Blog 18: Third Answer

EQ: 

What is the best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs?

Answer #3:

The best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs is by providing the women with the proper business and job training in order to become successful in their entrepreneurship. 

1. As a more developed society, we are unable to realize some of the less obvious reasons for poverty or unemployment in under developed countries, such as India. We fail to understand realistic human capabilities with what they are provided. Micro-finance supports the creation of enabling theoretical frameworks, concepts, institutions and policies to support those capabilities. Resource: "Micro Finance-An Instrument to Encourage Women Entrepreneurship Development." Modi, Charu. Institutions for Women faculty of Management. 5 June 2013. Web.
2. Self help groups have made it easy to raise the skills and alertness of women. The objectives of Entrepreneurship Development programme (EDP) are to give confidence for monetary activities between the members of SHG by provided that skill training, Entrepreneurship Development, credit linkage. Resource: "Micro-finance and women empowerment." Tayal, Harsh. SIFE S.S.C.B.S. 16 April 2013. Web.
3. Micro financing is beneficial to entrepreneurs in under developed areas for three reasons: 1. one does not need to possess money to open a bank account. 2. there is no need for collateral or a credit record to secure a loan. 3. There is no need for extensive paperwork to make it convenient to those less literate. Resource: "Social Entrepreneurship in India – Changing the Life of the Poor." Mante, Gabriele. RESET. Web. 

Concluding Sentence:

Providing artisan women in India with micro-finance is the best way to help them become micro-entrepreneurs, giving them the foundation necessary to begin a business. 

Blog 10: Senior Project: The Holiday

"Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction." -Anne Frank

1.  Over winter break, I was somewhat resourceful. To be honest, not as resourceful as I would have liked, though. I did, however, contact several people that I was referred to by my second interviewee, Felicia Thomas. Most of them were fellow professors in the psychology department. I also made a trip to Barnes and Noble and buy some rather interesting books based on my topic. They were more specific to certain cases and criminals, but it gave a fun intrigue to an otherwise academic read, which is why I chose to purchase them and barrow them from the library.

2.  The most important thing I learned was that psychology is a very hard topic to gain hours for. I may have contacted several people, but very few replied, and even less were able to give me any information that was of use to me. I understand that it was around the holidays, but I am still pushing to find more contacts. I also learned that although we are doing research for our project, it is vital to find a way to make it interesting for yourself. How else do you expect for someone to sit and listen during your presentation if you don't even have interest in what you are saying.

3.  I believe I would interview Laurie Roades, a psychology professor at Cal Poly. She has contacted me over break and given me various referrals and still continues to check in to see if I have made progress. I plan on meeting with her to see if I can do some mentorship hours with her. 

Books on my topic I actually like reading:

Blog 8: Research & Working EQ

"When a rogue kisses you, count your teeth" -Hebrew Proverb

1.  What classifies a psychopath as dangerous or benefiting towards society?

2. Psychologist have used the DSM-IV, also known as The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: Mental Disorders and The Psychopathy Checklist, to classify whether a psychopath can be considered dangerous or benefiting towards society

3.  My first interview with Andrew Williams helped me find part of the answer to my working EQ. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us by Robert D. Hare went into more detail on both the DSM-IV and the checklist mentioned in number 2.

4.  Since I determined that I wanted my topic to be Psychopathy, I have been on a desperate search for a mentor or somewhere to volunteer that is even vaguely related to my topic, but it has been very difficult. I have been able to find a class to cover my Independent Component #1. I also found two separate people to interview to fulfill the interview requirements and both recommended me to other people, but once again none of them specialized in my topic. I am still emailing and calling for my references. 

Blog 5: Project Reflection and Working EQ

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." -Homer Simpson

The Pentagon: 

1. Positive Statement: I have come to understand my topic more than I had when I chose it in the first place. I realized that there is so much more to psychopathology and it has many sub-topics within it. This is helping me narrow down what I would like to focus my essential question on. Also, from my interview I gained a place where I can hopefully fulfill my mentorship.

2. EQ Content: "Without Conscience" written by Robert D. Hare is my second most important piece of research I have collected. Other articles and books I have read have focused on personality traits of those who have the specific personality disorder, but this non fiction piece introduces hard evidence, research experiments, and several resources within itself.

My interview was also very useful. The process of finding a mentor and mentorship has become a more doable task with help from Andrew Williams, the interviewee from my first interview. I am planning another trip to the library to collect various resources he recommended.

3.  I personally love the research checks every week. As seniors, we have so much going on throughout the week and it's nice to have time to focus on what needs to be done and get it done as quickly and productively as possible. I find my research very interesting and it helps keep me focused, even though it may seem like a long time to just sit and stay quiet.

4. The hardest part of the senior project is finding a mentor. Then again, that does not have to do with the project, mainly my topic itself. It seems like we have just started school and we have several due dates given to us, but that is expected of senior year.

5. Finding Value:

• What determines that a person can be classified as "mentally ill" or as "psychopathic" in the law system?
• The person I interviewed has referred me to a lady named Dr. Jennifer Rousch. She works with clients directly admitted to BHC Alhambra Hospital, a private, for-profit psychiatric hospital. 

Scorpion & Frog

During the summer, I managed to collect various pieces of research. At first, I didn't think of them as research sources, but instead I enjoyed reading them on my free time. It was the books I collected over the summer that led me to choose my topic: psychopathology. I wanted to choice a topic that would intrigue people and they would enjoy watching my presentation In the end I fell in love with my own topic, too. Psychopathology isn't definitely not a subject everyone talks about, but it sparks their curiosity. Whenever I tell someone my topic, I always get the same response, "what's that?" I reply with, "it's the study of psychological and behavioral disorders, specifically psychopaths." With that, they immediately want to know more. As I continue my research, I learn something new literally everyday. Even though, finding a mentor and mentorship has been a bit difficult, I am dedicated to succeed with my senior topic.

My favorite piece of research and over all non-fiction books is "The Wisdom of Psychopaths" by Kevin Dutton. It was written in such a way that it is entertaining and informative. There is specific parable that involved a scorpion and turtle that perfectly portrays how a psychopath is know to socialize with society:

A scorpion and a frog are sitting on the bank of a river, and both need to get to the other side.

“Hello, Mr. Frog!” calls the scorpion through the reeds. “Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the water? I have important business to conduct on the other side. And I cannot swim in such a strong current.”

The frog immediately becomes suspicious.

“Well, Mr. Scorpion,” he replies, “I appreciate the fact that you have important business to conduct on the other side of the river. But just take a moment to consider your request. You are a scorpion. You have a large stinger at the end of your tail. As soon as I let you onto my back, it is entirely within your nature to sting me.”

The scorpion, who has anticipated the frog’s objections, counters thus:

“My dear Mr. Frog, your reservations are perfectly reasonable. But it is clearly not in my interest to sting you. I really do need to get to the other side of the river. And I give you my word that no harm will come to you.”

The frog agrees, reluctantly, that the scorpion has a point. So he allows the fast-talking arthropod to scramble atop his back and hops, without further ado, into the water.

At first all is well. Everything goes exactly according to plan. But halfway across, the frog suddenly feels a sharp pain in his back—and sees, out of the corner of his eye, the scorpion withdraw his stinger from his hide. A deadening numbness begins to creep into his limbs.

“You fool!” croaks the frog. “You said you needed to get to the other side to conduct your business. Now we are both going to die!”

The scorpion shrugs and does a little jig on the drowning frog’s back.

“Mr. Frog,” he replies casually, “you said it yourself. I am a scorpion. It is in my nature to sting you.”

With that, the scorpion and the frog both disappear beneath the murky, muddy waters of the swiftly flowing current.

And neither of them are seen again.