Lego Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lego - Assignment Example However, this decision turned sour and LEGO withdrew their production from Flextronics in 2009. There are two major reasons behind LEGO’s decision to have 80 percent of their products produced in Flextronics. The first one was the introduction of new toys in the market by its competitors. This influenced the company’s decision to partner because it was during the same period the company had lost confidence in its key product, LEGO brick (Larsen et al, 3). The second reason that triggered partnership was the changes in the global market, as well as, the currency exchange rates in the major importing countries. Through partnership, the company had aimed at increasing its market shares and producing new products. The partnership did not last long without challenges which with time led to the end of the relationship between the two companies. The fist challenge was ensuring that enough stock is constantly maintained. This was mostly contributed by the errors in forecasting and fluctuation of seasonal demand. In addition, the need to meet consumers’ expectations of large stock within a short period led to over production (Larsen et al, 5). The second challenge was the need for change in its retailers. This was a challenge, especially in supply chain management, considering the level of flexibility towards all retailers and smallest outlets. Although the partnership between the two companies did not turn as expected, LEGO can use this failure as its strike back in handling supply chain complexity as well as knowledge sharing, flexibility and coordination (Larsen et al, 10). However, the company has to consider several aspects to achieve these. The first aspect is being open and putting into consideration consumer views. This can be achieved by working closely with the retail shops which in turn reaches the consumer. The

The Complete Works of Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

The Complete Works of Shakespeare Essay Helen Keller once said â€Å"The Fearful are often caught with the bold. † This was with reference to danger. She believed that those who avoided danger met danger as often as often as those who confront it. Shakespeare’s Hamlet has its share of the fearful and the bold, and both fearful and bold were met by a tragic death. There were numerous instances in the play that presented this. The whole cause of the plot of the play, the death of King Hamlet, is an example of this. He is known to have conquered lands and fought a lot of wars. He can be considered one of the bold for he faced death head on and yet the reason why he died was not through his wars but instead he got killed in his own backyard, literally. This example is a perfect specimen as to why Helen Keller made the statement. It is exactly this, wherein he was killed in his own home, that she has this belief. Death, need not be found in dangerous grounds, for it can standing right outside your door. Somehow, the proverb hints at some form of fate or destiny but in the case of Hamlet, the proverb is made true because of a miasma of actions between King Claudius and Hamlet. Due to their need to resolve the issues between them for Claudius to hide his crime and for Hamlet to avenge is father – collateral damage in the form of the lives of the people around them were affected, if not taken away. It is Claudius and Hamlet that face their destinies and yet, the ones fearful for them received the same fate. Ophelia is the most innocent character in the play. She followed her father’s advice after being told that Hamlet will just break her heart. For fear of it being true, she obeyed her father, but this didn’t save her from the sorrow that she will experience later. In the process of helping Hamlet, Polonius dies by his hand and this drives Ophelia insane due to the extreme sorrow that she felt. She couldn’t protect herself from emotional pain that she tried to avoid. Queen Gertrude, who just wanted her son and her new husband to get along, ended up being poisoned. She, too, wanted to help her son and protect him from whatever malady it was that he was experiencing. She was afraid for Hamlet’s health and life. In the end, she was poisoned by a drink that was meant for Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the dynamic duo that tried to help their friend. The reason why they went to Denmark was to try and console Hamlet for the death of his father and try to unite him with his stepfather and uncle. Unknowingly, they were bringing Hamlet to his death. In their minds, all they were doing was bringing Hamlet to England to allow him time to recuperate. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were killed instead. In the case of Hamlet, the proverb â€Å"The fearful are caught as often as the bold† applied to the people that surrounded Hamlet. This is what usually is called collateral damage, the damage that is inflicted on those beside the actual target. Also, these people who surround Hamlet are not at all mindful of their own danger. As a matter of fact, it never occurred to them that they will encounter death. However, they were afraid for Hamlet. Due to their affection for Hamlet, these characters tried to make him happy, protect him from himself, and protect him from others. In the end, all these people, afraid him, died tragically, even before Hamlet himself died. Therefore, those who were fearful for Hamlet were caught as much as the bold Hamlet in the tragedy of his vengeance. Reference: Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Hamlet†. The Complete Works of Shakespeare Ed. George Lyman Kittredge. Boston: Grolier Incorporated,1936: p. 1147

Fuedalism and the Organization of the Fuedal System Essay example -- e

When Charlemagne died in 814, Western Europe was left in chaos with no strong leaders or tribes able to provide the peace and stability necessary for civilization to advance. As a result there was no central government, no stable form of protection for people's life or property and so the people of Western Europe decided to turn to feudalism for that protection. Feudalism was a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their land among the lower lords. The Feudal System was introduced to England following the invasion and conquest of the country. The system had been used in France by the Normans from the time they first settled there in about 900AD. It was a simple, but effective system, where all land was owned by the King. One quarter was kept by the King as his personal property, some was given to the church and the rest was leased out under strict controls. Nobles are lords. The Noble’s role was to battle for power. Warfare was the way of life. They trained from boyhood to become a knight. Peasants made up most of the population. They work...

The Approach of U.S. Foreign Policy and Terrorism Essay -- Argumentati

The Approach of U.S. Foreign Policy and Terrorism U.S. foreign policy is plunging head first in its war on terrorism. Our focus is expanding and including various dynamics that harbor American interests. By broadening our focus in our war on terrorism, we are beginning to spread ourselves too thin. Therefore, we risk the danger of fighting too many battles at once. Terrorism is a large issue that American foreign policy will not be able to tackle in the manner it has set out to do. Recently, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle voiced his concern over the direction the U.S. is taking in its war on terrorism. He was criticized because his statements are "one of the most critical assessments to date of the U.S. war effort," and therefore "divisive at a time when the country needs to be united," (Bash). Daschle stated the war has been successful up until now, but was concerned the war effort has been spreading "without clear direction," (Bash). Daschle's statement reflects a growing concern in Congress on the expansion of the war on terrorism. U.S. foreign policy and its approach to the war are broadening to include a widening spectrum of terrorist related issues in more regions of the world. Daschle's main concern is that foreign policy initiatives supported by Congress in the aftermath of September 11th are taken as a blank check to expand the war on terrorism. Particularly, in the movement of American troops to regions of the world where events were not considered directly linked to US interests or security threats previously. His argument rests in the lack of communication between the Bush Administration and Congress on war initiatives. For example, despite regular briefing... ...sh.† CNN.com. 3 Mar 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/03/03/Daschle.terror/index.html â€Å"Georgia: Caucasus flashpoint.† CNN.com. 27 Feb 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/02/27/georgia.chechnya/index.html Gordon, Michael R. â€Å"Saudis Warning Against Attack by U.S. on Iraq.† Nytimes.com. 17 Mar 2002. www.nytimes.com/2002/03/17/international/middleeast/17CHEN.html Press, Bill. "'Axis of Evil' Reveals Excess of Ignorance." CNN.com. 20 Feb 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/02/20/column.billpress.index.html â€Å"U.S. expanding war on terrorism.† CNN.com. 1 Mar 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/01/ret.us.forces/index.html â€Å"U.S. may send troops to Yemen soon, officials say.† CNN.com. 12 Mar 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/12/ret.yemen.troops/index.html

Castlebridge

December 01, 2010 Case Study Analysis # 70 Castlebridge, a maker of high-quality outerwear, located in London is at a cross roads. Although its headquarters operates from London, most of its manufacturing has moved offshore. With the last domestic factory slated to close, the firm's executives struggle to preserve the â€Å"Britishness† of the brand. On the other hand, the company has to reduce costs to remain profitable. It seems that moving production offshore is inevitable. The executives believe that Castlebridge should come clean about it.In a world where stakeholders matter more than ever, the firm can't just outperform competitors. It has to go above and beyond to satisfy their constituents. Therefore, the CEO Mary Crane asserts that the plant closure is a logical step. Reputational risk is a concern as well as brand image. The majority of the customers who purchase Castlebridge items are wealthy. They pride themselves in wearing high class British fashions. The company fears that Asian manufacturing tags will diminish consumer confidence in quality and authenticity. The CEO wants to take the logical approach where the objective of any firm is to maximize profits.By not doing so, the firm will lose out to the competitors and will continue to face rising production costs in keeping up with consumer preferences. She holds Fergus Harold accountable for being overly nationalistic and even rather ignorant to the status of British clothing made in Malaysia and its effect on a Japanese consumer. Her unabashed perception indicates that backlash would be from local purchasers whose confidence may be undermined by the outsourcing of a classy British brand to a third world country. Furthermore, it is well pointed out that the CEO does not feel threatened by British media.Supposedly she sees that production line workers are of the lower working class whereas buyers of Castlebridge's products of are of the wealthier class. Castlebridge simply cannot survive in their high cost market by maintaining its production lines within the UK. Labor cost is just too expensive. Trade unions have become cleverer with their protests and could potentially be a thorn in their side. The company needs to make a decision soon. The British public has been down this road before, as have foreign consumers of British products. I agree with the CEO that cost cutting measures need to be implemented.There is no need to maintain high production costs and place burden upon the shareholders of the company. If the British public has been down this path before then there should be no problem. If the firm shines light on its native roots and its international production, it could establish a winning reputation as a truly modern, global brand. However, the customers’ sentiment is very important. The brand image is highly regarded and maintaining the class, quality and authenticity is just as important as running the risk of a complete closure and a shutdown of bu siness.Could Castlebridge hire foreign employees to work in the U. K? Could wages be scaled down to keep in line with profit margins? Maybe these alternatives should be considered. Otherwise, the real risk to the brand could be the potential loss of its high-class distinction and not its national identity. Before making a firm decision, all alternatives should be considered. As a member of the Board of Directors, Ferguson should have the conscientiousness to advise the company to rediscover and recommit to the core values that have made them so successful.Should the CEO go through with moving its production facilities offshore, he could recommend a trust-building people strategy, modeled by the CEO, which emphasizes forthright communication from management to the employees as well as the opinions of its customers. In doing so, the company will be compliant with its corporate culture and stakeholders. The last thing Castlebridge needs is to have its employees and customers reject the principles of this outerwear line. With that being said, the company can continue to enjoy the success it has had.

Who is Beyonce

Who is Beyonce Introduction Beyonce is arguably the top female musician in the world. From a career that emerged from the success of an all-girl music group, she has received several accolades for her music and acting careers. Her success has attracted a lot of media attention from critics and fans alike.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, her recent engagement and wedding to rapper Jay-Z has even brought more media attention to the laid-back musician. Now, most entertainment observers consider Beyonce and Jay Z as America’s â€Å"power couple† (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). In several ways, Beyonce has been in the limelight for most parts of the last decade. Thus, different media have always contained different stories about her. This paper compares the singer’s image in the news media and academic literature by arguing that both sources share more similarities than differences in how they portray the artist. Notably, this paper shows that academic literatures are concerned with Beyonce’s role in female empowerment and healthy living, while her media image focuses on her glamour, music, sex symbolism, and style. The structure of this paper first analyzes Beyonce’s image in academic literature. Subsequent sections of this paper highlight her image in news media. The last section of this paper compares both images (in news media and academic literature). Image in Academic Literatures Symbol of Female Empowerment Professionally, Beyonce’s image has easily appeared besides other powerful African-American personalities, like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and the likes. Most of these comparisons stem from Beyonce’s success in the music industry and her ability to transcend the superficial and stereotypical image of African American women, as objects of sexual gratification (with in the confines of white supremacy) (Celeste 11).Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While it is important to appreciate the individual successes of music icons, such as Beyonce, many academic journals have found it difficult to do so outside the confines of race (Fan 117). Thus, in many academic circles, many researchers largely perceive Beyonce as an icon of female empowerment (Celeste 11). Feminists have especially championed this view. For example, Murphy (96) says Beyonce is an icon in the success of the third wave feminist movement. This perception led Murphy to say, â€Å"Beyonce is a girl power icon who is average but, beyond her star status, she is overwhelmingly portrayed as a normal and powerful woman† (96). Indeed, in one journal article, Celeste says, â€Å"The media has portrayed Knowles as empowered and in charge, as a mask to make oppres sive forces, such as the â€Å"sexualization† of black women and white supremacy, invisible† (12). The depiction of Beyonce as a female icon has made it difficult for scholars to ignore the racial identity within the discourse of female empowerment. Indeed, many academic literatures appreciate Beyonce’s stature as a woman of color. Therefore, unlike most female icons (mostly white women) that demonstrate the â€Å"girl power† ideology, Beyonce has achieved the same stature by demonstrating multiple talents and performing abilities. Evidence of Beyonce’s multi-talented nature comes from her career launch in the pop group, Destiny’s Child. Murphy says, â€Å"As a dancer, songwriter, and choreographer, she later catapulted her success into new fields, such as acting and fashion design† (p. 97). Through such multi-variable talents, scholars have not shied from associating Beyonce’s success with the third wave of feminism. Certainly, they have done so by associating racial identities with discussions concerning the empowerment of young women. African-American scholars have especially used the success of young African-American women, like Beyonce, to inspire African-American audiences.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health Image Although Beyonce has received global accolades for being a top female musician, her image has transcended her professional career and delved into her lifestyle attributes. Notably, she has curved out an image of being an enviable female icon for healthy living. Academic journals that focus on healthy living have especially affirmed this image because they say Beyonce has an ideal body that most women strive to have. For example, Apple (111) exposed a study which asked women to state the body type they would like to have (the researchers gave the women the options of choosing the body types of four female celebrities including, Beyonce, Kate Moss, Keira Knightly, and Queen Latifa). Most of the respondents preferred Beyonce’s body style (Men want a† 121). The emphasis on Beyonce as a fitness model stems from her widely publicized workout and diet plans. Concisely, her name has appeared in most health fitness regimes (Another jar of† 50). For example, Beyonce’s workout plan exists in healthyceleb.com and motleyhealth.com (these websites advice people how to live healthy by maintaining a proper diet regime) (Borges 7). For example, Beyonce advises women on how to lose weight, at healthyceleb.com. She gives a step-by-step account of the time she wakes up, the types of activities she does for exercise, and how her diet helps her to be healthy. In the same forum, she advises most young women to breastfeed, as a way to stay healthy (Borges 7). Here, she emphasizes the importance of a vegetarian diet and its role in keeping her healthy (Borges 7). From the huge responses she receives from the website, Beyonce also provides a link for people to contact her personal trainer and get more advice on healthy living. Her success in health education has permeated through most academic literatures. News Media Image Flamboyant Image Beyonce’s image in mainstream media contrasts with her â€Å"academic† image. While the above sections of the paper highlight Beyonce as a motivational icon for racial minorities in America, her public image in mainstream media portrays her as a glamorous and flamboyant person.Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As portrayed in the introduction section of this report, Beyonce’s image in news media largely premise on her superficial attributes, such as her sense of fashion, style, net worth, and the likes. For example, her recent marriage to rapper Jay Z has shifted most of her public image to her net worth, lifestyle, and influence in the music industry (Seno and Lukas 121). For example, many American newspapers picked an article from Forbes magazine to show the position of the â€Å"power couple† as America’s highest earning celebrity couple (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Such news has always been associated with huge monetary figures, to show how rich the artist is, and how she compares with other wealthy celebrities in the country. For instance, mainstream media have often compared Beyonce and Jay Z to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Similar comparisons also exist with the celebrity couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bundschen (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par . 2). Sex Icon Besides the media’s obsession with Beyonce’s money and wealth, the singer has adopted an image of being a crossover sex symbol in American music. Indeed, most news media have referred to the singer as â€Å"bootylicious,† â€Å"voluptuous,† and similar acronyms to denote her status as a sex symbol (Seno and Lukas 122). Partly, the singer, through the former all-girl music group, Destiny’s Child, affirmed this image through songs, like â€Å"bootylicious.† However, mainstream media have emphasized this image as the singer’s trademark. Beyonce’s image as a sex symbol largely differs from the star’s academic image. Certainly, earlier sections of this paper show that, academically, scholars have perceived Beyonce as a role model for women worldwide (Celeste 11). Scholars have also disassociated the singer from stereotypical images of African-American superstars as sex symbols (Celeste 11). However, this image appears to disappear in the news media because her image consistently depicts her as a sex symbol. This image has not only existed in music videos and television, but also in print media. For example, â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† (par. 3) says, after Beyonce appeared on Tom Ford’s fashion show, in 2011, People magazine identified her as the world’s sexiest woman. Complex (a celebrity website) also named the singer the sexiest musician of all time. The list of other print media that have popularized Beyonce’s stature as a sex symbol is endless. For instance, VHA and GQ have also named the star as the sexiest woman of the century. This way, Beyonce has received several offers to appear on magazine covers from different entertainment outlets in America and Europe. Her success on this front has affirmed her image as a sex icon. Fashion Icon News media have also highly popularized Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon, to characterize her identity. Murphy (131 ) says this image has largely been popularized by mainstream media, but the Knowles family has also helped to cement it. For example, Beyonce’s mother co-authored a book, in 2002, titled, Destiny’s Style. She revealed that Beyonce’s fashion sense had a huge role to play in her success (Murphy 131). Independent fashion designers (who have worked with the star) have also reinforced this image. For example, one Italian fashion designer, Roberto Cavalli, also revealed that Beyonce’s success largely stemmed from her strong fashion sense (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 3). He made this statement after referring to the diverse fashion styles used by the singer during her performances. Indeed, based on an assessment of Beyonce’s music videos, it is difficult to dispute the fact that Beyonce’s fashion sense ranges from a continuum of classic to contemporary fashion styles. Again, magazines and other types of news media have not shied from affi rming Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon. For example, People Magazine listed Beyonce as the best dressed celebrity of 2012. Such rankings paved the way for the star to feature in more prestigious print media magazines, such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuits Issue. Again, it is important to highlight Beyonce’s stature as an icon of African-American descent because she was the second African-American woman to feature in this magazine (Tyra banks preceded her debut on the Magazine). Musical Icon Since Beyonce started her solo career as an artist, after breaking away from Destiny’s Child, she has cut out an image as an influential and powerful musician. This image has largely dominated most mainstream media because many commentators have portrayed Beyonce as a great and influential musician. Music critics, for example, consider Beyonce as the greatest musician of all time (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Influential commentators, such as Jody Rosen of th e New Yorker, hold this view. Surprisingly, most news media have upheld this image of the singer for a greater part of the last decade. In fact, 2013 rankings showed Beyonce leads other artists in exerting the most influence in America’s music industry. Her musical prowess prompted Luhrmann (12) to say, No one has that voice, no one moves the way she moves, no one can hold an audience how she does. When Beyonce does an album, when Beyonce sings a song, when Beyonce does anything, it is an event, and it is broadly influential. Right now, she is the heir- ­apparent diva of the USA - the reigning national voice† (Luhrmann 12). Such views have brought a lot of national attention to Beyonce’s influence in mainstream music. The Guardian has even named her the greatest artist of the decade (Luhrmann 12). This image has elevated the mellow-voiced singer to iconic status in the music industry. This image has also enabled Beyonce to command unwavering respect in the ind ustry. Observers say her production of two great musical singles of the decade (crazy in love and put a ring on it) marked the reinvention of Rhythm and Blues (RB) music in the last decade. Indeed, Luhrmann (12) says through Beyonce’s contribution to the music industry, pop music has relied on the success of RB, as its favorite medium. Beyonce’s influence in the RB genre has also replicated in redefining the success of other musicians. For example, evidence shows that Beyonce’s works have influenced other successful RB musicians, such as Adele and Rihanna to succeed. Seno and Lukas (121) say Beyonce’s reputation, as a successful artist, mainly stems from her strong stage presence. Through her success on stage, other artists, such as Rihanna, have reinvented their stage performances to make them more entertaining and captivating. Beyonce’s success beyond music has spilled over into marketing and branding (Seno and Lukas 121). Here, she has also infl uenced other artists to participate in marketing campaigns. For example, in a recent interview, Nicki Minaj claimed that Beyonce’s commercial success in a Pepsi campaign motivated her to try the same in a 2012 global campaign. Through her influence in the music industry and other artists, mainstream media continue to affirm Beyonce’s image as a music icon. Conclusion After weighing the findings of this paper, it is important to say Beyonce’s image in news media and academic sources differ. Notably, both sources focus on different aspects of the celebrity. News media portray the singer as a sex symbol, musical icon, and fashion icon. Comparatively, academic literatures appreciate the artist for her contribution to female empowerment and health education. These two zones of focus highlight different aspects of Beyonce. News media highlights her superficial and glamorous aspects of life, while academic literature highlights her beneficial contributions to society. A comparison of these two aspects of analysis shows that academic literature and news media share one similarity of depicting Beyonce in a positive way. Although news media concentrates on her glamour and splendor, they still show Beyonce’s positive contribution to the music industry. Evidence of her contribution to the RB genre is the most notable contribution to the music industry. News media also portray her as a mentor to upcoming and existing musicians. Overall, an assessment of Beyonce’s image in academic and news media shows that both media are sympathetic to the artist. Furthermore, both depictions of Beyonce’s image do not exaggerate her achievements and contributions. Instead, they portray a factual image of her personality and achievements. Both perceptions (from news media and academic sources) are also not stereotypical (however, academic literatures show the stereotypical background that influences the perception of African-American artists, such a s Beyonce). Comprehensively, this paper shows that there are more similarities than differences between how academic literatures and news media portray Beyonce. Another jar of baby food? Nutrition Food Science 39.1(2009): 49- 53. Print. Apple, Michael. â€Å"Democratic Education in Neoliberal and Neoconservative Times.†Ã‚  International Studies in Sociology of Education 21.1 (2011): 111-118. Print. Beyonce, Jay-Z Top Forbes’ Highest-Earning Celebrity Couple  List. 2013. Web. Borges, Marco 2012, Beyonce Knowles Workout Routine Diet Plan. Web. Celeste, Manoucheka. I’m Universal: Beyoncà © and the Re-Packaging of Black  Women in Media, Boston, MA: TBA, 2013. Print. Fan, Weihua. â€Å"Social Influences, School Motivation and Gender Differences: An Application of the Expectancy-Value Theory.† Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology 31.2 (2011): 117-122. Print. Luhrmann, Baz 2013, The 2013 Times 100. Web. Men want a body like Beckham. Nutrition Food Science 41.4 (2011): 238 – 241. Print. Murphy, Caryn. New Girl Order: Youth, Gender, and Generation in Contemporary  Teen Girls Media, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press. Print. Seno, Diana and Lukas Bryan. The equity effect of product endorsement by celebrities: A conceptual framework from a co-branding perspective. European Journal of Marketing 41.1 (2007): 121 – 134. Print.

Contributions to the Care of People in a Residential Setting Essays

Contributions to the Care of People in a Residential Setting Essays Contributions to the Care of People in a Residential Setting Essay Contributions to the Care of People in a Residential Setting Essay SOCIAL WORK: Contribute to care of people in a residential scene Undertaking 1: Explanation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application in the societal services The Treaty of Waitangi is an understanding signed between the Maori and the Crown in the twelvemonth 1840. It has four rules that are being applied in the societal services of today, and these are: partnership, protection, engagement and permission. These rules are applied when societal workers work together with the whanau and the client in the decision-making with respects to the sort of attention the client needs. It is besides applied when client’s cultural rights are kept safe and leting them to pattern their traditions if pleased. These rules are applied in lending to the attention of people in a residential scene based on these undermentioned illustrations: 1. PROTECTION – A Maori occupant who wants to maintain his traditions such as taking places upon come ining his room must be observed by the staff to demo their regard of his cultural rights. 2. PARTNERSHIP – Social worker, client and whanau could form a hui to discourse about the best alternate instruction classs to set up for a Maori kid who has been admitted at a CYFs residential place due to condemnable discourtesy. 3. PARTICIPATION – Client and societal worker may hold a regular hebdomadal meeting to discourse about the effectivity of being admitted in a residential place for the client. Client can work together with the societal worker to develop a program on how the activities and plans in the installation could be helpful to him. Undertaking 2: Manage admittance to residential attention Context/Setting Hoani Waititi Marae Individual/Group Age Group Summary of ground for admittance to residential attention R.W. adolescent R.W. is a 15 twelvemonth old Maori female who has been arrested and admitted to CYFS residential attention due to failure to stay by her set curfew clip. R.W. was first sent to youth tribunal due to robbery. She was sentenced to 3 months community service, required to go to Maori alternate instruction and was set a curfew until 7pm. However, on their latest visit to tribunal, her grandmother raised an issue to the justice that R.W. has been coming place past her curfew clip in more than a few times, and when asked where she has been, she merely walks straight to her room and non reply the inquiry. She was given a constabulary warning, but on her 3rd discourtesy, the constabulary came and picked her up and set her to the residential place. ( Task 2 ) Placement Diary – ( Student to Complete ) Student Name Hannah Marie N. Manlangit Workplace Hoani Waititi Marae Meetings and Communication ( related to admission procedure ) Date Notes/key points of information provided to the occupants 16 Sept 2014 Nature of the alternate attention arrangement where the client will be admitted to. 17 Sept 2014 List of recreational activities and alternate instruction that will be provided to the client one time admitted in the residential attention. Summary of information gained to find single arrangement demands in the abode Cultural and religious patterns – Client is a Maori and has close dealingss with her whanau which should be considered in her residential place. She should be able to hold an unfastened communicating with her whanau when needed. Health and dietetic demands – Client demands to make karakia earlier repasts as portion of her civilization. Support people: Friends and household – Open communicating with whanau and friends. Government and community bureaus – Client’s societal worker should still be involved in the assessment procedure during her stay in the residential place. High hazard appraisal injury, failure to stay by set regulations or run off etc. Avocations, activities – Client loves music and enjoys playing the piano. This can be integrated in Her attention program and alternate instruction. Notes/key points of how you managed admittance in conformity with your workplace standards/ demands Our arrangement s criterions and processs chiefly concentrate on sing the client s safety and wellbeing. First, informed consent is gained before the admittance procedure is conducted. The occupant is informed of all outlooks and a meeting is organized so that both parties are agreeable that the arrangement is appropriate. Once a definite program has been made and the client has agreed to be admitted in the arrangement, residential regulations and processs are laid down to her before she starts his stay in the installation. She is besides informed of the abode programmes and resources that could assist her in acquiring back on the right path. Resident rights and duties are besides discussed, every bit good as grudges processs, should she non abide by the policies and processs of the installation. Client is besides assessed before admittance to let the residential installation to obtain of import and relevant information from the client sufficient for the intent of finding single arrangement and demands within the abode. Other notes/reflections on the admittance procedure Admission processs are completed in conformity with service supplier criterions. Agencies will hold different processs when acknowledging a new occupant. The manner one bureau admits a occupant may be really different from another bureau. They may hold different protocols and processs. Undertaking 3: Contribute to be aftering for residential attention of the occupant ( Task 3 ) Placement Diary – ( Student to finish ) Student Name Hannah Marie N. Manlangit Workplace Hoani Waititi Marae Contributions to be aftering for attention of the occupant Date Notes/key points of any meetings or other communicating, inside informations of actions related to be aftering for the attention of the occupant 16 Sept 2014 Social worker arranges a whanau hui with the household members, the client, her support individual and a representative of the residential attention to discourse about their program of action to back up the client. 17 Sept 2014 All agreed upon programs during the meeting will be written down in a minute of the meeting and sent to all parties involved in the hui by electronic mail or by station. What factors were relevant to the planning of residential attention for the occupant? Aims for admittance to the abode Integration of the person into the abode Results of the admittance appraisal Ethical pattern Keeping information confidential Following statute law Encouraging self-government Reviewing the program Followed SW profession s codification of moralss Followed bureau s codification of behavior Ascertained cultural pattern Service supplier criterions Follow Social Work profession s codification of moralss Follow bureau s codification of behavior Observe cultural patterns What were the indispensable characteristics of the resident’s residential attention program? Matching of the occupant s demands with the services provided by the abode Aims of the program Resources that are available to accomplish the aims of the program A clip frame that is consistent with the usage of available resources The functions and duties of people in the program Methods of measuring advancement Other notes/reflections on the admittance procedure Before an alternate arrangement happens, the appropriate parties may run into several times to discourse and portion relevant information, issues and demands of the client for their safety and wellbeing. Legislation Gender Residential Rules Undertaking 4: Contribute to residential attention of the occupant ( Task 4 ) Placement Diary – ( Student to finish ) Student Name Hannah Marie N. Manlangit Workplace Hoani Waititi Marae Contributions to care of occupant Date Notes/key points of any meetings or other communicating, inside informations of actions related to attention of the occupant 16 Sept 2014 During the whanau hui, client’s involvements and avocations will be taken in consideration to assist do the option attention stay would be good to the client. 17 Sept 2014 During the stay in the alternate attention, client’s cultural rights will be practiced at all times. Sketch your function and the chief duties you have in the residential attention program Guaranting the safety and wellbeing of the occupant ( and other occupants ) as their first consideration at all times. The societal worker has fulfilled all their allocated duties in conformity with the societal worker s function in the residential attention program. What contact was arranged for the occupant to hold with their family/whanau? Ongoing contact of the occupant with their whanau throughout the period of abode is facilitated in conformity with the program. Telephone Mail Visiting Planned joint meetings with residential staff What are the supervising and custodial attention demands of the occupant? Supervision and tutelary attention of the occupant is carried out harmonizing to the program and residential demands: Physical and behavioral boundaries Legislative demands Health and safety direction Behavioural direction How does the residential attention program promote self-government of the occupant, and discourage dependence on you, other societal workers and the societal service supplier? Part of the function of facilitation is to promote self-government of parties to the program. This means promoting all parties to the program to carry through their identified functions, and to take ownership of these functions. Dependence on the societal worker or societal service supplier needs to be discouraged. Encouraging self-government: Outlined bureau s aims and appropriate statute law, endorsing up bureaus mandate/kaupapa. Informing client and whanau of the parametric quantities and range of the meeting, and allowed them to specify the best options. Work collaboratively with the household to happen a in-between land where bureau authorization and whanauchoices are nt alining. Detering dependence on societal services: Give infinite so the whanau can specify their ain possible solutions Where possible the bureau stairss aside, so the household can step up. Other notes ( Reflect on the determination doing procedure ) Social worker could give the client and whanau aid in the best manner she could but at the same clip, give them options to let them to do a determination on what they think would outdo suit the client’s needs. Undertaking 5: Contribute to rating of the residential attention program ( Task 5 ) Placement Diary – ( Student to finish ) Student Name Hannah Marie N. Manlangit Workplace Hoani Waititi Marae Contributions to rating of residential attention program Date Notes/key points related to the rating of the residential attention program 16 Sept 2014 Agenda a regular monitoring of the client’s advancement in the residential attention, for illustration, have the societal worker visit her hebdomadal. 17 Sept 2014 Make a attention program for the client and refer to the attention program and her advancement in the residential attention. How did you help parties to place advancement in accomplishing the aims of the residential attention program? Throughout the execution ( and at the decision ) of the alternate attention program, advancement against program objectives needs to be determined, and documented. Keeping an unfastened communicating with the client and inquiring her about how she feels about being in the residential installation. If she is happy with her stay and if she thinks if it has been helpful to her. Promote the whanau of the client to maintain their support and aid with the client and maintaining the connexion between them intact throughout the whole procedure. How did you help the parties to measure the safety and wellbeing of the occupant and other occupants? The monitoring of advancement besides needs to specifically include monitoring of advancement in footings of the safety and good being of the person who is the topic of the arrangement. Keeping in touch with the installation staff and inquiring for their observation on the advancement and betterment of the client. Discoursing with the whanau of the client on how they think their connexion with the client improved during the whole procedure of alternate attention. What further options ( if any ) were identified following a reappraisal of the resident’s attention program? When execution of the program is complete, the program needs to be reviewed. In some instances the reappraisal will ensue in farther options being identified. The reappraisal may besides find some different results in footings of accomplishment of aims and these besides need to be recorded in the program. Plans can be reviewed as necessary: either hebdomadal, monthly, every three months depending on clients fortunes. How did you maintain all communications confidential? Communicationss were kept confidential by guaranting that whanau huis are held in closed suites with merely the people who are closely involved in the instance are present. I besides ensured that all paperss refering the client are kept in a secured topographic point that are merely accessible to the societal workers working in the client s instance and are non left lying around for people to see. Outline the statute law that was relevant to this resident/situation, and how it impacted on your part to the resident’s attention. The most of import legisltation applied in this procedure was thePrivacy Act. The client’s personal information was kept safe by the residential attention arrangement. As pupils, we were asked to subscribe a confidentiality signifier to guarantee that we will be apt in instance of information being exposed to parties non involved in the procedure. Human Rightswere kept in topographic point throughout the whole procedure by guaranting that client’s cultural, physical, mental and religious rights were kept in consideration at all times. As a Maori, their tikanga were kept integral at all times and whanau engagement was extremely encouraged. Other notes ( Reflect on the determination doing procedure ) The relationship between client and societal worker does non stop one time client is placed in a residential attention. Monitoring of client advancement one time released from residential attention is besides critical and of import to guarantee that client does non travel back to her old ways. Particularly for immature clients, societal worker must help the client on activities and avocations that will assist her divert her attending and non travel back to her old ways and take the consecutive way. Undertaking 6: Application of societal service theory In this peculiar instance, the societal work theory on Working with Particular Client Groups was taken into consideration because we were covering with a adolescent. A client at this age has different demands and involvements as compared to an grownup client. Social worker must guarantee to derive the attending and trust of the client to guarantee her cooperation in the procedure. Gender is besides taken into history, since the client is a miss, the societal worker gave her residential attention options that are friendly to her demands and in where she will experience safe and secure. Cultural rights were besides taken note of. Client is a Maori therefore, she was referred to a Maori organisation to protect her tikanga and allow her cognize more about her whakapapa. During her young person hearing the justice encouraged her to declaim her pipiha to remind her of her whanangataunga and to pattern their Te reo which was really helpful to the client as it besides encouraged her to acqui re connected with her cultural roots. Hannah Marie N. Manlangit13160103

Different Areas of Knowledge Essays

Different Areas of Knowledge Essays Different Areas of Knowledge Essay Different Areas of Knowledge Essay After reading the topic question, straight away a thought came to my mind. Are numbers, pictures, lines, dots, characters, images, music a form of language? That is the ultimate knowledge issue when it comes to language. What is language? What does it consist of? There is no way to define language so that our entire society can conform to it. This creates a situation where this knowledge issue is almost insoluble. People communicate using many tools and methods. They understand each other with sounds as well as pictures. But does this make one more of a language then the other? To be able to make a clear argument, I will define language as a tool of communicating ideas, objects and actions. Within the IB Program there are only a certain number of Areas of Knowledge. I for one am taking a full diploma with six subjects. One of my subjects is English. In English we mostly discuss literature, English and international, and there is a lot of analyzing that takes place. I think that language in a language course obviously plays a tremendously huge role. We need to read, write and share our opinions. A lot of the work I do in that class consists of personal response. I read passages, novels, plays, articles, journals and with every piece of information I gain, a form an opinion. This opinion then needs to be supported by using the work as back up. To do every single part and aspect of that class, language is required. Language in the sense of the communicating tool required to read, and write. A counterclaim to this argument would be that when we do personal responses and we write about what we feel, we are not necessarily sharing it with anyone else. Many times authors will write things and then he will have an audience that will read his work. What the audience understands might be completely different than what the author intended. He did not communicate anything with them in this case. According to my definition of language, if the author portrayed his ideas and it was misinterpreted, then there was limited communication that occurred. There might have been some form of exchange but the communication was frayed and broken. You could argue then that personal response papers and anything that is an interpretation of another work is therefore not language. It is more a method of keeping track of emotions. To counter that counterclaim however, I would argue that even though the author isnt communicating what he wanted to, to me, I am still getting information from what he has written. He might not be giving me what he intended, but he is giving me something. That sharing of information is considered communication. The whole point of writing novels and plays is for them to be shared. Regardless of what is passed on, something is transferred from one being to another through the work.

Should we cry for Argentina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Should we cry for Argentina - Essay Example In recent times, Argentinians have suffered from the decline in economic standings (Farzard, 2010). This paper will review the crisis the country faces, and what they are doing to ensure they get through the situation. Local companies present at the time can attest to the situation that existed. They could not send money abroad for many of their financial activities. This was because the central bank had to give approval on these transactions in order to maintain some of the country’s capital. The blame game continued between the government and financial agencies while the economy continued to plummet. As the Argentinian peso was losing its value, it became obvious that the situation was getting from poor to worse. Some of the stringent measures included seizing the citizens’ cash in order to regulate how they withdrew money from their bank accounts was introduced (Farzard, 2010). This led to countrywide protests against such moves by the government, and what it meant to their freedom. Business operations were brought to a standstill through all the commotion as banks were attacked. The raising of taxation through government policies made it harder for businesses to grow and expand. This implied that all those involved in the transportation of goods and services, whether local or foreign, were affected immensely (Farzard, 2010). Coming across funds to pay foreign suppliers became harder for the local traders, and their businesses. This led to the dipping in the local market for local goods. The collapse of the economy brought plenty of trouble for the Argentinian government. It became hard to fulfil the needs of the people as many more people seemed to suffer from poverty. Inflation levels grew to a high level and employment was for only a few people in Argentina. As all these problems continued to engulf Argentina, their hope to get themselves out of debt was dwindling. This is as

Future of the Family readings Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Future of the Family readings - Assignment Example The marriage education programs would only be theoretical as marriage skills, in my opinion, are an individual initiative. If an individual decided not to marry, it is extremely tasking to teach them to love the institution especially after nasty encounters. I agree with the con arguments against same-sex marriage that the father and mother figure will be lost. A good example is the gay and lesbian marriages. How would a young man and woman understand the responsibility of the females and males in the family and society generally? I agree with the pro opinion for same-sex marriage that individuals have a right to choice. Denying and discriminating same sex couples a chance to legal protection and other privileges is wrong (Masci, 2004). This article brings to mind that the next step for the marriage institution solely depends on the society. The fifth forecast is not plausible as the young generation is now more than ever getting involved in politics. Arguing that the seniors will be important voters holds less significance. The fourth forecast is plausible as the automakers will be forced to consider the older generation in car making. The first is also true as the services of the retired will be required, as many youth are half baked graduates (Ervin, 2000). My forecasts that seem plausible include; technology will take over everything in the society, and the society will shift to self employment as opposed to salaried employment. This article brings to mind the fact that women are becoming the head of households in USA and the numbers are likely to increase in the future. The automated fertility monitoring family planning technique in my opinion has made life easy for women in relation to their reproductive systems (Fertility Weekly, 2011). Computerized fertility monitoring will strengthen the family institution as individuals

Fungi as a source of food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fungi as a source of food - Essay Example There is vitamin d2 production when ergosterols in mushrooms are exposed to ultraviolet light. Fungi have certain interesting twists especially when one zeros down to the mushrooms. In the ancient Egypt for example, mushrooms were exclusively believed to be foods for the royalties. The unique flavors intrigued the powerful pharaohs to the extent of declaring them illegal for the commoners to consume. In china, Greece, Mexico, Russia and Latin America, the practice of mushroom rituals took place. They believed that mushrooms possessed properties capable of producing super human strengths. They also believed that mushrooms could help recover lost objects, and take the human soul to the presence of the gods (Phillips and Reid 62). Edible fungi like mushroom have been in consumption since the 18th century. France prides early leadership in the farming of mushrooms with certain accounts stating that Louis XIV being the first mushroom grower. Mushrooms were grown near Paris in special caves set aside for this activity. Mushroom farming later spread to England since the farmers there found it very easy to grow. It demanded low investments, less labor and space. Mushroom farming found its way to the United States in the 19th century though the growers there largely depended on the spawn they imported from England (Phillips and Reid 32). A book was published in 1891 shedding a lot of light on mushroom growing. Immediately after, the department of agriculture in the U.S allocated some money in research and produced a pure-culture virgin spawn cutting their dependency on imported spawn. The growth of mushroom production has since then achieved great development in the U.S. Recent research by scientists on hallucinogen psilocybin, which is an active ingredient in mushrooms, shows that one dose causes serious positive personality change in their patients. The changes were

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 14

Research Paper Example The real GDP growth of china again reduced to 7.8% and GDP hits approximately 8.23 million US dollars in 2012. According to International Monetary Fund China’s PPP in 2012 was 12,382.559 billion US dollar. According to World Bank’s report China’s PPP in 2011 was 11,290 billion US dollar. The country’s PPP in 2010 was 10085.71 billion US dollars. According to the IMF report it was estimated that Greece would achieve a GDP of 254,978 billion US dollar but finally had achieved a growth of -5.70%. According to the report of UN Greece had achieved a GDP of 299,001 billion US dollar at a growth rate of -6.7%. In 2010 the GDP of Greece was 271.112 billion at a growth rate of -3.5%. Since last few years Greece is going through several economical problems. On the other hand China is becoming one of the strongest leading economies globally. China is the second largest and strongest economy in the world (Deshpande & Nurse, 2012). The higher GDP growth rate, increasing GNP and increasing PPP is the evidence of China’s economical development. On the other hand, decreasing GDP growth rate, decrease in per capita income of people which has identified in this study clearly states the Greece is undergoing several economical problems. Greek government debt-crisis and European Sovereign-debt crisis is the key reason behind the economical problems of Greece. The Greek government debt crisis is a part of European sovereign-debt crisis. It is a structural weakness of the economy of Greece that coupled with banking and tax unification of the monetary union of Europe. Due to these kinds of problems Greece is going through several challenges. In terms of China, the Nation is experiencing a higher average growth rate of 10% over the last 30 years. Higher GDP growth, increasing per capita income, high disposable income of people and Higher GNP states that the country is becoming one of the strongest economies. According to reports of

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 092 Essay

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 092 - Essay Example While 1,209 companies in the U.S. soft drink industry deals with soft drink manufacturing where they blend ingredients such as water, syrup and sweeteners and sell the packages as beverage (Kaczanowska, 2010). The U.S. soft drink market is dominatd by main players such as Cocacola and Pepsi Inc Companies commanding 40% and 33% respectively of total flavoring syrup and concentrate manufacturing market and 28.6% and 26.8% respectively of soft drink manufacturing market in the U.S (Sicher, 2009). The remaining percentage is shared amongst many small soft drink manufacturing companies. The global market incorporates North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific. The United Kingdom market the perfomance of fruit juice has great impact on the overall market, the industry includes fruit juice, juice drinks and smoothies. According to Mintel, the fruit juice, juice drinks and smoothies market in the UK is expected to grow by 13% in 2018. Manufacturer’s focus on added value especially on health matters and convenience is also expected to fuel value growth (Mintel, 2010a). The plan focuses on Atlantic Quench Cranberries Inc which is an agricultural co-operative company operating from Unites States. Currently, the company is owned by approximately 630 cranberry and 46 grapefruit farmers and known as the leading producer of juice drinks, canned and bottled juices in North America. Their brand is recognized as best-selling in the last three decades dating back to 1981. The report focuses on marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench Cranberries Inc (Luther, 2013). The main objective being marketing Atlantic Quench Cranberries products through increasing sales accrued to this brand and product line items as well as offering diversified products tailor made to cater for customer demands (Ahmed and Rafiq, 2002). These two objectives can be met through use of strategic product pricing,

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 14

Research Paper Example The real GDP growth of china again reduced to 7.8% and GDP hits approximately 8.23 million US dollars in 2012. According to International Monetary Fund China’s PPP in 2012 was 12,382.559 billion US dollar. According to World Bank’s report China’s PPP in 2011 was 11,290 billion US dollar. The country’s PPP in 2010 was 10085.71 billion US dollars. According to the IMF report it was estimated that Greece would achieve a GDP of 254,978 billion US dollar but finally had achieved a growth of -5.70%. According to the report of UN Greece had achieved a GDP of 299,001 billion US dollar at a growth rate of -6.7%. In 2010 the GDP of Greece was 271.112 billion at a growth rate of -3.5%. Since last few years Greece is going through several economical problems. On the other hand China is becoming one of the strongest leading economies globally. China is the second largest and strongest economy in the world (Deshpande & Nurse, 2012). The higher GDP growth rate, increasing GNP and increasing PPP is the evidence of China’s economical development. On the other hand, decreasing GDP growth rate, decrease in per capita income of people which has identified in this study clearly states the Greece is undergoing several economical problems. Greek government debt-crisis and European Sovereign-debt crisis is the key reason behind the economical problems of Greece. The Greek government debt crisis is a part of European sovereign-debt crisis. It is a structural weakness of the economy of Greece that coupled with banking and tax unification of the monetary union of Europe. Due to these kinds of problems Greece is going through several challenges. In terms of China, the Nation is experiencing a higher average growth rate of 10% over the last 30 years. Higher GDP growth, increasing per capita income, high disposable income of people and Higher GNP states that the country is becoming one of the strongest economies. According to reports of

Learning model 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Learning model 4 - Essay Example Author (Year) noted that, universities had "recognized the importance of public ethics. The field’s national accrediting body requires graduates, education in ethics, and all introductory public administration textbooks include a discussion of ethics† (p.451). In this regard, the US government requires all its employees to learn the importance of good ethics in the work place while at college. Therefore, ethical behavior effectively becomes the most important aspect for business and public administration. Managing the critics of good governance remained the biggest challenge for multinationals and public organizations in the USA. For this reason, Author (Year) notes, â€Å"Congress has enacted laws and presidents issued executive orders that†¦insure the integrity of federal employees† (p.451). This has enabled the federal employees to stick to laid down structures of governance and financial regulations. Author (Year) further notes, that this results to improved integrity â€Å"clarity, simplicity, and straightforwardness† (p.451). Therefore, all federal employees adherence to enacted legislation while offering their services in all federal offices led to accountability and efficiency. A favorable working environment is crucial in the administration of allocated duties at the work place. According to Author (Year), federal employees must be protected to enable them â€Å"disclose a suspected violation of law, rule or regulation without fear of reprisal† (p.452). In fact, 14 percent of government workers â€Å"feel pressured to compromise ethical standards in the course of their jobs† (Author, Year, p.452). In this regard, the federal government needs to ensure that its employees are adequately protected from intimidation by powerful cartels in their administrative functions, which is eliminating the â€Å"encounter [of] ethical dilemmas at work† (Author, Year, p.452). Employees’ morale is equally important with the result being a commitment to

Discuss research into different type of attachment Essay Example for Free

Discuss research into different type of attachment Essay Mary Ainsworth conducted two naturalistic observations, one in the rural community of Kampala in Uganda which lasted for two years and the other in the urban city of Baltimore which had lasted for one year. The aim of this observation was to look at a mother and infant interaction. In both study she used the same number of participants, which were 26 mothers and their infants. Using the strange situation she found three different types of attachments that were displayed by the children and the fourth found by Main and Solomon. The first study in Uganda she found that some mothers were more sensitive to their infants needs meaning that, they were more capable of providing more details about their infants. The infants of these mothers were ‘securely attached’, this means that in their mothers’ presence they cried little and were more eager to explore. This secure attachment led to the infants being more independence because they used their mothers as a secure base that they could run to in time of danger. The second observation took place in Baltimore, America. In this study she and her team did not use a behaviour checklist which means that there was not certain thing that she was looking for, for example she did not have a paper where she wrote all the behaviour that she was looking for such as anger or sorrow and ticked them off when she witnessed it, she was purely just writing what she had seen. In this observation she found that mother were more sensitive to their infants for the first three months of their lives, meaning that in the one year that she had studied them, only for the first three months the mother, who was classified as a secure base responded more to the infants needs during that time period. Learning theorist found this confusing, this is because from their understanding, responsiveness to behavioural social releasers, such as crying should act as a reinforcer and increase the crying, but this was different Anisworth predication which was that behavioural social releasers decrease the caregiver responsiveness. One limitation of these studies is that because it was a longitudinal study, which means that it went over for a long period of time, it may have caused  participant attrition, where participants drop out of the study and this may cause problems for her, such as she may not have yet found what she needed. but one strength of the study being longitudinal is that the mother may become more comfortable with the fact of someone observing them so this could led to them being more free and able to express themselves better, and this would be an advantage for Mary as she will witness the mothers true personality and behaviour. One limitation of the Baltimore study alone was that her study was not operationalised; meaning that she did not define what she was observing and this could lead to her finding irrelevant information. In the Baltimore study we saw that Mary Anisworth conducting her research using the Strange Situation. This method was used to test the nature of attachment systematically. the aim of this was to see how infants behaved under condition of mild stress and novelty, this stress was created by a presence of a stranger and by separation from caregiver; this is tests stranger anxiety and separation anxiety. The strange situation also tries to encourage exploration by placing infant in a novel situation which tests the secure base concept. This research takes place in a novel environment, this is a 99 foot square marked off into 16 squares, and this was to help mark the movements of the infants. This method consists of eight episodes, each used to emphasise certain behaviours; the behaviour that was assessed was stranger anxiety, this is the distress shown by an infant when approached or picked up by someone who is unknown to them. The second behaviour assessed is separation anxiety, this is the distress revealed by infants when separated from its primary attachment figure. And the last behaviour assessed was Reunion behaviour this is the behaviour shown by infants when reunited with their mother. The results in a strange situation are collected by a group of observers who record what the infants are doing every 15 seconds. Aniworth et al (1978) found that there are three types of attachment that infants had with their caregiver. One of the attachment found was the secure attachment, this is when an infant has a strong and cooperative interaction with their caregiver. These types of infants properly will not cry if their caregiver leaves the room, but when feeling scared they use their caregiver  as safety net that they run to seek close bodily contact and although they may not want to leave their caregivers side prematurely, they are easily soothed. They seek and are comfortable with social interaction and intimacy. The securely attached infants are more independent this is because they use their caregiver a secure base and because they know that they have this secure base they tend to explore their environment more. Another type of attachment is Insecure-avoidant, this attachment is formed of children that don’t like to socially interact with others and tend to avoid intimacy. In the strange situation, when separated from their caregiver these children show little response and do not seek proximity of their caregiver on reunion. If the infant is picked up they may show little or no tendency to cling or resist being put down. These children do not need their caregiver to be there for them to explore, they are quite happy to do it without them. They may also become quite angry because their attachment needs are not met. Furthermore another type of attachment is insecure-resistant, these are children who both seek and reject intimacy and social interaction. When separated with their caregiver they show intense distress, on reunion they may resist being picked up while also trying to maintain proximity. The last type of attachment was found by Main and Solomon (1986) when they done a re-analysis of over 200 strange situation. The fourth attachment that they found was Disorganised; this type is characterised by a lack of a consistent patterns of social behaviour. These children can show strong attachment, which is suddenly followed by avoidance or looking fearful towards their caregiver or displaying odd movements such as stumbling. In conclusion, there are four types of attachment that children display these are secure attachment, insecure- resistant, insecure avoidance and disorganised and a way to identify what type of attachment a child has is to use the strange situation method, that was first conducting by Mary Anisworth.

Process of Self-evaluation and Reflection upon Learning

Process of Self-evaluation and Reflection upon Learning Self Evaluation Upon Learning This paper describes a process of self-evaluation, reflection upon learning, and planning for future developments. As well as considering the learning points which have been successfully internalized over the course of the semester, it will incorporate reflection on strengths and weaknesses, and begin to outline future communication with putative employers. In addition to presenting some analysis of the formal and academic aspects of the experience, it will discuss the interpersonal aspects of learning, and the development of those capacities which may have professional and vocational applications. As Stenhouse points out, ‘A curriculum is an attempt to communicate the essential principles and features of an educational proposal in such a form that it is open to critical scrutiny and capable of effective translation into practice. (1), However, negotiating the formal structures and requirements of the curriculum is only one aspect of the learning process. A perceptible process of transformation has begun in education, away from a lecture based didactic approach and towards adaptable, flexible modes of learning and teaching. Accordingly, this record of reflective learning will discuss the use of oral, listening and communication skills, considering self-management in group situations. In conclusion, it will present a flexible plan for the future, outlining the skills which need to be developed and providing some indicative targets and points for action. This piece presents my own reflections, and where appropriate, makes reference to appropriate research and analysis by published authorities. From a purely personal perspective, undertaking the module involved a reconsideration of my own identity and purpose, and the sorting through of the multiple dimensions and preoccupations of my life. As Hall points out, ‘†¦no one has one identity; and indeed those identities may be in tension (one example would be the ways in which â€Å"mother† and â€Å"worker† are often understood as existing in tension. (2) Consequently, it was important to reconfigure ones self-identity and direction in the light of new knowledge and perspectives. In this respect, it is important to be aware that personality and self-image are often key determinants in setting personal objectives, defining outcomes, and constructing the parameters within which any one of us can grow and interact with their environment. As Elliot puts it, ‘We often think of the self as primarily a private domain, an inner realm of personal thoughts, values, strivings, emotions and desires. Yet this view, which seems largely self-evident, is in contrast to the way in which sociologists study the framing of personal identity and the self. (3) Therefore, locating oneself within a social continuum, in some ways a necessary social skill and a pre-requisite of social/group orientation, can be both limiting and damaging. It is also important to consider cultural identity and the way national, regional, chronological and even familial micro cultures are profoundly constructive of our own life politics. It has become a truism in life-politics that emotional awareness – or emotional intelligence – is a fundamental determinant of how individuals will approach, engage with, and function with regard to social structures, whether the latter are in the public or private sphere. As Goleman explains, ‘self-awareness – recognizing a feeling as it happens – is the keystone of emotional intelligence†¦.the ability to monitor feelings from moment to moment is crucial to psychological insight and self-understanding. (4) Some individuals may have this capacity through innate cognitive ability, whilst others must attempt to construct it using deliberately reflective techniques. However, the experience of the module has illustrated to me that it is not an option: interpersonal effectiveness basically demands that individuals exercise this facility, or develop it, as appropriate. As Bolton explains, ‘Reflective practice and reflexivity are not subjects but a pedagogical approach which should pervade the curriculum. (5) This is not say that formally defined subject knowledge, academic skills, or the didactic position, itself, are in any way less relevant or marginal in the curriculum process. It does indicate however that the ability to manage the dynamics of learning, and to demonstrate it through interpersonal growth, has become more prominent. It is fair to argue then, as Fraser and Bosanquet have done, that ‘†¦Students are the receptors of the curriculum and their impact upon it varies†¦ (6) I found that, in the interactive learning environment, the effectiveness of the curriculum was determined and defined to a significant degree by us as learners, and in particular by our willingness to contribute new knowledge as perceptions. In this respect, the module was As Fraser and Bosanquet point out, ‘The changing nature of knowledge relevant to the discipline, and research in the discipline area, also influence the structure and learning goals of the programme†¦. (7). I consider that one of the key aspects of the module was its capacity to develop interpersonal working and the ability to work within a group dynamic. The resolution of issues, coordination of effort, and maximisation of individual skills through delegation are all highly transferable skills, which added to the developmental strengths of the formal curriculum. As Davis observes, ‘Whilst there is demand for the traditional ability to analyse, think critically an work independently†¦, there is also a growing demand for ‘†¦transferable skills†¦.communication, team working,†¦and problem solving. This requires ‘careful curriculum planning, support mechanisms, teaching methodologies and assessment strategies†¦ (8). As discussed above, there are a range of factors which form the individuals attitudes and effectiveness within this dynamic, in terms of what they deem acceptable or effective approaches. Many of these are culturally formed, and may be interpreted within frameworks such Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Index. Within this, Hofestede projects, each culture has tolerances and behavioural norms which dictate group behaviour, as well as strategic thinking within organisations. He defines these criteria as uncertainty avoidance, power distance, long/short term orientation, gender, i.e. masculinity and femininity, and individualism/collectivism. (9). Perhaps more revealing than this scheme of wide cultural sub-groups, however, is the related idea that these are just one component in tripartite scheme which includes universal human traits, ‘learned behaviour and values, and individual personality traits. (10) I consider that the recognition of individual strengths and weaknesses is a key factor, not only in the recognition of individual contributions, but in effective team building. I have definitely learned that assembling a team is a skill in itself. Simply pushing together a random group of individuals is not team-b uilding. Correspondingly, one learning point which I can take from team working on the module, is that different individuals place value upon different aspects of interpersonal dealings, and that this has to recognised, despite personal preferences. For example, some co-learners on the module – and through logical extension, some colleagues in a professional situation – placed a high value on directness within relationships, and preferred immediate action to a deferred approach. Conversely, some personalities felt far more secure with an incremental approach to issues, preferring to delay action until the maximum possible information and analysis was assembled. Some individuals placed a high premium on relationship building through personal interaction, and took this as the inception of a trust network, before moving on to the specifics of a problem or issue. Meanwhile, some individuals were comfortable with the exact reverse of this; they wanted to stay focused on the dimension s of the issue, and preferred to leave the interpersonal dimensions of team building to take their natural course. The main learning point which emerged from this for me, was that such characteristics needed to be recognised, accepted, and factored  into  team building, as well as its functioning dynamic. No one individual conforms absolutely to a specific personality or behavioural type: however, their dominant personality traits are likely to be those which emerge at key decision making moments. To get the best out of people and teams, the nature of their contribution needs to be taken into account. As Sonnetag observes, ‘There is relatively consistent empirical evidence for a positive relationship between specific aspects of individual well-being and.performance. (11) The ability to ensure this well-being and secure the related performance – in myself as well as in other learners – and eventually co-workers – is one of the key developmental points that I will take from the module as a whole. . As Murphy and Riggio indicate, ‘†¦complexity provides the resources (cognitive, social, behavioural) for generating numerous possible responses to a given situation. Individuals as well as organizations are healthy and thrive when they are capable of many responses to a given situation, and become brittle and vulnerable to changing conditions when they are uniform and specialized. (12). I prefer to think of this as understanding the personal, interpersonal, and strategic implications of the psychological contract. As Williams indicates regarding this phenomenon, ‘this interpersonal aspect to fairness reminds us that there is a social basis to the exchange relationship between employer and employee and we might expect thi s to be part of the psychological contract. (13) One of the key objectives that I will take away from the module is the ability to understand – through use of a reflective cycle the development of psychological contracts between individuals, within groups, across stakeholders, and between employees and management. I recognise that this, in itself, is an objective which relies heavily on the capacity to use ones own emotional intelligence, and that this in itself is an on-going task. As Goleman has observed, , ‘†¦unlike the familiar tests for IQ, there is, as yet, no single paper and pencil test that yields an emotional intelligence score, and there may never be one. ‘ (14) In fact it could be argued that those with emotional intelligence as a dominant aspect of their skills set, tend to eschew formal learning situations altogether, relying on their reading of situations and interpersonal skills rather than credentialism to get where they want to be. The impo rtant point for me here is to recognize that these skills are increasingly important in the socialized workforce, and central to achievement of common goals. As Guest and Conway have indicated, ‘†¦built on the three pillars of fairness, trust and delivery of the deal between organizations and employees, a positive psychological contract is the best guarantee of good performance outcomes. (15) Here are some key points for my development, around which specific targets may be developed. Have I planned and managed my own workload effectively: have I consistently met deadlines, without suspending working routines, or the absorption of resources of time from other projects or priorities? In team working situations, was I effective in determining the roles allocated to myself and others, using prior knowledge about myself and them? Did I retain effective control over my role, and did my input have a discernible and measurable impact on the project as a whole? How will I assess whether or not I have consistently managed work relationships in an effective way? Assuming I can assemble such an assessment, would my co-learners or colleagues evaluations be likely to support this? Is my role – or the role of others – clear to everyone concerned? In my estimation, and with regard to the insights I have obtained about interpersonal effectiveness from the module, achievement of these objectives would go a considerable way towards making me an effective learner. They are also principles which could be deemed constructive of a learning organization as a whole, something which, in my view, we should all regard as the worthwhile outcome of our individual contributions. As Hyam and Mason point out, ‘The learning organization, argue its advocates, is one in which managers perceive their position in the organization, and their relationship with subordinates, in a radically new way, utilizing new metaphors and ways of understanding. (16). One way to measure individual progress towards this outcome would be through the use of a reflective scheme such as Gibbs Reflective Cycle.: Within this, the learner or practitioner can use description to visualize developments or events, subsequently evaluating their own emotional response in t he ‘feelings stage of the process. From there you progress on to the evaluation and analysis stages, seeking out any wider implications or perceptible patterns from the situation, before proceeding onto the conclusion and action plan. I consider this skill-set to be of huge importance, because wherever you go in the contemporary employment scene, you will encounter an appraisal and system, and some form of target setting regime. Being aware of ones own real situation in relation to the requirements of a professional situation, is therefore just as important as finding out about the perceptions of others. In my opinion, this is the difference between merely transactional or genuinely transformational management. As Fincham and Rhodes express it, the transactional model is ‘†¦simply a mutual exchange for economic or political reasons between leader or follower. In transformational leadership a deeper, more powerful process is present. Here one or more persons engage w ith others in such a way that leaders and followers raise each other up to higher levels of motivation and morality. (17). It can be argued therefore that worthwhile transactional management begins in the personal sphere. Footnotes 1.) Stenhouse, L (1975, .An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development  .London: Heinemann, p.4. 2 ) Hall, S., ‘Who Needs Identity? in Hall, S., and du Gay, P., (1996), (eds),  Questions of Cultural Identity,  Sage, London. p.5. 3.) Elliot, A., (2001),  Concepts of the Self,  Polity Press, Cambridge p.24. 4.) Goleman, (1996),  Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,  Bloomsbury, London. p.43. 5.) Bolton, G., (2005),  Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development,  2nd Edition, Sage, London, p.3. 6.) Fraser, S., and Bosanquet, A., (2006), ‘The curriculum? That is just a unit outline, isnt it?,  Studies in Higher Education, 31, pp.269-284, p.274 7.)  ibid. 8.) Davis, M., (2003), ‘Barriers to reflective practice: the changing nature of higher education in  Active learning in higher education  4 (3) pp. 243-255, p.247. 9.) Hofstede, G., (2003),  Cultures and Organizations: Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival,  Profile Business, London. p.9 10.)  ibid.,  p.6. 11.) Sonnetag, S., (ed), (2002)  Psychological Management of Individual Performance,  John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, p.4110. 12.) Murphy, S.E., Riggio, R.E., (2003), The Future of Leadership Development,  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah NJ, p.13. 13.) Williams, R.S., (1998)  Performance Management: Perspectives on Employee Performance,  International Thomson Business Press, St.Ives, p.183. 14.) Goleman, (1996),  Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,  Bloomsbury, London p.44. 15.) Guest, D.E., and Conway, N., (2004),  Employee Well-being and the Psychological Contract: A Report for the CIPD,  Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London, p.vii. 16.) Hyam, J., and Mason, B., (1995),  Managing Employee Involvement and Participation,  Sage, London, p.145. 17.) Fincham, R., Rhodes, P., (2005),  Principles of Organizational Behaviour, Oxford University Press, Oxford p.345. Bibliography Armstrong, A., and Baron, A.,(2005),  Managing Performance: Performance Management in Action,  CIPD, London. Armstrong, A., (1994),  Performance Management,  Kogan Page, London. Arthur, M.B., (1996),  The Boundaryless Career: A New Employment Principle for a New Organizational Era  Oxford University Press. Baker, J., (1988),  Causes of Failure in Performance Appraisal and Supervision: A Guide to Analysis and Evaluation for Human Resources Professionals,  Quorum Books, New York. Barrow, G., and Newton, T., (2004),  Walking the Talk: How Transactional Analysis is Improving Behaviour and Raising Self-Esteem,  David Fulton, London. Bolton, G., (2005),  Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development,  2nd Edition, Sage, London. Davis, M., (2003), ‘Barriers to reflective practice: the changing nature of higher education in  Active learning in higher education  4 (3) pp. 243-255 Fincham, R., Rhodes, P., (2005),  Principles of Organizational Behaviour, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Forster, M., (2005)  Maximum Performance: A Practical Guide to Leading and Managing People at Work,  Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. Fraser, S., and Bosanquet, A., (2006), ‘The curriculum? That is just a unit outline, isnt it?,  Studies in Higher Education, 31, pp.269-284. Goleman, D., (1996),  Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,  Bloomsbury, London. Guest, D.E., and Conway, N., (2004),  Employee Well-being and the Psychological Contract: A Report for the CIPD,  Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Hall, S., ‘Who Needs Identity? in Hall, S., and du Gay, P., (1996), (eds),  Questions of Cultural Identity,  Sage, London. Hiser, S., ‘e-Recruitment: Tools help staff see the effects of effort.  Financial Times , Published: November 7 2007. INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8757344-8c95-11dc-b887-0000779fd2ac.html, [viewed 12.4.08] n.p. Gerte Hofstede Cultural Dimensions  Website, INTERNET, available at http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php?culture1=95culture2=18#compare [viewed 20.8.08] n.p. Hofstede, G., (2003),  Cultures and Organizations: Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival,  Profile Business, London.   Holland, J.L., (1997),  Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments,  London. Hyam, J., and Mason, B., (1995),  Managing Employee Involvement and Participation,  Sage, London. Maslow, A.H., (1970)  Motivation and Personality,  3rd Edition, Harper Collins, New York. Murphy, S.E., Riggio, R.E., (2003), The Future of Leadership Development,  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah NJ. Sonnetag, S., (ed), (2002)  Psychological Management of Individual Performance,  John Wiley and Sons, Chichester. Stenhouse, L (1975, .An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development  .London: Heinemann. Walters, M., (1995),  The Performance Management Handbook,  Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Warmington, A., Lupton, C., and Gribbin, C., (1977),  Organisational Behaviour and Performance: an Open Systems Approach to Change,  MacMillan, London. Williams, R.S., (1998)  Performance Management: Perspectives on Employee Performance,  International Thomson Business Press, St.Ives.

Brutus is the Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Essay

The tragedy â€Å"Julius Caesar† by William Shakespeare should be renamed â€Å"Brutus† because Caesar is not the tragic hero. He is only in a small portion of the play and does not possess a major tragic flaw; however Marcus Brutus fits the description of tragic hero much better than Julius Caesar. Typically, tragedies are named after the tragic hero, which Aristotle describes as: a person of noble birth with a tragic flaw that leads to his or her downfall because of that flaw. Brutus exhibits all of these qualities, therefore rightfully naming him a tragic hero. Brutus was a man of noble birth. He had multiple servants and was often referred to as â€Å"Lord†, which indicates a certain level of respect for him. He was a very highly thought of person in Rome. At no point did he ever betray anyone, although he did kill Caesar, he did it to better Rome, not to mislead him. Everything he did was for the advantage of someone else. Even after Brutus dies, Marc Antony says â€Å"This was the noblest roman of them all; all the conspirators, save only he, did that they did in the envy of Caesar; he only in a general honest thought and common good to all...† This shows that regardless of brutus killing Caesar, he is still considered noble because he had good intentions. Brutus was also the best friend of Julius Caesar, the most powerful man in Rome. Had he been a commoner, Caesar most likely would not have associated with him or trusted him as a friend. Brutus’s tragic flaw is that he is very easily manipulated and persuaded. He is very naà ¯ve and allows others to swindle him because he feels that no one would ever lie or deceive him since he didn’t do that to anyone. His first mistake is believing the forged letters from the conspirators. This was all ... ... too late to do anything about it. So, he kills himself. He did this because he realized what he had done and felt he needed to take accountability. Before he died, he says â€Å"Caesar, now be still, I killed not thee with half so good a will.† He is now realizing that he really didn’t have as good a reason as he thought to kill Caesar. In conclusion, Brutus is the real tragic hero because throughout the play he is battling himself over good vs. evil. Even though he has tragic flaws he is still seen as a noble and respected figure in Rome both by those who wanted Caesar dead and those who did not. His ability to be easily manipulated led to the death of Caesar, himself, and countless others. If he had made his own decisions, he would not have ended up causing the chaos and tragedy he did. But, on the other hand he did have his own personal reasons for killing Caesar.

Ephedrine and its use in Weight Loss :: Health Dieting Papers

Ephedrine and its use in Weight Loss Throughout the late nineteenth century and into the new millennium, there has been a tremendous desire among women to lose weight. Women today will do anything to achieve their belief of the perfect figure. While the â€Å"Barbie† look was at one time looked upon as unhealthy, it is now considered expected. For some reason women feel the need to keep up with Hollywood and its stars. Of course it does not help when the cover of any fashion magazine is pasted with size-zero models. After reading a magazine filled with beautiful, skinny women, people usually feel worse about the way they look, not better. So it is no surprise that the trend to lose weight has taken off in the past couple of years. And with this trend comes the increased popularity in â€Å"weight-loss† products. One can find any type of product now that claims to lose weight effectively, but at what cost to his/her health? One very controversial herb found in diet pills or food supplements is ep hedrine. Purpose of Ephedrine: While ephedrine is used to treat low blood pressure and chronic asthma, it is more popularly used in diet pills (http://www.ravehard.com/doctor/ephidra.htm). Ephedrine is a natural stimulant found in many diet pills offered today. According to the Clinical Toxicology Review, ephedrine mainly affects the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of the body. This means that it constricts blood vessels and enhances certain actions of the heart (http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000401/msgs/29022.html). In a clinical review; Capri-Mara Fillmore, Lisa Bartoli, Richard Bach, and Young Park 1999, they stated that ephedrine stimulates the sympathomimetic and central nervous system.

Huck Finn’s Transformation Essay

By the end of the first half of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I noticed a few changes in Huckleberry Finn’s attitude towards certain things. Huck’s outlook on life shifted rather dramatically before pap had kidnapped him. Though he had mixed feelings regarding his life with the widow, he, for the most part, was content living with her because not only was he educated, clothed, and fed properly, but he also felt slightly protected from pap. However, after pap captured Huck and locked him inside a secluded cabin, his opinion changed. Initially, he was scared of pap and was miserable being locked inside for days on end. He remained scared of pap, but gradually began to enjoy life without the widow. He said, â€Å"I didn’t see how I’d ever got to like it so well at the widow’s, where you had to wash, and eat on a plate, and comb up, and go to bed, and get up regular, and be forever bothering over a book†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Twain 32). Many transformations took place in Huck after he feigned his death and ran away from pap as well. Some of the changes were fairly minor, but I felt that they added up and also proved that Huck was not as stubborn as he once was. They proved that he truly did have the ability to change. A paradigm of a minor change was in Huck’s opinion regarding praying. At the beginning of the novel, he looked down upon praying and religion because he thought them to be useless and claimed that praying didn’t work. But after he found the loaves of bread with quicksilver inside them, he thought that the widow, or someone else, had probably prayed that the bread would find him, and it did. Huck then decided that praying might be effective (45). The most significant change that I noticed in Huck was at the end of chapter 15. Jim and Huck had been separated and could not find each other because of the foggy conditions. However, Huck thought it would be funny to fool Jim and convince him that it was all in his dream. When Jim realized that Huck was lying, he was extremely hurt and offended. At first, Huck let Jim walk away, but then he said, â€Å"It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither† (89). This was a huge deal, because at that time, a white person would never apologize to a slave.

The Life of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia: Book Review

The Life of Catherine the Great: Empress of Russia By Carolly Erickson The Life of Catherine the Great is a 400-page book written by Carolly Erickson that details the interesting life of Catherine. The book was published in 1994 and printed by St. Martin’s Press in New York. Readers are able to purchase/check-out this book in a hardback copy with the ISBN of 0312135033 and also a paperback copy with an ISBN of 978-0312135034. The book features a full-length photo of Catherine in her royal attire on the front cover of the book. Erickson begins the novel about Catherine, born Sophie, when she was a young four-year old girl. From the beginning of the book, she gives an account of Catherine the Great’s life chronologically. Erickson used primary sources to collect information on Catherine and even used several autobiographies that were written in French by Catherine herself from different periods in her life. From these memoirs, Erickson was able to interpret that Catherine was a full-bodied, educated, lovable, woman who was born to a German family and occupied prestigious titles early on into later stages of her life. Carolly Erickson performed rigorous research and provided some of the most intimate details about Catherine from Russia. Erickson spent much time interviewing different informants (diplomats, guards, foreign visitors) and quoting material from journalists and others’ journals. With this particular book, a reader will definitely get a well-written biography of this infamous historical figure and learn a great deal about the times of Russia as well as unknown information about Catherine. This book was intended for readers that wanted to get a better grasp of Catherine the Great, but also can be an appealing piece of work that is out of the ordinary for readers not quite familiar with Catherine. Erickson made sure to capture her audience’s attention with the intriguing facts of Catherine’s being and managed to bring Catherine’s character to life. Catherine the Great of Russia was rumored to have been a crazy nymphomaniac believed to have had a hand in her husband’s murder. Erickson made an effort to dissolve her tarnished image and uncover who Catherine really was. She was very empathetic regarding Catherine’s reputation. Erickson discussed how Catherine dressed and her attitude. She explained how she married a duke at the tender age of 14 and how their marriage was troublesome. She also mentions how charming and intelligent Catherine was and provides insight on how she made helpful changes to Russia; but very little was written about how she ruled as Empress. Erickson demonstrated Catherine’s strength and willpower to rule without the presence of a man. Readers are definitely provided a vivid description of what is occurring so much that they will more than likely feel they were present during these times. Erickson reveals Catherine’s insecurities, downfalls, yearn for love and inevitable sorrows but also commends Catherine’s accomplishments that gained her fame and allowed her to become one of Russia’s renowned leaders. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and discovered pieces of information that usually would not be mentioned in a traditional history class. I felt that the book was interesting in the very beginning and the middle until I reached the end. I was bored beyond tears and could not believe this was the same book that I started out reading. Aside from my anticipation that the ending would be just as exciting as the beginning, I learned that the book wasn’t as interesting because Catherine no longer wrote memoirs or autobiographies once she became an empress; which was closer toward the end of the book. The author, Erickson, obviously began reaching once she ran out of Catherine’s material. Because the focus of this book was personal, I feel that it would be useless if it was used as an educational tool. I feel that it should be recommended primarily for personal enjoyment. Therefore, I wouldn’t suggest this book to a Russian scholar, to someone who was interested in the politics of Russia, or to someone that wanted heavy details on other aspects of Catherine’s rule. Erickson is a great writer and an expert on writing biographies. I felt that she constructed The Life of Catherine the Great well, but I feel that she should be more conscious of making sure to keep her audience’s attention all the way to the end. It was a letdown and I struggled to finish the book because my interest diminished greatly towards the end. I also feel that, in the future, she should focus on all aspects of a person’s life rather than just the personal details in order to receive a well-rounded assessment. Instinctively, I admired Carolly Erickson for her dedication in finding first hand information on Catherine the Great (which wasn’t much) and putting together a well-written account of her life.