Philosophy- Rationalism and Empiricism Essay

Immanuel Kant found the way to put subjective and objective perspectives together as part of the human transcendental structure. The idea of subjective truth comes from Rene Descartes and his vision on rationalism based on innate ideas that allow people to appreciate what they see in order to reach a conclusion. Secondly, we have John Locke’s idea of objective truth based on a blank state of mind and a phenomenon that allows people to appreciate their reality by relying on experiences with any object, human, place or something else. Descartes and Locke rejected the possibility of bringing these two elements together for a better understanding. Since both focused on what people see through their eyes and their mind process, without considering the importance of the physical nature, Kant argued that they both should work together in order to understand the physical nature of different things. Kant focused on the conscious mental state which explains the importance of both of these elements together. Thomas Nagel highlighted Kant’s perspective and argued that subjective phenomenon’s are linked to single points of view that the objective theory will never be able to abandon. If a person separates them from each other there will be no idea of how something could be true. Since we live in a society with different perspectives, truth is what everyone looks for in order to draw their own conclusions. Nagel argued that having personal experience is enough to have the necessary material for imagination. For example, Nagel offered a metaphor about a bat, in which he suggest the use of imagination to ask ourselves what would be like for us to behave as the bat behaves. It’s clear that Nagel relies on Aristotle’s vision of reality because his realism on subjectivity creates a belief in the existence of facts over the concepts that we create as humans. Although there are facts that people will never comprehend, there is a possibility that through a combination of both people can find the truth of things that they can’t understand. According to Nagel, there is no difference between mental and physical events because there are experiences in which people process things to reach a conclusion. People have the ability to perceive and behave and they both come along together. On the other side, Donald Davidson argued that mental events have physical causes and that we have reason to believe this even though people don’t know if there is a general psychophysical theory. But, what about non-intentional events? Nagel argued that his argument only applies to intentional mental events without considering that as humans have reasons to believe that sensations are physical processes as well. Physical processes don’t have the necessity to look for answers of how something happened. Finally, Kant’s theory argues that our experiences are significant since they can’t be the same because people’s different states of mind, but as human beings it’s important to be subjective to appreciate different phenomenon’s around them. Kant’s made these two perspectives dependent from each other, without leaving any gap in which they both could separate by any chance.

Not Either an Experimental Doll

Ryan Shellady Professor Mtisi Paideia October 31st, 2012 Placing Fault: A Look at Determining Who is to Blame for Lily Moya’s Downfall in Not Either an Experimental Doll The Separate Worlds of Three South African Women In today’s Western culture, it is hard to imagine a world without education. Adults and children alike view education as a common practice that is essential to everyday life. For Lily Moya, this is not the case. In Not Either an Experimental Doll, edited by Shula Marks, letters of correspondence reveal a relationship between Dr.Mabel Palmer, a well-known European supporter of black education, and Lily Moya, a girl growing up in apartheid South Africa. Lily writes to Palmer requesting acceptance into a school. Due to Lily’s amusing writing style, Palmer feels a connection to her. In turn, Palmer decides to find a way to fund Lily’s education. Throughout the letters, Lily alludes to this idea that she desires a more intimate friendship with Pa lmer; however, Palmer continues to assertively state that the relationship Lily seeks is impossible.In the end of the correspondence, Dr. Palmer releases her sponsorship from Lily’s education which means Lily can no longer attend school. For these two reasons, some critics will argue that Palmer is to blame for Lily’s mental breakdown at the end of the book. These people are mistaken; Mabel Palmer’s actions are not to blame for what happens to Lily. Fault lies in the differing cultures between Lily and Palmer, and in Lily’s stubbornness, egocentrism, and her inability to follow simple instructions.It is easy to infer that there are inevitable differences in culture between a European woman in her seventies and a fifteen-year-old African girl living in apartheid-ruled South Africa. In the introduction of the book, editor and expert in the field of South African studies Shula Marks articulates that the cultural differences between Lily and Dr. Palmer make f or a difficult understanding of correspondence etiquette. Not surprisingly, the world of the busy academic was remote from the concerns of a lonely and aspirant fifteen-year-old in Umtata.For Lily, still living in a world in which misfortune was explained in terms of individual wickedness and witchcraft, Mabel’s failure to reply could only be the result of the evil counsel of her advisers (Marks 18). Lily has been raised in a place where academia is not prominent. To understand why Dr. Palmer didn’t reply swiftly and quickly to each of Lily’s letters, Lily would have to understand all the work Dr. Palmer’s occupation entails. Lily would have to realize that people are sometimes simply too busy to write; however, as Marks notes, Dr.Palmer’s failure to reply was likely explained to Lily in terms of â€Å"individual wickedness. † Later in the same paragraph of the introduction, Marks goes on to describe Palmer’s point of view. For Mabel, Lily’s intense if adolescent religious experience was to appear as ‘religiosity’ and ‘self-righteous’, while she had difficulty remembering whether her ‘protegee’ was an Anglican or a Catholic, and had no idea that she was Xhosa, not Zulu (Marks 18). Palmer is under the impression that she understands Lily’s background, but Marks exposes Palmer’s ignorance of Lily’s culture.This lack of knowledge leads to poor communication between Lily and Palmer. However, Palmer does attempt to lessen her ignorance by asking Lily to write a paper, â€Å"The Life of a Native Girl in a Native Reserve† (Marks 87). In this paper, Palmer asks Lily to detail activities, problems, and daily routines experienced by a girl living in Lily’s society. Due to this attempt, Palmer’s failure to comprehend Lily’s expectations can be forgiven. Palmer tries to understand Lily and her background, but Lily cannot communica te any information in return.In the greater scheme, neither Lily nor Palmer is to blame for cultural variances. The only thing at fault in this particular case is that the two grew up in completely different environments. Circumstance is not solely to blame, however. In other cases, Lily’s personal faults are also to blame. The first of Lily’s individual weaknesses that lead to her demise is stubbornness; it plays a large role in why Palmer has such a difficult time dealing with Lily. On a number of occasions through the correspondence, Lily attempts to treat Palmer as though the two of them are close, intimate friends.Lily even goes as far as saying to Palmer, â€Å"I hope you stay for years, with me† (Marks 113). If this is not pressure enough, Lily goes on to guilt Palmer by proclaiming, â€Å"You cannot leave me alone in this merciless world† (Marks 113). When faced with these remarks, she needed to address Lily’s outlook on their relationship to make sure Lily understood that their interaction had to remain professional. You say that one of your reasons for wishing to be in Durban is that you want to see more of me, but have you ever asked yourself whether I wish do see more of you?As a matter of fact I do not. Your romantic and self-centered imagination has built up for you a picture in which you are to be my devoted and intimate friend. Now you must forgive me for saying that this is all nonsense. Even if you were a European girl of your age it would still be nonsense (Marks 136). Palmer makes it very clear that Lily’s feelings for her are simply not reciprocated. Palmer says she does not wish to see Lily, and that Lily’s perception of their connection is just â€Å"nonsense†. Critics will argue that Palmer’s tone here is too aggressive though.They’ll argue that Palmer should have anticipated that her words would hurt Lily deeply. They’ll back up their assertions with quotation s like the following where Lily jumps to drastic conclusions about Palmer not responding swiftly enough. â€Å"Your silence impresses me severely, in so much that patience fails me† (Marks 87). â€Å"I’m really worried now. It is a long time I have been waiting for yours [letter]† (Marks 91). One might claim that Lily displays great sensitivity and anxiety because of Palmer.These critics therefore argue that if waiting for a response from Palmer causes Lily this much distress, then it should be obvious to Palmer that critical words would cause Lily worse sorrow and anguish. These critics are wrong for two reasons. First, Lily still goes on to address Palmer on January 28th, February 6th, and again on February 16th of 1951 (Marks 143-145). All of these dates are after Palmer’s direct note from page 136 mentioned previously. Lily did not receive a letter from Palmer between these three instances.It is fair to say that Palmer’s annoyance is justified when she very recently asked Lily to respect boundaries. Secondly, the quotes these critics may use do not show that Lily is sensitive; rather they show that Lily is impatient and bullheaded. Lily keeps writing to Palmer so Palmer does not neglect her promise to help Lily get into school. Lily actually reminds Palmer of this promise. â€Å"So, please do not forget your promise that you would send me to school to complete the Matriculation Course† (Marks 94).Because Palmer does not write back quickly, Lily is worried that she isn’t getting her way, and stubbornly writes another letter out of impatience. Lily’s stubbornness to both get her way and to create a friendship that is deeper than a professional level shows a character flaw that certainly leads to her downfall. Lily cannot accept anything less than her own expectations; when she is faced with a disappointment, she spirals into a depression. Stubbornness is not the only character flaw leading to Lilyâ€⠄¢s downfall though. When Palmer addresses Lily about their relationship, she notes that Lily is â€Å"self-centered†.Lily’s egocentrism is yet another trait that ultimately leads to her breakdown. Palmer is correct when she states that Lily writes amusingly when it is about herself. â€Å"Looking back over my correspondence with you I realize that you only write interestingly and amusingly when you are writing about yourself† (Marks 138). For example, in Lily’s letter written on the 26th of January, 1949, the tone she uses in her writing has a pleading, begging feel because it is one Lily is writing to further her own attempt at finding an education.Kindly sympathise with me, a helpless orphan, I beg you †¦ I can be very glad if you answer me at your earliest possible and please I beg you do sympathise with. You can only show your sympathy by taking me to a college where I shall work with my level best my school work, and, I’m sure I’l l please you in any way in my character (Marks 59). For being a student with so little education, Lily really shows finesse in her writing ability. Her use of description in the â€Å"helpless orphan† bit tugs at Palmer’s heartstrings. Lily is even smart enough to know that tone and word choice an sway a person’s ethos, but like Palmer says, Lily only uses this for personal gain. Palmer, however, is not the only person that notices Lily’s egocentrism. Palmer notes that one of Lily’s caretakers also feels that Lily focuses on self too much. â€Å"†¦I understand Mrs Bomback thinks that she [Lily] is already inclined to think too much of herself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Marks 128). Lily’s self-centered personality is clearly not seen by Palmer alone. This egocentrism leads Lily to see only her own needs in Palmer. When Palmer revokes her funding, Lily sees it as a great personal loss.This is yet another fault leading Lily to her mental breakdown at the end of the correspondence; moreover, it also leads to her difficulty following rules. An inability to follow instructions has already been demonstrated in Lily’s inability to accept a non-personal friendship with Palmer. This is, in fact, one of many instances in which Lily defies rules. In one instance, upon being told not to do so, Lily â€Å"entered a men Lecturer’s hostel with the purpose of receiving a lesson from one of them† (Marks 133). This is a clear violation of rules laid out by caretaker Mrs.Bomback. In another instance Lily was expected to come to an appointment with Palmer, yet she failed to show up (Marks 183). Arriving at an appointment punctually is an easy task to accomplish, yet Lily failed to do as she was told. This reason alone is one that Palmer lists as a reason for revoking funding for Lily’s education. Palmer confronts Lily twice for not following directions (Marks 136; 161). It is very clear to see that obstinate behavior causes Palmer to withdraw her funding leading to Lily’s mental break down.Some argue that Palmer’s withdrawal is ultimately to blame for Lily’s downward spiral. It is easy to see how misguided these people are if one considers that Palmer never wished to stop funding Lily’s education. She went out of her way to ask Sibusisiwe Makhanya for help to try and repair the problems Lily had been facing (Marks 121-122). It was only when Lily continued to break rules and disrespect Palmer’s wishes that Palmer had to quit. Lily made herself a lost cause. Is it fair to blame Palmer for Lily’s affairs after Palmer spent money out of her own pocket to assist Lily in all of her needs?No, it is absolutely absurd to claim Palmer is at fault. In Not Either an Experimental Doll, it is clear to see that Dr. Mabel Palmer is not to blame for Lily’s depressed state. Circumstance is responsible for the cultural differences between the two main characters thr oughout the correspondence. It is easy to identify Lily’s sense of stubbornness through her insistent attempts at making an intimate friendship with Palmer. Lily’s egocentrism shows in how her writing style changes depending upon whether she is writing about herself or others.It also is fair to call Lily egocentric due to the fact that more than one person identified her self-centered personality. An inability to follow instructions is apparent in different examples and Palmer notes that this is a reason why she terminated her sponsorship for Lily. Critics can continue to argue that Palmer is to blame for Lily’s psychiatric state, but ultimately the circumstances in which the two grew up, and Lily herself, are truly at fault. Works Cited Shula, Marks, ed. Not Either and Experimental Doll. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1987. Print.

Alfred A. Strauss 1897-1957 Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alfred A. Strauss 1897-1957 - Personal Statement Example Strauss received his medical degree from University of Heidelberg in the year 1922, and he later served as a research associate at the Heidelberg Psychiatric Clinic (Duchan). Apart from his research work at the clinic, Strauss also served in the Outpatient Patient department at the University of Heidelberg Psychiatric Clinic, in the capacity of Director of Outpatient department. Strauss left Germany in 1933 and he was hosted by the University of Barcelona, as a visiting professor, and it is during this period that he championed and supported the establishment of the first municipal child guidance clinic; Strauss also helped Barcelona to acquire its first private guidance clinic. In the year 1937, Strauss went to the Michigan county school located at Northville, and here, Strauss became a research Psychiatrist until later in the year 1943 (Duchan). This School also had an established childcare center, where Strauss served in the capacity of its director in the year 1946. Strauss was also a former president and co-founder of the Cove Schools of Wisconsin and Illinois- these schools were based in the residential areas for children who had experienced minimal brain injuries. Strauss co-founded the Racine Wisconsin Clove School in 1949 and he became its president until at the time of his death later in the year

Finance academic activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finance academic activity - Essay Example prices of the stocks, there should be also be subsequent changes in the earnings of the company to mark this change in the dividend payout (Chen, 2005). There should also be a revision in the expectations of the market in regards to future earnings that is in the same direction as the change in anticipated dividends. This can be observed in companies across the globe especially in developed markets such as Europe and North America. In this case the earnings of the company can be termed as the average cumulative abnormal return and there will be various samples that will be used for this test. There was a change in the performance in the company after the announcement of the changes in the dividend policy. It was clear that companies that reported an anticipated increase in their dividends reported a return a positive change in their earnings for that year. On the other hand, companies that reported a decrease in their dividends reported lower earnings in that particular year. This can be due to the fact that there was a motivation for the company stakeholders to increase the business operations of the firm as they believe that they are the ones who will benefit from this. Dividend policy may have a predictive power on the future of businesses and these changes have to be closely monitored. Using the stated methods, there has been no relationship that has been established between the dividends and changes in the earnings. Changes in the dividends were not found to have any information about the future one and two year earnings growth.This was tested in a number of samples to try and see if there was a relationship in the dividends and the first and second year earnings. For predictions of the earning in the 1st year, the coefficients in the changes of the dividend were only significant at the 10% level in only about 10% of the sample population. In the earnings of the second year, there was only a slight improvement in the significant level of the coefficients

Managing Change and Creativity in Organizations Essay

Managing Change and Creativity in Organizations - Essay Example In this context of the study, the organization chosen to illustrate the importance of ingenuity in an organization is Apple Inc. Prior getting into deep, a brief overview of the company will be presented. Apple Inc: A Brief Overview Apple Inc. is an American company which manufactures and sells consumer electronic goods. The company is presently headquartered at California, USA (Yahoo Finance, n.d.). The company was founded by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak in the year 1970. The company has wide range of products such as desktop computers, laptops, mobiles and different application software. Together with the subsidiaries the company also manufactures and sells various portable applications. Some of the bestsellers of the company are mobile communication devices portable music players, and several other gadgets. In addition, iPod, iPad and iPhone are also creations of Apple. The company also has a sturdy presence in the software field. The software segment includes operat ing systems such as Mac OS and other utility and productivity applications like Quick time player, I-work and logic studio among others (Apple Store, n.d.). The company has a global presence and operates with more than 370 stores. It has a workforce of 20,000 people. Apple mainly distributes its product through whole sellers, retailers and Apple owned exclusive stores. Some of the major competitors of the company are Hewlett Packard, Dell, Google and Research in Motion Limited (NASDAQ, 2012). On the other hand, companies such as Lenovo, Compaq, Toshiba and Hitachi are also considered as the circumlocutory competitors of the company. Change Management Change management can be attributed as one of the key responsibilities for each employee, executives and managers of an organization. The leadership, execution and managing organizational change is therefore considered as one of the central factors for an organization’s success. Change is an obvious factor in every aspect of pers onal life, society and organization. However changes are constant in an organization, but most of the changes are gradual and unplanned (Burke, 2010, p.1). Moreover, society always looks for some changes and therefore queries such as when, how and by what ways changes will occur are prevalent (Lewis, 2011, Introduction). Now in the organizational perspective change serves as the method by which important amendments are addressed. Changes at Apple Apple also goes through organizational changes. The changes comes in the form of strategy change or changes in the management. Sometime rules and regulation of the organization also changes. For example in the recent past Apple has gone through a series of changes in the form of policy modification, philosophical changes, organization’s rule of law, and also changes in the governance. The major change in Apple has taken place recently when John Browett, the senior vice president of the retail division and Scott Forstall, the senior v ice president of iOS software left the organization. On the other hand Jony Ive will take the charge of leading the human

Fast, global,and entrepreneurial; supply chain management , hong kong Case Study

Fast, global,and entrepreneurial; supply chain management , hong kong style and interview with victor fung - Case Study Example As Fung said, the best way is to breakdown the supply chain into small parts and then looks for a custom solution for each part. Another genius way of innovative supply chain management is having a custom value chain for each customer. Present production chains are tailored to suit a large market niche. However, as competition increases, market niches become narrower by the day. This raises the need to specifically tailor the entire supply chain to suit a particular niche. For example, in the computer market, a different supply chain management strategy would be needed for a tablet and a laptop. Another creative way of shortening supply chains and buying cycles is by embracing dynamism in supply chain management. Factors such as labor, cost of raw materials, and technology are changing every day. Therefore, it is important to consider adjusting the supply chain depending on the changes on these factors. For instance, many manufacturers have been moving production to China because of cheap labor. However, within the same country, labor is cheaper in Mainland China and hence manufacturers are also moving mainland in response to

The Solvay process for sodium carbonate Research Paper

The Solvay process for sodium carbonate - Research Paper Example n) whereby sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3 precipitates and converts to sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) while both carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) are liberated as gases. This paper critically investigates the thermodynamics of final reaction of the Solvay process (calcination step) during the industrial production of sodium carbonate. The thermal decomposition of sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3 (commonly known as calcination reaction) normally involves heating Sodium hydrogen carbonate to temperatures above 80Â °C. Although the calcinations reaction normally takes place at temperatures of or above the thermal decomposition of the reactant, it occurs below the melting point of the product material. Calcination is the last step in the production of soda ash. The process begins with an aqueous solution of sodium chloride which is introduced into ammonia followed by carbonization. The ammonium carbonate produced (NH4HCO3) then reacts with NaCl to produce Sodium carbonate (NaHCO3) and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). The result is heated to release carbon dioxide (CO2) which is the recycled. The calcinations process as mentioned before receives NaHCO3 and produce Na2CO3 carbon dioxide and water (Barner & Scheuerman, 2012).The bicarbonate then undergoes a dehydration reaction in which it gradually breaks down into sodium carbonate, water and carbon dioxide as shown below: The decomposition of NaHCO3 depends on a number of factors. The pressures at which the carbon dioxide and water are taken back play a big role. It has been reported that the decomposition occurs at 270oC on the higher side and as low as 38oC in one research. The decomposition is crucial in pore formation of sodium carbonate. In most researches the decomposition temperature was set between 121oC and 149oC for optimized conditions. The largest specific area was reported to occur between the temperatures of 204oC and 316oC in a draft oven. The activation energy is higher than 3kcal/mole in diffusion controlled processes

Universal healthcare the only answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Universal healthcare the only answer - Essay Example Healthcare is a human right, also in the Constitution under life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but many Americans do not feel its benefits. Universal healthcare is the only answer because it will also save money. â€Å"We can eliminate wasteful inefficiencies such as duplicate paper work, claim approval, insurance submission, etc. We can develop a centralized national database which makes diagnosis and treatment easier for doctors† (Universal, 2009). There are many reasons to support universal healthcare supported by community health principles. Universal healthcare is about representing a true community healthcare principle of access for all, not just for all who can afford it. In terms of base arguments, supporters of national healthcare tend to argue that there should be a single-payer system in which healthcare is financed by the government but the government does not take control of the system in a way that diminishes privatized options. But on the other hand, â€Å"The current crisis in the U.S. healthcare system may be more one of perception than fact. While it is true that in certain areas of the country and for some segments of the population there are real healthcare access and coverage problems, coverage is available in most places and for most individuals. The magnitude of the crisis may not be significant enough to justify the major changes in the healthcare delivery system that will result from present reform proposals† (Kalkhof, 1994). It is the recommendation of this report that the current system of managed care observed at modern healthcare facilities should be changed from a consumer-based platform to a patient-based platform in which there is universal coverage and a renewed attention to upholding patient rights. â€Å"According to principles of American paternalism, no American should go without food and water, shelter, clothing, sanitary facilities, protection, physically and legal, equal opportunity,

The Australian Welfare State from 1945 to 1996 Essay

The Australian Welfare State from 1945 to 1996 - Essay Example An overview of the history shows the different changes that were taken place by different governments from 1945 to 1996. Furthermore, Post-World War period and then the starting of Vietnam War in 1962 also hindered progress for the country. However, the major change that can be outlined would be the social reforms that were being taken place by various governments. On the basis of that we can say, while income inequality fell in the 1950s, and a bit in the 1970s, it was high during 1980s and 1990s (Leigh, 2005). 1950s was considered a golden period for Australia. Along with positive reforms carried out by Menzie’s government, Australia was rising from the after-effects of World War II and the economic and political environment looked much better, soon after the Vietnam War started and the political scenario again disproved. So we can say the causes of income inequality in the region could be many. It was more like a case of one thing led to another. Let’s classify these into two major changes that became the basis of the rising disparity of income. 1. Political and Economic Distress: The main reason was the political turmoil the country was going through. This would include: †¢ The declining power of unions, †¢ Less progressive taxes and income redistribution, †¢ The rise of technology (both in reducing the number of lower-skill jobs and in increasing the incomes of higher skill ones). †¢ The increasing trend of Globalization. Globalization exacerbates income inequality (Gaston & Rajaguru, 2009).

Philosophy - Plato Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Plato Essay 2. What is the role of philosophy for Socrates and why is it valuable in itself? Explain three argu- ments Socrates gives for the immortality of the soul. Briefly explain Cebes and Simmias’ coun- terarguments using examples from the text for support. Finally, based on your understanding of the Phaedo give your interpretation of the last words of Socrates and back it up by citing the text. In Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates, Phaedo gives an account of the last few hours of Socrates’ life, to Echecrates when he encounters him after Socrates’ death. In Phaedo’s telling of the story, we learn about why Philosophy was so important to Socrates, and why he spent his final hours explaining his arguments about the body and the soul, to his two friend Cebes and Simmias. Socrates presents four separate arguments as to how the soul lives separately from the body, the first being the theory of opposites, seconded by the theory of recollection, and followed by his theory of Affinity. After he presents his first three arguments, Simmias and Cebes interject with their opinions and counterarguments to Socrates’ first three, which is then when Socrates comes up with his fourth and final argument – Theory of the Forms. The last and final argument is one of the most important arguments that Socrates will make throughout the whole story. Phaedo ends his account to Echecrates by telling us of the final words of Socrates. Socrates was a well known Greek philosopher, known chiefly through the writings of his students, such as Plato who wrote the novel in which we are reflecting. Socrates did not write down any of his ideas or knowledge, but instead instilled it upon other people who took the re- sponsibility of writing it down for themselves. During Socrates’ final hours, we find out why Phi- losophy was so important to him. He argues that the soul is a separate entity from the body, and that we must separate the soul as far as possible from it. He relates this to death, by saying that death is this freeing and parting of the soul from the body. Socrates states, on page 100 line 67d exactly why Philosophy is important – â€Å"†¦those that go in for philosophy in the correct way who are always eager to set the soul free; what philosophers practice is exactly this, the freeing and parting of soul from body. † He believes that Philosophers live their lives being as close to death as possible, â€Å"those occupied correctly in philosophy really do practice dying, and death is less frightening for them than for anyone else (Plato 67a). † He states that if philosophers desire that one thing, separating the soul from the body, then they must always be close to death and to nev- er be afraid of it. Socrates presents his initial argument that â€Å"everything comes to be through opposite things coming to be from no other source than their own opposites (Plato 70e). † He believed that everything that exists, has an opposite and must have came from that opposite. He provided examples such as â€Å"the beautiful is presumably opposite to the ugly† or â€Å"when something comes to be bigger, it must be from being smaller before (Plato 70e). † In explaining this argument, he presents that between the two members of the pair, there are two-processes for the pair to come into being. In order for something to be big, it had to come from being small, it increased in size but it could go the opposite way and decrease in size as well. This argument relates to the soul and the body by saying that being alive has an opposite, which is being dead. In order for the op-posites argument to be logical, one must be able to come back from the dead and be alive, so it is from the dead that living things come to be alive. This leads us to believe that the soul is immor- tal, and existed before the body. Socrates sums up this argument by stating, â€Å"the living have come from the dead no less than the dead from the living; and I think it seemed to us that if this were the case, it would be sufficient proof that the souls of the dead must be somewhere from where they were to be born again (Plato 72a). † Following the argument about opposites, Socrates poses the question that if we are going to recollect something, we must have had knowledge about it at a previous point in time. This is then the second argument that Plato recounts in his telling of Socrates’ last hours. What he is pre- senting in this argument, is the fact that when we recognize something, it brings us back to think- ing about something else. So when we recognize this first object, it triggers our minds to remem- ber something that is associated with that object. Therefore, when we remember something we are recollecting back to a previous state or time or object. He argues that these recollections canat are unlike the items we have recollected. He sums this thought up by saying, â€Å"So long as, on seeing one thing, you come to have something else in mind, like or unlike, from seeing the first one. What occurs must be recollection (Plato 74d). † He doesn’t stop at this, but then goes on to explain that we had this knowledge before we even obtained our senses. When we were born, we obtained the ability to see, hear, and possess all of the other senses, but we had this knowledge before our senses, so therefore we had this knowledge before we were even born. This argument leads back to his original point that the soul exists outside of the body. â€Å"Whereas if we get our knowledge before we are born but lose it on being born, and then later through the use of our perceptions we get back those pieces of knowledge that we had at some previous time, what we call learning would be a matter of getting back knowledge that was ours anyway; and we’d be surely correct if we called that recollection (Plato 75e). † Socrates’ third argument before Cebes and Simmias provide their counterarguments is his theory of Affinity. This suggests that we must distinguish between things that are material, visi- ble, and perishable and things that are immaterial, invisible, and immortal. In this case, the body is the thing that is perishable, while the soul is immortal and lives on. While arguing this to Sim- mias and Cebes, Socrates states, â€Å"the soul is something that’s very like what’s divine, deathless, the object of intellect, uniform, undissolved, and always in exactly the same state as it ever was; while body in its turn is something very like what’s human, mortal, mindless, multiform, tending to dissolution, and never the same as it was before (Plato 80b). † This is yet another argument that proves his point that when the body dies, the soul still lives. He brings up the point in this argu- ment that the soul may wander, but eventually it is put into a different body or it will spend its time with the Gods. After his third argument, Simmias and Cebes finally interject and give their counterargu- ments to Socrates. Simmias is the first to present his counterargument, by comparing the topic of the soul existing after the death of the body, to the attunement of an instrument. He states, â€Å"The argument would go, there’d be no way that the lyre could continue to exist as it does, with the strings broken, or that the strings could, while the attunement, which is of the same nature and the same kin as the divine and deathless, had already perished, before the mortal (Plato 86a-c). † He is comparing the body to an instrument, and the soul to the attunement. When the instrument is no longer there, if it was completely broken or burned, there would no longer be a tune. The tune of one instrument does not just travel to a separate instrument when the original one is gone. Cebes then gives his counterargument, not agreeing with the one Simmias just made and not ful- ly agreeing with all of Socrates’ arguments. Cebes argument states that the soul does still live on after the body is dead, but that it is not entirely immortal. He then compares the body to a cloak and the soul to the body, stating â€Å"someone might say the very same things about soul and body as about the weaver and his cloak, that the soul is something long-lived, while the body is a weaker and shorter-lived thing, but all the same, he’d say, every single soul wears out many bod-ies, especially if it has a long life for if the body is in flux, and is perishing even while the per- son is alive, still the soul always weaves again whats being worn out. (Plato 87e). † This argu- ment he presents states that a soul can live through many bodies, as a person can go through many cloaks each as they wear out. He finishes his argument by stating that â€Å"there’s no justifica- tion yet for relying on this argument of yours, and it gives us no reassurance that when we die our soul still exists somewhere (Plato 88a). † Socrates final words at the end of Phaedo’s account were, â€Å"Crito, we owe a cock to As-clepius; pay our debt and no forgetting. † According to Greek myth, the cock symbolizes a peace offering to the god Asclepius in order to receive a cure. In this case, Socrates was getting ready to die. This could mean only two things to me, the first being that he was being cured of his life by dying and being closer than ever to the one thing that philosophers dedicate their time to, sep- arating his soul from his body and having that soul be free. The second interpretation I came up with is that he offered this cock to the god Asclepius to avoid any misfortune after he dies, while his soul is still living. All in all, Socrates had many deep and thought provoking arguments as to why the soul and the body are separate, and why the soul continues to live after the body has perished. Whether or not these arguments seemed logical, or were very believable, Socrates spent his whole life dedicated to the ideas of Philosophy, and he spent his final hours instilling his beliefs upon those who cared about him. Socrates died for what he believed in, and that’s what makes Phaedo’s account of his life so interesting. Works Cited: Plato, , and Christopher Rowe. The Last Day of Socrates. New York: Penguin Classics, 2010. 87-169. Print.

The Nature Of Biomedical Waste Environmental Sciences Essay

The Nature Of Biomedical Waste Environmental Sciences Essay Biomedical waste is that waste which is generated by the diagnosis and treatment of human beings or animals or by the medical research activities conducted or during the production of medical equipment. Biomedical waste can be hazardous and infectious by nature. So it needs to be handled properly to ensure it doesnt deteriorate peoples health when its discarded. Any inadequacy in the management of biomedical waste can result in the following issues: The waste can become a breeding ground for flies Can result in high risk of infections to medical staff Increased hazardous risk for the person handling the chemicals and other waste including the sharps Poor infection control can also lead to spread of infections to patients from the medical centres If such waste is reused, it can result in diseases like cholera, plague, tuberculosis, AIDS etc. Also, studies have shown that one-third of the total waste generated in the medical establishment is hazardous and toxic in nature. Since the mismanagement of biomedical waste can be dangerous to the public, the government (Ministry of Environment and Forests) has provided uniform guidelines and code of practice for the whole nation regarding the management handling of biomedical waste in the Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules,1998. Methodology: For this project, I visited the medical centre in Symbiosis Viman Nagar Campus (SVC) for information and interviewed the doctor in charge of the centre Dr. Kiran Mahajan. Though he stated that the medical centre of SVC was not performing advanced medical treatments and thus the composition of their centres biomedical waste would differ a lot from that of a hospital, still he had the knowledge of the waste generated in hospitals and how is it managed. So we could rely on his information. So the most important source of information for this project was the interview with Dr. Kiran Mahajan and secondly, I also looked up the internet for some additional information and facts to enrich my knowledge about biomedical waste. Some of the important questions I asked Dr. Kiran Mahajan were: Q- What are the items included in (or composition of) biomedical waste? Q- How can it become dangerous if not managed well? Q- What is the process of managing biomedical waste? Q- Is this process different from the management of other waste? Q- What is the present condition of biomedical waste management in the medical institutions? Q- Can you find out any inefficiencies in the waste management process? Q- Can you quantify the amount of biomedical waste generated? Q- How is the generated waste treated/disposed off? Findings: I was enlightened with the following information by Dr. Kiran Mahajan and the internet. First of all, biomedical waste includes: Human anatomical waste (tissues, organs, body parts etc.) Animal waste (as above, generated during research/experimentation, from veterinary hospitals etc.) Microbiology and biotechnology waste, such as, laboratory cultures, micro-organisms Human and animal cell cultures, toxins etc. Waste sharps, such as, hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpels, broken glass etc. Discarded medicines Soiled waste, such as dressing, bandages, material contaminated with blood etc. Solid waste (disposable items like tubes, catheters etc. excluding sharps), Liquid waste generated from any of the infected areas, Incineration ash, Chemical waste. The management issues in bio-medical waste handling are: Reduction of waste generation Segregation of waste at the place of its generation Transportation of the waste Handling of the waste Proper disposal Stages of biomedical waste management: Stage 1: Waste generation and storage: Here the waste generated is segregated at the place of its generation and the toxic and hazardous waste is kept in a separate container which is labelled for its easy identification. Each type of waste generated is kept separately and labelled which further helps in its transportation and handling. According to the rules of the government, untreated waste shouldnt be stored beyond a point of 48 hours. Suggestions for segregation and storages of waste in separate containers: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The container must be strong enough to be able to handle the pre-determined maximum capacity of waste without any damage. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It shouldnt have any leakages. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The containers should be covered when idle. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The sharps must be stored in puncture proof containers after being mutilated. After a bag or container is sealed, a label of the name of the component should be attached to it. Stage 2: Transportation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ While collecting waste from the medical establishments, it should be ensured that the waste is properly collected without any leakages and ambiguity in its nature. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Attempts can be made to provide a separate corridor for transfer of waste from the storage area to its transport area (It can be ensured that this path is not used for mobility of the patients and visitors). Stage 3: Waste treatment and disposal: The various ways for treatment and disposal of waste are: Incineration: Its the practice of using thermal energy to convert the waste into inert materials and gases. This process has been recommended for human anatomical waste, animal waste, discarded medicines. Autoclave treatment: It is a process in which the waste material is brought in contact with steam for a time period which is sufficient to disinfect the waste material. It is recommended for biotechnology waste, waste sharps. Microwave treatment: It is again a wet thermal disinfection technology but unlike others (which heat the waste externally), microwave heats the target material inside out providing a high level of disinfection. Chemical disinfecting: It involves the use of chemicals like hypochlorite solution to disinfect the waste. It is recommended for waste sharps, solid, liquid as well as chemical wastes. Sanitary and secured landfilling: It is required in the following circumstances: Deep burial of human anatomical waste when a proper facility of incineration is not available. (Sanitary landfill) Animal waste. (Sanitary landfill) Disposal of autoclaved, microwaved waste. (Sanitary landfill) Disposal of incineration ash. (Sanitary landfill) Disposal of bio-medical waste till such time when proper treatment and disposal facility is in place. (Secured landfill) Disposal of sharps. (Secured landfill) General waste: The other non-toxic and non-hazardous waste can be taken care of by the following ways: Composting of green waste Recycling of packaging material Problems/inefficiencies being faced in the field: Some of the problems/inefficiencies being encountered in the management of biomedical waste are: Till now, it has been observed that the statistics presented in the government by the Ministry of environment and forests about the quantity of biomedical waste are often not true/accurate.* (See references for source) The Ministry of environment and forests claims that India treats more than 70% of the biomedical waste it generates (which can be misleading if the statistics are wrong as mentioned above). Another problem being faced is the improper disposal of this waste i.e. even though the correct method is being followed; the method is not being implemented properly. For. E.g. the incineration of waste is observed to be done at 400 C which is to be done at 1000 C resulting in release of poisonous gases.

Lilys Choice in The House of Mirth Essay -- House Mirth Essays

Lily's Choice in The House of Mirth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Near the beginning of The House of Mirth, Wharton establishes that Lily would not indeed have cared to marry a man who was merely rich: "she was secretly ashamed of her mothers crude passion for money" (38). Lily, like the affluent world she loves, has a strange relationship with money. She needs money to buy the type of life she has been raised to live, and her relative poverty makes her situation precarious. Unfortunately, Lily has not been trained to obtain money through a wide variety of methods. Wharton's wealthy socialites do not all procure money in the same way: money can be inherited, earned working in a hat shop, won at cards, traded scandalously between married men and unmarried women, or speculated for in the stock market. For Lily, the world of monetary transactions presents formidable difficulties; she was born, in a sense, to marry into money, and she cannot seem to come to it any other way. She is incapable of mastering the world of ec onomic transactions, to the point that a direct exchange is repulsive to her highly specialized nature. Finally, these exchanges and the obstacles they present prove to be the end of her, and Wharton's text joins naturalism's Darwinian rules to an economic world. Whether Lily's death is accidental or a suicide does not really matter in Wharton's vision, because the choice facing Lily at the end of the novel--to make a transaction or to make a transaction--necessitates her death. Near the end of the novel, Wharton's protagonist must make a choice--but both options are part of the environment in which Lily has not evolved to survive. In Lily's attempt at wage-earning and her moral dilemma regarding Rosedale's marria... ...1975. Lyde, Marilyn Jones.   Edith Wharton, Convention and Morality in the Work of a Novelist.   Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1959. Miller, Mandy.   Edith Wharton Page.   19 Nov. 2002  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.Kutztown.edu/faculty/Reagan.Wharton.html>. Pizer, Donald.   "The Naturalism of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth."   Twentieth Century Literature 41.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1995): 241-8. Rehak, Melanie. Rev. of The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.   Amazon.com 28 Oct. 2002  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  <http://www.amazon.com/execs/obidos/ASIN/055321320/hallbook/>.   Ruschmann, Paul.   "Climbing the Social Ladder...In the Wrong Direction."   Rev. of The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.   Epinions.com 28 Oct. 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.epinions.com/./book-review-6AF6-7A25B6D-39DA>. Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth. (1905) New York: Signet,. 1998.   

Parallels Between The Grapes of Wrath and the Life of John Steinbeck Es

John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. He had a pretty average childhood with a supportive family and a decent education. While growing up his mother, Olive Hamilton, was a major factor in his education, since she was a schoolteacher and made it her duty to educate him. His mother most likely was the reason he developed a love of reading and literature and ended up going to Stanford. In his child there were only two major events that affected his writing. These were when he worked on a ranch with migrant workers, and when his father’s business failed and the family was temporarily thrust into poverty. These two events most likely sparked his interest in the poor lives of the migrant workers. His experiences on the ranch taught him about the harsh and impoverished lives of the migrant workers and his experience of being in poverty enabled him to understand what life is like when one is poor, as the migrant workers were. This understanding inspired some of his most famous writings such as: Of Mice and Men, In Dubious Battle and The Grapes of Wrath. These experiences also allowed him to add a sense of realism to the stories. After graduating from his public high school in 1919 Steinbeck went to Stanford. He went there for 5 years before dropping out without a degree and moving to New York. The following years were highly tumultuous for Steinbeck and he held many odd jobs while trying to get his writing published. In 1935 he finally got his first big break when his critically acclaimed novel, Tortilla Flats, was published. After this he became quite successful and well known although the skill in his writing seems to fall after WWII. After researching his life I decided to focus on using his most famous n... ... read and his beautiful and descriptive style allow me to say with absolute certainty that Steinbeck has developed into being my favorite author over the past few months. Yet, as I bring this paper to a close, I know that I have barely skimmed the surface of who this man was and why he wrote what he did the way he did. Works Cited "Dust Storm." University of Washington. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2015. . "John Steinbeck." Notable Biographies. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2015. . Parini, Jay. John Steinbeck. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1995. Print. Steinbeck, John. Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1985. Print. "Turtle." Stuff Point. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2015. .

Pollution Essay: Effects of Global Warming :: Climate Change

An issue that has been stirring up controversy all over the news and in the current presidential debate is global warming. The effects have been seen all over the world and global warming is quickly becoming a major topic of concern. Global warming is the increase of the earth’s temperature. When the earth’s temperature increases, we have a climate change. When this climate change occurs, so do the changes in the sea level, rainfall, wildlife, and this obviously affects humans. (Globalwarming) It is caused by the release of carbon dioxide also known as Co2. Carbon dioxide is released by the use of man made fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and naturals gasses. Co2 traps heat inside the earth’s atmosphere that would usually be in outer space, which causes the Greenhouse Effect. As the earth’s surface heats it becomes too warm to live in and many people, animals and plants will suffer. (EPA) The earth’s temperature naturally changes over the years, but over the last half of century, the record high temperatures drastically increased. Scientists have even warned us that in the last ten years we have had record high temperatures, which means the average temperatures in the United States could increase up to nine degrees. (NDRC) A major result of global warming that I have noticed by living in Florida is that it is making the hurricanes stronger and more treacherous. Every year, Florida gets hit by hurricanes and tropical storms, but during the last five years the damages have really increased. There has been lots of damage done to my home and neighborhood. As a resident of Florida, I have to take more precautions when these storms hit, because I never know how strong they can become. We have had our roof blown off, flood damage and trees falling over in our home. Global warming makes the ocean water warmer, which makes the storms much more powerful. They can easily jump from a category 2 to a category 4 storm. Again, there has been lots of damage done to my home and my neighborhood. (NDRC) Another frightening effect of Global warming is the rising of the sea levels. Scientists have discovered that this could eventually lead to coastal flooding. Areas in the United States that could be heavily affected are all of the eastern sea board, areas of Gulf of Mexico, and almost all of Florida.

Comparing

Tianesha Furlow Marriage is the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive commitment to each other. During the ceremony of the marriage the couple takes vows in which are promises each partner is supposed to keep. It’s a sacred matrimony which is taken very serious; in every vow it ends with â€Å"Til death do us part†. Unfortunately, in some marriages the vows aren’t taken that sacred. In the two short stories, ‘The Alchemist’s Secret†, and â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†, their protagonists took their vows of â€Å"til death do us part† very personal; was willing to do anything to keep their vows.In short story, Lamb to the Slaughter, an old devoted wife, Mary Maloney, waited for her husband, Patrick Maloney, to return home from work as a police officer. He arrives home around the usual time he comes home every night. This night Mary notices that Patrick seems to be out of it and is acting weird, but she just as sumes he’s tired from work. Finally, Patrick exposes his reason for acting so strange. He never states exactly, but it is inferred that he is leaving her for another woman.Mary, still in shock goes to the freezer to get a leg of lamb to cook for dinner. She continues to go in as if her husband didn’t just reveal to her that he is leaving. Patrick screams to Mary not to make dinner and she snaps. She hit him in the back of his head with the frozen lamb. Mary intentionally kills her husband. She feels as though if she can’t have her husband then no one can. In addition, in the short story, The Alchemist’s Secret, a bitter married man comes into a gas lit herb shop where he thinks it’s going to be a solution to all of his problems.He hears of the famous Doctor Maximus who could make him no longer married to his cheating wife. In the herb shop Doctor puts some type of chemicals in whatever is desired of the customer to kill someone instantly with no di scovery of the death in the autopsy. He wants his wife dead before he sees her fall in love with another man. He states with his face looking tight and dangerous, â€Å"I am not a man to be made a fool of†. The visitor of the herb shop feels like his wife is making a fool of him and she deserves severe punishment.The two stories had many similarities and differences. One of the major similarities in the stories was how Mary Maloney and the anonymous visitor both took the same actions after finding out of the infidelity in their marriage. The differences in the story were the character’s outlook on the death of their spouse. For example, in The Alchemist, during the talk with the Doctor, the visitor says, â€Å"No thank you†, but says it nervously. The nervousness in his voice proved he had some fear and guilt of what he had planned on doing to his wife.In addition, in Lamb to the Slaughter, after Mary Maloney killed her husband, Patrick Maloney and creating a li e to the detectives, she sits, â€Å"{in the other room and began to giggle}†. Mary Maloney giggling after killing her own husband reveals she has no regrets. In conclusion, the two short stories have similar concepts, but have different style of writing. Both couples had infidelity in their marriage and wanted revenge for their vows being broken.

Whi Is Ihrm Such an Important Issue for Mne’s ?

Why is IHRM such an important issue for MNE’s? International Human Resources Management is the process of procuring, allocating, and effectively utilizing human resources in a multinational corporation. It is born thanks to globalization and to the growth of multinational enterprises all around the world. Globalization and the effective use of international human resources are two major issues facing firms in today’s global economy. As more and more firms operate internationally, there is a clear need to understand how to manage human resources that are located outside the domestic environment.A HRM system cannot be an efficient approach for a multinational enterprise (MNE) to optimize their employees’ performances because compared to IHRM: it has less HR activities, a smaller perspective, less involvement in employees’ personal lives, and difficulties to adapt to the workforce mix (expatriates and locals). Indeed, an MNE has to deal with different types o f employees: * Host-country Nationals (HCNs): locals of a country a MNE operates in a subsidiary. * Parent-country Nationals (PCNs): expatriates from the country where the MNE has its headquarters. Third country Nationals (TCNs): employees from countries other than the host or home country. These are also expatriates. The correlation between HCNs and PCNs in an MNE is crucial because they both have different points of view about the activity. HCNs are useful thanks to their knowledge of foreign market, language and needs and they know human resources policies for local employees, whereas PCNs have the ability to maintain control (for example with a newly established subsidiary), to adapt an ethnocentric attitude and to process an expatriation management (staffing, training, compensation).An IHRM system is a product of distinct activities, functions and processes that are directed at attracting, developing and maintaining the human resources of a MNE. Indeed, IHRM seeks to assist org anizations to make the most effective use of their human resources in the international context. Schuler said: â€Å"IHRM for many firms is likely to be critical to their success, and effective IHRM can make the difference between survival and extinction for many MNEs†. This quote means that an MNE has different choices for its IHRM approach.The four generic IHRM orientations of MNEs: ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric, and regiocentric, introduced by Perlmutter (1969) and Perlmutter and Heenan (1979), are widely recognized. * In an ethnocentric approach, the MNE exports the home HRM system abroad. Strategic decisions are made at the headquarters and subsidiaries are managed by expatriates. Like Porter said: â€Å"In a global industry, a firm must integrate its activities like HRM on a worldwide basis to capture the linkages among countries†. * An MNE with a polycentric approach adapts to the local HRM system that the local companies use.Foreign subsidiaries have a large autonomy and HCNs fill the senior positions. HCNs are more likely to be promoted to positions at headquarters. * In a geocentric approach, the MNE takes a worldwide approach to its operations: employees can be promoted to senior positions in both headquarters and subsidiaries according to their capabilities, regardless of nationality and location. * The regiocentric approach is similarly to the geocentric approach, but senior managers enjoy regional rather than global autonomy in decision-making.Each of these four approaches has certain advantages and disadvantages. The choice of approaches to IHRM depends on the interaction of home-country factors, host-country factors and firm characteristics. The firm has to adapt its HRM activities to each host country’s specific requirements. It is also linked to cultural environment, like Hofstede said: â€Å"Culture awareness from senior and middle management is essential†. The location of the country is one aspect of the context in which MNEs operate.The home-country factors include home HRM systems and domestic political, legal, economic and sociocultural factors. These factors impact on IHRM through their influence on a firm’s characteristics. Organizations in one country might thus share many similarities while being essentially different from those headquartered in other countries. According to Ferner (1997), even the most global companies remain deeply rooted in the national business systems of their country of origin. Without any internal or external influence, an MNE would export all of its own home HRM system to subsidiaries.IHRM is definitely an essential issue for MNEs because it depends on it to avoid barriers of distance, language, time and culture between employees, which often make it very difficult for managers to resolve conflicts. Nowadays, we can still wonder if it is possible to develop a generic IHRM model that could be widely applicable. â€Å"IHRM is of fundamental impo rtance in realizing an efficient and effective multinational organization because it enables the firm to deal with control and cross-cultural issues that are both internal and external to the firm† (Adler and Ghadar 1990).

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.

Prosecuting Argument Essay

On a mid-afternoon day in October of 2013, the defendant, Stu Dents, left his apartment and drove to the victim’s apartment. There were two eyewitnesses that saw the defendant walk into the apartment building to his girlfriend’s (victims) apartment, and enter. It is unclear on how the defendant entered the apartment because there were no signs of forced entry. The victim was not home at the time. Her co-workers say they last saw her when she left work that evening. The body of the victim was found the next morning behind an abandoned building, five miles from her home. The victim was found with cloth stuffed in her mouth, her arms and legs tied with rope, and she had been stabbed to death. The coroner determined that she was stabbed 13 times and bled to death. Cuts and bruises were found on her body as well as skin particles under her fingernails. This signified a struggle had occurred prior to her death. When DNA tests were conducted, the DNA under the victim’s fingernails matched the DNA of the defendant. When the defendant’s home was searched, the police found drugs, along with jewelry owned by the victim. In a locked room in the defendant’s house, police found a wall covered with photographs of the victim. These photographs were mostly taken without her knowledge. The police found love letters, along with a journal that was started six months prior to the death of the victim. The journal had detailed events from the first time the defendant and the victim met, up to the night before the murder. The journal entries discussed purchasing the items used to kidnap and murder the victim. He referenced aliens, God, and the end of the world in his journal as well. There was enough evidence to arrest Mr. Dents on the evening of the 21st of October. When he was taken away by the police, the defendant began screaming about the end of the world and aliens working on the police force. He was very agitated, irrational, and combative. When an officer tried to handcuff him,  the defendant punched the officer in the face and yelled, â€Å"Alien!† The state is charging Stu Dents with homicide, assault of a police officer, kidnapping, burglary, and crimes related to drugs. For the charge of Homicide against the defendant Stu Dent, the state of Minnesota would charge Stu Dent with murder in the first degree. 609.185, MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE. (a) Whoever does any of the following is guilty of murder in the first degree and shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life: (1) causes the death of a human being with premeditation and with intent to effect the death of the person or of another; (2) causes the death of a human being while committing or attempting to commit criminal sexual conduct in the first or second degree with force or violence, either upon or affecting the person or another; (3) causes the death of a human being with intent to effect the death of the person or another, while committing or attempting to commit burglary, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, arson in the first or second degree, a drive-by shooting, tampering with a witness in the first degree, escape from custody, or any felony violation of chapter 152 involving the unlawful sale of a controlled substance. In the charge of assault of a police officer in the state of Arkansas, Stu Dents will be charged with aggravated assault upon a certified law enforcement officer or an employee of a correctional facility. Stu Dents will be charged under A.C.A.  § 5-13-211. a)When an individual commits an aggravated assault upon a certified law enforcement officer or an employee of a correctional facility. This individual will be charged if, under circumstance manifesting significant indifference to the person(s) personal hygiene of the certified law enforcement officer or the employee with the correctional facility. This is when the individual intentionally takes part in conduct that has or will create potential danger of infection to the certified law enforcement officer or the employee of any state or local correctional facility while the certified officer or employee is in the course of his or her employment by causing the person whom the actor is well aware that he or she is a certified officer or employee to come into contact with blood, feces, urine, saliva, seminal fluid, or any other bodily fluid through purposely throwing, expelling, tossing, or in any other way transferring the fluids or material (â€Å"A.c.a.  § 5-13-211†, 2015). b) Aggravated assault upon an employee of a correctional facility either sate or local or a certified law enforcement  officers is a Class D felony (â€Å"A.c.a.  § 5-13-211†, 2015). Stu Dents is charged with a Class D felony for aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer because he became combative and struck the police officer in the face with a closed fist while screaming â€Å"Alien.† KIDNAPPING The defendant wrongfully trespassed onto the victim’s property. He went into the victim’s apartment when she was not at home. He may not have gone in thinking that he was going to take something from her home, but he did. He took from her home, her personal jewelry. He had no intentions of giving back what he had taken, and the victim did not give the defendant permission to take her possessions. If charged with burglary in Arizona, you are facing felony charges. Though there are three different classifications for burglary, each of them are felonies. Third degree burglary is doing one of two things. The unlawful entering or remaining in a nonresidential structure or fenced in area, with the intent of committing any theft or felony. The unlawful gaining entry into any part of a vehicle with burglar’s tools with the intent of committing any theft or felony. The punishment carries 18 months to three years in prison. Second degree burglary is the unlawful entering or remaining in or on a residential structure with the intent of committing any theft or felony. This applies to a home, apartment building, or any place people reside. This carries a two in a half to seven year punishment in prison. First degree burglary is the most serious charge. This means one committed either a second or third degree burglary while using a firearm, explosive, or other deadly weapon. The punishment is four to ten years in prison. To be charged with any degree of burglary, you do not need to steal anything, only have the intent of stealing. Also, the defendant was charged with crimes related to drugs, in the state of Minnesota they would charge him with 152.021 CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CRIME IN THE FIRST DEGREE. Subd. 2. Possession crimes. (a) A person is guilty of a controlled substance crime in the first degree if: (1)the person unlawfully possesses one or more mixtures of a total weight of 25 grams or more containing cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine. A blue MDMA tablet also known as ecstasy, with a â€Å"thumbs-up† imprint was found under the table in the living room as well  as powder cocaine residue on the living room coffee table of the victim’s apartment. Upon search of the defendant’s home, detectives found ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine, and jewelry owned by the victim among the defendant’s possessions. Small bag containing ecstasy found at defendants home matched the ones found at the victim’s home. References A.C.A.  § 5-13-211. (2015). Retrieved from Revisor of statutes, State of Minnesota, 152.021 CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CRIME IN THE FIRST DEGREE, 2014. Retrieved on February 13, 2015 from Revisor of statutes, State of Minnesota, 609.185 Murder in the First Degree, 2014. Retrieved on February 13, 2015 WordPress Admin (n.d.). Burglary Laws. Retrieved on February 13, 2015 from

Drones and how they are becoming more advanced along with the safety Term Paper

Drones and how they are becoming more advanced along with the safety concerns of civilian drones - Term Paper Example There are different types of drones but they can be grouped into two basic groups as the international civil aviation organization (ICAO) classifies them (OBrien, n.d.). These classifications are autonomous aircrafts and the remotely controlled aircrafts. The autonomous aircrafts are considered unsuitable for regulation at the moment, due to legal and liability issues involved. On the other hand, the remotely controlled aircraft are suitable and convenient to use because they are subject to civil regulation by the ICAO and are always under the regulation of the relevant national aviation authority of respective countries. One can also classify drone into those that are used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes and those that are used for combat; those that are armed with bombs and missiles. Typically, the drones are launched and recovered by the means of a function of an automated program or system or by an external operator from the ground. Drones have been employed in the military and the special operation application; they have also been employed in civil applications such as policing and firefighting, as well as inspection of power or pipelines. Drones have been preferred for missions that are believed to endanger the lives of hr pilots, or in other words, in areas are too dangerous and dirty for the manned aircrafts (OBrien, n.d.). The popularity of drones can be associated with its uses, which covers a wide area of application in the daily life situations. The application of drones makes them an interesting technology for governments, business people, non-governmental organization and the like, to employ I their dealings. To begin with, drones have been used extensively in commercial aerial surveillance, like the monitoring of livestock, mapping of wildfire, home security, pipeline security and so on. This is because surveillance of such vast areas would normally command a huge investment in terms of capital, but

(managing human capital) Traditional performance appraisal methods and Essay

(managing human capital) Traditional performance appraisal methods and why it leads dysfunctional behaviour - Essay Example Performance appraisals are undertaken to assess the individual, a team, or an organisational unit's progress as far as its function is concerned. They can be based on personal assessment of the ratee based on a prepared rating scale depending on the systems preferred by the management. In the general context, performance evaluation is a good tool to reward and recognise outstanding performances and correct or counsel employees with poor accomplishments (US Department of the Interior, n. d) Traditional methods of performance appraisal methods may differ in usability between private and public organisations. But they have similarities as far as the rating systems are concerned. Old systems use review processes in which the supervisor writes his ratings and opinions of the performance of a subordinate based on a form. In some organisations, the staff member is asked to fill out a self-review to share with the supervisor. In most cases, the appraisal reflects what the rater can remember and not a comprehensive evaluation. It is based on feelings and can be judgmental in nature (Dulewicz, 1989) Considering that humans have emotions, traditional assessment techniques and even some present methods are mostly ceremonial rather than a thorough assessment of the personnel's o

Critically discuss the role of users in Legos approach to innovation Essay

Critically discuss the role of users in Legos approach to innovation and consider whether the strategy could be put to use in other organisations - Essay Example Later the product range shifted to a set of interlocking bricks which was launched in the market in 1953 but failed because of the consumer’s perception towards plastic toys was strong. By 1959 the company shifted completely to manufacturing plastic bricks and related products and stopped producing wooden toys. The company adopted a series of change with product innovations, segmenting and targeting markets, figures, adding wheels, switching to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic rather than cellulose acetate, and addition of instruction manuals. Such changes helped Lego for further development and by 1988 there exist almost 50 elements in the toy system of Lego. It manufactured Duplo with large bricks for younger children and for the older ones it had Lego Technic Builders. The growth of Lego increased throughout the 20th century and it ranked in top ten toymakers in the world. Their product range diversified through models cars, train sets and robotics and even the diver sification was seen in the architecture to include programmability and control in order to support these toys (Chesbrough , 2003, pp.76-77). In 1999 the fortune magazine stated that Lego is the ‘toy of century’. The Lego’s operations faced competition due to evolution of computer games which attracted the younger generation and even its costly toys in the high cost economy created pressure in its operations. The low cost toys caused a problem for Lego to remain competitive in the market. As the potential configuration of a small number bricks were huge which involved the users more in the Lego concept. The Lego toys has been bought by the people to make house and cars who then reassemble the bricks in the own user created approach. From the year 2000 Lego has been keeping at the centre of its strategy the user linked approach. The company in order to improve the efficiency of production started developing digital models of the bricks and

Rise of the Strategic Bomber Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rise of the Strategic Bomber - Research Paper Example It had the capacity to destroy even the cities, harbors and other industries. It was strong enough to completely destroy the target area. When compared to a normal bomber, strategic bomber had the ability to transform the fertile place to a place where no habitat can exist. Strategic bombers were larger aircrafts which carried more bombs and weapons. The smaller fighter planes and jet bombers carried only the normal bombs that could move away the enemies. Strategic bombers were invented to destroy the enemies. They were specially designed aircrafts that were used by almost all the countries during the war period. (Quanback, 1976).The severity of World War led to the development of such machines. Bombers were the important component of any country’s military troop. (Boot, 2006). They satisfied the requisites of the military troops and hence they became an essential part of any war. Since then the strategic bombers have gone through tremendous improvement and it has spread to almost all the countries. The First World War led to the invention of these bombers since the soldiers alone could not manage in the war front. A special machine that could control the enemies was in need of the hour. Most of the European and Russian countries made use of the se bombers. Iraq was one of the countries which faced several attacks from the American nation. (MacIssac, 1976). These countries made the best use of such strategic bombers which in turn contributed to the development of these aircrafts. Post First World War, the bombers went through a drastic improvement. Till then the bombers were simple aircraft which carried bombs. These aircrafts were smaller in size and carried only a limited number of bombs. The engineers then designed aircrafts that carried more number of bombs and the size of the aircraft was considerably bigger. Cold war affected the development of these strategic bombers. During the beginning of Cold

Power & Privilege Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power & Privilege - Essay Example With an eye towards balancing a calculation with relativity, I think a good working definition of poverty is the one Bagdikian offers. As for Ehrenreich’s writings, I found them to be interesting and evocative, but not particularly surprising. It doesn’t take an MIT graduate to figure out that $7.00/hr. for 40 hours a week isn’t going to buy three dollar-per-gallon gasoline while paying rent and groceries. Q2: What makes a person disabled? Similarly to defining poverty, disability can take both an objective and a subjective form. A person with a physical or mental condition that prevents them from functioning in a â€Å"normal† way is disabled. That said, however, it is far easier to recognize an individual imprisoned in a wheelchair than one locked up in her own mental hell; yet both are equally hampered when it comes to interacting with the community. As for my personal observations, the thing I dislike the most is the way that those with obvious disabilities are ignored in social settings, and the way those with cognitive function disabilities are mocked behind their backs. I have seen people in a crowded room act like the person in the wheel chair is not even there. I think everyone has seen people make fun of the mentally retarded. If I put myself in their place, I think I would want to be treated with the same respect and dignity as any other human being. Even if I am in a wheel chair, at least look at me and acknowledge my presence. Talk to me; introduce yourself. You know I am disabled, and I know I am disabled, but I am not invisible.

Market Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market Risks - Essay Example For example, investors lose billions of dollars of their money when Pakistan stock market crashed in 2005. (KSE.com.pk/2005) This list of risk in not exhaustive, but there are also thousands of other risks when investing in an emerging market. Another major risk is differences in culture and religion of the host country and the company. In 2006/7, there was an issue of blasphemous cartoons being published in Norwegian newspapers. This angered the Muslims all over the world. Telenor, one company which is from Norway and operating in Muslim countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan suffered as a result. Many people stopped using their service and many governments threatened or fined the company. To make the matters worse people also protested and damaged their branches. As a result, the company suffered huge losses and at one time it looked like that whole of their investment is going to go wasted. (Grameen Phone, 2005) Similarly, disparity of income in many countries has made matter worse for these businesses. For example, Subway initially entered as luxury brand in Pakistan. But because people in Pakistan are generally poor, they were not able to afford this expensive food and hence the business suffered huge losses until they bring their prices down which implied reduction in profits for SubWay.

Internal and External Analysis for New Balance Athletic Shoes Inc Essay

Internal and External Analysis for New Balance Athletic Shoes Inc - Essay Example Finally, the company lacks the emphasis required on design in order to achieve broader sales volumes. The information uncovered for this report will be discussed in relative detail in this report. New Balance currently maintains a somewhat conservative mentality when it comes to trying to reach potential customers. This is an attitude within the company that needs to change and should represent flexibility in thinking toward a change in the brand. Such changes would require small internal adjustments in promotion (and the overall sales budget) to make the product stand out in the minds’ of consumers. Currently, the company only maintains 58 percent brand recognition (Bowen, Huckman & Knoop, 2008), considerably lower than that of their rival competition, Nike and Reebok. However, dollar for dollar, the company’s advertising expenditures are nearly equal with Reebok but the return on this investment is significantly higher for Reebok. The more mature-minded consumer may not be the ideal candidate for the modern New Balance company when it comes to increasing sales volumes, the key to moving forward may lay in reaching a much broader and younger, progressive consum er audience. The company is currently working with a wide variety of different styles for production which should be an integral part of the company’s operations: A well-developed research and development team combined with marketing excellence that can reposition the product (based on budget restrictions) as a more progressive shoe company. It is suggested that marketing strategies should include focusing on this element of good business, illustrating to prospective customers that the company intends to stay around and means business. Such marketing changes, developed through an appropriate project management team, could unleash a brand new image for New Balance, suggesting that it, too, can weigh quality with

Weekly Assignment Essay Example for Free

Weekly Assignment Essay In Moore’s proof if an external world, he is attempting to show that we can know things outside of our own us (Moore; 144). He proves this by using the example of showing his hands, pointing at one hand and saying â€Å"here is my right hand† then pointing to the other and saying the same thing (Moore; 144). He states that by just being able lift hand is proof that it exists. He provided three conditions that support his claim which are that; if his two conclusions differ from one another, which they do not. If he knew proof but did not believe it and vice versa; and finally if his conclusion did not follow the premises which it did (Moore ; 145). Moore addresses the issues that readers have about the fact that he is not answering the question. He claims that they are seeking a statement saying, â€Å"Here’s one hand and here’s the other†, to prove external existence by coming up and examining both hands (Moore; 146). This statement is meant to accommodate all the examples of proof of external objects (Moore, 147). It is very unlikely that on exists because for that statement to be true there would have to be an initial proof that a person is not dreaming which is quite difficult to do. Moore also provides an additional proof for objects that have previously existed by saying:† I held up two hands above the desk not very long ago, therefore two hands existed not very long ago and therefore at least two external objects have existed at some time in the past† (Moore; 146). He uses this as a solution to Immanuel Kant’s (1724–1804) problem of the existence of external objects; because it shows that the objects have existed at some point in time (Moore;146).

Theory assessment Essay Example for Free

Theory assessment Essay As a trainer, teacher and assessor my roles are many and varied. As part of my day to day work I may not only deliver lessons but also carry out theory assessments, practical assessments and sometimes interviews. I may have to motivate and liaise as well as guide and assess. I will have to keep records and be a subject specialist as well as liaise internally and impart information and advice sometimes on a personal level. The first impact I play regarding my role is either interviewing possible candidates or meeting and greeting them on the first day of their course. Meeting potential apprentices/apprentices on their first day induction requires me to make a good first impression and aim to create a degree of respect and professionalism from the onset. Geoff Petty says in his book. â€Å"When you go for an interview you put your best clothes on. Employers are affected by first impressions, but so are you as a teacher. We do this because we want to know how to behave towards a person and how we can expect them to behave towards us. It would of course be fairer to suspend judgement, but few of us manage this in practise†. (Petty G 2009) It has been proven (Petty G: 2009) that students’ that don’t look interested in studies or that have a â€Å"don’t care attitude† are more likely to do worse on their course that those that appear bright and willing to learn. This is partly due to our â€Å"first impressions† leading to the student being taught differently even though this may be subconscious. This is when it is important in your role as teacher to be the needs identifier and try to teach to the needs of the students’ as individuals and not to teach to the needs of the class as a whole when designing the learning and implementing it. Every student is an individual that has their own preferred learning styles one of the most common and widely used categorizations of the various types of learning styles is Fleming’s VARK model (sometimes VAK) consisting of visual learners, auditory learners, kinaesthetic learners or tactile learners. Flemming claimed that visual learners have a preference for seeing (think in picture; visual aids such as overhead slides, diagrams, hand-outs, etc. ). Auditory learner’s best learn through listening. Tactile/kinaesthetic learners prefer to learn via experience, moving, touching and doing (active exploration of the world; science projects; experiments, etc. ) Its use in pedagogy allows teachers to prepare classes that address each of these areas. Students can also use the model to identify their preferred learning style and maximize their educational experience by focusing on what benefits them most(Wikipedia. org/learning styles). During my lessons I always try to give students a mixture of learning styles so overall the lessons are more varied. I find this keeps the levels of interest much higher and it caters for the group as a whole, this way each student gets to learn at some point in their preferred learning style, this helps me confirm that they have knowledge and understanding from classroom based auditory and visual learning and that they can demonstrate through practical assessments that they have the skills and ability to perform tasks to a standard which can be deemed competent. I insist my students must understand how, when, where and why they should perform tasks. By giving students as much information as possible I believe this empowers the individual and gives them more incentive for learning. As a railway trainer assessor it is my responsibility to ensure support and guidance is available to help support students with various needs and personal issues, any apprentices who report a problem to me it is my duty to speak to the respective students and help deal with their learner needs, if it is anything regarding personal issues it is then my job to involve the appropriate person that deals with those issues, from the designated safe guarding officer to councillors within the affiliated colleges, chaplains or in some cases if the severity of the matter is such by contacting police. All aspects on quality and diversity must be considered at all times and any issues must be kept confidential as the tutor has a duty of care to his/her students. As a railway assessor I am responsible for a class of up to 26 students as their supervisor/mentor it is my duty to inform the student of any relevant legislation and codes of practice. One of the first subjects covered is Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) giving students information on company safety policies and information regarding fire and first aid. Week one of their initial six week course involves presentations and QA regarding legislation that is applicable to the railway such as COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health), RIDDOR (reporting of diseases dangerous occurrence Regs) as well as HAVS (hand arm vibration syndrome) Noise Regs, LOLER (lifting operations lifting equipment Regs), Railway Regs and manual handling. â€Å"Recording provides the platform from which teachers can base their reporting to others and is a mechanism for evaluating learning and teaching. (highlandschools) One of the most important roles of a teacher (and assessor) is record keeping. From day one it is my responsibility to start with a course register as the course progresses I am responsible for gathering evidence that students produce assessing it, evaluating it, marking it and keeping it filled away safely. Data protection is very important because as a teacher we deal with personal details. Part of my job entails collecting apprentice’s bank details and personal details this documentation needs to be collected and passed on to the wage department safely and securely. Weekly reports are carried out on each candidate this information must be kept in a secure location because any misuse could be detrimental to the welfare of students and break any trust built up between student and teacher. Keeping records is a very important reflexive tool for both teachers and learners. Accurate records taken throughout a course enables both teacher and students to continually reassess the effectiveness of the teaching/learning relationship by giving an ongoing measurement against what the candidate should be learning, what they have been taught, whether or not they are making progress and whether the structure of the lesson plan is sufficient or not. Indications on whether the student needs more additional help can also be highlighted. Holistic record keeping is beneficial as it can give an indication if there is external problems for example poor attendance may be due to a multitude of reasons and as a tutor this gives you an initial warning that there may be an underlying problem with this information you can then look deeper and begin to analyse behavioural patterns to identify whether or not there is any issue that might require the notification of other professional bodies. Keeping accurate records of candidates work is necessary for progress, monitoring student achievement, ability and skill through ongoing assessment is essential to track their progress with the additional constructive feedback helps teachers set realistic targets for the candidate to achieve. Once these targets are met the end product is passed on to the awarding bodies for certification. My personal interpretation is that the role of a teacher is a very varied and flexible one. Structured by lesson plans and course criteria the simple fact that individual students can be so diverse due to background, ability, age, and motive for learning makes the role of a teacher unique each and every day. It is my opinion that there is a great responsibility of a tutor to pass on knowledge in a positive and passionate way, the tutor creates his/her own environment for learning and in that environment all the needs of the learner should be met. The teacher should be able to relate to individuals to develop a good personal teaching relationship and to understand what gets the best results out of each student to maximise learning outcome.