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How the Brain Functions: An Overview of its Structure and Processes

by | Jul 24, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

The brain comprises of billions of nerve cells that are arranged in patterns. The nerve cells coordinate sensation, movement, behavior, emotion and thought. The complicate highway system of nerves is connects the brain to the rest of the body enhancing communication between the brain and body in split seconds. The brain performs different functions. However, it takes different processes and different parts of the brain to execute these functions. Therefore, to understand the role of the brain, it is important to establish how it functions. Therefore, this essay is going to explicate how the brain works.

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The brain is comprised of different parts, which work together, but either part is responsible for a specific function. Three main parts make up the brain, the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brain stem. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. The cerebral cortex forms the outermost section of the cerebellum and is referred to as the gray matter of the brain. The gray matter has deep fold and wrinkles, which increases its surface, are making it able on process the information more. The cerebrum is separated into two parts, which make the hemispheres by a deep fissure. Communication occurs between the two brains parts through the usage of a thick tract of nerves referred to as corpus callosum. The tract of nerves is located at the base of the fissure. The opposite side of the brain takes care of the messages to and from one side of the body (Pandya, 2011). The brain’s hemispheres are categorized into four lobes. The frontal lobes are in charge of movement, short-term memory, problem solving, organizing, planning and control thinking. The parietal lobes perform the function of interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature and taste. The occipital lobes process the images from the eyes and connect that information with the images stored in the memory. The temporal lobes on the other hand process information from sound, taste and senses of smell. These lobes also take part in memory storage (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2013).

The other part of the brain is the cerebellum. It is a wrinkled ball of tissue, which is located behind the rest of the brain. It functions through combining sensory information from the muscles, ears and eyes to help in coordination of movement. The brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls many vital functions including breathing, blood pressure and heart rate. This area also plays a vital role in sleep. There are different structures located deep in the brain that are used to control emotions and memories. These structures come in pairs and are referred to as the limbic system. Each part of the limbic system is a duplicate of the opposite half of the brain. They include the thalamus, which acts as the gatekeeper for messages to be transmitted between the spinal cord and the cerebral hemispheres (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2013). Another part of this system is the hypothalamus, which controls emotions, and controls crucial urges like sleeping and eating and, regulates the temperature of the body. The last part of the limbic system is the hippocampus, which sends memories to be stored in the right sections of the cerebrum. Additionally, this part also recalls the memories when need be (MIller, 2010).

The brain communicates with the rest of the body through nerve cells otherwise referred to as neurons. Nerve cells have two main types of branches, which generate from their cell bodies. The dendrites receive incoming messages from other nerve cells. An axon on the other hand is the nerve cell tasked with carrying the outgoing signals to other cells from the cell body. Neurons are interconnected with each other hence able to provide fast and efficient communication. Neurons communicate with other cells using electrical impulses generated by the stimulation of the nerve cell. The impulse is transmitted to the axon’s tip and subsequently releases neurotransmitters within a neuron. Neurotransmitters are chemicals, which act as messengers. They pass through the synapse. The synapse is the gap that exists between two nerve cells and attach to the receptor of the receiving cell (MIller, 2010). This process takes place repeatedly from one neuron to another as the impulse moves to its destination. This web communication allows a person to communicate, feel, think and move. Accordingly, if the neurotransmitters do not relay the message correctly and if the entire process is not executed well, it leads to mental illnesses like depression (MIller, 2010). As stipulated earlier, communication between neurons can also be electrical, like in areas of the brain, which play the role of controlling movement. When the electrical signals are abnormal, they can lead to the symptoms and tremors found in Parkinson’s disease (Pandya, 2011).

Consequently, for the brain to function, it uses the neurotransmitters. These chemicals can affect weight, mood, concentration, sleep and can lead to detrimental symptoms when they are out of balance. Excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are the two types of neurotransmitters. The brain is  stimulated by the  excitatory neurotransmitters while calming of the brain and help in the restoration of balance inhibitory neurotransmitters. They balance mood are easily depleted in situations when the excitatory neurotransmitters are overactive. Inhibitory neurotransmitters include serotonin, GABA and dopamine. Sufficient amounts of serotonin are necessary for stability in mood (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2013). Serotonin also balances any excessive excitatory neurotransmitter firing in the brain. Serotonin also plays other functions including regulation of appropriate digestions, pain control, appetite and sleep cycle, and carbohydrate cravings. Low levels of serotonin are aligned with a reduction in the immune system’s functionality of (MIller, 2010). Moreover, lower than normal levels of serotonin is associated with depression. Subsequently, the medications used for the treatment of depressions act by blocking the re-uptake and recycling of serotonin through neuron transmission. Thus, a number of serotonin stays in the synapse so that the receiving neuron can bind onto it leading to normal mood functioning (Pandya, 2011).

GABA is also an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which is usually referred to as “nature’s VALIUM-like substance”. If GABA is out of balance, either in high or low excretion values, this could be because of excitatory neurotransmitters firing too often in the brain. The brain sends GABA to attempt to counter the stimulating over-firing hence restore balance. Dopamine on the other hand is a special neurotransmitter for the reason that it is considered both excitatory and inhibitory. It helps with depression. Moreover, it is mainly involved in controlling movement and facilitating information flow from the frontal part of the brain that is linked to emotion and thought (MIller, 2010). Examples of excitatory neurotransmitters include dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine and epinephrine. In high or low values, dopamine impedes memory. Dopamine is also responsible for desire and drive thus; dopamine is linked to the reward system of the brain. Problems in the production of dopamine can lead to Parkinson’s disease, a disorder that affects the movement ability of an individual. This leads to stiffness, shaking or tremors. Lower than normal level of dopamine or problems allied with the use of dopamine in the feeling and thinking regions of the brain play a role in disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or schizophrenia (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2013). Consequently, medications used for patients with (ADHD) and caffeine cause dopamine to be pushed to the synapse leading to enhancement in focus. Conversely, if dopamine is stimulated from time to time, this can lead to its depletion over time. Norepinephrine facilitates stimulatory processes in the body. This neurotransmitter is used to make epinephrine. It causes anxiety are escalated excretion levels. It is also associated with mood dampening effects (Pandya, 2011). On the other hand, low levels of norepinephrine are allied with sleep cycle problems, a decrease in the ability to focus and low energy.

Epinephrine is also an excitatory neurotransmitter, which is reflected in stress. The values for this neurotransmitter are usually elevated in the presence of ADHD like symptoms. Long-term insomnia and stress lead to the depletion of the levels of epinephrine. Regulation of blood pressure and heart rate is also carried out by the excitatory neurotransmitter (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2013). Another excitatory transmitter is glutamate. When released, it increased the probability that the neuron will fire. This leads to an enhancement in the electrical flow among the brain cells, which are required for normal functionality. This neurotransmitter also facilitates brain development. Moreover, it assists in memory and learning. Problems pertaining to the use or production of glutamate are allied with depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive and autism (Pandya, 2011).

The brain is complex. However, it has different components which work collaboratively to enhance the functionality of the brain. Understanding how the brain works is important as t helps in the comprehension of the role of the brain in mental disorders.

References

MIller, D. (2010). How our brain works: the construction and functionality of your brain presented and Explained . S.I: IUniverse, Inc.

Pandya, S. (2011). Understanding Brain, Mind and Soul: Contributions from Neurology and Neurosurgery. Mens Sana Monagr, 9(1), 129–149.

Plotnik, R. & Kouyoumdjian, H. (2013). Introduction to Psychology. Belmont , CA: Cengage Learning.

 

 

 

5/5 - (14 votes)

Technological Advancements: Balancing Employment Impact

by | Jul 24, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

The world has radically felt the impact of skyrocketing technology, which does not seem to halt soon particularly in employment marched since 20thcentury up to date. For ages, technologies have been known for altering lives for the better and making the work process simpler for individuals, however, this definition has recently changed. This paper will examine the effects of technology both positive and negative making main considerations on changes in labor, workers’ inability to adapt to the changes in technology, and the drastic speed of technological changes that the people are unable to keep track of. On the other hand, technology has positively created skilled jobs, has advanced communication, and has improved accuracy and performance.

 

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Changes in labor due to technological advancements have resulted in the loss of employment, to both skilled and unskilled workforce. Notably, the machines that everyone is aware of are taking jobs in all sectors that could be given to individuals. For example, “the Artificial Intelligence takes care of the insurance claims and does official research, manages portfolios investment as well as performing basic task of the Human Resource” (Falk, 282). Thus, human labor is deprived of any chance against these machines, only leaving the task for those employers with spectacular capabilities and the robots’ owners to thrive. Generally, these results in mass unemployment, with workers’ positions being taken by robots.

Regardless of the changes in labor, advancement in technology has resulted in the organizations have employed labor on fixed term contracts. The organizations are, in effect, achieving flexibility by adjusting the nature and size of their workforce being unable to adapt to the changes that come with technology. For example, recently, “the internet-demand-enabled on the economy is a new change”, with its possible impact yet to be proven (Bonanno, 400). The main issue with the new economy that is subjective to technology is that the management roles. IS execution involves evaluation of workforce is supposed to monitor the trend of the economy by ensuring that legal statistics and other forms of data are available for comparison anytime they are required(Bonanno, 470). Undeniably, this is a difficult task because in any case, a human being cannot work at the same speed as a machine. Thus, if the individuals are not able to adapt to these changes then an equal chance exists for them to lose their job since unemployment and technology are two sides of a similar path.

Additionally, the speed of technological development is very fast which makes the employees unable to keep the pace of it. In fact, “every new day is awake to new technology” (Falk, 350). These new technologies come with different development, instructions, and manuals from what was there previously (Falk, 362). This leaves the workers unable to learn the new changes and keep track of every new development since the human mind cannot be programmed similarly as a machine. Unfortunately, those unable to mark every change with everyday technological advancement find themselves jobless because the present world, especially the employment sector works with individuals ready to learn and practice the new technological changes.

However, despite the technological advancement bringing negative impacts due to unemployment, it has resulted in employment opportunities through the creation of skilled jobs. This is something the skilled labor must be happy about because, through the technological advancements, more jobs are created making the skilled labor overcome the fear of competition on the available jobs. For instance, according to a study conducted on more than 1,000 companies, the results showed that Artificial Intelligence developed fresh jobs in around 80 percent of the firms they were created in. Accordingly, a Granet 2017 report predicted that “Artificial Intelligence will develop more than 500,000 new jobs compared to how it will displace existing workers in the coming three years” (Boone 589). Overall, this job creation will usher several job opportunities for high and medium-skilled workers.

Furthermore, as a result of the new technological advancement, communication among the staff and the managers have been made easy. This is because fax and telephone have been currently replaced by laptops and tablets for purposes of communication in the workplace (Falk, 456). Thus, Risk Manager, Integrated Projected Team, the risk owners and other key stakeholders. Furthermore, there is an efficient communication has been made a one-minute activity, saving time, and ensuring that responses and actions are taken immediately when needed. Thus, the people inventing the laptops, tablets, and websites for easy funds to achieve their proposal ideas. The campaign has determined the communication have been employed.

Finally, technological advancements have led to improved accuracy and performance by making all the work computerized, which reduces the error and risk as it improves performance. Markedly, the earlier long and tedious procedures that were manual no longer exist. These procedures were prone to many errors, which today is a thing of the past (Boone, 876). Through technological advancement machines for checking on accuracy and improving performance have been put in place. These create new employment for the person making the machines and those operating them hence developing the entire employment sector.

Succinctly, technological advancements in the employment sector have many impacts both positive and negative such as the drastic changes to the workforce, the changes in labor, the creation of skilled labor, and improvement of performance and accuracy. A human being cannot stop technological advancements after the discussion about the positive and negative side in regards to unemployment; however, a suitable balance should be made between the two sides to avoid adverse effects on any side.

Works cited

Boone, Jan. “Technological progress, downsizing, and unemployment.” The Economic Journal 110.465 (2000): 581-600.

Bonanno, Graziella. “ICT and R&D as inputs or efficiency determinants? Analyzing Italian manufacturing firms (2007–2009).” Eurasian Business Review 6.3 (2016): 383-404.

Falk, Martin. “Employment effects of technological and organizational innovations: evidence based on linked firm-level data for Austria.” Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik 235.3 (2015): 268-285.

5/5 - (11 votes)

The Impact of Premature Birth on Infants

by | Jul 24, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Introduction

Premature birth can be described as a birth that occurs before the estimated due date, this could take place three weeks earlier or more. In general, any birth that takes place before the onset of the 37th week of pregnancy (Howson et al., 2013). Previously, the definition of premature babies was 5.5 pounds or 2500 grams or less at birth. Preterm births are further divided into late or preterm if this occurs between 32nd and the 37th week of gestation, very preterm if this takes place between 28th and 32nd week, and extremely preterm if it occurs earlier than the 23rd week of the gestation period. Babies born prematurely are typically predisposed to medical complications although this varies depending on the complications of prematurity.

 

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Preterm Births in the U.S.

  • The percentage of premature births in the U.S has consistently decreased from12.8% in the year 2006 to 9.57% in 2014 (Statista.com).
  • However, the percentage increased to 9.63% in the year 2015 and 9.85% in 2016.
  • The states with higher rates of preterm births include Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky.
  • As shown in the diagram below, the rate of preterm births is higher among the Blacks at 13.3%.
  • American Indian/Alaska Natives and Hispanics closely follow at 10.4% and 9.1% respectively (Marchofdimes.org).

How the problem affects developing infants

Health Problems/Development complication

  1. Short-term complications

According to research, preterm babies have an immature immune system as well as other underdeveloped systems. These eventually dispose of premature babies to complications such as

  • Breathing challenges
  • Heart problems
  • Immune system problems
  • Metabolism problems
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  1. Long-term complications
  • Impaired learning- as compared to their full-term counterparts, preterm babies are likely to lag on several developmental milestones. In school, the preterm babies may have learning disabilities
  • Cerebral palsy- preterm infants are at a higher risk of cerebral palsy, a disorder of muscle tone, movement, and posture
  • Vision problems- preterm babies are likely to develop visual problems, especially after developing retinopathy. This visual disease arises after the blood vessels overgrow, pulling the retina out of its position. This condition may lead to impaired vision or total blindness.
  • Hearing problems- preterm infants are at a higher risk of developing hearing problems leading to hearing loss.
  • Behavioral/Psychological problems- preterm babies are more likely to develop certain psychological problems and behavioral problems as compared to full-term babies. Their developmental milestones may also significantly delay.
  • Dental problems- premature infants may have delayed eruption of the tooth, improperly aligned teeth as well as to discoloration

How the research findings have influenced both social thinking and social policies about the problem

  • The current qualitative and quantitative research has an enlightened society that pregnancy is not only a physical process but also a psychosocial process with many social and emotional changes, demands, and challenges (Kuipers, 2016).
  • Research on preterm births has prompted social policies such as discouragement of elective and early-term deliveries
  • Different states have adopted intensive prenatal case management for pregnant mothers
  • Pregnant mothers are now aware and increasingly being urged against the use of drugs during their pregnancy terms
  • At the workplace, pregnant women are now discouraged from engaging in strenuous activities or working overtime.

Intervention

  • According to Alderdice & Redshaw (2015), the use of a biopsychosocial model reveals that one of the major causes of preterm births is as a result of maternal stress.
  • Maternal stress can be described as the discrepancy between a mother’s social, psychological, and biological resources and environmental demands.
  • According to Newnham et al. (2014), high levels of social or psychological stress increase the risk of premature births as demonstrated by different randomized controlled studies.
  • By adequately addressing maternal stress, the rate of premature births is likely to considerably reduce.
  • For pregnant mothers, some recommended stress intervention programs include relaxation exercises, lifestyle changes, and emotion-focused coping techniques (Fontein-Kuipers, 2015).

Research methods

In this particular study, the secondary research method was utilized. Secondary research consists of the collation, summarizing as well as synthesizing of research that is already existing.

Utilization of both categories of secondary research was undertaken; thus utilization of two different types of data;

  1. Internal data refers to the gathered information within the institution and health facilities. For instance; the reports derived from the previous primary research as well as customer databases
  2. External data describes the gathered information from the external environment of the institution as well as the facility. Particularly the media sourced information as well as the government reported statistics.

The secondary research methods have various strengths as well as weaknesses. Building on the strengths however will motivate good quantity data. The strengths of this research method include;

  • Easy accessibility to the various secondary data sources. One could access the sources in libraries or the archived reports. Moreover, internet availability enhances the ease of the process of accessing information for the research. Thus, secondary research is significantly convenient.
  • Acquirement costs are minimal and affordable; thus one could acquire highly valuable information with very minimal cost. One could even access information with no cost charges at all. Therefore, without the use of a team, a researcher could save on costs by researching by themselves.
  • Research questions are vividly clarified with the utilization of secondary research. Furthermore, secondary research is more often than not utilized in clarification in primary research in the process of determining the focus of the research.
  • The utilization of research data enables a researcher to effectively retrieve the answer to the research question. Focused on the secondary research process, one may discover the particular information they were working to determine.
  • Identifies the obstacles in primary research by analyzing and effectively detailing the primary source.

The utilization of secondary research method holds several weaknesses as well, these include;

  • Secondary research has its quality determined by the quality of the sources which are more often than not acquired from previous researches. If the original research was not carried out to produce quality data and information the quality of the research might be compromised. Therefore, it is critical to carry out a thorough evaluation of the reliability as well as the validity of all the information that has been provided.
  • More often than not, secondary data tends not to present information in the manner the researcher requires. Thus, a researcher is required to depend on the presented secondary data that is classified to suit the requirements of the researcher.
  • It is rare to find data that presents an entire version of the research. Therefore, secondary research has access to relatively limited information. Furthermore, suppliers of research tend to offer free research portions, but give an unreasonable charge to access the entire report of their studies.
  • As carrying out secondary research it is vital to maintain a constant caution noting the date aged many years back.

In a clear conclusion, the utilization of secondary research brings forth significant strengths as well as weaknesses. However, to attain quality data it is vital for a researcher to effectively identify, then efficiently manage and reduce the effects of the weaknesses brought about by secondary research.

References

Fontein-Kuipers, Y. (2015). Reducing maternal anxiety and stress in pregnancy: what is the best approach?. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 27(2), 128-132.

Howson, C. P., Kinney, M. V., McDougall, L., & Lawn, J. E. (2013). Born too soon: preterm birth matters. Reproductive health, 10(1), S1.

Kuipers (2016) An Intervention to Prevent and Reduce Maternal Distress in the Netherlands – Its Development from Start to Finish. role in their general health. For instance, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and childbirth only affect Women Heal Int 2(1): 115. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19104/whi.2016.115

Marchofdimes.org. (2016). 2016 PREMATURE BIRTH REPORT CARD. Retrieved April 28, 2018, from https://www.marchofdimes.org/materials/premature-birth-report-card-united- states.pdf

Newnham, J. P., Dickinson, J. E., Hart, R. J., Pennell, C. E., Arrese, C. A., & Keelan, J. A. (2014). Strategies to prevent preterm birth. Frontiers in immunology, 5, 584.

Newnham, J. P., Dickinson, J. E., Hart, R. J., Pennell, C. E., Arrese, C. A., & Keelan, J. A. (2014). Strategies to Prevent Preterm Birth. Frontiers in Immunology, 5, 584. http://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2014.00584

Romero, R., Dey, S. K., & Fisher, S. J. (2014). Preterm labor: one syndrome, many causes. Science, 345(6198), 760-765.

Staneva, A., Bogossian, F., Pritchard, M., & Wittkowski, A. (2015). The effects of maternal depression, anxiety, and perceived stress during pregnancy on preterm birth: a systematic review. Women and Birth, 28(3), 179-193.

Statista.com. (n.d.). Preterm births share the United States 1990-2016 | Statistic. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/276075/us-preterm-birth-percentage/

5/5 - (12 votes)

The Impact of Violating Folkways in Society

by | Jul 24, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Folkways can be generally defined as the social customs or conventions of daily life in a given society. They are not formal laws but rather the unspoken “rules” of society that guide people’s behaviors without any serious consequences upon violation (Kendall, 8). It is evident across the globe, that most if not all societies not only have set rules and laws that govern acceptable behaviors, but have also formulated social control developed by social groups that encourage conformity to rules, laws and norms and discourages deviance.

Folkways may vary from one society to the other. This implies that a certain action may be seen as socially acceptable in a certain culture but it may be unacceptable in another community. Moreover, some behaviors may be regarded as normal in a specific environment but the same behaviors might be considered abnormal in a different context. For example, it might be seen as normal if a man walks bare chest at the beach while he might seem to be insane if he enters a bus in the same way. Folkways are mostly confused with conformity and are only recognized when they are violated. Personally, I violated a folkway by sitting next to a stranger in a restaurant and the reactions were fascinating.

 

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The Norm I Violated

The norm I violated was intruding personal space by sitting next to a stranger in a restaurant. I went to the restaurant during unusual hours when I was absolutely sure that there were a minimal number of guests. Most of the seats were empty and the few clients in the room were scattered around and almost everyone was on a table alone. Typically, most Americans are likely to choose an empty table if everyone else seems unfamiliar so that they can eat undisturbed. Hence, I decided to intentionally break this custom to see the reactions and outcome of the encounter. I entered the restaurant and after exploring the room for a moment I noticed a young girl seated alone at the farthest corner seemingly communicating with someone over the phone. I went past all the tables including the empty ones and seated right next to her and started looking around the room innocently.

How I Felt While Being Deviant

My decision to violate the folkway was purposeful because I wanted to see how deviant behavior influences other people’s behavior. I wanted to experience the social forces of conformity firsthand. Therefore, I sat next to the girl and stayed calm to experience the awkward moment I had caused between the two of us. Personally, I did not feel as much embarrassed because I already knew what to expect in that situation. Instead, I felt some kind of excitement while I watched keenly not to miss any single reaction from the girl to better understand the effects of violating folkways.

The Reactions I Received

I received several reactions from the girl during the encounter as a direct result of breaking the folkway. For example, she immediately stopped talking and did not say a word to the person on the phone although the phone remained glued on the ear as she gazed at me. This prompted her to end the call prematurely. Surprised with my advances, she quickly put the phone into her handbag which was laying on the table. I was a little bit surprised and uneasy trying to guess her next move. It became clear to me that I had intruded into her personal space. Moreover, I also received the most annoying glare from the girl when we made an eye contact. The eye contact did not last for three seconds as she quickly looked away. This was really an awkward moment. The girl also showed signs of disturbance as she seemed unsettled and kept looking around and probably figuring out how to get out of the situation. From her eyes I could tell that everything was not alright. She kept rolling her eyes and taking deep breaths. Finally, after accomplishing my goal I decided to break the tension by greeting her and explaining to her the reason for my actions. She became excited and opened up on how she had felt awkward.

She told me she had a mixed reactions. At first, she thought I knew her the first moment I approached her. Secondly, she thought I was one of the womanizers around who had interest in her. However, her last thought about me left me surprised as she thought I was a thief whose mission was to steal from her and that is the reason she kept her phone in the handbag so that she could easily escape at my slightest provocation. Curious of why she thought I was a thief, I asked her if I looked like one. Her argument was that if I knew her I would have greeted her and inform her immediately I reached the table. Consequently, if I wanted to seduce her, I would have at least have a formidable conversation with her. After evaluating all the two possibilities, she was left with no reason but to think that I had a plan of stealing from her and she was about to move from that particular table if I would have uttered a word.

Analysis and Theories of Deviance

The experience in the case scenario above demonstrated the intense social pressures for conformity in our communities. Kendall (2017) lists various sociological theories that can be used to explain deviant behaviors in society. For example, structural functionalism perceives crime and deviance as essential aspects of any society. Social conflict explains that deviance occurs due to unequal power distribution where the powerful consider the others as deviant. Moreover, the symbolic interactionism theory contends that deviance arises due to social processes like labeling and differential association. Finally, the postmodernism paradigm suggests that deviance develops from the forceful acquisition of the free will of others by categorizing certain groups as deviant by default even at a young age. For the above case, I think that the symbolic interactionism best explains the scenario in which social labeling and beliefs about privacy influenced the girl’s reactions.

Conclusion

In summary, folkways are not formal laws but the general social principles that guide the behaviors of people within a culture. Typically, social rules usually vary from one society to the other. Violation of folkways can trigger unusual reactions among people as demonstrated in the case scenario where I seated next to a stranger in a restaurant. Symbolic interactionism could be used to explain such a case because it explains how deviance develops as a result of social processes.

Work cited

Kendall. D. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed., Cengage Learning, 2017, pp. 8-15.

5/5 - (13 votes)

Transformative Leadership: Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Impact at Duke University

by | Jul 24, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Introduction

Many responsibilities come with being a leader. It is not just a matter of being appointed and become the boss but rather one’s ability to inspire and be a role model to the people. A further role of being a leader is to be able to produce a team that is productive and has the capability of putting their skills into use. It is not easy to reach the fifth level of leadership but with dedication and hard work it is achievable. Many historical leaders have reached the pinnacle level of leadership and they are appraised for the tremendous job work they commit themselves to. This paper is going to discuss Coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University baseball team. His characteristics and achievements and how they relate to the characteristics of leadership in the five levels of leadership.

 

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Background Information

Michael William Krzyzewski was famously known by his nickname “Coach K” is the head coach of men’s basketball at Duke University. He was born on February 13th, 1947 in Chicago. Mike has served as the head coach at Duke University for 37 years; from 1980 to the present. He previously served as the head coach in the United States military academy. He has a total of 47 years in his career as a basketball coach.

In his career, Michael Krzyzewski has proven to be the best through his series of successes. In the history of men basketball division 1, no coach has won as many games as he has. He has earned himself several awards through his hard work and dedication as a coach and a mentor to the basketball team. It is through his great leadership and accomplishments that have inspired the young players of Duke University to aim the sky in basketball. Under his leadership, several players have won the title of national players of the year including Danny Ferry in 1989.

Apart from the success that coach mike has brought to the university in general, including making the team the best and longest ranked (number 1 seven times) among other teams in the AP polls, he has scooped so many awards as the leader of the team. According to his achievements Coach, Mike deserves every award that he has won so far.

He has been instated into the hall of fame about four times the latest being in 2011 where he was instated into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame. He was named the National Coach of the year so many times but the recent one was in 2001. In 2004 he was named the Claire bee coach of the year, this award was for the coach who had made a positive impact on the basketball sport. Coach K has won several historical awards that he is among the few who have ever received awards this includes the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award in 2012. These are just a few of the many awards that this coach has won in his coaching career. This is a clear indication of the kind of a leader he is, that he deserves to be called a fifth level leader.

Leadership Analysis

Level 1-Position Leadership

Level one is a starting point of every leader, so it is all up to the particular person to move on or stay at this level and boss people around for his/her appointed position. Maxwell (2011) considers the people at this level to be bosses, not leaders because anyone can be given a position but moving forward is not for everyone. His elaboration of the upside level of level 1, Maxwell (2011) claims that being appointed shows the potential one has in leadership. He goes ahead to highlights that leadership position comes with power and authority so the leader must prove that they deserve it. As stated earlier in the position level, the appointed person should have the ability to grow.

True leaders get off the mentality of being the boss and use their skills to get people to work. To grow a leader should initiate interaction with subordinates so that people can share their needs (Maxwell, 2011). The appointed leader needs to dedicate themselves to their jobs and focus on the vision.

From the characteristics of the level, one leadership listed above it is obvious that Coach Mike started from this point of being appointed as the head coach. His potential to make a great leader for the team was seen in his previous involvement in coaching. He was seen fit to be the university’s basketball head coach because of his previous enrollment in the U.S Military Academy (Duke, 2018). This is clearly seen in how he carries his work of disciplining the team and how he can deal with the mentally tough generation to produce the best.

When Coach Mike was being appointed back in 1980, they were looking for a strong leader that will carry on the success of the blue devils, by his achievements coach K has proved that he is worthy of the power and authority. He is a man with vision, his focus as the appointed was to focus on the success of the team that is why he has a quality program for the players that runs the recruitment to the performance of the team (Duke, 2018).

Level 2 Permission Leadership

In level two levels of leadership, is all about relationships. How to cement your relationship as a leader with the subordinates. It stops being about you as a leader but about how you treat and value the people you work with. Knowing your people and the people getting to know their leader creates a solid relationship, this creates an enjoyable working environment. It also motivates and boosts energy in the working areas. For leaders to achieve this level they have to be good listeners, respect, and trust people (Maxwell, 2011). When people are trusted they will feel free to share their strengths and their fears this will help the leader to come up with a strategy that will make his/her team productive by overcoming their weaknesses.

A leader who is willing to grow should encourage his/her team always and let them know that you care to maintain a positive relationship. A leader should possess the character of understanding your people, try to connect with them, and put into consideration where you are coming from.

According to Conley (2011), Coach K focuses on building the trust between him and the players because it is a vital trait for the players to transform their potential into performance. In a post-game interview Coach, K was asked to point out one characteristic of a coach that can make them successful as he is. This is how he answered:

“I think you have to be trustworthy. You have to take the time to develop a relationship that’s so strong with each player, and hopefully with the team, that they will trust you. They let you in, and if they let you in, you can teach. If they don’t let you in, you’re never going to get there.”

The answer that he gave shows that he had what a level 2 leader was supposed to possess the spirit of building a relationship (Conley, 2011).

Level 3- Production Leadership

Leaders have to grow from level 2 where the working environment is enjoyable to make things happen and be productive. Great leaders that produce positive results and achieve the set goals are seen at this level. They are the leaders who take risks and make tough decisions to make a difference. At this level, it is the results of the leaders that inspire the people, this where the true leadership skills are put into use. Once the subordinates see the impressive performance of their leader, they will also work hard to follow suit.

For making most production in leadership, Maxwell (2011) suggests that the leader should focus on things that yield a high return, this can be achieved by working together. By understanding everyone’s production niche it will be easier to set team goals and working towards achieving them. Always communicate to your team what is expected of everyone including the leader.

From his overwhelming success, one can see how focused and full of vision Coach Mike is. Going by the characteristics of level 3 leadership, coach K was so productive and he set the standard for his players to emulate, which motivates them every time to perform better. Coach Mike based his training and overall program mostly on the outcome. From his quotes, his goal is to make Duke’s success in basketball continuous and made a program that will boost the team’s performance years to come (Duke, 2018).

Coach Mike’s productivity is also evident in the number of awards and the achievements that his team has attained. The team has won the national championship five times and the latest being in 2015. 6 players were awarded the national defensive players of the year. Several players won the players of the year (Duke, 2018). The list is endless for the remarkable results that the team produces under Coach Mike.

Level 4- People Development Leadership

This level points out what the leader has done personally to people to influence their lives using his power and position. By investing in them, the relationship strengthens and helps in building loyalty hence reproduction. Maxwell (2011) explains that growing the people in the company, is the same as growing the company. It is very beneficial for a company to equip its team with leadership skills because this gives the leader some time to focus on other relevant issues.

The focus of the leader at this point is to help others to develop and become productive as the leader. This can be achieved by showing them how to lead and help them do their job well and succeed. It is also recommended that the leader follows up on the people he/she was developing and maximizes their potential.

In his position as a leader of Duke’s basketball team coach, Mike is using his platform to develop leadership skills in the younger generation. He established the Emily Krzyzewski Center in Durham named after his late mother who passed away in 1996. Coach Mike was raised in a less privileged family; he was mostly supported by a community center and the hard work of his mother to get an opportunity to join college (Duke, 2018).

He is doing the same by funding the Emily Center so as other young students can get the same opportunity to go to college and become great leaders to transform their families and communities. By allowing the economically disadvantaged students, empowering them for the future, and making them productive, Coach Mike is exhibiting strong leadership characteristics of being an inspiration and a blessing to many.

Level 5 –Pinnacle Leadership

This is the highest level of leadership and the most difficult. At this level, people follow you for what you represent. Very few leaders reach this level and if they do they portray a high level of talent and skills. Many leaders after reaching this point feel satisfied and think that they are done growing or learning but that is not the case, leaders at this level should continue developing other leaders and create a level 5 organization that will create a legacy within the same organization (Maxwell, 2011). As a skilled and talented leader, at this level, they should remain focused and stick to the vision. Other leaders come all the way to this level and get carried away by power and position and forget about their initial goal.

Despite his countless achievements and the many honors that he has received, Coach K has remained focused and has not been distracted by his fame and success. He is continuous to mentor young people in his team and outside to becoming great people. As much as he a sports leader, the coach always encourages them to work hard in their study and excel in their academics as well. Several players including, Mike Gminski, Jim Spanarkel, and others have been awarded the academic all-America Award.

Conclusion

From what we have learned from Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership, it is correct to say that leadership is a calling and not everyone can make a great leader. From his characteristics and what he has been able to achieve, Coach Mike has earned the title of being the fifth level leader where very few people have managed to reach this level as leaders. His way of leading will be emulated by many for many years to come because Coach Michael Krzyzewski has left a legacy in the coaching world. I will close with a quote by John C. Maxwell that says “leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them”.

Reference

Conley, R. (2011). Be Like Mike – Duke’s Coach Krzyzewski’s Most Important Leadership Trait. Leading with Trust. Retrieved 18 April 2018, from https://leadingwithtrust.com/2011/11/20/be-like-mike-dukes-coach-krzyzewskis-most-important-leadership-trait/

Maxwell, J. (2011). The five levels of leadership :|bproven steps to maximize your potential. New York: Center Street.

Duke. (2018). Men’s Basketball – Coaches – Duke University Blue Devils | Official Athletics Site – GoDuke.com. Goduke.com. Retrieved 18 April 2018, from http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22725

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The Florida School Shooting and the Gun Control Debate in America

by | Jul 24, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Introduction

  • According to CBSNews on the 14th of February 2018, the Florida School shooting was one of America’s largest mass shooting, that added up to the list of America’s history of mass shootings (1).
  • On this particular day Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a high school in Broward County in Florida tragically lost the lives of seventeen of its members (CBSNews 1).
  • CBSNews pointed out that, amongst these lost lives were three of the school’s members of staff and fourteen of the school’s students (1).
  • Not forgetting the seventeen other accounted for survivors who went through this tragic ordeal and escaped with several severe wounds.
  • CBSNews calls the Florida School shooting to be amongst the deadliest of America’s mass massacres (1).

People Also Read

Mass shooting problem in America

  • The horrific ordeal of February 14th, 2018 triggered a bigger fire in the ongoing debate amongst two major movements and campaigns, the campaign for gun control in America and the campaign against gun control in America (PBS NewsHour 1).
  • This has been an ongoing battle over many years in the world, but mostly in the United States with aim of resolving the growing mass shooting issue in America (PBS NewsHour 1).
  • Wallenberg points out that mass shooting has been a growing menace in America over decades (5).
  • The growing number of reports of mass shootings in America presents a grave issue in America that needs to be resolved and eliminated in the long run, and as soon as possible (Wallenberg 5).
  • Giroux points out that the debate on gun control has been way overdue, and to come to a concrete long-lasting solution both sides of the debate need to be highly and equally considered (6).

Anti-gun point of view

  • The anti-gun campaign presents quite a strong argument to convince the United States Government towards stricter, and tougher policies to enable effective gun control in America (Giroux 11).
  • They argue that violent crimes are those committed with the use of guns and that most crimes committed by guns are those with legally purchased guns.
  • According to Gabor, the anti-gun campaign also points out that with gun control policy those with psychological and mental imbalance will be vetted out and will be unable to attain firearms (26).
  • Furthermore, with gun control, the number of suicides, as well as crimes of passion committed, are most likely to reduce.
  • Nevertheless, the anti-gun campaign argues that ownership of guns in households increases the risk of landing into children’s hands (Wallenberg 18).
  • Lastly, they stand firm in the belief that with gun control terrorist activities as well as mass shooting massacres such as the Florida school shooting are likely less to happen.

Pro-gun point of view

  • On the other hand, the pro-gun campaigns present facts and statistics that present a firm stronghold against the anti-gun campaign fight.
  • The pro-gun campaign argues that gun ownership is important for the protection of America’s citizen’s to prevent them from criminals who utilize firearms as well (Giroux 22).
  • Giroux states that the pro-gun campaign points out that the second amendment to the United States Constitution protects the rights of citizens to own guns (22).
  • Also, they argue that the police are highly overwhelmed by the growing rate of crime and therefore need the support of the citizens to ensure security (Gabor 21).
  • According to Wallenberg, the pro-gun campaign points out that unnecessary gun control will fuel the black market (36).
  • They also argue that restricting gun ownership will enable tyranny in the Government, as well as limit the American citizen’s liberty.
  • Hunting will face rather harsh policies with the banning of gun ownership.
  • Lastly, the pro-gun debate argues that the entire gun control debate can be cure with the education of appropriate self-gun control.

Conclusion

  • With this raging debate, it is clear that for America to come up with a solution to avoid mass shootings such as the Florida school shooting it is important to carefully consider both sides of the debate, both for and against gun control in America.

Works cited

PBS NewsHour. “School Shootings like the One in Florida Are No Longer Rare. Are Schools More Prepared?” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Feb. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5ohynbsEMU.

CBCNews. “Florida School Shooting: What Happened on Feb. 14.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 Feb. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tm1V2TokhU.

Copeland, Edward. “Money.” The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen, edited by Copeland and Juliet McMaster, Cambridge UP, 1997, pp. 131-48.

“America at War with Itself.” America at War with Itself, by Henry A. Giroux, City Lights Publishers, 2017, pp. 15–30.

“Confronting Gun Violence in America.” Confronting Gun Violence in America, by Thomas Gabor, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016, pp. 10–60.

“The Pros and Cons of the Gun Control Debate: How Do Obama’s Laws Impact Gun Ownership.” The Pros and Cons of the Gun Control Debate: How Do Obama’s Laws Impact Gun Ownership, by Danica Wallenberg, Geezer Guides, 2013, pp. 1–50.

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