Greek Mythology Essay Essay

There are many similarities and differences between Greek myths and what Genesis says. One example is the creation of man and the universe. Another example is how the first woman was created and what she was meant for. The last example is the Greek’s account of the flood compared to the Genesis account. The universe was created by thunder according to Greek myth. But in reality it was created by the voice of God saying in Genesis, â€Å"Let there be, and it was†. The word of God was distorted in the Greek myth by saying everything was created with thunder when really God’s voice was like thunder as it says in Job 40:9 â€Å"Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like his?†. Over time, the bible saying God’s voice sounds like thunder may have been perceived as just thunder in the Greek account. This is what may have caused the Greek myths of creation to become so distorted. There are also some similarities and differences between the Genesis and Greek account of the creation of woman. The first woman, Eve, was created out of Adam’s rib as Genesis says in chapter 20 verse 22 â€Å"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.† Genises also states that Eve was a gift from God to Adam, however, the Greek account states that the first woman, Pandora, was a punishment by God. These are just some of the distortions between the Genises account and the Greek myth. There are many similarities and differences between what the Genises account states and what the Greek account states about the flood. In the Greek account, Zues got angry at the world because of humanity’s sins and wanted to destroy it. He was going to destroy the world with a thunder bolt when he dicided to flood it instead because otherwise heaven would light on fire. Really God never debated how to destroy the world, he just instantly choose to do it with a flood as it says in Genises 6:17, â€Å"I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.† God told Noah to build an ark and to put all living creatures, male and female, onto the ark for he was going to flood the earth. However, in the  Greek account Zues never warned humanity of the flood, he just had Posiden flood it and Hades create earthquakes. Two humans found refuge on a mountain that the waters didn’t reach. These are just some examples of the distortions between Greek myth and the Genises account. In conclusion, the Greek account of the creation of man, how the first woman was created and what she was meant for, and their account of the flood compared to the Genises account all have many similarities and differences. One thing that may have caused these distortions of the Genises account is the bible’s use of figurative language and people perceiving it the wrong way.

Language and communication difficulties Essay

1.3: Describe the potential impact of speech, language and communication difficulties on the overall development of a child, both currently and in the longer term. Lack of confidence: Throughout a child’s school life, as well as adulthood, individuals with SLCN will struggle to find confidence in a number of areas. Many children will come across as shy or timid, whereas they may actually be unable to say what they want to say through lack of understanding. Language barriers restrict a child’s opportunity to participate, and often leave them feeling unvalued or excluded. Without confidence, individuals will fail to become independent and possibly become reliant on adults or peers. Problem solving: Due to the lack of skills needed, problem solving can become an extremely daunting task. Barriers that may seem easy to overcome (for most individuals) can cause children with SLCN a huge amount of anxiety and stress. Children will not be able to fully understand how to manage problems, where to go to, or how to explain what exactly is wrong. Instead, many problems will be left alone, creating a higher level of stress. Emotional regulation: Dealing with emotions can be hard for everyone, but being able to communicate with others will often leave individuals with a sense of reassurance. Children with SLCN will find it harder to explain the emotions they are going through, and may not understand how to effectively manage their emotions as a consequence. As anxiety levels may be constant, children will often feel worried and nervous about situations. During adulthood, this may lead to stress and depression. Adults may isolate themselves which could have a significant impact on work, friendships and relationships. Behaviour control: Unfortunately, for some SLCN individuals, a lack of understanding can often lead to poor behaviour. Children, who find work too hard or confusing, can often allow their mind to wander, and become easily distracted. In turn, the child may cause distractions in lessons and seem to be behaving badly. The issue may be strengthened when the child is questioned and barriers prevent them answering confidently. Children struggle to stay on task and often leave work incomplete which may lead to further sanctions. EYMP5-1.3: Describe the potential impact of speech, language and communication difficulties on the overall development of a child, both currently and in the longer term. Academic Achievement: Children’s achievement will be greatly restricted as they will always find the work seemingly harder than their peers. Individuals with SLCN must be allowed time and space to complete tasks, and their instructions would be minimised to a level that they can understand. Due to the time management, they may have differentiated work patterns meaning that they are not completing as much work as their peers. Tests can cause huge amounts of stress and even for the brightest of students, a failure to understand questions as well as difficulties in managing emotions can lead to lower test scores. Making friends: Social impacts can include difficulties in friendships. Bonds between peers can become harder with SLCN children as they may not fully understand their role as a friend. Children may feel excluded from playtime activities and due to lack of confidence, decide to stay alone instead of participating. As children grow up, they will find it increasingly difficult to form friendships with children who are already in groups. During adulthood, this may not change. Adults may even fear employment, worrying that they do not  have the social skills to bond with other employees. Sustaining relationships: In adulthood in particular, sustaining relationships can be a very stressful situation. A lack of understanding between two people can lead to a distance in thought processes. The worry and anxiety levels of adults with SLCN can often be extremely high, and instead of â€Å"failing,† they may be reluctant to even try. Adults can often argue, which again would be a difficult task to overcome for someone with language and communication barriers. Many adults may not realise, or fully understand, what they need to do to correct situations and maintain healthy and positive relationships.

Dickens ‘Great Expectations’ Essay

Pip’s account of the events that took place after visiting Miss Havisham My Uncle Pumblechook took me to the home of Miss Havisham. The initial image I had was of a dismal house made from old brick with the windows either bricked up or barred and with a disused brewery at the side of the property. Obviously once a luxurious house it was now beginning to crumble and decay. A very beautiful young girl called Estella met me. Although only my age she seemed to delight in calling me ‘boy’. She told me the Manor house also had the name ‘Satis House’ which in Greek, Latin or Hebrew means ‘Enough house’ and she claimed that whoever had this house would want for nothing, I found this a curious fact. I went in through the side door as the great entrance had two bars across it. I followed Estella who was holding a single candle along dark passages, where all daylight was excluded. Once Estella and I arrived at a door, she left me in pitch black telling me scornfully she didn’t want to go in. I was nervous and apprehensive, however given no other choice I knocked at the door. Once told to enter I found myself in a large dark room in which initially my eyes focused on a draped dressing table festooned with many objects. On further observations I spotted an armchair, sitting in which, I saw the strangest lady I had ever seen before and knew I ever would again. Dressed all in white the bridal dress she wore must have once been worn by a young woman, however now it was seen on an old women whose shrunken body was mere skin and bones. All I could conjure up was the comparison of Miss Havisham to a waxwork skeleton, now in ‘the ashes of a rich dress’. The bridal dresses luxurious ‘fabrics’ of satin, lace and silk were now yellow, faded and paper-thin, and added to this the flowers in her hair and veil gave me the uncomfortable feeling that the women was now dressed in her grave clothes. When Miss Havisham’s dark eyes turned to look at me I felt utter alarm and wanted to shout, but nothing came out. With my eyes still intently taking in the untidy room, with clothes and personal effects scattered around and with one shoe on her foot and the other on the table, I gave Miss Havisham my name and told her I had come to play. As I was told to come nearer I noted that both her watch and room clock had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, I wondered why this would be? Although afraid of her I felt the necessity to lie when she asked if I was afraid of her, the fact she hadn’t seen daylight since before I was born only accentuated my trepidation of her. As she touched her heart it reminded me of the young man and when she told me it was broken I saw her face fill with a weird boastful smile. I had come to play, to entertain Miss Havisham, but I didn’t know what to do, she thought that I was being very sullen and obstinate, however I told her that I was sorry for her and was finding everything new, strange and melancholy. I had to call Estella as Miss Havisham told us to play cards together. As I could only play ‘Beggar my Neighbour’ Estella’s’ contempt of me seemed to grow, I was merely a ‘labouring boy’ and one that called a ‘knave’ a ‘Jack’. Why did she think so little of me and make me feel conscience for the first time of my coarse hands and common boots? Miss Havisham appeared to watch us in a transfixed expression, like that of a corpse, as though her whole body and soul had dropped and mere daylight would turn her to dust. I had to whisper to Miss Havisham what I thought of Estella and realised that although she was very pretty I also found her very proud and insulting, although deep down I realised I would like to see her again. I did hear Miss Havisham earlier telling Estella she could break my heart if she desired, I wonder what she meant by this? I had a great wish to go home, but on Miss Havisham’s request I have agreed to return in six days. Being without natural light, I almost thought it must be dark outside so I was hit by the daylight when re-entering the courtyard. On orders from Miss Havisham, Estella brought me some food, however the look she gave me was one that I felt such humiliation and hurt that tears sprang to my eyes. Realising I was morally sensitive and timid seemed to bring pleasure to Estella and she enjoyed treating me as though I was a disgraced dog. Feeling better from the food I was again aware of the whole oppressive wilderness, a crooked pigeon house, with no pigeons, no animals, just a total emptiness. In the brewery building I saw Estella above in the gallery and hanging a figure of the old women in her faded white apparel, when I turned to look again enormous fear hit me, it had vanished! Desperate to go Estella unlocked the door for me, she appeared so superior to me and seeing me cry seemed to fuel her need to taunt me even more. I just felt my self-esteem was at an all time low, I obviously have despicable habits and I’m more ignorant than I had ever realised.

The Renaissance and its origin in Italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Renaissance and its origin in Italy - Essay Example Theorists have often argued that the Fall of Constantinople, followed by the mass exodus of scholars from Constantinople, to escape the persecution of the Ottoman Turks, to Italy was what kicked off the Renaissance. The Renaissance, one might say was not a new phenomenon in as far as it led only to a revival of interest in the classics of antiquity. This is true since the vast resources that were brought from the famous libraries of Constantinople were what formed the majority of the work that was worked upon. Brought to other parts of Europe, these manuscripts were welcomed and greedily devoured by local scholars. The effect of this can be seen in the works of writers and painters of the period, among other scholars. Dante Alighieri, who in his work Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy in English), shows the influences of classical platonic ideas along with Islamic theories testifies to the above-mentioned theory. Painters like Leonardo da Vinci too, in paintings like â€Å"The Vitru vian Man† display influences of works of antiquity. What then, is new about the Renaissance? Texts that were brought to the European mainland underwent a re-interpretation that threw up possibilities that were never thought of before.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a federal system of Research Paper

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a federal system of government Is it better than a unitary system of government Why or why not Be specific - Research Paper Example There is another advantage that states are able to settle its own policies and regulation to govern themselves, this system ensures government to remain close with people so they can be acquainted with necessitate and wants of the people. The weakness of this system is that there is a different system and each state government that can lead to over-lapping contradictory policies in various parts of the country. This system creates inequality between the states and this may steer the states to unhealthy hostility among them. Misuse of power can lead governments to corruption and in federal system corruption is very frequently practiced. (Baluyot) In unitary system, political and governing power resides with central government. In this system the central government usually delegates command to sub-national units and guide policy verdicts for implementation. This system is in contrast of federal system (K). Federal government system is better than a unitary government system because it has multiple hierarchy levels with central and local authority, also the central policy dominates over state policy and it is shared between national and local levels. But in unitary government there is no hierarchy of independent powers, states have no authority to pass their own laws, central government is the sole power to issue directives to do

Standard American English and Lyrics of Songs Essay

Standard American English and Lyrics of Songs - Essay Example For an exceptional artist to use African American language, she must have obtained a tremendously prodigious number of fans who understand her language better. For instance, when she says â€Å"to the left† is African American idiom and according to Beyonce and the song, she meant that her lover should leave the house and go away to somewhere else. Therefore, the quote â€Å"to the left† according to the standard Britain English, it is incomplete or rather â€Å"to the left† can directly and literally mean go to the left. Therefore, as far as Britain English is concerned, the meaning in those lines is not absolute. Another instance where the use of Standard English is losing the meaning is on the quote â€Å"matter fact†, here there in no preposition, but it is normal with standard American English but not standard Britain English. The meaning will always change when an artist uses standard English, for example, words like â€Å"cause† and †bout† in the song, gives a different meaning hence changes the meaning. When using words like cause instead of because, and bout instead of about, that only gives a total difference and meaning. Artists should reconsider the use of one language that can be understood easily with all people internationally. By this information, the song can reach the listener hence no problems to the

Analysis of John Adams Quincys Quote about a Leader Essay - 16

Analysis of John Adams Quincys Quote about a Leader - Essay Example In the contemporary work settings, what fails most of the businesses is not lack of finances or assets. It is the lack of an effective leader who can inspire the followers to visualize success and lead them through as they pursue the company’s goals and objectives. John Adams’ Quincy’s quote indicated above touches on the core of leadership; inspiration. As Adair (2009) puts it, to lead effectively is not just to be at the forefront. Good leadership is evaluated based on various parameters including the ability to inspire and bring out the best from the followers. Quincy says to become a leader one must be able to inspire other people to dream more; to imagine great things. A good leader stimulates their team to set goals and objectives that may sound ridiculous. The leader should instil confidence and a sense of belief amongst the followers. This makes the team develop the resilience that no matter what challenges they go through, they never lose focus and determination on their set goal. For example, in a situation where workers have virtually no substantial plans other than working for the company in the same capacity for years, a Human Resource Manager (leader) may inspire such staffs not only through the words they speak but also actions. In the end, the staff may feel rejuvenated after they are challenged to seek for more out of their lives (Northouse, 2010). Consequently, Quincy talks about learning as an art of demonstrating leadership. A learner is both a learner and a teacher. The behavioral theory of leadership maintains that leadership is as a result of behavior learning. The theory posits that good leaders can be trained and inspired by their mentors (Hoffmann, 2007). The behavioral theory bases its arguments on the ability of humans to learn through observation, hearing or even modelling. This means that leaders can be a source through which followers retrieve skills and knowledge of how to do or how not to do. An influential person with a strong ego is likely to influence learning and behavior change than others.

Financial Reporting, Leasers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Reporting, Leasers - Essay Example In an operating lease, lease payments are recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term unless another systematic basis is more representative of the time-pattern of the entity's benefit. In the case of a finance lease, the lessee recognizes the lease as assets and liabilities in their financial statements at an amount equal to the fair value of the leased property. If the amount is lower, then at the present value of the minimum lease payments, each calculated at the start of the lease. When calculating the present value of the minimum lease payments, the discount rate used is the interest rate implicit in the lease. If this is not practicable to determine, then the lessee's incremental borrowing rate is used. All initial costs of the lessee are capitalized to the asset amount recognized. Minimum lease payments are apportioned between finance charge and the reduction of the outstanding principal liability. The finance charge is set in such a way that it produces a constant rate of interest on the outstanding balance of the liability. Lessors present assets subject to operating leases in their balance sheets according to the nature of the asset. Lease income from operating leases is recognized in income on a straight-line basis over the whole lease term, unless another systematic basis is more representative of the time-pattern of the entity's benefit. ... Treatment in the book of lessors Operating Leases Lessors present assets subject to operating leases in their balance sheets according to the nature of the asset. Lease income from operating leases is recognized in income on a straight-line basis over the whole lease term, unless another systematic basis is more representative of the time-pattern of the entity's benefit. Initial direct costs incurred by lessors in negotiating and arranging an operating lease is to be added to the carrying amount of the leased asset and recognized as an expense over the lease term on the same basis as the lease income. According to paragraph 56 of the incumbent IAS 17 Leases, Lessors shall, in addition to meeting the requirements of IFRS 7, disclose the following for operating leases: The future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases in the aggregate and for each of the following periods: 1. Not later than one year; 2. Later than one year and not later than five years; 3. Later than five years. Finance Leases For initial recognition, lessors recognize their assets held under a finance lease in their balance sheets and present them as receivable at an amount equal to the net investment in the lease. The recognition of finance income is to be based on a pattern reflecting a constant periodic rate of return on the lessor's net investment in the finance lease. Analysis Now, the above introductory information should put us in a position so as to judge the effect of the proposed changes in the IAS against the benchmark incumbent IAS 17 Leases. Disadvantages The proposed changes in the IAS would render the operating lease to be treated in the same way as a finance lease. For the

India as a Potential Market for Tim Tam Biscuits Essay

India as a Potential Market for Tim Tam Biscuits - Essay Example The BRIC countries refer to a group of four large, developing countries; Brazil, Russia, India and China. These countries, given their demographic and economic potential, have the potency to catapult into the world’s largest economies of the world. Home to over 40 percent of the world population and having recorded impressive growth rates in their gross domestic products (GDPs), these countries are on the radar for most companies willing to expand their businesses. This paper analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of Arnott’s in the Indian competitive market space. The marketing mix as well as the marketing strategy with regard to segmenting, targeting and positioning for the Indian market, the chosen BRIC country for expansion, has been detailed in the paper. The paper establishes that the competition in the Indian biscuit market is intense, however the Tim Tam biscuits, with their good taste and appropriate positioning on the health plank can carve out a market for themselves in India. It has been suggested that Arnott’s should give the marketing rights to sell its Tim Tam biscuits to one of the leading operators in the FMCG sector in India. Later, the company can set up its wholly owned subsidiary in India to manufacture and market its Tim Tam brand. Introduction Arnott's is a household name in Australia. In existence for the last 146 years, Arnott's is not just a food company; it’s a national icon and an integral part of the Australia’s history. Business Leverage Arnott's has emerged as one of the largest food companies in the Asia Pacific region. With Campbell Soup Company of the United States making investments in Arnott's, the latter is poised to take its growth levels to a new high. Primary Areas requiring planning for Arnott’s Arnott's is a market leader in the Australian biscuit market with a market share of 65 per cent and a ‘household penetration’ of hundred percent . Australia and New Zealand, put together, account for 80 per cent of Arnott’s business. These existing markets do not provide Arnott’s the prospect of stellar growth in the future. At this juncture the company has to further expand in the international market. The biscuit manufacturer exports its produce to Japan, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Indonesia and Tahiti. Arnott’s has to plan and take decisions on the following aspects if it is to succeed in its endeavor of expansion in international market: a) Which country should it choose to sell its products? b) What should be the mode of entry in that country? c) What should be the company strategy with regard to STP (Segmenting, targeting and positioning)? d) What should be the marketing mix in that country? Selection of Country Brazil, Russia, India and China, collectively known as the BRIC countries are the four largest developing countries of the world. These countries, given their demographic and ec onomic potential, have the potency to catapult into the world’s largest economies of the world. Home to over 40 percent of the world population and having recorded impressive growth rates in their gross domestic products, these countries are on the radar for most companies willing to expand their businesses (Oakley 2009). Goldman Sachs estimates that China  would become largest economy of the world by 2050, while India, Brazil and Russia would capture

Novel “Asturias” Essay Example for Free

Novel â€Å"Asturias† Essay Celebrity and fame don’t affect all relationships equally; some individual’s relationships are positively affected while others are affected negatively. Some individuals are easily influenced by fame and let it influence their relationships. Brain Caswell shows these ideas in the novel â€Å"Asturias† in the novel it is about a group being formed to make music and to make it in the world of fames. The song by Ed Sheeran’s You Need Me is about the singer ready to enter fame and is determined to make it. The trailer for Almost Famous is about a boy entering a new world full of celebrities. Asturias explores how fame can affect a celebrity’s relation both positively and negatively. In Asturias fame creates opportunities for individuals to form new relations or enhance old ones. Max desire to, â€Å"assemble a band†¦. With image and substance† reveals how fame gives the group members (Alex, Chrissie, Marco, Tasha and Tim) opportunity to meet each other and form new relationships. This idea also highlights Tim’s observation how, â€Å"you have more friends than ever† when you become famous. Celebrities have more fans and meet more celebrities of which they have idolised. It affects their relations towards the band members in their group. Ed Sheeran’s song You need me, also shows how fame can give more opportunities and exceed in life through the use of metaphor in the line â€Å"more greener pastures†. Likewise the trailer for almost famous also supports the notion that fame can create new relationships as the main character is introduced to rock stars and befriends them. This is emphasised when the main character is shown in a mid shot at the start of the trailer. With an upbeat song playing in the background highlighting his vulnerability and how he is starting the journey to fame. This vulnerable shot contrast with later shots where he is singing with the band members in their bus showing that his joined their group. Fame may create opportunities however it can put strains in relationships. Fame can create opportunities for forming new relationships or enhancing old relationships, in the trailer almost famous it shows the main character in a mid shot with an up beat song playing in the background showing his vulnerability and leading on through the trailer he starts his journey to  fame. He starts to experience the ride that everyone dreams for. These relations are affect by fame because they shown they are alone and they begin to make new friends such as rock stars and celebrities and they being to have friendships with. In the line by Ed Sheeran, â€Å"move to greener pastures,† he uses metaphor to show that he wants to go far and exceed in life. Fame gives him more opportunities to exceed in life and it brings new opportunities in his life. Also in Asturias the line â€Å" you have more friends then ever†, it shows how there are also new people entering in your life. New relationships are made and fame gives them these opportunities. Lastly fame gives you the dream. It’s a clichà © it gives you the opportunity to exceed in life and try new things and do the thing you love. Fame puts strain on old relationships epically with friends and family or can make it difficult to make new (real) friends. Such as in almost famous â€Å"rock starts have steeled my son†, the imagery of fame taking away her son, it affects the mums and sons relationship negatively because her son is to caught up on all the glitz and glamor. The mum knows these people are fake and don’t really care about the son. It also puts a strain in the mums and son relationship as the mother is loosing her son and they are distant. In relation, in Asturias the motif of the â€Å"brass ring† communicates the idea that fame and celebrity is not what it looks like it seems perfect and it everything you imagine it is gold in our eyes. Marco’s realises this when his dad wants to come back into the picture again, his dad just wants his money and doesn’t want him for all the other things. Marcos relations ship is like the brass ring. It looks like gold when his dad wants him but he starts to realise that his dad’s just brass and the idea of him really wanting to know him was an illusion. Brian Caswell outlines that fame has a positive and negative aspects as evident in the line, â€Å"with one hand it gives you the dream, with the other it takes a subtle payment†, where juxtaposition and imagery displays how fame is not always beneficial and always has a price. It shows how it can affect the relationships with your family and friends. You start to feel disconnected but you are making new friends however these friends may be untrustworthy and won’t be they’re when you stuff up. As you see fame has influenced these relationships in a negatively way. Keeping relationships intact while being famous requires hard work and a good support system plus you need to stay connected to the real world. In the song, You Need Me by Ed Sheeran in the line, â€Å"from day one I’ve been prepared†, the composer shows that he’s ready to entre fame, he’s ready to live the lifestyle of socialising, paparazzi, criticism and fake friends. He is ready to live in that negative environment which may affect his relation towards him self. Also in this line the rhythm is fast and up beat, he’s also rapping he uses this to show that fame is constantly fast you got to keep in track and your constantly have to keep putting yourself out their until you make it. In the line, â€Å"the light at the end of the tunnel was beginning to look less and less like an on-coming train†. Brian Caswell does this to show how their seems to be more hope and that the dream can actually happen, through the use of illusion. It shows how f ame affected the group’s relationship positively because they had a good support system and they stay connected to the their family and friends. Fame affects relationships by changing their lifestyle and world. It changes their lifestyle and world because new people entre your life such as fans. You loose your close friends because fame start to take over your life and usually your friends say remember me when you’re famous, because they know their going to loose you. You have a new status to live up to and you have are more restricted with your life. Your lifestyle change to glamorous fast paced, luxurious and wealthy. Your confidence grows and you are also placed in a new environment that surrounds you with expectations and partying and drugs and alcohol. In conclusion celebrity and fame can affects relations based on the person and the relationships on the others. Fame can affect them on the way they think about life by achieving their goals and knowing that anything can happen. However it also can impact their life by changing it around and influencing them to a false world and change their whole persona on life. Celebrity and fame can impact many relations it all depends on the individual and the way they look on to fame.

Gratitude the parent of all virtues

Gratitude the parent of all virtues Everyone indeed has experienced receiving gifts, favors or benefits. How does it feel? Certainly, the common emotion that one feels is the feeling of being thankful or grateful. But on the other hand, one might also feel indebted. Thus, through this study, a deeper understanding will be grasp to understand every part of the emotion gratitude: what is gratitude, how is gratitude experienced, the difference between gratitude and indebtness, its impact to the people and limitations. Gratitude is one common emotion to aid (Gallup, 1998). According to Emmons Crumpler, (2000) it is an emotion evident in all cultures and is a virtue encouraged by all of the major religions of the world. The importance of gratitude has been taught by several world religions (Emmons Crumpler, 2000). But it has been largely neglected in the field of psychological science until the 21st century despite the fact that it is believed by many thinkers in various disciplines from Western social theorists Seneca an d Cicero to Adam Smith and David Hume, to modern social scientists Robert Frank and Robert Trivers, that this emotion is essential for building and preserving social relationships (Bartlett DeSteno, 2006 McCullough, Kimeldorf, Cohen, 2008) and has been marked not only the best, but the parent of all other virtues (Cicero, 1851 p.139). Gratitude in theological aspect is defined as the affirmation of a bond between giver and receiver, which is central to the human divine relationship (Emmons Kneezel, 2005). This means that when one experience gratitude, it signifies that a relationship exists between the benefactor and the receiver. In New Webster Dictionary (2002), it is defined as a feeling of appreciation for a kindness or favor received. Psychologists on the other hand typically define gratitude as a positive emotion (Tsang, 2006). Being a positive emotion means that it encourages people to engage in cognitive and behavioral activities that will build resources that will become useful during threatening, and challenging situations (Fredrickson, 1998, 2001). It has also been acknowledged as a moderately pleasant emotion (Mayer et al., 1991) but it is different from plain happiness since gratitude generally goes with the perception that one has benefited from another persons generosity. Although it is generally a ccepted that expressing gratitude brings great happiness (Gallup, 1998). Experiencing Gratitude Gratitude as described by Emmons and Crumpler (2000) is an emotional response to a gift (p. 56), adding that it is an interpersonal emotion that is felt not toward oneself but toward other people. But gratitude does not solely occur after a gift is given, as various researches have shown, the benefactor, the recipient and the gifts affect such experience. In Heiders theory of gratitude, it states that the beneficiary would encounter less gratitude in situations where the benefactor would obliged the beneficiary to be grateful, because the beneficiary prefers to infer their gratitude to be self-motivated, rather than controlled by external sources (Watkins et al., 2006). Hence, if a return favor is expected, a feeling of gratefulness declines. Individuals also experience gratitude when they see a benefit was caused by the efforts of others (Weiner, Russell, Lerman, 1979; Zaieski, 1988), a nd also when they are able to recognize appropriately the effort of others as the cause of another persons gratitude (Weiner et al., 1979). On the other hand, providing intentionally valued benefits, as perceived by the recipients, create greater feelings of gratitude (Tsang, 2007). Similar to it, Emmons and McCullough, (2003) stressed on the personal benefit received by the individual that was not deserved or earned, but because of the good intentions of another. These benefits whether intentionally provided, costly to the benefactor, and or valuable to the recipient helped increase the amount of gratitude one may experience (Tesser, Gatewood, Driver, 1968). Benefits that are seen to be costly to the benefactor bring forth a larger sense of gratefulness, as long as the benefactor does not have a need for personal benefit on the first place (Okamoto Robinson, 1997). Likewise, people are also seen to expect feeling more grateful to friends, associates or acquaintances, and stranger s who benefit them than to genetic relatives (e.g. siblings parents) who provided the same benefit (Bar-Tal, Bar-Zohar, Creenberg, Hermon, 1977). Gratitude versus Indebtness In the beginning of this review, it is stated that obtaining benefits does not always result to gratefulness. Sometimes individuals react negatively, for instance compelled to repay. In the earlier writings of Greenberg, he treated gratitude and indebtness as synonymous (Greenberg, 1980). As such, people often use interchangeably the phrases Im grateful to you (gratitude-related) and I owe you one (obligation- related). However, these two constructs are different and have distinct psychological effects (McCullough, Kimeldorf, Cohen, 2008). Greenberg (1980) defined indebtness as a state of obligation to repay another and is an emotional state of arousal and discomfort (p.4). A study of Watkins, Sheer, Ovnicek, and Kolts (2006) discovered that when benefactors assist them with an obvious expectation of a return favor, individuals felt indebted and obligated, but not grateful. This implies that the greater the recipients gratitude for a benefit, the greater it is for the individual to aid, praise, and be near to their benefactor. On the contrary, the greater the recipients indebtness, the greater it will generate distress and desire to shun away from the benefactor, thus, an important distinction between the two is that indebtness is an emotion of exchange, whereas gratitude is not (Watkins et al., 2006). Furthermore, indebtness is accompanied by negative emotions, whereas gratitude is a positively valenced emotion (Lazarus Lazarus, 1994; Mayer et al., 1991). This is supported by another research study of Watkins et al., (2006) where participants were asked how they would respond to the favors received after reading a scenario on gratitude. They found out that gratitude was strongly associated with gladness while indebtness was significantly correlated with guilt. Another, indebtness has been found to be coupled with self-reported avoidance motivations, where gratitude is associated with prosocial motivations (Gray et al., 2001). This premise will be further elaborated under the impact of gratitude to the people. Also, from Fredricksons broaden and build theory of positive emotions to gratitude, gratitude should have broad and creative thought or action tendencies similar to positive emotions, whereas indebtness should be associated with a more narrowed mentality of reciprocity (Fredrickson, 2004), a moral code stating that (1) people should help those who have helped them, and (2) people should not injure those who have helped them (Gouldner, 1960, p. 171). Taken together, it confirms that gratitude and indebtness are truly two different concepts. Impact of Gratitude Being able to distinguish the difference between gratitude and indebtness, it is good to consider the importance of gratitude to human beings. How it can affect the lives and behaviors of the individuals, both the receiver and the addressee. In field experiments, it revealed that expressions of gratitude can reinforce kidney donation (Bernstein Sim mons, 1974), and volunteering behavior toward people with HIV/AIDS (Bennett, Ross, Sunderland, 1996). By these findings, it indicates that gratitude can create, nurture, and sustain positive social relationships. In another experimental work, Watkins, Grimm, Kolts (2004) conducted a memory recall of grateful persons, and found out that gratitude was positively correlated with a positive autobiographical memory bias. Specifically, grateful individuals tend to recall more positive memories when told to do so and moreover, tend to have more positive memories come to mind even when they are attempting to remember negative events. In addition, Emmons and McCullough (2003) found that first, individuals who were tasked to remember the things they were grateful for, provide a wide variety of emotional benefits such as contentment in life and optimism. Second, these recollections of events assist one in coping with stressful events. By these findings, the tendency to recall positive happen ings would likely enhance ones judgment of their satisfaction with life (Schwartz Clore, 1983; Strack, Shwartz, Gschneidinger, 1985), and promote subjective well-being (Watkins, in press). This is also supported by a three experimental, longitudinal studies that showed that when participants are manipulated into focusing on the good side of their lives for how many weeks, there are considerable improvements on happiness, depression, and even physical health (Emmons McCullough, 2003; Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, Schkade, 2005; Seligman, Steen, Park, Peterson, 2005). Hence, the emotion gratitude improves the current psychological as well as the physical well-being of an individual. As a whole, these studies showed proof to the notion that gratitude helps one to reframe negative emotional memories by decreasing ones aversive impact on them (Watkins, Grimm, Kolts, 2004). Aside from the findings that gratitude enables one to remember positive events in ones life and enhances the individua ls psychological and physical condition, it as well facilitates the persons coping strategies. Wood, Joseph, and Linley (2007) made a study on whether gratitude was linked with distinct coping styles. They discovered that grateful people were more likely to search for emotional and instrumental social support as their means of coping. In addition, grateful people generally used more positive coping strategies that are largely characterized by approaching the problems rather than avoiding them such as self-blame, denial, and substance abuse. For these results, generally gratitude is related to positive coping strategies involving facing the problems instead of withdrawal tendencies. Furthermore, recent research has shown that individuals who habitually experience gratitude engage more frequently in prosocial behavior than do individuals who experience gratitude less often (McCullough, Emmons, Tsang, 2002). According to McCullough et al, (2001) gratitude possesses three psychological features that are significant in processing and responding to prosocial behavior. First, gratitude as a benefit detector. It alerts or signals that one has benefited from anothers benevolent actions. Tsang (2006a) discovered that participants felt more grateful toward benefactors who lend them a hand out of kindness rather than self-serving motives. Second, gratitude acts as a motivator of prosocial behavior. It motivates an individual to behave in a benevolent and prosocial way after receiving benefits. Modern research has confirmed this from Bartlett and DeSteno (2006) when they found that grateful participants tend to exert more effort in helping their benefactor on an unrelated task (e.g. answering a cognitively boring survey) compared to the nongrateful participants. Furthermore, a study done by Tsang (2006b) compared the likelihood of gratefulness to benefits given intentionally and by chance alone. It was found that not only people felt more grateful when they received the benefits that were intentionally given by their partner, but were also more likely to act openhandedly for their partner in response, than those people who received the benefits by chance. Gratitude may motivate prosocial behavior by influencing the psychological states that support generosity and cooperation. In simpler terms, gratitude leads an individual to give other people a credit for their accomplishments (McCullough, Kimeldorf, Cohen, 2008). Third, gratitude plays the role of a moral reinforcer. Expressing gratitude to a benefactor such as saying thanks functions as a social reward (Polak, Michael, McCullough, 2006) and therefore increase the probability that benefactors will act prosocially once more in the future (McCullough et al., 2001), just as showing ingratitude can instill anger and resentment in benefactors and inhibit future acts of kindness (Buno McCullough, 2006). McCullough and colleagues (2001) concluded that benefactors who were given appreciation or being thanked were willing to perform more and work harder than were the benefactors who were not thanked, when future opportunities take place. In other words, expressing gratitude acknowledges the benefactors benevolent act and thus, may encourage the benefactor to do similar deed when future events come. Limitations Research on gratitude has been recently growing (Emmons, 2004). Many of these studies make use of recall methodology or self-report measures, and gratitude scenarios. Utilizing such methods has some drawbacks. Taking first into account the recall methodology, there is a likelihood that participants would possibly have altered or reconstructed their memories and thus, elicit either a genuine or fake gratitude. Other limitation also is that of a positive memory bias. Asking participants to recollect both positive and negative events in their life does not necessarily show that the participants would exhibit a similar bias if not asked to do so (Watkins, Grimm, Kolts, 2004). In other words, do grateful people more likely to count their blessings even if not told to do so? And does the experience of gratitude plays a role in remembering positive happenings or does recalling of positive happenings elicit gratefulness? Further limitation also is utilizing gratitude scenarios. Gratitude scenarios do not essentially stimulate grateful emotions. Moreover, participants may respond basing on their personal theories in gratitude (Weinar et al., 1979) than stating their authentic grateful emotions. In simpler terms, scenario method addresses on the cognition of the individuals rather than on the affective state. Overall, these methods have potentially low psychological realism and tend to elicit low cost responses (Hegtvedt, 1990). Additionally, the genders of the participants have an effect on the studies too. In a study of Kashdan et al, (2009) on gender differences in gratitude, they assessed whether men comprehend and respond to gratitude differently than women. They found out that men view gratitude as more challenging, anxiety provoking, and burdensome; and women possess greater willingness to openly express emotions and view this as an effective regulatory act. Therefore, as much as possible future research on gratitude must have an equal number of male and female respondents. Finally, most experiments population is culturally limited. The results obtained on gratitude may perhaps not extend to the people from different cultures. Conclusion As noted by Seligman (1998)Sadly, while plumbing the depths of what is worst in life, psychology has lost its connection to the positive side of life- the knowledge about what makes human life most worth living, most fulfilling, most enjoyable, and most productive (p.4). Therefore, positive emotional states deserve attention because positive states are perceived as essential for a fulfilled life. Thus, psychological research on gratitude has evoked that gratitude holds one of the main correlations with well-being, of almost any personality characteristic (Park, Peterson, Seligman, 2004). Moreover, research exploring on the parent of all virtues has progressively revealed the power of gratitude in drawing out positive results to individuals and benefactors. Finally, taking the words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1967): In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. Hence, gratitude is indisputably the parent of all virtues.

How Liberalism ideology relates to social work

How Liberalism ideology relates to social work How Liberalism ideology relates to social work practice The history and influence of Liberalism is a complex issue, and understanding social work practice involves penetrating a vast nexus of theoretical and practical socio-political factors. Nevertheless, addressing the specific question of how Liberalism relates to social work practice reveals important and distinct points for discussion. In this essay I will outline the historical developments of Liberalism and highlight the core beliefs and how they influence social work. I aim to argue that exposing the liberal ideological values inherent in social work opens up latent tensions to debate. The tensions in liberal political theory and the concomitant problems for social work don’t call for abandonment of Liberalism ideology because it has as its basis the appropriate capacity for renewal. These debates should stimulate reappraisal and reform and increase our capacity to influence the social, political and economic determinants of social care. This can be achieved due to not in spite of the underlying principles of Liberalism. The historical development of Liberalism While the editors of the Spanish Constitution in 1812 were the first to use the noun liberal in a political sense, the war of independence in America established the first nation to craft a constitution based on Liberalism. This new creed originated in the political philosophy of the previous three hundred years. Liberalism emerged from the breakdown of feudalism, the growth of market capitalism and the rise of the middle class. Liberals sought to expose the immorality of authoritarianism and limit government powers in order to safeguard civil liberties. Where early Liberals sought total non-intervention, modern liberals endorse involved governance on issues such as welfare, education and healthcare. This has led to a split between the early classical Liberalism and the modern form which dominates contemporary politics today. Nevertheless, classical and modern Liberalism share core beliefs which point to underlying principles. These principles perpetuate every aspect of contemporary life in Western political systems. Ideas such as individualism, tolerance and economic freedom are central to the western political ideology of our times. The core beliefs of Liberalism ‘As political beings it is our business to free human life from as many as possible of its difficulties’ (Mill Principles of political philosophy in collected works II p.943) Liberalism holds that individuals are the locus of moral consideration, and securing individual freedom is paramount. An extreme form of liberal individualism; atomism holds that the individual is central to socio-political theory or practice, ontologically prior to society, egotistic, self seeking and self reliant. Modern Liberalism has a more optimistic bent in its understanding of social responsibility and mutual respect. Political Liberalism stresses the social contract[1], under which citizens make the laws and agree to abide by those laws. It is based on the belief that individuals know best what is best for them. This is the characteristic theme of liberal ideology, and ideas of justice and freedom stem from the primacy of the individual. Rationalism[2] greatly influenced the liberal concept of an individual. The idea of a rational man was an important precursor to social non-intervention, as the rational man is capable of defining and pursuing his own path in society, rendering the idea of a paternal government unnecessary. Modern liberals appreciate the inequality of self reliance and seek to strike a balance between intervention and decentralisation. The emphasis on and openness to reason in liberal societies emanates from the many dichotomies at its heart: On one hand natural man is seen as rational and socially conscious, while on the other egotistic and selfish. One the one hand men are capable on the other needy. This tension in Liberalism is reflected by the fact that is has met with discussion, debate and argument since its inception. A willingness to offer reasoned explanations for its theories is central to liberal ideology. Liberalism favours neutral government, in that it is not for the state to determine personal values. As John Rawls put it in his Theory of Justice, ‘The state has no right to determine a particular conception of the good life’ (Rawls 1999). The idea of the good life has been used in political philosophy to denote a course of action the rational man takes when in favourable political circumstances. Rawls argues that liberal governments should provide these favourable conditions but never attempt to dictate how citizens should go about the acquisition of happiness. This idea of neutrality is closely connected to tolerance, and in particular the willingness to celebrate political and religious diversity. Since the developments in economics in the late 18th century Liberals have stressed the importance of a free markets, and seek to limit government intervention in domestic economy and foreign trade. In Andrew Heywood’s words the attraction of classical economics to liberal ideology ‘was that, although each individual is materially self-interested, the economy itself is though to operate according to a set of impersonal pressures – market forces – that tend naturally to promote economic prosperity and well being.’ (Heywood 1987) Modern liberals support government responsibility for health, education, and alleviating poverty yet still call for a market based on independent exchange and tend to believe in decentralisation. The central tenets of modern Liberalism are the primacy of the individual, freedom, tolerance, a commitment to reason and debate, and a free-market economy. Liberalism is egalitarian; based on principles of democracy, classlessness, equality and openness, and is antonymous to oppressive and tyrannical authoritarianism. Liberalism advocates civil rights for all citizens: establishing justice though the protection and privileges of personal liberty. It includes the equal treatment of all citizens irrespective of race, gender and class. These core beliefs directly influence much of day to day life, but we will focus on the implications for the practice of social work. Social work and Liberal ideology Social work is a discipline involving the application of social theory and research methods to societal problems. It incorporates and uses other social sciences and political philosophy as a means to improve the human condition and positively change society's response to these problems, through understanding and acting upon their causes, solutions and human impacts. What constitutes a social problem? And what constitutes a solution to a social problem? In the western world the answers to these questions stem from governmental policy based on the principles of Liberalism. In a modern liberal society a social problem is one that contradicts the core liberal principles. A solution is that which removes the restrictions to people flourishing. For these reasons ideology implicit in societal interactions effects what we know as social problems and solutions. Poverty and alienation are profound social problems and major causes of suffering in modern society. Taking poverty, Liberalism ideology believes that every individual should have the freedom to succeed economically, and not live in poverty. We have seen already that while early Liberals emphasised non-intervention, modern liberals endorse more involved governance on issues such as welfare. This reflects a central tension in the practical applicability of Liberalism ideology highlighted by Maureen Ramsey in her book what’s wrong with Liberalism? ‘Since both forms of Liberalism endorse private ownership, the economic redistribution required to tackle poverty will inevitable infringe particular individual rights to liberty’ (1997, pg66). The emphasis on individual liberty and progress at the heart of liberal capitalist economies has been accused of perpetuating this tension. Furthermore, welfare as a concept contradicts the moral neutrality that is central to the pr inciple of tolerance in Liberalism. By providing a range of services designed to bring about the public good the state is making judgements about what is good, beyond the self seeking satisfaction of subjective desires. This leads Ramsey to conclude that ‘the provision of welfare [is] at odds with basic liberal assumptions’ (pg, 66). Examples from social work where the right to escape poverty is being restricted could include a daughter being held back from going to school to work for her parents, or a wife not being permitted to work. Social workers’ ability to address these problems is influenced by the traditional liberal distinction between the public and the private spheres by which liberal governments should only function in the public sphere, excluding the activities of family life. Modern liberals attempt to strike a balance between intervention and non intervention. However, because of the tensions concerning the private sphere, political neutrality and accountability, this balance remains problematic. Many agree with Pateman that these restrictions render care ineffective and the areas of social work that can deal with poverty are too limited.[3] ‘Precisely because Liberalism conceptualises civil society in abstraction from ascriptive domestic life, the latter remains forgotten.’ (Pa teman, 1987 p. 107) The liberal legacy of limited intervention and reason has resulted in an often debilitating caution concerning social work, even in the more extreme areas of its application. Taking the examples of ‘baby p’ and Victoria Climbià © the social services have been accused of being too optimistic about the intentions of citizens and missing the signs that could have helped them avoid such awful tragedies.[4] However, intuitions support the distance between the private and the public spheres. The idea of children being taken away from their parents is invariably seen as a last resort, a relaxation of this attitude may have saved many children, but it may also create other awful situations in which children are taken away from good families. It would demand more care and attention to complex detail than necessary for our purposes here to question the role of political ideology in these terrible events. Alienation is another complicated issue facing modern liberal society. Liberal ideology does not have a core belief connected with the negativity of isolation because of an understanding of human nature that emphasises the priority of the individual. This is often seen as a deficiency as many hold that the intuitions constructed by Liberalism have produced a situation where individuals have shallower relations with other people than they would normally. This, it is argued, leads to difficulties in understanding and adapting to each other's uniqueness. This points to another of the tensions within Liberalism: it promotes tolerance but through its emphasis on individual freedom encourages isolation. Many sociologists are concerned about the alienating effects of modernization, describing how relationships become mediated through money because economic freedom is considered an essential element of individual liberty. This has also been accused of contributing to the loss of primary relationships such as familial bonds in favour of goal oriented secondary relationships. The concepts of the private sphere, individual freedom, tolerance and political neutrality greatly affect what we deem to be within the role of a social worker. The balance between intervention and personal freedom rests as precariously now as any time since Mill. Free market capitalism is at its weakest in decades, giving new impetus to the charge that economic Liberalism is guilty of creating a more selfish society where the pursuit of personal wealth is more destructive that constructive. Is liberal ideology repressive? Liberalism is accused of repressing positive aspects of human nature. To call Liberal ideology repressive though, is extreme. Liberalism allows for repressive forces to emerge due to its emphasis on individual liberty and freedom of speech and thought, but allowing repressive tendencies to emerge is not adhering to them, and liberal societies should not be blamed for the emergence of alternative ideologies within them. Social and corporate responsibility are genuine possibilities in liberal society and are prevalent in modern liberal theory. There are problems with Liberalism, but I suggest they do not serve as aspects of a repressive ideology. We ought to remember that Liberalism emerged from the compassionate desire to eradicate authoritarian rule in order to secure freedom for every man. This is a noble aspiration with compassion for all at its core. As industrialisation and free market economies took over, the role of welfare in liberal states became important because of the same aspirations, to help every single person in a society. The change from non-intervention to intervention evidences the claim that ideologies have to adapt to contexts, and this is where Liberalism has a unique quality, a profound capacity for renewal. The classic versus modern Liberalism debate could only occur in the climate of discussion debate and argument that defined the rationalist movement. The tensions in Liberalism were inherited from this theoretical foundation and have maintained their capacity for renewal. The tensions in Liberali sm reflect the scope for continual reappraisal, it is not dogmatic, and is open to public scrutiny through the democratic process. Challenges are being made and listened to within liberal society. For example, the Social liberals[5] introduced scepticism concerning the idea of free markets, seeing unrestricted trade as leading to the growth of multi-national corporations and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few, seen as contradicting the intention of liberty for all. These socially responsible tendencies are not entirely new editions to liberal theory and in fact are latent in political Liberalism. While the early Liberals like Locke saw liberty as a natural right, Liberalism has never held that the entitlement to freedom is absolute. In On Liberty ([1859] 1972, p.73) Mill argued that ‘power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community [If it] is to prevent harm from others’. Liberalism emerged as a move away from blind adherence to political dogma based on static views of a divine ordered reality, towards a scientific and compassionate concern for every citizen. To conclude that Liberalism must involve repression is excessive given the underlying desire to stand for the opposite. Conclusion. The practice of social work in modern liberal society rests on liberal principles. By locating the connections between social work and Liberalism ideology, we have seen how practical social knowledge is influenced by liberal philosophical assumptions. These central tenets of Liberalism are liberty, tolerance, and a free-market economy. These core beliefs affect all areas of social life, including social work. The tensions that permeate the practices of liberal governments are present in the field of social work and valuable indicators of the complexity of the issues social workers face. Crucially, they are open to reform. There are deep social problems in liberal society, of which poverty and alienation are paramount. What we can learn from these problems is that if Liberalism will succeed in its aspirations it needs to expand its scope to include more social and corporate responsibility, and a greater understanding of community. The emphasis on the individual, particularly in the economic brand of Liberalism, can repress aspects of human nature that seem central to the compassion and egalitarianism that motivated the creation of liberal theories. If empathy and care are a consequence of our social nature then we need an account of the individual as interdependent, opposed to the atomised individual of classic liberal theory. The tensions in liberal political theory and the concomitant problems for social work don’t call for abandonment of Liberalism ideology because it has as its basis the appropriate mechanisms to progress: democracy and education, the capacity for renewal and the compassionate aspiration to secure freedom. They call for reappraisal and reform. Bibliography Political Ideologies an introduction Heywood, Andrew. Palgrave 1992 Liberalism and modern society Bellamy, Richard. Polity press 1992 What’s wrong with Liberalism Ramsay, Maureen. Leicester University Press 1997 A Theory of Justice revised edition Rawls, John. OUP 1999 After Virtue MacIntyre, Alasdair. Duckworth 1981 Feminist critiques of the public/private dichotomy in Feminism and inequality Phillips A (ed) Blackwell 1987. 1 Footnotes [1] Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan saw the first use of the social contract. [2] In its broadest sense rationalism is any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification. Here it denotes the enlightenment philosophical movement of Hume Kant etc. [3] Such as income assistance and job training/placement. [4] The GMC examined the role of Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat, who examined Baby P two days before his death has been accused of failing to spot his injuries, and three council workers were given written warnings about their actions. Source: Haringey Council Internal Audit Serious Case Review. Haringey Council (2008-11-12). [5] In Britain, in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, a group of thinkers known as the social or new liberals who included John Stuart Mill, argued that the poverty and ignorance people lived in made it impossible for freedom and individuality to flourish. They believed that these conditions could be ameliorated only through collective action coordinated by a strong welfare-oriented interventionist state.

Internet Regulation :: Internet Essays

Internet Regulation What is the Internet? The definition of the Internet put in one sentence is: A worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange, where anyone with a computer can access the internet through an ISP (Internet Service Provider). The Internet consists of a three level hierarchy composed of backbone networks (e.g. ARPAnet, NSFNet, MILNET), mid-level networks, and stub networks. These include commercial (.com or .co), university (.ac or .edu) and other research networks (.org, .net) and military (.mil) networks and span many different physical networks around the world with various protocols, chiefly the Internet Protocol. The Internet is a global network connecting millions of personal, institutional and company computers. The number of computers used by the internet is growing rapidly. The United States is connected with over 100 countries worldwide and linked together to exchange of data, news and opinions. The Internet is decentralized design. This means that there isn't just one computer that stores all of the information from the Internet. There are many independent host servers located throughout the US and the world that store the information made available to the global Internet community. The Internet is primarily used for these functions: 1. To send and receive e-mail. 2. To transfer files from one computer to another (the files may be text, images, audio, video, etc.). 3. Research to locate information for either government, educational, commercial, etc. 4. To communicate with other computers, either one at a time (Instant message) or many at once (chat rooms or discussion groups). The internet is a work in progress and will continue to evolve. What is Internet Regulation? Internet regulation is basically restricting or controlling access to certain aspects or information. Internet regulation consists of mainly two categories: Censorship of data, and controlling aspects of the Internet. Most of the Internet regulation is imposed by the Government in an effort to protect the best interest of the general public and is concerned with some form of censorship. Other forms of Internet regulation is domain registration, IP address control, etc. In domain registration, once a domain is purchased the Webmaster’s address has to be registered at the time of purchase. A governmental agency can track someone down if they put up information, that the government considers unacceptable. IP address is you Internet identity when you are connected to the web. It is synonymous to a postal address.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Emilys Strength in Knights Tale Essay

Emily's Strength in Chaucer's The Knight's Tale This passeth yeer by yeer and day by day, Till it fill ones, in a morwe of May, that Emelye, that fairer was to sene Than is the lylie upon his stalke grene, And fressher than the May with floures newe - For with the rose colour stroof hire hewe, I noot which was the fyner of hem two- (1033-1039) Thus is Emily, the least often discussed of the four central characters in the Knight's Tale, described upon her first important entrance in the tale, when the knights initially view her in all of her loveliness. This description of Emily fits in with the common criticism that she is more a symbol of the beauty and goodness that chivalric nature desires than an actual character with thoughts, actions and emotions of her own (Donaldson 49). However, although Emily does lack an individual nature and depth of mind, she still has a certain power and dynamic nature about her that is unusual for a woman in the time period during which Chaucer wrote her story (Spearing 43). Through her prayers to Diana asking to remain chaste, some may argue that Emily is, once again, merely reacting to an event, rather than having thoughts of her own (Donaldson 49). A stronger point, however, is made in regards to her heritage as an Amazon woman. Rather than remain in keeping with the popular sentiments of the day and be completely submissive to men, Emily is showing her inherited reluctance to become a subordinate creature (Spearing 43). She is thereby exhibiting a rare bit of strength and showing us that she has power in more ways than one. Often, Emily is said to be a con... ...creature with whom they are faced. In conclusion, this tale, especially through its use of Emily, the rhetorical, perfect, but still strong, symbol, tells us more about ourselves and our lives than a similar story with true, individual characters could. By using these ultimate examples, each reader is able to see the truth behind them and, therefore, learn a bit about life and the actions which people take. Although Emily is a symbol, she still exhibits a marvelous quality of strength, regardless of her lack of individuality. Works Cited Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1983. Donaldson, E. Talbot. Speaking of Chaucer. New York: Norton, 1970. Spearing, A.C. Chaucer: The Knight's Tale. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995.

Technology leading to Obesity Essay

Technology is becoming used excessively every day. Kids spend all their time on their phone or playing video games. With new innovations coming out every week, people want to be the first to own the â€Å"new thing†. There should be one hour a day where one has to participate in activities that do not involve technology to prevent obesity. I believe all the new inventions contribute to the world’s obesity problems. Most people thought obesity was due to the advent of â€Å"super-sized† fast food but new research places the blame squarely on a double dose of innovation Adults and kids alike spend numerous amount of time sitting down to watch television or looking up interesting subjects on the computer. Researchers now suggest that 60 percent of the extra pounds Americans have put on maybe caused by a decline in the physical demands of work brought about by the arrival of computers and the like. All this time spent sitting and not being physically active is harmfu l to one’s health. Since new ideas are made each day, why hasn’t someone invented something that stimulates the mind as well as keeps the body in shape? Both adults and children are leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles thanks to modern technology. Children no longer need to go outside to talk to their friends when they can keep up with them through texting or social networks. They do not even need to go outside to play games anymore when they have video games right there at their fingertips. Technology may be convenient, but it must be balanced with physical activity in order to keep both ourselves and our children healthy. In past decades, strenuous jobs meant that workers were in effect paid to exercise. Now workers with more sedentary jobs pay to exercise at the gym. It is this lack of exercise, rather than an increase in calories, that has led to the weight gain, they say, which is no longer music to the ears of the US fast-food companies as they are now facing lawsuits from some litigi ous fatties. Research has shown that an average 6ft-tall man today weighs 30 pounds more than he did in the early 1900’s. Some parents have been relying on technology as â€Å"electric babysitters† including the television and computer. Parents know where their child is if they are watching television or sitting in front of the computer screen. It is the parents duty to incorporate activities that involve exercise if they want to use these  methods including Wii fit, or Dance Dance Revolution. Kids may also get the feeling that it is alright to watch television all day or continuously play on the computer if they see their parent doing likewise. Just a few small changes can make the difference between bad habits that are likely to lead to obesity, and good habits that they will carry with them for life. Parents must remember that our children are our future, and as such, they have the responsibility to teach them good habits to carry with them all their lives. The government should pass a law where a time period each day is not used on technology, or if it is, used in way to where you are exercising. This could give people time to work out or do something productive with their life. Instead of bragging about making it to level 30 on zombies, kids could say they learned the difference from a poisonous plant and an edible plant. People today are becoming too lazy and reliant on technology.

Learning Team Project Charter Essay

Introduction A company is looking to upgrade its current database system. The company has multiple locations nationwide with the main headquarters located in Southern California. Currently, each location has its own database that is not online and only contains the local sites information. The database holds employee’s personal information as well as payroll information. They would like to have one large database that is networked together and accessible by all sites at any time. Scope This project will upgrade the company’s database system within Human Resources. All database information will now be stored on the new database server that will be installed at the main headquarters. The database servers that are already installed at each local site will be reconfigured to send and receive updates to the main server so that all database servers are mirrored. Hard disk drive space will be upgraded to account for database growth at each location. Employees that require access to this database will need approval from the Human Resources department to protect employee information. This project will not update the actual database software but will reconfigure the software to be accessible across the company network as well as combine all database information into one large database. A new task of nightly backups will be initiated at the main headquarters once the new database setup is completed. Budget Limitations This should be a low budget upgrade to the company as most of the hardware  and software will not need upgrades. Hard disk drive space is fairly inexpensive to upgrade. No new equipment will need to be purchased since everything is being reconfigured. Upgrading internet speeds will need to be considered since mirroring large amounts of data across the entire network may slow the network down. No outside help will be needed as the local IT team at each location will be able to handle reconfigurations. Sponsors, Stakeholders, Project Team Structure, and Project Approach The sponsors will consist of the company’s CEO and management team who will secure the necessary resources to fund the project. A project manager will be assigned to the project. The manager is responsible for making estimates of every area of the project that includes tasks resources and timeline. The project manager is responsible for ensuring that the project stays on focus and meets the deadlines. Also, the project manager will report the progress of the project to the CEO and management team. The project team will include a technical staff person from each of the company’s locations. The technical staff will be knowledgeable of human resources technology needs. The project team also will include a technology lead person that will focus of performing an assessment of the current system. Also, the lead personnel will determine the needs of the current system, and coordinating hardware and software upgrades for their assigned human resources. The technology lead person is responsible for providing periodic updates to the project manager regarding the progress of upgrades. In order to ensure that the project meets its deliverables, each task of the project will be defined which includes the time sequence of each activity that involves testing and training. Also, resources for each task will be defined and time estimates established. The team will use the project management approach because of the amount of resources that are needed to complete the project that requires the estimates to be accurate. Conclusion This will be a fairly inexpensive project for the company since most current hardware and software will continue to be used. This project will allow the Human Resources department to work together as one unit to keep better records of employee information as well as payroll information. Human resources at the main headquarters will be able to push new information to the databases companywide at a faster and more accurate rate resulting in less confusion in employee information as well as less payroll mistakes.

Need of Education Essay

Examples: a) School qualifications > no training > semiskilling > work b) School qualifications > apprenticeship > skilled worker/skilled employee c) Lower/intermediate secondary school qualifications > apprenticeship > master craftsman d) University entrance qualifications > apprenticeship > additional training > occupation e) University entrance qualifications > apprenticeship > higher education > executive position f) University entrance qualifications > higher education > executive position These examples illustrate that there are two ways of looking at the benefits of training. The first, which is marginal in one sense, answers the question of what benefits are to be obtained from adding a further stage to the training path already completed. The second is more typical and concerned with the incomes to be obtained from specific training routes. A comparison is made between the incomes attained at 30 years of age and those resulting from the next lower training path. This may be, for example, the benefits of an enterprise-based apprenticeship on the road to an academic qualification (path 6 compared with path 5). The additional income minus the costs of training produces (allowing for interest) the return on the training investment. From a macroeconomic viewpoint, investments in education and training are, to a certain degree, investments in the infrastructure, and the return on such investments becomes apparent only in the long term. The concept of benefits also includes other aspects which need to be kept apart. It is helpful in the first instance to distinguish between the benefits resulting from the efficiency of the education system and its quantitative performance, on the one hand, and the benefits in terms of subsequent yields (economic growth, low unemployment, tax revenues) on the other. The efficiency benefit is the ability of the education and training system to train the younger generation in â€Å"suitable† institutions so as to minimize the costs of students repeating classes or dropping out of higher education and thus reduce excessively long education and training periods. The benefits from vocational education and training are also associated with the allocative functions of the labour market. One function of vocational education and training is to ensure that the supply of labour matches demand. A training system should at least produce approximately those qualifications which are required on the labour market. There are therefore two sides to the benefits of investments in training. In formal terms, the benefit is the return on a long-term investment, but this return results from the allocative effects of the labour market. It would be an excessively narrow perspective if researchers were to look only at the return on investment in terms of human capital. And concentrating exclusively on the allocative aspects of the labour market would ignore the fact that education and training are an investment in themselves. There is also a third aspect to consider. Return on investment calculations can normally encompass only the direct costs and benefits, i. e. the returns of the first type. But investments in education and training also have effects on other areas. There may be positive or negative effects of a second type. Positive (synergy) effects occur when investments in education and training at one point raise productivity at another. These include in particular education and training investments which equip their recipients to work in research and development. Negative secondary effects occur in the form of redundancies when lesser qualified employees are replaced by their more qualified counterparts. There are numerous ways in which expenses may be refunded for training outside the workplace (refunding), e. g. by employers and employment offices. These refunds are deducted from individual expenses in the costs model (cf.Figure 6, p. 232). The survey aimed, first, to establish the direct costs, i. e. expenses directly associated with the continuing training measure as such (course and event fees, spending on learning materials, travelling expenses, board and lodging, cost of child care where applicable, and all other costs directly associated with participation in continuing training programmes). The survey also looked at indirect, or opportunity, costs. Unlike direct costs, indirect costs entail no expenses, but arise in the form of lost earnings (e. g.  unpaid leave or reduced working hours for continuing training purposes, but not the hypothetical earnings of someone who was previously unemployed) and the loss of leisure time. The leisure time lost consists of that time spent exploring the market, the time invested in the actual training programme, travelling time, preparation and follow-up and, in some cases, paid leave. However, the yardsticks used to convert the loss of leisure time into fictitious costs are ultimately based entirely on random decisions. Even the net income earned from employment, which would be a plausible choice, does not provide a suitable measure here. Either the individual may not consider taking paid employment during leisure time – unless it is moonlighting – or may regard it as a consumer good rather than a loss of leisure time. For this reason, the BIBB survey was limited to recording the amount of leisure time lost and no attempt was made to place a monetary value on it. Neither was it possible to apply any rules for evaluating the benefits. While it is quite clear that the â€Å"profitability† of continuing training is determined by the benefits, the input encompasses not only the time and money invested, but also the physical and mental exertion associated with learning. Private individuals, just like companies, are willing to subject themselves to continuing training only if it yields overall â€Å"rewards†. But these rewards depend on whether the training is a consumer good and the benefits are to be found in actual consumption, or whether it has been chosen for career, i. e. economic, reasons. Economic benefits may arise in many different ways: continuing training may serve to refresh knowledge, to adjust to new developments, to secure promotion and raise status, or else to avoid unemployment. Another consideration is that the benefits are normally not yet visible at the actual time of training. Those who opt for continuing training hope it will secure them promotion or save them from unemployment. Whether these objectives are actually attained emerges at a later stage. It is therefore objectively impossible to isolate the economic benefits of continuing training from other benefit factors. For this reason the survey was limited to presenting the respondents with a list of benefits and asking them to rate their importance in qualitative terms. http://www. cedefop. europa. eu/EN/Files/RR1_Kau. pdf.

Biomed Case Essay

(Biomed), the family business in Thailand. On the other hand, as the new general manager of Biomed, he had some concerns about the first major decisions he was about to make and implement upon his return. Biomeds parent company, Thai Drugs Co., Ltd. (Thai Drugs), had just revised Biomeds market strategy, and the follow-on to this was the need to realign the sales compensation system to fit with the new strategy. Chiemchanya was charged with this task, and he saw high company risk and high personal risk in this situation. Teaching objectives The overarching objective behind this case is to get students to recognize the path to designing an appropriate sales compensation plan (market strategy ( sales roles and goals ( compensation plan both level and mix). The second objective is to have students work through what is required to successfully implement such a change since, whenever management tinkers with someones wallet, there is the potential for trouble.  The third objective is to h ave students realize that compensation cannot do everything in terms of aligning a new sales program with a new strategy. Sales managers have to realize that the compensation plan is not the quick fix. Other changes may be required to training, hiring, etc. to have complete alignment between the sales program and the go-to-market strategy. The case can be successfully used in undergraduate and MBA sales management courses and can also be used on executive development programs.  One idea would be to team teach this case with an organizational behavior faculty member who could focus on the change issues. This could unfold over two classes. Suggested Assignment Questions Its not necessary to revisit Biomeds go-to-market strategy, but it is necessary to become completely familiar with its premise and goals. Given this market strategy, what would you propose for a sales compensation plan What steps did you go through to get to this recommendation How will you successfully implement this change Remember you are tinkering with someones wallet. As a sales executive, is changing the compensation plan all that Chiemchanya has to do in order to tie the sales program to the new strategy TEAC HING STRATEGY This case almost teaches itself, as students should be able to develop a logical path from the new market strategy to the new compensation plan. They should also recognize the implementation challenges. It may be slightly more difficult for students to understand that compensation may not be the only component that needs to be revisited within the sales management program. Getting Started The key to getting started is to have students realize that the new go-to-market strategy is a given. The senior executive team has made the decisions and has passed these on to Chiemchanya. No time should be spent revisiting the strategy, but a bit of time needs to be spent making sure that the key components of the strategy are understood. An optional way to get started is to ask students who have worked in sales exactly how they were paid and why they think the compensation plans that emerge in the discussion are different. Then the instructor can move into the issue above. The Sales Compensation Plan At least 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the class time should be spent here. This is a case where you can have students lay out their proposed compensation plan and then have them justify the plan by helping them create the logic path of market strategy and goals ( role of the sales force ( tasks and goals for the sales person ( a compensation plan that supports the achievement of these goals. The way that the case is written should encourage this thinking, but if such a process does not emerge from the discussion, then it becomes the instructors task to introduce it. The concepts are all explored in the case (the old plan to give a basic structure and to allow students to calculate the level of compensation for a typical sales rep the market strategy the sales role the sales tasks and goals). It might have been more challenging for  students to devise some of these, however, this cannot be done in one class and the key learning is around the process/steps to a successful plan. Implementation We cannot let students stop with the design of the plan. The next section of the class has to focus on how to successfully implement the plan. This involves figuring out what the reaction of various salespeople might be as there will be a variety of reactions. For example, reps who are already focusing on drugstores, and selling the identified subset of products at good prices will see this as a no-brainer. The opposite is also true. This is also an opportunity to reinforce the difficulty of implementing changes that can potentially alter someones take-home pay. It also raises the issue of the role of the first-level sales manager as part of the change process. Chiemchanya has to get this person on board or he is going nowhere. Other Sales Management Program Changes Even if there are only a few minutes left in class, the question needs to be raised as to whether anything else needs to be addressed within the sales management program. The more obvious ones include some training to get salespeople comfortable with the new role perhaps an assessment of sales people, in terms of their suitability for the new role the increased need for coaching, at least in the short run, to get reps focused and behaving differently and the potential role that recognition could play in bringing about behavioral change. An option here is to have the case extend over two classes, with the sales compensation plan addressed in the first class and the implementation and other changes addressed in the second class. This could then be topped off by a brief lecture on sales compensation. CASE ANALYSIS The Sales Compensation Plan Whats a bit different with this teachin g note is that we have the actual process that the company followed to redesign the compensation plan. In general, this provides the analysis for core of the case. The authors of the teaching note have added some comments in italics, which reflect on some of the process. Of course the instructor can challenge any of the ideas presented and put things forward differently in class. 1. Target Total Cash Compensation (TTCC) The first step was to define the TTCC. This is the amount that a sales representative would earn if he (all sales reps were male) achieved expected performance. TTCC should be comparable to industry norms, attractive enough to recruit new candidates, and it should meet management goals. TTCC included both cash  and non-cash components. Base salary Sales commission and bonuses Benefits Contests/special rewards Recognition events Expense reimbursement The instructor can start a discussion as to which of these components should fall under the rubric of compensation. The focus of most of the discussion should be on a) and b). In this case, it was assumed that the current TTCC was appropriate. The current compensation plan generates a TTCC as shown below. ComponentBase Salary with Commission and BonusBase SalaryBase Salary/YearTHB60,000Commission RatePerformance To GoalCommission rate1st Commission RateUp to 1001.52nd Commission RateSales beyond 1003Quarterly BonusPerformanceBonusQ1Achieve 100 of Q1 YTD GoalTHB3,000Q2Achieve 100 of Q1-2 YTD GoalTHB4,000Q3Achieve 100 of Q1-3 YTD GoalTHB5,000Q4Achieve 100 of Q1-4 YTD GoalTHB6,000Bonus for previous quarters are retro-backed when YTD goal is achieved  Sales Volume YTD (THB)Expense THB /day0 500,000380500,000 1,000,0004201,000,000 2,000,0004602,000,000 and above500 This is an unusual plan since expenses are not flat, based on territory variables such as size, nor simply reimbursed. They increase with performance. This could be viewed in two ways. First, the argument could be that reps who are selling more are spending more to get these sales. Second, it could be argued that the increased expenses were some form of bonus that could end up in the sales reps pocket if it wasnt spent. Current TTCC Expected performance is annual sales of THB2,000,000 per sales representative, therefore a) Base salary THB60,000/year b) Sales commission and bonus A sales representative who achieves 100 per cent target (assume THB2 million) will receive 1.5 per cent of sales. 1.5 2,000,000 THB30,000 A sales representative who achieves 100 per cent target will receive all quarterly bonuses. 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 THB18,000 Total Sales Compensation THB48,000 c) Benefits The sales force receives the same benefits as other Thai Drugs employees. d) Contests/special rewards Currently there are no contests or special rewards. e) Recognition events Currently there are no recognition events. Change in TTCC components a)Base salary and b) Sales commission and bonus The company believed that a base salary component was necessary for Biomeds sales representatives, especially if the reps were to buy into the new plan. Also, since Biomeds strategy was to focus on building good customer relationshi ps, a salary component would encourage sales reps to think about the long term. The sales commission and bonus component was also viewed as necessary. The base salary and commission/bonus component, when combined, was to increase when compared to the current plan. Since the TTCC was to remain the same, this increase would come from expense reimbursement discussed later. Regarding the weight of salary/commission/bonus, this issue will be discussed in the next step (Compensation Mix). c)Benefits The benefits would remain the same.  d)Contests/special rewards In the past, Biomed never rewarded sales representatives by offering, e.g., a holiday trip. However, holiday trips can be a very effective motivating tool both before the trip and after. Moreover, it was felt that the motivational effect of holiday trips could last longer than cash of the same value. Biomed proposed that a holiday trip should be included into the new plan. It would be rewarded only for exceptional performance of the whole team. Thus it should not be included to the TTCC figure since TTCC is the target for sales representatives reaching expected performance. e)Recognition events Since Biomed is a small company with 11 sales representatives, it was suggested that large recognition events might not be appropriate. Small team meetings could be used to recognize excellent performers. f)Expense reimbursement The company decided to change the expense allowance to be a true expense. The change was to adjust the allowance to a flat THB400 per day. This results in an annual expense allowance of THB96,000. Since the original expense figure is THB98,400, the 2,400 was to be added into the base salary/commission/bonus component of TTCC. Biomed thought that this change had two benefits. First, since the expense and sales compensation would be separated, the compensation plan would be easier for the sales reps to understand. Secondly, it was viewed as promoting equity since all reps would receive equal expenses.

Jumping to an Erroneous Conclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jumping to an Erroneous Conclusion - Essay Example However, the recruiter was very persistent in encouraging me to join the military and entailed a lot of benefits that can be gained from joining the military. The recruiter said that when I join the military, I could get the chance to travel around the world, to be a rich person, etc. Because the recruiter is smart, polite, and convincing, I have made an erroneous decision that have changed my life completely. Back then, I was an innocent and a naive senior high school student. The offer of a good life after joining the military have made me trust the recruiter. After graduation, I never really intended to join the military but because the recruiter was so persistent that he came to my house almost every day, I was convinced. In addition, I really wanted to enter college instead of joining the military but since I could not afford college at that time, I decided to join the military. The words of my recruiter instilled in my mind that when a person joins the army, one may experience the benefits of good life such as prospects of becoming rich and being able to travel around the world. When I was in the military, realization eventually crept in: that all the good things in life the recruiter had told me were not true after all. I jumped into an erroneous conclusion simply because of persistent prodding from other people. I failed to conduct a survey or interview from family members, friends, or other people from various perspectives; and neither did I analyze the situation first before arriving at a decision. However, even though the recruiter told me things that did not happen, I still continue serving the country by being an active member of the military. I never regret that I joined the military because I found it challenging and full of discipline. If one would have based on fixed-response attitude surveys, previous experiences, perceptions from others, and one’s own perception, one would have jumped into an erroneous conclusion(Stephens, Leach, Taggart, & Jones, 94).In my case, perceptions from others being inculcated into my own perceptions have made me jumped easily to an erroneous conclusion that all men who joined military will become rich.The perception I have could have influenced also other people so it is essential that a person should be cautious of inculcating it to others without prior analysis. Learning to put a clear boundary between a factual and an erroneous conclusion is deemed necessary to avoid conflicts in the future.