Pragmatism Is the Philosophy of Practicality

INTRODUCTION Philosophy is a hypothetical interpretation of the unknown. It is a point of view that provides a logical, rational, and valid basis for educational effort and criteria for the selection of a sound educational practice. Philosophy of Education Educating children profoundly affects their lives and influences the life of anyone who comes into contact with those children. Education provides a foundation for a child to start his life. Without a true education, it becomes impossible for an individual to provide for themselves and their family.Also, well-educated people can make decisions that benefit both their own interests and the interests of society as a whole. In some cases, philosophies of education do contradict and oppose each other, like for instance, idealism as opposed to the philosophy of naturalism. In fact we cannot question it because they have different points of view as regard to education. STATEMENT OF POSITION Pragmatism is the philosophy of practicality an d usefulness. Pragmatists see the world as a place for experience of all kinds.Pragmatism believes changes in education and opposes traditional education. Gaining of knowledge for the sake of knowledge is not the real aim of education. This philosophy focuses mental, religious and aesthetic forms of human activity. If I were a teacher, I would go with the philosophy of pragmatism. For me pragmatism is shooting two birds in one stone, you are thinking and you are putting it into action. I don’t prefer a class sitting, writing, and reading books only, without applying it.The effectiveness of our ideas, statements and concept must be seen on our actions. In pragmatism, schools and other educational institutions are flexible, they can remain alive, active and satisfy the changing needs of the society and provide real experiences through activities. It is not only a center of education but a center of community because a school that inculcates the philosophy of pragmatism is a tru e representation of a society. Pragmatic teacher are the one who first succeed in the teaching-learning process.The teacher acts as a friend, guide and philosopher to the child to gain close and positive relationship so that it is easier for them to teach and handle problems in the teaching process. As an experience-based philosophy, the curriculum includes useful activities, experiences and subjects that are useful to the present needs of the learner and also for the future expectations of adult life. It also contains skills to develop the learners which develop social and purposeful attitude. They oppose bookish knowledge and condemn those methods which promote knowledge which is not useful.The learners are keen to try things out; they want concepts that can be applied. They tend to become impatient with discussion type. They learn best when techniques are shown and they have the chance to try it out. They are also open to innovation as long as effective in the educational process . CONCLUSION Pragmatism is an attitude and a way of living which opposing the old doctrines of idealism and naturalism and inspire the individual to look ahead and create new values for an unknown future, so that he leads a better, happier and richer life.The importance of studying pragmatism as a philosophy is to understand deeply the educational process. Each fundamental aspect has a basic function in the education process. To me an effective educator is, first and foremost, someone who genuinely cares about the quality of the education a student is receiving. My memories of great teachers always involve teachers who obviously put time and thought into actions with their lessons. They offered their time to students who wanted to improve.I think that as an educator you should put into practice all the thoughts and bright ideas into action necessary to make your lessons thoughtful and hopefully fun Pragmatism serves as our guide in the educational process. Through this, we can also have a brighter understanding on how education would be. It would probably a great help for us to have all this things for the fulfilment of our good towards education. References: Singh, Y. K. (2007). Philosophical Foundation of Education. New Delhi: A P H Publishing. Shahid, S. M. (2000). Philosophy of Education. Lahore: Majeed Book Depot.

Harvey Milk Essay

Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician who is known for being the first man to be elected to a public office while being openly gay (Scruggs). He was born in the year 1930 May 22 and was murdered on November 27, 1978. Up until this time, he made a name as a San Francisco civil rights activist who largely helped campaign for the rights of homosexuals hence opening up the American society to gay and lesbian issues (Milk Foundation). However, this was not the only field he dealt with but as a human rights visionary, he championed improvement of education, housing, child care and public transportation. He started off his numerous professions by joining the Navy in 1951 from which he was honorably discharged in 1955 in the rank of junior lieutenant (Milk Foundation). He then took up a teaching job in a high school and afterwards did finance jobs. All this time he was not in the public limelight until a 1970 protest of Cambodian invasion by America where he publicly burned his BankAmericard. He was then dismissed from his job after which he tried in vain to vie for public office in the Board of Supervisors three times in San Francisco triggered by a public scandal known as the Watergate. However he finally succeeded in 1977 becoming the first gay official to be thus elected. Milk’s agenda in politics consisted of campaigns for the government to respond to individual needs, emphasis on gay rights and also retention of San Francisco neighborhoods uniqueness (Gardner, and Krakow 31). During this tenure a gay rights law was passed barring discrimination of persons in respect to housing and employment based on sexual orientation. In the same period, it was announced that more gay persons were to be hired as police officers. Milk also initiated programs that were to benefit minority groups, the elderly and also workers. He gained popularity for being behind the quashing of a senate proposal to bar gay and lesbian teachers from public schools in California. Milk was shot on November 27 1978 in City Hall by Dan White a former city supervisor who protested at the passage of the gay rights law (Jim 71). This resulted to nationwide protest with riots erupting in San Francisco especially in light of the light sentence handed to Dan White who later committed suicide. The advantages of Harvey Milk are mainly entrenched in his human rights campaigns. He was bold to fight against the government of the day and as a result programs to cater for transport issues and housing especially for the poor were created. In addition, Milk was able to champion causes against corruption in government evidenced by his initial prompting to join politics during the Watergate scandal which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon (Scruggs). Milk can be said to have generally influenced generations to stand up and fight for their rights especially in the face of strong opposition. He is said to indeed be an inspiration. The disadvantages on the other hand are mainly entrenched in moral issues which his main adversaries fielded (Scruggs). Such persons argue that Milk made mistakes that have had rippling effects on society especially on moral grounds. Milk is said to have helped open up society to violation of family values that are central to the advancement of society. His bold stand in favor of homosexuality is demonized by many. In addition, it can be argued that Milk’s hard-line stand on various issues was one of his grave mistakes. It can be said that such stands caused unnecessary friction in society and upset social harmony by inciting people against the government. Despite these shortcomings milk has been immortalized as evidenced in the names of Harvey Milk Democratic Club, the Harvey Milk High School in New York and the annual Harvey Milk Memorial Parade in San Francisco.

Political Organization Essay

The band is a relatively small and loosely organized kin-ordered group that inhabits a common territory and that may split periodically into smaller extended family groups that are politically and economically independent. Band is a form of anthropological political system noted for its simplicity. According to common anthropological knowledge, a band usually consists of not more than 30-50 individuals. Bands display an egalitarian form of authority which advocates equality among members and the eradication of hindrances to the doctrine of equality. However, bands often exhibit a weak form of leadership due to the non-existent of rules and written laws the support their leaders. Tribes are loosely-structured anthropological political systems composed of families and other communities which are based solely on kinship. Tribes are the most basic and primitive form of political system. In tribal societies, the elders and the heads of the families are often the ones who lead the tribe. They are usually the ones who are sought for advice and guidance. The main difference between a band and a tribe is the size of the community. Tribes are defined as bigger forms of bands. Chiefdom is a form of anthropological political system that is more complex than both the band and the tribe. A chiefdom, according to common anthropological knowledge is composed of a number of villages under the control of one individual called as â€Å"chief. â€Å" Unlike the headman or headwoman in bands and tribes, the leader of a chiefdom is generally a true authority figure, whose right to make final decisions, give commands, and enforce obedience serves to unite members in all affairs and at all times. Anthropologist, however, argued that such form of anthropological political system is very stable. According to experts, this kind of socio-political organization tends to be prone to a cycle of monumental collapse. In anthropology, the state is a political institution established to manage and defend a complex, socially stratified society occupying a defined territory. A state greatly differs from a band, tribe and chiefdom because of its developed nature. Unlike the other three primitive systems, a state is governed by rules and laws which generates from a just law-making body. States are the governing bodies of nations where sovereignty resides. In order to be recognized as a state, an anthropological political system must meet the four requirements of having a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the capacity to enter relations with other states.

Global Security in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Global Security in the United States - Essay Example The industry segment chosen for this work is the software industry. Software industry is a service sector aimed at providing service to all other industries. Some of the major attributes that affect the business in software industry are: this is a support industry to other industries and if they are in a recession then the software industry is also affected. Secondly, the software industry grows swiftly so much so what is today the cutting edge is no more used one year down the line. Thirdly, this is dependent on the employees in the company that would decide on the way the results are produced. Creativity of the people, agility of the industry segment that the products of the company addresses and the speed at which the company could acclimatize itself to the new technologies coming in every day.It is also important to note that any company in the software business face is the customer satisfaction. Unlike other products, where the product is clearly one that the people can see, tes t and accept, in case of software, even after the initial acceptance of the software, it might be found to be under performing in those areas that are critical to the buyer. Similarly, while products fail under use due to external reasons, viz., mishandling, surges in electricity, etc., in case of software, it is always viewed as the one that comes with the failures or most of the problems are manufactured with the product. This leads to customer dissatisfaction even after one to two years of use. The software industry has been growing phenomenally in the last decade and has a number of competitors whom the upcoming company should take care of. The competition comes from all sizes of companies, from small to mega corporations. Therefore, it is essential that the company entering the market works out a niche for itself before jumping on to the growing bandwagon. The market and the economy connected with the software industry have been booming in the last two decades, driven mostly by the revolution called internet. Software is totally market driven and, in contrast to most of the other industries, in case of software industry the company spends comparatively little on research vis--vis the development. There are lots of new ideas that come in every day in the software industry. None of the companies like Microsoft, Borland, Sun or Novell, invented what they successfully made. They adopted the new technological idea in a way that people would accept and sold successfully. It is not who does it first or who does it differently; it is a question of who does it right that makes a software company successful. b. The Company The company that is formed will address specific software needs of verticals that are identified as strengths of the company. Such identified and short listed verticals will be clearly understood and the employees / consultants in the company will have adequate understanding and strengths in the vertical so chosen. This would help the company to identify software products for these verticals, addressing requirements that might not be easy for competitors to emulate. This niche will also ensure that the value the company gets for its products will be substantially higher than what they might get if they should do a run of the mill product. Hence, this would ensure both addressing a niche segment with little or no major competition and would also ensure that the compensation for their product will be better than what the company might get otherwise. The concentration of the company in the product development exercise will be to do it right rather than do something new alone. It has to be new and it has to be right. Right in the sense, it will be the way the customer or the user might expect or want it to be. This would necessitate a close interaction with the customer and possibly work in tandem with the customers in those specific verticals and produce a product that is in line with their needs. c. SWOT Analysis i.

Enlightening Experience from the Childhood Personal Statement - 8

Enlightening Experience from the Childhood - Personal Statement Example For the other game, we would chase each other around and whoever was ‘it’ had to touch the other one so he would be ‘it’ until we were chasing each other around in a circle. For the other game, we would chase each other around and whoever was ‘it’ had to touch the other one so he would be ‘it’ until we were chasing each other around in a circle. One day we were playing ‘run’ and I was winning.   I was running so fast I thought I was flying.   But Toby wasn’t very far behind me.   I could hear him breathing, so I was putting all my effort into it.   I could feel my face getting all scrunched up so I knew I was running all out just to stay ahead of Toby.   One minute, Toby was breathing down my neck and the next I heard him yelp and no more breathing.   I looked back and some strange man was holding Toby up in the air, his legs still kicking and with a surprised look on his face.   I was so surprised I almost ran straight into the fence.  Ã‚   The man was yelling something that I couldn’t hear at first because Toby was hollering and blood was pounding in my ears from the race and I was breathing heavy.   Then the words came in crystal clear. â€Å"†¦ black boy.   What do you think you’re doing chasing that white boy like that?   Don’t you know your place?   I’ll be giving you a sound beating for this one.   You just wait till I get my belt off, you’ll get a beating like you never have seen before.   You no account †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Can Leaders Really Motivate Employees Assignment - 1

Can Leaders Really Motivate Employees - Assignment Example There are certain employees who want more salary, while there are others who want more power, or other kinds of benefits like accommodation and privileges. Taking these facts into consideration, it can be said that managers motivating employees is a matter of chance. Occasionally, the steps managers take are the ones required to motivate a certain employee, and thus it happens. However, this does not always happen. There are certain ways in which the tendency of an environment to motivate the employees can be enhanced. Still, the influence of that environment upon the employees’ performance would vary from one case to another. Generally, an organization should link reward to performance, and really reward the employees who are found to display better performance. â€Å"To be a successful manager/motivator you must first understand that you cannot motivate anyone. You can only create an environment that encourages and promotes the employees self motivation† (Lowe,

Mediation Observation Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mediation Observation Paper - Assignment Example The mediation case in focus involved James Nguyen, a student of Chapman law and who acted as the mediator between Robert and Swoboda who were the plaintiffs and Keith Mullens who was the defendant at the Corona Superior Court. Robert and Swoboda were couples who rented their house to Keith who upon vacation left the couple’s house in damaged state and was therefore sued for failure to pay for repair and rent of the previous month. However the disagreements, it became apparent that the plaintiffs and the defendant had never engaged in any conflict for the past five years that Keith rented the plaintiffs’ structure. All the parties were convinced and accepted to engage mediation process and Keith indicated that he would not be able to pay for the alleged damages and therefore requested that the plaintiffs drop the demands. On the other side, the plaintiffs held strongly that they could not drop the demands and the case was taken back to court where the plaintiffs were den ied their demands after long period of time. Effective mediation requires that the individual mediator follow certain sequential processes and procedures that will enable him/her comfort the parties and achieve utmost transparency of opinions and views. Usually, mediation process begins with introduction between the mediator and the individual parties and any other additional party present in the session(s). The introduction part is usually very critical as it determines the moods and emotions of the individual conflicting parties and allows the mediator an opportunity to employ other strategies to comfort the parties (Douglas and James 4). Introductory part of the mediation process requires the mediator use the most appropriate physical presentation to ensure that no individual party is frightened or threatened by the just intended process. According to Douglas and James, this stage needs to be accomplished with all parties who are located in different structures (6). In the introd uctory stage, the mediator clarifies the roles of each participant in the process and explains the rules that should govern the mediation process and the actual time frame for the process. The mediator will then acknowledge by reaffirming to both parties about the issues under determination or the actual cause for the mediation (Cohen 6). In his mediation practice, James Nguyen involved all necessary aspects introduction to ensure that nothing was left in doubt. In introducing my friend Abdul Sameer and I, James described us as his fellow law students who had come to particularly assess his progress and approach to the mediation process. James reiterated to the individual conflicting parties that we the third party had nothing to do with their discussion and therefore the parties had no reason to fear expressing their vies in transparent manner. It is at this level of mediation that James Nguyen informed the conflicting parti

Effects Of Socialisation Processes On Workplace Culture And Human Essay

Effects Of Socialisation Processes On Workplace Culture And Human Resource Management - Essay Example For both humans and animals, this is typically thought to occur during the early stages of life, during which individuals develop the skills and knowledge necessary to function within their culture and environment. However, this also includes adult individuals moving into an environment significantly different from one(s) in which they have previously lived and must thus learn a new set of behaviors. For a human resource manager socialisation involves immersing the individual in the culture and practices of the organisations, where they become aware of the norms, values and attitudes which are consistent with the organisation and its strategy. It is suggested that such practices help to forge a psychological commitment by the individual to the organisation and perhaps encourage employee behaviours which are less predictable (Schuler & Jackson, 1987).Socialisation of employees in an organisation has shown a great importance in the present business scenario. In the last couple of years, attention to organisation socialisation has increased greatly; this is the learning process by which newcomers develop attitudes and behaviour that are necessary to function as a fully-fledged member of the organisation. . More effective and efficient the human resource management is in socialising its employees, the sooner a newcomer can be productive for the organisation. Socialising means to int ernalise or in simple words to make the new employees more incorporated in the culture of the organisation. This is especially true for the future managers, as they frequently point out that they are not well prepared for their tasks and their new identity as managers, but are expected to propagate the company policy. (Joost Ardts, Paul Jansen, Mandy van der Velde, 2001) Effects of Socialisation on Organisational Culture: Now let us see what effect the process of socialisation can have on the culture of an organisation. "Organizational culture is the key to organizational excellence... and the function of leadership is the creation and management of culture..." Edgar Schein (2000) Organizational Culture and Leadership To explain how socialisation works on culture, we watch an experiment. A caged group of monkeys is confronted with a bunch of bananas on bungling from the ceiling. There is a ladder placed invitingly just under the bananas. Immediately some monkeys rush to the ladder. As soon as they start to climb it they are all hosed down, not just the monkeys on the ladder but all the monkeys in the cage. As they don't like water they leave the bananas. One hussy monkey tries again but the same thing happens, all of the monkeys are hosed. Now they watch each other to make sure no one comes near the ladder. Then one monkey is replaced by a new one unaware of ladder-water misery. He sees the bananas and rushes to the ladder, but to his surprise is beaten up by the other monkeys. Now a second monkey is replaced by a new one. He approaches the ladder and is beaten up. The first new monkey who himself had been beaten up participates in the mugging because he wont permit another monkey to do something he himself was not allowed. This continues until all the monkeys are replaced by new monkeys none of them having the experience of being hosed down or even having a faint idea about it. The reason why they won't permit each other to reach for the bananas has become of a metaphysical nature, they have

Homeless Teens in Dallas Texas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homeless Teens in Dallas Texas - Essay Example Secondly, it is important that the hypothetical community health advocacy project enters into partnership with well wishers who may want to invest in the organization. Jordan (2002) advises that these investors are to serve as shareholders and decision makers of the organization, so that these investors can be easily incorporated into the organization’s lifelong operation. Conversely, the hypothetical community health advocacy project must have adequate pool of healthcare equipment. It is at this juncture that donations from well wishers are to be greatly factored. The appropriateness of this approach as a tenable is confirmed by the fact that when Mayo Clinic was opened in 1889, most of its equipment were donated by well wishers. The same also confirms the need for the previously mentioned partnership, since Mayo Clinic started under the partnership of William W. Mayo, Charles H. Mayo, William J. Mayo, Christopher Graham, Henry S. Plummer, Star Judd, Melvin Millet and Donald Balfour (Mayo Clinic, 2012). During this community health advocacy organization’s formative stages, it will be important to stem high employee turnover and cost of operations. This may best be done by having the medical staff and the administrative staff working on volunteership. Nevertheless, although volunteership makes it possible to have volunteers working without payment, yet it may be important to have these volunteers extended some pay, to keep them motivated. Above all, this community health advocacy project is to enter into agreement with the government and the schooling system so that volunteers can be extended rewards that are binding and significant to the learning curricula and the accreditation system. For instance, volunteers who have... In this essay homeless teenagers from Dallas, Texas and the ways to help them and improve their lifestyle through healthcare facilities are described. This reality is further underscored by the need to provide Dallas teenagers with community health services being more of an ethical drive than a profiteering venture. Even Ensign observes that the ultimate goal behind the formation of this hypothetical community health advocacy project is not to accrue profit, but to help Dallas’ homeless teenagers to access community health services. This essay focuses on the targeted group and firstly tries to organize it. To do so the community health advocacy project should put in place, counseling services and department. The importance of having counseling services and department in place is to nurture a positive attitude towards treatment and to conscientize the street adolescents on the need to public health. Likewise, street children who have successfully undergone treatment at the comm unity health advocacy project are to have programs that can incorporate them into the work schedule and improve their lifes. However, it is important to heed Schimmel’s warning at this juncture that this is to be done on voluntary basis so that the former street teenagers do not serve under compulsion. This can be succeded through getting incorporated companies into public health policy since the government is currently shouldering the burden of providing healthcare services, hope and purpose-driven life to street children.

Government Regulations and Standards That Affect the Policy and Target Population Essay Example for Free

Government Regulations and Standards That Affect the Policy and Target Population Essay Use the information you gathered for the Week Two assignment and research government regulations and standards that affect the policy and target population you chose. You can research your state’s legislative department or the Web sites listed in Appendix G, for example, for laws, regulations, and standards affecting human service organizations. Describe the current government regulations or standards you researched. What kind of impact do these regulations or standards have on your issue and target population? Identify obstacles that would prevent you from meeting the needs of your target population. Consider future trends and changes to social policy that may be necessary in order for your issue to be resolved or for the target population to have its needs satisfied. Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in APA format, with references, summarizing your research results. Post your paper as a Microsoft ® Word attachment. Due: Day 7 Michigan Works and the Department of Human Resources are both government funded agencies to assist those in the state of Michigan that are in need of basic survival needs. Both of these agencies work together to help families get back on track to support themselves and develop a better understanding of how to assist themselves. Under the Department of Human Resources (DHS), the regulations to obtain cash assistance or welfare, from the State, the individual needs to attend the Michigan Works program to seek employment (to get off the welfare). Due to major cuts last year, the state has made reformed decisions on ways of obtaining help from the state. Family Independence Program (FIP) also known as cash assistance in the state of Michigan requires the applicants to sign up for the JET program (Jobs, Education and Training) through Michigan Works. The main goal of FIP is to help families become self-supporting and independent. FIP is temporary cash assistance for low-income families with minor children and pregnant women. FIP helps them pay for living expenses such as rent, heat, utilities, clothing, food and personal care items. Recently, the eligibility requirements have gotten tighter. There is a 48 month lifetime limit now, in which thousands lost their assistance last October. Also to qualify for FIP, children must be under the age of 18, or a high school student age 18. The childs parents, stepparents, and siblings who live together normally make up the FIP group. A relative acting as a parent or legal guardians may be included in the group if the parent is not in the home. A person can sometimes be eligible for FIP when there is no child in the group, such as a pregnant woman, or parents whose child is in foster care but is expected to return home within one year. Only U. S. citizens are eligible for FIP and must only have up to $3,000 in assets. And with assets such as your vehicles and personal belongings are not counted. The property asset limit is $500,000. The state will step in also if one of the parents in not on the same case as the child which would require a support statement through the courts (child support). Finally, anyone who receives cash assistance must attend the JET program to ensure that individual is seeking employment weekly. All programs are there for those who As for policies of FIP, this policy is necessary to ensure that Michigans limited resources are available to help those truly in needs that require a hand-up on the road to self-sufficiency. The State of Michigan has a number of programs available to help recipients step toward independence. Many of these programs focus specifically on the welfare of children ensured for their health, care and development. Those programs include Medicaid, Food and Rent Assistance, Child Developmental Care, WIC, MiChild, Step Forward Michigan, Children’s Special Health Services, Michigan Works, Vaccines for Children, Child and Adolescent Health Center Program, Maternity Outpatient Medical Services, State Emergency Relief. The mission for Michigan Works is to provide leadership and services, and promote quality and excellence for the advancement of Michigan’s Workforce Development System and its customers and professionals. Michigan Works! Association was established in 1987 to provide services and support to Michigan’s Workforce Development System. Michigan Works! Agencies assist job seekers and employers in their communities. While each agency is unique, all 25 Michigan Works! Agencies share several fundamental qualities: Locally-responsive and demand-driven, Governed by a Workforce Development Board comprised of private sector representatives and Local Elected Officials, Provide access to a full range of core employment-related services to help businesses find the skilled workers they need, and help job seekers find satisfying careers. Their policies are to educate, train and help obtain employment for anyone who needs it. DHS will designate individuals to Michigan Works to help individuals gain independence and not have to receive welfare. Michigan Works! Association builds and maintains strong relationships with legislators and advocates on behalf of the Michigan Works! System. Through the Association, members can access timely, relevant professional development opportunities to ensure high-quality programs and service delivery to all customers. The Association also convenes meetings as a way for members to network and share best practices, and coordinates events to promote the Michigan Works! System.

Social Construct Of Mental Illness Stigmatization Sociology Essay

Social Construct Of Mental Illness Stigmatization Sociology Essay In order to begin this essay it is worth outlining some of the meanings behind the terms mental illness and stigma. Mental illness is a conceptually problematic term as there as different ways of speaking about normal and abnormal behaviour (Pilgrim and Rogers, 1999). It can broadly be described as a type of health problem which affects an individuals thoughts, feelings and the way they interact around other people. It also has a cognitive dimension as it can affect anybody at any time and may be temporary or permanent (Pilgrim, 2005). Scheff (1984) discusses the medicalisation of mental illness, he argues that residual deviance (pg. 36) can refer to the variety of conditions which are held under the umbrella term of mental illness simply because they do not come under any other category, such as criminal. Essentially, any form of unacceptable or deviant behaviour which is not classed in other ways, becomes a form of mental illness. Scheffs approach uses labelling theory to discuss m ental health; this is something I will turn to later. Surveys have revealed that the majority of us are acquainted with mental illness and are familiar with it damaging effects either through a friend or relative etc. 15% of us have had a mental health problem ourselves (Layard, 2005). Stigma can be defined as the social consequences of negative attributions about a person based upon stereotype. In the case of people with mental health problems, it is presumed that they lack intelligibility and social competence and that they are dangerous (Pilgrim, 2005, pg 157). Goffman (1963) argued that stigma spoils a persons social identity, it creates a gap between a typical, ordinary social identity which we expect others to have and our real social identity. It disrupts everyday social interaction because normal individuals do not know how to behave with stigmatized individuals and vice versa (pg. 15). Goffman identified three types of stigma, stigma deriving from physical defects or abnorm alities, stigma of race and religion and finally perceived blemishes of individual character this includes such things as sexuality, political beliefs and mental health (Goffman, 1963, pg. 14). Goffmans work is very important in discussing the complexities of stigma and discrimination and I plan to use his work throughout this essay. Skinner et al (1995) argue that a hierarchy of stigma exists in which inferior social statuses such as prostitute and alcoholic are ranked. They identified mental illness as being at the bottom of the hierarchy. The stigma of mental illness is different from others because it involves changes in behaviour which attracts negative judgment by others. It makes people wander about an individuals stability and whether they pose a risk to themselves or others (Bury, 2005). In order to better understand the stigma of mental illness it is necessary to conduct research into the lay views held amongst the public, this includes accounts from people with mental health problems (MHP) who discuss their experiences, and also the views of those without MHP (Pilgrim, 2005). A qualitative study by Dinos et al (2004) which researched the experiences of 46 people with a mental illness revealed that stigma was a major concern to most of the participants. Stigma defines individuals in terms of their mental illness and has the potential to impact on all aspects of life. Goffman (1963) formulated stigma into a double perspective, the first is obvious to others and cannot be hidden. He referred to this as discrediting. The second type is discreditable and is not necessarily noticeable to others (pg. 14). With this form the problem is managing personal information, whether this means hiding the fact that they have a mental illness, or hiding the nature and extent of the c ondition. Dinos et al (2004) found that the management of information was a major problem and a potent source of stress, anxiety and further feelings of stigma even in the absence of any direct discrimination (pg. 176). Some of the patients chose to downplay their illness by telling others it was another type, such as depression. Experiences of stigma were also dependent on the nature of the illness, those with depression and anxiety were more likely to feel stigmatized. While those with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder were more likely to experience physical and verbal attacks. The effects of stigma can be extremely damaging, individuals may feel depersonalized, rejected and disempowered (Pilgrim, 2005, pg 158). This can lead to isolation and an acceptance of the treatment received as justified. This in turn can cause a further decline in their health (Dinos, et al, 2004). In terms of lay views of mental health held amongst the public, these are usually ones of distrust and sometimes hostility. Many people hold stereotypical views of mentally ill people in which psychotic behaviour is expected (Pilgrim, 2005). The influence of the media is important here and is something I will turn to later. Attribution theory (Corrigan et al, 2000 and Bury, 2005) can be used to explain stigma and discriminatory practices. It consists of two aspects, controllability and stability the former refers to the extent to which individuals are responsible for their own mental illness and stability refers to whether the illness can improve over time and to what extent. Studies which use attribution theory reveal that many believe that individuals with MHP are to blame for their illness and do not deserve any sympathy. They believe them to be potentially dangerous and should be avoided. Also, they show no optimism about people reaching recovery (Corrigan, et al, 2000). An examp le of such a study comes from Weiner and colleagues (cited in Corrigan, 2000), they asked 59 students to rate various disability groups according to aspects of controllability and stability, the results revealed that they viewed mental illness much more severely than other illnesses. The widespread stigmatization of mental illness is rooted historically in fear of the unknown, our tendency to attack ridicule or laugh at what we dont understand (Lalani and London, 2006). Since the deinstitutionalization of mental illness and the introduction of care in the community initiatives, this fear of the other has become much more significant as the boundaries between the sane and insane have become blurred. We have a strong need to distance ourselves from things that we fear, therefore the stigma of mental illness is one of panic and hostility. Having discussed the stigma of mental illness and the perceptions held amongst the population in a little more depth, this leaves the question of how it is culturally constructed. Thoits (1985) discusses how we learn to act and feel through repeated social interaction. Our emotions are governed by the norms of society which we internalize from an early age. We know how we should feel in a variety of circumstances e.g. sad at a funeral lively at a party, happy at a wedding, proud on success, angry at an insult and so on. (pg. 224). Equally, we recognize when our behaviour may be viewed as inappropriate to others and learn to control it. For example, big boys dont cry and keep a stiff upper lip (pg. 224). We have a shared awareness of how we ought to behave in the social world, therefore anybody who breaks these norms is subject to ridicule. Thoits develops a theory which contrasts with Scheff (1984). She argues that self-labelling processes are significant in mental health, as people assess their own behaviour and seek professional help voluntarily. Scheff on the other hand focuses on the involuntary nature of mental health treatment and how people come to be defined as mentally ill; his concern lies with the institutionalization of mental illness. The perceptions of people with mental illness held by wider society are ones of devaluation and discrimination (Link cited in Gaebel et al, 2006). When a person is labelled as mentally ill, these conceptions become part of his or her sense of self. Labelling theory is useful in understanding the stigma of mental illness. We react to mental illness is a similar way to crime and the criminal. This approach to deviance focuses on the reaction of others in maintaining and amplifying rule breaking or secondary deviance (Marsh et al, 2000). The labelling process can have a detrimental effect on a persons status and identity. Their old identity is discarded and a new master status label takes its place. In the case of the mentally ill individual, his or her condition comes to define who they are, regardless of the other roles they may have (such as parenthood or their job). Their stigmatized role of mentally ill dominates their existence (Marsh et al, 2000 and Pilgrim, 2005). The negative e ffects of labelling are very clear, research has suggested that employers are less likely to offer jobs to those who have been labelled mentally ill. They are also less likely to be given housing and more likely to have charges made against them for violent crimes. Some studies however, have indicated that labelling has had positive benefits for the individual (Pilgrim, 2005). The main source of information for the general public about mental illness comes from the mass media. The media have come to represent the beliefs and perceptions of wider society and frequently exaggerate events and portray inaccurate stereotypes of people with MHP. There is an unquestioning acceptance in the media of the rising toll of killings as a result of community care (Dunn, 2002). For example, in the Daily Mail (21 February, 2003) the headline 400 care in the community patients living by murder park was printed after a woman was found dead in East London. After discovering that a large number of care in the community patients lived near the park, the police and the media assumed she was murdered by a deranged psychiatric patient living in the community. Headlines like this are not uncommon and newspapers consistently present the image of the dangerous, unstable, incurable mental patient (Lalani and London, 2006). Other examples of hard-hitting headlines include violent, mad. So docs set him free. New community care scandal (The Sun, 26 February 2005) and Bonkers Bruno locked up (The Sun, 22 September 2003). Philo (1996) found that two thirds of news coverage made associations between mental illness and violence, but media depictions are not consistent with the facts about mental health and violence. Home office statistics indicate that there is little or no correlation between violence and mental illness. In reality, people with MHP are more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators (Dunn, 2002). There is a lot of empirical evidence to suggest that the media informs us about mental illness and that their depictions are characteristically inaccurate and unfavourable (Wahl, 1992, pg. 351). Wahl and Roth (cited in Wahl, 1992) found that mentally ill characters in prime time TV shows lacked a social identity. They were usually single, unemployed and described negatively with adjectives like aggressive confused and unpredictable (pg. 345). Man y other studies have produced similar results, with dangerousness and violence being the most common traits of people with MHP. Wahl argues that these portrayals must have an effect on our behaviour and attitudes towards mental illness. Many studies have demonstrated that repeated exposure to media stereotypes in general influences conceptions of social reality (pg. 346). He cites research that demonstrates that heavy viewers of television tend to relate the real world to televisions distorted representations. One study asked students to complete a questionnaire about mental health before and after a viewing of One flew over the cuckoos nest those who saw the film had a less positive view of mental illness than those who hadnt seen it (Wahl, 1992). It is clear then that the overall relationship between the media and the mentally ill is not in dispute: it is one of sensationalism, exaggeration and fear mongering (Lalani and London, 2006). It is important however to mention that not a ll aspects of the media perpetuate negative stereotypes and it can be a useful tool in tackling discrimination and stigma. For many people living with a mental illness, the cultural attitudes of fear, hostility and ignorance has contributed to experiences of isolation and social exclusion. A report by the Citizens advice Bureau (CAB, 2003) revealed that most people with a MHP are unemployed and that those who did have jobs end up leaving because their employers convince them that they are unable to cope. Jo, a mental health service user discussed her experiences at work in a report to the mind inquiry (Dunn, 2002 pg. 11) when she informed her boss that she had to see a psychiatrist his reaction said it all, as soon as mental illness is mentioned people literally back away from you. Pilgrim (2005) highlights that people with MHP are three time as likely to be unemployed than those with physical disabilities. This is mainly because of the attitudes of employers and not because of a lack of willingness on the part of the individual (CAB, 2003). There also exists a disincentive to work for those who are in r eceipt of welfare benefits. For many, their income upon finding work would only increase at a small rate, if it all, and they would lose out on any supplementary benefits such as housing benefits. Further to this is the difficulty in having their benefits reinstated should the job not work out (CAB, 2003). Social exclusion is a complicated and often cyclical process. It can affect a persons access to education, social services and health care. Such limited access to one service can have a knock on effect on others. For example, restricted use of education and training opportunities can sustain unemployment further which in turn contributes to the benefit trap and can of course deepen a persons exclusion and cause a further decline in their health (Dunn, 2002). It is clear then that the social exclusion of people with MHP denies them the basic levels of citizenship, happiness and wealth available to everybody else (Pilgrim, 2005). To conclude, the stigma of mental illness is based on generalizations about insanity. These stereotypes are constructed through feelings of fear and anxiety over things we do not understand and struggle to relate to. There is no doubt that our views of mental illness are completely ungrounded and are transmitted repeatedly through the mass media, thus reinforcing a distorted image in our collective psyche. Stigma is used to identify and expose something abnormal about an individual (Goffman, 1963). However some are critical of the stigma framework and argue that it is too individualistic. If we study the collective discriminatory practices which cause exclusion for many people with mental illness, such as poverty and labour market disadvantage, then strategies for change may be easier to develop (Pilgrim, 2005). Layard (2005) identified mental health as our biggest social problem. It is not just a major health concern, it is a political issue. With such high numbers of people affecte d my mental illness, the costs to the economy are significant. Tackling stigmatization is an essential step in improving the lives of those affected. This involves inclusion of groups themselves, as only those with the knowledge and experience cans suggest what is right for them.

An Argument For Sustainable Agriculture Essay -- Farming Agricultural

An Argument For Sustainable Agriculture Introduction Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines stewardship as "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted in one's care" (Merriam-Webster, 2015). Sustainable agriculture is a method that does not deplete soil, water, air, wildlife or human community resources ("Community Alliance with," 1997). These two principles describe a type of farming that practices responsible management of the land in a way that does not deplete natural resources or the human community. We are living in a time when many environmental issues have come up due to such things as overpopulation, increased waste production, over consumption, depletion of natural resources and other activities that do not replenish the land. We must show great concern in dealing with these problems. Farming is clearly a key element in sustaining life as we know it, but it can also have devastating affects on the land. "Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet present needs without compromising the abil ity of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance" (Feenstra). So, by managing resources under our care responsibly and practicing methods that do not deplete natural and human resources, we can meet current needs without compromising the needs of future generations. The idea of taking care of things for future generations is of prime importance in dealing with all issues that lead to compromising our environment. Farming is one activity that can lead to the depletion of soil, water, air, wildlife and quality of human community resources. Alternatives to conventional farming methods are present and do have th... ...pril 2015 http://www.cfarm.com/faq/whyorg.htm Community Alliance with Family Farmers. (1997). FAQ's About Sustainable Agriculture, Web 14 April 2015 www.caff.org/sustain/faq/ Engelken, R. (1983). The Art of Natural Farming and Gardening. Greeley, Iowa: Barington Hall Press. Feenstra, Gail. (No Date). What is Sustainable Agriculture? Web 14 April 2015 www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/sarep/concept.htm Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary. (2015). http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Organic Corn Hardier Than Conventional. (1995). Science News, 148, 255. Platt, LaVonne G. (Ed.). (1987). Hope For the Family. (1987). Newton, Kansas: Faith and Life Press. Pretty, Jules N. (1995). Regenerating Agriculture. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press. Whole Earth. (No Date). 10 Reasons to GO Organic. Web 14 April 2015 www.demon.co.Earthnet/org.10rea.html

Ernest Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky :: Biography Biographies Essays

Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky Hemingway's World War I experiences were the source of much of the legend that later surrounded him. Brave and masculine, he was the writer who really got out there and experienced everything. Wounded in the trenches, decorated for his valour, he then threw himself into a wartime romance with the nurse who was responsible for bringing him back to health, his first love, who later jilted him for an older, aristocratic, man. This report will examine the background to these myths and assess their veracity. It was not long after the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 that 17 year-old Hemingway, not yet finished high school, first expressed an interest in seeing some action. However his father, keen for him to follow his sister to college, settled for a compromise that saw his brother fix young Ernest up with a job in the Kansas City Star. That November, he told his family that he could not possibly wait more than another year before enlisting, saying "it will be hard enough to stay out until then". Biographer Kenneth S. Lynn argues that for the young Hemingway, the war was like a championship football game, a huge event not to be missed.1 Hemingway's letters of that winter contain references to him attempting to join the army but being refused because of a bad eye. Nobody has been able to find any evidence that such a claim is true. Lynn points to the likely falsity of the claim by mentioning the fact that Harry Truman, who was helpless without his glasses, got past the same army doctors in Kansas City that Hemingway would have had to deal with, and suggests that the prospect of squalor and danger in the trenches did not accord with Hemingway's vision of the great event of his time. At the same time, his reading of Hugh Walpole's The Dark Forest the previous year made him aware of another, heroic, and far less dangerous way of seeing the war - the Red Cross. Ernest and his friend Ted Brumback volunteered for the Red Cross in early January and in April they were assigned as second lieutenants in an ambulance unit in Italy. They were issued a regular US Army officer's uniform with full insignia, and Ernest made the most of the fact that real army privates and non-commissioned officers had to salute him, in one instance counting 367 salutes as he walked up and down Broadway. Ernest Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky :: Biography Biographies Essays Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky Hemingway's World War I experiences were the source of much of the legend that later surrounded him. Brave and masculine, he was the writer who really got out there and experienced everything. Wounded in the trenches, decorated for his valour, he then threw himself into a wartime romance with the nurse who was responsible for bringing him back to health, his first love, who later jilted him for an older, aristocratic, man. This report will examine the background to these myths and assess their veracity. It was not long after the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 that 17 year-old Hemingway, not yet finished high school, first expressed an interest in seeing some action. However his father, keen for him to follow his sister to college, settled for a compromise that saw his brother fix young Ernest up with a job in the Kansas City Star. That November, he told his family that he could not possibly wait more than another year before enlisting, saying "it will be hard enough to stay out until then". Biographer Kenneth S. Lynn argues that for the young Hemingway, the war was like a championship football game, a huge event not to be missed.1 Hemingway's letters of that winter contain references to him attempting to join the army but being refused because of a bad eye. Nobody has been able to find any evidence that such a claim is true. Lynn points to the likely falsity of the claim by mentioning the fact that Harry Truman, who was helpless without his glasses, got past the same army doctors in Kansas City that Hemingway would have had to deal with, and suggests that the prospect of squalor and danger in the trenches did not accord with Hemingway's vision of the great event of his time. At the same time, his reading of Hugh Walpole's The Dark Forest the previous year made him aware of another, heroic, and far less dangerous way of seeing the war - the Red Cross. Ernest and his friend Ted Brumback volunteered for the Red Cross in early January and in April they were assigned as second lieutenants in an ambulance unit in Italy. They were issued a regular US Army officer's uniform with full insignia, and Ernest made the most of the fact that real army privates and non-commissioned officers had to salute him, in one instance counting 367 salutes as he walked up and down Broadway.

The Last Of The Mohicans : Movie Review Essay -- Film Movies

The Last Of The Mohicans : Movie Review A. Plot Whilst making their way to a British Fort, Major Heywood and his party are attacked by Indians. Three men come to their rescue, two of them Indians, and another is a white man whom was raised by the eldest Indian. This man, Hawkeye, his brother and father rescue the Major and the two women that are in his party. Then the three men stay with the party and aide them in their journey to the British Fort. Once there, the two women’s father whom is the man in charge of the huge battle going on at that time. The French and English are at war. Colonists are urged to fight for Britain, and once they become part of the battle, they were not allowed to leave to defend their own homes. Hawkeye works out a secret plan in order to help some men escape the battle zone and return to their homes and families. He gets caught, and is sentenced for treachery, and held as a prisoner. From the first night that he was with the Major and his party, Hawkeye had a romance starting with Cora Munro, the main general’s eldest daughter. When Hawkeye is captured and put in the fort’s prison, she swears not to leave his side, and although they have only known each other for a few days, she’s really devoted to him. The two sides come to an agreement, Britain surrenders to France, and they are lead towards the Atlantic Ocean so that the British can be returned to England, â€Å"with pride†. On the route there they are ambushed by a very large band of Indians... The Last Of The Mohicans : Movie Review Essay -- Film Movies The Last Of The Mohicans : Movie Review A. Plot Whilst making their way to a British Fort, Major Heywood and his party are attacked by Indians. Three men come to their rescue, two of them Indians, and another is a white man whom was raised by the eldest Indian. This man, Hawkeye, his brother and father rescue the Major and the two women that are in his party. Then the three men stay with the party and aide them in their journey to the British Fort. Once there, the two women’s father whom is the man in charge of the huge battle going on at that time. The French and English are at war. Colonists are urged to fight for Britain, and once they become part of the battle, they were not allowed to leave to defend their own homes. Hawkeye works out a secret plan in order to help some men escape the battle zone and return to their homes and families. He gets caught, and is sentenced for treachery, and held as a prisoner. From the first night that he was with the Major and his party, Hawkeye had a romance starting with Cora Munro, the main general’s eldest daughter. When Hawkeye is captured and put in the fort’s prison, she swears not to leave his side, and although they have only known each other for a few days, she’s really devoted to him. The two sides come to an agreement, Britain surrenders to France, and they are lead towards the Atlantic Ocean so that the British can be returned to England, â€Å"with pride†. On the route there they are ambushed by a very large band of Indians...

Hrm598 – Case Study 1

INTRODUCTION Given nine untitled job descriptions for the Whole Foods Market corporation, my assignment was to review them, give them appropriate job titles and assign a job structure, explaining my thought process and method of analysis. I was then to evaluate the job descriptions and provide feedback on what information was beneficial and what could be improved. EVALUATION OF JOBS After reading the job descriptions I assigned a job title that I felt both represented the job duties and aligned with the other Whole Foods job titles mentioned in the exercise.These are the job titles I originally decided on, prior to establishing a job structure. †¢JOB A: Deli Team Member †¢JOB B: Register Team Member †¢JOB C: Prepared Foods Team Leader †¢JOB D: Prepared Foods Assistant Team Leader †¢JOB E: Kitchen Team Assistant †¢JOB F: Grocery Assistant Team Leader †¢JOB G: Prepared Foods Associate Team Leader †¢JOB H: Regional Team Leader †¢JOB I: Grocer y Team Member ? JOB STRUCTURE When establishing the job structure, I realized there was no need for the department to be part of the title.Although the duties might be different depending on their assigned department, the level of responsibility was approximately the same and jobs could be considered one generic position (i. e. â€Å"Team Member†). Therefore, I made the positions more general in title and chose to conduct a basic ranking method in order to determine the job structure. WHOLE FOODS MARKET – STORE JOB STRUCTURE Regional Team Leader (Job H) Store Team Leader Associate Store Team Leader (Department) Team Leader (Job C) Associate Team Leader (Job G) Assistant Team Leader (Job D-Prepared Foods and Job F-Grocery) Team Member (Job A-Deli, Job B-Register, and Job I-Grocery)Team Assistant (Job E) PROCESS, TECHNIQUES AND FACTORS In my attempt to title each of the positions, I first simply read through the job descriptions multiple times, noting the job duties, lev el of responsibility and decision making and relationships to other positions, if any were mentioned. These relationships helped me to decide what appropriate titles would be for Whole Foods Market. Although my first set of job titles included â€Å"service clerks† in several positions, these were eventually changed to â€Å"Team Members† because of the obvious emphasis Whole Foods Market places on the team concept.Therefore, I chose to incorporate the word â€Å"team† into every title. When assembling the positions into an established job structure, the stated relationships between positions were key yet again. I wrote down every position mentioned, so that I could ensure my positions were accurately aligned and appropriately named in comparison to one another. I chose to look at knowledge, experience, responsibility/authority and leadership/guidance potential as the compensable factors which provide the most value. All of the positions have virtually the same work environment, which is why this factor was not considered.Similarly, customer service related attributes were also not selected, even though it is obviously a huge priority for the organization, because there were no positions where this was not the case†¦ all equally emphasize positive and courteous interaction with their customers. The above job structure was established by weighing the compensable factors of each position and considering any reporting relationships directly stated in the job descriptions. I believe that responsibility was the characteristic that clearly set the positions apart from one another.As you ascend the job structure you will find that each position has more responsibility, both in depth and breadth. Because of these additional job requirements, an advanced level of knowledge goes somewhat hand-in-hand. Higher level individuals must not only have greater in-depth knowledge of the Whole Foods Market policies and procedures, but they are involved i n a much wider scope of activities. Experience is a logical factor that also sets positions apart. A â€Å"team assistant† is an entry level job that requires no prior experience and is the kind of position that one expects an individual can learn as they go.A â€Å"Department Team Leader,† however, is expected to have already put some time in. They have learned process, procedure and the organization well enough to prepare them for the advanced responsibility. Finally, it seems as though Whole Foods Market places an emphasis on providing a career path for the employees, in order to encourage long term employment. This is emphasized by many positions requiring the provision of leadership and guidance to lower level positions. They want to encourage a strong relationship between all levels, to reinforce the team environment and ensure support of all employees.Although I have no doubt Whole Foods Market has a much more extensive job structure organizationally, this struc ture focuses specifically on an individual store location. Even the Regional Team Leader could probably be moved to another job structure focused more on organizational administration rather than individual store operations; however, I chose to limit the scope of my analysis to the given positions. EVALUATION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS Overall, I think the job descriptions are fairly well written and provide a good base. They describe the scope of duties and what experience or skills are needed for each position.However, the main thing these job descriptions lack is consistency. Some clearly reference a relationship to other Whole Foods Market positions; some do not. Some state who they report to; some do not. Some clearly supervise, train and mentor other positions; some are not as clearly defined. Additionally, job duties in one job description which should probably apply to other positions as well, are not always listed (customer service, health and sanitation compliance, good communica tion skills, teamwork, knowledge of corporate policy and standards, etc). Something all of the job descriptions are missing is the applicable work environment.Although most of the positions will be performed in a similar environment, this information should still be provided. My suggestion to improve the job descriptions would be to establish a template that all positions would follow. The template would include the following categories: a brief summary of the position, the duties and responsibilities, who the position reports to, who the position supervises, the typical work environment, tools or equipment that will be used in the position, requirements for the position (knowledge, experience, education, skills, etc), and possibly a job classification.Job classifications are not a necessity but can be a good idea to distinguish between the fundamental types of job (i. e. entry-level, journey-level, mentor, supervisor, manager, executive, administrative, etc). CONCLUSION After my an alysis, I believe we have an excellent understanding of how the staff of a Whole Foods Market functions. It is clear that the organization highly values customer service and teamwork and wants to encourage â€Å"career† employees at every level.With the established job structure and implementation of the recommendations made to improve their job descriptions, positions would be more clearly defined. Employees would easily be able to understand every position, what it does, how it interacts with other positions and how to get there themselves. REFERENCES Milkovich, G. T. , Newman, J. M. , & Gerhart, B. (2011). Compensation, 10th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Whole Foods Market. (n. d. ). Career Paths. Retrieved March 2013, from Whole Foods Market: http://wholefoods. com/

Oh, What a Lovely Pair!

Another drop of sweat dropped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. â€Å"Oh what a lovely pair!† I thought to myself, however I seemed to have thought out loud rather than to myself. My curious wife, who was lying on her sun bed next to me queried: â€Å"A lovely pair of what?† â€Å"A lovely pair of sunglasses, they are great at keeping out the glare.† I was getting rather bored on his sunbathing outing to the beach, so I decided to take some money out of the wife's purse and head up towards the main town, where I could have a beverage and possibly a bite to eat. To get up towards the bars and restaurants I had to cross over a main and very busy road, there were always mopeds rushing by, not even giving you the slightest of chances to cross over. Even though there are plenty of zebra crossings throughout the resort's roads, I think that the locals just assume that the black and white stripes across the street are a nice decoration. Finally I managed to get to the other side of the mad obstacle. It would have been a good twenty-minute stroll up past some tacky old souvenir shops until I reached the exciting part of the holiday resort. Another drop of sweat dropped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. â€Å"Oh what a lovely pair†¦I'll have to get hold of them.† I thought to myself while looking in a shoe shop, at the young lady on the till. Unfortunately, I must have thought a little on the loud side. An elderly lady, who was stood behind my asked: â€Å"A lovely pair of what?† So I replied, â€Å"A lovely pair of moccasins, I'm sure they would keep out the rain, and not rub your feet the first time you wear them!† I continued with my trip, from the shops to the main shopping centre of the holiday resort. There were lots of clothes and designer gear in these shops; they were the upper class stores of the Spanish town. I fancied a new pair of trousers as the ones that I was wearing were a little on the small side and were beginning to go a little on the shiny side, a bit like the tradition of schoolboy's trousers, short and shiny. I started to browse each designer store, on my search for a new pair of nice looking trousers, within my tight price range of course. I certainly could not afford any of the clothes in these upper class shops; I come from a lower class household back home in England. I thought to myself, â€Å"I can't be dreaming about these clothes, I've got to look for a respectful charity shop such as Oxfam or even Scope.† But then I realised that we are in Spain here, not England. I was sure that in this foreign country they wouldn't know what I was on about if I asked directions for a charity shop! I decided that it would be a good idea to give the local bookshop a small visit to purchase a Spanish phrase book. So I headed towards the book shop, that wasn't too far away from where I was, just a couple of hundred yards away from the designer shops in this shopping mall. I arrived at the shop and noticed that it was closed for lunch, but it reopened within five minutes. So I went to buy a sandwich from across the way. I sat down on a relatively new bench that was situated right outside of the bookshop, munching away at the sandwich. I came across quite a few grizzly and rather chewy bits of ham, they were spat straight out. By the time I had finished eating what could have been eaten of the sandwich, the bookshop was open. I entered the shop and asked the sales assistant whether he sold phrase books. He spoke perfect English, so this task was not too much trouble for me at all. I followed the man to what seemed like an educational section of the shop. He picked up a phrase book off the shelf and gave it to me to have a look. I decided to buy the book I paid in cash. I exited the posh shopping mall and headed up towards the small, tacky old souvenir shops. I took the same route as earlier on. I came across a young man, who looked well educated; he was in a business suit with a lovely pair of trousers on. I was going to ask him where he bought his trousers, but then noticed what a silly thing that would be. I could have asked him where the nearest charity shop was, but he would have thought that I was a scruff or something, in the end I decided to just ask the man for the time. I was trying to pick someone out of the passing crowd who was normal looking, and not an over-paid businessman. After a good five minutes of searching I decided to approach an old lady, she was wearing some old and tatty clothes, to be honest, they looked as though they were bought from some kind of charity shop or car boot sale. So I caught eye contact with the lady and asked, â€Å"Hay una tienda caridad por aqui?† Which in English means, â€Å"is there a charity shop around here?† The lady replied, â€Å"Si, esta a la derecha† which means, â€Å"Yes, it's on the right.† So I looked to my right and there it was, a small charity shop, not up to as good as a standard as the ones home in England, but it still sold the same type of goods and proceedings went to a charity in the local area. As it was very hot outside, I dedicated myself to purchasing a pair of Hawaiian shorts rather than a nice pair of trousers. I tried them on in the fitting room, they were slightly loose and baggy, but this didn't bother me as I had heard my nephew talking about how good it is to have baggy shorts, I thought that these would pull the girls and would be a cool fashion accessory. I walked over, in a cool way to the counter; I looked in the mirror and said to myself â€Å"Wow baby, you look sexy in those!† I pointed to the phrase in my phrase book that translated to â€Å"How much?† and I was pretty much surprised at the cheapness of the garment, 250 pesetas, that is around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 in English money. I handed over the money and the lady gave me a used plastic bag to put my old trousers in. I exited the shop. As I started to walk up towards the bars and restaurants, in my cool stroll, I got the impression that people were pointing and laughing at me. I soon realised that there was one huge draft coming in from the rear end of my new shorts, there was a great big hole in the back of them. No wonder they were so cheap! I started to go excessively red in the cheeks, I felt like curling up into a small ball and going into none-existence. Looking for a public toilet, the draft was becoming increasingly gusty. I found a nice little local cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, so I thought that I would give the toilet a bit of custom, while I made a quick change of pants. The bar was full of locals; they greeted me in a warm fashion, until I walked past them, towards the toilet. The whole place just burst out with laughter. Not pleased with the fact that people could humiliate me in such a way, I locked the door behind me and got changed as soon as possible. Another drop of sweat dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades. â€Å"Oh what a lovely pair!† I celebrated at the top of my voice. I had learnt my lesson the hard way, â€Å"Don't buy items from foreign charity shops ever, ever again, at least if you don't want to be ripped off. I ran out of the local cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and headed towards some English bars. I ordered a large Scotch. After my session in the bar, I flagged down a taxi from the main road and took a ride back to the beach. There was my angry wife, she had the properties of a raging bull, and some Germans had stolen our sun beds by draping their towels over them while she was bathing. â€Å"Where have you been? I've been worried out of my mind.† My curious, hag of a wife asked. So I looked at her with a frustrated expression on my face. I produced the dodgy pair of shorts from the used plastic bag that the lady in the shop had given to me. My wife asked, â€Å"What is wrong with those? They look fine to me.† â€Å"What? I asked furiously. â€Å"These shorts have me more bother in the last couple of hours than you have since our marriage, it is unbelievable.† My wife still couldn't see the ‘slight' imperfection in the garment, so I decided to point it out to her. â€Å"Now do you see what is wrong with them?† The look on her face was outstanding, I wish I had my two for the price of one disposable camera with me; it would have made a great picture for her fiftieth birthday in the local newspaper. We both laughed together, she still brings that point up now, twenty years on. I should never have stayed with this woman; I should have approached the babe on the beach earlier on, or even the stunner in the shoe shop for that matter! Another drop of sweat dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose as my eyes moved vigorously behind my dark shades†¦

British North American colonies prior to 1700 Essay

The New World was first established because a group of people in England did not agree with the religious and political ways of life advocated. Different religious groups left England to pursue more religious freedom in America. As they moved to the New World, the three different regions of the North American colonies greatly impacted not only their lifestyles but also the extent of religious freedom allowed prior to 1700. The first arrivers in the northern colonies were Puritans who came to America because they didn’t agree with the Anglican Church. These early colonist yearned for a place where they could indulge in religious freedom as opposed to the extreme contrast to the strict religious persecutions they experienced in England. But the Puritans had very strict rules regarding membership into the Protestant Church and religion was viewed very strictly. The Puritans believed that they were â€Å"a city upon a hill† and were to be a model of a holy society for humankind. Thus they were very rigid in thought and were also very prejudiced against other religions. This group who had come seeking religious freedom soon became the most religiously intolerant group in the Americas. Quakers, who denied the authority of the Puritan clergy, were persecuted with fines and banishment. Sometimes they were even hanged. Dissenters like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were banished and Rhode Island was established by Williams as the first colony to have complete freedom of religion. In his â€Å"sewer† colony, Jew, Catholics, and Quakers were all sheltered and treated equally. The Middle Colonies was an extremely religiously mixed region because of the amount of diverse people who settled there. The first to settle the region were the Dutch, in New Netherlands which would later become New York after the English took control. The Dutch practiced the Dutch Reform Church which was basically a branch of Lutheran. South of the Dutch were the Swedes practicing their own branch of Lutheran known as the Swedish Reform Church. They were later defeated and absorbed by the New Netherland colonists. But the English regarded the Dutch as the Dutch regarded the Swedes; as intruders and in 1664, Charles II granted his brother, the Duke of York, a squadron that defeated the Dutch. Although the English were now in control of the region and brought with them the Anglican Church, they did not seek  to enforce it because the Dutch made up almost half of the population. Then the establishment of Pennsylvania allowed German, French, Dutch, and English colonists entry into the New World under William Penn’s broad view of religious tolerance. With so many ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse groups in the region, there can be nothing but immense religious toleration. The Southern Colonies, were the earliest colonies to be settled, but didn’t strive for the religious haven the New England Colonies desired. The only settlers in the South were from the Church of England so that was the predominant faith. But because the south’s economy was based on agriculture and farming on large plantations and most things were business-oriented, there were few towns which meant few churches. Poor white farmers with small land areas did not have the money or resources to build churches and the large plantation owners did not have churches on their plantations so they basically did whatever they wanted. Religious tolerance was not high but the dominant religion itself was not rigidly enforced. In the midst of such religious indifference, the evangelist religions were born. Although immigrants to the New World all came with intentions of pursuing religious freedom never experienced in their native countries, the regional differences and religious views soon spread them far apart from each other. The New Englanders were mostly Puritans who believed in tight communities and so they remained as they were, fervent worshippers of God and intolerant of other religions. The Middle Colonies, with its wide range of races and the fact that it was established for business and trade ventures, dealt with immense religious diversity and thus immense religious tolerance. The South, preoccupied with the large-scale planting of tobacco had no time to enforce the Anglican Church. Such diverse thoughts of religious tolerance in the three regions that made up America before 1700 greatly impacts the America that we know today.

Mass Media Audience in Malaysia Essay

In the mass media perspective, have two types of audience which is the passive audience and the active audience. But sometimes, they maybe act both of these types. So, in discuss this both type of the audience, I have pick up the difference theory to explained how their style can give the powerful effects to mass media or by their attitudes make the mass media have the limited impact on them. Lots of theory that has been discussed on passive audience, and state that people are easily influenced by the media. While active audience concept can be viewed as a theory that focuses on accessing what people do with media. This concept said that the people make more active decisions about how to use the media (Stephen W. Littlejohn and Karen A. Foss, 2008). For that reason, this concept can be referred to as audience-centered rather than source dominated. Baran and Davis (2006) suggested that this concept should be looked under micro level perspective rather than macro level perspective. These ideas of audience are associated with various theories of media effects. The powerful effects theories tend to be based on passive audience, whereas the minimal effect theories are based more on an active audience. During the 1970s and 1980s, more researchers became increasingly focused on media audience. Most of them focus to gain more useful understanding of what people do with the media in their daily lives. As this research develop, new and less pessimistic conceptualization of audience began to develop. Empirical researcher start to reexamined limited-effect assumption about audience and argued that people were not as passive as these effects theory assumed (Baran and Davis, 2006). Media audience is a group of people who participate in an experience or encounter a work of art, literature, theatre, music or academics in any medium. Audience members participate in different ways in different kinds of art; some events invite overt audience participation and others allowing only modest clapping and criticism and reception. Media audiences are studied by academics in media audience studies. Audience theory also offers scholarly insight into audiences in general. Early research into media audiences was dominated by the debate about ‘media effects’, in particular the link between screen violence and real-life aggression. Several moral panics fuelled the claims, such as the incorrect presumptions that Rambo had influenced Michael Robert Ryan to commit the Hungerford massacre, and that Child’s Play 3 had motivated the killers of James Bulger In the 1990s, David Gauntlett published critiques on media ‘effects’, most notably the â€Å"Ten things wrong with the media effects model† article (George Rodman, 2009) . Active audience was define as the audience for a media product, seen not as accepting a product as it is presented to them, but as interpreting, interacting with and using it for their own agenda. Frank Biocca (in Littlejohn, 1999) (in George Rodman, 2009) discussed five characteristic of the active audience implied by the theorist. The first is selectivity. Active audiences are considered to be selective in the media they choose to use. The second characteristic is utilitarianism. Active audience are said to use media to meet particular need and goals. The third is intentionality, which implies the purposeful use of media content. The fourth characteristic is involvement, or effort. Here audiences are actively attending, thinking about, and using the media. The last characteristic is impervious to influence, or not very easily persuaded by the media alone. According to uses and gratification media effects assumed the audience brought their own needs and desires to the process of making sense of media messages. Needs and desires structured how messages are received and understood by the audience. Theory uses and gratification was the first to champion the cause of â€Å"the active audience†. It shifted the emphasis from what the media do to people and placed the issue of what people do with the media. U and G state the audience as more active in the decision to watch television and what to watch. Kartz, Blumler, and Gurevitch (1974)(in Saodah Wok, Narimah Ismail and Mohd. Yusof Hussain, 2005) described five elements of the U and G. First, the audience is conceived of as active, an important part of mass media use is assumed to be goal directed. Second, in the mass communication process much initiative in linking need gratification and media choice lies with the audience member. Third, the media compete with other sources of need satisfaction. Fourth, many goals of mass media use be derived from data supplied by individuals themselves, they can report their interest and movies. Lastly, value judgments about the cultural significance of mass communication should be suspended while audience orientations are explored. Besides that, information Processing Theory also used to describe and interpret how each of us take in and makes sense of the flood of information our senses encounter every moment of each day. It assumes that individuals are active in operate with certain built-in information-handling capacities and strategies. Each day we are exposed to cast quantities of sensory information. We filter this information so only a small portion of it ever reaches our conscious mind. Only a tiny fraction of this information is singled out for attention and processing, and we finally store a tiny amount of this in long-term memory. We are not so much information handlers as information avoiders-we have developed sophisticated mechanisms for screening out irrelevant or useless information. Passive audiences usually had received information with little or no effort on their part. The audience is passive in the receiving and interpretation of media. Based on that statement, Noelle-Neumann (1981) (Shirley Biagi, 1999) introduced her spiral of silence concept to support the powerful of media. She argued that her perspective involves a â€Å"return to the concept of powerful mass media†. She wrote, â€Å"as regards the connection between selective perception and the effect of the mass media, one can put forward the hypothesis that the more restricted the selection the less the reinforcement principle applies, in other words the greater the possibility of mass media changing attitudes†. She contends people who feel they are a minority opinion remain silent, thereby reinforcing or enlarging the majority position. These people take a silent stance on an issue. Their silence result in a kind of contagion of silence among others who share the minority view; and this ever-spiraling or enlarging silence plays into the hands of the vocal majority. The mass media exert great influence and have powerful effects because publicize which opinion they consider important and give clues to the public about opinion people can talk about or advocate without becoming isolated. The media, because of a variety of factors, tend to present one sides of an issue to the exclusion of others, which further encourages those people to keep quiet and makes it even tougher for the media to uncover and register that opposing viewpoint. Once a spiral of silence is initiated, the magnitude of media influence will increase to higher levels over time. Spiral of silence theory argues that media can have a powerful influence on everyday talk; this was linked with the concept passive audience. Media can literally silence public discourse on certain topics by declaring them to be settled in favor of one or another. Besides that, Habermas (1962) (in John C. Merrill, John lee and Edward Jay Friendlander, 1994), gave a unique explanation of the social structure and the audience in it. Within his concepts of the â€Å"public sphere†, the residents consume the culture and information and the audience is portrayed as a member of the society, who participates in the exchange of ideas. Even though this audience participation was interpreted as bringing â€Å"degeneration in the quality of discourse† (Calhoun, 1993) (in John C. Merrill, John lee and Edward Jay Friendlander, 1994), his glimpse of the â€Å"audience activeness in participation† plays a role in connecting critical theory, which focuses more on the passive audience under fundamental economic determinism, to cultural studies, which regard the audience as more active within the extensive structure of the society. Critical theory’s main focus is on economic determinism, in which capitalistic power controls the mass media ownership and its messages, and in turn, controls the audience’s perception and activity. The audience is not regarded as being as important as the mass communicator, but is treated as a side issue in the mass communication process. In Malaysian, the issues about media violence especially on the television programs and the impacts on children’s behaviour it’s always being discuss among the society and academician. The study about these issues was started from 1950’s until now. It’s become more critical when a lot of improvement have on media technology, especially on the content. This is because, the technology is always developed. Most people do not believe that media violence has had any a negative effect on them. In public opinion polls, typically 88% of people say that the media have not affected them personally (Whiteman, 1996; in W. James Potter, 2003). But, in reality the media continually and profoundly affect everyone, and when the messages are violent, people are at risk for a variety of negative effects. Basically people do not perceive these negative effects happening to them in their everyday lives, not because those effects don’t exist, but because people do not know what to look for as evidence of the effects. Schramm and his associates reported that children were exposed to television more than to any other mass medium (Shirley Biagi, 1999). In Malaysian context media violent bring the huge impact to our society development. According to Orestes (2002), media violent is a major problem threatens the harmony of family life. According to him, many media spread the mistaken notion that sex, pornography, porno-actions, violence, terrorism extreme and wild life, all of these aside from culture and religion. He also found, reflecting the influence of irresponsible media lead to moral standards in the Asian youth is declining, 20% of teenagers involved with adultery, 24% were involved with pornography and porno-actions, 21% sex before marriage and 35% of juvenile cases. All this will lead to teen more problematic and involves the breach of discipline problems at school very significant. According to Amir Hassan Dawi (2002), films, newspapers, magazines, novels, books, internet, interactive media and television to highlight the culture of yellow has been a problem in changing the behaviour of physical, verbal, nonverbal, antisocial and crime among students. He reported that the sex scenes and violent action seen in the media that will make young minds hard and greedy. He also stated that this matter cannot be denied because their average age between 12 to 20 years of age is a stage is still considered raw. At this stage, students easily stimulated because they are in the process of change to natural puberty. Thus they will aggression that was adapted to use information to media practiced in their daily behaviour. Violent programs in the media as well as imitation of behaviour problemspersistent to the teenagers (Ralph, 1999). According to him, when many violent and behaviour that aired in the media with easily influenced and imitated by the children and adolescents. These issues become even worse what if the parents knowingly make a media a place to escape from educating children as fatigue factor, career and finding sources of income (Rogers, 1980) (in Rosly kayar, 2007). Thus, character building children depend on viewing and simple materials found in the media. This will cause teenagers to make the material as a medium for viewing learn something and then practiced in life. Consequently, violent treatment of pleasure and in accordance with the instinct of youth will be the main mechanisms of adolescent attitudes and behaviour. Thus, the adolescent will be more wild and vulnerable violent activities (Baron, 1973) (in Rosly Kayar, 2007). This entire technological advance occurred simultaneously with profound alterations in Malaysian society. Stanley J. Baran and Dennis K. Davis (2009) state, the new social landscape took shape at precisely the same time that the new mass medium arrived. So, after the rapid social change in the Malaysia especially, the serious social problem also had the rapid rise. Based on that situation, in my opinion audiences in Malaysia was an active audience. To relate these ssues with my statement, I have chosen the Uses and Gratification Theory by Bumler dan Katz in 1974 to understand more how the communication technology advancement will be effect the children’s, and also its will answer why I said the audience perspective in Malaysia is active audience. In the Uses and Gratification Theory, active audience from the violent media site, can be described as how the teenagers us ed the variety way to achieved their satisfaction by using television. This theory emphasizes the willingness of consumers and not the content of the message. Media is considered as a way to meet the needs of the audience and the audience is assumed to be active. While Saodah Wok, Narimah Ismail and Mohd Yusof Hussain (2005) states this theory can explain why some of the contents of television are not watched by the audience. Maybe it does not interest them or do not have the required information. This theory also explains how the individual characteristics of the different character of the television media channels to satisfy the requirements and to solve problems. Certain individuals, especially teenagers have different goals to support treatment. According to Rice and Williams (1984) (in Sobhi Mohd Ishak, 2003), the emergence of new media is the best field to test the various theories and models. One of the theories that the media are often used to analyze new media Uses and Gratification theory is the requirement. Other than Rice and Williams, several other researchers are also using this theory as a reference for research on mass media such as Williams, Strover and Grant (1996) (in Sobhi Mohd Ishak, 2003). As the theory relating to â€Å"active audience†, Uses and Gratification Theory of the Will provides perspective on how audiences respond to new media-rich information resources. The active audience can be seen in this issues when the audience watch the violent content on the media like television, they have the tendency to behave or talk like what they watch without realizing what they had follow is negative or positive. So this action can be considered as active audience. This because, they watch the media content, then they practices on their live. From their act they would change the perspective of media in terms of carrying the message to give the information. For example, the results of the present widespread television exposure, exposure to sex is also becoming more numerous and easier to achieve.

Role Of Women Until 1500 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role Of Women Until 1500 - Research Paper Example The difference focused on the amount of freedom given to women. Prior to the Vedas age, women were well taken care of but there were no opportunities for them to own properties. Their status was subordinate to men. During the Vedas age, women were of equivalent status with men. There have been fewer restrictions in a woman’s freedom at that time. Women have an active role, not only in managing the household but also in managing agriculture and crafts that bring business and money in for the family. The primary reason for this is that men were unavailable because of the wars at that time. And so women are allowed and given the chance to take care of the economic aspect of their families. As the years pass by, women gained more mobility and freedom though still tied to their roles as wives to their husbands. Though they had acquired freedom in education, career and independence, they were still seen as the counterparts of men, establishing the fact that women’s primary role is to be a partner to their husbands. Men and women have joint ownership on properties and estates. Women had the right to inheritance and to own properties as men had. Women are allowed to participate in intellectual discussions. High-class women of the society are well-educated. Women are not limited to their careers as wives and mothers. They were part of the working class. Society allowed them to nurture and pursue careers that they have longed studied and mastered. Women were also free to participate in religious ceremonies. Even if the wife is supposed to be the caretaker of the husband and the family, a counterpart of the husband, their role were significant as to understanding that a home is incomplete without the wife who manages it. Before the 1500s arrived, changes in the roles and position of women happened. At the time when war was rampant, the duty of the women to bear sons was important. 500 B.C. to 500 A.D. were better times

Evolution Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evolution - Lab Report Example The major tool used in this biological experiment was a specially programmed computer application (automated) that enables adjustment of variables from default figures and when run, accurate results on the changes that has occurred in the biological structures of living organisms were shown. These results are therefore used to justify the hypothesis. In the first experiment, when the independent variable (precipitation) is adjusted to higher levels, the birds evolve smaller beaks. This is because when precipitation is high then the seeds become softer and the birds slowly adjust to the changes of nature until the fully adapt. On the other hand when precipitation is low, the seeds become harder and the need for additional force to crack the seeds arise and based similar principle; the birds evolve stronger and larger beaks over time (Sober, 2008). This adjustment may not favor some birds as the adaptation and evolution process is gradual and therefore may lead to death of individuals that are unable to adjust effectively to the changes of nature. Natural selection can influence variation of a trait in a population in three major forms namely; diversifying, directional and stabilizing forms (Sober, 2008). In the second experiment, it is clearly evident that changes in the environmental conditions favors the individuals with specific phenotypes. When important parameters that influence natural selection such as precipitation is manipulated (adjusted to 50cm/year and 0cm/year on Wallace Island and Darwin Island respectively), it is noted with great significance that only a few individuals are able to survive and continue reproducing in an environment with low precipitation. This is because of the variation in biological and environmental factors that are very significant for natural selection. Therefore for a period of 300 years, these changes will influence the evolution of Finch beaks and in turn affect their population. This fact can be justified by the graphs