Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medicinal Purposes Essay -- Argument

Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medicinal Purposes How would most Americans react if the law allowed the use of heroin, LSD, or amphetamines for medical purposes? Many of us would react in disbelief mainly because of the effects of these powerful and addictive drugs. However, in Arizona the law permits the use of heroin, LSD, and amphetamines for medicinal purposes, yet the medicinal use of marijuana remains illegal in the United States ("Facts"). Because marijuana is categorized as a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substance Act ("Issues"), physicians cannot legally prescribe it. The national debate on the effectiveness of marijuana as medicine is divided between those who advocate marijuana's medicinal value and those who dismiss the claim that marijuana poses any medicinal value. Although many regard the use of medicinal marijuana as a hoax, there is evidence to the contrary that helps to create a substantial argument as to marijuana's ability to provide effective relief from certain symptoms of disease. Patients of t erminal or critical illnesses should be allowed, under the care and supervision of a physician, the option of using marijuana for medicinal purposes. First and foremost, the medical value of marijuana is primarily a means of relief from the symptoms associated with diseases themselves and their treatments, not a cure. Therefore, its therapeutic values are not based on a particular disease, but rather the symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and anorexia caused by loss of appetite and chronic pain. The exact reason why marijuana relieves such symptoms is not known but most likely lies in its organic composition and ingredients. Marijuana is made up of over 400 organic chemicals, 60 of which are... ...arijuana: the struggle for legalization." CNN Interactive. 1 Dec. 2013. http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9702/weed.wars/issues/background/index.html. * "What is the treatment cost of medical marijuana vs. the cost of Merinol?" 2 Dec. 2013. http://medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database. * "Clinical Pharmacology of Marijuana." Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana. 1 Dec. 2013. http://www.nih.gov/news/medmarijuana/MedicalMarijuana.htm#clinical. * "Medical Value and Use: Do many physicians support medical marijuana?" Medical Marijuana procon. 1 Dec. 2013. http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database=5-B-Subs-1.db&co * "Medical Value and Use: What are the benefits and risks of Merinol vs. marijuana?" Medical Marijuana procon. 2 Dec. 2013. http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database

Comparing Women in Raisin In the Sun, House On Mango Street, and Yellow

Roles of Women in A Raisin In the Sun, The House On Mango Street, and A Yellow Raft In Blue Water      Ã‚  Ã‚   A Raisin In the Sun, The House On Mango Street, and A Yellow Raft In Blue Water all contain strong, defined images of women. These women control and are controlled. They are oppressed and liberated. Standing tall, they are confident and independent. Hunched low, they are vulnerable and insecure. They are grandmothers, aunts, mothers, wives, lovers, friends, sisters and children. Although they span a wide range of years and roles, a common thread is woven through all of their lives, a thread which confronts them day in and day out. This thread is the challenge they face as minority women in America to find liberation and freedom from lives loaded down with bondage. These women fight to live and in their living they display their strengths and their weaknesses. They demonstrate the opposition many women face being viewed as the inferior sex as well as discrimination against their ethnicity. In this struggle Hansberry, Dorris and Cisneros depict women attempting to find con fidence and security in the society around them. Comparing and contrasting the novels A Raisin In the Sun, The House On Mango Street, and A Yellow Raft In Blue Water, three principal images of women emerge: their strength, bondage and liberation. These images combine to depict the struggle of many minority women, regardless of their ethnic background, and shapes the character they draw from society.    "Now--you say after me, in my mother's house there is still God...There are some ideas we ain't going to have in this house. Not long as I am at the head of this family" (Hansberry 51). From Mama's ardent statement in A Raisin In the Sun, addressed to ... ... in the past has held them down. Finding strength in this new liberation they will be released to assist others in gaining their freedom and becoming whole individuals. We take courage and inspiration from the lives of Beneatha, Esperanza, Mama, Evelyn, Rayona and others as they display the struggle toward true womanhood and the strength to "come back. For the ones who cannot leave as easily as you" (Cisneros 105).    Works Cited: Blicksilver, Edith. The Ethnic American Woman. Kenall/Hunt Publishing; Iowa, 1978. Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1991. Dorris, Michael. Yellow Raft on Blue Water. New York: H. Holt, 1987. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997. 1829-96.

Bruce Dawe Essay

The Second World War changed many things: the face of Europe, the balance of world power, and, perhaps less notably, the perception of the common Australian. From Federation day to the 1940s, most poets wrote about the ideal ‘aussie’; the strong, silent outback-dweller; the Man from Snowy River or the Man who went to Ironbark. The 1950s were a time of change, and Australian Literature changed too, from aggrandizing the increasingly rare ‘Dundee’s, to noting the average Australian living in suburbia with the other four-fifths of the population. This essay will cite specific examples of poems of a man commonly regarded as Australia’s greatest living poet from 1950 to 1990. Through Bruce Dawe’s poetry the true Australian persona has arisen to global knowledge. One of Bruce Dawes most famous poems, written in the 1950s, is Enter Without So Much As Knocking. In this poem he highlights the plight of a ‘modern’ man who slowly comes to realize and embrace the faà §ade surrounding suburban life and its incessant consumerism. â€Å"Well-equipped, smoothly-run, economy-size† These terms give the feeling of mass production – just as well-equipped, smoothly-run, economy-size cars; these sorts of households must have been very common. Again the fact that these people lack individuality is being focused on and it is disputed whether this is correct. The rest of the family are presented as stereotypes. Whereas in the days of The Man From Snowy River, where individuality, rebelliousness and going against the grain are commonplace and celebrated as courageous, in this world, it would seem ‘inefficient’. The poem itself is discussing a man’s journey from birth to death and how all around him life is interpreted by material possessions. A famous quote from this poem shows the change that mechanized and money hungry living brings to man. â€Å"Anyway, pretty soon he was old enough to be realistic like every other godless money-hungry back-stabbing miserable so-and-so†. This is a dramatic transformation from the poems of war and outback mateship, of jumping on a grenade to save your friends in the foxhole. Now, â€Å"It’s Number One every time for this chicken, hit wherever you see a head and kick whoever’s down†. Clearly, Dawe is conscious of the changes affecting Australian persona. Bruce Dawe often uses humour to devastating effect. In Pigeons also are a way of life, a city councilor is mocked for his petty-mindedness, highlighting the utter bureaucracy that society and everyday life has become. â€Å"The problem was, he brooded overmuch, and took things personally that were not meant, so that each juvenile delinquency of nature seemed an outrage aimed at him† This quote encapsulates the trivial nature of the councilor, that he considered nature juvenile, and that he was too puffed-up in his self importance to respect habits that have and will outlast him, his city and certainly his civilization. This is done to bring to light the incredible conceit of man in relation to the environment. Whereas the bushman lived off the land, respecting it, modern man destroys it contemptuously to make room for suburbs and cities, and it’s men like this who are responsible. Homo Suburbiensis is a poem about a man, a regular man, with a garden that represents his escape from the demands of his existence. â€Å"Homo Suburbiensis† uses one man’s escape from his life to represent our universal need to contemplate and resolve our own uncertainties in life in our own special place. This poem speaks about suburbia, and escaping from it into nature, Bruce Dawe illuminates the plight of this man and how the tolls of modern life are affecting him. â€Å"One constant in a world of variables† represents how this small garden in is his only avenue for escaping into order, his order. Whereas the outback is constantly described as freedom, this man’s only freedom is a small vegetable patch. A little known poem from the 1980s era of Bruce’s writings, Looking Down from Bridges, takes a look back at the world of his childhood, from the perspective of nostalgia. â€Å"Looking down we see an earlier world living on in the interstices of the present, like green wheat in the gutters of the bulk feed store or the odd shy weatherboard holding out between factories† This citation details the vision of the past through the mind’s eye to childhood, showing the simplicities of an earlier time where there were fewer factories, where â€Å"troops of tiny children tentatively skipping† played in the street. This is Bruce where he is his most grandfatherly, regaling tales  of how life used to be, and how it has changed, from small wooden houses with bush on either side to sprawling conurbation without room to breathe or, in the children’s case, to play in the streets. ‘Life-cycle’, is one of his well-known poems that dramatises how the common ‘Aussie bloke’ is influenced by football. It ridicules the fact that football for people has become like a religion. Not speaking of a specific event, this poem describes the general cycle of life of a resident of suburban Australia. From birth people are encouraged to barrack for their teams, and build a life around football. This ‘religion’ is implied on the ‘innocent monsters’ by their parents and surroundings. â€Å"they are wrapped in the club-colours, laid in beribboned cots, having already begun a lifetime’s barracking† Dawe is showing that this will be the purpose of the child’s life. He will grow up living and breathing football, and worshipping it without giving a second thought to the true purpose of life. Using simple structure and simple language, he is able to best convey his morals to the common people that it affects. Gently mocking people with his vibrant expression of the game, with Christian symbolism he compares it to the bible – highlighting that it is, but shouldn’t be regarded of the same importance as Christianity. â€Å"They will forswear the Demons, cling to the saints and behold their team going up the ladder into Heaven† Dawe describes the actual important things in life – marriage, proposals, as just a sidetrack to football, done quickly in between games. Football is the focus of these people’s lives – anything else is merely a diversion to football and should be taken care of quickly so that they can get back to the game. â€Å"- the reckless proposal after the one-point win, the wedding and the honeymoon after the grand-final†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We almost begin to pity these poor people, to whom living their lives has taken second place in importance to football. By using triumphant words such as ‘behold’ ‘passion’ and ’empyrean’ Dawe is showing great sarcasm, as he did with the Christian symbolism. It is like he is asking the readers why football is now as important to the Australians as their religion, and highlighting the fact that it is not supposed to be like this. From this  quote: â€Å"having seen in the six-foot recruit from Eaglehawk their hope of salvation† Bruce Dawe purposefully makes the last word of the poem salvation, this word, generally associated with heaven, and the fact that living a good, Christian life will supposedly lead to our salvation and we will go to heaven, not hell. But it is not from God that these people gain their salvation – they see salvation in the recruit, the strong football player who has come to play for their team and could bri ng the team victory. With that Dawe makes obvious the skewed priorities of these people, and how futile and pointless their existence is. ‘Carn, carn’ they cry, from birth unto death, never knowing anything else, never living. As is evident, Bruce Dawe truly has highlighted the changes in Australian literature. Changes brought about by himself, for he is truly the most influential Australian Poet of this century. By departing from the common norm of Outback mythology to discuss the curve of a man’s life, his passion for sport and the ways in which suburbia has taken over Australian lives, he earns his title of the ‘People’s Poet’. Bruce Dawe has changed the perception of the average Australian worldwide.

Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Fee Penn Interview Report Campus design is an art consisting of multiple and overlapping designs like determining the locations of teaching buildings, residence halls and so on. As a landscape architecture student, I am interested in this topic. I interviewed professor David Michael Barbarism, who is an assistant professor of landscape architecture in Purdue University. Proof. Barbarism earned a bachelor's of landscape architecture from Virginia Tech and a master of science from the department of landscape architecture at State University of New York Environmental School ofForestry. Before he came to Purdue, he worked in design firms from NYC and Washington D. C where he did a lot of different types of landscape designs including campus design. The day I interviewed Proof. Barbarism was a nice day with warm sunshine and blooming flowers everywhere, Purdue campus seemed to wake up from the dead winter. Nice weather leads to a nice mood, as does a nice campus design. When I asked Proof . Barbarism how Virginia Tech campus influenced his study life, he smiled and shared his story with me happily.He said the first time he walked around in Virginia Tech, he just fell in love with it and noticed that this place was the very place he wanted to go without even learning about the programs. He thought the campus Just felt right to him. It had a consistent style, a great level of public students' space from big wide open areas to little shelter private gathering areas. These were all what he thought a college should be like. From his point of view, campus landscape really has an unimaginable effect on students' lives. Proof. Barbarism did some campus design project when he was working for design firms.When I asked the key points when designing a campus, he thought a few seconds and figured out two main points which were a sense of scale and a sense of place. He explained that a sense of scale should bring comforts to people, for example, a sense of enclosure enough to feel like you are not standing in the middle a big field. The designer should leave enough space to let tons of students to walk between teaching buildings during the ten-minute break. When talking about a sense of place, he used a very effective example which I easily understood.He said to me:† k, meet me at the bell tower, you know where we meet? † The answer was obviously positive. In fact, that's the sense of place, the bell tower has its own location and it's very different from the other places. Both a sense of place and a sense of scale were the two key points he mentioned for campus design. After asking some questions about his experience being a student and a landscape architect, we shared some different opinions on Purdue campus design. We reached agreements on some issues. For example, we both thought State Street was kind of annoying because it cut the campus into two pieces.I remember the first time I arrived in Purdue in August, I let this campus was Just the n orth side of State Street. Proof. Barbarism nodded his head when I was talking and added his comments that there should be a special entry sign on State Street to let people know they were arriving in Purdue campus. We both thought State Street should be a good connection between the north and the south parts instead of being an awkward cut line of the whole campus. When talking about the locations of residence halls, we held different opinions.From my perspectives, Purdue should place the residence halls around teaching alluding so that students can have only a 5-minute walk to class Just like Hawkins Hall. However, Proof. Barbarism didn't agree with me. He shifted his chair, thought a few seconds and put some important points which I hadn't thought of before. He said the reason why many campus put academic areas separated from living areas was because their different functions. Purdue clustered most of the residence halls because they shared some facilities like dining courts, lau ndry systems and open space for fun.On the other hand, academic areas need a quite academic atmosphere tit libraries and laboratories. Considering these two different functions, it was better to separate residence halls and teaching buildings Just like what Purdue had done. Though we had different ideas of where to place residence halls, we had the same idea with respect to making the campus more pedestrian-oriented especially the way from residence halls to teaching buildings. Proof. Barbarism told me his first impression of Purdue campus was that it's an automobile-oriented campus. In fact, I couldn't agree more. There are not any interesting views along the street.I Just walk own the street and the only thing could stop me is the crossing. We both think the next step Purdue should consider is the design of State Street corridor. State Street is very important not only because it's a very busy street but also because driving though gives a quick view of Purdue campus especially fo r drivers who Just pass by. This street might be driver's first impression of Purdue campus. The discussion was so involving that I almost lost track of time. Finally, Proof. Barbarism told me the good news was that most of the improvements we talked about will show up in the future master plans.Purdue amp's designers are trying their best to improve the whole environment. He said what we should do was Just to wait and see. Thanks to Proof. Barbarism for his time to let me think about campus design with him together. I learned a lot about not only some specific terms of campus design but also some logical thinking methods to judge things like where to put residence halls. I need to take all factors into consideration and think it not only as a student but also as one of the other people who work or play on campus. We critique Purdue because we love Purdue. I am so proud to witness the growth of our Purdue campus.

Managing Individual Performance Essay

Abstract This paper will discuss how managing individual performance have affected my personal and professional development. It will also briefly identify and discuss several written works on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as well as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Also this paper will discuss my experience through the Managing Individual Performance simulation and results improvement. Managing Individual Performance A good manager can motivate employees and equally to go the extra mile, and complete the unachievable, despite their limitations. As a leader and manager of people, it pays to understand what is important to each team member. Understanding motivation helps me to put my emotions and actions in perspective. Contemporary motivational theories recommend that managers should realize individual differences, evaluating needs correctly and addressing these through the right interventions. Criteria a team leader use when selecting members of a team Team leaders or managers must ensure that the teams and their projects have the ability to survive. To maintain the team’s viability, I included the following elements: proper membership, interpersonal skills, each member should be a contributor, a clear charter or purpose, achievable, noticeable results, understand and agreed-upon ground rules, and intensive teambuilding up front. The changes needed to improve team effectiveness across the organization do not involve individual teams, but rather the systems that support them. These systems include the following: organizational structure,  motivation, promotion and performance appraisal criteria, and compensation. In addition, Jeff Cowell and Jerry Michaelson (2000), recommend â€Å"in selecting team members, and prepare a draft charter† (p11). It is very important to prepare a draft charter where you can briefly describe the team’s purpose, and you can see candidates interest. Team selection in the simulation I selected the team in the following order: first, Michelle Levy for the build case files position, because she is a natural problem solver with good communication skills, and an investigative nature of collecting facts. My second selection was Lisa Srafford holding the moderate self-help groups. She has conflict management skills, ability to facilitate groups meeting and very patient in stressful situations. My third selection was Tony Wu to perform follow-ups. Tony has capability to interpret reported data, good observation skills, and his bachelors in business make him more capable in accounting for external factors. My last team member, Daniel Nichols, trainer with knowledge and domineering attitude, was selected to supervise confrontation sessions. His Master in Business Administration (MBA), prepared him to have good communication skills, excellent conflict management, and with his strong personality made him capable of build mutual respect, discipline, and motivation to victims while handling sensitive personal issues. Factors I need to consider in order manage my team effectively There are many factors in order to manage a team effectively. McShane-Von Glinow (2002) gives us six of the important elements â€Å"reward systems, communication systems, physical space, organizational environment, organizational structure, and leadership† (p232). Reward systems indicate that people tend to work more effectively when they are partly rewarded for their performance. Communication systems, maintain valuable information and feedback between team members. Physical space, with a good layout will improve communication between team members. Organizational environment and structure, where team members have secure resources for their performance. Last but not least, the most important factor is leadership to maintain the ongoing support from all executives to provide the right coaching,  motivation, and all elements mentioned. Individual’s personality play a role in the team’s success Kreitner (2003) describe personality as â€Å"the relatively stable pattern of behaviors and consistent internal states that explain a person’s behavioral tendencies† (p84). Personality has both internal which represent the thoughts, values, and genetic characteristics, and external elements are the observable behaviors. Also personality has recover credibility in organizations in the last years, the reason is that some personality habits predict some work-related behaviors and emotions under certain conditions, and stress reactions. Besides individual personality play a role in the team’s success because this help people find the jobs that best suit them and their company’s needs. Personality preference in the MBTI assessment and how this may affect the way an employee carries his or her tasks. Depending on the job description, you can find personality preference in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). We have 16 distinct types. Some job description prefer ISFJs people with a high sense of duty, others prefer ENTJs because they are considered natural leaders. For example, corporate executives tend to be ESTJs, meaning that they are more extroverted, sensing, thinking and judging types, and so on. These types indicate a person’s preference. All of this may affect the way an employee carries his or her tasks because these types do not indicate the way he or she behaves all the time. I think that these indicators can limit the creativity and decision making besides limiting good people to perform a specific job in determinate area. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, how it affects motivation and my team choice. McShane-Von Glinow (2002), described Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as â€Å"a content motivation theory of five instinctive needs arranged in a hierarchy, whereby people are motivated to fulfill a higher need as a lower one becomes gratified†(p133). From the bottom those are physiological, safety, belongingness, self-esteem, and the top is self-actualization. People have different levels of motivation, and they may fit one of those levels. As a leader you have to measure the needs of each member of your team, because  when you have to motivate or reward them, you can select the wrong level. According to Maslow the lowest needs are initially most important, but higher need become more important as the lower ones are satisfied. Maslow’s model may not predict employee needs as well as scholars initially expected. Team selection and how that falls on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs During the simulation, I selected the best people for the different positions. It was an 8 months project. I had my first situation during the second month. I failed at motivating one of my team members, giving me the wrong results. The same situation was present in month 4 with other team members. After I repeated the simulation and learn more about my team members needs, I overcame those situations successfully. Team selection performance, expectations and  factors in selecting strategies to motivate my team Money and other financial rewards are a fundamental part of the employment relationship. Also public recognition, awards, and membership will help employees to have better performance. It is important to know the different levels of needs mentioned before. You have to know what kind of an employee need have in that moment. Some of the factors include task performance, competencies, job status and seniority. Results improvement after running the simulation again I repeat the simulation three times, and definitely each time my results improved significantly. My weakness was motivating my team members with the inappropriate reward, giving as a result to the decrease in the team performance. Application of the lesson learned at my workplace Job design involves assigning task to a job and distributing work throughout the organization. Job specialization, which subdivides work into separate jobs for different people, increase work efficiency because employees achieve the tasks quickly, less training, and matching more closely with the jobs best suited to their skills. Although, reduce stress, problems, increase product or service quality, and decrease costs. Leadership is the process of influencing oneself to establish the right direction and  motivation needed to perform a task. Also I have to include personal goal setting, constructive thought, design the right rewards, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement. Better knowledge of the needs of each team members will help leaders to make the right decisions without affecting the individual performance. Leaders require a process of observation, reflection, and evaluation. It necessitates that we take time periodically to think about what has happened. Were there conflicts? How were they handled? What has gone well and why has it? What has not gone well and why? Could we have done better? Most importantly, we must develop the skill of asking ourselves what steps we can take to be more effective either in our current team or as a member of future teams. As I said in the beginning, a good manager motivates people to achieve the impossible without limitations. This become possible only with a clear understanding of each individual needs with the help of all motivational theories recommended. This understanding is implemented though optimal intervention. Also evaluating needs correctly and addressing these though are the right interventions. References Bagraim, J. (2001). Organizational psychology and workplace control: the instrumentality of Corporate culture. South African Journal of Psychology; Sep2001, Vol.31, Issue 3 p43. Bower, M. (2003). Company philosophy:† the way we do things around here† McKinsey Quarterly; 2003 Issue 2, p110, 8p.3c. [University of Phoenix Special Edition Series]. Cowell, J., Michaelson, J. (2000). Flawless Teams. Executive Excellence, 17(3), 11.[University of Phoenix Special Edition Series] Kreitner, R. (2003). Organizational Behavior, Sixth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill McShane-Von, G. (2003). Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill

Why Zoos Should Close

1. Limited enrichment. Animals need to have their mind active while they are in captivity. Good zoos do this by offering them toys or puzzles to figure out, by hiding food in the exhibit so they have to exercise their natural hunting. scavenging instincts and by using training. Training also helps with medical needs, a lot of animals are trained to lift their feet so they can be checked out, or to expose their side/rump in order to give injections safely. Zoos that do not work on enrichment or training leave the animal unnecessary stress.Have you ever seen tigers or bears pacing in their enclosure? That's a stereotypical behavior of animals in captivity when they are not stimulated enough. Bad sign. 2. Lack of education, research and conservation. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an international group that gives accreditation to facilities that strive to improve the welfare of their animals, educate the public about the wild and captive animals and environment and spend mone y on research to help both education, conservation and wildlife.Zoos that are not accredited by the AZA may do these things, but it is unlikely. â€Å"Roadside zoos† are only there to make a profit. They make sure that their animals stay alive so they can make money off of them, but have no commitment to keep them healthy and they do not contribute to the scientific community. 3. Poor breeding programs. AZA institutions are part of an international breeding program with a huge data set that includes the genes and health records of all the animals that are used in breeding programs.There's even individual committees in charge of each species or groups of species to make sure that breeding is done only to make healthy offspring that can contribute to the genetic pool of captive animals. Good zoos very rarely use wild animals to breed, so they do not affect any of the natural, wild populations. Bad zoos, however, can partake in the illegal blackmarket pet and exotic animal trade . These animals can be taken directly from the wild, illegally, and/or bred with other animals with absolutely no consideration to their genetics. Inbreeding is a big problem, and is never done in good zoos.

Conversation Analysis

Conversation Analysis Conversation is absolutely instilled throughout every corner of every day for the totality of our lives. Whether it is on your favorite morning talk show, a casual encounter with a roommate, or admitting an undying love to your significant other, our lives, along with our realities, are entirely shaped by the conversations we allow ourselves to become continually engulfed in.With so much of our daily lives revolving around the conversations in which we are a part of it becomes clear that the underlining meanings, or messages, of these conversations could very well be the motor that keeps our realities in a state of progress. Conversation is interactional, philosophical, emotional, and entirely necessary in order to fulfill and express any type of accomplishment. When these conversations, these parts of our lives, are put under a trained mental microscope with the motive of finding a better understanding of the interaction taking place, it is referred to as Conve rsation Analysis (CA).Conversation Analysis’ method is aimed at determining the methods and resources that the interactional participants use and rely on to produce interactional contributions while also making sense of the contributions of others (Schegloff, 2007). What follows in this essay is an in-depth look at the practices and methods of Conversation Analysis showing that a better understanding of one’s conversation(s) will ultimately lead to a better understanding of one’s reality; while also showing that every utterance fulfilling some kind of act, or task, and is entirely motive driven toward the accomplishment of one of these tasks.Conversation Analysis is the study of social interaction, embracing both verbal and non-verbal cues and conduct. As a field of study, Conversation Analysis was developed in the late 1960’s by Sociologist Harvey Sacks with the help of his associates Emanuel Schegloff and Gail Jefferson. Harvey Sacks is commonly regarde d to as the ‘father’ of the particular study. Conversation Analysis is frequently embodied into the works of sociology, anthropology, linguistics, speech communication, and psychology just to name a few.Although similar, Conversation Analysis differs from Discourse Analysis because its focus is squarely on the processes involved in social interaction, and does not include the work of written texts (Sidnell, 2010). To create an accurate analysis of conversation the interaction should not be viewed from a far or from a perspective that is external to the participants own reasoning and understanding of their circumstances and communication (Sidnell & Stivers, 2012).The analysis in which we are going to use as an example for the remainder of the essay focuses primarily on the functions of turn taking, adjacency pairs, repair, and speech acts; all common perspectives in the field of Conversation Analysis. The format of a conversation can be relatively easy to understand; one party communicates, the remaining parties respond in somewhat of a positive feedback loop; meaning that the feedback loop of the conversational system is continually going around with the addition of new information and new utterances, thus a positive feedback loop.This way of conversation is simply called ‘turn-taking’ implying that it is not a lecture style of communication with primarily one party conducting the conversation, rather an interaction where one party’s conversation is influenced and working together with a separate party’s. After establishing the turn taking method of conversation we are able to take it one step deeper and analyze the chosen utterances. While turn taking the two parties will be exchanging what are called ‘adjacency pairs;’ adjacency pairs are composed of two utterances, one after the other.The first pair provokes a response from the second party, such as: ‘Hello, how are you? † could provoke a resp onse such as: â€Å"Fine, how are you? † That is an adjacency pair. When the conversation fails to provide a relevant response to the pair; for example: If â€Å"Hello, how are you? † were to be responded to with â€Å"My favorite color is purple. † The responder has failed to provide a relevant response and has done what is considered to be a breach of conversational maxim, or the maximum of relevance. If such a breach were to happen one can resort to what is called ‘Repair. Repair is a self-righting mechanism that describes how parties in conversation deal with problems in speaking, hearing, or understanding. If the previous example of â€Å"My favorite color is purple† was said due to a misinterpretation of the required response to repair the conversation they might immediately say, â€Å"Oh, I’m terribly sorry I must have misheard you, I’m doing well how are you? † Lastly, this essay will focus on what are called ‘Spee ch Acts;’ the main goal of the utterance, the underlining message of the conversation.For example, telling someone that you will meet them at 7:00 is creating a commitment, a promise, making an arrangement; it isn’t simply just words pieced together. Speech acts include promising, ordering, responding, greeting, warning, inviting, asking, congratulating, etc. , and are the task in which the conversation is attempting to achieve. These perspectives of conversation analysis are just a few of the many factors that go into the structuring and fulfillment of a successful conversation.Turn taking is one of the easier factors of conversation analysis to point out to one who has yet to gain much experience in the field of communications. In the following transcript T is asking E why he has set up his laptop to record what they are talking about: [0:00 – 0:30] T: Takin’ pics? E: No. I’m just recording what we’re saying. T: Does it matter what we say? E: No, doesn’t matter. T: We can say whatever the f*ck we want? E: Uh-[huh] T: [just like that? ]E: Yeah, haha, we don’t even have to be, like, talking the whole time, just has to be 20 minutes worth of time. T: Soo what is this for? E: I get extra credit for my communications class T: you just get conversation from us? E: uh-huh! haha T: What’s up Commi’s?! This is an example of turn taking because T is not lecturing E about something, he is seeking information from E that is relevant to the conversation, and relevant to T’s reality. The two conversers are using adjacency pairs while speaking to each other in order to keep the onversation flowing in a positive feedback loop, while also not breaching the maxim of relevance. The conversation holds adjacency pairs because the utterances from the two conversing follow one another, and anything E said would not be relevant to the reality of T without T first asking E what was going on with the laptop. T had an underlining task of seeking information through his conversation; he successfully used a Speech Act in order to gain the information in which he sought, thus having a clearer understanding of his reality at the time of the conversation.Repair comes into a conversation when the feedback loop of those conversing becomes skewed; a misunderstanding of an utterance from one party to another can alter the outcome and flow of the conversation until the party that misunderstood an utterance and altered the feedback of the conversation has done repair work to reposition the conversation back into a positive feedback loop. The example in the transcript comes into play when E walks into T and J’s room when J is trying to study.E realizes that his presence in the conversation that T and J were having about the material they were studying is beginning to interrupt the flow of their conversation. E begins his repair work to the conversation: [12:00-13:47] J: I’m going to g o study T: good old study sesh J: You can leave that in our room if you want, while we study haha E: I’ll walk back and fourth (p 3. 0) Did you end up selling those clubs dude? T: Yeah, Yogi bought them E: Dam[n] T: [It would] have been a good deal E: (p 8. 0] Connor how was your day?C: Sick! I did a lot of studying. Now I’m helping out with some extra credit J: Excellent! E: Your day was excellent Jack? J: No! my day was pretty shitty, shitty. E: haha (p 7. 0) You want this door closed? J: Yeah, thanks. E: alright sorry guys, peace J: Give him an A! E: I need an A! haha bye guys Once E realizes that his two roommates, T and J, are studying and that he has interrupted their concentration with the video on the lap top he begins to start the repair process of the conversation, and his present reality.E realizes that he shouldn’t be intruding on T and J and by uttering ‘Do you guys want this door closed† he is implying that the interruption is understoo d and he is going to repair the situation by leaving them alone and closing the door on his way out. The repair work is understood by J and he thanks E for the notion and sends him off by telling the camera that E should get an A for his extra credit work that was mentioned in the previous transcription.Repair work is vital to a misunderstanding in a conversation, if a situation arises where repair work is needed but goes unnoticed, the misunderstanding of the conversation will lead to a further misunderstanding of the present reality. Speech acts are the underlining meanings of our conversation; they are the tasks in which we are trying to fulfill through our interaction. Speech acts can be broken down into three categories: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts.Locutionary is the actual utterance and its phonetic meaning, ilocutionary is its intended significance, and perlocutionary is the actual effect on the conversation and present reality. In the following transc ript E goes back into T and J’s room to try and find information about golf clubs. He is not just trying to strike up a conversation; he is seeking information and is attempting to accomplish a task: [16:47 – 19:30] E: Jack do you have any old golf clubs? J: Naah, only the ones I use. E: Does Nick? J: Nope. E: fuckT: John has old ones, but they’re pretty nice. And I don’t think, I can [ask him] E:[Yeah, if he’s looking to sell them] E: definitely let me know, ‘cause I’m trying to go. T: If he does I can definitely let you know. E: awesome thanks, I’m trying to go. The locutionary meaning of E’s utterance is easy to understand; he is seeking a way to buy golf clubs from his roommates if they happen to have an old set. The illocutionary in this particular example matches the meaning of the locutionary as its intended significance is to find some new golf clubs.The actual effect on the conversation, the perlocutionary act, c auses J and T to respond to E with their answers, as it would be in their better interest to sell some old golf clubs. E uses speech acts to try and acquire the information in which he sought. The topic of golf clubs did not just happen to come up in conversation, but was purposely brought into the realities of T and J by E through E’s search for information. Speech acts revolve around every conversation and interaction taking place throughout our lives.Even in random day-to-day gossip speech acts are the motor that drive these interactions in a forward motion of gaining new information. When one better understands the underlining meanings of the conversations throughout their day there is no doubt that that better understanding of communication leads directly to a better understanding of one’s reality. Our realities are entirely shaped by and understood through the words in which we use to describe them.The motives behind our interactions are what shapes the conversat ions into what they become; whether we are trying to be humorous and crack a joke, give a serious speech, show empathy toward someone, argue our opinions back and fourth, or seeking information these certain motives are what craft our interactions with one another. When one better understands these motives they will better understand their conversation, have a better understanding of how to accomplish tasks through their conversation, and ultimately lead to a better understanding of one’s present reality. ReferencesSchegloff, E. (2007). Sequence organization in interaction: A primer in conversation analysis, volume 1. Retrieved from http://www. sscnet. ucla. edu/soc/faculty/schegloff/pubs/index. php (Schegloff, 2007). Sidnell, J. (2010). Conversation analysis: An introduction. Retrieved from http://individual. utoronto. ca/jsidnell/OverviewResearch. html (Sidnell, 2010). Sidnell, J. , & Stivers, T. (2012). handbook of conversation analysis. boston: Wiley-blackwell.. Retrieved from http://media. wiley. com/product_data/excerpt/82/14443320/1444332082-12. pdf (Sidnell & Stivers, 2012)