Allegorical on the Bell Jar Essay Example for Free

Allegorical on the Bell Jar Essay Just as all roads lead back to home, the protagonist exhibits that everyone will eventually become manifestations of the society it is born within. In this excerpt, the author uses the strong allegory of the protagonist plummeting down the slopes and skiing towards the inevitable end of conforming towards mankind and society. Although the protagonist’s gender isn’t explicit, we can assume that it’s a girl due to its unambiguous sub theme of feminine repression. The author presents the protagonists struggle in two distinct parts: the struggle to conform and the inevitable realization and acceptance of her fate. The author is able to do skilfully do so with a myriad of literary devices and extremely significant allegories. In the beginning, the protagonist is still struggling against the implications of society and is unwilling to accept her fate. The monotony of her â€Å"pale† life is emphasized by the repetition alliteration of â€Å"hill after†¦hill† and â€Å"great grey eye†. This shows the boring reoccurrence in the protagonist’s life and is constantly being overshadowed and judged by the watchful eye of society. Additionally, the protagonist is having an internal battle with doing what she innately feels is right against becoming what she knows everyone else wants her to transform into. Therefore, she has an â€Å"interior voice† that is persistently â€Å"nagging† her â€Å"not to be a fool† and conform and lose herself and â€Å"save [her] skin†. Obviously, she has fought hard to persist as her authentic self and is bitter about giving up who she really is. She feels like she has lost her sense of self and is no longer an individual, but merely â€Å"camouflaged† amongst everyone else as a product of society. The long sentence structure in the second paragraph of the excerpt displays that there was a very long and meticulous thought process about her present situation. She is â€Å"bordering† on the edge of a life changing decision. She has to decide – should she â€Å"kill [her true] self†, or should she resist the temptations of society? She is representing man’s struggle against oneself – the hardest battle to. However, she finally overcomes her inner battles and comes to realize that it is in her best interest to abide to society’s expectations. Henceforth, she tries to â€Å"measure the distance† and calculate how much of herself she will have to lose in the process. Buddy is a representation of society and the word is also slang for friend. â€Å"His†¦folded† â€Å"arms† signifying his lack of approval and his natural masculine instinct to repress femininity. As a result, we can understand the extent upon which female repression has been engrained into society and social stigma. Such is the product of a society filled with conformists and a lack of individuality – â€Å"numb, brown†¦ inconsequential† and boring beings. The next paragraph accentuates her defeatist attitude as the excerpt inches to the climax of the plot and has resolved to finally conform to the ‘American dream’ and fit into the mould society cast for her. Inevitably, she â€Å"aim[s] straight down† as she realizes that despite her best efforts at resistance, it is all to no avail. Once again, the short sentence structure is the implicit sign of the distinct change of internal character into one that has finally decided to join and become a part of society. Subsequent to the protagonist’s â€Å"descen[t]† into society, she â€Å"plummet[s]† herself straight into the heart of the situation. Nevertheless, even though she has physically committed herself he is still mentally â€Å"suspended† and trapped between what she wants and who she is. As a result, she represses those thoughts from â€Å"r[ising] higher†. This is the pivotal point upon which she consigns herself to follow society’s expectations because she understands that without social rules and stigma, â€Å"the world would not exist† and be able to function properly. Her â€Å"answering point in†¦[her] body† instinctually gravitates â€Å"towards† following social norms because despite the struggle against it, everyone will eventually cave to the expectations of others. She has become â€Å"inflate[d]† by the â€Å"inrush† of the external pressures of being part of a society . She realizes that she is finally experiencing the typical emotions, even though she feels removed from the â€Å"smiles† and â€Å"what it is [supposed to feel like] to be happy†. In spite of that, she feels â€Å"doubleness† as if it is not really herself going through the motions – she doesn’t feel true to herself and who she really is but simply sees a reflection of her figure that she can no longer recognise. On her way â€Å"hurtling† down, she has flashes of her â€Å"own past† that â€Å"recede[s]† and she has to make a decision between the light of the â€Å"white sun† and the darkness of an endless â€Å"dark tunnel†. Ultimately, she focuses on the â€Å"bright point at the end† of the tunnel and becomes a small â€Å"pebble† in the â€Å"bottom of [a big] well†, which is an analogy to her small and insignificant self in a world filled with billions of people. Her metamorphosis is paralleled to that of a rebirth into her new life. She has chosen the light and she is being christened into her new life as an innocent â€Å"sweet baby† that is being reborn again from â€Å"it’s mother’s belly†. All throughout this process â€Å"Buddy† and the â€Å"other faces† of society watchfully gaze and â€Å"h[a]ng over† her to ensure complete control. Gradually, she is transformed by the â€Å"strokes of [a] grandmother’s wand† creating a fairytale element to her change. The â€Å"familiar voice† of her conscience reminds her that she was doing â€Å"fine† by herself until â€Å"man[kind] stepped into her path† and created the platonic change within her. Society has already taken it upon themselves to â€Å"unfasten [her] bindings† of her previous ‘life’ and releasing her of her previous sins of not conforming. The â€Å"lodge fence† that blocks her way is a symbol of the white picket fence, which is a representation of the American Dream. She is finally being trapped into society’s expectations of what she should become. Yet she is still treated as an outsider and isn’t trusted and treated like an enemy with a â€Å"concealed weapon†. In the end, the light triumphs the dark and society overcomes her. The rising of the white sun shining in the sky displays her birth and final decision to conform to society. Even though she tries to challenge and return to her old self, she is unable to escape. Not only is she restricted by society itself but herself as well. She is â€Å"stuck† as society now has full reign over her. Thus, society and lack of freedom prevail and it’s triumph is evident in the â€Å"final smile†. In conclusion, the excerpt uses skiing as an allegory for mankind’s eventual and inevitable decline into conformity towards the American dream. There is no place in society for people who do not follow social rules and expectations. The protagonist is assumed to be a woman due to the stigma of females repressed role in society. She begins with the struggle between light and dark and the battle between being true to oneself and taking the easier path and following the well-worn road that society has taken. Later on, she understands and realizes that it is inevitable and ultimately conforms. Not matter how hard we may try to contend society, it will always prevail and have the power to manipulate us.

The Importance Of Communication Of Nurses

The Importance Of Communication Of Nurses This essay will explore the importance of communication in nursing; define communication and look at the different modes of communication and barriers to communication. A reflective model will be used to describe how communication impacted on care delivery in practice. Although each person will bring their own experience of ways to communicate, it will discuss how student nurses can develop their skills that will assist them to ensure excellent communication and also how qualified nurses continue to learn communication throughout their profession. Baillie, (2009) indicate that It is predominantly imperative for a nurse to have and develop effective communication skills. A nurse will have contact with a wide range of individuals during nursing; this includes the patient and their relatives and also members of the healthcare team. (Thompson 2003, cited in Baillie 2009) suggests that communication is not only needed whilst transferring information from one person to another, it plays a significant role in relationships. Kenworthy et al. (2002) indicates that Communication comprises of three fundamental factors; the sender, the receiver and the message. Successful communication can be defined when the receiver is able to interpret the senders message whilst reflecting on their thoughts and feelings and the message received is almost accurate to that of the sender. There are various modes of communication that a nurse may use. For example, face to face contact, telephone calls, emails and letters. (Kenworthy et al. 2002) Daniels et al. (2010) explain that communication has two parts; a verbal and a non verbal message. Verbal communication is associated with speech and usually heard through the persons ears, however paraverbal cues for example, pitch, speech, inflection and volume can be associated with verbal messages changing the word meaning. Different cultures may find spoken language to be problematic to understand because paraverbal cues may differ from one culture to another. However, paraverbal cues such as a happy friendly smile or crying with grief are associated with different cultures and may help with a cultural barrier. (Daniels et al. 2010) The way in which a nurse speaks and the tone of voice can be very reassuring to a patient, however a patient can also misinterpret the tone as being demeaning or they may even become frightened. Another very important factor suggested by Corner and Bailey (2008) is the way in which a nurse may choose words ensuring that a patient will understand and not be confused with any medical jargon. A nurse requires excellent awareness of communication theories whilst giving verbal handovers in both hospital and community settings. A report will only become effective during handover if the nurse has a confident attitude, along with good verbal and non verbal skills creating an ideal environment for communication between the healthcare team to ensure continuity of care.(Thurgood [no date] ) Nurses are responsible for maintaining confidentiality. (NMC, 2008) Confidentiality is imperative in a therapeutic relationship with information only being shared between appropriate people. (Sundeen et al. 1998) Nonverbal communication is made up of all types of communication, with the exception of total verbal communication. Nonverbal communication is usually observed through the eyes however, other senses in the body can compliment this. (Kenworthy, 2002) Nonverbal aspects of a message can include kinesis, facial expression, gesture, touch, movement, body language and eye contact. (Baillie, 2009) Nonverbal communication can be divided in three ways; sign, action and object. Sign nonverbal communication can include hand gestures and sign language, action nonverbal communication can include how you move around, involving body movements that do not offer precise signals. Object nonverbal communication can include furnishings, hairstyles and clothing. (Sundeen et al. 1998) Written communication is certainly a significant method of communication and is crucial in a healthcare setting. The (NMC, 2008) states that it is imperative that all records are kept clear and accurate. This must include all information on assessments, discussions, treatment and the effect of them. Unfortunately, (Bailie, 2009) points out that written communication is an area that is often ignored, stating that good written communication is vital to protect the patients welfare, encouraging high standards of continuity and clinical care, ensuring healthcare team members receive accurate information. Bailie, (2009) suggests that there are different barriers that may prevent a nurse from communicating that may influence the development of a therapeutic relationship, arguing that Physical barriers may possibly include the surrounding environment, a patient who is in need of pain management or any speech, hearing or visual problems. Bailie, (2009) indicates that psychological barriers may include the emotional needs such as anxiety or personality issues such as a person being introvert or having different beliefs and social barriers can be caused if a person feels that their own social status is categorised by hierarchy, religious or culture beliefs. Students are encouraged to keep reflective journals of experiences whilst on clinical placements. Reflective journals enable students to learn from their experiences, enhancing their communication development. However, education should be a lifelong experience in that qualified nurses are also encouraged to keep journals. Journals are known as reflective practice and studies have shown that using these can lead to better practice. (Sully Dallas, 2005) I now plan to use Gibbs model of reflection (1988). This model of reflection is simple to follow for a first piece of reflective writing (please see appendix 1). The patient who has been used in this scenario will be referred to as Mr Jones. The reason for not using the patients real name is to respect the patients confidentiality. (NMC, 2008) On my second day of placement Mr Jones was transferred to the ward from the Accident and Emergency Department. During handover the nurse explained that Mr Jones had been referred from his general practitioner since he was complaining of pain in the throat area. As previously mentioned, Thurgood, [no date] states that a handover will only be successful if the nurse has good verbal and non verbal skills. Mr Jones general practitioner was also concerned as he had not eaten anything and drank very little over the previous two days. Past medical history revealed that Mr Jones had been diagnosed with mouth and throat cancer three months ago and was currently receiving chemotherapy treatment at another hospital. However, the nurse described that Mr Jones had become quite angry at times and that he removed his venflon out of his arm and refused fluids. My mentor asked if I would assist her whilst taking Mr Jones observations. The observations involved taking the patients temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure. Comparisons were then compared to the patient baseline and plotted on a chart. Baillie, (2009) suggests that all nurses who observe patients should have the necessary skills and knowledge to understand the measurements and take appropriate action. The medical team decided that the way forward with medical treatment was by firstly ensuring that sufficient fluids were given to Mr Jones. The doctor asked Mr Jones for consent to insert a venflon in his hand whilst explaining the importance of fluids in the body, yet he kept shaking his head. The (NMC, 2008) states that we must gain consent before any treatment and respect the patients choice. The doctors decided that they would prescribe Mr Jones a supplement drink. (Cancerhelp) suggests that Supplement drinks can be used if a patient has a poor appetite and not able to take in enough nourishment into the body. The medical team decided that the nurses on the ward should encourage Mr Jones with oral fluids over the following twenty four hours and assess from there. Mr Jones became quite angry with the doctors and started pushing his arms away, prompting them to leave. Once the medical team had left I volunteered to sit down with Mr Jones as he appeared to be quite upset. I introduced myself as a student nurse. Mr Jones seemed a very pleasant man however, I soon realised that Mr Jones found it very difficult responding to my questions due to his speech. Mr Jones became more upset and at this point he started to cry, I reached out for a tissue and passed it to Mr Jones, I also held his hand to comfort him. As mentioned previously, Bailie, (2009) suggests that non verbal communication such as touch can be reassuring to the patient. I felt quite nervous at this point, being a student and not experienced, I was not sure what to talk about next, so I stood up and told Mr Jones that I would be back in a minute. I walked to the toilet and became upset, I felt absolutely useless not knowing what to do and more so, to see a grown man similar to my own dads age crying. I put a small amount of cold water over my face and wiped my eyes before I went back on th e ward to prevent people from seeing that I had been upset. I spoke to my mentor and discussed with her that I thought Mr Jones was struggling to communicate with me as his speech was very poor and how upset he had become. (Maguire 1978, cited in Hanson 1994) states that a patient with cancer may find it difficult to communicate to show any worries that they might have. My mentor explained to me that speech more often does become deteriorated when people have mouth or throat types of cancer. I asked my mentor how she felt if I offered Mr Jones a pen and notepad to enable him to write things down or if that at any time he felt he could not communicate by speech comfortably. Baillie, (2009) indicates that speech problems can cause a physical barrier to a patient. My mentor said that she thought it was a good idea and that I could try if I wanted to. I returned to the bay and found that Mr Jones had pulled the curtains around his bed. I can understand that Mr Jones wanted privacy from the other patients and maybe staff as he was clearly upset. I popped my head around the curtain, smiled at Mr Jones and asked if he was happy for me to come and sit down with him. Mr Jones smiled and started tapping on the chair, gesturing for me to sit down. I sat down and asked Mr Jones if he found it difficult to communicate with his speech and he nodded. Speech disorder, (2009) suggests that Cancer of the throat can cause loss of the individuals voice and speaking ability. This can be problematic for a patient who would normally use verbal communication. I then continued to show Mr Jones that I had brought a note pad and pen, offering for him to use if he wanted. Mr Jones smiled at me and wrote down thank you. Mr Jones then started to open up, writing down that he felt secluded and on times felt patronised by the doctors because he used to live in Pakistan. I reassured Mr Jones and asked why he did he feel this way, he replied by saying that he was confused, there with things he did not understand, the doctors do not listen, he was very scared of dying and asked me if he going to die. Corner Bailey (2008) indicate that doctors prefer to use closed questions as opposed to open questions, concentrating on the biomedical model and not the emotional needs of the patient. I explained to Mr Jones that I would ask a member of the team to come along and have a chat with him and try to answer the questions that I felt I could not answer being a student nurse. At this point I asked Mr Jones if he would like to have a sip of water and he gave me the thumbs up. I felt really good with myself at this point, I was not experienced however, I had encouraged the patient to drink a small amount of water. I then discussed this with my mentor who agreed that this patient absolutely needed to be able to understand what the medical team were explaining to him and equally important that the medical team must listen to the needs of the patient. Corner and Bailey (2008) argue that it is important for a patient to have a balanced relationship, along with good doctor-patient communication to enable a patient to have faith in their professional opinion. My mentor asked me to be present with her, whilst she had a chat with Mr Jones and I agreed. My mentor came down to the patients level to ensure good eye contact and allowing the patient to answer many open questions, to enable us to get a good understanding of how he was feeling. Wiggens (2006) suggests that open questions will gain an enhanced assessment of the patient, allowing them to speak freely. Mr Jones felt much more at ease once my mentor had finished explaining the importance of fluid and nutritional intake that the body needs. Mr Jo nes was able to write down on the notepad any questions that he felt had been unanswered and anything that he wished to have a better understanding of. Gurrero, (1998) suggest that nurses must be willing to use other means of communication aids, for example white boards, writing pads and pens. The hospital had kept a food chart for Mr Jones since he had been admitted into hospital, clearly showing a very minimal amount of fluid intake and no nutritional intake. My mentor decided to show this to Mr Jones, fortunately he understood and consented to have a new venflon put back in his arm. Mr Jones continued to write down that he felt he was unable to swallow properly and that he would prefer to have fluids this way. My mentor phoned the doctor to come to the ward and Mr Jones happily consented. I felt totally powerless when seeing the frustration that Mr Jones showed towards the medical team during his first assessment on the ward. I could see that there was nothing that the medical team could do to encourage Mr Jones to have the venflon put back in. I believe that because of the breakdown in communication from the doctor, Mr Jones became very distressed. As previously mentioned Corner and Bailey (2008) argue that a doctor-patient relationship is needed for good communication. I felt very inexperienced and accepted the fact that the medical staff knew what they were doing however, I hoped that the doctors would have done something more, even though I understood that the patient had a right to say no to any form of medical treatment that was offered. I was concerned that Mr Jones would die if he did not eat or drink. The other nurses on the ward did not seem to be as anxious to the situation as me. This resulted in me becoming quite distressed over the whole situation, even questioning myself if nursing was for me. I discussed how I felt with my mentor and this left me feeling very positive. My mentor was a very experienced nurse who explained that nurses quite often find themselves in similar situations and most definitely feel the same way as I do. My mentor said that she felt I had done everything that I could have done with the patient and especially how I noticed that the patient was feeling angry and frustrated because he was having difficulties communicating. I found that my lack of confidence as a student nurse left me not knowing what to do if a patient is refusing treatment, eating and drinking. When Mrs Jones came to see her husband during visiting time, she told me that her husband had told her that he felt much happier that he now understood what was going on. Mrs Jones also said that the note pad was a fantastic idea for her husband to write things down and be able to communicate. If the situation arose again with a patient who has mouth or throat cancer, I would certainly ask during handover how well can the patient communicate, to ensure a good environment is created for the healthcare team and the patient. To conclude, I believe that there is nothing else that I could have done to help Mr Jones. However, I do believe that during the handover it would have been beneficial for everyone involved in the care of Mr Jones to be made aware of his difficulties with verbal communication. Nurses certainly need to communicate effectively with patients to provide safe and effective care, taking into consideration that there is difference and diversity and looking at every individual needs. Nurses who work with different cultures have a duty to learn the differences in cultural behaviour and patterns within these groups to prevent a cultural barrier. Listening, along with smiling at appropriate times, showing a positive and genuine interest towards the patient, and have good eye contact will help to prevent barriers in communication. Another important factor is the way in which a nurse positions themselves when talking to a patient. If a patient is sitting, it may be appropriate for a nurse to come down to their level as not to seem to be standing over them, as this could be very disturbing and disrespectful to some patients. Touch and gestures can also go a long way into reassuring a patient. Just by touching a patients arm if they are upset and frightened can mean a lot to a patient. Along with this goes body language and showing respect that will hopefully continue to trust. References Baillie, L., (2009). Developing Practical Adult Nursing Skills. 3rd ed. London: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd. Cancerhelp,(2009).Coping with cancer [online]. Available at: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/coping-with-cancer/coping-physically/diet/managing/weight/high-calorie-drinks (accessed 13.01.2009) Corner, J., Bailey, C., (2008).Cancer Nursing. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Limited. Daniels, R., Grendell, R., Wilkins, F., (2010). Nursing Fundamentals Caring and Clinical decision making, 2nd ed. USA: Delmar. Gibbs, G., (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning. London: FEU Guerro, D., (1998) Neuro-Oncology for Nurses. London: Whurr Publishers Hanson, E., (1994). The Cancer Nurses Perspective. Lancaster: Quay Publishing Limited Kenworthy, N., Snowley, G., and Gilling, C., (2002). Common Foundation Studies in Nursing, 3rd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Nursing and Midwifery Council, (2008) The NMC code of professional conduct: standards for conduct, performance and ethics. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Speech disorder, (2009). Cancer cause speech disorder [online] Available at: http://www.speechdisorder.co.uk/cancer-cause-speech-disorder.html (accessed 13.01.2009) Sully, P., Dallas, J., (2005). Essential Communication skills for Nursing, London: Elsevier Mosby. Sundeen, S., Stuart, G., Rankin, E., and Cohen, S., 1998. Nurse-Client Interaction Implementing the Nursing Process, 6th ed. USA: Sally Schrefer. Thurgood, G.[no date]. Verbal handover reports: what skills are needed? [online]. Available at: http://www.internurse.com/cgi-bin/go.pl/library/article.cgi?uid (Accessed 02/11/2009) Wiggens, L., (2006). Communication in clinical settings. Cheltenham:Nelson Thornes Limited

Personal Identity :: essays research papers

Personal Identity Personal Identity can be broken down into three areas: 1.) Body 2.) Memory and 3.) Soul. In John Perry's "A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality" these composing aspects of personal identity are discussed at length. In the reading and class discussions the body was defined clearly as a part of one's person, even alluded to at times as a "prison" in which one cannot escape until one dies. Memory and one's Soul seemed to be lumped together many times, understandably so, for the two bare many things in common such as they are intangible, cannot be completely defined as to what each exactly is (people remember things that did not actually happen to them, are those still memories?; do you have one soul throughout your life?), and both are thought to compose one's character and beliefs. This essay will deal with the two aspects of one's personal identity which are the most obvious in day to day life, that of the body and of soul/memory. As stated beforehand, memory and the soul bare many of the same qualities. The body and soul, however, also share this trait. Perry illustrates in his essay that the body and soul are similar because there is a "link" between one another, that is they both make up a person and are responsible for the qualities associated with being an individual (height, weight, character, belief, etc.). Perry also comes back to challenge this using the analogy of a river. If one goes to a river, and then the next day goes back to the same river, the person will not say that it is a different river, although almost all of the properties of the river have changed (water molecules, pollution level, temperature, etc.). This is the same with a person, for we say that a person at adolescence is still the same person at adulthood, even though the the persons beliefs, knowledge, and character may have changed over the years. Perry answers this problem by saying that we can still regard the person as the same by the relative "similarity" of the person to how they were in the past, and that "[the] sameness of body is a reliable sign of sameness of all; of soul" . In another example, Perry differentiates between the body and the soul by saying that "personal identity" (referring to the soul/mind) cannot be based on bodily identity, for one can judge who one is without having to make any judgments about the body. Perry continues to elaborate on this by saying even if he woke

Cyber Squatting and Domain Speculation †A Global perspective :: Argumentative Persuasive Internet Essays

Cyber Squatting and Domain Speculation – A Global perspective Introduction and definitions ‘Cyber squatting’ has become an increasing source of annoyance and problem in the internet world. Apart from some of the other issues such as internet security, hacking and frauds, which usually occur after going online, ‘Cyber Squatting’ is the first major problem faced by any company well before they even setup an internet web site. Before moving on to the various issues, it is often unclear of what ‘Cyber Squatting’ actually is. Simply put, cyber squatting means the registration of a domain name in violation of a trademark or business name or other intellectual property of its owners. This includes the registration of a name deceptively similar to such business name or trademark. Usually, domain squatters register these domains before the company does and offer these domain names to such business houses at a premium 1. U.S. Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Judge Berle M. Schiller defined cyber-squatting or cyber-piracy as the "deliberate, bad-faith, and abusive registration of Internet domain names in violation of the rights of trademark owners.† 2. Using this definition put forward by Judge Berle some of the major cyber squatting problems, that directly violate the trademark of corporation, has been solved. But another increasing problem is the issue of Domain Speculation. Another practice that sometimes, and misleadingly, is called cyber-squatting is domain speculation: the registering of domain names based not on recognized brands but on generic terms (e.g. crocodile.com, homes-for-sale.com, cheapflowers.com). Speculators register generic domain names in the hope that a company will wish to buy a particular name for its own commercial use2. Current problems Going back to the problem of cyber squatting we can refer to a much earlier case in China. This was the time when Chinese corporations did not enjoy the protection of the law against cyber squatters. In the past few years, many cyber squatters registered the names of many famous Chinese companies in domain registrars in countries such as the United States. As a result, these Chinese companies were forced to pay large sums to 'reclaim' their domain names. For example, cyber squatters registered the domain name 'kelon.com'. The Chinese company that owned the trademark 'KELON' paid RMB1 million to reclaim the domain name from the cyber squatter3 In this case we can see that the only way Chinese companies could resolve the issue was to either pay large sums of money to the domain squatter or just get another domain.

Rehabilitation of Criminals in America Essay examples -- social issues

Rehabilitation of Criminals in America Prison inmates, are some of the most  ³maladjusted ² people in society. Most of the inmates have had too little discipline or too much, come from broken homes, and have no self-esteem. They are very insecure and are  ³at war with themselves as well as with society ² (Szumski 20). Most inmates did not learn moral values or learn to follow everyday norms. Also, when most lawbreakers are labeled criminals they enter the phase of secondary deviance. They will admit they are criminals or believe it when they enter the phase of secondary deviance (Doob 171). Next, some believe that if we want to rehabilitate criminals we must do more than just send them to prison. For instance, we could give them a chance to acquire job skills; which will improve the chances that inmates will become productive citizens upon release. The programs must aim to change those who want to change. Those who are taught to produce useful goods and to be productive are  ³likely to develop the self-esteem essential to a normal, integrated personality ² (Szumski 21). This kind of program would provide skills and habits and  ³replace the sense of hopelessness ² that many inmates have (Szumski 21). Moreover, another technique used to rehabilitate criminals is counseling. There is two types of counseling in general, individual and group counseling. Individual counseling is much more costly than group counseling. The aim of group counseling is to develop positive peer pressure that will influence its members. One idea in many sociology text is that group problem-solving has definite advantages over individual problem-solving. The idea is that a wider variety of solutions can be derived by drawing from the experience of several people with different backgrounds. Also one individuals problem might have already been solved by another group member and can be suggested. Often if a peer proposes a solution it carries more weight than if the counselor were to suggest it (Bennett 20-24). Further, in sociology, one of the major theories of delinquency is differential association (Cressey 1955). This means some people learned their ways from  ³undesirable ² people who they were forced to be in association with and that this association  ³warps ² their thinking and social attitudes.  ³Group counseling, group interaction, and other kinds of group activities can... ... to the economy. Also the construction of new prisons brings millions of dollars into the economy each year and if there were no new prisons needed it would mean the loss of thousands of jobs (Szumski 24-26). Henry Abernathy and inmate in Texas said  ³just think what a catastrophe it would cause if all cons across the country decided never to commit another crime. ² Richard Cepulonis, an inmate in Massachusetts said just the title  ³Department of Corrections ² is a  ³misnomer ² he said  ³they don ¹t correct anything. ² In conclusion, things need to be done to improve rehabilitation in America. Improvements in job training, counseling, and halfway houses for rehabilitation must be brought to the forefront by citizens. If we do not get involved and try to make changes, our crime problem could worsen beyond control. Bibliography Szumski, Bonnie. America ¹s Prisons Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, Inc.: 1985 Doob, Christopher. Sociology: An Introduction. Harcourt Brace & Company, United States: 1994 Bennett, Lawrence. Counseling in Correctional Environments. New York: New York, 1978 Fox, Vernon. Community-Based Corrections. Englewood Cliffs: New Jersey, 1977.

Gender differences over attraction on Facebook Essay

Internet has for a long time changed the way people communicate. One such internet services are provided by the Facebook. Since its launching in the year 2004, Facebook acts both as a means of communication while at the same time helps to maintain interpersonal relationships between genders. Past analysis show the use of internet to have dominated in one gender, the male, but the recent developments show equality in the male and female internet use. This study analysis the gender differences over attraction on Facebook. Such differences will be based on their differences on the use of Facebook and online relationships forged through the use of Facebook. The paper will also give a future direction on the results and the limitations in the research (Gross, 2004). Introduction There exist a lot of differences in as far as gender is concerned on internet services offered by the varying internet providers. The increased accessibility and the fact that internet services are ever expanding helps to augment the way people communicate. The internet use and the interpersonal relationships create a basis for gender differences on Facebook use. Considering some of the gender differences that exist and the dynamic nature of the Facebook users, it’s imperative to analyze the demographic differences that exist between the genders on such issues as (and not limited to) online relationships (Fallows, 2005). In as far as Facebook is concerned, the differences that exist in the usage or attraction to the services offered range from (and not limited to) chatting, sending mail, educational purposes, creation of ideas, pursuing sexual relationship. This paper carries out an analysis on different journal articles on the Facebook use and then gives a future direction of the topic. Methodology Secondary method of data collection was employed to collect the data for this paper. This is by the use of different journal articles on psychology, addressing the gender differences over attraction on Facebook. Facebook What is Facebook? Social networking website, with a free access, managed and privately possessed by the Facebook, Inc. it enables its users to connect with different networks organized by   (and not limited to) the school, and workplace, among others. It also enables people to add friends, communicate through messages, and update their profiles to provide information to their friends. It was founded by computer science student Mark Zuckerberg, and other students at Harvard University. It’s commenced with its members limited to Harvard students and later expanded to several colleges and universities (Ellison, Steinfeld & Lampe, 2007). It allows users to interact with a number of its features, such as the Wall (for posting messages), Pokes (a virtual poke to the users), Photos (for users to upload albums and photos), and Status (for users to inform their friends on their whereabouts and particular actions). Although Facebook has had a great success in the past, it has also received several challenges and controversy. For instance, it has been banned and blocked by some countries such as Syria and Iran, and its usage banned at different workplace to discourage workers from wasting time while using the service. Its privacy has also been compromised (Ellison, Steinfeld & Lampe, 2007). Literature review This section gives an explanation on the different journals used in writing of this paper. According to Yan (2006), the debates over the extent of gender differences in as far as internet use on Facebook is concerned still exist. The journal continues to explain that the ratio of men to women, who happen use these internet services, are equally distributed, although their activities while online are quite different (Yan, 2006). Golub, Baillie, and Brown (2007), noted that the attraction of women to the internet service was more on a need for a interpersonal communication, that includes, and not limited to chatting and message sending and other educational purposes, while on the other hand, although men enjoyed interpersonal communication, they were more into the different news offered by the internet service such as business news, such as on web page creation, and pursuing sexual relationships (Golub, Baillie, & Brown, 2007). On the other hand, Boneva, Kraut, and Frohlich (2006), in their recent studies indicate that women are more likely to use computer mediated communication that do men. This in other words is to say, women tend to use Facebook communication services for relationship building. Golub, Baillie, and Brown (2007), indicates that there are gender differences in as far as attraction is concerned, and this is attributed to the usage of the Facebook services. For the male, they consider the internet use as a daily activity more than women do. This indicates a gender gap in the internet use in as far as face book is concerned. The journal also indicated that men were more attracted to the use of Facebook messaging as a means to forge relationship more than women, this is because, men prefer to â€Å"date† and communication online than in person. Another difference existed in the state of the relationship especially, whereby; the journal indicates that women take such relationship more seriously than do men (Golub, Baillie, & Brown, 2007). According to Gross (2004), there exist no difference in as far as maintaining existing relationship is concerned via the Facebook. This is to mean that men and women prefer to use the Facebook services for the purposes of communication with their loved one in order to maintain an existing relationship. Lenhart, Madden and Hitlin (2005), indicated that men were more likely to communicate with strangers than women. This is because of the fact that some men would prefer to use the service for short term relationship or to establish a sexual relationship (Lenhart, Madden & Hitlin, 2005). Other reasons included the fact that men would greatly be affected by the physical appearances and therefore preferred this service. The authors also indicate that Facebook internet users from both genders have in the process formed a new relationship; friendly, romantic, and professional. This is attributed to the nature of privacy provided by the messaging services provided by the Facebook (Lenhart, Madden & Hitlin, 2005). On the contrary to the above findings, Fallows (2005) argue that, though internet use has in the past been a male domain, through the introduction of Facebook services, the gender gap in the use of their services have in great way improved. There is a high indication the future growth in the internet use in as far as Facebook is concerned which might tend to increase the gender gap. This is because introduction of such services as games will have a tendency to attract men. News and advertisement will also tend to attract men. Therefore, depending on the face and the services offered by the Facebook, the gender differences will be established (Ellison, Steinfeld & Lampe, 2007). References Ellison, N. B., Steinfeld, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook â€Å"Friends:† Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12 (4). Yan, Z. (2006). What influences children’s and adolescents’ understanding of the complexity of the internet? Developmental Psychology, 42(3), 418-428. Fallows, D. (2005). How women and men use the internet. Washington D.C.: Pew internet and American Life Project. Retrieved on 9th march 2009, from: http://www.pewinternet.org. Lenhart, A. Madden, M. & Hitlin, P. (2005). Teens and technology: Youth are leading the transition to a fully wired and mobile nation. Washington D.C.: Pew internet and American Life Project. Retrieved on 9th march 2009 from: http://www.pewinternet.org. Gross, E. F. (2004). Adolescent Internet use: What we expect, what teens report? Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 25(6), 633-649. Boneva, B., Kraut, R., & Frohlich, D. (2006). Using email for personal relationships: The difference gender makes. American Behavioral Scientist, 45(3), 530-549. Golub, Y., Baillie, M. & Brown, M. (2007). Gender Differences in Internet Use and Online Relationships. American journal of psychological research. New York, NY: Brooklyn College. 3(1).

Review of communication skills Essay

In the group interactions, I was a class room assistant who was meeting the parents of a young child with behavioural problems.  When Mr and Mrs Shaw arrived I called them in to the office using a soft tone and with a hand gesture I offered them a seat in front of my desk. They seemed pleased to be meeting me and were very concerned about their son Matthew. They were both talking in a calm slow voice with varying tone.  I started by asking how Matthews behaviour was at home. Mr Shaw was relaxed and sitting in an open posture. He said Matthews’s behaviour was fine and there was nothing wrong with him. Mrs Shaw became tensed and looked away from her husband and said she had experienced problems at home when Matthew was around other children, as he would become angry and frustrated over simple things. Mr Shaw sat upright and told his wife there was nothing wrong with Matthew’s behaviour and that this was normal. I reassured them both that this could be understandable as he is an only child and may not be use to sharing with other children. Maintaining good eye contact I said I was experiencing the same problems in the class as Matthew is becoming very disruptive and a lot of parents are complain that their children are frightened of Matthew. Mrs Shaw became very upset and did not keep eye contact with me, and Mr Shaw was now in a closed posture. In a strong tone Mr Shaw demanded what was doing to help Matthew. I leaned forward and using a soft tone I told them the school could offer support for Matthew as long as the parents were willing to help, I then showed them some of Matthew’s class work and the areas he was doing good in. His mother seemed pleased and became less tensed. I offered a special needs program pointing out the benefits where Matthew could be taken out of the class room for a few hours a week. Mr Shaw became very tensed and leaned back in his chair as his face muscles became tight. He said his son did not need a special needs program and this was a waste of time, I went over the benefits o the program again, speaking clearly as I read the most important points. Mrs Shaw was unsure and wanted to agree only if her husband would support the program, but she agreed to look at the leaflet and consider it with her husband. I explained how one to one help for Matthew would benefit him in his school work and also the other children, I then said they could discuss the program at home and decide, and then they could arrange another interview if they were happy with the program. Mr Shaw stood up and I handed Mrs Shaw the leaflets. I thanked them for their time and shock their hands, I said using a polite tone they could come see me any time if they were unhappy about any thing. I showed them to the door and Mrs Shaw was very thankful for my advice and agreed to come back and discuss the program for Matthew. Mr Shaw thanked me but did not shake my hand and made no eye contact with me as he left and I said he was very welcome to come back any time.