History

King Khafre Seated Egyptian art is infamous across the world - classified by the monumental pyramids, and the Sphinx. Although these are both valid forms of Egyptian art, they do not make up the entire artistic history of the country. On the contrary, perhaps the most replicated example of classic Egyptian art, from the Old Kingdom, can be found in their rendering of the human form. An interest in portraiture developed early in Egypt. (Gardner, 75) Whether painted on pottery, or cut into rock, the figures all had notably Egyptian characteristics. "The seated statue is one of only a very small number of basic formulaic types employed by the sculptors of the Old Kingdom." (Gardner, 75) The statue of King Khafre Seated , from the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom, 2520 - 2492 BCE, was created by an unknown artist in the smooth permanence of graywacke stone. Although the statue is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as number 56 in the Special Egyptian Exhibition, its true home is at the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo. The man being portrayed, King Khafre, ruled Egypt for approximately thirty years, during which he commissioned the single most recognizable monuments of Egypt, the a fore mentioned Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. These monuments of symmetry and solidity characterize the focus of popular architecture and sculpture from the Old Kingdom in Egypt. Two main devices used in Egyptian art from the fourth dynasty, that also help classify it, are a strive for naturalism and the use of sculpture in the round. In addition to the large burial monuments being built, portraiture became quite popular at this time in history. Paintings featuring humans used their own form of "sculpture in the round" by painting in ... ...ars after Khafre’s reign, the fourth dynasty was just the beginning. Monumental Egypt, although it existed in burial tombs before Khafre’s reign, truly became a traditional pattern in the fourth dynasty. Khafre’s seated ka statues were numerous and perhaps the beginning of the formulaic sculpting of Egyptian ka statues. The King Khafre Seated that is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art now is not only the best ka statue of Khafre in existence, but perhaps one of the best examples of classic Egyptian sculpture from the Old Kingdom. Bibliography 1. Tansey, Richard G., and Kleiner, Fred S., Gardener’s Art Through the Ages, Harcourt Brace and Company, Fort Worth, TX, 1996, tenth edition, volume II, pp 73 - 85. 2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Special Egyptian Exhibitian, no. 56. King Khafre Seated statue label. 5th Ave. and 82nd St. New York, NY.

James Joyces Araby - Setting and Theme in Araby :: Joyce Dubliners Araby Essays

How the Setting Reinforces the Theme and Characters in Araby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The setting in "Araby" reinforces the theme and the characters by using imagery of light and darkness.   The experiences of the boy in James Joyce's "Araby" illustrate how people often expect more than ordinary reality can provide and then feel disillusioned and disappointed.   The author uses dark and obscure references to make the boy's reality of living in the gloomy town of Araby more vivid.   He uses dark and gloomy references to create the mood or atmosphere, then changes to bright light references when discussing Mangan's sister.   The story expresses its theme through the setting, the characterization of the boy and his point of view as the narrator.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Darkness is used throughout the story as the prevailing theme.   James Joyce's story begins at dusk and continues through the evening during the winter, in Araby Ireland.   He chooses this gloomy setting to be the home of a young boy who is infatuated with his neighbors sister.   The boy is young and naive and he leads a dull and boring life.   Joyce uses darkness to make the boy's reality more believable through more vivid, precise descriptions.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bright light is used to create a fairy tale world of dreams and illusions.   James Joyce uses the bright light when describing Mangan's sister, the boy's infatuation.   The protagonist is infatuated with his neighbor's sister and he imagines that he will heroically bring her something back from the bazaar.   Joyce refers to bright light when discussing Mangan's sister in order to give her a heavenly presence.   Light is used to create a joyful atmosphere.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ending of the story is filled with images of darkness and light. James Joyce uses the lights of the bazaar to illustrate the boy's confrontation with reality.   The bazaar lights are almost all off because the bazaar is almost closed.   This is significant because the boy wants the bazaar to be bright and open, but it is dark and closed.   This is when the boy finally realizes that

Is most efficient at heating water Essay

This was done by counting the number of different bonds broken i. e. C-H and using a data table to find out the amount of energy required. Secondly, I worked out the energy released by bonds being made again by counting the bonds and using a data table. I subtracted the second number from the first to work out the energy released by the alcohol. Methanol Balanced Equation: CH3OH+1. 5O2–>CO2+2H2O Bonds Broken Energy Required for Bond Breaking (kJ/mol) Bonds Made Energy Released from Bonds Made (kJ/mol). Total Ene  Bonds Broken Energy Required for Bond Breaking (kJ/mol) Bonds Made Energy Released from Bonds Made (kJ/mol) Total Energy Used + 12383 kJ/mol Total Energy Released – 15398 kJ/mol Total Molar Energy of Combustion. Heptanol Balanced Equation:   Bonds Broken Energy Required for Bond Breaking (kJ/mol) Bonds Made Energy Released from Bonds Made (kJ/mol)Total Energy Used + 14299 kJ/mol Total Energy Released.-Bonds Broken Energy Required for Bond Breaking (kJ/mol) Bonds Made Energy Released from Bonds Made (kJ/mol) 1/mol Total Molar Energy of Combustion, ? H (kJ/mol) = +16215-20222= -4007 This data justifies my hypothesis. More energy is released as you go up the series of alcohols therefore the water will heat up by a given temperature with less alcohol being burnt. GCSE CHEMISTRY COURSEWORK: Obtaining While obtaining evidence I took into account many safety points into consideration:   Safety goggles were worn at all times I stood up so I could quickly move out of the way if there were any spillages etc. I tucked my tie in my shirt to avoid it catching fire I also made sure I took accurate readings by: Stirring the water to maintain an even temperature   Closing windows that might cause a draught   Keeping the tin at the same height above the flame. Repeating anomalous results GCSE CHEMISTRY COURSEWORK: Analysing To produce a graph of ‘molecular mass’ versus ‘enthalpy of combustion’ both these values need to be calculated. Here is an example: First, the energy released has to be calculated. This can be done using the following formula: q=energy released m=mass of water (g) c=specific heat capacity of the liquid heated (4. 18J/g/i c for water) ?t=temperature change of water For my first piece of data this is how q would be calculated. Temperature Change: 10. 5i c Mass of Water: 400g (remember that water has a mass of 1g per cm3) Using the formula: q=400Ãâ€"4. 18Ãâ€"10. 5. Second, the molar heat of combustion must be calculated. This can be done using the following formula: -q=total energy transferred to the water (negative because the reaction is exothermic) n=number of moles (weight difference/formula mass) x1000=convert J’s to kJ’s Continuing with the same example: Energy Released: 17556J (this was worked out with the first equation) Weight Change: 1. 20g Formula Mass: 32g Using the formula: ? HMy original hypothesis was that as you go up the series of alcohols, less of the alcohol will have to be burnt for the given temperature rise. My results proved this hypothesis. The graph shows strong positive correlation proving that less alcohol is needed for the temperature rise as you go up the group. There are no anomalies, and there is hardly any scatter. When I compare my experimental data with my theoretical values I can see that although my experimental values follow the same trend, they show much less energy being given off per mole than the theoretical ones. This is because not all of the energy produced went into the water (explained in more detail in the evaluation). GCSE CHEMISTRY COURSEWORK: Evaluation. My experimental data agreed with the theoretically predicted values. When both sets of results were plotted onto a scatter graph, I could see that they both followed the same trend. However, the line representing the theoretically predicted values was lower down on the graph showing that the experimental values were lower than the predicted ones. This is because of the experimental errors detailed below. Reliability: I believe my data to be reliable. There is hardly any scatter as the results were close to the line, and there were no anomalies. The data was reliable enough to firmly support my conclusion. The fact that there was not much scatter shows this. However, the data was reliable but inaccurate because of the problems outlined below. If the data obtained was completely accurate then it would be on the theoretical data line. Experimental errors: It was impossible to get all the energy of the burning alcohol, using our equipment, into the can. Some inevitably escaped around the can and into the room. This explains why our results showed slightly more alcohol needing to be burned than the theoretical amount. Sources of experimental error:   Not all heat getting into the water (most escaped around the can or heated up the can)   Draughts blowing in from outside Modifications: If I was to do this experiment again I might either use a different calorimeter than a tin can i. e. one that conducted heat into the water more efficiently or simply put a lid on the can and insulate it. I would also do the experiment in an environment out of the open air to stop air currents changing my results and to concentrate the heat onto the water, rather than the air around. Further Work: I might do the same experiment but using alkanes instead of alcohols. I would investigate as to whether they produce the same trend as with alcohols and see whether they are more or less efficient.   GCSE Chemistry Coursework 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Five of Frankenstein Essay

This line suggests that the creature was fairly friendly, rather than demonical: ‘†¦ while a grin wrinkled his cheeks’. The creature was very similar to a new born baby, with no experience in life and no knowledge of how to communicate and act: ‘His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds’. Despite the creature’s lack of knowledge and experience, Victor somehow manages to treat the creature in an appalling manner. These set of events portray Victor as somebody who is very cruel and selfish, furthermore, it makes the reader sympathise for the creature. The idea of bringing someone into the world by stitching together pieces of dead bodies and passing electricity through the corpse raises the question of immoralities; moreover the way Victor brought life into the world and then abandoned it is a terrible lot worse. In this story, Victor Frankenstein acted similarly to the Ancient Greek character ‘Prometheus’, as he played God. He felt that he had the right to create new life. He then realised how wrong it was, however by that time it was too late. In the 19th century, most people in England were very religious, so the way Victor plays God in the story would have been widely frowned upon. It was extremely uncommon for people to see boundaries and morals being questioned and stretched in this way. The creature that Victor created was far from a monster, it was but a helpless, needy being that he had abandoned, and it was not very different from abandoning a new born baby. Society cruelly rejected him due to his appearance, which goes to show how narrow minded society can be. This could have been part of the message that Mary Shelley wished to send out. The true monstrous figure in the story is Victor. This is all down to his cruel nature and the disgust he shows towards the creature he spent two years trying to bring to life. Victor even goes as far as describing the creature as a ‘half-distinguished light’, meaning he felt the creature was merely ‘half of a human being’. The author, Mary Shelley, in my opinion was trying to send out the messages: it is wrong to play God and that society can sometimes be very judgemental. The reasons are that Mary Shelley depicts the creature as helpless, confused and needy, so that the reader will sympathize towards him, whereas she depicts Victor as a cruel and selfish person, which supports the point of playing God being wrong. The reason I believe Mary Shelley tried to send out the message of society often being judgemental is so that people will realise that appearances are not everything, and that they can learn to avoid judging people by this before getting to know their past and present situation. 1,060 words Aran Atwal Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section. Download this essay Print Save Here’s what a teacher thought of this essay 4 star(s).

Community Psychology Essay

1. UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUALS 1.1 Ecological principles There are four key ecological principles proposed by James Kelly et al in understanding human environments and they are interdependence, cycling of resources, adaptation, and succession. Interdependence- As with biological ecosystems, any social system has multiple related parts and multiple relationships with other systems. Changes in one of these parts can affect the others; they are interdependent. A corollary of the principle of interdependence is that any change in a system will have multiple consequences—some of them unanticipated and perhaps unwanted. An example of interdependence could be, when the primary caregiver gets the flu, meal preparation, washing, transportation, and a host of other daily operations for every other member of the family are affected. Cycling of Resources- It specifies that any system can be understood by examining how resources are used, distributed, conserved, and transformed. Personal resources include individual talents, knowledge, experiences, strengths, or other qualities that can address challenges in a setting. Social resources occur in relationships among members of the setting, including shared beliefs, values, formal rules, informal norms, group events, and shared sense of community. Even physical aspects of a setting are resources: a library with rooms for group study, quiet nooks for individual study, and a place to take a break. Adaptation- this principle concerns the transactions between person and environment. This is a two-way process; individuals cope with the constraints or demands of an environment and environments adapt to their members. While starting a new job in order to adapt, you probably learned new skills without losing your unique identity. Some jobs require changes in appearance, changes in relating to people, or changes in schedules. Environments also adapt to their members. Think about the changes in a family triggered by such events as the birth of a child, a parent starting a new job, or children moving away from home. Succession- Settings and social systems change over time. Interdependence, resource cycling, and adaptation must be understood in that perspective. An implication of understanding succession in settings is that psychologists need to understand a system’s history before they plan an intervention in that system. In trying to make a neighbourhood a safer place, what have people tried to do in the past? What worked? How did the problems develop? Psychologists should also carefully consider the likely consequences of the intervention, including possible unintended consequences. How can the community continue the intervention after the formal involvement of the psychologist ends? Social Climate Dimensions The social climate approach to understanding environments is based on three primary dimensions that can characterize any setting: how they organize social relationships, how they encourage personal development and their focus on maintenance or change in the setting. Relationships -This dimension of settings concerns mutual supportiveness, involvement, and cohesion of its members. The social climate approach looks for evidence of relationship qualities in each setting. Personal Development -This dimension of settings concerns whether individual autonomy, growth, and skill development are fostered in the settings. System Maintenance and Change- This dimension of settings concerns settings’ emphasis on order, clarity of rules and expectations, and control of behaviour. Social Regularities Social regularities, defined as the routine patterns of social relations among the elements (e.g., persons) within a setting. The patterns of social relationships in communities can affect distribution of resources, access to opportunities, and authority to address social issues. To discover social regularities, search for patterns of behaviour that reveal roles and power relationships among setting members (e.g., teacher-student, therapist-client, employer-employee, parent-child). Roles are enacted in a specific setting in ways that affect power, decision making, resources, and inequalities. A historical social regularity is that U.S. schools have been a sorting mechanism for separating students by achievement or test scores and then preparing them for different roles in society. Segregated schools once also sorted students by race. When the courts mandated an end to segregation, communities brought Black and White students into the same schools. Ecological psychology Behaviour Settings- this concept is the primary unit of analysis for ecological psychology. A behaviour setting is defined by having a place, time, and a standing pattern of behaviour. It is important to note that a behaviour setting is not simply a physical place. The sanctuary of the Methodist church in Midwest was a physical setting but not a behaviour setting. Instead, several behaviour settings occurred within it, each with a time and standing behaviour pattern (e.g., worship services, choir practices, and weddings). Activity Settings While similar to ecological psychology in focusing on settings, activity setting theory takes subjective experiences and cultural social meanings into account. An activity setting is not simply a physical setting and not just the behaviour of persons who meet there but also the subjective meanings that develop there among setting participants, especially intersubjectivities: beliefs, assumptions, values, and emotional experiences that are shared by setting participants. Key elements of an activity setting include the physical setting, positions (roles), people and the interpersonal relationships they form, time, and symbols that setting members create and use. Environmental Psychology Environmental psychology examines the influence of physical characteristics of a setting (especially built environments) on behaviour. A major focus of environmental psychology is the study of the psychological effects of environmental stressors, such as noise, air pollution, hazardous waste, and crowded housing. Environmental Design- Environmental psychologists also study the psychological effects of architectural and neighbourhood design features. Examples include studies of enclosed workspaces, windows, and aspects of housing design. 1.3 The importance of understanding individuals within a context From a community psychology perspective, a better understanding of what contributes to problems forms the basis of choosing where to intervene. Community psychologists do not believe that interventions that change environmental conditions of settings are necessarily sufficient to address social issues. Rather, they place an emphasis on understanding environmental factors of social problems because they are so often overlooked. If the ecological context of social issues is left unaddressed, the interventions chosen will likely be limited in their effectiveness. 2. UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY 2.1 Community refers to relationships that are multidimensional and are valued in their own right, not just as a means to an end. But society refers to relationships that are based on a specific transaction. The relationship is instrumental in the sense that the participants view the relationship fundamentally as a means to an end, not as something that has value in its own right. This is a relationship you engage in solely because you expect to benefit in some way from the interaction, and the same is true for the other person. 2.2 Types of community Locality-Based Community- This is the traditional conception of community. It includes city blocks, neighbourhoods, small towns, cities, and rural regions. Interpersonal ties exist among community members (residents); they are based on geographic proximity, not necessarily choice. Relational Community -These communities are defined by interpersonal relationships and a sense of community but are not limited by geography. Internet discussion groups are communities completely without geographic limits. Mutual help groups, student clubs, and religious congregations are defined by relational bonds. Levels of community ââ€" ª Microsystems (e.g., classrooms, mutual help groups) ââ€" ª Organizations (e.g., workplaces, religious congregations, civic groups) ââ€" ª Localities (e.g., city blocks, neighbourhoods, cities, towns, rural areas) ââ€" ª Macro systems (e.g., the Filipino community, political parties, nations) 2.3 Sense of community According to Sarason (1974) he defined it as the perception of similarity to others, an acknowledged interdependence with others, a willingness to maintain this interdependence by giving to or doing for others what one expects from them, the feeling that one is part of a larger dependable and stable structure. There are four elements identified in sense of community: Membership: it refers to the sense among community members of personal investment in the community and of belonging to such as Boundaries, Common symbols, Emotional safety, Personal investment, Sense of belonging, Identification with community. Mutual influence between individual and community: It refers both to the power that members exercise over the group and to the reciprocal power that group dynamics exert on members. Integration and fulfilment of needs among members: Integration is concerned with horizontal relations among members such as Shared values, Satisfying needs and Exchanging resources. Shared emotional connection: it refers to the shared dramatic moments, celebrations and rituals among members of the community. 2.3.1 Social Capital Social capital refers to connections among citizens and reciprocity and trust based on them. It may be formal or informal and involve bonding or bridging. 2.3.2 Social Support Social Support refers to the help provided by others to promote coping with stress. 2.4 How communities are built In order to build a strong community, members should develop a set of common symbols, celebrations, and narratives that describe and reflect the meaning they assign the community and also set norms that support a sense of personal safety that ensures all members have a level of influence over the community. 3. UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY 3.1 Key dimensions of human diversity CULTURE The term culture has been stretched to refer not only to ethnic and cultural groups but also to nation-states, religious groups, racial groupings, and corporations (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993). Cultural influences can be seen in the functioning of individuals and families, organizational practices, and norms of local communities and societies. Community psychologists have sought to understand how settings have layers of cultural influences that impact the composition, functioning, and interactions of its members. A contextual, ecological understanding of cultural influences on communities seeks to understand how cultural influences structure community norms and processes for how decisions are made, how conflict is addressed, and how resources are distributed. RACE Race does have psychological and social meaning in many societies: as a socially constructed set of categories related to inequalities of status and power. Even as racial categories shift over time and across locations, race remains important because racism makes it so. No terminology is entirely satisfactory to describe the racial diversity. Use of almost any terminology and definition of race reflects and perpetuates racial oppression in some way. Yet community psychology cannot ignore race, despite the drawbacks of vocabulary for discussing it. ETHNICITY Ethnicity can be defined as a social identity, based on one’s ancestry or culture of origin, as modified by the culture in which one currently resides and it could also be defined by language, customs, values, social ties, and other aspects of subjective culture GENDER Gender refers to our understanding of what it means to be female or male and how these categories are interpreted and reflected in attitudes, social roles, and the organization of social institutions. SOCIAL CLASS Social class comprises a key dimension for community psychology. While often studied only as a demographic descriptor, social class actually marks differences in power, especially economic resources and opportunities. It influences identity and self-image, interpersonal relationships, socialization, well-being, living environment, educational opportunities, and many other psychological issues. ABILITY/DISABILITY It refers to the tendency of members in a society to discriminate based on ableism which leads disabled individuals to many barriers for participation in community life as a valued and contributing member. SEXUAL ORIENTATION This is best understood as a spectrum from exclusively heterosexual to exclusively homosexual, with intermediate points. It refers to an underlying orientation, involving sexual attraction, romantic affection, and related emotions. AGE Children, adolescents, and younger and older adults differ in psychological and health-related concerns, developmental transitions, and community involvement. Similarly, aging also brings changes in relationships and power dynamics for families, communities, workplaces, and societies. SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION Spirituality and religion often interrelate with culture and ethnicity. Moreover, many religions and spiritual traditions are multicultural, and many cultures contain multiple religious and spiritual communities. Therefore it is impossible to understand many cultures without understanding their religious institutions and spiritual practices. SOCIAL INEQUITIES Social inequities occur when the lack of social and economic resources available to particular groups lead to reduced opportunities for education, health care, or work. In more extreme cases, a group’s reduced social status can lead to group members having their property rights, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and citizenship challenged.