Tuesday, March 24, 2020
MarthaS Vineyard Labov Essay Example
Martha?S Vineyard Labov Essay 1. 0      Introduction 1. 1     Martha? s Vineyard – where old traditions are still of value Martha? s Vineyard is a small island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA. The island has a permanent population of about 6000 inhabitants. It is separated from the mainland by the Atlantic Ocean and there are no big businesses or any McDonald to be found on the island. Here, life is not as hectic as on the mainland and old traditions are still of value. The inhabitants have a way of showing their connection and dedication to their homeland, which is also a way of identifying themselves. This term paper will be about sound changes in connection with social identity. I will examine the innovative study of language variation and change in the islands community, observed and examined by William Labov (1963). I will analyze and discuss the study made by Labov. Labov? s study is based on the characteristic sound pattern discovered while listening to the inhabitants of Martha? s Vineyard. This sound change has a focus on the centralization of diphthongs. Centralization is the phonological change in which a vowel becomes more central than normal (Lawrence Trask 2000 : 53). Diphthong is a vowel sound which is pronounced by quickly moving from one vowel position to another (Deckert, Vickers 2011 : 33). The sound changes made by inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard, observed by Labov were: /ay/ as in fight, right and sight and /aw/ as in loud and about. Labov? s observations exposed that the centralized diphthongs only occurred in a particular linguistic context. Some groups used the sound change more than others. The group of fishermen was among these. Labov also observed that some inhabitants purposely did not pronounce the diphthongs differently to people from the mainland. We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Having looked at different social factors, as for example, age, ethnic group and occupation it became obvious that the attitude towards the island was an essential aspect to explain this phenomenon. The decision whether or not to use the island or the mainland pronunciation depended the attitude towards Martha’s Vineyard, whether or not being positive or negative. Labov named this phenomenon â€Å"island identity†(1963). To understand what â€Å"island identity†is it is important to define the term â€Å"identity†. What is identity and how do we identify ourselves? Can there be a connection between identity and speech? In this term paper I will attempt to answer these questions. 2. 0 The study, sociolinguistic pattern and meaning 2. 1 Background knowledge Martha’s Vineyard is divided into two parts, which are the up-island and the down-island. By the time Labov made this study, the island had approximately 6000 inhabitants. The majority lived in an area of the down-island which contains of three small towns, called Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. The remaining inhabitants lived in the rural up-island area with only a few villages (Labov 1972: 5). The inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard were divided into four major ethnic groups. The main group was the descendants of old families with English origin. The second major group was descendants of Portuguese origin who migrated from the Azores and the Cap Verde Islands. The third group was descendants of remnant native Americans. The last group consists of inhabitants of various origins, who were of no relevance for this study (Labov 1972: 6). Another group became relevant for this study. This was the group of summer visitors who came in large groups in June and July. There would be around 42. 000 visitors on the island every summer (Labov 1972: 6). It could be a possibility that the summer visitors brought the sound change from the mainland to the island, which would mean that this group would have the major influence on the pronunciation of the diphthongs /ay/ and /aw/ but it becomes clear that the influence of visitors are not as obvious as it might seem, since Labov only mentioned that this group had an indirect influence. To clarify this, it is essential to have a look at the economic situation of the island. In 1960 Marthas Vineyard was the poorest of all countries of Massachusetts and this was not only due to the high unemployment rate in Massachusetts back then (Labov 1972: 27). The islands? major industry was the fishing industry on the up-island. The large-scale of fishing went out of New Bedford on the Grand Banks and as a result it became harder to keep this industry going (Labov 1972: 27). It became almost impossible for the fishermen to make a living from their wages and their families became dependent on two earnings. Another problem forced the economic and psychological pressure. Convenience goods were at a very high price (Labov 1972: 28) and the goods were brought on the island with ferry from the mainland. This transport was expensive and permitted the salesmen to expand the prices of their goods. Some would say that the constantly growing tourism came as a blessing for the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard, but at the same time it also became a curse, especially for the fishermen who felt very connected to the island and the traditions connected to it. For them it was difficult to accept the increasing dependence on tourism. The following observations and results are of importance in order to understand the connection between the above mentioned background information and the language variation in this study. 2. 2 Accomplishment by Labov and its meaning for the inhabitants In 1963, as the study of Martha’s Vineyard was relized, Labov observed a striking way of pronouncing words such a fight, right and sight, and words such as loud and about. This striking ways of pronunciation clearly diverged from the near parts of the mainland (Meyerhoff 2006: 16f. ). The inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard pronounced the diphthongs /ay/ and /aw/ in a more entral position which is a phonological change termed centralization. In order to figure out why many inhabitants used the centralized diphthongs, Labov deliberated an interview schedule in which /ay/ and /aw/ frequently occurred (Labov 1972: 12). Here Labov did not only put his focus on the linguistic aspect but on the social aspect as well. This means th at Labov did not only put focus on the language but furthermore he wanted to examine the reasons for this sound change and in which way it was used in a social context and by whom. Why did some speakers use the centralized diphthongs more than others? This is why this study by Labov is not just of study of linguistics but also counts as a sociolinguistic study (Deckert, Vickers 2011: 1). Labov started asking inhabitants questions concerning their lives on the island. He also recorded them while they were reading lists of words naturally containing /ay/ and /aw/ sounds out loud (Meyerhoff 2006: 17). He interviewed 69 inhabitants of different ages, occupation, ethnic groups and from different geographical distribution. The table underneath is taken from Labov? s study and shows age levels and numbers of inhabitants using the centralized vowels /ay/ and /aw/: Table 1 (Labov 1972: 22) |age |(ay) |(aw) | |75- |25 |22 | |61-75 |35 |37 | |46-60 |62 |44 | |31-45 |81 |88 | |14-30 |37 |46 | Having a look at this table, it appears that inhabitants from the age of thirty-one up to age forty-five frequently tended to centralize the diphthongs. However, inhabitants younger than thirty-one and older than forty-five, did not have a high use of the centralized diphthongs. This means that the sound change could not only be dependent on the age of inhabitants being interviewed. Therefore Labov focused on other social factors which might have an effect on the production of this sound change. He interviewed inhabitants from different parts of residence, hereby people form the up-island as well as people living at the down-island. The statistics shown below demonstrates different cities on Martha’s Vineyard. It also shows the numbers of inhabitants from these cities using the centralized diphthongs: Table 2 (Labov 1972: 25)  |(ay) |(aw) | |Down-island |35 |33 | |Edgartown |48 |55 | |Oak |33 |10 | |Bluffs                    | | | |Vineyard Haven            |24 |33 | |Up-island                   |61 |66 | |Oak |71 |99 | |Bluffs                    | | | |N. 35 |13 | |Tisbury                    | | | |West Tisbury                |51 |51 | |Chilmark    |100 |81 | |Gay Head                     |51 |81 | This table clearly shows that the inhabitants living on the up-island used the sound change more frequently than inhabitants living on the down-island, especially the inhabitants of the town Chilmark. In Chilmark they were shown o have a unique tendency of centralized diphthongs. The up-island was more of a rural area and it was known for its fishing industry. Most fishermen were living and working in Chilmark. The following table shows the centralization by the different occupational groups observed by Labov. . Table 3 (Labov 1972: 26) | |(ay) |(aw) | |Fishermen |100 |79 | |Farmers |32 |22 | |Others |41 |57 | According to this table which shows the usage of centralized diphthong by fishermen, farmers and other occupations, shows it becomes clear that the fishermen were the one group who most frequently made use of centralization. Some of the farmers and people of other occupations also used this sound change but their numbers were strikingly low compared to the numbers of fishermen using the centralization. When comparing the results of all three tables it becomes obvious that the Chilmark fishermen in the middle working age level were using the centralization more frequently than any other groups on the island. However, hereby it is still not revealed why this group of inhabitants at this age and living and working in that one place where the fishing industry still played a big role in the island economy (Labov 1972: 29), were using the sound change more frequently than the other groups of inhabitants. It is central to understand the meaning and importance of the fishing industry for the inhabitants and the island itself to fully understand the interaction of social and linguistic patterns. Most of the fishermen from Chilmark felt deeply connected to the island since most of them were descendants of the old families (Labov 1972: 28). The fishing industry used to be a major part of the economy, before the large-scale fishing went out of New Bedford on the Grand Banks (Labov 1972: 27). The fishermen were proud to be independent, to stand on their own feet and earn their living with their own bare hands. Fishing was an old tradition on this island (Labov 1972: 29) but as an ever-growing number of summer visitors came to the island a big part of the fishing industry moved away and the inhabitants became forced to be more dependent on tourism. Chilmark changed from the traditional fishing industry to modern tourism. Many of the inhabitants accepted but the fishermen had a hard time acknowledging this change (Labov 1972: 28). They made their living from fishing. For these men fishing was not just a job, but it was also a way of living and an old tradition they did not want to give up. Two brothers from Edgartown which were also fishermen were among the interviewed. They both had a tendency to centralize the diphthongs very frequently (Labov 1972: 30). These two brothers were the last decendants from the old families (Labov 1972: 30). If they were to leave the island, there would be no descendant left in Edgartown and there would be no one to keep up the traditions of the old families. These two brothers are another example that clarifies the importance of the fishing industry. It also clarifies that the Chilmark fishermen as well as the fishermen from Edgartown shared social orientation. They felt deeply connected to the island which was their home. For this reason they also both shared an aversion to the many summer visitors. The summer visitors would invade the cities of Martha’s Vineyard, and thereby the growing tourism would invade ajor a part in the economy. Though many of the inhabitants appreciate the tourism, the fishermen suffered more and more under economic as well as psychological pressure (Labov 1972: 28). The dependence on summer visitors grew and thereby the independence of the fishermen was reduced. The more inhabitants lived a traditional way of life the more they used the centralization. This fact demonstrates the relationship to the diphthong centralization and the social orientation. Labov learned that another social factor had an outstanding influence on the sound change. He observed attitude towards the island, whether it was positive or negative, was of reason for the usage of this sound change. Labov found out that high school students and their use of the centralization depended on their plan whether or not to stay on the island. He therefore interviewed students from Marthas Vineyard Regional High School. The students who wanted to stay on the island showed a much higher use of the centralized diphthongs than the students who wanted to leave the island after finishing school (Labov 1972: 32). Not only inhabitants from the old families had a high use of the centralization, but Portuguese at the age of thirty-one to forty-five revealed to have a very high use of the sound change in comparison to the other age groups (Labov 1972: 26). The Portuguese of this age group belonged to the third and fourth generation. This generation was the first one which had entirely adopted the ways of life on the island (Labov 1972: 33). They too felt deeply connected to the island, their home. The middle aged Portuguese showed a higher use of centralization than the younger Portuguese, even though the younger Portuguese showed a higher centralization than the young inhabitants with English origin (Labov 1972: 26). This phenomenon can be explained by the attitude towards the island. Most of the young inhabitants with English origin wanted to leave the island opposed to the majority of the young Portuguese who wanted to stay on the island (Labov 1972: 26). This proves that social attitude towards Martha’s Vineyard was to blame for the use of the centralization. In relation to the social attitude the term island identity becomes important. To fully understand this term it is important to explain what â€Å"identity†really means. To define what â€Å"identity†really is, is easier said than done. Identity can be a name of a person but it can also be a way of behaving or other details like gestures or mimics. In Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English by Langenscheidt, there are more than a few explanations. For example: The qualities and attitudes that a person or a group of people have, that make them different from other people (Langenscheidt 2006: 805). The term national/cultural/social identity is listed in this dictionary as well and is defined as a strong feeling of belonging to particular group, race, etc. (Langenscheidt 2006: 805). After having studied Labov`s observations, his results and defining the term identity, it becomes clear that the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard used the sound change to identify themselves. They created an access to their identity with the help of language, and used the centralization as a way to differentiate themselves from summer visitors. This strong bond to their home, the island, is termed by Labov as â€Å"island identity†. Island identity†describes the use of the centralization as an expression of the strong connection, the inhabitant? s ancestry and their home land. Inhabitants who used this sound change also revealed their attitude and connection to the island. The ones using the sound change were the ones who felt deeply connected and identified themselves with the island. Thereby the sound change became an indicator of the inhabitants attitude. The inhabitants who showed a negative attitude towards the island the ones who did not feel connected to it and wanted to leave, did not use this centralization. They simply did not identify themselves with the island. On behalf of those inhabitants who had a positive attitude towards the island the language variant hold prestige. For some inhabitants the sound change had a higher status than for others, although the speakers were not always aware of the importance of the sound change. This is the reason why there are two types of prestige which are termed overt and covert prestige (Meyerhoff 2006: 37). Overt prestige is linked with language variants that speakers use for special reasons. The speakers using the overt prestige have the motive of sounding, for example, politer or even more educated, which means that they obviously are aware of using that variant (Meyerhoff 2006: 37). For the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard the covert prestige played a central role. The speakers who were using the centralization did not want to sound nicer or better than other people on the island. This pronunciation was not the standard or the general norm but it was based on group identity and the way the inhabitants differentiated themselves from other inhabitants and summer visitors. 3. 0 Conclusion Through the study of Labov, he demonstrated that social factors play a role in how people speak and he also clarified the deep social function language has to define sn identity. Labov? s study was of importance for the social linguistic. The centralized diphthongs observed by Labov were most frequently used by the thirty-one up to forty-five age group and was typically observed used by people who lived and worked on the island, who felt deeply connected to the island. The connection between the positive attitude towards life on the island and the usage of centralization was outstanding. The inhabitants who lived a traditional way of life, had the highest degree of centralization. Since being a fisherman was a traditional occupation, this means that the main part of the inhabitants on the up-island had a higher use of the sound change since that was the place where the fishing industry was based. The down-island was the area where less people were using the centralization. It consist of small towns and these towns were the attraction for the increasing number of summer visitors. Consequently, it can be said that the centralization is an indicator of solidarity. A way of showing where you belong and that you are proud of your home and its traditions. For the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard it was also a way to oppose to the people of the mainland and the new service economy. This sound change made them stand out. By centralizing the diphthongs the inhabitants of island created a way to connect their social identity to language. The language functions as a tool to stick out of the crowd. It is as a reminder of their roots. . 0 Bibliography Deckert, Sharon K. ; Vickers, Caroline H. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. 2011. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Labov, William. Sociolinguistic Patterns. 1972. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Langenscheidt. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. 2006 Meyerhoff, Miriam. Introducing Sociolinguistics. 2006. Abingdon: Routledge Trask, Robert Lawrence. The Dictionary of Historic al and Comparative Linguistics. 2000. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd
Friday, March 6, 2020
good ole days essays
good ole days essays The Good Old Days They Were Terrible Today is Monday July the 10th. Today was a very long day, I got up at sunrise and did not get home until after sunset. I am not used to working like this. I came from Germany with my parents in 1887. I was but a little boy when we came here. I was probably between the ages of 5 and 6. My father had a small store in Germany, where he sold food and other goods. I guess it could be called a general store. The store was not doing that much business because the farmers in Germany were going through a lot of agriculture changes. The farmers could not pay the bills and because of this we were going broke. Well, back to today! Today was a very hard day. When I woke up this morning my brothers and I had to feed all of our animals. We had a few chickens, some cows, and a few pigs. The pigs are the worst to feed because you have to walk through all of the mud and muck to get to them. I hate feeding the pigs, I just hate it! The chickens on the other hand were easy to feed becaus e all we had to do was go in the chicken house and put some feed into the feeders. Today also happened to be the day we have to clean out the chicken house. We clean all of the animals pens and houses every Monday. I know it sounds bad, but trust me it is not as bad as having to feed the pigs. When we finished feeding all of the animals, we had to go out into the fields and check on the crops and make sure there were no animals getting into the crops. While my brothers and I were in the fields, we heard the mom ringing the bell. This meant that it was time for us to eat. This is my favorite time of the day. I look forward to this every morning when I wake up. My mom is the best cook in the world. Well, once again dinner was great. When we finished eating dinner, the family would go outside and gather around my father and h ...
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Empirical Finance Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Empirical Finance Coursework - Essay Example These risks emerge due to the uncertainties associated with the future. Therefore, investment basically is a risk-inclusive undertaking, and individuals’ levels of risk taking vary depending on investment instruments and the expected returns. Successful investments must take into account relevant strategies that should aid the realization of the investment objectives. A number of investment strategies in the UK investable universe are evaluated and assessed for their performance: Small Cap vs. Large Cap Portfolios Volatility of returns is the principle determinant of whether a portfolio is a small cap or a large cap. The size of a company is determined by its market capitalization, a situation that further defines that company’s market cap. A small cap portfolio is defined by a market capitalization that is between 300 million and 2 billion. An amount less than this will enter the portfolio into a lesser marker cap, normally referred to as the micro-cap. Small cap portf olio is characterized by high volatility in the market, and the price of the stock keeps fluctuations due to the underlying market uncertainties. Large cap portfolios on the other hand are the direct opposite of small cap portfolios. Large cap portfolios are less volatile in the market, and the prices of these stocks are therefore relatively constant over time (Fama and French, 2011, p.46). Investors that prefer less volatile portfolio often opt for the large cap portfolios. However, this does not rule out risk prevalence in investment. Large cap portfolios are characterized by market capitalization of about 10 billion and above. This kind of portfolio experiences hardships in in and out trade activities. As a result, price swings are minimized, leading to the realization of consistency in its price. Value vs. Growth Portfolios Investors have different motives for investment. While some opt to invest in value stocks, others prefer growth stocks. These stocks share some common charac teristics, but their distinguishing features outline the outstanding difference between the two stocks. The valuing of stocks is done with regard to market trends, incorporating risks and benefits to the value of the stocks. Investors prefer undervalued stocks, so that once the prices of the stocks changes, they are in a position to reap huge investment returns. Value stocks are depict the flowing features: less than 10 % price earnings ratio, less than 1 price to earnings growth, current assets that are twice the current liabilities, matching debt and equity and share prices that are at par with the tangible book value or even less (Fama and French, 2011, p.53). Growth stocks are defined by their outstanding feature of expansion and ability to generate more and more returns with time. They are referred to as growth stocks because they have the ability to diversify the underlying portfolio. Growth stocks are characterized by a growth rate that is strong and reliable. This is to say that the portfolio remains vibrant and beneficial over a long period of time. It is important to account for the fact that different companies grow at different speeds and rates, and it essential that an investor be accommodative in regard to growth portfolios. Equity returns are also strong with growth stocks. Company-industry comparison is used to determine the strength of the stock returns. Growth stocks are characterized by per share earnings that surpass the industry’
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Country Assessment of China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Country Assessment of China - Research Paper Example Because China culture is largely based on Confucianism, Chinese people show great respect for their elders (Kwintessential). Chinese are more of a collectivist society; as such, an individual would sacrifice his or her needs for the group’s objective. Face is very important in Chinese society because no one likes to embarrass their superiors. Also, most communication in China is done through non-verbal communication (Kwintessential). Body language is just as important as what is spoken. Any overaggressive behavior is likely to be frowned upon as losing control is to lose face. Because Confucian philosophy believes that all relationships are not equal, there are differences in the way the employers and employees should be treated (WorldBusinessCulture). Seniority is very important when it comes to Chinese business management practices; managers demand respect from their employees in the same way that an old person would from a young person. Business is China is very formal; managers inform their subordinates what task they should be doing, and there are never any complaints from the employees. A manager is like a father figure to his employees (WorldBusinessCulture). The manager expects loyalty and commitment, and in return he will offer support for his employees. Because the Chinese government is Communist, it takes a hard line when it comes to business. This has eased up in recent years as the government has opened up the country to foreign investors. The Chinese economy could now be thought of as capitalist, even though the government is still Communist. The managers of most large Chinese domestic firms are linked in some way to the ruling Communist Party, and the government often places pressure on businesses to go a certain way (WorldBusinessCulture). Besides this, the United States of America has long held the view that the Chinese government manipulates its
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Personality Of The Crisis Worker
Personality Of The Crisis Worker I agree that not everyone is suitable to do crisis intervention work as there are many factors that need to be considered when doing crisis work. The main factor that is essential for any crisis intervention work is the characteristics and personality of the crisis worker. James Gilliland (2001, p.17) claim that effective crisis workers share a number characteristics and such workers demonstrate competency in their professional skills. Before we analyze the crisis worker, we need to understand crisis, crisis intervention and the difference between other therapies and crisis intervention because of the need to understand how the role of the intervener differs from other therapies and what are the characteristics that is needed specifically for the crisis intervention. There are many definitions of crisis but a summarized definition would be that crisis is a perception or experiencing of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the persons current resources and coping mechanisms, (James Gilliland, 2001, p.3). A similar definition of crisis is by Roberts (2000) who views crisis as a period of psychological disequilibrium, experienced as a result of a hazardous event or situation that constitutes a significant problem that cannot be remedied by using familiar coping strategies (p.7). There are many types of crisis and crisis is not simple but is complex and difficult to understand. It is essential that the individual is able to get relief from the crisis because the crisis causes disruption and breakdown to an individuals ongoing pattern of everyday functioning. If the crisis is not handled, the situation would tend to immobilize them and they will be unable to control their lives. Apart from that, a crisis can cause individua ls to have affective, behavioural and cognitive malfunctioning. Crisis intervention is an internal helping response and is defined as methods used to offer short term immediate help to individuals who have experienced an event that produces mental, physical, emotional and behavioural distress, (Mitchell, n.d. para.1). The ultimate goal of crisis intervention is reducing the dangers of the crisis and allow it to be resolved positively allowing the individual to go on and thrive in life (Echterling, Presbury, McKee, 2005, p.25). This intervention will focus on resolving the immediate problem to prevent further deterioration and to prevent negative outcome. An article by Center for School Mental Health Assistance (2002) states that, crisis intervention will restore a sense of equilibrium for the individual in crisis and give them the ability to creatively problem-solve and feel efficacious. Crisis intervention differs from other therapies and traditional counselling because it focuses on short term strategies to prevent damage during and immediately after the experience of trauma, (Mitchell, n.d. para.5). This intervention is oriented in the present and focuses on the immediate problem which disrupts people from controlling their life. The interveners role is to offer immediate assistance to the individual who is struggling with a complex situation and assist them to go on and achieve a meaningful resolution (Echterling, Presbury, McKee, 2005, p.25). In comparison to crisis intervention, other therapies deal with the totality of the individuals personality and life issues and tend to be long term as they aim to improve the clients mental health and personal wellbeing with an attempt to remediate more or less ongoing emotional problems. This only escalates to a crisis when there are threats to fulfilment, safety or meaningful existence (James Gilliland, 2001, p.8-9) an d this is where the crisis worker takes over. To be a crisis worker, the helper has to have certain qualities to be able to intervene during the crisis and life experiences of the intervener are an important aspect to handle a crisis. These life experiences serve as a resource for emotional maturity that combined with training, enables workers to be stable, consistent and well integrated not only within the crisis situation but also in their daily lives (James Gilliland, 2001, p.13). When a worker has previous experience of going through a crisis and comes across another individual who is in the similar crisis, they will be able to use their background as a resource to deal with the crisis. For example a crisis worker has previously made suicide attempts and has dealt with it, now has a client who is on the verge of attempting suicide. The crisis worker will be able to help the client overcome the issue because of the first hand experience of the crisis. James Gilliland (2001) suggest that people who usually do crisis interven tion are products of their own crisis environment and they have chosen to work with people experiencing the same kind of crisis they themselves have suffered, and they use their experiential background when working with people in crisis (p.13). Apart from this, life experiences means the helper has emotional maturity and it can enhance the dept and sensitivity with which the clients are treated. One other characteristic that is essential for a crisis helper is remaining poised because the nature of crisis intervention is that the worker is often confronted with shocking and threatening materials from clients who are completely out of control, (James Gilliland, 2001, p.14). When a helper remains poised in a situation where the client is out of control, there are chances that the stress level of the client will not be escalated. As the helper models this trait to the client, soon a stable atmosphere and a state of composure can be achieved. Eventually the situation will be brought into control and any immediate danger will be diffused. This trait of calming the victim and the situation has to be deeply abided within the helper and cannot be taught. Aguilera Messick (1982) stated that creativity and flexibility are major assets to those confronted with perplexing and seeming unsolvable problems (p.24). All crisis helpers are equipped with many skills and these skills have to be used in specific and creative ways personalized to the clients needs and crisis. Sometimes to solve the crisis, untraditional and unconventional approaches need to be used. Helpers also cannot approach a crisis with a fixed and rigid formula but instead should have a tentative plan for how to address it, combined with a readiness to let go of that approach if it does not work, (Miller, 2012, p.6). Creating solutions is time sensitive and by being flexible to try and use different approaches, the helper will be more effective to lead the client through a comfortable intervention. Energy and resiliency are required for crisis intervention as crisis situations can be very demanding. Being energized is largely dependent on the worker themselves to take care of their own physical and psychological needs so that their energy level remains high (James Gilliland, 2001, p.15). Resilience on the other hand is also essential because it is natural for helpers to face failure no matter how capable or committed they were and when times of failure arise, helpers need be able to move forward and not face a meltdown. As mentioned previously, crisis intervention compared to other therapies is time critical and helpers must have quick mental reflexes to deal with the constantly emerging and changing issues that occur in the crisis, (James Gilliland, 2001, p.15). Helpers need to be able to think quickly on their feet and make quick evaluations and decisions as there is no time to reflect and slowly mull over the crisis. There is also a need for the helper to be comfortable in making decisions on their own because most of the time, they do not have another person supervising them. Finally, one of the other trait a crisis helper should posses is the potential and desire to grow and change. Doing crisis intervention is not a static work as there is constant and rapid change in this field. The helper needs to change after each contact with a client because successful resolution of the crisis results in two products, the first is helping the client overcome the crisis and second, effecting positive change in the helper as a result of the encounter, (James Gilliland, 2001, p.15). In conclusion, I agree that not everyone is suitable to do crisis intervention because a crisis requires helpers who share a number of characteristics to demonstrate competency in their professional skills. Helpers ought to maintain poise when confronting a situation, to be creative and flexibility in their approach to deal with the situation, to be able to have energy and resilience, to be able to have quick mental reflexes and also have the potential to grow from each encounter of crisis. All of these characteristics are of enormous value to the helper and to the client and without them it is unlikely to be able to assist the client to reduce the dangers of crisis and facilitate a positive resolution. (1471 words)
Saturday, January 18, 2020
A Study in Sociology Essay
Suicide always fascinated academic researches for a long time however it is has been an area of study limited to the field of psychology. Sociology is a relatively new field of social sciences. It started looking into suicide, not just as a personal act, but as a social action which is not entirely divorced from social forces. This paper discusses pertinent studies on the phenomenon of suicide and seeks to present literatures concerning this act. Moreover, differing ideas and interpretations on suicide are presented to carefully elaborate different perspectives on the subject matter. A Study in Sociology Arguably the first person to connect suicide to the study of sociology is sociologist Emile Durkheim. He presented that although suicide is a personal choice of the individual, the act is not separated from the context of a society. He looked into pre-existing records and analyzed suicide trends in different societies. Based on these suicide trends, there are four classifications of suicide: 1) Egoistic; 2) Altruistic; 3) Anomic and; 4) Fatalistic. Social cohesion plays a vital role in Durkheim’s theories on suicide. Egoistic suicide occurs when a person has a relatively low degree of integration into a society. On the other hand, a high degree of integration into a society can also result in suicides that are meant for a higher cause within a society. He also argued that changes in social order and the individual’s perception towards social change would explain anomic suicides. The phenomenon of fatalism takes place in extreme social contexts, where a person would decide on killing himself rather than suffering dire social conditions (Durkheim, 1951). Self and Society From an object of study limited to psychology, suicide became a subject of sociology. Durkheim’s research proved that the traditional perspective that view the subject matter as a psychological behavior and entirely individualistic in nature is a constricted framework when looking into suicide. This implies that social structures, social forces as well as social conflicts and changes are intervening factors in a suicide phenomenon. C. Wright Mills (2000) supported that one cannot separate behaviors and actions of an individual from the larger social context. He wrote that â€Å"the personal troubles of the milieu are connected to the public issues of social structure. †The individual committing suicide must therefore be located in his social as well as historical contexts. Current Trends on Suicide Studies After Mills and Durkheim laid the foundations of suicide as a sociological subject, numerous studies concerning suicide have been conducted in both psychology and sociology. Currently, suicide studies are interconnected with other factors such as gender, poverty, small arms, mental disorders and even medicine. It is now linked to modernity (Baudelot and Establet, 2008), attitudes and experiences of oncology patients (Emanuel, Fairclough, Daniels & Clarridge, 1996), a demographic-specific trend such as adolescents (Brent, et. al. , 1988), cultural forces (West, 2005), economic conditions (Ruhm, 2000), as well as access to weapons (Brent, et. al. 1991). Suicide and Modernity Baudelot and Establet (2008) worked with Durkheim’s premises in their study of suicide. They stated that â€Å"The link between suicide, affluence and individualism is more complexâ€â€suicide rates do reflect broad social trends but they are also influenced by the structural position and lived experience of small social groups. The notion of social well-being is demonstrated to be a key factor in changes in suicide rates. †While sociology itself cannot accurately predict a suicide case, the collective gathering of these cases provides a fertile ground for sociological interpretations. Modernity is a historical as well as social era where social changes occur and these cases of suicide are descriptive of their milieu. Suicide, seen as such in the context of modernity, is a social fact. It describes the changes that occurred during the time of modernity. Societies that are rigid in its goals during the time of modernity are those that adamantly pursued modernization. It is in this context that suicide rates are known to be higher in the Communist Bloc, China and India (Baudelot and Establet, 2008). Economics and Suicide While both affluent and starving groups of individuals commit suicide, the role of economics cannot be downplayed in the study of suicide. On the macro-economic level, the period of modernity prominently features suicide trends in a time where economies were vibrant and booming. On the other hand, a stagnating economy, such as in a recession, also has an effect on suicide. Ruhm (2000) argues that â€Å"unemployment is negatively correlated to mortality and that unemployment is positively correlated to suicide. †In Japan, suicide is seen in a cultural context. Since individuals in the Japanese society are strongly connected to their social, political and cultural spheres, there is tendency for the push and pull of altruistic-egoistic suicide to occur. This is seen when the rule of law in Japanese society permeates the personal sphere such that debts and divorces are major factors affecting suicide (West, 2005). Suicide and Norms Sociology also attempted to explain suicide in a broader senseâ€â€by zooming out of the individual and focusing on social factors that affect the phenomenon. Psychology argues that those committing suicide are psychologically ill or that the individuals committing them are inept in their coping mechanisms. While suicide might seem irrational, there are rational premises that are least likely explored. Societies that are relatively more tolerant of suicide, as well as the individual’s cognitive ability to rationalize the act are also extraordinary factors contributing to suicide trends. Rendering rational suicide normative in a society creates the positive feedback mechanism necessary for a rational suicide to occur. This type of suicide is also surprisingly limited to a specific demographic, namely the educated and successful. Rationality of Suicide One of the fundamental question relating suicide and society lies in the rationality of the act. Is the act ‘rational’ based only on the perceptions and actions of the individual, thereby rendering the act an exclusive study within psychology? Or is this rationality of the act itself being defined not only in terms of the individual’s values but a rationality that is predetermined by the values and norms of a society? Although there are many reasons for suicide, there are factors that least likely determine suicidal trends, but are potent social forces (i. e. education, family, religion) that must be considered. Suicide occurs for a number of reasons such as depression, substance abuse, shame, avoiding pain, financial difficulties or other undesirable fates. †Defying the commonplace definition is the concept of rational suicide. Rational suicide is â€Å"ending one’s life out of a conviction that one has lived long enough, that the likely future holds more pain than joy†(Lerner, 2004). Surprisingly, rationality of a suicide act Keown (1995) showed that there is prime value placed on the moral intention behind the act of death itself. This applies not just in euthanasia but also in rational suicide. What are the intentions behind the suicide? Is the decision independent of life’s problems that can be solved? Is it free from outside pressure from a belief system, mores or culture itself? This is the litmus test of the rationality or irrationality of suicides. Sociological and psychological studies attempted to look into the duality of forces working on suicidesâ€â€individual and social. It is arguably psycho-social factors that are deterministic of the suicide trends across societies. Social institutions, many sociological studies posit, are playing a huge role in the nature and type of suicides in a given society. Stack and Kposowa (2008) concludes that: â€Å"National suicide rates are predictive of individual-level suicide acceptability. However, the main predictors of suicide acceptability included a measure from social learning theory, religiosity, and a neglected measure of control theory, life satisfaction. †While the act of committing suicide is a very individualistic act, there are factors to be considered that are social forces with repercussions and influences on individual action. The act of suicide presents how the personal milieu is linked to the larger issues within the social institutions. References: Baudelot C. and Establet R. (2008) Suicide: The Hidden Side of Modernity. John Wiley Publications. Brent, D. A. , Perper, J. A. , Goldstein, C. E. , Kolko, D. J. , Allan, M. J. , Allman, C. J. , and Zelenak, J. P. (1988) Risk factors for adolescent suicide. A comparison of adolescent suicide victims with suicidal inpatients. Archives of General Psychiatry. Vol. 45, No. 6, June 1988.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Caledonia Products Essay
There are a lot of factors that Caledonia must consider when they are thinking about buying versus leasing a property. Leasing brings many positive savings in a company; there are many incidentals that may come up while owning a property, such as the unexpected repairs. Leasing can help with long term savings for a company; it provides the comfort of trying new areas out. If Caledonia starts to branch out, opens up new locations in different states, leasing the building will be a lot smarter of an idea than it would be to buy. Not knowing how well the company will do in that state, will provide tons of savings if things do not go as planned. Along with saving during the long term, Caledonia will be saving in overall taxes. However, if Caledonia has owned a previous leasing site and business is moving. It will be smart for them to go ahead and buy some property. They will be able to save in the long run with owning instead of leasing, because this location will be considered a long term. While owning the site, doing renovations to the building will never be an issue. You will not have to go through the hassle of a third party to the store/ property up to standards to the market. There is already a process with getting permits pulled and getting construction sites up to code. Depending on the overall move that Caledonia wants to go in will have to be based off of their initial plan on getting more property. As mentioned there are many different pro’s and con’s on why either leasing or buying can be considered an option.
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