Voluntary Euthanasia Should Be Allowed

Human euthanasia has been a disputable issue over the years. Euthanasia, the act of killing someone painlessly which will directly decide one’s death, is inevitably controversial. Arguments opposing euthanasia usually includes that it is a kind of murder, which can never be allowed. However, euthanasia is not bound to be murder, for it can be categorized into various forms, including passive, active, voluntary and involuntary ones (Bonin, 2012). Among them, voluntary euthanasia is obviously not murder.Voluntary euthanasia, which can be defined as a terminally ill person choosing to end his own life when suffers from severe pain but is mentally competent, should reasonably be legalized. In this essay, two reasons supporting the voluntary euthanasia will be given and two counter arguments will be refuted. Two reasons of why voluntary euthanasia should be legalized can be recognized. Firstly, dying peacefully with dignity is the best choice for the suffering incurables.The person conducted voluntary euthanasia is guaranteed to be terminally ill, which means that he is sure to die soon and can only choose the way to die, the way in extremely pain or the painless way. It is usually better for him to choose to die painlessly. Allowing a person to die peacefully without pain is to respect his life, and he can still keep his last dignity. Otherwise if it is illegal to have voluntary euthanasia, the patient can only be tortured by the insufferable pain, struggling to breathe, wishing to have an immediate relief but still have to wait for a sorrowful death.Secondly, the decision of the patient should be respected. According to the definition, the patient who can be conducted the voluntary euthanasia is mentally competent, which means that he can make his own rational decisions (Chand, 2009). The patient is responsible for his own life, and the decision about death must have been considered seriously. Nobody wants to die if the pain is not extremely unbearable, so when he chooses to die, it means that this choice is certainly the only one he can bear.In such cases, nobody except the patient himself can feel how sorrowful he is to live, and how eager he wants to die. How can people decide for someone when they know nothing about the situation he is in? Thus, nobody can decide whether he should live on or not except the patient himself. The decision of the patient is the only one that counts and matters. If the decision of giving up the treatment can be expected and allowed, why cannot voluntary euthanasia be? There are some counterarguments on this issue which oppose voluntary euthanasia.Firstly, some people claim that doctors should not inflict death (Somerville, 2010). However, when considering voluntary euthanasia, it is not to â€Å"inflict† death, but to make death more bearable when the death is inevitable. It is true that doctors are for healing instead of killing, but when there is no more possibility to heal anymore, to relieve the patients’ pain maybe more meaningful for a doctor as well as for the patients. Secondly, some opponents quoted from the constitution of the USA, which says that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person (Bonin, 2012).They argue that even if the patient is terminally ill, his right to life should still be protected and he can only die naturally. However, these people forget that the right to life does not mean that a person should be forced to live, even when he suffers from unbearable pain and has no hope to recover. The right to life means that a person has the right to choose the way of the life, including the death. For other forms of euthanasia, such as the involuntary euthanasia, the patient’s right to life may be damaged as the decision of euthanasia may not be made by the patient.However, as for voluntary euthanasia, it is the patient himself who chooses to live or die, which depends only on his own decision. Thus, voluntary euthanasia does not do damages to the patient’s rights. Instead, the legalization of voluntary euthanasia will be beneficial for patients to exercise their â€Å"right to life† better. In conclusion, voluntary euthanasia is suitable to be legalized, because of the dignity of the patients and the respect towards the patients’ own decisions.The legalization of voluntary euthanasia will neither damage people’s rights, nor hurt the doctors. It is fairly reasonable to make it legalized. References: Bonin, A. (2012). Human Euthanasia, The Debate: The Arguments for Both Sides. Retrieved on March 10th, 2013, from http://www. examiner. com/article/human-euthanasia-the-debate-the-arguments-for-both-sides Chand, K. (2009). Why we should make euthanasia legal. Retrieved on March 13th, 2013, from http://www. guardian. co. uk/society/joepublic/2009/jul/01/euthanasia-assisted-s

Planning Theory & Practice Essay

The creation of a whole new type of community, the `virtual community’, has done much to highlight the potential for communities to form beyond the confines of geographic space (Rheingold, 1993). Technological utopians have found community in cyberspace. Largely anecdotal evidence emphasizes the ability of computer networks to connect people across time and space in strong supportive relationships, blindly extending beyond characteristics of ethnicity, religion or national origin. Guilty of Plagiarism  The creation of a new community, which is called a virtual community, has allowed people to live beyond geographic space. Cyberspace is where technological people have found a sense of community. Computers can connect people across time and space no matter what their characteristics (Hampton, 2002). Not Guilty of Plagiarism Keith Hampton (2002), has coined the term â€Å"virtual community† to refer to a place where people can form social groups â€Å"beyond the confines of geographic space† (p. 228). This â€Å"cyberspace† provides a chance for individuals of varying races and religions to meet and interact via computer. Many technologically savvy people now have a place to meet other without having to physically travel (Hampton, 2002). Not Guilty of Plagiarism. Computers have allowed for people to meet those of other nationalities and cultures worlds away from one another through the computer. The networking capabilities of computers allow for people to build social groups, or communities, in cyberspace rather than in person. An ocean or a mountain will no longer be able to keep these technologically savvy pioneers apart (Hampton, 2002).

What is Wisdom?

I. Has your view of wisdom changed since the beginning of the course? Explain how and why. Since the beginning of the course, my view of wisdom remained the same. However, I was able to enrich my knowledge because of the definitions and discussion on the subject by the different philosophers whose ideas of wisdom greatly shaped the word. After taking the course I was able to come up with the conclusion that wisdom can be defined differently according to observations of a person towards how wisdom is being used or misused. Interestingly, even scholars and the learned have their respective sets of definition for wisdom. However, it will still be evident that in the bottom line, wisdom will still be one thing and this is how a person uses the capability of his mind to create or make decisions. There are things in my preliminary essay which I questioned throughout the course. One example is the thought that wisdom is the use of intellect. There were times in the course of study where wisdom is discussed in terms of emotion, or the heart. This made me wonder whether wisdom is purely the mind’s work, and assessing the different definitions I came into the conclusion that my preliminary thoughts were true. Still, there are parts in my former definition of wisdom that changed. I pointed out early on that wisdom amongst children and the younger adults may be lacking due to being inexperienced which I now proved otherwise. As Thoreau points out, the older a wise person becomes the less his wisdom becomes significant because of new things and developments that occur everyday. Thus, there are certain aspects where a child or a young adult may know more while an older, more experienced person know less or nothing about. In the same way, old knowledge may be more familiar to an older person when compared to a younger one. Yet I still remain faithful to the fact that the definitions pertinent to wisdom are numerous, as I pointed out in my preliminary essay. Wisdom can be identified with the current pre-occupation of the person defining it—whereas a scientist may define wisdom in a scientific way, a teacher may define it in an instructive way, and a student may define it in a learner’s way. The possibilities in which wisdom may be defined are endless. II. Whose view (Socrates, Thoreau, Huxley, Piper, or Frankl) seems to be most reasonable? Why? Of the views discussed in class, Thoreau’s is the most significant. He stated that a man’s wisdom and ignorance are results of his time, citing the yield of people to superstition of their time as an example. (Creating Minds, 2007) This is especially true even to this day and age. A person may be wise for his age, but new studies, inventions, and scholarly developments can tend to outdate his wisdom and in the process introduce other people who can seem wiser an fuller because their knowledge is far more updated that the wise people ahead of them. In hindsight, this is why a person would never cease learning, because once he does his wisdom will definitely deteriorate. Mencken states that the older he grows he realized that wisdom does not come of age. This is ratified by Van Buren, who likened wisdom coming from age with wine saying it a person will only be wise with age like wine if the grapes are good enough to begin with. (Moncur, 2007) True enough, knowledge does not come of age. Wisdom is brought about by a never-ending free-flow of knowledge despite age. Children and young adults can get a deep well of wisdom if they are motivated to learn, and adults will also improve on their wisdom if they do not stop learning. Continuous learning is an important aspect of sustaining wisdom, whereby new information consistently is being added up to one’s well of knowledge which he can process and use to make sound and wise decisions. To be wholly wise, it is important that a person gets out of his somfort zone and try things that are not normally done by someone his age, or someone whose occupation is similar to him. When a person is not open to learn new things, even if he has the age capability to learn them, he will be outdated with information and his well of wisdom gets short of this additional information. III. Whose view (Socrates, Thoreau, Huxley, Piper, or Frankl) seems to be the least reasonable? Why? Of the views discussed in class, Frankl’s is the least reasonable. To begin with, he insists that wisdom comes from the heart and that this can make wisdom more sensible than the wisdom wrought from the mind. Given that this is factual in its deepest sense, wisdom still goes back to being a function of the mind. Questioning everything, Lichtenberg said, is the first step to wisdom—and altogether accepting that everything is the last step to wisdom. (Moncur, 2007) Therefore, it is difficult to accept that wisdom from the heart, though claimed more sensible, is the real essence of wisdom. It is true that wisdom can be affected by what the heart feels, but the capability to be wise is exclusively spawned by the mind. There may be contentions to this. A charity worker, for example, may prove it wise to day that true wisdom comes from the heart because the nature of the work he is in touches more in emotion. On the other hand, a scholar whose preoccupation is more on knowledge and improving this knowledge will prove this otherwise. Again, definitions will vary according to who is defining the word. Yet it is still improbable to say that this is reasonable as compared to wisdom’s other definitions by other scholars and philosophers, especially those whose ideas were discussed in class. This sums up how the work of the mind breeds wisdom. It is not the heart which is wise. Emotions bred by the heart are also not acceptable, as scientifically it has been noted that it is the hypothalamus and not the heart that is capable of telling a person how to respond through emotions. In summation, this says that Frankl’s definition of wisdom can be misinterpreted in a lot of ways, and thus it is the least reasonable as compared to the definitions by other philosophers whose definitions were discussed in class.

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Criminal law - Essay Example Most of the campaigners for euthanasia are those directly affected by this, in that, they are themselves suffering from a terminal illness, or have a loved one that has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. The impetus behind the legalisation stems from the desire to end the suffering of the loved one or their own suffering if they are the one diagnosed with the terminal illness. This paper aims to discuss how the courts should deal with the issue of euthanasia and whether it is time for a change in legislation so that those assisting a loved one to die would not have to fear the possibility of criminal charges for their actions. It is important to make the distinction between active and passive euthanasia in order to assess the way in which the criminal and civil courts have determined the legality of the treatment. With active euthanasia the person’s death is brought about by the deliberate administration of medication to terminate the life of that person. Conversely, passive euthanasia occurs where treatment of the patient is refused or terminated, culminating in the death of the patient. A common use of this form of euthanasia would involve the removal of ventilation equipment to assist the breathing of the patient, or the removal of a feeding tube. In some cases, where a patient is critically ill, the relatives of the patient might instruct the doctors not to administer treatment if the patient goes into cardiac arrest. Although active and passive euthanasia will have the effect of terminating the life of the patient, the courts seem to be more readily able to accept passive euthanasia over activ e euthanasia. Part of the reasoning behind this stems from the notion that a patient is entitled to refuse to undergo treatment that will prolong their life, but they are not allowed to insist on any treatment that will hasten their

Leading, Managing and Developing People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leading, Managing and Developing People - Essay Example In ensuring that leaders achieve motivation of employees, some of them use some theories that help them to understand and choose the best way to treat their employees so that they can perform well. Through moderation of the working environment, leaders achieve active participation and engagement of employees, and this improves their chances of being productive and improving the performance of the organisation in which they work. There are various ways that help leaders motivate employees until they become actively engaged in performance of duties they have in organisation and can willingly contribute to the business (Lengnick-Hall, 2011, p. 245-247). In many circumstances, organisations experiences some changes which require employees to adapt so that they remain relevant in the production system and that the organisation in which they are working may continue to be productive and profitable. This means that leaders in organisations need to have their employees equipped with relevant information that will keep them focused on accomplishment of their goals in the company. The theories of improving engagement in an organisation require influence in the behaviour, improvement of the capacity, the collective environment of working and improvement of relationships among various individuals (Lengnick-Hall, Beck). In order to attain motivation of employees and cause them to be engaged in the operation of the company in which they work, the leaders should seek to understand the behaviour patterns of the employees (Collinson, 2005, p. 1421). This is because the way employees are influenced by the environment of the company operations, in the same way; it affects the company’s operations in the course of business. This means that to achieve actively engaged employees leaders will need to establish an environment that will ensure freedom of expression of ideas and feelings of the company. Influencing the behaviour systems of the employees, leaders should focus on i mplementing strategies that will conform to the behaviour systems and contribute to the success of the company in different situations. This implies that all employees will have their own perspectives represented in the course of doing business, and they will have the freedom they need to present ideas to the leaders as well engaging actively in creative activities in the company (Collinson, 2005, p. 1421-1422). The understanding of the personalities of the employees will help leaders to choose the right method to motivate them so that they can engage themselves in the company business. For instance, understanding the way employees could respond to various issue in the society could help the leaders to implement their plans of motivation. According to McGregor theory X and Y (Green, Wu, Whitten and Medlin, 2006, p. 577), there are two perspectives of looking at the employees in an organisation i.e. as inherently lazy and needing a form of pressure to perform their duties, or as a se lf motivated and needing little or no pressure so that they can perform. Using McGregor’s theory X and Y would help leaders to treat employees in ways that they are conscious of things they ought to do and those that they could not work for them. This ensures that leaders will be able to choose the right way of motivating the employees through punishment or by giving rewards that

Contrasts between Sanders's definition of pornography with the Supreme Essay

Contrasts between Sanders's definition of pornography with the Supreme court's definition - Essay Example On the other hand, the opponents have stood firm to criticize it with the argument that freedom of expression is limited and is not guaranteed on aspects that ruin people’s morality. Some feminists have also criticised it on grounds of propagating gender violence and stereotyping. Sanders’ definition of pornography is vastly different from the Supreme Court’s definition.   Sanders defines pornography as turning of the human body into a commodity that can be sold and be used in transactions like other goods in the market. He further mentions that the act separates the body from the self (Sanders105). The definition of obscenity according to the United States laws emanates from Hicklin standard that was later embraced by the Supreme Court. In the case, Rosen versus United States, it became apparent that the Supreme Court had adopted the definition of obscenity to comprise any material that has potential to corrupt minds that are open to such immoral influences, i t further bound the individual whose hands the material may be found (Blue 79). The law depicted some inconsistencies with Sanders’ definition. The test was found inappropriate and the Supreme Court had to adopt the Roth test for obscenity. The Roth test was a slight milestone to the definition of pornography. Despite the effort, no harmony is evident with the sanders’ definition. ... The Supreme Court has no concrete definition of pornography since it does not have a law that limits on its own. However, the justice system has adopted the law of obscenity. This law leaves many gray areas that provide an enabling environment for pornography in the society. Justice Stewart is well remembered for his stand on obscenity when he reckoned that â€Å"I know it when I see it† (Blue 80). This brings much controversy since different individuals will exhibit different opinions, therefore lacking a standardised way of dealing with such crimes. Pornography issues have been dealt with a lot of disparity. Sander makes it clear that the act of engaging in trade with human bodies has no bounds. In 1968, the Supreme Court suspended the viewing of sexual content by children but upheld their viewing by adults. In a landmark ruling made in the case of Butler versus Michigan in1957, it was established that the adults should not be stooped too low and be categorised similarly as children ( National Academies 6). This type of variable obscenity creates not only amoral crisis but also a constitutional crisis, since the bill of rights gives an equal regard for all citizens. The major setback to such a ruling is the inability to distinguish the consumer of the sexual content given that children can access the same media that is used by adults. The thoughts raised by Sanders in his definition can be universally accepted. This is because they encourage morality, respect for human rights and dignity as well as the need to protect self from being tarnished by the shameful acts of pornography. In real terms, the focus of the supreme on promoting responsible social behaviour is limited and very inconsistent. The fact that the Supreme Court has a leeway to

The methode of returning cash to company shareholder Essay

The methode of returning cash to company shareholder - Essay Example Non-core operating assets like long term investments and related assets are not critically relevant for a firm's current operations. When Marks & Spencer (M&S) finally disposed of some of its non-core operating assets in 2002 and began to restructure the company, the decision was obvious because it wanted to adopt an alternative technique for the more traditional method of repurchasing shares or that of the increased dividend pay-out. In other words there was a clear effort on the part of M&S management to redistribute revenue to shareholders though its negative implications would have invariably affected the success of the program (Davies, 1999). According to financial managers' own way of thinking such efforts would not be in the best interest of the long term company value creation process because when such cash returns to shareholders take place at regular intervals in the future as the stock prices appreciate and hectic deposal of shares takes place, the company would lose its investor confidence. The net result thus would be to jeopardize the very relationship between the manager and the shareholder. This in turn would lead to a much closer relationship between the manager and the debt-holder. ... Debt instruments often consist and includes restrictions on the company's all the activities. And thus it is preventing and disturbing top management from pursuing alternative financing options and core business opportunities. Large companies always consider debt-equity ratio as a risk because the company is more concern towards lenders and investors. And thus the business is limited as to the amount of debt it carries (Marks and Spencer annual report 2002). For the better and efficient financing companies are usually pledge assets of the company to the Lender as collateral. And the share holders and executives of the company are in some cases required to give guarantee by personally for the repayment of the loans (Devaney, & Lizieri, 2004). Because of this capital restructuring programme marks and Spences certain advantages to their managers can be expected. because of the less liability of the company the managers will enjoy a greater power in all the operational actives. Thus it brings less liabilities to their company so it will be a greater relief for the managers. (Finlan, 1992) But it would certainly demotivates their share holders because they will loose their voting power and the opportunity to take part in the decision making process. So this fact can leads to a morale problem of the share holders. In every company, the financial and real sectors cooperate with each other in order to maintain a sound and progressive balance between the two. This is important as a deficiency in one sector impairs developments in the other sector. So therefore it is important to have an optimal capital structure in the company to maintain the balance between equity and the debts. The value of corporate debt

World Hunger Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World Hunger - Assignment Example In addition to approaching the issue from the sociological imagination there are a number of key issues researchers must consider. This essay presents a broad sociological overview of the primary issues surrounding world hunger. While a great degree of altruism through government donations and non-profit organizations have attempted to solve world hunger through direct food donations, it’s clear that this is only a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Instead, solving world hunger requires that government organizations worked towards aiding developing nations through building infrastructure and improving overall economics. One of the main points within this spectrum of understanding is that there is not a lack of food to feed individuals, but rather a lack of infrastructure and structural efficiency to see that the found makes its way to the right people. Consider this statement, â€Å"As shown in the Genetically Engineered Food and Human Population sections on this we b site, people are hungry not due to lack of availability of food, but because people do not have the ability to purchase food and because distribution of food is not equitable† (Shaw).

Fatigue Risk Management in Aviation Maintenance Term Paper

Fatigue Risk Management in Aviation Maintenance - Term Paper Example Maintenance personnel, have to endure significant fatigue risks. However, there are several characteristics of aircraft maintenance that provide chances of reducing the hazards created by fatigue. In the first place, maintenance work should be internally rather than externally paced. Maintenance should not be performed under pressure. The maintainer conscious should be able to stop a task and consider aiming for accuracy rather than speed. Where possible, methods of performance of a maintenance task should be modified. For example, tasks cards can be modify and secondary inspections and operational functional checks introduced to serve as errors capturing barriers. Where maintenance organization has the flexibility to choose when certain maintenance tasks can be performed, it is necessary to schedule the most risk susceptible tasks at a time when employees are less likely to be fatigued. Finally, maintainers should rarely be required to travel across different time zones performing their duties. This assists in preventing aircraft lag and circadian rhythm disruptions, which are key considerations or flight, crew FRMS. Effective fatigue management requires partnerships with shared responsibility between the employers and the employees. Fatigue does not only originate from the workplace but also from the personal life of the employee. Personal factors that can lead to fatigue include social and family commitments, medical conditions and second jobs. Therefore, it is the employee’s responsibility to ensure that they have enough rest fit for duty before assuming for work. The employer has an obligation to ensure that working hours are reasonable, availability of rest break periods and adequate staffing. However, the International Federation of Airworthiness asserts that the responsibility to control working hours is not solely the mandate of the employer. Employees have a responsibility to take advantage of opportunities & facilities for rest sessions provided. Further, it is also an employee’s responsibility to plan and use the rest periods appropriately in order to reduce incurring fatigue.

Deppression in older adults(community) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Deppression in older adults(community) - Essay Example This depression is not only painful for the person who experiences it, but also for the people existing in surroundings of this person. Gone is the time when treatment of this disease was unavailable, now the complete treatment and cure of the disease is accessible throughout the world. Many types of depression can affect the health of older adults. This mental illness changes the way the old people used to perceive feelings about their own selves and about their environment. This depression can affect the person in every walk of life, for minute aspects to the major ones. It induces the negative impacts not only in personal life of the old people but it also influence social, and office lives, as well to a great extent. Depression unlike mood disorders is a permanent feeling that just only gets worse if it goes untreated even for the life of the patient. There is no particular theory about the development of depression however; there are certain factors that can maximize the effects of depression. Researchers (Miller, pp. 11-13) showed that depression is a medical illness that is the effect of certain variations and instability in the chemistry of brain, these brain chemical agents known as neurotransmitters do help in regulation and controlling of moods. One of the most significant types of depression that occurs in older adults is the major depressive disorder. Studies have indicated that every one or two person out of the older adults having age of 65 above suffer from major depressive disorder. It may be possible that the older adults have the first attack of depression in their youth and then it returns back in the older age with greater intensity. There are two major symptoms of this kind of depression; one is the distressed moods and feelings for periods as long as two weeks and the other is the lacking or losing of interest or concern in

The Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Essay Example for Free

The Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Essay Plato believed in an ‘ideal state,’ the Republic, which is ruled and sustained by an ‘ideal’ group of people whose main objective should be to seek their highest good for the benefit of both the state and the society. â€Å"Only those who know what the good is are fit to rule†(Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 1995).   To know what is good, one has to â€Å"undergo long and rigorous intellectual training that will yield this knowledge† (p. 1541). Plato believed that the function of education is to help people embody their true nature of good because they will become the fuel that will keep the Republic running. Here, higher education is meant to pave the way for the development of the individual because it is crucial to the Republic’s existence. The failure of an individual to reach his highest good, albeit in theory of a secondary importance, would be the failure of the state as a whole.   In Plato’s view, it is the development of the individual, supported by education, which serves as the groundwork of the Republic and ensures that the latter does not collapse.   One can say that it is truly education which holds the state’s future in its hands. The true purpose of Higher Education is best depicted in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The Allegory of the Cave represents the different levels of knowledge that man must go through in order to achieve enlightenment.   Men were depicted as cave-dwellers in the depths of nothingness where there is a total absence of knowledge. â€Å"Most mankind dwell in the darkness of the cave. It is the function of education to lead men out of the cave into the world of the shadow† (Tulio, 2005).   Those who are able to escape the confinements of the cave would able Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato to acquire the knowledge that will lead to their evolution and form the ruling elite who will sustain the Republic. According to Kemerling (n.d.): â€Å"The highest goal in all of education, Plato believed, is knowledge of the Good; that is, not merely an awareness of particular benefits and pleasures, but acquaintance with the Form itself. Just as the sun provides illumination by means of which we are able to perceive everything in the visual world, he argued, so the Form of the Good provides the ultimate standard by means of which we can apprehend the reality of everything that has value† (Kemerling, n.d). Plato believed that education is a right given to a few. He saw society as a conglomeration of individuals organized into different classes â€Å"according to the value of their role in providing some component part of the common good† (Kemerling, n.d.). In this set-up, it is the person’s social class which determines whether he should be educated or not. Plato thought that the philosopher-class should have the right to receive education because â€Å"it is the philosopher above all others who excels at investigating serious questions about human life and at judging what is true and best† (n.d.). Dillon (2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic) also added:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦those fit for a guardians education must by nature be philosophic, spirited, swift, and strong.† The guardians must be lovers of learning like noble puppies who determine what is familiar and foreign by knowledge and ignorance† (Dillon, 2004). The problem with this kind of set-up is that only a few are permitted to improve themselves while the rest of the world is forced to fulfill the roles that society has imposed upon them. Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Kemerling (n.d.) explained the importance of the future role of philosophers: â€Å"Thus, despite prevalent public skepticism about philosophers, it is to them that an ideal society must turn for the wisdom to conduct its affairs properly. But philosophers are made, not born. So we need to examine the program of education by means of which Plato supposed that the future philosopher-kings can acquire the knowledge necessary for their function as decision-makers for the society as a whole† (Kemerling, n.d.) Plato viewed the development of the individual as serving an autocratic social usefulness as far as education is concerned (although most believe that Plato advocated democratic principles in his theory of education). Education for the popular mass was never Plato’s ideology. He advocated educational reforms intended only for the philosopher and the warrior class. â€Å"Plato believed that the interests of the state are best preserved if children are raised and educated by the society as a whole, rather than by their biological parents† (Kemerling, n.d). The true essence of self-actualization, therefore, was just a privilege given to this ruling class because of their access to education.   It did not have any self-serving interests even if self-development was an initial pre-requisite for the success Plato’s ideal state. Education is solely for the purpose of the good of the Republic. Oxford Companion to Philosophy (1995) stated:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"They will govern with a view to maximizing the happiness of the state as a whole, but Plato thinks that the way to achieve this is to impose a strict censorship to prevent wrong ideas being expressed, to ensure that each person sticks to his Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato own allotted job, so that he does not meddle with affairs that are not his concern, and so on. Plato was firmly against democracy, and seems to have seen no connection between happiness and individual liberty† (Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 1995). But as much as education serves a state function, it cannot completely detach itself from its secondary aims of self-development. According to Scolnicov (n.d) in his paper Plato on Education as the Development of Reason, â€Å"the ultimate educational objective, then, is to bring about a revolution in the educands perception of the role of reason† (Scolnicov, n.d).   He continued, â€Å"Platos theory of education aims at specifying the conditions of the growth of the socratic man, whose soul is free from contradictions and whose excellence is justified knowledge† (n.d). For Plato, man’s rationality can be shaped through an educational curriculum that teaches these specific subjects: music, story-telling and gymnastics. Musical education should be started in childhood because it is an age where children are still ‘pliable.’ There should be censorship in the telling of tales because children still do not possess the quality to discern what is good and bad.   It is Plato’s view that children have no moral nature when they are born, but education will instill in them virtues of courage, moderation and justice that will help them seek the nature of good. â€Å"Through the telling of carefully crafted tales, mothers and nurses will shape their childrens souls (Dillon, 2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic). Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato The narrative style of tales is the second part of the ‘philosophical education.’   Imitation or Mimetic poetry is only acceptable if the individual will imitate virtues that were taught to them in childhood. Crafting of tales are important â€Å"because they are the most effective method of educating guardian’ souls† (Dillon, 2004). Here, one can see that rationality does not only pertain to reason (of the mind) but also of the soul. Gymnastic education, on the other hand, affirms the symbiotic relationship between the mind, the body and the soul: all the components that lead to the total development of the individual. For Plato, â€Å"that a good soul produces a good body, and that a healthy intellect ensures a healthy body† (Dillon, 2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic). One component missing will ultimately result in the demise of the other. Dillon   (2004) stated: â€Å"Although music is the most important component in the guardians education, equilibrium between music and gymnastics is important for the production of moral guardians. Because a solely gymnastic education causes savagery and a purely musical education causes softness, the two must be balanced† (Dillon, 2004). The educational requirements of learning music, story-telling and gymnastics would determine who will ultimately become the guardians of society. Those who are able to possess the nature of good throughout the educational process will win over those who â€Å"will rebel against the city’s ideology† (Dillon, 2004). Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato References Cornford, F. (translator) (1945). The Republic of Plato. London: Oxford University Press. Dillon, A. (2004). Education in Plato’s Republic. Retrieved December 25, 2007 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/dillon/education_plato_republic.html Honderich, T (ed.) (1995). Oxford Companion to Philosophy. New York: Oxford   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press. Kemerling, G. (n.d.). Plato: Education and the Value of Justice: Plato Life and Works. Retrieved December, 25, 2007 from http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2h.htm. Tulio, D. (2005). Historical, Philosophical, Legal and Technological Foundations of Education II. Manila: National Bookstore Publication. Scolnicov, S. (n.d.). Plato on Education as the Development of Reason. Retrieved December 25, 2007 from http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Anci/AnciScol.htm

Similarities and differences Essay Example for Free

Similarities and differences Essay But Ginsberg keeps hope alive by believing that salvation is possible through unity. Ginsberg does this by calling Solomon his brother, his equal: There can only be salvation if we embrace the world as one. Like he says in line 72: ah, Carl, while you are not safe I am not safe, and now youre really in the total animal soup of time. Like Whitman, Ginsberg believed in embracing the Other to achieve a sense of oneness that is not about being the same but about recognizing the inherent rights and individuality of each person. And just like Whitman, Ginsberg was as vocal, if not more so, about homoeroticism in his poetry: who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy, who blew and were blown by those human seraphim, the sailors, caresses of Atlantic and Caribbean love, who balled in the morning in the evenings in rose gardens and the grass of public parks and cemeteries scattering their semen freely to whomever come who may†. (Howl, line 36/38) And unlike in Whitman’s poem, the reference to homoeroticism in Ginsberg’s poem is more powerful because he used direct language as compared to Whitman especially when it is considered taboo and something short of a disease at that time. Indeed, including homoeroticism in Ginsberg poem can be seen as a tool to draw people’s attention to the reality that they refuse to accept – in effect, Ginsberg is trying to make them see what they hope does not exist. More than just a homoerotic reference to Ginsberg’s personal life, reading these passages as social commentary will help more in understanding the poem’s message and the statement it seeks to make at that time and context. Both writers yearned for a world that goes beyond the material. The only salvation possible from the degrading, repetitive and alienating modern world is the acceptance of the individual and the embracing of our inherent sameness and difference. While Whitman portrayed a world that was full of promise by recognizing himself in each and everyone, Ginsberg depicted a world of counterculture to escape the stifling Molochs of modern society. He tried to find salvation in crossing the borders of language, time, society and experience. He crossed the limitations of the mind through the use of drugs and used repetition in his work to establish a quasi-religious tone or chant as an extension of the spiritual world. It is not surprising that there are many similarities between Leaves of Grass and Howl. Allen Ginsberg, after all, read Whitman and even took Whitman’s tone and style in writing his own poem. Ginsberg’s Howl is Whitmanesque in the sense that it took for its subject the individual and its quest for his rights and freedom, and also he employed Whitman’s natural speech rhythms and long lines. Whitman using free verse demonstrated his dedication to democracy, to a society not bound by rigid rules and uniformity but upheld individuality and freedom, and Ginsberg’s adopting the same showed his own perseverance to give voice to all those who want to break free from the constricting social norms his time presented. Their uninterrupted stream of consciousness writing style, without reflective interruptions that may diminish their spontaneity, rendered the truth as they saw it. To achieve this, Whitman and Ginsberg had to cross the borders of what was generally accepted as poetry. They challenged the barriers of what was considered poetry, and by doing so, made breakthrough poetry. Conclusion Considered landmarks in American literature, both Leaves of Grass and Howl are remarkably unconventional, especially taking into account the time of their respective publications. Maybe the overall theme of salvation through unity was not new, but the means through which both poets achieved this definitely were during their time. Both Whitman and Ginsberg looked for new ways towards an uninhibited expression of the mind, as the above mentioned salvation was only possible through challenging existing notions of order and social norms. Thus, by challenging the conventional rules of grammar and style in their poetry, the poets were, in effect, expressing their desire for a more liberal society, for hope for the people that through their works an emotion will be stirred within them calling out for the preservation of the human spirit and freedom of the individual. For two poems separated by a hundred year interval and which continues to make waves even today, truly, it is a magnificent feat. Finally, the poems’ survival is enough credit to show that these are literary masterpieces worthy to be read as text by themselves and not as mere extensions of their poets.

Poor Behaviour To Manage Education Essay

Poor Behaviour To Manage Education Essay An unfortunate term, perhaps, behaviour management, it implies that from the outset there will be poor behaviour to manage, and that we have precluded much about a student or cohort by considering management of behaviour from the outset. 1.0The truth though is that if we have not considered it at all, we will cause problems and noise between ourselves and our students. Much of that which we never would want to occur will occur if we do not, at the very outset, seek to understand; to provide frameworks of behaviour to follow for both the learner and the tutor to build trust and respect on both sides. We must examine what is meant by behaviour management, the factors involved in broad terms, and what we seek to achieve by it. 1.0 No learner comes to us as a blank sheet. No person is a blank sheet. We are not a blank sheet. We will have previous experience, and based on that previous experience we make a prediction of what will happen next. It will affect how we react, and how our students react. 4.1 Knowing this makes the tutor the most influential part of the learning experience. 3.1Adopting the correct stance and strategy for the psychodynamics at work within a classroom is crucial if we are to provide a positive and effective learning environment and learning experience. 1.0 Getting the dynamics wrong will lead to learners disengaging, becoming restless, attending badly and breaking rules of conduct and discipline agreed at the outset. 3.1 Careful attention to behaviourism in structure, policy and in recognition of it in the learners is fundamentally important for developing an environment that will be behaviourally stable. 2.0/ 3.1 Rules, that need to be agreed with learners if they are to be effective, will include organisational policy rules. These are likely to be rules over which there is little latitude for movement and provide the framework around which the agreements are structured. 3.1 2.0Attendance, for example, rules on bullying and respect, inclusivity and diversity. Assessment methods, professional standards and personal behaviour, roles and responsibilities. 3.1 2.0 They will also include disciplinary procedures that are clear and fair, structured to promote re-engagement and identify causes for varying from the code of conduct so that clear targets can be set to regain good behaviour. 2.0/3.1Without the framework of policy rules would appear unilateral and therefore polarising. 2.0/ 3.1 Understanding that the student and the tutor are bound under the same rules is a unifying experience, and helps 3.1learners build a rapport with their tutor without the interference of an unnecessarily polarised relationship. 3.1Yet the benefit of clear lines and boundaries exist for each party to rely on. Christine Richmond (Rogers, August 2002) (page 58) 3.1 1.0 As I have said, no learner comes as blank sheet. Most will have experienced positive experiences in education, along with negative ones at times. Others will have had very little positive experience at all. This will affect their expectations of what will happen in their next experience. 1.0 If the rules didnt help them achieve last time, why should they obey any rules this time? 1.0Perhaps not obeying the rules will get better results? 1.0 If a student has been excluded before, they may expect it again, and would rather you just got on with it. 1.0 Some have not achieved well before for a variety of factors, if they feel they are not likely to achieve they may be disruptive to avoid failure in the future; not doing an assignment doesnt mean they were not capable of it, they chose to not do it as a challenge to the rule, taking ownership of failure on their terms in a more acceptable form. (Miller, 2002)(Andy Miller/Bill Rogers 2002 (page 69) 3.1 The research referred to above relates to addressing this very early, on the first day your students are with you. At this point they have no rapport with you, all they know is their previous experience and perhaps will be predicting that you will be no different from those previous experiences, and that you will not make a difference. 1.0 It may also be social factors and peer expectation, a desire to be included in a groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ all these factors are part of what influences individual behaviour initial part of a study course. 4.1/ 3.2/ 3.1 Specifying and explaining a rule is crucial. We could say no talking while your teacher is teaching thats the rule. For students with fragile internal controls this is a target to aim at, a button to push( playing into the hands of a passive aggressive type). 3.1We could alternatively say its important that everybody hears instructions clearly for the best chance to achieve. Please make sure that you are able to hear, and your neighbours can hear clearly while any tutor is giving you instruction so that you understand. 4.1/4.2 This is explaining the same rule, but is also explaining why there is a rule and the benefits to the learner of that rule. 3.1There is certainly more likelihood of cooperation with rules given in this way, with reason and foundation, rather than as a totalitarian dictate. (OBrien, 2002) (2002) teaching leadership and behavioural management; page 93 3.1/4.1/4.2/For some students accepting the rules will need to follow very quickly with a positive result from those rules, reinforcing it is beneficial to them to follow it. This does not follow that breaking the rules should result in reprimand, but more a reminder of the rule. 3.1/ 3.2Moreso, to ask the student what the rule is, and why it is a rule, but without making it a humiliating affair. 3.1/4.2Keeping the event low key de-escalates the any spiralling frustration. Returning to the curriculum and the lesson objective is the only purpose here, not a public win for either side. Returning to the task is a win for the tutor, and a success for the learner in re-engaging 3.1/3.2/4.2. For some students, there will be no solution to behaviour that constantly trucks the rules, only good management of it so that it has least impact on the learning for the student and learners in the cohort. 3.2The humanistic view is that the teacher is not responsible for the behaviour, only the manage ment of it. 3.2/4.2Liberated from the feeling that you must get this class inside the rules leaves you free to focus energy on how to best manage the circumstances and achieve the curriculum. (Parsons, 2002, p. 117) 4.2/3.2 This does not mean that behaviour should go unchecked, but should be focused on low key solutions that avoid conflict (which is always a destructive force in relationship building) and engage respect, that does encourage relationship building and trust. The rules we make for students must have the aim of safety, trust and respect. We should be making sure our students are reaching the top of Maslows hierarchy or needs and that all of our rules and policy and dynamics are tilted only towards enabling learning. If they are not then they can be seen as rules without meaning. 4.1 This does not mean that some behaviour cannot be challenged directly and publicly. 4.2 Dangerous or abusive behaviour is often best dealt with quickly and publicly, reinforcing to the group that they can have confidence in your leadership and surety of safety. Always, though, making sure that the quickest possible return to task is achieved. 4.2/4.1 Once the incident is stopped, it is best then to return to low key treatment involving a private tutorial with the learner/transgressor, a least intrusive intervention (Rogers, 2002)page 7. Use positive words and statements rather than negative ones (Braithwaite 2001) et al. (Rogers, August 2002) Christine Richmond 4.2/ 4.1/ 3.1 4.1/4.2 We must de-escalate events and interventions. When a person is angry (Teachers included) they can make poor judgements. Far better to make an intervention that returns quickly to task and give all parties a chance to reflect and calm before addressing discipline or correction in a calm and cool manner, when it is easier to articulate and more readily accepted on all sides (particularly true of active-aggressive types). 4.2This may include a time out, or inviting the student or students to remain at the end of lesson for a tutorial. Remaining neutral and calm can be difficult but it is a professional imperative to achieve it. 1.0Reflect that the event may not be related to the underlying cause of the behaviour and assess it from a humanistic point of view. 1.0 Planning can do much to mitigate risks of behaviour from the outset. Students of different backgrounds, ethnicity, race and religion can be in conflict before they ever take a seat in the class. Some may be bringing pre-existing relationships and loyalties with them from previous schools or colleges, or from elsewhere. Having a policy of rules, across an entire campus, keeps consistency. 1.0 2.0 3.1 It avoids the risk of too many tutors and teachers applying rules confusingly differently giving learners sure ground to rely on. 4.2/1.0There are of course students with varying conditions that will appear often to overstep the line on behaviour and will remain unchallenged. We must be careful that accommodating our group profile does not undermine rules that all others are expected to adhere to, and yet accommodate these students fully, so that they are included fully and have the same opportunity of success. The process should be clear and transparent and include the learner in the planning as much as is practicable. This may include support professionals. (Learning Skills Development Agency, 2007) 4.1/4.2We can do this more easily if all behaviour management is kept low key and designed to re-engage a student to task. 4.2/3.1We must also work towards preventing and label that the learner feels they have been attached to becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy. 4.1/4.2Conceptualising behaviour in terms of Primary, secondary and residual behaviours (Rogers) is a useful process that allows refocusing of behavioural issues so that positive behaviour can be affirmed and rewarded. 4.1/4.2/3.2/3.1 This crucial if incremented step provides new experience for the learner, new confidence and eventually the chance of altered behaviour in the future, making all learning more accessible to that learner. Building bridges, not barriers. 1.0 Fundamentally destructive behaviour from a teacher can cause students to be uncomfortable, they will slip down the hierarchy of needs, trust is broken and then there is no respect. Some causes of destructive behaviour are obvious or at least should be. 1.0 Insults directed at a student or group of students, dont be thick Oi, youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fattyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. If we used them toward other adults in any other arena they would be unacceptable, and so they are here. They hurt, they are erosive and destructive. 1.0/2.0 Sarcasm is also destructive (as well as likely to be hard to perceive for those with Aspergers/autism). It is a cheap shot, and will not yield long term results other than a degradation of student / tutor relationship. This is such a fundamental and crucial area that it should be part of the organisational policy and not rely on individual teachers and tutors to establish. (OBrien, 2002) 1.0 What happens when we start to trade insults and sarcasm with students is a sarcastic and insulting response. We have set the trend by doing this and what follows is our fault. We will lose control of the lesson, the students will at some point say something that pushes all our buttons and we will react with anger. If we cant follow anger with apology and a climb-down and regain respect then we should not set foot on the road that leads to it. It is much the same for management in commerce. 1.0 One could simply not entertain behaviour of such nature and retain respect of staff, colleagues and superiors, nor the all-important customer (which in many ways a student is). At its extreme it is bullying. There are many parallels between classroom management and man management in commerce and industry. Its a people thing, students are people and so are teachers and tutors. 4.2/4.1 Keeping staff focused on their function is crucial to success and the extent of responsibilities must be very clearly understood for all parties. A manager of a workshop will be very clear that a worker is accountable to achieve a given level of output, and we must be clear with students that they are accountable for their output, and in return we are accountable to provide a structure in which that flow of work is constant yet manageable, as is the case of the workshop manager. 4.2Encouraging an environment where the roles are clearly understood, and e ach understands their responsibility, nurtures a culture of cooperation where hierarchy can be reduced and a partnership culture adopted through mutual trust. This means that instead of competing roles they become collaborating, symbiotic roles. (Robertson, 2002) 4.2Environmentally we can control the room layout, and to some extent the temperature and feel of the room. 1.0If it is hot and airless everyone feels stressed, as is the case if it is far too cold, too cramped or learners find it hard to see or hear what is going on. 4.2/1.0We can make an effort not to be intimidating; teachers can be intimidating on many levels without meaning to be. They have excellent subject knowledge, they know whats coming next, they are allowed to ask for your attention and expect to get it, they have voices that carry and they look comfortable in their environment. They can make the work look easy when the student doesnt understand it at all, all these things are intimidating, particularly to students with fragile internal controls. 4.2We can control the flow of information so the student is not overwhelmed, but so that they feel there is plenty to do and do not waste time, thinking that there is only one simple task. 4.2We can communicate clearly, in whichever way the learner accepts most readily. 4.2We must provide them with clear information of what is going to happen when, who we are, who others are and where to find things so that they acquire some ownership and belonging as immediately as possible. 4.2 We can focus on low key interventions that do not leave a student feeling excluded or highlighted in themselves, only in the action away from the task. 4.2Use of body language and eye contact can be quite enough to bring a student back on task (Rogers, 2002)4.2 give ownership of the behaviour to a student by asking them what the rule is and why it is a rule, then move on without further comment (Rogers, 2002). 4.2 Discuss the rules with students so they understand and agree the rationale behind the rule. Make sure the students are aware that there are rules for Teachers and Tutors too, and that we all are under these rules in the framework. 4.2/2.0Be clear on the procedures involved in the policy framework and how that policy is engaged with and what it seeks to achieve. 1.0Be aware that the students will be carrying past experience and that this may not always be positive. 3.1/3.2Be prepared to build bridges and not barriers. 4.2 Recognise achievement and try to divorce the student from the behaviour so that they are free to move their position in approach to learning. 4.2/3.1/3.2Build on good experience so that is supplants any negative experience. 4.2Always let a student move on from a confrontation with a clean sheet, avoid grudges on both sides. 4.2/3.2 Focus on managing behaviour and not waste energy trying to solve behaviour that some students will be unable to comply with. Always return to the objective of completing the task, the curriculum and how that can be achieved with the best management that can be achieved. There will always be times when we misjudge, or engage the wrong strategy. We must not make ourselves a victim, but accept any responsibility that is ours. We must be able to objectively review behaviour and strategy and be open to trying a new approach. We must be open to talking with colleagues and developing our own skills. We must be equally prepared to be wrong and be proven so. The only fault in this would be not being prepared to change or develop a new strategy, or listen to colleagues. References; Harvard; Learning Skills Development Agency, 2007. Whats your Problem. London: Learning skills Network. Miller, A. /. R. B., 2002. Teacher leadership and behaviour management. s.l.:SAGE. OBrien, T., 2002. Teacher leadership and behavioural management. s.l.:Sage. Parsons, L., 2002. Teacher leadership and behaviour management. s.l.:Sage. Robertson, J., 2002. Teacher leadership and behavioural management. London: sage. Rogers, B. /. R. C., August 2002. Teacher leadership and behaviour management. s.l.:Sage. Rogers, B., 2000. Classroom Behaviour: A Practical Guide to Effective Teaching, Behaviour Management and Colleage Support. London: s.n. Rogers, B., 2002. Teacher leadership and behaviour management. s.l.:sage. 1. Potential factors that lead to behaviour that can disrupt a learning environment Cross references P1p 1-2 P2p 2-3 P3p 1 P5p 3-4-5 P6p 1-2-3 P7p 1 P8p 2 P1p 3 P2p 1-2 P5p 4 P6p 1 P8p 1 2. Understand organisational policies relating to managing behaviours in the learning environment. 3. Promote behaviours that contribute to a purposeful learning environment. 3.1 Review ways of encouraging behaviours that contribute to an effective learning environment. 3.2 Use strategies for encouraging behaviours that contribute to a purposeful learning environment P1p 2-3 P2p 1-2 ref P3p 2-3-4-5 P4p 1 ref 4. Be able to manage behaviours that disrupt a purposeful learning environment. 4.1 review ways of managing behaviours that disrupt a purposeful learning environment. 4.2 Use strategies for managing behaviours that disrupt a purposeful learning environment

Comparing the Train in The South and One Hundred Years of Solitude :: comparison compare contrast essays

  Ã‚   In One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez and "The South" by Jorge Luis Borges, many similar devices are used by the authors. Their presentations and their uses are sometimes similar and at times dissimilar. There is one device that is used by both authors that is one of the most prominent devices in both works--the train. The presentation and use of the train in both texts is different, but in both it is a method of transportation and an evil entity that is an active symbol of change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Juan Dahlmann, the protagonist in Borges' "The South", cuts his forehead on the edge of a recently painted door and is poisoned. He is taken to a sanitarium where he makes a gradual recovery. After his release, Dahlmann takes a train to his ranch in the South for further recuperation. In One Hundred Years of Solitude, the train is brought in by Aureliano Triste, a son of Colonel Aureliano Buendà ­a, when his ice business outgrows the local market. With the coming of the train, Macondo becomes verily linked to the outside world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The train in "The South" is presented as a sleek, mystical, and evil entity. Before Dahlmann leaves for his ranch, he visits a cafà © where there is a black cat, sleeping. It is almost as if it is lying in waiting for something. The cat is described as "the magical animal"(1). Immediately following is a description of the train, which is described as being lying waiting. A connection between the mystical animal and the mechanical train has been established. The train has become a mystical beast. It begins to move when Dahlmann gets on, it stops to let him off, it takes him where it feels. The beast decides Dahlmann's fate. Cats are often seen as beasts of evil omen. The linking of cat and train brings an evil aspect to the train.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In One Hundred Years of Solitude, the train is presented as concrete and real, but terrifying and with a malevolent, living connection: the snake. There is no mystical imagery and sleekness surrounding it. Instead, it's plain and simple, just "the flower-bedecked train."(2) The first Macondian to see it describes it as "something frightful, like a kitchen dragging a village behind it."(3) The train has "a whistle with a fearful echo and a loud, panting toom-toom"(4) The train is very much like a snake, a symbol of evil.

Graduation Speech: Knowledge is a Powder Keg, You are the Fuse :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Throughout the often murky and turbulent waters of life, we must set our sails towards the noble goal of just and civil society. On this trip we have only education as our compass whose needle guides us towards our humanity. We cannot assume that we are done with our education now that we enter adulthood. Instead, we must continue to strive towards that noble goal of civilization, by creating an educated and not an ignorant society. Although those who came before us were not perfect, we can learn from them without having to make the same mistakes ourselves. We know that between 1941 and 1945 America and the rest of the world was embroiled in a great world war, one which would test the endurance of the fighting forces worldwide. This was a war that would come to coin the term, genocide. We know about how the German people were misled because we have been told so; we know about apathy because our history classes found the books to teach us; and we know what kind of atrocities that apathy created because our classes gave us the skills to discover the truth and avow that something that horrid would never happen again. More recently global warming was recognized as a serious threat to our future. Through education society has changed its course by becoming more environmentally aware. This was and is civilization. So why on the night of something as wonderful and momentous as graduation, would I discuss some of the world’s darkest hours? Simple, it is today, in this spot we sit that we begin to wage another war. Not a war with guns and swords, or bulldozers and fires. No, together our generation is donning the armor to fight a war for civilization. Because it is by making choices today and tomorrow, it is through teaching the people how to think for themselves, and learning what really happened that keeps us from being mislead by falseness. Our fight is to teach the world about science so that we will understand our world, what is possible and what’s not. Why we cannot assume antibiotics will always work. To understand language so that we can read and comprehend, stay current and stay balanced. Language enables us to read the novel â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God,† and for the only time in some of our lives understand the coming of age of an African American woman.

Stereotyping in Society :: essays research papers

Stereotyping in Society I think it is pretty hard to go through a week without experiencing at least two or three incidents where someone or a group of people is being sterotyped. Whether it comes from jokes, television, comics, or just hearing people talk about other people, stereotyping is around all the time. The first example of stereotyping that I witnessed comes from the television show "That 70s Show." At least every episode the "crew," or group of friends always hang out, and they have a foreign exchange student for a friend. They don't know what country he's from but they always make fun of foreigners on the show. They crack jokes about him floating over on a raft to the United States and always make references to him being from different countries that he's not from just because his skin is dark. The jokes are funny and they aren't supposed to hurt the character's feelings, but they are very stereotypical. I saw a commercial the other day that was an advertisement for using protection during sex to help the fight against the spread of AIDS. The commercial starts out talking about how African Americans represent the leaders of sports because they have the best basketball players, leaders in baseball, and have the fastest track runners. Then at the end of the commercial they say that they are also leading the population of the United States in being diagnosed with the AIDS virus. When I saw the commercial I didn't really know where it was going and it is good that it ended with a serious message, but I didn't really agree with the way they presented it. It is probably true that African Americans make up most of some sports, but they didn't have to make it sounds like African Americans are superior to white people when it comes to sports. The third example that I witnessed was from the show Seinfeld. It was the episode where the character Elaine met a new boyfriend and she didn't know what race he was. The guy was slightly dark complected and a different race than white was expected so Elaine kept on taking him to different restaurants trying to figure out what race he was.

American Beauty (movie)

The movie American Beauty bears the name of the most popular in the USA brand of roses. The roses are present in the picture everywhere. They are like a scarlet ribbon running through the canvas of the narration, each time concentrating audience’s attention upon themselves as upon the stereotype of American beauty. This is not a story about empty cellophane bag flying in the wind. This is not a saga about a masturbating wimp American man. And even not about that that life is a shit and women are you know who. This is rather the story of stereotypization of mass conscience that reached global proportion.This is a story about that that our life as any reality is a mosaic with different patterns – sometimes even ugly and detestable. Some of us see the life lines interlacing as a stifling web and others see it as roads running away beyond the skyline. Overall, American Beauty is a film about the life of an average American family, and problems experienced by each member of this family. And in this case it does not matter is the family American, English, French or any other as it was already mentioned the stereotypical conscience became global.Movie plot is simple enough and, to certain extent, hackneyed. To tell the truth the beginning of the picture evokes feelings of boredom as you expect a typical tearful story of jerk husband, stinker wife, their daughter suffering from loneliness and lack of understanding and their neighbors – a bit screwed guy, trading drugs and practicing voyeurisme with his video camera, his father, colonel retired, who hates homosexuals being himself a latent homosexual. However, the way all this story is presented makes this movie different and distinguished.American Beauty is impressive for the fact that there are no right or guilty characters in the story. For example, Lester (Kevin Spacey) is not a dull, horny jerk, he is rather an average man who could not achieve in this life anything or even establish a normal f amily, where al least someone would understand and support him. His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is not a stinker or a whore; she is a simply unhappy woman, which tries hard to bluster way out of difficult life â€Å"I will sell this house today, I will sell this house today†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Carolyn), but fails.And their daughter Jane (Thora Birch) is not a wicked child dreaming of killing her parents but rather a poor little girl, who feels awfully lonely and seeks for someone to understand her. The central event of the film is the moment when Lester is trying to free himself from the chains of commonness and dullness of the life surrounding him. He quits his well-paid position and starts working in McDonald’s and going in for sport. But the outward manifestation is not the point; the point is that Lester got free inward.He ceased being afraid of his wife, he has got that job which does not give you satisfaction and where you have to lick the boots of your boss is worthless. These changes made Lester feel free and happy! â€Å"I feel like I've been in a coma for about twenty years. And I'm just now waking up. † (Lester) But this is the moment when an inevitable end had to come. Lester is killed. Any person from his surrounding could have done it. Daughter Jane, who could not stand his lusty stare at her classmate: â€Å"I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts every time I bring a girlfriend home from school.†(Jane); wife Carolyn, who hates him as she regards him as a sluggard and loser; Jane’s friend, Ricky (Wes Bentley), whom Jane asked to kill her father; Ricky’s father, crazy about patriotism and fascism colonel, who believes his son to have an affair with Lester; and even Lester who feels good and likes his new life. Why not to die at such a moment? To leave this world with pleasant emotions†¦ I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me †¦ but it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world.Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much. My heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst †¦ (Lester) The movie is masterfully shot in all respects. Young film director Sam Mendes has demonstrated fairly good sense of humor and style. Take for example red rose-petals emerging as soon as Lester gets absorbed in his erotic fantasies. Red petals serve as unambiguous, though delicate euphemism of orgasmic feelings of the main character. This cross-cutting image looks very nice though till the end of film it becomes exuberant and starts irritating.And finally the empty bag fluttering in the wind is like a key symbol of the film. It is noticed by Ricky through his camera lens, who looks at the world only in this way, through his camera, as it makes reality to be accepted easier. â€Å"Video's a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember†¦ and I need to remember†¦ Sometimes th ere's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in† (Ricky) Ricky, as a real artist, sees beauty in the things which are seen by others as ugly.This is, as a matter of fact, the notion of â€Å"American beauty†, the world, which you see beyond U. S. model through this or that stimulating means. American beauty is a McDonald’s, but not as a place where you come to gorge fast, sooner as a place of inner freedom. This is a bright scarlet car, of which you dreamt all your life but had not bought because there were more â€Å"useful† things you had to buy. In the long run, American beauty is your inner freedom, freedom in mind and not under the canopy of Star & Stripes flag. Bibliography American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. 1999. DVD, 2002.

Reading Response to Ode to a Nightingale

In Ode to a Nightingale Keats introduces the reader to his discontent with the void of feeling he is experiencing. In the first line Keats says how his, â€Å"heart aches† which the reader would interpret as pain; however the second half of the first line he describes, â€Å"A drowsy numbness†. This tells me that Keats is uncomfortable with the â€Å"numbness† he experiences. In the second line Keats says, â€Å"as though of hemlock I had drunk†. Norton foot notes tell us that hemlock is a poison that acts as a tranquilizer in mild doses.Sedatives cause a euphoria that could be described as â€Å"drowsy numbness†. In the first line Keats repeats the A sound with â€Å"aches, and a drowsy numbness pains†. In the second line Keats repeats the H sound with â€Å"Hemlock I had drunk†. This alliteration and assonance creates a sort of euphoric musical quality, further emphasizing Keats’ chemically induced lack of feeling described. C ontinuing with the idea of drug induced emptiness in the third line Keats speaks of â€Å"some dull opiate to the drains†.Also continuing the use of assonance Keats repeats the D sound with â€Å"emptied some dull opiate to the drains†. Again the feeling produced by this repetition mimics the numb sway of a high. However this line is still more obvious than the first two because Keats mentions â€Å"opiate† which is a much more well-known drug that produces a numb sort of euphoria. The fourth line of the poem introduces a new dynamic to the first stanza. Keats says, â€Å"Lethe-wards had sunk:† Norton tells us that Lethe is a mythological river in Hades that causes forgetfulness.With this line Keats’ intention in the first stanza can be expanded from a euphoric void of feeling to one that causes him to forget. Because of this and Keats’ later references to intoxication (see stanza 2) as well as references to death (see stanza 3) the reader c ould infer that Keats’ desired the forgetful, euphoric, lack of feeling. Though Keats opens the poem in line one with â€Å"My heart aches† one could debate just how much his heart really aches.

Financial Aid Appeal Essay

First year of college was very challenging to me yet I was still wasn’t ready for the courses that I chose. My goal was to obtain an a degree maybe, i haven’t decided yet, and then i wanted to transfer to a 4 year institute to obtain a B.A Degree. My educational goal was to be majoring in an unknown field to many. In Fall 2009 I chose courses I have since realized were too difficult for a first-time student and I became overwhelmed. Having had no prior experience with college-level life, courses, and exams. I was not sure what to expect and learned that my study techniques lacking, resulting in poor grades. I also failed to attend the review sessions, did not seek assistance from my professor or tutoring help, and as a result I failed my courses. Due to these circumstances I have been rendered ineligible to receive financial aid. Without financial aid I will be unable to continue my education because I cannot afford the cost of supplies, fees, transportation, and personal expenses. Receiving financial aid will allow me more time to study properly. Without it, I will be forced to take time away from my studies in order to work. My academics are my first priority now and I realize I need to devote all of my time to them in order to be successful in the future I recently evaluated my plans to improve my academic. I have determined the following points to be the keys to my educational success. 1. I will balance the course choices better. 2. I will manage my time wisely on academics. 3. I will seek assistance with my coursework when I have difficulties. 4. I will maintain communication with my professors on a regular basis to ensure success in my courses 5. Complete classes C or better. I understand the expectation better now and I am doing well in my coursework this semester with currently all passing grades. I have made a huge improvement and I am determined to pass every class this semester. Although I have made great improvements, without financial aid I fear I will find myself struggling to succeed once again. I hope those of the financial aid committee who read this will give me a second chance to help me accomplish my goals and reach success for the rest of my time at college. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to explain my financial circumstances. I look forward to hearing about your decision. Sincerely, Any correction/improvement needed? thanks

Counseling Liza

Joe understands Liza’s theme or belief that she has a problem with her boyfriend. It is not a life theme seeing as Liza’s problems with her boyfriend are recent and ongoing events. Besides, the frustration that she feels is her moodiness in the face of the problematic situation. However, if Liza expresses the belief that â€Å"All men are obnoxious,† Joe may rightfully conclude that it is a life theme that his client is expressing; and that, in fact, she is having a problem with her boyfriend because of a core belief.In order to deal with Liza’s stuck pattern of repeating the same story about her problem with her boyfriend, Joe should use both education and hypothesizing in his counseling sessions with Liza. It is clear that Liza would like to find a way out of her problem with her boyfriend. Regardless of whether she would like to continue her relationship with her boyfriend or not, Joe should provide his client with literature concerned with her particul ar patterns.Bibliotherapy in the area of relationship patterns should help Liza understand her own patterns. Furthermore, Joe should complement the education with hypothesizing by asking questions that would allow Liza to speak her mind and thereby understand her situation better. To allow Liza to hypothesize, Joe should ask her questions after she has spoken her automatic thoughts.If Liza claims about her boyfriend, â€Å"He always does that,† referring to problem behavior on the part of her boyfriend; Joe should follow up with the question, â€Å"Why do you think he does that? † Such questions would allow Liza to truly understand the situation that she is faced with. Moreover, her education as part of the therapeutic process would add to her insight, allowing her to eventually leave the problem pattern that she must work her way out of with the help of the counselor.

Student Learning Outcomes Research Paper

Student Learning Outcomes Research Paper The student learning outcome I chose to research is the relationship between the development of oral language and the development of literacy. These are in the InTASC standards 1,2,4,5, and 8. Oral Language is the listening and speaking part of communication and is a process that develops naturally. The roots of oral language are listening, speaking, opportunities for conversation, and vocabulary development. Oral language development and vocabulary are directly linked to reading comprehension.As a teacher it will be your job to provide opportunities and support for students to develop their oral language. Oral Language lays the foundation for reading comprehension. Students have to be able to understand language at the oral level in order to be expected to understand it at the text level. If a student can only understand a 6 word sentence orally then they will only be able to understand those 6 words they read in a book. Oral language begins very early. Even before babies can say words they begin to coo and make sounds that develop into words. Parents should talk to babies and tell them the names of objects.Encouraging babies to say syllabus and repetitive sounds like â€Å"mama† and â€Å"dada† are great ways to begin oral development. If I child never hears any words or language spoken to them then how can they ever be expected to speak that language. As a teacher you should incorporate the following into your classroom to encourage oral language development; engage children in extended conversations, encourage children to tell and retell stories and events, discuss a wide range of topics and word meanings, use new and unusual words, ask open-ended questions, encourage language play.Some things for students to do to develop their oral language are; explore and experiment with language, name and describe objects in the classroom, ask and answer why, who, what, when, where and how questions, hear good mode ls of language use, and discuss topics of interest. Oral vocabulary is key when a beginning reader makes the transition from oral to written forms. Between grades 1 and 3, it is estimated that economically disadvantaged students' vocabularies increase by about 3,000 words per year and middle-class students' vocabularies increase by about 5,000 words per year.As a teacher you should recognize which of your students have a less environmentally rich home life and compensate for that. Also you should be aware of students that are not from English speaking homes. If the only place a student hears and reads English is at school, they are going to develop their vocabulary slower than a student who hears the language both at home and school. (Kieffer 146-157) Oral language and the development of literacy are interconnected and inextricably linked.Students need an environment which engages them in the literary practices of their community in which they live, interact and learn. The relations hip, then, is between everyday talk and literary language. For example, small children will mimic its parents gesturing. I can not state enough that oral language and literacy greatly compliment each other as a child develops their communication skills. In our schools teachers teach children to read and write by listening for the sounds in words and predicting the letters that are used to make those sounds.Sound-symbol relationship and phonemic awareness are very important developments for young children to be successful with the literacy curriculum. Children learn to understand and verbally express language at a very rapid pace, beginning with their first moments of life. Literacy development is obviously not expected from children until they enter school. Like oral language, there is a wide range of â€Å"normalcy† when it comes to the age a child will reach each milestone. Basically, each domain supports the other.Children whose articulation is poor often improve greatly w hen they are able to read, as the letters help them learn to produce the correct sounds and to sequence them appropriately. Likewise, children who have a good vocabulary and are good at spoken language will often become very successful readers. According to an article I found â€Å"key principles that were applied in the study to enable the development of a community of practice focused on information literacy integration. These principles can be summarized as: 1. nowledge is socially constructed and the social nature of cognitive development serves as a powerful dialogic model for understanding how IL could be integrated into the curriculum in a community of practice; 2. tools play an important role in these social interactions in curriculum integration; 3. internalization can serve as a powerful model when data is generated and analyzed using this research approach. † (Dawkins , and O'Neill 294-307) Reading comprehension depends on language abilities that have been developi ng since birth.Basic vocabulary and grammar are clearly essential to comprehension because each enables understanding of words and their interrelationships in and across individual sentences in a text. However, children who comprehend well go beyond word and sentence comprehension to construct a representation of the situation or state of affairs described by the text. In some theories, this is referred to as a mental model and it involves organizing a text’s multiple ideas into an integrated whole, using both information from the text and the reader’s own world knowledge.To do this, successful comprehend draw upon a set of higher-level cognitive and linguistic skills, including inferencing, monitoring comprehension, and using text structure knowledge. Take the following story for example: â€Å"Johnny carried a jug of water. He tripped on a step. Mom grabbed the mop. † The literal representation of the individual words and sentences does not enable the reader t o integrate their meanings and construct a mental model. Successful comprehenders understand narrative structure and couple it with their knowledge to infer that Johnny spilled the water.They then understand why Mom grabbed a mop. They also monitor their comprehension of stories-either written or spoken-and realize the need to make an inference that Johnny spilled the water to make sense of Mom’s response. (Justice, Guo, Kaderavek, and Dobbs-Oates 420-429) Literacy refers to the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently, and think critically about the written word. So lets think about this situation as an example of how oral language and literacy are connected. A student who is born in Mexico moves to the United States during 1st grade.Would you expect this student to read or write English? Of course not! So if this student came to your school never even having heard English would you just give them a book with only English words and no pictures and expect them to read it? Defiantly not! Would you give them a piece of paper and pen and expect them to write what they want in English? No way! Would you talk in normal sentences and expect a correct English reply? I hope not! So what would you do? Well having done research I would first find a student who also knows Spanish so that they can communicate and the new student wont feel alone.Students need to feel safe and comfortable in able to learn. Learning the letters is one of the next steps I would take in teaching the student to read, write and speak English. Saying the sound and pointing to the written letter then having the student trace the letter and say the sound. See how the oral and written process work together? They are both a process that are always developing. As humans we are always learning new words and vocabulary. I hope this paper has taught you a little bit about what I have learned about oral language and literacy development.This is a big point that I have learned a lot about thi s semester. I never really thought about how much the two are related until I started to research it and found so many different articles. I don’t think anyone can really argue that the two are not related. Just look at your own life and how you first learned to talk and read. Look at things in this class for example. We have learned vocabulary words not familiar to us. We were shown these words and told how they are pronounced so that now you can recognize the word in text and also pronounce the word when talking. Student Learning Outcomes Research Paper

Principles of Information Systems in Business and Organization Essay

Principles of Information Systems in Business and Organization - Essay Example Additionally, it refers to information or knowledge that is coded. Information on the other hand, refers to the data that is accurate, timely, organized and specific. It also covers data that is presented in a form that has a meaning and relevance. Knowledge entails the understanding of the information and facts through the process of learning, experience or education. This paper aims at discussing how data, information and knowledge are applicable in the context of administrative behavior theory. Administrative behavior theory refers to the process through which individuals work in an organization. The theory, which was established by Herbert Simon, indicates that individual in high positions make decisions while those in lower position make decisions with a bit higher factual component (Levinson, 2007). Additionally, it indicates that activities can only be evaluated against the goals set. Simon covers two major concepts within the administrative behavior. The first one is the bounded rationality. This concept covers the cognitive limitations of decision makers. It also indicates that during receiving, storing and receiving information as well as in solving problems, individuals face limitations. Other issues that are covered by the bounded rationality includes recognizing the costs of processing as well as gathering information, limiting the available utility functions and possibility of having a multi-valued and a vector function. Simon second concept is satisficing. This refers to the attempts to attain at least minimum value of a certain valuable without striving to achieve the minimum value of it. During satisficing, individuals use various strategies to get the data that is applied to identify the solution that satisfies a set of constraints. For example, during optimization, if X denotes set of options, and S  Ã¢Å â€ Ã‚  X portrays the satisfying options, then an optimization

The value and importance of the small firm to the world economy Essay

The value and importance of the small firm to the world economy - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the recent times, the role of small firms has been recognized to be extremely important for socio-economic development. Gà «rgjaliu-Thaà §i stated that small firms in the current world economy are closely associated with employment and poverty eradication. It is claimed that small firms decentralize economic control and offer individuals a stake in the future. However, there has been constant debate being made-over the importance of small firms. Amid these constant debates, the proponents of small firms have stated that successful small firms are crucial for the global economic development. It has been claimed that small firms are the major source of innovation and development of entrepreneurship. In this section critical analysis of the article, first, the researcher wants to demonstrate the statistics presented in the article. Correspondingly, Day argued that most firms across the world are small firms based on the number of emp loyees employed. Taking the example of the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) business environment, the author has stated that 95 percent of firms in the UK employ less than 10 employees which imply that small firms are the predominant aspect of the socio-economic growth of the UK. Cromie firmly asserted that marketing in small firms is equally important as in the case of large firms. It is crucial that activities pertaining to marketing in small firms are relevant as well as appropriate considering the problems that it intends to resolve and the life cycle position of the firms.

Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis - Assignment Example Rest of the paragraph is built on the topic sentence and every sentence further builds the reader’s thought on the subject. Sentences are structured beautifully and cohesively. The paragraph is so tightly structured that the exclusion of even a sentence can damage the comprehension of the topic. Contrary to this paragraph # 1 rather starts with a slack sentence. Reader finds it hard to get into the theme of the paragraph. This cause a jerky start and reader jumps to next sentence in order to get to the bottom of the idea being presented. But one can only find the topic sentence in the last line of the paragraph. Rest of the paragraph is a product of loosely knitted sentences with least or no cohesion among ideas and elements of the paragraph. Most of the sentences are structured in a complex manner which decreases the readability of the paragraph. The sentence structure irritates the reader and he finds it hard to focus on the idea being presented. Redundant vocabulary and loo se connection between ideas and sentences also cause boredom. The relentless use of punctuation further destructs the continuity of the paragraph.

Understanding the Behaviour of Organisations in their Market Essay

Understanding the Behaviour of Organisations in their Market Environment - Essay Example In general, there are four basic types of market structure, namely perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly. Perfect Competition: Perfect competition is a situation when numerous firms are competing in the market (Machovec, 2002). For example, FMCG and FMCD sectors are perfectly competitive ones. The biggest advantage of a perfectly competitive market is that firms produce optimal output levels at a low cost. However, the biggest disadvantage is that companies earn minimal profit and there are no economies of scale. Monopoly: A monopoly is a market situation where only firm is operating and there are no competitors (Lele, 2006). For example, the local water electricity service providers are often considered to be operating in a monopoly market. The advantages of monopoly are no risk of overproduction, efficient use of resources, price leader, focuses on the production of a particular product or service. The labour cost is also low. On the other hand, the disadvantages of a monopoly market are that the company can exploit customers by charging more or offering low quality products. There is huge restriction in choice of customers resulting in a low buyer power. Furthermore, the absence of competition often leads to inefficiency and lower productivity. Monopolistic Competition: A monopolistic competition in an industry is characterised by the presence of several competitors, but their offerings differ (Solow, 1998). The restaurant industry is the best example of monopolistic competition. One of th e biggest advantages of monopolistic competition is that it promotes competition which, in turn, greatly helps in enhancing the efficiency and productivity of the industry. From the point of view of consumers, it offers them greater choice and variety. Moreover, customers get quality products and services and turn out to be more knowledgeable about the product features. Technological innovation and research and development are highly visible. The disadvantages of monopolistic competition are that it leads to higher price. Oligopoly: An oligopoly market is characterised by the presence of only a few firms (Tucker, 2008). For example, gas service providers are considered to be operating in the oligopoly market. The biggest advantage is that prices remain fixed and competition is high resulting in a higher efficiency. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that there are less research and development works and less innovation. Figure 1 – Market Structure PESTLE and Cultural Envi ronment The external business environment in which an organisation operates plays a significant role. Before formulating a business plan or formulating a strategy for business, organisations carry out in-depth analysis of the business environment. The external business environment includes the political, legal, social, technological, environmental, demographic, economical and cultural factors. Nowadays, business houses operate in a changing business environment and as a result, they are required to offer products and services that match with the needs of customers. According to Taloo (2007), there are no businesses in the world that can survive without having any interaction with the external business environment. The factors of the external business environment have a strong influence on the business operations and therefore, businesses need to be aware of the external environment. For example, a change in the economic environment of a country can strongly impact the sales of a com pany. Therefore, organisations are

How does Learning and Employee Development contribute to Essay

How does Learning and Employee Development contribute to organisational success and performance within social care services - Essay Example The most essential component of a learning and development plan as per the respondents’ view are the skills and second most essential learning component required to enhance service delivery quality according to the respondents is that of knowledge. These findings are very positive and reflect a developmental, growth oriented attitude. Trained staff is more competent and can perform better than untrained staff (Garavan, 1997). To attain training there must be motivation among the members and they must be interested in learning and developing in order to benefit from the training programs offered to them. The research study has revealed that all the respondents realize the importance of learning and development training programs and are willing to learn and grow for the betterment of their selves and organization in turn. Garavan (1997) further suggested that a strategically integrated model of Human Resource Development would ensure that the concepts of training, development, e ducation and learning and backed up and embedded in strategic plans, operational plans, policies and work practice. The findings reveal that the respondents are well informed about the importance of all these components of training and therefore it can be safely said that such a plan as suggested by Garavan (1997) can be very feasible for an organization like Loretto Care where chances of its acceptance at the managerial level appear to be quite high. The Scottish government also realizes the importance and need of learning and development based training. This is reflected in the vary requirements the government has set to be considered before admitting an individual to a degree course in social work. The social work training providers are required to make sure that all the students they induct are registered with SSSC within a month, have the basic language skills to benefit from the training they will be provided with and possess a willingness and potential to learn basic effectiv e communication skills and information technology expertise that is required to work effectively and competently in any field of study in today’s world including social work (The Scottish Government, 2006). The second research question attempted to explore the impact of learning and development programs on individual and organizational performance. The responses of the managers have revealed that they believe there is a great impact of learning development programs on individual as well as organizational performance. To identify how exactly this impact is attained, the respondents were further asked to identify the factors that underlay the individual and organizational benefits achieved from learning and development. The highest scoring factors in this respect, based on the questionnaire results turned out to be: career development, motivation and sense of achievement and success. It means that majority of the respondents believe that learning and development programs lead t o enhanced performance by increasing these three factors among the workers. This finding of the current study is in line with those of Hoque & Bacon (2008); Mathieson (2006) and Jones