On Medical Surgical Type II DM Patients, How does RNs Obtaining Their Research Paper

On Medical Surgical Type II DM Patients, How does RNs Obtaining Their Own Accu Check Findings Compared to Nursing Assistants Obtaining the Accu Check After Timely Insulin Delivery - Research Paper Example The paper will also focus on the organization culture, expected outcomes of the solution, methods used to achieve the outcomes and the impact of these outcomes on quality of care. A good and meaningful solution to the core question of this research paper is to let nurses to take their Accu-Chek findings and adjust their staffing ratios. Currently on the med-surg units, during the day shift the nurse patient ratio is 5:1 while the night shift nurse patient ratio is 6:1. Increasing the number of nurses will enable the nurses to obtain Accu-Chek readings more easily and effectively while at the same time increasing efficiency in the hospital. The newly hired nurses would undergo training on the use of Accu-Chek meters as is the requirement by both the manufacturing company and hospital policy. A closer look at the practice in today’s hospitals would give a general idea of current practice. For example, The State Hospital of Utah has a Nursing Policy and Procedure Manual that states that all it’s newly hired staff are to receive training on the use of Accu-chek (2005). This is a realistic intervention to the setting because it increases the total number of nurses available resulting in the nurses being in a better position to take their own Accu-Chek readings and institute any urgent action that may arise based on the readings obtained. The nurses currently stationed at the hospital can train the newly hired nurses on how to use the Accu-Chek meter. This would reduce the cost of implementing this intervention to the cost of hiring new nurses. But is the intervention consistent with the organizations culture and resources? The members of staff have a basic idea of EBS. The resources required to implement the intervention are minimal as only a few nurses would be hired. The nurses would educate the newly hired nurses on the use of the Accu-Chek meter. This would allow prompt

Pride and Prejudice Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pride and Prejudice Analysis Essay Elizabeth Bennet receives two proposals; one from Mr Collins and one from Mr Darcy. Mr Collins was a tall and heavy looking man of twenty-five years. Although he was polite and well mannered he was also pompous and had a self-inflated ego. He always made never ending speeches about nothing and bored everyone to death. Mr Collins flattered everyone constantly but sometimes inappropriately. He begged to know which of his fair cousins the excellence of its cooking was owed. -By this, Mrs Bennet was offended and assured him they were in fact able to keep a good cook. This showed his lack of judgement in when to compliment. He was also quite absurd and Mr Bennets sarcasm often went completely unnoticed. For example, on page 54, Mr Bennet asked if his flatteries were prepared and Mr Collins admitted that sometimes he would think of them for his amusement! Lady Catherine de Bourgh who was his patroness employed him. He grovelled to her constantly as she paid his way; because of her, he was middle/upper class. He was a clergyman at Hunsford near Rosings, Lady Catherine de Bourghs home. When Mr Bennet dies, Mr Collins will inherit Longburn, as Mr Bennet cannot leave the house to his wife; women couldnt inherit. In Mr Collins letter, he proposes to make peace with the family. Mr Darcy on the other hand was very good looking. He soon drew the attention of the room by his fine tall person, handsome features, noble mien He is also described as a fine figure of a man. But he was soon to be discovered to be proud above his company. He was clever, but at the same time he was haughty, reserved and fastidious. He owned Pemberly Estate and got one thousand a year. -He was upper class and he knew it; He had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest. Darcy and Bingley had a good friendship despite many differences. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared; Darcy was continually giving offence. Darcy had no sense of humour and admitted it. He couldnt see the funny side of life whereas Bingley was light hearted and liked to enjoy everything he did. In the past Wickam and Darcy had a disagreement. Mr Darcys father had promised Wickam a place in the church but when he died Darcy refused to help him. Mr Collins first hints on his future plans in his letter to the Bennets when he writes; I cannot be otherwise than concerned at the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends. On the first day of staying at Longburn, he, in a conversation to Mrs Bennet said; I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them. -Here he gave Mrs Bennet a small glimpse of his intentions. Jane Austin then gave it away saying that now having a good house and income; Mr Collins was in want of a wife. He was also pleasing Catherine de Bourgh who thought he should marry. So for the first evening Jane was the settled choice being not only the eldest, but the prettiest -this was, until he was informed by Mrs Bennet that she was soon to be engaged to Bingley (exaggeration). Then at the Netherfield Ball he asked Lizzy to dance several times and she realised she was the chosen one out of the five sisters. Mr Darcy on the other hand was far from admiring Lizzy at first and when Mr Bingley suggested he dance with her at the Meryton Ball he replied that he had not the least intention of dancing. -Bingley was dancing with the only good looking girl in the room. Here he was referring to Jane. He said Lizzy was tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me. Then at Sir William Lucass party, William tried to pair up the two of them and Darcy did not resist, but Lizzy brushed him off with; I have not the least intention of dancing. -this was pay back. It was at this party that Darcy realised his true feelings for her. At Netherfield when Jane went to stay, she fell ill and Lizzy being worried came to visit. Here, she noticed that Darcy was constantly watching her. Miss Bingley who secretly liked Darcy, in seeing that he was drawn to Lizzy tried to turn him against her. But all in vain, for whatever she said, he just stuck up for Elizabeth. Miss Bingley, in Mr Darcys defending her said; I am afraid Mr Darcy that this adventure has rather affected your admiration for her fine eyes. I think when she says this shes half-teasing and half jealous of him liking her. Before proposing, Mr Collins said to Mrs Bennet, May I hope madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth, when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the course of this morning? -Here, he was basically asking Mrs Bennets permission to propose. He then launched straight into his speech. Mr Darcy came to visit Lizzy and at first made light conversation, asking about her health. Then there was an awkward silence where he must have been trying to think of how to start before proceeding. -Differences are already showing through. Mr Collins first said hed chosen Lizzy almost as soon as hed met her (which was a lie) and went on to specify his reasons for marrying her. He, as a clergyman wanted to set an example to the rest of the parish, he thought it would make his happy and he was following Lady Catherine de Bourghs advice. Hed obviously planed out his speech carefully but in his reasons, he had not mentioned that he was in love with her! Darcy on the other hand offered his hand in marriage because he did love her and his opening sentence expressed this clearly; In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how I admire and love you. Mr Collins also made several insults to Lizzy when proposing to her without even realising it! For instance, he said that if she refuses, she my never get another offer. He also reminds her that if she stays single, all she may ever be entitled to is twenty-five pounds when her mother dies. Darcy put his foot in it too. After saying how much he loved her, he went on to say that it was not his wish to do so with her connections and status; His sense of inferiority -of the family obstacles which judgement had always opposed to inclination. When he was turned down he thought she was just offended; Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? -To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, your connections? He also admitted to trying to split up Jane and Darcy and even rejoiced in his success of doing so. In response to rejection, Mr Collins thinks Lizzy is playing hard to get and says this is to be expected of a lady. He goes on to say all the good materialistic reasons to marry him forgetting to mention things like love. He acts as if marrying would be a good investment for Lizzy or something. He then assured her that both of her parents approved of the marriage. Mr Darcy in response to rejection is shocked and angry but manages to control himself. He asked why he had been refused and thought she must be offended by what he had said earlier; Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? But after saying these words he accepted her answer. Both proposals were made for very different reasons; Mr Collins obviously proposed for convenience, whereas Mr Darcy was in love. Both men also reacted in different ways when turned down; although Mr Collins couldnt take the rejection, he was not actually bothered about anything other than having his male pride hurt. -Darcy must have been extremely upset, to him Lizzy was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with but he tried not to show his emotions. They both involved a lot of snobbery in their proposal speeches. They thought that Lizzy would not reject someone of the higher class and she should be grateful that she was chosen out of all the other girls; both reminded her constantly about her status. Mr Collins was more personal mentioning both what would happen when her mother and father died but Lizzy got more angry at Darcy because of things he has said and done in the past. Mr Collins and Mr Darcy both said in much detail all the pros and cons of the marriage. In conclusion, both proposals have some similarities but they differ in the essential requirement of love.

Understand health and safety in social care settings Essay Example for Free

Understand health and safety in social care settings Essay There are many accidents and sudden illnesses that may occur within a social care setting. Some of the most common ones are: †¢Slips, trips and falls †¢Burns and scalds †¢Sprains and strains †¢Choking and breathing difficulties †¢Diarrhoea and sickness †¢Cardiac arrest †¢Loss of consciousness These accidents and sudden illnesses happen to either the carers, service users or visitors. Sprain and strains usually happen to a carer when they are moving and handling. This could be due to poor training. Slips, trips and falls are common within care settings mainly due to poor mobility of the individual or poor eyesight may contribute. Burns and scalds can happen to the service user and the carers either when preparing food and drink or serving and consuming them. Choking and breathing difficulties often occur when the individual has trouble chewing and swallowing food. Loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest can be attributed to old age and illness. Diarrhoea and sickness can spread quite easily in a social care setting as there is a lot of close contact between carers and the individuals they care for. You should always follow your company’s policies and procedures when an accident or sudden illness occurs. Tis may be providing first aid, only if trained. If the accident or illness is of a more serious nature then it may be necessary to seek the advice of a medical professional either by calling an ambulance or requesting to see a GP. In the event of an accident it is important that an accident report form is completed and details are also recorded on the individual’s personal file. It is of the utmost importance that he individual involved in the accident or illness and others around them are protected from future incidents. In the case of an accident it may be necessary to assess the hazards and risks and preventative measures to be put in place to minimise the chances of the accident re-occurring. It is very important that first aid tasks are carried out by qualified first aiders. This is to prevent further damage occurring to the injured individual. Even if they feel it is in the best interests of the injured individual someone without proper first aid training can make an injury worse by providing incorrect treatment. This may be by giving chest compressions wrong, the chance of survival will probably be minimal if chest compressions are not given correctly and medical assistance does not arrive quickly but serious injuries can occur by giving the compressions in the wrong place and too hard. Removing foreign bodies can cause a lot of extra damage to the individual as it may have gone in cleanly whereas moving it may cause extra bleeding and more damage to the tissue. If you fail to follow emergency first aid procedures they can be several consequences. As a first aider one of the first things that needs to be assessed is, is the area safe for others to approach. By not carrying out this first important step can mean that others may get injured. It can make a difference to an individual whether they receive first aid treatment or not. If the individual does not receive essential first aid then they may experience further complications or their injuries or illness may worsen. The result of not receiving first aid may even be death. Within the workplace if a designated first aider refuses to provide first aid, unless it is unsafe to do so, they may come under disciplinary or even legal action for negligence.

Government Roles in Supporting Parents

Government Roles in Supporting Parents Introduction The unborn child influences the family and the environment which he or she will be born. In the later stage of pregnancy, the mother may have to decrease works hours or give up in order to take rest more and even changing her diet and habits. After birth, the child unbelievably influences his or her parents behavior , change of sleeping and eating pattern with changed pattern of social interaction are common, specially for new parents. Reciprocally, the babys eating and sleeping pattern are influenced by his or her family and both affect and affected by the immediate environment in which he or she lives. Any developmental delay or ignore in early stage of childhood, may influences into behavior or mental development irretrievably, therefore problems should be recognized in early stage of life. Where children have a disability or special needs, it is important that these are identified at an early age stage and that identification leads to effective intervention and support for families and their children. Young children – special needs Infant and toddler have been adopted because it emphasizes the importance of relationship and interaction in the development of very young children. Governments and parents should facilitate the perception of infant and toddlers as active agents, shaping their environment as they interact with others. There is two way relationship and interaction between young childrens behavior and personality and their home and environment. It is important that governments have intensive consideration to children under four years of age that have disability or special needs. If she or he is experiencing significant developmental delays, in one or more of the areas of cognitive development, physical development, social or emotional development and adaptive development, he or she has a condition which has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay. Sure Start Sure Start is a government programme which aims to achieve better out comes for children, parents communities by: Increasing availability of child care for all children Improving health and emotional development for young children Supporting parents and community Sure start covers children before birth up to fourteen years old and if they need special education or have disabilities will be extended up to age sixteen. Their services bring free , early education and better child care with great support where there is a greater need by children tax credit, children centers, and local programme. These role should be move toward transforming the life chances of young children, particularly those with special needs and disability who lives in area of disadvantages. Effort must be made to ensure the services are designed to give child care for all children in all sectors but with special attention to the particular needs or individual families and children so they feel should support more than others. It doesnt mean that all of effort should be served for special group and forget the other population. The aims should be based on reducing family poverty and improve life style, family education and prevention of antisocial behaviors. Principles Working with parents and children They have to provide up to date information to parents when they need it , and is based on discussion held with parents about their information needs. All of families should get access to proper services that will deliver better outcome for both children and parents. Services for everyone( but not the same service for every one) The needs of families is different based on location, condition of families, religion, their ability and education, ethnic and economical condition. For instance; condition of children have Mental or Emotional problem is different from other children who have physical disability. Flexible at point of delivery The services should be provide an interest to access by arrangement of appropriate opening hours, suitable location and easy access to public transportation. The role of the carer must be extend beyond the day to day care of the child to providing support to other family members or significant other in child life. Where possible the government must provide health and family support services through a single point of contact. Starting very early (at the first antenatal visit) The child care and parents support should be begin from the first antenatal visit but I believe that have to support parents before pregnancy and give useful information and consultation about future pregnancy and complete evaluation about genetic problems, because this process will be more effective and economical than treatment and support after birth. The majority of serious childhood diseases is preventive by maternity support and early diagnosis and appropriate treatment procedures, Vaccination, proper diet and life style. This means not only advice on health in pregnancy but also support of parent for returning to work or starting to work. Respectful and transparent The services should be free in order to access everybody to proper services without any limitation. The most of families who need help and advice cant afford to pay child care, education, health and treatment in private services. Community driven and professionally coordinated We should invite all professionals with an interest in care and family support or medical care to take part in this programme and search any problem and evaluate families and children needs through consultation and speak face to face with parents and children. Outcome driven Sometimes a lot of bureaucracy makes delay in services and health care, because of that parent and children may be not given appropriate services on suitable time and location when they need. Inappropriate effort and delay lead to irreversible damage in families and children. Parental support Human relation ship and interactions are the critical factors in young childrens development. Storing attachments that are characterized by reciprocal activity enhance the young childrens responsiveness to his or her environment and influence the childrens motivation to explore, elaborate and manipulate. Increasingly it is recognized that the maintenance of primary attachment relationship depends on the availability and involvement of another adult or third person who active supports and encourage these relationships. How much time are the parents able to spend with their children during childhood? What stop parents from spending more time with their children? Certainly, childhood would have been different if the parents had stayed home and looked after their children. It is obvious that the most influential setting for almost all of children is the family environment and school. Parents who are under constant pressure from their employer to do overtime, may not have the time and emotional energy to encourage their childrens school work successfully or have a effective emotional support. They should be achieve more flexible work hours, which enable them to spend more time with their children. The parents must be prepared to enjoy and to show children how to enjoy -relationships. The role that parents play in to life of a child has a tremendous impact on their experience. Parents have a key role in the education, emotional development and behaviors. Parents support is the single most important factor in childrens success at her or his life especially in education because; the majority of childs week is spent in home. The childs ability to learn is influenced not only by the competence of the teacher but also by the quality of the relationship between the school and the home. Children have a right to continuing loving relationship with both parents and need to be protected from the harm of losing contact with one parent who has a unique contribution to make their children development. Parents can become involve in their childrens learning at home by helping them and encouraging them to attend in learning programme. Parents can take part in school trips and help the children gain as much information from the trip as possible. They should provide for their children a quiet place in which to work free distractions such as television, satellite, games. They have to provide all the equipment and resources necessary for doing homework effectively. Parents must give responsibility to child for doing something according her or his ability that help to improve childrens confidence. They should encourage their children to work independently but it would be helpful if they are available to help them with any difficulties. Support Parent The supporting parents was designed to raise awareness and provide information about their childrens needs such as educational problems, Mental or physical disabilities, emotional and etc. The parents are the fort line of learning programme , therefore, they should be supported in order to support their children by providing information and advice for those whose children have mental or physical problems. The parents should improve their awareness about mental and physical disabilities, medical and social problem from fort line health services such as GPs, teachers and others professionals. Every body can help to empower and support parents by listening to them and sharing information sensitively and honestly, using understandable language and giving explanation to build parents confidence, respecting and acknowledging cultural difference and providing the facility in order to access to services. The main supporting bodies are: Government support parents Family support parents Parents support parents The final aim of all effort and support is; providing safe and effective care for the education of childhood, protection from harm, gaining life chance benefits and arising out of disability or health condition in order to leaving care when the children enter adulthood. 1. Government support The Government support is a wide spectrum of support that subdivided in many fields that I will argue about economical, education, treatment and support team. Economical and Work support Poverty- is associated with lone parenthood because of low benefits, lack of child care, education and low pay amongst woman. Similarly, problems of drug abuse and rising crime are generated by complex factors, including poverty and lack of opportunity in community and support. These problems can impose a great pressure on families and their children. In one hand generally, the relationship between growth of income of the poor and overall economic growth is one to one. That finding suggests that policies which are good for growth will be good for the poor. On the other hand, it is possible that growth from different sources has differential impact on the poor and distance between poor and rich would be greater than before which can effect on families inspect and relationship. Maternity leave and paternity leave- Maternity leave is the time a mother takes off from work at the birth or adoption of a child. Mothers are entitled to take time off for antenatal care. This may be medical appointments or relaxation and parent craft classes made on the advice of registered medical practitioner or midwife. Father who qualified for paternity leave can take time off to be with their new child and offer support to the mother when the child arrives. They can choose whether to take one or two consecutive weeks paternity leave. Proposed new regulations relating to maternity and paternity leave are sure to cause problems for some smaller businesses. Whereas larger organisations can usually provide cover internally when a mother or father is on leave, it is often much more difficult for the smaller firm, which often has no such cover internally. Flexible working and return to work- flexible working means a negotiation between the employer and the individual about their needs to determine the pattern that helps them both. Flexible working arrangement can help parents combine work and bringing up their children. Some parents want to work part time, some one interest in working from home or perhaps on particular days of the week. Flexible working can also help employers meet the increasing demand from their customers for out of hours services. Many business offer flexible working, but this is depending on individual manager and company policy. Government should provide priority for people that enable to work flexibility and return to work or start new compatible work after maternity leave. Education and child care Any number of activities will help young children learn, from singing nursing and playing number games, to reading or talking with them and everything to encourage their curiosity and love of learning. They have to develop evidence of the best practice to help early education and child care. Indeed, providers and their stuff work well with parents and professionals to whom they entrust their children. They have to provide safe and effective care for the education of children whom should be protected from emotional, physical, sexual abuse and other significant harm. Special needs and disabilities in childhood can put extra strain on families and may create additional needs such as additional cost of supporting a child with special needs or disability, provide suitable and affordable child care and education meanwhile we should not miss providing suitable housing, housing adaptation and accessing local community facilities such as transport child care and leisure services. Education and Child care option include: Day nurseries-that provide care for children from birth to four or five and beyond, often integrated with early education and other services. Pre-schools and play groups, provide play time and often early education to under five years old and can prevent from emotional and significant harm. Toddler groups- group of parents that meet locally with their children on regular basis, usually included children who are under five years old. Children clubs is define as out of school, offer children aged four to twelve a safe and stimulating environment which children can play and learn effectively outside school time (learn and fun). Treatment and care procedure- The fort line of health and social care is treatment intervention with specialized professionals and medical stuff (Doctors, nurses, psychologist, etc). First intervention in support programme is treatment of physical disabilities of parents and children with specialized team. Further more, intensive care and attention in pre-maternity and maternity period is essential. Increasingly, the professionals find themselves working not only with individual children but also with parents and sibling. Parents who have physical or sensory impairments, long term illness, learning difficulties, mental health problem or combination of them can not afford to spend effective time with their children and take part in teaching programme. Emotional disturbance and educational difficulties often can be fully understood and effectively addressed within a family. Family support parents Family support is a term covering enormous number and diversity of needs. Families caring for children with special needs or disability have the same range of feeling and hope for their children as all other families whose children are well. Some parents are very private who do not feel comfortable sharing their deepest feeling with strangers. It is important to be able to talk to some one that is the best one of family members. Traditional family support systems are sufficient and very helpful and comfortable. These families are fortunate because they help effectively and make a warm relation ship with together. Traditional families have a good relationship with parents , siblings and grandparents or other near relative family that they truly understand other member. Family support not only can reduce family poverty, crime and antisocial behavior and prevent deterioration but also can improve educational attainment, civic responsibility and quality and accessibility of suitable services. Parents support parents The parents are the best source of supporting for parents. They access a wealth of information from past and present experiences and have an understanding of the difficulties and problems than can occur when raising a child with special needs. They have a good sympathy with each others and they truly rely to the information and experiences of other parents. Through all that has happened to all of them, they have become educated and have learned things that never imagined learning. Conclusion Effective early intervention and support can produce improvement in childrens health, social and cognitive development. It strengthens the ability of family to provided effective support for their children and improves out comes for the whole family. All programme should base on providing safe and effective care for the education, protecting from physical emotional and sexual abuse. The government has to improve economical condition and provide trained, qualified and appropriate medical stuff and social workers. The support plan has to lead to leaving care by young people when they enter adulthood and wouldnt isolate and participate socially and live independent. The children with specific medical or social needs should arise out of disability or health condition and be able to live in family or other appropriate setting in the community. The children in need should gain life chance benefits from educational opportunity, entertainment programme, health and social care. The parents community should be improved in order to support effectively and share their information and experiences. The family structure must empower to provide warm and comfortable environment for support members of family. An important part of support is the establishment of effective channels for communication, a willingness to find a compromise and the development of trust between family members and Government or child care stuff.

Goblins, Imps, Brownies, Trolls, Pixies, and Bogies †Yesterday and Today :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Goblins, Imps, Brownies, Trolls, Pixies, and Bogies – Yesterday and Today In modern day, one is not likely to encounter a goblin in one’s travels, except perhaps those found scurrying after candy on Halloween night. However, goblins, as well as imps, brownies, trolls, pixies, and bogies were once considered as much a part of daily life as cows and chickens.(Briggs, These were the fairies, the half-natural, half supernatural beings that helped and haunted mankind throughout most of the world. The Scottish divided these fairies worldS into two groups, the Seelie Court, those helpful to humans, and the Unseelie Court, those who were mischievous, misleading, or downright evil. At the lowest rungs of the Unseelie court, one would find the goblins. (Briggs, 357) The goblins have changed, however, since these dark times, and it is the purpose of this paper to show the evolution of these monsters from medieval fairy, to subterranean miner, to Sauron’s horde of minions, and into other various modern-day incarnations. Additionally, the cul tural driving forces of feminist theology, Freudian psychology, political agendas, and technological fears will be used to explain several of the more notable goblin literary works. Finally, it will be shown how the medieval concept of the goblin, the fairy trickster, will resurface after a hundred years of exile in the form of the gremlin. The goblin as a fairy has its roots mainly in Britain, although they had counterparts in most of Europe. The French had goeblins, the Germans kobolds, the Welsh pwca (pooka), and even the Japanese had the tengu. However, the name ‘goblin’ is attributed to an Italian origin. The story goes that in Florence there were two infamous houses, the Guelfs and the Gibelins. So malicious were the members of these families that mothers would warn unruly children that the Guelfs and the Gibelins would come to get them if they did not behave. Thus the modern words ‘elves’ and ‘goblins’ were born. (Latham, p. 48) The fairy goblin ranged in disposition from the truly sinister to the near-harmless trickster. An example of the nastier medieval goblins is the legend of Redcap, a vicious goblin who inhabited a deserted castle. He was described by William Henderson in Folklore of the Northern Countries as a â€Å".

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Its Time to Stop Laughing Essay -- Postma

Amusing Ourselves to Death: It's Time to Stop Laughing      Ã‚  Ã‚   The form of communication created by the television is not only a part of how our modern society communicates, but is has changed public discourse to the point that it has completely redefined it, argued Neil Postman in his convincing book Amusing Ourselves to Death. He viewed this as very harmful, and additionally so because our society is ignorant of it as they quickly becomes engulfed in its epistemology. When faced with the question about whether the television shapes or reflects culture, Postman pointed out that it is no longer applicable because "television has gradually become our culture" (79). What kind of culture is this? Postman warned that it is one in which we are instructed and informed through the form of entertainment, and that through such a medium, we are becoming dulled, ignorant of real issues, and amused right into a very possible culture death. Today, sixteen years after the book's publication, he would probably have a similar message (though possib ly more passionate) to say about our present culture, especially in the areas of education and the nightly news, which have grown progressively worse.    Taking two authors, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, he compared their views about the future of information. Orwell's view was that we would be overcome by a controlling force and books would be banned, leaving us without proper information or instruction. Huxley, on the other hand, suggested that the squelching of information would not be the problem. Instead, it would be the voluminous mass flooding our culture that would make us ignorant. We would have so much to choose from, both useful and worthless, that we would become indifferent t... ...information invades the living room, they wonder why they are being tricked and mislead. Or worse, they do not even realize it. We are not a culture known for its thinking. Perhaps we are best known for our entertainment. Only when we divide these two realms will we become more accurate informed. Neil Postman, comparing Orwell and Huxley's theories, said, "[Our threat of being deprived of proper information] does not watch us, by his choice. We watch him, by ours" (155). His point was that by our own choosing, we are being misinformed. In our "information age" we have intelligent books, newspapers, magazines, and other information sources that have not been greatly affected by the television culture. We just need to stop laughing and seek to be properly informed.    Works Cited: Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin Books, 1985. Amusing Ourselves to Death: It's Time to Stop Laughing Essay -- Postma Amusing Ourselves to Death: It's Time to Stop Laughing      Ã‚  Ã‚   The form of communication created by the television is not only a part of how our modern society communicates, but is has changed public discourse to the point that it has completely redefined it, argued Neil Postman in his convincing book Amusing Ourselves to Death. He viewed this as very harmful, and additionally so because our society is ignorant of it as they quickly becomes engulfed in its epistemology. When faced with the question about whether the television shapes or reflects culture, Postman pointed out that it is no longer applicable because "television has gradually become our culture" (79). What kind of culture is this? Postman warned that it is one in which we are instructed and informed through the form of entertainment, and that through such a medium, we are becoming dulled, ignorant of real issues, and amused right into a very possible culture death. Today, sixteen years after the book's publication, he would probably have a similar message (though possib ly more passionate) to say about our present culture, especially in the areas of education and the nightly news, which have grown progressively worse.    Taking two authors, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, he compared their views about the future of information. Orwell's view was that we would be overcome by a controlling force and books would be banned, leaving us without proper information or instruction. Huxley, on the other hand, suggested that the squelching of information would not be the problem. Instead, it would be the voluminous mass flooding our culture that would make us ignorant. We would have so much to choose from, both useful and worthless, that we would become indifferent t... ...information invades the living room, they wonder why they are being tricked and mislead. Or worse, they do not even realize it. We are not a culture known for its thinking. Perhaps we are best known for our entertainment. Only when we divide these two realms will we become more accurate informed. Neil Postman, comparing Orwell and Huxley's theories, said, "[Our threat of being deprived of proper information] does not watch us, by his choice. We watch him, by ours" (155). His point was that by our own choosing, we are being misinformed. In our "information age" we have intelligent books, newspapers, magazines, and other information sources that have not been greatly affected by the television culture. We just need to stop laughing and seek to be properly informed.    Works Cited: Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin Books, 1985.

Lifespan Development Essay

Lifespan development, also known as human development, is a field of study that is devoted to understanding constancy and change throughout a person’s lifespan (Berk, 2010). Lifespan development begins with infancy and looks at several points in a person’s life in which significant change takes place. The study of children did not begin until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (Berk, 2010). Throughout the years, there was much speculation about how people grow and change and when combined with research, theories of development surfaced. These theories were vital and provided organized frameworks for observations of people and they are verified by research and provide a basis for practical action (Berk, 2010). Many theories developed to study the development of infants and children through out life and these theories continue to have an impact on society and research today. There are many notable development researchers and schools of thought such as Locke, Rousseau, Arnold Gesell, Ivan Pavlov, Lawrence Kohlberg, Social Learning Theory, Stages of Moral Development, and Ethiological Theories just to name a few (Crain, 2005). There are some researchers and schools of thought who still have an impact today such as Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, Jean Piaget and his Cognitive-Developmental theory, and the Psychoanalytic theory first developed by Sigmund Freud. Charles Darwin is significant to developmental studies today because it was he who paved the way, or opened the door for the many schools of thought that followed. Darwin is known as the forefather of scientific child study (Berk, 2010). Darwin was a naturalist who observed the variation among plant and animal species but along with that, he also noticed that within a specific species, no two individuals were alike (Berk, 2010). Darwin developed his theory which emphasized the principles of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Darwin’s theory stated that certain species survive in particular environments because they have characteristics that fit with or are adapted to their surroundings (Berk, 2010). Those within the species that best meet the survival requirements live long enough to reproduce and keep the species going (Berk, 2010). Darwin, in his travels and research, noticed some similarities in prenatal growth among species. Darwin noted that the embryos of most species are highly similar in their early forms revealing their descent from a common ancestor (Crain, 2005). Today, in the broad scheme of things, Darwin’s theory is correct in that there is variation within species and only some survive long enough to reproduce and pass along traits. What Darwin did not understand was the mechanisms underlying the transmission of traits (Crain, 2005). Because of this, Darwin is considered the starting point for the vast amount of research done on lifespan development. Another important aspect of the study of lifespan development is the Cognitive-Developmental theory of Jean Piaget. Piaget’s theory stated that children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world (Berk, 2010). Piaget did not believe that a child’s learning depended on reinforcers as the behaviorists believed. Piaget developed stages and he realized that children pass through his stages at different rates and did not pay specific attention to the ages at the various stages but noted that they all pass through the stages in the same order (Crain, 2005). Piaget’s theory consisted of four periods: Sensorimotor Intelligence (birth to 2 years), Preoperational Thought (2 to 7), Concrete Operations (7 to 11), and Formal Operations (11 to adulthood) (Berk, 2010; Crain, 2005). Piaget was able to convince people that children are active learners whose minds consist of rich structures of knowledge (Berk, 2010). Piaget’s research influenced much of the research today that focuses on children’s concept of self, other people, and human relationships. Many educational philosophies and programs that place emphasis on discovery learning and direct contact were encouraged by Piaget’s theory (Berk, 2010; Crain, 2005). Piaget’s theory did not come without criticism and challenges. Some researchers believe that Piaget actually underestimated the competencies of children. This called for much research to be conducted to challenge and refute Piaget’s theory and also to find ways to expound upon and improve his theory. The most influential school of thought is that of the Psychoanalytic perspective developed by Sigmund Freud. This perspective states that people move through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations. (Berk, 2010). The school of thought basically focused on the fact that psychological change is governed by inner forces such as feelings, impulses, and fantasies (Crain, 2005). Freud had all of his patients use free association in their sessions allowing them to talk freely about the painful events of their childhood (Berk, 2010). Freud developed the psychosexual theory based on theiry unconscious thoughts. This theory states that how parents manage their child’s sexual and aggressive drives in the first few years is crucial for healthy personality development (Berk, 2010). Freud’s theory was considered the first to place importance on the influence of the early parent-child relationship and its involvement in development (Berk, 2010). Freud’s theory received much criticism because he did not study children directly and was heavy on the sexual influences in development (Crain, 2005). The controversy surrounding this particular school of thought, prompted much research making it one of, if not the influential theories in development. Research on the many aspects of emotional and social development which includes infant-caregiver attachment, aggression, sibling relationships, child-rearing practices, morality, gender roles, and adolescent identity grew from the theory of Freud (Berk, 2010). There are many different ways in which development is researched. One way is systematic observation. There are different ways in which observations of children and adults can be conducted. Some researchers choose to go into the field or the natural environment and record the behavior which is known as naturalistic observation (Berk, 2010). Through naturalistic observation, researchers are able to get a first hand look at the subjects. On the other side though, some people may not display the same behavior in their everyday life. Structured observations happen when the researcher sets up a laboratory situation that evokes behavior of interest so that every participant has equal opportunity to display the response (Berk, 2010). The ways that the research is gathered varies depending on what is being researched. Systematic observations tell how people actually behave but fail to provide the reasons behind the behavior. Self-reports allow participants to provide information on their perceptions, thoughts, abilities, feelings, and other things of that nature. They are normally structured interviews, unstructured interviews, questionnaires, and tests. Clinical interviews allow for researchers to use a flexible, conversational style to probe for the participant’s point of view (Berk, 2010). Structured interviews, which includes tests and questionnaires, asks all participants the same set of questions (Berk, 2010). They are easier to score and the researchers are able to identify a behavior of interest because the participants is given alternatives in answer choices. The case study methods brings together a wide range of information on one person, including interviews, observations, and test scores (Berk, 2010). This method is generally used when one wants to study a particular group that may be small in size but varies in characteristics. This method can be viewed as bias because the information that is collected is sometimes done unsystematically and is subjective and geared toward the researchers theoretical perspective. There are other ways of studying development such as ethnography which is aimed at studying a culture as a whole or a distinct social group through participant observation. Ethics plays a major role in the study of development as well. It is important to consider things such as the rights of the participants. This includes, protection from harm, informed consent, privacy, knowledge of the result, and beneficial treatments (Berk, 2010). Informed consent is especially important because it provides safeguards for children and elderly people who are cognitively impaired or have to be cared for in settings for the chronically ill (Berk, 2010). Research generally creates ethical issues because of the search for scientific knowledge and at the same time has the opportunity to exploit people. References Berk, L.E. (2010). Development through the lifespan. (5th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Crain, W. (2005). Theories of development: Concepts and applications. (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall