Social Change and Modernization Essay Example for Free

Social Change and Modernization Essay An example of this can be seen with the unforeseen impact certain inventions had on society such as cars and airplanes. Social change is controversial. Some inventions are celebrated by some while condemned by others. Some social changes are more significant than others, such as cars and planes as opposed to hair and clothing styles. Mothers Against Drunk Driving is an Alternative Social Movement because they target a small group of people displaying a specific behavior. Alcoholic Anonymous is a Redemptive Social Movement because they help certain people redeem their lives. The Civil Rights Movement is a Reformative Social Movement because they seek limited change in society yet target all of society as participants in their movement. The Communist Party is a Revolutionary Social Movement because their aim is to transform all of society and gain exclusive control of a government. Modernization is the process of social change begun by industrialization. The key features of Modernization are a decline in small, cohesive communities where each person had a defined place, usually identified by kinship. Modernization caused people to see their lives as an unending series of options where they were able to take control of their lives instead of feeling that their lives were shaped by forces beyond their control (Britannica, 2012). Modernization changed societies where strong family ties and religious beliefs emphasized conformity and discouraged diversity into societies promoting rational thought and a scientific view of the world. Modernization changed societies where people focused on the past to people who are forward-looking and optimistic that technology will changed their lives for the better. An example of modernization was seen with the invention of the telephone where people no longer had wait weeks for mail to arrive at a destination and could have instant exchanges of information between small communities the rest of the world. The migration of people from small towns to cities where people were forced to be more accepting of different cultures, religions and ethnicities. The television brought the world into people’s living rooms. People were exposed to different examples of people who had nothing but then took charge of their lives to make something of themselves. The invention of the computer allowed people who did not have immediate access to information and schooling a resource to take charge of their life, obtain education that could change a career of lifestyle.

Human resource planning and development t2

Human resource planning and development t2 Q) It could be said that international recruitment is the most important HR function within LVMH. What argument would you use to support this view? Ans.) 1) Recruitment is the process of searching and attracting potential applicants to a company. All companies, at one time or another, engage in recruiting activity, though the extent to which it is carried out, vary. The increasing globalisation of the marketplace combined with an increasing shortage of skilled staff and advances in technology have resulted in large scale changes to recruitment practices throughout the world. Attracting staff from overseas remains a challenge for human resources, due to a low rate of labour market mobility. Deciding how best to publicise a vacancy is just one element of how to devise a successful international recruitment strategy. It is important to remember that most workers dont automatically think about looking for a job abroad. It is only when they see a vacancy that they might seriously consider relocating. It is therefore crucial to not just post a job somewhere and wait until candidates reply, but rather to tailor each vacancy according to the factors that motivate the potential applicants that are targeted. This research reveals that those motivations vary from country to country so any international recruitment strategy must be informed by these cultural differences. Cultural and language differences are the biggest barriers for international recruitment strategies (43%), followed by legislative problems (31%) and the difficulty in checking candidate qualifications and references (26%). Companies in mainland Europe prefer to recruit from neighbouring countries, whereas firms in the UK have no particular preference regarding the country of origin of their foreign employees. Almost 40% of British people would be amenable to working in another country for more than five years. However those from Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) prefer to return home within two years. 2) One of the first lessons global corporations learn is that it is far cheaper to hire competent host-country national than to send their own executives overseas, for foreign service employees typically cost two to three times the salary of comparable domestic employee, and often many more times the salary of a local national employee in the assignment country. For example, General Motors typically spends $750,000 to $100,000,0 on an executive and his or her family during a three years stint abroad. The costs of doing business are often much higher overseas than in the USA. Consider office space as an example. In USA, rent per square foot ranges from about $21 in Los Angeles to $36 in midtown Mahatteam. By contrast, rents expressed in U.S. dollar average about $49 in Paris and Frankfurt and $61 in London. In such Asian cities as Bombay, Beijing, HongKong, and Tokyo, dollar rents range from $64 to $101. Of course, these costs fluctuate with international exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar. On top of the high costs of such items as office space are the costs incurred by a high failure rate among expatriatesbetween 16 and 40 percent of all Americans sent overseas. For all levels recruitment, relocation expenses, premium compensation, repatriation costs, replacement costs, and the tangible costs of poor job performance. When an overseas assignment does not work out, it still cost a company, on average, twice the employees base salary. Although the costs of expatriates are considerable, there are compensating benefits to MNCs. In particular, overseas postings allow managers to develop international experience outside their home countriesthe kind of experience needed to compete successfully in the global economy that we now live in. When you are sending someone abroad to work on an possible about how to do business in the country. The cost of training is inconsequential compared to the risk of sending inexperience or untrained people. Business leaders of the present-let alone the future-need to possess international business skills par excellence in order to survive the chaotic world of international business. It also goes without saying that human resource managers will face new, unforeseen obstacles. Understanding the links between people, productivity and quality is the key to understanding why some firms succeed and other dont-in exactly the same economic and social environment. It is far too easy and wrong to categorize human resource practices as being the soft science—part of the hard science of making organizations competitive. In fact, this is far from the truth. The best organizations are very focussed and hard-nosed about their human resource policies because they clearly understand HR policies and their link to productivity and quality. Human resource strategies are designed to motivate people to immerse themselves in the activity of the company, to ensure that people are valued, respected and rewarded so that they continually contribute to the success of the company and enhance their own well being. Understanding the difficulties of finding qualified executives for international companies (ICs) and the importance of foreign language knowledge. Knowledge of a peoples language is essential to understanding his or her culture and to know whats going on as every effective manager must. Compare home country, host country, and third country nationals as international companies executives. Source of IC executives may be home country, host countries, or third countries, and their differing culture, language, ability, and experience can strengthen IC management. Remember some of the complications of compensation packages for expatriate executives. Expatriate manager compensation packages can be extremely complicated. Among other sources of complication are fluctuating currency exchange rates and differing inflation rates. Basic elements of those packages are salaries, allowances, and bonuses.

Otto Von Bismarck: Germanys Unification

Otto Von Bismarck: Germanys Unification Bismarck could not have unified Germany through his ambition alone; he had to exploit the already powerful existing forces of Industry, Liberalism, Nationalism and the increasing clamour from these groups for Prussia to assert her influence over Germany. The traditional German view from historians such as Heinrich von Treitschke  [1]  was that German unification was achieved in 1871 as a result of the actions of the iron chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, who meticulously planned the events leading to unification. Indeed a large number of pre-1945 German historians were keen to emphasise the role of Bismarcks diplomacy and military triumphs dismissing other factors such as the economy as unheroic and bourgeois.  [2]  The intentionalist approach during this period is hardly surprising given that Germany was very much still in love with the iron chancellor and German society as a whole was instilled with Military values and a love of strong leadership as seen with the later Hitler Myth. More recent historians however like A. J. P Taylor  [3]  , have argued that Bismarck had no such `master plan. Instead, Bismarcks success was a result of his flexibility as a statesman, Prussias economic power and its favourable diplomatic situation. The actual process of unification was mainly spread over three wars, products of Bismarcks diplomacy. However behind the scenes there were indeed many other significant factors before Bismarcks time and indeed during his time, that contributed, albeit to a small extent, to eventual unification in 1871. The basis of unification had been laid by Prussia before 1840, a basis founded not on political but on economic grounds  [4]  . While social and political movements, such as Liberalism and Nationalism, played a part the people with the power to cause change were much more concerned with their economic ambitions. Economic forces like the Zollverein shifted power from individual rulers of states to the middle classes who realised power and money could be gained from unification, as economist J.M Keynes said Germany was formed from coal and iron rather than blood and iron.  [5]   Adopting free trade, the same currency, weights and measures allowed more cooperation between members of the Prussian Customs Union thus increasing their dependence on each other. The Prussian customs union strived to protect German business from foreign influence by introducing tariffs on raw materials, especially iron and cotton from the industrial power house of Britain. These tariffs coupled with the doctrine of free trade meant wider markets for home-produced goods at cheaper prices. This broke down regional barriers and rivalry between states shifting the emphasis from pride in ones state to pride in a greater entity, a greater Germany. Initially the PCU did not include many states however the economic success of Prussia impressed smaller northern and central German states. Other states, jealous of Prussias success, formed their own unions with the emphasis more on spoiling Prussias trade that establishing their own. These unions were unable to compete with Prussia and most Ger man states threw their lot in with the Prussians and the new enlarged customs union, the Zollverein. The economic union of the Zollverein encapsulated over 25 states with a population of 26 million. The union gave some protection to the German home industries making trade easier for them, it stimulated there economic growth, encouraging the building of roads between Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemburg and Frankfurt, and as it was founded and ran by Prussia it firmly established them as the economic leader in Germany and despite their reactionary manner many states also regarded Prussia as the natural leader of a united Germany. The Zollverein was in itself a force for unity and therefore a focal point for nationalist sentiments. The Zollverein also had a political effect in isolating Austria. The Austrians were committed to trade tariffs to protect their agriculture and industry; thus their inability to join the Zollverein served to increase Prussian power in the confederation. During industrialisation Prussias exports increased whilst Austrias decreased. This indicates that even before the appointment of Bismarck, Prussian leadership was successful in stimulating the economy. This economic unity also brought social and political unity to German states. It is not known if the Prussians intended to use the Zollverien as a tool for unification but according to Andrina Stiles Prussian ministers were well aware of the potential political ramifications those who found financial advantage in an economic union under Prussian leadership might be expected to take a favourable view of similar arrangements in a political union.  [6]  Historians critical of Bismarcks achievements such as Henderson  [7]  tend to agree with this view of the Zollverein being the greatest contributing factor for the reasons underlined by Stiles. It is however important to remember that structuralist historians in favour of factors like the economy also have the ability to exaggerate, Henderson claims that the unification of 1871 was merely the formal completion of a unity already achieved in the economic sphere  [8]  . This is a bit of a stretch, while the Zollverein was majorly important it did not bring unity with it, many members of the Zollverein still supported Austria up until the Franco-Prussian war despite the clear leadership of Prussia. It seems that the close economic links had made scarcely a dent in the traditional political hostility  [9]  Overall the Zollverien was more of a German market place as opposed to a national economy. Political ideologies thrived throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, challenging the old world feudal lords and absolute rulers. Spawned from the fires of the French revolution and the ideas of liberty, fraternity and equality nationalism and liberalism were forces to be reckoned with. The development of the railways, much like the autobahns later, inspired much nationalist feeling. One German economist described the network as the firm girdle around the loins of Germany binding her limbs together into a forceful and powerful body  [10]  . The railways made Germans more mobile which contributed to the breakdown of local and regional barriers. The appeal of Nationalism was rising among Germans, stimulated by poetry, music, history, philosophy and threats from foreign governments. In the face of this threat Germanys press threw their weight behind the nationalist upsurge and songs such as Deutschland uber Alles were scribed . The French invasion of Germany by Napoleon made the inhabitants of the 39 German states very aware of their military weakness as independent states. Germans who were normally content to be Bavarians, Westphalians or members of other states became discontented at the fact that Germany would be unable to stand against foreign oppression with much nationalistic feeling being generated throughout Germany in the face of a threat from the old enemy. This nationalistic feeling coupled with the effort to eventually drive the French armies out would draw the German people together with much clamour for a strong unified Germany. Liberal movements in Germany proved detrimental in dissolving the old feudal system of Germany. The removal of regional leaders such as the Duke of Brunswick meant that the states were no longer constrained by the will of a single ruler and could easily unify with other states if they so desired. A greater freedom of the press also allowed the Nationalist ideas to spread through Germany when before they would have been censored or put down by reactionary governments. The death of King Frederick William III of Prussia, in 1840, also helped to liberate Germans. His son who succeeded him acted much more like a constitutional monarch, abolishing censorship, releasing political prisoners and extending the powers of provincial diets. He also did not have the association with Austria that his father had held enabling him to stand out more as an independent German King. Together these factors began to generate pressure for unification even before Bismarck became involved in politics in any serious way A single unified Germany seemed all the more inevitable and by late 1840 there was an increase in clamour for the establishment of a unified Germany. However it is wrong to state that Germans were besotted with the idea. Most liberals were concerned with developments within their own state, not in the situation in Germany as a whole. German nationalism tended to be sporadic- erupting during periods of perceived danger and the subsiding again as seen with the French in 1840 and during the Schleswig-Holstein incident in 1846. Also, not all nationalists could agree on the true extent of the German nation-state they wished to create, these divisions would prove to a serious obstacle in 1848. There was also a divide culturally, between the more industrialised and liberal west and the agrarian, autocratic east. So while important, the social ideas of the tim e were not as nearly as significant as the economic forces moving across Germany. The failure of the Frankfurt Parliament to lead a successful revolution and create a united country in 1848 has led to harsh criticism. German Historian Eric Eyck  [11]  who dismissed the Frankfurt Parliament as a lawyers parliament holds the view that the Frankfurt parliament were a bunch of inexperienced intellectuals who wasted valuable time debating trivial issues rather than taking action to bring about a United Germany. This is rather harsh as there was very little prospect of there even being a successful revolution in 1848. The liberals who assumed the leadership of the revolt based their strategies on false assumptions, most notably the illusion that parliamentary government and national unity could be achieved through agreement with the princes. When the princes made clear their refusal to abide by the resolutions of the Frankfurt Parliament the parliamentarians had no alternative strategy in mind. They didnt consider a revolt against the princes because they, being mid dle class liberals, valued order and prosperity as much as the landowning aristocracy. German philosopher Karl Marx argued that it was the failure of the revolutionaries to build a strong base of support which ensured their failure. Taylor  [12]  echoes this view saying that it was the divorce between the revolutionaries and the people that determined the happenings of 1848 unfortunately Taylor held staunch left-wing views and so his view that this almost exclusively middle class revolution failed simply because of its omission of the working classes must be taken with a pinch of salt. Popular unrest did result in outbreaks of street fighting, but these were sporadic and confined to the main cities in a territory where most of the population lived in the countryside. Monarchy in Prussia and Austria retained control crushing political initiatives within their own states. Once the revolutions in Berlin and Vienna had been crushed the Frankfurt parliament had little prospect of being a respected legislature. The years following the 1848 revolutions were turbulent for much of Europe, with new governments tentatively trying to rebuild their power. Austrias first mistake following her diplomatic victory over Prussia at Olmà ¼tz concerned the Crimean War. Russia was trying to expand her interests in the Ottoman Empire to the strong disapproval of Britain and France; and despite a tradition of cooperation with one another, Austria showed open hostility by mobilising her army along the Danube. In this way Austria lost her most powerful and consistent ally, as was demonstrated in 1859 when Russia failed to help Austria against France when defending her Italian possession of Piedmont. It is easy to see the beginnings of isolation through inept diplomacy, particularly after such reckless abandonment of Metternichs cautious, cooperative policy, which attempted (with proven success) to implement Austrian policy through a Concert of Powers. The mistakes continued, and soon Bismarck would be in a po sition to exploit them. The Prussian constitutional crisis occurred in 1860-62 over the passing of a bill that proposed that military expenditure and resources should be increased significantly. Prussian army reforms were an essential element leading to unification. Bismarcks handling of the constitutional crisis in 1861 not only gained him promotion but it gave the Prussians the opportunity to reform their army to such an extent that it would become, in time, the most powerful in Europe. The army was doubled in strength, conscription increased to three years, and new weapons introduced. It can be argued that the reform of the army was Bismarcks first step on the path towards unification. This was essential if unification was to be achieved through force. Bismarck set Prussia on a war footing. The role of Bismarck and the Army after 1848 has been stressed by many historians. Gall  [13]  and Craig  [14]  both place Bismarck at the centre of the story .This is understandable since the declaration of t he German Reich in 1871 followed the victories of the Prussian army over Austria in 1866 and France in 1871, events it seems Bismarck engineered. Even Bismarck in all his wisdom would have failed had his policy attracted the attention of the great powers., he was lucky that Britain had interests away from the continent and that Russia had abandoned Austria. Indeed Mosse explains that Bismarcks skill alone is insufficient to explain the absence of hostile coalitions  [15]  . Bismarck proceeded to woo Napoleon III of France by promising him concessions in the Rhineland if France would stay out of an Austro-Prussian war. Napoleon also tried to twists circumstances to favour France by secretly negotiating a treaty with the Habsburgs. Bismarcks next step was to certify that Italy would not be a threat, and he ensured her cooperation in return for Venetia on the event of Austrias defeat. The last country that Prussia had cause of concern over was Russia. Luckily Austria had already alienated her over the Crimean War and Russian neutrality was easily assured by the Alvensleben Convention of 1863. In this way we can see Bismarck s ystematically isolating Austria, according to Mosse, Bismarck had demonstrated great skill in the exploitation of his opponents weaknesses but he had also operated in what was an exceptionally favourable European diplomatic environment.  [16]   Bismarck soon manoeuvred Austria into the second of his so called Wars of Unification  [17]  (The first being the war over Schleswig-Holstein). The Seven Weeks War between Austria and Prussia seems both a natural and obvious progression of the events of the 1860s, and a necessary preliminary for the national unification of Germany. The Prussian armies were superior to that of Austria in almost every way. Prussian mobilisation was extremely fast thanks to new train lines. Furthermore Prussias General von Molke was military strategist of genius, certainly in relation to Austrias Benedek who was working with a minimal military budget due to economic limitations. A victory both territorially and diplomatically for Bismarck, Prussia took the Elbe duchies and also the territories of Hanover, Saxony, Hesse-Kassel, Nassau and the important city of Frankfurt. By this point in 1867, Prussian hegemony was already clear in Germany, yet despite nationalist feeling peaking Bismarck did not des ire unification. Instead he formed its precursor the North German Confederation. Taylor has argued that Bismarck had no clear aim after the victories of 1866  [18]   The final military success Bismarck needed to engineer in order to secure Prussian supremacy in Germany (and therefore, indirectly, over Austria), was to cripple France. Austrias defeat came as a bad surprise to Napoleon III who feared a strong united Germany a fear that was quickly being realised. Tension mounted when a new Spanish government invited a member of the Prussian Kings family to take the Spanish crown in 1869. France, appalled at the prospect of the Hohenzollern dynasty at both its east and west borders, managed to stop the candidate from accepting the offer, a candidate who it is now apparent was only put forward due to pressure from Bismarck himself. Here we can see, once again, Bismarck attempting to engineer the politics of Europe to benefit Prussia. Bismarcks crafty escalation of the crisis through the Ems Telegram forced France to declare war in 1870, and therefore secured the help of his defensive allies in the southern German states. Through superior technology and leadership the Prussian armies defeated Napoleon III after six months bitter fighting and the Napoleonic Second Empire collapsed. The defeat of France brought Prussia new territories and wealth and played the ultimate role of bringing about Kleindeutschland  [19]  . Arguably the Prussian Military was the most important factor in German unification. While many would argue that the military strength of Prussia would not have been attainable without Prussian economic success it is important to note that territorial gains were only made as a consequence of the military action in Denmark, Austria and France. Economic success while important didnt bring about unification, as the southern states loyalty to Austria proved. It wasnt until Austrias defeat to Prussia in 1866 that Germans realised that Austria was no longer a viable alternative to Prussia and Unification. Bismarcks sabre rattling was only a viable method thanks to the reforms of Roon and the military leadership of Moltke. The use of the military was so crucial to Bismarcks plans that had it not been in the state it was Bismarck probably wouldnt have even been that important in the general scheme of things. Having said that, historians have played down the role of Bismarck and the military a pproaching the story of German unification from different perspectives, seeing it as the culmination of a long process in which the rise of national consciousness  [20]  and the growth of Prussias economic power  [21]  have been given greater prominence. Germany may have been politically unified in 1871 however it was far from united. Bismarck struggled to control his own unified Germany that he had fought so hard to create. Bismarck was constantly dependent on the Reichstag majority in order to pass legislation, therefore needing allies, which sometimes required drastic changes. Although Bismarck claimed that his ultimate aim as Chancellor was the creation and consolidation of Germany, his domestic policies included a number of attacks on Reichsfeinde , which included minority groups such as Poles, Jews and socialists, not to mention the biggest group being the Catholic Church. His failure to weaken the Catholics and Socialist groups emphasise his lack of control over German domestic Policy, as does his fall from power in 1890 due to a new Kaisers very different ideas for Germany.Having said that, class divisions, religious differences and regional variations were not unique to Germany. Conflicts between traditional forces and those pressing for the modernisation of society are common features of any society undergoing rapid political, social and economic change as Germany was during the years 1871-1890. The anticlimax of Bismarcks time in office in no way diminishes his achievement the fact remains that despite these divisions in society it was unlikely that the country would ever politically divide again simply on the whim of a few disgruntled liberals. Indeed it took a second world war to achieve that. It seems clear that Bismarck played an integral part in securing Prussias dominance over Austria and ultimately in bringing about the unification of Germany. But the question of how much is a topic of great debate. Bismarcks policies were not unique or original. In his advice to the monarch he frequently referred to the traditional rivalry of Austria and Prussia trends of which dated back to the 18th century and Frederick the great. Also Prussias ability to challenge Austria lay in its military strength and economic resources both of which had been built up by previous Prussian governments. It is also sometimes easy to overlook the fact that Bismarck was a patriot of Prussia and not Germany. Throughout his time in power, his first priority was always Prussia the unification was a means to glorify Prussia. Austrias time had come to an end two decades earlier at the end of the Metternich era: doomed to a period of unclear leadership, muddled direction and a complete lack of the nation alist identity required to excite such unification. It is essential to note that although Bismarck is presented not least by himself in his Memoirs as a diplomatic genius who did not make mistakes, and who had a Prussian-led German unification mapped out at every stage years in advance, there are some important considerations that should be taken note. In his foreign policy, he was often an opportunist rather than an engineer. His diplomatic outmanoeuvring of Denmark owed much to a Danish miscalculation of support from Britain and France. Furthermore, the Austro-Prussian war was essentially a German Civil War which initially made Bismarck a villain and not a hero in the eyes of many nationalists. It was also a huge gamble that may have only paid off due to Austrian incompetence and inept leadership. Finally, it is also important to note that though Bismarck may have had a grand design for unification, he had no clear means to see how, how far, or at what pace Prussia might defeat Austria and unify the states.

Review of Painted Love Letters by Catherine Bateson Essays -- essays r

‘Painted Love Letters’, written by Catherine Bateson. The cover of this book looks like a painting of a black & white picket fence, with trees in the background behind the fence, and a purple bougainvillea hanging in the front. It suggests the book will be about a family- because of the stereotype of white picket fences in front of traditional family houses, the families that live in the suburbs with two kids and both parents, a canine and a â€Å"happy† life. But because behind the fence there are, what look like, pine trees, it prompts to suggest that the story isn’t set in the suburbs. What made me choose ‘Painted Love Letters’ was the thickness. Indeed a bit shallow, I wasn’t in the mood for a thousand paged, completely engaging novel. â€Å"Before and After.† – the first chapter. ‘Dad said that in Nurralloo we were surrounded by Philistines who wouldn’t know a good painting if it jumped up and bit them, but at the pub they hung one of his small watercolours, a sketch he called it, and Dad got free beers. He said by the time I was sixteen, we’d be rich. We’d celebrate my birthday in Paris, the city of art and lovers. Mum said, ‘Don’t put ideas in her head Dave Grainger. Chrissie, don’t listen to him,’ and flicked her tea towel at him but later she pulled down one of Dad’s art books and showed me paintings of people dancing in Paris and a Paris pub which looked posher than the Station Hotel.’ My initial response to the writing is it seems temperately colloquial. It makes me feel as though I am a young teenager’s journal- so it wouldn’t consist of acutely complex language or unfamiliar phrases. It is definitely not compelling, but on the up-side it can be understood and related to quite simply. For example, I can imagine my fat... ...ere a part of me. I knew everything now about love and death, everything I needed to know.† My prediction was correct, but only because of the build up of Dave’s death in the beginning of the book. The end was very satisfying – I believe the author put a really good close to the book. Chrissie had grown up and learnt so much about life at such a young age. If I were basing the conclusion on how I would have behaved, I would have had Chrissie disintegrate into nothing because she had such a huge part of her life ripped away from her. But, I think Catherine Bateson’s ending is much more pleasant, and definitely touches my heart. When I think about it, the front cover in a sense symbolises Dave’s life. He is the purple bougainvillea hanging on the black and white fence. This could be a way of how they celebrate his life – show how bright he was in a cold world.

Gene Therapy and Cancer :: Genetics Science Technology Medical Essays

Gene Therapy and Cancer In 1997, an estimated 1.38 million Americans will be newly diagnosed with cancer (Blaese, 1997). The treatments available only cure half of them. Many new strategies, including gene therapy are in developmental stages for treating cancer. Nearly half of all gene therapy trials currently under way deal with cancer and experts believe a number of these applications will be in use within the next three to five years (Lyon, 1997). Cancer is considered a genetic disorder. Studies have identified a small number of genes that must be mutated to bring about development of cancer or maintain the growth of malignant cells (Klug, 1996). Two main properties of cancer are uncontrollable cell division and the ability to spread or metastasize. Both are results of genetic alterations. Mutations in the cells that lead to certain forms of cancer, can be identified as inherited in some families. In most cases, however, it is difficult to identify a simple pattern of inheritance. There are two ways to regulate cell division. One way is with tumor suppressor genes, which usually function to inactivate or repress cell division. These genes or their products or both, must be inactivated sporadically for cell division of take place. If they are permanently inactivated or lost through mutation, uncontrolled cell division occurs. Another way cell division is regulated is by proto-oncogenes, which usually promotes cell division also. These genes can be in an "on" or "off" mode and when in the "on" mode, cell division is promoted. When the genes or their products or both are inactivated, cell division is stopped. If they are permanently switched "on", cell regulation is stopped and tumor formation begins. Oncogenes are the mutant form of proto-oncogenes. An example of a transformation of a proto-oncogene to an oncogene is the p53 gene, which encodes a nuclear protein that acts as a transcription factor. The p53 gene is usually a tumor suppressor gene that controls passage of the cell from one phase of mitosis to another. The mutations in p53 gene are estimated to be associated with over half of all cancers. The most prevalent cause of death in cancer patients is metastasis, where cancer cells detach from the original tumor site and settle elsewhere in the body, to grow and divide producing another tumor. There are two kinds of tumors, benign and malignant. Benign tumors can be removed and usually do not return.

My Counseling Theory Paper Essay

Running head:Finding Meaning Finding Meaning in Life Sandy Patty Made Up University Abstract What is to be said about life and circumstances? There are many different theories and perspectives about it, but my concern is when someone feels they have to be subject to their circumstance. Further in this paper I will discuss my personal counseling theory and how I believe that not one person has to be ruled by a certain circumstance and that they are not by any means validated by one person because they have the opportunity to discover meaning in their life for themselves and discover an array of opportunities in life. Finding Meaning in Life Introduction My story is not something new or one that has never been told before, but it is unique to me and bears significant value due to the way that it shaped and formed me into the person I am today and the reason for me pursuing a career in counseling. I come from a mixed, biracial, and very religious family. The women in my family all seem to have gone through significant and grave hardships and/or traumatic experiences. My grandmother was sold as a sex slave when she was 3 years old because her Mother was dirt poor and needed money to sustain her drug/alcohol addiction. At an early age my grandmother was forced into prostitution as a way of life and a means to sustain herself. She then later met my grandfather who was a minister in a local religious church and they married. My mother was born into a very religious environment, strict dress codes, no jewelry, makeup, pants, they were forcefully instructed that they were the lesser of men, and they were to always obey their husband regardless of the issue or circumstance. During my Mother’s adolescent years she was a victim of child molest and the perpetrator was an important figure in the church. When my Mother attempted to tell my grandmother what had happened, she was severely physically punished and accused of lying. Since then, she never once told a soul as it continued to occur. She had become a pin-cushion for a â€Å"religious leader† within the church. Later on in life, my Mother met my father who was a young youth pastor in town and they married. My father was also a very religious man and held strongly to his beliefs. My parents struggled financially and experienced many hardships due to church and family. I believe my parents were somewhat forced in marriage at such an early age due to their religious setting and they were not prepared at all for what faced them ahead. My mother had children by age 19 and her life changed dramatically. My one and only older sibling was born and he became the closest thing to a mentor that I had. I too, grew up in a very religious and strict home environment. We were taught that there was only one way to live and it was according to the Bible and the rules taught in Church, anything else was unacceptable and reprimanded. My father was always a very hard worker and was hardly home due to working so many jobs in order to provide for the family. When he was home, I remember him and my mother arguing constantly due to issues with his family interfering with their marriage and finances. From an early age, I remember my mother crying and coming to me to talk about what was bothering her or issues with my father. I would just listen and offer advice as best as an 8 yr. old could and I remember thinking to myself, â€Å"Is this normal, am I supposed to be doing this?It felt strange and hard to not be biased in a situation involving my family, but I learned at a very young age things a child should not know or experience. I definitely had to grow up quick and learned to figure things out on my own. My older brother pretty much raised me and was the only person I could confide in or talk to. My family was not very affectionate, but rather very cold and distant and always brought everything back to a religious setting. I have always been told I was very mature for my age and I attribute this to my childhood or lack thereof and being forced to play an adult role due to circumstance. I do not write this story for pity, but rather because I believe it played a significant role in me pursuing counseling as a career path. It feels so natural for me when I’m talking to people because it was something I can always remember doing. From such an early age, I have always been engaged with older people and hearing about issues from failed relationships to traumatic/crisis situations. I strongly believe that this is one of the reasons I am not a very judgmental person because I feel I have experienced so much that I know what it is like to go through many different situations and not so pleasant circumstances. Core Theoretical Principles My counseling theory is that even though human beings have the need for approval or longing of someone else to bring substantial meaning in their life, they are not by any means validated by any one person or situation because you focus on the present and future and make the most of your circumstance. I experienced that in my childhood every time I saw my mother and father arguing and later I would hear from her what exactly happened between them. I remember thinking to myself that why would someone stay in an abusive situation or at least not stand up for themselves. I concluded that she needed to be validated by the relationship and for her to leave the relationship or stand up for herself would mean to defy her husband, church, and God. The Existential theory really brought insight into my life because it helped me understand what I always knew and from what I had experienced at an early age. In essence Existentialism states that we are not victims of circumstance because, to a large extent, we are what we choose to be (Corey, 2009, pg. 133). It is about recognizing certain tragedies experienced in life, but also embracing and understanding the positive opportunities that lie ahead, and to also comprehend the fact that we are human and what it means to be just that. It is a difficult concept to grasp at first because society teaches us that it is about building relationships and finding someone to validate who you are as a person, but existentialism is about understanding and facing the fact that we are essentially alone and facing that anxiety. It is in this theory that we tend to discover just who we are as a person and are able to discover more about ourselves and make sense of our existence. According to Carl Rogers, his experience taught him that if one is able to get to the core of an individual, one finds a trustworthy, positive center. He believed that people are trustworthy, resourceful, capable of self-understanding and self-direction, able to make constructive changes, and able to live effective and productive lives. In this theory, I believe that despite circumstance, a person is able to â€Å"bounce back† and still be able to live a healthy and high functioning life. I would incorporate what Car Rogers expressed as the three main attributes needed to foster change, Congruence, Unconditional Positive Regard, and Accurate Empathic Understanding. For me, it has always been very important for me to deal with someone on a personal level, never forgetting that we are all humans and not above anyone else. I honestly believe that when you treat someone with respect regardless of age, gender, race, etc. then trust and respect is created and that is the number one element in any counseling relationship. Gestalt is another form of holistic psychology theory and one that I would strongly employ because I am a firm believer in perception and the meaning-making process. Gestalt therapy suggests that the objective is to enable the client to become more fully and creatively alive and to become free from the blocks and unfinished business that may diminish satisfaction, fulfillment, and growth, and to experiment with new ways of being (Corey, 2009, pg. 204). It looks at the bigger picture as a whole not just one part of the whole because I believe in order to truly understand someone you need to perhaps dissect pieces, but only in order to understand the whole. Anticipated Settings I currently am employed at a Child & Family Advocacy Center that helps victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse. I have always been interested in the helping profession and because of my childhood and the many different experiences and circumstances I encountered, I have always known I wanted to work in this specific area in order to attempt to make a change and help people who fall victims of such a terrible circumstance. As a future counselor I would like to remain relatively in the same field of helping victims of a crime, which include sexual assault, child molest, and domestic violence. I have seen and experienced all of this personally whether with family or friends and I have a passion and urge to help make a difference. I believe that life is definitely not fair, people are played the cards they are dealt, but also that a person is not validated by their past circumstances or anyone and it is up to them to find meaning in their life and discover who they are and want to become. Techniques I believe that it is necessary to provide adequate education and training to all the community because there are many people who unaware of the laws that can protect them from crimes and they are also unaware of the many various options they have to change their situation. I would employ an ongoing community education program offering free training to local offices, schools, day cares, etc. , just to spread the word of the different community resources available to help the people. In working closely with and advocacy center, I would incorporate a domestic violence group that is not biased and one that actually helpful to people and does not enable them. Unfortunately, services in this area are limited to the same service providers and people are left with limited options. Too many times, clients have approached me with disappointment in therapist they have encountered and they are turned off by the idea of counseling because of several negative experiences. I am very passionate about this type of work specifically because of my past and I would like to genuinely be able to help people in these types of situations and therefore, would in the future, like to offer counseling services specifically to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or child abuse. I would not be biased, and because of my past I understand what it is like to live in that type of situation and I also understand leaving is not always the easiest decision a person can make because there are many factors to consider. People in these types of situations are very unique in the fact that they have learned to survive on their own and know what they need to do or to say the right thing in order to survive. This is not a situation where one counseling theory covers all clients, so I would tailor each to the specific person because I understand their situation is unique and requires a technique to match. Also, I believe that it is vital to establish a healthy relationship with the client in order for them to trust you and open up to you. I would incorporate many of the Rogerian techniques regarding the genuine relationship with the client, trusting environment. Victims of any of these types of crime have been through some of the most horrendous situations and they have learned to adapt to the perpetrators needs and threats. If a counselor walks into a session with an â€Å"all knowing† authoritative attitude it will discourage the victim from speaking the truth and the counselor will have lost, which may have been the only opportunity, to help the victim possible change their circumstance. I would enter into the counselor/client relationship giving respect and trust on my part and genuinely attempting to get to know the client and their unique situation. I would also involve the client every step of the way because it is this same client that returns to their situation at home and not me so I would always need to have their best interest and safety in mind. The clients would not just be another file on my desk, but rather a person who’s life can be altered by perhaps just one meeting in counseling so what better change to reach out and try and help someone. It is with this that I would definitely incorporate many of the existential techniques in helping clients find meaning in their life by exploring their different life situations. Limitations A very common limitation that I experience already in the line of work I do now is the fact that even though I am passionate about this field, the actuality of it is that I cannot change a person, they have to decide for themselves when that change is appropriate. Many times I have seen counselors burnout in this field because they feel they are not making any significant change due to many victims returning to the same abusive relationship or circumstance. So in theory, all of these techniques and theories are wonderful, but in reality they are dependent on the client. Summary Life is simple, it’s just not easy. People have to play the cards they are dealt. Life is not fair by any means and we could use this as an excuse to wallow in pity or use it to motivate us to overcome and conquer our situation. We are not validated by any one circumstance or person, we can choose to discover for ourselves who we are and who we wish to become. My personal counseling theory is just that, very personal because it was unknowingly developed over time due mostly through what I have experienced in life.

Good Communicator Essay

Effective communication begins when a specific message is conveyed to people and that your idea is being received and people understand what you are saying to them. This is especially important in the healthcare industry because proper interpretation from patients is critical in them receiving the utmost care and proper diagnosis. Interaction between healthcare workers, doctors and patients is critical in communicating symptoms, diagnosis and test results and treatment of patients. When workers are able to communicate with each other it makes it easier to interact with the patients by having all the needed information, whether it was symptoms relayed from patient, test results relayed from lab or diagnosis relayed from the doctor. There are six characteristics of both supportive and defensive relationships, where one set of characteristics focus on compassion and empathy and defensive characteristics are to the point and abrupt without any interpersonal communication between parties involved. Supportive relationships would seem to be the better choice for the healthcare industry because like a broken wheel halts forward progress, so does non-communication among professionals and patients. When there is no empathy present with a patient they feel like no one understands their problem and feel like they are not getting the help that they deserve. Assertive communication allows an idea to be brought up and talked about but making sure all parties are respected. By being assertive is a learned technique to use and if not done correctly can cause conflicts among the workplace because people do not like abrupt changes in the workplace. Once changes are felt by all and are eventually practiced, it becomes part of a daily routine in the office and there are no longer conflicts having to be resolved. When being assertive one must not become aggressive also or a person would become known as a â€Å"bully† in the workplace and doesn’t care what the consequences of actions will entail. Not only can assertive behavior be bad if not utilized correctly, it may also cause undue stress on the coronary system and could ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke. When using an assertive style in the workplace, one must be aware of negative reactions that could occur and be able to be ready with additional information to sway the receiver. One must not be too aggressive with tone and pitch of the voice and it will send off the wrong impression to receivers and not sway them to understand what is being said. When faced with aggression most people react negatively and this would not be advisable in a healthcare setting. An example would be when a medical coder has a question on what a doctor has documented in a patients file that doesn’t seem appropriate for the diagnosis so a doctor must be spoken to get more information to code correctly but without pointing fingers at the doctor. If the coder inquires aggressively then the doctor would become irate over being questioned but if the coder were to inquire assertively they would seem more like they just wanted more information to properly code the patient’s records. I fall under the type B personality because I am very easy going, but I do want to be heard when needed. I don’t feel that aggression is the answer but I do feel that one can be assertive and get a point across without being viewed as being too aggressive. Assertiveness takes into account what others feel and say and aggressiveness is all about what â€Å"I† want and need and not what â€Å"they† want or need. Previous positions that I’ve worked, I had many supervisors that used very assertive behavior and they really didn’t get good feedback. When workers became assertive about their needs for specific things at work, then supervisors are more likely to hear what they want and react appropriately. I do have a hard time getting my point across because I know what I want to say in my brain but when it comes out of my mouth it becomes all jumbled and does not make sense. I’m trying to work on my communication skills and am hoping that this course will increase my skills so that I can speak more clear and concise and have people understand what I want to accomplish in the workplace.