North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, The Bishop Orders His Tomb and My Last Duchess, Robert Browning

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, The Bishop Orders His Tomb and My Last Duchess, Robert Browning "This idea that individuals can ever be autonomous from society in which they live is nonsense. I wanted to explore just how hard it is for an individual, especially a woman, to determine a sense of self. If you still think there is freedom in my text, it is an illusion by you, not by me."The provided text reveals an imagined composer's thoughts. Evaluate the extent to which the thought is expressed in this elective, and how those ways of thinking are expressed.From what the imagined composer has stated, it is obvious that he (assuming male) did not believe that individuals, especially women can obtain freedom, in the 19th century society. Through studying the texts "North and South," "The Bishop Orders His Tomb" and "My Last Duchess," it is realised that his words have a certain extent of truth. The ways of thinking expressed in those two texts supports the statement, revealing the difficulty encountered by women in determining a sense of self.Margaret HaleHowever, the protagonists in the texts ultimately manage to free themselves from the expectations of society. While the freedom is not complete, it is definitely not an illusion, as the heroines have to undergo great change to achieve the freedom.In North and South, the gender paradigms are explored in depth through the voice of Margaret Hale who challenges the structure of women in society. She is depicted as an unique individual in her society, as she is a middle class women who acquired an liberal education in economics and social sciences. This was demonstrated firstly by her learning the specialised jargon that the traders and workers used like 'clem' and 'knobstick'. After that, Margaret was able participate in the jargon-filled discussions regarding the matter of trade "She knew enough now to understandeven some of...

Definition of the Situation in Sociology

Definition of the Situation in Sociology The definition of the situation is what people use to know what is expected of them and what is expected of others in any given situation. Through the definition of the situation, people obtain a sense of the statuses and roles of those involved in the situation so that they know how to behave.  It is the agreed upon, subjective understanding of what will happen in a given situation or setting, and who will play which roles in the action. The concept refers to how our understanding of the social context of where we may be, like a  movie theater, bank, library, or supermarket informs our expectations of what we will do, who we will interact with, and for what purpose. As such, the definition of the situation is a core aspect of social order of a smoothly operating society. The definition of the situation is something that we learn through socialization, composed of prior experiences, knowledge of norms, customs, beliefs, and social expectations, and is also informed by individual and collective needs and wants. It is  a foundational concept within symbolic interaction theory and an important one within sociology, generally. The Theorists Behind the Definition of the Situation Sociologists William I. Thomas and Florian Znaniecki are credited with laying the theory and research groundwork for the concept that is known as the definition of the situation. They wrote about meaning and social interaction in their groundbreaking empirical study of Polish immigrants in Chicago, published in five volumes between 1918 and 1920. In the book, titled The Polish Peasant in Europe and America, they wrote that a  person has to take social meanings into account and interpret his experience not exclusively in terms of his own needs and wishes but also in terms of the traditions, customs, beliefs, and aspirations of his social milieu. By social meanings, they refer to the shared beliefs, cultural practices, and norms that become common sense to native members of a society. However, the first time the phrase appeared in print was in a 1921 book published by sociologists Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess, Introduction to the Science of Sociology. In this book, Park and Burgess cited a Carnegie study published in 1919 which apparently used the phrase. They wrote, common participation in common activities implies a common definition of the situation. In fact, every single act, and eventually all moral life, is dependent upon the definition of the situation. A definition of the situation precedes and limits any possible action, and a redefinition of the situation changes the character of the action. In this final sentence Park and Burgess refer to a defining principle of symbolic interaction theory: action follows meaning. They argue, without a definition of the situation that is known among all participants, those involved wouldnt know what to do with themselves. And, once that definition is known, it sanctions certain actions while prohibiting others. Examples of the Situation An easy example to grasp how situations are defined and why this process is important is that of a written contract. A legally binding document, a contract, for employment or sale of goods, for example, lays out the roles played by those involved and specifies their responsibilities, and sets out actions and interactions that will take place given the situation as defined by the contract. But, its the less easily codified definition of a situation that interests sociologists, who use it to refer to a necessary aspect of all the interactions we have in our daily lives, also known as micro-sociology. Take, for example, riding a bus. Before we even get on a bus, we are engaged with a definition of a situation in which buses exist to serve our transportation needs in society. Based on that shared understanding, we have expectations of being able to find buses at certain times, at certain places, and to be able to access them for a certain price. As we enter the bus, we, and presumably the other passengers and the driver, work with a shared definition of the situation that dictates the actions we take as we enter the bus paying or swiping a pass, conversing with the driver, taking a seat or grabbing a hand-hold. If someone acts in a way that defies the definition of the situation, confusion, discomfort, and even chaos can ensue. Sources Burgess, E.W. Introduction to the Science of Sociology. Robert Ezra Park, Kindle Edition, Amazon Digital Services LLC, March 30, 2011. Thomas, William. The Polish Peasant in Europe and America: A CLASSIC WORK IN IMMIGRATION HISTORY. Florian Znaniecki, Paperback, Student edition, University of Illinois Press, January 1, 1996. Edited by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

LIFO vs FIFO Depreciation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LIFO vs FIFO Depreciation - Assignment Example LIFO method results to low net earnings by the company. However, if the company switches to FIFO it will result to Sgreater earnings, but under the condition that price remains invariable during trading period. However, using weighted average could result to greater earnings for the company.Increase in price of assets over time makes FIFO method to yield superior returns than LIFO method since overhead expenditure is lower than returns after increase in value of commodities (Mckee, Garner & Mckee, Y., 2000).   Regardless of the method used, companies would get uniform earnings in the absence of inflation. Also, using weighted average method results to a value which is higher than that of LIFO method, but lower than that of FIFO method.Companies use LIFO approach in order to counter the effects of inflation hence pays less tax. FIFO method is significant in a steady economy, but is helpful when economy is facing increase in price of commodities, because companies can report greater earnings than any other method. However, this result a mismatch of the expenditures incurred in production and the earnings from the products.  Most companies prefer LIFO method when estimating the value of their stock because the associated expenditure is most recent and is generally higher than actual expenditure. This enables companies to pay less income tax to the state. On the other hand, FIFO method is vital in an economy facing inflation because increase in prices result to increase in earnings.

Psychology Topic is Genes and aging and Gottlieb contribution to this Essay

Psychology Topic is Genes and aging and Gottlieb contribution to this - Essay Example The process of aging has engaged the attention of people from time immemorial. People in the past generally did not include as a scholastic subject of inquiry. It was so obvious a facet of life that in the past people generally accepted it as a reality with which they have to cope up with. However, the desire to prolong life was very popular and a marketable thing, many charlatans and quakes occupied the field and various potions for prolonging life appeared in the market. Initially serious scientists did not venture to study the phenomenon for fear they will be mistaken to be a pseudo scholar. With the microscopic study of cell and genetics growing as an important subject aided by technology, aging also came to be studied. The role of genes in aging has been a forgone conclusion. But the insight into the importance of environment- interface in shedding light on development is one of the major thrust areas of Gottlieb's study. The present study is an examination of his contribution t o the process aging. Aging is the major hurdle to the quality of human life in affluent communities. The study of senescence can prolong human life, preserve health, prevent age related diseases and even might cure aging. Aging is assuming the dimension of a worldwide social and economic problem. However, some scientists feel this area should get more priority and funding (Miller, 2005). The study of senescence, while it is part of the global quest to address this problem facing humanity, is also a dream of achieving the experience of an infinite universe. What is aging Aging came under the purview of scientific enquiry only in the early part of the present century. We are all aware of aging in humans from our earliest years, through normal, daily contacts with family members, neighbors, and others who have reached an advanced age. Perhaps because aging seems such an intuitively obvious phenomenon, it was quite late in becoming an object of formal study (Clark, 2002, p. 3) However there has been, over the centuries, an ardent attempt to unearth the magic elixir that would prolong life or even confer immortality. The process of aging was so obviously present in the conscious mind that no one thought it worth the trouble to go in depth to study what aging is. Aging has many external visible signs, as well as the changes in the mind and in the molecular level. The external changes also psychologically impact the person as he or she becomes aware that time is approaching for saying adieu. There are also degenerative changes associated with age, which are the results of alterations in the cardiovascular system. Humans also are under higher risk from external sources due to the slow collapse of the autoimmune system of the body. The reproductive capacity also diminishes along with aging and in the female this process sets in faster than in the male. In fact there are a spectrum of changes associated with old age but there is no uniform pattern of occurrence for all humans nor is there any fixed time when aging sets in all people. Some people are old at forty but there are septuagenarians who are fit as a fiddle. In some, mental faculties are impaired with age while bodies remain

Counselors as Companions and Ethics in Human Services Essay Example for Free

Counselors as Companions and Ethics in Human Services Essay In this article the counselor states: â€Å"I found that when working with such clients, my role as counselor is more akin to a special type of travel companion who is willing to understand and respect the process of walking along a sacred life path. This is the only way I can effectively help a client explore the deeper dimensions of the self that are being challenged. As the heros companion I must be willing to share in the clients pain as well as new, and oftentimes unexpected, discoveries. † (Halstead, 2000) The counselor learned that he needed to be a companion not a guide. He also learned that no matter how hard a situation is or no matter how many times someone tells you that you cannot do something, if you have the willpower and want to, you can overcome anything you encounter on life’s journey. As the counselor, we must show the client that we are there for them and not tell them what they should be doing or how they should handle a certain situation. In the future, I feel the counselor will be more supportive of the decisions his clients make. As a counselor, we may sometimes feel that the client should do something one way and try to push them towards it but in the end the client really does know what is best for them. There are so many people like Steve in The Hero’s Journey, who are told they will never be able to do something and they work hard, overcome every obstacle thrown their way and prove everyone wrong. I believe that everyone we come in contact with changes us in one way or the other. I believe everyone has a story that can help the next person. I have a best friend who called me one day and was telling me about this girl she knew who had lost everything, kids, house, car, job, everything someone can  lose, she had lost it. My best friend starts telling me that this girl had turned to drugs, prostitution, living on the streets and had also mentioned suicide a few times. My best friend told me that she felt like if this girl was to hear my story then it would help her so I told her to bring this girl to my house. They get to my house and I immediately wanted to cry because when I looked at this girl, I seen what I looked like eleven years ago. She was about 5’11 and maybe 100 pounds, her face was sunk in and you could tell she had not had a shower in a long time. I got her something to eat and drink and then told her my story. I told her about how I was raised Pentecostal by my grandmother who taught me right from wrong. I never wanted for anything growing up and had a family that loved me just like she did. When I turned 18 years old, I started doing drugs, prostitution, being beaten almost on a daily basis by a man who I thought loved me, being rapped on several occasions, almost killed three different times, dying from a drug/alcohol overdose but the doctors were able to bring me back, being sent to prison while I was pregnant for something I didn’t do, having my son in prison and losing custody of him and how I turned my life around when I got out of prison. While I am telling my story to this sad and lost girl, she is crying the whole time and I know it is because she is just a younger version of me. I was told that I would never be anything but a failure at life and would never amount to anything but looking at my life now, you would never know that I had went through any of that unless I told you. Today, this girl has her kids back, a beautiful home, making about $50,000 a year, a husband who truly loves her and she says it is because my story gave her the strength she needed to turn her life around. When we got done that night, she looked at me and said, â€Å"Thank you for sharing your story with me, it has given me the hope and strength that I have been looking for to turn my life around. I wanted to end my life and just be done with it all.† That night she promised me she was not going to stop fighting and she didn’t. So yes, I believe with all my heart that most people you come in contact with change you in some way. Steve states in the article that, I really grew up because of all this. Before the attack I was going nowhere. Now I have a direction. (Halstead, 2000) His challenges gave him a greater sensitivity to others needs who were  recovering from strokes and brain injuries. (Halstead, 2000) I believe that having a counselor who believed in him also helped Steve to not give up. Steve had been told by doctor after doctor that he would always be limited to things he would be able to do. Having just one person tell him that he could do anything he put his mind to, gave him the extra push he needed to overcome those limitations the doctors had given him. I feel that both Steven and the counselor benefited from this relationship. When Steve’s psychiatrist called the counselor, I do not feel the psychiatrist had a right to discuss Steve with the counselor without his permission. I do feel the counselor did right by not going into details about his sessions with Steve and waited until Steve returned to school to speak with him about it. However, when the counselor seen that Steve was depressed and thinking about suicide when he received his fall semester grades, the counselor had a responsibility to Steve to seek help from someone else. In the Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals it states that â€Å"if it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the client or to others as a result of a clients behavior, the human service professional acts in an appropriate and professional manner to protect the safety of those individuals. This may involve seeking consultation, supervision, and/or breaking the confidentiality of the relationship.† (National Organization for Human Services, n.d) If I ever have a client that is thinking about suicide, I will talk to my supervisor and ask for his help in coming up with a plan to help my client, maybe ask my supervisor to sit in on a session with me and talk to the client as well. Because of the personal nature of their work, human service workers at all levels are held to a code of ethics that protects the rights and dignity of clients and establishes standards of practice. (Sessoms, n.d) The National Organization of Human Service ethical standards places a responsibility on human service workers that have for their clients, the community, colleagues, employers, the profession and the human service worker themselves. The National Association of Social Workers approaches ethics through a core set of values, which include service, dignity and worth of the person, social justice, integrity and competence. (Sessoms, n.d) Reference Halstead, R. W. (2000). FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH: COUNSELOR AS COMPANION ON THE HEROS JOURNEY. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/eds/detail?vid=2sid=5b062172-ddf2-4c9d-a107-d6387c05f54b%40sessionmgr198hid=115bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=aphAN=2768884 National Organization for Human Services. (n.d.). Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals Sessoms, G. (n.d.). Code of Ethics for Human Service Workers. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://http://work.chron.com/code-ethics-human-service-workers-8132.html

Nursing Care as Applied to a Client with a Mental Health Problem Essay

An extended essay demonstrating the candidate’s ability to evaluate how the application of theoretical knowledge gained during the course influences and effects the provision of quality nursing care as applied to a client with a mental health problem. The aim of this assignment is to explore the application of theory to practice with regards to a client with a mental health problem. In order to effectively care for clients, nurses need to regularly evaluate their knowledge and assess this knowledge increases the quality of mental health nursing care. The client chosen for this assignment was a female, 39 year-old suffering with agoraphobia. She was a single Asian origin, but living in a council flat in London with her father and sisters. The duration of the clients' illness was approximately nine years, since about 1987. For the purpose of the reader, this essay will be written in the first person, as it will make the assignment more coherent. I worked with the client in the community for the duration of my placement. Therefore, for two months I had regular contact with the client everyday. The client needed nursing intervention because she needed help in coping with her agoraphobia. Due to this phobia she was reliably housebound and could not successfully carry out her activities of daily living. Her father did the shopping and housework. In addition to this the client's functioning was impaired due to other physical problems. She suffered from epilepsy and she had a tumour growing in the left hemisphere, which affected her right-sided mobility. â€Å"A phobia is a fear of a specific of a specific object or scenario† ... ...each session. I then used his list as a reference when the client began to ramble. If supervision had not been used we could have become stressed through interpretation and lack of reflection. Supervision is important because it enhances nurses' education, orientation, support and facilities and nurses to think about how to use of self. (Hinchcliffe 1994). Therefore, the nurses are constantly learning and gaining insight, which impresses clients'. Quality of cares and protects nurses. So we can see from this essay that all the care subjects we have gained knowledge of in the course can greatly improve the clients' care it and our ability to care for them. We are constantly learning in practice and need to use knowledge, but supervision, reflection and other disciplines to improve our standard of care. Nursing Care as Applied to a Client with a Mental Health Problem Essay An extended essay demonstrating the candidate’s ability to evaluate how the application of theoretical knowledge gained during the course influences and effects the provision of quality nursing care as applied to a client with a mental health problem. The aim of this assignment is to explore the application of theory to practice with regards to a client with a mental health problem. In order to effectively care for clients, nurses need to regularly evaluate their knowledge and assess this knowledge increases the quality of mental health nursing care. The client chosen for this assignment was a female, 39 year-old suffering with agoraphobia. She was a single Asian origin, but living in a council flat in London with her father and sisters. The duration of the clients' illness was approximately nine years, since about 1987. For the purpose of the reader, this essay will be written in the first person, as it will make the assignment more coherent. I worked with the client in the community for the duration of my placement. Therefore, for two months I had regular contact with the client everyday. The client needed nursing intervention because she needed help in coping with her agoraphobia. Due to this phobia she was reliably housebound and could not successfully carry out her activities of daily living. Her father did the shopping and housework. In addition to this the client's functioning was impaired due to other physical problems. She suffered from epilepsy and she had a tumour growing in the left hemisphere, which affected her right-sided mobility. â€Å"A phobia is a fear of a specific of a specific object or scenario† ... ...each session. I then used his list as a reference when the client began to ramble. If supervision had not been used we could have become stressed through interpretation and lack of reflection. Supervision is important because it enhances nurses' education, orientation, support and facilities and nurses to think about how to use of self. (Hinchcliffe 1994). Therefore, the nurses are constantly learning and gaining insight, which impresses clients'. Quality of cares and protects nurses. So we can see from this essay that all the care subjects we have gained knowledge of in the course can greatly improve the clients' care it and our ability to care for them. We are constantly learning in practice and need to use knowledge, but supervision, reflection and other disciplines to improve our standard of care.

The Role of Education in Plato’s Republic

The role and significance of education with regard to political and social institutions is a subject that has interested political philosophers for millennia. In particular, the views of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, as evidenced in The Republic, and of the pre-Romantic philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau in his Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, present a striking juxtaposition of the two extremes of the ongoing philosophical and political debate over the function and value of education. In this paper, I will argue that Rousseau's repudiation of education, while imperfect and offering no remedy to the ills it disparages, is superior inasmuch as it comes closer to the truth of things than does Plato's idealized conceptions. To do so, I will first examine Plato's interpretation of the role of education and its function in shaping the structure of society and government and in producing good citizens. I will then introduce Rousseau's view of education and the negative effects of the civilized culture which it produces, and using this view, will attempt to illustrate the naivete and over-idealization of Plato's notions. Finally, I will attempt to demonstrate that it is Rousseau's view, rather than Plato's, that is ultimately more significant in assessing the actual (vs. idealized) merits (or lack thereof, in Rousseau's case) by which education should be judged with regard to the nurturance of good citizens. For Plato, the question of the role of education arises near the end of Book II (377e), after a discussion of both the necessary and consequent attributes of Socrates' kallipolis or â€Å"Ideal City. Such a city, Socrates argues, will, before long, have need of both a specialization of labor (in order for the greatest level of diversity and luxury of goods to be achieved) and of the establishment of a class of â€Å"Guardians† to protect the city from its envious neighbors and maintain order within its walls (i. e. , to police and govern the city). This, in turn, leads inexorably to the question of what attributes the Ideal City will require of its Guardians, and how best to foster such attributes. The early, childhood education of the Guardians, Socrates argues, is the key. What, then, asks Socrates, should children be taught, and when? This quickly leads to a discussion of censorship. Socrates cites a number of questionable passages from Homer which cannot, he thinks, be allowed in education, since they represent dishonorable behavior and encourage the fear of death. The dramatic form of much of this poetry is also suspect: it puts unworthy words into the mouths of gods & heroes. Socrates suggests that what we would call â€Å"direct quotation† must be strictly limited to morally-elevating speech. Nothing can be permitted that compromises the education of the young Guardians, as it is they who will one day rule and protect the city, and whom the lesser-constituted citizens of the polis will attempt to emulate, assimilating, via the imitative process of mimesis, to the Myth (or â€Å"noble lie†) of the Ideal City in which justice is achieved when everyone assumes their proper role in society. The process of mimesis, is, of course, yet another form of education, in which those of Iron and Bronze natures are â€Å"instructed† and inspired by the superior intelligence and character of the Gold and Silver members of the Guardian class. It is therefore a form of education without which the polis cannot operate. Thus, for Guardian and ordinary citizen alike, the education of the young and the continuing â€Å"instruction† of the citizenry are crucial. In addition to these aspects, Plato also conceives of another function of education, and one which is quite significant in its relation to Rousseau's views. For Plato, education and ethics are interdependent. To be ethical, in turn, requires a twofold movement: movement away from immersion in concrete affairs to thinking and vision of unchanging order and structures (such as justice) and then movement back from dialectic to participation and re-attachment in worldly affairs. It is a temptation to become an abstract scholar. But the vision of the good is the vision of what is good for oneself and the city — of the common good. If one does not return to help his fellow human beings, he becomes selfish and in time will be less able to see what is good, what is best. An unselfish devotion to the good requires an unselfish devotion to the realization of this good in human affairs. Just as the purpose of understanding order and limits in one's own life is to bring about order and restraint in one's own character and desires, the understanding of justice requires application in the public sphere (through education). A man who forgets the polis is like a man who forgets he has a body. Plato thus advocates educating both the body and the city (for one needs both), not turning one's back on them. If education is, for Plato, the means by which man comes to fully realize (through society) his potential as a human being and by which society as a whole is in turn elevated, for Rousseau it is quite the opposite. Education, argues Rousseau, does not elevate the souls of men but rather corrodes them. The noble mimesis which lies at the heart of education in Plato's kallipolis is for Rousseau merely a slavish imitation of the tired ideas of antiquity. The ill effects of this imitation are manifold. Firstly, argues Rousseau, when we devote ourselves to the learning of old ideas, we stifle our own creativity and originality. Where is there room for original thought, when, in our incessant efforts to impress one another with our erudition, we are constantly spouting the ideas of others? In a world devoid of originality, the mark of greatness, intelligence, and virtue is reduced to nothing more than our ability to please others by reciting the wisdom of the past. This emphasis on originality is in marked contrast with Plato, who finds no value in originality, deeming it antithetical to a polis otherwise unified by shared Myths of the Ideal City and of Metals. Rousseau rejects this â€Å"unity†, rightly denouncing it as a form of slavery , in which humanity's inherent capacity for spontaneous, original self-expression is replaced with the yoking. of the mind and the will to the ideas of others, who are often long dead. In addition to suppressing the innate human need for originality, education (and the appetite for â€Å"culture† and â€Å"sophistication† that it engenders) causes us to conceal ourselves, to mask our true natures, desires, and emotions. We become artificial and shallow, using our social amenities and our knowledge of literature, etc. , to present a pleasing but deceptive face to the world, a notion quite at odds with the ideas of Plato. We assume, in Rousseau's words, â€Å"the appearance of all virtues, without being in possession of one of them. Finally, argues Rousseau, rather than strengthening our minds and bodies and (a critical point) moving us towards that which is ethical, as Plato contends, education and civilization effeminate and weaken us physically and (perhaps most significantly) mentally, and cause us, in this weakness, to stoop to every manner of depravity and injustice against one another. â€Å"External ornaments,† writes Rousseau, â€Å"are no less foreign to virtue, which is the strength and activity of the mind. The honest man is an athlete, who loves to wrestle stark naked; he scorns all those vile trappings, which prevent the exertion of his strength, and were, for the most part, invented only to conceal some deformity. † Virtue, as opposed to Plato's conception, is an action, and results not from the imitation inherent in mimesis, but rather in the activity — in the exercise — of the body, mind and soul. Education, however, demands imitation, demands a modeling upon what has been successful. How, then, do we rightly assess the merits of education with regard to its it molding of the public character — in its ability to produce â€Å"good† citizens. The answer to this hinges, I submit, on how we choose to define the â€Å"good† citizen. Clearly, if obedience (or â€Å"assimilation to a political ideology†, or perhaps â€Å"voluntary servitude†) is the hallmark of the good citizen, then we must regard Plato's disposition towards education as the proper one. However, obedience, despite its obvious centrality to the smooth operation of society (as we would have social chaos were it completely absent), has its useful limits. Over-assimilation to a political idea or â€Å"blueprint† is every bit as dangerous — indeed, far more so — as the utter under-assimilation of anarchy. For those inclined to dispute this, I would urge them to review the history of Nazi Germany as perhaps the definitive example of what sad, awful spectacles of injustice we humans are capable of when we trade in our mental and spiritual autonomy for the convenient apathy and faceless anonymity of the political ideal. Furthermore, if , as Rousseau contends, our civilization is such that, â€Å"Sincere friendship, real esteem, and perfect confidence [in each other] are banished from among men,† what is the quality of the society for which education — any modern education — purports to prepares us? When, â€Å"Jealousy, suspicion, fear coldness, reserve, hate, and fraud lie constantly concealed under †¦ [a] uniform and deceitful veil of politeness,† what is left to us to educate citizens for, other than the pleasure we seem to derive in pedantic displays of hoary knowledge? If we remove the civility from â€Å"civilization†, what remains to us that any education will remedy?

High Noon Essay

This is a case of a company, which is operating in Malaysia by the name of Alpha Plantations Sdn Bhd. The company has its origin in Britain and has been operational for over forty years now. This subsidiary located in Malaysia consists of one palm oil mill and one oil palm estate. According to the owners of the company, the main purpose of opening this subsidiary is to supply the mother company with crude palm oil. The mother company is involved in production of detergents. The subsidiary in Malaysia operates in three shifts and each shift has about 25 people manned by one supervisor.  In addition, majority of the top management persons working at the Malaysian subsidiary come from the United Kingdom where the mother company is. Issues This organization has been in operation for decades and it has perfectly performed. With the changes that are taking place within the company because of the new manager, workers will also experience some new changes in the way they will execute their duties. Issues arise from the fact that this new management wants to change even the structure of the organization. These changes bring conflict in the way the workers used to perform and in the process affect their team performance and rapport. (McShane, S. et al, 2006) This frustrates Mr. Ang who has worked with the company for over four decades. The results are his firing after a confrontation. The reason for his firing stated as misconduct. However, this misconduct resulted from the mixed up duties and responsibilities that he experiences on his line of duty. As McShane, S. et al, (2006), says it is necessary to have a clearly spelled out duties and responsibilities. This is the only way that the workers will be able to avoid conflict and confrontation. This does not happen in this company. In addition, the managerial team executes these changes so quickly such that the workers do not have time to adjust thereby resulting to frustrations. Analysis Over the years, the company has faced many problems. However, the recent one was the massive loss that the company was undergoing. The main cause of this loss is the current low prices of gases that were experience at that time, then in 1999. During this time, Captain Chubb was the manager of the company. He claimed that he had done all that he could but the prices were the one which pulled the company down. The top management of the company sort to hire a new manager the following year by the name of Ian Davison. They thought that the previous manager failed to perform. Even though he did not have any experience in management of an agricultural company, he had worked and succeeded in the detergent company and therefore the management expected much from him. To achieve this, he had to lower the cost of production and the only way was to make some recommendation. He therefore made recommendations some of which were beyond the company’s control. For instance, he claimed that the company allowed too much machine breakdown. It is advisable to note that wear and tear is normal processes and we can do absolutely nothing to prevent it. However, he offered a practical solution of reducing the workforce and introducing new machines. This is the point where issues cropped up. With the introduction of new machines and reduction of the number of workers per shift, the workers first adapted to the process but later moved back to their old habits. However, this time, the problem was bigger in that there were fewer workers. They no longer worked in a team and this created a big problem, as the workload was now bigger. In addition, with the new introduced structure in the organization, workers were now able to have a direct access to the manager. This reduced the powers that Mr. Ang had who has always been the supervisor for the company. He was not in a position to control the works anymore and this frustrated him. Furthermore, the workers would not fully respect his directions, as they knew they could still get directions directly from the manager. As McShane, S. et al, (2006) in their book says, poor communication will always affect our behavior towards each other at our places of work. They go ahead and say that leaders will tend to vent their frustration to their subordinate. This communication breakdown affected the relationship between Mr. Ang and the workers and at the end resulted to dictatorship type of ruling where Mr. Ang would make all the decision for the workers. The worst is that Mr. Ang was to blame for all this. The result is that Mr. Ang was devastated and become silent, unproductive to the company and the company fires him. Drive theory explains the reason why Mr. Ang feels frustrated by the actions of the manager. He was highly valued by the workers and after he goes home, the company somehow collapses. Solutions The current problems that are experienced are a serious loss and this is not due to local company structure but global factors that are beyond the company control. We can therefore argue that the methods that used to deal with this problem are way out of track. It is a good idea though to look for machines that are using new technology and to downsize the number of workers in the company. However, it is not a good idea to change the company structure, as this has nothing to do with the workers’ performance. (McShane, S. et al, 2006) The best solution for this problem therefore would have been the purchase of the machines using new technology, downsizing the firm and then leaving the workers to report to the supervisor who they have reported to all these years. This would have prevented the confrontation that Mr. Ang had with the top officials at the head office and the other confrontation that he had with the manager and therefore prevent the company from collapsing. Recommendation However, now that Mr.  Ang has already gone home and things are not working well at all at the company, it is a clear indication that even though during the last days, Mr. Ang seemed quiet, he was important and his presence was recognized by all the workers. In addition, Mr. Ang was never given time to explain what was happening. It would be recommendable to try to summon Mr. Ang, give him a chance to explain his point of view and give him back his job. He is the only one who can mobilize the team and make them work. Drive theory explains the reason why the company collapses because the workers are not motivated. They have nothing to drive them to work harder.

Essay on Education in the States †it is Time to Change the Vector

Essay on Education in the States – it is Time to Change the Vector Essay on Education in the States – it is Time to Change the Vector Essay on Education in the States – it is Time to Change the VectorIn the modern society with the rapid development of life and extreme high speed of changes education plays a crucial role because it allows to develop adoptive mechanisms, find your place, find and develop your hidden talents and capacities. So, education should be available for every individual. There are a lot of questions and doubts considering the level of education, its accents and forms, but it is obvious that it should be for all people. To my mind, every person has the right to the same kind of education and various tests and examinations will show whether a particular kind of education passes him/her or not. The next question is who should take responsibility for education. It is not fair to put this responsibility on the individual because it would be not his/her responsibility, but his/her parents’. It depends on their level of income and other factors and at this point the question of inequali ty arises: some rich parents may allow the education for their child and poor representatives deprive their children of it. The most logical answer to this social inequality would be   federal provision. The government should   develop common economic, political and cultural course of the country and implement corresponding educational programs. Students know the professional demand and governmental needs and have a kind of guarantee to be useful and successful after getting a diploma. â€Å"Education is supposed to prepare future citizens- that is, to equip them with the necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives to live a prosperous and happy life as well as to perform responsibilities required of them as citizens of a society† (Zhao, 2009, p.13). However, federal responsibility has negative consequences, as well. The government does not care about creative abilities and imagination much.   It has a declination to standardization: a particular type of wo rker is required and the government gives a requirement for such a worker. In this way person’s hidden talents, his/her creativity and imagination go aside and Ken Robinson, a famous educational expert, in his lecture Changing Education Paradigms speaks about this problem of modern education. Traditional education concentrates on the final product and material effectiveness – the government needs the statistics of high economic development. However, it is time to realize for the United States that further progress and development is not in the quantity and quality of existing products and services, it is in innovations. Innovations, in their turn, may be developed and implemented only by creative individuals and divergent thinking, as Robinson calls it.On the one hand, American government guarantees all its citizens the right for free and equal education, as it was proclaimed in the Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974. In my opinion, it is a positive change in th e provision of education on the federal level. There was created the National Institute of Education to control the educational process in the States and improve the level of education. Moreover, to guarantee equal opportunities for all citizens including people with disabilities The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.  §Ã‚ § 1400 et seq) was signed and it is also a very important and necessary step in the educational sphere.On the other hand, educational system of the United States requires fundamental reformation, and the faster it will be done, the more visible the results will be. Standardization of education resulted in the development of thousands of tests in every discipline, however, these tests allow to check only factual knowledge, not creative talents. Moreover, even high scores in tests and economic growth of the country do not have direct dependence. â€Å"In the face of such evidence, we can do more than reject the widely held hypothesis that high test scores lead to national success in the future. We can also hypothesize that high test scores are damaging to nations. That the U.S. comes out on top in national success in 74% of the comparisons with higher-scoring nations is statistically significant (p .0001, binomial test)† (Baker, 2007, p. 103). So, standardization of the educational process which used to be so actual in the 20th century does not prove to be effective nowadays.Development of critical thinking and creativity should become the main vector of the educational policy in the states. It presumes more freedom for the individual in the learning process, the teacher becomes more an observer who directs the student to a minimal point and creates appropriate condition for the development of personality and individuality. Despite the fact that it may seem risky, it is worth trying if the focus of attention is the development of personality in the American society. Robinson in his lecture gives a provoking statist ics: 98% of children up to five years old have excellent creative capacity and it minimizes with the flow of time under the influence of the standardized educational system.So, accent on creativity, critical thinking and diversity should become the priority for the educational reform not only on the local level but on the federal level, first of all. American nation, as well as others, has so many talented and unique personalities that they deserve chances for the development of their abilities and it will contribute to the economy and the country in general in the nearest future.

Arguments for and Against Humane Meat

Arguments for and Against Humane Meat Certified humane meat has been gaining in popularity as the public learns more about factory farms. Some activists call for reforms and labeling of humanely raised and slaughtered meat, but others argue we cannot work on reforms and promote animal rights at the same time. Background In a factory farm, animals are treated as commodities. Breeding sows are confined in gestation stalls, pigs have their tails cut off without anesthesia, calves spend their entire lives tethered by their necks in veal crates, and egg-laying hens are debeaked and kept in cages too small to spread their wings in. The search for solutions has focused on two paths, one reforming the system and instituting more humane standards, and the other promoting veganism so that fewer animals are bred, raised, and slaughtered. While few animal activists disagree with promoting veganism, some believe that campaigning for reforms and humane labeling is counter-productive. Humane standards can either be required by law or instituted voluntarily by farmers. Farmers who voluntarily agree to higher humane standards are either opposed to factory farming or are trying to appeal to consumers who prefer meat from humanely raised and slaughtered animals. There is no single definition of â€Å"humane meat,† and many animal activists would say that the term is an oxymoron. Different meat producers and organizations have their own humane standards by which they abide. One example is the â€Å"Certified Humane Raised and Handled† label that is backed by the Humane Society of the U.S., the ASPCA, and other non-profits. Humane standards might include larger cages, no cages, natural feed, less painful methods of slaughter, or prohibition of practices such as tail docking or debeaking. In some cases, campaigns target retailers or restaurants instead of the actual producers, pressuring the companies to purchase animal products only from producers who raise the animals according to certain voluntary standards. One example is PETA’s McCruelty campaign that asks McDonald’s to require their producers to switch to a more humane method of slaughtering chickens. Arguments for Humane Meat People will continue to eat meat for the foreseeable future, so humane standards will ensure that the animals will have a better life than they have in factory farms now.Since some people will never be convinced to go vegan, humane standards are the only way we can help the animals who will be raised for food no matter what else we do.Humane standards will eliminate the cruelest factory farming practices. Humane standards have broad-based support, so goals are achievable. Many people are opposed to factory farming but are not opposed to eating meat or other animal products. According to Humane Farm Animal Care: A recent study on behalf of the United Egg Producers found that three out of four American consumers (75%) would choose food products certified as protecting animal care over those that are not. Humane regulations on a state or federal level provide relief to millions of animals.Humane standards are a step towards animal rights. By promoting humane standards, we persuade people to care about animals, which will lead some to vegetarianism and veganism. Arguments Against Humane Meat There is no such thing as humane meat. Using an animal for food violates the animal’s right to life and freedom, and cannot be humane. Calling some animal products â€Å"humane† leads people to believe that animals do not suffer on â€Å"humane† farms when in fact, they do. For example, male babies of egg-laying hens are still killed, and male dairy cattle are still killed. Also, HumaneMyth.org explains: At all farms, large-scale and small-scale, laying hens are killed when their production declines, typically within two years, as feeding these worn-out individuals cuts directly into profits. Often the bodies of spent hens are so ravaged that no one will buy them, and they are ground into fertilizer or just sent to a landfill. Some humane standards can be woefully inadequate, even by animal welfare standards. Giving animals enough room to spread their wings or turn around does not mean they will have enough room to fly or walk around. They will still be crowded and will still suffer.Requiring larger cages or larger pens will require more space and more deforestation than factory farms already require. Nine billion land animals are killed for human consumption every year in the U.S. Giving 9 billion animals enough land to roam would be an environmental disaster.Humane meat is not more sustainable than factory farming. The animals will require just as much food and water, if not more because they will be moving around more and exercising more.Humane meat campaigns sometimes send a confusing message. Nine years after declaring victory in their McCruelty campaign against McDonalds, PETA resurrected their McCruelty campaign in 2008 to make further demands.Instituting humane standards causes some vegetarians and vegans to start consuming meat and other animal products again. Spending resources on reform campaigns take movement resources away from campaigns to promote veganism.Humane standards do nothing to challenge the right of humans to use other animals and have nothing to do with animal rights. We should promote veganism instead of more â€Å"humane† ways of exploiting animals. Animal activists sometimes debate whether promoting veganism helps animals more than humane reforms, but we may never know. The debate is one that divides some groups and activists, but the animal agriculture industry fights both types of campaigns.

Marketing Communication Trends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Communication Trends - Essay Example This paper is an executive report on marketing communication trends. Network radio, along with television, nationalized magazines, and great metropolitan everyday newspapers appear to have constantly been I existence before. These structures not merely tied the nation together; however, there is strapping substantiation that to a large extent they assisted create the current societal and political civilization. Since each person could, and frequently did, perceive and conceivably hear similar messages at once starting from the 1950s and ending in the 1990s, people created nearly standardized mass media, along with mass marketing civilization (Jain, 2008). Marketing companies created generally demanded goods for these mass marketplaces. Retail distribution structures developed to vend to and via these marketplaces. Marketing communications experts developed plans, agendas, and structures to correspond with these mass marketplaces. Then technology rammed into society and individual wants and requirements. Suddenly customers, who currently had additional information compared to before, started to demand particular products, distribution structures, and communication. What at one time had been known to be a mass marketplace fragmented into thousands of detached, individual marketplaces driven by standard of living, ethnic background, earnings, geography, schooling, sexual category, and any other thing, which makes an individual dissimilar from another (Jaceviciute, 2011). Persons who are over 40 years old, were brought up as verbal correspondents. The prominence was on inscription and reading proficiencies. Persons who are less than forty years, are affiliates of the generation that is visual. This age group was raised on TV, movies, speeches, along with the verbal word. The disparity between the manner in which these two age groups communicate is remarkable. The change from a spoken to a visual