My Understanding of Parents-Children Relationship Essay

During the past twenty years of my life, I was always regarding my parents as extraordinary and authoritative models of my life. I adored them so much as if everything they had done was not only right but also great. As for my parents, they paid much attention to setting a good example for me since I was a little girl. The situation lasts and I have never thought of any possible changes in the relationship between my parents and me. However, after reading the passage Predictable Crises of Adulthood written by Gail Sheehy, my old understanding of parents-children relationship is replaced by a totally new one —- nothing remains unchanged forever and the parents-children relationship is no exception. Actually, there are changes in my relationship although I did not detect them before reading the passage. As I mentioned above, my parents were regarded as the models of my life and this impression was established firmly from my early childhood, influencing me greatly during the past years. In my eyes, they were so preeminent that they could have everything done well. In fact, they were intent on setting an example to me by building up such kind of holy and authoritative image in my mind. However, as I was growing up, I gradually found that my parents were not the God. It was impossible for them to control everything in life and sometimes they were confronted with difficulties. In the recent years, with the broadening of my horizons, I gain my own beliefs, some of which are quite differently from that of my parents. I find that they are no long as holy and remote as they used to be. Now my parents and I am sharing a more equal relationship. On the one hand, they respect my opinions, treating me as an adult. On the other hand, I would like to consult with them whenever I am confronted with difficulties. Therefore, the relationship between my parents and me has changed. They are no long holy and authoritative, but amiable and friendly. They are more like my friends rather than parents. In the next decade when I become a mother, my relationship with parents will be likely to get into a new stage. My parents are such good models of my life that I firmly believe that they are excellent and extraordinary parents. As a result, it is quite possible for me to develop similar parenting pattern. Also, my parents will certainly offer me suggestions whenever I am confused. The role of my parents in the  relationship changes again. At this stage, they will become my model in terms of parenting. At the last stage of their life, parents may become too old to take good care of themselves. Thus, special care for them will be needed, which will wholly shift the relationship between my parents and me. There exists an interesting phenomenon: the senior tend to become more childlike when they are getting older and older, while their children, who are at the best stage in their life, become the reliance of their parents. Thus, the roles of my parents and I will exchange as the process of life. I, in return, will take care of my old parents just as they took care of me years ago. The relationship will go to the opposite side of the one in the earlier stage of life. Except for the love between parents and children, nothing remains unchanged forever. The relationship between parents and children changes as the stage of life processes. These changes are inevitable, just as the life cycle goes on. We should accept the changes positively and face them bravely. Only by adopting the right relationship at the right stage can one lives a better life with the relationship between parents and children.

Introduction to Early Childhood Education Essay

This essay will discuss the importance of partnership with parents/whanau, providing responsive relationships and interactions with children and biculturalism on society. Research shows that children who attend an early childhood centre providing care of high quality succeeded more at school, stayed at school longer and kept achieving more in their early adult years. They grew up with a sense of belonging within their community and society and had the skills needed to take control of their own lives (Beaver, Brewster, Jones, Keene, Neaum, & Tallach, 2001). 1. Early childhood centres play an important role in helping families function effectively. They combine their role of supporting families while encouraging children’s development in partnership with parents. Each child, each family is unique. In an early childhood centre each one of the children is unique as well as their family. Research shows us that those parents, through parental involvement early on in a child’s education that they are more likely to maintain this through all their educational years (Beaver et al. , 2001). Effective communication is one of the most important principles when forming partnerships with parents. Parents are the most knowledgeable when it comes to their child and if they feel they can share this with staff of the early childhood centre the child will benefit from this (Beaver et al. , 2001). Throughout our lives we know it is hard to part from people we love and some parents find it hard to leave their child in a centre. We therefore need to be sensitive to this issue and work in partnership with parents and help them to build on what they want for their child. Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer (2001) state that â€Å"Early childhood educators should recognise that every setting is a source of learning for young children, with the home acknowledged as a particularly powerful influence† (p. 11). 2. Children need to experience reciprocal and responsive relationships to develop and learn. Infants are very dependent and require emotional security to develop an attachment with another person other than their parent(s). A quality learning environment is one where teachers respect each child individually, and are positive, warm, supporting and encourage good self confidence, and initiate meaningful interactions with children. It is essential to create an environment where each child feels appreciated and valued. It is through forming these important adult: child relationships that they will feel a sense of their own identity and develop positive self worth. Nurturing relationships are developed when positive interactions occur. The constant talk with infants, encouraging eye contact and being held in a calm and caring way, active listening, positive language and noticing signs/gestures are some ways that infants develop trust and form a bond with us. The Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 state – â€Å"Every child is given positive guidance, using praise and encouragement, and avoiding blame, harsh language, and belittling or degrading responses† (Ministry of Education [MoE] , 1998, p. 22). Early childhood teachers need to ensure care giving routines are unhurried, meaningful and a peaceful experience. Take the time to sing songs, read books, follow their interests and extend them, be interested in what they are doing, keep conversations open, enrich their language, allow them to explore and discover, play with them and alongside them and allow yourself to be another person in their lives that interact and are responsive to them. If an infant is crying and they are responded to in a calm and gentle way, treated in the reliable and respected manner they are entitled to they will build a positive image of themselves. Centre policies should reflect this. 3. It is important for all New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand to be aware of, and sensitive to the bicultural nature of New Zealand society which consists of pakehas and the indigenous people – the Maori – who were here some hundred years before the arrival of Europeans. We need to respect and understand the Treaty of Waitangi which is the formal agreement between the Maori and the British Government which gave the latter the right to establish settlement and a system of British Government subject to certain rights being assured to the Maori. A bicultural perspective promotes the value of both cultures. We as a society need to understand and respect Maori views on child development and the role of the family. In Quality in Action Te Mahi Whai Hua, Implementing the Revised Statement of Desirable Objectives and Practices in New Zealand Early Childhood Services it says teachers need â€Å"to understand how whanau values affect behaviour and influence the ability of children and adults to engage in meaningful purposeful relationships† (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1998, p. 18). We must enable Maori children and their families to be active in their community which will allow their children to learn and grow and develop a strong sense of self-worth. Te reo Maori is a living and relevant language and very significant to Maori. We need to assure Maori families that their culture, beliefs and practices are fully valued, appreciated and supported. We can learn a lot from these and implement them into the curriculum. Early childhood services play an integral part in society. They are an extension of home for children and their parents/whanau therefore we need to consider the cultural heritage of Maori and provide learning experiences for the children that reflect their culture. It is a requirement of the Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 that state – â€Å"Encourage children to become and remain confident in their own culture and to develop an understanding of and respect for other cultures of Aotearoa/New Zealand† (MoE, p. 21).

Erp Question Paper

ERP Question Paper Q. I . (A) Write a note on business modeling? (5) (B) What is the impact of Internet and World Wide Web on ERP products? (5) (C) Explain the concept of Supply Chain Management? State its benefits? (5) (D) Write short note on GAP analysis? (5) (or) (D)Explain integrated business model? (5) Q. II . (A)Explain direct and indirect benefits of ERP? (7) (B)Explain Financial Accounting Module? (7) (C) What is BPR? (6) Q. III . (A) Discuss the purchase order management process? (7) (B)What is data mining? (6) (C)Give importance of package evaluation in the ERP implementation lifecycle? 7) Q. IV. (A)Write a short note on MIS? How it differs from data processing system? (7) (B)Explain any 2 subsystems under HR module? (7) (C)What are the drawbacks of in-house development of ERP? (6) Q. V. (A)Differentiate between Data Mining & Data Warehousing? (7) (B)Describe functions of material management? (7) (C) Write a short note on OLAP? (6) Q. VI . (A)Why end-user training is said t o be critical to the success of ERP implementation? (6) (B)Explain the function of shipping module? (6) (C)Explain different phases of ERP implementation lifecycle? (8) Q. VII . (A) Write short notes on :- (8) i)EIS (Executive Information System) (ii)DSS (Decision Support System ) (B) Distinguish between OLAP & OLTP? (6) (C)Why do ERP implementations fail? (6) Q. VIII . (A)ERP Systems are superior to any legacy system. Explain? (6) (B)How ERP package is evaluated? (8) (C)Explain General Ledger in detail? (6) Q. IX . (A)Describe the vendor evaluation and inventory management activity of material management? (6) (B)Explain how ERP forces the best of practices? (6) (C)Write short note on Lead time and Data Warehousing ? (8) Q. X . (A)Discuss the reasons for the growth of ERP market? (8) B)Describe the role of the vendor? (6) (C)How is Business Integration achieved through ERP? (6) Q. XI . (A) Justify the statement â€Å"The success of ERP evaluation is in the hand of end-users†? (8) (B)Describe the advantages of ERP? (8) (C)Write short note on Just In Time(JIT) inventory? (4) Q. XII . (A)Explain order management in Sales & Distribution module? (8) Q. XIII . (A)How the ERP package is evaluated? ( 7) (A)Short note on Implementation team training? (5) (A)Explain the role of end user in ERP implementation? (6) (A)What is the purpose of GAP analysis and how the Gaps are fixed? (7)

Implentation of effective youth justice practice Essay

Implentation of effective youth justice practice - Essay Example This learning journey has enabled me as a practitioner to develop the necessary expertise and also to effectively implement strategies and interventions which lead to the two primary functions of supporting young people who need to re-adjust to lead non criminal lives. This expertise includes applying a variety of strategies and approaches that I have attained as a practitioner in the course of my studies. The knowledge and expertise that one gains from the course is not, however, focused merely on dealing with young offenders but also includes developing my personal capacity to ensure a reflective approach to my work. The youth justice practitioner is trained to develop a discerning and critical attitude towards their area of expertise as well as ensure that the same is fundamentally ethical, sound and based on correct and accurate knowledge. This is achieved by gaining a thorough and extensive knowledge of the England and Wales youth justice system and the immediate application of this knowledge, not only to one’s work as a professional but also within the context of a multi-agency setting. The need to be reflective in our practice and critically analyse outcomes to influence future processes is I believe imperative in the ability to develop our own practice and the delivery of a continually improving service. It emphasizes the need to consciously structure reflection in area s where in the past we as practitioners have perhaps ‘naturally’ carried out our own analysis. The need to formalise this process has been amplified over the years. The truth is that while the main purpose of the adult criminal justice system is to punish the criminal according to the level of his or crime, the aim of the juvenile justice system is to apply rehabilitation or mentoring to juvenile offenders in order to prevent further crimes and to change their delinquent

Lululemon exploration of England Internal Analysis Case Study

Lululemon exploration of England Internal Analysis - Case Study Example VRIO Analysis VRIO framework is a tool for analyzing a business’s internal strength to cater a particular market. When a firm uses VRIO framework for its internal analysis, it evaluates all the resources and capabilities of a business, ignoring the strategic position of the business. The term VRIO is an acronym for: 1. V: Question of firm’s value 2. R: Question of firm’s rarity 3. I: Question of firm’s Imitability 4. O: Question of firm’s organization (Kazmi, 2012). VRIO Analysis of Lululemon Athletica Question of Lululemon’s Value Lululemon is multinational sports apparel brands incorporated in Canada, Australia and United States of America. The strength that the company has gained by operating in these three countries has added to the experience and skills required to compete at international level with sports specialty brands. Moreover, the work force that the company possesses also provides an opportunity to Lululemon to prosper in England’s premium sports market. The financial strength of the company at the moment also adds to the value of its capability to compete with other premium brands in England. Keeping in view the trends in the English premium sports apparel market, a number of opportunities are present to be exploited by Lululemon such as technological advancements, cultural fusion, strong economic outlook and opportunities for international marketing through international events in the country (Lululemon Athletica, 2012). ... Moreover, Lululemon also provides its customers on-sight physical exercise facility, running clubs and yoga sessions to familiarize the customers with the athletic environment and why it is necessary for them to have yoga and athletic sportswear of Lululemon. Moreover, Lululemon also creates rarity in the sense, that it offers its products in its own stores, thus establishing a vertical retail strategy that allows the company to have more control over its operations than others  (Lululemon Athletica, 2012). Question of Imitability of Lululemon’s Products and Strategies Lululemon is a premium brand offered at premium prices which makes it near to impossible for the competitors to imitate. Lululemon believes on community involvement in its business and thus allows others to imitate its products or technology used to manufacture products. This business practice is in alignment with Lululemon’s â€Å"doing-the-right-thing† initiative. The aim was to support comm unity members to take active part in achieving excellence in healthy habits. But the competitors find it difficult to imitate Lululemon’s products or strategies because it is very costly and requires great set of skills to produce a Lululemon’s product (Lululemon Athletica, 2012). Question of Lululemon’s Organization The way Lululemon has structured its organizational hierarchy facilitates smooth functioning of the business. The head-quarter is stationed in Canada where the product designing and concept manipulation is carried out. Moreover, the headquarters also handles the financial controlling function of the business. Whereas the business in Australia,

Family Law - relating to divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Family Law - relating to divorce - Essay Example A division of the High Court, the Family division, also has the jurisdiction of hearing and determining family law cases, including divorce (Strong, DeVault & Cohen, 2011). Divorce should not be confused with marriage annulment, which refers to a legal declaration that a marriage is null and void. A legal process for divorce involves a wide range of issues including child custody, alimony or spousal support, division of debt and distribution of property (Manning & Cohen, 2012). This essay aims at studying the current law governing divorce in England and Wales as well as outlining the various reforms that have taken place to improve the law over the years. Types of divorce in England and Wales There are seven types of divorce cases recognized by the law in England and Wales. These are contested divorce, uncontested divorce, collaborative divorce, summary divorce, mediated divorce, at fault divorce and no fault divorce (Rapoport, 2005). Contested divorce refers to a case where the coup les fail to agree on one or more issues, which are the subject of the divorce such as child custody and division of family assets and liabilities. Contested divorce often takes a longer time and is very costly, as the couple has to hire lawyers to help in the process and the outcome if determined by the hearing judge. Uncontested divorce on the other hand occurs where both parties are able to agree on the issues around the divorce involving children, support and sharing of property. The couple will then present their agreement to the courts for approval, upon which the courts will grant a divorce. Uncontested divorce cases account for about 70% of all divorce cases in the UK and the litigation process often takes a much shorter time (Rapoport, 2005). At fault divorce is one that involves a partner proving to the courts that one of them committed an act that is incompatible with their marital union and warrants a divorce. The faults are often referred to as the grounds for divorce. C ommon grounds for divorce in the UK include adultery, desertion, unreasonable behavior, or two years separation with consent among others. No fault divorce on the other hand is one that does not require any proof or allegation of fault from either party. This type of divorce is very popular in the UK, The US and most Western jurisdictions (Cretney, 2005). Collaborative divorce involves couples coming to an agreement on the main issues of divorce. The agreement is usually conducted with the help of lawyers who have been trained in collaborative divorce processes. The lawyers will then be disqualified from representing the couples in contested legal proceedings in court when the collaborative divorce process begins. Mediated divorce involves third party facilitating the discussion between the two parties involved in the divorce. At the closing stages of the mediation, the parties will present their agreement to a court in order to be granted a divorce. Summary divorce is often used in cases where the parties meet specified eligibility requirements or if they agree on the main issues beforehand. Some of the eligibility requirements include a short marriage of less than five years, minimal or no property and no children among others. Family law on divorce in England and Wales The legal provisions of divorce are stipulated in the Marital Causes

Integrated Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Integrated - Research Paper Example Aristotle's categorization of animals categorized together animals with the same characteristics into genera and then differentiated the species within the genera. He categorized the animals into two forms: those without blood, and those with blood. These differentiations correlate closely to the current distinction between invertebrates and vertebrates (Taylor, 1955). The animals with blood, corresponds to the vertebrates, included five genera: mammals (viviparous quadrupeds), oviparous quadrupeds (reptiles and amphibians), birds, whales, and fishes. The whales are included in this list because, at this time of history, they had not yet been determined to be mammals. The animals without blood were categorized as crustaceans; cephalopods (such as the octopus); insects (which included the scorpions, centipedes, and spiders, in addition to what, is currently defined as insects); "zoophytes† shelled animals (such as most echinoderms and molluscs) (Taylor, 1955). Aristotle's ideas on earth sciences are found in his treatise Meteorology. The modern world might translate meteorology to mean the study of weather, but Aristotle made use of the word in a much broader way, covering all the affections that human beings might consider to be general to water and air, and parts and kinds of the earth and the affections of the parts of the earth. Aristotle discusses the nature of the oceans and the earth. He achieved this by working out the hydrologic cycle: "Now the sun, moving as it does, sets up processes of change and becoming and decay, and by its agency the finest and sweetest water is every day carried up and is dissolved into vapor and rises to the upper region, where it is condensed again by the cold and so returns to the earth." (Aristotle, Tara?n & Gutas, 2012). He also talks about winds, earthquakes, lightning, thunder, comets, rainbows, meteors, and the Milky Way (Anderson & Stephenson, 2004). His idea of Earth history has some remarkably modern-sounding no tions. According to Aristotle, The same parts of the earth’s surface are not always dry or moist, but they change just as rivers come into being and dry up. Therefore, the connection of land to sea changes, a particular place does not always remain sea or land throughout all time, but where there was a sea, there comes to be dry land and where there is now dry land, and there one day comes to be sea. However, these changes to follow set cycles and order. The principle cause of these developments is that the internal of the earth grows or decays, like the bodies of animals and plants (Aristotle, Tara?n & Gutas, 2012). The whole critical process of the earth happens so gradually and in periods of time which are so long compared with the length of human lives. This explains why these changes are not observable by human beings. One of the primary concerns of Aristotle’s philosophy was his systematic notion of logic. Aristotle’s aim was to develop a universal procedu re of reasoning that would enable human beings to learn about all conceivable touching on reality. The first process entailed describing objects on the basis of their characteristics, actions and states of being. In his philosophical treatises, he also discusses how human beings can next get information about the objects through inference and deduction. To Aristotle, a deduction

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY- - Essay Example The study will also discover the relation of these theoretical frameworks with the movie Lord of the Flies directed by Harry Hook in 1990, and the film Independence Day (1996) directed by Roland Emmerich. Consequently, the study will provide a critical appreciation of the above-mentioned theoretical frameworks by demonstrating their association with the international politics one the one hand, and with the films afore-mentioned on the other. First articulated by the American political-scientist Kenneth Waltz in his remarkable work Theory of International Politics in 1979, neo-realism perspective submits to state that the nation-states of the world appear to be the most dominant actors at international, which serve as sovereign in nature and hence introduce and apply the strategies in the best interests of their subjects (Baldwin, 1093, p. 26). Their ego-centrism does not allow them to work against their political, economic, cultural, geographical and strategic interests; as a result, the administrations of these sovereign states may take even unjust steps in favour of their own country, and against the rival states at large. It creates an anarchical state of affairs at global scale, because of the absence of any regularity authority that could play decisive role in order to maintain peace and dictate the states work within their geographical boundaries instead of meddling into the affairs of others through unjust and unnecessary interferences into the affairs of others (Keohane, 1994, p. 11). This anarchical state of affairs not only appears to be extremely challenging for the global peace and tranquillity, but also could pave the way towards conflicts and clashes between the states for the future years to come. As a result, the situation could create the circumstances similar to the ones that had ignited the European nations for standing against each other and for waging the horrible Great Wars eventually. Neo-realism approach is aptly regarded the expansion o f the idea of realism devised by the renowned sixteenth century Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli in his illustrious the Prince (1532), where he had declared sovereignty and defence of the geographical and ideological boundaries of his state as the first and foremost obligation before a head of state (Machiavelli, 2009, p. 19). However, neo-realism approach also contradicts and suns the realism perspective due to the very reality that it lays stress upon the need for the maintenance of peace and stability at international scale with the creation and upsurge of a neutral and impartial regularity authority that could bring all sovereign states to terms during their entering into cruel and ruthless adventures against the sovereignty of other countries of the world. In other words, neo-realism looks for the appointment of international authority, in the absence of which the nation-states appear to be blowing their own trumpet and justifying even their unjust causes that look reall y challenging for the security of the comparatively weaker nations of the world; the movie under the title â€Å"Lord of the Flies† (1990) also draws out the same scenario. The movie

Classroom Management Competency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classroom Management Competency - Essay Example By doing this, the needs of the students were put first because alternatively, I could have chosen to teach the whole class together by applying a single teaching style, which would have been more convenient from the perspective of teaching. A class I recently taught in which I also developed a skill together with my students was during a lesson on how to improve listening ability in order to get a higher score on the listening section of the IELTS. Students were taught to re-read the questions and the answers before the listening passage started. From this, they could then narrow their focus and concentrate on the nature of the answer, be it a telephone number, a name, a street address etc. I conducted a thorough research for this in the area of pre-listening and on how to develop the appropriate listening ability for taking standardized tests, and then applied the knowledge I gained to practical use for the guidance and benefit of the students. I believe that when teaching a class of mixed ability students, it is necessary to adapt the material to suit the needs of a particular group of those students within the class itself. Therefore, I have often divided students into different groups, usually into lower, intermediate and advanced. By using the same material, I normally differentiate instructions for each group. This is achieved by using the same material in the class, but varying the assignment for each group according to their ability. The course materials are thus adapted by simplifying them for struggling students and using them in a challenging way for students that are abler.

Partnership and collaboration in the promotion of child development Essay

Partnership and collaboration in the promotion of child development - Essay Example When looking at Louisa and James’ family, it can be seen that interactions and finding solutions for various situations can change the overall development of all the children. The scenario that requires specific actions is with Serena and the current situation that she has created with both school and personal development. Scenario of Serena Serena is known as a scholarly student in school and is continuously performing to have average to good marks in school. However, Serena’s personal relationships have recently altered. Serena is a daughter from Louisa’s previous marriage with her birth father, Colin. While Louisa has been in a relationship with James since Serena since she was one years of age, there are different dynamics from the previous relationship. Serena first met her father when she was six months old; however, the interactions were limited. Six months ago, Serena’s birth father, Colin, began to move into more contact with Serena. There have be en several interactions between the two in the past few months. The teachers and administration at the school have noted that in the same few months, Serena is beginning to alter with her studies. Her attendance has altered and she is withdrawn when she is in the classroom, as opposed to having the regular interactions and alertness that was noted from her past behaviours. There may be several reasons associated with this, all which are leading to different behaviours among Serena. The problem that has compounded is one which is directly linked to personal relationships; however, the interference with Serena’s school work is leading to new concerns among individuals and professionals. Providing Integrated Services from Children’s Services The problem that has arisen with Serena is one which requires integrated services to work effectively. The relationship is the basis of this; however, the effects which are occurring with school work are creating alterations in how th e main problem can be approached. The integrated services include the family that is involved in the relationship. It also includes professionals that are working within the school as well as counsellors who may be able to assist Serena to become more alert in school and to separate the personal relationships from the interferences that are occurring in the school (Parton, 976: 2006). For this to work effectively, the integration of the various team members will need to work together with the proper communication and understanding of the complete situation. Protocols and documentation will need to be used to follow with the right communication so the team members can work on the activities on hand while minimizing tensions between the professionals. The inter-personal and professional communication needs to be developed first, specifically which can provide better integrated services for Serena’s situation (Anning, 90: 2006). The two concepts which the integrated services wil l need to use are intervention and protection services. If this is done earlier, than the team will be able to stop any hindrances which may drastically affect Serena’s attendance as well as the potentially hazardous relationship that is affecting her school work. For the integrated services to work, the team defined will first need to define what interventions need to occur (Sloper, 571: 2004). The most well – known factor that is altering with Serena is her attendance and the school work that she is

What were the main effects of the 1979-1997 Conservative governments Essay Example for Free

What were the main effects of the 1979-1997 Conservative governments Essay What were the main effects of the 1979-1997 Conservative governments reforms to collective labour law and what distinguishes the approach taken by the current Labour administration? In order to answer this question collective labour law must be explained and defined so the effects of each government can be focussed in the appropriate area. This essay will then move on to examine the situation prior to 1979 so as to assess the extent of the Conservative administrations impact of collective labour law at that time, a type of before and after measurement. Having done this, the emphasis will switch to examining Thatcherite and Conservative ideology hoping therefore to explain the mechanics of the legislation that the Tories then introduced. Its effects will then be assessed. After this point this essay will turn its attention to Labour Party ideology, in order to use it as a means of putting into context the legislation which the party has introduced, this will then be assessed in greater detail. The link between New Labours administration and the European influence will also be examined at this point in the essay, and how this has impacted on British collective labour law. A summary will then be given and all conclusions will be drawn together in order to answer the set question. Brown (1993) said, It is generally more useful to use the term [collective labour law] to cover a broader set of joint regulatory behaviour, whereby employers deliberately permit representatives of employee collectives to be involved in the management of the employment relationship. This generally means that employers choose to liase with union representatives to discuss the manner in which the company is run and debate issues affecting its employees. Collective labour law is the legislation outlined by the government that regulates this area of bargaining and discussion, including union regulation, recognition, membership, organisation and industrial action (of all kinds). The Labour Party, formed in 1893, has its roots firmly in the industrialisation era. It is traditionally working class in membership. Jon Monks (cited in Salamon pg104) said that Labour and the trade unions had shared values: primacy of collective bargaining, expansion of the welfare state and state intervention to promote economic growth and employment. The Labour Party was elected to power in 1974. Though as New Labour the party has now adopted The Third Way at that time, it still supported the Corporatist ideology, part of which meant supporting the trade unions and collective bargaining. During this time, trade unions accounted for ninety per-cent of party membership, [provided the party with] eighty per-cent of its annual income [and] sponsored fifty per-cent of its MPs (Salamon pg105). The Employment Protection Act of 1975 (and Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act of 1978 encouraged trade union membership and activities as well as legislated so that statutory time off had to be given in order to enable union officials to complete their union duties. The act also facilitated trade union recognition by employers (under section 11 of the EPA 1975) with the instigation of a set union recognition procedure involving ACAS (Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service), and obliged employers to consult and share information with unions regarding organisational changes and matters directly affecting employees. However in an effort to protect all employees, not just union members, the act also provided legal procedures for extending the terms and conditions of the employment contract where major unions were not recognised and could not bargain on behalf of the employees. The legislation from that particular Labour administration also promoted conciliation, arbitration and employees participation (in the bargaining process). The act also tried to regulate incomes with the setting up of 26 regional wages councils to standardise incomes and set recommended minimum wage levels. In 1980 trade union membership in the following unions was; Transport and General Workers Union, 1887000, the Amalgamated Engineering Union, 1166000 and the General Municipal Boilermakers Union stood at 916000. In 1979 total union membership stood at 13447000 with a union density of 55. 4% (Bain Pierce 1983). It can be seen from the above that the Labour administration of 1974-1979 was one of support for trade unions, collective bargaining and collective labour law. Membership of trade unions was, it can now be see, at an all time high. However, all this was to change once the Conservatives came to power under Margaret Thatcher in 1979. According to Farnham, (1999, p215) [the change in State policy] had considerable implications for public policy on employee relations, which shifted from one focused on voluntary collective bargaining in conditions of full employment and strong trade unions (with attempts at bargained corporatism through social contracts) to neo-laissez-faire. Thatcherite and Tory ideology was indeed one of laissez-faire, liberalist (neo-unitarist) foundations. It was a kind of economical Darwinism, survival of the fittest. Mrs Thatcher is famous for having apparently said that there is no such thing as society. For this reason it is not possible to legislate for the benefit of it, only for individuals. According to Salamon (2000: p292) the Conservative government aimed to redress the perceived power imbalance in favour of trade unions and allow management to re-exert its prerogative which was to promote responsible trade unionism, to protect individual members against union tyranny and to promote employment opportunities and labour flexibility through de-regulating employment. It can be seen from this statement that the Conservative government very much believed in the individuals right not to join a trade union, and to give back control (it having been removed by the unions ability to strike without notice) of industries to the organisations themselves. Blyton and Turnbull (1994 p155) describe Mrs Thatchers opinion as being that the nationalised industries which should have virtue on their side were hopelessly distorted and confined by state control and the absence of market competition. The unions, who were beneficiaries of these monopolies were accomplices to the most scandalous inefficiencies and had to be stripped of power. This philosophy could perhaps explain the reason why the Conservatives chose to introduce eight acts of legislation affecting the unions within thirteen years. These acts covered three main points. They restricted the scope of lawful industrial action thereby reducing trade union power. They established rights to disorganise (Lewis cited in Salamon p107) by establishing non-membership rights thereby undermining the maintenance of collective relations. The final point is that the legislation intervened in the internal affairs of trade unions by promoting a representational democratic model, thereby reducing the influence of activists in union decision making. The acts themselves are listed as follows: The Employment Act 1980; this reduced employment rights under unfair dismissal and reduced in instances in which dismissal could be classed as unfair. It also placed restrictions on closed shops (where all employees must be union members) in that an employee could work in a closed shop but not be a member on the grounds of strongly held political convictions. New closed shops now needed 80% of its work force to be in agreement or 85% of all those voting in order to make their place of work a closed shop. A right to be re-instated after maternity leave was introduced, the trade union recognition procedure was repealed, a code of conduct regarding picketing was established and secondary picketing (picketing away from the site of the dispute) was outlawed. Secondary and sympathetic (workers in differing industries striking in support of other workers) strikes had restrictions placed on them. The grounds for refusal to join a trade union were extended. The Employment Act 1982; this reinforced many points from the previous act including the restrictions on closed shops, and protection and compensation payments for non-members. Ballots on closed shops had to be taken in all existing arrangements across the UK, and union labour only commercial contracts became illegal. The act made it legal to selectively dismiss striking employees and redefined trade dispute in that political strikes became illegal. The act also removed trade union immunities from the civil courts (which affected strike action). The Trade Union Act 1984; this act concerned itself with the internal affairs of the trade unions. It stated that ballots had to be held every five years to elect officials to the unions National Executive Committees, secret ballots had to be held before industrial action took place (and not more that four weeks before the action was to take place). Ballots also had to be taken to establish who the union was to give its political funding and this had to be reaffirmed every ten years. The act also redefined political objects on which the unions political fund could be spent. The Wages Act 1986; after this act the wages councils (of which there were twenty six) were only allowed to specify a single minimum wage rate of pay and a single overtime rate which applied to every worker regardless of skill. Workers under twenty one were no longer covered by this wage protection. The Sex Discrimination Act 1986; this removed the exemption that the small firms (five or less employees) had from the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975. The Employment Act 1988; under this act a union must hold separate ballots for industrial action if those who are likely to take part in such action have different places of work. Ballot papers must ask whether the member is prepared to take strike action or action short of a strike. Members were given the right not to be unjustifiably disciplined by their union, and a new commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members was appointed. The Employment Act 1990; when this act was passed pre-entry closed shops became illegal, unions became vicariously liable if any of its officials called for strike action without following the proper procedures, employers were given greater freedom to dismiss any employee taking unofficial strike action, and further restrictions were placed on secondary action. Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993; under this act employees were given the right to decide which union they joined. Postal ballots had to take place now before any strike could occur, and unions had to provide employers with at least seven days notice before any strike action could take place. The twenty-six wage councils were abolished and ACAS requirement to encourage collective bargaining was removed. At the end of the Conservative run of administration (finally finishing with John Major as Prime Minister in 1997) it is evident that the legislation very much followed the Conservative ideology of individualism, legislating for the individual and stripping collectives of their powers, as evidenced by the following figures. In 1990 the Transport and General Workers Union membership stood at 1224000, the Amalgamated Engineering Union at 702000 and the General Municipal Boilermakers Union membership stood at 865000. In 1978 the total number of working days lost that year was 9405000 but in 1995 that number was just 415000. From this can be seen the total effect that the Tories had on collective labour law and bargaining. Blyton and Turnbull (1998 p263) said, Throughout the 1980s the Thatcher government had made a virtue out of standing firm. The Conservatives had actively discouraged collective bargaining and hindered the trade unions as much as possible, so much so that union membership had dwindled to the figures in the previous paragraph. In 1997 trade union membership stood at 7154000 employees, a massive drop of 6293000 from that of 1979, and a union density of 30. 2%, again a big drop of 25. 2%. The effects of the Conservative era of power can clearly be seen here. When John Major and his party were defeated, the unions were virtually powerless, with their membership drastically reduced. Labour is traditionally the party of the trade unions as has previously been discussed. However, since the birth of New Labour things have changed considerably. In the 1980s Labour became concerned by their apparent unelectability so its leaders reformed and modernised the party image, which included loosening the link between themselves and the trade unions, even incorporating a Business Manifesto for their 1997 election campaign. At this time the party also adopted The Third Way. This replaced the previous Corporatist ideology behind the party. The Third Way is a middle ground between the traditional socialist views of the old left wing party and the right-wing views held by the Conservatives. The result of the image overhaul and change in strategy is that the trade unions became part of a coalition supporting Labour, but not the senior partners as of old (Salamon: 2000). Accordingly the New Labour Party focuses much more on the fact that labour flexibility has become an increasingly important issue for government strategies which are aimed at improving economic competitiveness and reducing unemployment (Salamon pg 282). Unconditional labour market de-regulation could have a detrimental effect on socially desirable employment policies such as social benefits, training, employee protection legislation and even the national minimum wage. Labours employment strategy [now] emphasises inclusion, social partnership and fairness at work (but without special favours towards trade unions) (Salamon pg 292) It has re-introduced the statutory union recognition procedure, introduced a national minimum wage and has signed up to the Social Chapter (European Union legislation). Metcalf (who is a member of the Low-Pay Commission) believes that the commission is an exemplar of social partnership which rehabilitated the unions and employees into a process that contrasts sharply with the there is no such thing as society' confrontational Thatcher era. (Salamon pg293) For this reason since New Labour came to power in 1997 the government has heavily legislated in many areas, and employment has not been excluded from this. One act in particular has directly impacted on Collect Labour Law, which is:- The Employment Relations Act 1999. This act effects trade union recognition and de-recognition (bringing back in the standard procedures), access to workers when industrial action is being considered and ballots are taking place. It also affects ballot procedure. The time between ballot result allowing action to take place has doubled from twenty-eight days to two months. Unfair dismissal is also affected as workers can no longer be dismissed for lawful industrial action. Finally, union membership rights were changed slightly in that the act states people can not be refused employment because of their trade union affiliations. Everyone has the right to belong to a trade union and the right not to be excluded from one. Along with this element of the act is a section dictating that compiling a blacklist of union members by employers is also illegal. This act strengthened the trade union and employee position, but it could also be argued that it is not a great overhaul of the law given the Labour Partys legislative history during previous administrations. Labour could be seen to be attempting to pacify the unions whilst trying not to alienate big business. The remaining major issue to be considered in this area of the essay is Europes influence on Collective Labour Law and the government in the United Kingdom. Once Labour formed the government in 1997 the Conservative decision to opt out of the Social dimension of the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 was reversed under the treaty of Amsterdam 1997 and in so signing, Labour consented to the treaty and all its terms. Maastricht (1992) could be considered as the Constitution of the European labour Market. It dealt principally with issues of fair remuneration, a national minimum wage, improvement in working conditions, unions rights and development of the employees rights to consultation and information. There were three immediate effects (in the form of European Directives handed down by the European Commission) when the UK joined the treaty. The European Works Council Directive, Parental Leave Directive and the directive covering the burden of proof in Sex Discrimination cases. The only directive to have any direct impact on collective labour law was the European Works Council Directive. This was aimed at large multinational firms and ensured proper communication between employee representatives (such as shop stewards) and management. The Working Time Directive is one further outcome of the agreement to the Social Chapter. The basic rights and protections that the Regulations provide are a limit of an average of 48 hours a week which a worker can be required to work (though workers can choose to work more if they want to), a limit of an average of 8 hours work in 24 which night workers can be required to work, a right for night workers to receive free health assessments. a right to 11 hours rest a day, a right to a day off each week, a right to an in-work rest break if the working day is longer than six hours and a right to four weeks paid leave per year. As can be seen from the above legislation Labour has not acted according to their ideological heritage, preferring instead to develop greater support for market competition, deregulation and privatisation. The party more strongly believes in the Stakeholder Economy, Welfare to Work, Social Partnership and Fairness at Work (Salamon pg21) principals and schemes. Most of the legislation is concerned with individual rights at work and not at all with collective labour law or collective bargaining. To a certain degree Labour now has little control regarding employment legislation as it is handed down to the government by Europe. However, it was New Labours choice to sign the treaty and harmonise the United Kingdom with the other member states and so must accept and implement all directives that are issued. The effects of the previously mentioned legislation can be seen in the following figures. In 1999 trade union membership in the following unions was; Transport and General Workers Union, 881625, the Amalgamated Engineering Union, 717874 and the General Municipal Boilermakers Union stood at 712010. Whilst the TGWU and GMBU show a decline in membership (and so in the powers of collective bargaining), the comparison is in fact to 1990 when the Conservatives still had another five years in power, membership has actually slightly increased since 1997 In 1999 trade union membership stood at a combined total of 7801315 employees, an increase from 1997 (when New Labour came to power) of 647315. The number of working days lost due to industrial action also dropped in 1999 to 266400 from 415000 in 1999, a drop of 148600 (all above figures from Salmon pg113). So as can be seen above the actions of both parties during their respective administrations have had a profound effect on collective labour law and collective bargaining, with the Tories having most impact. Labour is conspicuous in that it has done comparatively little to over turn the Tory instigated legislation. The actions of both parties can be explained by their ideologies, with Labours changing radically during the last decade. Their approaches have differed in that the Conservatives stripped the unions (which are the primary partners in bargaining and negotiation) of the majority of their rights and were not concerned with how ruthlessly it was done. The individuals rights were improved, but only as a means of weakening union power and increasing the strength of big businesses and employers in accordance with Conservative thinking and strategy. The Tories refused to sign up to the Social Chapter as they believed that employment legislation should come from within the country that is to be affected by it and in joining would lose total legislative control. In contrast to this Labour have signed up to the Social Chapter and tried to make the employment situation better for employees as individuals. This is because according to the third Way which creates a perceived political and cultural ideology within which management, unions and employees have to work (Salmon pg 21) it would benefit both employers and employees. It can be seen from this that both parties have similar outcomes from their legislation (in so much as figures for union membership and days lost in industrial action have only improved in comparatively mediocre terms and figures) though each party has taken a different approach for differing reasons. Bibliography Books Farnham, D. (1997) Employee Relations In Context London: CIPD Salamon, M. (2000) Industrial relations Theory and Practice: London, Prentice Hall (4th edition) Blyton, P. and Turnbull, P. (1998) The Dynamics of Employee Relations, Basingstoke: Macmillan (2nd edition) Cully et al. (1999) Britain At Work, London: Routledge Incomes Data Services Ltd (2000) Trade Unions Employment Law Handbook: London: IDS Websites http://www.cipd.co.uk http://www.dti.gov.uk http://www.libr.port.ac.uk http://www.labour.org.uk http://www.conservatives.com http://www.tuc.org.uk

Is Social Networking an Effective Marketing Tool Essay Example for Free

Is Social Networking an Effective Marketing Tool Essay Marketing Strategies Many businesses have started to incorporate market strategies as a way of increasing profitability. Small business can create market strategies to target their market more effectively and have a competitive edge over competition. Lyndon Simkin, (2000) stated â€Å"If the â€Å"right† opportunities are pursued, customers are properly probed, the â€Å"right† customers targeted with a marketing proposition designed to give a business an edge over its rivals, it is highly likely that customers will be satisfied, market share will rise in core target markets and profitability will accordingly support a viable future. † Having a strategy in place will allow you to set objectives such as increasing your share of the market that your business currently is in. Market strategies for small businesses are to develop the growth of the company. Analysing you target market and introducing a way in which you can target this market. The following are how marketing strategy allows business to set objectives Current product/current market Market penetration is a strategy of increasing your share of existing markets. You might achieve this by raising customers awareness of your products and services or finding new customers. Current product/new market Market development is a strategy of finding and entering new markets with your current product or service range. The new market could be a new region, a new country or a new segment of the market. New product/current market Product development is a strategy for enhancing benefits you deliver to customers by improving your existing products and services or developing new ones. New product/new market Diversification is a strategy that usually carries high costs and high risks. It often requires firms to adopt new ways of doing business and so has consequences far beyond simply offering new products/services in a new market. It is therefore usually a strategy to be adopted when other options are not feasible. http://www.is4profit.com/business-advice/sales-marketing/marketing-strategy.html Marketing Tools Online There are many marketing tools available for businesses to use and utilising the best one to fully create brand awareness for your product is vital. Geoffrey J. Simmons, (2007) realises â€Å"Companies are finding that they are having to redefine their marketing and branding strategies due to the unique characteristics of the internet and its capacity to change old rules.†. Due to the growth of users using internet, marketing tools have been developed so that businesses can market their products online. Marketing online has been as an important way for business to create brand awareness and target customers effectively. Online advertisement is now seen as the most effective way of marketing therefore many different ways have been introduced to advertise on the internet. Amalesh Sharma, (2011) stated â€Å"The development of data intensive instruments, transformation of societal and relationship management, optimization of Search engine marketing, exclusive networking and other online resources are eliminating the traditional form of marketing.† Search Engine Optimization Marketing Search engines are seen as essential way of companies to be seen by potential customers. Kristin Kennedy, Bonnie Brayton Kennedy, (2008) stated â€Å"The key to being found by the right people at the right time lies with search engines. There are essentially two ways a customer will find a business site via a search engine, through an organic or a pay-per-click (PPC) listing.† Using a search engine you are allowing yourself to be found new customers but search engines don’t offer differentiation so many of your competitors can be listed alongside you therefore not giving your business the competitive edge. Search engine optimization can be a less effective way for small business as it is marketed alongside big companies which was found out by Kristin Kennedy, Bonnie Brayton Kennedy, (2008) they stated a â€Å"small manufacturer of gold jewelry will probably not get top billing over Tiffanys on the organic list, unless they spend a significant amount of time and money o n developing their web site design and advertising.† E-mail Marketing Small businesses have been using email marketing as a way of marketing their products and reaching out to the target market. Anita Jackson, Ray DeCormier,stated â€Å"E-mail offers a promising tool to enhance brand loyalty as it helps marketers keep in touch with their customers on a regular basis at low cost.† Small businesses are using this method to create and reach out to their target market. Using this mthod to market their business and product to create more brand awareness. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0263-4503volume=17issue=3articleid=854456show=html http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1061-0421volume=13issue=7articleid=857868show=html http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1751-5637volume=12issue=4articleid=1937676show=html Do you feel other ways of online marketing would benefit your company more? http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0263-4503volume=18issue=3articleid=854495show=html ) Lyndon Simkin, (2000) (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0263-4503volume=25issue=6articleid=1628110show=html#idb72) Geoffrey J. Simmons, (2007) .†( http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1751-5637volume=12issue=4articleid=1937676show=html ). Amalesh Sharma, (2011) Kristin Kennedy, Bonnie Brayton Kennedy, (2008) (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0140-9174volume=31issue=10articleid=1746719show=html)

Analysis of Nursing Ideologies: Leg Ulcers and COPD Case

Analysis of Nursing Ideologies: Leg Ulcers and COPD Case Professional Studies Essay The aim of this essay is to address various professional nursing ideologies and how they can be applied to nursing practice. This will be undertaken in order to assess the author’s knowledge and understanding of the various themes of the Professional Studies module. In order to assess knowledge and understanding this essay will answer three questions, each pertaining to particular strands of professional studies. These include factors that can influence the promotion of evidence-based care, the philosophy of caring and managing the delivery of care. Examples of practice used in this assignment will be from published research. The answers given will be supported by research pertaining to the treatment of venous leg ulcers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is suggested that evidence-based practice (EBP) or evidence-based care is a high point on political and professional agendas (Wright, 2001, p198) having gained popularity in health care following concerns over the continued use of practices based on tradition or habit, rather than evidence of their efficacy (Flaherty, 2001, p4). EBP contrasts with this in that it intends to promote treatment and care that is based on systematic evaluation of the evidence of the effectiveness of interventions. It is suggested that the Department of Health (1998, p17) has adopted the principles of EBP, changing the focus from individual staff seeking to identify the best course of action in given clinical situations to national initiatives to minimize variations in healthcare provision across regions, developing national standards of health care and debatably determining what is deemed the most effective use of finite NHS resources. However, it is argued that the implementation of the national stand ards of health care which are in the form of guidelines issued by organisations such as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) are often delayed (Shannon, 2003, p1368). Debatably, this is a result of various factors such as lack of finances, time, inclination to change and lack of conviction that change will be beneficial. Having said that, it is important that nurses understand what theoretical knowledge is needed in accessing and selecting evidence for use in supporting practice. It is recommended that nurses, who employ evidence-based care, recognize the distinction between EBP and research-based practice. EBP acknowledges that even where there is an absence of empirical research, evidence in the form of case studies or expert opinion might exist that can inform practice (Hewitt-Taylor, 2003b, p43). In addition, arguably not all research is of high quality, and practices may be described as â€Å"researched-based†, even where the research upon which they are based is not of a good standard, or not intended to be applied in a particular setting. Theoretically, EBP is concerned with gathering all the available evidence, evaluating the evidence and deciding what would constitute the best approach to a particular aspect of care in a given clinical situation (Hewitt-Taylor, 2003b, p44). The evidence that can be used includes research, consensus expert opinion, cost and patient preferences (NICE 2003, p3). It is suggested that as well as taking into account a variety of sources of evidence, the use of EBP with health care involves the ability to evaluate the quality of all these forms of evidence and there application to certain clinical circumstances. Therefore, it is proposed that nurses need to be able to critically analyse all of the proposed evidence that is to be used before employing evidence-based care to practice. It is also suggested that nurses need to have knowledge of the individual component skills of evidence based-practice. These include research and information technology skills, awareness of major information types and sources, as already mentioned, the ability to analyse critically evidence against set standards, dissemination of new ideas about care to colleagues and the ability to review own practice (Cranston, 2002, p39). As previously mentioned, nurses need to have the knowledge and skills to be able to identify and analyse which evidence is most appropriate for a given clinical situation. Therefore when implementing EPB in a care situation it is important to understand that research evidence is only one part of the picture when considering clinical decision making. For instance, at present there is good quality research evidence which indicates that the most effective treatment for uncomplicated venous leg ulcers is the application of compression bandaging (RCN Institute, 1998, p7). It is suggested however that research evidence cannot yet point to the best type and method of bandaging to apply. Therefore, individual nurse clinical experience and the patient’s preference in terms of comfort of bandaging will come into play when making a decision about the best way to treat the leg ulcer. It is debated that it is essential for nurses to understand that arguably very few treatment interventions or nursing practices have a purely research evidence base from which to direct practice (Cranston, 2002, p40). Therefore, it is argued that nurses must also be able to draw on all aspects of evidence, including patients’ and families’ perspectives, the results of research, and their own and colleagues’ expertise to reach the best holistic, person-centred care for each patient (Howitt Armstrong, 1999, p1324). Apart from the importance of holistic care and person-centred care, the theory of caring is also a key issue relevant to the advancement of nursing. It is proposed that in recent years several issues pertaining to the development of nursing knowledge have been addressed. Debatably, these include uncovering phenomena considered central to nursing and nursing theories and models that have emanated from them (Chinn Kramer, 1995, p24). One important concept within nursing that is gaining increasing attention in nursing literature is that of caring (Kyle 1995, p506). A range of theories have been presented in nursing literature that have caring as a central concept and are based on a human science perspective. One of these theories is that of Simone Roach’s (1992) theory on caring. In her writings she discusses the uniqueness of caring, arguing that caring is not unique to nursing but it is unique in nursing. Furthermore, she presents the idea that this one concept includes the â€Å"essential characteristics of nursing as a helping discipline† (Roach, 1992, p12). The main concepts of this theory are the attributes of c aring, or the five Cs. Roach perceived the five Cs as â€Å"a broad framework suggesting categories of human behaviour within which professional caring may be expressed† (Roach, 1992, p69). The five Cs are defined as compassion, competence, confidence, conscience and commitment (Roach, 1992, p19). It is acknowledged that it has been difficult to find any practical examples of Roach’s work. This could be due to the fact that it is not formally considered a theory for nursing. Debatably, while the five Cs including are essential to caring within nursing, it is proposed that the third C, confidence is required to enable the nurse to deliver holistic care. (Roach, 1992, p63) defines confidence as â€Å"the quality which fosters trusting relationships†. In Roach’s writings she accentuates the need for a ‘caring confidence’ between the nurse and patient that promotes a trusting, truthful, equitable and respectful relationship that happens without any attached conditions, misrepresentations, anxiety or subjection (Roach, 1992, p64). In a practice setting, it is suggested that if patients cannot feel that the staff are being truthful and candid in their contact with them they will not trust or believe in them. Debatably, at the center of patients’ making informed choices is that nurses are honest and give truthful information, therefore, if they do not perceive honesty the patients’ cannot be sure they are making the right decisions. It is essential that nurses trust in their own abilities and they need to possess confidence in their own skills and judgements and as well as knowing their limitations (Fry, 1989, p9, Pusari, 1998, p6). With this in mind it is proposed that nurses could use the Johns’ Model of Structured Reflection (1994, pp71-75). Arguably, this model can help the nurse reflect on the above factors that constitute confidence in caring. The model asks questions that allow nurses to reflect on their abilities, actions and what they tried to achieve in a given clinical setting. It helps nurses to reflect on how they responded as they did in a care setting and if they could have dealt better with the situation. On reflection the model might help nurses to have the confidence to care in a holistic, person-centred, knowledgeable and reflective manner. It is suggested that in order to manage the delivery of holistic, patient-centred care, that care needs to be of high quality and performed within current policy guidelines. Delivery of healthcare can be undertaken on three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary care (Royal College of Physicians (RCP), 2001, p292). It is proposed that the delivery of COPD care can be undertaken at all levels of care; however, it is argued that COPD care is normally managed within primary and secondary care settings. Patients suffering from COPD can access primary care from there General Practitioner (GP). Some GPs might have an interest and an expertise in the management of COPD and therefore could provide specialist nurse-led clinics within their surgeries. Secondary care for COPD sufferers is normally a hospital-based service whereby patients have accessed this level of care either from a referral from their GP of through Accident and Emergency. It is proposed that most district general hospitals have a highly trained respiratory medicine team (RCP, 2001, 292). One example of managing the delivery of COPD within primary care is that of the introduction of Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) practitioners. Arguably, this is a major incentive to improve primary care COPD management and the QOF for COPD became part of the General medical Services Contract (Booker, 2005, p33). Debatably, the QOF targets can form the basis of good COPD management as in most cases; evidence-based rationales were used for the inclusion of particular targets such as smoking cessation advice. However, it appears that in some areas the QOF and the NICE guidelines disagree on the management of COPD care. The NICE guideline suggests that reversibility testing is not routinely necessary for initial diagnosis (NCCCC, 2004, p1), but the QOF requires spirometry testing plus reversibility testing as a premise for diagnosis. Evidence suggests that reversibility testing to a single, â€Å"acute† dose of bronchodilator is not reproducible and can be misleading. It is sugges ted that the majority of COPD cases can be accurately diagnosed from the clinical history and then confirmed with spirometry testing (Calverley, 2003, p659). Debatably, despite the disagreements between NICE guidelines and QOF, the QOF scheme is a good starting point and arguably, has served to increase the profile of COPD in primary care. Nurses need to understand and become knowledgeable about professional nursing theories and ideologies. Person-centred holistic care is often based on clinical evidence and research. It is important therefore that nurses can appreciate the usefulness of evidence but also be conscious of the relevance of the evidence in everyday practice. Nurses need to be able to critically analyse any evidence-based research or guidelines for its effectiveness in practice. Knowledge of the theories of nursing can help enhance practice by understanding key concepts pertaining to care and delivery of care. Reflection as a concept within care is important for developing safe, quality, holistic, patient-centred care. In contemporary nursing managing the delivery of care is often guided by current policy. Nurses need to be aware of the current care guidelines that plan their care actions. It is important to note that clinical care guidelines can enhance patient care by providing rules on ethical, safe and quality care. However, it is important to note that guidelines are there for the safety of the healthcare profession as well as the patients. References Booker R (2005) COPD, NICE and GMS: getting quality from QOF, Primary Care, 15, 9, 33-36 Calverley PMA (2003) Bronchodilator reversibility testing in COPD, Thorax, 58, 8, 659-664 Chinn PL Kramer MK (1995) Theory and Nursing: A Systematic Approach, 4th edn, St Louis, Mosby year Book Press Cranston M (2002) Clinical effectiveness and evidence based practice, Nursing Standard, 16, 24, 39-43 Department of Health (1998) A First Class Service: Quality in the new NHS, London, HMSO Flaherty R (2001) Medical Myths: today’s perspectives, Patient Care, 15 September: 4–10 Fry ST (1989) Toward a theory of nursing ethics, Advances in Nursing Science, 11, 4, 9-22 Hewitt-Taylor J (2003b) Reviewing evidence, Intensive Critical Care Nursing, 19, 43-9 Howitt A Armstrong D (1999) Implementing evidence based medicine in general practice: audit and qualitative study of antithrombotic treatment for arterial fibrillation, British Medical Journal, 318, 7194, 1324-1327 Johns C (1994) Clinical notes: nuances of reflection, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 3, 2, 71-75 Kyle TV (1995) The concept of caring: a review of the literature, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21, 506-514 NCCCC (2004) Chronic obstructive disease: NICE Guideline for management of COPD in adults in primary care, Thorax, 1, 1-232 NICE (2003) Factsheet: General Information About Clinical Guidelines, NICE, London Pusari N (1998) Eight ‘Cs’ of caring: a holistic framework for nursing terminally ill patients. Contemporary Nurse, 7, 3, 156-160 RCN Institute (1998) The Management of Patients with Venous leg Ulcers, London, RCN Publishing Roach S (1992) The Human Act of Caring, Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Hospital Association Press Royal College of Physicians (2001) Consultants physicians working for patients, 2nd edition, London, RCP Shannon C (2003) Money must be available for NICE guidance, minister says, British Medical Journal, 327, 1368 Wright SM (2001) Contribution of a lecturer-practitioner in implementing evidence-based health care, Accident Emergency Nursing, 9, 3, 198-203

Rogers And Hammersteins South Pacific Essays -- Rogers Hammerstein So

Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific Works Cited Not Included   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, the main theme is racial prejudices. The two main characters, Emile de Becque and Nellie Forbush are faced with these problems as they attempt a relationship. Two other minor characters, Lt. Joe Cable and Liat, are faced with the same dilemma. Both Nellie and Joe Cable have a hard time coping with their own racial prejudices; Joe loves Liat, yet cannot marry her because she is Tonkinese ; Nellie loves Emile, but cannot marry him because of his former Polynesian wife. It is these prejudices that set the state for what might be the most significant scene in the production. In act 2, scene 3, Nellie reveals her prejudices to Emile. I can't help it. It isn't as if I could give you a good reason. There is no reason. This is emotional. It's something that is born in me. She looks to Cable for help in describing what she feels, but he offers no help. Emile tells her that it is not born in her, that it cannot be born in her. Nellie, who is crying, runs off. Emile is left with Joe, who is thinking over his own relationship with Liat. Emile asks him why he and Nellie think that these prejudices are born in them. Joe, giving him the product of his thoughts, tell him "It's not born in you."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is at this point that Joe Cable begins singing "Carefully Taught," a character song in which Joe is able to vent his frustrations and anger about his own ...

The Good Corn is a complexly written short story, although it only :: English Literature

The Good Corn The Good Corn is a complexly written short story, although it only involves three prominent characters. Elsie, who is one of the least prominent characters in text is referenced in the story throughout, as the girl or only Elsie. I have chosen Elsie as a character to contrast my views about because the text encourages the readers to have a less sympathetic response and approach to her but I seemed to have had a very compassionate and sensitive approach to Elsie and think that because the author hasn’t gone much into detail, in the narration, about her feelings, we are shrouded and made to loathe her character given the third person omniscient point of view. In the author’s context, the book was written in the 1950’s and is so forth, an outcome of white, male middle-class ideas about masculinity and femininity where males were the dominant species and the females were always referred to as the inferior race in general. Also ethnicity and culture played a great part in those times because most non – white people were considered to be greatly inferior and made to do degrading jobs like maids or servants. This is the context in which we are made to view Elsie. She is portrayed as an uneducated and is described as being short and dark, with a thick bright complexion. In the reader’s context being short or dark doesn’t mean much to us because, in this 21st century, multiculturalism is a big factor and even white people could look noticeably dark maybe because of a tan. Also having a servant or helper is now, not considered as much of a degrading job as before since and extensively large amount of servants lead equally sufficient and satisfied lives as any normal middle-class working person. Also, a significantly large amount of these servants are actually of the white population. Also, Elsie is represented as an uncaring, emotionless, un-maternal, morally irresponsible and a calculative and selfish person. The refusal of access into her thoughts and feelings coax the reader to see her as a just a body who is only alive for bodily pleasures rather than being an individual human being with personal suffering, guilt or self-conscience. This has once again occurred because of superiority issues where the narrator has chosen to be omniscient and has rejected Elsie’s thoughts and feelings. In the reader’s context, Elsie would be seen as a sexually promiscuous person as the text wants us to see her but we would also have questioned the reasons behind her being eighteen and so free with her body that she could bear two children in

Juan Gris :: essays research papers

Juan Gris was born in 1887. He was a Spanish born French painter who went to the cubist school. Originally his name was Jose Vittoriano Gonzalez, he was born in Madrid and educated there. He left Madrid in 1906 and went to Paris, making the acquaintance of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and of the French painter Georges Braque. Gris's first cubist paintings, generally more calculated than those of Picasso and Braque, appeared in 1912. He spent the next summer in Cà ©ret, France, with Picasso, and while there adopted the use of papier collà ©, shapes cut from paper and glued to the canvas. During World War I (1914-1918) he worked in Paris he had his first one-man exhibition in Paris in 1919. From 1922 to 1924 he designed settings for two ballets of the Russian producer Sergey Diaghilev, Les tentations de la bergà ¨re (The Temptations of the Shepherdess) and La colombe (The Dove), as well as continuing work on his own paintings. After 1925 he worked mainly on gouaches, watercolors, and illustrations for books. Some of his famous works include Portait of Josee, The Table and The Open window.Portrait of Josette was created in 1916 and is now in the Musea del in Prado, Madrid. This was deffinetly one of Gris's greatest achievements. The portrait of Josette is based on his studies after Corot and Cezanne. To perfection he seemed to create a stunning mixture of the foreground and the background. This beauty is accomplished through color patterns that ensemble different spatial planes. The blacks which are used around the bosom, butox and leg are used to enhance this women's shapely figure. The transparency does not result in an illusion of depth instead it acts as something to join the planes together. The table was created in Spring of 1914. Today it is located in Philadelphia in the Museum of Art. The surfaces of collages such as The Table are nearly entirely covered with a wide variety of overlapping papers. These fragments, moreover, are now deployed in increasingly complex ways: the shape of a piece of paper may correspond to the shape of the depicted object or it may itself provide a ground for figuration, whether drawn, painted, or in the form of additional, superimposed collage elements. And Gris continued to appropriate materials for their literal representational function as mere images, as he had in his earliest collages.

Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers: a Risk or Benefit? Essay

Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers A Risk or a Benefit Ariana Laguna English 102 Professor Barnes/Walter 10 December 2012 Outline THESIS: Unless the risks of cell phones are shown to outweigh the benefits, we should not restrict their use in moving vehicles: instead, we should educate the public about the dangers of driving while phoning and prosecute irresponsible phone users under laws on negligent and reckless driving. I. Scientific studies haven’t proved a link between use of cell phones and traffic accidents. A. A study by Redelmeier and Tibshirani was not conclusive, as the researchers themselves have admitted. B. Most states do not keep records on accidents caused by driver distractions. C. In a survey of research on cell phones and driving. Cain and Burris report that results so far have been inconclusive. II. The Risks of using cell phones while driving should be weighed against the benefits. A. At the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, researchers found that the risks of driving while phoning were small compared with other driving risks. B. There are safety, business, and personal benefits to using cell phones on the road. III. We need to educate drivers on using cell phone responsibly and enforce laws on negligent and reckless driving. A. Educating drivers can work B. It is possible to enforce laws against negligent and reckless driving; in states that do not do an adequate job of enforcement, the pueblo can lobby for improvement. Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers: A Risk or Benefit? As of 2000, there were about ninety million cell phone users in the United States, with 85% of them using their phones while on the Road (Sundeen !). Because of evidence that cell phones impair drivers by distraction them, some states have considered laws restricting their use in moving vehicles. Proponents of legislation correctly point out those using phones while driving can be dangerous. The extent of the danger, however, is a matter of debate, and the benefits may outweigh the risks. Unless the risks of cell phones are shown to outweigh the benefits, we should not restrict their use in moving vehicles. Instead, we should educate the public about the dangers of driving while phoning and prosecute irresponsible phone seers under the laws on negligent and reckless driving. Assessing the risks We have all heard horror stories about distracted drivers chatting on their cell phone. For example, in a letter to the editor, Anthony Ambrose describes being passed by another driver â€Å"who was holding a Styrofoam cup and a cigarette in one hand, and a cellular telephone in the other, and who had what appeared to be a newspaper balanced on the steering wheel- all at approximately 70 miles per hour† (128). Another driver, Peter Cohen, says that after he was rear-ended, the guilty party emerged from his vehicle still talking on the phone (127). Admittedly, some drivers do use their cell phones irresponsibly. The dangers are real, but how extensive are they? To date there have been a few scientific reports on the relation between cell phone use and traffic accidents. In 1997, Donald Redelmeier and Robert Tibshirani studied 699 drivers who owned mobile phones and had been in accidents. The drivers, who volunteered for the study, gave the researchers detailed billing records of their phone calls. With these data, the researchers found that â€Å"the risk of a collision when using a cellular telephone was not being used† (433). Although the conclusion sounds dramatic, Redlemeier and Tibshirani caution against reading too much into it: Our study indicates an association but not necessarily a causal relation between the use of cellular telephones while driving and a subsequent motor vehicle collision†¦.In addition, our study did not include serious injuries†¦.Finally, the data do not indicate that drivers were at fault in the collisions; it may be that cellular telephones merely decrease a driver’s ability to avoid a collision caused by someone else. (457) Pointing out that cell phones have benefits as well as risks, the authors do not recommend restrictions on their use while driving. Unfortunately, most states do not keep adequate records on the number of times phones are a factor in accidents. As of December 2000, only ten states were trying to keep such records (Sundeen 2). In addition, currently there is little scientific evidence comparing the use of cell phones with other driver distractions: fiddling with the radio, smoking, eating, putting on makeup, shaving, and so on. Alasdair Cain and Mark Burries of the Center Urban Transportation Research surgery research on the cell phone issue as of 1999 and concluded that there is â€Å"no nationally-accredited document to prove the connection between mobile phone use and traffic accidents.† Because research results have been so inconclusive, it makes sense to wait before passing laws that might well be unnecessary. Weighting risks and benefits In 2000, researchers at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found that the risk of driving while phoning were small compared with other driving risks. Whereas the cell phone user’s chance of dying are about 6 in a million per year, someone not wearing a seat belt has a risk of 49.3 per million, and someone driving a small car has a risk of 14.5 per million (3). Because of this comparatively small risk regulation of phones may not be worth the coast of the legislation as well as the additional burden such legislation would put on law enforcement officers. In addition to the risks, there are benefits to using phones on the road. Matt Sundeen reports that drivers with cell phones place an estimated 98,000 emergency calls each day and that the phones â€Å"often reduce emergency response times and actually save lives.† (1). The phones have business benefits too. According to transportation engineer Richard Retting, â€Å"Commuter time is no longer just for driving. As the comforts of home and the efficiency of the office creep into the automobile, it is becoming increasingly attractive as a work space† (in Kilgannon A23). Car phones also have personal benefits. A mother coming home late from work can check in with her children, a partygoer lost in a strange neighborhood can call for directions, or a teenager whose car breaks down can phone home. Unless or until there is clear evidence of a direct link between cell phone use and traffic accidents, the government should not regulate use of cell phones while driving. A better approach is to educate the public to the dangers of driving while distracted and to enforce laws on negligent and reckless driving. Educating drivers and enforcing laws Educational efforts can work. In the last twenty years, government and private groups have managed to change the driving habits of Americans. Seat belts are now regularly worn, people commonly appoint designated drivers when a group is drinking, small children are almost always put in safety seats, and most drivers turn on their headlights in rainy weather. Enforcing laws against negligent and reckless driving can also work. Even groups concerned with safety support this view. For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises states to enforce their reckless and negligent driving laws and, where necessary, to strengthen those laws; it does not call for restrictions on use of the phones (United States, Dept. of Transportation). The California Highway Patrol opposed, restricting use of phones while driving, claiming that distracted drivers can already be prosecuted (Jacobs). It is possible, of course, that some states do not enforce their laws to the extent necessary. In such instances, citizens should pressure on highway patrols to step up enforcement, for without fear of prosecution many drivers will not change their behavior. The use of cell phones while driving is probable here to stay, despite the risks, unless future studies prove that the risks clearly outweigh the benefits. However, public safety concerns are real. To dares those concerns, we should mount a major educations campaign to educate drivers about that dangers of driving while distracted and insist that laws on negligent and reckless driving be enfaced as vigorously as possible. Works Cited Ambros, Anthony. Letter. New England Journal of Medicine 337.2 (1997): 128. Print. Cain, Alasdair, and Mark Burris. â€Å"Investigation of the Use of Mobile Phones while Driving.† Center for Urban Transportation Research. Coll. of Engineering, U of South Florida, Apr. 1999. Cohen, Peter J. Letter. New England Journal of Medicine 337.2 (1997): 127. Print. Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. â€Å"Cellular Phones and Driving: Weighing the Risks and Benefits. â€Å"Risk Perspective. President and Fellows of Harvard Coll.,July 2000. Web. 15 Mar. 2001. Jacobs, Annette. â€Å"guest Opinion: No News Laws Needed for Driver Distractions. â€Å"Wireless Week. Advantage Business Media, 24 May 1999. Web. 12 Mar. 2001. Kilgannon, Corey. â€Å"Road Warriors with Laptops.† New York Times 15 Aug. 2000: A23. Print. Redelmeier, Donald A., and Robert J. Tibshirani. â€Å"Association between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collisions. â€Å"New England Journal of Medicine 33 6.7 (1997): 453-58. Print. Sundeen, Matt. â€Å"Cell Phones and Highway Safety: 2000 State Legislative Update. â€Å"National Conference of State Legislatures. Natl. Conf. of State Legislatures, Dec. 2000. Web. 11 Mar. 2001. United States of Transportation. Natl. Highway Traffic Safety Administration. â€Å"An Investigation of the Safety Implications of Wireless Communication in Vehicles.† NHTSA. Natl. Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nov. 1997. Web. 12 Mar. 2001.

Latin America’s Problems: Result of Violent History?

Latin America’s Problems:Result of Violent History?History plays a role in the problems of any nation, and for that matter in the lives  of individual people.   Does this mean that a country or person is fated to an inevitable  future that is colored mostly by its past?   To some degree the answer is yes, but to take  any particular feature of a society’s past, namely violence in this instance, and thrust the  whole burden of responsibility upon it may be irresponsible, in and of itself, in a sincere  quest to ameliorate and ultimately eradicate the problematic issues that need to be  resolved. If we do want to attribute the current state of affairs in Latin America to its  violent history, we also need to understand the nature and genesis of that violence. Many  countries, including the USA, achieved independence through wars and violence, but we  do not cite our current problems on the American Revolution or the Civil War which was  violence am ongst our own people. The source of violence can be a key to understanding  how the countries of Latin America and their people have not recovered from the nature of the  violence they endured.When wars are fought to expunge a common enemy there is a feeling of  camaraderie and nationalism to have fought and won not only against a common enemy,  but against the very evil represented by that enemy. This mindset unites people and  solidifies belief systems, ethics, and morals so necessary to the success and continued  success of civilizations and their governments. What happens, however, when the  violence is perpetrated by the very institution that is supposed to be the bulwark of good,  and when the violence is perpetrated by this institution against the very people that look  to it for their protection?Chasteen says that â€Å" At the most basic level, conquest is always about  exploitation.† (p.58). Although we do not always think of the process of relig ious  conversion as conquest,   perhaps we should give this careful consideration. Chasteen  seems to agree with this as he goes on to say that â€Å"Most Spanish and Portugeuse people  that came to the Americas in the early 1500s believed that spreading the â€Å"true religion†,  even by force, was a good thing.† (p. 58). The kind of religion that the Catholic Church  brought to the Americas in the early 1500s was a perfect example of non  church/government separation. â€Å"To sin against Catholic teachings was, in many cases, a criminal  offense.† (p.70). The Catholic Church did not merely have a religious presence in Latin America.  They controlled it.   Chasteen summarizes some of what Las Casas had to say about the control ofCatholicism. â€Å"The reason for the death and destruction of so many souls at   Christian  hands†¦was simple greed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 60).  To further substantiate the demonstration of evil by the Catho lic Church take a  look at an excerpt from Brief account of the devastation of the Indies by Las Casas referred to  by Chasteen as   A brief account of the destruction of the Indies, (p. 61) a translational title  difference of the same work:   â€Å" After the wars and the killings had   ended, when usually there  survived only some boys, some women, and children, these survivors were distributed among the  Christians to be slaves. The repartimiento or distribution was made according to the rank and  importance of the Christian to whom the Indians were allocated, one of them being given thirty,  another forty, still another, one or two hundred, and besides the rank of the Christian there was  also to be considered in what favor he stood with the tyrant they called Governor.The  pretext was that these allocated Indians were to be instructed in the articles of the  Christian Faith. As if those Christians who were as a rule foolish and cruel and  greedy an d vicious could be caretakers of souls! And the care they took was to send the  men to the mines to dig for gold, which is intolerable labor, and to send the women into the  fields of the big ranches to hoe and till the land, work suitable for strong men. Nor to either the  men or the women did they give any food except herbs and legumes, things of little substance.  The milk in the breasts of the women with infants dried up and thus in a short while the infants  perished. And since men and women were separated, there could be no marital relations. And the  men died in the mines and the women died on the ranches from the same causes, exhaustion and  hunger. And thus was depopulated that island which had been densely populated.†(http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bdorsey1/41docs/02-las.html).Although these are blatant examples of destruction, Chasteen also cites a more insidious  example the Church exercised, such as hegemony defined as â€Å" the basic principle of social  control in which a ruling class dominates others ideologically, with a minimum of physical force,  by making its dominance seem natural and inevitable.† (p. 325). â€Å"Religion offers one of the  clearest examples of cultural hegemony.† (p.69).   Even more dangerous than outright  exploitation, this creeps into the very fabric of the psyche of a people and carries over throughout  generations. As Chasteen points out, â€Å"When they accept the principle of their own  inferiority†¦they participate in their own subjugation.† (p.69).   The subjugation continued through history as Caudillos, rich landowners, were â€Å"the  party’s national leaders†Ã‚   (p. 124) in post colonial days.   In the neo colonial period from 1880-  1930, (p. 180), Latin America was still subjugated, but instead by cultures that had brought  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Progress† from other countries. The late 1800s saw â€Å"dicatorships or oligartch ies.† (p.192).During the time of   the US overtake of Cuba in the early 1900s we see the incendiary racistattitudes prevail, as Teddy Roosevelt coins the term â€Å"dago† for Latins. (p. 201). Right up until  the present day   it appears that Latins have never risen above the station that was thrust upon  them by the Church from the beginning.The book has opened my eyes to many injustices in Latin American history that I was  unaware existed and has provided food for thought as to the reasons Latin Americans seem to be  a problematic people. It is indeed, not the injustices in and of themselves, but the so called  Christian perpetrators of such injustices that give the history and the present fate of Latin  America such a fatalistic outlook and prognosis.Despite all of this and probably because of the  hegemony, it has happened without notice but it is interesting to note that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Latin America has  always been Catholic, but now the majorit y of the world’s Catholics are Latin American.†Ã‚  (p. 320). At the end of the book Chasteen asks what the future will bring. (p.321).   He does not  provide an answer but it makes one wonder if   the subjugation can ever really end. Like a child  abused by a parent over years and years of time,   the Church ‘s abuse in the growing and  formative years of Latin America have left scars that will last an eternity.ReferencesChasteen, J.C. Born in blood and fire. A concise history of Latin AmericaDe Las Casas, B. Brief account of the devastation of the Indies. (1542). Retrieved fromhttp://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bdorsey1/41docs/02-las.html on November 26, 2006.

A Rhetorical Analysis of: Evil is as Evil Does Essay

PURPOSE: The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, concerning the art of rhetoric, â€Å"[it] is the faculty of discovering in every case the available means of persuasion.† A suitably eloquent phrase, the definition lends itself to images of momentous speeches amongst great crowds and heated debates in which the fluent, forceful language of one person casts a shadow over the rural diction of another. Leonard Pitts’ purpose in his article, Evil is as Evil Does, is to argue that, â€Å"The events of September 11 did not happen because we did something wrong. Or because we somehow ‘deserved’ them.† Pitts feels very strongly that we were attacked on September 11 â€Å"because certain religious extremists hate us.† Pitts is writing a heated response to the arguments and comments he has heard over the past couple of weeks concerning why we were attacked. AUDIENCE: Since this article was in a local professional newspaper for the public, Pitts’ audience would consist of people in Columbus, Georgia, regions close around the city, and in Florida because he is a writer for the Miami Herald. The audience would consist of mainly middle-aged, middle class people. Pitts seems to be aiming this article particularly at those who are trying to empathize and rationalize the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. Pitts seems to feel they need to be convinced that evil cannot be rationalized and that the United States did not do anything to deserve these horrendous attacks. He says, although our â€Å"government has dirtied its hands in foreign affairs† we do not â€Å"drive planeloads of noncombatants into buildings filled with the same. And we don’t dance in the street when innocents die.† Therefore, he targets those who are trying to rationalize the motives of the terrorists because they are the people that are the most directly affected by the article, and the ones that need the most convincing. APPEALS: Pitts tries to reach his intended audience by making appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Throughout the article, he points out the facts of his argument, and then he relates them directly to his topic. Pitts shows ethos by making a logical argument for his own opinions, and attempting to persuade his audience to see his side. He uses logos to invent pathos for the attacks in order to draw out the emotions of the readers. For instance, he aggressively attacks those who are trying to figure out what we might have done to deserve what happened. Even his voice seems to be filled with anger and condescension. He argues, â€Å"Despite all of our transgressions, we don’t sanction the murder of those who have neither the capacity nor the intention to harm us.† Then, he reiterates that this is what the terrorists did. Pitts also argues that, â€Å"the claim that there might be some sort of moral equivalency between us and them is misguided at best, offensive at worst.† Here he relate his argument to pathos by stating that â€Å"Hell no,† we did nothing wrong and nothing to deserve these attacks. He claims that these attacks happened because the terrorists hate us. Pitts’ states that â€Å"they hate us because our foreign policy has been supportive of Israel. They hate us because we helped repel Saddam Hussein from Kuwait in 1991. They hate us because we are the biggest, the wealthiest, the most influential, and the most powerful. They hate us because we are not them, and, moreover, because they are not us.† STYLE: The style of this article is of a basic format. Pitts begins his article with a bold sentence to catch the attention of the reader. Kinneavy states in his book, â€Å"A Theory on Discourse†, that, â€Å"the distinctive function of the entrance paragraph is to introduce the subject and make clear the end and object of the speech† (Kinneavy, 266). He clearly introduces the purpose of his article in the first paragraph. He then transitions into his narrative and proof. He explains what propelled him to write this article and he proceeds with his proof as to why America is not at fault for the terrorist attacks. He concludes his article with another bold statement, which says, â€Å"We are right and they are evil. End of story.† This concluding paragraph shows the readers how strongly he feels about his argument. The reader can clearly see after reading this article that Pitts is using inductive reasoning to persuade his audience. The article was very easy to read and understand. There were no words that one would stumble over or that were hard to define and the paragraphs flowed and transitioned smoothly. The sentence structure was also varied well between long and short sentences. AUTHORITY: Pitts establishes his authority at the very beginning of the article by including his job title with his name: Leonard Pitts, Commentary. Right away, his audience is aware that he is an educated man because, otherwise, he would not be a writer for such a well-known newspaper as the Miami Herald. He is also an American, which, at this point, gives him good authority to write such an impassioned commentary concerning the recent attacks. Another thing that shows a writer to be credible is how one would define his character. Aristotle listed three aspects that would help with the credibility of a writer. â€Å"The speaker must appear to have a practical knowledge about the reality at issue, he must seem to have the good of the audience at heart, and he must portray himself as a person who would not deceive the audience in the matter at hand† (Kinneavy, 238). This is divided into good sense, good will, and good moral character. Pitts shows his good sense by showing his readers that he is well informed about the topic he is writing on. He goes through his article systematically, and reasonably refutes those people with which he does not agree. He shows his good will by explaining that we are better than the terrorists and the country they came from because we do not hurt innocent people on purpose or celebrate when they die. With his good will, he is establishing that as a fellow American, he does not, and will not empathize with the terrorists or anybody from the Middle East. Finally, Pitts expresses good moral character by showing his anger over the events mentioned. He also gives examples of the atrocities of the terrorists: flying airplanes into buildings filled with innocent people and â€Å"sanctioning the murder of those who have neither the capacity nor the intention to harm us.† He reminds those that are feeling sorry for the terrorists that Americans would never have done the evil things that terrorists do. He is expelling his good moral character by showing that he does not condone the acts of the terrorists. ORGANIZATION: Pitts starts his article with a quick and bold statement, â€Å"Let’s get one thing straight.† He then presents his thesis which states that we did not do anything wrong to deserve these attacks. He then begins to follow up with comments he has heard and e-mails he has received concerning why they believed the United States was attacked. Then he vehemently states that â€Å"In a word, no. To all of the above, to all the tortured reflection and moral distress: no. Hell no.† After this statement he proceeds to explain why he so adamantly disagrees with the empathetic reactions of the comments he has heard. First, he expresses acknowledgment that some people â€Å"might have legitimate reason for animosity toward this country.† He then transitions to state that although we might do things to cause anger in other countries, we do not respond in a violent and evil manner because of this. Pitts explains that when the United States is forced to take military action, we limit it to military targets and that we do not kill innocents on purpose. Pitts then states trying to change ourselves and the way we run this country in order to insure that â€Å"no one will ever steer a plane into one of our buildings again is foolishness.† Pitts then ties all these previous ideas together in his implications and conclusions section. He does not revisit each argument, but instead says that â€Å"they hate us† and â€Å"there is nothing about our enemies that deserves to be dignified by our moral distress.† He concludes his argument by asserting that â€Å"We are right and they are evil. End of Story.† EFFECTIVENESS: This article was a very effective argument. The author made a point by providing facts to support that point, and countering the opposition. The article flowed well, and the diction was not so complex that one could not understand. The passionate voice Pitts uses and the facts he provides clearly express his feelings on the issue at hand. I do agree with Pitts’ assertion that these attacks were not the fault of America and I also believe we did not deserve these vicious attacks. The acts of the terrorists were cowardly and evil. And in my own opinion, I believe that the attack backfired on them. Although they caused mass chaos and much pain, they also caused a revival of American pride and unity in our nation that has not been seen since World War II. Pitts’ article completely convinced me because I believe the same things that he does. We are certainly not a perfect nation and we do not always do the right things, but we do not condone the slaughter of innocent people, and there is no cause that would justify such an action. Works Cited 1. Kinneavy, James. A Theory of Discourse. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1980 2. Introduction To Aristotle. Co-Directors Sally Jackson and Scott Jacobs. San Francisco University. September 28, 2001 .