Tell Me Your Dreams Essays - Tell Me Your Dreams,

Tell Me Your Dreams The latest novel written by Sidney Sheldon, "Tell Me Your Dreams", is about three stunning young women. Their names are Ashley Patterson, Toni Prescott, and Alette Peters. They all live in Cupertino, California and work at Global Computer Graphics, a successful, fast-growing young company with two hundred employees in Silicon Valley. Ashley Patterson is a confused woman, but is smart and beautiful. She's lonely, timid, and certainly convinced she's being stalked. Toni Prescott is an insolent, British flirt with a passion for Internet dating and cabarets. Alette Petters is a wannabe artist who chooses quiet, dreamy weekends with handsome painters. Ashley reminds herself of her high school boyfriend, Jim Cleary. He was the most popular boy in Bedford Area High School. He was on the football team, was handsome and amusing and had a killer smile. He had promised her that they would run away together to Chicago, but Ashley was left at the station watching the train to Chicago leave. Toni had met Jean Claude Parent in an on-line chat room. Jean told her all about Quebec City. Toni was interested and would like to go to Quebec one day. Toni and Jean talked on-line every chance they get. Alette also met a guy, Richard Melton, in the Museum of Modern Art, in San Francisco. They talked about great artist and about Alette growing up in Rome. Alette assured Richard that she'd see him again soon. Ashley receives an invitation to her Ten-Year Class Reunion. She decides to go and reunite with all her classmates except the person she wanted to see, Jim. A close friend of hers, Florence Schiffer, tells her the horrible news of Jim. The day after the graduation party, Jim's parents came back and found his body stabbed to death and castrated. She believes her father had killed Jim for her father told Jim to stay away from Ashley. Dennis Tibble was Global Computer Graphics' computer genius. He was known around the plant as "The Fixer." He was in his early thirties, thin and bald with an unpleasant, arrogant attitude. The plant knew he was fixated on Ashley. Ashley didn't like him much but she had agreed that she'd go over to his place to discuss about the advice he needed from her. The last thing she'd remember was taking a sip of wine Dennis had given her and she woke up in the Chicago Loop Hotel three days later from the day she went to Dennis' apartment. She thinks that Dennis raped by slipping a date-rape drug in her drink. When she returns back to Cupertino, Dennis is discovered stabbed to death and castrated. Deputy Sam Blake is the detective for Dennis' murder case. He questions Ashley about Dennis, but she just tells him that she went to his apartment weeks ago for business only. Toni is excited that the company is going to Quebec City for a big computer convention during winter break. She would be able to meet Jean in person. She spends her days in Quebec City with Jean as her tour guide. One day he lets her have a ring in his store and later that night he asked her to go to his place but she had said tomorrow. The next day, early morning, a police officer was driving by Jean's house. He noticed that the door had been left open. He went inside and found Jean's body stabbed and castrated. They knew he was last seen with Toni. But there was no trace of her and there was no information they could find about her except her name, description, and fingerprints. Alette went to meet Richard at the De Young Museum. They had lunch and explored the museum. Richard offered her to come to his apartment and see his painting. But Alette said not yet and she'll see him next weekend. Richard's roommate found stabbed and castrated. The detectives of San Francisco called the detectives of Cupertino explaining that they have the same murder as they do stab wounds and castrations. Deputy Blake had Ashley take a polygraph test. He asked her questions about herself and if she knew the murder victims. The only victims she didn't know were Richard and Jean. She also stated she didn't kill Dennis. When Ashley got home that evening, she saw in bright red lipstick, YOU WILL DIE, in her bathroom mirror. She immediately called Deputy Blake and asked him to stay because she didn't want to be alone. Deputy Blake stayed in the couch

What to do when your boss is stealing your ideas

What to do when your boss is stealing your ideas There are lots of potentially difficult situations that arise in most workplaces- anything from annoying coworkers, to incompetent people on a project team, to having to work twice as hard in an effort to pick up the slack for a lazy, underperforming colleague who always seems to wiggle out of trouble. But the truth is, one of the most challenging professional situations to have to deal with is a scheming and self-serving boss who is constantly stealing your ideas or taking credit for your work, leaving you in the dust with nothing to show for your efforts and accomplishments. Hopefully this doesn’t sound familiar or hit too close to home for you- but if it does, we know how difficult it can be. The last thing any of us want to do is put ourselves into an adversarial situation with our bosses, so there’s a real impulse not to say or do anything about it- which can quietly â€Å"signal† your boss that you’re okay with their bad behavior or at the very least not going to rock the boat for them, which means the theft may continue (or get worse).It’s important to do  something  when your boss is stealing your ideas. But how can you handle the situation delicately enough so that you don’t make things unbearable for yourself, yet firmly and decisively enough to send a clear message that you’re not willing to put up with this?If you or someone you know is struggling with this reality, there is hope, and a way forward. Entrepreneur published an article  that highlights strategies for dealing with a boss who takes credit for your ideas. Use the following to help guide you through the potential hazards and pitfalls of the tough spot you’re in and hopefully make it through unscathed.Step 1: Evaluate the situationWhen you first start getting the feeling that your boss is taking credit for your ideas, your first step is not to unleash the fury on the powers that be in an effort at vengeance or retribution. Take a step back to get some valuable perspective and evaluate the situation. Is your boss really stealing your ideas or just aggregating and presenting the work for the team that reports to her or him? Are you absolutely certain that you’re not getting credit for your work? Just because you may not receive instant adulation for your ideas does not mean that your efforts are going unnoticed. Perhaps your boss is not the overly effusive sort, but nonetheless is appreciative of your contributions and is giving credit where it’s due in a subtle way, or is simply waiting for your next review period to give you your well-deserved rewards? Bottom line- make sure you know for sure that your boss is stealing your ideas before taking things any further.Step 2: Get a second opinion/witness.Okay, so you’re fairly certain that your boss is indeed taking credit for your work- what should you do next? The next best step is to get a second opinion in an effort to have a witness to t he situation in your corner. Why is this so important? Because without a witness, unless you have absolutely irrefutable evidence it’s basically your word vs. your boss’s, and in this scenario the boss often wins. Don’t put yourself in that scenario- instead, choose a credible and reliable witness, preferably someone with a little clout at your workplace, and help your case by having that person in your corner. It could make all the difference if you decide to take things further.Step 3: Document your case.A strong, impassioned story and credible witness will go a long way towards supporting your claim of idea theft, but nothing beats a solid â€Å"paper trail.† Wherever feasible, have some ironclad evidence that documents the onerous events- everything from emails to recorded instances of theft and proof that the ideas were indeed yours to begin with will all serve to substantiate your claim. Nothing is more disheartening than making a bold claim of thef t that you’re unable to prove and it ultimately goes nowhere. Not only will your work situation not improve, it will likely become even more uncomfortable for you there.Step 4: Communicate with your boss.No, we’re not suggesting you kick open their office door and yell at them at the top of your lungs in an effort to get them to admit their wrongdoing. Instead, we’re saying that there may be a more peaceful and professional way to reach a satisfying conclusion. If you politely discuss the situation with your boss, they may be able to capably explain why you’re mistaken about what has transpired. Or maybe they’ll realize they’ve failed to properly give you the credit you’re due are willing to make amends. Often, the path of least resistance is the best one to take first. Hopefully your boss is reasonable enough to deal with, provided your approach is free from hostility and you’re open to reasonable and equitable compromise.If y ou think your boss might be profiting from your ideas without sharing the credit, don’t just do nothing- but don’t do anything rash, either. Take a breath, assess the situation, and make your way through the measured and professional steps mentioned here to come to a resolution that gives you the credit you deserve.

Impact of Structural Adjustment of the World Bank Essay

Impact of Structural Adjustment of the World Bank - Essay Example Structural adjustments are measures formulated to facilitate and accelerate economic development in the targeted economies3. According Ahmed and Lipton structural adjustment police are intended to rectify the structural imbalance in the foreign and public balances2. The policies could be initiated internally by the country concerned or external forces such the World Bank and the international monetary fund. The structural adjustments reforms endeavor to reduce and eliminate the various financial distortions, such as overvalued exchange rate, huge monetary deficits and to restrict inefficient public services that hinder fair distribution of the resources in the economy of particular country1. In general, the structural adjustments are intended to minimize or eliminate the balance of payments and the public sector deficits, with an objective of stimulating high economic growth. In addition, the policies aimed at achieving an appropriate structural change capable of sustaining a robust economic growth and a favorable monetary environment in a particular economy3. One of the major characteristics of the structural adjustments is promoting specialization where the targeted economy is influenced to produce commodities â€Å"tradable† in the global market and reducing factors that enhance production of commodities with no or little economic value, especially in the public domain4. Enhancing the flexibility and adaptability of the targeted economy to the changing global economic environment is an important objective of the structural adjustments. This reduces the effects of adverse global economic changes on the economy of a particular country 3. Structural adjustment policies comprise of measures aimed at facilitating short-term economic stability and long-term adjustments.

Why Literature By Mario Vargas Llosa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Literature By Mario Vargas Llosa - Essay Example Llosa stated that a widespread conception claims literature as a dispensable activity which is in no doubt not of much use for someone with a busy schedule in which only people with ample time can engage in. Since women are these people who possess ample time than men, reading literature has become more and more a female activity. He posited that a society with the absence of literature is one condemned for spiritual barbarism and is jeopardizing its freedom. This is opposed to the effects that reading literature can impact a person or society, and is hence an irreplaceable activity for the formation of a modern democratic society where individuals are free. Llosa also states that the remarkable development of science and technology allows for the emergence of the era in which knowledge is specialized, and as a result, led to the fragmentation of knowledge into numerous compartments and divisions. A person who does not read or reads little is one who suffers from an impediment, who can speak much but can say only a handful due to his deficient vocabulary in the realm of self-expression. The impediment from which he suffers is a poverty of thought since his ideas are supposed to co-exist with his words, but is not so because of foregoing the reading of literature. The term ‘literary’ is also used to define a television program or a film to denote that it is boring and rarely captures the public’s interest. This is how little we regard literature nowadays. However, Llosa claims that without literature, the critical mind would suffer from irreparable loss since it is the real locomotive of historical change and the best protector of a country’s liberty, which must hence be filled with literary feeding.

DuPont Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

DuPont - Essay Example DuPont was not able to adopt right away but because of the need to make steps to cope up with the competition, DuPont introduces the new stainmaster carpets and it become one of the most popular commercial in television. For most of its history, the residential segment had been the most laid back segment of the carpet market. Styles tended to be simple, colors passive, and features uniform across all competitors in the industry. Technically, industry players maintained that differences did indeed exist, but in the words of one industry analyst, "The differences were there in style and fiber quality, but the housewife out shopping for carpet didn't really know or care-she only liked what she could see and feel." As such, DuPont wondered if the styles and designs so popular in the commercial segment could be transferred to the residential segment. Was the average household willing to make carpeting more than just a backdrop for other furnishings If the program were to be successful, it would mean several things: further differentiation from other nylon. The decision of the company adapting to a new technology has been a good move but it also become a decision problem. The company has come up with question that can be answer by a good marketing strategy. Although the advertisement in TV has been successful the consumer usually doesn't care about the style and fiber quality instead they liked what they could see and feel. Problem Definition Defining the problem is the single most important step in the market research process. A clear statement of the problem is a key to a good research. A firm may spend hundreds or thousands of dollars doing market research, but if it has not correctly identified the problem, those dollars are wasted. In our case it is obvious that the problem here is that, will the new stainmaster carpet will be as successful as their original carpet. But even if this is clear, you still need to know what exactly you need to know to make the new approach a success and what specific related to the product is difficult to find out. Problems that may be encountered are: it is unknown what potential markets there are, what customer groups are interested in your products, who the competitors are After formulating your problem, you need to formulate your research questions. What questions need to be answered and which possible sub-questions do you have. Dupont wondered if the styles and designs so popular in the commercial segment could be transferred to the residential segment. Was the average household willing to make carpeting more than just a backdrop for other furnishings With the problem or opportunity defined, the next step is to set objectives for your market research operations. Research objectives, related to and determined by the problem formulation, are set so that when achieved they provide the necessary information to solve the problem. Research, Design and Methodology Design is the activity involved in the development of an artifact or part of artifact from idea of manufacturing hand-off. Essentially, design is about fulfilling the human needs and particularly through the link of innovation, can make a real difference to quality of life. In DuPont, they have welcomed the new technology by introducing their new product line which is the Stainmaster carpet. It has been successful in the television ad but was not really able to penetrate the household. The company should be able to tell

Drama Essays Women in Comedy

Drama Essays Women in Comedy The Changing Role of Women in Comedy. How has comedy between 1950 to 2000 been used by female performers to highlight the oppression and objectification of women in society? What impact has this had on the contemporary female comedian of today? Introduction Overview Chapter One: A Sense of the Times 1950s 1960s 1970s-1980s Chapter Two: Women’s ‘Sense’ of Humour Chapter Three: Issues in Stand-up Comedy Being a Woman Traditional Gender Expectations Aggressiveness Sexuality and Femininity Issues of Power and Control Modes of Stand-up Comedy Self-Deprecation in Women’s Humour Self-deprecation in the work of Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers The domestic goddess Conclusion: The 1990s and Beyond: The Future of Women in Stand-up Comedy Reference List Introduction Comedy is a form of expression which stretches and sometimes breaks boundaries. It crosses all kinds of boundaries, including those of gender. It can be risky because it often ridicules social and moral conventions in a way that challenges and threatens accepted norms, threatening the status quo. This is particularly true of women’s comedy. This paper will examine the way that comedy has been used by female performers during the period from 1950 to 2000, focusing on the themes of oppression and objectification of women in society. It will also analyze the ways in which the experiences of these five decades have affected contemporary female comics. Chapter One gives a general overview of each decade, to explain the political and social climates of that time as a framework for examining the changes in women’s roles. Included will be examples of different women comics whose experiences best represent selected aspects of that time frame. This will be followed by an analysis of what people mean when they talk of a ‘sense of humour’ what, exactly, is a sense of humour? Do women have a different sense of humour than men? Most of the literature about women comics touches on this question on some level; some of the literature goes into a great deal of depth. This is frequently done to respond to the assertion that has been made, repeatedly over the years, that women ‘don’t have a sense of humour’. This statement has been made most frequently by men. However, this same assertion has at times been leveled (often in an accusatory manner) by women toward other women. Chapter One:  Ã‚   A Sense of the Times A. The Decade of the 1950s   The decade of the 1950s was a time of great change. Britain was entering a period of increased affluence and freedom, and many of the old social and cultural structures began to be challenged, particularly by the young. In Hollywood, as well as throughout the United States and North America, post-war sentiment lingered on and mingled with the confusion that accompanies times of great change. In some places, such as Britain, this turmoil was exemplified by a tendency to pull away from formal religion. In the United States, this period was an era of economic growth mixed with a sense of conservation. At the same time, there seemed to be a professed belief in the old values; however, this belief was tinged with doubt. According to one scholar, the professed belief was ‘mixed with a sense of unease that maybe the old values no longer held all the answers’ (Sova, 1998, 106). According to critics Linda Martin and Kerry Segrave, the portrayal of women during the 1950s was generally considered to be negative. Women actors and performers were mostly typecast as ‘dumb, ugly man-chasers or some image thereof’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 203). Some notable performers of comedy of this period include Judy Holliday, Lucille Ball, Phyllis Diller, and Joan Rivers. Blond comedian Judy Holliday, who had been appearing in films as early as the 1940s, continued to so do in the 1950s. She even managed to become a film comedy star in the 1950s, a feat that even Lucille Ball did not manage. Sova asserts that Holliday ‘went for the laughs in an innocent manner’, something which worked well for her in the 1950s, but which did not work for Ball either then or later (Sova, 1998, 120–121). Holliday and Ball were similar in that they both played both straight drama, and then switched over later on to a comedic format. Ball, however, was not a larger-than-life presence on the silver screen, and she failed to attract the kind of interest that Holliday did. Hence, she never reached stardom on a cinematic level. Still, Ball is perhaps a more familiar name, even to this day. She went on to revolutionize television with her comedy partner and husband Desi Arnaz. In so doing, it may be said that Lucille Ball set the standard for what was then a fairly new genre, the situational comedy. Phyllis Diller is another comedian who became known during this period, and has remained known to this day. ‘Diller transcended â€Å"comediennes† of the day, if not femaleness itself, by announcing her arrival in the mid-1950s in the most outlandish manner imaginable,’ asserts a contemporary of hers. He goes on to describe her entrance onto the stage:   ‘She landed onstage like a flightless goony bird wielding her cigarette holder, piercing the nightclub air with her manic squawk, all beak and beady chicken eyes, and dressed in a deliberately garish getup’ (Nachman, 2003, 216). Susan Horowitz points out that Diller came out of the 1950s, ‘a period which stressed and exaggerated sex–role differences’ (Horowitz, 1997, 50). In addition, it is significant to note that at the time Diller entered the profession of comedy in the mid 1950s female comics were practically non-existent. Commenting on her career as a whole, Horowitz asserts that ‘both Diller’s subject matter sex appeal and domestic competence and the manner in which she handles it self-deprecation are Diller’s comedic take on the stereotypical 1950’s woman’ (Horowitz, 1987, 62). This decade also ushered in Joan Rivers, who is described by a colleague as arriving upon the scene ‘with forked tongue and sharpened talons. . . [she] bit and clawed her way to comic success and has clung to it for dear life’ (Nachman, 2003, 592). Rivers’ comedic approach has been described as ‘a jolt of contrasts’: her rapid-fire manner of talking, combined with her wide variation of topics, kept her audience members on their toes. Her comedic style is often attributed to background: she drifted between social classes, never feeling truly comfortable in any one category. Horowitz has described her as ‘both an insider and an outsider, classy and dà ©classà © the private school student whose family cannot pay the bills; the wealthy celebrity whose act mocks the elite; the elegant lady who talks about farts and pooping’ (Horowitz, 1997, 93). Yet not even the most outrageous comedy act could compete with television. The growth of this television’s popularity had a strong impact on every aspect of society. Television had very quickly become more popular than radio, replacing it as the preferred form of entertainment in the home. In addition, more and more people began to have television sets in their homes. The proliferation of television brought with it a change in style. Martin and Segrave explain that ‘where radio relied on women mangling the language, television, in keeping with its visual nature, relied more on physical sight gags to convey â€Å"dumbness†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Thus, this period hallmarked the combination of the dumb, blonde, buxom stereotype. At least on television, as opposed to radio, women were able to articulate clearly (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 204). B.   The 1960s The movement away from the conservative fifties began and continued throughout the turbulent 60s in America. Revolutionary ways of thinking spread rapidly, and real change transformed the cultural fabric of American life.  During this decade, consumption continued in Britain, but had become less connected with utilitarian needs, and more to do with status and comfort. For women comics, however, the first half of the 1960s was one of the least productive in their history. Although in Hollywood the film industry was opening up more for women, the field of comic stand-up seemed to be at a standstill. Martin and Segrave do point out that there was at least one positive image in American humor to welcome the new decade. This one exception was Elaine May. Elaine May was an example, and she represented what women could accomplish when given a fair and equal opportunity. May, according to Martin and Segrave, ‘provided a sample of what was to follow as more and more female comics cast off the old images and stereotypes and broadened and extended their place in the field of humor’ (1986, 206). What was noteworthy about May’s performance is that she did not try to look ugly, the way so many women comics of this period seemed to do. In addition, she did not rely on self-deprecation the way other female comics did. She and Nichols shared an equal partnership another rare thing at this time. Ordinarily the woman would play a foil to showcase the other, male, part of the duo. Among the comics who started to become know during this time, one was Carol Burnett. According to Martin and Segrave, Burnett ‘represented a performer who straddled the line between independence and submissiveness’ (1986, 308). This was no easy task, given the hostile climate the world of comedy offered women. Horowitz points out that Burnett’s style at this time was marked by self-deprecation: ‘Burnett’s self-deprecating humor was typical of comediennes of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and it served to soften audience resistance to the notion of an assertively funny woman’ (Horowitz, 1997, 69). Dave Tebert, the man who ran the talent department at NBC in the early 1960s, asserted that women were given the same opportunities as men, but that ‘they were not aggressive enough or forceful enough to deal with the drunks and hecklers often found in the audience’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 18).In addition, Bob Shanks, the talent coordinator for the Paar show, made an attempt to find female comics. Over a three-year period, however, he interviewed 500 women; only twenty of them were considered good enough to pass. He commented that ‘the wit was missing’ or that the women lacked ‘quickness of response’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 19). Comedy was performance arising from skill and wit, and performance was a male role. Funny girls would not be asked out on dates’ assert Martin and Segrave (1986, 19). Being popular in school, having a date to the prom, being seen as attractive and compliant these qualities were valued in young women and girls. Being clever and witty key qualities for a comic, were not valued. There, most women of the time felt that given a choice, comedy should be submerged. When men make clever jokes at women’s expense, they may be considered great, insightful comics, assert Martin and Segrave. On the other hand, women who do the same at the expense of men may be labeled such derogatory terms as ‘ball-busters or man-haters’. In fact, ‘women are not even safe poking fun at other women. They are considered anti-female or catty’ citing Joan Rivers as an example of this (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 20). C.  Ã‚   1970s–1980s   The 1970s was a time of gradual change. According to some, ‘the decade of the 1970s was one of slow but steady growth in the number of women entering or reentering facets of the film industry that had been closed to them for decades’ (Sova, 1998, 153). Laugh-In hadhit the airwaves at the end of the 1960s, and once it was firmly entrenched, it showcased a variety of women comics. In fact, it was the first time that so many comedians had so much exposure since the days of vaudeville. Laugh-in helped a number of comics to get exposure and start careers. Among these were Goldie Hawn, Ruth Buzzi, JoAnne Worley, Lily Tomlin. Lily Tomlin brought some unique skills to the industry through her intelligence and creativity. She did this through the creation of new comic characters. In addition, she was able to perform several well-received stage concerts. Her film career has been less successful; this may be partly due to the poor selection of roles she has been given. The beginning of the Women’s Movement in America in the late 1960s and early 1970s of course had an effect on women in comedy throughout the United States and Britain. Comedians who began to appear during this time include Bette Midler, Sandra Bernhard, Madeleine Kahn, and Marilyn Sokol. Laugh-In continued to display women comics. In addition, shows like Shows like Saturday Night Live and SCTV helped start the careers of such comedians as Gilda Radner and Andrea Martin. The 1980s did not see much improvement. ‘Comediennes with anything to say were being labeled â€Å"hostile† or â€Å"too masculine† (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 312). The most phenomenal rise, however, was the unprecedented number of women who had begun to appear in comedy clubs as stand-up comics. These new women comics dealt with women’s issues, such as fashion, menstruation, weight, hygiene, being single, sex and relationships. These topics were often part of the self-deprecating humor that continued to mark women’s humor through the remainder of the century. During this time, it should be noted that very few minority women appeared in this profession. The great exception was Moms Mabley, who managed to overcome exceptional obstacles in gaining acceptance in the world of primarily white male entertainers. Chapter 2 Women’s ‘Sense’ of Humour In their 1986 volume Women in Comedy, Linda Martin and Kerry Segrave assert that female comics are a rare commodity. The explanation for this, they assert, lies in the commonly held belief that ‘women are just not funny they don’t laugh at jokes, nor do they create them’. To support their assertion, Martin and Segrave describe a magazine article written in 1951. A writer named Robert Allen wrote an article about women and humor for Maclean’s. Allen bemoaned the fact that women never seemed to know when to laugh at a joke, or they often failed to laugh at all. He claimed he had experimented at home, and that he used different kinds and different styles of humor, but that his ‘subjects’ never seemed to get the jokes. To be fair, he said he tested people outside his own home, including a ‘variety’ of other females. Still, he got the same results with that group. After all this, he stated that the only conclusion he could draw was that women have no sense of humor (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 16-17). It is interesting to note that it never occurred to Allen that he might be the one who was not ‘getting it’. It also interesting to note that Allen’s article was considered important enough to eventually make it into Reader’s Digest as a condensed piece but this did not happen until thirteen years later. Considering the fact that most Reader’s Digest condensed articles appear within months of the original publication, a lag time of thirteen years is rather remarkable. As Martin and Segrave suggest, ‘this illustrated perhaps the timelessness of the idea and the need to present it again in a different decade, to a new audience just at a period when the image of the female comic was beginning to be liberated’ (1986, 17). The humorist James Thurber, writing contemporaneously with Allen, wrote a piece in which he addressed an anonymous Miss G.H., who had sent him some unsolicited comedy material. He responded to her material by suggesting that she ‘become a bacteriologist, or a Red-Cross nurse, or a Wave, like all the other girls’. The most scathing criticism at the time, however, came from a woman. Sarel Eimerl wrote in a November 1962 issue of Mademoiselle that ‘a woman who really makes one laugh is about as easy to find as a pauper taking his Sunday brunch in the Edwardian Room’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 17). It appears that in the 1950s and beyond, women were thought mostly by men, but also some women to be lacking a sense of humor. That belief has not been completely eradicated to this day. In her essay ‘Gender and Humour’, Lizbeth Goodman analyzes the following joke from Banks and Swift’s 1987 book on comedy:Question: How many feminists does it take to screw in a light bulb?Answer: That’s not funny. Goodman goes on to explain that although the idea of the joke is simple, that there is a great deal more going on. This joke is, in fact, ‘an example of an accessible and non-valorized form of social critique, which functions as a mirror of the values of the dominant culture’ (Goodman, 1992a, 287). It is also interesting to note that this joke is familiar to us. It has been repeated any number of times in recent years, each time with some detail changed. Often the change is in the choice of target. Different minority groups may be featured as the target, depending on the context of the telling. Therefore, the teller of the joke is implicitly stating that women, too, are a ‘minority’. According to Goodman, ‘that women are singled out as a â€Å"minority† group, despite the majority of women in society, is indicative of the male bias of society and its values’ (Goodman, 1992a, 288). Horowitz points out that, like other groups that have suffered discrimination, women are classified as a minority group by affirmative action programs; however, ‘unlike ethnic minorities, women are a numerical majority’ (Horowitz, 1997, 8). Goodman also points out that the fact that women are so frequently targeted in jokes in western culture is significant in itself:   ‘that women are so often the butt of jokes in western culture says a great deal about that culture’. It reveals, for example, that the jokers are usually men. It also reveals that the listeners are deeply immersed in the patriarchal culture. In fact, Goodman takes this a step further. She points out that the listeners are steeped in the patriarchal culture ‘to the extent that certain types of responses are â€Å"gendered†: for instance, loud laughter as opposed to quiet hand-over-the-mouth giggles’ (Goodman, 1992a, 288). Another way to analyze this joke, Goodman suggests, is to take into consideration the fact that the value of the joke does not lie solely within the joke itself. Rather, its value depends on other factors. One of these factors is the context of the telling; the other is the interpretation of the hearer. She cites Adrienne Rich’s 1979 reinterpretation of the joke, explaining that doing so ‘requires an awareness of the context of the joke’s production and an ability to decontextualize the joke mentally’ (Goodman, 1992a, 288). By doing this, the joke can be interpreted in such a way that it is not an insult to women, or an insult to feminism. Instead, it becomes a critique of the simplistic notions that are commonly held about women in society and especially about women who are feminists. This ultimately brings us to the rhetorical question about women and humour: do women have a sense of humour? Linda Naranjo-Huebl answers this in the affirmative. She also includes an explanation of how this humor is different. ‘One of the common findings of all the gender and humor studies is that there does in fact exist something that can be identified as womens humor’, she asserts. She then explains that it is a ‘distinct’ form of humor, ‘characteristic of and arising from womens experience that serves distinct communicative functions associated with that experience’ (Naranjo-Huebl, 2005, web). Linda Naranjo-Huebl asserts that ‘the stereotype of the humorless female has stubbornly persisted, reinforced by studies concluding that women use humor less often than men’. She puts forth three theories to explain why this stereotype has persisted for so long. The first explanation has to do with women’s use of language. Women are generally brought up to be polite, and the language of humour is often impolite. In addition, humour tends to be aggressive, and women have traditionally been discouraged from expressing any sort of open aggression. The second explanation for the continuation of this stereotype is that ‘much of womens humor has been either censored or misinterpreted’ (Naranjo-Hueblo, web). That is to say, women do have a sense of humour, but it has largely gone unrecognized a situation which is still being rectified today. Not only have examples of women’s humour been censored and misinterpreted, but also the methodology of the studies has frequently been flawed. The methods used, primarily those created by men, tend to favor male forms of humor. The results then falsely ‘prove’ that women lack a sense of humour. Naranjo-Hueblo explains one such study, in which 250 undergraduate business students from a major university were asked to answer questions regarding a hypothetical situation. The situation consisted of the students pretending that they were with a colleague; the colleague is carrying a briefcase which suddenly becomes open, resulting in papers flying all over the place. The students are then asked how they would respond: would they ignore the episode and keep on walking? Would they assist the colleague by stopping to help pick up the papers? Or would they tease the colleague or in some other way express humour? Each student was allowed to choose only one response. As one might expect, the majority of men chose to respond with humour, while the majority of women chose to help. This creators of the study assumed that one couldn’t be helpful and humorous at the same time. Furthermore, it led them to conclude that women did not have as great a sense of humour as men. Naranjo-Hueblo points out the choices do not include the possibility that women may be humorous about the situation as they are assisting their colleague. Furthermore, ‘another problem with the study is that it posits humor as a one-line quip in a slapstick situation, which is not womens preferred form of humor (Naranjo-Huebl, web). The third reason women have been found to lack a sense of humour is that humour has largely been defined by men. Women find humour in different sources, often preferring word jokes and puns as well as stories, whereas men prefer much more derisive forms of humour. ‘It has always been more acceptable for masculine styles to influence feminine ones, rather than vice versa. . . The powerless take on the trappings of the powerful’ (Horowitz, 1997, 9). Chapter Three: Issues in Stand-up Comedy Being a woman Traditional gender expectations Aggressiveness Sexuality and Femininity Power and Control Issues Modes of Stand-up Comedy Self-Deprecation in Women’s Humour Self-deprecation in the work of Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers The domestic goddess A.   Being a Woman As stated earlier, comedy is a form of expression which stretches and sometimes breaks boundaries. This is very true in the case of stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy ridicules the norms of society. It challenges convention, and it questions moral views. in particular has a tradition of ridiculing moral, social, and political conventions. The stand-up comedian is frequently considered as existing on the fringes of mainstream society. For any stand-up comedian, male or female, a number of factors come into play when they are in front of an audience. What race are they? What is their ethnic background? What is their sexual orientation, or what does it appear to be? Are they disabled, and is that uncomfortable for the audience member? When you add gender into the mix, it becomes that much more unpredictable. The reaction the audience gives to a female stand-up is much different to the one they would give to her male counterpart. The audience seems to expect a man to be funny. When confronted with a female stand-up, they suspend judgment until she can prove that she is funny. B.   Traditional Gender Expectations Traditional gender expectations are also a very important issue for women comics. Conventional definitions of ‘lady-like’ behavior are an obstacle. Conventional definitions of what it means to be ‘feminine’ or to act ‘lady-like’ are incongruent with the often-inappropriate behavior of women in comedy. This is particularly true of such forms of comedy as stand-up routines. In stand-up comedy, women comics cannot be passive and demure on stage, for this behavior will not elicit laughter. Instead, they must be aggressive, sometimes loud, and frequently un-ladylike. They must completely break with accepted social conventions. Bucking these conventions is difficult for a number of reasons, not the least of which is economic profit. Gender expectations are reinforced, especially by mainstream corporate media, because they are tied into money. The objectification of women ‘is a central factor in the sale of commodities, another pillar of the competitive system’ (Sakeris, 2001, 227). Women comics by definition break barriers and defy convention. By so doing, they present a number of different challenges to mainstream society, and especially to that portion of mainstream society which will ultimately suffer financially. In addition, notes Sakeris, ‘the ghettoization of women’s work and the provision of necessary, but unpaid, labor in the home all supported by our processes of gender socialization are central to a capitalist economy as well’ (Sakeris, 2001, 227). C.   Aggressiveness Another aspect that must be considered is the aggressiveness involved in stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy can be viewed as an aggressive act. In the attempt to elicit laughter, it can be said that the comic is trying to exert control over her audience. Thus, it can be seen as a power struggle. Because of the power associated with the successful use of humor, humor initiation has become associated with other traditionally masculine characteristics, such as aggression, dominance, and assertiveness. For a female to develop into a clown or joker, then, she must violate the behavioral pattern normally reserved for women (Naranjo-Huebl, 2005, web). This is in direct opposition to the passiveness that society traditionally expects of women. To get up on stage and act aggressively is something that goes against traditional norms and is therefore suspect. Being female means acting demurely, being subservient while remaining unobtrusive. When a female gets up on stage and performs as a comic, she is aggressive, actively engaging the participants, and demanding for attention.  Ã‚   Womens humour is frequently interpreted as a challenge. This is naturally due to the aggressive nature of stand-up comedy, especially in an audience, which will most probably be comprised primarily of men. Too much aggression can be alienating in the best of situations. When too much aggression is exhibited by a female, the threat is compounded. It can appear to males that this female interloper is trying to seize what they think of as their territory ‘male’ territory. This can be disastrous for an act, eventually for a career. As several researchers have pointed out, comedy is an aggressive activity, and it requires performers to be hard and women are not supposed to be hard. ‘Being pervasively nice is not conducive to comedy which requires satire and ridicule. Women who do break through into comedy are branded with all sorts of unpleasant labels, such as strident, dyke, or frustrated’ (Martin and Segrave, 20). D.   Sexuality and Femininity   Another issue, and one which is vitally important, is that of sexuality. Even if she is not talking about sex in her act, this is an issue. The question of a woman’s sexuality and her sense of femininity are undeniably central issues to the professional woman comic. What is the connection between comic appeal, sex appeal, and our notions of what is feminine? Mother, virgin, prostitute: these are the social roles imposed on women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The characteristics of (so-called) feminine sexuality derive from them: the valorization of reproduction and nursing; faithfulness; modesty,   ignorance of and even lack of interest in sexual pleasure; a passive acceptance of men’s ‘activity’; seductiveness, in order to arouse the consumers’ desire while offering herself as its material support without getting pleasure herself’ (Irigary, 1985, 63-4).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some would go as far as to see parallels between the act of standup comedy and the act of sex. For example, Horowitz asserts that ‘sexuality can be loving, mutual vulnerability as can comedy (Horowitz, 1997, 12). Horowitz and others have suggested that there is an intimacy in the relationship between the comic and her audience that is not unlike the intimacy between lovers. There are varying levels of frankness in different stand-up routines. This may be seen as mirroring the sexual frankness of the male stand-up comedian. However, it is accepted less easily. As Horowitz points out, ‘female comics are expected to go far but not too far’ (Horowitz, 1997, 17).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   E.   Power and Control Issues Humour is often used as a means of controlling social situations. In a highly volatile set of circumstances, humour can often defuse the threat by helping to ease the tension. By using humour this way, dangerous explosions of temper can be averted without forcing confrontations. Yet since the end result is the same the situation is brought to a halt by peaceful means this also means that humour exerts a kind of power. The dynamics of power are complex and can be difficult to negotiate. These dynamics are further complicated when it comes to the case of self-deprecatory humour. The comic may seem to be relinquishing control by taking her own inadequacies and flaws and putting them out there on public display.

ophelia :: essays research papers

Hurricane Ophelia was downgraded to a tropical storm again Monday as the indecisive weather system moved slowly off the coast, its outer bands of rain not quite reaching land. Despite Ophelia’s waxing and waning strength and slow progress, residents’ attention had been focused by the devastation caused elsewhere by Hurricane Katrina. That was on the mind of Steve King as he grudgingly skipped a football game on television to move his sea kayak out of harm’s way. â€Å"They keep saying this storm is two or three days out,† he said. â€Å"I think we’re all waiting for something to happen.† Ophelia’s sustained wind speed slowed Monday morning to about 70 mph, 4 mph below the threshold for a hurricane, but it had the potential to regain hurricane strength over the next day or so, the National Hurricane Center said. A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch were in effect from Cape Lookout south to Edisto Beach, S.C. Some calls for evacuations With the storm’s path uncertain, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford called for a voluntary evacuation Monday of oceanfront and riverside areas in his state’s northeastern corner. â€Å"This is a serious storm that’s got the potential to do a lot of damage and put lives in jeopardy if we don’t take it seriously,† Sanford said. In North Carolina, Gov. Mike Easley on Sunday ordered 200 National Guard soldiers to report to staging centers in the eastern part of the state. The governor also ordered a mandatory evacuation of nonresidents from fragile Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks, reachable only by ferry. At Wrightsville Beach, lifeguards ordered swimmers out of the surf Sunday. â€Å"They are saying they don’t want anyone to even touch the water,† said Kathy Carroll, 37, of Wilmington. â€Å"Now I know how a flounder feels. I was getting tossed all over the place.† Despite the warnings, there were no long lines at Roberts Grocery in Wrightsville Beach, where customers bought chips and beer — not bottled water and batteries. â€Å"Usually, they are buying all the bread and milk,† said store manager Teresa Hines. â€Å"Some of the regulars have told me they have their hammers and nails ready just in case.† With a history of destructive storms, New Hanover County has a well-rehearsed disaster plan. But Katrina, which was a powerful Category 4 hurricane before it made landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi, was on residents’ minds even though Ophelia was only Category 1 and had been waxing and waning in strength.

Into The Gorge: A Spiral of Decline toward Loss

Into The Gorge: A Spiral of Decline toward Loss Into The Gorge: A Spiral of Decline toward Loss â€Å"Jesse stood on his porch and looked east toward Sampson Ridge, where bulldozers razed forests and grazing land for another gated community† ( Rash 18 ) . If one were to cut down Ron Rash’sInto the Gorgedown to one markedly important transition, this would be among the campaigners. It presents an image of commercialisation from the eyes of Jesse, a adult male who was raised to esteem the land. It besides marks a tangible passage for Jesse as he unwittingly conforms to his milieus.Into the Gorgenowadayss a narrative of loss. Get downing with the loss of Jesse’s great aunt and finally stoping with the loss of his ain life, or so the reader is to assume. This subject represents the spiral of diminution that ensues in a society that abuses and disrespects the land for intents of pecuniary addition. Into the Gorgeclears with a beautiful word picture of Jesse’s great aunt. The reader really rapidly becomes affiliated to her, about to the point of misidentifying her as the supporter in the narrative. She is aligned with a harmonious life with an about calm aura about her while being profoundly connected to the land and its seasonal rhythms ; she â€Å"could state you to the hebdomad when the first cornel flower would lighten up the ridge, the first blackberry darken and swell plenty to harvest† ( Rash 17 ) . But so she had lost her head and â€Å"with it all the people she knew, their names and connexions, whether they still lived or whether they’d died† ( Rash 17 ) . But despite this the reader is told in the really following paragraph that â€Å"The cognition of the land was the one memory that refused to dissolve† ( Rash 17 ) . Jesse’s grandaunt would go on to hoe her Fieldss every twenty-four hours until the twenty-four hours of her de cease, when she wandered off into the forests to vacate herself to the one invariable in her life, the one love that refused to fade out, a â€Å"final stepping down of everything she had one time been, † a surrendertothe land ( Rash 26 ) . The decease of Jesse’s grandaunt has in consequence begun the spiral of diminution toward an overall neglect for the necessity of the renewing of the land. The reader is told that â€Å"after her decease neighbours shortly found topographic points other than the gorge to run and angle, garner blackberries and galax†¦When the park service made an offer†¦Jesse’s male parent and aunts had sold†¦Now, five decennaries subsequently, Jesse stands on his porch and looked eastward†¦where bulldozers razed forests and grazing land for another gated community† ( Rash 18 ) . As antecedently mentioned, the loss of Jesse’s grandaunt seems to hold caused, at least for Jesse and his immediate milieus, a loss of a regard for the land. As the narrative takes the reader through Jesse’s foremost and successful effort at reaping the ginseng we are told, â€Å"Afterward, he’d carefully replanted the seeds, done it merely as his male parent had done, so walked out of the gorge, past the Fe gate that kept vehicles off the logging route. A xanthous Sn marker nailed to a nearby tree said US Park Service† ( Rash 18 ) . Here the reader gets a split image ; Jesse replants the seeds â€Å"just as his male parent had done† old ages ago ( Rash 18 ) . There is a sense of regard for the land and the cyclic nature of nature, which is besides represented in the generational lessons of planting and replanting passed down from male parent to boy. However, there is besides a really explicitly painted image of development. The workss that Jesse ha s harvested and so replanted are within the boundaries of the land which the authorities uses for logging. This land has been transformed into a commercialised operation in order to untangle any and all pecuniary value from it. Furthermore, there is a parallel image in this xanthous mark. A blazing neglect for nature is nailed to the tree by manner of a US Park Service mark, nevertheless in the predating paragraph it says â€Å"back so, the forests had been communal,No Trespassingmarks an affront†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Rash 18 ) . The forests had been a topographic point of community and friendly relationship and invitation, any effort to interrupt apart this public into personally claimed belongings was seen as an abuse to the corporate. But now, non merely is the land sectioned off into countries of unpermitted districts, but these countries are being used explicitly to work the land for pecuniary addition. This loss of a regard for the cardinal significance that the land has is somethi ng that Jesse seems to be troubled by, yet it is something he himself can’t isolated off from. The lone ground he is out reaping the ginseng in the first topographic point is to acquire money. He doesn’t love the act of reaping and replanting, he hasn’t even had any exposure to the land in this regard since his grandaunt passed, five decennaries earlier. What’s more, he doesn’t needfully even need the excess money. The storyteller says â€Å"his house and 20 estates were paid for, as was his truck. The baccy allocation earned less each twelvemonth but still plenty for a widowman with adult kids. Enough every bit long as he didn’t have to travel to the infirmary or his truck throw a rod. He needed some excess money put away for that. Not a million, but some† ( Rash 18 ) . Albeit he isn’t a money hungry corporate executive who has wholly disregarded the verve of nature. But he is however reaping the land for one ground and one gr ound entirely: money. This disconnected image of working and fostering the land represents an even further diminution, as a society, toward the commercialised corruptness of the land. The narrative comes full circle at the terminal as Jesse â€Å"waited† in the forests merely as his grandaunt did before she died. In this minute he thought of his grandaunt and paralleled himself to her as his waiting was â€Å"a concluding stepping down of everything†heone time was. However, it’s non merely a pure and symmetrically sound stoping ; the usage of the word â€Å"abdication† has a dual entendre underlying it. In respects to Jesse’s grandaunt, it has a meter of a dignified release of her life and everything that she lived for. Not needfully the instance for Jesse, for him it seems to take on a different significance wholly. It is Jesse’s chance to fly from the forfeiture of artlessness that his life has culminated to. Jesse recognizes his loss of artlessness, his loss of self-respect, but it is merely when he attempts to travel back to being in melody with the land that he comes to this realisation ; â€Å"Jesse shifted his orga nic structure so his face turned downhill, one ear to the land as if listening for the faintest footstep. It seemed so incorrect to be 68 old ages old and running from person. Old age was supposed to give a individual self-respect and respect† ( Rash 22 ) . In this minute Jesse acknowledges his loss of regard, a regard which has been neither received from others nor given by himself. The consequence of this self-fulfillment is his â€Å"waiting† at the really terminal. A bi-laterally asymmetrical stoping to the gap. One can follow though this narrative the slow diminution toward a society which does non foster the land, but instead relies on it for the here and now. The reader is left gyrating down along with Jesse as the plot line moves from the loss of Jesse’s grandaunt, to the commercializing of his hometown, to Jesse’s ain selfish aims with the land, and eventually to Jesse’s realisation of his conformance which finally leads to his decease. This spiral is a representation or a possible warning to the effects of a commercialized society which exploits the land: there is a natural and unconditioned diminution when 1 refuses a fear to the land. This refusal leads to inside turned desires, which leads to capitalistic inclinations and the commercialisation of the land—extricating it for all that its worth—which will finally take to the decease of those who were one time respected, and who in bend irradiated it back.

Research Papers

Research Papers How to write a research paper? Research papers that are usually assigned to students in schools and colleges may include observing events, making interviews, performing laboratory experiments, or systematically reading the ideas of thinkers and researchers in the field of research and then presenting the results of their work so that others can share and evaluate their ideas. Research papers can be assigned by professor or be student’s own desire. The results can appear in the form of the paper or report designed for the class, or in the form of article for public use and evaluation. Research papers are also made as the part of business presentations or term papers for the social science disciplines. In this case they are either to introduce the main topic or to support/disprove it. Research paper writing is more than just gathering information; it requires the student to exercise critical thinking skills of choosing the topic, focusing on a proper thesis, thoroughly investigating the subject, analyzing val id information, and reporting the results so that legitimate statements can be made about some aspect of reality. Students will need to evaluate a lot of sources while writing their research papers. There are two types of sources – primary and secondary. Primary sources are firs-hand reports or other original materials such as autobiographies, first records in media, surveys, films, music, etc. Secondary sources are second-hand information, reports, reviews, essays, articles that interpret the work of others or words of others on the researched subject. In order to write a successful research paper writer should choose a good mixture of primary and secondary sources in the paper. Research paper writing needs good paraphrasing and referencing skills in order to avoid any plagiarism in the academic paper. It is hard not to use someone’s ideas while accomplishing research paper; students need to be smart enough to employ this ideas to the central idea and still not plagiarize. It is very important to give properly arranged credit to the writer of the original work. Plagiarism is untruthful and brings bad consequence and penalties for students. In order to avoid plagiarism students should document their sources whenever they use direct quotations, copy any types of diagrams and charts, construct a table from data made available by others, summarize or paraphrase some part in your own words, present specific examples taken from specific sources. Sources are documented in accordance with specific citation styles such as MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychology Association), ACS (American Chemical Society), CBE (Council of Biology Editors), Turabian, and CSM (Chicago Manual of Style) that are relevant to specific discipline types. Depending on whether your assignment involves explaining the research or arguing specific viewpoint, the research type will be divided into two categories: Analytical research papers – this type of research papers require the student to become an expert in the area under discussion, to learn all necessary aspects and to use only useful information that closely related to the researched question in order to explain it to readers. Argumentative research papers – this type of research papers require the writer to advocate his/her point of view about the issue. Students are required to take specific position, express their opinion and argument way they are right and the opposition is not. They should also persuade the reader that their attitude is right. Ordering custom research paper from CustomWritings.com will guarantee the professionally written research on any topic and field with properly referenced sources. Our custom research paper writing department is highly specialized in conducting different types of researches and writing non-plagiarized and high-quality custom papers such as essays, term papers, reports, reviews or speeches that will help you in passing your class and receiving excellent grades. We provide our clients with exceptional custom research paper service that performs on the top to meet your expectations and put in writing our originality and experience for your benefit.

Life Events as an Environmental Influences †500 Level Pyschology Research Paper

Life Events as an Environmental Influences – 500 Level Pyschology Research Paper Free Online Research Papers Life Events as an Environmental Influences 500 Level Pyschology Research Paper Stressors are demands made by the internal or external environment that upset individuals’ homeostasis, therefore affecting their physical and psychological well-being and requiring action to restore that balance/equilibrium. Stress is the result of the interaction between a person’s characteristics and the environment. This early research also gave rise to examining buffering (moderating) factors of stress, focusing on the role of social support. The most common measure of stress is by assessing life events. Life events have demonstrated to be predictors of physical and psychological health outcomes. There are three main approaches to measuring stress and life events. The Environmental Perspective, which includes the Checklist measurement of stressful life events (SRRS PERI), Interview measurement of stressful life events (LEDS), Daily and within-day event measurement (DSI Hassles and Uplifts Scale), measurement of chronic stressors. The second approach is the Psychological Perspective, which includes the measurement of stress appraisal (PSS), measurement of affective response. The third approach is the Biological Perspective, including the measurements of stress hormones, cardiovascular responses, the immune response, and muscle tension and skin conductance. There is also debate over if a checklist life events format is effective when compared to a more in-depth life events interview. In the annotated bibliography I discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using both of these types of life events measures. There has been controversy among life events researchers concerning the if the measurement of stress is more accurate when using a major life events scale or a daily hassles scales. I feel that they both complement each other and if when possible should both be used as an assessment tool. Major life events create new daily hassles and daily hassles can compound into a life event. The effect of minor stressors on illness may be partially due to their association with major life events. An example being the birth of a child as a major event may influence health through minor events such as sleep disruption, interruptions of tasks, problems with child’s behavior. Major life events inventories traditional and dominant method used to estimate variations in stress. Checklist measures are the basis of the association between life stress and the occurrence of psychological distress and risk for physical health problems. Despite shortcomings of checklist measures, event inventories yield estimates of stress exposure that are meaningful. Measuring major life events is limited since occur infrequently, which makes recalling events less reliable. Also makes it difficult to establish the relationship between the timing of the event, level of stress, and changes in the symptoms of illnesses. Minor stressful events considered more sensitive measure, since assessment repeated on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Topics to take into consideration when assessing Life Events: 1. When measuring Life Events a Coping/defense mechanisms scale should be given as well as another perspective on how stress is being perceived. [The Ways of Coping Checklist – Revised (Folkman et al., 1986) or The Coping Response Inventory (CRI)]. 2. When measuring life events should also administer personality scale (common one used with Life Event literature seems to be Eysenck Personality Inventory) and depression scale (Beck’s Depression Scale common one used with Life Event research). Problems with over-reporting of stress or stress symptoms. 3. Ask SES questions. SES has been highly associated with continued stressors. Example: Thoits, P. A . (1984). Explaining distributions of psychological vulnerability: Lack of social support in the face of life stress. Social Forces,63(2), 453-481. Tested the hypothesis that the psychological vulnerability of disadvantaged persons (e.g., women, the aged, the unmarried, the poor) to undesirable life events can be explained by the joint occurrence of high life-event exposure and low social-support resources in such persons lives. Data from a panel study of 1,106 adults in Chicago were used to examine this hypothesis. Social support was operationalized as the relative presence or absence of an intimate, confiding relationship. Analyses showed that differential vulnerability could not be accounted for by the joint occurrence of undesirable events and lack of support. A significant negative main effect of social support on psychological distress was revealed, suggesting that support counterbalances rather than buffers the impacts of life stress. 4. Timing of assessment significant intervening variable in research outcomes: A. Delayed onset of symptoms or decreasing symptoms since event is distal. Take into account duration of event (still on-going or reoccurring). 5. Use of both physical and psychological measures for further accuracy. 6. Locus of control (controllable versus uncontrollable events) Age related? 7. Viewing life event as simultaneously being negative and positive (ex. Wedding positive event, but does have negative stressors attached to it and vice versus for negative event, such as divorce, relief, etc.) 8. Tailoring life event measures to take into consideration the variation in life events and stressfulness in different life stages: A. Confounding as a problem in relating life events to health status in elderly individuals. Contamination of life events lists by health-related and subjective items. Failure to control for illness existing prior to the life event assessment period. (French, S. L., Knox, V. J., Gekoski, W. L., 1992) Interesting Future Research Topics: 1. An interesting new topic is Stress and Memory as it relates to Alzheimer’s Disease. 2. Research into Eventlessness, a lacking of positive events in a person’ s life, just going through the same routine. This is especially a problem in elderly populations. Life Events and Longevity 3. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – extreme stressful life events (Use of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory subscale (MMPI-PTSD) Time of assessment key due to the frequently delayed onset of trauma symptoms. A. War veterans B. Childhood abuse experiences C. Disaster survivors 4. Measuring stress over lifetime. Perceptions changing over time. Sharma, I. Ram, D. (1987). Life event in anxiety neurosis: A study of the effect of intervening variables. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 29(3), 181-187. Studied 84 patients (aged 16-40 yrs) with anxiety neurosis regarding experience of life events during their lifetimes and in the past 6 mo. Lifetime stress score (LTSS) correlated positively with an anxiety score; family jointness, social support, and socioeconomic status (SES) correlated negatively with the anxiety score. LTSS and SES correlated positively with economic status and social support. LTSS, recent stress score, socioeconomic and economic status, and social support accounted for 50% of the variability in the magnitude of illness; LTSS and family jointness were the most important. Findings highlight the significance of experience of stresses over the lifetime in the production of anxiety symptoms. Research Papers on Life Events as an Environmental Influences - 500 Level Pyschology Research PaperIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThree Concepts of PsychodynamicResearch Process Part OneMind TravelInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesHip-Hop is ArtBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfQuebec and CanadaGenetic EngineeringPETSTEL analysis of India

TRANSITIONS TO PRACTICE WORKBOOK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

TRANSITIONS TO PRACTICE WORKBOOK - Essay Example In essence the expected outcomes from chemotherapy are to cure a specific cancer; when cure is not a possible solution, to retard the growth of the tumour; to bring about relief of symptoms like pain in cancer; to reduce the size of the tumours in case other interventions like surgery or radiation are considered as solutions and to remove very small portions of tumours that may be present after surgical interventions (Ignoffo, Rosenbaum & Dollinger, 2008). For the administration of Mr. T’s chemotherapy he needs a portacath inserted. After insertion Mr. T returns to your ward what specific nursing care does he need in relation to his portacath insertion for the first 48 hours? The immediate care needs of Mr. T post portacath insertion involve, keeping the site of insertion clean, pain assessment and prevention, infection prevention, control of any possible complications, like pneumo thorax and keeping the line clean by flushing (Wood, 2000). Site of insertion has to be examined and any blood stained dressing needs to be changed. As the anaesthesia wears off, pain may be experienced by the patient and Langhorne, Fulton and Otto, 2007 recommend the assessment of pain experienced and the use of medication like paracetamol to alleviate the experience of pain. Infection control is the next issue and for this purpose nursing care needs to pay attention to whether there are any signs of infection, like continued pain, inflammation and any oozing at the site suggestive of infection and initiate action to control the infection (Verfaillie et al, 2005). Blockage of the Portacart line is the next issue in nursing care and Nursing Management of Intraperitoneal Access Devices, 2006, suggests the use of the Huber needle for flushing the line. Incidence of traumatic pneumothorax has been reported after the procedure and should the patient

Professionalism in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Professionalism in Education - Essay Example According to the report findings learners usually move into the education sector with a difficult historical background regarding their formal education, prompting some of them to view it as the last resort prior to dropping out of education and training completely. This paper highlights the notion echoed in the Wolf Report that learners consequently require the most profound and excellent teaching for making sure that they stay on track and have the ability to make wise decisions while taking the right subsequent stages to protect their future of continuous employment.As the discussion stresses  it is important that every form of learning programme, such as apprenticeships go along with the best methods of teaching, learning as well as the assessment of the outcomes that are considered appropriate. Generally, teachers need to display their confidence in their existing learners by nurturing them for future endeavours in the education sector. Such initiatives begin with the provisio n of the highest quality training and assessment possible with the intention of building a solid foundation of skills, as they develop their careers progressively. In line with FE, the significance of constantly good or exceptional training, together with the highest quality of assessment methods, results in the most successful learning outcomes, making it a more substantial form of provision.  The UK government has tried to execute a form of professionalism by statute in the past decade on the further through advancing nationwide occupational standards for teachers.