Why Some Sociologists Choose to Use Structured Interviews When Conducting Research free essay sample

Examine the reasons why some sociologists choose to use structured interviews when conducting research. There are three types of interviews; structured, unstructured and semi-structured interviews. The most commonly used types of interviews by sociologists are structured interviews and unstructured interviews. Structured interviews have various advantages, therefore, some sociologists, mainly Positivist sociologists, choose to use structured interviews when conducting research. Positivists are mainly interested in research methods that achieve their main goals of reliability, generalisability and representativeness, for this reason, they favour structured interviews as they achieve these goals. This is because structured interviews often have questions and answers that are standardised; they are reliable because they can be therefore replicated. Positivist sociologists also prefer to use structured interviews when conducting research because the pre-coded responses mean that quantitative data can be produced and so cause-and-effect relationships can be established. Also, structured interviews are representative and can therefore be generalised, because of the fact that they are often large-scale. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Some Sociologists Choose to Use Structured Interviews When Conducting Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are also practical advantages to using structured interviews. For an example, training interviewers is relatively easy and inexpensive as no specialist skills have to be taught as the questions tend to be very straightforward as they often close-ended, and do not require too much thought. Also, because skills taught are minimal, the process of training interviewers will not cost too much. Another practical advantage, is that structured interviews are relatively cheap and easy to administer, so large quantities of interviews can be carried out, meaning that are large-scale , so sociologists, especially Positivists’, can generalise data as the data found will be representative. Also, another practical advantage is that they are relatively straightforward to carry out, and factual information can be found out quickly and cheaply, such as a person’s age. A final practical advantage, adding to why sociologists may choose structured interviews, is that because the questions are close-ended, the results can be easily quantified and so structured interviews are very suitable for hypothesis testing. An ethical advantage is that informed consent can be found, if the interview is carried out on the children, informed consent can be provided by the parents. Another ethical advantage, dding to why sociologists choose structured interviews, is that interviewees may feel more relaxed about answering questions, because they should be told that they have the right not to answer any question they do not want to. Another advantage, is that although the numbers that can be studied using structured interviews are relatively lower than that of postal questionnaires, structured interviews generally have a higher response rate. For an example, in the case of Young and Willmott’s study, only 54 out of 987 people that they asked to interview, refused to be interviewed, possibly because it is easier to simply not complete and post back a questionnaire than to turn down an interview, because with interviews, the request for one is often face-to-face, and many people will prefer interviews because of the chance to talk to someone about particular issues that they feel strongly about and have opinions about. Response rates may also be fairly high with structured interviews, making the interviews more representative, because the interviewer may make several call backs to people who initially fail to respond to questions, and therefore, a better basis for generalisation, which is required for Positivists’ research, can be provided.

Different from, Different to, Different than

Different from, Different to, Different than Different from, Different to, Different than Different from, Different to, Different than By Maeve Maddox We all have our pet grammar peeves, usages that, when we hear them, affect us like the sound of a fingernail against a chalkboard. Ill bet Im not the only one who shudders to hear sentences like these: A boxer is different than a Doberman. This car is different to that one. Yet, are these usages really incorrect? According to the entry for different from, different to, different than at Bartleby.com, These three have been usage items for many years. All are Standard and have long been so (different to is limited to British English, however), but only different from seems never to meet objections. Elements of Style weighs in against different than: Here logic supports established usage: one thing differs from another, hence, different from. Or, other than, unlike. From H.W. Fowler comes this pronouncement: That different can only be followed by from and not by to is a superstition. He points out that writers of all ages have used different to. He does not mention the use of different than. It would seem, then, that any of the three is acceptable. Nevertheless, the concluding advice at Bartleby.com agrees with my own: for Formal and Oratorical levels: stick with different from. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 10150 Synonyms for â€Å"Idea†25 Idioms About Bread and Dessert

Brachytherapy in Treating Cervical Cancer-Free-Samples for Students

Brachytherapy is a form of cancer treatment where radioactive pounds sealed in a wire, pellet or capsule is introduced into the body with the help of a catheter in order to damage the DNA of the cancer cells. It has a wide spread of application in the treatment of prostate cancer and cervical cancer. The benefits of brachytherapy are that it allows an augmented dose of radiation in a limited area unlike the other types of the radiation treatments. It actually helps to lessen the damage to the surrounding tissues due to radiation. The last two papers are about improving the image guided brachytherapy techniques in the treatment of cervical cancers. Two of my chosen papers are related to the same, as IGBT helps in a more accurate treatment and lesions that are too large for applying the other treatment techniques.   Significant improvements have occurred in the last three decades due to the use of the 3-D image guided procedures. Incorporation of the transrectal US in the image guide d brachytherapy have been found to be effective in centers that have do not access to MRI. The monly used method in the treatment of the cervical cancer is the Manchester Point A system. But the 2-D X ray image shows no contract of the soft tissues. Image guided brachytherapy helps to target the desired tissue.   There had been increasing evidence of the benefits of the image guided brachytherapy in cervical cancer, which is the main rationale behind the chosen papers. The objective of this paper is to give an overview of the gynecologic brachytherapy, with a focus on the recent advancements and their implications on the cervical cancer in women. The paper describes about the evaluation and the staging of the patient, According to this paper the initial stages of evaluation includes the cervical biopsy of the hystopathological diagnosis. According to the FIGO r mendations, patients with who would be receiving the radiation treatment should have a planning of the CT stimulation before the initiation of the EBRT. The paper also brings about a parison between the high dose rate brachytherapy and low dose rate brachytherapy. Previously LDR was used exclusively for treating the cancer by using a cesium -137 isotope. Since 2000s, the utilization of the HDR has increased considerably. The HDR employs a remote after loading technology allowing a small iridium source connected to the end of a cable that is robotically driven via the multiple channels ceasing at the dwell positions for different span of time.   The article also refers to a third type of treatment that is monly not used in the US known as the pulse dose rate (PDR) brachtherapy. The paper also gives an account of the choices, by which cervical brachytherapy can be performed, namely the intracavitary, interstitial, or a binatory approach. A cohort study was done in order to measure the clinical ou es of the image guided brachytherapy. The study pared the 2D versus the 3D IGBT . In the patients treated with both the EBRT plus chemother apy followed by a brachytherapy could show a local relapse free survival 74 % of the selected patients. Similar improvement was found in another study containing patients from Vienna. It can be understood from the paper that brachytherapy can improve the local control, reduce the toxicity and improve the overall survival rate of cervical cancer in women. The study of the paper also enables one to understand that the disadvantage of brachytherapy is that, it is invasive. The randomized control study involving 2D planning and 3D planning in selected patients showed better results in patients being treated with image guided brachtherapy. The paper also gave an account of the appropriate treatment target volume, the appropriate dose and the fractionation scheme. Although the progression from the 2D- 3D based imaging and the treatment planning for the cervical cancer has increased the overall survival of the women. Further data from the 3-D based treatment is required associated with the decrease in the toxicity of the technique. The previous paper focused on the effectiveness of overall brachytherapy in cervical cancer, but this article will aim to focus on the advantages of using imaging brachytherapy over conventional methods of brachytherapy.   The paper involves a retrospective analysis of the ou es in patient suffering from stage IB-IVA cervical cancer treated with primary radiation therapy. The ou e measures were the relapse free survival of the patient, distant metastasis, pelvic control and other adverse events related to the treatment. 126 patients have been analyzed out of which 43 patients have been treated with CBT between the years 2000-2007, and 83 patients have been treated with IGBT between the years 2007- 2012. The conventional bracgytherapy involved the application of the low dose brachytherapy and high dose rate brachytherapy was used after 2005. The standard brachytherapy applicators used were intracavatary ovoids and tandem.   From 2011, interstitial needles can be introduced in to t he ovoids for optimizing the dose distribution around the neoplasia. All the records of the adverse events were recorded if prompted by the signs and the symptoms.   The results concluded that cervical cancer survival rates have increased with the introduction of IGBT. The application of the MRI based adaptive IGBT technique was found to be useful for the patients with stage IB-IVA cervical cancer. The overall survival rate was found to improve from 51% to 83% with the shift from conventional brachytherapy to imaging brachytherapy. The study confirmed that there had been a significant decrease in the distant metastasis in the group treated with IGBT. The pelvic control rates were also found to be improved in the IGBT group. Data obtained from the patient’s record found that the IGBT patients were more likely to plete the chemotherapy faster than the patients’ receiving the conventional brachytherapy. The use of IGBT in the primary chemo radiation of the cervical cancer is superior to the CBT and should be considered as the new standard of care. It can be known from the paper that there is a requirement of improvement of the nodal and the PAN tumor control, using the PET-CT and the lessening of the adverse events in both the standard and the adaptive IMRT. A 3D MRI based image guided brachytherapy have been found to reduce the toxicity as discussed in the previous paper. The objectives of the paper were realistic. One of the limitations of the paper is that the sample population of the cohort was not large. Although there are several studies that have actually provided the evidences of imaging brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is an essential ponent for the treatment of the cervical cancers that have progressed locally. It allows the dose of the tumor to be amplified sparing the nearby tissues. Image guided brachytherapy have found to lessen the local recurrence. The article focuses on how the 3D conformal brachytherapy can be used in a hospital setting and how the brachytherapy services can be improved. The radiological studies operative parameters and patient workflow and intensive therapy planning can pose challenge to the clinical resources. The paper also discuses about the translational research opportunities in the field of brachytherapy. One of the concerns is that some proportion of the tumor will display biological resistance to the radiations and even to brachytherapy. The objective of the paper was to find new advancement in the field of imaging-brachytherapy. Hence the paper had been appropriate in stating the recent advancements in the radiotherapy techniques like the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and the stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This research paper also enables one to understand the demerits of the therapy, such as IMRT had been unsuccessful in achieving the target volume doses unlike that of the image guided brachytherapy. The paper informs that IGBT is more time consuming and requires individual planning and contouring. Additional resources such as MRI/CT scans and the patible applicators are required. The cost of setting up an IGBT is about 10-15 % more than that of the conventional procedures of brachytherapy. In a clinical setting with IGBT facilities there should be provisions for an intrauterine brachytherapy applicator as most of the patients will be having an intact uterus, which will require the placement of an intrauterine tube. It can be understood from all the three papers that image guided brachytherapy makes 3D models by using the cross sectional image. It should be mentioned that the points of similarities between the three papers were much more than the differences as all the three papers focused on the advancements in the field of brachytherapy in treating cervical cancers and the advantage of using image dependant brachytherapy over the conventional treatment of the brachytherapy. The difference between the three papers is that the last two papers focused more on the improvements in the image guided brachytherapy. The last papers exclusively mentioned the advancements rather than just paring with the conventional standards. Various retrospective studies and the cohort studies described in the three papers have showed better survival rates in patients with cervical cancer. Among the three papers my choice of paper was the first one as it had elaborately stated the difference between the new techniques and the old ones such as the difference between the HDR brachytherapy and the LDR brachytherapy, the selection of the applicator. It further gives information about the intracavity brachytherapy, interstitial brachytherapy. An appropriate treatment planning was mentioned. This assignment has not only aided us to know about the different image guided brachytherapy techniques but have also informed us with the procedures undertaken in brachytherapy Banerjee, R., & Kamrava, M. (2014). Brachytherapy in the treatment of cervical cancer: a review. International journal of women's health, 6, 555.   Otter, S., Franklin, A., Ajaz, M., & Stewart, A. (2016). Improving the efficiency of image guided brachytherapy in cervical cancer. Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy, 8(6), 557–565. https://doi.org/10.5114/jcb.2016.64452 Rijkmans, E. C., Nout, R. A., Rutten, I. H. H. M., Ketelaars, M., Neelis, K. J., Laman, M. S., ... & Creutzberg, C. L. (2014). Improved survival of patients with cervical cancer treated with image-guided brachytherapy pared with conventional brachytherapy. Gynecologic oncology, 135(2), 231-238

Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention Research Paper - 1

Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention - Research Paper Example Despite optimistic dreams, harmony was shattered in the early 1990s with the explosion of ethnic conflict and humanitarian tragedies on the grandest scale.   While ethnic conflict and humanitarian crises have existed since the dawn of time, for the first time ever images of extreme bloodshed, violence, and even genocide were broadcast into the millions of people around the world, from New York to New Delhi and from London to Lagos. Images of children being slaughtered, women being raped and people brutalized were beamed into the living rooms of concerned citizens all over the world, for all to see. For the first time, the public was confronted, on a near daily basis, with images of mass carnage, violence, and humanitarian crisis. People pressed their congressmen, parliamentarians and state representatives to act and, in varying degrees, a groundswell calling for a decisive role for governments in ending these humanitarian crises and conflicts emerged. Although some wanted direct military action, often French, British or American, in ending a particular conflict, most governments have traditionally favored other instruments of diplomacy: p olitical pressure, economic sanctions and imposed a settlement through international bodies such as the United Nations. As Carleton, & Stohl have emphatically demonstrated, a foreign policy rhetoric may be politically salient but not always political possible.  The purpose of this report is to provide an analysis of the human rights issue of genocide and humanitarian intervention.   With the aim of providing a thorough and concise overview of an incredibly timely issue, the following will explore arguments by two major scholars in the field regarding this important human rights issue.  

Toyota Motor Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Toyota Motor Corporation - Essay Example The satisfaction with the existing quality offered has made these organizations try and improve the product quality by way of incorporating various quality management techniques in the production process (James, Rowland-Jones and O’Brien, 2009). As a result, researchers over the years have introduced a wide range of competing perspectives, each different from the other in terms of analytical frameworks and various terminologies. However, the foundation of each theory is the same; establishing a relationship between product quality and pricing strategy of the organization. The five important approaches towards quality management are as follows: Transcendent Approach: According to this view, quality of a product is associated with its innate excellence. It is universally acceptable and an absolute concept that deals with uncompromising standards and high levels of achievement. Nonetheless, proponents of the transcendent view are of the opinion that quality is an un-measurable concept and is better defined as the recognition of the product through experience or repeat usage of the consumers (Slack, Chambers and Johnson, 2004; Arnheiter and Harren, 2006). Product based Approach: The product based definition regards quality as a measurable and precise concept. The differences in quality of a product can be attributed to that in quantity of the ingredients used in its production, thereby resulting in faulty attributes of the output. For example, a high-quality rug or mattress would have a larger number of knots per square inch. Hence, this approach gives a hierarchical or vertical dimension to quality by providing ranks to goods based on their number of favorable attributes. This approach has been incorporated in the theoretical models of economics (Namkung and Jang, 2007). The two corollaries of this approach are; firstly, the higher cost is incurred while attaining higher quality as quality reflects the number of favorable ingredients used in the process of production.

June Yip proposes post colonialism to evaluate Taiwanese films Essay Example for Free

June Yip proposes post colonialism to evaluate Taiwanese films Essay June Yip analyzes Taiwan in the book Envisioning Taiwan as a new breed of country in the postcolonial era which has least interest in the idea of nation-state, maintaining it’s very local faces as well as open to international influences with much surprise. Yip takes a look at Taiwan’s post-national territory status through its fiction and cinema movement concentrating her attention to filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien. (Winterton) Taiwan has a long history of colonialism and suppression, but the multinational capitalism, mass migration, the arrival of new electronic media; all these encouraged a postmodern culture and have questioned the traditional limit as well as made the notion of nation irrelevant. June Yip emphasizes the hybrid nature of identity as fallout of postmodernism, is vastly reflected in the present form of Taiwanese films. The earlier versions were more conventional and guarded the theme of nationhood. She points in her book Hou’s films present a picture â€Å"the island as an increasingly complex and hybrid social space, an ever-changing formation†. (Yip, 230) Yip focuses that Taiwanese New Cinema, emerged in the 1980’s and its patrons are fascinated with displaying the socio-historical qualities of modern Taiwan’s experience and also to form a sense of Taiwanese cultural identity with centralizing on the search for nationhood in their works. They represent the tough transition period of Taiwan’s history through which the island came to the global order and try to depict the same in their films with â€Å"a quest for an understanding of a modern Taiwanese experience† and rising questions from present and future. (Yip, 10) Yip also presents the grim picture of Taiwan’s history where under various regimes; either Japanese or Chinese, the linguistic medium of films was strictly regulated by the ruling authorities. Most of these languages were foreign to the locals while the local medium was eclipsed. So, in modern Taiwanese cinema, a global touch could be felt where characters easily switch from Taiwanese to Mandarin to Japanese to English, showcasing a multicultural effect. (Yip, 6) Yip clarifies that Taiwan’s cultural awareness took time to surface itself on cinema due to its colonial Hanover. As there is a strong link between cinema and the idea of nationhood but in the later half of the 20th century the cinema carried a huge responsibility of nation building as being a visual medium. Government was always involved in making of Taiwanese films but in 1990’s it felt the need to loose the belts as to get back commercial as well as critical acclaim. Most of the film personalities have grown the age of rigidity, so when they started working they tries their best to free themselves from the knuckles and criticized the government under its banner itself as well as displayed the new experiences with global changes. The films Three Times and Puppetmaster have shown the changes of post colonialism. Three Times is a film consisting of three episodes based in three periods of Taiwanese history showcasing the problems of the turbulent times in the history, urge for freedom and also the confusion prevailing in a contemporary city. The Puppet master recollects the life of a puppeteer spanning during the period of Japanese occupation of the island and portraying the sorry state of the Taiwanese people and their hardships and also depicts the loss of tradition under suppression and western influence. Both the films in their respective themes lament sufferings of the history and urge to come out of the rigid circumstances supporting Yip’s thesis. (Schumann) While The Wedding Banquet is a drama with humorous touch where personal relationships, based on generation and cultural conflicts within individuals of slender theme rather matching the concept of analysis of Yip of Taiwanese cinema.

The Moors Last Sigh: Wickedly Comic Essay example -- Moors Last Sigh

Hopping in a careful, calculated manner across four generations of a rich and demented Indian family, Salman Rushdie's cynical novel The Moor's Last Sigh laughs mischievously at the world and shivers from its evils. Weaving a tale of murder and suicide, of atheism and asceticism, of affection and adultery, Rushdie's exquisitely crafted storytelling explains the "fall from grace of a high-born crossbreed," namely our narrator Moraes Zogoiby, also known as "Moor." At the centerpiece of this odd and captivating tale stand the embers of Moor's family: a complex web including a ridiculed political activist, a shrew, a homosexual husband, an artist, and a Jewish underworld gangster, among others. Moor's sisters lead lives as abnormal and doomed as their family history would predispose them towards: Ina, a washed-up model, dies in the throes of insanity; Minnie takes holy orders, predicting a great plague washing over Bombay and envisioning talking rats; Mynah, a lesbian, hopelessly infatuated with Moor's lover, dies in an industrial "accident" that m y~be~her~ father's doing. Such is ...

A 3000 word reflective account of Solution Focused Brief Therapy within a practice placement setting

This assignment is a personal reflective account on the use of solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) carried out during a practice placement within a Crisis and Home Treatment Team (CRHT). This assignment aims to discuss the importance of the 10 Essential Shared Capabilities, introduce clear definitions of SFBT, evaluate current research of SFBT, and provide an evaluation of the key principles of SFBT. I will make a brief comparison of SFBT and traditional psychotherapy.I will utilise aspects of Gibb’s Model of Reflection (1988) when discussing my own thoughts and feelings in order to critically analyse and evaluate two key features of SFBT interventions used in practice. This will allow me to identify positive aspects of my practice as well as highlighting aspects which need further development. Finally, I will evaluate the theoretical framework underpinning its relevance in current and future practice. De Shazer & Dolan (2007) defined SFBT as â€Å"a future focused, goal or ientated approach to brief therapy†. Iveson (2002) proposes that SFBT focuses on â€Å"solution building rather than problem solving†.As such, SFBT does not require a detailed history of the past or problem due to its solution focused nature. The client is believed to have the necessary resources to implement changes. Furthermore, Macdonald (2007, p. 7) stipulates that the client has the capacity to use these resources to set their own goals for therapy. In a general sense, psychotherapy aims to aid clients to reach their full potential or to develop better coping mechanisms to deal with their problems. During psychotherapy a client will develop skills to become self aware, change their unhelpful cognitive schemas, and develop insight and empathy (O’Connell, 2005).Additionally, psychotherapy assumes that, with guidance, each client has the capacity to overcome their discomfort or distress. There is considerable agreement in literature regarding the main character istics of SFBT (De Shazer & Dolan, 2007; O’Connell, 2005; Lethem, 2002; George, Iveson & Ratner, 1990; Sharry, Darmody & Madden, 2002). It is believed that therapy must convert from focusing on the presenting problem and move towards looking for solutions (O’Connell, 2005). Therefore, the therapist must consider the client’s subjective, individual interpretations of the given problem.O’Connell (2005) reports that this phenomenon is a result of social constructionism. Social constructionism proposes that client’s theories are created as a result of social interaction and negotiations with peers. As result these theories are fluid, constantly changing with knowledge, and therefore move away from any certainty (McNamee, 2010). For example, Walter & Peller (1994, p. 14) reported that if a therapist was to lead from behind, by allowing a client to talk about their experiences, this would encourage the client to become increasingly aware of aspects of th e perceived problem that had previously been disregarded.Rosenbaum, Hoyt & Talmon (1990) theorised that improvements can be achieved by the change of the smallest aspect in the client’s life, and that it is this smallest, positive, initial step that will inevitably lead to greater improvements for the client. Furthermore, Sharry et al (2002) highlight that it is not possible for a client to experience one emotion all of the time, and that there must be times when the problematic emotion is more or less intense. They stipulate that it is the therapists’ role to determine when the emotion is less severe and encourage the client to do more of these behaviours.In addition to this, Sharry et al (2002) advise that the therapist should not focus failed solutions or advise the client to continue with behaviours that are problematic. Clients are advocated to actualize their preferred future by implementing small changes that have proved to be positive solutions. The idea of a p referred future is dominant with the SFBT approach. This is seen throughout a SFBT session, from the initial clarification of the client’s goals for therapy to the client being encouraged to describe in detail what their future without their problem would look like by use of the  miracle question (De Shazer & Dolan, 2007).De Shazer & Molnar (1984) advise that is important to be mindful that clients may think they have to do something which they feel is expected of them by the therapist, even though this may not necessarily be right for them. As such, I feel that asking about the client’s preferred future can be a high risk strategy for vulnerable clients as it may initiate a negative response and prolong feelings of hopelessness. There are many similarities of the underlying assumptions of SFBT and other psychotherapies.For example, the goals for therapy are chosen by the client (O’Connell, 2005). In addition to this, all psychotherapy assumes that the client has the resources they need to implement change (Macdonald, 2007, p. 7). However, the main differences between SFBT and other psychotherapies are that a detailed history is not needed, the perceived problem is not analysed, the treatment process begins within the first session of therapy and that SFBT does not believe a person’s perception is maladjusted or in need of change (O’Connell, 2005).It is evident that SFBT draws upon numerous therapeutic approaches. I believe SFBT shared a number of theoretical principals with person-centred therapy. Rogers (1951) hypothesised that human’s have an intrinsic ability to self-actualise, which can be seen explicitly in SFBT in identifying the clients strengths and resources (Saunders 1998). In terms of person-centred counselling, the way SFBT highlights these factors is directly facilitating the self- actualization of the client. Furthermore, both theories take an eclectic approach to the client’s situation.For exam ple, the importance of the whole person in person-centred counselling is associated with the interest in the whole context of a person’s life in SFBT (Iveson, 2002). Hales (1999) describes how person-centred therapy believes that the client is in control of the counselling process and makes judgements about their decisions and experiences; this is seen much more overtly in SFBT as the clients are asked directly their goals for therapy and how they would know that therapy had been worthwhile.Both approaches provide client-orientated counselling which aims to promote self esteem and coping strategies for the client (Hales, 1999). By employing the underlying principals of SFBT into future training, my practice will remain aligned with the Ten Essential Shared Capabilities (Department of Health, 2004). In particular, SFBT focuses on ‘working in partnership’, ‘identifying people’s needs and strengths’, providing service user care’ and promot ing safety and positive risk taking’ (Department of Health, 2004, p.4).In a literature review, Ferraz & Wellman (2008) emphasise that it is possible to incorporate these essential capabilities into SFBT techniques in current practice. They suggest that SFBT is particularly appropriate when staff have relatively brief contact with clients. SFBT is congruent with these essential capabilities, enabling nurses to develop improved therapeutic relationships with clients, improved communication skills, and a goal orientated approach to recovery (De Shazer & Dolan, 2007).Whilst there is limited research surrounding SFBT in comparison to other psychotherapies, the evidence base has developed in recent years (Gingerich & Eisengart, 2000). However, much of the initial research was conducted by the pioneers of SFBT, e. g. De Shazer & Molnar (1984) and Kiser (1988), and is therefore likely to be in favour of SFBT. In terms of success rate, Kiser (1988) and Kiser & Nunnally (1990) conducte d six month follow up studies which showed an 80% success rate of clients who had received SFBT.However, these studies can be criticised as only 14.7% clients reported considerable improvements beyond meeting their treatment goals. Much research into the effectiveness of SFBT concludes a success rate which is calculated by a combination of clients who achieved their goals and clients who made significant improvements. Further to this, Macdonald (1994; 1997) argued success rates of 64% at a three year follow up. Moreover, DeJong & Berg (1998) report that SFBT achieves 70% or more success rates for multitude of social and mental health issues, including depression, suicidal ideation, relationship difficulties, domestic violence, and self-esteem.As such, the underlying principals of SFBT can be applied to the Seven Stage Crisis Intervention Model (R-SSCIM; Roberts, 1991). For example, stage 3 of Roberts’ model (1991) help clients to identify their strengths, resources and past c oping skills. This can be achieved through the use of exception and coping questions (O’Connell, 2005). De Shazer & Dolan (2007) expand on this by advising that identifying strengths and resources can help build rapport and trust with the client as the focus is shifted away from short-comings and towards complimenting the client.During Stages 4 & 5, feelings and emotions are explored, and alternatives are generated and explored (Roberts, 1991). SFBT utilises these stages by acknowledge client’s current experiences and aiding them to create an action plan. The client I chose to utilise SFBT techniques with had an extensive mental health history. He has been known to community services for the past 5 years, and has a diagnosis of major depression. He had been referred to CRHT following deterioration in mood and was expressing suicidal ideation. The client had consented to me using SFBT techniques during a home treatment visit.I utilised several assessment tools of SFBT i ncluding pre-session changes, goal setting, exception seeking and coping questions, miracle question, scaling question, and task setting. I have chosen to reflect on the use of scaling questions and exception seeking questions. O’Connell (2005, p. 35) stipulates that scaling is a technique whereby the therapist asks the client to rate on a scale of zero to ten, where zero is the worst they have felt recently and ten is the best they have felt recently, for a particular issue.O’Connell (2005, p. 35) goes on to state that scaling can be used to set treatment goals, measure progress, establish priorities, rate the clients motivation, and discover the client’s confidence in resolving their issues. I have chosen to reflect on scaling techniques as I felt confident and noticed my personal strengths but also identified some areas for development. I first introduced scaling with my client when asking about pre-session changes.I explained the scale to him and asked where he would place himself  today and if this was any different from when he had contacted CRHT. I reassured the client by complimenting him for contacting CRHT regarding his mental health. The second time I used scaling questions was following the miracle question. This was to assess whether the client had shown any sessional changes from the score he reported earlier. Finally, I used scaling when amplifying homework tasks. This was to assess whether the client was motivated and confident in achieving these tasks, and whether these tasks would improve the client’s depressive symptoms.Throughout the home visit, I felt extremely nervous, tense and pressurised because I was also being assessed by my mentor as part of the Direct Observation of a Nursing Activity. I was also aware that the client was at crisis point and was somewhat volatile in mental state. This made me feel inexperienced and very aware that I had limited training in SFBT. Initially, I felt apprehensive at making a mistake or asking the wrong question, and this was clear to the client when I had perplexed the explanation of the scale.Upon reflection, my emotions affected my performance throughout the intervention; for example, as I became more relaxed I gave a more apparent explanation of the scale for confidence in completing homework tasks. My strengths were that I was able to obtain a baseline of the client’s rating of their mood, affirm sessional changes to mood, and attain a rating of the client’s motivation and confidence in achieving set tasks. I felt the client responded well to the scaling questions as it did not involve him explaining in depth his feelings, but rather focused on how to resolve his current crisis state (De Shazer & Dolan, 2007).However, I feel my weaknesses lie in the timing of the scaling questions. For example, I introduced the scale near to the start of the home visit and then a further two times during the visit. As a result I felt I had to explai n the scale each time I used it. I feel this made the intervention slightly disordered and therefore illogical to the client.The use of scaling questions following the miracle question was partially inappropriate as the client stated that he had just answered questions regarding his preferred future (i. e.  where the client would like to be on the scale) when amplifying the miracle question. In hindsight, I feel that these questions were somewhat unnecessary. In contrast to this, De Shazer & Dolan (2007) stipulate in their G. E. M. S approach that scaling questions should follow the miracle question due to its effectiveness in obtaining measures of where clients would rate themselves today, and their preferred future. Furthermore, O’Connell (2005, p. 52) describes the importance of scaling questions with regard to communication with a client.He advises that it gives the opportunity for the client to express how they are feeling and eliminates the therapist making assumption s. He argues that scaling provides a comprehensive interpretation of the client’s feelings on a particular issue, with limited scope for individual interpretation. However, there is much research (Chant, Jenkinson, Randle & Russell, 2002; Sumner, 2001) to suggest that communication and interpretation of a client’s feelings is eclectically gained through the practitioner’s emotions, personal development, perception of others, and the circumstances of the interaction.I feel this is particularly relevant to my performance since my communication was adversely affected initially due to my anxieties and the circumstances of being assessed. This therapeutic intervention provided me with first hand experience of these barriers to communication (Sumner, 2001) and as such I am aware of how my communication is affected by anxiety which in turn impacted on the scaling technique I was using. This issue could be resolved through the use of further reflections and SFBT with ot her clients.I feel that utilising SFBT techniques in my future practice will improve my confidence and my ability to concisely deliver explanations of scaling questions as I will no longer feel like a novice. I have also chosen to reflect on the use of exception questions with the client as I feel that I need to expand my current knowledge base of how to carry out these questions effectively in order to develop my skills in SFBT. Macdonald (2007, p. 15) advises that exception seeking questions are particularly useful when clients are feeling hopeless.I feel this was very relevant to my client as he was somewhat resistant to change initially. However, through the use of these questions my client identified small exceptions where he was able to control improve his low mood, which in turn improved his motivation and confidence in setting small tasks. In this instance, I used exception questions with the intention of demonstrating to the client that his low mood was not occurring all of the time. However, my client was vague and negative in his response. I intended to demonstrate previous enjoyment to the client by focusing on spending time with his family.I felt very inexperienced and incompetent when using this technique as I struggled initially to achieve my intentions. As a result, I felt very aware that I was being assessed by my mentor, which added to my anxieties. I felt frustrated that my client was unable to identify any positive aspects in his life, but began to relax when he described the pleasure he gains from spending time with his children. I felt positive and confident when my client became facially bright and was laughing when telling personal anecdotes.De Shazer & Dolan (2007) highlight the difference between previous solutions and exceptions, with exceptions being times when the problem could have occurred but did not. In hindsight, I feel I was searching for previous solutions rather than exceptions. Furthermore, they go to theorise that the rol e of the therapist to recognise opportunity for exceptions during the session rather than actively seek out opportunities to utilise this technique. Therefore, as a skilled therapist I should be seeking opportunities to amplify exceptions rather than explicitly questioning the client in this way.Due to my limited training in SFBT I felt like a novice and did not utilise the true nature of exception seeking questions. Following this reflection I am now more aware of the difference between previous solutions and exceptions that De Shazer & Dolan (2007) hypothesised, and how they can both influence the therapeutic intervention. As I gain experience and further develop my knowledge base of SFBT, I feel that I will be able to use exception questions when required rather than expectantly.In my future practice as a registered mental health nurse, I plan to utilise SFBT techniques with service users, particularly those experiencing relapse, as the use of these tools can provide immediate im provements and allows for a future focused approach rather than problem orientated. I must remain mindful of the barriers that exist in communication (Kiser, Piercy & Lipchink, 1993) and apply this when delivering SFBT techniques. However, De Shazer & Dolan (2007) theorise that scaling is a very effective tool for the client to verbalise their emotions.Therefore, this could be used in my future practice, particularly when building a therapeutic relationship with clients. In terms of current practice, I have effectively demonstrated the scaling technique within cognitive behavioural therapy; however, I am aware that these two therapies use the scale in different ways. To conclude, this assignment has allowed me to develop my knowledge of the key principals of SFBT, the practical applications, and the limitations of my inexperience when utilising SFBT assessment tools.I believe SFBT shares many fundamental assumptions with person centred therapy. The underpinning principals are apt fo r contemporary nursing, particularly as it fits wells with the Ten Essential Shared Capabilities (DoH, 2004). There are some limitations to this approach, such as lack of extensive research (Gingerich & Eisengart, 2000). However, I feel that this approach is appropriate to use with clients who are experiencing mental health difficulties.

Epistemology and Metaphysics Schools Paper Essay

The nature of skepticism in real-life today, on a daily basis goes mostly unnoticed. People react to environments of skepticism differently and could become biased upon the subject discussed. According to Encyclopedia Britannica (2011), â€Å"skepticism is defined as 1: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object 2 a: the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain b: the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics† (Dictionary, para. 1). People are inclined to accept ideas in society today without questioning what is actually being presented. It is very important to question or think critically when confronted with authority because the issue at hand may not always be right. Imagine if Philosophers, such as Copernicus did not hypothesize that the earth is not the center of the universe. We would still be living with various points of views on the subject. People should not accept ideas of others without questioning the ideas first. Unfortunately, we do this everyday unconsciously. At work our supervisors make requests to perform certain tasks, which most of the time we do not question the outcome. We take for granted that our supervisor knows what he or she is doing because of the authoritative figure that he or she plays. Skepticism could have quite an impact on the way employees perform his or her job. In the work environment employees usually take for granted that the boss knows best, and depending on the situation might not question the reason for his or her position on the process. For instance, when a supervisor implements a new job and informs his or her employees on the due date without asking for input, it is with reasonable doubt that one would be skeptical. The employees could have questioned the boss’s process such as whether he or she maintained good judgment on the direction that he or she takes on-the-job. Questions could also be raised in regard to the types of consequences employees will have if the job is not performed well. Employees could be skeptical of the job and ask if it is in the best interest of the company, especially if the supervisor did not have input from the employees prior to the start of the job. Employees typically become skeptical and doubt the authority figures of most bosses. Skepticism also plays a role in our schooling. We usually take the teachers role and the information presented to us to be correct even though the information could be incorrect. Our society has come to trust what others have told us to believe in and our minds have been trained to believe the information to be correct. Everyone should be valued for his or her own opinion and healthy skepticism in real-life environments. References Encyclopedia Britannica. (2011). Encyclopedia-Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/bps/dictionary?query=skepticism&header_go=

Free Essays on Adolescence And Stereotypes

Today, many teenagers are under constant pressure of stereotypes. Those types of people are defined as shallow, naà ¯ve and sometimes uncompassionate youngsters. Most of the problems come from their common failures to take social risks and the possession of an open mind. We are all one student body. Yet, we are so separated in many aspects. Much of the stereotyping exists, because of our inability to look past appearances. Many designers make up new fashions and trends in clothing, which often increases the competition for and identity of a teenager. If you don’t fit into a group’s clothing style than chances are you can be excluded from it. Different hair styles sometimes dictate the authority among peers or if the person is worth knowing to be friends with. Your friends could simply reject you, because of the look of your pimpled face. It is natural, as a part of a growing process, but your peer groups might have a complete different opinion about that. I remember a friend of mine came up and told me how he was excluded from a group based on a simple thing as his own look. I believe, it is not fair to be rejected, based upon your look comparison with your friends of the same group. These days however, there is too much emphasis on looks, which makes it harder to be a teenager, while finding a way to your own identity. Now days, it would be highly unlikely for boys to become more like girls. Gender roles dictate the appropriate behaviors for boys and girls alike. I can recall a personal example when I was learning how to swim. The girls were falling behind for the most part. It was generally acceptable, even the instructor himself paid more attention to us guys. Traditionally, guys were always pictured as strong and violent and girls were always cute and placid. The looks and behaviors of both genders were reflected from the roles the society intended for them to do. It is also important to remember, that harmony in adolescence t... Free Essays on Adolescence And Stereotypes Free Essays on Adolescence And Stereotypes Today, many teenagers are under constant pressure of stereotypes. Those types of people are defined as shallow, naà ¯ve and sometimes uncompassionate youngsters. Most of the problems come from their common failures to take social risks and the possession of an open mind. We are all one student body. Yet, we are so separated in many aspects. Much of the stereotyping exists, because of our inability to look past appearances. Many designers make up new fashions and trends in clothing, which often increases the competition for and identity of a teenager. If you don’t fit into a group’s clothing style than chances are you can be excluded from it. Different hair styles sometimes dictate the authority among peers or if the person is worth knowing to be friends with. Your friends could simply reject you, because of the look of your pimpled face. It is natural, as a part of a growing process, but your peer groups might have a complete different opinion about that. I remember a friend of mine came up and told me how he was excluded from a group based on a simple thing as his own look. I believe, it is not fair to be rejected, based upon your look comparison with your friends of the same group. These days however, there is too much emphasis on looks, which makes it harder to be a teenager, while finding a way to your own identity. Now days, it would be highly unlikely for boys to become more like girls. Gender roles dictate the appropriate behaviors for boys and girls alike. I can recall a personal example when I was learning how to swim. The girls were falling behind for the most part. It was generally acceptable, even the instructor himself paid more attention to us guys. Traditionally, guys were always pictured as strong and violent and girls were always cute and placid. The looks and behaviors of both genders were reflected from the roles the society intended for them to do. It is also important to remember, that harmony in adolescence t...

Sony PlayStation Network security breach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sony PlayStation Network security breach - Essay Example On April 20, the Sony did off the affected systems and left to restore the PSN services for the users in U.S until 14th May. Users were asked to change their usernames and passwords till mid of the May. Sony had to do the page down as temporarily because attackers exploited the URL of Sony’s website (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2011). A series of attacks on the Sony’s online entertainment services on the PSN and Online Entertainment services were carried by the attackers in the same period. Other victims of attackers concerning the Sony were as the â€Å"Sony BMG Greece†, â€Å"Sony BMG Japan†, â€Å"So-Net ISP in Japan, and servers of Sony in Thailand. The attackers also hit official version of the Sony Ericson Eshop in Canada (McMillan, 2011). Personal information of more than 77 million Qriocity and PSN users more than 24.5 million Online entertainment users stolen. The attackers rummaged through a wealth of information concerning the users, and their attributes such as names of users, their addresses, email addresses and birth dates. Attackers also approached the login information of users such as usernames, and passwords. Kazuo Hirai, who was head of the board of Company â€Å"Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC†, told the U.S. lawmakers in a May 3 letter (Colvile, 2011). Attackers worked so sophistically that Sony hired the forensic consultants to check, and confirm the extent of the stolen data. It took more than a month to discover whether credit card information was stolen or customers’ data. It was told that only credit card information was stolen as attackers encrypted the credit card information (Carstensen, 2011). It was noticed on April 19, that Sony’s PSN servers were rebooting, and no process was rescheduled on these days. The next day, it was identified that someone had intruded the Sony’s severs and accessed the data. It turned out that

It is believed globalisation is beneficial but only for the developed Essay

It is believed globalisation is beneficial but only for the developed world it is an evil concept for the underdeveloped world. Comment on this statement - Essay Example s, not only in traditional international trade in goods and services, but also in exchanges of currencies; in capital movements; in technology transfer; in people moving through international travel and migration; and in international flows of information and ideas. Globalization has involved greater openness in the international economy, an integration of markets on a worldwide basis, and a movement toward a borderless world, all of which have led to increases in global flows. Michael D. Intriligator’s paper (2001) indicates several sources of globalization over the last several decades. One such source has been technological advances that have significantly lowered the costs of transportation and communication and dramatically lowered the costs of data processing and information storage and retrieval. A second source of globalization has been trade liberalization and other forms of economic liberalization that have led to reduced trade protection and to a more liberal world trading system. A third source of globalization has been changes in institutions, where organizations have a wider reach, due, in part, to technological changes and to the more wide-ranging horizons of their managers, who have been empowered by advances in communications. A fourth reason for globalization has been the global agreement on ideology, with a convergence of beliefs in the value of a market economy and a free trade system. A fifth reason for globalization has been cultural developments, with a move to a globalized and homogenized media, the arts, and popular culture and with the widespread use of the English language for global communication. It must be understood that globalization has clearly changed the world system and that