Stand and Deliver Character Analysis

â€Å"Stand and Deliver† character analysis The characters in â€Å"Stand and Deliver† went through a great deal in this movie and all brought something else to the movie. The star of the movie is Jaime Escalante played by Edward James Olmos. Escalante is the teacher of the students that quits his job with a computer company to teach at Garfield High School. He comes to teach computer science, but the school did not get the computers and he has to teach math. He takes over the math class and expects a great deal of his students and challenges the faculty to allow him to teach Mr. Escalante encounters some opposition to teaching calculus from Mr.Molina, the principal and Raquel Ortega, a teacher. Mr. Molina is the principal of Garfield High School played by Carmen Argenziano. Mr. Molina laughs at Mr. Escalante’s idea of teaching calculus, but he supports him when the program gets under way. Raquel Ortega, played by Virginia Paris, is not as helpful as Mr. Molina and she doubts the abilities of the students many di fferent times throughout the movie. The students in the movie are very important and there are many that are central to the movie. Angel Guzman, played by Lou Diamond Phillips, is the tough guy of the school that chooses to cut class with his fellow gang members.Mr. Escalante reaches out to him and through the movie we see his transition into one of the brighter students while maintaining his gangster image. Ana Delgado, played by Vanessa Marquez, is the quiet girl that happens to be brilliant. She is almost forced to drop out of school so she can work at her family’s restaurant full time, but Mr. Escalante intervenes and convinces her father to allow her to come back to school. Pancho, played by Will Gotay, is the least smart student in the class and lets everyone know it. He considers not taking the calculus class to instead work at a factory and make money, but again Mr.Escalante convinces him to take the class and he passes the AP exam along with all the others. Lupe Esco bar, played by Ingrid Oliu, deals with a great deal of responsibility at home and we see that she is responsible for getting her little brothers and sisters to bed and preparing her father’s lunch. The other important characters in the movie are the agents from the ETS (Educational Testing Service). Dr. Ramirez, played by Andy Garcia, and Dr. Pearson, played by Rif Hutton, are sent to Garfield to investigate the possibility of Mr. Escalante’s students cheating.The ETS suspects the students cheated because of irregularities in the test, which they say many times in the movie, but they still come off as bad guys and Mr. Escalante even threatens Dr. Ramirez. Economic Culture The economic culture of these students was displayed throughout the movie to show that they came from poor families and neighborhoods. When people were trying to sell their goods on the street, such as bags of apples and having a taco stand, it was a symbol of a way of life and how people tried to sur vive. It was a traditional ritual for vendors to fill the streets in order to make money.Another symbol of their poor economic culture was stealing, such as when Mr. Escalante came out to his car and found his stereo gone. While outsiders may view the students as thieves, they personally saw it as a way of life, and doing whatever was necessary to get money. The culture of the work was displayed in the students as they had to help their families in restaurants, fix cars, and tend to the needs of children. Ana had to help with her family’s restaurant. Mr. Escalante visited the restaurant to talk with Ana’s father. Unfortunately, her father did not take into consideration that Ana could excel in life with a college education.The father thought that since everyone else was working in the restaurant, Ana would be fine working there too. She decided to drop out, but ended up rejoining the class. One of the students, Pancho, was skilled in auto mechanics. His uncle offered h im a job on the weekends operating a forklift that would have paid time and a half. This would have been a good money maker for him and his family, and making money was a big deal in the culture of these families. Since this conflicted with the class meeting time on Saturday, he thought about dropping out of the class. Mr. Escalante showed Pancho how he could go beyond merely fixing cars.One of the ways this was done was through showing Pancho technology that designed cars. Mr. Escalante told him that he could go to college and make more money designing cars. Mr. Escalante also took Pancho on an eye-opening drive. When Pancho had to make a decision about which way to go, he yelled â€Å"go right, go right†. Mr. Escalante continued straight and replied â€Å"all you see is the turn; you don’t see the road ahead†. When Jaime Escalante first agreed to teach at the school, he was expecting to teach computer science. He arrived on the first day of school to find that there were no computers in the school due to lack of funding.Since he could not teach that class, he ended up teaching math. Mr. Escalante himself had a struggle with the economical culture within his family. He chose to teach, which was a low paying job in that neighborhood. He could have found a better job which paid more, but he chose to teach these students because he believed in them. Political Culture As in every school system, there is a political structure among the staff. Jaime Escalante had to go through higher authorities to get permission to teach calculus, have additional meeting times for the class, and encourage the students to take the exam.They reluctantly gave him permission, although no one believed that he would be able to teach these students. The political culture gave higher ranked officials in the school the power. When Jaime brought up the thought of teaching calculus, he was laughed at. When the idea was finally considered, the department chair was upset t hat her objections were not listened to, and she left. She had mentioned that the students could not handle being taught calculus, and she said that what little self confidence they had would be shattered.Jaime Escalante wanted to challenge the political culture of the school to change the way things had been handled historically. The authorities in the school’s political structure had been worried about their students’ low test scores, but Mr. Escalante was the one who took action towards that. The graffiti on the side of a building that said â€Å"we are not a minority† was a symbol of their struggle in life and how they are viewed as outsiders. The students in the movie were oppressed, and ended up being motivated to fight it.As Paulo Freire mentions in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, â€Å"they [oppressed] will not gain this liberation by chance but through the praxis of their quest for it, through their recognition of the necessity to fight for it† (45). They wanted to show that they were just as capable of achieving goals as people of other ethnicities. Through taking the AP calculus test, they were able to do just that. Social Culture There are instances of social culture throughout â€Å"Stand and Deliver. † We see cultural symbols like the language used by the characters and the environment.The cultural rituals are shown in the characters homes and at school. The cultural ideology is seen in the attitudes of the students and the attitudes of the faculty. The social solidarity exists between the students and Mr. Escalante. â€Å"Stand and Deliver† takes place in East Los Angeles and there is a great deal of cultural symbols within the community. East Los Angeles is a Hispanic community and we see that in the movie because there are many instances of Spanish speaking by characters throughout the movie. Mr. Escalante’s first day in class shows that he has five or six students that do not even speak English and Mr.Escalante gives them Spanish instructions. When Mr. Escalante and his wife eat at a restaurant owned by a family of one of his students they say â€Å"mucho gusto† to her father, which in English means â€Å"pleased to meet you. † Mr. Escalante not only teaches math at the high school, but he teaches English to Spanish-speaking adults in the evenings and there are many people in his class. Even one of the agents from the ETS in the movie speaks Spanish telling them that he came from their neighborhood. The environment of East Los Angeles is full of symbols that deal with the culture of the characters.We see a pinata store and even see a man pushing a taco cart. These symbols deal with the Hispanic culture, but there is another culture for these students and that is one of being poor. We see in the movie graffiti everywhere and the buildings are rundown with fading paint. Mr. Escalante’s stereo is stolen from his car and we see the secretary reporting a theft to a police officer. It is terrible, but these are cultural symbols for this neighborhood. The cultural rituals we witness in this movie are seen at school and in the character’s interactions at home.A great deal of the movie takes place in the classroom because Mr. Escalante makes his students show up an hour early for school and stay late everyday and he even makes them come in on Saturdays. This changed the idea of school for many of these students that were used to slacking off in school. The students are part of this ritual because they want to pass the AP exam and Mr. Escalante expects them to show up. We witness the students taking quizzes everyday and having a quiz every Friday. They even come to school during the summer for five hours each day.At home we see one student’s ritual. She is responsible for getting the kids to be bed because her father works at night and her mother works during the day. We see her pack her father a meal, tell him goodbye, put the k ids to bed just as her mother gets home, and as she tries to do her homework her mother tells her to turn out the light so she can sleep. This is her ritual every night. The cultural ideology in this film is shown by the students and faculty. Many of these students do not take Mr. Escalante seriously because they do not think they can make anything of themselves. One of Mr.Escalante’s students is almost forced to drop out of school so she can work in her family’s restaurant full-time. Her father’s ideology is shown when he tells Mr. Escalante that she cannot go to college or finish high school and that no one else in her family went far in school and they are doing fine. The faculty’s ideology in this movie is quite frightening. When Mr. Escalante brings up the idea of teaching calculus, the principal laughs out loud at him because he does not think that these students have the skills to take calculus. He also has many interactions with another teacher th at constantly tells Mr.Escalante that these kids do not have the ability to do well and when the class is suspected of cheating she does not doubt for a second that they did it. The social solidarity in this movie exists between Mr. Escalante and his students. Mr. Escalante works together with his students to teach them calculus and pass the AP exam. He develops a bond with these kids and constantly tries to motivate them to believe that they can do it. Many of these kids come from broken homes and in taking an interest in their life it really makes a difference when you are getting them to learn (Teaching Today).They show up for extra hours to learn from Mr. Escalante because they believe him when he tells them they can do it. Mr. Escalante is always there for them when they need him. When one of his students is told to drop out of school, he talks her father into letting her come back and in the end we see how much they like him when they present him with a gift for all that he ha d done for them. Since he believed in them, they believed in him. Historical Culture Historically, the culture is challenged by Mr. Escalante throughout the entire movie.He comes to teach at a high school where they do not expect much from their students and he completely changes that. He tells the faculty to allow him to teach calculus, which had never been taught at their high school before. He makes his students come to summer school, which had previously only been open for students who were behind in their classes. He constantly challenges the practices of this school and he succeeds in his challenges by expecting a great deal from these kids and not allowing them to give up because of their ethnicity or where they come from.In keeping the standards high for his students he is the first to really challenge them and make them work hard, which is why he is so successful (Teaching Today). His constant motivation was the result of his attitude towards these students that they could succeed regardless of their background, which is why he was such an effective teacher (McCormack-Larkin, 410). Mr. Escalante did not let the past dictate what he did with his students. The most important thing that he did change was making these students think about making something of their life.He was able to encourage the students to learn by the styles of his teaching. He was able to interest them in the subject. â€Å"It is a teacher’s infectious enthusiasm for learning itself, as much as the student’s own curiosity about the teacher’s subject, that is apt to captivate a student† (Banner 11). Revolutionary Thinking This thinking by Mr. Escalante was revolutionary. He went against what everyone was saying and completely changed the way these kids thought about themselves. Paulo Friere speaks of revolution as, â€Å"an equal effort by both sides leader and people not one more than the other† (Friere, 129).Mr. Escalante is the leader and the stud ents are the people because he presents his idea of teaching calculus and they follow him. What I learned â€Å"Stand and Deliver† was an excellent film and has really impacted the way in which I will teach when I become a teacher. Mr. Escalante always expected his students to do well even when others told him they could not. I feel that in teaching we have to expect our students to succeed if we want to be effective. It is my responsibility to convey my expectations to these students and encourage them to achieve this success.Another lesson I have learned from â€Å"Stand and Deliver† is to work hard in the classroom, but have fun while you are doing it. By having fun you build relationships with students and building relationships is very important in reaching students, especially those that are disadvantaged (Teaching Today). I will also remember to constantly use dialogue with my students because dialogue is used to learn and know (Freire, 17). Academic Expectation s [pic] Jaime Escalante was a math teacher and throughout the movie he met many of Kentucky’s Academic Expectations.Sarah is going into the field of Elementary Education and all of these Academic Expectations are going to be met by her as well. Program of Studies Dennis will be teaching at the high school level just like Mr. Escalante, but he will be teaching History instead of Math. Both will have to deal with Program of Studies and one that meets the needs of both is SS-H-WG-CS-4 (Teaching Tools). This Program of Studies states that students will analyze how regions and places can have distinct cultural characteristics (Teaching Tools). Mr.Escalante was from the same place as his students and knew all about the culture of East Los Angeles and how it was mostly Hispanic. While this did not necessarily deal with his teaching of math it dealt with his ability to interact with the students. Core Content for Assessment As an Elementary school teacher, Sarah will be responsible f or each content area, but social studies relates directly to Dennis as he is teaching history. The core content area of social studies section SS-E-2. 1. 2 which says Elements of culture (e. g. language, music, art, dress, food, stories, folktales) serve to define specific groups and may result in unique perspectives, relates directly to the students in â€Å"Stand and Deliver† (Teaching Tools). The students had to accept how their culture stood out from the surrounding areas. When they were accused of cheating on the test, they knew that their culture was perceived differently than if they would have been Caucasians. New Teacher Standard As Kentucky teachers, Sarah and Dennis will have to meet certain standards when teaching and in watching â€Å"Stand and Deliver† we witnessed a very important standard.New Teacher Standard 2: Creates/ Maintains Learning Climate, which states that, â€Å"The teacher creates a learning climate that supports the development of student abilities to use communication skills, apply core concepts, become self-sufficient individuals, become responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge† (New Teacher Standards). Mr. Escalante gets the most out of his students because his classroom is a very effective climate. He supports them by constantly encouraging them and holding them accountable in everything they do. Bibliography Banner Jr. James M. and Harold C. Cannon. The Elements of Teaching. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997. Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 2000. McCormack-Larkin, Maureen. â€Å"Change in Urban Schools. † Journal of Negro Education 54 (3) (1985): 409-415. New Teacher Standards. Educational Professional Standards Board. 21 Oct. 2005. . Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramon Menendez. Perf. Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips. Warner Bros. , 1988. Teaching Today: Weekly Tips. Glencoe Online. 15 Oct. 2005. . Teaching Tools. Kentucky Department of Education. 21 Oct. 2005. .

Compulsory education Essay

The K-12 education system is the public education system that most people are familiar with today. Comprised of 13 grades, kindergarten through 12th, it refers to the public school system in all of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and parts of Europe as well. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact history of education, as it has been occurring in some form for centuries in all parts of the world. Today, K-12 education represents the compulsory education required of all children in the US. Though this type of education can be attained from either publicly or privately funded institutions, children who have reached compulsory school age (ranging from age six to eight, depending on the state) are required by law to attend school. Compulsory education in the United States began over 150 years ago when Horace Mann established a statewide system of education in Massachusetts, which became the first state to pass school attendance laws in 1852. By 1918, children were required by law to receive an education in all states. Kindergarten was actually developed prior to compulsory education. Though it is not compulsory in all states, children are required to start school in most states at the age of six. If the child is too young to start kindergarten the year he turns five, kindergarten may technically be required since he will be turning six that school year. The word kindergarten is of German origin and means â€Å"children’s garden.† The concept was the brainchild of Friedrich Froebel, a self-educated philosophical teacher, who sought to develop a place of guided play for children to â€Å"bloom.† The first kindergarten established in England was in 1852, and the United States followed by establishing its first in 1856. Though education was required of all children in Massachusetts by that time and many other states were following suit, not all schools provided, nor required, kindergarten. Similarly, not all schools required a student to stay in school beyond a certain grade, as compulsory education initially applied only to elementary aged children. Many children were also permitted to miss portions of the  school year, especially farmers’ children who were needed at home for harvesting crops and preparing for the winter. The Education Act of 1918, or the Fisher Act, was an act of British Parliament that implemented changes in progressive education and helped form many aspects of the K-12 education system used today. The Fisher Act raised the age at which children could leave school to 14 and addressed education needs, such as health inspections and accommodations for special needs children. This act also led to the development of a committee that reported to and made recommendations to policy makers regarding education. In the United States, unlike England, public education was governed by each individual state. As early as 1791, seven states had specific provisions for education in their own individual constitutions and were formed partly on the basis of education without religious bias. Prior to the passing of compulsory school attendance laws, education was primarily localized and available only to the wealthy, and it often included religious teachings. Following the compulsory attendance laws, Catholics banned together in opposition of states mandating common schooling and created private Catholic schools. In 1925, the Supreme Court ruled that children could attend public or private schools for education. Over time, each individual state developed its own department of education to oversee the public education system. Compulsory attendance grew to include kindergarten and mandate attendance through the age of 16. Funding sources for public education also grew to include federal, state and local sources. Federal funding was overseen by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1953 to 1979, until it was divided and the US Department of Education was formed as a stand-alone entity. By the 1950s, compulsory education had become well established, but the K-12 education system was really still in its infancy. Schools were still primarily localized, but education was no longer available only to the wealthy. Even in the 1950s, however, segregation by race was still common practice in public schools in the US. Then came another landmark decision by  the Supreme Court. In 1954, in the US Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Though this decision was met with resistance and it took many years before legalized segregation was completely eliminated, especially in southern states, the federal courts eventually achieved success. This achievement was not without its repercussions, and many urban and inner city schools saw an exodus of wealthy and middle-class white families, who moved to suburban districts. In time, many urban districts were left only with poor families and it became difficult to attract and pay for quality teachers and education. Since the formation of the US Department of Education in 1979, the education system has been similar to what is found today, but has undergone a series of developments and amendments to accommodate the changing needs of education. Funding has always been a source of concern for public schools, especially in poor, urban districts, where the quality of education also came into question. As a result, federal funding is now directly related to school performance as determined by standardized testing under the current No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB was signed into law by President George W. Bush 3 January 2002. Under this law, standards of accountability were increased in an effort to improve performance and to give parents flexibility in choosing schools. NCLB requires states to administer assessments of basic skills to all students at certain grade levels and achieve the standards set forth by each state in order to receive federal funding. Specific and more rigorous goals were placed on reading achievements under this law and states also had to develop high school exit or graduation exams with specific measures of assessment in place as well. The intention was to hold schools to a higher  level of accountability, but was debated from its inception. Currently, the K-12 public education system provides a 12th grade education to eligible students for free. Families have the option of sending their children to private schools, but are then responsible for tuition. The future of education will undoubtedly experience change and social and economical challenges, just as it has in the past. Programs may soon expand to include pre-K compulsory attendance and could even expand to include options beyond the 12th grade, as these are concepts, in their earliest stages, currently being explored.

1984 Novel Essay

1984 Novel Essay I think that today’s society is a â€Å"half version† of George Owell’s novel, 1984, in some ways it is similar and in others, uniquely different. The closest we come today to a â€Å"Big Brother† is the mob. The people are also controlled by watchful security cameras and subliminal messages. However, something in life today is very different from that of 1984, it is the people. In the words of the famous lyricist, â€Å"Power to the People. † In analyzing â€Å"Big Brother,† there are similarities between it and the mob. The Mafia is a crime amily that can see everything, there is no going against the mob or else someone is going to die. The Mafia is so widespread that it has operatives all over keeping an eye out for cops or law enforcement, this is the Mafia’s â€Å"telescreens† (Orwell 6). Another startling similarity between the mob and â€Å"Big Brother† is the Mafia’s strange way of making someone disappear or â€Å"vaporize† (Orwell ). Almost unknowingly a person’s identity can be changed, altered, or deleted. Authorities use security and surveillance cameras to observe criminal activities or possibly every day activities. Too much surveillance liberties are given to police or FBI. By using hi-tech cameras which can actually document a person’s life. Unknowingly, there may be a cute little camera installed in the bedroom. Another way that today’s society controls the masses is subliminal messages. Illegal now, subliminal messages were widely used in the entertainment business, especially during the fifties. An example is that movie makers would add a split-second commercial add for popcorn and soda during a movie. Customers would actually be manipulated into buying these products. Even though, this kind of rainwashing is illegal, it is still very hard to detect, who’s to say that we are not bombarded by subliminal messages just by watching commercials on television. This is too risky, to think that a person’s actions and emotions can be swayed by someone else’s perversion’s. Again, this is very similar to 1984. Of all the things there are today that would make it impossible for there to be an inner or outer party, as in 1984, is that there is each other. No matter how hard our government tries, they cannot reach everyone. Contrary to 1984, where they do get everyone, I feel that was extreme and unlikely. I find it highly unlikely that a form of government can find a way to get the whole world to follow them. 1984 is not a reality, strength lies in numbers. In conclusion, life in the nineties, is a very resilient time. In this time, there is a substantial amount of restriction of the public, much of which is for law and order. A lot of this day and age may resemble George Orwell’s 1984. It is nothing but a facade of government mixing with technology at a dangerous level. There’s nothing to fear because 1984 is far-fetched and an anti-socialists nightmare.

Design user interface of interactive systems Essay - 1

Design user interface of interactive systems - Essay Example Keeping in view the stakeholders and the requirements of the proposed system, the first idea for the dashboard design is to consolidate and arrange the required information in a way that it would be displayed on a single screen to inform the user regarding the desired weather conditions. In the first idea it is proposed that the widgets including daily and weekly temperature along with seven days of the week would be shown at the left side bar on the dashboard screen, whereas, the images (sunny, cloudy, rainy) along with location screen would be displayed at the middle and right below corner of the dashboard. And the remaining widgets including the date and location (user input) for determining the weather forecast would be placed horizontally at the top of the screen. In the second idea, it is proposed that all the information would be displayed on the weather forecast image i-e sunny, cloudy or rainy. The information includes: the minimum and maximum temperature of daily and weekly along with each of the upcoming week. Moreover, the user input would also be taken from the same screen of the dashboard. After the brainstorming session and keeping in view the stakeholders and requirements of the system, it has been decided to select the first idea of the dashboard design for developing the Wireframe. The justification for selecting the first idea over the second idea is the simplicity, easy to use (usability), all the contents are separated by sections to differentiate between the user input as well as the output. Whereas, the second idea would contain all the information on the image, therefore, it might cause to confuse the users. The conceptual design tools have helped me out to determine the contents of the design along with their placement. The brainstorming sessions, card sort, semantic networks, and cognitive walk-through tools assist me to determine new widgets for the weather forecast system

Managing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Managing strategy - Essay Example In this particular study different strategic frameworks shall be incorporated so as to analyze external environmental and internal conditions of Netflix. These tools will not only help to identify key resources and competencies but even facilitate determining critical success factors. In broader context these factors are highly responsible for acquiring sustainable competitive advantage. Michael Porter states that a strategy provides valuable and unique market position to a firm. A strategic fit needs to be achieved by a company in order to align business activities with overall business strategy. Business strategy can be defined as developing, finding and formulating a doctrine so as to ensure long-term success. Strategic thinking and strategic planning approaches are closely knitted with the framework of strategic management. Netflix is an organization founded in 1997 and providing Internet streaming media on demand to wide base of viewers. It has its viewers located across South a nd North America, and certain parts of Europe such as Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Luxembourg. The company is even involved in sending DVD by mail at flat rate in various locations of United States. Netflix has implemented a subscription based model within its system. Members are able to choose from wide range of subscription plans encompassing option of unlimited streaming movies or media. This study shall not only highlight current strategies been followed by the firm but even would focus on available strategic options for future development. Netflix is a well-known organization operating in movie rental industry. The company is subjected to political, social, technological, economic, environmental and legal conditions. In legal and political context, the

Policy Analysis Process Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Policy Analysis Process - Research Paper Example at the introduction of this new policy in regard to the healthcare industry of the US is feasible; still, the effectiveness of this strategy in the long run cannot be guaranteed. The effectiveness of healthcare services is one of the major challenges that the government of the USA has to face. Through the decades, a series of plans have been developed to resolve the problem. Still, all these plans have been proved inappropriate for enhancing the quality of the country’s healthcare services. The specific topic is important at the level that it is related to the presentation of a policy that can assist in the improvement of healthcare services delivery in the USA. Thus, the significance of this topic is high. As already noted, this study focuses on the examination of the potential influence of ‘payment for performance’ policies on the quality of healthcare services delivery in the USA. In order for the framework and the goals of this study to be understood it is necessary that the critical terms of the paper are made clear. In this context, ‘payment for performance’, known also as value-based payment (Berenson, 2010, p.1), is a term used for reflecting the following condition – within each healthcare institute, the staff is paid based on the quality and not on the volume of services provided (Berenson, 2010, p.1). Another term which is highly related to this paper is the term ‘quality’. The role of quality in the healthcare system of the USA is described in the study of Jiang, Pang and Savin (2011). In the above study it is explained that quality has become a critical characteristic of modern healthcare systems (Jiang, Pang, & Savin, 2011). The term ‘quality’ in the above case reflects two important characteristics: a) the accessibility of healthcare services by people of different financial status and b) the ‘clinical outcomes of healthcare services’ (Jiang, Pang, & Savin, 2011, p.1). The key stakeholders in regard to the subject of this

Parents Response Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parents Response Reflection - Essay Example In answering the questions of the parents, I believe that I should be armed with the thorough knowledge and understanding of these preset standards in order to provide them with an adequate and accurate comprehension of their children's development. I choose to base this reflection in the national standard in science from grades K to four which can be downloaded at EducationWorld.com and is attached as an appendix. According to this standard, these grade levels should be able to grasp seven concepts of understanding: science as inquiry; physical science; life science; earth and space science; science and technology; personal and social perspectives; and history of nature and science. It should be noted that these concepts should be thoroughly taught by the teacher through the use of different activities, techniques, and communication style which are suitable to the age and level of understanding of students. Teaching science is one of the most interesting and equally challenging tasks of a teacher who is handling children at very young ages. In answer to the parent's question of how his child is performing inside the classroom, it is very much important to consider the preset standards against the perceived understanding, reception, participation, and output of the student. The child's performance should of course be in consideration with his age and the performance of his peers. It should be noted that a six year old child cannot be expected to memorize the entire periodic table or name all the bones in the body. Thus, the performance should be based on his ability and knowledge acquired from attending the classes. A good measure of a student's performance will be his grades in activities like recitations, quizzes, examinations, and home works. All of these should be mentioned to the parents in order to them to generate an adequate level of understanding on their children's performance . Another measure will be to compare the performance of the child to his classmates. This will give an idea the development of the child with his age group. The question of how I am helping the child to meet the national standards should reflect my recognition of the differing needs of each student and how I specifically tailor my teaching style in order to accommodate these differences. It will also be very important to highlight the various activities which are provided to the class in order for them to readily grasp an understanding of the concepts which are taught. For example, lectures are important but this will rather be boring for small children. Thus, they should be complemented with simple experiments, exercises, field trips, among others. Experiments will allow students to unlock the scientific concepts through firsthand experience while making them familiar with the process that scientists need to conduct first in order to validate their claims. In addition to these explanations, it will also be important to stress the difference of each child and how their specific needs are being met. In my experience, students learn at their own pace which is usually different from their peers. Also, some students learn through different techniques and circumstances. Thus, there is a need to have various activities and teaching techniques which will benefit everyone. In

Effectiveness of Strategy at Subsidiary Level Essay

Effectiveness of Strategy at Subsidiary Level - Essay Example It is the method of aligning all the activities being undertaken in the organisation such as management, marketing, research and development and Computer information system in a prescribed way to achieve the goals of the organisation. The first step namely the strategy formulation involves the development of the business mission, evaluation of the opportunities and threats faced by the business organisation in the business, by using tools such as SWOT analysis, examining the strengths and weaknesses of the business, determining the long term objectives of the business and designing the new strategies to eke in the process of achieving the new targets. It also include the processes to determine the investment direction, the business markets to be addressed, extension of the operations of the business, limitations faced by the business in order to undertake the business activities. Strategy formulation also helps the business in deciding about the matters to be addressed on priority basis. There is not any organisation in the world which has unlimited resources. Therefore the business organisations need to evaluate which projects are important and need investment. The future of a business organisation is very much effected by the strategic decision of the management of the organisation. With the globalisation of the economy the concept of Multinational Enterprises is prevailing all over the world. An MNE is a differentiated network of internationally dispersed units, which are simultaneously embedded in two business contexts: the internal MNE and the external (host country) environment. Thus, the roles and/or strategies of subsidiaries are both shaped by and affecting these two contexts. A subsidiary has a dual role to play: it interacts with the rest of the MNE internally and with local partners externally. Firstly, while subsidiaries can benefit from knowledge flows from the rest of the MNE, they can also do so from the local partners in the host country, to enhance their level of competence and hence contribute to the overall competitive advantage of the MNE. Secondly, subsidiaries may also help or hurt their local partners during their external interactions in the host country business environment. It has been argued that the state of the economy of the host country has significant implications for the operation of the subsidiaries, and consequently for its strategy (Hunt and Morgan, 1995). Because of this the main macroeconomic concepts relating to the determination of economic activity, and related issues such as the inflation rate and the exchange rate, have been discussed in some detail. The various factors affecting the company should

Anger Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anger Management - Essay Example Difference in cultural beliefs have been for a long time termed out as a one of the great obstacles and cause of anger in education settings. This not only refers to different cultures among the students, but also between teachers and students. Multiculturalism is not only a barrier in learning outcomes, but also a barrier in trying to maintain sound relationships among students. A multicultural environment causes misunderstanding among the students and slows down the ability of learning compared to other schools(Regoli, Hewitt &Delisi 2014, p. 34). As a result, this hinders the students the ability of learning from the teachers’ point of view. This is because in a multicultural school it is always time consuming and difficult for the students understand what they are being taught due to anger from violence arousing from misunderstanding. In addition, this results in students and teachers losing confidence as well as patience. Literature review Researches indicate that actions of teachers in a multicultural school have more impact on the achievement of the students compared to community involvement, assessment plans, and staff collegiality (Schmidt 2003, p. 67). Additionally, in a multicultural school, a large part of actions of teachers involve anger management. Anger management in multicultural schools is critically essential for middle year students because there is a possibility of them experiencing declines in self-esteem and academic decline due to anger caused by misunderstanding.

Critical Pedagogy Perspective of Education Essay

Critical Pedagogy Perspective of Education - Essay Example â€Å"Habits of thought, reading, writing, and speaking which go beneath surface meaning, first impressions, dominant myths, official pronouncements, traditional cliches, received wisdom, and mere opinions, to understand the deep meaning, root causes, social context, ideology, and personal consequences of any action, event, object, process, organization, experience, text, subject matter, policy, mass media, or discourse"(Wink 2011, p. 128). This is an implication that in critical pedagogy approach of schooling the learner is not mandated to conform to the conventional schooling system. The paper access the appropriateness of critical pedagogy of schooling and its key elements. Paulo Freire was the first person to describe critical pedagogy approach of schooling. His initial interest was to address adult literacy, â€Å"†¦Paulo Freire, writing originally within the specific context of promoting adult literacy within Latin American peasant communities, but whose work has taken o n an increasingly international interest and appeal in the past three decades†(Macrine 2009, p. 67). ... (1984, 1988) critical pedagogy approach of schooling is concerned with the relationship that should exist between, school and the socio- political aspects of living. In his explanation, Stanley (1992) indicates that Freire’s critical pedagogy is based on critical consciousness. Stanley (1992, p. 56) continues to deduce that according to Freire, â€Å"Freedom, for Freire, begins with the recognition of a system of oppressive relations, and one’s own place in that system. The task of Critical Pedagogy is to bring members of an oppressed group to a critical consciousness of their situation as a beginning point of their liberatory praxis.† This is an implication that the learner should be the centre of schooling not schooling being the centre of learning. Purmensky (2009, p. 96) states that, â€Å"Freire goes further than arguing that educators must constantly discover and rediscover ways to help the learner view knowledge as problematic.† Arguably, an implica tion that teachers should employ a learning approach that enables the learner to learn and unlearn. The idea behind critical pedagogy approach of education is attributed to neo-Marxian literature concerning Critical Theory. Critical theorist argued that the Frankfurt school, whose founder was Marxism, had underrated the significant role played by media and cultural influences in addressing issues pertaining capitalism (Malott 2010; Sleeter 1995). critical pedagogy generally refers to the effort that is need to work in an educational institution as well in other aspects of life such as the media and have the audacity to question any form of power inequality that results to groups as well as individuals abandoning what is meaningful and will value to their lives. To install such crucial virtues, learners’ in school

Compare the article in the Independent Essay Example for Free

Compare the article in the Independent Essay Compare the article in the Independent with the article in the Daily Mail, addressing the following aspects; layout, content and language. From this comparison, what conclusion can you draw with regard to the targeted readership and intended selling point of each newspaper? In this essay I will be comparing two very different articles from The Independent- a broadsheet and The Daily Mail- a tabloid. The story I will be studying is about a 14 year old boy called Luke Walmsley. Whilst he was waiting in the corridor to enter a classroom he was stabbed in the chest by a fellow pupil. The incident took place at the school he attended; Birkbeck School in Lincolnshire. The whole incident is said to be over who was better at sport and a girl that both boys were fond of, Luke had been seen getting close to this girl and the boy must of grown jealous. The boy who stabbed Luke had come from a troubled background himself and he was said to be quite insecure. I will discuss the following aspects the layout, content and the language that is included within the two articles, from this I will draw a comparison with regard to the targeted audience and intended selling point of each newspaper. The Daily Mail and The Independent are two different types of newspaper. The Daily Mail is what is known as a tabloid newspaper and focuses directly on the most popular events, human interests and trivial matters . A tabloid newspaper differs from the broadsheet paper this is included in its size, the range and depth of its coverage and the ratio of images to text. A Tabloid is around half the size of a standard broadsheet paper. Reports are more simplified or more direct and compact versions of a report. They also include a lot more images relating to the article. A tabloid is often found to be extremely biased and tries to influence the publics opinions on the reporters own certain views. The Independent is a broadsheet style newspaper. It generally focuses on the true given facts and includes great detail and goes into great depth in its articles. The question is why do people want to buy these newspapers? The Daily Mail attracts its readers by using a high rate of colour and images on its front page which is bound to catch the eye of passers by and interests them to buy the paper. In comparison to information in other newspapers it is often found to be exaggerated and is therefore in my opinion aimed at the less educated person. It is simple, easy and quite enjoyable to read with a range of bright pictures to accompany the article. The Independent doesnt tend to use a lot of colour neither does it use many pictures. The reason I believe in which The Independent attracts the nation into buying the newspaper is by publishing truthful, detailed accounts. They only focus on what they know for certain are true facts and relevant figures. Tabloids are made up of celebrity news and gossip which is exaggerated to make the story more appealing. This type of article is aimed at the lower and of the market. Broadsheets, however, have a far more mature approach to what they publish and include news that is of a interest to the whole nation young or old, although in general it is often written to target the higher better informed end of the market. Broadsheets incorporate details about the shares and stock market, business news and in general financial information I think this would appeal to a high status businessman, a professional management team or a politician. However by saying this I am being quite stereotypical because many people are interested in the stock market so they may just buy this type of paper for the finance section and not care what else is published within the paper whether it may affect them or not. Concentrating on the article, firstly I will discuss layout. The layout of the Daily Mail is bold and in your face which is very eye catching. The pictures are vibrant in colour and stand out another eye catching feature. When using a picture, it has to be chosen carefully. They must have an effect on the person looking at it whether or not its on a personal level or an image you recognise. Having this image alongside the bright, bold headline that cannot be avoided makes the paper stand out and really makes you notice the paper. The way in which the headlines font and size is changed and how the headline is worded is well constructed to make the story stand out and appear more exciting and readable to the papers targeted audience. Due to the fact that the daily mail is a tabloid it is therefore aimed at the lower end of the JICNAR scale in the c1 e category making it easier to read. The jobs these people may have would be lorry driver, factory workers, building site labour and unemployment. The front page is the main selling point to actually encourage people to buy and read the paper. Many housewives would also read The Daily Mail for its gossip and celebrity news.

Reflecting on one’s Communication Skills Essay Example for Free

Reflecting on one’s Communication Skills Essay Introduction Nursing students can enhance their learning through reflection that is, reflecting on a situation that involves nursing care (Parker 2006, p.115). In line with this thought, I shall reflect on an experience and discuss the communication skills I used or should have used during the patient encounter. I will use the three what model based on the work of Borton (1970) and Boud (1985) to help structure my reflection. Before going any further, I am invoking the provision in the NMC (2008) code which declares the need to respect people’s confidentiality; hence, the identity of the patient who will be cited in this reflection will be kept anonymous. He will be given a pseudonym and will simply be referred to as Mr. B What? Mr. B is a 75-year-old patient in a nursing home diagnosed with dementia. Initially, it was my mentor who initiated nursing care to him and I was instructed to continue its delivery. The rationale why my mentor assigned me to Mr. B was so I can sharpen my communication skills. During my interaction with Mr. B, I tried to remain calm and spoke in slow and short sentences. I also used simple words although at times, I cannot help but repeat what I have already said because I was not sure whether the patient understood my statements. So What? At first, I was honestly hesitant and quite nervous when I interacted with the patient. I was already aware of his condition; hence, I was in a dilemma as to how I can communicate with him. This experience helped me realise that communication is truly an important part of nursing practice. Mastering all the routine nursing tasks and other complicated nursing interventions will all have been for nothing if a nurse does not know how to initiate a nurse-patient therapeutic relationship or interaction which naturally begins with communication. To simply put it, Ellis, Gates and Kenworthy (2003, p.214) declare that good communication is vital to effective nursing. According to Collins (2009) good communication helps build a therapeutic relationship which is central to nursing. It is a must for a nurse to be able to communicate effectively with the patient because communication is the tool that will allow the nurse to reassure a patient, empower the patient, motivate the patient, put a patient at ease, and convey understanding of the patient’s concerns (Collins 2009). I realised that communicating with a patient with dementia is more difficult than I have actually predicted. His condition was definitely the barrier that hindered effective communication. Even though I spoke in clear, short and simple sentences, there were still instances when the patient did not understand what I said or may be pretended to have not heard what I said. With this, I realise that one effective counter against such circumstance is to establish and maintain genuine rapport with the patient which can be done through frequent therapeutic conversations with the patient. Rapport entails trust and confidence of the patient to the nurse. Without, a nurse will have difficulty convincing a patient to follow instructions or adhere to advices. The experience also led me to realise the importance of valuing non-verbal communication. Before, I honestly took for granted non-verbal communication because the patients I handled in the past had no cognitive impairments that hindered verbal communication. It was only during this experience that verbal communication is less reliable due to the patient’s condition. This experience pointed out that a patient’s facial expression, presence or absence of eye contact, and bodily gestures can all help decipher a patient’s mood, feelings and attitude towards the nurse and the interventions given by the nurse. Videbeck (2010, p.107) relate that it is crucial for a nurse to understand what a patient is trying to communicate by means of observing non-verbal cues. I learned that a truly competent nurse is someone who is able to assess not only what a patient can verbalise but also assess those non-verbal cues displayed by a  patient which may lead the nurse to truly unde rstand how the patient feels and what the patient needs. Now What The experience helped me learn the importance of both verbal and non-verbal communication. As an aspiring nurse, I have to continuously sharpen my communication skills because I shall be interacting with more varied patients in the future. I have to be able to establish rapport with each new patient and I can do this by communicating with them. I must maximise my communication with my patients because I can do a lot of things by communicating such as motivate, empower, educate and understand my patients. Conclusion To sum up, reflecting on an experience will help discover different important learning. It will increase one’s knowledge identify strengths and weaknesses in one’s skills. Communication is key to building rapport and therapeutic relationship with patients. A nurse must always improve on his or her communication skills in order to better deliver nursing care. References Collins, S. (2009). Good communication helps to build a therapeutic relationship. (online) available at: http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinicalspecialisms/educators/good-communication-helps-to-build-a-therapeuticrelationship/5003004.article Ellis, R., Gates, B. and Kenworthy, N. (2003). Interpersonal communication in nursing: Theory and practice. London: Churchill Livingstone. Nursing Midwifery Council (2008). The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: NMC. Parker, M. (2006). Aesthetic ways in day-to-day nursing. In: Freshwater, D. (Ed.). Therapeutic nursing: Improving patient care through self-awareness and reflection. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Videbeck, S. (2010). Psychiatric-mental health nursing. 5th edn., Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Introduction Aseptic technique is the practice of carrying out a procedure in such a way that minimises the risk of introducing contamination into a vulnerable area or contaminating an invasive devise (Dougherty and Lister 2011, p.129). Aseptic technique includes several methods such as sterilising instruments, using antiseptic hand scrubs, and donning of sterile gowns, gloves, caps and masks (Cho and Alessandrini 2008, p.43). In line with this thought, this essay will explore the underlying rationales and evidence for the performance of two common methods of aseptic technique. These methods are hand washing and gloving which I personally performed many times during practice placements. Practising Aseptic Technique The delivery of effective nursing care rests on the hands of the nurse. This statement does not only apply figuratively but also literally because the hands of a nurse must not only be capable of performing tasks, it must also be clean while performing such tasks. Hand washing is simply indispensable in the performance of any and all kinds of nursing care activities. It becomes too mundane that sometimes it is intentionally or unintentionally neglected or performed in a manner that is less than satisfactory. As a student nurse, it was made clear to me that proper hand washing is a very important initial step in the delivery of nursing services. I have performed hand washing countless times, some at an acceptable standard while others below standard. The origin for strongly recommending or rather enforcing the need to perform hand washing may be traced from Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis who advocated the performance of hand washing with a chlorinated solution among doctors before assisting women in labour (Case 2011). White (2005, p.527) defines hand washing as the rubbing together of all surfaces www.newessays.co.uk and crevices of the hands using a soap or chemical and water. It is a part of all types of isolation precautions and is the most basic and effective infection-control measure to prevent and control the transmission of infectious agents. Hand hygiene which includes hand washing and gloving, is the single most crucial means of preventing transmission of antibiotic-resistant organisms such as the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci or VRE (LeTexier 2011). The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2003, p.28) or NICE in its guideline for infection control dictate that hand washing and gloving are two fundamental modes of preventing healthcare-associated infection. The World Health Organization (2006) highly recommends that health care workers wear gloves to prevent microorganisms present on the hands to be transmitted to patients and to reduce the risk of workers acquiring infection from patients. The effectiveness of donning gloves in preventing contamination of infectious agents has been confirmed in many clinical trials (WHO 2006). To reiterate, both hand washing and gloving are two of the most indispensable methods of aseptic technique; however, amidst the overwhelming evidence on the benefits of both procedures, there are still erring professionals. Nurses, doctors and other health care professionals still do err in the performance of such procedures. In my case, I have done it many times before but sometimes, I still forget to do it or consciously neglect to do it. Perhaps, the problem lies not within the knowledge of the need to perform it but rather on the manner by which it should be perform. There are varying ways and means of performing hand washing. In fact there are different kinds of hand washing. There is the medical hand washing which is similar to ordinary hand washing and there is also the surgical hand washing. Every institution has its own version on how to perform hand washing. This is also true for donning gloves. There are different brands of gloves each of which advertise some form of advantage over the other. There are also different modes of donning gloves such as the open technique and the close technique. There are also different varieties of gloves like clean gloves and surgical gloves. The differences and varieties with the way hand washing and gloving may be performed may account for the reason why some professionals err in the performance of these two important aseptic technique procedures. Another factor in the possible non-compliance of some healthcare professionals may be related to convenience in the performance of such procedures. For instance, when a nurse is overwhelmed by work-related stress due to high inpatient census, sometimes, the simple act of washing hands is intentionally neglected. As a solution to this, it is recommended to make hand hygiene convenient (JCR 2009, p.64). Instead of the traditional soap and water, it is possible to achieve the same effect with alcohol based scrub; thereby, eliminating the need for washing hands with water. It is also advisable to choose gloves that have special fit for different sizes of hands rather than the fit-all type of gloves. Conclusion In summary, hand washing and gloving are two common types of aseptic technique which are indispensable in the everyday practice of nursing. It has been well established that hand washing and gloving are crucial in the efficient delivery of services particularly in the aspect of preventing the spread of infection. Despite this known fact, some still err in complying with such procedures. References Case, C. (2011). Handwashing. [online] Available at: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/hand_background.php Cho, C. and Alessandrini, E. (2008). Aseptic technique. In: King, C., Henretig, F. and King , B. (Eds.). Textbook of pediatric emergency procedures. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Dougherty, L. and Lister, S. (2011). The Royal Marsden Hospital Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures: Student edition. 8th edn., Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Joint Commission Resources (2009). Meeting joint commission’s infection prevention and control requirements: A priority focus area. 2nd edn., Illinois: Joint Commission Resources. LeTexier, R. (2011). Preventing infection through hand washing. [Online].Available at: http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/2000/07/preventing-infection-throughhandwashing.aspx National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2003). Infection control: Prevention of healthcare-associated infection in primary and community care. [online]. Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG2fullguidelineinfectioncontrol.pdf White, L. (2005). Foundations of nursing. London: Thompson Delmar Learning. www.newessays.co.uk Nursing Essay: Sample World Health Orgnization (2006). The first global patient safety challenge: Clean care is safer care. [online]. available at: http://www.who.int/gpsc/tools/Infsheet6.pdf www.newessays.co.uk

Defining And Analysing Groupwork Social Work Essay

Defining And Analysing Groupwork Social Work Essay Groups may be defined in many ways, indeed providing an absolute definition of a group, as with much of the theory around group work, is highly problematic and contestable. However for the purposes of discussing groupwork within a context of working with young people we may define a group as a small gathering of young people. Group work may simplistically be described as the study and application of the processes and outcomes experienced when a small group comes together. Konopka (1963) defines groupwork as a method of social work that is utilised in order to `help individuals to enhance their social functioning through purposeful group experiences, and to cope more effectively with their personal, group or community problems`. This definition shows a tradition within groupwork of helping individuals with problems. Brown provides a modernised and more comprehensive definition of group work (1994, p.8). He states that `groupwork provides a context in which individuals help each other; it is a method of helping groups as well as helping individuals; and it can enable individuals and groups to influenceand changepersonal, group, organisational and community problems` (original emphasis). He goes on to distinguish between `relatively small and neighbourhood centred` work and `macro, societal and political approaches` within community work, explaining that only the former may be properly classified as groupwork. Thus the role of groupwork can be seen as one which places emphasis on sharing of thoughts, ideas, problems and activities. Roles within Groups Each individual within a group has a role to play in the development of that group to a greater or lesser extent. Through observation, understanding of difference, awareness of personal resourcesand effective communication(Douglas, 1995), each member may affect group processes and individual emotions. Roles develop within groups both through formal appointment and because of the personal characteristics and interpersonal relationships that develop between members. Roles which develop can be constructive and support the group and its members in achieving its goals, or can be destructive and work against the overall group aims. Individuals within the group can develop several roles and at times these may conflict. For example a PTV member who was designated as leaderfor a specific task, also played a clownand was fond of practical jokes. The fooling around led to a lack of trust from other group members creating a conflict with the leadership role. As the group begins to develop an understanding of four things can be observed: Observation: the way we behave is based upon what we observe of ourselves, and what we make of others and their reactions to us. Differences: personally and socially generated; the effects they have on behaviour and understanding. Resources: frequently stemming from difference but are the source of potential power for a group and an individual. Communication: considered to be natural but subject to many barriers that remain largely unknown unless a conscious effort is made to find them: (Douglas, 1995, p. 80-97)   Through supportive roles, groups may play a part in reducing oppression generated externally to the group. Groupwork can be used as a medium for oppressed groups to `help these groups adjust in society`, and moreover to help society to adjust towards these groups. This can be achieved by `individual rehabilitation` in which we can `help individuals to adjust to social life and manage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ tension à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ gain confidence, high self esteem`, and in `getting and keeping employment etc.`. `Societal or community rehabilitation` involves `helping the society to have meaningful contact` with individuals and groups which are discriminated against and oppressed (Osei-Hwedie, Mwansa, and Mufune, 1990, p. 188). Preston-Shoot describes groupwork creating a `sense of belonging and mutual identity` encouraging `the formation of relationships which foster mutual identification and influence`, thus feelings of isolation and singularity with issues of difference and oppression may be reduced. Also, the group may be encouraged to use its internal resources to move towards individual or group `problem-resolution`, reducing feelings of helplessness, building self worth, and discouraging worker dependency (Preston-Shoot, 1987, p. 6-28). Smith concurs with this view of the suitability of groupwork, stating `Groups are obvious sites of interaction and within them a sense of connectedness or community with others can be fostered` (Smith, 1994, p.111). This `connectedness` is a valuable tool with which to challenge discrimination and oppression, for as Piven and Cloward argue, it is only when we act collectively that change can begin (Piven and Cloward, 1993). Conclusion: Group Work Double Edged Sword? To state that group work is not an exact science is something of an understatement. As we have seen, it is problematic to even define what is meant by a group as no absolute definition exists. Similarly most, if not all, concepts within group work theory can be, and are, contested. Groups are extremely important in the lives of all individuals. Johnson and Johnson (1975, p1-2) state `many of our goals can be achieved only with the cooperation and coordination of others`. However `the success of any group depends on the ability of its members to exchange ideas freely and to feel involved in the life and decisions of the group` (Massallay, 1990). All groups within youth work have goals, i.e. a future state of affairs. It is important that short term and long term goals are set realistically if the group is to develop and function effectively. These functions are achieved through the direction of leadership and the development of individual roles within each group. A group is said to be successful if it: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   accomplishes group tasks 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   maintains the group internally, and; 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   develops and adapts to improve effectiveness. (Massallay, 1990) Groupwork can be used as an effective tool for many youth work situations, not least of which is as a medium for challenging oppression both within groups and individuals. Thus, we have seen the emergence and development of girls issue groups and black young peoples projects that offer mutual support as well as working to challenge oppression. Yet we have seen that through the development stages of a groups life there are many opportunities for individuals to develop and focus oppressive behaviour internally within a group. A grasp of theoretical understanding of group behaviour and functioning can help to explain individual and group behaviour, and help us to achieve our ultimate aim as youth workers, that of informal education. It is important not to treat group work as an exact science with definitive answers. Indeed many of the questionswe must ask ourselves are unclear, thus the answersare a best guess, or a benchmark that we can develop on and work around. Finally, let us consider briefly the historical context of group work development and the purpose it has not only within youth work, but society at large. As Taylor reminds us `A moments reflection shows that the social groupwork beloved of liberalism is the product of the American capitalist concern to develop more sophisticated management techniques` (Taylor, 1987, p. 140). Let us be careful to use group work to promote democracy and not fall into the trap of using group work as yet another tool for promoting social control in a capitalistic state.  © Student Youth Work Online 1999-2001 Please always reference the author of this page. References Recommended Reading Adair, J. (1988) Effective LeadershipLondon: Pan Barker, L. L., Cegala, D. J., Kibler, R. J. and Wahlers, K. J. Groups In ProcessNew Jersey, USA: Prentice-Hall Bond, T. (1986) Games for Social and Life SkillsLondon: Hutchinson Brandes, D. and Phillips, H (1977) Gamesters HandbookGreat Britain: Stanley Thornes Brown, A. (1994) Groupwork 3rdEditionGreat Yarmouth: Ashgate Publishing Dearling, A. and Armstrong, H. (1994) The New Youth Games BookGreat Britain: Russell House Publishing Douglas, T. (1983) Groups: Understanding People Gathered TogetherLondon: Routledge Douglas, T. (1995) Survival In Groups: The Basics of Group MembershipBuckingham: Open University Press Dynes, R. (1990) Creative Games in GroupworkGreat Britain: Winslow Press Garland, J. Jones, H. and Kolody, R. (1968) `A model for stages of development in social workgroups` in Bernstein, S. (Ed.) Explorations in GroupworkBoston: Boston University School of Social Work Heap, K. (1977) Group Theory for Social WorkersGreat Britain: Pergamon Press Konopka, G. (1963) Social Group Work : a Helping Process Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Prentice Hall Leech, N. and Wooster, A. D. (1986)Personal and Social Skills A Practical Approach for the ClassroomGreat Britain: RMEP Massallay, J. L. (1990) `Methods, Techniques and Skills of Youth and Community Work: Community Action and Group Work` Chapter 4. In Osei-Hwedie, K., Mwansa, L-K. and Mufune, P. (Eds.) Youth and Community Work PracticeZambia: Mission Press Osei-Hwedie, K., Mwansa, L-K. and Mufune, P. (1990) Youth and Community Work Practice: Methods, Techniques and SkillsZambia: Mission Press Piven, F. F. and Cloward, R. A. (1993) Regulating the Poor : The Functions of Public Welfare USA: Vintage Books Preston-Shoot, M. (1987) Effective GroupworkHampshire: Macmillan Rogers, C. R. (1967) `The process of basic encounter group` In Bugental, J. F. T. (Ed.) TheChallenges of Human PsychologyNew York: McGraw-Hill Sessoms, H. Massachusetts, D. and Stevenson, J. L. (1981) Leadership and Group Dynamics in Recreation ServicesUSA: Allyn and Bacon Smith, M. K. (1994) Local Education: Community, Conversation, PraxisGreat Britain: Open University Press Taylor, T. (1987) `Youth Workers as Character Builders` Chapter 9. In Jeffs, T and Smith, M. (Eds.) Youth WorkBasingstoke: MacMillan Tuckman, B. W. (1965) `Developmental Sequences in Small Groups` in Psychological BulletinNo. 63 p. 384-399 http://youthworkcentral.tripod.com/sean3.htm

Use of Reflective Practice in Nursing Essay -- Professional Growth thr

In this essay, I will be summarizing and exploring my understanding of reflective practice. Reflective practice is the process of learning through and from experience towards gaining new insights of self and practice (Boud et al 1985; Boyd and Fales, 1983; Mezirow, 1981, Jarvis, 1992). This generally involves examining assumptions of everyday practice. It also requires the individual practitioner to be self-aware and to critically evaluate their responses to practice situations. The point is to recapture practice experiences and think about them critically in order to gain new understandings and so improve future practice. This is understood as part of the process of life-long learning. This process of learning from reflection brings self-awareness, gaining knowledge and enhancing communication skills, were the key learning points that I learnt within this discussion. From this discussion itself I learnt new features and ways which gave me the ability to learn how to enhance my communication skills. I have also gained knowledge from on-line discussion with members of the group who have shared their knowledge and acquiring from literature. However, this process of continuously learning gave me a deeper insight of new features and methods that allowed me to challenge myself by merely sharing knowledge within an on-line discussion. In reflective practice, practitioners engage in a continuous cycle of self-observation and self-evaluation in order to understand their own actions and the reactions they prompt in themselves and in learners (Brookfield, 1995; Thiel, 1999). The goal is not necessarily to address a specific problem or question defined at the outset, as in practitioner research, but to observe and refine practice in gen... ... R. (2011). ABC of Action Learning. Gower Publishing Limited; Surrey Schon, D.(1983)The Reflective Practitioner. New Yorks Books. EGAN, G. (2007) The Skilled Helper.9th ed. Belmont:Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. SUSAN, W. W. and IAN McGILL (1989) Making Sense of Experiential Learning, London, United Jarvis, P. (1992) Reflective practice and nursing. Nurse Education Today, 12(3), 174-181. LINDA, D. R. and MARY, W. (2001) Principles and Practice of Informal Education, London, Routledge Falmer Mcgill, I and Beard, L. (2001) ‘Action Learning: a guide for professional. Management & educational development’ Oxon: Routledge. Mezirow, J. (1981) A critical theory of adult learning and eduaiton. Adult Education,32(1), 3-24. Schà ¶n, D. A. (1987) Teaching artistry through reflection-in-action, In Educating the reflective practitioner (pp. 22-40) San Francisco

The Development of Attachment Essays -- attachment theory, John Bowlby

One of the most important factors that affect child development is the relationship of the child with their primary caregiver. This is a tenet of developmental psychology known as attachment theory. John Bowlby, the creator of this theory, wanted to examine how early childhood experiences influence personality development. Attachment theory specifically examines infant’s reactions to being separated from their primary caregiver. Bowlby hypothesized that the differences in how children react to these situations demonstrates basic behavioral differences in infancy that will have consequences for later social and emotional development. To study attachment theory, Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation Paradigm. This procedure examines the reaction of the infant when their primary caregiver leaves them for up to three minutes. The emotional response of the child to being left alone and the behavior of the child when the caregiver reappears are coded on a seven point rating scale. Based on these scores children are divided into three categories which illustrate the quality of the attachment. Securely attached children are confident in their relationship with their primary caregiver, and are not afraid to explore new things. In the Strange Situation, these infants are less distressed during separation and happy to see their caregiver during the reunion and will often make contact with them. Infants with an insecure-avoidant attachment are characterized by a lack of positive affect toward their primary caregiver. They are less distressed during the separation than most infants, and reserve their emotiona l response not for their caregiver but for toys or the experimenter. Infants with insecure-ambivalent or resistan... ...t. Child Development, 62, 906-917. Joseph, R. (1999). Environmental Influences on Neural Plasticity, the Limbic System, Emotional Development and Attachment: A Review. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 29. Koran-Karie, N., Oppenheim, D., Dolev, S., Sher, E., & Etzion-Carasso, A. (2002). Mothers’ Insightfulness Regarding Their Infants’ Internal Experience: Relations With Maternal Sensitivity and Infant Attachment. Developmental Psychology, 38, 534-542. Meins, E., Fernyhough, C., Wainwright, R., Gupta, M. D., Fradley, E., & Tuckey, M. (2002, November/December). Maternal mind-mindedness and attachment security as predictors of theory of mind understanding. Child Development, 73, 1715-1726. Sonkin, D. J. (2005, January/February). Attachment Theory and Psychotherapy. The Therapist. Retrieved from http://www.danielsonkin.com/attachment_psychotherapy.htm

Free Merchant of Venice Essays: The Villainous Shylock :: Merchant Venice Essays

Many people are villainous in the way they act, and their villainous acts may be rooted in the desire to destroy others, or in the hopes of elevating themselves. Many people may only act "villainous" in reaction to the way they have been treated in the past. Shylock the Jew is the villain or antagonist in the play The Merchant of Venice. Shylock mistreats Antonio the Christian, his daughter, Jessica and Launcelot.    The first person Shylock mistreats, is Launcelot. He mistreats this servant by complaining behind Launcelot's back of his laziness. Shylock says,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More than the wildcat. Drones hive not with me..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ..His borrowed purse." 1 Shylock also acts villainous towards Launcelot by acting belligerent towards him."Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call." 2 Shylock mistreats this man because of his poverty, and because Launcelot is socially beneath him. You also start to wonder about how fair Shylock is, when Launcelot is deciding whether or not to leave him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shylock also mistreats his own daughter, Jessica. He mistreats her by keeping her as a captive in her own house, not letting her out, and not letting her hear the Christian music around her. He orders her to:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ..But stop my house's ears-I mean casements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Let not the sound of shallow fopp'ry enter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My sober house." 3 Jessica considers her home to be hell, and she calls Launcelot, a "merry little devil". She even states that her father is Satan. Shylock also mistreats his own daughter, by not loving her enough, even to the point where he complains about all of the money he's spending in a search to find her. "Why, there, there, there, there! A diamond gone cost me two thousand ducats in Frankford! The curse..   ..ill luck stirring but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs but o' my breathing; no tears but o' my shedding."4 Salerio makes the audience wonder about Shylock, when he raves about when Shylock was calling out, "Oh my ducats, my daughter, my ducats, my daughter.

My Interview to My Very First Patient as a Nursing Student

My reflection for 1st PCP visit Recently, I have completed the very first visit for the Patient Care (Feel Link) Project (PCP). The story of Mr Yung, the patient whom I visited, does reveal a less familiar side of the lives of chronic health patients. Giving is receiving. The visit not only provides me with a precious opportunity to care for the people in need, but it is also very enlightening and deepens my understanding about the profession. I am assigned to work with a MBBS year 1 student for the whole project. We visited Mr. Yung at Ruttonjee Hospital on 23rd February, 2011.He is a patient who suffers from chronic asthma, GI impairment and allergic rhinitis. He has also undergone several major operations and these operations bring him numerous long-term defects, ranging from failing to have normal solid food intake to receiving long-term drug treatments. Not difficult is it to imagine he leads an inconvenient life because of his chronic illness. I do feel greatly compassionated a nd empathetic towards his pain. This visit is a precious experience that I can have never come across during lectures, so I cherish this visit much. Throughout the whole visit, Mr.Yung emphasized that he was extremely impoverished and begged us to help him seek help from social workers to ease his financial difficulties. I believe he does not receive sufficient help form the health care professionals, and so he has no choice but to ask us to refer his financial need to the social workers. He told us he was extremely depressed because his senior allowance was not enough to support his vast medical expenses. It is expectable that Mr. Yung could have received more effective treatments and medications with a considerable financial ability. Melancholy and depression achieve nothing but only contribute to deteriorating Mr.Yung’s chronic illness. Social workers shall spare no endeavors to take care of chronic patients like Mr. Yung as they ‘assist people to adjust to the chang es brought by the illness’ (Daly, Speedy & Jackson, 2006, p. 188). It is believed that social workers are of paramount importance to promote social well-being of the patients. As a result, rehabilitation of patients can be facilitated and boosted. The shortage of social workers may be the core problem behind Mr. Yung’s story, and this requires government long-term strategic planning to solve it ultimately.It is expected that an increased number of social workers can provide a more holistic counseling for patients, so their needs are better looked after and catered. Mr. Yung also once expressed his reluctance of transferring to Tung Wah East Hospital because he was deeply disappointed with the terrible service quality of the doctors there. On the one hand, it is understandable that the frontline health care professionals are facing much pressure because of heavy workload and exceedingly long working hours. On the other hand, it is inappropriate and undesirable for them to displace their negative emotions on their patients.It succeeds in nothing but only threatens patients’ trust and obedience to health care professionals. An article suggests ameliorating the quality of health care by adopting the healthy psychology approach, which encourages ‘doctor-patient communication and patient cooperation with treatment’ (Friedman, 2002, p. 72). It is foreseeable that adopting the healthy psychology approach can cultivate the relationship between the health care professionals and patients, so they would be able to develop a better understanding of each other. Eventually, Mr.Yung’s story and the stories of many other suffering patients would cease to exist. I treasure this invaluable patient-visiting opportunity a lot because I know little about hospital setting and patients’ need. This visit does guide me understand the psychological need of patients. As discussed by Friedman (2002), health care should never be limited to me dical aspect, but widened to psychological and social aspects because these three aspects are closely related. The Biopsychosocial Health Psychology Model of Health takes more comprehensive and all-rounded care of patients.In the case of my first visit, better services shall be provided by doctors and social workers under this model. In short, unconditional positive regard is the best means to bring patients love and warmth and it also enhances patients’ rehabilitation and restoration from illness. Health care professionals shall put much heeds on psychosocial aspect, instead of medical only, when delivering their cares to patients. This first visit also gives me a chance to learn collaborating and cooperating with others in work.I am deeply pleased to work with my MBBS partner. Interdisciplinary cooperation between us is trained, sharpened and polished through the visit. I was able to have effective division of labour with my partner, and so productivity and efficiency can b e enhanced. The visit allows me to apply the cooperation skills that I have acquired in lectures. Therefore, I now have a better understanding for my future role as a nurse. Indeed, nurses and doctors are very significant members in the multidisciplinary health care teams.This visit gives me a rough idea that multidisciplinary parties achieve much more than single teams in terms of health care. My partner takes the initiative to provide comprehensive medical knowledge and contribute a lot to the quality of the visit. I come to realize how important collaboration and multidisciplinary are after the visit. All in all, I enjoy every moment of the first PCP visit. It widens my horizons and presents me a more complete picture of my future career role as a nurse. This visit redefines my conception of health care provision.After the visit, I come to understand, apart from medical services, psychological and social elements are crucial integral parts of an all-rounded heath care system. Als o, I find the visit extremely inspirational as I become more aware of collaborating with counterparts when administering health care to patients. Well cooperation can bring better health care services and satisfaction to patients. With concerted effort, it is expected that an inclusive health care provision system would be maturely developed in the foreseeable future.Word count: 998 words References Friedman, H. S. (2002). The Social and Cultural Basis of Health and Illness. In H. S. Friedman (Ed. ), Health Psychology (2nd Ed). (pp. 50-74). NJ: Prentice Hall. Friedman, H. S. (2002). Adaptation to Chronic Illness. In H. S. Friedman (Ed. ), Health Psychology (2nd Ed). (pp. 183-213). NJ: Prentice Hall. Griffiths, R. , & Crookers, P. (2006) Multidusciplinary teams. In J. Daly, S. Speedy & D. Jackson (Eds. ), Contexts of nursing an introduction (2nd Ed). (pp. 184-198). Australia: Elsevier

Personal Vision of Ministry

Personal Vision of Ministry Statement â€Å"Creative,  loving,  and  inspired  ministry  that  loosens  the burdens of religion, and  leads  people to a  lifetime,  obedient relationship with our  Lord  Jesus Christ. † Each word in that  vision  statement is very significant to me and describes my spiritual being to this point. Creativity  is important to me, not just because advertising or me being a bit imaginative, but because from the beginning, our God was a creative God; I don’t believe there is any room  for  becoming stagnant in Christianity.Love  is the central theme of the Bible, and it is the most important of the Great Commandment’s. It is only through daily submission that  inspiration  will come, and it is only through inspiration and testimony that I find the strength to carry out God’s work. There are  two â€Å"R† words  that are distinctive when sharing ministry:  Religion and Relatio nship. They are not the same. Religion: being the belief in and worship of a personal God or Gods Details of belief as taught or discussed.Relationship: the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. Example being Jesus Christ connected as our personal Lord and Savior. So this would be my personal ministry of how I am to share Christ Jesus Love. To be able to teach, and lead others to Christ through scripture. As a church youth minister, I should be one that is connected with today’s youth. A youth minister should lead children, not only in their spiritual growth but their personal development as well.A youth minister needs to possess great leadership qualities and have plenty of experience and testimony in order to share with the children. I must be able to train and encourage others within the church. I will be discipline, self-motivated, organized, and spiritually mature. This is why I believe AME will help me furt her Gods ministry, and gain more knowledge of who God is. Scripture says Lots about knowledge throughout the bible. One of my favorite verses explaining Gods sovereign knowledge is in Proverbs.Proverbs 3:1-35:  My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness for sake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord  with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. | | | May God use me to accomplish His purposes.

Comparison Of Hobbes’ And Locke’s Political Philosophies Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are both contemporary philosophers who were made famous for their political philosophies especially on areas of government and the community. Although Hobbes was born forty one years ahead of Locke, both have agreed on certain ideas but remained in contrast with others. In this paper we will try to compare the main philosophies held by Hobbes and Locke, focusing on their opinions on government, community, leadership and the concept of social contract or covenant. This paper will also attempt to align the said philosophies in contemporary events particularly in the American life after September 11 attack. At the end of this paper, this author aims to establish the fact that Locke’s political philosophies are more practical, consistent and acceptable over that of Hobbes. Hobbes and Locke are particularly interested in human beings and how they interact with the world. Both believing in the existence of God, they both insist that human beings need a leader- a feature of human community that is a vital element of their survival. 1â€Å"Without a leader, the country would fall away into nothing†. They however differ on the type of leader that a community should have in order to survive. For Hobbes, there’s only one man that should rule or govern the people, and that is a king (Hobbes, Thomas 1994, p. 83). Hobbes maintains that it is only this king who should be given the authority and the responsibility to write laws, make decision and consequently of controlling the people. In order for people to survive, people are therefore compelled to obey the commands of the ruler, both in religious and government matters. Locke however believes the other way around. For John Locke, it is rather the people who should run the government and not the king. Consequently, Locke points to the idea that the responsibility of uniting and taking care of the needs of the whole community lies in the hands of the people and not on the sole control of one person. Unlike Hobbes, Locke somehow points to a democratic form of government wherein the people are given the right to participate in all affairs of the government including the responsibility of deciding what is best for the general public. Locke also suggests that the people should rather have to decide on who they wanted to rule over them. Moreover, since the power lies on the people, they have the right to overthrow a wicked ruler in the same way as they have decided to have him seated in the position (Locke, John 1997, p. 22). Because Hobbes maintains authoritarian form of government, he insists that 1â€Å"society could not exist except by the power of the state†. This is directly contrary to Locke’s view that man is inherently a social being and thus has the need and the ability to interact with others. Hobbes idea then simply would suggest that man is necessarily a creature that cannot decide for him nor does he has the ability to discern what is good and what is evil because he needs a ruler in order to establish a society. Moreover the statement suggests that man has to submit to an authority and after which all individual rights are gone and so man is compelled to obey. It is also important to note that Hobbes, in this aspect believes that man does not have the right to rebel against the ruler since the latter is assumed to be someone who does all things good and lawful. For Hobbes, the right thing for man to do is to shut up and obey and once this is done, anyone does not have the right to kill the obedient one. Because the state is the supreme ruler in the society, the ruler then is assumed to be wise enough to the point that all his affairs, his views and decisions are deemed just. Hobbes also assumes that 1â€Å"all of society is a direct creation of the state and a reflection of the will of the ruler†. Locke however has a better and more practical idea that is obviously been the basis of most governments, especially those that employ the democratic form of government. On the concept of social contract, Locke believes that by giving up our rights to â€Å"exact retribution for crimes†, we are in return given the right to just, impartial protection of our properties and out lives (Harris, Ian 1994). Relative to this, man still retain his rights to life and liberty. The state, according to Locke has only one role, and that is 1â€Å"to ensure that justice is seen to be done†. The ruler therefore is necessarily not the sole decision maker in the society, rather he is just an instrument appointed by the general public to serve justice and maintain peace. The government therefore, as peacemakers should not be involved in any form of injustice or any act that may disturb peace in the society. Otherwise, Locke believes that the people are given the right to kill or overthrow the ruler. Although Hobbes is in favor of the unlimited power of the state, he justified his point well by stating that the purpose of such unlimited power is to end all conflict and contention. Because he regarded people as creatures who are incapable of knowing what is good and evil, Hobbes believes that people have the tendency to freely live a material life which would result into conflict. Thus the avoid this, the state is given the sole and unlimited power over them. 1Both Hobbes and Locke believe that there is an implied contract between the state and the people as soon as a ruler is being placed in power. The difference however is that Locke regard that contract as something that impliedly sets the ruler as a judge over the affairs of the people while Hobbes set that contract as something that sets the ruler as a master of the people. Hobbes points out â€Å"all contracts are binding, even if entered into from fear of violence or pain of death† (Hobbes, 1994 p. 86). Hobbes does maintains that man does not have the ability to recognize good from evil because he believes that good and evil are established and defined by the will of the state (Hobbes, 1994 p. 28). This means that good and evil exist only because something or things are defined as such by the ruler. Hobbes then points to the idea that there exist no definite standard or basis for man to know what is the right thing to do and what is wrong. As with the idea of property and its ownership, Hobbes believes that the state is the one defining the property of somebody. Because man cannot discern good from evil, human beings without the state or the ruler cannot live in peace. Hobbes further assumes that peace can only exist and reign in a society when its people subject themselves to one absolute and common master. From here Hobbes might be suggesting that it is impossible for the world to experience peace since the world does have different rulers. On the other hand, Locke believes that humans inherently has the capacity to discern what is good from evil and are therefore capable of knowing what is lawful and what is not. â€Å"Most importantly, they are capable of telling the difference between what is theirs and what belongs to someone else† (Locke, John 2002, p. 87). Locke however recognizes the fact that despite this inherent capacity and ability, humans act the other way around. In Locke’s view, the only norm should be peace and nothing else (Cox, R. H. 1960, p. 32). Unlike Hobbes, Locke believes that man has the capacity to live in peace by refraining from hurting other and from molesting or invading their properties. Since man has the inherent capacity to discern what is good from evil, it not therefore impossible for the world to achieve peace even with the existence of different rulers. All rulers of different countries in the world are human beings who are supposed to be mature and wise enough to know what is best for their people. Because most of these rulers are elected by the people, then it is likely that it is the general preference of the people that dominates the government affairs. I also agree with Locke that when the ruler placed by the people on the seat of power abused his political powers, then the people have all the right to overthrow him and replace with somebody deserving. In the contemporary world, Hobbes and Locke’s political theories can still be relevant especially that these have, in bulk, something to do with rights and liberties of the people and the role of the government on managing the lives of its people. After the September 11 attack, the American government has been very vigilant and has somehow gone beyond the normal process of ensuring the security of the Americans. Such security measures are so rigid and strict to the point that the freedom-loving Americans thought there are losing much of their liberties. The government in defense ensures the public that such implementation of security measures plainly for national security. As for me, such measures are preferred because my security, that of my family and all Americans is of higher importance than my liberties. Let us remember that the role of the state is to ensure that justice is being served at all times, as Locke maintains. Part of serving justice is for the state to implement measures that see to it that nobody in its jurisdiction is being oppressed or hurt. To set up surveillance cameras, place military men in public places, have everyone’s baggage inspected in airports, hotels or malls are part of security measures and I do not see anything that suggests these things to be invading anyone’s liberties. Besides what is liberty if we will all die under crumbles of another attack? The President has been elected by the people and it is assumed that his rule has the consent of the majority. The American people are wise enough to discern who the best person at the Presidential seat is. By casting our votes, we are entrusting our security and the general condition of the American people in the hands on the person we voted upon. To entrust our security to the elected President does not mean we are being robots who have nothing more to do but to shut up and obey as what Hobbes suggest. To have security measures implemented in public places does not at all violate our liberties and thus we do not need to regain them. I believe that the American government still acts within the limits of justice and that I still regard all measures to be actions wherein human security rather than vengeance is of higher priority. I believe that the American government has not yet failed with its task of protecting its people so we as citizens do not have yet the right to rebel or withdraw our support. Let us remember that failure to take its primary responsibility is the only requisite Locke has provided in order for the people to have reasons to rebel. We still have our full liberties with us and security measures are implemented in order to regain one thing we have lost in the 911 attack: justice. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cox, R. H. Locke on War and Peace. OUP: Oxford, 1960. Harris, Ian. The Mind of John Locke. CUP: Cambridge, 1994. An excellent contextual analysis of the political and religious mindset of Locke’s Britain. Hobbes, Thomas. The Leviathan. Ed. Edwin Curley. Indianapolis: Hacket. 1994. Locke, John. â€Å"Essay on the Law of Nature. † In Political Writings. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Ed. Mark Goldie. CUP: Cambridge, 2002. 1Locke versus Hobbes. 24 November 2007. < http://www. jim. com/hobbes. htm> Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Ed. Peter Laslett. CUP: Cambridge, 1997. Locke, John. â€Å"Two Tracts on Government. † In Political Writings. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Ed. Mark Goldie. CUP: Cambridge, 2002.