Theories of Ideology in Sociology

Theories of Ideology in Sociology Ideology is the lens through which a person views the world. Within the field of sociology, ideology is broadly understood to refer to the sum total of a persons values, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations. Ideology exists within society, within groups, and between people. It shapes our thoughts, actions, and interactions, along with what happens in society at large. Ideology is a fundamental concept in sociology. Sociologists study it because it plays such a powerful role in shaping how society is organized and how it functions. Ideology is directly related to the social structure, economic system of production, and political structure. It both emerges out of these things and shapes them. Ideology vs. Particular Ideologies Often, when people use the word ideology they are referring to a particular ideology rather than the concept itself. For example, many people, especially in the media, refer to extremist views or actions as being inspired by a particular ideology (for example, radical Islamic ideology or white power ideology) or as ideological. Within sociology, much attention is paid to what is known as  the dominant ideology, or the particular ideology that is most common and  strongest in a given society. However, the concept of ideology itself is actually general in nature and not tied to one particular way of thinking. In this sense, sociologists define ideology as a persons worldview and recognize that there are various and competing ideologies operating in a society at any given time, some more dominant than others. Ultimately, ideology determines how we make sense of things. It provides an ordered view of the world, our place in it, and our relationship to others. As such, it is deeply important to the human experience, and typically something that  people cling to and defend, whether or not they are conscious of doing so. And, as ideology emerges out of the  social structure  and  social order, it is generally expressive of the social interests that are supported by both. Terry Eagleton, a British literary theorist, and intellectual explained it this way in his 1991 book  Ideology: An Introduction: Ideology is a system of concepts and views which serves to make sense of the world while obscuring the  social interests  that are expressed therein, and by its completeness and relative internal consistency tends to form a  closed  system and maintain itself in the face of contradictory or inconsistent experience. Marxs Theory of Ideology German philosopher Karl Marx  is considered the first to provide a theoretical framing of ideology within the context of sociology. Michael Nicholson  / Contributor  / Getty Images According to Marx, ideology emerges out of a societys mode of production. In his case and in that of the modern United States,  the economic mode of production is capitalism. Marxs approach to ideology was set forth in his theory of  base and superstructure. According to Marx, the superstructure of society, the realm of ideology, grows out of the base, the realm of production, to reflect the interests of the ruling class and justify the status quo that keeps them in power. Marx, then, focused his theory on the concept of a dominant ideology. However, he viewed the relationship between base and superstructure as dialectical in nature, meaning that each affects the other equally and that a change in one necessitates a change in the other. This belief formed the basis for Marxs theory of revolution. He believed that once workers  developed a class consciousness  and became aware of their exploited position relative to the powerful class of factory owners and financiers- in other words, when they experienced a fundamental shift in ideology- that they would then act on that ideology by organizing and demanding a change in the social, economic, and political structures of society. Gramscis Additions to Marxs Theory of Ideology The working-class revolution that Marx predicted never happened. Nearly 200 years after the publication of The Communist Manifesto, capitalism maintains a strong grip on global society and  the inequalities it fosters continue to grow. Fototeca Storica Nazionale.  / Contributor  / Getty Images   Following on the heels of Marx, the Italian activist, journalist, and intellectual  Antonio Gramsci  offered a more developed theory of ideology to help explain why the revolution did not occur. Gramsci, offering his theory of  cultural hegemony, reasoned that dominant ideology had a stronger hold on consciousness and society than Marx had imagined. Gramscis theory focused on the  central role played by the  social institution of education  in spreading the dominant ideology and maintaining the power of the ruling class. Educational institutions, Gramsci argued, teach ideas, beliefs, values, and even identities that reflect the interests of the ruling class, and produce compliant and obedient members of society that serve the interests of that class. This type of rule is what Gramsci called cultural hegemony. The Frankfurt School and Louis Althusser on Ideology Some years later, the  critical theorists  of  the Frankfurt School turned their attention to the role that art,  popular culture, and mass media play in disseminating ideology. They argued that just as education plays a role in this process, so do the social institutions of media and popular culture. Their theories of ideology focused on the representational work that art, popular culture, and mass media do in telling stories about society, its members, and our way of life. This work can either support the dominant ideology and the status quo, or it can challenge it, as in the case of  culture jamming. Jacques Pavlovsky  / Contributor  / Getty Images Around the same time, the French philosopher Louis Althusser developed his concept of the ideological state apparatus, or the ISA. According to Althusser, the dominant ideology of any given society is maintained and reproduced through several ISAs, notably the media, religion, and education. Althusser argued that each ISA does the work of promoting illusions about the way society works and why things are the way they are. Examples of Ideology In the modern United States, the dominant ideology is one that, in keeping with Marxs theory, supports capitalism and the society organized around it. The central tenet of this ideology is that U.S. society is one in which all people are free and equal, and thus, can do and achieve anything they want in life. A key supporting tenet is the idea that work is morally valuable, no matter the job. Together, these beliefs form an ideology supportive of capitalism by helping us make sense of why some people achieve so much in terms of success and wealth  while others achieve so little. Within the logic of this ideology, those who work hard are guaranteed to see success. Marx would argue that these ideas, values, and assumptions work to justify a reality in which a very small class of people holds most of the authority within corporations, firms, and financial institutions. These beliefs also justify a reality in which the vast majority of people are simply workers within the system. While these ideas may reflect the dominant ideology in modern America, there are in fact other ideologies that challenge them and the status quo they represent. The radical labor movement, for example, offers an alternative ideology- one that instead assumes that the capitalist system is fundamentally unequal and that those who have amassed the greatest wealth are not necessarily deserving of it. This competing ideology asserts that the power structure is controlled by the ruling class and is designed to impoverish the majority for the benefit of a privileged minority. Labor radicals throughout history have fought for new laws and public policies that would redistribute wealth and promote equality and justice.

Legal Aspects of Safety and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Aspects of Safety and Health - Essay Example CFOI data reported that deaths resulting from crane related accidents averaged 22 annually while the new findings by CPWR found 42 on average per year within the same period. Electrocution by overhead power lines was seen to be the biggest cause of deaths. OSHA has been in the process to come up with a comprehensive Crane Safety Standard since that of 1971 and the 2000s acted as the decade for formulation of the new standard (CPWR, 2010). Key issues It seems that there have been differences in the figures brought forth by the various bodies that do research on construction accidents. The differences are attributable to the different methods of coming up with the required data. The latter analysis by CPWR sheds real light on situation on the ground which is rather serious. Fatalities clocking above 40 yearly from crane related accidents and hundreds of injuries are alarming numbers considering that most of the accidents are avoidable. It is also important to note that categorization e nables users of data to easily relate various aspects involved as the case is with the categorization of construction deaths by cause, cranes involved and employer size (CPWR, 2010). This way it is easy to narrow down on areas and circumstances that are more prone to accidents.

Mechanical Engineering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mechanical Engineering - Research Paper Example Bureau of Labor Statistics 1; America Society of Mechanical Engineers 1). He is also required to understand things such as the ability of the product to persevere the thermal environment and the forces they will be subjected to. Mechanical engineering plays a critical role in industries such as automotive (car chassis, transmission, sensors and engines), aerospace (control systems for spacecraft and airplanes, aircraft engines, and airplanes), biotechnology, (prosthetic devices, and implants), and other industries such as computers and electronics (semiconductor tools, cooling systems, disk drives and printers). In other words, mechanical engineering takes care of everything that moves (Columbia University 1). Mechanical engineering is a field that includes a broad collection of research areas. Mechanical engineering entails the design, analysis, control, and manufacture of fluid, thermal, and solid mechanical systems. It also involves system integration, innovation use of technology, and creation and development of new markets and products, and it offers the solution to problems facing products (National Research Council 2). This entails optoelectrical-mechanical materials, machines, structures, and Nano- and micro scale devices. The most important aspects of the field include combustion, heat transfer (and other processes of energy conversion), fluid mechanics, tribology, biomechanics, solid mechanics (fracture mechanics also included), and education and management linked with the above areas (National Research Council 3). Mechanical engineering is central to the success of medicine. It plays an important role in medical instrumentation, medical devices, prostheses, and tissue engineering. It also plays a critical role in accomplishing energy independence. The national response to alternative energy sources involves the science of mechanical engineering, and

Auckland DHB Elderly Care Strategies

Auckland DHB Elderly Care Strategies Auckland DHB is based to part of Auckland City in which they are serving seven wards Avondale/Roskill, Eastern Bays, Eden- Albert (Balmoral), Hobson, Tamaki- Maungakiekie(Penrose), Western Bays and Hauraki Gulf Islands .It has a population of 475,765 people. Eighty seven percent of the Auckland DHB population live within five wards within the Auckland DHB boundary.The other 13% live in either the Manukau ward within the Counties Manukau DHB area, or the Whau ward within Waitemata DHB.Auckland district health board got 10% of the people domiciled in the Auckland DHB district are aged 65 years and over, compared with 12% of NZ population.17% are aged under 15 years, compared with 22% for all of NZOlder People’s Health wards were the first patients moved into the new Auckland City Hospital which is started by Auckland district health board. Auckland district health board has two sites; inpatient services are based at Auckland City Hospital while outpatient and community services are based atGreenlane Clinical Centre. Older Peoples Health looks after the over 65-year-old population of Central Auckland and offers assessment, treatment and rehabilitation services. There are four wards at Auckland City Hospital that form part of the A+ Links Home and Older Peoples Health Service. The four wards are located in the the Support Building. Awatea Ward and Marino Ward are on level 14. Rangi toto Ward and Remuera Ward are on Level 13.These wards work very closely as a team and a unit. There is a strong Interdisciplinary team (IDT) focus on all four wards. This team is made up of nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, dieticians, speech language therapists, pharmacists and others, who all make contributions to the patients care. STRATEGIES Auckland District Health Boards vision’s is of a healthy population, and quality health service to the community people need it –Healthy Communities, Quality Healthcare ~ Hei Oranga Tika mo te iti me te Rahi.It is strategic priorities of Auckland district health board that all rest homes and aged residential care facilities are certified and audited to ensure they provide safe, appropriate care for their residents. This is measured by seeing how they perform against the standards set out in theHealth and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001. HEALTH OF OLDER PEOPLE STRATEGY {2001} It is cooperated on the national level where Auckland District health board is doing this by putting up policies in Auckland to improve and giving standard of life to old people by giving them appropriate services. Health and support services and programmes specially made to facilitate the wellbeing of the aged people, it also controls over the lives and their capability to participate and capability to social life, family, whanau and community life. OBJECTIVES It provides the planning to support the growth of quality health and support services integrated around the needs of older people. Funding will be managed and services delivered to increase timely access for the quality life integrated health and support services for older people, family, whanau and caregivers. The Hauora needs of Older Maori and their (whanau) family will be given by different appropriate programmes which are going to support them. Special requirement of services should be recognise to support unique position of Maori living in Aotera as Maori. The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy The 1999 International Year of Older Persons prompted the development of a New Zealand strategy promoting the value of older people.In the this strategy they state the aged people live positively and grow properly in there elderly age. Positively strategy is also takes account the health, financial security, independence, self- fulfilment, personal safety and living environment of older Auckland District citizens. The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy provides a framework for developing and understanding policy with implications for older people. POLICIES Auckland DHB A+ Links Older Peoples Health Older Peoples Health (OPH) Serviceprovides inpatient and outpatient care and is spread over two sites; inpatient services are based at Auckland City Hospital while outpatient and community services are based atGreenlane Clinical center. They also have the interdisciplinary day assessment includes Stroke Clinic, Parkinsons Clinic and Auckland City Memory Service. Also available is the Community Rehabilitation Programme to assist people who need some assistance to get back to how they were functioning prior to illness or who need help with the transition back to their home situation after a period in hospital. Home Health Service provides community based healthcare for adults 16 years and over living in Central Auckland. It is based atGreenlane Clinical Centre. Dementia Pathways We will increase access to early onset dementia services.We will help to develop a greater range and level of skill within the Aged Residential Care sector.Overall, we want to see safer practice in working with older people across both inpatient and community settings.This will also depend on increasing service accountability and the reporting of clinical issues. SENIORLINE Support of carer- In this old person can get a support of carer on full time basis from district health board. FUNDING Auckland DHB received $1074.6 million in funding in 2014/15 from Ministry of health Funding increases as a result of growth over the last 3 years were as follows: $21.9 million in 2014/15 $21.4 million in 2013/14 $32.2 million in 2012/13. They also get public funding to serve aged people of Auckland District from NGO’s. TERMINOLOGY Terminology is meant to be the word which is used in different settings of science and in forensic science to name some special characters of some incidents and reactions in chemical. The old age person in the old age socially they called geriatric or elderly. Old age person- As the age recognised socially for the human being which is 65 years and they called retired people. ATTITUDES it is define how the people look the old age person, some of them are think they rely on their kids on the governments to live their lives. The elderly people with dementia they are isolated from the community in the mental institutions. Elderly people are undervalued by the young generation and discriminated against especially with loss of health and income. STEREOTYPES People start commenting them by words like useless or the words which hurts their dignity and respect. Person with cognitive impairments are socially isolated from community and from the family sometime. Most of dementia clients those with serious illness are unable to make decisions for their own lives where some of the families feel burden on them start suggesting them to go live separate or in rest home facilities. BARRIERS It is problem where elderly people get abused at home where they have to do home cleanings and home works like lawn moving, vacuuming. They also neglected most of the times due to their unwillingness and the diseases for the social parties in the families. Society starts undervaluing them when they starts going towards their retirement and they hurts their dignity where they feel disrespectful for themselves. They create image of elderly person of negative energy due to their suggestive nature to young people from their experience which always suggest them to do right things or in proper manners, these things also varies from culture or to religion. 2.3 SERVICE PROVISION All the service provided to aged people through hospitals their primary services and the services which they get from community. General practitioner- for the routines check up Hospitals- for the emergencies and accidents Work and income- for their financial part of their life Citizen’s bureau- for first time information NZ Positive Ageing Strategy (2001) Health Of People Strategy (2002) Above strategies helps to improve their quality of life improving their policies from their past years data gathering from their regional statics. ACESS FRAMEWORK RESTHOME FACILITY- it is started from GP first he assess the elderly person how much care they need for themselves, if it is fell dependence then they ask them to go for NASC assessment to get full service. Ministry of health – incorporate the strategies Auckland District Health Boards- Corporate the policies and strategies stated by Ministry of Health for Auckland District. They can access WINZ for their financials though their website. www.wins.govt.nz REFERENCES A Links Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination (NASC) †¢ Healthpoint. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.healthpoint.co.nz/public/older-peoples-health/a-links-needs-assessment-and-service-co-ordination/ Seniorline Home. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.adhb.govt.nz/SeniorLine Auckland DHB. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/my-dhb/auckland-dhb Residential care. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/publicly-funded-health-and-disability-services/residential-care HEALTH OF OLDER PEOPLE STRATEGY {2001}. Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/olderplebb.pdf The positive ageing Startegy Retrieved February 22, 2015, from https://www.msd.govt.nz/what-we-can-do/seniorcitizens/positive-ageing/strategy/

Communication barriers Essay

One of the most challenging issues, any manager will face, is communication barriers. Process, personal, physical, and semantic barriers is what I will focus on throughout this essay. For me, as a manager, the combination of lack of formal upbringing and non-traditional schooling contribute to my communication flaws. The process by which a person interprets a message being delivered is known as the process of communication. When an error occurs while two people are communicating this is known as a process barrier. This type of error can occur while using any form of communication including face to face, or media and can occur for many reasons. I, as a manager, struggle with encoding the messages I am trying to send. Due to my lack of formal upbringing and non-traditional schooling I have a hard time with vocabulary and correct word usage. While writing papers or emails I can use the built-in review tools to assist me such as spell check or grammar correct. I use a program like Word t o check my grammar and spelling when possible. While speaking face to face with people I use simple vocabulary and ask detailed questions to better understand them when needed. Personal barriers is defined as any individual attribute that hinders communication. This particular area of communication is one that I have struggled with my whole life. I have a tendency to talk very fast and not listen so well. I have trained myself to remember that listening is one of the most important steps in communicating with people. I have attended effective communication seminars to help me understand the importance of listening. My main source of communication is face to face and not through media. When communicating through email or text I tend to lose a lot of what I am trying to say. I also focus on using constructive criticism. I have learned from personal experience that it is easier to get your point across when the sender is open to hearing it. Factors such as bad signal, different time zone, and loud noise are known as physical barriers. Physical barriers is another huge reason why I prefer face to face meetings and conversations over media interactions. During a conversation the communicator can misperceive the receiver’s distraction by loud noise and think they are not listening or being rude. This can lead to a very frustrated communicator. When having important conversations with customers, employees, or other supervisors I  always practice active listening. In order for active listening to be effective I require the meetings to be in a designated quite open area that is distraction free. I make sure we have adequate funding for the best technology available to avoid any media physical barriers. We have the best modems, and routers available to a small business. This helps lessen the possibility of signal interruption during our virtual online meeting with the owner during our monthly meeting. The way a person interprets frequently used words can create a semantic barrier. An example of semantic barrier is a situation I personally went through. I will never forget my first experience, I was a new hire for a company within an industry I knew nothing about. I had 8 years management experience in a service industry, but the fashion industry was foreign to me. My new boss said to me, â€Å"We need to get those mannequins done tomorrow before we leave.† The next day came and I assumed we would do them together, but to my surprise my boss never mentioned them. Three days later I was being formally wrote up for not completing an assigned task, also known as insubordination. I was shocked and very frustrated. Due to this situation, when speaking with employees, I always give clear, defined instructions and check for understanding before leaving an employee to perform a task. During day to day operations I have developed Jargon for our office. Previously all the doctors were referred to as doctor and all the patients were known as patients. This became very confusing when trying to discuss specific doctors or specific types of patients. For example patient in room 5 ready for doc would be announced. Now each type of patient, hall, and doctor have a specific call. The same statement as above on the new system would be NP, blue hall, doc 5. It is very specific and leaves no room for wrong interpretation. The new practice of Jargon in the office reduced our semantic barriers dramatically. I am currently a manager for several doctors within one office here in Amarillo, Tx. I have developed procedures for my employees to follow when requesting a meeting with myself or other administrators so that we do not have any physical barriers. During the meeting I use tools such as active listening, assertive communication, and constructive criticism to ensure that there are minimal process or personal barriers. I encourage all employees to ask questions if they are not clear on what is expected of them. I have also developed a training program for our office Jargon that requires all  employees to attend meetings once a month to ensure their understanding of office terminology.

Child Beauty Pageants Must Stop Essay

A child beauty pageant is a beauty contest featuring contestants younger than 13 years of age. Divisions include talent, interview, sportswear, casual wear, swim wear, western wear, out-fit of choice, decade wear, and evening wear, typically wearing makeup as well as elaborate hairstyles. The debate about child beauty pageants in Australia is getting particularly ugly. Ever since the US group ‘Universal Royalty Beauty Pageant’ announced plans to hold its first Australian competition in Melbourne, the cries of protest from parent groups, psychologists and children’s rights organisations have been loud and fierce. â€Å"Would you stand your two daughters side by side in the lounge room and tell one of them that she’s more beautiful than the other?† Pull The Pin organiser, Catherine Manning said. For most people that’s a resounding no, and the reason is obviously not just because of the impact you have on the girl that you tell isn’t the most beautiful, but you’re also sending a really strange message to the girl that you tell is the most beautiful. Adolescent and child psychotherapist, Collett Smart, states that â€Å"it’s cruel to judge little girls on their appearance. To say to a young girl, no, you’re not pretty enough.† It’s harmful to a young girl’s self-esteem to tell her that she simply isn’t pretty enough and that’s the only reason she didn’t win the pageant. It starts to lead to three of the most common mental health problems in girls and women; eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression. In 2002, Stacey Weiner conveyed a study for a column she was writing on seventh-grade girls who viewed idolised magazine images of women, reported a drop in body satisfaction and a rise in depression. In 2005, a study conducted by Anna Wonderlich, of the University of Minnesota, eleven women who took part in child beauty pageants were compared to eleven women who did not. The study found pageant contestants score higher on body dissatisfaction, interpersonal distrust and greater impulsiveness. Child psychologist, Dr. Robert Reiner, stated in 2006 that many parents whose children took part in pageants were attempting to live through their young daughters and were often ‘very pushy parents who, for a variety of reasons didn’t get what they wanted when they were children’. In all the studies shown, 1 in 3 professionals all conveyed that child beauty pageants have major impacts on the well-being of these children, from low self-esteem to depression to eating disorders from such a young age. Savanna Jackson made headlines in the Herald Sun on June 7th 2012, because a three-year-old girl should not be allowed to have a spray tan, on a monthly basis. Lauren Jackson, Savanna’s mother, spends roughly $4,670 a month entering Savanna into beauty pageants. Lauren thought that when she reached the age two, that she would start giving Savanna tanning sessions so the other girls wouldn’t have an unfair advantage. Mrs Jackson first entered her daughter into a ‘natural pageant’ at 10 months, which allows little or no make-up. After Savanna won, her mum began entering her into ‘more glamorous’ pageants. She said that Savanna loved the attention and being on stage made her happier than she had ever been before. What more could a parent want for their child than seeing them happy, however, it starts to become a little concerning when Lauren tells the Herald Sun that her three-year-old daughter wears more make up than her 26 year old mother. Karen Nussbaum, a member from Minor Consideration, a non-profit foundation to give guidance and to support young performers, says that most stage mothers claim their child wanted to enter the pageant on their own. Do children under the age of 10 really know what is best for them? For example, in 1996, 7 year old Jessica Duboff died when her parents let her fly a plane across the country just because she wanted to do it. The Universal Royalty Beauty Pageant, made famous in the reality TV show Toddlers & Tiaras, is travelling from Texas this month so Australian children can compete in formal wear, photogenic and congeniality contests. A controversial article published by the ABC on April 6, 2012 by Stephanie Corsetti, interviews Australia MP’s and gets their opinions. Federal Labour MP Anna Burke is supporting the private members bill and calling for a national ban on the event. Anna says â€Å"dressing them up, fake tans, fake teeth known as flippers, even fake books and bums on three-year-olds is a bit of a ridiculous situation.† It makes us start questioning; do we actually want to promote this in Australia? Promoting something that is not emotionally and mentally stable for young people especially children under the age of 10. In another perspective, for those who believe child beauty pageants should not be banned, owner of Universal Royalty Beauty Pageants, Annette Hill, stated â€Å"if you are looking at children in a sexual way, you should be ashamed of yourself and something is wrong with you. It’s all about a beautiful dress, a beautiful child with lots of personality performing on stage.’ Brendan O’Neill wrote an opinion piece published by the ABC on August 4, 2011 which stated â€Å"the pageant-bashers see SEX, a little whore, a walking, talking temptation for the predatory paedophiles who apparently lurk in every street and alleyway in Australia.† There needs to be a limit on these horrendous child beauty pageants. Change the age to at least 13/14 years old or limit the amount of make-up used etc. That is approach Sally Belinda Broad took. Direct of Australian Kids Pageants. â€Å"our events are ‘natural’ pageants where anything fake is disallowed and age appropriate appearance and performance is encouraged.†

5 Activities for Creativity Improvement for Students

It’s not uncommon for students to experience â€Å"blocks† when facing everyday challenges in school. You can’t get that exam ready, you can’t put yourself up to writing that essay, or simply, homework assignments start to seem tedious or mundane. If you recognize yourself in some of these situations, don’t sweat it; it just goes to show you’re a normal student like any other. But how can you overcome this feeling and start enjoying the tasks assigned to you? Start by putting your creativity to the test. Making your mind go wild and thoughts float freely can be difficult, especially if you’re living with other people, working a job to pay off tuition, or have a cat that jumps up and down the room (it happens). Creativity is a thing of beauty; it allowed us humans to change the world and shape it since the dawn of time. Imagine for a moment that you could not only focus, but be creative about your learning and work. Here are five smart activities to help you ignite your creative spirit and improve your learning abilities in college: 1.Alternative Uses An activity that’s widely regarded to be both productive and engaging when it comes to creativity. Grab the first item you can find at your hand’s reach. A pen, a notebook, anything will do. Now think of ten ways to use it. For example, we can use a notebook as a makeshift tent, albeit a small-scale one. Think of ten examples like this. Go wild, don’t think about the why, not just the how. The test may come off as silly, but it actually activates divergent thinking and your results divide into four categories: Fluency: How many uses for the item did you come up with? Originality: How uncommon are these uses? Flexibility: How many categories do your answers cover? (the tent for example, is an outdoor item) Elaboration: What’s the level of detail in the use you came up with? 2.Incomplete Figure This one is a gem if you’re into graphic design, art, or just like to scribble when you’re bored. Grab a piece of paper and draw a shape. Any shape; an incomplete letter, a half of a circle, a number. Now try to complete the image by using the shape as a base. This is called a â€Å"Torrance Test of Creative Thinking† and it was developed in the ’60 with the goal to identify people with alternative IQs. Sounds interesting, right? Give it a shot. You may be surprised with the results. 3.Riddles Using riddles to improve your creativity is an oldie but a goldie. Websites like GoodRiddlesNow.com offer a vast variety of brain teasers to get your creative side to front and center. Psychologists use riddles to specifically measure and develop convergent thinking, and unlike the first test about alternate uses, the goal here is to arrive at one specific answer. 4.Remote Associates Elephant, vivid, lapse; what do these three words have in common? It’s up to you to discover. The Remote Associates test revolves around giving yourself three words, seemingly at random, and trying to find a fourth word that links all of these together. The answer to the example in mind is â€Å"memory†. Seems obvious, right? Give it a try; creative thinking is best developed when you think about a wide number of subjects. 5.Candle Test Take this one in a safe environment, as it involves burning a candle. All you really need is a candle, a box of thumbtacks and a few matches. Your goal is to fix the candle to a wall in a way it doesn’t drip wax onto the table below it. Sounds crazy, right? The test was developed by a psychologist Karl Duncker in 1945 and it’s a classic when it comes to overcoming creativity problems. Just be careful not to burn anything. Try taking one or two of these at different times during the day; take days in between to process the information and give your mind some rest. You’d be surprised by how you’ll think of new and intriguing ways to overcome infamous writing blocks or studying deprivations. It’s all a matter of perspective, and if you give yourself a fresh one, the amount of work you can get done will increase exponentially. And do be careful with that candle!