Theory of Cognitive Development and Children

Discuss the concept of ‘constructivism’ (from Piaget’s theory of cognitive development). Use a mix of theory and research to back up your ideas about whether or not the child constructs his/her own development. The understanding of how children comprehend the world around them has been a highly researched part of cognitive development in Psychology. Jean Piaget was one of the first researchers to develop a theory suggesting that children understand the world around them by actively seeking information from their environment, and continuously expanding their knowledge by organizing, adapting and assimilating this information Berlin, (1992).Piaget’s theory known as constructivism theory, has undergone a high level of scrutiny, centring on the understanding of children’s cognitive abilities, and neglecting the intelligence of assistance. Through analysing current research this paper aims to explore Piaget’s constructivism theory. Children’ s development has been a topic of interest since the 1920’s, following the creation of an intelligence test developed by Piaget and his colleagues where Piaget discovered that younger children made systematic mistakes from those of older age, consequently proposing that children change qualitatively with age, Bremner et al. (2012). Studying his own children Piaget formed the constructivism theory arguing that children built their knowledge through organization (children organize their information in schemas, assimilation (using pre-existing information) and adaptation and accommodation (adapting to the condition of the environment), by searching for information from their environment to expand their understanding of the world, Beilin, H. (1992). Piaget proposed children take an active role in their cognitive development, and independently construct the world around them.He proposed that children face different problems as they move through the stages, and it is the solving of these problems that teach them and assist them in learning and developing their thinking. The knowledge they receive from solving these actions are not imitated or innate, instead are ‘actively constructed’ by the child. In this sense, Piaget suggests that thought is obtained from action, when actions are internalised, ones thinking increases. The child is influenced by their previous ideas and new experiences, and based on this they construct new ideas.Piaget suggested that cognitive structuring, actions representing specific ‘acts’ of intelligence, is developed and linked to stages of child development. Piaget proposed children undergo four developmental stages where cognitive structuring occurs. These stages are sensorimotor stage (from birth to two years of age), preoperational stage (from three to seven years of age), concrete operations stage (from eight to eleven years of age), and formal operational stage (from twelve years of age until adulthood) Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969).In the first stage, sensorimotor which Piaget divided into six sub-stages, intelligence is demonstrated through basic motor skills such as sucking to experimenting with external objects by using schemas in order to reach their goal. ). Piaget suggested that until the age of seven months (during their third sub-stage of sensory motor stage), infants do not understand that the world consists of permanent objects. He argues that if at this stage you hide an object in front of the infant they show disappointment or simply stop looking for the object as if the object disappeared.Not until infant reaches eight months (the fourth sub-stage of sensory motor stage), does the child start to look for hidden objects, which shows that at this stage infants start to understand object permanence, Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969). One of Piaget’s studies that received a great deal of attention is the A-not-B error study, which he explains that if an object is hidden in front of an infant (location A); at around eight months of age they would reach toward the hidden object.However if the object is moved to a different location (location B) infants until twelve months of age would still reach for the first location. The failure to reach the correct location Piaget explains as egocentrism clamming that at this stage children fail to see the situation in a different point of view thinking that because the object was placed in the first location that that object would permanently be there, Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969). Testing Piaget’s A-not-B theory Kaufman and Needham (1999) tested 40 six and a half month infants.Using habituation technique they concluded that infants looked longer when the objects were moved. Contrary to Piaget’s findings, they suggested that infant special orientation development happens at much earlier age, arguing that Piaget underestimated infant ability. The second and third stage Piaget proposed ar e the preoperational and concrete stage at this stage children understand object permanence (that objects continue to exist even though they cannot ee them) , spatial layouts and also the use of language for problem solving starts during the preoperational stage through constructing existing information and eventually expanding this information. However until the age of seven children still see the world from their egocentric view (i. e. refusing to see the world from a different point of view). At the concrete stage children are able to solve visual problems such as lining in order dolls from the tallest to the shortest, however they are not able to solve mental problems, Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. 1969). The fourth and last stage that Piaget proposed is the formal stage. At this stage Piaget argues that children can think abstractly, consider possibilities and formulate hypothesis. Piaget’s formal operational stage has been criticised by researchers such as Kuhn et al. ,(198 2) who discovered that although constructing knowledge seems to be sufficient for the sensory-motor and preoperational stage, it does not seem to be the same case with the concrete and formal operational stage since not all adults show formal operational thought.There have been numerous studies conducted which provide support for constructivism theory. Guthrie et al (2004) compared different instructional methods for student’s reading skills, these methods included a strategies instruction approach, and an approach combining strategies instruction and constructivist motivation techniques, such as incorporating student choices, collaboration, and hands-on activities.The constructivist approach, called CORI (Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction) produced a high student reading comprehension, motivation, and cognitive strategies (Guthrie et al, 2004). Similarly Jong Suk Kim (Kim, 2005) found that when students were taught using constructivist-teaching methods, they achieved high er levels in academia compared to using traditional teaching methods. Students also voiced preferring constructivist methods over traditional ones.However, one of the biggest criticisms of Piaget’s theory has been the ignorance of social and cultural influences on child development. Contrary to Piaget, who believed that allowing children to experiment and express their own ideas enabled their constructive processes to develop knowledge, Vygotsky’s (1962) sociocultural theory proposed that learning and development are derived collaboratively from socialisation and education. He argued that simple knowledge such as perception and attention are mental abilities are innate, and although children actively developed their thought rocesses through the environment, they could also, with assistance from others, reach a higher level/stage of cognitive development than the stage they are at when they perform alone. Vygotsky named this ‘the zone of proximal developmentâ€⠄¢, â€Å"†¦the distance between the actual development of a child as determined by the independent problem solving, and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more peers Vygotsky (1978)† Vygotsky’s (1978, p. 56).Therefore, although his theory is similar to Piaget in that he believes cognitive development is restricted to a limited range at a certain age, he believes that with the aid of social interaction, for instance the help of a mentor, an individual/child can understand concepts and schemas that they would be unable to comprehend alone. In this sense it questions the extent to which children construct their own environment and developments as children’s knowledge may develop at a much faster rate through interaction and guidance of more experienced peers , such as older siblings, parent or teachers, Gauvain and Cole (1997).Evidence supporting Vygotksy can be seen in a stud y by Gauvain et al. , (1997). He found that if you test a group of nine year old pupils with a number of problem solving skills (at Piaget’s concrete operational stage) and test a group of twelve year old pupils (at Piaget’s formal operational stage), and not assist them, they would show the same level of intelligence, concluding that knowledge is not simply constructed through experience but also through techniques taught by others.Similarly, Mayer (2004) proposed that â€Å"a recent replication is research showing that students learn to become better at solving mathematics problems when they study worked-out examples rather than when they solely engage in hands-on problem, Mayer (2004, p. 18) Conclusion Piaget’s four-stage knowledge development theory is highly researched criteria within developmental Psychology. The use of constructing previously learnt information into new information through experience seems to be more effective at an early age. His theory seems to underestimate the children’s ability and knowledge; however it overestimates adolescence ability.It also is unarguable that constructivism theory fails to acknowledge the social effects that have been shown to play a crucial part in knowledge development. However it is not to say that Piaget’s constructivism theory should be discarded altogether, since Piaget was the pioneer in introducing clinical methods to explore children’s thoughts. This remains the fundamental theory used in child development research. Moreover, as mentioned above, Piaget’s constructivism theory is highly used in schools, guiding teachers in how to enable children to explore their own environment through expression and experimentation.In conclusion, knowledge development could be acquired through both construction of ones own experiences, and the help of more experienced peers. References 1. Beilin, H. (1992). Piaget’s enduring contribution to developmental psycholo gy. Developmental Psychology, 28, 191-204. 2. Bremner A. et al. , (1986). Developmental Psychology. Developmental Psychology. 3. Bodner, Gg. M. (1986). Constructivism a theory of knowledge. Journal of Chemical Education, 63, 873-878. 4. Gauvain M. and Cole. M. (1997). Readings on the development of children. W. H.Freeman and Company. New York. 5. Guthrie et al. , (2004) Increasing reading comprehension and engagement through concept oriented reading instructions. Journal of educational psychology, 96 (3), 403-423. 6. Kaufman, J. and Needham, A. (1999) Objective spatial coding in 6. 5-month-old infants in a visual dishabituation task. Developmental science, 2(4), 432-441. 7. Kuhn et al. , (1982), Systematic and metasystematic reasoning:A case for levels of reasoning beyond Piaget’s stage of formal operations. Developmental psychology, 53, 1058-1069. 8. Kim J. S. (2005).The effect of constructivist teaching approach on student’s academic achievements, self- concept and l earning strategies. Asia pacific and education review, 6 (1) 7-19. 9. Mayer (2004). Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery learning? American Psychologist, 59 (1) 14-19. 10. Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969). The Psychology of the Child. NY: Basic Books. 11. Vygotsky L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Massachusetts: The M. I. T. Press. 12. Vygotsky L. S. (1978). Interaction between learning and development. Mind and society, Cambridge: Harvard university press.

Comparison: Minority Report and 1984 Essay

Is it inhumane to arrest and convict a person of terrible crimes, even if it is not yet committed, if it is certain that it will be? Utopia is an imaginary place in which everything is perfect; in comparison, dystopia is an imaginary state in which the condition of life is extremely bad as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. George Orwell’s 1984 (1949), is a novel based on life in a dystopian setting, with a totalitarian government centered on war and hatred. Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) is a film in a futuristic setting with a system which predicts future murders so that citizens live a homicide-free utopian life. Winston Smith is the main character in 1984. His rebelious views on his society and government cause his arrest for ‘thoughtcrime,’ for which he is brainwashed until he complies to his society’s views. In Minority Report, John Anderton (Tom Cruise) begins by completely trusting the system which allegedly predicts murders before they happen. In fact, Anderton is an officer of precrime himself, and is responsible for figuring out the specific details of the murders. However, when it is revealed in the film that Anderton will murder a man he has not even met, he tries to fight the system to prove his innocence. The idea that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is the central message of both 1984 and Minority Report. This is because technology is used to enforce power, it is purported to be infallible, and the result of the misuse of power is corruption. The use of technology to enforce corrupt power is comparable in both 1984 and Minority Report. Firstly, in both societies technology is used to give the citizens statistics about how much the state of living has improved since the source of power was created. In 1984, the announcer on the telescreen reads, â€Å"‘Attention comrades! We have glorious news for you†¦ the standard of living has risen by no less than 20 per cent over the past year. ’† (Orwell 61). Similarly, in Minority Report, the Precrime service announcer proudly boasts that â€Å"‘within three months of the precrime program, the homicidal rates in the District of Columbia had reduced 90%’† (Minority Report). In both societies, statistics are manipulated to citizens to encourage them to appreciate the government. Also, technology is used in both of these works so the government always knows where each individual person is. In 1984, this is done by the use of telescreens, which â€Å"received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard† (Orwell 5). In Minority Report, retina scanners are in every public place, and eye-scanning spiders can crawl into houses and apartments at any given moment to locate everyone. In both 1984 and Minority Report, technology is used to monitor people. The people in the novel 1984 are monitored so any thoughtcrime or illegal behaviour is detected by the use of telescreens in every room, as well as devices hidden in the outdoors which record sound. Similarly, the citizens in the film Minority Report are monitored to detect any sign of potential murder. In 1984 and Minority Report, technology is used by the government to enforce power reinforces the corruption of the government itself. As well as the use of technology, the believed infallibility of power in both 1984 and Minority Report leads to corruption. In 1984, as well as Minority Report, the leaders of the government system hold unquestionable authority. The god-like figure, Big Brother, in 1984, is loved by all his loyal followers: â€Å"Big Brother seemed to tower up, an invincible fearless protector† (Orwell 17). In Minority Report, the ‘precogs’ which predict homicide are the guardians of the people; â€Å"in a way†¦ they give us hope†¦ hope of the existence of the divine† (Minority Report). Secondly, the power source is purported to be â€Å"perfect†. In both societies children are brainwashed by the system so they grow to be adults with full faith in it. The children’s Spies program in 1984 â€Å"turned [the children] into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party† (Orwell 26). Comparably in Minority Report, children are seen touring the ‘Department of Precrime’, on a school field trip to learn more about the system. When people are brought up with only knowledge of one system, it results in generations of loyal supporters. Lastly, the systems in both societies continue to be foolproof due to their control of people by fear and influencing their daily lives. In 1984, the Party does this by the fabrication of the war, as well as pessimistic propaganda. An example of this is the poster that is plastered all across the city for ‘Hate Week’: â€Å"from whatever angle you looked at the poster, the muzzle of the gun magnified by the foreshortening, seemed to be pointed straight at you† (Orwell 156). The method is more subtle in Minority Report, but it is still present; the show â€Å"COPS† is shown on television to emphasize the horror of crimes, so the public will support the Precrime program. Due to these factors the source of power is impossible to be fought against; consequently, corrupt governments maintain complete control. A source of power which is infallible has the same effect on its citizens in 1984 and Minority Report alike. In both, the main characters are forced by their society to do whatever they can to survive. As Iris Hineman (Lois Smith) in Minority Report says, â€Å"‘When the chips are down, when the pressure is on, every creature on the face of the Earth is interested in one thing and one thing only—its own survival’† (Minority Report). This is relevant in 1984 when Winston is discussing with Julia what will happen when they get caught; Julia says, â€Å"Everybody always confesses. You can’t help it. They torture you† (Orwell 173). Similarly, in Minority Report, John Anderton is being hunted down for the crime he has not committed and he says, â€Å"Everybody runs† (Minority Report). The source of power has the same effect on the citizens in the different societies. Secondly, the offenders of crime in 1984 and Minority Report are sent to similar places. In 1984, â€Å"thoughtcrime† offenders are sent to the Ministry of Love, which is â€Å"a place impossible to enter except on official business, and then only by penetrating though a maze of barbed-wire entanglements, steel doors, and hidden machine gun nests† (Orwell 7). In Minority Report, ‘precrime’ criminals are sent somewhere which resembles this; in both places people are essentially brainwashed so they cannot commit any more crimes. Lastly, the people in power by the government are corrupt because they use unethical tactics to arrest ‘supposed’ criminals. In 1984, the children are turned against their parents if they suspect them of ‘thoughtcrime’ and they are rewarded for this: â€Å"‘child hero’ was the phrase generally used† (Orwell 32). In Minority Report, the government is in the wrong because they arrest people who may have no, or little, intention of carrying out the murders that have crossed their minds. The people in power are corrupt because they use unethical tactics to keep the society as they believe it should be. The result on the people exposed or involved in the government’s power is similar in both works. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely; Orwell’s 1984 and Spielberg’s Minority Report are two works which support this, due to the similar uses of technology to enforce power, the way power is seemingly flawless, and the effect the corruption has on the people. The idea that power corrupts can directly relate to occurrences in real life, such as Hitler taking over Germany and effect that had on the whole world. Corruption means to act dishonestly in return for personal gain, specifically power. Power and corruption are an endless cycle with fatal effects on society.

Life and work Essay

Brahmagupta is believed to have been born in 598 AD in Bhinmal city in the state of Rajasthan of Northwest India. In ancient times Bhillamala was the seat of power of the Gurjars. His father was Jisnugupta.[2] He likely lived most of his life in Bhillamala (modern Bhinmal in Rajasthan) during the reign (and possibly under the patronage) of King Vyaghramukha.[3] As a result, Brahmagupta is often referred to as Bhillamalacharya, that is, the teacher from Bhillamala. He was the head of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain, and during his tenure there wrote four texts on mathematics and astronomy: the Cadamekela in 624, the Brahmasphutasiddhanta in 628, the Khandakhadyaka in 665, and the Durkeamynarda in 672. The Brahmasphutasiddhanta (Corrected Treatise of Brahma) is arguably his most famous work. The historian al-Biruni (c. 1050) in his book Tariq al-Hind states that the Abbasid caliph al-Ma’mun had an embassy in India and from India a book was brought to Baghdad which was tra nslated into Arabic as Sindhind. It is generally presumed that Sindhind is none other than Brahmagupta’s Brahmasphuta-siddhanta.[4] Although Brahmagupta was familiar with the works of astronomers following the tradition of Aryabhatiya, it is not known if he was familiar with the work of Bhaskara I, a contemporary.[3]Brahmagupta had a plethora of criticism directed towards the work of rival astronomers, and in his Brahmasphutasiddhanta is found one of the earliest attested schisms among Indian mathematicians. The division was primarily about the application of mathematics to the physical world, rather than about the mathematics itself. In Brahmagupta’s case, the disagreements stemmed largely from the choice of astronomical parameters and theories.[3] Critiques of rival theories appear throughout the first ten astronomical chapters and the eleventh chapter is entirely devoted to criticism of these theories, although no criticisms appear in the twelfth and eighteenth chap ters.

Entrepreneurship & Business Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship & Business Plan - Term Paper Example The actors on the entrepreneurial stage, whether they own or run a business, know that effective business planning is the key to the long-term success of a company, as well as to its capacity of attracting investments and gathering funds. People knowledgeable in this domain, such as bankers, accountants or academicians have spoken a lot on how to prepare a business plan; therefore the importance of such a plan cannot be underestimated. Yet it seems that the more information there is the more confused people get about what a business plan should include. There is no perfect combination of content, facts and figures. A business plan has to clearly lay out the vision of your business, its achievements (if it is the case) and its potential of development. â€Å"A business plan should tell a compelling story, make an argument and conservatively predict the future, and companies have different stories to tell, different arguments to make and different futures to predict† (Chapter 3: the role your business plan plays.). That is why, when looking to raise capital, the business plan is also a very useful instrument. Still, loaners will mainly look at the financial part of your plan, as they are generally interested to turn profit. Investors, on the other hand, are more susceptible to the idea, the main concept of the business, although they will not invest in something that looks like a bad investment, so the idea has to be very well founded. Business planning has to be understood as a complex process, through which the entrepreneur creates a model of how the business will look like in the future. Also, business planning is a very dynamic process and the target has to be continuously moving, that is, the business has to grow and develop in order to keep the game going. That is why, a business plan is necessary because it represents the road map for the company: it is pointing out the goals, it is

With respect to the 4th ammendment, briefly explain the following Essay

With respect to the 4th ammendment, briefly explain the following concepts, in doing so be sure to present the respective cases - Essay Example In the landmark case of Silverthorne Lumber Co. v. United States [1920], Federal agents that illegally seized tax books of a suspect and made copies as records of tax evasion. The Court held that such illegal seizure circumvented the Fourth Amendment, and that the records made are fruits from the poisonous tree (illegal seizure of tax books), hence may not be considered in court. However, under the independent source doctrine evidence that is obtained based upon information unrelated to an unlawful search is not fruit of the poisonous tree. In the case of Segura v. United States (1984), law enforcers entered the private premises of the suspect and remained in there until the search warrant arrived. The Supreme Court admitted the evidence found after the search warrant arrived but excluded all others as upon entry without the warrant. The Court held that the question on the legality of entry was irrelevant to challenge the admissibility of evidence due to the independent source of the warrant. In the case of United States v. Leon (1984), a police officer that relied on a defective search warrant with no knowledge of the validity of the basis for how it was obtained was said to have acted in good faith, and the evidence obtained from such defective search warrant was allowed in Court.

Teaching learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Teaching learning - Essay Example They normally fight within the class for no good reason whilst the teacher is teaching thus disrupting and bothering other prevailing classmates by throwing papers towards the students, pulling the female classmate’s hair The teacher ought to alter the strategy in order to curb and advance these students behaviors. Nevertheless, prior to the start of the class, the teacher ought to clearly and directly tell the students concerning the new classroom regulations. Moreover, the teacher outlines the consequences of fighting within the class, harassing the classmates and general misbehaving. The rules should to be written on piece of paper and hang them on an obvious place within the classroom wall. Subsequently, the teacher ought to choose a noticeable signal, which could be executed in case the teacher notices any misbehaving such as turn the classroom light steps off for few seconds. The teacher will not require any additional material for this signal. I think in case the teacher executes this signal consistently within the class, the students will comprehend it unconsciously. Since the lesson is about science, the teacher can utilize easy practical in

Civility does not pay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Civility does not pay - Essay Example In terms of specific case examples, the article begins by discussing Christine O’Donnell. O’Donnell is noted as stating that the extension of unemployment benefits is akin to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. After these statements, it’s noted that O’Donnell won the Delaware Primary and received an influx of campaign donations to her website. This last point is highly significant to the article, as the connection between uncivil behavior, political donations, and Internet technology is another prominent argument. In these regards, the article indirectly argues that the ease of access the Internet and websites afford to immediately donate to political campaigns is particularly viable when the politician makes uncivil or sensational statements. Another notable feature of these contentions is that this trend marks a new model of campaigning that has been implemented by both right and left leaning politicians. In terms of left leaning politicians, one prominent exa mple occurred as representative Bernie Sanders launched a long-term filibuster, gaining him the nickname Filibernie. In addition to gaining increased campaign funds, Congressman Sanders witnessed a strong increase in his Twitter and Facebook followers. The contention is established that such uncivil behavior also takes on a variety of forms. While O’Donnell’s rhetoric occurred on Fox News and Sanders in the House of Representatives, Joe Wilson is noted for shouting out ‘You lie’ to the President of the United States during the President’s health care speech; similar to the other politicians, Wilson witnessed a strong increase in campaign funds and political support. The main contention, in these regards, is that it is not so much the type of uncivil rhetoric that is implemented, but the size of the stage that it is implemented on. The final contention is that such rhetoric has a

How Free is the will of the individual within Society Research Paper

How Free is the will of the individual within Society - Research Paper Example At the beginning, she did not comprehend what was happening; however, she now understands all the gifts and outings were crucial in the grooming process. Mallet now 20, filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court claiming the school authorities failed to ensure that she was safe from the predator; thus, the suit was as a result of her ordeal with the assistant principal. Her lawsuit alleges that school officials and teachers understood or were ware about the abuse but did nothing to end it or keep her safe. Mallett consents that she kept quiet because she was afraid no person would believe her; besides, she wanted to reveal her ordeal but did not know whom she would trust; thus, she felt trapped. However, she managed to overcome her fear and embraced the philosophy that promotes embracing what is correct even if it means standing alone; therefore, her past hugely influenced her will to reveal the secret and consequently the lawsuit she filed. She eventually revealed the secret to the s chool chaplain who in return informed the authorities. All through the affair, she considered it wrong; however, the assistant principal would defend the affair by saying that he loved her and she trusted him. She got into this trusting relationship since the predator was good at comprehending what worked for the victim; thus, it was difficult for the victim to see clearly the big picture when sex began. Choice could be free will or determined and has implications on moral conscientiousness Stace argued that free will indicates the absence immediate causal agents like being forced at gunpoint. Therefore, this soft determinism viewpoint never denies internalization of past experiences cognition and emotions that consequently form the basis for a choice. Mallet makes the choice of revealing the secret to the school chaplain through her experience, cognition and morality, as it is certain that â€Å"without free will there would be no morality† (Stace 924) since morality regards what individuals ought to or not do. However, if a person lacks the freedom of choice, it would be meaningless to correct the individual’s act in addition there would a big challenge to punish the individual for what he or she could not help doing. Stace greatly opposes â€Å"hard determinism† pointing out that if free will did not exist, attaining high levels of morality would be impossible. For instance, if an action taken by an individual does not make the individual morally responsible then, encouraging people to embrace moral choices would also be outside the picture. Stace goes a long way to illustrate free acts and unfree acts; for instance, free choices are not compelled by circumstances external to the individual; however, unfree acts are compelled by external forces (928). An example of a free act is an individual starving himself in protest and in this case, Mallet decides to get over her fear and let the secret out despite the way the society may perceive her. Morality drove her to this choice therefore the scenario shows a compatibility take of free will and determinism. Stace state that soft determinism is the absence of coercive external agents that enables an individual to take a certain action freely. Therefore, from this viewpoint, a person’s behavior may be a result of internal psychological states that have causes but the absence of immediate pressing agents that influence behavior ensures that the individual makes a free will (Stace 929). Mallett’

McFagues Metaphorical Theology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

McFagues Metaphorical Theology - Research Paper Example Richard Niebuhr’s. Sally McFague’s major contribution is bridging literature and theology. Her works frequently touch on literary theory and theology, and her theories are known as Metaphorical Theology. Metaphorical Theology has four defining aspects and this has greatly influenced how McFague created her idea. It will be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs. First: theology is achieved by â€Å"hearing† out God’s word. Secondly, God being in Jesus Christ means that all the flaws in humanness, all the problems and ambiguousness, is significant. Thirdly, theology should be reviewed and renewed constantly to avoid â€Å"idolatry and irrelevance†. And lastly, the world, or the human world at least, is made of language. Theology is achieved by â€Å"hearing† out God’s word. If a person does not â€Å"hear† or understand the word of the God, then it is unsuccessful, it is a farce. This thought echoes throughout McFague’s wo rk, and it is has seen to be heavily influenced by Barthesian ideas. The mere fact that it constitutes communication as a part of major theory, is a sign that McFague’s thrust understanding of literature is evident in her study of theology. The second aspect, â€Å"God being in Jesus Christ means that all the flaws in humanness, all the problems and ambiguousness, is significant†, is an aspect that shows that McFague tries to bridge the gap between the relationship of theology and literature. It is quite evident that the tension. ... This second aspect is an attempt to articulate that tension, and it turns out to be possible. The third aspect of McFague’s Metaphorical Theology is theology should be reviewed and renewed constantly to avoid â€Å"idolatry and irrelevance†. This is also heavily influenced by Barth’s ideas and the nature of language, which is dynamic. Anything that is related to God can be deemed powerful and substantial. These images, or words, related to God can be overvalued (as it is related to something divine) and abused. This makes some words and images prone to overvaluation and idolatry. Corollary, the overvaluation of some things can make other aspects of faith and belief overshadowed and will exclude them in other analyses of idolatry. This makes theology, or religion in this matter, rather biased (Wildman, 1994). The fourth aspect is about language. For McFague, the world, or the human world at least, is made of language. This theory is quite Barthesian in nature and proposes that everything exists because of its own definition. This is probably the most important aspect of metaphorical theology. This is where McFague’s literature background comes in. Language is quite powerful. It dictates meaning, and with meaning comes reality. Therefore, language is the medium of reality, because it conveys it: how we mean things and how we interpret things. Without words and things of expression, we cannot have realities. Although with language comes not the realities of fact, it qualifies meaning; meaning is different for every reality, for every person. Meaning-making is practically making a metaphor for one uses contrasting words and comparisons to convey meaning.

Computer Platforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Computer Platforms - Essay Example This report will present the research based analysis for the state-of-the-art technology implementation in audio and broadcast areas. This report will suggest and provide the recommendation based analysis for the implementation of this technology at Radio Station. Computers are commanding tools that facilitate users to store and carry out operations on large amounts of data rapidly. Basically every organization, no matter what is the size of organization; makes use of the computers to hold bookkeeping, track inventory, and store documents. As organization develops they frequently need a number of people to input and process data at the same time. For this to be advantageous, those people must be able to distribute the data each person enters. Networking computers turns out to be useful in these circumstances. Networks are merely a collection of computers linked by cable or other media as a result they can share information. Networks made distribution of data much straightforward and more efficient for users (Nash, 2000, p. 5). The development and accomplishment of computer and information technology has fundamentally transformed the working and performance of every field of life (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). At the present time, we have more rapid means of information transferring and communication. The effect of the computer and information technology (ICT) in media industry is tremendously deep and influential (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). The Radio industry is also a most important area of media that has a greater influence in working and handling of the radio station. Over the past few years, modern and the up-to-date Radio technology particular to the area of information and entertainment has transformed dramatically. A supreme example of this is satellite radio. In the place of the listening the customary Radio transmission, we at the present time, are able to listen the local radio channels

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Essay Example for Free

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Essay This memo is in response to the company’s decrease in sales and profit because of the current state of the economy. The company will be executing more cost-effective measures because of this present situation. These new procedures will begin immediately with approval from the company owners. The first change will be a reduction in the monetary incentives for the sales department. To be successful in implementing this change a complete understanding of the sales process is mandatory. Consumer and salespeople feedback will be instrumental in gathering the data necessary to make a concise and informed decision on the best way to reduce the incentives for every party involved. The first step in the decision-making process is determining the facts of the situation at hand (Hartman DesJardins, 2011, p. 47). The facts are that the company is losing income because of the economy. Additionally known is the company profits are on the finished product that meets the need of the consumer. A written survey will ascertain what the specific needs and wants of the consumer toward a particular product are. Once the feedback is analyzed, the products most in demand by the consumer will continue with production, whereas the products in less demand will begin interruption until the sales or the demand from the consumer are in need. This step will aid in cutting costs for products with unnecessary production. As an example, there was a significant increase in sales the first few years, opposed to last year’s sales that decreased substantially for the products not in demand. By investigating and discovering products in demand will aid in painting a clearer picture, thus assisting in cutting production cost that will get the company back in line with increasing sales and profits. Additionally, investigating and discovering will keep the plan of reducing monetary incentives for the sales force until sales and profits are on the increase again. However, the plan is to once again start issuing monetary incentives to the sales force once the company starts again seeing an increase in sales and profits. For this plan to be successful it will be necessary to motivate the sales force with tools to set achievable goals relating to increasing company sales and profits. This also has a direct impact on the sales force pertaining to the company’s organization and management. Upper management as well as the owners of the company has to be on the same accord concerning aiding the sales department in reaching their goals by providing motivation and support to the sales department. A strong support system is imperative if the sales team along with the organization is to reach their primary objectives. This plan will also include evaluations on the progress of the sales department pertaining to reaching their goals. The second and final change will be implementing a month-long layoff for some of the production employees. Laying-off production workers for a month will cut production costs of producing products unnecessary for the economy. While keeping in mind that this layoff will also have an adverse result on producing products in demand. Instead of laying off production workers, the more cost-effective way would be to keep them at work to help meet the current demand for products. The workers still working with the organization will receive more overtime, and this is not cost-effective because the result is increasing payroll for employees. Although removing monetary incentives for the sales department and laying-off a portion of the production department is legal, it does nothing for morale. Ethically there will be some repercussions to implementing these changes. Some of the repercussions may include employees leaving the organization and a decline in sales means possible bankruptcy. Implementing a more amicable plan will have a more positive influence that will promote a higher morale and happiness. With a higher morale, this will more likely promote a boost in productivity.

Book of the Courtier Essay Example for Free

Book of the Courtier Essay â€Å"Whatever character an individual has determines how successful the community he belongs to will be† these lines are indeed true with what the â€Å"Book of the Courtier† suggests. Authored by an Italian soldier, and a statesman attached to the court of the duke of Milan and later in the service of Duke Urbino, Baldassare Castiglione, the entire book dwells in a central theme which includes having graceful behavior, especially that of the impression of effortlessness or referred to by the book as â€Å"sprezzatura. † This series of four books deals so much on how an individual should train himself in discipline so as to be able to reach the best person he could in a way that he could contribute so much to his own community. In the case of this book, Castiliogne puts it in the personification of a perfect courtier. On the third book though, the story evolves on how a court lady should carry herself and thus be able to serve her master in a way that they will never have any point of despising her service. Being clever is quite a clear attitude pointed in this part of the book. In addition to this, the wide differences between male and female genders is shown with emphasis. One part of these series of stories talks about the individuality of each men as I may quote: â€Å"I don’t want to be like the man who stripped down to his shirt and then jumped a shorter distance than he had in his greatcoat. So as far as I am concerned it is very fortunate that the hour is late, because as there is little time I shall have to say far less, and not having given the matter any thought, I will be excusable and allowed to say without being censured all the things that come to my mind. And now in order not to have to carry the burden any longer, let me start by saying that to recognize true perfection in anything is so difficult as to be scarcely possible; and this because of the opinions vary. Thus there are many who like to hear someone talking a great deal and who will call him an agreeable companion. Some will prefer reticence; others an active and restless man; others one who always acts with calmness and deliberation; and so everyone praises or condemns according to his own opinion, always Importance Placed on Individual or Society Page #2 camouflaging a vice under the name of a corresponding virtue; or a virtue under the name of a corresponding vice. † This lines shows how individual opinions affect how one person chooses to conduct himself in front of the other people in his community. Sometimes held in hindrance to what he really likes to do, a person chooses to succumb to what his society considers to be right and acceptable. Yet some choose to stick to what they believe in and dares to be different in some ways thus facing the judgment of his community men regarding his rather different being. Indeed, however a man chooses to deal with his own life defending his own beliefs as such, it will strongly influence his society’s views on things. A real â€Å"perfect courtier† is referred to as someone who can direct his own way. Someone who would not allow his principles be cracked by people who aims to put his â€Å"service to his master† into a lower state of excellence. A real noble man is the one who can decide for himself. From the smallest detail of how he should dress to the most complicated issue of how he should deal with his life. He that continuously struggles for his goals toward aspiring people. Someone who is able to measure his accomplishments with those of other people is the one considered to be truly successful. Everything must occur in such a reasonable way and with purpose. It is very important for each and every one of us to continue on pursuing our own goals to attain self excellence. As Sydney Bremer says in his book Successful Achievements: â€Å"In the assurance of strength, there is strength, and they are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their powers. Men often conquer difficulties because they think they can. Their confidence in themselves inspires confidence in others†. This is indeed true specially in connection with the theme of the book of Castiglione. It is thus true that what a person does as a separate part of his community is directly linked to other people living with him. Man, as the very basic part of a certain society determines both the norms and the idealism a community considers to be true and acceptable. On the other hand, aiming for the best, as suggested by the ideas of Castiglione is concerned with how we embed ourselves with the positive traits that lead to self excellence and also eliminating negative characters which may Importance Placed on Individual or Society Page #3 hinder us from doing what we are supposed to reach as our aims in life. One of which is â€Å"sprezzatura† which was translated in the modern English as â€Å"recklessness†. It came from an Italian root-word â€Å"sprezza† meaning contempt, disdain, or scorn. Having such attitudes wouldn’t make any young courtier a successful one at that. On the contrary, it will just lead him to failure and distress. His goals of giving his best service will surely be a waste if he continues to cultivate this character in his everyday dealings. This is so much true even to an individual who strives to be the best in what he does. As a whole, as we could closely see, the â€Å"Book of the Courtier† shows so much emphasis on the kind of living of an individual person. From the positive traits he must posses to the negative attitudes he must omit from his system so as to be able to meet the goal of self excellence. Women also were given emphasis to have certain independence from the authority of men in some ways. Giving them the free will, freedom of speech and freedom in deciding for what they want with their lives. Yes, as this book has been set at a long time past in England, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t have any practical advise to the modern times we are presently living in today. Apparently, the contents of this book has a lot of advise enclosed for these generation which we are living in. As to what we could actually observe, many young people today lack the enthusiasm of actually establishing their own purpose in life. Sadly, only a few of the youth today endeavor to influence the community they are living in with positive contributions to the moral, spiritual, and even secular aspects of life in the society. Only a fewer percent of today’s population really strive for the aim of having self-excellence. Yes, sometimes, its not bad to be a bit perfectionist with ourselves. Knowing our limits of course, perfectionism usually lead us to self-excellence. As one saying implies : â€Å"Make perfection your aim and be satisfied with nothing less†. Yes, we must always remember to ask ourselves of what we ought to do as an individual, what we could improve on ourselves and thus be able to make a difference on the community we are living in. Not to be praised or to be renowned as a noble man, but to reach the reality of self-excellence. Sources: Castigliogne, Baldesar. The Book of The Courtier. Penguin Classics. 1967.

Analysing the leadership style of richard branson

Analysing the leadership style of richard branson Just by observing the distance which Richard Branson has gone in the business world it is not difficult to decide him as an exceptional business leader. Here the attempt is to analyze his form of leadership using the major theories leadership. Words usually connected to Branson are creative, fun, anti-establishment, fast, opportunist, adventurer, the risk of Taker, warm, friendly, competitive, workaholic and hard negotiator. Those qualities are according to the trait theories of leadership, main characeristics of a successful leader. Richard Branson has a good leader-member relations and treats his employees respect, like his own family, even to the extent of giving invitations to his junior members for home for parties (Dearlove 2007). He always welcome the feedback and new ideas of the employees. The task structure of the Virgin is usually low since Branson gives his employees the freedom and initiative has to be creative. There are no established procedures, in which, things must be done (Nice, 2007). His organization is working on flat and non-hierachical stucture (NCE 2009), which is made of clusters, and given the flexibility to work independently without much interference (Dearlove 2007).These factors clearly show that his form of leadership is of much more democratic and participative nature. Position power he proves to be dominant thinker, and generally makes decision by himself (even NCE2009). When observing the contingency theory of Fiedler, it is clear that he belongs to intermediate type of leader wh o is task motivated and socio-independent (Durbin Dalglish Miller, 2006). Branson has strong contingency and situational leadership skills too. He has always looked for and uses every opportunity to create a new company to be viable. He is quite capable of controlling situations and also a high risk taker (Dearlove 2007). This reflcts the most dominat theory of leadership today i.e. situational theories. He follows different leadership styles and technics according to the situation and the context.This has been one of the most important features of Richard Bransons leadership (Durbin Dalglish Miller, 2006). He also shows the ability to implement changes quickly. Virgin Cola in the United States changed its strategy, management and location of its t-drinks business with emphasis on the theme New Age beverages like fruit juices and energy drinks, when he saw no prospect in the war against the Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola in the Cola Business (Dearlove 2007). The charismatic and transformational leadership Transformational leaders are also those that can adapt quickly to change (Bass, 1985). Branson has clearly demonstrated its flexibility and its success in adapting to changing organizational cultures, as he bought new companies and moved into new areas,along with his men. Literature clearly shows that the assessment of transformational leadership is positively correlated with the evaluation of managerial performance (Hater Bass, 1988), Recommendations for promotion (Waldman, Bass and Yammarino, 1990) and the percentage of the goals of the strategic busines units. (unit Avolio, 1999). According to Bass (1985) transformational leadership is more more likely to reflect sociall values and arise in times of distress and change , while transactional leadership is probably found in well-ordered, steady environment. Virgin is an organization that is focused on growth and constant change, thus suitable for transformational style. Virgin is a kingdom, where the individuals Branson stamped in everywhere of the Business , therefore,his values and goals are the driving force of the whole coporation. An overview of tranformational and charismatic leaderhip theories suggests that the leaders may achieve relevent goals by making of followers, who personally identify with this style, also the work-group they are with (Yukl, 1988). Thus transformational approach, in my opinion the best summarzes the style of this renowned business leader. Conclusion With charisma, intellectual stimulation and inspirational motivation and individualized consideration, transformational leaders have a great potential to promote actions beyond expectations and produce changes within individuals and organizations. It seems that this form of a leadership well-suited for a time like this in which has characterictics like uncertainity, global turmoil and institutional instability. Refernce Brooks, I. (2009) Organisational Behaviour, Pearson Education Limited, UK. Bass, B.M. (1985) Leadership and performance beyond expectation, p43, New York, Free Press. Dearlove, D. (2007) Business the Richard Branson Way, p163, Capstone, Chichester, UK. Durbin, A. Dalglish, C Miller, P (2006) Leadership, ( 2nd), p312, Asia-Pasific edition, John Wiley Sons, Australia. Journals Avolio, B.J, (1999) RE-examining the components of transformational and transactional leadership using the multifactor component questionnaire, journal of occupational and organisational psychology, p72, 441-462. Waldman, D.A., Bass, B.M., Yammarino, F.J. (1990) Adding to contingent-reward behaviour: The augmenting effect of charismatic leadership. Group and Organisational Studies, p15, 381-394. Yukl, G.A. (1988) Managerial Leadership. A review of theory and research. Journal of Management, p15, 251-289. Internet Sources BBC.co.uk (1999) Knighthood for Branson, bbc.co.uk, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/583940.stm. NCE (Small Firms Association National Centre of Excellence) (2009), Leadershi,http://www.centreofexcellence.ie/sectors/SFA/SFANCEDocLib.nsf/441763b04b0320b68025722e003fb55a/bc12f53469df45728025722e003f060f/$FILE/Leadership.pdf

Essay --

The Age of Revolution †¢ A period of political upheaval beginning with the American Revolution, leading through the French Revolution, and ending at around 1848 †¢ Caught up many social groups with diverse motives Forces of Change †¢ Three forces were working to shatter Europe’s calm by the mid-18th century o Cultural ï‚ § Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued for a government based on a general will o Ongoing commercialization ï‚ § Businesspeople challenge the idea that only aristocrats should hold high office o All social levels ï‚ § The population revolution was partly the result of better border policing, which reduced the movement of disease bearing animals ï‚ § Improved nutrition, due to the introduction of the potato †¢ Led to reduced death rates ï‚ § Increase in population leads upper class families to tighten their grip on existing offices †¢ Consequently it becomes harder for non-aristocrats to gain a high post †¢ Population pressure drove many people into the working class, which led to the creation of motives for protest †¢ Population growth sparks a rapid expansion of domestic manufacturing in western...

Comparing Tradition and Change in Amy Tans The Kitchen Gods Wife and

Tradition and Change in The Kitchen God's Wife and The Joy Luck Club  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the novels The Kitchen God's Wife and The Joy Luck Club, author Amy Tan conveys the message of tradition and change. Each novel contains sections about mothers talking and relating their stories to their daughters. The daughters in The Joy Luck Club hear stories about loss and happiness, and joy and hate. Each of the four mothers tell these stories to their daughters as lessons, or offerings for their futures. They tell the stories to show how lucky their daughters have been, yet how their lives will never be the same as their own lives have been. They try to help their daughters on some level with these stories. Yet they comprehend the fact that they could never understand their mothers. The main character, Pearl, in The Kitchen God's Wife talks about her life and her mother. Pearl, and her mother Winnie, the other half of the mother/daughter pair attend a funeral as Pearl narrates. They then go to Winnie's home, as Winnie dotes on Pearl and her two daughters . Pearl's heart breaks as she notices all the small intricacies of her mother, and all the little things that her mother does to illustrate her love. As Pearl and her family drive away from her mother's house, Winnie begins to narrate, to her daughter about her life, her hardships, and her loves. Through these two novels, the five mother/daughter pairs and the perception of mother to daughter, the theme of mother daughter relationships is distinctly portrayed. Pearl views her mother in many different ways. Often, through her mother's movements, or appearance, she will view her mother as fragile, yet strong and knowing, "...I imagine my mother's parchment like skin, furious... ...ire. "Amy Tan." The Bloomsbury Guide to Womens Literature. Pg1065 Great Britian: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1992. Cheng, Scarlet. "Amy Tan Redux." Belles Letters. Fall, 1991, pp 15, 19.(on GaleNet) Davidson, Cathy N. and Linda Wagner-Matlin. "Amy Tan." The Oxford Companion to Womens Writing in the United States. Pg 869. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Graham, Judith. "Amy Tan." Current Biography Yearbook. pg559 New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 1992. See, Carolyn. "Drowning in America, Starving for China." in Los Angeles Times Book Review. March 12, 1989, pp1, 11.(on GaleNet) Shear, Walter. "Generational Differences and the Diaspora in The Joy Luck Club." in <>Critique. Volume 34, No3, Spring 1993 pp 193-99.(on GaleNet) Willard, Nancy. "Tiger Spirits." in The Women's Review of Books. Vol.6, Nos. 10-11, July 1989, pg12.(on GaleNet)   

The Island Of Dr. Moreau Essay -- essays research papers

In 1896 H. G. Wells had the first edition of ' The Island of Dr. Moreau'; published. The book took place primarily on an island in the Pacific Ocean. On this island Dr. Moreau and his assistant ( Montgomery) performed dangerous, secret experiments on humans and animals. When Wells wrote this he knew nothing about DNA, cloning, or chromosomes but he did use his scientific imagination. Wells realized that society was beginning to rely on science too much in the late nineteenth century. He wrote this book to issue a stern warning for future societies against their own scientific advancements. He knew that just like his society others will want to quench their appetite for this tasty treat called vivisection or cloning. He knew that eventually the progress of society would lead to the all or nothing control of the evolutionary processes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This brings me to one of Wells' most important ideas that he wanted to tell his readers. That was the idea of vivisection or cloning of humans and animals. In todays world we are trying to control evolution by furthering our studies into cloning. He was right about his expectations of future societies and his ideas about how scientific advancements would affect our world. It was different because when this book was published it got horrific reviews for being too outlandish with its views on society. I think that if the book was published today it would be raved as a good warning for all the cloning scientists. Tod...

Group 4 Reflection Essay

Group 4 project was an interesting learning experience. It forced me to work with people that I haven’t worked with before, take into account our team’s different opinions and make the most out of what we had. We started out with an idea, water suspended on a table without a cup, that we spent a whole meeting on, before we realized that it was not possible to do it, which left us with two meetings to decide what we were going to do. I was then unable to make the two next meetings, and this caused major planning problems, which were reflected during our presentation, added to the fact that I did not talk enough with my team members about what we were going to do, which left our whole group pretty much clueless on our actual presentation. Added to this, we all had different ideas about what we wanted to do with the paper helicopter, what size should it be, how we were going to present it, which led to arguments on the day of the presentation. I am usually stubborn, and it is hard to make me change my mind when I am set in a direction, but we finally managed to come to a compromise which satisfied everyone. From this, I learned that my idea is not necessarily the only working solution, and that there isn’t always one solution to a problem, although better planning and better communication could have avoided such problem on the actual presentation day. Regarding the actual presentation, it was obvious that our planning was not very good. Some material was missing, and we had to run around last minute to gather what was left. My teammates were stressing out because they weren’t ready at all, but being used to doing things last minute, I think that managed pretty well to take charge of the group project to get what was needed and to lead the actual presentation, which surprised me. I am not a very good public speakers, in fact I don’t like standing in front of a class and talking, but I found that during this project, not only was I not afraid of going up, but I actually enjoyed it. I learned that when I put as much effort as I can into something, especially something that I like, my fear of public speaking actually goes away and all the hard work that we put into this project, even last minute, comes out and makes something that can be regarded as good. We did have trouble managing the presentation though, as soon as the class started making their own paper helicopters, it was really hard to get them focused again. Our whole team understood that, and instead we instinctively broke up into small groups to try and help everyone achieve the final design. To me, my overall opinion of our presentation is that although we lacked preparation, we ended up doing something good. What I learned from this experience is that I am not limited to what I have done in the past. Taking over the presentation was something that really surprised me, and although I know that I talked a bit too much, I am glad that it happened that way, as it showed me that public speaking can actually be one strength instead of my weakness.

Repton School Essay

Amit Ruparel, 15, is a boarder at Repton School, doing his GCSEs. He lives in Derby with his parents, brother and sister. I wake up at around half-past seven with a big yawn. I then get up, grab my towel and shower gel, go downstairs and have a shower. Every time I wake up at this time of the morning I think if I were at home I would be still asleep. As soon as I have had my shower I go back upstairs and get changed. I then go downstairs for breakfast, which is compulsory. For breakfast I have a bowl of cereal and a glass of fresh orange juice. I like eating cereal at any time of the day. I think that it is nice at any point of the day. I also believe that fresh orange juice is really good for you. Recently I have been trying to be careful with my diet due to my weight, I am trying to eat as healthier as possible. When I have had my breakfast I go upstairs and check if I have any unfinished prep to do and if I do then I get on with it. If I have not got any unfinished prep or any other work to be getting on with I turn on my computer and play some games. My computer is a very important part of my life; I could not do much with out it. I have always used the computer wherever I can; I use it for my work as well as playing on it when I am bored. I get my books ready a few minutes later so I leave the house five minutes before the lessons start or even earlier, so that I do not get punished for being late to a lesson. My school is like a mini village in where by you do not have to walk so far, therefore I do not have to leave to go to school so early. The first lesson starts at ten to nine and ends at half past nine. I then have a five-minute break, which I get between every lesson. After the third lesson I have a break for half an hour. During the break I usually get myself a drink and a snack to eat. At one o’clock, after the fifth lesson, I have lunch, which lasts around forty minutes. I then go to my room and listen to music on my computer for ten to fifteen minutes, then get my books and go to the last three lessons, which finish at four o’clock, unless I have a half day. If so I will carry on playing on my computer or get changed and go to computer programming. I do computer programming because I enjoy playing around with software and also I have had past experience on it because I always watch my brother on the computer whilst he is making new programmes as project and so I would know quite a bit about making them. I like computers so much that I am thinking about taking a career towards those lines. On a Tuesday (half – day) once I have finished computer programming I will go to badminton for an hour, but if it is a Thursday I will go and hang around with my friends. After badminton I come back to the house, have a shower and then go and ‘hang out’ with my friends. I come back to the house after five always finding someone in the house yard to play a game of football with. I go to tea at six o’clock. I think that in our house tea is the nicest meal. As soon as I have finished I run outside and play football in the yard again but I would prefer being on holiday, as I would be out playing cricket or at home playing on the Playstation 2. I have always loved holidays and going home for them. When I am at home it is so relaxing and there is not much work to be don’t and if there is then it can be done when I am bored. I go upstairs at seven o’clock get my books for the subjects that I have prep to do for and then go downstairs to ‘the worker’ and do my prep there. This is the part of the day, which I find most boring and when I wish that I was at home. I go downstairs and watch TV for a while after prep, but if nothing interesting is on I go and play on my computer. At this point if I was at home I would be going out with my friends. I go upstairs from the TV room to my room at half ten if I was downstairs to get ready for bed. At quarter to eleven it is lights out. I hate going to bed so early if I was home I’d still be out with my friends. I like going out at night. I find the vibe that is around you at night is amazing. When I go out at night it would probably be going to the cinema, playing pool at a club called Rileys or to the pub.

Investigatory Project on Mouthwash

I- INTRODUCTION A. Background of the study An effective mouthwash is one that does not only make the breath fresh but also serves as an antiseptic. It should not simply mask the effective mouth odor caused by excessive activity of anaerobic bacteria inhabiting the mouth. There is a need to prevent the increase in the population. B. Statement of the problem A mouthwash is a solution in addition to regular oral hygiene methods such as brushing and flossing. Alternative mouth gargles can be prepared from locally available plants such as herbs and fruit bearing ones. Certain plant parts may have active ingredients that have antimicrobial activity. An example is the Star Apple (chrisophyllum cainito) that contains essential oils found to be efficient in neutralizing mouth conditions and in freshening breath. This study aims to answer following questions: †¢ Is Star Apple leaves decoction can be effective mouthwash? Can the Star Apple leaves extract kill the bacteria inhabiting in the mouth ? C. Significance of the study In this study the people will benefit because they can use it in the prevention of dental diseases and maintenance of the oral health and it can be used for preventing gums and oral infections. D. Scope and Delimitation of the study This study only tested the feasibility of Star Apple leaves as mouthwash. Recommendation It is suggested that more research be conducted to further isolate, identify, characterize and elucidate the bioactive compounds from Chrysophylum albidum. In conclusion, the result of this study justifies the traditional uses of the leaves of Chrysophylum albidum for therapeutic purposes. The findings could also be of commercial interest to both pharmaceutical companies and research institute in the production of new drugs.?

Later Adulthood Development Report Essay

Aging occurs in every stage of life, and as adults grow older and move from one stage of adulthood to the next many new changes can occur in their everyday lives. The transition from middle adulthood to later adulthood can bring a whole new level of changes to an individual’s life. The aging process includes changes in roles and social positions, considering living accommodations with health care needs, transitioning from work life to retirement, changes in social policies, and changes in relationships with family members and peers. As aging occurs individuals notice a numerous amount of changes in their lives. Some of those changes occur in their roles and social positions. As an individual ages they may begin to notice both physical and mental changes that decrease their ability to carry out activities in their daily routines. An individual who was once the leader of company meetings may notice that they are no longer able to hear or see things as well as they were before, and they may not be able to process their thoughts as quickly. They might also notice a delay in their reaction time. While some people may assume it is because of a medical issue, it could just be because of aging. As aging continues throughout later adulthood individuals may also notice changes in their physical appearances such as loose or wrinkly skin and a decrease in muscle tone. Throughout life individuals may decide to move from one place to another to experience what it is like to live in a new place. As individuals age their health starts to decline, and in some cases, some families have to make the decision to put their loved ones in a nursing home or hire a nursing staff to do home visits. When the health of a loved one becomes an issue family members have to make sure they are getting the  proper care they need to ensure their loved ones are safe and their health needs are being met. Some elderly individuals are able to go through life and not need any type of assistance caring for themselves, but some individuals get sick and cannot properly take care of themselves any longer. Alzheimer’s and Dementia are two of the worst diseases an individual can develop as they age. Once Alzheimer’s or Dementia really set in the individual start to forget life as they previously knew it. They no longer recognize their family or friends and have a hard time remembering anything about their lives. According to the Alzheimer’s Association there are three stages to Alzheimer’s disease, the early, middle, and late stages. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease an individual may still function as well as they did before they knew they had the disease, â€Å"He or she may still drive, work, and be a part of social activities† (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). According to the Alzheimer’s Association, â€Å"The middle stages of Alzheimer’s are typically the longest and can last for many years†. The third, and final stage of Alzheimer’s, the late stages, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, â€Å"may last for several weeks or several years and requires intense are the clock care†. As Alzheimer’s progresses the individual may experience symptoms such as; anger, anxiety, depression, hallucinations, memory loss, confusion, repetition, and physical discomfort. As Alzheimer’s slowly starts to take over the individual it becomes harder and harder for both the individual and the family to deal with the changes that are occurring. That is why it is so important to make sure there is a trained medical professional on site at all times to care and comfort the individual dealing with the disease. The transition from working life to retirement can be a difficult process for some adults as they struggle to accept the changes that will occur in their lifestyle. But, on the other hand, retirement can also be an enjoyable time for some adults as they see it as an opportunity to do things they love without having to worry about work interfering with their plans. Some aging adults have a hard time coping with the thought of retirement because of the drastic change in income and they do not know what to do with  all the extra time they will have throughout the day. While the changes in income between a weekly or biweekly paycheck greatly differ from their previous profession and the amount of money received through social security, most employers offer a 401K savings plan to help with retirement and life after working. Social policies were put in tact to ensure that anyone in need is able to have their needs met. These needs can include medical, nutritional, and income needs. The government has funded programs such as food stamps to help families all over the country provide food for their families. Other government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare are intact to help cover medical expenses for people who cannot afford health or dental insurance. When it comes to the elderly, social programs such as Social Security and the Older Americans Act were put intact to ensure the elderly (anyone aged sixty five or older) are able to financially support themselves. Social policies are a great way to ensure individuals are properly taken care of and are able to support themselves. Family is forever, and nobody should ever feel as if they have to go through life alone. As we age it is important to remember how important our family and friends really are to us. We spend our whole lives searching for someone to spend the rest of our lives with and to build a family with, but as we age and people in our families start to die people begin to feel lonely. Losing a close family member or even a friend can leave individuals with a feeling of loneliness or even depression, â€Å"Most people seventy years of age or older are widowed, divorced, or single† (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2010). Grandparents and great- grandparents should never have to feel like they are unimportant or unwanted by their families. As individuals mature and go on with their own lives they should always continue to stay in touch with everyone in their family, but they should especially make sure their grandparents and older family members are healthy and well taken care of. The changes that occur throughout our daily lives are preparing us for the next stage of life. As individuals age they experience new things and learn  new things about themselves. Some people fear aging as they fear they will no longer be able to properly care for themselves any longer, but with the love and support from our families anything is possible. The aging process includes changes in roles and social positions, considering living accommodations with health care needs, transitioning from work life  to retirement, changes in social policies, and changes in relationships with family members and peers. Aging is just one of the many aspects of life that everyone has to deal with, and it is up to us to determine how we want to deal with it and let it affect our everyday life. References: Alzheimer’s Association. The Stages of Alzheimer’s. Retrieved from: http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_4521.asp U.S Department of Health and Family Services. Caring for Frail Elderly People: Policies in Evolution. Retrieved from: http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/chap14.htm Zastrow, C.H. & Kirst-Ashman, K.K. (2010). Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment (8th Ed.)

Charismatic leadership style of mahatma gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most important person and charismatic leader in the history of India as he was he only one who is considered as the founder of our nation. He was the self made leader, he was not having any career in his life, no fame was gained by him, he was also not so rich an average looking man but still he was the father of the country. Mahatma Gandhi gave right ways and positive thoughts to many people in the nation, he make them teach what he actually practice in his real life, he was called as the great symbol of truth by the public of our nation. It was due to rule of British in India which made him to fight against them and for this he needed to guide the Indian citizens to fight against them this made him to become the absolute leader and to use evil practices against the British. It was the period during which he was in South Africa working on some legal work their which he was subjected to abuse , but then he realizes how the Indians in their home land were badly treated and beaten by the British which was subjected to cruel abuse. To fight against the British people Gandhi took many ways which he called as practices in all over India which were non violence, truth and bravery. This whole practices were named by Indians as Satyagraha and which was having a big meaning among the Indians. The practice of Satyagraha was done all over Indian was used against corruption, non- violence, civil defense. Mahatma Gandhi thought that doing such practices will only help them to have proper control over social and political rulings. It was because of his charisma that he many Indian were devoted towards Mahatma Gandhi and due to which they were following practice of Satyagraha without any fear. Through the practice of Satyagraha Gandhi Ji followed the fight for independence from British which was considered as a big fight in whole world during that period of time. During his fight for independence Gandhi Ji advice his Indian to use the non- violence fight against the British which generally consists boycotting the practices of British and not accepting the use of British products in India. It was his intelligence, leadership qualities and charm nature which helped many Indians to fight against the British by the use non- violence practice. Since Mahatma Gandhi was very devoted towards his home land and towards its country people that he was ready to die for them anytime that is why he was the main point of attraction among the hearts of Indian people and that’s why people of India were also ready to die for Gandhi Ji anytime anywhere. HELPERT†S DIMENSIONS OF CHARISMA Transformational leadership President of South Africa stated bout Gandhi Ji â€Å"You produce a Lawyer and we produce a Leader out of you†. This first evident that makes him great leader was in South Africa when was thrown out of first class compartment on the basis that he was an Indian and Indians were treated as lower class people in South Africa and this is just because of color of Indian people. This intolerant behavior towards Indians opened his eyes and showed how his country people are treated. This thinking intended him to fight against racism for equal rights of Indian people. This further led him to a great fighter in India and he was also a great leader in the hearts of Indian people. According to Bass (1985) transformational leaders generally consists of distinctive attractive behavior that includes sacrificing personal gains for the advantage of the group setting common example for followers and demonstrating high model standards. Leadership style of Gandhi Ji clearly shows the presence of transformational leadership. As an example his followers were intended by him, have trust in him, love him, were loyal to him and revert him. Transformational leaders also charm to higher values like equality, freedom, right decision and peace. Gandhi Ji was mainly known for these leadership styles and fought for his entire life following these values and taken stand for these values. Gandhi ji leadership styles throughout his life encouraged his followers to follow this practice of non-violence fight and also to fight in unity. During their fight for freedom thousands of his followers were sent to jail and were also beaten badly and treated brutally. Example: Many of his followers were gathered for the Salt March which was followed by a non- violence practice but then also British officers beat them badly with sticks. Then also they did not follow the path of violence because they had a great respect of Gandhi Ji and his practices of non- violence, equality and unity. 1. According to Ferrin and Dirks transformational leadership is strongly associated with trust in the leader. According to Bass, transformational leaders consists the following behaviors: Idealized influence This nature arouses active and powerful follower emotions and identification with the leader. Gandhi was successful in motivating and influencing lots of people as a result he was the person of his words, and continuously practices what he preached. He was a task model for lots of common people and won their respect and trust through his practice. He expressed hg model conducts, non-violence, cooperation (voluntary imporvinshment), commitment and endurance so as to achieve India’s independence. Intellectual Stimulation This behavior will increase follower awareness of issues and forces followers to look at issues from a new view point. Gandhi Ji was perpetually supportive of his believers and inspired them to think broadly as well as frankly, raise queries and solve issues. He was willing to simply accept wrong doing and mistakes and wasn’t ashamed to discard a method that didn’t worked as plan. For example: Gandhi Ji asked for the shut off his non- violence campaign just because sum of his subordinates were using violence methods to fight against British in that case instead of going against them he asked for the closure of the campaign. Individualized Consideration This includes giving support, training and inspiration to followers. Gandhi Ji was very supportive to his followers as an example he with patience listen to the problems and considerations of the poor with regard to their ability to keep our support because of British policies. Gandhi Ji was also very supportive of different leaders like national leader and Vallabhbhai Patel. He nurtures them inspired them to share concepts and even authorized them to create choices, never creating them feel addicted to him. Inspirational Motivation This type of leadership includes human action and appealing vision and making use of symbols to focus subordinates effort. Gandhi Ji stood by his personal values and systematically delivered his vision of independence by openly exchanging his vision and using symbols like the Salt Satyagraha Movement, he guided his believers with the way right meaning that successfully impressed them to stay idealistic and increase their effort. Gandhi’s Power and Influence Tactics 1. Referent Power Referent power is also called as: Charismatic power Personal Power Power of personality When a leader is respect, admired and influentially followed by others. As we have already discussed in transformational leadership Gandhi Ji was respected by his followers and having a two way relationship between him and his followers. An important leader is given respect only when two way communications is followed and Gandhi Ji believed in this way of communication that’s why he was a great leader. Gandhi ji constantly proved to be a role model and is behavior consistent with the moral principles he predicate. Qualities of Mahatma Gandhi as a Referent Leader Honest and considerate to others Unselfish intentions Role model Used the process of internalization to influence his followers Many of the followers of Gandhi Ji were influenced by stimulating their values of self respect, justice and freedom to fight against British. At certain points personal identification was also considered. For example Jawaharlal Nehru was initially influenced by Gandhi Ji as he used to western wear clothes and looking at the style and dressing sense of Gandhi Ji he also started wearing Khadi clothes. Similarly many followers of Gandhi ji boycotted the western style wearing and opted for khadi dressing like Gandhi Ji. According to (2010) power is the capacity to attract the nature and attitude of people in the direction desired. With an exclusive charming and attractive practices followed by Gandhi Ji empowered him with high referent power. He was able to maintain his power by expressing care towards the needs of the public by showing trust and treating people equally. Due to his high level of personal sincerity and persistent values allowed him to maintain his referent power. Since Gandhi Ji was a good lawyers as he has completed hi law from South Africa and was aware of all the rules and regulations of the government. Due to his expert knowledge also the member of Indian national congress and later join the British Indian community in the Transvaal where he fought against restriction on Indian trade he always follows the rules and regulations in correct direction and his entire practices were legal there were no illegal practices followed by him. Due to his non-violence and expert power his followers were also influenced by his practices and used to follow his path. 3. Job Involvement Gandhi Ji always encouraged for ethical practices during his lifetime which are: Truth and love Self Discipline Abolition of untouchability Dependency(Weaving his own clothes) Gandhi Ji always had a high influence on people because of the above mentioned characteristics of his leadership. Gandhi Ji mainly shows interest for others rather than focusing on self interest also called altruistic behavior. In order to influence his followers in the direction of non- violence he did fast for several days. During that period he not even thought about his health and food, he suffered a lot till he gets the desired result of his fast. Gandhi Ji become as a leader of masses from the leader of community when Gandhi ji was in South Africa he fought in suit and tie but when he came to India he adopted the situation realizing in India and wore clothes of a peasant, weaved his own clothes and lived in a small house. He was always under control of situations and having effective negotiation skills while dealing with British authorities. Conclusion Gandhi shows the transformation of a standard man into a legendary leader. It shows how conditions will inspire someone to fight against injustice and difference. Gandhi’s style of leadership proves that to attain a required and decent end, suggests that must be equally sensible. Gandhi had a vision that was accepted by his followers. His personal practices led to India to be free from Britishers. His involvement and interest towards the poor people of society is memorable and peerless. His teaching of non violence is extremely abundant relevant even in today’s world. For the contribution and sacrifices he created for the India’s independence, upliftment of poor people, contribution towards woman encouragement and unity among completely different religions, he has been given the title of ‘Mahatma’ by his nation and is named as ‘Bapu’ thats Father of the nation.

Price and Demand Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Price and Demand - Research Paper Example the change in quantity demanded will be different for an equal change in price of substitutes as compared to compliments. With substitute goods such as brands of cereal or washing powder, an increase in the price of one good will lead to an increase in demand for the rival product. Cross price elasticity will be positive. With goods that are in complementary demand such as the demand for DVD players and DVD videos, when there is a fall in the price of DVD players we expect to see more DVD players bought, leading to an expansion in market demand for DVD videos [1]. In case of substitutes people abandon an expensive product to get its substitute at lower rate. It is so because substitute is a good which is indistinguishable in use from another. If two goods are perfect substitutes, their prices must be the same if both are to be used: the elasticity of substitution between them is infinite, and any price difference will lead to all consumers choosing the cheaper [2]. But, complimentary goods will see an increase in demand for both of the goods as people have to buy both of them to get benefited. But weak compliments will have inelastic cross elasticity of demand and close compliments will have elastic cross elasticity of demand. With an increase in demand, price of a product moves in the upward direction. ... But, complimentary goods will see an increase in demand for both of the goods as people have to buy both of them to get benefited. But weak compliments will have inelastic cross elasticity of demand and close compliments will have elastic cross elasticity of demand. All this implies that an increase in price in one market leads to an increase in demand in another market but the amount of change will be always be different for compliments and substitutes. 1. http://tutor2u.net/economics/content/topics/elasticity/cross_elasticity.htm 2. JOHN BLACK. "perfect substitute." A Dictionary of Economics. 2002. HighBeam Research. 17 Apr. 2009 Part b) Explain why an increase in supply in a market has different effects in the short run and the long run. Use a diagram and relevant examples; refer to the concept of elasticity. (50%) With an increase in demand, price of a product moves in the upward direction. Considering this increased price, producers start to produce more goods to earn more profit. When looking at things from other direction, you can say that producers have to deal with an increased marginal cost of production to increase the output and they can produce more things only if they get more money to cover their marginal cost of production. However, the increase in supply usually creates an impact on the overall market but the amount of increase is different due to different factors. Following are few of the factors affecting supply of a product. Price of relevant resources Price of substitutes State of technology Expectations of producers Number of producers available in a market Now, these are the factors other than the price of a product that can affect

Nursing Shift Handover Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Nursing Shift Handover - Research Paper Example The key feature not present in this approach is the individual care planning and the gathering of all the information about patients was written inward diaries using nurses notes (Kasseau). In post-modern nursing, shift handover includes communication between the change of shift, communication between care providers about patient needs, handoff, records and information tools to assist communication between care providers about the care provided for patients (Clinical handover). Shift handover procedures are essential when considering that nurses take breaks from tasks of which they have joint responsibility and that under these conditions communication fosters coordination of activities and accountability. Nursing provides continuous care services to patients and a shift handover is generally a time of; preparation by outgoing personnel; shift handover wherein incoming and outgoing nurses exchange information; and cross-checking of information by the incoming nurses as they take on the responsibility for tasks. The ideal outcome of shift handover is precise and reliable communication of task-relevant information across shifts to guarantee continuity of safe and efficient working environments.   Hospital in the UK, and a relevant literature review. Firstly, an example of a shift handover will be presented. Secondly, a literature review will outline communication theory in regards to nursing handover, as well as review the most up-to-date studies into efficient shift handover in a nursing setting. Thirdly, the key principles involved in developing efficient shift handover will be listed.  Ã‚  

Marketing 4050 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing 4050 - Assignment Example Commentary feature focuses on minor issues in the country while the Briefing feature deals with the social life style of the citizens. The Culture feature in the magazine is business oriented. The leading article in the magazine clearly related to the ad on the front page. The article reads â€Å"Can this man save Europe? â€Å" The cover page has the picture of Italy’s Mario Monti who is the Prime Minister. He has a difficult task for stopping the European crisis as the continent is in heavy debts. The Time Magazine faces stiff completion from other types of magazine that tend to offer the same type of information. It faces stiff competition from New York Magazine and The Monthly Issue Washington DC. This is a good investment as information is process daily. To be able to make good sales by conveying this information through magazines, one has to have a high-quality and attractive ad . This will lure the readers into reading thereby making

Group Post Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group Post - Research Paper Example s not just about English being the first or the second language of the employees of a company, customers associate stereotypes and underestimate the foreign employees’ ability to understand their culture, and thus only want service from their local employees. Customer build their perceptions of a company’s corporate social responsibility based upon â€Å"all the information about a company that a person holds† (Brown and Dacin, 1997, p. 69). Drop in the number of American students that study Information Technology is a shocking fact and a strong reason for companies to stop outsourcing. This shows how deleterious outsourcing is for our society in the long run. I seriously doubt that outsourcing plays a role in increasing the quality of work. With outsourcing, employers have least control over the products’ quality since everything is being made abroad. Especially, when we talk about quality control, it means much more than just meeting the specifications to include the level of creation and innovation, and uniqueness in every item. It is so hard to keep all employees on one platform in outsourcing that such aspects are often neglected. To say that the talent employers get through outsourcing is not available in the local market is underestimation of American local workers. Had foreign graduates been more capable, thousands of students would be going from America to those countries for studying every year rather than the other way round. Outsourcing is a fundamental reason for unemployment in America (Converse et al., n.d.). It cannot be said with utmost surety that the outsourcing company would always maintain competitive advantage . These days, when economy has become very volatile and the value of currency is rapidly changing in different countries, if the value of currency of the foreign country starts gaining weight, the opportunity of outsourcing might eventually turn out to be a risk. While that is the definition of outsourcing, this definition is not

Does social security adversely affect savings Essay

Does social security adversely affect savings - Essay Example This has therefore started a debate on the reduction of the social security taxes, much because the incentives offered through social security system are not convincing. Considering the fact that, the social security taxes deducted from the earnings of an individual are offered to the retired officers of that time, which means that, deducted amount is neither invested, and it is a source of profitability, which can be later shared with the individuals. The social security system has been meant out, only to collect amount from one end, and distribute it among other party. (Carolyn L. Weaver. Social Security's Looming Surpluses: Prospects and Implications. 1990. Longman. pp. 146) It is therefore more advisable that the individual save or invest the similar amount in some sort of business or financial scheme, and it is expected that the individual can earn appropriate amount during the period of his retirement. Critically, why should a person contribute towards such a system, which is neither investing nor offering any profit or return over the deducted amount, rather it only offers return back. (Christopher Borgman. Social Security, Demographics, and Risk. 2005. Springer Publications. pp. 174) Feldstein hasIMPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM Feldstein has provided sufficient material to prove that the system of social security is responsible for decline in the accumulation of total capital. The social security system has adversely affected the domestic productivity; it is because the individual is offered with no other option but to contribute towards the social security system. It the similar contribution had been made by the individuals in banking and businesses would have improved the increased the magnitude of local financial and capital production. Feldstein has provided sufficient evidence to prove that the practice of Social Security is corrupted. It has been able to observe that the social security system is responsible for the reduction in the private saving and local investment, and therefore the magnitude of regression coefficient on the social security variable was negative. The magnitude of the regression coefficient was large enough to warn against the implementation was such exercise, because it had caused much setback for local savings. A large drop in the saving scheme has been experienced since the plan of social security was launched. It has further deplored the situation, as it is important to support and encourage personal saving, so that the activities of banks and other financial institutions can gain momentum. It is being critically evaluated whether the government bonds are based on net wealth for a society. If there is increase in the percentages of the taxes, the government is likely to borrow lesser amount from public, and it can be expected that the government might reduced the percentage of taxes in the future years. This entire system is analogous to the social security system, where the government cuts heavy rates from individuals during particular course of time, and later reduces it, and then offers the packages during the retirement period in corresponding quantities. This practice itself is not fair and appreciable, the amount of social security