Briana Thomas Essays - Human Resource Management, Competence

Briana Thomas Essays - Human Resource Management, Competence Briana Thomas SOC/110 Group Communication Competencies Survey and Summary Week 1 After adding up all of my number my total score was 132. . There are certain skills that one must possess to help a person to be able to engage in a group setting. Some of the ways I think I can improve my competency would be to reduce my nervousness when speaking in a discussion or a meeting. Another competency I would want to better for myself would be communicating more and actively listening to others . At my current job I am required to speak a lot during meetings about diff erent approaches to better our department. I am very nervous about what if my team members or even my manger are not pleased with the points I have brought to the table . I do not speak up a lot due to the fact that I do not feel like my answers are good enough . To better my communication and active listen I would have to actually listen and not be so nervous that I am just waiting for it all to be over. Working in a group setting can enhance my learning on how to communicate and share collective information . L istening to other members of your group will help stimulate critical thinking and challenge each person's thought. These two skills I would have never thought are very important in group settings until reading this chapter. In order to be a leader of a group as well as team member you need all of these skills listed in the chapter. By h aving the ability to engage in a group helps a person to be able to make suggestions, listen to others sugge stions or their ideas, and most of all being able to take the respo nsibility of leading the group By having these skills will help me while in school life and in my everyday life. I will do the best I can to improve the competencies skills needed to eff ectively work with a group .

7 money habits to master in your 20s

7 money habits to master in your 20s It’s never too early to start making smarter financial decisions. With any luck, you’ve already begun a good fiscal regime for yourself in your twenties and are now cultivating the good habits you’ll need to be solvent as you progress in your life and your career. If you haven’t begun yet and are nearing your thirtieth  birthday, it’s not too late to start. Begin by folding some or all of the following 7 practices into your life- your future self will thank you for it. 1. Create a budgeting plan.You may have gone to the trouble of drawing up a budget or downloading an app to help you keep on the financial straight and narrow, but that won’t do any good if you don’t actually use them. Use the tool that you like the best to make sure you’re not spending more than you’re earning. Part of your budget should include a set minimum of earnings you’re confident you can squirrel away every month.2. Pay down debt.The avera ge American grad owes over $37,000 in student loans and the average household owes over $8,000 on their credit cards, so don’t feel alone if you’ve accumulated some debt. Just make a point of paying it down as aggressively and early as possible to avoid paying twice the original amount later in life. This will likely take a fair share of effort and a whole lot of self-control. You might have to skip drinks out, scale back on your vacations, or even getting a second job, but in the end you’ll be glad you didn’t put off paying off your debt.3. Don’t blow every paycheck.It’s hard when rent and bills knock your paycheck down to almost nothing, but you must resist the urge to think of the remainder as fun money. Try to boil your necessities down to a small number and put the rest away in savings. If you can start saving 10% of every check now, you’ll be golden. Remember, you’re saving for the long term.4. Cook for yourself.If you su ccumb to the lure of take-out lunches or dinners more than one or two times a week, you’re spending a ton of unnecessary cash. Add the costs of your restaurant meals one week and take a good hard look at the total.  Part of budgeting involves allotting a weekly amount to spend on food. If your dining out costs exceed a sensible weekly total, you’ll need to cut back. Your dollar will stretch much further when you cook for yourself with fresh, whole foods: think vegetables, grains, pasta, and beans.5. Splurge on the items that matter.There are plenty of things you will want to go budget on, but there are some items for which you really should pay a bit extra. Purchasing a cheap piece of furniture may seem like a smart move- until it falls apart in a year or two and you end up having to spend even more on a replacement. Shopping for quality will likely save you money in the long run, so look for furniture that won’t fall apart, energy-saving appliances you wonâ⠂¬â„¢t have to replace or pay extra for on your utility bill, and a car that won’t conk out after a year.6. Save for retirement.You should have long-term monetary goals for savings and growth. If you don’t, come up with some. Talk to a financial planner or open a money market account. And don’t forget to start putting away the maximum amount possible every year towards your retirement as soon as you have that flexibility. For most people, the times of sticking with a company for 25 years and getting a pension are long gone. You’ll have to look out for yourself.7. Be happy where you are.Coveting other people’s shiny things or fancy houses can lead to unrealistic goals and cause you to spend money on things you don’t really need. If you spend your hard-earned money on things beyond your means to keep up with an unattainable image, you’ll end up broke and unhappy. Create your own ideals, and know that it might take many, many years to re ach them. And that’s okay! You never know how friends with fabulous Instagram lives get their money- don’t assume that you’re behind if you don’t match up. Keep your eyes on your own life and financial journey.

US Cultural Wars Gone Global Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

US Cultural Wars Gone Global - Article Example In this article, the issues of cultural differences have been featured in two main ways. The first aspect is the American culture versus Ugandan culture. Secondly, is the concept of Sexual minorities, which include LGBT versus the sexual majority. In the article, Emily Cody discusses the move that was made by the Sexual Minority Uganda (SMUG) to file a case against American Minister Scott, with the assistance of the Alien Tort Statute. In the subsequent sections of the paper, the author illustrates the legal brief of the case and how they have experienced discrimination on all meaningful parts of their lives. The article resonates with the current occurrences in Uganda and some other parts of Africa. In Uganda, homosexuality has been criminalized. This law stems from the understanding that such sexual orientations are not Africans and therefore are not acceptable in African society. The article brings about the concept of validation and how some of the religious concepts by individual Americans are used to promote hatred towards the Sexual minorities. In the article, one is able to understand the legal red tapes that validate oppression of the LGBT. The references being created by the oppression is drawn from the legislative measures that have been taken by the Ugandan government which condemns gays and lesbian on the grounds of cultural intolerance.

Explain the significance of property in Lockes theory of natural Essay

Explain the significance of property in Lockes theory of natural rights - Essay Example Locke states specifically that â€Å"mens lives, liberties and estates, I call by the general name property†3. So here, it is apparent that Locke defines property in a way that is quite unique and distinct from the mainstream definition we are accustomed to. Again, Locke states that â€Å"by property, I must be understood here as in other places to mean that property which men have in their persons as well as goods†4. Locke repeats the wider definition of property which seem to define property in relation to the estates and goods a person owns as well as a persons life as a living person. Looking at Lockes definition of property in the macrocosmic sense, it is apparent that he was arguing that once a person has a life, he has a property. This property is of a value even if the person does not own any property. Locke puts forward several cases and arguments that supports his points in England of his era. Most of these arguments are rooted in Biblical principles and precepts and it weaves into the wider society by building a hedge around the human lives to ensure that people get good and fair treatment wherever they find themselves. Locke argues that human beings have been given rights by God to take dominion over the earth and exercise control over the natural environment and the lesser creatures5. This is supported by the Bible in Genesis. Locke therefore states that â€Å"man should live and abide for some time upon the face of the earth†6. This therefore means that every individual on the earth has some rights to control some portion of the earth because it was an in inherent and inalienable right given to Adam by God. This therefore means that every human being is by extension, a representative of God who seeks to honour the purpose for which Adam was created: to take dominion and guard over the natural environment. Although God gave dominion to Adam, this was held exclusively by all human beings

Risk Factors That Increase Stress in Modern Day Adolescents Essay Example for Free

Risk Factors That Increase Stress in Modern Day Adolescents Essay Adolescence is a time of growth and development. It is a transitional stage between the dependency of childhood and independency of adulthood. Thus, it is not surprising that adolescence is noted to be a juncture of high distress. Risk factors and causes of stress in adolescence must be determined first and foremost, so that appropriate coping strategies can be developed to deal with this issue. Stress is defined as conditions or events that test a persons psychological capacity to adjust or respond to these circumstances (Garcia, 2009). The conditions, in which a person determines as stressful, vary depending on the individual. Adolescents experience of stress can be perceived as intolerable, due to their lack of knowledge and understanding of how to appropriately deal with their distress (George van der Berg 2011). Byrne and Mazanov (2002) established seven areas that predispose adolescents to increased stress levels. These include school, family relationships, future prospects and peer interactions (Byrne Mazanov 2002). Negative family interactions have been found to be the most compelling stressors for adolescents (McNamara 2000, pg 39). Unstable family structure, parental disagreements and inadequate child care can have a detrimental effect on an adolescents well being (Menaghan 2010). As adolescents are still developing physically and mentally, the requirement of a constant and secure home life is especially beneficial to their growth into adulthood. Most family related stressors can be classified as trivial or minor disagreements between an adolescent and parent (McNamara 2000 pg 40). When these discrepancies escalate into severe conflicts, the resultant adolescent is more inclined to have doubt in their self-worth, and depleted confidence in their ability to achieve, therefore losing all motivation to accomplish goals (McNamara 2000 pg 42). This in turn can predispose the adolescent to stress related conditions such as depression and self destruction (George van der Berg 2011). Peer relationships can be the most influential aspect on an adolescents  decision making process (McNamara 2000, pg 41). The need to fit in and feel validated by their peers can cause great distress, which can have a colossal effect on choices an adolescent makes. Peer pressure, bullying and fear of rejection are a few of the many social issues, youths face on a daily basis through school and social activities, such as youth groups and sporting events. The resources that they have access to, can either enhance their well being or cause an adolescent a great deal stress. Preconditions, such as negative family/home situations and genetic predisposition to mental illness, can increase development of problem behaviour in teens (McNamara 2000, pg 54). Poor self perception and lack of self esteem can make it difficult for an adolescent to build rapport with other peers, leading to anti-social and self-harm tendencies. Although peer interactions can manipulate an adolescents way of thinking or choices they make, lack of peer relationships can lead to depressive or aggressive attitudes (George van der Berg 2011). The burdens of school attainment includes future uncertainty with career and further education prospects, and current stressors such as the need to achieve good grades to accomplish these goals, and exam pressures (George van der Berg 2011). Added parental pressure to achieve high marks can also cause negative performance anxieties, due to the adolescents uncontrollable desire to please their parents scholastic achievement dreams of them. Competition between peers to achieve good grades for acceptance into reputable tertiary intuitions, can furthermore add to the distress caused on teenagers through education and peer rivalry (McNamara 2000). Constructive and supportive learning environments can be beneficial to an adolescents growth and development. This can support an overall higher achievement rate and feeling of satisfaction in student, teacher and parent (McNamara 2000). Research into adolescent stress has increased considerably over the past twenty years. With the ever advancing development of new technologies, Byrne and Mazanov (2002) concluded that their study into psychosocial factors that increase stress in adolescents must be modified and adjusted to suit the specific era. For example, twenty years ago issues with cyber bullying were  nonexistent. With this knowledge it is important to be aware of any new possible causes of stress in adolescents, and adapt the stress measuring apparatuses and questionnaires as required. Outlining the specific areas that youths find the most distressing, can assist adolescent professionals and parents alike to be able to recognise and treat the symptoms of stress before it gets out of control. It is important to acknowledge that stress and the ability to be able to adapt to different situations is not always a negative experience. From examining numerous case studies and experimental questionnaires on adolescent stress, I have been able to determine that there are three main significant areas that all adolescents find cause anguish in their lives. These factors are schooling, friendships and parent/child relationships. If these areas are controlled in a compassionate and understanding environment, there is greater chance of those adolescents developing appropriate coping strategies that they can continue to use into adulthood.

Overfishing Is Destroying the Oceans of the World Essay -- Environment

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since nearly the beginning of human history fishing has been an integral part of the culture and survival of coastal communities. These coastal communities and cities have always been some of the most prosperous and successful because of the added resource of the ocean. In the beginning many areas were so densely populated with fish and shellfish that often a day’s worth of food could be caught by simply wading into the shallows. For example, some of the first English settlers to see the Chesapeake Bay described â€Å"The abundance of oysters is incredible.   There are whole banks of them so that the ships must avoid them. . . . They surpass those in England by far in size, indeed, they are four times as large.   I often cut them in two, before I could put them into my mouth† (Miller). This abundance had every appearance of being as infinite as the ocean that produced it but the reality was far different. Many fish stocks , including the oyster, stayed near these high levels even into the beginning of the industrial era. However the new rapid pace of technological advancement proved too much for many stocks to handle. Close shore stocks took most damage as they were the easiest to exploit. Those same oyster colonies that were once an obstacle for boats were nearly eradicated by â€Å"the 1890s harvests began to decline.   Many oyster beds were destroyed and reefs had been mined away.   By the 1920s, the boom was over†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Miller). While catastrophes like this inspired many sustainable practices there are still fisheries worldwide that are headed for a similar end. Through ignorance and misinformation from the fishing industry most of the general public does not know that this is occurring. The following will serve to inform about the t... ...devoid of the abundance of life we have come to know. Works Cited Crawford, Phil. â€Å"Pacific Island countries strive to save their tuna fisheries.†Ã‚  Pacific Ecologist  20 (2011): 42+.  Academic OneFile. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. â€Å"Factory ship from hell. (Shipping Briefs).†Ã‚  African Business  Apr. 2002: 34.  General OneFile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Web. 6 Nov. 2014. Faye, Denis. â€Å"Marine protection Learning to give and take.†Ã‚  Ecos  Jan. 1999: 17.Academic OneFile. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. Longhurst, Alan. â€Å"Doubt and certainty in fishery science: Are we really headed for a global collapse of stocks?†Ã‚  Fisheries Research  86.1 (2007): 1-5. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. Miller, Henry M. â€Å"The Oyster in Chesapeake History† St. Mary’s City. Web. na Muir, Magdalena A.K. â€Å"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the circumpolar Arctic.†Ã‚  Arctic  63.3 (2010): 373+.  Academic OneFile. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Examine different ways in which ‘good’ is used in Meta Ethics Essay

In the modern degrading society we live in today, people are constantly questioning the highly debatable topic of morals. We would like to think that we are trying our hardest to strive to do what is right in society to make us decent people. However it is hard to do what is ‘good’ when there are so many different ways of defining the meaning of good itself. There are three main types of ethics, Descriptive, Prescriptive and Meta ethics. Descriptive ethics presents the facts in the way people live and how they make moral choices in life. It simply states the facts without making any moral judgement of ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Prescriptive ethics states the norm about what is right or wrong by examining the choices and the reasons behind the issues. It says how we should live or behave setting standards for everyone to live by. This is the most widely used form of ethical language when debating morality. Meta ethics is a philosophical analysis of different words used in ethical language. It closely examines the words themselves and their exact meaning in different contexts. The subject of Meta ethics is to intimately study the moral language to be able to reach a better understanding of its meaning. Without the knowledge and intense understanding of the language we use in moral debates, we cannot argue our points successfully or be able to come to any logical conclusion. Therefore it is vitally necessary that we determine the meaning of the words we use so we can successfully take part in these ethical discussions. The most important ethical term, which unfortunately is so loosely used in society, is the term ‘good’. We frequently hear of a concert being ‘good’ or that person is a ‘good’ person or it is ‘good’ to be peaceful. But when we so casually use the term ‘good’ do we actually know what we are implying? What does the term ‘good’ mean in itself? Surely we should all be able to instantly provide an answer to this question because we all use the term ‘good’ on a regular basis. However we find that when posed with this question, many are not sure themselves of the core meaning of the word. In this essay I shall be examining the intensity of the ethical term ‘good’ and what people mean when they determine something to be ‘good’ of ‘bad’. We need to decide in fact, if it is actually possible to define the word ‘good’ at all or does it depend totally on the situation, having a slightly different meaning in every different context. The meaning of the term ‘good’ is not necessarily something that we all naturally agree on. There are many factors that affect the reasons why we perceive the meaning of ‘good’ to be what it is. Some examples of this include the sources of our values and morals, how we are brought up and the way our conscience plays a part in our every day lives. Naturally everyone may see different situations to be different degrees of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in their opinion. A key concept leading to the understanding of something being ‘good’ is Definism. This idea is that we need to define accurately what we mean by the term ‘good’ before we can specifically distinguish if something is good or bad. Once we have classified the meaning of ‘good’ we can then accordingly judge every situation or act against it. When we have identified the essence of the term in itself we can grasp the ideas and understandings behind it. However many ask, † can the term ‘good’ universally be defined?† We shall now look at the different ways society tries to identify the word ‘good’. There are two main ways of defining a moral act, these being absolute and relative terms. Absolute moral terms are when something is perceived as always being ‘good’ or ‘right’ regardless of the situation or the facts involved. This is also known as an objective term, it is completely independent of all conditions to determine its moral ‘goodness’. All absolute moral terms are known universally as always being correct regardless. For example, many argue that Peace will always be ‘good’ along with happiness. These terms should apply to everyone in society in every situation because they will always be right and striving to reach them can never be wrong. Relative terms are the direct opposite of absolute terms. When something is relative, it totally depends on the specific situation it is in. It is also dependent on people’s personal opinions. Everyone views situations in their own way, which is slightly different to everyone else. It all relies on what you believe it to be in your own individual opinion. The term ‘good’ therefore can only be determined in its particular context. This is also known as Subjectiveness, for example euthanasia or fighting for a cause you believe in are two examples of relative situations of doing a ‘good’ thing. There are several theories’ we can look at in which the term ‘good’ is used in Meta ethics. The first of these is the utilitarian theory of good. According to this theory, a term is determined as being good pending the results of a specific moral act. For example, if we were in the situation where we had to kill one person to save the lives of thousands of others then this would be seen as ‘good’. This is because although the sacrifice of one life is not ‘good’ in itself alone, because it saves the lives of many more it is seen as the greater ‘good’ because it is the lesser of two evils. The results of killing one person to save many are much greater than the act of killing one in the first place. The ‘evil’ of killing one is cancelled out by the ‘good’ of saving so many others. Therefore the utilitarian theory of good can be measured by what it achieves. Another important theory is that of Natural law. The term ‘good’ is used in this part of Meta ethics according to how well something fulfils its purpose. The key philosopher that brought this idea into ethical recognition was Aristotle in ancient Greece many years ago. He believed that everything existing has a natural purpose in life in which it is aiming towards as its ultimate goal. This means that the level of ‘goodness’ something is, is measured by how much a particular act contributes to the ultimate purpose the object has. If it helps to fulfil this purpose then it is a morally ‘good’ act, however if it makes it harder to fulfil its purpose then it is considered ‘bad’. This idea of Natural law lead on to the development of Christian theology, especially by the greatly admired philosopher St Thomas Aquinas who linked Aristotle’s ideas with Christianity. In religion, the term ‘good’ is related to what God would or wouldn’t approve of. If God saw a certain act as acceptable or if it fulfilled a command from him from a religious Holy Book then it would be seen as ‘good’. For example devoting time to worship him would be seen as ‘good’ but committing adultery would be seen as ‘bad’ in Gods eyes. The ultimate ‘good’ example in Christianity is Jesus whose life was seen to be morally ‘good’ because everything he did was approved of by God. He was perfect and therefore Christians today try to follow in his footsteps and do as he did. ‘Goodness’ is unlike any other quality and the ultimate aim for all living things according to many people. Something can therefore be determined as ‘good’ because it is unique, individual and supreme. We can detect this by the simple skill of human intuition because the ‘goodness’ is self-evident. This approach is known as Intuitionism or Ethical non-naturalism. Because it is a unique feature, it is very dependent on different situations or circumstances. The term ‘good’ will therefore have an individual meaning for different acts that will only apply to that one situation and could have a totally different meaning in another circumstance. We can also determine ‘good’ because intuition tells us the results it has are beneficial to others or ourselves. However, even though the consequences may benefit and be ‘good’, it is impossible to define the word from an intuitional point of view because it is always c hanging depending on the factors involved. G E Moore is the most famous example of an Intuitionist. He claimed the term ‘good’ was ‘incapable of definition because it is simple and has no parts.’ He believed too that the term had a different meaning that changed depending the circumstances or different situations the word is used. He likened this to a horse, they have many properties and qualities that make a horse a horse but if you ‘reduce a horse to its simplest terms, you can not define these terms.’ The phrase ‘good’ will have a certain meaning not only for different situations but also for different people. Many people can observe an act but they may disagree as to whether the act was good or not depending on their conscience and opinion. Intuitionism means it has a distinct meaning for you. G E Moore gave the example of the colour yellow, we cannot define a colour, we may be able to give examples of things that are yellow but to give an actual definition of yellow is quite impossible. He believed that we should judge the goodness of an action based on its results, aiming to maximise ‘good’ in the world. He was a strong intuitionist, which involved the belief that within us we have a â€Å"moral faculty† which reveals â€Å"moral truth† to us, showing us what was morally ‘good’. Another focal area of Meta ethics, which involves language, is Emotivism or ethical non-Cognitivism. Emotivism is sometimes viewed as merely the expression of feelings of the speaker. They can be seen more as commands or rules the speakers wants its audience to follow. These feelings are the opinions of the speaker saying what they believe to be right or wrong and are dependent on a matter of taste. The term ‘good’ is accordingly defined depending on what the speaker believes to be right. They state a moral preference of what they do or do not approve of and not the core meaning itself. The preferences of the speaker therefore, try to influence the opinions of the audience. They are not concerned with the moral statements themselves or their meaning but more focused on the purpose of the statement. The speaker indents on promoting a response from the audience relating to what is right or wrong. This theory is also known as the ‘Boo’ and ‘Hooray’ theory which can be seen as offensive because it is seen to reduce morality to simple cheers or boo’s. It is called this because when listening to a point of view, the audience simply shouts ‘hooray’ to say something is ‘good’ or that they approve of it or ‘boo’ if they disagree and think it is morally ‘bad’. However one problem with this theory is that in a modern society, we do not irrationally act merely on our feelings and emotions alone. We use logical thinking and reasoning too and this therefore must be included. Prescriptivism solved this problem by using reason to determine ‘goodness’. R M Hare who tried to examine what was actually happening when a person was making a moral statement took the best example of this approach. He tried to find out what was it meant to do and if moral statements had a purpose. This type of Meta ethics tries to prescribe a course of action that is recommended. . For example, the speaker may say ‘ To be considered a ‘good’ person, we should try our hardest to help those less fortunate than ourselves’. By saying this he is expressing what a good person is and also is suggesting a course of action we should take, i.e. helping others. As a result of this way of talking, the speaker is very opinionated and thus forcing an action as a result of his beliefs. The speaker is giving advice that applies to all situations at any given time regardless of other factors. It is Universable and therefore applies to all people in every situation. The theory of Universability is a general idea that can be applied to past, present and future and to all other people. In conclusion we can see that there are many different ways in which the term ‘good’ is used in Meta ethics. In Intuitionism it is used to describe moral principles that are self evidently right. In Emotivism, when we say something is ‘good’, it is what we see as being right according to out emotions and feelings. Prescriptivism on the other hand uses reason and logic to determine what is ‘good’. Utilitarianists perceive something to be ‘good’ pending the results that follow the action. How we determine what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to ourselves, greatly depends on which ethical view we take to situations as a result of our opinion. There is no one definition for what is ‘good’ and so it is down to us to decide which one we believe to be right and then try to live our lives accordingly.