Monday, March 16, 2020
Tucurui Dam Project in Brazil Essay Example
Tucurui Dam Project in Brazil Essay Example Tucurui Dam Project in Brazil Paper Tucurui Dam Project in Brazil Paper With 45 000 large dams throughout the world, it is clear that dams have made a crucial assistance to human development, and the advantages derived from them have been significant. Similar to all development options, assessments on dams and their alternatives must consider a vast range of requirements, expectations, aims and confinements. Dams have both costs and benefits, making these costs and benefits balance is a exceedingly delicate task. In several cases an inappropriate and often unnecessary cost has been made to achieve those benefits, particularly in social and environmental terms; the Tucurui Dam in Brazil being one of these cases. The Tucurui Dam is situated on the lower Tocantins River within the Tocantins-Araguaia River Basin adjacent to the Amazon basin in north-eastern Brazil. The complex was constructed with the chief objective of producing hydropower, with the secondary goal of supplying a navigable river route being introduced later. The complete cost of Tucurui was US $7. 5 billion, this total exhibiting a 77% cost overrun. The people of Pari State perceived an association between hydropower and shipping as a chance to stimulate the local economy. One must note that fundamentally, the social and political receptivity to the Tucurui hydropower complex at the regional level rested on the prospect of linking the two sectors. However, the locals are yet to see this prospect in action. The construction of the locks was hobbled by a shortage of funding, and ground to a halt in 1989, the remaining parts for the lock system were said to be completed with Phase II of the project. Yet uncertainty loiters over Phase II construction schedule, with relation to the building of the locks. Additionally, although the communities around the area of the complex anticipated that the project would stimulate the development of the region, shockingly they did not receive electricity from the project until 1997, when, only as a consequence of intense pressure from local groups, a step-down substation was constructed to cater for the locals. Conversely, on a wider scale hydropower now accounts for 90% of the total power consumption in Brazil with Greenhouse Gas emissions lower compared to the emissions from alternative sources of electricity generation from Tucurui ; diesel, heavy oil and coal, thus herein lies a benefit for the environment. Alternatively, the installation of power production enabled Tucurui to replace thermo-power plants in the North east which were supplying power to the industries in Beli m at a greater cost. In 1998 with the integration to the South/South east System via the Tucurui -Serra da Mesa power line, electricity was sold to South east Brazil; the most distinguished economy in the country. Moreover, the construction of the Tucurui hydropower complex was a vital element in the regional and national policies influencing the globalisation process of Brazil. With a favourable economic environment and subsidised inputs the state mining company, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, was able to evolve into one of the worlds major iron ore producers. Furthermore, the provision of competitive subsidised power supplied incentives for the migration of energy intensive industries from developing countries burdened with very high energy costs into Brazil. Alternatively, the globalisation process is highlighted in this sector with the involvement of trans-national corporations from the major economic strongholds of the United States and Japan. Yet imperatively, although gains for dominant industries were established, there was an absence of widespread positive results that had been predicted for the national and regional economies; as ever with globalisation the rewards are very concentrated to a minor assembly who are commonly foreigners. Additionally, even when there was some regional development it was isolated to enclaves surrounding metallurgical industries. Pressures from its international associates caused Brazil to make allowances, especially in terms of inexpensive energy prices, severely affecting economic profits at the national level, with insignificant or no return for the region. It seems therefore that even when parts of the economy have benefited from the project it is limited to or dependant on foreign corporations, thus there are benefits but at the cost of economic vulnerability. Before the project was constructed subsistence agriculture was the dominant means of survival for communities. Fishing was also prevalent in the region before the erecting of the dam, with an estimated catch of 1,534 tons/year, however catch data shows that the project meant that the area saw a 29% decline, with a reduction from 173 to 123 fish species. Not only were livelihoods put at risk by the death of species caused by a number of reasons, the chief being water quality due to euthropication, but it is another example of the most richly endowed and most distinct on the globe being destroyed for slight economic gains in an unequal trading system. The project involved submersion of 2,850 km2 of land including large areas of rainforest for the reservoir. It must be noted that a Wildlife Working Group was set up to prepare a Wildlife Development Inventory Plan, this was the most extensive and the most costly wildlife rescue carried out in Amazonia with a total investment of US $30. Conversely, the demographic effects of the project were highly significant, with the prospect of gaining construction or associated employment attracting huge influxes of migrants multiplying the population of the immediate area six-fold. However, this severely strained the infrastructure of the region and resulted in the growth of favelas, which promote ill health, crime and poverty. During the resettlement process, over 14,000 people formerly resident in the areas inundated by the reservoir were relocated, this resettlement process occurred exceedingly late and in a confined way with no thought given to the livelihood patterns of the families. This oversight was no more evident than when riverbank communities were placed inland and the extractive communities were settled in lands requiring farming in the adjoining areas. Likewise, consideration for compensation neglected the amount of work invested in the land, as well as the cultural logic, and social and historical environment of local communities. One must note that the local health impacts of constructing the Tucurui Hydropower Complex are notable and negative. The lack of sanitary infrastructure, safe drinking water and the use of smudge pots to deflect mosquitoes made them exposed to diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea, verminoses and respiratory problems. This coupled with the growth in population caused by the inflow of immigrants, resulted in a marked upsurge in the occurrence of vector transmitted diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis, as well as industrial accidents, alcoholism, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. In 1980 during the construction stage of the project the infant mortality rates for the Tucurui municipal district was more than six times larger than the rest of Pari State and five times the infant mortality rate for all of Brazil. It is clear that the local population paid the cost for the project small farmers, indigenous communities and riverbank dwellers, homes, livelihoods and health were adversely affected by the project. It is also clear that that the undoubted benefits of the dam are not gained within Brazil but by foreign investors. The project was constructed despite the locals initial hopes, to try and shape Brazil, so that it is more competitive on the world market, yet it has resulted in is destroying the invaluable environment, causing health problems an has displaced locals into inappropriate areas. Ironically, it seems that the scheme resulted in Brazil becoming extremely vulnerable to trans-national companies with generally insignificant local profit. Although one may argue that this is the case for all countries due to the increasingly global nature of world trade it is more apparent in developing countries such as Brazil, who do not have as stronger internal industries as the developed countries do, such as Japan,, thus meaning that they are exceedingly reliant and hence more vulnerable to the decisions of trans- national companies. In conclusion, I believe that the scheme was unjustified, not only in financial terms but also in social and environmental terms too. Dams alter landscapes and create risks of irrevocable impacts. The debate about dams is a debate concerning the very aim and pathways for accomplishing all growth and development. Similar to all development propositions, unless dams attempt to promote integrated development actions for rural areas, stress renewable energy projects (which the scheme did) improve the quality of life for local communities, whilst taking into regard the fact that the urban populace has easier access to the advantages of these enterprises, then they will continue to exhibit more costs than benefits.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
The Growth and Development of Civilization Essay
The Growth and Development of Civilization - Essay Example It must be noted that the significance of architecture, although perhaps disregarded by many analysts, is perhaps the most important single determinant of the representation of the 12th-century renaissance. This is due to the fact that architecture is one of the few aspects of human knowledge and representation that can instill and a level of awe in the subject and constrain/define behavior on the part of the societal stakeholder in a certain manner. Further, as a direct result of the increase in knowledge and the thirst for further understanding that could be gained with regards to the many subjects that came to be represented during the 12th century, the rise of the University was a further defining element through which this renaissance came to be reflected. Of all the information that is been put forward thus far, little emphasis has been placed with regards to the interpersonal levels of societal growth and evolution. Whereas architecture can instill a level of respect and pride in the society and the growth of science and technology that is able to represent such structures, these are ultimately impersonal aspects. By much the same token, the University experience and the acquisition of knowledge is something that, although it directly benefits society and the individual, is not necessarily engaged with interpersonal interaction nor promote a broader societal consciousness. However, as is definitively represented within the legends of King Arthur, an emphasis upon the codes of chivalry, romance, and courtly love is a prime element for the manner in which these stories are told and understood by the reader (Rydstrà ¸m-Poulsen 799). The ultimate significance of the institution of chivalry and the process of courtly love was not only as a means of providing a formalized structure through which interpersonal relations could take place.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Doubt play vs. movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Doubt play vs. movie - Essay Example As mentioned earlier, Doubt is a story revolving around a nunââ¬â¢s qualms about a priestââ¬â¢s sexual involvement with an African-American Altar boy. Sister Aloysius is the head nun and principal of a catholic school called St. Nicholas. Father Flynn is a new teacher at St. Nicholas; he has an affable personality and is highly articulate. The character list includes another member of the faculty, Sister James; an impressionable and inexperienced teacher; she is highly obedient. Therefore when Sister Aloysius commands everyone to keep their eyes open for unusual behavior, she is the first one to suspect Father Flynn. (Brantley, 2006) The main source of the suspicion is triggered when Sister James observes the intimacy between Father Flynn and the only African American student Donald Muller. There are a number of other factors that eventually lead her to confirm her suspicions such as, when Donald is summoned by Father Flynn during Sister Jamesââ¬â¢ class and when he returns, he seems upset and intoxicated, and finally Sister James notices Father Flynn putting a white shirt in Donaldââ¬â¢s locker, during a dance lesson. Sister James confides her suspicion to Sister Aloysius, who later confronts Father Flynn. Father Flynn provides a plausible explanation that he had found Donald drinking and wanted to help him get over his drinking problem. However, Sister Aloysius is still unsatisfied and decides to talk to Donald Mullerââ¬â¢s mother. Mrs. Muller seems completely ambivalent and asks Sister Aloysius not to pursue the matter any further. She mentions that Donald is currently coping with his abusive father and also hints that it is because of his sexual orientation that causes Mr. Muller to beat Donald up. She pleads with her to remain silent and not take any action against Father Flynn and tries to rationalize their relationship, but Sister Aloysius remains adamant. Despite the fact that she was unable to collect any hard evidence against Father Fly nn to substantiate her allegation, she confronts Father Flynn again and threatens to him to tell her the truth or she will approach her superiors. Father Flynn denies but finally succumbs to her demands and requests for a transfer when Sister Aloysius tells him that she telephoned his previous parish and discovered ample amount of evidences regarding his dubious past. She told him that she knew he had changed a few parishes because of misconduct; however, the details of misconduct were not specified and there are several nuns, who are willing to testify against him. (Brantley, 2006) The story ends with Father Flynn getting transferred to a different school and Sister Aloysius confiding in Sister James that she found nothing against him and her telephoning the authorities was a mere fabrication.. In the end, she breaks down in to tears and says, ââ¬Å"I have doubtsâ⬠¦ I have such doubtsâ⬠. The film and play adaptation followed the same plot and even the dialogues were near verbatim; which shows the strong correspondence between both the play and the movie. However, in case of differences, there are countless differences but the changes are only minor and subtle and nothing too plot-altering. The most ostensible difference is the fact that there are more characters in the movie than in the play. (Brantley, 2004) The depiction of the story deviates from the normal four-character play by Mr.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Concept of Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Concept of Geography - Essay Example The location of place and things is the starting point of geographic study. Location can be described in two different ways: relative and absolute and it commonly answer the question ââ¬Å"where is itâ⬠. The absolute location involves the position of events or features in space or it is the identification of place by a precise and accepted system coordinates. It uses some geographical coordinates a good example is 300 North 450 west to show a specific location on the earthââ¬â¢s globe. In relative location descriptive texts are used in describing the position of events and features in relation to other events it can sometimes be referred to the mathematical location. If asked the question to mention the distance and direction of a place from another place, using relative location it would be, it is 40 mile south of town B. According to geography, region is groupings of different geographic information. It can be defined by on e or more distinctive characteristics. Normally, regions are based on the physical features, culture or religion and even political boundaries. A region can either be formal, perceptual or functional. Formal regions can also be referred to as homogenous or uniform regions, places that are homogenous in nature share common traits such as the residence of a country. Functional regions s defined as a region that is held by a focal point an example can be a school district for an elementary school. A vernacular region also known as popular region, it is a region that only exists as a part of an ethnic identity or cultural identity and is not influenced by political boundaries. The third geographic concept is spatial interaction or effect. This is as a result of an event in one region or area that ends up affecting another totally different area and takes a look at the connectivity and relationship of features. Spatial geographic concept can be grouped into diffusion, interaction and distribution. Spatial diffusion is the outward spread of a substance, a concept, a practice or population from its point of origin to other areas. Spatial distribution can be considered as the arrangement of things on the earthââ¬â¢s surface. An example is a change in land use from rural to high density can affect traffic congestion in adjoining areas. To be more specific, a mountain eruption that occurred in the late nineties of Mount Saint Helen affected an area far beyond the volcanic site that was caused by the ash fallout that reached states next to it. Migration can also be considered as a concept in geography. It involves both pull and push factors, all which defines the interrelationship between people or animals and their environment. Push migration factor is caused by negative conditions in a habitat hence causing or impels the decision to migrate from your original habi tat o the new habitat. These factors may include overcrowding, war, famine or
Thursday, January 23, 2020
The Hound Of The Baskervilles Essay -- English Literature:
The Hound Of The Baskervilles Introduction The Hound of the Baskervilles is a traumatic and adventurous story about a legend that comes with the birth right of the Baskerville family. The story both begins and ends with tragedy. The story firstly begins with the death of Sir Charles Baskerville and a cunning and eccentric detective. Sherlock Holmes is thought of as a highly mannered but stubborn man whom is willing to get to the bottom of any case. ââ¬Å"Watson examines a mysterious cane left in the office by an unknown visitor, and Holmes sits with his facing his friend. Holmes asks Watson what he makes of it, and Watson declares that his friend must ââ¬Å"have eyes in the back of [his] head,â⬠since he saw what he was doing. Holmes then admits that he saw Watsonââ¬â¢s reflection in the coffee service, providing to Watson and us that he is an astute observer.â⬠This shows that Mr Holmes is an honest man. As the story continues the reader finds that there is believed to be a curse within the Baskerville family. In this essay I am going to be looking into this story and pointing out ten key areas: Baskerville legend Death of sir Charles Arrivals at the Hall Views of the Locals Barrymore of the window Discovery of Sherlock Death of the convict Waiting for Sir Henry Attack on Sir Henry Death of Stapleton Sir Hugo, is described in the legend as ââ¬Å"a wild propane and godless man.â⬠This suggests that his inhumanity and ââ¬Å"evilâ⬠make him potentially a viable enemy who will stop at nothing. It is Sir Hugo that sets the scene for the setting. Sir Hugo uses his power and Baskerville hall as a prison for the young girl. She manages to escape by, ââ¬Å"the aid of the growth of ivy which covered the south walk.â⬠The ivy indicated the age and wildness of the hall a... ...askervilleâ⬠follows the traditional structure of a Victorian tale, with all the stereotypical characters, and all is resolved at the end of the novel. However, we do not know what happens to Stapleton in the end. We presume that he gets lost in the Grimpen mire and dies, but the author does not tell us what actually happens to him, to end the novel in suspense. This would be a change from the usual, so would entertain the Victorian audience. ââ¬Å"Stapleton never reached that island refugeâ⬠¦sucked him in, this cold and cruel-hearted man is forever buried.â⬠It is as if the countryside is a character in its own right, the moor gave birth to Stapletonââ¬â¢s scheme but it also took it away. The land is unsafe, walking alone is ainsane idea. ââ¬Å"Holmes sank to his waist as he stepped from the pathâ⬠¦had we not been there to drag him out he could never have set foot upon firm land again.ââ¬
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Old and New Testament Essay
In Mary Shelleyââ¬â¢s novel, Frankenstein, the central theme for discussion is the relationship that exists between the creator and that which he is creating. In this particular work, Shelley focuses on a scientist who makes his lifeââ¬â¢s work out of manipulating molecules to create his own special brand of humanity. In addition to that, the author touches on issues of good and evil in regards to how Dr. Victor Frankenstein develops his own human being. In this work, the relationship between the master and his creation parallels those themes of ââ¬Å"Godâ⬠and ââ¬Å"humanâ⬠, which are addressed in the Bible, by providing a commentary on the idea of good and evil. The emotional roller coaster that the creator goes through in Frankenstein is not only poignant, but it also a very important aspect of the story. After assembling the monster, Dr. Frankenstein finds that he does not feel particularly well about his creation and in fact, he even feels a big of horror because of what he has done. The emotions do not stop there, however. The doctor feels a measure of fear over what he has created, simply because it was even more disgusting and vile than what he had set out to put together. Because of all these emotions, with especially fear, Dr. Frankenstein feels the strong desire to remove himself from the creation that had dominated his life. The realization of what he had created was an important moment in Shelleyââ¬â¢s novel and it served as an eye-opener for the doctor, who had immersed himself in the situation so deeply that he could not recognize the beast he was creating. In the story, Shelley writes, ââ¬Å"It was on a dreary night of November, that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs,â⬠(Ch. 5, 34-35). In this quotation, the raw emotion and horror of Dr. Frankenstein can be seen. He realizes that he has not created a human being, but rather a monstrous beast. Victor Frankenstein is abhorred at his creation, which is the same sort of sentiment that God expressed in the Old Testament of the Bible when looking at his creation. In that part of the Bible, there are strong themes of destruction that always comes to the most wicked of individuals. Throughout the books, there are numerous examples of God being devastated by what he has created, and then wiping them out because of their wickedness. One of the most well known of these stories is the story of Noah and the flood, where God nearly wipes out the entire race except for one man. In this way, similarities exist between Shelleyââ¬â¢s example of creator and creation and the examples set forth in the Bible. Shelley presents Victor as a figure who is quite conflicted. Not only is he strangely devastated by his final creation, but he also has some distaste for himself because he has taken on the role normally reserved for God. Just because he seeks to leave the monster and his bad decisions behind does not mean that the monster is willing to leave him alone, though. In the book, the creation seeks out his creator, looking for the type of belonging that exists between a creator and that thing he has created. The development of Victor as a character can be seen in how he handles the monster in this situation. At one point, the monster comes to Victor with hopes that the doctor might create a female companion for him. The doctor chooses, however, not to do this because of what effect creating one monster has had on his life. In a way, it can be said that he has learned his lesson and he wants nothing to do with the idea of playing God anymore. By doing this, Victor had to make a very difficult choice. In the sense of what is said in the Bible, the creator has a certain responsibility to his creations. Victor chooses to forsake those responsibilities for the simple fact that he is tired of a being a creator and playing God. He would rather watch his creation suffer than have to go through the personal torment of creating another being. The complicated dialogue that occurs in the story as told by Victor Frankenstein is his regret in creating the creature, not firstly due to the monsterââ¬â¢s murders but initially due to the failure it represents of Frankensteinââ¬â¢s genius. His endeavors to re-create humanity go asunder with the monsterââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëbirthââ¬â¢ ââ¬âin the comparison of Victor and god, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is done because God is displeased with humanity despite him making them in his own image; there is too much sin in the cities that the only possible action is to destroy them both. This is the same thought that Victor has in relation to his sinful creation. Victor feels discontent for his decisions for a number of reasons. On one hand, he is ashamed of some of the things that the monster has done. The monster goes out and murders people, causing widespread destruction and pain for many individuals. In some way, Victor feels responsible for this because he created the monster and because he refused to help the monster. In addition, Victor is not content with the fact that he failed miserably in his quest to play God and create the perfect human being. Since the monster is so flawed in so many ways, he is a living, breathing embodiment of the failure that Victor has to put up with each and every day. A Biblical correlation can be drawn in this, as well. In the Bible, God destroys the town of Sodom and Gomorrah because of what it had become. Like Victor, God attempted to create people in his own image, giving them what he thought was the ability to do good. When the town was overrun by gambling, prostitution, and other sin, God had to destroy it in order to preserve humanity. The doctor has the same desire to destroy what the monster has become. In the book, Shelley writes, ââ¬Å"The world was to [him] a secret which [he] desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to [him], are among the earliest sensations [he] can remember . . . It was the secrets of heaven and earth that [he] desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied [him], still [his] inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in it highest sense, the physical secrets of the world,â⬠(Ch. 2, 18). This quote explains the doctorââ¬â¢s desire to get it right. He did not set out to create a destructive monster, so when that came out as the result, he had an obvious amount of resentment towards his creation. Similarly, God perceives the cities to be nothing but a disgusting waste of his creative power. He sees not the beauty that he hoped to create, but the most vile, disgusting place on earth. Likewise, Victor sees the same sort of disgusting nature in his beast. Victor states in the story, ââ¬Å"â⬠[a] flash of lightning illuminated the object and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom [he] had given life. â⬠Victor goes so far as to even give his creation a Satanic moniker, showing the absolute disgust that he has for the beast. This is a clear correlation with the Biblical reference that was presented above. One of the most important parts of the book comes when the monster makes his journey from Ingolstadt to Geneva. Though the monster has great disdain for his relationship with his creator, he is actually free to discover, on his own, ideas about humanity. In this, one can compare the monster to Adam and Eve following their removal from the Garden of Eden. Like those two, the monster is thrown out on his own and he is forced to make his own way. This also causes him a great deal of disgust for his creator, similar to how human beings have disdain for their creator at times. The monster holds these strong feelings of cynicism almost to the end and he applies them to almost every situation in his life. He seeks revenge against Victor because he feels abandoned. In the work, Shelley writes, ââ¬Å", ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËAll men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, the creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us,'â⬠(Shelley 68). The monsterââ¬â¢s revenge causes him to murder Victorââ¬â¢s brother, William. This is the beginning of the absolute hate that exists between Victor and the monster and this powers the action in the book almost exclusively. When the monster turns his disdain into rage and begins to murder everyone close to Victor, he makes the creator hate his creation even more. Victor struggles with this idea, though, as he puts much of the blame on himself since he gave life and power to the monster that now haunts him. As the story progresses, Victor realizes that the only chance he has to give his creation redemption is to remove himself from the earth. His death ultimate allows the monster to serve a different purpose than simply seeking out Victor for revenge. Over the course of the book, Victorââ¬â¢s goal had not been to look after the well being of his creation, but rather to continue his role of playing God. Eventually, he comes to see that his death is the only thing that will give the monster an opportunity. Shelleyââ¬â¢s book closes with strong themes of redemption, which are represented in the death of Victor and in the idea that the monster can go on. Victor provides the ultimate abandonment by leaving the earth, but in this act, he is doing a measure of good. The entire book is filled with things that can be linked to the Bible and nowhere is this more evident than in the end. In the Bible, God sacrificed his son to give human beings a chance at redemption. In Shelleyââ¬â¢s work, Victor has to sacrifice himself in order to save his creation. It was the ultimate act between a creator and his subject and one that closes the book on the story and its relationship with the Bible. MLA Works Cited: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York. Dover Publications, Inc. ââ¬â 1994
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
How I use Emotional Intelligence Over the Past Ten Years - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1543 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Psychology Essay Level High school Tags: Emotional Intelligence Essay Did you like this example? Have you ever heard the saying dont let your emotions get the best of you? We have all been in a situation where we become stressed out and let our emotions take over our decision making. The best way to understand how someone can control his/her emotions is to understand emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions (Cherry, 2018). Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How I use Emotional Intelligence Over the Past Ten Years" essay for you Create order There are four elements to emotional intelligence, and they are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Over the past ten years I believe that emotional intelligence has grown and strengthen my communication skills. To understand how emotional intelligence has helped myself grow over the past ten years I need to break down how I use the four elements of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.Self-awareness is someone who understands his/her emotions and how it may affect others around them. In 1939 President Roosevelt gave a speech to his Governing Board of Pan American Union and said Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoner of their own minds. They have within themselves the power to become free at any moment (Change Management Coach, n.d.). This quote is a powerful one because if people let emotions take over his/her actions, then he/she are prisoners of themselves. From personal experience, self-awareness is not something that is learned and changed overnight. Ten years ago, I worked for a large national cable company handling technical support for cable television problems. I was the customer services representative at the other end of the phone people would get upset with because he/she could not watch television. At first, I would let my emotions get the best of me because customers would call in upset and mad because their cable television was not working. An example would be in a customer had a snowy screen on his/her television. The customer may be upset because this issue happens all the time or the hold time for representative was too long. If I took the customers words or comments personally than both the custom er and I would become frustrated and the issue would not be fixed. Over time I learned not to take what the customer says, in anger or frustration, personally and would empathize with them. I had to take a step back and realize the customer does not have the training I had and understand that snowy screen is an easy fix. I also had to put myself in customer shoes and understand how frustrating he/she feels.Fast forward ten years, I no longer work for the cable company, but I still must use self-awareness daily. I have learned that if things do not go as planned not to let my emotions take over and affect others around myself. I will take a step back and look at the situation and see how things can be done or changed for the next time. I still have room to grow in self-awareness but have a good start on being able to handle my emotions. Once someone has self-awareness then he/she can work on self-management. Self-management people can handle his/her emotions and impulses. Which means taking responsibility for your own behaviour and well-being as well as controlling emotional outbursts (Roche Martin, n.d.). Going back to the cable company I worked for ten years ago I lear ned self-management was important. If I did not keep my emotions in line than it would affect others around me from customers to co-workers. When handling difficult customers, I would have to take a step back try to help the customer the best I could not get upset. I realized I had control of my emotions and actions, not the customers. Fast forward ten years I still must remind myself I am in control when asking my six-year-old to do something. Like most parents I find myself asking my child to do something repeatedly and getting upset when the task is not done. I step back and look at the situation and take control of my emotions. When my child gets upset and starts to throw a fit, I try to remain calm and not get upset. By remaining calm, I can control the situation and calm my daughter down faster.Having social awareness is important both in the workplace and personal life. Social awareness is the ability to handle and influence other peoples emotions. It covers a wide range of abilities, from communication and conflict management to dealing with change, meeting new people and building relationships and plays a part in almost every part of our lives, from work life to our romantic life (Roche Martin, n.d.). When I worked for the cable company it was common for changes to happen every quarter. I had to be prepared to adapt to the changes whether I agreed with the changes or not. During these changes I remember so many of my co-workers complaining about changes. I would try to remain positive and encourage other people the change could a good thing for both customer service representative and customers. Every year everyone would have to bid on schedules and management has based on representatives call stats, attendance, and years of employment. There were many people who upset that he/she did not get the schedule they wanted and felt they should have because of how long he/she worked at the company. Ten years even though I do not work, I still must use social awareness. I married into the military and learned quickly I need to adapt to any changes. Six years ago, I had to move across country by myself with my four-month-old daughter. Once I got to the new location I had quickly adapted to the area. A few years later I had to adapt from my husband being home every night to being gone for twenty-four hours because he had work. The biggest change will come somet ime at the end of this year when he deploys for at least nine months. Even though I have been through deployments before this one will be a little different. This will be the first time my husband has deployed since the birth of our daughter. When he leaves I will quickly have to step in as both mother and father for her. The final element of emotional intelligence is an important one. Relationship management must have clear communication and the ability to handle conflict. A person should try to connect with other people even if he/she does not care of the person. The bond will strengthen his/her relationship with others. Once he/she has a bond, he/she will understand others, how he/she treats others, and have history. The weaker the bond the harder it will be to get his/her point across (Riche, 2015). While working for the cable company I could take up to sixty to seventy calls in eight hours. I would try to form a bond with all the customers I spoke with on the phone. I would especially try to bond with people who felt no one cared about his/her issues. I remember one lady had called very upset her cable television was not working at eleven at night. I was able to calm her down by empathizing how she felt and not dismissing her concerns. After the call she felt better knowing someone cared and I ha d offered her my extension in case she has any other issues. The customer had called every couple of weeks and would leave a voice message. As soon as I came in I would call her back and address any issues or concerns she had. By forming a relationship with her I was able to communicate any needs or issues to her without her getting upset. Just like I formed a bond with the customer while working, it is also important I build relationships currently. Being a military family can be hard sometimes because I can always be with my family during the holidays. During the holidays it can get lonely without family around and I have learned to adapt and have a military family. By having other friends within the military, he/she understands the lifestyle and faces the issues I may have. Last Christmas I hosted a day where other military families came over and decorated gingerbread houses and cookies. The kids had a lot of fun and it gave the adults a chance to catch up on things happening. This Thanksgiving I plan to host dinner at home for military members and families that do not have anywhere to go. By opening my home, I can form bonds with other people and give support if needed. Over the past ten years, my emotional intelligence has improved and grown. By having self-awareness, I can identify what my emotions quickly. Understand self-management allows me to control my emotions and not have it affect other people. Social Awareness give me the ability to adapt to any challenges that come my way. Relationship management allows understanding why I need to form bonds with other people around me. By having these for elements in my daily life I can communicate better with people.
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