Life in the Trenches Essay

World War One, also known as the Great War, was a war that would change all wars. Never in the history of humanity had there been a war fought in such a manor, and it would change the way all wars that followed it were fought. World War I was expected to be a relatively short war, as those in the past had been, and a war of great battles and movement. However WWI was typified by its lack of movement, years of stalemates and â€Å"great battles† that turned out to be massive slaughters where hundreds of thousands of men died for a very small gain in territory. The most important aspect of WWI that made it so unique was its use of a new tactic of digging a series of connecting trenches that carved up the landscape of the Western and Eastern fronts. This use of trenches by both the Allies and the Germans was one of the primary reasons that WWI lasted as long as it did. Life in the trenches was a horrifying experience for any man who served in the Great War. The terrible conditions in the trenches would only be fully known by the public after the war was over in late 1918. The armies of the Allies had strict rules against the public gaining knowledge of the details of the war and used many methods to prevent them knowing the truth. After the Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the German army was forced to retreat. They had failed in their objective to force France into and early surrender and rather than give up the land that they had gained they dug into the ground to secure their position and protect themselves from the Allie fire. Because the Germans were at an advantage of being able to fire at the Allies from below ground level because of this the Allies could not break the German trench line. It was apparent that the Germans would not be removed the Allies followed the German example and dug their own trenches. It was this event that halted movement on both sides and changed the style of warfare forever. Trenches soon stretched across the countryside and spread from the North Sea to Switzerland. Trench life soon became as mentally and physically taxing on soldiers as the actual fighting element of the war. Disease, rats, lice, and boredom became a part of daily life for a soldier in the trenches. After the war was over there were many accounts from soldiers of the appalling conditions and the amount of death that occurred in the trenches. It was estimated that up to  one third of Allied casualties on the Western Front were actually sustained in the trenches . Aside from injuries caused by the enemy, disease accounted for a large amount of that total. Many accounts from soldiers of their time spent in the trenches are dominated by an emphasis on the amount of mud. Living in the trenches soldiers were rarely clean and when they were they did not stay that way for very long. Because of the lack of sanitary conditions in the trenches men suffered from many pests such as rats and frogs as well as more harmful things like lice and diseases like trench foot and shell shock. The rats in the trenches became a problem for the soldiers because there was no way to avoid them or get rid of them. A single pair of rats could produce almost 900 offspring in a year so the infestation continued throughout the war. Rats in the trenches were rumoured to have grown as large as cats on occasion, from eating or stealing scraps and feeding off the corpses of dead soldiers. Because the rats became so fearless the men in the trenches came to loathe them and often spent free time killing them and setting traps . Yet another annoying pest was the lice that continually plagued the men. Soldiers could spend up to an hour a day burning the lice off their bodies and clothes in an attempt to rid themselves of the pests; but the effort was all in vain because they would only be re-infested the next day. Occasionally the men were sent to clean themselves in large baths while their clothes were being put through delousing machines. Unfortunately, this rarely worked; a fair proportion of the eggs remained in the clothes and within two or three hours of the clothes being put on again a man’s body heat had hatched them out. Because of the continuously muddy conditions the men often walked around in mud and water sometimes covering as far up as their knees or waists. During the early part of the war over 20,000 men were treated for a condition that became known as trench foot. This was an infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary conditions. Without being able to remove wet socks or boots the feet would gradually go numb and the skin would turn red or blue. If untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result in  amputation. The only remedy for trench foot was for the soldiers to dry their feet and change their socks several times a day. By the end of 1915 British soldiers in the trenches had to have three pairs of socks with them and were under orders to change their socks at least twice a day. As well as drying their feet, soldiers were told to cover their feet with grease made from whale oil. The Allies needed to make sure that there would be no additional factors that would affect the morale at home; news of the conditions that the soldiers were forced to live in and the continuing stalemates would surely do that. If confidence in the war effort was diminished and the truth about the trenches was known there would be fewer new recruits and the Allies would be challenged to keep up with the Germans numbers. Most soldiers during the war chose to conceal the horrors of the trench warfare not wishing to expose their families to it. But those who wished to confide in family members and try to share with them their experiences were prevented from doing so by new laws that were put into place. The House of Commons passed the Defence of the Realm Act on August 8th 1914 without debate . The Act gave the government executive power to suppress criticism, imprison without trial and commandeer economic resources for the war effort. As a result all letters that the men wrote were read and censored by the junior officers. Although soldiers were encouraged to write letters to friends and family, the contents of the letters were monitored strictly by the junior officers in accordance with the new laws guidelines. Anything that disclosed information about military action would be removed to ensure that the Allies plans could not get to the Germans. The junior officers were also instructed to remove anything from the letters that discussed the conditions of the trenches or insinuated that the soldiers did not have faith in the actions that were being taken by the army. The members of parliament believed that if family members were to receive letters of that nature the morale in Britain would be effected which would affect the war effort all together. Britain and France also had problems deciding what to do about journalists who were reporting the war. Originally under the Defence of the Realm Act Britain put strict limitations on all reporters often preventing their  articles from making it back to Britain from France. After complaints from the USA on how the British government was treating the situation a cabinet meeting was held to change the policy and to allow selected journalists to report the war. The British government appointed five men to be accredited war correspondents in January of 1915. These men were to remain on the Western Front but to be permitted to do so these journalists had to accept government control over what they wrote. As a result of government interference even the disastrous first day of the Battle of the Somme was reported as a victory. Although some defended their actions saying that they were attempting to â€Å"spare the feelings of men and women, who, have sons and husbands fighting in France†; most of the journalists admitted that they were deeply ashamed of what they had written. After the war most of the accredited war correspondents were offered knighthoods by George V. Some agreed to accept the offer but others like Hamilton Fyfe refused seeing the knighthood as a bribe to keep quiet about the inefficiency and corruption he had witnessed during the war. Fyfe would later become a member of the Union of Democratic Control after the war, and would speak out as a strong critic of the Versailles Peace Treaty . There were a few other instances of the British government preventing criticism of the war from being published. In 1916 the Clyde Workers Committee journal, called The Worker, was brought to court under the Defence of the Realm Act for an article that criticized the war. The two editors of the journal were found guilty and sent to prison, one for six months and the other for a year . Critical novels that were written during the war were prevented from being published or banned if they did make it to publication. A.T. Fitzroy’s Despised and Rejected, about conscientious objectors during WWI, was published in April 1918. A thousand copies were sold before the book was banned and the publisher prosecuted under the Defence of the Realm Act. Another novel, What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay, which ridiculed wartime bureaucracy, was prevented from being published near the end of 1918. Instead it was not published until after the Armistice. So although the conditions for the men who fought in the First World War were horrific, the public did not realize the sacrifices that had been made for their freedom on a daily basis. The suppression of the truth by the British government is a controversial topic that is still debated today. Whether or not the British were justified in preventing the public from knowing the truth it was inevitably disclosed after the wars conclusion. The images seen and the conditions endured plagued on many men’s minds after the war was over. The Great War, a war that was to be one of heroic battles and great movement, turned into a war remembered for its lack of movement, its number of casualties and the conditions that had to be endured. World War One changed the way all wars after it were fought, but not for the better.

The Three Basic Economic Questions

The Three Basic Economic Questions 1. What to Produce? what items to produce and how much of each item to produce using its productive inputs in the most efficient manner. 2. How to Produce? One the decision has been made regarding what to produce. each country must choose which resources productive inputs will be used and in what combinations3. For Whom to Produce? Should the productive outputs be distributed based on social customs, personal wealth and ownership, or mandated by the government? mandated government- china no youtube or facebook (social customs- north korea the worst)Basic Economic Systems Traditional Economy One in which economic decisions depend upon social customs and rarely changes from generations to generation. in these societies, religion and culture are more important than personal wealth and material possessions. ( north korea, india marriage) conncected to for whom to produce in traditionMarket Economy One in which economic decisions are based on private own ership, where individuals are free to pursue their own self interest. This system is often referred to as capitalism. individuals use their incomes to purchase goods and services. The more income one earns, the more purchasing power they have.Command Economy One in which all productive inputs are owned by the government and central planners within that government decide what items to produce and how much will be produced; how it will be produced and how output will be distributed based upon anticipated future needs of the economy. ex. China majority AfricaMixed Economy One that combines aspects of a market economy and a command econmy; the economy uses both markets and government to make decisions. Most countires  today fall under the mixed eonomly definition, however in varying degrees between private and public sector influence ex. Sweden, Canada, USA Economic SystemAdvantagesDisadvantagesTraditional Stability Emphasizes on spiritual and cultural aspects of lifePoverty Lack of i ndividual freedomsMarket Individual consumers determine what is produced and ultimately how much they are willing to pay.Encourages innovation and entrepreneurshipInstability in output due to changes in prices and/ or employment levels Private markets do not always consider the needs of society as a whole e.g. homeless shelters. If income is distributed based solely on earnings, some individuals might not earn enough to obtain the basic necessities of life. CommandMore even distribution of incomeCentral planners can focus on economic growth by directing resources in a specific direction.Lack of individual freedomsCentral planning difficulties and errors in judgmentInefficient use of resources due to the lack of profit to motivate the efficient use of resources

Association between departmental stewardship, role stressors and distress among executives

Association between departmental stewardship, role stressors and distress among executives In the past few decades, major evolutions in globalization, technology and social collaboration have transformed the nature of work in all sectors. As work becomes increasingly complex and interdependent, employees are expected to take on many new roles and responsibilities. According to Kahn et al. (1964) it is quite common for employees in complex organizations to experience stress regarding their role, which can lead to negative individual and organizational outcomes. Recently, the field of occupational health has recognized that psychosocial factors inherent in the work environment can have considerable influence on the physical and mental well-being of employees, and studies have begun to model contextual moderators in the process of organizational stress. In this article we introduce organizational stewardship as a contextual factor that may build employee resilience to role demands and protect against adverse symptoms of mental health. Stewardship is defined here as an organizational approach in which communication, collaboration and adaptability between organizational actors and stakeholders is used to generate trust, a shared understanding and a sense of purpose. Using multi-level analysis, this study investigates whether departmental stewardship moderates the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress among public service executives. Role Stress and Mental Health The shift to a more knowledge-based society has resulted in many changes to the design, organization and management of factors within the work environment. As workplaces become more complex and multifaceted, employees are expected to take on multiple roles and responsibilities, and thus, it has become more important than ever to examine the impact of role stressors on employee well-being. Role conflict refers to the occurrence of divergent expectations or when role requirements are incompatible with an employee’s value system, making it difficult to perform their work. Role ambiguity refers to a lack of information or unclear information regarding employee’s roles, such that they are unsure as to what is expected of them. According to Cavanaugh, Boswell, Roehling and Boudreau (2000) role demands are considered hindrance stressors, meaning they are viewed as obstacles to personal growth or demands that can hinder an employee’s ability to achieve work goals. As a result, the presence of these stressors can prompt negative emotions (e.g., anxiety or fear) and a passive or emotional coping method (e.g., withdrawing from the work). Because role demands are perceived as uncontrollable and threatening to one’s work they are unlikely to be met with increased effort, instead employees may emotionally and cognitively withdraw from their work. While the process of organizational stress has been implicated in a wide range of physical health ailments, mental health disorders are considered to be the most common outcomes. Stress-related mental health disorders like anxiety and depression place a heavy financial burden on organizations. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), about 30% of short- and long-term disability claims in Canada are attributed to mental health problems. Moreover, mental health problems and illnesses among Canadian employees cost organizations more than $6 billion in lost productivity (MHCC, n.d). A recent meta-analysis by Schmidt et al., (2014) documented the link between role stressors and depression across a variety of work settings. These authors acknowledged that it is important to examine mental health as a continuous construct since even minor symptoms can lead to impaired health and organizational outcomes. In light of this, psychological distress is an important concept to measure in the context of employee well-being, since it can capture a lower threshold of mental health problems and may be a crucial to reducing illness or disability caused by work stress. Distress refers to â€Å"a set of psychophysiological and behavioral symptoms that are not specific to a given pathology† (e.g., anxious or depressive responses, irritability, trouble sleeping, absenteeism) that can cause impairment in day-to-day functions and one’s ability to carry out normal tasks. From Leadership to Stewardship Worldwide societal and economic changes have challenged organizational scholars to question deeply rooted assumptions about leadership strategies and to re-examine organizational approaches that can more adequately respond to the demands faced by present-day organizations. As a result, scholars have begun to recognize that interdependent and global work can counteract the potential power of leadership, making it challenging for those in positions of authority to have an impact on the work environment regardless of their leadership style or the fit between the leader and situation. Recently, scholars have proposed the notion of stewardship as an organizational approach to guide the collective process in organizations. While leadership has been traditionally examined with a focus on interpersonal exchanges, stewardship can be viewed as a meta-phenomenon, reflected in organizational structures and collaborative processes. In this study, organizational stewardship is positioned as a pote ntial moderator in the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress. Stewardship Historically, stewardship came from the notion of managing or taking care of something that was entrusted to you. This concept is finding renewed resonance in current organizational literature and has been described as an alternative approach to governance models of mandate and force (Block, 1993). Stewardship has also been defined as an organizational approach that emphasizes a sense of purpose through the sharing of power, resources and information across networks to serve the public interest. According to Hubbard and Paquet (2016) stewardship is believed to foster a sense of community through building partnerships and networks, and generate the trust and dialogue necessary to work through complex issues. Furthermore, they argue that stewardship practices connect employees to the larger purpose of their work, fostering their sense of meaning. Based on these conceptualizations, an empirical study by Simpkins and Lemyre (2018) has reframed organizational stewardship as a system featu re through the application of a socio-ecological framework. An Ecological Model of Stewardship Taking a systemic approach inspired by Brofenbrenner’s (1979, 1999) systems theory framework, the Socio-Ecological Model, the social environment is subdivided into various systems and takes into account the cumulative effect of multiple factors of the physical and social environment, as well as situational and personal factors, on employee well-being (Stokols, 1996). Beyond the individual, the microsystem includes close interpersonal relations. Then, the mesosystem is composed of various organizations or services. The most overarching concept in this framework is the macrosystem, which includes the overall patterns of the social context such as economy, laws and political events. While the idea that stewardship can contribute to positive organizational outcomes has been implied, empirical evidence supporting this relationship remains quite limited. A qualitative case study of the Edmonton Public School system by Segal (2012) asked employees to describe organizational processes inherent in the control and reward systems. This study concluded that an organizational culture associated with stewardship theory helped to instil integrity among employees, contributing to organizational efficiency. According to Simpkins Lemyre (2018), the examination of stewardship within a workplace stress framework broadens our understanding of the work environment and has important implications for individuals, organizations and society. This role can be operationalized as an organization level resource contributing to employee well-being examined through the Job-Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. The Job Demands-Resources Model As outlined in the JD-R model, employee health and well-being can result from a balance between psychosocial work factors categorized as either demands or resources. Physical, social or organizational job characteristics that require sustained effort are labeled as job demands. Job characteristics that contribute to meeting organizational objectives, reduce job demands and their accompanying physiological and psychological costs, or that stimulate employee growth and learning are labeled as job resources. Demands and resources are linked to health and well-being outcomes through two underlying psychological processes. An excess in job demands coupled with a lack of resources can deplete an employee’s energy resources in the health impairment process, while job resources can contribute to positive organizational outcomes through the motivational process. Likewise, the JD-R model assumes that job resources can buffer the impact of various demands on stress outcomes. While individual-level resources have been valuable components in the study of stress, Demerouti Bakker (2011) have suggested an expansion of the JD-R model to include multi-level constructs in order to capture the different structural, functional or hierarchical levels of organizational research. Taking a Multi-Level Approach When direct indicators of environmental context are not available, contextual variables can be measured using group averages of individuals’ perceptions, at a cluster level. This is believed to reliably account for non-independence among employees exposed to similar environmental factors, which can influence how they perceive or respond to stress in the workplace. As a result, researchers can more accurately examine how organizational level processes affect individual-level processes and outcomes. Moreover, modeling group-level moderators of stress is particularly important, given its implications for prevention. From a practical perspective, a multi-level approach to stress may result in more effective interventions, as organizations may wish to employ different strategies at each level. Moreover, stress interventions based on group-level moderators can be much easier to implement over individual-based interventions. Thus, identifying contextual factors that can mitigate the stress process, and understanding how they influence this relationship, can contribute to more systemic approach to organizational stress research. Stewardship as a Moderator of Work Stressors As reviewed above, job resources can buffer the negative effects of work demands on perceived job strain through different mechanisms. While stewardship is not anticipated to reduce work demands themselves, the work conditions provided through a context of stewardship may alter employee perceptions and cognitions evoked by work stressors, and moderate the responses that follow. This can potentially reduce the health-damaging consequences of stress. A mission-focused stewardship approach is believed to help employees put their work in a larger context, providing them with a sense of purpose. The alignment between employee demands and the organizational mission may contribute to a sense of coherence among employees, where they perceive their demands as understandable, manageable and meaningful, a strong determinant of successful coping. Moreover, the sharing of information, power and resources can help to develop a common frame of reference, facilitating communication and reducing misunderstandings with regard to work tasks. In this way, stewardship organizations, through the collaboration and the instrumental support of other organizations, may be more resilient to increasingly complex work demands. Thus, a context of stewardship may temper the negative influence of work stressors by repositioning work demands as challenges that can be accomplished collectively, and task completion may seem more achievable in this setting. Stewardship in the Canadian Public Service Canada’s public service is the non-partisan, executive branch of the Canadian government composed of various units, which include departments, agencies, commissions, Crown corporations and other federal organizations. In a typical governmental department there are several levels of leadership at the Executive level (EX position classification). Stewardship as an organizational approach may be especially important in the context of public service work, where many different levels of hierarchy must operate collaboratively and rely on the combined efforts of various departments, agencies, commissions, crown corporations and other federal organizations to deliver quality service to citizens. In summary, there is strong theoretical and empirical basis to consider and formally test organizational stewardship as a potential moderator in the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress among executives. To our knowledge, stewardship has never been tested as a contextual variable using multi-level analysis. This raises the research question: Does a context of stewardship moderate the relationship between role stressors and psychological distress among public service executives? Study Model This study proposes that a context of stewardship reflects the degree to which a department engages in effective collaboration across networks, generating trust, a sense of purpose, and a shared sense of responsibility. We posit that a context of stewardship can help executives manage their perceived role stressors such that when a high degree of stewardship is perceived within one’s department, executives are more likely to experience their work as meaningful, interesting and something to which they wish to devote effort, regardless of stressful demands. In this way, departmental stewardship may help to alleviate the effects of stressors before they become damaging (i.e., psychological distress). Thus, we propose that department-level stewardship moderates the relationship between role stressors (i.e., role conflict and role ambiguity) and distress symptoms. Goal and Objectives The aim in the present study is to investigate the association between departmental stewardship, role stressors and distress among executives. The research goal is to test that there is variance in these relationships that relates to the organizational level above and beyond the idiosyncratic individual perspective. To test the moderation effect, there are two pre-conditions: Condition 1: Executives who report higher role stressors will also report higher distress; and Condition 2 (ecological multi-level effect): Departments with high levels of aggregated stewardship will have a negative relationship with reported distress. Main Hypothesis (Cross-Level Interaction) Moderation effect of the multi-level construct: The relationship between role stressors and distress is moderated by departmental stewardship such that the relationship between role stressors and distress is stronger for departments with low aggregated stewardship, and this relationship is buffered in departments with high aggregated stewardship. Participants and Procedure Data used for this study comes from the pan-Canadian national survey on Work and Health conducted in 2012 in partnership with the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX). This survey represents the fourth cycle of a multi-phase research project examining the health status of executives, from Director (EX-1) to Deputy Minister (EX-5), in the federal Public Service of Canada. A total of 6688 self-administered anonymous questionnaires were distributed via e-mail to senior-management executives in the Canadian federal public service. Over two thousand respondents returned the questionnaires (N=2314), representing a response rate of 35%. After removing missing data and performing data screening for multi-level analysis the final data set included responses from 1996 executives nested within 59 departments/agencies. Departments, on average, had 34 respondents (range, 2 to 177). The sample comprised 51% male and 49% female executives and maintained fully proportional representation of the actual distribution of executives by gender, executive level, region and age. The average age of participants was 50.2 years. The majority of participants had either a post-grad education (52%) or university education (39%). Participants had been working at the executive level for 7.3 years, on average. While just over half (56%) of executives in this sample worked at the EX-1 level, 24% worked at the EX-2 level, and 20% at the EX-3, EX-4 or EX-5 level.

Discussion a solution to the problem of protecting endangered species Essay

Discussion a solution to the problem of protecting endangered species - Essay Example Humans must realize that we are not the only creatures which use the world. Many species of animals are all around us, and sometimes our activities destroy the specialized habitats that these animals need in order to live, produce young, and have enough to eat. In the case of the right whales, conservationists recognized a need to preserve this rare and beautiful animal which was hunted nearly to extinction before being protected. Once protected, human activities were still killing the whales. The shippers did not have to entirely eliminate using the Bay as a port, but changing the routes to avoid the places where the whales spent their time meant that continued human activity would not continue to destroy the endangered species. This example shows that it is possible for conservationists, activists, industry and government to work together toward a common goal. Sometimes activists would like to completely prevent industry from exploiting natural resources, and sometimes industry does not make wise choices and completely destroys the habitats of endangered animals. The result of the small change in the Bay of Fundy was a record number of right whale births in 2009, which is a big step toward rebuilding the population of this endangered species. Small changes lead to big changes when humans pay attention to their

IT corporate governance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IT corporate governance - Research Paper Example As for effects on public organizations, especially until recently, research has been scarce (Colley 2003). The rational for the research paper is to investigate and analyze new trends in information systems application and their impact on information, effects on corporate design, structure and productivity. It is assumed that advances in technology, especially computer, information, and information technology, have presented organizations and managers with dramatic new challenges and opportunities, and researchers have been pressing to develop the theoretical and research grounding needed to understand and manage these developments. It is supposed that information technology allows a corporation greater decentralization of functions thus ensuring effective management and control. Computers, the Internet, electronic mail, and other forms of information and information technology make possible more elaborate and interactive networking of people and organizational units, both within and between organizations (Dine, 2000). Some organizations have moved away from traditional hierarchical and departmental reporting relationships to forms of virtual organization and dynamic network organization, in which a central hub coordinates other units that formally belong to the same organization, as well as organizations formally outside the hub organization (such as contractors or agencies with overlapping responsibility for public agencies), via e-mail and the Internet. Advances in IT reportedly lead to smaller organizations, decentralized organizations, better coordination internally and with external entities (Buck and Sha hrim 2006). Organizations acquire and distribute internally information to carry out the critical functions of decision-making. These activities require the processing of information. There are two perspectives on organizational

Appreciate Differences and Similarities in Texts Essay

Appreciate Differences and Similarities in Texts - Essay Example These articles directly targets rudimentary readers. Level of education of readers and their class These types of readers mostly belong from upper senior, high school level where their main task is to do straightforward analysis. Get the relationships between the documents, do a critical analysis and make general conclusions from this. Students in this level of education get mainly interested in entertaining articles that they can easily put into practice their reading and understanding analytical skills. The two articles in question are admirable examples that high school level students may be materially interested in as they go along with their basic reading abilities that vary from independent, instructional and frustration. Writing techniques used by the writers In the two given articles, just like other written materials, they contain a wide variety of writing techniques that help to appeal t the readers and help convey the intended message with a clear understanding. There is m any writing technique s that writers involve in their works of writing. These writing techniques need to have a deliberate impact to the readers. ... The first article is ironical. It is not logical for humans to complain on the violation of animals rights when involved i8n testing of new medicines, while the medicine that is being tested is for ensuring human survival. In the same article, it is rather ironical that humans complain on animal’s torture in medical tests, while humans do them in order to ensure that the animals too also can survive as animals medicine do exist too. â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.yet it is not only humans who benefit from medical science. Researching on animals has also led to many advances in veterinary medicine practices. Dogs can now be protected against distemper†¦.cats can now be immunized against enteritis and cat flu.† The writer portrays verbal irony in this article as the writer contradicts the human party stand. Different impressions created by the two texts The writers in the two articles give an array of mixed fillings. The writer in the first article gives the reader no clear pe rspective on his article. In addition to giving mixed emotions, they are also widespread all over the article. In the first paragraph, he talks about humans and death and makes no substantial deal out of it. He makes it look like a normal thing and gives it some improvement that life expectancy has improved from the past times. However at a point in the article, he talks tells how humans make use of animals for their own benefits. He questions it to be either a matter of animals right or human ill. At this point, the writer creates an impression that humans are being unfair to animals. The writer portrays this, as an act of selfishness by humans. Before this the writer says,

Prescriptive and Emergent Strategic Planning Essay

Prescriptive and Emergent Strategic Planning - Essay Example The paper throws light on strategic planning process as part of strategic management that has been applied by business managers over the years. The process involves a formal analysis of the market forces and developing an operational plan to be adopted by the organization in terms of resource allocation and the control mechanism. Strategic management will involve formulating the mission, vision, values, roles, responsibilities, goals, and objectives of the organization and developing policies to be implemented to achieve these objectives. Strategic planning is one of the management tools. It involves making principles, decisions, and steps to define what an organization will do and how it will be done in relation to the expected future trends in a given market. Planners often use economic theories to formulate the operational strategies to be adopted by the organizations. Nonetheless, the future may not fit these economic models and the intended patterns according to these strategies may not be realized finally by the organization. The traditional approach to strategic planning did not consider the dynamics in the business operations. In theory, the operations of an organization can be fully planned whereas in practice it is not possible. Essentially a strategic planning process should involve developing a mechanism to respond to the circumstances that will be encountered in a business environment regardless of whether or not the conditions were known to the planners during the planning process. (Management FAQs, n.d). Since the contemporary market is dynamic and the strategic models that are developed based on economic theories may not apply, alternative approaches to strategic planning are often used by organizations. Business organizations operating in the dynamic business environment may often encounter situations that require quick responses that cannot be made through the formal strategic planning processes (The Open University, 2012). An emergent strateg y is a situation where the realized pattern is different from the pattern that was expressly intended by the planners (Mintzberg, 1994). The essence of the emergent strategic planning approaches is to manage the dynamics that is observed. The emergent strategic planning does not originate fully from the minds of the planner. Much of it is determined by the factors that are prevailing at a given time that may not favor the realization of the intended objectives and goals. This paper provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of the traditional prescriptive strategic planning in relation to the current economic climate. Another category of alternative strategic planning approaches are also considered with an emphasis on the emergent strategic planning. Prescriptive strategic planning Strategic planning is one of the tough managerial tasks in business operations since it is at times complex and very challenging. It has been pointed out that planning is ‘a formalized procedure to produce an articulated result in the form of an integrated system of decisions’ (Mintzberg, 1994, p.12). The organizations are faced by a series of decisions to make. The organizations have several needs to be accomplished, and which may not be accomplished at the same time owing to the limited resources that these organizations have. The strategic planning will involve making decisions and actions that are more significant towards helping the organization achieve some if not all of the objectives (Management FAQs, n.d). Planning involves bringing mediation and some kind of compromise/agreement between the business and the environment. It involves forecasting into the future and meditating what should be done long before the situation is realized. The prescriptive thoughts to strategic pla

Research Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research Final Project - Essay Example The sampling technique used in this research is simple sampling. This helps in random collection of samples leading to impartial conclusion as it is easy. On the other hand, the research design used various data techniques such interviews, tape recording and internet sources to determine a number of issues. For instance, the citizens affected by crimes perpetrated by the immigrants and the number of illegal immigrants in the country. Illegal Immigrants and Crime Introduction The problem of illegal immigrants in the US has continued to pose a threat to its citizens in terms of many factors. These include scrambling for scarce resources and engaging in various crimes. For instance, these immigrants engage in murderous activities, robberies, burglaries, and even rape cases. These people who do not have adequate protection of the American law also scramble for the limited hospital services, public schools and the strained local budget. For instance, during the 2007 findings involving the crime rate of the illegal immigrants, it was found that out of 100 cases, 73 illegal immigrants had a chance of repeating a crime. Different reports also say that illegal immigrants who had been previously jailed can easily get back to jail (Pollock, 2011). Hypothesis H1: Illegal immigrants are the main cause of rising crime in most states of America. H2: The law is to wholly blame for the influx of illegal immigrants in America who compete for the limited resources in the US and resort to crime. Core objective The core objective of this research will be to determine if there is a link between rising crimes in most American neighborhoods with the increase of illegal immigrants. Specific Objectives 1. To determine the presence of crimes in different neighborhoods in America. 2. To determine the rate of these crimes. 3. To evaluate the number of illegal immigrants infiltrating into the country. 4. To determine the link between a relaxed police system at the border and the rise of ill egal immigrants who commit crimes. Limitations To accurately measure the rate of crimes among illegal immigrants is a challenging due to their secretive identities. This is because most of these immigrants do not report anything to the police. Another problem is the integrity of the officers at the border system. Some of them illegally smuggle immigrants into the country hence complicating the real number of illegal immigrants. Independent and dependent variables The independent variable in this paper is the rise of illegal immigrants in the US. Alternatively, the dependent variable is the rate of hate crimes among these illegal immigrants in the US. Background and Literature Review Crime experts and sociologists define hate crime as a felony that has a motivation from racial, prejudice or sexual drives and it is associated with acts of violence. These crimes have been mostly perpetrated by illegal immigrants who enter into the country through various borders in Texas, Mexico, Calif ornia and other porous border points (Maxfield, Michael & Earl 2006). These people are known to bully, harass, intimidate and apply other forms of hate crimes that have adverse effects on their victims. These include physical and psychological pains that interfere with the basic rights of the victim. According to Rivera, the existence of illegal immigr

Workplace Stress and Aggression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Workplace Stress and Aggression - Research Paper Example The overall productivity of the businesses may also come down just because of this negative perception about the work place environment in the company (Tom, 2008). The research shows many lethal examples of such violent incidents in different US institutions. At the top of the list, there is an incident of a US Army Major, who was serving as a psychiatrist, killed 13 people at his place in October 2007. Similarly, another horrible incident took place in 2006, when the corps found a dead body of a student at a research building hanging with the wall. The reason behind her death was the violent behavior of the lab assistant (Tom, 2008). In November 2008, an engineer was fired because of the consistent poor performance; he came after a week to his company and shot 11 people in aggression. In another incident in Mississippi in 2003, a plant worker killed six workers and then shot himself too. These are some of the incidents which are highlighted in the research, otherwise the history of US companies is filled with these horrible violent behaviors and therefore increasing the level of aggression and stress in the company employees (Tom, 2008). The increasing rate of work place violence issues need to be addressed soon other it will create a havoc for the rest of the company employees and thus the company management will have to suffer the losses. For this reason, the company management should be aware of the warning signs or the triggering factors which actually provoke these violent behaviors. In this way, company can take precautionary measures to avoid any such hazardous event or incident to take place (Morris, 2005). If a person is not at all comfortable with his or her colleagues at the work place and used to pass negative comments on them then it means that he has an aggressive behavior towards others. His inappropriate remarks towards other are a symbol that he is not comfortable with them. According to these people, they are

Being A Leader Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Being A Leader - Assignment Example The most important aspect of leadership in education, in my opinion, is to make sure that those employees that are supervised are comfortable with the leadership style and area able to work within it. My Approach to Leadership I believe that my approach to leadership comes closest to participatory because I want employees to have a say in the decision making process as well as to have an interest in what we are doing. In primary school as in any other aspect of education, teachers must have a way to express themselves and to make sure that they are doing what is necessary to help students progress in their studies. I enjoy having teams at work that can come together to share knowledge as well as to design activities so that we are all doing similar things in the classroom. Although we have guidelines that we must meet, we can still help students have fun with the curriculum and we can teach in a way that encourages inclusion rather than exclusion. Kahai, Sosik and Avolio (2006) sugge st that participative leaders are able to steer their employees towards positive growth and to strive for solving problems instead of creating more problems. Employees understand that they are part of the solution and feel they do not have to carry out the problem on their own. When employees know that they are supported in their opinions, whether they are positive or negative, they are more open to finding solutions, because they are able to have their opinions heard. Kahai, Sosick and Avolio also state that the organizational climate will be more positive because problem solving methods allow a basis for employees to feel that their â€Å"higher order needs† are met (p. 126) and they will meet the requirements of the task because they feel valued. The Organization’s Values James and Connelly (2009) suggest that an organization’s culture is difficult to describe and to predict. They state that an organization’s culture will consist of a variety of  "beliefs, symbols, values and assumptions† (391) and it will be dependent on what the individual organization believes is important to run the organization. In a primary school, the organizational climate is as good as the principle that sets the stage for what is needed in their school. In the public school where I work, the organizational climate is one of very positive reinforcement from the principal. The principal sets the leadership for the school and our principal encourages staff to come to them with problems and with other ideas for the school. As a leader within that structure, it is up to me to make sure that I keep in mind what the principal wants and to assist the teachers that I work with in my team to do what is required of us as a team. I believe that my school has strong values and that we put the needs of the students first. I see that there are a variety of ethical considerations that many people within the school have that are important to discuss. Many of the initiatives that our school has come from the National Challenge. This challenge states that by this year, 2011, at least 30% of children should be able to â€Å"gain five or more GCSEs A*-C, including both English and mathematics† (Storey, 2011). In order for students to do this, they must have effective leadership in the classroom as well as in the school. The primary school will begin the focus of the national challenge because students must have the skills they need by the time the move to secondary school.

The High Tide †Second Day’s Battle at Gettysburg Essay Example for Free

The High Tide – Second Day’s Battle at Gettysburg Essay The first day at Gettysburg had seen the two great armies – the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, led by newly appointed Major General George Gordon Meade – come together. The fighting had ended with the southern army in control of the town and Seminary Ridge, while the northern army possessed the high ground along Cemetery Ridge, a very formidable position dominated by two large hills – Round Top and Little Round Top on the southern end of the line; it will be around those two hills that the Confederacy’s effort of independence from the United States will reach its high tide; it will break upon, and around those heights and it will ebb and flow there. It will be on the Union left that Longstreet’s Corps will be broken, and it will likewise be there that the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac will see the south’s hopes break and recede and from whence it will gain renewed strength from having been the instrument upon which those hopes are dashed. The night between the beginning of the battle and its fiercest fighting found Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s I Corps hurrying toward the field. It had been delayed during the morning, left waiting as of part of Lieutenant General Richard Ewell’s corps passed by near the town of Greenwood; the I Corps had been moving throughout the day and evening reaching the main army about midnight. On the morning of the second day, Lee, Longstreet, A.P. Hill, Harry Heth, and John Bell Hood sat beneath a tree on Seminary Ridge and discussed plans for the day’s attack.[i] Longstreet had tried to convince his leader that the Army of Northern Virginia should move around the Union forces flank and position itself between Meade and Washington, and he had believed he and Lee had agreed upon this strategy, and he tried to get Lee to follow through on that strategy, â€Å"We could not call the enemy to position better suited to our plans,† he observed. â€Å"All that we have to do is to file around his left and secure good ground between him and his capital.†[ii] After the first day’s fighting, Lee had decided if Meade’s army was still found along Cemetery Ridge in the morning he would attack him and he told Longstreet so, â€Å"If the enemy is there tomorrow, we must attack him.†[iii] Longstreet had disagreed, â€Å"If he is there, it will be because he is anxious that we should attack him – a good reason in my judgment, for not doing so.†[iv] But the bit was between Lee’s teeth now and he would not, and could not, let go of the Army of the Potomac and move around it. There was too much at stake, and his army would never be able to survive for long as a group, and could not afford to spread out now in order to live off the land around them. Meade could wait them out and Lee knew this. This may not be the ground of his choosing, but here was where the enemy had gathered, and it was now here where he would have to fight him. Lee had been observing the enemy’s position and he believed its left flank was in the air and unsecured, but he had no cavalry to confirm this. Major General J.E.B. Stuart had been assigned the mission to screen the Confederate army’s move northward, but had become distracted with the idea of riding around the Union army, and had hence left Lee with no screen and with no reconnaissance capability, and he now had to use the tools he had at hand. To determine if Meade’s flank was indeed unsecured Lee had sent a small reconnaissance party to the right to verify Meade’s position. He had sent Captain Samuel R. Johnston, one of his staff, to scout out the enemy’s flank. Johnston led his party to the top of Little Round Top, and found no one there. He could see, looking through the trees below him, no Union troops. The flank appeared to be unsecured! He returned to the commanding general and confirmed Lee’s suspicion that Meade’s left was exp osed and opened to attack. But the empty flank Johnston had seen was only momentarily so, â€Å"†¦the reconnaissance party had taken a quick look at the enemy lines during the time when the Federals were in the process of shifting troops. In fact, the Union lines did extend south along Cemetery Ridge. Lee therefore had a complete misunderstanding of Meade’s position.†[v] With his suspicions confirmed, Lee was determined to attack, and he turned to his most trusted Lieutenant – to his â€Å"Old War Horse† – Longstreet. But the I Corps commander did not share Lee’s confidence; he too had been studying the Union defenses and he had â€Å"concluded that this line was too strong for an attack to succeed. He urged Lee to turn its south flank and get between the Union army and Washington. This would compel Meade to attack the Army of Northern Virginia in its chosen position.†[vi] Lee would not be swayed however, and ordered Longstreet to prepare for the attack; the attack that if it succeeded could drive the Union army from the field and win the war. But Lee’s battle plan â€Å"rested on two givens – first, that scout Samuel Johnston had spied not a single Yankee soldier from his vantage point on Little Round Top that morning; and second, that therefore General Meade lacked either the troops or the intellect to anchor his left flank properly.†[vii] The Union line had been established as the Army of the Potomac was driven from Gettysburg during the first day’s battle after Meade sent Major General Winfield Scott Hancock forward to take charge of the army on learning of I Corps Commander Major General John F. Reynolds death. Hancock had quickly determined the high ground south of Gettysburg running from Culp’s Hill on the north past Cemetery Hill and down the long stretch of Cemetery Ridge south to the Round Tops – could and should be held. He rallied the units on hand and established the defense, sending word to Meade of his disposition, who swiftly ordered the remainder of the army to converge on Gettysburg, and hurried to the site arriving around midnight. Hancock will be dubbed â€Å"Hancock the Superb,† by northern newspaper writers for his roll in the Union victory.[viii] As Longstreet’s corps made its way south it would soon discover that not only was the Union left soon to be occupied, but that â€Å"Meade finally had most of his 85,000 men present. Lee with approximately 75,000 soldiers, was facing a formidable line that stretched from Culp’s Hill, around Cemetery Hill, southward along Cemetery Ridge, and finally to the Round Tops.†[ix] Lee’s plan of attack called for Longstreets corps to position itself to attack the Union left flank, facing northeast astraddle the Emmitsburg Road, and to roll up the Federal line. The attack was to move en echelon from the right beginning with Hood’s and Major General Lafayette McLaws’s divisions, followed by Major General Richard H. Andersons division of Hills III Corps. The progressive sequence of the attack was supposed to thwart Meade from shifting troops from his center to bolster his left. At the same time, Major Generals Edward Johnsons and Jubal Earlys II Corps divisions were to make a demonstration against Culps and Cemetery Hills (again, to prevent the shifting of Federal troops), and to turn those demonstrations into full-scale attacks if a favorable opportunity presented itself. What Lee’s plan had not taken into account was the possibility of Union generals doing the unexpected, and as Longstreet’s corps moved into position its leaders were surprised to find Major General Daniel Sickles III Corps sitting right in their path well out in front of the entire Union line. It was both an opportunity and problem. An opportunity because in moving forward Sickles had left the Union left truly unsecured, and most especially he had left the Round Tops void of any Union forces; it was a problem because Sickles corps, blocking the expected path of advance would slow down the rebel assault. As Sickles had moved his corps into position on Cemetery Ridge, he looked toward the Confederate lines and decided – on his own that his corps was not in the best location. â€Å"Trees and boulders covered both the ground that he was to occupy and the area to his front seemed slightly higher. From there, Confederate artillery might be able to command his lines.†[x] As the afternoon wore on, and shadows began moving through the woods nearby, Sickles, sensing a crisis was approaching, sent skirmishers into the woods to find out what the Confederates were doing. Twenty minutes later, his men reported enemy movement toward the south. â€Å"Thinking he had to act promptly to prevent the high ground from falling into enemy hands, Sickles moved his corps forward. Back on Cemetery Ridge, Hancock, whose corps was on Sickles’ right, was astounded by the move. One of his division commanders suggested that perhaps Meade had ordered a general advance and that Hancock’s corps missed the order.†[xi] By moving his corps so far ahead of the Cemetery Ridge line Sickles not only forced Longstreet to modify Lee’s battle plan at the last moment, but he also greatly altered the strategic landscape. â€Å"Lee’s prospective battlefield was extended southward some three-quarters of a mile. Hood deployed his four brigades, newly designated as the outflanking division, along Seminary Ridge facing due east, toward Round Top and Little Round Top. The half mile or so of terrain between Hood and the two heights contained what military cartographers euphemistically termed ‘broken ground.’†[xii] As he moved forward, to occupy the high ground, Sickles had placed his III Corps into a salient extending his line to a length far greater than could be adequately defended by the number of men he had in his command, and the shape of his line exposed it to both Confederate fire and attacks from three directions. To make matters worse, â€Å"not only had Sickles disobeyed his orders to occupy Cemetery Ridge, but he had also left Little Round Top undefended.†[xiii] Reporting to Meade’s headquarters for a meeting of corps commanders as he was dismounting, heavy artillery fire could be heard in the direction of his corps on the Union left. Sickles quickly remounted and rode swiftly back to his men. Just as quickly, Meade mounted his horse, and he and his chief of engineers, Major General Gouverneur K. Warren rode to ascertain the situation on the III Corps’ front. When they reached Cemetery Ridge, Warren said, â€Å"‘Here is where our line should be.’ Hearing the Confederate cannon fire to the front, Meade replied, ‘It is too late now,’ and rode in the direction of the fire. Warren, wanting to get a better view of the terrain, rode to the crest of Little Round Top.†[xiv] While the fire was spreading and intensifying, Warren and his aides raced up the rocky slopes of Little Round Top, and once there were stunned to find there were no Federal soldiers, except for a handful of signal-men on the heights, and it was further apparent, â€Å"from what the signal-men had seen and from Warren’s own observations, that Confederate attackers were less than a mile away and moving toward the heights even as they watched. That discovery, Warren later wrote, ‘was intensely thrilling to my feelings and almost appalling.’ Earlier in the day he had written his wife, ‘we are now all in line of battle before the enemy in a position where we cannot be beaten but fear being turned.’ Now that fear was upon him. To General Warren it was instantly clear that if Rebel infantry and artillery seized Little Round Top, they would utterly dominate the Potomac army’s position on Cemetery Ridge.†[xv] Understanding what would happen if someone didn’t occupy the heights and do so quickly, Warren sent one of his aides to Meade calling for troops to meet the emergency. He also dispatched another aide, Lieutenant Ranald Mackenzie, to Sickles and to have him order one of his brigades to the crest. By the time Mackenzie found Sickles, his corps was already heavily engaged and the General was beginning to realize the scope of his recklessness, and told Mackenzie he could not spare any of his men. Mackenzie rode back to Cemetery Ridge in search of other troops, and soon found Major General George Sykes, moving forward with his V Corps. â€Å"Without hesitation, without clearing the matter with headquarters, Sykes sent a courier to the commander of his lead division, James Barnes, with orders to answer Warren’s call. â€Å"Sykes’s courier, in his search for Barnes, encountered Colonel Strong Vincent, commanding the V Corps’ lead brigade. ‘Captain, what are your orders?’ Vincent demanded of the courier. He needed to find General Barnes, said the courier. ‘What are your orders?’ Vincent repeated. ‘Give me your orders.’ The captain answered, ‘General Sykes told me to direct General Barnes to send one of his brigades to occupy that hill yonder,’ pointing to Little Round Top. ‘I will take the responsibility of taking my brigade there,’ said Vincent. As the corps’ lead brigade, Vincent’s was the logical choice for this task, but in sensing the crisis and bypassing the chain of command, Strong Vincent, too rose to the occasion. His variegated brigade – Twentieth Maine, Eighty-third Pennsylvania, Forty-fourth New York, Sixteenth Michigan – was soon scrambling up the rocky face of Little Round Top.à ¢â‚¬ [xvi] Warren did not sit idly by while his aides were looking for troops; Warren also moved off searching for men to place on the exposed left. Noticing infantry moving up, he moved to the unit discovering it was none other than a regiment from the brigade he had earlier commanded. â€Å"As he started to explain the army’s plight to the regimental commander, Warren saw his younger brother, Edgar, approaching. Edgar Warren was an aide to Brigadier General Stephen H. Wood, commander of a brigade in the V Corps. The army’s chief engineer received promises that the entire brigade would send help. Next, Warren directed an artillery battery and the brigade’s lead regiment to move to the top of the hill. He then rode to see the V Corps commander and secure additional reinforcements. The ensuing fight for Little Round Top was a close contest. Federals ran up one side of the hill as Confederates ran up the other. The fight ended with the Army of the Potomac holding the positio n. Warren had taken action in time.†[xvii] Longstreet had repeatedly argued to have the army move around Meade’s flank, but he had been overridden by Lee. He was not happy about the planned attack, but he was a career soldier and he would obey orders. But after being rebuffed, he was determined to follow the letter of Lee’s instructions and it made him extremely inflexible. His division commander on the far right, Hood, recommended that the right wing of the attack should be extended around the Round Tops and into flanks of the Union army. â€Å"Longstreet replied that Lee’s orders were to attack up the Emmitsburg Road, and that everyone would obey the orders of the commanding general. Nevertheless, Hood extended his lines to the right to include Little Round Top, and his near success against Warren on that hill was proof that the Federal line of battle was vulnerable.†[xviii] Longstreet’s artillery fired a cannonade for more than an hour, and then his divisions charged forward, slamming into Sickles’s front and flanks. Sickles’s decision to move forward was a bad one, but his men fought bravely and made the Confederate I Corps pay dearly for each yard it advanced, and Sickles defended it well. â€Å"†¦the fight for the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield lasted almost four hours. Before being seriously wounded, Sickles skillfully plugged the holes in his lines almost as quickly as they developed.†[xix] As the I Corps continued its assault on the Union left it began to flow up and around the Round Tops, as it moved to the left and right enveloping Sickles’s Corps it began the long hard fight into and through the forbidding Devil’s Den. This area of the Union line was being defended by the One Hundred Twenty-fourth New York Infantry known as the â€Å"Orange Blossoms†. The fighting soon became some of the hardest of the war, and presently became desperate. â€Å"Some of the Texans later claimed that the muzzle flash of their rifles had singed the New Yorker’s uniforms. At the start of the fight, the regiment’s Colonel A. Van Horne Ellis and Major James Cromwell had been on foot. It was safer that way.† As the fight worsened, â€Å"Ellis had their horses brought forward, and he and Cromwell mounted up. To a captain who remonstrated at what good targets the colonel and major would make on horseback, Ellis replied, ‘The men must see us to day.’†[xx] The fighting became hotter, and as moment of immediate â€Å"crisis seemed to approach, Ellis gave the signal. He and Cromwell led their men down the slope in a counterattack. For a few moments all was glorious victory for the Orange Blossoms as the First Texas broke and fled before them. Then, near the foot of the slope, the Texans turned and blasted a volley into the faces of their pursuers. Cromwell, a magnificent figure on his iron-gray horse, crumpled to the ground. The Orange Blossoms surged forward to recover his body, and the rocky hillside became a fiery cauldron of battle. One participant recalled that all was ‘roaring cannon, crashing rifles, screeching shots, bursting shells, hissing bullets, cheers, shouts, shrieks and groans.’†[xxi] The Texas line receded and it looked as though the Orange Blossoms may have won a startling victory, but suddenly, â€Å"†¦emerging from the thick smoke and passing through the Texas’ line, strode a solid gray-glad line of battle, fresh and unbloodied, two ranks deep, shoulder-to-shoulder and stretching out of sight in the battle smoke in either direction. Brigadier General Henry Benning’s Georgia brigade had moved up from its reserve position and was going into action to renew the momentum of the Confederate assault. The Georgia line swept the scattered Orange Blossoms before it like the first chill blast of a violent spring storm. Colonel Ellis fell dead with a bullet in his brain, and the survivors of the 124th, now scarcely one hundred strong, fell back to the crest of Houck Ridge, struggling to delay the Confederate advance.†[xxii] As the Confederate assault began to flow over the top of the ridge it soon collided with the Fourth Maine Regiment. Its commander, Colonel Elijah Walker, realized very quickly that the Rebels would soon be able to turn his flank and continue to plunge through the Union line. â€Å"Walker responded with the sublime audacity that seemed almost commonplace on both sides this afternoon. He ordered his regiment to wheel to the right, fix bayonets, and charge. ‘I shall never forget the â€Å"click† that was made by the fixing of bayonets,’ the colonel wrote years later. ‘It was as one.’ â€Å"The Fourth Maine surged to the top of the ridge, but there it, too, met the onrushing wave of Benning’s Georgia brigade. The fighting became hand-to-hand on the ridge top and in Devil’s Den. The Maine men were soon joined by reinforcements of their own, one regiment from the other end of Ward’s line and another from de Trobriand. The oversized Fortieth New York took up the position the Fourth Maine had just left, covering the Slaughter Pen and Plum Rum gorge. The Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania, led by Major John W. Moore with the shout of ‘Pennsylvania and our homes!’ charged into Devil’s Den alongside the Fourth Maine and drove the Georgians and Alabamians out of the boulders and off the ridge. Meanwhile, the Fortieth New York charged the Confederates who were trying to press through the gorge and drove them back but could not dislodge them. One Confederate counted seven separate charges by the Fortieth. The two sides blazed away at each ot her there until the Slaughter Pen was more thickly strewn with bodies than with boulder.†[xxiii] Sickles’s salient had caused Hood’s division to move to the right of the assault, and it began to flow over and about the Round Tops, and the two right-hand regiments, the Fifteenth and Forty-seventh Alabama, under the Fifteenth’s Colonel William C. Oates, climbed up – and over the steep, heavily wooded slopes of Round Top, and then plunged down into the saddle separating it from Little Round Top to its north. â€Å"Oates’s instructions were to locate ‘the left of the Union line, to turn it and do all the damage I could†¦.’†[xxiv]

Political philosophy Essay Example for Free

Political philosophy Essay KNOWLEDGE IS FORMED AND ACQUIRED IN THE COURSE OF OUR LIFE THOUGH COGNITION AND IT IS NOT INBORN AND DEVELOPS FROM OUR OWN IGNORANCE. JOHN LOCKE COMPARED IT WITH TABULA RASA OR SOME SORT OF A BLANK SHEET UPON WHICH NOTHING IS WRITTEN. THESE ARE DATA OR IMAGES OF THE OBJECT WHICH STIMULATED OUR SENSE-ORGANS-SIGHT, HEARING, TOUCH, TASTE AND SMELL ARE, IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING, RAW-MATERIALS WHICH OUR BRAIN FORMS, THROUGH ABSTRACTION, INTO CONCEPTS OR IDEAS, AND WHICH WE EXPRESS IN SIGNS OR LANGUAGE. THERE ARE TWO OBSTACLES TO COGNITION THE BIASES WHICH BECLOUD THE HUMAN MIND AS â€Å"IDOLS† AND THE ERRORS IN REASONING WHICH ARE THE SO CALLED FALLACIES. REASONING IS A MEANS FOR ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE BUT IF IT IS FALLACIOUS IT CANNOT YIELD BUT DECEPTION. MOREOVER THERE ARE THREE THEORIES OF KNOWLEDGE NAMELY; EMPIRICISM, RATIONALISM AND INTUITIONISM. IN EMPIRICISM, KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM EXPERIENCE AND EXPERIENCE IS A SENSE OF PERCEPTION WHICH MAY BE UNDERSTOOD AS DIRECT OBSERVATION BY THE SENSES OR INDIRECT BY USING INSTRUMENT OR BY EXPERIMENTATION. EMPIRICISM TEACHES THAT WHAT WE SEE, HEAR, TOUCH, OR SMELL, IS ALL THAT WE CAN KNOW. OUTSTANDING EXPONENTS OF EMPIRICISM WERE JOHN LOCKE, GEORGE BERKELEY, DAVID HUME AND THE SO-CALLED LINGUISTIC PHILOSOPHERS. RATIONALISM MAINTAINS THAT REASON IS THE SOURCE AND TEST OF KNOWLEDGE AND NOT SENSE-PERCEPTION. KNOWLEDGE CONSISTS OF CONCEPTS WHICH GENERALIZE ABOUT THE NATURE OF REALITY SO THAT IT HAS A UNIVERSAL AND PERMANENT CHARACTER. IT IS THE REASON OR THE INTELLECT WHICH â€Å"MANUFACTURES† THE DATA INTO CONCEPTS, JUDGMENTS AND LAWS, AND THAT IS HOW OUR KNOWLEDGE IS FORMED. WHAT WE KNOW IS â€Å"WHAT WE HAVE THOUGHT OUT†, OR WHAT REASON HAS â€Å"ABSTRACTED† FROM THE DATA OF SENSE PERCEPTION. THE KNOWN DEFENDERS ARE PARMENIDES, PLATO OF ANCIENT GREECE, DESCARTES AND HEGEL OF THE MODERN WORLD. THE THIRD THEORY WHICH IS INTUITIONISM CLAIMS THAT THE SENSES CAN ONLY MIRROR THE APPEARANCE OF THINGS HENCE WHAT WE CALL SENSE-DATA, CANNOT TELL US WHAT THINGS ARE IN THEMSELVES. BUT THROUGH INTUITION, WE CAN HAVE â€Å"A FEEL† OF WHAT LIES BEYOND THE PHENOMENA CAPTURED BY OUR SENSES AND TRANSFORMED BY REASON INTO CONCEPTUAL SYMBOLS. INTUITION â€Å"INTUERE† (TO LOOK INTO) IS A DIRECT APPREHENSION OF KNOWLEDGE WHICH IS NOT THE RESULT OF CONSCIOUS REASONING OR IMMEDIATE PERCEPTION. ADD THE FACTS THAT THERE ARE TWO METHODS OF INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY, FIRST IS THE INTUITION THAT GRASPS THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF REALITY AND â€Å"TIME† AND THE SECOND IS ANALYSIS WHICH IS THE STABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY, BUT OFFERS ONLY â€Å"A PHOTOGRAPH† OR â€Å"A SNAPSHOT† OF WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A DYNAMIC, ACTIVE WORLD THE ONLY WAY TO BRIDGE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE â€Å"OBJECT KNOWN† AND â€Å"THE KNOWER†, WE MUST USE â€Å"INTELLECTUAL SYMPATHY† THAT EXPERIENCES BEING AS A WHOLE, AS â€Å"A DYNAMIC CONTINUUM†. LASTLY, THERE ARE DIFFERENT NOTIONS OF TRUTH NAMELY THE CORRESPONDENCE THEORY, COHERENCE THEORY, PRAGMATIC THEORY AND THE MARXIST THEORY. EDUCATION: THE WORD EDUCATION COMES FROM THE LATIN VERB â€Å"EDUCERE† (TO LEAD) OR FROM â€Å"EDUCARE† (DRAW OUT). EDUCATION IS THE ART OF LEADING OR GUIDING A PERSON TO SOCIAL CULTURE SO THAT BY EXPOSING HIM TO ITS COMPLEXITIES AND HE MAY ACTUALIZE HIS Introduction to Philosophy POTENTIALITIES. EVERY PERSON, REGARDLESS OF RACE, GENDER OR CLASS HAS A DORMANT POWER WHICH IF DRAWN OUT OR DEVELOPED COULD EQUIP THE INDIVIDUAL TO FILL A VARIETY OF ROLES IN SOCIETY. EDUCATION AND TRAINING IS OF DIFFERENT MEANING. EDUCATION HAS TO DO WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE PERSONALITY WHILE TRAINING DEALS WITH THE GAINING AND ACHIEVING OF SKILLS. THERE ARE AIMS OF EDUCATION; FIRST IS TO PREPARE. THE YOUNG FOR â€Å"CITIZENSHIP†-THE SUBTLE MEANS OF PROVIDING THE STATE IN ALONG RUN WITH FUTURE LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS WHO WOULD PUT INTEREST OF THE STATE AND NATION ABOVE SELF. SECOND AIM IS TO DEVELOP THE INDIVIDUAL â€Å"AS A MAN†- ENABLE THE INDIVIDUAL TO REALIZE HIS POTENTIAL POWERS AS A HUMAN BEING SO HE COULD BE FREE IN OUTLINING HIS OWN DESTINY. THIRD, IT SHOULD AIM TO PRESERVE THE PREVAILING SOCIAL SYSTEM BY WAY OF TRANSMITTING THE IDEAS, THE BELIEFS, THE VALUES AND THE PRACTICES OF SOCIETY. FOURTH, IT AIMS TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION AND IT MUST FOSTER  A NEW CONSCIOUSNESS THAT IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE PEOPLES DREAM AND STRUGGLE FOR A MORE JUST, HUMAINE AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. FIFTH, IT SHOULD PREPARE US FOR ETERNAL LIFE IN A PARADISE TO COME AND LASTLY IT SHOULD AIM TO COMPREHENSIVELY PREPARE US TO BE A â€Å"WORKER† OR TO BE â€Å"A CITIZEN AND TO BE â€Å"A PERSON. †EDUCATION HAS AN IDEOLOGICAL CHARACTER. TO LITTLE, INDEED, DOES THE SCHOOL GOING TO PUBLIC SUSPECT THAT EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION CAN BE MANIPULATED BY VESTED GROUPS FOR THEIR OWN POLITICAL INTERESTS. TO SOME PEOPLE WHOSE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FORTUNES ARE ENTRENCHED THAT EDUCATION IS USED TO PROMOTE SOCIAL CONFORMITY AND AGREEMENT. TO OTHERS WHO HAVE NOTHING BUT THEIR STATE OF DEPRIVATION AND UNCERTAINTIES, EDUCATION CAN EMPOWER THEM TO STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL CHARGE. POLITICS: POLITICS IS A STRATEGY TO MAINTAIN ORDER AND COOPERATION AMONG PEOPLE OR INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERING NEEDS AND IDEALS IN LIFE, OR FOR REVOLVING CONFLICT WITHIN THE GROUP WHETHER THIS BE A FAMILY, A TRIBE, A VILLAGE OR A NATION-STATE. IT MAY BE UNDERSTOOD AS A CONTROL OVER THE SITUATION SO THAT DIFFERENCES ARE RESOLVED AND PREVENTED. THERE ARE TWO MAIN APPROACHES TO POLITICS NAMELY; POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE. POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY HAS A SPECULATIVE AND NORMATIVE CHARACTER BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS POLITICS â€Å"OUGHT TO BE† OR WHAT IT SHOULD BE WHILE POLITICAL SCIENCE IS EMPIRICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE IN NATURE BECAUSE ITS MAIN CONCERN IS THE ANALYSIS AND DEFINITION OF THE STATE AND ITS INSTRUMENTALITIES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR FUNCTIONS. POLITICS IS THE SCIENCE AND ART OF GOVERNING SOCIETY IN THE PURSUIT OF COMMON GOOD THEN ITS CONCRETIZATION IS THE GOVERNMENT WHOSE AIM IS THE PEOPLE AND THE SECURITY AND WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE. FORTHETHREEGREATPHILOSOPHERSNAMELY;CONFUCIUS,PLATOANDNICCOLO. MACHIAVELLI TO BE GOOD RESPONSIBLE POLITICAL LEADERS OF STATE THERE ARE VERY ESSENTIAL QUALITIES TO BE CONSIDERED. FOR CONFUCIUS, POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IS NOT FOR THE COMFORT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE RULERS, NOR ARE THEY SIMPLY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER, BUT FOR â€Å"THE HAPPINESS AND ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE PEOPLE†. HE ALSO PRESCRIBED THAT THOSE WHO ASPIRE TO LEAD THE PEOPLE MUST POSSESS THE VIRTUES OF HUMAN-HEARTEDNESS, RRIGHTEOUSNESS, PPROPRIETY AND Introduction to Philosophy WISDOM. FOR PLATO, A PERSON’S LIFE IS ORDERLY OR â€Å"JUST† WHEN HIS REASON CONTROLS THE EMOTION AND TEMPERS THE APPETITES. THE THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE SHOULD POSSESS THREE ELEMENTS IN MAN. A RULER SHOULD EMBRACE REASON, THE SOLDIERS OR WARRIORS SHOULD DEAL WITH THEIR EMOTION AND THE ARTISANS OR ORDINARY PEOPLE SHOULD CONTROL THEIR APPETITES. ALL CITIZENS MUST UNDERGO RIGID PHYSICAL, INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL TRAINING. PLATO’S PHILOSOPHY ON EDUCATION WAS ONE OF SO CALLED SELECTION ELIMINATION. NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI WROTE A BOOK ENTITLED, â€Å"THE PRINCE â€Å"POLITICS, AS AN EXERCISE OF POWER, SHOULD BE DIVORCED FROM MORALITY AND RELIGION. POLITICS HAS NO MORALITY; IT IS A NAKED POWER OF â€Å"EXPEDIENCY†. OR HIM AN EFFECTIVE LEADER IS BOTH. A FOX AND A LION, BOTH A MAN AND A BEAST AND BOTH GREAT PRETENDER OR GREAT DISSEMBLER. B. Analysis (Critique) KNOWLEDGE: THESEARCHFORKNOWLEDGEISANEVER-ENDINGADVENTURE LIKEWE’VESEENIN MOVIES AND PLAYS. THE WHOLE OF REALITY IS TOO VAST THAT WE CAN KNOW ONLY TOO LITTLE OF IT IN OUR SHORT LIFE-TIME; HENCE, IT WOULD BE THE HEIGHT OF INNOCENCE TO NARROW OUR PRESENT KNOWLEDGE, UNLESS WE CHOOSE TO CLOSE OUR MIND TO OTHER POSSIBILITIES. OUR KNOWLEDGE IS A PRODUCT OF ALL OUR ABILITIES, SENSATION, REASON AND INTUITION. AND O AGREE WITH THE SAYING THAT â€Å"KNOWLEDGE IS POWER†, A POWER TO RECREATE THE WORLD, A POWER TO CONSTRUCT A BETTER SOCIETY WHERE ALL MEN AND WOMEN COULD LIVE WITH DIGNITY, FREEDOM AND PEACE. I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE TO KNOW SINCE IT IS DYNAMIC AND TOO ENORMOUS. WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE GUTS, THE PASSION AND THE LOVE TO LEARN AND TO CONTINUE SEARCHING AND BUILDING ON THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE. NO DOUBT, KNOWLEDGE ADDS COLOR AND RELATIVE CHARACTER TO MAKE OUR LIFE WORTH LIVING AND SPENDING. OUR KNOWLEDGE SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED NOR DISTORTED BY OUR OWN COGNITION. WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND TO ALWAYS USE REASONING SINCE IT IS ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE NOT JUST BASING IT TO WHAT WE PERCEIVE. YES, WE CAN CONSTRUCT KNOWLEDGE BY OUR SENSES TO EVERY SITUATION WE’RE EXPERIENCING YET WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE RATIONAL. KNOW THE REASON TO EVERY DETAIL NOT TO JUSTIFY THINGS BUT RATHER TO BE REASONABLE IN JUDGING AND JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS. KNOWLEDGE IS A STUFF OF REALITY; IT IS A WAY OF TRUTH AND NOT A WAY OF SEEMING OR GIVING OPINION. ALSO THE ONLY THING WE SHOULD NOT DOUBT IS THAT WE ALWAYS IN PARTICULAR SITUATION DOUBT. DON’T BE AFRAID TO DOUBT OR TO QUESTION THINGS BECAUSE IT IS A WAY OF ACQUIRING AND GAINING ALL WE NEED TO KNOW. ON THE OTHER HAND WE COULD STILL OBTAIN KNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS NOT THE SENSES, NOR REASON CAN PROVIDE ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY BUT THE SO CALLED INTUITION. KNOWLEDGE IS AN INTERCONNECTED CHAIN WHEREIN THERE IS AN AGREEMENT WITH ONE SET OF KNOWLEDGE WITH ANOTHER SET OF IT. IT IS A CYCLE WITH NO BEGINNING AND ENDING. THE MORE WE BECOME CURIOUS THE MORE WE QUESTION AND THE MORE WE SEEK FOR THE ANSWER. WE ALWAYS HAVE THE PRIVILEGED TO OPEN OUR CLOSE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AND WE ARE FREE TO EXPLORE ITS LIMITATION AND BOUNDARY. WE ALWAYS HAVE THE KEY TO KNOW THE SECRETS OF THE REAL MEANING AND Introduction to Philosophy VALUE OF LIFE. WE SHOULD NOT STOP TRAVELLING THE BEAUTIFUL AND COLOURFUL JOURNEY OF OUR EXISTENCE AND DON’T STOP TO STRIVE AND TO GAIN THE PERFECT AND UNDYING KNOWLEDGE. EDUCATION: SINCE WE ARE SEARCHING FOR KNOWLEDGE, HAVING AN EDUCATION IS OF GREAT HELP. IT IS A VITAL INSTRUMENT TO EXPLORE OUR LIMITATION AND TO GO BEYOND THE HORIZON. HAVING AN EDUCATION IS LIKE SEEING A RAINBOW AFTER A RAIN SHOWER; IT ADDS COLOR AND MEANING AFTER THE SUDDEN DARKNESS. WE SHOULD NOT JUST BE TRAINED, WE MUST BE EDUCATED. BEING EDUCATION FOR ME IS OPENING THE WINDOWS OF OUR MIND AND SOUL. WE SHOULD PUT EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND, TO COMPREHEND, AND TO BE SENSITIVE TO IDEAS, ASPIRATIONS AND INTEREST TO WHICH WE MIGHT OTHERWISE BE INDIFFERENT TO EACH OTHER. WE SHOULD NOT JUST BE CONTENTED JUST TO BE TRAINED BECAUSE IT SIMPLY MEANS WE JUST WANT TO IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING WITHOUT DEEPENED UNDERSTANDING, WIDENED SYMPATHY OR HEIGHTENED ASPIRATIONS FOR IT. THERE SHOULD BE A COMMON AGREEMENT ON WHAT IS EDUCATION SHOULD AIM AND DEFINE THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION WITH NO BIAS AND FAIR CHANCES TO PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT SOCIAL POSITIONS AND SHOULD NOT BE IN HARMONY WITH THEIR FUNDAMENTAL INTERESTS. IT WOULD BE AN ILLUSION TO EXPECT THE PREVAILING EDUCATION TO BE TRULY TRANSFORMATIVE AND LIBERATING BECAUSE OF TODAY’S INEQUALITY ESPECIALLY IN SOCIAL STATUS ASPECTS THUS THERE IS A NEED TO RE-INVENT EDUCATION SO THAT IT WILL FOSTER A NEW AWARENESS AND PERSPECTIVE THAT IS SUPPORTIVE AND REFLECTIVE TO OUR ASPIRATIONS AND STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION. POLITICS: EDUCATION HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES IS AFFECTED BY MANY FACTORS SUCH AS THE KIND OF POLITICS WE HAVE. I DO BELIEVE THAT POLITICS SHOULD FUNCTION AND AIMS TO GO AFTER THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE AND NOTHING ELSE BUT THE SECURITY AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE. POLITICS IS BOTH A FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS POWER YET WHEN USED IN A WRONG WAY OR BECOME A PURSUIT AND CHASE OF PERSONAL INTERESTS COULD BE ABUSED. POLITICS IS NOT JUST A SYSTEM ITSELF BUT A SYSTEM OF IDEAS WITH MISSION AND FUNCTIONS. IN SPITE OF THE CURRENT SITUATION IN OUR COUNTRY WE COULD STILL PURSUE A FAIR, JUST, HONEST AND RESPONSIBLE POLITICAL SYSTEM. WE COULD STILL MAKE A CHANGE. ASIDE FROM BEING A GOOD AND RELIABLE FOLLOWER WE COULD CHOOSE AND ELECT GOOD AND RIGHT POLITICAL LEADERS ESPECIALLY WITH OUR DEMOCRATIC TYPE OF SYSTEM. WE NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO DESIGNATE THE FIT AND APPROPRIATE RULER WITH THEIR BEST QUALITY AND CHARACTER. WE SHOULD CAREFULLY ANALYSE AND EVALUATE A POLITICAL RULER WHO HAS THE INTEREST IN SERVING THE PEOPLE WITH SINCERITY AND SHOULD NOT JUST MAINTAIN HIMSELF OR HERSELF IN POWER. C. Contextualization KNOWLEDGE: Introduction to Philosophy FILIPINO IS A KNOWLEDGE SEEKER AND SO EXPLORATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO NOURISH AND DEVELOP THEIR LEARNING AND ABILITIES. WE HAVE SO MANY PROUD KABABAYAN WHO ARE SO PASSIONATE AND DETERMINE IN ACQUIRING SUCH KNOWLEDGE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. SOME OF US EVEN TRY TO GO TO OTHER COUNTRY FOR THEIR SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE. WE ARE NOT CONTENTED WITH JUST HAVING A KNOWLEDGE THAT IS ALREADY IN FRONT OF US. WE USUALLY GET OUT OF THE BOX AND GO BEYOND THE HORIZON. AND BECAUSE OF THIS PERSEVERANCE, MANY FILIPINOS FROM DIFFERENT FIELD BECOME SUCCESSFUL AND FAMOUS. MANY JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES BECOME OPEN TO FILIPINOS BECAUSE OF THEIR ABILITY AND PASSION TO LEARN. EDUCATION: PUBERTY BECOMES A BARRIER TO ATTAIN THE GOAL OF HAVING A BETTER EDUCATION. NOWADAYS, AS YOU LOOK WITH THE STATUS OF OUR COUNTRY, PHILIPPINES I MUST SAY THAT WE OUR STRUGGLING ESPECIALLY THE UNFORTUNATE INDIVIDUAL TO GET SUCH APPROPRIATE AND GOOD QUALITY OF EDUCATION. IN OUR COUNTRY; LIVING STATUS AFFECTS A LOT IN MAINTAINING A GOOD QUALITY OF EDUCATION. THERE ARE SO MANY FAMILIES WHO BATTLE FOR FINANCING THE OTHER EXPENSES OF THEIR CHILD LIKE PROJECT AND DAILY TRANSPORTATION AND FOOD ALLOWANCE. FOR AN UNDERPRIVILEGED FAMILY WITH INCOME THAT IS NOT ENOUGH WITH THEIR DAILY CONSUMPTION, HAVING A BUDGET FOR EDUCATION COULD BE A LEAST PRIORITY. MANY OF THE YOUTH TODAY EVEN THEY WANT TO CONTINUE THEIR COLLEGE JUST COULD NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO WORK TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDE FINANCIALLY FOR THEIR FAMILY. ALSO IT IS COMMON, IN SOME FAR BARRIOS MANY FILIPINO CHILDREN BEFORE THEY COULD REACH THE NEAREST SCHOOL FROM THEIR HOUSE THEY NEED TO STRUGGLE AND WALK ON RIVERS AND EVEN SOME SLOPPY MOUNTAIN BEFORE THEY CAN GET THERE. IN SPITE THEIR DEDICATION TO BE EDUCATED, SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND GOOD LEARNING FACILITIES AND MATERIALS IS NOT ENOUGH TP ACCOMMODATES LARGE POPULATION IN OUR COUNTRY. ALSO CORRUPTION IS ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY NUMBER OF FILIPINO IS UNABLE TO AVAIL THEIR RIGHTS TO BE EDUCATED. INSTEAD OF FINANCING THE EDUCATION SECTOR, THE MONEY OF FILIPINOS GOES TO THE POCKET OF THOSE WHO ARE GREED AND SELFISH OFFICIALS. NO DOUBT, PHILIPPINES IS A RICH COUNTRY WITH ITS SPLENDID NATURAL RESOURCES YET OUR MONEY COULD NOT EVEN FINANCIALLY PROVIDE AND GIVE STABLE WORKS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO THOSE WHO NEED JOBS. POLITICS: IT BEEN AN ORDINARY SCENARIO DURING ELECTION THAT THERE ARE SO MANY UNNECESSARY ACTIONS TOOK PLACE LIKE VOTE BUYING, BALLOT RESULT CHEATING, KILLING OF POLITICAL RIVALRY, AND THE LIKES JUST FOR THOSE SELF-CENTRED ASPIRANT OFFICIALS TO WIN THE SAID ELECTION. AND EVEN AFTER THE ELECTION, DURING THEIR SERVING YEARS SO MANY VOID PRACTICE IS BEEN HAPPENING. CORRUPTION IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES. MANY ELECTED POLITICAL OFFICIALS ABUSE THE POWER GIVEN TO THEM FOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS. TODAY’S ISSUE IS WHAT THEY CALLED PORK BARREL SCANDAL WHEREIN THE BUDGET ALLOTTED AND GIVEN TO POLITICAL OFFICIAL FOR THEIR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT SHOULD AND MUST HELP FILIPINO GOES TO POCKET OF JUST SOME PEOPLE. FINGER POINTING AND HAND WASHING THAT THEY DON’T USE ANY OF THE PUBLIC MONEY FOR THEIR OWN WELFARE IS STILL ON INVESTIGATION AND NOT YET ANSWERED. Introduction to Philosophy INSTITUTIONALIZING IS ALSO HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY AND THE MOST AFFECTED ARE THE PUBLIC ESPECIALLY THE POOR. IT IS ALSO COMMON IN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM HAVING A FAMILY DYNASTY WHEREIN THE POWER IN MANY PLACES IS JUST IN THE HAND OF ONE FAMILY. EVEN WE ALREADY HAVE AUTOMATED KIND OF ELECTION SYSTEM, WE STILL STRUGGLE TO HAVE THE FAIR AND JUST POLITICAL SYSTEM WE ARE LOOKING AND HOPING TO ACHIEVE. LASTLY, WE FILIPINOS STILL ELECTING WRONG PUBLIC SERVANT. WE ARE STILL BLIND WITH THEIR LOOKS, WHETHER THEY ARE CELEBRITIES OR IF EVEN THEY TEND TO FINISH THEIR EDUCATION AND WITH THEIR FLOWERING PROMISES AND WORDS. WE NEVER REALLY PRACTICE A CRITICAL JUDGEMENT TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT AND THE GOOD STATE RULER. D. Evaluation 1. SUBJECT THE SUBJECT PHILOSOPHY REALLY HELPED ME TO BE OPEN-MINDED AND CRITICALLY INCLINED WITH EVERYTHING AROUND ME. WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS WE STILL NEED TO KNOW AND ACQUIRE YET PHILOSOPHY SERVES AS AN ASSISTING TOOL TO REALLY KNOW THE MEANING OF OUR OWN EXISTENCE AND THE REAL MEANING OF OUR LIFE AND ITS PURPOSE. MY CLOSED WORLD BECOMES EXPOSED WITH WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING. 2. PROF SIR RODERICK CENTENO IS A VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, RESPECTED AND FULL OF SENSE KIND OF PROFESSOR IN PHILOSOPHY. WE REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO HIS LECTURES ABOUT PHILOSOPHY. IT SO REFRESHING THAT WHILE LEARNING WE’VE ABLE TO HAVE FUN AND ENJOY EVERY LEARNING AND DISCUSSION. THE REPORTING IS A GOOD WAY FOR US STUDENT TO EXPRESS OUR PERSPECTIVES AND OPINIONS ON THINGS. IT HELPS TO BOOST OUR INTEREST AND AWARENESS ON THE THINGS THAT BEFORE WE REALLY DON’T HAVE CARE AND IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS. THE REFLECTION WRITING ACTIVITIES IS A USEFUL FOR US TO HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS TO EVERY ISSUE AND DECISIONS. AND I OBSERVED THAT SIR GIVES IMPORTANCE IN MANAGING HIS AND OUR TIME. Introduction to Philosophy.

Injuries Associated With Tenpin Bowling

Injuries Associated With Tenpin Bowling Tenpin bowling is an indoor sport in which a player scores points by striking down as many pins as possible with a bowling ball rolled along a wooden or polyurethane lane. According to an estimate, more individuals play bowling than any other sports; with the notable exception of football. Also, bowling is considered to have more registered players than any other competitive sport. The governing body for bowling, FIQ (Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale des Quilleurs) has been pushing for Olympic recognition for the game. Many theories abound regarding the origin of bowling. According to some, the beginning of bowling dates back millennia. In 1930, the British anthropologist, Sir Flinders Petrie, while excavating a grave in Egypt, found objects similar to bowling balls and bowling pins. Others are of the opinion that bowling originated in Germany about 1700 years ago. Kegal, as it was then called in Germany, was played using 9 pins as opposed to 10 pins used in the modern game. The first textual reference to bowling comes from Britain. King Edward III, in 1366, supposedly banned his soldiers from participating in the game since it proved to be a major source of distraction for their duties. Bowling in America was introduced by the Germans, the Dutch, and the English. The Germans were, however, mainly responsible for the rise in popularity of the sports in and around the American Civil War. The immediate post-Second World War era is considered to be the golden age of bowling. Immense rise in popularity was witnessed during these years. For the first time, the game came to be seen as one to be played and enjoyed by the masses. Introduction of technology in the form of semi and fully automatic pinspotters during this time was also a contributing factor. Introduction of television lead to increased popularity of all sports; bowling was no exception. In the 1980s, computerised systems made scoring simpler and the game more enjoyable. More recently, recognising the importance of family entertainment centres, bowling alleys are being constructed as parts of leisure centres and shopping malls. Electronic versions of the game including PlayStation, Jamdat, and Brunswick Circuit Pro, to name a few, are further adding to the popularity of the sport. Types of Injuries and the associated mechanisms Although, bowling is not a contact sport, it has its shares of injury risks. Injuries due to chronic repetitive stress as well as faulty techniques can cause injuries in bowling. Use of a ball which is too heavy can also, over time, cause injuries. Repetitive lateral flexion, twisting, extensions as well as tremendous ground reaction forces acting on the lower back and knee, in particular are causes of concern. Since, overuse injuries are more common in bowling, the number of times an individual bowls per week assumes significance. Keeping track of the work load can help competitive athletes peak at the right moments for an important tournament. Acute injuries like back, leg or arm injury due to a fall during approach, hand or parts of the body getting caught in the ball retriever, as well as wrist and finger dislocation or sprains due to fingers getting caught in the holes of the ball are quite common place. Anatomical Sites of Injury More often than not, injuries in bowling involve the upper extremity, chiefly fingers, wrists, elbow and shoulder. However, knee and lower back injuries are a common occurrence as well. Occasionally, injuries due to fall can occur, especially in novice players and involve a variety of anatomical sites. Upper Extremity Finger sprain These are caused due to damage to the ligaments due to movements in excess of that allowed at a particular joint. Symptoms involve swelling, pain during movement, restriction of movement and in severe cases, instability of the joint. Thumb sprain Similar to finger sprains, symptoms include pain and swelling over the base of the joint, pain on movement and in the webbing between the thumb and the forefinger. Severe cases are characterised by instability of joint. Treatment involves usual application of the RICE principle. Early mobilisation during rehab is usually warranted. Injuries with instability either occurring acutely or as a residual component require surgical intervention. Carpal tunnel syndrome Repetitive activity as well as trauma or fractures which reduce the space in the carpal tunnel formed by the wrist bones on beneath and a band of fibrous tissue over it can cause Carpal tunnel syndrome. Impingement of the median nerve is immediate cause of the syndrome. It is characterised by tingling numbness with weakness or pain over the hand or fingers. Some authorities suggest worsening of symptoms nocturnally. Diagnosis is usually clinical but an EMG study can confirm the diagnosis. Biceps tendinopathy Biceps tendinopathy is a general term used to describe a variety of injuries involving the tendon of origin of the biceps. As the names suggest, tendinitis and peritendinitis involves inflammation of the tendon or tendinous sheath. Chronic micro trauma due to repetitive nature of activity with minimal rest is mainly responsible. Degenerative change in the tendon is referred to as tendinosis whereas degenerative changed over a bony prominence due to repetitive movement of a tendon is called tenosynovistis. Pain over the bicipetal groove (front of the shoulder) radiating down to the elbow, which increases in intensity on shoulder flexion, elbow flexion or forearm supination (actions of biceps) is the hallmark of diagnosis of bicipetal tendinopathy. Seldom seen as a single entity, it usually accompanies injuries of the shoulder such as a rotator cuff tear. Modality of treatment specific to this type of injury involves scapular stabilisation. Strengthening of trapezius, serratus anterior muscle and latissimus dorsi is usually advocated. Correction of posture with conscious efforts of pinching the shoulder blades together as well as use of posture braces forms an important part of treatment. De Quervains tenosynovistis Pain over the thumb side of the wrist, with or without swelling, and presence of crepitus is diagnostic of the condition. Inflammation due to repetitive movement of tendons of two small muscles of the thumb, Abductor Pollicis Longus (APL) and Extensor Pollicis Brevis (EPB), over the lower part of radius bone leads to this condition. Holding the heavy ball, wringing as well as pinching, over a period of time, is thought to be the cause de Quervains tenosynovistis. Previous injury with subsequent scar tissue at the site as well as a generalised disease like arthritis also contributes to the aetiology of the condition. Along with routine treatment, use of a thumb spica splint is considered important in rehabilitation. Lower extremity Ankle sprains Sudden change of direction, twisting, improper landing and falls; with the ankle joint bearing most of the brunt causes ankle sprains. Pain, bruising swelling, bleeding into the joint and varying grades of rupture of the supporting ligaments can occur. In severe cases, bones may be involved. Most commonly, the lateral ligament (on the outer aspect of the joint) is injured. Inversion sprains are considered to be responsible. However, deltoid ligament sprains (on the inner side of the joint) can also occur. An important aspect of rehabilitation of ankle injury is the use of wobble boards or trampoline to improve balance and proprioception. Knee joint ligaments injuries Similar to the ankle joint, sudden change in direction, twisting and improper landing can lead to injuries to the knee joint. Most commonly involved structures are the ligaments of the knee joint, namely, the cruciates, the menisci or the collaterals. Pain, bruising, swelling and instability of the joint are the usual features. Depending on the grade of injury, healing may require between four to twelve weeks. Use of knee braces forms an important part of rehab of knee ligament injuries. Sever grades of injury may require surgical reconstruction of structures. Patello-femoral Syndrome During ball release, the body balances on the front leg with flexed knee. In addition, there is twisting of the trunk to the same side. At this moment tremendous ground reaction forces act on the front knee. Such stress over time can cause patello-femoral syndrome. Chronic bearing of body weight on a semi-flexed knee with resultant grinding of the patella over the femoral bone and subsequent inflammation is considered to cause the condition. Symptoms include gradually increasing pain in the front of the knee, typically felt while climbing a flight of stairs. Over period of time, simple activities like sitting in a chair, kneeling and jogging causes pain. Faulty foot structure as well as mal-alignment of the leg can also cause the syndrome. Important aspects of rehabilitation include VMO and glutes strengthening, use of braces to strengthen surrounding structures and orthotics to correct structural abnormalities, if any. Shoulder injuries The shoulder goes through various movements during different stages of bowling. In the cocking phase, before delivery of the ball, abduction, posterior flexion and external rotation occurs. During release, there is forceful adduction with forward flexion and internal rotation which is followed by sweeping of the arm across the chest during follow through. This multitude of actions can cause shoulder ligaments tears, impingement syndromes (involving tendons of the rotator cuff or biceps), etc. Lower back Injuries affecting the lower back in bowling can be due to muscle fatigue, undue and sudden stretching of stiffened muscles, improper techniques of bowling and repetitive trauma with minimal strengthening program and rest. In addition, muscle strains or spasms involving the quadriceps, hamstrings or the adductor group of muscles can also occur. Preventive Measure for Injuries in Bowling A general plan for staying free from injuries in bowling should involve: Use of proper technique: inputs from your coach to improve technique and reduce injury risks Designing and implementation of a fitness regimen: Strengthening of musculature and supporting structures forms the first line in the prevention of injuries. Particular emphasis on finger and wrist strength as well as muscles specific to bowling like quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductors is called for. Flexibility training for the back, legs, arms and wrists is as important, if not more, as resistance training. Additionally, cardiovascular fitness training is recommended for a minimum of 3 days a week Warm up: for up to 20 minutes, include cardio work or calisthenics (exercises using body weight). This gets the blood flowing, making the muscles warm and flexible Stretching: with specific emphasis on muscle used in bowling like quadriceps, hamstrings, shoulders, and lower back.

Brief History of the Bauhaus :: essays research papers

An architect named Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus in 1919 in Weimar, Germany. Gropius’ main objective of the school was to use each student’s creativity to change industrial and architectural ideas by integrating, into them, visual art. The Bauhaus sought to change the ideas of the industrial society that began in the beginning of the century. In the early Bauhaus, painters like Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky joined the school to teach advanced ideas of form, color and space. Klee’s work used subject matter that translated into graphical signs and symbols that invoked strong visual communications. He integrated modern art with the work of nonwestern cultures and children that charged visual communications. Kandinsky’s work at the school was based on his belief in the strong spiritual values of color and form. He taught his firm belief in the use of color and visual elements to depict the artist’s mood without the use of subject matter. Johannes Itten also played a major role in early Bauhaus. He taught a preliminary course in which his goals were to release each students creativity and to better their understanding of the physical nature of materials. Itten emphasized visual contrasts and and the analysis of Old Master paintings. He eventually left the school in 1919 because of a disagreement of how the course was to be conducted. Laszlo Moholy-Nagy took Ittens place later that year. Moholy-Nagy was a relentless experimenter who brought in new materials such as acrylic resin and plastic and later introduced students to new techniques such as photomontage and photogram. He also placed great emphasis on the use of type as â€Å"a tool of communication†. The school eventually moved on to Dessau, Germany because of tension between the school and the Weimar government. There was tension from the beginning but nothing was done until a new, more conservative administration had come into power. This led to the resignation of the director and it’s masters. Two weeks after this the students of the school each wrote letters to the government stating that they would be leaving along with the masters. The school was moved to a temporary facility in Dessau until a new school was designed and occupied in the fall of 1926. During the Dessau period the schools philosophy and identity came into full fruition. The Bauhaus Corp. was created, allowing the sale of prototypes created at the school to the industry.