Monday, September 30, 2019

Sociology and Perspective

A family is â€Å"a set of people related by blood, marriage or some other agreed-upon relationship, or adoption, who share the primary responsibility for reproduction and caring for members of society. † (Schaefer, 2009) A family is considered a social institution. This social institution is one that can be applied to all three sociological theories which are functionalism, conflict, and interactionism. The first sociological theory is functionalism. A functionalism perspective is a â€Å"sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability. Schaefer, 2009) This simply means for in the instance of a family that the family in a whole is stable because each family member has a role that they must fulfill. They are dependent on each other to help fulfill their role. If one family member was to leave then there would be dysfunction until the family finds someone to fill that empty role or learns how to deal without that role being fulfilled. Dysfunction is â€Å"the element or process of a society that may actually disrupt the social system or reduce its stability. Schaefer, 2009) Another dysfunction for a family could be a new member being introduced into the family. The new member would then have a new role to play for the family and the family would have to figure out how to deal with this new role. Until the new role is figured out dysfunction will leave the family unstable. The second sociological theory is Conflict. Conflict perspective is â€Å"a sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of tension between groups over power or the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political representation. Schaefer, 2009) This perspective relates to a family in two ways. Family The first is inner structure of a family. Within a family you have members that sometimes fight for roles. Example is who will be the breadwinner and the one who makes all the decisions for the family. These types competition in families to see who will be the more successful and who will have what role can cause a lot conflict and resentment within the family. The second is the outer elements. The family as a whole is always having tension from being in conflict with other families for status. The phrase â€Å"keeping up with the Jones’s† is a prime example of how two families compete with each other to see who makes more and who can climb the social ladder first. The third sociological theory is interactionism. The interactionism perspective is â€Å"a sociological approach that generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole. † (Schaefer, 2009) This is a view that looks at what we do and how we do it. This approach takes a in depth look at our daily routines. For example like the way we interact at work, school, in other public places like a bus stop or even our behavior in small groups. This is also known as mircosociology. When taking this approach a person sees meaning in objects that includes materialistic things, one's actions, other people's impacts on us, relationships in our life's, and even can include symbols. Symbols can be especially important because they have shared social meanings that can be understood by all members of society. Symbols are nonverbal communication. For a family institution the similarities that these three sociological theories share is based on one common characteristic. That one similarity is that none of them would be effective without some sort of structure. All three of these theories view a family as a group of. Family individuals that are always interacting with each. Their roles are almost always dependent on the other members in their family. That each member has a role to play in order for the family to function effectively and keeps the family as a whole stable. Their roles are based on their actions and how those actions effect the other members of the group. Though all three of these perspectives have this one major characteristic in common they also have some differences. For instance the functionalist perspective sees an unconscious smoothness to how the family interacts with each other. It is like a well oiled machine that each piece is important and without that one piece the machine will not work properly or at all. Functionalist view these interactions as something that is positive and rarely have many conflicts to overcome. While the conflict perspective seems to view consent struggles with many aspects of the family. There is first the conflicts that fill the inside of the family. Those are the struggles a member has with other members of the family for roles within the family. The other is the conflicts the family has as a whole with other families. These are usually over status's such as power, money, housing, political representation and etc. Families competing against other families to have more than the other families. Basically they want to outdo and be more important than others. Interactionism perspective is a mixture of both the other two perspectives. It is mircosociology and looks at every action to see meaning in them. They tend to look really close at how one thing effects other things. The best way to describe it is a cause and effect. Interactionism also looks at the dramaturgical approach. The dramaturgical approach is â€Å"when people are seen as theatrical performers. † (Schaefer, 2009) They look at how people. Family can change roles from one environment to another. For example a person might act a specific way at work or school a more serious role and then at a party they may play a different role, a role of a cool and laid back. It is to say that interactionism looks at the mechanics of the workings of a institution. The affect that the theories perspective has on the individual's view that is part of the family is different for each perspective. Each perspective has a different view of what makes the institution come together and work as a whole. A individual's view on the functionalist perspective would see how the dynamics of the institution comes together and support each other to be make the family as a whole stable. The individual would see how important it is for each person to fulfill their role for everything to work. For example the individual would see how even a person who would normally be considered dysfunctional can sometimes play important role in a families structure. A person for example who is always ill may actually be a strong way for the family to form a closer bond and to connect with each other and keep them even closer than they were. The individual will also be able to see how dysfunction can cause the family to slip from stable to unstable. If the person who was in charge of making the decisions for the family dies the family will be unstable because there will be problems caused by the lack of decision making. This dysfunction can through the family out of balance for a length of time that is really unknown. Sometimes the family can overcome the loss and one of the other members will resume the role of decision maker. Other times it may be that the family will find a new person to bring into the family to take this role and in some cases the family then falls apart. Family and goes their own separate ways and the institution is then destroyed. This view is usually of one of harmony. The view the individual might have with the conflict perspective is one of consent chaos and struggle. They will see how each member of their family seems to always be competing with each other to become the decision maker or the breadwinner. This is a type of dysfunction that is continuously happening and keeping the family from becoming fully stable. The family is seen as a dysfunctional family but yet at the same time a family that works. This individual may also view that the family that is stable as a unit may still always be in a consent struggle with other families. The individual could see how their family works together in harmony to obtain its goal. For example if the family would like to achieve more money than the family would work together to find a way to achieve this goal or if they are trying to achieve a certain political status the family would work together. This has been very obvious these recent years as we watch not only the candidates go out and give speeches and campaigning, but also their spouses, children, and other family members have even been out campaigning for them. Another great example is African American families not as much now but several years back were always under a consent struggle to have rights and be treated as everyone else. The struggle that they endured seemed to hold their family together by a common factor. This view would show that the family comes together because of the constant struggle that they are always under. Family Interactionism perspective a individual in the family would view this as the a way to study how exactly it is that a family functions together. How their family interacts with each other and also with others in society. The individual would view how the members of their family act differently around different members because of the different types of relationships that they have. For example a individual who is a daughter, mother, wife, and sister will act towards their parents, their child, their husband and their sibling differently. That individual will change her role to fit the need for that relationship. Interactionism calls this a dramaturgical approach because it is as if they are a theatrical performer switching characters for different circumstances. Along with how the individual would view the workings of the how the inner family works they also view how the individuals and the family as a whole interacts with people out in society such as people at church, school, work, the store, and in small groups. They are able to view and understand many nonverbal communications that their family members make to each other as well as universal gestures with others outside of their family. This view is in depth and finer workings of how the family functions in many different ways. Social change has different effects on different types of institutions. Depending on what social change has taken place probably would have different effects considering that some social changes might not be relevant to the family while others might have many different effects. Family The affect a family with the functionalist perspective would have on a social change such as gay's having all the same rights as straight couples would help to stabilize many new families. This type of social change could help the stability of many families because in today's society gays are becoming more open and wanting to have families of their own. With the acceptance of gay people having the same rights it will allow for new families to be formed and those families to take on the structures without the struggles that they once incurred. That will allow these families to be able to find the balance that is needed and a unstable family to become stable. A family with the conflict perspective can be affected by a social change such as terrorist policies may find themselves struggling against stereotyping and prejudice because of their ethnic background. These ethnic families could find themselves in a continuous tension between different racial groups because they are suspected of being terrorist because of their racial group. This could easily throw the family into a major struggles to argue and defend themselves to others. Interactionism perspective may not really have any affect on a family with social change. Instead interactionist would view how these social changes would affect the family and it would also view how they interact with others. An example would be how a African American family would interact with others in their society of other racial backgrounds or vice versa. Another would be how our own family interacts with gays who can marry and have families together. This perspective is one of fine beauty no matter if the outcome is good or bad, stable or unstable it is still a amazing thing to see how everything and everyone comes together. Family Society views the institution of a family differently. Some people are more likely to prefer one perspective over others. Many in our society view a family that portrays the functionalist as a prefect family everyone has their place they fulfill their roles and do it well. They are stable with little disruptions. The society tends to view conflict perspective in different ways. One is that if the conflict is within the family that family is considered a dysfunctional family. It is usually chaotic and strange. Another way to view if the conflict is the family as a whole against another element as a strong family that works together hard to achieve a goal. These families could be considered close and competitive. Society under the interactionist view may watch different groups of families to see how they interact with others in society and then base stereotyping which can lead to discrimination based on the majority. The one thing about all of these perspectives is that they are all dealing with the way that families are interacting with each other and others outside of the family. They are all intertwined with each other and shows how the structures are formed and how they are dependent on each other. I personally find that there is truth in all three of the perspectives and I feel that there is true beauty in the complexity of this institution.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Information Technology Essay

James Price is an Information Technology consultant with specific expertise in website design. His consultancy is doing well, but he would really like to gain another client to ensure that he has enough work for the foreseeable future. One Saturday, at his brother Anthony’s 40th birthday celebration, James is approached by Mark Jackson, a store owner, who James has met previously at some of his brother’s other social functions. Mark explains to James that he is looking to revamp his store’s website and that he could use James’ expertise to complete the project. James expresses his interest in assisting and Mark tells James that he will email him on Monday with a proposal. On Monday morning, Mark sends James the following email: Dear James, After thinking further about your potential involvement in the website project for the store, I want to bring you on board as a consultant. The terms of the engagement are that you will provide your web design services exclusively for two weeks, starting on 1st February 2014, working onsite with me and the store manager. In terms of remuneration, you will be paid a flat fee of $35,000 with a parking spot to be provided for the time that you are onsite. It is important that if you want this work, you indicate your acceptance in writing by the end of the day. I look forward to hearing from you. Mark Jackson. An hour after the email is sent, James reads it and is happy with the terms  of the proposal. He goes to draft an email to Mark detailing his acceptance of the terms of the offer, but because of a sudden storm that has hit the area where he lives, James’ email stops working and he is unable to send the message to Mark. James then tries to call Mark to tell him that he wants the work, but Mark doesn’t answer, and James is not given the option to leave a message. As a last resort, James drafts a letter to Mark communicating his acceptance of the offer proposed. He then takes the letter, and a strategic map for the project that he quickly prepared, to the post office and posts them at 4.30pm on Monday afternoon. The letter and the map take a day to be delivered to Mark and he receives them late Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, Mark realises that he has offered to pay James $15,000 more than an award winning web design firm has quoted him for the job, and he doesn’t want to engage James anymore. He sends an email to James saying that because he didn’t receive James’ acceptance by the end of Monday, James has missed out on the work. Mark also states in his email that he never meant for the proposal to be real anyway because he was only trying to help out his friend Anthony by throwing James some work. James is upset upon receiving this email from Mark and calls his lawyer for advice on the situation. Question 1: Using the four step process, discuss the element of agreement required for the formation of a legally binding contract between James and Mark. STEP 1: Identify the principles or issues of law The principles of law here is that in addition to intention and consideration aspects, there should be the existence of a valid agreement between James and Mark which is required for the formation of a legally binding contract to be created. Step 2: Explain the rule(s) of law relevant to the principle/area/issue of law identified in step one with reference to authority. There are three main requirements for the formation of a legally binding contract; intention to create a legal contract, offer and acceptance  (agreement) of the terms of the contract and consideration (reference book P-60).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Obesity - Essay Example A big size of the budget on farm subsidies is spent on crops like wheat, corn, soybeans, rice and cotton. (Edwards). This is how nutritionists link obesity to farm subsidies. The products made from these crops are mostly unhealthy and contribute to the disease. Data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows 35.7% of adults and 17% of children and adolescents are obese. (Ogden) Americans have been battling obesity for a long time. One cause of the disease is eating unhealthy foods. I do not agree that farm subsidies should be blamed for American’s obesity problem. It is true that farm subsidies make food items cheap. However, Americans can choose not to buy these foods. Farm subsidies are not forcing consumers to buy their products. Currently, there are other healthier options in the market. There are Americans who are not obese by choice. If an individual really wanted to overcome obesity, it should not start and stop with just food choices. Also, the fast food industry should be challenged into creating their menu more health-friendly. Fast food is a necessary aspect of American culture because of how busy people are. Despite this, I believe sufficient research on the part of these fast food companies will enable them to create fast food items that are nutritious as well. Lastly, continuous information about the dangers of obesity and its causes should be given to schools and neighborhoods. Media can help with this. I think if people are constantly re minded about obesity they will start eating for their health and not for their

Friday, September 27, 2019

Specialized Patrol Functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Specialized Patrol Functions - Essay Example They also leave themselves open to critics who say they go too far in their activities resulting in a hostile community where people exist in a police state. Narcotics law enforcement is one of the biggest uses of a special force. The members of these units are trained in drug identification as well as knowledge of the drug business in a regional area. The duties often involve undercover work to initiate a buy or get information on drug activity. According to the FBI, "Law enforcement officers often employ trickery and deception to catch those involved in criminal activity" (Kukura 1993). Kukura further states that the Supreme Court has upheld these tactics as legal. This may be effective at prosecuting international drug suspects or child pornographers. However, when it is used against small time drug users in local neighborhoods it can result in a community backlash of racism or injustice. Gang activity in our major cities has grown to epidemic proportions. To effectively investigate and prosecute gang activity necessitates a specialized unit that understands the gang mentality and the law enforcement tools that are available to reduce gang activity. Police need information about members' names, ages, modes of transportation, spending patterns, and the political climate of the neighborhoods they operate in (Bureau of Justice 1997).

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example The museum is located on 5th avenue in Manhattan, New York. We visited the museum on 1st October 2011 during the morning hour period. On arrival to the museum, I was immediately perplexed and remained rooted to a beautiful statue by the of the entrance, which could only have been made by non other than Michelangelo. The statue was of King David with the right hand holding the thigh and the left hand touching his shoulder. Even Monica who does not easily get excited was awash with a big smile on her face not believing that a fellow human being could have done such a statue. The most beautiful site we visited was the Temple of Dendur located in Sackler wing of the museum. We learnt that the magnificent artifact was built during the Roman Period in the days of Augustus Caesar and transferred from Egypt to the United States in 1965. Two years later, it was given to The Metropolitan Museum of Arts. At the base of the temple are papyrus carvings that look like they are growing from waters. The image of the sun can be seen from the top of the gates. On the way in, are images of the vultures with their wings spread out making the scene totally scintillating that left us simply amazed. The image of the king offering sacrifices and holding scepters is seen between the walls that separate the sky from the earth. The gods Isis and Osiris are crowned and with some writings by their figures. The believe within the temple of Dendur is that if a couple make love there, they will never part ways until death. This was good news for Monica and I since we have marriage p lans in the future but that was saved for another visit. We also visited the section where American art collections are stored. The most exciting scene was that of George Washington and his soldiers crossing the Delaware. Being a passionate lover of Africa, we could not leave the museum without visiting the African Art site, and I must say,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

International law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

International law - Essay Example This means that the decisions made do not have precedents on the other courts, which means that the provisions of international rules will continue to be applied inconsistently. A good example of a rule, however, is the responsibility to protect doctrine, which necessitates intervention in cases of genocide and other widespread human rights abuses. That said, even this doctrine is applied inconsistently, as seen in the case of Sri Lanka, a nation which has been at war for 30 years. This nation has not been the target of R2P intervention, and has, for many years, been largely ignored by the United Nations. This case study shows the limits of international rules of law, and demonstrates the need for a more comprehensive approach to be taken on the international stage. The Traditional Meaning of Sovereignty The United Nations' attempts to establish an international rule of law meets a stumbling block in the form of the concept of state sovereignty. State sovereignty is a powerful and tr aditional concept, and has traditionally been the bedrock of world order and interstate relations. (Supplement to the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty). What state sovereignty means is that every nation-state has the right to rule its people, and dispose of its resources, by its own independent edicts (International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, p. 12). Because of the concept of state sovereignty, the protected and respected norm, even by the United Nations, is one of non-intervention. State sovereignty is such a paramount concept that, if one nation violates it, then the offended nation can defend itself by right, and the United Nations protects this right to defend (International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, p. 12). That said, state sovereignty is not absolute, and is subjected to international rules and regulations. Moreover, in today's globalized world, state sovereignty has become ever-more tenous. The reali ty of today's world is that national borders are often breached by environmental, cultural and economic influences through technological and communication advances (Supplement to the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty). State sovereignty is also limited in that nations agree that, in order to maintain their sovereignty, to protect their citizens, and this enables the international community to hold wayward nations accountable for their own actions towards their citizens (International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, p. 12). In other words, if a nation is committing atrocities against its citizens, then that nation effectively relinquishes its own sovereignty, and the international community has the right to step in and intervene when this occurs. International Rule of Law The other concept that should be understood in this context is the concept of an international rule of law, and the brief historical basis for this. Chesterman (2008) h as explored this concept in depth. He states that the international rule of law has been promoted through international treaties, development actors (including donor States), and security actors (such as the U.N. Security Council). The latter has promoted the rule of law as a form of conflict resolution, claims Chesterman. He sees the international rule of law operating to protect human rights by issuing human rights treaties, as well as international codes

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Financial analysis of Burberry Company(FTSE 100 Company) Assignment

Financial analysis of Burberry Company(FTSE 100 Company) - Assignment Example fiscal year 2012/13 on market review and research that will be centered on important sites in Asia.2 Indeed, Burberry has turnout to be resilient. Since 2009, the company’s assets have grown by 43% and its equity has increased by 64%. The equity growth is mostly due its Retained Earnings that have more than doubled during the last four fiscal years of the company – from ?199.2 million in 2009 to ?507.1 in 2012. To fuel the continuing expansion of its operations in the last four years and to fund its working capital requirements, Burberry has not opted to issue additional common shares. Thus, its common stocks, at par value, have not increased in the course of the last four years. Instead, Burberry’s long-term liabilities have increased by almost 250% from ?35 million in 2009 to ?122.4 million in 2012. While Burberry has generally been operating as a profitable company, it incurred a net loss of ?6.0 million for the year ended 31 March 2009. In spite of the dire e ffects of the financial crisis that substantially crippled global giants that have considerable operations in USA and Europe, Burberry has generated operating profits that amounted to ?182.6 million for 2009. However, the non-operating expenses for 2009 ended up gobbling such profits made from the company’s operations. The total bulk of ?193.5 million was incurred mostly for booking impairment charges at ?129.6 million – the sum of ?116.2 million pertaining to the goodwill initially recognized for Burberry’s operations in Spain plus ?13.4 million for the stores established in the same country. In addition, negative goodwill has as well been credited at ?1.7 million for the formation of the Burberry Middle East joint venture. These procedures were conducted in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) regulations that uphold International Accounting Standards (IAS) #36, which require the writing down of impaired assets and the recognition of impairment losses on goodwill and intangible assets.3 The foregoing matter aside, Burberry’s operations has delivered Earnings Before Income Tax (EBIT) that increased year-on-year from 2009 to 2013. In fact, the company’s EBIT in 2012 is 195% of the equivalent in 2009. The income statements below provide that while Burberry’s revenues increased by 54.57% from 2009 to 2012, its cost of sales increased by only 4.22%. This reflects an increased efficiency in the operations – sourcing, production and distribution. The balance sheets and income statements of Burberry for the years 2009 to 2012 reflect an overall uptrend of its income and, subsequently, its book value per share. The common-size balance sheets highlights the increasing share of Burberry’s equity vis-a-vis the decreasing share of its total liabilities in the total assets of the company. It means that the investment of creditors in the form of loans, etc. have through time become less t han the worth of the company’s equity. While the company’s assets were represented as 51.68%-liabilities and 48.32%-equity in

Monday, September 23, 2019

Reflection on Development of Advanced Communications Skills Essay

Reflection on Development of Advanced Communications Skills - Essay Example While pursuing the course, I learnt that an effectual flow of communication with the multidisciplinary teams delivers the skill range in order to comply with the complex requirements of the mentally ill patients which ultimately improve the teams’ permanence of care. The legal as well as ethical context within which mental healthcare is delivered is primarily based upon certain principles which include autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-maleficence (Gamble and Brennan, 2006). From the learning outcomes gained during the course, I was able to determine the various frameworks within which mental healthcare is organised and delivered with the intention to promote service collaboration as well as coordination for the people with mental healthcare requirements and also encourages ‘best practice management’ along with care coordination. I found that the framework focuses upon two important factors relating to mental healthcare settings which include service delivery and clinical care. From the perspective of service delivery, the guidelines include the service range, staffing, training and development, quality along with performance management. In terms of clinical care with regard to mental health, the guidelines include the assessment of healthcare, treatment and inpatient care (Chisholm & Stewart, 1998). The aforementioned discussion helped me to acquire a detailed understanding about the ethical context along with the frameworks within which the mental healthcare is organised and delivered through the course of the year. In the course of my training, I was able to reach to a standpoint which related to the formation of an effective communication with the multidisciplinary... This paper stresses that the mentioned factors are considered to be quite essential for ensuring safety and care of the patients in a mental healthcare setting. Though it leads to positive outcomes but there are certain barriers which significantly affect while building an effectual form of communication. The barriers can be the level of hierarchy, generational dissimilarities, changing levels of qualifications as well as status, disruptive behaviours, personality distinctions and culture along with ethnicity. These kinds of barriers can generally occur between different professionals that include nurses, physicians and the surgeons among others. In order to develop effective communication in future with the specific professionals as well as the multidisciplinary colleagues related with mental healthcare situations, it is quite necessary to overcome the communication barriers. This paper makes a conclusion that the different communication barriers can be worked out through using the apt communication channel, avoiding information overload, forming simple operational structures with minimum hierarchy level, minimising the differences relating to individual qualifications, status and personality. The proper execution of the above factors will ultimately lead towards future development of effective communication with the specific professionals, outside agencies and multidisciplinary teams. Thus, it can be stated that the outcomes of the course has assisted me to gain better understanding about making effective plans for future development in mental healthcare conditions.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The origin of species Essay Example for Free

The origin of species Essay John Keats is also poet from the 19th century just the same as Charles Darwin. Keats has the artistic, colorful approach to life. Keats writes expressively and in short punchy sentences that are full of meaning and conciseness. MY heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, These are only a couple of phrases that can be used to describe Keatss approach to life. Both of these quotes are from his poem, Ode to a Nightingale, that was written in 1884 and published in 1888. It is obvious throughout this poem, that Keats is thinking carefully about the words that he is using and the way in which he can produce this text as being heart felt and sympathetic as possible. Keats writes as though he is in a dream time and is trying to find a way out. Throughout the poem, you start to get a feeling that he is going to commit suicide or do something terrible that will affect his life forever if he goes through with it. This is seen in the following two quotes. Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,- Keats also uses the form of writing that involves the adventurous type of writing. Keats does this in the way that he can capture his readers in a way that makes it exciting for us to read as a reader. This is done through many lines including all of the beginning, ending and the body of the poem. But on the viewless wings of Poesy, Though the dull brain perplexes and retards: Already with thee! tender is the night, And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne, Throughout the poem, Keats, makes reference to the fact that he is planning to commit suicide. This comes up too many times to let fly by. The fact that Keats makes reference to this is a problem in itself. This problem is that he is a famous writer and very well known for his pieces. It would be a shame for him to now be known as a suicidal freak who couldnt handle the pressure of his family and his work. That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim: Keats also writes similar to Charles Darwin in the way that they both leave the paragraphs with you thinking of what is going to happen next and makes you get the feeling of should I keep reading. Keats does this in nearly all of his paragraphs and they are all successful. Chapter 1 Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. Chapter 2 To thy high requiem become a sod. Chapter 3 The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves Chapter 4 Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. Chapter 5 Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow. Chapter 6 And with thee fade away into the forest dim: Chapter 7 Singest of summer in full-throated ease. Chapter 8 Fled is that music:-Do I wake or sleep? John Keats and Charles Darwin both have different styles of writing. Charles Darwin writes in the logical, scientific, rational way and Keats writes with the colorful, artistic and romantic style of writing. Although they both write in their own styles, they can relate their writing to the same thing in the same way. Artistical and Scientifical writing are both styles of writing and they can both be used in the same piece at exactly the same time. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Keats section.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Musical Style and Innovations of Beethoven Essay Example for Free

Musical Style and Innovations of Beethoven Essay Musical Style and Innovations Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the Classical and Romantic eras of musical history. Above all, his works distinguish themselves from those of any prior composer through his creation of large, extended architectonic structures characterized by the extensive development of musical material, themes, and motifs, usually by means of modulation, that is, a change in the feeling of the home key, through a variety of keys or harmonic regions. Although Haydns later works often showed a greater fluidity between distant keys, Beethovens innovation was the ability to rapidly establish a solidity in juxtaposing different keys and unexpected notes to join them. This expanded harmonic realm creates a sense of a vast musical and experiential space through which the music moves, and the development of musical material creates a sense of unfolding drama in this space. In this way Beethovens music parallels the simultaneous development of the novel in literature, a literary form focused on the life drama and development of one or more individuals through complex life circumstances, and of contemporaneous German idealisms philosophical notion of self, mind, or spirit that unfolds through a complex process of contradictions and tensions between the subjective and objective until a resolution or synthesis occurs in which all of these contradictions and developmental phases have been resolved or encompassed in a higher unity. Beethoven continued to expand the development section of works, extending a trend in the works of Haydn and Mozart, who had dramatically expanded both the length and substance of instrumental music. As Beethovens major immediate predecessors and influences, he looked to their harmonic and formal models for his own works. However, both Mozart and Haydn placed the great weight of a musical movement in the statement of ideas called the exposition, for Beethoven the development section of a sonata form became the heart of the work. Beethoven was able to do this by making the development section not merely longer, but also more structured. The very long development section of the Eroica Symphony, for example, is divided into four roughly equal sections, making it, in effect, a sonata form within a sonata form. The first movement alone of this symphony is as long as an entire typical Italian-style Mozart symphony from the 1770s. His focus on the development would, like others of his innovations, set a trend that later composers would follow. Although Beethoven wrote many beautiful and lyrical melodies, another radical innovation of his music, compared especially to that of Mozart and Haydn, is his extensive use of forceful, marked, and even stark rhythmic patterns throughout his compositions and, in particular, in his themes and motifs, some of which are primarily rhythmic rather than melodic. Some of his most famous themes, such as those of the first movements of the Third, Fifth, and Ninth symphonies, are primarily non-melodic rhythmic figures consisting of notes of a single chord, and the themes of the last movements of the Third and Seventh symphonies could more accurately be described as rhythms rather than as melodies. This use of rhythm was particularly well suited to the primacy of development in Beethovens music, since a single rhythmic pattern can more easily than a melody be taken through a succession of different, even remote, keys and harmonic regions while retaining and conveying an underlying unity. This allowed him to combine different features of his themes in a wide variety of ways, extending the techniques of Haydn in development (see Sonata Form). He also continued another trend towards larger orchestras that went on until the first decade of the 20th century, and moved the center of the sound downwards in the orchestra, to the violas and the lower register of the violins and cellos, giving his music a heavier and darker feel than Haydn or Mozart. Gustav Mahler modified the orchestration of some of Beethovens music most notably the 3d and 9th symphonies with the idea of more accurately expressing Beethovens intent in an orchestra that had grown so much larger than the one Beethoven used: for example, doubling woodwind parts to compensate for the fact that a modern orchestra has so many more strings than Beethovens orchestra did. Needless to say, these efforts remain controversial. In his Fifth Symphony Beethoven introduced a striking motif, drawn from a late Haydn symphony, in the very opening bar, which he echoed in various forms in all four movements of the symphony. This is the first important occurrence of cyclic form. He was also fond of making usual what had previously been unusual: in the Fifth Symphony, instead of  using a stately minuet, as had been the norm for the dance movement of a four-movement work, he created a dark march, which he used as the third movement and ran into the fourth without interruption. While one can point to previous works which had one or more of these individual features, his music, combined with the use of operatic scoring that he learned from Mehul and Cherubini, created a work which was altogether novel in effect too novel, in fact, for some critics of the time. On the other hand, his contemporary Spohr found the finale too baroque, though he praised the second movement as being in good Romantic style. His Ninth Symphony included a chorus and solo voices in the 4th movement for the first time, and made extensive use of fugues, which were generally considered to be a different form of music, and again unusual in symphonies. He wrote one opera, Fidelio. It has been said that he wrote beautiful vocal music without regard for the limitations of human singers, treating the voice as if it were a symphonic instrument even though his conversation books note his desire to make his music singable and include references that indicate that he had remembered his fathers singing lessons. Beethovens development and works are typically divided into three periods: an early period in which his works show especially the influence of Mozart and Haydn; a middle, mature period in which he developed his distinctive individual style, sometimes characterized as heroic; and a late period, in which he wrote works of a highly evolved, individuated, sometimes fragmented and unorthodox style sometimes characterized as transcendent and sublime, where he tried to combine the baroque ideas of Handel and Bach with his icons Mozart and Haydn. In his late years he called Handel my grand master. In contrast to Mozart, he labored heavily over his work, leaving intermediate drafts that provide considerable insight into his creative process. Early drafts of his Ninth Symphony used rough vertical marks on the score in place of actual notes, to indicate the structure he had in mind for the melody. Studies of his sketch books show the working out of dozens of variations on a particular theme, changing themes to fit with an overall structure that evolved over time, and extensive sketching of counter-melodies.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Structural Footprint of Minimally Invasive Brain Cannulation

Structural Footprint of Minimally Invasive Brain Cannulation Assessing the Structural Footprint of Minimally Invasive Brain Cannulation on Cerebral White Matter: A Cadaveric DTI Model Abstract Background: Minimally invasive approaches to brain tumors offer the potential of decreased iatrogenic trauma related to tumor visualization compared to conventional approaches. Currently there are no validated models to examine axonal damage after minimally invasive entry into the brain. Object: The authors present and evaluate a cadaveric model of brain cannulation using diffusion tensor imaging fractional anisotropy measurements. Two different methods of access are compared. Methods: Freshly harvested unfixed cadaveric brains were cannulated using both direct and indirect methods. Specimens were subjected to 68-direction DTI scans and proton density imaging. FA data from a â€Å"region of interest† surrounding the entry zone was extracted from scans using imaging software and analyzed. Results: FA values were significantly higher following indirect cannulation (less invasive method) than they were following direct cannulation. FA values for undisturbed brain were significantly higher than in either of the cannulated groups. Conclusion: Axonal damage following brain cannulation can potentially be evaluated by FA analysis in a cadaveric model. Future studies will focus on histologic analysis and clinical validation. Introduction Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging methodology that can be utilized to visualize neuronal microstructure. Diffusion of water inside the human brain is largely limited by the neurolemma. Since the nerves of the brain travel in large fascicles, this diffusion process can be exploited to visualize white matter tracts using DTI. Furthermore, degree of water flow along these axonal tracts can be quantified by using a measurement called fractional anisotropy (FA). (1-3) FA is a scalar value, calculated from the eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor, which describes the independency of a diffusion process. High FA values indicate diffusion in a uniform direction whereas low FA values indicate more random motion of water. Therefore, lowering of relative FA values within specific white matter tracts has been postulated as a marker of neuronal injury in clinical studies and animal models of stroke, traumatic brain injury, radiation-induced injury, and epilepsy (4-8). Iatrogenic white matter injury from surgical trajectories into the brain can also be quantified using tractographic methods (9, 10). Traditional open approaches to subcortical lesions are difficult to perform without causing significant trauma to the overlying normal tissue. For deep lesions, extensive retraction may be required. Minimally invasive cylindrical brain retractors have been deployed over a dilator device with success in multiple case series (5, 11-14), building on prior work demonstrating feasibility of a microsurgical cylindrical brain retractor (15-17). There are even reports of using minimally invasive approaches for hematoma evacuation18. However, the degree of brain trauma incurred from this method of brain access has yet to be radiographically assessed in human models19. In addition, potentially less invasive techniques, such as inflating a balloon within the brain to create a channel for brain surgery, have not been comparatively assessed (20-22). This study sought to apply diffusion imaging techniques to assess iatrogenic brain injury in a cadaveric model of brain surgery. Rather than test conventional retraction methods of the brain using spatulas and brain dissection, emerging minimally invasive techniques for brain retraction were evaluated. Methods All specimens were procured from the hospital morgue following a protocol internally approved by the department of pathology. Within 6 hours after death, brains were harvested from patients with no known pre-existing neurologic disorders. Specimens were sectioned into two approximately 5cm by 3cm blocks to facilitate cannulation and transport. Cuts were made anteriorly at the level of the anterior genu of the corpus callosum, posteriorly at the level of the precentral sulcus, and along the midline. Lateral areas of cortex were removed to make the blocks symmetrical. Two distinct cannulation techniques were used to access the brain, working sequentially from anterior to posterior for each block (Figure 1A). The â€Å"direct cannulation† technique was performed by passing the cannula plunger through cortex approximately 1 cm posterior to the anterior genu, and allowing the cannula to follow, similar to placement of a guide sheath for working channel neuroendoscopy. 2 cm of undisturbed cortex was maintained between cannulations. Indirect cannulations were performed using a 1.5 cc dilatable fogarty catheter. The balloon segment of the catheter initially punctured the cortex. After this, 1.5cc of air was injected to inflate the balloon. Using the balloon as a guide, the cannula was passed into cortex (Figure 1B). After cannulation, specimens were stored in sealed water filled containers and kept in refrigerated conditions until scanning. Scans were performed within 12 hours of cannulation on a Siemens (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) 3T Trio system. Scanning protocol included a 68-direction, 30 slice DTI scan with echo/repetition time TE/TR=99/4000ms and voxel size of 1.35 by 1.35 by 2. mm. Fractional anisotropy maps were calculated online, using the scanner software. Additionally, 75 slice proton density scans were acquired with TE/TR=9.8/3000ms and with voxel size of .45 by .45 by .8 mm. After scanning, specimens were kept in storage in 10% formalin. All data were analyzed using OsiriX Imaging Software (http://www.osirix-viewer.com/). FA maps were co-registered to the proton density scans for anatomical accuracy. Two Regions of Interest (ROIs) were drawn as concentric circles centered on the cannula (Figure 1C). The larger circle had a constant radius of .5cm radii around the cannulae. The smaller circle was constructed to cover the area of the cannula. â€Å"Average FA† was recorded for both direct and indirect cannulation for a given slice and both ROIs. The FA of the cannula ROI was subtracted from the FA of the .5cm ROI to obtain the â€Å"Adjusted FA† of the area immediately around the cannula. (Equation 1) A third ROI, constructed to match the radius of the cannula, was placed between the two cannula ROIs in an equidistant fashion. This ROI served as a control, measuring the FA of undisturbed brain. This technique was repeated on a slice-by-slice basis over a depth of 5 slices and the resulting data was averag ed to determine the total FA for a given cannulation. Equation 1 This data was subjected to a paired T-Test using Microsoft Excel. The p value of .05 was prospectively determined to be statistically significant. Results Six specimens were analyzed for FA changes after cannulation using both direct and indirect methods. For each specimen 13 slices of MR data were used for analysis. The mean average FA for direct and indirect cannulation was, respectively, 0.1893 and 0.2956. Average Adjusted FA for direct cannulation varied from 0.0267 to 0.105 with a mean value of 0.0645 while indirect varied from 0.0596 to 0.208 with a mean of 0.137. (Table 1) Analysis of all 78 slices revealed an Adjusted FA range of .0211 to .241 for direct cannulation and .0545 to .611 for indirect. Control FA varied from 0.0648 to 0.2152, with a mean of 0.1576. Not a single slice exhibited direct cannulation FA greater than indirect. Paired 2 tail t-tests were conducted between direct and indirect datasets using both average and adjusted values. All analyses were statistically significant. (Table 2). Discussion Minimally invasive brain retraction systems offer the potential to decrease trauma to normal brain during surgical removal of deep-seated intraparenchymal masses. However, an assessment of the utility of such systems requires an appropriate experimental model that can quantify brain injury incurred via various access routes through the cortex. The investigators have developed such a model, via MRI assessment of cadaveric specimens. Previous research in an animal model has demonstrated that a dilatable balloon retraction system causes less damage to white matter as compared to blunt microsurgical dissection (23). In this particular study, both histological and clinical evidence demonstrated that balloon dilation resulted in less brain injury as compared to standard techniques. In addition, recent research has demonstrated that iatrogenic white matter injury can be quantified following brain surgery using fiber tracking methods (9, 11). The investigators submit that the above imaging method is a relatively simple technique for assessing iatrogenic white matter injury following brain dissection, which can then be correlated with functional outcomes in live patients. The concept of FA correlation to axonal integrity is not new. Many investigators across multiple different disciplines in brain research have used FA as a metric of neuronal injury. (6-8, 24) FA is highest when there is uniformity in a diffusion process such as in intact white matter tracts. It decreased progressively to a theoretical value of zero as diffusion becomes more dimensional. In the case of traumatized axons, damage increases the degrees of freedom of diffusion and thus decreases FA. (25) The use of fresh cadaveric specimens with diffusion tensor imaging has also been previously reported and validated26, 27. Using unpreserved specimens ensures the retention of brain tissue fluidity. Thus, retraction in these specimens directly mimics operative conditions. In addition, cadaveric brains can be imaged easily and accurately, without motion artifact. Many authors have previously used diffusion imaging in postmortem brain tissue to study neuropathologic features of the brain28-30. In fact, Seehaus et al (31) published a histological validation of postmortem DTI. Perhaps most convincing, Budde et al32 published a recent study evaluating blast traumatic brain injury in rats using DTI. In their study, rats were subjected to controlled shockwave exposure. After running post-trauma functional tests the authors sacrificed the rats and performed tractography on the formalin fixed post-mortem brain specimens. The authors found significant differences in FA in multiple cortical regi ons that furthermore correlated to poor functional outcome. For example, a significant decrease in FA was discovered in the hippocampus, which correlated to poor performance on the Morris Water Maze task. In light of this evidence, the authors believe that this model is a reasonable estimation of iatrogenic brain injury following tissue manipulation in cadaveric specimens. However, live imaging in vivo would clearly be superior to a cadaveric model, and is planned for future studies. The data clearly illustrates a general increased fractional anisotropy using the indirect cannulation technique in comparison to the direct cannulation method. Fractional anisotropy is a scalar measurement of the independency of a diffusion process. Higher values indicate more uniform diffusion. In the case of neural tissue, diffusion is largely limited by the cell membrane. Thus, lower FA values indicate compromised neuronal integrity. We believe the statistically significant difference in FA between indirect and direct cannulation is evidence for increased preservation of neural tissue using indirect, balloon-guided cannulation. Generally increased FA values in the control specimens is further evidence of this hypothesis. Conclusion Brain cannulation for minimally invasive access to deep-seated brain tumors is an area of growing interest in neurosurgery. To assess the collateral damage to surrounding neural tissue, validation studies need to be conducted to assess white matter integrity following manipulation. Diffusion imaging provides unique visual and quantitative measurements that can be utilized to answer these critical questions. The application of DTI to assess cannulation techniques is a simple but novel idea. The authors hope that this work facilitates analysis of brain cannulation and retraction technology with the goal of maximum preservation of cerebral white matter. Acknowledgement We would like to thank Dr. Julia Koeffler (UPMC Neuropathology) and Denise Davis (UPMC Radiology) for their assistance on this project.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Subculture of Jimi Hendrix :: Music, Guitar, Rock Music

Jimi Hendrix, perhaps the best guitarist in rock history became the definition of rock music. In 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience shocked the nation with their first album; Are You Experienced? Hendrix had a short life due to drugs. When he was only 27 years old, he died while choking on his own vomit on his way to a hospital. In a few years, rock and roll changed a great deal and Jimi was the sole influence. Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1942. When he was a child he would play along with his R&B records whenever he could. He didn’t always play music though; he had wanted to be in the army. In the late 1950’s Jimi joined the 101st airborne division, but he was discharged due to a back injury. That’s when his life started new, and he decided to become a musician. By this time he had already become a pretty good guitar player, and had dreams of something bigger. Jimi started out playing backup for little R&B groups. Some of the best known artists, such as BB King, Ike and Tina Turner, and Little Richard wanted him to play with them. After a few months of touring with R&B groups he wanted to try singing. A man heard him singing at a club and asked him to move to England, where he met the rest of his band members. In 1966 the Jimi Hendrix Experience debuted. One year later their club shows were overcrowded. The Monkees heard and liked them, and requested them to tour with them. But not many Monkees fans liked his lyrics and his style, so they kicked him off the tour. After this he was invited to pop festivals and eventually came out with his first album Are You Experienced? He played The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock and that is one way he became really famous. Soon after Woodstock his drug addiction became worse. On September 18th 1970 he was found dead in his room from a drug overdose and had drowned in his own vomit. Most people still like his music, and if he hadn’t have died he would probably still be changing music today. Affect In the middle of a blues craze, led by the Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Cold War Essay example -- History, Global Power

The second World War brought untold suffering to million across the globe, but it also launched the United States into the position of a superpower for the next 50 years. With the utter destruction of nations across Europe, Africa, and Asia, both winners and losers, America easily assumed a dominant position in the coming international system and captured the ability to reconstruct the world using its high democratic ideals. The United States was the most powerful nation in the world. It is said that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and with postwar America it was no different. Given the unilateral power to spread its ideals of self-determination, liberty, equality, and individualism; America instead effectively subverted these principles not only around the world, but domestically as well. The unlimited global power and Cold War paranoia of the postwar years to the assassination of John F. Kennedy proved a fatal mixture to American ideals. As World War II came to a close, the Uni ted States gained the world as the most powerful country on earth; But to maintain this power it sadly reverted to the imperalism abraod and the Red Scare at home; its reversion made her loose her soul. These hypocritical actions and policies shaped a new world not set by democratic and liberal ideals of FDR’s â€Å"Four Points,† but by the power motivated creeds of repression, greed, and violence. In the race to fill the power vacuum created by World War II, the United States abandoned its civic nationalist tradition to compete with the Soviet Union and ensure its economic and political dominance around the globe. If the 18 years after the war saw unprecedented levels of U.S. power and growth around the world, it also witnessed the deterioration of the cou... ...or the rights of humankind as it claimed, but to dominant the globe in all aspects and destroy all competition. The story of the United States after World War II is one of triumph and tragedy. After almost two centuries of proclaiming liberty and freedom, the country finally had the power to pursue those ideals across the globe. Unfortunately, as the U.S. gained more power it also lost its soul, relying on policies of self interest to expand and maintain its new dominance instead of harnessing its authority to improve the world. These policies accomplished the opposite of the traditional American ideals of self-determination and liberty, instead creating an atmosphere of fear at home and a system of imperialism abroad. It is only by accepting this failure can one stop the United States’ continued policy of self interest and try to regain its great soul of freedom.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication DeShawn R. Swanson SOC/110 March 16, 2010 Professor Yvonne Moore Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Communication is very important, especially in small groups. In small groups, people use verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as a way to help the group run smoother. This paper will explain how people communicate, what challenges may arise in communicating between both genders, what challenges may come when communicating with people from other cultures, and how might we be able to communicate more effectively in diverse environments. People communicate in different ways. Verbal communication is one way for us to communicate with one another face to face. Sound, words, speaking, and language are just some of the key components of verbal communication. When we are born, many of us have vocal cords that produce sound. As we get older and grow, we begin to learn how to make these sounds into words. Some words may sound like natural sounds, but other words come from expressions of emotion, such as laughter or crying. Nonverbal communication is another way for us to communicate with one another. A large portion of our communication is nonverbal. Every day, we respond to thousands of nonverbal cues and behaviors that may include postures, facial expression, eye gaze, gestures, and tone of voice. One way we communicate nonverbally is through facial expression. Facial expressions are responsible for a big proportion of nonverbal communication. Even though nonverbal communication and behavior can be different between cultures, facial expressions for being happy, sad, angry, and fearful are similar throughout the world. Another way to communicate is by using gestures. An important way to communicate without words is the use of diverse movements and signals. Hand-waving, pointing, and using fingers to show number amounts are some of the gestures used in nonverbal communication. Other gestures are uninformed and related to culture. Posture and movement can also convey a great deal on information. Since the 1970’s, there have been a huge amount of research done on body language. Over-interpretation of defensive postures, arm crossing, and leg-crossing are the focus of the popular media. While these nonverbal behaviors can indicate feelings and attitudes, research suggests that body language is far more subtle and less definitive that previously believed. There are many differences between verbal and nonverbal communication. For instance, verbal communication includes rate, volume, pitch as well as articulation and pronunciation, while nonverbal communication deals with important but unspoken signals that individuals exhibit. Some of these signals and gestures can be how we carry ourselves, appearance, how we listen to one another, eye contact, hand gestures and expressions on our face when someone makes a comment. References This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, simply delete this line of text using the backspace key, and replace the information with your reference entry. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication How do we communicate as humans today? Today we have smart phones, computers, Pads, and other such devices can we even answer the question, how do people communicate? If you surveyed the American people they would likely answer the question with the previous answers. As humans we all know the first type of communication which Is verbal or vocal but the second type of communication Is non-verbal or non-vocal. We could plead that non-verbal Is all of the emails and messages we send on those smart devices but that is where society gets confused about what is the difference.First we have to understand the basic, what is communication? Communication is a transfer of meaning from one person or group to another. It focuses on the nature of meaning and ways to maintain the integrity of meaning through the process of dissemination and reception of the message. † (Unknown, n. D. ) Communication is not Just how well you give a message but also how well you can receive a message. A great e xample is the activity telephone. It is where you have a group of people in a row and you try to pass a message down the line to see If to can make it through the line.If down correctly the message should be sent and received correctly to where It Is the same message from start to finish. If you have ever done this activity In a group setting It more than never makes It to the end with the same message. Where along the line does our communication breakdown in the process. I think first humans need to understand the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication, the two types of communication we see daily. Verbal communication is vocal category, the spoken language. This is where you are directly talking with someone vocally.Most communication done by humans is verbal communication, it is done by phone, testing, Keep, etc. Examples of verbal communication include but not limited to meetings, lectures, team building, ND playing on sports teams. What is non-verbal communicatio n and why is it more important than verbal communication? Do you know that research shows that It takes about four minutes to make a first Impression? According to studies by UCLA professor Albert Memorable â€Å"Body language accounts for 58% of a first Impression; 38% comes from tone of voice; 7% comes from our actual words† (Memorable A. Non-verbal communication is aspects of communication that do not involve verbal, like gestures or facial expressions. If you are standing with a person having a conversation and your verbal and non-verbal communication cues are not congruent, hey are going to look at your non-verbal over what you are vocally saying. Think has this happened to you before. An example is when you are in a group discussing a group assignment and you are saying you are fine with the part you got but your body language is saying the opposite.We also have to remember that non-verbal communication is how we receive information. Non-verbal communication can help wi th your communication but first let's look at some key Issues when it comes to non- verbal communication. Some of these Issues are body language, space, hands/arms, feet, expressiveness, and handshakes. The mall Issue we as humans have Is with our body language, we give clusters of signals and postures. For example crossed arms can indicate anger or being cold. A major obstacle with body language is that one that is the peace symbol.The other issues are Just simple things like body language that show anxiety, stress, confidence, attitude, and dominant. Now with the knowledge of non-verbal communication how can that knowledge help you with communication with others? When you are communicating with others you need to focus on the above issues and work on those in the positive way. To work on you on-verbal communication you can do the following use a mirror, videotape yourself, release stress by scrunching your toes (something new I learned), and mirror the person with whom you are spe aking (the more you are like them, the more you will connect).Practice makes you better at anything but no one is perfect so you need to work on communication for the rest of your life. Everyone has room to improve, even the best speakers in the world. When taking a look at my own personal listening inventory it was interesting to see what I do well and some of the things that I need work on as an active listener. Completing the assignment open my eyes to behaviors that I would never see as behaviors of active listeners. First let's start with the items that I need to work own.I rated myself low in the areas of; I do not always concentrate on a speaker's main ideas rather than specific details. I can improve in this area by taking notes during the speaking arrangements. This will help me keep the main ideas together with the more details that go with the main ideas. Those fine details is what is going to help you do projects or learn new ideas. Everything we do as humans we have tha t area that we are in between, some days you do it and mom days you might not.The areas in listening that I said that fall into that category include; I am sometimes uncomfortable asking questions when I do not understand, I avoid tuning out speakers when I disagree with their message, I avoid tuning out message that are too complex, and I try to understand other person's point of view when it is different from mine. When it comes these areas I need to Just do them more constantly when I am listening during speaking engagements. These are the areas are why I perceive myself as a good listener in the classroom, but I could still improve on my listening skills. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Verbal and Nonverbal Communication DeShawn R. Swanson SOC/110 March 16, 2010 Professor Yvonne Moore Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Communication is very important, especially in small groups. In small groups, people use verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as a way to help the group run smoother. This paper will explain how people communicate, what challenges may arise in communicating between both genders, what challenges may come when communicating with people from other cultures, and how might we be able to communicate more effectively in diverse environments. People communicate in different ways. Verbal communication is one way for us to communicate with one another face to face. Sound, words, speaking, and language are just some of the key components of verbal communication. When we are born, many of us have vocal cords that produce sound. As we get older and grow, we begin to learn how to make these sounds into words. Some words may sound like natural sounds, but other words come from expressions of emotion, such as laughter or crying. Nonverbal communication is another way for us to communicate with one another. A large portion of our communication is nonverbal. Every day, we respond to thousands of nonverbal cues and behaviors that may include postures, facial expression, eye gaze, gestures, and tone of voice. One way we communicate nonverbally is through facial expression. Facial expressions are responsible for a big proportion of nonverbal communication. Even though nonverbal communication and behavior can be different between cultures, facial expressions for being happy, sad, angry, and fearful are similar throughout the world. Another way to communicate is by using gestures. An important way to communicate without words is the use of diverse movements and signals. Hand-waving, pointing, and using fingers to show number amounts are some of the gestures used in nonverbal communication. Other gestures are uninformed and related to culture. Posture and movement can also convey a great deal on information. Since the 1970’s, there have been a huge amount of research done on body language. Over-interpretation of defensive postures, arm crossing, and leg-crossing are the focus of the popular media. While these nonverbal behaviors can indicate feelings and attitudes, research suggests that body language is far more subtle and less definitive that previously believed. There are many differences between verbal and nonverbal communication. For instance, verbal communication includes rate, volume, pitch as well as articulation and pronunciation, while nonverbal communication deals with important but unspoken signals that individuals exhibit. Some of these signals and gestures can be how we carry ourselves, appearance, how we listen to one another, eye contact, hand gestures and expressions on our face when someone makes a comment. References This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, simply delete this line of text using the backspace key, and replace the information with your reference entry.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Bloodlines Chapter Six

TO BE FAIR, THE DAY STARTED OFF GREAT. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows when we woke up, and I could already feel the heat even though it was early morning. I chose my lightest ensemble from the uniform selection: a gray skirt, paired with a short-sleeved white blouse. â€Å"Simple jewelry† was allowed, so I kept the gold cross on. My hair was having one of its difficult days – which seemed to be more often than not in this new climate. I wished I could pull it in a ponytail, like Jill did with hers, but it had too many layers to do that neatly. Eyeing where they hit my shoulders at different lengths, I wondered if maybe it was time to grow it out. After a breakfast neither of us really ate, we rode the shuttle bus up to Central Campus, which was suddenly packed with people. Only about a third of the students were boarders. The rest were locals, and they had all turned out today. Jill barely spoke throughout the entire ride and seemed to be sick again. It was hard to say, but I thought she looked paler than usual. Her eyes were bloodshot once more, heavy with dark circles. I'd woken up once in the night and seen her fast asleep, so I wasn't entirely sure what the problem was. Those dark circles were actually the first flaw I'd ever seen in any Moroi's skin – it was always perfect, porcelain. No wonder she could usually sleep in late. She didn't have to bother with the powder and concealer I used. As the morning progressed, Jill kept biting her lip and looking worriedly around. Maybe she was just nervous about immersing herself in a world populated entirely with humans. She didn't seem at all concerned about the logistics of getting to the right rooms and completing work. That was the aspect that still scared me a little. Just get from one class to another, I told myself. That's all you have to do. My first class was ancient history. Eddie was in it too, and he practically ran me down when he saw me. â€Å"Is she okay? Have you seen her?† â€Å"Well, we share a room, so yeah.† We sat down at neighboring desks. I smiled at Eddie. â€Å"Relax. She's fine. She seemed nervous, but I can't really blame her.† He nodded but still looked uncertain. He gave his full attention to the front of the room when the teacher stepped up, but there was a restlessness about Eddie as he sat there, like he could just barely stop himself from springing up to go check on Jill. â€Å"Welcome, welcome.† Our instructor was a forty-something woman with white-streaked, wiry black hair and enough nervous energy to rival Eddie – and if her giant coffee cup was any indication, it wasn't hard to figure out why. I was also a little jealous and wished we were allowed to have beverages in class – particularly since the dorm cafeteria didn't serve coffee. I didn't know how I was going to survive the next few months with caffeine-free days. Her wardrobe favored argyle. â€Å"I am Ms. Terwilliger, your illustrious guide on the wondrous journey that is ancient history.† She spoke in a sweeping, grandiose voice that made a few of my classmates break into snickers. She gestured to a young man who'd been sitting behind her, near the large desk. He'd been watching the class with a bored expression, but when she turned to him, he perked up. â€Å"And this is my co-guide, Trey, whom I believe some of you may know. Trey is my student aide for this pe riod, so he'll mostly be skulking in corners and filing papers. But you should be nice to him since he may very well be the one entering your grades into my computer.† Trey gave a small wave and grinned at some of his friends. He had deeply tanned skin and black hair whose length flirted with the dress code's rules. The neatly pressed Amberwood uniform gave him the illusion of all business, but there was a mischievous glint in his dark eyes that made me think he didn't really take being an aide seriously. â€Å"Now,† continued Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"History is important because it teaches us about the past. And by learning about the past, you come to understand the present, so that you may make educated decisions about the future.† She paused dramatically to let those words sink in. Once she was convinced we were awed, she moved over to a laptop that was wired up to a projector. She pushed a few keys, and an image of a white-pillared building appeared on the screen at the front of the room. â€Å"Now, then. Can anyone tell me what this is?† â€Å"A temple?† someone called out. â€Å"Very good, Mr. – ?† â€Å"Robinson,† the boy supplied. Ms. Terwilliger produced a clipboard and scanned a list. â€Å"Ah, there you are. Robinson. Stephanie.† â€Å"Stephan,† corrected the boy, flushing as some of his friends giggled. Ms. Terwilliger pushed her glasses up her nose and squinted. â€Å"So you are. Thank goodness. I was just thinking how difficult your life must be with such a name. My apologies. I broke my glasses in a freak croquet accident this weekend, forcing me to bring my old ones today. So, Stephan-not-Stephanie, you're correct. It's a temple. Can you be more specific?† Stephan shook his head. â€Å"Can anyone else offer any insight?† When only silence met Ms. Terwilliger, I took a deep breath and raised my hand. Time to see what it was like to be a real student. She nodded toward me. â€Å"It's the Parthenon, ma'am.† â€Å"Indeed it is,† she said. â€Å"And your name is?† â€Å"Sydney.† â€Å"Sydney†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She checked the clipboard and looked up in astonishment. â€Å"Sydney Melbourne? My goodness. You don't sound Australian.† â€Å"Er, it's Sydney Melrose, ma'am,† I corrected. Ms. Terwilliger scowled and handed the clipboard to Trey, who seemed to think my name was the funniest thing ever. â€Å"You take over, Mr. Juarez. Your youthful eyes are better than mine. If I keep at this, I'll keep turning boys into girls and perfectly nice young ladies into the descendants of criminals. So.† Ms. Terwilliger focused back on me. â€Å"The Parthenon. Do you know anything about it?† The others were watching me, mostly with friendly curiosity, but I still felt the pressure of being the center of attention. Focusing solely on Ms. Terwilliger, I said, â€Å"It's part of the Acropolis, ma'am. In Athens. It was built in the fifth century BC.† â€Å"No need to call me ‘ma'am,'† Ms. Terwilliger told me. â€Å"Though it is refreshing to get a bit of respect for a change. And brilliantly answered.† She glanced over the rest of the room. â€Å"Now, tell me this. Why on earth should we care about Athens or anything that took place over fifteen hundred years ago? How can that be relevant to us today?† More silence and shifting eyes. When the unbearable quiet dragged on for what felt like hours, I started to raise my hand again. Ms. Terwilliger didn't notice and glanced back at Trey, who was resting his feet on the teacher's desk. The boy instantly dropped his legs and straightened up. â€Å"Mr. Juarez,† declared Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"Time to earn your keep. You took this class last year. Can you tell them why the events of ancient Athens are relevant to us today? If you don't, then I'm going to have to call on Miss Melbourne again. She looks like she knows the answer, and think how embarrassing that will be for you.† Trey's eyes flicked to me and then back to the teacher. â€Å"Her name is Melrose, not Melbourne. And democracy was founded in Athens in the sixth century. A lot of the procedures they set into place are still in effect with our government today.† Ms. Terwilliger clasped her hand over her heart dramatically. â€Å"You were paying attention last year! Well, almost. Your date is off.† Her gaze fell on me. â€Å"I bet you know the date democracy was started in Athens.† â€Å"The fifth century,† I answered immediately. That earned me a smile from the teacher and a glare from Trey. The rest of the class proceeded in much the same way. Ms. Terwilliger continued on with her flamboyant style and highlighted a number of important times and places that we were going to study in more detail. I found I could answer any question she asked. Some part of me said I should ration myself, but I couldn't help it. If no one knew the answer, I felt compelled to provide it. And each time I did, Ms. Terwilliger would say, â€Å"Trey, did you know that?† I winced. I really didn't want to make enemies on my first day. The other students watched me curiously when I spoke, which made me a little self-conscious. I also saw a few of them exchange knowing looks each time I answered, as though they were in on some secret I wasn't. That concerned me more than irritating Trey did. Did it sound like I was showing off? I was too unsure of the social politics here to understand what was normal and what wasn't. This was an academically competitive school. Surely it wasn't a bad thing to be educated? Ms. Terwilliger left us with an assignment to read the first two chapters of our textbook. The others groaned, but I was excited. I loved history, specifically the history of art and architecture. My homeschooling had been aggressive and well rounded, but that particular subject wasn't one my father had thought we needed to spend a lot of time on. I'd had to study it on my own time, and it was both startling and luxurious to think I now had a class whose sole purpose was to learn about this and that my knowledge would be valued – by the teacher, at least. I parted ways with Eddie after that and went off to AP Chemistry. While I was waiting for class to start, Trey slid into a desk beside me. â€Å"So, Miss Melbourne,† he said, imitating Ms. Terwilliger's voice. â€Å"When will you be starting up your own history class?† I was sorry Ms. Terwilliger had picked on him, but I didn't like his tone. â€Å"Are you actually taking this class? Or are you going to lounge around some more and pretend to be helping the teacher?† This brought a grin to his face. â€Å"Oh, I'm in this one, unfortunately. And I was Ms. T's best student last year. If you're as good at chemistry as you are in history, then I'm nabbing you for a lab partner. I'll be able to take the whole semester off.† Chemistry was a crucial part of the Alchemists' trade, and I doubted there was anything in this class I didn't already know. The Alchemists had arisen in the Middle Ages as â€Å"magical scientists† trying to turn lead into gold. From those early experiments, they'd gone on to discover the special properties of vampire blood and how it reacted with other substances, eventually branching out into the crusade to keep vampires and humans separate from one another. That earlier scientific background, and our current work with vampire blood, made chemistry one of the main subjects of my childhood education. I'd received my first chemistry set when I was six. When other kids were practicing the alphabet, my father was grilling me with acid and base flash cards. Unable to admit as much to Trey, I averted my eyes and casually brushed hair from my face. â€Å"I'm okay in it.† His gaze moved to my cheek, and a look of understanding came over him. â€Å"Ah. So that's it.† â€Å"What's it?† I asked. He pointed to my face. â€Å"Your tattoo. That's what it does, huh?† In moving my hair, I'd revealed the gold lily. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"You don't have to play coy with me,† he said, rolling his dark eyes. â€Å"I get it. I mean, it seems like cheating to me, but I guess not everyone cares about honor. Pretty ballsy to have it on your face, though. They're against the dress code, you know – not that that stops anyone.† I shifted and let my hair fall back into place. â€Å"I know. I meant to put makeup on it and forgot. But what do you mean about cheating?† He simply shook his head in a way that clearly said I'd been dismissed. I sat there feeling helpless, wondering what I'd done wrong. Soon, my confusion was replaced by dismay as our instructor gave us an introduction to the class and its setup. I had a chemistry set back in my room that was more extensive than Amberwood's. Oh well. I supposed a little elementary review wouldn't hurt me. My other classes progressed in a similar way. I was on top of all my subjects and found myself answering every question. This got me in good with my teachers, but I couldn't gauge the rest of my classmates' reactions. I still saw a lot of rueful head shakes and intrigued expressions – but only Trey actually condemned. I didn't know if I should hold back or not. I ran into Kristin and Julia a couple of times, and they reminded me to join them for lunch. I did, finding them sitting in a corner table in East's cafeteria. They waved me over, and as I wove through the rows of tables, I did a quick scan, hoping to see Jill. I hadn't run into her all day, but that wasn't too shocking, considering our schedules. Presumably, she was eating over at the other cafeteria, maybe with Eddie or Micah. Kristin and Julia were friendly, chatting me up about how my first day had gone and imparting wisdom about certain teachers they'd had before. They were seniors like me, and we shared a couple classes. We spent most of lunch exchanging basic info, like where we were all from. It wasn't until lunch was winding down that I began to get answers to some of the questions that had been bugging me all day. Although it required wading through still more questions first. â€Å"So,† said Kristin, leaning across the table. â€Å"Does it just give you a super memory? Or does it like, I don't know, actually change your brain and make you smarter?† Julia rolled her eyes. â€Å"It can't make you smarter. It's gotta be memory. What I want to know is, how long does it last?† I glanced back and forth between them, more confused than ever. â€Å"Whatever you're talking about can't be making me smarter, because I'm so lost right now.† Kristin laughed at that. â€Å"Your tattoo. I heard you answering all the hardest questions in math. And a friend of mine is in your history class and said you were dominating there too. We're trying to figure out how the tattoo helps you.† â€Å"Helps me†¦ answer questions?† I asked. Their faces confirmed as much. â€Å"It doesn't. That stuff†¦ that's just, well, me. I just know the answers.† â€Å"No one's that smart,† argued Julia. â€Å"It's not that crazy. I'm no genius. I guess I've just learned a lot. I was homeschooled part of the time, and my dad was really†¦ strict,† I added, thinking that might help. â€Å"Oh,† said Kristin, toying with a long braid. I'd noticed she wore her dark hair in very practical ways while blond Julia's was always teased and tousled. â€Å"I guess that could be it†¦ but then, what does your tattoo do?† â€Å"It doesn't do anything,† I said. Yet even as I spoke the words, I felt a slight tingle in my flesh. The tattoo had a kind of magic in it that stopped me from speaking about anything Alchemist-related to those who weren't part of the inner circle. This was the tattoo stopping me from saying too much, not that there was any need. â€Å"I just thought it was cool.† â€Å"Oh,† said Julia. Both girls looked inexplicably disappointed. â€Å"Why on earth would you think the tattoo is making me smart?† I asked. The warning bell interrupted further conversation, reminding us all it was time to get to our next class. There was a pause as Kristin and Julia considered something. Kristin seemed to be the leader of the two because she was the one who gave a decisive nod. I had the distinct feeling I was being assessed. â€Å"Okay,† she said finally, giving me a big smile. â€Å"We'll fill you in more on everything later.† We set up a time to hang out and study later, then parted ways. My impression was that more socialization than studying would go on, which was fine with me, but I made a mental note to get my homework done first. The rest of the day went quickly, and I received a note in one class from Molly the advisor. As expected, I'd passed out of all of my language courses, and she wanted me to come by and discuss matters during the last period, when I technically had no class. This meant that my school day would officially wrap up with PE. I changed into my assigned gym clothes, shorts and an Amberwood T-shirt, and trekked outside into the hot sun with the others. I'd felt a little of the heat ducking between classes today, but it wasn't until I actually had to stand outside for any length of time that I really and truly appreciated the fact that we were out in the desert. Glancing around at my classmates, who were guys and girls of all grades, I saw that I wasn't the only one sweating. I rarely burned but reminded myself to pick up sunscreen to be safe. Jill would need it too. Jill! I peered around. I'd nearly forgotten that Jill was supposed to be in the same class. Except, where was she? There was no sign of her. When our instructor, Miss Carson, called attendance, she didn't even say Jill's name. I wondered if there'd been a last-minute schedule change. Miss Carson believed in jumping right into the action. We were divided into teams for volleyball, and I found myself standing beside Micah. His fair, freckled complexion was growing pink, and I almost wanted to suggest sunscreen to him as well. He gave me one of his friendly smiles. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"You haven't seen my sister today, have you? Jill?† â€Å"No,† he said. A slight frown crossed his forehead. â€Å"Eddie was looking for her at lunch. He figured she was eating with you over at your dorm.† I shook my head, a queasy feeling welling in my stomach. What was going on? Nightmare scenarios flashed through my mind. I'd thought Eddie was overreacting with his vigilance, but had something happened to Jill? Was it possible that, despite all our planning, one of Jill's enemies had slipped in and stolen her out from under us? Was I going to have to tell the Alchemists – and my father – that we'd lost Jill on the first day? Panic flashed through me. If I wasn't about to be sent to a re-education center before, I definitely was on my way to one now. â€Å"Are you okay?† Micah asked, studying me. â€Å"Is Jill okay?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"Excuse me.† I broke out of my team formation and jogged over to where Miss Carson was supervising. â€Å"Yes?† she asked me. â€Å"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I'm worried about my sister. Jill Melrose. I'm Sydney. She's supposed to be in here. Do you know if she changed classes?† â€Å"Ah, yes. Melrose. I got a note from the office, just before class, that she wouldn't be attending today.† â€Å"Did they say why?† Miss Carson shook her head apologetically and barked an order to some guy who was slacking off. I rejoined my team, mind spinning. Well, at least someone had seen Jill today, but why on earth would she not be attending? â€Å"Is she okay?† Micah asked me. â€Å"I†¦ I guess. Miss Carson seemed to know she wouldn't be in class but doesn't know why.† â€Å"Is there anything I can do?† he asked. â€Å"To help her? Er, you guys?† â€Å"No, thanks. That's nice of you to ask.† I wished there was a clock around. â€Å"I'll check on her as soon as class is over.† A thought suddenly occurred to me. â€Å"But Micah? Don't say anything to Eddie.† Micah gave me a curious look. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"He's overprotective. He'll worry when it's probably nothing.† Also, he'll tear the school apart looking for her. When class ended, I quickly showered and changed clothes before heading to the administrative building. I was desperate to run back to the dorm first to see if Jill was there, but I couldn't be late for the appointment. As I walked down a hallway to Molly's office, I passed by the main one – and an idea came to me. I stopped in to talk to the attendance secretary before going to my appointment. â€Å"Jill Melrose,† the secretary said, nodding. â€Å"She was sent back to her dorm.† â€Å"Sent back?† I exclaimed. â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"I'm not at liberty to say.† Melodramatic much? Annoyed and more confused than ever, I went to Molly's office, taking comfort in the fact that even if Jill's absence was mysterious, at least it was sanctioned by the school. Molly told me I could either take another elective or engage in some kind of independent study in place of a language, if I got a teacher to sponsor me. An idea popped into my head. â€Å"Can I check in with you tomorrow?† I asked. â€Å"I need to talk to someone first.† â€Å"Sure,† said Molly. â€Å"Just decide soon. You can go back to your dorm now, but we can't have you wandering around every day during this time.† I assured her she'd have an answer soon and headed back. The shuttle bus didn't run very often during classes, so I just walked the mile back. It only took fifteen minutes but felt twice as long in the heat. When I finally reached the dorm room, relief flooded me. Hanging out in our room as if nothing strange had happened was Jill. â€Å"You're all right!† Jill was lying on the bed, reading her book again. She looked up morosely. â€Å"Yeah. Kind of.† I sat down on my own bed and kicked off my shoes. â€Å"What happened? I had a panic attack when you weren't in class. If Eddie knew – â€Å" Jill sat bolt upright. â€Å"No, don't tell Eddie. He'll freak out.† â€Å"Okay, okay. But tell me what happened. They said you got sent here?† â€Å"Yeah.† Jill made a face. â€Å"Because I was kicked out of my first class.† I was speechless. I couldn't imagine what sweet, shy Jill could have possibly done to warrant that. Oh, God. I hope she didn't bite someone. I was the one everyone expected to have trouble fitting into a school schedule. Jill should have been a pro. â€Å"What were you kicked out for?† Jill sighed. â€Å"For having a hangover.† More speechlessness. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I was sick. Ms. Chang – my teacher – took one look at me and said she could spot a hangover a mile away. She sent me to the office for breaking school rules. I told them I was just sick, but she kept saying she knew. The principal finally said there was no way to prove that's why I was sick, so I didn't get punished, but I wasn't allowed to go to the rest of my classes. I had to stay here for the rest of the school day.† â€Å"That's†¦ that's idiotic!† I shot to my feet and began pacing. Now that I'd recovered from my initial disbelief, I was simply outraged. â€Å"I was with you last night. You slept here. I should know. I woke up once, and you were out cold. How can Ms. Chang even make an accusation like that? She had no proof! The school didn't either. They had no right to send you out of class. I should go to the office right now! No, I'm going to talk to Keith and the Alchemists and have our ‘parents' file a complaint.† â€Å"No, wait, Sydney.† Jill jumped up and caught ahold of my arm, as though afraid I would march out then and there. â€Å"Please. Don't. Just let it go. I don't want to cause any more trouble. I didn't get any bad marks. I wasn't really punished.† â€Å"You're behind in your classes,† I said. â€Å"That's punishment enough.† Jill shook her head, eyes wide. She was afraid, I realized, but I had no idea why she wouldn't want me to tell. She was the victim here. â€Å"No, it's fine. I'll catch up. There are no long-term consequences. Please don't make a big deal out of this. The other teachers probably just thought I was sick. They probably don't even know about the accusations.† â€Å"It's not right, though,† I growled. â€Å"I can do something about it. It's what I'm here for, to help you.† â€Å"No,† said Jill adamantly. â€Å"Please. Let it go. If you really want to help†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She averted her eyes. â€Å"What?† I asked, still filled with righteous fury. â€Å"What do you need? Name it.† Jill looked back up. â€Å"I need you†¦ I need you to take me to Adrian.†

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Perfect Pizzeria Essay

Perfect Pizzeria Restaurants is a chain of 125 pizza establishments around the country with headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. There are three locations in Bloomington, Indiana however they have financial and employee problems particularly at the location near the Indiana University campus. Each location has one manager and two shift leaders. The employees are mostly college students, with a few high school students performing the less challenging jobs. Nearly all of the employees, with the exception of some managers, are employed part-time and most earned only the minimum wage or slightly above. To address the financial problems, the Perfect Pizzeria manager’s compensation plan was changed to now being based on food and beverage costs and profit targets. If the percentage of food unsold or damaged is very low, the manager gets a bonus. If the percentage is high, the manager does not receive a bonus; rather he or she receives only his or her normal salary. Their compensation is also reflected in the restaurant’s profit figures which also must reach a certain level for the manager to receive a bonus. Thus the managers knew the criteria being used for their evaluation and therefore where to focus their efforts. These profit and loss figures often fluctuate. Knowing the manager cannot be in the store 24 hours a day, some employees make up for their low paychecks by helping themselves to the food. When a friend comes in to order a pizza, extra ingredients are put on the friend’s pizza. An occasional slice or two of pizza by the 18 to 20 employees throughout the day/evening at the break table also raises the percentage figure. An occasional bucket of sauce may be spilled or a pizza accidentally burned. Sometimes the wrong size of pizza may be made. In the event of an employee mistake or a burned pizza by the oven person, the expense is supposed to come from the individual employee. Because of peer pressure, the night manager seldom writes up a bill for the erring employee. Instead the establishment takes the loss and the error goes unnoticed until the end of the month when the inventory is taken. That’s when the manager finds out if the food loss percentage is high and if there will be a bonus. (Next page) Over time these loss figures increased. To address these problems at the Bloomington location, the manager took retaliatory measures. Previously, each employee was entitled to a free pizza slice, salad, and all the soft drinks he or she could drink for every 4 hours of work. Management decided to raise this figure to 6 hours of work before any free food. Since the employees had received this â€Å"free food after 4-hours† benefit for a long time they frequently ignored the rule and took advantage of the situation whenever the manager was not in the building. Therefore, the Perfect Pizzeria manager decided to create an assistant manager position which could more closely supervise the shift leaders. Each shift leader was now responsible for a team of 3 – 4 employees who were given specific responsibilities for a particular job such as counter, delivery, food preparation, etc. Employee apathy grew within the pizzeria. There seemed to be a further separation between the store manager and his workers, who were once a closely knit group. The manager made no attempt to alleviate the problem, because he felt it would iron itself out. The employees who were dissatisfied would quit or they would be content to put up with the new regulations. As it turned out, there were many employee resignations. The manager had no problem in filling the vacancies with new workers, but the loss of experienced personnel was costly to the business. It didn’t take long for the new employees to become influenced by the more experienced employees and the unsold/damaged food percentage remained high. Then the manager took a bolder step. He eliminated all the benefits that the employees had – no free pizzas, salads, or drinks. The manager tried still another approach to alleviate the rising unsold/damaged food percentage problem and maintain his bonus. He placed a notice on the bulletin board, stating that: if the percentage remained at a high level, a lie detector test would be given to all employees. All those found guilty of taking or intentionally wasting food or drinks would be immediately terminated. This did not have the desired effect on the employees, because they knew if they were all subjected to the test, all would be found guilty and the manager would have to dismiss all of them. This would leave him in a worse situation than ever. As the manager sat in his office listening to his beloved Cub’s baseball game, he analyzed the month’s profit/loss statements and knew things were not going to be good. What he did not expect was that the percentage was actually increasing from previous months. Another problem developed at the Bloomington campus location when Jennifer, a recently hired night shift counter clerk filed a complaint with the regional manager. She stated in her complaint that she was always required to work the late shift and Bill the night manager was becoming a bit â€Å"too friendly†. In fact her complaint stated, the only way she could get off from work earlier than other employees was if she would agree to meet Bill on their nights off at Hoosier’s, a popular college student club down the street from Perfect Pizzeria. Additionally, there was a formal complaint from a group of male employees that only the attractive female workers were being promoted to assistant managers or shift leaders even though the men had worked at the restaurant longer than most of the promoted women. The case assignment questions follow†¦ PERFECT PIZZERIA – CASE QUESTIONS (Please type your responses by listing the question number/letter and then your answers to the questions.) 1. List two different managerial functions/activities the manager has performed. Then give specific examples or evidence from the case that explains these two management functions the manager has performed. 4. points) 2a. Which of the managerial skills was the manager best at? Explain. 2b. Which of the managerial skills did the manager need to improve? Explain. (4 points) 3. List and/or give examples of four (4) different forces or factors from Perfect Pizzerias’ external environment. Then give a specific example of how each of these could have an impact on Perfect Pizzeria. Please be specific.(4 pts.) 4a. The case mentions that some employees put extra ingredients on their friends’ pizza or take a nibble or two of pizza during their shift. Please discuss whether you feel this is ethical and your reasons why you feel this way. (2 pts.) 4b. What actions could an organization take to prevent these potential ethical violations from happening based on the concepts in the textbook? Explain by applying these ideas to this case situation. (4 pts.) 5. Review the organizational approaches to managing diversity from Chapter 6. Then discuss or give an example of how you would apply two of these concepts to address the complaints of the male employees regarding the unfair promotions? Be specific. (4 points) 6. Give an example from the case of a poor management action and discuss two (2) specific ways you would correct the situation if you were the manager. (3 points)