Plato and Aristotle Essay

Plato and Aristotle both have been very influential as the ancient Greek philosophers. Aristotle was a student of Plato and there are many similarities between these intellectual giants of the ancient world but there are also many things that distinguish them from each other. Aristotle was far more empirical-minded than Plato. First, Plato’s philosophy relegated the material, physical world to a sort of metaphysical second class. His contention was that the abstract truths of the mind-mathematical truths, moral and normative truths about ideals-are what really matter in life and in philosophy, and that the empirical world around us consists of merely poor copies of these ideals. By contrast, Aristotle did as much or more work in what we would today call science (physics, biology, etc. ) as in what remains a part of philosophy. While Aristotle certainly did important work in ethics and related areas, he concentrated as much or more on examining the material world. Plato can be read at times as being quite disparaging of science. This is not true of Aristotle. Second, the difference in the approaches and values of these two philosophers resulted in very different political philosophies. Plato’s political philosophy, which can be found principally in the Republic. For him, the just state is one ruled by ascetic philosophers who have been raised from birth not to value material reward or exclusive human connections, even with their own kin. They are the ideal of wise, objective, fair-minded, ultra-rational beings. In contrast to Plato’s utopian political philosophy, Aristotle’s political philosophy, which can be found principally in the Politics, has a large component of descriptive political science. When he does argue for certain political schemes, they tend to be incremental improvements on existing systems. Like his teacher Plato, Aristotle’s philosophy aims at the universal. Aristotle, however, finds the universal in particular things, which he calls the essence of things, while Plato finds that the universal exists apart from particular things. Aristotle makes philosophy coextensive with reasoning, which he also would describe as â€Å"science†. Note, however, that his use of the term science carries a different meaning than that covered by the term â€Å"scientific method†. For Aristotle, â€Å"all science is practical, poetical or theoretical†. By practical science, he means ethics and politics; by poetical science, he means the study of poetry and the other fine arts; by theoretical science, he means physics, mathematics and metaphysics. In general, Plato is the more extravagant thinker, the â€Å"thinking outside the box type† who was equal parts brilliant and bizarre in his ideas. Aristotle is more the cool, logical, dry, systematic thinker whose works tend to read like encyclopedias.

Howard Zinn on Democratic Education Essay

Upon reading the book, Howard Zinn on Democratic Education, I felt a lot of questions I had regarding education was answered. I had always regarded education as something liberating, something that would be able to teach students how to become enlightened. That is why I read a lot of books. But regarding my schooling, I questioned why we are loaded with so much homework and tests, we end up not deeply understanding anything at all, because there is no time to process all the information. It is as if our schooling stunts our educational growth. Yet, the irony of it is they teach us so much facts of how, where, when, who, and what, but I had this nagging suspicion that teachers were hiding vital information from us. I did not know what exactly, but I always felt something was missing because I could not connect what I learned in school to what was happening to our country as I watched the news. It was as if there was a missing link, a key that would make everything make sense. Yet, as the years in the academe passed, I encountered no such link. Until now. It was as if my youthful objections found validation. I had always felt that my schooling lacked feeling. All these hard facts were discussed as if they did not involve people. We really never knew, through history, how terror felt when planes during the World War II flew overhead, or triumph when the war was declared over. It is not anybody’s fault. I think, history cannot be studied; it has to be lived. Although in my opinion, it can be remedied. Instead of sitting in classrooms all day, reciting facts, we should focus on gathering our own information regarding events. This does not mean reading even unassigned readings. I have always thought that people are not foolish. Each individual has a unique story, if we only care to listen. We should experience learning, and this can only be done by going out of the classroom, and learning from living people. After all, the papers our books are made up of were once living things too. The critical question now is, what now? Now that we possess such knowledge, what must we do with it? Knowledge that is not followed by action is a dead thing. We could start through transforming our own classroom, if we are to teach, or even in our own homes. Drop-out rates are not surprising due to the fact that so few kids feel remotely connected to their schooling. If we involve these kids, make them see that it is also their classmates’ loss if they do not attend classes, they can be pulled back into the academe. To do this, they must be able to feel that they can contribute something to the discussion, whether it be a question or an opinion. We must impress upon our minds that there are no right or wrong questions or opinions. Each comes from a different background (hence a different culture), so we must be patient and understanding. We must also find tangent points; we must connect the academe with their lives. We must do away with the notion that scholars have ivory towers. We must reconnect. Because this is what education does. It reconnects people with other people. It reconnects people with ideas. It reconnects people with opportunities. It reconnects people with hope. If all the attendants in a classroom participate freely and energetically, actively molding their curriculum to suit their individual needs, we will have captured the essence of a democratic education. Through this, we will have a truly democratic country. References Schugurensky, D. (2005). Howard Zinn on Democratic Education. International Journal of Citizenship and Teacher Education , 1, 99-100.

How Important Is It to Maintain Confidentiality in a Childcare Setting? Essay

How important is it to maintain confidentiality in a childcare setting? When in a childcare setting it is vital to maintain confidentiality in different areas not just for the Child’s welfare but the families as well! Confidential information must not be shared outside of the setting E.G family or friends. The following examples are to be kept confidential; enrolment forms, family’s health insurance information, health screenings and records, including immunization records, emergency contact information, contact information for those authorized to pick up child, emergency care consent forms , consent forms (permission slips) for outings or special activities, names of regular medical or dental providers who know the child, nutritional restrictions, progress reports, child observation logs, parent conference logs, medication logs, documentation of medical, behavioural or developmental evaluations, referrals or follow-ups, addressing issues relevant to the child’s participation in the program, documentation of any injury occurring at the program site and the steps taken to address the situation. While the rights and desires of families to keep their personal details private are important, there are also some circumstances under which identifying information should be shared for example; Program staff and the â€Å"need to know (might have a dietary or medical requirements so the cook or nurse will need to know) Outbreaks of reportable illness or Outbreaks of reportable illness as the information might be vital and used to saved the children’s life or keep them healthy. One way to differentiate whether the information is confidential or not would be to think â€Å"Is this common knowledge or do I know it because my position in the setting† as all children, families and young people have a right to confidentiality. So always ask your supervisor if you aren’t sure about what information is appropriate to disclose to different people. In addition all information needs to be store properly- in a secure place. If this isn’t possible make sure you donâ €™t discuss the information apart from those directly responsible for the care of the child. Technology is advancing but this still doesn’t escape the laws. Read more:  Maintaining an Individual’s Confidentiality and Disclosing Concerns There is legislation that defines in what ways personal information can be used; The Data Protection Act 1998 (was created to protect individual’s rights and to prevent breaches or information.) It applies whether or not they are kept on the computer Maintaining confidentiality protects children and their families from gossip but also prevents situations of an abuser mounts a legal defence based on tampering of evidence so it is essential that you don’t talk to anyone other than those directly involved about your concerns or about what a child has told you. As anything you learn about children or their families or other during the course of your practice is likely to be very confidential. When working with other professional it is most likely you will hear comments and remarks that aren’t anticipated to be repeated outside of the meeting/ conversation. You may be given documents that cover sensitive areas- this means that you need to keep the information confiden tial but also in a safe and secure lock up. Photography is an ever increasing technology and can be a brilliant way to have evidence for observations or practical’s but there are some basic rules that you have to follow to maintain confidentially when taking photographs; ALWAYS Have permission from the parents of the child that you a photographing, Only use a school camera as this ensures that the photographs don’t make it out of the school, although the parent says it okay the child might not when you are taking the photo always keep this in mind, If the parent(s) don’t want their child to be in the picture then make sure that they STAY OUT of it or you can cut/ bur them out of the photo. When doing observations you need to maintain confidentiality in the following ways; only using the Childs first names, change the children’s names if they are unusual or could lead to the child be identified in any way, give the type of setting rather than the name of the settings EG â€Å"a primary school† rather than â€Å"The John Warner primary school†. Write the children’s age as years and months rather than the date of birth as they can be easily identified, photographic records should not be used unless permission is gained from the child’s parents and the setting lastly make sure the files have a contacting telephone number so they can be returned safely if lost. Lastly it is vital that as a practitioner that we maintain confidentiality as our main priority is the welfare of child and their development. If you breach confidentiality then you are putting the child at a very high risk, whether this is of kidnapping, sexual, emotional or physical abuse, there are laws and moral rules for a reason as it should be the child’s interest at heart at all times. Secondly you should always maintain confidentiality to keep a good relationship with the parents. You are in charge of the apple of their eye and they are trusting you with the Childs life thus it is vital to maintain a good and healthy relationship with the c hild’s parents. If you don’t this might result with them taking them out of the current school and you losing your job. Overall you should always make sure that the person who is picking the child up has the right of access as this could lead into very bad situations of the child being abducted. It is vital that you don’t break the trust with the family. The child might suffer abuse so you should take the right steps (Talking to your child protection officer) and no one else unless directly involved with the child’s welfare. When passing on information make it is to the correct people as the child might not be telling the truth and putting the child and family in danger for no reason. Don’t repeat anything your team says that you think is confidential. If you hear something that is being talked about them distract them- if it is a parent just talk to them about how well their child is doing but if it is a member of staff take them to one side and talk to them. With any serious or sensitive issues with children ( break ups, deaths etc†¦) then you need to tell your supervisor immediately and instead of asking the child to tell you a good way to get their emotions out is to write it down ( if old enough). Always ensure that children’s names are remained confidential e.g.; in observations etc†¦ If you are going arrange to talk to anyone about a confident matter then always arrange a confidential area so no one will come in and hear/ see what you are discussing. Always obtain permission for photographs/ videos of a child. Make sure there is no mistrial as to many questions could lead a child on and not tell the truth, get a professional in to deal with the matter. Lastly the data protection acts has 8 principles that state all about maintain confidentially with any documentation in any situation, this is the law. Overall it is vital that you as a professional practitioner you always maintain confidentiality of the setting/ children/ families as it can put many people at risk or a endless list of dangers.

Combative scholarship in Southeast Asia Term Paper

Combative scholarship in Southeast Asia - Term Paper Example What is simply dismissed by analysts of the situation in Southeast Asia as being a result of cultural legacies is simply making light of a complex situation. The culture itself has been a propellant of the struggle and therefore part of the unexplained in the overall scheme of things (Faist 215-217). The focus on the cultural aspect of the struggle only served to shift the attention of scholars from influencing the struggle for citizenship and nation building occasioned by hegemony, colonialism, subsequent revolution and development in a bid to leveling patches history. All the efforts that aided in the ending of colonialism and nation building were initiatives of heroes of the past century who envisioned a better life for themselves and future generations. Thus the scholars like Atalas, Agoncilo, Chamvit and Sartono only served to document the heroic actions of theses heroes in a bid to continuing in the path of democracy that they charted. In the course of these actions they have s uffered damage to their reputations and their credibility was also battered all due to the struggle. Citizens who now enjoy citizenship benefits to the fullest owe it to these scholarly heroes since some even lost their lives in the struggle. It is not fair to ask that history focuses on scholars who did not have their credibility battered at the expense of those who did. In all fairness, the struggle should be documented as it was since all those who played part despite the consequences deserve mention. Part 2: Is the application of combative scholarship still viable? There is a large possibility that the nations of Southeast Asia would coalesce to form one state but this would never occur due to cultural commonalities but rather because all of them have had a similar struggle in their own territories for citizenship and nation building. The struggles over the last century have given them certain

Tragedy of the Commons and Collective Action Term Paper

Tragedy of the Commons and Collective Action - Term Paper Example Acceptance of the reality of interdependency is implicit idea that all kinds or types of natural resources are for the good of everybody. This means resources are safeguarded for a common purpose of use, exploitation and preservation for replenishment and eventual use of all future generations. This idea is called the global commons of natural resources (Nonini 164). Early or primitive human societies had latched unto this idea of the commons due to their own survival instincts. Every member of the tribe is tasked to help preserve all resources not only for today's present consumption needs but for the future requirements of succeeding generations as well. Because of this concept of environmental preservation, the tribe members had banded themselves together with some social, cultural or religious arrangements to ensure that resources are safeguarded from over-exploitation, allowed to recover and replenish and to make everyone aware that no one owns these resources exclusively but ev erybody owns it. It is this idea that is known as the commons with the added sense of good stewardship. People are supposed to take only what they need from their common-pool resources. A fertile or rich environment can support a population adequately to provide a comfortable life as long as this practice is enforced. Nobody is supposed to take more than what they need, such as exploiting a resource for profit because some people had become too greedy. This had been practiced by the native Americans before the white colonizers came along. In fact, this is shown to be viable, a sense of abundance even in marginal ecological zones (ibid.). Continued population growth had put pressure on natural resources, a grim reminder of the theory put forward by Malthus centuries ago regarding... Good governance today demands consent, cooperation and commitment from people and the old ways of using coercion is no longer an acceptable alternative when imposing some form of social contract in managing common-pool resources (CPR). In fact, this was what the Nobel prize winner Elinor Ostrom advocates, using her recommended seven principles on the best ways on how to govern the commons while privatization is also considered but it has its limitations but an important point is that socio-economic models for sustainable extraction of resources can be implemented using the old ideas of liberal democracy. Global commons has been shown to be generative as well if done right, such as in music, literature, new medical technologies, hybrid seeds and in computer software where the intellectual rights are recognized and protected by copyright and patent laws.

JFK's Influence on the Civil Rights Movement Essay

JFK's Influence on the Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example The movement was more or less non-violent in nature. The civil rights movement of the people of America was a success as the protest was resultant into changes in attitude of the people of America mainly the upper class towards the African-Americans. From a broader perspective not all who stressed for racial fairness between 1954 and 1968 did so in the expectation of endorsingpeaceful social change. A noteworthyshare of the civil rights drive was, however, dedicated to the idea of diplomatic challenges, rather than bloodstainedconfrontation or attack, to change racist establishments. Historian does believe that USA President John F. Kennedy was a significant character associated with the civil rights movement in the USA. The paper is critically analyzing the role played by USA president John F. Kennedy during the 1960s civil rights movement in the USA. The thesis associated with this paper is: Is John F Kennedy is the most influential president of the USA in terms of implementation o f Civil Rights and other policy implementation. John F Kennedy was considered as one of the key player in the successful implementation of civil rights movement in the USA.As a matter of fact his role in the civil rights movement of 1960s was considered as of his greatest legacies. His speech during 1963 while framing the civil rights as both legitimate and moral authoritative force helped to a great extent to form the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and made him an icon of the movement. During 1960, there was a President election scheduled to be held in the USA and candidates for that post John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The movement was so intense that neither of them was able to ignore that. John F. Kennedy was the winner of that election and his sympathy for civil rights leader Martin Luther King when he was in jail was a great step taken by him which created an image of his

Writing profile on foster parent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing profile on foster parent - Essay Example In the statistics provided by the Children Uniting Nations, citing the source of information from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), it was disclosed that â€Å"more than 463,000 children live in foster care. In California, which has the largest foster care population than any other state, the number of foster youth has tripled in the last 20 years† (par. 1). Locating competent and highly qualified foster parents who could genuinely meet and support varied needs of children in need is therefore challenging. As one tried to locate potential foster parents, it was convenient to go directly to one of the established foster homes in Southern California and interview professional members of the organization’s team with regards to parents who signified intentions to become foster or adoptive parents. The Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency (SCFFAA) has been serving the needs of homeless children since 1994. It was deemed com mitted to â€Å"helping abused, abandoned and neglected children find secure, stable and nurturing homes. The agency provides for the well-being of children in its care and helps them become independent and successful adults† (Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency 1).

Comparison between the two countries Italy & Singpore Essay

Comparison between the two countries Italy & Singpore - Essay Example This comparison-contrast can serve to further better the understanding between both of these nations. II. Climate The climates of Italy and Singapore, most often are both moderate in temperature, especially warmer temperaturas. What differs between Italy and Singapore is that, Italy also has regions which can be very cold during the daytime, whereas in Singapore, that is unheard of, generally speaking. Another difference is that Singapore also has unusually hot temperatures—the likes of which Italy may have at times, but does not have for sustained periods like Singapore as much, generally speaking throughout the entire region of Italy. Although climates vary with geography, generally speaking, Italy, on average, probably has much cooler temperatures than Singapore overall—although Italy and Singapore can have similar temperatures at some junctures. However, Singapore is more likely than Italy to have unbearably hot weather, which might only be experienced in certain so uthern portions of Italy or on Italian islands in the Mediterranean. In that sense, Italy has more moderate temperatures. III. Geography Geographically speaking, Italy and Singapore both have one facet in common: they both have low-lying areas. According to Richmond (2003), â€Å"Singapore consists of the main, low-lying Singapore lsland and 63 other, much smaller† islands (pp. 18). Although most of Italy is very high above sea level, both countries have geographical similarity in the sense that both Italy and Singapore have lowlands. According to Favor (2004), â€Å"Most of Italy's terrain is rugged and mountainous, with some plains and coastal lowlands† (pp. 11). ... 11). Thus, unlike Italy, Singapore is much less likely to have land that is very high above sea level—leaving much of its land vulnerable to tsunamis and flooding. Italian geography along the seacoast would most likely be the area that would be most vulnerable to flooding of any type since these areas are, speaking generally, at or below sea level in terms of being either plains or low-lying coastland. IV. Location Regarding location, Italy and Singapore do not share much in common except to say that they are both countries that are on the same planet and that they are in the southeastern portion of their continents. Yes, Italy and Singapore are both countries on the planet, but the other similarity is that Italy is located in southeastern Europe, while Singapore is located in southeast Asia. Other than that, Italy and Singapore do not share any similarities with regard to location. The main differences with regard to location are that Italy is located in Europe, while Singapo re is located in Asia. These are the obvious, major differences. Another difference is that Italy is located in a Mediterranean climate, while Singapore is located in a tropical climate because it is located practically on the Equator. Thus, with regards to location, Italy and Singapore do have at least two similarities and two differences. V. Culture In terms of culture, Italy and Singapore both share a commonality: Italian culture is subject to the greater European culture, while Singaporean culture is subject to Chinese culture (which dominates Asia). Italy’s culture share remnants of European culture overall, while Singaporean culture retains elements of Chinese culture (because Chinese culture is one of the most dominant cultures in Asia). According to Wyer, Chiu, & Hong

Analysis of Counseling Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of Counseling Theories - Assignment Example Even though some might seem similar, all theories of counseling have particular differences that make each appear unique and useful in different situations. Counselors have unlimited discretions to select and apply more than none counseling theory in a single treatment situation. Counselors can also shift and change counseling theories randomly or systematically provided that their strategies are capable of producing the best results out of a given therapy session. Commonly used counseling theories include cognitive-behavior, solution-focused, integrated social ecology, postmodernism or social constructionist, systems, ecological and structural/feminist. Even after extensive coverage of counseling theories, solution-focused therapy is the best and favorable therapeutic approach to most of the psychological discomforts affecting human beings. According Ungar (2011), solution-focused therapy focuses on finding solution to particular problems faced a client. In so doing, a counselor employing solution-focused therapy is likely to concentrate on positive and encouraging incidences and experiences that seemed to help a client evade problems. Solution-focused approach of counseling deters a counselor from seeking deep into the problems or bad experiences of a client that escalated the given problem. Instead, a counselor employing solution-focused therapy makes inquiry on the time that a client avoided involving in particular stressor condition. The role of a counselor should be investigation of things a client did or have ever done to avoid and overcome a particular problem or unwanted situation. A counselor should then acknowledge and ap preciate the experiences of a client and be careful to make a client view a given problem as too big and recurrent to solve. Ungar (2011) reports that theorists of the solution-focused approach urge counselors to look at the good thing and efforts of a client towards avoiding a given

Service process of McDonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service process of McDonalds - Essay Example non-stop customers’ flow and subsequent success in the business. It is important to note that McDonald’s Company serves both as a service and product company. McDonald’s deals in fast food sphere of services and their interest and priority to serve customers at the highest level possible has enabled them to dominate the world market with overwhelming customer base for a long time. Their compactors cannot march them in terms of brand loyalty given the input they have always put in servicing the customers. The company also appears in the fortune 500 list as one of the most prominent and effective companies in the world in terms of fast food provision (Fitzsimmons, 2005: 34). It is indicated that McDonald’s has the most efficient way in dealing with the customer and they take the minimal time to attend to the customer. The waiting time in the restaurant is much reduced and no customer can take longer than necessary McDonald’s has greatly invested in th e customer service in the most appropriate way possible and this they believe will give them a competitive advantage. They also have employed the use of technological advancement in satisfying their customers. In this sense, automated machines for beverages are used to enable quick services to the customer. This will avoid customers staying in queues for a long time being conscious that customers have little time to spend in the restaurant. The efficiency of the customer service in the company is one of their major strengths in cutting and edge over their competitors (Clark and Baker, 2004: 77). The management of the services in a way that it attracts and retains customers in one of the most important focuses in business particularly those that are food-based. Main Body Service to the customer is one way of retaining and attracting customers in a business, this is particularly more pronounced in a business situated in a competitive landscape like what is McDonald’s is experie ncing. In response, the business must design unique services to the customer that will make them occupy a niche that no other among its competitors has. McDonald’s has realized the essence satisfactory customer service and has reciprocated by offering a myriad of services to the customer and this can be construed to accounts for their huge customer base in the 118 countries in the world. In McDonald’s, it is recognized that every customer is unique in a way and must be treated exactly the same as the other without assumption, in this relation, the following services from different quarters are offered at McDonald’s. Products Quality Besides provision of high quality products, the company has also insisted on having the customers get their value for money. They have noted the need for high standards in the delicate business of fast food and have ensured that it is always observed such that it becomes very palpable for any customer to do a comparative analysis whe n they shop elsewhere. In pursuit of this, McDonald’

Quality Concepts of Statistical Applications Research Paper

Quality Concepts of Statistical Applications - Research Paper Example It is important to note that the meaning of the word quality varies between people and sectors. However, there are two definitions for technical usage as follows. 1) Features of a service or a product that determine its ability to fulfill implied or stated needs. This is in line with Philip Crosby’s definition of â€Å"conformance to requirements† 2) Deficiency free product or service. This conforms with Joseph Juran’s definition of â€Å"fitness for use† From the term quality we can derive two other terms. These are quality assurance and quality control. These two terms can have several definitions because of the various definitions of the words assurance and control. For example, assurance can be interpreted as being certain or making confident. Control on the other hand can be interpreted as guiding or an evaluation to determine appropriate corrective responses. Quality assurance and quality control are often used in place of each other to mean actions undertaken to ensure quality of a service or a process. It is however important to differentiate these two terms for clarity in their use. Quality assurance focuses on the processes through which products are developed or services delivered. It aims to prevent defects through quality processes that the products undergo. Quality control on the other hand focuses on the end products. ... One school of thought was proposed by Douglas McGregor. He had two theories in this case, theory x and theory y. Both theories are based on the assumption that one of the roles of a manager is to organize the factors of production. Theory x assumes the following of an average person. They dislike work and try to avoid it, have no ambition and want no responsibility. It also assumes that they are self-centered and do not care about organizational goals. In a nutshell persons who fall under theory x work only for money and security. Management approaches in this area could range from hard to soft approach. These would include coercion, implicit threat, close supervisions and tight controls. Theory y, on the other hand, assumes the following about an average person. Work is as natural as play and rest. Commitment helps people meet their work objectives in a self-directed manner. People generally seek responsibility. Since people align their goals to organizational goals in this theory, managers can take several measures to ensure the best input from employees. These measures could include decentralization and delegation, job enlargement, participative management and performance appraisals. The concept of scientific management was coined by Frederick Winslow Taylor in 1911. There are several principles, also referred to as elements that detail the mechanisms of scientific management. These he considered as extensions to the four principles of management. The four concepts of managements are as follows. The development of a true science The scientific selection of the workman The scientific education and development of the workman Intimate and friendly cooperation between the management and the men.

The Social Subject in the Age of Innocence Essay Example for Free

The Social Subject in the Age of Innocence Essay The Age of Innocence major theme is based around a battle of the individual’s desire and the monotonous life, rules and duties that control New York during the eighteen seventies. The conflict is between freedom and society. It was a society â€Å"intent on maintaining its own rigid stability†. Each man and woman had its own duties and people were forced to maintain this social code that existed, even if they wanted to put their happiness into their own hands. Big decisions were made by group choice not by the individual. This is evident through the protagonist Newland Archer who has doubts and changes with his life upon meeting Ellen Olenska. The protagonist in Ethan Frome can be compared to Archer by the way they both have difficulty with their desires and duties particularly through love and freedom. Archer realises New York is suffocating him from achieving his desires. I will discuss throughout how he conflicts with his desires and duties throughout along with other characters and compare them to Ethan Fromes decisions also. The setting of The Age of Independence is eighteen seventies New York. The Cambridge Online Collections state that Edith Wharton wanted to get the â€Å"1870s right the moustaches (†not tooth brush ones, but curved slightly twisted at the ends†), the clothes and the buttonhole flowers (violets by day, gardenias by night), the manners and the language (no slang, no Americanisms â€Å"English was then the language spoken by American ladies gentlemen†). Since she had insisted that she did not want the novel taken as a â€Å"costume piece† (Letters, 433), this punctiliousness might seem surprising. But in The Age of Innocence, social details matter.† The setting alone plays a huge part in Archer achieving his desires. New York is conformed during this period people are expected to follow the social codes that are implemented. This puts a hold on Archer and Ellen’s desires to be with one another. New York has a hold on their feelings. They cannot express them in this kind of community because of judgemental eyes. The time and place in the novel controls their actions towards one another. There are expectations that are supposed to be met. A normal wealthy New Yorker would have children and get married. The worst thing that could happen in a wealthy New Yorker’s eyes is a divorce or an affair. This leaves Ellen in a difficult place while in New York. She wants to divorce her Polish husband but Archer tells her she should not as society will abandon her. Even though Archer and Ellen love each other the fact that their families would be so disappointed by them if they were to go with their gut feeling. Mary Douglas states â€Å"society does not exist in a neutral, uncharged vacuum It is subject to external pressures; that which is not with it, part of it and subject to its laws is potentially against it† (Wharton 40) this evokes that The Age of Innocence was about being around the right people and marrying into good families and not to disappoint even if there is something out ther e that one desires. Through the novel we follow Newland and how his eyes are opened to what is expected of him in nineteenth century New York. He becomes engaged to May Wellend this is a normal and expected engagement of that of him and May. May is introduced in the opening and â€Å"appears at the opera pink-faced and fair-hairedone immediately associates her name with youth and virginity† she is what is taught to be as a fiancà ©e at this period perfect for this social circle. Then there is Ellen Olenska the cousin of his fiancà ©e the contrast between the two is extreme. Ellen is different and exotic. Ellen escapes from a marriage which is a taboo in this era. This evokes how Ellen breaks away from her duties as a wife to desire happiness. She is introduced as a controversial figure. Ellen is unaware of this and what happens at the Opera. The Opera is like a courtroom people are judged here. Ellen is judged by the gossiping men and this is predictable in this society. From coming across someone different from all he sees and expected from what a woman is to be Newland finds reason to doubt what he is expected to do as his duties and desires come into place. It is like if Ellen became an inspirational figure t o him and defends her Women ought to be free as free as we are, he declared, making a discovery of which he was too irritated to measure the terrific consequences. Even though from previous chapters he is happy his own fiancà ©e follows the customs of the social circle that New York women should acquire. Although he does not approve of Ellen’s behaviour he is captivated by it. Ellen has made the subject of romance and marriage a complicating issue for him. Seeing Ellen as an outcast from the rest of the women he knew, he begins to think why the likes of May do not have experiences as what males do in New York and why they should only have one partner. May Wellend to Archer and the reader initially is a â€Å"picture of an ingenuous and demure young girl whom Archer hopes to shape into a worldly-wide mould of the married woman with whom he has recently had a two year-year-long affair† this evokes Archers duties and what he firstly hopes will become of his marriage but now that Ellen is in the frame his thoughts about life, marriage and love are different. This quote also shows the duty of May and what is expected of her in this pe riod in New York typical marriage material for Archer. Wharton based many of her novels around failing relationships as like her own with her husband. Ethan Frome and Newland Archer were both heading in the same direction. They are both stuck in a love triangle and are unable to be with the one they love because of their duty. Once Archer finds out May is pregnant his plan to stay with Ellen is abandoned due to the fact that he must be a father now. Ethan is quite similar even though he is in love and wants to leave the horrid town he lived in he was unable to because of Zeena being ill and it being his duty as a husband to stay with her. Both Ellen and Mattie play as a ray of light they were both something different from what the protagonists were expected to do, a break from normality. Mattie was something fresh and something to break away from Ethan’s monotonous life in Starkfield and Ellen was something exotic for Archer to admire in New York compared to what he was used to seeing. They act as a forbidden fruit for the protagonists. Both want the thing society doesn’t allow them to have, both wanted the thing their duty won’t allow them to have but they both conform to what is expected of them and do not follow their desires and stay in the Garden of Eden which is nothing like paradise. Ethan has Zeena to destroy his desires and Archer has May and the wealthy community of New York to destroy his. Both offer up love for them but both are hit with complications Ellen is told by May that she is pregnant so that she would leave and Zeena shortens Mattie’s stay. Newland Archer cannot belong to the socially elite because of what it is and will not be changed and this is why someone like Ellen is so exciting for him and Ethan does not belong in Starkfield as he is seen differently because of his injuries and something fresh like Mattie enhance his life. Both having a way to escape from new women in their lives makes it exciting for them. It can be realistic but both don’t take the opportunity due to their duties. Martin Scorsese’ depiction of The Age of Innocence also deals with the same themes of desire and duty as the book does. Scorsese says that â€Å"What I wanted to do as much as possible was to recreate for a viewing audience the experience I had reading the book.† He was enthralled by how Edith Wharton was able to blind the reader and he put his own persona on it. Scorsese shows Archers desire for a woman to mould through a symbol. The first thing we see when Archer meets Ellen alone for the first time just after leaving his fiancà ©e is that of a painting of a woman who is faceless. This symbolizes how Archer wanted something different from which he would have seen everyday like May who was artificial. He wanted something he could mould himself something he could fill the blank face with and not what he was supposed to have a ‘creation of factitious purity, so cunningly manufactured by a conspiracy of mothers and aunts and grandmothers and long-dead ancestress, because it was supposed to be what he wanted, what he had a right to, in order that he might exercise his lordly pleasure in sma shing it like an image made of snow.’ (Wharton 35) this evokes that Archer desired something different against his duty to be with something that actually was picturesque May and Scorsese was able to get this across by drawing our eye to the unfinished image. The conflict of desire and duty is based on the protagonists’ battle of wanting something different and sticking to something normal. He is understandably fed up with the duties that he along with people in his same wealthy state are supposed to do. With the emergence of Ellen he finds love in a place where everyone else in that society would be embarrassed about. The Age of Innocence shows how desire can throw a life off the straight and narrow. Left with though not knowing what would have been the best outcome as he does stay with May. What would have become of him if he went with his desires? Love has no limitations and it is says conquers all but not in this case he is held back from his duty as being a husband and a father instead of leaving with May.

Employee Attitude And Performance Management

Employee Attitude And Performance Management Employees are the major drivers of any form of business and good employee performance is the most important need for the current competitive business environment to run successfully. Many organisations have started to attach a great emphasis towards the knowledge workers as claimed by Armstrong and Baron (1998) which makes it even more essential to understand the various practices of performance management. Performance Management and Performance Appraisal are very important tools; it helps to motivate employees to work hard and improves overall companys productivity Based on the study of Armstrong (2000) , performance management aims at improving the current results of the organisation or individuals or a group. A simple way to describe performance Management it is A process that significantly affects organizational success by having managers and employees work together to set expectations, review results and reward performance (Bowen, J. 2007). Performance appraisal is a way of giving employees feedback about their performance at work. According to ACAS (2003)  ¿Ã‚ ½Performance appraisal is an assessment of employees performance, potential and development needs. Performance appraisal is an opportunity to take an overall view of work content, loads and volumes, to look back on what has been achieved during the reporting period and agree objectives for the next( ACAS, 2003). 1.1 Background Study Research Question Performance Management , regular, balanced and systematic appraisals must be administered consistently in order to evaluate the performance of each individual in the organization. This allows human resources to pinpoint the weaknesses of an individual ¿Ã‚ ½s work style and the strengths. They can then share this information with the employee in order to affect a change in performance. This in turn will lead to more productivity and potentially better returns on human investment. Design of Organization, Analyze the work processes and recommends improvements when necessary. HRM also need to scan the world environment and identify emerging trends that will affect the organization and the management of people therein. In this role, the HR person contributes to the development of and the accomplishment of the organization-wide business plan and objectives. The HR business objectives are established to support the attainment of the overall strategic business plan and ob jectives. performance appraisal method that  ¿Ã‚ ½ranks individuals performance by counting the number of times any one individual is the preferred member when compared with all other employees in an organization ¿Ã‚ ½ (Decenzo, D and Robbins, S. 2001) According to Rue and Byars (2003) they illustrate the Paired Comparison Method using an example  ¿Ã‚ ½Suppose a manager is to evaluate six employees. The manager firstly compares the first employee with the second employee on a chosen performance criterion, such as quantity of work. If the manager thinks the first employee has produced more work then the second employee, he or she gets a higher rating. The first employee is then compared to the third, fourth, fifth and sixth employee on the same performance criterion. A better rating is given to the employee who produced the most work in each of these paired comparisons. The process is repeated until each employee has been compared to every other employee on all the chosen performance criteria. The employee with the best rating is considered to be the best performer. Likewise, the employee with the lowest rating is the lowest performer ¿Ã‚ ½. The main drawback of this method is that it can be used only in small organizations, wit h small numbers of employees, but in large organizations with large number of employees, it is difficult to compare each employee with every other employee in the organization. An appraisal method in which the employee ¿Ã‚ ½s performance feedback comes from such sources  ¿Ã‚ ½as self assessment, peers, team members, managers in the organizational hierarchy, and also from external sources such as customers, suppliers and other interested stakeholders has become very popular in contemporary organizations ¿Ã‚ ½ (Decenzo, D and Robbins, S. 2001) 360-Degree appraisal is a very useful tool, the data for appraisal is collected from a wide range of resources and it provides a very through picture of how an individual ¿Ã‚ ½s performance is viewed and can be an extremely powerful tool in analyzing performance. According to Foot and Hook. (2005) they state.  ¿Ã‚ ½To have any genuine value or meaningful impact, 360? feedback must be far more than a standalone activity. It should involve managing the individual ¿Ã‚ ½s expectations, aligning questionnaires to competency frameworks, setting goals to integrate the exercise into personal development plans and providing feedback from trained facilitators. The process surrounding the 360? process itself is complex, and how well HR and learning managers plan that process will determine what impact it will have ¿Ã‚ ½ this shows that while 360? feedback is not an easy process to introduce into an organization,  ¿Ã‚ ½it does nevertheless provides a powerful tool that fits well with t he performance management and performance appraisal approach ¿Ã‚ ½ (Foot, M. and Hook, C. 2005) Career Management, managing people is one of the most difficult aspects of organizational management .It means dealing with people who differ physical and psychologically. HR need to always talk with employees to find out what are individual assessments of abilities, interests, career needs and goals or all kinds negative feedback. 1.2 Research Questions 1. What is the relationship between performance appraisal and Employee attitude? 2. What is the attitude of employees towards goal setting? 3. What is the attitude of employees towards agency relations? 4. What is the attitude of employees towards dynamic capability? 5. What is the employee attitude towards relevant resources? 1.3 Research Objective 1. To investigate the relationship between performance Management and employee attitude 2. To investigate the employee attitude towards goal setting 3. To investigate the employee attitude towards Agency relations 4. To investigate the employee attitude towards Dynamic capability 5. To investigate the employee attitude towards Relevant resources 1.4 Problem Statement Many SME ¿Ã‚ ½s in Malaysia are facing numerous problems in the current business world which comprise of the information age, development of the technological factors at a rapid pace and globalisation are some examples, these changes are very rapid and highly unpredictable and the only department which manages this pressure is the HR department and the polices of the department which have equipped themselves to overcome these situations and volatile changes in the business environment and such policies include manpower planning performance plans and development performance plans and frequent appraisal of employees and performance guidance. Many organisations fail at this level which is a major concern, and the organisations which have overcome these obstacle have gone a long way bringing in many revolutionary changes in the business world and HR practices. (Becker et al., 2001; Zairi, 1998). 1.5 Significance of the study SME ¿Ã‚ ½s represent the major group of business organisations in Malaysia based on the Malaysia SME ¿Ã‚ ½s Report (2008) which contributes to a total of 99.2% , which in itself has its own significance and lays emphasis behind conducting this research study . The research paper also aims at establishing the relationship that exists between performance management practices and employee attitude. The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between performances 1.6 Research design and research context: The research philosophy which the researcher thinks is suitable is the positivist philosophy of research. The method used will be a survey method with questionnaires with both primary and secondary sources of data. This will include questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. The data analysis technique for the proposed research will be multiple regression analysis to find the relationship between the variables. In terms of the research context, the proposed research is based on Ahsan Ullah and Routray ¿Ã‚ ½s (2007) research employee attitude and performance management in Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s. The research will be carried in Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s. The reason for choosing Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s for this research purpose is largely due to their representation in Malaysian business as claimed by the Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s Report (2008). 1.7 Structure of Dissertation The dissertation is laid out in five chapters; the first chapter introduces the reader to the concept of Mutual funds and describes the aims and objectives of the study. The actual study begins from chapter two with Review of Literature analyzing the concept of mutual funds and assessing the previous research carried in analysing the mutual fund performance. The contents in the research report can be elaborated briefly as shown under the following headings. Chapter One: Introduction The first chapter of the research study as the name suggests the chapter introduces the study and the major area of focus in the research. The chapters clearly describe the aims and objectives of the study giving the reader glimpse about overall research. It also gives out the scope of the research and spells out the rationale behind the study. Chapter Two: Literature Review This chapter primarily prepares the study for empirical work by looking at evaluations and conclusions drawn on certain theories and concepts to check for similarities and difference made by past writers on similar or related studies. It ¿Ã‚ ½s on this basis, that later stages in the research are developed. In particular, academic journals, websites and textbooks that articulate models and related theories are used as a reference. Chapter Three: Research Methodology The Chapter three reviews a range of research methods and highlights the strength and weakness and also research design discussion. Chapter Four: Research Findings and Analysis Chapter four discusses the main research findings and provides critical evaluation of primary and secondary data ¿Ã‚ ½s about the leadership behaviors in the engineering organization. Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations After careful examination, evaluation, assessment and analysis of data, in this chapter, the study points out how the aims and objectives of the research are met. It points out how the respective objectives are realized and tries to give an answer to the research question. 1.8 Limitations 1. The Research Study will be based only in Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s in Kuala Lumpur due to time constraint. 2. The research study will be cut short to just the evaluate the relationship between employee attitude and performance management 3. The research study will be carried out in Limited number of organisations only. 1.9 The Research Framework Adapted from James Kagaari (2010)

Explore The Meanings Of The I Am Sayings Religion Essay

Explore The Meanings Of The I Am Sayings Religion Essay Introduction For the children of Israel the term I am was very significant, for it was with this name that God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush encounter when He had commanded him to deliver the people of Israel, (Exodus 3:6,14 ). In this case God would be seen as a mighty deliverer or the one who brought salvation to His people from their bondage. In Johannine context, whether it is in the predicate or absolute form the I am sayings essentially were written to reveal God through Christ so that Israel and by extension the world could receive salvation. The purpose of this discourse is to explore the meanings of the I am sayings and their implication for salvation. To accomplish this, the work of various authors along with relevant scriptural passages will be examined and a balanced conclusion will be reached. To accomplish the above objective the writer will explore the two forms of the I am sayings, i.e. the predictive and absolute forms and explain their significance to salvation. The Significance of the I am Sayings The I am sayings are associated with the Greek word, egoeimi, which means, it is I, and this suggest that it is a way of identifying oneself.  [1]  The I am saying are two fold in nature, one is with the pronoun ego used for emphasis. This is essentially the I am sayings with predicates or those followed by a noun. Bauckham cited in Longenecker, argued the predicates were used by John to describe Jesus as the one through which people could receive salvation. The other set of I am sayings were characterized as the absolute which the author stated were used by John to reveal Jesus divinity or deity.  [2]   The predicated I am sayings include examples such as: I am the Bread of Life, I am the Light of the World, etc. These sayings represent descriptions of Jesus as the source of the eternal and the unity of the Godhead, for example, as in John 6:33.  [3]  Bauckham cited in Longenecker also pointed that the seven predicated I am sayings, were significant in Jewish culture. He concluded that seven represented completeness in Jewish culture, thus the seven I am sayings above represented completeness in Christ.  [4]  This point of view although debateable, speaks to the inadequacy of Judaism. Kysar examined the sayings from a cultural-historical context and argued that the, I am sayings was an essential part of Hellenistic religious thought, thus John may have intentionally written them in that way as a method of affirming Jesus identity in contrast to the claims of Hellenistic gods.  [5]  This probably means that John got the attention of the Hellenist because he wrote about something that they were familiar with but from a different perspective, which was to introduce Christ. The author concedes to this view when he argued that the I am sayings introduced Jesus as the divine revelation of God, for example, the use of predicates like the Good Shepherd, promoted Jesus in both the Hellenist and Jewish traditions. For followers of the Jewish tradition it meant that just as Yahweh is one True God, so is Jesus the one True Revealer, none other is comparable.  [6]  Mc Grath showed correlations of Johns I am sayings in Old Testament traditions. For example, he claims th at they allude to fundamental themes in the Old Testament, and apply them to Jesus. Thus when God revealed Himself as I am to Moses and Jesus uses the term, I am He is implying that He is God or He was declaring His divinity.  [7]   It would seem that there was a correlation between the I am sayings and some of Jesus miracles. The resurrection of Lazarus is an example, perhaps this miracle was used to allow the audience to see that He is truly Lord. This may be seen in the number of days for which Lazarus was had been dead. A similar view is proposed by Kaysar who conceded that the I am sayings were concurrent with the signs or miracles performed by Jesus for example, the feeding of the five thousand and Lazarus resurrection were both used to declare different aspects of the person of Christ.  [8]   From the above it is seen that the I am sayings, were essential in revealing Jesus in a descriptive way so that the audience could connect to His divinity. The degree to which this aim was achieved is sometimes questionable because a large section of the Jews appeared oblivious to Jesus declaration which culminated in hostility and eventually His crucifixion. At this juncture the predicted I am sayings will be discussed. The predicated I am Sayings 1) I am the Bread of Life- John 6:35 This saying refers to Jesus as the source of eternal life. It also implies that the human race is in a perpetual state of hunger, searching for food to satisfy the soul, this hunger refers to the emptiness that a person feels without Jesus in their lives. The above view is supported by Quast, who suggested that Jesus used this saying to make a comparison between Himself and Moses in terms of the temporal nature of the Manna which Moses offered. According to him Moses manner was used to satisfy the physical hunger, whilst Jesus as the Bread of Life satisfies spiritual hunger. Additionally Quast noted that Jesus used this saying to prove that He transcended Moses, perhaps hinting to His deity. The author also makes reference to other Old Testament links to this sayings, by proposing that it is related to the Wisdom tradition of Solomon, as seen in (Proverbs 9:5) and Isaiah, (Isaiah 55:1) where God is described as Bread.  [9]  This wisdom then can be seen as a way of giving life because much prominence is given to it in the Proverbs, for example, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 2:12 and many more. Quast added a different perspective to this view when he concluded that this is more evidence of Jesus deity which shows that He pre-dated the prop hets of old.  [10]  Perhaps this is indication that Jesus was ready to usher a new paradigm which the Jews were not ready for, which is, belief in Him would result in their salvation and satisfaction so that there would be no need to keep looking for salvation in the works of the Law. Some authors have theorized that Jesus used this saying to invite the Jews into an intimate relationship with Him. This is seen when He challenges them to eat the Bread of Life and drink His blood, (John 6:53).  [11]  This intimacy would result when the Jews came into a relationship with Jesus, but they clearly missed the point as in indicated in the negative reaction of some of the Jews, (John 6:66). This confirms that they had an ulterior motive for following Jesus who was seeking to address their error in thinking. This also shows that there was a lack of sync between Jesus proclamations and the understanding of what He meant, clearly, He was having a difficult time reaching them. This passage has been reinterpreted as communion for the Christian; however, this view has come under attack from Casey who contended that it was meant to focus on Christ and belief in Him.  [12]  Caseys criticism is weak because in communion the focus is on Christ, (1 Corinthians: 11). The main message of this saying is that anyone, who receives Jesus, will have eternal life. Thus there will be no need to search for alternative means of satisfying this spiritual hunger. 2) I am the Light of the World John 8:12 This saying suggests that Jesus is the only true Light, as indicated by use of the. The use of the word a light would have conveyed, something different, meaning one of many lights with no special significance. Thus it is this one True Light who is able to give salvation, the rest of the explanations below provides support for this viewpoint. When Jesus refers to Himself at the Light, He is indicating that He is the source who can bring illumination in the lives of people. This illumination means that He can bring profound spiritual understanding in the lives of men and women which can lead to salivation.  [13]  This is seen in the healing of the blind man in whom both physical healing and spiritual insight about Jesus deity was received. Furthermore it underscores that Jesus is seeking to cure the inner blindness of man which can lead to eternal death. Winstanley confirms this view by concluding that, Jesus is able to give deliverance from inner blindness, darkness and ignorance to the insight and vision of faith.  [14]  The idea of Jesus giving spiritual insight is testament of His deity. Ridderbos took a more critical view of this saying by signifying that it shows a contrast between day and night. Day in this context means opportunities for Jesus to work; presumably to bring the Jews toward Him as the Light, where as darkness refers to the limitations of time which constrained how much could be achieved.  [15]  This view is confirmed in John 12:35. Clarke also presented a pessimistic view by suggesting that Jesus intentions were to use His authority to bring condemnation and to expose all their iniquities and sins.  [16]  Clarkes idea shows a clear deficiency in understanding of Jesus motive. Jesus boldly stated that He does not pass judgment in John 8:15. Some of the Jews rejected Jesus attempt to bring illumination into their lives. Winstanley contended that despite the Light of the Gospel presented to people they may still fail to learn and understand.  [17]  This is probably because people may prefer to remain in bondage than to receive deliverance. 3) I am the Gate for the Sheep John 10:7 I am the gate for the sheep; this phrase parallels the mass exodus of the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus12:13). This deliverance was accompanied by the sprinkling of the blood of a spotless lamb on the door post of every Israelite (Exodus12:13). Keller postulated that everyone who went through this sprinkled door was guaranteed protection from Gods judgement. He further claims that a person went out through that door to liberty, freedom and a new dimension of life under Gods direction.  [18]  Kellers claim is synonymous with Jesus salvation, for example, the door way in Israels case is similar to Jesus as the way or gate to salvation. Similarly, the blood on the doorpost parallels the blood of Jesus which was shed. Consequently, when an individual comes through Jesus salvation is received, (John 10:19). Weaver conceded with the above analysis by stating that this saying implies that Jesus is the only way to salvation, He is the gateway to the Father.  [19]  This is probably because many others proclaimed another way, they are referred to as thieves, strangers because they cannot give salvation. Jesus thus had the task of correcting the falsehood associated with Jewish religious tradition but they fail to perceive His intentions. Weaver suggested that Jesus explanation may have been ambiguous because of the use of Greek terminology, paroimia which means proverb. He claims that this may have been deliberate on Jesus part because this saying was intended for His disciples.  [20]   4) I am the Good Shepherd John 10:11 Here Jesus is seen as the ultimate guide to the Father, the extraordinary love for the sheep or humanity led Him to become a lamb so that this guidance to the Father may be possible. Harris confirms the above by suggesting that for a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherds death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them.  [21]  Tiat argued from a similar persuasion by noting that Jesus became a lamb to save the sheep.  [22]   OGrady proposed that Johns use of the word shepherd was to convey the reciprocal relationship between Jesus and the individual sheep. According to him this signifies intimacy in the Christian Jesus context and in the unity which is characteristic of the relationship between Jesus and the Father. This union is what leads to eternal life.  [23]  A similar idea is proposed by Brown who suggested that this intimacy qualifies the shepherd to perform duties on behalf of the sheep.  [24]  MacLaren added that these duties included; guidance, guardianship, companionship, sustenanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. He continued by stating that in response to these duties the sheep simply obeys and trusts the shepherd.  [25]  This idea suggests that Jesus is able to meet all the needs of the person who will trust in Him, Tait stated that this is because the Shepherd has intimate knowledge of the sheep,  [26]  this intimate knowledge is only possible with someone who is Omniscient, thus proving t hat divinity of Christ, as seen in the many instances where He was able to perceive what people thought, Luke 11:17. Jesus identified Himself as a true shepherd which denotes exclusivity, i.e. He is the only shepherd who can give eternal life, and all the others are false. Sanders cited in Barrett supported the above by noting that the Sheep referred to Israel who was bombarded with many false messiahs.  [27]  Thus it is seen that Jesus used this saying to set Him apart from the false messiahs so that Israel may believe on Him. This salvation is not only exclusive to Israel but is extended to the entire world. This is seen in John 10:16, the idea conveyed by use of the term, other sheep, is that salvation is extended to the Gentile world.  [28]   5) I am the Resurrection and the Life John 11:25 This saying was in conjunction with Lazarus resurrection. This showed that Jesus has authority over death and able to give life beyond the natural, which is basically eternal life. Guardinis work confirms the above when he stated that, mortality has no foothold on Jesus.  [29]  He extended his view by proposing that the person who is in Christ has a life which will transcend death. The authors view clearly confirms that the eternal life and resurrection of the Christian is only possible in Jesus. Clarke developed this argument by examining the concept of life, which he contended is the life of the soul which surpasses the thought of death and only attained in Jesus.  [30]  In response to this claim Micklem concluded that our redemption is completed beyond the grave, but it must begin in our hearts now.  [31]  Micklems view suggests that external life and the resurrection on the last day is only possible when a person has received Christ in this lifetime. This resurrection also infers the glorified body that the Christian will have when resurrected. Martini supports the above by noting that Christians will one day possess the physical and spiritual embodiment of a resurrected life just like Christ.  [32]  This is the culmination of eternal life for the Christian, escape from eternal damnation which is described in Matthew 25. 6) I am the Way the Truth and the Life John 14:6 In this saying Jesus points to Himself as the only path to salvation. Martini suggested that term I implies exclusiveness, meaning that Jesus is the only means to salvation, the only truth and the only life.  [33]  He went on to describe Way as the direction and process of salvation which involves acknowledgment of the Way and then repentance. Micklem agreed, by hinting to Jesus mediatory capacity in which He leads those who receive Him to the Father.  [34]   In addition Martini concluded that Jesus illustrated truth by making predictions which came to pass in other words, He substantiated everything He said about Himself.  [35]  Micklem added the saying means deliverance from falsehood, error, judgement and blindness from the truth. He continued by stating that Jesus exposes the truth of the soul in relation to the Truth of God.  [36]  This implies that He exposes the hopelessness of the soul without Him and His ability to give eternal life. This exposure of the Truth of soul sometimes produces hostility as in the case of the Pharisees, thus there must be a corresponding acceptance of Truth for salvation to occur. 7) I am the True Vine John 15:1 This imagery shows that Jesus as the Vine gives life to the branches, thus the Christian can only be sustained in Him.  [37]  Meyer makes a similar observation by noting that the use of the word True is used to make a distinction between the eternal and the temporal.  [38]  This is perhaps to contrast the temporal nature of Judaism or religion with the enduring nature of Jesus salvation. The branches or the Christians are also sustained by producing fruit. Talbert speculated that this refers to evangelism and manifesting all the fruits of the Christian life.  [39]  OGrady and Hylen reached a similar conclusion by noting that fruits refer to love which is a sign of Christianity. This love is able to sustain the Christian. He also noted that the Christian is able to bear fruit only if they remain faithful to Gods word.  [40]  This suggests that the bearing of Fruit has eternal implication which is if a Christian does not live a holy life the result is eternal damnation. The Christian is pruned to promote fruitfulness.  [41]  This pruning is necessary for salvation, John 15:2, 5-6. Thus, the only guarantee of salvation is to remain in Christ daily, not merely receiving Him and living carelessly. This is perhaps because God expects the Christian to make disciples as is commissioned in Matthew 28:19-20. 1) The Absolute Sayings The absolute sayings essentially relate to Jesus divinity. However some have ordinary meanings, for example, John 6:20, I am should be understood as Jesus identifying Himself to the disciples to calm their fears. This is in contrast to the reactions of the soldiers at Gethsemane who fell to the ground when Jesus used the term. I am.  [42]  The reaction of the soldiers clearly proves the deity of Jesus. The I am sayings in the absolute sense prove the deity of Christ as is seen in John 8:39, where Jesus established that He predate Abraham,  [43]  a statement which prompted the Jews to accuse Him of blasphemy. This reaction probably shows that they were clearly not prepared for the change which Jesus was ushering. Some authors have attacked the validity of the I am sayings by hinting to its absence in the other synoptic Gospels.  [44]  Casey noted that in some instances Jesus appeared to be ambiguous which probably led to a misinterpretation on the part of the Jews. From this view this misinterpretation informed their unbelief. Barrett also noted that some of the sayings lack clarification such as I am the Good Shepherd, which is difficult to understand. According to him this is because John combines several themes which do not express a clear thought.  [45]   Brown criticized this view by stating that the I am Sayings, are full of truth and of grace too. They are transparently clear and unfathomably deep.  [46]  Browns view holds relevance because the criticisms above do not apply to all the sayings which in many cases correlated with miracles to inspire the Jews to believe, so that if the sayings were ambiguous then the miracles would provide clarity; thus, it is the Jew who chose to disbelieve. Conclusion The main theme of the I am sayings is salvation through Christ. These sayings promote various aspects of Jesus character and deity and simultaneously show how people could resist the gospel because of religious traditions or ideology. In order words the pride produced by self righteousness can be a major hindrance to a persons salvation. This is because in such instances the individual defines themselves righteous; consequently, the gospel may be seen as an offense to them. Thus the method used to present the Gospel should be one where Christ is the central message and not an attack on religious ideology.

Blackberry Webqual and Value Creation Essay -- Technology, Website, We

1 Introduction 2 Purpose of the website Before analysing the quality of the website of Blackberry and investigating their value creation, it is important to have the purpose of the website clear. The way in which a company uses it’s website is part of the business strategy. 2.1 Introduction to website purpose According to Tassabehji (2003-83) there are four main reasons to use a website: information dissemination, data capture, promotions & marketing and transacting with stakeholders. Two of these purposes for a website apply for Blackberry.com. First of all a corporate website could provide information dissemination. The information can target different stakeholders: shareholders/investors and customers (Tassabehji 2003-83). In case of the shareholders and investors information on the website could include annual reports, news about the corporation and business plans. This is different when customers are the target, since they will be more interested in information about the products, support and question solution. Secondly, Blackberry.com also uses the internet for promotions & marketing. Promotions and marketing online are available in different ways (Tassabehji 2003-91). Tassabehji (2003-91) distinguishes six different ways of online promotion and marketing: banner advertising, affil iate programmes, search registration, newsletter e-mails, and traditional marketing strategies. 2.2 Blackberry.com The main purpose of Blackberry.com is information dissemination, mostly for the customers, but they also provide some interesting information for the shareholders. Blackberry.com provides a lot of information to the customer online, including: product specifications, different kinds of support, interactive demos, manuals ... ...With those two methods, Blackberry.com encourages their customers to solve out difficulties their selves, consequently Blackberry can reduce the costs on service staff members. Apart from the online service, Blackberry also provides a lot of service via mobile network carriers, since the contract of a Blackberry is often combined with a network contract. Although tough technical problems will still be solved by the Blackberry factory itself, easier problems can be worked out by the carriers. This again results in cost reduction for Blackberry and could be seen as an efficiency resource. 4.2 Novelty 4.3 Lock-In 4.4 Complementarities Complementarities are created when one resource is getting more value when it is combined with another resource ( Zhu 2004). The value of the two resources together is more than the sum of both resources separately.

The Meaning of Smoke :: Smoke Essays

The Meaning of Smoke Sometimes people feel that things are better left unsaid. Such is the case in Chris Avellone's, smoke, which tells the story of two friends who have a good relationship until one speaks the truth that both had been hiding. The smoke in the essay can be looked at as a veil that is concealing the true feelings of the two characters. The setting, which is in a smoke filled bar, can be looked at as a secret hide away that the two friends go to. It is when Kyle starts to bring what is really going on that the conflict starts. When the story starts, the two friends are at a bar playing darts and drinking beer. When Kyle start smoking a cigarette it is then that Dave starts to open up and let the audience know that the two friends have not seen each other in a while. He also starts to describe his friend physically paying special attention to his eyes. Throughout the story Kyle is very vague when answering Dave's questions about his new relationship. Finally he asks his friend if his girl knows about what was going on between the two of them. Dave tries a first to shrug the conversation off but it is at this point that smoke the cigarette is giving off is starting to make sense. "Smoke curled from his nostrils out onto the table, like some kinda dragon" (Avellone, 3). Throughout the entire story the smoke seemed to make Dave feel more comfortable. It seemed as if the presence of the smoke made him telling the story and him even being around Kyle okay. With the smoke curling from his friends nose the reader is able to get a picture that the smoke is starting to clear. It is only when the smoke seems to be clearing in his eyes, revealing both his and Kyle's true feelings that he started to get uneasy. At this point he attacks his friend and calls him all kinds of vulgar names. He says that he cannot see much because of the smoke and that at that point, "Kyle just faded out into the smoke in Shoop's" (Avellone, 3). We can see here that he knows he has lost his friend to the smoke, which is a representation of his repressed feelings. From his descriptions of Kyle as well as his annoyance at the relationship he is in, the reader knows that Dave is in love with his friend, but the smoke made it all right because no one could really see what was really going on.

Essay --

Walt Disney Every little girl and boy at some point in their life, wanted to be a Disney character of some sort whether it be Cinderella, Aladdin, Mushu, or even the famous Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney Company has been worldwide, and has had a moving impact on both children and adults since it first started in 1924. â€Å"All your dreams can come true – If we have the courage to pursue them† (Disney) Throughout Walt Disney’s life he has been an inspiration to all through his never-ending imagination, his magical theme parks, and his charming cartoons. Walt Disney was born in Chicago on 5 December 1901, the youngest of four sons, with a sister to follow. In 1906 his family moved to a forty acre farm in Marceline, Missouri. Walt’s father Elias, after four years of proving unsuccessful as a farmer and then being afflicted with typhoid, had to sale the farm and eventually move the family to Kansas City, Missouri. Walt would always speak of life in Marceline with a great sense of homesickness. To him the small town signified what was best about America. In Kansas City, Walt and his brother Roy helped their father deliver papers every morning and evening. A few years later they returned to Chicago, and while working several jobs, Walt took classes at the Chicago Academy of Fine Hope 2 Arts, the only art training that he would ever get. Even though as a child he was told he had no imagination he didn’t let that stop him from doing what he truly loved to do. One of the ways he is an inspiration to all is through his willpower to never give up. Disney's cartoons became widely popular in the Kansas City area, and through their success, he was able to purchase his own studio, Laugh-O-Gram, unfortunately, studio profits were unable to cover the... ...ted, warm loving woman who loved every child. Travers, who died in 1996, became a rich woman thanks to the film royalties but refused to work with Disney again. The new film is a Disney production. Her experience with Hollywood executives was so bruising that she agreed to a Mary Poppins stage musical by Sir Cameron Mackintosh on the proviso that "no Americans" be involved in its creation. But in Hope 5 the end Marry Poppins ended up winning five Academy Awards including best actress for Dame Julie Andrews. Throughout Walt Disney’s life its seen that his never-ending imagination, his magical theme parks, and his charming cartoons have encouraged and thaught people that no matter what your circumstances, or how many time you have fallen down, you need to get right back up and try again, and never give up. Because, â€Å"If you can dream it, you can do it† (Disney).

Erving Goffman Focuses on Form of Social Interaction

Examine the view that Erving Goffman’s work focuses on forms of social interaction but ignores social structure. Erving Goffman was born on the 11th June 1922 in Mannville, Canada. In 1939, Goffman enrolled at the University of Manitoba where he pursued an undergraduate degree in chemistry; however he then took an interest for sociology while working temporarily at the National Film Board in Ottawa.This was the motivation that he then needed to go on and enrol at the University of Toronto where he studied anthropology and sociology, then after graduating with a degree he began a masters in sociology at the University of Chicago, which was one of the centres’ of sociological research in the United States. In the decade from 1959-1969 Goffman published seven significant books, this was a remarkable achievement, and so has been considered as the most influential sociologist of the twentieth century. The focus of his work was the organisation of observable, everyday behavio ur, usually but not always among unacquainted in urban settings.He used a variety of qualitative methods; he then developed classifications of the different elements of social interaction. The assumption of this approach was that these classifications were heuristic, simplifying tools for sociological analysis that did not capture the complexity of lived experience. Goffman was heavily influenced by George Mead and Herbert Blumer in his theoretical framework, and went on to pioneer the study of face-to-face interaction, elaborate the â€Å"dramaturgical approach† to human interaction, and develop numerous concepts that would have massive influence.Goffman mainly concentrated on the detailed analysis of encounters and the norms governing these encounters, therefore the evaluation of face-to-face interactions, paying close attention to the small details of these interactions and discovering things that may seem insignificant yet actually are what structure behaviour and behavio ur norms. In doing so, Goffman investigated gestures, such as shaking hands or placing a hand on someone else’s shoulder and facial expressions during interactions. These types of gestures came to be known as ‘grammatical structures’ of social interactions.Social interactions create the world to be a predictable place and saw interactions as rituals, in the sense that ‘interaction order’ as Goffman called it is a social order, when we disrupt interaction we disrupt society. Goffman argued that our interactions give us a sense of our social belonging and our sense of inviolability of people. When discussing social interaction Goffman uses notions from the theatre in his analyses. The concept of social role originated in a theatrical setting. Roles are socially defined expectations that a person in a given status, or social position, follows.Goffman sees social life as though played out by actors on a stage, as how people act depends on the roles that they are playing at that time. Goffman then suggests that social life is divided into regions and back regions. The front regions are social occasions or encounters in which individuals act out formal roles; they are essentially, ‘on stage performances’. An example of this would be within the family between a husband and wife who may take care to conceal their quarrels from their children, preserving a front harmony, only to fight bitterly once the children are safely tucked up in bed.The back regions may resemble the backstage of the theatre, where people can relax and open up about their feelings and styles of behaviour they keep in check when on stage. Back regions permit ‘profanities, open sexual remarks, elaborate griping, use of dialect or substandard speech’. (Goffman, 1959). Thus, a waitress may be the soul of quiet courtesy when serving a customer, but become loud and aggressive once behind the swing doors of the kitchen. Goffman (1959) argued that performance teams routinely use backstage regions for such purposes.This approach by Goffman is usually described as ‘dramaturgical’; that is, it is an approach based on an analogy with the theatre, with its front and backstage regions. However, Goffman is not suggesting that the social world really is a stage, but that, using the dramaturgical analogy, we can study certain aspects of it and learn more about why people behave in ways they do. (Giddens: 268: 2009). In The Presentation of Everyday Life (1959), Goffman outlined a conceptual framework in which any occasion of face-to-face interaction can be interpreted as a theatrical performance.Expanding the ideas of Kenneth Burke, who pioneered a ‘dramatist’ approach. Burke identifies five elements that have to be taken account of in any discussion or analysis of social interaction. The first being act, which refers to what is done. Typical acts such as telling jokes, drinking a cup of coffee and so on are all interpreted, all symbolic displays communicating to the audience of what’s going on. Then the scene, it is the situation, the context, the setting and the props and it is what the actors relate to. The agent relates to the ndividual that carries out the action, they act but with an identity, with an image of self that is presented to the audience. Burke argues image of self is going to relate to the acts that have been carried out and the context in which the act is being carried out. He states that self’s are not things which are not fixed, they are something presented to the audience. Purpose, why do people do things? One reason being because they have motives, they are taken very seriously and are the reason for people’s behaviour. Purposes are not fixed; they depend on what is being carried out.Finally the last element which Burke discusses is agency which is the theoretical points, he claims that the whole lot is realised through language. From these el ements Goffman then went on to develop his own ‘dramaturgical’ investigations based on six themes: the performance, the team, the region, discrepant roles, communication out of the character and impression management. Nothing of Goffman’s dramaturgical world is quite what it seems. Rather, people are all portrayed as performers enacting rehearsed lines and roles in places that are carefully constructed in order to maximise the potential of deception.He then goes on to suggest that as performers people both ‘give’ and ‘give off’ impressions. It has been suggested that Goffman’s dramaturgical world is thus one of misdirection in which general suspicion is necessary; he developed an interest in espionage practices mainly because he recognised these as extensions of everyday behaviour. Goffman then went on to identify five moves in social interaction which are the ‘unwitting’, the ‘naive’, the ‘covering ’, the ‘uncovering’ and finally the ‘counter uncovering’ move (1959: 11-27).Each of these moves is designed either to achieve some advantage directly, or to reveal the strategies of other players. These moves are used in social worlds, or as Goffman called them, ‘situated activity systems’. Each is regulated by adopted norms known by system’s members. Rather than concentrating on the production of meanings, the definition of the situation and relevant symbols, as Bulmer advocated, Goffman proposed the study of ‘strategic interaction’ using the vocabulary outlined above.However, for reasons which are uncertain, neither Goffman nor anyone else developed this proposal, and the relationship between symbolic interactionism and strategic interaction has been largely ignored. For Goffman, the concern between the individual and society was through ritual. Goffman’s use of ritual was indebted to Durkheim; arguing that t he ‘self’ in modern society becomes a sacred object in the same way that the collective symbols of more primitive societies, operated in Durkheim’s â€Å"The Elementary Forms of Religious Life†.The ‘self’ as â€Å"sacred object must be treated with proper ritual care and in turn must be presented in a proper light to others† (1967:87). The rituals of modern social life that individuals perform for each to maintain, â€Å"civility and good will on the performer’s part† and acknowledge the â€Å"small patrimony of sacredness† possessed by the recipient are ‘stand ins’ for the power of supernatural entities described by Durkheim (Goffman, 1961:62).As Goffman put it, â€Å"Many gods have been done away with, but the individual himself stubbornly remains as a deity of considerable importance† (1967:95). In Asylums (1961), Goffman analysed the extreme backstages of society, such as the schizophrenic wa rds of mental hospitals. He proposed the concept of â€Å"total instituations† for places where all aspects of life are subject to all encompssing authority that allows no private backstages for the individuals.Goffman argued that patients engage in resistance through bizarre behaviour which is beyond insitutional controls. Thus, the official social processing of persons as deviant tends to promote further deviance. Mental illness, in Goffman’s view, is not a characteristic of the individual so much as a social enactment, a spiral of violations of the ritual properties of everyday life. Therefore Goffman drew upon his fieldwork to make a point that one becomes labeled as mentally ill because one persistently violates minor standards of ritual proriety.He claims that these mentally ill patients are deprieved of backstage privacy, props for situational self-presentation, and most of the other resources by which people under ordinary conditions are allowed to show their w ell demeaned selves and their ability to take part in the reciprocity of giving ritual deference to others. This research is familiar to that of Durkheim’s research on suicide, not so much to show why people kill themselves but to reveal the normal conditions that keep up social solidarity and give meaning to life. George Simmel was another major influence for Goffman.Goffman looked at the details of everyday life not simply as illustrations or data for theoretical abstractions, but to provide an accurate description of the social world. Simmel’s concept of â€Å"pure sociation† established the study of interaction as basic to sociological analysis. Goffman continued this tradition in his insistence that face-to-face interaction comprised an independent area of sociological analysis. â€Å"My concern over the years has been to promote acceptance of this face to face domainas an analytically viable one† (1983b:1).These methods that Gofman has used of incor porating the Simmelian micro level of interaction and the macro level analysis of Durkheimian ritual behaviour have been described as empirically electric, for example, in his book â€Å"Behaviour in Public Place†, Goffman noted that the data which he used came from different studies which he had carried, they included ones of a mental hospital, a study of a Shetland Island community and even some from manuals of etiquette which he had kept in a file of quotations that he found interesting. 1963:4). His approach was basically identifying the ways in which individuals in a variety of social contexts accomplished interaction. Thus, he paid attention to speech as well as silence. Goffman expected Frame Analysis (1974) to be his crowning achievement. In this book he stated that he was concerned with â€Å"the structure of experience individuals has at any moment of their lives† and made â€Å"no claim whatsoever to be talking about the core matters of sociology-social org anisation and social structure† (1974:13).However, this does not mean that Goffman or integrationists generally ignore society and social structures. Goffman’s position was that the nature of society and its structures or institutions is discovered in the behaviours of individuals. He suggested, â€Å"If persons have a universal human nature, they themselves are not to be looked to for an explanation of it. One must look rather to the fact societies everywhere, if they are to be societies, must mobilise their members as self-regulating participants in social encounters. Fundamentally what Goffman is saying is that society frames interaction, but interaction is not dependant on macrostructures. Furthermore, interaction can have a transformative impact on social structures. There is a key point in Goffman’s work, which is that he rejected the classical sociological opposition between the individual and social structure that still retains credibility in current soc iological theory. For Goffman, â€Å"individual and social structure are not competing entities; they are joint products of an interaction order sui generis† (Rawls 1987:138).As people in their daily life spend in the presence of others, people are then socially situated and so this social situatedness gives rise to â€Å"indicators, expressions or symptoms of social structures such as relationships, informed groups, age grades, gender, ethnic minorities, social classes and the like†, these ‘effects’ should be treated as â€Å"data in their own terms† (1983b:2). Furthermore, social structures are â€Å"dependent upon, and vulnerable to, what occurs in face-to-face encounters† (1983:246).Although social structures don’t determine displays such as rituals and ceremonies, they do however â€Å"help select from the available repertoire of them† (1983b:251). Thus, there is a sense of â€Å"loose coupling† that lies between tha t of interaction and social structure. An example which can be used to explain this is that of a small number of males, â€Å"such as junior executives who have to wait and hang on others’ words† in a manner similar to that of women involved in informal cross-sexed interaction (1983:252).What this observation allows Goffman to do is create a role category of subordination that â€Å"women and junior executives share† (1983b:252). It can be said that Goffman does not intentionally ignore social structure; he just does not provide any definition of it, other than to point out their constructed and framing nature. Frames can be seen as basic assumptions enabling people to understand what is going on in any encounter or situation and the interaction enabling the individual to respond appropriately.Frame Analysis is an investigation of what occurs when individuals ask themselves and others, â€Å"what is going on here? † (1974:153). Meaning that Goffman is not dealing with the structure of social life but with the structure of experience that individuals have at any moment of their social lives, when they believe they understand â€Å"what is going on†, they will â€Å"fit their actions to this understanding and ordinarily find that the on-going world supports this fitting† (1974:158). Goffman believes that everyday activities carried out by individuals are â€Å"framed† in different ways, although they are performed sequentially.In conclusion it can be said that Goffman’s work cannot be easily â€Å"placed† in any on theoretical tradition. His work was and remains a constant source of renewal in many different directions for sociological theory, which have been discussed throughout the duration on this essay. Goffman described his work as the promotion of the â€Å"face-to-face domain as an analytically viable one-a domain which might be titled†¦the interaction order- a domain whose preferred met hod of study is microanalysis† (1983b:2).However, Anthony Giddens (1984) pointed out that Goffman’s sociological analysis still needs to bridge the divide between the micro and macro, between face-to-face interactions and social structures. As his contribution to social theory consists in the idea of an interaction order sui generis this derives its order from constraints imposed by the needs of a presentational self rather than social structure. There are errors in the interpretation of Goffman’s work which have contributed to the misunderstanding of this contribution.Firstly, while the notion of presentational self has presumably been understood, it has nevertheless been re-embedded in the traditional dichotomy between agency and social structure. Consequently Goffman has been interpreted as documenting the struggle between the two; secondly, because of the attention Goffman gave to strategic action, it is assumed that Goffman considered this to be the basic fo rm of action.Thirdly, Goffman has been interpreted as focusing on the details of the interactional negotiation of social structure and fourthly, Goffman is thought to have ignored the important issues such as inequality and institutional constraint. Bibliography * Durkheim E. 1912. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. * Goffman E. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. * Goffman E. 1961. Asylums Harmondsworth: Penguin. * Goffman E. 1963. Behavior in Public Places: Notes on the Social Organization of Gatherings * Goffman E. 1971. Relations in Public: Microstudies of the Public Order Basic Books: New York. Goffman E. 1974. Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience, Harper and Row, New York. * Goffman E. 1983b. ‘The Interaction Order’ American Sociological Review Vol. 48. * Goffman, Erving. 1967. Interaction Ritual: Essays in Face-to-Face Behavior. Chicago: Aldine. * Giddens A. 1984. The Constitution of Society. Berkeley: University Of Califor na Press. * Giddens A. 2009. Sociology 6th Addition. * Rawls Warfield A. 1987. The Interaction Order Sui Generis: Goffman’s Contribution to Social Theory. Sociological Theory, Volume 5, Issue (Autumn,1987).