Cultural Beliefs and Stigma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cultural Beliefs and Stigma - Essay Example Investigation of the impact of cultural beliefs and stigma on the treatment journey of infectious patients needs include the burden from the stigma of various health problems and cultural beliefs. In the course of examination of the stigma and its effects on the patient comparisons must be made. These comparisons include the magnitude and character of stigma for different conditions and in different social and cultural settings; identifying distinctive features of stigma that may guide intervention programs; and evaluating changes in the magnitude and character of stigma over time and in response to interventions and social changes. (leininger M (1991) Such research benefits by examining stigma from various vantage points, considering the experience of stigma among persons with a designated health problem, laypersons in the community, and health care providers or other designated subgroups of the community (eg, teachers and policymakers) that have a substantial impact on health. Research on stigma should also consider questions of social policy as they relate to human rights, access to health care, and social services for particular groups. Our review of health research issues and studies considers the role of stigma in specific mental health problems and tropical diseases, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. We also discuss the limitations of this research and the need for complementary quantitative, qualitative, problem-specific, and culture-specific approaches to study of stigma. (Weiss 2001-p 5) The reason hat health research is concerned with stigma is that stigma is an important consideration for health policy and clinical practice for several reasons. It contributes to the suffering from illness in various ways, and it may delay appropriate help-seeking or terminate treatment for treatable health problems. For diseases and disorders that are highly stigmatized, the impact of the meaning of the disease may be as great or a greater source of suffering than symptoms of a disease. An early presentations of paucibacillary leprosy as a painless depigmented or anaesthetic patch is an example. Hearing the diagnosis is more troubling than symptoms of the disease. Social science studies of stigma regard it fundamentally as a problem arising from social interactions. Goffman and other researchers have also recognized self-perceived stigma, which may also be troubling and responsible for diminished self-esteem whether or not it arises from an actual interaction, and whether or not t his perceived stigma accurately reflects the critical views of others. Stigma impairs the quality of life through concerns about disclosure, and it affects work, education, marriage, and family life. Although its impact is likely to be overlooked in the calculation of Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), stigma contributes to what WHO's Nations for Mental health Program calls the hidden burden of mental illness. In addition to the suffering it brings, research also shows that stigma and labeling may affect the

Performance Appraisal Essay Example for Free

Performance Appraisal Essay Performance appraisals are designed to give an objective on the evaluation of an employee’s performance and also outline the measures or development for improvement that would be essential to the organization to move ahead (Chandra Frank, 2004). In the healthcare system, there is an unsatisfied measure that the outside companies are used to perform these appraisals. The staff would like to do the evaluations themselves so that there is a relationship built between the employer-employee. I will look to determine what an employee appraisal consists of, how healthcare tracks the quality of work that is done by an employee. A mock performance appraisal will be evaluated based upon the scores that the employee received and from those scores will look to develop an action plan for recommendation to improve the employee’s quality of work. There will be an establishment of the current trends of recruiting, selection, and development as well as the future trends as to where employee appraisals will be in the future based on the effectiveness of new technology and theories. Performance Appraisal Performance appraisals are important to the organizational productivity and the career development of an employee (epa. ov). A current performance appraisal was conducted on an Environmentalist Senior Government employee. This review was completed based upon the duties and responsibilities of this employee in an in depth performance evaluation. Inside of the evaluation included a breakdown of the performance of the goal and objectives that was to be performance by the employee. By analyzing the goals and objectives a semi-annual inspection was performed, a semiannual monitoring was performed, an in-service training evaluation, and a 26-30 day are center inspection took place. This appraisal will affect the overall job performance of this individual and will depend upon the future contributions that this employee will have within the organization. Tracking Quality of Work The best practice is to have a standardized, quantified, and automated employee review process that is essential to track employee progress and maximize productivity in the workplace (employeeperformance. com). The practice of emPerform would be the best practice to use for employers to track performance. EmPerform is an easy-to-use web-based employee performance management solution that automates vital employee performance management processes. These would include online appraisals, goal management, 360 degree multi-rated reviews, online surveys, succession planning, compensation management, development plans, and reporting and analytics (emperform. com). In order track the review process documentation should be provided to the employee to keep towards providing a record of all the efforts they have attempted by employee to avoid any dismissal of employment or any other discrepancies. Mock Performance Appraisal Based upon the performance appraisal of the employee there are areas that she achieves in based upon the categories of leadership, customer focus, job knowledge, as well as organization and productivity. On the other hand, there are areas that need improvement and does not exceed or achieve the job description in detail that should be put into place on a daily basis. The score of 44 was calculated and per each category the employee received 36 points of achievable expectations and 8 points that stood out for requirement improvement. Once the scores were added up to (44/20) and tallied there was a score of 2. 2 of the employee performance. Because of the areas that need improvement, there should a laid out action plan between the employee and employer as to how these goals can be achieved for success for future performance appraisals. The best practices that would provide a fair and accurate performance appraisal would be to support an employee with favorable feedback. In order to achieve the improvement within the areas, there should be a clear erformance of communication of the expectations. Development of educational skills should be provided in a learning capacity so the employee will know what to do and what not to do. In addition, Greguras et al. (2003) research has shown that the purpose of the rating (decision-making versus development) affects the ratings that are observed. Action Plan Recommendation Based on scores of the employee the best feedback for an action plan recommendation would be a 360-feedba ck. Within the 360 feedback it would be a tool of support between the employee-employer conversations. It can be a powerful element of objectivity that will make an employee better understand their strengths and blind spots of their job performance. The best practices to implement the 360 feedback would be to ensure that the organization is ready for this evaluation process, make sure that the purpose is clear for using this tool, start at the top to select the right tool, and eliminate any destructive feedback towards an employee (Horowitz, 2008). The purpose of this action plan towards a 360 feedback give an employee a chance to resolve a performance that would need improvement and also give the supervisor a guidance tool and regular on monitoring towards measuring the progress of the employees future appraisals. Current Trends In today’s society of completing performance appraisals for the employees, human resources are starting to come under fire as to how successful performance appraisals really are. With the emphasis on teamwork, shared leadership, and an ongoing struggle to find and retain qualified employees, it’s a model that is falling increasing out of favor (Fandray, 2011). The most important objective towards successful appraisals within performance management should provide strength of guidance to their employee on the best strategy in the direction of improvement. A strong succession plan aims to present a foot print to probabilities to get to the next level of the job. Although there are organizations that are finding the downfalls of performance appraisals, it is an ongoing process to fine tune what could make future appraisals a trend to build strength between employee and employer. Future Trends Performance appraisal can be the future to enhance communication and productivity with employees. Executives have stated that they have observed a trend towards more frequent reviews aimed at boosting future achievement rather than grading past activity (Fleming, 2003). Hiller, a vice president of administration for Stanford Federal Credit Union, in California, uses an employee performance plan based on accountabilities determined by the job, employee, and the manager. The plan lists goals or behaviors associated with each accountability, which are reviewed on a quarterly basis(Fleming, 2003). I have to say that accountability should be the one of the main reviews towards performance appraisals amongst employees. In the healthcare the future trends of employee appraisals will be the eAppraisal Healthcare. Halogen eAppraisal healthcare will offers organizations an affordable and convenient way to automate time consuming paper-based appraisal processes. It will better enable an organization to perform clinical competency checklists and even orientation checklists (aha-solutions. org). With this appraisals systems health care will be more than in the 21 century it will give providers a more professional quality of giving appraisals that will empower human resources strategy and they will always be ready for the surveyors from the Joint Commission, OSHA, ACHA, or any other regulatory agency. The future trends will hope bright towards computers and making paper-based appraisals nonexistent. Conclusion A good performance appraisal can either break or make an organization as well as an employee’s job status. It can bring a development of organizational skills for the staff member to give a bigger picture as to what is expected of them, and provides information for the employer as to whether or not that employee should receive a raises, promotion, or dismissal from the job altogether. An effective system should be used to break the barriers of the downfalls within the organizations to help develop employees mentally and physical stability that companies look for from their staff. Appraisals can be helpful in many ways to build confidence, but on the other hand when they are delivered the atmosphere and the communication are key components to the outlook of what will come in the future. Appraisals often go into a halo effect, this takes place when the supervisor outlook of the staff member is based on a specific characteristic, in regards to appearance as well as intelligence (Tvedt, 1986). Employee Appraisals will always be a tool that will have constant positives and negatives, but it is up to how it is delivered and pursued to bring a successful outcome.

The History of the Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God Essay

Early elements of the Cosmological Argument were developed by the world renowned philosophers Plato and Aristotle between the years 400 and 200 BC (Boeree). Medieval philosopher Saint Thomas Aquinas expanded upon their ideas in the late 13th Century when he wrote, â€Å"The Five Ways.† Since then the Cosmological Argument has become one of the most widely accepted and criticized arguments for the existence of God. My objective in this paper is to explain why the Cosmological Argument is a reasonable argument for the existence of God, the importance of understanding that it is an inductive a posteriori argument, and defend my position against common opposing arguments. To begin, as living human beings on the planet earth we can safely conclude that most everything in existence has a cause. We observe that there is a cause behind the flat tire we receive while driving to school. There is a cause behind why we earned a failing grade in Philosophy. There is a cause behind why our bodies feel pain. And there is even a cause for why moss grows heaviest on the North side of trees. Saint Thomas Aquinas argues that everything in existence has a cause and therefore all things are contingent and finite. That is to say, â€Å"Everything in nature can both exist and not exist, given that we find things in nature to come into and pass out of existence† (Ruckaber, 2009). Modern philosophers understand this assertion by Saint Thomas to mean that all things in nature are contingent on a first cause in order to exist. Saint Thomas argues that this first cause must be God because before the Universe came into existence there had to have been a necess ary or non-contingent being to serve as first cause. To help clarify the relationship b... ...things finite and contingent must have a cause; next, I argued that no contingent thing can be the cause of itself; and finally I added that a chain of causes cannot be infinite. In conclusion, there must have been a necessary being which served as the first cause of the Universe. This necessary being can be referred to as God. I make this conclusion due to my understanding of the evidence given above and the fact that there are no reasonable arguments that beyond reasonable doubt can prove otherwise. In addition, it is my finding that the roots of the Cosmological Argument are firmly cemented in a posteriori observation (induction), as opposed to purely rational thought which is deductive. Knowing how this argument is classified is imperative because it is essential to understanding the structure of the argument and how it arrives at its conclusion.

Significance of Communication Skills

Conversing and corresponding with people around is such a common activity that most of individuals are so preoccupied with their daily routine that they do not stop and ponder over the immense advantages that business enterprises can derive from mastering the art and science of communication. Following payoffs are only suggestive: (1) Communication is the life blood of an organizationOrganization cannot function without people interacting, conversing or corresponding with one another. All enterprises require human beings working for it or with it, to:Interact and reactMake assumptions about future or forecast future events ï‚ · Plan or draw up a rough blueprint for the futureOrganize / design a format of how to get resources together to achieve the planStaff or gather / recruit people and get them to desired locationsLead or direct people, and devise their jobs so as to adhere to the planExchange information, ideas, plans and proposalsMeasure and monitorCoordinate and controlCommu nication has been described as the „glue‟ that holds the entire organization together as one entity. Without communication, managers / leaders are not able to influence the attitude and behaviour of people to achieve the common objectives.Internal communicationBefore the end of nineteenth century, businesses were small; they started growing in size from the beginning of twentieth century. Contemporary business enterprises are very large and have not only become multinational but also transnational in character. Besides, they have grown in complexity in terms of a wide array of products and services they deal in and the number of countries and continents they are operating in. Also, arising from liberalizing of many national economies, global competition has intensified and the rate of change in market place has accelerated. Market forces have  also become very dynamic, almost verging on chaos.With business becoming very large in size, complex in nature and rapidly chan ging dynamics, enterprises must put in place effective internal communication so that every one can be kept informed of happenings within the large corporation. It is the only way managers / leaders can build understanding among people located in far off communities, countries and continents – stringing them together in to a beautiful necklace that everyone can be proud of.External communicationAs a business enterprise in the modern society, it has to interact, pro-act or react to happenings in other institutions viz.Government bodies, statutory / regulatory agencies, municipal authorities etcDistributors, dealers and retailersCustomers, community and society at largeReputed organizations are concerned about their public image, goodwill and trust. In order to further reinforce their reputation, they participate in a number of activities:Public speeches by senior executivesTactful responses to comments and criticisms in the mediaPreparation and distribution of informative pamp hlets about the firmMarketing communications or advertisement / publicityProduction and dissemination of product catalogues, videos etcBecause of their importance, these activities are centralized in the Public Relations and Corporate Communications department of large corporations. These activities have emerged as specialist skills of critical importance to the well being of the company. Successful messaging can: ï‚ · Eliminate unnecessary correspondence  Save time and expenseBuild favourable impression in public mindEnhance reputation and goodwillHelp increase company profits and profitabilityCommunication skills as vital job requirementHuman beings are communicating all the time. Ability to express powerfully and influence the attitude and behaviour of people for giving better performance on their jobs, has emerged as a job skill of critical importance for managers / leaders at all levels of management. Thus all employees are expected to:1 Write good correspondence 2 Be good in oral conversation 3 Develop and cultivate powerful body language 4 Be able to sell ideas and products effectively 5 Be very good in weaning away customers from competitor and retaining themIt is now increasingly understood that even specialists like accountants, engineers, technicians etc should have good communication skills. In the present day knowledge society, competitive advantage of acquiring excellent communication skills cannot and perhaps need not be emphasized!Communication skills essential for promotion Communication skills have emerged as the most critical prerequisite for promotion to senior executive positions in the industry. Consequently, managers at lower rungs of organizations should also have good command over the spoken and written language of the business. As a general rule, managers should have the ability to make their communications heard, read or understood. Individuals who have had quick rise to senior level positions, attribute it to their being good i n conversation and in articulating topical issues besides being very good in written communications – be it in writing persuasive letters or producing concise and compelling reports.Communication skills aid problem solving A person can become a good communicator only when he is a clear and systematic thinker. Acquiring effective communication skills adds to one‟s self esteem and confidence. This helps managers to be able to collect relevant information and get around people quickly that are essential prerequisites for any problem solving effort.Communication skills ignite enthusiasm If a person is able to articulate viewpoint of the group he belongs to, it enthuses him because he becomes the automatic choice as their representative. The person becomes more spirited and involved and his group activities increase manifolds. People rally around such persons more readily and they progress in to more important roles.Communication skills enhance motivation People who have goo d oral or written communication skills usually develop into very good listeners. Listening to others leads to added learning that influences their attitude and behaviour. It goes a long way in re-orienting their mindset towards work and enhancing their performance. Such persons become more aligned to firm‟s objectives and are motivated to accomplish them.Communication skills are advantageous in personal life As private citizens, individuals take part in a lot of activities like sports, club work, social work, community work etc. People also participate in other social, cultural and religious activities. If they are good communicators, they get noticed quickly and can be appointed or nominated to many such activity groups. Before long, they become well-known and prominent member of the community. (10) Communication skills hone leadership traitsFrom the foregoing discussions, it is easy to understand that all leaders in business, industry or political arena, have notably better skills in communication. They are able to deliver informative and persuasive speeches to audience at large. They are able to draw up, compose and distribute most effective posters, banners and circulars. Thus effective communication skills propel them to positions of leadership. (11) Dividends from effective communication skillsCommunication skills have come to be recognized as integral part of one‟s upbringing and personality. His choice of words and phrases and their use is quite unique to him and can directly give clues to his personality. In the modern age of knowledge society when education, training and skills are being formally taught, communication skills have become of critical importance in every day life. It is said that it is no use having brilliant ideas if one cannot put them across properly, accurately and lucidly. Following illustration highlights the strategic importance of role and importance of communication skills: Effective Communications  Enhance

State Capitol Building

The first state capitol building in Jefferson City was built in the period of 1823-1826 and was destroyed by fire in 1837. A new capitol building had been approved at the time and was completed in 1840. The second capitol was destroyed by fire on February 5, 1911, when a bolt of lightning struck the dome. The present capitol was built in the period of 1913-1917 and stands upon the same spot as the first, high atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.One significance in the capitol building is the Missouri State Museum, which is located on the first floor of the Missouri State Capitol Building, and run by the Department of Natural Resources and Division of State Parks. The museum contains long-term exhibits and regularly changing temporary exhibits. Also, there is a program that develops a series of traveling exhibits that can be used as educational tools by schools, civic and other groups. The Missouri State Museum is responsible for a large collection, consisting of approximately 93,000 artifacts and objects from all aspects of Missouri’s history.These artifacts and objects have been collected since the museum was first opened. One of the highlights of the collection is the collection of over 125 Missouri Civil War battle flags. Thirty-three of the flags have been conserved and eleven have been framed. The â€Å"Missouri Veterans Gallery† is in the east end of the Missouri State Museum is a new long-term exhibit. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a brass model of the USS Missouri battleship built by the U. S. Navy for research. The exhibit also includes artifacts and images related to Missouri veterans as well as excerpts from interviews with veterans.The Museum staff developed this exhibit to inform visitors about the key role of Missouri veterans in the history of the state. In 1935, Missouri native Thomas Hart Benton was summoned upon the Missouri House of Representatives to paint a mural on all 4 walls of the House Lounge, which is a large meeting room on the third floor in the Capitol’s west wing. The mural portrays bold and vivid scenes of everyday Missouri life, which at first sparked controversy among the legislators. Benton’s mural represents a source of pride and a popular stop for visitors touring the Capitol.In addition to housing the two legislative bodies, the Capitol provides office space for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, State Auditor and some administrative agencies. The structure is also notable for its architectural features, including its eight 48-foot columns on the south portico and six 40-foot columns on the north side; its 30-foot-wide grand stairway and its bronze front doors, each 13 by 18 feet. There are no weaknesses of the capitol building when providing a historical museum, free guided tours, and opened almost everyday of the year.The purpose of the capitol building is more to inform tourist about Missouri history than housing for two legisla tive bodies, the Capitol provides office space for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, State Auditor and some administrative agencies. The museum had excellent exhibits, including the brass model of the USS Missouri battleship. Throughout the first floor, the capitol building had exhibits about the early settlers. I would recommend to people who love to learn about history to take a tour of the Missouri State Capitol Building.

Using Technology To Deliver Career Development Services Article

Using Technology To Deliver Career Development Services Article Using Technology To Deliver Career Development Services – Article Example Using Technology to Deliver Career Development Services Task Career service experts are largely involved in decisions making in issues relating to learning. The advancement of technology has made it possible for the student’s online learning, especially to students who are working. Their learning process is simplified and they are able to do work within given time limits. Over the recent years, technology has changed gradually with time and needs. It has become a requirement in many schools especially in the developed countries like the United States, with some having a requirement that students complete an online course before graduating from high school. Technology can be either asynchronous or synchronous. Asynchronous technology is one that allows individuals to communicate over a different time and different place method for example emails, discussion boards, videos, audio or video recordings and websites whereby people post things on blogs and discussion boards. This has helped in student’s relation. Synchronous technology In turn allows people to communicate in the real time. For example text chats and virtual learning environments. Telephone conversations are also part of this and are applied when an individual cannot reach the physical location. In virtual learning rooms, students are able to communicate online or even listen to lectures online. Universities have developed online career services that help students make decisions at a wider scope and take their time with making of decisions. This is governed by the idea that most of the employers use online services to advertise jobs and communicate with potential students. Some employers have considered the use of internet and social networks to assess students (Venable, 2010). The costs of implementing technology can be great, the implementers can consider limiting the amount of information they display online. The information provided online by students should be confidential and nobody else should access it. Strategic planning should be included in practice in which outsourcing should be part of it. The provision of online services should be properly coordinated so that all the needs of the students are met. Technology helps provide more services in short a period that has been of help in the provision of online career services.ReferenceVenable, M. (2010). â€Å"Using Technology to Deliver Career Development Services: Supporting Todays Students in Higher Education†. The Career Development Quarterly, Volume 59.

Free Essays on Viewing Violence

In recent years, the news has seemed to mimic violence that appears in television and in movies. Several incidents support the majority of people’s assumption that TV violence effects a child’s behavior in many ways. A child’s judgment is hurt badly by viewing TV violence, which can have some serious long-term effects. First of all, when children see characters on TV or in movies triumph by using physical force, they begin to see violence as an acceptable way of resolving conflicts. As a result, children use physical or verbal abuse toward others on the playground or at school. Some parents often worry that their children will not fit in with their friends if they do not watch popular children’s television programs. The same 20-year research tell us that children who watch more violent television are actually rated more poorly by their peers. Also, according to Dr. Jeanne Beckman, children who spend more time watching violent TV programming are rated more poorly by their teachers, their peers, have few problem-solving skills, and are more likely to get into trouble with the law as teenagers and young adults. Take for instance the young boy who opened fire at his school in Pearl, Mississippi. The movie the Basketball Diaries had the most effect on this boy. Children who view too much media violence may have more difficulty getting along with others. If children do not see acts of kindness between other children and adults, they are less likely to be kind, or resolve their conflicts peacefully. This makes other children less eager to play with them. Along with verbal abuse, violent TV programs do not teach good language skills. Young children tend to repeat things they hear as they begin to develop their own vocabularies. Violent movies and TV programs show children a very limited way to talk about their problems and to solve them. Children are visual learners and television is more visual, more salient,... Free Essays on Viewing Violence Free Essays on Viewing Violence In recent years, the news has seemed to mimic violence that appears in television and in movies. Several incidents support the majority of people’s assumption that TV violence effects a child’s behavior in many ways. A child’s judgment is hurt badly by viewing TV violence, which can have some serious long-term effects. First of all, when children see characters on TV or in movies triumph by using physical force, they begin to see violence as an acceptable way of resolving conflicts. As a result, children use physical or verbal abuse toward others on the playground or at school. Some parents often worry that their children will not fit in with their friends if they do not watch popular children’s television programs. The same 20-year research tell us that children who watch more violent television are actually rated more poorly by their peers. Also, according to Dr. Jeanne Beckman, children who spend more time watching violent TV programming are rated more poorly by their teachers, their peers, have few problem-solving skills, and are more likely to get into trouble with the law as teenagers and young adults. Take for instance the young boy who opened fire at his school in Pearl, Mississippi. The movie the Basketball Diaries had the most effect on this boy. Children who view too much media violence may have more difficulty getting along with others. If children do not see acts of kindness between other children and adults, they are less likely to be kind, or resolve their conflicts peacefully. This makes other children less eager to play with them. Along with verbal abuse, violent TV programs do not teach good language skills. Young children tend to repeat things they hear as they begin to develop their own vocabularies. Violent movies and TV programs show children a very limited way to talk about their problems and to solve them. Children are visual learners and television is more visual, more salient,...