How does Kant support God’s existence? Essay

Immanuel Kant feels that no-one, human or otherwise, can â€Å"know† that God exists. This is due to various flaws and necessities for humanity. For one, when we cannot have an a posteriori proof for God’s existence due to the fact that it is completely dependent on our personal experience of the world and, therefore, our senses. This is not to be relied upon as we can never see the world for what it really is; only what it appears to us. Kant names the real world, the world we cannot see, the Noumenal World. The world which we perceive through our senses is known to him as the Phenomenal World. The Phenomenal World is the way it is as we cannot help but see the world in a spatio-temporal state of mind, as we are spatio-temporal beings ourselves. The Noumenal World is inexperienceable to us because it really is completely unknowable. Therefore, we cannot know God’s existence as we cannot make correct a posteriori arguments for it, due to our biased and incorrect perception of the world around us. However, Kant also feels that God must always remain a â€Å"necessary postulate of practical reason†. This means that although we cannot, in any way, prove God’s existence, the world will only ever make sense if we postulate, or assume, that God exists. Kant also felt that God’s existence is beyond the experience of our five senses, and so we cannot ever know that He exists through either our senses and, through them, our mind. It is amongst these principles that Kant’s â€Å"moral† argument for the existence of God is based. Kant’s argument for the existence of God is as follows: firstly, it must be understood that the aim of all morality is the â€Å"Summum Bonum†, or the highest good. This highest good is both moral perfection and perfect happiness. For the Summum Bonum to be achieved, these must both be present, as one cannot be without the other. Morality, a universal concept, demands of us that we must aim for this Summum Bonum. We must all strive to be perfectly good, attain moral perfection and the perfect happiness. However, we cannot possibly achieve this ultimate good. This is due to the fact that we are flawed, weak and contingent beings, prone to mistakes and filled with imperfections. Although we may be able to strive towards virtue in our thought and conduct, we cannot achieve true happiness along with it to ensure perfection. We cannot achieve what we deserve for our efforts because we are not omnipotent. Therefore, we cannot hope to achieve this Summum Bonum. However, in Kant’s point of view, â€Å"ought implies can†. This means that if we are obliged to achieve the Summum Bonum, or highest good, then it must mean that it is achievable. Kant says it is â€Å"a necessity connected with duty as a requisite to presuppose the possibility of this highest good†. This means that because we are required by our sense of duty to try to bring about the Highest Good, it must, therefore, be a possibility; it must be attainable. However, this poses a natural contradiction: we cannot possibly hope to do something, and yet we are expected to do it, because we can. This means that we cannot achieve this ultimate good alone, but we must have outside help, from an external and omnipotent agency, or God. We also have an unlimited time to achieve this good in, immortality, which gives way to a definite afterlife. â€Å"Therefore†, Kant concludes, â€Å"it is morally necessary to assume the existence of God†. In this argument, there are two major assumptions upon which the argument rests upon. These are that, firstly, there is an absolute moral order within the world. This is shown to us through both the Bible and Church teachings. Another of the major assumptions is that we, humanity as a whole, are responsible to some transcendent self, in our unconsciousness. This means that we do not feel guilt, do to morality, to our superior, equals or inferiors in society. Rather, all our guilt is towards God. We all account towards him. Therefore, although Kant feels that we cannot possibly prove God’s existence, he feels that His existence must be a necessary postulate for the world to make sense. He, therefore, doesn’t necessarily make sense of God’s existence and support it using his moral argument, but, instead, he uses it to make sense of, and support, morality and why it exists. He had no intention of ever arguing towards the existence of God. Instead he vehemently opposed it, using our senses as our drawback in our arguments.

Of Mice and Menn †this novel is all about The American Dream Essay

The Novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ was written in 1937 by John Steinbeck. It is the most touching tale about the relationship of two men, George and Lennie who are faced with difficult situations at times which are Steinbeck’s aspects of his life seeing as there are the main characters of the novel. On the other hand Steinbeck highlights in the novel the social conflicts of the time period, such as the climate change cause by drought and the financial collapse of 1929, which had affected the increase of unemployment and poverty throughout the United States of America. Of mice and men is a novel set on a ranch in the Salinas valet in California during the great depression of the 1930s. The main characters of the novel are Lennie and George. Lennie is described as a large guy who doesn’t know his own strength, but also unable to gauge other people’s weaknesses. Lennie is best described as childlike; he embodies the best characteristics of a childish mentality. He is trustworthy and a nice guy although he is mentally disabled, Lennie is simplistic and docile. He gets distracted very easily and is obsessed over simple sensory pleasures, finding great joy in touching soft things, whether a cotton dress or a soft puppy. Although he lacks in capacity on controlling himself physically, he has a great protective instinct, especially when it comes to his friend, George. George is a bright and healthy looking guy who isn’t suffering from any diseases like Lennie is. George is like a guardian to Lennie by always look down to him making sure he is well and happy. George is small, wiry, quick-witted man, however a loving and caring person, he struggles at times as Lennie has ruined everything but he still stays with him. It’s not normal for two people to work together travelling ranch to ranch as they do; this shows how strong their relationship really is. George promotes moral responsibility unlike Lennie or Curley’s wife. He also has interesting physical characteristics such as restless eyes, strong small hands, thin arms, and a bony nose. His need in a companion (Lennie) exceeds the generally accepted traditional remedies for loneliness. Throughout the story, George isn’t very lonely since he has got Lennie with him but in the end, when Lennie dies, he becomes lonely as he does not have anyone with him anymore. This novel is all about â€Å"The American Dream† you’ve noticed that no one in the book is truly happy. Everyone’s missing something. Except the boss, none of them own there own land or home. The only thing that anyone in the ranch has is a dream. People who work on the ranches have a low chance of going anywhere in life as it is tough with the low income they receive. In theory, anyone could become successful. Trouble is, in practice, most people need to be born rich to make it but George and Lennie dream of a better life and are different to everyone else as they got hope in themselves that they don’t want to work on ranches every day until they die. George and Lennie both have interesting and exciting dreams about how successful there futures will be. Lennie dreams with George of having a small piece of land; he is obsessed with one aspect of this dream: having a small rabbit hutch where he can tend rabbits. Lennie is incapable of making decisions by himself which is why he relies on George entirely. But truthfully it was never going to happen! Steinbeck says â€Å"each mind was popped into the future when this lovely thing should come about.† This shows that it’s all in a pretend future. The quote â€Å"I got to thinking maybe we would†, George says to Lennie because he might of liked hearing it not realizing the truth with his childish mentality. You could spot a sign of loneliness which exists in George’s mind. He knows that there is no future for them and he doesn’t want Lennie to feel sad or upset, so by telling Lennie this lie, it will keep him happy and motivated on moving on. Steinbeck is trying to show us that there is no meaning of life if you fall into working in ranches and travelling. One of the main aspects that are attached with most of the characters of the novel is loneliness. Steinbeck has purposely named the town ‘Soledad’ because in Spanish, ‘Soledad’ means loneliness. This relates to the town being lonely and how the people living in it are also lonely and it also gives us a clue that the novel is mainly about loneliness. Loneliness encourages characters to seek an alternate way of life. You can notice how most of the important characters from the start end up being separated from each other, such as Candy and his dog, George and Lennie and Curley and his wife. There is much confusion and difficult situations where things don’t go as well or mistakes are made. There have been over one thousand migrant workers who came from different locations in America such as California. The men who decided to travel alone migrated from ranch to ranch in short-term. They were paid very little and there weren’t many options as no one would take them in. Lennie and George were the type who migrate from ranch to ranch together looking for work and this wasn’t very easy for them as they both were in difficult situations at times and had to leave for many reasons such as Lennie would do something wrong in a place as he is not as bright and gets distracted easily. This made both George and Lennie run away and come to Soledad from the town Weed where Lennie had petted a girl’s dress which made them lose their job. The bunkhouse was described as a rectangular building, which was dark and dull from the inside. Every man’s bunk was identical to each others (8 bunks in total). All of the bunks had a little shelf to put there belongings on. They also had a square table in the middle of the room were everyone had played cards. Everyone on the ranch was lonely because all the men in the bunkhouse were single and they had no companion to share there feelings with like George and Lennie did. When George says â€Å"they got no family† this explains that they are like orphans who have nobody in life but themselves. This shows a sign of loneliness and isolation from others because all this time he hasn’t really known the real meaning of life until he met Lennie. The men in the bunkhouse have nothing to look forward to except working on ranches for the rest of their lives. People like Slim and others find it strange how George and Lennie’s relationship is really strong and how they travel together working as a team. This is because most of the ranch hands tend to travel alone. This also shows that having company is unusual and being lonely is now seen as normal for the people living on the ranches. Curley’s wife is a young loving person who is fed up and wants some recognition, attention, her own identity and her own life. She is a very lonely character as she has nobody except her husband who she doesn’t love and also doesn’t receive love from him as well. Really she doesn’t have her own identity as she is seen as just someone’s wife, this is because Steinbeck has not given her an actual name by calling her â€Å"Curley’s wife† to show us that she doesn’t really have an identity. Also without Curley, she would be nothing as her life would have been so much different and harder with the social conflicts at the time period. Steinbeck purposely had done this which shows a sign of loneliness in her character. Curley doesn’t spend enough time with his wife, leading failure to satisfy her, either emotionally or physically. The lack of communication has pushed her into continuously looking for companionship, the quote â€Å"Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?† shows a sign of loneliness. She is isolated from the other ranch workers because they try avoiding her and not speaking with her as a fear of upsetting the boss’s son (Curley), this clearly explains that Curley does not give her the attention she craves and desires. Her relationship isn’t going really well as she has been looking for pleasure and flirting with other men. Curley isn’t someone who is always there for her nor loving. Another character who is very lonely is Candy. The old Handyman, aging away and is reduced to cleaning the Bunkhouse after losing his hand in an accident at work. Occasionally, Candy worries that the boss will soon declare him useless and demand that he leave the ranch. He was the person who welcomed George and Lennie to the farm, showing them where there beds were. He also has a similar dream to Lennie and George to share his own land and animals also some economic values. He offers them all his compensation money in return for a share in his and Lennie’s dream. Only meeting them on the first day shows how desperate he was. His life is the total opposite of his name because the name ‘Candy’ gives us an impression of sweet things but the character Candy is the total opposite. Finally, the most important thing in his life was his dog which was his best friend, who kept Candy company and has been in his life for a very long time. The quote â€Å"I had him ever since he was a pup,† shows that that the dog was someone he was able to care for which provided him with more than just friendship but family. The death of Candy’s Dog made a big impact in the reflection of attitudes to his life, being isolated and insecure as he loses the only thing that mattered to him in his life. He has no family or friends, resulting in failure to understand the human attachments and relationships with others. Also the character â€Å"Carlson† tries to pressure candy into shooting the struggling old dog. Candy had very strong, loving feelings for him and couldn’t preside. In the end because of peer pressure he agrees to let Carlson shoot the dog. You can see from the quote â€Å"Why’nt you shoot him Candy?† This shows that Carlson isn’t very sympathetic and he can’t understand how strong the bond is between Candy and his dog because he has a lack of understanding human attachm ents and relationships. The most unequal character in the novel is Crooks. He is isolated due to the colour of his skin because people look at him differently and give him no respect. He is the only black man in the book and at that time, America was a very racist, unpleasant place as Crooks were victimized. Crooks is a black stable-hand who is lively, sharp-witted and proud. He got his name from his crooked back. He also admits that he is extremely lonely, like most of the characters in the novel. He was referred to as â€Å"stable buck†, â€Å"nigger† or â€Å"crooks† and he was never referred to by his actual name which suggests that no one actually is bothered to get to know him. Crooks lives alone away from everybody else. He is isolated in his own room in the barn, instead of being with the other hands in the bunkroom. Isolating him from the other ranch workers purely because colour of his skin. The quote â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody† suggests that he had literally gone insane from loneliness and low self esteem. On the other hand, it is clear that he craves companionship from the shocking reaction when Lennie comes over to his room. At first he rejected him hoping to prove a point, as why should a black man welcome a white man when he who isn’t welcome in a white man’s house. Lastly he couldn’t take it from his desire for company so he invites him over to sit with him. Crooks doesn’t stop talking, showing us that he yearns for company as he is terribly lonely. In his room Crooks has the California code which is meant to protect his rights of black people in America, but in reality the symbol means nothing as for men like crooks, who is unable to socialise or be accepted as who he is just because of the colour of his skin. The character Curley is the boss’s son and is rather a two-dimensional villain. He gains his respect from others by picking fights with larger men. He is a little, mean and bitter bloke who is very aggressive and boastful to others. Rumours been said that Curley is a champion prize-fighter. Candy says that he is â€Å"handy† quoting that he fights well. He came in the finals for the Golden Glove boxing competition, this shows us that he likes fighting and is committed to it. No one likes Curley because he doesn’t deserve the respect with how he treats people. He is a married man and his wife isn’t very happy with him as she thinks that he has missed many opportunities to spend some time with her and bond together like couples do. The only time Curley shows up with his wife is when his wife was found dead. He doesn’t realize the fact he needs to think about others then just himself. In Conclusion, Steinbeck has successfully presented all the characters to some degree of loneliness, which was the main theme. He has perfectly explained the different aspects of how their lives on the ranches can be very lonely even if you’re still around each other. The way Steinbeck’s style of writing makes you feel sympathy for the characters. Also you experience the people’s lives were like at that time. The novel goes full circles, the situation ending basically the same as it began, at the same place. I really think the book â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a really interesting story and have enjoyed it, I really recommend reading it!

Embracing Diversity

Embracing diversity By:College:Course:Professor:Date:Anthropology is the scientific study of humans as social organisms and how they interact with each other in a social gathering or community set up. It entails the study of human ancient, current and cultural changes, physical stature, language characteristics and archaeology. An anthropologist interest lies in comprehending human diversity and way of life in an explicit manner. The four main branches of anthropology which include biological, cultural, archaeology and linguistic clearly elaborate what it entails to be human (Lavenda-2013). Biological anthropology talks of how the evolution of humans is genetically influenced and not enhanced by the surroundings. Cultural anthropology is centered on the study of structural system of individuals sharing a common belief or norm. Linguistic anthropology majorly revolves on the psychology of speech, composure and use in human beings. Moreover, archaeology constitutes of the systematic study of human remains through excavation, dating the human remains to know the period of existence and analysis. Anthropology is all about the acquaintance of the unfamiliar with proven facts and provides knowledge that deciphers facts from rumors.Cultural anthropology is a very enticing part of anthropology because it does not only enable one to acknowledge cultural diversity but also develop globally conscious individuals. As mentioned earlier, this part of anthropology explicitly looks human cultures, belief, daily activities, values, ideas, means of livelihood and parts of social and cognitive organization (Lavenda-2010). There are two means by which an anthropologist can study culture due to its abstract nature; empiricist approach, whereby he mainly relies on observation of the human behavior in a particular community set-up and subjective approach in which the researcher understands the structure of ideas and meanings that exist in a member a certain culture. The primitive perception that I personally had about humanity has been scraped off as a result of the in-depth study of cultural anthropology. Individuals and communities were initially characterized by their social, economical and political factors within their localities. Evolutionism has showed a conceptual comprise due to the easy interaction of individuals as a result of the modern evolution of technology that has made every corner of the world accessible to any person. The level of interactions between individuals from a similar ecology niche has almost become non-existence due to the replacement with television programs, movies and soci al electronic devices. Despite this, the social interaction circle has grown larger as a result of technology which enables an individual interact with more people different from parts of the world over a short period of time. This study has personally helped me get over the notion that Muslims are associated with terrorism. I initially felt fear when I was in an environment filled with Muslims; well, not Muslims alone but any individual wearing a veil. This mostly applied to Muslim women that wear the veils covering up their faces, leaving out the eyes. I can attribute this fear from to the society I grew in; I was used to my Christian community before I came to campus. The laws and beliefs we had were so strict that we feared other dominions, this seclusion was driven into us by the clergy; to make us believe that people that had different beliefs and practices were potential risks and could harm us at any time. The primitive notion that was instilled in me always had a bearing to this question; if they are good people, why do they find it relevant to cover their faces that much? The definite answer was that they had something to hide; not only secrets but sinister motives. Religious profiling and the threats that came to our country and get aired on national television also cultivated the fear in me. It would have never reached this point if my parents would not have been reacting to the issue with so much disgust as they used to do. My elementary and high school environments were more or less the same because all my schooling up to university level were based in the same strictly Christian district. There were some primitive practices we used to do that I now see them to have been very hurting if not shameful to the face of evolution and humanity at large; there was no shaking of hands or exchanging pleasantries with non-Christians, no accepting gifts from them and worst still, avoid all conversations. I can't imagine that I would literally snob them! I must admit that I had a tough time adjusting to the campus environment. I was always tensed in my first semesters when a non Christian would sit next t me. I remember a particular case when I came to a lecture late and found all seats occupied except one; next to Sikh, I literally missed that 2 hour lecture and had to struggle with my continuous assessment test. It is during that course that I made a turning point and my point was later boosted when I got to learn about anthropology. The struggle I had in my first continuous assessment test was the same one I had in the second. Ironically, the Sikh boy who I was evading was the same one that noticed my problem and came to help. At first I was adamant but with lack of options I thought; why not give it a try. I must admit that that is the sweetest memory I hold dear and use it to enlighten my rural folk later on. With that act of compassion I learnt that religion does or dress code does not define someone's character. Study of anthropology has helped know the value that I hold about my culture and the justifications I give to the are the same ones that any other person would give in support to their religion and culture. It also taught me that judging or profiling others because f ethnicity and background is a heinous notion; if everyone was to discriminate then the world would be an unbearable place to stay. All we could be witnessing are endless fights and ultimate wars. Cultural anthropology thus, aims at enabling the native of a particular culture objectively and rationally understands their own culture to deduce what makes them stand out from the other cultural groups hence upholding the aspect of self acceptance. Besides, it enables one apply the knowledge gained from familiarizing with different cultures to alleviate human challenges and misconceptions rather than causing ethnic conflicts. The collective study of different cultures enables scholars to identify the similarities and unique aspect of various cultures, hence embracing diversity.References:Robert H LavendaCore concept in cultural anthropologyRobert H LavendaAnthropology: What does it mean to be human?

The needs of the various populations served in the criminal justice Essay

The needs of the various populations served in the criminal justice profession - Essay Example The prosecutors notify the victims about trial proceedings. On top of this, the prosecutors represent the interests of the crime victims during court appearances. Similarly, the criminal justice profession provides services to the suspects under trials. During the prosecution phase, the criminal justice profession ensures that suspects enjoy the rights of legal representation and speedy trials (Neubauer & Fradella, 2013). In addition, the profession ensures that the alleged offenders receives information pertinent to the proceedings, and exercise the right to be heard. The judges oversee the trials to completion. The criminal justice profession caters for the needs of the inmates. The correction officers provide legal services to the inmates. Notably, the officers ensure a maximum security in the facility, supervises the inmates, and offer educational and counseling services (Cole, Smith, & DeJong, 2014). On top of this, the criminal justice profession has the mandate of providing quality medical care to the inmates. Moreover, the correction officers process the names of inmates intended for release from the institutions either on parole or after serving maximum term. The parole officers supervise the parolees. In this regard, the officers set conditions that control parolees while in the community. The staff has the responsibility to notify the parolees of their status, as well as upcoming release (Neubauer & Fradella, 2013). Moreover, the parole officers have a duty to inform the parolees about hearing dates and allow them to testify during the actual hearing. A section of the public does not know the mandate of the criminal justice profession. The profession is confusing, intimidating, and overwhelming to many people who work outside the criminal justice system. A huge percentage of the public holds that the sole mandate of the criminal justice profession is to deter any act of criminality

Paper 3 Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3 - Research Paper Example Ethnic origin provides an individual with a sense of identity from other people. It reinforces the idea that a certain individual is what he or she is because of his or her belongingness to this certain group, where the culture of that group is passed on to that individual by means of language. It is quite comparable to an intangible home of the individual where different members of a huge family interact in seemingly similar ways and valuing similar cultural norms. Ethnicity is closely linked to the concept of a nationality, where, in Political Science, refers to the perception of belongingness to a group or a collective of people exhibiting uniqueness or a sense of distinction from other groups of people. Ethnicity is Janus-faced as it presents two paradoxical roles in the society. The concept of Ethnicity unites the people of the same ethnic origin and consolidates a homogenous collective group of that same ethnic origin. We can see this in the classic example of the Chinese. In s eemingly most major cities in the world, there is always a sector in that city deemed a Chinatown, where most, if not all, people, citizen or migrants, that are ethnically and conservative Chinese establish their homes and their businesses.

Marketing communication mix Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing communication mix - Assignment Example The present study would focus on integrated marketing communication as a plan of marketing which links the communication function with the components of marketing and it aims at informing and persuading potential customers to buy goods and services. In addition to the promotion elements of marketing, the integrated marketing communication mix may use online tools in the developing a clear message and passing it to the consumers so that they can be persuaded to purchase and use a specific product or service. Finne and Gronroos say that the product within the marketing mix is the goods or services that a company provides. In marketing communication, companies aim at creating awareness to the consumers of the products on their availability and qualities. The price represents the cost of the products and this includes specific features of the price such as discounts. The price of a product influences the willingness of the customers to purchase and consume a good or service. Within the m arketing mix, the place represents where the consumers can obtain the product to satisfy their needs while promotion is the process of telling consumers about the product using various strategies to convince the consumer to perchance and use the good or service. Therefore marketing communication mix is the marketing of a company’s services and goods to the consumers with due considerations of the Ps in marketing because they are closely related in determining the success of the marketing strategy in general. Hughes and Fill (2007, p. 55), assert that integration of marketing communication mix means that the aspects and components of the marketing mix are merged or combined so that the marketing communication relays a single message to the consumers. Lee & Park (2007, p. 222), explains that marketing communication mix is necessary because when different messages are communicated to customers, they become confusing and as results the reputation of the brand of a company is dama ged. Integration in the marketing communication mix can be illustrated by a company which uses the same logo, messages and images in al communication media such as newspapers, TV and point of sale. This therefore demonstrates the important role of marketing communication mix in building the brand of a company within the target market through the integration of the messages communicated to the consumers. With the advent of modern technology and its wide application in marketing various goods and services, it must be integrated to make it parallel to the broader promotion mix. Keller (2001, p. 829) says that the need for integration of the marketing communication mix is necessitated by the interactivity capabilities of marketing media which is a characteristic of communication via the internet via the social media. This demonstrates that there is a necessity to harmonize the traditional marketing approaches with the new media. Moreover, integration of marketing efforts enables a compa ny t coordinate various communication med

What does Machiavelli mean by a corrupt people What does he mean by Research Paper

What does Machiavelli mean by a corrupt people What does he mean by corrupt leaders What circumstances promote corruption Can a corrupt people be reformed - Research Paper Example The political climate in Florence was against this, as a result a civil war ensured, and led to the mass murder of people in Pistoia. In Niccollo Machiavelli’s perspective, it is better for a leader to practice cruelty, for purposes of stabilizing and protecting its people. Had Italy sent troops to Pistoia, few people would have died, as opposed to the thousands who died during the conflict. On this notion, Machiavelli states that the leaders are corrupt. This is because they are unable to protect the institutions of the state, and maintain order2. A corrupt people are those who are not loyal to the state, and this is depicted through their treachery, selfishness, ungratefulness, brutality and covetousness. In Machiavelli’s view, these people are most likely to lead to the fall of the state if their actions are not checked, and behavior’s controlled. In Niccolo Machiavelli’s view, corruption among the people emanates when the leader, is lenient to them. Machiavelli denotes that because of the brutal and selfish nature of the people, it is dangerous for a leader to become a philosopher king3. This is a leader who rules through virtue, and in consideration to the rights of his people. A leader, who practices virtue while leading the state, is a corrupt leader, because he will fail in protecting his people, and his authority. To rectify this situation, Niccollo Machiavelli argues that it is wise for a leader to practice treachery, cruelty, and authoritarian leadership. Machiavelli states that it is wise for a leader to become a lion, as the time he is a fox. Machiavelli used this example because a lion cannot avoid a trap, while a fox is powerless when attacked by a wolf4. To acquire skills of escaping the laid out traps, it is important for a leader to be a fox, and to portray strength, it is important for a leader to be a lion. On this note, to

Integration of Financial and Operational Management Essay

Integration of Financial and Operational Management - Essay Example Dell has committed itself to operate in a way that would not only achieve excellence in operations but also benefit the company financially and would result in satisfied customers. Because of its commitment to constant improvement the company installed the direct selling method where JIT system and lean production were adopted which improved company’s efficiency and effectiveness in many areas. On the other hand the company used the rapidly growing IT technology well by working on customer focused ordering system which enable them to design their own product, which resulted in much satisfied customers and zero inventory level. Zero inventory level was further implemented by changes in the supply chain and integration of the entire company’s operations into the supply chain. Through redesigning of systems and process, Dell is able to become the most efficient PC manufacturers in the world. However, it should be noted that although Dell has installed a system which serves as a benchmark for many manufacturing companies, Dell still needs to focus on few areas which if not attended can turn out to be bigger operational issues in the future. Introduction: Dell is one of the largest American multinational company which deals in selling and supporting computers and related products and services. The company is involved in selling, manufacturing and distribution of high technological products like PCs, servers, data storage devices, printers, cameras, HDTVs soft wares etc. Dell is the third largest IT Company of the world and faces close competition from its competitors HP (Hewlett Packard), Acer, Apple, and Lenovo etc. Managerial Challenges: Dell has been in business for over 28 years. Since its inception, Dell has faced many operational and financial difficulties and has adopted numerous strategies to overcome its challenges and restore its profitability. Dell’s operational strategy since its early days had been to use interchangeable parts to pr oduce goods of mass-production at lowest possible prices. However, due to rapid increase in the demand of technology, globalization, new and evolving market trends and technological demands the company faced operational challenges in many fields. Excessive and Obsolete Inventory: Dell had faced numerous problems in the early stages; the company in its early stages expanded into traditional retail channels which it stopped later on due to heavy obsolete inventory and thin margins in the business. Later on in 1990 the company faced another operational issue of excess component inventory and abandonment of production line. This caused heavy losses to the company despite of doubling sales during the period. The major problem that Dell faced at that time was the excessive inventory along with the prevailing recession made it report a huge loss of $36 millions in 1994. (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt. 2012) Dell struggled with great difficulties in inventory management area as it used the trad itional manufacturing ordering system by ordering components in advance on the forecast basis and if the forecast went wrong the company had major write-downs. (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt. 2012) Changing Customer’s Demands: The technological business is a rapidly changing business where the introduction of a new technology can cause heavy losses. Dell’s main concern was about the inventory in hand that became obsolete due

The Apostle Paul and his Pastoral Epistles Essay - 1

The Apostle Paul and his Pastoral Epistles - Essay Example Though Titus is not mentioned in the book of acts, he and Timothy were Paul’s Spiritual children who he was mentoring for Pastoral ministry, with Titus being mentioned in the book of Galatians 2:1 for the first time (Christ Lutheran Church of the Deaf). Paul wrote the three epistles, known as pastoral letters to provide instructions to his two sons pertaining to their pastoral duties and to warn them about false teachings and occult practices which could easily have affected the churches they were pastoring. Both Timothy and Titus were young and Paul as their mentor also wished to encourage them, like he tells Timothy not to let anyone despise him because of his youth but to be an example 1 Tim 4:12. Paul was imprisoned twice in his life in Rome, in 60-63A.D and in 67-68A.D (NewApologia). He wrote 1Timothy during his first imprisonment, wrote Titus upon his release and 2 Timothy during his second imprisonment, after which he was killed by beheading. The letters contained instructions for ministry to Timothy and Titus, and thus he was able to continue with his work even while in prison. Timothy had been a companion of Paul in his missionary journeys and now was serving God in Ephesus. The different vocabulary and writing style from other Pauline letters should be understood from the view point that their theme is common, as they are aimed mostly to address the issue of Pastoral care and that is why between them they are very similar. Linguistic evidence to prove that they were not written by Paul could be countered by the fact that there is much that is not known pertaining to the conditions of production of the three epistles and also the other Pauline letters (Smith). There is also general concurrence that the Pastoral letters do not provide an adequate sample by which to make comparisons with the other Pauline letters. The differences are not also as great

Discuss the use of errors in The Brothers Menaechmus to produce Essay

Discuss the use of errors in The Brothers Menaechmus to produce comedy. Do you agree with Plautus that Mistakes are funny - Essay Example Comedy in The Brothers Menaechmus The comedy that is a part of The Brothers Menaechmus has as its principal source, the errors that the characters that are a part of the play commit. The play revolves around a case of mistaken identity, where identical looks are mistaken for the same identity. The play, through comedy and laughter, forces the readers to rethink their ideas about appearance and reality and the fragile nature of an identity that is based solely on appearances. Plautus tries to redefine the limits that were traditionally assigned to comedy as merely a means of eliciting laughter and tries to take it beyond. However, the play tends to mostly do so through a derisive treatment of the women characters. There is also a subversive element in the play; one that is brought about by the resourcefulness that the slave displays, something that wins him his freedom. The principal error in the play leads to a lot of complications within the plot. It however, allows for the producti on of comedy, as the trope of the mistaken identity creates a lot of situations where the audience shares a certain piece of knowledge with the playwright that the other characters do not. This leads to a situation where the errors are funny. If a situation had to arise where the audience too was in the dark regarding the action in the play, then the play would create situations of suspense.

Blue Shield 65 Plus Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Blue Shield 65 Plus - Assignment Example This study declares that similar to other Medicare companies, Blue Shield 65 Plus caters to people ages 65 and above who are considered as senior citizens, and people below 65 years old with specific disabilities. Moreover, the aim of the communication of Blue Shield 65 Plus is to give out information to the market. It aims to persuade the consumers, and prospective market to enroll in its Medicare plans. According to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in order to realize the purpose of a Medicare company’s communication, which includes Blue Shield 65 Plus, it must include in its advertisements the extra benefits and the savings the customers may get while enrolled in the plan. The approach of the ads must be simple and properly articulated for easy understanding. Also, the coverage of the plan on prescription drugs of the plan is also essential. Moreover, it is also advantageous that the advertisements include the customers’ freedom to choose and change his or her doctor and that there is no need to refer to a specialist. Lastly, the communication must include that Blue Shield 65 Plus is a brand that can be trusted in terms of the services that it provides. Moreover, it is important to bear in mind that the advertisement messages must be properly formulated for it to serve its optimum purpose. The message must be looked at in a manner of how it is conveyed, the structure, and its content. It is highly recommended that Blue Shield 65 Plus must continue advertising in television due to the fact that most of the seniors perceive television as their number one source of information.  

Romeo and Mercutio Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Mercutio Essay ‘Explore the ways in which Romeo and Mercutio are presented in Act 1 Scene 4 and elsewhere in Shakespeare’s play and in the performed version. In act 1 scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet, characters Romeo and Mercutio express different feelings that draw the reader in and shows how important the relationship between them is. In the scene everybody is wearing masks and Mercutio and Romeo have attended the Capulet’s party. Romeo states that he will not dance at the Capulet’s feast as he loves someone who does not love him so he is not in the mood to dance and be happy but Mercutio (a close friend of Romeo) tries to convince him to dance. Mercutio then goes on to recite his speech to Romeo about Queen Mab of the fairies and how she visits your dreams. Romeo is presented in a way that he seems like he worries whether dreams come true or if they are just made up. This makes him seem more scared than ready for anything. In Act 1 Scene 4, Romeo says that he â€Å"dreamt a dream tonight† to his friends Mercutio and Benvolio, on their way to the Capulet’s feast. He is worried whether his dream will actually become reality, saying that he fears the â€Å"vile forfeit of untimely death†. However, at the end of the play you see his dream as real life as he does eventually die before his time, because of this happening it is able to prove that Romeo may be seen a psychic. Also in this scene you see Mercutio also express his view on dreams and desires in his Queen Mab speech. After Romeo says that he dreamt a dream, Mercutio then jumps in and says he too dreamt a dream, although he says that â€Å"dreamers often lie†. He begins to describe Queen Mab, a fairy that brings fantasies to dreams. The speech begins very imaginative and unusual but changes nearer the end. Mercutio ends the speech saying that dreams are â€Å"children of an idle brain† and dreams are nothing but hopes. This shows Mercutio’s view on dreams and desires, which is that they are demeaning and undignified in comparison to Romeo’s view who see them quite real and true. This scene also shows how sensitive and depressed Romeo’s character really  is. Romeo talks about how uncomfortable being in love is making him feel â€Å"Under love’s heavy burden do I sink†. This is saying that Romeo sinks because of the strong and heavy weight of love. You can tell from this that Romeo is not enjoying being in love and at the beginning Rosaline does not love him and how sad this makes him feel – so the audience is being prepared for the meeting of Juliet and Romeo. Romeo is extremely depressed and does intend to dance or be merry, which is the reason that his good friend Mercutio tries to stop Romeo from feeling this way. Romeo and Mercutio’s relationship in the play in very important to the plot of Romeo and Juliet, for starters, Mercutio is the one who convinces Romeo to attend the Capulet’s feast and this is where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. No matter how reluctant to going Romeo was Mercutio was able to get Romeo to agree to go. Without Mercutio the couple would never of met and the play or Romeo and Juliet would not be able to unfold in the way it does. Another reason is because of Mercutios death it sets off event which then lead to the banishment of Romeo which then draws Romeo and Juliet together again. Not only is there comparison between parts of the actual play and film but there are differences with how they are both performed. A main comparison is that in a play text the focus is on what is spoken and it is then up to the imagination to build on a character. Whereas in a film text the focus is on how the characters look and the colours they are wearing because this can symbolise what the characters are like emotions. Another large difference is, in the play the language that is used creates different moods, whether it be poetic, longs or short sentences they all create various emotions – for example a short sentence may be trying to build tension between the characters. However, in the film, the camera shots affect how the characters feelings are put across to the viewer. Close ups are intended to show tension whereas longer shorts may be to show peace between the characters. This shows that there are infact many differences between the time in which Shakespeare, the per formed version was set and shown on stage and Shakespeare the filmed version was shown through the camera.

An Overview Of Life Satisfaction Literatures Social Work Essay

An Overview Of Life Satisfaction Literatures Social Work Essay This chapter begins with literatures about life satisfaction and important personal and situational predictors of life satisfaction in older persons, then in order to provide a theoretical background for this study attempt to define the most important components of structural and functional support. The next portion will focus on the ways in which significant personal and situational characteristics might affect on structural and functional components. The focus will then shift to the effect of structural and functional components specifically on life satisfaction. And finally specific theories and models that have been proposed to explain the role of structural and functional components in the life satisfaction of older adults will be addressed. Over the past few years, the worlds population has continued on its remarkable transition from a state of high birth and death rates to one characterized by low birth and death rates. At the heart of this transition has been the growth in the number and proportion of older persons. Such a rapid, large, and ubiquitous growth has never been seen in the history of civilization (Norman Henderson, 2003). when the older population will be nearly 2 billion, surpassing the population of children for the first time in human history (United Nations, 2006). For the first time in history, Asian populations and their governments are faced with increasing numbers of older adults, and this raise various social and economic issues, (Chan, 2005) specially issues concerning the life satisfaction (Wu Rudkin, 2000). 2.1 Life Satisfaction The use of different terms such as â€Å"psychological well-being†, â€Å"subjective well-being†, â€Å"life satisfaction†, â€Å"happiness† and â€Å"morale† for the same underlying construct has led to considerable confusion in the literature over exactly what is being measured, however, these concepts and their definitions are not identical, â€Å"all of them involve a psychological response by the individual to socio-environmental situation encountered in life and demonstrate no significant difference in meaning.†(Cloutterbuck, 1987). Stock, Okun, and Benin (1988) defined subjective well-being as combining concepts together; mood, happiness, life satisfaction, and morale. Factors such as morale, life satisfaction and happiness are considered to be important in determining subjective well-being in the elderly (Kim, Hisata, Kai, Lee, 2000). Subjective well-being is composed of two elements: cognitive and affective. Life satisfaction, the cognitive component of subjective well-being, refers to a global judgment of a life as a whole (Jin, 2001).Life satisfaction has also been defined in various ways, including happiness, adjustment, morale, physical health, subjective well-being, and the balance between aspirations and achievements (Nutt, 2001). Life satisfaction has been defined two major ways in the literature: first as an objective entity, usually the quantity of social interactions; and second as an internal and subjective perception, the individuals evaluation of their lives, the second approach is now more widely used (Miller, 1997). Life satisfaction is a very personal assessment, one must decide ones own life satisfaction criteria. Two individuals may share very similar lives, and one may find life satisfactory and the other may not (Quadhamer, 1999). Havighurst proposed that measuring life satisfaction as an â€Å"inner† assessment was a better measure of successful aging. Such a measure would accommodate individual differences in conceptions and values of growing older. Specifically, the individual whose personality most values an active life style could be as satisfied with his life as one who is more passive (Havighurst, 1961). Distinction between life satisfaction and quality of life is not clear and the concepts are sometimes used interchangeably (Borg, Hallberg, Blomqvist, 2006). Jeffres and Dobos (1995) proposed that quality of life consists of two distinct global concepts with underlying domains. The first concept, perceived quality of life or life satisfaction, is a consequence of satisfaction with the personal domains of life. These domains include satisfaction with family life, friends, health, partner and oneself. The second concept refers to quality of life in the broader social environment, environmental quality of life (Jeffres Dobos, 1995). Environmental quality of life domains include satisfaction with housing, schools, health services, safety and security, roads and transport (Evans, 1994) . Personal quality of life is associated with quality of life in the broader social environment (Jeffres Dobos, 1995), but the two domains are not identical (Fadda JiroÃ'‘n, 1999). For example, some i ndividuals rate their quality of life as very good whilst living under extremely difficult environmental conditions, whereas others rate their quality of life as poor even though their environmental conditions are excellent (Westaway, 2006). 2.1.1 Life Satisfaction in elderly Among elders the predictors of life satisfaction were found to be perceived   level of activity (Osberg McGinnis, 1987), age, gender (Fadda JiroÃ'‘n, 1999; Kudo, Izumo, Kodama, Watanabe, Hatakeyama, Fukuoka, Kudo, Yaegashi, Sasaki, 2007), satisfaction with family life (Medley, 1976), the availability of confidants (Strain Chappell, 1982), subjective health rating (Downe-Wamboldt Tamlyn, 1986; Gfellner, 1989; Spreitzer Snyder, 1974) ,   physical health status (Joia, Ruiz, Donalisio, 2007; Kudo et al., 2007; Bowling, 1990) , satisfaction with financial status and socio-economic status (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007; Borg et al., 2006; Spreitzer Snyder, 1974; Welsch, 2007), religious affiliation and private prayer (Korff, 2006; Markides, Levin, Ray, 1987; Sagaza, 2004), marital status, and educational level (Subasi Hayran, 2005), living environment (Subasi Hayran, 2005; Rehdanz Maddison, 2008), personal factors (Borg, FagerstrÃ'†m, Balducci, Burholt, Ferring, Weber, Wenge r, GÃ'†ran Holst, Hallberg, 2008; Sanchez, Jr., 2006) , social support (Abu Bader, Rogers, Barusch, 2003) and   sociopolitical capital (Abdallah, Thompson, Marks, 2008). Based on the International Study   in 1994 and 1999, indicates that the level of satisfaction of the elderly is generally lower in large cities, and lower for those who are in the first half of their 60s, who constitute single-person households, who are not in good health condition, who live in rented housing (Sagaza, 2004) another study showed that good health, high self-esteem, and the absence of worry were associated with life satisfaction (Borg et al., 2008). Analyses of associations with life satisfaction in the study of elderly persons in Hong Kong showed significant associations between life satisfaction and a number of variables including age, education, marital status, self-rated financial situation, religious belief, living arrangement, social support, social network, self-rated health status, functional capacity, number of chronic illnesses and activity level. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the strongest predictors of life satisfaction were self-rated financial situation, activity level and social support (Chou Chi, 1999). Borg et al., (2006) identified several factors of importance for life satisfaction among older people with reduced ability to perform daily activities: social contacts, health, activities, family, negatively losing family members (Borg et al., 2006). Recent work has identified a relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction (Thakral, 2006; Fogle, Huebner, Laughlin, 2002). Among people with reduced ADL capacity in 6 European countries, it was found that personal factors, rather than environmental factors such as social or financial resources, influence life satisfaction (Borg et al., 2008). Life satisfaction and Gender Up to age 65, women tended to report higher rates of life satisfaction than men; however, after age 65 men were more likely than women to report a high degree of life satisfaction (Spreitzer Snyder, 1974).   Significant predictors of life satisfaction were found in female respondents: age, financial strain and depression. In male respondents, the significant predictors of life satisfaction were education and financial strain (Chou Chi, 1999). Medley found standard of living to be a more important predictor of life satisfaction in women, whereas satisfaction with health was more important to men (Medley, 1976). Life satisfaction and Age As age increases there is a slow decrease in life satisfaction (Melendez, Tomas, Oliver, Navarro, 2005) Indeed, survey researchers have noted that older people show consistent increases in life satisfaction with age but a leveling off of more affective characteristics such as happiness (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). Life satisfaction and Income Previous studies have indicated that financial strain was consistently and negatively associated with life satisfaction and financial situation was a significant predictor of satisfaction (Chou Chi, 1999; Chou Chi, 1999) and satisfaction with financial status was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction than objective financial state (Spreitzer Snyder, 1974). Life satisfaction and Educational level Education is found to have a significant effect on life satisfaction. Higher education attainment is associated with improved socioeconomic status, higher wage rates, and better health, all of which lead to better living standards (Bukenya, Gebremedin, Schaeffeaer, 2003). Life satisfaction and Ethnic Barger, Donoho, Wayment., (2009) evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in life satisfaction, and explored the relative contributions of SES, health status, and social relationships to life satisfaction among two very large, diverse probability samples of U.S. adults. That was the first major evaluation of Hispanic life satisfaction in the U.S. and is the largest U.S. population based life satisfaction study to date. They found that Blacks and Hispanics have lower life satisfaction than Whites, but controlling for SES and health status weakened these differences for Blacks and eliminated them for Hispanics. They also found a modest Hispanic benefit for being very satisfied in multivariable models. The consistently higher explained life satisfaction variance among Whites could represent substantive cultural variation in the types of support relevant to well-being judgments (Barger, Donoho, Wayment, 2009). Life satisfaction and marital status Marital status was found to be positively related to life satisfaction by some investigators (Markides et al., 1987; Strain Chappell, 1982) whereas others failed to show this relationship (Osberg McGinnis, 1987). Marital status significantly affects satisfaction, with being single having a negative effect on both health and quality of life satisfaction. Proponents of social role explanations suggest that men derive greater benefits from marriage than women do because mens roles are less stressful and more gratifying compared to women (Bukenya et al., 2003). Hansen et al., (2004) in a study with title: â€Å"Age, marital status and life satisfaction† found, having a partner (in the household) was strongly associated with higher levels of life satisfaction for both genders. The results showed no differential effect of having a partner by gender. However, for both genders, older cohorts without a partner had higher life satisfaction than their younger counterparts. No age-differential effect of having a partner was found. Interestingly, the effect of having a partner decreased with age for both genders, and significantly more so amongst women (Hansen, 2004). Life satisfaction and Employment Researchers examining employment status and life satisfaction have found a positive relation between these variables. Results of several studies have further suggested that persons 65 years of age and older who remain active in the labor force have higher levels of life satisfaction and morale than do retired persons in the same age cohort (Aquino, Russellc, Cutrona, Altimaier, 1996). Life satisfaction and Strata (rural/urban) Evans., (2005) studied differences in the social supports of rural and urban elders to determine what those differences meant in terms of three markers of successful aging: activity level, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Results showed that urban older adults reported more depressive symptoms as compared to rural older adults. Furthermore, subjective level of social support (perceived satisfaction with support) was positively correlated with life satisfaction and negatively correlated with depressive symptoms for both rural and urban older adults, however, there were no mediating effects of social support in the relationship between residence and levels of activity, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms (Evans, 2005). 2.2 Functional and Structural components of support In this section a broad overview of structural and functional components of support will be provide and each of these concept consider separately, because each has different properties that can potentially influence the life satisfaction. 2.2.1 Definitions: The concept of social support has been a popular subject of research since the late 1970 and publications on social support increased almost geometrically from 1976 to 1981 (Phillips, Siu, Yeh, Cheng, 2008).The concept of social support has been variously addressed in terms of social bonds, social contacts, and availability of confidants (Johnson, 1996; Seeman, Bruce, McAvay, 1996) and early research frequently unclear the distinctions between four concepts: social relations, social network, social support, and social integration (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). social support and social support resources such as: social network, social interactions or social contacts, reported as related but distinct concepts (Seeman, Lusignolo, Albert, Berkman, 2001). Social support includes interpersonal communication and interaction, love and understanding, caring and concern, affection and companionship, financial assistance, and respect and acceptance (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007; Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Definitions of social support range from the actual supportive acts that are exchanged between individuals to a personality-like factor based in early interpersonal experiences that then influences how an individual views the likelihood that someone is supportive. The concept of social support has been investigated by researchers in anthropology, epidemiology, medicine, nursing, psychology, and sociology. Given the different backgrounds of researchers in these fields one can appreciate why reaching consensus for a definition of social support has been difficult (Rudkin, 2006). There is a lack of general consensus on how social support should be specifically defined. One useful way to conceptualize social support is that it has both structural and functional aspects, qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (objective) aspects, and social network-based and support-based aspects (Phillips et al., 2008). 2.2.2Functional Component of Support More recent studies of social support conceptualize it as the functions that are provided by social relationships. Although the question of what exactly is provided by supportive individuals varies between researchers, many agree that supportive individuals provide or make available what can be termed emotional support, informational support, tangible support, and belonging support .These functional aspects of social support are often highly related to each other and not easily separated in everyday life. Emotional support, provides individuals with the belief that they are loved and cared for, emotional support involved such things   as giving advice, expressing affection, and providing morale support (Johnson, 1996). Emotional support is probably what most of us imagine when we think about a supportive individual. Emotional support is thought to be beneficial because it provides the recipient with a sense of acceptance and may strengthen ones self-esteem during life challenges (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Informational support can be a very powerful form of support to the extent that it provides useful direction. Such advice and guidance may also carry an emotional message, it is often the case that useful guidance from close friends can be seen as emotionally supportive in that the person cares enough to speak with you about important decisions (Cohen , Underwood , Gottlieb , 2000). Appraisal supportincludes feedback given to individuals to help them in self-evaluation or in apprais ing situations. The intangible forms of support; emotional, informational, and appraisal support, can be difficult to disentangle (Rudkin, 2006). Tangible support, is conceptualized as the assistance from others in one‘s daily functioning. Emotional social support contributed to positive affect, while tangible social support contributed to life satisfaction as well as reducing psychosomatic and emotional distress (Seeman et al., 2001). For older people tangible support may be as simple as providing a ride to the grocery store or mowing the lawn (Loue Sajatovic, 2008), involves being able to help with everyday jobs around the house, providing financial assistance, and helping in the process of taking care of children (Johnson, 1996). Research findings regarding instrumental support are more mixed. Receipt of higher levels of instrumental support, specifically help with various tasks, has been associated with greater declines in physical functioning. More moderate levels of instrumental support appear to promote recovery and slow decline in functioning. In many studies, however, the direction of causation has not been cle arly established (Rudkin, 2006). Belonging support is defined as the presence of others with whom to engage in social activities. An example of it would be a friend with whom to go shopping or to watch a basketball game. Belonging support may be beneficial because such positive social and leisure activities may enhance ones mood and sense of acceptance by others (Cohen   et al., 2000). Social support functions are often intertwined those who provide tangible support may also be providing reassurance and emotional support. Furthermore, different network members provide different types of support. People tend to turn to their families for instrumental support, friends for emotional support, and during times of illness, health care workers for advice and aid (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Higher levels of emotional support, both perceived and received, improve outcomes, whereas the effects of instrumental support have been questionable. Older individuals who have more interaction with others and who report more available emotional support, experience fewer and slower declines in cognitive and physical functioning (Rudkin, 2006). The effectiveness of any form of support will depend on the extent to which it meets the demands of the particular stressful event. For controllable stressful events, support such as informational or tangible is predicted to be more important. However, if the event is less controllable, then emotional or belonging support may serve to facilitate adjustment (Uchino, Cacioppo, Kiecolt-Glaser, 1996). 2.2.2.1 Functional component: perceived or received Function components of support are usually organized along two dimensions: what support is perceived to be available (available support) and what support is actually received or provided (received support) by others (Cohen, 2004; Kafetsios   Sideridis, 2006). These measures are not highly related and are often associated with different effects on well-being. What is perceived as available may or may not correspond to what is actually provided (Kahna, Hesslingb, Russellc, 2003). Studies suggest that received support is not related to the perceived availability of support in a straightforward manner, one reason is that measures of available support are related to ones cognitive representation of social support, a person might perceive a high availability of support but decide not to utilize it because of concerns about network members perception of their competence (Cohen   et al., 2000). when elderly individuals indicated that others were available to provide social support, the y were more likely to report greater use of proactive coping (Greengalss, Fliksenbaum, Eaton, 2006). However, the benefits of social support are most strongly related to the perception that support is available. In other words, the highest levels of well-being are found among people who believe that they have a high level of social support, regardless of how much support they receive or how many people they know (Karademas, 2006; Kim et al., 2000; Phillips et al., 2008).National study of economically stressed older adults shows that those who believed that no one would come to their aid in the future had the greatest number of depressive symptoms (Loue Sajatovic, 2008) and a higher level of support was reported in those who perceived the provider as supportive (Pierce et al., 1992). 2.2.2.2 Buffer against stressful life events Social support may act as a buffer against stressful life events and, thus, reduce exposure to the resultant cumulative pathological effects of stress. Alternatively, social support may be a constant, more generally available resource, across time and situations (Alan, Alison, Martha, Lawrence, Ian, 2007; Antonucci Akiyama, 2007).The two type of support are not mutually exclusive and may be viewed as complementary, there is evidence to support both types of effects. It should also be emphasized that the particular pathways or mechanisms by which social relationships affect well being likely depend upon the characteristics of the individual, his or her socioeconomic situation, the health outcome of interest, and the measure of social relationships (Rudkin, 2006). Murrell and Norris (1984) postulated that social support may not only buffer individuals from stressful life events, but may actually be important for the general maintenance of psychological well-being and life satisfaction in old age, independent of adversity or stress (Tho , 2001). Social support can act as a buffer to soften the effects of negative life occurrences, this might explain why some people maintain good health when exposed to stressful life events which would be expected to have a negative effect on health (Bowung , Farquha , Browne , 1991) and those older adults who are going through the loss of a loved one and have a strong social support system report a higher sense of life satisfaction and well-being (Gray , 2007). Coleman suggests that social relationships can act as a form of social insurance, provide communication and information networks, and create norms and sanctions that facilitate social action (Celia Lenore, 2004). 2.2.3 Structural Component of Support Support Network refers to objective characteristics of the network such as total network size (Janevic, Ajrouch, Merline, Akiyama, Antonucci, 2000; Antonucci, Lansford, Akiyama, Smith, Baltes, Takahashi, Fuhrer, Dartigues, 2002), the number of family members, age, sex, proximity, or frequency of contact with network members and living arrangements (Yoshida, Sauer, Tidwell, Skager, Sorenson, 1997). Social networks define as webs of relationships that link the individual directly and indirectly to other people. Social networks include friends and family, as well as familiarity. The size of a social network depends on the person , some people have large families and numerous friends, whereas others may have smaller families and smaller friendship networks (Phillips, 1986; Phillips et al., 2008; Quadhamer, 1999). The Properties of the person and situation significantly influence the structure of the individuals network. Since one occupies a large number of roles, such as child, spouse, and parent, it is natural that this is a time when there are numerous members of the support network, and that they differ widely in age and gender (Antonucci, Akiyama, Merline, 2001; Berke, 1991; Fiori, 2006). 2.2.3.1 Formal social support Formal social support is in many cases essential to an older adults well-being because it provides practical support that becomes increasingly dependent as a person ages. Formal support comes from those individuals and institutions one depends upon for services and assistance such as health care providers, social workers, case managers, shopkeepers, delivery persons, and others in institutional settings (Loue Sajatovic, 2008; Quadhamer, 1999). 2.2.3.2Informal social support There are several aspects of the structure of social networks that have received much attention in the literature on social relations and aging. Including family versus friend relationships, under the umbrella term of structural component is somewhat arbitrary, as this issue also touches on functional component. 2.2.3.3 Family versus Friends Informal Social Support systems are typically those supports such as family and friends and developed over a period of time through interactions with others (Nutt, 2001; Quadhamer, 1999). Informal support members are generally the primary caregivers to the older adult who needs assistance. Psychologically, social interactions with family and friends provide feedback to the individual regarding his/her social role and behavior (Rosenhand, 1999) and both of family and friends social support increase life satisfaction (Miller, 1997). The study of social relations must take into account that convoys of close friends and family members may be both pleasant and unpleasant, supportive and unsupportive (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). Findings showed that, reliable alliance, or instrumental assistance, was more strongly related to well-being when provided by kin than by nonkin (Felton Berry, 1992). Surveys of elderly people have documented that the most frequently mentioned helpers are wives followed by daughters, particularly in the case of widowed parents (Bowung   et al., 1991). Couples who do not have children may intentionally develop strong relationships with relatives such as nephews and nieces because these relatives serve as informal support to them when children would otherwise assume support (Loue Sajatovic, 2008).   Social support, especially from children and family members, had a significant positive effect on the life satisfaction of older adults when support was provided at a low level. However, excessive support was found to diminish the sense of well-being in the elderly as well as wear away their autonomy and independence (Silverstein Bengtson, 1994). In fact, increasing contact with family members could be viewed by older adults as a sign of lost independence (Fiori, 2006). Older people who are married are much less likely to need formal supports, such as home nurse care or Meals on Wheels, than unmarried people. Family relationships, under normal circumstances, make an important contribution to well-being (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007) however, if the relationship is not supportive and positive, the opposite is true. In fact, intimate relationships that are not supportive, trusting, and loving have negative influences on the physical and mental health and overall well-being of the elderly. Additionally, the very old tend to have smaller circles of social support as many people have outlived spouses, other family members, friends, and sometimes even children (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Although it is clear that families play important roles in the lives of older adults, providing sometimes extraordinary care giving efforts and instrumental help, friends are also invaluable resources. Indeed, research initially designed to examine the impact of family members alone often finds that the friends are mentioned as a significant support source (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007).The need for friendships among the elderly is self-evident (Hanafy, 1992).When confronting loneliness or needing assistance with social issues, older adults prefer friendships to family Social Support ( specifically spouses and children). The reasons that older adults prefer friendships to family in cases of emotional support are primarily due to sense of continuity with the past that friends can provide (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Older people obtained a sense of emotional support from having intimate friendships with neighbors and friends and at least one child living close by with whom they have frequent contact (Loue Sajatovic, 2008).Friendships have significant positive effects on the mental health of the elderly (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007) and tend to be a matter of choice rather than birth. People choose friends because of shared interests and desire for contact and friendships share a form of reciprocity that may be absent in family relationships and reciprocity has a strong effect on the satisfaction level of seniors and their friendships (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). In one study of friendships among people over 60 year, 68% reported long-term friendship ties throughout their lives. There were some gender differences, with more than half the women reporting that they remained friends with a close friend from childhood or adolescence, whereas men showed high levels of continuity with close friendships developed at midlife. In one sample of people over 85 years old, it was found that more than half still had at least one close friend, and three-fourths were in weekly contact with people they considered their friends. Furthermore, almost half reported that they had made new friends after age 85, although the criteria for those friends tended to involve less expectation for intimacy or shared history than was common among younger people (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). 2.3 Functional and Structural Support in elderly The findings from several studies suggest that the social network of elderly adultsmay differ from those of younger persons on a number of dimensions. In modem societies the networks of the aged are generally smaller than those of younger people. There is some controversy in the literature as to whether social networks of the aging decrease in size, frequency of contact with persons in the network, and degree of given and received support (Dorman, 2001). Gender It has been widely recognized that social networks among men and women differ in complex ways, particularly in relation to life stage (Antonucci et al., 2001). In terms of gender, women report providing more support, having more frequent contact with network members, being more satisfied with their friends, and having larger and more multifaceted social networks than do men (Fiori, Antonucci, Cortina, 2006). Male got more support from fa

Curriculum Development

Curriculum Development Unit 6 Curriculum Development for inclusive practice Curriculum is defined as the following; a specific blueprint for learning that is derived from content and performance standards. Curriculum takes content and shapes it into a plan for effective teaching and learning. Thus, curriculum is more than a general framework, it is a specific plan with identified lessons in an appropriate form and sequence for directing teaching (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998). The word ‘curriculum is actually a Latin word for ‘racecourse. Curriculum is the activities that learners will undertake to achieve their learning goals. The planning, learners experience and order in which it occurs are all part of the curriculum. There are a huge and vast amount of elements that help shape a curriculum. There are many different methods and approaches to the design and implementation of curriculum and a lot is dependant on the teachers approach of it. In the world of training, the curriculum can designed around the objectives of the clients specifications. Most of the time curriculum is based on the organisational needs of learning and objectives, for example, their curriculum. Approval from external agencies, for example, awarding bodies give approval for the qualification to be delivered. The awarding bodies supply the syllabus or guidance which gives the teacher the information and framework for delivery and assessment of the subject matter. External agencies may provide funding in some cases and in this instance the course will only be provided once the funding has been attained. Within the training in-house sector of teaching, it is normally the business and individual needs that sets the benchmark for the requirement of bespoke training courses. In house training/teaching cater for the needs of the staff and in the majority a lot of the courses attained by the learners do not lead to formal qualifications. In all of the above instances the organisation will supply the syllabus or course content to shape the curriculum. If the syllabus or course content is not available the teacher will have to develop their own based around the subject that has to be delivered. The aim of the teachers is to identify the learning needs, styles and the potential of the learners, this needs to be achieved at the prior to the start of the students learning. As an example of this a schools curriculum comprises both statutory elements (including the National Curriculum, religious education and careers educations) and non statutory elements (priorities defined by the school). An area where there will be a significance of equality and diversity in the design of the curriculum would be children with multi-sensory impairments. One of the fundamental principles of the code of practice is that all children, including those with special educational needs should be offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant education. This is what the national curriculum was designed to provide. Some children who are multi-sensory-impaired will follow the National Curriculum, usually with additional support. Others will follow a modified form of it. Still others will follow more specialised developmental curricula which will include teaching a child things that non-disabled children already know by the time they start school. Even children who follow the same curriculum as non-disabled peers, however, will usually need additional elements because of their sensory impairment. These may relate to: * mobility skills, communication, sensory development or other aspects specifically affected by deaf blindness * therapy needs for example, physiotherapy * concepts usually learned incidentally for example, the interpersonal and independence skills used at break or meal times All teachers modify the curriculum in order to meet the range of learning needs in their class. Children who are multi-sensory-impaired are likely to need the curriculum modified on an individual basis, because each childs combination of hearing impairment, visual impairment, other disabilities and learning characteristics will be different. There are many models which affect the delivery of curriculum, way in which a teacher must attain the end result, should and could deliver to the learners. For example, the product model focuses hugely on the outcomes of a course. The product model is also referred to as the behavioural objectives model. An example could be of a first aid course, the teacher has to teach what must be taught in order to facilitate the learners to pass. Training in the workplace is very much honed to the product/behavioural model of curriculum development. The teacher focus predominantly on what must be taught rather than focusing on what should or could be taught The behavioural model of learning concentrates on the measurable outcome of curriculum. The advantages of the behavioural model are that there is normally a general statement of intent and this is hopefully ensuring avoidance of vagueness. The assessment process is actually more precise. The learning should be step by step and it should focus on the previously learned material. Ralph Tyler (1971) stated that there is a guideline for curriculum development that the interacting influences of organized scholarship, the learner, and society should provide the dominant source and influence for curriculum development. Tyler organized his model into four fundamental questions, which he stated should be answered when designing curriculum: 1. What are your curriculum aims and objectives? 2. Which learning experiences meet these aims and objectives 3. How can these learning experiences be organised into a curriculum programme? 4. How can this programme be evaluated? The Tyler theory to date is the most influential model of all in preparation of curriculum, the needs of society at the time of development and the needs of the learner at the time of development should be imperative. The ever evolving social psychology of our society must be accounted for, exactly what are the educational purposes needing to be attained. The focus should be related to previous learning and experiences and after analyse the factors how is the curriculum design going to encompass and attain the objectives that may not have been reached previously. The philosophy of education will profoundly affect a students life. It is providing the foundations, the aspects of knowledge and social experiences are needed to improve learners futures. An example could be of training, the different settings and mutli-cultural workforce will have a variation on the curriculum. The curriculum will need to be designed in partnership with the employers, so a competency framework will be met. Aims and objectives will have to set within in the competency framework which over time changes with legislation and regulations. The learning experiences should organised into the curriculum and depth, complexity of the subject, ensuring that it covers all levels of learners attainment. Then course needs to be evaluated, how will the course be evaluated and the key objectives attained? Simplistically the Tyler theory in practice is the most fool proof design of curriculum. The curriculum can be subjective and open to interpretation. Needs analysis previous to design of curriculum is imperative, the findings should be summarised and should formulate part of the curriculum development documentation, which is practice is fantastic if you have the relevant information prior to course delivery. The world of training can be ad-hoc and trainers are not always privy to this information. However, the behavioural model approach has received criticism. One of the arguments against the behavioural model is that the ‘affective domain cannot be considered adequately in terms of specific behaviours. The affective domain describes learning objectives that emphasize a feeling tone, an emotion, or a degree of acceptance or rejection, thus it cannot be assessed adequately and the behaviour model will discourage ‘creativity on the part of both learner and teacher. In the 1980s behaviourism was superseded by the humanistic approach to curriculum design and implementation. The process model concentrates on course content, relevant knowledge and skills that can be learnt and applied. This model focuses on teachers activities, the conditions in which the learning takes place and the learner activities. An example could include when a person pays for their course of study. The learner would be getting the benefit of what ‘must and ‘should be covered as well as ‘what could be delivered. Stenhouse (1975) quoted the English dictionary when defining curriculum as ‘a course; especially a regular course of study as at school or university. Most of the time the course design/curriculum is what the governing bodies have decided should be taught. The sets what exactly as teachers in advance what learning is going to be planned, achieved and what goals should be produced to the subjected being taught. Stenhouse challenged the view that teachers need to be objective in their view of curriculum, realistic even, to ensure that there is a balance between the ‘intentions and realities that the curriculum design will get the best outcomes for their students. He draws comparisons the process of curriculum as to a recipe in cookery, the recipe is followed and the result would be a dish. In theory this can be a tried and tested, for example, how to you know if the curriculum design has achieved all the education goals until the there is a evaluation at the end of the course? How many pass grades and how many failures. Like making a cake it doesnt always rise the way youd wished it to. Often when baking the ingredients need to be adjusted or the timings. In 2001, DDA (Disability Discrimination Act). was introduced, fortunately this means that teaching must always be inclusive, counting for the needs all of learners The curriculum must encompass best practice principles of equality and diversity in all areas. Equality of opportunity and provision means giving every student the same learning environment, and is an important element of schooling. Equality and diversity means giving students what is necessary to extend them to their full potential. Some may need additional tuition to bring them to the standard of the rest of the group, while others may need additional tuition to take them beyond the group because they are capable of further development and learning. It is imperative to ensure that all students are able to access the curriculum it is important to consider the curriculum content, as well as the teaching and learning practices used within a design. With regards to design of curriculum we have to attain why and what. The educational ideology such as the fundamental values, beliefs and assumptions this is extremely prevalent in the world of care, the format is normally set out by the governing bodies such as the Commission of Social Care Inspection. Normally the needs that the course must met are the needs set out by the governing body to attain the best level of care for Service Users. For the main part with training, cost analysis plays heavy, is the course a requirement under the recommendations that have been implemented by the governing body? Learners in this social care field are normally trying to achieve and meet performance criteria, the learning outcomes are normally behavioural as the learning is skill based. However the curriculum is not considered a complete entity and does not provide every opportunity relevant to qualifying as a health care worker. Ongoing learning will provide opportunities to evidence knowledge, skills, experience, values and ethics. Some of the methods used to deliver the curriculum are essential; others that are not are open to negotiation. A diversity of methods of learning is useful to meet the different learning styles of students. The main objective must be continuity for the learners and teachers alike. Coordinated Curriculum is very much relevant in the Social Care Sector. Coordinated curriculum is the method of linking different subjects/contents together. It establishes the links between the subjects for example in Social Care it would link the psychology, sociology, biology and prac tice together. Coordinated curriculum means that there is a greater emphasis on the total context in which teaching and learning take place. Realistically in Social Sector teachers/trainers will be using both product and process models. The process objective happens when you cant tell in advance will exactly the student will learn advance, health and social can unmanageable in the fact that you are dealing with human beings (patients/service users) and they dont always follow the curriculum recipe. Therefore, evaluation will be invaluable in ascertaining if effective learning has taken place. This should help identify any problems within the curriculum design, reflection on the needs of the organisation, the syllabus and learners. Evaluation is should be the process through which teachers judge the quality of their work, their own work and their students. Formative evaluations, which involve a continual stream of reflection and feedback, and allow the educator or student to continually adjust and improve their work while its ongoing. Traditionally, teachers have emphasized summative evaluations, where feedback is gathered only after instruction has been completed. Both strategies are necessary to provide for effective curriculum assessment and student education. A teachers skill in the classroom assessment is essential to the goal of student success. In evaluating the curriculum can only lead to a teachers continuing professional development in the Life long learning sector. If the evaluation and assessment of curriculum is to be meaningful, teachers must be able to relate their learning to their personal experience and practice. Kolbs Learning Cycle, outlines the four stages involved in any successful learning experience. Learning is defined as a process in which experience is changed into knowledge. In turn, knowledge creates a foundation and opportunity for learning. In Kolbs four-staged cycle, the individual reflects on experience and draws on conclusions, which can be used to influence future action. In this way, practice, reflection, theory and action become essential parts of professional development and therefore assist with the future of improving practice in inclusive curriculum design. After reading and studying the different models of curriculum, one can draw comparisons from the Ralph Tylers Basic Principles of Curriculum Instruction (1949). As a trainer clear definitive learning objectives are set out by the customer, the learning will hopefully be a useful experience to the candidate and will have a cumulative effect. Tylers model applies the importance of evaluating the curriculum and revising any aspects that do not prove to be effective. Thus the importance of continuing professional development, evaluation, assessment and reflection play heavy in the product model of curriculum. The other model used in training would be the process model by Laurence Stenhouse An introduction to Curriculum research and development (1975). Teachers or trainer have to have a high level of professionalism and competence in their specialist subject area. The content is defined in cognitive terms; the process is that the learner needs to go through to learn. As mentioned earlier in the assignment, Stenhouse draws comparison to making a cake and with the social care sector the same methodology can be used. If a candidate/learner has been taught to use a hoist but then drops the patient then this would question the realities and intentions of the curriculum. In conclusion, it is important that the teacher is always involved at all stages of any curriculum development and review. This will ensure that quality assurance happens at all stages of development. The teacher therefore can be positive that all parts of curriculum contains all the relevant information such as the course goal, aims and objectives, rationale, entry requirements, evaluation, assessment etc. Any curricula should ensure that schools/higher education programs must be delivered in the most effective and up to date manner as possible. In reviewing the subject of curriculum it should enable a teacher to reflect on addressing the identified needs of the students within the educational establishments or programmes. Curriculum should also provide a tool for examining the quality and completeness of the curriculums components for, example, instructional principles, functional knowledge, self-perceptions, attitudes, skills, and duration. Through constant analysis it will help t o determine the degree of fidelity between the curriculum and its application in the classroom; and assess the impact of the curriculum on students knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour. As David Ausubel (1969) suggested the learning process should be approached like a mental journey! Geoff Petty quotes ‘ We should seek a win-win curriculum that puts the needs of individuals on equal terms with economic and other factors. The quote really say it all as we are purely developing curriculum with the main objective of imparting knowledge and skills on the learners of the future which will hopefully have a positive effect on the economy in the 21st century. Bibliography Gray D, Griffin C and Nasta T (2005) Training to Teach in Further and Adult Education. Cheltenham, UK. Nelson Thornes Ltd. Armitage, A et al (2007) Teaching and Training in Post-Compulsory Education, Maidenhead, Open University Press Reece, I Walker, S., (2005) Teaching, Training Learning: a practical guide. (5th Edition). Sunderland: Business Education Publishers Walkin, L (1990) Teaching and Learning in Further Education, Cheltenham, Stanley Morris Internet National Curriculum http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/ Accessed on 21st February 2009 Qualifications and Curriculum Authority http://www.qca.org.uk/ Accessed on 25th February 2009

The Three Great Compromises :: essays research papers

The Three Great Compromises The United States of America was founded on the basis of compromise, but what does compromise really mean? According to the Webster's New World Dictionary compromise means "an adjustment of opposing principles". Political systems use compromises in daily life. The Three Great Compromises that occurred early in this nation's government were the Connecticut Compromise, the 3/5 Compromise, and finally the Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise. Were it not for these compromises the United States could still be governed under the Articles of Conferderation. The Connecticut Compromise was the most important compromise in the history of the U.S. government. The representatives from each state were going to change the government totally, from powerful state governments to a powerful central government, which they vowed not to do when they declared independence from England. Rhode Island was so disgusted with the idea of changing the government that they did not even come to the meeting. Finally after all the debating and each state getting their say, they "compromised" on a plan where they would have two governmental houses, one being the House of Representatives and the second being the Senate, with the Senate being the stronger of the two houses. The House of Representatives was based on each state's population, that is the more people in the state the more representatives that state would get. The Senate said that regardless of the state's population each state would get two representatives all with equal say. The 3/5 Compromise was mainly about slaves. The issue in this compromise was should slaves be counted for determining representation for each state? The North did not want them to be counted because they were considered possessions, not citizens, and that meant less representation for them. The South, on the other hand, wanted them to be counted because that meant that they could pass laws more beneficial to the South since they would have more representation. So they "compromised" and said that each slave counted 3/5 of a person. The final compromise was the Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise. The issue here was should Congress be able to regulate trade and should the United States continue with slave trading? The North felt that Congress should control trade and put an end to slave trading. The South was fearful of Northern jealousy of Southern agriculture trade with England, and the South was also wary of Congress

Dr. Katharine Kolcaba and Jean Watson’s Theories on Personal Nursing Ph

The purpose of this paper is to define, describe, and explain the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the author in regard to the philosophy of nursing practice. Philosophy is the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, nature, and meaning of a subject Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, (n.d.). I will address the four concepts of the nursing metaparadigm and the relationships of each as they guide my practice as a nurse. This concept synthesis paper will address the personal nursing autobiography, two practice specific concepts, and a list of propositions and assumption statements that clearly connect the described concepts. Many factors influence the philosophy of nurses and their practice. The author is a registered nurse care pathways coach at the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation with responsibilities for decreasing avoidable hospitalizations in a local long-term care facility. He has 22 years of experience in the nursing profession, including psychiatric, medical surgical, and geriatric nursing. He has developed an interest in providing advanced nursing practice as a nurse practitioner using holistic approaches as he has matured as a nursing professional. His desire to improve access to primary health care and improve the quality of care for the poor and elderly is a decisive influence on his future as an advanced practice nurse. I became a nurse in 1992. I had graduated high school in 1989 and discovered that I lacked a vision of the profession I would be involved in over the course of my adult life. I was involved in the pursuit of a career of teaching music to high school children based upon a passion for performing arts as a teen aged student. I discovered that I enjoyed performing as a trumpet player, but I did not trul... ...-concepts.html Jean Watson’s Philosophy of Nursing. (2012). Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Watson.html Metaparadigm in Nursing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://nursingtheories.info/metaparadigm-in-nursing/ Mitchell, S. (n.d.). Nursing: Metaparadigm concepts. Retrieved from http://nursing.pages.tcnj.edu/about/mission-philosophy/metaparadigm-concepts/ Philosophy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophy Shirey, W. (n.d.). Four Concepts of the Nursing Paradigm . Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6370576_four-concepts-nursing-paradigm.html WHO definition of health. (2003). Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://who.int/about/definition/en/print.html What is Nursing?, (2014). Retrieved April 3, 2014, from http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing