The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas The movie, â€Å"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,† was a very interesting but sad movie. It made me think about how children really don't see a lot of things and how they are very innocent. The way the Jews were being treated made me really upset at how things were really running like that in Germany without many countries not noticing, especially the United States, until years later when they had gone to war.But by then, many people had died, or became survivors without any family, homes or any of their elongings at all. It was ridiculous in the way they got away with a lot of things. Their own people in the country thought that it wasn't even bad and they saw the Jews as the enemies. Brunos father who was in charge of the concentration camp though he was doing the right thing, but until his own son died, he was in complete shock. He didn't know what to do anymore. He was Just standing there and couldn't believe it.I think he realized what he was doing and how things drastically changed for his amily and him, especially in how many children and Jews he had been killing in the camp. I really liked how there was friendship in the movie though. Shmuel and Bruno had met, and Bruno would go visit him and talk to him and try to play with him sometimes. But Shmuel couldn't play, because he was very unhealthy and dehydrated, he could barely run. It would break my heart when Bruno would try to bring him food, but he would drop it along the way.I really liked the acting in the ovie; it made everything look so real, even the setting was nice. I really don't know how or what they did to make the prisoners in the movie seem so skinny as if they hadn't ate in months. Pavel who was the butler in the house, would Just peel potatoes all day, it was really horrid when he got beat up for dropping the glass of wine on the dinner table. Many people had to give up their dreams and school Just like Pavel did. It's hard to imagine if that would ha ve happened to me and my family.I wonder what appened to all the people who were involved in this, if they all died or if went to Jail, did they survive? This film also showed me that you shouldn't discriminate any types of people from the rest. It is really sad, because to this day, that's how a lot of people still are and that's the way they think. This is actually one of my favorite movies because it has so many different concepts and it makes you think about many things. Especially to see how far, into friendship you would go. By Jsierra9 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, based on the novel of the same title, directed by Mark Herman, set in Germany during World War II in the early 1940s. It follows the story of Bruno, an eight-year-old boy living in Berlin, currently under the rule of Adolf Hitler. His father is a commandant at a concentration camp. When his family moves to Auschwitz (or as Bruno believes it to be pronounced: ‘Out-With’) near the concentration camp for his father’s work, Bruno finds himself confined to the front yard of his new home and longs for a friend and an adventure. After finding a way out of the property, he discovers a concentration camp, although at this stage he believes it to be a farm rather than a prison. Bruno quickly develops a friendship with Schmuel, a Jewish boy living in the concentration camp who is the same age as him. Bruno makes several visits to the camp, despite being told by his parents that he is not to venture outside the back gate. Schmuel tells Bruno that his father is missing, while Bruno is informed that he and his sister will go to live with his Aunt. Instead of leaving his home in the country to go back to Berlin, Bruno decides to help Schmuel find his father. He dons striped â€Å"pyjamas† and crosses the fence, with horrific consequences. A character I disliked in the movie was Bruno’s father, Ralf. Ralf is a stereotypical German Nazi commandant in charge of the nearby Auschwitz concentration camp. He is very much in support of Adolf Hitler, believing that the Jewish are bad people. He tries to convince his family that he is making the world a better place. Bruno’s sister, Gretel, supports her father’s views on the matter, and explains to Bruno about the Jewish. â€Å"But Dad just sat there! † â€Å"What did you expect him to do? The Jew deserved it! † Can I ask you something about the farm? † â€Å"Bruno, you don’t think it is a farm, do you? It’s a camp, what’s called a work camp, for Jews. † â€Å"Just Jews, because they are the best workers? † â€Å"They’re not in because they are good, silly, they aren’t good at anything. They are in there because they are evil. They are the enemy, evil dangerous vermin. They’re the reason why we lost the Great War. † Ralf also imposes a fake perception of the concentration camp on his soldiers. He shows them a video that portrays the fact that the camp is a nice place to live and that the Jewish enjoy it there. New arrivals here are happy to discover that life in the camp is not all work and that there’s ample opportunity for leisure also. At the end of their day of ironmongery or the build of boot factory, the workers can enjoy the many forms of pastime that the camp has to offer. Organised sport is very popular. Those that don’t play certainly enjoy watching. At the end of the working day the centrally located cafe is the ideal place for friends and families to join together for a hearty and nutritious meal. The children in particular enjoy the pastries and cakes on offer. In the evenings the occasional music concerts either by visiting orchestras or, indeed, by talented musicians from within the camp itself, are always well attended. Other recreations include reading in the library, pottery, cookery, art and horticulture for adult and child alike. Almost any activity one could wish for is available within the camp. † This description is in stark contrast to what the camp really is like. I find Bruno’s father a horrible person for not telling the truth about the camp. Even his wife doesn’t know what goes on in the camp, and when she finds out, Ralf tells her that he was sworn to secrecy. I think we are lucky that we live in a time when fathers aren’t necessarily bound to their job in such a way that it almost destroys a family. Bruno’s father was brainwashed into believing that the Jewish were bad people and did not deserve to live, as was Bruno’s sister, Gretel. I am glad that in this century we are not so easily led into believing such things. What Ralf did was horrible but in a way he was trying to protect his family – if he had disobeyed Hitler’s orders, he may have ended up in a camp himself or even dead – but in this case his efforts to protect Bruno did not turn out so well. I also think we are lucky that we live in a country where we have enough freedom to disagree with our leaders and have an option to vote them out if necessary. In World War II, if you had a different opinion to Hitler, you were either sentenced to death or put in a concentration camp. Ralf did what was best for his family, but in doing so did some horrific things to other people. I felt extremely sorry for the main protagonist, Bruno, and enjoyed the theme of innocence. Bruno was very young, naive and hardly knew anything about the war. I think his parents and tutor should have informed him better about what was going on outside of his front yard, as he certainly didn’t deserve to die in a concentration camp. If he had known more about the outside world, perhaps he wouldn’t have felt so obliged to explore further and in doing so enter the camp. His innocence is portrayed in this instance, when he is talking to Schmuel through the fence. Bruno: â€Å"Is everything alright? † Schmuel: â€Å"No, we can’t find the Pa. He went on a different work duty with some of the men and they haven’t come back. â€Å"I have got some bad news, too. I’m going away. † â€Å"How long this time? † â€Å"That’s what it’s bad. It’s forever I think. Mum says this is no place for children. † â€Å"It’s just stupid. When do you go? † â€Å"Tomorrow, after lunch. † â€Å"So I won’t ever see you again? † â€Å"Yes, you will. You can come on holiday to Berlin if you like, when everybody is getting on with each other again†¦ I wish I could have helped you find your dad. I really want to make up for letting you down like I did. That would have done it, wouldn’t it? Helping find your dad. Would have been great, like a secret mission. Hey, I could dig under [the fence]! † Bruno then proceeded to dig under the fence and dress in striped â€Å"pyjamas† to help find Schmuel’s Dad. He and Schmuel are marched into a gas chamber, where they both die. I also felt sorry for Bruno when he was having lessons with his tutor, Herr Liszt, as he was being taught very difficult things about the war and how Hitler is a good person. For example: â€Å"I don’t understand: a nation’s collapse is only done to this one man? † â€Å"The Jew here means the entire Jewish race. If it had been just one man, I’m sure something would have been done about him. † â€Å"There is such a thing as a nice Jew, though, isn’t there? † â€Å"I think, Bruno, if you ever found a nice Jew, you would be the best explorer in the world. â€Å" Again, this shows how lucky we are to live in a country where there is no war going on. If we were taught such things in school nowadays, we would have a very different perception of the world. We are not taught biased facts about historical nor current day events, and we are lucky that we are allowed to develop our own opinions without being sentenced to death. I think a child’s innocence is extremely important to hold on to in most instances because it prevents them from many dangers that the world poses, however in this case is was the difference between life and death for Bruno. If his parents had told him why he was not allowed to go to the concentration camp, he would have been aware of the dangers and perhaps not have persisted on visiting Schmuel, but his curiosity and lack of reason from his parents eventually led him to his death.

Corruption of Love Within the Inncocent Essay

Within the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein the concept of love is found within characters that are innocent and filled with good intentions. In all three works, love fills specified characters with joy and gratefulness towards the other characters who they claim to love. Unfortunately, the characters that experience love are only satisfied with its graces until it somehow gets corrupted. The minds of the victimized characters are filled with anger, hatred, and some with the idea of vengeance. Corruption of love within Othello, Dracula, and Frankenstein come with causes and effects. In the two works Frankenstein and Othello, both Frankenstein’s creation and Othello were in love. The creature was in love with the cottagers and Othello was in love with Desdemona. When being presented with evidence to no longer feel love towards the people they claim to admire- it causes them to hate. The corruption in the relationships of Jonathan Harker from Dracula and Victor Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein is primarily caused by the supernatural beings working against them. Frankenstein’s love (Elizabeth) is murdered by the beast he creates, and Jonathan’s love (Mina) was corrupted when she is bitten by Dracula. The effect of love being corrupted in the works Frankenstein and Dracula results with the characters to seek revenge and to stop Frankenstein’s creature and Dracula from causing more pain to humanity. As a result of the characters Othello and the monster created by Frankenstein having their love corrupted, they murder the people who they see as the motivation for all of their actions. Once these characters come to a realization of their mistakes, it is too late and they commit suicide. Thus the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein all focus on the causes and effects of love being corrupted within the innocent and how it changes its victims for the worst. The creation of Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein and Othello from the play Othello are b oth affectionate towards the ones they love. The creature loves the cottagers and Othello is in love with Desdemona. They put their loved ones on a pedestal and admire them for the many things they do. The cottagers taught the creation of Frankenstein how to socialize; how to speak, how to show affection towards others, to work with others, how to be humble, etc. By fascinating him and impressing him with the ways they lived their lives, he grew to love them without having to make a personal appearance. Othello is in love with a woman who he believes is forever loyal to him. Desdemona proves her love for Othello when she agrees to elope with him. As a token of Othello’s love, he presents Desdemona with a handkerchief that belonged to his mother. However, when the creation of Victor Frankenstein and Othello are given evidence that the ones they love are no longer worthy of their affection- their attitudes change completely and they let go of all previous feelings. Frankenstein’s creature had bad encounters with humans in the past, but from his observations of the De Lacey’s, he assumes they are different and won’t reject him. After discovering that he would undergo the same harsh treatment from his beloved cottagers as those from the other village, it is stated by the beast himself, â€Å"I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery† (125). He then changes his feelings of love towards humanity into hate, and swears to get revenge on the man who created and abandoned him to be tortured and neglected. Othello is told that his wife has been having affairs with one of his most trusted companions (Cassio). He dismisses the thought immediately and sees no threat until he is provided with visual proof from Iago. After seeing Cassio with his mother’s handkerchief, Othello perceives the innocent Desdemona as guilty. â€Å"Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she Shall not live† (4.1.172) exclaims Othello. The situation makes him so enraged that he no longer cares for her existence and he is now willing to get prepared to execute her. Therefore, the characters Othello and Frankenstein’s creation are filled with hatred and the need for vengeance once they feel that they are victims whose love has been corrupted and abused. The supernatural beings Count Dracula from the novel Dracula and the monster produced by Victor Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein work as the main forces that contribute to the corruption of the relationships of Jonathan Harker and Victor Frankenstein. Jonathan constantly shows his affection towards Mina by portraying her to be his motivation to stay alive in Dracula’s castle. Both he and his betrothed are anxious to be reunited. Growing up together, Frankenstein has always been very fond of Elizabeth. Both characters come to the conclusion that they share mutual feelings of love towards one another and decide to get married. Both couples remain happy until they have encounters with beings that have selfish intentions of destroying their relationships for their satisfaction. It is stated by Count Dracula, â€Å"Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine— my creatures, to do all my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed† (332). The quote implies that the female characters in the novel Dracula- like Mina Harker are no longer bonded with their lovers but are enslaved by The Count. When being held under the power of Dracula, Mina is not in her right state of mind and she no longer prioritizes her love for Jonathan. Victor Frankenstein is given an ultimatum by his creature to create a companion. However, Victor is unwilling because he does not want to be responsible for more chaos that could potentially be caused. After being denied of his request, the monster threatens, â€Å"I will be with you on your wedding night† (Frankenstein, 158), and the thought alone tormented Frankenstein. On Victor’s wedding night, the words of the monster were no longer a threat, but reality. Elizabeth was found murdered in their room. Therefore, when Count Dracula bites Mina and the monster created by Frankenstein murders Elizabeth; they corrupt the love of both couples by preventing the women to love their partners back. When love is corrupted in the two works Frankenstein and Dracula, outcomes are characters who want to seek revenge and to defeat both fiends before they cause more chaos and pain. The creature created by Frankenstein has proved itself to be dangerous to humanity. At first, the people who hadpersonal encounters with him just assumed he was a threat because of his appearance. After being so tired of being rejected, the beast shows himself as someone who would kill innocent people for satisfaction. Specifically, he targets Victor’s loved ones as a punishment for creating him and abandoning him in an atmosphere that does not accept him. In the novel Dracula, The Count is seen as a hazard as well. In one of his many forms, he approaches the innocent and attacks them with a bite so he can use them for his selfish needs. After the loss of practically everyone he holds dear to him, Victor decides that he has been through enough. â€Å"I devote myself, either in my life or death to hi s destruction† (191), concluded Victor confidently. By saying so, Victor made the commitment to devote the rest of his life to finding the beast that destroyed the lives of so many innocent people. The warning, â€Å"We must either capture or kill this monster in his lair; or we must, so to speak, sterilise the earth† (261), is said to inform that it is requirement to put an end to Dracula in order to save the rest of the human race from becoming his slaves. With that being said, Van Helsing and the other male characters eagerly set out on the hunt for Dracula. Therefore, results of love being corrupted within the works Dracula and Frankenstein are the affected characters feeling obligated to avenge the death of their loved ones and destroy those who inflicted pain so they can not hurt anyone else. Committing murder is a result of corrupted love in regards to the characters Othello from the work Othello and the monster created by Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein. The two types of murders that occur are ones directed towards people seen as the cause for feelings of being Victimized, and suicide from guilt and regret. Being persuaded that he has been betrayed by the innocent Desdemona, Othello is enraged by the idea and declares, â€Å"Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men† (5.2.6). Determined to put an end to his wife, Othello does not realize that he is falsely accusing Desdemona, and is making a huge mistake by bringing her to her death bed. At first, the beast feels remorse for being responsible for personally taking two innocent lives. However, after being denied a companion, the monster of Frankenstein is filled with hatred and believes that it is essential for his creator to feel just as lonely as he does. He is not satisfied until all the loved ones in the life of Victor Cabildo Frankenstein are dead. After finally being revealed the truth about Desdemona’s innocence by Bianca, Othello is filled with shame, misery and regret. To punish himself for being responsible of destroying the love of his life, he kills himself to join her in the afterlife. Once the beast discovers the recent death of his creator he says, â€Å"What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst† (Frankenstein, 209). Feeling guilty and responsible of the situation, like Othello, the beast also decides to join the deceased by murdering himself. Therefore, the characters in the works Othello and Frankenstein who act as villains commit suicide because of the shame and regret that overwhelms their consciences when they realize they have murdered innocent people. Corruption of love in the relationships of the innocent characters in the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein are based on the causes and effects and how it alters its innocent targets to becoming their worst. Characters like Othello and the creation of Frankenstein freely showed their affection until they were provided with reason to express hatred. Thanks to the supernatural villains in the works Dracula and Frankenstein, love was corrupted in the relationships of Jonathan Harker and Victor Frankenstein when they could no longer approach their loved ones in the same way. When love was corrupted in the works Dracula and Frankenstein, the affected characters felt obligated to seek revenge and prevent any harm towards the rest of humanity by putting an end to the villains that posed a threat. By being affected by corrupted love, the characters Othello and the monster of Frankenstein even resorted to murdering innocent lives. Unfortunately they did not identify the mistakes that were made until it was too late. Out of guilt and shame of their actions and the villains commit suicide to join the ones they killed. With so many lives being lost throughout the three works, it can be seen as a tragedy. The love of those lost can never be expressed or brought back; and that defines the situation as turning out for the worst. Therefore, negative interferences in any shape or form contribute to the corruption of love within the innocent characters from the three works- which leads to the motivation for revenge and killing. Work Cited: Shakespeare, William. Othello New York: Washington Square Press: 1993. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein New York: Bantam: 2004. Stade, George. â€Å"Introduction†. Dracula New York: Bantam, 2006 v-xiv. Stoker, Bram. Dracula New York: Bantam: 2004.

The Role of Fertility and Population in Economic Growth: Empirical Results from Aggregate Cross-National Data

The role of fertility and population in economic growth: Empirical results from aggregate cross-national data James A. Brander and Steve Dowrick Journal of Population Economics 7(1), pp. 1-25. August 12, 1993 =============================================================== Brander and Dowrick’s (1993) used new sets of data to look at how population growth and fertility affect economic growth. This paper discusses how population growth has varied throughout history. Finding that high birthrates reduce economic growth by â€Å"investment effects† and through â€Å"capital dilution†.Also when birth rates were lowered that income per capita increased. Brander and Dowrick (1993) start by giving statistics on how the population has grown over a few periods of time and highlighte that the population has recently been increasing very quickly. This paper mentions that the growth rates peaked in the 1970’s and are currently slowing down a little. This attributes the increase in the population growth rate to technological innovations, improvements in food (both production and availability), and to increases in health care and sanitation. This increase in population growth rate slowed down economic growth.This paper used data from Summers and Heston (1991) and United Nations World Population Prospects (1992). The data was separated into two time periods, one from 1960-1965 the other from 1980-1985. It suggested that from 1980-1985 there is a more negative relationship between population growth and per capita output growth compared to 1960-1965. Also per capita growth rate are 3. 28% less in 1980-1985 compared to 1960-1965 (page 20). This is attributed to a slow down in technological progress but also mention a doubling of population in the less developed countries.This slow down in per capita growth could have just been an illusion caused by an extremely high rate of growth in the 1960 while the growth rate in 1980 was normal. The Paper suggests that the main factor in the varying per capital income growth among countries the variation in the birthrates. The change in birth rates affects the labour supply. The most basic economic model backs this up. We are taught that as supply decreases, or the quantity of workers goes down, the price to go up. This means the wage for each worker would increase.Oppositely if the birth rates increase, this means that there will be more workers, causing their wage (price) to go down. This data suggest that high birth rates decrease the investment in human capital. This may be true or it may be true that there is a constant amount of investment and as the quantity of children increase there is a dilution of the investment. This paper does not provide a value for life expectancy for the 1960-1965 period nor the 1980-1985 periods or if the life expectancy changed over these time periods.This statistic would allow the reader to understand whether the parents are not investing into their childre n because they do not believe they will reach adulthood (if life expectancy was very low), or if any changes in life expectancy can account for an increase in investment in their children. If the life expectancy were low it would promote an underinvestment in human capital. This would slow down or even reduce the economic growth rate. The reader must assume that the life expectancy does not change and that this was not a factor in choosing whether or not to invest in their children.As birthrates fall, in countries with high initial birth rates, investment in education per children increased. This investment in human capital promotes a more intelligent worker allowing their productivity to increase. The growth rate of per capita income also increased. The general trend that a decreasing birth rate would increase per capita income was obvious. It was not clear on the magnitude of this trend. Countries with low initial birth rates had a positive relationship with investment. Other ways to look at the data are suggested in this paper.The data could have been split up into children and adults because children need to consume less to achieve the same amount of welfare. A few externalities were not taken into account when calculating welfare. Some examples of externalities include environmental standards, policing, or freedom of speech. Since there are some things that you cannot put an absolute dollar amount on, they cannot be examined in this paper. Meaning it is somewhat incomplete. This paper mainly outlines how population growth has changed throughout history.Two different time periods, 1960-1965 and 1980-1985, are looked at to see how the relationship between population growth and per capita output growth changed. It also looked at how the fertility rate affects labour supply and how that affects per capita income. This paper demonstrates the relationship between different birth rate and different amounts of investment in human capital. Other way to examine the evidence and other way to improve the argument of the paper are also mentioned. The paper shows that, the birth rate was lower in 1980.Also, in both time periods, as fertility increased wages decrease and lower fertility rates increased investment per child leading to a more educated and productive workforce. It also suggests that high birth rates reduce output and that a decline in fertility can lead to increase in output per person. References Brander, J. A. , & Dowrick, S. (1994). The role of fertility and population in economic growth: Empirical results from aggregate cross-national data. Journal of Population Economics, 7(1), pp. 1-25. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org/stable/20007418

Strategic Analysis of Image Scan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Analysis of Image Scan - Case Study Example The x-ray imaging marketplace is an emergent one as the use and adoption of x-ray technology in general still has to reach its maturity. The increasing need for public security measures in all aspects of government and business entail that the safety and security market is on the rise. This growth of the safety and security market is primarily driven by increased threats of terror activities confronting governments and businesses and the need for public assurance that safety measures are in place to reduce these threats. (Homeland Security Europe, 2008) The increasing number of terrorist activities and the highly sophisticated means by which these activities are carried out have prompted concerned public officials to seriously respond to the threats of terror attacks using legislation to force strict compliance among businesses and other sectors in the implementation of advanced security systems in highly vulnerable places. The establishment of legal frameworks for safety and securit y measures have therefore increased the demand for security technologies from x-ray detection to surveillane systems. Meanwhile, Image Scan's experience of the weak performance in its industrial solutions suggests that there is minimal adoption of x-ray imaging technology in industrial settings, which points to the fact that businesses might be more interested in the development of cheaper alternatives to x-ray imaging in quality control processes. It is also logical to assume that companies involved in industrial manufacturing and processing already have their own detection systems in place. On the other hand, technological innovations in the industrial sector geared at automating processes could enhance the adoption of x-ray technologies. This makes the industrial x-ray imaging market a relatively attractive market for industry players. The highly attractive and profitable x-ray imaging solutions

Frederick Douglass Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Frederick Douglass - Essay Example However, in American, slavery was introduced and influenced by the European settlers. At first, Native Americans were exploited as slaves until the settlers learned to import African slaves. The purpose was to supply the increasing demand in slave labor and trading because it proved to have several economic advantages. In the first half of the nineteenth century, the institution of slavery had affected all the Americans – whether they were white or black, Northern or Southern, slave or free. During this period, the status and treatment to the slaves were very drastic and degrading. They were considered merely as chattels or pieces of property. They had only few legal rights, but, the most tragic scenario was the situation of other slaves who had no rights at all. Most of them lives and belonged to their â€Å"Masters† wherein they can be sold or leased in the public slave markets. The owners also controlled their lives in which they were the ones who decide on how they (slaves) spent their free time and whether they get married or not. The worst, once the parents were slaves, their children were also expected to become slaves and taken by their â€Å"Master† when they big enough to be utilized in agriculture, industry, commerce, domestic service, and/or armed forces. Due to this legal, social, economic and racial discrimination and prejudices suffered by the slaves, several anti-slavery movement and revolts began to develop to end their misery and to safeguard their basic human rights. And one of the most notable and influential figures in the abolition of slavery during the nineteenth century was Frederick Douglass, who was born to a family of African-American slaves and also became as slave himself as young as seven years old. Douglass escaped from slavery and began to advocate racial equality and black freedom from being slavery doomed. Discussion Slavery both existed in the North and South America. But, since the abolition of slavery in the North during the colonial period, the South had become the haven of slave labor due to the introduction and emergence of large-scale cotton plantation farms. Cotton became the world’s largest and represented as America’s biggest and most important export. It replaced sugar as the major crop. In fact, three-fourths of the world’s cotton supply came from the southern region. It was considered by the South as their â€Å"white gold† (Foner, 2006, 378) because it significantly boosted the economic status of the entire America wherein the sales earned from the cotton industry had allowed the country to pay for imported manufactured goods (Foner, 379). Since, the economy was centered on the production of cotton, the South, which happened to have abundant fertile farms applicable for cotton farming, had become the center of New World slavery. The South was also considered as the largest and most powerful slave society (Foner, 378) which adversely affected b oth the African American slaves and the poor American whites in the region. Effects of slavery in the South to the African-American Slavery in the South had adversely affected the African-American slaves. First, the African-Americans were subjected to racial discrimination wherein the White Americans believed that they were supreme and their black counterparts were the innately inferior. Further, they declared that true equality for them (whites) was manifested by being free from â€Å"low, menial, unskilled jobs† in which they emphasized that these jobs were only fitted for the blacks. Slavery was for the blacks and means their existence was to perform all kinds of work in the plantation all throughout the day with only brief break for meals. They were only fed for the reason to become more productive rather than any reasons (Foner, 2006, 395).

The Matrix Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Matrix - Movie Review Example The Matrix depicts that human intelligence is a strong force which cannot be repeated or mechanically restored. The movie portrays human intelligence is based on such issues as reasoning, thinking, and problem solving. People differ in their ability to reason effectively. However, the cognitive processes responsible for human actions and performance cannot be repeated by machines. The movie portrays that most people live in quite large social groups, and their intelligence evolved to cope with the demands of social life, the need to learn one's place in a social hierarchy, how to interact with one's social superiors and inferiors, how to co-operate with others, and how, sometimes, to outwit them. In the article, Lazar underlines that: â€Å"power in itself is deceptive as it is based on a paradox: it allows the taste of truth/knowledge but causes its own end (and arguably the end of truth/knowledge)† Using such characters as Neo, Morpheus and Trinity, the movie portrays that o nly human beings have the ability to think and apply decision-making to complex situations. Machines are unable to think flexibly. The Matrix shows that people go one step further by attributing, the possession of a 'theory of mind' which, they proposed, underlay the machines ability to understand, control, or predict the behavior of others. The idea has been taken up by numerous fiction writers, some of whom have argued that we possess a domain-specific 'theory of mind module'.

Streaming DVDs via NBN project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Streaming DVDs via NBN project - Assignment Example The aim of this report is to present the (DVD streaming service) via the National Broadband Network NBN in the library. It is to be noted that the target audience are individual users such as the library patrons. The project shall further take into consideration the overall project plan, the potential benefits that can be obtained from implementing the plan, the target audience for the new service, the stakeholders and the resource requirements. It shall also consider the impact of new service on current library service. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 3 Project Plan 4 Project Initiation 4 Accessing the DVDs Streaming Permission 4 Availing Permission 5 Selection of Name 5 Planning For Interactivity 5 Estimate Labour Cost 5 Look For Employee 6 Planning For Guidelines 6 Adding To Library Pamphlet 6 Advertisement 6 Link to Service Library 6 Send Email for Library Membership 7 Introducing the Service to the Market 7 Potential Benefits 7 Target Audience 9 Stakeholders 9 Anticipate d Resourcing Requirement 10 Impact on Current Library Services 11 Issues/ Areas for Further Exploration 12 Conclusion 13 References 14 Task List 16 Appendix B 17 CIPP Framework 17 Project Plan Project Initiation Preparation of the project plan involves considerable efforts and decision making capabilities so that the project can be completed and executed successfully. The National Broadband Network (NBN) is considered to be one of the Australia’s first speed internet services, which includes three technologies such as optic fibre, satellite and fixed wireless (Media Access Australia, 2011). It has been recognised from the case study that the Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy offered funds so that it can extend the Digital Enterprise and Digital Communities initiatives. After the creation of the National Broadband Network, it will be significant for the service provision agencies to initiate to identify the ways in which they can exploit the increa se bandwidth as well as connectivity that the network is capable of providing. It can be mentioned NBN is linked to the libraries. The project aims at identifying the ways of involving with the NBN in order to improve the services offered to the users. Accessing the DVDs Streaming Permission Through public libraries the members are capable of accessing a variety of services as well as programs. It has been identified that the DVDs are considered as one of the topmost formats for movies and most of the users consider libraries to be the main source for movies. Hence, in light of the altering media landscape there is greater demand for the DVD streaming services by the individual users (Swank, 2012). A wide range of services that the libraries offer can gain advantage from the use of NBN services such as computer as well as internet class, story time along with author events. The main idea of this project is to make use of NBN so that the library services, in particular, DVD service c an be supported (Alemna & Adanu, 2005). Availing Permission It is significant to avail the permission

BSC (Hons) Social Work. Cross-Cultural Perspectives on society Essay

BSC (Hons) Social Work. Cross-Cultural Perspectives on society - Essay Example use practitioners and clients no longer speak the same language nor do they share similar/comparable cultural references and worldviews (Hawkins, Fook and Ryan, 2001). From an ethical perspective, multiculturalism has made negotiations through the ethical minefields of social work all the more treacherous. Suffice to say, as Bisman (2004) points out, the contemporary British social worker can no longer be guided by the ethical guidelines which inform professional British social work but needs to adopt a more universal, a-cultural ethical approach which acknowledges and respects the ethnic/cultural ethics of clients. From the theoretical perspective, this means that not only is a more multicultural professional ethics guideline required but that interventions strategies which address the challenges posed by the increasingly cross-cultural nature of the practice need to be developed (Walker, 2001; Scourfield, 2002). Not only has multiculturalism complicated the work of the British social worker from all of the theoretical, ethical and cultural perspectives, but contemporary social worker can find him/herself in a position wherein legal restrictions and regulations clash with professional duties and obligations. Given that since 1998 population and demographic changes across Britain were a direct result of the inflow of refugees and asylum seekers (Rees and Boden, 2006), social workers often find themselves in a situation wherein both their professional ethics and training dictate the imperatives of their extending help to members of this group while the law effectively constrains their ability to do so. In other words, considering that likelihood of the British social worker’s having, not only to counsel and help an ethnically diverse clientele but both refugees and asylum seekers as well, the chances of coming into contact with illegal immigrants who, despite their status are in dire ne ed of help, are high. As I discovered through personal professional

Triumph of The Will - film by Leni Riefenstahl Research Paper

Triumph of The Will - film by Leni Riefenstahl - Research Paper Example The film that was purportedly made under Hitler’s instructions (his name appears in the titles) contains extracts of speeches delivered by the  Nazi leaders  and includes speeches by  Hitler that are intermixed with footage of the gathered supporters. The main theme of this documentary was to instill a belief amongst the viewers that Germany  would return as  a super power under Hitler’s able leadership. Despite the director Riefenstahl’s claims that the film was a documentary, after its release in 1935, it was held as more of propaganda  film and was considered as one of the best propaganda films made in the history of cinematography.2 The techniques used in the movie like creating distorted images using a long focus lens, moving cameras, use of  aerial photography, and the innovative mix of cinematography with music (a new and revolutionary concept at that time) turned it into one of the  greatest films ever made.3 The film won many awards in Ge rmany and in other parts of the world, the US,  and it continues to influence documentaries and films even in the twenty-first century.4 This research paper explores the various facets of the movie, examines the concepts of art, documentary and propaganda, and analyses what transforms a documentary into a propaganda film. It will review various available literatures to derive that this film, despite claims by the director, is a documentary propaganda that attempted at portraying the Third Reich in a positive light. Discussion Films used as a popular medium for propaganda Propaganda manifests itself in various ways and during the years prior to WWII (1930s) its shape was framed by the place where it occurred, that is, Germany or the UK (the two main powers during the WW era). This is evident in the movies Night Mail by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, and Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl that revealed various ways in which propaganda can be used to influence viewers. Propaganda has a negative outlook from an overall perspective, given its adverse effect on mass viewers as well as individual audiences, which is evinced even in the 21st century. The term by itself tends to carry a disagreeable connotation; however, propaganda (under any conditions) can be classified as good or unpleasant depending on the benefits of the cause being portrayed through it and the degree of correctness of the information that is being relayed. In this context, it is interesting to note what Barnays wrote in his essay, â€Å"In itself, the word â€Å"propaganda† has certain technical meanings which, like most things in this world, are ‘neither good nor bad but custom makes them so.’†5 He defined the process as â€Å"a consistent, enduring effort to create or shape events to influence the relations of the public to an enterprise, idea or group†¦This practice of creating circumstances and of creating pictures in tem minds of people is very commonâ⠂¬ ¦Sometimes the effect on the public is created by a professional propagandist, sometimes by an amateur deputed for the job. The important thing is that it is universal and continuous; and in its sum total it is regimenting the public mind every bit as much as an army regiments the bodies of its soldiers.†6 Propaganda, which through the different eras were used to "to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures,†   took in a new form in 20th century, where propaganda were used mainly by the ruling political orders and desire to pass information that would â€Å"sway relevant groups of people in order to accommodate their agendas.†7After the Lumiere brothers (1896) successfully used a film for propaganda, it became a popular tool for the various state governments and other non-state actors

Unit 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 6 - Assignment Example For the sake of customer safety and service, a similar language needs to be in place. The employees need to maintain excellent public relation patterns with the target customers. In doing so, customers feel welcomed and valued. It also promotes the business sales. In another way, a few employees without English knowledge may feel left out and alienated from others who are quick in expressing themselves in English. They may think they are being gossiped in the workplace. Differences in workplace subsides managers institute such changes. The disciplinary action needs to be clear to everyone. The disciplinary policy in workplace ensures that every member sticks to the directives. The employees are hence aware of the repercussions that accompany breaking of the law. Knowledge of the effects of law breaking will deter them from poor acts in the workplace. Therefore, in personal view, measures enforcing English speaking only at the workplace are good if implemented well. They result to good customer care and an improvement in public relation patterns (Ekkens and Winke 270). Ekkens, Kristin, and Paula Winke. â€Å"Evaluating Workplace English Language Programs.† Language Assessment Quarterly 2009 : 265–287. Retrieved from

Should America Legalize Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Should America Legalize Marijuana Essay I. Introduction A. Attention Getter B. Specific Purpose Statement C. Credibility Statement D. Preview of Main Points (Transition) II. Body (sentences in body should be complete sentences) A. Pro/For 1 1. Supporting Material The United States is currently has over 17 trillion dollars in debt( statistic) 2. Supporting Material According to congress budget office The United States is currently has over 17 trillion dollars in debt. A country accumulates most of their debt in time of war one of the biggest and most expensive war going on right now is the war on drugs the DEA spends x dollars trying to keep marijuana of the streets just think how many more other more serious crimes can be solved if that money was spent elsewhere in the criminal justice department. Another pro of legalizing marijuana is the tax dollars we as a country can get from selling marijuana. Colorado and Washington recently legalized marijuana this year and since January through august just think how many tax dollars we can raise if marijuana was legal throughout the entire United States and that is on top of the money we are saving on from the DEA by not chasing down these pot heads. (Transition) Money and debt is not the only upside to legalizing marijuana there are countless health benefits from the intake of marijuana B. Pro/For 2 1. Supporting Material 2. Supporting Material There is a documentary called weed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta it’s about a 5 year old girl with epilepsy that has over a 100 seizures a week a team of scientist a strain of marijuana that was low in THC(the chemical that gives you that high felling when smoking weed) and high in CBD(a chemical that has numerous health benefits) but instead of letting this 5 year old girl roll up a joint and smoke in they extract the juice from the plant and let her consume it. Almost instantaneously after this treatment this girl went from having over a hundred seizures a week to having 3 or less some weeks she wouldn’t even have any after a year they saw major improvement in the child’s mood and in the child learning ability. (Transition) is there any down sides to this drug you call marijuana? Of course there is there in facts are a lot of reasons why we shouldn’t legalize the drug. We talk about how marijuana has health benefits now let’s talk about the negative side effects. D. Con/Against 1 1. Supporting Material 2. Supporting Material The most common side effect of marijuana is short term memory lose this is a bad thing in many ways especially if you in an unsafe environment like a car. Marijuana also affects brain development, and when it is used heavily by young people. Marijuana smoke is an irritant to the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems experienced by tobacco smokers, such as daily cough. Marijuana is also been know to lead to depression and suicide in frequent users. (Transition) as now you know marijuana has a few negative health effects of marijuana but they is one more thing you need to conceder one more thing the Gateway theory. E. Con/Against 2 1. Supporting Material 2. Supporting Material Gateway theory states that â€Å"use of certain drugs may lead to an increased risk in the use of other drugs and involvement in criminal behavior.† Smoking a joint might not seem that bad after looking at the positive and negative health effects but before you light up look up the health effects of all the hard drugs out there because no one wakes up and says I’m going to shoot up with 10 mailgrams of heroin today all drug addicts start somewhere and more times than not it starts with tobacco, alcohol and marijuana (Transition) In conclusion. III. Conclusion A. Summary of Main Points B. Restate Purpose C. Reference to Attention-Getter

Roles of an addiction counselor Essay Example for Free

Roles of an addiction counselor Essay An addiction counselor has many roles; counselor is only one of them. Others include interventionist, mediator, advocate, change agent, adviser, and facilitator (Lecture Module 4, 2013). While treating a client those roles are constantly changing and are necessary to help a client to overcome addiction. In addition the counselor must be able to maintain a balance of ethical, moral, and legal behavior while treating their clients. This may seem easy; however there are often blurred professional boundaries present that the counselor is forced to navigate flawlessly or risk upsetting the balance between helping and hurting their client. While an addiction counselor’s main goal is to improve the mental health and wellness of clients through a treatment plan the goals need to be based on the individual the counselor is working with; therefore each case must be individualized to meet the needs of the client. Individual therapy consists of working directly with an individual, an assortment of approaches are used in individual therapy. The approaches include harm reduction, coping skills training, life-skills training, motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, social skills training, and behavior therapy these approaches are included in the direct effect strategies as well as the broad spectrum strategies. The central component to these strategies is the client- counselor relationship also known as the therapeutic alliance. The counselor must be able to listen objectively to the client, they must be aware of their responses not only verbally but non-verbally as well. They must be able to validate the client through non-verbal communication as well as positive regard. The language the counselor uses must engender motivation toward change for the client. By moving away from negativity these strategies give the clients hope and breed independence which leads to abstinence. These strategies are imperative to the success of the client and the counselor is the facilitator of this. Individual therapy consists of creating an environment where lifestyle changes can begin, the therapeutic relationship is a partnership in which the counselor facilitates change with the client (Smith Stevens, 2013). When working in a group many of the same approaches are used; however a counselor must now be able to use the strategies in broad form to reach all of the members of the group. Groups are more focused on the here and now; because there is a time limit they must be able to stay focused in order to make progress. A group setting gives a client a bigger base of support; however the counselor must be able to provide culturally diverse guidance to all of the group’s members. This can often be challenging, so the group counselor should be a highly trained individual. A rapport must be established with the group so that trust can be built and cohesion will occur. The cohesion of the group takes precedence over the individual needs of clients (Smith Stevens, 2013). There may be times when a counselor acting as an advocate for the group must remove a member for the greater good of the group. Group development can be considered in terms of stages or phases; the group can become more complex and resourceful over time with sufficient leadership and member investment. It is also important to note that clients should receive pretreatment as an individual in order to prepare them to become productive members of a group and to receive maximum benefits from the process (Smith Stevens, 2013). Relational therapies involve individuals and intimate others in the group process to examine bonding and boundaries (Smith Stevens, 2013). This type of therapy group can help individuals, couples, and families avoid dynamics that contribute to replay of unfinished business or relapse. The role of the counselor is to create a therapeutic alliance through creating a safe and honest environment by which the client’s family can support each other. In this type of therapy each member of the group must be allowed to share their feelings to essentially cleanse the environment of past resentment and to start fresh. Families often avoid dealing with the problem of drug or alcohol abuse they would rather hide it than deal with it. The counselor must be able to root out the pattern of abuse so that the family can work to change it. This can be hard because the counselor must be careful about being overly critical of the client this could cause the family to turn on the counselor and become counterproductive. Addiction encompasses every aspect of the client’s life this includes their family, it is imperative to address the patterns that exist within the family not only to help the client but also to prevent future generations from having the same issues. There are many soft skills that a counselor must possess in order to be effective. One of the biggest is empathy; empathy requires that the counselor be able to feel how the client must feel and to communicate understanding in order to help the client move past the addiction. The counselor must show warmth by showing they care what happens to the client. Listening is paramount as well; the counselor should create an environment where the client wants to share their story. By doing this the counselor builds a trusting relationship where the client feels safe from judgment. The counselor must exhibit communication skills being able to redirect when necessary, verbal and non-verbal communication must be on point. The counselor must also be able to maintain a professional and ethical position with the client. The counselor must see the client as a human being worthy of help; accept the person not the behavior (Doyle-Pita, 2004). When all of these skills are employed to help a client the many roles a counselor must facilitate will be more easily navigated and the client will be more likely to achieve success.

Core Values and Concept at Pals Sudden Service

Core Values and Concept at Pals Sudden Service It sells hamburgers, hot dogs, chipped ham, chicken, French fries, and beverages as theyll as breakfast biscuits with country ham, sausage, and gravy. It can easily distinguish itself from fast-food competitors by delivering competitively priced food of consistently high quality, delivered rapidly, cheerfully, and without error. Pals is the first business in the restaurant industry to receive a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The performance excellence goals and criteria for the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award offer a formalized program that defines, measures, and rewards organizations who exemplify the principles of an organization that is actively taking step and reaping the results of being a high-performing organization. Visionary Leadership Pals Senior Leaders (Chairman and President/ CEO) set their Vision and Values annually as part of their strategic planning process after carefully analyzing the market environment and actively seeking input from all stakeholders. Senior Leaders personally lead, monitor, and coach the Pals Leadership Team in interpreting their Vision and Values. Leadership is sharply in tune with customer preferences and organizational needs. Senior Leaders communicate with employees throughout the organization by: Using the Pals Communication/Feedback Process, frequently being present at the restaurants Employing an open-door policy, providing easy access to all Senior Leaders for the entire staff, reading and responding to employee e-mails, and being easily accessible by phone or e-mail. The impact on Pals organization from this leadership-driven, full stakeholder involvement approach has been rapid improvement actions, standardized processes, ongoing organizational learning, employee development, a proactive culture, and high-value business results. This employee engagement practice creates and reinforces an environment for participation, employment, and innovation. It also drives organizational agility and organizational and employee learning. Besides, the leadership team uses the Strategic Planning Process to set direction and pursue future opportunities for the business while using inputs from all key stakeholders (e.g., customers, store owner/operators, general staff, suppliers/partners), taking into account their needs and expectations. This process is used to define, align, review, and maintain a Corporate Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Key Business Drivers, Values Code of Ethics, and action plans. Through these strategic outputs, Pals Leadership Team maintains clear values, high performance expectations, and a keen focus on all stakeholder needs. Senior leaders and store owner/operators communicate and interpret these at each organizational level to define organizational, store, and individual responsibilities and to identify opportunities for learning and innovation. Innovation is driven through the Product/ Service/ Process Introduction Process. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Leadership Team members adopted the On-line Quality Control Process (Figure 4) and routinely review its application of best practices to achieve high performance and excellence in Pals operational and support processes. This ensures consistent adherence to procedures, standards, and targets. Organisational Personal Learning The impact on Pals organization from this leadership driven, full stakeholder involvement approach to deployment has been rapid improvement actions, standardized processes, ongoing organizational learning, employee development, a proactive culture, and high value business results. Leaders create a sustainable organization by: Investing in the future by developing the people to ensure that they will be able to always meet future needs and requirements Employing a progressive capital reinvestment plan Pals brand-building Actively listening and staying tightly aligned with their customers and their needs, Building a strong and healthy supply chain, Helping the communities where they operate to grow and prosper. Pals has a process for everything organizational and operational. There are always new product introductions to hiring decisions to the design of support processes and work systems. Key learnings are captured and shared throughout the organization using the Communication/Feedback Process and the On-line Quality Control Process. Pals market research seeks comparative information relating to key issues such as (1) customers likes or dislikes concerning Pals or specific Pals competitors, and (2) reasons a particular restaurant is selected as a favorite. They analyze the comparative data for trends and shifts in buying patterns to identify needed changes in their business strategy and to target other potential customer groups and future markets. Key customer requirements and drivers of purchase decisions are determined from the application of the following listening and learning methods: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Telephone interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mall interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drop-in surveys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mail-in surveys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marketing By Wandering Around (MkBWA), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ On-site interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ user-based surveys Pals frontline staff training program includes intense instruction on effective listening skills. These skills are not only critical for high performance on the food preparation line (required for order accuracy, speed, and customization), but are also beneficial for gathering valuable customer information about needs, expectations, and satisfaction (as post transaction feedback). Through the Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement cycle they conduct small-scale pilot efforts to evaluate and improve their processes for listening to and learning from customers and their ability to understand changing customer needs and buying habits. In addition, they measure and evaluate the overall effectiveness of their customer listening and learning approaches by checking the validity of their market research, customer surveys, and results against operational data, industry trends, and competitor information. They also evaluate how they are doing against their customer-focused strategic objectives by benchmarking their Key Business Drivers against competitors. Moreover, Pals staff members (from hourly worker to senior leader) have continual learning ingrained into their basic approach to performing work. They participate regularly on improvement and learning teams where brainstorming and consensus-building sessions enable them to identify problems or opportunities for improvements, analyze processes, and recommend solutions. This experience builds individual confidence, provides skills in problem solving and continual learning, and motivates employees to develop and utilize their full potential. Valuing Employees and Partners Pals aims to provide the quickest, friendliest, most accurate service available. Achieving this objective is a real challenge in an industry with annual employee turnover rates of more than 200 percent. The companys success in reducing turnover among front-line production and service personnel, who are between the ages of 16 and 32, has translated into a competitive advantage. The companys training processes support improvement in operational and business performance with the aid of benchmarking studies. Owner/operators and assistant managers have primary responsibility for staff training. They use a four-step model: show, do it, evaluate, and perform again. Employees must demonstrate 100 percent competence before they are certified to work at a specific work station. Initial training for all employees includes intensive instruction on effective listening skills. In addition, in-store training on processes, health and safety, and organizational Culture is required for new staff at all facilities via computer-based training, flash cards, and one-on-one coaching. Cross-training is required of all store-level staff to ensure their complete understanding of all production and service procedures as well as quality standards. Recognizing that most of its front-line workers are first-time entrants into the labor force, Pals management believes it has responsibility to help its workers develop knowledge and skills that can be applied in future jobs. This approach, along with competitive wages and financial incentives, has made the restaurant chain a desirable place to work for high school and college students. Pals has leveraged its reputation by implementing a statistically controlled, talent-based hiring system that helps managers identify applicants with attributes associated with effective job performance and customer satisfaction. In their work environment, where their staff meets the customer face-to-face, they employ effective job designs and a flexible work organization to encourage cooperation, collaboration, individual initiative, responsibility, and innovation. The staff at each Pals facility is organized into process. They also performed extensive market research to pinpoint customer requirements: convenience; ease of ingress and egress; easy-to-read menu; simple, accurate order system; fast service; wholesome food; and reasonable price. This data has been used to translate their key customer requirements into Key Business Drivers. Customer requirements are linked to clearly define operational processes, procedures, and systems that are continually monitored to ensure that they are meeting customer requirements. They maintain on-going communications links to their customers so that they can listen to how well they think they are meeting their needs. They also listen to learn if customer needs are changing or if new needs have arisen. Pals has three key suppliers/partners who provide the majority of their raw materials. Focusing their supplier/partner base on just three vendors has reduced product variability. It has also allowed them to develop a more positive relationship with each supplier/partner with whom they have established long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships. They work with suppliers to design in quality, value and their unique flavor profile. The Key Business Drivers are mainly: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality of products, service, and process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Service à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cleanliness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Value à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Speed Customer Excellence Customer-driven excellence is a strategic concept imbedded in the Baldrige Award Criteria. Pals uses the industry-proven standard method of segmenting by age, gender, income, and proximity to the store location for analyzing buying patterns and defining expectations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Age à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gender à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Income à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Proximity Product quality, hospitality, accuracy, and speed are important factors to their customers. Pals has solidified its already strong market position on product and service performance by realizing improvement in each of these customer-linked critical areas. Pals performance in customer-rated results for food quality, service (hospitality, convenience, ease of access, menu board readability), and accuracy are consistently improving. These product and service outcomes are a direct reflection of Pals ability to understand the voices of customers and the market and to address them with menu design, pricing strategy, sudden service performance, and proactive customer contact standards. Pals order handout speed has improved more than 30 percent since 1995, decreasing from 31 seconds to 20 seconds, almost their times faster than its top competitor. Errors in orders are rare, averaging less than one for every 2,000 transactions. The company aims to reduce its error rate to one in every 5,000 transactions. In addition, Pals has consistently received the highest health inspection scores in its market and in the entire state of Tennessee. Through the Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement cycle, they are able to continually evaluate and improve their processes for listening to and learning from customers by assessing how have understood changing customer needs and buying habits. Through small-scale pilot efforts, the Customer Listening and Learning Process are continually evaluated and improved. Customer complaints are tracked at the store level on an Opportunity Log and then aggregated at the company level to indicate trends. This critical-incidents information is used to understand key service attributes from the point of view of customers and frontline employees. Also, as part of their market research, they ask customers very specific loyalty questions that they translate into key customer loyalty data. Focus on Results and Creating Value Pals begins considering user requirements during the data and information selection stage with predefined user criteria. The data selection, collection, and reporting criteria include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meets stakeholder requirements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Links to our Key Business Drivers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provides a balanced scorecard à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drives action à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creates reliability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provides rapid access à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allows rapid update à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supports continual learning/improvement Besides, the rapid acceptance, popularity, and growth of our web site, www.palsweb.com, is another strong indicator of customer loyalty to the Pals brand. The rapid acceptance, popularity, and growth of our web site, www.palsweb.com, is another strong indicator of customer loyalty to the Pals brand. The companys Business Excellence Process which is the key integrating element and a management approach ensures that customer requirements are always met in every transaction. Pals lays emphasis on data which is the basis for sound planning and decision making. Customer, employee, and supplier feedback is central to all processes, and it is gathered in numerous formal and informal ways. For example, Pals owner/operators must devote part of every work day to marketing by wandering around. Views on how a location is performing and to solicit ideas for improvement from employees and customers are noted. Anstheyrs to predesigned questions are recorded, compiled, and later analyzed at the store and corporate levels. Owner/operators also maintain a communications log. The Communication/ Feedback Process is a progressive and rapid means of communication to/from all stakeholders. This process serves as a standard operating mode for Leadership Team members. SysDine, is a key tool, generating store-level and company-wide data on sales, customer count, product mix, ideal food and material cost, and turnover rates. This information supports daily operational decisions. It also is used to update Pals Balanced Scorecard of Core Performance Measures, which links directly to its key business drivers: quality, service, cleanliness, value, people, and speed. Managers regularly review the value of the data collected, and the company employs an outside statistician to evaluate the type of information tracked, how it is used, and how it is collected. Social Responsiblity Pals measures and pursues continual improvement in the areas of ethics violations, labor violations, sexual harassment complaints, and honesty violations. Pals Senior Leaders promote an environment of legally, morally, and ethically correct behaviors by: modeling correct decision making and behaviors, providing training in correct decision making and behaviors testing to verify that the training transferred the desired knowledge holding monthly reviews at leadership meetings, creating a culture of open-book whole-company data sharing communicating openly and honestly Food safety, which is a primary indicator of compliance with sanitation requirements established by federal and state regulations and of Pals ability to serve wholesome food products, is their key measure of industry leadership and social responsibility. Pals consistently receives the highest health inspection scores in their market. Agility Customer and Market Needs/Expectations are evaluated using market research studies and customer complaint data. These data are used to interpret customer needs and requirements, to project market trends, and to establish new strategies that will delight customers and sustain our competitive advantages. Competitive Environment and Capabilities Relative to Competitors are evaluated with data from our benchmarking process, benchmark data exchange, and competitive reviews. They use the data to identify market and industry trends, industry and competitor capabilities and Best Business Practices, competitor strategies, potential competitor reactions to our strategies, and promotional and technological improvement opportunities. Technological Risk is evaluated with data gathered from manufacturers, vendors, and industry trade associations using the following criteria: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How will the technology help them meet needs? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are any of their technologies becoming obsolete? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do our existing technologies have new hazards/ risks? Managing by Innovation Operational Capabilities and Needs are considered by evaluating anticipated needs and capabilities for human resources, technology, research and development, innovation, and business processes. Internal capability data are analyzed against industry trends, technology developments, and performance advances, looking for ways to develop dominant positions within our market. They have focused their Human Resources strategies, plans, job/work designs, and HR processes for developing capabilities that support the key competitive performance expectations of their organization (speed, accuracy, quality, and hospitality). In their work environment, where their staff meets the customer face-to-face, they employ effective job designs and a flexible work organization to encourage cooperation, collaboration, individual initiative, responsibility, and innovation. The equipment, facilities, and technologies that Pals uses to meet customer needs are components that serve their manufacturing, service and retail needs through ongoing use of their Benchmarking, Innovation and Product/Service/ Process Introduction processes Innovation is driven through the Product/ Service/ Process Introduction Process. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Also, their Business Excellence Process will continue to drive them toward performance improvement over the next two to five years by maintaining their focus on strategies and plans linked directly to Key Business Drivers and derived heavily from customer/market. Pals projected performance will continue to strengthen their position as the market leader versus their leading competitor by generating additional sales, and by developing the required operating capabilities. At this time, they are the regional leader in all major areas of comparative performance (quality, service, speed, food health/safety, customer satisfaction, market share, sales, and profit). Management by Fact Pals Leadership Team has carefully designed a performance measurement and analysis system for the collection, integration, and analysis of information and data that feeds and interacts with their Strategic Planning, Continual Improvement, Benchmarking, and Management Review processes. Pals Management Information System is also used to guide the selection, gathering, integration, management, and effective use of information and data to support our key operational processes, action plans, and performance management system. Pals Management Information System gathers and integrates data and information from multiple sources (e.g., operations, customer listening/learning processes, market research, benchmarking studies, suppliers, regulatory agencies, and industry publications). Much of the data is gathered at its source (in the store) through our automated SysDine data collection, integration, and analysis system. SysDine generates store-level and companywide reports on sales, customer count, product mix, ideal food and material cost, and turnover rates. This data, which is readily available at each store, is reviewed and analyzed for use in support of daily operations. Focus on Future The Pals Strategic Planning Process is used by Senior Leaders working with the Leadership Team to provide a disciplined and structured approach for setting strategic directions to strengthen business performance and competitive position. Strategic planning is performed annually, with primary emphasis on one- and three-year planning horizons. strategic objectives and action plans with a planning horizon of up to five years are also maintained. Pals organizations strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) are addressed during strategic planning, using the SWOT analysis process and supported by various analyses of key processes, internal capabilities, and Key Business Driver data. Technological changes and risks are evaluated with data gathered primarily from manufacturers, vendors, and industry trade associations. Human resources strategies and plans are developed to recruit, staff, train, and educate personnel to build staff capacity for success; to improve work/job designs and work areas; and to build a better culture for excellence and employee well-being. Employee turnover shows that employee retention levels are clearly superior to the industry average. Pals continues to reduce employee turnover and to set the pace for other QSR operations. Their group of store Owners/Operators and Senior Leaders has experienced near-zero turnover for the past 25 years, which has provided a major advantage in leadership continuity over their competitors. Pals existing strategic objectives, action plans (short term and longer term), and target completion are carefully managed throughout the year. Systems Perspective Pals Business Excellence Process is based on the core concepts of the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. These principles, which are a pervasive part of our culture, are used to achieve our action plans. They are integrated throughout our training for team skills, performance measurement, standards, continual improvement, problem solving, quality control, and benchmarking. Pals Training Program contains a variety of modules designed to support our strategic objectives, key action plans, and operational capabilities by addressing organizational and employee needs for development, learning, and career progression

The Permanent Campaign :: essays research papers fc

'The Permanent Campaign'; was written by Norman J. Ornstein and Amy S. Mitchell. This article appeared first in The World & I, in January 1997.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Norman Ornstein is regarded as one of our nation's foremost experts on Congress. Mr. Ornstein received a Ph.D.. from the University of Michigan, he writes for the NewYork Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and he has a regular column in Roll Call newspaper called 'Congress Inside Out';. Mr. Ornstein is also an election analyst for CBS and appears frequently on television shows including the Today Show, Nightline and the Mac Neil/Lehre News Hour where he has been a consultant and contributor for fifteen years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Ornstein is a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and is also an advisor and member of the Free TV for Straight Talk coalition. The coalition is a group of 80 leaders from the worlds of politics, corporations, broadcast journalism, the entertainment industry and public interest groups. They support giving political candidates free air time on TV to promote their political views without the media's input. He has authored or co-authored recent books such as How We Can Get Out of It, Debt and Taxes: How America Got Into Its Budget Mess, and Intensive Care: How Congress Shapes Health Policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amy Mitchell is a journalist whom graduated from Georgetown University, she has written may articles concerning government and the media and was a congressional associate at the American Enterprise Institute for four years. She is now the staff director of the Committee of Concerned Journalists. The CCJ is an organization of editors, producers, reporters, and producers whom are concerned with the future of the media. They believe that right now is a crucial moment in American journalism and it is time to sit down and talk about the core principles and function of journalism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Article 'The Permanent Campaign'; takes a look at the way the American political system has evolved over the years. When George Washington was president he did not campaign any before he was put in office. When he was in office he only made a few public appearances and when he did he didn't speak a word. During Washington's era political campaigning was considered undignified.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now the whole philosophy has changed. Before the 1992 election was even over the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report ran a story on the possible Republican hopefuls for the 1996 campaign. We have gone from a country who denounced campaigning to one in which candidates start campaigning for seats that haven't even been decided in the current elections.

Molecular Structures :: essays research papers

Covalent Bonding and Molecular Geometry Objective The objective of this exercise is to help in understanding the geometric relationships of atoms in simple molecules and the relationship of hybridization to the geometry present. Discussion In the last 30 years, data obtained from spectrometric measurements, X﷓ray and electron diffraction studies, and other experiments have yielded precise information about bond distances, angles, and energies. In many cases, the data confirmed conclusions reached earlier. In other cases, valuable new insights were acquired. Structure theory has advanced far beyond the simple electron dot representations and now rests securely on the foundations of quantum and wave mechanics. Although problems involving only simple molecules can now be solved with mathematical rigor, approximations such as the valence bond theory and the molecular orbital theory are very successful in giving results that agree with experimental measurements. This exercise will use valence bond theory or hybridization to look at the geometry formed from various hybridizations. You will use a framework model kit which gives the correct angles for the each of these hybridizations. The first bond formed between any two atoms is always a sigma (s)﷓bond (one that is symmetric about the bond axis). Additional bonds between the same two atoms will be pi (p)﷓bonds (perpendicular to the bond axis). It is the sigma﷓bonds and any lone﷓pairs of electrons occupying the sigma hybrid orbitals that determine the geometry of a molecule. Pi﷓bonds are always perpendicular to the sigma﷓bonds and follow the geometry formed by the sigma﷓bonding. Procedure Check out a molecular model kit from the stockroom. Read the kit directions to see which framework center is used for each hybridization. Tetrahedral (sp3 hybridization) CH4 Construct a model of methane using a tetrahedral center (4 prongs) and four rods of the same color to show how the 4 H's are attached. Geometry  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lewis dot diagram  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  # of s bonds on C  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Approximate H-C-H angel  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Max # atoms (incl. C) in one plane  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there a mirror plane(divides the molecule in equal halves) ? H3C﷓CH3 Construct a model of ethane using a tetrahedral center for each C and the same color rods for all 6 H's with a C﷓C bond present. Geometry  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lewis dot diagram  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  # of s bonds on each C  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Approximate H-C-H angle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Approximate H-C-H angle The C-C bond is a single bond and has free rotation about it. Arrange the ethane molecule so that each C﷓H bond on one C atom is exactly parallel to a C﷓H bond   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  on the second C atom. (This is the eclipsed position.) View this arrangement by looking along the C﷓C bond such that the atoms on the front C blank out those on the back C.

Violence and the Brain Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Violence and the Brain Is there a biological basis for violent behavior in the brain? Recent research links "neurological impairments and psychoses" to violent behavior (1). The "psychological effects" of brain damage and disease can cause the mind to lose touch with reality leading to criminal and violent behavior (1). As a result, free will may be deserted in an individual suffering from abnormalities and chemical imbalances in the brain (2). Consequently, legal issues arise because violent offenders with mental illnesses or brain injuries are not always to blame due to the biological nature of their diseases (2). However, violence in psychiatric and neurological patients can be prevented for the most part through medication and "social support services" (1). A PBS video, "The Violent Mind" sparked my interest in the relationship between violence and the brain. The video presented several cases of violent assault which could be attributed to chemical imbalances in the brain (2). For example, the video illustrated the story of David Garabedian, a quiet passive man who murdered a customer of the lawn car company where David was an employee (2). David mixed lawn chemicals in their undiluted form which caused him to experience physical and mental changes in his body (2). Dr. David Bear, a physician from Vanderbuilt Medical School who looked into Davids case, claimed organophosphates in the insecticide poisoned the enzyme that clears away acetylcholine in the hypothalamus (2). Moreover, Dr. Bear stated that acetylcholine sends signals between the cells which coordinate aggression (2). This explains Davids reaction when the customer caught David urinating on her lawn (2). Before the urination episode, the action potential... ...h violent crimes of 17 "loners" (6). She links the patterns of their crimes "with seizures, which often are preceded by auras, frequently cause irrational behavior and loss of normal bodily functions and are generally followed by a sense of disorientation" (6). According to Pontius, the seizures resulted from "limbic kindling" due to the loners lack of interpersonal relationships (6). Bottled up feelings, emotions, and memories were "triggered by people and objects" as stated by Pontius (6). The research reviews and excerpt from the PBS video, "The Violent Mind", presented in this paper strongly support the evidence of a biological basis for violence in the brain. Internet Sources: http://www.crime-times.org/96d/w96dp9.htm http://www.crime-times.org/98a/w98ap10.htm http://www.crime-times.org/96d/w96dp6.htm PBS video: Episode 8 "The Violent Mind" Violence and the Brain Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers Violence and the Brain Is there a biological basis for violent behavior in the brain? Recent research links "neurological impairments and psychoses" to violent behavior (1). The "psychological effects" of brain damage and disease can cause the mind to lose touch with reality leading to criminal and violent behavior (1). As a result, free will may be deserted in an individual suffering from abnormalities and chemical imbalances in the brain (2). Consequently, legal issues arise because violent offenders with mental illnesses or brain injuries are not always to blame due to the biological nature of their diseases (2). However, violence in psychiatric and neurological patients can be prevented for the most part through medication and "social support services" (1). A PBS video, "The Violent Mind" sparked my interest in the relationship between violence and the brain. The video presented several cases of violent assault which could be attributed to chemical imbalances in the brain (2). For example, the video illustrated the story of David Garabedian, a quiet passive man who murdered a customer of the lawn car company where David was an employee (2). David mixed lawn chemicals in their undiluted form which caused him to experience physical and mental changes in his body (2). Dr. David Bear, a physician from Vanderbuilt Medical School who looked into Davids case, claimed organophosphates in the insecticide poisoned the enzyme that clears away acetylcholine in the hypothalamus (2). Moreover, Dr. Bear stated that acetylcholine sends signals between the cells which coordinate aggression (2). This explains Davids reaction when the customer caught David urinating on her lawn (2). Before the urination episode, the action potential... ...h violent crimes of 17 "loners" (6). She links the patterns of their crimes "with seizures, which often are preceded by auras, frequently cause irrational behavior and loss of normal bodily functions and are generally followed by a sense of disorientation" (6). According to Pontius, the seizures resulted from "limbic kindling" due to the loners lack of interpersonal relationships (6). Bottled up feelings, emotions, and memories were "triggered by people and objects" as stated by Pontius (6). The research reviews and excerpt from the PBS video, "The Violent Mind", presented in this paper strongly support the evidence of a biological basis for violence in the brain. Internet Sources: http://www.crime-times.org/96d/w96dp9.htm http://www.crime-times.org/98a/w98ap10.htm http://www.crime-times.org/96d/w96dp6.htm PBS video: Episode 8 "The Violent Mind"

Discuss the Significance of Studying Different Philosophical World Views of Teacher Education?

Education provides a foundation for a child to base the rest of his or her life on. Without a solid education, it becomes impossible for an individual to provide for themselves and their family. Also, well-educated people can make decisions that benefit both their own interests and the interests of society as a whole. In this paper, the author will address the different opinions of philosophy about education. The nature of the student will then be addressed followed by the nature of knowledge and finally the purpose of education.In conclusion, the author will compare and contrast the two main theories; that of realism and idealism. No two students are exactly alike. Nevertheless, they do share one fundamental character†¦ the character of an inquisitiveness to learn. Educational philosophy is no doubt a matter that has changed over the decades, and still today not everyone is in total agreement on the subject. However, one thing is certain- philosophy is the foundation of educati onal styles.Today, four basic educational philosophies exist including idealism, realism, pragmatism, and existentialism. All four philosophies are very different, but all strive for the same goal, to better our education system. Although every teacher has a different style of teaching that can be considered their own, they all adhere to one of the four basic philosophies. However, it may take a teacher many years to master, and recognize their style as one of the philosophies.The child centred educational approach holds that the teacher is a facilitator, a guide, an advisor and fellow traveller and therefore, the teacher must provide warmth and nurture emotions whilst continuing to function as a resource centre. Creating an appropriate learning environment where all students feel that they have the ability to learn and succeed is an essential responsibility of the teacher. As a child’s education is the most important tool that they will ever acquire throughout their lifetime , it is imperative for the teacher to find a way to relate to each and every student under their direct responsibility.The domain of education is vast, the issues it raises are almost overwhelmingly numerous and are of great complexity, and the social significance of the field is second to none. These features make the phenomena and problems of education of great interest to a wide range of socially-concerned intellectuals, who bring with them their own favoured conceptual frameworks—concepts, theories and ideologies, methods of analysis and argumentation, metaphysical and other assumptions, criteria for selecting evidence that has relevance for the problems that they consider central, and the like.It is no surprise, then, to find that the significant intellectual and social trends of the past few centuries, together with the significant developments in philosophy, all have had an impact on the content and methods of argument in philosophy of education—Marxism, psycho- analysis, existentialism, phenomenology, positivism, post-modernism, pragmatism, neo-liberalism, the several waves of feminism, analytic philosophy in both its ordinary language and more formal guises, are merely the tip of the iceberg.It is revealing to note some of the names that were heavily-cited in the field (in alphabetical order): Adorno, Aristotle, Derrida, Descartes, Dewey, Habermas, Hegel, Horkheimer, Kant, Locke, Lyotard, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, Plato, Rawls, Richard Rorty, Rousseau, and Wittgenstein (Curren 2003; Blake, Smeyers, Smith, and Standish 2003). Although this list conveys something of the diversity of the field, it fails to do it complete justice, for the influence of feminist philosophers is not adequately represented.Regardless of the size of the iceberg, authoritative scholars relate and argue that most educational philosophies today are developed from the idealistic and realistic view points. Idealism and realism in education are often considered together in educational philosophy under the name essentialism. This is in part because, although they are of the universe differ radically, their view concerning the nature of truth are similar. Both of these positions, as we shall see, view truth as immutable, permanent, and unchanging.The main tenant of idealism is that ideas and knowledge are the truest reality. Many things in the world change, but ideas and knowledge are enduring. Idealism was often referred to as â€Å"idea-ism†. Idealists believe that ideas can change lives. The most important part of a person is the mind. It is to be nourished and developed. Idealism is a product of ancient Greece and Rome, mainly Socrates. Although Socrates’ ideals are the basis for the idealist philosophy, it was his student Plato, who is considered the founder of idealism.The Platonic theory that ultimate reality lies in a realm beyond the real world that the real world is a by-product of mental or supernatural states; art that rejects realism for the world of imagination. Park, Joe. (1968: 23). The philosophy â€Å"focuses on the spiritual and intellectual development of the individual†(ibid: 27). According to Chambliss, idealist attempt to describe ideas, mind, consciousness, form, thought, energy, and other non-material concepts† Chambliss, (J. J. 1996: 33). The educational approach of this philosophy is of a holistic nature.In which self-realization and character development is strongly supported. The idealist feels that with the growth of a fine moral character as well as personal reflection, wisdom is gained. The holistic approach is supported instead of a specialized concentration on a specific targeted area (ibid: 52). By combining experiences gained through critical thinking and dealing with broader topics, the idealist creates an environment in which a learner can rationalize information across curriculum. Idealism as a philosophy had its greatest impact during the nineteenth century Kamins ky, James S. 1993: 14). Kaminsky further states that ‘its influence in today’s world is less important than it has been in the past’ (1993: 18). Idealism is the conclusion that the universe is expression of intelligence and will, that the enduring substance of the world is the nature of the mind, that the material is explained by the mental. Idealism as a philosophy stands in contrast with all those systems of thought that centre in nature (naturalism) or in man (humanism). According to idealism to be means to be experienced by a person.Idealism holds that the order of the world is due to the manifestation in space and time of an eternal and spiritual reality. As to knowledge, idealism holds that knowledge is man thinking the thoughts and purposes of this eternal and spiritual reality as they are embodied in our world of fact. As to ethics, idealism holds that the goodness of man's individual and social life is the conformity of the human will with the moral admi nistration of the universe. In idealism, the aim of education is to discover and develop each individual's abilities and full moral excellence in order to better serve society.The curricular emphasis is subject matter of mind: literature, history, philosophy, and religion. Teaching methods focus on handling ideas through lecture, discussion, and Socratic dialogue (a method of teaching that uses questioning to help students discover and clarify knowledge). Introspection, intuition, insight, and whole-part logic are used to bring to consciousness the forms or concepts which are latent in the mind. Character is developed through imitating examples and heroes. Idealism has been influential in education for a considerable amount of time.It is considered a conservative philosophy because of its emphasis in preserving cultural traditions. The strengths of idealism include encouraging thinking and cognition, promoting cultural learning, and providing for character development of students. T eachers are considered valuable parts of the educational process who should strive to provide a comprehensive, systematic and holistic approach to learning that stress self realisation. Scholars today have challenged idealism and brought about challenges and maybe changes to the idealistic approach. Blake, Nigel; Smeyers et al: (248).Aristotle, a student of Plato, developed the basis for the philosophy known as realism. Realism â€Å"holds that objects and happenings exist regardless of how we perceive them† Archambault, Reginald D. , ed. (1965: 103). Thomas Jefferson is one of the more known realists. Teachers who are realists â€Å"focus on reason and thinking† (ibid: 111). The philosophical perspective possessed by a teacher has on affects the ability and effectiveness of their teaching methods. Therefore a teacher must be one who appreciates and respects education and formalized schooling.In this metaphysical view, the aim is to understand objective reality through â€Å"the diligent and unsparing scrutiny of all observable data†. (ibid: 119). Aristotle believed that to understand an object, its ultimate form had to be understood, which does not change. For example, a rose exists whether or not a person is aware of it. A rose can exist in the mind without being physically present, but ultimately, the rose shares properties with all other roses and flowers (its form), although one rose may be red and another peach coloured.Aristotle also was the first to teach logic as a formal discipline in order to be able to reason about physical events and aspects Jarret, James L. , ed. (1969: 78). The exercise of rational thought is viewed as the ultimate purpose for humankind. The Realist curriculum emphasizes the subject matter of the physical world, particularly science and mathematics. The teacher organizes and presents content systematically within a discipline, demonstrating use of criteria in making decisions.Teaching methods focus on master y of facts and basic skills through demonstration and recitation. Students must also demonstrate the ability to think critically and scientifically, using observation and experimentation. Curriculum should be scientifically approached, standardized, and distinct-discipline based. Character is developed through training in the rules of conduct. The educational principles developed by Plato, Aristotle and et al, and numerous educational theorists and philosophers in the interregnum, are alive and well in the twenty-first century.Of particular contemporary interest is the evolution that has occurred of the progressive idea that each student is an active learner who is pursuing his or her own individual educational path. By incorporating elements of the classical empiricist epistemology of John Locke, this progressive principle has become transformed into the extremely popular position known as constructivism, according to which each student in a classroom constructs his or her own indi vidual body of understandings even when all in the group are given what appears to be the same stimulus or educational experience. A consequence of this is that a classroom of thirty students will have thirty individually-constructed, and possibly different, bodies of â€Å"knowledge†, in addition to that of the teacher! ). There is also a solipsistic element here, for constructivists also believe that none of us—teachers included—can directly access the bodies of understandings of anyone else; each of us is imprisoned in a world of our own making. It is an understatement to say that this poses great difficulties for the teacher.The education journals of the past two decades contain many thousands of references to discussions of this position, which elsewhere the author claimed has become a type of educational â€Å"secular religion†; for reasons that are hard to discern it is particularly influential in mathematics and science education. The teacher shou ld therefore be able to ‘mix and juggle’ through the different viewpoints to be able to relate to the disparate intellectual capacity of the students.