I Could See the Man Was Very Unhappy

I could see that the man was very unhappy. As I watched him sitting by himself at the bus stop, a big brown paper parcel beside him, I felt my curiousity perk and was also strangely troubled. I sensed that the old man felt confused and needed someone to talk to. Yet I held back. The party was in half an hour. So I could not make the time for him. Besides, who was I introduced into another person’s privacy? These were my thoughts as I boarded the bus. As the bus drew away from the stop , I looked back at the lone figure on the bridge.A few minutes later, I was back at the same place. He was still there, still alone. I sat down beside him. Other people were ignoring us. I started a conversation with him. At first, he was startled and was silent. As time passed by and he could see that I was sincere, he began to talk. His name was Arthur Tan. Barely, fifteen years ago, he had been a happily married man with two lovely children performing well at school. It seemed that nothing cou ld upset his beautiful life. Then, on one cruise, his family decided to go along with him for a family vacation.It was a hectic time for him, but he thoroughly enjoyed their company. Everything went well until one night, when taking over the wheel, he fell asleep. His ship collided with an oil tanker and both sank. He was the sole survivor of this tragedy. Since that fateful day, Arthur had lived miserable life. With his family gone, his life seemed to lose all meaning. He spent his days in despondency and guilt. His friends shunned him ; hardly anyone spoke a kind word to him, he rarely even saw a friendly human face.He showed me the brown parcel. He had collected all the mementos of his happier life before the tragedy – his uniforms, certificates and his family photographs. He had wrapped all these precious things and tied them up in the big brown paper parcel. As I looked at his collection of memories, I understood his sadness. The people in the photographs were laughing a nd smiling happily. The Arthur Tan in the photographs was so different from the man I could see now in front of me.He started to reminisce, and I let him. I did not care that I was already late for the party. This was more important. He talked for two hours, telling me about his family and the happy times he had with them. Finally, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said â€Å"Thank you†. Then he got up and left. I found myself sitting alone, hardly noticing the trickle of tears on my cheeks, watching him walk away. I was glad I had been there for him as all he wanted was a person to talk to.

Conceptual Foundations of Social Psychology

Conceptual Foundations of Social Psychology University of Phoenix Conceptual Foundations of Social Psychology Often one hears the question, what is wrong with the people in the world today? This question could be asked after watching a news story about a mother murdering her children, gangs terrorizing neighborhoods, terroristic acts committed against large community locations, and riots after a soccer game, or even hate crimes committed due to discrimination. Each of these subjects always brings up questions about why acts such as these occur. Social Psychology can attempt to answer some of these questions.In effect, social psychology seeks to answer many questions. Social Psychology is very different in that this field tries to understand all characteristics of social behavior and the significance on the individual both positive and negative. Some research would suggest that anyone might act in a similar fashion as the person who commits a terrorist act, or the mother who murders h er children if he or she were in the same situation and that the behavior has little to do with the character of that person. This concept is situationism and while it does appear extreme, situationism plays a role in social psychology.In the following pages, what situationism is and how it pertains to social psychology is addressed. In addition, a definition of what social psychology is as well as the main characteristics of it. Last, an explanation of the five core social motives is offered and how they too affect the field of social psychology. Social Psychology Social Psychology covers so many topics that one could not possibly list them all at one time. These topics range from interpersonal relationships to group behavior, from prosocial behavior to discrimination and prejudice and everything else in between.The broad coverage of topics generates difficulty in narrowing the subject down to a strict definition. However, according to Fiske, (2010, p 4) â€Å"Social psychology is the scientific attempt to explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings. † Of course as stated by Fiske, this is the traditional definition of Social Psychology. This definition dates all the way back to one of the fathers of Social Psychology, Gordon Allport (Fiske, 2010). In essence, Social Psychology is about how people influence each other.If one can imagine each way, another could possibly influence a person then he or she may achieve a better understanding of how broad this subject is. Because Social Psychology covers a broad scope of topics, broad scope by definition is one of the key characteristics of Social Psychology. The broad scope of topics is only one of the characteristics of Social Psychology; another and very important characteristic is Cultural Mandate. Just as any of field of Psychology needs to stay current so too does Social psychology need to stay curren t.Because of the ever-changing world and the populations within it, cultures change. Because culture affects individual behavior, it is important to keep up with the changes. These changes occur from town to town within the United States, to larger cultural structures across the globe. For Social Psychology to stay current, an accommodation to the changing cultures is mandatory. One reason it is important to keep up with changes in cultures and how they affect individual behaviors is the research involved. This research helps build credible scientific knowledge (Fiske, 2010).Most people today depend on science to present the facts instead of relying on the traditional methods of understanding, which is often only common sense knowledge. Fiske, (2010, p. 34) tells us, â€Å"Social psychology goes beyond common sense to build a scientific understanding of human social behavior. † Therefore, the Scientific Method is the third key characteristic of Social Psychology. What can be more important than proper â€Å"techniques, procedures, analyses, and standards that create scientifically reliable knowledge? † (Fiske, 2010, p. 34) Maybe, one other characteristic is more important, or maybe just as important.The search for wisdom may be the last key characteristics of Social Psychology but being last in this instance does not mean that it is less important. This characteristic is probably the most compassionate aspect of Social Psychology. This characteristic is the search for ways to help improve the circumstances of individuals in certain situations. One already knows that knowledge is important such as that gained from the scientific method, but without compassion and understanding of morals and intellectual concerns Social Psychology would not be the field of study that it is.Perhaps Fiske states it best when she describes it like this, â€Å"Wisdom comprises knowledge about people and the world, combined with enduring moral, intellectual, and societ al concerns that together make sense in the social context of people’s lived experience† (Fiske, 2010, p. 34). Again, it is all about making sense of how individuals influence each other in every way imaginable. Situationism Situationism is a controversial topic. For instance, someone walking down the sidewalk drops money on the ground; the person behind them picks the money up and returns it to the owner.According to situationism this return of the money to the owner is not due to any type of personality trait the person possesses but simply because the situation calls for it. According to Sabine and Silver, (2005, p. 3) â€Å"virtue is not a general disposition to act in a certain way, but a disposition to act in a certain way under quite specific circumstances. † Therefore, the person returning the money may well behave honestly in that particular circumstance but may not necessarily be honest in all aspects of life.This does leave an opening for some broad in terpretation but that is a different point altogether. An individual’s orientation to social contexts, always consist of other people, many researchers even say life is dependent upon social interactions. According to Fiske â€Å"our responsiveness to social situations and therefore their considerable impact results from evolutionary pressures for individuals to survive in groups† (2010, p. 14). If one has doubts about the power of situations all that is needed is some time to revisit the Stafford Prison Experiment.It is possible that given the same situation anyone would behave in a similar manner no matter his or her personality type. Core Social Motives In order for individuals to survive in groups there must be something that drives this need for individuals to be a part of groups. While there are many needs that individuals have, researchers have narrowed down these needs to five core social motives. The most prominent motive is one most people can surely relate t o and that is belonging. Most people are motivated to belong to a group of some type of another.Life is much easier when others are around for many reasons, making the group work easier is one of them, not to mention the feeling of safety one has when they are around others who they believe they can trust (Newman, Lohman, & Newman, 2007). Many people are so motivated to belong they will often change their behavior to become a part of a group. Those who are more socially adaptive and feel a strong sense of belonging, whether that belonging is strong family ties, friends , community, state or nation, belonging is crucial, and has been proven to have some health benefits and those who feel a sense of belonging are happier also.In one study using adolescents and peer relationships â€Å"adolescents who viewed peer group membership as very important to them and had a positive sense of peer group belonging had significantly fewer behavior problems than those who viewed peer group members hip as very important but did not have a positive sense of peer group belonging† (Newman, Lohman, & Newman, 2007, par. 2). While this study used adolescents as subjects, those who feel more pressure to fit in than most other groups the need for belonging is not inclusive to this group.Although belonging is the core motive and a powerful one, it is not the only motive. Another important motive is, understanding. How one understands his or her environment is crucial to the group dynamic. One uncomfortable feeling that accompanies an individual and stops them from feeling as if they are a part of a group is doubt. When people do not understand the environment or situation occurring around them they often believe that other people do have understanding of the situation or at least some knowledge of it.Nothing is more frustrating than feeling that sense of being the only one that does not know or understand or as if one has no control over a situation. Control is the third core mot ive and closely related to understanding. People who understand what is going on in the environment have a firmer sense of control over the situation and are thus happier healthier people (Fiske, 2010). The last two motives neither are cognitive motives nor are they fundamentally the most important but do serve a purpose. A long held belief is that self-esteem is important to the daily lives of individuals.It is true that most people like to hear praise from others for a job well done or be complimented on his or her good qualities but self-enhancement is more about improvement of the self not just the perception of it. Aside from feeling good about the self however self-enhancement is good for the group because those who feel good are more sociable. People who have low self-esteem are more often withdrawn and want to have nothing to do with others. In addition, those who have a low sense of self tend to behave in destructive ways, which in turn creates group dysfunction.Most people in a group do not want to be around someone who commits to negative behaviors. The last motive is trust and although it is last on the list, it would appear to be one of the most important although it does not rank that high. Trust is everything in a group. Who would want to belong to a group if everyone was on guard because no one trusted the other? By trusting, one believes in others to do what is right and not bring harm to those that believe in them, much like faith. There are no guarantees that one may not get hurt but it is important to not live life in a paranoid state.Fiske sums up trust this way, â€Å"Trust facilitates daily life. It makes people both liked and likable, and with good reason. Trusting people deserve trust; they are unlikely to cheat or steal. They are more successful socially, being less suspicious, vindictive, resentful, and lonely than distrusting people† (Fiske, 2010, p. 24) In short trusting people create a trusting environment for others around them. Conclusion Everything people do has social motives. Some researchers believe that life is dependent on social interactions. Without the help from others, life would be incredibly difficult and boring.People often depend on others for love and support. Social rules, help keep individuals on a more positive track and out of trouble, of course there are exceptions to the rule as with anything else. Social Psychology attempts to explain how every interaction affects individuals. With such a broad range of topics, it is amazing that Social Psychology focuses so much on the Scientific Method. However, because the topics are related to human behavior Social Psychology also deals with the more compassionate side as well, and looks to improve the human condition.References Fiske, S. T. (2010). Social beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Newman, B. , Lohman, B. , & Newman, P. (2007). Peer group membership and a sense of belonging: their relationship to adolescent behavior problems. Adolescence, 42(166), 241-263. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database. Sabini, J. , & Silver, M. (2005). Lack of Character? Situationism Critiqued. Ethics, 115(3), 535-562. Retrieved from SocINDEX with Full Text database.

June 2008 Most Popular Articles

June 2008 Most Popular Articles June 2008 Most Popular Articles June 2008 Most Popular Articles By Daniel Scocco Happy 4th of July to all the U.S. readers. Below you will find the most popular articles of the past month; check them out if you missed any. Nonstandard Usage Detracts from Novel: The English language can certainly be said to be in flux when college professors write such stuff as Using the Active Voice to Strengthen Your Writing: Writing in the active voice means constructing sentences where the subject â€Å"acts†. Email Etiquette: So, being able to write a professional, business-like email is a crucial skill. Daily Writing Tips has already covered the email subject line, but the body of your message also matters. 25+ Pieces of Writing Software You Should Know About: Of course, all you really need in order to write is a notebook and pen. But there are lots of software packages that can make life easier for writers. Whatever you want to be able to do, there’s almost certainly some software out there to help you. Pen Names: A reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, uses his real name in his writing for a weekly newspaper, but is considering using a pen name for other work. PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer: If you’ve never experienced the horror of a computer screen turning stark blue and displaying garbled characters while you are working on it, then lucky you. Five Ways to Write Faster: Whether you need to clear a backlog of emails, write an important document at work, finish a short story, or do your homework, spending hours staring at a blank screen and struggling to come up with words won’t help. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business Letter"Replacement for" and "replacement of"Bail Out vs. Bale Out

The Suffix -strophe

The Suffix -strophe The Suffix -strophe The Suffix -strophe By Mark Nichol Do the words apostrophe and catastrophe have anything in common besides a couple of syllables? What, if anything, does a punctuation mark have to do with a disaster? The words, taken from Greek, share an element derived from the Greek verb strephein, which means â€Å"turn.† Apostrophe, meaning â€Å"turn from,† alludes to the fact that an apostrophe signals that one or more letters in a word have been omitted, or â€Å"turned away.† (The symbol later came to be used to identify possessives- and, erroneously, plurals, though some publications persist in the otherwise obsolete style of apostrophizing plural numerals, as in â€Å"That style went out in the 1950’s,† or abbreviations, as in â€Å"This rule applies to most M.D.’s.† The former style is unnecessary, and the latter approach is rendered unnecessary by simply eliminating periods from capitalized abbreviations.) Catastrophe, meanwhile, means â€Å"overturning,† and refers to a devastating reversal in fortune. (In Greek tragedy, the term applied to the turning point in a play.) Scholar and novelist J. R. R. Tolkien coined an antonym, eucatastrophe, to denote a â€Å"good turn,† or the point at which an unexpectedly favorable outcome occurs, though his coinage is obscure. The term peripeteia, meaning â€Å"turning point† (in English also referred to as peripety), already exists, but it can refer to either a positive or a negative event. (Although a deus ex machina- the term literally means â€Å"god from the machine† and refers to a plot point representing sudden intervention that produces a happy ending- is a form of eucatastrophe, the terms are not exact synonyms.) Several other words contain the element -strophe, which stems from strephein, or elements derived from it. The word strophe itself, and its antonym antistrophe, pertain to elements of Greek tragedy, referring to the part of an ode sung by a chorus while it is turning to face another direction (east to west and west to east, respectively); the concluding movement is called the epode (â€Å"sung after†). Strophe has also come to refer to a part of a poem with stanzas of various lengths, and in the classic Greek era an antistrophe was also a dance. The term boustrophedon, which literally means â€Å"turning an ox while plowing† (the first syllable is related to that of bovine), refers to ancient writing forms in which lines are alternately written left to right and right to left, as opposed to always from the same direction. Anastrophe, meanwhile, is an inversion of normal word order for literary effect, as in the phrase â€Å"forest primeval.† The prefix strepto- is seen in the New Latin term streptococcus, which refers to a type of bacteria with a twisted shape. (The name for the medical condition caused by this bacteria, strep throat, uses an abbreviated form of the term.) The words strap and strop, both referring to a band of leather or other material (and also used as verbs), are also derived from strephein. Check out our latest YouTube video, Prepositions: In vs. On Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureIs There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?Captain vs. Master

Green to Red Color Change Christmas Chemistry Demo

Green to Red Color Change Christmas Chemistry Demo Color-change demonstrations are classic fare for the chemistry classroom. The most common color change reaction may be the Blue Bottle (blue-clear-blue) chemistry demonstration and the Briggs-Rauscher oscillating clock (clear-amber-blue), but if you use different indicators you can get color-change reactions to suit just about any occasion. For example, you can perform a green-red-green color change reaction for a bit of Christmas chemistry. This color change demonstration uses the indigo carmine indicator. Christmas Color Change Demo Materials One of best parts of this demonstration is that you dont need very many ingredients: water (distilled is best, but you can use tap water if your pH is close to neutral)15 grams glucose7.5 grams sodium hydroxideindigo carmine indicatorbeakers or other clear containers Perform the Indigo Carmine Indicator Demo Prepare a 750 ml aqueous solution with 15 g glucose (solution A) and a 250 ml aqueous solution with 7.5 g sodium hydroxide (solution B).Warm solution A to around body temperature (98-100 °F).Add a pinch of indigo carmine, the disodium salt of indigo-5,5-disulphonic acid, to solution A. A pinch is enough indicator to make solution A visibly blue.Pour solution B into solution A. This will change the color from blue → green. Over time, this color will change from green → red/golden yellow.Pour this solution into an empty beaker, from a height of ~60 cm. Vigorous pouring from a height is essential in order to dissolve oxygen from the air into the solution. This should return the color to green.Once again, the color will return to red/golden yellow. The demonstration may be repeated several times. How Indigo Carmine Works Indigo carmine, also known as  5,5-indigodisulfonic acid sodium salt,  indigotine,  FDC Blue #2), has the  chemical formula is  C16H8N2Na2O8S2. It is used as a food coloring agent and as  a pH indicator. For chemistry, the purple salt is typically prepared as a 0.2% aqueous solution. Under these conditions, the solution is blue at pH 11.4 and yellow at pH 13.0. The molecule may also be used as a redox indicator, since it turns yellow when it is reduced. Other colors may be produced, depending on the specific reaction. Other uses of indigo carmine include dissolved ozone detection, as a dye for foods and medications, to detect amniotic fluid leaks in obstetrics, and as an intravenous dye to map the urinary tract. Health and Safety Information Indigo carmine may be harmful if inhaled. Avoid contact with the eyes or skin, which can cause irritation. Sodium hydroxide is a strong base that can cause irritation and burns. So, wear use care and wear gloves, a lab coat, and goggles setting up the demonstration. The solution may be safely disposed of down the drain, with running water.

Operations management Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations management - Lab Report Example According to Jones and Lockwood (2001), the industry is a complex assembly of customer processing, information processing, and material processing that leads to process choice of hybrid types inclusive of job shops, batch production, mass customization, and mass production all within the same operation (Jones, Lockwood, 2001), Additionally, the specific content of the industry does not always allow process layout to closely match process type, and the theory of Operations Management becomes difficult to apply (Jones and Lockwood, 2001). It is in this context the operations of Budget Hotels and its Luxury counterpart will be compared, and the results will there lacked the level of accuracy, and absoluteness prevalent in operations like the auto industry and other manufacturing entities. According to Dejong (2010), the difference between Budget Hotels and a Luxury Hotels, is that budget hotels tend to derive more value from operations given the leaner cost structures that are based on lower capital investments, land cost, and the staff to hotel room ratio. They are therefore able to achieve higher operating returns, which facilitate higher contributions to the hotel bottom lines (Dejong, H. 2010). Luxury Hotels on the other hand, according to Dejong (2010), are considered less risky then Budget Hotels in terms of development prospects, in that the entry barriers to new entrants are very high in this segment of the market. Studies have shown that Luxury Hotels are normally established in urban or resort areas, where they are characterized by the low number of available sites for development, compared to Budget Hotels which are found principally along highways, in close proximity to airports, and in suburban areas (Dejong, H. 2010). The strategy in locating these hotels in theses different areas separates and characterize the customers will be attracted to them, and the financial status and satisfaction desire levels of customers will play a critical role in decidi ng who chooses a luxury hotel as against the budget hotel. Economic conditions of the market, is also a key factor on the development choices of investors, and where the loan value ratios are decreasing compare to earlier periods like 2010 versus 2008, lower capital will be required to build budget hotels instead of luxury, and it is in this direction many business entrepreneurs will resort to achieve financial success and stability (Dejong, H. 2010). The hotel Investment climate criteria is one major reason why investors are turning to Budget Hotels in South America, Central America, Asia, especially in Brazil, India, China, and Dubai, instead of Luxury Hotels according to Dejong (2010). The criteria have an investment component and a market related component. Investors look at the investment horizon, the medium objectives, and risk tolerance before looking at the market related aspect which include the maturity of the destination markets being targeted, the supply and demand and t he state of the credit market before deciding whether the cost and returns from luxury and or budget hotels are attractive enough to warrant the investment of their capital (Dejong, 2010). According to Dejong (2010), substantial saving opportunities are available for companies that incorporate budget properties into their managed hotel programs over luxury hotels, and other upscale properties.

Lsweek4rem3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lsweek4rem3 - Essay Example The arguments put by Kilduff and Mehra (1997) are based on earlier discussions by Rosenau (1992). However they also mention the idea of that postmodernism can be thought of as one of the great 20th century challenges, an idea put forward by Wisdom ( 1987) This particular argument is not only about research in social sciences, but also within areas such as physics (Farney, 1994;) as cited in 1997 by Kilduff and Mehra. Alvensson and Skoldberg (1995) point out that critically evaluating a variety of issues will provide insight for reflective ways to investigate social sciences. The authors focus on the way in which issues are described and articulated which appears to ensue from using the expressions postmodernism and modernism. Their discussion is concerned with the use of postmodernism as being a means used by researchers when they wish to put forward a totally new image. Going back to Kilduff and Mehra (1997), they discuss postmodernism concepts as being linked with the process of knowledge creation. This they do by discussing the writing of Giroux (1992) who stated that within postmodern research the aims are to challenge the makeup and shape of prevailing patterns of knowledge as well as how to create new types of knowledge. This., it is suggested, happens when disciplinary boundaries are broken down and when those who are relatively unrepresented are given their voice. I find myself agreeing with postmodernism. concepts when it comes to knowledge creation. There needs to be a focus upon two things – the way in which postmodernism presents a challenge to older models of knowledge as well as the production of new knowledge. In the work situation there needs to be a challenging of the already existing body of knowledge while at the same time ensuring that new knowledge is being produced. This means that postmodernism can be a successful conce pt when it comes to the creation of new bodies of knowledge. How has