Category: Life & Experiences

A persona is something an individual uses to talk through that is the thing in which others see of you. It is like a disguise that conceals who the individual really is from others. Clothes in certain situations characterize one persona depending on how you view yourself and how you think society views you. When one has tattered clothes it may symbolize nervousness about your attractiveness. One needs to let go of some ordinary ways of thinking. When one changes the way they dress it may mean that they have changed lifestyle.

I can change the way I dress because I want to boost my self-confidence by dressing well. This allows me to walk without fearing that people can see that I have no self-confidence. In this way, I can appear as a strong woman in the eyes of society. This is important for me to feel good about myself in all possible ways. When I am going out on any errands I take time to dress regardless of the place I am going. In this way, I always look sharp in the eyes of society though that is not what I feel inside. This is important for me to be able to associate with people feeling I have a sense of value and that they believe I am worth something.

The magazines portray girls with thin bodies that represent ideal beauty. Many young girls believe in being thin just like the models in the magazines. Young girls aspire to have the perfect body at a very young age with research showing as early as 5 years old. The magazines focus on appearance with young girls looking so happy in the standards of modern beauty. The message being put across is that girls have to be attractive to men and that it is alright to engage in sex. Young girls grow thinking sex is fun and one does not need to be in a relationship or married. The magazines give information on how girls will be able to lose weight. They state that the girls will have the power to reduce to a thin model body within days.

The advertisements are constantly advocating for women to value the clothing they wear, their bodies, and their beauty. Girls of almost all ages have the conception that they need to be perfectly beautiful and most of all they must be skinny. Cosmetics are essential for any modern girl as portrayed in the magazines. Young girls go to all lengths to use all sorts of makeup to make them look beautiful. Others are forced to use dangerous chemicals to lighten their skin which poses health issues. Girls are encouraged to keep up with fashion with various tips on how to keep up with the trends of fashion. The magazines expect these girls to accept what is given to them at face value without thinking about it.

Girls are provided with the role model of the young beautiful model as the standard of modern beauty. They expose more body parts than they cover with fancy clothes that are fashionable. Pictures and images of women portray unrealistic beauty making the other girls feel unattractive. The magazines put pressure on girls to be sexually active with very great body shapes. Provocative images of women who are halfway dressed feature in the magazines advertising various issues. Girls are portrayed as sexual objects when their bodies are used to advertise various products in the market. The girls are presented with romantic relationships that look so real leading them to have illusions of a perfect partner. Girls have to keep high standards within society in order to become popular with their peers. Many young girls are forced to socialize with others who are in the same class as them so that they will not be classified in the low class. (Rukeyser)

The media is very open when relaying the information relating to various issues affecting young girls in society. Various websites, television stations, the radio, magazines, newspapers, and advertisements have on daily basic large information relating to young people. Pictures and videos are so rampant that contain compromising information to the young generation. The internet is so large with tones of information that can be accessed very easily by anyone at any particular time. They have not put any limitations on those who can access the websites and other media services but are rather open to everyone. There are also factual articles available where people who need genuine information may be able to access.

These magazines are written by ordinary employees of a company and hired to produce that information. Journalists and magazine editors are always ready with information when they find it to write it at its convenience. They have to make sure their information gets published and released as soon as possible in order to ensure they sell more. Competition is very stiff in these companies and one has to work hard to get the information ready on time.

The African American culture and way of life is very different from what I have experienced. Many people especially the western have not been able to accept this group of people due to their skin colour. Racism is very rampant even in our contemporary society and this to me should not be allowed. People should be treated equally within a society in order to allow for common good of everyone. They may speak a different accent from a typical white person but their emotions and rights are just like any other human being. When you interact with African American one is able to learn a lot from their social setting and way of life.

Works Cited

Rukeyser, Muriel. Race, Class and Gender. Chap 7.

A Comparison of the Level of Violence against the Women by Their Male Partners in the Common Law Unions and the Marital Unions

Cohabitation has been shown to be on the rise in many countries around the world. Issues such as unemployment, youth, and past unions, low levels of education, and violence by previous partners have been found to be the possible predisposing factors to cohabitation. One of the major outcomes of the increasing pervasiveness of cohabitation is the increasing number of cases of violence in such relationships. In the study, it was shown that between the years 1991- 2000 (Brownridge,2008), the number of intimate femicide cases in cohabitation or common-law unions was about six times that in marriages, in the United States it was about nine times in the common law relationships as in the marriages (Brownridge,2008).

The study employed data collected from Canadas Violence against Women Survey (VAWS). Some data was borrowed too from the survey done by the General Social Survey (GSS) (Brownridge, 2008). One would expect an increase in the number of violence incidences in the common law relationships due to the high rate at which such unions are being established in several communities. Amazingly, the cases of violence in such unions have been shown to decline in comparison to marital unions.

VAWS in 1993 sampled about 12,300 women and carried out an extensive telephone interview on their experiences of violence since they attained the age of sixteen (Brownridge, 2008).GSS also carried similar telephone interviews of both the men and the women on the nature of the violence they had experienced from their partners since attaining the age of fifteen (Brownridge,2008). Interviewed 25,876 men and women in 1999 but in 2004 it interviewed again a total number of 23,766 men and women (Brownridge, 2008).

The inertia hypothesis posits that cohabitation increases the chances of the partners finally marrying one another. This is because cohabitation tends to increase the constraints in the relationship thereby preventing the partners from ending the relationship The factors that have been associated with cohabitation are either internal for instance, the partners need to be close to one another or external when the reason for cohabitation is a constraint in the relationship such as the presence of a child.

Commitment theory tries to prove this hypothesis right; the theory states that commitment can either be as a result of the need to dedicate oneself to the other or it can be as a result of a constraint in the relationship that results in the partners being forced to stay with one another (Stanley, Kline and Markman, 2005). The level of dedication is never the same and research has shown that women tend to be dedicated more to their partners even after marriage than their male counterparts. Cohabitation allows so many risky unions to be formed especially when the reason for cohabitation is as a result of external issues. For the inertia hypothesis to be true, timing is very important. It is also important that the partners get into a relationship driven instead of being driven by an event that has affected their relationship.

The inertia hypothesis explains that most cohabiters get into the union without realizing, sliding; however, it proposes that the union is likely to be successful if the partners consciously decide to stay together; (Stanley, Kline and Markman, 2005). Cohabitation may either be pre-marital if the partners plan to marry each other after cohabiting for some time, or it may be nonmarital if the partners have no plans of marrying each other any time soon (Stanley, Kline and Markman, 2005). Even though cohabitation before marriage has become a normative experience to the partners, it has been shown to result in poor communication between the partners, high risks of divorce, low relationship satisfaction, and high instances of violence.

Most youths believe that cohabitation lowers the risks of the relationships experiencing problems (Stanley, Kline, and Markman, 2005), with the feeling that cohabitation offers them a platform to understand each other. This belief could be associated with the inertia hypothesis that proposes that cohabitation increases the chances of couples getting married since the constraints of staying together make it difficult for the partners to end the union, research has also shown that those who are less religious and the children brought up in divorced families are more likely to cohabit (Stanley, Kline, and Markman, 2005).

The article has been able to address the issues of cohabitation, its pros and cons, and the possible causes. The article also endeavors to address the issue of violence against women. However, the article has not clearly explained the relationship between cohabitation and violence gave that the disagreements between couples normally go beyond a meager influence of cohabiting. At times, the differences are a result of personality differences or even differences in culture or religion. The article though has highlighted a very crucial issue that has gone unnoticed in various communities; impacts of cohabitation on marriage and child upbringing

Violence is a vice that interferes with most relationships and marriages. The causes of violence in marriages and cohabiting unions are many, though it is notable that most of the differences that result in violence arise from the rush into binding unions before assessing the level of compatibility among the partners. It may be important that partners consider personal assessment before engaging in a binding union. It may also be important that the preference for cohabitation to marriage is changed. This is because cohabitation derails the level of dedication in the marriages and also impacts negatively the childrens upbringing (Stanley, Kline, and Markman, 2005).

References

Brownridge, D. (2008). The elevated risk for violence against cohabiting women: a comparison of three nationally representative surveys of Canada. Violence against women. Los Angeles: Sage Publishers.

Stanley, S. Kline, G. and Markman, H. (2005). The Inertia Hypothesis: Sliding vs. Deciding in the Development of Risk for Couples in Marriage. University of Denver.

Introduction

The sexuality of the adolescent is tied up inextricably with the events of puberty. This is because the body of the adolescent develops its adult shape and reproductive functioning and the hormonal changes which affect sex drives in complex ways. Although biological processes do not tell us everything about how and why we behave sexually, understanding these processes is necessary for explaining sexual development. This paper studies; the interaction between hormones and behavior, the interaction between hormones and behavior affects the development of adult sexuality, evaluation of development psychology processes on sexual differentiation, and determination of key biological changes in sexual behavior.

A Review of Related Literature

Explain the Interaction between Hormones and Behavior

Classically, hormones are viewed as causal agents of the behavior of the kind of one-hormone one-behavior interaction. This school of thought has been aided mainly by research studies on castration and therapy for hormone replacement that indicated that behavior was abolished by castration and restored by exogenous administration of androgens (Nelson, 2005). Probabilistic theory to the effects of hormones on behavior is viewed as facilitators of behavior rather than as determinant factors (Rutter, 1987). Hormones can increase or reduce the probability of expression of a given behavior by acting as neuron-modulators on the neural pathways underlying that behavioral pattern (Golombok & Fivush, 1994). There is also the realization that the social environment feeds back to influence the levels of hormones. This is viewed as an adaptive mechanism through which individuals may adjust their motivation according to the social context they are facing. This reflects a two-way type of interaction between hormones and behavior. Incidentally, hormones such as androgen are seen as playing a vital role as endocrine mediators of the effects of social context on the expression of social behavior (Golombok & Fivush, 1994).

Evaluate Biological Processes on Sexual differentiation

There are several biological processes involved in sexual differentiation. Sexual orientation is the process by which males and females develop their sexual anatomy. According to Rutter (1987), this process starts in the womb during the embryonic stage of prenatal development. At conception, a female egg having 23 chromosomes unites with male sperm, also having 23 chromosomes, to form a single cell with 23 chromosome cell pairs. One of the sex chromosome pairs has the capacity to determine the genetic sex of the child. The sex chromosome provided by the egg is always an X chromosome; the male sperm can donate either an X or Y chromosome. If the male sperm contributes an X chromosome, the child will be a genetic female with a XX sex chromosome pair. A Y chromosome from the sperm will result in a genetic male with an XY pattern (Golombok & Fivush, 1994).

The single-cell formed at conception immediately begins to divide to produce an embryo. For the first few weeks, XX and XY embryos appear to be identical, each developing neutral sex glands. Sexual differentiation begins at about 6 weeks. At this point, the messages encoded in the XY chromosome pair cause the sex glands of genetically male embryos to develop as testis. According to Golombok & Fivush (1994), the direct influence of sex chromosomes on sexual differentiation appears to end at this stage.

Explain the Interaction between Hormones and Behavior

Nelson (2005) explained that the key biological changes in sexual development involve; an individuals body alteration at puberty which includes the growth accompanied by changes in strength and body proportions, development of primary sex features, and of the secondary sex features. The adolescence period is a period of rapid biological, psychological and sexual maturation. The marked biological changes during this period include an increase in weight, musculature, and the development of adult sexual characteristics. During this stage of development, both sexes experience increased excretion of androgens. This hormone is more profound in boys than in girls; girls experience a large increase in estrogen. These fluctuations of hormones have a psychological effect on an individuals sexual desires (Rutter, 1987).

Some aspects of puberty, for instance, the onset of biological changes begin at younger ages. During this stage of development, children grow in stature and begin to develop the physical characteristics of adults early; produce hormones that control sexual development to increase reproductive maturity at younger ages. Generally, biological changes are thought to be complete with the attainment of puberty. However, the adolescence stage experiences continued development throughout in the form of maturing body shape and growth and growth in body size.

Conclusion

In sum, the study of people with unusual prenatal history has assisted people to understand the role of biology in sexual development. Although sexual behavior is socially influenced, prenatal sex hormones set the foundations for later sex-role behavior and possibly sexual orientation. Prenatal hormones do not determine sexual development. Instead, their effect is augmented or diminished according to the social environment in which the child grows (Nelson, 2005).

References

Golombok, S., & Fivush, R. (1994). Gender Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nelson, R. (2005). An Introduction To Behavioral Endocrinology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.

Rutter, M. (1987). Developmental Psychiatry. New York: American Psychiatry Pub..

Introduction

It is the 17^th century and I have no option at this point in my life but to seek a new life in a new world by traveling to America. There are actually several options for me in that direction and I must carefully choose which one I should follow. I have heard much about the colonies there, so I would like to find a place that would provide me with the best opportunity for improving my station in life. Having weighed all possible variants, I realize that there are only three choices  the Puritan colonies of the north, the Chesapeake colonies in the central region, which has its own sub-colony of Catholics in Maryland, and the Caribbean colonies on the West Indian islands.

Main Text

A large part of my difficulties in attempting to settle in the northern regions, either with the Puritans or with the Catholics is my own less-than-perfect religious observation. It is impossible to find a place where religion is not an important part of life. Unfortunately, very often, the church imposes almost despotic rules on people, and I do not intend to follow all of them. It is without question that I could never live with the Catholics. We have been battling them at home and I just do not see how I could coexist with my neighbors if they were papists.

The West Indies is, by contrast, perhaps too far from religion for me. I know that there are plenty of opportunities to gain great wealth and power within the island colonies through the production of sugar cane. Yet, there are two obstacles, preventing me from going there. First, my family and I will hardly be able to raise enough capital to purchase land and labor force. Additionally, it is necessary to buy slaves rather than indentured servants, because no one wants to work under such severe conditions. Should anything go wrong, I could very easily find myself at the wrong end of the whip. This is my second reason for avoiding this area. In good conscience, I cannot put other men to work at something I myself could not consider.

This leaves only the Chesapeake region for me to try. This area is open for newcomers for very little money and does not necessarily require me to purchase slaves in order to make a living. For the price of passage, I can gain enough land to construct a shelter and begin a farm of my own without needing to consider the distasteful possibility of ending up under someone elses control. Furthermore, if I cannot persuade my family to contribute to my price of passage, I may take the indentured servant route to America. I may offer my services to a wealthier man in America for the next seven years and then become a free man. This is not a perfect solution, as either a poor farmer or an indentured servant means a great deal of struggle and hard work, but I am still young and up to the challenge.

Conclusion

Thus, if I wish to remain true to my own personal and religious beliefs, the Chesapeake colony seems to be the best possible option in my position. All of these colonies require a great deal of hard work, sacrifice and often a great deal of personal danger, but the risks are worth the reward, especially considering the limited options some of us have here in England. Chesapeake is the only place, where I can eventually become my own man.

Introduction

Europe is a great continent which needs thorough consideration (Destination 360, 2010); one can think that it is interesting to travel and see the world in terms of different cultures and traditions, another person can doubt about seeing the countries and obtaining information that can be easily found in the Internet databases. The brightest advantage of making a tour of Europe is to see, taste, smell, and touch everything you read of and dreamt of. Europe lets you in its secrets and shows you the treasures of world history and traditions. The drawbacks of traveling are numerous: not to know the language of the country and be forced to hire an interpreter; not to book a hotel room in advance, especially in the tourist season, though planning not only takes the fun out of spur-of-the-moment activities but can shackle your trip to a schedule that may not work out after you get there (Bramblett, 2005, p. 115); to have a visa that expires in a few days. Nevertheless, you can enjoy the trip even without knowledge of the language, having a little time and money.

European Countries

The first thing that should be done to make a tour is to feel the flavors of Europe. As Rick Steves mentions in his book Rick Steves Europe through the Back Door: The Travel Skills Handbook, there are a lot of issues that should be planned and analyzed (Steves, 2009). It is necessary to say that the traveling guided by this author consists of two parts: travel skills and back doors.

The cuisine is an important part of everyday life which should not be omitted in the course of planning your tour. Reid Bramblett in his book Europe for Dummies suggests a list of top culinary delights which should be inserted into your schedule (Bramblett, 2005, p. 14-15).

While Rick Steves enumerates transportation, money, sleeping and eating, travel savvy, special concerns, and perspectives as a part of the travel skills (Steves, 2009, p. 82-427); Reid Bramblett suggest a list of museums, historic sights, food, and architecture (Bramblett, 2005, p. 9) which should be visited, seen, and tasted in different European countries. Note that shopping is a distinctive feature of traveling, that is why you should make a list of places of interest which may include at least several well-known shops of medium level.

Bear in mind that some aspects can spoil your tour and impression of it; terrorism, political unrest, and ignorance of the laws can negatively contribute to your tour and change your plans (Steves, 2009, p. 399-427). Mind that the knowledge and understanding of the essence of the European Union can help you in dealing with its rules and legal matters. Try to avoid ambiguous actions which can be misinterpreted by the authorities or locals.

Conclusion

When you are going to take a tour of Europe, you should remember the basic principles of being in an alien country. Sights, cuisine, and shopping present the bright part of the process of traveling; disputable issues between people can destroy your plans. While planning to take a tour of Europe, you can learn some useful information about countries you may visit; as the proverb goes, knowledge is power. Food, museums, and transportation can be analyzed in advance to make the most appropriate choice and to see the best of the Old World.

Reference

Bramblett, R. (2005). Europe for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

Destination 360. (2010). Europe.Web.

Steves, R. (2009). Rick Steves Europe through the Back Door: The Travel Skills Handbook. The USA: Avalon Travel.

Introduction

Throughout their lives, people experience many different events that may have different emotional coloring. There are good and bad events, and people tend to react differently to them. Many positive emotions make a person happy, and the accumulation of negative emotions can lead to a loss of control. The desire to maintain control is one of the main aspects that distinguish a person from an animal (Gillebaart 3). Some events leave behind a long trail of grief and suffering that makes one think about life and, in some cases, may prompt changes. In my life, such a series of events left a significant imprint on my future outlook and led to the fact that, at some point, I lost control. Although I gave up control, the events that occurred prompted me to reflect and accept each of the three cases that happened to me.

Events Displaying Control, the Giving Up, and Loss Acceptance

The first event that became the basis of my loss of control was that I wanted to understand religion to learn more about faith. I often asked Father Harrison questions, who usually answered willingly and helped me in my quest for religious awareness. Later I discovered that even deeply religious people are capable of terrible things, which significantly shaped my desire to know more about religion and faith. I learned that Harrison’s father is a pedophile and a horrible person. He raped young children and bribed them with money. Undoubtedly, if such an example is given by people who serve in temples and live a religious life, then to others who may be skeptical of faith but strive to know it, everything will become disgusting and undesirable.

Some people can lead others into faith and religion, making them believe that there is a god and holiness. I am annoyed that such people neglect everything humanly and commit terrible deeds that lead to the denial that there is something pure and immaculate in this world. My nihilistic opinion was strengthened a few years after the following event occurred. I was walking my beloved dog when a woman appeared with a large pit bull. Her dog attacked mine and nothing was possible no matter how we tried to pull them apart. I lost control because my dog spent ten agonizing hours in misery and then died. I refused to accept the situation because that woman could not cope with her dog and did not take care in advance of how to prevent possible incidents with other dogs. In the end, this woman’s dog is alive and will probably continue to maim other animals, and my dog has died and cannot be saved.

These events led to the fact that I began depression dictated by denial and rejection. I developed apathy, which was expressed by a bad mood and a desire to argue and quarrel with loved ones. I needed support and sincerely believed that my girlfriend would understand. She did not try to understand me, talked about herself, and was only interested in her affairs and concerns. The help and empathy of loved ones are necessary in the case of deep human suffering (Gillebaart 5). One day I got angry at her, which later led to a breakup, and my behavior could be called cynical. She had a problem, but in retaliation, I did not support her and cheerfully told her about my successes, and when she began to find out what was wrong, I explained to her that I also lacked her support and help. Parting was hard for me, and I began to deny the existence of warm, tender feelings and love.

I want every situation to be corrected so I can accept them and understand that there is justice. The circumstance with Father Harrison could have been revealed if he had been caught and punished for everything he had done. I want to avenge my dog, for example, if I set another large dog on that pit bull or if his owner incurred enormous financial costs that could at least partially compensate for the loss of a pet. The situation with the ex-girlfriend could also have been solved if I had just talked to her and explained what kind of help I needed from her.

I wish depression and rejection to go away because they force me to give up everything that can bring joy and happiness. Having lost my beloved pet, I realized I could not get a new one since I would be afraid for their lives. Parting with a girl showed me what close people can be and that, often, we have to cope with our suffering and apathy alone. I will remain a nihilist and a person who now does not seek to know faith and religion because I know which people preach it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, all the situations that caused my rejection gave rise to cynicism in me. I stopped believing in the well-being attitude of religious organizations toward people reaching out to them, in love and empathy between people and in the fact that everything is always going well with my beloved pet. I want all these situations to find their end and be transformed by justice. In addition, I would like to believe in the lost feelings and values again and exclude cynicism.

Work Cited

Gillebaart, Marleen. “The ‘Operational’ Definition of Self-Control.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 9, no. 1231, 2018, pp.1-5.

Introduction

The CUNY upskill challenge provided an opportunity for individuals to gain essential skills required by different employers post-COVID-19. Such resources are important in bridging the gaps and deficits in the current market through the use of innovative technology to deliver lessons remotely without having to attend a physical classroom (The City University of New York, 2022). Having the opportunity to participate in such a program provided an eye-opening experience, especially due to the focus on innovation. Choosing the health administration track, which is relevant to my area of specialization, the lessons bundled new information to assist with the development of my career. Further, it also provided key training on how to conduct operations in the new era after the pandemic.

Summary of Experience

The CUNY upskill challenge in health administration aimed to provide knowledge in the healthcare sector. As a future administrator, it is critical to understand the processes and tools necessary to provide world-class care to the millions of patients requiring assistance in different institutions. Consequently, the program provided a variety of lessons with one focussing on the use of sales force to manage data in a hospital setting. For example, the social determinants of health data model “allows you to gain insight into the physical environment and socioeconomic status of a patient and obtain a holistic perspective on factors that influence wellness, adherence, and outcomes” (The City University of New York, 2022). Additionally, the training on Carepath further provided guidance for individuals seeking to venture into careers as care coordinators. These lessons were tailor-made to ensure that individuals can learn only the most relevant and essential aspects involved in the care and management of patients and information.

Apart from that, learning remotely provides unparalleled convenience, especially for individuals working or learning part-time. This offers opportunities for them to choose their learning patterns over a period thus allowing customizations. This makes the program attractive for many individuals who may not have the time to attend regular school schedules. More so, with many of the lessons being on demand, it is possible to plan ahead and create time for the program. This added flexibility is further important for self-paced learning without the unwarranted pressure of deadlines that could affect the learning process.

Furthermore, the experience provided new technical skills, especially in cloud-based solutions that are now important in managing data in health institutions. Data has become an important asset for any institution hence harnessing its potential can help solve a myriad of problems. Being a data detective, possessing the necessary skills to distill information and identify the essential parts provides an avenue to draw the appropriate conclusions. Therefore, the CUNY challenge taught essential skills in the health cloud that can be used to develop models to predict and understand trends. For instance, the use of Health Cloud can assist with planning where “a care plan can have any number of problems, goals, and tasks, which you can track from the patient’s tab in the console. You can also manage the team of caregivers associated with a particular care plan” (The City University of New York, 2022). Such knowledge provides learners with an advantage over others in the industry and can propel careers for the better, especially in highly competitive job markets.

Key Lessons Learned

Innovation has become important in the enhancement of development in any industry. Therefore, as an individual, it is important to have a passion for innovation to be able to identify new information, skills and technologies. This enables one to be knowledgeable on emerging issues that are coming up continuously and improving service delivery. This is based on the knowledge that I am an early bird, with mornings providing ample time for peak focus on new things that I am passionate about. Without such passion, one may get stuck using archaic means to solve problems while newer solutions are available in the market. Therefore, this becomes an important tool in tackling issues in a highly developing world.

Apart from that, it has become evident that leadership can be learned over time with the right tools and processes in place. To become a great leader, one must become a great listener and communicator to enable accurate understanding and passing of information across different channels. This is important to enable one to share their vision for the future and get feedback on areas of improvement to better deliver on their goals. Further, leaders must continue to gain knowledge since the learning must continue to drive change. Such attributes can be developed over time by employing the right attitude and learning from other great leaders who inspire the individual.

Additionally, a key lesson learned is that role of healthcare is to provide service to people in the world. At most times, helpless individuals seek assistance in health institutions and expect to be served by strangers. As a health practitioner, one should gain satisfaction from assisting others in need to get better and support them unconditionally. This means that money should not be the first motivating factor in careers in healthcare but rather the dedication to serve and achieve positive health outcomes in a majority of the cases handled. More so, understanding that the industry is not a vacuum and different players need each other can foster a sense of collaboration in healthcare institutions. Each stakeholder plays their part in ensuring that the overall objectives of the institution can be achieved. Ultimately, by working together, teams can move forward and surpass both individual and group expectations.

Lastly, recognizing weaknesses is an important trait to possess since it enables the implementation of corrective actions. By acknowledging this, an individual can pave the way for learning new things and improving their capabilities. In the long run, this is beneficial since it guarantees improvements likely to initiate positive change. While some people may be unwilling to admit their weaknesses, strong individuals who choose this path have a higher likelihood of overcoming them and becoming better people. Ultimately, weaknesses do not define people but rather show that they are human and cannot be perfect. Therefore, as an individual willing to learn and relearn behaviors, this is the first step in the long road of development and growth.

Conclusion

The CUNY upskill challenge in the health administration program provided a variety of lessons on the use of Salesforce to manage data in a hospital setting. Further Carepath training was designed for individuals seeking to venture into careers as care coordinators. Choosing the health administration track, which is relevant to my area of specialization, the lessons bundled new information to assist with the development of my career. The experience was eye-opening, with learning remotely providing convenience, especially for individuals working or learning part-time. Additionally, the gaining of new technical skills in cloud-based solutions was crucial due to the merging need for managing data in health institutions. Key lessons learned included the importance of having a passion for innovation to identify new information, skills and technologies. More so, recognizing weaknesses, learning leadership skills and acknowledging the role of healthcare service delivery were the functional aspects of the lessons learned. By using the experiences and skills gained from the CUNY upskill challenge, one can become a better person once they step into their career to practice.

Reference

The City University of New York. (2022). CUNY Upskilling. Web.

Every human being is a separate universe shaped by diverse values, interests, sensations, and perceptions of the outside world. For this reason, the existence of conventional norms of judging one’s character is biased and hurtful in the long run. Instead of endlessly searching for a gold standard of human character, it is more productive to encourage people to embrace their strengths and individuality as a personal virtue that would allow them to use their natural talent. Society teaches people to develop culture- and gender-specific character traits such as kindness and bravery without understanding that some individuals are prone to courage in situations when the other’s response mechanism would be humor or prudence.

For this reason, it is of paramount importance to dwell on one’s individualistic traits in order to use them for personal and social good. My character survey results indicate that three of my major strengths include fairness, prudence, and honesty. Although I was not surprised by the results, I did not expect such a character trait order. I have always believed that my emotions are in balance with rational thinking, whereas, in reality, I am a person who always thinks rather than responds to the situation emotionally.

Fairness, which is a non-biased mindset, which seeks just treatment for every person despite their peculiarities, is essential for one’s proper approach to collaboration. For example, by relying on it, I avoid discriminating others when controversial issues are discussed in order not to go off-topic and hurt feelings or promote healthy communication by developing trust. Even though by excessively doing so I might risk appearing weaker than others when their manner of speaking is more intense, the pitfalls still can be addressed by emphasizing the significance of outcomes for everyone. Since early childhood, my open-mindedness and the lack of judgment have contributed to my ability to find compromises. These characteristics also apply to business as they facilitated the process of negotiating issues in this setting, especially when working with partners ethically. Consequently, the use of fairness led to greater self-awareness, which was gained through comparing standpoints instead of insisting on specific options, and compassion, which was the result of being a good listener. To strengthen this ability, I might develop critical thinking since this skill would allow me to distinguish between one’s actual needs and manipulation.

The second virtue of my character is prudence, associated with level-headed and cautious behavior. I recognize that cautiousness is a significant part of my personality because I subconsciously think several steps ahead before doing anything. The phrase “Will I regret it later?” is one of the most frequently asked questions in my head. For example, before spending my money impulsively, I tend to think of situations when this impulsive behavior could affect my life positively or negatively. Such virtue is, by all means, an asset for my future career because, as a leader, I would take responsibility for the whole team, and being cautious can save money and resources for everyone. Also, prudence allows an individual to develop more meaningful connections with people and increase the overall positivity of communication. The former implies that the essence of discussion is always put forward, and the latter adds to beneficial results by ensuring that the feedback is optimistic when all needs are considered. However, despite the benefits, prudence sometimes makes a person wonder if they are missing the beauty of spontaneity, and risks are still required.

Finally, my third character strength is honesty, defined as one’s ability to communicate how they feel without deception. I have always believed it to be a moral duty of every individual because being open with oneself and the world increases the chances of meaningful communication and change. As an honest person, I acknowledge my duty not to deceive myself and the people around me. Surprisingly, the latter is often easier due to my strength of fairness and compassion for others. Honesty has many benefits, such as the ability to bond with people emotionally and the opportunity to create an adequate self-image. The former provision allows individuals to gain support in innovative projects, whereas the latter complements it by creating the reputation of a transformational leader. In this way, honesty significantly contributes not only to personal life but also to career successes as it evokes respect and encourages to adopt one’s vision. The evident drawback of excessive honesty is saying things other people might find hurtful and unnecessary to hear. Thus, to maintain honesty as a blessing rather than a curse, one needs to find a balance between criticism and insult.

Considering the analysis above, I may conclude that my prevailing character strengths are the ones related to analytical and critical thinking rather than pure emotions. On the one hand, it is a good career prospect because business and leadership require a level-headed approach to day-to-day operations and planning. On the other hand, this analysis demonstrates that in some cases, I can become obsessively involved in rational thinking instead of being influenced by emotions and spontaneity. In this way, it is necessary for me to balance ratio, emotion, and intuition to create a more stimulative environment for growth and building new relationships.

Introduction

The present course has largely been about the subject of fatherhood. As a parenting concept, it is understood by the majority to be extremely important while also being ignored in favor of mothers. In child-rearing, there is a focus on a woman’s role, while men get sidelined in their job as caretakers. Mostly, the common perception of a man, masculinity, and gender roles interferes with society’s ability to see men as more than sources of income or “protectors.” The work of a man as a homemaker and a father figure is poorly explored. There is an evident lack of work regarding good fatherhood in academic literature.

Researchers focus on the effects of absent father parenting, abusive parents, and other types of negative influences. Then, the experiences, stories, and challenges of proactive fathers are poorly reflected. The book under review, Life of Dad, seeks to change that. Written by an author who has personal experience with raising children and interviewing fathers, it is a notable resource to refer to in the quest to discuss fatherhood. Machin combines the personal experiences with a reflection on history, providing a nuanced commentary on the changing role of a father. Furthermore, she interviews many different fathers, each with their own personality and parenting style to get varied perspectives on the subject. The book is valuable and well-written, I would recommend it to any person seeking to learn more about male parenting. I chose to highlight specific strengths of the piece, including its ability to present varied and nuanced perspectives, along with a desire to enact positive change. I think this effort resonates with the core ideas of the course and should be discussed. This review will focus on discussing the book’s strong points while delving deeper into the topic of being a dad.

Notable Strengths of the Book

Highlighting the History of Fatherhood

First, Machin demonstrates knowledge of history and anthropology in her book, going as far as to discuss ancient people. This is significant, because many of the issues connected with the modern understanding of fatherhood stem from an incorrect perception of historic gender roles. The conversation is centered on the presence of prehistoric fathers in families and their vital role in helping to raise children. History is brought up to either embolden the author’s points or highlight important trends that can be traced into the past. The use of reflections is not excessive and does not feel like an attempt to artificially pad up the book. Instead, they are welcome additions that amplify the work’s overall message and make it feel more authoritative.

Defining Fathers by Their Positive Impact

One of the book’s central goals is to reframe the discussion of fathers in the global community. The book highlights the modern fixation on discussing mothers, a trend that excludes the father from the global parenting conversation. Machin desires for fathers to be discussed as a positive concept, highlighting the role and influence of good parents instead of solely focusing on the bad ones. I think this is extremely important, as the shift in perspective allows for more thorough discussions of parenting. As the author notes in the foreword, the entire book is written to “counteract the remorselessly bad press about absent fathers” (Machin, 2018, p. 2). The affirmative message is designed to inform to empower those that read it to strive for better fatherhood experiences themselves. By changing the tone of the conversation, Machin can attract the audience that needs to hear her message most – men.

Presenting Perspectives

Another great benefit of this book is its ability to present varied perspectives and viewpoints. By interviewing many people, the author could capture the attitudes of not just a single father but of a multitude of different fathers. This included children’s opinions, too, which helped further diversify the message. The relationships of the fathers in question and their children seemed healthy and positive bringing forth real examples of good parenting. A variety in delivery, opinion, and focus helps highlight the importance of a personal parenting style and an array of different parenting approaches. No single child is the same, much like every father is different, and the author clearly understands that.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the book was personally very engaging to me and managed to deliver its main points succinctly. I think that the author is clearly well-versed in the subject of discussion, managing to bring their own perspective and a clear positive impact into the discussion field. I was inspired by their commitment to changing the perceptions of fatherhood for the better and the subsequent variety of presented information. Both parents were presented as necessary and important in childhood development, with men playing just as much of a role of women. In terms of understanding gender roles, this work considers men to be a vital part of the child-rearing process, contrary to the popular ideas of mother-centric parenting.

The writing style itself was engaging, and it was easy to consume the book in reasonable portions. It was structured well for ease of understanding, providing many explanations and analyses to get a reader of any level to be on board. Paragraph size was also appropriate, as was the general authorial tone throughout the work. This book falls within the constraints of the course subject and covers many of the themes previously discussed in classes. This work is worth reading, even if one has some familiarity with the concept of fatherhood. The author’s commitment to telling the stories of others makes this work stand out among the rest and adds original value beyond a simple exploration of the past. I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent on this book, and I would likely read another work by this author.

Reference

Machin, A. (2018). The life of dad: The making of a modern father. Simon & Schuster.

Introduction

A variety of experiences in life allow one to demonstrate their leadership skills. It is important to be able to reflect on and analyze such experiences to identify strong features and areas for potential improvement to ensure that the experience contributes to learning. The situation selected for this assessment is my participation in a school ‘Business Day’ project where small teams of business course senior students had to design a product and sell it. My main task was to divide work among the followers, plan, and manage the group’s development of the mock tail (a non-alcoholic cocktail), which was the product created by our group.

My followers were my senior peer students who were taking a business class with me. Overall, the group consisted of five members, including me as a leader and my four followers. The similarities between the followers included their same age (17 years old), female gender, and senior student status. As for the differences, the personality characteristics of each of the followers differed because some of them were resistant to cooperation or reluctant to participate, while others were not good team players. Overall, this context informs the type of circumstances I performed as a leader.

Analysis: Skills Approach

When applying the skills approach to my experience of performing as a leader, it is relevant to state which leadership skills I was able to demonstrate during the team’s work on the project. In particular, I demonstrated effective communication skills through the ability to connect with my followers and deliver the important messages to them and obtain feedback from them. Similarly, I effectively exhibited delegating skills by properly distributing project tasks among the followers depending on their skills and traits. Follower 1 was delegated to search drink recipes, follower 2 searched suppliers of cups and straws, and followers 3 and 4 worked on the booth logo and design. I showed commitment and responsibility by engaging in the performance of a separate task in addition to conducting my role as a leader. My specific responsibility in the project was to cooperate with the wood carpenter manufacturing the booth. Moreover, I used the skills of positivity and creativity to ensure that the process of cooperation between the followers was enjoyable and contributed to the successful achievement of our common goal.

Despite the successful demonstration of the above-mentioned leadership skills, I failed to use some important ones. In particular, my leadership experience was deprived of team-building. Despite my attempts to create a positive atmosphere, the misbehavior and reluctance of some of the followers hindered my ability to build a strong relationship between the team members. Moreover, I could not properly use my teaching and mentoring skills because of the concentration on my primary task and my overall reliability on my followers’ expertise in the assigned tasks.

Situational Approach

From the perspective of the situational approach, the followers’ level of development should be addressed. Overall, not all of the followers were at the same level of development. Followers 1, 3, and 4 were of the D4 level of development, which implies high competence and high commitment. Indeed, these subordinates were knowledgeable in the designated areas and were able to complete the assigned tasks in a timely and efficient manner. As for follower 2, her level of development might be estimated as D2, which represents low-some competence and low commitment. Indeed, this subordinate was reluctant to commit to task completion and was unable to negotiate with suppliers to find straws and cups for a reasonable price.

In my performance as a leader in the project, the primary leadership style I used was a supporting style. It implies a high level of supportive behavior and a low level of directive behavior. Since I did not manage to teach and coach the followers on task completion, I relied on their competence and delegated tasks with my support. I was responsible for planning the work on the booth and drinks and dividing the assignments among the team members. However, I did not give specific instructions as to how to achieve the assigned goals. The collaborative work on the project involved each follower’s contribution at the stages of creating and implementing the product.

However, I did not use the same leadership style for all the followers due to the particularities in follower’s 2 behavior. Indeed, since follower 2 was reluctant to engage in the project at the same level as the others, I had to shift my leadership style toward a higher level of direction. Therefore, I instructed follower 2 on the options for the search of suppliers and explained to her the priorities of cost-efficiency.

Conclusion

In summation, the assessment of my experience in a leadership position in my school business project has been a valuable lesson on managing teamwork and engaging followers for common task completion. The analysis of the leadership skills, follower development levels, and leadership styles allowed me for identifying my strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Overall, this analysis has helped me reflect on my drawbacks; the improvement of leadership skills will contribute to my growth as a leader.