Self-Awareness Through Dis-Closure, Feedback and Reflection.

Throughout this assignment I shall discuss how I have developed my self-awareness through dis-closure, feedback and reflection. â€Å"Being self-aware enables us to identify our strengths and also those areas that can be developed† (R Ashmore & D Banks 2000 p47), self-awareness is continually being developed through the reflection of our life experiences.Reflection of my life experiences has given me the opportunity to become more aware of my strengths and weaknesses through being honest and the use of disclosure firstly to myself and then to others. The Gibbs Reflective Cycle 1998 is a useful model for reflecting on a life experience to gain further self-awareness through evaluation and analysis to finally having an action plan identifying what would be done differently in the future. The more knowledge we have about ourselves, the easier it becomes to relate to others† (R Ashmore & D Banks 2000 p47), the self-concept (Murphy 1947, Argyle 1969, Burns 1980) enables us to learn more of our self through self-image, self-esteem and the self-ideal, by reflecting on each of these three parts in regard of myself I have determined that I see myself as being confident with a high self-esteem which I find makes me a friendly and approachable person however I have also realised that I have to listen more to receive feedback. When we try to see and feel the world from another person’s perspective, we are trying to be empathic. If we are successful, we will not just be able to understand the persons thoughts but also feel something of what they feel† (G Firth, R Berry, C Irvine 2010 p148) within my past career path of working with people with learning disabilities with an inability to communicate it has enabled me to develop my empathy and consideration for others, which is not to be confused with sympathy but is more of a connection towards somebody else’s feelings.By developing my connection to other people’s feelings who are unabl e to communicate verbally it has enabled me to develop non verbal cues as described in Egan’s model 1998, such as adopting an open posture with a relaxed and unhurried appearance and the importance of eye contact, however within my new career role now working with people of which most can communicate verbally I need to stay aware that the use of non-verbal cues and the tone of the voice used is still of upmost importance. Self-disclosure, a process by which we let ourselves be known to others† (R Ashmore & D Banks 2000 p48) the Johari window can be applied to increase self-awareness and focuses on the theory that being more self-aware is of great assistance in developing as an individual, within the framework of the Johari window the subject of self-disclosure is of great importance.The Johari window is composed of four parts, the open self, blind self, hidden self and the unknown self, through the use of disclosure, by sharing information from your hidden self to other s the open self increases in size and in return for disclosing information feedback is received from others, giving insight into your blind self therefore increasing your self-awareness. Appropriate disclosure avoids the two extremes and means that it is fitting, suitable, the right amount at the right time† (Egan 1990 p45), it is important to ensure the correct amount of disclosure is made so that the relationship is not put at risk. Through disclosing too little information it does not allow for the reduction of uncertainty and also doesn’t allow for the build up of trust in a relationship, yet on the other hand if too much is disclosed to soon it may cause a feeling of pressure to recipertate. Self-disclosure between the nurse and patient occurs as part of the developing therapeutic relationship, where both must determine jointly what, when, where and how if at all they will disclose themselves† (R Ashmore & D Banks 2000 p 49) I have come to realise that no two relationships are the same and progress at different time scales depending on the individual and can also be determined by several variables such as age, status, gender or personality. Ultimately the use of disclosure in a therapeutic relationship is to gain trust and encourage reciprocity. Students may consciously chose to give little personal information to patients whom they perceive as ‘risky’ and likely to abuse the self-disclosure† (R Ashmore & D Banks 2000 p55) within my current workplace it is policy not to disclose personal information to the people we provide care for which can hinder the progression of a therapeutic relationship, however as I am unable to disclose my hidden self in reflection this has made me more aware of that the use of non verbal communication and the tone of my voice towards the people I provide support for helps to build trust, although on the other hand on reflection of feedback I have received it is apparent that if I have not c ommunicated effectively due to personal issues it can affect the way others feel and reduce the trust within the relationship. â€Å"Conveniently others are constantly giving you the very feedback you need to increase self-awareness† (J A Devito 2004 p33) to receive and further develop from the feedback received we have to be active and effective listeners. Related article: Secondary Reflection ExampleListening is a skill that can be thought of as effortless and undemanding however many people fail to listen to each other actively and are often either non or partial listening, whilst doing this we may pick up on partial bits of feedback but are not receiving the entirety. On refection the skill of listening is something I need to further develop as I can often find myself not actively listening to a person I am communicating with which is hindering the development of my self-awareness. In conclusion the growth of self-awareness is continually progressing over time and is never complete â€Å"becoming self-aware is an on going process that is never complete.Therefore, self-evaluation needs to be undertaken at regular intervals† (R Ashmore & D Banks 2000 p 50), evaluation of ourselves through reflection and the feedback we receive from others is a task which should be completed frequently to enable us to recognise both our positive and negative areas and ultimately becoming more self-aware giving us the means to manage the demands of both work and personal lives. References Egan G 1990, You and Me-The skills of communicating and relating to others. Brooks/Cole, California Essential of Human Communication (Joseph A Deviot) Fifth Edition 2004 Patterns of self-disclosure among mental health nursing students, R Ashmore & D Banks 2000, Nurse education today (2001) 21,48,57 Harcourt Understanding Intensive Interaction (G Firth, R Berry, C Irvine) 2010 Jessica Kingsley

Compensations and Benefits Essay

Introduction When creating a benefit package for their organization, managers must take into consideration an array of conditions that will affect both the organization and the personnel it employs. These conditions range from external factors such as laws mandated by both local and federal agencies to internal factors such as administrative requirements, cost that stem from purchasing and maintaining equipment and employee incentives. By the end of this paper, I will explain the essential role each of these factors play in the establishment of an organization’s benefit package. External Factors One of the biggest, if not the largest, challenge an organization faces when seeking to recruit the best qualified personnel in hopes of building a workforce whose loyalty keeps them from seeking employment elsewhere is to design a benefit’s package that will adhere to all lawful mandates and is perceived as being fair by all employees. As noted by the author or our text, â€Å"companies establish strategic benefit plans on the interpretation of pertinent information in the external and internal environments. †(Martoccio, 2011, p. 19) Lawful mandates, or external factors, are important because failure to follow them will result in stiff penalties for the organization. Federal laws such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Social Security Act and the Federal Unemployment Act were designed to ensure employees received fair treatment from employers. The Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were designed to prevent employers from discriminating against potential employees. â€Å"The EPA was specifically enacted to end gender discrimination in pay†¦the Civil Rights Act of 1964†¦makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate against any individual†¦because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. † (Greenlaw & Kohl, 1994, p. 240) Two additional external factors to be taken into consideration or the Social Security Act (SSA) and the Federal Unemployment Act (FUA), both were designed to help personnel after they have been hired by an organization. The SSA provides that added security of an income to an employee upon retirement or in the event of being disabled and financial assistance to dependent survivors of a deceased employee. The FUA provides financial security to an employee who was released from his or her job due to no fault of their own. Having knowledge of these laws and being able to incorporate specifics within their benefits package will prove to be cost effective to any employer. Internal Factors While external factors are important, internal factors are just as important when designing a benefit plan for an organization. When implementing a benefit plan, managers must take into consideration any internal factors that might affect the organization administratively. Examples of administrative cost are establishing the pay structure within the organization, conducting wage surveys and implementing the wage structure for positions within the organization. According to Mr. Von Yeast, few people take into consideration the importance of administrative cost. â€Å"I have been in groups of experienced and knowledgeable administrators who give blank stares and refuse to comment on administrative cost. † (Von Yeast, 1994, p. 26) Another small, yet important internal factor that affects an organization’s benefit package are costs associated with purchasing, maintaining and eventually replacing equipment. The last internal factor I will use to support my claim that both external and internal factors must be taken into consideration when creating a benefit packet is the most important one to me and that is employee incentives. Employers that place high value on those with whom they employ stand a better chance of developing a loyal workforce who has a vested interest in the function of the company. The founders of Costo Wholesale Warehouse built their empire on this way of thinking. It’s â€Å"co-founder Jim Sinegal has told MMR in the past that the company’s generosity regarding worker pay and benefits is not just the right thing to do but also produces dividends that benefit the business. † (Costco, 2012, pg 20) Placing the needs of its employees first, hiring from within, and tuition re-imbursement are just a few of the benefits Costco offers its employees and as a result it has survived one of our nation’s worse economic crisis. Research has shown that Costco’s employee turn-over is minimal and customer satisfaction is up as a result of employees who have a vested interest in the organization. Although I believe Costco’s founder’s understood the value of people, they did not come to this conclusion on half-heartedly. Much thought and consideration must be taken when deciding what benefits should be included within a package. Conclusion Providing additional incentives such as educational benefits, health, dental, vision and life insurance along with paid vacation is beneficial to the organization as well as the employee. With hope, the employer will be happy because they would have hired a more educated worker who is skilled in his or her profession resulting in more productivity and the employee will perform better because of the promise of better job security and benefits that protect them and their families. In short a good benefit plan, that takes into consideration both external and internal factors will result in better productivity. Reference Costco Policy of Treating Workers Well Pays Off. (2012). MMR, 29(3), 20. Greenlaw, P. S. ; Kohl, J. P. (1994). Thirty Years of Civil Rights: The EPA/Title VII Sex-Based Wage Discrimination Controversy. Labor Law Journal, 45(4), 240. Martoccio, J. (2011). Employee benefits: A primer for human resource professionals.

Philosopher’s Argument from Contingency

The Argument from Contingency in the world of Philosophy falls from asking the question â€Å"is the Universe Contingent?†Ã‚   But how can we say that the universe does appear to be contingent?In layman’s term, contingent means when a particular thing exists for the basic reason of chance and possibilities. Some things are created and formulated by people for the necessity’s sake. It can or can not exist.However in philosophy, contingent things are being categorize exclusively from the creation of people, planet, galaxy and the universe as a whole where humans can not possibly create them. Contingent things are caused to exist by something or someone else. Something must have produced them. The argument from contingency is used by some philosophers as an attempt to discuss and prove the existence of God.In philosophy, the argument of contingency is correlated to the existence of God and whether the existence of the universe is caused by God. There are three premi ses in this argument.First premise says that everything exists has an explanation of its existence either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause. Relating to the first premise, the universe then has an explanation of its existence and that reason is God. Therefore the explanation of the universe’s existence is God which means God exists (William 2007).Philosophy also started from the journey of seeking whether the existence of the Universe had a beginning or a caused. In Aquinas attempt to explain the existence of God, he formulated the Quinque viae or five proofs for the existence of God.The basic premise of these five arguments is that something caused the universe to exist. One of the arguments created that will be discussed on this paper is the argument from contingency. In this argument, it simply says that the world must have a beginning and God is the first cause so He therefore exists. Ordinary people who have weak foundation and curiosity when it comes to faith may just easily believe in this kind of conclusion.However thinkers and believers will definitely see flaws from this argument which allotted some philosophers to discuss and dig deeper the concept of this argument. In the end, it was concluded by some philosophers that the argument from contingency is invalid proof for God’s existence.To better understand the Argument from Contingency of Aquinas, it is important to critically discuss it. Aquinas observed that in nature there are things whose existence is contingent, it can or can not exist. Since it is possible for such things not to exist, there must be some time at which such things did not in fact exist.Thus, on probabilistic grounds, there must have been a time when nothing existed. If that is so, there would exist nothing that could bring anything into existence. Thus contingent beings are insufficient to account for the existence of contingent beings, meaning there must exist a Necessary Being for which it is impossible not to exist, and from which the existence of all contingent beings is derived (Argument from Contingency†).In general, the first cause in this argument should not require a cause since the chain of cause and effects can not be of infinite length. Therefore, there must be a cause which is God that doesn’t necessarily have to be an effect.Hume treatment on the argument from the contingency is reflected on his â€Å"Dialogue Concerning Natural Religion, Part IX† through the dialogue of Demea and Cleanthes. Hume contended that when we speak of cause we mean an explanation for an event. If that is so, surely at best it remains an assumption that every event must have a cause; for no one has ever provided explanations for every event that has occurred (Tobin 2000).  Hume claimed that even if it can be proved that a necessary being existed, it still fell short of showing that God as traditionally conceived and described existed. All it shows is that there is a necessary being of some sort. Why, Hume asked, couldn’t the universe itself be the necessary being that the argument seeks to demonstrate? (â€Å"An Argument for the Contingency of the Universe†).The idea of Kant about the caused or the existence of God can be explored too. Kant pointed out that the principle of there being a cause for every event applies, especially the existence of the universe, is only known to us through the world of our sense experience. People are not even sure whether the rational way of humans’ thinking actually has reached the origins of causes and explanations. What we assume to be the first cause may just as well be due to our ignorance of the cause and explanation for it (Tobin 2000).In other words, even great thinkers can not be sure whether their sense of experience and reason already reach the idea of the caused. For Kant and Hume, the argument from Contingency is obviously invalid to prove the existence of God.Philosop her Samuel Clarke also had a version related to argument from Contingency of Aquinas. There are three premises in Samuel Clarke’s version of the cosmological argument.Clarke states that every being that exists or ever did exist is either a dependent being or a self- existent being. Like the argument from contingency, Clarke also believes that not every being can be a dependent being. Therefore, there must exist a self existent being that may or may have a cause. God exists according to Clarke but He exists as an independent being that has no cause.F.C. Copleston and Bertrand Russell’s debate on the existence of a ‘cause’ is one of the most famous and substantial argument from contingency in the contemporary world.Their debate about God’s existence in 1948 is the most enduring version and analysis about the existence of God. Copleston argues on behalf of the existence of God by reviewing and reweaving Aquinas’ argument of contingency.Russell o n the other hand gave three principal objections to the argument of contingency namely: the unreality of modality, the unreality of causation and the unreality of the world as a totality (Koons, 2000).F.C. Copleston starts out by saying that all beings and circumstances are contingent. These contingent beings must have a beginning and this beginning exists and is necessary for the existence of all other contingent beings. Copleston says, â€Å"Something does exist; therefore, there must be something which accounts for this fact, a being which is outside the series of contingent beings.†It means that contingent beings do not have a reason to exist without some beginning.   This leads to the concept of God being there who exist for the universe’s existence. In the debate, he also says that He is His own sufficient reason; and he is not a cause for Himself.Only contingent beings needs a cause but God as not contingent doesn’t need a cause. Copleston also conclude d that the existence of God is the only rational explanation to the people’s moral order of thinking. Thus, a person who loves goodness and who acknowledges moral rightness loves and acknowledges God (â€Å"A Debate on the Argument from Contingency 1948†).Bertrand Russell on the other hand, opposes Copleston on his view of the existence of God. He states that he does not agree with the suggestion of the word contingent and said it is a useless word unless it will be deeply analyzed.So the concept of a necessary being is even more senseless to him. He also does not think that the word universe has any in depth meaning of its own. Russell’s strongly claims that there is no overall cause for the things of this world just like the whole human race cannot have one mother.Russell’s overall claim as oppose to the argument from contingency is that â€Å"there is no overall cause for the things of this world. He claims that there is no overall reason or cause for the existence of the universe. The world exists in its own sake and its just there and no particular meaning or purpose of its own. In answering Copleston idea of moral code imposed to human beings, Russell said that the human judgment of right and wrong is just brought about by experience.Classic and contemporary philosophers gave different point of views on the Aquinas’s argument from contingency but until now despite the liberation of thoughts, no great thinker can fully prove the existence of God.One, either believer or non believer, will always ask the question if God exists where did God came from. This is the Kant’s idea that something beyond the universe can not be fully grasp by any kind of human thinking. As long as God does not revealed Himself personally and literally in this world, there will always be agnostic and sceptics about His existence.Works Cited Page:Craig, William. Subject 2007: Argument from Contingency. Reasonable Faithwith William Lane Craig .http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5847Tobin Paul 2000, Thomas Aquinas and the Five Ways. The Rejection of  Pascal's Wager, A Skeptics Guide to Chistianityhttp://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/aquinas.html#2wayâ€Å"An Argument for the Contingency of the Universe† 2007. Undetached Rabbit  Parts. Western Michigan University. 2007http://wmuphilosophy.blogspot.com/â€Å"Argument from Contingency†. Encyclopedia.http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Argument- from-contingency#The_argument_from_contingencyTeuberr, Andreas 2008. â€Å"Four of Aquinas' Five Ways and Samuel Clarke'sVersion†. Cosmological Argument. Brandeis University. The President and Fellows of Harvard College.http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/philcosmo.htmlKoons, Robert 2000. Defeasible Reasoning, Special Pleading and the  Cosmological Argument. University of Texas.http://www.arn.org/docs/koons/rk_defeasible.htmâ€Å"A Debate on the Argument from Contingency of Fat her F.C. Copleston andBertrand Russell† 1948. Third Program of the British Broadcasting Corporation.http://www.catholicapologetics.info/catholicteaching/philosophy/conting.htm

TRIANGLE The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle Essay

TRIANGLE The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle - Essay Example The Triangle factory was not the best example of its kind in New York, but it was not the worst either. In a single working day, a thousand blouses would take shape, involving the work of machine operators, quality checkers, foremen, bookkeepers, shipping clerks, taking up their places on the top three floors of the ten storey Asch building which were devoted solely to the production of shirtwaist blouses. Factory owners and town planners had a duty, in theory at least, to observe general principles of safety and health, but everyone knew that â€Å"in reality, no one - contractors or city authorities - paid meaningful attention to laws against crowding.† (Drehle, p. 47) In the rush to produce ever more blouses, and of course to bring in ever greater profits, the bosses used to cut corners and push their workers to the limits. In some cases there were signs that they even went beyond the limits, as for example when they short-changed the workers’ pay, or tampered with t he clocks to make sure lunch breaks were short, and working days were long. (von Drehle, p. 7) After all, the more money the company made, the more secure the jobs were, and the more money the workers made also. The terrible events that occurred on the afternoon on Saturday, March 25, 1911 have caused citizens across America to stand up for their rights and demand that bosses be held responsible for the safety of their workers. This single dreadful fire which caused the deaths of almost 150 loyal workers could and should have been prevented by proper fire alarm systems, and by ensuring that sufficient fire exits are available at all times to allow people working on the upper floors to descend to the street both quickly and safety. The newspaper reports speak of locked doors, broken fire escapes, and a total absence of a plan for the evacuation of the personnel. Some have argued that the design of the Triangle factory was progressive and modern, since it had lofty roof spaces and a l ayout that allowed for the use of efficient new machinery. The machines made clothing faster, but at the same time there were dangers in every sharp angle, and every unguarded cutting edge, every moving needle. It is marvellous what modern science can do but at the same time this event shows that there is just as big a need to use our skills to design and implement systems for the protection of the workforce. It is just not acceptable that we have the knowledge to build sprinkler systems and fireproof stairways (Von Drehle, p. 195) but that we choose not to use it just because of the trouble and cost that they add to the construction costs of the workplace. The Triangle disaster points to one of the biggest problems that face twentieth century America: the greed for profit which is sought at the expense of individual workers’ rights. Each person who died in that factory had a family back at home, who now will suffer for the rest of their lives from the memory of what happened , and the traumatic events that were described by the police and rescue services. Most of the people who died were young and they had their whole lives before them, and yet they were wiped out because of the drive for profit which was made at the expense of their futures. There is one

Marketing Communications. Dramatic changes Essay

Marketing Communications. Dramatic changes - Essay Example To be able to satisfy customer's wants and needs it is necessary to consider the marketing mix of the product or service the company is providing. The marketing mix involves four marketing strategy areas, namely product, price, promotion (The marketing communication and place). In marketing, the "four PS" determine how a product is made or a service provided, how much it costs, where it is distributed and how it is presented in all company's communication. Keller (2001) contends that, the role of marketing communication in modern business practices has been identified as a key factor in survival in modern day business. Companies like Sony, Tesco, Volvo, BMW, McDonald and a host of others have increasingly used the four Ps as a competitive weapon. As part of the search for business effectiveness the entire process of marketing communication is being approached in a comprehensive and unified manner where by all activities of business communication functions in unison. This approach is called Integrated Marketing Communication. This is a relatively new concept in management. It is engineered to harness all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, promotion of sales, public relation, and direct marketing in a highly focused manner eschewing the former tendency of these departments to function in isolation.Competitiveness in business the world over is so acute that survival is possible for only those organizations, which are ready to employ every possible means to increase profit by reducing cost in production, while remaining uncompromising in quality and aggressive in marketing. The account of the phenomenon of Integrated Marketing Communication by Aaker, Batra & Myers (1992) constitutes a fair working explanation of the phenomenon Having said this so far, in the remaining part of the paper, using Sony as a product and at the same time a company I will outline the key characteristic of the target audience, the communication strategies used with the impact of its marketing strategies. 1.1 Sony and the Four Ps I have chosen Sony as my institution under case study. Focusing on Sony is based on a number of important advantages. Sony is a global leader in the electronic industry, it activities have been benefited in almost all the continents. "The influence of words over men is astounding." -- Napoleon. As the whole world gears for peace, marketers and other business people talk in terms of war. We see battle words everywhere in business: Japan bashing, corporate raiders, hostile takeovers, cola wars. Marketing is war (Duncan 2001). With the advent of events, ordinary business executive fancy themselves as warriors. Aggressively attacking weak companies, and defending market shares. Positioning products in people's minds and making them attractive to market segments requires careful formulation of the marketing mix. Getting the right blend of the product, promotion price and distribution is essential to put the carefully carried out analysis into operation. The aim is to portray an image for the product or service that will match with how one wants the product to be visualized in people's mine (Keller 2001, Duncan 2001) Table 1:A summary of what constitute each of the Ps of the 4Ps Product Tangible products Psychological attributes Quality Services Benefits and features Packaging Styling Image Branding Customer service After care Guarantees Image Pricing Selling price Price positioning Distributor margins

Applied international macroeconomics projet between 1956 1986 Essay

Applied international macroeconomics projet between 1956 1986 - Essay Example Tunisia, officially known as the Tunisian Republic, is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, bordering with Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia got its independence from the French colonialism in March 20, 1956 and Habib Bourguib became the president of new state. He established a strict one-party political system with a strong hold on economy and state resources and their allocation. One of Tunisia’s outstanding characteristics is its remarkable economic development, sustained over many decades and currently driven by a process of market liberalization and integration into world markets (Country Cooperation Strategy for WHO and Tunisia 2005–2009, 2006, p. 7).Historically, Tunisian economy has gone through fluctuating periods of growth and instability. Its has gone through a transition period of a centrally planned to a more privately managed economy and stabilization and later as a structural reform programs.The purpose of f ollowing paper is to briefly highlight the important aspects of Tunisian economy during1956 to 1986 period. The paper discusses important economical during this era by splitting it into two sub-periods; namely;- Transition period of a centrally planned to a more privately managed economy and the stabilization (1956- 1970), and - An era of structural reform programs (1971- 1986).Tunisia, officially known as the Tunisian Republic, is situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, bordering with Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. ... crisis and instability. Its has gone through a transition periods of a centrally planned economy to a more privately managed economy and the stabilization (since 1956 to 1970) , and structural reform programs 1986-87. W can divide this entire period of economic developments into two sub- periods namely; - Transition period of a centrally planned to a more privately managed economy and the stabilization (1956- 1970), and - An era of structural reform programs (1971- 1986). Transition Period of a Centrally Planned to a more Privately Managed Economy and the Stabilization ;1956- 1970. At the time of independence in 1956, Tunisia was facing a crippling economic position mainly because of the huge transfer of money abroad by the wealthy Europeans, who had left the country. Yet the country and its leadership were quite optimistic and had strong determination in their potential and progress. They set their targets mainly focusing on education, modernization agriculture and infrastructure and industrialization and heavily invested in these sectors. Although these were fine priorities, yet unfortunately in sixties, they could not reap enough of the benefits to the masses because of their long term investment requirements and strict government policy control over theses sectors. During this period per capita income could not increase with an increase in investment. Government strict policy control over economy resulted a rapid increase of money supply and aggregate demands. These factors considerable increased the inflation rate and above all raised foreign payment imbalance. More than 70% of investment was public. More than half of total investment was based on

Sphalerite Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sphalerite - Essay Example As sphalerite is soft and fragile it is mostly best left unset as collectors or museum pieces. Gem-quality material is usually a yellowish to honey brown, red to orange, or green There are a number of ways sphalerite is formed; bacteria also play a role in its formation. In the regions where there is low oxygen solution such as flooded tunnels the bacteria's take in zinc and sulfur from the water and combine them to create a byproduct of sphalerite known as sulfide, which reacts with the metals including zinc creating insoluble products. This build up of microbial precipitation by the bacteria have led to the discovery of large zinc sulfide deposits by the miners. The biofilm formed is grey in color and is further developed naturally to form sphalerite. Sphalerite is a cubic crystal with zinc and sulfur atoms tetrahedrally coordinated. This structure is similar to that of diamond. The hexagonal analogue is known as wurtzite structure. The lattice constant for zinc sulfide in the zincblende crystal structure is 0.596 nm, calculated from geometry and ionic radii of 0.074nm (zinc) and 0.184nm (sulfide). It forms ABCABC layers. Sphalerite is obtained from underground mining. ... It forms ABCABC layers. Mining Sphalerite is obtained from underground mining. It is the ore of zinc that is formed in veins which are layers of rocks and minerals formed underground. It is found in sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. Sphalarite accumulates in deposits which can extend far underground. Thus underground mining is most suitable; other methods would be too expensive and difficult. The underground excavation is determined by strip ratio method which is the total amount of waste materials that need to be removed in proportion the amount of ore. Thus minimum possible waste is extracted. The underground mine of sphalerite consist of sophisticated network of tunnels, shafts and equipments. It is entered through a shaft, a horizontal tunnel or an adit which is a horizontal entry way. There are several levels in the underground mine and sphalerite in mined in rooms called stopes. It is drilled and blasted out taking care of the ceiling so that the mine does not collapse. Sphalarite mining process involves a number of equipments. Continuous mining machines are used which cut through rocks and pull them up, even separating the unusable ore from waste rock all in one system. Dump trucks are used in the mine to carry material to appropriate locations to different parts of the mine. At times shuttle cars are also used. Today in the modern era mining is a highly technological and mechanized process. Sophisticated vehicles, rail systems and state-of-the-art drilling systems are bought from manufacturers and suppliers. Ventilation systems pump in fresh air while removing poisonous gases and dust. Also, the roof is supported by timber, concrete or even steel supports. Steel rods are

Today's Mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Today's Mother - Essay Example Being a mother in the modern world implies being capable of juggling amid family life and career life. It involves bushel of stress and sometimes results in a lot of guilt especially if the mother cannot meet the dubious societal expectations. The mothers are supposed to bear babies but requests for maternal leaves are sometimes viewed with resentment. Modern women and particularly mothers are overstrained with idealistic expectations of motherly perfection. The unrealistic expectations are inflicted by the society or they impose on themselves. The standards set for the woman to meet are unrealistic and detrimental to the mother’s personal and professional existence. A professional mother is expected to fulfil obligations such as breastfeeding without taking advantage of artificial options available. A mother who chooses to wean their children in less than two years feels guilty and inadequate since the society views such attempts with condescension. The pressure to meet the s ocietal expectations of motherhood and retain their own identity as professionals harries modern mothers. This paper focuses on how the modern demands of motherhood has challenged and undermined the identity and status of women in the society. The working mother has no choice but to act perfect and not grumble on her shortfalls to avoid being perceived as amateurish. They also have to avoid talking of any hitches they may be going through to make the word believe they can effortlessly manage between their career life and family life or else they will be disparaged (Fay, 2012). Mothers are supposed to make sacrifices on their careers, be homemakers, and become dependent on their husbands for financial needs in order to meet the societal expectations and standards. Mothers who choose to employ house helps are branded as incompetent mothers. Any misbehaviour on the children is blamed on the mother. After giving birth, the mother is supposed to ensure she retains her youthful look or el se the husband is free to be unfaithful if they are discontented with their wives. Unlike in the1950s when women did not have to work modern women have to manage both their career life and find time to be with their children as well as husbands. Lack of government policies such as paid family leave make it impossible for most mothers to breast-feed their children since most have to work in order to support their families or supplement their husband’s earnings. However, they still receive great criticism if they choose other options such as taking their children to daycares to create time to meet other obligations. Women face great challenges principally those who chose to engage in politics as they are subjected to chauvinist jokes. A woman who chooses to dedicate her life in politics is labelled a bad mother irrespective of whether she has proved otherwise (Fay, 2012). Modern women have to balance between work, love life, and family. Demand such as taking care of babies part icularly breastfeeding binds women to be homemakers. The women schedules are rigid such that it is almost impossible for them to nurse their babies and work at the same time. Having a proper social life is almost impossible for some mothers. Women have to keep apologizing to their bosses for being mothers especially when their motherhood commitments such as childbearing cannot allow them achieve their obligations at work (Badinter, 2012) Some people like Badinter blame the problem on the aspiration women to be liberal mothers. She claims modern mother can somehow be blamed for the strain they have to undergo as they try to prove to the society that they are capable of being career women and practice traditional motherhood. She claims that contemporary motherhood undermines mother’

Leadership in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Leadership in Nursing - Essay Example In this regard, one can found innumerable cases and examples where nurses have been caring and have brought changes in patients’ lives. For this reason, nursing (Peterson’s, 2010) is a respectable and a profession in demand, and will always remain respectable and in demand. At the same time, I believe that nursing though being a profession is an art that involves some personal touches from the individual, as one can acquire nursing-related education from the academic institution but to be a nurse, one should be caring, compassionate, considerate, etc that becomes an art and a self-thing rather than a job. Since my childhood until now, I went through different phases that brought me closer to the families living in my community. Our neighborhood was a tight-knit locality where celebration or even tragedy would become friends and even strangers come together to celebrate or share the moments jointly. In this regard, my decision to go in the nursing profession (Petersonâ⠂¬â„¢s, 2010) was an outcome of a moment of my life when I came across a tragedy, death of a loved one in our community. While recalling my memory, I remember the feelings of compassion and kindness that everybody in the community showed to each other, especially during final days of that loved one. I saw how each individual reduced the pain in a different way as everybody took the death in his or her own perspective. In specific, from that experience, I now relate and interact with patients and their family members as someone from my community that went through the same experience of losing a loved one and that enables me to reduce my anxiety, and at the same time, reduce their pain during taking care of the patients. In other words, nowadays, I put efforts to acquire a different perspective of life in an optimistic manner and employ my knowledge and learning of medical education as my contribution as a nurse. Besides the experiences that influenced me in becoming a registered nurs e, my connection with God has been another notion that has been facilitating me in appreciating people and their relationships, and this relation helps me in taking life as it happens. In this regard, I believe that service is not a thing of everyone and different events of my life and relationship with God has taught me that the major purpose of life is to live for others and very few have really the heart to do that. The learning I have acquired through being a Registered Nurse at the Fresenius Medical Center, as well as at Jefferson Hills Manor have influenced me to perform my best for the betterment of other people both on and off duty. Besides acquisition of Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from California University of Pennsylvania, experiences such as volunteering had been very constructive in making me an ambitious person that now ignites me to do everything in life for the sake of other people. In addition, working as dynamic organizations such as Fresenius Medical Cen ter and Jefferson Hills Manor as a registered nurse and patient care technician, I have been successful in developing calmness, character, and skills to be caring in the

The Normalising Machine Essay Example for Free

The Normalising Machine Essay The normalising machine has two parts to it and I am going to talk about the first part that is what we did in the lessons. We started off by looking at the characters. We had to make a little improvisation up about how the characters are put across to us. We used still images, role plays and prepared improvisations. We had to make it obvious that the characters were greedy, manipulative and just plain stupid. The lessons then progressed and we started to take scenes from the normalising machine book. We made it, again obvious that the characters were greedy, manipulative and plain stupid. We took each lesson one at a time and kept trying to make it more and more obvious that the characters are who they are and people had to guess who was who in the play. We looked at everyone elses performances and discussed their ideas and attitudes towards the play. Some examples of the other groups ideas are: Using different levels, pushing people down to make it seem like they are in control, using still images to emphasise the point they are putting across and using split staging to make it obvious of what they are doing. We discussed how these ideas helped the drama to progress onto the next stage which was trying to be over the top within the role of a character from the normalising machine. I found it very hard to be over the top and I think a lot of other people in the class did too. The drama had to be over the top because the play is very comical and if we werent over the top then it would have just been plain, simple, boring and totally rubbish. I thought that being over the top was a good thing to do but it is also a very hard thing to do. For instance, when Rudolf met Trudy at the tube station, he was so over the top and so outrageous that some people actually got worried that they were too over the top. Also when Rudolf met Mr and Mrs Tolerant he was also very over the top. This was very effective because the Mr Tolerant wanted to beat Rudolf up and he actually got scared of Rudolf because the character was full of beans and giddy as some people said, and when Mrs Tolerant said Rudolf was em barrassing her he got frustrated and worked up as some people said and he told Mr Tolerant to ask him to leave but Mr Tolerant insisted that he stayed. The only thing with Rudolf is that he sometimes gets worked up and feels frustrated because he is doing things wrong when he actually isnt but he thinks he is. Ben percent is Grace Beverly Brices P.R agent. He is the manipulated, sly and cunning character in the play. He swindles his way into the eyes of Grace Beverly Brice and becomes the official spokes person of Judge Juniper Jones. In the scene were he meets Grace Beverly Brice he shows her the contracts of some other people who arent actually celebrities any more but Grace Beverly Brice doesnt realise this and as Ben Percent manipulates her into agreeing to draw up a contract, he gave a sly grin and walks away only wanting 10% of the money she makes from the normalising machine. Also, Ben Percent was the person who finalised Doctor Michael Molecule because Ben got very worked up that Michael Molecule was spreading rumours about Grace Beverly Brice. In this scene we see that when Doctor Michael Molecule enters the room with Ben Percent in it that whoever was in control of the other person would stand up and the person who had no control had been pushed down onto a chair. This is a very effective way of doing things because the audience could see who was and who wasnt in control at that point, and as Ben percent offers for Doctor Michael Molecule to come back on the project of the normalising machine with the excuse that they need something to clear the dust from inside the machine and asks him what he wants to do, Ben Percent pushes Doctor Michael Molecule into the normalising machine and finalises him and gives a very sly and cunning laugh. This was also very effective because the book play shows that Ben percent is a very manipulating any character even if it means finalising them. Grace Beverly Brice is the character that completed the normalising machine because Doctor Michael Molecule got frustrated and couldnt finish it because he didnt know what to add to sedate the radicals and the badicals so Grace Beverly Brice stepped in to finish the project and completed the machine to become a billionaire. Grace Beverly Brice is a manipulated character and a very innocent character who knows what she wants to do with her life but when it all boils down to it she is manipulated by Ben Percent. All the scenes in this play were sometimes complicated to put together and to drop thoughts on, on how to bring the scene together so it looked like the person who was in charge was in charge and the person who was being manipulated was manipulated and the person who was manipulating was manipulating. I think some people found it very hard to be the character they was meant to be playing and to make it seem like they was in charge etc but the groups the people were in dropped some good thoughts and put it all together brilliantly and it looked very professional. I am now going to talk about the development and presentation that the class did. Both groups based their plays on the normalising machine but changed the lines a bit except for my group. We based half of our development and presentation on the normalising machine. This part was the head teachers scene in the normalising machine book. We then went from that scene to a Blind Date scene which was called now been normalised and that was based on the characters from the normalising machine who had been normalised in the normalising machine and wanted to take Trudy on a romantic date. The characters we used are: Trudy, Ben Percent, Doctor Michael Molecule, Rudolf Right and Anthony Badlad. We used these characters because they are the most manipulating, over the top and vile characters in the book. We then used another scene from the book were Trudy takes Rudolf home to meet her parents. This scene is so over the top that even Rudolf was nearly laughing at himself because it was so funny a nd then we went back to the Head teacher who finished the whole play off by using smart and witty comments to make it so that he was put across as evil and cruel. We did this by making him have a very deep voice and made him to shout at the top of his voice for further credit to the character. Over all I think this project was very good fun and we used a lot of skills to put across our point that the characters are who they are. Some of the skills we used are: still images, Role play, development and presentation, role within a role, hot seating, split staging and many more. All the plays that the other groups made were very good. They used all the skills that were needed in the scenes they were acting and even used more skills that werent needed but they put them in any way to make it even better for the audience to watch.

The world urban slum population

The world urban slum population Introduction In recent years, the worlds urban poverty growing than before, social problems also lead to further highlight. With the deepening of urban poverty, it has become unsafe hidden in social and economic life. The urban poor people have many problems not to be effectively solved; they are unemployment, social security, distribution system, social equity and social development and so on. Since the middle 20th century, along with the accelerated process of urbanization and urban population density increased, the worlds urban population increased from 30% to now about 50%, this figure will be close to 60% to 2030. The population increased has brought a significant increase in the urban poor and slum issues become increasingly prominent. Currently, nearly 10 million people in worldwide are living in urban slums. And according to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2006) more than 13 million deaths annually are due to preventable environmental causes. Among them, the most populous slum in Asia , this figure represents the worlds urban slum population of more than half of the total. In the globalization process led to poverty and social inequality, in 2030 urban slum population will grow to about 2 billion. Slums represent the worst city in the current poverty and inequality, its emergence and existence of many factors. Among them, the war and the regional situation of unrest led to a significant increase in refugees, migrants quickly to urban migration, urban poverty and inequality were increased, living without protect, these are all the causes of slums. So this report will discuss different solutions to poverty in urban areas. Firstly the author describes the causes and effect, and then the report will talk about problems and how to solute these problems. The author will use reading much information from books, journals and internet to collect data, What means of urban poverty? Urban poverty generally refers to individuals or families to rely on labor income and other legitimate income could not sustain their basic needs for survival in urban areas. 1. Cause and effect 1.1 causes Uneven distribution of urban poverty groups lead to the existence and rapid expansion of the important factors. With urban poor groups, unemployment, social security, distribution system, social equity are all problems in social development and these problems did not been effectively resolved and sufficient attention. With the passage of time and social gap between rich and poor growing, global cities in the number of poor people from poverty being gradually towards the long-term poverty, social poverty in the formation of a large group. 1.2 effects In modern society, the fastest growing community is slums, slums are growing center of crime and violence, in terms of climate change, urban poverty is one of the largest sources of pollution, in this global village, someone elses poverty very soon become their own problems: lack of market products, illegal immigration, pollution, AIDS, other diseases, insecurity, crime, religious fanaticism, terrorism. People can no longer ignore the plight of slum dwellers. If people ignore these problems, it may be a serious social exclusion, with the attendant threat to peace and security, this is the adverse effects. 2. Problems 2.1 Refugees and migrant populations have high rates of poverty. 2.2 Poor living conditions. Slums are usually the worst health conditions in urban areas, and even waste materials pile up land (including industrial toxic waste), groups living in slums, often suffering from various diseases caused by pollution, slum women and their children the biggest victims of these problems. The streets are dirty, some times many people have to share one toilet. The dirty condition may cause diseases and especially for children, they are easier to get ill (Practical Action, 2008). 2.3 Basic life, health and employment are not protected. One of the main urban underemployment in recent years, some countries and regions due to growing poverty and political instability and war continued, leading to a large number of refugees fleeing their homes to escape war and poverty and to change part of a influx of relatively well-developed and there is no war in the city. 2.4 Urban poverty increased and serious underemployments lead to all kinds of crime. Modern society, the work requires not only the employed have a higher level of scientific and cultural knowledge, while the extensive application of science and technology result in decreased employment. Thus, many cities people who are low education and older age were significantly reduced employment opportunities, making the city are suffering from the rapid expansion of vulnerable groups, vulnerable groups in cities grow crimes, including violent crime is more prominent. 2.5 Urban poor and disadvantaged groups live in the bottom of society, social status is low and even some of the extreme poor people have not basic social security benefits. 3. Solutions 3.1 Through legislation to clear the main responsibility of the parties to the social security. Through the legislature to develop the appropriate social security laws and regulations, they clearly defined responsibilities of the principal parties to the social security. 3.2 Establish effective social security system. Related departments need to further improve the urban minimum living security system. Workers not only should have a minimum wage, but also establish an effective system of Family Planning survey, the conditions to help the inhabitants of current income and family status of assets and other income combined, clear procedures for poor residents to apply for assistance, protect the rights of poor residents. 3.3 The establishment of urban public housing policy as soon as possible. Poor living conditions for the poor, the Government should build public housing, to help poor people improve their living conditions. Currently low-rent housing policy introduced in some cities and their integration into the social assistance system. The system should be firmly follow the fair, the principle of open, unified per capita housing area, and ensure that housing conditions were extremely difficult for low-income residents have access to limited housing support. 3.4 The establishment of poor medical assistance policy. The health care of poor people is an increasingly prominent social problems, disease caused poor people worsened the living conditions and even fall into despair. Therefore, people need to establish a poverty-oriented medical assistance system, the system helps relieve the pressure on poor peoples lives, it is also social development and progress and an important part of social equity. Of course, this system reduces the medical burden of the poor people, but not free. 3.5 Improve peoples education level, because of financial or personal problems, lots of young people have no chance to gain better education. Consequently, with the purpose of guarantee citizens security, related organizations can help some poor students to entry universities and give them more opportunities. For instance, the organizations can provide funding to students, or build a committee to collect funds from society; they can also consulate with universities to reduce the tuition fee or provide jobs to students. From these solutions, it is not only benefit for students, but also for whole education system. 3.6 Try to change the appalling living conditions; people should not dispose sewage in anywhere. People should reduce garbage and collect all rubbish to a special place, please do not thrown away or burning rubbish. People can create a good living space. 3.7 Urban poverty lead to all kinds of crime, the best ways to solute this problem, maybe community help poor people to study different kinds of vocational education and improve the quality of the poor people; they also can improve basic education policy and try to make more people to go to school; society can strengthen ethics and law education so that people understand not to do illegal things; community can establish a social security system, it maybe eliminate the poor peoples worried, and they also need to strengthen external management of the domicile population. Conclusion In conclusion, this report talk about urban poverty and it impacts our world in different aspects, there are many problems, and people need to give the suggestions to solute these problems. Overall, poverty is a serious instability factors, because this is a very difficult question, we need more concerned about this problem so that more people and community groups aware of the seriousness, to get more help, the agency can try to solve the problem within the maximum range. Reference E. Moreno (2003) Slums of the World: The face of urban poverty in the new millennium? Giusti de Perez, R. Perez, R. (2008) Analyzing Urban Poverty: GIS for the Developing World. http://gis.esri.com/esripress/shared/images/139/URBAN_ch01.pdf Masika, R., de Haan, A. Baden, S. (1997) Urbanization and urban poverty: a gender analysis. BRIDGE, Report No 54. http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/reports/re54.pdf Perlman, J., Hopkins, E. Jonsson, A. (1998) Urban solutions at the poverty/environment intersection. http://www.megacitiesproject.org/publications_pdf_mcp01solutions.pdf Practical Action (2008) Urban Poverty. http://practicalaction.org/shelter/urbanpoverty_background S. Li (2007) Unemployment, Inequality and Poverty in Urban China Taylor Francis; 1 edition

Cultural Imperialism Theory Analysis

Cultural Imperialism Theory Analysis What is the ‘cultural imperialism’ thesis and how valid is it today? Discuss with reference to relevant theory and examples. The best way to understand what cultural imperialism is, is by analysing its difference from the traditional modes of imperialism. This theory has been developed through a long line of historical events, especially ones that developed around the relationship of the west with the rest of the world and led to our contemporary society and whether or not this society is a big global culture due to cultural imperialism. In this essay I intend to explain the difference between imperialism and cultural imperialism, present the multiple forms it can be discussed and understood based upon and go through some historical events, important to define its concept. The second part of the essay will be more focused on the global perception of western media within non-western countries and several globalization and cultural globalization developments, in order to understand whether or not cultural imperialism is valid in our modern society, as far as these globalization developments are concerned. Imperialism, as a concept we have come across through history, is the policy of expansion of control or authority exercised in foreign entities as a means of obtaining and/or maintaining an empire (Hopper,2007, Ritzer,2011). This term is usually used to describe the political domination of one, usually stronger, nation to other countries, whether that domination is practised with direct territorial conquest or indirect methods of political and economic controlling. This political or traditional imperialism though is quite different from cultural imperialism, although the lines of distinction are usually blurred (Harvey,2003). Even though imperialism is usually used in conversations about politics or wars, cultural imperialism thesis describes the process within which a dominant culture penetrates the modern world system and how its dominating stratum, values and attitudes are spread to foreign cultures, creating unequal relationships between them, favouring the more developed and pow erful one (Hopper,2007, Schiller,1976). In other words, it is the concept within which certain dominant cultures, mainly western ones, threaten to overcome other more vulnerable ones (Tomlinson,1993). This term therefore is usually associated with globalization processes and deterritorialization, where culture seems to not necessarily be related only to geographical and social territories (Ritzer,2011). The fact that some cultures appear to be subordinate to others, within the concept of cultural imperialism is a natural social phenomenon which occurs at a later stage of a long historical chain of colonialism (Hopper,2007), that allowed western cultures to force their beliefs and values on areas, such as Africa or Asia, that were not traditionally inhabited by populations same as the metropolitan authority that conquered them. Since at some point in history West Europe controlled most of the world, they had easily penetrated societies for centuries, introducing the western civilisation to them and undermining their local heritages. All those undermined localities and cultures resulted to a modern world system, where West Europe does not rule most of the world anymore but has left its fundamental characteristics there, only to be re-enforced by the contemporary Trojan horse ‘for penetrating foreign cultures’, the media. After the Second World War and the end of the tradi tional European colonization, the two superpowers that emerged, the USA and the USSR, realised early enough their benefits from cultural imperialism and, more specifically, media imperialism to promote their authority along with their ideals. Media imperialism is the theory which suggests that smaller nations are in risk of losing their traditional cultural identities due to western mass media dominance (Ritzer, 2011). The USA’s use of cultural imperialism and the mass media then, empowered their position as the most powerful and, consequently influential, country in the world, enabling them to lead the way in terms of food or drink ( McDonalds, KFC, Coca Cola) or film and entertainment industry (Hollywood cinema). The promotion of American culture therefore has become another layer of cultural imperialism and the mere exposure of western media to other nations has created a sense of American superiority in the world, resulting to individual and traditional cultural identitie s to risk being forsaken forever (Hopper, 2007). Debates on media imperialism as a sub-category of cultural imperialism appeared first during the 1970’s when unequal media flows and absolute control over them by dominant nations increased over developing countries. By the time new and more powerful media appeared, during the 1980’s-1990’s, it became much more difficult for smaller nations to resist them and for local media outlets to survive (Boyd-Barret, 1998). This new form of imperialism did not only affect developing countries’ media but also the shaping of their local cultures, receiving also a lot of criticism over the years, since according to Ritzer, ‘it undermines the existence of alternate global media from developing countries, as well as their influence of the local and regional media’ (2011). Also, it considers the audience to be passive and ready to accept and interpret the same medium exactly the same way as everyone else in the world. This is problematic since audiences aroun d the world have many, big or small, differences between them which cause them to interpret things their own way. For example, The Simpsons is a very popular show throughout the world, translated in several languages and shown in many countries. However it contains various references of drugs, sex and drinking which make it difficult for the show to be shown as it is in every country, since references like that may cause offence in certain places, like Pakistan for example. That is why it is edited to be suitable for its target audience, which proves that audiences can interpret the same medium in lots of different ways. Another reason why media imperialism is criticised, is the fact that most media flows from developed countries to developing ones are controlled entirely by one company or owner, who decides what gets to be shown or gets censored. Those media therefore, could be very biased and untrustworthy and since they create a type of cultural dependency between the developed a nd developing countries, being biased means that the smaller nations would be completely controlled and exploited. Moreover, capitalism came to re-enforce media imperialism and the contemporary, capitalist driven system it creates as ‘the primary driving force behind cultural globalization’ (Ritzer, 2011). Despite the debates and arguments against media imperialism though, the existence of new global media which subsequently allowed several cultural characteristics to flow easily all over the world, creating a more global culture, is a fact. Culture, as in the shared sense of habits, traditions and beliefs of a country, society or a group of people (Cambridge Learner’s Dictionaries) is usually associated and defined within specific geographical barriers. For example, there is Cypriot culture in Cyprus, French culture in France and so on. The possibility though, that cultural and media imperialism create for a globalized culture to exist is mostly based on the deterritorialization theory. Based on this concept, the growing presence of social forms of control and involvement goes beyond the limits of a specific territory (Giddens, 1990). Deterritorialization therefore, is the transformation that occurs on local cultures from the impact the media and communications have on them, ca using them to no longer be as defined with local geography as they once were (Tomlinson, 2007). Deterritorialization then has become a general cultural condition, re-enforcing the idea that more and more cultures throughout the world are the same. Examples of instantaneous global communications, such as television or the internet, support the formation of a globalized culture, along with the English language considered to be the world’s global and information language. Another example of how traditional cultures can easily be derived from globalization and deterritorialization concepts, is how the residents of Fiji, particularly women, changed their traditional preferences of robust, full figure bodies and started dieting for the first time, resulting in health problems like anorexia or bulimia, after being introduced to television and western media in 1995 (BBC News). This influence of the USA or other western countries on smaller nations, as far cuisine, technology, busines s practises, political techniques, entertainment, fashion or food are concerned is known as Americanization or Westernization and is one of the effects of cultural imperialism (Hopper, 2007). Another theory is the cultural hybridization theory, which emphasizes on how the world seems to have become a smaller place and also on the interaction between the global and the local that has created new types of unique hybrid cultures that are neither global or local (Hopper,2007, Ritzer, 2011). In other words, it describes the ways in which different cultures create new forms and connections with each other, developing new types of cultures from the blending of their individual characteristics. A specific term about cultural hybridization came out of Roland Robertson’s (2011) work on the interaction of the global and the local and how the first, instead of eliminating the second, combines itself with it resulting to new forms of localities, based on the global. This term is glocalization and an example of it could be how internationally known companies slightly alter some of their products based on their locations and audiences. More specifically, Pringles’s flavour s in the USA range between original, salt or vinegar while in Asia you can find flavours such as seaweed or peppered beef. Due to phenomena like this and according to Ritzer (2011) ‘globalization leads to increasing sameness throughout the world’, resulting in cultural convergence, with the McDonaldization theory as a main example of it. McDonaldization theory was first introduced by George Ritzer in 1993 and uses the principles of the fast-food restaurant company as its model, to prove how some specific principles ‘are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society, as well as the rest of the world’ (Rtizer, 2011). With five principles, McDonaldization theory shows how the world can become more globalized, exactly the same way the fast-food restaurant became globally known and successful, with restaurants built in almost every country in the globe. The five dimensions, according to Ritzer, are efficiency, as in the way of finding the best possible method for accomplishing a task, calculability, which means emphasizing on the quantity rather than the quality of products, so that customers get more amounts of product in less period of time; predictability, as in the stereotypical way in which employees and customers are expected to behave in everywhere in the world and control, as in the con trolling or even replacement of employees by technology. The fifth dimension, is the so-called irrationality of rationality, which refers to when something that is normally considered to be rational is in fact exactly the opposite and sometimes can also be described as dehumanization, for the employees and/or the customers. These principles have Mcdonaldized many aspects of contemporary society, emphasizing the convergence even more. The modern trend of ‘speed-dating’ for example, is a McDonaldized way of the traditionally time-consuming process of meeting new people, since in this case potential partners gather up for short face-to-face meetings with each other. Also, the use of the Internet as the standard tool for the process of getting and exchanging information, making libraries more and more obsolescence is another example. Based on the aforementioned aspects of globalization and global culture in relation to cultural imperialism, there appears to be a general view that one cannot adequately grasp the relevance of globalized culture through the cultural imperialism thesis alone. That is because it oversimplifies the process of information flow, which is normally complex and unpredictable, by suggesting there is only a one-way flow of imperialism, from stronger nations to less powerful ones. Such a suggestion could not possibly be absolutely valid, especially nowadays, when more non-western countries, such as India, have started to grow into powerful, out-sourcing exporters, e.g. Bollywood movies (Hopper, 2007). It also overlooks the importance of the international relations between developed and developing countries, since the influence of the western media on non-western societies is somehow bound to them. Where those relations are not as good, then it is obviously unlikely that the influence of the me dia will affect the local population. This, in addition, is proven by the national media systems and protectionism applied by some European countries, like Canada and France as a form of rejection and protest against the American domination in the European film market. This form of resistance to Americanization is overlooked by the cultural imperialism thesis, as well as Stuart Hall’s (1973) encoding and decoding theory, which suggests that there are various different ways in which audiences can decode the same media text. To conclude, it is understandable that cultural imperialism is a very vague concept which can be understood in specific forms regarding specific contexts of imperialism, media and globalization processes. It establishes connections between developed and developing countries for print media, television, radio, film or consumer goods, creating a new form of imperialism in its core, the media imperialism, which allows western media and therefore culture to easily spread the information they want to convey the world and continue being a superpower. That makes cultural imperialism an expansion of cultural values re-enforcing a dominating ‘global’ culture through products or commodities diffused with cultural values that are strengthened by media imperialism. The media are after all a very important part of people’s daily lives. The cultural imperialism thesis though has created several debates and arguments over the years, about whether or not it is the right thesis to describe and evaluate our contemporary culture, as far as globalization processes are concerned. Due to all the critiques about how it overlooks important aspects of society, information flow and media theories in general, it is mostly considered to be a negative way of understanding media globalization and global culture and therefore it is not as valid as it seems to be in our contemporary society. Bibliography CAMBRIDGE Learners Dictionary 2007 Giddens, Anthony. The Consequences Of Modernity. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1990. Hall, Stuart. Encoding and Decoding In The Television Discourse. Birmingham [England]: Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham, 1973. Harvey, David. The New Imperialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Hopper, Paul. Understanding Cultural Globalization. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2007. Lenin, Vladimir IlÊÂ ¹ich. Imperialism, The Highest Stage Of Capitalism. New York: International Publishers, 1982. News.bbc.co.uk,. BBC News | Health | TV Brings Eating Disorders To Fiji. N.p., 1999. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. Robertson, Roland. Globalization. London: Sage, 1992. Schiller, Herbert. Communication and Cultural Domination. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, 1973. Oliver Boyd-Barret, Media and imperialism reformulated In Thussu, Daya Kishan(ed.) Electronic Empires: Global Media and Local Resistance. London: Arnold, 1998. Tomlinson, John. Cultural Imperialism. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991. Tomlinson, John. Cultural Imperialism: A Critical Introduction. The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX: Continuum, 1991. Tomlinson, John. Internationalism, Globalization And Cultural Imperialism In K. Thompson(Ed.) Media And Cultural Regulation. London: Open University/Sage, 1997. Tomlinson, John. The Culture Of Speed. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2007.

Increasing Student Participation in College Organizations :: Business

Increasing Student Participation in College Organizations Student participation in the annual Business Society Haunted House is essential for the future of this great event. Penn State DuBois has nearly one thousand students attending classes, but on average only fifteen students volunteer their time each night over the five-day period. This presents a problem for the Business Society. If student participation continues to decrease, this event will only be a memory. During our search for possible solutions to this problem, we used several research tactics. These tactics included distributing a student survey on campus, conducting personal interviews with the co-advisors and officers to the Business Society, and also with students who were involved in past years. We also researched journal articles and made contact with department heads to show the significance of student involvement in on campus activities. If students are aware of their ability to be involved in the Haunted House, they are more likely to participate. One way to accomplish this is by increasing advertising on campus. If students are offered incentives for participating, they will. Gift certificates from area businesses and free food will entice students to donate their time. Faculty involvement is crucial for the success of the Haunted House. Our findings indicated that students would volunteer if faculty offered class points to them for doing so. INTRODUCTION Background When Halloween rolls around it means ghosts, goblins, and scary creatures come to life. At Penn State DuBois it also means the annual Business Society’s Haunted House. The Haunted House is a smashing success every year, raising thousands of dollars for local charities. These charities include the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the United Way (Muth). The Haunted House is a five-day event. There is a day of set-up that transforms the campus gymnasium into a spooky and frightening Halloween Haunted House. The completed Haunted House is then open to the public for three evenings. The fifth and final day is teardown, in which the gymnasium becomes recognizable again. Problem Description The same problem arises every year, lack of student participation. The lack of student volunteers is a continuous problem for all organizations, yet for the Haunted House it’s especially problematic. In a student survey conducted on the Penn State DuBois Campus, 88% of students said they were aware of the Haunted House; however, only 35% of students said they participated in it (Questionnaire).

Epidural In Labor :: essays research papers

Epidural Epidemic Drugs in Labor: Are They Really Necessary. . . or Even Safe? The use of epidurals is so common today that many perinatal professionals are calling the 1990s the age of the epidural epidemic. Believed by many in the medical profession to be safe and effective, the epidural seems now to be regarded as a veritable panacea for dealing with the pain of childbirth. It is true that most women experience pain during the course of labor. This pain can be intense and very real, even for those who have prepared for it. But pain is only one of many possible sensations and experiences that characterize the experience of giving birth. Barbara Katz Rothman, a sociologist who studies birth in America, writes that in the medical management of childbirth, the experience of the mother is viewed by physicians as pain: pain experienced and pain to be avoided.1 Having experienced childbirth ourselves, we have great compassion for women in painful labors. However, we also feel a responsibility to mothers and their babies to explore issues concerning the use of epidu ral anesthesia in labor issues that are seldom discussed prenatally. Several factors make the use of epidurals potentially hazardous. The Physician’s Desk Reference cautions that local anesthetics – the type used in epidurals – rapidly cross the placenta. When used for epidural blocks, anesthesia can cause varying degrees of maternal, fetal, and neonatal toxicity which can result in the following side effects: hypotension, urinary retention, fecal and urinary incontinence, paralysis of lower extremities, loss of feeling in the limbs, headache, backache, septic meningitis, slowing of labor, increased need for forceps and vacuum deliveries, cranial nerve palsies, allergic reactions, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, and seizures.2 In addition, a piece of the catheter that delivers the drug into the duraregion of the back may break off and be left in the woman, a dangerous risk that necessitates surgical removal. One of the most well-known side effects of spinal anesthesia is a spinal headache. Depending on the amount of anesthetic used and how the catheter was placed, the headache can be mild or severe, lasting between one and ten days after the birth. This is not how any of us wants to feel in our first days and hours with our newborn. Epidurals also have been linked to an overall increase in operative deliveries: cesareans, forceps deliveries, and vacuum extractions. A meta-analysis of the effects of epidural anesthesia on the rate of cesarean deliveries was undertaken by a group of physicians who examined, categorized, and analyzed all available literature.

Blue-Collar Brilliance Essay

Blue collar workers are the backbone of America. In the article, â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance†, author Mike Rose emphasizes his belief that blue collar jobs should not be viewed as mindless tasks, but rather should be acknowledged for the amount of skills and intelligence these tasks truly require. What the author essentially means is that blue collar workers acquire knowledge, intuition, and skills from the social dynamics of their workplace itself. Rose argues that we often make mistakes by judging people based on their level of education and thereby not giving them the recognition they deserve. Through observation, trial and error, and often physical and verbal assistance from others, blue collar workers develop their skills. â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance† is an article that makes us realize that formal education does not always measure the level of intelligence of a person. Blue Collar jobs require just as much intelligence as jobs that require formal academic credentials (e.g. a College Diploma) and hence should be recognized for their work. In the article, â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance†, Mike Rose disagrees with the assumption that â€Å"Intelligence is closely associated with formal education† (Mike, 247). Although the aforesaid assumption has been absorbed throughout history, Rose believes that more readings occur in the blue collar workplace than what society gives credit for. I agree with Mike Rose when he argues that although society often defines one’s IQ based on school grades, blue-collar workers develop intelligence and skills in workplace through proper planning, problem solving, and social interactions. Most blue collar Mehreen jobs are constantly faced with new problems every day, in the midst of grueling schedules, that demand instant resolution. Blue collar workers acquire intelligence, wisdom, and skills from the technological and social dynamics of their workplace. In the article, Mike Rose supports this view  by describing what he learned as a child observing how his mother was shaping her identity as a waitress in the coffee and family shops. Since then he came to realize that his mother’s work required both mental and physical strengths. In the midst of grueling work schedule, Mike’s mother learned not only how to work fast but smart as well. She acquired her knowledge and skills by studying human behavior. In her busy work schedules, she memorized tactfully who ordered what by devising mental strategies. Besides working as a waitress, Mike’s mother constantly tried to understand the psychology of her customers in an effort to provide customized services to meet their specific needs. Her experience reminds me of the time when I worked as a sales representative at an AT&T retail store in Alabama. The thought processes involved in my work was very similar to the work that Mike’s mother did. Like Mike’s mom, I devised my own mental strategy to respond to customer queries and concerns more effectively in order to satisfy demands. I often made decisions on whether or not to sell a product by observing, understanding, and interpreting the behavior of the customers. In the article, the author emphasizes that most blue color jobs require significant amount of judgment and reading than white color jobs. The author supports his views by saying, â€Å"Carpenters have an eye for length, line, and angle; mechanics troubleshoot by listening; hair stylists are attuned to shape, texture, and motion† (Mike, 251). Mike argues that the use of a tool requires motor skills to perform, because a person needs to know the main purpose of the  tool for a particular situation. By working with a tool for a long period of time, the worker becomes attuned to every aspects of the environment that enhances knowledge and perception of the job at hand. As a result, workers get more trained and disciplined. In the routine tasks of most blue collar jobs, reading is integral to workers to understand production quotas, and learn how to use an instrument. Although formal education is important, but learning how to use those skills is more important. I agree with Mike Rose’s perception of how modern day society is often reluctant to bestow upon the blue collar workers the recognition they deserve. However, I’m a strong proponent of availing every human being, regardless of their race, gender, or social status, the access to a decent education. I support the  author’s claim that people should not be judged only by the kind of work they do. While most white collar workers have higher levels of education as compared to their blue collar counterparts, they may not necessarily be more intelligent or savvy at the jobs they perform on a day to day basis. Mike is not saying that education is not important but he argues that many of the tools to become successful in the work place become routine with observation and trial and error. Education is still a very important tool but learning how to manipulate that tool and use the skills learned in the working environment to make plans and solve problems is more crucial for success. Although formal education is important, the skills and wisdom we acquire through direct experience in life are the true indicators of how intelligent a person is. Blue collar workers should be acknowledged for the work they do because they demand the same level of intelligence as jobs that require academic credentials. They perform routine tasks in the midst of difficult work schedules by reading and making proper judgment, which affects the ways they   perform their work. Regardless of the fact that most white collar workers are more educated as compared to their blue collar counterparts, they are not necessarily more intelligent at the jobs they perform. The skills which we develop through formal education are important tools but knowing how to apply those tools in real life circumstance are more important. Through social interactions, observations, and trial and error, blue collar workers learn how to successfully accomplish their tasks every day. Works Cited Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel K. Durst. â€Å"Blue Collar Brilliance.† â€Å"They Say/I Say†: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: With Readings. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. Print.

Ana Code of Ethics Essay

The ANA code of ethics as described in the book of Conceptual Foundations as: ANA’s Code of Ethics for Nurses, 2001 * 1. The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems. * 2. The nurse’s primary commitment is to the person, whether an individual, family, group, or community. * 3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient. * 4. The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse’s obligation to provide optimum patient care. * 5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth. * 6. The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving health care environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality health care and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action. * 7. The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development. * 8. The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public in promoting community, national, and international efforts to meet health needs. * 9. The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy. (Ceasia, Friberg p. 285) Description In the broadest sense, ethics are the principles that guide an individual, group, or profession in conduct. Although nurses do make independent decisions regarding patient care, they are still responsible to the profession as a whole in how those decisions are made. From the earliest concept of nursing, the proper behavior and conduct of a nurse was closely scrutinized. Florence Nightingale wrote of specific issues of conduct and moral behavior. The Nightingale pledge that was composed in 1893 by nursing instructor Lystra Gretter includes the vow â€Å"to abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.† Over the last 100 years, nursing has evolved into a very complex professional field. Nurses are now faced with life and death decisions, sometimes on an hourly basis. Medical care has advanced to the point that new technology with its potential benefit or harm to a patient changes constantly. Although the private conduct of a nurse is no longer controlled by the employer, the effects of that lifestyle on the nurse’s ability to think and respond to patients in different situations. The study of ethics is actually a branch of philosophy. The word ethics is derived from the Greek term ethos which means customs, habitual usage, conduct, and character. The study of ethics has led to the identification of basic concepts including relation of basic concepts including rights, autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity. Understanding these concepts assists the nurse with making decisions during difficult situations. Webster defines a right as â€Å"something to which one has a just claim or the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled.† Patient rights have evolved to the point that federal legislation has been passed in the United States to protect a patient’s individual rights. A Patient’s Bill of Rights was initially developed by the American Hospital Association in 1973 and revised in1992. All hospitals are now required by law to inform patients of these rights upon admission to the hospital. Autonomy comes from the Latin auto meaning â€Å"self† and nomy which means â€Å"control.† Individuals must be given the rights to assist in their own decision making. This ethical concept has led to the need for informed consent. Sometimes patients’ religious or cultural beliefs lead them to make decisions regarding their own care that may seem controversial or even dangerous. However, the concept of autonomy gives them the right to make those decisions unless they are mentally impaired. Beneficence means to do good, not harm, to other people. Nonmaleficence is the concept of preventing intentional harm. Both of these ethical concepts relate directly to patient care. In the American Nurses Association Code for Nurses, there is a specific charge to protect patients by specifying that nurses should report unsafe, illegal, or unethical practices by any person. Nurses are often faced with making decisions about extending life with technology, which might not be in the best interest of the patient. Often the concept of weighing potential benefit to the patient against potential harm is used in making these difficult decisions, along with the patient’s own stated wishes. The word justice is closely tied with the legal system. However, the word refers to the obligation to be fair to all people. In 2001, healthcare economics have hospitals and other providers stretching their resources to their limits. Economic decisions about healthcare resources have to be made base d on the number of patients who would benefit. The potential of rationing care to the frail elderly, poor, and disabled creates an ethical dilemma that is sure to become even more complicated in the future. Fidelity refers to the concept of keeping a commitment. Although the word is more closely used to describe a marital relationship, fidelity is the concept of accountability. What is the nurse’s responsibility to his or her patient, employer, society, or government? Privacy and confidentiality are concepts that could be challenged under the concept of fidelity. If a nurse is aware of another healthcare giver who is impaired, but the circumstances are private or confidential, how is the conflict resolved? As a general rule, nurses are employed by a hospital, clinic, or private practice. Decisions that are made about patient care are not totally independent. Every decision creates a ripple effect and touches someone else in the health care field. One of the purposes of a code of ethics is to help nurses keep perspective and a balanced view regarding decisions. An example of violation of code of ethics is an 18yr old girl comes into the emergency room with her mother and has abdominal pain. The doctor or nurse does not ask the patient if it is ok for the mother to know the entire patient’s information since she is 18 yrs. old. The mother is under the impression that her daughter is not sexually active. When the urinalysis comes back the nurse explains that they are going to do further tests but the abdominal pain is probably due to her being pregnant. The mother is in the room when the news is told violating the patient’s rights. The professional nursing practices involves working towards the outcomes of safe, quality, evidence based practice and confidentiality. (Styles, A 2008). Overall, I think all nurses try to do the right thing on a daily basis and their decisions are based on a reflection of consequences and moral principles. The ANA helps professional nursing by supporting nurses and providing a framework within which nurses can make ethical judgments and decisions to fulfill their daily responsibilities. References: Styles, A. (2008) The professional nursing practice. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ethics-in-nursing-jobs-and-profession.html Ceasia, Friberg. (2011) The ANA code of ethics. Conceptual Foundations p.285

Khalifa Ali

IntroductionAli was born to Abu Talib himself a renowned Quraish chief and custodian of the Holy Kaaba. Abu Talib’s father, Abdul Muttalib was the son of the great Hashim. Ali’s mother was Fatima, daughter of Asad who too was a son of Hashim. Fatima was a cousin of Abu Talib. Thus both of Ali’s parents were Hashemite, which was considered quite prestigious.Ancestry of AliThe Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was Abdul Muttalib’s grandson. His father Abdullah was Abu Talib’s brother, which therefore made Abu Talib the prophet’s uncle and Ali his first cousin.Birth of AliAlthough his exact date of birth is not confirmed tradition says, Ali was born on the thirteenth of â€Å"Rajab† in the 28th year of the Elephant Era (whose commencement is marked by Yemen’s ruler Abraha’s failed attempt to invade Makkah and destroy the Kaaba) The Holy Prophet of Islam was born in the Year of the Elephant which according to scholars corresponds to the year 571 A.D. If we calculate then, Ali must have been born around 599 or 600 C.E.His birth was quite an unusual one. That day, his mother Fatima visited the Kaaba for pilgrimage. It was during her pilgrimage that she felt maternal pains and retired to a corner of the Kaaba and that is where Ali was born. Thus, Ali had the unparalleled honor of being born in the House of Allah bestowed upon him.The NameLegend goes that when Ali was born the Holy prophet and his wife Khadija came to see the infant. That the little boy had not yet opened his eyes was a matter of great worry for everyone. But when the prophet Muhammad held him in his hands young Ali opened his eyes, making the prophet the first person he saw after birth. The Holy Prophet named him ‘Ali’ the derivative of Allah, since he was born the Ka’aba.Physical AppearanceAli was of a moderate height. He held a gracious face which reflected his personality. His facial features were striking wi th a straight nose and a beautifully formed mouth. He possessed commanding eyes, full of light and luster.   It was as if rays of spirituality   beamed through him , and there was a certain sense of personal magnetism that attracted people towards him. As a young man, Ali was handsome, while in his later age, he became bulky with his gray hair of the head giving way to baldness. His beard, which was often dyed red, remained thick and luxuriant.Marriage of AliInitially when the Holy Prophet migrated to Yathrib he went alone but later Yathrib was named ‘Medina’ in his honor and he called his family and other Muslims there as well. At that time the prophet’s beloved wife Khadija had expired and he had married a woman called Sauda. A year later, he married Abu Bakr’s ( Islam’s first Caliph’s)daughter Ayesha. The Holy Prophet’s youngest daughter Fatima was also old enough to be married by that time. Abu Bakr and Omar both asked for her hand in marriage but there was no answer on the part of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.In those simpler times, age differences were not a concern in marriage. Khadija had been fifteen years older to Muhammad and he himself was much older to Ayesha at the time of marriage. It is thus important to note that this was not the reason the Prophet Muhammad remained silent to these proposals but it is reasonable to conclude that he was waiting for God’s approval and guidance in making this decision. After the Battle of Badr, it was Ali’s turn to ask for Fatima’s hand in marriage and he did so. The Holy Prophet replied that he needed Fatima’s consent. When he consulted Fatima she remained silent, a   sign of approval. The prophet also received a revelation signifying Allah’s approval of the marriage. Both families also mutually agreed.The marriage of Ali and Fatima is said to be the perfect one. Indeed two pure and blessed souls unified and bonded together. Ha fsa, a daughter of Omar and later a wife of the Holy Prophet described Fatima as an exemplary woman, one who’s face shone like the moon and who married a man with a superior personality.Induction of Ali as a member of the family of the Holy ProphetWhen Ali visited the Holy Prophet from the desert where he had been living, the occasion was also attended by a close few including Abu Talib and his family. The Holy Prophet loved Ali very much so much so that he requested Abu Talib to place Ali under his care. Abu Talib agreed to entrust Ali with the prophet because he knew he would care for him better than anyone else could.It is believed that the Holy Prophet did this to relieve Abu Talib’s increasing financial worries. However, this view seems to be untrue because Abu Talib was a Quraish chief and a trader. And had he been in any financial trouble the trouble he prophet would surely have helped him. Therefore it seems that it was because of the prophet’s fondness of Ali that he took him under his responsibility. Abu Talib would often visit and Ali would meet his parents everyday. The Holy Prophet kept Ali as a younger brother with much affection.Companionship of the Holy Prophet:The period of Ali's life which was spent with the Holy Prophet can be termed as the period of education and action. It was during these 32 years, from Ali's birth till the demise of the Holy Prophet, that Ali received his education under the loving care of the Last Prophet of Allah; embedded in himself the values of Islam; and acquired all the attributes that contribute to greatness. After the migration to Medina, he came to be known as a valiant soldier. His spoils in the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch and his awe inspiring success at Khyber earned him the title of â€Å"Lion of God†.   He acted as the Governor of Yemen, and acquired good deal of experience as an administrator and judge, acquiring fame for his wise and well reasoned judgments.The First Three Caliphs and Ali:At the time of the demise of the Holy Prophet, Ali was a young enlightened, experienced, wise and valiant man. Despite all his qualities, Ali was passed over in the election for a caliph, as Abu Bakr took the state of affairs under his control. Ali would have to wait for 24 years before he could hold the office of caliph. During these years, Ali acted as an adviser to the caliphs in office. This was a period of inaction and contemplation, inaction on the political front as Ali kept aloof from politics and contemplation on the spiritual front as this period of Ali’s life was spent mostly in seeking spiritual perfection through prayer and remembrance of God.The Caliphate of Ali:Following Uthman's assassination, Ali took office as the next caliph of the Islamic empire. His term was a short one, marred by political upheaval, defections of close aides and civil war.   Ali was accused of involvement in the assassination of Uthman by Amer Muawiya, who mounte d an anti Ali campaign. The results were the Battles of the Camel, Siffin and Nahrawan. During the course of these battles, many of his closest aides betrayed him and defected. The list of betrayals is long and includes Ali's brother, cousins, mother in law and the whole cities of Medina and Basra. The Kharijites who had originally supported Ali also seceded and Ali was finally martyred by a Kharijite.Ali's concept of GodIn his various sermons, Ali has dwelt upon on the various attributes of God in a skillful way. Extracts from some of his sermons are as follows:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us. No one can be nearer to us than He.His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in com prehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†Father of SufismAli's religious devotion and nearness to God has earned him the title of â€Å"Father of Sufism†. Most of the Sufi orders claim their descent from Ali, and according to Ali Hajjweri, Ali is ranked very high in the line of Sufism.   Ali is considered the Shaykh as regards the principles and practices of Sufism, as stated by Junayd of Baghdad.Communion with GodAt times, Ali would pray the whole night sobbing out of love and fear of God. For Ali, the purpose of knowledge was to awaken the spiritual faculties that every man possesses which in turn enable man to find his true and inner self.   Ali observed that man could only enjoy communion with God if he would stop being proud, embody discipline, overcome his lust and submit to the Will of God.He stressed on the people in his various sermons to lead a simple and pious life and not to indulge blindly in the pleasures of the world as the case was before Islam.. Ali said, â€Å"Man is a wave in the boundless Sea of God. As long as man's vision is clouded by ignorance and sensuality he will consider himself a separate entity, different from God. But when the veil between him and God is lifted, he will then know what he really is, the wave will then merge with the ocean†.Ali on the Spiritual Front:Ali was a wealth of knowledge. Several of the traditions (Ahadith) of the Holy Prophet are narrated by him. He was one of those companions of the Holy Prophet who used to learn the verses of the Quran as they were revealed. Later, after the death of the Holy Prophet, Ali also used to give sermons. In one such sermon, he explains the attributes of God with skillf ul oratory. Excerpts â€Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us.No one can be nearer to us than He. His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in comprehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†In another sermon, he reflected on the transitory stature of this world by remarking â€Å"For the wise, the world is a shadow, which may appear at one moment, and soon disappear.† In another sermon he makes pr ofound remarks by stating â€Å"Many men buy clothes, which instead of being worn by them are used in their coffin. Many persons build houses that instead of becoming abodes become their graves. No one has lived forever in this world, and no one has invented such a medicine which may make men immune from the clutches of death†. In another sermon, he discusses heaven and hell, stating his anxiety on man's subservience to lust, the excess of his longings. In yet another sermon, he termed the world as superficial, mortal and perishable.ConclusionShakespeare once remarked â€Å"Some people are born great, some achieve greatness while some have greatness thrust upon them†. As far as Ali goes, he achieved greatness through his excellent education under the watchful eye of the Holy Prophet, his absorption of Islamic teachings and virtues, his thirst for knowledge, bravery on the battlefield and the spiritual perfection that he embodied. Greatness need not be confused with suc cess. From the political point of view Ali may seem like a failure that was unable to quell the civil strife that raged his people and was eventually slay Ed. Instead Ali's greatness is of an unworldly nature for he set out to spiritually perfect those around him, in times of affluence and wealth.Ali was a man of remarkable qualities and principles. His personality embodied an unusual mix of spiritual perfection, bravery, knowledge and humbleness. He was one of those few people of his time, who could stare in the eyes of death so much that even death would start fearing of him He was an administrator, a judge, a philosopher, a statesman, a general and above all an exemplary for those seeking spiritual perfection.