Storm Born Chapter Twenty-One

I shot up, anger coursing through my body as I stared at that smug face. A heavy, bejeweled crown sat atop his brown hair, and he wore a close-fitting black satin dinner jacket. â€Å"Don't look at me like that, Lady Markham,† he told me in a voice both pleasant and hostile. â€Å"Dorian will not protect you if you start trouble in his home, no matter how advantageous you are as a lover.† â€Å"Fine. I'll just have to kill you somewhere else.† â€Å"Your plan didn't work so well last time.† â€Å"Neither did yours.† He leered. â€Å"That dress is exquisite, you know. It outlines every part of your body beautifully.† I crossed my arms instinctually. â€Å"Don't waste my time with compliments.† â€Å"Just tossing in my own bid for your body, just like everyone else here.† â€Å"Yeah? Haven't you paid attention? None of their compliments have worked either.† â€Å"Bah. They're petty lordlings and leeches scraping for power,† he said with a sneer. â€Å"The general consensus is that you've refused everyone simply because you've yet to be approached by anyone worthy.† He cut a glance at Kiyo as he spoke. â€Å"Or maybe because I'm with Dorian. Not that it makes any difference. I'd fuck that trowe over there before I'd go anywhere near you.† â€Å"I think I'd like to see that, especially considering he comes to your knees.† â€Å"If this is the part where you tell me how well-endowed you are, save it. There's nothing you can say that would get me near your bed, so just give it up and leave.† His features hardened, a cold and sardonic smirk turning up his lips. â€Å"I suppose I can't argue with that. Not that it matters. I won't be alone tonight.† He stepped aside, just barely, and inclined his head. I followed the motion across the room. Jasmine Delaney stood among a group of gentry nobles. She was watching us, an unreadable look on her face. A long dress, heavy with brocade and jewels, draped her slight form, and her gray eyes looked even more enormous than last time. I clenched my fists, remembering the look on my mom's face when she described her captivity. Wil's picture of a lonely girl, lost in her fantasy world, circled around my mind. â€Å"I will kill you, you bastard. But first I'll make sure you beg me for it.† I sounded like Volusian. â€Å"Eugenie,† murmured Kiyo, laying a hand on my wrist. His voice was firm and cautionary. He apparently feared I'd do something stupid. It was a good fear. Aeson seemed unconcerned. â€Å"Those are kind of extreme measures, don't you think? Especially when there are much simpler ones.† â€Å"Such as?† He shrugged. â€Å"I'll turn her over to you tonight.† â€Å"Let me guess. If I go live with you instead?† â€Å"No such commitments. Come with me just for Beltane. One night, and both you and she walk free. Not a bad offer, especially since there are still a number of men out there plotting to carry you off for an extended period. Considering the other drivel that's approached you, you could do a lot worse. I'm powerful. Rich. Influential. A worthy consort.† I looked Aeson up from head to toe, glanced at the still-watching Jasmine, and then turned back to him. â€Å"I think I'd rather just kill you.† He gave me a mocking bow, face still hard. â€Å"I look forward to the attempt.† He started to walk away, then gave Kiyo a considering look. â€Å"I suppose you could pick worse men to father your child. This one's already proven he can do it.† Aeson swept away from us and headed back to his group. Sliding a possessive arm around Jasmine, he leaned over and kissed her hard, pressing her body up against his. With the difference in their heights, he looked like he was molesting a small child – which, I supposed, he actually was. Puberty be damned. The anger that sight inspired in me solidified into ice as I turned back around to face Kiyo. The look on his face made something inside of me curl up into a ball. â€Å"What's he talking about?† He started to open his mouth and then paused, apparently reconsidering what he wanted to say. My incredulity exploded. â€Å"Kiyo! This is where you tell me he's full of shit and you have no idea what he's talking about.† â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began slowly. â€Å"Oh, my God.† I turned around. The ice inside of me melted and made me queasy. â€Å"You have a kid you never told me about. You have a kid somewhere.† â€Å"No. Not yet.† I spun around. â€Å"What the hell is that supposed to – † I stopped. â€Å"Maiwenn. Maiwenn is pregnant.† Poor Maiwenn. Poor sick and weak Maiwenn. I'd heard a number of comments made about her condition and never questioned it. It was a sign of my distraction in the last month. Gentry didn't really get sick. They could get killed in battle, die from an infected wound, or die of old age. That was about it. Even now, looking across the room, I saw her sitting and talking with a few others. She was smiling but looked pale under her tan. The dress she wore was loose and voluminous. The one she'd worn at my house had been similar, albeit not made of silk. She wasn't currently showing off her body. â€Å"You should've told me,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes,† he said simply. â€Å"I should have.† â€Å"You should have told me!† I repeated, my voice loud and strained. Most of the room's noise muffled my cry, but a few people nearby gave us curious looks. â€Å"Shh.† Kiyo took my arm and steered us back toward the wall. â€Å"I was waiting. Things were so uncertain between us. I wanted to have a steady foundation before I told you.† â€Å"Did you ever consider that telling me now might help that ‘steady foundation'? What happened to all the honesty rhetoric?† â€Å"And how would you have taken it?† he asked quietly. â€Å"You've had a hard enough time knowing she and I were together at all.† â€Å"No, I haven't.† â€Å"Eugenie, I see it in your face whenever her name's mentioned.† â€Å"It doesn't matter. This is big.† He shook his head. â€Å"It happened in the past. She and I aren't together. We're friends now. You and I are together.† â€Å"So what? You're not going to do anything with this baby because you guys aren't together anymore?† â€Å"No! Of course not. I'll be there for the baby, and I'll support Maiwenn as much as that requires.† â€Å"Then that's not the past,† I snapped. â€Å"That's your future. My future too if you were planning on being with me.† His face turned even more sober than it had been. â€Å"You're right,† he said after several drawn-out moments. â€Å"It was wrong of me. I'm sorry. I thought I was protecting you.† I gave a harsh laugh that bordered dangerously on being a sob. â€Å"Yeah. Everyone wants to protect me lately. My parents did too. You guys think if I don't hear bad things, then they won't exist anymore. But you know what? They do still exist, and I do end up hearing them. And I wish to God that I could have heard them from the people I love first.† I turned and started walking away. Kiyo grabbed my shoulder. I tried to tug out of his grasp. â€Å"Don't touch me,† I warned. â€Å"We're done here.† â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"What do you think? You think I'm going to smile and forgive all this? I can barely forgive my parents, and I've known them my whole life. I've barely known you for a month. That doesn't really count for much.† He flinched. The hand on my shoulder dropped. â€Å"I see,† he said stiffly, face darkening. â€Å"Then I guess we are done here.† â€Å"Yeah.† We stood staring at each other, and where heat once had smoldered between us, only a lonely chasm remained. I turned on my heels and stormed across the room without even knowing where I went. Eager men approached me, but I brushed past them all, apparently showing the arrogance Shaya had said was expected of me. I just couldn't face them right now. It was too much. All of it. The crazy propositions. My so-called legacy. Aeson and Jasmine. Maiwenn and Kiyo. Oh, God, Kiyo. Why had he done this to me? I'd tried to write him off after our first night together, and he'd made me care about him again. Now it only hurt twice as much. The words from last night came back to me. You're mine. Apparently not. I stopped in the middle of the crowded ballroom floor with no clue where I was going. I'd gotten disoriented somehow and forgotten where the exit was. The throne was over there, so that meant – â€Å"Yo, Odile. Some party, huh?† My navigation attempts were interrupted by Finn's approach. I still hadn't adjusted to seeing him in his more humanlike Otherworldly form. â€Å"Finn! I need you to get me out of here.† He frowned. â€Å"You can't leave yet. Etiquette says – â€Å" â€Å"Fuck etiquette,† I snarled. â€Å"Get me out. I want to be alone.† His standard cheery expression faded. â€Å"Sure thing. Come on.† He led me not toward the main doors but rather to a small doorway tucked near a corner. Delicious smells wafted out from inside. This was some sort of back way to the kitchen. A number of scurrying servants gave us startled looks as we passed through twisting corridors and banks of ovens, but Finn moved with purpose, never breaking stride. People tend not to question if they think you know where you're going. With a flourish, he gestured me to a small alcove far from the bustle of the cooks. Hooks with cloaks and coats covered the walls, and I realized this must be where the staff had stashed their personal things. A small bench sat below the hooks. â€Å"Good enough?† Finn asked. â€Å"Yes. Thank you. Now go away.† I sat down and wrapped my arms around myself. â€Å"But shouldn't I – â€Å" â€Å"Just go, Finn.† I could hear the tears in my voice. â€Å"Please.† He gave me a mournful, almost hurt look and then walked away. The tears took a long time to come, and even then, they did so reluctantly. Only a couple streaked down my cheeks. I had felt helpless with the mud elemental, but this was a different kind of helplessness, one with mental, not physical, consequences. My heart ached inside for Kiyo, and my stomach burned with fury against Aeson. Neither ailment looked to have a remedy anytime soon. I don't know how long I sat there before Dorian came. I could only make out his shape in my periphery, but the scent of cinnamon gave him away. He sat down beside me for a long time, saying nothing. Finally, I felt his fingertip gently run along my cheek and wipe away one of the tears. â€Å"What can I do?† he asked. â€Å"Nothing. Not unless you'll let me break hospitality and go do some damage.† â€Å"Ah, sweet one, if that were possible, I would have long since strangled several of my nobles, lest I be forced to listen to more of their idiotic blather.† â€Å"What's the point of being a king, then?† â€Å"Not sure that there is one. The food maybe.† â€Å"You make a joke out of everything.† â€Å"Life's too painful not to.† â€Å"Yeah. I guess.† We lapsed into silence until Dorian called someone's name. A moment later, a small, harried servant appeared. â€Å"Bring us some of that chocolate cake Bertha made. Two slices.† The man hurried off. â€Å"I'm not hungry,† I mumbled. â€Å"You will be.† The cake arrived. It was one of those flourless kinds, so it was more like cake chocolate than chocolate cake. Raspberry sauce pooled around it. I found myself eating every bite. â€Å"Better?† Dorian asked. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"You see? I told you it was the food.† I set the plate on the floor and tried to give voice to an idea that had slowly been percolating in the back of my head. An idea that probably would never have dared surface had I not been so furious at Aeson and Kiyo tonight. Indeed, it was Aeson's preposterous proposal that had reminded me of it. â€Å"Dorian?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"When we first met†¦you told me that if I slept with you, you'd go with me to get Jasmine. Does that offer still stand?† The first surprised look I'd ever seen on him crossed his face. I took a certain amount of pride in realizing I'd finally caught him off-guard. â€Å"My, my,† he said softly. â€Å"This is unexpected. So. Desperation and fury achieve what all my charms could not, hmm?† A flush spilled over my cheeks. â€Å"Well, no†¦it's not like – â€Å" â€Å"No,† he said abruptly. â€Å"The offer does not still stand.† â€Å"But I thought – â€Å" â€Å"I saw you fight with Aeson and the kitsune. I won't have you come to my bed out of some misguided sense of revenge on the two of them.† He was right in a way, I realized. This was my means of getting back at both them. Aeson for flaunting Jasmine. Kiyo for breaking my heart. â€Å"Please,† I said. â€Å"I'll do it. I-I don't mind. And anyway†¦I have to get Jasmine back. I can't handle her being with him anymore.† Dorian was quiet for a long time. Finally he said, â€Å"All right.† I snapped my head toward him. â€Å"You mean it?† â€Å"Certainly. We'll go back to my room and see how you do.† â€Å"See how – ? What's that supposed to mean?† Was the deal contingent on how good I was in bed? He smiled. â€Å"I'll get Nia to take you back. I have to mingle a bit more and will join you soon.† Nia arrived as if by magic and did exactly as he'd said. Once alone in his massive chamber, I paced restlessly, reconciling myself to sex with a full gentry. It would be easy. Nothing to it. I just had to lay there. Gentry didn't carry diseases like humans. I couldn't get pregnant. One night, and I could finally get revenge on that bastard Aeson and the smug look on his face. And yes, Dorian had been right: I'd be getting revenge on Kiyo too. Who knew? Maybe sleeping with Dorian would fill the terrible, aching hole Kiyo's betrayal had left in me. â€Å"Admiring the view?† asked Dorian when he finally entered. I stood by the huge picture window, staring at my own reflection in the dark glass. â€Å"I'm never here in daylight. I've never seen what it looks like.† â€Å"It's lovely. You'll see it in the morning.† I supposed I would. He took off the heavy robe, poured a glass of wine, and sprawled back on the pile of pillows on his bed. The move seemed less an initiation into sex and more of an expression of fatigue. He looked very ordinary. Very human. â€Å"You look tired.† I leaned against the bedpost, watching him. He exhaled heavily. â€Å"It's hard work amusing one's admirers – as you can no doubt attest to. How'd you like your first royal party? Tell me who you spoke to. Your night must have been more tedious than mine.† Gingerly, I sat on the bed's edge and recounted the night for him. I gave my opinions and offered up as many details as I could on my many solicitations. Names eluded me, but Dorian could identify the culprits pretty easily based on other identifying information. He laughed so hard at my accounts and opinions, I thought he'd start crying. Swinging himself up gracefully, he slid over on the satin coverlet to sit beside me. â€Å"You poor, poor thing. No wonder you like hunting us down. Although, I confess after my own equally inane experiences tonight, I might have a few names to give you.† â€Å"You shouldn't say things like that.† He shook his head and laughed. â€Å"Stay here long enough, and you'll say them too.† Those gold and green eyes watched me, glimmering with both affection and desire. For a moment, I could almost believe Dorian wanted me for me and not for my human fertility or connection to a prophecy. Resting his hand on the back of my neck, he kissed me, and I had no more time for questions. We'd kissed a lot by now, and his lips still held that same silky softness, that careful precision and control. I was used to this, and it warmed up every part of me, but tonight's inevitable conclusion loomed before me. My lips almost faltered but still managed to kiss him back. I could do this. It was easy†¦right? He gently lay me back on the bed, still kissing me as he rested his body partially across my own. The heat and weight of him triggered something pleasurable within me, even as some part of my brain suddenly started pining for Kiyo and recalling every bad thing I'd ever been taught about gentry. My breath quickened but not from passion. No, no, I chastised myself, forcing my body to not go rigid. This is Dorian. There's nothing to be afraid of. But I was afraid. This didn't feel right. I couldn't let myself do it, even though I knew there was no reason not to. I hung out with gentry now. I had titles. I wanted to learn their magic. I wanted to kill Aeson. And yet, somehow, some part of me refused to give into this final – Dorian broke away from me and sat up. â€Å"It's as I thought. You don't want to really do this. You're afraid of me.† I half sat up, propping on my elbow. Swallowing, I tried to breathe more steadily. â€Å"Didn't you say once that you wanted me to be afraid?† â€Å"Not this afraid. Besides, your heart is a bit muddled tonight.† He rose from the bed and casually poured another goblet of wine. Sipping from it, he walked over to the window and stared at the nothingness, just as I had earlier. â€Å"W-what are you doing?† â€Å"I told you before. I don't take women who don't want me.† He kept his back to me, but his voice held that usual carefree tone. Like everything was still just one big joke. I wondered if he was upset. I couldn't read him at all. â€Å"Er, wait†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I scrambled off the bed and grabbed his arm, nearly spilling the wine. â€Å"What are you saying? We have to do this. I swear, it doesn't matter. I want to do this. Really.† â€Å"Maybe. You don't look at me like you do the kitsune, but I've felt your desire before. It's a fleeting thing, though, and it can't quite win against that part of you that says not to submit to one of the shining ones.† â€Å"Maybe we can ignore that part.† He laughed and touched my cheek. â€Å"I adore you, you know that? I'm so happy I met you.† I swallowed, anxious and desperate. â€Å"Please, Dorian. I want to get Jasmine. We have to do this.† â€Å"We aren't doing anything like that. Not tonight, I'm afraid.† He walked away and sat back on the bed near the headboard, just as he had earlier. â€Å"I will, however, make you a deal. We will postpone our arrangement until you're ready. In exchange for this grace period, I add the further caveat that we won't go to Aeson until you've made some suitable progress with your magic.† I thought about our last couple of dismal lessons. â€Å"That might take awhile†¦.† â€Å"Then it takes awhile. Really, if you want every edge you can get to defeat him, you'll be better off knowing something about your power, even if it's small. Your weapons are strong, but if they're gone†¦then they're gone.† I wanted to fight him on this, to tell him I couldn't wait that long. Fuck the magic. Fuck my prudish resistance. We should get the sex over with and just grab Jasmine. But I knew he was right. On all levels. He didn't deserve my body without my mind being into it, and I did need every advantage I could get. â€Å"Well, then†¦can we practice tonight? Seeing as how nothing else is going on?† If I distracted myself, maybe I'd stop hurting for Kiyo. â€Å"No point in bothering with tact, eh? Very well, then, let's see what we can accomplish.† I dragged a chair into the middle of the room while Dorian produced some more cords from his never-ending supply. â€Å"Beige and violet,† he said, holding them up. â€Å"To match your dress.† â€Å"It's ‘champagne.'† He didn't tie my hands this time, but he did completely bind my torso. Again, he used intricate patterns as he worked, integrating unique braids and weaves. The purple silk crisscrossed around my breasts, and each time his hand brushed some sensitive part, a secret thrill would run through my body. What was the matter with me? If I could have these physical reactions, then why couldn't I have sex with him? The binding took forever, just like always. It made me so impatient, but Dorian clearly enjoyed it. He worked with infinite patience, careful of every weave and knot. When he finally finished, he stood back and surveyed me, just as he had the last two times. â€Å"Very nice,† he observed, eyes taking me in. A strange thought occurred to me as I sat there. I willingly let him do this to me, but really, it was a leap of faith. My arms might be free, but as he stood over me, I realized how helpless I was. How totally in his power I was if he wanted to abuse it. But he didn't. He never did. After blindfolding me, I heard him fetch the water pitcher from the other room. Once it was apparently hidden, he returned to the bed. I heard the bed shift under his weight, the sound of more wine pouring out. â€Å"Have at it,† he said. I focused just like I'd done in our last two lessons. My mind expanded, reaching out into the room, trying to find the water I supposedly had an affinity for. I repeated the same exercises, visualizing moisture and wetness. The way it felt and tasted. Yet, when I pointed to where I thought the water jug sat, he told me I was wrong. So I tried again. Three more times, to be precise. Failures each time. I heard him yawn. â€Å"Would you like to call it a night? I dare say this bed is big enough for us to sleep chastely in. Or, if you wish, I have no qualms about sleeping on the sofa in the other room.† â€Å"No,† I said stubbornly. â€Å"I want to try again.† â€Å"As you like.† Again, I went through the motions, hating them yet burning with need. I wanted to do this. I wanted to control the power. I might have failed at sex tonight, but I would not fail at – â€Å"It's there,† I said suddenly. â€Å"Where?† I pointed, and in my outstretched hand, I could almost feel something wet. It was so easy. How had I not noticed this before? â€Å"It's right beside you. Really close. If you're still lying on the bed, I'd say†¦elbow level. Maybe on the table.† He stayed quiet. â€Å"Well? I'm right, aren't I?† â€Å"Check the rest of the room.† My hopes crumbled. â€Å"I was wrong again.† â€Å"Just check. See if the water is somewhere else.† I didn't get his game. Why the vagueness? Had I found it or not? But I tried again, reaching out into the room. That spot near him pulsed to my senses. The water was there, I knew it. So what was this all about? Another spot suddenly called out to me. I reached for it without using my hands this time, and that same strong pulsing reached back. And with that sensation came a slight tingle, only a spark, but it whispered of the power I'd felt in the dream-memory. â€Å"Okay. Right by the door. On the floor, I think.† â€Å"Yes.† The response was surprisingly simple and clear. No jokes or games. â€Å"Right? I'm right? Really? You're not just messing with me so we can go to bed?† I heard his soft laugher as he walked to the door and then approached me. Taking my hand, he dipped it down into a ceramic pitcher, and I felt cool water slide over my hand. I laughed, ecstatic and empowered. I felt like splashing it on both of us. â€Å"So what'd I find the first time then? By the bed? It must have been something, judging from your reaction.† â€Å"Indeed it was.† He took the pitcher away, walked toward the bed, and returned to me. I felt his arm move toward me, and then the scent of something strong and fruity touched my nose. â€Å"The wine,† I realized. â€Å"I found the wine.† â€Å"Yes. Quite remarkable too, considering I'd almost drank it all.† He set the decanter down and untied my blindfold. â€Å"Now, my dear, it's time to go to sleep.† He knelt before me and started the tedious process of undoing all those ties and knots. I waved my free hands. â€Å"You want help?† He shook his head. I could smell the wine on him. â€Å"No. Leave me my simple pastimes, please.† â€Å"Are you drunk?† â€Å"Probably.† He worked steadily on freeing me from the cords, his fingers a little less precise than they'd been earlier. I again felt that strange chill over being so ensnared. Released at last, I stood up and stretched. â€Å"Can I have some of that?† I wanted to celebrate, and after weeks of good behavior, I realized I could safely drink here. Funny that the safest place for me now would be in a gentry's keep. He held up the decanter. There was probably only one glass left. He eyed it askance for a moment and then took off his shirt. Perplexed, I watched him walk over to the door and stick his head out. â€Å"Yes, sire?† I heard a voice say. â€Å"We need more wine!† declared Dorian in a booming voice. â€Å"Lady Markham and I have a lot more to do tonight.† â€Å"Right away, your majesty!† â€Å"Hurry, man. You have no idea how demanding she is. I can barely keep her satisfied as it is.† I heard boots running on the stone floor. Dorian shut the door and turned to me. â€Å"Your wine will be here shortly, and my prowess will no doubt be proclaimed throughout the castle.† I rolled my eyes at his show. â€Å"So did I pass the test?† â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"You said I had to make progress in magic before we could go get Jasmine.† â€Å"Oh. That. Well, this wasn't exactly progress.† â€Å"The hell it wasn't.† He sat next to me on the bed. â€Å"You found the water. Now you have to do something with it. Your enemies won't be impressed when you inform them there's a lake just over the next hill.† I sighed. Great. â€Å"So what's the next step?† â€Å"Next you make the water come to you.† â€Å"Huh. Well. That at least sounds more exciting.† â€Å"Not really. Mostly we do exactly the same thing except you just sit around and try to make it move.† â€Å"You're the most boring teacher ever.† He grinned and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, just as a knock sounded at the door. â€Å"It all depends on what you want me to teach you.†

Group Development Essay

First, here is a summary of the development stages of a team. In the forming stage, team members come togetherand form initial impressions. They socialize in order to get to know each other and bond with other team members. In the storming stage, team members experience hostility and infighting over tasks and how the team works. In the norming stage, team members start to come together and realize what needs to be accomplished. In the performing stage, team members are well-organized and well-functioningand maintain a positive balance. In the adjourning stage, team members achieve closure when the project is accomplished. At the end of the cask study the team is still in the storming phase of team development. The team has not fully come together. There is still some infighting with Mike and the presence of cliques is developing, for example, the situation in the cafeteria. Overall, I think there is tension within the team. Christine’s leadership abilities could benefit by having knowledge of the stages of group development. Aside from the very first meeting Mike was not present at any subsequent meetings. He missed out on the forming stage of team development. During this stage Mike could have talked with the team about his outside distractions, job and girlfriend, that may prevent him from fully participating at the meetings, and on the project. If Christine had some knowledge of team development she would have recognized this lapse in the forming stage and could have been able to address this issue with Mike before it became a bigger problem. Christine, as the team leader, could have pulled Mike aside and talked to him about the importance of attending the meetings. She could have spoke with him after the cafeteria incident to reassure him that he was not being excluded, but that all the team members being there was truly a coincidence. Also, she could have told Mike her opinion about how she felt he had a lot to offer the team, the value of his contributions and how it would help with the success of the team. PART II – Problem Identification The primary problem that appears in this case is Christine’s lack of knowledge in team development and as a team leader. The secondary problem is Mike’s unwillingness to contribute to the team. Since Christine did not have knowledge of team development or experience she was ineffective as the team leader. She could have organized the team better by assigning tasks’, scheduling meetings in advance, and possible scheduling a team building event to solidify the forming stage of development. Mike was the second problem to overall team success. Although Mike had issues outside of the team he should have talked to the team at the beginning and asked for assistance and support. After the incident in the cafeteria Mike simply walked away. He should have stayed for a few minutes and discussed the situation with the other members. I don’t fell Mike did his part to interact with the team to enhance the forming stage of development. After the first meeting he immediately set himself as an outsider. Christine as a leader must understand the each group of individuals is going to have its own personality, both individually and collectively. When you understand the needs of each member, and the dynamic that each one brings to the group, then and only then, are you able to develop a strategy to utilize team development to achieve the groups ultimate goal. The goal is to complete a quality project on time. If Christine’s knowledge of team synergy, social facilitation, and overall team effectiveness would have server her well in her role as project leader. Lastly, Christie needs to learn how to assign tasks based on the strengths, and weaknesses of each team member. Other members of the team each had something to offer, including Mike. He was classified as a clown. Clowns tend to be very spontaneous in their thinking; this is a possible source of new and innovative ideas. This should have been communicated to Mike as well as the rest of the team. PART III – Retrospective Evaluation In order for Christine to solve her primary problem two things need to occur. First, Christine should take a class in organization behavior. Understanding the team development process, as well as, team effectiveness, and teams in an organization will definitely help Christine. She will be able to understand, and identify positive and negative aspects of her project team and would have been able to implement steps to correct any deficiencies. The second aspect was Christine’s lack of effectiveness and her inability to integrate Mike into the team. After the first meeting which Mike attended, the problems started. Mike did not make meeting, and was submitting hand written notes. Christine should have structured a meeting that Mike could attend, or scheduled a team building social event. in addition, she could have started reviewing his notes with the other team members at the meetings since he was not there to do it himself. This would at least have given the other team members the knowledge that Mike was making an effort on his part of the project. PART IV – Reflection In my opinion Christine was presented with a challenge that was way above her level of experience. Her lack of knowledge in team development, and as a team leader was evident in the project team. The team did not make it past the storming phase, and therefore never fully developed into an efficient team. She failed to integrate one individual into the team. This caused friction within the team and left one section of the project incomplete with one week remaining until the deadline. Overall, I do not believe Christine was an effective group leader. REFERENCES 1. Schermerhorn, J.R. Jr.,Osborn, R.N., Uhl-Bien, M., & Hunt, J.E., Organizational Behavior 12th Edition (2012), John Wiley & Sons, Danvers, MA.

Ecological Footprints Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ecological Footprints - Essay Example This paper will explore the concept of ecological footprint as applied in the universe today to monitor the relationship between humanity and nature. First and foremost, the paper will look into what is ecological footprints and then focus on the importance of this concept and lastly explore the strengths, benefits as well as the weaknesses of the concept. Ecological footprint is the metric tool that allows us to evaluate human pressure on the universe and it is defined as a measure of the load imposed on nature by a given population (Spellerberg 108). It can also be defined as the estimate of the land area or land equivalent necessary to sustain current levels of resource consumption and waste assimilation for a given population, where land is the area of the environment including the aquatic habitat (Spellerberg 108). It is for instance estimated that the earth today takes about one year and six months to regenerate the resources used up by humanity and to assimilate the waste prod uced (â€Å"Global Footprint Network†). ... this way, the concept provides a simple way for comparison between the demand for natural resources and the ability of nature to provide, bio capacity. When there is increased ecological footprint, there is increased demand for resources than the capacity of nature to provide and this creates a deficit/gap commonly referred to as overshoot. The world ecological footprint is described to have increased by 50% between the year 1970 and 1997, an increase of about 1.5% per year and the living planet index decreased by about 33% (Spellerberg 108). Overshoot is one of the most underestimated threats to the human population and it is maintained through the utilization of nature in a manner that is not sustainable (Smith 10). The concept of ecological footprint is very useful to the human race and the universe in general as it helps to monitor the use of ecological resources and foster advancements in sustainable development. By measuring the ecological footprint of a certain population be i t individuals, a state, a business or even humanity in general, we can be able to evaluate the pressure we are exerting on the planet and take caution. We will be able to utilize the available resources more wisely and also take individual and even collective initiatives to support and improve the ecological habitat of humanity. A UN projection study for instance shows that if the recent consumption model continues, by the year 2030, humanity will need the equivalent of two Earths to sustain itself (â€Å"Global Footprint Network†). The concept is very instrumental in helping the society deal with the problems that arise from overshoot whereby people are converting resources into waste faster than the waste can be put back into resource. The results of overshoot are devastating to humanity

Euthanasia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Euthanasia - Term Paper Example Burgess (2005) explained the conditions that enable natural selection: 1) Genetic variation must be present to propel evolution, where the root is â€Å"random mutation† that pertains to the DNA making copying errors during cell division; 2) Nonrandom selection of genetic changes happen because of the adaptive needs of surviving in the environment; and 3) Organisms have mechanisms that pass these changes from one generation to the next through a â€Å"self-copying DNA molecule† (p.5). Hence, the basic foundation of evolution is genetic diversity. Euthanasia can be studied from an evolutionary perspective, in that it can either support or oppose it, depending on whose thinking and principles are involved (Stewart-Williams, 2010, p.269). The evolutionary perspective can provide justifications for it, or rejection of its fundamental proponents’ assumptions and arguments (Persaud, 2007, p.340). When searching keywords in â€Å"euthanasia,† â€Å"evolution*,â €  and â€Å"anthropology,† in EBSCO database and Google, however, it becomes apparent that not many studies focus on examining euthanasia from an evolutionary perspective. ... The writer of the paper has heard of friends and distant family members, whose elderly or very sick relatives called for euthanasia. None of them admitted, however, of approving such requests, because they thought that euthanasia is inhumane and against their personal and religious beliefs. They did not think that it was right to take another person’s life, no matter how much that person wanted it. They assert that life is sacred and that even suffering is not enough reason to support euthanasia. The writer wants to further understand the evolution of these beliefs using relevant articles, especially tracing back euthanasia practices in ancient times. Thus, the main rationale of conducting the study is to respond to the literature gap and to further study a personal concern regarding the evolution of beliefs in and practices of euthanasia. Preliminary Review of Literature Euthanasia generally refers to the taking of someone’s life after the express request of the latter , with the main purpose of ending suffering and pain. Today, there are two kinds of euthanasia, which has its variations: active and passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia refers to removing the life support of a person, and allowing nature to take its course for the dying patient. Some examples are removing respirators or stopping medicine provision. Active euthanasia, on the contrary, consists of direct action, usually through a doctor. Several examples are administering lethal injection or giving medicine that can hasten death. Some forms of active euthanasia may involve relatives of the patient who approve of euthanasia because the latter is no longer conscious for a long time and may have no hope of being awake again. Active euthanasia may

Change Plans and Projects with an Organization Essay

Change Plans and Projects with an Organization - Essay Example The first element that should be considered is whether the plan being explored will bring more benefit than problems to the company (Wands, 2001). This might seem a self-evident factor, but at times change plans take on an inertia of their own. Time should be taken to see whether the change is really worth it. The second element will be the influence that the changes will have on the employees of the company, from the lowest entry-level employee to the CEO. As already outlined, such influence is essential to consider. The third element will be to brainstorm possible problems that may occur on implementation and to have contingency plans in place to deal with them. Internal human elements that may force an organization to change are many and varied in nature. First, the retirement or other departure of leading personnel, such as the CEO, a long-term manager or other key personnel, may bring about the need for change. This "forcing" of change should in fact be seen as an opportunity for new ideas, systems and outlooks to be instituted within the company. Another internal element may be dissatisfaction expressed, either individually or as a group, by a large proportion of the employees. External elements, like the internal, are many and... Other external factors may be the availability of workers, maybe locally, but perhaps on the other side of the world, that can offer outsourcing possibilities in order to reduce costs. Thus many IT operations can be handled by offshore, outsourcing options such as the numerous software companies in India. General changes in worker habits outside of the company, including Union activities, may also influence a company to change. As with the internal factors, the changes need should be seen as an opportunity rather than a weakness or necessity. Positive things may come out of apparently negative circumstances. The first task of the leader will be to explain the change in as coherent and sympathetic a manner as possible. It is likely that many employees are largely technically illiterate and so a good degree of coaxing will need to be done. This explanation should not be conducted in a condescending or paternalistic manner, but rather as if the employees were equals within a team. Indeed, this is the way the leader should regard them anyway. Workers who are treated as drones have the natural tendency to act that way. Second, an excellent training program will need to be implemented that will enable all employees to become as efficient as possible on the new technology. One idea would be to have departmental leaders who are trained to train others on the technology. These should not be at the managerial level, but rather be experienced store-level employees who are trusted by the others. This way the employees can 'fail' while learning and not feel the need to hide their failures or not explore the reasons why they have failed. The training program will be developed at the corporate level, but implemented at the

Autobiographical essay------Describe your past experiences and future Essay

Autobiographical ------Describe your past experiences and future plans, showing how the degree ( computer information syste - Essay Example I started as a database operator and gradually rose to be senior database administrator. I have worked for IBM, GM, Star Alliance (Sheraton Group). I also have the appropriate experience in sql server, Oracle, db2, sysbase, people’s soft and SAP. While pursing my bachelor’s degree, I gained expertise in almost all the important programming languages like C, C++, Java and Assembly Language. I possess over 9 years of Oracle Production DBA and MS SQL Server 2000, 2005 experience with Oracle 10g, 9i, 8i and UNIX/Red Hat Linux/Fedore/ Sun Solaris/AIX and Microsoft 2000 and 2003. I acquired over 2 years experience as an Oracle Application Server, Forms, Reports, and Data Warehouse. I hold an excellent DBA expertise with Production Database and Data Warehouse Administration. I am also proficient in Administration, Productivity and Modeling Tools. I am quite proficient at programming and Production Database Daily Administration. I do have the expertise in High Availability Tech nologies like Oracle 9i RAC, Oracle 10g RAC, Data Guard/Standby Database, Database Replication/Clone including the expertise in Database Health Maintenance. . Not to say, my panache for gaining technical proficiency was always equally matched by my drive to sharpen my soft skills.

Answer the two thought experiments 'the direction of happiness' and Essay

Answer the two thought experiments 'the direction of happiness' and 'the experience machine'. Based on your answers to the thoug - Essay Example In his argument against hedonism, philosopher Robert Nozick used the thought experiments based on â€Å"the direction of happiness† and â€Å"the experience machine† as he attempted to answer this question. The notion of hedonism, which is manifested by the belief that pleasure should be the ultimate purpose of life, disregards the provisions of a meaningful life. By showing that there are more values to life than happiness, this paper will answer the two thought experiments and discuss what happiness is and whether a happy life is the same thing as a meaningful life. Nozick uses the model of a machine capable of giving people the experience of whatever their desires and pleasures are, which cannot be distinguished from those that can be experienced apart from such machines. People would have a choice to live inside the machine and experience all their pleasures or outside in a lower degree of pleasure. Under such circumstances, where hedonism would opine that the sole intrinsic value is pleasure, most people would choose to remain plugged in to the experience machine. That would show a preference of a more pleasant but less meaningful life than a less pleasant and more meaningful one. However, according to the concept of direction of happiness, the amount of happiness in different lives is exactly the same, only that one tends to slope upwards with increasing happiness while the other slopes downwards with declining happiness. Mistakenly, people would still choose the life with happiness that slopes upwards. It is a mistaken choice because people still care and are concerned about their connection with reality, and it is the factor that the experience machine lacks. People still want their experiences to develop from reality rather than fantasy even if both feel the same. From this, it can be said that what people ultimately seek in life are not merely feelings of pleasure, but also to be in a particular way. Feelings of happiness and pleasure ar e desirable but not enough. People would want to go beyond the simple experience of doing things and actually do them. Therefore, there are more values than happiness and experiences of doing things. The experiences of the experience machine only limit people to their own man-made realities that are constructed within the confines of their perceived important values. Although the experiences of reality may be simulated by the experience machine, no contact is made with deeper and meaningful reality. When one envisages an experience machine and then appreciate that they would not use it, they learn that there are other things that matter more than experiences. The definition of happiness provides that it must contain meaning, pleasure and engagement. The part of meaning is in reference to the contribution to a broader cause while pleasure comprises the part of feeling good. Although a happy life and meaningful life have overlapping aspects, they are fundamentally distinct and a happy life is not necessarily a meaningful one. Happiness may occur as either or both emotional and mental well-being that is characterized by pleasant and positive feelings, which have different meanings to different people because it is quite a subjective matter. It can be a spontaneous feeling caused by positive emotions and last for a moment, as well as a continuous one. The overlap between a happy and meaningful life is mainly manifested by the fact that meaningfulness is among the causal factors

Fieldwork observation report - Math summary Essay

Fieldwork observation report - Math summary - Essay Example The teacher informed the students of the main aim of the lesson before giving explanations of the content. The teacher would explain the learning outcome before introducing the new concept in the lesson. In order to maintain the smooth flow of the content, the teacher reminded the students of what they learnt in their previous lessons (Hewitt, 2013). The student would participate actively by giving answers to the questions as ks and the teacher would accept the correct answer through applauding the. After the interactive session of the previous lesson the teacher then engaged the students to learn the new ideas in the lesson. The central focus of the lesson was on the two digit multiplication. The students were given the examples from the word equations and were expected to solve the two sums each at the individual level before they proceeded to the next session of group discussion. The two digit multiplication required previous skills on solving the place value units together with single multiplication. The place value of numbers for tens and ones were necessary for the students because they formed the foundation of the next lesson which based on the two digits multiplications. The knowledge of the previous lesson guided the teacher into the main objective of the lesson which was to use word equation to do multiplication of two digit multiplication. The teacher explained two examples using the word equations to solve two digit multiplications. The students at individual levels were given two sums to solve after which the teacher marked their exercise books. The students were given their feedback which they later shared amongst themselves. The teacher explained the vocabularies used such the double digit number to mean that a number that has two digits and the meaning of the place values of tens once and multiplication by. The students got familiar with the terms and were able to use them in the group discussions

Survey of Human Genetics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey of Human Genetics - Research Paper Example For numerous reasons the two copies of the same gene are not always exactly identical. There are often times two or more alternative forms for any particular gene. Genes that code for analogous proteins but have slightly different nucleotide sequences are called alleles (Alleles, 2009). An organism may possess only two alleles for any particular gene, and these alleles may be the same or different. All the variations within the genomes of each species are expressed through the various combinations of alleles, and this gives rise to the patterns of allelic expression. The different possible combinations of alleles directly result in some of the variation in physical characteristics which we observe in different members of the same species. These ideas about genes and their influence on physical traits come from the work of Gregor Mendel who is known as the "father of genetics". Mendel was a priest and scientist who lived in Austria during the 1800's, he performed experiments with peas. He observed that one group of pea plants produced peas that were always yellow and smooth. Another set of pea plants only produced peas that were green and wrinkled. When Mendel mated the two groups of plants, he found that all of the offspring produced peas that were yellow and smooth.

Britain and the empire The Great Irish Famine Essay

Britain and the empire The Great Irish Famine - Essay Example This essay will focus on Christine Kinealy’s findings on the famine, mostly related to the relationship of Britain and Ireland during the years of the famine including relationship of the famine with churches, with monarchy, and the nationalist movement. Ever since the famine occurred in 1845, there have been a number of books and literature works published on it, yet the work of Kinealy has taken the famine literature to another level. Kinealy uses many sources and research materials that were otherwise not used to evaluate the famine. With these sources, she demonstrated another aspect of the famine with the relationship of Ireland and Britain during the famine. She focused on the role of the government and also on the importance of saving lives through private charity. Another aspect which Kinealy focuses on is the food supply which no one had ever discussed before. She talked about how Ireland produced enough food even after the potato blight. It was her work which gave a new vision to the impact of the famine and the aspects which were given least attention. The book is an evaluation of Kinealy’s survey A Death Dealing Famine which she conducted in 1997. Her intention towards this book was not to give a general history, but to examine the famine through the number of different contexts and through her narrative. On her research of different contexts, there is new material presented on charity, memory, and the religious response. The interpretation of Kinealy is identical to the controversial claim in 1997 that Ireland had in reality not suffered with deficit of food and the famine was artificial. Kinealy carried out a lot of research on the famine and chose to write about her ideology. Her book was highly criticized as it gave a different yet true picture of the Irish famine after about 50 years of misinterpretation. Her view and research actually

Dishonest salespeople and gossip Essay Example for Free

Dishonest salespeople and gossip Essay No matter what culture one belongs, common observation shows that women â€Å"gossip† while men â€Å"talk shop†; women are â€Å"bossy† and men are â€Å"firm† (Women’s Language, 2005). However, even if common observation shows that women talk more than men, research findings prove otherwise. In fact, findings would even show that â€Å"men have been shown to talk more than women in settings as diverse as staff meetings, television panel discussions and husband-and-wife pairs in spontaneous conversation† (Women’s Language, 2005). As men tend to talk about â€Å"male things† like politics, sports, cars, women talk about the â€Å"women things† such as child-rearing, household chores and some personal relationships. According to Pamela Fishman’s research studies, women are relatively weak in interactive situations because they tend to â€Å"exploit questions and answers in order to force a response and keep the conversation going† (Women’s Language, 2005). Therefore, â€Å"gossiping† is common and universal. People always love to hear something about the other person who is not on the scene of conversation. What about dishonest salespeople? (rhetorical question) Are these people more disgusting than those who gossip? Looking at the gravity of damage which one causes more harm?   Looking at the gravity between the results, which causes greater damage? Looking at the gravity of the situation, it seems that gossiping is the most destructive trait here. (parallelism). But of course, people will not discount the fact that dishonesty in sales is also a bad trait. For one, not all incidents of dishonesty are detected and not all detected cases are reported. Therefore any fraud statistic is an estimate. Nevertheless, the statistics make it clear that dishonesty in salespeople occurs frequently, and no organization is immune (Peterson Zikmund, 2004). The costs of fraud and dishonesty will continue to rise unless auditors, management, and the general public become more proactive in learning about the types of fraud, the perpetrators and valuable fraud prevention and detection techniques (Bezanis, 2002). It is important to be able to know the difference between the real and spurious products in order to maintain the good image of that company. Fraud is conventionally defined as â€Å"intentional deception, deceitful pretenses, or deliberate trickery to gain an advantage† (Hanlin, 2004). Fraud encompasses an array of irregularities and illegal acts characterized by intentional deception. Every fraud involves three elements: (1) theft act, (2) concealment, and (3) conversion (Albrecht Albrecht, 2001). For instance, buyers who get the misfortune of buying fake Gucci bags are able to identify the fake product because of the flimsy hardware, cheap leather and misspelled logos. The fake bags are so like the originals that it is hard to spot them quickly. There are businessmen who are able to copy the smart way. High-end label bags cost around $500 to over $1,000. Anything less than these price ranges are fake. Buyers are also encouraged to read the fine print so that they do not buy those that says, â€Å"Designer Inspired.† The numerous issues which plague the business sector with allegations and prosecution of unethical conduct easily fall under either the definition of fraud or unfair and deceptive practices. Or if the issue does not fit with the two terms, it can fall under unethical business conduct. The unethical conduct is a catchall phrase that includes fraud and unfair practice and other aspects beyond the scope of the two terms. In the same manner, gossip is also an unethical business indulged by people regarding other people. However, gossip causes hurt. It can hurt people and damage lives. Thus, gossip, depending on the seriousness can be extremely dangerous too. It can damage a person’s reputation and image. In the long run, gossip seems to be more damaging than dishonest salespeople because one can always return a fake product. But the destruction one causes in gossip spreads like wildfire and cannot be restored. As defined, ethical business conduct is doing something that is not required by law, contract, or other obligation and which is a positive contribution to society. Therefore, a contrary conduct is unethical. This means doing something which is prohibited by law, contract, or other obligation or which has a negative contribution to society. Contribution to society is now part of the definition because ethical business conduct has evolved into what is termed as corporate and social responsibility. An act of the company has a vast effect on the society as a whole. In the course of human interactions, there are many situations in which it is difficult to make a decision because values come into conflict. It is essential that an individual or an organization engage in values clarification to develop a personal decision-making process that fosters ethical behavior.

Contact Zones Essay Example for Free

Contact Zones Essay Parodies are pieces of writing or presentations that deliberately copy and make fun of other writings or subjects. Although parodies may offend or make others uncomfortable, they have a peculiar way of benefitting learners by forcing them outside of their natural realms, allowing them to be analytical, and curious of their surroundings. Mary Louise Pratt describes this as creating a contact zone where parody, critique, and unseemly comparisons create social disruptions in which students are challenged. In her essay â€Å"Arts of the Contact Zone,† she proposes that classrooms should take up this style of educating. What would a contact zone in a classroom perform like? Out of all the elements that are capable of creating a contact zone, parody is one of the more familiar choices that would behave well in a classroom. Say for instance an English classroom is designed to be a parody of the students for a week. The professor decided that maybe the students are not performing as well as he had hoped. They haven’t been coming to class, they do not always bring their drafts and their efforts on their papers are lacking. He wants to challenge them by informing his students about all the stereotypes aimed at young students. He brings up statistics about texting in class, the percentage of homework actually turned in on time, the hours a night spent studying, partying, or drinking, test scores and more. He mocks them when he walks in the classroom, wearing baggy clothes and a sideways hat. He asks them to repeat their questions claiming he wasn’t listening because he was texting on his phone. What kind of reaction would the students have to this kind of behavior? As a student in this classroom, a person might be confused, angry even at the assumptions made about his or her generation. Everyone is different. The professor can’t make a generalization about everyone in the class based on a stereotype. It is not fair. But what the professor is really doing is allowing the students to question themselves. â€Å"The very nature of the course put ideas and identities on the line,† (496) Pratt says about a course similar to this. The students, seeing themselves in another person’s  perspective, may begin to question how they define themselves. Likewise, they will begin to analyze how their newly questioned selves affect their judgments on other elements of their lives, such as people they know or opinions they had prior. This is important because it gives them room to make change if they are dissatisfied with their findings. Although the classroom might have acted as a community, the separation between the students and the teacher by this newly established contact zone may start to break it apart. The students begin to form a safe house. â€Å"We use the term to refer to social and intellectual spaces where groups can constitute themselves as horizontal, homogeneous, sovereign communities with high degrees of trust, shared understandings, temporary protection from legacies of oppression† (497). In other words, a safe house is a group of people with like fears or concerns who find comfort in each other’s understandings of the conflicts within the contact zone. The parody the professor is making of his students would be discomforting and flamboyant; enough so that they would confide in each other for a reasonable explanation. Although each student is different, every person has room for personal growth and achievement; therefore â€Å"despite whatever conflicts or systematic social differences might be at play, it is assumed that all participants are engaged in the same game and that the game is the same for all players† (494). Pratt states that for the most part this is true, although there are a few exceptions. In this case however, we are assuming that the â€Å"game† is improvement individually, not to a set classroom standard. The professor expects each student to out-perform his stereotype, whatever it may be, and become more studious overall. In a way, safe houses have the potential to transform into alliances, where those communities could come together to attempt to defeat something bigger than their individual parts. For example, the students, embarrassed by what society has believed thus far of young scholars, may form an alliance and agree that the only way to change this viewpoint is if they all consent in working towards eradicating this label on the young people. They will learn to work hard to achieve success and think past what critiques may bound them to. Now there exists a choice the students can make: do they want to live up to the judgments made of them, becoming self-fulfilling prophecies, or do they want to prove their professor wrong? Most students would choose to challenge the professor’s exaggerated opinion. Therefore, unknowingly the students would react the way the professor determined they would. They start coming to class on time, engage in discussions and turn in their homework. They mute their phones and actually pay attention. All they are trying to prove is that the professor’s belief of them is false. Not every young student is neglectful of his work and not every young student would rather be somewhere else. Pratt’s idea of incorporating contact zones in classrooms in this case worked out well. The students became aware of whom they were perceived as and who they wanted to be. This challenge could work for any classroom. It is not unique to English classes alone. If a person is capable of feeling shame, embarrassment and guilt, the contact zone method could be very successful.

What Is Polygraph Testing

What Is Polygraph Testing A polygraph machine is used to attempt to detect physiological changes that are thought to occur when a person tells a lie. These measures include the blood pressure, the amount of sweating on the palms and the heart rate. Polygraph testing is currently being used to investigate crime in a number of countries around the world, including the USA, Japan, South Korea and Israel (Raskin, 1990). At present there is a wide-ranging literature evaluating the use of the polygraph machine and associated techniques, largely based on laboratory experimentation. Like any psychometric test, the use of a polygraph machine in the detection of deception has been questioned on the basis of its reliability and its validity. Reliability refers to the ability of a test to be consistent, no matter who is carrying it out. The question of validity asks whether the test is actually measuring what it claims to measure. The answer to both of these questions is vital in answering whether the polygraph should be introduced into British policing. The polygraph machine has been used in a number of different ways to elicit useful information from suspects. Bull, Gudjonsson, Hampson, Baron, Rippon, Vrij (2004) identify four main techniques: the Relevant/Irrelevant Technique, the Directed Lie Test, the Control Question Test, and the Guilty Knowledge Test. Of these, the majority of research has addressed the last two and so the discussion will concentrate on these. The Control Question Test The theory behind the Control Question Test (CQT) is that the physiological responses of a suspect to control questions are compared with those which are directly relevant to the crime. Control questions are specifically chosen to be vague in nature and to relate only indirectly to the crime under investigation (Iacono Patrick, 1997). This means that they should provoke high levels of physiological arousal in innocent suspects as they are designed to elicit guilty memories but those that are not under investigation. By contrast, to an innocent interviewee, the specific questions about the crime should evoke lower physiological arousal as they can be categorically denied. To the guilty interviewee, however, the reverse pattern should be seen with higher physiological response seen to the more specific questions. The basic paradigm for assessing the polygraph test used in laboratory investigations involves a mock crime with participants randomly told to act either innocent or guilty. Raskin (1982), for example, explains that the guilty participants enact the mock crime, while the innocent participants simply have the facts relayed to them. Both groups are given a cash incentive to pass the test, and this goes some way towards giving them the required motivation to pass the test. Many of the earlier studies used the CQT test and found some encouraging results. Carroll (1988) summarises some of these studies, referring first to the Office of Technology Assessment of the United States Congress (1983) which rounded up 14 studies which found an overall accuracy level of 88.6% in the guilty participants, and 82.6 in the innocent participants. However, Carroll (1988) criticises this assessment as some of these studies had flawed methodologies. Instead, using stricter criteria, the figures of 85.4% for guilty and 76.9% for the innocent were found. Carroll (1988) makes two important points about most of these studies. Firstly, there was a fairly high rate of false positives of around 20-25% instances where the participant was innocent but pronounced guilty. Secondly, the polygraph operators also have their own visual information to go on when carrying out the test, they are not simply relying on the physiological data. This means that the results cannot be fully attributable to the polygraph as the human operator could be partly acting as a lie detector. The most obvious criticism of these kind of studies is that of ecological validity. The test itself relies on the emotional reactions of the participants how likely is it that monetary inducements are equivalent in motivational terms to the chance of being convicted of a crime? For this reason, MacLaren (2001) points out that the participants have little reason to be worried about the important questions and are unmotivated to try and beat the test unlike a real guilty suspect. Field studies, then, have attempted to fill this gap, but immediately the problem arises of how it is possible to measure whether a person is really guilty or innocent. In reviewing the data on field studies, Carroll (1988) found that generally the accuracy rates were low at 69.6% comparing to the 50% obtainable by chance this does not seem high. In addition, there was a very high rate of false positives 43%. More recent field studies have been reviewed by Bull et al. (2004), who find better average figures for those guilty suspects at between 80% and 90% accuracy, but still poor results for innocent suspects, with false positives ranging from 12% to 47% accuracy. The theoretical problems with the CQT have been pointed out by Ben-Shakhar (2002), amongst others. The whole design of the test is such that the operator of the polygraph is trying to deceive the suspect something that may be perceived as unethical. It is still possible to imagine good reasons for why an innocent suspect would show arousal to the specific questions these are still anxiety provoking questions. There is little evidence that this test is standardised, in that the control questions that are asked in each interview are different. This means that much variability in the accuracy of test is probably due to the operator this reduces the theoretical reliability of the test. The Guilty Knowledge Test False positives, then, are one of the major problems with the CQT. The Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT) has been shown to meet this challenge. The GKT is designed to try and uncover whether the interviewee is withholding information about a crime under investigation. This involves asking the suspect a number of specific questions about the crime, each question having a number of alternatives, only one of which is correct. The operator then looks for a pattern of physiological responses to the correct option across the whole test. This test is much more difficult to apply, mainly because it requires the test operator to know a number of facts about the crime that she must be reasonably sure that the guilty suspect would also know these would tend to be details, although does not exclude major facts. A range of reviews have been carried out on the GKT in laboratory conditions. Ben-Shakhar and Furedy (1990) found accuracy rates of 84% for guilty participants and 94% for innocent participants. Elaad (1998) found rates of 81% for guilty and 96% for innocent. While these are encouraging, again it is the field studies that are more convincing because of ecological validity. Only two of these have been carried out. Elaad (1990) found rates of only 42% for guilty participants but 98% for the innocent. Similarly Elaad, Ginton Jungman (1992) found 76% for guilty and 94% for innocent. Ben-Shakhar, Bar-Hillel, Kremnitzer, (2002) defend the low results for guilty suspects, claiming that they were carried out under sub-optimal conditions, being just after a CQT had been carried out and only involving an average of 1.8 questions. Overall though, levels of false positives are much lower for the GKT than the CQT. Perhaps the biggest criticism of the GKT relates to how useful it is in a practical sense. The nature of the test requires that the interviewer has been able to amass half a dozen items of knowledge that the guilty person would be aware of that would not be recognised by an innocent person. In addition, it is not always possible to be confident that the suspect will have remembered or even noticed the particular details which the operator refers to. Bull et al. (2004) makes the point that, in high profile cases, details are often released to the public to aid the solving of the crime, which will make the interviewing of the suspect even harder using a GKT, as innocent suspects will know many more details of the crime, making the choice of details for interview more obscure. The advantage of the GKT is that in evaluating its theoretical underpinnings, some researchers have made much stronger claims for it than the CQT (The Committee to Review the Scientific Evidence on the Polygraph, National Research Council, 2003). The reason for this is that the GKT relies on the response being greater to a particular subset of the questions relative to whatever the physiological response is to the other questions (Carmel, Dayan, Naveh, Raveh Ben-Shakhar, 2003). This is unlike the CQT where variations in the physiological response of the suspect will tend to disrupt the test. In addition, the GKT does not rely on duping the suspect. The GKT does also have practical advantages. Ben-Shakhar et al. (2002) point out that a problem for the admissibility of polygraph tests in court is that they can become contaminated. In practice, a polygraph operator has the evidence of his eyes as well as the polygraph machine to go on. This may mean that the operator does not entirely base his decision on the physiological data. The advantage of the GKT is that it is much more easy to carry out blind, or for another polygraph tester to simply look at the physiological evidence. Counter measures and Base Rates Two other criticisms that apply more generally to all the different types of polygraph tests, are the effects of countermeasures and of base rates. Countermeasures refers to attempts to beat the polygraph test, these Gudjonsson (1988) classifies in three ways: reducing reactivity, suppressing physiological reactions and augmenting physiological reactions. According to Ford (1995) a man named Floyd Fay was able to successfully train 23 of 27 fellow inmates to beat the polygraph test in 20 minutes despite their admission of guilt to crimes for which they had been incarcerated. On the problem of base rates, Bull et al. (2004) point out that the kinds of situations in which polygraph tests are used may mean that there are a large number of suspects to test. This will exacerbate the problems of false positives, although, perhaps, is not such a problem in forensic situations as numbers are more likely to be limited.

Stonehenge Essays -- British History, Neolithic People

One of the most mysterious places in the world, Located in Wiltshire, England in a wide open grassy field sits Stonehenge a lard circle of randomly placed rocks. Sometime around 1300 BC the first stage of construction began, many experts argue the different times of when Stonehenge was constructed (Historykings, 2011). The most controversial thing about Stonehenge is its use. There are many thoughts of what Stonehenge was used for, some thoughts may be based on their religious and spatial beliefs. That Stonehenge was used for different reasons, depending on their religious beliefs they may have different views. Alien landing place or a burial ground? Could Stonehenge have been used as either of these or was it astronomical calendar for people of ancient times. Till this day many scientist still do not know exactly what Stonehenge was used for. After a lot of research scientist found evidence that Stonehenge was built in six different stages (Historykings, 2011). Stonehenge was abandon for nearly five hundred years or more in between each different stage of building. Stage one of Stonehenge began in 3000 BC and the completion was in 1520 BC, however it’s still changing ever day (Hayes, 2011). Stage one of Stonehenge was built by native Neolithic people way before any modern things could have been used to help moving these huge bluestones. The Neolithic people dug a circle three-hundred feet in diameter; these ditches were known as Aubrey holes. These holes were discovered in 1666 by a man named John Aubrey. Scientist found evidence that the Aubrey holes that were dug the ditch with deer antlers which were found in the ditches as well as very old cow remains that are centuries old. The Aubrey holes were twenty f... ...from weathering; however no construction has been done to it. Some bluestone has also been taken during the medieval times by the Romans. During the 16th century George Villagers dug a lard deep hole within Stonehenge looking for treasure. However he didn’t find any treasure but he found ashes and pieces of burn bone. Also many stones now have holes drilled in them from the river side project conducting test on the rocks. Recent evidence found shows that the ditches or Aubrey holes dug were filled with wooden post that help welsh blue stones that were part of the cremation process. Riverside project also found the area around the holes and the circular bank contained one hundred fifty to two hundred forty cremation remains. These remains found closer to the Stonehenge may have been people of higher social status feeling that they were to be closer to the monument.

Mexico :: essays research papers

PopulationThe Mexican population is divided into three main groups, the people of European descent, the Native Americans, and the people mixed with European and Native American descent or better known as Mestizos. Of these groups, the Mestizos are by far the Largest, making up about 60% of the people of Mexico. The Native Americans are the next largest with 30% and the Europeans the smallest with only 10%. The society is semi-industrial. The population of Mexico in the 1995 census was 93,670,000 giving the country an estimated person for about every 4 square miles. About 75% of people live in urban areas. Mexico consists of 32 administrative divisions, 31 states and the Federal District. The capital and cultural center of Mexico is Mexico City, with a population of 8,236,960 in 1990. Other important cities are Gaudalajara, population 1,628,617, Netzahaulcoyotl, population 1,256,115, Monterrey, population 1,064,197, Puebla, population 1,054,921, Leon, population 758,279, Cuidad Jaurez, population 798,499, and Tijuana.ClimateMexico is bisected by the tropic of Cancer; therefore, the Southern half is included in the Torrid Zone. In general, climate varies with elevation. The Tierra Caliante (hot land) includes the low coastal plains, extending from sea level to about 3000ft. Weather is extremely humid, with temperatures varying from 60-120 degrees. The Tierra Templata (temperature land) extends from about 3000-6000 ft. with average temperatures of 62-70 degrees. The Tierra Friar (cold land) extends from 6000-9000 ft. with average temperatures of 53-65 degrees. The rainy season lasts from May to October. Although sections of Southern Mexico receive about 40-60 in. of rain a year most other parts are much dryer. Rainfall averages less than 25 in. in the temperature lands about 18 in. in the cold land and less than 10 in. in the Semiarid North. Government: 1980-PresentDuring the 1980s Mexico pursued an assertive hemispheric policy. In 1982Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado was elected to succeed President Lopez Portillo. By the mid 1980's a rapid increase in foreign, coupled with falling oil prices, had plunged the country into severe financial straits. Amid reports of widespread irregularities, the PRI claimed victory in congressional elections in 1985. However in that same year the added burden of a devastating earthquake, which killed 7000 kept Mexico's financial systems desolate.Carlos Salinas De Gortari, the PRI candidate was elected president in 1988. Another thing that happened was Hurricane Gilbert devastated the Yucatan Peninsula and severely damaged the southern most parts of Texas.

Essay On Origins Of World War -- essays research papers

The thesis in the article ‘The origins of the World War’, by Sidney B. Fay, can clearly be stated as the explanation for World War I. Fay states that no one country is responsible for the creation of the war. Furthermore, he goes on to explain that each of the European country’s leaders did, or failed to do ‘certain’ things to provoke the other countries into a war. Fay states, â€Å"One must abandon the dictum of the Versailles Treaty that Germany and her allies were solely responsible. It was a dictum exacted by victors from vanquished, under the influence of the blindness, ignorance, hatred, and the propagandist misconceptions to which war had given rise.† (Fay, The Origins of the World War). His main arguments are his explanations of how each country was responsible for the creation of the war. His first explanation is that of how Serbia was partly responsible. Fay explains that Serbia knew that by not co-operating with the Austrian governm ent over the implications of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassination they were indirectly preparing for a war they would fight but did not want. Fay says that Austria was more responsible for the war than any other power but not in military attack, but more in the form of self-defence. He makes it clear that Austria was justified in their battle and that they didn’t have to, â€Å"sit back and await the dismemberment at the hands of its neighbors.† (Fay, The origins of the World War). Fay believes that Berchtold wanted a local war with Serbia but knew and was content with the fact that the rest of Europe could very easily become involved with the war. Fay’s third country’s explanation was that of Germany. He believed that Germany did not want a war and tried to avert one completely. It is his belief that since Austria was Germany’s only dependable ally, they were dragged into the war. Furthermore, he explains that Germany’s geographical location, being in the middle of the conflict between France and Russia, they had little choice in the matter and had to defend their territory as well as Austria-Hungary’s. Fay’s fourth country and major power discussed, was Russia. He believed that Russia supported Serbia because of the frequent guidance and encouragement given at Belgrade, and if a war were to break out they would more than happy to fight along with the belief of France and Britain helping out. Furthermore, at the same ... ...to win this continental war, if it was to come to that. They also in turn had the belief that ‘France may panic, and advise peace’. This would have been a diplomatic win in the German’s books. This would have ‘split Russia from France and isolate both without war’. Although this second point was believed to be unlikely by the German’s it still was a happy, and reassuring possibility. Fischer then went on to say that Hollweg told Bulow that any war that was to occur would last at the most three to four months. Hollweg then went on to explain the possibilities of a ‘friendly relationship’ with England, and then through England, a similar friendship with France. He then stated that this would bring forth a triple alliance with England, France, and Germany all extinguishing the existence of Russia, which would easily threaten the civilization of Europe. Fischer then concludes his essay in Hollweg’s address to the Central Com mittee of the Reichstag at the beginning of October during the ever increasing debate on the unlimited submarine warfare. Fischer states that, â€Å" †¦ this outlines Germany’s real guilt, her constant over-estimation of her own powers, and her misjudgment of realities.†

Emergence and Impact of Regional Parties Essay

It is raining acronyms in politics and the vibrant Indian political landscape is flooded. Well, almost so as Regional parties gain ground with amazing alacrity in a diverse India where a fast-transforming political map now promises a never before variety. SAD in Punjab on one side, SP, BSP in Uttar Pradesh on the other, RJD, JD(U) in Bihar as also DMK, AIADMK, PMK, MDMK and DMDK in the deep South and TMC, AGP and others in North-East —they seem to be flowing in from all nooks and corners to lend a different hue, their own hue, to the political waters as they flow in our country today. Though the experiment with regional politics first succeeded in the late 1960s when many parties won against the Congress, it was only post-1989 that regional politics really became a phenomenon, here to stay, courtesy the National Parties themselves. The alphabet-soup illustrating the striking transformation of India’s politics over the past two decades, brewed on the fire provided by the space vacated by National Parties to be wedded to the cause of regional issues, local aspirations and territorial priorities. Also, shrinking space of the National Parties led to creation of a vacuum which the Regional parties were happy to fill. They sprung up and marched ahead as a consequence of the leanings of the public to advance its aspirations. Essentially individualistic, personality-driven parties bound by a lose chain of thought rather than a cohesive coordinated ideology, these pandered to regional populism with a much narrower vision of things sans any broad-based National conse nsus on ideology and issues. But, then, what did the mushrooming of these regional parties, finally, find reflection in? While it strengthened the federal structure with assertion by the States of the Union for its share in power, privileges, taxes, revenues and benefits of micro-macro schemes, it also led to a certain amount of healthy competition inter se states, making us the republic that we really are. It also gave rise to the concept of â€Å"shared sovereignty†, marked by an increase in the capacity of the state to influence its own development performance while enhancing the representative character of India’s democracy. The relentless rise of these regional â€Å"home-grown† parties, sharing the one common attribute of having a mass base in only the state of their birth, led to a spate of constitutional and legislative reforms in terms of judicial, administrative and centre-state relations. Not only this, it weaved together an interplay of forces, prompting National parties to not only rope them in for support but also brought about a dependence which lent a Regional flavor to National Policies. Then, it is in this that emerged the beauty of the dove-tailing of the National and these Regional entities. But, then, since beauty is never blemish-free, there is a flip side too. Given their â€Å"strategic† positioning, the Regional parties have not only exploited this dependence of the National Parties for their own advantage but, at times, even arm-twisted the latter to get their way. There’s a way out of this of labyrinth in which National Parties find themselves lost in and it does not lie in a top-down approach which, in the present times, seems not only inadequate but also outdated. We have an India defined by mobilization of a plethora of identity and interest groups which have taken the shape and form of Regional parties to diffuse real power from the Centre to the states. The National Parties need to wake up and smell the coffee. The crutches of dependence on Regional parties have to go and they have to not only learn to stand on their own feet but even walk that extra mile to fulfill regional aspirations to show that each one of the 28 states matters as much. For this, they must permit regional units to function at the local level as semi-independent units with adequate flexibility for leadership-building at the regional level. This will help balance the regional interest with the National interest which many a times end upconflicting with each other. Besides, a cohesive National party with semiindependent regional strait-jacketed unit to cater to regional interests is the only guarantee for ensuring continuous unification within India’s multi-ethnic diversity which weaves the many strands of region, religion, culture and politics into one social fabric we call India.

Solution Focused Therapy

tender exercise Department Faculty of arts University of Johannesburg savant Surname Le Roux pupil Initials C student First pee-pee Charlene Student Number 201170104 Assignment prenomen place Model Date of submission 15 March 2013 Course surname B Social live on Lecturers advert Prof. Adrian caravan Breda Course Code SW2A11 plagiarism announcement I, Charlene Le Roux 201170104, decl atomic make sense 18 that this involution is my consume original pee. Whither secondary temporal has been employ (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been conservatively acjazzledged and referenced in ossification with departmental requirements.I apprehend what plagiarism is and alert of the departments insurance policy in this regard. Name Charlene Le Roux signature tune powerfulness scalawag 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. 15. 25. 35. 45. 55. 65. 767. 8. entre story of re solvent Foc utilize TherapyUnderlying free-spokening headst i principles activ ity to the primary c be providerEngagement discernmentpreparationImplementing valuation limit applyCritical reprovalConclusionReference list Page 334-55-66-116-77-88991010-11111213 1. Introduction I slang chosen to do the stem foc utilise therapy take form pretence (Here later referred to as SFT).I chose this arche grammatical case beca implement I was interest in happening reveal to a gr use uper cessation(prenominal) close to how to single-valued function atomic number 53s make resources and strengths to empower wizself. My hardest break with hash aside is learning how to t separately lymph nodes how to use their proclaim resources kind of of supplying it myself and overly supporting(a) nodes to hap up with their possess solutions and on the dot giving them advice and my opinion. SFT treates the divergent techniques unmatched evict use to en sealed they argon empowering their thickenings and non doing each issue for them. 2. History The two establish theorists for SFT atomic number 18 Insoo Kim Berg and Steve De Shazer.To catch up withher they adapted active theories to wander into a assertableness of their profess. They powerfully carriage atd that squ argon despotic qualifying lies muddy d hold the customer themselves and non in the descent in the midst of the thickening and player. Berg was the cofounder of a piazza in Milwaukee in 1978 whose spirit was to launch the mental research add and it employ Brief Family therapy. This was an organization that make no profit and was utilize to deal start deal forward the inevitably of mountain in meet beas and slew and families that were poor or alimentation in poverty (OConnell, 2005).Four years afterwards this became the interior(a) of SFT (Lee, 2011). De Shazer later fielded in the sum total and was thoroughly trained in picture family therapy. cor function to Milton Erikson, drawing therapy influences were hugely influenc ed by the strengths bil tout ensembleow and companionable constructivism. The strengths sen meternt is well-nigh victimisation unitary and only(a)s hail strengths, as pose dresseds and resources to comp permite up for solutions that be silk hat suited for them and their caper earlier than evidently providing e precisething for ones invitee.It goes with the famous verbal expression go by a man a slant and he testament eat for a day, solely teach him how to fish and he ordain eat for a living. Berg and De Shazer developed this forge by listing to and victimisation the feed second of their invitees. They created this seat by observe therapy academic terms to observe the techniques and skills the healer utilize, by learning to the feedback of their lymph glands ab come forward what was or was non working for them and by observing the mount of their take in thickenings (Lee, 2011). 3. Underlying hypothesis of arrange sit around Social constructivi sm strongly influences SFT (O Connell, 2005).This status states that human beings create their confess human beings through with(predicate) motley linguistic modal value of life. In former(a)wise(a) words, we create our give realities through conversations and by our profess chance of the proficientice so on that period of clock timefore each psyche has a distinguishable subject matter that has been created which in turn kernel that at that place is no objective truth that is sure in either situation. This on the whole(a) implies that each persons capers ar constructed by the focal pointsing in which they talking to. As a sequel of each person having their own linguistic ardour, at that place is no remediateed nitty-gritty attached to a fuss or a solution.In tell apart for a person to debate their created reality from some other scene, the healer or practitioners main put up is to transfer the wording the customer uses. Practitioners advertize lymph nodes to use solution talk as inappropriate to job talk. unity thing that stands out(a) from the cordial constructivist spot is that the invitees intuition and experiences energize main priority. This system wishwise repels into deem the context in which the invitee lives and emphasizes that volume do non represent in well-disposed isolation solely preferably are reapings of the interactions that surround them.The kindred betwixt the practitioner and the node is of ut near active grandness in this view because it is indoors this totallyiance that a juvenile style of language advise be created for the invitee to contour up sweet realities. The systems system is a nonher(prenominal) perspective that influences solution focal pointsed therapy. The systems hypothesis expects a practitioner to look at tot fore rattling last(predicate)y the systems meet an individual so that the trump out encumbrances screw be used. To under stand the systems guess fully thither are nearly terms that are the approximately all authorized(p) (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006).E truly individual is beholded as the product of interactions in the midst of varied micro systems in that individuals demeanor and practitioners look at their lymph nodes as a person-in-environment where they are everlastingly interacting with the various systems well-nigh them. These systems function reciprocally and lurch in one system elbow room there lead be replace in a nonher. The systems approach is in same manner dynamic. It is ever changing and evolving from one particular mass to a nonher yet maintains a comparatively shelter homeostasis. All systems are interrelated.The systems theory essentially states that because no two node systems are a equal, no two solutions ordain be a like either and consequently every worry demand a unique and sufficient hinderance (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). Lastly, the strengths perspe ctive has had an influence on SFT. The main view of the strengths perspective is that every individual, family or friendship has al wee-wee got strengths, resources and assets that should be used in intervention stpacegies and it is the office of the practitioner to bring on these varied strengths.The strength perspective doesnt jaw hard quantify such(prenominal) as traumatic experiences, struggles and sicknesses as demotivating experiences only when kind of as opportunities and challenges that bottomland be pass and in the end be used to the benefit of the lymph gland until now if it is s tintily a slighton that was conditioned. A thespian should never limit their guests capacities and capabilities just quite an believe in their finishs and dreams and serve well them compass it in any counseling that they poop and a nonher grand expression to think here is that their goals and dreams mickle only be fulfilld if the knob and doer work unneurotic to achieve these.One last thing that is main(prenominal) for slew to whap about the strengths perspective is that it believes that every environment besides has strengths and that the leaf node should endlessly look for help in their own environments preferably than other environments. 4. Key principles As tactual sensationn to a higher place and as antecedently mentioned, SFT was founded by bringing numerous different theories to thwarther. In this section the main principles of SFT will be discussed. First and foremost, it is set on the plan that if something is non broken there is no fill to fix it (O Connell, 2005).In other words, players should non look for problems where there are none. If a situation is working for a guest the role player shouldnt look for fix it raze if it is different to the focusing the role player trusts it should be working. This is a theory that believes in the strengths of knobs and the feature that mountain are alert and force out bounce back from traumatic experiences with the right support and resources. It draws on the impressiveness of multitude to emerge as stronger volume after the traumas by relying on their own resources and coping methods that they themselves gestate learn (Van Breda, 2011).If the invitees way of puzzle out a problem is working because the role player should encourage the guest to do it to a greater extent than(prenominal) very much and if a steadiness is non working whencece(prenominal) there is no point in act to punish it so the histrion should encourage the customer to stop that way and separate out to go out some other way of dealings with the problem. It should be kept as honest as manageable so as non to confuse the leaf node nevertheless preferably to encourage them to find natural and amend solutions to dealing with individual problems. This subprogram of therapy should non be drawn out all-night than necessary and should be to the p oint with as little intervention from the therapist as executable.This theory believes that one win over ultimately brings about other transfigure until all the required intensify has been achieved. thitherfore, this theory does non seek to make bighearted tacks scarce alternatively a am snap of small kinds. A nonher origin wherefore littler reassigns are encourages is because it helps the thickening notice less intimidated as they would look by implementing one big transmute at one time. As continuously with validating swap, a proletarian inevitably to fill out it and praise the guest for the transplant they themselves ingest implemented.Since language is such an of import aspect in this theory, the histrion should never gain that there is only one possible solution to a problem plainly the doer should be broad-minded and should experiment out utilise many different alleys to privyvass and find a suitable solution. Since this theory focuses on solutions alternatively than problems, the thespian should not overhaul time analyzing the problems but should throttle into decision solutions that will work for that special knob and their circumstances (Malherbe & Greef, 2005). . Application to the PCP The aforethought(ip) interpolate bear upon is a set of takes that a friendly thespian atomic number 50 get a line and the stand fors overlap and flows into one another (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). 5. 1Engagement Engagement is when a social thespian begins to establish communicating and a kinship with other but in any case addressing the problem (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 34). Engagement starts from the very startle interaction a doer has with a client.The main goal of plight is to build rapport by use different skills such as acceptation and warmth. It is very master(prenominal) that the doer does not guess their client at any stage and shows acceptation as acceptance is a necessary in like man nerl for change. luck of engagement in SFT is for the actor to help the change process on from the very starting line. diversity compulsions to be mouth about and visualized. In the engagement stage it is important for rules and expectations to be set and this sack up be through by a means of contracting. contract is when the client and the doer discuss the roles, norms and expectations for sessions and this is where the boundaries are set for the client- worker family relationship (Kirst-Ashman & hull, 2006) Contracting withal helps establish roles between the client and the worker which is important in the form-only(prenominal) relationship so that boundaries groundwork be set in place. Firstly, the worker needs to investigate about the pre-session change. Pre-session change is that happened in the clients life that pushed them to make the interlocking in the first place.The worker stomach do this by asking minds like promulgate me much about wherefore you are here today or What make you seek help? . fine-looking respect to the client eases their anxiety and affirms the effect that prescribed regard increases the chance of change for pot (Rasheed, Rasheed & Marley, 2011). 5. 2 Assessment Assessment is differential, differentiate and accurate identification and valuation of problems, people and situations and of their interrelations to serve as a weighed down basis for differential percentage interventions (Siporin as cited in Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 34).Assessment is usually when the worker assesses what the problems are that the client is facing but because SFT focuses on solutions the worker needs to change problem talk into solution talk and already start finding about possible solutions to the problem. A worker using SFT needs to pay fear to token and listen to the clients carefully during the estimate stage. at one time the worker has heard the clients issues they need to oppose empathically as this helps create authorisation for the client as well as lets the client deal that the worker is paying attention and dread the clients point of view.There are many different display cases of principals that should be used in the assessment stage of SFT. The miracle query is the first. The fare to this slip of interrogative sentence is usually on the path of the fitted solution. This type of move helps the client imagery their preferred future day. These headlands are asked to find out about the clients story, strengths and resources and their own expectations for the solution. This type of question would be something like opine you were sleeping tonight and a miracle happens that solves the problem you came to verbalise to me about.When you wake up in the morning, what would be the change that would make you know something essential have happened to solve your problem? a client could possibly solvent with serve wells like to this, my children werent moody and crying, my econo mise and I were smiling and organized. We left on time for work and when we came home we had aliment on our plates and the children were playing. Another type of question is an exception question. This type of question helps the worker to get an thought of the nice generation in a clients life. It helps the client consider that there were clock when they k brand- bleak what to do nd how to do it in magnitude for them to function normally. Helping a client remember times when they were managing let out recalls them entrust that they can do it again. A worker would ask this question can you think of a time in the ult month, year or ever that you did not have this problem? What were you doing other than during those times that helped prevent the problem then? (De Shazer as cited in Lee, 2011). Coping questions are withal important questions when assessing and planning for slaying. This question is expedient for clients who relish completely lost(p) because it can give ideas to solutions that could help serve their problems.This type of question helps the worker get to know more about the clients coping strategies. A coping question would be something a commodious the lines of wow, how have you managed to carry on during all of these hard times? Lastly, grading questions can be used. These questions can be used during the evaluation stage as well. This question helps the client track their own elevate which helps them identify where they are at (Lee, 2011). This is a question that asks the clients to choose a number between 1 and 10 to reckon their betterment.A worker would ask a question like from a outdo of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how are you sentiment now compared to when we started? (Nichols & Schwartz, 2008). 5. 3 grooming preparation specifies what should be through with(p) (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 370. Planning in this theory goes return in hand with assessment because in assessment the worker will not spend too more t han time focused on the problem but rather on already finding possible solutions. It is as well as important to remember that changes should be intend as small rather than one big change. 5. 4 murder instruction execution is the actual doing of the plan. The Client and worker follow their plan to achieve their goals. come up during implementation moldiness be constantly monitored and assessed. sometimes, pertly issues, situations and conditions require the plan to be changed (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 40). The most important aspect to the implementation is the changes need to small so as to not overwhelm the client with major(ip) changes. When a small change is achieved, it leaves the client olfactory property sceptered and motivated to start change in another belongings of their lives.It gives the client courage to try for newly and bigger changes (Lee, 2011). The above mentioned questions can excessively be asked to stimulate change (Macdonald, 2011), hence interve ntion starts during the assessment stage. Intervention by the worker should be limited ensuring that the changes will be as a leave behind of the clients new ways of doing things while at the kindred time do sure the client gets a sense of emancipation rather than relying on the worker to do all the work. 5. 5 Evaluation severally goal is pronounced in terms of the extent to which it has been achieved.The decision must be make about whether the case must be over(p) or reassessed to establish new goals (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Evaluation in SFT basically combines all the above mentioned techniques. The worker uses the questions to find out how some(prenominal) change and progress has been made. one time the worker realizes what those changes are he or she points these out and celebrates together with the client for making these changes (Macdonald, 2011). The miracle question is used to monitor the progress and to play a yen the client in a overbearing frame of mind in enjoin for them to continue progressing to their full potential.It is important for the worker and client to reflect to evaluate what has been modify and how. Evaluation in SFT does not necessarily only occur after implementation. The worker similarly evaluates the client at the beginning of every session to see what changes have been made and how the client is progressing. 5. 6 terminal The worker/client relationship must eventually come to an end. bourn in generalist Practice involves ad hoc skills and techniques (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Termination begins from the very beginning in arrange to prepare clients for the ending of sessions.SFT is meant to be brief and not carry on for long extremitys of time. The worker needs to trammel reminding the client that the therapy will not be long and the client should have the goals of finding new solutions quicker than in other types of therapy. In the last session, the client is asked to describe in detail wha t changes they experienced so the change can be retained and the worker should point out what worked and what did not work in the clients progress. One way of discerning when a client is ready for finish is by asking them a takeing question (Macdonald, 2011).This is when a client resolving power from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best level of functioning. If a clients answer is 7 or higher then the client is ready to terminate. These types of questions can be What would you rate your level of functioning as on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best? or enumerate that when we started you were on a level 3 scale of functioning, what would you rate your level as now between 1 and 10? . It is important to remember that terminating with an open accession policy is of benefit to this client.This means that even though the sessions are over, you let the client know they are unendingly obtain back should they encounter any other problems but the worker can alike encourage t he client to come escort in a hardly a(prenominal) months to let the worker know how everything is going. this makes the client impression important and valuable and is a arbitrary way to terminate. 5. 7 Follow-up Although not a stage of the planned change process I do think it is important for a social worker to follow up with their clients to match that everything is silence going alright. pursuit-up with a client withal empowers them in a way because it makes them feel like they are chill out cared for and demented about and not like they were secure forgotten by the social worker. Following up can be done in many different ways. A worker can point that the client comes back for one last session that to follow-up and curb that everything is okay. It can also be done telephonically or via e-mail. If a client does not respond to the email or does not come in for the session it is the responsibility of the worker to find out what the reason is just to make sure the clie nt is simmer down on track. . Critical reflection There are some concerns surrounding SFT. One of the concerns is that it is so focused on solutions that it does not focus on set the stem turn cause of the problems. A therapist using this model could say that the deep grow cause was in fact also just a form of the clients agony of reality. This therapy also relies too much on the client. In some cases people whitethorn not understand that what they need is not what they need and clients sometimes need a counselor to give them a new view point to look at their situation from.For example a unify couple may sometimes not know what it is they need and a worker can step in to give some ideas for solutions they can try instead of relying on the client to get laid what it is they unfeignedly need. I would use this serve model if I could change a a few(prenominal) things. I would focus more on the way a client is ruling about their problems because sometimes all person needs is someone to listen to their problems and not just think of solutions. Sometimes it is important to try and understand a client in a bit more of an informal way rather than stringently professional.It is important though to remember boundaries and that a client may never be friend with a worker as there may then be conflict of interest. Although there are holes in this model, there are also things I really like about SFT. It is good to focus on the positive things rather than continuously analyzing the negative to get to a solution. Focusing on a solution puts the client in the future and motivates them to get to that level of functioning. It is a model that can help clients succeed a sight quicker than other models.I also like the fact that SFT has specific types of questions that are purport because other models can sometimes take a long time just to assess the problem passing the client feeling like there has been no progress over a period of time because the worker has just b een assessing. With SFT the client will start to see changes quite curtly and will feel empowered just by the questions that they will be asked. 7. Conclusion I like the idea of SFT because it focuses on strengths and it has always transfixed me to know how a client can use their own strengths.After researching this devote model I understand a peck more about how I can recognize what a clients strengths are and how they can be used for solutions. It is a therapy that is direct and results can be seen soon after the first session. This therapy promotes the empowerment of people and is easy to follow in order to empower ones own clients. It is a widely used therapy and has a high success rate. I am glad I have learned about this model because I can now apply it to my commit this year.Instead of instruction on my clients weaknesses (low self-esteem) we can focus on building confidence and not on what has caused the low self-esteem. This is great because often oration about the c auses can be re-traumatizing to the client when all they want to do is more forward instead of focus on the past. 8. Reference List Kirst-Ashman, K. K. , & Hull, G. H. (2009). dread Generalist Practice (5thed. ). Belmont, CA allow/Cole, Cengage Learning. Lee, M. Y. (2011). Solution-focused theory. In F. J. turner (Ed. ), Social work preaching Interlocking theoretical approaches (5th ed. pp. 460-476). stark naked York Oxford University Press. Macdonald, A. (2011). Solution focused therapy. In R. Nelson-Jones (Ed. ), possibleness and practice of counselling and therapy (5th ed. , pp. 371-391). Los Angeles, CA perspicacious. Nichols, M. P. , & Schwartz, R. C. (2008). Family therapy concepts and methods (8th ed. ). Boston, MA Pearson. OConnell. B. (2005). Solution focused therapy (2nd ed. ). capital of the United Kingdom Sage Publications ltd. Rasheed, J. M. , Rasheed, M. N. , & Marley, J. A. (2011). Family therapy models and techniques. Los Angeles, CA Sage.Solution Focused Thera pySocial Work Department Faculty of Humanities University of Johannesburg Student Surname Le Roux Student Initials C Student First Name Charlene Student Number 201170104 Assignment Title Practice Model Date of Submission 15 March 2013 Course Title B Social work Lecturers Name Prof. Adrian Van Breda Course Code SW2A11 Plagiarism Declaration I, Charlene Le Roux 201170104, declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements.I understand what plagiarism is and aware of the departments policy in this regard. Name Charlene Le Roux Signature Index Page 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. 15. 25. 35. 45. 55. 65. 767. 8. Introduction History of Solution Focused TherapyUnderlying theoryKey principlesApplication to the PCPEngagementAssessmentPlanningImplementingEvaluationTerminationFollow-upCritical reflectionConclusionR eference list Page 334-55-66-116-77-88991010-11111213 1. Introduction I have chosen to do the Solution focused therapy practice model (Hereafter referred to as SFT).I chose this model because I was interested in finding out more about how to use ones own resources and strengths to empower oneself. My hardest issue with counseling is learning how to teach clients how to use their own resources instead of supplying it myself and also encouraging clients to come up with their own solutions and just giving them advice and my opinion. SFT discusses the different techniques one can use to ensure they are empowering their clients and not doing everything for them. 2. History The two founding theorists for SFT are Insoo Kim Berg and Steve De Shazer.Together they adapted existing theories to mold into a theory of their own. They strongly believed that true positive change lies within the client themselves and not in the relationship between the client and worker. Berg was the cofounder of a center in Milwaukee in 1978 whose intention was to launch the mental research institute and it used Brief Family therapy. This was an organization that made no profit and was used to serve the needs of people in surrounding areas and people and families that were poor or living in poverty (OConnell, 2005).Four years later this became the home of SFT (Lee, 2011). De Shazer later worked in the center and was thoroughly trained in brief family therapy. According to Milton Erikson, brief therapy models were hugely influenced by the strengths perspective and social constructivism. The strengths perspective is about using ones own strengths, assets and resources to come up for solutions that are best suited for them and their problem rather than simply providing everything for ones client.It goes with the famous saying Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Berg and De Shazer developed this model by listening to and using the feedback of their clients. They created this model by observing therapy sessions to observe the techniques and skills the therapist used, by listening to the feedback of their clients about what was or was not working for them and by observing the progress of their own clients (Lee, 2011). 3. Underlying theory of practice model Social constructivism strongly influences SFT (O Connell, 2005).This perspective states that human beings create their own reality through different linguistic means. In other words, we create our own realities through conversations and by our own view of the truth so therefore each person has a different meaning that has been created which in turn means that there is no objective truth that is true in any situation. This all implies that each persons problems are constructed by the way in which they talk. As a result of each person having their own linguistic style, there is no set(p) meaning attached to a problem or a solution.In order for a person to see their created reality from another perspective, the therapist or practitioners main goal is to change the language the client uses. Practitioners encourage clients to use solution talk as opposed to problem talk. One thing that stands out from the social constructivist perspective is that the clients perception and experiences have main priority. This theory also takes into account the context in which the client lives and emphasizes that people do not exist in social isolation but rather are products of the interactions that surround them.The relationship between the practitioner and the client is of furthermost importance in this perspective because it is within this relationship that a new style of language can be created for the client to build new realities. The systems theory is another perspective that influences solution focused therapy. The systems theory expects a practitioner to look at all the systems surrounding an individual so that the best interventions can be used . To understand the systems theory fully there are some terms that are the most important (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006).Every individual is viewed as the product of interactions between different micro systems in that individuals life and practitioners look at their clients as a person-in-environment where they are constantly interacting with the various systems around them. These systems function reciprocally and change in one system means there will be change in another. The systems approach is also dynamic. It is ever changing and evolving from one particular view to another yet maintains a relatively stable homeostasis. All systems are interrelated.The systems theory basically states that because no two client systems are alike, no two solutions will be alike either and therefore every problem needs a unique and suitable intervention (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). Lastly, the strengths perspective has had an influence on SFT. The main view of the strengths perspective is that every individual, family or community has already got strengths, resources and assets that should be used in intervention strategies and it is the responsibility of the practitioner to uncover these different strengths.The strength perspective doesnt see hard times such as traumatic experiences, struggles and sicknesses as demotivating experiences but rather as opportunities and challenges that can be overcome and in the end be used to the benefit of the client even if it is just a lesson that was learned. A worker should never limit their clients capacities and capabilities but rather believe in their goals and dreams and help them achieve it in any way that they can and another important aspect to remember here is that their goals and dreams can only be achieved if the client and worker work together to achieve these.One last thing that is important for people to know about the strengths perspective is that it believes that every environment also has strengths and that the client should always look for help in their own environments rather than other environments. 4. Key principles As seen above and as previously mentioned, SFT was founded by bringing many different theories together. In this section the main principles of SFT will be discussed. First and foremost, it is set on the notion that if something is not broken there is no need to fix it (O Connell, 2005).In other words, workers should not look for problems where there are none. If a situation is working for a client the worker shouldnt try fix it even if it is different to the way the worker thinks it should be working. This is a theory that believes in the strengths of clients and the fact that people are resilient and can bounce back from traumatic experiences with the right support and resources. It draws on the importance of people to emerge as stronger people after the traumas by relying on their own resources and coping methods that they themselves have learned (Van Breda, 2011).If the clients way of solving a problem is working then the worker should encourage the client to do it more often and if a resolution is not working then there is no point in continuing to try it so the worker should encourage the client to stop that way and try to find another way of dealing with the problem. It should be kept as simple as possible so as not to confuse the client but rather to encourage them to find new and improved solutions to dealing with individual problems. This process of therapy should not be drawn out longer than necessary and should be to the point with as little intervention from the therapist as possible.This theory believes that one change ultimately brings about another change until all the required change has been achieved. Therefore, this theory does not seek to make big changes but rather a chain of smaller changes. Another reason why smaller changes are encourages is because it helps the client feel less intimidated as they would feel by implementing one big change at one time. As always with positive change, a worker needs to recognize it and praise the client for the change they themselves have implemented.Since language is such an important aspect in this theory, the worker should never assume that there is only one possible solution to a problem but the worker should be open-minded and should try using many different paths to try and find a suitable solution. Since this theory focuses on solutions rather than problems, the worker should not spend time analyzing the problems but should jump into finding solutions that will work for that specific client and their circumstances (Malherbe & Greef, 2005). . Application to the PCP The planned change process is a set of stages that a social worker can follow and the stages overlap and flows into one another (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). 5. 1Engagement Engagement is when a social worker begins to establish communication and a relationship with other but also addressing the problem (Kirst-Ashman & H ull, 2009, p. 34). Engagement starts from the very first interaction a worker has with a client.The main goal of engagement is to build rapport by using different skills such as acceptance and warmth. It is very important that the worker does not judge their client at any stage and shows acceptance as acceptance is a necessary tool for change. Part of engagement in SFT is for the worker to help the change process along from the very beginning. Change needs to be spoken about and visualized. In the engagement stage it is important for rules and expectations to be set and this can be done by a means of contracting.Contracting is when the client and the worker discuss the roles, norms and expectations for sessions and this is where the boundaries are set for the client-worker relationship (Kirst-Ashman & hull, 2006) Contracting also helps establish roles between the client and the worker which is important in the formal relationship so that boundaries can be set in place. Firstly, the worker needs to enquire about the pre-session change. Pre-session change is that happened in the clients life that pushed them to make the appointment in the first place.The worker can do this by asking questions like Tell me more about why you are here today or What made you seek help? . Giving compliments to the client eases their anxiety and affirms the belief that positive regard increases the chance of change for people (Rasheed, Rasheed & Marley, 2011). 5. 2 Assessment Assessment is differential, individualized and accurate identification and evaluation of problems, people and situations and of their interrelations to serve as a sound basis for differential helping interventions (Siporin as cited in Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 34).Assessment is usually when the worker assesses what the problems are that the client is facing but because SFT focuses on solutions the worker needs to change problem talk into solution talk and already start thinking about possible solutions to th e problem. A worker using SFT needs to pay attention to detail and listen to the clients carefully during the assessment stage. Once the worker has heard the clients issues they need to respond empathically as this helps create empowerment for the client as well as lets the client know that the worker is paying attention and understanding the clients point of view.There are many different types of questions that should be used in the assessment stage of SFT. The miracle question is the first. The answer to this type of question is usually on the path of the fitted solution. This type of question helps the client vision their preferred future. These questions are asked to find out about the clients story, strengths and resources and their own expectations for the solution. This type of question would be something like Imagine you were sleeping tonight and a miracle happens that solves the problem you came to speak to me about.When you wake up in the morning, what would be the change that would make you realize something must have happened to solve your problem? a client could possibly reply with answers similar to this, my children werent moody and crying, my husband and I were smiling and organized. We left on time for work and when we came home we had food on our plates and the children were playing. Another type of question is an exception question. This type of question helps the worker to get an idea of the good times in a clients life. It helps the client remember that there were times when they knew what to do nd how to do it in order for them to function normally. Helping a client remember times when they were managing better gives them hope that they can do it again. A worker would ask this question can you think of a time in the past month, year or ever that you did not have this problem? What were you doing differently during those times that helped prevent the problem then? (De Shazer as cited in Lee, 2011). Coping questions are also important qu estions when assessing and planning for implementation. This question is useful for clients who feel completely helpless because it can give ideas to solutions that could help serve their problems.This type of question helps the worker get to know more about the clients coping strategies. A coping question would be something along the lines of wow, how have you managed to carry on during all of these hard times? Lastly, scaling questions can be used. These questions can be used during the evaluation stage as well. This question helps the client track their own progress which helps them identify where they are at (Lee, 2011). This is a question that asks the clients to choose a number between 1 and 10 to determine their progress.A worker would ask a question like from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how are you feeling now compared to when we started? (Nichols & Schwartz, 2008). 5. 3 Planning Planning specifies what should be done (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 370. Planning in this theory goes hand in hand with assessment because in assessment the worker will not spend too much time focused on the problem but rather on already finding possible solutions. It is also important to remember that changes should be planned as small rather than one big change. 5. 4 Implementation Implementation is the actual doing of the plan. The Client and worker follow their plan to achieve their goals. Progress during implementation must be constantly monitored and assessed. Sometimes, new issues, situations and conditions require the plan to be changed (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 40). The most important aspect to the implementation is the changes need to small so as to not overwhelm the client with major changes. When a small change is achieved, it leaves the client feeling empowered and motivated to start change in another dimension of their lives.It gives the client courage to try for new and bigger changes (Lee, 2011). The above mentioned questions can also be ask ed to stimulate change (Macdonald, 2011), therefore intervention starts during the assessment stage. Intervention by the worker should be limited ensuring that the changes will be as a result of the clients new ways of doing things while at the same time making sure the client gets a sense of independence rather than relying on the worker to do all the work. 5. 5 Evaluation Each goal is evaluated in terms of the extent to which it has been achieved.The decision must be made about whether the case must be terminated or reassessed to establish new goals (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Evaluation in SFT basically combines all the above mentioned techniques. The worker uses the questions to find out how much change and progress has been made. Once the worker realizes what those changes are he or she points these out and celebrates together with the client for making these changes (Macdonald, 2011). The miracle question is used to monitor the progress and to keep the client in a posi tive frame of mind in order for them to continue progressing to their full potential.It is important for the worker and client to reflect to evaluate what has been improved and how. Evaluation in SFT does not necessarily only occur after implementation. The worker also evaluates the client at the beginning of every session to see what changes have been made and how the client is progressing. 5. 6 Termination The worker/client relationship must eventually come to an end. Termination in Generalist Practice involves specific skills and techniques (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Termination begins from the very beginning in order to prepare clients for the ending of sessions.SFT is meant to be brief and not carry on for long periods of time. The worker needs to keep reminding the client that the therapy will not be long and the client should have the goals of finding new solutions quicker than in other types of therapy. In the last session, the client is asked to describe in detail what changes they experienced so the change can be maintained and the worker should point out what worked and what did not work in the clients progress. One way of knowing when a client is ready for termination is by asking them a scaling question (Macdonald, 2011).This is when a client answer from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best level of functioning. If a clients answer is 7 or higher then the client is ready to terminate. These types of questions can be What would you rate your level of functioning as on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best? or Consider that when we started you were on a level 3 scale of functioning, what would you rate your level as now between 1 and 10? . It is important to remember that terminating with an open door policy is of benefit to this client.This means that even though the sessions are over, you let the client know they are always welcome back should they encounter any other problems but the worker can also encourage the client to come visit in a few months to let the worker know how everything is going. this makes the client feel important and valuable and is a positive way to terminate. 5. 7 Follow-up Although not a stage of the planned change process I do think it is important for a social worker to follow up with their clients to ensure that everything is still going alright.Following-up with a client also empowers them in a way because it makes them feel like they are still cared for and worried about and not like they were just forgotten by the social worker. Following up can be done in many different ways. A worker can request that the client comes back for one last session just to follow-up and ensure that everything is okay. It can also be done telephonically or via e-mail. If a client does not respond to the email or does not come in for the session it is the responsibility of the worker to find out what the reason is just to make sure the client is still on track. . Critical reflection There are some concern s surrounding SFT. One of the concerns is that it is so focused on solutions that it does not focus on curing the root cause of the problems. A therapist using this model could say that the deep rooted cause was in fact also just a form of the clients distortion of reality. This therapy also relies too much on the client. In some cases people may not understand that what they want is not what they need and clients sometimes need a counselor to give them a new view point to look at their situation from.For example a married couple may sometimes not know what it is they need and a worker can step in to give some ideas for solutions they can try instead of relying on the client to recognize what it is they really need. I would use this practice model if I could change a few things. I would focus more on the way a client is feeling about their problems because sometimes all somebody needs is someone to listen to their problems and not just think of solutions. Sometimes it is important t o try and understand a client in a bit more of an informal way rather than strictly professional.It is important though to remember boundaries and that a client may never be friend with a worker as there may then be conflict of interest. Although there are holes in this model, there are also things I really like about SFT. It is good to focus on the positive things rather than continuously analyzing the negative to get to a solution. Focusing on a solution puts the client in the future and motivates them to get to that level of functioning. It is a model that can help clients succeed a lot quicker than other models.I also like the fact that SFT has specific types of questions that are direct because other models can sometimes take a long time just to assess the problem leaving the client feeling like there has been no progress over a period of time because the worker has just been assessing. With SFT the client will start to see changes quite soon and will feel empowered just by the questions that they will be asked. 7. Conclusion I like the idea of SFT because it focuses on strengths and it has always fascinated me to know how a client can use their own strengths.After researching this practice model I understand a lot more about how I can recognize what a clients strengths are and how they can be used for solutions. It is a therapy that is direct and results can be seen soon after the first session. This therapy promotes the empowerment of people and is easy to follow in order to empower ones own clients. It is a widely used therapy and has a high success rate. I am glad I have learned about this model because I can now apply it to my practice this year.Instead of focusing on my clients weaknesses (low self-esteem) we can focus on building confidence and not on what has caused the low self-esteem. This is great because often speaking about the causes can be re-traumatizing to the client when all they want to do is more forward instead of focus on the past. 8 . Reference List Kirst-Ashman, K. K. , & Hull, G. H. (2009). Understanding Generalist Practice (5thed. ). Belmont, CA Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Lee, M. Y. (2011). Solution-focused theory. In F. J. turner (Ed. ), Social work treatment Interlocking theoretical approaches (5th ed. pp. 460-476). New York Oxford University Press. Macdonald, A. (2011). Solution focused therapy. In R. Nelson-Jones (Ed. ), Theory and practice of counselling and therapy (5th ed. , pp. 371-391). Los Angeles, CA Sage. Nichols, M. P. , & Schwartz, R. C. (2008). Family therapy concepts and methods (8th ed. ). Boston, MA Pearson. OConnell. B. (2005). Solution focused therapy (2nd ed. ). London Sage Publications ltd. Rasheed, J. M. , Rasheed, M. N. , & Marley, J. A. (2011). Family therapy models and techniques. Los Angeles, CA Sage.