Comparative analysis of formalist and realist film theory Essay

Current essay provides a comparative analysis of formalist and realist film theories, based on theoretical approaches, innovations, critical findings and film-making practice of such renowned representatives of both currents of the film theory as Eisenstein, Arnheim and Bazin. Before beginning the analysis of the abovementioned subjects, one should point out that the difference between form and real material in genuine film-making is dialectical. In cinematograph ideas and reality juxtapose to create certain synthesis. This effect is produced by means of formal processing of real visual content. Ideas of a director may be realized with the help of formal elements such as montage, focus, as well as additional means like sound and special effects. This means that even those directors that seek to portray objective reality do not merely reproduce it, but put into their films their ideas, thoughts and concepts. As any form of art, cinematograph heavily depends on its technical (instrumental) and artistic (ideal) means, which are realized with the help of the former. Formal elements are necessary means for every creative director to transmit his/her own ideas and vision of reality. This, however, should not overstate the fact that formal elements may be used to deviate objective reality and help construct ideological and biased vision thereof. The contrary may be also true with respect to pseudo-realist films, which pretend to portray objective reality, while in fact create mere copy of it, devoid of any intellectual content. This can be used for justification of existent reality. This is the case for the majority of commercial films and contemporary film-making industry in general, which is centered on using different forms and genres in the view of getting profit. These aspects and meaning of form and reality representation in the film theory should be taken in consideration in this comparative analysis of realist and formalist film theory. There is no denying the importance of the fact that Eisenstein was among the founding fathers of formalist film theory, as he was the first to develop the theory of montage and specific usage of film editing. These elements of cinematograph constitute the first cornerstone of formalist film theory, as it was developed in Eisenstein’s major works Beyond the Shot and Dramaturgy of Film Form. According to Eisenstein, cinema is mainly about montage (Beyond the Shot, p. 13). Using montage is both technical and artistic procedure, since it helps create meanings by means of combination/copulation of different images or situations. Thereby, as Eisenstein constantly states, the artistic effect is created, which is important in the visual type of communication provided by cinema. Eisenstein, for instance, tried to show this phenomenon referring to Japanese hieroglyphs, which often create new meanings by means of copulation (Beyond the Shot, p. 14). The most important thought Eisenstein tried to communicate was that formal elements of film production are central to realization of artistic greater ideas and the work with various materials ranging from historical scenes to innovative scenarios. Montage, according to Eisenstein, is not independent vis-a-vis objective and ideational representation of reality. Besides this, it should be noted that in correspondence with formalist film theory, the inability to use formal elements properly leads to degradation of films as the form of art, and moreover, this precludes realization of director’s ideas – that is ‘intellectual’ film-making. Arnheim, another noted representative of realist film theory, claimed that visual representation of reality in film radically differs from physical perception of reality. This difference, according to Arnheim, gives significance to formal elements of cinema, which create artistic effects. Arnheim’s thorough analysis of these formal features shows that, if properly used, they may produce interesting emotional effects on spectators (Film and Reality, 323). Arnheim claims that creating images in film is neither two-dimensional, nor three-dimensional, but represents golden middle. He provides us with example of the scene from Ruttmann’s film Berlin, where the director creates juxtaposition of the second and the third dimension by making a shot of two trains moving in opposite directions. Film representation of this movement, according to Arnheim, creates certain impression and that is, what differentiates film images from real ones (Arnheim, 324). This vision of form in the film production was often regarded as manipulative by such representatives of realist film theory as Andre Bazin, who claimed that formal elements preclude real communication between spectators and film’s images and plot (The evolution of the language of the cinema, p. 48). However, even so opposed to each other, formalist and realist tradition both criticize positivist realism in cinematograph for its ideological function and positivism. According to Arnheim, documentary genre is not the same as pure reproduction of reality; instead, it is difficult artistic work. Bazin’s great love for documentaries as the representations of objective reality should also be understood considering the abovementioned distinction. Eisenstein’s approach to film production unlike realist school represented by Bazin is based on dialectical theory, which sees the collision of opposites, their simultaneous integrity and negation as a cornerstone of every art. Eisenstein said that shot is not an element, but dialectical cell, which rests in organic unity with entire film. Contrary to that, realist film theory, represented by Bazin, draws on personalist perspective, which believes that a film should be a representation of auteurship. Bazin is deeply opposed to formalist perspectives, because he thinks that it breaks world in many little pieces and prevents genuine and autonomous perception of reality. Instead, Eisenstein puts particular emphasis on dialectical conflicts between shots, counterpoint of music and shot sequence etc. , which makes his formal approach look integral and all-embracing. As he claims, the knowledge of these formal dependencies is the core of genuine film production (Beyond the Shot, 16-17). Bazin in his rediscovery of realism in the history of art ends with a statement of great opposition between pseudorealism (which reproduces illusionary appearances) and realism which distributes the truth among spectators. According to Bazin, formalist film-making exemplified by Eisenstein and others extracts meaning from real images and makes it a product of subjective manipulation with reality, rather than its realist representation. Instead, Bazin claims that realism in film-making is focused on genuine representation of reality, which can be achieved by such technical means as ‘shot-in-depth’, focus or even wide shots (The Evolution of the language of the cinema, p. 49-51). Hence, Bazin does not reject formal elements as such, but transforms them to achieve the purpose of realist representation. The continuity of images and shots should not, however, be interrupted by montage manipulation like in formalist theory; the auteur should follow the unfolding of reality. This means that time and space should not be artificially separated by montage, which is the case with Eisenstein’s formalism, but instead, artistic truths should be found in the articulation of difficult relations between time and space. (As a result, a spectator has more possibilities of interpretation and autonomous understanding). Deep shot, according to Bazin, helps spectator to get closer to the image, which creates ambiguity of interpretation, which is more artistic than subjective manipulation (Bazin, p. 50). Moreover, it helps maintain the integrity of the image and specific elements in it, which is according to Bazin, no less important than montage (Bazin, p. 49). These are the basic similarities and differences between formalist and realist film theories. Main approaches of these theories are essentially exemplified by two famous films: Battleship Potemkin by Eisenstein (USSR, 1925) and Red Desert by Antonioni (Italy, 1964). Battleship Potemkin is a silent film by Eisenstein, which may be considered as practical realization of his formal montage theory. First of all, Eisenstein designed this film to be a propaganda of socialist revolution and, that is why, he put emphasis on emotional messages against repression and for heroism of ordinary people. Eisenstein extensively uses rhythmic and intellectual montage to create certain meaning and emotional effects. This can be best exemplified by famous scene on Odessa steps, where Tsarist forces massacred civil population. Eisenstein uses close-ups and montage juxtapositions of Tsarist’s forces and victims of massacre. The dramatic close-ups of victim’s faces and cold and brutal faces of the soldiers create deep emotional effects, which is the cornerstone of formalist film theory. Wonderful example of shot juxtaposition in the film is the image of baby carriage falling down the stairs and soldiers’ legs going down after it. The montage sequence of this scene has certain artistic meaning: it portrays the brutality of Tsarist regime and its inhuman character and articulates these features by showing the images of its innocent victims. The relations between these two shots are intellectual, that is they help spectators interpret separate images and give meaning to them. Opposite realist theory can be best exemplified by Antonioni’s Red Dessert. The film may be characterized by avoiding manipulation with montage. Instead, author’s realist vision of human alienation, loneliness and ugliness of modern civilization is realized through examining continuity of urban life, its relations and contradictions. Such elements of realist film theory as deep focus, wide shots, and color arrangements. Colors in Antonioni’s film also play formalist function, as he uses different tones and colors for depicting reality. For instance, plants in the film and surrounding objects are represented in red color, which creates certain emotional effects and embeds ambiguity. The result may be described as empathy into the destiny of man in industrial world, which helps poetically describe protagonist’s relations with it. To sum it up, main examples of realist and formalist approach were analyzed, and basic feature of both theories were revealed.

Analysis of 2 Translations of Beowulf

Grendel’s Description Comparative Analysis Beowulf is a great piece of Anglo-Saxon literature that can be, and has been, translated in multiple ways. Of the many outstanding translations, two of which are by Burton Raffel and Seamus Heaney, different ways of writing are portrayed. Grendel’s description is written quite differently in both translations. Heaney’s translation is more similar to the Anglo-Saxon style of writing than Raffel’s translation.In Heaney’s translation, he uses a kenning to describe the Danes whereas Raffel uses simple wording to get the same story across. Heaney calls The Danish people â€Å"Ring-Danes† to get his translation to be closer to the Anglo-Saxon’s style of literature. This use of a kenning causes the reader to be more familiarized and to better understand how the story was originally written or, rather, originally composed. Raffel, on the other hand, plainly calls the Danes â€Å"warriors† to ma ke the passage clear and easy to read.By translating Beowulf this way, Raffel is simplifying the writing and turning it into a more modern style of writing by not using kennings, therefore, taking away from the original story’s metaphorical aspect and straying way from the Anglo-Saxon style of literature but making it more understandable to the less than advanced reader. Another way Heaney nears the Anglo-Saxon style of writing and Raffel digresses from it is the use of poetry and poetic devices in the translations. Heaney uses alliteration in nearly every line of his translation.For example, in line twenty five, â€Å"blundering back with the butchered corpses,† repeats the letter â€Å"B† three times. He translated Beowulf by making sure the same meaning is transferred into the new language, (English), and also made sure that the writing’s style was also transferred. This makes even the translation sound like a poem that can be sung just as Beowulf woul d have been many years ago. Raffel, on the contrary, does not use alliteration or other poetic devices as much.In line four, alliteration is present by repeating the â€Å"H† in â€Å"hall† and â€Å"harp’s,† however, this isn’t the case in many lines. An example would be, line one, â€Å"A powerful monster, living down. † By doing this, Raffel is turning what was initially a complex poem into a short story, setting it up in a way that is very similar to any modern novel. It is quite clear that Heaney’s choice of diction is far more complex and sophisticated than Raffel’s choice of diction, which is very simple.Heaney uses many words that may be hard to comprehend due to the fact that they are not often used in conversations or even in many other writings. An example of a word that Heaney uses in his translation that may not be understood right away is â€Å"prowler. † This word, which means stalker, is a word that may n ot be comprehended by someone with a weak vocabulary. It intensifies the story greatly, however, by allowing the reader to visualize Grendel sneaking up on his prey, showing that he has a deceitful personality.Raffel, on the other hand, simply describes Grendel’s actions. He skips from Grendel being a â€Å"powerful monster† to him growling due to the excessive noise from the hall. Grendel’s personality is not explained or stated as in Heaney’s translation. By Raffel missing this little piece of information about Grendel, the reader has an easier time comprehending what is currently occurring, though it is slightly less informative.Heaney and Raffel’s translations are both phenomenal works of literature. Heaney, however, concentrates more on how poetic and similar the translation is to the original writing to give the reader an idea as to how the original story was composed. Raffel strays slightly away from the poetic Anglo-Saxon writing style and simplifies Beowulf, making it easier to read. Both of the translations tell the same story, however, how the tale is told can impact the reader in different ways.

Conflict Process Analysis

My thesis is a story of a dispute about a mobile phone and phone expenses between Telecommunication (a Chinese mobile telephone operation company) and me. I will use some organizational conflict theories, several types of conflicts and methods to handle with them to finish my dissertation. Telecommunication offered considerable discounts, while the rules were harsh. Staffs did not know the specific regulations, and I lost the best opportunity to undo the damage. The conflict occurred because of those things.Finally we overcame these obstacles with a good alternative. Handing with mobile phone affairs is close to our daily life. Moreover, it includes interest between the customer, Telecommunication and its staffs. My counterparts and I were strangers originally. Then we became game rivals through the event, and after that we became friends. Describe the situation of this dispute, the analysis of the situation and evaluations for Telecommunications are integral to my paper. Description of the Situation The owner of a branch of B & you, Flavor, two staffs, Julie and Sophie were involved in the conflict.Flavor is the boss of Julie and Sophie, and I was their customer. In August 2010, I got an admission to the university. Meanwhile, I received two discount coupons from Telecommunication (for you easy to understand, I use the B &you replacing the Telecommunication, and Flake and Julie replacing the owner's and the staffs original names). At the end of August, I went to university and went to B , planning to use the two discount coupons. One of them is for a new smart phone with which I can use it as 1700 RMI cash, and another one is for phone expenses with which I can use it as RHOMB.Julie, as a staff off branch of B (as most of TTS colleagues, she has a high quit rate because of low salary), told me that, with the voucher 1700 RMI, I could only pay 800 RMI and got a brand new Samsung phone whose price Is RHOMB. In addition, the voucher RHOMB can be sent to my phone account Into 24 months, 37. 5 RMI per month. This means that If I choose 68 ARM'S package (including mobile phone calls, text messaging, Internet), I can only pay 68 mines 37. Arm's part, which is 30. 5 RMI. Meanwhile, the contracts of the smart phone and the package were for two years.I had four years of college life. Obviously, this combination was very worthwhile. I signed a contract, paid REARMS in cash, got the phone. In the end of August, I had missed a strange call, and I did not put that In mind. On September 2nd, Julie called me to Inform me to go to B with my mobile phone. Intuition told me that something wrong happened, so I came to B with my phone and the contract. Julie told me B requested the customers to buy a mobile with the voucher in your hometown-City Changes, and to use the phone expenses voucher in your university city- Nanjing.I didn't meet the requests simultaneously, so I have to give up one discount. Due to the mobile phone cannot to e back, so I have to pay the whole package fee 68 RMI without any discount. That telecommunication company. And the regulation was too sudden for me to accept it. There was no such rule cited on our contract. Because it involves the interests of the owner of B &you branch, Flavor, she also came forward. She gave rise to the conflict. I asked to cancel the contract, however, Julie explained it was impossible. Because all the data about me has been uploaded to corporation, and the contract has been activated.She added that on the last day of August, she tried to inform about it and anted to ask me if I accept it or not, but the call was not connected. We cannot comprise with each other. Flavor insisted the contract can not be cancelled. If it was cancelled, she had to compensate for this phone (this phone belonged to B &you company). At the same time, I cannot accept the full price of the bill. For a student, 68 RMI per month was expensive. And B &you are not the most popular mobile companies. My friends tend to use Orange, whose services are better.If there had not been two vouchers, I would have not considered to use B &you. From my point of view, there are three reasons contributed to the conflict. The rules of you were harsh. Staffs do not know the specific regulations. And I lost the best opportunity to undo the damage. Julie would view the event as a big mistake, complaining about the complex rules of company. Flavor would regard the conflict as a loss in business. Apparently, the main issue was that we should we cancel the contract which the company added some rules in or not. Who should be the compromiser?The situation was deadlocked. Clerk Julie distressed. She did several things wrong. Firstly, she was not familiar with the company policy, not following the company's rules. Secondly, she id not contact me successfully at the critical moment when we can limit the damage. 1700 Arm's damage was almost half a month of her salary. I could see that she wanted to escape from the situation. Flavor did not understand the actual regulations, and she asked me blindly to compromise to reduce her loss, regardless of our contract. My feelings were angry and frustrated.At that time, another staff Sophie came over. She came up with a solution. She provided a very favorable B &you card, only 20 RMI per month, including telephone calls, text messaging, Internet. If I use this card, I still continue to use the B &you hone and SIMI card, and reach a two-year contract period. Meanwhile, owner Flavor losses can be minimized, because I follow the regulations, I only use the phone vouchers and do not cancel the contract. We have come to an agreement. After several hours' debate, we agreed with Sophie's proposal to resolve the conflict.Flavor, Julie, Sophie and I became friend from then on. We chat happily when I go to B &you branch for doing cellophane's affairs. I was lack of experience at that time, but I should say to myself for sticking to it and not compromising easily Just because the rival was a competitor. Analyzing the situation Obviously, the whole matter was an organizational conflict rather than an interpersonal conflict , as it focused on the matter itself than the relationships between the staffs and me. When Sophie supplied her free phone card, the entire conflict entered a controlled phase.If we did not enter the controlled phase, we would fail to reach any consensus. The owner may be forced to take the phone out of me, and my friend and I may be fight for it. Flavor has run a B shop at my university for almost five years, enjoying a certain reputation. She cannot make things wrong as a businesswoman, continuously asked us to comprise. , as a student, would not be allowed to use violence to resolve this conflict. The relationship between the owner and the customer restricted the conflict, and a good proposal ended the dispute. We all wanted to solve this conflict, because we were all stakeholders.In fact, there is no right or wrong in this conflict, and it is B complicated rules that resulted to the conflict. Flavor, Julie and I wanted to minimize our own losses. Flavor did not understand the actual regulations, and she asked me blindly compromise to reduce her loss, and regardless of our contract expressly provided. Apparently, she an be defined to be a competitive negotiator. Flavor only believed in something specific and credible, for instance, her less cost about the phone. So she adopted Sophie' proposal, it cost her little. Obviously, Julies response to the dispute can be defined as an avoiding approach.The avoiding approach (uncooperative, unassertive) neglects the interests of both parties by sidestepping the conflict or postponing a solutions. She was under great pressure. When conflict happened. Her body appeared compressive reaction, accelerating the secretion of adrenaline, showing rapid breath and a flushed face. She had a tendency to break down. Such reactions were bound to damage her health. When conflict was resolved, we were very satisfied. Apparently, Flavor, Julie and I will be the first three persons who observed the conflict resolved.At the time, the other staffs would notice that. This matter would bring to our friends and family later. In this conflict, no one will benefit from our conflict unresolved, so no one would want to keep the conflict. Finally, our outcomes were good. We did not lose a cellophane or paying high-priced charges. We minimized our lost and maintained a very good staff-customers relationship. Julie embedded this fault and spent more time in learning company's rules. Wrong interpretation of company policy caused this conflict between shopkeepers and the customer. Roles determine the ideas and behavior.We all tend to meet our own personal goals, as an assertiveness rather than cooperativeness when faced with the conflict. There is some potential opposition between us. They are businesswomen, paying attention to their profits and reputation, and I am a student, trying to get more discount. When conflict happened, we tend to a win- lose situation. Sophie was a mediator. Bonuses for collaboration reduced the conflicts. With her help, the estimation became an integrative bargaining rather than a distributive bargaining. We accepted the new proposal and created a win-win situation.It seems that providing a less expensive SIMI card was the best alternative to a negotiated agreement. To be honest, without the help of Sophie, I had no better way to resolve this matter. Such weakness will only make the problem deadlocked. Maybe I will consult the teacher or my parents to see if they have any good way. Recommendations The conflict was all about an up-to-dated contract should be canceled or not, including the shopkeeper Flavor, the staff Julie and the customer me' s interests. We signed a contract about two discount coupons at first. Then B & you added some harsh rules about it.

Research proposal - Impact of diabetes among the lebanese community in Essay

Research proposal - Impact of diabetes among the lebanese community in sydney - Essay Example The increasing cases of diabetes amongst Lebanese people are also a cause of worry. Sydney is host to a large number of Lebanese people, migrated to the country, hence the city, in search of better job opportunities living standards. There are many studies indicating increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus in these families. These have been ascribed to hereditary factors, food habits, prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and increased consanguinity over many generations (Abou-Daoud, 1969). Acculturation is a social phenomenon where family values tend to play important roles, and social and cultural factors related to the immigrant race determine the patterns of acceptance or resistance of newer cultural norms (Bhugra, 2004). This means community, family and social life will have an important impact of the disease on the family and quality of life of the individual (Dept Human Services (Vic), 2004). Diabetes in any population is associated with increased mortality, morbidity, economic, cultural, and social impacts on the person, family, relations, and the community (Zalloua, 2003). Therefore exploration into these factors can discover the qualitative indicators that are impacted with diabetes in this population which may be engineered to change these perspectives of diabetes amongst Lebanese population. With the availability of such details in the public domain, a literature review can be planned out. In order to have a comprehensive literature review, we have a variety of options like, medical and health journals, findings of similar researches undertaken in the recent past, studies undertaken by reputed institutions and organizations like the WHO, Australian Health Ministry etc. In the preliminary study that has been undertaken for this research, it has been observed that while lot of data is available on the lifestyle and its impact on diabetic cases on the

Feasibility study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Feasibility study - Essay Example We have huge opportunities to capture the market as no such proper wedding planners exist in the country which gives all matrimonial services under one roof. And that's makes us different from others. We prefer to choose the ownership as partnership instead of any company. There are many reasons for it. As initially the investment we require is not huge as it would be a service based company instead of manufacturers. So initially, huge capital is not required to start up the business. As mentioned earlier, we are not in need of huge capital to start up this business as it is a service based industry. Instead of having land, the company can lease or rent the building at any posh area of Lahore. The labor or manpower we need for this business is relatively cheap. The Human resource is skilled and has a strong traditional background. All we need is a good team to start with which is not only talented and capable but has a strong passion of their work. So the main focus should be on hiring the good team and establishing an office at a good area with little publicity. The capital can be bringing into business through two options. One from personal savings and secondly to have a loan from any reputed bank in the company. Our project will start in Lahore, Pakistan. ... One from personal savings and secondly to have a loan from any reputed bank in the company. 2. PROJECT ENVIORMENT: 2.1 EXPECTED BENEFITS FROM THE BUSINESS: Our project will start in Lahore, Pakistan. Lahore is thickly populated city, and a capital of province Punjab. The rate of pollution is high but it has nothing to do with our business as we are not specializing in manufacturing concern. We are a service based industry. The GDP of the country is not very high but overall communities are rich and wealthy. The expected benefits we can achieve from the business are unbelievable. Pakistan is the country where people spend million every year on weddings. It is cultural and tradition of people to celebrate weddings with so much enthusiasm. But unfortunately there is no proper wedding planners who provide such kind of services in one package under one roof. In this fast moving life, people wants to spend more and have wedding planners who will fix up everything for them. Our company can not only earn high yields, but can create monopoly in the industry. And this can bring high rewards for the company. 2.2 COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT: The environment is not that much competitive as we think of. There are few competitors in the industry but they don't provide the whole range of service. There is as such no major competitor and the company can excel well. 2.3 POLITICAL ENVIORMENT: The political environment to start up this business is very well. The country is stable and has as such no major issues to be resolved. The country is developing rapidly and over all political environments is favorable. 2.4 TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIORMENT: The over all environments towards technology are favorable. The Country adopts every new technology

HEALTH AND WORK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HEALTH AND WORK - Essay Example Cox: 1996) In light of the preceding nuances on racism institutional racism can be thus perceived as a way in which particular racial groups are denied rights or benefits or on the other extreme, get preferential treatment. "Institutional racism (or structural racism or systemic racism) refers to a form of racism which occurs specifically in institutions such as public bodies, corporations, and universities." (Institutional racism: Wikipedia 2008) According to the source cited above the term was coined by Black Nationalist, pan-Africanist and honorary prime minister of the Black Panther Party, Stokely Carmichael. In the late 1960s, Carmichael defined the term as "the collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin". There is resonating concurrence in various theories and perspectives on institutional racism that this form is an elaborate form of racism that purports to circumvent the acute nature, application and effects of orthodox racism. Some Examples drawn from American history illustrate the dynamics of institutional racism. In 1935, the U.S. Congress promulgated the Social Security Act. The act was guaranteeing an income for millions of workers after retirement.

Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender Essay - 1

Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender - Essay Example It also touches upon the economics of race and gender. On a cursory viewing the story looks deceptively simple. But when the storyline, screenplay and other nuances in the film are observed, numerous interpretations are made available. Embedded within it are themes of economics, especially that applying to race and gender. Moreover, what comes through the narrative is the strength of character and commitment shown by Erin Gruwell as she undertakes to set right a challenging group of students. For example, â€Å"She encounters a diverse but segregated community so racially charged, hostile and potentially combustible that she likens it to Nazi Germany. Without the support of her administrators (played by Imelda Staunton and others) and the school system, which views teenagers more as threats than scholars, Miss Gruwell devises her own methods for reaching students. She begins educating them about other young people who've endured wars, like Anne Frank, and simultaneously gives them journals so that they can tell their own stories, thus, giving each person a voice and a sense of value.† (Mayo, 2007, p.43) Another test of character and commitment for Erin was the divisions within the classroom on the basis of race, ethnicity and class. The term 'Economics of Gender and Race' is usually employed by economists to talk about disparities in income and work opportunities among different races and the two genders. In the American context, these disparities are skewered in favor of white Americans, especially the White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) group. The whites generally have a head-start in terms of standard of living they are born into, career opportunities they can avail of, neighborhoods they can inhabit, etc. Also, on average, whites earn more income than other minority groups. A similar disparity exists among the genders, where males are favored for both positions of high office and in the incomes they earn. In the movie Freedom Writers, the classroom under the charge of Erin Gruwell is a representative collage of these realities. There we see white pupils born to well-to-do parent s (who also perform better in exams) contrasted against pupils from minority communities such as blacks and Hispanics, who are projected to be disorganized and less disciplined (indicative of their socio-economic backgrounds). The microcosm of the classroom is a reflection of larger realities in American society. The semblance to reality is all the more so because the movie was based on the real life story of an American teacher of the same name – Erin Gruwell; and the school she works for Wilson High School. (Pimentel, 2010, p.51) Hence only a person of impeccable force of character and commitment could have overcome these many disparities and bring out the creative energies. Any other ordinary teacher in Erin’s place would have utterly failed in uniting and pacifying the group of students. What moves the story forward are a) a racially motivated shoot-out involving members of the class and b) the interception by Erin of a racially-loaded drawing in the classroom boar d. This is a crucial juncture in the movie from where the students will embark on a creative, developmental journey. Instead of indulging themselves in gang-wars and wasting their lives, by recording and exchanging their experiences they would gain insights into other perspectives and viewpoints. Erin struggles to procure necessary stationary for students' writing projects - since the class is largely comprised of minority students, their lower socio-economic background meant that they cannot buy stationary supplies with their own money. Erin’s out-of-the-box thinking helps her to transform the attitude of her pupils. The proof of her

The Introduction of Buddhism to Ancient China Research Paper

The Introduction of Buddhism to Ancient China - Research Paper Example That was how the religion began, and it has since moved and spread to all parts of the world although it is more concentrated in Asia. Buddhist believes in fundamental principles in which they operate. They include understanding universality of suffering, abandoning the desire in controlling things and causing suffering, making visible supreme truth and liberation of nirvana achieved through eliminating suffering as well as bringing the truth of eightfold ariya path that leads to the ending of suffering (IDCNJ Para. 2-4). It is the fundamental principles that this religion stood for that made it gunner more followers world wide. It was found in India, and latter found it way out to China and other parts of Asia. Therefore, this paper will discuss how Buddhism spread from India where it originated all the way to China and examine its impacts in the life of Chinese. History of Buddhism Movement to China Buddhism is mostly concentrated in the central Asia where its founder came from. Bu ddhism spread to central Asia under Ashoka. Different kinds of Buddhism got different influences from other religions, for instance Mahayana Buddhism was influenced by Iranian religions. On the hand, it had much appeal to the Chinese across the social spectrum. This made it gain more adherents to Chinese leading to the growth of Buddhist monastic movement. It attracted both men and women and had a tremendous impact on the Chinese arts. Despite its widespread in China, not everyone was a receptive to Buddhist teachings (Holt Para. 4). Most traditional account attributes that Buddhism was introduced in China in the reign of Han Dynasty (206 BCE -220 CE). This came after an emperor dreamed of flying golden man was thought to be Buddha. Although there are many evidences that Buddhism reached China during Han Dynasty, it did not have much influence or flourish until 220-589 CE during the time of six dynasties. After the fall of Han Dynasties, Buddhism emphasized on personal salvation and rejection of worldly ties which leading to its popularity. Most of the Chinese Buddhism has their beliefs pegged on Indian Buddhists beliefs which missionaries, traders, and diplomats who had traveled through the silk roads got (Saylor Para. 9). The golden age of Chinese Buddhism happened at the time of Tang Dynasty of 618-907. Buddhism was very popular among many societies at all levels. Despite many Tang emperors being Daoist, most of them favored Buddhism, and they were patrons to the temples and monasteries which Tang government controlled (Welter 63). Because of this, temples and Buddhist monasteries grew by acquiring more land. At Tehtiem of Tang Dynasty, many scholars also made several pilgrimages to India, and they returned with Buddhist texts making several Buddhist schools systemize large corpus of Buddhist texts as well as teachings. Due to social and economic factors in 845, Emperor Wuzong (840-846) resorted to persecuting Buddhists as many of their temples and shrines were destroyed and nuns and monks forced to start living a normal life (McKay Chapter 6). It is evidenced that Buddhism came to spread to China at the time of Tang Dynasty (618-649) due to the culture which they embraced. For instance, Tang culture led to the unification of south and north Asia hence creating conditions for revitalizing Chinese culture. There was consistent flow of people from outside China as they came with new ideas,

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example I have to admit that my knowledge about ethics prior to the course was limited. I only knew it was important and my understanding was limited to generalize idea such as â€Å"we should always strive for the right thing to do† and being ethical is always desirable. I came to the realization that ethics was important because I was aware that the recent financial crisis that rocked the world that made lives difficult for everybody was rooted in greed and lack of ethical practice in business. This explains why I chose to write about this topic because the exercise affords me the opportunity to examine the ethical aspect of business which is often neglected. I believed that this is important to learn especially when we are still in the academe and still in the process of equipping ourselves the necessary skills and knowledge so that it will be ingrained within us to become better professionals in the future. The lessons that we will learn would guide us when we make our choices in any ethical dilemma that we would confront, and would run business organisations in a corporate responsible manner. I believe that given the recent scandals that rocked the business and financial world, it now becomes an imperative that each individual entering into the corporate and financial industry must have a strong sense of corporate social responsibility or accounting to avoid similar occurrences in the future. It should begin right in the academe where future professionals, employees or entrepreneurs are being trained and prepared. It is now important because the neglect and disregard for ethical practice in business has contributed to the recent financial and mortgage breakdown that stemmed from greed and lack of ethical practice that made life difficult for everybody. The high incidence of unethical practices in modern business has prompted a stream of organizational research about morality in business1. In fact, industry experts such as Ernst & Young has pointed out that unethical business practice is the main culprit that precipitated the recent economic crisis which caused a lot of jobs and homes to be lost that made life difficult for everybody which is why it is now an imperative not only to integrate but also to stress corporate responsibility and audit beginning in the academe when future business professionals are being trained and prepared. The obvious disregard about proper corporate conduct is not surprising as Crane and Matten hypothesized that business in itself has been argued to be amoral that to put ethics in business is an oxymoron because they contradict each other2. Business in pursuit of its profit motive will invariably set aside ethics as it endeavour to make profit. Actions which may be considered unethical such as lying and deception may even become permissible in the business’ pursuit for profit3. This is consistent with the consequential normative ethic theory that â€Å"holds that the moral rightness of acts, which holds that whether an act is morally right, depends only on the consequences of that act or of something related to that act, such as the motive behind the act or a general rule requiring acts of the same kind4†. In plain language, a business person may be prompted to choose a certain course of action or inaction based on the benefit or the avoidance of harm that may be derived from such action or inaction. In the case of business, it can chose to shun any propriety in conducting business with the idea that it is more expedient to make profit by disregarding scruples in conducting its operation. Having corporate responsibility does not mean that a business organisation is already shunning the importance of profit. Profit is equally important for without it, business

Women in the Canadian Political System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in the Canadian Political System - Essay Example For many years, the underrepresentation of women in the institutions that forge Canadian pubic policy has proved to be the subject of incredibly widespread discussion and debate, as have the various different manifestations of inequality that have been present on the laws and policies themselves of which are involved. The role and influence that women have played in the Canadian political system has been considered different by various personas, however regardless of this, the fact still remains that the role of women in the Canadian political system is incredibly important and significant. The aim of this paper is to not only discuss the actual role and influence of women in the Canadian political system, but as well discuss any and all other key and related issues in regards to this matter. By doing this, we will be able to gain a much more informed and knowledgeable understanding on the subject matter at hand. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Canada is known as being a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm, with a federal system of parliamentary government, as well as incredibly strong democratic traditions. "Many of the country's legislative practices derive from the unwritten practices and precedents set by the United Kingdom's Westminster parliament; however, Canada has evolved variations. Party discipline in Canada is stronger than in the United Kingdom, and more of the votes are considered confidence votes, which tends to diminish the role of non-cabinet Members of Parliament (MPs). Such members, in the government caucus, are known as backbenchers. Backbenchers can, however, exert their influence by sitting in parliamentary committees, like the Public Accounts Committee or the National Defense Committee" (Wikipedia, 2007). Women made up about 21 percent of all elected politicians in Canada, in provincial and territorial legislatures and Parliament in the year 2006, however "their representation ranged acr oss the country, from a low of 10.5 percent to a high of more than 30" (CBC, 2007). Women were actually excluded in the negotiations that created Canada in 1867 and they have since been fighting the laws, government, and political system for the basic democratic right to do things such as vote, hold office, and participate equally in public life. Although women have definitely come a long way since then, they are still incredibly underrepresented in Canadian government and politics, and this undermines the democratic principles of the Canadian electoral and political system as a whole. The role that women play in Canadian politics is truly one of great complexity, and certainly one which has altered quite dramatically over time, particularly in more recent years. This issue is one which is drastically broad and widespread, and it involves theoretical, historical and practical issues; it addresses political inputs, political processes, and policy outputs, and it examines gender politics at both the mass and elite levels, and as well addresses the impact of multiple identities on women's movement and women's issues in general in Canada. There has always been an incredibly significant and obvious imbalance in politics when it comes to the

Study of a leader in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Study of a leader in business - Essay Example ere a psychological profile that identifies a leader, and if so are there different psychological attributes that can identify a great leader If these traits can be somehow quantified, are there other qualities which are present in differing degrees that determine a business leader. ... he mood and temper of the people as well as the critical components inherent in the objectives Or are leadership qualities constant, displaying inherent characteristics that in differing degrees can be found in examples of leadership throughout history Is it something that a person is born with, inherits, or is learned Is there a psychological profile that identifies a leader, and if so are there different psychological attributes that can identify a great leader If these traits can be somehow quantified, are there other qualities which are present in differing degrees that determine a business leader. Is it style, intelligence, insight, a Midas touch, or elements of luck Could it be that the qualities that determine a successful business leader are attributes one is born with, or is it the ability to respond to the demands of the consistently changing business climate by finding solutions which enable one to work through vicissitudes and come out on top One common thread which is obvious in all great leaders, be they revered or scorned, is that they viewed the world, events, history, the present as well as the future in ways that were different from their contemporaries, and in such a manner that distinguished them in their era. What great leadership is, how it manifests itself in certain individuals is a subject which could entail considerable debate, thus the examination shall limit itself to one particular individual and determine if we can understand what and why this person has exhibited and demonstrated the attributes which cause us to view him in such a manner. This study shall look at Sir Richard Branson as an example of leadership in that he represents a contemporary individual who rose from modest means to become one of the world's most successful

Things impact on the effectiveness of the communication process Essay Example for Free

Things impact on the effectiveness of the communication process Essay 1.Needs Expectations Needs and expectations help people predict the action of ourselves and other people under different environment. If an employee does not complete a work on time, the manager must be disappointed. Also, if the manager does not communicate clearly with an employee when the manager give the employee his expectations, then the person will have some problems on meeting his needs. However, if the manager communicates clearly expectations, then the employee can do works productively and minimize problems. 2.Technology Most people now use e-mail to communicate with each other. E-mail is really a useful and convenient communication method in the world. However, it also can bring some troubles. If X send an e-mail to Y but there are many mistakes in grammar and spelling, this e-mail must leave a bad impression on Y. As we lack of fact-to-face communication, the impression of someone is from using electronic communication mode such as e-mail, but sometimes this mode will influence the effective of communication progress. 3.Cultural Differences Culture differences in language, customs, behaviors and so on. Sometimes, culture may set a barrier to communication between individuals. People with different cultural backgrounds may think their culture is the best. This thought may affect the communication between individuals from different cultural backgrounds and set barrier to our stable and harmonious society. 4.Attitude Bad attitude will affect the effective of communication with another person. The bad attitude can lead to mistrust or nervous or fears which will set barriers to communication. These feelings will make people lack of interest in the topic that they are talking now. Good attitude can make communication effectively. For making a good communication, people need to use â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  and find the point of other people.

Industrialization And Urbanization In China History Essay

Industrialization And Urbanization In China History Essay The Great Leap Forward of China (Peoples Republic of China) was a social and economic crusade with the aim to develop industry and agriculture by then ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). It was adopted in 1958 as an ambitious five year plan intended to utilize the huge population of China to rapidly transform her economy from an agrarian one to a modernized one such that the economy of China would rival that of United States by the year 1988 (Bachman, 1991). However, the plan was discontinued in 1961 when they realized that it was not feasible. The leader, Mao Zedong, aimed to achieve the Great Leap Forward plan by developing agriculture and industries chiefly through the process of collectivization (Kataoka, 1968). The leader believed that these two sectors had to be developed first to let other key sectors to develop too; industries could only flourish if the workers were well fed, whilst the agricultural work force required industries to produce new, modern equipments and machi neries necessary for modernization. To achieve this, Peoples Republic of China was reformed into enormous communes, and in less than a year, approximately nine hundred million Chinese peasants were mobilized to work in these collective forms (Kataoka, 1968). Many communist strategies and policies were adopted to ensure the implementation of the plans; the Great Leap Forward was an intensification of the Soviet-type industrialization strategy. The Great Forward Leap had a lot of similarities with the soviet-type industrialization strategy; it was based on the oppressive communist principles. Kataoka (1968) explains that many transformations occurred in the lives of the Chinese peasants living in rural areas; agricultural collectivization was introduced and gradually made compulsory for all. Private ownership of land and farming was banned, and those who engaged in it were punished severely for being counter revolutionaries. The administration was done through party members and communes leaders; restriction control of rural inhabitants was imposed through social pressure, propaganda and public struggle sessions. They utilized force, coercion and systematic violence to ensure that the peasants obeyed the rules. Regardless of the great mobilization of the rural peasants and the ambitious plans of the leaders, the Great Leap Forward did not achieve the anticipated massive developments. Poor decisions and mistakes by the party leaders characterized and contributed, in part, to its failure. Eventually, The Great Leap culminated in devastation, with consequential death of the people in tens of millions; approximates show a range from eighteen to forty-six million individuals (Dikà ¶tter, 2010). After the first five year plan, Mao Zedong alarmed by various events and uprisings in Europe concluded that communism was the best was way for China to go. The next five year plan was the Great Forward Leap which created the communes; they were large enough consisting of large collective farms each composed of about five thousand families (Dikà ¶tter, 2010). Just like in the Soviet Union, they had comprehended that this system would be unpopular with the peasants, thus; they brought them under Party control (Kataoka, 1968). They executed the working in the collective farms by convening meetings and then ensuring that the peasants stayed for long periods until they had no choice but to join the communes. Apart from the economic changes, the party also instituted key social changes in the rural areas including the expulsion of all spiritual and religious institutions and ceremonies and substituted them with party meetings and propaganda sessions. They introduced internal passports ban ning travel without appropriate authorization and dictated what was to be planted. For instance, they replaced the farming of opium with rice. Peasants in the rural areas worked in communes owned by the state and the grain they produced was for cities and export, to earn foreign exchange. Families in a communes relinquished individual possession and tenure of farm equipments and animals such that all were owned by the commune; they now labored and toiled for the state-owned commune and not for themselves as individuals. Nearly all aspects of the life of the peasants in the commune were controlled by the commune; education facilities were offered by the communes so that all grownups could work. Health care services were given by the communes and the aged were taken into establishment ironically named houses of happiness in order that they could be cared for. Moreover, individuals could work hard and not have to be troubled about leaving their aged family members back at home. The communes made available all that the peasants required including entertainment. Peasants toiled alongside the soldiers. The populace in a commune was sub-grouped; dozen families formed a work team, a dozen work teams composed a brigade. Every sub-division was assigned a particular work to com plete. The communist party members supervised the work and running of a commune to make sure those decisions executed were in line with party policies. The state adopted all strategies it could to fluff up enthusiasm and passion for the communes. Propaganda was used in all places to the extent that there were public address systems out in the fields through which thousands of the peasant workforces could listen to political speeches as they toil. Propaganda posters were widely used to spread the ideologies of the party. Everyone engaged in communes was urged not only to work hard to achieve set targets but to surpass them. If the machines were deficient or inadequate in the communes, the workforce used their bare hands. Major buildings and structures were constructed in record time although the strength of most of them was doubtful. The local leaders in the communes were forced into falsifying information and spreading propaganda from senior party leaders. For instance, they had at times to report ever-higher grain production records to their political seniors (Wei Yang, 2005). People attending political meetings talk of producti on quantities being exaggerated up to ten times of the real production quantities as the pursuit to thrill superiors and win praise intensified. The government was later on capable of compelling, many production groups to put up for sale higher quantities of grain than they were capable based on these embellished production quantities. Bachman (2011) depicts the state-owned communes as a type of discrimination system for Chinese peasant families. The commune system adopted in the great forward leaped was intended at exploiting rural peasants to produce for cities and urban areas and building industrial units, offices, educational facilities, and social insurance structures for elite cadres and officials residing in towns. The peasants in the countryside who condemned the plan were classified as dangerous, counter revolutionaries. Running away was also very hard, mostly even impossible, and those who tried were faced with severe repercussions that sometimes resulted in death. Apart from agriculture projects, state-owned communes also participated in various medium scale industries and building projects. The prohibition of private ownership of property devastated the life of the peasants at its most basic level, according to Bachman (1991). Rural populace were incapable of securing sufficient food to support a decent living, since the customary ways of leasing out, selling, or using their properties as collateral for credit were dispossessed of them by the commune system. In some villages, after the commune systems were adopted, the Party leader and his men took immediate inhumane actions, commanding peasants to spend nights toiling and laboring for intolerable hours, and ordering them to march, starved, to far-flung additional projects (Bachman, 1991). Yang (2008) notes that local party officials were unmoved regardless of the great number of peasants dying while working, as their main concern was the production of grain, which the state needed to utilize in settling the billions of loans from the Soviet Union. The Communist Party was aware of the fact that their strategies were responsible for causing the starvation. In some provinces such as Xinyang; peasants succumbed to starvation at the entrances of grain warehouses (Yang, 2008). Senior party leaders even acknowledged that the deaths were a price the country has to pay; downplaying the deaths as a minor thing. As yang (2008) notes, in a covert gathering in Shanghai in 1959, Mao ordered the procurement of a third of all grain by the state to provision the urban areas and foreign clients, and he remarks that if the state does not pass above that quota, citizens will not rebel. He further comments that as there is not sufficient food to feed all citizens and some will have to sta rve, then the best way is to let half of them to starve so that the rest can have enough. Like in the Soviet Union, through the starvation of 1932-1933, peasants were incarcerated to their starved villages by a scheme of registration of households, and the nastiest results of the food shortage were aimed at opponents of the regime (Yang, 2008). Yang (2008) further explains how those tagged as being religious leaders, activists and rich peasants were given the last priority in the allotment of foodstuff, and consequently, died in the record numbers.

Communicating With The Mentally Challenged Education Essay

Communicating With The Mentally Challenged Education Essay The purpose is to make people aware that although you try to be politically correct when communicating with the mentally challenged, mild through server, there is a definite communication channel to use. My purpose is, since I do foster care and have been given a child that is severely challenged, was to learn as much as possible as how the learning habits of the child and the best or different ways to communicate to the child knowing the child will always be challenged. For the purpose of this paper I will refer to the child as he (although it could well be a she) and since Sonic the hedge hog seems to be a favorite between both sexes, the name of the child, in order to protect the childs identity will be referred to as Sonic. Thesis statement All children must mature and the responsibility to develop all children falls upon each of us to raise the child up and yet when it comes to the mentally challenged child there must be different channels of communication between the adult and that child. These conduits allows the adult to take into account the intelligence of the child, and reach the child on their level, even if it means going down to their level. The adult talk must reflect the childs level of understanding. If more people do not take a more active interest in the life of the mentally retarded then we will not have any place to go except in an institutional living and that is not fair because we are Gods creatures. Anonymous Introduction Communicating with the mentally challenged is not only a challenge to the mentally challenged, but the adult as well. Each situation must be understood before continuing in educating the child to become a productive part of society, if that is possible. Looking at the definition of mentally challenged and to what degree the child is challenged, from borderline cases to highly severe, and a true treatment plan can be formulated to mold the child to usefulness even if that usefulness is nothing more then getting oneself to the bathroom. The mentally challenge will grow and mature the question is how much? For mentally challenged kids and adults, some things can never be learned. (Emma, 2007) Defining Mentally Challenged Mentally challenged primary depends on the I.Q. of the child along with one or more of the many psychological tests available to measure the intelligence or mental functioning of the child. Therefore, when the mental age is divided by the chronological age and multiplied by a hundred, what you get is the Intelligence Quotient or the I.Q. (De la Jara, 2007) An I.Q. above 140 is the sign of a genius. An average to very intelligent child would score of 100 120 and a dull child would score 80 90. Those children classified below 85 are classified even further. An IQ of 84-70 is considered borderline mentally challenged, while those 55-69 are mild cases and consider educable. 40-54 are Moderate cases but trainable, 25-39 are severely deficient and any IQ below 24 is classified as highly severe. Mental age refers to an age at a normal level of performance on an intelligence test, and it became a popular way of referring to mental level as measured by the Binet Simon scale of 1908. The Binet Simon scale identified the academic skills typical of specific age groups. In 1912, William Stern used chronological age as a denominator to be divided into mental age, resulting in an intelligence quotient. In 1916, Lewis Terman multiplied this intelligence quotient by 100 (to eliminate the decimal places) and called the result an IQ score. Termans formula of mental age divided by chronological age multiplied by 100 became popularized as the formula for calculating a persons IQ. Adult intelligence does not change from year to year so the concept of mental age is less meaningful when discussing adults. Contemporary IQ tests use cumulative indexes to determine scores rather than the calculation of IQ scores based upon Termans formula. A contemporary equivalent of mental age is the Standa rd Age Score of the Stanford-Binet IQ test, which was formulated in 1987. Overview of mentally challenged Although there is no hard evidence, one of the strongest factors of the mental deficiency is hereditary. Besides this there are a number of environmental factors that contribute to mental arrest, malnutrition or infection during pregnancy or even an excessive intake of drugs and RH incompatibility whatever the cause, if the handicap is very severe, the entire development of the child gets affected physical, social and emotional along with mental. Some of these children cannot perform the simplest of tasks that we all seem to take for granted. Simple things like walking straight, eating or toilet training. A great amount of patience and tolerance is required to supervise and handle such a child. Mental retardation occurs in 2.5-3% of the general population. About 6-7.5 million mentally retarded individuals live in the United States alone. Mental retardation begins in childhood or adolescence before the age of 18. In most cases, it persists throughout adulthood. Mentally retarded children reach developmental milestones such as walking and talking much later than the general population. Approximately 85% of the mentally retarded population is in the mildly retarded category and they can often acquire academic skills up to the 6th grade level, become self-sufficient, and in some cases live independently, with community and social support. Low IQ scores and limitations in adaptive skills are the hallmarks of mental retardation. Aggression, self-in-jury, and mood disorders are sometimes associated with the disability. The severity of the symptoms and the age at which they first appear depend on the cause. Children who are mentally retarded reach developmental milestones significantly later than expected, if at all. If retardation is caused by chromosomal or other genetic disorders, it is often apparent from infancy. If retardation is caused by childhood illnesses or injuries, learning and adaptive skills that were once easy may suddenly become difficult or impossible to master. The most noticeable emotional characteristics children with mental retardation often recognize that they have difficulties with tasks that others find easy. This realization can lead to frustration, anger and depression. Some children with mental retardation may suffer from anxiety. These children may act out due to these emotions. They may have trouble expressing their feelings and may show their feelings in ways such as refusing to eat or sleeping too much. Sonic, the foster child living with me, will be calm and act like a five year old one moment, and then if you ask something of sonic, major mood change to the point of aggression. How to understand the mentally challenged Anyone who has toiled with the mentally challenged people knows, many will tell you exactly what is on their mind. When something does not go Sonics way, he will tell you and if you persist, he will tell you she will kill you, and hates you. Understanding that this is typical in a mentally challenged you let it roll off you and just stay close enough to make sure that sonic does not hurt herself. The mentally challenged know their likes and dislikes, what is going on in their lives, and even some idea of what they want their future to be. When the mentally challenged are treated as subhuman, as children, or as a menace to society, it follows that we become the ones to decide what is best for them, and what kind of life they should lead, we instead should remind ourselves that they are Gods creatures. They need to be treated as serious human beings with important things to communicate. (McLean, Brady, Mclean, Behrens, 1999) Understanding their language is likely to be much better than the ability to express it. Speech maybe very poorly articulated and difficult to understand One of the critical aspects in forming a communication is one that emphasizes skill actualization, where teachers give the mentally challenged many opportunities to use and expand on their already developed skills. Skill actualization goals are represented in the individual education plan (IEP) such as the child will use whatever skill is already developed and continue to expand to the point where the child will reach the next goal. In Sonics case, the IEP has included counting skills up to 20, understanding the valued of money, and doing simple life skills. Steps in Creating Communication The first step to communicating with a mentally challenged person is to understand the way they communicate. Mirror there patterns keeping in mind get on their level but do not be on their level. Match the way they see the world, not as a child but as a learning style. Most are visual learns where they learn in pictures, using word like see and look. Visual learners prefer to use diagrams, pictures, study notes, handouts and movies to see the information they are learning. Sometimes the mentally challenged are audio learns where they may not even look at you but put more stock into the spoken word and the voice inflection. This is a fine line where the teacher must be very calm and sure of each word other wise you could miscommunication and all the building process is for naught. The mentally challenged needs to be heard and we must allow them to hear us. The final learning style is kinesthetic learners also called tactile learners need to feel it to learn best. The more the learning experience involves moving, touching, tasting and feeling, the more it will be absorbed by this type of learner. Projects and experiments also work well with this group. Young children learn thins way by reaching out to something and feeling it, touching it, and breaking it. (OK I had to put that in) The real art is to combine learning styles to fit the child. Sonic uses Visual about 80% and verbal about 15% and kinesthetic the remaining 5%. If you show her something, she will remember and get the message quickly, by adding the verbal component he will recall the instruction the next day, demonstrating, giving verbal instruction then transferring ownership of a task, builds his self-confidence. There are small tasks she can do the give him pride in doing well, such as showing which day on the med chart we are on and then picking the proper cup to take. The second step is to incorporate the communication skills in both the education setting as well as the extra curricula activities. Opportunities exist almost constancy or as it is called teachable moments. The hardest part as a teacher is to keep on top of the moments one can take advantage of and then take advantage of them. At home with sonic, it becomes a one on one the moment Sonic comes home from school until bedtime and in turn allows many more recognizable and controlled setting. The third step is to facilitate conversation and keep them engaged as much as possible. The issue here must be keeping it simple. In studies, (McLean, Brady, Mclean, Behrens, 1999) simple yes or no question got the most response from the mentally challenged. Asking completed questions creates confusion and frustration, and can actually cause the person to regress rather then moving forward. Using the KISS (keep it simple) method more ground can be make rather creating an antagonistic climate. How to communicate with the Mentally Challenged 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maintain a calm, low volume. Speaking louder does not make you more understandable. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When determining age-appropriateness of your words, remember that you must know the mental age of your listener, not his or her calendar age. Remember, they are just mentally challenged, not a person with a limited vocabulary, such as a five-year-old. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do not cover or hide your mouth because listeners will want to watch you as you pronounce your words. This helps them figure out what you are saying in many cases. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do not mimic how the mentally challenged speaker pronounces words in a misguided presumption that he or she will understand if you speak like he or she does. This does not make you easier to understand. It will confuse your listener and may give the wrong impression about your sensitivity to his or her handicap. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Avoid running words together. For example, do not say, Do-ya wanna eat-a pizza? One of the biggest challenges for listeners knows where one word ends and the next one begins. Give them a small pause between words if they seem to be struggling. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When possible, opt for simple words instead of ones that are complex. The more basic a word is, the better the chance is that it will be understood. Big is a better choice than enormous, for example. Make is a better choice than manufacture. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Avoid speech complexity, which is beyond your listeners comprehension level. Use simple subject-verb-object statements with the significantly challenged. More mildly challenged people may be able to handle more forms that are complex. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Look them in the eye. It lets them know that you care about what you are saying. Although they may rarely make eye contact with you, behave as if you really are interested in what they are talking about. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Treat people with disabilities with respect. Do not treat them as inferior. Remember that the person you are talking to has feelings and is not stupid. Rather, he/she is challenged with something you will never understand the ability to understand, communicate, or decipher. 10.   Patience is the key. 11.   Be aware that you must listen and observe the person you are speaking to. In most cases, communicating with a person with a disability is very much like learning how to understand an accent. Be ready to adjust your communication style in a respectful way when necessary. 12.   Treat them as close as possible as you would a normal person, except use age-appropriate words. Otherwise, they may sense something is up. 13.   Smile to show them you are enjoying their company. 14.   Be aware of the tone of your voice.   Is it patronizing? Are you speaking with the tone you would use for a child? Adjust accordingly. (Challenges faced by, 2010) Conclusion The mentally challenged can become part of the community by understanding how they speak and process information. The earlier the problem is detected the better it is for the child. Sometimes the public tries to hide the fact until it becomes apparent to all, and by then it is too late to get timely help. There are plenty of child guidance centers and special schools around to provide the perfect environment to aid in the development of the child. If these facilities are not utilized, a mentally deficient child will definitely develop severe social and emotional problems as well. We all should try to accept the fact that their child is mentally challenged and help him or her grow to the full potential that he or she is capable of. Some people try for a miraculous cure and expend a lot of time and energy in search of a divine elixir. Even though such an attitude is understandable, it does not show any results. That time will be better spent in admitting the child to a special school or sheltered institution where he can get professional help. Communicating with people who have mental deficiency is a skill that you can hone over time with continuous practice. There are some tips, which will allow you to communicate in a better way with them. Words are just the tip of the communication iceberg. When conversing with a person, we send myriad signals by the way we stand the expression on our face and the tone of our voice. These form levels of communication that bypass words. When talking to anyone, remember to relax and consciously use body language in a positive manner. Even if the verbal communication is misunderstood, the body language can convey concern and interest. The person will receive the message that we are interested in them and care about their feelings. Watch what you say to the child, be very careful of the environment they are in, and make sure people treat the child as one of us, not a special child. Each Tuesday we play softball for the church and each time Sonic gets up a homerun is produced. It is not the home run that matters to us, although Sonic would tell you other wise, but the encouragement of being one of the gang that allows her to participate in an activity someone with a mentally challenged condition would never experience.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein :: essays research papers

Introduction The book I read and analyzed was â€Å"The Hobbit† by J.R.R. Tolkein. I shall discuss the plot and character development, setting, author’s style and my opinions about it. Plot Development There are too many characters in the story and so it is hard to follow and know each one of them. (There are many dwarves and it’s confusing.) In the beginning there is an introduction where the author tells a bit about what is a hobbit and the hobbit’s (Bilbo) family. It is not very complicated and the author makes it easy to understand. This introduction gives the general background, which makes the story easier to understand, for the plot and its development. The plot development in the middle is not complicated and easy to follow. It can even be summarized in a few sentences. The ending is expected since the author gives hints about it. As in the introduction when he says that the hobbit would gain something, this means that he will not die. Then, the reader is not kept in suspense and does not expect to see what happens at the end. The last climax (or what is supposed to be the climax) takes a long time to occur (the last fight—good (men, elves, dwarves & eagles) vs. evil (wargs & goblins)) and this reduces its effectiveness. After the climax there is the long return home. It is quite boring since there is nothing to expect to and the reader knows that the hobbit would get home safely. In my opinion it should have been shorter. Character Development The creation of the characters is done by their dialogues and monologues, actions and things noted by the narrator (the author in this case) himself. An example for dialogue: â€Å"All the same, I should like it all plain and clear, also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses...† (by Bilbo, page 22, it shows that he is not ready to jump into things so quickly). An example for a monologue: â€Å"Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins, who has proved himself...† (by Thorin, page 210, it shows Thorin’s style). A good example for action is when Thorin blocked the Gate in the mountain that shows the reader that the treasure is important to Thorin and he rather die than giving it away. An example for notes by the author: â€Å"You are familiar with Thorin’s style on important occasions...† (page 210) the author talks directly to the reader and helps him understand the text. Each character has a physical description. The length and content of the description increase as the character importance to the plot increases (e.g., the hobbit has very long descriptions

Illegal Street Racing Essay -- essays research papers fc

One of the fastest growing sports in the world is racing. Racing in general can consist of many different types such as: Drag Racing, NASCAR, Indy, Motor Cross, Truck Rally. The topic of racing that I am chose was street racing. Street racing originated from drag racing on the quarter-mile strip. The concept of drag racing is when two racers in different cars would line up at a white line, and in the middle of the two cars would be a light post, called the Christmas tree for its red, yellow and green bulbs. The tree does what a stoplight does, except backwards, it starts from red, then to yellow, then to green. On the quarter-mile strip, when the light hits green, the two racers are supposed to try to go as fast as they can before the end of the quarter-mile, which would then set off a electronic board showing their electronic times (E.T.) and their speeds. As the sport of street racing began to boom around the early ‘90s, people couldn’t really afford to go to a legal track and race their cars, because of the price that it cost and the rules that they had. So there was a street track that was created on Terminal Island, called the Brotherhood Raceway. The Brotherhood Raceway or Brotherhood for short was basically a quarter-mile drag strip that was put down on a closed off street, where street racers could go and find out their quarter-mile times and speeds for the price of nothing. This was a quarter-mile drag strip to keep racers off of normal streets and highways. Around time of the mid-90s, the Brotherhood was then closed down, forcing street racers to take their racing to another legalized track, or to the streets and highways. People say that street racing is bad, illegal and dangerous to everyone. There is another side which thinks that street racing is ok, and safe. All street racers know that street racing is illegal and can be dangerous, but in their minds they will think they won’t hurt people around them but accidents do happen. When it comes to racing on streets, racers an open or deserted street and line two cars up, and basically race off of the line and see who stays ahead of the other person, this set-up is basically like racing on a drag strip, just without lights and tech and safety people around. There is a person that acts like the lighting tree, who stands in the middle, and is called the â€Å"flagger.† This person puts his/her arms up, ... ...he track. That is why my opinion stands that they should re-open the Brotherhood Raceway, so racers can go and be safe while doing what they do. Street racing is a dangerous sport, but it’s a life and love that people have and are not willing to give up. I believe that as long as racers do what they can to keep street racing, that it should be legal. It all racers do their part in trying to keep it safe and not dangerous, then I think the government or city or whoever, should give street racers respect and allow them a place to have fun and do what they do best. Works Cited Atwood, Kathy. â€Å"Red Flag For The Racing Crowd.† Hearld Net. 2 January 2002. 13   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  April 2002 . Brown, John, Adam Jensen, Pat Silla, David Wong. â€Å"Streetracing: On The Inside.† 14 April   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Fontana, Aaron M. â€Å"The Fast and the Furious.† Entertainment Today. 10 April   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002 .

Development of Feminism and Its Impact on Religion

Feminism is a movement concerned with the advocacy of uplifting the roles and status of women. This struggle of campaigning for women's rights has started from the nineteenth century up to the present. It takes in various forms of protests and activities, all of which are geared towards the attainment of equal rights for women from different classes. This movement has gone across different borders including their struggle in the areas of politics, economics, social status, and in the religious aspect.Over the history, the disparity of rights between males and females is noticeable. Women have become victims of discrimination and double standards. However, the growth of the feminist movements is considered successful in the way that women have become more empowered and represented in different arenas. In the area of religion, feminism has become a distinct philosophy and it has gained influence and respect from different groups. In certain religious groups, women are now allowed to ho ld certain positions of power.Women are now ordained as clergy, hence granting them rights that were in the past held solely by men (â€Å"Feminism and Religion). Feminist philosophers of religion also became widely influential in the study of religion, and as such they were able to provide remarkable standpoints on how religion is to be viewed in a perspective that is beneficial to women. Thus, this has served as a useful tool for women in expressing their own beliefs, ideas and relate their experiences to other people in a way that they are properly heard without being negatively criticized (Frankenberry 2005).This development in the feminist movement was able to seek transformation in the society by challenging social insitutions and attempting to change social norms and standards. The emergence of female heroic figures and saints is an example of how feminist movements have developed over time (Hunt 2004). The challenges posted by feminism became strong that feminists around th e world were able to gather support and hasten changes in the society, not only in political and economic aspects, but also in the field of religion which was for long been dominated by men.

Heaven Is for Real Essay

Sadness, happiness, excitement, joy, and astonishment are only but a few of the emotions you will endure while reading the book Heaven is for Real, the amazing story of a brave and eccentric little boy named Colton Burpo. In March of 2003, what seemed to be a seemingly typical family trip turned into a terrifying fight for Todd and Sonja Burpo’s little boy’s life. Even after months of injury and illness within the Burpo family, Colton’s incident tops them all. The strength of this little boy, even at the young age of only four, is truly inspirational. This book truly portrays the crazy days, weeks, months, and even years that follow the frightening experiences that this family had to go through. In February of 2003, the Burpo’s decide to take a family outing. The Butterfly Pavilion is their destination of choice, and the family couldn’t be any happier to get away. After Sonja’s miscarriage, Todd’s shatter leg, round of kidney stones, and hyperplasia; a vacation is precisely what they need. The Thursday before they’re to leave, however, Colton isn’t feeling well and had complained of a stomach ache. Their babysitter, Norma, calls Sonja at work to report a plunge in little Colton’s sickness. After a trip to the doctor, the Burpos find that the stomach flu is the cause of Colton’s poor health. They see the fun-filled trip slipping away as soon as it had come, and nobody in the household is content. But, by morning, Colton is up and feeling well again; the Burpo’s then set out on their adventure. They soon made it to the Crawl-A-See-Um right outside of Denver, and the kid’s stop to see the many tarantula exhibits. These draw Cassie and Colton Burpo in like magnets. The kids are easily amazed by the many eight-legged creatures, which shock the children with everything that they do. They soon see Rosie, the spider you can hold in exchange for a sticker. Cassie holds her, but Colton is afraid, so they make their way on through. After visiting the many aquariums, they make their way to the butterfly pavilion. They see a monarch fly by, enjoying the beauty of the beautiful orange creature. Sonja, remembering the kids want to swim, insists they leave. As they walk by Rosie, Todd asks Colton if he wants to try and hold Rosie. Colton is positive that this time, he will do it. He ventures up to Rosie, holds her, and gets a sticker. He leaves feeling triumphant as they leave. After swimming, the Burpos head to the Old Chicago Restraunt in Greeley to eat with Pastor Steve Wilson and his wife. While sitting around the large, round booth, they talk about their churches and enjoy Italian food. Todd and Sonja decide to visit Pastor Wilson’s church the next day, as Rebecca Wilson divides her time between the conversation and coloring with the kids. Colton’s eery quietness isn’t noticed throughout the dinner, until Colton makes a remark about his stomach again. They Burpos decide to cut the dinner short, after Colton and Cassie both decide they aren’t feeling well. Colton’s statement comes true, as he throws up all of that night. Soon the next day, they decide to take Colton to the hospital. â€Å"Could it be appendicitis? † Sonja asks the doctor, fearing for bad news. Colton squirms, afraid of the IV as any kid would be. He assures her that the blood test don’t show this, but they don’t know what has happened. As Colton’s health gets worse, Todd and Sonja worry for their son. Then the worst thing yet happened, the shadow of death. Todd sees it on Colton, and afterwards they decide to take Colton to the Great Plains Regional Medical Center. Calling ahead to let the doctor know, they set out towards the center. Todd and Sonja blame each other throughout the whole trip, but when they reach the center and the doctor has gone to lunch, they’re out of people and reasons to blame. Fifteen minutes later, the doctor comes in and looks over Colton. They perform a CT scan, and send the Burpos into a secluded waiting room. â€Å"I think this is it,† are the only words Sonja can muster out as she cradles Colton’s limp body. Five tiresomely long minutes later, a Radioligist comes out to let them know Colton has a ruptured appendix and needs emergency surgery. They wheel Colton away on a gurney, preparing him for his surgery. He thrashes, screaming for his dad, as they put the IV in his arm. Anger flashes in Todd’s eyes, realizing that he may have waited too long and might not see his son alive again. He rages at God, assuming he is going to take his son before he had the time to even live. After the surgery is over, Todd is asked to come back. All the fear and anger leaves his eyes, when he is told that his son is conscious and has been asking for him. Todd and Sonja are amazed at how much better their son feels, looks, and seems. They are told, seven days after checking into the hospital, that they can take their son home. After packing the mulititude of toys and clothes, they go to leave. The elevators are sliding shut, when they are told they cannot leave. New pockets of infection show in Colton’s CT scan, in his abdomen. Sonja, completely exasperated, has a breakdown. The church comes to pray with Colton shortly after, only praying for one simple thing: gas. They are told that if Colton passes gas, that it would be a good sign. Within an hour, the prayer was answered. Colton felt better the next morning, and doctors were shocked at this miracle. After what seemed like forever, Colton and the rest of the Burpo family can finally go home after this horrific event. After they go home, life seems to go back to normal. It wasn’t until four months after Colton’s surgery, on their Fourth of July trip, that they realize their son has witnessed something extraordinary. On their way, Todd jokingly asks Colton if he wants to go back to the hospital. The response he gets is far from what he expects, however. Colton proceeds to tell him that the hospital is where angels sang to him and he sat in Jesus’ lap. Todd and Sonja laugh it off, thinking Colton had imagined the whole thing. They continue to believe so, until he tells them exactly what they were soing, and where, during his surgery. He also offers more information, spread over the next years. Days, weeks, and months all came with new information. â€Å"Did you know that Jesus had a cousin? Jesus told me his cousin baptized him,† Colton informed his father one night. He tells his dad about a horse that he petted, God’s beautiful eyes and clothes, his crown, and God’s â€Å"markers,† nonchalantly one night, as if he were talking about what he ate for lunch. When Todd realizes that by â€Å"markers,† Colton means the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet, he knows that he can’t be making it up. Todd and Sonja are amazed at all the things he knows all of a sudden. The normal nights come often, but the talks about supernatural phenomenons become spaced out. Colton begins to talk about his Pop, who died before Colton was born. He also tells his dad that he knows that Jesus told him to be a pastor, and when he agreed, Jesus was very happy. He also told his mom that he knows he had another sister, but she died in her tummy. He tells her that she looks like Cassie and is dark headed, like Sonja. He also says that she didn’t have a name, because they hadn’t named her yet. When Sonja begins to freak out, Colton explains that she’s okay and that God adopted her. Colton also tells about God’s throne room, and makes one point in particular stand out: God loves the children! After Colby is born, they realize they have to hire a babysitter. They decide in a very mature for her age 8th grader, named Ali. All is well, until one night they come home to Ali crying. When Sonja asks her why, she says that Colton was crying and tells her why. Colton, after being put in bed, tells Ali that he misses his sister that died in mommy’s tummy. When he begins to cry, Ali holds him until he finally cries himself to sleep. This isn’t the only serious thing Colton says about Heaven. One night, while at home, he tells his dad that the angels have wings to fight off Satan. He tells him that there is going to be a battle, and that Todd will have to fight in it. He also tells that he sees the power God sends his dad during church, while he preaches. Todd and Sonja now believe Colton more and more by the passing day. 2007 is the first time that the Burpos told about Colton’s indifferent, to say the least, experience. Todd now found himself with more and more questions about Heaven and what his 4 year old saw. One woman, in tears, approaches and asks if Colton might have seen her stillborn baby in Heaven. He asks the woman that if she believes that God loves her as much as God loves him, and if he loves her living son as much as he loves his living son, then why wouldn’t he love her unborn child as much as his? At this moment, he knew that God had sent him the power to help that woman; the same power Colton had claimed to have seen God shoot down. Years have passed since Colton’s accident, but his story is and will be known for many more years to come. The amazing experiences that this family went through are truly touching, and this book portrays that beautifully. From cover to cover, it’s a book you will not want to put down. Colton’s story is amazing, and as the nurse once told Todd Burpo, â€Å"There has to be a God, because this is a miracle. †

Van Helsing

The style Stoker uses to write the novel Dracula, in a series of diary/journal entries, newspaper clippings, letters, and other documents, makes the story more horrifying and suspenseful. This is because as written this way, the story becomes personal. The reader gets the feeling that the story he/she is reading is true. The novel takes on the persona of a case file, which makes the story stand out as a true account of actual events. It makes the reader feel that these terrifying events could actually happen. This style of writing contributes to character development because the characters' personalities are unveiled through the writing.For example, when Dr. Seward describes Renfield, one gets a closer look into the psyche of Dr. Seward. In this excerpt, even though the reader receives a description of Renfield, the description is only what Dr. Seward sees and feels. It is a first-hand account of what a character thinks and feels through his own writing. The reader does not learn abo ut Renfield in this excerpt, but learns about Dr. Seward. This is so because Dr. Seward makes certain conclusions about Renfield, which may or may not be true. Dr. Seward states what he sees, perhaps not what Renfield is actually like.Renfield is a patient at Dr. Seward's insane asylum. Renfield is described as a refined gentleman who eats live creatures such as insects and birds. He believes that eating these living things gives him their life-force. Renfield fed the flies to the spiders, then fed the spiders to the birds, stockpiling their life-force. When he was denied a cat to which to feed the birds, Renfield at the birds himself. Renfield was used by Stoker to drive the plot. It was through Renfield that the reader first learned about Count Dracula as a vampire and Count Dracula's dark world.Renfield helped Count Dracula at first, but betrayed him because he was in love with Mina. Renfield protected her, and it cost him his life. Renfield is also an image of the theme of relig ion and eternal life. Renfield ate living creatures in an attempt to reach eternal life. He thought he would live forever if he could steal others' life-force. This is the goal of the Christian faith, to achieve eternal life. However, Renfield wanted to physically live, while Christians look forward to their souls having eternal life. Renfield contributed to the conflict because he helped all of the characters in some way.For instance, Renfield helped Dr. Seward and Van Helsing realize what Count Dracula was. Renfield also helped Count Dracula lure Mina and Lucy to him. He also helped Mina to escape Count Dracula. Without Renfield, their would not be a story. Renfield contributed to the conflict most when he helped Count Dracula in his evil plans. Renfield came under Count Dracula's control when Count Dracula made an offer to give Renfield an unlimited supply of food if Renfield helped him. When confronted by Mina, Count Dracula's obsession, Renfield tells her to run away.Count Drac ula finds out about this and is so angry that he enters Renfield's cell and breaks his neck. Without Renfield, Count Dracula probably would not have been able to do most of the things he did. Religion, as a major theme of the novel, plays a large role. Many items and people are deemed either â€Å"holy† or â€Å"unholy. † For instance, Van Helsing could be considered â€Å"holy† and Dracula could be considered â€Å"unholy. † Van Helsing likens his mission of chasing Count Dracula to one of â€Å"the old knights of the Cross. † (pg. 508) Therefore, Van Helsing could be understood as a righteous man, doing the will of God to rid the world of a monster.Count Dracula is considered a satanic figure and Van Helsing suggests that Christian icons, such as a crucifix, are the most effective weapons against evil. Stoker uses religious symbolism because he intended Dracula to be a cautionary tale, such as an urban legend. Dracula was written at a time when s cientific and social advancements, such as Darwin's theory of evolution and women gaining more liberties, posed a threat to the traditional, religious way of life. Stoker decided to personify this threat in Dracula. In another passage, Van Helsing criticizes Dr.Seward for relying too heavily on reason. It could be argued that Van Helsing is the protector of tradition while Dr. Seward is a man of science. Van Helsing goes so far as to actually blame science for Dr. Seward's logic thinking. Van Helsing believes that one should rely heavily on faith, not science. This might connect to the novel's central theme of the consequences of modernity because science is a threat to religion like Count Dracula is a threat to the other characters in the story. – Stoker, Bram. Dracula. United Kingdom: Archibald Constable and Company. 1897.

Motivation Working In Groups Education Essay

AbstractionThe planetary competitory environment is witnessing a new displacement where more and more companies are forming their activities and undertakings around groups. Bing able to work efficaciously in a group is now considered a important demand for any employee. This write up inside informations my motive behind fall ining a Masters class in direction at the Bangor Business School and how this is assisting me to smooth my accomplishments as an effectual group member and a future director. This piece of work besides identifies assorted issues faced when working in groups and simple solutions that can be applied to antagonize these booby traps to maximise end products.MOTIVATION FOR JOINING A POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM IN MANAGEMENTThe undergraduate plan in Commerce at Bishop Heaber College Trichy, India introduced me to a broad scope of subjects in my nucleus topic such as economic sciences, statistics and mathematics. The commercialism course of study non merely inculcated a high g rade of job resolution and analytical accomplishments in the nucleus field but besides gave me a opportunity to briefly explore other practical concern spheres such as direction, finance, selling, accounting and jurisprudence. These subjects are extremely relevant in the current economic scenario and it is really interesting to look into how the interplay of assorted forces thrusts planetary growing. What fascinated me most was the fact that many of the theoretical subjects in direction have profound practical public-service corporation and when applied to assorted jobs these guarantee of import procedure and merchandise betterments. In order to carry through my dream of going a high-tech concern adviser, I decided to fall in a postgraduate plan in Management at a reputed university that would supply me with ample chances in footings of growing, personally every bit good as professionally. Harmonizing to McClelland ‘s Theory of Needs motive depends on three demands – Accomplishment, power and association ( McClelland, 1961 & A ; 1975 ) . These 3 factors were instrumental in actuating me to fall in a postgraduate plan and work towards accomplishing my ends.THE BANGOR BUSINESS SCHOOL: A GLOBAL PLATFORMThe following challenge that I faced was to calculate out a university that would run into my criterions and demands and would turn out cardinal to my success in future e nterprises. After a thorough research, I zeroed down on the Bangor Business School at the Bangor University. Harmonizing to Clayton Alderfer ‘s ERG Theory, being, relatedness and growing are the three chief factors that motivate people for fall ining an organisation. My determination of fall ining the Bangor University was based on these three factors as this university provides personal attending to pupils, offers chances that pupils can associate to and nowadayss ample infinite to turn ( Alderfer, 1969 ) . The Bangor concern school provides a overplus of classs in direction with a extremely trained staff and coactions worldwide with the industry supplying first-class future chances. The fact that this concern school has been late rated by the Research Assessment Exercise ( RAE ) as the best in UK for accounting and finance farther strengthened my determination of fall ining this university ( Bangor, Homepage, 2010 ) . In recent yesteryear, the university staff was responsible for transporting out extremely acclaimed consultancy undertakings for authorities and non-government organisations with assorted publications in the prima diaries. The Bangor concern school provides abundant chances for heightening and developing competences in direction. Besides, in order to go a successful adviser I require custodies on experience and cognition of planetary concern, foreign markets and competition with a thorough apprehension of planetary forces and concern schemes. Bangor, through its coaction with foreign companies and universities provides sufficient exposure in the planetary domain, both practically every bit good as technically.Students AT BANGOR BUSINESS SCHOOLAnother factor that attracted me towards the Bangor concern school apart from the module and installations was the pupils. As the college undertakes merely a limited figure of extremely qualified pupils who are selected after stiff competition, quality of pupils is the kernel of this university. The chief advantages offered by this layout include: Fewer figure of pupils enrolled guarantee that an first-class resonance is developed with all the members of the class. This helps in interchanging rich cognition and expertness from assorted subjects such as humanistic disciplines, commercialism, jurisprudence, scientific discipline, concern disposal, selling, etc. amongst different pupils. The familiarity, good will and contacts built during the continuance of the class prove to be really effectual and of import in the long tally when different pupils join different industries at assorted profiles. These pupils have varied positions and backgrounds and sharing this enormously helps in bettering any professional. Therefore, interacting with this creme de la creme was a large motive for fall ining the Bangor University.APPROACHES TOWARDS LEARNINGDetermining an appropriate and contributing attack towards larning is indispensible to the procedure of deriving cognition. Harmonizing to Biggs & A ; Telfer ( 1987 ) , the chief attacks undertaken by pupils comprise of two elements – Motivation and Strategy. Based on this, he identified three chief attacks adopted by pupils. These were the Surface Approach, the Deep Approach and the Achieving Approach. Surface Approach: In the Surface Approach, positive and negative extrinsic motivations play a critical function and pupil ‘s scheme is to try the least to go through a topic. In the procedure he renders himself inefficient of understanding the significance of what he has learned and the interplay of factors because the motivation is superficial and he has no personal involvement in what he is making. Deep Approach: In the Deep Approach, motivation is an intrinsic wonder to larn things and the scheme undertaken by the pupil is one of personal committedness towards larning. In the procedure he comprehends and understands things in the best possible mode, attempts to co-relate things learned with past experiences and accomplishes the chief undertaking of analyzing. Achieving Approach: In the Achieving Approach, the motivation is to accomplish a peculiar end such as high classs and the scheme adopted by the pupil is to make at the most what is required to accomplish his end.MY Approach TOWARDS LEARNINGDuring my full pupil life I have ever strived towards deriving a deep cognition of each topic that I studied. In the competitory universe that a professional faces one time that he comes out of the college, a strong foundation is required if he wishes to boom and turn. Hence, when I joined the Bangor University my chief motive was to construct a strong and deep apprehension of assorted topics, variables and subjects of direction.Influence OF THE BANGOR BUSINESS SCHOOL ON MY APPROACH TOWARDS LEARNINGIn 2001, Biggs described two chief influences that shape a pupil ‘s attack towards larning – Personal factors and Teaching. These are described below: Personal factors such as background, upbringing or personality may hold a positive or negative consequence on the pupil and may motivate him towards developing a Surface Approach or a Deep Approach. Teaching: Conventional learning methods such as everyday scrutinies, clip force per unit area, taging strategies, detainment, etc. lead pupils towards developing a Surface Approach of larning. On the other manus, newer learning methods such as instance surveies, activities, tutorials, job resolution, flexible rating systems, etc. promote pupils towards developing a Deep Approach. At Bangor, the module believes in an synergistic instruction manner where the pupil is free to inquire inquiries and is encouraged to believe out of the box. In fact the techniques employed have molded assorted pupils from being Surface attacks to Deep attacks. This procedure has been accelerated by advancing student-student interactions that result in an exchange of expertness and in bend actuating pupils to travel for an in-depth analysis of assorted jobs and issues. In short, the unique and latest learning methods employed at Bangor have helped direction pupils in developing a strong apprehension of assorted direction related subjects such as Problem Solving and Decision Making, Planning, Delegation, Internal Communications, Meeting Management, Leading, Coordinating and Controlling, Pull offing Self, Managing Stress, etc. ( McNamara, 2010 ) . These methods provide a alone environment where the pupils contribute towards the growing of each other therefore maintaining one and all motivated. Simultaneously, the university achieves the primary end of instruction by heightening the acquisition ambiance of pupils and by increasing the efficiency of the module.UNITY IN DIVERSITYAs discussed earlier, Bangor demonstrates a broad scope of diverseness by uniting different people from different parts with different academic backgrounds as one large group. As a portion of the MBA course of study, many times pupils are required to be grouped harmonizing to ac tivities, instance surveies or undertakings assigned to the category. This brings the subject of working in groups. Harmonizing to Robbins ( 2004, pp:219 ) :â€Å" A Group is defined as two or more persons, interacting and mutualist, who have come together to accomplish peculiar aims † .Working in groups can be either pleasant or hard or at times both. On the brighter side, uniting people with heterogenous backgrounds and experiences ensures best consequences in footings of value add-on to the batch. Students demonstrate a high degree of originative thought, solutions design and job work outing guaranting better end products. The kineticss achieved by this theoretical account guarantees a healthy ambiance within the campus and pupils staying positively competitory.POSITIVE ASPECTS OF WORKING IN GROUPSIn Management classs, pupils are divided into groups to accomplish assorted motivations which in bend help them in deriving a competitory border when they venture out in the indu stry. A individual who works good in a group is in all possibility traveling to be an first-class squad worker when he joins an organisation. Assorted positive results achieved by working in groups are described below: When pupils work in groups they draw on each others knowledge and expertise to accomplish better consequences. This is due to the fact that a multiple sentiment is ever better than a individual sentiment as it shows heterogeneousness and avoids prejudice. Group working achieves best consequences for rating studies such as instance studies, reappraisals and reviews, research undertakings such as those that entail primary and secondary research and little undertakings that involve an statement such as a argument. Students working in groups besides make the best of the available strengths within the group. For e.g. in a written undertaking, one of the members who has an first-class bid on vocabulary can compose the paper whereas other who has an expertness in the linguistic communication can proofread. Working in groups makes pupils responsible as they work coherently to accomplish a common undertaking and in the procedure maintain actuating each other to execute better. While working in groups there is a least possibility for members to stall. Group working ensures that single manners ever come to the head supplying enhanced consequences.Press FACTORS ON GROUP WORKINGGroup working is governed by assorted pressing factors such as efficiency of members, degree of struggle, external conditions, procedures, internal communicating, etc. These factors give rise to assorted issues within the group ( Goodman, 1987 ) . Group work is seldom perfect and one is expected to meet a broad scope of issues and jobs when working in groups. For any direction pupil to be effectual it is really of import that he uses solutions design and advanced schemes for antagonizing these issues. What remains indispensable is the fact that whatever 1 does, he should non ache or pique other group members. Few issues associated with working in groups along with executable solutions will be discussed in the undermentioned paragraphs.Working IN GROUPS: ISSUES & A ; SOLUTIONSI ) DisagreementDisagreement and following a collaborative working manner are the bigg est issues when working in a group. Each person in the group should understand that the basic thought of the course of study behind transfusing a collaborative working manner is the fact that thoughts will be challenged to accomplish better consequences and a struggle is non ever bad ( Schellhardt, 1994 ) . There are opportunities that other members of the group might come up with thoughts that are right or more relevant and can be supported by grounds. In order to stay competitory in such a scenario one should promote dissension to measure the strength of 1s ain thoughts and to research other possible options. A collaborative working manner should be promoted in the group to antagonize dissension. Collaborative manner has assorted paradigms associated with it. These include stating non merely what to make in the group but besides activities required for carry throughing a peculiar undertaking i.e. how to accomplish desired consequences. Collaboration is most fruitful when a certain degree of formality is introduced in the group behaviour such as everyday meetings and advancement sheets and by maintaining the group ‘s involvement before personal 1s. Another step to antagonize dissension is to be ready to compromise. This means that each member of the group should be ready to listen and suit each others sentiment and forfeit or modify his ain theories in the visible radiation of cognition and grounds. Encouraging dissension, as discussed above, is really effectual but what should be understood is the fact that groups that merely differ do non stay functional. Therefore, it is really of import to equilibrate the 2 forces of dissension. As per Robbins ( 2004 ) a working group is non an unorganised crowd but should hold a construction and most significantly a leader or a captain or a go-between. Therefore, a go-between or chair individual can be assigned for each meeting who will listen to all the parties and come up with concluding indifferent recommendations. All groups have specific norms that are established early to guarantee smooth operation ( Hackman, 1992 ) . Discussion regulations such as no personal onslaughts can be decided early in the procedure. Group behavior encourages people to develop a critical attack towards inquiries which proves to be an advantage in existent universe puting where an person is confronted with assorted pressing issues and jobs.II ) DIVISION OF WORKDivision of work Division of work and duties is indispensible to the success of working in groups. Undertakings should be divided in such a manner that all resources are adequately utilised without over burthening any specific person. Th e existent undertaking can be broken down into smaller sub-tasks and each sub-task can be assigned to one individual. Care must be taken to guarantee that sub-tasks should be divided harmonizing to single strengths. For e.g. a individual good at proofreading can be assigned for proofreading and one good at forming should be assigned to forming informations and concluding end product. Furthermore, interpersonal accomplishments are a deciding factor for high public presentation and members should show and larn these from each other to better their competences ( Stevens & A ; Campion, 1994 ) . Therefore, to maximise the use of resources work should be delegated harmonizing to the strengths and expertness of group members.III ) SOCIAL IdlenessCovering with Slackers is another issue in group working. This phenomenon called as Social Loafing ( Comer, 1995 ) refers to the inclination of people to work less when working in groups. Normally persons on a individual undertaking are uniformly g raded hence go forthing a large room for one or more members to go dawdlers. To cover with this state of affairs, regulations should be laid down at the start itself. These can be simple penalties such as if a member does non go to a meeting without any specific ground he would purchase a Burger for everyone in the group to harsh 1s such as non including the name of the individual on the concluding study. Usually group members end up making excess work because they do non take shirkers to undertaking and do non talk their head. On the contrary, such sentiments and issues should be flagged at the earliest in the group.IV ) RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUALAnother chief issue associated with working in groups is keeping regard for persons. The image becomes hard when one or more members in the group see themselves superior and smarter than others. This is a unsafe attitude that may do clash within the group. Besides there is a opportunity where persons may believe that they would hold learnt bet ter if they had worked separately on the subject. Researchs have demonstrated that group working is more efficient in doing better quality and speedy determinations when compared to single working ( Cooke & A ; Kernaghan, 1987 ) . It is besides of import to promote members to discourse their strengths and failings at the first session itself so that they can be best utilised. Sharing of ideas by and large consequences in coherence within a group as people feel nearer to each other. Group members should be encouraged to develop and heighten their ability to LISTEN. Group works best when all members are ready to listen to each other with an unfastened head. Furthermore, in a campus environment where pupils come from different states and civilizations, something which is acceptable in one civilization might non be the same in another ( Axtell, 1991 ) . Therefore, regard for persons, their civilizations and values is indispensable to the success of any group.V ) CommunicationTimely communicating on all undertaking and single related affairs is paramount to the success of any group. Unable to run into at distinct clip or topographic point can take to perturbations in the smooth running of a group. Regular communicating should be maintained in the signifier of regular meetings to be held at a stipulated clip agreed amongst the group members. Here, persons can v oice their findings on assorted subjects every bit good as flag their personal jobs if any. Other options such as electronic mails, telephones, confab suites, couriers, etc. may be used if in instance one-to-one treatments can non be planned at all. One of the members can be assigned to enter proceedingss of the meeting and can go around the meeting notes to everyone. This formalizes the procedure of communicating and makes certain that everyone in the group is on the same platform. Besides it is easier for the members to look back on the notes and see if they are on the mark and have achieved what was decided as per agenda.VI ) TIME MANAGEMENTInefficient clip direction besides causes a batch of jobs if things are non achieved as distinct. Therefore to avoid clip lags the best attack is to hold pre-agreed mileposts for the undertaking that can be converted into Gantt charts. It is a misconception that working in a group takes lesser clip. In fact, working in a group can be really cl ip devouring due to encephalon storming, developing understanding on a subject, collating information, alterations and proofreading, etc. Thus, group work should ne'er be considered as less work in lesser clip. It is besides of import to use meeting clip expeditiously to avoid slowdown subsequently on. To accomplish this, the docket of the following meeting can be decided in the current one itself ; all members should come prepared for the meeting ; go-between can direct a reminder through electronic mail or phone before for the approaching meeting ; go-between or chair individual should be rigorous about the timelines.Decision: MBA & A ; BEYONDTo sum up, prosecuting a Masters grade in Management for me is non merely a tool to accomplish position, richness and wealths but a ladder to understand and research assorted spheres of direction. The chief motive behind trailing this plan is to play with assorted direction patterns in order to understand the interplay of factors and to larn ways of using latest theories of direction to pattern. This will assist me in going an first-class director by steering my accomplishments to plan efficient and advanced concern solutions. Continuous chase for wisdom has made me look up to the cognition that I already had and has farther motivated me to hone my accomplishments. The Bangor Business School has provided me an first-class chance to carry through my dream by fall ining this class and deriving sufficient in footings of proficient accomplishments, interpersonal accomplishments and contacts. This concern school has non merely equipped me with a deep cognition of the class stuff but is determining me to be an effectual scholar and hearer. Assorted direction attacks and rules that I am larning in this class such as working in groups will fit me better to accommodate easy when I join the existent universe of concern. My love for direction patterns will do me take up challenges whole heartedly.APPLICATIONS OF THE CURRENT TOPICThis organic structure of work can be used by pupils to understand the importance and kineticss of working in groups. Furthermore, simple solutions proposed can be easy adopted and implemente d by one and all to maximise end products when working in groups.