How to Find Stories to Cover in Your Hometown

How to Find Stories to Cover in Your Hometown Are you looking for newsworthy stories to cover but don’t know where to start? Here are some places you can dig up ideas for news articles worth writing about right in your own hometown. Once you’re written your article, see if you can get it published in the local community paper, or put it on your blog. The Police Precinct If you want to cover the local crime beat, visit your local police precinct or station house (it’s good to call ahead first.) If you’re in a small town, get to know the police chief, detective and beat cops if you can. Ask them about any interesting cases or crimes they’ve handled recently, or ask to see the arrest log for a day-by-day listing of incidents. The Courthouse The local courthouse can be a treasure trove of stories. Your local district court will typically be where less-serious cases are dealt with – everything from traffic tickets to misdemeanor offenses – while a superior courthouse will be where felony trials are held. Check with the court clerk’s office to see what cases are due to be heard on any given day. Town Hall The city council, county commission, town board or village committee – whatever you call it, local government can be a rich source of stories for any reporter. Start by finding the website for your local town government. It will probably list times and even agendas for upcoming meetings. See what issues are being discussed, do some background research, then head to the meeting, pen and notebook in hand. The School Board School board meetings can also produce great stories. Again, school districts typically have websites that list school board meeting times and agendas. Such sites will probably list the members of the school board along with contact information, which can be useful for doing pre-meeting research or for doing interviews after the meeting. High School Sports Events Aspiring sportswriters need to look no further than their local high schools for games to cover. Many top sportswriters – those who cover the NFL, NBA, and MKB – got their start covering high school football, basketball and baseball games, among other sports. Check your high school’s website for schedules. Community Centers and Local Libraries Places like these often have bulletin boards listing upcoming events in your area. Such facilities also often host events like lectures from visiting speakers or authors or community forums. Art Galleries and Performing Arts Venues Is there a new exhibit by an up-and-coming artist at your local gallery? Review the exhibit or interview the artist. Is a community theater group performing a new play? Again, write a review or interview the actors or director. Local Colleges Colleges and universities typically host to a wide range of lectures, concerts, and forums that are often free and open to the public. Check the college’s website for listings of such events. Businesses Want to become a business writer? Interview local merchants for their thoughts on the state of the economy. Are their businesses thriving or struggling? Are new shops opening up or closing down on your local Main Street?

Aphasia †Communication Impairment

Aphasia – Communication Impairment Free Online Research Papers Aphasia is a general term used to describe one or more disorders that have caused the loss or impairment of the ability to speak or communicate. (Akmajian Demers, and Harnish 1979:306) This can be caused by disease ( such as a brain tumor), dementia, stroke or physical injury to the brain itself. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) estimates that 80,000 people acquire aphasia every year and that approximately one million people in the U.S. have currently been diagnosed, most of these have been due to stroke. (www.nidcd.nih.gov) In this paper I will be addressing the varied causes of aphasia, its effect on language and its treatment. It would be nearly impossible to talk of aphasia without addressing its root causes, which is usually damage to one of the two major language centers of the brain that are often associated with this illness, namely, Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area. In 1861 a French surgeon named Paul Broca described a patient with severe speech impairment; after the patient died it was revealed that they had sustained an injury to the posterior inferior part of the left frontal lobe (see fig. 1). This area is now known as Broca’s area (Akmajian Demers, and Harnish 1979:307). A little over a decade after Broca’s findings, in 1874 a German physician, Karl Wernicke, described patients with brain lesions who also had severe speech deficits; the lesions however were not located in Broca’s area. The damage had occurred in another area, the left posterior temporal lobe (see fig. 1). These findings together led to the inference that these two areas of the brain play crucial but different roles in speech and communication. Damage to these areas manifests itself differently, leading to separate but similar pathologies. Damage to Broca’s area results in what is termed Broca’s aphasia which is also called nonfluent or motor aphasia. (Clark, Eschholz and Rosa 1998:637) This kind of aphasia is characterized by short, halting, agrammatical speech that is often devoid of articles and prepositions. We are given this example from a patient with Broca’s aphasia; â€Å"The patient is trying to describe a picture showing a boy stealing cookies from a cookie jar while his chair is tipping over; a little girl is helping him. Their mother stands at the window staring into space while the sink in front of her overflows.† (Clark, Eschholz and Rosa 1998:637) Cookie jar†¦fall over†¦chair†¦water†¦empty†¦ov†¦ov†¦[Examiner: â€Å"overflow?†] Yeah. (637) Through Wernicke’s research he found that people without damage to Broca’s area but with damage to the temporal lobe where Wernicke’s area is located, developed speech pathologies that were quite different from Broca’s aphasia. Patients suffering from Wernicke’s aphasia often have little or no trouble producing long sentences with proper grammar. The speech itself though is often unintelligible with unnecessary and/or made up words. (Clark, Eschholz and Rosa 1998:637-38) In the text of Language: Readings in language and culture, a patient with Wernicke’s aphasia attempts to describe the same picture that the aforementioned Broca’s aphasiatic tried to describe: Well, this is†¦mother is away here working out o’here to get her better, but when she’s working, the two boys looking in the other part. One their small tile into her time here. She’s working another time because she’s getting too. (638) This led Wernicke to create the first model of language processing in the brain. Wernicke proposed that the words and meanings are stored in Wernicke’s area, after drawing a word from this area the thought is transmitted to Broca’s area by way of a bundle of nerves called the arcuate fasciculus. Once it reaches Broca’s area the sound structure of the intended speech is sent to the motor cortex where it then is transmitted as various commands to the physical areas related to speech (tongue, lips etc). Finally, language emerges. (Clark, Eschholz and Rosa 1998:638) Aphasia is not always as clear cut as the preceding paragraphs seem to make it however. Factors such as the location of the injury, the patient’s age and health are all complicit in how severe the aphasia is and how it expresses itself. (nidcd.nih.gov/) Often in the case of Broca’s aphasia partial paralysis may occur as it is quite close to the motor cortex. It can also manifest itself in areas other than oral communication such as reading and writing, and in fact is often more severe in these areas. To further complicate matters, the same types of aphasia do not have the same symptoms in different languages, causing researchers to search for language specific symptoms and universal symptoms. (nidcd.nih.gov/) The diagnosis of aphasia can be performed by a speech pathologist who can examine the patient’s ability to comprehend speech, communicate orally, read and write. Other factors are also taken into account such as the ability to swallow, the ability to follow directions, both simple and complex. After this the mode of treatment that is best suited to the individual can be determined. (nidcd.nih.gov/) The basic form of treatment involves work with the speech pathologist to focus on specific aspects of language that have been affected by the brain. Exercises such as naming objects and following directions can be increased in complexity as the patient improves. Sometimes it may be better, or even necessary, for a patient to communicate primarily with the use of gestures and symbols. One such patient, Chil, had a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of his brain leaving him with little more than his right hand and arm to communicate with, though he could say three words, Yes, No and And.( McNeill 2000:84) Chil and his family were able to communicate through these three words combined with a series of hand gestures. Though the process can be time consuming it works for Chil and his family. McNeill describes a situation in which Chil would like to invite an additional two people for dinner: With hindsight it is possible to see Chil wants to invite two additional guests, Mack and June to dinner. However, it takes intricate, temporally unfolding work for his interlocutors to discover this. (85-86) Gestures may not be able to replace the intricacies that spoken language provides but it does serve as a useful and valid means of expression. There are also group therapy sessions which may help the patient use new conversational skills. The NIDCD website lists some pointers for family members. Family members are encouraged to simplify their language, encourage the individual to communicate in whatever way they can, inclusion into decision making and in conversation. It is also recommended that they do not correct their speech and that they encourage them to become involved with activities out side of the home including stroke clubs which are regional support groups for people who have suffered a stroke. New research into drug treatment has shown hope as the NIDCD website states: Pharmacotherapy is a new, experimental approach to treating aphasia. Some studies are testing how drugs can be used in combination with speech therapy to improve recovery of various language functions by increasing the task-related flow of activation in the left hemisphere of the brain. These studies indicate that drugs may help improve aphasia in acute stroke and as an adjuvant to language therapy in post acute and chronic aphasia. Science and medicine have improved and advanced significantly since the days of Paul Broca and Karl Wernicke. Scientists are now using machines like MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) to create 3d virtual versions individual brains to study the inner workings of the brain and its pathologies. Something that Broca and Wernicke could never have imagined. Though there is less obfuscation concerning the inner workings of the brain and of the processes that lead to the comprehension and use of language in all its forms, aphasia is still a real concern that for some is nearly or completely crippling. References Akmajian, Demers and Robert M. Harnish 1975 Linguistics: An introduction to Language and Communication. Cambridge and London: The MIT Press Clark, Eschholz and Alfred F. Rosa 1998 Language: Readings in Language and Culture. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s D’Esposito, Mark 2003 Neurological Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience. Cambridge: The MIT Press McNeill, David 2000 Language and Gesture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2006 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Electronic document, nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/aphasia.asp, accessed September 8, 2006 Research Papers on Aphasia - Communication ImpairmentArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Analysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementQuebec and CanadaThe Fifth HorsemanMind TravelAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite Religion

Profit Maximization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Profit Maximization - Essay Example Businesses have developed a heightened interest in promoting awareness on ethical responsibility. Issues concerning environmental damage, improper work regulations and inappropriate employee treatments and faulty production of products which either cause inconvenience to customers or danger public safety are resolved through the links on their objectives and actions. Value-based decision-making through integration of clearly-defined values into organizational structures of numerous organizations proactively address a broad range of community dilemmas. These organizations which attach functional aspects of operations to public welfare include various companies ranging from pharmaceuticals, automobiles, consumer goods to services. Corporate social responsibility, described as the alignment of a company's activity to public expectations, governs organizations which clearly show that public concerns and not profit maximisation is the common objective among organizations. British organizations alone would prove that improving the quality of human life is the primary objective of their operations. Consider GlaxoSmith Kline, a pharmaceutical company established in London whose aim is to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. The mission to contribute to the improvement of lives guides the company in developing innovative medicines and products that help millions of people around the world. It does research for medicines and vaccines for the World Health Organization's priority diseases that include HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The company shows its care to Third World countries where debilitating diseases affect millions of people by providing discounted medicines to let more patients acquire necessary cures. These cost reduction schemes applied by the company in its business operations entailed losses from probable profit collections. Actual earnings have been reduced as a result of the pro spects that considered lowering of prices through discounts. The corporate strategy is indeed a way of the company to provide value to consumers and society notwithstanding the objective of financial advantages and profit maximisation (GlaxoSmith Kline, 2001). In the early part of the 21st century, the company made efforts to lower its prices on HIV/AIDS drugs for the benefit of developing countries in relation to their commitment to deliver ways to reduce costs and pass the savings to patients. As a result of their action, patients suffering from the illness in various developing countries were able to take medications and these constitute live of millions of individuals. Due to its desires to continuously improve access for healthcare products, the company gained international recognitions for its decisions that reduced barriers in the consumption of health products (Baker, 2003). In the pharmaceutical industry, social responsibility is not a practice of a single organization. Aside from the GlaxoSmith Kline, another international company with British operations that promotes global corporate social responsibility is Astra Zeneca. Corporate social responsibility is an integral part on how operations are run by the company

Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story Research Paper

Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss the literary elements that can be found in the short story entitled A Dark Brown Dog, written by Stephen Crane. This allegory is mainly centered on three characters. According to the writer, the dark brown dog, the father and the child are viewed as the main characters in the story. In most literary publications, the story mainly revolves around the characters. An overview of the story proves that the dark brown dog was mistreated by the family members (Crane, 2008). On the contrary, the dog did not respond violently to the household members even after receiving various forms of torture from the members of the household. In A Dark Brown Dog, the dog was treated inappropriately by the caregivers (Crane, 2008). The child of the household occasionally protected the dog from the harsh beatings. The child usually cried whenever his parents mistreated the dog. In one rare case, the father had struck his son’s head with a large saucepan after he had run toward s him protesting in order to protect the dog. From that point onwards, his parents reconsidered the issue of throwing items to the dog. Finally, the father of the household came home drunk. Afterwards, his son arrived home together with the dog. The father gave the dog a heavy beating and threw the dog outside the house through the window (Crane, 2008). The dog landed in a heap on top of the roof of a shed which was five stories below. The mood at the end of the story assumes that the dog had died after all the exploitation by the family members. In this literary work of fiction, the most prevalent theme is violence. According to the author, the dark brown dog faces violent actions from the members of the household (Collins, 2011). However, the dog was able to cope with the unjust beatings from the family. Further analysis also shows that on some occasions, the child who occasionally protected the dog imposed some form of torture to the dog. The author asserts that earlier on, the c hild thrashed the dog with a stick after he noticed that the dog was pursuing him. After he did this, the dog usually made funny gestures of apology to the child. According to the details contained in the story, the dog usually accepted the beatings from the family members (Collins, 2011). The child occasionally cried after the dog was smashed because the child loved the dog and even treated it like a close friend. The theme of violence in this short allegory has significant effects on the literary works. The child played the role of a close friend and a guardian to the dog (Magill, 1997). There are numerous literal elements that are contained in most short stories. Some of most common elements include the setting, characters, point of view, symbolism and plot. In this short story, the plot and the characters play an eminent role in the advancement of the subject matter of the story (Collins, 2011). As stated earlier, the father, child and the dog are considered the main characters. These characters employ all forms of violence to the helpless dog. In some instances, the dog was usually protected by the child. In addition, these three characters ensured that the plot was alive all through the narration. In conclusion, the plot enables the development of the theme of violence. The author of the story categorically places his ideas in the narration. All these ideas and thoughts are liable for sustaining the main

Banning the Guns Essay Example for Free

Banning the Guns Essay Banning guns on campus Concealed carry vs. colleges is a story about don’t allow guns in campus. The gun control and gun rights is becoming a more and more popular topic after few gun shooting tragedies happened in schools, people are starting to worry about the security in schools. This story is part of editorials and debates in USA TODAY, and this story is published on September 27, 2012. There is no exactly author’s name in the story. In the beginning, the story has an introduction about students in Colorado are allowed to carry guns about anywhere after summer break because in 2008 ,public colleges can no longer ban guns on campus in Colorado. Then the author writes some opposing views about allowing concealed-carry on campus, and tells people it is dangerous that allow students carry guns in campus. In the story, the author effectively and persuasively employs the rhetorical appeals of ethos and pathos to support author’s point which is universities should allow banning the firearms. This article is written by an author without name in USA TODAY, because this article has obvious political tendency, the author may don’t want other people know his political thoughts, so that’s why author didn’t put his name in the article. USA TODAY newspaper is one of the biggest newspapers in USA, and this newspaper doesn’t have particular audience, it faces to many different people all over the world, so this newspaper has very big influence and it is very convinced, the author chooses this newspaper to publish his article is a very good idea. The intended audiences for this article are teachers and stu dents in universities; people who support gun control and most of them are mid-age and educated people. The purpose for this article is telling people that it is dangerous that allow students carry guns in campus, universities should ban the firearms and give some advises to people on how to stop gun shootings in campus. The author’s article effectively provide ethos by using the historical reference and relating to audience’s thinking of ban carrying guns in campus. According to the article â€Å"Massacre at Virginia Tech in 2007, when a deranged student killed 32 people in a matter of minutes. Pro-gun groups insist that an armed student or professor might have saved the day. But that notion is as far-fetched as it is alluring.†(Editorial) The author uses a historical reference of the Massacre at Virginia Tech as his ethos to tell audience that professors and students cannot stop the shooting happened  in campus. Many people believe that armed students or professor might have saved the day. But actually, students and professors in Virginia Tech didn’t stop the shooting in the school. Students or professors, they are not professional security who can keep the safety in school. So it is not necessary for students or professors to carry guns in the campus. On the other side, if students carry guns on campus and the shooting really happens in the school, then they try to use guns to protect themselves, it will become more risky. The author claims â€Å"In New York City this summer, when police shot and killed a gunman on the street near the Empire State Building, they also wounded nine innocent bystanders. Imagine what might happen with armed amateurs firing away in a darkened theater, or a barroom brawl.†(Editorial) The author uses another historical reference to remind audience that it is very risky for untrained students to carry and even shot guns to protect themselves, it may cause more injuries and deaths, because students or professors are not good at s hooting, so if they try to shot, it may hurt innocent people. Even well trained polices would wound innocent bystanders. It must be very dangerous when students have guns even they just want to protect themselves. In addition, the author also provides some suggestions to stop the gun shooting in schools by using ethos to advice people how to avoid dangerous people to get guns. The author mentions â€Å"Background checks are designed to keep the mentally ill, like the Virginia Tech shooter, from buying guns, but many states are lax in reporting mental health records to the federal system†. (Editorial) The author suggests the background checks are necessary, because most of the shooters are mentally ill people, so if those people cannot get guns they couldn’t kill students in schools any more. But because many states are lax in reporting mental health records, so those mental ill people can get guns very easily, they could kill students by guns in just few minutes. So the author suggests that the mental ill reports are very important, it is a good way to stop the gun shootings in school. The other advice is training gun owners about how to use guns correctly and safely. The author argues â€Å"In many states, including Colorado, a gun permit and a single training course, often lasting a day or less, are all you need to legally carry a concealed weapon. Many courses dont include live firing.† (Editorial) The author wants every states have a strict gun training courses. In some states, people just need  only take a day or less, it is not enough for a gun o wner to understand and practice how to use the gun in a right and safe way. Many courses even don’t include live firing, it means many people don’t know how to fire the gun since they get gun permit. The author is very worrying about this kind of situation, people cannot use guns in a correct may not protect themselves and even make a big tragedy. Lastly, the author’s article succeeded in employing the rhetorical appeal of pathos to catch audiences’ emotion, and show the intense stage on banning guns on campus. According to the lecture, Colorado, of course, was home to this years Aurora theater shooting and the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. It doesnt need any more tragedies. Some Colorado professors and students, upset by guns on campus, are pushing for a new law to bring back the ban.† (Editorial)The author’s success in grabbing her audience’s emotion is the use of powerful words. Colorado doesn’t need any more tragedies, it shows that the most of the people in Colorado hate the gun shootings, and they will try their best to stop tragedies in Colorado. This also can have strong emotional effect on people in other states to support the gun control policy. The word like pushing shows how the people in Colorado want the new law which brings back the ban guns as soon as possible. This can also press more people to think about the gun control. The argument between gun control and gun right is becoming more and more drastically. The people in United States start to think about this argument after few gun shootings in schools because they don’t want to see tragedy any more. The author presents his ideas very well in the article and his ideas seems have powerful persuasion for audience. Author’s ideas push people to think more about whether universities should allow banning the firearms. His rhetorical appeals of ethos have powerful historical references to persuade people and achieve his goal in the article which is banning the firearms in campus, and the author also provides some suggestions to stop the gun shootings in schools by advising people how to avoid dangerous people to get guns very easily in United States. Finally, the author’s rhetorical appeals of pathos grab people’s emotion by using powerful and strong words. This article is strongly presents author’s thought which is gun control is very necessary, because this can save many people’s life. Work Cited â€Å"Editorial: Concealed carry vs. colleges.† Editorial. USA TODAY 27 Sept. 2012. Print.

Personal Narrative - Baptism Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative - Baptism I took my first step down into the font and thought. Baptisms are funny things. The brightness of it all is profound. It seems as if there is one brilliant mirror reflecting boisterous cheer everywhere. The idea is to pack as much happiness, either real or faked, into one too-hot room in the hope that it will be absorbed into the absolutely petrified soul of the prospective individual about to be baptized. The joy was so thick that it bounced around the walls and the floor searching for something to absorb it, something to hold it in permanently. The beams certainly had many obstructions to navigate around. There were too many fat women with satiated grins made wider still by the application of inordinate amounts of heavy crimson lipstick. Hair that reached ever upward in a maddeningly vertical gyre, as if they were competing with steeples in an effort to be closer to God. Maybe they thought the preponderance of hair would be a better conduit for God. With all the glistening hair spr ay, their hair had to be a conductor for something. Maybe there was a lightning rod tucked inside the cocoon of hair. Indeed, the hair imparted a degree of luminosity to the scene. At just the right angle, the artificial light would hit the summit of hairdom and create an angelic halo around their persons. Perhaps it was one big conspiracy. Perhaps some secret Relief Society tome specifies that women should wear eye-dizzying lipstick and hair spray in proportion to their weight. That made it all so bright. The Spirit, this pure being of truth, was being artificially implanted into the baptismal font through the use of cosmetics and cover-up. The brethren ruined the conspiracy theory, or maybe they just didn't have ... ...ed her head against my chest, tucked it among the folds of my baptismal clothes, seeking the light she radiated, seeking the unproven power I wish I had. It was a power that even my grandma couldn't define, though I knew she had it. The power of tension, the power of electrons, even the power of gravity paled in comparison to the power possessed in this embarrassed but strong old woman standing at my side. I wondered why everyone didn't come to gain this power. But I already knew the answer. The truth behind this power could not be given in equations stitched on the back of a lab coat. It could not even be obtained by simply reading of its source. The power is personal to us all. It is different for everyone. My grandma found her truth and her power, and I found myself clutching frantically for the beams of light that raced joyously out of her still trembling frame.

Psychology of Adolescence Essay

BoysTown is a registered charity and a national organization for youth welfare in Australia. It focuses on helping disadvantaged youths who are at risk of social exclusion to enhance their quality of life (â€Å"Youth social†). It recognizes several causes of social exclusion among disadvantaged youths that need to be addressed, which include single parenthood, low self-esteem, physical and mental health problems, substance abuse, lack of work experience, functional illiteracy, and underdeveloped personal and vocational skills (â€Å"Youth social†). BoysTown also recognizes that most of the disadvantage youths came from families who have a history of intergenerational unemployment and welfare dependency and from Indigenous backgrounds (â€Å"Youth social†). BoysTown offers several social inclusion programs to help disadvantage youths to improve their life. The programs include Kids Helpline, Youth Programs, Indigenous community development, Family programs, and Intermediate labor markets. The key attribute of these programs is that they emphasized sustainable outcomes while they rely on safe strategies for working with youths who are at risk of social exclusion (â€Å"Youth social†). BoysTown’s Kids Helpline is a national telephone and web-based counseling program that provides services for more than 60,000 children and youths across the country. The Youth programs offer personal development, training and employment assistance to more than 3,500 youths in communities. BoysTown is collaborating with key stakeholders to work on a social inclusion project with four remote Indigenous communities in the East Kimberleys (â€Å"Youth social†). It also provides parenting programs and family refuges such as home-based support and training to make way for the transition of disadvantaged youths to the wider world (â€Å"Youth social†). The organization also operates various social enterprises and transitional employment programs in order to provide 400 youths per year with paid work and on-the-job training. There are various indicators that demonstrate the degree of social exclusion suffered by families and children, which include low-birth-weight babies, permanent exclusion from school, the number of children living in unemployed households, teenage pregnancy, low academic achievement, and the number of children aged 10-16 who are in young offender institutions (Pierson, 2002). The indicators of social exclusion at the level of community include overcrowded housing, a high percentage of households without a bank account, poor community participation, and high levels of burglaries (Pierson, 2002). The key forces that increases the likelihood of social exclusion are poverty and low income, lack of social supports and networks, lack of access to the labor market, the impact of the local neighborhood, and exclusion from services (Pierson, 2002). Pierson (2002) suggests ways to address social exclusion, which include maximizing income and securing basic resources; improving social networks and supports; collaborating in partnership with local organizations and agencies; developing channels of effective participation for users, local residents, and their organizations; and concentrating on whole neighborhoods. Socially excluded youths have a significant cost impact on society in terms of publicly-funded health services, justice system and social security costs, and the impact of decreased individual earning capacity, lost productivity, and decreased tax revenue (â€Å"Youth social†). The Australian government is investing in developing the capability of the not-for-profit organization to provide more holistic, community-based strategies to respond to social exclusion, especially among young people (â€Å"Youth social†). Models of intervention must be multi-dimensional and aimed at providing young people with a comprehensive range of support over an extended period of time (â€Å"Youth social†). They should also be based on a holistic approach in order for young people to overpower personal barriers; improve their strengths, health, well-being, life and interpersonal skills; develop their self-esteem and the ability to learn; and succeed in shifting to independent living, training or work, and further education (â€Å"Youth social†). BoysTown’s Youth programs are effective in helping youths who are at risk of social exclusion because they incorporate individual assessment, counseling, and support, life skills training, personal development and mentoring; vocational skills training, employment assistance; and post-placement support (â€Å"Youth social†). Young people must be provided assistance into paid employment by giving advice, training and other help that they need to make them more employable (Kemp, 2005). Focusing on individual agency such as young people’s attributes, qualifications, decision-making, and behavior allows young people to successfully transition from welfare to work (Kemp, 2005). The Kids Helpline at BoysTown is similar to a mentoring program that helps disadvantaged young people to tackle social exclusion. Mentoring consists of an informal educative role and personal support and encouragement (Pierson, 2002). Mentor acts as a trusted counselor or guide (Pierson, 2002). The goal of a mentoring or counseling program is to connect two individuals in a one to one voluntary relationship, with one individual being more experienced than the other and with the hope that their knowledge and skills will be transferred (Pierson, 2002). The key features of a mentoring relationship include a voluntary arrangement as required by the individual being mentored and can be ended by either party at any time, interpersonal skills of mentors to manage and monitor the relationship, and the understanding of both mentored and mentors about the boundaries and objective of the relationship (Pierson, 2002). Colley (2003) mentions the popularity of mentoring with policy-makers because it addresses their concerns such as the moralization of social exclusion. The author adds that the solution to social exclusion of young people depends on their re-engagement with the labor market and/or formal learning routes. The key role of mentoring is to provide a way for the re-engagement by changing young people’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior to engage their personal commitment to become employable (Colley, 2003). Mentoring helps young people in terms of empowering them, discussing aspirations, and making them more realistic about their view of work (Colley, 2003). It is also important to assist young people to attain skills in areas such as confidence building, problem solving, improvement of interpersonal skills, punctuality, and team working in order to enhance their personal effectiveness in the workplace (Colley, 2003). Moreover, mentoring is also important to help disadvantaged young people develop social networks and capital (Colley, 2003). It is necessary to create initiatives that involve young people not only in making decisions that affect them individually or on particular services but also in making decisions that influence their communities collectively (Pierson, 2002). Organizations led by young people play an important role in defining services and provide practical support for young persons (Pierson, 2002). The aim of the Indigenous community development at BoysTown is to help young people to re-engage in learning; increase community involvement in formal education and training; enhance access to sustainable mainstream employment opportunities; and develop training and work opportunities through community-based social business enterprises (â€Å"Youth social†). According to Pierson (2002), adolescent support teams have emerged rapidly during the early 1990s. The author adds that the aim of adolescent support teams is to divert youths from the care system and offer short-term preventive service that assists families prevent problems in relationships that might result to homelessness. The approach used by the adolescent support teams is preventive and based on time-limited, task-focused work (Pierson, 2002). Most of the work of the adolescent support teams involves negotiation and mediation between young people and parents (Pierson, 2002). BoysTown enterprises are involved in several community infrastructure development, asset maintenance, and urban renewal projects in disadvantaged areas (â€Å"Youth social†). Enterprise-based intermediate labor markets are effective in minimizing crime and anti-social behavior and in helping young people who are socially excluded to engage again with the labor market (â€Å"Youth social†). According to Aiken (2007), social enterprises are considered mission-driven organizations with a commitment to a specific disadvantaged group. The author adds that placement agencies function as intermediaries in searching and training people to move into work in the mainstream labor market. Social enterprises have often focused on the needs of socially excluded client groups (Aiken, 2007). Aiken (2007) mentions that the origin of social and community enterprises can be found in the mutual and cooperative sector in Great Britain. The author adds that the emergence of this movement has resulted to an important pattern which has focused on the economic development of poorer communities, including the importance of maintaining paid work. Intermediate Labor Market organizations focus on short-term training and employment with the goal of trainees transitioning into paid work in other organizations (Aiken, 2007). They may be working with disadvantaged people and will have a tendency to be reliant on some degree of public sector contracting. References Aiken, M. (2007). What is the role of social enterprise in finding, creating and maintaining employment? for disadvantaged groups? Retrieved June 14, 2009, from http://www. parracity. nsw. gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/22575/Cabinet_Office Colley, Helen (2003). Mentoring for social inclusion: A critical approach to nurturing mentor relationships. New York, NY: Routledge. Kemp, P. A. (2005) Young people and unemployment: From welfare to workfare. In M. Barry (Ed. ), Youth policy and social inclusion: critical debates with young people (pp. 139-156). New York, NY: Routledge. Pierson, J. (2002). Tackling social exclusion. New York, NY: Routledge. Youth social exclusion: A global concern. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from http://www. boystown. com. au/downloads/rep/BT-Youth-Social-Exclusion. pdf

Message of the poem “On my first Sonne” Essay

â€Å"On my first Sonne† is a poem where Jonson describes his reaction to sorrow when his first son dies. Jonson confronts conflict, loss and despair when â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie† was â€Å"exacted by fate, on the just day†. He uses his son as an inspiration in this poem and describes his different stages that he has gone through by using language and structural features in this poem. The structural layout in this poem suggests that a progression of ideas is taking place. The first five lines indicate struggle, conflict, loss and despair. He experiences shock and guilt as he says, â€Å"My sinne was too much hope of thee, loved boy†. The feeling then develops to acceptance in line six, where he asks rhetorically â€Å"For why will man lament the state he should envie?† Jonson then follows this statement with various points trying to argue his bitterness and guilt. Simultaneously, he resolves his feelings in the last lines by saying â€Å"For whose sake henceforth, all his vowes be such,† Throughout the poem, modality in verbs changes, this supports the idea mentioned above. Jonson uses low modalities and conditional phrases at the beginning of the poem to show doubt, confusion and guilt. Because of the progression of ideas throughout the poem, the modality in the verbs change from low and conditional to high modality and declarative. He shows this by using this phrase at line nine: â€Å"REST in soft peace, and, asked, SAY here doth LYE.† These contrasts with the phrase used in line five when he says â€Å"O, COULD I loose all father now?† which has a low modality. Jonson uses part rhyme in the words â€Å"Sonne†, â€Å"sinne†, â€Å"soone† and â€Å"Jonson† to link them together. This highlights the development of ideas and the motif of the poem. These words are meant as metaphors of all his feelings towards the loss of his son. Jonson uses the phrase â€Å"Farewell, thou child of my right hand and joy† to describe what his first child meant to him. Jonson uses an intertextual link to the bible when mentioning â€Å"child of my right hand†. He is referring to Benoni, the eleventh son of Jacob [Israel] in the book of Genesis. Benoni means child of grief and Benjamin means the son of my right hand. The poet  uses this analogy to describe his feelings of the painful departing of his son and what it meant to him. â€Å"Joy† is used to contrast Benoni and causes confusion and uncertainty. Another language feature in this poem is presented in line three, â€Å"Seven yeeres thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay†. This phrase has twelve syllables and has three stresses at â€Å"SEVEN YEERES THOU†, meanwhile the other lines have ten syllables and are in iambic metre. This is used to emphasis the â€Å"seven yeeres† that his child lived. â€Å"Lent† and â€Å"pay† are contrasts. These two words illustrate that Jonson considered God as an owner of his child, rather than his own. â€Å"O, could I loose all father now.† (line 5) and â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie† (line 10) uses polysemy to interpret different characters. Jonson uses polysemy in line five to interpret three characters; Ben Jonson Sr., Ben Jonson Jr. and the Heavenly father himself. If the words are moved around, there will be different interpretation to the phrase. â€Å"O† signifies pain and clamor. â€Å"Could I loose all father now† can have different interpretations. Ben Jonson Sr. could have meant that he will lose his privilege as a father, Ben Jonson Jr. could interpret that he will lose his father and the â€Å"father† can be read as the heavenly father. Likewise, the line â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie† can be referred as Ben Jonson Sr. or Ben Jonson Jr. This polysemy can refer as the son being the â€Å"best piece of poetrie† that Ben Jonson Sr. has ever wrote or that the inner self of Ben Jonson Sr. â€Å"doth lye† dead. Rhyming couplets are used to indicate Father and Son are paired as one together. The poem is composed in twelve lines with the rhyming scheme of AABB. This suggests that the Father and Son are united even though that death has separated them. Line five and six has the same rhyme than line nine and ten. Line six set up a rhetoric question, â€Å"For why Will man lament the state he could ENVIE? Line nine and ten define the â€Å"state† that â€Å"man†¦could envie† in reference to the poet’s feeling, â€Å"Rest in soft peace, and, asked, say here doth lye Ben Jonson his best piece of POETRIE.† These four lines have the same rhyme. This language device is used to link the four lines together to indicate us a connection between the question and the answer. Throughout the poem, Jonson changes from first person to third person. This stresses the separation between the father and the departed son. Jonson uses first person in the first half of the poem, speaking to Jonson jr. directly as he is alive, when he says:: â€Å"My sinne was too much love of thee, loved boy,† This line puts the words into the reader’s mouth, making the reader think that Jonson was speaking to the boy. But as the poem develops; Ben Jonson Sr. and Son are being divided apart. Later on, third person is used to indicate separation. Jonson uses this technique to show polysemy and argue that the son and father are still together even though death separated them. The use of sibilance in the poem creates a peaceful and restful atmosphere. Jonson builds up sibilance consonants throughout the poem. This could mean that Ben Jonson Sr. is reconciling with the feeling of pain that he is undergoing with his struggle. A good indication could be line seven; â€Å"soone scap’d worlds†, it has three unstressed syllables in a row, suggesting a change of mood in the poem. This is followed by line nine that has five sibilance: â€Å"REST in SOFT PEACE, and, ASKED, SAY here doth lye.† This line possesses sibilance supporting the idea of a tranquil mood in line seven. Jonson concludes the poem by vowing not to love â€Å"he†¦never like too much†. This father’s feeling on the loss of his son, has brought Jonson to use various structural features to identify his stages of sorrow he has gone thought. The use of various language features, such as polysemy and rhyme describe his various interpretations to his grief and gives the reader the challenge to understand fully â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie†.

Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom

Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom Power describes the capacity of an individual or teacher to compel or persuade actions or inactions. The features of power in a multicultural classroom include compulsion, penalty, and coercion. However, the power to compel specific actions in a classroom is called agency. As a result, the agency is stimulated by power.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, teacher’s assertive behavior in a multicultural classroom stimulate agency among students (Ahlquist, 1999). Students withdraw from class activity if they perceive teacher’s dominance in class discussions. The act of withdrawal is called the agency in the classroom. Race Race is a variable that affects the teacher-student relationship. Surveys revealed that race affects student’s performance. The findings revealed that black students perform well in a black environmen t. As a result, white students develop with white teachers while Afro-American students associate with black teachers. Thus, racial interactions facilitate learning. Students will likely choose role models from teachers that share similarities in behavior, race, and ethnic background. As a result, black teachers interact better with black students than white students. Racial gap can be closed with teachers attitude and control.  Thus, teacher’s behavior and classroom techniques quality can improve communication in a multicultural environment. White privilege Diversity gap is a challenge in a multicultural environment. As a result, institutions with few minority populations suffer from white privileges. Consequently, white privileges affect student’s participation in a multicultural environment. Cultural diversity and white privileges complement each other. However, multicultural education was introduced to reduce the diversity gap. As a result, multicultural educatio n creates a balance between what is right and what is enforced.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The term white privilege denotes the advantage conferred on a dominant race. Student-teacher relationship in a white dominated institution is influenced by white privileges. As a result, Afro-American teachers suffer white dominance in a multicultural classroom. Consequently, black students are bullied my white teachers in a multicultural environment. For example, white students have the privileges to change teachers that affect their learning environment. The privilege is a disadvantage in the black community. Injustice The above example reveals the injustice in a multicultural environment. As a result, black students are oppressed in a white dominated environment. Thus, injustice prevents the student from participating in the class activity. Institutional discrimination and marg inalization Institutional discrimination and marginalization affect the student-teacher relationship. Discrimination against a minority population in a predominantly white college has been reported in various literatures. However, African-American teachers are not excluded from marginalization and discrimination. Black teachers also experience instructional marginalization in a white dominated environment. As a result, black teachers may enforce space and safety. Thus, the teacher-student relationship may be affected by institutional discrimination. Cultural diversity facilitates institutional discrimination. As a result, white teachers believe that racial discrimination is a way of life. Thus, teacher-students relationship will encounter challenges in a multicultural classroom. Multicultural education was created to bridge the gap associated with cultural diversity. However, most institutions refused to eliminate marginalization and discrimination. Space and safety Marginalization goes beyond racial abuse and discrimination. Marginalization has been entrenched as a belief system. As a result, white teachers believe that grop dominance separated them from the black community. However, space and safety improve student’s performance and relationship.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, students engage in class activities when they feel safe in a multicultural environment. Problem will arise when the teacher fails to recognize class dynamics. As a result, ineffective class rules may limit the participation of the minority population. Safety and space facilitate understanding between the teacher and the student (Ahlquist, 1999). Thus, teachers must restrict hate speech and disturbing remarks to improve students space and safety. Having and giving voice Having and giving voice to a minority population impr oved the communication gap between the student and teacher. Multicultural education can be used to bridge the gap in a diversified environment. As a result, teachers must allow students to express themselves in class discussions. Consequently, teachers must understand students silence to facilitate learning. Cultural barriers and shock can be eliminated using effective classroom techniques. Thus, teachers must support the arguments and contributions of every member of the class. What does diversity mean to you? Diversity describes the individual acceptance of other cultures, social system, physical abilities, and race and belief system. Words that associate with diversity include bystander, bias, discrimination, ally, and stereotype. These words describe an individual’s reservation towards diversity in a multicultural classroom. I connected these words to explain the meaning of diversity and its implications in a multicultural environment. Cultural diversity in a multicultura l environment combines race, and ethnic background. Belief. Belief describes the assumed hypothesis that facilitates learning. I used the belief system to express the concept of cultural diversity. In a multicultural environment, the student’s belief system facilitates class discussions and academic performance. For example, white students believe to be superior to Afro-American students. As a result, they may exhibit class dominance in group task or discussions.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Attitude. Attitude describes an individual’s preference towards another. As a result, attitude influence learning in a multicultural environment. Thus, the teacher’s attitude facilitates learning. Values. An ethical way of living is called a value. Values mean an aggregate expression of human behavior, culture, and norms. As a result, value tailors an individual’s habits, and communication skills. What does this mean to you as a student and/or future teacher/educator? As a student, belief, attitude, and value informs, guide, and facilitate learning in a multicultural classroom. Consequently, teachers and educators must observe cultural diversity using these words to ensure fairness, space, and safety. Thus, power relation in a multicultural environment influences student’s beliefs, attitude, and values. Teacher’s behaviors and assertive dominance influence class resistance, silence, and inactivity (Ahlquist, 1999). Is multicultural education a sour ce of freedom or oppression? Why? Teacher’s belief in a multicultural classroom affects student’s attitude and perception. Afro-American teachers stimulate resistance among the students using power and agency. As a result, some students become uncomfortable with the teachers assertive dominance. Class dynamics in influenced by power and resistance. For example, if white students dominate the class population in a multicultural classroom, black students will enforce resistance towards with privileges. However, African-American teachers stimulate class resistance among white students. The form of resistance includes silence, inactivity, and withdrawal. Multicultural education can be used to express freedom and oppression. African American teachers engage students in a multicultural classroom to reveal their experiences. However, it stimulates individual difference towards historical facts. White teacher can oppress black students by explaining slavery and black migration . Consequently, African American teachers may be liberated with multicultural education. Power relation in a multicultural environment facilitates direction, educational change, and individual character. To evaluate student’s concepts in an ideal environment, teacher’s dominance must reflect his or her belief system. Consequently, students and teachers are victims of socialization, which require consideration. Teachers must accommodate student’s resistance to ensure coherent communication in a multicultural classroom (Ahlquist, 1999). African-American teachers must balance ignorance or agreement with resistance and silence. Teacher’s experience facilitates the multicultural development and transformation of students. Teachers are agents of change and are responsible for the student’s development and understanding in a multicultural environment. Reference Ahlquist, R. (1999). Position and imposition: Power relations in a multicultural foundations cl ass. The Journal of Negro Education, 60(2), 158-169.

How to Format a UK Business Letter

How to Format a UK Business Letter How to Format a UK Business Letter How to Format a UK Business Letter By Ali Hale I covered writing US business letters, but I know we have a number of readers in the United Kingdom too – or readers who might want to write to companies within the UK. I’ll just be covering the formatting here rather than explaining again why each element is included, so you might want to read the article on US business letters first. The UK format is similar to US full block format, with these key differences for UK letters: The return address is right-aligned The date is written as â€Å"15th May 2008† not â€Å"May 15, 2008† A comma, not a colon, follows the recipients’ name The subject (if included) is centred In the UK, a standard business letter looks like this: Just as with the US examples, I’ll break the letter down into the main elements, working from the top to the bottom. Your Address Your address, also known as the â€Å"return address†, comes first (leave this off if you’re using letter-headed paper). 123 Old Road Newtown London SW1 3AA Your return address should be right-justified. The Date Directly beneath this, the date on which the letter was written: 15th May 2008 In the UK, the day comes before the month, and it is fine to put â€Å"st†, â€Å"nd† or â€Å"th† after the day’s date, eg. â€Å"15th† â€Å"1st† or â€Å"2nd†. You can position the date on the right or on the left of your letter. Recipent’s name and address Beneath this, you should put the recipient’s name and address, just as it would appear on the envelope. If you’re using a window envelope, make sure it’ll show through when the paper is inserted. The recipient’s name and address should be positioned on the left-hand side. The Greeting After their address, you should leave a line’s space then put â€Å"Dear Mr Jones†, â€Å"Dear Bob† or â€Å"Dear Sir/Madam† as appropriate. Follow this with a comma. The greeting should be left-aligned. The Subject You may want to include a subject for your letter this is often helpful to the recipient, especially if they receive a lot of mail. If you do include a subject line, thsi should be directly below the Dear name, centered on the page, and can be in bold, uppercase or both to make it stand out. The Text of your Letter The main body of your letter should have: Single-spacing between lines A blank line (NOT an indent) before each new paragraph Each new paragraph should start at the left hand side. The Closing and Your Name and Signature After the body of text, your letter should end with an appropriate closing phrase such as â€Å"Yours sincerely† or â€Å"With best regards†, and a comma. Leave several blank lines after the closing (so you can sign the letter after printing it), then type your name. You can optionally put your job title and company name on the line beneath this. Joe Bloggs Marketing Director, BizSolutions The closing and your name and signature should all be on the left hand side. Still stuck? Try this letter writing exercise – it’s aimed at school-kids in the UK, but it’s good fun for adults too! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101The Four Sounds of the Spelling OUApostrophe with Plural Possessive Nouns

Rationality and its Symbols Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rationality and its Symbols - Essay Example As several commentators on the consulting sector have pointed out, both the outcome and success of knowledge-intensive services [] are very difficult to measure" (Armbruster, 2004, p. 1248). Another presumption made by Armbruster is the state of uncertainty and doubtful quality of service provided by management consulting firms. In fact, there is no legislation or codes of practice which protect both service providers and users in sense of artificial information vacuums created by influential groups. In addition, credence goods market dictates its own rules: when selecting personnel, organization are aimed at finding persons who will easily fit into business environment and identify themselves with this area, or figuratively speaking, dissolve and serve merely as representatives of certain business segment. Human Resource Management perfectly functions when described in the range of related theories, models and concepts, but they are often barely applicable because of the leading trends in contemporary business. First of all, so-called 'war for talents' (ibid, p.1249) shows the need for young and creative university graduates, who have degree, but lack job experience. Nevertheless, such immature specialists often work as advisors and speak to their experienced colleagues in the manner of superiority. Consulting firms prominently demonstrate this trend, as personnel selection process in this area doesn't include tests, associated with correspondence to organizational philosophy and psychology, but merely on the simple tool known as case-study interview - specific problem assigned to a candidate. On the other hand, the scholar indicates that there is a stable set of criteria, which should be included into the interview: discussion of market size and appropriate case study ( number of sma ll businesses within certain area, calculation of computerization trends), business cases (such assignment include strategic planning for certain company, SWOT-analysis and other important business plan preparation tools) and brainteasers (very specific cases within narrow or poorly-researched area, which are to be resolved by an interviewee by using 'realistic approach'). In spite of obvious diversity and segmentation existing in our business area, interviews are typical: " The candidate is expected to make assumptions in order to have a basis for quantitative calculations" (ibid, p. 1254) That is to say, rationality in management consulting was researched by many more specialists and the results show almost no distinctions. Gradual prevalence of case-study interview was shown in Peter Block's survey (2004), in which he draws an interrelation between the growth of small businesses and the need for introducing case studies as the framework for successful interview. Cross et al (2001) hold that accessibility of information is one of the main factors in shaping knowledge, but consultants should try to make more specific and more goal-oriented queries, as they often underestimate of ignore such factors as peculiarities of collaboration between businesses (which businesses are more likely to cooperate), peculiarities of certain product (for instance, the fashion for some sports is falling, so the periods between purchasing new inventory sets is increasing) (Cross, 2001). Another interesting

To what extent can organisations minimise counterproductive or deviant Essay

To what extent can organisations minimise counterproductive or deviant behaviour - Essay Example prompt counterproductive and deviant work behaviors, discuses effects of these factors, and pinpoints diagnostic techniques as well as potential approaches for negating these behaviors. Counterproductive and deviant behaviors are employee behaviors, which violate organizational goals, rules, and policies, among other aspects of an organization. These deviant behaviors may be deliberate or unintended, and rise from a variety of underlying motivations and causes. In organizations, deviant workplace behavior is a prevalent, costly phenomenon, and includes several negative acts that employees exhibit to harm the organization and co-workers. These negative outcomes affect production, relationships, and properties. Interactions among employees or between employees and workplace environment also cause counterproductive and work deviant behaviors. In view of this, an employee is likely to exhibit counterproductive and deviant behaviors because of his/her personality or traits. Corporate envi ronment such as lax supervision and social context can also result in deviant and counterproductive behaviors. These behaviors include verbal and physical aggression, intentional improper work, absenteeism, theft, delays, and others. Organizations have the responsibility to counter these behaviors by use of appropriate strategies and techniques. Fodchuk (2007, p. 31) states that counterproductive work behaviors and organization citizenship behaviors are prompted by factors categorized into triggers, internal control, opportunity, and propensity. Triggers are external events, or perception of an individual concerning a particular event in an organization such as physical and emotional exhaustion, withdrawal behaviors, procedural justice, and supervisor abuse. Opportunities are circumstances or perceptions of situations that aid the exertion of counterproductive and work deviant behaviors by hindering desired outcomes, or rendering negative consequences relatively tolerable and less