Sociology Written Review - 1000 words - Materials Provided (PART 2) Essay

Sociology Written Review - 1000 words - Materials Provided (PART 2) - Essay Example This review however is limited by the fact that the chapter is merely a small part of the author’s entire book and many of the points and issues taken refer to some other parts or chapters of the book. Nevertheless, Pusey is more than emphatic on the debilitating effect of orchestrated economic reforms on the Australian community life. The fundamental premise of the author in this chapter is, as previously stated, that the economic reforms being undertaken by the Australian government is not good because instead of making these reforms suit the needs of the Australians, it is the people who bear the brunt of the effects of these reforms. This is ultimately bad because it tends to weaken the very foundation of society which is community life. To illustrate his point, Pusey utilised the different impressions and experiences of 400 middle class Australians (hence, the title The Experience of Middle Australians) of several aspects of modern Australian life like membership in voluntary organisations, crimes, the Australian social and economic structures, the media and institutions and people they give their trust to. The control group of 400 middle class Australians, according to the data gathered by Pusey, constituted highly mobile individuals, who have moved around most of their lives, due to labour markets which necessitated frequent relocation of homes. Pusey interpreted this as causing the dissolution of â€Å"associational density† which characterises communities. This is certainly true especially if one’s concept of community is that of a communal association of old and long-time friends, neighbors and associates. However, the opportunity of meeting and associating with new neighbors and striking new acquaintances can be viewed from a positive perspective. This allows a person to broaden his perspectives and besides, if individuals are open to association with other individuals

Ethnography and participant obsevation Coursework

Ethnography and participant obsevation - Coursework Example A greater proportion of people coming to the store are the female gender indicating that shopping as a chore is more prone to be undertaken by women, and as a family group activity does not happen as an individual activity. Since the door of the store was not an automatic door, the expectation was that assistance would be provided to women with toddlers and the elderly, to gain access to the store by others ahead of them entering the store, by holding the door open for them. However, this was not the case, as the door was held open only once for other people and twice for women with toddlers. Less awareness of the difficulties of others and less concern for that appears to be the culture of people who entered the store during the period of observation. Lengthening the period of observation could have led to the unobtrusive exercise, losing that quality, as people entering the store could have become aware of the observation, and changed their patter of behavior. Literary References D ewalt, K. M. & Dewalt, B. R. (2002). Participant Observation. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.

Edgar Allen Poes Essay Example for Free

Edgar Allen Poes Essay From the very first line written in the Cask Of Amontillado; The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. We are thrust into a ride, much like one you might find at the amusement park or the carnival, with the distinct difference that although this ride is in fact on rails, how it will affect us and how we will interpret the events during is completely up to us. Edgar Allan Poe does a remarkable job of employing several psychological techniques in his short story The cask of Amontillado , but I will only focus on one, which even by todays standards is flawless. The technique is the mystery. Who is Fortunato? What has he done to Montresor that has caused so much emotional and psychological damage? Obviously the answers to these questions will elude and intrigue the audience. So we are instantly on the hook. To find the answers to these questions we must avert more of our attention and interest to the piece at hand. Poe, now with our utmost and full attention, begins to plunge us into the mind of his protagonist. Not so by simply introducing us to Montresor but instead by showing us his actions, his thoughts, his mannerisms. He accomplishes this by exposing us to Fortunato and the conversations between them that will ensue. On the surface Montresor seems like a normal man with no ill will. Although quickly we begin to learn otherwise. My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking today. So begins the series of dialogues Song 2 and conversations that would appear to be like any other had by two good friends. At first Montresor is nothing but amicable, he compliments his good friends on his looks, dress and even praises his good taste and reputation. And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own. The audience now fully engaged in the story though the methods of mystery, curiosity and perhaps even endearment or empathy for Fortunato continue to delve deeper into the event unfolding before our very eyes. Just as the protagonist and the antagonist begin to descend upon the catacombs and the halls of the Montresors manor, so does the conversation and the dialogue taking place between them. We will go back; your health is precious. you are rich, respected, admired , beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We are now beginning to be exposed more openly to the sociopathic ways of our protagonist; Montresor. Willingly and cheerfully guiding our poor and still at the moment helpless, Fortunato , as he is still under the spell of Montresor. When we finally arrive to the depths of the catacombs the reader is now aware that some horrible event is bound to ensure, but the conversation and the presentation made by the writer has now fully invaded the reader. Little by little inch by inch as we descended down through the catacombs, we have been made more anxious, more uncomfortable. Now all the built up tension that has been gathering is ripe for the telling. Pass your hand Is the cue that signals the reader. We are here, this is where our journey has been leading you, here is the end. Over the wall; you cannot help feeling the nitre. It is then that Poe unleashes his Single effect all done with a fine attention to detail. The message is clear. you are now here, you will go nowhere, this is where you will rest. Presumably after achieving his single effect the reader will sense a series of emotional responses; ranging from fear to terror to relief. Relief that the built up tension and anxiety has now been released. The rid e has finally come to an end and it is now time to go home and think upon the emotions you have felt here today.

Steven King :: Essays Papers

Steven King "If you have an imagination, let it run free." - Steven King, 1963 The King of Terror Stephen Edwin King is one of today's most popular and best selling writers. King combines the elements of psychological thrillers, science fiction, the paranormal, and detective themes into his stories. In addition to these themes, King sticks to using great and vivid detail that is set in a realistic everyday place. Stephen King who is mainly known for his novels, has broadened his horizons to different types of writings such as movie scripts, nonfiction, autobiographies, children's books, and short stories. While Stephen King might be best known for his novels The Stand and It, some of his been published are his short stories such as "The Body" and "Quitters Inc". King's works are so powerful because he uses his experience and observations from his everyday life and places them into his unique stories. Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947, at the Maine General Hospital. Stephen, his mother Nellie, and his adopted brother David were left to fend f or themselves when Stephen's father Donald, a Merchant Marine captain, left one day, to go the store to buy a pack of cigarettes, and never returned. His fathers leaving had a big indirect impact on King's life. In the autobiographical work Danse Macabre, Stephen King recalls how his family life was altered: "After my father took off, my mother, struggled, and then landed on her feet." My brother and I didn't see a great deal of her over the next nine years. She worked a succession of continuous low paying jobs." Stephen's first outlooks on life were influenced by his older brother and what he figured out on his own. While young Stephen and his family moved around the North Eastern and Central United States. When he was seven years old, they moved to Stratford, Connecticut. Here is where King got his first exposure to horror. One evening he listened to the radio adaptation of Ray Bradbury's story "Mars Is Heaven!" That night King recalls he "slept in the doorway, where the real and rational light of the bathroom bulb could shine on my face" (Beaham 16). Stephen King's exposure to oral storytelling on the radio had a large impact on his later writings. King tells his stories in visual terms so that the reader would be able to "see" what was happening in their own mind, somewhat in the same fashion the way it was done on the radio (Beaham 17).

Plan to Improve Organizational Sturcture and Recapture Market Share Essay

Over the past few years, WordPlay Greetings has experienced a sharp decline in market share as well has extremely high turnover of sales staff. The first major challenge discussed was the limited supply of items that are also sold to other national retailers and create competition against Word Plays smaller company owned and franchised stores. The second issue highlighted in our discussion was that operations have been inefficient which also leads to decline of profitability. WordPlay Management was fearful that high turnover of sales staff was a major cause of inefficient operations and stressed the importance of addressing this issue. Technological advances are certainly an issue that every industry must consider when trying to keep with or beat competitors. Online options for the greeting card industry have greatly advanced over the past few years offering ways to send expressions electronically and even customize them with photos and voices without having to leave home. It is critical revive WordPlays website and make stores more appealing to visit with new product lines and customization options that will attract customers and keep them coming back and telling others. Hiring and retaining talented and caring staff is goes hand in hand with keeping up with technology. Knowledgeable and caring sales people are just as important as the product. Developing an organizational culture that inspires and motivates will help spark new creative designs and product offerings for WordPlay Greetings. Bryce & Dancetty has performed industry research, employee and market surveys, leading to job redesign, development of new marketing and product design teams, and improved organizational reward programs that aim at reducing turnover for WordPlay Greetings and getting them back on a path to profits. Introduction Bryce & Dancetty Consulting has been working with WordPlay Greetings over the past several months to analyze their business, develop plans to reduce sales staff turnover, revive its product line, improve its organizational culture, and implement new programs that will motivate employees and enrich jobs and career paths. In this report we will review the methods used to collect data and form plans for change. Causes of Business Downturn WordPlay Greetings market share has seen sharp declines over the past few years. Company leaders concluded that causes for this problem stemmed from the limited supply of items that are also sold to other national retailers and create competition against Word Plays smaller company owned and franchised stores. An additional contributor to their decline was believed to be high turnover with in their sales division. WordPlay leaders agreed to work with Bryce & Dancetty Consulting to look deeper in to these issues and how they could be resolved to help them regain market share and do better at hiring and retaining a highly skilled and motivated sales team. Bryce Dancetty Consulting employed the DECIDE Model which is based on statistical science to examine all aspects of the WordPlay business and its environment. The Decide Model allowed us to define the problem(s) and/or opportunities, along with objectives and constraints. Next, the possible decision factors that make up the alternative courses of action (controllable & uncontrollable) are enumerated (given numeric values). Then, relevant information on the alternatives and possible outcomes is collected. The next step is to identify and select the best alternative based on chosen criteria or measures of success. Then a detailed plan to develop and implement the alternative selected is created and put in to effect. Last, the outcome of the decision process itself is evaluated. We addressed issues by performing a market research and analysis that focuses on the following questions: †¢How can Word Play develop products that are exclusive, unique and will help recapture a higher market share? †¢Can store hours be adjusted based on traffic flow and peak sales times in order to reduce labor costs and increase profitability? Are there colleges in the area that may have marketing and/or design students that would be willing to intern and help bring new/fresh product designs to Word Play Greetings? Research was done and information was gathered via surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups that Bryce & Dancetty designed and assembled. Surveys and questionnaires provided a wealth of information quickly in a non-threatening manner. Most were completely anonymous and done at a very minimal cost. They were administered via mail as well as online. Feedback received via surveys concluded that Wordplay Greeting Cards current product line was being described as â€Å"stale† by former customers. This perception must be changed in order for the company to regain and increase its market share going forward. Focus Groups were utilized to explore topics related to operational efficiency, product design, marketing strategies, and common complaints regarding products to gain a more in-depth perspective on the best ways to increase market share and profitability. Focus groups yielded results that supported job redesign for the sales division, developing new product design and marketing teams, and creating an organizational culture that motivates and inspires. Sales Division and Sales Clerk Turnover Interviews of corporate employees as well as store staff were performed to better understand their impressions of the current state of the company, their experiences, and their ideas for improvement. From the information gathered, Bryce & Dancetty provided a revised job description which is attached in the appendix for review. In addition to revising the job description for sales clerks, Bryce &Dancetty made several recommendations that do not involve compensation adjustments that can also increase retention of sales staff for Wordplay Greetings. There is a significant need for WordPlay to increase feelings of participation within the organization. While allowing sales associates greater freedom in creating store displays, it is recommended that contests be incorporated to help motivate employees to put forth their best efforts. Allowing sales associates to take responsibility for deciding on how to put together displays is an example of vertically loading the job. Their autonomy increases and they feel more personal accountability for the outcome of their efforts (Hodgetts & Heger 2008, pg. 306). Involvement in new product selections through the creation of employee focus groups is also highly recommended. The focus groups will be allowed to participate on conference calls and in web training to assist with selection of new products that will be carried in the stores and also learn how these choices impact the company financially. This feeds an employee’s desire to learn and grow in their career, knowledge, and skill (Heathfield 2012). A recent McKinsey Quarterly survey underscores this type of opportunity. Respondents felt that the chance to lead projects or task forces were often more effective at motivating than financial increases (McKinsey Quarterly 2009). Another way to build a connection within an organization and increase the sense of belonging that employees feel is to create a company newsletter. Newsletters helps share what is happening on a higher level by sharing hot company news being discussed by executives, sharing status on company goals, and stock standings. When there are multiple locations, newsletters help to share what is happening elsewhere and are a great way to share creative ideas, contest winners, and announce new contests. Employee Profiles can be included to highlight accomplishments both inside and outside of the company. The newsletter is also a great way to share benefit information, deadlines, health tips, and volunteer opportunities. Lastly, increased communication between employees and local as well as corporate management will be a key to retention of sales staff. Well-designed jobs anticipate the need for communication. Most employees want to know what is expected of them in the job, how they are doing, how they can improve, what latitude they have in changing how they do their tasks, what should be discussed with a supervisor and when the discussion should occur. Employees rarely complain about too much communication with their supervisor. They often want more communication (Hodgetts & Heger 2008, pg. 306). The implementation of a regular newsletter as mentioned above will help with communication, however we are also strongly urging WordPlay Greeting Cards to provide a stronger line of communication via email that will allow employees to contact corporate offices more efficiently for feedback if they have concerns that are not being addressed at a local level and/or ideas that they want to share for improvement. Bryce & Dancetty Consulting is confident that the revision of the sales clerk job description which increases responsibility and sense of participation will not only attract more applicants but also encourage company loyalty and lead to retention of a high quality sales staff that can be promoted in to management positions as the business grows. Job Enrichment Job enrichment is a way to motivate employees by giving them increased responsibility and variety in their jobs. Our plans for job enrichment will focus on allowing employees to have more control in planning their work and deciding how the work should be accomplished. Job enrichment efforts will include adding and clarifying: Skill Variety – the number of different types of skills used to do a job. This is important because using only one skill to do the same task repeatedly can get very boring. When employees get bored productivity decreases over time. Task Identity – A matter of realizing a visible outcome from performing a task. Being able to see the end result of the work they do is an important motivator for employees. This can be accomplished through Job Enlargement. WordPlay will move towards this goal by adding more tasks and responsibilities to existing jobs. To illustrate this concept – a customer service representative will follow a client’s issue from start to finish (phone inquiry through problem resolution). Customer service reps will be given greater access and authority to make account/claim adjustments so that fewer inquiries need to be escalated. They will be able to take pride in knowing they solved a problem themselves and customer satisfaction is also sure to increase. Task Significance – How a job impacts others in the organization. If this is clearly defined, employees will make greater efforts to do their best.

Review ways in which minimum core elements can be demonstrated in assessing learners Essay

The main points I have learnt from this assessment/task are; We can embed minimum core elements can be embedded in our assessment, through multiple resources. We can get learners to access quiz materials online, which will embed ICT. Learners can read through task sheets, which will embed reading English. We can also have learners complete a number of tasks in a given time frame, which will embed mathematics. When assessing my learners, I embedded predominately English and ICT, Mathematics was embedded in some of the tasks that they had to complete. The learners had to read the task sheet, there was a sheet of paper which listed all the tasks that was corresponding to the lesson. This was embedding English into the assessment. I also had a document saved on Learnzone, which gave the learner the option to view the document online, by accessing the document online, I had embedded ICT skills in the learner’s assessment. Embedding Mathematics into the Learners assessment would prove slightly difficult, with computer programming, when the learner was completing the tasks, some of the tasks, would compile of condition loops, which would set conditions based on numbers. There was numeracy involved in my assessment. The learners would have been assessed at the end of the module, based on a report that they would write. The report was to demonstrate their understanding of the computer programming language and would include screen shots as evidence of their work. The minimum core skills are required as the learner must have good English skills to write a report, and have good ICT skills to use a computer. How could I develop my practical skills as a result of this assessment/task; The learners had to learn a computer programming language, so most of the minimum core is embedded when assessing. I could engage the learners in an online quiz, this could enhance the mathematics skills when including minimum core. I could have also written more complex conditional functions, within the programming language, which would embed more mathematics. How could I develop my knowledge and understanding as a result of this assessment/task; I could research other tutors material and observe how they embed minimum core skills within their teaching, considering other assessment methods like short answer tests, quiz and presentations, to embed more of the minimum core skills.

Alices Adventures In Wonderland Discussion Board Coursework

Alices Adventures In Wonderland Discussion Board Coursework Alice's Adventures In Wonderland Discussion Board – Coursework Example Entertaining, but Also Didactic: Adventures for Ages 6 to 12 in Carroll’s (1865) Alices Adventures in Wonderland September 16, Carroll’s (1865) Alices Adventures in Wonderland is an enjoyable book because it is filled with memorable characters, events, and symbolisms. It has silly characters too that seem just plain funny at first, but if analyzed closely, they might represent certain people or cultures. I think this book is written to be entertaining because of its interesting characters and events, although it has its didactic side, especially when it teaches the theme of finding one’s identity despite confusing and challenging experiences, and I believe that this book is most appropriate for those in ages 6 to 12, or in Stage 4, of Erikson’s theory on stages of development because they are also in the stage of finding their real identities. This book is written to be entertaining because of the silly characters and strange events that happened to them, but it remains didactic, if readers think about what it says about identity. It is entertaining because it is about adventure in a bizarre land where characters are unbelievably unpredictable, and yet, many are lovable and funny. For instance, the Mad Hatter seems to be one crazy nut, but he is sweet for wanting to spend time with his friends. In addition, this book has its didactic side because it is teaching young readers about finding their identities. The caterpillar asks questions about the self, like: â€Å"Who are you?† (Carroll, 1865, p. 37). This question seems to be about changing sizes for Alice, but it is also about finding out the right size that makes one happy. Finally, this book is most appropriate for those in ages 6 to 12, or in Stage 4, of Erikson’s theory on stages of development because they can relate to the story of finding the self. These are the ages when children want to know more of who they are through socialization and building social ties (McLeod, 2013). This book shows them that their friends or environment can help them find out who they are, but, in the end, they have to make that important decision on their own too. In other words, this book teaches children to find themselves and to be happy with that self when they do.ReferencesCarroll, L. (1865). Alices adventures in Wonderland. Planet ebook.com. Retrieved from planetebook.com/ebooks/Alices-Adventures-in-Wonderland.pdfMcLeod, S. (2013). Erik Erikson. Simply Psychology.org. Retrieved from simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html