Htc Business Model Essay Example for Free

Htc Business Model Essay Executive summary Using Googles Andriod platform has given HTC a boost, but now the Taiwanese handset maker are vulnerable to underwhelming sales in America and Europe. Their hope? China. HTC only entered China in early 2010, much later than its established peers. It is playing catching up with international premium brands, such as Apple, Samsung and LG, where HTC is currently aiming to get a slice of the pie. However, the company is also facing stiff competition from local brands who operate at the lower price market. In this Global Marketing proposal, we propose several initiatives for HTC to grow its current 1% marketshare in the China mobile phone market, including new products for HTC to tap into the lower price market as well as localized promotion campaigns to sell phones in rural areas. It is time for HTC to sway away from satisfied with being quietly brilliant. Context analysis Company Background HTC Corporate, founded in 1997, was a relatively obscure Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM). Incorporated as High Technology Computer, HTC focused on manufacturing of computer notebooks. The company created the worlds first pocket size PC in collaboration with Microsoft in 1998[1]; it later developed the iPAQ, one of the earliest PDA for Compaq in 2000. HTCs close tie with Microsoft led them to develop XDA[2] in 2002, first ever smartphone operated on Windows. The company remained true to ODM principles when it produced smartphones by efficiently catering for carriers specifications and requests. HTCs ODM smartphones continued to generate profit margin as high as 20% compared to industry average of 5%[3]. According to Harvard Business Review, HTC shipped more than 70% of the worlds Windows smartphones in 2006 at its peak. HTC won a reputation for excellent smartphones. But it wanted more, and began to invest more in innovation before eventually creating its own brand in 2007. HTC set up a unit called Magic Labs[4], where engineers from various disciplines come up with lots of ideas, even if most were quickly discarded. From this unit bred several ground breaking ideas, including HTC touch, a touch screen device that appeared few weeks before Apples first iPhone; and first ever Android phone in collaboration with Google. Reaping from the Androids high penetration rate, the company experienced unprecedented growth from 2008 onwards and became the top seller of smartphones in America in 3Q of 2011, according to Canalys Research. HTC has recently eclipsed Nokia in market capacity and has climbed up to the no.3 spot for smartphones sold worldwide, behind Apple and Samsung. In terms of brand equity, the company has invested heavily in developing its own brand and broke into Interbrands top 100 Brands 2011[5] (no. 98) . China: Macro-environmental Factors Politics China remained a single party directed country since the founding of Peoples Republic of China in October 1949. Putting political ideologies differences aside, efficient decision-making is widely seen as a characteristic of Chinas political system. The profound changes that have taken place in various fields of this nation: from Deng Xiapings Special Economic Zone in the 80s to the economic leaps in the turn of the century. Inefficiencies in the political system such as corruption still exist today, but Chinas communist party has taken bold steps for reform. The party has embraced market socialist economy to lead China out of poverty and soar to one of the most powerful nations in the world. Economic Despite China has mounted new heights in her economy, outshining Japan as the second largest economy in the world, the slowdown in economic growth has not abated. The housing boom in the past decade is now over, implying that growth now weigh on heavy industry and local consumption. In the past, China has offered massive infrastructure stimulus, as it did to prop up growth following SARS and the global financial crisis. However, local governments have learned not to overheat the economy, as evidenced by the late 2011 credit crunch in Wenzhou[6]. Central government is expecting a moderate GDP growth of 6%, but China is due for correction in its property and possibly stock market. Social Chinas Communist Party maintained its strong foothold in the nation, as the country enjoyed a period of unprecedented prosperity in the past decade. As Chinas economy take flight, the number of local billionaires and millionaires grew by leaps and bounds. The wealth gap, at the same time, widened drastically. As a consequence, there have been several localized pro-democracy campaigns since 2011. Termed Jasmine revolution, citizens used social network site such as microblogs to organize public protests demanding fairness, housing and food – social issues that are often overlooked during economic boom. Such unrests were quickly put to rest as Beijing aims to mitigate any form of dissidents since learning the hard lessons from Tiananmen protests in 1989. Other than localized protests and occasional controversy in human rights, Chinas social order have been maintained. Technology China has sparked its technological boom since it gained accession to the world trade organization in 2001. Internally, China has developed a matured internet market which now boost one of the largest internet users in the world. In mobile phones, the market evidenced a dynamic growth due to the rapid development of mobile subscriptions and growing third-generation (3G) networks. China: Smartphone Market Industry analysis After Chinas telecommunications operators acquired 3G licenses, they formed several strategic alliances with mobile phone brands. For example, China Unicom has established alliances with Apples iPhone and Lenovos LePhone, whilst Motorola and HTC and strategic partners with China Telecom. Customer analysis According to government statistics in 2012, China has become to first country to top 1 billionThe cell phone users, a soar from 2010s 787 million users. The number of users is equivalent to 74% of Chinas population. That being said, only 14% of users are 3G users. Mobile phones are seen as a necessity, as customers regularly use phones for texting and micro-blogging. Competitor analysis Mobile phones are relatively consolidated in China, with the top five brands deriving nearly 72% of total retail volume stales in 2010[7]. Top five brands are Nokia (34.2%) , Samsung (18.1%), LG (6.8%), ZTE (6.3%) and Huawei (6.3%). Apple (1.4%) and HTC (0.7%) are late boomers in the market, with both companies having entered China in 2009 and 2010 respectively. According to market research by Canalys[8], international brands such as Samsung, Apple and HTC should continue to dominate in the space above RMB2,500 (US$400). Leading local tier-one brands, such as Huawei and ZTE, are diversifying beyond the entry level by launching a number of high-profile, flagship smart phones. As of late, Lenovo has made efforts to penetrate the low cost, rural market by introducing models starting from RMB700 (US$158). Company Analysis HTC in China HTC only entered China in 2009 and occupied a market share below 1% as of figures in 2010. Its strategy is to challenge Samsung and Apple as the biggest smartphone players in Mainland, but it also faces stiff competition from local brands such as Tianyu and ZTE Despite its geographic proximity in Taiwan, HTC started off late in China than in richer parts of the world largely because the countrys 3G structure was not as matured in 2009 as today. Targeting Positioning HTCs mission statement is â€Å"to become the leading innovative supplier of mobile information and communication devices by providing value-added design, world class manufacturing and logistic and service capabilities.† Whilst this may have been a successful formula over the past 10 years in geographic location, HTC is in danger of falling behind competitors in China. HTC currently has 10% of the market for smartphones costing more than RMB2,000 (US$320). Its strategy is to target those high-end customers who utilizes 3G network and appreciates international brand. As if HTCs Magic Lab works tirelessly to come up with numerous innovative products, HTC currently adopts a similar volume approach in its phones. HTC regularly pushes forward phones in the market. In 2011, when Apple had launched one new iPhone, HTC introduced fifteen new models. HTCs Challenge After a meteoric rise which placed it briefly atop the U.S. smartphone sales charts, HTC revenue as a whole in the first two months of 2012 was a staggering 45% down on last year. HTC has run afoul of punitive legal juggernaut Apple, which delayed the availability of HTCs handsets. Determined to avoid the fate looming over troubled rivals like Research in Motion, HTC saw a big revitalization push in China, championed by several flagship phones such as HTC One X and Evo 4G Lite. Sales in Europe have been dropping but HTC saw better than expected revenue in China. The rise of HTC in China despite its late entry could be partially attributed to their advanced operating systems with Android and excellent hardware, such as dual core processing units and friendly features where the phone rings louder when in a bag. But with competitors catching up hardware specifications overnight these days, can HTC sustain its China growth? The challenge of HTC faces is not neither simply in hardware nor software. HTC needs to formulate a marketing and branding strategy for China, as to fend off the fierce challenge by international brands (Apple, Samsung) and local players. Proposed Marketing Campaign For the proposed marketing campaign, we propose a bi-polar approach to target existing high-end customers of HTCs and also tap into the basic customers specturum, an area HTC has not entered so far. High-end customers HTC is currently focusing on high-end customers who are tech savvy, able and willing to pay for premium mobile phones. These high-end customers are currently up and coming professionals, live a fast moving lifestyle and mostly reside or work in first or second tier cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xi Chuan. All of these customers have subscribed or are going to subscribe 3G network, in order to make the most of out HTCs smartphones. In addition to product quality and operating system, high-end customers nowadays also care about brand reputation and image. The proposed marketing campaign for HTCs high-end customers is therefore to enrich the brand experience and differentiate HTCs personality. Basic customers As mentioned earlier, 3G users accounts to less than 20% of Chinas mobile phones market. According to market analysis, local players, best represented by ZTE and Huawei, are more popular amongst price sensitive mass and lower-end customers. These basic customers reside in third tier cities or rural areas, demand basic functions for their phones and also aspires to own a smartphone one day. Product Designers collaborations are nothing new. Indeed, they are now a well-established marketing tool – as well as source of income. Standard Hotel Group in America has joined forces with the likes of surfwear brand Quiksilver to provide exclusive trunks and bikinis that guests can purchase in the groups resorts. HM, the Swedish fashion behemoth, took rise after asking Karl Lagerfeld, designer for Chanel and owner of Fendi, to come up with a special collection back in 2004. For mobile phones,it is no different story. RIM collaborated with Porsche design and launched a high-end luxurious blackberry in 2011. LG and Prada started working together in 2006[9] and continued to attract fashionistas for their crossover phones. For high-end customers, HTC should leverage connection with a renowned brand within the Chinese community and produce collaborate products. Nike would deem to be an appropriate choice, given the brand is held in high regards among Chinese and its innovative brand image aligns with that of HTCs. Nevertheless, Nike has strong connection with Apple as Nike currently produces Nike+ a tracking device that connects an athletes performance data with iPhones, iPods etc. If there is a brand for up-and-coming professionals which matches HTCs pricing and targeting strategy, Adidas would be a great fit. Rather than choosing a luxury brand such as LVMH or Gucci, a partnership with Adidas could not only appeal to the sports lovers, but also be perceived as socially acceptable. Partnering with luxurious goods might risk further alienation as the wealth gap widens in China. Adidas is actively investing on its mi adidas platform that rivals Nike+. The sports company enjoys a good reputation in China after sponsoring Team China in Beijing Olympics, and its innovative roots in products and designs could enrich the HTC brand experience. For basic customers, HTC could build 2G or even very basic 3G phones to attract the mass. With much reduced functionality and a lower price point, HTC could attract the 80% users who have not yet subscribe to 3G network. While the simpler handsets should have less fancy functions, embodying the HTC names mean that that the phones should still be innovative. HTC could be more localize with these phones by having local functions such as Chinese keyboard and improved durability that adapts to environment in rural areas. Perhaps basic phones could have a brighter screen for users to view the screen easily in open rural areas, or made in anti-sand materials as desertification is common in northwest China. Aside from hardware reengineering, HTC needs to redesign its software capabilities. HTC is relatively weak in content when compared to rivals such as Apple. It has no plans to launch its own app store, preferring instead to reply on Android marketplace and its apps. HTC acquired French content provider Abaxia in June 2010[10] to develop innovative apps for its devices. Recently, it has installed digital map apps in HTC Sense interface. Currently, there is a market gap in smartphone manufacturer originated apps in China. Almost all of the apps available on Android/iPhone system are developed by individual software company. HTC could potentially develop operating system with apps linked to popular Chinese social media sites, such as QQ and Sinas Microblog. Price HTC should continue to target upper tier price points for its high end customers. Its currently price point closely resembles Apples and Samsungs, averaging around RMB2,500 (US$400). The high price setting strategy further illustrates HTCs ambition to compete with the international brands but the company could consider undercutting its price by a fraction, say less than 10%, than the leaders so as to gain stronger market share. Price reduction should not be advertised aggressively, as it might signal a loss in quality. For products in the lower end market, HTC should try to be a price leader in the arena. Lenovo markets its cheaper line of phones around RMB700, and HTC should try to undercut Lenovo. It is important to capture the basic customers first, with the hope that HTC could persuade basic users to switch to more expensive phones over time. Place According to Economists, HTC now as 2,300 authorized retailers in China. Apple has 3,500 – not withstanding its flagship Apple store and website – while Nokia and Samsung have 9,000 each. HTC could open more shops by granting authorized retailers license, but it is easier said than done as brands jostle retailers for shelf spaces. Rather than investing heavily in opening its own shop, HTC could form a strategic partnership with popular online shop Taobao or Alibaba to reach customers in the second or third tier cities to compliment its e-shop. Further place promotion could been referred in HTC ambassador campaign in People section. In first tier cities, HTC could theoretically leverage on Adidass store presence and distribution network. Nonetheless, HTC should adopt a selective approach by opening flagship store that can illustrates its customer experience. Promotion In HTCs incumbent global marketing campaign, the company slogan is quietly brilliant. HTC commercials do not focus on the precise functionality of their handsets but the way people use them. The concept itself is intuitive, but the campaign is not as much advertised in China as other places – the slogan does not even has a Chinese translation. As a result, HTCs promotion in China is product focused. HTC One X advertisements were filmed where a photographer takes pictures with HTC phone while skydiving – stressing the superior camera quality of the handset. To revamp the promotion campaign, HTC should first come up with a better slogan for China or even for its global campaign. Stressing on the way people interact with HTC cell phones is a good idea, but conceptually the slogan could be more straight forward – Nokias connecting people or LGs life is good are good examples. For China specifically, HTC needs to build on build on enriching users experience. Yan Siqing, chief operating officer of China Telecom said HTC grew rapidly despite its late start because it provided a â€Å"good user experience†. Nationwide promotion campaign should focuses on how HTC helps people to capture their moments in life. Whether is at work, in sporting moments or vacation, a user-friendly HTC handset is always there to make things happen. People Simliar to Unilevers â€Å"Shakti Revolution† to help women in rural India to become entrepreneurs[11], HTC could foster partnership with non governmental organisations, banks and local counties, to promote handsets at rural areas through employing HTC ambassadors. Ambassadors are underpriviledged residents in country sides and they are invited to become direct-to-consumer sales distributors for HTCs basic handsets for second or third tier cities. Contrary to normal mom-and-pop shops, HTC should provide training in selling, commercial knowledge and bookkeeping to help ambassadors become micro-entrepreneurs. This proposal could not only expand HTCs reach in the lower tier markets, but also been seen as a socially responsible act of goodwill. [1]Kim R. Yoffie D., HTC Corp. in 1999, 8th Dec 2009, Harvard Business Review [2]Sourced online: http://xda.o2.co.uk/ [3]Kim R. Yoffie D., HTC Corp. in 1999, 8th Dec 2009, Harvard Business Review [4]HTC: The brand from no where; The Economist, 7th Apr 2012, sourced online from [5]http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-2011.aspx [6]Wolfe A, Gurushina N Gassambe I, China Outlook: The Tao of Hard Landing, 28 May 2012, Roubini Global Economics Report [7]Mobile Phones in China, Category Briefing, 19 Sep 2011; Passport GMID [8]http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120619PR203.html [9]http://www.gizmag.com/lg-prada-collaborative-phone/20862/ [10]http://www.ubergizmo.com/2010/06/htc-acquires-abaxia-to-strengthen-its-software-capabilities/ [11]http://www.unilever.com.au/sustainability/casestudies/economic-development/creating-rural-entrepreneurs.aspx

Communication Skills in Assessment of Service User

Communication Skills in Assessment of Service User An Evaluation of the communication skills demonstrated in the assessment of a service user This assignment will analyse the communication skills of a physical skill that has been observed by a member of staff whilst in practice. Furthermore relevant literature will be explored to interpret if the communication skills that were used were the most effective including that of both verbal and non-verbal communication skills. All names have been changed for patient confidentiality in accordance with the NMC guidelines (NMC, 2008). The name will be changed to Mr. Smith. Any form of interaction is done through communication as a skill. To human interaction it is pivotal. Communication is a process which enables people to relate with those around them and to make concerns and needs know very well indeed. Communication can be verbal and non- verbal.Peate (2005) states that non- verbal communication reinforces a verbally communicated message. Non-judgemental interactions are focused on therapeutic communication, helps settle emotional conflicts and supports heart to heart talks allowing a patient to feel safe and free to share their true feelings, fears, values, hopes and ideas. This assignment is going to be discussed about a physical observed assessment which was observed during practice at placement. Mr. Smith was a gentleman who admitted to the ward with a viral infection. This infection caused his stomach and his intestines to become inflamed. At the same time Mr. Smith suffers learning disability were he could brutally impairs both verbal communication and cognition. Due to Mr. .Smith’s condition he lives in a care home .he had lived at this care home for ten years. Mr. Smith had been eating pureed diet food and his drinks used to be thickened however he begun to vomit. The patient’s bloods were done and showed that his renal function was becoming severely damaged followed by dehydration. Therefore Mr. Smith immediately required a cannula to administer IV fluids intravenously. My mentor went to cannulate Mr. Smith. My mentor was instructed of Mr. Smith’s fragile and was also informed that his level of thoughtful was impaired and he would not be capable of verbal consent due to his condition. My mentor went to Mr. Smith’s bed side as he was in a bay not in side room. She drew the curtains first for the dignity of the patient. She explained to him as to what she was going to do, she took his left arm which was closer to her and began to look for a clear vein, she could see so that she will be able to administer the cannula. The patient became distressed and started to shout and shows that he was in pain. After the cannula was in position my mentor left the bay and informed the person who was in charge that Mr. Smith can now have IV access and IV fluids could now be started. My mentor who cannulated Mr. Smith failed to introduce herself which is important when conducting nursing skills. First impressions last, by identifying yourself as well as your role provides patients with the feeling that you are genuine and that they are being respected (Henderson, 2004). Kate Granger, a medical registrar who is terminally ill found that many staff failed to introduce themselves during her stay in hospital. This revelation brought in the â€Å"hello my name is† campaign in order to prompt staff to introduce themselves to all patients (NHS England, 2014). However (Parahoo 2006) stated that â€Å"The process of agreeing to take part in a study based on access to all relevant and easily digestible information about what participation means, in particular, in terms of harms and benefits†. Although Mr. Smith suffered with severe learning difficulties he still should have been addressed the same as any other patient on the ward. Nurses should always maintain a therapeutic nurse-client relationship by establishing and maintaining nursing knowledge and skills as well as applying caring attitudes and behaviors (Forchuk etal, 2000). Therapeutic nursing services based on trust, respect, empathy and professional intimacy contribute highly to the patients’ health and wellbeing (Hupcey etal, 2001). Mr Smith was given a verbal informative account of the cannulation process and the reason for doing this by the mentor. Verbal language is one of the principal ways in which we communicate and is a successful method in both gathering and informing patients of their condition (Berry, 2007). It is usually a two way process where a message is sent, understood and feedback is given (Apker, 2001). It also successful for a patient to describe their level of pain (Stevenson, 2004). Ensuring a patient has understood what has been said is vital (Grover, 2005). This process normally involves both open and closed questions and often have the ability to ascertain a vast amount of factual information. The nurse who cannulated Mr. Smith did verbally tell Mr. Smith what she was going to do however this method alone failed to ensure that Mr. Smith had understood what was happening to him. She was aware of his condition but failed to ensure that he understood the process. There are grouped together into two categories which is Open questions and closed questions. Open questions are used when you want to help someone to ‘open up’ about themselves, or to give you some insights into how they feeling or to explore a situation in more depth. Open questions do not allow a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, but it will invite the patients to talk about the topic like what Mr. Smith did to my mentor. Not everyone will feel able to open up’ easily and share their deep thoughts and feelings. Some people needs to go step by step and to be led by interviewer until they gain confidence to go deeper. This is why closed questions also have an important role to play. Closed questions invite a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, they are necessary in gathering factual information in as straightforward a way as possible. Poor listening skills and conducting skills without the patient fully understanding can affect the therapeutic relationship and often form a barrier to communication (Andrews Smith, 2001). Environmental barriers such as a busy ward or a stressed nurse can often reduce the level of empathy and influence effective communication (Endacott Cooper, 2009). However nurses should always remain compassionate towards patients regardless of stress levels and workload (Von Dietze Orb, 2000). My mentor’s technique did not comply with the NMC guidelines in regards to consent as she failed to inform the patient of the process therefore Mr. Smith would not have known what he was consenting too. Consent in respect of people with learning disabilities is compound and can carry a step of risk for both patients and healthcare professionals. In this situation Mr. Smith was unable to provide consent and the cannula that he acquired was in his best interest. However, nevertheless of the patients understanding the offer of consent should still be attempted (Green, 1999). Timby, (2005) stresses that a patient’s right to autonomy should be upheld and respected regardless of gender, race, religion, culture and disability. Communication is vital in all aspects of nursing. However well practiced communication techniques are ineffectual if the central notion of the interpersonal connection goes unacknowledged (Arnold Boggs, 2007). Charlton etal (2008) argue that there are two different communication styles, biomedical and biopsychosocial. The biomedical style concentrates on specific information concerning the patient’s condition that is information focused. The biopsychosocial style is a patient centered approach which is conducted by determining patients’ needs to provide the most effective communication method. My mentor ideally should have formed an action plan to determine the most effective way of communicating with Mr. Smith in order to carry out the cannulation process. As every patient is different their needs must be assessed prior to carrying out any invasive procedures. A patient centered approach is said to have a more positive impact on patient outcomes. However there is little research that discusses interpersonal skills in contrast to a vast amount of rich research that discusses basic communication skills despite evidence suggesting that patient centered care is the most effective method (Jones, 2007). Patients with learning difficulties who have difficulties with both verbalising and thoughtful often have barriers in relation to communication. This leads to a breakdown in communication and in turn can lead to their health needs not being met (Turnbull Chapman, 2010). Kacperek, (1997) defines nonverbal communication as the term used to use to describe all forms of communication not controlled by speech. Argyle, (1988) suggests that the nonverbal component of communication is five times more influential than the verbal aspect. When Mr. Smith was cannulated my mentor lacked the use of nonverbal communication. Studies have often indicated that language has no real occurrence when communicating with patients (Foley, 2010). Nonverbal action such as body language, touch, posture, facial expressions and eye contact show many emotions without having to verbalise (Foley, 2010). Furthermore Crawford et al (2006) states that sometimes patients just need you to be there, quiet and listening and this can also be achieved using the acronym SOLER. Consequently, a good listener will always pay attention to non-verbal cues too and this encourages the patients to open up giving more information and expressing their concerns. (Albert’s et al 2012) suggest that from this it can be deducted that respect is given to a patient’s contribution best when they are listened too. The Soler acronym is also an aid to identify and remember the behaviors that should be implemented in order to achieve effective communication (Burnard, 1992). This tool comprises of position of seat, open posture, leaning towards the patient, eye contact and relaxation. If these techniques of non-verbal communication were used Mr. Smith may have felt less anxious and more reassured (Mason, 2010). Dougherty Lister, (2008) is in agreement with this theory as he argues that remaining eye contact, lowering stance to the patient’s level and gently touching the patients hand whilst verbally communicating has a great effect at reducing symptoms of anxiety. Although touch is seen to be an effective form of nonverbal communication which can help put a patient at ease if they are feeling anxious or upset. It is important to note that this technique is not appropriate for all patients as not all patients will feel comfortable with closeness can interpret this as invasion of personal space (Heidt, 1981). Cooperating with people with learning disabilities appears to contemporary difficulties for health care providers (Thornton, 1999). According to Angermeyer, (2005) a significant stigma exists in regards to learning disability patients as it tends to carry the label of â€Å"different† (Angermeyer, 2005). Schafer etal, (2011) says that this negative stigma is due to a range of factors such as ignorance and misinformation stemming from lack of knowledge. However, the NMC, (2015) competency standard instill that all nurses are to deliver high quality compassionate care encompassing ethical and cultural issues as well as disability. Jormfeldt, (2010) has shown that a high level of nursing education in both theoretical and practical settings can positively influence attitudes of nurse’s perceptions towards learning disability. In addition, reflection is seen as a vital component of coping in these environments as it offers a process where student nurses can challenge, compare and critique their value systems and embrace the process of change to a positive attitude towards patients with disabilities. Dodd Brunker, (1999) argue that by forming collaborative partnerships with both carer’s and professionals who are involved in the patients care can enable you to assess the patient’s communication skills and their preferred method of communication. Furthermore, in accordance with the NMC (2015) guidelines it is essential that all nurses must treat all patients with respect and dignity and not discriminate in any way regardless of their age, gender, race and or disability. To improve the situation the nurse who cannulated Mr. Smith could have liaised with the nursing home where Mr. Smith resided. This could have given the nurse vital information regarding Mr. Smiths likes and dislikes and could have provided her with the most effective way to carry out the procedure. Carers or family members could have been asked to accompany the nurse which could have put Mr. Smith at ease. Passports are becoming increasing popular which accompany patients who suffer with learning disabilities into the hospital environment. These documents are customised to each individual and summarise the patient and can often aid in providing the best patient centered care. Health care professionals are legally able to access essential information which carers possess in relation to communication with an individual with special needs or challenging behavior (Michael, 2008). Nurses should always put patients individual needs first and understand what is best for the patient ethically rather than that of a professional opinion alone (Mencap, 2007). In conclusion, this assignment has explored the communication skills that were observed during the cannulation process. It is evident that communication is important in nursing care and that assessments of patients are paramount in providing patient centered care. However, communication is certainly a principle commanding for the real caring. Performance and communication of caring and capability at this time have a main effect on the ability of patients and relations to adjust the update, reflect choices, and adjust to anything deceptions forward. Lack of awareness in regards to the best way of communicating with patients can pose a high risk to patients as many people working within the healthcare sector may not have a clear understanding of learning disabilities unless they are specialised. Further training may be needed to ensure that all health care workers are able to provide compassionate care to patients with learning disabilities. Individuals with learning disabilities have the right to be treated the same way as others, regardless of the severity of their disability as all patients should be entitled to a professional and effective service during their experience within the healthcare environment. REFERENCES Andrews, C., Smith, J. (2001). Medical nursing. London, United Kingdom: Harcourt publishers. Angermeyer, M.H. (2005). Labeling, Stereotyping Discrimination. Psychiatric Epidemiology, 40(5), 391-395. Apker, J. (2001). Role development in the managed care era: A case of hospital-based nursing. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 29(2), 117-136. Argyle, M. (1988). Bodily Communication. London, United Kingdom: Methuen. Arnold, E., Boggs, K. U. (2007). Interpersonal Relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders. Berry, D. (2007). Basic forms of communication. Health communication theory and practice. England, United Kingdom: Open University Press. Burnard, P. (1992). A communication skills guide for hospital care workers. London, United Kingdom: Elsevier. Charlton, C. R., Dearing, K. S., Berry, J. A., Johnson, M. J. (2008). Nurse practitioners 10 communication styles and their impact on patient outcomes: an integrated literature review. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 20, 382–8. Dougherty, L., Lister, S. (2008). The royal marsden hospital manual of clinical nursing procedures. Italy: Wiley Blackwell. Dodd, K., Brunker, J. (1999). Feeling poorly: report of a pilot study aimed to increase the ability of people with learning disabilities to understand and communicate about physical illness. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27, 10–15. Endacott, R., Cooper, S. (2009). Nursing skills core and advanced. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Foley, G.N. (2010). Non-verbal communication in psychotherapy. Edgemont. 7(6), 38-44 Forchuk, C., Westwell, J., Martin, M., Bamber- Azzapardi, W., Kosterewa-Tolman, D., Hux, M. (2000). The developing nurse-client relationship: Nurses’ perspectives, 6(1), 3-10. Green, C. (1999). Nurses and the law of consent. Nursing Times, 95(5), 44–45. Grover, S.M. (2005). Shaping effective communication skills and therapeutic relationships at work. Aaohan Journal. 53(4), 177-182. Heidt, P. (1981). Effect of therapeutic touch on anxiety level of hospitalised patients. Nursing Research, 30(1), 32-37. Henderson, A. (2004). Emotional labour and nursing. An under appreciated aspect of nursing care. Nursing Inquiry, 8(2), 130-138. Hupcey, J.E., Penrod, J., Morse, J.M., Mitcham, C. (2001). An exploration and advancement of the concept of trust. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 36(2), 282-293. Ian Peate, (2005). Nursing Care and Activities of Living. 2nd ed. John Wiley Son:. Jones, A. (2007). Putting practice into teaching: an exploratory study of nursing undergraduates’ interpersonal skills and the effects of using empirical data as a teaching and learning resource. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16, 2297–307. Kacperek, L. (1997). Non-verbal communication: the importance of listening. British Journal of Nursing, 6, 275–9. Mason, M.C. (2010). Effective Interaction. Nursing Standard. 24,(31), 25 Mencap. (2007). Death by indifference: following up the Treat me right report. Mencap: London, United Kingdom. Michael, J. (2008). Healthcare for All: A report of the Independent Inquiry into access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities. HMSO: London, United Kingdom. NHS England. (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/forward-view/sop/. Nursing Midwifery Council. (2008). The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives: NMC. London, United Kingdom. Stevenson, C. (2004). Patient and person. Empowering interpersonal relationships in nursing. Elsevier Limited: London, United Kingdom. Thornton, C. (1999). Effective health care for people with learning disabilities: A formal carers’ perspective. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing; 6, 383–390. Timby, B.K. (2005). Fundamental nursing skills and concepts. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Publishing. Turnbull, J., Chapman, S. (2010). Supporting choice in health care for people with learning disabilities. Nursing Standard. 24(22), 50-55. Von Dietze, E., Orb, A. (2000). Compassionate care: a moral dimension of nursing. Nursing Inquiry, 7(3), 166-174.

Events Of The Year 1793 Essays -- essays research papers

Laurie Halse (rhymes with "waltz") was born on October 23, 1961 in Potsdam, New York, to Methodist minister Frank A., Jr. and manager Joyce Holcomb Halse. The author says that she decided to become a writer in second grade. Her teacher taught the class how to write haiku. She enjoyed it a lot and hopes that every second grader will learn to write poetry. Halse soon started reading library books for hours. The magic of the elementary school library came alive in life. Heidi, one of Halse's favorite books, sparked her interest in foreign cultures. Halse's creative thoughts began as a child. For instance, Halse recalls trudging through the snow on her way to school. She imagined that she had changed into an enormous polar bear. Writing also started as a little girl for Halse. She enjoyed watching her father write poetry and read the comics spread out on his office floor. She used her father's old typewriter for hours, writing newspaper columns, stories, and letters. Halse declares that the dictionary is her favorite book. As a senior in high school, Halse visited Denmark as an American Field Service exchange student. She lived on a pig farm and learned to speak Danish. The author obtained an associate of arts degree in 1981 from Onandaga County Community College. She married Gregory H. Anderson, chief executive officer of Anderson Financial Systems, on June 19,1983. They raised two children: Stephanie and Meredith. The author earned a bachelor of science in Languages and Linguistics (B.S.L.L.) degree in 1984 from Georgetown University. Laurie Halse Anderson belongs to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Anderson organized the SCBWI's Fall Conference in Philadelphia from 1994 to 1996. She decided to write Fever 1793 after reading a newspaper article in August of 1993 that explained the yellow fever epidemic that devastated Philadelphia 200 years earlier. The U.S. capital in 1793, Philadelphia served as the political and cultural hub of the nation. Anderson believed these ingredients would create a story with strong elements of conflict and a rich background. She also suspected that stories written about this period were rare. Moreover, her upbringing near Philadelphia inspired her to begin research. Researching the idea proved to be no simple task, however. It took two years. Anderson read about the period's archit... ...is quickly becoming. When Nell contracts yellow fever, Mattie and Eliza follow the French medical treatment: fresh air, rest, and fluids. Her suggestion works, and Nell heals. Nell symbolizes hope for a brighter future, and she enables Mattie to take on the responsibility of adulthood. At the novel's resolution, Mattie's character transforms as she realizes that she must persevere. She knows that she has many choices. Mattie cultivates her friendship with Nathaniel. She opens up the coffeehouse with Eliza as her partner and begins to implement her dreams for a growing business. Nell stays with her and depends on her like a mother. Lucinda returns from the country in ill health. Forced into a life of leisure, Lucinda must also depend on and trust in Mattie to run the coffeehouse. Lucinda begins to respect Mattie's choices and to treat her with respect and compassion. Anderson does an excellent job of developing believable characters with realistic themes set against a rich background. She shows how this disease changed her characters, much as horrific life events change real lives. Young adults will emerge from this novel with a sense of hope, perseverance, and understanding.

Narrative †My Interests :: Personal Narrative Essays

Narrative – My Interests I am interested in anything that is interesting. Eclecticity seeps into my brain much more easily than the thunderingly similar data of a single concentrated topic area. Though I tend to gravitate towards computer, science, and math information, I will just as likely find an article on a political, religious, or historical topic just as interesting as an article on how astronauts keep their Coke fizzy in space or a book on how public key encryption works. My interests are gauged by how much time I spend in each of them. I spend time on my personal relationship with Christ (greatest interest), computing, writing, performing trumpet, and cycling, in order. Though I do not spend most of my daily time actively engaging in monastic exercises of personal study and reflection, or even in what would popularly be considered religious activity, I have determined to mold my entire life, moment by moment, in a way that is pleasing to God. This is my greatest interest. The second-most done activity in my life is computing, as it is currently my job. I do try to spend some time off the clock exercising this interest, but if allowed free in the wild, it would probably take third place to the next interest: writing. I enjoy writing very much. My writing topics and style tend to match my eclecticity, though I enjoy the role of an essayist-poet most of all. I have written many instructional articles, though I have lately stayed away from them due to my over-exercise of that area of writing. I enjoy poetry, and while few poets ever put bread on the table and write substantial amounts of poetry, I am not motivated by anything primarily for money and find poetry an expressive way to communicate things that prose is unable to. I have played the trumpet since the end of third grade and have become fairly accomplished at it. Music is important to me, and I find the practicing every day to be a satisfying relaxation. When I have time to ride my bicycle, I do. At one point, I used to actively train and race, when I came out of obesity and worked more diligently on my physique than I am now.

A Mothers Dream for her Daughter in Amy Tans Two Kinds Essay

A Mother's Dream for her Daughter in Amy Tan's Two Kinds Amy Tan's short story, "Two Kinds" begins with a brief introduction to one mother's interpretation of the American dream. The Chinese mother who lost her family in her native homeland now hopes to recapture part of her loss through her daughter. Those of us who are parents want what is best for our children. We strive to make our children's futures better. In some cases, when our own dreams have either been destroyed or not realized, we project our dreams and wishes on our children. In "Two Kinds", Amy Tan tells of such a story through the eyes of a young girl who initially mimics her mother's dreams but ultimately rebels against them. Tan's use of a common theme that most parents can relate to expresses the frustrations that parents and children feel when obsession takes the place of nurturing. In the beginning the young girl, Ni Kan is "just as excited" as her mother about the idea of becoming a prodigy (528). She imagines herself in different roles and believes that once she has achieved her status as a prodigy, her mother and father will adore her and she will "become perfect" (528). Ni Kan may feel that she will not be loved completely by her parents if she does not achieve the status her mother has set for her. It is natural for any young child to want to please a parent that has taken special interest in them. Ni Kan feels that her "prodigy side" is saying to her, "If you don't hurry up and get me out of here, I'm disappearing for good" (528). This may indicate that Ni Kan is becoming impatient about becoming a prodigy and she fears that if it does not happen soon she will "always be nothing" in her mother's eyes (528). Tan reinforces this feeling in the story... ...aughter. In the story, Ni Kan stated that, "It was enough that she had offered it to me" and that it had made her "feel proud, as if it were a trophy I had won back" (535). The author also seems to use a piece of music to reflect how Ni Kan has felt about the conflict with her mother. After the death of her mother, Ni Kan looks through the music at the piano. She finds two pieces of music opposite each other in the book. The first piece is "Pleading Child" and the second is "Perfectly contented". These two titles suggest the emotions of Ni Kan as a child and her emotions now as an adult. These emotions are symbolically brought together when Ni Kan realizes "they were two halves of the same song" (535). Works Cited: Tan, Amy. "Two Kinds". Literature, Reading Reacting,Writing. 5th ed. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Boston: Heinle, 2004. 527-535.

Early Modern British Literature Essay

The period of British cultural history which saw the brittle gaiety of the 1920s, the social consciousness of the 1930s, the world war followed by the welfare state of the 1940s and the chastened readjustments of the 1950s, is not easy to describe in general terms. The Second World War does not appear in retrospect to have been the cultural watershed that in some respects the First was. The increasing tempo of the reaction against Victorianism in the 1920s did not precipitate the revolution in values which was at one time predicted, nor did the pattern of Left-wing thought which emerged in the next decade as a result of the depression turn out to be an accurate prediction of the mood and method of the great social changes that took place during and immediately after the second war. In the matter of literary techniques, the 1920s proved to be one of the most fruitful periods in the whole history of English literature. In fiction, the so-called ‘stream of consciousness’ method was born, matured and moved to its decline within this single decade. In poetry, the revolution wrought by Pound and Eliot and the later Yeats, by the new influence of the seventeenth century metaphysicals and of Hopkins, changed the poetic map of the country. As far as technique goes, the period since has been one of consolidation. Nothing so radically new in technique as Eliot Waste Land has appeared since, nor have later novelists ventured as far in technical innovation as Joyce did in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. The sense of excitement which all this experimentation produced, the battles, the mutual abuse, the innovating exaltation of the little magazines, seem very far away now in the 1950s; and were already lost by the end of the 1930s. A period of consolidation is not exciting, nor is it easy to describe with the literary historian’s eye. (Christopher Ivic, Grant Williams, 2004) It might perhaps be said that in the 1920s the most important writers were more serious as artists than as men, while in more recent years they have been more serious as men than as artists. The Second World War forced a new kind of reflectiveness about human affairs on many British people. This was nothing spectacular, nothing like the dramatic shift from the patriotic idealism of Rupert Brooke to the bitterly disillusioned satire of Siegfried Sassoon or Richard Aldington that took place during the earlier war. It was marked by such things as a sign in a London bookshop in 1942 reading ‘Sorry, no Shakespeare or â€Å"War and Peace†. ‘ There was a surprising amount of re-reading of the classics–partly attributable, it is true, to the paper shortage which resulted in a reduction of the number of new books published–and a great demand for historical works and discussions of general human problems in what might be called semi-popular form; such phenomena as the ‘ Pelican’ books in the Penguin library are indicative of this demand. Even the most sophisticated tended to look for books with something to say rather than for new methods of expression. The problem of the artist in modern society-his ‘alienation’, his inevitable bohemianism–which had so agitated writers in the preceding two decades, suddenly lost much of its interest, and when some interest revived again after the war it was more often than not concerned with the sober question of how the writer was to make a living. The shift in emphasis from technique to content, if one can describe it thus crudely, did not represent a clear-cut movement. Indeed, at times it looked as though the first response of writers and critics to the Second World War was to emphasize their status and integrity as men of letters rather than as citizens concerned with the immediate problems posed by the war. The tone of Horizon, the literary periodical founded early in the war by Cyril Connolly as an assertion of the claims of current literature in the midst of international conflict, was from the beginning more aesthetic, more removed from the immediate pressure of events, even than T. S. Eliot’s Criterion which it can be said to have succeeded. And if we compare the tone of Horizon with that of John Lehmann New Writing the difference between the deliberate aloofness of the writer in the 1940s and his strenuous commitment to the issues of the day in the 1930s is even more striking. New Writing really represented the mid-1930s, even in its war-time forms. Though it proclaimed its devotion to imaginative literature it continued the documentary reporting and social interests of the 1930s into the 1940s. And documentary writing of all kinds flourished during the war. But Horizon represented more fully the tone of literary London in the war days. It did not last, however; Horizon itself closed down a few years after the war ended, and Cyril Connolly’s elegant prose and uncommitted sophistication was suddenly seen to be old-fashioned. A general air of tired seriousness seemed to spread over the face of English letters; writers were no longer mandarins, but people trying to earn a living by their pen. When the London Magazine was founded in 1954, edited by John Lehmann, it was with no clear-cut programme or new artistic creed. From the first its general air was one of mild competence; it was as though the magazine were standing by to transmit any new creative impulse when it came. (Joshua Scodel, 2002). Though ‘little magazines’ continued to spring up sporadically after the Second World War, they no longer played the important part they had done between roughly 1914 and 1935, the great experimental period of modern English literature. These magazines reflected the fragmentation of the audience for literature, so characteristic of our period, in that they were produced by coteries and appealed to particular sectional interests. Perhaps Rossetti Germ was really the first of the little magazines in England; but it was an exception in the Victorian period in its deliberately limited appeal. The Yellow Book, which ran from April 1894 until April 1897, was in a sense the second English little magazine; but it was much more popular than either the Germ or its own twentieth century successors. Arthur Symons’ Savoy, founded in January 1896 to continue and surpass The Yellow Book, was less popular, and barely survived a year. When we come to the Egoist, founded at the beginning of 1914, we are in the true modern tradition of the little magazine. The Egoist was started as a feminist magazine, but under the influence of Ezra Pound and others it became for a time the unofficial organ of the Imagist movement, printing poetry by Pound, Aldington, ‘H. D. ‘, F. S. Flint, John Gould Fletcher, Amy Lowell and D. H. Lawrence. T. S. Eliot also contributed, and in 1917 he became editor, continuing until the demise of the magazine in December 1919. Parts of Joyce’s Ulysses first appeared in The Egoist. The political and literary weekly The New Age, under the editorship of A. R. Orage, printed T. E. Hulme’s series of articles on Bergson in October and November 1911 and, in the course of the next few years, most of Hulme’s important critical pronouncements. The political and literary influence of The New Age on some important critical and creative minds is seen clearly in Edwin Muir’s autobiography. The Little Review, published in New York by Margaret Anderson, was well known in that small group of English avant garde writers and critics who followed its serialization of Joyce’s Ulysses in twenty-three parts from March 1918 to December 1920, when the serialization abruptly stopped as a result of a charge of obscenity brought against the magazine by the U. S. Post Office. (Nicholas Mcdowell, 2004) T. S. Eliot Criterion ran from 1922 to 1939, acting in general as the organ of the new classical revolution. Wheels, an annual anthology edited by Edith Sitwell from 1916 until 1921, published the Sitwells and some prose-poems by Aldous Huxley, and engaged in a species of brilliant verbal clowning which combined virtuosity with weariness. Wyndham Lewis Blast, Review of the Great English Vortex, appeared first in 1914 and once more in 1915; it preached Lewis’s views on art and letters and printed also Eliot and Pound. Far less of a ‘little’ magazine was J. C. Squire’s London Mercury (he edited it from 1919- 1934) which represented the uncommitted traditionalists, reflecting a point of view which its holders would have considered central and its opponents middlebrow. Middleton Murry edited The Athenaeum from 1919 to 1921 and The Adelphi from 1923 to 1930. In the 1930s there were little magazines which responded to the tastes and ideals of the post-Eliot generation. New Verse, edited by Geoffrey Grigson, ran from 1933 to 1939: it was one of the most Catholic of the avant garde anthologies printing new poetry that was original and interesting whether it was by Auden or by Dylan Thomas. More limited in scope and interest were Twentieth-Century Verse, edited by Julian Symons from 1937 to 1939, and Poetry ( London), started just before the Second World War by Tambimuttu to reflect what for a short time appeared to be a ‘new romanticism’. Looking back on all this from the middle 1950s one is aware of a loss of excitement and experiment. There is today in England no literary avant garde. The quiet social revolution brought about by such innovations as the national health service, the Education Act of 1944, high taxation of the middle classes and full employment, produced an inevitable though not always a clearly discernible change in the patterns of English culture. The aristocratic implications, or at least the overtones of expansive middle-class leisure, that could be seen in different ways in the work of Eliot, the later Yeats and Virginia Woolf, had no meaning in the welfare state. Some recent novels show the post-war intellectual as a precarious provincial moving with a combination of bewilderment and sardonic observation in a world which lacks any sort of tradition, a world where the older patterns of behaviour–aristocratic or genteel-are parodied by vulgar and opportunistic pragmatists who get what they can out of each situation in which they find themselves. Social class, the theme which had been the background pattern of the English novel since its beginnings, now for the first time ceases to have meaning in a world where education and income bear no necessary relation to each other. Virginia Woolf had been accused by some critics of developing a kind of sensibility dependent on a certain degree of wealth and leisure; now it seemed that a society of working class prosperity, business ‘fiddles’ to minimize income tax, and a sharp drop in the relative standard of living of the professional classes and ‘intellectuals’, left no room for sensibility. Was this a crisis of middle-class culture? We are too close to it all to be able to say. But we can point to some interesting facts. For example, the London Magazine was originally subsidized by the Daily Mirror, a popular tabloid newspaper, which thus employed some of the profits made out of vulgarity and sensationalism to support ‘culture’. And then there is the influence of radio and television. The BBC recognized the distinction between lowbrow, middlebrow and highbrow in their three programmes, the Light, the Home and the Third. One of the aims was apparently to introduce a few good serious works, in music and drama, on the Light programme, in the hope that some listeners to it might be attracted to the Home, and to introduce on occasion a really highbrow feature on the Home Service in the hope of making a few converts to the Third Programme. The BBC has thus thought of its function as educational and cultural, not merely as the provision of light entertainment. This artificial separation of the different ‘brows’, however, reflects something not altogether healthy in the state of a culture. The Elizabethan groundlings saw Hamlet as a blood and-thunder murder mystery, while the better educated saw it as a profound tragedy–but each saw the same work. In our present culture, the murder mystery and the serious tragedy are represented by different works, the former trivial and merely entertaining, the latter self-consciously highbrow and probably appealing to only a tiny minority of sophisticates. This is one aspect of the problem of the fragmentation of the audience for works of literature which has long been a feature of our civilization. It is significant, for example, that the BBC programme which introduces new poetry is a regular Third Programme feature: interest in new poetry is the mark of the extreme highbrow. (Constance C. Relihan, 1996) The BBC is a force, however, and is probably responsible for the remarkable increase of musical knowledge and musical taste in the country. It is in the more popular forms of art that radio and television most seriously threaten standards, by the very fact that they are catering to the same audience every night. The old music-hall entertainer perfected his act in months of playing it over and over at the same theatre, with a different audience each night, and then took it on tour in the provinces. He had time to develop an art-form of his own, however popular or crude it might be. But with a show going on the air every week, and the same audience listening each time, the situation is radically changed. The standard is bound to fall when there is the necessity of a weekly change of programme, no matter how talented the authors and performers–and the same is true of television and of the cinema. All this has its effect in due course on literature and on the public for literature. Commercial television, which purveys merely entertainment and aims at the largest possible audience, can obviously take no chances and is bound to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It cannot afford to risk losing part of its audience by trying out something difficult. It must entertain first and foremost, and entertainment must be directed at a wholly relaxed and passive audience. Is entertainment as such an important part of the life of a civilization? Few would deny that in some sense it is. But the relation between art and entertainment has always been a shifting and a complex one, whereas the selling of guaranteed mass audiences to advertisers means immediate superficial entertainment at the most popular level at all costs. Is popular art bad art? The answer to that depends on the kind of society that fosters it. Today the answer is often but not always ‘yes’. In the past art has had its own complex relationship with entertainment on the one hand and with religion or at least with ritual on the other. Modern commercial entertainment has re-established contacts with ritual–a strange and frenzied ritual of herostars and ‘personalities’. (Theresa Krier, Elizabeth D. Harvey, 2004) It is not surprising, therefore, if the writer who is concerned with the problem of maintaining a discriminating audience for serious literature does not welcome commercial television even if he sees in it opportunity for improving his economic status. Noncommercial television has its own problems, but there can be no doubt that, like sound radio, it has played a part in the diffusion of culture. Nobody who has seen farm laborers watching television at a rustic public house and observed the thrill with which they have responded to Swan Lake and the half comprehending fascination with which they have watched King Lear (these are two real instances) can deny that television can act, and in some respects in this country has acted, as a remarkable educational and cultural force. There seem to be two quite contradictory forces at work in our culture. When we consider the exploitation of literacy by the ‘yellow’ Press and all the stereotyped vulgarities of, say, the stories in some of the more popular women’s magazines, to go no lower; when we think of mass production ousting individual craftsmanship, the prevalence of bad films, the complete unawareness of even the existence of any such thing as artistic integrity or literary value among so many people; when we think of the loss of that simple but genuine folk lore which the total illiterate possessed, for the sake of a minimal literacy which merely exposes its possessor to exploitation and corruption–when we think of all this, we are in despair about modern civilization. On the other hand, when we see the enormous numbers of relatively cheap paper-bound editions of the classics, as well as of serious works of history and biography, selling daily, or observe the unprecedented numbers of people who appreciate good music and ballet, or reflect that an industrial worker or farm labourer whose grandfather may well have led an almost animal existence has now the opportunity of reading and hearing and viewing works of art of various kinds to a degree hitherto impossible, then one takes a much more rosy view. Which is the true picture? Both are true, and, paradoxically enough, both are sometimes true for the same people. The diffusion of culture is a sociological fact, and, further, diffusion does not always imply adulteration. The real problem seems to be an utter lack of discrimination, a lack of awareness of the absolute difference between the genuine and the ‘phoney’. Where so much in the form of art and of pseudo-art is thrown at people, where the cultural centre of the nation is itself non-existent or at least problematical, discrimination on the part of the individual is most necessary, and lack of it most dangerous. The ordinary reader in Pope’s day, though he belonged to a tiny minority when compared with his modern equivalent, was probably no better able to discriminate between, say, real poetry and imitative sentimental rubbish which followed the conventional forms of the day; but the coherence and stability of his culture and the critical tradition of his time made individual discrimination less necessary. The paradox is that individual discrimination is most necessary when it is least possible. (Cynthia Lowenthal, 2003) References: Christopher Ivic, Grant Williams. Forgetting in Early Modern English Literature and Culture: Lethe’s Legacies; Routledge, 2004 Constance C. Relihan. Framing Elizabethan Fictions: Contemporary Approaches to Early Modern Narrative Prose; Kent State University Press, 1996 Cynthia Lowenthal. Performing Identities on the Restoration Stage; Southern Illinois University Press, 2003 Joshua Scodel. Excess and the Mean in Early Modern English Literature; Princeton University Press, 2002 Nicholas Mcdowell. Interpreting Communities: Private Acts and Public Culture in Early Modern England; Criticism, Vol. 46, 2004 Theresa Krier, Elizabeth D. Harvey. Luce Irigaray and Premodern Culture: Thresholds of History; Routledge, 2004

Tips for a Successful Relationship

Tips for a Successful Relationship Ezell ORR Communication Instructor: Macy Dailey October 17, 2011 ? Dear Jack and Jill, My advice to you for a successful and everlasting relationship is good communication. Without good communication the relationship/engagement will not develop to the next level of marriage. In the beginning your communication was limited to conversations of neutral agreements because of the initial stage of your relationship. Researchers have found that one of the reasons a new relationship is usually so pleasant and friendly is that people emphasize the similarities they have and ignore the differences (Brown & Rogers, 1991). As your relation blossoms the differences in both of you will surface. Some maybe too minute to entertain, and can be easily overlooked or digested. Constant differences amongst partners that are everyday habits can be discussed and settle without harming the relationship. Disregarding or overlooking major concerns such as, financial matters, sexual preferences, and raising of children can be harmful to the relationship if not handle properly. Counseling may be recommended or advisable in most cases. Every relationship is different, no two relationship are the same. As the relationship unfolds and you both begin to know each other better, you will begin to release information to the other which was somewhat private at the start of the relationship. The most important characteristic of a deep interpersonal relationship is the self-disclosure of our innermost thoughts and feelings (Roeckelein, 1998). When you both begin to exchange personal information, building trust and confidence that is a sign that the relationship is progressing. As the relationship progresses you will be more incline to disclose more of your identity. Self Disclosure is sometime give-and-take, where both parties have equal risk when disclosing personal information. Shared disclosures will increase the vulnerability to being hurt or disrespected by others, and the fact that you both have devoted so much of yourself may make it complicated to break the bond you all have together. Forming a relationship with someone is not like what you see on TV. Communication problems can surface and disrupt the relationship or even bring it to an end. Certain behaviors can really ruin a relationship. Being silent, nice, and playing games; these behaviors can damage a relationship and stand In the way of trust. Everyone tends to be silent at times, but lengthy silence is not good for the relationship. Refusing to talk to someone is frequently a means of controlling the other person or exerting power in a relationship. If it is prolonged, it can even be a form of psychological abuse (Chang, 1996). It is best to try and talk things out oppose to not talking at all. You know the old saying â€Å"time heals everything† so sometime it is better to let things along for a while if both of you understands that there is a problem. Another area of concern is being too nice or being overly agreeable. Don’t put yourself in a position where you would rather let someone have their way or just take the blame to make the problem go away. Playing Games will also destroy a relationship. In 1964, Eric Berne wrote a best-selling book titled Games People Play, which describes how people sometimes have ulterior motives. He called these strategies â€Å"games† (Berne, 1996). He defined games as a dysfunctional way of communicating, and it is a negative pattern of interacting that can develop between people. Berne said, â€Å"In most cases, the participants of the game are unaware that they are playing; they have simply developed a pattern of interacting that is not constructive or useful in growing the relationship†. Playing games at the expense of someone’s feelings is never a good thing. Relationships can easily take a turn for the worst when games are involved. The games will terminate when one of you decides to stop playing. The end result of playing games is that sometimes ends with one person becoming angry or upset. Berne also states that â€Å"regardless of the strategy, open and honest communication can prevent the continuation of a game and its effects on the parties involved. It is best to not play games and let the relationship run its course without any kind of interruptions. ? Another component of having a successful relationship is being a good listener. Everybody who can speak, read, and write were taught to achieve these three components through parenting and school. We take classes in reading, writing, or even speaking but we rarely hear of someone taking classes in listening. You cannot understand others, respond appropriately to what they say, and provide helpful feedback if you have not listened (Hayes, 1991). Listening is one of the most important factors in interpersonal communication. One study estimated that 45 percent of all communication time is spent listening, compared with 30 percent speaking, 16 percent reading, and 9 percent writing (Hayes, 1991). Most people are also generally inefficient listeners; they tend to forget rather quickly what has been said. Within 48 hours, we forget about 50 percent of that information, for an overall retention of about 25 percent efficiency (Lee & Hatesohl, 1993). Most people think that hearing is listening, but much more is involved than just hearing something and waiting for it to get transmitted to your brain to be interpreted. Effective listening is a process that requires six distinct components: (1) motivating yourself to listen, (2) clearly hearing the message, (3) paying attention to the message, (4) correctly interpreting the message, (5) evaluating the message, and (6) remembering and responding appropriately (Adair, 2003). You all must learn to be motivated and have an open mind and be willing to gain something from one another. During conversation between the two of you make sure you can hear each other clearly without any interruption. Virginia Satir (1976) suggests that when you do not clearly hear the speaker, you often make up what you think the other person said. We tend to make an assumption and then hold the other person responsible for not communicating effectively. Paying Attention is another means of effective listening. Messages are sent by verbal and nonverbal means. To be an effective listener you must give your undivided attention to both verbal and nonverbal messages. Never jump to conclusion, let the other party finish their thoughts before you intervene to ensure that you have interpreted the message correctly. ? Interpreting the wrong message or signal can result in causing an interpersonal conflict. Being able to indentify conflict and handle it without incident will improve your relationship. Daniel Dana, a pioneer in the field of mediation, suggested that four factors must be present for a disagreement to be considered a conflict: Two people are interdependent; they each need something from the other. Both parties blame the other or find fault with them for causing the problem. One or more of the parties is angry or emotionally upset. The parties’ behaviors are affecting their relationship with each other and/When conflict emerges, tension are high, and the relationship can be put in jeopardy if not resolved as soon as possible. In all relationships, whether friendly, romantic, or family, conflict is unavoidable. Conflict can be hazardous to your health because it has the potential to get out of control, but it can also have value that can reinforce the relationship. Researchers Patricia Noller and Judith Feeney (2002) reported that some conflict may actually be good for a marriage over time and can lead to the personal growth of both parties if the negative communication is aimed at the other person’s specific behavior and not at the whole person. Another scholar from Harvard University reported that conflict has other value as well. He noted, in businesses and other organizations, conflict increases the necessity to accomplish tasks, it helps people understand their positions because it brings issues out into the open and forces them to support their arguments, and it gives all parties to the conflict a greater awareness of their own identities. Walton also suggested that conflict can help people be more creative in finding solutions to problems. Avoiding conflict is always better than promoting conflict. Sometimes it is best to get away and let the air clear. When emotions are high and tensions are peaking, a little space between each other will relax the atmosphere. I am not saying to just â€Å"sweep it under the rug† and hope it just go away. However, researchers found that the pattern that indicates a relationship is failing is that angry words are exchanged, the anger escalates, and then the withdrawal occurs. In other words, in falling relationship, negative emotions overwhelm the interaction between the parties, who then withdraws from each other (Zautra, 2003). Psychotherapist and author Virginia Satir suggests that we are initially attracted to people because of what we have in common with them, but we grow on the basis of our differences (Aatir, 1976). When you first meet someone you try and field them out. For a relationship to develop, you must have some initial interest. Some people will ask questions about another person, or they will watch someone to see if they meet the physical qualification. Some may listen to how someone speaks, there are several different techniques we use to gather information about someone whom we may be attracted to or want to get to know better. Theorists believe that several factors may influence your attraction to certain people. These factors are physical proximity, physical attractiveness, perceived gain, and similarities and differences (Hartley, 1999). Physical attractiveness is one of the first thing most people explore prior to entertaining a relationship. Some like their mate to be slim, some like them to be a little on the heavy side, some like them to be tall, short, or even short and round. Psychologists have found, however, that you are strongly influenced by prototypes of the idea male and female form as portrayed by media in our culture (Cattarin, Thompson, Thomas, & Williams, 2000). Some people is attracted to others because of what they think they can gain from being in the company of superstars or other high ranking individuals. Do you find yourself associating with people because who they are, or what you think they have and maybe you could be a part of it, in other words, you just want to be seen with someone who you believe you can benefit from. You have probably heard the saying, â€Å"Birds of a feather flock together. †Which saying is true? According to researchers, both are accurate (Hartley, 1999). It is good to know someone of importance or someone who is a superstar, but trying to put yourself in a position to gain something thru someone else’s fame, it just not worth the trouble. If you grew up with someone who have recently gain fame and fortune and you wish to associate yourself with them and they welcome your interest that will be entirely up to you. Emotional Intelligence is another area you should be familiar with to have a successful relationship. Knowing how to manage, communicate, and understand emotional feelings. Emotional Intelligence is similar to emotional health, the higher your emotional intelligence-the higher your emotional health is. Emotional health allows you to stay in touch with your own feelings while you are exposed to the feelings of others. It also enables you to handle life’s emotional setbacks in a healthy manner instead of taking your feelings on others (Segal, 1997). Emotional intelligence has three components: (1) the ability to effectively perceive, communicate, and manage negative emotions; (2) the ability to experience, communicate, and ustain positive emotions; and (3) the ability to retain perspective during difficult times and to recover following stressful events (Zautra, 2003). Most positive and negative feeling you encounter is a condition of your thoughts and your interpretation of events within the relationship. Psychotherapist and author Richard Carlson (1997) suggests that you think of negative thoughts similar to the way you think about your dreams. Y ou may awaken and be upset about something that occurred in a dream. But you understand that dreaming is merely thinking while you are asleep, and you dismiss the negative dream because you realize that it is not reality. The negative thoughts you have while awake also seem real, but they are not necessarily the truth. You can dismiss them like bad dreams and not allow them to spiral out of control until they ruin an entire day or even a lifetime. When negative thoughts assail you, Carlson suggests you remind yourself of the following: â€Å"We all produce a steady stream of thoughts, twenty-four hours a day. . . Pick and choose which thoughts you wish to react to â€Å". Everybody has different moods happiness. You can be happy and be in a good mood, or you can be mad or sad about something and keep your feelings inside and you can appear to be in a good mood. Moods are simply a part of being human, and being able to understand these moods oppose to letting them get the best of you will help you manage conflict. When you are in a good mood, everyth ing look good, you feel good, and life if great. However, a bad mood can ruin your day and the people around you. We know that words are not things; they are merely symbols that represent things. So as linguist Robin Tolmach Lakoff asks, â€Å"How can something that is physically just puffs of air, a mere stand-in for reality, have the power to change us and our world? †(Lakoff, 2001). Words are very powerful, they can cause pain, damage, excitement, and they can inspire you. Words are magical in the way they affect the minds of those who use them. â€Å"A mere matter of words,â€Å" we say contemptuously, forgetting that words have power to mould men’s thinking, to canalize their feeling, to direct their willing and acting. Conduct and character are largely determined by the nature of the words we currently use to discuss ourselves and the world around us. (Huxley, 1940). One of the first things children do when they first learn language is to identify parts of their bodies such as their eyes, mouths, or toes. They can say a word and touch the body part at the same time, so they tend to think that words have direct correlation with objects in the physical world. Thus, as children, and then as adults, we are misled into thinking th;at this item or object is what the word â€Å"means. Because we communicate with others, and they understand us, the word must mean the same to everyone else as it does to us (Kreidler, 1998). Words can mean different things to different people. Words are symbols, and they do not have the same meaning to everyone. Words reflect attitude, some words can be offensive to some cultures and less offensive to others. When words are interpret wrong it can caused confusion and proble ms. The meaning you interpret from a message is always personal and is the result of many factors including your personality and experiences. Communication always occurs in a context, so the meaning of a message often depends on the context of the communication. ? References Satir, V. (1976). Making Contact. Millbrae, CA: Celestial Arts. Zautra, A. J. (2003). Emotions, stress, and health. Cary, NC: Oxford University Press. Segal, J. (1997). Raising your emotional intelligence: A practical guide. New York: Henry Holt. Huxley, A. (1940). Words and Their Meanings. Los Angeles, CA: The Ward Ritchie Press. Hartley, P. (1999). Interpersonal communication. Florence, KY: Routledge. Lakoff, R. T. (2010). Language war. Ewing, NJ: University of California Press. Cattarin, J. A. , Thompson, J. K. , Thomas, C. , & Williams, R. (2000). Body image, mood, and televised images of attractiveness. The role of social comparison. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19(2), 220–239. Retrieved, March 9, 2011, from Pro–Quest Research Library. doi: 55606627. Lee, D. , & Hatesohl, D. (1993). Listening: Our most used communication skill. CM 150, Communications. University of Missouri Extension. Retrieved December 5, 2010, from http://extension. missouri. edu/publications/DisplayPub. aspx? P=CM150?