Sociological theories of interpersonal violence Essay Example

Sociological theories of interpersonal violence Paper Violence can mean many different things to different people. The term violence can be used precisely or vaguely and can take many different forms including physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, emotional, social, spatial and financial abuse. This makes it very difficult to find a definition of violence that works for all situations and at all times. Therefore violence, what is meant by violence, and whether there is a notion of violence at all, are historically, socially and culturally constructed (Hearn 1998: 15). What is named as violent in one situation may not be named as violent in another; therefore violence is both historically and culturally specific. There are many different theories as to why men are more violent than women. These theories include biological theories, which focus on hormonal patterns and aggression; psychological theories, which focus on personality types and disorders; psychoanalysis, which looks at projection and displacement and sociological theories, which focus on concepts grounded in interpersonal, collective, institutional, structural or societal processes (Hearn 1998: 17). Biological theories propose that women are naturally less violent than men. Maccoby and Jacklin (1975) describe how women display aggression and interpersonal responses which are different to that of men, which mean that situations are usually resolved without incurring violent behaviour. Biological theories of how violence naturally occurs rely on explanations of differences between male and female chromosomes, hormones, genetics and territoriality. During research in the 1960s biologists found a number of genetic abnormalities in the cells of humans. As Ainsworth (2000) describes, one of these abnormalities was a condition which was labelled XYY. The name came from the discovery that a small proportion of males had an extra Y chromosome (males normally have one X and one Y chromosome, hence XY). This meant that the men with XYY had double male chromosomes, an abnormality which became nicknamed the supermale syndrome. The syndrome became associated with violent crime as it was claimed that these men were twice as aggressive and violent than the average male (Price et al. 1966 and Jarvik et al. 1973 Cited in Ainsworth 2000). However, later research showed that while XYY males were more likely to be involved with crime they were not necessarily more likely to be involved with specifically violent crimes (Witken at al. 1976 Cited in Ainsworth 2000). We will write a custom essay sample on Sociological theories of interpersonal violence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sociological theories of interpersonal violence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sociological theories of interpersonal violence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Some biologists suggest that human aggression is hereditary. As Ainsworth (2000) describes, one way of examining this claim is through the studies of twins. Identical twins have identical genetic make-up, so if aggression is hereditary then both twins should, in theory, display identical levels of aggression. However from studies carried out of identical twins that are brought up in different environments it has been shown that they often display different levels off aggression and therefore theorists have suggested that levels of aggression are much more closely related to environment rather than genetic make-up. Biological explanations are highly criticised for neglecting ideas of power, cultural and historical relativity and morality. Psychological explanations, on the other hand, locate explanation in mind, mental processs that transcend sex/gender or nature of the male of masculine psyche (Hearn 1998: 20). However, both biological and psychological explanations are criticised because they dont address interrelations of body and society, and of body, mind and society. (Hearn 1998: 20). This leads us to the psychoanalytical explanations of violence which include intrapsychic conflict, personality disorders, denial mechanisms, developmental deficiencies/impaired ego, narcissism, traumatic childhood, machoism (Dankwort 1992-3 cited in Hearn 1998: 21). Through the psychoanalytical perspective it is not violence that is the focus of attention, but instead the dynamics of violence which are more closely considered. Hearn (1998) describes how Freudian and Neo-freudian theorists believe that violence is internally driven, in other words violence is located inside a person. Freud describes how exaggerated masculinities cause men to act violently to compensate for their fears of femininity and of women taking control. Chodorow (1978 cited in Hearn 1998) goes on to explain how the development of a rigid ego is created by men to cope with separation from their mother and the absence of their father. This rigid ego derives from notions of how to be a man which involves the idea of the need to be aggressive in order to show masculinity. However psychoanalytical theories are criticised for placing too much blame on the victim. For example, in the case of domestic violence it is suggested that women let it happen because of treatment they received as children. Because of this psychoanalytical theories are often labelled as not feminist or antiwoman. (Hearn 1998: 21). Despite this, psychoanalytical explanations remain very powerful and influential in the social sciences, although more socially located theories have become increasingly significant. Socially located theories suggest then it is men with social dispositions, not psychological dispositions who are prone to violence (Hearn 1998). There are various socially located theories which include the Social Learning Theory, Socialization and Cognitive-Behavioural Analysis. All of these are based on the same basic idea that mens violence is behaviour which men learn. Although psychoanalytical theories suggest that observing other people committing violence or even expressing ones anger in a non-violent way may actually reduce violence in a person, this is not the case in sociological explanations where it is believed that violence is externally derived. Sociologists argue that violent behaviour can be closely related to an individuals socialization, namely through learning theories. Jones (2000) describes how there is a possibility that the expression of some violent behaviour is causally connected to either observation or experience of aggression. He discusses how human behaviour is based on learned experiences rather than instinct or some other innate characteristic (Jones 2000: 49). One of the best-known sociological theories of socialization is Sutherlands theory of differential association (Sutherland 1947 cited in Jones 2000). He argues that cultural, in this case delinquent, behaviour is learnt through interaction with others. Most people come into contact with both law-breaking people and law-abiding people, but it is when a person has more contact with the law-breakers that they become delinquent. Ray (2000 cited in Hearn 1998) describes how the crisis of masculinity could also be a causal factor of male violence. The crisis of masculinity refers to, amongst other things, increasing unemployment combined with increasing womens equality. Due to unemployment young men or lads begin spending more time on the street, (they dont want to go home as they believe that home is the womans place) and so have more chance to commit crime. Real manhood is based on devotion to group membership, particularly that of street gangs. These gangs or subcultures (Hearn 1998: 30) use violence as a way of confirming status in street culture and so encourage young men to act aggressively and violently. Sutherlands theory of differential association (1947 cited in Jones 2000) becomes clear in Rays (2000 cited in Hearn 1998) connection between real manhood and male violence; a person becomes violent because of stronger exposure to people who commit violence than those who dont, through association with other violent males on the streets. The social learning theory outlines the idea that violence is observed and then reproduced or imitated and focuses on past experiences, especially from childhood (Hearn 1998). According to social learning theorists early experiences in the childhood form a persons personality, basically if a child witnesss a parent being violent they are more likely to be violent themselves, even if it does not become obvious until later in their adult life. However social learning theorists also accept that if children witness violence being used as a punishment then they are less likely to copy, and therefore will be deterred from violence (Bandura 1973; 1977). Children develop learned patterns of violence through intergenerational relations (Hearn 1998; Hoffman et al 1994; Ainsworth 2000). However the exact process of learning violence is often less clear and there is a divide between theorists who believe that individuals learn through cognitive structuring, personality formation, behavioural reinforcement and modelling (Jones 2000; Hearn 1998). Cognitive-behavioural analysis looks at particular forms of learning that have taken place for particular individuals and how reproduction of violence occurs through intergenerational learning and socialization. Goldstein (1989:124 cited in Hearn 1998) identifies the three main areas in which aggression is learned: in the home, school and the mass media. He theorises that learning is either direct through individual practice of aggression or indirect through observation of people being rewarded for aggressive behaviour. Hotaling and Sugarman (1986) suggest that men who are violent to their wives were traumatized as children, either through being abused themselves or through witnessing abuse of their mother by their father, again focusing on the intergenerational production of violence. Bandura (1973; 1977), a major proponent of Social Learning Theory, combined aspects of behaviourism and cognitive psychology. He argued that people learn their behaviours not only through the idea of rewards and punishments achieved through certain types of behaviour but also through observing other peoples actions. By doing this individuals can learn to anticipate the effectiveness of particular courses of action in achieving desired goals (Jones 2000: 51; Hoffman at al 1994). To reinforce his theory Bandura conducted an experiment involving a Bobo doll (Bandura 1973; 1977). In this experiment, he had some children witness an adult aggressively attacking a plastic clown called the Bobo doll. The children watched a video where a model aggressively beat up a doll. In order to frustrate the children, after the video they were placed in a room with attractive toys, but they could not touch them. Then the children who had watched the video and some other children who had not witnessed the violence, were led to another room where there were identical toys to those used in the Bobo video. Bandura found that the children exposed to the aggressive model were more likely to act in physically aggressive ways than those who were not exposed to the aggressive model (Ainsworth 2000; Bandura 1973; Bandura 1977; Hoffman et al 1994; Jones 2000). However there are also many criticisms of these theories as the exact process of how social learning or socialization takes place is often unclear and often represent a very simple explanation of how violence happens and is reproduced. Hearn (1998: 27) also claims that there is an under theorization of gender amongst the socially located theories. Certain questions such as why dont girls copy violence like boys do? and why do boys understand and imitate the violence of men but not the violation of women? are extremely important issues which are not addressed in these explanations of male violence. Another set of theories which attempts to explain why men are more violent than women are reactive theories, which can be either psychological or sociological in focus. Reactive theories are based on the idea that violence is a response to external conditions, men use violence when their goals are blocked and non-violent alternatives are ineffective (Hearn 1998). The stress theory suggests that certain factors such as low income, unemployment, part time employment and a large number of children are more likely to cause stress to men which can make them more prone to violence. Despite this, it would be unfair to isolate stress as a causal factor of violence because it is a constant feature of everyday life which everyone, both men and women, have to deal with. Another criticism of this theory is that if stress is a single causal factor of violence then why is it mainly men and not women whoare violent? (Hearn 1998). Reactive theories also look at the abuse of alcohol as an exernal factor, and how this can cause men to act violently. However as Horsfall (1991) outlines alcohol cannot be seen as a direct cause of violence. She concludes that if alcohol is a causal factor of violence, why do some men react violoently when others do not and why does the social structuring of boys and men bring them up to think that in order to feel like a manyou must drink with the boys, often to excess. The construction of gender is a very useful starting point to understand why men are more violent than women. As Moore (1994) writes, discourses about gender construct women and men as different sorts of persons. Discourse that is used to describe men is active; men are portrayed as aggressive, thrusting and powerful (Moore 1994: 138). Whereas discourse that describes women is usually passive; women are portrayed as essentially powerless, submissive and receptive (Moore 1994: 138). However, these constructions actually only have the most peripheral relation to the behaviours of individual women and men. Moore (1994) goes onto describe how discourses engender women and men as persons who are defined by difference(Moore 1994: 139). They produce discursive effects which produce gender difference, therefore producing symbolic or culturally constructed categories of women and men as different from each other. The discourse used to conceptualize violence is also very important as it often tends to take the focus, blame and responsibility away from the man who commits the violence and pushes it towards the family. Phrases such as domestic violence, conjugal violence, marital violence and family violence are often used and although it is important to acknowledge the relational nature of gender and relational context of violence it is equally important not to reduce violence to the product of the relationship' (Hearn 1998: 28). So far we have identified that, according to socially located theories, violence is produced and reproduced through learning, socialization, modelling and imitation, and this can be conceptualized as producing an environment of violence which operates over time (Hearn 1998: 29), for example intergenerational violence. Cultural theorists go on to discuss how these environments can be thought of as a culture with norms and values, or a system with systematic characteristics. They shift the focus away from the individual to take into consideration social relations and raise important issues such as cycles of violence, whereby the victimiser may once have been the victim themselves (Geffner 1989: 107). Multi causal explanations of violence are very important and claim that violence is a result of not just one individual force, but numerous factors working together. Multi causal theorists bring all, or at least some, of the theories I have already discussed together. Edleson et al (1985) put forward a multicausal explanation where they combine: ideas of violence in the mans family origin from the social learning theory; personal characteristics, such as an individuals attitudes and ideas towards violence taken from the psychoanalytical approach; the use of substances as an external force from the reactive theory; and they also condsider the context of violence by looking at demographic and relationship variables and specific violent events from a mans past.

The Legend of Lucretia in Roman History

The Legend of Lucretia in Roman History The legendary rape of Roman noblewoman Lucretia by Tarquin, king of Rome, and her subsequent suicide are credited as inspiring the revolt against the Tarquin family by Lucius Junius Brutus which led to the founding of the Roman Republic. Dates: 6th century BCE. The rape of Lucretia is said by Livy to have happened in 509 BCE.Also known as: Lucrece Where Is Her Story Documented? The Gauls destroyed Roman records in 390 BCE, so any contemporaneous records were destroyed. Stories from before that time are likely to be more legend than history. The legend of Lucretia is reported by Livy in his Roman history. In his story, she was the daughter of Spurius Lucretius Tricipitinus, sister of Publius Lucretius Tricipitinus, niece of Lucius Junius Brutus, and wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus (Conlatinus) who was the son of Egerius.    Her story is also told in Ovids Fasti. The Story of Lucretia The story begins with a drinking bet between some young men at the home of Sextus Tarquinius, a son of the king of Rome. They decide to surprise their wives to see how they behave when they are not expecting their husbands. The wife of Collatinus, Lucretia, is behaving virtuously, while the wives of the kings sons are not. Several days later, Sextus Tarquinius goes to Collatinus home and is given hospitality. When everyone else is asleep in the house, he goes to Lucretias bedroom and threatens her with a sword, demanding and begging that she submit to his advances. She shows herself to be unafraid of death, and then he threatens that he will kill her and place her nude body next to the nude body of a servant, bringing shame on her family as this will imply adultery with her social inferior. She submits, but in the morning calls her father, husband, and uncle to her, and she tells them how she has lost her honor and demands that they avenge her rape. Though the men try to convince her that she bears no dishonor, she disagrees and kills herself, her punishment for losing her honor. Brutus, her uncle, declares that they will drive the king and all his family from Rome and never have a king in Rome again. When her body is publicly displayed, it reminds many others in Rome of acts of violence by the kings family. Her rape is thus the trigger for the Roman revolution. Her uncle and husband are leaders of the revolution and the newly-established republic. Lucretias brother and husband are the first Roman consuls. The legend of Lucretia- a woman who was sexually violated and therefore shamed her male kinsmen who then took revenge against the rapist and his family- was used not only in the Roman republic to represent proper womanly virtue, but was used by many writers and artists in later times. William Shakespeares The Rape of Lucrece In 1594, Shakespeare wrote a narrative poem about Lucretia. The poem is 1855 lines long, with 265 stanzas. Shakespeare used the story of Lucretias rape in four of his poems via allusions: Cybeline, Titus Andronicus, Macbeth, and Taming of the Shrew. the poem was published by printer Richard Field and sold by John Harrison the Elder, a bookseller in St. Pauls Churchyard. Shakespeare drew from both Ovids version in Fasti  and Livys in his history of Rome.

The good the bad and the ugly parts of being a nursing assistant in Essay

The good the bad and the ugly parts of being a nursing assistant in long term care - Essay Example The Good: Lucky to know the patients and residents better. The amount of information sharing, if time permits, about past experiences, adventures, achievements, failures etc. are enriching the life of a CNA as a listener simultaneously encouraging the other side of reviving the past or relieving the suffering. Listening is the best counseling. The difference you can make in someones life! The shift meetings, specific duties, routines, recording the vital signs, escorting patients, mobility support, assisting with eating meals etc. all hold good. The Bad: Waking up the patients or residents, helping with dressing, bathroom, errands, severe mood or depression, injury, arguments, non-co-operative patients, and extreme physical and emotional demands as well as recording activities and incidents is at times unpleasant. The Ugly: The evening routine of changing residents into pajamas, personal hygiene, bathroom visits, changing diapers, emptying bedpans and the emotional stress of seeing a patient or resident dying, one feels at times, unpalatable. Conclusion: As a CNA I laugh, visit, and console patients and residents and I enjoy my work. As Suzanne Sweezy (2010) rightly said, â€Å"CNA description is not one filled with fast paced excitement or overly appreciative supervisors† but if you ask me if I enjoy being a CNA, then the answer is always a resounding

Potential Costs of Adopting a Free Trade Regime Research Paper

Potential Costs of Adopting a Free Trade Regime - Research Paper Example Having a free trade regime requires more products to be created thus more waste gets ejected into the environment (Scott, 2003). Therefore, the environment would be heavily destroyed countries that manufacture goods for export than those that import. Workers in major importing countries would also pay heavily for their jobs (Scott, 2003). This is because; countries that import more have higher labor and production costs. These costs need to be cut, and thanks to a free market, their jobs would be moved to countries that have lower production and labor costs. The transfer of jobs to lower cost countries would lead to mass displacement of people (Jie, n.d., para. 2). This would be in order to create more space for manufacturing industries. Agricultural activities would be affected, as farmers’ land would be alienated. The government should intervene as all these issues affect its subjects. They should do so by regulating the disposal of waste and ensure job security. In addition , they should seek alternative means that lead to reduced production costs. As a result, jobs for many workers would be secured, and the cost of living will not be elevated. In conclusion, free trade regimes usually open borders for free trade, which bring the positive impact. However, the price to pay for this is really high, and; therefore, governments should intervene.

How Diversity of Faith is Effectively Used in Nursing Care Essay Example for Free

How Diversity of Faith is Effectively Used in Nursing Care Essay Even though medical healing is mainly based upon scientific beliefs, one cannot discount the effect of religious beliefs in the healing of a patient. For many people with a strong religious conviction, the simple belief in the power of prayer is enough to create signs of healing even in the most critical of patients. Even though the effects of prayer are undocumented, there is a growing belief among many that faith plays a significant role in healing a patient when science has given him up for dead. In the medical field, nurses are slowly realizing that a diversity of faith among their patients has them in a bind. Not all nurses are religious, nor do they share the same religious traditions as the patient. In such instances, it is up to the nurse to find a middle ground where they can honor the religious beliefs of individual patients without losing sight of their own religion. Nursing is a highly technical occupation. This is why even though nurses realize that each patient has a spiritual need, the nurse may not always be trained to respond to it. So this job is usually relegated to the hospitals pastoral care workers even though nurses would be better placed to deliver such patient needs. It is not for a nurse to question the religious beliefs of her patients, but it is her job to insure that these beliefs are fully utilized in the process of helping a patient to heal both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Unfortunately, the nursing shortage in the country does not leave the nurses with much to connect on a personal basis with their patients. Patient care and comfort are forgone in lieu of time management and getting the job done. Though nurses have traditionally been viewed as both medical and spiritual healers because of the personal connection they have with their wards, the lack of time and instruction as to how to combine patient care and religion are sending our nurses off the original objectives of why they became nurses. Roberta Bube, RN, PHN currently works part time as nurse at the Marion Medical Center in Santa Maria, Calif. According to her interview in Nurseweek for the article You Gotta Have Fait, she realized that You have to address mind, body and spirit, I always found time to do it [in a hospital]. I did have to be cautious. Id have to do it quietly. Everybodys beliefs are different. So, how can a nurse integrate the religious aspect and its various differences in their daily dealings with their individual patients? Firstly, a nurse can typically start by incorporating the patients religious belief into her basic daily care routine for the patient. At the Saint Francis Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California, clinical coordinator Jan Ingram, RN, explains in the same article that Whether youre giving them a sponge bath or putting them on the commode, if youre really there with them-mindfully present-that is a spiritual action. Nurses have to realize that listening and communicating with their patient is of vital importance in helping a patient heal. This includes developing ways and means for the patient to be able to effectively practice their beliefs and be able to assist in the patients personal spiritual care. Once a nurse learns to approach a person holistically, the nurse will now be in a very good position to accept the various faiths of their patients and convert the same or varied belief amongst the patients she is in charge of. Secondly, the nurse must be willing to set aside her own personal spiritual beliefs and instead be open minded and willing to accept the faith of the patient while she is caring for him or her. A patient may request for a bible reading, a short prayer, or simply letting the patient talk with the nurse listening and prepared to reassure her at the end that God has not abandoned him or her. If need be, a nurse must not hesitate to accommodate a patients request to join him in a religious activity. Such activities tend to reassure a patient and keep him calm throughout the healing process. Lastly, it is highly imperative that nurses know and understand the religious beliefs of their patients as these beliefs can affect their medical decisions pertaining to procedures such as operations or end of life decisions. So, a nurse is encouraged to discuss and explore their patients religious beliefs if a patient is comfortable doing so with the nurse. This will allow a nurse to develop and gain the trust of the patient because the patient will be comfortable in the knowledge that the nurse in charge of her care understands her religious belief and will always respect its role in their lives. Such support systems between patient and nurse usually prove vital in the therapeutic alliance of the two parties. Â  It is also highly important that a nurse, even though not a devout practitioner of her religion, believes in God and knows how to pray. Even though a nurse is taught how to compartmentalize her feelings and not be affected by the events of the day at the hospital, one cannot help but be affected. There will be times in the course of performing her duty that she will call science into question and why it failed certain patients, or why it cannot seem to heal a patient who has no reason to be ill. During those situations, when science seems to fail her, the only thing she will find herself clinging to is her belief in god or her religion. It is this faith that she will take with her as she tries to heal her patient and help him cope with his medical situation. This will be the common denominator binding them. Faith in religion regardless of what the religion is commonly called. At the end of the day, nurses will have to learn to accept and integrate the diversified cultures and religious beliefs of their patients. The nurse will have to turn to her own personal faith for support as well. All of this because healing a patient is not all a matter of science. It is also a matter of spiritual belief in a Supreme Being who can heal us all of our aches and pains in any form or guise. Work Cited Hebert Randy S. ; Jenckes., Mollie W. ; Ford, Daniel E.; OConnor, Debra R. $ Cooper, Lisa A. (2001). Patient Perspectives on Spirituality and the Patient-Physician Relationship. Journal of Internal General Medicine. Retrieved May 25, 2007 from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1495274 Hemilla, Donna. (2002). You Gotta Have Faith. Nurseweek. Retrieved May 20, 2007 from http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/02-09/faith.asp Mitchell, Joyce Haroun, Lee. (2005). Healthcare. Singapore. Thomson Delmar. Wensley, Michelle. Spirituality in Nursing. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from http://www.ciap.health.nsw.gov.au/hospolic/stvincents/1995/a04.html

Adoption And Identity Formation Essay -- essays research papers

There has been an enormous amount of research conducted about adoptees and their problems with identity formation. Many of the researchers agree on some of the causes of identity formation problems in adolescent adoptees, while other researchers conclude that there is no significant difference in identity formation in adoptees and birth children. This paper will discuss some of the research which has been conducted and will attempt to answer the following questions: Do adoptees have identity formation difficulties during adolescence? If so, what are some of the causes of these vicissitudes? Is there a significant difference between identity formation of adoptees and nonadoptees?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The National Adoption Center reports that fifty-two percent of adoptable children have attachment disorder symptoms. It was also found that the older the child when adopted, the higher the risk of social maladjustment (Benson et al., 1998). This is to say that a child who is adopted at one-week of age will have a better chance of “normal'; adjustment than a child who is adopted at the age of ten. This may be due in part to the probability that an infant will learn how to trust, where as a ten-year-old may have more difficulty with this task, depending on his history. Eric Erickson, a developmental theorist, discusses trust issues in his theory of development. The first of Erickson’s stages of development is Trust v. Mistrust. A child who experiences neglect or abuse can have this stage of development severely damaged. An adopted infant may have the opportunity to fully learn trust, where as an older child may have been shuffled from foster home to grou p home as an infant, thereby never learning trust. Even though Trust v. Mistrust is a major stage of development, “the greatest psychological risk for adopted children occurs during the middle childhood and adolescent years'; (McRoy et al., 1990). As children grow and change into adolescents, they begin to search for an identity by finding anchoring points with which to relate. Unfortunately, adopted children do not have a biological example to which to turn (Horner & Rosenberg, 1991), unless they had an open adoption in which they were able to form a relationship with their biological families as well as their adoptive ones. Also key to the development of trust is the ab... ..., K., Kotsopoulos, S., Oke, L., Pentland, N., Sheahan, P., & Stavrakaki, C. (1988). Psychiatric Disorders in Adopted Children: A Controlled Study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 58(4), 608-611.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hajal, F., & Rosenberg, E. (1991). The Family Life Cycle in Adoptive Families. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61(1), 78-85.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Horner, T., & Rosenberg, E. (1991). Birthparent Romances and Identity Formation in Adopted Children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61(1), 70-77.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kelly, M., Martin, B., Rigby, A., & Towner-Thyrum, E. (1998). Adjustment and Identity Formation in Adopted and Nonadopted Young Adults: Contributions of a Family Enviornment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 68(3), 497-500.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McRoy, R., Grotevant, H., Furuta, A., & Lopez, S. (1990). Adoption Revelation and Communication Issues: Implications for Practice. Families in Society, 71, 550-557.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wegar, K. (1995). Adoption and Mental Health: A Theoretical Critique of the Psychopathological Model. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(4), 540-548.

Organizational Staffing Plan

The purpose of this paper is to provide the lending institution with the required staffing organizational plan for the start-up new small business. This plan will explain the major staffing areas planned for the new coffee shop. This plan is based on approved human resource staffing principles. Employment Relationships The employment relationship that is planned is that of an Employer-Employee relationship. This will allow management to hire, train and schedule the staff. Of course, this will also mean that as the employer, the coffee shop will have certain legal responsibilities in regards to employment.One of these responsibilities is paying the employees at a fair rate. This rate must be at least $8. 25, which is the minimum wage in the District of Columbia. (â€Å"Minimum Wage,† 2013, table 1) This includes withholding the necessary payroll taxes, income and Social Security, and paying the necessary employer taxes, unemployment compensation and employer share of Medicare a nd Social Security. The coffee shop is also responsible for maintaining a safe working environment, as set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).This will ensure safety in the workplace. Avoiding Claims of Disparate Treatment Claims of disparate treatment involve allegations of intentional discrimination in which the employer knowingly and deliberately discriminated against people on the basis of specific characteristics such as race or sex. (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2012’, p. 58) In order to avoid these claims all parties need to be educated and trained. At the coffee shop this begins with a strong Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy that all parties are held accountable to.All business should be conducted with EEO in mind. This means that recruitment, hiring, and promotions should be conducted with the intent to place the best qualified person in the job. The coffee shop intends to have an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) pro gram. This will assist in opening the lines of communication and hopefully, resolve disputes before claims are made. However, if a claim is filed it is the intention of the coffee shop to protect the employee from any type of retaliation. External Influences to StaffingThe economic conditions and the labor market will play a major role in the efforts to staff the coffee shop. Economic conditions that are expected to affect the coffee shop are high turnover. Labor market conditions will also affect the coffee shop through labor supply, labor shortages, and employment arrangements. It stands to reason that because the coffee shop will located next to a college campus, it is anticipated that some, if not most, of the staff will be college students. This will both hinder and assist in staffing efforts.High turnover will probably be the norm for the coffee shop. This would be due to the labor supply. Because the coffee shop will be located next to a college campus, it is highly probable that the staff will include a large amount of students. As these students graduate they will move on to jobs in their educational career field. This, of course, will lead to a higher turnover rate. This can be overcome with careful employment strategies. These strategies include diverse employment arrangements. Flexible scheduling may be the most feasible arrangement.This will allow the coffee shop to hire a more highly motivated workforce that will be able to balance their personal life with work. Incorporating full-time shifts into the schedule may also assist in attracting and retaining a non-student staff. Plan to Manage Employee Shortages or Surpluses In order to manage for employee shortages and surpluses it will be very important to monitor the nearby college’s schedule. For example, summer may be a slower business time because there are fewer students on campus.This will cause a labor surplus. However, in the fall when the campus is active, the coffee shop may suffer a labor shortage. This can be addressed by maintaining a larger part-time staff year round. In this way, staffing hours can be scaled back in the summer. Also, the coffee shop must factor in the high turnover rate that the college student graduates will provide in the spring. This will probably lead to an aggressive hiring strategy that would not need to be executed until the fall. Strategy for Workplace DiversityOne of the strategies that the coffee shop will need to implement to ensure diversity would be to recruit from a variety of arenas. The college campus can provide a very diverse pool of applicants. However, it would also be highly beneficial for the coffee shop to recruit non-student applicants. This will only add to the diversity that the students would bring. In order to reach the non-student population it would be wise to run advertisements in the local newspaper and post announcements in community locations outside of the campus.Job Analysis for Key Positions In order t o recruit the staff for the coffee shop, it is imperative to have accurate job descriptions for the key positions. This can only be done by conducting an effective job analysis. This job analysis will help to identify what requirements are necessary for the job. This will enable the new employee to successfully perform the duties of the position. A good place to begin would be to list the tasks that the store manager/coffee servers would be responsible for.Then determine the dimension that the task falls in. At that time, determine the importance of each task/dimension. Develop the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics (KSAOs). Finally, it is the time to develop the job description. Store Managers The most critical factors used in staffing these positions will be their leadership skills and their ability to motivate the staff. Some of the qualifications needed for this position are retail experience, supervisory experience, and experience analyzing financial report s.Some of the KSAOs for the position of store manager are ability to manage effectively in a fast-paced environment, ability to manage store operations independently, ability to manage multiple situations simultaneously, ability to manage resources ensuring established service levels are achieved at all times, interpersonal skills, knowledge of customer service techniques, organization and planning skills, team-building skills, ability to plan and prioritize workload, and ability to handle confidential and sensitive information, .There would also be educational requirements that include a high school diploma and a college degree in business or a closely related field may substitute for a portion of the required experience.Because of the physicality of the job, the physical requirements would include constant standing/walking, occasional stooping, kneeling or crawling, constant computer/POS Register and bar equipment usage, constant talking, expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word, and constant clarity of vision at near and/or far distances. (â€Å"Store Manager,† 2013) Coffee Servers The most critical factors used in staffing the coffee server positions would be there customer service skills and their ability to be dependable.Some of the qualifications for these positions would be maintain regular and consistent attendance and punctuality with or without reasonable accommodation, meet store operating policies and standards, including providing quality beverages and food products, cash handling and store safety and security, with or without reasonable accommodation, Engage with and understand our customers, including discovering and responding to customer needs through clear and pleasant communication, comply with a dress code that prohibits displaying tattoos, piercings in excess of two per ear, and unnatural hair colors, such as blue or pink, and available to perform many different tasks within the store during each shift. The KSAOs would include the ability to learn quickly, strong interpersonal skills, the ability to work as part of a team, and the ability to build relationships. (â€Å"Barista,† 2013)