The Three Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology Essay -- Sociolo

Introduction Sociologists develop theories to explain and analyze society at different levels and from different perspectives. Sociologists study everything from the micro level of analysis of small social patterns to the â€Å"big picture† which is the macro level of analysis of large social patterns. Sociologists employ three major theoretical perspectives in sociology today. They are the structural-functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the symbolic interactionism. The structural-functionalist perspective is done at a macro level and its focus is on the relationships between the parts of society. The Conflict perspective is done at a macro level and its main focus is on how the wealthy controls the poor and weak. Symbolic Interactionism is done at a micro and it focuses on the use of symbols and face to face interactions. Structural-Functionalist Perspective The structural-functionalist perspective looks at society as a complex system composed of various parts much like a living organism. Each aspect of society contributes to society's functioning as a whole. Social institutions play a key role in keeping a society stable. All societies need certain things to survive (Newman 2010). Auguste Comte (Newman 2010) pointed out the need to keep society unified as many traditions were diminishing. He created the term sociology. Auguste Comte suggests that sociology is the product of a three-stage development. Talcott Parson (Parsons 1951) sees society as a collection of systems within systems Parson determined that each individual has expectations of the other's action and reaction to his own behaviour, and that these expectations would be derived from the accepted norms and values of th... ...analyzing a social issue because neither of the perspectives solely addresses all the possibly circumstances of an issue. Works Cited Durkheim, Emile. 1915. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life: A Study in Religious Sociology. Translated by Joseph Ward Swain. New York: Macmillan. Goffman, E. 1959. The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, NY: Double Day Parsons, Talcott. 1951. The Social System. Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Newman, David N.2010. Sociology: exploring the architecture of everyday life. Mead, G. H. 1934. Mind, self and society and society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Merton, Robert K. 1957. Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: Free Press. Mills, C. W. 1956. The power elite. New York Oxford University Press. Weber, M. 1947. The theory of social and economic organization. New York: Free Press.

“Perfection Wasted” by John Updike Essay

Legend Ends or Perfection Wasted? Each person brings a special quality and gift to life that creates an individualistic style to the world that we live in. The poem Perfection Wasted was written by John Updike in the year 1990; this poem accentuates the flair that can never be replaced when a loved one dies. One way to better understand a poem is to paraphrase it into your own words. Paraphrase of Perfection Wasted: One thing that is unfortunate about departing this life is the lost vivacity that a person works to expand since the day they were born. The closest relationships surrounding the person enjoy the up close and personal events in the stage of life. They are there through the good times and the bad while having utmost concern for you. The many special moments that were spent together, will never be relived again in the same capacity. Though they can try to be like you, they will never fully succeed due to individual quality you brought to life. â€Å"Imitators and descendan ts aren’t the same† The theme of this poem is death and what factors play into what is lost when a person dies. The setting of the poem is philosophical in thinking about qualities that someone special carries in retrospect to life. I found no similes in the poem. Perfection Wasted is a metaphorical in the idea that is parallel to the idea that life is a stage and we are the players. Updike uses a lot of abstract and theoretical imagery as well as minimal visual imagery. One example of visual imagery includes the descriptions of the stage and the description of the faces he sees in the audience. An example of kinetic imagery is the â€Å"laughter† which leads the audience members to cry. The imagery is vivid and serves the purpose of swaying the view of the reader into an emotional state. The poem contains a medium to high level of diction that contains little slang while using one contraction in the last line that is the word â€Å"aren’t†. The words are not overly elaborate and maintain a descriptive role in the poem; the level of diction did not reveal what region the n arrator originates. I chose to compare the poem Perfection Wasted to the recent passing of my legendary hero Dale Earnhardt. He was an amazing driver who lived his world on a stage in the public eye. I had the opportunity to meet Dale several times throughout the years and he did have that special sparkle when I met him in person. Others can drive a car, but no one can replace Dale or his style. His son continues to drive one of the Earnhardt cars, but as Updike says, â€Å"imitators and descendants aren’t the same†. I know I will not be. I enjoyed  reading Updike’s poem Perfection Wasted as well as his earlier work named â€Å"A&P†. He has a unique writing style that brings the reader to an emotional and empathetic state in relating to his characters. We can all relate to the situations that he puts his characters, along with their thoughts and actions. Death might bring the end to the magic of one lifetime, or the end of a legend. Regardless of the conclusion, perfection was not wasted. It was shared among the people whose lives were touched by that person’s gift.

Patient Teaching

Patient Teaching: Importance of Repositioning Sean Crayton University of Toledo College of Nursing Patient Teaching: Importance of Repositioning Assessment of Patients Learning Needs M. C. is an elderly male who was admitted and treated for a fall and hip fracture. He had surgery, is bed ridden but is soon to be released. He and his family need proper teaching on the importance of reposition as to avoid obtaining pressure ulcers during his limitations to extensive bed rest and staying off of his feet or performing any unnecessary movements that could cause irritation or reinjuring the recently repaired hip.As requested we are including the family who will be his primary care takers at home and it is necessary that they all learn how to take care of M. C. properly due to his inability to adequately reposition himself successfully in the early stages of his release. Priority Nursing Diagnosis Knowledge deficit. Patient will need proper positioning teaching. The teaching will pertain to the deliberate placement of the patient or body part in order to promote proper physiological and psychological well-being. r/t.Lack proper knowledge related to how position/reposition M. C. to avoid development of pressure ulcers. AEB. M. C. was admitted with a hip fracture and received surgery. He is soon to be release to go home but is ordered to long term bed rest. Desired Patient Outcome(s) At the conclusion of the patient teaching and proper diagnosis care we hope to ensure that M. C. and his family adequately know how to position/reposition the body to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers, at more importantly the critical, but all areas of the body.Time Frame. Being realistic we are giving M. C. and his family the duration of his projected discharge week in order to properly and thoroughly learn the information and techniques required to successfully position/reposition a patient at risk for pressure ulcers. Interventions Managing patients at risk for pressure ulcers relies on a multitude of different interventions implemented by nurses in a hospital or responsible care takers and family members in the home setting.These interventions include but are not limited to: using support surfaces, optimizing nutritional status, moisturizing critical areas and of course, what we are focused on in this particular patient teaching instance, repositioning the patient (Reddy, Gill & Rochon 2006). Regular turning of patients is routinely used ostensibly to decrease the risk of pressure ulcers, and is considered a standard of care (Peterson, Schwab, Van Oostrom, Gravenstein & Caruso 2010). Pressure from lying or sitting on a particular part of the body results in oxygen deprivation to the affected area.This normally results in pain and discomfort which stimulates the individual to move. Failure to reposition will result in ongoing deprivation; poor wound healing and further tissue damage. Patients who cannot reposition themselves require assistance (Moore 2010). To bet ter ensure that this will be handled for M. C. we will be including his family in the teaching. Teaching strategies. In order to teach and relay this process and the importance of patient repositioning to M. C. and his family I will be focusing on the utilization of pictures and demonstration.Teaching will take place throughout the duration of M. C. ’s projected discharge week. During this teaching there will be a chance for them to return the demonstration to me so that they can practice and show they understand before it is necessary for them to do it in the real setting all the while allowing adequate breaks and time for them to process the information and ask questions if any do arise (remember to stay open to conversation with my patient and his family). Rationale. The most important thing that I feel to remember is that all patients or people in general do not learn in the same fashion.You have your different visual (learn best when presented with graphs and other illus trations, maps, written material), auditory (learn best when they can listen to a lecture or a fast paced exchange of information) and kinesthetic (learn best when they can just do it and are hands on) learners. Before trying to teach your patient or possible care takers how to perform or ensure proper intervention application you should first figure out the best way to teach them. I chose to provide pictures, demonstrate and allow a return demonstration or practice session with M.C. and his family because from inference and their replies to my questions pertaining to their learning strategies they all learn best visual and when performing and practicing themselves. I will be including M. C. ’s family because they are who he preferred and indicated to take care of him while he is rendered unable at home. Neither M. C. nor his family have experience dealing with caring for a person at risk for pressure ulcers so it is important that I cover all bases and be specific with infor mation.Knowing that not everyone learns at the same speed or has the same mental capacity is my reason for breaking it up and allowing for conversation and questioning so that everyone is able to comprehend and understand the information and techniques that are being provided during this teaching session. I don’t expect them to learn and understand all this in one day and it is important to break up the session so during the week of M. C. ’s discharge I will be spacing the learning sessions out. Evaluation of LearningDuring the return demonstration and their responses to my questions I evaluated their understanding to rate their processing of the information and techniques. M. C. and his family understood all the information and seemed thoroughly prepared to perform the necessary tasks related to patient repositioning and reducing risk of pressure ulcers at the end of the teaching course. It is important that when documenting I provide the patient teaching including th e information covered and the resources I used to demonstrate and infuse the importance of repositioning to M.C. and his family. Reference Moore, Zena. (2010). Systematic review of Repositioning for the Treatment of Pressure Ulcers. EWMA Journal, 10(1), 5-12. Peterson, M. , Schwab, W. , Van Oostrom, J. , Gravenstein, N. , Caruso, L. (2010). Effects of turning on skin-bed interface pressures in healthy adults. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(7), 1556-1564. Reddy, M. , Gill, S. S. , & Rochon, P. A. (2006). Preventing Pressure Ulcers: A Systematic Review. JAMA, 296(8), 974-984.

Brother Dear

Brian Van-Huynh â€Å"Brother Dear† by Bernice Friesen In the short story Brother Dear, Bernice Friesen introduces the antagonistic relationship a parent and child share when they do not see eye to eye in terms of success. Greg and his father struggle through difficulty as Greg is caught in the midst of what his father wants him to do as appose to what he wants for himself. The conflict that exists between Greg and his Father proves that parents should allow their children to discover and follow their dreams, rather than forcing them upon their own wishes.In addition, the author suggests that success can come in various forms, but each form is unique to each person. Therefore when parents deny their kids’ ambition to achieve something, they only create dissatisfaction and despair. This story takes place when Greg comes home from university, where his Dad had paid for his tuition, and had planned for Greg to study law. Sharlene, who is in grade 11, parallels the conflict between the ideals of success based on her brother and father. She is caught between two contrasting approaches on life where agreeing with her father or supporting her brother Greg are her only options.Greg is introduced to be a rebellious character that does not take orders from anyone. This does not meet his fathers standards for he is strict and controlling when it comes to planning his children’s future. When Greg’s father discovers that he has chosen a different path in life, he is enraged. Not only does this create a predicament between two individuals but also draws in the whole family as it becomes the topic of discussion. In reference to the above, the pressure that Greg’s father puts on him makes him feel meaningless because he has chosen to do what he wants to do rather than following in his fathers footsteps.Greg’s father claims he is lazy, has â€Å"no drive, and no ambition to do well in school† (Friesen 4), this only forces Greg aw ay from caring about school and creates resentment towards his father who constantly puts him down. What the family does not notice is that Greg does not want to walk a narrow road, but to be free and do what he is passionate for. When Greg lashes back saying that his family is too materialistic and wastes money on unnecessary items, his passion is revealed and portrayed through his actions and words.In addition to what creates a sense of individuality seen in Greg is the conversation at the dinner table. When brought up by his Father, Greg mentions that he no longer eats meat because he's a vegetarian. He lets his family know he did not go to exams because he skipped it to go to a protest in Edmonton. Greg also tells his family of how he isn't going back to school, and that he's going to spend his summer planting trees. These three prime examples give the reader a strong sense that Greg has a lot of motivation and ambition.By skipping his exam, it is proven that planting trees or p rotesting is not just a hobby of Greg’s but more of a lifestyle. Towards the end, Greg asks a simple question before he leaves: â€Å"Is that all my family can ever do? Point out what’s wrong with me? † (Friesen 6) it is this question that makes Sharlene wondrous. This question further supports the theme of conflict between two individuals who don’t see eye to eye, because many parents think they are always right. Greg is simply doing what he loves, and this is not up to par with his father and considered irresponsible. Be something. Be something. That’s all I ever get from Dad† (Frieson 5), this sentence describes how his father is always demanding Greg to do something he sees as successful, such as going to university and earning a degree. Nevertheless, Greg believes that he is old enough to make his own decisions and benefit from them. When Sharlene asks, â€Å"So you never want to be anything? †(Friesen 6) as if Greg is never going to be successful, Greg is enraged because his perspective on life is the opposite of what his dads is.It is evident that although he is not going to follow his fathers path of success, he will still be successful, but in his own eyes. Lastly, Frieson proves it can be difficult for parents to allow their children to follow their own dreams, risking the relationship between parent and child. Greg shares his knowledge of life with his sister Sharlene and together they come to an understanding that you live life to bring joy upon yourself, not to please the others around you. In the end, Greg has defined his own success, which links his ambition and passion to dictate his own life.

Empolyee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Empolyee relations - Essay Example However, as the marketplace became sophisticated and costs continue to increase, which had posed some threat to the companys operations, Modern Foods Limited had to check its strategy and revise its old policies in order to adapt to change. Some of these policies include those of human resource functions. In order to compete during these harsher times, the company must turn to its employees as a source of competitive advantage in the process. According to the case, Modern Foods Limited started as a small family firm that sold sausages and other poultry products in East Anglia. As the company had evolved and was acquired by the holding company IVECTO, no major changes in terms of the companys operations had been made in terms of incorporating technology in the companys human resource management function. According to the companys history, this could be traced back to IVECTOs passive handling of the affairs of the company that it had acquired. Although Modern Foods Limited had been acquired by this holding company, IVECTO was not active in terms of management. This meant that the old practices and processes in the old company, as long as it was making IVECTO some profits in terms of targets would remain unchanged, or at least major changes were not incorporated. Without any driving force behind the change and incorporation of technology in the human resource function of Modern Foods Limited, as stated in the case, the Human Resource function among sites were not linked and integrated into one corporate network to facilitate the communications between production units. This could be largely due to the companys management history which was not affected by the acquisition process. In assessing the case, it can be seen that the company had faced relatively little market pressure in the past, as it was able to expand smoothly to major markets within the UK and some other markets in Europe. Because market pressure was low, there was little incentive for the company to

Change and Culture Case Study I Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Change and Culture I - Case Study Example Hence it can be safely said that for the management of a newly consolidated firm, the single most important issue that requires the utmost attention is the development of a strategy that ensures that the employees of the firms can smoothly transit between the pre and the post merger periods. This essay discusses the impacts that a merger has had on the employees of a healthcare organization and the strategic decision-making on part of the management of the organization which allowed the respective workforces to develop a system of trust and respect for each other. The essay also discusses the way mergers can effect the business processes and structures of firms and how management can deal with these issues in a way which ensures that the organizational values and culture is kept intact. According to Camara& Renjen (2004), studies by researchers and analysts has confirmed that mergers are as likely to destroy as to create shareholder value. A major cause for this is that mergers bring together two companies which had previously been working according to different policies, had entirely different business procedures and had unique cultures. Due to this, the differences that arise between the employees, as well as the changed rules and procedures seemingly create an atmosphere of uncertainty which is most commonly viewed by the employees as a direct threat. The organization in whose context we will discuss this issue further is a medical centre which has been active in the healthcare sector for the past 25 years. Having a reputation for providing excellent services , it is one of the leading hospitals in the country and according to the reports, a total of 22,080 inpatients and 230,000 outpatients were served in the last fiscal year. Before the said merger took place, the hospital, although extremely well-regarded, was working on a relatively smaller scale and housed 400 beds among which 58 were

Preventing STI on Juveniles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Preventing STI on Juveniles - Essay Example The effects associated with the acquisition of STIs are not only limited to medical and psychological aspects but have other devastating implications on the infected teenagers including the cost and sequelae of STIs. In order to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, a diverse range of barrier methods are available, such as condoms to ensure safety of both partners during coitus. In modern society, one of the major problems faced by the health care system is the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in juveniles (Steele et al 2005). Preventive Measures: Abstinence from sexual relations is one of the most efficacious means of reducing the risk of acquiring AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. On the other hand, maintaining a mutual monogamous sexual relationship with an uninfected partner is another way of minimizing the risk of acquiring STIs through sexual contact. The risk of infection with HIV and other STIs can also be significantly reduced by usi ng barrier methods such as latex condoms or by using spermicides. In heterosexual partners, the prevalence of HIV infection is quite high. In accordance with a recent research, the percentage of heterosexual partners having HIV infection is as high as 11% and about 60% of HIV infected heterosexual partners’ exhibit seropositive results (McGlynn et al 2000). The need for Diverse Interventions: In order to reduce the initial acquisition, further transmission and sequelae of sexually transmitted infections, there is an urgent need to formulate and strictly implement a diverse range of interventions. Interventions such as fostering the use of condoms, development of new biomedical methods, school-college based educational programs and routine screening have simply not been able to cause a sharp decrease in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections in sexually active young individuals. It is a fact that these interventions have significantly increased the awareness about ST Is but the rapid increase in the number of cases reported each year mirrors their inefficacy. The alarming rise in the number of teenagers having STIs reflects the failure of the government in the implementation of effective and diverse interventions at every level. Therefore, the need for drawing up and strictly enforcing effective projects for the prevention of STIs is the greatest now than ever before (Steele et al 2005). Design for Change in Practice: To ensure effective outcomes, it is a prerequisite for the interventions mentioned in this section to be implemented comprehensively and at different societal levels. The new design for change in practice will address the following areas of concern. The most effective way of sharply decreasing the percentage of new STI cases is to convey the importance of sexual abstinence to young individuals. The advent of new biomedical approaches, such as vaccines, has been assumed to provide easy and instant solution to the critical problem of rise in STIs in juveniles. However, it is quite unrealistic to believe that such approaches will provide fast and instant solution. The realistic approach is to couple these biomedical approaches with behavioral approaches in order to increase their effectiveness and efficacy. Thirdly, it is quite important to realize that teenagers need to be informed about how to properly use condoms during sexual intercourse. Unfortunately, a large number of community or school based programs and parent