Psychotherapy Approaches Within Treatment

Overwhelming events are abundantly overflowing in today’s society. Both positive and negative events affect society in numerous ways. Depending on the specific circumstances of an event, both personally and socially, a person’s emotions can alter from one emotion to another. Many people are able to manage his or her emotions with a support system which could include family and friends. Others may choose to seek a therapist or counselor outside of his or her support system. Psychotherapy supports an individual’s need or want of changes within his or her personal life.In order for a person to bring about the desired changes with a psychotherapist one of four types of primary approaches within therapy must be applied. The primary goal of psychotherapy is usually to alter changes within behavior by utilizing theories to support a person with overcoming problems or negative emotions. Over 400 different types of diverse theories can be utilized by a therapist. All of t he diverse theories are used to assist an individual with coping and understanding his or herself within the past, present, and future.The four primary approaches used within therapy are: psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic. The psychodynamic approach is generally used to assist individuals with defense methods to safe guard his or her self from emotions or behaviors that are impulsive and sometimes unconscious. The behavioral approach focuses more on actually altering a client’s behavior so that he or she can re-learn skills that the individual may have forgotten, but are necessary to function.Cognitive approaches within therapy assist clients to think in different ways by altering the individual’s personal dysfunctional cognitions that he or she may have. Humanistic therapy utilizes the philosophical view of the client’s own personal responsibilities. All therapists are skilled in different areas of training and use different methods, but one of the aforementioned primary approaches is almost always utilized (Feldman, 2009). Psychoanalysis is categorized under Freudian psychotherapy which is founded on the theory that every person has withdrawn or hidden feelings within his or her self.When using psychoanalysis, the primary goal is to find a way to discharge the withdrawn or unconscious thoughts so that a person can decrease the authority of the controlled behaviors inside of his or herself. The therapist works on helping the client become aware of his or her subconscious feelings which helps eliminate stress and anxiety. Sigmund Freud believed that an individual’s personality was made up of three different systems that he labeled the id, ego, and the superego. Each of the three systems has a different function, but do work together to preside over a person’s behavior.The id is described as the personality development within a newborn child and is unconscious. The ego and superego grow and develop from the id. The id embraces the biological impulses within a person which can include the need to eat, drink, sleep, and sexual pleasure. Regardless of external conditions, the id searches for instant gratification. During childhood the ego becomes present when the child learns that actual impulses are not always able to be met when wanted or needed. The ego accepts the reality of a situation within the conscious self.The superego symbolizes the ethics, values, and morals within a society and chooses whether an act is right or wrong. The superego can also be referred to as a person’s actual conscience. The superego grows and develops through consequences and awards learned through standards of the individual’s society (Feldman, 2009). Contemporary approaches used within psychodynamic therapy look for ways to reduce the unnecessary time consumed utilizing Freud’s theory which was created during the nineteenth century.According to Feldman contemporary therapists conclude therapy within three months or an average of twenty sessions based on an individual’s needs (2009). By utilizing the contemporary approach less time is spent on the client’s history and more time is spent focusing on relationships and current problems that he or she is going through. Substance abuse programs and psychoanalysis have recently begun to work together and have proven to be productive and effective. Regardless if the Freudian method or the psychotherapy method is administered, both have received praise and disapproval by critics.Some critics state that psychotherapy is too costly and time consuming and even doubt the theory all together. Regardless of the critics, numerous individuals have achieved the desired results from psychotherapy. Psychotherapy searches for solutions and answers for hard to cope with problems. Assessments are used to identify a client’s individual personality to ensure the best method is utilized. A client that has a personalit y that is non-social or lacking in communication would achieve higher results with either the behavioral or cognitive approach.Behavior therapy focuses on approaches that behaviors are learned and are problematic, but can be altered with reinforced behaviors. A client must learn new behaviors to replace the existing problematic behaviors. The classical conditioning therapy is used to give reinforcement for positive behaviors and critical feedback for negative behaviors. A client that is participating in classical conditioning therapy can have a strong emotional reaction to certain music or even fragrances. Classical conditioning therapy is also used when dealing with fears or phobias that are interfering with a person’s life.Aversive conditioning is a therapy that cuts back the occurrences of a specific negative behavior by implementing aversive and unwanted reactions with the behavior. An example could be that a therapist could relate a situation that is similar to another t hat would cause an adverse effect like showing someone that smokes pictures of the effects of lung cancer. Systematic desensitization slowly exposes a client to an anxiety induced state that combines a relaxing technique that reduces the anxiety. In some cases meditation is used to assist a client in calming him or herself down and finding a peaceful place within his or her mind.The operant technique is based upon the learning theory. An example of the learning theory is practicing something over and over. The learning theory is found within the educational system and has proved to be successful. Rewards are implemented for positive behaviors. For example in elementary schools children may be given a sticker for achieving a goal, while the children that did not meet the goal would not receive a sticker. Dialectical behavior therapy is founded on the principles of both classical and operant conditioning theories.A client in dialectical behavior therapy is made to accept the way that he or she is regardless if the person is considered acceptable or not. Patients are given two choices which are to work on changing him or herself or remaining how he or she is. Dialectical behavior assists individuals in achieving a more effective behavior while learning to keep his or her emotions under control. Behavior therapy is appropriate when trying to eliminate fears, phobias, anxiety disorders, and impulsiveness. Studies have shown that behavior therapy has significantly made changes at neuroscientific levels.With the help of neuroscience and genomics, improved approaches have been made in the treatment of mental illnesses such as the developmental brain disorder, schizophrenia (Insel, 2010). Cognitive treatment is used to teach individuals a more adaptive way of thinking and behaving. The therapist tries to alter dysfunctional thought by implementing and suggesting different approaches. Cognitive behavioral approach seeks to alter patterns by changing the way a person thi nk. The therapist teaches the client different approaches to different situations and continues participating in therapy (Feldman, 2009).Cognitive treatment includes the rational-emotive behavior approach which tries to reconstruct a client’s thought process into thoughts that are more rational, logical, and reasonable. Being successful in life starts in a person’s thought process and some believe that he or she is unworthy. By implementing the rational-emotive approach a therapists attempts to change what a person considers illogical into logical. A person can often times change his or her way of thinking by focusing on the dysfunctional thoughts and paying more attention on the logical thoughts.Humanistic theories concentrate on teaching a client how to control his or her behavior. This approach shows that a person can control his or her behavior, solve average daily dilemmas, and make wise choices by his or her self. Humanistic therapy is implemented because psychol ogical disorders can become evident when a person feels alone and does not have a high value of life. In this type of therapy the patient is more responsible for leading the therapy while the therapist assists. Additional segments of humanistic therapy are client centered, interpersonal, and group therapy.Therapists are challenged during the evaluation and process of diagnosing and establishing a treatment plan. Psychiatric diagnoses are usually categorized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders also referred to as the DSM-IV. The DSM-IV includes all mental health disorders for both children and adults. Psychiatrists and physicians are able to evaluate an individual’s level of functioning through the use of multiaxial approach. Clinical syndromes are located in Axis I and are arranged into categories like adjustment, anxiety, and pervasive development disorders.Personality and Mental Retardation is located in Axis II and breaks down the long term effects that are no categorized under the Axis I disorders. Mental retardation is a mental impairment that affects a person’s intellectual areas and interferes with a person’s ability to care for him or herself. Axis III includes medical conditions. Axis IV includes psychosocial and environmental problems that a person may have. Axis V is the global assessment of functioning which allows a physician to comprehend the previous axes and can provide information on the possible effects.Because of the increasing number of disorders that are displayed in patients today, the DSM-IV is a tool to help establish an individual treatment plan. As with any other tool, there are both advantages and disadvantages while using this system. People tend to display different symptoms and could possibly be misdiagnosed which would lead to the inappropriate treatment plan. Life events are considered to be a start for stress that could lead to other psychological problems. Some people simply cannot handle emotions, whether positive or negative. Events can be traumatizing for some that would be normal for others.Therapists work with these individuals to teach a client how to cope with stressful situations. Stress can lead to depression if not dealt with properly. Psychotherapy is one of the most preferred and implemented forms of treatment used to deal with mild to moderate emotional and mental disorders. Talking with a therapist enables a person to reflect on him or herself and examine issues in depth. Establishing a relationship with a client may be difficult at first. Some people relate better to some than others, but it is important to find a good match so that the client will feel comfortable and open up honestly.In some cases a person may need to meet with numerous therapists until a comfortable match is found. The primary goal of psychotherapy is to help an individual manage his or her life and find methods to treat and overcome personal difficulties. There are numerous types of disorders that require one or more types of the four primary approaches used within therapy. Some people are able to establish a support system within friends, family, and others in his or her life. Those that do not have a support system should seek a therapist to overcome undesirable feelings and emotions.

Argumentative Essay: Women Are Better Politician Than Men

There is a mindset in the current society that men make better politicians than women. In fact, that statement is not true. Women make good politicians too, some are even better than men in many aspects. Women politicians make better politicians because they compromise better, are more trustworthy and cooperative, plus they are more strong-minded as compared to men. One of the best example is Christine Lagarde the first female Minister of Economic Affairs in a G8 economy which is the governments of eight of the world's largest economies(Christine Lagarde, pars. 3).She is also voted as the world's 9th most powerful woman according to Forbes magazine. Women politicians have a more compromising and friendly nature than men. This ultimately becomes a highly useful political tool for political campaign. They tend to face difficult situations with a calm attitude. For example, Ms. Indra Gandhi, the first female prime minister in India chose a peaceful way to rule her country. When her coun try was at war with Pakistan in 1971, she signed the treaty of friendship and cooperation with Pakistan to avoid financial hardship and instability in her country (Palekar, pars.  2-5).Thus, resulting a stable economy in India. She ruled her country effectively by getting moral support from all the ministers and maintaning good relationship with the other countries which helped in the economic growth of India. This would not have happened without her compromising and friendly nature. Aside from that, female politicians also are more cooperative and trustworthy than men. Research shows, women are more skilled at making people work together.This is because women are better at communicating with each other during work, they implement successful strategies thereby achieving higher results. On the other hand, men tend to excel more at bamboozling and cheating. This is proven by the studies of Rolf Kuemmerli and colleagues by repeating a game called Prisoner's Dilemma. This game involve s two people, they need to cooperate with each other to obtain a win-win situation. Studies shows that men do not cooperate as well as women because women have a better ability to interact and comprehend messages that one is trying to deliver (Highfield, pars.  5-11).In addition, women are found to be more trustworthy than men. This statement is proven by Professor Roger Steare using the â€Å"Moral DNA† test by measuring a person's morality and changes in their value system when they enter the workplace. According to results, women have more moral values , proving that they are more trustworthy (Knight, pars. 3-5). Making them better politicians. Besides that, scientists claimed that male politicians are more decisive than female politicians (Men more decisive, pars. 5-9) .However, that doesn't mean that female politicians are not good at making decisions. In fact, female politician are less decisive but more strong-minded than men as they consider their decision thoroughl y before finalizing. Before making a desicion, they examine the consequences towards an individual, society and the country and seek for a win-win solution. They search for long-term solutions by using retention strategies as a way to improve the results. Thus, they have the capacity to be more balanced in decision-making.Not only that, women are more precautious and they tend to make less mistakes in their work. This is because women always think twice and recheck their work before completing the final touches. This indirectly proves that women are better politicians than men. In my opinion, women politicians make better politicians because they compromise better, are more trustworthy and cooperative, plus they are more strong-minded as compared to men. They have more good aspects when compared to men. Thus, women are better politicians than men.

Coyote Blue Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22 Sprinkling the Son of the Morning Star Santa Barbara After almost twenty years as a salesman, Sam found that when he was confused his head filled with homilies that pertained to the profession. Win an argument, lose a sale. If you look hungry, you will be. You can't sell if you don't pitch. There were hundreds of them. He'd been running them through his mind for hours, trying to find some clue as to what he should do. The one that kept returning was Never confuse motion with progress. To leave the house in search of Calliope without a clue as to where she might be would be movement for the sake of movement. Progress would be actually finding a clue to her whereabouts. He had no idea where to start looking for clues, so he lay on his bed and smoked, and tried to convince himself that he didn't want her. She's probably found some other guy, he thought. Losing the kid is just an excuse, a cowardly Dear John letter. It was just a one-night stand and I refuse to let it mean more to me than it meant to her. I've got my life back, intact, and there's no room for a young girl and a child. Nope. I'll rest up today and get back to work tomorrow. After I close a couple of deals, this week will just seem like a bad dream. It was a good rationalization. Unfortunately, he didn't believe a word of it; he was worried about her. Sam closed his eyes and tried to imagine the pages of his appointment book. It was a visualization he used to relax, a salesman's version of counting sheep. He saw the days and weeks spread out in front of him, and he filled in the blanks with lunches and prospects. By each of the names he made mental notes on how he would approach the pitch. Before long he was lost in a world of presentations and objections; the image of the girl faded away. As he started to doze off he heard the sound of heavy breathing. He rolled on his side and steamy hot dog breath hit him in the face. He didn't open his eyes. There was no need to. He knew Coyote had returned. Perhaps if he feigned sleep the trickster would go away, so he lived there in the land of dog breath. A wet nose prodded his ear. At least he hoped it was a nose. With Coyote's sexual habits it could be†¦. No, he still smelled the breath. It was the nose. I'm asleep, go away. I'm asleep, go away, he thought. He'd seen opossums try the same method to fool oncoming semi trucks, and it was working about as well for him. He felt the coyote climb onto the bed. Then he felt a paw on each of his shoulders. He groaned as he thought a truly sleeping guy might groan. Coyote whimpered and Sam could feel the canine nose press against his own. Dog breath, Sam mused, seems to have no distinction to it, yet it is distinctly dog breath. You could be at the cologne counter at Bloomingdale's, and someone could mist your wrist with an atomizer, and a single whiff would reveal the elusive scent to be dog breath as surely as if it had been squozen straight from the dog. Yet, what a wide spectrum of foulness dog breath can span, both in odor and humidity. This particular version of dog breath, he felt, is especially steamy, and carries a top note of stale cigarettes and coffee, as well as the usual fetid meat and butthole smells found in more common dog breath. This, he thought, is supernatural dog breath. I'm not likely to be breathed upon by another dog in my lifetime that has recently enjoyed a Marlboro over a cup of Java. Despite his effort to distract himself with dog breath aesthetics, Sam's tolerance was wearing out and he thought he might sneeze or throw up any second. Coyote licked him on the mouth. â€Å"Yuck!† Sam sat upright and wiped his mouth on his arm. â€Å"Ack!† He shivered involuntarily and looked at the big coyote, who grinned at him from the end of the bed. â€Å"There was no need for that,† Sam said. Coyote whimpered and rolled over on his back in submission. Sam got up from the bed and grabbed his cigarettes from the nightstand. â€Å"Why are you back? You said you were gone for good.† Coyote began to change into his human form. No longer afraid, Sam watched the transformation with fascination. In a few seconds Coyote sat on the bed in his black buckskins wearing the coyote-skin headdress. â€Å"Got a smoke?† he asked. Sam shook one out of the pack and lit it for the trickster. Sam took a small plastic box from his shirt pocket and held it out to Coyote. â€Å"Breath mint?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"I insist,† Sam said. Coyote took the box and shook out a mint, popped it in his mouth, and handed the box back to Sam. â€Å"The girl is going to Las Vegas.† â€Å"I don't care.† The lie tasted foul in his mouth. â€Å"If she tries to take her child from the biker she will be hurt.† â€Å"It's not my problem. Besides, she'll probably find another guy to help her out.† Sam felt both righteous and cowardly for saying it. This role he was playing no longer fit. Quickly he added, â€Å"I don't need the trouble.† â€Å"In the buffalo days your people used to say that a wife stolen and returned was twice the wife she had been.† â€Å"They aren't my people and she's not my wife.† â€Å"You can be afraid, just don't act like it.† â€Å"What does that mean? You're worse than Pokey with your fucking riddles.† â€Å"You lost Pokey. You lost your family. You lost your name. All you have left is your fear, white man.† Coyote flipped his cigarette at Sam. It hit him in the chest and hot ashes showered on the bed. Sam patted out the embers and brushed himself off. â€Å"I didn't ask for you to come here. I don't owe the girl anything.† But he did owe her. He wasn't sure what for yet, except that she had cut something loose in him. Why couldn't he cut loose the habit of fear? Coyote went to the bedroom window and stared out. Without turning he said, â€Å"Do you know about the Crows who scouted for General Custer?† Sam didn't answer. â€Å"When they told Custer that ten thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors were waiting for him at the Little Bighorn he called them liars and rode on. The Crow scouts didn't owe Custer anything, but they painted their faces black and said, ‘Today is a good day to die. â€Å" â€Å"The point?† Sam bristled. â€Å"The point is that you will never know what they knew – that courage is its own reward.† Sam sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at Coyote's back. The red feathers across the buckskin shirt seemed to move on the black surface of Coyote's shirt. Sam wondered if he might not be light-headed from prolonged dog breath inhalation, but then the feathers drew a scene, and in a whirl of images and feathers, Sam was back on the reservation again. There were three of them: boys hiding in the sagebrush by the road that led into the Custer Battlefield National Monument. Two were Crow, one Cheyenne. They were there on a dare that had started in ninth-grade gym class. The largest boy, the Cheyenne, was from the Broken Tooth family – descendants of a warrior who fought with Crazy Horse and Red Cloud on this very land. â€Å"You going to do it?† said Eli Broken Tooth. â€Å"Or are you full of shit like all Crows?† â€Å"I said I'd do it,† Samson said. â€Å"But I'm not going to be stupid about it.† â€Å"What about you, breed?† Eli asked Billy Two Irons. â€Å"You a chickenshit?† Broken Tooth had been taunting Billy about his mixed blood for the whole school year and citing his own â€Å"pure Indian† lineage. The fact was that in buffalo days the mortality rate had been so high for young plains warriors that a woman might have three or four husbands in her lifetime, and have children by them all. Sometimes one of the husbands was a white man, yet since they all traced their kinship through their mother's line, the white ancestor could easily be forgotten. Billy said, â€Å"I'll bet you got a few whiteys in your wigwam you don't even know about, Broken Dick.† Samson laughed and the others shushed him. The security guard was making a pass by the monument's high wrought-iron gate. They ducked their heads. A flashlight beam passed over them, paused, and moved on as the guard turned to walk up the hill toward the Custer burial site. â€Å"You going to do it?† Eli asked. â€Å"Once he's past the grave he has to go check on the Reno site. He'll take the jeep for that. When we hear the jeep, we'll go.† â€Å"Sure you will,† said Eli. â€Å"You coming?† Samson asked. He was more than a little afraid. The monument was federal land, and this was a time when an Indian causing trouble on federal land was something the government was going to great lengths to discourage after the Alcatraz takeover and the killings at Pine Ridge. â€Å"I don't have to go,† Broken Tooth said. â€Å"My people put him there. I'll just sit here and twist up a doobie while you girls do your thing.† He grinned. â€Å"The gate will be the bitch,† Billy said. They looked at the fifteen-foot iron spears suspended between two stone pillars. There were only two cross members they could use as footholds. They watched the guard amble the hundred yards down the hill to the visitor center. When they heard the jeep fire up, Samson and Billy took off. They hit the gate at the same time. The gate swung with the impact and clanged against the chains and padlock that held it closed. They scrambled up the bars, then hung over spearpoints and dropped to the asphalt. As they let go the chain sent a loud clang ringing down the valley. They both landed on their butts. Samson looked to Billy. â€Å"You okay?† Billy jumped to his feet and dusted off his jeans. â€Å"How come the Indians in the movies can do this shit in complete stealth?† â€Å"Vocational training,† Samson said. He started running up the hill toward the monument. Billy followed. â€Å"Snake ahead,† Samson said as he ran. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Snake,† Sam repeated breathlessly. He leapt into the air over the big diamondback rattler that was lying in the road, warming itself on the asphalt. Billy saw the snake in time to pull up and slide on some loose gravel within striking distance. When he heard Billy's shoes sliding he stopped and turned. Billy said, â€Å"You were saying ‘Snake, right?† â€Å"Back away and go around, Billy.† Samson was so out of breath he could hardly talk. The rattler coiled. â€Å"I thought you were saying ‘Steak. I was wondering, Why is he yelling ‘Steak' at me?† â€Å"Back away and go around.† â€Å"‘Snake. Well, I guess this explains it.† Billy backed slowly away, then once out of striking distance ran a wide arc around the snake and up the hill. Samson fell in beside him. The monument was still a hundred yards away. â€Å"Pace yourself,† he said. â€Å"Did you say ‘Snake' again?† Billy said between pants. Rather than answer, Samson fell into a trot. The monument was a twenty-foot granite obelisk set on a ten-foot base at the top of a hill that overlooked the entire Little Bighorn basin. â€Å"Let's do it,† Samson said, heaving in breaths. The hill had been longer and steeper than he'd thought. Billy unzipped his pants and stood beside Samson, who had already bared his weapon. â€Å"You know,† Billy said, â€Å"it would have been easier to gang up on Eli and beat the shit out of him.† â€Å"I think I hear the jeep coming back,† Samson said. A long yellow stream arced out of Billy and splashed the side of the monument. â€Å"Then you better get going.† Samson strained. â€Å"I can't.† Billy grunted, trying to force his urine to run faster. â€Å"Go, man. That's headlights.† â€Å"I can't.† Billy finished and zipped up, then turned to face Samson. â€Å"Think rivers, think waterfalls.† â€Å"It won't come.† â€Å"Come on, Samson. He's coming. Relax.† â€Å"Relax? How can-â€Å" â€Å"Okay, relax in a hurry.† Samson pushed until his eyes bugged. He felt a trickle, then a stream coming. â€Å"Push it, Samson. He's coming.† Billy began to back down the hill. â€Å"Push it, man.† The jeep's headlights broke over the hill and descended toward the monument. â€Å"Duck!† Billy said. Samson squatted by the base of the monument and managed to stream urine down both pant legs before he got himself reaimed. Billy dove for cover next to Samson. â€Å"Did you say ‘Duck'?† Samson whispered. â€Å"Shut up,† Billy snapped. Despite his fear, the adrenaline had made Samson giddy. He grinned at Billy. â€Å"I thought you were saying ‘Truck, which would have made more sense, but-â€Å" â€Å"Would you shut up?† Billy risked a peek at the road. The jeep was coming toward them, rather than returning to the visitor center where it had started. As the jeep approached the monument, they worked their way around its base, keeping the obelisk between themselves and the guard. â€Å"He won't stop, will he?† Billy said. Samson could hear the jeep slowing as it passed the monument on the other side of them, not twenty feet away. They held their crouch until the jeep descended the hill and stopped halfway to the gate. â€Å"He sees footprints,† Billy said. â€Å"On asphalt?† â€Å"He saw us. I'm going to end up in jail like my brother.† â€Å"No, look, it's the fucking snake. He's waiting for it to get out of the road.† Indeed, the guard was inching the jeep forward slowly enough for the rattler to slither off into the grass. When the snake was gone the jeep revved up and continued down the hill, by the iron gate, and back around to the back of the visitor center. â€Å"Let's go,† Billy said. They ran down the road, Samson almost falling while trying to zip his pants and run at the same time. As they reached the gate Samson grabbed Billy's shoulder and pulled him back. â€Å"What the fuck?† Billy said. Samson pointed to the chain. Billy nodded in understanding. The clanging. Samson went to the center of the gate and grasped it. â€Å"Go,† he said. â€Å"When you get over, hold it for me.† Without hesitation Billy leapt to the gate and climbed over, sliding down the opposite side instead of dropping as before. He held the gate and Samson started over. As Samson reached the top of the gate and was working his feet between the spearpoints, he heard Eli's laughing from down the road and he looked up. A second later he heard a metal fire door slam at the visitor center. The quick turn took his balance and he tried to jump, but one of the spearpoints caught his jeans leg and he was slammed upside down into the gate. Billy held the chain, but there was a dull clank as Samson's forehead hit the bars. It took Samson a second to realize that he was still hanging from the gate, his head still eight feet off the ground. â€Å"Unhook your leg,† Billy said. â€Å"I'll catch you.† In this position Samson was facing the visitor center. He could see some lights going on inside. He struggled to push himself up on the bar, but the spearpoint was barbed. â€Å"I can't get it.† â€Å"Shit,† Billy said. He held the gate with one hand and drew a flick knife from his back pocket with the other. â€Å"I'll come up and cut you down.† â€Å"No, don't let go of the gate,† Samson said. â€Å"Fuck it,† Billy said. He let go of the gate and it clanged with Samson's swinging weight. Billy jumped on the bars and as he climbed Samson could hear the fire door open and slam again, then footsteps. Billy stood at the top of the stone pillar and put the knife to Samson's pant leg. â€Å"When I cut, keep hold of the bars.† Billy pulled the knife blade through the denim and Samson flipped over and slammed the bars again, this time right side up. The gate clanged again. Samson heard the jeep starting and saw the beams of the headlights come out from behind the visitor center. He looked to Billy. â€Å"Jump!† Billy leapt from the fifteen-foot pillar. As he hit the pavement he yowled and crumpled. â€Å"My ankle.† Samson looked to the visitor center, where the jeep was pulling out. He grabbed Billy under the armpits and dragged him down into the ditch. They waited, breathlessly, as the jeep stopped and the guard, gun drawn, checked the lock and chain once again. After the guard left they crawled down the ditch toward Eli. When he came into view, Samson helped Billy to his feet and supported him while he limped up to the big Cheyenne, who was taking a deep hit on a joint. â€Å"Want a hit?† he croaked, holding the joint out to Billy. Billy took the joint, sat down in the grass, and took a hit. Eli let out a cloud of smoke and laughed. â€Å"That was the funniest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life.† Then he spotted the wet streaks on Samson's pants. â€Å"What happened, Hunts Alone? I thought you were going to piss on Custer's grave. You get so scared you wet yourself?† He threw back his head to laugh and Samson wound up and tagged him on the jaw with a vicious roundhouse punch. Eli dropped to the ground and didn't move. Samson looked at his damaged fist, then at Eli, then at Billy Two Irons. He grinned. Billy said, â€Å"You couldn't have done that twenty minutes ago and saved us all this trouble, could you?† â€Å"You're right,† Samson said. â€Å"I couldn't have done that twenty minutes ago. Let's get out of here before he comes to.† Samson helped Billy to his feet, then out of the ditch onto the road. As they headed toward Crow Agency it seemed to get darker as they walked, then darker still, until there was no light at all and Sam was in his bedroom staring at the back of a black buckskin shirt trimmed with red woodpecker feathers. â€Å"It was a stupid thing to do,† Sam said. â€Å"It was brave,† Coyote said. â€Å"It would have been stupid if you had failed.† â€Å"We found out later that Custer wasn't even buried there. His body was taken to West Point, so it was all for nothing.† â€Å"And what about the night on the dam? Was that all for nothing?† â€Å"How do you know about that?† Coyote turned and stared at Sam with his arms crossed, his golden eyes shining with delight. â€Å"That was nothing but trouble,† Sam said finally. â€Å"Would you do it again?† â€Å"Yes,† Sam said without thinking. â€Å"And the girl is nothing but trouble?† Coyote said. Sam heard the words echoing in his mind. Going after the girl was the right thing to do. After all the years of doing the safe thing, it was time to do the right thing. He said, â€Å"You really piss me off sometimes, you know that?† â€Å"Anger is the gods' way of letting you know you are alive.† Sam got up and stood face-to-face with the trickster, trying to read something in his eyes. He moved forward until their noses almost touched. â€Å"All you know is that she's going to Las Vegas? No address or anything?† â€Å"Not so far. But if she misses them there, the biker is going on to South Dakota. She'll follow. I'll tell you the rest on the way.† â€Å"I don't suppose you could change into a Learjet or something practical.† Coyote shook his head. â€Å"Just living things: animals, bugs, rocks.† Sam reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out the box of breath mints, and handed them to Coyote. The trickster raised his eyebrows in query. Sam said, â€Å"Eat those. I can't handle dog breath through an eight-hour drive.†

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Interview - Essay Example of experience working in the position and thus knows a great deal about how the work is done; furthermore, he has developed proper skills with respect to teaching people that are newly hired within the work environment and train them regarding the job at hand. Moreover, he seemed very genial and professional at the same time, making it very comfortable for those working in the library and also has excellent customer management skills which are very essential for the purpose of a good library student leader. Working at the library involves a great deal of customer service and it is like a public service job where one has to cater to the needs of other people; books need to be kept in order, music CDs and films need to be kept in a proper manner so that they are easily found by others when they require them. Furthermore, the organization of all these resources also requires the people handling them to be very careful so as to ensure no damage of the same. We discussed the purpose of various groups within the library work field and how they are organized and utilized in an efficient manner – for example, the purpose of the people handling the inventory; when there are about ten people handling the same, they divide the job among themselves so as to get done faster and in a more efficient manner. Other chores in the library involve discharging books, CDs and DVDs and maintaining them in a proper order. He has spent a considerable amount of time working with various groups in the lib rary carrying out these different functions and has experience in utilizing groups; over the last two years he has used various methods to get the inventory work done faster by segregating the literature in different parts according to their genres, covering the books and then placing them in their respective racks to be found easily and issued by the customers. The groups are thus utilized in an efficient manner; however Mr Ferguson also said that there could be more groups with respect

Tryst Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tryst - Essay Example It does this by reviewing all the important features that make the web site to be useful to the coffee house, its clientele and all other stakeholders. To begin with, I would like to point out http://www.trystdc.com is a well designed web site. It has got a lot of features that qualify it as a credible web site. Most important of all, is the fact that the web site is quite aesthetic. As a company, Tryst Coffee is very much aware that the success of its web site heavily relies on its design. To appeal to Tryst’s target audience, it needs to be attractive and interesting to see, navigate and surf. I am making this point because, upon a thorough scrutiny, I realized that the web site has got pages which are not only organized, but also have got clear, well illustrated, relevant and readable information. I commend this as a good decision because it can enable the web site to attract and retain readers to constantly visit it. Besides, the web site has a visible homepage as one of its features. This, as I found out, is a section, in which the company has posted all the important information regarding the company’s services. In it, were sections like contact us; about us; menu; events, mission; and vision. These are very important pieces of information that the company need to avail to the clients. They can enable the clients to know much about the company. Had it not been there, I would not have known about the menu and different food, beverage and beer brands offered by the business. I therefore feel that it was a good idea for the company to include this section in the web site as it touch on sensitive areas that should not be left out in the web site. Moreover, the web site appeared credible and genuine because it did not leave out the company’s contact details. In it were the right and up dated information on the company’s official postal address, email address and telephone numbers. All these

Human Resource Management - US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Management - US - Essay Example It should be positive towards the people belonging to non-dominant category of population for e.g. people belonging to a minority race, the women in general etc. The program should aim to provide equal opportunities, wages and working hours to such groups of people. It should display policies where women should be given posts on the basis of their qualifications and not on the basis of their gender. Since they are commonly referred to as weaker sex, the affirmative action program should act as a tool to promote the idea that though women look weaker in physical appearance they have the similar capacity as far as work is concerned. According to a website managed by the US Department of Labor, "Each contracting agency in the Executive Branch of government must include the equal opportunity clause in each of its non-exempt government contracts. The equal opportunity clause requires that the contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex or national origin." (para. 4) Thus the affirmative action program should be designed keeping all these criteria in mind. Of late there has been too many opponents of the affirmative action policies.

The Impact of Privatisation on Sustainability of Water in the United Essay

The Impact of Privatisation on Sustainability of Water in the United Arab Emirates - Essay Example Thus keeping a sustainable water supply in place is essential for the future of the country. Interviews have a number of strengths and weaknesses associated with them. Among the strengths are the ability to gauge both the knowledge and attitudes of the respondents, and also how the two influence one another. The weakness is that these are purely qualitative in nature, and so cannot produce quantitative, empirical evidence as to the state of the water supply and sustainability in the UAE. This study involved 29 interviews divided evenly between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah: the three major cities in the UAE. As will be illustrated, there were contrasts both intra- and inter- city in the attitudes towards and knowledge of sustainable water supplies. It is these attitudes that will be so important in the decades to come as creating a sustainable water supply is as much a matter for the general population as it is for the government of a country. Sustainability can only occur with the active cooperation of the population, without this it is merely a pleasant but empty ideal with no practical basis. It is interesting to note the variety of responses to both the definition of â€Å"sustainability† and how the respondents expanded on â€Å"what is important with regards to sustainability?† The definitions range from the simple to the complex to the comprehensive. Thus AUH1 states simply, â€Å"Sustainability for water means you use only the renewable resources that you cannot affect or deteriorate your water resources which is not here applicable in Abu Dhabi Emirate because the demand is more than water production and we rely on ground water which is not renewable.† Apart from the difference in style of reply, it is obvious that AUH1 places the definition of sustainability clearly (and solely) within the human context of whether â€Å"everyone† has a secure and safe

Research and Analysis of a Current Issue in Education Essay

Research and Analysis of a Current Issue in Education - Essay Example This essay describes the nature Ð ¾f the prÃ'â€"mary schÐ ¾Ã ¾l currÃ'â€"culum and the clÃ'â€"mate Ã'â€"n whÃ'â€"ch schÐ ¾Ã ¾ls functÃ'â€"Ð ¾n in the UK that changed quÃ'â€"te dramatÃ'â€"cally fÐ ¾llÐ ¾wÃ'â€"ng the passÃ'â€"ng Ð ¾f the EducatÃ'â€"Ð ¾n RefÐ ¾rm Act Ã'â€"n 1988. NÐ ¾t Ð ¾nly was the NatÃ'â€"Ð ¾nal CurrÃ'â€"culum Ã'â€"ntrÐ ¾duced by thÃ'â€"s Act, but schÐ ¾Ã ¾ls became much mÐ ¾re publÃ'â€"cly accÐ ¾untable fÐ ¾r theÃ'â€"r actÃ'â€"Ð ¾ns and fÐ ¾r the ways Ã'â€"n whÃ'â€"ch they have deplÐ ¾yed the resÐ ¾urces made avaÃ'â€"lable tÐ ¾ them. The researcher refers to an example, in which the gÐ ¾vernÃ'â€"ng bÐ ¾dy Ð ¾f a schÐ ¾Ã ¾l and the parents Ð ¾f the pupÃ'â€"ls attendÃ'â€"ng that schÐ ¾Ã ¾l were gÃ'â€"ven Ã'â€"ncreased rÃ'â€"ghts and respÐ ¾nsÃ'â€"bÃ'â€"lÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"es regardÃ'â€"ng the currÃ'â€"culum. This essay ivestigates the dynamÃ'â€"c nature Ð ¾f sÐ ¾cÃ'â€"ety that has prÐ ¾vÃ'â€"ded new challenges fÐ ¾r EnglÃ'â€"sh educatÐ ¾ rs Ð ¾f yÐ ¾ung chÃ'â€"ldren. DÃ'â€"vergent vÃ'â€"ews Ð ¾f the wÐ ¾rk Ð ¾f teachÃ'â€"ng as a prÐ ¾fessÃ'â€"Ð ¾n Ð ¾r a technÃ'â€"cal skÃ'â€"ll, suppÐ ¾rt fÐ ¾r teachers topic were analyzed. The mÐ ¾bÃ'â€"lÃ'â€"ty and ethnÃ'â€"c dÃ'â€"versÃ'â€"ty Ð ¾f pÐ ¾pulatÃ'â€"Ð ¾n alsÐ ¾ creates tensÃ'â€"Ð ¾ns and relatÃ'â€"Ð ¾nshÃ'â€"ps between sÐ ¾cÃ'â€"ety’s demands and chÃ'â€"ldren’s needs. DÃ'â€"fferent levels Ð ¾f gÐ ¾vernment, schÐ ¾Ã ¾l Ð ¾ffÃ'â€"cÃ'â€"als and prÐ ¾fessÃ'â€"Ð ¾nal Ð ¾rganÃ'â€"zatÃ'â€"Ð ¾ns have unlÐ ¾aded gÐ ¾als and purpÐ ¾ses Ð ¾f schÐ ¾Ã ¾lÃ'â€"ng tÐ ¾ teachers, whÃ'â€"ch are tÐ ¾Ã ¾ many Ã'â€"n number and tÐ ¾Ã ¾ cÐ ¾nflÃ'â€"ctÃ'â€"ng Ã'â€"n nature. To sum up, all Ð ¾f these challenges described in the essay requÃ'â€"re our Ã'â€"nbred pÃ'â€"Ð ¾neer values Ð ¾f hard wÐ ¾rk, Ã'â€"nnÐ ¾vatÃ'â€"Ð ¾n and self-suffÃ'â€"cÃ'â€"ency tÐ ¾ resÐ ¾lve. And thÐ ¾ugh Ã'â€"ndÃ'â€"vÃ'â€"dual sÐ ¾lutÃ'â€"Ð ¾ns wÃ'â€"ll p rÐ ¾vÃ'â€"de hÃ'â€"gh qualÃ'â€"ty care fÐ ¾r many, prÐ ¾vÃ'â€"dÃ'â€"ng qualÃ'â€"ty care fÐ ¾r all chÃ'â€"ldren wÃ'â€"ll take the effÐ ¾rt Ð ¾f all EnglÃ'â€"sh.

Letter requesting OPT addressed to DSO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letter requesting OPT addressed to DSO - Essay Example Some of the concepts that I have acquired through the course include management information systems, business strategies, finance, law, marketing and accounting among others. These concepts and other concepts in business administration are closely related to the role of a business analyst in various ways. Firstly, business administration provided one with a foundation for understanding business processes, strategies, and the general business environment. The course has also familiarized me with the methodologies, tools, and processes involved in the successful analysis of businesses. I possess great leadership skills having held numerous leadership positions at school. I cherish teamwork and collaboration in order to achieve a common objective. I have the ability to learn fast and develop competencies in very diverse areas including financial modeling, comparative analysis, comparative analysis, tax planning, and investment strategies. In addition to my analytical skills, I also possess advanced computer skills. I have expertise in various computer programs including MS office suits and programing languages such as SQL, VB, and HTML. I have attaches a sample of my resume for consideration. I would appreciate the opportunity to come at your premises for an interview where I can elaborate more on my skills I relation to the

State of the U.S. Macroeconomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

State of the U.S. Macroeconomy - Essay Example Over the last twelve months, the economic recovery that began in the year 2009 is observed to have strengthened. Although the growth has not been fast enough to have a significant impact on the job market, the GDP of the country has shown drastic improvement. For instance, February 2015, the US dollar is seen to gain strength over the Canadian dollar. Furthermore, the US dollar has traded favorably with UK pound. Between 2014 and 2015, the US dollar has recorded tremendous improvement over the British pound moving from 0.58 to 0.66 British pounds. This figure translates that, for every 1 US dollar is equivalent to 0.66 British pounds. A foreign exchange rate determines how much a unit of currency will be exchanged for another currency (Thomson, 2015). I know most of you could be wondering what determined these foreign exchange rates. Foreign exchange rates are determined by various factors such as the current market forces of demand and supply. In other words, how much the demand for a currency is in relation to its supply will determine the value of the currency in relation to other currencies. For instance, if the demand of the US dollar increases, the value of its currency in relation to other currencies will rise (Thomson, 2015). Thank you for listening to me and for your cooperation. I will be pleased to take any

Comparing and Contrasting Literary Forms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparing and Contrasting Literary Forms - Essay Example Drama is driven by action and plot, just as short stories are, which can be seen in many fairytales or children’s fables, like Cinderella (Perrault); poetry, on the other hand, is more driven by expression. Poetry and short stories rely on imagery and point of view to display their messages, but drama depends more on the story itself. Yet another greatest difference between these three literary forms is their length: drama is often the longest, followed by the short story. Poetry, though, compresses its ideas and tends to follow specific rhythmic patterns to convey the message or the detail in fewer lines, like She dwelt among the untrodden ways (Wordsworth 71) by William Wordsworth; many poems, with some exceptions, such as Beowulf, do not exceed a page. Due to the length of poems, the poet has to reveal as much as they can while they are able to. Drama and short stories leave room for other elements to be displayed, such as theme and setting. Two other vast differences betwe en these literary elements can be seen in their settings and in their genres. Drama is capable of taking place where the author decides, even in a location that does not exist or is based off of a real place. A short story has a real setting that allows people to be able to picture the location.

Great Depression Essay Introduction Essay Example for Free

Great Depression Essay Introduction Essay By the beginning of the First World War, the United States was the largest industrial country, accounting for more than 35% of production. Thanks to the developed agriculture, infrastructure, extremely favorable natural and economic conditions, proximity to the inexhaustible markets of the South American continent and a quite advantageous distance from the conflicting Europe, the USA already not only provided itself with all necessary things, but also seriously pressed their competitors by making an application for world leadership. However, in October 1929, a crisis broke out on the New York Stock Exchange went down in history as the Great Depression. It began in the USA and then embraced other areas. The world experienced three waves of inflation. The first embraced households of a number of agrarian nations. The second led England in September 1931 to abolish the gold standard of the pound sterling, and its dominions, India, Brazil, Argentina and Scandinavian territories. In spring of 1933, in connection with the departure from a gold standard of the United States, a third wave rose. As a result, the currencies of 56 states depreciated. Officially crisis ends in 1940, but the US power was able to recover from the Second World War. The Great Depression was synchronous and comprehensive. Its name was due to an emotional condition in which community being. Humans really plunged into a state of depressive numbness. The causes of it remain a subject of ongoing discussions about the role of government policy and activity of a private business. From the view of economic theory, it came about because of an overproduction of commodities and a deficiency of currency for their purchase. Since cash was tied to gold, and the amount of this substance is restricted, there was a deficit of funds as a demand for items. Further along a chain, the â€Å"domino principle† worked: deflation, bankruptcies of enterprises, unemployment, barring duties on imported wares, a decreasing in consumer demand and living standard. By its nature and origin, a world economic crisis of the early 30s was cyclical. However, its exceptional destructive power was thanks to the fact that new long-term factors joined an action of a traditional mechanism. The main one was a common breakdown of capitalistic ideology. Accelerated by the First World War, the establishment of state-monopoly capitalism entailed a rapid enhance in a concentration of production and capital. On this basis, tremendous strengthening of the monopolies and their role in the economic life occurred, which made it impossible to restore pre-war relations even after a liquidation of the military mechanism for state regulation of household. In the midst of a crisis of the early 1930s, negative consequences of anarchy were fully manifested. Essential changes introduced in other areas of life. In the social sphere, it is necessary to note the increased activity of workers who began to fight for better living conditions and social benefits. In the field of international relations, a collapse of the Versailles-Washington system of postwar settlement started. The theoretical and practical search for new means and methods of combating the crisis became more active. A dominant vector of such looking for was strengthening of state intervention in the economy. Thus, the uniqueness of the Great Depression due to the action of all the above factors was expressed in a rare combination of a number of features like its extraordinary depth, duration, and a general nature. This was an original phenomenon impacted all spheres and determined for the next years a lot of world trends.

The Life And Work Of Carl Rogers Philosophy Essay

The Life And Work Of Carl Rogers Philosophy Essay Carl Rogers was born on January 8 1902 in Chicago, Illinois and was the fourth of six children. His father was a successful civil engineer and as such was often away from home, leaving his mother to raise them and so he grew up closer to his mother than to his father. His family was very close, however, and highly religious but friendship outside the family was discouraged; reason being that others behaved in ways that were inappropriate and contrary to the familys beliefs. These included smoking, drinking, going to the movies etc. and so the family decided that it was better to live separate from such folk and to avoid communicating with them, but the best that they could do was to be tolerant of them. Rogers was a loner in school and as such took refuge in books. He read everything possible including dictionaries and encyclopaedias. When Rogers was 12 his father moved his family to a farm such that they could live in a more wholesome and religious atmosphere. There his father insisted that they run a farm and it was here that Rogers developed a deep interest in agriculture. After high school he enrolled in the University of Wisconsin in 1919 to study agriculture, however because he was still very active in church activities he was chosen in 1922 to attend the World Student Christian Federation Conference in Peking, China. This trip was a life changing experience for Rogers that lasted six months and which, for the first time, allowed him to experience people of different religions. This new experience made such an impact on Rogers that he wrote to is parents declaring his independence from their conservative religion, and almost immediately developed an ulcer that caused him to be hospitalized for several weeks. Rogers changed his major upon returning to university and graduated in 1924 with a degree in History. Shortly after graduation he married his childhood sweetheart, Helen Elliott, and they eventually had two children together. Soon after marriage Rogers move to New York and enrolled in the liberal Union Theological Seminary while also taking courses in psychology and education at neighbouring Columbia University. However, doubts about the religious approach to helping people caused him to transfer to Columbia University full-time and where he then earned his masters degree in clinical psychology in 1928 and his doctorate in 1931. His dissertations concerned the measurement of personality adjustment in children and thus lead him to work for the Child Study Department of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to children in Rochester, New York. As a result of his experiences here he developed his own brand of psychotherapy. While working at the Society he wrote his first book entitle d The Clinical Treatment of the Problem Child. Thereafter he was offered a position at Ohio State University at the rank of full professor, and it was then at the age of 38 that he decided to begin a new career in the academic world. In 1944 Rogers took leave from Ohio State to become director of counselling services for the United Services Organization in New York. After one year he moved to the University of Chicago as professor of psychology and director of counselling and it was during this time that he wrote what others thought to be his most important work, Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theory (1951). In 1957, Rogers returned to the University of Wisconsin where he held the dual position of professor of psychology and professor of psychiatry. In 1963, he joined the Western Behavioural Sciences Institute (WBSI) in La Jolla, California where he eventually formed the Center for the Studies of the Person. Rogers continued to work on the Vienna Peace Project and peace workshops in Moscow until his death on February 4, 1987 from cardiac arrest following surgery for a broken hip. Carl Rogerss revolutionary and most important work brought out in his book Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theory (1951) marked a change in his approach to psychology. At first his approach was called nondirective, because he believed that in a positive therapeutic atmosphere clients would solve their problems automatically, but his practice became client-centered when he realized that the therapist had to make an active attempt to understand and accept a clients subjective reality before any real progress could be made. Rogers set out to use a method called the Q-technique in order to measure the effectiveness of therapy where he had clients describe themselves as they were at the moment (real self) and then as they would like to become, (ideal self). The two selves were measured in such a way as to allow the correlation between them to be determined. Normally when the therapy begins, the correlation between the two selves is very low, but if therapy is effective it becomes larger, that is the real self becomes more similar to the ideal self. This technique helps the therapist to determine the effectiveness of his or her procedures at any point during, or after, therapy. Rogers rejected the deterministic approach of psychoanalytic theory and behaviourism brought about by Freud and other psychologists. Instead Rogers believed that behaviour is a response to the individuals perception/ interpretation of external stimuli. As no-one else can know how we perceive, were the best experts on understanding our own behaviour. Rogers also sees human nature in a very positive and optimistic light, quoting: There is no beast in man; there is only man in man. A description of self, which is an organised, consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself, helped to set the pace on Rogerss humanistic approach, describing that the awareness of who a person is and what they can do influences both their perception of the world and their behaviour. By evaluating every experience in terms of self, most human behaviour can be understood as an attempt to maintain consistency between ones self-image and ones actions. This self image may not always be achieved and self-image may differ quite radically from our actual behaviour and from how others see us. For example a person may be highly successful and respected by others, and yet regard him/herself as a failure. This is what Rogers called an incongruent person that is a person whose internal guidance system or organismic valuing process is replaced by positive regards of persons we look up to who would only love us based on whether or not we do what they want us to do, also known as conditio ns of worth, as a guide for living. When incongruent experiences, feelings, actions, etc come into conflict with self image they can be threatening and as such access to awareness may be denied through actual denial, distortion or blocking. These defence mechanisms prevent the self from growing and changing and widen the gap between self-image and reality. The more the self-image changes and becomes unrealistic; the incongruent person becomes more confused, vulnerable, dissatisfied and eventually seriously maladjusted. As a contrast the congruent person is flexible and changes realistically as new experiences occur, thus when our self-image matches what we really think and feel and do, we are in the best position to self-actualise. Like Maslow, Rogers assumed every human being has an innate drive toward self-actualisation, and if people use this tendency in living their lives, there is a strong likelihood that they will live fulfilling lives and ultimately reach their full potential. This is what was earlier described as the organismic valuing process. Persons who uses this process is motivated by his or her own true feelings and is living what the existentialists call an authentic live, that is, a live motivated by a persons true inner feelings rather than beliefs, traditions, values or conventions imposed by others. Rogers once remarked that all of my professional life I have been going in directions which others thought were foolish, but I have never regretted moving in directions which felt right, even though I have often felt lonely or foolish at the time. Experience is for me, the highest authority. Neither the Bible nor the prophets, neither Freud nor research, neither the revelations of God nor man can take precedence over my own experience. Rogers claim that most people do not live according to their innermost feelings. He claims that the problem begins at birth where there is need for positive regard where such regards involves receiving such things as love, warmth, sympathy, and acceptance from the relevant people in a childs life. This positive regard given freely to a child would not pose a problem however the problem arises only when there are conditions of worth which happens when relevant persons in that childs life only give positive regard if they act or think in accordance with those relevant people in their lives. Rogers conclude that as long as people live their lives according to someone elses values instead of their own true feeling, experience will be edited and certain experiences that would have been in accord with the organismic valuing process will be denied. Rogers offer one way to avoid imposing conditions of worth on people, and that is to give them unconditional positive regard where they are loved and respected for what they truly are; and as such allowing that person to become a fully functioning person. Since Rogers viewed incongruency as the cause of mental disorders, he therefore believed that the goal of psychotherapy is to help people overcome conditions of worth and again live in accordance with their organismic valuing processes. He states The path of development toward psychological maturity, the path of therapy, is the undoing of this estrangement in mans functioning, the dissolving of conditions of worth, the achievement of a self which is congruent with experience, and the restoration of a unified organismic valuing process as the regulator of behaviour. Thus here lies the need for Rogerss person-centered therapy. Rogers believe that therapy needs the right climate, which rests not on technique but on the relationship between therapist and client. He proposed three core conditions that he claimed are both necessary and sufficient for this relationship. These include: Warmth where the therapist must have respect for the client and display complete acceptance of the person in his or her own right at that moment in time, which should be accompanied by a non-judgemental attitude towards the client. Genuineness where the therapist must show that they are a real person, with thoughts and feelings, which should be expressed where appropriate. This enhanced by self-disclosure. Empathy where the therapist must enter the clients inner world which can be achieved through genuine, attentive listening and restating what the client says, in order to clarify its emotional significance. Also the therapist must be sensitive to the clients problem and sense the pleasure or hurt of the client as if it were his own. The therapists main task is therefore to create a therapeutic atmosphere in which clients can become fully integrated again. This can be achieved only if clients reduce their conditions of worth, and increase their unconditional positive self-regard. The therapists job is to create a situation in which clients can change themselves, and this is aided by an emotionally warm, accepting, understanding and non-evaluative relationship in which the person is free from threat and has the freedom to be the self that he/she really is. Rogerss person-centered psychology has been applied to such diverse areas as religion, medicine, law enforcement, ethnic and cultural relations, politics, international conflict, organizational development education, personal power and marriage. The humanistic approach popularised by Carl Rogerss person-centered theory which believes that human beings who are free to plan their own actions, and ultimately their own destiny are struggling to grow and to make difficult decisions that will profoundly affect their lives; and as a result of these decisions, each of us becomes unique and responsible for our own behaviour. Rogerss person-centered therapy is based on the assumption of freewill and the therapist helps clients to excercise free will in such a way as to maximize the rewards of their lives. To conclude, I must say that I find Carl Rogerss humanistic approach of person-centered therapy as very insightful and interesting. His theory of self and concentrating thereupon making ones self perception more important than that of others perception is one that I would support even though I am of the opinion that other persons perception of another do matter but not to the highest degree. I am also excited and supportive of the process of reconciliation between ones real self which who one is at the moment and ones ideal self which is what one would like to become. This brings about the self-actualisation aspect of person-centered therapy and I strongly agree with it in that I think that everyone should aspire to be the best that they can be while living and as such they may be able to live a more fulfilling (authentic) life. I also agree with a persons need for positive regard in that in order for us to strive to do our best we need some sort of support system, not necessarily ou r parents, but others also to encourage us and affirm us that we can be better at anything and everything that we do, which indeed should start from birth. Although I agree that it is important for persons to be motivated and to esteem self to a high degree, I also think that we are interdependent beings who need each others guidance on matters which we are not yet familiar and thus we cannot rule out others opinions and perceptions of us which might add significantly to our growth. Also, we live in a world where there are extremists, who are persons who old fast to personal views and liberalists who are persons who feel like anything goes and those who have a balance between the two. We are brought up by these groups of people and it is inevitable that we should suffer as inefficient beings who lack unconditional positive regard, however when we are old enough to decipher the best possible group to be associated with the better it is for us to be able to live an authentic life. I think that Rogerss view where he stated that Experience is for me, the highest authority is based entirely on his experience with his family and their conservative religious lifestyle compared to that which he experienced after declaring independence from their beliefs; and although a I respect his views I totally disagree that experience is the highest authority. This is so because I believe with all of my mental capacity that God above anyone or anything else can do for us, through us, in us and about us what we can never conceive. The bible says that He is able and willing if we just ask and believe. So I all in all I would prefer and would encourage other to try and live a more holistic life rather than a more authentic life and if we have problems achieving this then seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things shall be added unto you. I think that person-centered therapy, despite its discrepancies, is a fairly reasonable approach and I would recommend it second to God.

Evaluation Of Reading Skills English Language Essay

Evaluation Of Reading Skills English Language Essay In Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary (2nd edition, 2005) definition of a language is stated as a system of communication consisting of sounds, words and grammar, or the system of communication used by the people of a particular country or profession. And that means, learning a language to communicate properly in that language requires mastering all parts of a language system such as the vocabulary, the grammar and the sound system. According to Dawani (2006) in order to communicate in a language one should study a balance of four basic language skills which are reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Thats why teaching and evaluation of these skills has a particular importance in language education. In this paper, the evaluation of one of four basic language skills, namely Reading Skill will be discussed in detail. However it is essential to lay some basic facts about reading before starting to discuss its evaluation. According to Alyousef (2005), as a definition, reading is can be perceived as an interactive process, leading to automaticity or fluency, between a text and a reader. Agreeing that, Rasinski (2004) states, accurate and automatic decoding of the words by giving its expressive interpretations to achieve maximum comprehension means reading fluency. Accordingly, Rasinski (2004) again states that reading does not merely mean accurate decoding of the words like teachers thought for years. And thats why the assessment of reading should involve the ability of fluency and comprehension, for sure. Reading in a different language has traditionally stemmed from the need of accessing the written literature of a high culture and as a material these literature pieces are used to work on as Byrnes (1998) suggests. As the aim of this kind of reading does not involve a real communication, the reading fluency is ignored. Later with the appearance of communicative approach, instead of high culture literature, reading texts started to be chosen according to the current reading aims, like using everyday materials such as newspaper articles, bus schedules, etc., for purposes to develop communicative competence. As a result, over time teaching of reading and reading drills at any levels became a fundamental part of language teaching. According to Stages of Reading Development of Challs (1983) reading is a continuous process which develops through some certain stages. Agreeing that, Beers (2006) adds that in case of a skip in a reading development stage, students will struggle in their reading ability and eventually this will also affect their writing skills. Thats why teachers should be exclusively attentive to students comprehension of each stage of reading process before continuing with the next level. According to Carnine Silbert (2004), Assessments provide the information that will enable educators to provide children with instruction that starts where they are and then build on that base to help children advance to the higher levels.(p. 13-15). As it is apparent from all these researchers statements, the evaluation of reading is a crucial part of teaching a language. Although most of the researches of that field unite in the importance of evaluation, they differ in the opinions for the evaluation mediums. N o matter how much a particular evaluation type is praised by educators, in reality all of them has some advantages and disadvantages and use of these evaluation types is only a matter of preference. Hughes (2007) states that all assessments are basically designed to develop the learning of students. Accordingly, evaluation is the process of gathering, utilizing a variety of sources and supplying students with descriptive feedback for future development. And these assessment processes are listed as following in various sources; Informal Reading Inventories (IRIs) In that evaluation type, the teacher decides a reading skill level by calculating the ratio of correctly read words in a passage as it is stated in NICHHD (2000). In IRIs, there are three main reading skill levels. According to Rasinski (2004) levels of performance for word decoding accuracy in reading can be listed as the following list; Independent Level: 97-100% Without Assistance Instructional Level: 90-96% With Assistance Frustration Level: The reason of these scale is explained in Mohler (2004) with a comparison of comprehension levels with these word accuracy levels; in independent level 90% or more comprehension, in instructional level 60% or more comprehension, and in Frustration level 50% or more comprehension occurs. According to McEwan (2002) this measure of oral reading fluency is the most sensitive to the small changes in reading ability, simplest and quickest classroom assessment type that is known. Adams (1990) states that letter recognition speed and accuracy are essential for reading proficiency and growth as letter recognition sub-skill improves word recognition skill. On the other hand, according to Rasinski (2004) in spite of the fact that IRIs value accuracy while determining the overall performance level of readers, they demand reader to read several word lists and passages orally and to be examined on their comprehension of each passage which eventually leads to one to two hours of endeavor for a complete IRI. In contrast to what Adams (1990) says, Rasinski (2004) finds it very time-consuming, particularly in case an application of the inventory to a struggling reader. Miscue Analysis Gunther (2007) defines miscue as any unpredictable calling of a word or section of text. The inventor of this analysis type, Ken Goodman specifically avoids using the term error instead of miscalling because of its negative implications. Goodman (1969) declares that a departure from the text does not necessarily exhibit a negative side of the reading process but it rather opens a window on the reading process which can assist both teachers and students. Using this method, a teacher can be more easily aware of the students comprehension by looking at the kind of mistakes he/she makes. According to Gunther (2007) miscue analysis particularly focuses on the readers cueing system similar to the ones used to describe the results of running records. These cueing systems are listed as the followings; the graphophonic system (visual cues in running records), the syntactic system (syntax or structure cues in running records), and the semantic system (meaning cues in running records). In these cueing systems, there are six types of miscues as stated here; 1st Correction: A child self-corrects his/her error and re-reads the section/word without prompting, 2nd Insertion: A child adds a few words which are not on the page, 3rd Omission: A child omits a word while reading a text, 4th Repetition: A child repeats a word or some part of the text, 5th Reversal: A child will reverse the order of the text or the word, 6th Substitution: A child places a different word, instead of reading a particular word. According to Wilde (2000) instead of focusing more on the number of miscues as in running records, miscue analysis is more concerned with type of miscues because being a good reader does not necessarily require a word-by-word comprehension of the text. Due to the fact that skipping, substituting, miscalling words does not necessarily make someone a bad reader, miscue analysis respects the reasons of miscues and develops the reading success of the given student according to the information gained by the analysis. However according to Kuroneko (2008) a technical knowledge of linguistic concepts and long succeeding analysis is required to conduct Goodmans miscue analysis thats why it is a complicated process to learn. Running Records Running Records is defined by Clay (1985) as a teacher adjustment to run a miscue analysis in the busy atmosphere of the classroom. According to Hughes (2007) diagnostic, formative and summative assessments can be conducted via running records. However using solely running records does not give enough evidence for evaluation purposes. According to Glover (2008) this type of assessment is useful for deciding the level of text used by the teacher and student and gaining the insights of the strategy types a child utilizes while reading. There are two separate parts of this assessment: the running record and a comprehension check. In running record part, the teacher basically uses some marking conventions and symbols to record the readers reading manner including accuracies, errors, assistance from the teacher and self-corrections while he/she continuous to read from the book and in comprehension check part the teacher utilizes retelling method by asking some comprehension questions as i t is stated in A Guide to Effective Instruction in Reading, Kindergarten to Grade 3 (2003, p.12, 27). While the teacher is evaluating the errors, he/she investigates them from three aspects as it is expressed by Gunther (2007); 1st Meaning: whether the meaning of the text has an influence on the childs reading, 2nd Syntax: whether the child reads in a grammatically and linguistically reasonable way, 3rd Visual: whether the child is mistaken for another word because of the words appearance/letters. According to what is mentioned by Gunther (2007), a teacher can decide a learning point utilizing students errors as an instantaneous chance for further learning because running records reveals the students cuing system and self correction patterns. Correspondingly, Johnston (1997) also states that comprehending the reasons behind errors, a teacher can put his/her knowledge of instruction to use to guide the student to learn. In A Guide to Effective Instruction in Reading, Kindergarten to Grade 3 (2003) the advantages of using running records are stated as followings; being an efficient and effective medium to record independent reading behaviors and providing a chance for teachers to observe students use of cues and strategies during an oral reading. Despite the time it takes to evaluate all students individually, running records when conducted on a regular basis creates a rich source of assessment information on the continuous development of an individual. De Leon (2009), on the other hand, lists some of the disadvantages this evaluation type posses as followings; requirement of fluent use of language, dependence on the ability to observe details and write quickly, making the student feel watched, become uncomfortable thus destruction of the nature of the recording, causing the teacher to be unavailable to control the classroom because of being focused on the recording, giving information about only one student at one time and can be tiring for the recorder because of its intensity. As it is apparent from the article, there are various evaluation types for the assessment of reading skill. While this is the case, the important question to ask can be the aim of the researcher/teacher when conducting one of the reading assessment methods. Although all of them stem from the need for improving the teaching quality of reading ability, they all differ from each other with the ways they try to achieve this. Some of them are depending on the number of the miscalled words while another one is paying attention to the type of miscalling. All of them have some week points compared to others as it can be seen by the objections of various researchers. Although, personally, I found, among all assessment types, running records very useful to learn the insights of the reading ability of a student, I also agree with the researchers who are opposed to this evaluation method because of its excessive needs. Just because of the time and attention demanded by this assessment, the appli cation of it to the real circumstances becomes nearly impossible. As a conclusion, it can be clearly said that all the evaluation methods have their advantages and disadvantages coming with them. As long as they are conducted with a special care, all methods can assist students to improve their reading skills.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Homosexuality and the Media Essay

Homosexuality and the Media      Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many different aspects of life that Americans are exposed to on television each day. Some examples are things such as violence, sex and alcohol and in today's more accepting society, the issue of alternative lifestyles. This issue was not as predominant ten years ago as it is today. Yes, for many years there have been sexual undertones in many popular television shows or movies, but it was not until recently that these actors and actresses were actually said to be living an alternative lifestyle.    What exactly is an alternative lifestyle? According to Encarta's Online World Dictionary, "an alternative lifestyle is one of abnormal circumstances, a way of living adopted by people who reject the prevailing lifestyle, for example, because they consider it to be too materialistic, to dependent on technology or simply living outside of the basic ways of life"(Encarta Online World Dictionary). This term, alternative lifestyle, is one that is often used to describe people who engage in homosexual relationships. The true definition seems to fit, but today this lifestyle is not as out of the ordinary as it was in the past.    Many people think that homosexuality is an old trend that has been around since the beginning of time. In reality, homosexuality is still a relatively new idea in many cultures. This idea is also relatively new for the mass media and Hollywood. "In a hundred years of movies, homosexuality has only rarely been depicted on the screen. When it did appear, it was there as something to laugh at, to pity, or even something to fear. Hollywood, that great maker of myths, taught straight people what to think about gay people... and gay people what to think about... ...on 2). With this in mind Jacobson explains, "now that changes are finally being made in the way that people are raised, people will also be able to accept changes easier than they did in the past" (Jacobson 2). If this is the way that society actually operates then homosexuality should not be as hard to accept as it was in the past.    Works Cited Bantam Publishing. "Encarta Online World Dictionary." Issue 23, Vol. 43 page 121. Bishop, Alfred. "Homosexuality and Life." Dec. 5th 2001.   http:<www.seuxallife/lt.ctrl.article45/23-tglm_bish.htm> Encarta Publishing. Encarta Online World Dictionary. 1999  Ã‚   http:/</Encartaworld/dictionary/alternativelifestyle.ht/htm> Jacobson, Alexander. "Society and Our Lives." Stanford University. 1999 The Celluloide Closet. Dec. 3rd 2001.  Ã‚   http:<celluloidecloset.net.art-10_life/sex/23htm.>

Use of Humor in Erdrichs Tracks Essay -- Erdrich Tracks

Use of Humor in Erdrich's Tracks  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   An old adage claims that laughter is the best medicine to cure human ailments.   Although this treatment might sound somewhat unorthodox, its value as a remedy can be traced back to ancient times when Hypocrites, in his medical treatise, stressed the importance of   â€Å"a gay and cheerful mood on the part of the physician and patient fighting disease† (Bakhtin 67).   Aristotle viewed laughter as man’s quintessential privilege:   â€Å"Of all living creatures only man is endowed with laughter† (Bakhtin 68).   In the Middle Ages, laughter was an integral part of folk culture.   â€Å"Carnival festivities and the comic spectacles and ritual connected with them had an important place in the life of medieval man† (Bakhtin 5).   During the trauma and devastation of German bombing raids on London during World War II, the stubborn resilience of British humor emerged to sustain the spirit of the people and the courage of the nation.   To laugh, even in the face of death, is a compelling force in the human condition.   Humor, then, has a profound impact on the way human beings experience life.   In Louise Erdrich’s novel Tracks, humor provides powerful medicine as the Chippewa tribe struggles for their physical, spiritual, and cultural survival at the beginning of the twentieth century.   While the ability to approach life with a sense of humor is not unique to any one society, it is an intrinsic quality of Native American life.   â€Å"There is, and always has been, humor among Indians . . . † (Lincoln 22).  Ã‚   In deference to their history, this can best be described as survival humor, one which â€Å"transcends the void, questions fatalism, and outlasts suffering† (Lincoln 45).   Through their capacity to draw common... ...emain the contrary powers of Indian humor† (Lincoln 5).   For the Chippewa, this humor provides powerful medicine for the physical, cultural, and spiritual preservation of their tribe.  Ã‚        Works Cited   Bakhtin, Mikhail.   Rabelais and His World.   Bloomington:   Indiana UP, 1984.   Erdrich Louise.   Tracks.   New York:   Harper Collins, 1988.   Ghezzi, Ridie Wilson.   â€Å"Nanabush Stories from the Ojibwe.†Ã‚   Coming to Light.   Ed. Brian Swann.   1st ed.   New York:   Random House, 1994.   Lincoln, Kenneth.   Indi’n Humor.   New York:   Oxford UP, 1993.   Sergi, Jennifer.   â€Å"Storytelling:   Tradition and Preservation in Louise Erdrich’s Tracks.†Ã‚   World Literature Today   66   (Spring 1992):   279-282.   Towers, Margie.   â€Å"Continuity and Connection:   Characters in Louise Erdrich’s Fiction.†Ã‚   American Indian Culture and Research Journal   16   (1992):   99-115.     

Population

A population is consists of a group of the same species which occupy the same area. In order for a population to survive certain variables must be in place, making the biome ideal to support life for that and the other species within that community. There are some species that depends solely on the type of climate and food web that is available in a particular biome, these species would be considered to be specialists. Other species are able to adapt to the change of climate and eat a variety of items which aids in their survival and population growth.This paper will examine four species of birds in an effort to ascertain which species may be considered generalist / opportunistic and which species are specialist depending on specific climate or with a narrow niche preference. In order to providers with accurate information the writer will examine the environmental preference of these specific species, their diet, population growth and biome that provides the perfect living conditions for their species. The four species being examined today are the American Robin, the Wood Stork, Great Blue Herron and the Double Crested Cormorant.The American Robin's diet consists of a wide variety of berries earthworms and insects, and they are found throughout North America. Communities or Robins are found in several biomes, including forests edges, woodlands, grasslands, tundra and forests regenerating from recent fires, they are also found in populated urban areas since human development provides areas for them to forage. Although the Robin is a migratory species some of them have adapted to the cold and spend their entire lives in the colder regions of Northern America and Southern Canada.Although some American Robin is capable of adapting to several environments their diets are not so widespread in the summer they feast on insects and earthworms, while in the winters their diets mainly consists of berries. It is often hard to determine whether or not a species fall in the category of generalist or specialist because of their behavior and eating patterns, however it could safely be said that the American Robin is a specialist and their eating habits has proven this and also because they are migratory.The Double Crested Cormorant is widely distributed being found in egions with bodies of water that will support their diet of mainly fish however crustaceans, insects and amphibians are known to be consumed by them. The biomes that provide them with the best living conditions would be the temperate costal waterways, freshwater rivers and lakes and other marine waters The fact that they consume over 250 species of fish which is readily available in regions with abundant rainfall has aided in the rebound of their population.The Double Crested Cormorant falls within the category of generalist [opportunistic. In the United States he Wood Stork is found mainly in the southern regions along the coastal areas. Their food supply which includes a range fishes, fro gs, mollusks, snails and insects can be found in coastal areas, tidal waters, marshes, swamps, streams and mangroves. The to provide them with food supply year round. Although their diets are made up of several types of items they mainly come from the waterways and as such their distribution is not widespread, making the Wood stork a specialist species.The Great Blue Herron was made for survival; they are very adaptive and can be found in a ide variety of areas within the United States. Their diets include both vertebrates and invertebrates, insects, fishes and even other birds. They also consume small mammals and amphibians which can be found in forests or waterways. These birds can also endure the cold winters therefore many biomes support their habitats. The Great Blue Herron would be considered an opportunistic species since they are widely distributed and very adaptive to climate and diet.In concluding I would like to say that most species don't fit easily into one category mak ing it harder to identify hether or not they are specialist or generalist, as in the case of the Robin who is widely distributed, however they are confined based on what they eat and weather conditions.

Puritan Women

Rights for women In the Puritan community were very scarce. The women lacked rights because men were seen as superior to them. Even though men were the ultimate leaders of the Puritan community, women still played a vital role throughout their society. With the limited rights women possessed, they impacted the Puritan community in many ways. Puritan women had little to no rights back then; however, they did play an important role in the Puritan society through their everyday duties/ oleos, marriage, and religion.The duties and roles of the Puritan women differed from that of their husband's. In the patriarchal lifestyle, where men were the head of the household, women transferred subordination from their father to their husband (Themes and Variations In Men's and Women's Roles In Colonial America). Women were not to challenge men, have a temper, or be Insubordinate to their husbands. Even though It was a patriarchy, husbands soul entrusted the women with a wide range of practical res ponsibilities and viewed them as â€Å"deputy husbands† (Religion, Women, and the Family in Early America).As a housewife, they were expected to fulfill various duties throughout the day. The major duties were made up of food and clothing production, childbearing, the health of the family, and child-rearing. Being a mother was the most important role for a Puritan woman. As a mother, women had direct authority over their children. It was the Puritan women's responsibility to bring up the children of their society correctly. Religious piety, manners, discipline, and affection were a few of the many things that the women taught their children Childbirth and Motherhood).Through the act of child-rearing, women were able to gain social status based on their skill. Under a patriarchy, the Puritan women were still able to obtain and uphold particular rights. The deferent tasks that the women were expected to perform set them apart from the role of Puritan males. The privileges withi n marriage were different for women than they were for men. With marriage, harsh consequences followed along for the women. The legal person's of women were completely subsumed under their husband's identity (Westerners 4).Puritan women literally became the property of their husbands. Wealth was a major determinant in marriage. It was easier to marry off a woman with wealth because Puritan men were eager to marry for money. Without a great deal of dowry, women were not seen as desirable in the eyes of the men. In marriage, the severity of punishments for women was worse than the punishments for men. In the Puritan community, the act of adultery could be brought to court. If women were brought to court by their husbands on a charge of adultery they could be sentenced to the death penalty (Female Discontent).Hester Prone Is a prime example for how the courts treated women In the Puritan society. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, descriptively describes one of the Puritan's c ourt orders for adultery. The the pillory platform, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her life to wear a â€Å"mark of shame† upon her chest (Hawthorne 54). Even though men and women had incomparable rights in marriage, some common ground was trying to be attained. Religion encouraged affection, monogamy, and friendship within marriage (Marriage).The women of the Puritan community were viewed in a patriarchal manner through the eyes of religion. The structure of patriarchy was upheld within churches. Churches believed that women had to subject themselves to the authority of man. The Holy Scriptures preached about a husband – wife relationship (Westerners 14). The spirituality of Puritan women was shunned throughout churches. Every aspect of a woman had to be scrutinized by men. Churches deemed women incapable of understanding or interpreting the work of the Spirit in their own souls (Westerners 20).Theologians and religion had the same views of women. Theol ogians believed that woman courted heresy and blasphemy (Westerners 25). This resulted in the intellectual weakness of women religiously. In reaction to the criticizing from churches, women came together to discuss these matters. Anne Hutchinson, the leader of these discussions, encouraged the Puritan women to voice their religious opinions (Barber 1). In the end, the courts banished her from the colony for â€Å"wrongdoing,† and women continued to follow the subservient expectations of the Church and the Puritan community.The role of women in the Puritan society was one of limited to no rights. Women were inferior and subservient to their husbands. They were considered more to be property than person. Anything they owned became the property of their husband's including them. The most important role of women in the Puritan community was that of wife and mother. Their only ability to gain social status was through successful child-rearing. Puritan women had no voice in their m arriage or their religious worship. Even in legal matters, they were treated differently than men, especially when the women's fidelity as questioned.The sentencing for Puritan women breaking the law could be severe as death. The Puritan society allowed women to fall off in most aspects, which led to their intellectual decrease in life. The life of Puritan women was very strict. There were only three areas in their life that held great importance: marriage, religion and children. Collectively and independently those three factors held great pride for Puritan women. Death was the only means of ending the continuous patriarchal cycle of their life. The women's life and soul existence was commitment to the husband and family.

Loblaw Companies Limited: Preparing for Wal-Mart Supercenters

Case 16 1. The grocery industry is a commoditized industry, which makes it difficult for grocers to sustain through differentiation. Buyer power is high and thus, cost leadership and operational efficiencies are critical. There is fierce competition amongst various grocery stores, with the main players such as Loblaw and A&P holding multi-banner stores in various market segments. Traditional grocery stores also lose some of their market share to drug stores, convenience stores and other retailers who have entered the industry. Threat of substitutes from fast-food and take- away outlets is not as prevalent, since many grocery stores have started stocking ready-to-eat meals and have deli services available for consumers. Competitive pressures are increasing in the industry with the potential entry of Wal-Mart and new delivery methods such as the internet. 2. grocery store industry witnessed a lot of changes. Competitive pressures in the industry are increasing and several new competitors including wal-mart are entering the market. New methods of delivery such as the interned are making it difficult and challenging for traditional based stores to comply. Customer preferences are diversifying and different demands are increasing. In addition to the price war that strike the markets. The maturity of the industry, characterized by flat demand combined with the growth aspiration of the dominant suppliers makes the industry a competitive battleground. Competitors work toward driving costs down while responding to swiftly changing consumer tastes. Grocery managers therefore are challenged to provide the marketing mix of tomorrow, emphasizing speed, flexibility, and early identification of trends directed at segmented and rapidly evolving markets. The mass consumer market has been replaced by hundreds of highly diversified mini-markets for which grocery companies have to design custom made solutions. 3. Key Success Factors of the grocery industry include the following: Low cost operations; leading to lower prices Convenient locations and large stores Wide product ranges; good quality Value added services; customer loyalty programs Cutting-Edge technology, both front-end and back-end Looking at the above factors, there are many opportunities for Canadian grocers to improve on their services such as vertical integration as supplier/distributor, innovative technologies like RFID, and global expansion Loblaw's unique tangible resource is that they own 63% of their corporate stores real estate properties. As mentioned above, the grocery industry is heavily commoditized and competitive. The Canadian market leader, Loblaw, serves a broad target market and integrates a low cost strategy with product and process differentiation. Through their multi-banner approach, they leverage their core competencies across multiple businesses. The biggest winner for the company had been the multi format approach. The company also holds about 60% of the real estate where they operate giving the benefit to change. The company refurnish the stores every 5 years when the industry norms are 7 years. 4. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths: Strong Market Share Broad Product Portfolio Diversified Store Format Low prices with good quality items at all franchises Great customer service/customers have a say in the company Noticeably friendly workers Constantly looking for areas of improvement Array of services Canadian unlike foreign competitors like wallmart Weaknesses: Low Online Operations Limited Geographical Presence Opportunities: Rise in Demand for Private Labels Strategic Plans Rising Demand for Organic Products Opening new stores helps them become more competitive The unfortunate economy will create a new wave of customers looking for cheaper prices Threats: Expiry Of Agreement With Labor Union Highly Competitive Market Wal-Mart Business Partnerships Higher prices on certain items makes them less competitive in those areas (electronics and household furniture). By the above S. W. O. T analysis, one can see that Loblaw’s KSF’s are on track and that they are headed in the right direction to bring them back on top. There is of course still work for Loblaw to do with their pricing, however that will come with time because when the company is doing better, they will be able to lower their prices even more. They are putting up a good fight though! Loblaws prices for certain items were only a mere 10-15 cents higher than that of Wal-Mart which demonstrates that they are climbing the ranks and will eventually pose as a threat to WalMart. Being pure Canadian company is also a core competency because many people enjoy supporting their country even if it means spending an extra 10-15 cents. These key factors (low prices, better quality products, great customer service, and being Canadian) will help Loblaw rise to the top again. 5. Lederer's plan to combat the threat of  Wal-Mart  Supercentre grocery stores turned bad on the company Consolidating its distribution centres, which supposedly made the supply chain more efficient, resulted in the departure of many of the chain's general merchandise buyers who were unwilling to move. There were numerous delays and coordination problems as suppliers had trouble shipping their goods to stores on time, and Loblaws was forced to mark it down in order to liquidate excess inventory. Expanding its inventory to general merchandise, supposedly to make a one-stop location like Wal-Mart Supercentres, was considered by many customers to be below the standards of Loblaws. Lederer stopped investing in its convential supermarkets and focused on building its major discount format, the real Canadian superstores. He spent 25 million dollars to motivate old employees to retire early as he turned traditional old stores into superstores. . This is a significant evaluation, because Loblaw is Canada’s largest food distributor, as well as one of the largest private sector employers. Loblaw operates under names such as The Real Canadian Superstore, Fertinos, Provigo, SuperValu, Zehrs, Atlantic Superstore, Loblaws, and Your Independent Grocer. Along with food and household products , Loblaw provides consumers with other services, such as banking, gas stations, pharmacies, photo developing, dry cleaning, and fitness centers. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of Loblaw was conducted through secondary research, using both internal and external sources. This report focuses on the goods distribution and marketing aspects of Loblaw, by exploring its history, primary products, social responsibilities, and financial position. Ratios of the past and present will be taken into consideration when researching and making recommendations. History Loblaw Companies Limited was incorporated in 1956 and it now employs over 122 000 part-time and full-time employees throughout its 990 branches. As a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, it has supplied the Canadian market with innovative products and services for more than 45 years. The superstore idea was first introduced to Western Canada in 1979. Loblaw operates in a highly competitive industry, challenged by many other supermarkets, such as Safeway. Organizational Structure The organizational structure of Loblaw Companies Limited is classified according to the functions of each department. Areas of specialization include: auditing, governance and compensation, pensions, environment, health and safety, and executive. Committee and team authority govern this tall, hierarchical organization, where individuals within the several layers report back to their superiors in the chain of command. Ultimately each senior vice-president reports to the executive vice-president, who in turn reports to the president of the company, who is responsible to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors itself is divided into five committees, which represent each area of specialization. Social Responsibility Loblaw demonstrates its social responsibilities in the following areas: Environment: Loblaw has various company policies concerning the environment, one of which demands that various operating sectors develop and implement waste reduction. Reports are given to the environmental committee operated by a sect of board of directors who are not directly employed by Loblaw. Attempting to project an environmentally friendly image, Loblaw announced in 2002, that all of their garden centers would be pesticide free by 2003. Their waste reduction initiative has seen positive results, as was the case in 1999, when it reduced solid waste by 75%, organic waste by 60% and water waste by 38%. Use of underground tanks has been decommissioned; in addition PCB’s and asbestos have been removed from company operatives. Employees: The philosophy that a company’s success is directly affected by the attitude of the employees, is put into action when Loblaw concentrates on coordinating positive relationships with their employees. Employee benefits include life or health insurance, dental insurance, and a pension plan. A stock option plan and an Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP), which are administered through a trust, are also available. This allows employees to make five percent deductions from their regular earnings; Loblaw then contributes 15% of each employee’s contributions to the ESOP plan. Recruiting, hiring, and training are all done on a store-by-store basis. Loblaw maintains health and safety programs in its stores to address health and workplace safety. This system is also subject to compliance audits. Community: Charities such as Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, President Choice Children’s Charity, Easter Seals, the Canadian Merit Scholarship and many more benefit from Loblaw’s donations. Loblaw has purchased Maple Leaf Gardens, further developing its roots in the city of Toronto. Customers: Loblaw strives to have a good relationship with ts consumers through feedback, quality customer and product services. Programs such as the President’s Choice Financial MasterCard allow consumers to collect points, which are redeemable for goods within the store. Loblaw also attempts to get feedback from consumers through focus groups and surveys. However, Loblaw fails in the area of consumer responsibility by not allowing supplie rs to indicate whether or not their products are genetically engineered. The company goes as far as to demand that companies selling genetically engineered goods avoid proclaiming so on their labels. Investors: Loblaw is working towards being socially responsible to their investors by keeping them informed by releasing online annual reports and mailing them out. The company provides sustainable returns through dividends by reinvesting cash flow into the firm’s real estate and land. 7. loblaws was the largest supermarket chains in Canada. they opened a series of the real Canadian superstores in Ontario, where they expected wallmart to open their first food superstores. These were built as low-cost, one stop shopping destinations. The real Canadian superstores were as the size of two football fields and sold a combination of groceries and non-food items. Lederer consolidated the the companies distribution centers from 32 to 26 facilities, in order to increase the efficiency of the supply systems. He closed old warehouses and opened new ones in Brampton Ontario. Real Canadian superstore were located along walmart supercenters as if facing at war. Geographically wise they were allocated at same areas and when it comes to goods and commodities, the both handled non food items along with their usual groceries. The war did begin. 8. Galen Weston Jr. as supposed to rescue the company by fixing the broken delivery system. He started by managing a pilot online grocery business in Ontario. Galen along with his team outlined a new business plan. He studied the problems and found out that they have a big delivery problem and that they are still over-priced. He aimed to increase sales and earnings by cutting prices, offer ing more products, and improving customer service. Galen started working on investors and opening up in idols such as the maple leaf stadium in downtown which he turned into a grocery store as to gain people due to their passion to the hockey team which was a symbol at the ountry. Moreover he succeeded in becoming number one again. 9. Recommendations for Loblaw: A private label: a store like Loblaw’s needs a particular way it can standout the competition. They could approach the strategy of having private labels in store. Cut down on general merchandise: they should reduce low quality goods and focus on selling people groceries with good quality plus they should concentrate on groceries rather than electronics because too much diversity infects being the best at a certain field. Make the store attractive to the customers eyes: try to beat wal-mart by obtaining a store that is clean, decorated, high ceilings, no open boxes, attractive lighting and displays. Make the stores easy to roam and let commodities that are of the same interest be on a route that customers don’t pass by unwanted goods. Let people say this is the store I want to buy from. Supply chain management: its clear that the supply chains logistics used by Loblaw’s should be changed. Empty shelves phenomena should become extinct because it makes good stores look cheap and unreliable. Increase marketing: marketing and advertisement should be extreme and excessive especially when change happens, prices differ, and news are there. Promotions should reach customers well enough to gain or even regain their loyalty. People should know that the company recognized their mistakes and problems and solved them out. Downsize: close unprofitable stores, this will reduce payroll and increase the funding to solve damaged issues. Off coarse this is the last measure companies look at but its helpful at the long run.