Evidence and Practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidence and Practice - Assignment Example ic change process, the issue of employee’s participation has been stipulated to have a number of positive results, effective responses and success achievement in the change implementation process. Thus, it is crucial to involve teams and individuals to ensure a successful change process (Weber, Reichert, & Rinderle-Ma, 2008). In response to this, my practice change that I would like to initiate and implement in my workplace that is in the operating room as an operating room nurse is in the reduction of infection prevention specifically by limiting the number of people in the room during surgical operations. Health care practitioners have a responsibility of enhancing the care of the patients through quality care and safe delivery (Howard & Hanssen, 2007). Often in the operating room do you find many students and health care personnel when an operation is ongoing, and this puts the patients at a risk of acquiring infections, as they are very susceptible. The operating room should be free from disease causing organism and in achieving this, there should be a limited numbers of personnel as well as limited movements to limit bacteria spread (Hurlbert & Garrett, 2009). In attaining my stipulated change process, I will encounter resistance from my own healthcare practitioners and I will encounter it through e ducation on the importance and standards of infection prevention in the operating room (Hon, Bloom, & Crant, 2011). To ensure success, I will involve individuals and team members. Weber, B., Reichert, M., & Rinderle-Ma, S. (2008). Change patterns and change support features–enhancing flexibility in process-aware information systems. Data & Knowledge Engineering, 66, 438–466.

The Mass Media and Social Construction Essay Example for Free

The Mass Media and Social Construction Essay The mass media industry is implicated in social construction. There are Ways of Seeing which serve state-corporate interests at the expense of the interests of the people. This is because there is a direct relationship between the mainstream press and the political economy of state-corporate capitalism in the construction of the false reality. The system of capitalism heavily indoctrinates the population through the mainstream press. The mass media fulfils this duty, because it is owned and controlled by the corporate class. In other words, economics and media are inter-linked. Herman and Chomsky provide evidence for this reality in Manufacturing Consent. (Herman and Chomsky) They show how the mainstream press is run by the political economy and how the viewer is made into a pawn. The two authors build a propaganda model in which they reveal how the U.S. government exploits the media to enforce control over the people. The mass media, therefore, is a corporate tool that is used to indoctrinate the population. The viewer is told what kind of desire he should have. If a person watches the media carefully, he will be able to see that certain programs have hidden messages and assumptions that reveal a certain bias against certain groups. Even the language that is used is based on certain premises that the corporate order wants people to think is normal. Yet all of these messages shape values. To a large extent, this process is about how people give approval to their own domination without even knowing it. Herman and Chomsky reveal how the language of the U.S. mass media is actually very limited. The parameters of debate are very narrow. What this basically means is that people think they are having a free-for-all discussion, but in fact it is the negation of discussion. Herman and Chomsky demonstrate how the marketplace and the economics of publishing try to shape the news we receive. A certain message is sent out that tries to limit the way people think about things. In this way, people are brainwashed. Thus, the corporate-run media basically shapes the desires and opinions of  the majority of people. This is because producers and advertisers have an interest in reinforcing certain ideologies. This is, therefore, a political battle. Economic elites retain their power by shaping and moulding social reality through the means of mass media. As Chomsky and Herman reveal, for example, American media employs a double standard in the ways it treats the crimes committed by enemy countries and the crimes committed by friendly countries. (Chomsky, pp.30-33) This serves a certain political agenda. Thus, it becomes clear that there is a direct relationship between the mainstream press and the political economy of state-corporate capitalism in the construction of social reality. The system of capitalism hides behind the scenes of this manipulation, but it is really pulling the strings. There is a propaganda model which we are a part of. The mass media serves as a corporate tool in this manipulation of what we are. That is why John Berger has told us about his issue of Ways of Seeing. (Berger) It turns out that what we see is not necessarily what we are seeing. Berger makes an important point when he says that publicity falsely proposes that purchases of things will change the consumer. Yet we know that this is a lie. Nonetheless, people but into the lie of advertising. People are simply led to believe that they are making a choice, when in fact all that is happening is the negation of choice. This is where Bergers point also becomes relevant, since Berger shows how advertising promises to change the consumer. But only sameness results. Thus, he r reveals that advertising actually steals something from the consumer and then sells it back at a certain price. Berger writes that, The spectator-buyer is meant to envy as she will become if she buys the product. She is meant to imagine herself transformed by the product into an object of envy for others, an envy which will then justify her loving herself. (Berger, p.134) This is the way that people are made to believe that they simply have to be consumers in order to be accepted by the society in which they live. If they do not buy what they are told, and if they do not want to own certain things, then they are simply not a part of the society that is deemed to be normal. In this way, we see how the mass media industry is  implicated in social construction. There are Ways of Seeing which serve state-corporate interests at the expense of true freedom for people. Works Cited Berger, John. Ways of Seeing (Pelican) Herman and Chomsky. Manufacturing Consent (Pantheon)

The Characteristics Of Culture Theology Religion Essay

The Characteristics Of Culture Theology Religion Essay Biologically speaking, we humans are social beings. We need our parents to be born, and once that happens; even though we are considered single individuals with a brain and mind that let us think and learn, we do not isolate ourselves from the rest of the people. On the contrary, all we do is to follow our peers. We gather in groups, and these groups constitute subgroups again. This is the basic method we follow to successfully organise and build up our social structure to satisfy our several needs. The first of these groups is our family, and from here we span to neighbourhoods; communities of different kinds, that we joined based on a particular interest, such as: religious, sports, academic, musical, labour, political, ideological, etc. These groups grow in number to form states and then countries or nations. All these people together establish a society. Societies differ from one another and every single one of them is unique, particular and characterised for a distinctive feature that we call culture. Culture is that complex absoluteness that we learn day by day. It is everything with which we fill and give sense to our existence. The way we wear, think, believe, act, speak, perceive are all framed and shaped by the ideas, concepts, values that are part of a specific culture. Through culture we learn to adapt ourselves in this physical world, manipulating the available resources for our own welfare and we also shape our behaviour to avoid a social chaos. Concepts of Culture Culture is neither natural nor artificial. It stems from neither genetics nor rational thought, for it is made up of rules of conduct, which were not invented and whose function is generally not understood by the people who obey them. Some of these rules are residues of traditions acquired in the different types of social structure through which each human group has passed. Other rules have been consciously accepted or modified for the sake of specific goals. Yet there is no doubt that, between the instincts inherited from our genotype and the rules inspired by reason, the mass of unconscious rules remains more important and more effective; because reason itself is a product rather than a cause of cultural evolution. Claude LÃ ©vi-Strauss, 1983. Culture means the whole complex of traditional behavior which has been developed by the human race and is successively learnt by each generation. A culture is less precise. It can mean the forms of traditional behavior which are characteristic of a given society, or of a group of societies, or of a certain race, or of a certain area, or of a certain period of time. Margaret Mead, 1937. Culture is the integral whole consisting of implements and consumers goods, of constitutional charters for the various social groupings, of human ideas and crafts, beliefs and customs. Whether we consider a very simple or primitive culture or an extremely complex and developed one, we are confronted by a vast apparatus, partly material, partly human, and partly spiritual, by which man is able to cope with the concrete specific problems that face him. Bronislaw Malinowski, 1944. Culture embraces all the manifestations of social behavior of a community, the reactions of the individual as affected by the habits of the groups in which he lives, and the product of human activities as determined by these habits. Franz Boas, 1930. Characteristics of Culture Culture is learnt: as soon as we are in contact with other members of our culture, we start learning all about it; therefore, we can assume that culture is learnt rather than inherited biologically. A human being will learn the culture of the society where he is raised; thus, a person that is born in Australia would not practise the same culture if he had been born in Poland. In this context we are different from animals since they are biologically built in a way that they will know how to behave and act naturally even if they grew in isolation. Culture is shared: if culture is learnt, we can state that it is also shared. We share all knowledge among the members of the same society. This way we pass on the standards of our culture along years keeping it alive. As we are social beings, we have a high tendency of sharing and this feature let us improve as a whole. By sharing we provide the necessary tools that are used for a gentle adaptation in all stages and environments we go through in our lives. Culture is integrated: culture itself is not a single unit. It is a complex whole in which every feature that characterizes it has an important role that makes that culture distinctive and peculiar. All these features function integrated and not separately from one another. This way when a feature changes, it affects to the whole system making it also swift. Culture is dynamic: there are some reasons such as: population growth, technological innovation, environmental crisis, intrusion of outsiders, modification of behaviour, etc; that have made cultures change. That is why cultures must be flexible and dynamic in order to adapt constantly to the new changes and avoid repression of his members. Culture is based on symbols: culture has been transmitted among its members along the years through a set of different symbols. Symbols are then the instrument used to pass on culture and keep it alive from generation to generation, and language is the most important one. Functions of Culture According to Bronislaw Malinowski (1884 1942) the function of culture is to fulfill certain biological and psychological needs people share. Cultures are expected to fulfill certain functions in order to lead a society successfully and some of them might me: Guarantee the biological continuity of its members. Provide practical means to pass on knowledge among members. Meet the psychological and emotional needs of its members. Being flexible enough in order to survive the increasing shifting conditions. Offer strategies for the rational production and distribution of goods and services considered necessary for life. Provide an organised and diverse social structure so that all its members can fit in it and also understand the world in their own means. Facilitate social interactions among its members and offer reasonable ways to avoid or resolve conflicts that might rise within the group as well as with outsiders. Allow human beings to adapt the environment to their own purposes. Social interactions do not refer to only relationships among human beings but also and deeply with nature. The survival of all cultures depends on the way they use and treat nature. A well-working culture is the one that satisfies the different groups within the society as equally as possible; thus, its individual members can all have access to the resources available in the community and achieve their personal and collective goals. This will avoid the members to feel unsafe and unattached; therefore, they will not easily fall into anti-social behaviours, such as: violence, crime, suicide, depression, abuse of drugs, etc. Enculturation and Acculturation Every single culture is learnt by their members and transmitted from person to person and from generation to generation to avoid its absolute disappearance. The most important instrument used to carry this out is language. The process of passing on knowledge among people is what we call enculturation. This process is vital to guarantee the survival of the culture, but it is also significant to do it in the most smoothly manner to avoid any disruption among members and also among the features of the culture being transmitted. Enculturation let us understand the past so that we can make a better sense of the present and therefore plan a more sustainable future for the welfare of our species. This process also gives us the opportunity to find out more about ourselves; our ancestors and origin; where the way we think and perceive the world, our values and beliefs come from. When enculturation is carried out in the proper manner, the members of all cultures grow up closer to their past, revitalizing the core values that make their cultures unique and distinct from all others. They also grow up in an environment characterized by the deep pride of belonging to one particular culture and behave with strong ideas of maintaining their culture alive; albeit the irrevocable changes they must go through. There is also another phenomenon that cultures might experience, consisting on the absorption of one culture over another one, called acculturation. This usually happens when industrialized or capital societies influence highly over traditional small societies to the point of modifying them completely. Once they are in contact, the former shapes and converts the latter one. The small society adopts the culture of the powerful one as the final outcome. This process is similar to that of colonization. It is especially more noticeable now that we live in a globalized world; where the small societies are usually the most affected ones. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism There is generally a bad habit of criticising other peoples behaviour but most of all to judge the way other cultures function. When we find ourselves interacting with people from other cultures, or simply see it on the media; we get surprised by the different manners they behave, think and express in similar situations. There is nothing wrong with comparing cultures, in fact, this way we learn more about others and value ours, too. We must keep in mind that when comparing, we should adopt an unbiased position in order to understand the best way possible why other people do things in the way they do, and avoid unsupported preconceptions. The term that refers to what it is mentioned in the paragraph above is ethnocentrism: the belief that the way that ones own culture functions is the only proper and correct one, while all others are wrong. In order to avoid making fast judgements or simply incorrect conclusions; anthropologists, when studying cultures, always put into practice what they call cultural relativism which is the idea that we must suspend or postpone judgement of other peoples practices until we acquire a full understanding of the culture in which we are interested; so as to understand them in their own cultural terms. It is important to clarify that in this process what it is done is to put off ones judgement towards another culture, it is neither precipitated nor cancelled. Through cultural relativism it is possible to hold our judgements and perceptions about the culture being observed to the last stage; in order to take down accurate data and keep valid records; furthermore, avoid preconceptions influenced by ethnocentrism. Conclusion Along history not only humans have changed, but also the way we live. In our search for a better and more comfortable world for us to inhabit; we have made an irrational and abusive use of natural resources. We have damaged nature to such extreme points to threaten our own survival. Most of the societies around the world, influenced by the western fashion have turned into very consumerist ones; the ideas and values that used to grasp societies together are now stirring political discomfort and creating social inequality because the leaders and members of our societies are more tented to achieve personal and individual profits at any cost to work collectively so that every member can accomplish his personal and collective needs. The process of changing is unstoppable; everything needs to keep changing constantly to stay alive; therefore a culture that does not adjust its features simple disappears. The most important affected feature of a culture is its language. Language is that particular faculty that differentiates us from animals and makes us a unique and rational species. Through language we humans are able to express our feelings, thoughts, ideas and most importantly to transmit our culture from one generation into another one, assuring its survival along years. Many languages have already disappeared, mainly as a result of the process of acculturation; and with the languages, also ways of thinking, expressing, seeing, perceiving are gone. This way the world becomes small and intrinsic, losing authenticity and variety provided for the distinct and diverse manners of receiving, understanding, analyzing, shaping and living this world. For a culture to survive is not enough to shift. It should do it in a way that it can guarantee that its members will satisfy their biological and social needs; thus, the whole society will feel competent and safe; therefore, it will behave proudly and mutually to keep it alive.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Edgar Allan Poe once said, "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." The 13 years that I have spent attending school have quickly passed through my life as if a dream, much as I imagine it did Edgar Allan Poe. I can still remember my first day of school in Vietnam when I was five years old. Timid and scared, I held my mother's hand tightly, frightened that if I let go, I would lose her forever. My mother looked at me and said gently in Vietnamese: "Su hoc nhu thuyen tren dong nuoc nguoc. Khong tien at se lui" Translated into English it means: "Education is like a boat heading upstream against the river's current. If it is not going forward, it will be left drifting behind." Now, years later, I stand among fellow students who have also bravely faced the challenge of that upstream river of knowledge. We are gathered here tonight for a very special and important occasion. It will be a night for all of us to remember, a night of wonderful memories, a night that celebrates the end of one journey and the beginning of another. I would like to welcome all of you here today -- faculty, family, friends, fellow Phi Theta Kappans, and of course, the one, the only Harding Community College graduating Class of 2006. Thank you for giving me the honor of speaking to you on this very special occasion in our lives. Giving a commencement speech is a very challenging task. The faculty would like a speaker with a substantive message. The parents would appreciate a sentimental tone, and the graduates would like the speech to be brief! Two years ago, we came to this institution with great enthusiasm and determination to build a bridge to the future for ourselves and for the next generation. We brought with us impressive... ...e has given us, to work together to translate the abstract into reality. In closing, and rather than saying good-bye to all of you, I ask the Class of 2006 to please rise. Let us give a grateful applause to Harding Community College for all that it has done and continues to do to help students like us in our quest for success. Let us thank you, our distinguished faculty, for believing in us, compelling us, and teaching us to explore the fullness and strength that lie within ourselves. Let us thank our family and friends for loving us, supporting us, and encouraging us to pass through the challenges of that upstream river of knowledge. And, let us celebrate this day with cheerful applause and congratulations to each other for being wonderful companions along this journey. Class of 2006, I wish you all a bright future and may another journey begin here.

Technology and New Technological Generation

The tremendous development in technology and the diversity in this industry have drastically changed the lifestyle of people in society. The progress in technology has good impacts as well as bad implications to people. In many ways, technology simplifies life,and it has many beneficial effects to the community and the human condition. On the other hand, the result of the technological progress has brought many complications to our lives.However, the negative and positive effects of technology depends completely on people’s exposure to it and the use that they give it. To begin, the enormous progress in technology is responsible for the great forward revolution in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, warfare, transportation, information, medicine, communication and so on. The mass media, for instance, is one of the most representative areas. We have radio, television, telephones, Internet, and every other device that will fit in the palm of the hand.Another example is the technological advance in the area of medicine that has introduced the latest tools to improve quality patient care. Furthermore, technology plays an important role in international trade because the world market has been globalizing by it. In other words, the most important contribution of technology to society is making the lives of common people much easier and helping them achieve what was previously not possible. On the other hand, the huge development in technology has also complicated life, and it has many negative effects on people.First of all, the new technology in mass media changes cultural values and social behaviors by spreading ideas, values, behavior patterns within a society and among different groups. Some technologies also have negative effects on the environment, such as pollution, and lack of sustainability because they are designed to economic effects only. The new forms of entertainment, such as Internet, and video games have serious effects on children and ad ults causing obesity, laziness, and loss of personality.In addition, through the Internet, the pornographic and gambling industries have been introduced for the various web sites. Therfore, the consequences of the technological advance does not only affect the people it also affect the planet. As a matter in fact, technology has been part of life on the earth since the advent of the human species like language, rituals, commerce, and the arts. Technology is an intrinsic part of human culture and it shapes society as well as is shaped by society.However, the positive or negative effect of technology on society will depend on the choices that people make. These choices between increasing technology include, rising to consumer demands, products channels of distribution, and people’s ability to gain these products with ease. Other effects of technology are beliefs regarding to freedom of choice, materialism, consumerism, and the utilization of technologies just as people requests . To illustrate, technology could be used to maintain, prolong, or terminate a life depend on the patient’s desire.Therefore, the difference in a person attitude towards technology is dependent on that person’s exposure to it rather that the notion she/he has of it. In conclusion, the technologies available to people greatly influence how their lives are as well as people have influence on technology’s development and how it is used. Indeed, the industrial revolution is still underway changing patterns of work and bringing with it the economic and social consequences. The more obvious economic effect of the industrial revolution is the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and ores.The social consequences of the technological modernization are the negative impact on people’s behavior and the creation of the new technological generation. However, people should take advantage of the technology advances and use it wisely in ben efit to their lives. For example, people could use technology to create shortcuts in working and making tasks easy too. On the contrary, unfortunately, people could use technology to create weapons of massive destruction. Finally, we are the new technological generation, so not only the future of this civilization but the future of the planet is in our hands. Technology and New Technological Generation The tremendous development in technology and the diversity in this industry have drastically changed the lifestyle of people in society. The progress in technology has good impacts as well as bad implications to people. In many ways, technology simplifies life,and it has many beneficial effects to the community and the human condition. On the other hand, the result of the technological progress has brought many complications to our lives.However, the negative and positive effects of technology depends completely on people’s exposure to it and the use that they give it. To begin, the enormous progress in technology is responsible for the great forward revolution in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, warfare, transportation, information, medicine, communication and so on. The mass media, for instance, is one of the most representative areas. We have radio, television, telephones, Internet, and every other device that will fit in the palm of the hand.Another example is the technological advance in the area of medicine that has introduced the latest tools to improve quality patient care. Furthermore, technology plays an important role in international trade because the world market has been globalizing by it. In other words, the most important contribution of technology to society is making the lives of common people much easier and helping them achieve what was previously not possible. On the other hand, the huge development in technology has also complicated life, and it has many negative effects on people.First of all, the new technology in mass media changes cultural values and social behaviors by spreading ideas, values, behavior patterns within a society and among different groups. Some technologies also have negative effects on the environment, such as pollution, and lack of sustainability because they are designed to economic effects only. The new forms of entertainment, such as Internet, and video games have serious effects on children and ad ults causing obesity, laziness, and loss of personality.In addition, through the Internet, the pornographic and gambling industries have been introduced for the various web sites. Therfore, the consequences of the technological advance does not only affect the people it also affect the planet. As a matter in fact, technology has been part of life on the earth since the advent of the human species like language, rituals, commerce, and the arts. Technology is an intrinsic part of human culture and it shapes society as well as is shaped by society.However, the positive or negative effect of technology on society will depend on the choices that people make. These choices between increasing technology include, rising to consumer demands, products channels of distribution, and people’s ability to gain these products with ease. Other effects of technology are beliefs regarding to freedom of choice, materialism, consumerism, and the utilization of technologies just as people requests . To illustrate, technology could be used to maintain, prolong, or terminate a life depend on the patient’s desire.Therefore, the difference in a person attitude towards technology is dependent on that person’s exposure to it rather that the notion she/he has of it. In conclusion, the technologies available to people greatly influence how their lives are as well as people have influence on technology’s development and how it is used. Indeed, the industrial revolution is still underway changing patterns of work and bringing with it the economic and social consequences. The more obvious economic effect of the industrial revolution is the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and ores.The social consequences of the technological modernization are the negative impact on people’s behavior and the creation of the new technological generation. However, people should take advantage of the technology advances and use it wisely in ben efit to their lives. For example, people could use technology to create shortcuts in working and making tasks easy too. On the contrary, unfortunately, people could use technology to create weapons of massive destruction. Finally, we are the new technological generation, so not only the future of this civilization but the future of the planet is in our hands.

Free Essays on Do Not Go Gentle Into That Night

; the â€Å"good men† have not â€Å"danced in a green bay†; the â€Å"wild men† have â€Å"learned too late†; and the â€Å"grave mean have not used their blinding sight.† Thomas tells his dying father that all mean good or evil, smart or ignorant, need to fight against death. Only then, after a man has made his true contribution to society, may that man peacefully be prepared to die. Using for examples of men; wise, good, wild, and grave, he illustrates a universal idea. The four individuals have reached the final end of their lives prematurely. Thomas provokes these men into wanting more time and desiring the courage to fight back against the ... Free Essays on Do Not Go Gentle Into That Night Free Essays on Do Not Go Gentle Into That Night We all know that death will be out fate some day, but how we accept or how we deal with it is left to each individual. â€Å" Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,† written by Dylan Thomas, emphasizes raging against death towards his dying father as he repeats this exhortation in the last line in every stanza. Imagery, sound, metrics, and tone, are used by Thomas to create the theme of his poem and what it means. There are several ways that imagery is used in the poem to develop the meaning of the poem. First of all, Thomas conveys resistance towards death with images of fury and fighting, as in â€Å"do not go gentle.† With images of â€Å"good night† and â€Å"dying in the light,† Thomas conveys death as the end where darkness prevails. He takes his stand within concrete, particular existence. He places birth and death at the poles of his vision. Excessive images of anger and rage towards death exemplify the passion Thomas feels for life. The images of â€Å"burn† and â€Å"rave at close of day† show a sense of anger and rage. Contrasting images of light and darkness in the poem create warmth of living and the coldness of death, so as to discourage people from choosing the dreary, bitter frigidity of death. The images of â€Å"wise men† have â€Å"forked no lighting† with their words; the â€Å"good men† have not â€Å"danced in a green bay†; the â€Å"wild men† have â€Å"learned too late†; and the â€Å"grave mean have not used their blinding sight.† Thomas tells his dying father that all mean good or evil, smart or ignorant, need to fight against death. Only then, after a man has made his true contribution to society, may that man peacefully be prepared to die. Using for examples of men; wise, good, wild, and grave, he illustrates a universal idea. The four individuals have reached the final end of their lives prematurely. Thomas provokes these men into wanting more time and desiring the courage to fight back against the ...