Leonie laine colborn

1 .Book Review of That Eye, The Sky by Tim Winton

I have chosen to read the book “That Eye, The Sky” by Tim Winton. The front
cover isn’t very appealing- it has a picture of a house in the outback, with the
night-sky covering it. I have picked this book because one of the school librarians
have recommended it to me, and said that it is a very moving book. And that it will
expand my vocabulary. The blurb suggests that ‘That Eye, The Sky’ has little bit to
do with the supernatural, which I’m a bit wary of. I don’t enjoy reading books that
haven’t much to do with things “out of this world”. Actually, I don’t really enjoy
reading books that are written about things outside of what I know as familiar. But
we’ll see how I go.

The main character in this story is Morton “Ort” Flack, and he is twelve years old.
He lives in outback Western Australia with his mother, father, older sister, Tegwyn
(I have had so much trouble with the pronunciation of her name!), and his
grandma.
His mum is a housewife and works on their farm, I’m not sure what his dad would
be classified as but he works for Ort’s best friend’s dad, Bill Cherry, who he is
obliged to run personal errands for. Ort looks up very much to his father, and his
parents are very much in love.
His sister is a typical sixteen-year-old. She constantly fights with her parents,
rebels against everything and practises self-mutilation- “Real careful she takes the
smoke out of her mouth and looks at the hot end and put it in one of her tits and
shivers”- (ok, maybe that last part isn’t typical but she is a teenager living in the
bush with nowhere to go and no chance to have friends or get out of the bush so I,
as a teenager, can justify why she would do something like that).
It is never mentioned what his grandmother is suffering from but I’ve made the
assumption that it’s something along the lines of Alzheimer’s- she doesn’t
remember anything and has slowly withered away.
Ort as the youngest likes to make sure everyone is living their lives alright so he
spies on his sister, grandma and parents just to see what they do when they don’t
know anybody’s watching. I thought this part was a bit perverted at first, but it can
be translated as his way of feeling safe and making sure everyone else is safe. He
also has a fascination with the sky. He has trouble sleeping at night. “It’s lonely in
the middle of the night with just you and the sky and the noises of the forest,” he
says, “There’s no one to talk to except that big sky. Sometimes I talk to it” (page
He has just finished year 7 at his school in the town he grew up in, and is looking
forward to the summer holidays. One afternoon Ort’s father drives out to run an
errand for Mr Cherry and doesn’t come back. The Flack’s receive a knock on the
door late at night by a stranger who has come to tell them that Ort’s father had
been involved in a car accident and had fallen into a coma.
From this point, his world understandably is shattered by the sudden tragedy of his
father's condition, which threatens the fragile hold each character has on reality.
Whilst his father is in hospital, the story goes on to tell of the way the Flacks’ cope
without an income and the things that they do every day in the summer, without
dad. Ort often spent time with Fat, his best friend, “walking along the top bank of
the creek down towards the sawmill” (page 17).
After a few weeks Ort’s father comes out of a coma and can come home. He is still
the same man, but in another sense he isn’t He cannot speak, walk, move around-
he is completely immobile, and his long hair is cut into short hairdo.
Fat’s father, Bill Cherry, is positioned by the author to make the reader hate him.
He isn’t the nicest man in town. And after Alice, Ort’s mother, accuses him of
having all to do with her husband’s car accident, it makes Cherry the most disliked
character in the book and puts a strain on Fat’s and Ort’s friendship. After an
argument they have by the creek one day, where Fat says to Ort that “Ya sister’s a
slut. Ya old man’s a vegetable, and ya mum’s a pisstank” (page 39) they stop
talking- they can no longer handle the pressure to take the side of a friend or their
family. It seems like Ort’s life just keeps getting worse and worse.
On one peculiar day, (page 52) “there’s a thump at the front door.” A middle-aged
man is standing there, Henry Warburton. No one had ever met him before. He
offers to look after Sam, Ort’s father. This is the bit I find a bit stupid and
unrealistic, but it is explained later on, (page 88) when Henry Warburton says that
“God told [him] to come to [them].” He helps out the family by bathing Sam,
helping around the farm and providing them with needed money. The Flack’s
adopt Henry Warburton’s way of life- they do things like begin to attend church
and say grace when they eat- which is, I think, Tim Winton’s way of putting a
“twist” to the story. The family accept Henry Warburton, and he stays with them
from Chapter 6 until the end of the story.
Ort starts high school after the summer, and apart from growing up fairly quickly
and realising that life isn’t always how we would like it to be, not much else
happens in the story.
“That Eye, The Sky” ends with the death of Ort’s grandmother after a long period
of her living as a senile, old woman and Tegwyn and Henry Warburton running
away together. I’m not sure why this happens, why they runaway together,
considering that Tegwyn was the most reluctant to accept Henry Warburton.
The ending isn’t quite how I would have expected it- it doesn’t finish with the
happy ending I would have liked it to but I really like the last sentence of the book,
“I get the lid off the bottle wading through the music, and the oil splashes all over
him,” (Ort attempts to bless his father with a strange approach of trying to imitate
what happened to Jesus) “…and Mum comes in laughing and the cloud fills the
room till all I can see is his eyes burning white and I know that something,
something here in this world is going to break.” It is very moving, and I think tries
to tell us that regardless of what we go through and however many things may go
wrong in our lives, all at the one time, we should still have hope and faith.
When I was reading the parts about Sam’s accident it reminded me heavily about a
similar experience my grandpa went through. He was also in the Intensive Care
Unit, and also got all his hair cut off. When Ort’s mother tells him, on his visit to
the hospital, that “he looks different from the last time [he] saw him,” (page 26) it
is exactly what my grandma said to me. It was a very confronting situation that
time when I visited my grandpa in the hospital, and so it helped me grasp what was
going on in the story with a lot of strength- I could picture the room, the feeling,
the atmosphere.
What I really liked about the story was even though it was put in the words of a
twelve-year-old boy (for example, he writes things like “Getting baptized was real
weird, but kind of fun. Henry asked if we were into it, if we believed all the stories
and stuff [from the Bible], and I said yes real quick” on page 98) he is very mature
for his age and understands a lot about life. He never loses hope, even after his
father’s car accident, losing his best friend and has to put up with a, more than
often, dysfunctional family. A review at the back of the book by Helen Garner put
it well, “It is as if Winton has impatiently by-passed the adolescent revolt and gone
straight for the big questions.”
What I really disliked about this book was Tim Winton’s way of putting a “twist”
to the story! It was very realistic at the beginning. It had a lot of situations which I
could relate to and didn’t have trouble understanding. But as soon as Henry
Warburton showed up claiming he was sent by God, I had to push myself to read
the book to the end. This is probably because I am not a very religious person. I
believe in God, but would not believe somebody if they told me they were his
messenger.
The way the family so quickly turned into a religious, church-going clan was too
spontaneous, because it all came that way in a matter of a few pages.
My view is I think it is sacrilegious to write books about God, just because nobody
can tell us how God, for example, would respond in certain situations, and whether
or not he would send out a strange man to help a family.
The language in the book is fairly colloquial. There weren’t really any difficult
words I didn’t understand, except the extracts from the Bible. “These have come so
that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even through refined by fire
 Book Review for Wuthering High sample

Having to go to a boarding school and wear a uniform would be traumatic for most

teenagers. Add a ban on cell phones and music, and it is like the world is ending. Oddly

enough, for Miranda Tate, these things become the least of her worries in the 257 page, young

adult fiction novel Wuthering High. This novel was written by Cara Lockwood and published by

MTV Books. Wuthering High is a modern novel that will be examined using a summary of its

mystical plot, an analysis of the dynamic character Miranda, and a discussion of the book’s

theme about punishments.

The summary of this book’s plot combines the completely modern with mystical

elements that make it truly entertaining. The story opens with Miranda trying to downplay the

major discretions, including totaling her dad’s new BMW convertible, that cause her parents to

send her to Bard Academy, a boarding school for juvenile delinquents. For a teenage girl who

calls Chicago home, Bard Academy’s location on an island off the coast of Maine seems like

halfway across the world. As soon as Miranda arrives on the island, she knows something just

isn’t right about the school. The bus driver drives like a maniac and asks her if she has any

drugs. The athletic coach drinks out of a flask. There are even security personnel called

“Guardians” who are allowed to get physical with students. Things get even stranger when

Miranda learns that there was a student that disappeared from Bard several years before, and

Miranda becomes positive that this girl’s ghost is haunting her. Over the course of the story,

Miranda discovers that there are characters from classic novels, including Heathcliff from the

novel Wuthering Heights, running loose around the school. The plot comes to its climax when

Miranda and her friends uncover the secret of the school. The staff members are all ghosts that

died before their time on earth was supposed to be finished. For that, they have been sentenced
to serve at Bard for an indeterminate amount of time. The majority of the staff is composed of

dead authors, and, unfortunately, one of the dead authors is Emily Brontë, who has decided to

free fictional characters into the real world, which could cause both the fictional world and the

real world to collapse. If that weren’t enough, Miranda also learns that she is the descendant of

Kate Shaw, an escaped character from Wuthering Heights. Emily is stopped when she enters

Wuthering Heights and the book is burned.

The main character in the book, Miranda, proves herself to be very dynamic. One of the

most obvious changes in her is that her perspective on school, and Bard in particular, has shifted

dramatically. At the beginning of the book, Miranda readily admits that she isn’t very focused

on school and claims that life is about balance, so she is justified in focusing more on clothes and

friends to the point that her grades slip. She is completely distraught when she learns that she

has to go without her cell phone and her hair dryer; she even tries to run away from the school.

By the end of the story, her perspective has completely changed. She is much happier with

attending Bard and realizes that the absence of distractions truly does help her focus on studying.

Instead of considering what to wear to the next party, she is thinking about scholarships and

getting into a good college. On a deeper level, Miranda is dynamic because she has become

more self-aware. She is unable to make the connection between the lack of attention from her

parents, who are too concerned with Botox injections and a mid-life crisis, and her desire to act

out and get herself in trouble. At Bard, Miranda has to attend counseling sessions. During her

first session, Ms. W, her dorm mother, teacher, and counselor, asks Miranda about her family.

Because her parents are so focused on themselves, Miranda is the one that generally takes care of

herself and her little sister. Ms. W points out the fact that Miranda’s tendency to get in trouble

may be her way of trying to prove to her parents that she is still a kid. Due to this realization,
Miranda begins to accept her parents for who they are and accept the fact that it really isn’t her

fault that they act the way they do. Although it is not directly stated, it appears that by the end of

the novel, Miranda’s impulse to act out has lessened from what it was at the beginning of the

story.

Although there are many themes that can be drawn from Wuthering High, one of the

primary themes is that punishments can turn into positive experiences if they are approached

with an open mind. Miranda may not have started out her experience at Bard with an open mind,

but with the help of her new friends and her teachers, she discovers a range of positives about

attending a school for delinquents that is run by ghosts. Even though Miranda loves her best

friends from home, Liz and Cass, she accepts the fact that it is probably good that she can’t

spend a lot of time with them anymore because they are a bad influence and increase her chances

of getting in trouble. Also, as was previously mentioned, Miranda realizes that being removed

from the distractions of home, including her cell phone and parties, allows her to concentrate on

schoolwork and that she doesn’t really mind doing her schoolwork. She seems to have better

direction in her life and she has goals beyond dressing well and having a boyfriend. Even her

choice in boyfriends improves during her time at Bard. Prior to being sent there, she briefly

dated a guy that had a bad reputation; on a date, he spiked her drink with alcohol. At Bard, she

becomes closer to a guy that she knew from her old school, and he genuinely cares about her.

Instead of having a date that involves alcohol, they end up having a date where they enjoy eating

Pop-Tarts, which are contraband at Bard. All in all, Miranda discovers that her punishment isn’t

really that bad after all, and she seems to be happy that she was sent away to Bard.

In brief, the book Wuthering High is a story that has a mystical plot, a dynamic character

Miranda, and a theme about punishments. For a world where everyone seems to be concerned
with who has the biggest and the best of everything, this story demonstrates that sometimes, less

really is more. Cell phones do not have to become an extension of one’s arm. Computers may

be helpful, but sometimes a pen and paper can work just as well. All in all, people need to learn

to place less value on material things and place more value on the things that are priceless:

friends, family, and a good education.

Like a Hurricane Book Review

In Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee
two American Indians from separate tribes join together to co-author this
historically thought provoking portrayal of a time in history when playing by
the rules did not work when dealing with minority rights issues. Paul Chaat
Smith, a Comanche and Robert Allen Warrior an Osage join forces to create
an accurate account of a time when the Native American civil rights
movement took center stage television and press coverage. The world watched
as Indian militants, American military, and world media covered three key
events, which took place in a forty-two month period beginning with the
student takeover of Alcatraz in November 1969 to the occupation of the B.I.A.
in Washington D.C., and finally ending with the siege at Wounded Knee in
May of 1973. Collectively many books have been written about this particular
period in history but from the standpoint of the U.S. government’s failed
policies or aggression and repression of Native American rights. Smith and
Warrior co-authored the book out of a need to shake off the stereotype that
Indian people were either “victims or pawns” in American history. The
resources are relevant including sixty interviews; archives in California
Minnesota, New Mexico, and Washington, D.C.; press accounts from Indian
and mainstream news organizations; memoirs, and other records. (SW pg.
VIII)
I would recommend this book to a wide range of persons with a wide range of
interests varying from global civil rights movements, political scientists,
historians, social reformist, to the college student whom is activity
participating in Occupy Wall Street demonstrations of 2011. ndians who
wanted to exploit Uranium deposits on the reservations for their own personal
gain. A.I.M.’s three and a half year showdown with their strong guerrilla
tactics, not to mention criminal activity and history did accomplish a season,
which brought a sense of pride and personal power; akin to the old tribal
ways and customs. A cultural revival did swept the Indian Nation and a Pan-
Indian movement was born and exists today. December 1990 during a
reenactment ceremony honoring the fallen at Wounded Knee 1890s during a
religious ceremony former goons from Dick Wilson’s tyranny and former
AIM members united on common ground and spiritually forgave each other
for the pain and suffering that took place at Wounded Knee 1973 vowing to
work together for the future of their people. In my opinion, the book is a
tribute to strong journalism written

Book Review of Jane Langton's The Time Bike

Jane Langton wrote a very interesting book. It goes with the other five fantasies of
the Halls family, The Time Bike. The name of this book intrigues many people. It is
about a kid named Eddy Hall. He gets a bike that he always wanted for his
birthday, after it is stolen, he gets a package from India, and it was a box big
enough for a bike.
In Concord, Massachusetts, Eddy Hall, an eighth grader, on his birthday got a new
bike. He left it on his front porch through the night. Next morning the bike had
vanished, this disappointed Eddy because he knew that his aunt and uncle could
not afford to buy another bike. Eddy wanted to find out who did this. While he
was at school, his aunt received a box from India. It had an old bike that once
Eddy looked at he rejected right away. A couple of days later he decided to look at
his bike from his distant uncle. He looked at its speedometer, but it was not one,
it was a clock. Then by his characteristic of curiosity, he looks closer on to the
clock and finds two dials that say: DAYS and YEARS. He looked at the tag on the
bike and he noticed it said “The Time Bike.” Next Eddy shows the theme of the
story by trying to take the easy way out and jump finals week so he can graduate
8th grade. Then he finds out that he fails every class, which then makes him go to
summer school.
Eddy decides to make an easy trip and only go back one day. A fun day so he can
live it once more. When he went back, he saw himself having fun, and saw his
new bike that was stolen. He had solved who had stolen his bike. Once he came
back to the real time, he wondered if he could fix things that went wrong in the
past. He wanted to be the hero who saved time. Eddy left his bike in the back
porch where it is stolen again, but it comes back the next day by its self with no
driver. Next, he decides to help his Uncle, go to Henry Thoreau’s time to find out
how he lived, and tell him. After, he decides to go to Rome, but then his sister
Eleanor had taken the time bike. She went to a celebration of a movie star, whom
had been killed the same day. She wanted save him from the death car. She could
not persuade him to drive his car, which led to his inevitable death. Now when he
decided to go to Rome, Oliver, his best friend, wanted to see the bike, when
Oliver broke the bike, Eddy’s trip was postponed once again. Now Eddy was
looking for the missing piece of the magical clock that runs the bike. He tried
putting it together and everything fit except one piece that he thought was not
necessary for the clock. The next morning he went on his trip and found that
during his trip through time, the bike would not stop. Once it did stop by using
manual brakes, he ended up on shore where his clock was broken and pieces
were drifting off to sea… He was stuck in the past. He then told the bike to resolve
his situation. He said an incantation for hope to get him home. He finds himself
back in the corner where he stowed his bike. The next couple of days many
coincidences happened and The Time Bike was stored away in the attic since it
would no longer work.
This book, The Time Bike by Jane Langton has a very interesting plot. It gives an
impression for people that like adventurous books. This book is exciting and goes
with the other fantasies of the Hall family series by Jane Langton. This book is fun
to read and uses good imagery. Most with a good imagination would

Great Gatsby Book Review

A seemingly easy read, The Great Gatsby has won over critics around the world,
and rightfully so, has become one of today's greatest classics due to its complex
literary content. The narrator of the novel, Nick Carraway, grew up in the
Midwestern United States and went to school at Yale University. Returning home
after traveling a great deal, he is discontent and decides to move to the East in
1922, renting a house in Long Island's West Egg section. Jay Gatsby is a wealthy
neighbor living next door in a lavish mansion where he holds many extravagant
weekend parties. His name is mentioned while Nick is visiting a relative, Daisy. As
it turns out, Jay Gatsby had met Daisy five years before while in the military.
Meanwhile Gatsby spent all of his effort after the war to buy his mansion through
shady business dealings in order to be nearer to Daisy in the hope that she would
leave her rich husband, Tom, for him. Daisy is impressed by Gatsby's wealth and
the two begin spending much time together, raising the suspicions of Tom who
had also has his own affair with a gas station owner's wife, Myrtle Wilson.
While in a New York City hotel room one evening late in the summer with Nick,
Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby, there is a massive confrontation during which Tom
exposes Gatsby's corrupt business dealings. Jay and Daisy leave to drive back to
Long Island together with her driving Gatsby's car "to calm her down" when she
accidentally hits and kills Tom's mistress. The car doesn't stop after the accident
and speeds on towards Long Island. Gatsby's charm has faded with his exposed
corruption. While Nick goes off to work in New York City the next day, the dead
woman's vengeful husband, told that it had been Gatsby's car that killed his wife
by a vengeful Tom Buchanan, shoots Gatsby to death in his own swimming pool
and then kills himself.
Gatsby's funeral has few in attendance aside from Carraway and Gatsby's father.
Finally, tired of this gross scene of wealth and pettiness, Nick moves back home to
the Midwest. His fond memories of the East remain only of Gatsby, and it is for
him that this story is told.
Maybe it's something to do with the reputation of the book, but I thought the
novel would be much thicker than it is. However, the novel loses nothing by this;
it's concise and written with such mastery that the reader misses nothing. At first
the novel feels light and easy, but as I read on I feel into it and became
increasingly interested in the lives of the characters. Fitzgerald draws the reader
into the book, and it soon becomes clear that its light description of the life of the
rich in the Twenties is merely a cover for a deeper examination of the pettiness of
human psyche. Fitzgerald expresses his bias against the extravagance of the rich
through Nick's denouncement of his friends' and neighbors' way of life.
Interestingly, however, is the fact that Fitzgerald was not like Nick in real life, but
lived lavishly like the Buchanans.
The major theme portrayed by Fitzgerald throughout the novel is the decay of the
American dream. Although the entire plot takes place in only a matter of weeks,
the novel effectively captures the spirit of the 1920's era. Originally, as told to the
reader in Chapter IX, the American dream was about discovery. The 1920's have
destroyed such the dream as it is now about hedonism and selfishness.
Fitzgerald masterfully describes the Twenties; I felt the atmosphere of Gatsby's
parties so clearly. Though the book was so representative of the era it was written
in, it is very relevant even today. Many of today's rich and famous could
seamlessly fit into Gatsby's world. Fitzgerald's portrait of a materialistic,
hedonistic and overall immature society that is unwilling to shoulder any
responsibility still has parallels with today's society.
As the book continues, its organization begins to reflect its content. The beginning
of the book seems thin and light, much like Gatsby's parties, yet there are
undercurrents, Fitzgerald's themes of the shallowness of hedonism, depicted by
Tom and Daisy, and the loftiness of dreams and aspirations, much like Gatsby's
dream of capturing Daisy's heart.
Fitzgerald does not allow his reader to simply read the novel, the audience is
forced to generate opinions of the characters. While Tom and Daisy are clearly
shallow individuals, Fitzgerald leaves the reader to determine the respectability of
Nick and Gatsby. Whatever opinion the reader formulates about the characters,
the skill with which Fitzgerald writes causes his audience to talk about them as if
they are actual people. Fitzgerald displays his wonderful writing skills through the
entirety of the novel. The conclusion to the novel feels contrived, but I found I
could forgive this set of seemingly too convenient coincidences because the
writing is so good that it carries you along.
I was not won over by the book the first time I read it a handful of years ago, but I
enjoyed it much more on my second reading. The complexity of the novel lends
itself well to such repeated readings and is a sure sign of a good book. If you want
to read a heavyweight book in terms of literary merit, but can't face the toil that
seems to come with many worthy books, The Great Gatsby is the book for you.

2. Sample literature review: The Effects of Communication Styles on

Marital Satisfaction
 Hannah Yager

University of West Florida

Abstract

The differences in communication styles between men and women has been a

topic of interest in the research world for many years. These differences may lead to

miscommunication, conflict, and even dissatisfaction between couples. This study

analyzes the communication styles among genders, more specifically among married

couples. It questions how differences in communication styles between married couples

married five years or less affect marital satisfaction. The study will be conducted

through the use of an interaction analysis. Its goal is to increase the amount of

knowledge regarding effective communication and how it relates to marital satisfaction

in order to ultimately aid in the rise of marital satisfaction and the decrease of the

divorce rate in the United States.

 Today, divorce has become a very common part of life, and it is likely that

ineffective communication plays a crucial role in the failure of many marriages.

Communication may lead to the success of a marriage or to its detriment, depending on

its level of effectiveness. This effectiveness of communication is likely connected to the

overall satisfaction of married couples and is worthy to be studied in order to increase

marital satisfaction.

Learning more about the differences in communication styles between men and

women will aid in the more successful sending and receiving of messages, both verbal

and nonverbal. For example, a woman may communicate in a way that has meaning to

her. However, the man receiving the message may interpret it differently than she

intended due to their differences in communication style. This can cause conflict and

lead to further problems in the relationship. However, if the man decoding the message

were familiar with his wife’s style of communication, he may have interpreted it properly

therefore avoiding a conflict situation. The reverse, when men are communicating to

women, is also true. Husbands and wives are interdependent, and their level of

commitment and desire to maintain a healthy relationship often depends on the other

person (Weigel & Ballard-Reisch, 2008).

Conventional wisdom says that there is no such thing as lack of communication.

A person always communicates something, whether intentional or not. Becoming more

aware of how one’s own self communicates will also aid in more healthy communication

between spouses.

This literature review will discuss nonverbal communication styles, including

flirtation, and conflict communication, including communicated perspective-taking.

 This study will further advance communication research by helping people

discover more about their personal communication styles as men and women and by

helping them communicate more effectively with their partners. In a culture where

marriage is considered a risk, it is crucial to conduct studies that will help further the

knowledge on how to have a successful marriage.

Review of Literature

Nonverbal Communication

To many, nonverbal communication may take a back seat to verbal

communication. It is often overlooked and may be deemed unimportant. However, this

aspect of communication speaks volumes. Nonverbal communication may consist of

looking, smiling, frowning, touching, or expressions of surprise as seen in Weisfeld and

Stack’s research study (2002). Women have been found to exhibit these forms of

communication more often than men. Weisfeld and Stack studied nonverbal behaviors

related to the closeness of a couple and found that women looked at their partners for a

significantly longer amount of time as compared to men. The average length of a wife’s

look was 7.5 seconds while the husband’s was 4.5 seconds. However, while men

express less emotion and nonverbal communication, this may not necessarily mean that

they are not listening when their wives speak to them. For instance, Weisfeld and Stack

theorized that men may show less emotion because they have been taught to dampen

emotions such as anger. When a husband and wife have a disagreement, the situation

can escalate quickly if the husband fully expresses his emotions by becoming violent.

Therefore, it was suggested that many men fail to show emotion in general because

they have trained themselves to be “emotionless” in these conflict situations. Sabatelli,

Buck, and Dyer (1982) also suggested that this is true. In their study focusing on

nonverbal communication and its relationship to marital complaints, they found that

wives who had husbands who were good communicators tended to have more

complaints about their husbands. Their hypothesis was that because men are expected

to tone down their emotions, having good nonverbal communication skills may be seen

as socially unacceptable to their wives.

It is important to consider who the more effective communicator is so that we can

learn from each other on how to communicate better. Noller (1980) found that there is a

connection between a couple’s marital adjustment and their skill at communication. She

had each participant first take the Marital Adjustment Test (Locke & Wallace, 1959) to

determine their overall marital satisfaction. Then, after the couples’ communication was

studied, the results showed that those with low marital adjustment demonstrated

considerably fewer good nonverbal communications than those with high marital

adjustment. However, the question must be raised: Do couples have a higher marital

adjustment because they have good communication, or do couples have good

communication because they are happy within their marriage?

Women were found to be better nonverbal communicators across several studies

(Noller, 1980; Sabatelli et al., 1982). However, being an effective communicator

involves both encoding and decoding messages. Women have a natural tendency to be

more expressive. Therefore, men were found to make more errors than women when

encoding messages (Noller, 1980). However, it was also found that women were not

better decoders, or receivers of messages, than men. Though it is quite possible that

this was due to the husbands’ poor ability to encode messages effectively. The same
was found in other studies (Sabatelli et al., 1982; Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2002).

Additional findings by Sabatelli et al. and Koerner and Fitzpatrick also suggest that

familiarity plays a role in how effective nonverbal communication is. In both of their

studies, participants encoded and decoded messages to their partners. The interaction

was recorded and evaluated by judges who attempted to decode the same interactions.

Both studies revealed that the spouses were significantly more skilled at decoding their

partners’ messages, implying that couples may become more successful at interpreting

their spouses’ nonverbal communication over time.

Communication Styles When Flirting. Flirting is often associated with the start

of a couple’s relationship. It is employed when one shows interest in another person or

when one wishes to demonstrate sexual attraction. As demonstrated in Horan and

Booth-Butterfield’s (2010) study, receiving affection is directly related to relational

satisfaction. While giving affection is connected to commitment in a relationship.

However, many may wonder if the act of flirting continues in committed relationships

such as marriage. Is there a reason to flirt within marriage, and if so, how do women

and men differ in their flirtation styles? In Frisby and Booth-Butterfield’s (2012) study on

the purpose of flirtation, they found that a major reason for flirtation within a marriage

was to create a private world between the couple and to motivate sex. They also found

that women were more likely than men to use attentive flirting, in which the woman

shows a great amount of concern for her husband. However in a separate study on

flirtation motivation, men were also found to utilize attentive flirting in order to make their

wives feel beautiful (Frisby, 2009). In concordance with previous research, Frisby found
that men typically flirt to encourage sex, and women often flirt to focus on attention, fun,

and interest in their spouses.

Another difference in flirtation style may occur due to the differences in the

amount of expressiveness between men and women. Weisfeld and Stack (2002)

conducted a study on nonverbal communication related to the closeness of married

couples. Their research shows that on average, women smile and laugh significantly

more than men. According to the same study, 78% of the spontaneous touches that

occurred during the experiment were initiated by women, demonstrating that women’s

flirtation style is much more animated.

Conflict Communication Styles

One inevitable aspect of any marriage is conflict. We as humans will always have

disagreements that must be resolved, and as men and women, we have many

differences in communication styles. It is possible that these differences are the cause

of conflict situations within marriage. Hanzal and Segrin (2009) found this to be true in

their study of negative affectivity, a personality trait that tends to cause distressing

reactions to negative situations. They found that spouses’ use of harmful

communication styles during conflict was directly related to not only their own marital

satisfaction but also their partners’.

During conflict, husbands and wives may demonstrate positive problem solving,

positive verbal communication, compliance, defensiveness, stubbornness, conflict

engagement, withdrawal from interaction, contempt, anger, fear, sadness, and whining,

as revealed by Gottman and Krokoff (1989). In their study on what makes a marriage

satisfying, they found that the use of these types of communication by certain spouses
may lead to dissatisfaction in a marriage. For example, defensiveness, stubbornness,

and withdrawal were found to produce marital discontent over time, especially when

exhibited by the husband. Based on this research study, it is evident that marital

satisfaction is more related to negative communication than positive. It was revealed

that, in particular, the wives’ sadness and the husbands’ whining, examples of negative

communication, were both connected to overall marital dissatisfaction. Interestingly, it

was also discovered that spouses were more content in their marriages when the wives

expressed anger during conflict and less content when they expressed fear and

sadness. One explanation for this could be that men respond better when their wives

communicate in similar way as they do such as being direct when expressing

frustration.

Another aspect of conflict communication is partner appraisal, or a spouse’s

perceptions of the other (Sanford, 2006). In Sanford’s study, three types of appraisal

were studied: expectancies for partner understanding, expectancies for partner negative

communication, and negative attributions for partner behavior. He maintained that

based on a spouse’s appraisal of the other, his/her behavior will change. For example, if

the wife expects her husband to be harsh and negative when a conflict arises, she will

begin the argument already in a defensive mode. On the contrary, if she expects her

husband to be accepting and kind, she will act in the same manner. Sanford’s study

found that wives’ expectancies produced within-person behavior change more so than

men’s, implying that women are more susceptible to the effects of their appraisal.

Communicated Perspective-Taking. One way to resolve marital conflict

effectively is for both spouses to see things through the other’s point of view. Kellas and
colleagues (2013) referred to it as perspective-taking. It demonstrates that a person

cares for his/her spouse and is making a conscious effort to resolve any issues. The

research team found that the main way spouses sensed perspective-taking from their

partners was through agreement behaviors such as confirmation, supportiveness, and

taking ownership of faults. However, there were significant differences in how husbands

and wives perceived perspective-taking individually. When husbands observed negative

or unsupportive behaviors from their wives more often, they were less likely to rate them

as understanding their perspectives. When husbands observed attentiveness from their

wives, they were more likely to see them as taking their perspectives. Conversely,

negative behaviors, such as inattentiveness and disagreement, were the only factors

that related to wives’ perceptions about their husbands’ perspective-taking, verifying the

differences in communication preferences between men and women. Overall, this study

demonstrates the great effects of negative communication on the perceptions of

perspective-taking between spouses.

Communication among couples is a topic that has been thoroughly studied.

However, further study of the differences in communication styles between men and

women will lead to better understanding. Specifically, communication among newlywed

couples should be studied in order to learn what may be causing strife early in a

marriage and ultimately lead to better understanding of how to maintain a successful

marriage. Therefore, the following research question is raised.

RQ: How do differences in communication styles between married couples

married five years or less affect marital satisfaction?

Method

To answer the proposed research question, I would utilize interaction analysis.

The sampling frame would consist of any person who has obtained a marriage license

in Florida within the last five years, which would produce a diverse group of newlywed

people who have varying incomes, careers, and education. To choose the sample,

systematic sampling would be employed. The twenty third name on the list would be

selected and every twentieth name from that point on would be chosen. Forty couples

would be selected.

To begin the study, participants would first be asked to take the Marital

Adjustment Test (Locke and Wallace, 1959) individually and in private to determine their

satisfaction in marriage. In the next part of the research process, three types of

communication would be examined: nonverbal, conflict, and flirtation. To assess

nonverbal communication, couples would be placed in a room that contained a kitchen

and everything they may need to cook a meal. Recipes would be provided and couples

would be asked to make a three course meal with their spouses. The interaction would

be videotaped and transcribed. A coding scheme would be developed based on the

different types of nonverbal cues that occurred. To evaluate conflict communication,

participants would be prompted to tell a story about a time when they experienced a

stressful or tense time in their marriage. Again, the interaction would be videotaped and

transcribed, and the coding scheme would be developed based on the different types of

positive and negative conflict communication that occurred. Flirtation among spouses

would be assessed throughout the entire research process including cooking the meal

and discussing a stressful time in marriage. The data produced would be compared to
participants’ scores on the Marital Adjustment Test to determine how their

communication style relates to their marital satisfaction.

 References

Frisby, B.B. & Booth-Butterfield, M. (2012). The “how” and “why” of flirtatious

communication between marital partners. Communication Quarterly, 60(4), 465-

480.

Frisby, B.N. (2009). “Without flirting, it wouldn’t be a marriage”: Flirtatious

communication between relational partners. Qualitative Research Reports in

Communicatio, 10(1), 55-60. doi: 10.1080/17459430902839066

Gottman, J.M. & Krokoff, L.J. (1989). Marital interaction and satisfaction: A longitudinal

view. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(1), 47-52.

Hanzal, A. & Segrin, C. (2009). The Role of Conflict Resolution Styles in Mediating the

Relationship Between Enduring Vulnerabilities and Marital Quality. Journal of

Familty Communication, 9(3), 150-169. doi: 10.1080/15267430902945612

Horan, S.M. & Booth-Butterfield, M. (2010). Investing in affection: An investigation of

affection exchange theory and relational qualities. Communication Quarterly,

58(4), 394-413. doi: 10.1080/01463373.2010.524876

Kellas, J.K., Willer, E.K., & Trees, A.R. (2013). Communicated perspective-taking during

stories of marital stress: spouses’ perceptions of one another’s perspective-

taking behaviors. The Southern Communication Journal, 78, 326-351. dio:

10.1080/1041794X.2013.815264

Koerner, A. & Fitzpatrick, M.A. (2002). Nonverbal communication and marital

adjustment and satisfaction: The role of decoding relationship relevant

relationship irrelevant affect. Communication Monographs, 69(1), 33-51. doi:

10.1080/03637750216537
Locke, H.J. & Wallace, K.M. (1959). Short marital-adjustment and prediction tests: Their

reliability and validity. Marriage and Family Living, 21(3), 251-255.

Noller, P. (1980). Misunderstandings in marital communication: A study of couples’

nonverbal communication. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 39(6),

1135-1148.

Sabatelli, R.M., Buck, R. & Dreyer, A. (1982). Nonverbal communication accuracy in

married couples: Relationship with marital complaints. Journal of Personality &

Social Psychology, 43(5), 1088-1097.

Sanford, K. (2006). Communication during marital conflict: When couples alter their

appraisal, they change their behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, 20(2), 256-

265. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.20.2.256

Weigel, D.J. & Ballard-Reisch, D.S. (2008). Relational maintenance, satisfaction, and

commitment in marriages: An actor-partner analysis. Journal of Family

Communication, 8(3), 212-229. doi: 10.1080/15267430802182522

Weisfeld, C.C. & Stack, M. A. (2002). When I look into your eyes. Psychology, Evolution

& Gender, 4(2), 125-147. doi: 10.1080/1461666031000063656

 Cyberbullying: Literature review

How Physical Intimidation Influences the Way People are Bullied

Tyler Maxwell

University of West Florida

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore some of the different variables that

influence people to become cyber bullies. The study seeks to answer the research

question, How does the lack of the physical intimidation effect people’s inclination

to cyber bully? The goal is to analyze the demographics of cyber bullies and

determine weather or not there is a physical influence on this growing trend

Since the beginning of time people have always had to deal with bullies. Just

like anything else, however, things tend to evolve with technology. With the

evolution of social media and technology some adolescence as well as adults are

simply unable to escape harassment from their peers in school and in the

workplace. This social phenomenon is what has come to be known as

cyberbullying. According to Willard (2004) there are eight different forms of

cyberbullying, which include Flaming (online fights), Harassment (sending vulgar

messages), Denigration (posting gossip), impersonation, outing (sharing peoples

secrets), trickery (tricking someone into sharing secrets), exclusion, and

cyberstalking.

The platforms for this to occur have become countless, from well-known

social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, to smaller sites that allow

you remain anonymous such as Yik Yak and ask.com. The days are gone of having

to be the biggest meanest kid in the schoolyard to hurt others. Now it doesn’t

matter your size, age, gender, or social standing if you want to bully someone.

People can now create their own anonymous personas or simply continue to bully

others online after they have left school or work.

There have been several instances in the news over the last few years of

people who have taken their own lives due to the constant ridicule from their peers.

Because of this researchers have started to take notice of this new social issue and

have performed numerous studies analyzing different aspects of cyberbullying

such as the types of people who bully, the prevalence of cyberbullying, and the

effects on the victims, but one thing that hasn’t been studied is whether or not the

lack of physical intimidation effects people likelihood to become cyberbullies.

This study is going to include extensive research into the motivations to

cyberbully as well as its influence on the aggressors and victims and the
relationships between the two. We will also examine the different techniques

cyberbullies employ as well as the techniques that victims use in order to cope with

the harassment.

Review of Literature

Prevelance of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is something that is has become a new social phenomenon in

today’s society. It can often times leave students unable to escape their bullies and

leave them feeling alone and helpless. Faucher, Jackson, and Cassidy(2014)

performed a study on 1925 students across four Canadian universities that found

24.1 percent of students had been the victims of cyberbullying over the last twelve

months. These shocking numbers show that nearly one in every four people have

been the victims of this phenomenon. This statistic is interesting however because

when compared to studies that were done amongst younger age students you see

that the numbers are drastically different. Wegge, Vandebosch, and

Eggermont(2014) found that among 1,458 13-14 year old students that

considerably less students reported being cyberbullied. This is very similar to what

Vanderbosch and Van Cleemput (2009) found among 2052 students in the 12-18

ranges which concluded that 11.1 percent of students had been victims of

cyberbullying. This research concludes that cyberbullying appears to be more

prevelant in students as they get older. Wegge et al. (2014) also noted that 30.8

percent had been victims of traditional bullying.

This raises the question as to why it seems to be less prevalent among

younger students. Is it possible that they simply don’t have as much access to the

tools of cyberbullying that students at the university level have, or they possibly

aren’t as technologically advances as their older peers? It continues to raise

questions about the issue of cyberbullying as well as what classifies the

perpetrators as well as what are their reasons for harming others.

The types of people who bully. An important factor when analyzing

cyberbullying is trying to understand the types of people who are the aggressors.

The first thing that needs to be discussed when analyzing this is the simple matter

of gender when it comes to who is generally the aggressor. Slonje and Smith

(2008) found that when it comes to cyberbullying males are more often than not

the aggressors with males being reported as the cyberbully far more often than

females. Slonje et al (2008) also found that 36.2 percent of students were unaware

of the gender of their aggressors. This is intriguing because for one its is the same

percentage as the number of males who bullied, but most importantly because it

shows that over 1 in 3 students don’t actually know who is bullying them, which

adds to the fear and stigma that is related to cyberbullying and not being able to

escape the perpetrators.

 The types of people who are victims. Researchers have also conducted

various studies on the types of people who are cyberbullied, or what is often

referred to as “cybervictomology”. Abeele and Cock (2013) conducted a study,

which concluded that the gender of victims varied greatly depending on the form

of cyberbullying. Abeele et al. (2013) found that males are more likely to be on the

receiving end of direct cyberbullying while females are more likely to be the

victims of indirect cyberbullying such as online gossip among peers. These

findings appear to remain true to social social norms where males are viewed as

more confrontational and females are often stereotyped as gossipers.

While not many studies look at the gender of the victims many studies do

research things such as the characteristics of the victims. Faucher et al. (2014)

found that there were numerous reasons that people felt they were the victims of

cyberbullying such as their personal appearance, interpersonal problems, as well as

simply having discrepancies about their views. Davis, Randall, Ambrose, and

Orand (2015) also conducted a study about victims and their demographics, which

looked at the reasons people, were cyberbullied. Some of the results in the Davis et

al. (2015) study addressed other reasons for being bullied in which they found that

14 percent of victims had been bullied because of factors such as their sexual

orientation.
 These are all very important because it fits the profile of the traditional bully

that many people envision but it shows that it transfers over into the cyber world as

well. This leads on further questions about the relationship between the two and

how the cyberbullying is influencing where and how the harassment is continuing.

The relationship between bully and victim. The relationship between

aggressor and victim is also something that has been heavily research among

professionals. Beran and Li (2007) conducted a study that involved 432 middle

school students and concluded that just under half of the studnets had been victims

of cyberbullying as well as traditional bullying. This is true across multiple studies.

Wegge et al. (2014) also concluded that people who were bullied in traditional

manners had a much higher likelihood to become victims of cyberbullying.

Another interesting relationship between bully and victim is that studies have also

shown that people who are victims are likely to become aggressors in the online

world. Beran et al. (2007) confirms this by stating, “students who are bullied

through technology are likely to us technology to bully others”. Faucher et al.

(2014) also found similar results claiming that male and female students decided to

bully people online because they were bullied first.

Research has also been done that looks at how the bullies find their victims.

Wegge et al. (2014) studied the perpetrators preferences in victims and found that

27 percent were in the same grade, 14.2 percent were in different grades and a
staggering 49.6 percent were not schoolmates of the bullies. This evidence

somewhat contradicts that of the other studies that state victims are generally

bullied at school and at home because it shows that nearly half of the bullies prefer

to bully people they don’t go to school with and possibly have do not know at all.

This continues to build and add to the idea of cyberbullying in that it allows bullies

to create their own personas and images in order to try and intimidate and

influence others without actually providing a physical intimidation factor.

Effects of Cyberbullying

The first part of this literature review focused on the demographics of the

bullies and their victims, but now we will focus on the lasting effects and the

trauma it brings to the victims as well as the different forms of cyberbullying.

While the platforms used are different the lasting effects that the bullying has on

the victims are very similar. Faucher et al. (2014) concluded that one of the main

effects that cyberbullies had on university students was that they were unable to

accomplish some of their school assignments. While many people think of effects

of bullying to be simply depression or low self esteem this study brought light to a

much different more unexpected issues. Beran et al. (2007) also found similar

responses from victims of cyberbullying claiming that they often didn’t achieve the

same marks in school and had lower concentration. These findings indicate that the
lasting impact that a cyberbully has on their victims is often more harmful than

what most people can see on the surface.

Pieschl, Porsch, Kahl, and Klockenbusch (2013) found that cybervictims

generally were less distressed during the second confrontation with a cyberbully.

This interesting finding indicates that victims of cyberbullies may actually become

desensitized to the aggression over time lessening the effects of the bullying.

Victims coping techniques. When being faced by a bully it is important that

victims learn to cope and move on from their experiences in order to prevent them

from suffering in their personal and professional life like some of the victims in

previous studies. Davis et al. (2014) conducted a study on victim coping

techniques where they broke the techniques into two distinct categories, which

were behavioral and cognitive strategies. Davis et al. (2014) found that 74 percent

of participants preferred behavioral strategies and of those 74 percent, 69 percent

of those people found the strategies to be effective. These behavioral strategies

included seeking social support, making a creative outlet, or ignoring and blocking

the bully. Because of the growing trend of cyberbullying there have been people

who have developed different programs to help raise awareness for cyberbullying

as well as offer help to the victims. One of these programs is known as

Cyberprogram 2.0. Garaigordobil and Martinez-Valderrey (2015) conducted a

study testing the effectiveness of this program and found that it was effective in
decreasing the amount of traditional as well as cyberbullying, but also and more

importantly it raised empathy among classmates towards the victims of these

actions. This is a big step in combatting bullying because peers are constantly

influencing each other. If the general consensus among the class is that bullying is

not funny and not right because they empathize with the victims than it can go a

long way in changing the social norm. If the attention is not longer given to the

bully by classmates and victims it could potentially cut back on the frequency of

this act.

With that being said it raises the question instead of trying to cope, why not

just remove yourself from the situation all together and not give the bully what

they desire? Arntfield (2005) discussed the risk associated with using social media

and concluded that “intrinsic rewards that were not tied directly to winning as

much as they were to fantasies of power, celebrity, sexuality, and elevated social

status that came with participating, win or lose.”. This conclusion is one that is

very accurate and relevant to the way adolescence as well as university level

students think in today’s society. The fact of the matter is in order to fit in and be

considered “cool” amongst your peers you need to be on social media to

understand many of the things that are talked about amongst students. Whether it

be trending hashtags, viral videos, or popular memes these are all things that are

commonly shared and talked about between peers. While students may run the risk
of being bullied on these sites, they also run the risk of being bullied for not

knowing the newest updates in our culture, it is truly a viscous cycle.

Forms of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying gives the bully a much larger

spectrum to choose from when it comes to how exactly they want to intimidate

their victims which may be why it is often easier for them to carry out the act. Of

all the different ways to cyberbully Faucher et al. (2014) found the most common

platforms for cyberbullying to be social media, text messaging, and email which

were used to bully students about half of the time followed up by blogs forums and

chat rooms which were 25 percent. This is no surprise that social media is the most

common platform for cyberbullying because it can allow for the bully to remain

completely anonymous to your average victim. This allows people who may not fit

the mold of your average bully to create a fake account and build their own

persona in order to bully others. Multiple studies also address a critical factor of

using social media or the Internet to bully others, which is that; the photos or

hurtful comments, can remain in cyberspace virtually forever. Davis et al. (2014)

mentions how they received viewed several responses that talked about “how their

traditional bullying experience would have been magnified if they had occurred in

todays digital era”. Faucher et al. (2014) also talk about how cyberbullying has a

longer “shelf life” than your average bullying. This plays such a huge role because

with the aggressive material on the internet it can often be revisited and the pain
can constantly be brought back to light for the victims making the experience that

much more traumatic.

Social media is very prevelant among cyberbullies but there is also extensive

research done on cell phones and the role they play in the act of cyberbullying.

Abeele et al. (2013) studied various aspects of mobile phone bullying and found

that the most prevalent type was gossiping via text message, followed by gossiping

over the phone, and concluded with threatening others over text message. Abeele

et al. (2013) also found that girls were more often than not the perpetrators of

gossiping while boys made slightly more threats via cell phone. This numbers tend

lean towards the stereotype of females being more of gossipers and males

generally being more aggressive and physical. This is also interesting because

shows that that society’s stereotypes appear to remain true even in a cyberworld.

RQ1: How does the lack of the physical intimidation effect people’s inclination to
cyber bully?

Method

If I were to conduct this study I think the best way to do so would be by a

combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. I would choose to use survey

research as well as focus groups in order to study these behaviors and why they

happen as opposed to traditional bullying. By using survey research I would be

able to uncover whether or not people are actually inclined to cyberbully due to

physical factors and the focus groups would be beneficial in trying to understand

why people become cyberbullies. By using the two different types of research it

also will allow for the study to be more diverse and look at different angles of

cyberbullying, which will result in having a better understanding of this

phenomenon.

Sample Selection

For my sample I would choose to use a convenience sample. The age I want

to study would be 15 to 23 year olds. I would reach out to the local high schools as

well as the local universities and use the students who were willing to participate in

the study. Based on the number of students in Escambia county between high

school and college aged students I would like to have five thousand survey

responses and two thousand five hundred volunteers for focus groups. I would

allow students to participate in both aspects of the study if they were interested in

doing so.

Procedure
 For my study it will be important to base a 10-15 question survey on more

than simply if a student is a cyberbully or how often they bully others but rather

physical aspects of the bully. The survey would be completely anonymous and

would ask questions about whether they have cyberbullied someone before,

followed up with questions about gender, body size, and the gender and body types

of their victims. For the focus groups I would split the participants up in groups of

6-8 based on age and gender. I would focus on questions about why they may or

may not be inclined to bully others online. I would then combine the data I

collected and use it in order to answer my research question.

References

Abeele, M., & Cock, R. (2013). Cyberbullying by mobile phone among

adolescents: The role of gender and peer group status. Communications: The

European Journal of Communication Research, 38(1), 107-118.

Doi:10.1515/commun-2013-0006

Arntfield, M. (2015). Toward a Cybervictimology: Cyberbullying, Routine

Activities Theory, and the Anti-Sociality of Social Media. Canadian Journal

Of Communication, 40(3), 371-388.

Beran, T., & Li, Q. (2007). The relationship between cyberbullying and school

bullying. Journal of Student Wellbeing, 1(2), 15-33.

Davis, K., Randall, D. P., Ambrose, A., & Orand, M. (2015). ‘I was bullied too’:

stories of bullying and coping in an online community. Information,

Communication & Society, 18(4), 357-375.

doi:10.1080/1369118X.2014.952657

Faucher, C., Jackson, M., & Cassidy, W. (2014). Cyberbullying among University

Students: Gendered Experiences, Impacts, and Perspectives. Education

Research International, 1. doi:10.1155/2014/698545

Garaigordobil, M., & Martinez-Valderrey, V. (2015). Effects of cyberprogram 2.0

on 'face-to-face' bullying, cyberbullying, and empathy. Psicothema, 27(1), 45-

51. doi:10.7334/psicothema201478

Pieschl, S., Porsch, T., Kahl, T., & Klockenbusch, R. (2013). Relevant dimensions

of cyberbullying — Results from two experimental studies. Journal Of

Applied Developmental Psychology, 34241-252.

doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2013.04.002

Slonje, R., & Smith, P. K. (2008). Cyberbullying: Another main type of bullying?.

Scandinavian Journal Of Psychology, 49(2), 147-154. doi:10.1111/j.1467-

9450.2007.00611.x
Vanderbosch, H., & Van Cleemput, K. (2009). Cyberbullying among youngsters:

profiles of bullies and victims. New Media & Society, 11(8), 1349-1371.

doi:10.1177/1461444809341263

Wegge, D., Vandebosch, H., & Eggermont, S. (2014). Who bullies whom online:

A social network analysis of cyberbullying in a school context.

Communications: The European Journal Of Communication Research, 39(4),

415-433. doi:10.1515/commun-2014-0019

Willard N, 2004, ‘An educator’s guide to cyberbullying and cyberthreats’,

<new.csriu.org/cyberbully/docs/cbcteducator.pdf> viewed September, 2015.

Living with chronic illnesses: How are those with a chronic illness treated by their

families since their diagnosis?: literature review

Maura K. Little

University of West Florida

Abstract

This study aims to figure out what the relationship and meaning of the ways that a family

treats a family member with a chronic mental or physical illness. The exploration of the way

those with a chronic illness are treated since their diagnosis is important to understand the

perceptions, behaviors, and communication that surrounds illness. Chronic mental illness will be

analyzed against chronic physical illness to assess similarities and differences in family
behaviors. Participants included individuals selected from local support groups based on their

illness as well as family structure. An ethnographic study would be used to compare both the

verbal and nonverbal relationship between the ill family member and the rest of the family.

Introduction

This study aimed to focus on both physical chronic illnesses and mental chronic illnesses

and their effects on family communication, particularly surrounding the diagnosis of the

illnesses.

Family has a large impact on the perceptions of illness. In recent times, the publicity

around individuals with chronic illnesses, both mental and physical, has increased dramatically

in the media. From the production of films about those with physical chronic illnesses to

celebrity diagnosis of a mental illness, illness is something our society is beginning to talk about

more frequently. However there are certain stigmas attached to these illnesses that make it harder

for patients and their families to cope with their situation. Most often because of the portrayals of

chronic illness that romanticize illnesses and do not necessarily show all of the effects of these

illnesses on the patient or their family.

Both mental and physical chronic illnesses are much more complex than how they are

portrayed in the media. These illnesses often produce copious amounts of side effects that bring a

whole new level of challenges to the patient's struggle through their daily life and readjustment

after diagnosis. One effect that is often not publicized as much as others is the relationships that

exist between the patient and their family. These family relationships may change drastically

with the diagnosis of and grappling with a chronic illness, changing how family members

perceive one another, how they act, and even how they communicate. All of these things depend

upon the nature of the family, and the illness and produce different changes. However, through
all different types of families and illnesses, communication in situations like these is essential to

understanding one another. According to Rosland (2009), several interviews and focus groups

showed that family members lowered stress, and are central to patient success. In most instances,

the family is the primary caregiver to someone with a mental or physical chronic illness, and the

family relationship is important in the healing process due to proximity and the support received

from family members. The diagnosis of a chronic illness has the potential to change the fabric of

the family dynamic to help accommodate to the family member who is ill.

While it is clear that families often change to accommodate, it is unclear how family

members communication changes since the diagnosis of a chronic illness, if change is present at

all. Which begs the question: How are those with a chronic illness treated by their families since

their diagnosis? Little research exists regarding the potential changes associated with the new

found illness. Answering this question will help to make those in a family with one or more

person who is chronically ill more aware of their own behavior, and will also shed light on the

patients perception of their illness, and how that has been influenced by the family’s

communication about the illness.

This study is essential to the communication field, particularly health communication,

because it adds to the ongoing conversation about how to understand people who are chronically

ill and treat them in a world where in 2012, 117 million people had one or more chronic health

issues (Ward et al., 2014). This study will explore both chronic physical and mental illness in the

context of the family, focusing on marriage, parent-child relationships, and the use of narratives.

This will help assess the problems that come with illness, and find out what happens to family

communication when a family member gets diagnosed with a chronic illness.

Literature Review
 Chronic physical illness and chronic mental illnesses are reviewed separately here due to

the tremendous differences in the two. In this study they will be compared against one another to

cross analyze the differences and similarities in how the family member is treated depending

upon their type of illness.

Chronic Physical Illness

Chronic physical illnesses vary in types and intensity, but have one characteristic in

common: they recur throughout time, usually at random intervals. The uncertainty that comes

along with a diagnosis along these lines can greatly effect family communication and

relationships.

Marriage. Marriage is the basis of most families in many cultures. Keeping the marital

bond strong could be very difficult in the face of a chronic physical illness. A chronic physical

illness could potentially change the daily lives and interactions of the entire marital relationship.

It is important to discuss the communication that occurs around theses illnesses in order to

understand how those who have one have been treated since their diagnosis based on research

already conducted around similar communication processes. Badr and Acitelli (2005) found that

in couples that used relationship talk, or talking about the nature and direction of the relationship,

chronically ill couples had more benefit than a couple that did not include someone who had a

chronic physical illness did. This literature proves that in a situation where a spouse is

chronically ill, it is important to use communication to make one another aware of certain things

such as how one felt about a situation, or what one needs or expects from their partners. Talking

about the state of the relationship can be helpful for chronically ill people to express fears in

relation to their illness and the marriage. Berg and Upchurch (2007) suggested that collaborative

talk is the type of communication that is commonly correlated with positive results. This shows
that it is important for married couples to talk about their situation together to keep their

relationship strong since these tactics have been proven to be helpful for the couple. Shuff and

Sims (2013) add on to this by stating that couples that are aware of their partner’s expectations of

communication in the marriage are more successful in supporting one another. Being aware of

the partner’s desires and being able to fill them is central to satisfaction in the relationships’

functioning. Marital coping and sharing is not limited to relationship talk though. Another

powerful way of sharing within the family is through narrative.

Narratives. Something that is strongly recognized and praised throughout literature on

chronic physical illnesses is narratives. Several studies (Freeman & Couchonnal, 2006; Ott

Anderson & Geist Martin, 2003; Walker & Dickson, 2004) stress the importance of narratives

for the family healing process. Narratives are beneficial because they allow research to capture

personal accounts of illness, and let the ill person be a gatekeeper to their own information about

their illness. Ott Anderson and Geist Martin (2003) state that those with a chronic physical

illness are more likely to actively share if their feelings and perceptions are confirmed by other

people, especially friends and family. Some chronic illnesses have a negative social stigma to

them, and confirmation that people will be respectful is important to getting the patient to open

up about their experiences. Narratives and storytelling help families to communicate about

changes that have taken place. Ott Anderson and Geist Martin (2003) conclude that the ever

changing identity in the face of illness never stops, it is an endless development. Sharing through

narrative in cases of chronic physical illness has the potential to better family communication

because the patient is able to clearly and concisely explain what is happening to them from their

personal point of view. This can help the family identify what the patient has gone through, as

well as understand new emerging identities. However, Lorde (1980) points out an important
paradox where sometimes patients may be empowered by giving a narrative account of their

story, while others may feel anxiety from reliving those moments of their life. According to

Grotcher and Edwards (1990), when participants used communication to reduce their fear of

their illness, they were likely to communicate about their illness more often. Walker and Dickson

(2004) show that narratives are important in understanding and meeting the expectations of the

family members when they are chronically ill. Often times people will have expectations for

their family members without verbally expressing them, leaving family members more often

than not confused about what direction to take. However, a narrative or forms of storytelling in

the case of a chronic physical illness may reflect some of the patients unfulfilled needs, and help

family members to identify them.

Chronic Mental Illness

A chronic mental illness can be extremely hard for families to cope with given the

negative social stigmas that exist about the illness in most societies around the world today. A

chronic mental illness in a family member could lead to almost constant care and monitoring,

depending upon the illness and the intensity. Families may find it difficult to cope with or come

to terms with a family member’s diagnosis of a chronic mental illness due to the many

challenges it presents. Much of the literature surrounding mental illness in the family is

psychology based, and there is a strong need for communication based studies to better

understand these unique families.

Marriage. An important aspect of the family dynamic is marriage. It is the foundation of

most families, and gives people feelings of stability. Communication is essential to marriage, but

little literature exists exploring the communication around a diagnosis of a mental illness.

However, much literature exists on its effects on marriage. Perry (2014) focused on social
networks and stigma in relation to those with a serious mental illness. A spouse is a very

prominent and strong part of a married person’s social network. If someone is entering or exiting

a marriage, their social network changes in many different ways. Perry (2014) found that the

stigma of a mental illness had contact with the social network and the relationship between the

two works ambiguously together. Meaning that the social network responded to the mental

illness through their own thinking, and proving that spouses typically control family

conversations. Spouses decide the climate of the family views and values towards different

topics as they raise their offspring, if they choose to have any. Segrin (2006) shows that there is a

strong call for communication scholars to explore the way that families interact, especially about

mental illness, and that a positive or a negative attitude can set a precedent for what future family

communication will be like based off of how spouses interact. The different communication

processes that couples partake in set examples for children to interact based on. Adding mental

illness to the mixture, Schmaling and Jacobson (1990) show that wives that are depressed are

more likely to make an aggressive comment to their husbands than wives that are not depressed

would, and depressed wives have less positive discussions than their counterparts. These

aggressive statements could likely become a stressor for the marriage or produce a negative

schemata of marriage for children or adolescents in the family. Segrin (2006) offers that

depression has a large impact on the family, and usually just creates more problems that tends to

result in fueling depression. However this assertion could also be true of the communication

patterns surrounding may other types of mental illnesses in the family.

Parent-Child. Looking at the parent-child relationship in reference to mental illnesses, it

is known that parents are the primary caregivers to children and adolescents with chronic mental

illnesses. Literature mainly focuses on the illness from the parents’ perspective, rather than the
child’s, suggesting that little is known about children’s perceptions of their parents’ mental

illnesses. Richardson, Cobham, McDermott, and Murray (2013) explained that parent’s feelings

of loss about an adult child with a mental illness focuses on grieving about ambiguous losses,

like the child’s loss of self or identity. This loss and grieving process has the potential to shape

the families behaviors and patterns of communications. Since there are usually no tangible

effects of a mental illness, parents may often find it hard to cope with a diagnosis and come to

terms with it. Even harder for families to process is the fact that in most cultures and societies in

the world, there is a negative social stigma to having a mental illness. Richardson et al. (2013)

also noted that parental grief over the child’s mental illness was not socially acceptable. Several

studies (Richardson et al., 2013; Chadda, 2014) discussed this notion that parents felt as though

the illness or their own grief should be hidden because it is not socially acceptable. Most of the

struggles that parents in this situation face are with the topics of self-concepts and identities, with

variance to whether it is their own, or their child’s’. Richardson et al. (2013) found that the

child’s illness changed the parents own identity. Since the identity and self are such fluid

concepts, it is important to understand the self and different identities as well as the changes that

occur with the two in accordance to both the parents, and the children. There is little literature in

regards to mental health’s effects on self-concepts and identities. Aside from the self, another

important factor to contend when discussing mental illness between the parents and children is

parenting styles effects on these children with mental illnesses. Hamond and Schrodt (2012)

explored the effects of the different parenting styles on children’s mental health and concluded

that there was no statistically significant evidence that the different styles had an effect on mental

health. However Hamond and Schrodt (2012) continued by noting that findings indicated that

acts of affection and authority make limited, but important, improvements to the child’s mental
health. When it is the parent in the relationship who is mentally ill, the communication process is

entirely different. As found in Van Loon, Van de Ven, Van Doesum, Witteman, and Hosman

(2014), where adolescents internalizing and externalizing behaviors were correlated to parents

mental illness. Parents with mental illnesses were found to have a negative effect on the

adolescent or child, the whole family, and even the parent and child’s interactions (Van Loon et

al., 2014). This literature exemplifies that parental mental illness controls more channels of

communication than a child or adolescent’s mental illness does. While much literature exists

about families and mental illness, unfortunately very few scholars focus on the talk that occurs

about the family member with the illness, and the communication around this topic.

Reviewing the literature leads back to the question: how are those with a chronic illness

treated by their families since their diagnosis? Analyzing both mental and physical illnesses and

the family communication processes around them are essential to furthering the conversation that

communication scholars are creating to understand these unique families.

Methodology

To answer the given research question, qualitative methods would be most appropriate to

find an answer. Literature on related topics suggests that qualitative methods are most

appropriate (Badr & Acitelli, 2005; Berg & Upchurch, 2007; Chadda, 2014; Freeman &

Couchonnal, 2006; Hamond & Schrodt, 2012; Ott Anderson & Geist Martin, 2003; Richardson

et al., 2013). An ethnographic study should be used because as Keyton (2011) states, it “…

allows the researcher to observe and understand how communication is generated and responded

to in a particular context” (p. 300). This would aim to aid researchers’ in their quest to

understand the relationship of participants who are ill in relation to their family members. This

would involve a nonrandom sampling strategy to get the combination of characteristics needed
for the study. Specifically, purposive sampling, to be able to get close and personal enough with

the participants to have them share details about their personal lives.

This purposive sample depends upon researchers knowing what is typical and atypical of

the populations they are studying. A sampling frame of an exhaustive list of chronic physical and

mental illnesses will be created, and participants will be selected based on whether or not they, or

someone in their immediate family, has one of the listed illnesses. The sample will be selected by

going to local support groups for individuals with both mental and physical illnesses. A wide

array of illnesses will be selected, and age will be as varied as possible. Participants who are

selected will be contacted via e-mail or phone call to ask them to participate in the study.

Once participants respond and confirm their consent to take part in the study, the

researcher will begin to go into the family home and talk to family members. Since ethnography

is similar to a participant observation study, the researcher needs to build a relationship with the

families being studied, especially with those who have the mental or physical illness, if possible,

to assess the changes that have occurred in behavior since the diagnosis. Once trust is

established, the researcher can come in and begin recording the conversations about the

diagnosis time, and how participants felt. This data will be compared to stories from before the

diagnosis period, for both mental and physical illness affected families. A list of operationalized

concepts such as: love, affirmation, avoidance, and fear, will be created to classify the nonverbal

actions towards the ill family member. Collecting both verbal and nonverbal accounts can give a

better representation of the true behaviors of family members’ actions, both verbally and

nonverbally towards the chronically ill family member. An analysis of the responses in relation

to the stories around the diagnosis and before the diagnosis will be compared to the observed

actions of the families in relation to the ill family member. Once this has been done for both
chronic mental illness and chronic physical illness, the results will be cross analyzed to compare

and contrast the different verbal and nonverbal communication styles. Using ethnography will

allow for an in depth and lengthy analysis of these different families, and the effects of mental

illnesses and physical illnesses on family communication

References

Badr, H., & Acitelli, L. K., (2005). Dyadic adjustment in chronic illness: Does relationship talk

matter? Journal of Family Psychology. 19(3), 465-469. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.19.3.465

Berg, C. A., & Upchurch, R., (2007). A developmental-contextual model of couples coping with

chronic illness across the adult lifespan. Psychological Bulletin. 133(6), 920-954.

Chadda, R. K., (2014). Caring for the family caregivers of persons with mental illness. Indian

Journal of Psychiatry. 56(3), 221-227. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.140616

Freeman, E. M., & Couchonnal, G., (2006). Narratives and culturally based approaches in

practices with families. The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. 43(3), 198-208.

Grotcher, J. M., & Edwards, R., (1990). Coping strategies of cancer patients: Actual

communication and imagined interactions. Health Communication. 2, 255-266.

Hamond, J. D., & Schrodt, P., (2012). Do parental styles moderate the association between

family conformity orientation and young adults’ mental well-being?. The Journal of

Family Communication. 12, 151-166. doi: 10.1080/15267431.2011.561149

Keyton, J., (2011). Communication research asking questions, finding answers.New York:

McGraw Hill.

Lorde, A., (1980). The cancer journals. San Francisco: Sheba.

Ott Anderson, J., & Geist Martin, P., (2003). Narratives and healing: Exploring one family’s

stories of cancer survivorship. Health Communication. 15(2), 133-143.

Perry, B. L., (2013). Symptoms, stigma, or secondary social disruption: three mechanisms of

network dynamics in severe mental illness. Journal of Social and Personal

Relationships. 31(1), 32-53. doi: 10.1177/0265407513484632

Richardson, M., Cobham, V., McDermott, B., & Murray, J., (2013). Youth mental illness and the

family: parents’ loss and grief. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 22, 719-736. doi:

10.1007/s10826-012-9625-x

Rosland, A., (2009). Sharing the care: the role of family in chronic illness. California

Healthcare Foundation, 1-27. Retrieved from http://www.chcf.org/~/media/MEDIA

%20LIBRARY%20Files/PDF/F/PDF%20FamilyInvolvement_Final.pdf

Schmaling, K. B., & Jacobson, N. S., (1990). Marital interaction and depression. Journal of

Abnormal Psychology. 99, 229-236.

Segrin, C., (2006). Family interactions and well-being: integrative perspectives. The Journal of

Family Communication. 6(1), 3-21.

Shuff, J., & Sims, J. D., (2013). Communication Perceptions Related to Life-Threatening Illness

in a Relationship: A Q Methodology Study. Florida Communication Journal, 41(2), 81-

96.

Van Loon, L. M. A., Van de Ven, M. O. M., Van Doesum, K. T. M., Witteman, C. L. M., &

Hosman, Clemens M. H., (2014). The relation between parental mental illness and

adolescent mental health: the role of family factors. Journal of Child and Family Studies.

23, 1201-1214. doi: 10.1007/s10826-013-9781-7

Walker, K. L., & Dickson F. C., (2004). An exploration of illness-related narratives in marriage:

The identification of illness-identity scripts. Journal of Social and Personal

Relationships. 21(4), 527-544. doi: 10.1177/0265407504044846

Ward, B. W., Schiller, J. S., & Goodman, R. A. (2014). Multiple chronic conditions among U.S.

adults: A 2012 update. Preventing Chronic Disease. 11.

Kind of September: Impact of Terrorist Attacks on College Students' Lives and Intimate
Relationships

Susan Janssen

Department of Sociology-Anthropology

University of Minnesota-Duluth :literature review

Introduction

The September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have been a
"defining moment," not only in American history, but in many individuals' lives. According to
studies of national tragedy, events of this magnitude often result in reevaluation of personal
values, priorities, and lifestyle (Sheatsley and Feldman, 1964; Smith, Rasinski, and Toce, 2001;
Gallup Poll Analyses, 2001b). Anecdotal evidence and historical studies suggest that this
evaluation process is particularly characteristic of young people and college students (Scott and
Zac, 1993; "September 11, 2001," 2001; Brownstein and Hoover, 2001). Further, college
students' reactions to national events may differ from those of the general adult population
(Miller, 194x).

This study investigates the effects of the terrorist attacks on the lives and relationships of
students at a medium-sized midwestern university. Specific issues addressed are personal
reactions, change and uncertainty in future plans and priorities, and effects on intimate
relationships.

Defining Moments

What is a "defining moment?" The phrase has been used in the media to describe the September
11 attacks, along with references to other historical events such as the attack on Pearl Harbor in
1941 and the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. In an analysis of reactions to the
Kennedy assassination, Sheatsley and Feldman (1964) suggest that certain characteristics of the
event increased its impact on ordinary citizens. Among these characteristics are: 1) the
suddenness with which the assassination occurred, along with the rapid spread of the news across
the country; 2) a tendency to personify events, i.e., to empathize with the President's family and
to feel the loss personally; 3) typical grief reactions, such as sorrow, shame, anger, and physical
symptoms; 4) an "overload" of tragic news (e.g. some respondents reported that they could not
bear to watch TV any longer); and 5) a sense that lessons should be learned, including less hate,
more patriotism, greater unity, and harsher treatment of subversives. It is not difficult to apply
this list of characteristics to the events of September 11. Indeed, a comparison of public reactions
to the terrorist attacks and the Kennedy assassination indicates very similar responses (Smith,
Rasinski, and Toce, 2001). The above list might thus be considered one definition of a "defining
moment," at least in terms of tragic or disastrous events.

Research on College Students

Do "defining moments" have a greater impact on some individuals than others? According to a
study by Scott and Zac (1993), events occurring in the young adult years may be considered
more memorable or important than those that occur later in life. Miller (194x) found college
students' attitudes about World War II were different in some important ways, including higher
pacifism and greater opposition to the draft, than attitudes in the adult population. Even sharper
differences between youth and older adults were found with respect to the war in Vietnam
(source). If such limited findings can be generalized, the attacks of September 11 may well have
been perceived differently by youth than older adults.

A search of the literature at the time of this writing produced no references to scholarly reports
on college student or youth responses to the terrorist attacks. However, several articles in
publications targeted toward the academic community or alumni (Brownstein and Hoover, 2001;
"Sept. 11..." 2001) summarize the results of nonscientific interviews with students in the
aftermath of the attacks. Several themes emerge: 1) a desire to connect with others by calling
parents or other family members, seeking out friends, or discussing the attacks in groups or
classes; 2) fear and worry about future terrorist attacks, safety of self or loved ones, or
generalized anxiety; 3) uncertainty about the future reflected in reconsideration of priorities or
goals, soul-searching, a recognition of the vulnerability and fragility of life, or a search for
spiritual meaning; and 4) social and moral concerns relating to military action, pacifism and
antiwar sentiments, national security, and ethnic and religious differences.

While these concerns or themes are similar to those found among the adult population (see for
example, Pew Research Center, 2001a, 2001b, 2001c; Gallup Poll Analyses, 2001a; 2001b),
college students may feel them particularly acutely due to their age and stage in life. Career
issues, planning for the future, independence from family, attachment to peers, and moral
development are general characteristics of the late teen and young adult stages (xxxx source
needed). Older adults, on the other hand, have resolved many of these issues and concerns, and
most have developed a psychological or emotional foundation for dealing with life-altering
events and losses, or at least putting them in perspective. Many of them can personally recall the
attack on Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, or other occasions of tragedy and grief; the
knowledge that life goes on and the coping mechanisms learned through experience could have
been applied to the September 11 attacks. Indeed, many reported reduced worry about terrorism
and going on with "business as usual" within two months (Jones, 2001; Pew Research Center,
2001b; Donaton, 2002).

Less is known about college students and how their lives may or may not have changed
subsequent to the attacks. In a recent telephone poll, about 25% of college-bound high school
seniors reported that they are now less likely to consider attending a college or university far
away from home, especially if a plane trip is involved ("Staying Close to Home..." 2001).
Brownstein and Hoover (2001) quote college students as giving more thought to career goals,
having difficulty concentrating or studying, or conversely, attempting to normalize the attacks by
emphasizing high achievement and perfection.

Intimate Relationships

A nearly universal reaction in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September11
was a need to connect with others (Bader, 2001; Kelly, 2001). According to the National
Tragedy Study (Smith, Rasinski, and Toce, 2001), 74% of adults "felt like talking to someone,"
67% contacted someone that day, and 48% were contacted by someone else. In the weeks
following, about half of adults worried about the safety of loved ones (ABC News, 2001; Gallup
Poll Analyses, 2001). Three months after the attacks, a Gallup Poll found that 31% of Americans
were spending more time with family and friends and 33% had changed their priorities in life
(Gallup Poll Topics and Trends, 2002).

Reports in the media further support this emphasis on family and relationships (Wilson-Smith,
2001), need for human connection (Kelly, 2001), and less likelihood of taking loved ones for
granted (Bryant, 2001). According to Bader (2001), the need for intimacy is universal, but
reaching out in normal daily life may be hindered by emotional risk, inhibitions, fear of
exploitation and cultural norms. In the aftermath of traumatic events, however, sexual or
emotional intimacy may become easier because vulnerability and neediness are socially
sanctioned, racial and social distinctions are temporarily collapsed, and existing "rules" may no
longer apply. The resulting increase in sexual encounters has been termed "post-traumatic love
syndrome" or "terror sex" (Bader, 2001). Again, a search of the literature produces little in the
way of scientific studies on this topic. It seems reasonable to assume, however, that casual sexual
encounters encouraged by a loss of inhibition might be more characteristic of individuals who
are not already in a committed relationship.

Among those already in intimate relationships, an evaluation of or focus on the existing

relationship seems more likely. Media reports suggest that the terrorist attacks spurred more
couples to marry (Heffernan, 2001). College students may represent a wide variety of intimate
relationships, ranging from casual involvement to committed relationships, to marriage. Most are
somewhere between complete dependence on their family of origin and development of a family
of procreation. In this stage of life, dating is widespread, role experimentation is likely, and
mature adult love is possible. Marriage may be considered in light of how it would fit into
educational and career plans. College students involved in intimate relationships may therefore
take a reflective and evaluative approach; any event that affects their values, goals, and plans is
likely to carry over into their relationships. It is reasonable, then to examine the effects of
September 11 on students' thinking about their relationships.

Data and Methods

A survey measuring attitudes and opinions concerning the September 11 attacks was
administered on December 12, 2001 to 329 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory
sociology class at a mid-sized midwestern university. Included on the self-administered
questionnaire are six categories of items: 1) respondent's personal contacts just after the attacks;
2) respondent's reactions to the attacks; 3) effects of the attacks on respondent's intimate
relationships; 4) respondent's general opinions on war, politics, and the economy; 5) respondent's
confidence in government and societal institutions, and 6) demographic and personal
information. The specific wording of the items used in this analysis is described later in this
paper. The sample is typical for a large, liberal education course: it consists mainly of freshman
(46.3%) and sophomores (36.6%). Ages of the respondents range from 17 to 40; the median age
is 19. Sixty-five percent of the respondents are female, and 35% are male. Although a wide
variety of majors are represented, a disproportionate number of the students in this class come
from sociology, criminology, psychology, and education. The sample cannot be considered
representative of the university population. Several of our analyses also utilize comparison data
from national opinion polls conducted between September and December of 2001.

Below is an example of a lit. review from the social sciences

From Vaughan Dickson and Tony Myatt, “The Determinants of Provincial

Minimum Wages in Canada,” Journal of Labor Research 23 (2002), 57-68:

In the last few years, prompted largely by the work of Card and Kruger (1995), numerous articles
on the employment effects of minimum wage legislation have appeared. This renewed interest in
how minimum wages affect employment leads naturally to another question: What factors
determine the minimum wage? Despite the ubiquity of minimum wage legislation, this question
has received surprisingly little attention. One reason may be that in the U.S. the minimum wage
is legislated at the federal rather than at the state level of government. Since this federal wage
changes only occasionally, most U.S. studies have been limited to cross-sectional studies that
focus on how the characteristics of the states, and the party affiliation of legislators, influence the
vote on proposed changes in the federal minimum wage (Silberman and Durbin, 1970; Kau and
Rubin, 1978; Bloch, 1980; Seltzer, 1995).[1] However, as pointed out by Baker et al. (1999),
Canada offers some unique advantages for minimum wage studies: Since the Canadian minimum
wage is under provincial, not federal jurisdiction, there has been substantial variation in the level
and timing of changes in the wage across provinces, thus providing the opportunity to explore a
relatively rich panel data set. To date, only one... study (Blais et al., 1989) has investigated the
determinants of provincial minimum wages using a pooled data set extending across eight years
(1975 to 1982) and nine provinces....

As noted, U.S. studies have usually been cross sectional and have examined what variables
influenced congressional voting for increases in the federal minimum wage.[3] For example,
Bloch (1993) related state wage levels and proportions of unionized employees to votes by
senators to amend the 1977 and 1989 Federal Labor Standards Act and thereby increase the
minimum wage. For each year he found only the union variable increased the probability of an
in-favor vote - and only for Republicans, since Democrats almost universally support minimum
wage increases. An earlier contribution is Silberman and Durden (1976) who examined
congressmen's votes for the 1973 amendment to increase the minimum wage. Using variables for
each congressional district, they found larger political contributions by unions and larger
proportions of low-income families increased the probability of an affirmative vote, while larger
campaign contributions from small business and larger proportions of teen-age workers reduced
the probability. Kau and Rubin (1978) expanded Silberman and Durden's analysis to five
separate cross sections covering five legislated increases in the federal minimum wage between
1949 and 1974. They found that higher state wages and a measure of the congressperson's
liberalism were always positively and significantly associated with votes for, while percentage of
blacks in the state was negatively related, but not significant, in all the cross sections.
Unionization in the state's work force and political party of the legislator were never significant;
the latter result probably occurred because northern and southern Democrats typically voted on
opposite sides.

More recently, Seltzer (1995) explored support in both the House and Senate for the 1938
introduction of the federal minimum wage law. He found variables representing small business
and low-wage workers decreased support for the bill, while ideology (liberals for, conservatives
against) was also important. To anticipate future problems, Seltzer emphasized that not only are
some variables inevitably theoretically ambiguous (a low-wage worker may rationally support or
oppose minimum wage increases depending on whether job loss is expected), but also the
coefficients on some variables must be interpreted cautiously. For example, should the
coefficient for a variable measuring teen workers in the labor force be interpreted as their
demand for higher wages, or does the coefficient better reflect the demands of well-organized
firms that disproportionally hire younger workers?

In contrast to the U.S., Canada presents a better opportunity to study variations in minimum
wages across jurisdictions and time, so it is perhaps surprising that the only study, to our
knowledge, that examines Canadian minimum wage determination is Blais et al. (1989). They
related the minimum wage, measured as the minimum wage divided by the average
manufacturing wage, to the percentages of union workers, women, and 15 to 19-year-olds in the
labor force, the current year unemployment rate, the inflation rate, the percentage of employment
in small firms (less than 20 employees), and a "convergence" variable that measures average
manufacturing wages in a province divided by average wages in Canada. This model was tested
with ordinary least squares for a pooled sample covering nine provinces for the years 1975 to
1982, with no fixed effects for provinces or years. All variables had negative coefficients that
were significant at the 5 percent level, except for the union variable which was, unexpectedly,
negative and insignificant....

REFERENCES

Abizadeh, Sohrab and John A. Gray. "Politics and Provincial Government Spending in Canada."
Canadian Public Administration 35 (Winter 1992): 519-33.

Akyeampong, Earnest B. "Working for Minimum Wage." Perspectives on Labour Income.

Statistics Canada Catalogue 75-001E (Winter 1989): 8-20. 

Baker, Michael, Dwayne Benjamin, and Schuchita Stanger. "The Highs and Lows of the Wage
Effect: A Time-Series Cross-Section Study of the Canadian Law." Journal of Labor Economics
17 (April 1999): 318-50. 
Blais, Andre, Jean-Michel Cousineau, and Kenneth McRoberts. "The Determinants of Minimum
Wage Rates." Public Choice 62 (July 1989): 15-24. 

Bloch, Farrell E. "Political Support for Minimum Wage Legislation: 1989." Journal of Labor
Research 14 (Spring 1993): 187-90. 

Card, David and Alan Kruger. Myth and Measurement: The New Economics of the Minimum
Wage. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995. 

Cox, James C. and Ronald L. Oaxaca. "The Political Economy of Minimum Wage Legislation."
Economic Inquiry 20 (October 1982): 533-55. 

Fortin, Pierre. "Unemployment Insurance Meets the Classical Labor Supply Model." Economics
Letters 14 (1984): 275-81. 

Kalt, Joseph P. and Mark A. Zupan. "Capture and Ideology in the Economic Theory of Politics."
American Economic Review 74 (June 1984): 279-300. 

Kau, James B. and Paul H. Rubin. "Voting on Minimum Wages: A Time-Series Analysis."
Journal of Political Economy 86 (April 1978): 337-42. 

Mueller, Dennis. Public Choice II . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. 

Peltzman, Sam. "Toward a More General Theory of Regulation." Journal of Law and Economics
19 (August 1976): 211-40. 

Salop, Steven C. and David T. Scheffman. "Raising Rivals Costs." American Economic Review
73 (May 1983): 267-71. 

Seltzer, Andrew J. "The Political Economy of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938." Journal of
Political Economy 103 (December 1996): 1302-42. 

Silberman Jonathan I. and Garey C. Durden. "Determining Legislative Preferences on the

Minimum Wage: An Economic Approach." Journal of Political Economy 84 (April 1976): 317-
29. 

Simon, R.J. Public Opinion in America, 1936-1970. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1974. 

Sobel, Russell S. "Theory and Evidence on the Political Economy of Minimum Wage." Journal
of Political Economy 107 (August 1999): 761-85. 

Stigler, George. "The Theory of Economic Regulation." Bell Journal of Economics and
Management Science 2 (Spring 1971): 3-21.
Memo Letter Example: 1
A memo letter informing the Office Manager about the purchase of office chairs. 

Summit Steel Company Ltd.

18, Karawn Bazar, Dhaka 1218

Interoffice Memo

Date : 15 August, 2014

To : Office Manager
From : Zahirul Islam, Purchase Officer
Reference : 216/BM

Subject : Purchase of Office Chairs

As desired, the order for the supply of 500 office chairs has been placed with Navana
Furniture Mart, 16 Jatrabari, Dhaka 1204. The chairs will be supplied in two lots of
250 each on 26 and 30 August, 2014

Memo Letter Example: 2

A memo letter requesting Marketing Officer to provide information about the
export of Jam and Jelly in Western countries.

Renata Food Products Ltd.

32, Kalabagan, Dhaka 1217

Interoffice Memo

Date : 15 August, 2014

To : Marketing Officer
From : Hasan Mahmud, General Manager
Reference : 116/BC

Subject : Export of Jam and Jelly

Recently, I visited the manufacturing plants at Sonargaon and discussed with the
production managers the possibility of increasing the production so that we can
export these items to western countries. They see no difficulty in doing so but before
they take any define initiatives in this direction, they would like to have an estimate
of the demand for our products in these countries.
So, I request you to contact our agents quickly and let me know the estimates by the
end of September.

Memo Letter Example: 3

Write a memo letter informing the vice principal to make all staff to be punctual.

Manarat International School

18 Lalmatia, Dhaka 1216

Interoffice Memo

Date : 15 August, 2014

To : The Vice Principal

From : Mahmudul Hasan, Principal
Reference : 105/BC

Subject : Punctuality of all Staff

This is to inform you with great anxiety that the authority has noticed some teachers
are not punctual and indifferent to their duties. In these circumstances, you all are
requested to be more punctual and to take all necessary steps to maintain smooth
environment of education in the institution.

Memo Letter Example: 4

A memo letter for the Marketing Manager to take necessary steps to increase sale
of products.  

Tulip International
18 Motijheel, Dhaka 1000

Interoffice Memo

Date : 15 August, 2014

To : The Marketing Manager

From : Mahmudul Hasan, General Manager
Reference : 401/SP

Subject : Carelessness of Marketing Officers

This is to inform you with great anxiety that the rate of sale of our products has
decreased tremendously due to the negligence of the Marketing Officers. In these
circumstances, you are requested to take all necessary steps regarding the issue.

Memo Letter Example: 5

A memo letter to the district managers to improve their services and dealings with
people properly.

Rural Development Committee

28 Mirpur, Dhaka 1214

Interoffice Memo

Date : 15 August, 2014

To : All District Managers

From : Mahmudul Hasan, Vice President
Reference : BB/105

Subject : Improvement of Services and Dealings

This is to inform you all with great anxiety that many complaints have been received
against district offices that you are not maintaining the standard of services and
dealings with our valued clients. So, all concerned are requested to improve their
services and dealings with our valued clients.

Memo Letter Example: 6

A memo letter requesting all college staff to contribute a part of their salary to
the affected people.
Dhaka City College
Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1216

Interoffice Memo

Date : 15 August, 2014

To : All Teaching Staff

From : Mahmudul Hasan, Principal
Reference : 109/MC

Subject : One day's Salary to the Cyclone-hit People

This is to inform you all that the authority of the college has taken decision to extend
its helping hand to the people of cyclone areas. So, all concerned are requested to
come forward with their one day's salary to stand by the distressed during their
miseries and sufferings.

4. Sample
1 - College Application Letter
Name of Applicant
Address of Applicant
City, State, Zip Code

DATE

Name of Head of Admissions

Name of College
Address of College
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Name of Head of Admissions:

After doing much research about colleges in the area that have a Psychology
program, I am applying to Ohio State University because of the outstanding
reputation and the exceptional reviews that I have read from other recent
graduates. Additionally, I am enthusiastic about Psychology program at the Ohio
State University because of the graduate psychology programs that are offered.

Currently, I am just beginning my journey and ready to dive into the

undergraduate studies program. My ultimate goal is to finish the Psychology
program at Ohio State University. Once I have completed my undergraduate in
psychology, my desire is to continue my studies and enter the graduate program
for psychology where I may be a counselor dealing with children. I am sure this is
the correct career path, as I grew up in a family where my father was a counselor
and my mother a social worker. My father is a graduate of the Ohio State
University, and my mother a graduate of OU University. Considering both of my
parents have similar career paths, I feel like I would be honoring them and their
dedication to helping others by entering this field of work. 

Pursuing a psychology major is my long-term goal, and I would like to start by

earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Ohio State University. I have
attached my application, as well as transcripts, an essay, and all of my letters of
recommendation as defined in my admissions packet. I appreciate your time and
consideration and look forward to hearing from you soon. 
Sincerely,
Signature of Applicant
Printed Name of Applicant
Enclosure: Application Form, high school marks list, Advanced Placement scores,
SAT scores and all other required information

Sample 2 - College Application Letter

Name of Applicant
Address of Applicant
City, State, Zip Code

DATE

Name of Head of Admissions

Name of College
Address of College
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Name of Head of Admissions:

This letter is a formal request for admission to Name of College. I have

looked at several colleges that offer Bachelor’s degrees in
Environmental Applications, and chose Name of College because of its
commitment to its environmental program. Your program is very
extensive covering many more aspects of global warming than other
colleges in this state. For example, you offer courses on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Forest Stewardship
Council and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design among
other things. 

My aim is to participate in forming government environmental policy,

and believe that Name of College is the best option to prepare me for
this challenge. I have worked for the past two years in a waste
management company and helped create innovative approaches to
recycling certain items. Learning as much as I can about sustainable
living in different aspects of commercial enterprises, will help me create
fair and beneficial public policy. 

My application form and all of the required document are enclosed. I

hope for a favorable response from you. If you would like arrange an
appointment or have any questions, I can be reached at Phone Number
or at Email Address. Thank you for your kind attention to my
application.

Sincerely,
Signature of Applicant
Printed Name of Applicant
Enclosure: Application Form, high school marks list, Advanced
Placement scores, SAT scores and all other required information

Sample College admission letter

From:

Richard Brown,

Student,
Department of Economics,

Delhi University.

To:

The Dean of Admissions,

College of Business Administration,

Manchester.

16th July,’07.

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is with reference to the (MBA) course being offered in your college.  I am a
graduate in (Economics) and would like to pursue my (Masters) in your college.  I
request you to kindly send me the application material for the college entrance
exam.

I am herewith enclosing a cheque for (25 Pounds Sterling) for the application form
and postal charges.

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,
(Richard Brown)

From,

Andrea Willis

12 C, Charles Park,

2nd Main Street,

Washington DC

To,

Mr. Paul Ivan

Dean,

Premier Engineering School,

Miami,

Florida.

30th Sept’ 2010

Subject: College Admission

Dear Mr. Paul,

I am a Graduate in Robotics Engineering from Jermy University and I wish to pursue further
studies, M.S in Robotics Engineering from your esteemed engineering school.

I herewith enclose the duly filled application form along with the letter of Recommendation from
Florida Mayor as required by the school. I am also enclosing my academic certificates and grade
sheets of my graduation for your perusal. I have always excelled in my academics and have
secured top grades consistently and I wish to continue to achieve the same in MS.

I would be grateful to you if you could consider me for providing Scholarship for the MS
program, which would immensely help my family to be free from financial burden.

Hope my graduation grades would be to your admission criteria. Thank you for considering my
application

Yours sincerely,

Andrea Willlis

Sample of College Application Letter

Jamie Donalds435 Happy Trail Rd.Minneapolis, MN 55412612-555-

5555Jamie.donalds@gmail.com

Date: December 8, 2012

 
Admissions Department

XYZ University

1234 Colorado Lane

Minneapolis, MN 55412

Dear Admissions Committee,

After researching many colleges that have an RN program, I am applying to XYZ University
because of the excellent reputation and the outstanding reviews I have read from graduates.
Furthermore, I am excited about the RN program at XYZ University because of the graduate
nursing programs offered.

Although I am just starting my undergraduate studies, my ultimate goal is to complete the

Midwifery program at XYZ University. Upon completion of my undergraduate in nursing, I
would like to continue on and obtain my graduate in midwifery. I know this is the right career
path for me, because I have grown up in a family of medical professionals.

My father is an OB/GYN and my mother is midwife. My father completed pre-med at XYZ

University, and my mother completed the midwifery program at the same time. Considering both
of my parents graduated from your program, and have provided top quality medical care to
members of the community for almost 3 decades, I want to complete my education and the same
university and follow in their footsteps.

During high school, I gained as much knowledge as I could about the field of medicine by
completing the OEC program and obtaining my National Registry of Emergency Medical
Technician Basic Certificate (NREMT-B). I have volunteered as an EMT at many local events. I
spent the past summer working as an EMT at Hennepin County Medical Center.

Pursuing midwifery is my long-term goal, and I would like to start by obtaining my Bachelor’s
Degree in Nursing from XYZ University. I have included my application, transcripts, essay, and
letters of recommendation as outlined in the packet. I thank you for your time and consideration,
and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Jamie Donalds
Sample college admission letters
From:

Diana Hanks
House No: 132P
Main Street
Queens
NJ

To:

Mr. Austin Gray

Dean-Admissions
College of Business Administration
Manhattan
New York

26th August, 2009

Dear Mr. Gray,

I wish to take the opportunity to introduce myself as a graduate student from the Queens School
of Business Studies.

I am herewith enclosing my Grade sheet copies together with the duly filled application form in
order to pursue my Masters in Business Administration from your esteemed School.

I was a great achiever both academically and with sports at Queens School of Economics. I have
won numerous awards for interschool quizzes and other activities.

I would be very much obliged if there is any kind of financial assistance or scholarship which
would help me duly in the completion of the course.

I would get in touch with to know the status of my application form.

Thanking you for your consideration and valuable time.

Yours faithfully,

Diana Hanks

5.Employment Application Letter

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you know in line with my application to your company. I have
attached my resume, credentials and certificates in the letter for you to properly assess
my job application.

I would be very grateful if you are going to give me the chance to serve under your
Information Technology company, which is one of the most sought after IT services
company as of today.

I am a graduate of IT in Wisconsin University in the year 2004 and have been

practicing my career ever since. I have also attended numerous IT seminars and
accreditation classes.

Yours truly,

Janet Margaret

room 354, Block 6

Model Village
North Point
Hong Kong

Phone: 24862893
Mobile: 95427415
E-mail: wwm654@hkinternet.com
12 October 2016
Mr William Chan
Personnel Manager
Wong And Lim Consulting
PO Box 583
Kwai Chung
Kowloon

Dear Mr Chan

Application for the Post of Management Trainee

I am writing to apply for the post of Management Trainee, which was advertised on the Student
Affairs Office notice board of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 12 October 2016.

My working experience at Lucky Star Garment Manufactory Limited improved my leadership

skills, communication skills and ability to work in a team environment. I have fluent spoken and
written English. I also have fluent spoken and written Mandarin, and can therefore work in
mainland China.

Currently I am studying a B.A. in Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University,

graduating in 2017. Subjects which I am studying that are relevant to the post of Management
Trainee include Operations Management, Human Resources Management, Accounting,
Marketing and Strategic Management.

My final year project is entitled Knowledge Management Practices in HK. Carrying out this
project has improved my communication skills, my leadership skills and my ability to lead and
supervise subordinates effectively. I have also learned how to run a project from the planning
stage to its completion.

During my studies I have held the post of Executive in the Management Society. While leading
and organising Management Society activities I have improved my ability to lead and supervise
subordinates effectively, ability to work under pressure and ability to work in a team
environment.

Working for Wong And Lim Consulting appeals to me because it has a good reputation and it
provides excellent training. Your organisation produces a high-quality service, and I can
contribute to this with my leadership skills and my ability to work under pressure.

I am available for interview at any time. I can be contacted most easily on the mobile phone
number given above. I look forward to meeting you.

Yours sincerely 
Wong Wai Man Wilfred

Sample Job Application Letter 

John Donaldson
8 Sue Circle
Smithtown, CA 08067
909-555-5555
john.donaldson@emailexample.com

Date

George Gilhooley
XYZ Company
87 Delaware Road
Hatfield, CA 08065

Dear Mr. Gilhooley,

I am writing to apply for the programmer position advertised in the Times Union.

As requested, I am enclosing a completed job application, my certification, my
resume, and three references.

The opportunity presented in this listing is very interesting, and I believe that my
strong technical experience and education will make me a very competitive
candidate for this position. The key strengths that I possess for success in this
position include:

 I have successfully designed, developed, and supported live use

applications

 I strive for continued excellence

 I provide exceptional contributions to customer service for all customers

With a BS degree in Computer Programming, I have a full understanding of the

full lifecycle of a software development project. I also have experience in learning
and excelling at new technologies as needed.

Please see my resume for additional information on my experience.

I can be reached anytime via email at john.donaldson@emailexample.com or my

cell phone, 909-555-5555.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to speaking with you
about this employment opportunity.
Sincerely,

Signature (for hard copy letter)

John Donaldson

Sample Job Application Letter

Mr. George Gilhooley
XYZ Company
87 Delaware Road
Hatfield, CA 08065
(909) 555-5555
Date
Dear Mr. Gilhooley:
I am writing to apply for the programmer position advertised in the Times
Union. As requested, I am
enclosing a completed job application, my certification, my resume and
three references.
The opportunity presented in this listing is very interesting, and I believe
that my strong technical experience
and education will make me a very competitive candidate for this position.
The key strengths that I possess
for success in this position include:
• I have successfully designed, developed, and supported live use
applications
• I strive for continued excellence
• I provide exceptional contributions to customer service for all customers
With a BS degree in Computer Programming, I have a full understanding of
the full life cycle of a software
development project. I also have experience in learning and excelling at
new technologies as needed.
Please see my resume for additional information on my experience.
I can be reached anytime via my cell phone, 555-555-5555. Thank you for
your time and consideration. I
look forward to speaking with you about this employment opportunity.
Sincerely,
FirstName LastName
Sample job application letter
Peter Printout
1298 Lead Street
Readership, PA 151501
P: (222)333 - 4444
e: peteprinout@yahoo.com
Mr. Charles Reader
New York Times
1111 5th Avenue
New York City, New York 2222
Dear Mr. Reader:
For the past 10+ years I have followed your career through news events,
interviews and web research. Your
dedication to the Fourth Estate and your understanding of the important
role journalists play in today's fastpaced
information highway, coupled with your belief in the power of the press is
exemplary.
In addition, I know you were a student at Columbia with John Smith, my
journalism professor at Missouri
State.
I have had the privilege of honing my journalistic abilities on three widely
different publications. When I left
college, I immediately went to work for the typical small town newspaper
and learned all aspects of getting
the paper to the people in a timely manner. I then moved to regional
manager for a media corporation
composed of small to mid-size newspapers in the Midwest. In my current
position, I am Chief Correspondent
for one of the largest newspapers in the southwest.
I would like an opportunity to visit with you to get your insight and
suggestions on where my skills and
abilities would be of the greatest value to the journalist field, not only
newspapers but other mediums as
well.
The week of March 15 - 19, I will be in New York City. I'd like to visit with
you and get your feedback on my
writing ability, along with suggestions on where my skills would be of the
greatest value from your point of
view. I do have a portfolio of my work that I will have with me.
 I will call your office to set a convenient time. I do look forward to meeting
you.
Sincerely,
Peter Printout

An Information security specialist resume

David Hurston
1002 Main Street
Dallas, Texas 75026
Home: 972.952.7002     | securitywizard@myisp.net

Information Technology Security Specialist

Insightful, results-driven IT professional with notable success directing a broad range of

corporate IT security initiatives while participating in planning, analyzing, and implementing
solutions in support of business objectives. Excel at providing comprehensive secure network
design, systems analysis, and full lifecycle project management. Hands-on experience leading all
stages of system development efforts, including requirements definition, design, architecture,
testing, and support. Outstanding project and program leader; able to coordinate and direct all
phases of project-based efforts while managing, motivating, and guiding teams.

Areas of Expertise

 Network and Systems Security

 Research and Development
 Regulatory Compliance
 Cost Benefits Analysis
 Policy Planning / Implementation

 Virtualization & Cloud Technologies

 Data Integrity / Disaster Recovery
 Risk Assessment / Impact Analysis
 Technical Specifications Development
 Team and Project Leadershipa

Technical Proficiencies

Technical Proficiencies

Windows 7/8/8.1/10, Windows Server 2012 R2, UNIX (Solaris, HP-UX), Linux (Red Hat, Ubuntu), Mac OS,
Platforms:
iOS
 LAN / WAN Administration, VPN, TCP/IP, Novell, SMS/SQL, 100BaseT Ethernet, SecureID, Cisco Routers
Networking:
Switches, Juniper Switches, VoIP
Languages: C, C++, HTML/HTML 5, Java, JavaScript, PHP, CSS
MS PowerShell, N-Able, Citrix, AutoDesk QTO, Symantec Endpoint Protection, ESET, Command Workstatio
Tools:
VMware, MS Hyper-V, LogMeIn, UltraVNC, Microsoft Office Suite, Access, MS Project

Professional Experience

Systems International, Dallas, Texas 6/2009 - Present

Information Security Analyst

Recruited to establish enterprise-wide information-security program; oversee companywide

efforts to identify and evaluate all critical systems. Design and implement security processes and
procedures and perform cost benefit analysis on all recommended strategies; accountable for
security budget of $1.1 million. Collaborate with external auditors to conduct in-depth
compliance audits and penetration testing, presenting results to senior management. Develop
curricula and facilitate awareness training. Supervise daily activities of Computer Security
Assistant and Internet Administrator.

Key Achievements:

 Instrumental in developing and implementing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCP &
DRP) Plans for corporate sites throughout Texas, Ohio and Canada.
 Spearheaded creation of four new information-security departments: Risk Assessment,
Vulnerability, Penetration Testing, and Security Engineering services.
 Hand selected employees from Information Technology department to build Risk Assessment
Team charged with analyzing all critical systems, developing reports to document system
vulnerabilities, and recommending appropriate solutions.
 Created company policies and procedures governing corporate security, email and Internet
usage, access control, and incident response.

LLCA Information Systems, Garland, Texas 3/2002 - 6/2009    

QA Lead, 1/2005 – 6/2009

Promoted to lead system development and new product QA. Ensured accurate release testing for
all new applications, providing final approval for bug-free, fully functional commercial
solutions. Proactively assigned resources to meet workflow needs. Created development plans,
project documentation, and test cases.

Key Achievements:
  Authored numerous ISO 9000 procedures and security policies in support of engineering
operations, participating in regular audits to ensure regulatory compliance.
 Managed creation of high-profile HATP (High Availability Transaction Processing) solution,
supervising development teams working in multiple locations.
 Developed highly effective Software Manager application to enable disk-free software upgrades
deployed through ATMs and desktop systems worldwide.
 Successfully applied for US Patent on new security software design.

Computer System Engineer/Network Developer, 3/2003 – 1/2005

Provided remote and on-site support for domestic and international customers, including Tier-III
support for LAN/WAN products and sales support for key accounts of all sizes.

Key Achievements:

 Designed and implemented customer call-center support procedures and customer network
design strategy for sales and marketing teams.
 Recognized for outstanding quality of customer service with numerous customer-support
awards and personal commendation from clients. 

Education & Credentials

Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems

University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas

Professional Certification

 MCSE – Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

 CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Professional Affiliations

 Information Systems Security Association

 International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc.

John Smith
rd
1202 West 23 Street  ·  Baltimore, Maryland 21218
rob.mcnulty@anyisp.com  ·  410-555-2002  ·  cell 410-555-2008

Welder Supervisor
Talented and precision-focused with more than 10 years’ experience in welding, tool and
machine fabrication, inspection, and supervision. Excel at improving productivity and
maintaining exceptional safety standards. Success conducting thorough inspections and ensuring
adherence to superior quality controls. Outstanding design, blueprint reading, and mathematical
abilities. Continually follow advances in welding industry to maximize efficiency.

Areas of Expertise

 Structural & Steel Welding Capability

 Rotational Capacity Testing
 AASHTO/FHWA Specifications
 Team Training & Competence Building

 Team Collaboration Expertise

 Qualification Testing
 Quarterly Machine Calibration
 Bolt Pretension Testing

Career Experience

Ramo & Sons, Baltimore, Maryland, 6/2014 – Present

Welding Supervisor

Oversee and coordinate efforts of eight welders engaged in fabrication of heavy metal products
and mechanical tools and machinery. Participate in design of customized tools and interpret
blueprints to effectively instruct welders in advanced fabrication techniques. Perform welding of
critical and high-value components. Inspect all fabricated materials after assembly for adherence
to blueprint specifications and quality standards. Contribute to staff management to include
hiring, shift scheduling, training, and team building.

Key Contributions:

 Boosted productivity and reduced shop downtime by continually researching and

implementing the latest tools, equipment, and techniques.
 Reduced turnaround times and saved $2,000/month through steadfast development of
standardized procedures.
 Substantially improved existing procedures and enhanced the QA process while
establishing open lines of communication with management.

Reddick Welding, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 3/2012 – 6/2014

Welding Inspector

Inspected welded steel parts for large-scale tool and machine organization, performing visual
(VT) and liquid penetrant (PT) inspections to assess quality of fabrications; ensured compliance
with customer specifications and internal QA guidelines. Checked parts against blueprints and
inspection reports to determine accuracy. Discussed modifications with welders and addressed
schedule variances with shipping department. Repaired and welded machine parts and plant
equipment; performed sheet metal fabrications.

Key Contributions:

 Developed specialized tracking method to monitor and improve welding department

accuracy and productivity.
 Identified and corrected quality issue with major welding project, preventing potentially
thousands of dollars in future repair and damage costs.

D-West Mechanical, Baltimore, Maryland, 9/2007 – 2/2012

Welder / Toolmaker

Applied expertise with MIG / TIG / Stick / MAG and Fluxcore welding to assemble fabricated
metal products. Operated plasma cutter and acetylene torches. Fabricated tools in accordance
with blueprints; installed, dismantled, and moved machinery / heavy equipment according to
written plans and drawings. Set up, assembled, and tack welded parts. Provided maintenance and
repair of welding equipment. Maintained welding station to include changing wire reels, feeders,
guns, tips, cups and sleeves.

Key Contributions:

 Proactively assisted team members, interacting positively to ensure timely, quality

completion of critical projects within deadline.
 Assumed shop supervisor responsibilities in absence of manager.

Ernest Faulkner
113 Evergreen Terrace · Elk Grove, California 95624
earnesttrucker@myisp.com · (916) 555-3846       

Qualifications Summary

Dedicated, safety-conscious Truck Driver with more than 14 years of experience transporting
and delivering freight throughout the western United States.

 Focused on ensuring on-time delivery within specified timeframes; assist with load /
unload process and promote customer loyalty and retention.
 Solid track record achieving efficient, cost-effective transportation operations of goods
and hazardous materials while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and municipal
regulations.
  In-depth knowledge of specialized transportation equipment, including reefers, tankers,
pneumatic bulkers, and double pups.
 Outstanding safety and driving record with friendly, professional attitude; sustain record
of zero preventable accidents and proactively perform vehicle and equipment checks.

Professional Experience

CTD Transportation – Sacramento, California

Driver, 10/2010 – Present

Deliver fuel to service stations for regional transporter of petroleum products. Oversee refueling
to ensure compliance with all regulations governing safe handling of flammable and hazardous
materials. Maintain comprehensive delivery records and facilitate management of customer
accounts by placing orders, collecting payments, and providing records of transaction.

 Maintained consistent on-time delivery record with 90% of all orders arriving ahead of
schedule.
 Recognized for outstanding professional achievement, earning company’s Safe Driving
Award for three years running.

Rock and Sand, Inc. – Sacramento, California

Delivery Driver, 3/2006 – 9/2010

Ensured timely delivery of sand, gravel, and concrete products to numerous local construction
sites. Mixed concrete to customer-specified slump levels and assisted contractors in pouring
foundations, footing, and slabs. Provided detailed reports on mechanical and equipment
condition / failures to facilitate maintenance.

Timber Green, Inc. – Modesto, California

Driver, 2/2001 – 2/2006

Transported raw timber from harvest sites to processing facilities. Assisted logging crew and mill
foremen in loading and unloading timber from trailer. Tracked and maintained logs in
accordance with Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations. Reported damaged or malfunctioning
equipment to company mechanics.

Training and Licensure

Certificate of Completion
Truck Driving School – Sacramento, California

Licensure: CDL with Class A, T&X Endorsements