Business report on Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business report on Tesco - Essay Example Tesco Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesco that was established in 2008. The chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesco is Dave Lewis. Including franchises the firm has 6,814 stores across the globe. The firm also has six online stores. Tesco is a publicly traded company whose stocks are openly sold in the London Stock Exchange (LSE) under the symbol TSCO. As of November 28, 2015 the price of TSCO stocks was $169.15 (Yahoo, 2015). The market capitalization of the company is $13.67 billion. The accounting of the company is based on a fiscal year instead of the natural year. The 2015 fiscal year started on March 1, 2014 and it ended on February 28, 2015. The independent auditor of the company is PricewaterhouseCoopers.  Tesco Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesco that was established in 2008. The chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesco is Dave Lewis. Including franchises the firm has 6,814 stores across the globe. The firm also has six online stores. Tesco is a publicly traded company whose stocks are openly sold in the London Stock Exchange (LSE) under the symbol TSCO. As of November 28, 2015 the price of TSCO stocks was $169.15 (Yahoo, 2015). The market capitalization of the company is $13.67 billion. The accounting of the company is based on a fiscal year instead of the natural year. The 2015 fiscal year started on March 1, 2014 and it ended on February 28, 2015. The independent auditor of the company is PricewaterhouseCoopers.   In fiscal year 2015 Tesco generated sales of  £62,284 million. The sales of the company decrease by 2% in comparison with the previous year. The net income of the firm in 2015 was a loss of  £5,766 million. In 2014 the firm was able to achieve a profit of  £970 million. The total assets of the firm as of February 28, 2015 were  £44,214 million, while the total equity of the firm at the same date was  £7,071 million. The cash reserve of Tesco at the end of fiscal year 2015 was  £11,819 million. The bad financial p erformance of the firm in 2015 caused the cash reserve of the company to go down by 9.68%. In terms of total liabilities the company owes  £37,143 million. The net margin shows the absolute profitability of a company, while the gross margin is a measure of broad profitability.  

Information technology revolution impact on the third world countries Essay

Information technology revolution impact on the third world countries - Essay Example Besides, one of the signs of the extent of attention and alertness dedicated to information and communication technology globally is its immense contribution to the global GDP, which augmented from 5.5% in the past years to 6.75% contemporarily. Moreover, the size of this sector in the contemporary or present world tallies to 2.5 trillion dollars globally. Furthermore, the implication of ICT on the level of productivity and the GDP is overtly consummate, and a single illustration of this factual statement is the yearly growth rate of prime monetary systems such as the U.S.A., which notably augmented from approximately 1.4% for up to 1995 to the eventual or present 2.3% up to the year 2000. Notably, this augmentation attributes to the augmented productivity in diverse sectors of the community, with close regard to the ICT contribution of 75%. Moreover, in the Australian monetary system, ICT has augmented productivity in virtually all economic sections by approximately 30%. A further positive implication of ICT on the global perspective is that its industries are effectually aiding in the complete diversification of capital sources and structuring of new immensely paying job opportunities for the people (Chandra 144). Moreover, this reduces the current unemployment rate and notably augments income of a common inhabitant. Saudi Arabia is a conferrable nation in whose case ICT has immensely contributed more than 15% of the GDP. Additionally, another feature of ICT on the global perspective is that its penetration into diverse fields and dispensations with a general purpose of enabling or activating technology. This happens via ICT providing a ready platform for virtually all sectors of the economy. In this case, it has contributed immensely to numerous sectors of the economy in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, this comes as an addition

Application Reinforcement Theory By Managers To Shape Employees Behaviours Business Essay

Application Reinforcement Theory By Managers To Shape Employees Behaviours Business Essay INTRODUCTION The aim of this paper is to explain the application of reinforcement theory by the managers to shape employees behaviors in order to overcome restraining forces of change in an organization. Goal is to explain the managerial aspect of applying reinforcement theory. For better explanation, some basic fundamentals of Organizational Behavior and Organizational Development will be used with special reference to reinforcement theory and how managers should apply strategies in lessening resistance to change amongst employees. Purpose is to help us better understand organizational behavior and organizational development techniques and theory and how to implement them in an organization. I will be including all the essential components of reinforcement theory,its principle,its application as how it should be implemented by managers,what are the restraining forces that comes in the way during changes and how management should try to overcome it. Reinforcement is an extremely important principle of conditioning used by managers to influence their employees in an organization. It is the process of shaping behavior by controlling its consequences. Reinforcement theory is sometimes known as operant conditioning as it focuses on th relationship between operant behavior and associated consequences. Continuous reinforcement strategies are implemented to sustain employees desire to work as they loose their interest in work over long period of time. Hence management should use the reinforcement strategies and theories to motivate their employees and benefit their organization to achieve desired results. ORGANISATIONAL BEHAIOUR THEORIES Organizational theories helps to motivate workers and employees so that they can perform their jobs in the best possible manner contributing to overall development of the organization. These provide courage and motivation to the employees in order to improve their working skills. There are two best known names for the development of theories :- Parlov who developed theory of classical conditioning and Skinner who developed theory of instrumental conditioning. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Classical Conditioning is the type of learning made famous by Pavlovs experiments with dogs. It is used by trainers to condition (train) autonomic responses, such as the drooling, producing adrenaline, or reducing adrenaline (calming) without using the stimuli that would naturally create such a response; and, to create an association between a stimulus that normally would not have any effect on the animal and a stimulus that would. Classical conditioning reflects how an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another. It is association between two stimuli. This theory is difficult to explain wide variety of observable human behavior, specially issues involving complexity. It does not allow for choice in the response options available to humans and applied in daily life. It deals with cognitive thought process. OPERANT CONDITIONING Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and consequences. This process has a wider application than the classical conditioning approach as it provides shaping of behavior in particular patterns. The basic assumption of operant conditioning is that behavior is influenced by its consequences One of the distinctive aspects of Skinners theory is that it attempted to provide behavioral explanations for a broad range of cognitive phenomena. For example, Skinner explained drive (motivation) in terms of deprivation and reinforcement schedules. PRINCIPLES OF OPERANT CONDITIONING Some of the important principles of operant conditioning that can aid the manager to influence behavior:- POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Managers often use positive reinforcer to influence behavior. A positive reinforcer is a stimulus which,when added to the situation,strengthens the probability of a behavioral response. It can be used to improve employees performance. Positive reinforcement is highly effective and used for two reasons. Firstly, it is used for the direction or motivation of the actions of other people and secondly it uses versatile concept of reinforcement as an explanation of behavior. Many organizations uses positive reinforcements to increase productivity, decrease absenteeism and workplace accidents. For Eg. An insurance company offered incentives at end of each month if the agent succeed to reach their target. Another example,chemical bank has set up programs to positively reinforce employee actions that lead to better customer service. Positive reinforcement can be monetary rewards as well as non financial rewards such as recognition,merchandise incentives etc. When positive reinforcements are used, the desired outcome is that the behavior is reinforced. NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT Negative reinforcement increases the frequency of a response following removal of a negative reinforcer immediately after the response. It strengthens the response as response removes some painful stimulus and enables the organization to avoid it. For example, exerting high degrees of efforts to complete a job may be negatively reinforced by not listening to boss. PUNISHMENT It relates to unpleasant reward for particular behaviors. It is defined as presenting an uncomfortable consequence for a particular behavioral response. It is increasingly used managerial strategy. This forms of reinforcements decreases the occurrence of the behavior in question. Organizations typically use several types of unpleasant events to punish individuals. Interpersonal punisher are used extensively including frowns,grunts,personal grudges and aggressive body language of an employee. Punishments can also be materialistic i.e, cut in pay, demotion, final punishment can be firing of an employee,transfer to another job,etc For example, punishing a worker who slows down the work may be an economically necessary step to alter behavior, another example can be loss of pay. There can be negative affects of punishment,it can cause undesirable emotional reaction,another problem is control of undesirable behavior becomes restricted to managers presence only. EXTINCTION Extinction can be defined as decline in response rate because of non reinforcement. It refers to stopping of the reinforcement,firstly it leads to reduction n eventually omission of reinforcement. An example would be if an employee is not acknowledged despite of his or her tremendous work,he will finally stop doing so. This form of reinforcement decreases the occurrence of the behavior in question. An important base for all these important principle is Thorndikes classic law of effect. Managers must strategically balance between the use of pleasant and unpleasant events occurring in an organization in order to meet their desired outcomes. However positive management procedures dominates in any well-run organization. Before applying reinforcements in an organization,managers also need to know as to when reinforcements should be used in order to influence level and rate of continued repetition of desired behavior. For this it is important to know the Schedules of Reinforcement. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT In an organization it is very essential to time the rewards and punishment and timing of these outcomes is known as reinforcement scheduling. There are different results of timing and frequency of reinforcement. Reinforcement schedules is widely used to explain different process of workplace such as absenteeism,motivation,different payment systems. Continuous and Intermittent Reinforcement Continuous reinforcements means that the behavior is reinforced each time it occurs and is the simplest schedule of reinforcement. If the reinforcement does not occur after each response ,an intermittent reinforcement schedule is being used. Ferster and Skinner argued that there are two basic types of intermittent schedules. First there are those schedules in which reinforcement occurs at fixed number of desired responses,secondly, there are schedules where reinforcements occurs regularly or irregularly. By combining these two ideas four intermittent schedules are made which they believe has different effects on behaviors. Four types of intermittent schedules are :- 1. Fixed Interval Schedule In fixed interval schedule,a constant amount of time should pass before a reinforcer is provided. In other words behavior pattern almost stops after a reward until the next interval . An example may be praise employees performance once a week and not at other times or payment of employees must be done weekly,biweekly or monthly. This is an monetary reinforcement that comes at the specific period of time. 2. Variable Interval Schedule It represents changes in th amount of time between reinforcer. Variable reinforcer varies in time and predictability. Examples of variable interval schedules would be managers giving special recognition to employees for successfully completing projects and promoting them to higher-level positions . If the manager does not changes its schedule,employee would anticipate his tours and adjust their behavior accordingly to be rewarded. 3. Fixed Ratio Schedule In fixed ratio schedule ,the behavior which you desire must occur number of times specifically before reinforcement takes place. It produces high reinforce rate at closing of reinforcements. For example,paying employees weekly checks that is determined to be paid in expected time. 4. Variable Ratio Schedule Unlike fixed ratio,variable ratio schedule varies in the number of repetitions of desired behavior. There is a high rate of responding in this schedule. Managers often uses variable ratio with praise and recognition. For example ,In an organization bonuses or special awards are given after varying numbers of desired behaviors . Variable ratio schedules produces desired behavioral change which is consistent and very resistant to extinction. ORGANISATION APPLICATION OF BEHAVIOURAL MODIFICATION Organizational behavioral modification is a more general term coined to designate the systematic reinforcement of desirable organizational behavior and the non reinforcement or punishment of unwanted organizational behavior. It is based on an assumption that behavior is more important than psychological causes (needs, values,motives held by individuals)(7) Application of behavior modification in organization follows step by step process:- 1. Managers must define and identify the behavior specifically. When a behavior is observable and can be recorded then it is being pinpointed. To be pinpointed as an important behavior,there must be positive answers to these questions: > can it be seen ? >Can it be measured? 2. Pinpointed behaviors must be counted by the managers as it provides a clear perspective of the strength of the behavior at the present or before change situation. By graphing these data ,managers can determine whether behavior is increasing or decreasing or remaining at the same. 3. ABC analysis should be conducted any managers of an organization. ABC refers to antecedents (analyzing antecedents of actual behavior), behavior (pinpointing critical behavior) and consequences (indicates contingent consequences). This helps managers to analyze performance analysis questions significant in programs. Questions may be:- Antecedents > Does the employer know what is expected? > Have they been communicated? > Are they clear about the standards? Behavior > Can the behavior be performed? > Could the employee do it if his or her life is dependent on it? > Does something prevent its occurrence Consequences > Are the consequences weighted in favor of performance? > Do we note improvement even though the improvements may still leave the employee below company standards? > Is the reinforcement specific? 4. Manager describes action plan and strategies after setting the first three steps. The strategies for strengthening desirable performance and weaken undesirable behaviors are positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers, punishment and extinction. Generally managers tends to use positive reinforcement in applying behavior modification programs but identifying it is not so easy. It can be identified by asking subordinates whats rewarding and another method can be by doing surveys asking about job preferences. 5. The last steps involves evaluation. This step is essential as it tells manager to review changes in behavior before the implementation of the program. Evaluation permits managers to measure performance on an ongoing basis. It also provide feedback to managers which help them to take corrective measures if any. Behavior modification helps to understand workplace behavior by making connections between stimulus,response and contingencies. Reinforcement theory is an important explanation of how people learn behavior. It is often applied to organizational settings in the form of a behavioral modification program. Although the assumptions of reinforcement theory are often criticized, its principles continue to offer important insights into individual learning and motivation. Assessing behavioral modification programmes in an organization has evolved a technique known as meta analysis. This collect studies using different sample sizes and weight them accordingly. One meta analysis of a larger number of studies found a 93 percent success rate which appeared in different target behavior and organizational settings. Organizational behavior modification is used widely among several organizations which includes united air lines,General electric, Proctor and Gamble, Michigan bell telephone etc. Organizational behavior modification is making and can make a positive contribution to organizational behavior. Absenteeism rates,quality of productions and employee safety behaviors appear to improve more often than not when using Organizational behavior modification. Hence a manager should understand that the employees are the most important aspect of an organization success, and towards the realization of its goals and so every employee must be motivated in doing his function. Motivation is significant factor in persuading a certain employee to work at his best . Therefore, it is essential that reinforcement strategies should be continuously conceptualized and implemented in order to sustain employees positive attitude towards his work. Employees tend to loose their interest in their work over long periods of time; so continuous reinforcement strategies are implemented to sustain employees desire to finish their job. The strategies are based on Douglas McGregors two different assumptions (Theories X and Y). > There must be continuous coercion and control of employees. > They must be directed always on what to do. Continuous monthly reward must be given to employees to boost their self confidence and improve organizations desired outcome. By using certain theories and strategies ,managers can help in reinforcing their employees by fulfilling their needs, giving them bonuses,treating them equitably,making them satisfied ,more goal oriented and focused, resulting in high outputs to an organization. RESTRAINING FORCES BLOCKING IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE IN EMPLOYEES Kurt Lewin ,developed a management technique known as Force field analysis and is used to overcome resistance to change in an organization. According to Lewin, there are driving and restraining forces which influence any change that may occur in a situation. Driving forces Driving forces are forces that tends to initiate a change and keeps it going. pressure from a supervisor, competition may be some examples of driving forces in an organization. Restraining forces are forces acting to restrain or decrease the driving forces. For example, poor maintenance of equipment may restraining forces against increased production in an organization. In a group process, there are always some forces that favor the change and some forces that are against it. Therefore an equilibrium should be established and it is reached when the sum of the driving forces equals the sum of the restraining forces. To make the employees accept the changes, manager should push driving forces and convert or immobilize the restraining forces. HINDRANCES TO OD CHANGE PROGRAMS Uncertainty regarding change Employees resist change due to the uncertainty and ambiguity associated with the old ways of doing things. Generally,people tend to become more independent and active as they grow older and wiser in a firm. They become anxious accepting changes,they have fear of unknown.they are filled with insecurity due to lack of information in new techniques. Threats To Position Power This type of threat is often seen in top management,which threaten them to lower their status or prestige in a group during the process of change. Social Factors Every individual have social needs. While working in an organization employee becomes members of certain informal group and so,any change or new adjustment will bring a fear among them. The stronger the group ties,the greater the resistance of change. Threat to specialization. Any change in organization may also threaten the expertise of specialized groups. For example, giving specialized training to all the employees was perceived as a threat by the experts in an organization. Threat to insecurity Safety and security are high priority for every individual. and this is the major factor for resistance to change especially on the job front. When employees feel that the security of the job is at the stake due to the change, they resist it. WAYS TO LESSEN RESISTANCE It is very important for the managers to overcome the resistance of change in employees by using some of the following strategies:- Effective Communication: One of the foremost reason for resistance to change is inaccurate information or in other words lack of communication. Thus effective communication program can help in overcoming this resistance. Managers should give necessary information about any change, its process and its working through training class and conferences. Reasons for change must also be communicated very clearly among employees. This will help in making employees understand about the necessity of change in an organization. Participation and Involvement: Participation and involvement can help employee to accept changes in an organization. It helps in removing their doubts and to win their cooperation in the change process. This involvement of the workers can obtain personal commitment and increase the quality of the changed decisions. Negotiation and Agreement: Negotiation and Agreement technique is very useful and can make change go much smoothly. For example, union agreement, transferring employee to other divisions etc. Leadership: Leadership plays an important role in overcoming resistance to change. A capable leader can reinforce a climate of psychological support for change. A strong and effective leader can exert emotional pressure on his subordinates to bring about the desired change. (8) Coercion: Managers may choose to coercion if all other methods fail. Coercion may be in form of explicit or implicit threats involving loss of jobs, lack of promotion, etc. Managers sometimes dismiss employees who resist change. It can seriously affect employees attitudes and may also have adverse consequences in the long run. Managers consider change to be an important ingredient to the success of any organization and therefore it is extremely essential for them to overcome restraining forces of change amongst their employees ,using such strategies and techniques. Gaining acceptance of proposed changes is the foremost job of the management as it directly focuses on Organizational Development. It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent but the one most responsive to change Charles Darwin CONCLUSION Reinforcement theory deals with motivating and influencing behavior of employee. It is sometimes also referred as operant conditioning. In order to understand manager and employees perspective it is important to know the organizational behavior techniques and theory. Reinforcement theory shapes individual behaviors and so organization uses this theory to influence their employees. There are several principle of this theory which include positive reinforcement which is in terms of some monetary reward or non financial rewards,negative reinforcement which include dismissal or some kind of negative activity taken by managers, punishment and extinction. Then it is also important to understand as to when this theory should be applied by the management and so its scheduling is also significant aspect. Reinforcement scheduling can be continuous schedule or intermittent schedule. Further this paper focuses on application of this organizational behavior theory by the managers ,explaining managers actions and controls. It also focuses on restraining forces blocking implementation of changed program established by manager and later it also describes how to overcome resistance to these changes.

Reflections Based on the Work of Bernard Lonergan :: Bernard Lonegran Essays

Reflections Based on the Work of Bernard Lonergan ABSTRACT: The theory of agency, it has been claimed, seems to involve two strange notions: on the one hand, that of a self who is not merely an event, but a substance; and that of causation, according to which an agent, who is a substance, can nevertheless be the cause of an event. The understanding of the conscious subject as constituted by the operations of experience, understanding, judgment and decision, proposed by the Canadian philosopher and theologian, Bernard Lonergan, might resolve the puzzle, and provide the basis for an understanding of human freedom that is the affirmation of neither determinism nor arbitrariness. Perhaps one of the strongest arguments in the proposal's favor is that any attempt to refute it in theory would entail its adoption in practice. I. Introduction The theme of freedom is an early and enduring one in the works of the Canadian philosopher and theologian, Bernard J. F. Lonergan (1904-1984). It was the subject of his 1940 doctoral dissertation at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (subsequently published as Grace and Freedom in 1971). Lonergan devoted further explicit attention to the topic in his study of human understanding, Insight, and again, in 1972, in Method in Theology. Since the focus of the doctoral thesis is centred on supernatural grace, I shall turn to the two later works, and other articles, for the elaboration of Lonergan's understanding of human freedom. II. Consciousness and Subjectivity What Lonergan wants to propose concerning human freedom cannot be understood apart from his view of the human subject who is free. In many ways, in fact, Lonergan's understanding of freedom, like his cognitional theory and his theological methodology, is simply an application of a more basic theory of subjectivity. In Lonergan's view, while there is a great emphasis on the human subject in contemporary philosophy, the understanding attained is either incomplete or mistaken. The study of the subject is nothing other than the study of oneself inasmuch as one is conscious, and should proceed as follows: It attends to operations and to their centre and source which is the self. It discerns the different levels of consciousness, the consciousness of the dream, of the waking subject, of the intelligently inquiring subject, of the rationally reflecting subject, of the responsibly deliberating subject. It examines the different operations on the different levels and their relations to one another. One's view of human subjectivity will be inaccurate or mistaken to the degree that one either does not advert to all the different operations of consciousness, or to their inter-relationship.

Management Competencies

Management Competencies – Experience of a Healthcare Manager Context Health care organisations in New Zealand today face similar challenges to those in other highly developed countries (1, 2). With growing aging populations and increasing burden of chronic illnesses the demand for publically funded health and disabilities services continues to grow significantly (1). This increase in need coupled with the advancements in technology has driven the costs of providing publically funded healthcare services to unsustainable high levels (1, 2).Public spending on healthcare has continued to rise at the rate of 6% per year over the last decade with 21% of share of public spending being on health in 2010 (2, 3). In a background of the global economic crisis, District Health Boards (DHBs) who are charged with the provision of publically funded health and disability services are increasingly having to re-engineer their systems and services to provide value in financially constraint envir onments (2).While this at a systems level may mean taking a â€Å"whole of systems† approach with integrated service models (2), at the unit-specific services level it also includes focused attention on productivity, quality, waste reduction and safety. Key Competencies of the Service Manager Management competence is an important determinant of healthcare organisational performance (5). Competence is an individual’s knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to their practice and performance (6, 7).Evidence from the Management Matter Research Project indicates that â€Å"higher management practice in hospitals is strongly correlated with hospitals’ quality of patient care and productivity outcomes† (8). It reported that improved management practice in hospitals were related to better clinical outcomes, increased patient satisfaction and better financial performance (8). The management role focused in this case is the service manager, a middle management ro le responsible for the strategic development and deliverables of the health service.The role is also accountable for the operational budget and management of staff. This paper explores the experience of the service manager challenged with transforming the health service from a dysfunctional average performing unit to a high performing, progressive and highly respected and valued service. It discusses the competencies of effective management with some reflection by the health service manager on the management approach utilised.Given the challenges of improving performance and developing a highly functional team, the service manager utilised the influential model of leadership style over the traditional reactive and transactional style as the predominant style of management (9, 10). This included engaging the workforce in developing a common vision for the service with clear objectives (11). In order to ensure the service goals were aligned with the organisational goals, an important characteristic of the service manager during this process was having a good understanding of the changing healthcare environment and the organisational priorities (11, 12, 13).Critical to achieving change and success was also his ability to work with staff to collectively determine and communicate the â€Å"Why†, â€Å"What†, â€Å"How†, â€Å"Who† and â€Å"When† elements of managing change. Regular reinforcement of both the positive and negative implications of the situation as well as setting mutually agreed expectations were also important to achieving change (11). This transformational style of management was also instrumental in gaining confidence and trust of staff in order to manage the workforce culture issues of mistrust, low morale and dissatisfaction largely resultant from historical experiences.The evidence for efficacy of this style and the associated competencies has been demonstrated by 2 studies reporting that transformational lead er behaviour has significant positive impact on employee satisfaction and psychological well-being (14, 15). Additional leader/manager behaviours required and demonstrated by the service manager were those that focused on individualised consideration including; creating close working relationships which encourage mutual respect, empowering and including employees in decision making, creating opportunities for employee development through coaching and mentoring and team building (16).The benefits of these behaviours are evidenced in other leadership theories including behavioural (consideration behaviours) approach and leader-member exchange theory (11, 14, 17, 18, 19). Followership and early recognition of the relationship dynamics of a team are also key elements to effective management. Working closely with followers and those with team influential ability is useful when change is likely to be difficult or experience high levels of resistance (11).The use of a collective approach t o resolving a problem and delegating the ownership of solution creation to a staff member with high peer influential ability results in achievement of objectives. The ability of the service manager to move appropriately between directive and participatory type management styles was also important in certain situations (11, 19). This was particularly useful for implementing workplace behavioural expectations like punctuality and managing disrespectful behaviours.A key competency for healthcare manager effectiveness relevant to the management style illustrated above is emotional intelligence (EI) (20). Essentially, this competency recognises the â€Å"importance of highly developed interpersonal skills and the ability to get along with others† to be effective at influencing and negotiating (20). The key attributes of a manager with high EI include self-awareness, self regulation, self motivation, social awareness and social skills (20). A summary of the key management competenc ies relevant to the management style described here is illustrated by the matrix diagram below (Figure 1) (12, 13).In summary, management styles in healthcare that are based upon the principles of transformational and behavioural leadership and utilise the respective competencies are likely to be more successful. Furthermore, while there are specific skills, behaviours and knowledge that describe the key competency domains, their use in practice is interrelated (see Figure 1) and often context-specific. [pic] References 1. The Global Health Policy Summit 2012. Report of the inaugural meeting 1 August 2012. Institute of Global Health Innovation. London: Imperial College London (UK); 2012. https://workspace. imperial. ac. k/global-health-innovation/Public/GHPS_2012_Summit_Report. pdfs 2. Mays N. Reorienting the New Zealand healthcare system to meet the challenge of long term conditions in a fiscally constraint environment. Jan 2013 (revised version). Paper prepared for New Zealand Tre asury Long-term Fiscal External Panel, November 2012, and Chair of Public Finance, Victoria University of Wellington and New Zealand Treasury conference, Affording our Future, Wellington, 10-11 December. http://www. victoria. ac. nz/sacl/about/cpf/publications/pdfs/Nick-Mays-Revised-Conference-Paper-Jan-2013-website-version. pdf 3. Ministry of Health.Health Expenditure trends in New Zealand 2000-2010. Aug 2012. http://www. health. govt. nz/publication/health-expenditure-trends-new-zealand-2000-2010 4. 5. Fine, D. Establishing Competencies for Healthcare Managers. Healthcare Executive. 2002; 172(2): 66-67. (Cited by: Shewchuk R M. O’Connor S, Fine D. Building an Understanding of the Competencies Needed for Health Administration Practice. Journal of Health Care Management. 2005; 50(1):32-47). 6. Filerman GL. Closing the management competence gap. Hum Resource Health. 2003; 1: 7. (Cited by: Santric MM, Bjegovic-Mikanovic VM, Terzic-Supic ZJ, Vasic V.Competencies gap of managemen t teams in primary health care. Euro J Pub Health. 2010; 21(2): 247-253). 7. Parry SB. Just what is a competency? And why should you care? Training. 1998: 58-64. (Cited by: Santric MM, Bjegovic-Mikanovic VM, Terzic-Supic ZJ, Vasic V. Competencies gap of management teams in primary health care. Euro J Pub Health. 2010; 21(2): 247-253). 8. Dorgan S, Layton D, Bloom N, Homkes R, Sadu R, Van Reenen J. Management matters. Why good practice really matters. Healthcare Management Survey. McKinsey & Company. London School of Economics and Political Science. 2010: 1-28. ttp://cep. lse. ac. uk/textonly/_new/research/productivity/management/PDF/Management_in_Healthcare_Report. pdf 9. Rubin RS, Munz DC, Bommer WH. Leading form within: The effects of emotion recognition and personality on transformational leadership behaviour. Academy of Management Journal. 2005; 48: 845-858. (Cited in: Yaker J, Donaldson-Fielder E. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. Identifying a nd developing the management behaviours necessary to implement the HSE management standards. Phase 2. 2007. http://www. hse. gov. uk/research/rrpdf/rr553. pdf ) 10.Bass BM.. Two decades of research and development in transformational leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 1999; 8: 9-32. (Cited in: Yaker J, Donaldson-Fielder E. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. Identifying and developing the management behaviours necessary to implement the HSE management standards. Phase 2. 2007. http://www. hse. gov. uk/research/rrpdf/rr553. pdf ) 11. Banaszak-Holl J, Nembhard I, Taylor L, Bradley E . Leadership and Management: A Framework for Action. Chapter 2. In: Burns LB, Bradley EH, Weiner BJ (editors).Shortell and Kaluzny’s Health Care Management Organisation Design and Behaviour. New York: Delmar Cenage; 2012. p. 33-62. 12. Stefl M. Common competencies for all healthcare managers: The Healthcare Leadership Alliance Model. J Healthcare Management. 2008; 53(6): 360-73. 13. Anderson P, Pulich M. Managerial competencies necessary in today’s dynamic health care environment. Health Care Manager. 2002; 21(2): 1–11. 14. Sosik JJ, Godshalk VM.. Leadership styles, mentoring functions received, and job related stress: A conceptual model and preliminary study. Journal of Organizational Behaviour. 000; 21: 365-390. (Cited in: Yaker J, Donaldson-Fielder E. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. Identifying and developing the management behaviours necessary to implement the HSE management standards. Phase 2. 2007. http://www. hse. gov. uk/research/rrpdf/rr553. pdf ). 15. AlimoMetcalfe B, AlbanMetcalfe RJ. The development of a new transformational leadership questionnaire. The Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology. 2001: 74: 1-27. (Cited in: Yaker J, Donaldson-Fielder E. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work.Identifying and developi ng the management behaviours necessary to implement the HSE management standards. Phase 2. 2007. http://www. hse. gov. uk/research/rrpdf/rr553. pdf ). 16. Shewchuk RM, O’Connor S, Fine D. Building an Understanding of the Competencies Needed for Health Administration Practice. Journal of Health Care Management. 2005; 50(1):32-47. 17. Gerstner CR, Day DV. Meta-analytic review of leader-member exchange theory: correlates and construct issues. Journal of Applied Psychology. 1997: 82; 827-844. (Cited in: Yaker J, Donaldson-Fielder E. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work.Identifying and developing the management behaviours necessary to implement the HSE management standards. Phase 2. 2007. http://www. hse. gov. uk/research/rrpdf/rr553. pdf ). 18. Graen GB, UhlBien M. Relationship based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly. 1995; 6: 219 -247. (Cited in: Yaker J, Donaldson-Fielder E. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. Identifying and developing the management behaviours necessary to implement the HSE management standards.Phase 2: 2007. http://www. hse. gov. uk/research/rrpdf/rr553. pdf). 19. Yaker J, Donaldson-Fielder E. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. Identifying and developing the management behaviours necessary to implement the HSE management standards. Phase 2. 2007. http://www. hse. gov. uk/research/rrpdf/rr553. pdf ) 20. Freshman B, Rubino L. Emotional Intelligence: A core competency for health care administrators. Health Care Manager 2002 20(4): 1- 9. ———————– Figure 1: Key Management Competencies for a HealthCare Manager

Is What You See Real or Memorex?

We have different philosophers and different ideas from each of the philosophers, similar in some ways, vastly different in others and yet their ideas make a person think, as they are supposed to but what if neither Rene Descartes, George Berkeley or Thomas Reid are correct in their entirety? What if both ways of thinking are actually linked together enough to make them both correct and both incorrect?Let us start with the definition of epistemology where the origins of nature and limits of human knowledge are examined. Human knowledge in the aspect of the real world is limited.There is no one on Earth who knows everything whether it be real or imagined. (Rene Descartes belief of independent external world) This would become limited in any thought provoking conversation. If you were to ask people at random, if there is anything they know with certainty, they would say yes. They know for certain they are sitting or talking or looking at you or the tree. If you asked them if they were sure that they didn’t just perceive these instances they would chance to look at you like you were crazy but in the end there is also a perception.Take the example of the mind independent external world and ask yourself that if you died, would things in the world remain physically the same? The bed you slept in might until it was destroyed, the house in which you lived may remain a house but what about you as a person, you would not remain physically the same so in that view a mind independent world cannot be 100% accurate. One day you can see yourself in a mirror because you are alive, the next day you cannot because you are dead.On the other hand, you see things and believe them to be out in the world but what you see is only a perception which lends credence to Thomas Reid’s theory. Thomas Reid believes that we do not need certainty to acquire knowledge and I agree and as you will see by the following poem, the timing of perception may almost destroy Descartes and B erkley’s theories. See how that worked, I believe the following poem will destroy a theory and this is perception. NOW What has been and what will be, cannot be changed, cannot be seen.For yesterday is gone and done and tomorrow lies beyond the sun, yet there is reality, that fine line between futures and past that we define as now. The eyes have never seen, nor the ears ever heard, the falling of a star or the calling of a bird. They merely transmit shadows, vibrations they receive, along the neural networks, for the brain to be deceived into thinking that what we see and are believing and what we hear; but do we perceive reality or only what we think is there?Now a millisecond past, from eye or ear to mind and another billisecond just for the brain to define, so what we perceive as happening is at least a millisecond past. We cannot exist within the now, our reactions aren't that fast. So is what we see a piece of history by the time we can perceive or do our senses touch t he future, which do you believe? Either way it's plain to me that there is no now to be found. We live two separate times so why are we so bound? Now that I've given you a thought to twist your mind, I must say excuse the pun, I'm simply out of time.(Original copyright 1999 Cara Tapken-(Teirsha=pen) ) In reading this poem, where is the certainty now as suddenly a lot of questions have been posed and suddenly a whole new thought process will evolve into the metaphysical sense of perception. Take another example of looking at a field or horizon of trees, or any group of trees for that manner, how do they look? Ok so they look like trees but in seeing the trees do you see them as you might if there is no 3 dimensional quality or do you see them with a much defined 3-D quality?Each one will see this differently at different times which lends further conveyance of truth to the supernatural beliefs and so with this in mind where does Descartes and Berkley fit into this picture? Let us use God as an example. God is definitely a perception. Many of us believe in him, many of us think he is almighty and the basis of religion but outside of pictures for one, do we really know what he looks like? This is a form of perception as we do not know with certainty what he looks like but we only know from pictures and words of description. What of prayer?How do we really know that prayer works even though we believe? Do we see our prayers physically being listened to by God? Do we see God there with an outstretched hand in receiving? Also, Descartes believed in God and God was the centrifuge of his Roman Catholic faith and theory so in believing in God, when God is a perception and written words then how can Descartes claim the theories he does because suddenly there is no certainty. The Roman catholic faith believes in archangels, evil and good yet without seeing these in a physical sense whatsoever how can one obtain certainty in knowledge or vice versa?With regard to percepti on and certainty, how can these philosophers be wrong and right at the same time by validating one another’s theories and if there is a validation of theories then do they suddenly have related theories to for a whole new theory? Descrates believes in no knowledge without certainty and Reid believes in perception. Take into account of the poem which is a perception based poem with much pointing towards the reality of how our human brain, through proven science, works. Suddenly there is the certainty in knowledge and how perception works and is very real. Both philosophers are now correct and both are now wrong.Did we just blow two theories away, add to them or validate all or part of the theories these two obviously share? Mind independent external world does exist to a degree but as well, only by the degree of perception until the â€Å"brain can define† (CL Tapken). Now Clifford is famous for his evidentialist thesis that â€Å"It is wrong always, everywhere, and fo r anyone, to believe anything on insufficient evidence. (W. K. Clifford). I simply would like to know where Clifford’s justification is for telling people that they way they think or how they think, simply because there is a lack of evidence, is wrong.I see him as suddenly wrong for being discriminatory in a sense as theory is based upon having no actual evidence for justification as science always dictates. The theory of using cancer cells to treat cancer is nothing but a theory, there is no evidence as it has not yet been tested to be proven but in thinking this way, according to Clifford, is wrong which is highly inconsistent with the continual forward progress of science. Now Berkley’s theory is much more rational in my opinion as he believes in both sides of what you can and cannot see.He believes in the mind and the thought processes that integrate a thought to reality and that one doesn’t need complete certainty for some knowledge and he calls this the la w of nature. He has a belief process in the realm of science but he couples that with a religion to form his belief that all things happen because of God and spirits. Now for those who are quite religious, this would be believed but then there are those who are atheists and or believe in the Darwinism theory of evolution thus suddenly, in either case there is no God.But is Berkeley right, to at least some belief that God is the reason behind everything that happens? Perception and gravity denounces, in part, if not all of Berkley’s theory that God is behind everything. The Bible and those who believe in the religion of God agree that God made the heavens and the earth. We will assume that this is not perception but true. But what of gravity? No where in history is it said that God created gravity. Gravity makes the world spin thus creating the â€Å"accidental† gravity. God did not create gravity by design so now it should be safely said that gravity began as a percept ion that turned scientific.Granted, our thought process began this way of thinking and proving this theory and that in itself would be a god driven theory in using Berkley’s theory. Look at the scale that sits in the doctor’s office. The knowledge to make the scale would be in conjunction with Berkley’s theory but for the scale to remain stationary due to gravity is outside his realm of thought as once again, God did not create gravity, therefore God cannot be behind everything that happens which, in the end once again, lends credence to pure perception.It is a fine line between these philosophers on what they agree and don’t agree with but in the end there are similarities in which makes them all correct in the way of validation so with this in mind, are they all thinking the same thing yet with different answers and does this make them all correct or incorrect because of their different answers? Which do you believe and why? Maybe I am the one who is to tally wrong and incoherent in my own opinions and beliefs.Maybe I have no concrete evidence or cannot fully understand the power of perception, metaphysical, supernatural or inanimate objects, maybe I believe in it all. Does what I believe in make me right, wrong, indifferent or simply this is my belief? Who is to say that I am right or that I disagree and maybe my way of being right or disagreeing is not accepted. We each have our own philosophies of life and the reasons why and this is what makes great debates and the world go around.So in the end I must say that I do not fully agree with any philosopher to date. I may agree with a portion of their principles and systems of belief but at the same time of incorporating my own reasons of this belief or lack of belief I, in my own self have just become a philosopher like everyone else, it is just the people who will determine the validity of my own views and will form their own philosophies.Philosophy is just that, no one is right an d no one is wrong it is simply a belief system of how we work minus any factual sciences or the addition of sciences and religion. As a last thought and question which incorporates all but none of these mentioned philosophers; is there really such a thing as an evil person or are they a person who simply does bad things?In short, I believe to some extent of what these philosophers believe but then again I do not for then I would have to agree with everything they say to fully believe in their philosophy, so am I say they are correct or incorrect? References Evidence for God. Famous Scientists Who Believed in God. (September 2008) http://www. godandscience. org/apologetics/sciencefaith. html Tapken, Cara. The Starlite Cafe 1999 (http://www. thestarlitecafe. com/poems/105/poem_91080479. html Theories of perception. September 2008. http://www. unc. edu/~megw/TheoriesofPerception. html

Describe A Person Who Has Significantly Influenced Essays

Describe A Person Who Has Significantly Influenced Essays Describe A Person who has significantly Influenced University of Washington "I shudder at the sight of it. I'd rather see them steal that salad than throw it away," my father bellows in consternation after witnessing the closing rituals at Wendy's. "Pa, they do it so they can serve fresh food tomorrow," I defend the fast food employees' actions. Despite our past four and a half years in "the Land of Plenty," my father clings to his frugality and tremendous respect for food, acquired by necessity throughout his life in the Soviet Union. The sharp contrast between my Americanized perspective and old views and habits retained by my father makes such debates a common occurrence. Besides performing all the prescribed functions of a "parental unit," my father helps me attain objectivity in my judgments by demonstrating how cultural background affects our view of situations. Coming to the United States at the age of thirteen felt like falling into a roaring stream without any swimming skills. Dog paddling, panting, and swallowing gallons of water on the way, I learned to keep myself afloat and gradually gained experience. Cultural adaptation was not a choiceit was a survival need. Along with comic strips and smiles at supermarkets, my mind absorbed such elements of American culture as equal opportunity and self-confidence. The existence of programs such as English as a Second Language at my junior high school persuaded me that these concepts were implemented in daily life. I was thrilled that someone had toiled to ensure that foreigners like myself had the same access to education as the other students. Thus convinced of the tangibility of American beliefs, I began to deem them universal. On the other hand, my father, a 45-year old when we arrived, still perceives reality in Soviet terms, with American customs being an exception to the rule. His comments on the news radically differ from what my American friends have to say. When the hospitalization of the Russian President Boris Yeltsin had the world pondering Russia's future, my father inferred latent meanings from newspaper articles. "I can only trust half of what they say," he would grumble. "Here they say the President doesn't have a liver condition, which, of course, means that he does." Stemming from the paucity of integrity in the old Soviet Union, disbelief and sarcasm permeate Papa's personal philosophy. Dismissing all things immaterial as irrelevant, my father often ridicules the ideas I hold dear, such as political correctness. Some of my activities he does not question, but admits that their value is a mystery to him. "Why do you want to take literature classes?" he asks me with genuine amazement. "You can read on your own, why do more homework?" Yet my enrollment in numerous math and science classes does not baffle him, math and science being matters of "substance." When I challenge the legitimacy of Papa's beliefs, he rolls his eyes and says, "I am too old to change my typical Soviet mind." At first that seemingly feeble excuse infuriated me, but then the validity of it started to register. While verbally crossing swords with my father, I realized that only four years ago, I would have sincerely supported his every word. Further reflection upon this thought led me to be more attentive to others' point of view. Now, when engaged in a discussion, I ask myself, what causes this person to think this way? Viewing the issue from several aspects, I gain a more profound and objective insight. My father provides a point of reference, reminding me of unique circumstances that shape everyone's perspective.

How to Respond to a Request for a Writing Critique

How to Respond to a Request for a Writing Critique How to Respond to a Request for a Writing Critique How to Respond to a Request for a Writing Critique By Mark Nichol You’ve been asked to critique another person’s writing. Perhaps you’re in a writing group. Maybe a colleague has a novel, or a short story, or a collection of their poems, they want to share with you. Or it may be a friend, or a family member, who requests your help. Easy, right? Not at all. Your response will be based on a variety of factors. First, who, exactly, is this person making this perfectly reasonable but deceptively simple-sounding request? How well do you know them, and how comfortable are you with critiquing their writing and they with receiving the criticism? And when they asked you for your assistance, how, precisely, did they pose their request? When someone asks you, in a context outside a professional working relationship, to look over something they wrote, your first response should be, â€Å"What, precisely, would you like me to do?† Their answer will depend, of course, on both their familiarity with the critiquing process and their self-awareness. If they respond that they just want assurance that their work is readable, that they’re headed in the right direction, that the concept and the narrative are potentially appealing to a wide readership, you have it relatively easy. You’ll simply be reading the piece of writing and spending a matter of minutes sharing, in writing or in conversation, your general impressions. But you’re still confronted with the possibility that your honest answer to their question â€Å"Is it any good?† will be no. I’ll get back to that in a moment. If they ask for a more substantial review, one involving notes and/or revisions, because they know you have writing and/or editing experience and can give them guidance, make sure you mention two things: One, they must know the distinction between substantive and mechanical editing. Two, they need to understand what they’ve asked of you. Substantive editing involves reviewing a piece of writing holistically, examining its structure, pacing, and overall impact, and determining whether it is well organized or would be improved with shuffling of sentences, paragraphs, or sections. (Rare is the early draft of a piece of writing that is not improved with at least some reorganization.) A substantive editor will also make occasional notes about phrasing or word choice. Mechanical editing, by contrast, is attention to grammar, syntax, style, spelling, punctuation, and other minutiae though a limited holistic appraisal is part of the process. Once you’re confident that the difference is understood, let the supplicant know that it’s best to manage these distinct tasks in two stages, and that at this point, during the draft stage, only the substantive review will be productive. I suggested earlier that you bring up two issues. The other thing you must do is manage expectations about your commitment of time and energy. Many beginning writers haven’t acquired a perspective about how long editing takes. Make it clear that for you to do anything more than read for general impressions, in order to give the piece of writing the attention it deserves, you would expect to be able to get through only a few pages per hour. For that reason, you would like them to select a chapter from the novel or a section of the short story or a reasonably small fraction of the collected poems for you to review, and to be patient about a response. Remember that part above about me getting back to you about something? That something is honest appraisal. I’ll go into detail in another post about how to appraise, but here is a brief caution: In agreeing to critique someone’s writing, whether superficially or in depth, you are agreeing to respond truthfully about someone’s success in communicating heartfelt expression about something that means a lot to them. As obvious as that may seem to you, I suggest that your response include something like this: â€Å"Understand that no matter how good a writer you are, there will be areas for improvement, and I want to be honest with you about them so that you can become even better. I’d expect no less from you if you looked over something I’ve written. So, unless you’ve done multiple drafts and had someone do substantive editing and someone else do mechanical editing, be prepared for the fact I’m going to find things in your writing that need work. Also, it’s possible that what you’ve written may appeal to others but not to me, but if that’s the case, I’ll still try to advise you about what you can do to make it even more appealing to others.† This statement may seem unduly frank and intimidating, but I think it’s important that you say it. By stating something like this up front, you’re not implying that the writer is a fragile narcissist who will crumble at the slightest hint of criticism; you’re preparing them to get what they asked for: a candid, productive evaluation of something they’ve put a lot of time and effort into but must be prepared to work on even more before it is ready for publication, if that is their goal. And if you must forthrightly state your opinion that the writer should abandon the idea (but not their desire to share other ideas), or that the presentation is awkward or ineffective (but has potential for success if they’re willing to put a lot more work into it), you’ve done your duty, and it is the other person’s responsibility to accept your conclusions with good grace. But be sure to preface the medicine with a spoonful of sugar: Find something positive to begin your report. I’ll go into more detail about that and other appraisal techniques in a later post. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative Conflict50 Idioms About Fruits and Vegetables10 Terms for the Common People

Quiénes pueden brindar asesoría migratoria en USA

Quià ©nes pueden brindar asesorà ­a migratoria en USA Para todos los migrantes en Estados Unidos hay una necesidad evidente de contar con buena  asesorà ­a migratoria. Pero una cosa es informacià ³n en general, como la que se brinda en esta pgina y otra muy distinta asesorà ­a para el caso concreto de cada uno.  ¿Quià ©n puede brindarla? Y es que hay que tener claro que un mal consejo legal puede ocasionar muchos problemas  de cabeza. Incluso algunos que luego no se pueden solucionar. Es por esta razà ³n que es muy conveniente contar con la asesorà ­a de una persona honesta, trabajadora y que sepa de quà © habla. Es fundamental entender la diferencia entre quià ©nes son los abogados, los representantes acreditados, los consultores y los notarios y saber quà © puede legalmente hacer cada uno de ellos en asuntos migratorios. Abogados migratorios para asesorar en asuntos migratorios Los abogados obviamente pueden dar consejo legal y tambià ©n representar los inmigrantes en las Cortes de Inmigracià ³n.   El paso natural cuando se necesita consejo legal es contratar a un letrado. Para  elegir abogado  es fundamental contar con referencias positivas de clientes actuales o antiguos. Sin embargo, son relativamente frecuentes los casos de malaprctica y negligencia. Adems, hay que tener en cuenta que los servicios de los  abogados en Estados Unidos puede resultar  muy caros. No siendo raro que cobren hasta $400 por hora y que carguen a mayores por servicios como fotocopias o llamadas telefà ³nicas, con lo que la factura final puede ser considerable. Muchas veces se puede ahorrar hablando previamente con el abogado y presentando todos los documentos ordenados y traducidos. Asà ­ se evitarn gastos en los que puede incurrir el despacho de abogados por tener que buscar ellos mismos documentos o de traducirlos al inglà ©s. Por à ºltimo, en el caso de encontrarse con un abogado cuya actuacià ³n ha podido no ser profesional se puede presentar una queja ante la  American Immigration Lawyers Association. En el caso de estar fuera de los Estados Unidos, es importante buscar abogados que de verdad entiendan las leyes migratorias de ese paà ­s y desconfiar de aquellos que aseguran conocer a alguien en el consulado que arregla papeles a cambio de dinero. Eso no es asà ­. En los Estados Unidos, tambià ©n es posible buscar opciones ms asequibles de asistencia legal como es el caso de los representantes acreditados, conocidos en inglà ©s como  accredited representatives. Quines son los representantes acreditados para asuntos migratorios Son las personas que estn autorizadas para actuar en nombre del inmigrante ante del Departamento de Seguridad Interna (DHS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y sus diversas instituciones, como el  USCIS o la CBP. Esto es lo que se conoce como representacià ³n parcial. Pero adems, pueden estar autorizadas para representar a su cliente ante las cortes de inmigracià ³n. El Board of Immigration Appeals es el à ºnico organismo autorizado a conceder estas  acreditaciones  y lo hace a personas que: Sean postuladas para tal posicià ³n por una organizacià ³n reconocida.Posean buen carcter moral.Y tengan conocimientos y experiencia sobre las leyes y los procedimientos migratorios y de naturalizacià ³n para la adquisicià ³n de la ciudadanà ­a americana. El Board concede la acreditacià ³n por un periodo de  tres aà ±os renovables. Por lo que para confirmar que todo est bien con la persona que se desea elegir para que actà ºe como representante se puede checar su estatus con el Programa de Reconocimiento de Acreditaciones llamando al (703) 305 9029. Otras personas autorizadas para asesorar legalmente Adems, estn autorizados para esas labores las organizaciones reconocidas como tales y los proveedores de asistencia legal gratuita. Asimismo, pueden representar a los inmigrantes otros representantes cualificados como estudiantes o licenciados en Derecho que todavà ­a no han aprobado el examen de ingreso al Bar pero que trabajan bajo la supervisià ³n de un abogado. Tambià ©n pueden hacerlo los oficiales del gobierno, como por ejemplo los agentes consulares y las personas como sacerdotes, vecinos, familiares del inmigrante y que sean de buen carcter moral y que no cobren ni directa ni indirectamente por estos servicios. Sin embargo, los que no estn autorizados a ejercer esa representacià ³n son los notarios o los consultores de inmigracià ³n. Que NO pueden hacer los consultores de inmigracin y los notarios Ni los consultores ni los notarios pueden, entre otras cosas: Representar a los inmigrantes ante el USCIS o ante una corte federal de inmigracià ³n.Brindar asistencia legal sobre a quà © beneficios migratorios se puede aplicar.Aconsejar sobre quà © decir en una entrevista con las autoridades migratorias.Ni tampoco pueden cobrar cantidades altas por sus servicios. Por lo tanto, si crees que has sido và ­ctima de un fraude migratorio, asà ­ se reporta. Qu servicios pueden prestar los consultores y los notarios Dependiendo de sus conocimientos, los consultores pueden ayudar a los inmigrantes rellenar los formularios del USCIS como por ejemplo los de peticià ³n de un familiar, permiso de trabajo, etc. Tambià ©n pueden  traducir los documentos que deben presentarse junto con las formas. Fraude y representacin por s mismo Es importante evitar fraudes y, si se es và ­ctima de uno, consultar cà ³mo es posible denunciar el caso.   Por à ºltimo, saber que en los casos ante corte migratoria el gobierno no est obligado a proporcionar abogado en los casos en los que el migrante no puede pagarla. Es posible la auto representacià ³n, pero las estadà ­sticas demuestran que los casos con ms à ©xito cuentan con la presencia de un abogado. De inters: informacin para legalizacin El fin de muchos migrantes es obtener papeles. Para ello es importante conocer cules  son  7 situaciones migratorias que se puede tener en Estados Unidos  y tambià ©n cules son en la actualidad los caminos limitados que los indocumentados tienen para regularizar su situacià ³n. Si se cree que se puede tener una opcià ³n, asesorarse con un abogado o un representante acreditado. Este artà ­culo no es consejo legal para ningà ºn caso particular. Tiene carcter meramente informativo.

(argument research paper) advertising Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

(argument ) advertising - Research Paper Example Human beings have evolved from uncivilized beings to businessmen. Evolution has affected the lifestyle of the individuals, as the evolution gradually takes place it also keep changing the lifestyle of the individuals. Therefore culture can be defined as the way of life of people. The world around us can be read according to the cultural context. There are few themes which forms the basis of advertisement. These themes are youth, luxury, fashion, beauty etc. Advertising campaigns promote the idea that the solution of the problems of people lies in their consumption pattern which is backed by various cultural aspects. Culture is a key that defines the taste of the consumers belonging to a particular region. Advertisement is used by the companies as a tool to sell the commodities which are in demand due to the influence of the cultural trends existing in a particular society. Advertisement can be defined as the mirror of culture. Culture can be associated with the success of any product. The cultural belongingness increases the emotional attachment of the customers with a particular product and influences the decision making of the consumers (Janjua). It is the significant characteristic of the culture that it changes with time. Similarly the ideas, taste and habits of people also changes with time. Rapid industrialization has contributed towards changing the aspects of people towards many things. They are now going for time and energy saving commodities. Automation has affected the culture and the life style of the people as well. In many developing countries advertisement has influenced the culture and way of living of people. Cultural aspects in underdeveloped and developing countries, such as more children for the security in old age, high population rate due to early marriages, and emphasis of bearing a male child have declined due to advertising. Advertising not merely promotes a commodity but it promotes an idea in a

Michel Foucault Panopticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Michel Foucault Panopticism - Essay Example al authorities have chosen to control citizens through the appointment of a syndic which will have an ‘absolute’ power over the town’s population. The term ‘absolute’ means that people in this ‘imaginary’ town are not allowed going out of their homes apart from the hours and the places indicated by the syndic in advance. This structure resembles with a prison and in this way the argument of Foucault that prison could be considered to have the same ‘structure’ as a hospital or a school, could be justified. On the other hand, in order for the above scheme to operate successfully, there should be provisions for the participation of citizens in it. In this context, it is noticed by Foucault that ‘this surveillance is based on a system of permanent registration: reports from the syndics to the intendants, from the intendants to the magistrates or mayor; at the beginning of the lock up, the role of each of the inhabitants pre sent in the town is laid down, one by one’ (Foucault, 1995). In other words, the effectiveness of this scheme could be based on the existence of a specific plan of registration through which all people participated in the relevant ‘project’ would be registered. Under these terms, every event in the town would be precisely checked and every aspect of citizens’ life could be controlled. In real terms, the above scheme could be partially applied. In modern towns where a series of tools of surveillance has been implemented in order to control crime, the life of citizens is under the control of the state. The above situation even if justified because of the need for the protection of citizens’ life and property, it should be carefully reviewed as of the appropriateness of the machines used for the surveillance of human activities. In fact, the conditions of life in modern town resemble the description of Foucault’s imaginary town. In accordance with Foucault this town will be a place ‘in which the individuals are

Madame Edwarda by Georges Bataille Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Madame Edwarda by Georges Bataille - Essay Example Madame Edwarda gives us an accurate introduction to Bataille’s work, where sometimes opposite feelings are combined to describe human state and his connections to higher thoughts. Whether violence is expressed through the narrator or Madame Edwarda’s character, it will give us different point of views. It will also help us understand the connection between violence and erotic that Bataille seems to convey through his work.  Ã‚   The first encounter between the narrator and Madame Edwarda, as presented before, is wordless. As soon as the narrator finished kissing and touching Madame Edwarda, he felt like something high above froze him and he â€Å"became unhappy and felt painfully forsaken, as one is when in the presence of GOD†. The consequence of this sadness was the narrator fear of losing the pleasure he was planning to have with Edwarda and his need to destroy the objects that were surrounding him.  In Georges Bataille: Essential Writings edited by Michae l Richardson , we are explained Bataille’s interest in death and sexuality as they are both manifestation of Bataille’s theory of man’s obsession to nature on which he bases most of his fictional work, historical and social analysis and mystical theory. Nevertheless, death and sexuality are contradictory to social life as they are both founded on taboos and prohibitions. In that first passage, we are clearly shown the basis of Bataille’s theory as the narrator feels sadness in the will of having a relation with a prostitute. It is a direct result of the social taboos linked to society

Efficacy of institutions in the global system Research Paper

Efficacy of institutions in the global system - Research Paper Example This denotes the significance of international institutions, such as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Bank in helping countries respond more to the challenges of globalization (Milner 836). This paper attempts to demonstrate the significance of international institutions to enhance the economy of various countries. It also provides evidence that these multilateral institutions have a valuable impact on the economy of developing nations. Role of International Institutions The primary goal of International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to help improve the economy of less developed countries by providing them with short and long term loans at low interest rates. The institution has been active in delivering this role which is evident in the various programs that it has successfully implemented in over sixty developing countries in 2000 alone. Moreover, the mission of World Bank was also to support the growth of less developed nations and to help them overcome the financial crisis. This goal was efficiently carried out through the provision of grants and loans at zero interest to poor nations especially in Africa. In fact, over 50% of the fund of World Bank for 2003 went to projects in the nearby countries of Sahara. On the other hand, the mission of World Trade Organization (WTO) was to enhance bilateral partnerships among countries and to encourage them to adopt trade liberalization as an effective strategy for enhancing their economy (Milner 836). The WTO has successfully performed this mission which is evident in the emergence of various multinational companies in developing countries. These giant companies significantly contribute to the economy of emerging countries through the creation of jobs. This was revealed in the study of Greenaway and Wright on the effects of trade liberalization in the economy of developing countries. The findings showed that liberalization of trade policies and entry barriers has a significant po sitive impact to the economic growth of less developed countries (229). Impact of International Institutions on Economic Growth The WTO plays a significant role in enhancing the value international trade of its member countries. For instance, Rose conducted a study on whether or not WTO together with its previous counterpart (Generalised Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) has been effective in promoting the value of international trade among its 175 member countries for 50 years. Through the analysis of the gravity model, the study revealed that WTO has a direct contribution for doubling the value of trade among member nations (98). In addition, Subramanian and Wei also conducted a study on whether or not WTO has a significant impact on the trading condition of its member countries. Their findings revealed that WTO provides a significant positive impact on trade which translates to 120% marginal increase for 2000. However, the study revealed that the positive impact of WTO is not evenly achieved by its member countries. In addition, increase in bilateral trade is high when each partner nation adopt liberalization while countries without trade liberalizations did not acquire trade increase. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) plays a significant role in creating and enforcing relevant trading rules across different countries. This has been supported by various research showing the relevance of WTO in

Answer the questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answer the questions - Essay Example The paper takes into account the quality of voluntary narrative disclosure, evaluates the overall presentation of the report and the impact of reporting corporate responsibility matters on the information received by users regarding corporate performance of Imperial Tobacco. Finally, an evaluation of the IIRC agenda upon the quality of financial information coupled with the role of the accountant in safeguarding this agenda is undertaken. Viewing from the development of information disclosure system, voluntary disclosure appears after compulsory information disclosure (Tian & Chen, 2009). Specifically, the paper addresses the use of voluntary reporting on the Annual General Meeting notice. Quality of Voluntary Narrative Disclosure at Imperial Tobacco: Imperial Tobacco has made bold steps in ensuring that it integrates corporate responsibility into its ordinary financial operations. The firm understands that it has social and economic roles to play in order to safeguard positive gains already made by other players in society. The issues that ITG generally endeavors to engage in at various levels, according to the 2012 financial reports include: 1) Tackling child labour, The company understands the temptation that comes with the expectation for higher returns and it has undertaken to fight the vice of child labour at all levels of production. As a result, we joined the movement â€Å"Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Foundation† where ITG is a board member. 2) Consumer support: Various municipalities have lately come up with extremely exaggerated laws in the company’s view not only undermine free trade in tobacco products, but also limit the rights of the consumer to the extent they are prevented from freely enjoying their freedom at using tobacco products. 3) Response to environmental challenges: Among the most common environmental challenges associated with tobacco use is emission of carbon dioxide. The company has lately adopted latest technolo gy in cigarette manufacturing and as a result the products have seen a 4% reduction in carbon dioxide emission, as research into how to reduce this rate further continues. Furthermore, the company has reduced energy consumption by 5%. 4) Fighting illicit trade: The sale of counterfeit products bearing the company’s name is seen as a major blow to the trust bestowed upon the company by consumers of its products, and therefore the company has made bold steps in ensuring that this vice dies completely. The company has employed personnel in various major shipping centers to track any suspicious trade in ITG’s products while working closely with local authorities. 5) Job creation: Being a multi-national, ITG Plc has directly and indirectly employed thousands of persons who are instrumental in the company’s daily operations while scooping their living out of the mutual relationship thus established. 6) Issuance of dividends Each financial year, the company establishes a certain amount of returns per share owned by shareholders and disperse the same to the esteemed shareholders who gladly get returns for their trust in the company and their choice to invest in Imperial Tobacco. The 2012 annual report surpassed all other reports given earlier, especially due to the attempt to indicate corresponding figures alongside the activities. The ratios relating to various aspects of the report are easy to work out, since all the required figures are

Eading and Writing about Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eading and Writing about Arguments - Essay Example One should always pray to request for assistance from God. Prayers should always be everyone's first resort since we should always invite God first under various life situations. Just like the way, a child comes to their father to talk to them; every person has the responsibility of coming to speak to him (Bounds, 2007, p. 12). For Christians to live a straight life, they should be guided by prayers just like Jesus. A Christian faces the problem of securing a private place where they can have their prayers. Jesus always found a way out through which he could have his prayers. Prayers are tremendously influential in the life of a Christian since they strengthen a person’s faith. For us to emulate the life of Jesus Christ, we have to pray on a regular basis. It is difficult to be consistent in one's prayers, but one has to make it a habit to pray on a regular basis. There is no difference between praying in a church service and praying at home. Prayer is a means through which Ch ristians communicate to God to express their needs and their love for Him. There is no difference between praying at home or in the church since God will answer the prayers. I feel that provided one prays appropriately the place of worship is not vital. The crucial thing is to express one's prayers and feelings to God. God will answer everyone's prayers. Some people think that praying at a church service is more effective than praying at home. This is because; at the church there is a congregation of people who ensure that the prayers are collaborative. When people pray in a group, they encourage one another and praise in a group. This acts as a more effective way of praying and God is immensely happy when people cooperate in prayers. At a church service, Christians have other ways of worshiping which are also tremendously effective. People believe that praising is twice as effective as prayers and hence people desire praising to praying as the process of worship. In the church, Chr istians share testimonies about Gods manifestation in their life and this strengthens the faith of other people in the church (Bounds, 2007, p. 32). When one faces a challenge, one meets other people who might be experiencing challenges that are a bit difficult. This will ensure that people will have a different approach to the problems they experience. It is true that praying together as a group is better than alone. People should always join hands when it comes to prayers. They should have the spirit of togetherness that will ensure that they enjoy the prayer session. Jesus led by example by illustrating the need of praying together. He showed his disciples the Lord’s Prayer and encouraged to stay together. Before the high priest gave the soldiers permission to persecute him, he encouraged the twelve disciples to pray until the last minute. Praying is particularly vital for all people and Christians have a responsibility to make a routine act. Priests should ensure that the y remind people to pray regularly so as to maintain a cordial relationship with God. For a person to acquire the kingdom of God, one has to be persistent in prayers and avoid being sinful. It does not necessarily matter the place where Christians communicate to God through prayers. God will answer the prayers that one communicates to him (Bounds, 2007, p. 36). People may recite their prayers in church or at home depending on the circumstances that they face in their day to day life. For instance, there are people with various body disabilities and hence cannot make

Answer the questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answer the questions - Essay Example The paper takes into account the quality of voluntary narrative disclosure, evaluates the overall presentation of the report and the impact of reporting corporate responsibility matters on the information received by users regarding corporate performance of Imperial Tobacco. Finally, an evaluation of the IIRC agenda upon the quality of financial information coupled with the role of the accountant in safeguarding this agenda is undertaken. Viewing from the development of information disclosure system, voluntary disclosure appears after compulsory information disclosure (Tian & Chen, 2009). Specifically, the paper addresses the use of voluntary reporting on the Annual General Meeting notice. Quality of Voluntary Narrative Disclosure at Imperial Tobacco: Imperial Tobacco has made bold steps in ensuring that it integrates corporate responsibility into its ordinary financial operations. The firm understands that it has social and economic roles to play in order to safeguard positive gains already made by other players in society. The issues that ITG generally endeavors to engage in at various levels, according to the 2012 financial reports include: 1) Tackling child labour, The company understands the temptation that comes with the expectation for higher returns and it has undertaken to fight the vice of child labour at all levels of production. As a result, we joined the movement â€Å"Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Foundation† where ITG is a board member. 2) Consumer support: Various municipalities have lately come up with extremely exaggerated laws in the company’s view not only undermine free trade in tobacco products, but also limit the rights of the consumer to the extent they are prevented from freely enjoying their freedom at using tobacco products. 3) Response to environmental challenges: Among the most common environmental challenges associated with tobacco use is emission of carbon dioxide. The company has lately adopted latest technolo gy in cigarette manufacturing and as a result the products have seen a 4% reduction in carbon dioxide emission, as research into how to reduce this rate further continues. Furthermore, the company has reduced energy consumption by 5%. 4) Fighting illicit trade: The sale of counterfeit products bearing the company’s name is seen as a major blow to the trust bestowed upon the company by consumers of its products, and therefore the company has made bold steps in ensuring that this vice dies completely. The company has employed personnel in various major shipping centers to track any suspicious trade in ITG’s products while working closely with local authorities. 5) Job creation: Being a multi-national, ITG Plc has directly and indirectly employed thousands of persons who are instrumental in the company’s daily operations while scooping their living out of the mutual relationship thus established. 6) Issuance of dividends Each financial year, the company establishes a certain amount of returns per share owned by shareholders and disperse the same to the esteemed shareholders who gladly get returns for their trust in the company and their choice to invest in Imperial Tobacco. The 2012 annual report surpassed all other reports given earlier, especially due to the attempt to indicate corresponding figures alongside the activities. The ratios relating to various aspects of the report are easy to work out, since all the required figures are

Different Gaits used by Bipeds and Quadrupeds

Different Gaits used by Bipeds and Quadrupeds Gait can be defined as the manner by which an animal moves.   This essay will detail the standard gaits of bipeds and quadrupeds in addition to the underlying concepts of these gaits and examples of the animals which practice them.   There are a number of technical terms used to describe gaits which will be outlined along with the classification of various gaits. Stride is defined as a complete cycle of leg movements, i.e. a select foot being set down to the next setting of the same foot, where each foot is only lifted and set down once in each stride.   Stride is further described by stride frequency, f, the number of strides per unit time, and stride length, ÃŽ », the distance travelled in a stride.   Thus, average speed, v, of an animals gait can be defined as fÃŽ ». The duty cycle of a foot is defined as the duration the foot is on the ground as a fraction of the stride.   In most gaits, the left and right feet of a pair have approximately equal duty factors.   Generally, in bipeds, when the duty factor is greater than 0.5 the gait is a walk (both feet on the ground at some point) and when it is less than 0.5 it is a run (both feet off the ground at some point). The relative phase of a foot is defined as the time the foot is set down as a fraction of the stride.   The first foot of a stride is assigned relative phase 0 and the rest have a relative phase between 0 and 1. There are four different classifications of gaits for bipeds: walk, run, skip and hop.   The walk and run gaits have symmetrical footfalls and alternating legs swings, whereas the skip and hop gaits have asymmetrical footfalls and synchronised legs swings. Bipedal walking in humans is described as a pendulum movement of the legs with the hips scribing a circular trajectory for each step.   Humans use walking as their primary gait as it is the most highly efficient and least energy consuming gait for them.   This efficiency comes from the pendulum movement of the legs; the basic principle of a swinging pendulum is conservation of mechanical energy: as potential energy increases, kinetic energy decreases and vice versa.   This helps minimise the metabolic energy required while walking as there is not net mechanical energy, making walking a very efficient gait for humans.   (www.physicsclassroom.com) Running, a faster gait, is a almost always more energy expending that walking for all animal.   The maximum walking speed is reached, at which the walk must change to a run, when the Froude number equals 1.0.   The Froude number, Fr, is dimensionless and can be defined by where v is the velocity, g is acceleration due to gravity and l is leg length.   Humans will spontaneously switch from a walk to a run at some point between a Froude number of 0.5 and 1.0, when the walking speed becomes less energy efficient than the same running speed. Skipping and hopping gaits are not often used by humans are they are less energy efficient and more unstable than the other two.   However, there are some bipedal animals that favour the skip or hop gait.   For example, hopping (when both feet have a relative phase of 0) can be advantageous in kangaroos as the legs are powerful enough to yield sufficient air time.   Similarly, skipping (when the relative phases of one foot is 0 and the other 0.3) was the preferred gait by many astronauts on the Apollo missions as the lesser force of gravity let arise to strides with long air time, making the gait highly energy efficient. Quadruped gaits are similar to the bipedal gaits, but with more precisely defined variety.   Quadrupeds may walk by walking or ambling; run by trotting or pacing; skip by cantering or galloping; hop by bounding or pronking.   The gaits are classified by the relative phase of each foot as seen below: Most quadrupeds are not capable of all gaits due to variables in their body (e.g. leg length, knee bend, foot position, foot size, etc.) and favour certain gaits over others due to energy expenditure.   Quadrupeds generally use symmetric gaits for slower running and asymmetric gaits for faster running.   For example, a horse with increasing speed will walk, trot, canter then gallop as it becomes more energy efficient to do so.   The trot is the most common run for quadrupeds, although camels pace and wildebeests change directly from a walk to a canter.   Quadrupeds like turtles, with slow muscles, can only walk, lifting one leg up at a time to maintain balance in the remaining three feet on the ground. In conclusion, bipeds and quadrupeds move by a variety of gaits, choosing the most suitable and energy efficient. Zoe Gargulak References       Michael W. Whittle, 2007, Gait Analysis: An Introduction R. McN. Alexander, 1984, The Gaits of Bipedal and Quadrupedal Animals http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/energy/pe.cfm (accessed: 14/03/16) R. McN. Alexander, 2004, Bipedal Animals, and their Differences from Humans Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe, 2005, Life of Marsupials Alberto E. Minetti, 1998, The Biomechanics of Skipping Gaits: a Third Locomotion Paradigm? Physical Principles of Biological Processes 2 (16B), 2017, Lecture 5: Posture and Gait

The Relationship Between Religion and Israel Essay -- religion, theolo

Israel, the place call the holy land, the land, which Jesus walked, however, it is widely acknowledged that tensions between secular and religious sectors constitute a salient feature of Israeli society. If one were to try to summarize the relationship of Israel to Jewish religion, he would say that it is related but not equivalent to certain concepts of Israel. Most people think of the holy land when they hear the names Israel but one must ask the question is Israel truly the holy land. This essay will show the relationship between religion and Israel. Religion in the broadest sense may be defined as man's attitude towards the unseen, and the earliest forms of human thought furnish the clue from which must be traced the development of those great systems of religion that have at different time periods been professed by certain groups of people. The term religion must also include, not only beliefs in unseen spiritual agencies, but also numerous customs, superstitions, and myths which have usually been regarded by the people of the specific society or community. As far as, Jewish religion goes, there are many different opinions about the origin and history of people and the religion. The Jews are a people who trace their descent from the biblical Israelites and who are united by the religion called Judaism. They are not a race; Jewish identity is a mixture of ethnic, national, and religious elements. An individual may become part of the Jewish people by conversion to Judaism; but a born Israel who rejects Judaism or adopts another religion does not entirely lose his Jewish identity. In biblical times the Jews were divided into 12 tribes: Reuben, Simeon (Levi), Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Ash... ...ment of the Israeli culture with religious Jewishness. Because of the diversity in the different religiosity categories’ exigencies from the social order, one may speak in this respect of the Israeli society as an example of conflictual multiculturalism. This notion designates this kind of multiculturalism where the dominant culture conditions the insertion of groups on their acceptance of exigencies which, in given respects, contradict their own self-perceptions. Religiosity in Israel is bound to multi-sided conflicts, which is conjunctively articulated through a continuum of approaches. This religious convictions stand behind the stage explains the sharpness that conflictedness may eventually take on. Yet, as we have seen, in this case, religiosity does not divide this society dichotomously and actors remain bound by common references, albeit unevenly.

Aristophanes Views :: Aristophanes Greek Theatre Plays Essays

Aristophanes' Views There have been many arguments as to Aristophanes views and politics. Some arguing that it is almost impossible to determine any serious view points Aristophanes may have being trying to say through his plays. While many others may argue, that points made in the Parabasis and through the various comic styles, are the key to what Aristophanes thought and believed. With so little evidence of Aristophanes himself, it is hard to prove a case either way. While taking into account the social climate at the time and what the main aims of the plays were, I will be looking into Thesmophoriazusae and whether Aristophanes was attempting to make any serious points through various styles of humour. In order to determine whether Aristophanes was putting forward a serious point, it helps to look at the back ground and context in which his plays were written. In Greek theatre the audience was made up solely of men. with the only women being those on stage, and even then only allowed to play silent parts such as slaves. Throughout the play, women are a common theme, at the time in which Thesmophoriazusae was written (411bc), attitudes towards them were much the same as in many societies. Women were inferior to men, in almost all parts of society. They were the property of men. Whether it be their husbands or their fathers, they could not vote, could not hold a position of office, and could not own any property. However in some parts of Athenian society they were considered to be almost the equals of men, religion is a prime example of this. In religious matters women were at times essential, in burials and civic sacrifice rituals. In contrast to this, Pericles’ citizenship law (451bc) raised their status to that of most prized possessions. The law stated that only an Athenian wife could produce a legitimate male heir. She became the only thing that could allow the husband’s family name to be carried on. It became a constant fear for the husbands, that their wives would be adulterous and produce a child, as the child would grow up and have a legitimate claim on the family possessions. Women became far more protected by their husband’s, than they ever had been previously. A wife with both an Athenian mother and Athenian father, became highly prized. This of course was more of a problem for a rich husband than a poor husband, as they had more to lose. However due to a lack of being able to afford help around the house, women of poor husbands had greater freedom, as they had to go out and fetch things needed for the

Festivals are the best way to learn about your faith Essay

â€Å"Festivals are the best way to learn about your faith.† Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. Refer to Judaism in you answer. (15 marks) According to Jews, each individual has a strong duty to uphold their covenant with God. In fact, this is possibly the most important thing a Jew does during his/her lifetime: love and honour God’s commands and wishes. It is essential that all Jews, adults and children, understand what this means. Festivals are used to rejoice but they also have a strong message that will help Jews to follow the Torah and to love God. They help Jews to learn about their faith. E.g. Passover teaches the Jews about their history and about God’s ability to change history. Shabbat remembers the Sabbath day when God rested from creating the world. And so, Jews must rest too on this day and do no work whatsoever. Jews reflect upon God as the creator of all things. Simchat Torah commemorates the acceptance of the Torah and God’s counselling on how His chosen people should live Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur both call upon Jews to reflect upon their actions to God and towards each other. They are times of forgiving. Another way that festivals are very important is because of the children of Jews. They are the Jewish future and without them, the faith would die. Jews rely on the traditions and symbolism to pass down through generations. Festivals are particularly effective in teaching children because not only are they generally fun, they present to children a time to see distant relatives, a time to relax, a time to forgive each other and to be happy. Festivals are a exceptionally good way for children to learn about their faith but there are many ways a Jew can learn about his faith and although festivals may be the most fun, there are other essential things a Jew must learn about to learn about his/her faith. Some Jews may argue that before they are even of an age to learn, they must be initiated into their faith by a row of festivals such as Brit Milah (circumcision), Simchat Habat (The naming ceremony for girls), Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah. These festivals mark huge event: the admission into Judaism and the responsibility for keeping the covenant and the commandments for themselves. Children learn about all this through extensive research and reading of the Torah and the Hebrew language. Another way of learning about the religion is the reading of the Torah. Both the learning of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah is fundamental. Preferably, they will learn it in its original language, Hebrew, but nowadays, children will often learn the English version or in the language of whatever country they live. Synagogues provide study classes for communities of children and adults. The Written Torah contains the six hundred and thirteen mitzvoth that Jews must strive to keep for all of their life. The Oral torah provides a interpretation of these rules and how to keep them. Many Jews will also look to the local Rabbi to learn about their faith. He will advise them on any problems they have and willingly explain anything a Jew is confused about. They are they as guidance and help for Jews and are a very good way of enlightenment about Judaism. I am inclined to agree with the statement, because the event becomes a lot more interesting and fun as it is a break from the norm and it can be easy to remember certain events by having simple symbols to remind you. For example in Passover a Seder meal is eaten which contains several symbols to describe the event, which occurred 3,300 years ago. The Z’roah is a roasted bone of lamb to symbolise painting the door posts with lamb’s blood so the Angel of Death passed over that house and spared the first-born son and the matzah symbolises the Israelites leaving in a hurry, before their bread has risen. These symbols in the festival enable Jews to understand and remember the story by relating the food they’re eating. So, when they see the Z’roah they will think, â€Å"Oh, yes, I remember that lamb’s blood was painting over door posts so the Angel did not kill the first-born son of that house!† This is because they can relate it to the Z’roah being a roasted bone of lamb, so it jogs their memory. This is a good way to teach younger children about the story as they relate better to symbols and interesting stories than about lectures and rules that they MUST obey. I find that I can learn something much easier if I enjoy what I am learning and festivals are a really fun way of learning about one’s faith. However I can understand the point of view of those Jews who believe that the Written and Oral Torah are essential for the awareness of Judaism. I do believe that it is very important that Jews learn about the commandments and how they should be kept, because it is that which keeps the faith alive. I think, to sum it up, that festivals are a very good way to learn about one’s faith, because children can relate to them better and children are, of course, the future of Judaism, but I think if a Jew has learnt about their faith through all of these aspects then you cannot ask for a more devoted and steadfast person.