The Chrysalids Essay (How Characters React in Desperate Moments)

Characters Reactions in Moments of Desperation in The Chrysalids People react differently in moments of desperation. There are generally many different kinds of reactions towards moments of desperation in the world. Joseph Strorm and David Strorm (his son) had different reactions in moments of desperation. Joseph and his son had opposite reactions in the novel. Joseph Strorm and his son had opposite reactions in the book.Joseph Strorm reacts to deviants very seriously and without sympathy. He is also portrayed to be very religious. David Strorm on the other hand, is the only son of Joseph Strorm. He possesses a telepathic ability which is unacceptable in his community, Waknuk. David’s reactions towards deviations are quite different from his father. He makes certain decisions wisely. He is very considerate unlike his father. Joseph Storm shows no sympathy towards mutants because he believes that they are sent from the devil. In the Chrysalids, how characters react in moments o f desperation reveals insights into their true nature.Joseph Strorm’s reactions in moments of desperation show his true nature in The Chrysalids. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards David was very extreme because he was associating with a deviation. David befriends Sophie and discovered that she had six toes on each foot. David promised to keep her secret. However, when Sophie and David were fishing, another boy in the district discovered Sophie’s footprint on a rock and reveals it to everyone. Joseph Strorm becomes very angry with David and he interrogates him. â€Å"Who was this child-this blasphemy-you were with yesterday?†Joseph Strorm also beat David because he despises mutants and he believes that a mutant comes from the devil. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards David, who wished for a third hand, shows the religious views of Joseph. Joseph was mad at his son because David made a sinful statement. â€Å"You –my own son- were calling upon t he Devil to give you another hand!† Joseph Strorm took this statement very seriously which shows how serious deviants are taken. He is a very strict person and uncompassionate to his son. Joseph Strorm was so distraught with his son because of his despitefulness towards mutants. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards Aunt Harriet was embarrassing.Aunt Harriet was Joseph’s sister-in-law who bore a blasphemed child. She wanted to switch babies with her sister (Mrs. Strorm) to get a certificate for her baby. Although she  didn’t feel the same way whatsoever about her child as Joseph does. â€Å"She is not ashamed.† He uttered a lot of negative and bitter words to her. â€Å"I don’t understand how you dared to come here, to God-fearing house, with such a suggestion. Worse still, you don’t show an atom of shame or remorse.† In conclusion, Joseph Strorm is very religious and he is the only character in the novel that has the greatest disl iking towards mutants, deviations and blasphemies.David Strorm also had some reactions in moments of desperation in The Chrysalids. David Strorm’s reaction towards Aunt Harriet’s death was very frightening. David is very scared because his aunt died as a result of hiding a deviant baby. He is frightened that he might get killed if he is discovered. Therefore, he prays to God to take away his telepathic gift so he could be like every normal person. â€Å"Oh God†¦please, please let me be like the other people, on’t you make it so that I wake up in the morning, I’ll be just like everyone else, please, God please!†David Strorm’s reaction towards Anne’s marriage was shocking. Anne was part of the telepathic group who decided to get married. David was very shocked that Anne was going to marry a norm. â€Å"For one thing, the man was Alan Ervin†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He is also very frightened because she would reveal to her husband, her secret and the group’s secret. Therefore, David meets his uncle and decides to take a grave decision. He decides to kill Anne but his uncle decides to kill Alan so the group might be free.David Strorm’s reaction towards his father and the Inspector interrogating him about Sophie showed David’s loyalty for Sophie. He promised to keep her secret no matter the circumstances. Joseph Strorm shouted at his son because he knows his son was lying. David knows that his father was going to beat him. â€Å"†¦I knew too that with my father’s present mood, it would happen whether I told or not. David was beaten for hiding Sophie. In conclusion, David is a very considerate boy. He had desperate reactions in The Chrysalids, which he had to take certain decisions wisely.ConclusionIn the Chrysalids by John Wyndham, how characters react in moments of desperation reveals insights into their true nature. John Wyndham stated a lot of characters with their reactions in moments of desperation. Joseph Strorm and David Storm are part of the examples of characters in The Chrysalids that had reactions in moments of desperation. These are the two major characters in the book that had many reactions in desperate moments. Generally, everyone in the world have different reactions either good or bad towards moments of desperation. This occurs in John Wyndham’s novel, The Chrysalids.

Consider Shakespeare’s presentation of Portia in “The Merchant of Venice”

â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† is believed to have been written in the 16th century and it is to a large extent reflective of England at the time, which was a patriarchal society. Portia’s character embodies the characteristics of an ideal woman at the time that arguably defers to her father and eventually her husband. However, as the play advances we see a different side of Portia.Shakespeare introduces her character in a very conventional way. He uses Bassanio as a device for introducing the character of Portia. The audience is treated to Bassanio’s perception of Portia. It is through him the audience forms an impression of Portia, with the aid of his effective use of imagery. Bassanio begins with: â€Å"In Belmont there is a lady richly left,And she’s fair, and – fairer than that word – Of wondrous virtues.†To get a clearer picture of who Portia is from Bassiano’s perspective, we consider his choice of words in his description . For example, â€Å"Richly left† – her wealth is the first quality the audience learns about before we hear of her beauty as well as her virtues. The adjective â€Å"fair† and the use of the comparative form â€Å"fairer† in the same line gives the impression that she is stunning. In addition to that, â€Å"wondrous† which qualifies her virtues portrays that she is of impeccable character. Bassanio’s speech foregrounds the idea that a woman’s wealth, fairness and virtues are the qualities men looked for in women at the time.Bassanio then finally formally introduces her to the audience: â€Å"Her name is Portia, nothing undervaluedTo Cato’s daughter, Brutus’ Portia. Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth†A modern day audience is able to instantly see clearly that women are assigned second-class status, because Bassanio describes her as though she is defined by her relationship with Cato (in this case her daug hter). His reference to her as Brutus’ Portia helps the audience get a feel of what she  is really like, as Shakespeare brings the characters of Brutus and Portia from Julius Caesar, which the audience is most likely familiar with.Portia in Julius Caesar starts out as a devoted wife but as the play progresses shows steadiness as well as masculinity and in fact her character echoes Queen Elizabeth who famously said â€Å"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king† – these are qualities Portia exemplifies in The Merchant of Venice as well. â€Å"Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth† informs the audience that everybody acknowledges that she is a catch and she is in fact many men’s dream wife, which lays emphasis on her fairness and virtues. In addition to this he says: â€Å"Renowned suitors, and her sunny locksHang on her temples like a golden fleece, Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchos ’ strand, And many Jasons come in quest of her†Here Bassanio uses classical mythology to qualify. In one of the oldest quest stories, Jason led a party of Greek heroes called the Argonatus through many hazards in order to bring back the Golden Fleece from the shores of Colchis on the Black Sea. His intriguing use of metaphors and simile highlights how there are many men after her.Finally, we meet Portia in the next scene, where her first line is: â€Å"By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of the great world† This echoes Antonio’s opening line of the play, which highlights the point that the world of Belmont – a feminine world- and the world of Venice – a masculine world- are going to be intrinsically linked throughout the play mainly through Portia and Antonio. Portia then informs the audience of the casket test – which is a test her dead father arranged for her husband to be chosen. â€Å"I may neither choose who I marry, n or refuse who I dislike, so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father.†Portia reiterates Edwin Sandys’s Sermon Sixteen where he insists that children are to accept the advice of their parents in choosing a spouse and in fact concludes that children who marry without the consent of parents are not sanctioned by God. This causes her to carry on her father’s plan even though he is dead. Shakespeare therefore manages to present her as being a dutiful  daughter in addition to being fair and virtuous. In addition to this, Shakespeare portrays Portia as though she is a slave to the casket test because she has no control over whom she marries. This is a conventional portrayal of women and would have been accepted at his time as the thought process of people moved in this direction.We observe that as Nerissa names Portia’s suitors who appear to be coming from all over the world, Portia’s responses, for example: â€Å"I had rathe r be married to a death’s head with a bone in his mouth than to either of these. God defend me of these.† Gives the impression that amidst being virtuous and dutiful she is also selective dismissive and stereotypical. She echoes the anti-Semitism in Venice (Antonio against the Jew, Shylock) through her reaction upon learning of the arrival of the Prince of Morocco: â€Å"†¦If he have the condition of a saint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.† Without even meeting him she makes up her mind that she would rather have him for a confessor than a husband because of his skin colour, which she likens to the devil because devils were traditionally black. From this moment on, it is established to the audience that Antonio and Portia are going to be the link between Belmont and Venice.When Bassanio with his train arrives to take the casket test, we get a love scene, which is arguably the best since Romeo and Juliet. Portia who up until this point has been either warily polite or contemptuously dismissive, now displays a turmoil of emotion as she begs Bassanio to delay his choice: â€Å"I pray you tarry, pause a day or twoBefore you hazard, for in choosing wrong I lose your company; therefore forbear a while.†Shakespeare immediately portrays to the audience that Bassanio is Portia’s desired suitor. Portia changes the rhythm of her speech from prose when she was speaking to Morocco to a softer more poetic verse form. Some may assume that she wants to influence his decision while others may see it as her simply wanting to spend quality time with the man she appears to have fallen in love with before the tension of the casket test takes over. As the scene progresses the we catch a glimpse of a flirty side of Portia, when she says  to Bassanio: â€Å"Upon the rack Bassanio? Then confessWhat treason is mingled with your love.† Following this, Portia insists on â€Å"music† repe atedly in her speech which echoes, â€Å"if music be the food of love play on† from the Twelfth Night thus buttressing that she is trying to influence his decision. In the same breath she arguably poetically transforms Bassanio’s choice of the casket: â€Å"Go Hercules!†Hercules, who is a legendary hero, reinforces that she is currently a slave of the casket test and she is imploring him to liberate her from it. At this point, we begin to see Portia attempting to manipulate the situation in order for it to suit her. When Bassanio finally makes the right choice and wins the lottery of the casket test, Shakespeare uses the device of soliloquy: â€Å"I feel too much thy blessing: make it lessFor I fear I surfeit†To allow the audience feel her joy. She immediately submits all that she has to Bassanio by referring to him as â€Å"Lord Bassanio† which again shows that she is indeed dutiful and subservient. She continues to express her elation and in fact begins to refer to herself in third person: â€Å"Happy in this, she is not yet so oldBut she may learn; happier than this, She is not bred so dull but she can learn; Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit†The use of third person distances Portia from the situation and not owning her joy shows that she doesn’t believe how lucky she is and cannot believe the happiness is really hers, which makes the audience able to respond to her ecstasy even more. In addition, the comparative and superlative form of the adjective â€Å"happy† compels the audience to feel and in fact share her joy. Furthermore, she continues to surrender everything to him: â€Å"Commits itself to yours to be directedAs from her lord, her governor, her king. Myself and what is mine, to you and yours Is now converted. But now I was the lord Of this fair mansion, master of my servants, Queen o’er myself; and even now, but now, This house, these servants, and this same myself Are yours, my lord’s.†She now begins to refer to him as not just as her lord but now her king and governor and she hands over all her wealth and material possessions to him. She is now subservient to the patriarchal society. Although at the beginning, her vulnerability caused her to want to challenge the patriarchal society and now love makes her accept it.We then begin to see a Portia of resource and command. As she sends Bassanio quickly to help Antonio: â€Å"O love! Dispatch all business and be gone.†Amidst her resourcefulness, we see her desperation to make him happy. Following this, the first time the audience sees Portia in the masculine world of Venice, disguised as a man in the courtroom scene where she has come to rescue Antonio, after she has been liberated by the casket test. Portia is given the control from the moment of her discreet ceremonial entry into the scene and she manages to retain it till the end of the scene. She shapes the scene into a rhetorical sy mmetry that would have been evident to an Elizabethan audience. Portia unlike the other Christians refers to Shylock like a human being. She attempts to persuade him by insisting â€Å"mercy† is a divine percept of both their religions, when that doesn’t work – she tries to appeal to his financial instincts: â€Å"Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond†She makes it obvious that she is acknowledging the bond but in the same breath takes advantage of his known love for money and implores him to have mercy on Antonio and offers him double the money. Despite this, Shylock refuses again, which she manages to respond: â€Å"Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge,To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death†By asking for a doctor to be present she attempts to make Shylock, realise  the inhumane nature of his intentions. Portia is steadily offering Shylock every chance to be merciful. Portia, picking up a reverberation from the world of dall iance with her â€Å"Tarry a little†, steps back into the world of reckoning and authoritatively changes the whole direction of the trial. Overall, Shakespeare presents her as learned, eloquent and confident which is very different to the way she is portrayed – quiet, obedient and submissive prior to this scene. However, it can be argued that because she did it for Bassanio, she is showing her love, subservient and fully committing herself to him and in fact putting into practice the traditional wedding vows even before they’re married.In the fifth and final act, she still expands her freedom, as she grows in authority and dignity, fresh touches of humour enlightening her new traits of courteousness showing. Shakespeare presents her as a woman of perfect simplicity, in her tact especially how she keeps her guest Antonio out of the mock quarrel about the rings even though it is more or less his fault. Her final word of the act, which is â€Å"faithfully†, is reflective of her character throughout the play.To conclude, Shakespeare generally presents her in a positive light not only through her character but also through the ways other characters speak of her. For example when Jessica likens her to being â€Å"heaven on earth† as well as when Lorenzo likens her to a â€Å"god-like amity†. In addition, she is presented as a very interesting and calculating character.

A Strategic Analysis for Tim Hortons

A Strategic Analysis for Tim Hortons Presently, Tim Hortons is regarded as the leading publicly traded restaurant chain in Canada. Not only is it Canada’s leading quick-service restaurant brand but also the fourth largest publicly traded restaurant chain in North America based on market capitalization. They have the number one market share in breakfast and snacking day parts and a solid number two share in the lunch day part in Canada (1). However, Tim Hortons needs to pay more attention towards their growth and development into U.S. and other markets worldwide in order to become a true spearhead in their industry. Moreover, they can lessen the risks related with expansion by engaging in partnerships with other successful firms. Analysis/Rationale Although, as mentioned above, Tim Hortons is possibly the leading publicly traded restaurant chain in Canada, it enjoys its success due to its inhabitation of a much smaller market in comparison to markets in U.S., India, and China. To be the best of the lot, Tim Horto ns cannot exclusively depend on a single market. In this day and age, there are solid opportunities for them to become the world’s best, through new emerging markets with high probability for huge profits. There are increasing trends of coffee drinkers in China and India, two countries with enormous fondness for Western style drinks and meals and Tim Horton’s expansion in those countries will play to their advantage. That is the main reason why McDonalds, the equivalent quick service restaurant industry to Tim Hortons, is earning massive profits from both China and India. Entering into partnerships also ensures that the firms are able to share the risks of failure; thereby reducing their burden. Thus, the partnership of Tim Hortons with Kahala Corp is a great idea, since it links together both Tim Hortons and the Cold Stone Creamery concepts stores in U.S. In this situation, with the benefit of sharing risks of failure; in Kahala Corp, Tim Hortons have a partner who ha s enough knowledge about the U.S market, and how it works. Similarly, Tim Hortons need to ensure that they engage in further partnerships with other firms with the purpose of offering fresh and innovative Tim Hortons products that consumers are able to purchase outside of Tim Hortons stores. This move will evolve their brand image and their competitors will feel increased competitive pressure. Even with the motivation to expand globally, financing will be a tough challenge for Tim Hortons. Financial investments and cash are vital components needed to develop their brand image in other countries; however these investments can also turn out to be extremely risky. For that reason, engaging in partnerships will reduce their financial load and the overall risk. It is also very crucial for Tim Hortons to find vastly reputable and ethical firms to be linked with, since their image will be tied with those firms. Integrated Strategy The expansion of Tim Hortons should happen gradually with a ccuracy and precision. Since they already have a solid market share and leadership position in Canada, they need to form reasonable objectives and not have an enormous anticipation during the course of their global development. The strategy which Tim Hortons needs to follow when entering into China and India is broad differentiation strategy, due to the massive population. Majority of population in these two countries consist of people with low income; though it also holds a growing middle class. Attracting a wide range of customers and buyers would prove much more profitable for Tim Hortons instead of simply appealing to a niche market. So far, this approach has been effective for them in Canada, and it may as well assist them in foreign markets. However, substantial research of their prospective customers’ values, lifestyles and beverage preference must be completed before Tim Hortons enters into these new markets. In order to satisfy majority of the consumers in foreign ma rkets, items offered such as coffee, baked goods, other hot beverages, and meal items need to be redesigned according to consumers’ needs and fondness in the region/country they are living in. For instance, Tim Hortons should stock wide variety of teas and additional milk beverages in India, since majority of the people like to drink tea and other milk based beverages in that country. Moreover, not stocking up on breakfast items will lessen costs, since there isn’t a breakfast eating routine in India. Most people just drink tea there in the morning. Thus, this reduction in costs due to the lack of breakfast items in stock can be shifted to other areas.

Element of Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Element of Literature - Essay Example These mothers are somehow estranged with their daughters and disappointed by how they have grown up. Secondly, unbeknown to these mothers, they play a significant role in their children’s becoming. It shows clearly in the manner they care for and love their daughters, which, though done in good faith, have caused them to behave differently instead. Dee, Emily and the girl in the poem may have just been products of the way their mothers have treated them. Mama, the narrator in â€Å"Everyday Use,† is particularly troubled over her eldest daughter’s behavior. Comparing her two daughters, she finds her traditional ways and principles as part of the rift between her and Dee, who is more flashy, modern, materialistic and confident. Mama â€Å"often †¦ fought off the temptation to shake her† (Walker, 1973, p. 745). Her other daughter Maggie is homely, biddable, compassionate and â€Å"used to never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her† (Walker, 1973, p. 745). Yet as a woman making ends meet for both daughters, even so far as doing strenuous manly activities, Maggie’s everyday presence matters more to her than Dee’s capable but absent self. In fact, between the two, only Dee has gone to college while Maggie stays home. Indeed, there is a measure of estrangement between Mama and Dee. This particular passage speaks of how much Mama is estranged from her eldest daughter: Sometimes I dream a dream in which Dee and I are suddenly brought together on a TV program of this sort †¦ Then we are on the stage and Dee is embracing me with tears in her eyes. She pins on my dress a large orchid, even though she has told me once that she thinks orchids are tacky flowers. (Walker, 1973, pp. 743-744) Certain passages in the short story also prove how although she has an affection for the elder Dee, she is disappointed in her ways and her views in life. When Mama refuses to give Dee the quilts, she looks at her â€Å"with hatred,† saying, "You just

How does the regular exercise may help an individual in maintaining Essay

How does the regular exercise may help an individual in maintaining healthy body and mind - Essay Example People who participate in regular activity have less risk of developing many diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and even stroke. According to Hardman and Stensel (2009), the ancient Greek physicians successfully established the tradition of maintaining positive health of a regimen that involves exercise and correct eating. Contrary to the modern world, people are using technology rather than eating healthy and taking part in physical activity. However, a few people work in places that involve little exercise. The responsibility of living a healthy lifestyle and encouraging others to do so should not only be done by concerned individuals, but the government as well (c3 collaborating for health, 2011). Participating in regular exercise has a number of benefits. Some of these benefits of regular exercise help in protecting individuals from developing high blood pressure, which can later lead to stroke. Physical exercise enhances heart muscles, lowers the levels of cholesterol to enhance the flow of blood. Exercise helps in extremely reducing the risk of heart diseases, regular exercise has also been linked to helping protect against the second type diabetes by enhancing the loss of weight, increase the insulin sensitivity for the person, and improve the cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the body. The chances of cancer, especially breast and colon cancer can also be reduced by participating in regular exercise. Physical exercise helps people to lose excessive weight. Regular activities can also enhance the memory of an individual. It reduces the risk of depression and ensures healthy lifestyles.

Balance of Power between Football Players and Football Case Study

Balance of Power between Football Players and Football - Case Study Example Moreover, it is a natural follow-up on my project proposal which I made. Through this work, I intend to lay a firm foundation for my research project and ensure that I fulfill the need of the players and ensure that necessary suggestions and prescriptions are keenly laid out to enhance the constant improvement and enjoyment of football as a game, a profession and as a leisure activity to the fans, players and the clubs’ managerial bodies and owners at large. Luton, a locally pronounced town and a unitary authority of Bedfordshire is a relatively small town in England with a population of about two hundred and thirty thousand people. It is the home of the non-league Luton Town football club. Previously, the club was in the top flight of the English league as well as an in the football league cup triumph (Bailey, 1997). In Luton, England and in other parts of the world, football has become one of the major sporting activities. The latest development has seen the sporting activit y rise from the sports’ perspective to Knute Rockne; foot has become ‘a game played with arms, legs, head, and shoulders but mostly the neck up’. In London, the game has massive support with the major premier league clubs attracting large crowds and thus gaining financially. Despite all the efforts that have been made to ensure that the quality of the game continues to improve, the world over, one key area seems to have been forgotten – the need to fully balance between the football players and the football clubs.... It is the home of the non-league Luton Town football club. Previously, the club was in the top flight of the English league as well as a in the football league cup triumph (Bailey, 1997). In Luton, England and in other parts of the world, football has become one of the major sporting activities. The latest development has seen the sporting activity rise from the sports' perspective to Knute Rockne; foot has become 'a game played with arms, legs, head, and shoulders but mostly the neck up'. This clearly explains the vital role that the game plays in the world today. In London, the game has massive support with the major premier league clubs attracting large crowds and thus gaining financially. Despite all the efforts that have been made to ensure that the quality of the game continues to improve, the world over, one key area seems to have been forgotten - the need to fully balance between the football players and the football clubs. In this research paper, the intent is to research on the topic and examine the actual balance that exists in which there is a need to exist between the football players and their respective clubs both within and outside the premier league sector (Bailey, 2005). I also intend to give some brief definition, history and necessary information regarding the player power. There is also a look at some aspects of the gender imbalance and the overall welfare of the players in the football game, gender not withstanding. The issues that relate to the player hiring process, their countries and the contract basis will also be analyzed in this research paper. Indeed there exist a number of consequences of freedom of movement for both, football clubs and cont emporary football markets and the emerging

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited Essay

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all - Essay Example Knowledge is power and without knowledge we cannot progress as a human. Knowledge is what distinguished an ignorant person from a man of intelligence. The power of knowledge cannot be ignored in any society. On the other hand, imagination is the mother of all knowledge. Imagination is what enables us to form a mental of something that cannot be comprehended through the senses. It is what enables men to stumble upon great inventions and the ability to build a mental sense for great achievements. Imagination is more important than knowledge because without imagination, men cannot achieve new things. Imagination is what empowers us to dream of things that can be achieved which eventually lead to knowledge. â€Å"Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution" (Einstein). Therefore, I completely agree with Einstein’s quote that imagination is more important than knowledge as imagination goes beyond limit wherea s, knowledge has its limitations. According to the Cambridge dictionary, knowledge is defined as â€Å"understanding of or information about a subject which a person gets by experience or study, and which is either in a persons mind or known by people generally† (Knowledge n.d.). Knowledge is gained through experiences, skills and personal abilities. The main sources of knowledge can be traced to instinct, reason and intuitions. In order to compete in a highly competitive world, knowledge is essential. Knowledge is what makes a man powerful and it also enables him to compete with others. Knowledge is man’s ability to develop concepts and materialize them into reality through manipulations and calculations. It also enables a person to make the right judgments which are pivotal for every human being. â€Å"Knowledge concerns itself with what is present to the senses, but is also a stored and shared repository of publicly acceptable thoughts, many frozen into physical

Reflective Account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Account - Essay Example This strategy is also developed based on the need of creating significant partnership between patients, health workers and stakeholders within the field of health (Health Works: A Review of the Scottish Government's Healthy Working Lives’ Strategy, 2010). In addition, the strategy satisfies the need of a clean health care environment and continuance of health care services. It also promotes excellence in clinical medicine and health care provision. This paper seeks to use Gibbs’ reflective model to consider Scottish Government’s Quality Strategy (2010), which will help me analyze in detail on my role in providing seamless care. The paper will focus on safe effective discharge planning in writing a reflective account and consider professional, legal and ethical issues, evidence-based care, multidisciplinary team working, decision making / prioritization, care planning, effective communication skills, and implications for future practice. Description This is a refl ection on my role as a health professional in charge of ensuring safe and effective discharge of patients from the hospital to their homes. This reflection is aligned with the policies established by the 2010 Quality Health Framework. The reflective framework used is the one advocated by Johns (2000); it is based on certain clues, such as description of the experience, reflection, factors that influenced my decision and other choices available that could influence my decision and lessons learnt from the experience. The role of discharge planning team involves coordinating transition of a patient from the Hospital to their homes. This is due to the fact that safe transition to their homes is an important process in the recovery of a patient. As a member of the discharge team, it is my responsibility to advise the patient on the importance of recovering in a rehabilitation facility or at home. For example, on a reflection of what happened in the past while I was on placement in Accide nt and Emergency Dept the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS). I was asked to recommend treatment for an old diabetic man who just finished his treatment at the hospital. As a member of the discharge team, I recommended that the patient looks for a home care so that he may effectively respond the treatment administered, this recommendation was however overruled by the family of the old man, in spite of the assertions by Geriatric professionals that the patient has the capability of a quick recovery if enrolled in a care home, as opposed to his house (Clare & Hofmeyer, 1996). Feelings On reflection, this was a very unpleasant experience that occurred in my life in my duties. It may have been both unprofessional and unethical to suggest to the old man that he attends a care home for his quick recovery, without prior consultations. It would have been prudent to have consultations made with other professionals and families members who were concerned with the health condition of the old man . This is because the process of recovery involves various stakeholders including; doctors, the patient her/himself, nurses, family members, social workers, and geriatric professionals. Through this experience, I realized the importance of communication in effective provision of medical and health care services (Riley,

Innovation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Innovation - Assignment Example From personal experiences and understanding gained regarding the use of this particular tool, it can be also depicted that StratSim Management ensures a dynamic learning scenario for people within a particular business organization that helps the same in dealing with various scenarios of challenges faced by a particular business unit in any sector. As per my personal experience with the use of this tool, an individual needs to ensure proper management of the objectives, so that desired results can be attained from the use of the tool. Some of the most prominent use of StratSim in the present day management domain includes formulation of business strategies, development of products and services, execution of the marketing activities of business and financial decision making among others. While my association with Vauxhall Motors in the process of using StratSim, I was able to identify some key strengths and weaknesses for the overall business. As per my StratSim experience, the strengths of the company mainly include its appreciative brand image within the automobile sector. Furthermore, innovative approach of the company within its operations can also be regarded as strength to an extent. The extensiveness of the operations of the company in the global automobile industry can be also regarded as strength of the business to a considerable extent. There were also certain weaknesses for the business, which must be also discussed significantly. The company has been dealing with problems of lack of growth and sustainable decision making in the global automobile industry. There is also a lack of product differentiation within the operations, which is also hampering the business positioning of the company to an extent and hence, they can be asserted as weaknesses for the same in the long run. The above mentioned weaknesses or challenges identified within the operations of the company can be mitigated with the help of effective strategies under the domain of

Business - Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business - Performance Management - Essay Example Task 1 Performance management: The business organizations thrive on the operational performance of the organization along with the profitability it aims in achieving. In the aspect of organizational development, the overall difference between the result achieved and the expected result is termed as the performance of the organization. In order to achieve optimum performance various measures are incorporated by the organization and the concept of performance management is of high importance. The performance management enables employee of the organization to work towards a common goal. Various tools in the performance management system help the employees of the organization to understand the overall aims and objectives of the business. As the overall success of any organization depends a lot on the individual performance of the employees, it is important for them to have a transparent idea regarding the goals and the vision of the organization. The employees of the organization are mad e aware of the roles and responsibility which they need to carry on in the organization. ... The performance management of any organization contributes to the best practices of Human resource maintained in an organization. Few of the best practices followed in the organization are, providing bonus to the employees based on the overall performance, collecting feedback from the employees, identifying the contribution of the employees and providing them with rewards for the achievements gained. All this best practices maintained by the organization are generated from the concept of the performance management, as these are the various units of the systems (Rao & Rao, 18). The awareness regarding the performance is also provided to the employees and it helps them to analyze their strength and weakness and provides the employees with suggestion regarding improving the level of the performance. Such feedback mechanism helps the employees to gain confidence and it as a motivational tool for the employees to deliver their best for the organization. Performance management of the organ izations is carried out in a regular basis and the changes in the parameter happen on a regular basis depending on the attributes of measuring the workers performance. (The importance of Performance Management) Task 2 Performance appraisal: The process of performance appraisal is one of the key tools which are used by the organization in measuring the performance of the employees in the workplace. The performance appraisal system evaluates the performance of the employees as the performance is one of the critical factors for the organizations success. According to the high commitment HRM system, the performance appraisal is one of the basic requirements so that the employees can understand the level of the performance and identify the

Macromedia Dreamweaver Essay Example for Free

Macromedia Dreamweaver Essay The club will definitely need a web site which they can use to do a great number of things. Some of them are to attract customers and members, post up new events, provide customer support, make new members, submit it to search engines so more people can find out about it and so on. Cost is also a big factor to consider. Having a website is much cheaper than putting up an advert in a local or national publication. Some other advantages of having a website are reduced costs for printing and distributing services and sales information. Increase in customer base as new people learn about the club and its services. The hardware and software needed to make this site includes a web space on the net, a few good WYSIWYG editors for designing the pages like Microsoft FrontPage, Namo Web Editor or maybe Macromedia Dreamweaver and Fireworks depending on the clubs needs. Also you obviously need a computer with an internet connection to make, upload and view the site. The website will have different pages to the site like home, members, contact us, about, events, register and site map. Database: A database would be very useful for the club because currently they have a long list of members and their information and details all on paper. So a computerized way of storing, inputting, viewing and editing data would be extremely useful because it would increase the speed and efficiency at which the staff would view and input data. The database will store information including but not limited to: name, address, email, phone number and date of birth. The hardware which we will need is a computer for making the database and the program. The software which we will need to create the actual database file would be Microsoft Access or SQL Server, and the software which we will need to create the program which can access the database and provide methods for viewing and inputting data could be Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual C# or any other programming language. We could just create the database and the interface both in Access but a good programming language offers a lot more flexibility and functions. Forms: This can prove to be very useful for the club because currently the club has all of its forms on paper. So with computerized forms, when members want to book a plane for skydiving, or want to enroll for summer bungee jumping classes then the staff can just input the data needed in a Microsoft Word template and print it for the member. The hardware which we may need is a computer for printing and inputting data in forms, printer for printing out forms and receipts. The software which we will need is Microsoft Word with a customized template for each form so the staff can just open Word and load the template so all the fields required would already be there, they would just need to fill them in. Printer: The club will definitely need a good color printer to print out all sorts of things like forms, receipts, posters, banners, leaflets and pictures. The club right now doesnt have a computer or a printer so they cannot make any banners or posters to advertise their club or any new events or services. Also because they dont have a printer they cannot print out forms and receipts so they have to right down the information for a receipt and then give it to the member or the customer which is very time consuming and inefficient. The hardware which we will need is obviously a computer to connect the printer with and to send data to the printer so that it can print the desired information. E-commerce: An e-commerce system would also be useful for the club if they want to sell their own extreme sports gear like snowboards, goggles, etc. Or things like Proudlies Xtreme t-shirts and caps to promote their club and make it more popular. An online shopping system would enable them a place where members or customers could go, get and purchase sporting gear online. A link to the catalogue would be added to the main website. The online shop would also enable PXtreme to make a lot of extra money which they could use to improve their services. Programs we might need for this could be editors like Microsoft FrontPage or Namo Web Editor. The hardware needed would be a computer with an internet connection to make, upload and view the site. Camera: A camera should be necessary for this club because if the club has a camera then it could do many things like take pictures from events and post them on the site for other members to view. The club could take pictures of the summer programs in action. It could take pictures of the club itself so that people know what it looks like and they might come and enroll for membership or it could take pictures of the staff so that they can post it up on the site in staffing section. With a camera they would be able to upload the pictures onto a computer and then it will be a lot easier for them to make posters and banners because they would be able to insert the clubs pictures in them. The hardware needed would be a computer to upload the pictures on and then print them if needed, and the software required to upload photos will come with the camera. Staffing: The staff in PXtreme is made up of 5 people: the founder, the president, the vice president, secretary and the treasurer. This is the board of directors. These people will be running the club for the next 4 years and they have just been elected by the members of the club apart from the founder who will be looking after the club until he retires. The staff gets a very small salary and this isnt their full-time job, they have another job besides running the club. These people are running PXtreme just because they love sports. Each person is looked at in detail below. Founder: The founder of this club is Ozzy Kumar who has been with the club ever since it was made. Ozzy grew up in Yorkshire but moved to Hong Kong for financial reasons. He studied in Leeds University and finished his masters in computer science and graduated with first class honors. He doesnt do much except for making sure that his club is running fine without any problems and is making lots of profit. He is obsessed with extreme sports like snowboarding which is why he opened up this club. He isnt directly involved with anything going on in the club but he was the one who hired the four people below. President: The president of Proudlies Xtreme is Jenice Whitehouse. She grew up in London, driven by her love of history she went on to Bristol University to complete her BA. Jenice is the head of staff and she is the one who comes up with new events, services, makes sure that the staff is doing its job properly and makes sure that the club is running smoothly without any problems. She makes the big decisions for the club like when to buy new equipment and basically supervises everything which is going on. She knows every little nook and cranny of the club because she is always cruising around the club ensuring everythings working well. The IT needs which would be useful to her would be the website which she would use when she wants to update any events or news. Vice President: The vice president of PXtreme is Robin Hampshire who helps Jenice Whitehouse with everything. He grew up in Scotland and studied in De Montfort University Bedford when he gained a BSC in sport science and a PGCE in Physical Education. He helps to make decisions and also its his job to decide what sports the club should provide and when and where the classes and training programs should be. He is never to far from the action and is always involved with all the activities going on. The IT needs which would help him would also be a website and he would use it when he needs to upload information about events and programs. Secretary: The secretary of PXtreme is Ivy Alba who really loves extreme sports and her role in the club is to handle all the paperwork. She is Korean but has lived in Hong Kong. She studied in Newcastle for a BA in Sports Studies followed by time at the University of Exeter, St Lukes College where she gained her PGCE. She also has to keep track of all the members information and details. She is the one who signs up new members and she also handles any phone calls to the club. Ivy is very good at art so she has been assigned to make small posters and leaflets informing members of new events. The IT needs which she would find useful are the database, forms and the printer. She would use the database when she wants to add new members to it or edit member info, and she would use the forms to print and give to the members. Treasurer: The treasurer of PXtreme is Jack Frost who grew up in Japan and is a graduate of Leeds University. Jack only loves two things in life: business studies and extreme sports. He is in charge of all the finance, the funds, revenues and taxes. He decides the membership fees and the fees for specific training programs or summer classes. He sees how much money comes in per month and handles the money accordingly. He decides what equipment needs to be bought. The IT needs which he would find useful would be the e-commerce system. He will figure out the pricing and cost of each product and handle the purchasing process.

The swine flu

The swine flu Currently, there has been an international concern and fear about the disease The Swine or Swine Flu. The main question that all the experts were worried about was whether the swine flu is an epidemic or a pandemic. An epidemic is defined as an outbreak of a contagious disease that can be widely spread and affects lots of people at the same time. A pandemic is a disease that spreads not only in a local region but, worldwide. On April 2009 the swine flu did not meet the definition of a pandemic, however, the WHO (World Health Organization) declared that the swine flu is a pandemic by the mid of June 2009. This is where the nightmare started. The swine flu was given that nickname due to the transfer of the virus from pigs to human. The Swine is considered as a type of an influenza disease. Influenza is a disease that people usually catch at least once in their lifetime. The influenza or the flu was a deadly disease in the past, but now there are the proper vaccinations and medications to fight it. Swine Flu is an extremely contagious disease and it easily spreads from one person to another whether it was through exhaled air, sneezes, coughs, or even shaking hands with an infected person or a person who has touched an infected object. When doctors or experts talk about influenza they argue that its not a serious disease, but on the other hand it affects the bodys immunity and makes it vulnerable to bacterial and viral attack. Its believed that the H1N1 is transferred the same way the regular influenza is. Newspapers, magazines, and TV newscasters are constantly babbling about the swine flu, and it has taken the lead on every front page. The question here is: is swine flu worth all the attention its getting on the media, on the street posts and on the TV channels? Or is it just as so called a propaganda and another way for a money grab? The answer can be explained in many ways. To start off, the swine flu is caused by an influenza of the classification A. Influenza A has the subtypes that include viruses HIN1, H1N2, H2N3, H3N1, and H3N2. The viral strain H1N1 is the virus that spread in the flu pandemic of 2009. In the United States it is declared that in ever one thousand people, forty need direct access to the hospital and one person dies. The World Health of Organization stated at July-17-2009 that there have been 89,921 cases and 382 deaths worldwide. Deaths and cases of the swine flu are mainly spotted in the US. Through these statistics it is proved that the swine flu is a dangerous case mainly in the United States and not in other countries. The incubation period (the time between the illness and appearance of symptoms) for the swine flu as claimed by the HPA (Health Protection Agency) lies between two and five days. A person suffering from The Swine will experience at least three of the following symptoms: coughing and sneezing, headache, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, aching muscles, and diarrhea or vomiting. When a person is suffering from those symptoms he/she is in a highly contagious state; he/she can easily pass on the virus to others. Usually, it takes around a week for the person to pull through, and once the symptoms are gone the person is no longer infectious to others around him. The swine flu is a highly contagious disease as declared by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). It can pass easily from one person to another. Scientifically speaking, The Swine is just like the other flu diseases; it is an airborne disease; the virus spreads from an infected persons nose or mouth when he coughs or sneezes, through the air droplets. Those who are having swine flu sometimes cough without covering their mouth, or washing their hands afterwards. Thus, the virus easily spreads on the objects surfaces that the infected person touches which include: door handles, keyboards, mobiles, remote controllers, etc It is believed that a virus survives on a hard surface for about 24 hours and on a soft surface for 20 minutes only. If an uninfected person touches these surfaces within these timings, he/she will catch the virus simply by touching their face. There are some certain cases that put people under a higher risk of catching the swine flu. Firstly, the swine flu seems to be of a great danger to pregnant women. Pregnant women should avoid catching the swine flu and this is by keeping away from congested areas like airports and cinemas. If they are living with someone who has the swine flu, they should be given Relenza (to a type of medication to be discussed shortly). Relenza should be taken through and inhaler rather than a tablet to accumulate in the pregnant womens lungs and throats and not in the blood, this way, their baby wont be affected. Secondly, people with certain health conditions and chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes are put in jeopardy with the swine flu dangers as the H1N1 virus targets a vulnerable immune system. Those suffering from a chronic health condition are obliged to be immunized with both, the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. They should keep a record of the medications that they are receiving for their chronic disease, and once they are in doubt of having the swine flu, they should keep on using these medications unless their personal health care supervisor says otherwise. Experts and researchers tried to come up with a lot of solutions and treatments to the nightmare, the swine flu. There are two vaccines made for The Swine. The first vaccination is called Pandemrix and the second is called Celvapan. Both of these inoculations have been licensed and legally distributed. The Celvapan vaccine is taken in two doses, three weeks apart. At the time being, vaccinations are available only in the US and Europe since developing countries cannot afford to produce their own vaccines. An important thing to take into account is to whom The Swine can be deadly and very dangerous to. The Public Health Agency of Canada claimed that mainly, people who are aged fewer than 65 years are supposed to take the vaccination since the swine virus is more likely to affect nonelderly people because those who are older than 65 years seem to have natural immunity for swine flu. Moreover, pregnant women should be immunized straight away as The Swine seems to target pregnant women, it is claimed the higher risks of the swine flu occur at the late stages of pregnancy (the last three months of pregnancy), and they are advised to take the Pandemrix vaccine as it produces a sufficient amount of protection in your body after a single dose. In addition, children (aged between six months and five years) are the best objective for swine flu, but, babies under the age of six cant take the vaccine as it will show no response for adequate protection. A person who lives with someone who has a weak immune system as a result of being infected with a disease such as cancer or aids is strongly advised take the vaccination as he/she is more prone to The Swine attack. However, there are some people, but quite a few who are prohibited to take the swine flu vaccine. Firstly, the vaccine should not be given whatsoever to someone who had a brutal allergic reaction to the first dose of the vaccination. Secondly, the Pandemrix vaccine is prepared in hens eggs so those who have egg allergies or had breathing problems when taking egg products should not take the vaccine. Nevertheless, the Celvapan virus is not prepared in hens eggs therefore people who have egg allergies are obliged to take this vaccination. Conversely, there are some symptoms to the swine flue vaccinations. It is declared that there are no deaths or serious events that occurred from the vaccination. Side effects that might result after a swine flu immunization include: Tenderness, pain, redness, hardening of the skin, swelling and bruising. In addition, a vaccinated person might suffer from whole-body side effects that involve: Severe headaches, muscle pain, chills, queasiness, fever, and vomiting. However, experts came up with Adjuvant which is a substance added to a vaccine to improve its performance and make it more efficient in supporting the body in strong immune response. In addition, Tamiflu and Relenza are two major antiviral medications to suppress the effects of the swine flu, but not cure it completely. When a virus enters your body, it controls and manipulates healthy cells and orders them to make copies of themselves. Relenza acts on stopping the action of making copies of the virus from infected cells in the lungs. As a result, the process of spreading the virus in the body is slowed down and thus lessening the symptoms. The earlier you start taking Relenza (within 48 hours since the symptoms are felt in adults) the better it functions in protecting your body against The Swine. Tamiflu works the same way Relenza does in the body, although, Relenza concentrates on lessening the flu symptoms by one and a half days on average, while Tamiflu reduces the fly symptoms by up to two days on average. The Chamomile drink as believed by the Chinese has a similar composition to the Tamiflu antiviral medication but on the other hand has an even better effe ct and at a lower price. People with white masks are spotted everywhere lately, certainly in airports and other congested areas. Health officials say that facemasks can mislead people into thinking that theyre effective in protection against the swine flu. In reality, facemasks are only effective when they are worn in a correct manner and when they are changed on regular basis because facemasks can get damped from breathing, and thus more likely to catch viruses. People are depending a lot on facemasks that theyre getting less concerned with washing their hands more often. Moreover, the vaccination, antiviral medications are not the only ways to treat the swine flu or suppress its effects, there are several basic day-to-day things that people are advised to take for the sake of avoiding the swine flu as much as possible, these things involve: Washing your hands constantly, because you might have touched a contaminated surface, therefore keeping the hands clean will help you avoid the swine flu (remember to keep a hand sanitizer with you wherever you may go). Cough and sneeze in a manner to cover your mouth, this way you will not spread the virus to other uninfected people. Dispose used and dirty tissues. Clean the hard surfaces such as door handles more often and by using a suitable, and effective cleaning product. Avoid crowds and public transportations; this is the foremost important tasks to do if you want to avoid swine flu as it lessens the chance of being so close to someone and getting the swine flu as a result of that. If you cant avoid a certa in crowd try to follow the 6-foot-rule ; try to stand 6 feet away from a person who is coughing or sneezing. Visit your doctor straight away if you are experiencing any swine flu symptoms and they will give you the proper medications, antivirals and vaccinations specifically for your case. We should not waste our time in sitting back and listening to the news and media talking about how swine flu is very dangerous, risky and hopeless. Instead, we should put in more of this effort in developing natural immunity against the swine flu. We should have a healthier diet which majorly contains vitamins. Vitamins A and D like cod liver oil tends to give a great protection against such an infection. Moreover, vitamin c obtained from citrus drinks is a must for maintaining natural immunity If you catch the swine flu, do not panic! Contain the illness; take a good care of yourself, pamper yourself more often, drink plenty of water and other fluids, take a plenty of rest. Try coughing into the elbow of your hand to avoid passing your virus to others through hand shaking. Get rid off your dirty tissues yourself; dont let someone else do it for you! The media always claims that we live in an unsafe world and anything (like the swine flu) that throws us out of control invites pathogens (viruses and bacteria) to take over our body cells. But how shall we react depends on our logic and common sense not on the medias talk. The medias only main concern is to make a scary situation even worse than it really is. There are so many incidents that took place and proved the media wrong about how bad the swine flu is. Firstly, out of 2,000,000 people in the pilgrimage this year only 350 died and off course not all died out of The Swine Secondly, death cases are very rare and statistics show that worldwide every 1 in 4000 people die of swine flu. As a conclusion, I think that the swine flu is not as bad as the media says it is. Most companies are exaggerating about the fact that the swine flu is very dangerous just for the sake of money grab. People are not supposed to be tricked into believing that its dangerous because, by common sense, the symptoms are very clear and significant and once they are experiencing some of the symptoms all they are left to do is visit a health care professional, take the proper medications, antivirals, and try their best to minimize their contact with others. On the other hand, people should be aware of the fact that the swine flu is just like the regular seasonal influenza, and it can be simply avoided by maintaing good hygiene like washing their hands more often, and carrying a hand sanitizer or an alcohol based hand wash everywhere they go. People are wasting a lot of effort in thinking of the dangerous consequences of the swine flu; they should instead spend more time on trying to work on de veloping natural immunity against it. It is believed that those who catch the swine flu feel very dreadful when experiencing its symptoms, but most of them end up recovering with no problems and sometimes even without the aid of medical treatments. Bibliography: Jamieson D et al. (2009). H1N1 2009 Influenza virus infection during pregnancy in the USA. Lancet 2009; 374: 451-458. Neusdat, R. And Fineberg, H. (December 1977). The Swine Flu Affair. The United States: McGraw companies. McNeil Jr., Donald G. (2009-04-26). Flu Outbreak Raises a Set of Questions. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/health/27questions.html. Parkash, S. (01 Jan 2010). Swine flu diagnosis and treatment. United Kingdom: Daya publishing house.

Introduction To Personal Development Plan Personal Development Essay

Introduction To Personal Development Plan Personal Development Essay 1. Introduction to Personal Development Plan: Personal Development Plan (PDP) refers to activities that improve self-knowledge and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. The concept is not limited to self-development but includes formal and informal activities for developing others as well. Finally as personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human development at the individual level in organizations. A personal development plan is a meticulously designed program which uses psychological tools such as the Personal Effectiveness Scale and created in order to create an understanding between a reviewer and an employee of an organization on important areas of development keeping in mind the ways in which these needs would be supported. PDPs are usually developed in companies and it acknowledges th e plan discussed between the employer and employee. 2. Purpose: In this assignment I want to create Personal Development Plan for myself through which I would try to focus on the areas where I need to work upon in order to achieve my short, medium and long-term objectives. So to start the process of developing a PDP for myself I would like to start with my introduction and my career path till date and my future objectives. I work in an Indian government financial organization as an investment consultant at the commercial investment section and my career objective would be to become the manager of companys zonal branch in next 3-4 years. My aim is to open my own financial invest farm for commercial investors in next 5-6 years. 3. Objectives: Short term To improve my performance to get better output using my strong points. Medium term To enhance my day to day working knowledge and to further improve my own ability to perform at a certain level consistently. Long term To help myself with self evaluation of my strong and weak points and build upon the ability to sustain continuous growth and keep growing. Short term To improve my performance to get better output using my strong points. Target Period 6 Months Organisational objectives Try to implement the plan and increase the amount of loans to the needed people and organisations. Learnings to suffice the above requirement To perfect and constantly evaluate my skills. Need to perform to achieve the above Need to attend courses and complete reviews by the senior management people. Support resources I might need to join a specific and planned course and which might require some money to be invested. What immediate success am I looking at To raise my performance at an exceptionally good level by the end of 1st year with the help of learnings and feedback provided on the above. Target period to accomplish the above target Though I am looking at a time frame of 6 months but would be pushing it to achieve as soon as possible. Medium term To enhance my day to day working knowledge and to further improve my own ability to perform at a certain level consistently. Target Period 6 months Objectives towards achieving organizational and departmental goals Learning and enhancing my knowledge on the subject by implementation of own PDP and bringing the knowledge on day to day performance. Facts that I need o learn Constantly evaluate self performance and find out new paths of improvement in anything and everything I require to perform. What myself need to do to achieve the above Need to attend some specific courses related to my work field and try to learn as much as possible from the experienced seniors at work and also get review on my learnings. Kind of resources I would require to support the above expected achievement Might need to join a specific and planned course and which might require some money to be invested. What will be my expected success To have a clear self understanding of what I am doing and what is my expected outcome in near future. Target period to accomplish the above target Planned time frame is 6 months but expecting to achieve by end of 4-5 months. Long term To help myself with self evaluation of my strong and weak points and build upon the ability to sustain continuous growth and keep growing. Time period 1 to 4 years Organizational and departmental objectives Implementation of my PDP and enhance my knowledge in financial domain and increase my work experience to be able to reach the managerial level of the organization with remarkable remuneration package within 2-3 years and then to open my own investment company to help small time investors in the state. What would I need to learn and apply to achieve the above To be perfect in my work keeping the process in place and keeping an eye on constant evaluation of self financial and managerial skills, work hard and climb the corporate ladder at the earliest. What will I need to do to achieve the above To attend available courses, Learn from experienced sources. Keep the performance level at an exceptional standard. Create a network of high and influential people both from inside and outside of organization. Create favorable environment in my organization. Completion of self reviews on a regular and timely basis. What kind of resources and support I would need to support the above expectation Need to be get closer with influential clients and higher management people of the organization which might involve some cost in way of entertaining them and provide them with some help in completing and meeting their demand. To create a network of powerful and influential people for myself. Target period to accomplish the above Planned time frame is 1 4 years but expecting to achieve by end of 3 years. 4. Professional Skills: To be a successful and effective manager some skills are required, which help in performing well in the job and simultaneously grow vertically in the career ladder. I have classified the roles based on various important tasks that I would expect to perform in the organization. Task-based skill This skill helps a manager to properly plan to execute complex tasks, manage projects and run an efficient operation, it also helps in planning, organizing and monitoring performance on a regular basis. It is also important to be results oriented, to be someone who constantly conveys a sense of urgency and has the perseverance to get things done under tight time pressures. This also help to be able to build resilience to bounce back following setbacks and to build the power within to not to get defeated easily and sustain in crunchy situations. Team based skill This skill helps a manager in identifying and appointing associate or model leaders to learn and develop leadership skills and qualities. This also helps to foster team spirit and setting up benchmark for performances. This is the most important factor to groom team members. This skill facilitates the presence of necessary infrastructure supports and integrating tem members. Team member based skills This skill specifically helps the manager to identify the talent among team members. This helps the manager to nurture the talent of the members in sync with the organizational goals. This is also important quality to assign and balance team members needs and the most importantly to appreciate the performance of each individual team member as and when necessary. My learnings on positive managerial and leadership skills: In my earlier employment with the Bajaj Allianz life insurance I had a chance demonstrate my managerial skill which worked in a very positive way to get my new job where I am in now. I had to suggest one of our client the best option to invest his money. To work out the best result for him, I did my research on all the available options and studied the pros and cons of all kind of investments options like investment in a market linked insurance fund, directly buying shares or debentures from stock market, investment in bonds or confirmed minimum returns on investments like fixed deposits, mutual funds etc and provided him with my suggestion which was a market linked infrastructure bond along with a health insurance. The return received by the client made him give a positive feedback about my commercial insight and which in turn helped me create goodwill for my company. This also helped me create a long term relationship with the client as well as build my network of people ensuring t hat I can always expect him to reach out to me for his future investments and in turn can use his contacts and influence to help me in future. In Bajaj Allianz, I had also been allotted the responsibility of providing training to newly joined insurance agents and the field and trainee managers who were newly inducted in the company. This was vital help and knowledge gain for me to nurture and polish my people management skill as I was responsible to train people with the product knowledge as well as the rules and regulations of the company as well as the companys position and field of operations in the market. This helped me a lot in understanding our target audience and helps them understanding the products and the company in the most efficient way as possible. This role and my performance were very instrumental to judge my leadership and management skill from the positive feedback of the trainees. 5. Personal skills: Communication Communication is one of the most important tool which needs to be used very effectively when it comes to being a manager or a leader. It can be formal or informal, work related or non work related, can be personal or impersonal, creative or factual. Thoughts or messages may be conveyed verbally, in writing or nonverbally, but it is always very important that whichever subject or whatever mode it is conveyed, it is clear to both the owner and the receiver. There are many instances where examples of each communication approach may have been successfully applied and at the same time things have gone wrong just due to the improper communication, be it at work, at home or at the most highest level of society including government communication. Written Person should be able to express himself loud and clear in written communication. Be it writing essays for school or writing an application for a job, creating his bio-data, research thesis, day to day email communications, anywhere and everywhere it is very important to be clear about what he or she is trying to convey and to be sure the person at the other end is clear about the message. Verbal As he word goes that speech out of mouth and arrow out of bow can never be returned back, so it is highly important that we choose words before any verbal communication is made. Be I formal or informal, person should be well efficient and double clear about conveying thoughts easily and getting engaged with other people. It is also to be kept in mind the mode by which message is conveyed, whether socially among friends or in a gathering or on telephone. Body Language Another most important but highly ignored way of communication is the persons self body language. Person has to have the ability to match is own body language appropriately to what he or she is trying to convey verbally. It is the presence and display of body language which supports the verbal communication heavily in every places, be it at work or at a public gathering or be it in a social function. The eye contact, gestures and postures, movement, expressions everything is highly counted when it comes to any communication to take place and to produce the desired outcome. 6. Working in team: Its very important and highly noticed by the management of any organization is that how well a manager can work with the fellow team members. Its valued at a very high level, not only in case of work but otherwise in all respect, its important to demands to have good skill to work with others and create a positive environment. The factors which are included in this skill set are as below. Co-operation A person should have the quality to be able to co-operate with all level of people in all kind of situations. Its highly important to be able to bring into effect the co-cooperativeness in both way, from the person himself and to get the same from others, which plays a big role in accomplishing any target. Not only work but any group activity like in sports, or group discussion or for that matter preparing project report, in every cases co-operation in a positive way is very important. Importance of sensitivity It is this skill which makes a person close and valuable to others. Ability to understand the need and offer help and respond is very important, regardless of age and level. A person who can reach out to anyone and display his sensibility to help others to handle situation is one of the best quality one should develop. Quality of negotiation Its important to reach at a logical end and desired outcome, but it does not happen always that you are in win win situation. In day to day activity also a person needs to be flexible enough to sometime negotiate and compromise to reach at a winning outcome. It is not always that the person or organization you are dealing with very understanding, rather it is highly common that people are reluctant to think the way you are thinking, especially when it comes to government organization and bureaucratic run departments. Leadership quality This is purely team oriented. How good a person in conveying his ideas to fellow members and provide them with a feeling that they are important for the success and most importantly motivate and encourage each individual member in all situation to give their best for the overall success is the best quality a leader can wish for. 7. Problem solving qualities To have the skill to generate ideas to solve any kind of problems and bring an end to issues and conflicts are counted as the problem solving skill of a person. Planning and organizing The ability develop a well thought plan and set the required sequence of systematic process and ideas are part of a successful result in every part of day o day to life. Planning is one thing and organizing the required requirements and executing them as per plan comes under a persons perfect organizing skill. It also comes handy when we think about simply organizing a group, party or get together or for that matter clients demonstration, a proper planning and execution through seamless organizing skill is highly important. Creativity Generating new ideas or reusing existing solutions in a new way is what it matters when it comes to handling a situation or solving a problem. Its not always that we need to come up with new approach or ideas to deal with a situation, but we should be able to use any existing methods in a better way and apply the same in a different approach depending on the kind and nature of issues. Research and analysis Doing a thorough research on the subject and gathering all sort of required informations plays a vital role to derive at a successful outcome. Not only gathering informations but then analyzing the same in respect of the situation and nature of the issue gives a chance in most of the cases that the result is expected in a positive way. 8. Self learning and improving performance Self development This talks about knowing self strength and weakness. It is the most important skill a human being needs to develop to grow and find out his ultimate goal in life. Understanding his own strength and weakness about his personal ability, educational capability and career goal is what makes a person to reach where he wants to. On personal front he or she needs to know which skill is better in him and which is the strong point he can bank upon to pursue his career. On educational front its not only the normal study what is basic, but it is the self evaluation of his progress, constant review and correction towards his targets which is very important. As per the career development, it is very important to be clear and focused towards the ultimate goal in his career. He has to be firm on his decision on what he wants to be and work constantly towards reaching that level. Leaning To be able to learn from all available situations and apply the same learnings in different contexts as and when required. Its not only books, but learning from day to day experience, from playing a game, working at home, nurturing his hobby, learning can be from anything and every situation a person come across, but what is important to find out whether we apply the same when we face any situation, thats more important. It is the transfer of our learning experience from one situation to another situation is what we need to be good at. Logical reasoning Person should have to be able to use his reasoning skill and logical thinking towards defending an argument or making a statement. A planning without any logical reasoning in place can never produce positive result. He has to foresee the effects of the planning in advance and that is only possible when he can think logically and apply the proper reasoning behind the decision taken or else it can only produce an adverse result. Self judgment One of the most important skill is to be able to judge and question his own performance. Unless a person can reflect on his own performance and find out where he stands as per his expectation and critique his sort falls, he can never revaluate and find out the reason and also the answers for the incorrect result. It is self judgment and revaluation which can work as the corrective measure and can rebuild the situation and change the failure to success. Study skill To enhance knowledge on subject from finding more and more informations from people around and relevant sources. Going through different educative materials, gathering informations from journals, available notes, collecting ideas from reference books from library, going through thesis, finding documents available on net there are so many ways of increase your study skill and enhance self-knowledge on the subject which will only make you stronger and firm while talking on the subject or when taking decisions. 9. Audit on self assessment: Questionnaire Now to find where I stand as per my target achievement and planning and evaluate my progress, I need to create a set of questionnaire and mark myself depending on the options of answers. I need to find out what is my score on each question there can be four options Answers Marks 1. Strongly Disagree 1 2. Tend to disagree 2 3. Tend to agree 3 4. Strongly agree 4 Communication Reading skill Questions Marks Am I good enough in reading both study materials and others Am I good enough in finding information from different sources Am I well versed with finding informations from electronic media Am I capable enough to go through and understand the materials after reading Can I create documents from the above informations when I work on assignments or projects Am I able to read texts or documents and summarize the gist of what the author had tried to convey __________________ Total Marks Obtained 22 (4+4+4+4+3+3) Communication Writing skill Questions Marks Am I good enough in writing both study related or normal communication Am I good enough in expressing my ideas and views Do I plan and develop ideas in mind before penning it down How good am I when it come to grammar or spelling Am I capable enough to create documents as per specifications of department or course or the institution standard Am I good enough to create notes from a lecture or group discussions or a presentation or any demonstration __________________ Total Marks Obtained 21 (4+3+4+4+3+2) Communication Verbal Questions Marks Am I clear when I engage myself in any verbal communication Am I good enough in conveying and explaining concepts or ideas to group of people Am I good enough in giving a presentation using slides, graphs, charts, diagrams Do I listen carefully to others and try to understand their point of views Can I always come to a logical conclusions keeping both my own and others views Am I good enough in getting involvement of people when I discuss or convey or present _____________________ Total Marks Obtained 18 (4+2+2+4+3+3) Team Work Questions Marks Am I a good team member Am I clear in understanding the target goal and achievement of the team Do I agree and work towards achieving the teams target Am I sensitive enough about each fellow team members roles in achieving success Am I good enough in monitoring the teams progress and efforts and bring forward challenges faced by the team towards achieving target Given a chance would I be able to lead a team _____________________ Total Marks Obtained 21 (4+4+4+4+3+2) Problem Solving Questions Marks Am I skilled enough to break down a big task in small executable part Do I look for help when I cannot get through the problem rather than wasting time Do I enjoy the challenge in solving problems and feel happy at the end Do I plan and do a brainstorm session involving the team members as and when necessary before getting started Do I foresee the possible outcome before I carry the task out Am I flexible and capable enough to look for alternate solutions depending on situations and progress rate _____________________ Total Marks Obtained 21 (3+4+4+3+3+4) Self learnings and personal effectiveness Questions Marks Am I organized at my work and organize my tasks in order to meet target and deadlines Do I constantly evaluate self progress towards meeting the target Am I clear about my strength and weakness about planning and meeting targets on time Am I capable enough to find help and support to complete assigned tasks Am I clear about my future targets about my career Do I discuss my thoughts with people around _____________________ Total Marks Obtained 21 (4+3+4+4+4+2) Grand Total 124 Deriving at my strength and weakness based on the above self assessment audit: Strengths From above audit I can see that my strengths are good communication skill, being a good team member, inclination towards solving problem etc I would always try to use these strong points very effectively to manage work and towards achieving my objectives in career. Weaknesses I can see my weaknesses in the fields of creating documents, making presentation, lack of confidence in leading a team and being little introvert. I would definitely work towards fixing these issues at the earliest with the help of my strength. 10. Result Evaluation: The result is not quite surprising to me as I knew some of my weaknesses. Though I am always a good team member and my communications are good but I am not good in making presentations and creating documents. I also lack in taking quick decisions sometime. But to me, the bigger issue seems like my lack of confidence in leading people. I am little introvert and not very vocal which might have led to me being less confident. 11. Action Plan: Development Area: Presentation Skills / Leadership Quality / Decision Making The plan is to conduct mock sessions and practice as much as possible. This would prevent me from any kind fear in me when presenting real-time. After all, presenting a piece of information in a compelling manner is vital to a manager and there is gets all the more necessary to get groomed on the presentation skills. Also I hope these training sessions will let me gain the confidence to present in front of crowd or a business group. I would join some short courses, attend seminars and workshops on effective leadership quality development, though I am always a good team player but I need to gain the confidence and quality of leading a team as well. I also would work with some senior level management people who are at decision making authority level to find out more on the skill and try to improve upon. 12. Conclusion: From my self prepared PDP, I am quite confident that I am on the right path and also confident that I can overcome the weaknesses I have in some specific fields with help from internal and external sources and also would try to use my strong points to dominate over my weaknesses. I want t be on the right track and would want to see myself as a role model for people who wants to succeed in financial sector and want to reach to the managerial level and start his own entrepreneurship.

Jack Merridews Decline in Lord of the Flies Essay -- essays research

Civilization is the force that keeps us all in line. We are taught from an early age that if we break a rule, we are punished. Why? Because that’s how society works. What would happen, though, if we took away society, civilization, and punishment. Would we keep up the rules that had been etched into us since birth and keep living in a civilized manner? In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores this scenario. In his opinion, a person would abandon all ideas of society and revert into a savage, relying on primal instincts to survive. The main character that goes through this is Jack. Throughout the book, Jack goes from being a civilized choir boy to a savage tyrant. In the beginning of the book a plane crashes onto an island and the only survivors are a group of boys in a school choir. Enter Jack: the leader of a small group of choir boys. They call a meeting and decide how things will be run and decide on the rules. Jack seems for them, saying â€Å"We’ll have rules!...Lots of rules and then when anyone breaks ‘em-â€Å"(33). They then vote on a leader. The candidates are Jack and Ralph, and Ralph won. Although he isn’t happy about it, Jack accepts his loss, and decides to try his hand at exploring. While exploring with Ralph and Simon, Jack comes across a wild pig. He draws his knife in order to kill it but finds that he can’t. Something deep inside him says that it’s wrong to kill, â€Å"They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh, because of the unbearable blood†. In his moment of hesitation the pig runs off, and he puts aw ay the knife. Civilization won this time. Even though his choir group is supposed to be watching the fire and making sure it’s lit, Jack takes ... ... of calls to communicate. He has complete power over the tribe, bending them to his will. He’s become a dictator, savage and brutal. Rules no longer apply to Jack because he’s forgotten the society he comes from. All he cares about now is killing Ralph to take revenge. In his mind, killing is a totally acceptable thing to do. Jack has lost all reason. His plan to kill Jack fails though, when an unexpected rescuer shows up. It is unknown if Jack ever regains his civilized self. It seems unlikely though, given how he is at this point. Civilization is the thing that keeps us in line. We have a system of checks and balances to make sure everyone behaves. If someone does something we believe to be morally wrong the person is punished. Take away civilization and society will go to ruin. People will revert back to their primal selves. Going on instinct and not intellect. Jack Merridew's Decline in Lord of the Flies Essay -- essays research Civilization is the force that keeps us all in line. We are taught from an early age that if we break a rule, we are punished. Why? Because that’s how society works. What would happen, though, if we took away society, civilization, and punishment. Would we keep up the rules that had been etched into us since birth and keep living in a civilized manner? In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores this scenario. In his opinion, a person would abandon all ideas of society and revert into a savage, relying on primal instincts to survive. The main character that goes through this is Jack. Throughout the book, Jack goes from being a civilized choir boy to a savage tyrant. In the beginning of the book a plane crashes onto an island and the only survivors are a group of boys in a school choir. Enter Jack: the leader of a small group of choir boys. They call a meeting and decide how things will be run and decide on the rules. Jack seems for them, saying â€Å"We’ll have rules!...Lots of rules and then when anyone breaks ‘em-â€Å"(33). They then vote on a leader. The candidates are Jack and Ralph, and Ralph won. Although he isn’t happy about it, Jack accepts his loss, and decides to try his hand at exploring. While exploring with Ralph and Simon, Jack comes across a wild pig. He draws his knife in order to kill it but finds that he can’t. Something deep inside him says that it’s wrong to kill, â€Å"They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh, because of the unbearable blood†. In his moment of hesitation the pig runs off, and he puts aw ay the knife. Civilization won this time. Even though his choir group is supposed to be watching the fire and making sure it’s lit, Jack takes ... ... of calls to communicate. He has complete power over the tribe, bending them to his will. He’s become a dictator, savage and brutal. Rules no longer apply to Jack because he’s forgotten the society he comes from. All he cares about now is killing Ralph to take revenge. In his mind, killing is a totally acceptable thing to do. Jack has lost all reason. His plan to kill Jack fails though, when an unexpected rescuer shows up. It is unknown if Jack ever regains his civilized self. It seems unlikely though, given how he is at this point. Civilization is the thing that keeps us in line. We have a system of checks and balances to make sure everyone behaves. If someone does something we believe to be morally wrong the person is punished. Take away civilization and society will go to ruin. People will revert back to their primal selves. Going on instinct and not intellect.

Creating a Roadmap :: Internet Websites Computers Essays

Creating a Roadmap There are a variety of ways a link can be represented on the web. One of the challenges of designing a page is making a site visually appealing to the eye. Visual perception is how we analyze the world around us. Visual perception is â€Å"an active, thinking process of planning for, as well as interpreting, sensory data from the eyes† (Hilligoss 7). The layout and utilization of graphics serve as a roadmap for any website. Therefore, in order for people to effectively navigate a website, they must be able to communicate effectively through photos, icons, and text. The first key idea is the placement of the photos, icons, or text that will serve as buttons. â€Å"As we look around, we find focal points† and it is these points that direct our attention to the important areas of a page. When placing buttons, we do not want to make the size too small or to have a picture obscured behind text. If both text and graphics are used to represent the button, it is visually appeal ing to keep the text and graphics of equal width. This is exemplified on the main page of the WebCT course page where four pictures are used in conjunction with text labels. Each picture does not exceed the size of the text label, keeping the formatting consistent with the text serving as the foundation for the link. Choosing to use photos, icons, or text as buttons is up to the discretion of the author. â€Å"An icon is a graphic intended to convey a single specific message† (Farkas 208). Icons are largely symbolic and do not realistically represent their intended meanings. Authors M. Jimmie Killingsworth and Michael K. Gilbertson say that â€Å"iconic signs present general impressions that allow the observer to view a thing or a concept as a whole† (55). Iconic symbols should be chosen on their fundamentally understood meanings: a finger pointing right represents ‘Next Page’ or a printer represents the action ‘Print’. Killingsworth and Gilbertson call icons â€Å"relational and holistic,† meaning that the interpretation of a chosen symbol is relative to a culture (53). For a more specific meaning, an author may want to try using photos. Killingsworth and Gilbertson make the distinction that â€Å"the photographic image is not an icon, despite its near perfect resemblance to its object† (52). In this case, a photo must accurately represent the button or link.

Exploring Ethnic Minority Psychology in America Essay -- racism, divers

Reflecting on and changing the face of ethnic minority psychology is very important in today’s society. Race, ethnicity, culture and diversity are pressing societal issues that have existed for several years. Many people face issues everyday with their identity, which is the sense of self being independent of one’s ethnic background; empowering it and then transforming it; whether transforming is for the good or for the bad. People in our society, mainly our youth, have to deal with the pressures of being talked about when it comes down to what race they are, how many freckles they have or their face, how short or tall they are, their size as well as various other things. Interpersonal relationships are considered to have a bidirectional influence as well and can be captured in the saying â€Å"What goes around comes around†. It may not make matters the best, but for that moment, just thinking about the statement makes matters the best at the given time. De mographic changes such as darkening the complexion of America, is forcing psychology to address the needs of growing ethnic minority populations. Reflecting on these issues, dealing with the pressures of facing the different identities and such, different behaviors start to flare up. In this case, it is assumed that superiority humor theory should be used. This theory, having more to do with social groups, social status, social roles, and of course, humor is directed at individuals in positions of power rather than the targeting of the already vulnerable groups. Separating superiority theory from coping or arousal forms is advised. Humor serves as a number of important social functions in interpersonal communication, but it also contradicts remarks saying that there is no ... ...mental health professional, the church may be an important place to go and seek counseling for the issues they may be dealing with at that given time. So who is someone not to be who they are because someone does not like the way they look or the way they talk? It doesn’t matter because you, just like them, are a child of the earth. You do not have to change yourself for anyone because they feel insecure around you. They are not going to admit it but, but everyone goes through it at some time. In conclusion, if one would be willing to have an open mind and accept that the different cultures are united as one in a sense and are here on earth to stay living life would be somewhat peaceful. In spite of the cultural differences we are human and deserve to be treated as such. We had nothing to do with our own creation someone greater was in control.

Attachment in the United States and Amae in Japan Essay

Culture enables people to adjust to their physical as well as social environment. Culture enables the members of society to develop ways of coping with the exigencies of nature as well as ways of harnessing their environment. People also have to learn to relate themselves with others in order to survive. As Schwartz (1998:48) pointed out, the culture of any society represents an adaptation or adjustment to the various conditions of life, including their physical, social, and supernatural environment. No culture is completely static. Every culture is in constant flux; and the changes represent adjustments to the environment. Culture changes at different rates. The changes occur as a result of discoveries, inventions, and cultural borrowing. In some areas, control of the natural environment has been pursued to a point that the society has become endangered. Natural resources, such as bodies of water, forests, plant and animal life and minerals, have been so exploited that the environment is close to destruction. The acceptance of change depends on the exposure of the members of society to new ideas and ways different from their own and their opportunity to accept ideas and ways through diffusion. United States and Japan are belonging to different continents, locations and have different set of people; however, these two countries have similarities in some ways. Its people adapt and practice different cultures. Its culture shapes the behaviors and characteristics of its people that will make them noticeable that these groups of people are come from United States and Japan. Thesis Statement: This study will conduct a cross cultural psychology comparison of Attachment in the United States and Amae in Japan; thus, describes its functions, similarities and differences. II. Discussion A. Its culture, similarities and differences o United States There are a lot of groups of people that reside in United States; whites made up 83. 2 percent of the populations; blacks 11. 7 percent; American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts 0. 6 percent; Asian and Pacific Islanders 1. 5 percent; and other nonwhites 3. 0 percent. The nonwhite groups are concentrated in various parts of the country. Freedom in matters of education and the right of every child to have an education are basic principles in the United States. Unlike many other nations, the United States does not have a central or federal system of education, Establishing and administering public schools is one of the powers exercised by each state (Fritsch, 2001). The state, in turn, delegates much of this responsibility to local school districts. Literacy in the United States is high just like in Japan. In comparison to Japan (which only has two major religions), no other country in the world has a greater variety of religions, communions, denominations, and sects than the United States. More than 220 religious bodies report membership figures. Nearly all branches of Christianity and almost all Protestant denominations are represented. Japan and United States has the same views when it comes to religion (Katzman, 2003). The United States also believe that religious freedom and separation of church and state should be made. Government cannot interfere with religion or show preference for one religion over another. It cannot set up an official, or established, church, nor give support to any religion or to all religions. In the early days of the republic, United States artists and writers were generally regarded as inferior to those in Europe. Be the end of the 19th century, however, an independent national literature of high quality had been established by renowned writers (O’Neill, 2004). Music in the United States was strongly influenced by European music, and study in Europe was considered a necessary part of musical training far into the 20th century. America’s most influential contribution to music was jazz, a form originated by blacks and based on African rhythms. The musical which evolved from burlesque and operetta, was another American innovation. For many years, architects in the United States simply adapted European styles to American climate, landscape, and materials. The favorable economic position and amount of leisure enjoyed by the people of the United States give them unusual opportunities for recreation. Paid vacations became the rule for most industrial and office workers. The most popular outdoor spectator sports are football and baseball. Horse racing and automobile racing have large followings (Kurelek, 2005). o Japan The Japanese people are largely of Mongoloid stock, but little is known about their specific origin. Successive groups of migrating Asians from the mainland are believed to have settled on the islands some time before 300 A. D. Confronting them were the islands’ earliest known inhabitants— the Ainus, a Japanese people have developed from the mingling of these different ethnic groups. Only a few hundred full-blooded Ainus remain, on Hokkaido. Japanese culture is partly of Chinese origin and partly indigenous, for the Japanese adapted and did not merely imitate the culture of the mainland. Since the middle of the 19th century, Japan has been influenced more by the culture of Western countries than by that of its neighbors (Morton, 2004). Adoption of many Western ways produced sharp contrasts between the new and the old. Buildings and clothing, for example, are now seen in both traditional and Western styles. Among forces that have helped to mold the Japanese character are Buddhist, Shinto, and Confucian religious beliefs, the effects of a long feudal period, and the influences of the Japanese industrial revolution. With industrialization came a change from rural to urban living. American influences have been particularly strong since World War II (Smith, 2005). Moreover, its art has been strongly influenced too by Chinese art. From the mainland came the technique of ink painting on silk and the Buddhist influences in sculpture and painting. Flourishing throughout Japan are no, classical plays in which the actors wear masks depicting their character; bunraku, puppet plays; and kabuki, drama with stylized chanting and dancing. An important part of Japanese culture is the tea ceremony, a highly formal ritual, of which there are many variations. As a way of entertaining guests, it is regarded as the best expression of traditional etiquette. Some of the traditional arts—especially classical Japanese music and dance and the tea ceremony—are part of the repertoire of geisha, female entertainers who perform for groups of men. In addition, the family is a traditional and strong institution in Japan. It has a formal structure with authority vested in the male head of the family. The wife is expected to be subservient. Children learn discipline and their respective roles in the family at an early age. Sons are given preference over daughters, and the eldest son is superior to all others (Elkin, 2004). However, many of the more repressive aspects of the family, such as that of parents determining marriages, have weakened since World War II. Japanese homes are noted for their simplicity. Nearly all are built of wood. In many homes, paper-covered wooden frames, called shoji, are used for windows and doors. Being light and easily moved, they allow much of the house to be opened to the out-of-doors. Some homes are adjoined by landscaped gardens. Rooms usually have thick mats, called tatami, on the floor and very little furniture (Elkin, 2004). With regards to Japanese language and religion, the Japanese language is unrelated to other Oriental tongues. However, it is written in characters that originally adapted from Chinese writing. Furthermore, like in the United States, the Japanese constitution provides for freedom of religion and separation of church and state. The two major religions are Shinto and Buddhism. Many Japanese adhere, in varying degrees, to both. With regards to their education, six years elementary education and three of lower secondary school are free and compulsory for children 6 to 15 years of age. At the three-year upper secondary schools, tuition is charged. Education in Japan is highly competitive, and admission to upper secondary school and to college is determined by rigorous entrance examination. As a result, many Japanese children spend their after-school hours attending jukas, â€Å"cram† schools that specialize in preparing students for entrance examinations and other school tests. Japan has virtually no illiteracy (Christopher, 2003). III. Conclusion In conclusion, as I study the two different cultures, I have realized that United States and Japan have some similarities when it comes to their origin. Japan was most influenced by the Westerners and its origin was contributed by other indigenous groups and so is with United States. Everything that we can see from the Japanese and American culture are already been modified by other influences. However, in spite of the strong adaptation of different culture, Japanese remained their being family-oriented. They value the essence of having a united family; thus, a well-structured family role is formed so that each member can have its function. Unlike with the United States, it is very much influenced by the European settlers and based their competencies in European countries. Its culture is more focused on its development to the extent that internal competencies are suffered. I would say that Japanese culture is superb compared to United States because Japan is able to maintain their traditional ways in spite of economic development. Reference: 1. Fritsch, A. J. (2001). The Ethnic Atlas of the United States (Facts on File). 2. Katzman, D. M. (2003). Plain Folks: the Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans (University of Illinois). 3. O’Neill, Thomas. (2003). Back Roads America: a Portfolio of Her People (National Geographic Society). 4. Kurelek, William (2005). They Sought a New World: the Story of European Immigration to North America (Tundra Books). 5. Morton, W. S. (2004). Japan: Its History and Culture (McGraw-Hill). 6. Smith, R. J. (2005). Japanese Society: Tradition, Self, and the Social Order (Cambridge University). 7. Elkin, Judith. (2004). A Family in Japan (Lerner). 8. Christopher, R. C. (2003). The Japanese Mind: the Goliath Explained (Linden Press).