Chandler Health Strategy 2015-17

Chandler Health Strategy 2015-17 CHANDLER HEALTH  STRATEGY FOR 2015-2017 INTRODUCTION With the voyage of time, the need of quality and prompt healthcare services has become unevitable asset in the heathcare system. Chandler health, a non profit organsisation, is equipped with highly qualified and adroit healthcare manpower, devoted to deliver the finest services regarding acute, community and elderly healthcare as per the necessity and demand of the general peblians. This document outlines the three years strategy that has been considered by the chandler health to achieve the odjectives set by the organisation and establish organisation as a one of the finest healthcare organisation to deliver prompt and apt care and faclity to the consumers. MOTO: â€Å"OUR ENDEAVOUR IS TO MAKE YOU FELL BETTER.† GOAL To bolster adroit manpower and work as a unit to deliver excellent health services. In the healthcare system, teamwork has been a major focus in the longevity of the organisation. Involvements of healthcare worker are pillars for the establishment of healthcare organisation. And in additions administrative staff and stakeholders also play a significant and symbiotic role in the betterment of the organisation. Potent collaboration between the manpower, respect and understanding and communication in a healthcare certainly boosts the quality of patient care and furthermore curtails the adversity in the healthcare and reduces physical and mental stress among the healthcare professions. OBJECTIVE ACTION CHALLENGES Build and expand health care workforce Recruitment of qualified staff. Orientation of job and accountability. Provide training if necessary. Time consuming phenomenon and economically expensive. Some applicant may have negative interpretation about organisation so leads to loss of adroit manpower Construct a team as per the requirement of organisation Create team as soon as possible for better mutual understanding within the team members. Selection must be done on the basic of capacity expertise and knowledge embodied by the individuals. Some individual savour isolation and do better without a team effort. Conflict to represent a team leader may arise. Establish collaborative team work between workers and appreciate the team effort. Actuate all the team members to work as team and understand, respect and communicate each other for the betterment of the organisation. Unwillingness of some of the team member to work as a team and share ideas and skills. Misunderstanding between the team members due to poor communication. Enhancement of dexterity and knowledge within the staff Funding in educational opportunity. Update with the current health services and technology. Provide training and professional opportunity. Hesitation of the staff to cope with new technology and health related issues, especially aged staffs. Due to lucrative nature of health organisation skilled staff may leave work for other opportunity. Transparency within workforce Establish robust harmony between the clinical and non-clinical faculty. Conflict within the workers With the establishment of objectives, it is obligatory the measure whether the objective and action deployed by the organisation has been successful or lagging behind. Measurement can be achieved by evaluation of team, accomplishment of team, conducting a query within the workers and obtain a feedback from the staff about the team and pros and cons of the team strategy. And furthermore a meeting can be organized to understand and discuss about the challenges prefaced by the staff, outcome of the strategy and enlighten flaws and weakness of team, that need to be amended for the healthcare organisation to thrive and sustain in this lucrative world. Framework for the implementation of strategy Strategy, ironically, is a tool through which an organisation meets the vision and objectives allocated and further enable an organisation to elect the appropriate pathway and proper action to determine the future of the health organisaton in a limited time frame (Morden 2007). As strategies are meant to achieve in a certain time frame, proper planning, establishment of priorities and development of strategic framework is mandatory for the better progress, outcomes and longevity of Chandler Health organisation. The chief executive officer (CEO) of chandler health organisation has the major accountability to provide a specific and precise direction and motivation to the staff to achieve the goals within the limited time frame. CEO further invents a methodical and structured plan or strategy to meet the objective and vision of the organisation within three years (Stephen Barnwell 2007).The major strategic framework of Chandler Health organisation includes, Understand the need of the consumers and establish customer–centered care. Consultation with the stakeholders of Chandler health Organisation. Formulation of committee. Establish transparency within the staff of the organisation. Evaluation of the strategy. 1 Understand the need of consumer and establish customer-centered care Understanding the basic need and necessity of the consumers and establishment of consumer centered care within the community is the major aim of Chandler Health organisation (Constand et al. 2014). The organisation firmly asserts that establishment of consumer centered care not only recuperate illness and tribulation of the consumers, outstanding health consequences, better consumers satisfaction and lessen health expenses (Freeman 2003), it also envelop the mitigating partnership, profound communication and faith between the consumers and provider (Epstein et al. 2009). Pay attention to the opinion of the consumers, enhancing effective communication with the consumers, review the consumers’ feedback about the services delivered by the organsation and to meet the expectation and trust of the consumers (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2008) are the major action considered by the organsation to attend superlative consumer centered care. And in addition Candler Health actuate all the staf f and faculty members to respect single consumer and savour diversities. And further assures that existence of poise between the patients centered care delivery and racial, ethnic and socio-cultural value, as organisation believes that lack of disparities in delivering patient care ministers to attend quality of healthcare services and facilities for every consumer (Johnson et al. 2004). 2. Consulting with the shareholders of Chandler Health Organisation Implementation of strategy, constructing a framework and to make a precise and accurate decision is simply impossible without the involvement of stakeholders, as all the financial activity for instant funding, and decision making are achieved through stakeholders. By and large, stakeholder has a significant and crucial involvement in formidable outcome of the organisation. Chandler Health firmly understands the importance of the presence of stakeholders in the planning and plotting for the establishment of effective strategic framework in a limited lapse of time. Primary step needed to be considered before consultation with the stakeholders is to identify the stakeholders of the organisation (Wood et al. 2012). Indeed, there is no apt definition of the stakeholders. Stakeholders could be people and any institution, funding and assisting the organisation relating internally or externally (Morden 2007). After the completion of identification procedure, classification of stakeholders is obligatory. Basically stakeholders can be categorise as Internal stakeholders Internal stakeholders represent the manpower employed by the organisation and work within the circumference of organisaton. The internal stakeholders embodies owners, CEO, the board of directors, shareholders, shareholders family, trust members and all the non clinical staffs and clinical staffs Including General Practitioners, Nurses, and all the allied health professions (Mordern 2007; Freemam 2010). External Stakeholders External stakeholders represent people or professional institution living outside the boundary of organisation ministering the organisation in decision making or providing moral support for the progress and welfare of the organisation. Immediate external stakeholders are customers and family member of the consumers and other external stakeholder comprises of, professional bodies, regulatory institutions, community, social services agency and government representative at local, regional and state level capable to clout the board regulation and legislation (Mordern 2007; Freeman 2010) Chandler health organisation also implement a stakeholder crosswalk , constructed mainly to consider appropriate stakeholders in decision making in a peculiar area of expertise and in appropriate time (Eveleigh et al 2012). And finally Chandler health is committed to create stakeholder network map and maintain robust relationship and ambience among the stakeholders (Wood et al. 2012). 3. Formulation of committee After planning of strategy, it is a herculean task to implement, manage and maintain the strategy. A team is needed to create to implement and maintain the efficacy of the strategy. Establishment of strategic committee is extremely important for the betterment of organisation. Chandler health would select the members in the strategic on basic of interest and expertise in the relevant field so that skills and knowledge embedded within the committee members could be utilised for providing the apt direction in decision making (Jeffrey, April Daniel, 2003). Chandler Heath is committed to involve top level managers, middle managers, frontline supervisors (Hoon 2007),shareholders, individuals with professional dexterities, and other internal as well as external stakeholders (Jeffrey, April Daniel, 2003; Swayne, Duncan Ginter 2013). And further organisation would create strategic management community and strategic operating committee (Steiner). Strategic management committee comprises of top management, shareholders and other important board members, providing recommendation and pathway to operating committee (Steiner). And Operating committee include middle managers and other frontline supervisors implementing all the action need to be achieved in limited time zone (Steiner). And finally, Chandler health assures that there exist a healthy and harmonious interaction and relationship among the individual within the strategic community and act as a unit. 4. Establish transparency within the staff of the organisation. For the effective execution of strategy, each and every individual employed within the organisation must be conscious and have a profound insight about the vision, mission, values and aim of the strategy. As transparency within the staff is the major value of Chandler health, organisation is committed to provide a level of transparency with the staff so that there is better exchange and sharing of ideas, expansion of innovative insight, critical investigation and give and take discussion (Swayne, Ducan Ginter 2013; Davis 2014). Communication undoubtable plays a vital role in the delivery of the information. In order to enhance effectiveness of strategy and to minimise errors, Chandler Health has formulated an efficient communicating strategy (Mortenius et al. 2011; Davis 2014). And further on organisation has focused to allot simple, transparent, accurate and understandable format and means of communication to employees as incomplete, complex communication misguide the staff from the goals of the organisation. Chandler Health organisation has introduced three major communication pathways; oral, written and Electronic pathways (Mortenius et al. 2011). Oral Pathway: Meeting, Seminar, workshops and training Written Pathway: Newspaper, Organisation magazine and broachers, reports, researches and bulletins Electronic Pathway: E-mails, official websites and other visuals means. On the other hand, chandler Health actuate all the core member of the organisation and employee to be expressive and receptive while communicating and respect individuals (Davis 2104) and planning to introduce â€Å"SBAR (Situation-Background- Assessment- Recommendation)† (Davis 2014) â€Å"a system of communicating crucial and cardinal information requiring prompt decision and operation. 5. Evaluation of strategy Evaluation of the strategy is the major phenomenon to measure the progress of the organisation (Pumet). Chandler Health organisation is obligated to conduct; â€Å"Customer experience online survey system† (Forest Research 2007) and collect all the feedback from the customers about the facilities and healthcare delivered by the organisation, as Chandler health believe in customer centricity which not only refines healthcare and services but also motivates to meet the appetite and intention of the consumers (Lutz 2008). â€Å"Balance score sheet† that measures the outcome of four field of organisation; relationship with consumers, interpersonal relation, values of organisation, and financial structure of organisation (Braam Nijssen 2004). Annual meeting of the all the stakeholders including staffs of the chandler health organisation and discuss about the feedback, issues and hardship induces in the implementation and action process of the strategy. Identify the flaws of strategy through discussion and amend it in future. References Lutz, S. 2008, A Strange Fit for a King: A Customer Experience Framework, Consumer-Driven Healthcare, vol. 53, pp. 356-9 Rumelt, R.P., Evaluation of strategy: Theroy and Models, pp. 196-217. Forrester Research 2007, North American Technographics ® Customer Experience Online Survey,Cambridge, MA. PricncewaterhouseCoopers 2008,How Consumer conversation will Transform Business, 10/01/2008,www.pwc.com/extweb/pwpublications.nsf/docid/452132E0E4043D6E852573D9005BF037>. Braam, G.J.M. Nijssen, E.J. 2004,Performance effetcs of using the Blance Scoresheet on the Dutch experience,LongRange Planning,vol 37,no. 4,pp. 335-349. Epstein, R.M., Fiscella, K., Lesser, C.S. Stange, K.C. 2009, Why The Nation Needs A Policy Push On Patient-Centered Health Care, Health Affairs, vol. 29, no. 8, pp. 1429-95. Davis, A. 2014, Core Communication Competencies in Patient-Centered Care, ABNF Journal, pp. 40-45. Freeman, R. E. 2010, Strategic management: A stakeholder approach, Cambridge University Press,United Kingdom. Morden, T. 2007Principles of Strategic Management,3rd edition, Ashgate. Mortenius, H., Maklund, B., Palm, L., Fridlund, B. Baigi, A. 2011, The utilisation of knowledge of and interest in research and development amnong primary care staff by means of stratgic communication-a staff cohort study., Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, vol. 18, pp. 768-75. Swayne, L.E., Duncan, W.J. Ginter, P.M. 2012,Strategic Management of Health Care Organizations, 6thedn, John Wiley Sons Ltd, USA. Steiner, G.A.,Strategic Planning What Every Manager Must Know,A Division of Simons Schuster Inc.1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York. Hoon, C. 2007, Committees as strategic practice: The role of strategic conversation in a public administration., Human Relations, vol. 60, no. 6, pp. 921-51. Jeffrey, L.C., April, K. Daniel, T. 2003, Board Composition, Committees, and Organizational Efficiency: The Case of Nonprofits, Nonprofit Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 4, p. 493. Wood, J., Sarkani, S., Mazzuchi, T. Eveleigh, T. 2013, A framework for capturing the hidden stakeholder system, Systems Engineering, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 251-66. Johnson, R.L., Saha, S., Arbelaez, J.J., Beach, M.C. Cooper, L.A. 2004, ORIGINAL ARTICLES Racial and Ethnic Differences in Patient Perceptions of Bias and Cultural Competence in Health Care, JGIM: Journal of General Internal Medicine, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 101-10. Constand, M.K., MacDermid, J.C., Bello-Haas, V.D. Law, M. 2014, Scoping review of patient-centered care approaches in healthcare, BMC Health Services Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 572-92. Stephen, R. BArnwell, N. 2007,Organisational Theory Concepts and Cases,5th edn, Pearson Education Australia.

Age and Gender Differences in Attitudes

Age and Gender Differences in Attitudes A survey was carried out among people from two different age categories to determine whether age and gender individually result in different attitudes towards seeking psychological help. The 653 participants each completed a shorter version of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale survey. The survey results were later grouped based on gender where there was 319 males and 334 females. The gender groups were again each classified into two age categories; as either young or older adults. The results indicated females have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than males and that older adults have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. It was also found that participants who had previously sought psychological help had more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. This research needs to consider the methodological limitations, such as the selection of the participants by the experimenters, which could h ave biased the results and also whether the length of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale survey produces different results. Age and Gender Differences in Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Psychotherapy has been described as embarrassing and potentially difficult and it induces fear and avoidance in some individuals (Vogel, Wester Larson, 2007). Andrews, Issakidis Carters study (2001, as cited in Vogel, Wester Larson, 2007) found that less than one third of individuals who experience psychological distress do seek help from a mental health professional (p 410). For many people, counselling and seeking psychological help is an uncomfortable way to deal with personal problems. This may be true for many men as the findings of most studies related to attitudes towards seeking psychological help have been particularly consistent that women tend to have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help (Fisher Farina 1995). Some researchers have found that age is another barrier which underutilizes help seeking (Mackenzie, Gekoski Knox, 2006) and it is generally uncommon for an individual to discontinue a psychological service once they have experience it for t he first time (Deane Todd, 1996). Attitudes towards psychological help seeking vary between individuals due to avoidance factors and demographic influences. Kushner and Shers study (1989, as cited in Vogel, Wester Larson, 2007) found that different avoidance factors are likely to vary in their intensity and importance depending on the characteristics of the individual (eg., sex, age) as well as social and cultural differences (p 413). Vogel, Wester Larson (2007) stated that some researchers have suggested that traditional gender roles influence professional help seeking (p 414) which is possibly why males avoid seeking help. The behaviours and characteristics associated with traditional masculinity form a system of social beliefs- that is, an ideology- regarding the expectation of how men should be (1995, as cited in Levant, Wimer, Williams, Smalley Noronha). This ideology influences the way that adults think, feel and behave in gender matters. Therefore, males may feel that they need to mask their problems due to traditional masculinity which is why females are mainly found to have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Veoff, Kulka Douvan (1981) believe that adolescents and seniors are both reluctant to help-seeking due to one avoidance factor in common; Social norms, which changes across the age groups. However, social stigma has been conceptualised as one of the most significant barriers to treatment for both younger and older adults (Vogel, Wester and Larson, 2007). Vogel, Wester and Larson (2007) concluded that younger adults however are more affected by the avoidance factor social stigma as adolescence is a time of developing and building a sense of identity. Being a young adult is also the time when peers and norm groups may be particularly salient (1989, as cited in Vogel, Wester and Larson, 2007). Therefore, some young adults may be reluctant to help seeking because of the threats as being judged negatively (2002, as cited in Vogel, Wester and Larson, 2007). Some individuals may or may not find psychological help beneficial and this determines whether they continue or discontinue the service. However, most people who have received help from a professional psychologist or counsellor rate themselves as more likely to continuing seeking help as compared to people who have received no psychological help (Deane Todd, 1996). Consistent with this research, females with more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help rate themselves as more likely to seek professional help (Deane Todd, 1996). The present study aimed to determine whether age and gender affect attitudes towards seeking psychological help. From the research examined, it was anticipated that age, gender and previous history of counselling influences attitudes towards help seeking. It was hypothesised that females will have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than men and younger adults will have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. It was also hypothesised that individuals who have previously sought psychological help would have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking. Method Participants The 653 participants in this study consisted of 319 males and 334 females. Participants needed to be specifically selected based on their age, since the research involved investigating age and gender differences in attitudes towards seeking psychological help. There were two age categories that separated the younger adults from the older adults. Younger adults were classified between the ages of 18 years to 30 years of age, whereas the older adults were classified over 55 years of age. Of the 653 participants, 373 participants were classified as younger adults and 280 participants as older. The younger adults group consisted of 178 males and 195 females, whereas the older adult group consisted of 141 males and 139 females. The mean age of the 653 participants was 38.05 (SD= 20.10) and the ages ranged from 18 years of age to 85 years of age. The mean age of the 178 younger male adults was 21.72 (SD= 4.38), whereas the mean age of the 141 older males was 60.11 (SD= 6.10). The mean age of the 195 younger female adults was 20.90 (SD= 3.26), whereas the mean age of the 139 older females was 60.64 (SD= 7.73). Materials A shorter version of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale was used to measure participants attitudes towards seeking psychological help. The scale for each statement ranged from 0 (disagree) to 3 (agree). The scale contained 10 statements, some of which expressed negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help and other expressed positive attitudes. Reverse scoring was needed for the statements which expressed negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help so that a higher score represents a more positive attitude. The statements which represented positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help did not have to use reverse scoring. The maximum possible score was 30 which represented the highest positive attitude towards seeking professional psychological help, whereas the minimum possible score was 0, which represented the lowest support for seeking professional psychological help. A demographic sheet was also attached to the Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale. The demographic sheet questioned for information such as date of birth, age, sex, occupation, country of birth and whether the participant has had no, little or a lot of counselling prior to completing the scale. Procedure The shorter version of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale was provided to all students attending Victoria University who are enrolled in Psychology 1B. Psychology 1B students were instructed to make an additional three copies as they each needed to survey four people. Each Psychology 1B student needed to survey two males and two females, however one participant from each gender needed to be either 18 years of age to 30 years of age and the other needed to be over 55 years of age. The participants were not allowed to complete the survey if they were a psychologist or a psychology student. The unit coordinator of Psychology 1B derived the mean age and mean attitude score towards seeking psychological help for the following categories: (a) young male adults, (b) young female adults, (c) older male adults and (d) older female adults. Results An analysis of the mean attitude scores towards seeking psychological help for each of the four participant categories were used to determine whether the hypotheses were supported. The mean attitude scores towards seeking professional psychological help for all four participants categories are presented in Table 1. Table 1 The mean attitude scores towards psychological help seeking Males Females Younger (18-30) 15.13 18.36 (5.56) (5.01) Older (55+) 14.74 19.78 (6.76) (6.07) Total 14.96 18.95 (6.11) (5.52) Note. Numbers in brackets are the standard deviations of each mean attitude score. The results from Table 1 indicates that females have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help with a mean of 18.95 (SD=5.52) as compared to males who scored a mean of 14.96 (SD=6.11). This finding supported the hypothesis that females have a more positive attitude towards seeking psychological help than males. From the table, it is also evident that older participants have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help with a mean of 17.24 (SD=6.90), as compared to younger adults who scored a mean of 16.82 (SD=5.52). This result did not support the hypothesis younger adults have a more positive attitude towards seeking psychological help than older adults. In terms of counselling history, a no counselling history was mostly reported. Of the 653 participants, 418 participants had never had counselling before with a mean of 15.76 (SD=5.98), 203 participants have had little counselling before with a mean of 18.69 (SD=5.71) and 32 participants have had a lot of counselling with a mean of 22.44 (SD=5.62). Discussion In this study, two of the three hypotheses were supported. Both hypotheses (a) females have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than men and (b) individuals who had previously sought psychological help would have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking were supported in this study. However, the hypothesis (c) younger adults will have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than older adults was not supported. A gender difference in attitudes towards psychological help seeking is one of the most consistent findings in the literature (Ang, Lim Tan, 2004). In the present study, the results suggested that females had more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than men. This finding supports the results of previous research of Vogel, Wester and Larson (2007) where they researched factors that inhibit seeking help. In their study, Vogel, Wester and Larson (2007) found that gender role plays a part in psychological help seeking. This was evident as men were more likely to think that they would be stigmatized for consulting a psychologist or counsellor. Women in contrast, are more open towards seeking psychological help and feel comfortable and less ashamed. However, because gender role is recognised by so many people, women may feel that they are expected to act reverse to a man. In this study, females may have felt that it would only be normal for them to have positive attitude s towards seeking help as compared to men because they are usually classified as weaker and softer than men. To address this limitation in further research, participants should be given the opportunity to make a statement or comment on why they believe their gender should and should not seek psychological help. This may further help explain gender role which is defined as one of the most common factors that prevents seeking psychological help. On the other hand, a previous history or experience seeking psychological help indicated that participants were more likely to have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than those people who have not sought help. Deane and Todds study (1996) supports the findings of this study as their results were very similar. For example, approximately 35% of participants have had little or a continuation of therapy in this study which is similar to the 40% of participants in Deane and Todds study (1996). In this study, participant needed to mark whether they had never had counselling before, have had little counselling or have had a lot of counselling. This approach used to determine whether a previous history encourages a positive attitude towards psychotherapy could have been used more effectively to find out the duration of therapy and for those who have had no counselling; to find out whether something is inhibiting them from seeking psychological help or if they simply do not need it. In future research, participants who have received psychotherapy both short term and long term should be questioned about the duration of psychotherapy they have had. On the other hand, participants who have not received psychotherapy should be given the opportunity to further elaborate on their choice of not seeking help. The results did not support the hypothesis that younger adults will have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than older adults. These findings differ from those of previous studies (e.g., Mackenzie, Gekoski Knox, 2006; Vogel, Wester Larson 2007) in which respectively reported that older adults attitudes towards seeking psychological help are generally positive and younger adults are reluctant to help seeking due to a certain avoidance factor; social stigma. This could be due to the way researchers from previous studies tested their participants to determine their attitudes. In some studies, participants may have been tested for their opinions on psychological help seeking, whereas others may have been tested on their actual use of a psychotherapy service. In this study, participants were tested to determine their opinions towards seeking psychological help, whereas other studies may have tested peoples attitudes after using the service. Future research should mention what their participants are tested for so that other researchers are able to correctly support or find differences in their findings. A further limitation of the study was that the participants were not given the opportunity to provide statements about how they feel about seeking psychotherapy as a quantitative scale measure was used to determine their attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Therefore, their responses were restricted using the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale survey. Future research should also employ a qualitative measure to help support the results produced from a quantitative measure. Overall, the results of the study suggest that gender role does impact attitudes towards seeking psychological help as one gender consistently showed more positive attitudes towards help seeking. The results also suggest that older adults have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than younger adults. It may be that adults in the present are exposed to a positive interpretation of psychotherapy which encourages them to view seeking psychological help more positively. Also, the results of the study suggest that a previous history of psychotherapy will make an individual view psychological help seeking with a positive attitude. This may be because the individual learns that the therapy is beneficial and outweighs their reasons for avoiding during psychotherapy.

Everyone and No One: Jorge Luis Borges and Shakespeare Essay -- Literar

â€Å"I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all the women that I have loved; all the cities that I have visited, all my ancestors . . . Perhaps I would have liked to be my father, who wrote and had the decency of not publishing. Nothing, nothing, my friend; what I have told you: I am not sure of anything, I know nothing . . . Can you imagine that I do not even know the date of my death?† (â€Å"Borges-Quotations†) The work of Jorge Luis Borges has been the subject of much literary criticism and research. Scholars have spent entire lifetimes attempting to pinpoint the meaning of his works. The fact that many of them use the above quote to do so sums up the enigma of Borges; the quote most likely to be used to explain him cannot be authenticated. In seventy-four short stories, over one hundred sonnets and thousands of essays, reviews, lectures, literature introductions and notes, the quote found in many quote collections and in an abundance of papers on the author may not be his words at all. Far from this paradox disproving any theories on the themes and intentions of Borges, the very fact that writers continue quote to quote this passage illustrates his thoughts on memory, identity and authorship perfectly. Memory is malleable and transferrable. Memory is identity. Authorship is identity. Therefore, authorship is memory and is malleable and transferrable. There is no defining work from Borges defining these themes. Even to apply them to his fictions, one must absorb them all. The fictions of Borges are brief, many as short as three pages. One of these (at eight pages) was the last story he wrote, Shakespeare’s Memory. Published after his death in 1986, he touc... ...inberger. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1999. 463-472. Print. Paul M. Willenberg. â€Å"The Garden of Jorge Luis Borges.† Swarthmore University. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. â€Å"The Eccentric Borges: Two UCL Analyses.† University College London. Web. 21 Oct. 2011. Richard Burgin. Conversations with Jorge Luis Borges. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1969. 26-27. Print. .Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access. Lastname, First name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection. Ed. Editor's Name(s). Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page range of entry. Medium of Publication. Whitman, Walt. "I Sing the Body Electric." Selected Poems. New York: Dover, 1991. 12-19. Print.

Essay on Conflict Resolution and Mediation to End School Violence

Use of Conflict Resolution and Mediation to End School Violence       Conflict and differences of opinion exist in every healthy organization. Americans need to try to take control of today's youth and the violence that is and has been developing in this country for many years.   Although violence will never be extinct, there are many different ways to reduce violence.   Each school and student population has different ways of dealing with and helping to curb the need for violence in schools.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most effective and most common method in dealing with violence in schools is conflict resolution.   It has been used in many different states and in several different formats to try to give the students, faculty, and parents an idea to what may help stop or prevent this violence and other problems from happening.   According to the Texas Youth Commission, there are ten main reasons for instituting a school-based conflict resolution/mediation program.   They are as follows: * Conflict is a natural human state that becomes more prevalent during personal growth. * A more effective system is needed to deal with conflict in the school than expulsion or court intervention. * The use of mediation to resolve school-based problems can result in improved communication between and among student, teachers, and parents. * Mediation training assists in preparing students to live in a multicultural world. * Shifting responsibility for solving conflicts from teachers to young adults will free teachers to focus on teaching. * Mediation provides a system of problem solving that is uniquely suited to the personal nature of young people's problems. * Mediation training increases students' interest in con... ...vary by ethnicity, family income, or geographic location" (Factors, 2).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is obvious that the use of conflict resolution and mediation is essential in our school systems.   Not only does it provide a safer way to talk out the problems between students; it also gives us a mean to handle the problem of violence in our schools more safely.    Works Cited Harberg Consulting Group. Conflict Resolution. [Online].  Ã‚   Available: http://www.hcgnet.com/html/conflictresolution.htm (November 20, 1998) Author Unknown. Factors Contributing To School Violence. [Online].Available: http://ericweb.tc.columbia.edu/monographs/uds107/prerentingfactors.html (September 21, 1998) Author Unknown. Ten Reasons for Instituting A School-Based Mediation Program. [Online]. Available: http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/prevention/medprog.html. (November 20, 1998).

Suspense - The Signal Man Essay examples -- English Literature

Suspense - The Signal Man The author of The Signal Man immediately creates suspense by using anonymous quotes, which gives a sense of mystery. Dickens begins by avoiding using terms that identify ownership, i.e. â€Å"When he heard a voice thus calling to him†. The 2nd person in the story is the signal man, who at this point is acting in a very peculiar manner. This produces suspicion amongst the reader and thus generates interest or suspense. Throughout the entire novel, Charles Dickens is using language that is very obviously uncomfortable, i.e. â€Å"Angry sunset†, or â€Å"Violent pulsation†. The characters are not described as very ordinary. The signal man is poor and not very knowledgeable whereas the visitor is wealthy, intelligent and free to do as he pleases. However, there is a trait that they both share. They are both very isolated. This lonesome feeling is far from comforting and therefore adds to the general atmosphere of the novel. The scene is described to be very unnerving and fits in very well with the gothic theme. The cutting is like a deep chasm in th...

Henry Lawson Essay Essay

Many of the short stories by Henry Lawson deal with isolation or mateship, however not many of them deal with a combination of the two. The characters in Lawson’s stories have a strong sense of community, but they must still stand alone in order to survive. Some are alone because they must be, some because they want to be, some are a definite part of a group and still remain alone. Some are not as alone as they may think. All these ideas are shown in Lawson’s stories in one form or another, and some are easier to define than others. The type of isolation presented in â€Å"The Drover’s Wife† is one that is easily defined. She is left at home by her husband because â€Å"the drought of 18– ruined him. He had to sacrifice the remnant of his flock and go droving again† earning money for a family he barely sees. This forces his wife to fend for herself, battling both the elements and her loneliness on her own. This isolation is one that she does not welcome, but one that she accepts because she must. She shows a resilience that is admirable and a strong character. Because she must look after her â€Å"four ragged, dried-up-looking children†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she is not lacking of company, but lacking rather in support. She must rely upon her own courage and wits to keep both herself and her children alive. This stops her from being alone in a physical sense but not in an emotional one. She deals with this situation well, and while she does not enjoy her isolation, she manages to retain her sa nity. â€Å"The Bush Undertaker† contrasts this in that there is a definite tone of mental instability. The main character is alone out in the bush when he comes across what seems to be the corpse of an old mate, â€Å"Brummy†. He talks to Brummy even though it is obvious that he knows Brummy is dead. This shows that while the Bush Undertaker is aware of the absurdity of his situation, his isolation has made him more receptive to any form of companionship, even that of a corpse. He has no real goal that is mentioned in the story, so we assume that a lack of any company has unhinged his mind slightly. Even though he is talking to Brummy as if he were alive he still accepts the reality of Brummy’s demise, and buries him. He isn’t doing this out of sheer practicality however for he makes the comment that â€Å"Theer oughter be somethin’ sed†¦ Theer oughter be some sort o’ sarmin.† And then proceeds to  give the uncaring corpse a sermon at his burial. In this way while the bush undertaker is alone, the corpse of Brummy is not, as in death his mate is with him and supports him. While the bush undertaker is alone through necessity there are examples within Lawson’s stories of characters that actually choose to be alone. In â€Å"Water Them Geraniums† Mrs. Spicer is frequently left alone with her children. She has a husband, who is rarely at home, and several children, but is alone in the sense of she has no support. Joe comments that â€Å"I supposed, the reason why she hadn’t gone mad through hardship and loneliness was that she hadn’t either the brains or the memory to go farther than she could see through the trunks of the ‘apple trees’.† This may be far more accurate than he may think. She adamantly refuses the help of the Wilsons and tells her children â€Å"†¦not to say we was hungry if yer asked; but if yer give us anythink to eat, we was to take it an’ say thenk yer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This passage shows even though Mrs. Spicer is alone by ways support, her pride stops her from admitting her neediness, but it is enough to stop her from accepting help which is offered. She says to Mary that she has â€Å"†¦got past carin’ for anythink now. I felt it a little when Tommy went away†¦But I’m over that now.† It’s this assumed pose of strong noble unconcern that makes her able to deal with the hardships, although some would argue as to whether she deals with them well. She forces herself to stand alone in supporting her children, and in time this isolation caused by pride seems to be what kills her, for as Joe Wilson concludes â€Å"It was some time before we could believe that she was dead. But she was ‘past carin† right enough.† Another of Lawson’s stories that deals with isolation is â€Å"Brighten’s sister-in-law† which is also told from the perspective of Joe Wilson. However, at a time when Joe Wilson expects to be on his own, he finds steadfast help and caring support. While he and his son, Jim, are out bush Jim has a seizure. Joe panics, but has enough presence of mind to go looking for help. He finds help in the form of Brighten’s sister-in-law, a woman whose name we never learn. She aids him, treats Jim and eventually manages to get Jim into a stable condition. Throughout the story he hear mention of what seems to be a great emotional turmoil within this good Samaritan, as  she is described as both stoic and as crying while Jim is in the house. Even though it seems to cost her dearly, emotionally, she still treats Jim and this shows how even though some may expect no help, sometimes fate intervenes. The stories of Henry Lawson deal with all these themes of isolation, and the theme that is strongest is that of survival, for even though all his characters seem to be clearly alone or in company, most often they are alone in a sense that is an essential part of the power of his stories. They are alone in that they can rely upon, truly constantly rely upon, only one person.

Three Major Themes in Don Quixote

One of the most obvious themes in Don Quixote de la Mancha is that of nostalgia. However, in Don Quixote, what has traditionally been regarded as the central thrust of nostalgia: that it represents a longing for a time which can never again exist or be recaptured, is altered through the use of irony to represent a form of moral idealism. In other words, the particular â€Å"flavor† of nostalgia represented by Cervantes is that of a longing for a moral and ethical past which are considered (ironically) not as ideals of an unattainable past, but as a conception of pragmatic moral instruction.Of note is the personal intimacy with which Cervantes invests his character, Quixote's, conception of a moral idealism which appears readily available and complete in the annuls of antiquity: â€Å"he fell into one of the strangest conceits that ever entered the head of any madman [†¦ ] that he should commence knight-errant, and wander through the world, with his horse and arms† (Cervantes Saavedra 23). The summoning to moral action is based, in actuality, in a sense of personal pride and self-aggrandizement: â€Å"that by accomplishing such enterprises he might acquire eternal fame and renown† (Cervantes Saavedra 23).This latter admission forms the key to the ultimately ironic unfolding of Quixote's nostalgic sense of morality in that it reveals that he, Quixote, never grasped the essential nature of the chivalric morality he idealizes in that he sought fame and recognition rather than purely service to the chivalric code itself. In this way, Cervantes indicates that nostalgia does exert a prohibitive influence on pragmatic application and behavior, but this is only revealed through the irony of Quixote's attempts to literalize a moral code which is, in fact, lost in the mists of antiquity.Further irony emerges from the theme of classicism. This theme may be considered closely aligned with the theme of nostalgia because, given the predilection of Qu ixote for self-aggrandizement, it is only natural for the alert reader to assume that Quixote's â€Å"madness† is born out of an inferiority complex. This natural assumption will be grounded not only in the picaresque action of the plot, but in the portrayal of the internal moral â€Å"compass† of the characters in the story.A good example of how Quixote's â€Å"madness† functions as a portrayal of classicism is the passage where Quixote fantasizes that a brothel is actually a castle: â€Å"he fancied it to be a castle, with four turrets and battlements of refulgent silver, together with its drawbridge, deep moat, and all the appurtenances with which such castles are usually described† (Cervantes Saavedra 28). The madness of Quixote allows ironic inversion of the dominant social order.Thsi tendency (theme) is carried out throughout Don Quixote as a whole with peasants and working-poor taking on roles traditionally associated with the upper-classes. Closel y aligned to the theme of classicism is the the theme of chivalry itself. Given the foregoing descriptions of Cervantes's ironic use of nostalgia and the inversion of the social order, one would expect, and rightly so, that the most obvious theme of Don Quixote, the theme of chivalry, is also intended to be perceived as ironic.The full realization that even Quixote's â€Å"mad† idealization of the past refuses to admit legitimate moral perception through into the world, despite, that same vision exposing the hypocrisy and injustice of the â€Å"present day† world, is a realization which seems to undermine Quixote's stature as an ironic hero. However, when Quixote himself renounces chivalry, his heroic stature is fact, increased, and his character given a final seal of integrity. When he proclaims : â€Å"free from those dark clouds of ignorance with which my eager and continual reading of those detestable books of chivalry had obscured it.Now I perceive the absurdity and delusion of them,† (Cervantes Saavedra 939) Quixote is in fact vocalizing his inner-realization that nostalgia, and chivalry were themselves aspects of the very classicism which, in the beginning, ignited his inner feelings of inferiority. He realizes that chivalry is not a release from the injustices of the present, but merely the past's method of empowering the same social inequalities and injustices which flourished in chivalry's historical decline.