Friday, August 21, 2020
Teaching and Learning Strategies for Patients and Family members of Essay
Instructing and Learning Strategies for Patients and Family individuals from Toddlers with Asthma - Essay Example From Koenig (2007), we are educated that in the United States youngsters with asthma 4 years old and more youthful are expanding and excessively influencing kids who live in neediness and urban zones who are African American or Latino. Koenig (2007, p. 223) additionally educated us that that forestalling, recognizing, and controlling asthma indications ââ¬Å"remains complex among kids who are very youngâ⬠despite the fact that we unquestionably know a greater amount of the pathophysiology of asthma today contrasted with quite a while back. Koenig (2007) brought up that it is basic for wellbeing suppliers to ask on the family star groupings. This is important for preparing and learning since we need to recognize the relatives who are with the kid most so a medical caretaker can concentrate on them for educating and learning exercises when proper. We likewise gained from Koenig (2007) that guardians and relatives can be personally acquainted with a childââ¬â¢s upset breathing and, along these lines, medical caretakers must have deferential position on the parentsââ¬â¢ and family membersââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"expertiseâ⬠in assessing the seriousness of a childââ¬â¢s asthma assault. Koenig (2007) underscored that other than training on manifestation acknowledgment and directions on pharmacological intercession, there is s a need to grow cooperatively created emergency the board with relatives or delegates in case of an asthma attack.... We additionally gained from Koenig (2007) that guardians and relatives can be personally acquainted with a childââ¬â¢s bothered breathing and, along these lines, medical caretakers must have aware position on the parentsââ¬â¢ and family membersââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"expertiseâ⬠in assessing the seriousness of a childââ¬â¢s asthma assault. Koenig (2007) underlined that other than training on indication acknowledgment and guidelines on pharmacological intercession, there is s a need to grow cooperatively created emergency the board with relatives or agents in case of an asthma assault. In light of crafted by Diette et al. (2008) and Koenig (2007), it might be conceivable that low pay bunches are progressively defenseless against asthma in light of their presentation to poor natural conditions and contamination. It follows accordingly that the preparation and learning technique must factor in the ecological circumstance went up against by the asthma patient and it likewise follow s that the medical caretaker must ask into the natural conditions stood up to by the asthma quiet. A portion of the hazard factors for asthma incorporate house dust parasites, partner creature allergens, cockroaches, growths, contaminations, and pain (Pedersen et al., 2011). The preventive methodologies for asthma incorporate staying away from presentation to barometrical contamination, keeping away from superfluous utilization of anti-microbials in small kids, and giving a quiet and sustaining condition (Pedersen et al., 11). Pedersen et al. (2011, pp. 9-14) gave a treatment system, a lot of proposals on the utilization of a home activity plan for family and parental figures, and distinguished the circumstances where hospitalization are likely required. Rules on Children with Asthma The US Department of Health and Human Services, through the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, has built up a
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Child Support Laws In The State Of Florida Research - 550 Words
Child Support Laws In The State Of Florida Research Assignment (Essay Sample) Content: The child support laws in the State of FloridaChild support laws in the State of Florida are premised on the principle of best interest of the child. This principle is applied by courts in Florida to ensure that in making child support order, the courts should consider the best interest of the child. The money paid by the parents is paid to one of the parents to ensure that the child is comfortable and receives the essentials necessary for his or her daily living. It pays for medical insurance, food, shelter, school fees and payment of entertainment for the child. The payment of child support is determined by the use of a calculator that gives the figures that one parent should send to the other parent for the benefit of the child.There are various statutes that deal with the payment of child support in the State of Florida. The most applied legislative instrument governing child support is Section 61:13. The statute covers the payment of child support, the time that each parent spends with the child and the jurisdiction of the court in handling child support matters. This statute ensures that child support is calculated fairly and in accordance with the law to get a favorable child support structure. It deals with the factors that the court will consider in making child support. It also deals with parenting and time-sharing between the parents of the child. The statute also confers the court continuing jurisdiction to deal modify a support order when circumstances change.The other statutes that deal with child support in Florida are Section 61:14 and Section 743:07. Section 61:14 deals with payment of alimony, maintenance and enforcement of child support. This statute also confers the court the power to make any modification of a support order. The court can either increase or decrease the amo...
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Personal Statement Personal Identity - 1470 Words
What makes one the same person as one was ten years ago? What is it in virtue a person can persist over time? In discussing these questions, we are approaching the subject of personal identity. Philosophically speaking, personal identity is concerned with the qualities that define and make up the persistence of our personhood (Olsen, ââ¬Å"Personal Identity). In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke offered his theory of personal identity. In which, he believes that consciousness alone, not the soul or the body, constitutes self-identification. In the following essay, I will argue that that while consciousness plays an essential role in understanding personal identity, it cannot sufficiently establish a criterion of personal identity due to its transient nature. The essay will unfold into three sections. The first one portrays my comprehension on Lockeââ¬â¢s personal identity account. This section is further divided into three sub-sections: plant identity, personal identity and the differences between man and person. Next, I shall raise my objection to Lockeââ¬â¢s emphasis on the role of memory in terms of personal identity. Subsection 2a uses the argument of a drunk man and the sober man to indicate how Locke would response to my hypothesized scenario in subsection 2b, the identity of A and B and C. Subsection 2c demonstrates my analysis of how the ephemeral nature of consciousness makes it an inadequate touchstone of personal identity. Plant Identity. PrincipiumShow MoreRelatedPersonal Statement : Personal Identity1501 Words à |à 7 PagesPersonal identity is a valued sense of oneself as it sets us apart from any other one individual. Time transpires, yet we are capable of identifying who we are because of the personal identity we manage to sustain. Personal identity is a significant and strong factor that allows us to lead our everyday lives, separating us from everyone else in the present, past, and future. Individuals day in and day out are subject to rapid change internally and externally and coming across obstacles that canRead MorePersonal Statement : Personal Identity1267 Words à |à 6 PagesPersonal Identity Many ancient philosophers were fascinated with the idea of the personal identity. This is often referred to as the ââ¬Å"selfâ⬠. The ââ¬Å"selfâ⬠is considered to be something that is not physical, therefore the search to discover the ââ¬Å"selfâ⬠is not concrete. With the ââ¬Å"selfâ⬠being something that has no physical element, many philosophers have different opinions on what the ââ¬Å"selfâ⬠is and how it functions. ââ¬Å"Someone s personal identity in this sense consists of those features she takes to ââ¬Å"defineRead MorePersonal Statement On Personal Identity1389 Words à |à 6 PagesLocke talks about personal identity. In additionally, he also speaks of the survival of conscious after the demise of an individual. Locke also examines the criterion of personal identity though time. The norm specifies insofar. Locke maintains that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity. Locker vividly considered personal self to be founded un der consciousness, instead of substance of the soul or the body. Introduction The matter of personal identity as well as its determentsRead MorePersonal Statement On Personal Identity1150 Words à |à 5 PagesPersonal Identity Identity criteria is a main component of who a person really is, central elements of how someone sees who they are and essential properties are argued to determine a personââ¬â¢s identity. How philosophers view the soul is essential oneââ¬â¢s personality. The dualists believe that wherever the soul goes, thatââ¬â¢s where the mind goes. The dualists view is based off of the fact that there is more to our brain and ourselves than just the physical aspect, the soul strongly supports this claimRead MorePersonal Statement On Personal Identity2340 Words à |à 10 Pageswill be writing on the topic of personal identity. Personal identity is the issue whether a person whose growing, changes and life experiences changes one selfââ¬â¢s. It can possibly be that a person may still remain with the same personal identity over the time only if that person doesnââ¬â¢t lose their full memory. In that case are we the same person we used to be even if we lost our memory? In the other ha nd, are we going to be the same person in the future? Personal identity can be either classified or defineRead MorePersonal Statement : Identity And Identity1495 Words à |à 6 PagesThe goal of this case study is to help me get a better understanding of identity in an adolescent, particularly the idea of identity roles (future career and education). I believe that for my case, the 15 year old will have a general idea of their identity. Identity according to Erik Erikson is having a sense of who and what you want to be as well as coming to terms with yourself, such as the way you look. To do this case study, I intend to do an interview because itââ¬â¢s better to have that one onRead MorePersonal Statement : Personal Identity Research831 Words à |à 4 Pages Personal Identity Research Paper I classify my race, ethnicity, and culture as a white, Irish-Italian- American, woman. My mother was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and my paternal grandparents are from Sicily, Italy. I imagine being first generation Irish and second generation Italian makes me relate more with my ethnicity. My maternal grandfather impacted my development of my ethnic and cultural identity. He instilled a pride and an understanding of my Irish roots. Specifically, heRead MorePersonal Statement : My Personal Identity3117 Words à |à 13 PagesMy Personal Identity I am who I am because of my parentsââ¬â¢ influence on my life. Their strengths and weaknesses as human beings have profoundly impacted my personality and my world view in a variety of ways. With all three of my parents exhibiting a passion for travel and adventure, I could hardly help but become a more curious and open-minded person. Throughout the past eighteen years I have had the privilege of moving with my step-dad to California, Maine, Hawaii, and Washington; following myRead MorePersonal Statement : My Personal Identity2096 Words à |à 9 PagesLooking back on my life then, I can see how some of my personal identities play into my missional calling. I am a person that really likes helping and taking care of people. I hate seeing someone in pain or having a hard time. It really plays a role on my emotions, so I always feel the need to help people in need. But I also really like taking care of children. Children are so fun and free. These identities all played into my missional calling to help people and be there for someone who needs supportRead MorePersonal Statement : Personal Identity Research Paper Essay916 Words à |à 4 Pages Personal Identity Research Paper I chose to interview my nephew, Jeremy for this paper. Jeremy and I are members of the same family; but, have different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. My family is a very large family and consists of; six brothers, sister in- laws, and fifteen nieces and nephews. My brother, Joe, married an African-American women (Sandra) and had two sons; but, they look nothing alike. Surprisingly, Jeremyââ¬â¢s appearance is African-American and Anthony looks Caucasian
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Re-Assessment of Branding to Develop a New Positioning and Communicati Research Proposal
Essays on Re-Assessment of Branding to Develop a New Positioning and Communication Strategy for Australian University Research Proposal The paper ââ¬Å"Re-Assessment of Branding to Develop a New Positioning and Communication Strategy for Australian Universityâ⬠is an impressive example of a research proposal on marketing. The Australian University, founded in 1952, is one of the oldest universities in the Australian Capital Territory and was ranked as one of the best universities until around two decades ago. In its heydays, it has been a favorite educational destination for both domestic and as well as foreign students particularly from both developed and developing nations from the continents in the closest vicinity of Australia. But in the last twenty years, despite its best efforts, it has been difficult for it to sustain the inflow of students from domestic and international markets alike. While the university has been trying its best to maintain the standard and rigor of education that it has been known for, it is still not able to attract as many students in this age of information technology as it used to in absence of it. One reason for this is that highly negative changes have been promoted by educationists through the last two decades at all ââ¬â tertiary, secondary and primary education levels. This has plummeted standards in this field through this time span (Meyers, 2012). While policies are to some extent beyond the Australian Universityââ¬â¢s capacity to modify, the best it can do is to do a re-assessment of itââ¬â¢s the brand that it is and develop new strategies on communication and positioning in order to do a renewed image-building. The first pre-requisite to accomplishing such an image makeover would be a market survey done amid a cross-section of people, directly or indirectly linked with the university, like former alumni, current students, and prospective admission-seekers.MANAGEMENT DECISION PROBLEMThe university management is under a predicament on how to execute a fresh strategy meant to re-assess and re-brand the university.MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROBLEM Market research problem would be a collection of relevant data and the creation of meaningful information that alleviates the management decision problem and goes into the making of a viable strategy that can address goals.OBJECTIVESThe overall objectives of the market research would rest on the existing need of the university to re-assess its branding in order to develop a new positioning and communication strategy.To re-asses the brand so analytically through an in-depth market survey that it establishes a firm foundation for the university to develop a new strategy for repositioning and communication.To conduct comprehensive surveys among old alumni and current students and gauge the perception of both on the university, its ethos, and expectation they have from it.To analyze the loose ends in the projection of the university's image and methods used thereby particularly through the last two decadesRATIONALEEducation nowadays has become a global phenomenon. This is especially tru e in the case of Australia and other major-English speaking countries. The competition is stiff on both home-based and international turfs, and even major universities across the world are finding the need to market themselves. Correct marketing demands that information be collected systematically, and then documented methodologically, scrutinized and critically analyzed in order to be able to develop effective strategies and communications to foster growth (Brown and Oplatka, 2006). Recent years have witnessed a paradigm shift in education, particularly at the tertiary level. The trend has been widespread across the world, and even in top universities, which use marketing mixes at the national and international level to rebuild an image that is de facto supposed to influence at the domestic front even as marketing inputs might be focused at international level. The higher education, for example, has seen an upsurge in market-type mechanisms and marketization policies even in countr ies that have been previously known to adhere to the rigidities of government control on education (Jongbloed, 2003). Young (2002) has gone to the extent of remarking that marketization, in a number of countries, has been assumed as a compromise between state control, academic autonomy, and privatization.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Effective Approaches in Leadership & Management Free Sample
Question: Describe the comparison and contrast on leadership and management styles for nurse shortage and nurse turnover. Answer: Introduction Nursing staffs turnover and retention has become an alarming issue in the preset health care context. Around 90% of the employee turnover is recorded in the nursing sector in all health care organizations. However, the retention rates of the nurses in the health care organizations can be increased with the help of effective leadership skills and management strategies. The essay here focuses on the use of the skills for management of the persistent problem of nurse shortages in health care. Comparison and contrast on leadership and management styles for nurse shortage and nurse turnover According to the 2010 US census Bureau report, 40.3 million people are currently over the age of 65 years and the population is forecasted to become nearly double by the end of 2030 thus the increasing rate of nursing staffs turnover will make it difficult for the health care institutions to provide the necessary quality service to the clients. According to Verma et al. (2009) some of the major reasons for the shortage of the nursing staffs are namely increased demand because of aging population, better career options, low salary and high work pressure and workplace health challenges. Nevidjon Erickson (2000) opined that retention of nurses depends on the managerial skills of the nursing leaders and the way they value the nurses within the health care organizations. The nursing leaders should essentially use the caring attitude in order to show that they value their staffs. Rather than viewing the staffs as an expense, the nursing leaders should treat the nurses as assets in order t o boost their morale value and increase the chances of retention. Chase (2010) further opined that designing of the appropriate motivational strategies would further help in retention of the nurses. The reduction of the work pressure, designing of health care policies and salary structure increment are the major factors that will contribute to the satisfaction levels of the nurses thereby provoking them to avoid job shifts. Thus, it requires the nursing leaders to be good motivators. Buchan Aiken (2008) further added that the adoption of shared leadership or participatory leadership skills would help the nursing leaders to promote an environment of quality patient care, autonomy and responsible decision-making. The nursing leaders should also use appropriate supervisory skills for on-the-job training of the nurses so that they develop good working knowledge of the job and develop a sense of interest for the job. Apart from the nursing leaders, the front line nurse managers are also responsible for retention and appropriate recruitment of the nursing staffs. Graham-Dickerson et al. (2013) comments that the nursing manager needs to develop essential critical thinking skills in order to effectively manage the nursing staffs within a health care organization. With the help of effective educational skills in the field of human resource management, financial management, quality management and collective bargaining, skills the managers will be able to manage the staffs. However, the most important managerial skill that is required to solve the problems of nursing shortages is the self- efficacy skills. The nurse managers should firstly understand themselves and then evaluate the psychological needs of the nurse staffs. It is the responsibility of the nurse managers to identify the best practices related to retention of care workers. Surveys shows, that around 84% of the nurse retention occurs due t o their high levels of dissatisfaction with the nurse manager. Theories related to leadership and managerial skills According to Huber (2014) there is a difference between leadership theories and styles. Theories depict the practicality and styles are the preferred ways in which the individual can implement the theory. Analysis of the nursing leaders shows that the leaders should have the necessary leadership skills namely patient-centered care skills, good networking skills, optimistic and situational leadership skills and self-actualization or self-acceptance skills. Transformational versus Transactional leadership Transactional leadership skills require the leader to manage the day-to day activities of the team with the help of disciplinary rules and codes. However, Zori Morrison (2009) argued that the use of transformational leadership skills gives the individuals within a team an opportunity to develop individual leadership power. In the context of nursing, the leaders should effectively adopt the transformational leadership style and allocate certain aspects of the projects to the various nurses according to their areas of expertise. Barnett et al. (2010) opined that this would make the nurses feel that they are valuable assets for the organization and will develop their career prospects thereby reducing the rate of nurse turnovers. Adoption of transactional leadership in nursing context will make the leaders focus exclusively on the rules and regulations within the health care organization thereby limiting the growth of the nurses. On the contrary, the transformational leadership will hel p the nursing leaders to enhance the motivational approaches. Moreover, in the context of the rapidly changing health care environment it is necessary to adopt transformational leadership in order to instill flexibility within the thoughts and actions of the nurse leaders. Mentorship skills versus Laissez-Faire skills Laissez Faire also known as the hands-off style of leading is the type of leadership style where the leader gives freedom to the team members to work on their own free will without providing any guidance on the work. These nurse leaders believe in providing minimal amount of direction to the nurses. However, Nevidjon Erickson (2000) commented that hands-off style is not suitable in the context of management of nursing staffs since the nurses are related to the health care professions. Around 90% of the nurses appointed within the health care organizations are fresher in the field hence absence of suitable guidance may not only create a sense of disinterest among the employees nut also threaten the quality of service provided by the nurses. On the contrary, Medland Stern (2009) argued that the adoption of the supervisory or mentorship skills by the nursing leaders helps the leaders to not only motivate the nurses but also deliver high quality service to the health care clients. Situational leadership style and open communication Balogh-Robinson (2012) opined that nursing leaders are essentially required to demonstrate situational leadership skills in order to take appropriate decision related to diverse health care situations. The nurse leaders are also required to demonstrate open communication skills that will give the nurses an opportunity to communicate freely about their problems, experiences and work load pressures with the leaders. Open communication fosters the growth of the interpersonal relationship between the nursing staffs and the nurse leaders. Situational leadership style enables the nurse leaders to focus on improvement of the complex situations like nursing roasters, management of complex cases and motivating the nurses in order to continue with their career trend. Evaluation of the best-fit approach In the context of nursing leadership, the best-fit approach is the adoption of the transformational leadership style. The transformational nursing leaders have the opportunity to deal with the changing situations in a health care. Medland Stern (2009) opined that the nursing leaders should possess the qualities of self-dependence, self-assurance, confidence and lead by example. By adopting the transformational leadership, the leaders will have the opportunity to develop the morale of the individual nurses and design the required motivational techniques in order to acquire their job satisfaction levels. The transformational leadership also reduces the level of risks on the part of the nursing leaders and introduces a sense of responsibility among the employees and the team members. Thus, adoption of this leadership style integrates a sense of better outcome for the patients since the quality of the service is further enhanced. Conclusion The analysis within the essay shows that the adoption of the transformational leadership style by the nursing leaders can effectively solve the retention issues of the nursing staffs. The front line management in the health care organizations are thus required to focus on the HR policies, health policies and motivational factors in order to retain the nursing staffs within the organizations. Reference list Balogh-Robinson, L. L. (2012). The crisis in leadership in the context of the nursing shortage and the increasing prevalence of nursing unions.Journal of Healthcare Leadership,4, 127-139. Barnett, T., Namasivayam, P., Narudin, D. A. A. (2010). A critical review of the nursing shortage in Malaysia.International nursing review,57(1), 32-39. Buchan, J., Aiken, L. (2008). Solving nursing shortages: a common priority.Journal of clinical nursing,17(24), 3262-3268. Chase, L. K. (2010). Nurse manager competencies. Graham-Dickerson, P., Houser, J., Thomas, E., Casper, C., ErkenBrack, L., Wenzel, M., Siegrist, M. (2013). The Value of Staff Nurse Involvement in Decision Making.Journal of Nursing Administration,43(5), 286-292. Huber, D. (2014).Leadership and nursing care management(5th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders Elsevier. ISBN-13:9781455740710 Medland, J., Stern, M. (2009). Coaching as a successful strategy for advancing new manager competency and performance. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 25(3), 141-147 Nevidjon, B., Erickson, J. I. (2000). The nursing shortage: solutions for the short and long term.Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,6(1), 4-4. Verma, S., Broers, T., Paterson, M., Schroder, C., Medves, J. M., Morrison, C. (2009). Core competencies: the next generation. Comparison of a common framework for multiple professions. Journal of Allied Health, 38(1), 47-53 Zori, S., Morrison, B. (2009). Critical thinking in nurse managers.Nursing Economics,27(2), 75-80.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Translation Method free essay sample
As ââ¬Å"modernâ⬠languages began to enter the curriculum of European schools in the eighteenth century, they were taught using the same basic procedures that were used for teaching Latin. Textbooks consisted of statements of abstract grammar rules, lists of vocabulary, and sentences for translation. Speaking the foreign language was not the goal, and oral practice was limited to students reading aloud the sentences they had translated. These sentences were constructed to illustrate the grammatical system of the language and consequently bore no relation to the language of real communication. By the nineteenth century, this approach based on the study of Latin had become the standard way of studying foreign language in schools. A typical textbook in the mid-nineteenth century thus consisted of chapters or lessons organized around grammar points. Each grammar point was listed, rules on its use were explained, and it was illustrated by sample sentences. This approach to foreign language teaching became known as the Grammar-Translation Method. We will write a custom essay sample on Translation Method or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Principle of The Grammar-Translation Method 1. The goal of foreign language study is to learn a language in order to read its literature or in order to benefit from the mental discipline and intellectual development that results from foreign language study. 2. Reading and writing are the major focus; little or no systematic attention is paid to speaking or listening. 3. Vocabulary selection is based on solely on the reading texts used, and words are taught through bilingual words lists, dictionary study, and memorization. 4. The sentence is the basic unit of teaching and language practice. 5. Grammar is taught deductively. . Translation interprets the words and phrases of the foreign languages in the best possible manner. 7. The phraseology and the idiom of the target language can best be assimilated in the process of interpretation. 8. The structures of the foreign languages are best learnt when compared and contrast with those of mother tongue. 9. The teacher is the authority in the classroom. It is very important that students get the correct answer. 10. Learning is facilitated through attention to similarities between the target language and the native language. Advantages 1. An effective way for application of grammar and sentence structure I think the exercises that are given after translation is very beneficial and accurate for grammar learning. 1. Few demands on teachers. Also, It is practical and easy to implement. In this method, teacher only deals with organization and implementation of exercises. So this means teacher has not a lot to do. In other word; this method does not require lots of thing but a passage of literature text and a few exercises, it is pretty easy to carry out. 2. Least stressful for students Students prepare themselves for exercises and memorization of vocabulary and grammar rules. Disadvantages 1. The Grammar Translation Method can make the language learning experience uninspiring and boring. All the classes can be taught in the same way so after some time students may get bored. Also I think that language teaching should be done very different ways in order to inspire students. 2. The Grammar Translation Method can leave the students with a sense of disappointment when they travel to countries where the studied language is usedà because they canââ¬â¢t understand what people say and have difficulty in expressing themselves at the most basic level. . This method neither approaches nor encourages the studentsââ¬â¢ communicative (speaking amp; listening skills) competence. Reading and writing are the major focus of this method so speaking and listening skill remain in the shadow of writing and reading. 4. Language is learned by conscious memorization of grammar rules and vocabulary. Nowadays memorization isnt highly regarded; internalization through exposure, experience and use are preferred. Language learning needs to be beyond memorization because I think language should be learnt with experiences. . Lack of communication between students. The teacher explains, translates, conducts practice, and corrects mistakes, and learners interact with the teacher, not with each other. Thatââ¬â¢s because, students can easily make what they learnt permanent with interactions between them.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
The Definition and Usage of Optimality Theory
The Definition and Usage of Optimality Theory In linguistics, the theory that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing constraints (i.e., specific restrictions on the form[s] of a structure). Optimality Theory was introduced in the 1990s by linguists Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky (Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar, 1993/2004). Though originally developed from generative phonology, the principles of Optimality Theory have also been applied in studies of syntax, morphology, pragmatics, language change, and other areas. In Doing Optimality Theory (2008), John J. McCarthy points out that some of the most significant work on OT is available for free on the Rutgers Optimality Archive. ROA, which was created by Alan Prince in 1993, is an electronic depository of work in, on, or about OT. Its a fabulous resource for the student as well as the veteran scholar. Observations At the heart of Optimality Theory lies the idea that language, and in fact every grammar, is a system of conflicting forces. These forces are embodied by constraints, each of which makes a requirement about some aspect of grammatical output forms. Constraints are typically conflicting, in the sense that to satisfy one constraint implies the violation of another. Given the fact that no form can satisfy all constraints simultaneously, there must be some mechanism selecting forms that incur lesser constraint violations from others that incur more serious ones. This selectional mechanism involves hierarchical ranking of constraints, such that higher-ranked constraints have priority over lower-ranked ones. While constraints are universal, the rankings are not: differences in ranking are the source of cross-linguistic variation. (Renà © Kager, Optimality Theory. Cambridge University Press, 1999) Faithfulness and Markedness Constraints [Optimality Theory] holds that all languages have a set of constraints which produce the basic phonological and grammatical patterns of that particular language. In many cases, an actual utterance violates one or more of these constraints, so a sense of well-formedness applies to that utterance which violates the least number or least important constraints. Constraints can be classified in two types: faithfulness and markedness. The faithfulness principle constrains a word to match the underlying morphological form (such as plural tram -s in trams). But words like buses or dogs do not follow this constraint (the first falls foul of the constraint that prevents the pronunciation of two consecutive /s/ sounds and the second places a /z/ instead of an /s/). These two examples, though, follow markedness constraints, and in these cases the particular markedness scores higher than the faithfulness constraint, so the alternate forms are allowed. Differences between languages, then, are a ma tter of the relative importance given to particular constraints, and a description of these constitutes a description of the language. (R.L. Trask, Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed., ed. by Peter Stockwell. Routledge, 2007) Constraint Interaction and the Domination Hierarchy [W]e assert that the constraints operating in a particular language are highly conflicting and make sharply contrary claims about the well-formedness of most representations. The grammar consists of the constraints together with a general means of resolving their conflicts. We argue further that this conception is an essential prerequisite for a substantive theory of UG. How does a grammar determine which analysis of a given input best satisfies a set of consistent well-formedness conditions? Optimality Theory relies on a conceptually simple but surprisingly rich notion of constraint interaction whereby the satisfaction of one constraint can be designated to take absolute priority over the satisfaction of another. The means that a grammar uses to resolve conflicts is to rank constraints in a strict domination hierarchy. Each constraint has absolute priority over all the constraints lower in the hierarchy. [O]nce the notion of constraint-precedence is brought in from the periphery and foregrounded, it reveals itself to be of remarkably wide generality, the formal engine driving many grammatical interactions. It will follow that much that has been attributed to narrowly specific constructional rules or to highly particularized conditions is actually the responsibility of very general well-formedness constraints. In addition, a diversity of effects, previously understood in terms of the triggering or blocking of rules by constraints (or merely by special conditions), will be seen to emerge from constraint interaction. (Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky, Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar. Blackwell, 2004) The Richness of the Base Hypothesis Optimality Theory (OT) does not allow for constraints on the inputs of phonological evaluation. Output constraints are the only mechanisms for expressing phonotactic patterns. This idea of OT is referred to as the Richness of the Base hypothesis. For instance, there is no input constraint that forbids the morpheme *bnik as a morpheme of English. The output constraints will penalize such a form, and evaluate this form in such a way that the optimal output form is not faithful to this form, but different, e.g. blik. Since forms such as bnik will never surface in English, it does not make sense to store an underlying form bnik for blik. This is the effect of lexicon optimization. Thus, the phonological output constraints of a language will be reflected by the input forms. (Geert Booij, Morpheme Structure Constraints. The Blackwell Companion to Phonology: General Issues and Subsegmental Phonology, ed. by Marc van Oostendorp, Colin J. Ewen, Elizabeth Hume, Keren Rice. Blackwell, 2011) Optimality-Theoretic Syntax [T]he emergence of OT syntax seems to fit into the general tendency in syntax to blame the ungrammaticality of a sentence on the existence of a better alternative. This view on grammaticality is also found in [Noam] Chomskys Minimalist Program (Chomsky 1995), although Chomsky takes optimization to play a much more modest role than OT syntacticians do. Whereas Chomskys only criterion for evaluation is derivational cost, the inventory of violable constraints assumed in OT syntax is richer. As a result, the OT constraints interact and conflict with each other. This interaction is exploited by the assumption that constraints are ranked, and that parametrization can be reduced to differences in ranking between languages. Chomskys economic conditions, on the other hand, have no such direct parametrizing effect. In the Minimalist Program, the locus of the parametrization is the lexicon. (Introduction to Optimality Theory: Phonology, Syntax, and Acquisition, ed. by Joost Dekkers, Frank van d er Leeuw, and Jeroen van de Weijer. Oxford University Press, 2000)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)