Selection Of Qualitative Descriptive Method Nursing Essay

Selection Of Qualitative Descriptive Method Nursing Essay Violence and aggression against nurses is a complex occupational hazard facing the nursing profession. Recently, the phenomenon has started receiving a growing national attention. Paradoxically, the job sector with the aim of providing to care for people appears to be at the highest risk of workplace violence. It   is   difficult   to   provide   an   accurate  and adequate definition   of   violence  and  aggression because  the opinion of a person of what  constitutes   violent   behavior   varies   between   cultures   and   social  backgrounds and often   the   limits   between   acceptable   and   unacceptable   behavior   can   be  various.  Ã‚   The  term  aggression is referred generally to the  behavior  that  aims to cause harm to   another  person. On the other hand, with term of violence we call characterize the  attack to  a  person  with  the  intent  to  cause  harm.  Violence  can  be  physical  or  psychological  it  includes:  Ã‚  Threatening  behavior  (expression  of  intention  to  harm,  threatening  body  language,  expression  of  verbal  or  written  threats), Verbal abuse, Humiliation, Destruction of  items, Assault (physical   violence, use of  weapons,  rape,  murder), Robbery. Nurses are among the workers in the workforce that many times during their daily duties can become recipients of a violent behaviour. Too frequently, nurses are exposed to violence primarily from patients, patients families, and visitors. This violence can take the form of intimidation, harassment, stalking, beatings, stabbing, shootings, and other forms of assault. The consequences from such behaviors can be many; first of all there is a risk of injury. On the other hand, the physiological effects for the nurses that faced a violent incident can result to fear, frustration, lack of trust in hospital administration, and decreased job satisfaction decreased desire for their own profession. Especially, if the violent incidences take place in the early carrier stages of nurses can even lead them to leave their profession. Violence not only affects nurses perspectives of the profession, but it also undermines recruitment and retention efforts which is a disadvantage threaten in the pa tients care effort. Problem area There is considerable evidence that workers in the health care sector are at greater risk of violence than workers in any other sector. The National Nursing council of Greece reveled data which indicate showed that half of all non-fatal injuries from occupational assaults and violent acts occurred in health care and social services settings (ENE, 2011). In addition, they reported that in a annually base, almost 10 in 10,000 employees in the health services sector suffer injuries that require time off from work. In a national survey conducted in 2008, the results report that in a generally at least 86 per cent of nursing staff has been the recipient of a violent behaviour during their employment. In the same survey, data demonstrate that less than the half of the physical violence incidents against the nurses were reported to the appropriate authorities (Gerberich et al., 2004). This, it happens mainly because of two reasons: a) The nursing staff has inadequate knowledge information about their rights or they do not trust the national system about the administration of their case regarding the dispensing of justice. b) A big part of the nursing staff has developed the wrong belief that the violent incidents are an expected part of the daily nursing routine that is inevitable. These factors are challenges that should be combated in the nursing profession. The requirements in order to achieve this goal are many; enhance of relevant legislation, administrative support of professionals, improve ment of knowledge of nurses about their rights and the appropriate naming of a legally accepted behaviour. Moreover, the recruitment and retention problem resulting from this violence is especially problematic. According to projections from the Greek Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20.000 new nurses will replace currently working register nurses by the next ten years in Greece. (Greek Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). This number can be consider as a much more higher if taking into consideration the number of nurses that are going to move in specialties that is less possible to phase a violent behaviour from patient of their familys members, for instance working in research area. In addition, recent research data indicate that more than the twenty per cent of registered nurses positions are vacant (ENE, 2001). Furthermore, this reduced number of the health care staff poses a risk regarding the receiving of good quality patient care across the Greek National Health care system, which reasonable is going to be decreased (ENE, 2004). The last years, there have been many efforts to characterize the dimensions size of the phenomenon of violence against nurses; some of them containing educational seminars of the violence in the workforce or the cultural understanding of health care providers about the violence during the performance of their occupational duties. However, only few of such activities have been tested in a adequate level in order to describe set their effectiveness or implemented on a wide scale basis. Sources of Data and Research One of the basic challenges in documenting violence that nurses have faced during their occupation is the absence of systematically organized and collected data in the past. Problems with the availability of data include few data sources to determine the magnitude of the problem and variations in definitions, data sources, and methods used in research. Research Question What are the nursing staff responses when caring for patients who express violent behaviors within the national health care units in Sparta, Greece? Aims and objectives Purpose and specific research issues The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a aggressive behaviour from patients to the nursing staff. There will be an effort to meet the following objectives: 1. To report the experiences and responses of nursing staff when caring for patients with who exhibit aggressive behaviors. 2. To identify effective ways in improving the quality of nursing practice in this area. Research Methodology Here we focus on the research design and method for the research proposal. The selection of the appropriate research method is essential in order to achieve the aims and objectives of a study. Research design, simply can be referred as a map that explains all the conditions and the data under which the study was performed. The basic designs used in most of the research studies in order to collect the data and extract the research questions are methods based on qualitative or quantitative analysis. The goal of quantitative research is to generate research data that can be analyzed using numerical or statistical techniques. It actually focuses on the size, prevalence, frequency and quantifiable aspects of the analyzed problem (Polit Beck 2010). However, many researchers believe that the quantitative approach is limited because it does not address the meaning of life experience in depth that qualitative research can. On the other hand qualitative approaches are mainly suitable for coll ection of information with more a subjective approach regarding the examining phenomenon (Burns Grove 2008). Barbour (2009) suggests that the qualitative method is more adequate in order for studies that are more interested for the effect of a problem on the individuals associated with it. In this project, because of the type of the aims and objectives of the proposed research we have adopted a qualitative approach for analyzing explaining our final data. By choosing a qualitative method for the data analysis, we will be able to provide a detailed in depth explanation of the experiences and responses (Burns Groves 2011) of nursing staff who work with patients who express violent behaviour. Selection of qualitative descriptive method The number of approaches exist within qualitative research are various; some of them focusing on cultural national or sociological effects (Burns Grove 2011). All these approaches can provide us with valuable results, however in our case another qualitative research approach is selected; this method is called qualitative descriptive approach. The goal of qualitative description is not detailed explanation of the problem in order to conclude in the formation of a sociological explanation of a phenomenon. Here we aim for a straight description phenomenon is desired. This means we are not going to move away from the original data (Sandelowski 2000). This data analysis approach can provide as with the advantage of a direct explanation initially and then understanding of the nursing staff responses behaviour. Sample / Population The term of population can be referred as the total number of elements in which data can be extracted from. A sample is a subset of a population selected to partake in a study (Polit Beck 2010) which will be a source of information (Clifford Clark 2004). Identification and determination of the population who is more appropriate for our data collection from is the initial step of our research. The sampling source should be appropriate to provide us with adequate related to our research data. The Qualitative descriptive method is based on the analysis of a large volume of information. For this reason our sample population source is going to be a limited small number of nursing staff. In this project, we are going to use a sample of 50 participants. We are aware of the limitations of small sampling sizes, however qualitative research is more concerned with the phenomenon of interest and not the applicability of the findings in other contexts. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants in the groups will be as follows: Inclusion Criteria à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Nursing staff that have face a violent incident in the past from a patient or from a member of his/her family. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More than one year work experience within the nursing field. Exclusion criteria à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agency staff working in the health care units at the time of the study. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staff with less than one year of work experience. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clinical nurse managers (as many times are responsible, directly or indirectly, for the violent behaviour). Data collection The data collection method should best suit the aims and objectives of the research. In our case the answers to our main research questions cannot be closed type answers. For this reason, we are going to work in a dialogue basis with the participants of the study. This, will provide us the required answers, open type answers about the experience and thoughts of nurses faced a violent incident in the past during the performance of their professional duties (Burns Grove 2011). Pilot study Procedure When the methodology has been developed, it is advisable to test it out before applying it to the actual sample. This procedure of testing it out is done by a means of a pilot study (Welman et al. 2005). According to Burns Grove (2011) a pilot study is simply a smaller version of the actual study done in preparation of a proposed study. Conducting a pilot study will authenticate the feasibility of conducting a larger scale study. This will help the research team to spot any problems with the research methodology and to refine and develop data collection instruments. For the proposed research a pilot study must be tested upon a smaller sample with a similar design as the actual study (10% of the final). A smaller focus group with only five nursing staff will be conducted by the researcher for the pilot study. The participants of the pilot study will not be permitted to participate in the main study. Depending on the outcomes of the pilot there maybe areas in the research methodology that the researcher may need to be modify. Data analysis According to Polit Beck (2010) data analysis is the systematic organisation and synthesis of research data. The analysis of data will take place in parallel with a data collection. The researcher intends to utilise qualitative content analysis. This is the ideal method for the analysis of qualitative description (Sandelowski 2000). Hsieh Shannon (2005) define qualitative content analysis as a research method for the subjective interpretation of the content of text data through the systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns. Inductive and deductive are the two methods of qualitative content analysis. The researcher will use the inductive approach because analysis is derived mostly from raw data. This approach will allow the researcher to immerse themselves in the data to allow new insight to emerge. Ethical Considerations Ethical issues are a central part of the research process (Burns Grove 2011). The principles underlying research are universal and concern issues such as honesty and respect for the rights of individuals in the study (Welman et al. 2005). In Ireland accountability when carrying out nursing research is specified by National Nursing Council (ENE) code of professional conduct for each nurse and midwife which states: In taking part in research, the principles of confidentiality and the provision of appropriate information to enable an informed judgment to be made by the patient must be safeguarded. The nurse has an obligation to ascertain that the research is sanctioned by the appropriate body and to ensure that the rights of the patient are protected at all times. The nurse should be aware of ethical policies and procedures in his/her area of practice. The right to self determination This ethical principal is based on respect for a persons autonomy (Burns Grove 2011). Participants in the research will be allowed to make a free and informed choice without coercion (Holloway Wheeler 2002). Potential participants will have the right to ask any questions concerning the study, refuse to give information and withdraw from the study at any stage. The right to Anonymity and confidentiality According to Barbour (2008) the need to preserve confidentiality and anonymity is an enshrined principle when undertaking qualitative research. Anonymity refers to the safest way of shielding confidentiality (Polit Beck 2010). Details such as names of the participants, location and residential care home names will be kept anonymous throughout the study and within the findings. Also we will ensure that identifying information is safely locked away. Passwords will be put in place to ensure that information in the form of computer software/data the data is not accessed by anyone else other than the members of the research team. Setting up these procedures will prevent any accidental breech of confidentiality (Polit Beck 2010). Proposed outcome of the study A report that will outline the research design together with the procedures applied for data collection and analysis will be written up at the end of the research process. A clear explanation of the findings and results will also be written up by the researcher. The researcher anticipates that the findings of the study will provide insight into the responses together with experiences of nursing staff when caring for patients with dementia who exhibit aggressive behaviours in Spartas health care units. This will also give the nursing staff an opportunity to reflect on their care for people with dementia who exhibit these challenging behaviours. If the findings of the proposed study are consistent with findings in the literature reviewed, then the following recommendations will be made: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increased education and training on aggression mainly focused for nurses in residential care homes. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More research into the nursing staff role in residential care homes to establish best practice à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The introduction of local and national Policies and procedures regarding reporting and recording incidences of aggression exhibited by people with dementia. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Set up of support systems for staff who experience aggression in this environment at a local and national level Limitations This is the first research study that will be carried out by researcher and this lack of experience may add on to the limitations of the study. Risks / benefits

Diversity in American culture Essay

The American culture is one of the outstanding cultures in nature compared with other cultures of the world. The culture of the American people can be regarded as being diversified in nature. (Bernstein N, 2001). The diversity of the American culture is attributed by the fact that America is composed of many ethnic groups with different global origin. The diversity has been found to occur in the dressing habits, eating habits, marriages habits and religion in nature. America has a unique history in nature since it was a founded world which is currently composed of the African –American, White-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and the Indian –Americans. The diversity of the American culture has a lot of controversies which has come into a lot of criticism by the public in general. This paper will try to evaluate the religious diversity among the American people at the same it will try to bring out the driving forces behind this religion diversity. Consequently it will analyze the effects of the religious diversity to the American people. The religious diversity in America has been contributed by the immigration laws which encourage the religious freedom which has created the religious tolerance of the American people. According to Becvar, D. S (1997) â€Å"perhaps the most extreme case of religious pluralism in the world. † . Moreover the American constitution has consequently protected the religious rights of its members. The first amendment of The USA has consequently promoted the right of free worship without any interruptions. Thus the religious diversity has been promoted by the democratic government of the United States of America which has tried to encourage the immigration and at the same time guarating the religious freedom of its citizens. The American religious culture is made of many religious sects. The religious groups which are presently found in America includes the Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Budhism other minority religions (Bullis K, 1996). The religious diversity in the United States of America has proved to be so important to the society in nature, for instance there are a lot of intermarriages between the religious groups. By promoting the intermarriages, harmony is created in the world. The America of today has undergone some radical changes which have created a new America with new religious landscape. Nowdays the number of the immigrants has increased in to a great existent than before. The most growing group which has migrated in larger number is the Hispanics and the Asian groups. Most of the American people have not noticed the radical changes which the religious sector is undergoing in the recent times. We need to focus on such changes and realize that the religious field is currently under metamorphosis. Although the United states of America was being regarded as being a Christian nation, it has become to light that the Muslims have started to increase in their numbers, moreover the Buddhist religion has taken roots in the American land for example the Los Angeles city is a Buddhist city which is recognized as the most concentrated Buddhist city having the immigrants from India,China,Korea and sri lanka. At the same time the immigrants from the Latin America such as from Mexico, Brazil and Spain to the United States of America cities has promoted the growth of the Christianity of the Catholic and the protestant community. According to history the American land has been composed of many religions. The United States of America is undergoing a change in the religious practices. Most of the adults are nowadays have started to change their religious believes from the Christianity since the start of the First World War. However most of the American adults have started to identify themselves with some specific religion. But it has been established that the United States of America is currently losing its protestant members due to the fact that most of the Protestants were executed during the Second World War. The gender ratio has consequently affected the religious groups. It is estimated that 38% -39% of the religious believers are women. moreovcer most of the Muslims are men since the Muslim society allows only men to worship in the mosques, thus the religious practices has been found to affect the number of the believers. The religious believers in the United States of America have been found to affiliate themselves with the political parties. For example the Christian believers affiliate themselves to the Democrat, Republican and the Independents respectively. 56% of those who are the Assemblies of God have preferred to affiliate themselves with the Republican party while 56% of the Jews have preferred the Democratic party. (Burke T,2005). The religious diversity in the United States of America has profound effects on the way people are living. The religion has consequently affected the dressing codes of the individuals, the eating habits of the individuals and the social associations of the involved candidates. On the first case religion has been found to influence the dressing codes of people, for example the Muslim women wears long clothes which are made so that they can not have the direct contact with their male counterparts as it’s believed that it’s a taboo to for the Muslim women to have direct contact with men. At the same time the Hindu men wears what they refer as â€Å"dhoti†. The Christians women on the other hand have a tendency of wearing the trousers and sometimes skirts. Thus it can be concluded that the dressing codes in the United States of America has been influenced by the religion individuals have affiliated themselves to. The religious diversity in the United States of America has influenced the eating habits of the people of the United States of America. Many of the African-Americans are mainly Protestants and hence they have no strict eating habits (Canda. K, 1998). But other Christian members who belong to some sects such as the seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah witness have a lot of the eating restricness. At the same time some Muslim communities are prohibited from eating some foods such as the pork. Consequently the Hindus are prohibited from taking beef which they believe that it is a sacred animal in their religion. In conclusion it can be determined that religion is continuing to play one of the major roles in most people. The United States of America is secular increasingly, you’ve got African groups who bring another dimension of diversity. † in nature and this phenomenon has spread in many states. Baer, H. A (1984) quoted that† In Southern California, we’ve got virtually everyone,† Roof said. â€Å"If you want an indicator of how much diversity there is in Southern California, there are approximately 100 different ethnic Buddhist groups here. With Latinos, it’s similar. With Islam, you get scores of nationalities†. The diversity of the religious believes among the Americans will continue to affect the daily activities of the Americans. References Baer, H. A. (1984). The Black spiritual movement: A religious response to racism. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. Becvar, D. S. (1997). Soul healing: A spiritual orientation in counseling and therapy. New York: Basic Books. Bernstein, N. (2001). The lost children of Wilder: The epic struggle to change foster care. New York: Vintage Books. Bullis, R. K. (1996). Spirituality in social work practice. Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis. Burke, M. T. (2005). Religious and spiritual issues in counseling: Applications across diverse populations. New York: Brunner-Rout ledge. Canada, E. R. (Ed. ) (1998). Spirituality in social work: New directions. New York: Haworth Pastoral Press.

Human Growth and Development Essay

Human development is marked by different stages and milestones over the lifespan. It is expressed over three domains: physical, cognitive and socio/emotional. While human physical and cognitive development is universal, socio/emotional definitions and development vary from culture to culture. Gaining a basic knowledge of human lifespan development will lead to a better understanding of the appearance, perceptions and behaviors of the self and others. Adolescence is a demanding and critical period in life. Failure to meet certain developmental milestones can have serious short- and long-term implications for the individual and society at large. Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development generally occurring during the period from puberty to legal adulthood (age of majority). The period of adolescence is most closely associated with the teenage years, although its physical, psychological and cultural expressions can begin earlier and end later. For example, although puberty has been historically associated with the onset of adolescent development, it now typically begins prior to the teenage years and there have been a normative shift of it occurring in preadolescence, particularly in females. Physical growth, as distinct from puberty (particularly in males), and cognitive development generally seen in adolescence, can also extend into the early twenties. Thus chronological age provides only a rough marker of adolescence, and scholars have found it difficult to agree upon a precise definition of adolescence. A thorough understanding of adolescence in society depends on information from various perspectives, most importantly from the areas of psychology, biology, history, sociology, education, and anthropology. Within all of these perspectives, adolescence is viewed as a transitional period between childhood and adulthood whose cultural purpose is the preparation of children for adult roles. Stages of Human Development The various stages of human development include the prenatal period, infancy, toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. Each stage is marked by milestones in physical, cognitive, and socio/emotional development. 1. Physical Development Physical development has to do with the way that the human body develops over a lifespan. The most rapid and complex human development occurs during the prenatal period. From infancy to early childhood, the physical milestones include developing motor skills like learning to control body movements, walk, talk, speak, use tools like spoons and forks and use the rest room. From infancy to early childhood, humans grow in height, weight and mass and get their first set of teeth. Middle childhood has only a few physical milestones, such as continued growth at a much slower rate and the gain of permanent teeth. Adolescence is the second most rapid and complex time of human development and is when the sexual maturation process begins. Females begin to grow breasts, their hips expand and they grow pubic hair and begin menstruation, which marks their physical ability to procreate. They may grow a few inches more in height. Males have significant growth spurts and develop facial and pubic hair, their voices deepen and they begin to have sperm-producing ejaculations, signifying their ability to procreate. Young adulthood is when humans are at the prime of their physical development. All of the systems are functioning optimally, making this the best time for reproduction. Middle adulthood brings the beginning of physical deterioration, such as the end of fertility in women, or menopause. The decrease in physical abilities and health for both sexes continues through late adulthood . 2. Cognitive Development Cognitive development has to do with the way humans perceive and experience the world and deals with issues like memory, thinking and decision-making processes and concept comprehension. During the prenatal period, cognitive development is highly enveloped in physical development as the primary tool for cognition; the brain is still being developed. During infancy and early childhood, milestones like speaking, comprehension and object differentiation occur. Thoughts about the world are simplistic, and judgments are made in an either/or framework. Middle childhood brings the beginning of concrete and logical thinking, and adolescence brings about a phase where cognitive judgments are often overridden by feelings and impulses because of the body’s rapidly changing physical and biological climate. Young adulthood is the human cognitive prime, as the capacity for rapid and accurate memory, thought processing and information analysis function at peak levels. Perceptions of the world, judgment and morality become more sophisticated and complex. During middle adulthood, humans are experts at problem solving, although they begin to experience some signs of decline with speed in processing and recall. Late adulthood signifies the continued deterioration of cognitive abilities. Theoretical perspectives There are two perspectives on adolescent thinking. One is the constructivist view of cognitive development. Based on the work of Piaget, it takes a quantitative, state-theory approach, hypothesizing that adolescents’ cognitive improvement is relatively sudden and drastic. The second is the information-processing perspective, which derives from the study of artificial intelligence and attempts to explain cognitive development in terms of the growth of specific components of the thinking process. Improvements in cognitive ability By the time individuals have reached age 15 or so, their basic thinking abilities are comparable to those of adults. These improvements occur in five areas during adolescence: 1. Attention. Improvements are seen in selective attention, the process by which one focuses on one stimulus while tuning out another. Divided attention, the ability to pay attention to two or more stimuli at the same time, also improves. 2. Memory. Improvements are seen in both working memory and long-term memory. 3. Processing speed. Adolescents think more quickly than children. Processing speed improves sharply between age five and middle adolescence; it then begins to level off at age 15 and does not appear to change between late adolescence and adulthood. 4. Organization. Adolescents are more aware of their own thought processes and can use mnemonic devices and other strategies to think more efficiently. 5. Meta-cognition – It often involves monitoring one’s own cognitive activity during the thinking process. Adolescents’ improvements in knowledge of their own thinking patterns lead to better self-control and more effective studying. 3. Socio/Emotional Development Socio/emotional development has to do with how an individual is able to handle emotions, relationships, social situations, and the various roles demanded of them by society. Some aspect of Socio/Emotional standards, such as social expectations, relationships, and roles vary from culture to culture. During infancy and early childhood, the primary relationships are with the parents and based on attachment. Environmental exploration, impulsivity, differentiation of self (from others) and the basics of social interaction are learnt. In early childhood, impulsivity begins to give way to control, and awareness of consequences significantly affects behavioral choices. Middle childhood begins the transition from family orientation to peer orientation, which carries on into adolescence. Issues of identify, sexuality and sexual expression, conflict and resolution and internal stability prevail. By young adulthood, the focus shifts from peers to career, social role, building external stability, finding a mate and starting a family. Middle adulthood is met with the psychological and emotional challenges of facing the mid-life crisis, and a life analysis and inventory is taken. Late adulthood marks the transition from the mid-life crisis. Life reflection, acceptance of death, and legacy building or making social contributions also occur at this phase. I. Identity development Among the most common beliefs about adolescence is that it is the time when teenagers form their personal identities. Egocentrism is being performed by adolescents who then form self-consciousness of wanting to feel important in their peer groups and having social acceptance of fitting into the group. Empirical studies suggest that this process might be more accurately described as identity development, rather than formation, but confirms a normative process of change in both content and structure of one’s thoughts about the self. Researchers have used three general approaches to understanding identity development: self-concept, sense of identity, and self-esteem. The years of adolescence create a more conscientious group of young adults. Adolescents pay close attention and give more time and effort to their appearance as their body goes through changes. Unlike children, teens put forth an effort to look presentable (1991). The environment in which an adolescent grows up also plays an important role in their identity development. II. Self Concept Early in adolescence, cognitive developments result in greater self-awareness, greater awareness of others and their thoughts and judgments, the ability to think about abstract, future possibilities, and the ability to consider multiple possibilities at once. As a result, adolescents experience a significant shift from the simple, concrete, and global self-descriptions typical of young children; as children, they defined themselves with physical traits whereas as adolescents, they define themselves based on their values, thoughts and opinions. III. Sense of identity Unlike the conflicting aspects of self-concept, identity represents a coherent sense of self stable across circumstances and including past experiences and future goals. Everyone has a self-concept, whereas Erik Erikson argued that not everyone fully achieves identity. Erikson’s theory of stages of development includes the identity crisis in which adolescents must explore different possibilities and integrate different parts of themselves before committing to their beliefs. He described the resolution of this process as a stage of â€Å"identity achievement† but also stressed that the identity challenge â€Å"is never fully resolved once and for all at one point in time†. Adolescents begin by defining themselves based on their crowd membership. â€Å"Clothes help teens explore new identities, separate from parents, and bond with peers.† Fashion has played a major role when it comes to teenagers â€Å"finding their selves†; Fashion is always evolving , which corresponds with the evolution of change in the personality of teenagers. IV. Environment and identity An adolescent’s environment plays a huge role in their identity development. While most adolescent studies are conducted on white, middle class children, studies have shown that the more privileged upbringing one has the more successful they will be in the development of their identity. The forming of an adolescent’s identity is a crucial time in their life. It has been recently found that demographic patterns suggest that the transition to adulthood is now occurring over a longer span of years than was the case during the middle of the 20th century. Accordingly, youth, a period that spans late adolescence and early adulthood, has become a more prominent stage of the life course. This therefore has caused various factors to become important during this development. So many factors contribute to the developing social identity of an adolescent from commitment, to coping devices, to social media. All of these factors are affected by the environment an adolescent grows up i n. A child from a more privileged upbringing will be exposed to more opportunities as well as better situations in general. An adolescent from an inner city or a crime driven neighborhood is more likely to be exposed to an environment that can be detrimental to their development. Adolescence is a very sensitive period in the development process of one’s life and exposure to the wrong things at that time can have a major affect on decisions someone will make. While children that grow up in nice suburban communities are not exposed to bad environments they are more likely to participate in activities that can benefit their identity and contribute to a more successful identity development. V. Sexual orientation and identity Sexual orientation has been defined as â€Å"an erotic inclination toward people of one or more genders, most often described as sexual or erotic attractions†. In recent years, psychologists have sought to understand how sexual orientation develops during adolescence. Some theorists believe that there are many different possible developmental paths one could take, and that the specific path an individual follows may be determined by their sex, orientation, and when they reached the onset of puberty. VI. Self-esteem The final major aspect of identity formation is self-esteem, one’s thoughts and feelings about one’s self-concept and identity. Contrary to popular belief, there is no empirical evidence for a significant drop in self-esteem over the course of adolescence. â€Å"Barometric self-esteem† fluctuates rapidly and can cause severe distress and anxiety, but baseline self-esteem remains highly stable across adolescence. Girls are most likely to enjoy high self-esteem when engaged in supportive relationships with friends; the most important function of friendship to them is having someone who can provide social and moral support. When they fail to win friends’ approval or couldn’t find someone with whom to share common activities and common interests, in these cases, girls will suffer from low self-esteem. In contrast, boys are more concerned with establishing and asserting their independence and defining their relation to authority. As such, they are more likely to derive high self-esteem from their ability to successfully influence their friends; on the other hand, the lack of romantic competence, for example, failure to win or maintain the affection of the opposite or same-sex (depending on sexual orientation), is the major contributor to low self-esteem in adolescent boys. ECONOMIC CRISES CAN HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Financial crises, at both the global and the national level, are ubiquitous. This raises concern about the human impacts of crises, especially among more vulnerable populations in developing countries. This is particularly true during childhood and youth, when the brain is developing rapidly, and when socio-emotional and behavioral developments are at their peak. Given the cumulative nature of human development, shortfalls or setbacks at any stage of the life course—from the antenatal environment through adolescence—are often difficult to reverse later in life and may have severe consequences for individual development as well as for the growth and development of successful communities. Thus, it is essential to protect and promote human development in the face of adversity. Three interrelated concepts provide the foundation for understanding the potential impacts of shocks on children and youth. a) Timing: Human development is characterized by critical periods of life during which certain investments must be made to facilitate the achievement of specific milestones in development, or stage salient developmental tasks. These age-related expectations for the mastery of particular tasks provide benchmarks for the abilities that an individual should ideally master by different ages, and that are correlated with successful development and transition to subsequent stages in life. Economic crises can disrupt a young person’s â€Å"normal† development by preventing or delaying the mastery of these developmental tasks at specific stages, which—if uncorrected—can have potential long term consequences. b) Context: Development in childhood and youth is influenced by diverse contexts or settings (family, peers, schools, communities, socio-cultural belief systems, policy regimes, and the economy). The relative importance of these settings changes during the life course. Interactions among these settings determine both the transmission of shocks such as a financial crisis to the young person’s immediate environment and the impact of the shock on her development. As development is partly a function of a person’s repeated interactions with her immediate environment (the proximal processes of human development), shocks can disrupt the contexts in which these processes occur, and hinder a young person’s ability to develop successfully. c) Transmission mechanisms: There are numerous pathways through which a crisis can affect the well-being and development of a young person. Crises may be experienced directly at the individual level (through e.g. a change in aspirations and identity), or indirectly through the family, school, or other settings (through e.g. increased parental stress, parental job loss, a reduction in publicly-provided services). The developing person will experience crises through the loss in income, but also through other channels, such as psychological distress. The relevance of each particular transmission mechanism varies depending on the life stage of the person as well as on the context. Different settings may provide protective factors that prevent, mitigate or attenuate negative impacts; these factors can be a source of resilience, facilitating positive adaptive behavior on the part of the developing person. Effects of economic crises on adolescents Adolescence is a crucial stage in a person’s development. Adolescence is marked by profound physical, emotional, and social transitions; the brain undergoes significant neurological development, and cognitive and socio-emotional abilities take shape. While social expectations of the precise timing of certain transitions vary across countries and cultures, all adolescents are eventually expected to make the transition to adulthood, including entering work, becoming financially independent, and starting a family. Adapting to these new roles and successfully managing this transition requires the mastery of three interrelated stage-salient tasks: 3 a. Autonomy and relatedness: As young people mature, they renegotiate their relationships with parents, peers, teachers, and other adults. Settings outside the family, such as the workplace, become increasingly important. Young people must achieve greater personal and financial independence while maintaining positive relationships with parents and other adults. b. Identity: The process of growing more autonomous and defining one’s role in society requires that adolescents establish personal and vocational preferences and aspirations. c. Goal setting and achievement: The ability to define goals and plan and act strategically provides the foundation for subsequent growth and development. ECONOMIC CRISES CAN IMPAIR HEALTHY ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Crises affect the opportunities and support structures available to adolescents to develop the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral competencies needed to master the stage-salient tasks. In particular, crises can lead to: i) Limited and unpredictable employment opportunities: Youth employment tends to be more vulnerable to economic crises than adult employment. Young people are often engaged in temporary and unprotected work—such as seasonal, temporary, and part-time jobs—or in sectors particularly vulnerable to economic fluctuations, such as construction. By constraining employment opportunities, as well as the availability of other entry points into the labor market, such as internships and apprenticeships, economic shocks affect the process of acquiring necessary skills, work experience, and achieving financial autonomy. Worsening labor market conditions can also affect adolescents’ expectations, vocational identity, and personal goals, as the context and perceived likelihood of achieving them may change dramatically. ii) Loss of parental employment and income, and deterioration of family dynamics: The threat or realization of losing income or assets can lead to anxiety among parents, which is then transmitted to adolescents throug h parents’ emotions and behaviors. For example, the quality of parenting can be negatively affected, impairing the development of adolescents’ autonomy and ability to form relationships. Impaired family dynamics are linked to mental health problems and heightened incidence of risky behaviors. Research also shows that adolescents who perceive economic stress within their families have lower self-expectations for the future. iii) Changes in the availability of adult role models outside the family: Crises may not only affect intra family dynamics, but also the availability of and interactions with positive role models in the school or community. Lower public expenditure can adversely affect the quality as well as quantity of schooling, while supervised extracurricular activities and out-of-school programs are often discontinued. These reduce the availability of positive adult mentoring relationships, restricting the support and guidance available to adolescents in mastering their developmental tasks. In addition to these disruptions in their immediate environment, adolescents are more aware than younger children of the impact of shocks on socioeconomic status, and they may perceive economic pressures and stigma more directly. This can lead to additional difficulties with psychosocial adjustment, and influence their self-esteem, identity, future orientation, and efficacy beliefs. THE FAILURE TO MASTER CRITICAL TASKS CAN HAVE NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT. Failure to achieve stage-salient developmental tasks can jeopardize other life outcomes. Although there is considerable heterogeneity across individuals, crises can have particularly negative consequences in the following areas: a) Schooling & Employment: Contrary to the experience of idiosyncratic shocks, such as parental job loss, there is no compelling evidence that young people leave school during aggregate crises to work and support the household. Young people have fewer job opportunities in a crisis; this decreases the perceived returns to entering the labor market relative to remaining in school. On the other hand, diminished opportunities for employment can severely affect those young people who do try to enter the labor market. Early un- and underemployment is known to have serious long-term effects on future employment and lifetime income, and these young people often fail to catch up when the economy rebounds. b) Mental health: By altering their relationships, identity, and goals for the future, unexpected life events can affect adolescents’ physical and mental health. Difficulty in the labor market may lead to hopelessness and lower self-esteem, especially for young people who are in the process of forming occupational identities. In fact, unemployment experienced at early ages is associated with stress, depression, and illness later in life. Mental health problems during youth can also lead to lower educational achievement, increased substance abuse, violence, and risky sexual behavior. c) Risky behavior: Economic adversity and its effects on the adolescent and her immediate environment may lead to greater risk taking, although this response is by no means universal. Crises can diminish the quality of parenting, which in turn may increase the likelihood for delinquency among youth. Similarly, stress and mental health problems have been associated with risky sexual activity. But while young people who experience severe stress are more prone to substance abuse, an income shock that decreases disposable income can decrease the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Significance Having some knowledge about human lifespan development is beneficial for many reasons. It increases self-awareness and understanding, which helps with life planning. If a female is aware of the stages of her physical development, for example, she will know that her natural childbearing years are limited. If she wants to have children, she can use family planning to make choices about her education, career and mate to support this goal. Additionally, this knowledge can be helpful for improving relationships and interpersonal communication and resolving conflicts. Conclusion Human development is marked by different stages and milestones over the lifespan. It is expressed over three domains: physical, cognitive and socio/emotional. While human physical and cognitive development is universal, socio/emotional definitions and development vary from culture to culture. Gaining a basic knowledge of human lifespan development will lead to a better understanding of the appearance, perceptions and behaviors of the self and others. Physical development has to do with the way that the human body develops over a lifespan. The most rapid and complex human development occurs during the prenatal period. From infancy to early childhood, the physical milestones include developing motor skills like learning to control body movements, walk, talk, speak, use tools like spoons and forks and use the rest room. From infancy to early childhood, humans grow in height, weight and mass and get their first set of teeth. Cognitive development has to do with the way humans perceive and experience the world and deals with issues like memory, thinking and decision-making processes and concept comprehension. During the prenatal period, cognitive development is highly enveloped in physical development as the primary tool for cognition; the brain is still being developed. Socio/emotional development has to do with how an individual is able to handle emotions, relationships, social situations, and the various roles demanded of them by society. Some aspect of Socio/Emotional standards, such as social expectations, relationships, and roles vary from culture to culture. REFERENCE 1. Human Development, Diane E. Papalia, 9th edition 2. Boyd, D., and Bee, H., (2006). Lifespan Development, Fourth Edition. Boston, MA. Pearson Education, Inc. 3. Chassin, L., A. Hussong, and A. Beltran. 2009. â€Å"Adolescent Substance Use.† In Handbook of Adolescent Psychology. 3rd ed., Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.; Lundberg, P. et al. 2011. â€Å"Poor Mental Health and Sexual Risk Behaviours in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.† BMC Public Health 11 (125): 1–10 4. Bell, D., and D. Blanchflower. 2010. â€Å"Young People and Recession: A Lost Generation?† Working Paper. Dartmouth College. 5. See for example Duryea, S., and M. Morales. 2011. â€Å"Effects of the Global Financial Crisis on Children’s School and Employment Outcomes in El Salvador.† Development 6. Policy Review 29 (5): 527–46.; Scarpetta, S., A. Sonnet, and T. Manfredi. 2010. â€Å"Rising Youth Unemployment during the Crisis: How to Prevent Negative 7. Long-Term Consequences on a Generation.† Social, Employme nt, and Migration Working Paper 106, OECD: Paris. 8. Carlson, N. R., & Heth, C. (2010). Psychology–the science of behaviour, fourth Canadian edition [by] Neil R. Carlson, C. Donald Heth. Toronto: Pearson. 9. Steinberg, L. (2008). Adolescence, 8th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 10. American Psychological Association (APA). United States Department of Health and Human Services. 11. Carlson, Neil R. (2010). Psychology: the science of behaviour. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada.

The Technique of Improvisation in Acting and Technical Field Free Essay Example, 4000 words

Working in a group parallelly using a very simple storyline can be very useful when using the technique of improvisation. When working in groups the actors could use the comments from their colleagues thereby improving their capabilities during practice and rehearsals. This kind of sharing would lead one to imagine the sequence of logical momentsAlison Oddly, a British educator and artist had started devising theatre from the year 1977. In her book titled, In Alison, Oddey tells us that a comprehensive study on devised work helps to bring out the uniqueness of process and product for every group concerned . (Oddey Alison, 1994) She speaks of another devising process called Forced Entertainment where a group uses an almost random pile of text, images, ideas, and personal experiences, out of which comes the subject matter for a piece . (87) Oddly has dedicated one chapter in her book which is adapted from the work of Augusto Boal, an activist, and director on the subject of improv isation. The exercises that are demonstrated give a wide spectrum of devising approaches which include improvisation of thematic developments, short theatrical bits pertaining to specific areas which the group develops gradually into proper cohesion and taste. We will write a custom essay sample on The Technique of Improvisation in Acting and Technical Field or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The second part of Kerrigan s book deals with helping members of a group to work together productively and without any disagreement.