Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Awakening By Kate Chopin Was Considered Very Shocking When It Was

The Awakening by Kate Chopin was considered very shocking when it was first published because of the sexual awakening of the main character, Edna Pontellier, and her unconventional behavior. Chopin moved to New Orleans after her marriage and lived there for twelve years until the death of her husband. She returned to St. Louis where she began writing. She used her knowledge of Louisiana and Creole culture to create wonderful descriptions of local color, and she incorporated French phrases used by the Creoles. The Awakening begins at Grade Isle, a vacation spot of wealthy Creoles from New Orleans. Edna is there with her two sons and her husband Leonce who comes and goes because of business. Edna is not Creole, but her husband is. She has never felt like she fits in with their lifestyle. Edna has always done what is expected of a woman, including marrying a man she did not love. He regards her as a possession rather than an individual. While on vacation, Edna falls in love with Robert Lebrun. She often goes to the beach with him. She begins to realize for the first time, at age 28, that she is an individual. Edna feels like one who awakens gradually from a dream to the reality of life. After this discovery, Edna changes. She disregards her husband's wishes and often ignores her children. She learns to swim which also makes her begin to feel more independent. Edna befriends two women, Mademoiselle Reisz, a pianist, and Madame Ratignolle, a motherly lady. Distressed when Robert leaves for Mexico, Edna often visits Mademoiseel Reisz to whom Robert often writes. Edna continues to disregard the customs of society. Her husband becomes very upset and insists that they must observe les convenances if they want to keep up with society. He tries to get her to attend her sister's wedding, but she refuses. Leonce goes to New York on business, but Edna refuses to go with him. The children are with their grandparents so Edna enjoys her time alone. She starts an affair with Alcee Arobin. He introduces her to the importance of sex which she did not enjoy with her husband. She closes up her house and moves to a smaller one. Upset, her husband puts a notice in the newspaper which says that their house is being remodeled. He tries to hide Edna's strange behavior from his friends. Edna, however, loves her new pigeon-house. Every step she took toward relieving herself of obligations added to her strength and expansion as an individual. One day Robert returns. Edna runs into him at Mademoiselle Reisz's home. Edna is upset to find he had been in the city for two days and had not contacted her. Even though she was having an affair, she is still in love with Robert. The two meet again a few days later, and Robert walks her home. She kisses him, and he returns her passion. He confesses that he went to Mexico because he was in love with her. He knew there was no hope for them because she was married. They are interrupted by a message for Edna to go to the bedside of Madame Ratignolle who is ill. She asks Robert to wait for her. When she returns, he is gone. His note reads, I love you. Good-bye, because I love you. Edna is so distressed that she returns to Grand Isle where she goes swimming in the cold sea. Purposely she swims out too far and drowns herself. This is an appropriate book for high school students to read. Girls will enjoy it more than boys. It is a beautifully written book which can be used in English as well as social studies classes. The novel will support discussion of the changing role of women and the importance of the Women's Movement in the early 1900's. Students can also discuss Edna's feelings and her suicide.

Monday, November 25, 2019

German Proficiency Tests and Certification

German Proficiency Tests and Certification At some point in your study of the German language, you may want to, or you might need to take a test to demonstrate your command of the language. Sometimes a person may want to take it for his or her satisfaction, while in some cases a student may be required to take a test such as the Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD), the Großes Sprachdiplom (GDS), or the TestDaF. There are more than a dozen tests you can take to certify your proficiency in German. Which test you take depends on several factors, including for what purpose or for whom you are taking the test. If you plan on attending a German university, for instance, you need to find out which test is required or recommended. While many colleges and universities have their in-house proficiency tests, what we are discussing here are established, widely recognized German tests offered by the Goethe Institute and other organizations. A standardized test such as the widely accepted Zertifikat Deutsch has proven its validity over the years and is recognized as certification in many situations. However, it is not the only such test, and some of the others are required instead of the ZD by some universities. There are also specialized German tests, particularly for business. Both the BULATS and the Zertifikat Deutsch fà ¼r den Beruf (ZDfB) test a high level of language competency for business German. They are only suitable for people who have the appropriate background and training for such a test. Test Fees All of these German tests require payment of a fee by the person being tested. Contact the test administrator to find out the cost of any test you are planning to take. Test Preparation Since these German proficiency examinations test general language ability, no one book or course prepares you for taking such a test. However, the Goethe Institute and some other language schools do offer specific preparatory courses for the DSH, GDS, KDS, TestDaF, and several other German tests. Some of the tests, particularly the business German tests, provide specific requirements (how many hours of instruction, type of courses, etc.), and we outline some of that in the following list. However, you need to contact the organization that administers the test you want to take for more detailed information. Our list includes Web links and other contact information, but one of the best sources of information is the Goethe Institute, which has local centers in many countries all over the globe, and an excellent Web site. (For more about the Goethe Institute, see my article: Das Goethe-Institut.) BULATS (Business Language Testing Service) Organization: BULATSDescription: The BULATS is a worldwide business-related German proficiency test administered in cooperation with the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. Besides German, the test is also available in English, French, and Spanish. BULATS is used by organizations to assess the language skills of employees/job applicants in a professional context. It comprises several tests that can be taken separately or in combination.Where/When: Some Goethe Institutes around the world offer the German BULATS test. DSH - Deutsche Sprachprà ¼fung fà ¼r den Hochschulzugang auslndischer Studienbewerber (German Language Test for College Admission for Foreign Students) Organization: FADAFDescription: Similar to the TestDaF; administered in Germany and by some licensed schools. The DSH examination is used to prove an international students ability to understand lectures and study at a German university. Note that, unlike the TestDaf, the DSH may be retaken only once!Where/When: Usually at each university, with the date set by each university (in March and September). Goethe-Institut Einstufungstest - GI Placement Test Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: An online German placement test with 30 questions. It places you in one of the six levels of the Common European Framework.Where/When: Online at any time. Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS, Advanced German Language Diploma) Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: The GDS was established by the Goethe Institute in cooperation with the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt, Munich. Students taking the GDS must be virtually fluent in German as it is rated (by some countries) as being the equivalent of German teaching qualification. The exam covers the four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking), structural competence and dictation. In addition to spoken fluency, candidates will need advanced grammatical ability and be capable of preparing texts and discussing issues about German literature, natural sciences, and economics.Where/When: The GDS can be taken at Goethe Institutes and other testing centers in Germany and other countries. Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS, Intermediate German Language Diploma) Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: The KDS was established by the Goethe Institute in cooperation with the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt, Munich. The KDS is a German language proficiency test taken at an advanced level. The written test involves the understanding of texts, vocabulary, composition, understanding instructions, as well as exercises/questions about specifically chosen texts. There are also general questions on geography and German culture, plus an oral exam. The KDS satisfies university language entrance requirements.Where/When: The GDS can be taken at Goethe Institutes and other testing centers in Germany and other countries. Tests are held in May and November. OSD Grundstufe Ãâ€"sterreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch - Grundstufe (Austrian German Diploma - Basic Level) Organization: Ãâ€"SD-Prà ¼fungszentraleDescription: The OSD was developed in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Transport, the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. The OSD is a German language proficiency exam which tests general language skills. Grundstufe 1 is the first of three levels and is based on the Council of Europes Waystage Level specification. Candidates should be capable of communicating in a limited number of everyday situations. The exam comprises both written and oral elements.Where/When: At language schools in Austria. Contact the Ãâ€"SD-Prà ¼fungszentrale for more information. OSD Mittelstufe Austrian German Diploma - Intermediate Organization: Ãâ€"SD-Prà ¼fungszentraleDescription: Candidates must be able to handle a level of German beyond everyday situations, including intercultural skills. See the listing above for more about the OSD. Prà ¼fung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International (PWD, International Test for Business German) Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: The PWD was established by the Goethe Institute in cooperation with Carl Duisberg Centers (CDC) and Deutscher Industrie-und Handelstag (DIHT). It is a German business proficiency test taken at an intermediate/advanced level. Students attempting this examination should have completed 600-800 hours of instruction in German business and economics. Students are tested on subject terminology, comprehension, business letter standards, and proper public relations. The examination has both written and oral components. Students attempting the PWD should have completed a course in intermediate business German and preferably an advanced language course.Where/When: The PWD can be taken at Goethe Institutes and other testing centers in Germany and other countries. TestDaF - Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Test (of) German as a Foreign Language) Organization: TestDaF InstituteDescription: The TestDaF is a German language proficiency test recognized by the German government. The TestDaF is most commonly taken by people who want to study at the university level in Germany.Where/When: Contact the Goethe Institute, other language schools, or a German university for more information. Zentrale Mittelstufenprà ¼fung (ZMP, Central Intermediate Test) Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: Accepted by some German universities as proof of German proficiency. The ZMP was established by the Goethe-Institut and can be attempted after 800-1000 hours of advanced German language instruction. The minimum age is 16. The examination tests reading comprehension, listening, writing skills, and verbal communication at an advanced/intermediate level.Where/When: The ZMP can be taken at Goethe Institutes and other testing centers in Germany and other countries. Contact the Goethe Institute for more information. Zentrale Oberstufenprà ¼fung (ZOP) Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: Candidates must show they have a good command of the regional variations of standard German. Must be able to understand complex, authentic texts and to express themselves accurately both orally and in writing. Level compares with that of the Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS). The ZOP has a written section (text analysis, tasks that test the ability to express oneself, essay), listening comprehension, and an oral examination. Passing the ZOP makes you exempt from the language entrance examinations to German universities.Where/When: Contact the Goethe Institute. Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD, Certificate German) Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: Internationally recognized proof of basic working knowledge of the German language. Candidates must be able to deal with everyday situations and have a command of basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Students who have taken about 500-600 class hours can register for the exam.Where/When: the examination centers set ZD exam dates. As a rule, the ZD is offered one to six times per year, depending on location. The ZD is taken at the end of an intensive language course at a Goethe Institute. Zertifikat Deutsch fà ¼r den Beruf (ZDfB, Certificate German for Business) Organization: Goethe InstituteDescription: A special German test aimed at business professionals. The ZDfB was developed by the Goethe Institute and the Deutsches Institut fà ¼r Erwachsenenbildung (DIE) and is currently being administered by the Weiterbildungstestsysteme GmbH (WBT). The ZDfB is specifically for those students interested in business relations. Students attempting this exam should have already completed an intermediate level course in German and additional courses in business.Where/When: The ZDfB may be taken at Goethe Institutes; Volkshochschulen; ICC members and other testing centers in over 90 countries.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Summary on King Faisal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary on King Faisal - Research Paper Example He was also involved in diplomatic matters like the congratulations to the King of England on Britain's victory in the First World War, tramped the battlefields, walked the docks of London, and studied a Welsh steel mill. Indeed, Faisal was the kingdom's first Minister of Foreign Affairs and other responsibilities like serving as President of the Consultative Council, Minister of Finance, President of the Council of Deputies, Minister of Commerce, Viceroy of the Hijaz, Minister of the Interior, Vice-President and President of the Council of Ministers. In these years of service, Faisal polished his leadership qualities that embraced the teachings of Islam and the demands of the modern world. Again, when turbulent political currents swept through the Middle East, Faisal assumed the de facto leadership of the Arab world and guided its policies into the channels of moderation that suited his country and the interests of Islamic people. Indeed, Faisal was a modernized leader, an autocrat to the world, and a democrat to his people. Actually, Faisal featured in the world of man and the world of God (Saudi Aramco World Web). Saudi Arabia has faced different economic turnaround in the neighbourhood of time. In 1925, the government of Saudi attempted to establish a national currency by issuing its first coin followed by a silver riyal two years later. Indeed, paper currency was not unknown in Saudi Arabia. In 1939, the Arabian American Oil Company made its first oil payments to the Saudi Arabian Government that changed the Saudi economy so drastically. Moreover, in 1945 there was expansion of oil production and government's payments and purchases, and the injection of large amounts of cash into the economy. Additionally, in 1948 the Saudi government published its first detailed government budget, which proved unworkable. Nevertheless, under King Abd al-'Aziz, the monarch's strong predilection for austerity had been keeping the Saudi government spending in check. However, after his death in November 1953, there was relaxation on restraints on consumption as well as the rise of foreign exchange payments by Saudi Arabia plunging Saudi into economic downturn, low oil revenues inflation, and national debt. It is now that Crown Prince Faisal ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Al Sa'ud thought of a course of action (Shea Web). Faisal, Ahmed Zaki Saad, an executive director of the International Monetary Fund, and Anwar 'Ali, director of the Middle East department of the IMF sought to rectify the economic situation in Saudi Arabia. After six years of good financial strategies and leadership, there was significant change in the economic situation in Saudi. The national debt had been paid, better infrastructure, better education, and health care developments. Hence, King Faisal was significant in revolutionizing the Saudi economy by offering good leadership (Shea Web). The success of King Faisal led to the launch of The King Faisal International Prize in 1976. The KFIP is an international project under King Faisal Foundation aimed at perpetuating King Faisal’s humanitarian legacy. Its mission is â€Å"to preserve and promote Islamic culture, education and reward excellence in academic and scientific research, provide assistance and develop self-sufficiency in less fortunate communities around the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Warren Buffet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Warren Buffet - Essay Example The active management always attempts to select attractive areas of investment. They decide the ripe time to join and enter markets, sectors, and places of leverage in the market. Their point is to make profits, and always aspire to do more than they could be doing. Passive management of investments does not make an attempt to differentiate between unattractive and attractive securities, or keep tabs on the markets. They invest in wide sectors that are called indexes. The aim is also to make profits (Bernstein 2001). But due to the nature of the market they accept average returns. They actually diversify their investments. Active management of shares is quite appealing on paper. But it is substantially costly and surrounded by decreasing returns when compared to passive investment. Given the unpredictability of markets and economies, it is better to diversify the risks rather than put one’s investment in one company or market. Some people can make accurate predictions on investment returns, but this may not always be the case. If the predictions are right, the returns are also abundant. In case of a misjudgment, the losses incurred could be quite severe. The future security prices are equally unpredictable. As a result, it is difficult to predict their future. On the basis of this, a passive investor who spreads the risk is better taken care of. If one can predict rightly, then the returns are always good. The risks and returns are basically correlated. This is the major positive side of active investing. The high potential returns are always risky to venture in. A risk in investment is the potential to lose on the investment. Passive investment spreads the risks by diversifying the investment areas, hence a reduced risk overly. Active management is by a great deal more expensive than passive one. Active investors must incur costs in order to match the

Monday, November 18, 2019

International Environmental Management and Sustainability Assignment

International Environmental Management and Sustainability - Assignment Example It actually refers to the idea of being aware of one’s responsibilities towards one’s own surrounding environment so that, with the combination of individual efforts, the overall atmosphere of the planet may be improved greatly. There could never be a better platform for the start of such efforts other than a university which holds the interests of the majority of an area’s people. Anglia Ruskin University is one such educational institute that is actively participating and cooperating in the greening of the earth’s atmosphere. ... to be limited to its own energy resources so that to minimize waste and carbon emission for which it will also initiate â€Å"progressive waste management procedures† supported by recycling methods and less-fuel-consumption measures e.g., walk rather than car-driving for short distances (ARU, 2011). 3. For this purpose, awareness is to be raised through campaigns and posters among the staff and students; and such practices are to be monitored regularly through setting of ecological targets and evaluation of reports. The inclusion of such activities in curriculum is highly recommended. 4. One important step to be taken in this regard is to maintain cost-effective methods to ensure wildlife and biodiversity, and to avoid huge expenses in the name of futile luxuries (ARU, 2008). Green Impact Award This award is an initiative of the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges that is abbreviated as ‘eauc’. It invites the zealous individuals from each unive rsity department to participate in a number of practical activities which are recorded in a workbook i.e., â€Å"†¦a workbook with practical, easy to implement and no or low cost actions to complete† (eauc, 2011). Each of the workbooks is specially designed for the particular university that participates. Initially the participants are asked to complete 20 Bronze activities while Silver, Gold and Bonus are optional. Once completing a Bronze, the participating team can move to Silver also. After the completion of these workbooks, volunteers are sent to each department to verify the tasks done, and in the end, a celebration is held to â€Å"†¦promote the achievements of those departments taking part through an awards ceremony† (eauc, 2011). Thus, Green Impact Award is a bottom-up project that aims to support

Friday, November 15, 2019

Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI)

Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) Discuss the weaknesses of the Occupational Stress Indicator. What are the alternatives? The Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) is one of the most frequently used measures of occupational stress. Its intention is to provide practical help to individuals and their organizations (Cooper et al., 1988). It was designed to measure the key components of the stress process and work study in a wide variety of organizations. The original occupational scale contained over 200 items scored on a 6-point Likert-type scale. The Indicator consists of one biographical questionnaire and six questionnaires each measuring different dimensions of stress. For example, source of stress, moderating factor in aspects of dealing with stress and the stressors affects on the individual and situation. The sources of pressure questionnaire have six subscales and are a measure of factors thought to have a role in the aetiology of occupational stress. There are three questionnaires for assessing moderating variables: these are for type A behaviour pattern with three subscales, locus of control with t hree subscales, and coping strategies with five subscales. A further three questionnaires for mental ill-health, physical ill-health, and job satisfaction (with six subscales), assess strain or `stress effects. In simple terms, the OSI uses questionnaire statements to assess, a) how you feel about your job b) how you assess your current state of health, c) the way you behave generally, d) how you interpret events around you e) sources of pressure in your job, and f) how you cope with the stress you experience. OSI questionnaires are based on identifying three key elements of the stress process-effects, sources, and individual differences-and the scale places appraisal at the centre of the process. In particular, it is felt that it is not the demand or the source of pressure itself that is the issue; it is the perception of that pressure (Lazarus, 1966). It follows that the perception of individual differences such as coping and support and the perception of stress outcomes such as w ell-being and job satisfaction should also be measured. Pratt and Barling (1988) stated that it is as important to measure the interpretation that individuals give to an event as it is to measure the event itself. The recognition that appraisal plays a key role in the stress process makes it appropriate to use self-report questionnaires to measure stress at work. The essence behind the OSI was to provide a measurement scale, which would in turn provide a link between theoretical knowledge – in particular Lazarus (1966) Transactional Model and empirical evidence. Before discussing alternatives, it is important to evaluate the strengths of the instrument – and assess the positive attributes that the indicator has provided for future research. Although self-report mechanisms of discovering data have had criticism for its susceptibility towards experimenter bias – i.e. participants lying for socially desirable reasons, or over-playing/down-playing their answers for personal means, self report instruments are a valuable way of seeking responses from the core source themselves. Thus responses are first hand – and not an interpretation from a second or third party. In regards to work related stress – it has been found that self- reported health is a good indicator of the health status (Farmer Ferraro, 1997) and there is a positive relationship between self-reported health and self-efficacy (Parkatti, Deeg, Bosscher, Launer, 1998). Thus, this may imply that self report responses collected from a measurement like the OSI may well yield valid responses in regards to their health and how this in turn may affect how they feel about their working environment and how they perform within it. There has been a considerable body of research that has investigated self-reported health and occupational stress. It is accepted that in work situations stress due to increased psychological demands and reduced job control is related to poor self- reported health (Andries et al., 1996). Therefore, asking employee’s to complete the complex occupational stress indicator questionnaires may indicate where this stress is coming from and how the person perceives they are dealing in the situation. The major advantage of the OSI is that it is a mechanism of which may highlight a potential damaging work-related stress problem – not only high-lighting the problem, but the scale attempts to highlight its source and potential solution as well. The OSI has been used extensively since its publication in 1988. However, up until the late 1990’s, the scale has not been changed or been amended in any way. A number of studies have reviewed the design and use of the questionnaire in attempt to test the psychometric properties of the OSI, and to see if the instrument could be improved. The original OSI suffered from being developed on the basis of a very small (N = 156) sample. Therefore, it was important in any evaluation of the scale to include a vast sample to prepare the analysis from. In attempt to evaluate the scale structure and reliability, Williams (1996) analyzed the data for over 20,000 participants working in over 100 different organizations. The data was collected between 1990 and the end of 1995 from a wide variety of organizations in the public and private sector in the United Kingdom. Accounting for errors, a sample of 4,455 individuals in total adds support to a great body of literature that presents a consi stent picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the Occupational Stress Indicator. Through analyse, the scale appears strong at measuring job satisfaction, mental and physical health, and sources of pressure (Cooper Bramwell, 1992; Rees Cooper, 1992; Robertson et al., 1990). However, if the aim of the OSI questionnaires are to identify key elements of the stress process- e.g. the effects, sources, and individual differences-the indicator is somewhat flawed. The indicator is not so strong at evaluating the extend to which the individual feels in control of their situation (i.e. locus of control) or what behaviour, coping strategies people are most likely to adopt (Kirkcaldy, Cooper, Eysenck, Brown, 1994). Thus, the scales seem to lack in the ability to address the fundamental issue of individual differences in the process of stress, and how one perceives and copes with their situation. Therefore, there is strong evidence to suggest that the scale itself needs improvement or redesi gn to account for this (Williams Cooper, 1997). To discuss alternatives or improvements for the Occupational Stress Indicator – one needs to highlight how we define stress and how this definition is relevant in the work place. Stress can be regarded as the sum of total of environmental demands that tax our mental resources. For some (e.g. Lazarus, 1975), stress only has impact if we appraise it as threatening or harmful to ourselves. Symptoms of stress are varied but often present itself as some kind of strain in psychological, physiological, behavioural or physical health. Information about the individual and stress is often accumulated through self-report questionnaires. The most common (but not necessarily the strongest method) is through the use of a cross sectional design – such as the OSI. All data collected via this method is self-report and collected from the same people at the same time. There is danger in this approach – as it can often inflate the correlations observed between job-factors and the st rain outcome, and this does not accurately indicate the direction of causality. Conclusions derived from such analysis are often in terms of ‘main effects’ (of work related factors) and modifiers (moderate, mediators – variables that serve to enhance or attenuate the effect of job stress). For example, the level of control or autonomy against level of work load put upon the individual. However, this does not clearly tell us whether these two variables are related or independent of each other. It is merely assumed that one causes the other. As mentioned before, the flaws of the OSI seem to be in its ability (or lack of ability) to reliably identify how one perceives their situation and addresses coping strategies to suit. Lazarus (1975) account of occupational stress is useful here. He purposes a transactional cognitive view of stress. Lazarus believes that it is not just the environment that needs to be taken into account when considering sources of stress, but also a look at the person and how they ‘fit’ into the environment. Lazarus (1975) believes that there is a transaction between the environment and the person. This transaction is only stressful if a) the person believes the outcome of behaviour is relevant to personal goals/beliefs and b) if the person recons that the environmental demands exceed the personal resources of the individual. Furthermore, every encounter between the environment and the person involves appraisal and coping strategies. Lazarus (1975) believes that since perception of the s tressor is all important, it is pointless to pursue objective indicators of the environment. Rather it is this perception of the situation that indicators how stressed one will feel. A great criticism of the OSI is in its complexity and its length. This makes the administration of the scale a timely process. In response to this, Faragher, Cooper and Cartwright (2004) purpose an alternative, two-stage, risk assessment process. This involves an initial screening questionnaire for all employees of a given work place, and then conventional risk assessment tools are used to evaluate in detail just those individuals identified as having a potential stress problem. There are three main sections of the questionnaire which measure employee perceptions of their job, organizational commitment and employee health. This shorter version of the Occupation Stress Indicator is termed the ASSET – A Shortened Stress Evaluation Tool. Tests of just under 10,000 employees in 100 public and private sector organizations within Britain found ASSET to be quick and easy to complete, generating a high response rate. Thus in comparison to the OSI, the evaluation of the ASSET provides evidence that it possesses good reliability (a small number of reliable factors which increases the ease of interpretation) and has good reports of validity. However, it could be regarded that this shortened scale may have negative consequences for its validity. For example, the ASSET is put forward as a two stage ‘risk assessment’. This implies that the scale is administrated to assess the employee’s susceptibility to feeling stressed. Therefore, this ignores that there is an interaction between the environment and the person, but instead, puts heavy emphasis on the person’s ability to cope in a given environment. Therefore, this type of risk assessment may be perceived as more of a ‘test’ – rather than a support mechanism. Therefore, the validity of the screening scale itself is put into question – as it is highly likely that participants will want to answer in a socially acceptable manner to avoid incrimination. . Another scale that has adopted a shorter format is the Pressure Management Indicator. Williams Cooper, (1996) cite this model as more reliable, more comprehensive, and shorter than the OSI. The Pressure Management Indicator did infact evolved from the Occupational Stress Indicator. Therefore, the comparisons between the two scales here, opposed to the ASSET scale, are more valid and useful. Therefore, its inventors regard it as the replacement indicator of occupational stress. Williams and Copper (1998) examined existing measures of stress (directly and indirectly related to work) – these included questionnaires on mental health (e.g., Crown Crisp, 1979), job satisfaction (e.g., Warr, Cook, Wall, 1979), and locus of control (e.g., Rotter, 1966) and worked from the original OSI to produce a standardized, reliable, compact, and comprehensive instrument to measure work-related stress. The PMI incorporates three main scales; stress-outcome, stressor and the moderator factor. The stress-outcome scales measure, job and organizational satisfaction, organizational security, organizational commitment, anxiety-depression, resilience, worry, physical symptoms, and exhaustion. The stressor scales cover pressure from workload, relationships, career development, managerial responsibility, personal responsibility, home demands, and daily hassles. The moderator variables measure drive, impatience, control, decision latitude, and the coping strategies of problem focus, life work balance, and social support. To overcome the limitations of the original OSI, Williams and Copper (1998) embarked on a comprehensive analysis of the scale, ranging from analysis of the name of the scale – e.g. it was found that the mention of ‘stress’ in the title of the original scale implied there was a ‘stress problem’ in the organisation. Thus changing the name to ‘Pressure’ intended to imply a more neutral term (opposed to stress – the n egative consequence of pressure – William 1994). Through the extensive analysis of the OSI Williams and Copper (1998) revealed the main attributes of the original scale that existed as its weakness – and purposed to find solutions to these problems. For example, as stated the scale could be interpreted as threatening and time consuming. Thus a shortened version was essential. Another issue highlighted with the use of such a lengthy scale – was infact the possibility that a large number of items would increase the co-efficient alpha rating – and thus making the scale appear more reliable than it actually is. Therefore, the production of the PMI was designed to revise the questionnaires and number of items, without sacrificing its psychometric properties. Furthermore, it may be felt that the items on the OSI were bias towards white-collar or executive levels – ignoring the stress felt at lower levels of the organisation. The length and complexity of the OSI may have been bias towards workers who took on re ading activities regularly – opposed to the more manually skilled employee’s with more hands on day to day tasks. With this diversity in mind – it is essential that a vast number of employment scenarios are covered on any stress indicator scale. It may be interpreted that the original OSI was not so diligent in representing such diversity in the work-force. Williams and Copper (1996) were careful to use an extremely diverse data set representing over 100 different organisations from the public and private sectors. Incorporating diversity, it is also important to eradicate cultural boundaries in the questioning material. For example, the acknowledgement and understanding that many companies want to investigate work-related stress across national and ethnic boundaries is important. Therefore, can the OSI be regarded as a multi-cultural measure of occupational stress? It may be suggested that the mere fact it was based on a very small sample of just over 150 people , that it is impossible that is has gained a representative view of the world and the people and organisations within it. Furthermore, the consideration that the world of work is always changing means that the questions on the scales need to reflect changes in demand such as job insecurity and technology. The fact that, the original OSI scale has not been amended since its production renders it out-of-date in many respects. To combat these downfalls, William and Copper (1996), attempt to combine the questionnaires with organization-specific items, in hope of identifying sources of pressure and the use of coping mechanisms. The original scale lacks the ability to provide a cross-occupational and cross-company analysis. The solution was to develop a standardized measure covering all aspects of the stress-strain relationship that is, stressors, moderating factors, and stress outcomes (William and Copper, 1996). The new PMI questionnaires are intended also to help raise awareness of occ upational stress at the individual and organizational level, identify those individuals who need remedial help, and provide information for the design of appropriate interventions In light of the discussion above, the Occupational Stress Indictor has presented many weaknesses – in particular reference to its design, practical administration, validity and reliability. Many have questioned the length and complexity of the original self-report questionnaire. This has led to a revised version of the scales in the form of the PMI (Williams and Copper, 1996). The PMI, developed just under ten years after the original OSI, intended to combat many of its methological concerns such as shortening the administration process and taking into account cultural and occupational differences of its users. It would appear that through the quest to appeal to a wide audience – i.e. a diverse work base, the original OSI flawed due to its lack of ability to be able to offer a reliable source of stress indicator in reference to the individual’s perception of the situation and how they perceive they are coping. Although the original OSI was giving an accurate rep resentation of job satisfaction, mental and physical health, and the sources of pressure – i.e. concrete certainties that are easily measurable, the scale was not so reliable in measuring more abstract properties such as perceptional qualities. Therefore, it may seem a valuable option to concentrate on the perceptual properties of the scale itself to produce more reliable scale that measures how the individual feels, opposed to just how the individual acts in their environment– hence the development of the Pressure Management Indicator. This goes hand in hand with the theoretical assumptions that underpin the measurement scales – e.g. Lazarus transactional model of stress – purposing that there is a transaction between the environment and the person – which in turn may render the interaction as a stressful one or not. It is important to take into account that stress is an interactive process between the stressor and the moderator and the stress out come. The newly revised PMI scale is more advanced than the original OSI scale in that it takes into account this interaction. An important factor highlighted by the ASSET scale is that the administration of an Occupation Stress Indicator or Pressure Management Indicator needs to be as impartial as possible. A large weakness that needs to be overcome about any type of stress indicator is that it is not measuring the person’s ability to cope in stressful situations. For example, the scale is not intended to assess or question personality or to test the personal attributes of the individual, but instead, to provide an indication of how one perceives their working environment and how a number of variables interact to produce potentially stressful effects for the individual. The overall aim of a stress indicator scale is to identify physical and psychological areas of concern that can be highlighted to encourage an optimal balance of stress, coping strategies and support in the w ork place. References Books Cooper, C. L., Sloan, S. J., Williams, S. (1988). Occupational Stress Indicator. Windsor, England: NFER- Nelson. Lazarus, R. S. (1966). Psychological stress and the coping process. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lazarus, R.S. (1975). The healthy personality: a review of conceptualizations and research. In Levi, L (Ed). Society, stress and disease, vol 2. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Pratt, L. I., Barling, J. (1988). Differentiating between daily events, acute and chronic stressors: A framework and its implications. Cited in Hurrell, J.J., Murphy, L.R. Sauter, S.L., Cooper, C.L (1998) (Eds.), Occupational stress: Issues and developments in research. London: Taylor Francis. Williams, S. (1994). Managing pressure for peak performance. London: Kogan Page. Williams, S., Cooper, C. L. (1996). Pressure Management Indicator. Harrogate, England: RAD. Williams, S., Cooper, C. L. (1997). The Occupational Stress Indicator. In R. J. Wood Zalaquett, C. (1997) (Ed.). Evaluating stress: A book of resources. Huntsville, TX: Sam Houston State University. Journals Andries, F., Kompier, M. A. J., Smulders, P. G. (1996). Do you think that your health or safety are at risk because of your work? A large European study on psychological and physical work demands. Work Stress, 10, 104-118. Farmer, M. M., Ferraro, K. F. (1997). Distress and perceived health: Mechanisms of health decline. Journal of Health Social Behaviour, 38, 298-311. Cooper, C. L., Bramwell, R. S. (1992). Predictive validity of the strain components of the Occupational Stress Indicator. Stress Medicine, 8, 5760. Cited in Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321 Crown, S., Crisp, A. H. (1979). Manual of the Crown-Crisp Experiential Index. London: Hodder and Stoughton. Cited in Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321 Kirkcaldy, B., Cooper, C. L., Eysenck, M., Brown, J. (1994). Anxiety and coping. Personality and Individual Difference, 17, 681-684. Parkatti, T., Deeg, D. J. H., Bosscher, R. J., Launer, L. L. J. (1998). Physical activity and self-rated health among 55- to 89-year-old Dutch people. Journal of Aging and Health, 10, 311-326 Rees, D. W., Cooper, C. L. (1992). Occupational stress in health service workers in the U.K. Stress Medicine, 8, 79-90. Cited in Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321 Robertson, I. T., Cooper, C, L., Williams, J. (1990). The validity of the Occupational Stress Indicator. Work Stress, 4, 29-39. Cited in Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321 Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal vs. external locus of control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs, 80 (1), 609. Cited in Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321 Warr, P., Cook, J., Wall, T. (1979). Scales for the measurement of some work attitudes and aspects of psychological well-being. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 52, 129-148. Williams, S. (1996). A critical review and further development of the Occupational Stress Indicator. Doctoral thesis, University of Manchester, Manchester, England. Cited in Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321 Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321 Bibliography Hurrell, J.J., Murphy, L.R. Sauter, S.L., Cooper, C.L (1998) (Eds.), Occupational stress: Issues and developments in research. London: Taylor Francis. R. J. Wood Zalaquett, C. (1997). (Eds). Evaluating stress: A book of resources. Huntsville, TX: Sam Houston State University. Schweizer, K. and DÃ ¶brich, P. (2003). Self-reported health, appraisal, coping, and stress in teachers. Psychology Science, Volume 45, (1), p. 92-105 Williams and Copper (1998). Measuring Occupational Stress: Development of the Pressure Management Indicator. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 306-321

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Streetcar Named Desire Essay: Themes in A Streetcar Named Desire

Themes in A Streetcar Named Desire    A Streetcar Named Desire is a pessimistic work that is the â€Å"culmination of a view of life in which evil, or at least undiminished insensitivity, conquers throughout no matter what the protagonistic forces do†(Szeliski 69).   In other words, sensitive individuals all meet a similar fate-crushed under the heels of those who lack sensitivity. This play is about Blanche DuBois; therefore, the main themes of the drama concern her directly. In Blanche is seen the tragedy of an individual caught between two worlds-the past world of the Southern gentlewoman and the present world of crudeness and decay-unwilling to let go of the past and unable, because of her character, to come to any sort of terms with the present (Falk 94). The final result is her destruction. This process began long before her clash with Stanley Kowalski. It started with the death of her young husband, a weak and perverted boy who committed suicide when she taunted him with her disgust at the discovery of his perversion. In retrospect, she knows that he was the only man she had ever loved, and from this early catastrophe evolved her promiscuity. She is lonely and frightened, and she attempts to fight this condition with sex. Desire fills the emptiness when there is no love and desire blocks the inexorable movement of death, which has already wasted and deca yed Blanche's ancestral home Belle Reve. For Blanche, Belle Reve was the remaining symbol of a life and tradition that she knows in her heart have vanished, yet to which she clings with a desperate tenacity. In doing so, she is â€Å"both an individual and a representative of her society, an emblem of a lost tradition† (Krutch 39). She is dated. Her speech, manners and habi... ... Adler, Thomas.   A Streetcar Named Desire: The Moth and the Lantern.   New York: Twayne, 1990. Baym, Nina et al, eds.   The Norton Anthology of   American Literature.   New York: W.W. Norton & Co. 1995. Falk, Signi.   Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire.   â€Å"The Southern Gentlewoman†.   Ed. Jordan Y. Miller.   New Jersey:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prentice-Hall, 1971. Krutch, Joseph Wood.   Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire. â€Å"Review of Streetcar Named Desire†.   Ed. Jordan Y.   Miller.   New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1971. Szeliski, John T. von.   Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire. â€Å"Tennessee Williams and the Tragedy of Sensitivity†.   Ed.   Jordan Y. Miller.   New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1971. Williams, Tennessee.   The Theater of Tennessee Williams.  Ã‚   â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†.   New York: Laughlin, 1971.