How to Close a Letter in American English

How to Close a Letter in American English How many times have you spent considerable thought and effort writing a letter, only to reach the closing and then wonder how you should end it? And does it really matter whether you choose sincerely or best or thanks to close out your message?While much of letter closing choices are based on personal style and attitude, there are slight differences in how different letter endings come across to the recipient of your writing. For this post, well discuss several common letter closings, more formally known as a valediction from the Latin vale dicere, which means to say farewell. We will also discuss the situations for which each are best used, the connotations each might bring, and how to choose which one fits your overall intent or is complimentary with the letter youve written.Sources weve usedKeep in mind that as with much of the advice youll read online, ours might differ from that of another source. However, since it is important in business or formal communication to follow best practices set by respected organizations, we have used two American authorities- Barrons Educational Series and American Management Association- as our primary sources.Closings for formal and business correspondenceYours truly,According to Barrons, this is a formal closing and AMACOM states that this should be used when there is no personal connection between writer and recipient. Another version of this youll see often is Very truly yours, which again denotes a lack of personal connection between the writer and recipient of the letter. Despite the seemingly intimate associations with this phrase, it is very commonly used in business communication as a formal closing, whether you know the recipient intimately or not.Respectfully yours,Barrons also lists this as a formal closing and AMACOM suggests that it should be used when the letter is sent to someone either with acknowledged authority or when great formality should be used. Again, as with Yours truly, this is a commonly used clo sing that connotes formality and can be used with formal business communication that is written to associates- whether they are typically on your contact list, or not.Sincerely (yours),Often shortened to just Sincerely, Barrons suggests that this is a less formal closing while AMACOM states that it should be used when there is both a personal and business relationship between the writer and recipient. In general, this is a commonly used closing in American business correspondence that covers both well-known associates and those who are not well known. It is also a great choice for letters such as cover letters for a job posting, introductory letters for academic admission, or complaint letters in which the sender wishes to close with a conciliatory yet polite tone.Cordially (yours),Often shortened to just Cordially, Barrons lists this as another less formal closing while AMACOM takes issue with Cordially yours, stating that it is often used but incorrect.So, in essence, consider thi s a great choice for closing business communication as long as the yours is not added. It works for both well-known acquaintances (in business) as well as recipients who are not regularly on your contact list. It is considered to be proper in both situations.Regards, Personal regards, Kindest regards,AMACOM doesnt list either of these choices in its preferred business letter closings, but Barrons lists them as potential personal closings. What this means is that if you plan to use them as business communication closings, or closings of letters written as cover letters or letters to admissions committees, they are acceptable yet slightly less formal than Sincerely or any of the versions of Sincerely (such as Sincerely yours,).This closing is an example of using your own attitude and personality to determine which closing to use in a letter.Best, Best regards,While not as formal as closings like sincerely, best is a polite, semi-formal letter ending that could work in both a business context and when writing to acquaintances or friends. It is a polite way to let your letters recipient know that you wish the best for them. Best regards makes the closing a bit more formal if you feel that Best is not quite formal enough for the situation.Thanks,While not overly formal or overly informal, Thanks is a closing that works well for business letters across the board- whether you are writing to someone not on your contact list, or to an acquaintance or peer within your organization. However, compared to how the other closings weve listed sound to the recipient, Thanks can fall a little flat or seem abrupt. To avoid this, choose Best regards or Sincerely.You should also hesitate to use Thanks if youve made a request in your letter, and rather choose Thanks for your time, since the former assumes that the request will be granted, and the task will be accepted. Again, as with all the letter closings we have mentioned in this article, choose the best considering the type of relationship you have with the recipient and how formal or informal you want the letter to be.Informal closingsYour friend,Obviously, this is not the best closing to choose for a formal business letter or cover letter. Your friend, should be reserved for letters written to friends, as the closing implies. Putting this closing at the end of a letter to someone who is not your close friend will seem overly informal and assumptive.Cheers,While Cheers, or Cheers! might be a light-hearted and casual way to end a letter in British English, for American English, make sure that you only use it for close friends or business associates that you know on a deeply personal basis. The primary reason for this is it is an expression used in relation to alcohol, or imbibing alcoholic drinks, so it can be interpreted as too informal by many American business associates unless you know them on an informal basis.With love,As with Your friend, ensure that any time you use this closing, you are only doin g so in a letter that is written to someone with whom you have an intimate and familiar relationship. Using this closing in a business letter or letter written to anyone else will be off-putting and potentially offensive to your reader. Therefore, ensure that you reserve this closing for only the most intimate recipient to avoid any confusion or misinterpretation.

Recommendations Of The Bromley Serious Case Review The WritePass Journal

Recommendations Of The Bromley Serious Case Review Abstract Recommendations Of The Bromley Serious Case Review ). This principle is also set out in the Family Law Reform Act 1995. The Family Law Act 1975 was amended to include the legal principle that the childs best interest be regarded as paramount in any litigation concerning child upbringing (Family Law Council 2004). This principle would be at the heart of the assessment process. That is, the welfare of the child would be given paramount consideration and a checklist of factors would be considered before reaching a decision on whether or not to place the child under protection programs. Fig.1 Genogram illustrating the strength of family relationships (DH 2008) A genogram can be used to illustrate the strength of the family relationships. That is, how close or far apart the family members are, how flexible they are and how well they respond to each others needs. Fig.3 Ecomap showing the relationship between the child with immediate family, wider kin and the community An ecomap can also be drawn to illustrate the relationship of the child with immediate family, the wider kin and the community at large. The centre of focus will be the child as shown in fig.2 To indicate the strength of the relationship, I would used different types of lines as shown below: Assessments relating to Adults in the family But conducting assessments from the viewpoint of the child is important for safeguarding and ensuring developmental needs of the child, it would only be fair and ethical for assessments to be conducted with due regard for the needs of all family members. Assessments relating to the adults in the family should have been done as well in Bromley Special Case Review. It should be noted that neglectful families do not just exist in a vacuum. A number of factors can contribute to parents maltreatment of their children including factors such as lack of community support, society characteristics, deprived neighbourhoods, family stress, domestic violence, parents childhood and developmental history and many other factors (DePanfilis 2006). Parents views with regard to issues of child protection concerns have been well documented. In their study of short-term accommodation, Aldgate Bradley (1999) found that parents were reluctant to seek for support from social services due to fears of: Losing their children to child protection enquiries Being perceived failed parents (DOH 2000) Whilst parents may be in need of help and support from social services, the fear of losing their children to child protection agencies and being seen as failed parents deter them from seeking the much needed support. They want help but not at the cost of forfeiting their parental responsibilities (DOH 2000) It is also important to understand the role played by the wider family in providing support. Sometimes, extended families may not provide the much needed support or may be caught up in their own problems (Trevithick 2000). Additionally, parents may not wish to acknowledge to their wider kin about the problems facing them. It is difficult for people seeking help to state their needs especially when these needs are tangled amid feelings of confusion, humiliation, fear and despair (Trevithick 2000). Similarly, it would be necessary to assess the role played by the community in providing practical and emotional support to the family. Social workers must chart both the relationship of parents with the wider kin and their current wider connections to their communities. The absence of physical and emotional support limits the adults sense of wellbeing and control (DH 2008). There is also need to consider the impact that environment may have on parental capacity. This is a factor which has been given little consideration in social work. The concerns over the omission of environmental considerations in sociological research have been noted by Jack (1997) and Stevenson (1998). However, research studies have shown that children living in economically deprived neighbourhoods are the most affected, often with deterioration in their health and poor educational development (DH 2008). Environmental considerations have an impact on both the children and the young adults’ ability to succeed as effective parents. Social isolation from the community combined with lack of support from extended families and deprived neighbourhoods can adversely impact on parents mental and physical health. As a social worker in Bromley case, I would have also conducted an assessment relating to the adults in the family. The assessment would focus on the needs of the family and how these needs impact on their parenting behaviour. A key distinguishing factor between this assessment with that of the child is that it looks at the relationships between the adults in the family, the extended family and wider community, and examines how this impacts on their parenting capacity (Parker Bradley 2000). Also, the focus of assessment is mainly on the adult. The assessment examines the needs of the adult and whether these needs have been met. The legal basis that guides this assessment comprise of a range of legislations such as The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996, NHS, Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and subsequent statutory guidance (Parker Bradley 2000). On the other hand, the legal basis guiding the assessment relating to children is The Children Act 1989 and Subsequent Statutory guidance. How I would conduct assessments with due regards to needs of all family members To ensure that all the family members are involved, it would be necessary to use a structured interview protocol. This would ensure thorough gathering of information, accuracy of information gathered, and an increase in staff control over the assessment process. Most importantly, the involvement of all family members would ensure that the assessment is done with due regards for the needs of all the family members. As such, face to face interviews would be conducted in the following order: First, with the child Second, with siblings interviews with adult caretakers Interviews with the parent who is alleged to have maltreated the child And finally, with the family as a whole Interviewing the identified child The interview with the child will seek to gather information about the child maltreatment and assess the childs immediate safety needs. Information collected at this point include: the childs explanation, the childs current conditions, severity of the maltreatment, effects such as fear and extreme withdrawal, the childs characteristics, and the child’s perception of their relationship with parents and others in the household (NDHHS 2005). Interview with siblings After interviewing the child, I would then conduct an interview with the siblings and other children in the household. The purpose is to determine whether these children have also experienced maltreatment and to assess their level of vulnerability. Interviewing the caretakers This will be followed by an interview with the custodians or rather the caretakers. At this stage, I would seek the caretakers personal opinion about the childs vulnerability to maltreatment and determine the parents capacity to protect the child. Information gathered from the interview include: the approach to and view of parenting, relationship with the children, methods used to discipline the children, relationships with extended family, view of supports from the wider community and the climate of the neighbourhood (Holland 2004). Interview with the alleged maltreating parent This is yet another crucial point of the assessment process. The abusive parent will be interviewed to check and get a confirmation from them whether allegations of maltreatment did actually occur. Information gathered from the interview with the parent would include: the parents view of the child, his/her explanations about the alleged maltreatment, the parents response to the incident, the approach to parenting, relationship with the children, and relationship with the wider kin and the community (NDHHS 2005).   Close interviews with family Having completed the interviews, I would convene the family and share with them a summary of my findings, seek their individual responses, show appreciation of their participation, and discuss key concerns raised about the child maltreatment. With the interviews with the participants completed, I would then analyze the information collected for purposes of making informed decisions. Analysis of information gathered relating to the adults I would examine whether the family has been benefiting from ‘direct payments’ as provided for under The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996. This act bestows power to the local authority to make direct cash payments to individuals who are in need of care as opposed to providing those persons community care services (Glasby Littlechild 2009). It is expected that these individuals use the money to secure themselves the services that they need. The service is provided by the government as a means of self-directed support to increase autonomy and independence of people (Duffy 2007). Specific issues that I would considered in the review   Has the family been receiving direct payments from the government as provided for under The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996? Is there a clear evidence of significant harm to the child? Given that the father suffered from epilepsy, did the medical condition hinder his parenting ability and did he receive support from the extended family? Did the agencies involved identify the needs of the family and did they seek to address these needs by providing them with the much needed support? What is the relationship between the parents and the community? And how has isolation and lack of community support adversely affected their parenting capacity? How has the neighbourhood impacted on the parents mental and physical health? Were the wishes and feelings of the adults in the family considered and adequately addressed? Were appropriate care plans to support parenting capacity put in place by the agencies involved? What could have been the outcome if these parents had received support from the extended families and community at large? Do assessments appear to have been reached in an informed and professional way having had due regards for the needs of all family members? A focus of the assessment on the adults in the family does not imply that the problem of child maltreatment has been forgotten. This family focused approach is to ensure the best outcome for both the child and adults in the family. The principles of family focused practice affirm the primary importance of ensuring the child’s well-being and recognizing the mutual significance of the child and the family (Kendall et al. 2010). I would then think of interventions that will serve the interests of both the children and adults in the family. A range factors can be used to select the appropriate intervention. Among these factors is the appropriate application of social work methods developed from psychosocial theories (DH 2008). These methods include family therapy, cognitive behavioural work, crisis intervention, psychosocial casework, task-centred casework and counseling among many others (DH 2008).   The choice of the method would be influenced by the knowledge of what works under particular circumstances. Fig.1 developmental and ecological perspective of child maltreatment (DH 2008) Another important dimension that I would consider in the assessment is the decision whether to place the child in protection program or to have the child looked after at home. Should the decision be made for the child to be placed in protective custody, I would consider factors surrounding placement including plans for adoption or reunification (DOH 2000). Conclusion Whilst concerns about a childs health and development remains a core professional activity of social care agencies, these agencies have not always acted in the best interest of the child. A prime example of this can be seen with the Serious Case Review in Bromley which revealed a significant neglect of two boys despite the involvement of various agencies. The review found that agencies had overlooked the possibility that the boys might suffer physical harm. Based on the assessment, it was recommended that processes of assessment and reviews be always informed by attempts to understand the situation from the viewpoint of the child. But as we have seen, assessments should be conducted with due regard to the needs of all family members. Assessments should be conducted in relation to the children in the family and adults as well. An evidence based approach that involves identifying, gathering and using the evidence to support and evaluate the given approaches to assessment should be taken. Interventions that serve the interests of both the parents and the children should be implemented. Interventions can take the form of therapy, cognitive behavioural work, crisis intervention, psychosocial casework, task-centred casework and counseling among many others.   The choice of intervention is influenced by the knowledge of what works under particular circumstances. Reference Aldgate, J. and Bradley, M., 1999. Supporting Families through Short Term Fostering. The Stationery Office, London. Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB), 2011. Bromley Serious Case Review Protocol. Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board. BSAB, 2011. Child D and Child B:   A Serious Case Review. Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board Department of Health (DH), 2000. Assessing Children in Need and their Families: Practice Guidance. TSO Department of Health (DH), 2007, Putting People First. TSO Department of Health (DH), 2008. Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities: a caring system on your side, a life of your own.   Department of Health. DePanfilis, D., 2006. Child neglect: a guide for prevention, assessment and intervention. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Duffy, S., 2007. ‘Care Management and Self Directed Support’. Journal of Integrated Care Volume 15 (5) Family Law Council, 2004. The Child Paramountcy Principle in the Family Law Act. Discussion paper Glasby, J. and Littlechild, R., 2009. Direct Payments and Personal Budgets: Putting Personalisation Into Practice. Bristol: Policy Press Holland, S., 2004. Children and Family Assessment in Social Work Practice. Sage publications Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association (Ifapa), 2010. The child abuse assessment: a guide for foster parents. Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association. Jack, G., 1997. ‘An Ecological Approach to Social Work with Children and Families’. Child and Family Social Work. 2: 109–120. Kendall, S., Rodger, J. and Palmer, H., 2010. The use of whole family assessment to identify the needs of families with multiple problems. Department for Education Laming, H., 2003. The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report.. London. TSO Millner,J. and Byrne, 2010. Assessment in Social Work. 3rd edition. Palgrave Nebraska Department of Health and Human services (NDHHS), 2005. Initial assessment guide book, Nebraska Department of Health and Human services NSPCC, 2012. An introduction to child protection legislation in the UK. NSPCC Parker,J. and Bradley, G., 2000. Social Work Practice- Assessment, Planning, Intervention and Review. Learning Matters Sharkey, P., 2006. The essentials of community care: a guide for practitioners. London: Palgrave Smale, G. and Tuson, G., 1993. Assessment, Care Management the Skilled Worker. Macmillan Stevenson, O., 1998. Neglected Children: Issues and Dilemmas. Blackwell Science, Oxford. Trevithick, P., 2000. Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook. OPU White, A., 2005. Assessment of parenting capacity. Centre for Parenting Research

Development of Postoperative Infection in Women between the age of 30 Research Paper

Development of Postoperative Infection in Women between the age of 30 to 50 - Research Paper Example Due to some violation of safety precautions before, during, and after surgery, these or other freshly colonized bacteria in the hospital environment may enter the wound and cause infection, where bacteria now easily penetrate the wounded skin. As mentioned earlier, injury and inflammation caused by surgical manipulation may also help the nosocomial bacteria enter into the wound after being transmitted from somewhere else from within the hospital environment. In effect such infections in the surgical wound would slow down the approximation of the wound edges, delay wound healing, lead to morbidity, and cause increased economic burden, increased hospital stay, and increased incidence of other infections. Usually the patients present with increased pain in the surgical wound as a result of inflammatory process early in the infection, redness at the wound margins that spreads unless treated, drainage from the wound margin, fever due to infection, and ultimately breakage of the wound (Pry or et al., 2004). Such cases are often encountered in clinical surgical nursing practice, and the nursing assessment usually yields the following diagnoses, risk for infection, impaired skin integrity, impaired tissue integrity, and delayed surgical recovery. Thus this is a recognised surgical nursing care problem the evidence-based knowledge about which would be helpful in clinical practice nursing. While the problem is evident and common one, in this author's clinical practice as a surgical nurse in the Jacobi Medical Center, despite an uniform age distribution in the surgical cases, it is a common finding that female patients develop postoperative infections more frequently, and as a result they on an average have a longer postoperative stay, and in some cases, following discharge from the hospital, they return to the hospital with wound discharge, breakdown, or infections. This leads to a focus question, why these female patients have an increased preponderance of wound infection. To find out the answers, this author has chosen the age group of 30 to 50-year-old female surgical patients, so the answers to this question in the context of these patients are found out from the literature. The findings may prove to serve as evidence base where change in practice in such cases may be mandated. Focus Question Why so many women between the ages of 30 to 50 develop postoperative infection Literature Review To this end, a literature search was conducted with key words postoperative infection, females, women, nursing care, surgical nursing, wound infection, and wound care. Out of the available literature which included studies, research articles, and reviews, including both quantitative and qualitative literature, six recent articles were selected for critical review in order to point out the evidence available. It is to be mentioned that although the assignment requirement only mentions nursing literature, it would not be prudent to include only nursing literature since the cause of surgical site infection may also lie in the operating room management and handling of the skin, the magnitude of the operative procedure, the technical dexterity of the surgical team, and safety protocol

The view that powerful elites generate fear does not adequately Essay

The view that powerful elites generate fear does not adequately explain the complexities within the news reporting of AIDS in Britain. Discuss - Essay Example African countries are affected by real epidemic, and the epicenter of the world most dangerous disease is located in Sahara Desert region where a half of population of the world is living at the moment. This information does not seem shocking for anyone in the world anymore because AIDS was covered in media substantially and effectively since the time of its discovery. It is well-known that a frightening and repulsive image of AIDS was created with the help of accurate metaphors and definitions (Cullen, 2003). Nevertheless, the question if the image of AIDS was constructed adequately to the severity of the epidemic or media has spread certain panic among readers remains actual and urgent, and Britain represents a particular interest for this study because real epidemic has never reached the island. The UK as well as many other countries of the world faces the complexities within the news reporting of AIDS, and the fact that powerful elites generate fear does not adequately explain th em. In order to examine this question newsroom practices in Britain on reporting were studies closely. First of all it is necessary to outline the history of the disease, its symptoms and consequences to understand how media should cover AIDS/HIV to create normal feedback from its auditory. UNESCO states that media as well as medical institutions and common people have to aim to reduce the quantity of people contracting HIV and relieve moral and physical pressure of those who are fighting with the disease. This is an established ethical principle when dealing with HIV and AIDS (Foreman, 2003). The first reporting of AIDS by media goes back to 1982 when several alarming articles were published in different American medical journals telling about this unknown mysterious disease. Much concern was expressed about it already due to high mortality of young healthy individuals and it was defined as threating and dangerous for public. But nobody could even imagine the degree of panic the

Landscape alteration Essay Example for Free

Landscape alteration Essay

Aggressive Driving Can Lead To Road Rage Essay -- essays research pape

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It starts with just a moment of tailgating, or maybe the guy in front of you cut you off or wouldn’t let you into the fast lane. In some cases it appears that incidents of road rage are caused by simple misunderstandings between drivers. A driver may make a momentary error of judgment but the perception of another driver is that he or she is driving aggressively. Then suddenly it turns into World War III on the highway. It matters little what causes it; a bad day at the office, a love affair going bad, credit cards maxed to the credit limit. All it takes is a sudden movement of someone else’s wheels, and within seconds a normally mild mannered motorist is consumed with a red-eyed, mouth-foaming surge of anger that grabs more of us every day. Road Rage, something that has always simmered on the back burner of motoring America, is now going off like fireworks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Motorists who have snapped and committed incredible violence are mostly men and women with no known histories of crime, violence, or alcohol and drug abuse. They are the people typically described by neighbors â€Å"the nicest woman or man† or â€Å"a wonderful mother or father.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Father, mother, son, daughter, they all have their own ways of getting mad. Some slam on the brakes, jump out of their cars, open the trunks and grab anything that they get their hands on. Others use baseball bats, knives, mace, pepper spray, fists, or some simply pull out a pistol and start firing away. Why are these drivers turning their anger and frustrations into road rage and what solutions can we propose to stop this road rage?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some say that one of the main causes of aggressive driving which usually leads to road rage is highway congestion. The road construction on the major interstates adds to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   lane closures and distractions to motorists. A motorist is driving the speed limit and then immediately has to slam on their brakes because another motorist sees the lane closures and decides to cut in front of them. This type of driving makes motorists mad because they know tha... ...sp;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We can attack and reduce the dangers of aggressive driving. Each of us should take a look at our own driving habits and those of our friends and loved ones. The government can help with road improvements and law enforcement, but solving this problem will require people to change their behavior. Working together, we can make our roads safer and prevent deaths and injuries. Works Cited Bowles, Scott and Overberg, Paul. â€Å"Aggressive driving: A road well-traveled.† USA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TODAY 12 July 1999. USA TODAY on America Online. America Online. 27 September 2000. Ledford, Joey. â€Å"Women taking their rage to the road.† Post-Dispatch 19 Sept. 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Post-Dispatch on America Online. America Online. 21 Sept. 2000. Leiser, Ken. â€Å"ROAD RAGE: COMMUTER COMBAT IN AMERICA.† Post-Dispatch   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19 June 2000. Post-Dispatch on America Online. America Online. 19 September 2000.

Moderating Conflict

According to Barrosse (2007, p.210) there are three main ways to deal with conflict: â€Å"Try to change the other party, try to alter the conflict conditions, [or changing] your own communication and/or perceptions.† Each of these methods is employed by the average person when faced with conflict; however they are not all equally successful when it comes to actually moderating a difference of opinion.   When it comes to taking control of uncomfortable situations, one is certainly better off avoiding the first method. Trying to change the person you are dealing with so that they see your point of view is â€Å"a natural response [and is] usually highly unsuccessful† (Barrosse, 2007, p.210). We are all inclined to be stubborn about our own situation, and even though a compromise would generally calm the other party and afford peace, we as humans are quite unwilling to let our side of the story slip past unnoticed. The fact is, unless we get over this natural tendency to advocate our own viewpoint, there is no such thing as effective conflict moderation. When people are forced to see the other side of the argument through authoritative measures, â€Å"a subterranean resentment and desire to retaliate may well emerge† (ibid). â€Å"It is no accident that Aristotle wrote about the ‘Golden Mean’ and Buddha preached about the ‘Middle Way’† (Barrosse, 2007, p.214). These great philosophers understood that without compromise, there is no moving forward; without finding a middle ground between differing parties we will all remain isolated and controlled by our own dogged opinions. When we employ the second method of conflict moderation – trying to change the conditions of the disagreement – we are attempting neither to find a middle ground nor to ‘win’ the dispute. Changing the situation is merely a way of trying to disengage from the conflict, and quickly. This can work on a superficial level, in that the situation is handled speedily, but it may backfire and leave the other party resenting you for changing the rules. This type of behaviour can be classified as avoidance, according to Barrosse, and â€Å"when you engage the other [party] in productive conversation, you will find that (1) your behaviour is being misinterpreted by the other and (2) your perception of the other is skewed† (2007, p.216). Changing the circumstances surrounding a conflict is really not a proactive form of moderation, since by engaging in clear conversation you can take control of the dispute and work towards a solution. The final resolution method – changing your own communication or perceptions – is truly the most successful tactic you can use. The fact is that â€Å"conflict parties may know that they want to engage but not know how to start† (Barrosse, 2007, p.217). Taking charge in these situations requires understanding and patience, which may be difficult for many people, but it is nevertheless necessary for successful conflict resolution. Many people struggle with restraint: this â€Å"includes the difficult task of holding back one’s desire to act on vengeful feelings† (Barrosse, 2007, p.221). In practise there is no successful way to incorporate such feelings into conflict moderation. It is important to remain focused on the issue at hand and lay out clear objectives for all parties involved. This way, no one is distracted or perhaps made more upset at the introduction of new conflict topics and extraneous information.   Remain calm, concentrate and listen to the opinions of all parties while trying to find a common solution. â€Å"Low productivity occurs when interpersonal conflicts are not identified or openly expressed to the other party† (Barrosse, 2007, p.214). Therefore it is best practise to approach conflict moderation from the perspective that teamwork prevails.   Finding a compromise is the most sound solution. Reference: Barrosse, E. (Ed). (2007). Interpersonal Conflict. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.    Moderating Conflict The current personal conflict that I am experiencing right now is regarding my parents and having a part-time job. I decided to have a part-time job so that I could somehow support myself while I’m studying, something which could give me a spare money during my free time. For me, I can manage to work and study at the same time because I’m a dedicated person when it comes to academic matters. When it comes to my examinations, I devote enough time to study so that I would get good marks. When it comes to projects and requirements, I make sure that I pass it before the deadline so that there won’t be any problems with my teachers. But the real problem is not with me, but with my parents. They are afraid that I might spend so much time with my part-time job and less time with my studies. They fear that as I go along with this part-time job, I would slowly loose interest with academic matters. They think that it could hinder me from pursuing my education, especially if I would start earning money. Both my mother and my father disagree, arguing that I would be better off if I just concentrated on my studies. I know they’re just concerned with my well-being, since they know how dedicated I am with my studies. The problem however, is that they don’t understand my reasons why I wanted the part-time job. I have many reasons why I wanted the part-time job. One would be the financial support that I could get from it. I wouldn’t have to rely to my parents for extra money when it comes to my personal expenses. It could also introduce me to an independent lifestyle, which I know would really come one way or another. Having this part-time job is not solely for the money, but also a good way to learn. It could be a very important experience for me, especially when it comes to my attitude towards work and my studies. Surely, it is important to prioritize my studies. However, it is also important to be introduced to the real world, wherein I’ll be able to learn how it is like to be handled by superiors, and develop a certain work attitude. The best way to moderate this conflict between me and my parents is through dialogue (Hamel, Doz, & Prahalad, 1989). The key for them to accept my decision regarding the part-time job is for them to understand my reasons. It is best if I would be able to explain to them my point. This could be done by looking for the right situation to talk to them, and it would be best if I could talk to them separately, so that they’ll understand without bothering about the opinion of the other. During the dialogue, I should be able to clearly explain why it is ok for me to have this part-time job (Pfeffer, 1999). The approach that I think would best be accepted by them is how important it is to my future. An experience such as this would greatly help me to have a grasp of what lies ahead after my studies. This is the point which I think would connect my parents and the part-time job. Both my parents are concerned about my future that’s why they are wary about the decisions I make and take. If they would be able to see how this part-time job could positively affect me and my future, then I am sure that they would approve of it. The key is for them to fully understand it (Pfeffer, 1999). Moderating conflict is a case-to-case basis. The resolution of the conflict is dependent on the situation being faced (Wilmot & Hocker, 2001). In this conflict which I have with my parents, the best approach is to have a dialogue with them and explain to the possible outcomes of the decisions I take. Through this, I would be able to show them that having a part-time job could help me build a future instead of clouding it. References: Hamel, G., Doz, Y. L., & Prahalad, C. K. (1989). Collaborate with your competitors – and win Harvard Business Review, Vol. 67(No.1). Pfeffer, J. S. (1999). The smart-talk trap. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 77(No.3,). Wilmot, W. W., & Hocker, J. L. (2001). Interpersonal Conflict (6th ed.). New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill.      

Keri 2006 Advertising Campaign Essay

This is a 2006 advertising campaign of Keri new skin-care product, Keri Nourishing Shea Butter lotion. It is a remake and reproduction of a well-known painting â€Å"La Grande Odalisque† by French artist Jean-August-Dominique Ingres. The written message states this â€Å"experience the timeless beauty of being a woman with Keri Shea Butter. Enriched with nourishing Vitamin E, it makes skin feel truly touchable†. It seemingly means that this new product can help improve the consumer’s skin performance. But indeed, this ad contains intended meanings which include symbolic properties and commodity fetishism. First of all, this Keri’s ad produces symbolic meanings. In this ad, it is not a simply a case that the conventions and themes of an artist or a style are copied, but rather it is a carefully and close reproduction of the original painting. If we compare it to the origin, the head cover, the fan and pose of the nuked woman is almost the same. The product itself has no meaning. However this careful reproduction of particular elements obvious makes the ad as a reference to the original painting, a classic and wide international recognized work of art which is meaningful to most consumers. As a masterwork of art in the history, the painting is regarded as an important icon of an immortal and timeless signifier of classical female beauty. By creating correlation between the ad and Ingres’ painting, the image, ideas of Ingres’ panting become attached to Keri’s new product. The sexy female nude, the material object, becomes the signifier, and it signified the idea of timeless female beauty. Therefore, Keri’s new product becomes a sign of timeless female beauty. Moreover, the advertisement creates differentiation between new product and the other products in the same series (Williamson, 1978, p24). Keri’ ad introduces a new product that is enriched with nourishing Vitamin E, an important element to make skin smooth and vibrant. In fact, there are more six more products in this category. The function and content of Keri Nourishing Shea Butter make it unique and independent to other product, such as Original, Advanced and Moisture Rich Oil. In addition, the advertisement makes the product and a feeling of â€Å"experience of the timeless beauty of being a woman† equal in value. Every woman wants to be beautiful and timeless. However money cannot buy you beautiful and timeless. Thus, by generating a connection between Keri’s product and feeling, it adds a value to timeless beauty, because money can buy Keri’s product. Secondly, the Keri’s lotion product exists as a commodity in the market place. The lotion has a nature priority of making skin smooth. As Marx says the nature priority decides the use value (Marx, 1867). The use value of Keri’s product is to improve your skin quality. In Capital, Marx says the objective form of social relations is called reification (1867). As the advertising campaign says â€Å"experience the timeless beauty of being a woman with Keri Shea Butter†, the consumers will experience â€Å"timeless beauty of being a woman† if they purchase and consume the product. The human relationship of timeless beauty is expressed in a commodity form of lotion. The abstracted social relations are taken out of their actual organic context†, abstraction separates the use value and exchange value of a commodity (Goldman, 1992, p21). In this ad, the meaning of using its product is transformed into the experience of timeless beauty. In this process, the exchange value of Keri’s product now refer to the timeless beauty. It equivalents the value of the product and the value of a history work of art of beauty female by putting the product and reproduction image together into the same frame.

True Addicts

True Addicts Yesterday I made an admonishing gesture to a friend who is still smoking a pack or more of cigarettes each day. Waving my finger at him in passing, I reflected on hissurprising outrage at being called an addict by one of our mutual acquaintances. A smoker myself for twenty years before giving up cigarettes, I certainly consider cigarette smokers addicts.Only an addict would go to such extraordinary lengths to obtain the source of his addiction. If, for example, I ran out of cigarettes, I would not stop seeking them until I was successful. I recall one Christmas I ran out of them and walked from one closed neighborhood store to another in South Philadelphia for over two and a half hours before finally finding an open convenience store on Broad street. The fact that I'd missed much of my family's celebration of the holiday was secondary to my craving for nicotine.Electronic Cigarette InhalationToo many times to remember I'd dress at two or three o'clock in the morning to obtain them. F ornothing else ever have I considered making such sacrifice or concession.Only an addict would continue to present himself publicly as a social pariah. I think it is fair to say that most non-smokers view smokers with some revulsion. Since cigarette smoke is unpleasant to non-smokers and its health consequences are now understood by everyone, it is clear that anyone who smokes around others is saying, inessence, "I don't care if my smoking sickens you" or "I don't really give a damn if what I'm doing kills you." Such perceptions by non-smokers can only negatively affect the social status of smokers. It's fairly common to hear people comment negatively about smokers these days. Words like "ignorant" and "disgusting" are ones often associated with cigarette smokers. I once...

The Decline of the Olmec Civilization

The Decline of the Olmec Civilization The Olmec culture was Mesoamericas first great civilization. It thrived along Mexicos Gulf coast from approximately 1200 - 400 B.C. and is considered the mother culture of societies that came later, such as the Maya and Aztec. Many of the intellectual accomplishments of the Olmec, such as a writing system and calendar, were eventually adapted and improved by these other cultures. Around 400 B.C. the great Olmec city of La Venta went into decline, taking the Olmec Classic era with it. Because this civilization declined two thousand years before the arrival of the first Europeans into the region, no one is absolutely certain which factors led to its downfall. What Is Known About the Ancient Olmec The Olmec civilization  was named after the Aztec word for their descendants, who inhabited Olman, or the land of rubber. It is primarily known through  the study of their architecture and stone carvings. Although the Olmec had a writing system of sorts, no Olmec books have survived to modern day. Archaeologists have discovered two great Olmec cities: San Lorenzo and La Venta, in the present-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco respectively. The Olmec were talented stonemasons, who built structures and aqueducts. They were also gifted sculptors, carving stunning colossal heads without the use of metal tools. They had their own religion, with a priest class and at least eight identifiable gods. They were great traders and had connections with contemporary cultures all over Mesoamerica. The End of the Olmec Civilization Two great Olmec cities are known: San Lorenzo and La Venta. These are not the original names the Olmec knew them by: those names have been lost to time. San Lorenzo flourished on a large island in a river from about 1200 to 900 B.C., at which time it went into decline and was replaced in influence by La Venta. Around 400 B.C. La Venta went into decline and was eventually abandoned altogether. With the fall of La Venta came the end of classic Olmec culture. Although the descendants of the Olmecs still lived in the region, the culture itself vanished. The extensive trade networks the Olmecs had used fell apart. Jades, sculptures, and pottery in the Olmec style and with distinctly Olmec motifs were no longer created. What Happened to the Ancient Olmec? Archaeologists are still collecting clues that will unravel the mystery of what caused this mighty civilization to go into decline. It likely was a combination of natural ecological changes and human actions. The Olmecs relied on a handful of crops for their basic sustenance, including maize, squash, and sweet potatoes. Although they had a healthy diet with this limited number of foods, the fact that they relied so heavily on them made them vulnerable to climate changes. For example, a volcanic eruption could coat a region in ash or change the course of a river: such a calamity would have been disastrous to the Olmec people. Less dramatic climate changes, such as a drought, could severely affect their favored crops. Human actions likely played a role as well: warfare between the La Venta Olmecs and any one of a number of local tribes could have contributed to the societys downfall. Internal strife is also a possibility. Other human actions, such as over farming or destroying forests for agriculture could well have played a role as well. Epi-Olmec Culture When the Olmec culture went into decline, it didnt disappear entirely. Rather, it evolved into what historians refer to as Epi-Olmec culture. The Epi-Olmec culture is a link of sorts between the classic Olmec and the Veracruz Culture, which would begin to thrive to the north of the Olmec lands about 500 years later. The most important Epi-Olmec city was Tres Zapotes, Veracruz. Although Tres Zapotes never reached the grandeur of San Lorenzo or La Venta, it nevertheless was the most important city of its time. The people of Tres Zaptoes did not make monumental art on the scale of the olossal heads or the great Olmec thrones, but they nevertheless were great sculptors who left behind many important works of art. They also made great strides forward in writing, astronomy, and calendrics. Sources Coe, Michael D and Rex Koontz. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. 6th Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008 Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. London: Thames and Hudson, 2004.

Strategic Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Planning - Essay Example a. Demographic Trends Demographic patters offer a description of the changes, which involve sizes, age structure, geographic distribution, ethnic mix, and distribution of income (Ireland el at, 2009). These patterns enable the business to focus on understanding demographics of a certain area. Apparently, Wells Fargo Bank needs to understand alterations, which occur in different parts of America. Nevertheless, Wells Fargo has focused on the ability customize their market; for instance, numerous bankers are multi-lingual in order to increase their ability to deal with diverse population. b. Economic Trends Increasing rate of unemployment has been associated with high rates of interests and foreclosures. Well Fargo is focusing on avoiding the subprime market, which they feared more compared to their competitors during economy downfall. Moreover, the bank was able to pay the â€Å"bailout†, which was provided by the government and led to substantial profitability in 2010. During t his recession, the Well Fargo identified ways of assisting their customers and remaining profitable despite these economic conditions. c. Political Trends There are strict political and legal implications in the banking and mortgaging industry in which Wells Fargo Bank operates. In fact, these implications have effects, which lead to financial reforms laws. On the other hand, there are resent issues, which are influencing the trading in the financial industry. d. Social Trends Wells Fargo has depicted increased interest in taking their social responsibility; in fact, they have a vision of building their corporate vision to assist their customers and ensure that everyone is succeeding in the community. On the other hand, they focus on offering members of the society equal chances of opportunities and prosperity for different walks of life. Therefore, they are struggling in being socially responsible through their financial services. e. Technological Trends There are technological pat ters, which have become prevalent in banking industry; through in other situations it poses threat to financial businesses. There are numerous programs and firms that are operating online and they are exploiting technology as a source of competitive advantage. f. Global Trends Apparently, Wells Fargo does not operate in the global market; through they deal with customers from different counties and ethical background. In this case, the bank has identified the need for understanding the global perspective, which is highly applicable in to their business. g. Physical Trends The company runs efficiently, whereby they take numerous steps of protecting the natural resources, and this has significant benefits to the future generation. On the other hand, they Wells Fargo bank has gained ability to engage their customers and communities in stewardship effort, through which they achieve significant impact (Wells Fargo, 2009). h. Industry Environment The industry environment entails the barri ers to entry into the market, suppliers bargaining power, buyers bargaining power, availability of substitutes and competitive rivalry; in this case, industry environment is perceived in these dimensions. i. Operating Environment Operating environment entails five segments, which include competitors, creditors, customers, labor, and supplies. In this case, the competition has decreased significantly due to four choices in the financial

Integration of WIMAX to Broadband Networks Dissertation

Integration of WIMAX to Broadband Networks - Dissertation Example The degradation of transmitted radio signal due to interference from the external source of radio frequency energy diminishes the strength and quality of signal. This makes it difficult for the RF receiver to clearly distinguish the radio signal from background energy. The direct spectrum overlapping due to unidentified internal or external source is the root cause of this problem. The Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) helps to sub channelize and support adaptive modulation allowing the data rates and link quality to be balanced dynamically. This is essential to remove interference as per design layout of IEEE 802-16d (2004) standards. Ensuring proper site survey and round –the-clock access of the structure and the base station helps greatly to reduce the signal interference. Providing closer connectivity points such as towers and access points, and enhancing use of multiple connectivity choices, to make available to user, the best radio frequency, improves Quality of Service (QoS) immensely.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The IEEE 802-16e (2005) standards advocate use of SOFDMA technology that is suitable for using advanced and intelligent antennas to support coverage, facilitate self installation, reduce power consumption, enable frequency re-use, promote power consumption, promote band width efficiency   and provide full mobility support. The WIMAX certification allows complete interoperability with other certified products as long as they fit in same profile.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The hand off system in the WIMAX technology helps to provide continuity.