Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Wollstonecraft

Looking to the science of the day, Hobbes determined that there was no soul and attempted to describe human nature as pure mechanics. Human nature was therefore driven by the need to satisfy the physical demands of the body and based on basic passions in life. These are to satisfy physical appetites, to seek power to maintain their wealth and to be superior to others by seeking glory. Hobbes saw the state nature as â€Å"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. † The state of nature is anarchy, with constant violence (or potential violence) by amoral leaders terrorizing the population.Reason is the answer that will lead to a social contract and government. Individuals will give up their individual rights and freedoms to secure peace. Morality and property can then be dictated by the state, since human nature is not equipped to handle those concepts without conflict. This will allow each person to then pursue their own self-interests without fear of violence. The sovereign au thority is the office or institution of government that is contracted by the people. It is the artificial construct onto which the powers are conveyed by the social contract.The only limits to the sovereign’s powers are self-imposed, since it must exist outside of the population; although it should always strive for the good of the people to remain legitimate. Civil law is dictated by the sovereign. Civil law should be designed to promote well-being and progress for society with appropriate punishments for law breakers. Hobbes believed in an absolute monarchy. By making one man in charge, it would make it easy for the people to understand their roles and obey laws.With no confusing dissension or contrary views, people do not have to waste time and effort making political decisions; after all, that’s why they entered the social contract in the first place. He did not, however, believe in the ‘divine right’ or hereditary kings; the contract was conveyed upon an ancestor, which has no bearing on the legitimacy of the heir to rule. Although Locke’s views are similar to Hobbes’, they are not quite as grim and fearful. Similar to Hobbes, he believes that people are naturally free and equal. Locke believes that man is social by nature and is naturally moral, rational and egoistic.In a state of nature, man will generally act with a mutual trust and respect and honor their commitments and obligations to other. Although he emphasizes these positive traits of humanity, he recognizes that since that is not always the case, people will need to form a type of social contract to preserve their rights and liberties. For Hobbes, natural law is a selfish state where people do not recognize the rights of others’ property and liberty. Locke believes that, although they don’t always act in accordance with it, man inherently knows right from wrong and are capable of acting in a lawful manner.The goal of government is to preserv e the rights to life, liberty, health and property of its society and to pursue the public good even where this may conflict with the rights of individuals. It is also to punish wrongdoers and transgressors of the laws it sets for the common good. Since ones path to salvation and religious preferences fall outside those boundaries, government should not enforce or espouse any one form of religion over another. Class and hierarchy is a natural outgrowth of Locke’s views on property.Credited as the founder of the â€Å"Protestant work ethic†, Locke believed that those who worked hard will possess more. By agreeing to have money be an equalizing factor for trade, this will naturally contribute to some having more wealth than others. This is fine and natural, as long as the producers are working without injustice or injury to others. In retrospect, Locke may be considered the father of feminism. Although he still believed women should be subordinate to men, he also noted t hat women were capable of rationality and equally shared in the paternal power of raising children.Most notably, he claimed that marriage was a contract entered into by both parties and that both should be able to dissolve the contract at will; it took almost 300 years for society to catch up and instigate no fault divorces. Locke believed government should be formed with both an executive and legislative branches. The legislative determines the laws and may assign judicial, or magistrates, to exercise it. The executive is responsible for enforcing the laws and conducting foreign affairs. There should be a system of checks and balances between the two branches, to avoid despotism and illegitimate governments.Since a monarchy puts the power of both branches into one person, Locke believed all monarchies to be illegitimate forms of government. By advocating some form of representative or democratic government, society can insure that there representatives are working in their best int erests. Despotism occurs when either of the two branches of government exceed their authority and begin acting against the benefit of the people. Civil society can then remove the offenders from office through their electoral process or agree to set up a new form of government.When the people are denied these means to choose their government, violent revolution may be the answer. Rousseau believes that the state of nature is solitary existence guided by two principles – self-preservation and compassion. Social interactions were driven by the necessity to satisfy their own needs; war and aggression would be unlikely, since primitive man’s compassion drove him to avoid suffering of others. Civilization and establishment of nuclear families led to the beginnings of society, which corrupted the state of nature and led to human nature.Human nature is based on oppression and inequality, the haves dominating over the have nots. Society and governments were established to prot ect the rights and properties of the few landowners without regard to the rights of the laborers. His path to liberation is paved with a just, moral civil society that works for the benefit of all of its members. People must draw on their compassion and work towards the good of society, rather than selfish goals. In this manner, a social contract can be formed that will benefit all of society.Rousseau’s social contract involves an overhaul of civilization and a community that is willing to that is willing to forfeit all of their rights. Although not necessarily a violent revolution, he suggests that liberated people form a new community and create a government. This moral body of citizens would only consider the greater good and not selfish, private interests. He does not envision this to be without economic inequality, however, as long as it does not interfere with political equality; there should not be a situation where one man is able to buy or sell a vote.The basis of le gislative power is the general will of the people. Although entrance into the community must be unanimous, voting is done by majority. All citizens must participate in open discussion before voting. Votes should only be counted from those expressing the general will; those voting based on selfish interests should be discounted, although no practical way of knowing or enforcing this is described. Since authority and freedoms all reside within the general will, transgressors against the general will can be coerced or forced to liberate themselves.There are underlying conditions necessary for the formation of the social contract. There must be a legislator, a divinely enlightened man who will lead the community into an understanding of its true public interest. He initiates the contract and then retires before he can be corrupted. A civil religion is necessary, one that does not divide the community’s loyalties. The civil religion is founded on the way of life of the citizens, i ncluding customs and traditions. It must include belief in God, immortality of the soul and the social contract.The society must be small, modeled after the polis, and agricultural in nature, rather than founded on commerce or industry. The executive institutions are the bureaucracy of the sovereign. The magistrate lays down the laws and is supported by policeman and jailors. The censor is in charge of compliance with the civil religion, using education to guide people. The censor monitors the arts and sciences to insure people are not whiling away their time and distraction themselves from the common good.Two other offices may be used in exigent circumstances to allow for checks on the government. A tribunate can be used to limit the magistrate or a dictator can be used as supreme commander in war or natural disasters. Government should take the form of a republic, with full participation in the legislature and delegation of authority for the executive. Depending on the wealth and size of the state, monarchy, non-hereditary aristocracy or democracy could be acceptable forms of executive. Rousseau was adamant that men and women were vastly different and should be educated appropriately.Men should learn a trade and how to become an enlightened citizen. Women should learn how to raise children, tend house and be a good wife. He did not consider women rational enough to be citizens. Education is not to be done by rote memorization, but is instead to take the form of exploration and learning through experience. In direct response to Rousseau, Wollstonecraft argues that educating women in the same fashion as men makes them better able to function in the roles of wife, mother and daughter.She argues that virtues are not gender specific, but without equal education, women cannot achieve virtues founded on knowledge. Since education begins in the home and mothers were to raise the children, women must be educated to be better mothers and provide their children with ne cessary education. Wollstonecraft sees human nature as truly equal, including equality between the sexes. The basic capacities of all humans are the same for reason and knowledge and the difference between the sexes has arisen out of the societal constructs that separate them.She supported the concept of a social contract, albeit with the inclusion of women as fully realized citizens. She did not believe that either a monarchy or aristocracy could be a legitimate form of government since it perpetuates the subordination of women. She considers property to be as one of the ills of society because it gives rise to the societal problems, which contribute to keeping women ignorant and subordinate. Civil society must be founded on reason, which women are as capable of as men given the proper opportunities and education.

Loneliness in ‘Of Mice and men’ by John Steinbeck Essay

‘Of Mice and Men’, is a novel written by John Steinbeck in the 1930’s. It is set in Salinas California and shows us what life was like for migrant workers at this time. The book was set in the time of the American depression caused by the Wall Street Crash. In 1929 Steinbeck himself had taken on unskilled jobs to support himself for 7 years from 1919. South Clara in Northern California was where Steinbeck worked as a farm laborer. It is from there that the scenery, setting and experiences of Steinbeck in Northern California have been etched into the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. The book describes how lonely life can be. There are three different kinds of loneliness these include: isolation, solitude and abandonment. George and Lennie are different from the other characters in the novel as they have each other to look after them ‘ain’t many guys travel around together’. They have been companions from childhood and George has given and oath to Aunt Clara that he will look after Lennie. George and Lennie both share the same dream to own a piece of land that no-one will take away from them. They each dedicate a sum of their wages towards the dream. The characters in this novel are all envious to some extent of the special friendship shared by George and Lennie because they do not have that in their life. All the characters are extremely lonely and unhappy with their lives (except Slim, who is the only character that seems to be confident and happy with his life), and none of them can escape this unhappiness. Economic and social forces control them, and free will seems non-existent. â€Å"Guys like us, that live on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.† George means that if not for each other, then he and Lennie would be all alone, with no friends, like all the men like them, who are migrant workers moving from ranch to ranch without making any friends, and living a lonely life. George and his simple-minded friend Lennie dream, of a place to call their own. The Dream represents a sense of freedom to George and Lennie as they will be their own bosses and can do as they please. Also the achieving of the dream will mean they will not have to travel and have a house which they can really call home. They will not have to wear their uniforms and will have more possessions than a migrant worker. George and Lennie are very different, George is a smart and composed man, who seems to need mental stimulation from a companion, which he cannot have in his relationship with Lennie. Even though they have each other, they are still both lonely at a certain level, even if one does not clearly understand the other. The important thing is human contact and being there together. Somebody who loses his best companion is Candy. Candy is the oldest person on the ranch. We can tell this when he mentions they are going to fire him â€Å"They’ll can me purty soon† also by the boring jobs which he undertakes like sweeping the bunk house, as he only has one hand, he is a liability. He is a very friendly person and knows the rules of the ranch, we see this when he says ‘a guy on a ranch don’t never listen nor he don’t ast no questions.’ His life long companion presumably a sheep dog which he had since it was a pup, was shot by Carlson, who was very persistent to take the dog’s life as he did not like the way it smelled â€Å"I don’t know nothing that stinks so bad as an old dog’. Although pleading with Carlson â€Å"I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup, I herded sheep with him† the only choice Candy was offered was if he would want to shoot the dog himself which he replied â€Å"No I coul dn’t. I had ‘im too long.† Finally Candy had to let his companion go. The dog which was Candy’s comfort and enjoyment was now dead. As the gunshot went off in the distance every head in the bunk house turned towards Candy to see the old man’s reaction. For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling maybe remembering the happy memories he and his companion shared. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent the same action a dog would do when going to sleep. All was not lost, overhearing George and Lennie’s dream he wanted to share it. He told George and Lennie about what they did to his dog that night maybe to try and win some compassion. â€Å"You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself or nobody else. When they can me here I wish’t somebody’d shoot me†. This shows Candy is nearing the end of his life at the farm. Being part of George and Lennie’s dream comforts Candy and would be an ideal way to spend the rest of his life free from worries. George and Lennie accepted him into their dream partly due to the large sum of money which he had to contribute towards the dream. The dream was now becoming a reality. Crooks like Candy is an outcast because the society in which he resides is racist towards black people. With a back injury that gives Crooks his nickname he is more permanent than the other men, we can see this with the possessions he has which include ‘several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock and a single barrelled shot-gun’. Being alone has made Crooks very unsure about himself and bitter†A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t matter no difference who the guy is, longs he with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick† this was Crook’s way of establishing a personal connection to Lennie. Like Lennie, Crooks has a ‘relationship’ with loneliness. Crooks is rejected from every group of people and cannot socially interact with others, just like Lennie who can’t socially interact properly because of his mental-disability. â€Å"Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m Black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me!† Crooks loneliness results from rejection; others treat him unjust because he is different from them given that he is black. Crooks isn’t allowed to participate in daily events with white people such as card games. He is treated unfairly and therefore acts the same way toward the white people who have offended him. In an effort to communicate with the outside world in my opinion Crooks reads books ‘there were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk’ this shows they were well read, maybe even more than once. Crooks is fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George, especially how close they are. Crooks said, â€Å"Well, s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then?† Crooks asks these questions because he was curious and envious, about the friendship of Lennie and George, noticing that Lennie is retarded, he takes advantage of this situation to make him feel better and ease the pain of having others reject him. He wants the people to feel the way that he did when he was lonely, having no one. He is striving to achieve sympathy and understanding from others. Crooks would work for nothing if it meant communicating with others. He even offers his services to Candy to work on their â€Å"dream ranch† to join in on the friendship and dream shared by Lennie and George, in order to leave behind him his lonely life. Curley’s Wife’s loneliness is due to her husband. Even though Curley’s wife is mentioned frequently, nobody asks what her name is. Nobody wants to talk her because people are afraid of Curley; he is jealous and would start a fight with anyone who tried approaching her also due to the fact that Curley is the boss’s son and anyone who tried to do something could loose their job. She does not like Curley, and purely married him to spite her mother we can see this when she says ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella’. Furthermore he doesn’t talk to her at all, and there’s no one in her life with whom she can share her feelings, and longs for companionship. Candy influences views about Curley’s wife in George by telling him ‘Curley’s married†¦ a tart’. She pretends to look for her husband when she really wants to have a conversation with the men in the ranch as she is lonely. Curley treats his wife like a trophy insisting that she should spend all her time in the house. Curley’s wife asks the rhetorical question, ‘think I like to stick in that house alla time?’ showing her unhappiness. Curley does not care about his wife as he leaves her behind whenever he goes out and visits ‘cat houses’ although he is married. Curley’s wife talks to Lennie in chapter five as she knows she can share her secrets and worries without Lennie telling anyone else, due to his mental age. She also indicates she is going to run away as she talks in a hurry. Curley’s wife is very vigilant in the way she knows how Curley’s hand was broken also in the way she finds the dead pup in the barn. Curley’s wife tells Lennie about the chances she had of being an actress and blames her misfortune on her mother. She shows that marrying Curley was her last chance to get away from home. Maybe she was making up stories about her past as she looked closely to see if she was impressing Lennie. Curley’s wife is a threat to Crooks as she threatens him with death by hanging if he stands up to her. In those days if a coloured man was accused of something there would be no trial. Curley’s wife is the one who ruins the dream as she let Lennie touch her hair and then resisted. She ended up getting killed which meant that Lennie would have to be killed as he committed murder. Her death could be thought of as a misfortune, but as a positive thing as well because it ended her suffering; being the only woman in the ranch and having married a man like Curley she was inevitably destined for loneliness. But now that she is dead, she will not have to worry about being lonely ever again. Curley’s wife’s case of loneliness was the most severe throughout the novel. She struggled in her society to find somebody that she could befriend in vain. We can draw a similarity between Candy and Crooks; both of these characters have a physical disability (Candy has a one hand, and Crooks has a crooked back) both caused by an accident, as well as another factor Crook’s color and Candy’s old age, those factors make both of them outcasts. Because of their situation, they are both destined to loneliness, each of them deals with it in their own way: Candy has his dog for companionship and makes conversation with the other men that work on the ranch, but Crooks turns towards books Another interesting similarity we can draw is the one between the relationship between George and Lennie, and Candy and his old dog. Both George and Candy are lonely, even though they have companionship; Candy cannot talk to his dog, and George can’t have a really serious conversation with Lennie either. Even though they have companionship, they need something deeper and more meaningful. It is also interesting to notice the similar fate of Candy’s dog and Lennie who will both be shot in the back of the head unsuspicious of what is going to happen. The last similarity drawn is between two of the loneliest characters in the novel; Curley’s Wife and Lennie. As we’ve seen previously, Curley’s wife is the only woman in the novel, and her husband forbids her to talk to other men, and because of his jealousy, doesn’t let other men approach her or else he picks a fight with them. George also gives orders to Lennie and strictly forbids him several times â€Å"Don’t even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says and what she does†¦you leave her be† â€Å"well, you keep away from her†, they aren’t allowed to talk to each other, that’s what makes the fatal scene in the barn so tragic; Curley’s wife wanted to talk to someone so bad, that it drove her to her death. One of the most important lessons we learn in Of Mice and Men is that friendship and human interaction are two very valuable things in life, and that having them is as much as a right as it is a privilege. We must treasure these two things as it keeps us away from loneliness which is one of the worst things a person can suffer from highlighted by the characters in the book.   

The economies of northern and southern states and the US Civil War Essay

The economies of northern and southern states and the US Civil War - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the era of civil war had left a lot of lessons for the Americans to learn. Majorly, the economy of United States of America was divided into its regional schema of working in terms of politics and laws. Many laws were created right after the civil war as it had put both positive and negative impact on the economy of United States, in general. The aim of this paper is to understand the difference between the economies of Northern and Southern states of America. In general, it can be said that the economic condition of both northern and western states during the civil war was better in many ways. The American economy was once considered as an agricultural economy. It was noted that during the civil war, it transitioned to an industrial economy of the world. By 1900s, it was marked that America became one of the leading economies of the world. However, it should be well-stated that the industrial revolution was not observed in the Souther n states. The development and revolution were only noticed in the northern states or the area near the Mason-Dixon Line. Talking about the Southern states during the 1900s, they majorly depended on the selling of the staples international market. It was a constant flow of supply within the international market by the Southern states that ended up making cotton as the most valued export from the United States. The constant flow also allowed cotton to overshadow other exports that were providing a lot of advantage to the country.

Should animal be used for experimentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Should animal be used for experimentation - Essay Example The use of animals in laboratory experiments has its advantages and disadvantages. Although a lot of animal rights activists believe and argue that it is not justifiable nor it is ethical on the part of humans to cause harm to the animals in exchange of improving the life span of human beings, I strongly believe that the benefit of using these animals in medical research purposes significantly outweighs the socio-economic consequences as being protested by the animal rights activists. Even though the use of animals in laboratory testing can be perceived as an act of cruelty, it is undeniable that the end-result of using animals in laboratory experimentation has significantly improved the quality and efficiency of medicine in terms of searching for effective medicine in treating human illnesses and prolonging the lives of each human being. During the past few decades, the use of these animals in medical experiments has contributed a lot in terms of enhancing the available medicine tha t is being used to cure a long list of diseases including diabetes and leprosy among others.

The Mentally Ill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Mentally Ill - Essay Example The Mentally Ill A. Journal Writings I am a psychiatric nurse from a local community hospital and was taking care of Patient X (not the real name to protect confidentiality of patient information). Patient X was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was treated with clozapine (Clozaril), an atypical psychotropic drug used to treat psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, and breaks with reality (NIMH, 2012, 6). For a period of four weeks, I usually give Patient X a 200 mg oral preparations of clozapine twice a day as ordered. After series of inpatient medication regimen, Patient X’s symptoms of schizophrenia decreased and the patient is now stabilized. With this, Patient X requested to be discharged and be treated through outpatient commitment. I told Patient X that I will relay his request to the health care team and will inform him of the decision made. Upon discussing it with the health care team, we were put in a dilemma whether to grant Patient X’s request to respect his aut onomy and independence or denied it to uphold the principle of nonmaleficence because the client might not take medications on time or not take medications at all and may result to an imminent threat or danger to self or to others due to relapse of schizophrenic symptoms. In addition, putting Patient X, who is receiving clozapine, on an outpatient commitment may present a serious harm as a WBC check every week or two is necessary to avoid occurrence of agranulocytosis or loss of the white blood cells that help a person fight infection. B. Ethical Dilemma In responding to a psychiatric patient’s request of discharge and treatment on an outpatient commitment, which ethical and legal principle should be considered – the legal right of a patient and the ethical principle of autonomy and independence or the professional responsibility of the nurse to do no harm and practice paternalism? C. Ethics Paper Summaries. Elbogen and Tomkins authored the article entitled â€Å"From the Psychiatric Hospital to the Community: Integrating Conditional Release and Contingency Management† in 2000. The article proposed involuntary outpatient commitment with therapeutic jurisdiction as one possible solution for psychiatric recidivism in the community. The article also emphasized that clinicians find it hard to discharge patients and are often put in a dilemma whether the discharge decision will benefit the patient or will end up in a relapse of chronic mental illness. In addition, discharge from the psychiatric hospitals also corresponds in legal status changes which might predispose the individual to heightened stress and independent living (Elbogen & Tomkins, 2000, 428). Thus, the article had raised a question whether outpatient commitment can provide continuity of care and reduce incidence of rehospitalization. Elbogen & Tomkins (2011) found therapeutic jurisprudence framework as the key to analyze legal and beneficial mental health interventions for the ind ividual, conflicting values, and generated or implemented laws, policies and practice (p. 429). In patients with chronic mental illness, therapeutic jurisprudence preferred a discharge plan that maximizes convergence between self-determination, individual well-being, and public safety through integration of risk assessment technology and effective rehabilitative treatment, particularly contingency management. Absolute discharge might be the best promoter of self-determination as there are no strings attached; however it predisposed the patient for rehospitalization unlike outpatient commitment that discharged patient with therapeutic jurisprudence and reduced incidence of reho

The Regulatory Response to the Corporate Scandals in the USA and the Essay

The Regulatory Response to the Corporate Scandals in the USA and the EU was Diametrically Different - Essay Example In order to have this assurance, investors generally rely on the published annual report and accounts of companies. However, although the annual report and accounts may provide a reasonable approximation of companies’ activities, there are issues not shown in the annual report and accounts that could affect these companies’ financial situations, as well as the reputation of international stock markets2. For instance, despite the fact that the annual report and accounts seemed healthy, the last decade faced a large number of corporate scandals and collapses. These corporate crises have affected several people, as in the case of shareholders, managers, directors, employees and consumers. Some would argue that the main cause of these corporate crises is the weakness of corporate governance regulations in the world, as well as a need to have good corporate governance codes in order to prevent further scandals and collapses.3 As a consequence, countries have been trying duri ng the last decade to develop and update their corporate governance systems. ... In this part, the shortcomings of the USA and the EU regulations that appeared after scandals will be mentioned. Subsequent to that, the difference of the USA response will be explained. In this part, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and its new provisions, Sections 302 and 404, will be discussed. Finally, the differences of the EU response will be discussed in light of the national and the pan-European level. 1. Corporate Governance Evolution and Scandals It is widely believed that the development of corporate governance codes has often been driven by financial scandals, corporate collapses and similar crises. For instance, at the beginning of the 1990s various financial scandals and corporate collapses happened in the UK, as in the case of Coloroll, Polly Peck and Maxwell.5 These crises led the Financial Reporting Council and the London Stock Exchange to establish the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance in May 1991; Sir Adrian Cadbury chaired this council in order to i mprove the UK’s Code of corporate governance. As a consequence, in December 1991 the Committee issued the Cadbury Report that influenced many corporate governance codes across the world.6 The Report stated several recommendations that focused on corporate governance issues, in particular, the operation of the main board, the role of non-executive directors and the reporting and control mechanism of firm.7 Additionally, the development of corporate governance codes, supported by many non-governmental organizations, issued principles and practices that should govern corporates globally.8 For example, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its Principles of Corporate Governance in 1991; this was revised in 2004.9

Critical summery reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Critical summery reading - Essay Example h the article, it can be found that subject matter is detailed in a complex manner, where normal readers can get discomfort in extracting the information supplied by the writer. But for a reader who has knowledge in the history of Middle east can find this article highly professional and informative. Here, the paper focuses on critically reviewing the chapter â€Å"The Modern Middle East: State Formation and World War† of the book â€Å"The Middle East in International Relations† by Fred Halliday. Here, the introductory part of the chapter is highly dramatic, where the author states about the pathetic condition of Iraqis in coping up with the Industrial revolution emerged in Europe .The chapter in different paragraphs praises about the culture of Middle east and African region and criticizes Europe for being manipulative and exploiting. (Halliday 90)â€Å"In North Africa, European colonization involving large-scale settlement and agrarian change generated major armed resistance in Algeria and Libya, and powerful mass nationalisms in Morocco and Tunisia†. Moreover, this chapter is greatly informative with detailing of historical facts about various states and nation which can instantly attract the attention of the

Spanish American War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spanish American War - Essay Example The two interpretations made each side disapprove the rulings that failed to favor their argument (Brinkley 56). This is despite the ruling bodies’ intention which is to correct history and ensure that there will be no similar instances in future or hidden enmity among the states involved. Court and revisionist interpretations have yielded to diverse and conflicting arguments regarding the Spanish American War, where America resulted in justifying its involvement (Nunez 50). The aspect of Cuban humiliation while under Spanish rule prompted unwilling America to be involved in the war. America argued that they were keenly watching the atrocities Spanish rulers were executing in Cuba devoid of considering the welfare of the citizens. Initially, America was unwilling to intervene, but due to constant pleading by its neighbours (Cuba), it had no alternative. According to America, it did not intend to indulge in the war, but their involvement emanated from the sinking of Maine battl eship. This did infuriate the Americans who, due to political influences, forced William McKinley to a revolt. The chance came at an opportune time when they were wishing Cuban freedom from the Spanish dominion, which resulted in the eruption of a severe war. America claimed that its intentions were sincere and meant best for the Cuban citizens (Hernandez 7). Additionally, court interpretation argued that besides America’s humanitarian involvement in the war, it also wanted to support Cuba in attaining independence. This was from the citizen’s early constant plea prior to engaging the Spanish resistance to avenge for the sinking of their battleship. America intended Cuba to cease from being a Spanish colony where, via its naval engagement, managed easily to defeat their opponents, thus making Cubans starting their journey to independence (Hernandez 11).

Emerging Professional Organizations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Emerging Professional Organizations - Assignment Example This is in response to the mandate that all American citizens should have an electronic record comes 2014. In Australia, there is a need for nursing students to acquire the skill in information technology with the same purpose of safe and quality care (Smedley, 2005). Having these kinds of organizations has its own advantages. One is that it contributes much to the success in the implementation of electronic system in the field of health care. Huge number of skilled members is needed to motivate those who are still pessimistic. Another benefit is that corroboration among members around the globe helps in educating others and provides support system to those who participates in this field. Further, effectiveness and efficiency in health care service would be improved. Although each organization claim they differ in their purpose, it is obvious overlapping of their goal do exists. Like for example the aim of Alliance Nursing Informatics (ANI) in educating their members is the same as the intention included in American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). The same holds true in their desire for research where Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) have the same intention. Some organizations also tried to merge with others because of the same

Devise a Marketing Strategy to present to the Marketing Director Essay Example for Free

Devise a Marketing Strategy to present to the Marketing Director Essay In this case study, I have been given a number of roles and my task is to consider and provide appropriate answers in the relevant business context where you apply learning from my course of study so far and my own work experiences. Question 1 I am the supervisor in the marketing department and I believe that there is scope for gaining more sales in the standardised sector of the market because of quality differences between my product and those of larger competitors. Devise a Marketing Strategy to present to the Marketing Director designed to achieve this objective Corporate Objectives The Furniture Company, based in a small town in Lancashire, develops, manufactures and markets quality furniture. The firm has a very good reputation throughout the entire region for all its products. The Furniture Companys Supervisor of the Marketing Department is at present pursuing a strategy to grow its market share in the standardised section of the market because of quality differences between their product and those of larger companies. Marketing Audit Internal Product High quality standardised products targeted at C1/C2 segments. Considered to be higher quality than those of larger competitors. The firm has a very good reputation for quality products. Pricing -Currently sold to up market retail outlets and on all sales are there is a very high profit margin on a relatively low turnover. Prices are higher than for similar type products in the large retail outlets due to economies of scale in purchasing. Place Customers mainly consist C1/C2 for the standardised furniture. Potential customers visit the companys display showroom, fully manned by an accounts clerk, a salesperson, both of whom are full-time and two part-time salespersons at weekend. Promotion Very little advertising is done. Current advertising is mainly done via local press, and via direct mail all aimed locally. Advertising spend tends to be about 3% of revenue, with higher marketing spend within peak months. External Social Since consumer trends are always changing, as are several of the products. With the traditional furniture, trends have small effect on sales. Economic Figures to be confirmed. There is a spend of over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½750,000 within East Lancashire in the furniture market. The predicted growth for next year is 2% due to current consumer spend (interest rate currently stands at XX, and inflation 2.6%). Competitive The Furniture Company faces many competitors, on its retail side are many, and on local scale there are approximately 10 similar sized companies, although, the firm has a very good reputation throughout the entire region for all its products. Customer Audit Standardised products are aimed at C1/C2 segments. The competitions products were viewed as inferior to those of The Furniture Company, due to highly skilled craftsmanship. SWOT Analysis Strengths * Availability, either via local showroom, situated just off motorway or via retail outlet * Access, Full showroom with manned staff * Established, very good reputation throughout the region * Established up market retail outlet supplier * Higher quality than those of larger competitors * Innovation, constantly designing new furniture for changing market Weaknesses * Prices are slightly higher than for similar type products Opportunities * Market Development * Selling to mid-market retail outlets Nationwide * Expanding product into Europe worldwide Threats * Prices are higher than for similar type products in the large retail outlets * Unable to keep up with supplier demand Marketing Objectives and Strategies Market Development Ansoffs Matrix is a well-known Marketing Tool for deciding upon strategies for growth. First published in the Harvard Business Review (1957) in an article called Strategies for Diversification (see below example). Market Penetration By marketing our existing products to our existing customers, thus increasing revenue, by promoting the product, repositioning the brand. The aim is to encourage people to switch from other furniture manufacturers. Market Development Marketing the product in a new market/target audience. By introducing the product into a new region and also exporting the product. Market Extension/Product Development Selling the existing standard furniture into new markets, nationwide and worldwide, as the product already has a strong marketing competence. Diversification Not required Example of The Ansoff Matrix Product Life Cycle (see diagram below) Launch/Introduction The product is introduced into new markets and heavily promoted to create awareness. High costs. Due to success in the current markets, risk is fairly low. Growth Higher volume of sales enables The Furniture Company to benefit from economies of scale. Products become more profitable as sales rise and costs fall. Advertising spend is still high and focuses on building upon a brand name, ready for the maturity and decline stage to introduce new furniture after the brand has been established. Maturity Sales grow at a decreasing rate and then stabilise. Brand awareness is crucial in continuing success. The company retains its share of the market by capturing sales from weaker rivals by ensuring consistently quality furniture. Decline At this point there is a downturn in the market for this particular product. Sales and profit decline. New products are introduced or consumer tastes have changed. Product can be removed from the market at this stage and replaced by new furniture or profits can be improved by reducing marketing spend and cost cutting. Elimination/Withdrawal (or extension) When faced with decline in sales, the company will need to decide whether the decline is Temporary, Terminal and Irreversible or Capable of being reversed by an adjustment in the marketing mix Extension To rejuvenate the product to prolong its life by changing the product, the brand, the way it is promoted or the distribution channel. Question 2 As supervisor in the marketing department one of my roles is to devise expansion strategies as question 1. I believe, however, that the high quality hand crafted furniture could sell to a national and ultimately international market especially if at some future point the U.K. joins the single currency. At present these products sell to a regional market and I have already put this idea to the Marketing Director and received a positive response to the extent that he wants you to do a presentation to the full board of Directors on this idea Devise a promotional campaign to be presented to the Board that would reach a national market for the higher quality products. Marketing is defined as the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying the requirements of customer profitably. Product Introduce the standardised range and also high quality furniture into mid-market and up-market retail outlets nationwide. The standardised range is higher quality than those of competitors. The handcrafted furniture provides high quality furniture aimed at the higher end of the market. Price Cost for the standardised product is slightly higher than its competitors. This can stand being higher due being higher quality than the products of competitors. Place The standardised products and the high quality furniture both sell currently to larger retail outlets and also to individual order. Introduction of the furniture into a national market and also international market. Promotion Offer trials to nationwide retail outlets, both mid-market and up-market with the relevant products, with trial offers. Pay for advertising spend to promote the product within the area via local media, and also promote product and brand via in-store advertising and display stands. Brand awareness is very important at this stage. The Promotional Plan * Description of products available * A description of target audience * Identification of the price * Information on where the product will be sold * Methods to be used o Posters placed at locations in store and places frequented by your target audience o Press Release Informing of the product to be selling locally o Local Newspaper Advertising Advertising within locality using established media within the area promoting brand and product o Radio Advertising Informing of product and brand launch, aimed at prime time listening, selecting stations geared to 35+ and homeowner audience. Question 3 I am employed as the supervisor in the Personnel Department and am responsible for the overseeing of the day-to-day tasks of the department. I am currently studying for the Institute of Personnel Management qualification and have become more familiar with the concept of human resources. Present a paper to the Personnel director outlining the benefits of introducing a HRM approach to the management of people and in particular how this would improve both productivity and motivation. Motivation (Definition) a set of processes concerned with the force that energises behaviour and directs it towards attaining some goal. A strategic, coherent and comprehensive approach to the management and development of the organisations human resources in which every aspect of that approach is wholly integrated with the overall management of the organisation. HRM is essentially an ideology, quote M. Armstrong, taken from Handbook of Human Resource Management, Kogan Page, 1999. Human resources management activities relate to employees pay, welfare, conditions of employment and training. HRM is based on four principles * Employees must be seen as valued assets in which to invest. It is human capability and commitment, which, in the final analysis, distinguishes successful organisations from the rest, Storey. * HRM is of strategic importance and, therefore, needs to be considered by top management in the formulation of the corporate plan. * Commitment not compliance. The key levers (the development of human resources; evaluation of performance and the rewarding of it) are to be used to seek not merely compliance but commitment. In other words, employees should not be forced to work grudgingly, but by obtaining their wholehearted commitment * Strategic implications of HRM. HRM is therefore, seen to have long-term implications and be integral to the core performance of the business. It must be the intimate concern of the line managers. Line managers have the responsibility of managing their staff. The role of personnel function is to enable the line managers to fulfil their HRM responsibilities effectively. Soft and Hard Approach to HRM The soft approach can be closer than the traditional personnel approach. Soft HRM is an integrated strategic function that is concerned with nurturing people because they are human beings whose feelings should be considered and, developing this valuable resource is the best way to achieve results. The Hard approach is based on the belief that human resources are the key assets, with emphasis placed on * Getting more out of people * Using them in a more productive way The aims of HRM are the same whether hard or soft and as follows * Enable management to achieve organisational objectives via its workforce * Enable people to utilise their full potential * Foster commitment * Integrate human resources policies with business plans * Establish an environment to unleash the creativity and energy of the workforce * Encourage flexibility in the interests of an organisation that is able to adapt to the environment and achieve excellence The main areas of management activity associated with the HRM philosophy * Organisation, design and effectiveness especially in relation to teamwork, communications, customer service and change management * Resources providing human resources required by means of recruitment, retention and training programmes. * Performance management improving performance by means of appraisal * Reward management for example, linking pay to performance * Motivation redesigning jobs and devising rewards to motivate employees * Commitment The integration of the needs of the individual with those of the organisation * Employee Relations Policies and procedures to encourage cooperation to the mutual benefit to all * Flexibility by means of mulitskilling redesigning jobs and new patterns of work * Quality as a way of life * Culture management influencing behaviour and thereby attitudes by means of resourcing, performance management and reward strategies Leadership and Motivation In the HRM school, Leadership should be democratic rather than authoritarian, managers should consult employees on matters that affect them, important in gaining respect of both the manager and the company, motivation rewards of social and psychological, not just financial. Motivation is defined as in influence that cases people (employees) to want to behave in a certain way, and combined with ability can result in performance. The motivated worker will be keen to work, take pride in their work, will not display negative attitude towards the company, display high level of commitment and get satisfaction out of work, benefiting the organisation with higher productivity levels, lower labour turnover, lower absenteeism, improve quality with less waste, greater willingness to accept change, willingness to contribute ideas and take on additional responsibility, allowing the company to overall reap the benefits of even greater financial gain. In production department, for example, possible financial reward could be brought into place looking at Hertzbergs Hygiene factors of Pay and Benefits, Working Conditions, Company Policy, Status, Job Security, Supervision, Office and Personal Lift all set to motivate Achievement, Recognition, Job Interest, Responsibility and ultimately Advancement. HRM could look at setting up motivating factors with the sales department by setting targets based on achieving sales to new retailers nationwide with additional financial gain based on and over achieving rewards. The key concepts to adapting a HRM approach to the company would provide the following Competition advantage Aspects of the company that give it an advantage over its rivals Human Resource Management A strategic, coherent and comprehensive approach to the management and development of the companys human resources Personnel Management Management/administration of recruitment, welfare and training of the employees McGregors Theory x and Y (1960) McGregors Theory X and Y (1960) about managerial behaviour had a profound effect on management thinking and practice. His Theory Y principles featured in management training courses for a decade or more. They influenced the design and implementation of personnel policies and practices. The legacy today permeates the axioms of participative and total quality management and the continued practice of staff appraisal. McGregor defined assumptions that he felt underpinned the practices and stances of managers in relation to employees. These were evident from their conversations and actions. Two sets of propositions were dubbed Theory X and Y. He was saying that what managers said or showed in their behaviour revealed their theories-in-use. Their predisposition led managers to pursue particular kinds of policies and relationships with employees. McGregors Theory Y was interpreted and promoted as a one-best-way, i.e. Y is the best. Managers or aspects of their behaviour became labelled as Theory X, the bad stereotype and Theory Y the good. McGregor ideas were much informed by Maslows need satisfaction model of motivation. Needs provide the driving force motivating behaviour and general orientation. Maslows ideas suggested that worker dissatisfaction with work was due to poor job design, managerial behaviour and too few opportunities for job satisfaction. On the basis of these ideas about drives Maslow suggested a classification of needs related to the development of the person lower level needs giving way developmentally to higher order needs. Thus a hierarchy is suggested although not claimed by Maslow. Example of Maslows Hieratchy Benefits If we introduced a HRM approach to the company ultimately employees at all levels will feel motivated and productive as quoted by carrot stick philosophy acceptance, and produce the most productivity. Employees will feel more worthy with a much easier line of communication with everyone feeling a valuable part of the organisation. The company needs to introduce a leadership mentality rather than management leadership and nurturer a new leadership approach. At present the organisations communications systems are mostly paper and telephone based Present a discussion document to the Personnel director explaining the concept of this electronic office, including explanation of the relevant technologies and their potential benefits You should also point out any potential drawbacks from this innovation and conclude with an evaluation of whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks or vice versa While predictions of the paperless office have yet to be fully realised, modern business now relies on a vast array of electronic equipment to function efficiently and effectively. The concept of a paperless office is to ensure productivity improvement and to use time more efficiently. At present most of the organisations communications are paper and telephone based. Initially, by utilising e-mail (electronic mail, which is the main use of the internet) the following advantages are gained by replacing paper telephone communication * Speed of movement and data * Paperless office * Accessible via any modem line * Delivery is faster than snail mail (post, especially useful when dealing overseas) * It overcomes the problems of timezones. The recipient does not have to be there to receive it * Like fax, it is possible to send messages to more than one person * E-mail addresses are portable * It enables users to exchange information with people * The cost is not dependent on the distance travelled * It is cheaper than fax or telephone * Cuts out general chat on the telephone * Less formal than a letter * The message will remain in the recipients e-mail account until it is collected * Can be sent with document or picture attachment * E-mails can be stored until recipient discards information Installing computerised systems with each department will also benefit from enabling all staff to access shared data from different departments computerised filing systems, e.g. access into word documents, spread sheets and other programme files. With transportable laptops, the office can be taken anywhere and even used worldwide, to assist in presentations and retrieving documents on a more global scale. Document Management System Another new form of the Electronic Office is the Document Management System offering solutions from the standalone scanner to a whole enterprise solution. E-Business solution companies analyse and advise on new business solutions. The Document Management System is a small step in the way forward for the paperless office, the benefits of incorporating the system is * Reduce office staff non-productivity rapidly locating folders and documents * Retain corporate knowledge and know where it is * Access paper documents within your business application * Scan your cabinets full of documents to secure them in case of Fire, Flood, Burglary or damage * Enable multiple people access to the same document or folder * Safely secure your documents for archival * Reduce boxes of stored paper * Automatically recognise forms and characters on incoming documents and locate them based on their content * Fax and receive documents directly from your desktop * Establish document privacy Electronic Office Manager It is a Human Resources and Process Management System that focuses on the internal operations of your business. The EOM provides businesses with a computerised Office Manager, with everything defined as a procedure, checklist or form. Job Descriptions become daily to do lists. To help manage time with automated reminders covering everything from training events to holiday management. EOM also provides Electronic Human Resource and Training Departments with employee files, applicant databases, and pre-written and editable employee handbooks and job descriptions. It also includes a system for creating and scheduling training. EOM even helps with financial forecasting and business planning features and point-to-point web navigation and link management. Operative Procedures, HRM, Business Development, Scheduling and Education Training are all available via EOM programme. Electronic Drawbacks Training and monitoring of training will be required at each stage to ensure competence and understanding of new system. With regular meetings required, and management of the change in system. Staff may be dissatisfied with the paperless office, and reluctant to the change. System failure. Without the adequate after support service and/or training there could be potential problems with system errors, which may result in non-productivity if staff rely on PCs when there is a breakdown. A recent example pf a paperless office is one department of Glasgow Borough Council, who recently had a computerised system developed solely for the use. Originally, each site manager called into an office each morning to collect information on various sites requiring repair assessment visits (approx 20 throughout the day) followed by a visiting to each site and manual completion of an in-depth form, and followed by manually inputting information on the computer for someone else then to call out to complete the repair work. The Borough Council have now developed a computerised system to enable them to receive the site information via electronic organiser, input the repair requirements, and return information upon completion for repairs to be carried out. Not only did this save much time on paperwork, but also time is more effectively managed by receiving full details of jobs throughout the day, which may be in areas the site manager is already working in. BIBLIOGRAPHY Jewell Bruce R, An Integrated Approach to Business Studies, Longman, [2000] ISBN 0582 40542 4 Ansoffs Matrix, www.marketingteacher.com/lessons/lesson_ansoff.html [accessed 31/05/02] How do I market My Inventions, http://www.montanaedu/wwwcxai [accessed 20/05/02] The Electronic Office, www.walters.co.uk/brochure/elecoffice1.htm [accessed 06/06/02] Imaging and Document Management Solutions, www.cabinetng.net/paperlessoffice.htm [accessed 05/06/02]

Importance of foreign language

Importance of foreign language 1. Introduction It is known to all that language and culture are inseparable. Language itself makes no sense and has no meaning outside the cultural setting in which it is spoken. They are intricately interwoven with each other. Some people believe that the knowledge of other cultures is as important as proficiency in using their language. In the EFL (English as a foreign language) teaching, great attention should be paid to teaching culture of the target language as well as to teaching linguistic knowledge. Culture introduction should be integrated with language teaching in many aspects and at multiple levels so that learners intercultural communicative skills can be enhanced. Byram (1989) states: as learners learn about language, they learn about culture and as they learn to use a new language, they learn to communicate with other individuals from a new culture. The problem is that the mastery of vocabulary and structures does not necessarily ensure a persons communicative competence. What the students really need is to be taught directly what people say in particular situations in the English culture. The knowledge of culture has a great impact on learners language use and sometimes directly influences the outcome of communication with native speakers. Most language teachers would agree that in order to apply language skills fruitfully and effectively, the knowledge of cultural environment is essential. So it is not difficult to understand why the culture component is so crucial in foreign language teaching. First, successful intercultural communication entails a great deal that is more than language skills, understanding a second language does not ensure understanding the speakers intentions. That is to say, the ability to communicate successfully with native speakers depends not only on language skills but also on comprehension of cultural habits and expectations. Second, another principal reason for the inclusion of culture in the second language curriculum is cross-cultural understanding. International understanding is seen as one of the basic goals of language education. It is equally important to understand the differences among the various subcultures within which people of different races, religions, and political beliefs live together peacefully. Peace and progress in a world of diverse elements no doubt depend upon understanding, tolerance, exchange and cooperation. Foreign language study is one of the core educational components for achieving this widely recognized aim. Whether or not the foreign language learning and teaching are successful counts on how much cultural and linguistic information the students can get. The third reason deals with the students themselves. On one hand, curious students may be extremely interested in the people who speak English, they want to know about these people-what they are like, how they live and ho w they are different from themselves. On the other hand, students knowledge of the basic aspects of target culture tends to be inexplicit and incomprehensive if they have not been provided with systematic knowledge in schools. And language teachers have to admit that many students are not gaining a basic familiarity with the English culture, because even though language and culture go hand in hand in a classroom, some teachers choose to neglect culture and students scarcely pay due attention to it since they do not have to take a test of culture. Overall, foreign language teaching should help students lay a solid foundation of language, grasp good learning techniques, cultivate their cultural awareness so as to meet the needs of social development and economic construction. English as the foremost medium of international communication at present, is called upon to mediate a whole range of cultural, cross-cultural concepts thus make English language teaching a potentially more and more significant role than ever before and English culture teaching is coming or will come to the foreground. 2. Definition of Culture Then what is culture? Duranti defined as something learned, transmitted, passed down from one generation to the next, through human actions, often in the form of face-to-face interaction and, of course, through linguistic communication. According to Sapirs view, culture may be defined as what a society does and thinks. On a general level, anthropologists define culture as the whole way of life of a people or group. In this context, culture includes all the social practices that bond a group of people together and distinguish them from others. It is that fact of human life learned by, people as a result of belonging to some particular group; it is that part of learned behavior shared with others. Not only does this concept include a groups way of thinking, feeling, and acting, but internalized patterns for doing certain things in certain ways. not just the doing of them. Goodenough (1981) summarizes the contents of culture briefly quoted below: The ways in which people have organized their experience of the real world so as to give it structure as a phenomenal world of forms, their percepts and concepts. The ways in which people have organized their experience of their phenomenal world so as to give it structure as a system of cause and effect relationships, that is, the propositions and beliefs by which they explain events and accomplish their purposes. The ways in which people have organized their experience of their past efforts to accomplish recurring purposes into operational procedures for accomplishing these purposes in the future, that is, a set of grammatical principles of action and a series of recipes for accomplishing particular ends. 3. Language and Culture A language is a system of verbal and in many cases, written symbols, with standardized meanings. Language is the outward manifestation of the spirit of people: their language is their spirit, and their spirit is their language; it is difficult to imagine any two things more identical. It enables people to store meanings and experiences and to pass this heritage on to new generations. Through words, we are able to learn about and from the experiences of others. In addition, language enables us to transcend the here and now, preserving the past and imaging the future; to communicate with others and formulate complex plans; to integrate different kinds of experiences; and to develop abstract ideas. However, it is impossible to overestimate the importance of language in the development, elaboration, and transmission of culture. 4. The Relationship between Culture and Language It is generally accepted that language and culture are related to each other. Language is not only for communication between people who have their own cultural norms, but as a mirror to reflect the world and peoples view of the world. Because of the need of international communication for economic technological development among various countries, English is more and more used in different countries and cultures for exchanging information. Culture and language are related to each other, which is strongly advocated by Byram, who has contended that cultural learning and language learning cannot take place independent of each other (Byram, 1994). Culture is a complex concept that includes language. Many theorists have expressed this point of view from various perspectives. For example, Kramsch has made the point that the purpose for learning a foreign language is a way of making cultural statement as well as learning a new way of making communication (Kramsch, 1993) while other theorists have attached great importance to culture for language understanding. For instance, Byram has argued that only when the cultural context is understood can the language rooted in the context be thoroughly comprehensible (Byram 1994).This point has found an echo with Brown: Misunderstandings are likely to occur between members of different cultures; differences are real and we must learn to deal with them in any situation in which two cultures come into contact. Language is an important part of culture as well. Byram has elaborated this idea in one of his books: Cultural studies in foreign language education as language preeminently embodies the values and meanings of a culture, refers to cultural artifacts and signal peoples cultural identity. (Byram, 1989) Other theorists have defined culture in such a way that language is put at the center of an account of a particular culture. Brown has provided another such definition in which he describes language as the most visible and available expression of a particular culture. (Brown, 1987) In sum, culture is related to language and vice versa. Culture would be difficult to be transmitted from place to place and from generation to generation if there were no languages, the principal carrier of values and meanings of a culture. Language would be impossible to be understood without constant reference to the cultural context, which has produced it. It may, therefore, be argued that culture and language cannot be treated exclusive of each other in language teaching program. In other words, it is necessary and more proper to teach both language and culture in an integrated way. It is worthy of noting here that one of the practices of integrating the two is to use the target language as the medium of instruction in culture teaching. Goodenough states the relationship between language and culture in his book Culture and Linguistic. He argued language in a society is one aspect of the societys culture. The relationship between them is the part and the whole. As a component part of culture, the particularities of language show that it is a main tool of learning culture during the process of learning and using (Goodenough, 1981). 5. The Relationship between Language Learning and Culture Just as there is not a single thing in the world without a dual nature, so is language teaching. Language teaching and culture teaching have a dual nature. In order to conduct language teaching well, one must take up the teaching of culture and the teaching of language at the same time. When we learn a foreign language, we do more than learn a linguistic system. We acquire some degree of familiarity with the foreign cultural system. It is now broadly accepted in most parts of the world that learning a foreign language is not simply mastering the grammar, the vocabulary, etc, but more appropriately focuses on learning a means of communication. Communication in real situations is never out of context, and because culture is part of most contexts, communication is rarely culture-free. The same word, if used in different culture, would get different psychological response. When reading the sentence Its morally hard to turn her away as it is a lost dog, most students put a lost dog into literal meaning which totally shows our feeling of disgust and dislike for the dog. But it is not the case in western countries. In the western culture, dogs are regarded as faithful friends and companions. So the actual meaning of the lost dog here means something precious, valuable and favorite is lost. If you know the actual implication of it, your sympathy can be aroused. Its obvious that neglecting the cultural difference results in the misunderstanding. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to understand and create language that is in accordance with the sociocultural parameters of the specific situation, because failure to do so may cause users to miss key points that are being communicated in either the written or the oral language and have their messages misunderstood. 6. Language Teaching and Intercultural Communication Samovar, Porter Jain(1981) observe: Culture and communication are inseparable because culture not only dictates who talks to whom, about what and how the communication proceeds, it also helps to determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have for messages, and the conditions and circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted Culture is the foundation of communication. The term intercultural is generally used to describe comparative data and studies of a large number of cultures, or studies that try to identify dimensions that are not culture specific. Intercultural is also used to describe interactional data from members of different cultural backgrounds (normally more than two). Then whats the meaning of intercultural communication? Maureen Guirdham points out that intercultural communication is communication across cultures, it describes cultural dimensions applicable for all cultures. She believes that Intercultural Communication skills may well hold the key to solving many of the current global conflicts. In a speech at the Luton Intercultural Forum, she outlined her views as to how people trained in Intercultural Communication could help to resolve current conflicts such as the Balkan conflict, the Middle East crisis and many more. In her speech, she outlined that most modem conflictssuch as IsraelPalestine conflict, the conflict between Pakistan and India and othersare essentially intercultural conflicts and that conflict resolution mainly is a communication activity. Lets come to some key points of intercultural communication: When communications cause conflict, be aware that problems might have more to do with style or process than with content or motives. Learn to understand different communication stylesyou could even benefit through expanding your repertoire. Communicating across cultures requires extra effort. Good communication requires commitment and concentration. Although culture affects differences in communication patterns, there are many exceptions within each group depending on class, age, education, experience, and personality. Remember that communication is a process and the process varies among cultures. Look at what might be getting in the way of understanding. Constantly ask, Whats going on here? and check your assumptions. Avoid jokes, words or expressions that are hot button, such as those that are based on ethnicity, race or gender. Use language that fosters trust and alliance. Respect differences; dont judge people because of the way they speak. 7. Intercultural Communication A simple way to define the term intercultural communication is to use the definition of communication that was provided in the previous section and insert the phrase from different cultures. This addition would yield the following definition: Intercultural communication is a symbolic process in which people from different cultures create shared meanings. This definition, although accurate, is difficult to apply. To foreground the importance of interpersonal communication in intercultural exchanges, we prefer the following definition: Intercultural communication is concerned with unmediated communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. Differences in interpersonal perception and attitudes to social involvement are also important factors in intercultural communication. Intercultural communication: Face-to-face communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. As inhabitants of the 21st century, we no longer have a choice about whether to live and communicate in a world of many cultures. The forces that bring other cultures into our life are dynamic, potent, and ever present. What does this great cultural mixing mean to EFL teaching? What competence should foreign language learners have to meet the need of communicating appropriately and effectively in such a world? The answer is that EFL teaching should cultivate learners intercultural communicative competence. 8. Intercultural Communicative Competence Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is defined in a great number of studies as the competence to obtain effective outcomes in intercultural communication situations. In the past few decades, ICC has become an important research area in intercultural communication studies, and produced a considerable amount of literature. ICC is related to such competence as distinguishing the cultural factors, because these things will surely have their reflections in a practical communicative situation and thereby exert much influence upon the understandings. With the gradual awareness of the importance of the communicative competence, we are sure that in EFL, more and more teachers will place their emphasis upon the improvement of ICC, and develop their students intercultural communicative competence as well as the linguistic competence at the same time, In the paragraphs above, we have introduced the definition of Intercultural Communicative Competence. Quite often, we know that studies on ICC are driven by practical needs such as sending personnel abroad to perform political and commercial tasks. Thus ICC is defined by the outcomes, or the effectiveness of achieving these goals, the main purpose of ICC studies, therefore, is to identify components of effectiveness on the one hand, and its predictors on the other, Two major effectiveness components are task performance and appropriateness of behavior in the target culture. The predictors of effectiveness identified include ambiguity tolerance, cognitive complexity, good conversation skills, intercultural training, etc. In sum, the current ICC studies are characterized by the centrality of effectiveness goal-attainment, and individual control. Underlying this package of practice is the assumption that communication is under the control of the individual; if he or she has the necessary personal dispositions and skills, then the pre-determined goals of communication will be achieved. The above view holds the idea that ICC is within the individual. Competence will develop or occur in relational contexts, yet without the internal potential of the individual, there is no relationship. But this view has perhaps to some extent overlooked the internal qualities of the communicators. Maybe task-performance takes the essential position in most models. Other factors such as appropriateness or individual cultural adjustment all pave the way for task performance. As a matter of fact, the primacy of task performance is evident in the very definition of ICC. Intercultural communicative competence deals with questions related to an issue often characterized by the terms culture-specific, context-specific, and culture-general, which are the various approaches to the study of intercultural communicative competence. The culture-specific, method assumes that the most effective way to improve intercultural communication is to study that culture. For example, if you were going to Japan, you might benefit from advice about gift giving, the use of first names, greeting behavior, indirect speech, politeness, the use of business cards, the importance of group harmony, social stability, and the like. In a practical intercultural communication, the only way of culture-specific is not enough, people should know what to do and how to do in a real situation, then context-specific is also needed. In recent years scholars have begun to talk about not only the specific cultures, but also the context or setting of the intercultural encounters. Studies have been made to explore the business, educational, and health care settings as a way of assessing the impact of the environment on communication in a broad way. The third approach is culture-general. What has been suggested here is that regardless of the culture you are encountering, it is important to have knowledge of the persons culture and try to adapt whenever possible. What we have discussed can be found in most intercultural experiences. This is what we mean by culture-general. That is to say, look at universal skills that can be used in all cultures. How to improve intercultural communicative competence? According to Samovar Porter (1988), that is to know yourself. Although the idea of knowing yourself is common. while knowing yourself is crucial to improve intercultural communication. We know we can write the words know yourself with ease, but it will take a great deal of effort to translate this assignment into practice. The application of knowing yourself covers three directions: first, know your culture_ because everyone is the product of their culture, people are cultural beings and must be ever vigilant to the impact of ones own cultural. Second, know your perceptions. Knowing your likes and dislikes, the degrees of personal ethnocentrism enables you to detect the ways in which these attitudes influence communication. And third, know how you act on those perceptions. The third step in knowing yourself is to know your communication style, which is somewhat more difficult, because it involves discovering the kind of image yo u portray to the rest of the world. If you are to improve your communication, you must, therefore, have some idea of how you present yourself, since it will take a hard time understanding why people respond as they do, and peoples most take-for-granted behaviors are often hidden behind their consciousness. (Samovar Porter, 1988) 8. Cultural Knowledge and Cultural Competence Knowing the contents of cultivating ICC, we need to discuss the concept of cultural knowledge. It includes two parts: cultural competence (belonging to the category of proficiency objectives) and conceptual knowledge (belonging to the category of cognitive objectives) about the target culture. The conceptual knowledge about the target culture refers to the systematic conceptual knowledge about the target culture and society and it should include the target societys geography, history, institutions, religions, economy, education and arts and so on. This conceptual knowledge about the target culture is often referred to as the general knowledge of the target culture. Cultural competence refers to implicit mastery of the norms of a society, the unspoken rules of conduct, values, and orientation that make up the cultural fabric of a society. It also includes the ability to recognize culturally significant facts, and knowledge of the parameters within which behavior is acceptable or unacceptable. Cultural competence does not necessarily mean conformity to these norms and rules. Cultural competence is the same as communicative competence in many aspects. Communicative competence (the term discussed before) also implies knowledge of many aspects of society and culture: forms of address, choices of register and style, differences between social and regional dialects, and the social values attached to these differences. These items refer to characteristic features of the culture. In language teaching, for instance, communicative competence includes certain aspects of sociocultural information. To a certain extent, however, cultural competence is different from communicative competence in that it refers mainly to social and cultural behavior and facts, and less to their linguistic manifestations. To be successful in the intercultural communication, both linguistic competence and cultural competence are needed. The appearance of disharmony, misunderstandings and even conflicts in communication is largely due to a lack of cultural competence. In the century of the global intercultural communication, the goal of foreign language teaching has to be changed. A shift should be made to the cultivation of intercultural communication competence. 9. Arousing Students Cultural Awareness Cultural awareness is the term used to describe sensitivity to the impact of culturally induced behavior on language use and communication. It refers to an understanding of ones own and others cultures that affect how people think and behave. It deals with geographical knowledge, the knowledge about the contributions of the target culture to world civilization, the knowledge about differences in the ways of life as well as an understanding of values and attitudes in the second language community. Cultural awareness includes understanding commonalities of human behavior and differences in cultural patterns. It must be viewed both as enabling language proficiency and as being the outcome of reflection on language proficiency. Intercultural communicative awareness means the sensibility to the impact of culturally induced behavior in communications across cultures. It involves the ability to identify cultural diversity and develop empathy (to see things from the point of view of others). On a less transparent level, intercultural awareness might be as simple as becoming aware of cultural differences as they apply to the use of yes or no. For instance,, knowing that in the American culture, people tend to be more direct and avoid roundabout answers, we would not make a reply like Please dont bother, to the hosts question Do you like some more potato soup? instead, we would respond by saying Yes, please. if we really want some, or No, thank. you. if we think we have had enough of it. A persons socio-cultural knowledge restricts how he exploits his linguistic potential. It is generally believed that if a person lacks socio-cultural knowledge relevant to the target language, a person can hardly use a language accurately and appropriately and be an effective intercultural communicator. Cultural awareness teaching should be involved with viewpoints, and with allowing students to gain a perspective through comparison which is neither entirely one nor the other. In the process of comparison from two viewpoints there lies the possibility of attaining leverage on both cultures, and thereby acquiring an intercultural communicative competence. With the coming of more chance for Chinese to interact with English native-speakers, a fund of knowledge about target culture can to a large extent, guarantee an effective intercultural communication. Therefore, arousing cultural awareness becomes an indispensable part in foreign language teaching and learning. In teaching cultural awareness, Ned Seelye provides a framework for facilitating the development of cross-cultural communication skills. The following goals are a modification of his seven goals of cultural instruction. 1) To help students to develop an understanding of the fact that all people exhibit culturally-conditioned behaviors. 2) To help students to develop an understanding of social variables such as age, sex, social class, and place of residence, the ways in which people speak and behavior. 3) To help students to become more aware of conventional behavior in common situations in the target language. 4) To help students to increase their awareness of the cultural connotations of words and phrases in the target language. 5) To help students to develop the ability to evaluate and refine generalizations about the target culture, in terms of supporting evidence. 6) To help students to develop the necessary skills to locate and organize information about the target culture. 7) To stimulate students intellectual curiosity about the target culture, and to encourage empathy towards its people. In integrating English culture awareness into teaching, there are two problems we need to consider, the first problem to be tackled is how to provide the cultural information needed. The point regarding this problem is that second-language teachers may attempt to teach culture when they are not equipped to do so through no fault of their own. The other point is that even if they know how to teach (through various techniques of presenting culture), without a definite knowledge of what to teach (the culture content), they can hardly incorporate various activities geared toward the culture objectives into their classes. For one thing, teachers need assistance in overcoming their lack of knowledge about the second culture; for another, in the preparation and selection of teaching materials, the culture content selected may sometimes be concentrated on the unusual, the bizarre and the exotic characteristics of the culture. In order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding, the teacher is a dvised to describe all aspects of the situation instead of treating the cultural phenomenon in isolation, and present culture content at a level or in a manner to which the students can attach some relationship between the information and their own background experiences. Even if teachers know what to teach and how to teach, there is still a problem concerning finding time in the class period to include culture. The class time is limited, so how much time should be spent teaching culture? Dwelling too much on culture is not only a waste of time but also of no help to the students. The second problem is that though most foreign language teachers do not deny the importance of teaching culture, few teachers actively test whether students are attaining their cultural goals. Teachers may incidentally attend to culture by inserting ideas during the class period and subsequently fail to check students comprehension of the context. Often students do not realize that the teacher is attempting to teach aspects of the second language culture. One of the reasons for this lack of awareness is that culture usually is not considered a fundamental component of the class content. If culture is to be an important goal in the second language class, it must be taught and tested systematically. Currently, the most practical approach to testing culture is to test the facts. Objective tests and essay tests may be used to test knowledge of facts and insight into cultural behavior. The problems mentioned above mean a lot to second language teachers and learners. Undertaking the teaching of culture is far from being simple. In accomplishing this task, the teacher has to be a generous knowledge imparter, an efficient time finder, an amiable activity designer, a protean actor and an assiduous learner as well. As for students, in the long run, they will benefit a lot from the culture learning experience that helps them become successful cross-cultural communicators. Undoubtedly, being a successful cross-cultural communicator is an exciting, enjoyable and enriching experience that will open the doors to both personal development and satisfaction. Therefore, the integration of English culture awareness into teaching in China means a demanding and challenging task both for English teachers and learners. 10. Developing Intercultural Understanding Cultural understanding is the main part of cultural studies. It demands a detailed analysis of cultures. The teaching of culture should lead students to experience directly through contact with native speakers and through developing some sorts of personal relationship with the target language community. In other words, culture understanding involves, besides the cognitive, a social and affective component. The main content of cultural understanding covers: 1) Understanding of daily life, including unfamiliar conventions, such as writing a check or reading a timetable. 2) Knowledge of cultural connotations of words and phrases. The students should indicate awareness that culturally conditioned images are associated with even the most common target words and phrase

Equality in School Finance Essay -- essays research papers fc

Equality in School Finance In The Story of the Education Dollar, Odden, Monk, Nakib and Picus describe some basic facts about education spending in the United States to facilitate an understanding of the level and uses of the federal government's policies on education funding. The purpose of the authors' discussion is to argue that public education facilities need to change their focus on the consumption of educational resources to a focus on producing high levels of student achievement. They contend that such a redirection in focus will require large improvements in student achievement, given that only about 10 percent of students currently attain the desired level of achievement across the board in mathematics, science, writing, history, geography and civics. James Traub expands on their discussion to argue for the necessary inclusion of after-care activities for inner-city youth in any successful educational spending program. Odden et al. note that their analysis of spending patterns across the 50 states is supported by the conclusions reached by the Finance Center of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), although the results of their research did diverge in some significant ways. Odden et al. examined spending and staffing patterns at the district and school levels. They also scrutinized staffing patterns of expenditures by function and program and spending across curriculum content areas in California, Florida and New York. Their major conclusion was that while there had been considerable national investment in public education during the 20th century, as a rule the funds were distributed unfairly and used ineffectively. The largest portion of increased spending during the 20th century occurred to hire more teachers to reduce class size and to provide more out-of-classroom services, particularly for special education purposes. However, they argue that neither strategy boosted student achievement very much. Also, although education spending has increased teachers' salaries, it has not been used to improve the quality of the teachers. Notably, Odden et al. found that both low-spending and high-spending school districts fund education spending in the same proportions, meaning that high-spending districts tend to have lower class sizes and higher teacher salaries. The authors argue this discrepancy reflects the "fiscal regulariti... ...otes that while we must, as Odden et al. advocate, approach each reform program as though it could provide unlimited success, we must also take into account the demonstrated limitation of such programs. Significantly, blacks still score about 200 points lower than whites on College Boards and an average 17-year-old black student reads at a 13-year-old level. Thus, Traub argues, schools are not the final arbiter of student achievement. He contends that a child's home life and social culture, which can fail to nurture mental and intellectual stimulation, should be taken into consideration when drafting reform programs. He suggests the inclusion of programs such as Impact, a multi-purpose, social service program that offers year-round day care, adult literacy programs, and health care programs. At the least, the calls for the need for after-school activities that provides an alternative environment for inner-city youth. Bibliography Odden, Allan, Monk, David, Nakib, Yasser and Picus, Lawrence. "The Story of the Education Dollar." Phi Delta Kappan (October, 1995): 161-168. Traub, James. "What No School Can Do." New York Times Magazine (January 16, 2000): 52-91.

Intergumentary System Essay example -- Biology, Organisms, Atoms

Organisms are composed of atoms that form molecules which form macromolecules (Shier, Butler, & Lewis, 2009). These molecules join and form organelles which structure cell that for tissues (p.3). Tissues form organs and the organs working together form organ system (p3). These organ systems make up the organism (p3). Each organ system has an important function in the body. These systems all work together in order to keep and support the conditions that the cells, tissues, and organs need to function properly. There is one system that is not as well known as other; it is the intergumentary system. Most people know the organs of the intergumentary system, but they do not know that these organs work together to form this system. The intergumentary system is composed of the skin and the structures related to the skin, which include the hair, the finger nails, the sensory receptors and the glands (Shier, Butler, & Lewis, 2009). This system has an important function since it provides protection to the body, helps to maintain body temperature, and contains sensory receptors (p.117). The skin which is the largest organ in the body and an organ of the intergumentary system has essential function such as regulating homeostasis and body temperature, also delaying the loss of water from deeper tissues, storing sensory receptor, synthesizing biomechanical, and discharging waste from the body (p.117). The skin has two layers: the epidermis (outer layer) and the dermis (inner layer) (p.117). There is also a subcutaneous layer or hypodermis (Shier, Butler, & Lewis, 2009). According to Shier, Butler, and Lewis 2009 â€Å"as its name indicates, this layer is beneath the skin and not a true layer of the skin.† This layer has the blood vessels that su... ...se glands help to balance the body temperature (p.124). The fluid that this eccrine glands secret is transported outside of the body by a tube that has an opening to the exterior as a pore (p.124). Another sweat gland is the apocrine gland which is activated at puberty. According to Shier, Butler, and Lewis 2009 â€Å"these glands secrete by the same mechanism as eccrine glands, usually when a person is emotionally upset, frightened, in pain, or during sexual arousal.† Other sweat glands are seruminous glands which secret, and the female mammary glands which secrete milk (p.124). The nails which are another accessory of the skin cover and give protection to the end of fingers and toes (Shier, Butler, & Lewis, 2009). The nails have a lunula which is the area of growth in the nail (p.122). This means that if the lunula is damaged the nail probably will not growth again.

Suicide In Jails :: essays research papers

Suicide In Jails The United States is plagued by a countless number of social dilemmas. Although not in constant public scrutiny, suicide is a serious problem which has seemed to have lost importance. When suicide is coupled with arrest and incarceration it becomes an increasingly complex situation. In fact, research indicates that the jail suicide rate ranges from 2.5 to 13 times greater than the rate of the general population (Winkler 1992). Motivation, prediction, and prevention of suicidal behavior are grossly unclear, which only adds to the already existing complexity. Many factors involved with arrest and incarceration only serve as a catalyst of suicidal tendencies. Suicide is the primary cause of death in this country's jails. In 1986 there were 401 successful [jail] suicides (Winkler 19992). There are many general assumptions made in regard to suicide. Most believe suicide to be caused by mental illness such as major depression or bipolar disorder. Another belief is that the emotional escalation leading to action takes place over a long period of time. Such is not the case in jail suicides. Much of the research shows that "of all [jail] suicides occur within the first twenty four hours of incarceration, and an overwhelming number of these take place in the first three hours of isolation which is referred to as the â€Å"crisis period" (Hess 1987). The crisis period is reflective of arrest and incarceration as producing extreme confusion, fear, and anxiety. The crisis period is also the result of isolation. Isolation causes an individual to lose all social support systems. Placing an individual in isolation may be a form of protection, but this gives the individual an opportunity to concentrate on feelings of hopelessness (Winkler 1992). Hopelessness can be defined as the presence of despair and negative feelings about the future (Shneidman 1987).Isolation can also produce a severe threat to those inmates who have difficulty with coping abilities as this only encourages future deterioration. Undoubtedly, isolation is often necessary to contain a person, or to prevent injury to the individual and, or other inmates. Individuals who are experiencing obvious mental stress should certainly not be held in isolation for obvious reasons. According to Hess (1983),many facilities have regulations which state,â€Å"The action taken must be responsible under the circumstances and represent a good- faith judgment that the action was the least restrictive alternative available.† Regulations such as this not only serve as a guideline for officers, but as a preventive measure against legal action as a result of isolation. Aside from these emotional factors of the physical environment which are impetus of suicidal attempts. Isolation cells more often than not tend to have poor