Assignment 1 Ptlls, Level 4

Assignment 1 – PTLLS – Level 4 Task 1. Establishing ground rules and promoting appropriate behaviour. Level 4. Explain the different approaches you have discovered for establishing ground rules to value the contributions of others and understand the need for respect?Ground rules can be agreed as a group or as a class, having a mutual agreement from the class helps establish and promote respect for each other, knowing what is intended from the class and taking responsibility for learning as individuals and as a group, as working as a team and respecting each others opinions, and agreeing to disagree, however still respecting the other person’s opinions. Discussing and agreeing ground rules with the class makes for transparency and openness with the class and individual awareness of this matter.Ideally it may resolve any animosity. Inclusive learning is about recognizing that each learner is different from other learners in many ways. As a teacher; you need to work in partnership with your learners to ensure that learning is effective. Partnerships always work best when both sides know where they stand. If your learners understand what is required of them and what they can expect from you, they are more likely to make the necessary commitment to learning and to be successful in achieving their aims and ambitions. Gravells and Simpson 2008, p. 21) Promoting appropriate behaviour so that individuals respect each other and this would also help eradicate bullying style of behaviour. Although, you would think this would not happen with adults, however it does. ‘The know it all’, explaining to the class whilst interrupting teaching, giving too many personal experiences or examples, this can be really frustrating for the learner, who needs to listen and understand the point of the teacher.Once ground rules have been established this would make the individual / class aware of their own behaviour for example ‘only having one convers ation at a time in the class’ and ‘respecting other people’s contributions’. Has adults in a further education environment, one would know how to behave appropriately. Ice-breakers are a great way of getting to know each other, having fun and knowing something about someone can also promote respect. Well-chosen icebreakers can ease learners through the discomfort of getting to know others, and the teacher better.They can help to set a positive atmosphere for learner interactions and encourage interest in the overall learning experience. (Gravells and Simpson 2008, p. 10) Having boundaries for a teacher and learner also promotes respect and appropriate behaviour for the teacher and the learners. This may include personal space, physical contact, other students within the institution, the age of the student being taught, the location: college, work place, training etc.This is also to safe guard minors, well being, duty of care, equality and work ethics, it i s important not to overstep these. For example; if a teacher accepts a gift such as money or diamonds, this maybe considered has favourtism, bribery, (boundaries can be agreed about giving / receiving gifts, thus the type of gift presented to either party) and if a teacher gives gifts to a minor this maybe considered as grooming, it is important not to overstep this grey area. (Gravells and Simpson 2008, p. 1 and 12) explains the reasoning behind ground rules: Agreeing ground rules with learners Under the new Professional Standards for Teachers, Tutors and Trainers in the Lifelong Learning Sector your aim will be to create a safe learning environment that promotes tolerance, respect and co-operation between your learners. One of the best ways of achieving this is to develop an agreement with your learners regarding ground rules. These are rules that should be agreed by, and followed by, all learners within your group.Involving your learners in the process encourages them to take res ponsibility and ownership for their own learning. Your learners will learn best in an environment in which they are able to participate, voice their opinions, ask questions and be actively involved in determining how they will learn. Ground rules should be agreed by the whole group rather than imposed by you. By showing an interest in their decisions, you are communicating with your learners that they are valued as individuals, who bring useful skills and knowledge to the session.You might think that they will agree to switch off their mobile phones and arrive on time. However, it might be useful to get them to think about dividing their ground rules into rights and responsibilities; for example: †¢ We have a right to: o Be treated with respect; o Be listened to; o Be assured of confidentiality. †¢ We have a responsibility to: o Be on time for sessions; o Not disrupt the session; o Switch off mobile phones. (Gravells and Simpson 2008, p. 11 and 12)We all have a right to le arn, listen and contribute in class, as individuals will have their own intent for how and what end results they desire. Knowing this contributes to respect for others, as we all have different learning styles. Has an individual has paid to study and not be disrespected by anyone within the location and in the class. Word Count: 814 Reference List: Gravells, A. and Simpson, S. (2008) Planning and Enabling Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector Learning Matters Ltd. Exeter.

Characteristics of the Market Essay

a. National market Processing the small specialty foods with a broad product line and sales of $300 million per year which a food brokers represent the company to the retail food chains by the network. This company more focused on ethnic food specialties which including salad dressings, sauces for Italian pasta and condiments such as specialties pickles. b. Two plants produced product One in the Central Valley of California at Fresno and the other in Illinois south of Chicago which they buy the ingredients from other foods suppliers to avoid the peak seasonal characteristics encountered by food packers. The company production has take place in large quantities to maintain low production costs and assure consistent product quality. c. Generally order on small quantity Company has ordered from supplier amounting to five to six cases per order only or about 150 to 200 pounds at a time. d. Poor delivery However, customers have commented that the company have a poor delivery services because of many of ingredients are shipped over long distances and it has depending on the season. e. Two major department management This is include the Marketing and Sales and also has Production department and several staff units for personnel, purchasing and finance. Both of departments are responsible for marketing the product lines such promotion, product inventory at the public warehouses, providing sales support and also merchandising. There is also a national sales manager who responsibility for maintaining contact with food brokers, coordinating public warehouses and arrange for delivery 1) Case Summary (What’s the issue?) Horizon Foods Corporation (hereafter â€Å"Horizon†) is a still-growing, nationwide foods organization that is widely known for its high quality products. With $300 million sales each year, the firm has been relatively successful so far, gaining good reputation and arousing much interest of the public through its brokers and local retailers. However, as the company prospers and customers demand more, Horizon foresees a coming crisis. The distribution issue, which the company has faced for a while, is now causing stock-outs, and increasing competition in the market is threatening the company’s market share. Authorities involved fail to scrutinize the issue and its cause, and they are eager to blame each other for the problems. The division of labor between two major departments – Marketing and Sales, and Production – seems to need a complete rearrangement for a more efficient process. Horizon should also analyze its current brand positioning in the market and rework its strategies if needed. 2) Q1. What are the characteristics of the market served by the Horizon Foods Corporation? Horizon is a specialty foods processor. It has served a national market composed of food brokers who represent retail store chains. The food brokers make orders to Horizon. Generally, the orders are small. The production is done in two different plants thanks to the ingredients from some food suppliers. The plants are located in agricultural areas to reduce the cost of transportation. Moreover, Horizon produces in large quantities, and the food produced is very good in quality. The production is dispatched to several public warehouses. Then, these warehouses use contract carriers to deliver the products to the customers. Because of the small orders, the transportation cost to retail stores can be high. The market is very competitive since many of Horizon’s food competitors also offer a complete production line

Discussing and analysing key sociological and psychological issues Essay

Discussing and analysing key sociological and psychological issues which underpin approach to care management - Essay Example s (such as the family of the patient or his/ her gender, race or educational level) should not be criteria for differentiation from the principles and the ethics that govern the health care sector. In this context Arneson et al. (2003, 35) stated that ‘professional nurses experience increasing workplace demands from inside and outside the hospital; The internal pressures of patient care and a traditional organizational hierarchy are coupled with external factors such as medical reimbursement guidelines and competition from other healthcare providers’. Under the above conditions the intervention of the sector’s leaders for change should be considered as crucial. After examining the particular issue Shelley (2003, 13) stated that leaders in the health care industry should ‘understand that staffs reactions to change vary widely; While change itself isnt good or bad, its relative to whomever is experiencing it. Some will feel motivated and energized by change, o thers will feel threatened, anxious, fearful, or a sense of loss of the familiar and status quo. Some may even experience a grief reaction’. The application of the above plan should not be regarded as a permanent solution to the problems that appear in the healthcare industry; however it could be characterized as a primary effort that can lead – if applied successfully - to the delivery of high quality health care services in the future. If we try to identify the particular elements of care management and particular the responsibilities of the care provisioners we will come to the conclusion that although a net of rules and principles exist in the specific area – referring especially to the issues of responsibility and ethical behaviour – in fact the retrieval of evidence for the existence of responsibility regarding the actions of care provisioners can be a very difficult task which in many times is not completed successfully. In this context, Wikler (2002, 48) stated that ‘assessment of the

Holiday Inn Hotel, UK Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Holiday Inn Hotel, UK - Case Study Example Political. The political environment in the United Kingdom has always been favorable for the hospitality industry. However, in 2006 the proposal for a bed tax in order to generate revenue for the government is seen to be detrimental to the tourism as well as the hospitality sector. The clamor from various groups had succeeded in barring the implementation of this proposal (Opodo 2007). Today, UK is seen to be attracting more tourists through programs like VisitBritain (Opodo 2008). Economic. The economic growth in UK has been subject to the envy of the different nations. However, as the world is becoming more and more integrated it is expected that UK will also be adversely affected by the forecasted recession in economies like US. The Deloitte Economic Review projects that the â€Å"UK economy is set to experience its weakest period of growth in 15 years and there is also a risk of recession in the next two years† (UK Economy 2008). The slowdown is attributed to the global fi nancial crisis and associated credit crunch which also brings low consumer confidence and spending (UK Economy 2008). Social. The latest social trend publication of the National Statistics Office indicates that the UK citizens are enjoying an ever improving standard of living because of higher disposable income. Aside from focusing on the quality of the products that they buy and consume, people are also becoming more concerned on how socially responsible the companies which manufacture them (Social Trends 2008). Spending on leisure and recreation is also on the rise attributed to the increasing need of relaxation from the complexities of life. Thus, families are spending huge portions of their money for short vacations which are stress-free and on-stop to maximize the use of their time (Social Trends 2008). Technological. The internet is the single most influential technological development driving important changes in UK’s technological landscape. The internet had gained acceptance and popularity not only in business circles but also on households. With most families are getting access to this technological revolution, business organizations introduce online advertising and shopping (Social Trends 20

Student Participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Student Participation - Essay Example This type of passive response is self-explanatory, the students are hesitant to admit in public that they do not understand the lesson. The admission of such fact is associated with embarrassment and shame since other students would perceive that learner as slow. Unfortunately, the whole class feels that way towards themselves. Anxiety from past unpleasant experiences brought by humiliation either from teachers or fellow students is a strong motivator in keeping one’s self from actively participating in discussions. This is where the role of utilizing response cards becomes important. The learner can participate in learning by joining the group in responding to the question. The inconvenient feeling brought by anxiety is lessened since everybody is exposed when giving out an answer. The group becomes engaged in collaborative learning where nobody stands out nor left out. The first benefit of using response card is helping students overcome their anxiety when participating in class, consequently, frequent interaction that merits a positive response boosts the morale of the learner. This translates to positive reinforcement that would intrinsically motivate the student. The second benefit that response cards provide to the teaching of Math is that it acts as an effective assessment tool for the teachers. It is a common fact that students dislike types of assessment since evaluation of academic performance is always correlated with paper and pencil examination. The mere term â€Å"assessment† already gives a negative connotation for learners since it is associate with failing grades and unkindly remarks from some parents. However in the case of response cards, the students do not easily realize that an assessment is going on. The questions are viewed in a positive way by perceiving it as a challenge. Sometimes, response cards are even seen as

Nestle Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nestle - Coursework Example A law was passed that ensures every piece of meat or poultry bared the inspected for wholesomeness by U.S. Department of Agriculture stamp. The following claims made Nestle drew a conclusion that the government responding fast in protecting the lives of people from harmful bacteria. Moreover, bearing the fact that humans are on the top of the food chain they are prone to many dangers associated with food poisoning (Nestle 11-30). On the other hand, the government has not exhausted its operations in ensuring protection of feed supply to animals bearing in mind that they are what people eat. Cattle and chicken feed on plant-based products that might contain harmful materials and are transferred to people’s bodies in the food chain. In addition, these animals are given drugs that question the safety of the food we eat. Even with an effort of the federal government to call upon the inspection of animal feed producers, federal food safety agencies have failed in maintaining these regulations. How can we be sure of what we eat if the government does not protect our health? Nestle ideas are more convincing because they make people aware of dangers they expose themselves to while consuming meat, poultry and fish especially where the source is not known. The omnivore’s delusion is also another problem pointed out by Nestle in relation to what animals and poultry eat. Nestle calls for people to adopt crop farming because it increases nitrogen concentration in the air and acts as a good source of food. When more people turn into crop production, prices of food in the market decreases and farmers struggle at producing the best quality products. Farmers also get advices on various ways to raise food depending on the market demands. Crop production in a preferable manner increases food safety especially when farmers use accepted chemicals. In addition, crops especially beans act as alternative sources of

Harlem Renaissance Poets Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Harlem Renaissance Poets - Research Paper Example On the one hand, Johnson poem â€Å"Let Me Not Lose My Dream† features her seminal background in Rome, Georgia. The poem carries well recitations of the ancient culture and the need for blacks to take on the challenges of the community, while embracing stoicism. The inclusion of entertaining humor in the literary content was largely impacted by her skills of playing musical instruments and natural history. The creation of the poem was largely influenced by William Starkey Braithwaite work, an author who highlighted the socio-economic and political challenges that minority communities faced in the United States, and the need to remain steadfast in the quest for a free America. Considered to be one of the founding women poets, who based their literature on the new role of African Americans, Johnson’s poem â€Å"Let Me Not Lose My Dream† was laced with a feeling of sadness and optimism that blacks faced in their effort to assume prominence in the society. On the oth er hand, Gwendolyn Bennett was another significant poet of this period. The poet was born in July 1902 in Giddings, Texas. Her parents were Joshua and Maime Bennett. Bennet’s poem â€Å"Heritage† features her life as a young woman in Brooklyn’s Girls High, through her adulthood. The nature of treatment she received was characterized by benignly cold reception from the mainstream white community. Through the poem â€Å"Heritage,† particular practices such as the intellectual capabilities of the blacks during Harlem Renaissance were tolerated without question, and without meticulous thought. The poem highlighted the future role of the blacks, in social and political circles. â€Å"Heritage† is illustrative of a keen intellectual mind, which Bennet summoned during the Harlem Renaissance period to articulate the social change in the American society; that democratic transformation in the society was inevitable, and that art and literary genre had becom e a significant avenue used to communicate the much needed change in the society (Hull 13-15). Despite the significant, but the largely different titles of the two poems, Johnson’s â€Å"Let Me Not Lose My Dream† and Bennet’s â€Å"Heritage,† are two literary works that indicate the need to conserve fruitful society norms of the blacks such as social democracy, fair representation in all aspects of the society and justice for all. Whereas the former poem served to motivate the rising blacks not to be cowed in their effort to assume socio-economic and political significance in the society; the latter holds that not all new developments may yield positive outcomes. The poems by Georgia Douglas Johnson and Gwendolyn Bennett are, thus, illustrative of the enormous skills and resourcefulness that inspired the change empowerment of blacks during the Black Arts Movement. By reexamining the contribution of these poets, one can have a glimpse of delight of the bla cks during Harlem Renaissance, despite the enormous social challenges they faced . Themes present in the two poems Ethnic Pride Featuring the historical Black Arts Movement was an explicit ethnic delight that was captured in the philosophy of the empowerment of the community, who through scholarly work and creation of literature could reverse the pervading ethnic bigotry and traditions to enhance

Consumer-brand relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Consumer-brand relationships - Essay Example When the concept of branding is applied in the marketing strategies, there is a huge possibility that an effective consumer-brand relationship is created. The marketing experts have realised that the customers have become more informed and have easy access to a wide range of choices and the only way to get competitive advantage in the respective market is to strengthen the consumer-brand relationship which means getting the customers emotionally involved with the brand (Bengtsson, Bardhi & Venkatramann, 2010). It is stated by Frank et al. (2010) that the companies that will ensure that they create a highly gripping, pleasurable, consistent and compelling experience of brand for their customers which will enable it to get the top ranking in the market. However, the companies that strive to strengthen their brand just to obtain monetary benefits or don’t take account of the customer’s preferences are often unable to create a healthy relationship with their customers. ... Theoretical perspectives of Consumer-brand relationships Brand has been defined by many researchers in different ways as there is no concrete definition for this terminology. The most easiest and raw description of a brand is â€Å"awareness about a product or service offering† (Thomson, MacInnis & Park, 2005). According to Carlson, Donavan and Cumiskey (2009), a firm has to promote its brand which comprises of creating a name, broadcasting it to the target market and then implementing it on its corporate identity or the set of service or product offerings; the brand is the key element that highlights the presence of a company and its product or service in the market. Every organisation has to market its brand so that it can create a brand identity which is the set of associations that consumers develop about a certain brand (Bauer, Heinrich & Martin, 2007). For instance, Disney World is considered to be the best place for fun, adventure and enjoyment; it is the destination th at everyone wants to go to have the spectacular experience of their lives with family and friends. Disney World has further strengthened its brand image by making valuable additions in its service offerings so that it can meet the changing demands of its consumers. In order to create a good and effective consumer-brand relationship, the marketing managers of a company have to use the logos, taglines, product attributes and other aspects in the marketing activities to differentiate the brand from its competitors (Carroll & Ahuvia, 2006). The basic requirement of strengthening the brand-consumer relationship is to give the most sensational brand experience to the customers by using all available sources such as promotional events, advertising, Websites and Customer Relationship

Multinational Corporations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Multinational Corporations - Essay Example Globalization-brought about by advancement in technology, transport, and communication- has made it possible for multinational corporations to spread very fast. MNC have both negative and positive impacts on developing countries. Below I have discussed the impacts starting with positive impacts and lastly negative impacts. Employment It is a common thing in developing countries for the governments to actively seek for foreign investors. Multinational corporations provide both direct and indirect employments to developing countries which is a major challenge in these countries. Banking and telecommunication companies are some of the most common companies which have developed over large regions. Due to the size of these companies they create more job opportunities. Creating these job opportunities also account for increased domestic expenditure and income. These companies introduce new technologies to the employees and sometimes even provide training to their employees. This reduces th e cost of the government in training its citizens. Taxation revenues One of the major challenges facing developing countries is provision of social amenities to their citizens. This is due to poverty and lack of enough revenues for the government to provide such amenities as education and health services. Lack of basic education for these countries is one major cause of why they lag behind in terms of development. Poor health services contribute to high mortality rates especially to children under the age of five years. Foreign companies seeking to invest in these developing countries have always been welcomed so that they can help these countries add on to their revenues. Taxation adds to the domestic economy of the country where MNCs have invested. Due to this investment there is a direct flow of capital in the host country. Where these corporations are producing companies, they may save the host country’s revenue in terms of import. The companies may produce products that were previously imported to an extent of transforming them into exports. This will in turn earn the host country more revenue. Another source of revenue for the host country’s government is the money taxed directly from the salaries of workers. Previously we saw that multinational corporations provide employment to citizens of the host nations. The government earns revenue from salaries of all its workers in the country. From this discussion it is clear that presence of multinational corporations in a country has a significant impact on the host nation. Growth and efficiency Capital is a basic need of production; however, this is a rare commodity in underdeveloped and developing countries. MNCs offer foreign direct investment (FDI) to these countries. Developing countries may have enough natural resources available in their countries but lack resources in terms of capital and equipment. In mining, for example, most developing countries cannot afford the machinery required lea ve alone the capital. This is the opportunity for large MNCs specialized in the field to chip in. The host nations in this case have got no choice but to enter into partnership with the company. Another long term advantage to the host nation is improvement in technology. Most developing countries lack the technology needed in many industries. Introduction of foreign technology into these countries is always an advantage. The machinery and structures built, in the long run, will belong to the host nation. Sometimes the new technology is transferred the

Literary Analysis of Stephen Kings the Stand Essay Example for Free

Literary Analysis of Stephen Kings the Stand Essay People behave strangely when more than ninety-nine percent of the population is dead. They behave even more strangely when they’re the prize of a cosmic struggle. In Stephen King’s fantasy/horror, The Stand, a plague created by the military decimates the modern world. The humans that survived the plague are now the commodity of the personifications of good and evil, the troops in an epically proportioned conflict. The book begins with the spread and origin of the plague and the toll it takes on civilization and the population. Its spread through the nation, and then throughout the world, brings chaos in martial law, with horrible atrocities being committed by many of those still alive and in power. Military brutality is rampant, and all human rights are being ignored or even deliberately violated; civilization and society are disintegrating in the face of mass death. Meanwhile, the survivors are struggling to endure the psychological burden of being alone and tending to the dead and dying. They begin to find each other, but are plagued by horrible nightmares, the embodiment of their worst fears come to haunt them in their dreamland. These begin to be counterbalanced by dreams of a benevolent old woman, and all of the living and still-functioning coalesce around these two figures. A society forms around each: one of death, in Las Vegas around Flagg, and one of life, in Boulder, Colorado, around Mother Abagail. As powers converge and events unfold, the future fate of humanity is decided. The Walkin’ Dude; the dark man; the man with no face; him; Randall Flagg. The purest embodiment of evil, not only is he privy to an occasional demonic countenance, he is even sometimes allegorically referenced to the Devil. He is depicted as sowing death and discord with his very presence, showing them to be integral parts of his nature: â€Å"when he grins, birds fall dead off telephone lines. The grass yellows up and dies where he spits. [. . . ]. His name is Legion. [. . . ]. He can call the wolves and live in the crows. He’s the king of nowhere† (939). The dark man is terror personified, and even those that are loyal to him feel a primeval fear and animal loathing of him. However, evil is a relative thing, and can only be named as such if there is a foil to it. In this case, it is Mother Abagail. She is the safety and comfort of a mother’s arms, the warmth and love of a good home: she is human in a way Flagg is not and therefore subject to the weakness of humanity. Wise and kind though she may be, she is understandably bitter about her fate to â€Å"go away with strangers from all the things you love best and die in a strange land with the work not yet finished† (607). Eventually, she offends God with the sin of Pride, and must go on a pilgrimage out into the desert (a very appropriate biblical parallel) to â€Å"get right with God† (940), a pursuit which, in the end, results in her demise. However, the divine wisdom she gained on this pilgrimage, she put to use in her ordering of the journey of the four to the West, resulting in the end of Flagg’s reign and freedom for the people of the aptly-named Free Zone. One-hundred-and-eight years old, Mother Abagail is both an icon of vitality and frailty: she represents the dual, paradoxical, and precarious nature of good present in both people and civilization as a whole. Mother Abagail’s final action was to send a quest: she began the group of people at her deathbed – namely Stu Redman, Glen Bateman, Ralph Brentner, and Larry Underwood – on a perilous journey West, to destroy Flagg. Of these four characters (though they are obviously the primary focus of the end part of the novel) Ralph is probably the least important, him and Glen being fairly minor characters that rarely if ever are given voice by King. Stu, however, is the leader of both this group and the entire Free Zone, and also the first major character we are introduced to and the story’s primary protagonist. Through his eyes, we see the progenitor of the disease weave his car into a gas station and open Pandora’s Box to the world, the struggle of a dying government to contain what is already far beyond its reach, and the eventual convergence of people and regrouping of society. He is the sturdy, masculine, and conventionally established image of new strength and hope arising from tragedy. Throughout the story, he serves as a voice of reason and calm diplomacy: he is a man who understands the world and people of it. Often, Stu is characterized as â€Å"[a] man who doesn’t talk much† (598) r â€Å"a man of few words† (402), and as being extremely perceptive and intelligent; he is quite skillful at inferring people’s thoughts through his distinctive silent observation. He is a stoic, strong character that embodies the spirit necessary to thrive and survive in this strange new world. Glen Bateman is a sociologist, an invaluable asset to the construction of a new society. Though in and of himself a rather minor main character, he plays a hugely important role throughout the novel as the vessel of Stephen King. When a point is to be made about the ramifications of the superflu or ensuing human behaviors, it is almost always done through Glen. Though often cynical (â€Å"[i]f you want to short-circuit the democratic process, just ask a sociologist†) (749), he provides analyses such as these: â€Å"Man may have been made in the image of God, but human society was made in the image of His opposite number and is always trying to get back home† (458) – ones that are incredibly valuable and insightful, and provide a unique but accurate viewpoint on the â€Å"big picture†. Glen provides an opportunity for King to force-feed readers the main ideas they may not have understood or picked up on for themselves. Larry is a tortured soul. A rising musician in the West, he gets involved with illegal drugs, loses the means to pay for them, and so flees to the East, joining his mother in New York. He is constantly haunted by the condemnations of a woman he slept with and deserted: â€Å"You ain’t no nice guy! † (106) and the words of a friend of his from back West: â€Å"[t]here’s something in you that’s like biting on tinfoil† (817). Without fail, these two phrases always accompany a Larry Underwood attack of conscience, most heavily when those he considers to be under his care meet an unfortunate fate. A defining moment for him occurs when the woman he has been traveling with dies of pill overdose, and he is left alone; he traverses the northeast U. S. on foot, too terrified by the thought of wrecking with nobody to help him to use the motorcycle he had been before. As he fights the terror and psychological torment of solitude, slowly unraveling, he meets others along the way, and begins to find the strength and good within himself to lead and help and heal. After he has grudgingly taken on and essentially begun to head a group of twenty or so people, Judge Farris, an extremely intelligent old man that is traveling with him, calls him â€Å"all the things the civics books tell us the good citizens should be: [. . . ]. They make the best leaders in a democracy because they are unlikely to fall in love with power† (728). Larry is the redemption that only comes through great suffering and turmoil. The Stand mostly takes place in a desolate, dead America of the 1990’s. It’s a place that is both promising in its opportunity and foreboding in its vast emptiness. As the resultant of a non-cataclysmic apocalypse, there is very little damage to the infrastructure of the nation: â€Å"All the machinery is just sitting there, waiting for someone to come along [. . . ] and start it up again† (406). Several characters note consistently the dangers inherent in having all the old tools lying around; the temptation to resurrect the old, destructive ways is greatly increased by the sheer ease with which it could be done. The empty, devoid-of-life landscape, coupled with the only temporarily dormant tools adds a new dimension of danger to the already unpleasant situation of those that survived the plague. King prefers to make his characters the masters of their own fates. Each is presented with his or her own choice, where, in that one and usually only instant, they are completely aware of the ramifications of their actions, which power they are aligning themselves with, and the consequences of doing so. Some manage to abstain from the allure of evil, while others succumb to it hopelessly: â€Å"For just a moment part of his mind cried Harold! Stop! so strongly that he was shaken to his heels [. . . ]. For that moment it seemed he could put the bitter drink away, pour it out of the cup, and refill it with whatever there was for him in this world. . . . ] but maybe it was already too late† (663). Typically, those that fall are those that are particularly sad or lonely or felt themselves to be outcasts in the now-dead world. The pain nurtures a destructive hate in their hearts, a pain that the dark man can speak to and win over. Evil is innately destructive, while good is natural ly an assembling force. King describes evil as only capable of destroying, and therefore only able to cannibalize itself; nothing constructed by one of evil will endure: things fall apart, the centre does not hold. Good being the complement to evil, it of course has a congruously opposite structure: though the edges may tatter and fray, the center is strong because it is based on the people and what they wish to uphold in their deepest selves. Stephen King’s Stand is an all-encompassing work: it contains elements of social and religious commentary, supernatural creatures, romance, murder, insanity, loneliness, family, etc. These elements comprise a work detailing the human experience, viewed through the distorted lens of group and individual psychological shock.

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay According to Nelson (1980) social work was one of the first professions to recognise the importance of communications skills and the link to effective practice. Communication skills can be essential to the task of assessment, interviewing and later decision making for social workers. In practice, communication tends to be defined primarily as: The verbal and nonverbal exchange of information, including all the ways in which knowledge is transmitted and received (Barker, 2003: 83 in Trevithick, 2005, p 116). The latter elements of communication, which can often translate the emotional content of the communication, are also referred to as interpersonal skills. According to Thompson (2002) social workers use such skills to communicate ethically sensitive practice (p.307). The purpose of this essay is to highlight the role and importance of verbal and non verbal communication skills involved in social work practice. According to Koprowska (2008) communication is both interactive and context related. Therefore, careful consideration needs to be taken when communicating. There may be several barriers involved in communication, such as: authority; language; ability; personality; gender; age; and class (Thompson, 2009). True communication can only be achieved if the barriers are identified and removed. This can be attained by the practice of an anti oppressive and anti discriminatory approach to communication on the part of the social worker. Verbal Communication In practice good communication skills, practically listening and interview skills, are crucial for establishing efficient and respectful relationships with service users and lie at the heart of best practice in social work (Trevithick, 2005, p116). Social workers must demonstrate several skills while assessing or interviewing a client. Verbal communication is a key skill in social work practice and refers to face to face interactions and involves the impact of the actual words we use in speaking (Thompson, 2009, p100). It is importance for social workers to be aware of how and what they say in certain situations; for example, in regards to the issue of formality. If the social worker does not access the situation correctly they may be conceived as being too formal or informal and thus will inevitable create barriers. Further, many service users tend to come from vulnerable sections of society. It is possible that their involvement with social workers may invoke feelings of shame or f ear. It is likely that this will then leave them vulnerable to feeling misunderstood and not listened to. It is therefore fundamental that social workers treat each client as an individual and assess their situation as a unique case. In order to build a good relationship with each client the social worker must demolish any power or untrusting issues that may be present. This power may be either perceived or real in certain situations. For that reason, congruence plays an important role during the interview process. It may not be completely possible to eradicate the power imbalance but it is a key skill to be aware of the need to achieve congruence. This can be active by using the appropriate language so that the client can fully understand and be listened to. It is through such skills that social workers can convey genuine warmth, respect and non-judgement for the service user. Indeed, verbal communication skills also play a major role when working with other colleagues and professi ons, and are essential for decision making and assessments (Cournoyer, 1991). Non Verbal Communication Non verbal communication is a major component for interpersonal skill repertoire and includes posture, facial expression, proxemics, eye contact, and personal appearance (Kadushin and Kadushin, 1997, in Trevithick, 2005, p120), and it can support or contradict verbal communication. The importance of non-verbal communication is not a new concept in the social work field, in an article by DiMatteo, Hays, and Prince (1986) maintained that there are two dimensions of nonverbal communication, firstly decoding or sensitivity and secondly encoding or expressiveness. According to DiMatteo et al nonverbal decoding refers to the capacity to understand the emotions conveyed through others nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body movements, and voice tone. Nonverbal encoding refers to the capacity to express emotion through nonverbal cues (p 582).For example, much of the understanding of non verbal communication can be gathered through using observation skills. Observation skills can be v ital for social workers interviewing a client. According to Kadushin and Kadushin (1997) there are five thousand distinctly different hand gestures and one thousand different steady body postures so precise observation of non-verbal behaviour is important(P 315). The client may tell the social worker they are coping fine and dont need any help but by observing their facial expression or lack of eye contact they may contradict this. Sheldon stresses that social workers must be aware of their own capacity for self-observation, although always somewhat limited, provides us with an opportunity to analyse our own role and impact. (Sheldon 1995: 132-3 in Trevithick, 2005, p123). Active listening Research has verified listening as the most utilized form of communication. If frequency is a measure of importance, then listening easily qualifies as the most prominent kind of communication (Adler Rodman, 1997, p. 283). Listening may appear to be straightforward but active listening skills need to be learned, practised in training, developed and refreshed for effective use in real situations. Active listening describes a special and demanding alertness on the part of the social worker involved in interviewing a client. For Egan, active listening is about being present psychologically, socially and emotionally, not just physically (Trevithick 2005,p.123). By using skills such as paraphrasing, reflective questioning and open and closed questioning the social worker can convey full interest and understanding to a vulnerable client. Self awareness The concept of self-awareness is important in social work interviewing. Burnard (1992) defines self awareness as the process of getting to know your feelings, attitudes and values (in Thompson, 2009, p.3). A key aspect of self awareness is being aware how we may be perceived by others. In regards to interviewing the social worker may believe they are being laid back, however for the client it may be conceived as being uncaring. Supervision is therefore an important tool to gain feedback and explored any issues. Further importance of self awareness included understanding how possible external factors may affect social workers. Social workers need to aware of concepts such as transference, triggers and blind spots during interviewing process. Thompson stressed that the worker can be affected by a situation without knowing. Therefore, the use of self is extremely important. Empathy Empathy is another important communication skills involved in social work interviewing. This skill involves understanding or appreciating the feelings of others, but without necessarily experiencing them (Thompson 2009, p111). Social workers must show sensitivity and respect to the feelings of the client. There is however a difference between sympathy and empathy. Therefore there is a fundamental skill to achieving empathy not merely expressing sympathy. It is clear from the above information that the failure to achieve efficient communication between the social worker and client can lead to serious consequences. Poor communication can contributed to the harm and inadequate care clients. For example, in recent times such failures of communication among a range of professionals have been highlighted in the public inquiries into the death of several children known to be in the care of social services.(rewrite) Personal Learning