How to Improve College Education in the United States Essay

How to Improve College Education in the United States - Essay Example This essay stresses that the importance of education is that it plays a major role in determining the future of the concerned individuals. At times, it seems to widen the gap between the high and low income families with regard to the level of education that is present. Placing hopes on education simply means that only those who are educated prosper in life. Needless to mention, that the gap between the rich and the poor widen with the presence of education. In reference to this, it is important that the United States assesses student learning in higher education institutions. Assessment basically entails educational improvement where ideas are enacted on the type of learning that has more value to students and aim at assisting in its achievement. The values should incorporate both, what we choose to assess and how we do it. This paper makes a conclusion that the United States should ensure their colleges and universities regain back their glory as some of the best universities worldwide. This could be done through ensuring that the level of education is taken to a notch higher and more complex cognitive skills are taught to prepare graduated to a working experienced world. The college and universities should not be highly taxed especially for foreign students as this discourages them from joining the institutions. Through this, there will be a grantee of an improvement in the college education in the United States.

Controlling Child Pornography on the Usenet Article

Controlling Child Pornography on the Usenet - Article Example So it is easily understandable that anonymity serves as the key for such criminals, which they feasibly use as a protective shell. The catch-22 is that the complete censorship of CP on Usenet cannot be implemented easily since that is somewhat impossible without banning the internet because Usenet is basically served by the internet. And why just strike out a war against Usenet when the percentage of CP on the internet is basically even larger? The cutting truth is, pornography can never be simply rooted out and finished forever since it really grows vigorously. Amidst darkness, the scintillating hope is that lately many Usenet communities have been reported to be curbed after important measures observed at the Government level. Internet Service Providers have been forced to shut down Usenet access at many places in order to cut down the incessant demand of child porn. Cuomo crackdown is a well known open war happening against the erotic newsgroups of Usenet. â€Å"NY State attorney Andrew Cuomo has managed to get two more ISPs to join his ‘Crusade’ against Usenet child porn.† (Roettgers, 2008). America Online is among the ISPs who have agreed to do something about blocking CP and once it denies access to newsgroup servers, the Usenet is sure to become a less attractive magnet for cybercriminals. Another fact supporting the rampage against Usenet is that Recording Industry Association of America sued Usenet for trillions of dollars, criticizing it as the network of illicit file sharing sites. Still saying that cyber censo rship alone can play a vital role in stemming down CP is not actually true, since a large number of new Usenet groups and web servers are created daily.

Paradise Now and Then Essay Example for Free

Paradise Now and Then Essay Understanding who the characters were and the reasoning for their actions was missing. Learning on how and why they started fighting was a challenge faced while watching this film. The lack of seeing relationships form and how the fighting started was a major difference compared to Paradise Now and then. During this ninety-minute production it was very clear on the relationships the characters held with one another. The roles each character played were easily connected back to the plot and helped unfold later scenes because of the apparent character attitude due to the time span of the film. The tactical plans behind the film’s attacks are showcased in very different ways. In The Battle of Algiers that attacks don’t show any planning before the actual attacks. The attacks on the street all just occur without planning. The attack upon the Palestinians is all of a car ride over to their community and a bomb explodes the building. The third attack from the Palestinians is all of three women changing their appearance to cross the border and the man creating the bomb. All that is left is the execution. Within Paradise Now and then the planning initially started nearly ten minutes into the film and wasn’t executed until eighty minutes later at the end. Since this plot takes so long to actually play out, it shows the emotions of the characters as to how they feel about their assignment. This also helps grasp an emotional level with Said and Khaled. Watching them go through the process and make decisions contributes to understanding of their different personalities. The Battle of Algiers, is a continuous strike to one side, then a counterattack from the other side. An in depth reason as to how the battle was started, the tactics behind the different attacks, and why specific person(s) were responsible for performing the attack was unclear because of the short time span. The music in The Battle of Algiers helped lead the viewer to certain feelings in various scenes. During the first attack scene from the Palestinians the music was dark and evil. This music type didn’t support the attacks of the Palestinians and seemed to take the other side. But when the Palestinians were attacked, the music was sad and remorseful suggesting feeling bad for the victims and their loss. The same music type took place while the French colonists bombed the Palestinian building. The music was dark and evil but when the French were bombed, the music was depressing and gloomy. Within the twenty-six minutes the film never chose protagonists and antagonists. The setting of the films played a big role on what the sides were actually fighting for. In the beginning of Paradise Now and then, while Said and Khaled are smoking they are sitting upon a hill. The camera is set from behind them looking down over their town suggestion they have power and control. This is showing whom they would be fighting for and the mass number of people who would be affected. Said crosses the border and walks along a highway of huge open land. Also Said and Khaled walk downtown together through towering buildings. The two scenes suggest the size of the opponent. In The Battle of Algiers, all of the scenes occur in the small streets of France and it appears as if the battle is being fought within one community. The camera is taking the view of a character on the street during the battles suggestion that neither side has power over the other. While one story crosses the street to fight for their people, the other crosses the border. Film making decisions can very easily pull in a viewer to the themes and motives of a plot. In The Battle of Algiers, the viewer does not get pulled into the battle. The film lacks the interest of one side over another and without this choosing of a protagonist verse an antagonist, the viewer cannot feel emotionally tied into the battle. Also without being introduced to any characters, the viewer in unclear to who is really being put at risk with each attack, who is gaining or losing what from the attacks, and what is actually being gained or lost. The only influence on the attacks that the viewer is aware of is that one side attacked another, so they must strike back. The filmmaking decisions do not shape the viewers attitude toward any character in this film. In Paradise Now and then, the viewer follows Said and Khaled through their journey to supposedly the end of their lives. The viewer is able to feel why the characters choose to go along with their mission, what is at stake if the mission is attempted, and what will be gained and lost if the mission is successful. Religion is a big factor that influences Said and Khaled to become suicide bombers. Khaled asks, â€Å"What happens after death? † He gets an answer of â€Å"Two angels will pick you up. † This is very satisfying for Khaled and Said to hear. Remarks are often made throughout the film regarding God. That they are doing their people and God a favor. Also â€Å"We do what we have to, God decides the rest. † At first they know what they will do will affect their people and help solve this fight, but then when Khaled talks to Suha, she talks him out of the bombing telling him that maybe if they don’t strike back that Israel will back off. The viewer is drawn to the fact that Khaled and Said are not fighting for violence or to kill, they are fighting for their people and God. The camera work while Said is talking about his father helps the viewer feel sympathetic for his loss of his father. The camera slowly zooms in on Said as he describes his father and this captures the viewer’s attention and pulls the viewer in as if Said is talking directly to the viewer. The viewer is also influenced to want Said and Suha together. Suha is only around when she is with Said. After the first scene Khaled tells Said that he thinks Suha likes him. After that the viewer is drawn to believe there is a connection between the two. This affects the later scene when Suha tries to influence Said not to fight because now the viewer is torn between having Said sacrifice himself for his people and God, or wanting Suha and Said to be together. Suha’s last appearance is while she is siting down at her table gazing at a picture of Said. The films do not showcase the political issues at stake in the historical situations. In the stories, all that is at stake within the plots are peoples’ lives. Whether it is a shooting on the street or a suicide bombing across the boarder, which kills the bomber and the victim. No other issue takes a bigger role in these two plots that the loss of peoples’ lives. It does seem correct as Suha said; if the opposing side doesn’t have a reason to strike back, the fighting will stop. The two films are stories of bombings between two different sides but are introduced through different means of filmmaking decisions. These different tactics shape the viewer’ attitude towards the bombing itself and the characters within the plot. In The Battle of Algiers, the viewer is influenced to oppose fighting due to one strategy, which is music choice. In Paradise Now and then, the viewer is influenced by the will to fight, which is an example of setting. Both films are stories about bombing but draw the audience into the plot with different tactics and strategies.

An Applied Management Project Reflection report

An Applied Management Project Reflection report This reflection report is all about our experiences Applied Management project (AMP) and learning from the experience of the project. Reflection report helps us to improve ourselves. We also can learn from our mistakes which is also an important goal of the report. We work individually and in a group for our Applied Management project (AMP). We go through within good and bad experience when doing the report. We also learn some new things individually and in a group. The main target is to learn from experience throughout the project. Aims and Objective Aim of the report is to judge our work ourselves and improve our lacking. Through this report we can also have an idea about our own skills and abilities. The main objective of this report is to find out the errors that I made to do the Applied Management Project (AMP) and take lesson from the mistakes. What is Reflective Report? Reflection report is analysis of our work done before. In a reflection report a person or a student mention the experience of his or her work to prepare a project or report. In a reflection report one can include the process of using the skills and abilities he or she has. Greenwood (1993) said about reflection To think about what one is doing whilst one is doing it; it is typically stimulated by surprise, by something which puzzled the practitioner concerned. Kolb (1984) also said reflection is central to the process of turning experience into learning. So the way of learning through experience is reflection. Edgar Schon (1983) describe two way of reflection. One is reflection in action and another is reflection on action. Reflection in action is about looking during the event and reflection on action is looking back after the event. We are doing reflection on action because we are writing this reflection report after we finish our Applied Management Project (AMP). According to Boyd Fales (1983) reflection on action is The process of creating and clarifying the meanings of experiences in terms of self in relation to both self and world. The outcome of this process is changed conceptual perspectives. So from the reflection process we not only can learn but also can improve the lacking. Recollection of experiences We have to do the reflection report after we finish the Applied Management Project (AMP). The main aim to write the reflection report is to learn from our experiences. We got 11 weeks to write this Applied Management Project (AMP). Within these time period we had some good and bad experiences. Sometimes we got some times we got experience which is new to us. After completed the second semester we had a week of learning how to write the Applied Management Project (AMP) and the reflection report. First two days we have given the idea about the process of Applied Management Project (AMP). We got some information about the report writing, plagiarism, Harvard referencing and how to use the resources of the university. The first day we had three classes. The first class was for introduction of the Applied Management Project (AMP) a, the second one was all about report writing and the third one was for information sources and referencing. The second day was also a busy day for us. Three cla sses also held at that day. We had given information about plagiarism in our first class of day two. Then the next class is all about the reflection report and the relevance to write the report. At last we had given our topic in the last class of second they. We are divided into several groups and the group members had to do the report which is given for their group. We have made a group of nine people. We were excited about our topic. We were very happy when we were given the topic. Our topic was Market segmentation and effect of new technology on market segmentation. The reason we were happy because this topic was very important in marketing and also easy from other topics. The class was finished and we had to attend in the tutor support session which started the next day. In this session we had to sit in a group. As our group was made earlier we sat with our group members. At the first day of tutor support session we had given idea about how to use the online resources from the u niversity site. We could collect information from the open sources but all the open sources are not reliable sources. Thats why we are taught how to us the educational journals, magazines, e-books, articles etc. We had also give idea about how we can get useful information about our topic. Then tutors gave us their opinion about the topic. Tutor also told us that as a tutor what they are expecting in the Applied Management Project (AMP). There are five or six tutors who gave their opinion about the topic. We also got time to discuss the topic with our group members. In the session we prepared a format of the report. One of the tutors asked us to collect one article about our topic and bring the article at the next day. We got three days of tutor support session and after that session we could not get the support from the tutors so that three days was very important for us to prepare the report. After that session we set a meeting with our group members to get started the report. We meet three times and discuss about our topic and gave our opinion about the topic. Then we started to work individually. I start to collect data about my topic using university resources. At first I find books about segmentation. I found some books which is very helpful for my Applied Management Project (AMP). My plan was to collect the data about my topic and then start reading. First few days I use to find information about my topic. I search for article, journal, magazines which is related with my topic. I used university library and digital library to find the information. When I feel that the information is enough for my topic I started reading. Then I started to write the Applied Management Project (AMP). This is the first time I was writing a project and long report of 12000 words. Sometimes I get stuck about different topic. Then i take help of my friend and discuss with them about the problem. Personal feeling and learning from the experience The Applied Management Project (AMP) is developed to show our skills and ability learned from the Msc Marketing and Business management. To write the report I learn some new things and I use my skills and knowledge. Throughout the report writing process I also did some mistakes. According to Gibbs model of reflection (1998), we must go through a cycle to complete the report. Description The first one is description. In this part what is happened throughout the report writing must be described. This is my first time to write a project. So I was a little bit nervous. But when I started writing the report I get confidence to write the project. And I also learn process to write a project. The project is all about secondary research. We does not require the primary research process. Feeling In my mind there are some questions about the Applied Management project (AMP). Can I do the project? Can I complete the project in time? How will be the project? Will I get a good grade in the project? When I start writing the report I realized that the time is enough for the project because we do not need to do primary survey. Applied Management Project (AMP) was a huge report with 12000 words. I was confused about the timing of the project. When I completed the project my feeling also changed. I also get the answer of my questions time to time. Evaluation I started to write the report 20 days before. Sometimes I want to work in the university library for long time but the university made a short timetable for the summer time. But when I search information I get more knowledge about the searching of information and time management. I also developed my writing skills. I spent lots of time to searching and writing the report. But I did not spent enough time to read the books, articles, journals and magazines. So If I do any project or report in future I will use the proper use of time to search information, read them and writing. I also use references in the project which I think not enough for the research. I can include more references for my project which can make the project more effective. So I learn several things. Some are good, some are bad. I must improve my skills and take lesson from my mistakes. Analysis To write the Applied Management Project (AMP) I made a plan and work according to my plan. I set a time to study which is one of the important part of my plan. I also give myself some rest because if I work restless my work may be not as good as I want. I made a schedule for my project. I divided the topic into several parts. As example Segmentation methods, different types of segmentation, effect of new technology on market segmentation etc. I start to work part by part. At a time I concentrate only one part of the project which helps me to get read of workloads. So I can finish my project timely because of the planning. Conclusion During the project writing I developed my skills. I was slow in typing but because of the Applied Management Project (AMP) my typing speed increase. My writing quality also developed during this time. But I must improve my information search activities because sometimes I get confused about the information which is important for my project. I also use my time properly. But if I can spend more time in university library then my report might be better. Action Plan For next time I will complete my project before 15 days. Because if I can get time to revise the project then I believe the report will be more improved. But this time I get only one day to revise the report. When I revise the report some points which I can write more but because of the time I could not do this. Gibbs model of reflection (1988) So from the above discussion I can say that I improve some skills during the project writing. But I also have some lacking as well. If I get any opportunity in the future I will try to avoid the mistakes and make my plan properly for the report. Group dynamics and learning from the experience Working in a group or team is more effective than working alone. People usually can perform better when he or she work with a group or team. People who work in a group or team can share their feelings and experience about their work. Sometimes people learn and improve themselves from the advice of other people. We also get the opportunity to work in a team. For our Applied Management Project (AMP) we have to make a group. We made a group of nine people and start work in a group. Working in a group or team is a learning experience to me. According to Guirdham (2002) people within the group must have some characteristics. People must have good behaviour, norms and co-operation. Without co-operation a group could not become successful. There is a chance to conflict within the group. But people of group must have problem solving attitude. Crainer (1998) said that in a group different people perform different their skills and abilities. We are also working as a team when we have given the topic of Applied Management Project (AMP). Working in a group is effective for us. Within a group all group members must listen to each other. Without this listening behaviour one can not perform well in the group. In a group every one must give importance to each other. If someone neglect or underestimate anyone it may harm himself. Every one has different thoughts and different understanding. So within the group we start to listen each other. Everyone told to discuss their own view about the topic. We get some new and interesting idea about our topic after the discussion session. This discussion session take long time but it was really effective for everyone. Belbin (1993) introduced most effective analysis about individual role within a group or a team. According to Belbin (1993) a successful group must have different range of roles which is undertaking by different members of group. Mullins (2005, p.557) Belbin said for successful group or team member must have nine team roles. Which are- Plant Resource investigator Co-ordinator Shaper Monitor evaluator Team worker Implementer Completer Specialist So people within the team must have these nine characteristics team roles. In our team different members has different attitude. We have a team leader who actually co-ordinate the works between the team members. At the first meeting we are told to collect some articles and journals about our topic. One person of our team was given the responsibility to manage the meeting among us. In our second meeting all of us collect some articles and journals about our topic. Then we all asked to share own opinion about market segmentation. We all try to share what we know about the segmentation. We take note from the discussion. Some of them are really helpful for our project. We try to divide the work equally within the group members. Working in a group was very good experience for me. I dont know everything. Different people have different way of thinking. We share our opinion and learn from other people of group. Although the group work is time consuming, we can learn lots of new things from the group. Working in a group gives me more confident. But sometimes group work can frustrate us. In our group meeting two members always came late. We cant start our work in time for them. This thing makes a bad impact within the group members. Some group members want to start work without them. But one day when we start our work and they came, we have to discuss the matter again to them. So it kills our time and some members become angry. Our group was formed on the basic of friendship. Thats why we cant say anything to the members who come late. If our group was formed according to work, the group was more effective than this group. I also learn a lit about my individual performance and personality. Within a group I judge myself with the other group members who help me to know my ability and performance. I also learn one thin about the group work and that is people act differently when they work alone or in a group. Because when I use to talk to one person of my group I act diffe rent way and my talk within the group is also different. This is an interesting characteristic of human nature. So as a member of a team I learn so many things which will help me in my future when I work in a team or group. Belbins nine team role (Belbin, 1993) Lesson for future project We learn many things during the Applied Management project (AMP). I point out some important things which will help me in my future to do a project- Time management: Use my time properly to prepare the report. Do not delay: Sometimes when we get long time we slow down our work which really harms our work. So I will not delay my work in future. Revise my work: In future if I get an opportunity to do a project I will finish the project before 3 to 5 days of deadline. So that I can revise my work. Evaluate: If possible I will show my work to any tutor or senior who have the knowledge about project which will make my report more effective. Conclusion From above discussion it may be conclude that during the process of Applied Management project (AMP) I learn so many things. I also improve my writing skills and ability. I evaluate myself through the reflective report which will help me to do better and take lesson from my mistakes. Reflective report gives me an opportunity to know about my learning and experiences during the 11 week of my work.

Feminism in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Feminism in Jane Eyre      Ã‚  Ã‚   Feminism has been a prominent and controversial topic in writings for some time.   In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre the main character, Jane Eyre, explores the depth at which women may act in society and finds her own boundaries in Victorian England.   As well, along with the notions of feminism often follow the subjects of class distinctions and boundaries.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an ample amount of evidence to suggest that the tone of Jane Eyre is in fact a very feminist one and may well be thought as relevant to the women of today who feel they have been discriminated against because of there gender.   At the beginning of the 19th century, little opportunity existed for women, and thus many of them felt uncomfortable when attempting to enter many parts of society.   The absence of advanced educational opportunities for women and their alienation from almost all fields of work gave them little option in life: either become a house wife or a governess.   Although today a tutor may be considered a fairly high class and intellectual job, in the Victorian era a governess was little more than a servant who was paid to share her scarce amount of knowledge in limited fields to a child.   With little respect, security, or class one may certainly feel that an intelligent, passionate and opinionated young woman such as Jane Eyre should deserve and be capable of so much more.   The insecurity of this position, being tossed around with complete disregard for her feelings or preferences, is only one of many grueling characteristics of this occupation.   However for Jane to even emerge into society, becoming a governess seemed the only reasonable path for her.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The women of the Victorian Era can be regarded as the first group to do battle for the equality of the sexes.   They lead all women to follow after them, and though their progression may not have been as vivid as the women of the 70's, they did have an effect.   Feminism was not outright spoken of in this time, rather passed through literature, such as this very novel.   Stories and novels were the primary means in which to communicate information and ideas in that time.   Without mass communication systems

War in Iraq :: essays research papers

Self-improvement. When I finished highscool in Ukraine, my mother taught me one very important lesson. She said: â€Å"Self-improvement is a key for your success†. In 1998 I got a bachelor degree in Child Education. I took me two years to complete a school program. During my school years I went through difficult times. There were moments when I wanted to drop out of school, but I always remembered my mother’s words about continual self-improvement. Now, after all, I am really proud of my achievements. I have accomplished my goal. But, I’ll never stop to better my education, because this is lifetime process for me. After I finished high school I had a dilemma. Whether to do ordinary, low paying work, or pick a major and further my education. One evening I had a long conversation with my mother. She explained to me that education is the only way to improve my life. Regular jobs would only allow me to survive, but if I wanted to improve my life I need to go to college. For that reason, I decided to make a plan of my further education. During my collage years, 1996 – 1998, I wanted to drop out of school many times. I had to complete a four-year program in two years. I had a very busy schedule. Monday through Friday I was in school form 8 am to 6 pm. After school I did my homework until 3 am in the morning. Even, on Saturdays and Sundays studied for 8 – 10 hours. Nevertheless, I graduated with good grades and award letter for my academic achievements Right after I had finished my studies; I felt a sense of relief and a great joy of self-achievement. . At that moment I wanted to relax for a while and then continue my education. My education didn’t stop after completion of the college program. During the summer of 1998 I went to my parent’s village for a short rest. Then I decided to continue my studies at Kyiv Pedagogic University. In fall 1998, I started an eighteen-month program. It was easy for me at this time, because I had a basic knowledge of the subject. Also I didn’t have to study until 2 – 3 in the morning. On top of that, during the weekends I was able to relax. In February 2000, I successfully graduated from Kiev Pedagogic University. I received a diploma for Child Care specialist.

Health Sociology Essay

The present paper reviews various theories in reference to health sociology. Discussion will centre around a brief definition of theory and sociology while exploring and comparing two of the seven main theoretical perspectives; functionalism and symbolic interactionism. This paper concludes by providing reasoning on the importance of contributing these two theories to the knowledge of health care practitioners. A theory allows us to make sense of the world by providing clarification of why things happen and how things work. Each theory is developed on a collection of different authors views although in the end they tend to share core values of a certain perspective or society (Germov, 2009). Theories are commonly the foundation for all health policies and reflect on the way health care providers deliver care, they allow health practitioners to enhance their knowledge on matters they are unsure of through qualitative research and encourage continuation of skill development in hope of achieving improved quality of care (Albert, Hodges, Kuper & Reeves, 2008). Sociology is simply the study of human social life and encourages health care professionals to view everyday occurrences in different ways. It can be broken down into sociology in nursing, relating to an individual’s health care experience or sociology of nursing, referring more to the issues that affect the profession as a whole (Green & Earle, 2009). Functionalism also known as structural functionalism or consensus theory looks at society from a large-scale prospective and is an approach to sociology based on ideas by three key theorists; Ѐmily Durkheim (1858-1917), Talcott Parsons (1902-79) and Robert Merton’s (1910-2003). This theoretical perspective, which is popular in the USA, explores the required structures that make up a society and how each part contributes to maintaining social stability and equilibrium (Germov, 2009). According to Van Krieken et al. (2013) the main ideas of the functionalist perspective may be summarised from a comparison drawn from biology, with the use of the human body as an example to explain how an organism works. It firstly examines the various relationships between the different parts of the body, such as the lungs, heart, liver and brain, and with this investigation it provides an understanding of how they operate together as a whole organism. By simply investigating these parts of the body in isolation of each other and without each organ working smoothly together the human body is unable to operate, the same is true for a society  and all the structures working together trying to maintain social order (Van Krieken et al., 2013). Along with Van Krieken et al. (2013) comparison with biology, Germov (2009) explains that functionalism centers on the assumption that a society is a system made from a bunch of connected structures, all of which have an integral function with certain needs that interrelate and depend on each other in order for survival of social stability and consensus to be maintained. According to Germov (2009) the functionalist study of health care has mainly been influenced by Parsons (1951) and regarded individual’s health as an essential condition of an unchanging and ordered society. His idea of illness came from behaviour’s and/or activities that interrupt social exceptions about what is normal and saw illness as a disruption to the usual function of society. He implemented the concept of the ‘sick role’ stressing the importance for the sick to seek expert help in order to recover and continue performing their social role (Germov, 2009). Symbolic interactionism was compiled by the teachings of a key theorist George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) in the 20th century. He believed that this theory was established as a reaction against structuralist approaches such as structural functionalism and was the development of individuals and how people construct, interpret and assign meaning to their behaviours in order to decide how they act with others (Germov, 2009). Herbert Blumer (1900-87) continued Meads work and coined the term to describe this theory of society in 1937. Symbolic interactionism encompasses not only sociology but various components of psychology by concentrating on a small-scale view of society and focuses on a small-scale perspective of individual’s interactions and how this impacts a person’s image or identity of themselves (Germov, 2009). According to Kneisl & Trigoboff (2009) symbolic interactionism can be explained by breaking the human process into three central ideas; it looks at how individual’s react depending on the meaning, it gives meaning to things based on our social interactions with people assigning different meanings, and it explains that our meanings given to something are not permanent and can be changed with experiences that occur throughout everyday life. Symbolic interactionism gives special importance that health and illness are perceived subjectively as socially formed features of an individual’s life that can change with time and vary within certain cultures (Germov, 2009). Labelling theory which is described by Germov (2009) as  social institutions and health professions playing a role in defining what is deviant, uncovered the way that medicine could be utilised as an instrument in promoting conformity and help minimise the actions of difficult or abnormal social groups. Symbolic interactionism has an emphasis on illness within a society and how it can be socially mirrored at any point in time by politics, culture and morality, therefor health care professionals may use this theory to gain opinions that are based on social and moral factors rather than just biological factors (Germov, 2009). Functionalism and symbolic interactionism are both theoretical paradigms that are applied in relation to the study of society’s structure. According to the structure-agency continuum in Germov (2009), both of these theories are placed at opposite ends, functionalism favouring the structure side of the debate while symbolic interactionism favouring the agency side. As discussed, the functionalist theory observes on a macro scale how society works together by the interacting and interlocking parts, it is based on a more objective scientific approach by focusing more on the organism working as a whole in order to provide social stability (Langhoff, 2002). Unlike functionalism, symbolic interactionism is based more on an interpretive approach which is observed on a micro scale and focuses more on the individual’s reactions and actions when they attach meaning to the interlocking parts (Langhoff, 2002). In order for us to comprehend, explain and make predictions about the involvement of a society and human relationships we must first gain a strong understanding of sociology and its impacts towards nursing. Cox (as cited in Pinikahana, 2003), explained how sociology may help nurses with their primary role in caring for patients and discussed four ways of how sociology relates to nursing. Pinikahana (2003) explains the reasoning and justification for teaching sociology in order to increase the awareness of the individual’s psychological and social needs, and views sociology as a subject that facilitates the holistic care of the patient. Cooke (as cited in Green & Earle, 2009) explains sociology as an â€Å"emancipatory disc ipline†, meaning health professionals need to remain self-critical and question the expectations of the profession that have been long held. Following the theory of functionalism within health care the ‘sick role’ relies heavily on the medical professional-patient relationship and should be able to rely on others to care for them in order to restoring  their health, they are to comply with the recommended medical treatment and are not to be help personally responsible for their illness due to it being beyond ones control (Germov, 2009). With the use of symbolic interactionism theory in the health care system, it allows the practitioner to gain an understanding of the patient’s physical presentation along with their psychological needs (Germov, 2009). Adapting the use of qualitative research and theory based practices within the medical profession collectively increases the patient’s outcomes both mentally and physically by providing the best possible care using a holistic approach. If health practitioners are unaware of these various theoretical perspectives they may not be able to provide the best practice for the patient, therefore leaving the individual with a reduced ability to regain their health (Germov, 2009). In conclusion the theoretical perspectives of functionalism and symbolic interactionism along with the other five theories; marxism, weberianism, feminism, contemporary modernism and post structuralism/post modernism are all important considerations that need to be taken into account when dealing with people in the medical profession. Functionalism relates more to the sociology of nursing and explores the structures that are involved in making a society and concentrate on the parts that interact together in order to make things work as a whole, the perfect example of this being the human body, without the awareness of this theory, social stability and consensus would not be achieved. Symbolic interactionism relates more towards sociology in nursing and takes into account the structures that meet the needs of society while it also considers individual’s social facts like the way people think and act, gaining an overall picture of the patients social and psychological needs.