Field Work, Non-Verbal Communication Essay

A few days ago I took a trip to my local mall and took a seat at the food court. My objective was to observe individuals engaging in non-verbal communication and document what I witnessed. After only a few minutes I became aware of a couple sitting within public distance, about 15-20ft away from me. They were having an argument about how the male was being cold and unaffectionate. While observing them I realized they were using various gestures while arguing. I will inform you of what type they were and what they were conveying. During the argument, both individuals demonstrated affect displays. These are facial expressions motivated by emotion such as a smile or frown. The female had a frown on her face to demonstrate that she was sad and discontent while informing the male that she was feeling lack of affection him. The male had what I can best describe as a half smile; imagine half of the mouth engaging in a smile while the opposite half stays normal. He also kept looking around and rolling his eyes. These indicate that he believes that the female’s thoughts are unimportant or that they may be incorrect and he believes that he indeed is affectionate. Illustrators were used by the female. Illustrators are gestures that complement our words such as pointing when giving directions. While talking about the male’s lack of affection, she constantly pointed at him with her index finger to further enhance the fact that she was talking about him. When describing how she felt, she would put her hand over her chest for the purpose of indicating that she is talking about how she feels. When the male finally decided he was going to speak, he used regulators. Regulators are gestures that may prolong or terminate the conversation such as looking at your watch, walking away or nodding and leaning forward. He raised his hand with the purpose of making the female stop talking so he could say something. The female felt that the gesture was disrespectful and noted it verbally, then continued talking about the issue as if what he had to say could wait. The male used another regulator; he leaned forward and opened his mouth. The purpose of this was to communicate to the female that he would like her to stop talking so he could say something. After the male verbally communicated that he doesn’t believe that he is being cold and unaffectionate, the female used an emblem. Emblems are gestures that have a direct verbal translation and can stand alone such as the â€Å"ok† sign. She twisted her head to the right and then to the left repeatedly indicated â€Å"No, I disagree with you†. The male put his hand out in front of him, palms facing up and tilted his head up, this combination of gestures is usually translated into â€Å"what? † or â€Å"why? †, in this situation, it means â€Å"why? †. Near the end of this argument, a couple of adaptors were utilized. Adaptors are gestures that make you feel more comfortable in a communication situation such as twirling your hair or tapping your fingers. While the female mentioned various situations where the male is unaffectionate she puts her elbows on the table and massages the sides of her head with her hands, I believe she did this to relief tension she was feeling from the argument in order to feel more comfortable. The male decided that her reasons for feeling that he is unaffectionate are legitimate. While verbally communicating that he agrees with her and he will make changes, the female reaches her hand out and holds his, further seeking comfort now that the argument has been settled. In conclusion, it is evident that non-verbal communication is constantly happening around us, all we have to do is look for it. As you read, by simply sitting down at the local mall’s food court I was able to observe a couple using the five different types of gestures which are: emblems, illustrators, affect displays, regulators and adaptors. Most of them occurred multiple times during the argument I was observing. After understanding that different types of gestures, it is very easy to identify them in everyday life.

Equality essays

Equality essays During the 1960s, the resistance to racial segregation and discrimination included strategies such as civil disobedience, nonviolent resistance, marches, protests, boycotts, "freedom rides," and rallies. There were also continuing efforts to legally challenge segregation through the courts. Many believe that civil rights struggles ended with all the accomplishments resulting from all the sacrifices made in the 1960s. However, struggles continue to this very day even though there is less A massive 1963 March on Washington with more than 200,000 marchers was one of the first civil rights events to grab the attention of the entire nation. Blacks and whites called on President John F. Kennedy and the Congress to provide equal access to public facilities, quality education, adequate employment, and decent housing for African Americans. During the assembly at the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his stirring "I Have a Dream" speech.[1] Struggles would be marred by increasing violence against civil rights activists. In 1964, three Mississippi civil rights workers who were encouraging black voter registration were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan with the assistance of the local police. And, in 1965 blacks marching to Montgomery Alabama in support of voting rights are stopped by a police brigade. Fifty marchers were hospitalized after police used tear gas, whips, and clubs against The 1965 Voting Rights was landmark legislation that prohibited states from using literacy tests, interpreting the Constitution, and other methods of excluding African Americans from voting. Prior to 1965, only an estimated twenty-three percent of voting-age blacks were registered nationally, but by 1969 the number jumped to sixty-one percent. In the Southern states, the numbers were more dramatic. This increase in registration led to the election of African...

Sex Chromosome Abnormalities

Sex Chromosome Abnormalities Sex chromosome abnormalities occur as a result of chromosome mutations brought on by mutagens (like radiation) or problems that occur during meiosis. One type of mutation is caused by chromosome breakage. The broken chromosome fragment may be deleted, duplicated, inverted, or translocated to a non-homologous chromosome. Another type of mutation occurs during meiosis and causes cells to have either too many or not enough chromosomes. Alterations in the number of chromosomes in a cell can result in changes in an organisms phenotype or physical traits. Normal Sex Chromosomes In human sexual reproduction, two distinct gametes fuse to form a zygote. Gametes are reproductive cells produced by a type of cell division called meiosis. They contain only one set of chromosomes and are said to be haploid (one set of 22 autosomes and one sex chromosome). When the haploid male and female gametes unite in a process called fertilization, they form what is called a zygote. The zygote is diploid, meaning that it contains two sets of chromosomes (two sets of 22 autosomes and two sex chromosomes). The male gametes, or sperm cells, in humans and other mammals are heterogametic and contain one of two types of sex chromosomes. They have either an X or a Y sex chromosome. However, the female gametes or eggs contain only the X sex chromosome and are homogametic. The sperm cell determines the sex of an individual in this case. If a sperm cell containing an X chromosome fertilizes an egg, the resulting zygote will be XX or female. If the sperm cell contains a Y chromosome, then the resulting zygote will be XY or male. X and Y Chromosome Size Difference The Y chromosome carries genes that direct the development of male gonads and the male reproductive system. The Y chromosome is much smaller than the X chromosome (about 1/3 the size) and has fewer genes than the X chromosome. The X chromosome is thought to carry around two thousand genes, while the Y chromosome has less than one hundred genes. Both chromosomes were once about the same size. Structural changes in the Y chromosome resulted in the rearrangement of genes on the chromosome. These changes meant that recombination could no longer occur between large segments of the Y chromosome and its X homologue during meiosis. Recombination is important for weeding out mutations, so without it, mutations accumulate faster on the Y chromosome than on the X chromosome. The same type of degradation is not observed with the X chromosome because it still maintains the ability to recombine with its other X homologue in females. Over time, some of the mutations on the Y chromosome have resulted in the deletion of genes and have contributed to the decrease in the size of the Y chromosome. Sex Chromosome Abnormalities Aneuploidy is a condition characterized by the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes. If a cell has an additional chromosome, (three instead of two), it is trisomic for that chromosome. If the cell is missing a chromosome, it is monosomic. Aneuploid cells occur as a result of either chromosome breakage or nondisjunction errors that happen during meiosis. Two types of errors occur during nondisjunction: homologous chromosomes dont separate during anaphase I of meiosis I or sister chromatids dont separate during anaphase II of meiosis II.Nondisjunction results in some abnormalities, including: Klinefelter syndrome is a disorder in which males have an extra X chromosome. The genotype for males with this disorder is XXY. People with Klinefelter syndrome may also have more than one extra chromosome resulting in genotypes which include XXYY, XXXY, and XXXXY. Other mutations result in males that have an extra Y chromosome and a genotype of XYY. These males were once thought to be taller than average males and overly aggressive based on prison studies. Additional studies, however, have found XYY males to be normal.Tuner syndrome is a condition that affects females. Individuals with this syndrome, also called monosomy X, have a genotype of only one X chromosome (XO).Trisomy X females have an additional X chromosome and are also referred to as metafemales (XXX). Nondisjunction can occur in autosomal cells as well. Down syndrome is most commonly the result of nondisjunction affecting autosomal chromosome 21. Down syndrome is also referred to as trisomy 21 because of the extra chrom osome. The following table includes information on sex chromosome abnormalities, resulting syndromes, and phenotypes (expressed physical traits). Genotype Sex Syndrome Physical Traits XXY, XXYY, XXXY male Klinefelter syndrome sterility, small testicles, breast enlargement XYY male XYY syndrome normal male traits XO female Turner syndrome sex organs dont mature at adolescence, sterility, short stature XXX female Trisomy X tall stature, learning disabilities, limited fertility Sex Chromosome Abnormalities

Addictions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Addictions - Essay Example Addiction does not just solely affect the user; it has a cascade effect and touches every other person in their lives, parents, siblings, spouses, and, most disturbingly, their children. Children and the families of addicts suffer greatly; addiction, in fact, is a common cause the crumbling of any family unit, with side effects and consequences that are long lasting. Addiction is defined, in simplest terms, as the need, desire, or physical imperative to attain and ingest a particular substance; this substance becomes the primary concern, focus, and necessity, obsessively, above and beyond all other important elements within their lives (American Society of Addiction Medicine). It is fair to include that in today’s modern society, addiction has been extended not only to substances but also to activities, for example, compulsive shoppers and gamblers. Alcohol and drugs affect many people in many ways; it can lead to child maltreatment, neglect, and abuse. First and foremost, children who are born to parents who are addicted to drugs are more likely to suffer from physical issues, internal malformations, and developmental and learning disabilities that can impact the quality of the life they will live (Office on Child Abuse and Neglect 1). However, even those children whose parents and guardians are not addicts until later in the childâ€⠄¢s life still face a huge number behavioral, psychological, social, and emotional issues that could plague them as child and well into their adult lives. Addiction can take a functional, loving, committed, and stable family into a completely dysfunctional, disorganized, neglectful, abusive, and corrupted family unit. Addiction changes the priorities of the addict. The drug becomes the paramount and primary goal of every endeavor (Office on Child Abuse and Neglect 1). The finding, possessing, and engaging in the substance or act become the beginning, middle, and end of the story. In most

Organisational Behaviour (OB) Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organisational Behaviour (OB) Assignment - Essay Example He tried to change the organizational structure to modify the corporate culture of the company. The company formed corporate tie ups with many companies to build its brand and increase exposure. These features introduced several forms of changes in the company. Firstly due to the redesigning of the product lines the patterns of work system in the company changed drastically. This began with the changes in the job description and skills and techniques of the workers as more emphasis was laid on the electronics goods and products. Changes in the organizational structure were seen in the form of centralizing the electronics department. The hierarchy of authority was modified. Division of labor was re-introduced with more emphasis on the R&D field. The hierarchy levels were reduced and more interaction was provided between the managers and front line mangers of the company. More hierarchy levels mean greater complications which would disrupt the decision making process gradually. The com pany previously had each unit with its own planning, human resources, finance, and sales functions and operated with considerable autonomy. This was not a very feasible strategy as it led to more troubles than solutions. Firstly, providing each unit with separate departments increased the cost of the company as it would be hiring many employees for each department. The autonomy offered to each unit would further increase the gap between the inter departments as there would be lack of communication. The span of control was reduced with Stringer laying off 10,000 jobs which comprised of 7% of Sony’s global workforce and shut down 11 out of 65 production units across the world (Howard Stringer: Turning Sony Around, 2003). This helped in reducing operation costs, reduced levels in hierarchy and better control by the managers. Sony was not advanced in technology and was redundant in its product designs. With the introduction of Apple iPods, the company felt the need to bring in ch anges in its working culture. Stringer who had introduced the changes believed that the new structure would streamline and speed up decision making across Sony’s product lines. It permitted uniform software development across the lines so that the products of the company would operate seamlessly with one another. This in turn eliminated the design and product redundancies and optimized the firm’s Research and Development spending. Apart from this, the corporate culture also saw changes in the company. sonSony had been long exposed to its conservative culture. When Stringer decided to introduce change in the company he faced oppositions as the cost of change was thought to be unnecessary by many people in the organization, stringer incorporated the idea of increasing the R&D area. He made them realize that R&D could save the company and it would attract customer attention. He made them realize that the problem with Sony products was not with its technology alone but als o the product utility. The change plan also affected specific technologies. For example, Sony executives declared that television was of the utmost importance to the company. The firm scraped the production of cathode ray tube (CRT) television sets and focused on LCD and rear-projection TVs and technology. Also, Sony focused on self-luminous flat –panel organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, on high-definition technology, Blu-ray, and

The most important concepts in the business-supply chain relationship Essay

The most important concepts in the business-supply chain relationship - Essay Example For example, the supply chain of an automaker is different from that of a consumer electronics goods manufacturer, meaning their infrastructure also contrast (Oliveira and Gimeno 29). Suppliers in the automotive industry must have adequate capital and facilities to provide materials at competitive prices, and these materials are unique to that industry. On the other hand, automakers should have the capacity to store and process these materials to develop the product and then sell it through the distribution networks. Suppliers and producers must observe relevant legal requirements in their specific industries to avoid attracting punitive measures that would handicap their capacity and freedom to operate (Oliveira and Gimeno 54). Industry-specific legal and regulatory requirements must be observed by both parties, or their relationship would be compromised by interruptions and constraints. For businesses, social and working conditions are part of company policy regarding employee welfare and the employer-employee relationship. They are also closely related to the labor policies of whichever countries they operate in. In recent times, there have been reports of employee maltreatment involving poor working conditions, extremely low wages, and lack of employee rights, especially among suppliers (Stadtler, Kilger, and Meyr 42). Large companies like Nike have been accused of working with rogue suppliers who do not respect labor rights, and this has damaged their reputations. As such, businesses and supply chains must demonstrate adherence to ethical practices and respect for labor laws. This involves communication and operational efficiency. To keep the supply chain running optimally, suppliers must communicate with their partners at various levels and ensure that all processes run seamlessly. There has to be good communication between businesses and suppliers, to reduce

The Life Of A Construction Manager

The Life Of A Construction Manager A construction manager is someone whose job it is to oversee, monitor and co ordinate the process of construction of a building from design and initial planning stage to finish of the building. This means architects, by the nature of their jobs can to some extent also act in the capacity of a project manager since they are trained in document control and financing projects as well handling resources and overseeing construction. In some instances like in design-build-operate procurement the job description of the construction manager goes as far as overseeing and managing the operation of the building(s). Construction project managers have many responsibilities that they have to attend to on a day to day basis. According to Ritz (1994) these responsibilities include: setting and achieving project objectives, purchasing of labour, equipment and materials, controlling of planning, design and estimation of costs as well as budgeting and monitoring progress of the project. He goes on to further state that the construction manager has to also handle project planning, costing, resource management such as time allocation, employee management and all communication necessary during a project including dispute resolution. In order to gain a better understanding of the typical day of a construction project manager I had to go interview one. I was fortunate enough to find a willing participant in Mr. Ngu Yen of Tomtek Malaysia Sdn Bhd which is a consultancy firm based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. What I learnt affirmed some of what I already knew from my studies and thought a construction manager goes through on a daily basis as well as gave me new insight into what it is that he actually does. Similar to other professionals in the construction industry like an architect, the day of a construction project manager usually begins with making phone calls and checking up on emails. He then checks his daily planner to see if there are any outstanding and important meetings scheduled for the day. On the day that I interviewed Mr. Yen, he had a big site meeting with a client as well as other contractors for a commercial project that his company was supposed to oversee. There was also another site visit to a cons truction site to check on the level of progress scheduled and a manning schedule for another project that needed reviewing. The work that the construction manager is hectic and stressful and requires a lot of employability skills, such as being organized, attentive to detail and an understanding of how a construction project is supposed to progress. During a construction project, the construction manager becomes the intermediary between the owners of the project (clients) and the workers on site. In this way the project manager acts in the same capacity as an architect. (Rojas 2009) the construction manager also has to be able to multi-task very well, as they often have to take notes while talking to the client and planning how to effect changes that a client, through the architect, will want done on the project. This was the case at the second site meeting where Mr. Yen was already preparing anticipated changes to the handover date of the project due to the fact that the client had relayed through the architect that there was changes that had to be made about the material used during construction. Workin g out the logistics proved to be a bit of a challenge especially as the contractor for the project was not familiar with knowledge on how to build using the new materials and there was now a need for a sub-contractor to take over erection of the building. On a daily basis, the construction project manager has to do office work to kep their records up to date and organised. They also have to schedule meetings for ongoing and upcoming projects to finalise issues such as budgeting, manpower requirements and procurement of material. The project manager will often chair the meetings and have to come up with clear goals and objectives for the rest of the members of the design team or the building team and ensure that these goals re achieved at the end of the meeting. Perhaps the hardest task in the day of the construction project manager is conflict resolution. Building projects require constant supervision to ensure the project will be finished on time, within the estimated cost and according to the quality specified. This usually results in contractors having to be pushed sometimes to get the job done, a move which they normally resent. As the custodian of the site and the project, the construction manager has to make sure that any issues raised by either the contractor or his workers are looked into and speedily resolved to make sure the project is not compromised. Apart from that the construction manager has to ensure the safety of the site for workers, pedestrians and other professionals who come to the site. It is the responsibility of the construction project manager under law to ensure site safety and check that safety measures are being put into practice as intended. This will involve talking to the site foreman and at extreme times or i n the case of serious emergencies halting the construction for an investigation into the accident to be carried out as well as safety recommendations to be implemented. The construction manager needs to be knowledgeable about the project as well in order to answer any questions the crew on site might have. On a busy day such as when the company is handling a lot of projects at once the project manager will be on his feet for most of the day. This results in a lot of stress and fatigue, hazards which they have to look out for and also deal with. Planning and organising people takes a lot of patience and the skill of foresight. (Walter A2007, pp 44) The major difference between what I thought I knew about the day of a project manager and what I actually saw and learn is that no two days are the same for the project manager. Each project has problems as well as solutions that are unique to it, and the project manager needs to have a lot of hands on experience sometimes to solve these problems and perform to the best of their ability. Conclusion At the end of the day the project manager has to do whatever it takes to get the job done. On a typical day they will rely on software to keep their schedule up to date, other professionals in the building industry to ensure the smooth continuation of the project as well as provide clients with input as well as feedback on the progress of their buildings. The project manager goes through a lot of meetings on any day and has to give precise instructions always to ensure the viability of the project. Communication plays a very important role in the day of the construction project management, coupled with a strong work ethic for excellence.