Understand the role of the social care worker Essay Example for Free

Understand the role of the social care worker Essay A working relationship is professional based. It is made around a companies contracts, policies and procedures. A person would have a working relationship with their managers, colleagues, other health professionals and their patients. Within a nursing home a social workers working relationship with a patient is one based on care and support. It is to help somebody with their everyday living and where it is best for them to be. There are different boundaries in a working relationship both parties must be strictly professional at all times. A social worker should not exchange their personal information with a patient and they must follow all the companies policies and procedures. A personal relationship is more emotional and intimately based. A personal relationship is what a person has with their family and their friends. It is formed through the choice of two people, it is made through shared interests and likes. A person is free to express how they feel about another individual and voice their opinions in a personal relationship. In a personal relationship both people are involved in deciding whether they want that relationship or not. In health and social care settings there are many different working relationships. When approaching a doctor or other medical professional the relationship will always be professional and formal because it is concerning the patients well being and all information needs to be passed on correctly. A relationship with a patient and their family may be more informal if a social worker has worked with them closely for a long time, although a relationship with them should always stay professional. If they are working with and seeing somebody on a daily basis both parties do develop a closer relationship. The relationship between a person with their colleagues and their manager would also be different, even though both relationships must stay professional somebody would address their manager different to how they would a colleague. All relationships are different but in the workplace they  should always remain professional. Understand the important of working in ways that are agreed with the employer. It is important to adhere to the agreed scope of the given job role because it enables the worker to know their roles and responsibilities. It sets out boundaries for the worker for their own job role. Without knowing their job role they may do things they are not trained to do or other workers may take advantage and get them to do jobs they are not meant to be doing. By knowing the correct job role a worker can improve their skills so they better themselves at that job. It means they will be working towards becoming a better carer, if they know what they are meant to be achieving. Agreed ways of working is to work to the set rules given by your employer or by law. These are usually in the form of policies and procedures, when starting work every employer should read their companies polices and procedures. They are also usually on staff notice boards as well. Staff members can have access to the policies and procedures when ever needed. It is important to have up-to-date details of agreed ways of working because the law may have changed so the policies and procedures would need to be updated to fit in with these. The laws would change to protect vulnerable people or if something has gone wrong. They must be followed so that everyone works to the same guidelines rather than how they want to because if they done that everything would become chaotic. The may also be breaking the law if they are not following the policies and procedures. Understand the importance of working in partnership with others. It important for a social worker to work in partnership with others these include carers, family, friends, doctors, physiotherapists etc. because then specific problems can be addressed such as mobility problems with the physiotherapists, illnesses with the doctors. Without working together a solution would not be made as quickly and easily as possible for the patient. If they are unable to make decision for themselves all those involved in the patients care should help to decide on the best thing for  them, this could be where they should live or what is the best form of medication. They are different ways of working to help improve working in a partnership such as recording all information so that it is easy to access for all the parties involved. The information should be clear and very informative, it needs to be accurate about the patient. All the partnerships should regularly meet or communicate so that everyone involved is up-to-date and all the necessary information is being shared. When resolving conflicts a social worker should always remain calm, level headed and unbiased. If a conflict does arise the social worker needs to show understanding and empathy to both parties and show that they are listening. They should not let their personal opinions or judgements affect what they do or say. To try and diffuse any situation the social worker should give both sides a chance to express their feelings and opinions. If the conflict can not be resolved on that day then a time should be set to resolve it, people may be calmer the second time. If a social worker is finding it hard to resolve a conflict after trying all the solutions they can think of they should ask for help. This could be from a colleague, they may have been in a similar situation before so have very valuable experience. A supervisor or line manager they would be able to give professional advice and again may have experienced this before so would have valuable advice, they would also be more experienced in having to make confident decisions. Agencies such as CQC, social services and support agencies would always be able to either give useful numbers and websites to use or give advice to help solve the situation.

Judy Chicago Essay Example for Free

Judy Chicago Essay Judy Chicago was a â€Å"celebrated artisan, writer and a feminist. † On July 20, 1939, Arthur and May Cohen of Chicago, Illinois who were then a labor organizer and a medical secretary respectively were blessed with a baby girl and they named her Judy. In 1962, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree on Fine arts at UCLA. After 2 years, she received her Master’s degree on the same course and at the same university. By 1977, Judy was already receiving accolades and rewards for her artworks and art exhibitions particularly at the â€Å"Los Angeles County Museum of Art. † In 1969, Judy decided to change her name to Judy Chicago in honor of her hometown. She was able to conduct a â€Å"one-woman show at California State University at Fullerton in 1970. † While Judy’s career was growing, her lovely life was not doing so well. After 2 years of marriage Jerry Gerowitz, she became a widow. Then, she met Lloyd Hamrol in 1969 and divorced him after a decade. Her last husband was Donald Woodman whom she married in 1985 (Harvard University Library). When Chicago was in her late 20’s to early 30’s, she experimented with the use of â€Å"reduced geometric shapes. † More so, she utilized all various forms of art to convey her minimalist style. The utilization of basic forms and colors combined with the evasion of â€Å"incisive cultural commentary,† Chicago was able to put form or meaning to her ideas and art techniques. As a result, she was able to create artworks that â€Å"were formulative to her landmark â€Å"spectral color† theory that has informed all of her subsequent work† (Through the Flower). In the 1960s to 1970s, American society was energized by activism which encouraged the public to question the status quo or the ruling class. It was in this period that Chicago was inspired to initiate a new movement in the art world called the Feminist Art (Through the Flower). The unusual political and social views of Chicago were the results of â€Å"her childhood influences such as her father who was a member of the Communist Party and recognized the oppression of women. † She was considered to be part of the â€Å"red-diaper baby† genre wherein most of the children born in the early 1940s were raised in a progressively manner which was a â€Å"spillover of the WWII atmosphere of leftist and Communist thinkers† but in the case of Chicago, it was more of a â€Å"working-class Jews† scenario. More so, within the family Judy, the â€Å"left-wing politics† replaced Orthodox Judaism. † Through this, Judy was shaped into having an identity that was linked to the Jewish culture with a reputation of being an intellectual with â€Å"a commitment to social justice. † This clearly became the foundation for the creation of Chicago’s radical and socially relevant artworks including the Holocaust Project: From Darkness Into Light (WordPress. com). Chicago started to teach feminism through art education and other academic programs for women at â€Å"California State University, Fresno, and the California Institute of the Arts. † According to Chicago, â€Å"Women’s history was neglected or added on, as opposed to integrated into the full history of the human species†¦both implicitly and explicitly the message that is communicated is that what women did wasn’t important† (Pogrebin 1). It was in these academic institutions that Chicago founded the â€Å"Feminist Art Program† that yielded the Womanhouse, which was the â€Å"first installation demonstrating an openly female point of view in art. Chicago’s ideas helped to initiate a worldwide Feminist Art movement. † Then this was followed by the creation of Chicago’s one of most popular masterpiece, The Dinner Party. This artwork was focused on portraying the history of women. It was a multimedia project that showed the evolution of the female specie in the Western Civilization. Because of the forward-thinking concept and unique approach and the enormous support from the people all over the world, The Dinner Party became a huge success (Through the Flower). The Dinner Party is a 48 feet triangle-shaped table which is set for 39 significant women from history to mythology. Each of the set of plate was intended to visually honor the corresponding woman. Different types and designs of table wares were strewn all over the table. But it was the plates that embodied Chicago’s creativity and distinctive qualities. The plates were painted with â€Å"an undulating, flowerlike abstraction of femininity. † Additionally, the porcelain base contained the 999 more names of distinguished women all over the world. In this particular work of art, Chicago was trying to impart women’s history to broad and different types of individuals (WordPress. com). Overall The Dinner Party was a huge undertaking for Chicago that reflected her passion, beliefs and personality. After this, Chicago ventured into making another great piece of art which was called Birth Project. This project was comprised of several massive â€Å"series of birth and creation images for needlework,† which were intricately made by skilled workers from different parts of the country. In her later years, Chicago was able to produce numerous artworks in various forms such as paintings, sculptures, drawings and many others. In Powerplay, she incorporated a feminist point of view to the â€Å"gender construct of masculinity† (Through the Flower). Through Judy Chicago’s unwavering conviction that art can be an instrument for conveying â€Å"intellectual transformation, social change and women’s right to engage in the highest level of art production,† she was able to change how women perceived in modern world. Because of her many achievements, she was able to establish herself as an â€Å"an artist, writer, teacher, and humanist whose work and life are models for an enlarged definition of art, an expanded role for the artist, and womens right to freedom of expression† (Judychicago. com). Works Cited â€Å"Biography. † 2009. Judychicago. com. 13 April 2009 http://www. judychicago. com/? p=biography â€Å"Chicago, Judy. † September 2004. Harvard University Library. 13 April 2009 http://oasis. lib. harvard. edu/oasis/deliver/deepLinkcollection=oasisuniqueId=sch00326 â€Å"Judy Chicago. †2009. Through the Flower. 12 April 2009 http://www. throughtheflower. org/page. php? p=40n=3 â€Å"Judy Chicago: Art As Activism. † 26 October 2007. WordPress. com. 13 April 2009 http://ourdescent. wordpress. com/2007/10/28/judy-chicago-art-as-activism/ Pogrebin, Robin. â€Å"Ms. Chicago, Party of 39? Your Table’s Ready in Brooklyn. 1 February 2007. The New York Times. 13 April 2009 http://www. nytimes. com/2007/02/01/arts/design/01party. html? pagewanted=1_r=3fta=y

Psychodynamic Theories: Social Behaviour

Psychodynamic Theories: Social Behaviour This essay uses the ecological and the psychodynamic theories to explain social behaviour, predict the outcomes and formulate the hypothesis thus making an initial assessment on the Banks family. The essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the theories, the similarities and the differences between both of them and it will conclude that human life and behaviour is such a strong illustration that a single theory cannot satisfactorily account for all events across the life span. However, it will assert that in regard to the Banks family, the ecological model has an advantage over the psychodynamic theory because it holistically encompasses number of issues such as financial security, material benefits, housing, and parents history among others which do have effects on the risk of child abuse. The issues identified in the Banks family include; Marks bullying, identity issues, and Kens negative early life transactions and his relationship with Mark. To address these issues, the social work will use the ecological theory. The reason for choosing the ecological theory is because it is compatible with the assessment framework (2000)(DOH 2000a) as it links family history, genes, parents and their off springs relationship, economic factors, parental relationship experiences, individuals ability to cope or manage the stress and the interactive effect of risks (Ciccheti and Valentino: 2006). Therefore, basing on the ecological perspective, the social work will have to work within Marks ecology (Bilson Ross: 1999 p.70-71) to find out the difficulties that the family might be facing and to also find possible solution (Ward: 1995). The social worker will explore the three ecological dimensions which are; Marks developmental needs, Mel and Kens parenting capacity and family environmental factors (D.O.H 2000a). The social workers will initiate an honest and open partnership with the family with an aim of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Mark and his siblings. This will be for the parents to feel confident thus engaging in the assessment by providing relevant information about Mark, Mel and John, themselves. He should also endeavour to find out about Marks paternity and any genetic inheritance or temperament issues that might exist between Mark and his biological father (Aldgate and Bradley 1999). The social work will explore the parents history by requesting them to describe who they are and the trend of their relationship with Mark. This framework will help the social worker to amalgamate the historical and current information about the family, its functioning, problems and relationships (Reder and Duncan: 1999 p.98-101) with the view of finding out what is happening to Mark in the context of the entire Banks family and the environmental factors and how they affect the family relationships. Other issues that will have to be looked into are; the family income, neighbourhood and Marks friendships with his peers. This is because there is a link between the familys economic disadvantage and the chances that children in the family will not prosper (Utting :1995, Jack: 1997) It is also notable that Ken is securely attached to his biological children (Mel and John) and not to Mark who is his step-child. That should trigger the social workers curiosity thence exploring both the parents emotional availability, responsiveness, and their ascriptions to Mark and compare it with the way they interact with Mel and John. This can be done through direct observation, questioning and gathering testimonies from other significant people including professionals such as the general practitioner and the teachers (Department of Health 2000a). The social l worker will also explore Kens childhood experiences because they might be influencing or causing effect to his relationship with Mark (Sroufe et al 2005: p.10). This implies that the quality of care that Ken is providing Mark might in itself be a product of his own developmental history which is characterised by having been in care during childhood, having no father figure, thus his strained relationship with his mother (Cicchetti and Valentino: 2006 p.148). It is also notable that all Marks efforts to know his biological father proved to be futile. And because of this, Mark might be experiencing identity issues such as low self- esteem, poor self-image and a poor sense of belonging and acceptance by the family hence his negative behaviour (Draper Draper: 1982, p.26). For this reason, the social worker should ensure that he gathers as much information about Marks biological father as possible just in case Mark expresses wishes to see or to know about him. In regard to Marks bullying problem, the social worker would carry out direct work with him. In order to minimise the anti discriminatory and anti oppression practice, the social worker will have to consider his age, gender and culture, religion and any disability or developmental issues. He will have to acknowledge and respect Marks wishes, feelings and his understanding of the implications of the situation in which he finds himself thus making the assessment child centred (DOH 2000a). The social worker would also explore Marks friendships and how the interaction therein influences his negative behaviour (Rutter et al, 1998). At the end of the session, depending on what the social worker makes out of Marks behaviour and his social-emotional condition he may refer Mark for psychological assessment to further establish his emotional wellbeing. The outcome of the psychological assessment will then be used during the core assessment to inform the appropriate plan of intervention to ensure Mark development, safety and wellbeing (Department of Health 2000a) Advantages of the ecological theory. The advantage of using ecological approach is that it focuses on the relationships in transactions between the systems in the ecology thus minimising the predisposition of the professionals to think exclusively in linear terms thus adapting a wide range of intervention hence exploring issues such as social support, social capital and socio-economic difficulties that people experience (Garbarino 1990). The ecological perspective is an integrated model which acknowledges the effects of the biological, psychological social and economic factors that affect the well-being of individuals (Payne, 1994). Disadvantages of using the ecological theory? Despite all the advantages of the ecological approach, it is a long process for families or individuals who need quick solutions for their problems (Payne 1997). The psychodynamic approach Another theory that can be used to interpret the Banks familys phenomena, predict the outcomes and formulate the hypothesis is the psychodynamic theory. The reason for choosing the psychodymic theory is that it emphasises supporting the ego which is a reality element of the mind hence providing stability and equilibrium to the service user. Through using this approach, the social worker will be able to support Ken and Mark to develop adequate ego strength which will enable then to manage their emotional conflicts and the snags that they may come across in the life span (Goldstein: 1984). It is notable that both Mark and Ken do have unresolved issues or conflicts which do have roots from their individual childhoods. For that reason, the social worker will explore Ken and Marks conscious and unconscious parts of the minds there by making any reserved painful materials therein conscious hence realising their impact on their surface behaviour (Bee and Boyd, 2006). By focussing on Mark and Kens past and present unconscious and conscious feelings, the social worker may to be able to predict and explain how Mark and Ken may behave during certain situations or conditions. This is underpinned by the psychodynamic principle that all behaviour is motivated (Bee and Boyd, 2006). Due to the emotional issues already identified, the social worker may explore the how both Mark and Kens egos function and their defence mechanisms. Through respecting and working with their defences, the social worker is ought to recognise the threats that both Mark and Ken face in life and he will discuss the consequences and confusion of their feelings. The social worker would also find out how both Mark and Ken have already tried to resolve the conflicts before deciding either to look for other possible ways of dealing with it for example using sublimation or to modify the ways that they have already tried to use (Hollis, 1972). In regard to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice, it is helpful to devote the assessment within the framework or perspective of recognising the implication of structural and individuals oppressive practice which leads professionals into an authoritarian and rigidly discriminatory practice (Davis, ed., 2000:12,14 cited in Becket Maynard: 2005 p.158). This implies that during assessment, professionals are ought to listen and also respect and take into consideration the service users and carers views, choices, age, culture, religion and needs as this makes them feel valued and respected (Brandon, 1990: p.59 cited in Becket Maynard, 2005: p.158). Additionally, Payne (1997: p.89) advises that in professional relationship, social work values involve being tolerant to service users behaviour, promoting healthy client-social worker relationship, rather than personal emotional responses to service users needs. This may mean that professionals are ought to create professional instead of personal relationships with the service users which might negatively affect their independence and impartiality. Advantages of the psychodynamic theory The advantage of the psychodynamic theory in social work is that it recognises the impact of past painful life transactional processes and helps to create beneficial suspicions about them in relation to the current observable behaviours (Milner OByrne 2009). The psychodynamic theory also lays emphasis on modifying the ego through initiating good client-social worker relationship (Goldstein: 1984), thus improving peoples relationships within their environment (Payne 1997:80). The disadvantages of the psychodynamic theory. However, critics of the psychodynamic theory such as Dorfman (1998: P.70) contend that it is an andocentric theory. This implies that the psychodynamic theory is based on research that was done solely on males and then taken to mean all human behaviour which itself is a bias in favour of males and thus partial. Similarity and differences btn the psycho and eco theory. One of the similarities between the psychodynamic and the ecological theory is that both of them consider age and stage appropriateness of behaviour. While the psychodynamic theory takes into account the anal, oral and phallic stages of development, the ecological- transactional perspective views child development as a progressive sequence of age and stage -appropriate tasks in which success at each developmental level must co-ordinate and integrate with the environment and other issues such as emotion regulation, and formation of attachment relationships among others that emerge across the lifespan (Cicchetti and Valentiono 2006 p.143). Although these two theories do have the above similarity, they also have differences. For example, while the psychodynamic theory upholds the concept of the existence of the unconscious mind or awareness (Payne 1997), the ecological perspective focuses on the principle of interaction among the individuals and it also depicts individuals as existing in relation to others in the ecology (Reder and Duncan 1999 p.98-101). In relation to child abuse, Sidebotham et al (2002) argue that the psychodynamic models are deficient to give explanation in this regard and he calls for the use of the ecological models because they include a number of issues such as financial security, material benefits, housing, and parents history among others which do have effects on the risk of child abuse. Conclusion Given the complexity of the Banks family phenomena, the quest to explain the behaviour, predict the outcomes and formulate the hypothesis requires one to use theories otherwise; the assessment would be directionless and woolly. Therefore, this essay has used the psychodynamic and the ecological theory to discuss how an assessment would be done to support the Banks family. It has explored the ethical principle of anti-discriminatory and oppressive practice. It has also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each of them before identifying the similarity and the difference between them and it has given the complicity of human life, all theories work in a complimentary way to give social workers an eclectic understanding of issues in the phenomena with one theory helping to explain certain issues more clearly than the other. And in case of child maltreatment, the ecological models has been has had an advantage over the psychodynamic theory because it has holistically encompassed number of issues such as financial security, material benefits, housing , parents history among others which do have effects on the risk of child abuse.

The Philosophy of James Patterson Essay -- James Patterson Description

The Philosophy of James Patterson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Patterson should be included in an anthology because he has mastered the art of description and plot. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capable of creating lives in his books like no other author from past or present. He has created a fictional world inside of his Alex Cross series, where many fans of his like to live. With each new book he can fill a mind with unbelievable detail and imagery. A small two book series, nicknamed the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“bird booksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, blew away many critics. With this mini-series he ventures into biotechnology and the worlds in its view on longevity. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s known for venturing off the normal path of writing. He goes where many authors donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t, into religion, romance/humor/history, and a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s murder club. A few examples are Letters for Nicholas, The Jester, Cradle and All, and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“number booksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(1st to die, 3rd degree).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patterson has been affected by many things in his life. The greatest thing was most likely his involvement in the company J. Walter Thompson, an advertising company. After his wife died in 1984, he focused all his energy into the company. Four years later he became CEO, then in 1990 he became chairman, and in 1994 he became the World-wide Creative Director (Author & Artists, page 209). He has said working for the company opened up his mind to bigger ideas in his books. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s what helps him write the masterpieces we see today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pattersonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s main influence in the action/mystery genre is the Alex Cross series, but three other books stand out too. Besides the Alex Cross series, his other major bestsellers are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Thomas Berryman Numberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“When the Wind Blowsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Lake Houseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. His first novel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Thomas Berryman Numberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? won an Edgar award in 1977. It was critiqued as a wonderful change from the normal thriller, written with a faultless ear for real speech and an accurate eye for real people. Even now, it is still said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the plot is subtle and provocative, the characters are complex and compelling, and Patterson's writing here makes it a pleasure to deal with every pageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Amazon.com (2nd source), A reader). Then after some success with Alex Cross, he came out with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“When the Wind Blowsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The La ke Houseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? a few years later. These books take a wild spin on bio-engineering, fusing wings into a human. It was met with some skepticism at first, but many rea... ...y have only made him stronger. He has also succeeded not only in writing but in the corporate business too. When asked what he is going to do after Alex Cross, he said that he had no idea and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s how he likes it. What a philosophy. By taking life as it comes he can give back the most spontaneous reaction. He says he looks forward to many more years of writing. So many people look forward to him in those years. Works Cited 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Author & Artists volume 25, contemporary author encyclopedia (no author), pages 209-213, Copyright 2004 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0446600458/ref=cm_rev_sort/104-1297017-7468716?customer-reviews.sort_by=byExactRating_5&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&x=10&y=12, 2005, A reader 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0446607657/ref=cm_rev_next/104-1297017-7468716?%5Fencoding=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=byExactRating%5F5&n=283155&customer-reviews.start=11&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER, 2005, Locke, Josephine Anna (1st review down) 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0316603287/ref=cm_rev_sort/104-1297017-7468716?customer-reviews.sort_by=byExactRating_5&x=11&y=5, 2005, Ufowriter (2nd review down) The Philosophy of James Patterson Essay -- James Patterson Description The Philosophy of James Patterson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Patterson should be included in an anthology because he has mastered the art of description and plot. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capable of creating lives in his books like no other author from past or present. He has created a fictional world inside of his Alex Cross series, where many fans of his like to live. With each new book he can fill a mind with unbelievable detail and imagery. A small two book series, nicknamed the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“bird booksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, blew away many critics. With this mini-series he ventures into biotechnology and the worlds in its view on longevity. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s known for venturing off the normal path of writing. He goes where many authors donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t, into religion, romance/humor/history, and a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s murder club. A few examples are Letters for Nicholas, The Jester, Cradle and All, and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“number booksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(1st to die, 3rd degree).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patterson has been affected by many things in his life. The greatest thing was most likely his involvement in the company J. Walter Thompson, an advertising company. After his wife died in 1984, he focused all his energy into the company. Four years later he became CEO, then in 1990 he became chairman, and in 1994 he became the World-wide Creative Director (Author & Artists, page 209). He has said working for the company opened up his mind to bigger ideas in his books. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s what helps him write the masterpieces we see today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pattersonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s main influence in the action/mystery genre is the Alex Cross series, but three other books stand out too. Besides the Alex Cross series, his other major bestsellers are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Thomas Berryman Numberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“When the Wind Blowsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Lake Houseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. His first novel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Thomas Berryman Numberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? won an Edgar award in 1977. It was critiqued as a wonderful change from the normal thriller, written with a faultless ear for real speech and an accurate eye for real people. Even now, it is still said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the plot is subtle and provocative, the characters are complex and compelling, and Patterson's writing here makes it a pleasure to deal with every pageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Amazon.com (2nd source), A reader). Then after some success with Alex Cross, he came out with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“When the Wind Blowsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The La ke Houseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? a few years later. These books take a wild spin on bio-engineering, fusing wings into a human. It was met with some skepticism at first, but many rea... ...y have only made him stronger. He has also succeeded not only in writing but in the corporate business too. When asked what he is going to do after Alex Cross, he said that he had no idea and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s how he likes it. What a philosophy. By taking life as it comes he can give back the most spontaneous reaction. He says he looks forward to many more years of writing. So many people look forward to him in those years. Works Cited 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Author & Artists volume 25, contemporary author encyclopedia (no author), pages 209-213, Copyright 2004 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0446600458/ref=cm_rev_sort/104-1297017-7468716?customer-reviews.sort_by=byExactRating_5&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&x=10&y=12, 2005, A reader 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0446607657/ref=cm_rev_next/104-1297017-7468716?%5Fencoding=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=byExactRating%5F5&n=283155&customer-reviews.start=11&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER, 2005, Locke, Josephine Anna (1st review down) 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0316603287/ref=cm_rev_sort/104-1297017-7468716?customer-reviews.sort_by=byExactRating_5&x=11&y=5, 2005, Ufowriter (2nd review down)

phonics :: essays research papers

PHOÂ ·NICS Phonics is the basic rules for translating written symbols into sounds. Emergent readers and writers should understand that there is a relationship between letter patterns and sound patterns in English (the alphabetic principle), and eventually develop an awareness of the separate sounds in words. Without the recognition of words, there would be an incomplete foundation for constructing meaning. Phonics, along with other the use of context, word parts, syntax, and automaticity enables a reader to recognize words. Learning the basics- relationships between letters and sounds- enables children to decode words they have never seen before. As this process becomes more automatic, it releases children’s attention to the higher-level activities involved in comprehending the text’s meaning. Children will use phonics along with the context and syntax of the text, the illustrations, and the words they recognize automatically. The most effective and efficient phonics instruction focuses on children’s attention on noticing letter/sound patterns in the major components of syllables: that is, on noticing the letter/sound patterns in initial consonants and consonant clusters and in the rime, which consists of the vowel of a syllable plus consonants, such as –ake, -ent, -ish, -ook. Students should not see the rules as fundamentals but rather as a way to note patterns within words. For example, the silent final e is not always consistent, but knowing about it does help the reader note the pattern. Rules should not be taught for recitation. When children have a context in which to learn the code system, instruction of phonics is most successful. Children who have been exposed to print during the early child development years have a solid foundation for learning to read. For children lacking this foundation, activities such as listening to stories, shared reading of Big Books, and matching print in nursery rhymes on charts provides them with a context of what reading and writing are and the uses that sound letter knowledge might have.

Merciless Death in Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weathe

Merciless Death in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," Katherine Anne Porter gives readers a glimpse of the thoughts of a woman about to die.   Lying in her bed in her daughter Cornelia's house, eighty-year-old Granny Weatherall drifts in and out of consciousness.   Through her thoughts of events both current and bygone, it is learned that Granny has worked hard all her life, and frequently tells herself that she did a good job.   She thinks of events that made her stronger: digging holes for fence posts, "riding country roads in the winter when women had their babies" (311), taking care of sick animals and sick children.   Though Granny Weatherall tries to assure herself that her life has been rewarding, she is in fact unsatisfied in her last hours because of things left undone, being treated like a child in her old age, and loved ones she has lost.   When it becomes apparent to her that her time is running out, Granny realizes there are many things left undone that she meant to do.   Granny thinks of tomorrow, a time that is "far away" and ...

Being Truly Human

WHAT MAKES MAN TRULY HUMAN? â€Å"What makes man truly human? † This question alone is very difficult to answer. Although I am a human being, being thrown a question like this makes me think otherwise if I am truly human. After given such question, sets of question started popping inside my head. Questions like, â€Å"who am I really? † â€Å"Would I be considered as fully human just because I was born in the figure of a human being? † â€Å"How do I become a truly human? † continue to linger on my mind.Let me start off by saying that human are the same as animals in terms of biological components. Like animals, we have a certain hunger to desire a certain object, be it achievement or whatsoever, for fulfillment and survival. We humans do rely on our instincts from time to time. However, are we the same as animals? Or are we far more than them? After much self-reflection, I come to the conclusion that we are better than animals. We are far more superior to them. Being human is being free. Free in a sense that no one would dictate me on what to do.As a human being, I have a mind of my own making myself superior to animals which rely purely on their instincts. I am not born in this world just to please others nor to make others feel inferior. I am capable of thinking, feeling, rationalizing, and making decisions for myself. I use these abilities to create a better me, to achieve a higher value to my life. However, being free also means that there are certain responsibilities that an individual has. I am in control of my life and liable for the consequences of the choices that I am about to make, may it be good or bad.Even though I said that being free means that I get to do the things that I would want to do, I did not intend to mean that I will be doing things that would harm my fellow neighbor. What I meant to say was that I would do the things that would benefit me and others as well. Living a good quality life is a way of becoming human. Human beings are capable of socializing with others. As the saying goes, no man is an island. One cannot live without the other. Humans need companions or other humans in order to survive.Humans are capable of loving, and so socializing with others would not be a difficult task. What makes man truly human is his capacity of understanding himself as a free and responsible being. Through these responsibilities, a human is able to understand that he/she lives with more concern towards others. Being and becoming human is a gift from our Almighty Creator. He bestowed upon us the ability to reason out and the so-called â€Å"free will†. Thus, becoming human is living a virtuous life, as proposed by Aristotle in his golden mean theory, or simply a balanced life.