On Berkeley’s Concept of God and Heinous Sins Essay Example for Free

On Berkeley’s Concept of God and Heinous Sins Essay It is a misconstrual in positing that George Berkeley’s axiom that God being the author of ideas is responsible for all heinous crimes. And worst, claiming that such postulate of Berkeley is the loophole in his argument and philosophical treatise is reading his philosophic stance superficially. Relying on a version of the argument from design, Berkeley concluded that our ‘ideas’ are produced in our minds by the will of God acting directly. So God, whom we may safely assume to act (in Berkeleys estimation) in full knowledge of what he is doing, must himself have all the ideas which he generates in human minds, as well as those which he would generate, if the right human acts of will occurred to make them appropriate. And for Berkeley, this would amount to saying that God perceives the whole of physical reality, since physical reality simply is a certain infinitely complex constellation of ideas, and having them before ones consciousness is perceiving it. That would be, in itself, a welcome conclusion, when we perceive the physical world, what we do is just the same as what God does when he perceives it; all that happens in either case is that a mind has certain perceptions, nothing more, and so the human mind can be just as sure of what it perceives as is the divine mind of what it perceives. But it does not necessarily follow that he is the author of evil because as Berkeley defined sin, it is the manifestation of the spirit’s will, meaning it is not something that is innate to the motion of its body or God’s design (Berkeley 1988). Thus when ethical issues or moral conflict arises, it is not necessary to blame for the transpiration of events. For example, the espousal of capital punishment is not authored by God, but it was the product of human will and faculty. The problem is, when humanity cannot explain things, they tend to account it to God. Unfortunately, they forget that there is no necessary connection between cause and effect, and they failed to realize that heinous sins such as adultery, murder and sacrilege are not will of God but of ours.

Policy of Sport Development

Policy of Sport Development In this essay the writer is going to attempt to explore the policy of sport development and physical activities. The writer is going to discuss the policy in depth, why the policy was made, what was its aim and which social problems did it address. The writer is also going to discuss how the government implemented this policy and if the policy was successful or not. In discussing the policy the writer is also going to look at the different groups of the community that are affected and how they responded to the policy. The writer will conclude by looking at how the policy has had an impact on peoples lives both the negative and positive impact. In attempting to define social policy one can not come up with one precise definition as social policy is a broad and diverse subject. According to (Spicker, P. 1995) it is the study of social service and the welfare state. The main social services include social security, housing, education, health and personal social services. The wikipedia states that social policy is the guidelines for changing maintenance or creation of living conditions that are conducive to human welfare. Social policies are as a result of government intervention in human affairs. They do not just merge up but they come about to address a social problem. Every policy has an ideological origin, aim, nature and an effect. When the labour gorvenment came into power it adopted a policy on physical activity and sport development. In April 2001 the Government published its strategy for the development of sport over the next decade (Governments plans for sport 2001). The ideological origins of the policy of sport development and physical activities included the following to improve quality of life, improve health of the nation, tackle health inequalities, promote equality, reduce crime, provide opportunity of life long learning, neighborhood renewal and social integration. The aim was to bring Britain together and also set a national strategy for neighborhood renewal. According to the article from the office of the deputy minister on neighborhood renewal unit (Renewal.net 2008) it defined neighborhood renewal as about reversing the spiral decline, working from the grassroots to deliver economic prosperity ,jobs, safer communities, education, physical activities and better health. Sport would contribute to neighborhood renewal and make a difference in crime, employment, and education. This was to be achieved by providing access to all individuals to quality sport, play, physical activity opportunity promoting individual development (East Riding Council 2008). The Council of Europe defines sport as â€Å"All forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and well-being, forming social relationships, or obtaining results in competition at all levels† Sport is defined broadly, embracing both formal and informal activities undertaken for leisure, health and social benefit including recreational activities such as walking and cycling. Participation in appropriate sport and physical activity provides social, health and economic benefits for individuals, communities and the country as a whole. At the heart of the sport development and physical activities was social inclusion(sport development 2001). This was to promote equality and fairness in the society and remove any form of discrimination which may include age, race, gender, ability and need. Other reasons that may result people being excluded from the society may include unemployment, poor skills, low income, poor housing, crime, bad health or family breakdown. According to the report by (Renewal.net 2008) people living in disadvantage areas, older people, people from ethnic minorities and people with disabilities were not obtaining the full social health and economic benefits from participation in sport and physical activities. Therefore Sport development was to deal with the opportunities available for people to progress to their potential in sport, from taking part for fun and health to competition and also encompasses the provision of opportunities for addressing the social issues of the day through participation in sport. The policy in sport development and physical activities aimed at addressing number social problems which included crime, health, education and social exclusion. Sport would encourage community safety. (Collins et al 1999) suggested that â€Å"sport might contribute to combat crime particularly youth and juvenile criminal behaviors.† Sport could also help youth offenders, in that they can work with officers who will assist in helping them to gain qualifications and mentor them and use sport to prevent them in anti social behaviors. Sports and physical activities prevent or control risky behaviors among young people for example tobacco or other substance abuse, unhealthy diets or violence (WHO 2003). Providing sport for young people also helps to prevent boredom and helps to teach values and morals, teamwork, respect for others and have a common goal. Sports also help in both physical and mental health. An article from the East Riding Yorkshire Council cited that â€Å"absence from work cost United Kingdom business over eleven billion pounds per annum. Sports and physical activities increase employability and help contribute to the economic vitality of the community. They also help reduce the risk of prada Willis, obesity, coronary heart disease and even diabetes. Sports can also help in therapy and can reduce stress and depression. According to (Bourchard et al, 1994) benefits of sports and physical activities also include reduction in mobility and mortality from disease of several body systems. Establishment of healthful patterns of exercise, positive attitude and adaptive mechanism for coping with stress are likely to yield continued future benefits (Conger, 1987). In addition to that they help improve the sense of well being, self esteem and confidence. Many sporting activities can also be used for rehabilitation, therapeutic and recreation for people with disabilities helping them develop positive mental attitudes (Kumbhare D, Basmajian J 2000) Another aim of this policy was social inclusion; people in the community integrate together helping them to develop a sense community identity. Being involved in sports would make people with the similar interest work together and have a better understanding of one another. Sports and physical activities also help to break social barriers. People from different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities are able to work together as a team and have a common goal. Every member of the community can participate as they have fair access of the resources. Sports and physical activities have a positive impact on the elderly and those with disabilities as they strengthen bones and help build and maintain healthy muscle joints for people with chronic disabling conditions improve stamina (WHO 2003) The policy also aimed at providing training, employment and improve skill within the sector itself thus enhancing individuals prospects for obtaining employment. Involving people with voluntary and paid sport and physical activity leadership and coaching can help some to gain qualifications and future employment, within or outside of the sports sector. A report from the (East Riding Yorkshire Council 2008) stated that the provision of sport business and services and the manufacturer of sport goods and equipment make a significant contribution to the employment and gross value (9.8 billion pounds). To implement this policy the government divided into the following groups sport in education and sport in the community. The government placed a special emphasis on school sport this is because taking part in school sport helped young people to develop a sporting talent, improved health, team work skills and self discipline. The school sport coordinator programme stated that every pupil was entitled to 2 hours of high quality of physical education and sport in a week within and beyond the curriculum(PE, School Sport And Club Links PESSCL strategy 2002(DFES) . The government introduced different programmes to help development in children and these included the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DFES),The Childrens Act 2004, and Every Child Matters 2004 and the sure start which was to help deliver the best in life for every child by bringing together early education, health and family support. There are also organization which are to mainly support childrens sport and one of them is Tames sport development which works in partnership with over 66 primary schools and its main purpose is to provide quality sporting experience within the schools. In the community one of the primary aim was to improve accessibility of sports to everyone. The main aim was to promote equality, resulting them targerting groups like the ethnic minorities, disabled, women and the elderly. Thus by incorporating the Disability Act 1995 or the Race relations (amendment) Act 2000. In the community local authorities were going to play a central role in delivering sport in the community. Older people should at least engage in moderate intensity sport a day or active recreation three or more days a week (sports playing its part 2005 sport England). The Ashton renewal sport officer aims to provide community access for young people with little or no cost. The policy of sport development and physical activities has already had an impact on the society as a whole. According to Jacquie Smith mp parliamentary under secretary of state of school standards, in 2002 the government had established eighty four specialist sport colleges in fifty nine local education authorities and 159 school sport co- coordinators had started working with teachers and parents to provide more for people in competing sports. A research done by the British market research bureau stated that children are most popular out of hours activity was participating in sports. Some of the positive effects of sport development and physical activities include helped people develop interpersonal skills, has helped combat adolescence depression and helped reduce childhood obesity 6% of childhood obesity .The sport development and physical activities policy has been successful to a greater extent. People in different communities are engaged in local community sport sessions and eventually becoming members of sport clubs. It has also made people aware of healthy lifestyles and also has promoted increased knowledge and understanding of physical activities. Another positive effect of this policy is that a lot of young people are now participating or are involved in sport or physical activities. The Tames sport development scheme engages 7000 young people into school sport and physical education and the after school clubs within a school year attract a total of about 5000 young people from all cultures and backgrounds. In Devon secondary schools are involved in different multi sport events one of them is the pentathlon challenge were over 400 students take part in different sports. The Norfolk county has adopted a vision for physical activity which is â€Å"to make sport and physical activity an everyday part of everybodys life in a Norfolk and one of its goals to promote the value of sport and physical activity improving quality of life for all. In Norfolk schools are able to access the resources for support in sport and physical development. Greater Manchester youth games have over 400 young people participating and has also produced Paralympics competitors. Several councils have now adopted a positive approach towards sports for their communities. An example is the East Riding Yorkshire Council that believes in working with people to promote physical and mental well being. In conclusion Nelson Mandela once said â€Å"Sport can create hope where there was once only despair. It breaks down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of discrimination. Sports speak to people in a language that they can understand.† References: Alcock, P 2003, Social policy in Britain. 2nd edition. Palgrave. Macmillan. Bourchard, C. Sherphard, RJ Stephens, T, 1994, Physical activity, fitness and health international proceedings and consensus statement and campaign. IL. Human kinetics publishers. Conger, J.J 1987. Behavioral medicine and health psychology in a changing world. Conger J, Galambos N, 1997, Adolescence and youth 5th edition, longman. East Riding of Yorkshire Council(2008) leisure sport and physical activity policy. http://www.eastriding.gov.uk [accessed on the 28/5/08] Kumbhare D, Basmajian J, Decision making and outcomes in sports rehabilitation. Renewal.Net 2008, Sport and physical activivity. http://www.renewal.net, [accessed on the 29/5/08] Spicker, P 1995, Social Policy .Themes and Approaches ,London, Prentice Hall. Sport development 2001, Government policy and sport. http://www.sportdevelopment.org.uk. [accessed on the 28/5/08] http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/.308/6942/1500 http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk

Reflecting on Individual Professional Practice with Gibbs cycle

Reflecting on Individual Professional Practice with Gibbs cycle For the purpose of this essay, I will use Gibbs (1988) Reflective Learning Cycle to reflect on an aspect of individual professional practice, which requires development in preparation for my role as a Registered Nurse. Gibbs (1988) Reflective Learning Cycle encourages a clear description of a situation, analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience and analysis to make sense of the experience to examine what you would do if the situation arose again. To keep within the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct guidelines (2008a) and to maintain confidentiality the use of names or places will not be used throughout this essay. Description Whilst on placement working on a general ward during my third year I was asked to research a drug I was unsure about by my mentor. On my way to research the drug I was approached by a health care assistant who asked me if I could assist her with a patient who was lying in a soiled bed. I chose to help the health care assistant as I thought this was priority as I could look up the drug at any point in the day as it was for my own learning and development and wasnt urgent. After I had helped the health care assistant, my mentor asked if I had researched the drug. I explained that I had gone to help the health care assistant and would now look up the drug, which I then did. My mentor then told me that I needed to improve on my time management, as I had not looked up the drug when she asked me to. She carried on explaining that when I become a Registered Nurse I would need to know drugs and what they are used for. This situation left me questioning which was the priority, the patients ne eds or my own professional learning and development. Feelings I automatically assisted the health care assistant in making the patient comfortable as I felt that this was the priority over researching the drug. I remember thinking that I could do this at home if the ward became busy. I felt annoyed with myself for not speaking up to my mentor about the issue as I had thought I had made the right decision to help the patient. I was concerned about the patients comfort and felt I could not justify leaving the patient lying in a soiled bed because I had to research a drug. Nurses need to be able to justify the decisions they make (NMC 2008a). After the incident, being told by my mentor that I needed to improve on my time management skills because I chose to assist the health care assistant confused me a little. This practice experience made me feel as though I needed to learn and develop more regarding my time management skills. I decided I would have to research into the meaning of time management as I thought that my time management skills were fine. I was always on time for my shift and I would make a list of the jobs I needed to do and prioritise them. This experience made me question how I was prioritising my workload at present. Evaluation I chose to assist the health care assistant in ensuring the patient was clean and comfortable and felt that this was the priority in this situation. As an accountable practitioner the NMC (2008a) states you must make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity which I did. I could understand what my mentor was explaining to me, that as a Registered Nurse I must be able to know what different drugs are and what they are used for. As an accountable practitioner, I must have the knowledge and skills for safe and effective practice when working without direct supervision, recognize, and work within the limits of my competence. I must also keep my knowledge and skills up to date throughout my working life and I must take part in appropriate learning and practice activities that maintain and develop my competence and performance (NMC 2008a). Post-registration education and practice (Prep) is a set of Nursing & Midwifery Council standards and guidance, which is designed to help you provide a high standard of practice and care. Prep helps you to keep up to date with new developments in practice and encourages you to think and reflect for yourself. It also enables you to demonstrate to the people in your care, your colleagues and yourself that you are keeping up to date and developing your practice. Prep provides an excellent framework for your continuing professional development (CPD), which, although not a guarantee of competence, but is a key component of clinical governance (NMC 2008b). Following this experience my concern was which is the priority and which was not and that if I had have researched the drug I would have been leaving the patient in a soiled bed until I had done it. Analysis As Individuals, we do not invent the concept of time, but we learn about it, both as a concept and a social institution, from childhood onwards. In the Western world, time has been constructed around devices of measurement, such as clocks, calendars and schedules (Elias 1992). A study by Waterworth (1995) explored the value of nursing practice from the viewpoint of practitioners, she identified that time with patients is important, but raises the question of how nurses manage their time. The importance of time management will strike me at some point in my career as a Registered Nurse. I will be inundated with work and I will need to evaluate how to manage my time effectively. Time management is a dynamic process. It is constant actions and communications between you and your goals and dealing with changing situations (Brumm 2000). Time management tends to go hand in hand with good prioritisation skills, which mean managing your time, deciding upon priorities and planning accordingly, this can be one of the most difficult skills to acquire (Hole 2009). Managing time appropriately will reduce stress and increase productivity. There are three basic steps to time management. The first step requires time to be set aside for planning and establishing priorities. The second step requires completing the highest priority task whenever possible and finishing one task before you start another. In the final step the nurse must reprioritise what tasks will be accomplished based on new information received (Marquis and Huston 2009). We use planning in all aspects of our lives. In nursing, we often call it a care plan, and nurses use this process to guide their practice. The nursing process, or Assess, Plan, Implement and evaluate (APIE), can be used successfully as a time management tool. APIE is a systematic, rational method of planning and providing care but if you change, the meaning to read it is a systematic, rational method of planning and accomplishing a workable time management plan this can be a great tool for nurses to use to manage their time effectively (Brumm 2000). Assess/Analyze Collect and organise data and form a statement of actual or potential time management needs. Plan/Prioritize Formulate your plan. This involves devising goals and expected outcomes, setting priorities, and identifying interventions to help reach the goals. Implement/Intervene Put your plan into action. Evaluate Assess your outcomes and see how you measure up against your goals. There will be constant demands on my time and attention and it may be difficult to identify exactly what my priorities should be. In patient care, priorities can change rapidly and I will need to be able to constantly re-assess situations and respond appropriately. Priority setting is the process of establishing a preferential sequence for addressing nursing interventions. The nurse begins planning by deciding which intervention requires attention first, which second and so on. Instead of rank-ordering interventions, nurses can group them as having high, medium, and low priority. Life threatening problems such as loss of respiratory or cardiac function are designated as high priority. Health-threatening problems, such as acute illness and decreased coping ability, are assigned medium priority because they may result in delayed development or cause destructive physical or emotional changes. A low-priority problem is one that arises from normal developmental needs or that requires only minimal nursing support (Kozier et al 2008). The assumption is that priorities can be determined, and decisions made as to what is most important, and that this can be followed by appropriate nursing actions. To establish priorities is to question what will be the consequence if this is not done immediately. During this experience questioning what will be the consequence of not helping the health care assistant? The patient would have had to wait whilst I researched the drug and would have been left lying in urine and faeces. This could cause skin excoriation to the patient and they would have been left uncomfortable and undignified. I would not have been providing a high standard of practice and care as stated in the NMC (2008a) and I could be held accountable for this as a Registered Nurse. Urinary incontinence and faecal incontinence should be managed in a manner that is unobtrusive, reliable, and comfortable. The patient will need to be attended to quickly, in order to prevent skin damage, relieve discomfort and restore dignity. Nurses need to be aware of the potential skin problems that may result from incontinence (Baillie 2005). The presence of moisture from urine and sweat increases friction and shear, skin permeability and microbial load (Jeter and Lutz 1996). If a patient has been incontinent of urine and faeces, their interaction can result in the formation of ammonia, leading to a rise in pH and an increase in the activity of faecal enzymes that damage the skin (Baillie 2005). The importance of changing a soiled product promptly in cases of faecal incontinence to prevent skin excoriation has also been emphasised by Gibbons (1996). I must act at all times to identify and minimise risk to patients and clients (NMC 2008a). A research article and news story about student nurses and bedside care produced a phenomenal response on nursingtimes.net. The study authors Helen Allan and Pam Smith (2010) speak out  saying that given the current pressures, qualified nurses are unable to deliver bedside care. The perception is that technical care is valued over and above bedside care as a source of learning for students future roles, leaving them feeling unprepared to be registered nurses. Their research showed that students conceptualize nursing differently to qualified staff because of an intensified division of labour between registered and non-registered nursing staff. As students, we often observe health care assistants performing bedside care and registered nurses undertaking technical tasks. The absence of clear role models leads students to question bedside care as part of their learning and to put greater value on learning technical skills. In relation to my reflective experience my mentor suggested the technical task in researching the drug was the priority in relation to the bedside care of the patient therefore it is not surprising to find that student nurses are unclear as to what is a source of learning in preparation for our roles as Registered Nurses. Helping patients with personal hygiene is one of the most fundamental and crucial relationship-building skills available to nurses, regardless of their seniority and clinical experience, student nurses should embrace these opportunities while we do not have the other time pressures and we can then reflect on our experiences. These skills will prove invaluable in delivering, overseeing and evaluating meaningful, holistic care (Bowers 2009). Registered Nurses hold a position of responsibility and other people rely on them. They are professionally accountable to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), as well as having a contractual accountability to their employer and are accountable to the law for their actions. The NMC (2008a) code states that As a professional, you are personally accountable for actions and omissions in your practice and must always be able to justify your decisions. The NMC (2008a) code outlines the standards that I must work according to, what is expected of me as a registered professional by colleagues, employers, and members of the public. It also outlines what my professional responsibilities and accountabilities are. I may sometimes be faced with situations, which will require me to challenge, and question things that they are asking me to do if I feel that these things are unsafe or are not in the best interests of the patient or organisation. It is well recognised that it can be difficult to address these issues due to factors such as fear of the consequences, embarrassment, and lack of support like in my experience as mentioned above. Semple and Kenkre (2002) point out that the UKCC (2001) [now the NMC] reported the research of Moira Attree, which highlighted that fact that nurses are often reluctant to raise concerns about standards of care because they feared either inaction or retribution from employers. Nurses may also be inhibited b y fears of being ostracised by the team if deciding to speak out against poor practice. This is another aspect of my individual professional practice, which requires development, and I will try to question situations in the future if I feel they are not in the best interests of the patient. Being overwhelmed by work and time constraints will lead to increased errors, the omission of important tasks and general feelings of stress and ineffectiveness. Time management is a skill, which is learned and improves with practice (Marquis and Huston 2009). Literature on time management in nursing is mainly unreliable, providing a number of tips on how to manage time, along with descriptions of processes or strategies. The order for thinking about the process varies, ranging from setting objectives as the first step to working out how time is being used with the aid of time logs (Waterworth 2003). Determining the importance of tasks or priorities is part of the process, although the stage at which this should occur varies between authors. The main theme in literature is that nurses need to think about their own time management, with the main message being that individual nurses can manage their time. The reality of time management in nursing practice has been subject to experimental investigations, although studies on nurses work organization have found time management problematic, with nurses compensating for lack of time by developing strategies in an attempt to complete their work (Bowers et al. 2001). Conclusion Time management is a dynamic process and tends to go hand in hand with good prioritising skills. If you cannot prioritise you, will waste time and be inefficient. This can cause stress to yourself and your fellow team members, as well as causing potential harm to your patients. An efficient way to organising your time can be to use the nursing process as explained in the essay to Analyze, Prioritize, Intervene and evaluate. After my research into time management and prioritising, I believe that my mentor was wrong to question my time management skills. I had thought about which was the greater priority in this situation and I still believe that the patient was. The patient would have been at risk from skin excoriation and would have been left uncomfortable and undignified. As a Registered Nurse, I will be accountable for my actions and in the future, if the same situation arose again I feel that I would not do anything different other than to speak up and justify my decisions. I identified and minimised risk to that patient and as a Registered Nurse, I will hold a position of responsibility and other people will rely on me. Although saying this, my priorities as a Registered Nurse may be different to those as a student nurse and my continuing professional development will be extremely important. I must make the care of my patients my first concern at all times, treating them as individuals and respectin g their dignity (NMC 2008a). Action Plan With the increasing emphasis on efficiency and effectiveness in health care, how I manage my time will be an important consideration. Time management is recognized as an important component of work performance and nursing practice. As a newly qualified Registered Nurse, I will have to have excellent time management skills and be able to prioritise care appropriately. To achieve this I will: Break down my day to find out how long it takes me to do certain tasks. Using the nursing process as a tool, I will write a list in priority order and cross of tasks as they are completed and I will keep evaluating my list during the shift. I will delegate tasks to other members of the team where necessary. Through the reflection of this experience, I am now aware that I also need more development to challenge and question things that I feel are not in the best interests of the patients. To achieve this I will: I will speak up and justify my actions at all times. I will research more into assertiveness and confidence skills. Word Count: 2867.

Role of Women in Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Women do not play an important part in Heart of Darkness. This is not too surprising as the text was first published for a magazine in 1898. Throughout Marlow's voyage he encounters few women and he does not consider any of them to be his equal. His reference to women places them in their own little world where they should remain. There are a number of reasons as to why Marlow may have this understanding of the female being. These reasons include, but are not limited to, the lack of females in his life, the fact that he is primarily surrounded by men, and the type of women he comes in contact with in his line of work. Â   First and foremost, we will note that Marlow is a seaman. He is a man who has dedicated his life to the ways of the water. As the narrator mentions when speaking of Marlow, "he was the only man of us who still 'followed the sea'" (Conrad, 9). He has been picking up and traveling the world by way of a boat for most of his adult life. The simple fact that he is able to do this without regret is a hint into Marlow's personal life. He cannot be a family man, because it would be too hard for him to be away from family members for such great lengths of time. He may have a mother or a sister somewhere, but it is obvious that, for Marlow, there is no strong bond with any female family member. Even his aunt who so willingly helps him find work is not spoken of lovingly. If Marlow were to have a wife, one would assume that, it would be hard, if not impossible, for him to maintain a faithful marital relationship to her while leading such a Nomadic lifestyle. This is presumably why he is not emotionally attached to a wife or serious girlfriend. Â   It is also safe to say that Marlow does not have any platonic girl associates, because of the statement made about them in their own world. He makes it quite clear that women and men are on two totally different levels. In the time that the story was written, it would have been crazy to think of a woman and a man having a mutual friendship that had no loving or sexual components. Role of Women in Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness Women do not play an important part in Heart of Darkness. This is not too surprising as the text was first published for a magazine in 1898. Throughout Marlow's voyage he encounters few women and he does not consider any of them to be his equal. His reference to women places them in their own little world where they should remain. There are a number of reasons as to why Marlow may have this understanding of the female being. These reasons include, but are not limited to, the lack of females in his life, the fact that he is primarily surrounded by men, and the type of women he comes in contact with in his line of work. Â   First and foremost, we will note that Marlow is a seaman. He is a man who has dedicated his life to the ways of the water. As the narrator mentions when speaking of Marlow, "he was the only man of us who still 'followed the sea'" (Conrad, 9). He has been picking up and traveling the world by way of a boat for most of his adult life. The simple fact that he is able to do this without regret is a hint into Marlow's personal life. He cannot be a family man, because it would be too hard for him to be away from family members for such great lengths of time. He may have a mother or a sister somewhere, but it is obvious that, for Marlow, there is no strong bond with any female family member. Even his aunt who so willingly helps him find work is not spoken of lovingly. If Marlow were to have a wife, one would assume that, it would be hard, if not impossible, for him to maintain a faithful marital relationship to her while leading such a Nomadic lifestyle. This is presumably why he is not emotionally attached to a wife or serious girlfriend. Â   It is also safe to say that Marlow does not have any platonic girl associates, because of the statement made about them in their own world. He makes it quite clear that women and men are on two totally different levels. In the time that the story was written, it would have been crazy to think of a woman and a man having a mutual friendship that had no loving or sexual components.

Biblical and Mythological Allusions in Moby Dick :: Moby Dick Essays

An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.    Writers often use biblical and mythological allusions to which their readers are familiar.   In Moby Dick, Herman Melville frequently uses biblical and mythological allusions.   With these allusions the reader begins to understand the topic of discussion and is also exposed to the wisdom and knowledge Melville possess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first allusion appears in the first line of the novel.   â€Å"Call me Ishmael.† (Melville1).   Ishmael was the biblical son of Abraham and his servant Hagar.   He was disowned in favor of Isaac, Abraham’s son with his wife Sarah.   An angel prophesied to Hagar.   â€Å"his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.† (Genesis 16:12).   The name â€Å"Ishmael† has since become used commonly for an outcast, which is appropriate since he is inexperienced when it comes to whaling and is viewed as AN outcast to the other sailors upon the Pequod.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another biblical allusion is of the prophet Elijah and Captain Ahab.   Elijah WARNS Queequeg and Ishmael of Ahab.   Ishmael says he and Queequeg ARE boarding the Pequod because they have just â€Å"signed the articles† (Melville 68) and Elijah responds â€Å"Anything down there about your souls† (Melville 68).   This conflict between Elijah and Ahab goes all the way back to the bible.   I Kings describes the conflict between King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.   Elijah tells Ahab that â€Å"in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick they blood, even thine,† (I Kings 21:19), and that â€Å"the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezrell† (I Kings 21:23).   This allusion is significant for foreshadowing the destruction of the Pequod.   In Moby Dick the characters names are not so different than names in the Bible and neither is the outcome of those characters so different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Melville not only used a number of biblical allusions in Moby Dick, but he also used many mythological allusions.   He used Greek mythology in describing the tattooing on the Queequeg.   â€Å"The counterpane of the patchwork, full of odd little parti-colored squares and triangles, and this arm of his tattooed all over with an interminable Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melvine 19).   The Cretan labyrinth was the maze, which imprisoned the half-bull, half-human Minotaur.   This adds immensely to the visual imagery of Queequeg.   Being able to imagine this large, black harpoon with a   â€Å"Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melville 19) the reader has a more appealing and specific picture of him. Biblical and Mythological Allusions in Moby Dick :: Moby Dick Essays An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.    Writers often use biblical and mythological allusions to which their readers are familiar.   In Moby Dick, Herman Melville frequently uses biblical and mythological allusions.   With these allusions the reader begins to understand the topic of discussion and is also exposed to the wisdom and knowledge Melville possess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first allusion appears in the first line of the novel.   â€Å"Call me Ishmael.† (Melville1).   Ishmael was the biblical son of Abraham and his servant Hagar.   He was disowned in favor of Isaac, Abraham’s son with his wife Sarah.   An angel prophesied to Hagar.   â€Å"his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.† (Genesis 16:12).   The name â€Å"Ishmael† has since become used commonly for an outcast, which is appropriate since he is inexperienced when it comes to whaling and is viewed as AN outcast to the other sailors upon the Pequod.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another biblical allusion is of the prophet Elijah and Captain Ahab.   Elijah WARNS Queequeg and Ishmael of Ahab.   Ishmael says he and Queequeg ARE boarding the Pequod because they have just â€Å"signed the articles† (Melville 68) and Elijah responds â€Å"Anything down there about your souls† (Melville 68).   This conflict between Elijah and Ahab goes all the way back to the bible.   I Kings describes the conflict between King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.   Elijah tells Ahab that â€Å"in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick they blood, even thine,† (I Kings 21:19), and that â€Å"the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezrell† (I Kings 21:23).   This allusion is significant for foreshadowing the destruction of the Pequod.   In Moby Dick the characters names are not so different than names in the Bible and neither is the outcome of those characters so different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Melville not only used a number of biblical allusions in Moby Dick, but he also used many mythological allusions.   He used Greek mythology in describing the tattooing on the Queequeg.   â€Å"The counterpane of the patchwork, full of odd little parti-colored squares and triangles, and this arm of his tattooed all over with an interminable Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melvine 19).   The Cretan labyrinth was the maze, which imprisoned the half-bull, half-human Minotaur.   This adds immensely to the visual imagery of Queequeg.   Being able to imagine this large, black harpoon with a   â€Å"Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melville 19) the reader has a more appealing and specific picture of him.

Domestic Violence in America Essay -- Violence Against Women Essays

Domestic abuse in the United States is a large-scale and complex social and health problem. The home is the most violent setting in America today (Lay, 1994). Sadly enough, the majority of people who are murdered are not likely killed by a stranger during a hold-up or similar crime but are killed by someone they know. Not surprisingly, the Center for Disease Control and prevention has identified interpersonal violence as a major public health problem (Velson-Friedrich, 1994). Current estimates suggest that three to four million women are the victims of physical abuse by their intimate partners (Harris & Cook, 1994). According to the FBI, some form of domestic violence occurs in half of the homes in the United States at least once a year (Dickstein, 1988). In reality one out of every six marriages the wife is physically abused. Every fifteen seconds a women is battered in the United States. Daily, four American women lose their lives to their husbands or boyfriends, equaling more than one-third of all female homicide victims (WAC, 1994). These numbers report that too much violence is directed toward women. Historically, domestic violence has been a downplayed and, oftentimes, culturally condoned, American tradition. In the colonial period, laws derived from English common-law permitted a man to beat his wife when she acted in a manner that he believed to be inappropriate. For example, the so-called â€Å"Rule of Thumb† law, which permitted a husband to beat his wife with a stick that could be no larger than the circumference of his thumb, was in effect until the end of the nineteenth century (Dickstein, 1988). The issue of domestic violence, especially wife abuse, first gained national attention in 1974 with the publishing of Scream Quietly or the Neighbors Will Hear by Erin Pizzey, the founder of Chiswick’s Women’s Aid, a shelter in England for battered women. Pizzey’s work helped to stimulate feminist concern and outrage over wife b eating, verbal abuse, financial restrictions and social isolation of women by their husbands (Utech, 1994). Shortly thereafter, the women’s liberation movement, through the National Organization for Women (NOW), advocated for the end of violence against women and sought improved social services for battered wives. NOW also was actively engaged in promoting shelter homes and lobbying congressional leaders for legislation that would... ...t? Because they don’t have the protection they need. The criminal justice system needs to start a victim relocation program for domestic abuse victims. This would ensure their safety and allow them enough courage to leave a horrible situation. In a nation that detests racism and protests animal cruelty then why are women and children still subject to torture and violence in their own homes at the hands of their husbands and fathers? In a politically correct world too many of us still view women and children as inferior, as property. The media portrays women as sex symbols and often with a very noticeable lack of intelligence. Often doctors turn their backs on damage left as the result of abuse because of the fear of embarrassing their patients (WAC, 1994). It is time to declare war on domestic violence. Domestic violence will always be a part of our culture. Women are still not considered equal and historically it was acceptable to beat your wife if she was out of line. Wi th today’s broken marriages and extensive abuse of alcohol and drugs, the matter will only get worse. If strong initiatives are not instilled now, there will be many unnecessary deaths due to the rise in abuse.

Human Resource Activities of Qantas Airways Essay

The Qantas Airways is the largest airline in Australia. Its Human Resource Management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, development, and learning. This report gives limelight to the Qantas airways HRM and its role in ensuring perfect operations of the company. It further discusses change management and job analysis and design. The company has undergone intensive change management such as cutting of prices and labor costs in order to ensure high productivity, moderation of wages as well as the introduction of flexible structures through a versatile and motivated workforce. Moreover, the HRM is also responsible of ensuring that right people are hired and given necessary training under job analysis and design. However, despite the roles that the company has entrusted the HRM, there have been heightened cases of accidents and strikes from dissatisfied workers alleging that they are paid meager salaries. This shows a HRM gap in delivering its responsibilities. Therefore, the report further argues that the HRM has failed in its change management and job design and analysis strategy. In order to correct the situation, the report further proposes that the HRM change its training and communication model. As a means to an end, the report discusses some of the implications emerging from the HRM problems and ends with a comprehensive summary. Description of Qantas and their HRM Activities The Qantas Airways is Australia’s largest airline. It has a solid history as it began its business years back by transporting passengers and mails. Today, the company has expanded its operations in almost 140 destinations across the globe. It is Australia’s largest employers with around 37,000 employees. The human resource management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, and development and learning. Under corporate level, the HRM is responsible for employees’ remuneration as well as benefits, the industrial relations of the airline with its competitors and development of the management. In the business segment level, the HR teams often collaborate with other business segments to ensure successful delivering of strategies that will ensure competitive advantage. Human resource has a major responsibility in the company and under shared services; the HRM is responsible of managing  workers records, supporting remuneration and recruitment process and managing employees’ compensation as well as coming up with strategic plans on staff travelling schedules and schemes (Belobaba, Odoni and Barnhart, 2009). Finally, under the learning and development level, the HRM comes up with training programs for employees to help them deliver their work effectively. HR Functions: Change Management and Job Analysis and Design at the Qantas Airways Discussion of Two HR functions in the Qantas Change Management The Qantas airline was formerly owned by the government hence did not perceive efficiency and profits as its prime goal (Rothkopf, 2009). After its privatisation in 1995, the HRM had to adopt various management practices in order to overcome the company’s external and internal influences. The HRM in their change management has emphasised on cutting costs and more so reduction of labour costs to guarantee heightened productivity, moderation of wages as well as the introduction of flexible structures through a versatile and motivated workforce (Marks, 2007). Cutting labour costs in the Qantas airways have involved strict measures from the HRM such as reducing wages and salaries through eliminating costly practices (Hernandez, 2011.). The Qantas airline HRM has undertaken immense changes in order to cope with diverse external and internal factors (Gillen and Morrison, 2005). Various factors led to changes in the HR management such as the need to have more profits in the company a nd the fact that the company was under government ownership. This means that the airline had maintained its authoritarian hierarchical structure, autocratic form of leadership, and strict procedures and rules (Hughes, 2012). In addition, the airline has been involved in a major change as far as training is concerned and in 2003, the HRM facilitated in the expansion of the company’s apprenticeship programme (Gunn, 1988). According to Kirkpatrick’s model of learning and training, training helps in ensuring affirmative results (Kearns, 2010). Job Analysis and Design Job design and analysis is the cornerstone of the Qantas HRM. Job analysis can be viewed as the hub of all human resource management activities that are needed for effective organizational functioning (Berman et al, 2009). Under job analysis, the HRM is responsible for planning, recruitment, selection, placement, and induction of workers (Berman et al, 2009). The procedures that are often supported by job analysis process include personnel selection, training, job evaluation as well as performance appraisal (Berman et al, 2009). In addition, the process of job analysis supports the Qantas organizational strategy in dealing with market competition and talent crisis. According to human resource theory, strategic HRM focuses on connecting all HR functions with organizational goals (Rothwell and Benscoter, 2012). The Qantas airline HRM in the process of job analysis determines various training needs of workers. Moreover, in job analysis process, the HRM determines on some of the things that affect behavior in the company. After job analysis process, the next step is job design, which aims at outlining and organizing duties, responsibilities, as well as tasks in a single unit in order to achieve particular objectives. Job design in the Qantas airways is essential in enabling effective feedback. In addition, training is an imperative part in job design in order to make sure that employees are conscious of their work demands. Training encompasses leadership training to employee orientation (Aulenbach, 2007). Development and training plays an imperative role in ensuring success of a company. Today, most organizations view training as an imperative role of human resource (Price, 2011). From research conducted, it is apparent that most organizations such as the Qantas airways are spending a lot of money on training with a belief that it will consequently give them a competitive advantage in both global and local market (Jackson, Schuler and Werner, 2011). According to human resource theory (Bacon et al, 2009), workers need maximum support from human resource function. In that case, the Qantas airways offer training to staff in order to motivate them as well as ensure competitive advantage in the company. Frances (2009) avows that training is imperative in ensuring imperative piloting skills. In 2009, the company opened approximately $10 million staff training centers in an effort to build on economies of scale. The HRM through job design help the workforce to make vital adjustments. Problem s and Implications Faced by Qantas Although the two major basic functions of HRM is to ensure successful change management and job analysis and design, the Qantas airline has undergone  through various challenges in these two areas. The HRM in their change management focused on cutting costs such as labor costs in order to increase productivity, ensure moderate workers’ salary and introduce flexible structures. However, they have failed in ensuring effective and non-biased change management. This is because, workers recently have been complaining of being paid meager salaries and even gone for strikes. Under change management, they should have ensured successful remuneration of employees. However, it is embarrassing to note that a reputable company like Qantas with such successful change management strategy has failed to take care of its employees. The unsolved salary issues have caused employee outcry and various scandals in the company. The pilots have been protesting over meager salaries and the union workers have continued to demonstrate over pay inequality arguing they are paid 25% less than their equals in Victoria (Hernandez, 2012). In a survey that was conducted in 2012, on three thousand Qantas employees, the workers expressed dissatisfaction with the management of the company mostly the HRM (McDonald, 2012). Serious staff challenges have continued threatening the company yet up to now the HRM is still reluctant to come up with a new change management model such as ADKAR model that will cater for the interests of workers and allow the company to focus activities on particular business results (Hiatt, 2006). Under Job analysis and design, it is apparent that the HRM made immense mistakes in choosing the right candidates. Despite heavy training programs that the HRM has invested in during job analysis and design process, it is only in 2008 that the company was involved in an in-flight incident, which caused ser ious injuries to passengers and death of 129 passengers due to specious commands (Frances, 2009). In addition, it is apparent that training has not had a positive impact in the company since in 2006, the Qantas Airways pilots failed to monitor their position hence ended up to the wrong runway. Moreover, in 2009, the company’s pilots failed to acknowledge and decided to overshoot their destinations by 150 miles (Frances, 2009). Frances (2009) alleges that captains in the company are not competent enough as they lacked knowledge on use of stick shaker and stall recovery thus causing serious accidents. It is hence clear that the HRM department leaves a lot to be desired as incidences have continued to intensify despite the company’s change management and job design and analysis strategy (Louise, 2011). With such a successful airline company, it is apparent that its HRM is ineffectual and has only led to losses than success. The company asserts that it is committed fully to developing its people, yet they do not seem to know how they can forge a beneficial relationship with its staff. There has been a lot of change in the company including cutting of costs, developing training programs, outsourcing working rules and regulations, collaborating with the unions yet the situation seem to be moving from bad to worse. It is apparent that the HRM has been incompetent in hiring the right personnel and dealing with employees. Implications to Stakeholders Various stakeholders include trade unions, government, shareholders, customers, community, business partners, employees, the media, and non-governmental organizations. They all have a major influence on the company’s performance and its strategy. The media coverage on wrong decisions in the Qantas have affected negatively on the company’s image. The problems discussed obviously imply that the HRM, shareholders, and business partners have been reluctant in solving the current crisis hence affecting the performance of the company. Because of the accidents reported, most consumers are not keen on using Qantas airline hence affecting profitability (BBC News, 2012). Additionally, the challenges in the company have also affected employees and consumers on grounds that they have lost confidence with the running of the company (Sandilands, 2011). The looming disagreement between Qantas and its pilots shows clearly that the HRM and business partners have failed in ensuring they contribute in effective management of the company. In addition, the Non-governmental organizations have failed in conflict resolution between the Qantas and its employees. It is apparent that the HRM, business partners, and non-governmental organizations involved have failed in coming up with rational solutions to ensure such current disputes do not develop into a major crisis. Instead of the company’s CEO, Alan Joyce holding productive talks, he has been busy making provocative comments in numerous heated exchanges. For instance, he condemned union members on issues regarding wages arguing that their talks and protests were baseless (Bamber, 2011). The union leaders in return criticized N senior managers and accused them of tarnishing the brand image of the company while they were awarding themselves hefty salaries. This hence implies that the  community as well as Union members have lost confidence on the company’s stakeholders and this in return has led to bad publicity and reduced profitability. Consequently, the media has given a wide coverage on the company’s latest controversies meaning that it is benefiting financially because of the developing story. It is upsetting to see Qantas’ employees go on strike due to poor management issues in a company owned by various stakeholders. The shareholders, business partners, the HRM, CEO, and Nongovernmental Organizations have a major role to play in ensuring issues in the company are resolved and the company goes back to its initial profitable situation. Therefore, they need to sit down and come up with a rational plan towards improvement (Bamber, 2011). Action plan and Recommendations With the increasing incidences, there is hence a need to come up with an action plan. First, all the stakeholders must meet to discuss on ways to solve the recent crisis. In the meeting, there will be change of communication and training model to more rational models that are employee oriented. The HRM will carry out the process and engage other stakeholders to give ideas on how salary and training issues ought to be handled. The change process will take place from 1st to 28th November in the company’s boardroom. To carry out the process, the employees will be interviewed in order to show some of the areas they would need change. The entire company’s workforce and managers will be given information concerning the changed plan. The recent problems involving HRM function has caused the company to suffer financially. The Qantas airline in their website asserts that, â€Å"Qantas is committed to providing meaningful jobs with competitive salaries and superior benefits† (Qantas, n.d). However, they have failed in fulfilling their promise as the strikes reported tell a different story. In addition, they allege that they â€Å"provide targeted, quality training to the Qantas group and assists in the development of skills† (Qantas, n.d). However, the accidents reported show a major gap in their training strategy. The HRM should revisit their training and communication model and make a change on it. It is time the company moved out of a market approach change strategy that only focus on making profits and focus on employee oriented approach that consider the interests of workers. With an effective training  model, there will be workshop and focus group sessions where employees air their grievances and come up with solutions to their problems (Frances, 2009). In addition, effective HRM communication should contribute successfully to teamwork, learning, innovation, safety, and productivity (Krizan et al, 2010). Moreover, the HRM should invest heavily on their pilot candidates and ensure that they get the right training. Coming up with a HR strategic oriented communication model is important in guaranteeing that employees are at par with requirements and needs of the company. This will help in discussing paramount issues affecting the running of the company. Once there is fit between communicat ion and training model in relation to the role of the HRM, the next step should be to come up with a tactical plan on how the HR will be managing their roles to ensure there are no more scandals. The HR needs to be involved fully in daily operations of the company to ensure alignment with needs of the employees. Moreover, the HRM should come up with performance management plan, which is imperative in following up on the performance of the staff members. The HRM should also be transparent in its strategy. This means that the company’s operational and strategic agenda should be communicated clearly to workers and must be accepted. This will ensure employees’ needs are met and there are no operational challenges. In addition, its mission should be shared with other shareholders to make sure they are on the right path to correcting the image of the company. Today’s HR models recognize on the fact that people do not leave their issues at home when they are going to work. For the company to be successful, it should focus on the needs of the workers whether personal or professional. This will motivate the workers to deliver quality work. In that case, there will be less accidents and remuneration problems in the company (Frances, 2009). In addition, in training sessions, the HR should focus on changing staff members’ attitude towards work and teach them on how to have a positive attitude. This will help in motivating workers and encouraging them to air their grievances through dialogue.