Abstract In this paper the writer discusses the Mayan and Aztec cultures in a comparative nature to reveal the similarities in their interrelation to each other. By understanding the connectedness of the two cultures, the writer shows why they are so closely related in their art. Further, the writer shows the way that they made their art for life and religion. The writer also demonstrates that through an understanding of the artistic history of these nations, there is a semblance of influence that can be found in both of them.
Abstract This paper compares the stories of the protagonists in each novel about their personal search for meaning and connectedness between their own lives, their cultural heritage, and their place in their modern society. Because the characters' search for meaning is very similar in both books, the paper uses this similarity to evaluate the characters. It then applies Marxist criticism and myth criticism to the books to identify the social forces that drove these characters into their personal odyssey. Through these two common post-modern philosophies, this paper asks and attempts to answer questions about what the men hoped to find and what elements were included in their personal epiphanies.
From the Paper "Throughout time, the question that has nagged at the souls of men more than any other has nothing to do with how much money a person earns, or what place in the social strata of the day will be their final resting place. Our culture has based much of its existence on means to purchase an identity based on the size of a bank account, but this has not quenched the fire to discover a man's true identity. The engines which manufacture a society's identity, and stamp it in the pages of history turn without ceasing, These engines, although run by men seeking to make their mark on time, do not themselves give to men their identity, and purpose."
Abstract The mentoring process bridges the gap between formal, theoretical knowledge and practical, real life experience. This paper explains how the mentoring relationship helps the learner apply knowledge by creating emotional connectedness to his or her career and by having a person who is as committed to his or her success as the learner. It states that, while knowledge is gained in the classroom, the nurse must be able to apply the knowledge in a high-pressure, fast-moving environment, in which the nurse's decisions can make a significant positive or negative impact on the patient's well-being. By establishing a mentoring relationship, the experience of successful nurses can be transferred to the novice, thus enriching the entire profession.
From the Paper "The concept of career mentoring has been quietly making its way back into the professional marketplace as a means to ensure the success of up and coming executives, and professionals in positions which require a high degree of skill training, and emotional adjustments to their careers. Mentoring has long been knows for it's positive benefits, but in the competitive based, and highly individualized American marketplace, mentoring had been slowly abandoned as a means of producing qualified candidates. The American culture is based on competition as the means of attaining success. As a result of our colure, the natural selection process, of possibly the law of attrition has been used to cultivate trained professionals. Throughout the last half of the 20th century, the terms "dog eat dog" and "survival of the fittest" have described the nature of the American career path in many, if not most professional fields."
Abstract Toni Morrison's "Song of Solomon" and Martha Cooley's "The Archivist" explore the importance of connectedness, both to the individual and the larger culture. The paper shows how the main characters of each book struggle with the individual damage done by a failure to connect with others in their lives. It shows that, on a broader level, Morrison's Milkman struggles to find his place in a larger black culture and can only find connection and happiness once he discovers his connection to his familial and cultural roots. Similarly, Cooley's Judith is haunted by her family history, but without the help of family or her husband, Matthias, she can never find connection to her roots or reconcile her past. It is this failure to connect that ultimately leads to Judith's madness and destruction.
From the Paper "It is in the woods that Milkman finally finds an understanding of brotherhood, and finds a place for himself in the larger black community. As he leaves the woods he is "exhilarated by simply walking the earth. Walking like he belonged on it . . ." (Morrison, 281). His new connection is seen in his caring, mutually fulfilling interaction with a local woman named Sweet, and his understanding that his relationship with her is profoundly different than his earlier superficial relationships with the other women in his life. As he makes the bed and washes the breakfast dishes, Macon reflects on his relationship with his mother and Pilate, and that "he had never so much as made either of them a cup of tea" (Morrison, 331). As Milkman discovers his family's past, he discovers a connection to his peers and his larger community as a whole."
Abstract Poetry analysis of selected works of Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath focusing on recurring themes of suicide and rebirth. Specifically, the paper analyzes the loss of self-worth experienced by aging women, fears related to predetermined gender roles and how these influences and expectations hinder spiritual connectedness.
From the Paper "Women writers often use suicide as a vehicle of escape for female characters who find themselves trapped within a restrictive and domineering masculine centered society. Tragically, many of these same writers materialize their fascination with freedom through suicide into the reality of their own lives. Although the confessional poetry of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton delivers successive examples of this terrifying fascination, the horrific reality of their repetitive attempts to take their own lives taints the eloquence of this body of work. Loss of societal worth and independence for aging women, reservations with predetermined domestic expectations and, most significantly, repetitive attempts at identification with the spiritual and natural world are all relevant themes in Plath and Sexton's poetry. Clearly, both authors were plagued with a variety of fears born in the conflicting expectations of a male dominated society."
Abstract This paper examines how regardless of the differing perspectives from Gandhi, Zedong and Mandela, each share a connectedness. It looks at how the development of Gandhi's pacifist methods, Mandela's use of non-violence, and Zedong usage of military force has all furthered their causes successfully.
From the Paper "Gandhi's beliefs spread like wildfire throughout the newly formed independent India. Gandhi gained millions upon millions of followers. They all followed Gandhi's nonviolent ways. English courts, as well as many other government establishments, were boycotted; Indian children were withdrawn from government schools. His followers would not even rise when being beaten, filling the streets in their meditation position. At this point Gandhi made the change. He changed his name to Mahatma, a Sanskrit word meaning great soul, a title reserved only for the greatest wise person."
Tags: india, china, south, africa, violence, pacifism, apartheid
Abstract This paper explains that psychologist Robert Sternberg proposes a theory of love consisting of a "love triangle" with the three components of passion, the drive that leads to romance, physical attraction, sexual consummation and related phenomena; intimacy, the feelings of closeness, connectedness and bondedness in loving relationships, and commitment, the decision that one loves someone else and commits to maintain that love. The author points out that these three components may be combined to characterize eight kinds of love; however, the relative emphasis of each component changes over time as an adult romantic relationship develops. The author points out that Sternberg's triangular theory of love has been criticized for its methodology and on the grounds that passion, intimacy and commitment often overlap; other scholars have found this theory to be a meaningful base for their own study of love. Includes illustration and Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale questionnaire.
From the Paper "Commitment is the cognitive component, which consists of knowing and perception. It can keep a marriage together way after passion is gone and intimacy is no longer possible. But commitment without one or both of the other elements leads to an empty marriage. Many older persons today despair over the younger generation's seemingly unwillingness to make commitments. Perhaps younger people, seeing what has happened with earlier generations, realize that people and relationships change and that making a commitment should go far beyond what matters to them in the short run."
Abstract This paper considers traditional approaches to leadership (transformational, transactional and charisma) and the five dimensions of authentic leadership (purpose, values, heart, compassion and self-discipline) that are supported by five developmental qualities (passion, behavior, compassion, connectedness and consistency, respectively). The items that an individual orders at Starbucks are also considered for hints that might be provided as to the type of leadership those orders indicate.
From the Paper "Traditional approaches to leadership focus on issues such as transactional and transformational leadership and how to ensure that leaders in today's companies act ethically and within the values set up by their ..."
Tags: leadership, authentic leadership, bill george, Medtronic, Starbucks
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the Greek and American cultures in terms of culture and lifestyle, vis a vis priorities, fellowship, entertainment, food and family. The paper contends that America is primarily a land of opportunity and material success, while Greece is primarily a land of camaraderie and familial connectedness.
From the Paper "America's freedom and opportunity have drawn immigrants from all over the world to her shores to join together in one of the largest melting pots in the world. In the streets of America Italians can live next door to Germans and Africans can live next door to Native Americans. Since immigrants bring elements of their culture with them to America, knowing someone of another ethnicity-or even growing up in an ethnic family-can convince us that we are acquainted with that culture."
Abstract The paper examines shyness and social withdrawal, characteristics that can contribute to weaker coping resources, increased experiences of stress, depressive symptoms and physical illness. The paper describes prevention and intervention efforts that focus on increasing self-esteem, confidence, social self-efficacy and connectedness along with an emphasis on environmental factors such as improved social support and interpersonal relations between parents and children that may result in a decrease of shyness and social withdrawal. The paper concludes that counselors must explore these factors when planning and implementing treatment programs for shy individuals, and that reductions in shyness and social withdrawal contribute to improvements in individuals' physical and mental health.
From the Paper "Stress is experienced today to a greater extent by all people, including adults and children. Edwards et al. (2004) investigated the effects that shyness, or level of social interest, had on an individual's coping resources, or their ability to deal with stressful life situations. This researcher especially sought out to empirically examine the relationship between level of social interest and coping skills in young children. Some children, like some adults, demonstrate high resilience levels that protect them from detrimental effects that may incur from exposure to stressful life experiences (Edwards et al., 2004)."
Abstract This paper discusses the concept of caring, specifically as it manifests between a nurse and his/her patient. The paper discusses five aspects of caring, which are caring and competency; caring and connectedness; caring and critical thinking; caring and healing; and caring and professionalism. The writer mentions his own experiences following surgery.
From the Paper "Caring is a complex issue. Dowling (2004) mentions that there are 35 different definitions of caring, but one of the most useful is caring as an interpersonal interaction. "For caring to occur, both the nurse and the patient must communicate openly with trust and respect for each other" (Dowling, 2004, p. 1291). There are five aspects of caring which consist of: caring and competency; caring and connectedness; caring and critical thinking; caring and healing; and caring and professionalism. These aspects will be discussed. My own experience of surgery was marked by deep anxiety and feelings of loss."
An analysis of Eagle Man's (Ed McGaa) discussion in his work "We Are All Related: Eagle Man," about stewardship and eco/civil-responsibility and how it relates to the writer's experiences in his workplace.
Abstract This paper discusses the work "We Are All Related: Eagle Man." It shows how Ed McGaa (Eagle Man) uses the work to represent a culmination of the Native-American principles of stewardship and connectedness to all living things, displaying a simpler understanding of the place of progress and eco/civil-responsibility in the world. The paper focuses on the writer's experiences within the health professions of connecting work with eco/civil responsibility.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Conclusion
From the Paper "Stewardship may not seem like a concept that would be easily applied in a health care setting but the emphasis on stewardship and holistic care has been fully embraced by those in my clinic, and is taught through art and representation within the clinic. We frequently emphasize the needs of the whole of the community through our thoughts and actions and rely heavily on the idea that We are all related, as a guide to our interactions with patients and other people we deal with on a daily basis. Returning to the simple ideals of the Eagle Man as a goal to strive for, the emphasis that the modern is not all bad and that we can save lives with the treatments that we use, but that we can also do so in a way that better serves our environment and our community, we will succeed in setting a good example for others to do the same."
Abstract This paper discusses research that reveals that academic success for children is strongly correlated with peer acceptance, friendship status, peer rejection, peer maltreatment, negative peer status, and the development of peer relationships. The writer sums up each of the five studies and points out its strengths and weaknesses. The writer explains how all five articles try to convey the fact that society needs to be more sensitive to social issues involving children that relate to peer acceptance since the level of peer acceptance for a child could potentially make or break the child's future chance for academic success.The writer concludes with recommendations for future research, such as a national standardized test, that would yield results that could be said to be typical of the entire country.
From the Paper "The group of articles all presented the same general result: peer acceptance is correlated to academic achievement. The methods used seem to be either the precursor or follow-up to each of the other articles depending on the order in which you read them. The studies used similar methods in order to find a correlation. The first two of the five studies used one-on-one interviews to determine how much of a factor peer acceptance played into academic achievement. Both of these studies used point scales in order to get responses from the participants. The last two studies were longitudinal studies that wanted to know if peer acceptance affected academic achievement in the long run. Both of these studies used self-reports and teacher-reports to determine the degree of peer acceptance."
An exploration of how academic achievement can be improved by peer acceptance and a description of an experimental study carried out to demonstrate this.
Abstract This paper describes an experimental study with the purpose of determining whether positive peer relationships correlate with higher academic achievement. The writer discusses past research on peer acceptance and school performance, predicting achievement scores from peer acceptance and friendship status, negative peer treatment and achievement, and on the influence of peer groups on feelings of connectedness. The writer explains how the current study differs from past research and describes in detail the activities carried out with an intervention group and a control group. Both groups were given the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition, before the study and are to be given it again at the end of the academic year after the study. The writer predicts how the graph of the results of the study should look for both groups with regard to both the CAT/6 and to social skills. The paper concludes with the prediction that the peer relationship training that participants would receive in the intervention groups would significantly elevate their scores in both CAT/6 and social skills, compared with the participants in the control groups. This paper includes figures.
From the Paper "My experiment will differ from the past research in that it will be an experimental study with an intervention group and control group. The past research was not able to manipulate variables and therefore had many confounding variables that could have skewed the results. I chose this study because I believe peer relationships and emotional functions have a huge impact on academic success during the early developing years of childhood. I believe that if there were more work done to help develop positive peer relationships; educational and achievement benefits would follow suit. The hypothesis of my paper is that children who participate in the intervention group will achieve more in academics and will be rated higher in positive social skills by their peers."
Abstract This paper reviews a study by A.S. Agard and I. Harder about the experiences relatives have while taking care of their critically ill patients that are confined in the intensive care unit (ICU) entitled, "Relatives' Experiences in Intensive Care - Finding a Place in a World of Uncertainty" . The paper relates the purpose of the study that is to explore and describe the experiences relatives have while taking care of their critically ill patients that are confined in the intensive care unit (ICU). The paper identifies the phenomenon of interest in this case, the study's research approach, the clarity of the study, the data collection, analysis and sources of data and the congruence of the methodology. The paper also discusses the preciseness of the data analysis, the lessons learned from the study and the relevance of the study to the practice of nursing.
Outline:
Phenomenon of Interest & Purpose
Descriptive Vividness
Methodological Congruence
Analytical Preciseness
Theoretical Connectedness Heuristic Relevance and Evidence for Practice
From the Paper "The purpose of the study is to explore and describe the experiences relatives have while taking care of their critically ill patients that are confined in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study aims to scrutinize this phenomenon using a qualitative method. The purpose of this study was clearly stated. It defined the subject to be studied and the method. The term "relative" was further defined to avoid confusion and to clearly define the subjects for observation. Relatives stood for anyone close and looking after the patient in the ICU. The objective of the study was limited to an ICU in a Danish university hospital. The study also aimed to explore the points of view of these relatives including their perception of the roles of an ICU nurse."
