Therapeutic Approaches Essays (4369 words) - Clinical Psychology

1. Introduction Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I?ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select -- doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. ? John Watson, Behaviourism, 1930 (http://psychology.about.com/) The behavioural approach has a strong influence on our every day life, often without us realising it. Behaviour is the product of learning through conditioning, reinforcement or imitation. It is part of how we develop and grow into an individual with a unique identity. It is not only the environmental factors that influence our lives, but also our subjective interpretation of these factors. However, if one is able to control the environmental factors, it is possible to influence behaviour and even achieve what John Watson has mentioned in the quote above. Using behavioural therapy one will be able to eliminate unwanted behaviours and habits and in return develop behaviours that may enhance an individual?s life. With the setting of an orphanage the best approach will be the behavioural approach. Children come from various backgrounds, conditions, and influences. They often have very little or no routine in their lives and may also suffer from various psychological conditions. Children at a young age will respond well to behavioural methods mainly by using modelling. As they develop and reach teenage years, one will progress to a more complex method, namely cognitive behavioural method, in order to challenge them and let them understand why they engage in certain behaviours. 2. History of behaviourism Behaviourism (also known as the learning perspective) had its origin in the 1950?s, rejecting the focus on the conscious and unconscious and, instead, turned the focus to observable behaviour. It strove to make psychology more of a scientific discipline. It opposed the structuralist focus on the conscious and the functionalist focus on heredity (Skinner, 1984). The feeling was that environment determines behaviour. Therefore, behaviour can be predetermined if one can control environmental factors. Classical Conditioning The earliest form of behaviourism was by the Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov, and is known as Classical Conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning. Classical conditioning is used to elicit certain behaviours from a passive organism. For example, a dog salivates (conditioned response) when it hears a bell ring (conditioned stimulus). It shows how learning can create a response through pairing. Pavlov demonstrated that through this learning process one is able to make an association between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. A certain response can diminish and become extinct if the conditioned stimulus occurs repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus. For example, if the bell rings several times without the food arriving. Eventually the dog will stop salivating whenever he hears the bell. This technique is often used to treat phobias or anxiety problems. John B Watson was one of the strongest advocates of behaviourism and he established the Psychological School of Behaviourism. He is most famous for his controversial experiment known as ?Little Albert? where he experimented the principles of classical conditioning on a young boy. Operant Conditioning Behaviourism had a very big influence on the psychological school thought and B.F. Skinner furthered this perspective by initiating what he called Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioning works on the basis that behaviour is influenced by the consequences that influence them. One will engage in behaviour that has a positive/reinforcing effect and refrain from behaviours that has no reinforcement or an aversive effect. For example, a child completes his/her homework in order to get a reward. According to Skinner behaviour cannot occur without some type of reinforcement whether it is positive or negative (Corey, 2005). This approach has the goal of identifying and controlling environmental factors that lead to behavioural change and can be used to develop pro-social and adaptive behaviours. Social Learning Theory Albert Bandura and Richard Walters developed the Social Learning Theory by using the concepts of the behavioural approach and included other approaches to make it interactional and multi-modal. It states that behaviour is influenced by an event, external reinforcement, and the cognitive process that occurs simultaneously. There is constant interaction among these three factors. This

Sociological research methods questionnaires Essays

Sociological research methods questionnaires Essays Sociological research methods questionnaires Paper Sociological research methods questionnaires Paper Using questionnaires is favoured by positivists as they produce results that can be easily generalised, are highly reliable and largely representable of the studied subjects. This also means that interpretivists dislike this method as the results are not personal and have very little depth to them. There are strengths and weaknesses to both arguments. An advantage of questionnaires is that they are cheap and fast to produce, this means that they can be produced on mass to produce more reliable results. Answers in questionnaires are easily comparable with standardised and close ended questions and could produce representative, qualitative data that is also easily replicable. This means that sociologists are able to make links and comparisons in society in different areas and during different time periods. If a large number of questionnaires are sent out they should produce representative results with a better chance of being truly accurate. Connor and Dewson send out nearly 4000 surveys to 14 higher education institutes around the country which resulted in a large sample size. This method is also favoured more for purposed of educational attitudes than others such as participant observations, which is used to study small groups and produce valid qualitative data. A researcher’s hypothesis should be proven or proven wrong with the results of the questionnaire but this may lead the researcher to produce leading questions, the parent, in this instance, may then try to please or attempt to second guess the researchers aims, leading to further invalid results. Statements can then be produced from the questionnaires which will either prove or disprove the hypothesis, and a ‘cause-and-effect’ relationship can be gathered from relevant information and variables. Questionnaires also raise very few ethical problems even though they ask sensitive and intrusive questions as people are generally under no pressure to answer them and can skip questions if they choose to. This method produces unbiased results making them objective. Practical problems include a low response rate as not all those that the survey is sent to will respond and end it back as they may think it is pointless, however the response rate is likely to be higher when considering questionnaires linked to education as most parents will assume that filling in the forms will benefit their child, as stated in item A, especially if the forms are from the school. However, this information is confidential, making it harder for a sociologist to acquire a reasonable and accurate sampling frame. Also, parents may lie or answer incorrectly due to ‘right answerism’ when completing the questionnaire as they don’t want to be seen to be bad parents. It would be easier for them to lie by postal questionnaire, however if the questionnaire was done face to face their body language could be analysed. The response rate may also be raised if there is an incentive offered such as a prize or money. Questionnaires are also quite inflexible as if closed questions are used they are set for all potential respondents. This means that if they do not understand the question or wish to add more information they will be unable to do so. In other methods such as unstructured interviews any area can be explored in-depth as it is much more flexible, the weakness to this method is that irrelevant issues which take up time. Questionnaires also only give a small snap shop of the whole picture and so may not consider outside factors that affect a pupil such as their peer group, ethnicity or class. Therefore, this may not represent all parents’ attitudes to their children’s schooling as a whole as the picture is not totally valid. Sociologists that take an interpretivist approach such as Aaron Cicourel (1968) argue that questionnaires are too detached and so lack validity. They would argue that only methods that allow the researcher to get close to the subjects they are studying should be used so that the researcher can relate and understand the answers more clearly. Without this contact it can be argued that may be misunderstanding that cannot be clarified as there is no way of knowing if the researcher and respondent are interpreting the questions in the same way. In conclusion, questionnaires are a good way to get quick results at a low cost and can produce reliable, quantitative results if the right questions are asked. However, other methods should also be used as well as questionnaires to get a clearer and more precise picture of how parents’ attitudes are towards their child’s education.

A Social Partnerships in the New Millenium

There is also a huge amount being written about the issue, some Industrial Relations commentators have even hailed this as the most exciting thing to happen to UK industry in years. However, not every group completely agrees with this. For example, some groups believe that Social Partnership has had a very negative effect on British Trade Unions. At www.labournet.org.uk a group have named a bulletin board ‘Solidarity’. It is a page dedicated to ‘challenging social partnership’ and it’s apparent corrosive effects on union power. It is very typical of the types of arguments put forward by groups that are oh so against social partnerships. Stakeholders like the authors of solidarity believe that social partnerships tie unions to the coat tails of employers. What they want is a ‘new unionism’ which opposes subordination to the ‘global market’ and builds on the experience of the Liverpool Dockers. This group is completely opposed to any kind of privatisation and really wants more from unions than just a concern for working conditions. They want a break â€Å"..with the narrow work place concerns of ‘non-political’ trade unionism† and believe that unions should fight † for the interests of the working class and oppressed as a whole†. They also see a need for a repeal of all â€Å"anti-union† legislation and an end to state interference into unions, such as social partnership agreements. Taken from ‘Solidarity’, the journal that openly states it’s purpose is to challenge social partnerships in trade unions, here are some ‘facts’ that display how social partnerships have had a harmful effect on British trade unions: In Rover and the car industry, where the unions have identified the interests of workers with commercial success in the ‘global market’, they have been gravely weakened and meekly accepted massive job cuts. USDAW has reached a ‘Partnership Agreement’ with Tesco which takes away the right of the union members as a whole to vote on pay deals. The TUC has collaborated with a privatised utility in the Energy Industry and set up a company with them – Union Energy – thus effectively abandoning the fight for re-nationalisation. They are collaborating with a privatised utility which has decimated trade union members’ jobs. The unions have swallowed ‘Investors in People’ which identifies the interests of union members with the ‘business aims’ of private companies. The TUC and most unions have accepted that the increased competition of the ‘global market’ means unity with ‘our employers’ and competing with workers in other countries. Stakeholders like these aim to challenge social partnership by campaigning for complete independence of the unions from the employer. They reject globalisation and counterpoise to it a working class internationalism which recognises that workers have more in common with those in other countries than they do with ‘our own’ bosses. It is a very Marxist standpoint . They feel that for those in the unions who support their independence from the employers and the state, a systematic struggle against ‘social partnership’ in all its manifestations is a central task if they are to break the unions from the employers’ coat tails. They are insistent that this outlook has only been adopted by union leaders. It has though percolated down to many workplaces, reinforced by the fear of unemployment. This far left view contrasts greatly with those unions that actually see social partnership in a very positive, if slightly unclear light. Unions like FIET, The International Federation of commercial, clerical, professional, and technical employees see social partnership as a â€Å"new and challenging area of work for the union.† For unions that see the millennium as a time to accept social partnership, it will mean unions and companies learning to do things differently, rather than trying to campaign against this change. Some unions like FIET have accepted that we now have a government committed to promoting the partnership approach, and to ensuring that it becomes a permanent feature in the workplace. Unions like this have therefore accepted that social partnership is going to be around for a long time. I think that left wing reactions to social partnerships, like that of ‘Solidarity’ is very much a reactive one rather than considered. I think that those stakeholders set so strongly against this issue need to understand that the government’s political commitment to partnership goes far beyond the UK. We now have a new and positive approach to Europe and this social partnership model is at the heart of the EU’s approach to all Industrial Relations. Indeed Social Partnership does mean long term changes to the Industrial Relations scene in Europe and in Britain, all that unions need to work on is understanding what these changes will mean for their members and the companies that they work in. Looked at from this more positive, optimistic standpoint then social partnership has the potential to deliver some very real benefits: Potentially it means that employers will be working with the trade unions to bring about improvements in the quality of work. It means that employees, through their trade union, will be given a much greater say in how their company is run. Social partnership should give unions the opportunity to be consulted earlier, more often and on a wider range of issues than has happened before. Surely the growth in partnership at work can only be a welcome one, if not somewhat overdue? However, these encouraging and upbeat pointers can only be achieved if the unions get themselves involved in equal terms right from the beginning, otherwise employers could try to do things without the unions. As stakeholders like ‘Solidarity’ state I think that there is indeed a risk that social partnership may be used to try and undermine trade union organisation in the work place. Employers could potentially claim that they can have a partnership directly with their staff and do not require the union’s participation. If the unions are excluded in this way then not only could there be disastrous consequences for union members but social partnership will not work for employers either. Partnership can only be successful when employees as partners are properly supported and resourced through a dependable trade union. To illustrate this point further, let us consider what may happen if the retail sector tried to introduce partnership without trade union involvement : Most employees in this sector work part-time. There are increasingly complex and unsociable working hours in retailing which in turn means that most employees may have very little contact with anyone beyond their shift. In these circumstances employees have less of an opportunity to form a collective view. Simply meeting together can be extremely difficult in such organisations, let alone having the resources and confidence to develop their own ideas and concerns. Therefore it is clear that in most cases employees are unlikely to become equal and effective partners when they do not have the time or the means to generate their own agenda. A dependable and experienced trade union means that employees can enter into partnership properly supported and resourced. To achieve this, a real commitment is required from employers to supporting trade union membership, as the best way for their staff to be given a voice and more importantly the confidence to use it. Basically partnership needs partners. But how will social partnership actually change things in real terms for employees and the unions? By answering this question I will hopefully be able to assess if social partnership is a viable way forward in the new millennium. Firstly, unions need to take a positive approach, for them social partnerships should be about: Co-operation, not confrontation. Improving the quality of working life. Employers listening to and respecting unions and vice versa. Employees developing their own agenda through their trade union. If they agree on the above terms then hopefully it will mean: Moving away from the common practice of the union only talking to companies once a year. At the moment, even with companies with whom there exists a good relationship, unions often only talk to the organisation at the time of the annual wage negotiations. Many unions feel that the annual wage round sometimes becomes a little tired and predictable, with companies offering the lowest increase that they feel they can get away with. However, partnership is different. For the unions, it means talking to companies throughout the year. It means having a constant dialogue with employers about what is happening at all levels of the company. It should also mean that the union is consulted on a wider range of issues. Companies are used to contacting unions when they are implementing redundancies or sell offs. Mainly because there is a legal obligation on them to do this, but unions have not in the past been consulted on the overall direction of a company or about strategic decisions that may affect employees. A Social Partnership means that the union should be consulted on a far wider range of issues than they have been used to. It means earlier and better consultation sessions, theoretically no more being told about something when it has already been implemented. A Social Partnerships in the New Millenium There is also a huge amount being written about the issue, some Industrial Relations commentators have even hailed this as the most exciting thing to happen to UK industry in years. However, not every group completely agrees with this. For example, some groups believe that Social Partnership has had a very negative effect on British Trade Unions. At www.labournet.org.uk a group have named a bulletin board ‘Solidarity’. It is a page dedicated to ‘challenging social partnership’ and it’s apparent corrosive effects on union power. It is very typical of the types of arguments put forward by groups that are oh so against social partnerships. Stakeholders like the authors of solidarity believe that social partnerships tie unions to the coat tails of employers. What they want is a ‘new unionism’ which opposes subordination to the ‘global market’ and builds on the experience of the Liverpool Dockers. This group is completely opposed to any kind of privatisation and really wants more from unions than just a concern for working conditions. They want a break â€Å"..with the narrow work place concerns of ‘non-political’ trade unionism† and believe that unions should fight † for the interests of the working class and oppressed as a whole†. They also see a need for a repeal of all â€Å"anti-union† legislation and an end to state interference into unions, such as social partnership agreements. Taken from ‘Solidarity’, the journal that openly states it’s purpose is to challenge social partnerships in trade unions, here are some ‘facts’ that display how social partnerships have had a harmful effect on British trade unions: In Rover and the car industry, where the unions have identified the interests of workers with commercial success in the ‘global market’, they have been gravely weakened and meekly accepted massive job cuts. USDAW has reached a ‘Partnership Agreement’ with Tesco which takes away the right of the union members as a whole to vote on pay deals. The TUC has collaborated with a privatised utility in the Energy Industry and set up a company with them – Union Energy – thus effectively abandoning the fight for re-nationalisation. They are collaborating with a privatised utility which has decimated trade union members’ jobs. The unions have swallowed ‘Investors in People’ which identifies the interests of union members with the ‘business aims’ of private companies. The TUC and most unions have accepted that the increased competition of the ‘global market’ means unity with ‘our employers’ and competing with workers in other countries. Stakeholders like these aim to challenge social partnership by campaigning for complete independence of the unions from the employer. They reject globalisation and counterpoise to it a working class internationalism which recognises that workers have more in common with those in other countries than they do with ‘our own’ bosses. It is a very Marxist standpoint . They feel that for those in the unions who support their independence from the employers and the state, a systematic struggle against ‘social partnership’ in all its manifestations is a central task if they are to break the unions from the employers’ coat tails. They are insistent that this outlook has only been adopted by union leaders. It has though percolated down to many workplaces, reinforced by the fear of unemployment. This far left view contrasts greatly with those unions that actually see social partnership in a very positive, if slightly unclear light. Unions like FIET, The International Federation of commercial, clerical, professional, and technical employees see social partnership as a â€Å"new and challenging area of work for the union.† For unions that see the millennium as a time to accept social partnership, it will mean unions and companies learning to do things differently, rather than trying to campaign against this change. Some unions like FIET have accepted that we now have a government committed to promoting the partnership approach, and to ensuring that it becomes a permanent feature in the workplace. Unions like this have therefore accepted that social partnership is going to be around for a long time. I think that left wing reactions to social partnerships, like that of ‘Solidarity’ is very much a reactive one rather than considered. I think that those stakeholders set so strongly against this issue need to understand that the government’s political commitment to partnership goes far beyond the UK. We now have a new and positive approach to Europe and this social partnership model is at the heart of the EU’s approach to all Industrial Relations. Indeed Social Partnership does mean long term changes to the Industrial Relations scene in Europe and in Britain, all that unions need to work on is understanding what these changes will mean for their members and the companies that they work in. Looked at from this more positive, optimistic standpoint then social partnership has the potential to deliver some very real benefits: Potentially it means that employers will be working with the trade unions to bring about improvements in the quality of work. It means that employees, through their trade union, will be given a much greater say in how their company is run. Social partnership should give unions the opportunity to be consulted earlier, more often and on a wider range of issues than has happened before. Surely the growth in partnership at work can only be a welcome one, if not somewhat overdue? However, these encouraging and upbeat pointers can only be achieved if the unions get themselves involved in equal terms right from the beginning, otherwise employers could try to do things without the unions. As stakeholders like ‘Solidarity’ state I think that there is indeed a risk that social partnership may be used to try and undermine trade union organisation in the work place. Employers could potentially claim that they can have a partnership directly with their staff and do not require the union’s participation. If the unions are excluded in this way then not only could there be disastrous consequences for union members but social partnership will not work for employers either. Partnership can only be successful when employees as partners are properly supported and resourced through a dependable trade union. To illustrate this point further, let us consider what may happen if the retail sector tried to introduce partnership without trade union involvement : Most employees in this sector work part-time. There are increasingly complex and unsociable working hours in retailing which in turn means that most employees may have very little contact with anyone beyond their shift. In these circumstances employees have less of an opportunity to form a collective view. Simply meeting together can be extremely difficult in such organisations, let alone having the resources and confidence to develop their own ideas and concerns. Therefore it is clear that in most cases employees are unlikely to become equal and effective partners when they do not have the time or the means to generate their own agenda. A dependable and experienced trade union means that employees can enter into partnership properly supported and resourced. To achieve this, a real commitment is required from employers to supporting trade union membership, as the best way for their staff to be given a voice and more importantly the confidence to use it. Basically partnership needs partners. But how will social partnership actually change things in real terms for employees and the unions? By answering this question I will hopefully be able to assess if social partnership is a viable way forward in the new millennium. Firstly, unions need to take a positive approach, for them social partnerships should be about: Co-operation, not confrontation. Improving the quality of working life. Employers listening to and respecting unions and vice versa. Employees developing their own agenda through their trade union. If they agree on the above terms then hopefully it will mean: Moving away from the common practice of the union only talking to companies once a year. At the moment, even with companies with whom there exists a good relationship, unions often only talk to the organisation at the time of the annual wage negotiations. Many unions feel that the annual wage round sometimes becomes a little tired and predictable, with companies offering the lowest increase that they feel they can get away with. However, partnership is different. For the unions, it means talking to companies throughout the year. It means having a constant dialogue with employers about what is happening at all levels of the company. It should also mean that the union is consulted on a wider range of issues. Companies are used to contacting unions when they are implementing redundancies or sell offs. Mainly because there is a legal obligation on them to do this, but unions have not in the past been consulted on the overall direction of a company or about strategic decisions that may affect employees. A Social Partnership means that the union should be consulted on a far wider range of issues than they have been used to. It means earlier and better consultation sessions, theoretically no more being told about something when it has already been implemented.

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Performance Management - Essay Example The script shows that whether or not an employee manages to attain the assigned goals also depends upon the extent to which he/she has been facilitated in doing so by the top management. This is the aspect of performance management that is often underemphasized. Achieving company’s goals is not only a horizontal team effort on the part of the employees, but also a vertical team effort wherein top management and everybody done the line forms part of a team. This is a very interesting script. The fact that there are just two characters in it that conduct the dialogue with each other makes the scenario easier to comprehend. The script also provides an example of how peers can educate each other on important concepts like performance management and performance appraisal in a hardly 5-minute talk in the office environment. This not only improves their social connectivity and increases their knowledge, but also helps them develop rapport with each other so as to work productively in the form of

What does the prophet Tiresias mean when he says to Oedipus This day Essay

What does the prophet Tiresias mean when he says to Oedipus This day will bring your birth and your destruction - Essay Example er, asked the prophet for clarification; and that is when Teiresias proclaimed: â€Å"This day shall be thy birth-day, and thy grave† – therefore, I presumed that the phrase referred to Oedipus discovery of who his real parents are. Of course, this seems pretty much obvious as we know how the tragedy ends, and even if we had not read it we all certainly heard about Oedipus complex that the psychoanalysts describe as the man’s (boy’s) desire to perform incest with his mother and to emiminate (i.e. â€Å"kill†) his father. However, although the â€Å"grave† (or â€Å"desctruction†) part of the prophecy is pretty clear, why is Teiresias speaking about the â€Å"birth†, and which is more – why is he putting the two notions together and linking them, how can they happen on the same day, and how are they interrelated? This is the issue I am going to speculate upon in this paper. First of all, I strongly believe that the words of Teiresias the prophet â€Å"This day shall be thy birth-day, and thy grave† can, and should, be viewed in at least two different contexts: (1) the exact and direct meaning of these words with regard to the plot of Sophocle’s tragedy and (2) the meaning of this phrase in the context of Sophocle’s philosophy and his views on the issues of power of fortune and human choice. The direct meaning of the prophet’s words is more obvious. As we can further see from the tragedy’s plot, the same day when Oedipus got to know his real parentage brought his destruction: hence, the â€Å"birth† and the â€Å"grave† happened simultaneously. The concept of â€Å"birth†, however, can also be regarded in its figurative meaning – since by discovering the person guilty of Laius’ death the King of Thebes was supposed to regain and strengthen his authority among the citizens. These last lines of the choir in Sophocle’s tragedy symbolize that Oedipus’ destiny is by no means unique, and that pretty much any human being can experience the same

Kants Ethics of Dignity and Free

Kants Ethics of Dignity and Freedom Essay Immanuel Kants moral philosophy contends that morality is grounded from deductive reasoning.   In his Groundwork for   Metaphysics of Morals, Kant introduced the main premise of his moral Philosophy, the Categorical Imperative (Singer, 1993).   The Rationale of Kantian ethics is to construct ethical principles in accordance with rational procedures which includes duty (Singer, 1993).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kant grounds his moral philosophy on the question â€Å"what I ought to do?†, he then attempts to determine the fundamental principles that humans should adopt.   Kant fully furnishes his ethical claims in a subjective approach regarding what is good for man. Criticism of Previous Ethical Thories In his Critique of Pure Reason, Immanuel Kant primarily makes a connection between rationalism and empiricism.   Conversely, Kant counters David Humes empiricism, stating that although all knowledge begin with experience, it does not necessarily mean that it all comes from experience.   In his realization of Humes dubious conclusions, Kant dwelled on the postulation that all ideas are representations of sensory experience (Guyer and Wood, 1998).   To counter Hume, Kant attempted to find another means to derive cause and effect without dependence from empirical knowledge (Guyer and Wood, 1998). Kant grounds his perspective of freedom as autonomy, and morality from the beliefs of renowned French enlightenment philosopher, Jean Jacque Rousseau.   Rousseau believes that freedom is not simply being unbound from any law, but by the laws that are, in a sense,   made by the individual.   Hence, Kant primarily conforms to the idea that freedom bypasses the negative notion of being free from influences that are governed by elements outside the self (Johnson, 2004). Kant, although influenced by rationalist Rene Descartes, counters the latters perspective on the existence of God based on reason, that due to restrictions brought about by reason, no one can really know if there really is a God.   Kant solidifies his claims by stating that justifiable knowledge must be grounded from a reality encountered solely by human experience (Singer, 1993).   In his explanation, Kant asserts that all the preparations for reason in what may be deemed as pure philosophy, are directly adressed to three problems; God, soul and freedom (Guyer and Wood, 1998).   Kant neither denies nor accepts the existence of God, he, however, argues against the rationalist perspective of God and sees the Christian scriptures as a worldly narrative which can be agreed upon as a representation of morality (Singer, 1993). Autonomy and Heteronomy Autonomy and its principles are important in Kants moral philosophy, this is due to the fact that the basis of the actions are based on internal motives.   In this context, the one who acts (the Agent) does it in an autonomous manner since the agent is the only key holder to the basis of the action.   Heteronomy, for Kant is an element in the basis of a moral act that are driven by external factors (Singer, 1993).   A person then who acts under the influence of outside forces is not acting freely, therefore, that person is acting heteronomously. Categorical Imperative Kant grounds the foundations of the princple of his moral philosophy from the denial of principles that are non-universalizable.   Kant formulates this concept as a demand which he calls the categorical imperative (Singer, 1993).   Kants formulation of the categorical imperative claims that Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law   (Singer, 1993).   This sentiment is the core of Kants ethics and is the basis for the maxims or fundamental principles an individual may advocate.    Kants categorical imperative may also be viewed as an end in itself, described as a means that only serves the fulfillment of the interest itself and not to any other purpose.   Immanuel Kant holds that the principles of reason governs the moral law and that irrelevant factors such as what would make people happy, is the basis of morality and the moral law (Guyer and Wood, 1998).   Kant defining Rational beings as people who are capable of moral deliberation who can choose to act by fundamental principles that have universality.   It is in this framework that Kant formulated the Kingdom of Ends and furthered his Categorical Imperative, implying the term kingdom as a group of rational beings bound by common laws. Kant argues that inclination to the categorical imperative bequeaths an individual with autonomous ethical choice.   The basis for such argument is on Kants assertion of the bond between moral law and autonomy.   In his presupposition, Kant suggests that practical will is bound by the categorical imperative through the simple fact of reason, and uses such thought to postulate that our wills are autonomous (Johnson, 2004). The essence of Kants moral philosophy is quite ironic due to the primary intentions that are never achieved. The first point of criticism is that Kant, like many other scholars are in pursuit of a universal truth, given the textual fact that Kants ideas are based on his own assumptions, it is unimaginable that Kant is unable to provide concrete defense of autonomy of the will in accordance to the categorical imperative. Reflection In reference to his categorical imperative, Kant provokes individuals to act according to such principles that ends to the universal law (Singer, 1993).   This categorical imperative, and his moral beliefs for that matter, are based on subjective thinking, another irony on the true aims of his moral philosophy.   In this regard, I think it is safe to connote that Kants undertaking of how an individual should think only provides signs of the conventional human flaw, the fear of elements and concepts that the human brain cannot fully comprehend. Personally, I think Kants suggestion regarding compliance to the categorical imperative provides freedom in ethical decision making is incomprehensible, since one of his underlying concepts is rationality and morality (Singer, 1993).   I feel that Kants moral philosophy may result to individuals to be narrow-minded since they only consider the reasons in doing actions and overlook the possible outcomes that may have destructive tendencies.   I myself cannot see how to live in a world of subjectivity and apathy.   If Kant wrote his ethical theories to burst out personal opinion, he should have been a journalist, rather than a scholar who cannot live up to the principles of his own philosophy. References Johnson, R. (2004). Kants Moral Philosophy. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved 12 February 2008 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/#Aut Singer, P. (Ed.) (1993). Blackwell companions to philosophy: A companion to ethics. Malden,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   MA: Blackwell Publishing. Kant, I., Guyer, P. Wood, A. (Eds.). (1998). Critique of Pure Reason. Cambridgeshire:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cambridge UP.

How The Characters In The Merc :: essays research papers

People’s rewards are determined based on their actions. The fact that Shylock is not merciful to Antonio and that he is hateful towards the Christians, has resulted in him losing his possessions. Bassanio not only helps Antonio, but is also wise and being wed to Portia is his reward. Antonio gives money to Bassanio and is willing to die for his friend and his reward is his life. The particular actions and decisions made by Shylock, Antonio and Bassanio causes them to reap the benefits or misfortunes of their behavior. Shylock is one of the more evil characters, who shows no mercy and is robbed of his possessions for these deeds. Shylock is not merciful towards Antonio’s situation and he does not care for his life. When Shylock is about to take a pound of flesh from Antonio, Portia asks for a doctor to help Antonio with his wound. All Shylock can say about this is, “I cannot find it; ‘tis not in the bond.'; (IV i 260). He does not care for Antonio’s life. Not only does Shylock hate Antonio, but he also hates all Christians. He shows this when he says, “I hate him for he is Christian';(I iii 39). He is almost basing his whole dislike for Antonio on his religion. Shylock’s cruelty causes him to be punished. Portia tells him, “Thou hast contrived against the very life / Of the defendant; and thou hast incurred / The danger formally by me rehearsed';(IV i 358). Shylock’s cruelty towards Antonio and his prejudice against Christians results in his punishmen t by the law. Bassanio uses his wisdom to wed Portia and he courageously helps Antonio. His reward is having Portia’s hand in marriage. Bassanio is willing to give up his life for Antonio. When he says “Good cheer, Antonio! What, man, courage yet! / The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, / Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.'; (IV i 111) He is saying he appreciates Antonio’s courage for him, but he also says Shylock will have to take his flesh, blood, bones and all before he can get at Antonio. Bassanio’s love for his wife is shown by his reluctance to give up his wedding ring. When Bassanio says, “Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife, / And when she put it on, she made me vow / That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it.

Care Support Essay

Effective reflection on relationships that develop in care work Mary is an 82 year old female resident who came to live in our nursing home five years ago she has a mild cognitive impairment and is totally independent she wears an incontinence pad and requires minimum assistance. Mary loves to sing and listen to music especially Irish traditional music and popular ballads. She remains in close contact with her two daughters who visit regularly. Mary is a very private person and likes to spend time alone in her room. She is a very jolly lady who loves to laugh and enjoys life. As a care assistant I had assisted Mary with her continence needs by making her aware of where to find continence pads in the bathrooms around the home and making sure they were always available in her bedroom this protects her privacy, dignity and independence as I know it would cause her embarrassment to have to ask for them. We got on really well because we both have a love of Irish music and I spent a lot of time talking with her about music, her family and her reasons for coming to live with us in the nursing home. I also developed a trusting relationship with her daughters as Mary would often include me in conversation when they visited. I had noticed a change in Mary where she was spending a lot of time in the bathroom and she seemed agitated when in the day room I approached her and asked if she wanted to go for a walk outside as we have done on several occasions. She agreed and we set off. ecause of the trusting relationship we had built over time I felt comfortable asking her if she was ok and she replied â€Å"yes love shure ya have ta have a laugh† I deviated a little with some talk about the gardens we were passing and I approached the subject again by saying if there was anything wrong you can tell me, and if I can help you I will, you only have to ask, she replied with â€Å"I don’t want to be a bother to anyone† I told her I noticed she was going to the bathroom a lot, there was silence for what seemed forever then she told me â€Å"I have a stinging pains down below† I knew straight away it was thrush as I had observed from her care plan she was prone to thrush. I asked her permission to talk to the nurse and explained it would require medical treatment and she agreed. Asking her permission protected her confidentially, when we returned to the home I approached the nurse and told her of the situation she acted immediately, knowing Mary was prone to thrush she kept a supply of ointment to treat her, I went back to Mary and asked her to come with me very discretely so as not to draw the attention of other residents or visitors this protected her privacy, dignity and confidentially . I escorted her to the nurses’ station and the nurse took over. Within a few hours Mary was back to her normal jolly self singing in the corner. The positive outcome for Mary during this incident happened because of the relationship we had built over time and getting to know her, being able to observe a change in her behaviour. The situation was handled with just me and the nurse on duty no other members of staff were involved this protects Mary’s privacy and dignity. Clear identification of interpersonal issues that can arise in care work The interpersonal issues in this situation were between Mary myself and the nurse and no other staff, resident or visitors were aware of Mary’s situation this protected Mary’s privacy, dignity confidentially and respect. Interpersonal issues between me and other healthcare staff occurred through informing them of what had happened and how the situation was handled. What was observed during this incident was that building relationships with residents allow us to be more effective as care assistants. The types of communication used during this incident were mainly verbal, communicating with Mary in a very discrete and respectful manner put her at ease, and communicating with other healthcare staff to inform them of the incident and how best to handle it should it happen again. The outcome for Mary was she got the treatment she needed in a timely manner, it highlighted to senior healthcare staff the importance of the care assistant in relationship building and observation, reporting our findings to the nurse to get the best healthcare for the resident. Effective reflection on own interpersonal skills as a care worker Interpersonal skills used in this incident were respect and confidentially taking Mary out for a walk and chatting allowed me to discover what was bothering her by doing this it did not draw the attention of any other resident to her situation. Informing the nurse and other relevant healthcare staff will allow them to handle any other similar situation in a discrete manner thus protecting her privacy, dignity confidentially and independence. Comprehensive observation of the process of developing personal effectiveness as a healthcare assistant In this situation I was able to help Mary because I noticed a change in her behaviour, I believe in order to give person centred care you must know your residents, individualised care is an on-going process, building a trusting relationship with knowledge of life history, likes/dislikes, religious and cultural influences are vital in the implementation of individualised care. Knowledge gained in class helped raise awareness of how important it is to protect residents dignity, respect, confidentially and independence. We learnt about the art of reflection, looking at an incident, what happened? How we handled it and how can we improve to achieve a positive outcome for the person involved. Knowledge gained in class has helped me gain skills in awareness. observing how residents behave and being aware of changes are important tools for personal effectiveness, reflection is also a vital tool for personal effectiveness looking back at a situation and analysing what happened and how it was dealt with is very effective it allows us question ourselves and ask how can we have handled the incident better and put a plan into action to bring a positive outcome for the resident involved. Personal skills helped significantly in this situation, skills such as building relationships, empathy, observation and the ability to communicate effectively with residents and other healthcare staff helped me bring about a positive outcome for Mary. As a carer there are many skills that can be developed such as communication, the ability to communicate with all healthcare staff regardless of their discipline is important, and knowledge gained through dialog with residents and their relative’s is invaluable, knowing a little about residents will allow us to care more effectively completing level 5 in healthcare support has been invaluable although we care for people every day, having knowledge and the theory behind it is important and will make for better care. Detailed evidence of expertise in a range of interpersonal care work skills I don’t know if I have â€Å"expertise† in any care work skills but I think I am good at what I do, knowledge is a wonderful thing and as our knowledge increases we become confident, and self-confidence is a great tool to have in care work, having the confidence to talk to other healthcare staff in a professional manner enables us to gain the best possible care for our residents, what I gained from this situation was respect for fellow healthcare staff who listened to what I said and acted on the information. I don’t know if I could put an action plan in place for this scenario but what I can say is that it is vital that all healthcare assistants observe all residents and become familiar with their daily routine this gives us the opportunity to note any changes and report these findings to relevant staff. Some of the skills used to deal with this situation were gained through life experience, being a father of 4 I have brought with me patience, understanding, and empathy to name but a few but the course has given me the ability to analyse my thinking to look at how I have worked today and how can I improve tomorrow. Conclusion All healthcare staff from consultants to healthcare assistants must give the best possible care to patents/residents, we are privileged in our role in healthcare and everything we do must be in the best interest of the patent/resident. Being a part of that team and being respected for the role we play is very important. Nurses are put under increasing pressure with medication rounds, paperwork, supervision etc. they can’t be everywhere or know what is happening with every resident so we as healthcare assistants become the eyes and ears of the facility, observing changes and reporting in a timely manner to gain a positive outcome for the resident involved. Being heard as part of the team will make for a more effective workplace.

Laughing man

â€Å"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul † . – from The Wonder Years In other words this quote means that in a blink of an eye you grow up but you will never forget the moments in time that define your life. In the short story The Laughing Man, by J. D. Salinger, the narrator is reminiscing about his childhood and the story his chief told him. Also in the poem Mandarine Oranges, by Katha Pollitt, he character remembers a time in her childhood.In both stories the narrator goes back to a time in there past that they won't forget. in the laughing man, the narrator goes back toa place in his past where he grew up listening to a story from his chief about a child who was kidnapped and turned into a hideous creature. this creature is called the laughing man and if you look at his face you would faint and then die. the mans face had flesh-sealed nostrils and an enormo us oral cavity for a mouth. as the story went on it ended with the laughing an dying and the story was never revisited again. hen the story was over billy walsh the youngest Comanche bursted into tears and the narrator's knees were shaking. when he got off the bus he saw a red piece of tissue paper which reminded him of the man and this broke him down. he then went home and as told to go straight to bed. this story was one of the biggest parts of his childhood. in the poem Mandarine Oranges by Katha Pollitt, the narrator sees a symbol of her childhood while grocery shopping. while shopping the woman sees a can of andarine oranges and it takes her back to her years in high school.He states that she remembers how bored she was and how miserable she was. she says that the mandarine oranges were the schools form of bribery to make her play volleyball and eat lima beans. also she states that she wanted the oranges more then anything ever before because they held the essence of her youth. in both stories the narrators see a symbol that remind them of their past and how fast it has gone. the symbol in the Mandarine Oranges was the can of oranges and in The Laughing Man it was the strip of red tissue paper. he laughing man narrator remembers how great his youth was growing up while the mandarine oranges narrator remembers how horrible hers was and how one thing made it O. K.. in conclusion the two story connect in one way; they both talk about how childhood goes by fast. so cherish the moments you have even if they are bad ones because as you grow up you will realize that your youth has gone by way too fast and the memories you have will be with you forever. laughing man By cschaef

Gas Turbine Engines essays

Gas Turbine Engines essays Gas turbine engines date back to the early 1940's. Sir Frank Wittle, a British aeronautical engineer and aviator, invented the turbojet engine (The World Almanac Educational Group, 2002, p. 1). Gas turbine engines took off, and have been soaring ever since. They offer an unmatched power to weight ratio, which make them ideal for many applications. This essay will describe the process of a gas turbine engine, as well as explain some new advances and futuristic technologies associated with GTE's, by answering the following questions: 1. What exactly is a gas turbine engine? 2. How is a gas turbine engine different from a reciprocating engine? 3. What are some new advances with gas turbine engines? 4. What is the future for gas turbine engines? What exactly is a gas turbine engine? Turbine engines are used in aircraft and on boats. Some smaller gas turbine engines are even used to produce electrical power, drive pumps, and generate steam. "Turbine engines are relatively simple, at least insofar as their parts count is concerned. And they are also tough and reliable, so they rarely fail in any circumstances" (Aarons, 2001, p. 52). In the Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, Dale Crane defines a gas turbine engine as: An internal combustion engine that burns its fuel in a constant-pressure cycle. Air is taken into a gas turbine engine and compressed by either an axial flow or centrifugal compressor. The compressed air then passes into the combustion chambers where fuel is sprayed into a continuously burning fire. The burning fuel heats and expands the air. The hot air passes through a turbine, which extracts some of the energy and uses it to turn the compressor. (p. 267) As confusing as this process sounds, there are far fewer moving parts than any other type of combusting engine. Fewer moving parts lead to fewer malfunctions, which in turn also saves money and lives. How is a gas turbine engine different Ther...

Discussion 4- Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 4- Economics - Assignment Example According to Hugger (2008), the Optimum Currency Area (OCA) criteria can examine the feasibility of adopting a common currency by NAFTA (p. 23). Canada and Mexico have high levels of intra-regional trade and openness. According to OCA criteria, open economies reduce the costs of a common currency and reduce asymmetric shocks. From interest rate correlations, U.S-Canada monetary policies are similar. NAFTA countries are more similar in terms of GDP per capita growth, trade openness and tax to GDP ratios. Given all its benefits, a common currency is feasible for NAFTA. However, like the Euro, member countries must consider political reasons related to adopting a common currency. Theoretical threats of the Euro to the US Dollar in the international trade mean that a common monetary union in North America would allow the United States to compete on the same level ground with the Euro. Grubel (2000) points out that a single currency in North America would bring benefits to these countries in terms of reduced costs of foreign exchange, decreased interest rates and exchange rate risks. Reduced exchange rates would favor North America in facilitating and expanding international trade (p.

Sofia Petrovna, by Lydia Chukovskaya Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sofia Petrovna, by Lydia Chukovskaya - Assignment Example Sofia Petrovna was a wealthy doctor who genuinely tried to adjust to the Soviet manner of life. Additionally, the author portrays the communist lifestyle; despite having roots as an upper class background, she accepted the communist party. The main conclusion in the article is that there are awful realities that exist in Great Purge of Stalin. There are two perspectives that one can take in portraying the people’s struggle that formed part of the purge. One evident aspect is that people were exiled and mothers and wives watched the husbands and their sons get to exile. 4. The main assumption underlying the thinking of an author is that the delineating and the distinctive era of foreign policy of Stalin is a difficult and complicated concern. The author assumed that the foreign relations between the foreign powers and Soviet Union showed that the decisions of Stalin were based on the strong pragmatic philosophy and the basic principles. The main point of view presented in the text is that Sofia Petrovna had dreadful experience as one of the widowed mother in 1930s during the Russian Stalinist Terror. There were four basic outcomes of the Russian Stalinist Terror. First, it was the manner in which the people were organized, secondly, how the Stalin was kept in power and later stopped the revolution that made the citizens to work extra hard and increase the economic output. Additionally, it discusses how the families were separated and caused death of people because of false charges (Chukovskaya 34). I would argue on the unequivocal support for Kolya and Sofia and the faith and believe on the Soviet system, where Sofia had a pronounced support at the end of the story. The unrest of Kolya turned her life around; she refused to support the Soviet Apparatus, rather she drew herself closer. Faith of Sofia and Kolya in the leadership and Soviet system was at the peak during the arrest of Kolya, because this is the time people would expect her to have low