View the Environment: Professional Staff vs Management Staff

In a healthcare environment, the professional, front-line staff members such as doctors and nurses are those staff members who interact directly with customers or the public, rather than with members of the organization. The latter is more typical of management. Although collaboration between nurses and doctors can itself be a problem, this is less likely to prove problematic than the relationship between professional staff members and management staff (Zwarenstein, 2000) Professional staff members, because they have extensive interaction with customers or the public, will invariably have a more patient-focused rather than cost-focused orientation than hospital management staff. Also, in contrast to management, there are stronger time and resource pressures on the front-line environment in an immediate and personal way, than in a holistic and long-term fashion. Professional staff members are technically focused on doing the job for the day and helping patients, rather than helping the hospital-the pressures of patient health provide a more immediate focus. Unlike management, the professional members of the staff have received a considerable amount of structured training as part of their previous, pre-organizational hands-on healthcare education. The hospital organization is legally liable for the actions of front-line staff, should mistakes regarding patient health be made, nor organizational business ‘health'-health care staff are health care professionals, not business people. (Robertson, 2003) There is little team-based or project-based work in the front-line professional health care environment. Instead, the front-line typically performs the work specified by their profession and the needs of patients, reflecting any changes and initiatives implemented by management only when instructed. (Robertson, 2003) Cost of supplies, for example may be a greater concern for management than care for professional staff, and professionals may have less of a tolerance for bureaucracy and paper work, although certain concerns, such as time management may be shared by both.

Michael’s Reflective Paper Essay

* Who am I? What life experiences made me who I am today? Was it my family, my social environment where I went to school, the groups, or organizations that I belonged to, or was it certain life events that shaped me? * This paper is my attempt to show that my family and social environment, my life experiences from childhood to present influenced me to be the person that I am today and who I will be in the future. As I reflect upon my life, at the age of forty-nine, I have come to the conclusion that my family and social environment when growing up, surviving cancer in my twenties, and getting married in my thirties are the main social influences and life events that have shaped who I am today and who I want to become in the future. Every one of these experiences has given me something: learning to be independent from family attitudes; dealing with the state of uncertainty, which comes with the disease; responsibility of marriage; and the importance to find the field of expertise for effective work. All these insights can be described as building effective relationships with people and developing self-understanding on different levels. * To understand my family life, and why I feel that their negative attitudes to me shaped me to be a better person, I first have to give you some background on my family and me. The background of my family clarifies how important for me was to be independent from this alienating environment. My mother died when I was only a year old and my father raised my older brother Kevin and me by himself until he met my stepmother. My father remarried and had my two stepbrothers William and Robert. My father was a strict disciplinarian, racist, drank a lot, and worked as a machinist at a refinery plant. My stepmother was a homemaker as my father did not approve of her working and felt that she needed to be at home taking care of the children. My stepmother came from an orphanage, had polio in her left hand. She was also an alcoholic, meaning that she was nasty when drunk; in addition, she was a chain smoker. Kevin was the oldest son one and a half years older than me (and my father’s favorite one), I was the middle child, William was five years younger than me and was diagnosed at an early age as having severe attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD); Robert was the youngest. Witt and Mossler (2010) quote the longitudinal research study which has shown that the attitudes of parents towards children rather than the practices of raising children shape our personality in adulthood (Ch. 1, p. 11). It is evident that lack of my father’s attention has influenced me a lot, stimulating me to attract my parents’ attention, for better or for worse. The authors also stress on the importance of the environment of growing up, both social and physical (Witt & Mossler, 2010, Ch. 1, p. 13). We lived in a relatively low middle class white community in Beaumont, Texas next door to my father’s brother and his family. The area where we lived in was close to the outskirts of Beaumont and was nestled back in the woods, so the woods were our playground. This could create the feeling of abandonment, but it was also empowering somehow, as I learned by these circumstances to rely on myself. Palkovitz, Marks, Appleby, and Holmes (2002) treat the relationship between parents and children as a complex unit consisting of father factors, co parental factors, mother factors, child factors, and contextual factors (p. 8). It is evident that in my family, there was disintegration in a sense on all levels. It was interesting to discover that, according to the study by Palkovitz, Marks, Appleby, and Holmes (2002), my father’s attitude was shaped by his experience in romantic relationships and then projected upon children (p. 8). I had to develop independence from this painful emotional context. My relationship with my father caused me to be non-racist, disciplined, and extroverted, as my father was a strict disciplinarian, controlling, and racist man. He gave all his attention to my older brother and ignored me unless I did something that angered him. His treatment of me caused me to crave his attention and to seek to please him until I reached my teenage years and decided that I did not want to be like my father. I rebelled against his control upon me. He tried to control what I did after school, how I wore my hair, how I thought, and what I wanted to be when I graduated high school. I was deeply afraid of him when I was a child, and only when I became a young adult did I see that what he was doing to me was wrong. I started standing up for myself. I started seeking attention outside my family and I got a job after school so that I started earning my own money. That allowed me to purchase my own clothes, get my haircut how I wanted, and purchase my first car that gave me the freedom to escape from my dysfunctional family on a daily basis. My first car and earning my own money gave me the ability to distance myself from my family. However, later circumstances of my life taught me that people can also be supporting and self-reliance is not enough. When I was in my early twenties working and going to college, I developed Hodgkin’s disease that has also changed my personality. Hodgkin’s is a form of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. Like other forms of cancer, it is believed to cause the feelings of uncertainty, lack of control, anxiety, isolation, discomfort, and – last but not least – re-definition of goals and roles (Halldorsdottir & Hamrin, 1996, p. 34). On one hand, one feels that he has to re-define his place in the society; on another hand, people care about those with the disease more and help more (at least they are supposed to do so). I experienced how it was not to have the control upon my life, but also how it was to be cared for by others. Anyway, when one is ill and so evidently dependent upon the society, the natural question comes: â€Å"Did I do anything wrong? And what was it? † Often cancer is associated with suppressed anger and a desire to please other (or at least attract attention) (Broderick, 1996, p. 14), and this really could be my case. I must admit that this understanding came along with serious heart problems. Still, illness did not prevent me from shouldering responsibility in work and family life, as well as from the joys of both. I met my wife during my thirties when I was changing my careers from being a technician to a salesperson. Interestingly, psychologists nowadays view professional development of an individual as an ongoing process (not limited to certain age group), the first stage of which is exploration (Smart & Peterson, 1997, p. 59). So, I was engaged in a kind of â€Å"double exploration†, searching for new ways in professional life as well as personal, consciously or not. In addition, like a career, marriage is a serious responsibility that implies both joyful outcomes and stress together with work on oneself. This personal responsibility has changed me a lot, teaching how to meet the needs of another person with whom I have been living day by day for a long time. I find the recommendations given by Witt and Mossler (2010, Ch. 3, p. 37) helpful, though challenging sometimes. People are happy in marriage when they support each other materially and emotionally, not forgetting to be positive, share feelings, thank each other, express affection, and do certain tasks together. In prolonged perspective, my family life and work taught me how to be productive and understanding in relationships with people and how to maintain stability in the changing world around and in the situations when inner conflicts arise. That is why in my future, I want to pass on the knowledge that my occupation as a sales manager has given to me. Perhaps I will start organizing some training sessions. This may also help to deepen my competence in the field of sales and on the level of personal communication, as people may share their valuable experience with me on the trainings. As I reflect upon my life now, from quite a distance, I have concluded that several events were the strongest in making me the person I am at present. They were my family and social environment in childhood, surviving cancer in my twenties, and getting married in my thirties. My family life stimulated me to earn living independently, cancer survival was essential in understanding my own potential and the ability to help of the people around, and marriage has given me the notion of responsibility. The dark years and events turn out to be ambivalent in the sense that they have given me certain experience and understanding of myself. Those main social influences and life events that I described in this paper have shaped my present personality and my thoughts about the future.

Whie lies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Whie lies - Essay Example Where is the morality in lying? What if it is discovered later that that you lied to save a face? I remember an instance during my first grade when I had to lie to a teacher to prove that my best friend, suspected to have stolen a classmate’s book, was innocent. I wanted to save him from shame, but ended up bearing the whole burden of shame when the book was found in his backpack. Another incidence is when I tried covering for my brother, Jack, who had gotten drunk in the company of his friends. He had gone straight to bed for fear of being reprimanded by our father, who could never condone such a behavior. After telling dad that Jack was just feeling unwell, he went straight to our room to check on Jack and a minute later, I was called by him and what followed still has a permanent place in my mind. That slap still reminds me to date of my responsibility to be honest in my statements. Lying promotes immoral and irresponsible behavior. In order to live in a society with a culture of honesty, where moral principles direct people’s behavior, we must keep off lies, whether harmful or

Alcohol and tobacco use in pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alcohol and tobacco use in pregnancy - Essay Example A cigarette smoker is prone to withdrawal and nicotine addiction which makes the process of quitting smoking much difficult. Addiction is diagnosed when the smoking victim develops frequent use or compulsive seeking symptoms thus uses the substance without considering its adverse implication to health as well as other unwanted consequences. Alcohol on the other hand does not have addictive components in its ingredients. However, it depends with the mental perception of the person drinking. In this case, alcohol can be addictive in a certain capacity but does not have intense symptoms such as withdrawal. Therefore alcohol may be easy to quit with the right use of the correct mental and physical therapies. Smoking during pregnancy might result to a raise in future heart risk to the child. Mothers who smoke during the pregnancy period reduce the high-density lipoprotein which is also known as cholesterol in the baby’s body system. Cholesterol helps in the protection of the body against heart defects such as stroke and various heart diseases. Tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking have negative implication on the growth of the baby before and after birth. The weight of the baby after delivery is directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked during the pregnancy period (Stockman, 2012). The baby of a smoker may have an estimated weight of between 150 and 250 grams. The infants of smokers experience retardation in all gestation stages. Low birth weight of infants who are depicted to prenatal smoking is connected to low rate tissue development and fat-free masses. The use of alcohol by women during pregnancy has negative implications on the growth of the unborn child. ‘Fetal alcohol effects’ is a model used to refer to the aftermath implication of an infant in reaction to the alcohol in its system which is passed on to it by the alcoholic mother. One of the fetal alcohol effects is developmental delay and retarded

Fundamentals of early childhood education Essay

Fundamentals of early childhood education - Essay Example All young children, including those who have disabilities, are dependent upon the experiences and opportunities available within these everyday contexts as they build a solid foundation for development and learning. The assignment delegated to us was to experience and evaluate a child care facility with the view of gaining valuable knowledge on the operations of our future workplace. This I accomplished with such great eagerness as I was able to appreciate the environment. In the following sections, I will be detailing the information that I have garnered during the course of the study. I will be referring to the child care facility as "the center' and will be mentioning people by letters such as A, B, C and the like. This anonymity may seem to be confusing but it is necessary so as to avoid any conflicts that may arise. Lively, very caring, loving and also very cheerful- these are the traits that characterize the staff in the center. When I interviewed a caregiver on what was her ra tionale in caring fro the child, she said that it's necessary to imagine that you're a star. That is be focus of attention and the "twinkle, twinkle" star that brightens the night sky, comforting and inspiring with its presence and light The caregivers were very much sensitive as you can actually observe them tuning in to a child's behavior, taking time to notice and trying to understand what a baby or very young child wants to "say" with movements or sounds, with facial expressions or gestures. Children find all sorts of ways to express their wants, their interests, and their pleasures without ever speaking a word. They notice these cries, hums, kicks, reaches, frowns, chuckles, squeals and gurgles and begins to understand them as clearly as speech. They are also very prompt in responding to a child. A prompt response is one that follows the child's behavior as quickly as possible. Their actions are also very appropriate as they shape her interaction by matching the young child's behavior as closely as possible in terms of features like the loudness or softness of their voice, the level of emotion in their expression, and the kinds of gestures they make. 2.2 Health and Safety With regards to health and safety, the center is very much prepared and has accreditations and permits from different health agencies. These documents were shown to me. The measures they have installed include emergency policies, provisions, and education for staff, children, and parents. In managing injuries, for example, they follow these steps: survey the scene, assess the injured child, provide immediate care for the child including first aid, notify parents, obtain emergency medical care if needed and document and report the incident and actions taken. I was also told that the caregivers communicate sensitively with the injured child and other children during and after injuries and brief their parents to address their fears and concerns. They also have provision for safety surveillance, medication administration, medical emergencies, dental emergencies, first aid, emergency contacts such as police, fire, ambulance, poison control, child protective services, notifying parents, transporting children, evacuation of the site and emergency shelter (e.g., for fire, storm, earthquake, bomb threat, power failure) and dangerous parent situations (e.g., non-custodial parent, intoxication, threat of violence,

Deciding what is wrong and Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Deciding what is wrong and Right - Essay Example The moral sense pertains individual particular emotional act. An act is right if the agent during the moment of action feels emotional approval towards an action. In this sense, one tends to perform an act that he or she approves. One abstains from an action that the person disapproves. Some emotions are called approval and others disapproval. In most instances, there must be some level of truth in the choice one take. Another judgment of approval may or may not be right. Scholars like Aristotle, Plato, Kant, and Mill touches on the right or the wrong act as understood in ethics. Aristotle, Plato, Kant and Mill in their works talk at different levels of making the right decision. Aristotle represents virtue ethics. Kant talks about duty ethics. Mill discusses utilitarianism. The four writers dwell on morality in their search for the right actions or highest good. Aristotle’s view is in self-sufficiency in the fulfillment of the ultimate desire. He emphasizes the conformity with the personal virtues. He regards happiness as an activity of the soul in accord with the perfect virtue. To him, people have to behave right to achieve happiness. As Plato’s student, he loved to categorized things. Aristotle argues that for our actions to be moral or immoral, right or wrong, we must have a certain level of health and wealth. He adopted a scientific and empirical approach to the problems resulted from ethics. Happiness to Aristotle is achieved by acting moderately. What is good for one person may not be right for another person. The use of reason alone may not define what is best for him. Plato, Aristotle’s teacher, states that the good or right is of the knowledge, and the evil or wrong is from the lack of knowledge. Therefore, a question of a good act is purely intellectual. He argues that there is only one right course of action.

Research Methods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Methods - Coursework Example There are many situations that would drive a researcher to want to conduct a historical research. One of those situations is the urge to understand a certain culture. The full length understanding of a culture (for examples its education or religion) requires that information about the past events of that culture be examined in order to understand its present and even predict what will happen to the future. This is possible and reliable since historical research focuses on patterns that happened in the past therefore making it easier to compare with the current patterns. Understanding of the past of a culture may is also necessary in order to compare it with the history of other cultures. Part 2 Explain the difference between external and internal evidence and give examples of each. Internal evidence in a research is determined by the absence of any confounds and it ensures that the results of the researcher are according to the procedures specified and no deviations have been made. Internal evidence is mostly used to determine causal effects and relationships in a research and this therefore means that it is bound to have many threats to it. External evidence on the other hand describes the amount of supportive information that can be acquired from other sources or other previous research to justify the current research. It can also be defined widely to include the extent the research results can be generalized to other settings other than the one currently the research is on. Part 3 Provide an explanation and an example of the following descriptive research designs: 1. Observation studies: These are done through the researcher just merely observing the subjects of the research and not manipulating them. The researcher then records the observations while they are taking place to avoid missing any details and the analysis will be carried out of the recorded information from the observation. The observation may take place for a long or short time depending on th e research objectives. This is common when dealing with research about animals where there are communication barriers. 2. Correlation research: This is a form of descriptive research design where a relationship is sought and established between the variables in a research. The relationships between the variables (if any) are used to further understand and justify the research design. An example of this type of research is in social research like poverty where there are several variables which seem interrelated. 3. Developmental designs: (there are three different types) These are research designs used to examine human relationships and interaction throughout their development and the time each developmental design takes varies. The first is the cross-sectional design where a researcher researches on different subjects with different characteristics but within a single time period that is usually specified for example researching about different age-related subjects who have the same characteristics. The other is the longitudinal design where the time period for the research is not specified and it involves studying the same subjects over and over again for a long period of time. This is true for example in medical research. Lastly, the third developmental design is the cross- sequential design. In this design, the research subjects are tested on a cross-sectional basis (ensuring the differences in traits) but repeatedly for long

Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Economy - Essay Example In addition, markets provide a framework where people voluntarily exchange their goods and services for an agreed compensation.In analyzing the Australian manufacturing industry, Freebairn uses a combination of the Keynesian and the neoclassical theories to drive his point home. The Keynesian theory, which is based on the works of the British economist john Maynard Keynes, is an economic theory that advocates for a system of a mixed economy. According to Keynesianism, the state as well as the private sector has their own roles to play in order to hasten the process of economic development. According to Freebairn, the government has the duty of providing a stable macro economic environment as well as the provision of conducive fiscal and monetary policies. On the other hand, the private sector is charged with the duty of carrying out research and development in order to come up with less labor-intensive modes of production as well as the use of less carbon intensive processes. In so d oing the government will compensate for what the private sector lacks in the production systems. In addition, since the government is well equipped to increase aggregate demand, especially at the macro level then the government through increased spending will indirectly increase the demand for industrial goods within the economy.

Climate change Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

Climate change - Dissertation Example Climate change is the biggest environmental problem that the world is facing today. High-intensity storms and hurricanes are hitting the United States and Australia, ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic regions are rapidly melting and severe droughts in Indonesia have resulted in fires razing the nation’s forests to the ground. Apart from direct destructive impacts to the environment, global warming also poses a threat to human health. Increasing amounts of rainfall will give rise to the spread of vector-borne diseases. Despite the overwhelmingly negative effects of climate change, current trends still reflect rising levels of temperature. Out of the 20 hottest years on the planet, 19 occurred from 1980 until the present. According to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year recorded for over a century (Gutro, 2006). Human activity is the primary cause of this drastic increase in the world’s temperature. The burning of fossil fuels to meet the energy demands of households, businesses, and industries is number one on the list of greenhouse gas emissions. The world’s total energy consumption is directly proportional to population levels. Simply put, the more people there are, more of world’s resources are utilized. Sustainable development is key to ensure future generations’ survival. The Kyoto Protocol aims to provide a solution the pressing problem of climate change. The United Kingdom being one of the signatories has committed to reducing carbon emissions significantly by the year 2010 (Wikipedia, 2006). ... Increasing amounts of rainfall will give rise to the spread of vector-borne diseases. Despite the overwhelming negative effects of climate change, current trends still reflect rising levels of temperature. Out of the 20 hottest years of the planet, 19 occurred from 1980 until the present.ivAccording to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year recorded for over a century (Gutro, 2006)v. Human activity is the primary cause of this drastic increase of the world's temperature. The burning of fossil fuels to meet the energy demands of households, businesses and industries is number one on the list of greenhouse gas emissions. The world's total energy consumption is directly proportional to population levels. Simply put, the more people there are, more of world's resources are utilized. Sustainable development is key to ensure future generations' survival. The Kyoto Protocol aims to provide a solution the pressing problem of climate change. The United Kingdom, being one of the signatories, has committed to reduce carbon emissions significantly by the year 2010 (Wikipedia, 2006)vi. This has given rise to several policies that the government has authored in order to meet the set target. This paper focuses on energy efficiency and the introduction of renewable energy as two of the solutions that the United Kingdom's construction sector have given attention to. The effectiveness of regulations in place will be studied to see if these would be adequate to significantly decrease the country's carbon emissions. Emerging insights from adaptive and community-based resource management suggest that building resilience into both human and ecological systems is an effective way to cope with environmental change characterized by future surprises or unknowable risks. We

Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist - Essay Example The priest may give a short homily to explain about the reading and to remind the parents and godparents of their responsibilities to the child being baptized. Then the priest announces, â€Å"I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit†. These words relate to the words spoken by Jesus Christ before he ascended into heaven when he commanded the disciples to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the â€Å"Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit† (Matthew 28:19). The indelible mark of baptism is the â€Å"end of sin and the beginning of goodness† (â€Å"The Catholic Liturgical Library† par. 27). The Significance of the Sign of the Cross, the use of water, the use of oil, the prayers of exorcism, and the white garment in the celebration of the sacrament of Baptism. The sign of the cross reminds us of Christ’s passion and death on the cross and prepares the baptism candidate to partake o f that sacrifice for God and the church. Water becomes â€Å"a rich symbol of grace,† to signify cleansing and being reborn away from a sinful past (â€Å"The Catholic Liturgical Library† par. 19). Oil is for anointing – to heal us from anything that prevents our right relationship with God. The exorcism prayer protects the baptized from evil spirits while preparing him or her to be a part of the church or the People of God. The priest exorcises the candidate from the evil spirit and prepares that physical body to be a temple of the Holy Spirit.  

Students Persistent Failure in English Language Examinations in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Students Persistent Failure in English Language Examinations in Nigeria Essay Abstract Education is now a global product with institutions worldwide competing for students and finding ever more creative ways to satisfy student needs and preferences. The optimism and belief in educational progress has gingered the new wake of marketing approaches that boarder on how to properly deal with the intricate issues of qualitative educational service, value as well as customer satisfaction. With the continuing rise in the preference for flexible distance learning, educational institutions are finding that when students and faculty have significantly different cultural backgrounds and learning styles that the expectations of the learning experience can be unfulfilled. Today in Nigeria, education is the responsibility of government, religious organizations as well as private individuals, although in recent years, the private sector has entered the market providing educational services at all levels. There are over 90 universities in Nigeria with more than 2.000.000 students enrolled in these universities. Of these students, less than 100,000 are registered in the National Open University of Nigeria which is the largest of the universities that provide distance education in the country. With such large student numbers, competition between the public and private universities for students has intensified particularly over the last decade. As a consequence, the need to develop strategies for attracting students has become more important. The contribution of technologies to education processes has been immense with students and faculty each learning to adapt to an environment of continuous change and opportunities. This paper therefore, seeks to explore the marketing approaches that could galvanise the growth of the Open and Distance learning institutions, and is subsequently predicated on the view that a competitive advantage in marketing of the Open and Distance learning programmes can be attained by customizing learning experiences for students in a pro-active and constructive way. INTRODUCTION The fast competition that is taking place in the current global market has affected the educational sector. In Nigeria for instance, it has been observed that when education is taken for granted not only the state institutions providing conventional education are prevailed. Starting from the early 1990’s higher education has been provided by either public or private universities either conventionally or extensively. The increase in the products and services that are provided by different parties has affected the educational institutions and the power of marketing communications is utilized in order to pull more customers both by private and state institutions. The marketing of education is a controversial issue. Although the opinions on the signification of the educational institution as a product and the students as the customers still remains arguable the transformation of the instruction process as a student-based model requires the utilization of the marketing opportunitie s are used. Teaching has been increasingly developed as a learner-centered model, shaping the process as a life-long learners experience to match their existing knowledge and skills is crucial. At the open and distance education institution level, being market oriented means adapting a client-centered perspective and managing the institution in a way that matches the needs of primary and secondary clients. This student-based model is not much different than the client-based utilization of marketing strategy. In the marketing approach, the needs and desires of the customers are given a primary and major importance so they are treated as â€Å"kings†. When this strategy is employed in the open and distance education, the course programmes and materials are observed to be shaped in accordance with the needs and desires of the students. The multimedia used is also observed to be very common with those that are presented within the most appropriate channels to the students. The customer â€Å"king† then transforms into the student â€Å"king†. Marketing is about achieving organizational goals, and these are determined by the values of the organization (its culture) and shape its decision-making. Good marketing techniques will definitely help the Open and Distance learning institutions achieve set goals that will help them identify with those clients for whom they offer an appropriate range of learning opportunities. The objective of this study therefore, is to discuss the notions like advertisement, public relations, personal sales and fairs that make effecting marketing communication strategies possible in a nationwide manner and compare the Open and Distance learning educational institutions in Nigeria and other nations of the world to concentrate on the marketing of effective educational programmes, quality educational service and the appropriate pricing of the educational programmes because these are some of the major approaches that can satisfy the wishes of the consumers of their educational services. WHAT IS OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL)? Open and Distance Learning is the combination of on-line learning (e-learning) and other distance education delivery methods. It is the introduction, utilisation and application of ICT to enhance open and distance education thus implementing open and distance learning policies in order to make learning activities more flexible and enable these learning activities to be distributed among many learning venues. It is an amalgam of two approaches to different forms of education that focus on expanding access to learning. It is a sort of blended and distributed learning, which incorporate elements of tutor mediated and self-directed and resource-based learning process. The pedagogical shifts from face-to-face traditional way of teaching or even the traditional distance education (called correspondence education) to on-line education is what Open and Distance Learning is all about. It represents significant changes in the assumptions on which teachers, learners and support staff go about their business and to the technological infrastructure and skill base that support the moves. According to Reju S. A. (2007), this type of education is characterised by two factors: its PHILOSOPHY and its use of TECHNOLOGY. The Open and Distance Learning Philosophy aims at removing barriers to education allowing students to study what they want, when they want and where they want. In summing up the Open and Distance Learning Philosophy, it aims at increasing educational ACCESS and increasing educational CHOICE of students. As for the TECHNOLOGY, in order to achieve a complete migration from the post-box and hard text delivery of conventional distance education to on-line education, operators must satisfy at least three preconditions: First, the technical infrastructure needs to be transparent to users. Second, its operational framework must address teaching and learning decisions when it describes its functions. Third, systematic and local professional development in online teaching and learning using a just-in-time and just-for-me approach must be available to academics (Nunan, Reid, Mc Causland 2002 :10) BASIC OPERATING SYSTEM OF ODL INSTITUTIONS CHARACTERISTICS AND ADVANTAGES OF ODL The nature and characteristics of Open and Distance Learning gave it wider opportunities as advantages over the classical and conventional system of Education: †¢ Accessibility – overcoming barriers related to: – Prior academic credentials – Time – Physical location – Financial constraints – Personal characteristics – Social responsibility †¢ Flexibility and easy access to instruction in order to ensure broad availability of educational opportunities to all characterized by: – Frequent admission periods – Self-pacing – Optional support services (tutoring, counselling, advising) †¢ Learner control over content and structure †¢ Choice of delivery systems: Instruction delivered through a variety of media including print and other information communication technologies to learners, Learners have control over the course delivery system(s) that suits their purpose †¢ Accreditation – characterised by: †¢ Recognition of courses accredited by other institutions for transfer of credit. †¢ Opportunities for learners to â€Å"challenge† courses for credit. †¢ Provision for â€Å"experiential learning†. †¢ Instruction by a mode other than the conventional face-to-face method †¢ Physical separation between the teacher and the learner †¢ Openness disregard age, previous level of academic achievement, and other factors, creating artificial barriers to education as a life-long pursuit in a democratic environment †¢ Cost-effective system of instruction independent of time, location, pace and space †¢ Used for a variety of learning situations: primary, secondary, tertiary, vocational and non-formal education †¢ It allows for wider Range Extension †¢ Thrives on economy of scale †¢ It is weapon of mass instruction †¢ ODL is more suited to Adult Learners †¢ It democratises and liberalises education †¢ It is more of learner centred and learner friendly programme which includes all in its planning and execution †¢ Focused on QA, well designed instructional packages, student support: It gives learners Qualitative Education and Course Range. VISIBLE PROBLEMS THAT COULD RESULT TO FALL OF SALES AND PATRONAGE IN ODL SYSTEM A good marketing strategy has two parts. The first includes an overview of your industry and how your company fits within it. It identifies who your marketing should be targeted at and what challenges you may face when trying to read your target audience. This part also helps you hone in on your specific marketing goals (i.e. increase client base by %). The second part is all about what you will do to reach to overcome the challenges identified in part one and how you will reach your goals (i.e. develop brochure/ website, etc.) The following issues can create a fall of patronage in the Open and Distance learning system. †¢ Poor quality educational service, poor value and customer dissatisfaction. †¢ Poor and inadequate designing of educational programmes. †¢ Unnecessary overpricing of educational programmes †¢ De-emphasising quality, especially service quality †¢ Regular students frustration in learning how to get on-line (especially for novices). †¢ Time lapse between student input and feedback -Time lapse between need for learner support and resolution †¢ Occasional internet provider downtime (server usually inaccessible to students) †¢ Student become less active and less self-directed in the learning environment which depends largely on individual motivation and initiative. †¢ Occasional feelings of isolation- Potentially less group support for learners leading to isolation and possible non-completion of programme †¢ Instructional design for group activities and group interaction more demanding on the instructor †¢ Demands large effort and cost to develop appropriate materials †¢ Demands large effort to create and maintain the technological infrastructure When these problems persist, the message becomes very clear; ‘Distance Education is not for everyone’. – Unfortunately, the problems becloud the fact that Open and Distance learning is not for undisciplined learners nor inflexible instructors. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY AS PANACEA TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS OF FALL OF SALES AND PATRONAGE IN ODL SYSTEM What is Quality assurance? According to Wiley (2009), Quality assurance, or QA for short, refers to a programme for the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service, or facility to ensure that standards of quality are being met. It is important to realize also that quality is determined by the program sponsor. QA cannot absolutely guarantee the production of quality products, unfortunately, but makes this more likely. Two key principles characterise QA: fit for purpose (the product should be suitable for the intended purpose) and right first time (mistakes should be eliminated). QA includes regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies, products and components; services related to production; and management, production and inspection processes. It is important to realize also that quality is determined by the intended users, clients or customers, not by society in general: it is not the same as expensive or high quality. Even goods with low prices can be considered quality items if they meet a market need. QA is more than just testing the quality of aspects of a product, service or facility, it analyzes the quality to make sure it conforms to specific requirements and comply with established plans. Accuracy of Quality Assurance There is an extensive process of trial and error in order to ensure quality assurance. By the end of the trials you arrive at an acceptable process that helps you decide the reliability and efficiency of the sample. The process involves meeting specifications such as performance measures and depends on environment operation. The cost of resulting in failure is very high which result in the process of Quality Assurance to be extensive and it is acceptable to delay production until all tests are done and double-checked. Steps for Quality Assurance Process †¢ Test previous article †¢ Plan to improve †¢ Design to include improvements and requirements †¢ Manufacture with improvements †¢ Review new item and improvements †¢ Test new item The process for Quality Assurance is very rigorous and requires a lot of testing and planning. The team or firm has to comply with previous requirements, implement new requirements and improve the old item. Other than following requirements, the team or firm has to comply with consumers needs. WHAT IS MARKETING? Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large Simply stated, marketing is everything you do to place your product or service in the hands of potential customers. It includes diverse disciplines like sales, public relations, pricing, packaging, and distribution. In order to distinguish marketing from other related professional services, S.H. Simmons, author and humorist, relates this anecdote. If a young man tells his date shes intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, hes saying the right things to the right person and thats marketing. If the young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is thats advertising. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is thats public relations. You might think of marketing this way. If business is all about people and money and the art of persuading one to part from the other, then marketing is all about finding the right people to persuade. Marketing is your strategy for allocating resources (time and money) in order to achieve your objectives (a fair profit for supplying a good product or service). Yet the most brilliant strategy wont help you earn a profit or achieve your wildest dreams if it isnt built around your potential customers. A strategy that isnt based on customers is rather like a man who knows a thousand ways to make love to a woman, but doesnt know any women. Great in theory but unrewarding in practice. If you fit the classic definition of an entrepreneur (someone with a great idea whos under-capitalized), you may think marketing is something you do later after the product is developed, manufactured, or ready to sell. Though it may feel counter-intuitive, marketing doesnt begin with a great idea or a unique product. It begins with customers those people who want or need your product and will actually buy it. Entrepreneurs are in love with their ideas, and they should be. After all, why would anyone commit their energy, life savings, and no small part of their sanity to anything less than a consuming passion. Because entrepreneurs are passionate about their idea, product, or service, they innocently assume other people will feel the same. Heres the bad news it just doesnt work that way! People have their own unique perceptions of the world based on their belief system. The most innovative ideas, the greatest products, or a superior service succeed only when you market within the context of peoples perceptions. Context can be many things, singly or simultaneously. To name a few, you may market to your customers within the context of their wants, needs, problems solved, or situation improved. Entrepreneurs need to be aware of many other contexts, such as social and economic trends or governmental regulations, which well discuss another time. People dont just buy a product. They buy the concept of what that product will do for them, or help them do for themselves. People who are overweight dont join a franchise diet center to eat pre-packaged micro-meals. They buy the concept of a new, thin, happy and successful self. Before you become consumed with entrepreneurial zeal and invest your life savings in a new venture, become a smart marketer. Take time at the beginning to discover who your potential customers are, and how to effectively reach them. Without a plan, your entrepreneurial dream is really wishful thinking. While a marketing plan can be a map for success, remember that the map is not the territory. A strategy that ignores the customer isnt an accurate reflection of the landscape. A good marketing plan can help you focus your energy and resources. But a plan created in a vacuum, based solely on your perceptions, does not advance the agenda. Thats why market research, however simple or sophisticated, is important. Just keep in mind that research attempts to predict the future by studying the past. It reveals what people have done, and extrapolates what people might do not what people will do. Planning is imperative, research is important, but theres no substitute for entrepreneurial insight. After all, as Mark Twain wrote, You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. Marketing strategy’ Wikipedia dictionary defines ‘Marketing strategy’ is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. A marketing strategy should be centered on the key concept that customer satisfaction is the main goal. Services marketing Services marketing, as the label suggests, relates to the marketing of services, as opposed to tangible products (in standard economic terminology, a tangible product is called a good). A typical definition of a service (as opposed to a good) is thus: †¢ The use of it is inseparable from its purchase (,i.e. a service is used and consumed simultaneously) †¢ It does not possess material form, and thus cannot be smelt, heard, tasted, or felt. †¢ The use of a service is inherently subjective, in that due to the human condition, all persons experiencing a service would experience it uniquely. As examples of the above points, a train ride can be deemed as a service. If one buys a train ticket, the use of the train is typically experienced concurrently with the purchase of the ticket. Moreover, a train ride cannot be smelt, heard, tasted or felt as such. Granted, a seat can be felt, and the train can be evidently heard, nonetheless one is not paying for the permanent ownership of the tangible components of the train. Services (by comparison with goods) can also be viewed as a spectrum. Not all products are pure goods, nor are all pure services. The aforementioned example of a train ride can be deemed a pure service, whilst a packet of potato chips can be deemed a pure good. An intermediary example may be a restaurant (as the waiter service is intangible, and the food evidently is tangible in form). VARIOUS STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES OF GOOD MARKETING THAT COULD HELP IN GROWTH OF SALES AND PATRONAGE OF ODL PROGRAMMES It is the explicit recognition of the tensions between old and new learning styles which our paper seeks to highlight as the basis for attaining a marketing advantage. To allow students to learn in styles that commence with recognition of diverse foundations provides an environment where students are given greater opportunity for academic success. The view that all students can be blended into one learning environment as though one stylized type of pedagogy would be suitable for all students in a mixed cohort, presumes that a standardized approach to learning is indeed appropriate. The concept of ‘one size fits all’ education may have been appropriate in old economies where students represented a homogenous group from the same cultural group with a known entry level skill set. Where students do not fit this form of stereotyping it makes sense to approach the task of designing an appropriate learning environment which suits the majority of learners. Eisner also claims that communication and multiple intelligence literature suggest that effective teaching involves reaching students, and that reaching students involves taking their frames of reference into account. Knowing where our students are coming from and meeting them there may increase the chance that students will absorb the information we seek to teach (Eisner 2003, 34-5). Indeed, the arrival of technologies to supplement, enable, enrich and mediate learning experiences challenges traditional education pedagogies. To actively respond to such pressures in a way that is positive can contribute to academic outcomes. Businesses and governments have called into question the relevance of quality of the education that has been provided by post-secondary institutions as well as their continued ability to deliver education in a manner that the new forces of the globalizing marketplace would deem efficient (Montgomery, L., M. Canaan, J., E.) (2004). Nagy (2007) demonstrated via a case study that student outcomes could be dramatically improved by specifically recognizing the needs of the cohort and tailoring assessment tasks to suit the cohort. This style of customization is a reaction to market needs in a proactive way to ensure that student success is achieved without variation in the quality or content of course design. To take this analysis one step further, for a chosen unit of study where it is known that the student population incorporates variable educational foundations within the student population, a university could recognize this variation and provide 2 streams of learning for the same material using alternative pedagogies to achieve outcomes. One alternative could embrace student centered learning and the other teacher centered learning. Each of the alternatives may then employ the best practice pedagogies appropriate to the identified style of learning, and utilize different assessment strategies. Students are then free to choose which alternative learning environment best suits their learning foundations and preferences, at the commencement of the subject. This approach has the potential to promote a more confident attitude to learning with less alienation from the learning environment, greater student self esteem and improved learning outcomes. The term learning styles is used as a description of the attitudes and behaviors which determine an individual’s preferred way of learning. Some students tend to focus on facts. Some respond strongly to visual forms of information; others are able to learn more from verbal forms written and spoken explanations. Some prefer to learn actively and interactively; others function more introspectively and individually. No one learning style is better than another; it is simply that people learn in different ways. The best learning style is the one that works for an individual in a particular situation. Those universities with sufficiently large and diverse student cohorts may be able to further refine a process of variable pedagogies. Costs would not be significantly different and yet the provision of alternative learning experience can be employed for both on campus and distance education institutions representing a way of marketing subjects that may entice particular students to particular universities. Our suggestion places the emphasis back on the student; with the student selecting the mode of learning best suited to their personal learning style. These choices made available to students can thus be regarded as part of a suite of marketing tools that universities can make use of. Generally, action must be taken to develop a complete marketing program to reach consumers (life-long learners) by using a combination of factors which can be referred to as the 4P’s. The 4 P approach to marketing includes product, price, place and promotion are illustrated as follows: Product: It is a good, service or idea that the consumers need for satisfying their wants. Physical product can be described in terms of its physical characteristics and is what most people actually think of as the product Sussane and Chris(2010) suggest that education is a product, and see distance education as a product instead of a tool for distributing education. They say that in order to most efficiently use our resources, the needs of the student/consumer should be assessed. By doing so, we can learn from the students and then apply that knowledge to attract future students while meeting the needs and improving upon the services offered to the current students. The products have a different name, logo, color and physical attributes. We can say that Distance Education institution is a brand and a brand is a way of differentiating one product from another; the greater the perceived similarity of products, the more important the brand in establishing the differences. Some schools will clearly feel that they are different from others, or that the market perceives differences, which makes it less important for them to establish their corporate identity (Galbraith, K. 2003). Price: This concept embodies more than a value that someone will pay for it. The meaning associated with price changes is contextual. Institutions have different pricing policies and all institutions compete against each other to increase their application and enrollment rates. Pricing policies will impact student choice between institutions. Place: It is a means of getting the product into the consumer’s hands. The personality of the place sends messages to the target audience. The vehicle which is used to reach the students can be a physical location or a virtual space where the connection speed of internet used, e-mail, can serve as a differentiating mechanism. Promotion: Promotion is a means of communication between the seller and buyer. It includes advertising, public relations, personal selling, publicity, and sales promotions. If one higher education institution wants to enroll more students than other, it will need to use corporate advertising or engage in activities that create a liaison between the students and the institutions. Publicity provides media coverage to the institutions and visibility can create confidence about an institutions reputation and quality perceptions. Marketing initiatives include print based products and internet-based advertisements, brochures, and word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. According to Buttle (1998: p. 242) WOM has been shown to influence a variety of conditions: awareness, expectations, perceptions, attitudes, behavioral intentions and behaviour. Because of these factors positive WOM may affect the awareness of the open and distance university and this awareness can turn the behavioral intentions of students. Fairs are also benefited to communicate with the students. Every year education fairs should be organized and all universities that run distance learning programmes should be represented. Where the cost of registration is same between universities, the image of the university plays an important role in the process of selecting that university. The image consists of two criteria. One of it is tangible criteria like, academic staff, profile of the graduated, facility of the university, curriculum, and opportunity for internship etc. Intangible criteria are good or bad experiences about university, negative or positive WOM. Internally developed strategy Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of the whole, such as children or young adults. Here, the FM station of NOUN becomes important. In his essay, John Durham Peters wrote that communication is a tool used for dissemination. Durham stated, â€Å"Dissemination is a lens- sometimes a usefully distorting one- that helps us tackle basic issues such as interaction, presence, and space and time†¦on the agenda of any future communication theory in general† (Durham, 211). Dissemination focuses on the message being relayed from one main source to one large audience without the exchange of dialogue in between. There’s chance for the message to be tweaked or corrupted once the main source releases it. There is really no way to predetermine how the larger population or audience will absorb the message. They can choose to listen, analyze, or simply ignore it. Dissemination in communication is widely used in the world of broadcasting. Broadcasting focuses on getting one message out and it is up to the general public to do what they wish with it. Durham also states that broadcasting is used to address an open ended destination (Durham, 212). There are many forms of broadcast, but they all aim to distribute a signal that will reach the target audience. Broadcasting can arrange audiences into entire assemblies (Durham, 213). Effective use of the University website According to Ms.Bindu Rathore, CEO WebTotal Marketing, Many Educational Institutions have a website, but they don’t know how to combine offline and online marketing to increase their profits and reduce their advertising costs. She therefore recommended that the concept WebTotal Marketing is now available to help such Educational institutions to have a complete web marketing system so they can enhance their brand and attract more prospect students at an affordable cost.† This postulation is basically predicated on the fact that students have become very Internet savvy these days and are cautious in their selection of institutions of higher learning. They actively participate in forums and group discussions along with feedbacks from past students to analyze a particular college or university before they make their decision. University Publications The word publication means the act of publishing. To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary between country, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or Electronic publishing forms such as websites, E-books, Compact Discs and MP3s. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, GIFT ITEMS/SOUVENIRS, EVALUATION (of process, input and products) AND AFTER-SALES-SERVICES IN GOOD MARKETING Promotional merchandise, promotional items, promotional products, promotional gifts, or advertising gifts are articles of merchandise that are branded with a logo and used in marketing and communication programs. They are given away to promote a company, corporate image, brand, or event. These items are usually imprinted with a companys name, logo or slogans, and given away at trade shows, conferences, and as part of guerrilla marketing campaigns. The giving of gifts goes back throughout the hostory of man. Gifts would be, and still are, given for various reasons including: to welcome, for appreciation, and for celebration. In the late 20th century a new industry evolved around the concept of giving gifts. Industry and commerce recognised the benefits that could be gained by a company and corporate organisation in giving gifts to existing and prospective customers. Promotional merchandise is now used globally to promote brands, products and corporate identity. They are also used as giveaways at events like exhibitions and product launches. Almost anything can be branded with a company’s name or logo and used for promotion. Common items include t-shirts, caps, key chains, posters, bumper-stickers, pens, mugs, or mouse pads. The largest product category for promotional products is wearable items, which make up more than 30% of the total. Most promotional items are relatively small and inexpensive, but can range to higher-end items; for example celebrities at film festivals and award shows are often given expensive promotional items such as expensive perfumes, leather goods, and electronics items. Companies that provide expensive gifts for celebrity attendees often ask that the celebrities allow a photo to be taken of them with the gift item, which can be used by the company for promotional purposes. Other companies provide luxury gifts such as handbags or scarves to celebrity attendees in the hopes that the celebrities will wear these items in public, thus garnering publicity for the companys brand name and product. Brand awareness is the most common use for promotional items at 12.59%. Other objectives that marketers use promotional items to facilitate include employee relations and events, tradeshow traffic-building, public relations, new customer generation, dealer and distributor programs, new product introductions, employee service awards, not-for-profit programs, internal incentive programs, safety education, customer referrals, and marketing research. Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. According to Galbraith, K. (2003). â€Å"Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation. Its importance varies by product, industry and customer; defective or broken merchandise can be exchanged, often only with a receipt and within a specified time frame. Customer service may be provided by a person (e.g., sales and service representative), or by automated means called self-service. Examples of self service are Internet sites. However, In the Internet era, a challenge has been to maintain and/or enhance the personal experience while making use of the efficiencies of online commerce. Writing in Fast Company, entrepreneur and customer systems innovator Wiley, J. made the point that Online customers are literally invisible to you (and you to them), so its easy to shortchange them emotionally. But this lack of visual and tactile presence makes it even more crucial to create a sense of personal, human-to-human connection in the online arena. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organizations ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. CONCLUSION In many countries, open and distance learning methods have become an effective and equitable means of providing learning for people in all situations and of all ages. Our postulation in this paper is that the effective marketing of the operational infrastructure for the delivery of an Open and Distance Learning programme is critical to its success. Yet all too often this element is overlooked or seen as incidental to the design and quality of the distance learning materials and programmes themselves. We then went ahead to address very salient issues that can help the Open and Distance Learning institutions adopt new approaches as regards the rapid strategic marketing of ODL systems that will ultimately lead to increased success in the operation of the system worldwide. These issues include †¢ coming to grips with the socio-cultural drivers of education in the 21st century †¢ anticipating the future and activating the potential of innovation as a prerequisite for outstanding success and †¢ interpreting latent educational needs and effectively creating a demand for the ODL system worldwide. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Buttle, F. (2005). Word of Mouth: Understanding And Managing Referral Marketing, Journal of Strategic Marketing, (6) 241–254. Eisner, S. P. (2004). The Class Talk Show: A Pedagogical Tool, SAM Advanced Management Journal, Winter 2003, 34 49. Galbraith, K. (2003). Towards Quality Private Education in Central and Eastern Europe, Higher Education in Europe, XXVIII, (4) pp. 539-558. Garrison, D. R. Anderson, T. (2003). E-Learning in the 21st Century, Routledge- Falmer, London. Wiley, J (2009) The Quality Assurance Journal http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/15634/home Durham, J. P. (2006) Communication as Dissemination. Communication as†¦Perspectives on Theory. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage,. 211-22. Montomery, L., M. Canaan, J., E. (2004). Conceptualizing higher education students as social actors in a globalizing world: a special issue, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 17 (6), 739-748. Nagy, J. (2007). Market forces in higher education: cheating and the student-centred learning paradigm, book chapter in â€Å"Ethical Practices and Implications in Distance Learning† Indira Gandhi National Open University, Simonetta C. Christian V. (2009) Path to a new Prosperity; A new Approach to Marketing. London, Keegan Paul. Suzanne .A. Chris. P. (2010) Managing expectations: effective support systems for distance learning the experience of the Warwick MBA by distance learning. www.effectivemarketing.com

Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence Essay In 1983 Howard Gardner changed the perception of intelligence and learning with his theory of multiple intelligences. He believed that the traditional view of intelligence that was based on the dimensions of mathematical, logical, and verbal didn’t completely reflect the human ability. Gardner came up with eight intelligences with his theory. Gardner defines â€Å"intelligences† as an ability of the human brain. He believes that the level of ability can grow or recede throughout your life, depending on your efforts and experiences. Gardner’s theory means that there are more than the traditional three ways to learn. It means that people have more ability than what was originally expected. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory has eight intelligences or area of abilities. These eight intelligences are; verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, and naturalist. Verbal- Linguistic is the ability to communicate through language; reading, writing, speaking, and listening. A few of the skills associated with this ability are; remembering terms easily, mastering a foreign language, and using speech or writing to convince someone to do something or believe something. The following techniques will maximize the ability of verbal-linguistic; use a computer to retype and summarize notes, read text and highlight selectively, outline chapters, and recite information or write scripts/debates. Logical-mathematical is the ability to understand logical reasoning and problem solving; math, science, patterns, and sequences. Recognizing abstract patterns, using facts to support an idea, and generating ideas based on evidence, reasoning scientifically (formulating and testing a hypothesis) are some of the skills of the logical-mathematical intelligence. Organize material logically; if it suits the topic, use a spreadsheet program, explain material sequentially to someone, develop systems and find patterns, and analyze and evaluate information are just a few of the ways to maximize this intelligence. Bodily-kinesthetic is the ability to use the physical body skillfully and to take in knowledge through bodily sensation; coordination, working, with hands. The skills associated with bodily-kinesthetic; strong mind-body connection, controlling and coordinating body movement, and using the body to create products or express emotion. Moving while you learn; pace and recite, rewrite or retype notes engage â€Å"muscle memory†, design and play games to learn material, and act out scripts of material are the techniques to maximize this intelligence. Visual-spatial is the ability to understand spatial relationships and to perceive and create images; visual art, graphic design, charts and maps. A few of the skills for visual-spatial are; recognizing relationships between objects, representing something graphically, and manipulating images. To maximize the intelligence of visual-spatial you can do the following; develop graphic organizers for new material, draw mind maps/think links, use a computer to develop charts and tables, and use color in notes to organize. Interpersonal intelligence has the ability to relate to others, noticing their moods, motivations, and feelings; social activity, cooperative learning, and teamwork are just a few. Skills for the interpersonal intelligence are; seeing things from others’ perspectives, noticing moods, intentions, and temperaments of others, and gauging the most effective way to work with individual group members. The best techniques to maximize this intelligence are; studying in a group, discuss material over the phone or send instant messages, teach someone else the material, and make time to discuss assignments and test with your instructor. With the intrapersonal intelligence you have the ability to understand one’s own behavior and feelings; self-awareness, independence, time spent alone. Skills associated with this intelligence are; accessing one’s internal emotions, understanding feelings and using them to guide behavior, and understanding self in relation to others. To maximize the intrapersonal intelligence use these techniques; reflect on personal meaning of information, keep a journal, study in quiet areas, and imagine essays or experiments before beginning. The musical intelligence has the ability to comprehend and create meaningful sound; sensitivity to music and musical patterns. The skills associated with the musical intelligence are; sensing tonal qualities, being sensitive to sound and rhythms in music and in spoken language, and using an understanding of musical patterns to hear music. To maximize the musical intelligence you need to use these techniques; create rhythms out of words, beat out rhythms with hand or stick while reciting concepts, write songs/raps that help you learn concepts, and chant or sing study material along with a favorite tune as you listen. A naturalist has the ability to identify, distinguish, categorize, and classify species or items, often incorporating high interest in elements of the natural environment. A naturalistic has skills that give them the ability to categorize something as a member of a group or species, understanding of relationships among natural organisms, and deep comfort with, and respect for, the natural world. To maximize the naturalistic intelligence these techniques are best; break down information into categories, look for ways in which items fit or don’t fit together, look for relationships among ideas, events, facts, and study in a natural setting if it helps you to focus. The two intelligences that apply most closely with me are verbal-linguistic and interpersonal. I would say that I have very good people skills, meaning that I can communicate well with and to others. I can remember terms easily because I write them down on index cards and study them that way. I am always taking notes and going back and rewriting them and then highlighting the most important information out of the notes, that gives me the verbal-linguistic intelligence. I relate well to others and feel that I am a good judge on picking up on their feelings and moods, which means that I have very good interpersonal intelligence skills. I work well in teams or alone, and can get along with just about everyone I meet. I’m really good at putting myself in another’s shoes so to speak, and seeing things from their point of view. With all things considered I feel that these are my two best intelligences, verbal-linguistic and interpersonal.

To Explain Fire Setting Behaviour Psychology Essay

To Explain Fire Setting Behaviour Psychology Essay Intentional firesetting is a costly and serious form of anti social behaviour that can have devastating consequences, both personally and financially. Encapsulating this notion, fire departments in the United States confirmed that in 2007, there were over 300,000 intentionally set fires recorded, causing hundreds of fatalities, thousands of injuries and generated over a billion dollars of financial costs (Hall, 2010). The term firesetting is often used interchangeably with the legal term arson, defining the specific criminal act of intentionally or recklessly setting fire to damage or defraud (Vaughn et al, 2010). Conversely, firesetting is the term used to describe to incidences whereby the deliberate setting of fires may not have been prosecuted for a variety of reasons (e.g. insufficient severity to cause damage or has not been detected as a deliberate fire; identity of the firesetter is unknown; insufficient evidence to gain a conviction; or the young age of the setter; Dickens Sugarman, 2012). Firesetting is therefore applicable to a wider scale of people who deliberately engage in setting fires, than the narrow definition of arson. Existing research suggests that such behaviour is more frequently perpetrated by child and juveniles than adults (Kolko, 1985). However recent findings show that approximately one million people in the United States, and 200,000 in UK have set a fire since the age of 15 (Dickens Sugarman, 2012), thereby suggesting firesetting often continues into adulthood (Blanco et al, 2010; Vaughn et al, 2010). Research into the potential origins of the behaviour indicates that such actions are strongly correlated with a range of individual characteristics and antecedents (Vaughn et al, 2010). What is more, firesetting is a symptom of pyromania, however as the community prevalence of this is apparently rare (Grant, Levine, Kim Potenza, 2005; Lejoyeux, Arbarateaz, McLoughlin Adà ©s, 2002), the suggestion of co-morbidity between firesetti ng and more common types of mental disorder, as found by a range of scholars (Anwar, Là ¥ngstrom, Grann Fazel 2011; Blanco et al, 2010; Bradford Dimock, 1986; Richie Huff, 1999; Vaughn et al, 2010) has been preferred. As a result, these associations have largely featured in the construction of typologies, single factor and multifactor theories that attempt to explain firesetting behaviour. This essay aims to critically assess such theories. A fundamental basis for effective assessment and treatment of criminal behaviour is awareness of, and comprehensive understanding of etiological theory. This provides a core framework from which to plot the interrelationships between an offenders presented clinical phenomena and central psychological variables. Within literature relating to sexual offending, Ward and Hudson (1998) eluded to a meaningful method of conceptualising etiological theory into two types; single factor and multi factor theories (Ward Hudson, 1998). As these figure throughout the essay, it is favourable to address each style. Single factor theories are those which focus on explaining a lone factor and its causal relationship with offending. Conversely, multifactor theories unite various single factor theories into a thorough outline of offending, providing an account of how the factors are merged to facilitate offending behaviour (Gannon, Ó Ciardha, Doley Alleyne, 2012). A further, and relatively underdeveloped form of theory absent from those detailed by Ward and Hudson (1998) is taxonomic classification, or typologies. Here, various offenders are subtyped into groups, based on shared motivational factors, personality characteristics, demographic aspects or a combination of each (Gannon Pina, 2010). These classifications represent unilateral assemblage that when deemed sufficient and reliable, play an effective role in assessment and treatment, as well as feeding into more comprehensive theories of offence behaviour (Gannon et al, 2012). Because of this reason, typologies will feature at the beginning of this evaluation. Before commencing however, it is beneficial to portray what constitutes the typical firesetter. Firstly, reports from several scholars have suggested that the majority of apprehended firesetters are white (Bennett Hess, 1984; Ritchie Huff, 1999; Rix, 1994). Concerning gender, figures confirm that male firesetters are more frequent than female firesetters, for example one study highlighted that in excess of 80% of self reported firesetters were male, equal to a male:female gender ratio approximating 5:1 (Blanco et al, 2010; Vaughn et al, 2010). In support, similar gender ratios that approach or exceeding this are common in various selected samples (Bourget Bradford, 1989; Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Stewart, 1993). Firesetting therefore, appears largely to be a male activity. In relation to age, studies have found that more than half of firesetters were aged 18-35 years, compared to 31% of the non-firesetter control population. In addition, older firesetters were found to be rare, with 4% aged 65 years and over, compared with 16% of population controls (Blanco et al; Vaughn et al, 2010). Other scholars have also reported a tendency towards youth as a risk factor (Bourget Bradford, 1989; Puri, Baxter Cordess, 1995). Therefore, firesetters appear to be generally young and moreover, a large number of studies further show that the majority of which are typically younger than non-firesetting criminals (Hurley Monahan, 1969; Rice Harris, 1991). Lastly, firesetters tend to be low achievers in education and more likely to be unemployed or unskilled than other non-firesetting offenders (Bradford,1982; Harris Rice, 1991), disadvantaged in terms of social class (Hurley Monahan, 1969) and also possess difficulties in forming long lasting relationships, as many are typically reported to be living alone and never to have married (Bourget Bradford,1989; Puri et al, 1995; Ritchie Huff, 1999; Dickens, Sugarman, Edgar, Hofberg, Tewari Ahmad, 2009). Representing the very earliest stages of theory development are typologies, of which there have been many (e.g. Icove Estepp, 1987; Inciardi, 1970; Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Rix, 1994). Perhaps the first researchers to provide a classificatory system for firesetters were Lewis and Yarnell (1951) who, using 2000 reports of firesetting identified four reasons as to why fires were set, these included: unintentionally, through delusions, through erotic pleasure and to acquire revenge (Lewis Yarnell, 1951). This early typology was pioneering since it laid the foundations for other researchers to add to (Bradford, 1982). One scholar who obliged several years later was Inciardi (1970) who examined records of paroled firesetters released from state prisons over a six year period and observed six categories of firesetter: institutionalised, insurance claim, vandalism, crime concealment, excitement and revenge (Inciardi, 1970). A key strength of Inciardis (1970) work was the amount of participants studied, but another was that there were similarities between two of the categorisations proposed by himself, and Lewis and Yarnell (1951). This is significant as the presence of these categories within firesetting can be linked to and supported by other empirical findings. For example, in reference to their erotic pleasure (Lewis Yarnell, 1951) and excitement (Inciardi, 1970) categories, these hold particular relevance to symptoms of pyromania (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), an impulsive disorder characterised by intense fascination with and a desire to associate oneself with fire and fire paraphernalia, though as there are many diagnostic restrictions, the prevalence of pyromania is rare (Doley, 2003). An additional similarity seen between the two typologies (Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Incairdi, 1970) is the inclusion of revenge as a category, which is supported as a motive for firesetting by many scholars (e.g. Koson Dvoskin, 1982; Pettiway, 1987; Rix, 1994). A key criticism of the typologies proposed by Inciardi (1970) and similar ones that followed (e.g, Dennet, 1980; Icove Estepp, 1987; Rautaheimo, 1989) was that their categories were generally too broad (Gannon et al, 2012). Therefore, later typologies used a smaller number of categories using data driven strategies (e.g. Almond, Duggan, Shine Canter, 2005; Canter Fritzon, 1998; Harris Rice, 1996; Rice Harris, 1991), providing an empirically stronger classification of firesetters (Gannon et al, 2012). One such example by Rice and Harris (1996) investigated 11 variables thought to be closely associated with firesetting, in a sample of 243 mentally disordered firesetters. They discovered four categories labelled as: psychotics (motivated by delusions and characterised by few incidents), unassertives (motivated mainly by anger or vengeance and characterised by low assertiveness), multifiresetters (primarily set fires in institutions and characterised by poor developmental experience s), and criminals (likely to operate at night, characterised by poor developmental experiences and, personality disorder) (Rice Harris, 1996). Rice and Harriss (1996) typology is possibly one of the strongest available as not only does it state the criteria required for group membership, but many of their aspects above are supported by empirical research (Gannon et al, 2012). For instance, the presence of personality disorder in Rice and Harriss (1996) criminal category is supported by findings that show antisocial personality disorder is particularly common in firesetters (APA, 2000; Bradford, 1982; Kolko, 1985; Kolko Kazdin, 1991). This is in addition to support for the presence of delusions as a motivation for firesetting, since a link between firesetting and schizophrenia has also been demonstrated (Geller, 1987; McKerracher Dacre, 1966; Richie Huff, 1999). One could argue however, that the presence of psychopathology within Rice Harriss (1996) sample was expected, as it was limited to those who were mentally disordered (Gannon et al, 2012). Although one of the adjudged reasons identified by Lewis and Yarnell (1951) as to why a fire may be set was through delusions (Lewis Yarnell, 1951), and this research was based on a sample free from mental disorder. Shared characteristics of firesetters identified in typologies often help to initiate scholars to explain these through psychological theory, thus our attention is now shifted towards single factor theories of firesetting. Possibly the earliest single factor theory was proposed by Freud (1932), later elaborated upon by other authors (Gold, 1932; Macht Mack, 1968). Here it was hypothesised that firesetting originates from either a urethral or oral fixated sexual drive. Firstly, youngsters are believed to experience enuresis as a means of attempting to extinguish firesetting occurring in dreams and secondly, firesetting is seen to symbolise repressed sexual urges (Gannon Pina, 2010). Other psychodynamic accounts made use of instinctual drives, such as aggression and anxiety to explain firesetting (e.g. Kaufman, Heims Reiser, 1961). However as there is a notorious lack of empirical evidence to offer support to psychodynamic theory (Hollin, 2013), it is unsurprising that there is litt le support this, or the suggestion that that those who set fires find the act sexually arousing (Rice Harris, 1991; Quinsey, Chaplin Upfold, 1989), or that there is a high rate of enuresis amongst firesetters. In contrast, considerably more praise has been gathered by researchers focusing on the role of biology and neurological impairment in order to explain firesetting behaviour (Gannon Pina, 2010). For example, evidence suggests that firesetters have decreased concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid monomaine metabolites (Roy, Virkkunen, Guthrie Linnoila, 1986; Virkkunen, Nuutila, Goodwin Linnoila, 1987; Virkkunen, Dejongm Bartko Linnoila, 1989). Furthermore, Virkkunen et al (1989) found that recidivist firesetters were those most likely to have such abnormalities relative to non-recidivist firesetting, therefore suggesting that such abnormal neurotransmitter defects could account for prolonged and impulsive cases of firesetting. However as firesetting is often co-morbid with impulse disorder (Lidberg, Belfrage, Bertilsson, Evenden Ã…sberg, 2000), such abnormalities are unlikely to be specific to the act of firesetting itself. Perhaps the most supported concept relating to neuropsychological and biological theories of firesetting, is through brain injury. Evidence has found 28% of arsonists referred to forensic psychiatry services had a history of brain injury (Puri et al, 1995) and furthermore, abnormal electroencephalography readings were found amongst arsonists also when compared to non-offending and other offending controls (Bradford, 1982; Hill et al, 1982). Here it is believed that such trauma may exert an exaggerating force that leads one to engage in firesetting behaviour (Kolko, 2002). One main area of praise for biological perspectives of firesetting is that they offer promise for rehabilitation, depending on the nature of the abnormality (e.g. provision of serotoninergic drugs for offenders with low levels of cerebrospinal fluid monomaine metabolites; JoviĆ¡, MirkovĆ¡, MajiĆ¡-Singh MilovanoviĆ¡, 1999). However, cases of firesetting associated solely on biological causes are rare, meaning this may limit professional examination of psychological and sociological factors that are also likely to be associated with firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). The final and most contemporary single factor theory of firesetting left to address is Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1976). The main assertion here is that firesetting is the product of reinforcement contingencies and learning through modelling or imitation (Bandura, 1976; Kolko Kazdin, 1986; Macht Mack, 1968; Singer Hensley, 2004). For example, Vreeland and Levin (1980) propose that firesetting can be instantly reinforcing via sensory excitement connected to fire, in addition to the sirens, noise and crowds elicited by fire (Vreelin Levin, 1980). Furthermore, as positive reinforcement does not necessarily need to be directly experienced for social learning to transpire, learning associated with fire may occur vicariously through mere exposure to fires (legitimate or illegitimate), or key models of firesetting behaviour (e.g. parents and caregivers; Gannon et al, 2012). In support, there is key evidence showing firstly, that firesetters fathers occupations often involve consid erable exposure to fire (e.g. firemen; Stewart, 1993). Secondly, firesetters tend to be raised in environments where fire is more pervasive (e.g. countryside locations; Wolford, 1972), or used as punishment (Ritvo, Shanok Lewis, 1983). And finally, firesetters often orginate from families with a history of firesetting (Rice Harris, 1991). Social Learning Theory can also be applied in conjunction with earlier discussion of firesetting typologies, of which a common category proposed was firesetting that related to revenge or was anger induced (Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Inciardi, 1970; Rice Harris, 1996). For example, Social Learning Theory forecasts that self-regulatory responses are created as a product of reinforcement contingencies. Consequently, poor childhood socialisation personified through exposure to negative developmental experiences and role models are likely to result in aggression, poor coping skills and a lack of assertiveness (Gannon Pina, 2010). As there is a wealth of evidence to support the presence of such traits amongst firesetters (e.g. Ainsworth, 1989; Bowlby, 1969; Jackson et al, 1987; Rice Chaplin, 1979; Rice Harris, 2008; Root, Mackay, Henderson, Del Bove Warling, 2008; Showers Pickrell, 1987; Smith Short, 1995), these are likely to incline individuals towards reckless behaviours (Nagin Pate rnoster, 1993) and launch a propensity to light fires to gain positive environmental control (Vreeland Levin, 1980). Thus Social Learning Theory foretells that various developmental experiences, cues, cognitive perceptions and expectations shape a persons proclivity for firesetting, notably as a form of learnt aggression (Gannon Pina, 2010). However one key limitation is that it is unclear which combination of factors culminates in facilitating other forms of firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). The final type of theory to consider addresses key features of previous theories to present a more holistic view to the path of firesetting, known as multifactor theories. Here, interactions are explicitly defined between individual characteristics and features of the social environmental that are integral to the decision to offend. Within this perspective there are two main approaches to consider. The first of which used Functional Analysis Theory principles (Sturmey, 2008), to explain firesetting as an interaction of antecedents and behavioural consequences (Jackson et al, 1987). Referring to their clinical experience of firesetters, research literature and tenets of Social Learning Theory, Jackson et al (1987) formulated the core associative links hypothesised to produce and reinforce firesetting. Regarding antecedents, five factors were assumed: psychosocial disadvantage, life dissatisfaction and self loathing, social ineffectiveness, factors determining the individuals experienc es of fire and internal or external firesetting triggers (Jackson et al, 1987). Within this paradigm, firesetters are viewed as individuals who, throughout their early years experience significant social difficulties and are unable to satisfy their emotional and social needs through appropriate means (Jackson et al, 1987). However, involvement in fire and fire paraphernalia allows for some control to be exerted over their environment, which is ordinarily unobtainable to them. This is in addition to increased attention from distracted or distanced caregivers such that fire interest is positively reinforced. Such increases in personal effectiveness and self esteem, alongside sensory stimulation of the fire therefore increases interest in fire, thereby mounting the likelihood of firesetting in the future (Gannon et al, 2012). Jackson et al further add that negative reinforcement priniciples may play an equally important role in developing and maintaining firesetting. Here they suggest punitive consequences of firesetting (e.g. rejection, punishment, intense and increased supervision) may strengthen the offenders personal inadequacies already experienced, such that firesetting behaviours are continued (Jackson et al, 1987). A main strength of the Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987) is that there is a wealth of evidence available that favours the hypothesised association between firesetting and psychosocial disadvantage (e.g. Blackburn, 1993; Geller, 1987, Hollin, 1989; Inciardi, 1970). For example, as well as being generally psychiatrically disturbed (Barnett Spitzer, 1994), many firesetters suffer specifically from depression, low self esteem and substance abuse (Coid, Wilkins Coid, 1999; Puri et al, 1995; Repo, 1998). Whats more, researchers also note specifically that firesetters are frequently socially inept and experience maladjustment across several life domains, such as education and employment and peer personal relations (Bradford, 1982; Harris Rice, 1984; OSullivan Kelleher, 1982; Vreeland Levin, 1980). Although, many of these psychosocial variables are found to be common among other types of offender (Hurley Monahan, 1969), therefore it may not be wise to generalise such fin dings wholly to firesetters. Nevertheless, Jackson et als work is deserving of praise in its unification of isolated findings and hypotheses together into one whole (Gannon Pina, 2010), coupled with its relevance for clinicians, helping to underpin and guide contemporary treatment for firesetting (Swaffer, Haggert Oxley, 2001; Taylor, Thorne Slavin, 2004). As in Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987), the other multifactor theory of firesetting known as the Dynamic Behaviour Theory (Fineman, 1980; 1995), followed the view that such behaviour is a product of historical psychosocial influences that shape a persons tendency to set fires through social learning experiences. The theory stipulates that firesetting is the result of an interaction between historical factors predisposing antisocial actions (e.g. social disadvantage), previous and existing environmental reinforcers (e.g. childhood experiences) and instant environmental reinforcers (e.g. external, internal sensory reinforcement) (Fineman, 1995). The latter is further split into numerous variables that Fineman (1995) argues should be explored by clinicians. These include, impulsivity triggers (e.g. rejection or trauma), crime scene features that may provide reasoning behind such behaviour (e.g. target of a specific individual), cognitions and affects prior to, during an d post firesetting, and lastly any external (e.g. financial reward) or internal reinforcers (e.g. satisfaction or sensory satisfaction). Fineman (1995) ultimately hypothesises that firesetting stems from the culmination of interactions between these aforementioned factors, proceeding to recommend careful investigation of each when assessing and treating firesetters (Fineman, 1995). Akin to Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987), Dynamic Behaviour Theory (Fineman, 1995) plays a key role in developing professional understanding of firesetting. A specific strength of this theory was that the attention paid to the more proximal variables related to firesetting, as this expresses how crucial psychological factors contribute to the development and maintenance of firesetting behaviour (Gannon Pina, 2010). Away from these strengths however, is the problem that empirical support for this theory has largely been limited to findings from juvenile firesetters, meaning many mechanisms associated with adult firesetting are left unexplained by this theory (Gannon et al, 2012). This evaluation has shown that the majority of empirical work undertaken with firesetters has focused on the production of typological classificatory systems and the examination of firesetters psychopathological and sociodemographical features. This information is useful in gaining an essential understanding of a variety of motives behind firesetting behaviour and has paved the way for scholars to address the underlying meaning of such motives through etiological theory. This in turn aims to help deliver effective treatments to firesetters. In response, several single factor theories have been applied to explain firesetting, however these are unable to explain the myriad of features that typically interact to facilitate and maintain firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). Though, one key addition to single factor theories is Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1976; Vreeland Levin, 1980), of which key aspects featured throughout both available multifactor theories of firesetting, Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987) and Dynamic Behaviour Theory (Fineman, 1980; 1995). Both multifactor theories hold several strengths, particularly their focus on developmental experiences as a factor explaining interest in, and reinforcement of firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). However, despite being the most appropriate method of explaining firesetting, absent from their accounts is any reference to the full range of risk factors or criminogenic needs associated with the broad range of firesetting behaviours, nor is there acknowledgement of the potential factors linked with a desistence from firesetting (Gannon et al, 2012). This inevitably led to the recent development of the Multi-Trajectory Theory of Adult Firesetting (Gannon et al, 2012) not discussed in specific detail here, but which integrated the current theory, typological, and research findings considered throughout this essay into one sizeable etiological theory of firesetting and its maintenance and desistence.

The Tommyknockers and Nuclear Energy :: essays research papers

The Tommyknockers and Nuclear Energy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tommyknockers, a book seemingly about an alien ship buried in a small town in Maine that affects the townspeople, has a much deeper message about humans and our usage of nuclear energy. There is much evidence to confirm that King as strong views on nuclear power and is trying to convey them in the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  King’s book about himself, On Writing, includes a reference to nuclear war in a passage about his early life. â€Å"I was born in 1947 and we didn’t get our first television until 1958. The first thing I remember watching on it was Robot Monster, a film in which a guy dressed in an ape-suit with a goldfish bowl on his head-Ro-Man, he was called—ran around trying to kill the last survivors of a nuclear war. I felt this was art of quite a high nature.† (34). He later references nuclear superpowers as a fix to overpopulation and a chance to start over (202). Before getting to The Tommyknockers, King seems to have strong ideas about nuclear war. He sees it as the end of the civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word â€Å"nuclear† appears 39 times in The Tommyknockers. The first mention (on page 56) speaks of fear of a power plant during an earthquake. On page 98, one of the main characters, Jim Gardener, thinks to himself â€Å"insanity of nuclear power† and proceeds to ramble on about conspiracies, meltdown cover-ups, and its overall dangers until the end of the chapter on page 114.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Internet article titled with the quote â€Å"†¦late last night and the night before†¦Ã¢â‚¬  has a lot to say about the dangers of nuclear energy being a motif in The Tommyknockers. The author makes the comparison of the way the ship changes people (known as â€Å"The Becoming†) and effects of radiation poisoning. â€Å"The Becoming† also gives people the power to build tremendous technology, such as a super hot water heater or a mind reading typewriter. However, it neglects to give them comprehension of what they are doing. The comparison to nuclear energy there is â€Å"a society of people playing around with powers they don’t understand.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In On Writing, King says â€Å"I don’t believe any novelist, even one who’s written fortyplus books, has too many thematic concerns; I have many interests, but only a few that are deep enough to power novels. These deep interests (I won’t quite call them obsessions) include how difficult it is—perhaps impossible!—to close Pandora’s technobox once it’s open (The Stand, The Tommyknockers, Firestarter) (207)† One can argue however that nuclear energy is potentially one heck of a Pandora’s box.