Technology and Social Interaction Essay Example for Free

Technology and Social Interaction Essay Throughout the years technology has gotten more and more advanced. The better the technology the easier it is for people to stay connected with each other. There are so many ways to contact a person now. You can call/text, email, or even video chat. Social Interaction is getting much better in today’s world of technology. In the past 15 years, the Internet has transitioned from a medium that’s interacted with strictly though desktop computers in homes, offices and computer labs to one that a growing number of people take with them everywhere they go. Whether via laptops, ever-evolving mobile phone devices or through Internet-connected workstations in the office and at home, many are online all the time. (Margolis) The cell phone has really improved over the past few decades. It used to look like a giant brick, but now they seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Cell Phones can basically do anything such as call people, text message them, or even go on the Internet. It is very easy to get into contact with people these days because almost everyone has a cell phone. The Pew Research Center found that half of American teenagers — defined in the study as ages 12 through 17 — send 50 or more text messages a day and that one third send more than 100 a day (STOUT) They even have games on cell phones that people play against other people around the world. Computers have also improved drastically over the decades. Almost everyone has a computer or access to one, which means they most likely have an email account. Emails and instant messages are one of the best ways to stay connected with others. Peer networking sites and instant messaging brings people geographically removed from one another into each other’s lives more casually, making it a daily interactive stream (Margolis). Facebook is one of the most popular social networks on the Internet and keeps everyone in touch with everyone they know who are on that site. Social networking also allows people to share their daily lives and thoughts with one another through outbound messages and walls that signal all of their connections. Although some use social networking sites for limited communication, others spend large periods of their day communicating with contacts through computer and mobile social networking interfaces (Feigenbaum). Technology these days had really helped us have a social life without even being with them in person. Technology has led people to write more and talk less. The ubiquitous and cheap nature of email has made it the backbone of business communication. Emails have the advantage of being able to transmit information instantly to numerous recipients. With the increasing use of email-enabled phones and devices, people no longer have to be at their desks to communicate (Feigenbaum). People no longer have to wait for a letter to come in the mail, email is instantaneously. A great way to connect with people through technology theses days is video chatting, where you can talk to someone face to face over the computer or even cell phone. It is basically a phone call, but you get to actually see the person you are talking to. Video chatting is getting much more popular these days Facebook even added it to their site so everyone can do it. Also there is a website called chatroulette which is a site just for video chatting random people from across the world. With the proliferation of built-in cameras and microphones on computers and mobile devices, broadband connections and program refinements, an average of 300 million minutes of Skype video calls made daily globally, an increase of about 900 percent from 2007, according to data provided by the company. Many more calls are made using other popular software programs, like FaceTime and Google chat. (SCELFO) I believe living in this day and age is very easy to have a social life than it was years back when technology was less advanced. There are so many opportunities now to get into contact with someone. Basically everyone has a cell phone, computer, email account, and a way to video chat. It is so crazy how technology has improved and there will be much more in the future ahead.

Blending Elements Modern And Traditional Fairy Tales English Literature Essay

Blending Elements Modern And Traditional Fairy Tales English Literature Essay Once upon a time, a young girls father took on a new wife after the death of her mother. Along with the stepmother came two daughters. The three of them together had a strong disgust for the young girl. They took away her beautiful clothes, replaced them with old dirty ones, and put her to work. She was repeatedly covered in cinder dust from cleaning the hearth; this led to the stepmother and stepsisters naming her Cinderella. Upon an invitation to a royal three-day feast, the stepmother made it clear that Cinderella was not clean or presentable enough to attend. Cinderella prayed at her dead mothers grave to be blessed with silver and gold. Before the royal feast, Cinderella prayed once more at her mothers grave. As she prayed, a bird bestowed Cinderella a dress of silver and gold and gold slippers. In her new attire, Cinderella preceded to the royal feast where the charming young prince was wooed by her beauty and grace for all three nights. However, each night before the prince ha d the chance to get her name, Cinderella would disappear. As Cinderella was running away on the last night of the feast, her slipper became stuck on a staircase and her slipper was left behind (Grimm 98-102). This may not be the introduction of Cinderella that you have encountered before and you may think that it is missing the fairy godmother and the infamous pumpkin carriage. It is actually an introduction from the real tale of Cinderella, written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 1800s. Most individuals have been acquainted with the Disney light and happy versions of Grimms Folk Tales. This has transformed readers expectations for a fairy tale. As you read the next part of the true tale of Cinderella, you will begin to see the changes made in the Disney versions. After he realizes that Cinderella has left her shoe, the prince proclaims he will have no other bride than the one whose foot fits in the slipper. The first stepsister tries the shoe on and it does not fit. Therefore, to make it fit she cuts off her big toe and goes away with the prince to be his bride. As the prince discovers the blood dripping from the shoe, he returns the stepsister and reopens his search for a bride. Next, the second stepsister tries on the shoe and the shoe does not fit. To make the shoe fit, she cuts off part of her heel and goes away with the prince. As he discovers the blood, he returns to searching for his bride. After requesting to see all of the daughters in stepsisters family and against the wishes of the stepmother, the prince insists that the dirty and not fit to be seen daughter also has a chance to try on the shoe. Happily, the shoe fits Cinderella and she rides away with the prince. At the time of the wedding between the prince and Cinderella, the st epsisters enter and leave the church only for their eyes to be plucked out by birds. One eye each was plucked out upon their entrance and their other eyes were plucked out as they left the wedding. The stepsisters were punished with blindness for the rest of their lives (Grimm 104-106). In this Grimms tale, the reader is left with stepsisters missing parts of their limbs and eventually missing their eyes. Disney broadcasts the stepsisters struggle to make the shoe fit in a more child-approved presentation. The transformation between Grimms tales and Disney stories are based on a viewing audience and more importantly a time period, and a difference between traditional and modern. In Neil Gaimans Coraline, he returns to a more grotesque and gothic appeal for his modern fairy tale and in doing so he blends elements that should be perceived as normal, those that align with modern fairy tales, and other elements that read as grim, unsettling, and in the same way align with Grimms tales. In Coraline, written in 2002, Neil Gaiman introduces Coraline as a young girl who is striving for more attention from her parents. Although it is not apparent, a reader envisions that Coraline is disappointed with her parents and she is possibly wishing for better parents. She is at home (in her flat) and her parents are always working. Also, in this house (two more flats) live a crazy old man, who believes that his mice have the ability to talk, and two old long-forgotten actresses. Bored, Coraline finds a door in the drawing room that when opened leads to a wall of red bricks during the day and at night to her other house. Once through the door, a corridor leads her to a house and parents that look just like hers. The carpet beneath her feet was the same carpet they had in her flat. The wallpaper was the same wallpaper they had. The picture hanging in the hall was the same that they had hanging in their hallway at home, (Gaiman 27). Convinced she was still in her home and that the corridor led her nowhere except back to where she started, Coraline began to pay close attention to those things that were different. Describing a picture that shows a boy staring at bubbles, Coraline defines something uncanny. But now the expression on his face was different-he was looking at the bubbles as if she was planning to do something very nasty indeed to them. And there was something peculiar about his eyes (Gaiman 27). Aside from the boys expression, the uncanny also rests in that the parents in this other house want her, in an unsettling way. They want to spend time with her, play games with her, give her whatever food she wants, and want her to stay with them forever. They want to completely indulge her. Coraline is alarmed by the new mothers strange behaviors, especially since they are so different from her real mothers. As the story progresses, Coraline learns that her parents are missing and this other mother is responsible for their absence. Coraline begins a game with the other mother to find her real parents and other lost souls she encounters along the way. If Coraline wins, she is to get her parents back. If the other mother wins, Coraline must stay with her forever. She resents thinking that this other set of parents were in any way similar to hers and Coraline enters a struggle to outwit the other mother and win her parents back. Comparing to a traditional fairy tale such as Cinderella, both Coraline and Cinderella are in distressed situation. Instead of having an evil stepmother and stepsisters, Coraline has parents that appear to ignore her. However, the fairy tale element prevails when Coraline and Cinderella are both presented with an opportunity to fix their situation. Cinderella is given new attire and Coraline is given a passageway to a new life. Typical of a fairy tale, the main character is exposed to a struggle and to have a happy ending must overcome the situation. To start off with a struggle, both Cinderella and Coraline are assigned seemingly bad parental influence in their lives. Cinderella has a dead mother, an absent father, and a wicked stepmother. Coraline has both a mother and father but they read as very absent in regards to that they ignore her and pay very little attention to her needs and wants. To overcome the struggle in this other life, Coraline finds a creature that is somewhat willing to lend a hand. She finds a black cat, who insists that he does not have a name nor does he need one, and he attempts to help Coraline win the game against her other mother. His most courageous efforts are displayed when he distracts and attacks the other mother as Coraline runs through the corridor to escape back to her real house. The black cat in Coraline is symbolic of the help that Cinderella receives in order to meet the prince. Without her fairy godmother in the Disney version or the prayers and birds in Grimms version, Cinderella would ha ve never made it to the royal feast and or eventually ended up with prince. Gaiman details several elements of modern fairy tales in Coraline. The first element that comes to mind is the child aspect found in several other Grimms tales. Coraline is presented as a young girl slowly gaining her intelligence and independence. By reading her dialogue and actions, she appears to be very bright and witty for her age. At the end of the story, this aspect gives more credit to the main character for surviving their given struggle. In Cinderella, the main character is presented as a young girl, however, she seems powerless in her decision not to stand up or rebel against her stepmother and stepsisters. Through her actions, Coraline appears to be very brave for her age. Also in need of mention, Cinderella appears to be brave when she decides to attend the royal feast against her stepmothers wishes. This entails the aspect of courageous efforts of young children in fairy tales. The second element includes the aspect of characters being put to a test. Coraline is setup with a game against her other mother and she must outwit her in order to see her parents again. Looking at the Disney version of Cinderella, Cinderella must make it back before midnight and if she does not her carriage will turn into a pumpkin and the prince will discover her real identity. The third element is the result of characters living happily ever after. Not to ruin the ending if you have not read Coraline, but Coraline eventually gets to sleep in her real bed in her real house with real parents. The most important aspect of this element is that the main character, the protagonist, is given the happy ending and that antagonist character is in some way punished or left unhappy. In Coraline, the other mother is left Coraline-less and loses the game. In the Disney version of Cinderella, the stepmother is left without a connection to royalty and the stepsisters are left prince-less. While Gaiman includes elements of modern fairy tales, he also includes several elements of Grimms tales. He explicitly includes these elements in Coraline. The first element, which is somewhat unsettling, is the association with pale or white skin. This wife brought two daughters into the house with her. They were white and fair of face but wicked and black at the heart (Grimm 98). This is Grimms first description of Cinderellas stepmother and stepsisters. This shows an arbitrary association with the idea of pureness and the color white. An outside appearance of pure does not imply pure at heart. A woman stood in the kitchen with her back to Coraline. She looked a little like Coralines mother. Onlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Only her skin was white as paper (Gaiman 27). Here, Gaiman allows the first description of the other mother to be of her very white skin color. Evilness is presented with a white appearance in both Cinderella and Coraline. The second element is the aspect of blindness. As Coraline, enters the other house she walks into the kitchen and is presented with her other mother. And then she turned around. Her eyes were big black buttons (Gaiman 28). Coraline sees this other mother for the first time with no eyes. Through reading Coraline, a reader can perceive that the other mother can physically see but the black buttons are symbolic of blindness. On a china plate on the kitchen table was a spool of black cotton, and long silver needle, and beside them two large black buttons, (Gaiman 45). When Coraline is asked about her eyes being sewn over with buttons, she immediately refuses and does not the like the dark and intense glows from her other parents. In Cinderella, the stepsisters are punished for their evil actions toward Cinderella as they are leaving the wedding. Afterwards when they were coming out, the eldest on the left and the youngest on the right, the birds came and pecked out both their other yes: so for their wickedness and falsehood they were punished with blindness for the rest of their lives (Grimm 106). Neil Gaimans takes on Coraline with an additional element of individuality in a gothic approach. This is not a typical element of neither traditional nor modern fairy tales. The most grotesque element in Coraline is the idea of sewing ones eyes over with a black button. With this idea, Gaiman takes the element of blindness one-step further. When Coraline first sees her other mother, she believes she looks just like her real mother but is stunned by her black button eyes. When Coraline sees the black thread and black button on the table in her other house, she is very disturbed. Moreover, while she is locked up in a mirror cabinet, Coraline encounters three children who have lost their souls. It is too dark where she is locked up to see their eyes but a reader could assume their eyes have been replaced with black buttons as well. Here, Gaiman may have wanted to encourage readers to draw a parallel with eyes are the windows to the soul. Symbolically, by threading buttons for eyes, ones soul is taken away. This is a deeper parallel for a reader to notice. It is also something that is a little advanced for a fairy tale. The second element, one that is a little arbitrary, is the idea of removing ones limbs. Disney protects the minds of children by representing the stepsisters struggle to fit the shoe as a simple squeezing real hard to make it fit. Whereas in Grimms version, The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the shoe, stifled the pain, and went out again to the prince (Grimm 104). For the second stepsister trying on the shoe, The girl cut off her heel, forced into the shoe, stifled her pain, and went out to the prince (Grimm 105). Disney has placed a child-filter on the tale. When Coraline successfully closes the heavy door to the corridor, she is relieved that she has escaped from her other mother. However, she is woken up on her first night back at her real house by noises outside her room. These noises are so disturbing that they draw her from her bed. As she gets up and looks in the hallway, it becomes clear to her what was making the noises. It was the other mothers right hand (Gaima n 147). However, there is not much correlation between the removing of the limbs in Cinderella and Coraline, its more of the grotesque aspect of it appearing in a childrens story. A toe, a heel, and a hand all being removed from a persons body. Gaiman removed himself from the appropriate for the viewing of small children and resorted to Grimms nature of scaring children. Gaiman removed a typical Disney-filter. Neil Gaiman also uses additional describing elements to add to Coralines grim nature. In a 2010 Coraline classroom study guide entitled Identity and the Uncanny, author Peter Gutierrez described Gaimans work as a dark, intensely psychological, modern fairy tale. Coralines other mother eats beetles and wants her to play with rats, two activities that can easily be described as unsettling. In addition, Gaiman removes the Disney castle aspect. Coralines parents do not even own a whole house; they live in a flat of a house, particularly a creepy one. First, the gothic appearance of Coralines house should be notes, with its outside staircase, its cellar and attic, its dark corridors and, most strangely, the door in the drawing-room that seemingly leads nowhere: behind it there is a brick wall (Rudd 160). In most Disney fairy tales, the main character is perceived as beautiful, charming, and sometimes enchanting. Neil Gaiman strays away from these perceptions and portrays Coraline as a loner. School is not in session and none of her friends live around or near her. She enjoys tea with the old women that live above her flat and likes to explore by herself. She does not appear to be social and loved by everyone. Coralines loneliness is exhibited in her action of writing for her mother MST on the first line of a paper and on the second line writes I. The I has clearly been dropped or lowered from the word MIST. In an essay written for Childrens Literature in Education, author David Rudd comments on Gaimans portrayal of Coralines seclusion, Coraline is clearly the lonely I which, punning on the word above, is not missed (i.e. she is overlooked). But is she refusing to be contained by the mist or would she like to be part of it, having the mist descent and embrace, or envelop her? (160). G aiman does not describe Coraline as beautiful, intelligent, nice, or loving. She only appears to love her parents when they are taken away from her. Her character is simply read as lonely and somewhat annoying to her parents. This is not a typical main character for modern fairy tales. However, this is what classifies Coraline as an even more modern fairy tale because it reaches out to children that are lonely and that are not as blessed as some other children. Gaiman attempts small advances at creating a new genre of fairy tales. A recurrent theme in Neil Gaimans work, from Sandman to Stardust, is the way in which the magical, archetypal and mythological rub shoulders with our everyday reality. In fantasy stories there are often physical portals or membranes through which a protagonist must travel to reach an alternate world, (Gutierrez 5). Neil Gaiman has experience is morphing stories to have a grotesque appeal. For example, Neil Gaiman wrote a book titled The Graveyard Book, a modern spin on Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book. Instead of a young boy left in the jungle to be raised by animals, a young boy is left parentless and is raised by the inhabitants of a graveyard. Mrs. Owens, a ghost in the graveyard exclaims, Of course its a baby and the question is what is to be done with it? (Gaiman and McKean 4). Here, Gaiman just removes the aspect of a jungle and replaces it with a haunted graveyard. He has swapped talking animals for ghosts and other non-real beings. After Mrs. Owens agrees to look after the baby, another inhabitant of the graveyard responds with his opinion, I do. For good or for evil-and I firmly believe for good-Mrs. Owens and her husband have taken this child under their protection. It is going to take more than just a couple good-hearted souls to raise the child. It will take a graveyard (Gaiman and McKean 15). Aside from creating unique and grotesque fairy tales, Gaiman does not stray too far off the beaten path with the way the story ends. Coraline has a very happy ending, and she survives her struggle. David Rudd also writes Neil Gaimans Coraline fits centrally within this tradition, invoking the fairy tale at the outset with its epigraph from G.K. Chesterton: Fairly tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. In both Coraline and Cinderella, we get a happy ending regardless of any association of if the story is true or not. To explain the epigraph, these stories tell us that fairy tales are not intended for us to believe in fire-breathing dragons, fairy godmothers, or other realms but they are intended to teach readers that we can overcome anything if we try hard enough. Aside from the grim and unsettling, Gaiman includes this epigraph to suggest a moral to the story. Gaiman wrote Coraline to be grotesque and gothic, to have traditional and modern fairy tale elements, and to teach readers triumph. Gaiman could easily write his own epigraph: Look to Cinderella to teach you that wishes can come true and look to Coraline to teach you to be careful what you wish for.

Durango Street :: essays research papers

Durango Street Durango Street is a novel by Frank Bonham. He writes about a young boy who lives in an extremely bad neighborhood. His name is Rufus Henry. Rufus was in a correctional camp for stealing a car. In the camp he met a friend named Baby. Baby lived where Rufus's mother had moved. Baby got released a little bit before Rufus and then went on to his home "the flats." Rufus was left out from camp with a parol officer. His parole officer tells him not to get involved with gangs but Rufus knows he has to join a gang to survive. He runs into one of the local gangs The Gassers, and gets into a little fight with them and the leader Simon Jones. He gets away in good condition, but knows that The Gassers are goin to be looking for him. So he finds his friend Baby and joins the gang The Moors. Rufus gets beat up into the gang, and soon after takes over. He beats up the leader Bantu. Rufus the takes contorl of the gang. The rival gang knows about this, and then beats up Rufus's little s ister. Rufus then gets back at them and beats up the gang and blows up there car. He then meets up with a man named Alex Robbins. The man is a social worker who "sponsors" or helps gangs. They have meetings every week and talk about The Gassers and ideas they have. Alex suggests to go to the local football team (TheMaurders) and watch them train. Little did Alex know is that Rufus has an obsession with their star running back Ernie Brown. Ernie is actually Rufus's father, but no-one knows except Rufus and his mother. Simon Jones steals Rufus's book of Ernie Brown that he keeps in secret and in provate. Simon then reads it in front of everyone how Ernie is really Rufus's father. This makes things with the gangs very hostile. The Moors then meet these two girls named Nonie and Jannet. They talk with the gang and convince them to throw a graduation dance. The gang rounds up some money and has the dance. The Gassers try to ruin it by setting off smoke bombs in the ventalation systems, but the dance is not spoiled but turned out great. After the dance Rufus and Alex talk about Rufus going back to school, and they end off with a nice smile.

Reiki Therapy Essay -- Research Japanese Papers

Reiki Therapy The History of Reiki According to the Reiki Holistic Healing at Christal Center web page, the word â€Å"Reiki† is defined as the Japanese word for â€Å"universal energy†. Reiki therapy is a â€Å"laying on of hands† by a therapist who has studied Reiki, and therefore has enabled him/herself to provide a channel of healing energy for their clients. Although Dr. Makao Usui, a Christian monk, is credited with rediscovering Reiki therapy in Japan during the 1800’s, believers say this therapy dates all the way back to when Jesus healed others through his touch thousands of years ago (http://www.cwizard.com/christal/reiki.htm). Wade Ryan (a Reiki Master) claims in his web page on facts about Reiki that this is not a religion, but that the spiritual energy received by clients often leads to an expansion of one’s own personal faith (http://www.freeyellow.com/members/Reiki/page1.html). â€Å"The Three Reikis† (http://www.freeyellow.com/members/Reiki/page2.html) explains that about five years ago distinctions for three forms of Reiki were recognized. The three forms are Usui Reiki, Vajra Reiki, and Karuna Reiki. Usui Reiki is the traditional form of Reiki rediscovered by Dr. Usui. Usui Reiki is noted for being a very gentle therapy, and therefore appropriate for adults and children seeking to maintain their good health, for providing energy to those who are lacking it due to illness or treatment, and also for the elderly. During Usui Reiki, the Practitioner’s Hand Positions are centered mainly on the head or torso. Although most Practitioners are satisfied with Usui Reiki Ability, those who are interested in a wider range of Healing Energy (i.e. caregivers of the extremely ill) would be more interested in Vajra R... ... very few studies out on this topic, and those that are out seem to disagree with each other; some are in favor of the benefits of Reiki, and some claim that these benefits only exist because of psychological reasons or don’t exist at all. Although Reiki is an ancient practice, it is just beginning to become popular in modern medicine. We can expect more and more research to be published in the near future as more studies are conducted and completed. Bibliography Green, CA (1998). Reflection of a therapeutic touch experience: case study 2. Complementary Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery, 4(1), 17-21. Samarel, N. (1997). Therapeutic touch, dialogue, and women's experiences in breast cancer surgery. Holistic Nursing Practice, 12(1), 62-70. Thornton, Lucia Marie (1993). Effects of energetic healing on female nursing students. MAI, 31/01, 284.

gregory peck :: essays research papers

Gregory Peck, the well remembered actor, began his acting career in the 1940’s, People loved him and respected him on and off the stage. Not only was he a talented man, he was also very generous and deeply involved in politics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of this great actor began on April 15, 1916 in La Jolla, California (Fishgall insert). The name Gregory had been a family name, but Bunny, Peck’s mother, did not find this quite suitable for her son. She searched through her yearbook and chose the name Eldred. Her new baby boy was to be named Eldred Gregory Peck (Fishgall 23). Three years later, Peck’s parents, Gregory Pearl Peck and Bunny Peck, filed for divorce (Avery 143). After the divorce of his parents, he was sent off to live with his grandmother, Catherine (Fishgall 31). Over the next couple of years, he was forced to separate his time between his mom, dad, and grandmother (Avery 133).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peck’s love for the movies came early in his life. As a young boy, he stumbled upon the making of a film. He says it was one of the most memorable experiences he’s ever had (Fishgall 29, 30). In the fifth grade, Peck performed in his first play, not knowing there would be many more to come. It was called â€Å"Pandora’s Box†, based on the Greek myth (Fishgall 31). Peck would not return to the stage until college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While in high school, although being shy, he participated in sports and various organizations. He was a member of San Diego High School’s rowing and football teams, and also took part in the glee club called Walter (Pop) Reyer. â€Å"If you could hit a few notes, you were in. I tried never to be heard,† Peck recalled (Jones 2). After growing eleven inches between the ages of fifteen and seventeen, he was a skinny and gawky six   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hilley 2 foot two inches tall teenager. This of course not convincing himself he was attractive in any way. One man remembers, â€Å"He had dark black hair that he kept perfectly combed. He wore a lot of pastel colors in those days and was quite sought after by the opposite sex† (Fishgall 36). Secretly, Peck idolized the star of the varsity football team, praising and looking up to anything that he did. He said, â€Å"I was too shy to speak to him, but I used to watch him, admire everything that he did, and glow over his triumphs† (Fishgall 35)

Interpersonal Communication Essay

My name is Tralisa King and I am writing to inform you that I have received your letter and would first, like to congratulate and wish you, both well in your new ventures as a family in Holy matrimony. I understand that you would like my advice on producing a long – lasting and happy relationship. I do feel the need to advise you, that I am not a relationship therapist by any means. However, as you both are aware, I have taken a course in interpersonal communication and would be more than happy to provide you with as much knowledge as possible that I have obtained from this course. I hope that based on what I have learned in class, the articles I have read, and my personal experiences you will find some of my advice to be informative or at least gain enough interpersonal communication skills needed to resolve any issues that may arise in your relationships in the future. â€Å"Communication is not simply the exchange of words and information; it is the means through which we share knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and feelings with other people. Interpersonal communication is the way people connect with other people.† (Sole, 2011) Learning to communicate effectively can and most likely will be the foundation, you both will need in order to develop, maintain and/or keep a productive, calm, and strong relationship and/or marriage. Communication is a skill that is never perfected, I have been married for over twenty years and if it had not been for the grace of God and learning to build our marriage on the foundation of communication, I do not think our marriage would have lasted. Although we have found a way to communicate, communication remains a work in progress and there are times when our communication is not up to par. Recognizing how words have the power to create and affect attitudes, behavior, and perception: Words are very powerful and if not used correctly can cause a physical as well as a mental drain upon one’s marriage. Words have a way of bringing out the best and/or the worst in a person. Even the Bible speaks of the power of words in several passages throughout the scriptures. . Sometimes it is not the word alone, it can be the way in which the word is represented that can bring out the best and/or worst in people. The word Ni—r for example, although I am a black female, I do not use this word nor do I allow it to be used in my presence without addressing my disapproval of the word. I have never based my life on what others say, think or feel about me. However, I would be lying to myself if I did not admit that there are still things including certain words that create an immediate emotional and/ or physical reaction if approached to me incorrectly. My children on the other hand, use this word relentlessly while speaking with their friends but are ready to fight at the drop of a dime if called that of a Caucasian person. There are females that get offended by the word B—ch, however this is a word that does not offended me regardless of the presentation, not saying that it shouldn’t offend me; I’m just saying it don’t.. I remember as a child, when being teased by someone, my parents would say, â€Å"words never hurt anyone.† However, todays’ bullying is proving that words can kill. Words and the way in which we use them can have an effect on others behavior, attitude, and perception of not only you but also themselves. â€Å"Negative connotations often act as triggers to derail your interpersonal communication. We all have trigger word’s that create an immediate emotional reaction when we hear them† (Sole 2011) By understanding the power of one’s words and learning away to use, those without offending the other can help to defuse any argument, misunderstanding or anything else that would eventually lead to hatred or possibility of divorce. Remember, one can apologize for the words they say but they cannot take it back; and being forgiven by your partner does not mean that your partner will forget. Listening -develop strategies for active, critical, and empathic listening-Perceptions, Emotions, and Nonverbal Communication One is generally born with some sort of interpersonal communication, such as a baby crying. Generally, a baby crying is their way of letting one know that they are displaying some type of discomfort. After a while, one’s way of listening allows them to decipher that baby’s cry, understand their need and/or discomfort and act accordingly. A baby also uses non-communication, such as responding to a familiar voice or sound, which they often associate with care such as food, warmth, or a touch perhaps. This is also true in a marriage, the longer you are married the more nonverbal communication, and you are likely to develop. â€Å"Nonverbal communication is defined as the communication of a message without words; which means that it encompasses a wide range of vocal and visual signs and behaviors† (Sole, 2011) I am famous for rolling my eyes, walking off, or simply giving a person a blank stare when I don’t agree with them or simply just not wanting to be bothered. Misunderstanding is often due to one’s body language; although my body language often is a response to the situation at hand, this is not necessarily true for my husband. My husband has an annoying habit of sucking his teeth sarcastically when he does not agree, he does this so much, that at times I am not sure he notice he is doing it. Tammy it is important to decipher your husband’s intent of his body movement; because we as women have, the tendency of jumping into conclusion and like my husband it could be a simple habit, vice versa for you Bill. It is also important that the two of you develop an effective strategy for active, critical, and empathic listening. â€Å"Researchers report that most of us spend more time listening than we do talking; however, most people have had little education on how to be an effective listener, which requires focus and attention.† (Sole, 2011) While most people think they are fairly good listeners, studies show that the majority of people listen poorly and inefficiently (Lee & Hatesohl, 1993) (Sole, 2011) Mr. and Mrs. Jones I have learned that, how one listens can and most likely will have an impact upon the way in which one communicates. At the same time, how well one listens’ can have an impact on the sincere qualities they develop in their marriage and/or relationship with others. It is the failure to listen that causes a lot of mis-communication and is one of the main factors of many divorces. I also have learned in my studies how to distinguish four types in the way in which one listens. The first is comprehension listening, which is listening to obtain some type of knowledge, more likely to be done in a meeting, seminar, or group of discussion (classroom environment of some sort). The second type is evaluative listening; this is listening to someone who is trying to pre-sway another in complying with his or her thoughts, ideas and/or opinions. â€Å"In these conversations, it is important that you listen for the speaker’s main points and determine their strengths and weaknesses so that you can formulate an effective response such as countering the arguments or presenting important points that the speaker may not have included.† (Sole, 2011). Although this is good in some cases, I do not suggest you use this type of listening when it comes to communicating with each other because it may make the other feel attacked, which they will feel the need to defend th emselves or cause them to become withdrawn when communicating. The third type of listening is empathic listening, which I highly recommend for the two of you. This is something my husband and I practice a lot it allows us to connect and gives us a better understanding of each other’s thoughts without judgment for the most part†¦ Last but not least , appreciative listening, I recommend this also because is show that you are interested in each other and interested in what each other have to say. Not only did I learn four types of listening, I also learned that there is a process that â€Å"requires six distinct components† (Sole, 2011) when it comes to listening, which are: ïÆ'˜â€Å"Motivating oneself to listen† (Sole, 2011) – This entails keeping an open mind, being attentive at all times, being aware of the nonverbal communication such as movements, eye contact, facial expression or anything else that is accompanied with the discussion at hand. â€Å"Clearly Hearing the Message† (Sole, 2011) – Ma ke sure you can clearly hear what the person is saying and try to eliminate any noise that may be a distraction to you at that time. â€Å"Paying Attention† (Sole, 2011) – try not to speak while the other is talking and focus on what the person is saying rather than focusing on your response. ïÆ'˜â€Å"Interpreting the Message† – â€Å"To correctly interpret a message, you must know what the symbols mean to the person who is using them, and we all interpret symbols differently.† (Sole, 2011) I believe this is more of a written message than it is for a fact to face conversation†¦ ïÆ'˜â€Å"Evaluating the Message† – â€Å"When you have heard and attended to a message and then interpreted it, you must then decide what you think or feel about that information. The results of this evaluation usually determine how you will respond.† (Sole, 2011) On a personal note, I am not sure how one can do this and remain attentive to the discussion because it would seem that one would be more focus on the response than they would the conversation. ïÆ'˜â€Å"Remembering and responding Appropriate† – This should happen at the end of the discussion once the speaker has finished expressing himself or herself. At this time the other should ask any question necessary to get a complete understanding, it is important to never assume anything because the inaccurate assumption is a sure way to bring confusion into your relationship. Once you have established the skill of effective listening, it becomes a little easier to solve and/or avoid communication problems. Trust and self-disclosure Trust is another key element in one’s marriage. In order to build trust one must be willing to expose oneself to self- disclosure. I recently did a report in my class on an article â€Å"Can We Talk?† by Nara Schoenberg, which spoke about the importance of communication. In my report, I spoke of trust and self – disclosure. I stated, â€Å"I do believe that finding new ways to communicate can help to develop a stronger relationship. I also believe that the quality, as well as the quantity of communication is the foundation in which a relationship is built on. One also needs truth and understanding. Knowing that the discussion one is having is based on pure truth is of great importance; being dishonest to spare another’s feelings or to cover up something is just as bad as not speaking at all. One must also have an open mind when conversing, being able to understand the difference of opinion and not focusing on who is wrong or right helps to establish a common ground and growth. With all this being said, I do agree that sharing one’s feelings, fears, doubts and perceptions can help to build a healthy and happy relationship of any kind. At the same time, it can also be dangerous placing this much information or trust in someone that may because you harm†¦ Self- disclosure increases trust within the relationship because it provides â€Å"understanding of your inner thoughts and feelings will significantly impact how you see others, especially with your spouse, who will increase your ability to share your innermost feelings. (Sole, 2011). However, I feel the need to advise you that I feel one must have complete trust with the other before taking this step. My marriage did not have this in the beginning, it took a little time for us to build this type of trust in each other because this consist of sharing one’s private feelings and sometimes secretes that only you know about yourself. Once these feelings and secrets are exposed to the other, it leaves you vulnerable which depending on your partners’ intent could either bring you people closer or tear you apart. Do not get me wrong it was not that I did not trust my husband in the begging, I honestly felt uncomfortable with being vulnerable to anyone including him. Having said this, if you genuinely love each other, there is a strong possibility that you will begin sharing things you would never have shared before without giving it a second thought. The discrepancy I had with the article was Orbuch’s advice was to â€Å"consider setting aside 10 minutes a day for quality conversations.† (Schoenberg, N. 2011, January 17). This suggestion may be good for couples that have been away from each other or if someone in the relationship had an event that has happened to them that, they would like to share with their spouse. However, I work at home and my husband does as well because of this, we are together for the majority of the day and although we love each other’s company, there are times we just like to share our time together in complete silence or talking about things that has no value, like a TV show or trashing talking while playing pool. Most importantly there are times we just want to be left alone. Whatever the case may be, I feel that this approach varies depending upon the couple, the environment and/or the situation. I stated in that report, â€Å"In order to have the type of communication that the article speaks of, one must first have a full understanding of consistent quality communication because there are many ways one can define quality communication; there will never be a sure conclusion or a quick fix when it comes to communicating within a relationship.† (King 2012) Had I been talking to my sister or husband they would have understood this concept in depth. Due to the fact I was speaking in general my teacher advised me â€Å"I failed to include supporting details or examples to bring validity to my claim.† (Miller, 2012) In which I feel she was 100% right. However, this proves that one’s approach varies depending upon the environment and/or the situation. Regardless of the impact or lack of this article had on me, I do recommend that the both of you read this article and share your thoughts it may have a different outcome, and give you a better insight on the importance of self-disclosure. Other articles I think can be beneficial in your marriage are; â€Å"Shared Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance† (Bower, 2010) â€Å"speaks about conversation and the impact it has or can have in one’s relationship and/ or friendship. The article talks about a variety of studies done such as speed dating†¦. Within that experiment, they found that† (King 2012) â€Å"opposite – sex are more likely to express mutual interest when using similar speaking styles than those who differ.† (Bower, 2010)â€Å" Another study showed that young couples in a committed relationship, whom used similar writing styles during 10 days of instant – messaging chats, we’re likely to stay together.† (Bower, 2010) and the article, â€Å"Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication† (Health Day News 2011) show how one’s communication with others, lack of communicational skills. This article speaks of a study done on married couples that explored the amount of mis-communication or lack of communication one may have in their relationship. Although the researchers pointed out some valuable information they gained from their studies, they left much to be questioned when it comes to communication in one’s marriage. Identify the barriers to effective interpersonal interactions†¦ Interpersonal communication barriers compose a negative impact in our everyday life on the way we interact with others; rather it is in our jobs, with our friends or our family life. Reason being, we are all different therefore we all have different personalities, emotions, our priorities differ as well as our emotions. It is difficult to identify all the things that create Interpersonal communication barriers, however, I believe that the root of the problem when entering or within a marriage consist of personal emotions, lack of desire to participate and/or explore in conversation. Emotional barriers in a marriage are the hardest thing to conquer. This is because one’s feeling and/or emotions are more likely the ultimate way in which one bases their decision. The problem with this is one’s feeling and/or emotions are comprised of the things that surround us, such as little sleep, anxiety, problems at work, or just generally having a bad day. That one bad day can lead to a bad decision or unintentionally building barriers to protect our feelings and /or emotions. Working on improving your interpersonal skills will allow you to identify each other’s barrier. Once you are able to identify the barrier of your significant other, approach them with it by asking questions to find the cause of the barrier. In a relationship, it is important to break the barriers as soon as possible. The two other barriers you will want to avoid in your relationship lack of desire to participate and/or explore in conversation. The fastest way to ignite an argument and possible build permanent barriers between one another is when one is trying to communicate with the other and your partner is clearly not interested in what you have to say; one not being willing to explore is the other. The unwillingness to acknowledge the possibility of your spouse ideas, opinions, and priorities can cause them to feel belittled and guarded. Keep in mind this is what you are trying to avoid†¦ Remember, there is no permanent solution in obtaining a perfect marriage but as all things in life, a successful marriage requires patients, self-control, and determination and the more you practice the easier it becomes.

Comparison of the Great Gatsby, Leisure Class, and Teaching in Tehran Essay

Class differences in rescript are a study impact on the lifestyle of people. tied(p) today we can stop how it cause how a person experiences their life. In The bulky Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we can clearly see how Gatsbys neighborly side changes firearm in Reading Lolita in capital of Iran by Azar Nafisi we can see how physique differences belief the opinions of the people in the correct. The opening of the vacant Class by Thorstein Veblen likewise demonstrates the philosophy and the dynamics of the differences between the rich and the light.In these three works, status is visualized as a dominant throw in shaping unmatch up to(p)s educational and/or favor com mensurate experience. In The Great Gatsby we can see how ones status effects a persons educational and/or social experience. Gatsby was born into a poor family and so he wasnt adapted to get a proper education. preferably he worked as a clam-digger and a salmon-fisher, unlike Tom and Nick who had the scoop up education due to their high status and abundance of money. Gatsby had a assorted social experiece from Nick who was raised as a ladened young boy who k rising of his status.This acted as a confidence booster, one that informed him of his identity. Nicks father one time said to him Whe neer you feel like criticizing anyone mediocre remember that all the people in this world start outnt had the advantages that youve had (1). Gatsby, on the other hand, had a different social experience. Gatsby wasnt spoiled and became mature at a younger age. However, when Gatsby moves to western United States Egg, his educational and social experiences flat differ from his late(prenominal) due to him being a higher status.Gatsby, now a wealthy universe, is able to pursue an education with to a greater extent confidence. He is also able to experience a new social standing. An example of him excercising his new wealth and position in society is his hosting of popular parties in which he is able to observe how higher class people interact. Despite this he is always uncomfortable with the rest of the higher class and is barely a spectator of his parties. He never really fits in because although he is now a higher class, he grew up poor with different ideals.Growing up in a different surround made Gatsby think that with money he can achieve anything even his end of attaining Daisys love. His naivety with money steers straightforward class division between poor and rich. Interaction between men and women in Tehran make women symbiotic on men. Gender plays a role in determining staus in Tehran. No division how poor a man is he is seen as having more than than status than most women. In the excerpt Reading Lolita in Tehran, we can see the different educational and social values between men and women.Since men are raised persuasion they have the superior status and their mindset on women are all similar. opposed men, women are forced to be dependent on the male because of Tehran laws. This restricts women to do what men want to. Educationally twain men and women were taught in this excerpt ,but how they perceive education was different. For a very religous man like Mr Nyazi, The Great Gastby as a book goes against eveything he believed in. Religon and his beliefs made him more narrow-minded and unable to look at the whole picture, making his argument prejudice.Mr. Nyazi lay outd, West is our great enemy, it is the Great Satan, not because of its military machine might, not because of its economic power, but because of its benighted assault (126). For a woman in Tehran to be able to argue back to a man was a big deal. Zarrin had a less biased view than Mr. Nyazi arguing how he wasnt reading critically enough. Zarrin said, An inablility to read a novel on its own terms. all(a) he knows is judgement, crude, and simplistic exaltation of properly and wrong (128).In this particular society, grammatical sex activity is a status t hat is even more difficult to break through than wealth. being born into a wealthy family meant that you have many advantages. In The Theory of the Leisure Class we can see how the standards of the wealthy are very different from the poor. be born into a higher class also comes with social pressure to be like everyone else and be different from the poor. Thorstein speaks of somewhat guidelines wealthy people follow to show off their wealth to say Im not poor ,but rich.At this tage of wealth consists chiefly of slaves benefits accruing from the possesions of the riches and personal service and the immediate products of personal service(1). What the wealthy experience is very different from the poor. The wealthy has more freedom of choice, having more leisure time to do what they please, enchantment the poor must work unremarkable to survive. Whether through status or gender ,these roles in society inevitably effect the experiences and oppurtunities that are offered. Gatsby bein g how he changed from the put down class to the higher class or even how Zarrin viewed The Great Gatsby versus Mr. Nyazis view.