Cities :: Sociology, Rising Urban Stars

Most people live in cities, while other live in rural areas. A city life is usually more exhilarating because it got shopping malls, restaurants, schools, transportation, hospitals, and much more. But what is a city? A city is a large area were group of people with similar characteristics live and practice their ordinary daily activities. According to Caves (2005), a city cannot be defined by one definition because it includes many things that give many definitions. Each city has a different way of developing and growing, it takes different steps to become more sustainable, and has the proof, such as Dubai, that shows it is a triumphant city. Many ways are available for the city to evolve. Foroohar (2006) stated that a city could grow when country’s government search for ways to decentralize the work. As an illustration, "Rising Urban Stars" cities such as Las Vegas, Dubai, and Cape Town are offering abundance of flourishing careers in service businesses like banking and entertainment that help the city to evolve (Foroohar, 2006). Another way for the city to expand is developing the technology. According to Foroohar, â€Å"areas with high-tech or "knowledge based" industries like finance--witness the renaissance of New York and London, and the explosion of growth in Shanghai or Hong Kong.† (2006, para.5). Cities with high technology bloom swiftly where the bankers become wealthier, salaries become higher, and the cost of real-estate soared (Foroohar, 2006). A third possible way for a city to develop is through expanding the city’s economy. Foroohar (2006) asserted that budding economies help the cit y to grow fast. For instance, 55 cities in China, 12 cities in Indonesia, and 10 cities in India are of the top 150 swiftly-expanding cities, they expand with the aid of the expanding economy in the city (Foroohar, 2006). Moreover, Arnold (2010) reported that trading and making business with foreigners is crucial for the city’s economy that promotes the city’s growth. Arnold continues by saying that’ â€Å"Legislative issues need to be addressed because they bring down funding costs and increase the absorptive capacity of the economy.’† (Shaher as cited in Arnold, 2010). Furthermore, cities can develop and enlarge through excellent transportation. Foroohar (2006) believes that outstanding transportation appeals people and businesses to the city and that helps the city to grow. In essence, cities follow different routes to expand and develop; however, they all reach the same point.

Circumplex Model

Introduction Marriage and Family are very important aspects of the human experience. These two units play vital roles in who individuals are and who they may become. Many times issues or problems arise in the marriage and family structure thus, requiring therapy in order to make matters better. The Circumplex Model of Family and Marriage has been used and has been affective in the treatment process when helping dysfunctional families. The Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family Therapy developed by David Olson and other colleagues provides a road map in understanding the marriage and family experience. Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family As previously mentioned, the Circumplex model of Marriage and Family Therapy was developed by David Olson and several of his colleagues. This model focuses on the three central dimensions of marital and family systems: cohesion, flexibility, and communication (Olson, 1999). In these dimensions the family system is ranged from balanced, to mid-ranged, to extreme. The family system is further ranked as chaotic, flexible, structural, or rigid. This model was developed in an attempt to narrow the separation of research, theory, and practice (Olson, 1999). Olson states that the model is specifically designed for clinical assessment, treatment planning, and outcome effectiveness of marital and family therapy. Three Dimensions of the Circumplex Model As stated prior, the three dimensions of the Circumplex Model are cohesion or togetherness. The second being flexibility or the amount of change in the families leadership, role relationships, and relationship rules, and the last dimension is communication. Following is a clearer definition of each dimension: †¢Cohesion:Described as the emotional bonding that family members have toward one another. Family cohesion can be considered as emotion bonding, boundaries, coalitions, time space, friends, decision-making, and interests and recreation. The focus of cohesion is how systems balance their separateness versus togetherness. There are four levels of cohesion ranging from disengaged (very low) to separated (low to moderate) to connected (moderate to high) to enmeshed (very high). It is hypothesized that the central or balanced levels of cohesion (separated and connected) make for optimal family functioning. The extremes or unbalanced levels (disengaged or enmeshed) are generally seen as problematic for relationships over the long term (Olson, 1999). †¢Flexibility:This is the amount of change in its leadership, role relationships, and relationship rules. The specific concepts include leadership (control, discipline), negotiation styles, role relationships and relationship rules. The focus of flexibility is on how systems balance stability versus change. The four levels of flexibility range from rigid (very low) to structured (low to moderate) to flexible (moderate to high) to chaotic (very high). As with cohesion, it is hypothesized that central or balanced levels of flexibility (structured and flexible) are more conducive to good marital and family functioning, with extremes (rigid and chaotic) being the most problematic for families as they move through their life cycle. Flexibility focuses on the change in a family’s leadership, roles and rules (Olson, 1999). †¢Communication:This aspect is considered critical for facilitating movement on the other two dimensions. Because it is a facilitating dimension, communication is not graphically included in the model along with cohesion and flexibility. Communication is measured by focusing on the family as a group with regard to their listening skills, speaking skills, self-disclosure, clarity, continuity tracking, and respect and regard. In terms of listening skills, the focus is on empathy and attentive listening. Speaking skills include speaking for oneself and not speaking for others. Self-disclosure relates to sharing feelings about self and the relationship. Tracking is staying on topic, and respect and regard relate to the affective aspect of the communication and problem solving skill in couples and families and have found that balanced systems tend to have very good communication, whereas unbalanced systems tend to have poor communication (Olson, 1999). Circumplex Model: Couple and Family Map The three dimensional Family Circumplex Model Each of the dimensions in the Circumplex Model are key elements in the how Olson’s view of marriage and family are based. Olson believes that the way families interact with each other is based on togetherness, flexibility, and communication. Studying and evaluating these areas can lead to answers and solutions of troubled families and marriages. Treatment Planning Using the Circumplex Model The Circumplex Model has been a useful tool in the treatment process of helping dysfunctional families. A major job for research outcomes is to determine which elements of intervention are most appropriate and effective with which presenting problems and with which elements of family functioning (Olson, 1999). This model was formulated to lead families towards more functional patterns and rise above behavior what is not socially correct or accepted. The model provides a conceptual framework for assessing family system functioning on two dimensions of family organization: cohesion and flexibility (Olson, 1999). Families that are monitored under the Circumplex Model from either extreme intervention strategies can be set in place to guide them towards a more balanced system in a step by step process. Clinicians need to be very attentive to prevent wavering that can occur. The clinician has to evaluate and rate each aspect of the treatment process in order to affectively rank the family or couple in the model. In doing this, the clinician has to determine which area is the outweighing factor that is causing the most conflict in the family. Using the Circumplex Model in my Practice After careful research and studying of the Circumplex Model, I have found the components of the model to be quite interesting. It is believed that the model, if careful used and used in depth to assess issues of family and marriage can be very useful in determining the root cause of the dysfunction that the family is stricken by. I personally would attempt using the Circumplex Model once I have become a therapist because I believe it would lead me to ways that can shed light on key causes of family problems and possibly could be a path to other therapeutic processes to help the client. Because I believe that this model does pin point problems of clients whether there is a lack of togetherness, too much togetherness, a lack of flexibility or too much flexibility, or a lack of communication, this model provides enough information to give the necessary treatment to help clients overcome their problems. Conclusion The Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between research, theory, and clinical practice (Olson, 1999). It is designed for clinical assessments and treatment planning with couples and families. Through the three dimensions of cohesion, flexibility, and communication, studies are performed to evaluate the extremities of each dimension thus, shedding light on what the family or couple maybe lacking or overly possessing. Clinicians must have a central goal of the presenting problem and symptoms of family members to achieve intervention focuses on changing a dysfunctional type of couple or family system (Olson, 1999). The basic assumption is that the current pattern of interaction in the family system dynamics are helping to maintain symptomatic behaviors (Olson, Gorall, 2006). Before the problems of the families and marriages can be alleviated, the current pattern of interaction in the family needs to be changed. The Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family can be very helpful to clinicians in providing treatment and very beneficial to clients who maybe seeking assistance to resolve matters in his or her family structure of marriage. References FACES IV & the Circumplex Model, David H. Olson & Dean Gorall, 2006 www. lifeinnovations. com Circumplex Model of Marital & Family Systems, David H. Olson, 1999

Essay on Life Challenges and History of Dylan Thomas

â€Å"A worm tells summer better than a clock, the slug’s a living calendar of days: What shall it tell me if a timeless insect, Says the world wears away?† As a young poet Dylan suffered from many things two of which were financial problems and alcoholic abuse. Thomas poems were his way of expressing his feelings and thoughts. Despite Thomas struggles with life, he still managed to become a very successful poet. What transitioned within the young British poet’s life will be the discovery of his personal life, his marriage, his career and his death, and as well as an expounding of two of his poems. Dylan Thomas was born on October 27, 1914, in Swansea, Glamorgan Wales. (Applebee 1001). Thomas was the youngest child of David John Thomas and†¦show more content†¦Many years later Caitlin and Dylan also began experiencing financial problems. Although despite the passionate love letters Thomas would write her, their marriage was horrible. In 1940, Thomas and his wife moved to London, where he had served as an anti-aircraft gunner, but was rejected for active combat due to his illness. To avoid the air raids, the young couple left London in 1944. They eventually settled at Laugharne, in the Boat House where Thomas would write many of his later poems. In 1947 Thomas was awarded a Traveling Scholarship from the Society of Authors. When Thomas was the age thirty five, he visited America for the first time in 1950. While in America he began doing his reading tours of the United States. (Collected Poems, 1934–1952 ). As Dylan began his reading tours in America, he a lot to popularize his poetry reading’s as a new medium for the art, which were both famous and notorious. Thomas was well known as a Romantic poet to the popular American imagination. Dylan Thomas wrote many poems, but there two that grasped the public’s attention, which were Vision and Prayer and Love In the Asylum. 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