How does Steinbeck present the culture of the migrant worker in the novel? Essay

John Steinbeck wrote a novel called Of Mice and Men in 1937. At the time America was in a period of economic depression following the Wall Street crash. John Steinbeck saw the effects and saw how people had to work hard away from home as migrant workers and this motivated him to write this novel. The story is about 2 migrant workers; Lennie and George. In this essay we will be looking at the character of the migrant workers, their motivations and their dreams for the future. Also we will be looking at the language and then conclude by answering the question ‘how does Steinbeck present the culture of the migrant worker in the novel? Migrant workers are people who go looking around for work away from home. They normally do not form long term friendships and normally do not form relationships with women. However in Steinbeck’s novel there are two friends called Lennie and George who have a long term friendship. Lennie is a big man with a mental age of about 8. He always relies on George to tell him what’s right and wrong. We can know that normal migrant workers are lonely. This is supported when George says â€Å"guys like us that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. The way he says loneliest, he doesn’t just say lonely he refers to migrant workers as â€Å"the loneliest people†. The migrant worker is shown to be lonely by Steinbeck. Also when Candy says â€Å"of course I ain’t got family† it tells us that it is usual to not have family and is a common feature shared by the migrant workers. Each character in the novel has his or her own characteristics, and this is how Steinbeck presents the culture of the migrant worker. Candy is characterised as being old and useless -the one who they use and Crooks is the lonely and isolated one. We come to know that Crooks feels lonely when he says â€Å"books ain’t no good a guy needs somebody to be near him†. The way he says ‘somebody’ means that he is desperate to have a friend and this desperation shows his loneliness. So Steinbeck presents us with different characteristics of each character like anger and loneliness. We also see signs of selfishness when Carlson shoots Candy’s dog. This novel is about hope and despair, love and disgust but Carlson isn’t really plugged into these things. This world is black and white to him with no subtitle for example when slim leads George away from the riverbank as he has gathered what has just happened Carlson says â€Å"what the hell do you thinks is eating them two guys†. This shows he is clueless to his surroundings but this is how he survives the life of the migrant worker. So overall there are different characteristics of the migrant workers. This is due to their circumstances like Crooks being black, Candy being old and Curley’s wife not loving him and not being loved by him. So Steinbeck presents the culture of the migrant workers to be selfish and lonely. But there are two characters that are different to the others; they are the dreamers, Lennie and George who symbolise hope for the migrant worker. What’s different about them is that they are friends who stick together till the end of the novel. This is shown when George says â€Å"with us it aint like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us†. This tells us that they have a dream the way George say â€Å"we got a future†. This shows us hope. Also when Lennie says â€Å"I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you†. This shows us lots of things, firstly it shows us friendship between them but it also shows that Lennie relies on George. George’s dream is to have is own piece of land and Lennie’s is to tend rabbits on that piece of land. But there are also other characters that have dreams like Curley’s. Her dream is to become an actress when she says â€Å"he was going to put me in the movies†. This shows us that she wanted to become an actress and therefore shows us that even she has a dream. Also Crooks dreams of being seen as equal to everyone else. He remembers his childhood, when he played with white children who came to his family’s chicken ranch. Even the old and useless Candy has a dream which merges with Lennie and George’s dream which is to have their own piece of land. So overall Steinbeck presents us with a lot of different characters of the migrant workers. He shows anger, aggression and even loneliness, but he also shows other things like hope, friendship and the dream of the migrant workers. He also shows the dream of the migrant worker and how it is pointless to have a dream. He shows us that dreams lead to disappointment. In the novel nobody’s dream comes true for example Crooks doesn’t get that equality he thinks he deserves, Curley’s wife doesn’t get to be an actress and Candy’s dreams get shattered along with George of having their own piece of land. The best way to avoid disappointment is to not have a dream this is what Steinbeck is explaining in this novel. Steinbeck uses a lot of descriptions to show the scenery. For example he describes a place at the beginning to be â€Å"close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too†. Then at the beginning of section 2 he describes were they work when he says â€Å"the bunk house was long, rectangular building. Inside the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted†. He gives a contrast because at the beginning he describes a place that is beautiful and colourful by the way he says deep and green and when he describes the work place he uses very plain description like rectangular bunk house and ‘the floors unpainted’. This gives us a contrast between the life of nature and then the life of the migrant worker. The language used tells us that they were uneducated and had an accent by the way Lennie says ‘purty’ instead of ‘pretty’. Also we can tell that they are uneducated by the way they speak like when Lennie says â€Å"make um let me alone†. Steinbeck is recreating an authentic sense of the spoken voice. However people who sound uneducated can still have brains for example Crooks. He reads law books but his language is just as bad as the others when he says â€Å"I ain’t so crippled I can’t work like a son of a bitch if I want to†. They also use racist words towards crooks like ‘nigger’. This is only said to show us that they were all living in a time, in society that was racist. Overall I think that Steinbeck shows the culture of the migrant workers in numerous ways, he gives us different characteristics of the migrant worker for example anger, suspicions, selfishness and loneliness, but the most important thing is the dream of Lennie and George that one day they will have their own piece of land and this is what keeps them going. This shows hope for the migrant worker. Candy and his dog provides a parallel to George and Lennie. When candy’s dog got old and useless he got killed, but not by Candy but by Carlson, Candy felt that he should have killed the dog himself when he says â€Å"I should have killed him myself†. At the end of the novel George kills Lennie because he knew it would be better for him to kill Lennie and not regret it like Candy did with his dog. Steinbeck shows us that not all migrant workers are selfish and don’t make long term friendships by the characters Lennie and George. Steinbeck tells us how quickly hopes and dreams can get destroyed. The title ‘of mice and men’ refers to a poem which tells us of a mouse and how the mouse builds up his nest and how the nest is destroyed. The mouse symbolises Lennie and George and the nest is symbolises their dream and how it is destroyed so suddenly.

Irrationalism

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1: Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 2: What is Irrationalism?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 3: Origins of Irrationalism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 3. 1: The Limits of Rationalism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 3. 2: The Religious Issue†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 4: Historical Synopsis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 4. 1: Ancient Greek Era†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 4. 2: Medieval Mysticism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 4. 3: Modern Era†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4. 4: The Historical Culmination of Irrationalism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 4. 5: The Twentieth Century†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 5: Critical Evaluation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 5. 1: Irrational vs. non-rational†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 6: Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 7: References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 1. 0: INTRODUCTION: The term irrationalism, which depicts a 19th and early 20th century philosophical movement, is a trend that claims to enrich or broaden human apprehension of life beyond the horizon of reason.This movement, as shall be demonstrated in this work, arose as a sort of reaction against the traditional over bloating of the capacities of human reason. Thus, it sought to incorporate other aspects of human life such em otions, will, passion and even faith. Accordingly, such movements like voluntarism, mysticism or religion, romanticism et al, find their place within this trend. But it must be noted at once that this movement does not seek to negate or refute the capacities of human reason.Instead it seeks to postulate that with rationality alone, human beings cannot explore certain areas of life which are in themselves unavoidable experiential data of human life. It is to delineate elaborately on the tenets of this trend that this work is poised to do. To achieve this, we have opted to render this exposition in accordance with the above given outline. 2. 0: WHAT IS IRRATIONALISM? Irrationalism refers to â€Å"any movement of thought that emphasizes the non-rational or irrational element of reality over and above the rational† .More than a school of thought, irrationalism is a multi-faceted reaction against the dominance of rationalism. As such, it played a significant role in western cultur e towards the end of the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the twentieth century. Irrationalism need not be opposed to reason. It can consist of a simple awareness that the rational aspect of things tends to be overemphasized and that this needs to be compensated by an emphasis on intuition, feeling, emotions, and the subconscious, etc . 3. 0: ORIGINS OF IRRATIONALISM:There are at least two main sources of irrationalism, viz: ?The Limits of Rationalism: First, we see that even the most consistently rationalist approach of the world will yield, in the end, some ultimate notions that can no longer be grasped or expressed through rational language. Such include questions of truth, goodness, beauty, and so on). This clearly appears in ancient Greek philosophy. In the eighteenth century Enlightenment, a somewhat superficial confidence in reason was often maintained, and the question about ultimate realities was thus avoided.Still, Voltaire, a typical representative of the  "Lumieres,† was very skeptical about the natural lights of human reason and the ability to find definitive answers. Nineteenth century Positivism, finally, appeared as the culmination of human confidence in reason based on scientific advances. The positivists’ belief that scientific reason would make all other approaches obsolete, however, was soon largely rejected as a naive illusion. Irrationalism has therefore acted as a recurrent challenge to the belief that analytical or deductive reasoning was the alpha and omega of human mental activity . The Religious Issue: A second challenge to the preponderance of reason has come from the religious side. All the world’s religious traditions, based on immediate experience as much as revelation, have an acute awareness that the human predicament is at odds with the very ideal of perfection and happiness. In Christian thought, there is the dual notion of God’s judgment and his grace, a position best expressed by th e apostle Paul and revived most famously by the Reformers, such as Martin Luther King Jnr. nd Jean Calvin. The very notion of sin in a world created by an omnipotent and good God seems contradictory to reason. This dissonance is heightened by such paradoxical biblical formulations like, â€Å"those who want to live will die and those who want to die will live† and â€Å"the first shall be the last. † Thus, in the religious context, irrationalism takes on the nature of paradox and mystery. It is not possible for unaided human reason to fully grasp the meaning of the human condition.It has to be accepted that two basic facts (God and evil) coexists in a way that cannot be rationally explained. Only faith or spiritual intuition can somehow comprehend what is meaningless for reason alone. This position maintains a strong presence, even where attempts at offering rational explanations abound. In various different contexts, other world religions have approached the same basi c issue and offered a response that invariably amounted to a rejection of rationalism .In the religious world of the Far East (notably India and China), the response has often been sought in higher wisdom involving spiritual perception and allowing the believer to see how seemingly contradictory notions can harmonize on a higher plane. There is also a general insistence on the need to find the right attitude in approaching everyday life and its ultimate questions. Finally, in Zen Buddhism, enlightenment through direct experience, by which one is jolted out of one’s habitual condition, is seen as the answer.Thus, religion’s response to the limits of reason tends to have a strong emotional, experiential, and voluntary component. 4. 0: HISTORICAL SYNOPSIS: The history of western philosophy has been overwhelmingly dominated by the notion that reason and intellect determine the value of thought, culminating in eighteenth century rationalism, nineteenth century positivism, a nd twentieth century logical positivism . Irrationalism has thus mostly been a secondary reaction defended by a few minor figures, an element embedded in the thought of otherwise rational thinkers, or an underlying and largely hidden element.A closer look, however, reveals the importance of non-rational issues and the emotional factor, notably in fields like ethics, aesthetics, education, axiology, and even such a bulwark of rationalism as epistemology. Irrationalism became a major force in western culture for the first time in the nineteenth century. Its impact reached far beyond philosophy and the academia and was felt in the whole of society, including the political sphere, from the Romantic period to World War II, and beyond. ?Ancient Greek Era:Ancient Greek philosophy is generally recognized as the paragon of rational thinking. Its giants, Plato and Aristotle, viewed the rational mind as the essence of human identity. For Plato in particular, the realm of emotions linked to phy sical existence represented the lower counterpart to the eternal beauty and goodness of immaterial, rational souls. But his philosophy in fact culminates in a strongly mystical form of idealism. The immortality of the soul, eternal truth and beauty in particular, are introduced as the result of a higher insight, not of deductive or analytical thought.Such a trend continued in Neo-Platonism. Plato and his mentor Socrates are also related to the Mystery religions of ancient Greece which are often referred to in mythical form in the Platonic dialogues . The Eleusian Mysteries and the Delphic Sibyl are two examples of what Nietzsche would later call the â€Å"Dionysian element of exuberance and spiritual drunkenness† in Greek culture—an element that would combine with the plastic and formal element of light, the Apollonian element, to produce the masterpieces of Greek culture.In earlier Greek philosophy, that element could already be found in the works of Empedocles and Py thagoras. It was very influential in Greek tragedy and poetry. The cryptic aphorisms of Heraclitus, another pre-Socratic philosopher, also stand in stark contrast to the smooth flow of rational discourse, though his dialectic does not directly advocate irrationalism . Finally, the notion of destiny of fate arbitrarily willed by the gods of the Olymp constitutes an endorsement of irrationalism. Within such notions, things don’t make sense.They just have to be accepted. ?Medieval Mysticism: In medieval thought, irrationalism appears in the form of mysticism and voluntarism. Even Thomas Aquinas, probably the most rationally oriented of the middle age theologians, had a mystical experience towards the end of his life in which it appeared to him that all he had written was like â€Å"straw† . Mystically oriented writers like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Bohme saw knowledge of God as limited to negative theology. For the via negativa, the only positive statements that could be made about God were those negating ossible limitations of his Being (God is not finite, etc. ). The whole history of medieval thought – which reflected Christianity, Judaism and Muslim—was about defining the boundaries of the rational philosophical approach in its confrontation with faith, i. e. an approach that transcends human reason. ?Modern Era: Among the great metaphysicians of the seventeenth century such as Descartes, Leibniz, inter alia, French Catholic thinker Blaise Pascal represents an illustrious exception.The highly intellectually gifted mathematician came as an early precursor of Christian existentialism and famously stated that the â€Å"heart has its reasons that are unknown to reason† . Pascal also made the equally famous distinction between the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the â€Å"God of the philosophers,† i. e. , understanding through revelation and understanding through reason . Pascal’s position somehow forms a contin uation of the Augustinian tradition defended by Duns Scotus and its volutaristic emphasis on the will to believe, rather than rational conviction. The Historical Culmination of Irrationalism: The real breakthrough of irrationalism came with the backlash against the rationalism of the Enlightenment and the subsequent wave of Positivism. At the end of the eighteenth century, Immanuel Kant had concluded that reason cannot give certain and ultimate knowledge about reality, especially not about God and the transcendent. In this, he wanted to make place for faith, which he also saw as a form of reason. The question over what counts as reason and what does not would thus later become an important one.For many, â€Å"anything not related to scientific knowledge of the empirically known universe does not qualify as reason† . For others, especially in the era of Romanticism, â€Å"the mind’s innate ability to recognize the reality of the Ultimate represents the highest peak of reason† . At this point, one has a convergence between rationalism and irrationalism, with mostly a difference of terminology. Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, Jakob Friedrich Fries, and Johann Georg Hamann are noted representatives of that period .The German Idealists are another example of thought systems developed with great emphasis on rational thought, but culminating in often highly irrational speculation. This is true even of Hegel, and his panlogism, and much more so Schelling, especially in his later, mystical phase . With Arthur Schopenhauer, irrationalism is embraced fully in the form of voluntarism . A blind will is presented as the foundation of existence, while the world of rational representations only forms the deceptive surface of things (in ways similar to Indian thought).Friedrich Nietzsche was equally skeptical of the west’s rational tradition and its shallow ethical codes, stressing such notions as the will to power and the playfulness of a child . In the Christian tradition, Soren Kierkegaard was strongly critical of the rational constructions of Hegel and proposed the â€Å"leap of faith† of the existentialist attitude as an alternative. His overall orientation, usually without the Christian connotation, would be maintained in the thought of twentieth century existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre.For Henri Bergson, whose intuitivism was based on the notion of elan vital (vital thrust), rational thought was equally ill-equipped to grasp the essence of things. Finally, even a strongly intellectual philosophy like Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology is based on intuition as an element that comes prior to rational analysis in the perception of reality. The above list of names, to which many others could be added, exemplifies what Paul Tillich had in mind when he referred to the strong irrational undercurrent in western thought.Philosophical irrationalism would expand into many other areas of culture, including history (as sho wn in the works of Wilhelm Dilthey and Oswald Spengler) and, most famously in psychoanalysis (as shown in the works of Sigmund Freud, Carl-Gustav Jung). The latter’s implication is that irrational unconscious forces are really shaping human life. William James would espouse another form of non-rational emphasis in explaining the workings of the mind and that is Pragmatism, which argues that positions are essentially justified when they work. The Twentieth Century: The clash between rationalism and irrationalism would continue throughout the twentieth century, with rationalism being reinforced by the stunning development of science and irrationalism being bolstered by the obvious senselessness of many world events. A possible point of convergence has been contemporary science’s recognition of the inadequacy of the traditional mechanistic worldview and its advocacy of a much greater sophistication in attempts to grasp the nuances of its key notions.This has led many to a bandon scientific reductionism and its denial of the unfathomable realm of the spirit. In the philosophical world, postmodernism has seen a wholesale rejection of all hitherto accepted certainties. Thus, there is paradox of a contemporary world where humankind has a firmer grasp and control over natural phenomena than ever, but one in which, at the same time, the rational nature of that world has been increasingly challenged in ontology and epistemology as well as in ethics (e. g.Nietzsche and more recently Michel Foucault and their refusal to accept given norms) . 5. 0: CRITICAL EVALUATION: From the foregoing, it is clear that much of what passes for irrationalism, in fact, does not challenge the validity of reason, but rather opens the possibilities of other realms of investigation that had been previously ignored by the rationalist tradition. This comes together with a rebellion against the rationalization of a reality that is perceived as absurd or ethical rules that are perceiv ed to be abusive in their pretension to be rationally grounded.Nevertheless, the thrust of our evaluation herein shall focus on distinguishing between two terms that may seem compounded. This shall enable us with the ability to conclude whether the philosophers of this trend were either irrational or non-rational. ?Irrational vs. Non-rational: The difference between non-rational and irrational is not as easy to define as it may appear. German authors, like the philosopher of religion Rudolf Otto, often use the equivalent of the English â€Å"irrational,† but translators of their writings prefer to use â€Å"non-rational† to avoid giving the impression of an anti-rational bias.Indeed, in a context such as Otto’s, irrational is meant to convey the meaning of something that eludes the grasp of reason, a depth dimension of the human psyche that cannot be appropriately expressed in rational language. It does not mean that the author rejects the rational discourse alt ogether. In the case of Otto, the contrary is the case. This author strongly stresses the need for academic discourse to proceed according to strict rational rules and to avoid the excesses of romantic enthusiasm. Otto merely wants to show that reason is not alone and that once it has spoken, something remains that can nly be grasped intuitively and expressed in symbols. Similarly, today’s sociology of religion generally understands myths as a genuine and irreplaceable component of the human discourse, one that can express certain realities better than straight scientific talk and even reach where that talk cannot go. There is no negative connotation attached to myth under these circumstances. 6. 0: CONCLUSION: In the end, the understanding of irrationalism in the sense of non-rational or irrational is a matter of worldview.For those who consider that the universe and if applicable, the Supreme Being, form a whole that is non-contradictory and where intellect, emotion, and wi ll coexist harmoniously as different aspects of that reality, non-rational will have to be chosen as the proper expression. In that perspective, irrational will have to be reserved for the cases of opinions or behavior that fails to abide by the accepted rules of reason—not to describe that which transcends the realm of reason. In the main, few will defend a strong version of the opposite position that contradiction lies at the heart of everything.Such a position would make any discourse impossible, including that of those who hold this position. But various thinkers have emphasized the paradoxical nature of reality. In such a view, reality may not be fully contradictory, but it presents essential features that will always stand in paradoxical position to each other. Such is in general, the position of dialectical philosophy. Other strong forms of irrationalism are those which argue a fundamentally absurd nature of the world or the complete irrelevance of the rational discour se.Be these as they may, we rest our case in the contention that irrationalism stands at par with rationalism with only a slight difference in their respective emphasis. REFERENCES: ?Benne, Kenneth D, Contemporary Irrationalism and the Idea of Rationality, In: Studies in Philosophy and Education. Volume 6, Number 4 / December, 1969 ? Bergson, Henri, Creative Evolution. Dover Publications, 1998, ISBN 978-0486400365 ? Dewolf, L. H, Religious Revolt Against Reason, Greenwood Publishing, ISBN 978-0837100616 ? Kierkegaard, Soren, Concluding Unscientific Postscript.Princeton University Press, 1941. ISBN 978-0691019604 ? Kierkegaard, Soren, and Howard Vincent. Philosophical Fragments, Princeton University Press, 1962. ISBN 978-0691019550 ? Nietzsche, Friedrich, Beyond Good and Evil. Digireads. com, 2005, ISBN 978-1420922509 ? Nietzsche, Friedrich, and Walter Kaufmann, On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo, Vintage, 1989. ISBN 978-0679724629 ? Pascal, Blaise, Pensees, LGF Livre de Poche, 2000, ISBN 978-2253160694 ? Plato, The Symposium, Penguin Classics, 2003, ISBN 978-0140449273 ?Schopenhauer, Arthur, â€Å"Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung†, 1818/1819, vol. 2: 1844 (The World as Will and Representation, sometimes also known in English as The World as Will and Idea), Dover Publications, 1966. ISBN 978-0486217628. ?Stumpf, Samuel E, â€Å"Philosophy: History and Problems†, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. , 1221, Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020, ISBN 0-07-240635-6, Sixth Edition, 2003. OTHER SOURCES: ?Encyclopedia Britannica. com. ?Guide to Philosophy on the Internet. ?Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. ?The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Helping Teachers Become Leaders Essay

In â€Å"Helping Teachers Become Leaders,† Patricia Phelps (2008) presents a model that teachers, administrators and teacher educators can internalize in order to cultivate effective teacher leadership in our nation’s schools. Phelps begins her discussion of teacher leadership first by defining the concept. She cites Barth’s definition: â€Å"Making happen what you believe in† (p. 19). Phelps then goes on to argue that the development of teacher leadership has often been overlooked by both teacher education programs and by school administrators themselves: â€Å"The importance of cultivating leadership among teachers should not be underestimated as a powerful way to improve schools† (p. 122). The risk then of not empowering teachers to become leaders results in a significant threat to healthy school communities and effective and empowering teaching: â€Å"Those teachers who do not become leaders are typically satisfied with the status quo, easily discouraged, sometimes cynical, perhaps burned out, and may engage minimally in professional development activities† (p. 123). In the school that I have been working at, it is very evident that the handful of teachers who do believe in their ability to become leaders, are indeed the teachers who complain the most without doing anything about it, and seem to be most dissatisfied with their job. After having developed an argument for the rationale behind cultivating teacher leadership, Phelps outlines several key components about what skills, dispositions and competencies teachers need in order to take on leaderships roles within their schools. To begin with teachers must know what they believe about education. Phelps argues that teachers should be presented with opportunities throughout their teacher education program and throughout their careers that ask them to define what they believe about best teaching practices and the purpose of education. Furthermore, Phelps argues, teachers must understand and appreciate the value of becoming a leader in the schools. Teacher education programs and staff development must show examples of how teachers can and should become agents of positive change within their schools. Phelps also reminds teachers that a critical disposition for becoming a teacher leader is resiliency. Inevitably teachers will encounter obstacles along the way either internally from colleague or administrators or externally as a result of federal policy that sometimes fails to take into account the best interests of students. The next step in Phelps’ model is the development of the knowledge base that will help teachers assume a proactive and effective role within the school: â€Å"The knowledge base of teacher leadership consists primarily of the concepts of educational change and school culture† (p. 121). Phelps suggests that there are various types of roles that a teacher leader might assume: advocate, innovator and steward. After explaining how the teacher can best prepare to assume leadership roles, Phelps goes on to suggest that school administrators also play a significant role in determining whether or not teachers will feel comfortable taking on leadership roles: â€Å"By making clear the unique challenges that a school faces, the principal opens opportunities for leadership† (p. 120). I believe that Phelps’ emphasis on administrator’s role in this process is important. Administrators very much set the tone at a school, and when teachers feel that their ideas are valued and appreciated, they will be much more likely to step up to leadership roles. My principal frequently asks for staff input during meetings and asks for volunteers to become members of a committee. For example, when the school was considering whether to implement a dress code, our principal formed a committee and took all of their recommendations when it came time to adopt new policy. This makes staff members at our school feel valued and much more likely to take on leadership roles when they see other ways to improve the school. The process of preparing teachers to become leaders requires the commitment of many, not just teachers themselves. Teachers must be able to articulate what they believe and identify the roles that they can assume within the school to effect change. Administrators must create a positive tone and actively seek input from their staff. Teacher educators have the responsibility of cultivating an attitude and a belief in pre-service teachers that teacher leadership is both possible and necessary. If administrators, teachers and teacher educators take to heart these core components outlined by â€Å"Helping Teachers Become Leaders,† then we will make a big step toward sculpting out positive work environments that welcome and promote innovation. I believe that readings and discussions in this course about why becoming a leader is so important to schools and to individual teachers will help me to seek out and assume leadership roles throughout my career. Especially in the early stages of my career, I see myself most able to assume the role of steward, by exemplifying effective and innovative teaching practices and displaying a strong work ethic and a positive attitude about my profession. Once I begin to establish more of a professional identity, I hope then to be able to assume leadership roles in my school that will result in positive change on an even larger level.

LAND LAW II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

LAND LAW II - Essay Example These exceptions include: (a) An act of generosity (Helsop v Burns, which you already mentioned it) (b)Service Occupancy (Crane v Morris) (c) Occupancy by virtue of office (d) Occypancy prior to completion of contract of sale Indeed, by definition, the very first requirement for a lease is exclusive possession. Without an exclusive possession, there is no way a lease can be finalized. This is so because the exclusive possession taken by the person taking the lease, and hereby known as the tenant gives that person the right to exclude all people from the property in question. Such exclusion does not only involve third parties and people outside the transfer transaction but also includes the landlord and all agents of the landlord. This underlining legal phenomenon notwithstanding, it has been argued in most quarters of statutory practice that an occupier who enjoys exclusive possess is not necessarily a tenant (Gray and Grey, 2009, p. 341). A major premise to this argument is given in Street v Mountford [1985]. In the case, the court gave a clear judgment to the effect that a person’s occupation of a property could either amount to being a tenant or only a licence. What was rather very relevant in determining tenancy was the content of the agreement and not what the parties choose to call their agreement. This is in regard to what Lord Templeman stated while giving judgement that â€Å"an agreement for exclusive possession for a term at a rent creates a lease or tenancy, regardless of what the parties call it† Street v Mountford [1985]. Heslop v Burns [1974] is another case that throws some light on the statement that even though a tenant must have exclusive possession, an occupier who enjoys exclusive possession is not necessarily a tenant. In the case, it is seen that in situations where there is an act of generosity, charity or friendship, even if exclusive possession occurs, this may not amount to the occupier becoming a tenant if there are no intentions to create a legal relation. The fact of the case has it that a wealthy man allows friends to occupy his house for free without rent. This notwithstanding, the friends had exclusive possession; and latter the wealthy man died. Meanwhile in principle, it is contested that the presence of exclusive possession is only worth being regarded as a licence if it comes about as a friendly arrangement with no intentions to create legal relations. Indeed, the same basis of the principle was held in the judicial hearing, concluding that the arrangement was only a licence. This is a very clear confirmation that as posited by Lord Templeman, an exclusive possession is not always equal to a tenancy. In another case, of Rhodes v Dalby [1971], a premise is given to the effect that a person may have occupancy with exclusive possession but may not necessarily be a tenant. The fact of that case has it that a man who was travelling abroad asked a friend to live in his bungalow whiles he was aw ay. Between the two parties, what existed was a â€Å"gentleman’s agreement†, ordering the friend to be taking care of the property and keeping it in shape. In the situation, and in situation of this nature, because the owner of the property leaves the property

The Inside Job Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Inside Job - Term Paper Example The documentary is about the financial crisis experienced in 2007 and 2008 among other vital economical issues in the United States and on the globe in general. The 2007 global financial crisis was a result of poor loaning scheme to the real estate sector that led to the worst state of bankrupt ever recorded. The United States legislators, out of their own greed, ordered the banking institutions to provide unsecured loans, only for the real estate owners to become loan defaulters. The scheme affected the global economy causing the prices of basic necessities to rise by certain percentages. Ferguson uses the documentary to highlight some of the corrupt deals and changes in the banking industry that brought the global financial crisis among other economical limitations. This study analyzes the documentary, putting emphasis on the motive behind the entire casting. The documentary contains five parts which are in a sequential order as far as the cause and effects of the global financial crisis are concerned. All the five episodes make a summery of the causes and effects of the global financial crisis. This paragraph contains the main financial summery with regard to the late-2000 US financial crisis. It begins by highlighting the poor performance, then the collapse of some of the greatest banking institutions (Iceland) in the United States. Iceland collapsed the moment its main shareholders, Lehman Brothers and AIG, went bankrupt. The producer engages narration as one of the main styles to pass relevant information in the documentary. The documentary is ideal for general viewing, but it would make more sense to those with economical knowledge since some economical and financial jargon words are used to describe the causes and effects of the global financial crisis. The first episode begins as a history documentary where the audience is taken through the US and the global economical status from 1940 to 1980, during which the financial sector was regulated. The docum entary creates a comparison platform, where the audience is made to recognize the difference between the current financial status and that of 20 years ago. It requires good financial analytical skills to note the difference, but the producer broke the entire idea into simpler details. He also tries to use the ordinary language and not financial technical jargon to describe his findings. One learns that the documentary is some sort of financial research findings, but in a simpler language. However, more emphasis is put on the blunders committed by the financial sectors. After 1980, there is no record of regulating the financial sector, and this helped various individuals to establish giant firms on the taxpayers’ money. The documentary records that an estimate of $ 124 billion of taxpayers’ money was channeled from the national treasury to start the giant companies. Various banks later ventured in internet banking scheme, where huge amounts were invested despite those f irms being infeasible. The financial sector lost about $ 5 trillion on the failure of the internet companies. The sector introduced some derivatives that caused even more instability. Several financial studies were conducted, and derivatives regulation was considered one of the remedies to reverse the financial status. However, a good number of legislators supported the bill of Commodity Futures Modernization, which later became a bill and compromised derivative regulations. From the year 2000, the financial sector was dominated by five major companies, comprising Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns. The other team was made of two financial partners, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase. AIG, MBIA, and AMBAC, which are insurance companies,

Swot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Swot - Essay Example ariety of freight including sand, drill cuttings, propane, sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, wood products, feed products, and fertilizers (Lehigh Railway LLC , par 1). Moreover, they also boast of a full range of transloading services through their in-house manpower or through their reliable transload service sub-contractor. Railway is also proud of the quality of their highly-skilled employees. LRWY has weaknesses too which they are currently addressing. This includes their problem with the lease contracts with Norfolk Southern. They are also beset with problems of locomotive power shortages. A key opportunity of LRWY is the presence of Marcellus Shale in its location. Marcellus Shale formation is considered by some geologist as a major source of natural gas (Geology.com , par 2). People in the natural gas industry believe that the Marcellus can be a major contributor for the supply of natural gas for the United States. This development presents possible new business opportunities for LRWY. The threats being faced by the company is the presence of other railroad companies in the area. However, the main threat that confronts them is the possible cancellation of their lease contract with Norfolk. As in any infrastructure, they are also aware that their railway may be damaged through Acts of God such as earthquakes, floods or hurricanes. Presently, LRWY’s advantage over its competitors is its location or geography. Its line encompasses a large area from Athens to Laceyville, Mehoopany, Meshopen, Presswood, Rummerfield, Sayer, Skinners Eddy, Towanda, Ulster, Wyalusing, and Wysox (Lehigh Railway LLC , par 1). The strategic issue that will challenge LRWY is the probability of a high growth rate in its business as against their capability to meet the demands of a growing market. The company must be able to gear up for this future growth in its business if it wants to remain competitive. In the next five years, aside from coping with this expansion, the

Reference tool paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reference tool paper - Essay Example However, there have been a lot of assessment tools that have been developed to correctly evaluate whether a person shows signs of schizophrenic behavior and/or tell the severity of each case. Some of the most commonly used are Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Introduction Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that is mainly caused by unsound function of the brain. A lot of psychologists point to past experiences, frustration, or a tragic loss of a loved one as factors that impact one’s mental health that leads to this debilitating disorder. However, as each case of schizophrenia is always unique, where each patient’s history should be clearly studied before coming to a conclusion of someone’s diagnosis to this disorder, it is important to understand effective assessment tools used to reach to a comprehensible judgment. Common Symptoms of Schizophrenia There ar e common symptoms of schizophrenia that somewhat signals the need to talk to a psychologist or to get help. Some of which would be hearing voices that no one could hear, assumptions of people talking about them or laughing at them, extensive control over their thoughts and imaginations, and the inability to control emotions (The Role of the Diagnostic Statistic Manual IV (DSM-IV) in Diagnosing Mental Disorders, n.d.). Diagnosing Schizophrenia There are several factors to consider in diagnosing schizophrenia. Aside from looking at mental behavior, how they react to their environment for which a candidate for schizophrenia surrounds themselves with is a factor to consider. This would include the change in their work, school, interpersonal relations, and or ability for self-care is important. This is because of the fact that an abrupt change to their routine without anything triggering a behavior is a strong sign of which. Another important basis for diagnosis would be the duration for which these abnormalities have been felt without the influence of substance use and/or an underlying medical condition. Persistence of which for at least six months is a clear supposition of the disorder and not just a result of perhaps a mid-life crisis or coping with a major happening in one’s life (Schizophrenia Society of Canada, n.d.). Assessment Tool in the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Unfortunately, all these symptoms are not a guaranteed basis for a correct diagnosis of schizophrenia. Also, since there is no single course of treatment yet for this, assessment tools, one of which is the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is one that will help provide a more customized and effective diagnosis and treatment. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is a standard rating scale used to weigh the positive symptoms of a patient that manifests schizophrenic tendencies as opposed to the symptoms that point to the absence of these traits. It is a 30-item scale, assessed on a seven-point scale that points one from poor to extreme case of the disorder. This assessment technique was developed solely for diagnosing the syndromes of schizophrenia in all unique cases that

Persuation paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Persuation - Research Paper Example This further increased to 17.4% by 2005 to 2008. Even, the current year statistics reveal that 1 out of 6 children aged between 2 years to 19 years are obese in the US (American Heart Association, Inc, â€Å"Statistical Fact Sheet 2012 Update†). Owing to the rising issue of obesity, especially amid children, certain health problems such as diabetes, asthma, and cholesterol among others are also increasing (National Institute for Healthcare Management Foundation, â€Å"Reducing Health Disparities among Children: Strategies and Programs for Health Plans†). Obesity can be defined as the health problem in which a person tends to have a greater Body Mass Index (BMI) in comparison to the normal BMI calculated at a particular age and height. Generally, the obesity conditions are mostly observed in American, European and Eastern Mediterranean region. From the socio-economic perspective, it can be stated that proper care for health can assist people to reduce the risk of obesity by a certain extent (Kuipers, â€Å"Focusing on Obesity through a Health Equity Lens†). However, in most instances it has been argued that whether childhood obesity can be avoided completely. Thesis Statement The primary objective of this discussion is to argue on the problem of childhood obesity as a rising health issue in the present global economic situation. The discussion further goes on arguing on the issue that whether childhood obesity can be avoided and thus be determined as avoidable. Discussion Arguments in Favor The rising issue of childhood obesity has certainly made the healthcare institutions worldwide to consider the problem with greater significance owing to the fact that the children facing such healthcare issues in their childhood can further cause various other diseases imposing serious threat to the overall social health. Generally, it has been observed that a majority of children are affected with obesity in comparison to the adults mostly because of th eir ill-habit of consuming fast food. For instance, the children get easily influenced by the fast food advertisements aired in the television which lures them to develop such food habits. It has also been observed that most of the children consume maximum fast food when they are busy in playing video games or watching television (National Institute for Healthcare Management Foundation, â€Å"Reducing Health Disparities among Children: Strategies and Programs for Health Plans†). With reference to the above mentioned circumstances, healthcare units and professionals have been taking possible measures to overcome childhood obesity. According to World Health Organization and other healthcare professionals, childhood obesity can be avoided by the community. In order to avoid childhood obesity, children should take proper care for their health by developing healthy food habit and also by getting involved in certain physical activities such as sports and exercises. Moreover, health care institutions also intend to support families of a new born baby by facilitating with proper information related to the daily plan of feeding and caring procedures (National Institute for Healthcare Management Foundation, â€Å"Reducing Health Disparities among Children: Strategies and Programs for Health Plans†). Education can also serve as an effective way in avoiding the

Production and Operational Management in the auto Industry Term Paper - 1

Production and Operational Management in the auto Industry (Forecasting, Quality, Quantity, Profits, Assembly) - Term Paper Example They even had a great deal of say in the political sector of USA. Their political power was due to a fact that had been narrated by the CBC News article in the following words: â€Å"The L.A. Times recently calculated that since 1990, the auto industry as a whole has donated $100 million US to Republicans and $34 million to Democrats.† From the year 1951 to the year 2007 Ford had been ranked third in all the automotive manufacturers of the world. After maintaining this position for fifty six years the company lost its position worldwide. It, however, still remained at third position in the US auto industry. The recent times have however depicted a recession of Ford and GM in their native country’s automobile industry. This recession has given space to foreign automobile manufacturers to establish their position by introducing their models in the industry. Currently these foreign automotive industrialists are leading the industry. BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM. Ford and GM w ere the largest vehicle producing giants in USA once. They assisted their country’s economy massively by producing generous revenue and benefit packages for labor. Ford and GM held their importance in the US automobile industry not only because of their size but also because of their business volume. Their loosing of their stature, however, was owing to a number of reasons. Those reasons can be summarized as follows: This meant that a major number of operations in them were distributed into unions or rather termed as being â€Å"Unionized†. This led to a rising labor cost that incurred to these industrial giants. The labor costs of their international emerging counterparts were however very less as they did not practice unionization. Even the counterparts that had their manufacturing units in the US did not face the said problem. (Van Praet, 2008). WHY THE RECESSION? A number of issues led to the downfall of Ford and GM along with other US automobile manufacturers. Qua lity Compromised Among various issues was that of the maintenance of Quality by these giants. Stephen Robbins (2009) mentions their carelessness and compromise in the maintenance of their products in his book ‘Management’ in the following words: â€Å"U.S. car industry is often used as a classic example of what can go wrong when managers focus solely on trying to keep costs down. In the late 1970s, GM, Ford, and Chrysler built products that many consumers rejected...... When the costs of rejects, repairing shoddy work, product recalls, and expensive controls to identify quality problems were considered, U.S. manufacturers actually were less productive than many foreign competitors. The Japanese demonstrated that it was possible for the highest-quality manufacturers to be among the lowest-cost producers. American manufacturers in the car and other industries soon realized the importance of TQM and implemented many of its basic components.† (Robbins, 2009) The abov e statement clearly highlights how the erroneous strategy of leading automobile manufacturing giants of USA gave room to their foreign counterparts. Even though they learned their lesson and tried to improve on their mistakes but it was too late then. The market shares that they once lost were not repairable. So was the inclusion of these counterparts in the industry. Retailers knew they had equally better options to go for and that too often at lesser costs. Product SUV’

Enhancing CSR in Saudi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enhancing CSR in Saudi - Essay Example This is in contrast to the Saudi government’s attempts to normalize the practice as a core business of the private sector. Moreover, social responsibility under Islamic teachings is obligatory with the Quran holding that there is due share for the deprived and beggars in wealth (Emtairah et al, 2009). This paper will seek to address what can be done to enhance CSR in Saudi Arabia at the government level, society level, and at the individual level. The belief held by sections of the Saudi society and corporations that CSR is a government responsibility requires concerted efforts by the government in steering debate by the public towards enhancing the acceptance by corporations of their CSR duties (Emtairah et al, 2009). This will also benefit the creation of a healthier society and stimulate growth of enterprise. The government’s role in convincing the private sector and motivating them to accept their obligations under CSR, however, may be inconsistent with free-market practices. Theoretically, the state should desist from forcing the private sector to act in any manner that is not dictated by market forces. Private corporations are, primarily, assumed to offer shareholders reasonable returns for their capital and Saudi business-people have interacted with Western capitalism for a while (Emtairah et al, 2009). Therefore, it will be difficult to alter perceptions, especially as there is increasing emphasis on profit and giving shareholders the highest returns financially. However, unlike the business community in the capitalist West, the government should take advantage of the fact that Saudi Arabia’s objectives of profit maximization do not mean that social problems cannot be solved economically as part of CSR. The government should seek to engage the private sector in debate about CSR from the perspective that there are differences between non-market factors and market factors, treating each aspect

Edit application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Edit application - Essay Example Just after I entered University, my problems began that affected my ability to concentrate on my studies resulting in the seven repeats. In 2010, my mother wanted to divorce my father to which father declined resulting in constant fighting between my parents affecting my ability to concentrate on my studies resulting in a low-grade, and I got low grades. The effect was I had to go back-on-track program in 2010, but within the same year my father went away leaving my mother without any money, and he did not provide any money for my upkeep either. Access to finances became a major problem since my mother was not in a position to find a job because she cannot speak English. I have to work to get money to finance our upkeep spending more of the time than I could concentrate on the studies. After completing the back-on-track program, I did not have enough finances for my schooling, and I had to apply for a student loan. In the time, I developed mental pressure and irregular rest owing to my school and job responsibilities to take care of myself and my mother that resulted in stomach pains. I was forced to frequently seek medical attention from the the family doctor in 2012 that in turn referred me to a specialist for further medical attention with the stomach pains increasing and affecting my studies. After medical attention from the specialist, I was informed that the cause of the stomach pains was too much pressure and in a bad mental state. By the end of 2012, I was admitted for emergency owing to a lot of stomach pain, and I spit blood. The sickness and family pressure affected my ability to concentrate on my studies resulting in the repeats. The stomach pains did not recede even after treatment, and I was forced to take a term of in 2013 spring taking the time to go back to China for treatment. From that point forward my health situation improved and I was in a position to start my University education again. I took Math 157, Econ 103,

High School and School Counseling Interventions Essay Example for Free

High School and School Counseling Interventions Essay Instructions: 1. Using this template, complete your article critique and submit this document to Blackboard. 2. Summary must include all five criteria: a. Introduction and rationale for the research b. Major strengths/weaknesses in the article. c. Summary of research outcome. d. Two methods of applying this research to practice. e. Conclusion 3. To begin your summary on the next page of this template insert a page break. Use APA formatting. School Counseling Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Interventions. Introduction and rationale for the research In the fields of counseling, education, and psychology, there has been a strong emphasis placed on evidence-based practices to determine the effectiveness of school counseling interventions. In this article, two types of Meta-Analysis interventions were used during this study. Meta-Analysis 1 involved treatment-control comparisons and Meta-Analysis 2 involved pretest-posttest differences. The overall average weighted effect size for school counseling interventions was . 30. This study determined how effective moderator variables influenced effect size of, guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and system support. Analyses of moderator variables are designed to determine the effectiveness of school counseling program activities in this article. Major strengths/weaknesses in the article The overall school counseling interventions produced an average effect size of . 30 which is significant. However, in this article, the average effect size of Meta-Analysis 2 intervention was not significant, only . 07. Previously research has found that meta- analyses using pretest-posttest typically produces a higher effect size compared to the more traditional treatment-control group comparisons. It’s difficult to determine the non-significant mean effect size for pretest-posttest meta-analysis. Additional analyses in the pretest and posttest form will need to focus on specific interventions and additional information regarding the effectiveness of specific strategies in school counseling. One of the common criticism of meta-analytic approaches is that studies with weak methodological rigor may artificially inflate average effect sizes(M. W. Lipsey,2003). M. W. Lipsey (2003) also argued that methodological moderator variables that often are assumed to be independent are not necessarily independent and carefully conducted meta-analytic reviews should explore methodological relationship patterns. The effect size of . 30 was based on 117 experimental studies that involved 153 interventions, which is a significant increase from the six studies used by Sprinthall (1981). Many more studies were conducted with elementary school students; however, school counseling interventions included in this meta-analysis appeared to be slightly more effective with middle or junior high students followed by high school students. Thus, these studies show a significant effect on school counseling interventions for all levels of K-12 education. There are also some limitations when meta-analytic techniques are used. The validity of effect size largely depends on the quality of studies that were included in the review. Some major limitations in school counseling research could not be addressed statistically. Also there are few studies that address the issues of treatment integrity. Only a handful of studies used treatment manuals or well-developed curricula. It was difficult for researches to determine what was effective because researchers could not determine what interventions were implemented with students. Another limitation was the elimination of 111 studies that had insufficient data or missing information. Another limitation from this article concerns the dominance of non-standardized outcome assessments in school counseling research. Meta-analysis also lacked long-term follow-up data. The lack of longitudinal data allows for the measurement and analysis of only short-term effectiveness. Another issue with meta-analysis research is that interventions focused mostly on specific interventions rather than comprehensive school counseling programs. There has been very few research studies conducted on comprehensive school counseling programs. Summary of research outcome. There were 118 studies that used meta-analysis 1, involving treatment-control comparisons and 153 school interventions; however, two studies were considered one study because of the same simple. Out of the 117 studies, 81 were published in journals and 36 were theses or dissertations. This meta-analysis study had 16,296 participants and the sample ranged from 8 to 5, 618, with the average study involving 139. 28 participants. From these studies, 50. 4% were elementary school students, 17. 9% were middle or junior high school students, and 24. 8% were high school students, and 6% had a mixture of ages, and one study did not report the age of the student participants. There was an overall weighted effect size of 27% for students that received school counseling intervention compared to those students that did not receive school counseling intervention. The average effect size was significant. Also, there were a total of 33studies that used meta-analysis 2, involving pretest-posttest design; however, two effect sizes were eliminated from one study. Therefore, 31 studies that involved 51 school counseling interventions were used. The effect sizes calculated from these 31 studies involved 2,015 participants and the average study involving 62. 97 students and the sample ranged from 9 to 283. Out of the 31 studies, 17 were published in journals, 13 were theses or dissertations, and one study was an ERIC document. From these studies, 29% involved elementary school students, 12. 9% were middle or junior high school students, and 54. 8% were high school students, and 3. 2% had a mixture of ages and grade levels. There was only a . 07% weighted effect size on pretest and posttest meta-analysis which indicates the average effect size was not significant. Two methods of applying this research to practice Firstly, my goal as an aspiring school counselor is to implement a comprehensive school counseling program for all students. I would provide a variety of interventions and activities using the four components of the delivery system of a school counseling program, guidance curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services, and system support. I would then, conduct studies in my school, collecting data, and determine which services students and the school will benefit from the most. This will help me determine what type of programs and activities are most effective for our students and school. Secondly, I would consider taking additional research courses to prepare me to contribute to the knowledge base of school counseling, while conducting research projects related to school counseling. Simply, there needs to be more and better research in the area of school counseling. â€Å"Without additional empirical support, some schools may eliminate professional school counseling programs†(Erford, p 68). Conclusion. From this research on meta-analyses not all school counseling interventions were equally effective. Additional research is needed to examine the impact these studies had on students from diverse backgrounds. Although more research is often a recommendation after completing a meta-analysis (e. g. , Ehri et al. , 2001; Swanson, 1999; Whiston, Brecheisen, Stephens, 2003; Xin, Grasso, Dipipi-Hoy, Jitendra, 2005), we contend that lack of methodological rigor and dearth of studies make the calls for additional sound research in school counseling particularly important. Also, the issues of treatment integrity and increasingly use standardized outcome assessments will enhance future school counseling interventions. From this study, one would learn that additional research is needed, however, from this research; data shows that school counseling interventions have a positive effect size on student outcomes. Furthermore, there were significant effect sizes for interventions at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. School counselors’ were able to increase students’ ability to solve problems while decreasing discipline problems. However, the researchers were unable to identify specific programs or approaches that produce positive outcomes. Additional research is needed to address what interventions for school counseling works, with what students, and under what circumstances. References Erford, B. T. (2011). Transforming the school counseling profession (3rd Ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Whiston, Tai, Rahardja, and Eder. (Winter 2011 Volume 89). School Counseling Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Interventions. Journal of Counseling Development , 37-55.

Research methodology in tourism report

Research methodology in tourism report This chapter outlines the rationale for the research approach and methodology methods chosen and also explains the various processes involved in the research process itself. The methodology is a descriptive part of the research project which provides an evaluation of the methods, techniques and procedures used throughout the investigation. It is used to describe the scope and aims of the various research processes in detail. The subdivision will also briefly outline the meaning and differences between research methods and research methodology. The chapter will also momentarily framework adopting qualitative and quantitative processes. Finally, the research process itself will then be explained and justified and the process of raw data collection will be commented on. 3.2 Meaning of Research It is known that ‘research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge.’ [Kothari, 2004: 25]. There are various definitions of research, one of which suggests that ‘research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organising and evaluating data: making deductions and reaching conclusions: and at last carefully testing the conclusion to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.’ [Kothari, 2004: 25]. However, Kumar [2010: 11] argues that research is the ‘pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and experiment.’ Therefore, the purpose of research aims to determine answer or questions through the application of scientific procedures. Kothari [2004: 25] further illustrates that ‘the main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered yet.’ 3.3 Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods A mixed method research can be defined in several definitions which have emerged over time incorporating various elements of methods, research processes, and philosophy and research design. Croswell and Clark [2008: 2] outline mixed methods as the combination of ‘qualitative and quantitative approach in the methodology of study.’ It is the type of research in which the researcher combines elements of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Croswell and Clark [2008: 4] illustrate that mixed method approach is used ‘for the purpose if breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration.’ Therefore a mixed method research approach combining both qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used throughout the research as it accounts for ‘the primary purpose of a study conducted with a mixed methods way of thinking it to better understand the complexity of the social phenomena being studied.’ [Greene, 2007: 20]. 3.4 Qualitative Research A Qualitative approach to the research is to be taken as it will provide an insight into the setting of the problem to generate ideas and/or hypotheses for later quantitative research. Qualitative research allows an individual to obtain information that is not necessarily all statistical if any at all by conducting interviews, producing questionnaires for numerous amounts of people or providing personal information. Qualitative research can also be best identified as a ‘natural setting where the researcher is an instrument of data collection, who gathers words or pictures, analyses them inductively, focuses on the meaning of participants, and describes a process that is expressive and persuasive language.’ [Creswell, 2008: 14]. Patton (2002) also suggests that the ‘thought of research design substitutes and method adoptions can identify directly to the relative strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative data, therefore the answer to particular questions is primarily a pragmatic one’. Other definition of qualitative can be seen as:- Qualitative research†¦. is based more on information expressed in words†¦This approach is common whenever people are the focus of the study. (Walliman, 2006: 187) Patton [2002: 14] identifies that qualitative method ‘require the use of standardised measure so that the varying perspectives and experiences of people can fit into a limited number of predetermined response categories to which are assigned.’ Furthering to this Patton [2002: 15] argues that qualitative methods characteristically produce a wealth of detailed information from a much smaller sample population that increases the ‘depth of understanding of the cases and studies but reduces generalizability’ [Merriam, 2014: 100], thus, the overall purposes of qualitative research is to achieve ‘understanding of how people make sense out of their lives, delineate the process of meaning-making, and describe how people interpret what they experience.’ [Merriam, 2014: 100]. Hennink, Hutter and Bailey (2011: 97) state that ‘qualitative research is a broad umbrella term that covers a wide range of techniques and philosophies.’ Subsequently, it is not to define as in broad terms qualitative research is an approach that allows a person to examine people’s experiences in details, by using a specific set of research methods. 3.4.1 Strengths of Qualitative Research There are much strength in terms of qualitative research, in forms of personal experiences and a way to gather suitable data which might not have been investigated before. Tracey [2013: 97] states that ‘qualitative research is excellent for studying contexts you are personally curious about but have never had a ‘valid’ reason for entering’. In addition to personal interest or disciplined voyeurism, qualitative data provide insight into cultural activities that might not otherwise be missed in structured surveys or experiments.’ (Tracey, 2013: 97). As a result of these strengths the qualitative research method will be a good research approach as it will identify personal and emotional experiences data and not just statistical this will entail the researcher a better understanding of what emotional motivations people have when travelling, thus reflecting back to the aim is commonly known as quantitative research which compact data that is numerical form which is later evaluated using statistical methods to aid with finding of the outcome of the research obtained. 3.5 Quantitative Research The second research approach will be quantitative research. Quantitative research is scientific investigation that includes both experiments and other systematic methods that emphasize control and quantified measures of performance (Proctor Capaldi, 2006 cited in Hoy, 2009: 1]. Quantitative research is essentially about collecting numerical data to explain a particular phenomenon, particularly questions seem immediately suited to being answered using qualitative methods.’ [Muijs, 2011: 1] ‘Quantitative analysis deals with numbers and uses mathematical operations to investigate the properties of data.’ [Walliman, 2012: 179]. The main characteristic of quantitative data is that it consists of information that is, in some way or other, quantifiably [Rasinger, 2012: 10]. Therefore quantitative data can be implemented into numbers, figures and graphs, and processes it using statistical procedures. 3.6 Research Methods After identifying the types of research approaches that will be used, the next fragment looks at what methods will be most appropriate to this research project. Identifying appropriate research methods are important as Rugg, Gordon, Pete and Marian [2007:2] identifies ‘research determines the overall structure of your research’. 3.6.1 Qualitative Research Methods 3.6.2 Interviews Interviews will be the only qualitative research method used within the research. The purpose of in depth interviewing is not to test hypotheses, and not to ‘evaluate’ as the term that is normally used.’ [Seidman 2013: 9]. Interviews are inherently more flexible, whatever the level of structure, ranging as they do from ‘listening in’ and asking questions in a real-life setting to the standardized recording schedules used by market researchers.’ [Gilham, 2005: 3]. Dougherty [2014: 94] state that ‘different types of interviews produce different types of responses from different people.’ The researcher will identify the most appropriate form of interview to be implemented during qualitative research. There are three common types of interviews; unstructured, structured and open-ended, and structure and fixed response. 3.6.3 Unstructured interviews, Structured and Open-ended, Structured Fix Response Interview Unstructured interviews are characterised by a minimal direction of their content by the interviewer and allow for adapting the questions depending on the respondent [Dougherty, 2014: 94], whereas, structured and open-ended interviews consist of a set of preselected questions that the consultant asks the interviewee. Dougherty [2014: 94] illustrates that ‘this type of interview is considered more flexible than procedures such as surveys and checklists.’ The final type of interview is structured and fixed response. Structured and fix response interviews provide both predetermined questions and responses from which to choose. They allow for standardization and tend to have a high level of reliability. [Beaver and Busse, 2000] 3.6.4 Semi-structured interviews The researcher will therefore use the Semi-structured interview technique used during qualitative research as stated previously ‘unstructured interviews are characterised by a minimal direction of their content by the interviewer [Dougherty, 2014: 94]. By using semi-structured interviews the researcher can seek both clarification and elaboration on the answer given and record qualitative information regarding the topic [Fisher, 2007]. Schensul [1999: 149] best defines semi-structured interviews as a:- ‘predetermined questions related to domains of interest, administrated to a representative sample of respondents to confirms study domains, and identify factors, variables, and items or attributes of variables for analysis or use in a survey’. Semi-structured interviews combine the flexibility of the unstructured, open-ended interview with the directionality and agenda of the survey instrument to produce focused, qualitative, textual data at the factor level’ [Schensul,1999:149]. Semi- structured interviews will therefore accomplish the following objectives, firstly to further clarify the central domains and factors in the study, secondly to operationalize factors variables, thirdly to develop preliminary hypotheses and finally, develop a qualitative base for the construction of an ethnographic survey if required one [Schensul, 1999: 150]. The characteristics of semi-structured interviews are that although there is a question framework to ensure consistency, answers are open-ended and will allow the respondents to communicate their ideas freely. Similar the structured interview, the semi-structured interviews are constructed around a core of standard questions as illustrated in appendix one which identifies the check list the researcher will use to ensure all appropriate questions are asked. The researcher may probe the participant and obtain further classification or detail on a certain topic. As Oppenheim [1998: 81] states ‘the respondent are allowed to say what they think and to do so with greater richness and spontaneity’. 3.6.5 Letter’s to organisations The semi-structured interviews were agreed by the referral of letter as seen in appendix two. The researcher obtained conformation by requesting the arrangement to interview the individual by letter. The letter provided all relevant information regarding the main objectives of the letter and areas of interest, necessary information regarding what the research was about and the need for investigation for the research. The researcher will also request each individual to fill in a consent form, as seen in appendix three. 3.6.5 Who will the interviews by with? The researchers chose three tourism related individuals who all had some kind of relation to the tourism industry within New Quay to conduct interviews with. These particular individuals were chosen as they would be the most appropriate candidate to provide relevant information in regards to the research project. The first interviewee was the General Manager of Quay West. The researcher chose to undertake one of three semi-structured interviews with as Quay West was one of Haven’s Britain’s favourite seaside holiday resort which labelled themselves as ‘Britain’s largest provider of domestic holidays.’ [Haven, 2014]. The researcher could then ask significant tourism related questions that provide interesting findings. The second interviewee was a customer service advisor within the tourist information centre in New Quay. The researcher decided to arrange a semi-structure interview with the tourism information centre as the interviwer can question and obtain an inside knowledge of what types of tourist visit, what motivates tourism to New Quay and their opinion in terms of the reliance of tourism within New Quay. Finally, the researcher requested an interview with a member of the New Quay council. The research choose a member of the New Quay Council with the hope that they can obtain relevant information, first hand experiences with tourism within the town and finally a personal opinion on their thoughts and feeling in terms of tourism within New Quay. 3.7 Strategy of Researcher In Doing Mixed Method Approach The strategy of the researcher in doing the mixed method approach of both qualitative and quantitative research methods was to undertake semi-structured interviews to provide relevant questions reflecting back on the answers that were given to create pilot questionnaires and questionnaires to gather quantitative research. 3.8 Quantitative Research Methods 3.8.1 Pilot Questionnaires and Questionnaires Cargan [2007: 116] defines that ‘a pretest or pilot study is a means of checking whether the survey can be administered and provide accurate data.’ The advantages of questionnaires over interview, for instance, are; it tends to be more reliable, it encourages age’s greater honesty because it is anonymous, its more economical then the interview in terms of time and money and there is the possibility that it may be mailed [Cohen, Manion, Morriosn, 2011: 209]. The researcher will aim to efficiently organize questionnaires as Gillham [2000:6] notes that ‘response to even large-scale questionnaires can be pulled within a matter of weeks’, ensuring questionnaires are returned as prompt as possible. This is why the combined mix methods approach of qualitative and quantitative was used to accomplish more of an accurate research within this dissertation. Consequently, a research instrument like a questionnaire to collect data will be used as the quantitative r esearch methods for its known validity and reliability this can be seen in appendix four. Baring in mind the researcher will also take into consideration the disadvantages of a questionnaire. Which are; there is often too low a percentage of return, if only closed items are used, the questionnaire may lack coverage or authenticity and as Gillham [2000: 2] states ‘they seek to get answers just by asking questions.’ ‘Therefore, Cohen et al [2011: 209] state that ‘there is a need, therefore, to pilot questionnaires and refine their contents, wording and length, etc. as appropriate for the sample is being targeted.’ 3.7 Role of the researchers The first element of the researcher’s role was to contact and arrange interviews via email, the second was to create and distribute questionnaires from answers implemented from the previous interviews. Contacting the interviewee’s was done via sending consent letters to conduct an interview via email as seen in appendix one. Many of the interviews were held during mid-week, Wednesday and Thursday. This was because this was the most convenient time for all interviewee’s and the researcher. The questionnaires were the second element of the researcher’s role. The researcher firstly created a pilot questionnaire as identified in appendix five. This was to ensure all questions asked were appropriate to the research and to ensure the format was correct. Once done the researcher then finalized and distributed the questionnaires on Saturday afternoon during half term in New Quay town. The distribution of questionnaires was 10am to 4pm, providing with enough time t o collect effective data from passing tourists. After the distribution of questionnaires the researcher then collected and analysed. 3.8 Validity, Reliability and Research Ethics The techniques of research selected within the methodology were for the reason that they were convenient, relevant and effective. Alternative motives were that the researcher was able to travel to interviews arranged and collect questionnaires that were distributed. The researcher already had an idea of the area and therefore could co-ordinate her time efficiently during the distribution of questionnaires to the busy areas of the town. To ensure the research was reliable the researcher firstly conducted interviews, from the interviewee’s responses the researcher was than able to create a pilot questionnaire and requested one participant to fill it in as seen in appendix five. Ensuring the pilot questionnaire with all the relevant questions asked was important, once this was clarified the researcher was then able to finalize and distribute the questionnaires, this can also been seen in appendix four. The researcher furthermore had to require ethical approval before data collection commences as ethics is a primary responsibility of conduct of the ethical research which lies with the researcher. This ensured that the data collected during the research process was ethical and did not contravene any of Cardiff Metropolitan University’s ethical regulations. Ethical approval can also be known as a safeguard to the researcher when conducting the research. the research the researcher also considered that occasionally there can be Ethical issues in Research, this includes researchers can be exposed to moral and ethical dilemmas and issues such as two dominant ethical principles in research with human subjects; informed consent and the protection of subject harm.

Benefits of Healthy Eating

Benefits of Healthy Eating Health Eating Studies show that by improving personal eating habits can prevent some of the leading causes of death in the world, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, some lung diseases and injuries. While a deficit of nutrients can cause vitamin deficiencies, lowered immunity responses, weak muscles, osteoporosis, anaemia, and slower wound healing, amongst other conditions, eating unhealthy things can lead to overweight, obesity, and raised cholesterol levels, with all the problems that these bring. By having a diet that is low in fat, cholesterol and salt and is high in fruits, vegetables, grains, and fibre will keep your risk of heart disease low. Therefore, it could be said that a healthy diet could save a considerable number of lives, as heart disease is the number one cause of death in some countries, such as Australia (Australia Bureau of Statistics, 2015).ÂÂ   As there are many other factors involved, even someone who eats healthy could develop heart disease, but the benefits of a healthy diet has beneficial consequences for the body in general and could even delay the event of such diseases. The reason for such considerable benefits is mainly because the body has nutritional requirements and when those requirements are satisfied it has large benefits in the function and health of our body. The body on its own cannot produce carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. However, these nutrients can be obtained by consuming healthy food, such as fruits and vegetables. The Department of Health of the Government of the United Kingdom officially issued a dietary advice called the EatwellPlatein2011. It is a pictorial summary of the main food groups and their recommended proportions for a healthy diet, as illustrated in the graphic bellow: This graphic shows that a balanced diet should contain: Large portions of fruit and vegetables Large portions of starchy foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta Balanced portion of meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein Balanced portion of milk and dairy foods A small amount of food and drinks that are high in fat and/or sugar The human system can generally produce most of these minerals.ÂÂ   However, it cannot produce at least 16 of them. Before, we could only extract minerals from foods, while nowadays we can obtain them from pills that are sold on the pharmacy and even supermarkets. By consuming a variety of different foods throughout the day our bodies will be adequately satisfied and will be able to function properly so one will be in healthy conditions and feel good within themselves.ÂÂ   Eating healthy is about being aware of what is good for our bodies. Eating healthy can also makes a person feel good about themselves, raising ones self esteem. Choosing a healthy food instead of junk food not only helps a person to feel better emotionally but also improves the functions of the body in general. Healthful eating is about creating and maintaining a healthy diet and it starts by educating ourselves with factual knowledge of the great benefits of healthful eating. Many people today enjoy a greater abundance and variety of food than ever before. Nevertheless, countless health and nutritional problems arise from unbalanced diets and overeating. It is not that easy to eat healthy, as the researchers, from the Neuroscience Program in Substance Abuse (N-PISA) at Vanderbilt University, USA mentioned, A high fat diet causes people to eat more, which ultimately impairs the ability of obese people to successfully control their caloric intake, lose weight and maintain weight loss. We have conducted several studies trying to understand why a high fat diet has this effect. This probably explains the reason why people tend to eat unhealthy junk food. To sum up, eating healthy have uncountable benefits and it can lengthen your life by preventing certain diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity at the same time it increases ones self esteem. Also, as the human body does not produce several nutrients that our body requires for its function, individuals need to have a balanced diet. A balanced and healthy meal would include large portions of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods, a balanced portion of meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein, a balanced portion of milk and dairy foods and a small amount of food and drinks that are high in fat and/or sugar. Even though it could be easier to eat unhealthier, a good knowledge of the benefits of eating healthier could change ones life for better. References: Elsevier. A high fat diet leads to overeating because of faulty brain signaling: Offering low fat foods could help prevent obesity, say researchers. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 September 2015. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Causes of Death 2015 (3303.0) September 2016 Department of Health, Government of the United Kingdom;ÂÂ   Eatwell Plate, 2011 Barbuto, J. E. (2006, July). Mental Energy: Assessing the Motivation Dimension. Nutrition Reviews, 64(7).

Alexander the Great Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander the Great was born in June, 356 BCE in the ancient capital of Macedonia called Pella. He was the son of Philip II, King of Macedon and Olympia, Princess of Epirus. Alexander inherited his father’s excellent organization skills and his mother’s hot temper. When Alexander was a young boy his mother had taught him that Achilles was his ancestor and that his father is a descendant from Hercules. This inspired Alexander to learn the Iliad by heart and always carry with him. Alexander showed signs of fearlessness and strength at a very early age. He tames the horse Bucephalus, which was a horse that nobody touched or rode. Later in his life Alexander rode Bucephalus to India, where it died. He then built the city of Bucephalus on the Hyphasis River in memory of his horse. Alexander’s parents saw the potential in their son to be a great leader, so they hired Aristotle as his personal tutor. Aristotle and Alexander studied together at Mieza, a temple 20 miles from his palace in Pella. Alexander learned philosophy, politics, ethics and medicine, as well as played sports and exercised daily to develop a strong body. Aristotle also sparked Alexander’s interest in other countries and races of people. When he was eighteen, Alexander commanded part of his father’s cavalry at the battle of Chaeronea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 335 BCE, Philip II was assassinated, and at the age of twenty Alexander ascended to the Macedonian throne. When Alexander took the throne many peopl...

Beluga Whales :: essays research papers

A. Swimming. 1. In general, beluga whales are slow swimmers. They commonly swim about 3 to 9 kph (1.9-5.6 mph). They are, however, capable of sustaining a maximum speed of 22 kph (13.6 mph) for as long as 15 minutes (Nowak, 1991; Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). 2. Belugas can swim forward and backward (Nowak, 1991). 3. Beluga whales often swim at depths barely covering their bodies (Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). B. Diving. 1. Beluga whales typically don't dive very deep, usually to about 20 m (66 ft.). Belugas are not generally thought of as deep-diving marine mammals, but they are capable of diving to extreme depths. Under experimental conditions a trained beluga whale repeatedly dove to 400 m (1,312 ft.) with ease, and even dove to a depth of 647 m (2,123 ft.) (Nowak, 1991; Ridgway et. al., 1984). 2. A typical dive usually lasts three to five minutes, but belugas can stay submerged for as long as 15 minutes (Nowak, 1991; Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). 3. In estuaries the usual diving sequence lasts about two minutes; the sequence consists of five to six shallow dives followed by a one-minute-long deeper dive (Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). 4. All marine mammals have physiological adaptations for diving. These adaptations enable a beluga whale to conserve oxygen while it's under water. a. Beluga whales, like other marine mammals, have a slower heart rate while diving. A beluga whale's heart rate slows from about 100 to about 12 to 20 beats per minute during a dive (Ridgway, 1972). b. When diving, blood is shunted away from tissues tolerant of low oxygen levels toward the heart, lungs, and brain, where oxygen is needed. c. Beluga whales retain more oxygen in their blood than most mammals do. A beluga whale's blood volume percentage (5.5%) is higher than a land mammal's, and similar to a Weddell seal's (a deep-diving marine mammal). One study found a female beluga to have 16.5 l (17.4 qt.) of oxygen in her blood (Ridgway et. al., 1984). d. The muscle of beluga whales has a high content of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin. Myoglobin stores oxygen and helps prevent muscle oxygen deficiency. C. Respiration. 1. A beluga whale breathes through a single blowhole, a modified nasal opening. a. The beluga whale holds its breath while under water. b. It opens its blowhole and begins to exhale just before reaching the surface of the water. c.

You are My One and Only :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Jen, At the moment, I am sitting here thinking of you and everything that we have been through. I would say that I have no idea how we have made it this far, if I did not believe in there being one person that you are destined to be with, but I do. We have had our share of ups and downs, plus so much more. Things have happened to us that we can truly say no one else has had to go through, but regardless we made it through. When we first met I did not know how to trust anymore. The spirit of life had been taken from me, but somehow you helped me find it again. At the time we met, I was going through some hard times, but when others turned their backs on me, you stood by my side. You were determined to be there for me and for that I thank God every day that he sent you to me. If I would have known that when I told about my past you would be there to help me through it, then I would have told you a long time ago. I know that I start things between us a lot of the time, but even you know why. You know that it took a lot for me to trust you, but now I do. I am so happy that you are still here with me, being patient, and still by my side. So many people say that I will not make it far in life, but they do not understand me, let alone know me. So many of those people do not know how hard you push me to make something of myself. In the past, I honestly believed that I would not make it anywhere, but now I know that as long as I am happy and still alive, with you by my side I am doing great and can achieve anything. Every day that I wake up and every night before I fall asleep, I thank God that we met, because without you I would be nothing. Through the hard times you have held my hand, through the rough times you have held me close to you, and through the ups and downs you have stayed by my side. What else could I ask for? When I am sick you tuck me in. You have brought back the person that everyone loved and have helped me learn to be the person I always wanted and knew I could be.

Italy embraces Welsh Literature Essay

The Italians have fallen for Welsh literature, if the trend of publication (18 books in 9 years with more to follow) has anything to go by. However, it’s not exactly a sudden connoisseurship that this country, an inveterate contributor of Arts and literature, is bent on to prove. It has more to do with the bond that developed through the migration of a chunk of Italians to Wales in the 20th Century, besides having somewhat similar appetite for ‘Romantic’ art and culture. The latest from the Welsh stable are, The Canals of Mars (poetry collection) by Patrick McGuinness, Minhinnick (anthology of contemporary Welsh poetry), The Prince of Wales (a novel on modern Cardiff) by John Williams and Y Pla (‘The Plague’, a novel) by William Owen Roberts. Thus, translations are doing fine with experts in zone like Andrea Bianchi and Silvana Siviero, who are translating their 11th book from Wales. Bianchi’s own poetic prowess joined with Ms Siviero’s 13 years of ‘on the soil’ experience. High on success, they have branded their works as Parole dal Galles (Geiriau O Gymru). Close on the heels are six other publishers. The literary magazine from the University of Venice through its ‘Welsh Literature Section’, also provides encouragement. With three volumes of poetry by Robert in the pipe line, along with publishing prospect of the books by poets Gillian Clarke and John Barnie or the novelist Caradog Prichard, both the market and its producers are upbeat about the future. The poet, Gwyneth Lewis or Sioned Puw Rowlands, the director of Welsh Literature Abroad – all attribute this enthusiasm to the orchestrated effort produced by the parties from both the sides, save the Italian readers’ interest, which they have already proved by their rousing reception to the novelist Trezza Azzopardi.