Controlling Noise Pollution Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Controlling Noise Pollution - Case Study Example However, the most common means of controlling noise is the nuisance law. Section 58 of CoPA74 as well as the Environmental Protection Act 1990 offer specific requirements, and if a developer creates a nuisance, the local authority is obliged to serve a notice requiring that the noise be abated. If, however, the developer feels the notice was wrongly served, an appeal can be entered. Sections 60 and 61 of CoPA74 give powers to the local authority to control noise and vibration from construction sites. The City of London presents on their website a Department of Environmental Services Code of Practice for Deconstruction and Construction Sites following CoPA74 and EPA 1990 guidelines (Code, 2004). This Code offers information and gives an overall view of what a company must do to follow these regulations in order to prevent a situation prejudicial to health or a nuisance. Normal work hours are 08:00 - 18:00 hours (Monday to Friday; 08:00 - 13:00 hours (Saturday) with certain noise sensitive areas 09:00 - 14:00 hours on Saturdays. No working is permitted on Sundays or Bank Holidays (6.0). Quiet working hours are periods when noisy site operations are not allowed. These hours are generally 10:00 - 12:00 (Monday to Friday) and 14:00 - 16:00 (Monday to Friday) in order to allow neighbours at least four quiet hours a day through duration of construction. Essentially, during these hours, there should be no noise audible at the boundary of the site (6.5, 6.6). Noise limits depend on the individual situation and the facts are: (1) Characteristics of noise and effect on neighbours; (2) baseline ambient noise levels; (3) nature and duration of works (14.13). Health and Noise Pollution Persistent exposure to noise, especially at night, is apt to cause psychological distress. The London Health Organization (LHO) defines "noise" as unwanted sound which is perceived as "noise pollution" (Determinants, 2006). Noise constitutes a problem in more than construction sites. Aircraft, trains and road vehicles might well contribute to unwanted noise, and if measured at high levels can effect whole neighborhoods. Another area that can create problems in noise levels is in the work place. People exposed to noise over a long period might have loss of hearing and even 'tinnitus" (ringing in the ears). Noise levels in decibel units (dB(A) are factors in determining excessive noise. There are three 'action' levels; the first two are values of 'daily personal noise exposure' expressed as L EP,d with the first level at 85 dB(A) and the second 90 dB(A). The third is a peak action level of 200 pascals (where loud impulsive sources such as cartridge operated tools are used). The LHO of fers the following guide to noise levels under the Health and Safety Executive: Normal conversation 50 - 60 dB(A) A loud radio 65 - 75 dB(A) A busy street 78 - 85 dB(A) A heavy lorry about 7 metres away 95 - 100 dB(A) A pighouse at feeding time 110 dB(A) A chain

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Strategy Essay Example for Free

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Strategy Essay The increase on Teenage Pregnancy had been a problem in the United States which became a leading social issue until 1998. Teenage Pregnancy pertains to a situation wherein an under-aged (15 years old below but in the United Kingdom, below 18 years old) girl gets pregnant (Cherry, 2001). Among the causes or factors that affect the increase of teenage pregnancy incidents, particularly in the U.S. are the following: adolescent sexual behavior, statutory rape, sexual abuse, dating violence, socioeconomic factors (e.g. prostitution), childhood environment, and commentator and public opinion. These are the major factor roots of teenage pregnancy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to solve the problem, the government must be able to track the aforesaid factors and must be able to address the immediate concerns that motivate the under-aged girl to become oriented on sexual relationships. The government must implement a policy which would lessen the chances that the youth would become exposed to premarital sexual affairs. Enforcing ordinances such as curfew, and strict prohibition on minors to use alcohol and illegal drugs, would really help in minimizing the instances of sexual abuse, dating violence, prostitution, and other notable roots of teenage pregnancy (Luker, 1997). Furthermore, the government must be able to fully address the cases of child abuse, statutory rape, and other crimes against under-age girls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the part of the parents, they must be able to monitor their children’s activities as well as their companions in order to prevent them from instances like teen-date rape, sexual harassment, and the likes. Parents must realize their vital role in shaping their child’s consciousness (Cherry, 2001). Hence, they must really know their children very well as well as their personal problems. Furthermore, secondary influences such as the school, church and community must do their job to guide the youth and help the government in the implementation of its policies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Certainly, the government has the power and authority to set rules so as to aid in reducing the cases of teenage pregnancy. For the main reason that they are the ones who legislate, interpret and execute laws (Luker, 1997), they really have the responsibility to make sure that teenage pregnancy is really being dealt with. By the laws that the government has passed, interpreted and implemented, communities would be monitored well and the instances of sexual harassment would be diminished. Instructing the schools to regularly conduct behavior analysis, and developmental activities (Cherry, 2001) for the benefit of the youth would prevent them from being exposed to sexual activities and enlightening them about the ill consequences of early motherhood or early parenthood. The use of contraceptives (Luker, 1997) should be promoted by the government to ensure that there would be a small chance that would lead to early pregnancy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regards to the use of contraceptives, the Church and some moralists view it as something that opposes their moral standard (Cherry, 2001). However, the government must be able to talk with these groups and sectors and make them realized that though the government promote the use of contraceptives, they are not encouraging the youth to participate or get involved with sexual activities. This is where the strict implementation emerges.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The schools, in cooperation with the community and the government, must conduct a joint project or program that introduces the youth to activities like sports and livelihood developments in order to divert the attention of the youth from sexual activities to more community-based affairs. Symposia and seminars are useful in enlightening and informing the youth, the parents, as well as the whole community (e.g. school, church) about the disadvantages of teenage pregnancy and the measures that would help them avoid such situation. In a summary, teenage pregnancy can really be resolved provided that the government and all the concerned groups must initiate, participate on and maintain measures which deject teenage pregnancy. References Cherry, A. L. (2001). Teenage Pregnancy: A Global View. Greenwood Press. Luker, K. (1997). Dubious Conceptions: The Politics of Teenage Pregnancy. Harvard University  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press.

Influence of Ethics in Business

Influence of Ethics in Business INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to show how ethics influences international business. In todays business with the growing competition, there has been a rise of unethical behaviour by managers, employees or even shareholders. To stay in a business and maintain long term profitability it is important to maintain high ethical standards. It is good to point out that even if it means reducing profitability, the company expect employees to follow the ethical policy. Without a proper ethical program or laws, the company may find itself in illegal procedure or lawsuit. Today globalisation has taken place almost all over the world and it presents new opportunities to generate extra value added which deserve exploration. It helps to exploit the countrys competitive advantage and it develops economies of scale. Businesses enter foreign markets by exporting, importing, foreign manufacturing, franchising, licensing. Only recently, many large organisations regarded business ethics in terms of administrative compliance with legal standards and adherence to internal rules and regulations. However today, ethics have become a very important issue. Many organisations now realise that they must comply with the business ethical policies in order to succeed. International business ethics demand greater accountability towards government, laws, people and environment. Chapter two discusses on ethical issues and philosophical approaches to ethics Chapter three put emphasis on the discussion and analysis of international business ethics Chapter four provide conclusion and recommendation CHAPTER 2 2.1 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS In Wikipedia, the term international business refers to all commercial transactions that is cross border transactions of goods and services and resources which are done between different countries. In fact the following terms are commonly used in international business: multinational, Transnational, globalisation, multi domestic, worldwide and the global marketplace. Many large businesses operate in many different markets. Some examples are McDonald, General Motors, Sony, Shell, Samsung, Toyota, Nike etc. While an organisation operate in another country, its survival depends on a number of factors such as legal, political, economic, language, environmental ,culture, foreign exchange market, labour, climate education. 2.2 BUSINESS ETHICS Business ethics is defined as the behaviour that a business adheres to in its daily dealings with the world. Different business adopts diverse ethics which are suitable for the company. The unethical behaviour of a company can lead to a bad reputation. The way a business conduct itself show the ethical behaviour. Every business should adopt good business ethics. Many global businesses have even been fined worth millions for breaking ethical business laws. Today if a business breaks anti-trust, ethical or environmental laws, it may ends up being fined. And to safeguard business image, it has become important to establish a good ethical policy in any business. The involvement of ethical issues such as the Employment Practices Human Rights, Environment regulations are very common. Many large organisations such as Boeing, BP, Tesco, Shell and so on have their own ethical policies which give guidance in respect of good behaviour in the workplace, business ethics issues and values. Ethics provide the trust necessary for efficient transactions and the glue that holds business together. 2.3 ETHICAL ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS The economic development, law, culture, political systems are different in all over the world. What seems to be unaccepted in developed countries may be accepted in third world countries. In a multinational business framework, the source and nature of ethical issues and dilemmas are discussed below. 2.3.1 HUMAN RIGHTS Today all international organisations set fundamental standards to protect human rights. Company code is designed to give the employees protection because employees are the most vital asset of the organisation. Charles W L Hill asserts that human rights still are not respected by giving the case of human rights in South Africa. The world has changed so much with the global market that it brings complex challenges for the protection of human rights. According to Amnesty International research, companies can jeopardise the human rights of individuals and communities by their operations. 2.3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION Developed and developing countries are faced with environmental pollution. Because of lack of environmental regulations ethical issues may arise with the higher level of pollution. In developed countries many environmental regulations such as dumping of toxic chemicals, emission of pollutants and so on are in place whereby in developing countries these laws are lacking. A lot of money is invested to save the planet from environmental pollution. Today many businesses encourage green investment. 2.3.3 EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES It is important to set out proper standards of code of conduct in the host country where business is carried out. The working condition, wages, forced labour or child labour are the ethical issues associated with employment practices. The reason is the work condition may be very poor in different countries. The Nike example clearly illustrates that bad employment practices were carried out in poor nation where children were working workers were getting low wages and a failure to protect employees. 2.3.4 CORRUPTION In this new era as well, corruption plays a vital role in international business. In this context Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits US companies to try to obtain contracts by offering improper payments, gifts to foreign officials. It is against the law for any member of the organisation to influence any foreign official to give any payments or gifts in return of something in the business. It is good to point out that what is considered to be gift in one country may be bribe in another. 2.3.5 MORAL OBLIGATION Indeed organisations have the required power to control their resources and they can as well move their businesses from one place to another. If power is used positively to increase social welfare then it is said to be ethical. However organisations today make it their social responsibility to help the host country and increase their social welfare by giving them something back For example, BP, an oil company make social investments in the place where they do business. 2.4 PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACHES TO ETHICS 2.4.1 STRAW MEN According to business ethics scholars, the straw men approaches does not provide appropriate guidelines for the ethical decision making process. There are four approaches under the straw men philosophy which are discussed below. 2.4.1a THE FRIEDMAN DOCTRINE In the Friedman Doctrine, Milton Friedman argues that any business social responsibility is to increase its profits as far as the organisation stays within the law. He adds that businesses should not undertake any social expenditure. 2.4.1b CULTURAL RELATIVISM Cultural Relativism believes that ethics is the reflection of a culture where a business has to operate according to the ethics of the culture. For instance, if slavery is accepted in a culture, the business has to adopt that culture if operating in that place. 2.4.1c THE RIGHTEOUS MORALIST According to Righteous Moralist, the home country standards of ethics are much better to follow in foreign countries. 2.4.1d THE NAIVE IMMORALIST According to Naive Immoralist, if a firm does not abide by the ethical norms in a host country then the other firm should follow the same path. 2.4.2 UTILITARIAN AND KANTIAN ETHICS Utilitarian approaches to ethics assert that moral worth of practices or actions is determined by their consequences. According to this approach some consequences are good and some are harmful. It highlights the point that it is important to weigh the cost of business action and its social benefits. However the action should be pursued only when the benefit outweighs the cost. In Kantian Ethics, a person is treated as an end but not as a means to the ends of others. According to this philosophy, low wages, poor work conditions, sweatshops are all against the law of ethics. 2.4.3 RIGHTS THEORIES Rights Theories which were developed in the 20th century argues that every individual has fundamental rights and privilege. Indeed these human rights transcend culture and national boundaries. According to the Rights Theorists, a minimum level of morally acceptable behaviour should be followed and they argue that firms should not engage in any business where human rights are violated. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides basic principles of human rights that everyone should follow. 2.4.4 JUSTICE THEORIES The principle of Justice Theory states that just distribution of economic of goods and services has to be achieved. The just distribution is considered to be fair and equitable. It is good to point out that different justice theories conflict with each other. One of the justice theorists, John Rawls illustrates that there should be equal distribution of goods and services except when an unequal distribution would work to everyones advantage. 2.5 ETHICAL DILEMMAS Managers are faced with real ethical dilemmas. To deal ethically with employment conditions, human rights, corruption, environmental pollution and the proper use of power is not always easy. Ethical dilemmas occur when a manager comes in a situation where it is not ethically acceptable. 2.6 THE ROOTS OF UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR There are several reasons that make a manager unethical. Personal ethics, organisation culture, unrealistic performance goals, leadership, decision-making processes are all the roots of unethical behaviour. Conflicts of Interests can affect employees objectives concerning the duties and responsibilities directly or indirectly. 2.7 ETHICAL DECISION MAKING Large international corporations have the moral obligation to consider corruption, human rights, environmental pollution, working conditions in their business decisions. Along with these there are a few things that global businesses has to take into consideration for a proper follow up of ethical issues in any business decisions. First of all an organisation has to hire and promote an employee who has a strong personal ethics. In addition it is important to build a business culture where proper ethical behaviour is fully implemented. Moreover not only the corporate leaders have to encourage ethical behaviour in the organisation but they need to act upon it. Consequently the managers need to develop moral courage of the employees so as they can come forward to bring to the attention of any breach of the principles of ethics. Ethics advisors can give guidance in respect of good behaviour in the workplace and business ethics issues and values. 2.8 IMPORTANCE OF ETHICAL POLICY There are several factors which are important to being ethical in any business. First of all a strong ethics programs can reduce potential costly fines. Employees are expected to comply with national, international, local laws. Secondly a strong ethics can help to improve brand image and reputation. The organisation has the ability to attract investment capital. Moreover, it can help to decrease vulnerability to misconduct since they provide necessary training to make ethical decision. Lastly it can affect positively employees commitment to work and enhance customer loyalty. CHAPTER 3 DISCUSSIONS AND ANALYSIS Why is it important to have business ethics in organisation? Today plenty of evidences show that unethical corporate practices lead to decrease profitability of organisations with lawsuits. Since human rights and environmental conservation are very much recognised, the scandals of unethical practices can tarnish public perception of multinational. For example Boeing Company has established a very good framework of business ethics to assure an effective program to prevent and detect violations of law. The Boeing company code of conduct put much emphasis on expected behaviours for all Boeing employees likewise many large organisations have their own ethical policy that have to be followed. Climate change is a vital environmental issue. Nowadays any businesses that damage the environment are challenged by the NGOs, media or government. Protecting the environment and finding new sources of energy are the big challenges for a company since they do not bring easy solutions. In this context Boeing Company managed to achieve carbon neutral growth and holding net emissions constant. In addition it has change the airplane co2 emissions reduction by 70 percent and the noise area by 90 percent. However recently, in the case of China the Ministry of Environment has announced that the air pollution is worsening after the amelioration of economic growth. Moreover pollution of coastal waters also was detected. Being the worlds fastest growing economy it is told that its carbon dioxide emissions will continue to increase. This situation is unethical, since in the long run the health of the citizen can be affected. According to John V Mitchell (1999), business codes of ethics are rooted in national and cultural values which then can be in conflict at international level. Every country has its own culture, values, customs and traditions which are followed by own ethical values and principles. In this context it is difficult to have one international ethical code of conduct to be accepted and followed by all nations. Child labour in poor countries is culturally accepted. But how far is it ethical for a multinational to encourage child labour. Is it easy for multinationals to follow ethically its code of conduct, it is difficult to say. Nike was accused of not monitoring its subcontractors and not providing training on code of conduct. Contract, discrimination, overtime, wages, wages, working condition, child labour were all the issues involving Nike. The Nike case has indeed given lessons to the global market so as to minimise ethical issues. Nevertheless, recently Nike comes into the news for not paying $2.2 million in severance to Honduran Garment workers. The question of moral obligation arises again. Another question may arise about the responsibility of a multinational in a country where human rights are not respected. Still there are countries where freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom from political repression are not respected. According to Charles Mitchell (2003) corruption can affect global market. It manages a countrys development in several ways. It reduces growth, decreases foreign investment, have negative impact on the loan and aid funds. In fact corruption brings high return to the corrupt but it can have no benefit to the people. The United States condemn business gifts however many nations accept business gifts as a good gesture since it tightens business relationship. Marketing should aim at providing accurate information to its customers. Marketing and safety practices should be ethical. Inappropriate marketing can tarnish the image of the Company. The example is Nestle who used wrong advertisement and end up killing babies in poor countries. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), World Trade Organisation (WTO), International Monetary Fund(IMF), World Bank are those global institutions that manage and regulate the global marketplace. In addition they organise treaties to govern the multinational system. CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION Developing an organisational and global ethical culture is not easy. The benefits of business ethics is that it contributes to employee commitment, investor loyalty, customer satisfaction and profits. It is of paramount importance not to change rigid values however if required maintain a flexible moral principles so as to provide an effective ethical framework. Today ethics is a must in an organisation since it brings awareness of organisational goal and shows the right way of action. A good ethical behaviour provides a healthy and nice climate of doing business. If an organisation encourages moral values in its business then clients support and attention provides competitive advantage. Thus it can be concluded that globalisation influences the world economy and gain unprecedented power. At international level the complexity of business ethics is not easy to tackle since our values , cultures differ from one another. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Ethical values should be communicated more effectively to employees. An ethics  programs can reduce potential costly fines from wrongful, fraudulent and illegal  activities. Employees are expected to comply with national, international, local laws   2. Depending on the host country, there should be a proper communication channel that  work best for the business 3. A global company must establish an environment that encourage ethical behaviour 4. Since employeess behaviour has a crucial impact on the profitability of the organisation,  it is important to improve ethical climate of a multinational. The organisation has the  ability to attract investment capital by improving brand image and reputation 5. Training session, awareness of codes of ethics, reward systems should be considered.  The ethics programs can help to decrease vulnerability training to make ethical decision 6. Global market should respect human rights regardless of where their operations are. 7. Corruption has to be tackled and eliminated. 8. Multinationals should be encouraged to work in collaboration with the government of the  host country, NGOs, locals.

Ouija Boards :: essays research papers fc

Ouija Boards For those of you that do not know what a ouija board is, it is a device used to supposedly ask questions of and receive answers from a seemingly supernatural force. Using a ouija board has become a controversial subject. Some people regard them as "evil" or a "tool of the Devil", yet they continue to be sold in stores along Scrabble and Monopoly as a game. The Ouija board was invented in the early 1890's by William Fuld. It is now sold by Parker Brothers. A ouija board is a small board with various symbols printed on its surface. These symbols include all letters of the alphabet, the numbers 1 to 9 and 0, and the words yes and no. A smaller board, shaped like a heart, called a planchette or pointer is used to direct the answers. Two or more people rest a Ouija board on their laps and press their fingers lightly on the pointer. One of them asks the board a question. The pointer supposedly answers by indicating a word or a number or by spelling out words. According to people who believe in the ouija board, spirits guide the pointer. Others think the fingers of the questioner influence the pointer. There are basic guidelines that should be followed for using Ouija boards. If any of you are willing to try one you should check out some of the safe things to do to protect yourself or anyone else from possible harm. As many people improvise a ouija board as a game, it is always best to protect yourself. Where there is no protection from 'evil forces' extremely frightening things can occur. Sinister messages can be spelt out, claimed to come from the devil. As to prove that no one person is purposely pushing the pointer, tales have been told of all removing their fingers except one, and the pointer continuing to whiz around in manic fashion - or of the pointer jumping up in the air or hurling itself off the table and smashing. Also evil spirits have been known to lie about who they are tricking the users into further danger. You have to be the judge of the information you receive. To believe everything that comes through on the board just because it's from the other side is extremely gullible, and is like believing everything that you read in the newspaper or see on TV. If your mind tells you there's something wrong, there probably is . If the information you're getting seems new to you, compare it with other channeled material and see if you're comfortable with it. Ouija Boards :: essays research papers fc Ouija Boards For those of you that do not know what a ouija board is, it is a device used to supposedly ask questions of and receive answers from a seemingly supernatural force. Using a ouija board has become a controversial subject. Some people regard them as "evil" or a "tool of the Devil", yet they continue to be sold in stores along Scrabble and Monopoly as a game. The Ouija board was invented in the early 1890's by William Fuld. It is now sold by Parker Brothers. A ouija board is a small board with various symbols printed on its surface. These symbols include all letters of the alphabet, the numbers 1 to 9 and 0, and the words yes and no. A smaller board, shaped like a heart, called a planchette or pointer is used to direct the answers. Two or more people rest a Ouija board on their laps and press their fingers lightly on the pointer. One of them asks the board a question. The pointer supposedly answers by indicating a word or a number or by spelling out words. According to people who believe in the ouija board, spirits guide the pointer. Others think the fingers of the questioner influence the pointer. There are basic guidelines that should be followed for using Ouija boards. If any of you are willing to try one you should check out some of the safe things to do to protect yourself or anyone else from possible harm. As many people improvise a ouija board as a game, it is always best to protect yourself. Where there is no protection from 'evil forces' extremely frightening things can occur. Sinister messages can be spelt out, claimed to come from the devil. As to prove that no one person is purposely pushing the pointer, tales have been told of all removing their fingers except one, and the pointer continuing to whiz around in manic fashion - or of the pointer jumping up in the air or hurling itself off the table and smashing. Also evil spirits have been known to lie about who they are tricking the users into further danger. You have to be the judge of the information you receive. To believe everything that comes through on the board just because it's from the other side is extremely gullible, and is like believing everything that you read in the newspaper or see on TV. If your mind tells you there's something wrong, there probably is . If the information you're getting seems new to you, compare it with other channeled material and see if you're comfortable with it.

The Importance of Language and Culture

There are two forms of communications–verbal and non-verbal. Nonverbal communication is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages. Language is not the only source of communication, there are other means also. Messages can be communicated through gestures and touch, by body language or posture, by facial expression and eye contact. Meaning can also be communicated through object or artifacts (such as clothing, hairstyles or architecture), symbols, and icons (or graphics). Speech contains nonverbal elements known as paralanguage, including voice quality, rate, pitch, volume, and speaking style, as well as prosodic features such as rhythm, intonation and stress. Dance is also regarded as a form of nonverbal communication. Verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and interpersonal communications all play an important role in different languages and cultures. Sign languages and writing are generally understood as forms of verbal communication, as both make use of words — although like speech, both may contain paralinguistic elements and often occur alongside nonverbal messages. Nonverbal communication can occur through any sensory channel — sight, sound, smell, touch or taste. Nonverbal communication is important as: â€Å"When we speak (or listen), our attention is focused on words rather than body language. But our judgment includes both. An audience is simultaneously processing both verbal and nonverbal cues. Body movements are not usually positive or negative in and of themselves; rather, the situation and the message will determine the appraisal† (Givens, 2000, p. 4). Hair color, gender, race, origin, clothing, appearance, and personality send nonverbal interactions during communication. Communication can be judged many different ways and that is why it is important to understand the different types of communication. Communication failures often result in lack of knowledge of communicating skills. A lot of people do not know or understand what kind of communication they are develop with their appearance. Verbal interactions are not used quite as frequently or not noticed as much. On average, to a moderate degree, women are better at nonverbal communication than are men (Hall, 1979). Verbal communications include body language, facial expressions, eye contact, paralanguage, environment, and the use of silence and time. Several thinks take part in the importance of communication. The world revolves because of communication. Without education to teach us how to communicate we would not be able to resolve important matters in everyday society and at home. Children learn culture through their parents, because they are the primary people in thier lives to teach them how to talk. That is why when children are born they speak and communicate like their family, environment, and origin. It is very important to teach children what communication means rather than just teaching them how to talk. The knowledge of understanding communication is important to be successful at communicating. Language and culture play a huge role in education. Without education the world would be very unorganized. We would not know how to even sign our name or manage our finances. It is important to learn different languages so you can communicate with other origins when needed. You may have to communicate with someone who speaks another language at your local grocer, the bank, the school, the courthouse. There are a wide range of languages in which people speak, and sometimes just because they live in the same country as you it does not mean they know how to speak the same language. When people encounter that can’t speak the same language, verbal communication is the only other way to communicate. Verbal communication often leads to failure to communicate between to origins, because they both communicate differently verbal as well. Language is more than just a means of communication. It influences our culture and even our thought processes. Language is arguably the most important component of culture because much of the rest of it is normally transmitted orally. It is impossible to understand the subtle nuances and deep meanings of another culture without knowing its language well. Different languages are easier to learn at a younger age before completely understanding a first language. Trying to learn a second language can be difficult for an adult, because the language they speak can confuse them while trying to learn. Different languages come from different backgrounds and when crossed can lead to great misunderstanding between the two languages. Anthropologists have found that learning about how people categorize things in their environment provides important insights into the interests, concerns, and values of their culture(Oneil, 2006). Language determines the way a person reviews the world. One’s culture determines the way one processes information and how one copes with reality. Concepts and objects have frames of reference that differ from culture to culture. The meaning of a word partly depends on the culture’s historical relation to the concept or object described. Different cultures see the world differently. Different cultures have different beliefs and values and these are expressed in their language, whether it be verbal or non-verbal. Many misunderstandings occur in intercultural communications because many are unaware of these differences. It is important for one to learn the differences of various cultures for one to understand one’s own identity. It is through knowing about others that one learns what is truly important to oneself. In our American culture, new skills are typically taught and learned through verbal instruction (Slobin, 1979). In some cultures, new skills are learned through nonverbal observation. A distinction has also been made between cultures that encourage independent learning and those that encourage cooperative learning (McLeod, 1994). The power of language to reflect culture and influence thinking was first proposed by an American linguist and anthropologist, Edward Sapir (1884–1939), and his student, Benjamin Whorf (1897–1941). The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis stated that the way we think and view the world is determined by our language (Anderson & Lightfoot, 2002; Crystal, 1987; Hayes, Ornstein, & Gage, 1987). Instances of cultural language differences are evidenced in that some languages have specific words for concepts whereas other languages use several words to represent a specific concept. For example, the Arabic language includes many specific words for designating a certain type of horse or camel (Crystal, 1987). To make such distinctions in English, where specific words do not exist, adjectives would be used preceding the concept label, such as quarter horse or dray horse. Cultural differences have also been noted in the ways in which language is used pragmatically. In our American culture, new skills are typically taught and learned through verbal instruction (Slobin, 1979). In some cultures, new skills are learned through nonverbal observation. A distinction has also been made between cultures that encourage independent learning and those that encourage cooperative learning (McLeod, 1994). Differences in the social roles of adults and children also influence how language is used. Home and school contexts may represent different cultures, subcultures, or both and may influence language acquisition in noticeable ways. Nonverbal cues (e. g. , facial expression) and contextual cues (e. g. , shared experience) have different communicative roles in different cultures (Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2003). People develop their language and culture as a child. It is important to understand different language and cultures to be able to communicate with different people from all around the world. Conflict is a part of most every interpersonal relationship. Managing conflict, then, is important if the relationship is to be long lasting and rewarding. Conflict is an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving their goals. Two sides must communicate about a problem for there to be a conflict. They must also have different perceptions or ideas to create a conflict. The most important thing with an interpersonal relationship is to know how to handle the situation. Avoiding a conflict can cause communication damage and lead to greater problems. It is best that both individuals discuss their differences in a civilized manner. Conflicts can be resolved by trying to understand the other person’s point of view. Criticism and judgment of others only makes the conflict harder to resolve. Communicating openly and honest, asking for opinions, expressing interest, expressing a willingness to listen, and focusing attention on the task are ways to improve a personal conflict with someone. Emotional intelligence represents an ability to validly reason with emotions and to use emotions to enhance thought. Perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and managing emotions play a big role in emotional intelligence. Perceiving emotions is the ability to detect and decipher emotions in faces, pictures, voices, and cultural artifacts. Perceiving emotions represents a basic aspect of emotional intelligence, as it makes all other processing of emotional information possible (Salovey P and Grewal D, 2005). Using emotions is the bility to harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive activities, such as thinking and problem solving. The emotionally intelligent person can capitalize fully upon his or her changing moods in order to best fit the task at hand (Salovey P and Grewal D, 2005). Understanding emotions is the ability to comprehend emotion language and to appreciate complicated relationships among emotions. For example, understanding emotions encompasses the ability to be sensitive to slight variations between emotions, and the ability to recognize and describe how emotions evolve over time (Salovey P and Grewal D, 2005). Managing emotions is the ability to regulate emotions in both ourselves and in others. Therefore, the emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions, even negative ones, and manage them to achieve intended goals ( Salovey P and Grewal D, 2005). All these roles help form emotional intelligence and play a part in successful communication. Even though these aspects all play an important role in emotional intelligence, for most people, emotional intelligence (EQ) is more important than one’s intelligence (IQ) in attaining success in their lives and careers. As individuals our success and the success of the profession today depend on our ability to read other people’s signals and react appropriately to them. Therefore, each one of us must develop the mature emotional intelligence skills required to better understand, empathize and negotiate with other people — particularly as the economy has become more global. Otherwise, success will elude us in our lives and careers (Bressert S. , 2009). Five major categories of emotional intelligence skills are of value to professional accountants ( Bressert S, 2009). Self-awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills are all part of the five major categories of emotional intelligence. Verbal and nonverbal communication, self perception, emotional intelligence, cultural differences, and conflicts are all very important in understand different languages and cultures. Being able to communicate effectively with different cultures has almost became a requirement in today’s society to be able to live successfully. Many different languages and cultures express themselves differently. The most important thing in understand the different cultures is knowing how to communicate with anyone and everyone whom you may come in contact with in your life. Understanding different people and the way they commincate, and all the different types of communication can make a huge difference in communication efforts. Language is obviously a vital tool. Not only is it a means of communicating thoughts and ideas, but it forges friendships, and economic relationships (Kilgour D, 1999). Language, of course, is knowledge, and in our world today knowledge is one of the key factors in competitiveness. Brains and knowledge are what create the prosperity and growth we tend to take for granted. In an advanced industrial society in an increasingly interdependent world, the knowledge of other languages becomes indispensable. Just think of how the advent of the Internet has changed our lives. For the last few years, millions of people across the world, who share common interests, are able to communicate with each other and exchange ideas. Not only are they able to do this due to the various technological advances, but also because they share a common language.

Grief and Loss Essay

Losing someone or something we love is very painful. We may experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it may feel like the sadness will never let up. These are normal reactions to a significant loss. But while there is no right or wrong way to grieve —there are healthy ways to cope with the pain. Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering we feel when something or someone we love is taken away. We may associate grief with the death of a loved one – and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief. But any loss can cause grief, including: * A relationship breakup * Loss of health * Losing a job * Loss of financial stability * A miscarriage * Death of a pet * Loss of a cherished dream * A loved one’s serious illness * Loss of a friendship * Loss of safety after a trauma The more signifcant the loss, the more intense the grief. However, even subtle losses can lead to grief. For example, we might experience grief after moving away from home, graduating from college, changing jobs, selling our family home, or retiring from a career we loved. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How we grieve depends on many factors, including personality and coping style, life experience, faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried – and there is no â€Å"normal† timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever grief experience, it’s important to be patient and allow the process to naturally unfold. (Bowlby 1977) In 1969, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kà ¼bler-Ross introduced what became known as the â€Å"five stages of grief.† These stages of grief were based on her studies of the feelings of patients facing terminal illness, but many people have generalized them to other types of negative life changes and losses, such as the death of a loved one or a break-up. The five stages of grief: * Denial: â€Å"This can’t be happening to me.† * Anger: â€Å"Why is this happening? Who is to blame?† * Bargaining: â€Å"Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.† * Depression: â€Å"I’m too sad to do anything.† * Acceptance: â€Å"I’m at peace with what happened.† If we are experiencing any of these emotions following a loss, it may help to know that our reaction is natural and that we’ll heal in time. However, not everyone who is grieving goes through all of these stages – and that’s okay. In fact, some people resolve their grief without going through any of these stages. And if we do go through these stages of grief, we probably won’t experience them in a neat, sequential order.(Parkes 1972) Kà ¼bler-Ross herself never intended for these stages to be a rigid framework that applies to everyone who mourns. In her last book before her death in 2004, she said of the five stages of grief, â€Å"They were never meant to help tuck messy emotions into neat packages. They are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grieving is as individual as our lives.† Instead of a series of stages, we might also think of the grieving process as a rol ler coaster, full of ups and downs, highs and lows. Like many roller coasters, the ride tends to be rougher in the beginning, the lows may be deeper and longer. The difficult periods should become less intense and shorter as time goes by, but it takes time to work through a loss. Even years after a loss, especially at special events such as a family wedding or the birth of a child, we may still experience a strong sense of grief. While loss affects people in different ways, many people experience the following symptoms when they’re grieving. Important thing to remember that almost anything that we experience in the early stages of grief is normal – including feeling like we’re going crazy, feeling like we’re in a bad dream, or questioning our religious beliefs. * Shock and disbelief – Right after a loss, it can be hard to accept what happened. Feeling numb, have trouble believing that the loss really happened, or even deny the truth. If someone we love has died, we may keep expecting them to show up, even though we know they’re gone. * Sadness – Profound sadness is probably the most universall y experienced symptom of grief. We may have feelings of emptiness, despair, yearning, or deep loneliness. We may also cry a lot or feel emotionally unstable. * Guilt – We may regret or feel guilty about things you did or didn’t say or  do. We may also feel guilty about certain feelings (e.g. feeling relieved when the person died after a long, difficult illness). After a death, we may even feel guilty for not doing something to prevent the death, even if there was nothing more we could have done. * Anger – Even if the loss was nobody’s fault, we may feel angry and resentful. If we lost a loved one, we may be angry at our self, God, the doctors, or even the person who died for abandoning us. We may feel the need to blame someone for the injustice that was done. * Fear – A significant loss can trigger a host of worries and fears. We may feel anxious, helpless, or insecure. We may even have panic attacks. The death of a loved one can trigger fears about own mortality, of facing life without that person, or the responsibilities we now face alone. * Physical symptoms – We often think of grief as a str ictly emotional process, but grief often involves physical problems, including fatigue, nausea, lowered immunity, weight loss or weight gain, aches and pains, and insomnia. The single most important factor in healing from loss is having the support of other people. People aren’t quite often comfortable talking about their feelings under normal circumstances, it’s important to express them when grieving. Sharing loss makes the load of grief easier to carry. Wherever the support comes from, it is important to accept it and do not grieve alone. It’s normal to feel sad, numb, or angry following a loss. But as time passes, these emotions should become less intense as we accept the loss and start to move forward. If we aren’t feeling better over time, or grief is getting worse, it may be a sign that grief has developed into a more serious problem, such as complicated grief or major depression. The sadness of losing someone we love never goes away completely, but it shouldn’t remain centre stage. If the pain of the loss is so constant and severe that it keeps us from resuming our life, we may be suffering from a condition known as complicated grief. Complicated grief is like being stuck in an intense state of mourning. We may have trouble accepting the death long after it has occurred or be so preoccupied with the person who died that it disrupting daily routine and undermines other relationships. (Simons 1979) Symptoms of complicated grief include: * Intense longing and yearning for the deceased * Intrusive thoughts or images of your loved one * Denial of the death or sense of disbelief * Imagining that your loved one is alive * Searching for the person in familiar places * Avoiding things that remind you of your loved one * Extreme anger or bitterness over the loss * Feeling that life is empty or meaningless Every person is individual and deal with grieving process differently ,however some people experience high level of distress which brings them to see the counsellor. (Stroebe,Schut & Stroebe,2005)People seeking counselling would quite often come for help with thoughts, behaviours, feelings or ability to coop. Sometimes grieving person realizes that counselling is the way to go sometimes family or friends would recognize the symptoms and recommend counselling to the grieving person. In both cases it’s counsellors responsibility to help the survivor to adapt to the change. There are certain principles and procedures than counsellor should follow to help client work through grieving process and come to a good outcome. 1, Actualize the loss Talking about loss may be very difficult for client. This can be encouraged by counsellor by asking appropriate questions: when this happened, how this happened, who told you about it, where were you†¦ some clients would need to go over and over it in their minds before they can be fully aware that it has happened. There is not a time scale for this and counsellor will have to follow clients own pace. Counsellor is in this stage clients listener and can facilitate the growing awareness of the loss and its impact by encouraging to verbalize current and past memories of the deceased. 2, Identify and experience feelings Many clients come to counselling as the are worried about what they are feeling. Some feelings can be very confusing and problematic such as anger ,guilt ,helplessness, loneliness, anxiety. Counsellor’s role is to ensure client that all these feelings are natural and are part of grieving process and help them to acknowledge these sometimes negative feelings. It is important not to leave client with negative feelings but to help them find balance between the negative and positive feelings as focusing on negativity may put client in the risk of complications in the bereavement and make them  suitable for medical treatment(Neimeyer 2000) 3, Assist adapt to the loss To achieve this counsellor may use problem solving approach. What are the problems that client is facing and how can this be solved? Counsellor can help to learn effective coping skills help with self esteem if needed .Good judgement of situation is necessary as during acute grief there is an increased risk of maladaptive response. 4, Help find meaning in the loss The specific ways in which people find meaning-strategies such as â€Å"there’s a spiritual order to the universe†,†she drank too much†,I needed to learn something†-may be less sailent than the process itself .In other words,the ability to reascribe meaning to a change world may be more significant than the specific content by which that need is fulfilled.(Schwartzberg and Halgin 1991,p.245) Finding meaning in loss is one of the goals of counselling. The process can be as important as the meaning. 5, Facilitate emotional relocation By this counsellor can help client find a new place in their own life which will help them to move forward with life. Some people don’t need any encouragement but there are many who do. Especially with loss of loved ones people are tended to feel that if they will move on it will dishonour the memory of the deceased or no one will ever fill the place of lost one. Counsellor can help client to realize that this is true to certain extend but it is all right to live and enjoy their own life. 6, Provide time to grieve Grieving requires time and every person deal with loss differently. Client may be going backward and forward in grieving process and counsellor is there to allow as much time as client needs. Sometimes family and friends seem to the grieving person as â€Å"they don’t understand† â€Å"they keep telling me what to do† etc. Counsellor can help interpret to family members that grieving person needs to accommodate to the loss. There is also a critical time periods which for grieving person is more likely to be difficult to coop with. This would be anniversaries, birthdays ,Christmas and holidays. It is advised to make a note of this dates as grieving person would often  need extra support .If these critical dates come after counselling treatment has finished it is advised to make an arrangements to contact client. 7, Allow for individual differences Grieving process has a wide range of behavioural responses and has strong individual differences in the intensity of reactions, pain ,length of time (Schvartzberg&Halgin,1991) Counsellor can help to explain these differences to the family as sometimes they expect everyone to grieve the same way. Of course client’s ethnicity, religion, upbringing and beliefs play major role in the process and counsellor has to be familiar with these factors. 8, Examine defences and coping styles When rapport between client and counsellor has developed clients are more willing to discuss their behaviour. Some of the coping styles can be dangerous( alcohol and drug abuse) and not making adjustment to the loss. Counsellor has to be alert and inquire about this as heavy drug or alcohol use can intensify the grief and depression. As a general rule, normal grief does not warrant the use of antidepressants. While medication may relieve some of the symptoms of grief, it cannot treat the cause, which is the loss itself. Furthermore, by numbing the pain that must be worked through eventually, antidepressants delay the mourning process. Counsellor can help with active emotional coping which seems to be most effective way to deal with bereavement. This techniques includes using humour ,reframing and redefining difficult situation. 9, Identify Pathology and refer In some cases counsellor may recognize a pathological difficulties in client’s behaviour .Some people will not be able to coop and will continue to struggle. This can develop to some type of complicated grief. .In this case counsellor will have to refer client for different type of psychotherapy. Left untreated, complicated grief and depression can lead to significant emotional damage, life-threatening health problems, and even suicide. To summarize grieving process is natural reaction to the loss It is personal highly individual experience. There is impossible to set a time scale or ask when grieving process is finished. Bowlby(1980) and Parkes (1972) both say that grieving is finished when a person completes the final  phase of restitution. There is a sense in which grieving can be finished when people regain an interest in life, feel more hopeful and adapt to the change. In lots of cases grief counselling is helpful but as a therapists we have to accept that not every grieving person needs counselling and for those who do need it counselling has to be customized as grief is unique to each individual ( Neimeyer,2000) References: Bowlby,J.(1980) Attachment and loss ,New York:Basic Books Kubler-Ross,E.(1969) On death and dying. New York:Macmillan Neimeyer,R.(Ed).(2001) Meaning reconstruction and experience of loss. Washington D.C :American Psychological Association Parkes,C.M.(1972).Bereavement:Studies of grief in adult life.New York:International University Press. Sanders,C. (1989 ) Grief:the mourning after.New York Wiley Worden,W.J.(2009) Grief counselling and grief therapy.A handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner New York: Springer Publishing Company