Experience Psychology, 3rd edition Essays (839 words) - Free Essays

Experience Psychology, 3rd edition Essays (839 words) - Free Essays Experience Psychology, 3rd edition Chapter 1, The Science of Psychology Key Terms Behavior: Everything we do that can be directly observed. Behavioral approach: An approach to psychology emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants. Biological approach: An approach to psychology focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system. Case study or case history: An in-depth look at a single individual. Control group: The participants in an experiment who are as much like the experimental group as possible and who are treated in every way like the experimental group except for a manipulated factor, the independent variable. Correlational research: Research that examines the relationships between variables, whose purpose is to examine whether and how two variables change together. Critical thinking: The process of thinking deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence. Demand characteristics: Any aspects of a study that communicate to the participant how the experimenter wants them to behave. Empirical method: Gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical reasoning. Evolutionary approach: An approach to psychology centered on evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behavior. Experiment: A carefully regulated procedure in which the researcher manipulates one or more variables that are believed to influence some other variable. Experimental group: The participants in an experiment who receive the drug or other treatment under studythat is, those who are exposed to the change that the independent variable represents. Experimenter bias: The influence of the experimenter's expectations on the outcome of research. External validity: The degree to which an experimental design actually reflects the real-world issues it is suppose to address. Functionalism: James' approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purpose of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment. Humanistic approach: An approach to psychology emphasizing a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny. Hypothesis: A testable prediction that derives logically from a theory. Internal validity: The degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable. Longitudinal design: A special kind of systematic observation, used by correlational researchers, that involves obtaining measures of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time. Mental processes: The thoughts, feelings, and motives that people experience privately but that cannot be observed directly. Natural selection: Darwin's principle of an evolutionary process in which organisms that are best adapted to their environment will survive and produce offspring. Naturalistic observation: The observation of behavior in a real-world setting. Neuroscience: The scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system, emphasizing that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behavior, thought, and emotion. Operational definition: A definition that provides an objective description of how a variable is going to be measured and observed in a particular study. Population: The entire group about which the researcher wants to draw conclusions. Psychodynamic approach: An approach to psychology emphasizing unconscious thoughts, the conflict between biological drives (such as the drive for sex) and society's demands, and early childhood family experiences. Psychology: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Random assignment: Researchers' assignment of participants to groups by chance, to reduce the likelihood that an experiment's results will be due to preexisting differences between groups. Random sample: A sample that gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected. Research participant bias: In an experiment, the influence of participants' expectations, and of their thoughts on how they should behave, on their behavior. Sample: The subset of the population chosen by the investigator for study. Science: The use of systematic methods to observe the natural world, including human behavior and to draw conclusions. Sociocultural approach: An approach to psychology that examines the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior. Structuralism: Wundt's approach to discovering the basic elements or structures, of mental processes. Theory: A broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations and to make predictions about future observations. Third variable problem: The circumstance where a variable that has not been measured accounts

The best ways to beat work procrastination

The best ways to beat work procrastination Are you such a compulsive procrastinator that you’ve even found a way to put off figuring out how to overcome procrastinating? If things have gotten that bad, it’s likely time to make a positive change in your life. The effects of procrastination on your life can be far-reaching and extreme if you let things get out of hand- everything from avoiding individual growth and missing out on opportunities to constantly disappointing people in your personal and professional orbits are common for those who choose this behavior pattern. The results can have a negative impact on your life path and well-being- both in the short-term and over the long haul.Step back and take a personal inventory of your typical habits and behaviors. All aspects of your life are fair game- from your work life to relationships with friends and family to handling your personal responsibilities and chores on a daily basis. Be honest: are you often guilty of putting things off? Do people in your life ro utinely call you out for avoiding important tasks? Has procrastination taken its toll and left you with a series of regrets and lost chances? If you’ve answered yes to any or all of these questions, it’s no wonder you’re looking for ways to end this destructive cycle and stop putting things off as a matter of habit.If you’ve decided not to procrastinate any longer and address your problem, then consider the following strategies to put it in your rearview mirror.1. Have a to-do checklistIf feeling overwhelmed by a nebulous and free-floating list of tasks often leads to your procrastination behavior, then try organizing your daily to-dos into a structured checklist. By using a straightforward and easy-to-follow checklist, you can clearly see exactly what you need to take care of each day and chart your progress, which can be a great motivating tool in itself- the more you get done and the more checkmarks you see on your list, the more motivated you’l l be to push forward and finish your chores!2. Avoid non-functional multitaskingSure, these days the average person juggles multiple activities at any given time during the day, but is it affecting your ability to stay focused and on task enough to follow it through to the end? Everything from texting while on the phone to watching YouTube videos while finishing up key assignments has become standard operating behavior, but for some people, this type of â€Å"multitasking† really just keeps them from confronting- and completing- the things they need to get done. If this sounds painfully familiar, then you may be spreading yourself too thin or making it too easy for your focus to shift away from your priorities. When facing an important task, try giving it all of your attention and effort instead- not only will it be easier to finish, but you’ll also likely complete it faster, which means you can move on to other (possibly more fun) things quicker.3. Break down big task s into manageable chunksDo the size and scope of difficult, complex, and multi-step projects send you running in the opposite direction? If so, then get strategic and break down big tasks into manageable steps that don’t fill you with fear and anxiety. There’s an old saying that â€Å"a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step,† and the same notion holds true for large-scale projects. When faced with a big â€Å"1,000-mile† task, lay out all the steps you need to take to get to the end, and then take them on one at a time.4. Give yourself positive reinforcements and negative consequencesThe truth is, you’re likely your own best â€Å"overseer† when it comes to getting things done, and you’re in the perfect position to treat yourself for staying on task- and conversely, providing the appropriate consequences when you procrastinate. When it comes to staying motivated and focused, there’s nothing like a little reward for a job well done at the end to keep you on task. Also, the desire to avoid a negative consequence can be equally as motivating as you fight against your  evasive behavior.If you’re tired of procrastination and the negative effects of putting things off have taken its toll on your life, then use the strategies presented here to break free from these unhealthy behavior patterns and make positive and lasting changes in your life.

Nonprofit Discussion Questions 1-4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nonprofit Discussion Questions 1-4 - Coursework Example guiding principles which call for avoiding concentration of powers in the hands certain board members and call it be teamwork with neither management being too powerful. This has been criticized in certain place sayings that with this model the board members are only limited to the policy making and formulation rather than the implementations. The nonprofit organization since based on charity and other funding or donations tend to be dependent on the volunteers. If we want our volunteering force to be very active and be there to work with full dedication and interest we must provide them certain incentives to keep them going .Acknowledge being the very basic we may give them some token of appreciation that will also lead to interest for other workers since they would also wont to have that reward. Other benefits may include provision of free services in certain spheres or free food and clothes. What I reached the conclusion after having a detailed discussion was that when we hire people we must beforehand inform them about the structure so that they can have an idea if they work with such load and environment or not. Further the members must learned down to earth have no interest in material gains and would work with full dedication keeping the whole firm as one unit. It is definitely very essential to know the position of the nonprofit in the lifecycle to have a full comprehension of the leadership and the governance. In the lifecycle of an organization basically gives us the basic know how of the firm and hierarchy which in turn gives us the idea of the governance and the board members. Have good relation with the competing organizations and have friendly atmosphere within the organization. It helps us in adopting a model of governance that is suitable for the present conditions and the effective board members and meetings. When we come to links with external sources as nonprofit organization we can take up the following exemplary cases. USAID partnership

Clinical Psychology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Clinical Psychology - Term Paper Example Earlier, psychology was believed to be the study of mind; however, it is difficult to measure the activities of mind either quantitatively or qualitatively. Science will never accept any principle if it cannot be proved experimentally. In other words, psychology was not a science subject earlier because of our inability in measuring or assessing activities in mind accurately. In order to raise the status of psychology to scientific levels, psychologists modified the definition of psychology as the study of behaviour rather than the study of mind. It is possible for us to measure the behaviour of a person both qualitatively and quantitatively and hence psychology is now considered as a branch of science. Clinical psychology is the most important branch of psychology because of the immense contributions it gives to the treatment of mental problems of human beings. â€Å"The phrase "clinical psychology" was coined by psychologist Lightner Witmer. A student of Wundt, Witmer began a jour nal of clinical psychology in 1907. He identified the field as one that studied individuals, but used observation and experimentation to promote change† (Long, 2009). Clinical psychology is the study of psychological and behavioral problems of human beings. It give more emphasize to the diagnosis, symptoms and treatments of mental disorders.

The Qur’an and Islamic Law Do Not Discriminate Against Women Essay Example for Free

The Qur’an and Islamic Law Do Not Discriminate Against Women Essay Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. From the last sermon of Prophet Mohammed The perception of most of the world, except possible the one-sixth of it that follows Islam, is that Islam and Qur’an preached that women must be subservient to men. Everyone turns to a verse in the Qur’an which tells men that they should beat their wives. Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in their sleeping places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great. (Shakirs version of the Koran, Quran, 4:34) The verse is used by opponents of Islam to denigrate the faith and even by some of the practitioners of the faith to justify their mistreatment of women, but it may not be being interpreted the way that it should be. Asma Barlas, a professor at Ithaca College and noted scholar of Islam, who identifies herself as a follower of Islam, contends that the interpretation of the verse has been taken out of context and used to portray women in Islam as victims in an attempt to force women of the faith into a position of needing rescuing. That positioning gives women in the Western world a feeling of superiority (Barlas, Southern Illinois University, 2007). The Qur’an instructs people to take God’s Holy Word, The Qur’an, as a whole, she said, and not to pick and choose the verses to follow or not to follow Barlas argues that the Qur’an does not promote the degradation of women. Instead, she said, the Qur’an promotes all humankind equally and is much less mysogonistic than the Bible, the Holy Word of the Christian faith. In her speech at Southern Illinois University, Barlas asserted that she did not speak for anyone other than herself, but her views are shared by many women in Islam. They believe that it is in historic documents used by some Muslim cultures that the Qur’an has been misinterpreted and the mistreatment of women began. â€Å"Again this is not true. Many writers who wrote about womens rights refer to the statement in 4:34 as a sign of the man is above the women in status but it is a misunderstood statement. In 4:34, the expression .. al-rijalu qawwdmuna ala al-nisai. means The men are made responsible for the women, and GOD has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. This expression simply means that God is appointing the husband as captain of the ship. Marriage is like a ship, and the captain runs it after due consultation with his officers. It does not assign inequality but rather assigns duties to avoid conflicts and disputes. (â€Å"Misconceptions in Islam†) The problem is that most people don’t take the time to read the original Arabic or even attempt to find an accurate interpretation of the texts, they simply believe what they are told about what the faith believes. This is part of the problem. â€Å"Nonetheless, if we take sexual/textual oppression seriously, and I believe we must, the issue of how Muslims read, or—as I will arguefail to read, the Quran becomes critical, especially for women. † (Barlas, â€Å"Muslim Women Sexual Oppression†) Unlike Christianity which prescribed women to an inferior status by saying that woman was made from the rib of man, (Ragab 1) Islam teaches that God the creator made them as halves of each other. Neither does Islam teach that man was made in God’s image as the Bible does, (Barlas, SIU) but instead teaches that the difference between God and man is so extreme that people can never understand the nature of God. This is one of the arguments that woman supporters of Islam use to argue that Islam is not nearly as mysogonistic as Christiantiy is. Instead, Barlas and others argue that Islam faith promotes equality between the sexes, even going so far as to outline specific rights of women. For example, unlike Christian women, Islamic women are given a specific right to divorce their husbands and allowed to remarry after a three month period. (Ragab 1). â€Å"Both men and women have equal rights to contract a marriage as well as to dissolve it. The precondition of marriage is merely the mutual agreement by both parties. And unlike Christianity, a woman in Islam can divorce her husband at any time if she feels that she has been dealt with unjustly or even if she is just unhappy with her spouse since marriage is based upon mutual responsibilities toward each other. Islam has also ensured the womans right to remarry pending a three month refrainment period. † (Ragab 1) Islam also promotes the equality of women in that it explitly allows them to work outside the home. Muslim countries have even elected women as prime ministers. Some people even argue that the mistreatment of women in the faith comes not from the religion but from many of the colonial overlords that once ruled countries now considered Muslim. â€Å"Much of the civil law that legislates personal and family matters in Egypt, for example, is directly based on old French law. As a result, an Egyptian man can divorce his wife much more easily than the reverse. Consequently, women often have to suffer long and expensive court procedures and have to prove that they were mistreated by their husbands before being granted a divorce. Often times, laws in Middle Eastern countries, which are legislated and enforced by men, only take bits and pieces of Islamic law and combine them with concocted rules based upon some cultural or foreign practices. † (Ragab 1) Other practices, such as the prohibition against women driving in some Muslim countries, has nothing to do with Islam (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†) â€Å"Why then is Islam portrayed as a religion that oppresses women and puts them in a position inferior to men? Part of that is certainly due to the stereotyped image of how Islamic women are portrayed in western media as an extension of Islam-bashing. A prominent example is the movie Not Without My Daughter in which scores of false and fictitious depictions were made of women in an Islamic country. It is also true, however, that in many so called Islamic countries, women are not treated according to their God-given rights. But this is not the fault of Islamic ideology but rather the misapplication or sometimes the outright denial of the ideology in these societies. â€Å" (Ragab 1) The misconceptions of the treatment of women in Islam are a factor of the historical writing in some sects and the way that Muslim countries have misinterpted the Qur’an (Baslas, SIU). For example, Sunna and Hadith writings claim that women must wear a veil but this is not in Qur’an. â€Å"These books do not represent the words of God in the Quran and on many occasions contradict them. † (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†) But too much of the world has accepted these teachings of the expression of Muslim nations as the absolute truth of Islam. â€Å"This misconception was augmented by some news media that made little effort to correct their understanding before broadcasting their views on this matter. Adding to this misconception are the regrettable practices in most so called Islamic countries or societies where myths, traditions and innovations have won over the true Islamic (Quranic) teachings and where women are traditionally subdued and oppressed. † (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†).

Book Review: Nemesis :: essays research papers

Book Review: Nemesis Name of Book: Nemesis Author:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Isaac Asimov was born in 1920 in Petrovichi, Russia. When he was three years of age, his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, New York. Asimov turned to full time writing in 1958. This accomplished writer is best known for his novels dealing with science fiction. However, his works extend to other subjects. These include humour, mystery, history, and some volumes involving the Bible and Shakespeare. He has published around 500 books for both young and adult readers. His most famous science- fiction writings are I, Robot (1950) and The Foundation Trilogy (1951-1953). Asimov was dubbed a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 1987 by the Science Fiction Writers of America. He died in 1992. Setting: The story takes place in two time periods. One set of events takes place in the present, while the other set takes place in the past, drawing closer to the present. It spans over a fifteen year period, beginning in the year 2220. Although most of the important incidents occur on the planet Erythro about 2 light years from our solar system, the novel shifts between Earth, space, and the Settlement named Rotor, which orbits the foreign planet. Main Character:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marlene Fisher is a very intelligent young woman at fifteen years of age. As a child, all who encountered her sensed that she was different. Her wide eyes absorbed all that was around her and seemed to know a great deal. Growing older, her â€Å"uniqueness† established itself as a gift in which she is able to read into the body language of others. A slight movement, a stuttered word, the smallest hesitation gives her indication as to one's true feelings and motives. Some mistake this gift as her being a â€Å"psychic†, but she is not. Marlene has only learned how to interpret little signs often overlooked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now a young woman, Marlene's uncanny ability has become quite developed. She finds herself constantly watching people's reactions, and does not hesitate to bluntly speak out what she has learned. Her intuitions sometimes get too interfering and she often crosses the line of being helpful. Many become extremely uncomfortable whenever in her presence, so she is advised by her mother against showing this talent. She tries to follow her mother's warning and her annoyance at the falseness of those surrounding her dwindles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Marlene is obviously an exceptional youth, she has troubles and stresses just like any other teenage girl. She knows she is rather plain looking and senses that others agree, but she has come to accept this fact.

Realism and television Essay

Question : Discuss realism by considering a television program that has realistic qualities. In your discussion specifically refer to Chapter 14 of the textbook, ‘Documentary and â€Å"reality TV†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, by Branston and Stafford (2006). Realism plays an important role in the success of a good television program. The ability to relate and appeal to the senses of the target audience is an essential characteristic of any media form. This essay explores how realism is perceived in television today with reference to both reality and documentary genres of television. The remainder of the essay will present a case study of a television program which demonstrates realistic qualities. What is Realism? It has been argued that we are living in a ‘postdocumentary’ culture, a time of talk shows, reality t. v, game shows and the persuasion of celebrity (Branston, Stafford 2006: 455). When we refer to ‘realism’ within the context of television it conjures up a multitude of meanings. For example, realism may indicate that the program is ‘realistic’ because of the subject matter, like that of a documentary. Moreover, a television program could be considered ‘realistic’ because it features. Unscripted ordinary people in contrived situations, like Big Brother. One thing is certain, realism, or the illusion of realism, is very prevalent in television today. Reality tv? Distorted Realism†¦ Flick on the television during peak times on a week night and it’s pretty difficult to avoid reality television. From home makeovers to celebrity fit clubs, the popularity with ‘so called’ reality television is astounding. But is reality tv just another highly produced product of the culture industry? More often that not, these reality programs are highly constructed to attract viewers. As Andrejevic. questions, â€Å"Why is Reality tv pretending that it’s real, so that we may cannily believe it’s phony, when it accurately portrays the reality of contrivance in contemporary society? â€Å"(Andrejevic 2004). These programs are clearly not an accurate representation of how most people live. It seems the message of reality television is that ordinary people can become so significant that millions of people will watch them, and as a result, ordinary people are considered potential media stars. Ordinary people watch these programs, see people like themselves and imagine that they too could become celebrities by being on television (Reiss 2001). This is evident by the large number of reality tv stars that have gone on to have careers in the media. For example, Elizabeth Hassleback from the first series of the reality tv program Survivor is now a co-host of the popular talk show in the US â€Å"The View†. ‘Reality tv’, definitely has it’s fair share of critics. It has been blamed of damaging our youth’s perception of what reality truly means, even going to the extent of accusing it of being and abusive and exploitative of children in shows like, ‘Wifeswap’ and ‘Trading Spouses’ (Schlessinger 2004). The perception of what is fact and fiction in regards to television is no longer a clear margin (Study guide 9:5). Semiotic codes (study of signs) in television represent a kind of ‘language’, and we all learn how to decode these signs and symbols in to explain what we see (Herrman, 2000). With any luck, the viewers of these reality programs can distinguish what is true reality and not when they are watching these programs. Documentaries – The Art of Performing Just like news, documentaries are recognized as reproducing the truthful version of the story to the audience. With the popularity of the reality tv culture it has been argued that these types of shows have tainted the significance of documentaries (Branston, Stafford 2006:. 455). Documentaries have the ability to showcase complex subject matter with an accurate and credible approach. It has been argued that a documentary is a â€Å"performative act whose truth comes into being only at the moment of filming†(Bruzzi 2000:6). Moreover, documentaries portray a ‘real’ perspective according to the film maker themselves, just as reality tv, documentaries are constructed to a certain extent. In other words, the audience assumes the point of view from where the camera shooting. Branston and Stafford suggest in the example of Micheal Moore’s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 where there were key issues that were not mentioned like the role of Israel, which in effect, persuades the audience in a certain position (Branston, Stafford 2006: 469). Of all the genres of television, documentaries still continue do the finest duty of relaying an accurate interpretation of ‘real-world’ issues with minimal construction. Case Study: â€Å"Intervention†(Mondays 9. 30am, Channel 115, Foxtel). The television program which I have chosen to critique in relation to it’s realistic qualities is ‘Intervention’. It’s a powerful and transfixing US-based series in which people confront their addiction and seek a route to recovery. The series profiles individuals whose dependency on drugs, alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to an all-time low and estranged them from their family and loved ones. The addicts featured in the series believe they have signed up to participate in a documentary on ‘addiction’. Each episode begins with a brief introduction to the subject, and then he or she is followed around by a camera crew. The program ends with a surprise intervention that is staged in which they are confronted with a life-altering choice: rehabilitation or risk losing all contact with the loved ones who instigated the intervention. Often, other tactics are used to persuade the addicted person into treatment, which vary depending on the situation. Interviews with the subject, as well as family members or friends who have agreed to participate, are interspersed throughout. The Intervention falls under the reality tv genre of television and can be described as an ‘information programme’, as it uses true stories to educate the audience on the subject matter (Branston, Stafford 2006:474). The show has more the feel of a documentary than a reality TV program, although predominately factual there a certain aspects of the program that are clearly constructed. The producers and creators of the program make the rules, they create the setting, they film it according to specific guidelines as to what they think are going to provide good television. So Why Is ‘Intervention’ So Realistic? There are a number of characteristics that this television program possesses which contributes in creating a sense of realism for the viewer: 1). Subject Matter ‘Intervention’ is the dramatic and disturbing insight into the day in the life of an addict that features graphic footage of addicts shooting up on television has prompted some controversy. â€Å"It makes prime-time sport of vulnerable, desperate people and their spiral to the bottom,† wrote Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe. All though it’s ugly to watch, unfortunately the reality of addiction and the dysfunction it creates is very real for many families. Most viewers would know someone who it has been impacted by the power of addiction. According to Addictionintervention. com, the interventions that are staged on the series represent a realistic and account of what actually takes place during a professional intervention. http://www. addictionintervention. com/intervention/interventiontv_response. asp 2) Drama-documentary ‘Intervention’ series utilizes a ‘drama-documentary’ style which combines elements of documentary and drama (Branston, Stafftord 2006:456). This hybrid genre produces a very authentic sense of reality for the viewer, absent are the contrivances of most reality shows. Moreover, the participants of the show are ordinary people with real addictions, there are no million dollar prizes, no mansions, no bachelors, or games. According to the series, millions of people struggle with addiction, so the subject matter is a very real problem existing in society. There are no actors or re enactments, these are ‘real’ people going about their life. ‘Intervention’ demonstrates the characteristics of a documentary by presenting the strict facts of the event but also the program has the ability to raise the larger issues associated with addiction, such as family disintegration. Unfortunately the stories that are told are true, it’s something that we would like to believe does not exist in this world, but we all know that it does. 3) Camera Angles The series is shot in a documentary-style, which makes it less refined and more credible (Branston, Stafford 2006:458). The participants bring an honesty and rawness to the show that supersedes the blatant expectations that are all too common to reality programming. The unrehearsed reaction to the intervention from the addict is completely unpredictable. Sometimes the addict agrees to the treatment but more often than not the addict runs away, so without warning the production crew are unexpectedly running down the street. The scrabbling footage adds to the authenticity and legitimacy of the program (Branston, Stafford 2006: 458). 4) Unscripted Narratives ‘Intervention† does not use a narrator, instead, the subject and his loved ones tell the story, with occasional text commentary, which contributes to the realism. The leading characters of the program are ‘ordinary’ people from working class backgrounds, which is very relatable to a broad audience (Branston, Stafford 2006:460). The unscripted narratives between the addicts and their families generate a sense of normalcy, quite often they have to bleep out language when arguments get heated. The music is very limited in the program, there is some intense music just before the intervention which makes for an element of drama. 5) Format The ‘Intervention’ series, has the identical structure in each program. The first half hour profiles the individual, the next 20 minutes focuses on the intervention itself, the last 10 minutes focuses on the follow-up of the individual. There is no set, no staging, the program is filmed on location, meaning where ever the individual lives. The program is filmed in the home of the individual and the intervention, usually takes place at a nearby hotel. The fact that the program could be filmed anywhere is a factor in producing a sense of realism. 5) Not Always a Happy Ending The ‘Intervention’ program does not always have a happy ending, which contributes in creating a sense of honesty for the audience. In a recent episode of ‘Intervention’, the featured addict did agree to go to a rehabilitation facility but was kicked out not long after for breaking the rules. Unfortunately he went back to living on the streets and still struggling with his drug addiction and still estranged from his family (Intervention, aired 20/4/2007, 10pm,A&E channel). This program reiterates that sometimes real life is not pretty, and some situations cannot be resolved in a 60 minute episode. Although the ‘Intervention’ program is a cutting edge and controversial, the fact of the matter is, addiction is a very real issue in today’s society. According to the National Drug Strategy, the tangible social costs of drug use in Australia were estimated to be $18. 3 billion from in 1998-99. With these statistics like this, addiction should be a matter certainly worthy of attention. (http://www. aihw. gov. au/publications/phe/sdua04/sdua04. pdf) In conclusion, it’s apparent that there are still some programs on television that are able to give a ‘realistic’ insight into certain subject matters. After all, the television is our interaction with the outside world, media should continue to focus attention on these social problems to generate awareness and education with this type of programming. Bibliography Andrejevic, Mark ‘Reality TV:The Work of Being Watched’ Lanham MD: Rowman &Littlefield, 2004 1-20 Branston, G. and Stafford, R. , 2006. ‘Documentary & ‘Reality tv’, in The Media Student’s Book, 4th ed. , Routledge, Abingdon, UK, and New York, pp. 455-478 Herrmann, Stefan ‘Do we learn to ‘read’ television like a kind of ‘language’? May 2000http://www. aber. ac. uk/media/Students/sfh9901. html Reiss S, Wiltz J ‘Why America loves reality TV’ – Feature – Brief ArticlePsychology Today, Sept-Oct, 2001 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1175/is_5_34/ai_82261905 Schlessinger, L ‘Realism in family television? ‘ October 27, 2004 http://www. worldnetdaily. com/news/article. asp? ARTICLE_ID=41125.

Goffman and Music Education Essay

For my career, I intend to teach music privately. I will own my own business in my home and teach students of all ages. As a part of my business I will serve students also in small group classes and other special events that I will design in my business. A ‘typical performance’ would include being in front of any students. For example, a student arrives for a lesson, and I am waiting for him/her. I greet him, and he comes in and begins to prepare his instrument and materials. I may glance over his materials, checking anything he was assigned to practice or work on in the previous week. I may also chat with him about how his week has been. Then, the lesson will proceed, and we will work on performing on his instrument. He will play and I will critique his performance and have him try things different ways until he improves. I may make use of metronomes, tuning devices, or my own demonstration to help him learn. At the end of the lesson, I will assign him new materials to work on or practice, and see him out the door. This performance related to Goffman’s idea of â€Å"rituals† that occur in the social situation. Regardless of my mood or desires, I will ask the student how he is doing and listen to his answers. The lesson will proceed in roughly the same fashion every week. The student will come to expect when I will interrupt his performance to give criticism, because he will come to know what I consider unacceptable. The lesson becomes a series of rituals that are performed week after week, lesson after lesson. The members of my team will consist of all of my students, as well as their parents, many of whom may sit in on lessons always or from time to time. I could not be a teacher if I did not have students, so they are a necessary part of my team. It is the direct interaction between myself and them that sets the â€Å"stage,† as Goffman puts it in his dramaturgical explanation of social behavior. The parents factor in because they change the dynamics of the lesson situation when they are present. In these cases, I may choose to address parents in addition to or instead of the students in certain situations, and I will certainly be aware of their presence as I am working with the student. With some of the younger students, or students who have problems behaving, the parents may play a strong role in the lesson situation, guiding the student’s behavior and attempting to keep him on task. Outside of the lesson situation, it is possible that my mentors could also be considered supporting players, as I may turn to them for help with difficult students or situations to solve, and they may lend me moral support in making decisions about teaching or lessons. All of the people who play into what happens in the lesson situation could be considered team members in some sense, even if they never meet one another. Discrepant roles are likely limited in this situation, since for the most part, there is no audience. However, the teacher himself (i. e. me) might be a discrepant role, since the teacher is leading everyone’s reactions and ideas, and guiding the â€Å"audience’s† perception of the situation. Parents may function in a discrepant role, and well, since as both observers and participants in the situation, they may guide how they want their children to react, and how I choose to react because of their presence. Beyond this, there are probably not other discrepant roles. Should I be teaching a larger group, one student could serve in a discrepant role by more actively participating in the class and showing the rest of the group how to behave and react to what is going on around them. The rest of the class could serve as an audience in that case, assuming that some of the members of the class were feeling rather passive. The communications that would go on in lesson situations could be in or out of character, depending on the student, whether or not the parent was present, and the mood itself. In a general lesson situation where the parent and child were both present and the child was fairly young (not yet a teenager), communication would generally be entirely in character. That is, the communication would be formal and appropriate for the student and parent. However, should the student leave the room and the parent remain, the communication may lapse into out of character situations, where the teacher and the parent are sharing information or commiserating as two adults. It is also possible that if the student is older, teenage or adult, that the communication may be out of character, because of the teacher being able to identify with this student better on a person-to-person level, and not finding the need to remain aloof and professionally distant. In these situations, the communication would move often between in and out of character as the teacher goes from having a general conversation with the student to actually providing instruction. The impression one makes is difficult to manage at times, but it is also important. As a teacher, I would like to be seen as a professional at all times, someone who does not let emotions or outside situations affect my work. I would also like to be seen as energetic, upbeat, and involved in the work I do. This relates to maintaining what Goffman calls the â€Å"front. † The behavior at the front is the professional impression one makes, while behavior at the â€Å"back† or â€Å"sides† is related off-stage behavior in actors. Since teaching is often related to being onstage, this is not a totally foreign concept. As a teacher, I must forget any concerns I have when I enter the room to teach a student. I must focus on them and their needs, and not anything else that is going on in my life, good or bad. This is not always possible, and when it is not, I must explain as briefly as possible, apologize, and continue to try to focus solely on the student. I must also smile and use happy tones of voice when I am speaking, even if I do not feel that way. One of the hardest things in teaching is remaining optimistic and positive even when students are struggling or, more likely, refusing to work. It is difficult for a teacher to see students come into a lesson every week with homework undone and no practicing having been completed. What can I teach a student who won’t work on skills at home? But in order to keep my impressions positive and my front appropriate, I must broach the subject of needing to practice more carefully, so as not to discourage the student or to allow them to see how unhappy I am with their lack of preparedness. Teachers are constantly striving for diplomacy in even the hardest situations. Goffman’s work allows me to look at my future career with a much different perspective. I consider that I am on stage and that I am an actor in a play I have created and entered into, but I do not control all the variables. I control myself, but I react to how my students choose to be. It is interesting to note the possibilities that arise in every situation when there are so many different things happening at once, as Goffman points out. However, it is good to think about and try to use in work situations.

Fatal Flaw of Medea essays

Fatal Flaw of Medea essays The character of Medea fits into the fatal flaw category perfectly. Excessive passion is what leads Medea to her destruction. Her love for Jason, her selfishness, and her rage are all factors of Medea's harm. First, the strongest factor contributing to Medea's fatal flaw is her love for Jason. During Jason's quest of searching for the Golden Fleece and meets the Princess, Medea falls madly in love with Jason and runs off with him. Medea and Jason get married and have two children. Medea's excessive love for Jason started showing when she killed his uncle, who was a king at the time, so that Jason could take over the throne and rule. But his uncle's murder resulted negatively for Medea and Jason. They were forced to flee to the kingdom of Corinth. Once in Corinth, Jason meets the king of Corinth's daughter. He leaves Medea and their two children and marries the princess. Because Medea is madly in love with Jason, Medea is crushed to find out that Jason has left her. Medea explains to the women of Corinth that, It has crushed my heart. Life has no pleasure left, dear friends. I want to die. Jason was my whole life; he knows that well. Therefore, Medea becomes outraged and over powered with excessive passion. Secondly, Medea's selfishness provides power to her fatal flaw. Medea's selfishness is displayed through the act of killing her own two sons. Medea understands that the slaying of her children will make Jason miserable. During this time, the chorus recognizes her self-worship and states, O miserable mother, to destroy your own increase, murder the babes of your body! Stone and iron are you, as you resolved to be. Medea does not stop to think what pain she may cause to herself by murdering them. She is only concerned about her happiness that will be derived from Jason's grieving. Medea comes to the conclusion that it is worth the suffering just to see her ex-husband unhappy. Medea states, My pain's a fair...

Quotations About Endangered Species

Quotations About Endangered Species People all around the world are talking about endangered species. Opinions circulate, facts are figured, and tempers have been known to flare. It becomes an interesting study to learn not only what makes a species endangered, but how people react to these species predicaments and what might be done to protect them The following is a list quotes by politicians, actors, authors, and other well-known public figures who, in one way or another, have felt a need to speak up on the issue of endangered species conservation. Notable Quotes Lawrence Anthony Workable solutions for Earth are urgently needed. Saving seals and tigers, or fighting yet another oil pipeline through a wilderness area, while laudable, is merely shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. Norm Dicks The Endangered Species Act is the strongest and most effective tool we have to repair the environmental harm that is causing a species to decline. Yao Ming Endangered species are our friends. Martin Jenkins, Can We Save the Tiger? When it comes to looking after all the species that are already endangered, theres such a lot to do that sometimes it might all seem to be too much, especially when there are so many other important things to worry about. But if we stop trying, the chances are that pretty soon well end up with a world where there are no tigers or elephants, or sawfishes or whooping cranes, or albatrosses or ground iguanas. And I think that would be a shame, dont you? Jay Inslee What is a fish without a river? What is a bird without a tree to nest in? What is an Endangered Species Act without any enforcement mechanism to ensure their habitat is protected? It is nothing. Bruce Babbitt Well, I think [Im most proud of] breathing life into the Endangered Species Act, taking those wolves back into Yellowstone, restoring the salmon in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Id say thats at the top. Alex Meraz Actually I do support a charity, Defenders of Wildlife. They help protect endangered species. Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac If education really educates, there will, in time, be more and more citizens who understand that relics of the old West add meaning and value to the new. Youth yet unborn will pole up the Missouri with Lewis and Clark, or climb the Sierras with James Capen Adams, and each generation, in turn, will ask: Where is the big white bear? It will be a sorry answer to say he went under while conservationists werent looking. Jack Hanna The snow leopard is absolutely magnificent. It represents really what endangered species are all about. Jim Saxton It is a drastic mistake to eliminate the provisions that have to do with the protection of habitat for endangered species. It is my opinion that the Endangered Species Act is 99 percent about protecting critical habitat. Dave Barry The real threat to whales is whaling, which has endangered many whale species. Steve Irwin Take the crocodile, for example, my favorite animal. There are 23 species. Seventeen of those species are rare or endangered. Theyre on the way out, no matter what anyone does or says, you know. Russell Banks Chimpanzees are endangered. Severely. Charles Clover, The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat Celebrity chefs are the leaders in the field of food, and we are the led. Why should the leaders of chemical businesses be held responsible for polluting the marine environment with a few grams of effluent, which is sublethal to marine species, while celebrity chefs are turning out endangered fish at several dozen tables a night without enduring a syllable of criticism? Bill Vaughan The whale is endangered, while the ant continues to do just fine. Source Clover, Charles. End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat. Paperback, Ebury, March 1, 2005.

The Three Principal Sectors of the MICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Three Principal Sectors of the MICE - Essay Example After that the participants had to lobby the government for rebates and also had to persuade the companies to continue having business meetings and conferences and also to give incentives to their employees. This is important because when people come for business meetings they also spend on other things such as food, shopping entertainment and this revenue is earned by the destination that is the city or state. When revenues are received and business is growing, then investment is made by the government and the private sector as well to improve the facilities so that the can attract more business. This means that this industry ultimately leads to economic development of the destination. This report focus on the MICE industry of UK, its economic importance and trends, problems faced by it and how it can deal with these problems and attract more tourism. Economic importance for UK Economic importance of this industry for UK is that it provides a stable business for hotels as it had don e when the recession of 2008 affected the core business of hotels badly. The MICE industry of UK is also an important part of the tourism industry. As there are many people who come for meetings, conference etc. from other countries and therefore the money spend by them on recreation and other entertainment is actually generating revenue for the tourism industry. ... xford Economic and Deloitte showed that the MICE industry was the fifth largest industry of UK worth ?115 billion and employing around 2.6 million people and this is expected to grow to 2.9 million till 2020. In the year 2010, UK ranked number 6th overall in the world and is very competitive globally. This industry provides jobs and is one of the industries in which work cannot be outsourced to other countries thereby creating job opportunities for the local people. Moreover it also helps in building the community as it brings business not only to the cities but also to the rural and coastal areas. Other than that, it builds an image of Britain in the eyes of the world as Britain has become famous for the business conferences and meetings. (UK Tourism Growing Faster Than Other Industries, 2010) Historical performance in UK: MICE industry in UK has seen the largest growth in the last two decades. MICE industry of UK has been very competitive as it keeps updating its technology, revamp ing its venues and also building new ones. In the year 2000, UK was the second largest player in the conference market (after Australia) with a market share of 8.85%.in the exhibitions industry in UK, most of the exhibitions were for the service sector and on second number was the culture and recreation sector. The incentive sector at that time was still at its infancy stage and had a lot of potential to grow. (The UK & London Conference Market, 2010) The demand for MICE industry has been on a declining trend after 2006 but the largest downfall was seen in 2009 when demand fell by 22% due to the economic recession of 2008.A further decrease of 5% was also seen in 2010. UK has been one of the most popular destinations for overseas meeting. In 2009, UK ranked fourth in Europe after Italy and

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of starting a business from Essay - 1

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of starting a business from scratch, franchises, and existing businesses - Essay Example s include the freedom to implement one’s ideas to a large extent, aligning the investment and resource mobilization with market conditions rather than committing to rigid plans, and ease of entry and exit with minimum dependence on outsiders (Longenecker et al, 2011, pp.104-133). Disadvantages include high risk of venture failure due to lack of previous experience, making a wrong choice of product/service, and longer time needed to achieve physical and financial goals. Outright purchasing of an existing business denotes a medium risk and gives assured customer base and revenues from the start. This advantage is diluted if the unit has poor reputation for quality or ethical practices. While the experienced staff is an advantage, if there are unresolved industrial relations problems, the new owner has to solve them, which is not always easy. Also, it may not always be possible to identify hidden liabilities representing additional risks, which accrue to the new owner (ibid.). Taking out a franchise is a minimum risk option for new entrepreneurs since it provides the advantages of a new unit as well as a running business model. On the minus side, one has to depend on the parent company for all major decisions besides committing to pay initial fees and royalties. Profitability is reduced as a result of these limitations. One of IFA’s best features is the listing of several franchise options, complete with the preliminary information for analysis, negotiations and decision making. I have considered the option of Expedia ®CruiseShip Sales Center Franchise from IFA’s website for analysis (Franchise opportunities, IFA, 2012). This is an established company with a strong brand image and 150 franchises. With an initial investment of $9500 and total investment of up to $20,000, this business is within my reach (ExpediaFranchise, 2012). The business is related to travel and vacation for which the demand has always been good. Further, a franchisee can start operations