The Definition and Usage of Circumlocution

Circumlocution is the use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language to avoid getting to the point. Though circumlocution is usually regarded as a stylistic vice in contemporary prose, it can be used for comic effect, as in the passage below by S. J. Perelman. Examples and Observations Monty Pythons Man Who Says Things in a Roundabout WayInterviewer: Good evening. Well, we have in the studio tonight a man who says things in a very roundabout way. Isnt that so, Mr. Pudifoot?Mr. Pudifoot: Yes.Interviewer: Have you always said things in a very roundabout way?Mr. Pudifoot: Yes.Interviewer: Well, I cant help noticing that, for someone who claims to say things in a very roundabout way, your last two answers have had very little of the discursive quality about them.Mr. Pudifoot: Oh, well, Im not very talkative today. Its a form of defensive response to intense interrogative stimuli. I used to get it badly when I was a boy—well, when I say very badly, in fact, do you remember when there was that fashion for, you know, little poodles with small coats.Interviewer: Ah, now youre beginning to talk in a roundabout way.Mr. Pudifoot: Oh, Im sorry.Interviewer: No, no, no, no. Please do carry on because that is in fact why we wanted you on the show.Mr. Pudifoot: I thought it was because you were interested in me as a human being. (gets up and leaves)(Terry Jones and Graham Chapman, Royal Episode 13: The Toad Elevating Moment. Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Dec. 22, 1970)Fed-Speak: The Circumlocutory Federal Reserve Chairman- [Federal Reserve Chairman Alan] Greenspan went on to suggest raising the retirement age, though he slipped it in using his customary circumlocution: Another possible adjustment relates to the age at which Social Security and Medicare benefits will be provided. Under current law, and even with the so-called normal retirement age for Social Security slated to move up to 67 over the next two decades, the ratio of the number of years that the typical worker will spend in retirement to the number of years he or she works will rise in the long term. In other words people are just living too long.(Dan Ackman, The Passion Of The Fed Chairman. Forbes, Feb. 26, 2004)- As Fed chairman, every time I expressed a view, I added or subtracted 10 bas is points from the credit market. That was not helpful. But I nonetheless had to testify before Congress. On questions that were too market-sensitive to answer, no comment was indeed an answer. And so you construct what we used to call Fed-speak. I would hypothetically think of a little plate in front of my eyes, which was the Washington Post, the following morning’s headline, and I would catch myself in the middle of a sentence. Then, instead of just stopping, I would continue on resolving the sentence in some obscure way which made it incomprehensible. But nobody was quite sure I wasn’t saying something profound when I wasn’t. And that became the so-called Fed-speak which I became an expert on over the years. It’s a self-protection mechanism when you’re in an environment where people are shooting questions at you, and you’ve got to be very careful about the nuances of what you’re going to say and what you don’t say.(Alan Gree nspan, quoted by Devin Leonard and Peter Coy. Bloomberg Businessweek, August 13-26, 2012)The Circumlocution OfficeNo public business of any kind could possibly be done at any time without the acquiescence of the Circumlocution Office. Whatever was required to be done, the Circumlocution Office was beforehand with all the public departments in the art of perceiving—HOW NOT TO DO IT.(Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, 1856)Perelmans ProseIn two shakes of a lambs tail—the official signal for aircraft to land in Palm Springs—the plane had landed and a flourish of trumpets greeted its three passengers, two of whom were familiar to any bystander. They were the renowned vedette Elizabeth Taylor and her producer husband, Mike Todd. The third, who bore more than a passing resemblance to the Apollo Belvedere but could not be said, in all justice, to rank with him in intellect, was the present writer. His chief distinction—if one may borrow G.K. Chestertons facility wi th paradox for a moment—was that he possessed no distinction whatsoever. What startling conjunction of the planets, what mysterious and inexplicable forces of the I Ching had mingled the destiny of this utter cipher with that of these eminent face cards?(S. J. Perelman, The Hindsight Saga. The Last Laugh, 1981)Iranian CircumlocutionsMr. Ahmadinejads habit of answering every question about Iranian policy with a question about American policy was clearly wearing on some of the members, but at the end they acknowledged that he was about as skillful an interlocutor as they had ever encountered. He is a master of counterpunch, deception, circumlocution, Mr. Scowcroft said, shaking his head. Mr. Blackwill emerged from the conversation wondering how the United States would ever be able to negotiate with this Iranian government.(David Sanger, Irans Leader Relishes 2nd Chance to Make Waves. The New York Times, Sep. 21, 2006)Circumlocution as a First StepWe often take circumlocution as evasion, it neednt be. It might be a first step, a first form, triangulation: talk around something long enough and you can divine its center. Circumlocution. Perigraphs. I am going somewhere.(Kevin McFadden, Hardscrabble. University of Georgia Press, 2008)

Family Systems Essays - 1286 Words

Family Systems and Healthy Development Liberty University Family Systems and Healthy Development In today’s world, families are dynamic and interdependent systems. The developmental processes of the children in the family are deeply affected by how the family system operates. However, a family’s structure does not determine whether it is a healthy family system or not. Today, families consist of single parents, stepparents, divorced parents, remarried parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They are all able to contribute to a healthy functioning family system by meeting each family member’s needs and encouraging positive communication (Jamiolkowski, 2008). Unhealthy family systems have negative and possibly†¦show more content†¦A healthy family system makes a child feel cared for, validated and valued. Supportive parenting is a term used to describe parents whose authoritative parenting style is firm, with clear and consistent limits, but with warmth, proactive teaching, interest and involvement in their child’s peer activities, as well as calm discussions while disciplining. Authoritative parents tend to be firm and set clear and consistent limits. Although strict, they are loving and supportive, and communicate to the child the rationale for their punishment, along with an explanation for why they should behave a certain way. This encourages independence in the child (Feldman, 2014). Research has shown that healthy friendships in which close ties emerge are developed when parents provide a warm and supportive home environment (Feldman, 2014). Children emulate positive social interactions and roles, which they learn from the adults in their lives who they model after. Children living in healthy family systems develop a strong and positive relationship with their parents or caregiver and will encourage positive relationships with others. Unhealthy Family Systems The parenting style in the home will result in differences in the children’s behavior. For example, an authoritarian parent is controlling, punitive and strict. Their rules are not flexible and do not tolerate expressions of disagreement. TheseShow MoreRelatedFamily Systems And The Family System1599 Words   |  7 PagesThe family system consists of subsystems, known as the group of individuals who contribute various functions to form a complex and unitary whole. To understand the family, we must analyze them whole and not individual. The whole is distinctly diverse from the simple sum of the contributions of individual members. The family system theory is used by social workers as a framework for assessing family relationships to comprehend issues that may arise within the context of family relationships (CollinsRead MoreFamily Is A Family System759 Words   |  4 PagesA family system is basically what makes up your family. It might be as small as a husband and a wife a nd as large as all the extended members of the family including the adopted ones. AS long as there is a certain bond and contact among each other enough to become family then certainly that is a family system. Just like any other units, a family is a unit that has its healthy and unhealthy habits. These habits bring out the well-being of a family in terms of trust, communication, respect and lastRead MoreFamily Support System : Family Essay1172 Words   |  5 PagesFamily support system Both parents are employed, but the main financial support comes from the father that has a full-time job (approximately $25,000 annually); the mother has a part-time job. The parents take their children to school. None of the grandparents have worked since they arrived from Cuba. Age-appropriate developmental tasks accomplishment The parents accomplished age-appropriate developmental tasks. They provide for family members’ needs, maintain a strong marital relationship, andRead MoreFamily Systems Theory And The Family System Theory1389 Words   |  6 Pageswithin the family. One can use The Family Systems Theory to be able to better understand divorce and its negative consequences. The Family Systems Theory views family as an emotional unit and individuals cannot be understood by themselves; they are understood better as a family as a whole (Hammond, Cheney, Pearsey). This theory views divorce as a negative thing that also has negative consequences. A family will fall apart if it is not made up of all of the typical members of a family (i.e. fatherRead MoreFamily Systems Theory And Function Within The Family System Essay967 Words   |  4 PagesFamily is a very complex term that can be defined in many ways. A family can be simply defined as a group of people who are related to each other and live together in the same household. According to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (2004, p. 5), a family is defined as two or more persons who share resources, share responsibility for decisions, share values and goals, and have a commitment to one another over time. The two definitions that were presented clarified the vastRead MoreFamily And The Family System Theory1179 Words   |  5 Pagesanalyze this Family is with the Family system theory. This theory states that the family functions as a system Within this system are rules, power structures and different patterns of communication. In this theory the family is seen as a whole rather than as its individual parts. We also assume that the family functions off of circular causality and redundancy principle plays a role in the family rules. The concepts that I am going to use to describe this family will include; family cohesion, communicationRead MoreQuestions On Family Systems : Family System2963 Words   |  12 PagesBridggette Hambrick: Family Systems 1 Bridggette Hambrick: Family Systems 5 Family Systems Bridggette Hambrick HR5423-102 December 18, 2016 OU Advanced Programs Abstract Exploring the different systems theories was especially informative for a person going into the field of counseling. These scenarios help to explain how the theories can be used which will be very helpful. Each theory explains how counseling strategies help people by letting them help themselves. In the paperRead MoreThe Origin Of Family Systems1527 Words   |  7 PagesTHE ORIGIN OF FAMILY SYSTEMS It is widely believed that family systems in one form or the other, though varying hugely from the forms of family we are accustomed to today, have existed since time immemorial, maybe right from the time Homo sapiens first appeared on the face of the earth. The formation of families regulated the sexual behaviour of its members and ensured that sexual jealousy of the primates remained under tabs. It also led to a form of division of labour where the roles of the membersRead MoreFamily Systems Theory : The Family System Theory976 Words   |  4 Pages Family Systems Theory Columbia College Katie Jasper Mrs. Terri Carter Abstract The attached paper is an overview of The Family Systems Theory. Which is based on the work and research of Dr. Bowen. This is an significant theoretical approach within group counseling and therapy. It focuses on the role and impact of the person s original family to identify negative patterns. Evidence is used within the paper to showcase the appropriate usage and applicationRead MoreFamily Resilience Assessment : The Family System Essay2543 Words   |  11 PagesFamily Resiliency Assessment Introduction According to Walsh and McDaniel (2006), strengthening family resilience is understanding that resilience is more than surviving or escaping an ordeal. It is merely the capacity to rebound from adversity through the active process of endurance, self-righting, and growth (p. 4). In further grasping the framework of resiliency, this paper assesses my own family system by examining resiliency factors within myself and of my family origin. By looking through

Analyzing the Cultural Differences-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Write an Essay and looks at the reflection of what you learnt during the whole course on Intercultural studies. Answer: The intercultural studies analyze the cultural differences and the similarities in between the people around the world. It examines how race, culture and the other related factors have an impact on social interactions. It is a modern educational concept that provides the students with the proficiency needed in order to function analyze different interculturalcontexts. This essay looks at the reflection of what I learnt during the whole course on intercultural studies. From this course, I have learnt that a cultural change refers to the modification of a society through invention, innovation, discovery or contact with other societies. Meeting of two cultures always results in changes in the both. They both gets affected by it some or the other way. I have learnt that the two most important changes in the cultures are acculturation and assimilation. However, acculturation and assimilation, both refers to the cultural modification of a person or group of people of a particular culture when they adapts or borrow the traits from another culture. Still, the thing that makes them different from each other is the fact that, acculturation means getting used to the way the people from another culture are but not becoming just like them and assimilation means to become the same as the main mass. In acculturation, the person keeps some of his originality or say, original uniqueness ideally fit in as a part of the total mix. Whereas in assimilation, there is a complete loss of ones own cultural identity since he or she gives more importance to the cultural aspects of the majority community. When a person gets so involved in another culture that it becomes difficult to identify whether he belongs to the minority culture or the major one, it is called full assimilation. I have learnt that there are mainly three types of identities existing in the society- personal, social and cultural. Personal identity refers to distinctive personalities or character qualities and the social identity refers to the roles and responsibilities in our family or work place. However, cultural identity is the feeling of belongings, security, satisfaction and continuous connectedness to a particular group. It refers to a common belief, ethnicity, nationality, assumption, norms and attitudes. We can identify a culture by identifying the ethnic group, their social status, the geographic region where they belong, their faith, belief and ideology and the medical condition as well. For example, there are many cultures prevailing in India, as it is a nation of diversity. The caste system in India consisted of Brahmans (priests and scholars), Kshatriyas (soldiers and warriors), Vaisyas (merchants and professionals), Sudras (laborers and servants). In addition to that, I have also learnt about the existence of groups within a culture that differentiates them from their respective culture by means of dressing style, behavior, music etc. It is called sub-cultures. For example, the Goths in England, the Punks, Heavy-metal music of Australia, the Hip-hop style of dancing. In addition, there are counter cultures, the group of people whose values and norms of behavior is completely different from the rest of society and they are often seen opposing the cultural values and the beliefs of the society. The Hippies fall under this category. From the above analysis, I came to a conclusion that diversity in cultures within a group tend to coincide with basic assumption preferences and they highly influence them towards a cultural dimensions that are addressed above.

Online registration free essay sample

The results indicated that academic and demographic factors affected students use of the online service. We will write a custom essay sample on Online registration or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example, students from certain disciplines (e. G. Pharmacy and International Studies) and high income families were more likely to use the online service. It is interesting to notice that the results did not show a significant impact of gender on the use of online registration. Implications are presented for institutions considering alternative registration methods or the implementation of tech analogical solutions to administrative processes. Social Factors and Online Registration 3 The current study focuses on how social factors affect students use of online registration. The online service was first offered at the university in spring 2001. Using online registration can be viewed as new technology adaptation. However, updated literature in students new technology adoption is rare. It is worthwhile to investigate how social factors affect college students in adapting the new technology. There are two objectives for this study: reviewing relevant literature of the online registration and examining the impacts of social factors on use of the online service.Review of Literature According to the literature, online registrations can be divided into three stages of development. The first stage is the 1 sass. This is a developing stage in which some universities led higher education institutions to experience initial new technology application in administration (Michael, 1976; Chapman Gambler, 1976; Brown, 1979; Handheld Kim, 1975; Adams, 1974). During this stage, online registration underwent a period of experiments and testing. Online registration was beginning to be recognized for its operation in assisting university administration.The second stage refers to the decade of the sass. During these years, online registration was widely used by universities across the country. New features in the registration process were added and more experience was summarized (Heard, 1987; cook parker, 1983; Arent Poses, 1 986; Linebacker Long, 1983; Licker, 1987). This period can be viewed as the stabilized stage. Cook Parker (1983) conducted a survey of online registration practices among 66 colleges and universities. They found that online registration had improved academic advising.Licker summarized that the Online registration in the literature review refers to various methods through which a registration can be completed, such as, mainframe computer, telephone, and web. Social Factors and Online Registration 4 university Of the pacific new technology application had saved time for students, faculty and staff members (1987). Online registration has been clearly confirmed as a successful approach (Linebacker Long, 1983; Arent Poses, 1986). The third stage includes the sass and beyond. This period can be viewed as the enhancement stage. There have been new ways of exploring online registration such as using web service (Skein, 1 997), integration of internet technology into all phases of the education process (Thomas, Careless Price, 1998), and getting specific groups of students involved in online registration (Kelly, 1998). Thomas et al. Pointed out that the integrative approach has been effective in university administration. The third stage indicates that online registration has been well developed, looking for new says to enhance the new technology environment through new technology convergence.Theoretical Framework Research Questions Social cognitive theory (Bandeau, 1986) helps explain how human behaviors are affected by both social factors (e. G. Family income) and personal factors (e. G. Selflessness). The theory suggests that different social characteristics of students affect how they adapt themselves into the new technology environment. Based on social cognitive theory, the current study is investigating how social variables affect students use of online registration. The following are the research questions. 1 . To what extent do student academic variables impact the use of online registration? . To what extent do student demographic variables impact the use of online registration? 3. What are the effects of the academic and demographic variables on the use of online registration? Methodology The data were extracted from the university student information system. The dependent variable was the registration method (online vs.. Walk-in). The independent variables were in two parts: academic variables and demographic variables. The Social Factors and Online Registration 5 university of the Pacific academic variables included Major, Class, Grade, and Degree Level.