To what extent does normalisation apply in respect Essay Example For Students

To what extent does normalisation apply in respect Essay of people with dementiaThis essay will analyse the extent to which the values of normalisation/social role valorisation apply in respect of care for people with dementia. The essay will begin by briefly acknowledge Nirjes principles of normalisation and then outline the seven core themes of Wolfensbergers theory of normalisation. These will incorporate some criticisms of wolfensbergers work by other writers. The essay will move on to outline Tom Kitwood and colleagues contribution to the recognition of the person suffering with dementia, to show how a person is made up of many complex interactions. I will outline what Kitwood terms The Malignant Social Psychology surrounding the dementia process and the dangers of adopting a theory based solely on the medical model. Finally I will give a brief outline of policies leading up to the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and analyse to what extent present day policies and future initiatives reflect the principles of normalisation and personhood. The concept of normalisation originated in Scandinavia during the 1960s, and was further developed in North America. (Emerson, 1992). In its Scandinavian beginnings no rmalisation had a significant impact upon the development of services and associated enabling legislation for people with learning difficulties. (Nirje, 1969). For Nirje normalisation was first and foremost an issue of human rights based on the recognition of people with a mental handicap as our fellow human beings and citizens. (Robinson, 1989). Nirje defined normalisation as:Making available to all mentally retarded people patterns of life and conditions of everyday living which are as close as possible to the regular circumstances and ways of life of society. (Nirje, 1980:33). We will write a custom essay on To what extent does normalisation apply in respect specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In 1972 Wolfensberger proposed a more enhanced definition of normalisation which he defined as:Utilization of means which are as culturally normative as possible, in order to establish and/or maintain personal behaviors and characteristics which are as culturally normative as possible. (Wolfensberger 1972:28). Wolfensberger subsequently replaced the term normalisation with the concept of Social Role Valorisation, (SRV) which he is defined as: The application of what science can tell us about the enablement, establishment, enhancement, maintenance, and/or defence of valued social roles for people. (Wolfensberger, 1995). Wolfensberger claims his theory of Normalisation/SRV rests on a solid foundation of well-established social and behavioural science theory. (Wolfensberger, 1983). It incorporates multiple bodies of inquiry such as, the sociology of deviancy; learning theory; role theory; the function and power of social imagery; mind-sets and expectancies, the social and psychological process involved in unconsciousness; and group dynamics. (Osburn, 1998)Wolfensberger and Tullman (1989) break the normalisation theory into seven major core themes, which serves to aid the understanding of it, as follows:1.The role of unconscious in human services: This is concerned with the unconscious negative dynamics pertaining to human services that contribute to the devaluation of particular groups of people in society. The techniques of Program Analysis of Service Systems (PASS) (Wolfensberger and Glenn, 1978) and Program Analysis of Service Systems Implementation of Normalisation goals (PASSING) (Wolfensberger and Thomas 1983) are proposed by their authors as suitable for assessing how far services enhance service users social image and the personal competence. I have decided to combine the following two core themes to show how they are interrelated. 2 and 3. The relevancy of role expectancy and role circularity to deviancy making or deviancy unmaking; The developmental model and personal-competency enhancement: The two major strategies for pursuing the goal of SRV are enhancement of a persons image in the eyes of others and enhancement of their competencies. Image enhancement and competency enhancement forms a feedback loop that can be either negative or positive. That is, a person who is competency-impaired is at risk of enduring image impairment; a person who is image impaired is inclined to be responded to by others in ways that decrease the persons competency. Both processes also work equally in the reverse direction. That is, a person whose social image is positive is likely to be provided with experiences and expectancies which are likely to increase his/her competencies; and a person who exhibits competencies is apt to be imaged positively. Thus, Wolfensberger asserts that human services should do everything in their powe r to ensure that devalued people establish as many positive social roles as possible in order to break the pattern of negative role expectancies producing self-fulfilling prophecies. 4. Conservatism corollary to the principle of normalisation: When a persons holds valued social roles, attributes of theirs that might otherwise be viewed negatively are more likely to be put up with, overlooked, or even dismissed as relatively unimportant. Wolfensberger and Tullman (1989) state that if a person deviances are far greater than what would be considered to be a normal amount then they exist in a state of heightened vulnerability. They state that the greater number, severity and/or variety of deviancies or the greater number of deviant people there are in a group the greater the impact of devaluation. (p 216). Wolfensberger and Tullman (1989) propose compensating for this eventuality suggesting that, on occasions where either a suit and tie or a sports jacket and sports shirt are equally ap propriate attire, the man at value risk in society would fare better wearing the suit-and-tie combination. (p 216). Perrin and Nirje (1989) Criticise Wolfensbergers conservatism corollary, reasserting that the key elements of normalisation originally proposed was more concerned with devalued people living a life similar to that of others. They maintain that Wolfensbergers principles clearly contradict this by setting different standards for devalued people to that of normal people. They confirm this by pointing out that if a handicapped person associated with a programme under assessment by PASS refused to conform to wearing the suit and tie, the programme would be downgraded in its assessment irrespective of the personal preference of values of the client. (Perrin and Nirje,1989:225). 5. The power of imitation: normalisation supports the integration of devalued people with people who function routinely in an appropriate and valued way. This notion is based on the assumption that people are apt to imitate others behaviour and suggests that positive rather than negative role models will encourage behaviour closer to the norms of society and thus produce acceptance. Wolfensberger claims that this is crucial if we are to challenge the negative stereotyping that people with disabilities endure. Criticisms of normalisation and SRV are frequently associated with the fact that these principles stress the importance conformity to social norms. Baxter, et al (1990) point out that what is normal within a particular culture may be of questionable value to some people within that culture. Smith and Brown (1992) also criticise normalisation for its assumption that there are and homogeneous set of valued people and acceptable behaviours to which people with disabilities can aspire to. They state that this assumption bypasses difference of class, gender and ethnicity. Baxter, et al (1990) asserts that a philosophy that stresses conformity to current social norms is essentially conservative and can be seen as operating to the detriment of devalued groups. Some writers have pointed out that service providers may take white values as the norm and impose them on service users for whom they are inappropriate, for example ethnic minority communities. 6. The importance of societal integratio n and valued participation: This statement claims that segregation, for example, institutionalisation is inclined to make people more devalued and more dependent. Normalisation requires that devalued persons are integrated into the valued social life of society by providing the means to enable them to live in, normative housing; to be educated along with their non-devalued peers; work in the same facilities as other people; and be involved in recreation, shopping and all the other activities that valued members of society engage. 7. The dynamics and relevance of social imagery: This refers to the conveying devalued persons in a positive light rather than a negative one which will rub off on the person and add further to their detriment. This has far-reaching implications for human services, as negative images can be unconsciously displayed in many ways throughout society, for example in newspapers, on posters and also in the way that devalued citizens are referred to in relation to their diagnosis. .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 , .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .postImageUrl , .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 , .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075:hover , .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075:visited , .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075:active { border:0!important; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075:active , .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075 .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucf52a848360efb4814614dc53fcea075:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: I Believe in the Power of Video Games EssayThe malignant social psychology surrounding the dementing process. Tom Kitwood has conducted a series of studies, which has been influential in recent years. These deal with the social psychological environment that surrounds older people with mental health problems. The term, malignant social psychology was coined by Kitwood and well describes the social psychological environment faced by many who has one of the conditions termed dementia. He describes the processes and interactions that tend to depersonalise a person who suffers from dementia. Ten aspects of what Kitwood terms the malignant social psychology are illustrated as f ollows: 1. Treachery Some form of trickery or outright deception is used by others in order to get the dementia sufferer to comply with their wishes. 2. Disempowerment Things are done for a dementia sufferer which he or she is actually able to do, albeit clumsily or slowly: there is a consequent deskilling and loss of the sense of urgency. 3. Infantilisation This is a more extreme form of 2. But also accompanied by subtle messages which imply that the dementia sufferer has the subjectivity of a very young child. 4. Intimidation The dementia sufferer is made afraid by such processes as psychological assessments or head scans, these being carried out in an impersonal way: sometimes intimidation includes threats or actual violence. 5. Labelling A confused elderly person is given a diagnostic label such as primary degenerative dementia or Alzheimers disease. Expectations of progressive decline and derangement are set up, and a self-filling prophecy comes into play. 6. Stigmatisation This is an extreme form of labelling, but carries connotations of exclusion. As a result the dementia sufferer becomes a diseased object, an alien, an outcast. 7. Outpacing Communication with a dementia sufferer often occurs much more slowly than with those who have no impairment. Caregivers and others pay no heed to this and so fail to establish good contact. 8. Invalidation The experience of the dementia sufferer, especially in relation to emotions and feelings is not seriously understood and accepted by others. 9. Banishment The dementia sufferer is removed from the human milieu and left on his own, either physically or psychologically: this is rather like being sent to Conventry. 10. Objectification The dementia sufferer gradually ceases to be treated as a person and comes to be treated in some respects like a lump of dead matter, to be pushed around, manipulated, drained, filled, dumped etc. (Kitwood, 1990) and (Kitwood and Bredin 1992). Bell and McGregor point out the dangers of adopting a theory of dementia based solely on the medical model. They state that it pre-determines the passage of a persons future and deprives a person of the opportunity to realise their true potential. They also maintain that it ties a person into a syndrome, which casts aside the fact that they are still a human being, and thus, offers a hopeless future of inevitable decline. (See DSM-IV for the diagnostic criteria for dementia)Tom Kitwood and others developed the concept of personhood. The personhood approach is an attempt to reinstate the person as a living person who has a particularly distressing illness. (Goldsmith, 1996). Whilst not rejecting the contribution of medicine, Kitwood argues that there needs to be a shift in the way we approach dementia. Instead of recognising only the deficits, damages and problem behaviours, we need to see a person as a whole. This does not mean denying that there is a dementing illness but alternativ ely setting it in a social rather than a medical context. Kitwood (1993) states that an understanding of a persons dementia should be the result of a complex interaction between their personality, their social psychology (social relationships), their physical health, their biography of life, and their neurological impairment. He argues that all these factors go together to make a person who they are, and that to focus on only one of these factors is to treat a person as less than whole. (Kitwood 1993). Kitwood and Bredin (1992) state that there is evidence to show that some individuals have shown signs of reversal or rementia when their social relationships and their conditions of life have changed. They do, however, acknowledge that this evidence is purely anecdotal in type, nevertheless, they maintain that there seems no reason to doubt it and that in some cases they have actually met the individuals concerned. A second line of evidence concerns a study that confirms the productiveness of seeing a person as a whole. This study compared two groups of people who were comparable in their degree of dementia. The first group was given a programme of activities that occupied about 40 hours a week, plus a medical and psychiatric check-up weekly. Whereas the second group received a traditional amount of care which provided activities for around 3 to 5 hours per week and a monthly medical check-up. After one year only two of the first group showed signs of further deterioration, as oppose to 9 of the second group. The findings of this study was encouraging because those in the first group were slightly younger that those in the second group and it is customary for an accelerated decline for those with early onset dementia. A third line of evidence came from an experiment carried out on geriatric rats. Some of the rats were placed alone in impoverished environments and as they aged their brains deteriorated (Confirmed by post-mortem study). Some the rats were then placed in new environments with plenty of activities and the company of other rats. The experiment showed that the rats declining brain underwent substantial neurological development and were revived solely as a result of a change in their environment. Kitwood and Bredin, (1992) concluded that comparable neurological development can also occur in the human brain, since the nature of the grey matter in rats and humans are similar. They also state that:If some degree of rementing can be brought about purely t hrough human interaction; if some sufferers do stabilize when provided with a care environment that fosters activity and cooperation; if the ageing and damaged brain is capable of some structural regeneration, then there is ground for looking on dementia care in a positive way. (Kitwood and Bredin, 1992:280). To what extent does policies reflect the normalisation/personhood approaches? The history and future developments of more independent services. The traditional treatment of people with mental and physical disabilities was in large hospitals built on the outskirts of most towns. Once patients went into such hospitals they rarely came out. Living their lives within institutions led to people becoming institutionalised, dependent on the routines of the hospital to a point were they could no longer function outside of its walls. (Young 1995). Concerns over these issues led to a search for alternatives. Arguments for community care were strengthened by sociological critiques of institutional life. (Gothman, 1968). The Griffith report Community Care: Agenda for Action was published in 1988. This report recommended that the Local Authority Social Service Departments should be responsible for assessing individuals needs and arranging the purchase of whatever services they required. For example, domiciliary, day, and residential care. However, it was not is recommendation that the local authorities should provide the services. Griffith recommendations for the separation of purchaser/provider functions were one of the reports most influential proposals. From this the term enabling authority was coined and identified a direction in which local authorities provided an environment that enabled consumers to exercise choice and encourage the development of service provision within the private and voluntary sectors. The Griffith report became the blueprint for the white paper caring for people which followed. Many of the reforms proposed by Griffith were later enacted in the NHS and Community Care Act. ( Griffith, 1988). .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 , .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .postImageUrl , .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 , .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799:hover , .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799:visited , .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799:active { border:0!important; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799:active , .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799 .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaa32dd2241b125eb60a0beeec130b799:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Women And The History Of Computers Essay PapersThe Social Services Inspectorate At Home With Dementia states that:Community care policy for older people with dementia, as for all user groups is underpinned by the concepts of promoting choice and fostering independence (DOH, 1997). This report acknowledged many implications with regards to service delivery for people with dementia. It stated that it was difficult to ensure their active participation in assessment and care management processes, thus, it was difficult to know if they are ever presented with and exercise real choices. The report also stated that gender needs were poorly served by home care services because there was not enough male staff available when required. It was also acknowledged in the report that specialist services were only available to people whom lived in defined catchment areas. However this may be rectified by the governments recent proposals in the modernising social services document to impose national standards. This report also acknowledges that independence can carry a great deal of risk in respect of people with dementia and the challenges this can pose on social and health care agencies. A recent government publication, No Secrets: The Protection of vulnerable adults has laid down specific guidelines that statutory agencies must follow to ensure that vulnerable adults are protected from risk of abuse. The guidance gives a clear definition of what is considered to be a vulnerable adult. This includes older people with disabilities or impairment, particularly when their situation is complicated by additional factors such as physical frailty or chronic illness, and sensory impairment. (p7). The guidance also itemises the different forms of abuse that can take place, for example:? Physical abuse: this includes such things as hitting, restraint, misuse of medication, etc. ? Psychological abuse: this includes such things as deprivation of contact, controlling, isolation or withdrawal from supportive networks, intimidation etc. ? Financial abuse: this includes theft, exploitation, pressure in connection with wills, ? Neglect: this includes ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide access to health and social care services, etc. The guidance has also incorporated the concept of significant harm introduced by the Children Act and suggests that harm should be taken to include the impairment of, or avoidable deterioration in, physical or mental health; and the impairment of physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development. (p9). The Governments response to the Health Committees Report on Long Term Care. The government states that it is committed to improving the quality of life of older people and to preventing or delaying the onset of dependence through various initiatives. The report also states that they will give an extra 140 million to local authorities over a three-year period to provide a wider range of support services to carers. They also intend to extend direct payments to people over 65 to allow them to exercise further choice in service provision. (DOH, 1999). In conclusion the values of normalisation appears to have come a long way in enabling society to recognise that all people have potential for growth when they are accorded the opportunity to do so. How far these ideals can be stretched to practice in respect of people suffering from dementia remains to be seen in the light of the implications that surrounds dementia care. However, the author believes that we should strive at all levels to increase the knowledge of dementia in respect of the possibility of rementia. Recent policies seem to recognise more now than ever before that people suffering from dementia deserve to have a the right to independence, a choice in the provision of care that they receive, and that they deserve the same respect that is accorded to all. The essence in supporting people and making a connection with a person based on mutual respect and trust requires firstly knowing yourself and (not only as a professional) and secondly, learning who the person is. This is by no means easy to sustain in the formal human services. It takes real effort in a service system to maintain a connection with a person and to learn who that person is. Perhaps the essence of quality in a service also lies in simplicity and informality Bibliography:BIBLIOGRAPHYBaxter, C. Poonia, K. Ward, L. Nardirshaw, Z. (1990) Double discrimination : issues and services for people with learning difficulties from black ethnic minority. London. Kings Fund. Bell, J and McGregor, I. (1995). A challenge to stage theories of dementia in T. Kitwood and S. Benson, (eds) The New Culture of Dementia Care, London. Hawker Publications. Department of Health, No Secrets: The Protection of Vulnerable Adults. London, HMSO. Department of Health, (1999) Long Term Care: The Governments Response To The Health Committees Report On Long Term Care. London HMSO. Emerson, E. (1992) What is Normalisation? in H. Brown and H. Smith, (eds) Normalisation: A Reader for the Nineties. London Routledge. Goldsmith, M. (1996) Hearing the Voice of People with Dementia: Opportunities and Obstacles. London. Jessica Kingsley Publications. Gothman, I. (1968) Asylums, Harmondsworth, Penguin. Griffith, R. Community Care: Agenda for Action. London. HMSO. Kitwood, T. (1993) Discover the person, not the desease. Journal of Dementia Care 1, 1, Nov/Dec. Kitwood, T. (1990) The Dialectics of Dementia: With Particular Reference to Alzheimers Disease Ageing and Society 10, p177-196. Kitwood, T. and Bredin, K. (1992) Person to Person: A guide to the care of those with failing mental powers, Essex, Gale Centre Publications. Nirje, B. (1980) The normalization principle, in R. J Flynn and K. E. Nitsch (eds) Normalization, Social Integration and Community Services, Baltimore. University Park Press. Osburn, J. (1998) An Overview of Social Role Valorization Theory. The International Social Role Valorization Journal, Indianapolis, USA. Perrin, B. and Nirje, B. (1989) Setting the record straight: a critique of some frequent misconceptions of the normalisation principle in A. Brechin and J. Walmsley (eds) Making Connections, Open University Press? Hodder and Stoughton. Robinson, T. (1989) Normalisation: the whole answer? In A. Brechin and J. Walmsley (eds) Making Connections, Open University Press? Hodder and Stoughton. Smith, H. and Brown, H. (1992) Defending Community Care: Can Normalization do the Job? British Journal of Social Work, 22, (6), 685-693. Wolfensberger, W. (1972) The principle of Normalization in Human Services, Toronto, National Institute on Mental Retardation. Wolfensberger, W. and Glenn, L. (1978) PASS (Program Analysis of Service Systems): A Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Human Service Handbook, 3rd edn, Toronto, National Institute on Mental Retardation. Wolfensberger, W. and Thomas, S. (1983) Program Analysis of Service Systems: Implementation of Normalisation Goals (PASSING) 2nd edn, Toronto National Institute on Mental Retardation. Wolfensberger, W. and Tullman, S. (1989) A brief outline of the principle of normalisation A. Brechin and J. Walmsley (eds) Making Connections, Open University Press? Hodder and Stoughton. Wolfensberger, W. (1995) The SRV training package. Unpublished manuscript in J. Osburn, (1998) An Overview of Social Role Valorization Theory. The International Social Role Valorization Journal, Indianapolis, USA. Available on SRV website http:///www.SRV.21century.com.au/resourcc/OSBURN_SRV.htmYoung, P. (1995) Mastering Social Welfare (3rd edn) London. Macmillan Press.

Methinks vs. I Think

Methinks vs. I Think Methinks vs. I Think Methinks vs. I Think By Maeve Maddox An archaic verb form that survives in modern speech, thanks to its presence in a well-known quotation from Hamlet, is methinks. A Google search for â€Å"methinks† brings up more than five million hits. The quotation appears in the â€Å"mousetrap scene† in Hamlet. Traveling actors are performing a play written to Hamlet’s specifications. He wants to dramatize his father’s murder and produce a guilty reaction in his stepfather. The Player Queen gives a highly charged speech about her feelings for her husband, swearing that, should he die, she will never remarry. Hamlet asks his mother, â€Å"How do you like the play?† Uncomfortable with the speech because of her own remarriage, Hamlet’s mother replies, â€Å"The lady protests too much, methinks.† Modern speakers frequently misquote the line as, â€Å"Methinks the lady doth protest too much† and seem to believe it means something like, â€Å"I think the person is trying to hide something by denying it so strongly.† Methinks is not the equivalent of â€Å"I think.† The thinks in methinks comes from the Old English verb thyncan: â€Å"to seem† or â€Å"to appear.† The think in â€Å"I think I’ll drive to Tulsa this weekend† comes from Old English thencan: â€Å"to think.† Methinks means â€Å"It seems to me.† Originally, it was spelled as two words. The me is an indirect object: â€Å"It seems to me.† Now it is spelled as one word, although some modern speakers, imagining that it means, â€Å"I think† spell it as two words. Note: Using methinks as if it meant, â€Å"I think† equates to such baby talk as â€Å"Me wants a cookie.† The past tense of methinks is methought: Methought I heard a voice cry, â€Å"Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.† –Macbeth, Act II, scene ii. Another misunderstood word in the Hamlet quotation is protest. Modern speakers interpret it to mean, â€Å"to object,† but Gertrude means it in the sense of â€Å"to promise.† She thinks the Player Queen is overdoing her promise never to remarry should her husband die: Player Queen: Both here and hence pursue me lasting strife, If once I be a widow, ever I be a wife! Paraphrase: May nothing but trouble hound my steps for the rest of my life if I ever remarry after my husband’s death. Here are a few examples of how methinks is being used on the Web: Me thinks I have the perfect frame for it. Me thinks  Im in need of some serious psychiatric help. Me thinks  you drank a wee bit too much one night. Methinks  Jay Leno Is a Closet Conservative/Libertarian. Methinks ESPN’s Chris Broussard WANTS to get fired. Because so many speakers are already confused about the proper way to use the pronouns me and I, it may be a good idea to retire the use of methinks–at least at the beginning of a sentence. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should AvoidWriting the Century10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

Factoid and Tabloid

Factoid and Tabloid Factoid and Tabloid Factoid and Tabloid By Maeve Maddox My use of the word factoid in the sense of â€Å"a little fact† in a recent post earned me considerable disapproval from my readers. Here are just two examples: Really, Maeve, â€Å"FACTOID?!?† So you mean to say you are lying to us? You mean to say those are not facts, but, like asteroids or humanoids, merely things that have the APPEARANCE of them?   its like seeing Superman jaywalk. I wanted to cry Say it aint so, Maeve! I apologized in the comments for using factoid in this way. I did not try to justify my use by referring to this secondary definition in Merriam-Webster: â€Å"a briefly stated and usually trivial fact.† As has been stated numerous times on this site, by both writers and readers, â€Å"But, it’s in the Dictionary!† is no justification for using a word irresponsibly. Writer Norman Mailer coined the term factoid by adding the suffix -oid to fact. The suffix -oid is used chiefly in science to form nouns meaning â€Å"something having the form or appearance of; something related or allied in structure, but not identical.† A factoid, therefore, resembles a fact but is not to be relied upon as being completely factual. Bottom line, speakers who care about maintaining useful distinctions will agree with the astute blogger who wrote this in 2010: It seems to me to be the waste of a good word to use  factoid  with the sense of â€Å"brief factual item† when it provides such a useful word for the half-truths and opinions that pass for â€Å"facts† in much of the media. We already have the word  trivia  for â€Å"a trivial, or little-known fact.† Actually, that’s probably not the bottom line. Defend the â€Å"true† meaning of factoid as we might, the word’s meaning has begun to evolve. Some words, despite efforts to make them mean only one thing, take on a life of their own–even in the speech of those who initially resist the change. The more one hears a word used with new meanings, the easier it is to forget the meaning it started with. The word tabloid is a case in point. Like factoid, the word tabloid is a coinage. It was trademarked in 1884 as a brand name for a small, flat, compressed piece of a medicinal substance: a medicine tablet. In 1903, the manufacturers brought suit against druggists who were calling their own tablets â€Å"tabloids.† The company not only lost their suit, the defendants succeeded in reversing the word’s trademark status. Here’s the ruling: The word Tabloid has become so well-knownin consequence of the use of it by the Plaintiff firm in connection with their compressed drugs that I think it has acquired a secondary sense in which it has been used and may legitimately be used so long as it does not interfere with their trade rights. I think the word has been so applied generally with reference to the notion of a compressed form or dose of anything. After the court decision, tabloid lost its capital T and was used generically to mean anything that provided a lot of value in a small package: The small speedy Sopwith biplane has been nicknamed the ‘Tabloid’ because it contains so many good qualities in such small compass. –Aeroplane, 1913. When gossipy newspapers with pages half the size of standard newspapers came into vogue, they were called tabloids. Because the content of tabloid newspapers is deliberately scandalous and irreverent, the word has given birth to tabloid as an adjective meaning sensationalistic, and tabloidy, meaning trashy. Not only is factoid now in wide use with the meaning â€Å"a minor fact,† it has taken on a new meaning in the realm of industrial trade shows. I found a reference to â€Å"product factoids† on a Cardiovascular Research Foundation site: A product factoid is a PowerPoint presentation of product and/or treatment specs. These could include product size, product profile, and approval status. CRF has designed PowerPoint templates specific to each product or treatment category. Here’s a link to the article by the astute blogger quoted above: â€Å"What’s a Factoid?† As regards my own lapse, The only thing faster than the speed of thought is the speed of forgetfulness. Good thing we have other people to help us remember.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œVera Nazarian. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives Difference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"Ebook, eBook, ebook or e-book?

The Life and Times of Michael K Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Life and Times of Michael K - Essay Example Decolonization has transpired but the very attributes of colonialism is manifold in the tension of Black and White within the society. The Blacks in Africa and labor classes in the capitalist world have been tremendously crushed by the Whites and the capitalist classes of the society. Now among excellent writings exhibited by an array of scholars, one of the most crucial things that are to be noted is the way of obtaining freedom or to find an escape route from this state of struggle. The protagonist Michael K has been born with physical deformities and he is Black. He faces tremendous constraint in almost every aspects of living in the society with a dead mother. But facing challenges which are really not wanted in a civilized society, he never lost hope and kept ignited the fire of freedom within himself reflecting a post modern view of self liberation. Starvation has been one of the aspects through which Michael has went through and infused him with the realization of harsh realit y in the then society. It can be also regarded as a way of liberation against a life that is amalgamated with furious torment and outright negligence (Coetzee). Two anti colonial scholars Frantz Fanon and the Chinua Achebe are famous for their revolutionary writings on African context associated with colonial exploitation and freedom of the common masses from blood sucking colonial dominance and racial suppression. Their ideas will be discussed in this paper for highlighting the themes of starvation and speeches from the book, Life and times of Michael K. Frantz Fanon was a third world intellectual whose work is dedicated against colonialism with particular impact in Africa and his writings in the period of 1950s and 1960s especially Les Damnes de la terre explores the passion on the historical conditions of the anti colonial struggle. He grew up among the African slaves working in the sugar plantations and participated in the guerilla struggle against the pro Nazi French Vichy gove rnment. Fanon’s political vision is guided by the notion of European tradition of Marxist thought reflecting anti colonial dimensions. Fanon thought in lines of Marx that violent anti colonial struggle is necessary as a solution but he differed from Marx in the sense that he focused on the execution of revolution by the peasants and the social outcasts. Marx saw less potential among them. Fanon visualizes that these classes of the society are intensely subjugated by the capitalist class without receiving a minimal distribution of goods for sustaining life (Fanon, 1576). There is a continuous escalation in demand from the colonial power and in this process the common people are dragged into virulent poverty and they die of hope. In this aspect a link can be established where Coetzee metaphorically used the phrase, â€Å"It will close up as he grows older† (Coetzee, 3). This is in respect to Michael K’s physical deficiency of the mouth. Midwife stated this to the mother of Michael K giving a hope that it will heal up and deformity in Michael K’s mouth will diminish. But the deformity never diminished and it became a subject of mockery and discrimination in the society. Michael K from his very childhood has been deprived of access to essential goods and services that are necessary for maintaining a sustainable standard of living and has been subjected to mockery from time to time. Hope is not a solution. Revolution is

Cyber Security Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Cyber Security Industry - Research Paper Example is initiating its business that can provide the customers with a safer IT working environment. The thesis paper has enlightened the areas such as business overview, marketing, human resource, and financial information explicitly and comprehensively that one needs to consider for the start-up of a business. By looking at the market trends of the growing businesses, it has come to notice that cyber security industry is one of the sectors that are growing at an unprecedented rate due to the technological advancement (Gallaher, Link & Rowe, pp. 89-94). In this regard, the enterprise ABC Corporation Ltd. intends to initiate the business in the cyber security industry. The primary business unit of the company is located in the downtown area of Atlanta, Georgia. This is because it is one of the industrial hubs with proximity to customers. ABC Corporation is initiating its business operation from a local platform; however, the future strategy includes business growth and expansion over the entire market of United States in the industry of cyber security and on international market as well. The startup business would analyze the potential clients system, test it for vulnerabilities of a hacker, and provide solutions to resolving those vulnerabilities, and improving the overall security of the information. Primary products and services offered by ABC Corporation to its clients include cyber security assessments, vulnerability analysis, cyber security audits, cyber security training, secure broadband network communications, cyber intelligence systems, software and analytics to address cyberspace threats, and other capabilities that enable the customers to detect, evaluate and respond to cyber threats (Gallaher, Link & Rowe, pp. 89-94). Upon the start-up of the business in the sector of cyber security, ABC Corporation would require furniture and fixtures, office equipments such as computer systems with database server, network security that include computer

Venezuela Essay -- Violence, Murder, Robbery, Kidnapping

Venezuela is a dangerous country, and its capital, Caracas is an extremely dangerous city. Venezuela is a deadlier place then Iraq, with about four times the number of deaths from violence in Venezuela then in Iraq. In 2008 the homicide rate for Venezuela was 48 for every 100,000 people. In the United States the rate was 5.6 per 100,000 (Llana, 2008). A 2010 report puts the murder rate at 75 per 100,000 (Shooting gallery, 2010). Caracas has become the deadliest city in the world, with approximately 200 murders per 100,000 people (Romero, 2010; US Department of State, 2010). That is in contrast to New Orleans, the city in the United States with the highest murder rate at 52 per 100,000 people, and considered the deadliest city in the US (FBI, 2010). In an example of the dangers of just being in Caracas, on August 13th, 2010, Chinese baseball player Cheuk Woon Yee Sinne was struck by a stray bullet as she took the field for a match in Caracas (Shooting Gallery, 2010). The US Department of State, in their travel information on Venezuela, lists murder, robbery, and kidnappings as problems for travelers. Thieves will rob their victims using guns or knives and they are not afraid to use force. Thieves will even attack their victims in crowded markets with little worry. Kidnappings are also a threat in Caracas. One type of kidnapping is the â€Å"express kidnapping† that can occur at the airport. Victims are taken, usually at gunpoint, to withdraw as much money as possible from ATMs. There is also the â€Å"virtual kidnapping† where scam surveys are used to get contact and personal information on minors. The â€Å"kidnapper† then calls the parents for ransoms without the child actually being taken. A third type of kidnapping is the â€Å"i... ...country (James, 2010b). In order to help with the health care of Caracas’ poor, the Chà ¡vez government has brought doctors from Cuba to Venezuela. The Cuban doctors live with the residents of the barrios of Caracas, setting up offices in unused rooms. The Cuban doctors are not only available to deal with whatever emergencies that should arise (heart attacks, child births, gunshot wounds), but one of their primary goals is preventive medicine (sexual health, the importance of boiling water, proper meal preparation). There is opposition to the Cuban doctors, with the Venezuelan Medical Federation claiming that the Cubans do not have proper accreditation. The Federation has even won a lawsuit against the government, with a ruling that the Cuban doctors had to be replaced with Venezuelans. The government ignored the ruling, and dissolved the court (Ceaser, 2004).

My Hero

– state who your idol is ?- describe the physical features of this person? – describe the person’s character which is peculiar to him/her – give reasons why you idolise this person ? – give amusing anecdotes to make this essay interesting My mom is my role model because no matter what happens she's always forgiving. She's not just forgiving towards me because I am her daughter, but she is forgiving towards everyone as well. On almost a daily bases, there is always something that I do that makes my mom angry or annoyed.Although by the end of the day, whether or not she actually has forgiven me, she has a positive attitude towards me assuring me that she has forgiven me. For example, my mom almost always tells me to: clean my room, do something to help her, or something else more complicated then that, but most the time I will just ignore her request. This makes my mom angry that I am not following directions, but she will always just forgive me and f orget about the matter. The way that my mom is so forgiving contributes to her being my role model. y mom is an outstanding athlete, which makes her my role model but she is also very hard working. She never stops her work until it's finished right. Everyday she will come home and do school work, make dinner, and many other things. My mom always works hard on all the necessary things, and she never stops until they are completely done. For example when I do my homework, and I rush through it just to get it over with my mom always complains to me how I didn't work hard enough on it. The way my mom is so hard working and encourages me to do everything the right way makes her my role model. he's forgiving, hard working, and a great athlete, but my mom is also very encouraging and that helps me through a lot. Whenever I want to give up on something, or not do something at my full ability my mom is always encouraging me to do the absolute best that I can. An example that has recently aff ected my life is when I am running track. At the meets and practices when I am running and I just want to give up because it's painful and tiring, my mom is always there cheering me on to just keep running.My mom always encourages me for everything I do, and helps keep me going. I wish I was as encouraging as she was, cause being encouraging helps you look at the positive side of things. Everyone in the world have an idol in their life. Idol is someone that you admire so much, maybe a singer, an actor, a football player, or a model. For me, my mother has been my idol since the day I was born. She is fifty years old. She has become a good mother for her children. She really loves her children.