Adoption By Gays- Its Okay Essays - Same-sex Sexuality,

Adoption By Gays- It's Okay ?When a gay couple sought to adopt a boy- who had leukemia, had been neglected by his biological parents, had lived in five foster homes, and whose adoption was favored by his legal representative- the judge deemed it ?not in the interest of a seven-year-old male child to be placed for adoption into the home of a pair of adult male homosexual lovers.'?(Utne 58) Three years of searching for a qualified heterosexual couple failed. This and many other similar cases have denied children a family by ignoring many qualified homosexuals. With this being an age when people are supposedly more open-minded, why is it that gays are treated this way just because of their sexual orientation? Many Americans are still uncomfortable with the idea of gay parents. The traditional family has always included a mother and a father. However, today more and more families are being headed by gay parents. Some have children from previous marriages. Many must use artificial insemination or surrogate mothers because it is extremely difficult for gays to adopt children. Although it seems to contradict society's view of the traditional family, homosexuals should be allowed to adopt because they deserve equal rights, and sexual orientation is not a reasonable determining factor in the qualifications of a parent. Also, allowing them to adopt can actually help society. ?Surveys suggest that a large majority of the American public generally favor anti-discrimination laws.?(Harris 2) Why then, according to a Newsweek survey, do only 36% of those surveyed think gay couples should have the right to adopt? Samuel Chavers, assistant general counsel for Children and Families, says ?adoption is not a right; it's a privilege.? If this is true, there is still not a rational basis for denying homosexuals the ?privilege? to adopt. It is clearly an anti-gay bias. Although only two states specifically ban adoption by gays, most states discourage it. Just as blacks and women have fought for equal rights, gays are now struggling to do the same. It is unfair to single out a group of people with many members who would make great parents. Since we live in a world where ?all men are created equal?, homosexuals should enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals. Gays face discrimination because of their sexual preferences, and they must also face the qualifications for adopting. ?June Amer has a son of her own, whom she and her partner have raised. They wanted to adopt a second child. Amer truthfully filled out an application form that asked whether she was a homosexual. Her application was immediately rejected.?(Fitzgerald 1B) This was a woman who had already proved to be a good parent and who lived in a healthy environment. She could have provided much-needed care for another child. Her only characteristic that did not meet the qualifications was that she had a female lover. Because of this reason, many qualified applicants are being turned down. It is great that people are willing to adopt children, but it is terrible that this one qualification is stopping so many of them. ?Sexual orientation alone doesn't make a person a good or bad parent.?(Kantrowitz 57) ?Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tenne ssee, agrees. ?The goal should be to identify those homes that would provide nurturing environments. The determination should not be sexual orientation.'?(Wagner 1) Adoption agencies need to quit using sexual orientation as a factor. A family is a family. That is exactly what so many children today are in need of: a family. ?There are now 36,000 children in this country- in foster homes or institutions- who are free for adoption.(Utne 54) These children need the love that homosexuals can provide just as well as heterosexuals. If the many willing gays could adopt these children, it would help our society by lessening the problem of children without families. A home is much better than an institution, or worse, the streets. It would also help by diversifying society. All people are not the same, so why should all families have to be the same? If children are adopted by gay parents, more people will become accepting and open-minded towards different lifestyles. Society will definitely be positively affected the day that homosexuals

Captain Grays journal Essay Example

Captain Grays journal Essay Example Captain Grays journal Essay Captain Grays journal Essay An unusual static and void nocturnal silence hovered above Beaumont Hamel. Sitting in his dugout, Captain Gray couldnt find any suitable words to send to his wife. His instincts told him that to write a letter would be equivalent to saying farewell, an idea he deplored as it bordered with superstition. Grays eyelids were heavy, but no slumber seemed to follow this natural sign of exhaustion. With his brain filled with confused angry thoughts he opened his journal. Seeing the blank page, the monotonous parallel lines made the thoughts in his mind seem grotesque, exaggerated and monstrous! Eventually they twisted themselves into acceptable words that came streaming down onto the page like dark water percolating through a stoved ships side. Gray wrote; Constant vigilance is the key to survive this War. Tommorow we shall attack, or rather poke the hundred headed Ladon with a twig. I know I mustnt break down, for as a commanding officer I must be an example to my men. I shall grit my teeth and be with them until my time comes. The men must must believe in their officers and have reason to do so. It has been agreed that if I am to fall, Wraysford will take over my platoon. I am glad about this arrangement; I like and trust that laddie, despite the fact that I find him difficult to read. He didnt back out when he was given the chance, now I am convinced hell manage this. Our lives depend on strategies, on strategies and also irresponsible and embarrasingly well educated generals, who still seem to think of this slaughter as of a welcome release from a decadent existance. The 29th Division are waiting for us and I fail to see the point of this codswallop about the wire being cut, when it isnt!?! One would think wed have the advantage of the night on our side at least, but no! A generation of young men, to which I belong. must march in daylight like slow approaching targets up hill oblivious to the suicide they are commiting. Faith pushes them, like it pushed inocent Tess Durbeyfield into Alec violent posession. We all shall become less inocent against our will tommorrow He paused, unable to continue, wiping a bead of nervous sweat from just below the point where his brown hair began to grow on his forehead. Putting his pen down he stood up, knocking over a glass, that still had the traces of dried golden whisky, from the improvised bookshelf that hung low over his bed. The fragile transparent solid cracked as it hit the floor. Gray automatically swore and disposed of the pieces, cutting a finger as he did so. He took out his cigarette case from its usual pocket, lit the last one remaining and inhaled the familiar, appealing and reassuring poison of the tobacco, feeling the welcome numbness disperse through the veins in his once youthful body. The solitude in which he performed this ritual, though unusual for him. Satisfied his need for escapism. The smell lingered in his well shaped moustache as he went back to his entry and wrote; Barclay is barking mad to have agreed to this; either that or as short sighted as Haig or Rawlinson. Remarkable what rank can do to a character, although I doubt that he was less ignorant in the past. He just doesnt seem to realize that were not playing a game and that hes not commanding toy armies, but young men of flesh and red hot blood, who will die while he drinks ruby wine in a peaceful garden. Dinner at Beaupaume indeed! I am sorry for the men hes in charge of, who understand just what an abomination he is. As much as I enjoy a good meal, I dont think that I would take much pleasure in a victorious dinner at the cost of half my country. I would rather continue sharing my rations or my favourite walnut cake that Joyce sometime sends me and know Im having it in the worthy company of my comrades.. Gray swallowed and closed the diary. He lay back suppressing tears of forced resolution. Clutching the book in his hand, he let his meditation sidetrack to images of his wife and home in Edinburgh. As he entered into a reverie, he saw her reading his journal, weeping. He dreamt for an hour, suffering nightmare after nightmare. At eleven thirty, when his batman Watson pulled him out of a macabre dreamt up game of pelmanism that involved parts of the human body, Gray was temporarily relieved. That didnt last long, for as he walked towards the loud speaker, he felt that nothing had prepared him for what he was expected to do. ;

Thoughts of seven wonders of Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thoughts of seven wonders of Egypt - Essay Example The two main influences of architecture are the sphinx and the great pyramid, since the two artifacts have been in existence for a long period of time. After an analysis of ancient Egyptian culture, I would say that the world has a lot to learn from the work and life of the ancient Egyptians. The first thing that is learnt is the importance of religion and the significance of religious aspects to world history. For example, it is evident that most of Egypt’s artifacts and important architecture have some religious significance or other, therefore, the importance of religion in confirming opinion is noted. The other learning point from the ancient Egyptian studies is the importance of literary thinking and record-keeping. The libraries that were used by the ancient scholars are still accessible, indicating that the Egyptians thought to document all aspects of their civilization. In my opinion, ancient Egyptian civilization was the single most important facet of worldly development and

Community health nursing(strategies for community health promotion) Essay

Community health nursing(strategies for community health promotion) - Essay Example There are four phases identified in the program outline. Nutritional aspects are identified as the means to improve the health of the community as a whole. The roles of the community health personnel in the program are discussed. The stress is on the role of the community nurse, as the community nurse is required to play several roles, each of which is vital to the successful outcome of the program. In this manner the various aspects that go into the development of a program for improving the health of communities, as a part of efficient public health are discussed in the formulation of the program outline. The objective is to develop a program outline for promoting health in an economically disadvantaged community. In the process goals and objectives to encourage better health in the economically disadvantaged community would be identified. In addition two frameworks or models that influence community change towards the identified goals and objectives would be evaluated. Finally the role of the community health service worker in facilitating the program goals and objectives of health promotion in the economically disadvantaged community would be evaluated. 2. Relevance: Promotion of health in disadvantaged communities is becoming more relevant, as disadvantaged communities around the world are on the increase, and found to have very poor health parameters in comparison to their more prosperous counterparts (Heath & Haines, 2000). Therefore, for two reasons it becomes important that efforts be directed at disadvantaged communities to increase health awareness, and better health parameters. The first reason is that societal equality norms demand that these communities not be left out in the advantages that developments of science and technology have given humankind in the understanding of the nature of diseases and

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Business Strategy - Essay Example Offering customers guaranteed settlement of prices , reduction in cost for home buyers and sellers. The operations of First American Title are limited to United States. The main operations of First American title include provision of quality service to the customers, top class products of title insurance and title insurance rates lower than many others. First American Title reached heights of success throughout America. Every third transaction of real estate in America is closed by First American Title. The services are so widespread throughout the country that the usage of First American Title services and products have become necessary so much that out of every ten transactions the ninth one involve First American title. As the guidelines mentioned in cooperate governance effect how the board of directors act and make decision regarding the overseas operation of American First hence it is quite clear that cooperate governance plays a vital role in Strategic decision making. All decisions even strategic shall be made under the guidelines of cooperate governance. Formation of committees, expansions etc. all are governed by a framework of principles and the cooperation is bound to follow it. In any case if these are violated then serious action will be taken which can include firing and in extreme case legal action against the employee aswell. Employee are bound by code of ethics formed by the American First and they are bound to follows the codes mentioned. After spreading operations to over 70 countries across the globe First American has maintained a reputable name in providing Title insurances. Realizing that opinions and attitude towards insurance services differ in every country a unique strategy was adapted by First American cooperation. A customer centric approach was given preference while conducting business activities. Through this approach a partnership with customer is formed and the customer values our company with his

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) of Vodafone

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) of Vodafone Introduction Strategic Human Resource Management is a modern day business concept that has been now been widely used the organization; the crux of the concept is that all the human resource activities of the companies should be aligned with the organizational corporate objectives. In this assignment we are required to select an organization of our choice and then analyze their strategic human resource practices, we are required to see that how the practices and strategies of human resources department are aligned with the companys objective. What are the areas that are performing well and what the areas that need the improvement are? For this I have selected leading telecom company of UK. Vodafone has been the market leader with their continued growth in UK and other parts of the world. This paper will analyze two dimensions, one is their strategies for recruitment, selection, learning, development and training and I shall explain how these strategies are maximizing employee performance and are linked with corporate strategies. The second part of this paper will present the performance management processes of the organization we shall how this organization manages the performance of their employees and how human resource department is managing the employee relations. Introduction to the Company Vodafone is a leading telecom player in the UK and other parts of the world including India. The products and services they provide are of high quality and high standards and the market they are operating is highly competitive. The nature of competition requires the management of the company to have a strategic clarity and all the business operations should be working in same direction. Their service portfolio includes mobile phone connection including 2G and 3G networks, broadband internet in homes and on mobiles (www.vodafone.com, 2011). In order to understand the strategic human resource activities of the organization is very important to understand that what company all about is. Their vision values and business orientation are the key drivers that are driving the human resource management department (www.vodafone.com, 2011). Company Vision They see their future in outstanding data services and products backed up by the best customer experience in the business. Their journey has already begun, with things like Mobile Internet and Mobile Broadband. And their Vodafone at home fixed broadband service. And their targets are big, which means millions of customers using their data services every day (www.vodafone.com, 2011). Company Values Speed They are focused on speed to market, they relentlessly priorities and pursue the outcomes that matter to our business. Simplicity They make things simple for their customers, partners and colleagues. Trust They are reliable and transparent to deal with. They deliver for others, and trust others to do likewise Literature Review of Strategic HRM: Strategic Human Resource Management is a modern day business concept that is now being practiced in many of the organizations, its acceptability and practice is increasing with the time as organization have realized that this management philosophy is actually adding value to business profitability in many indirect ways . As we know that human resources are one of the most important resources of that a company can have, their ability to participate in development of companies sustainable competitive advantage is unquestionable, in past the human resource management has been a separate department with no influence and participation in strategic management of the company. Whatever have been the corporate strategies companies were not linking the human resources management with it. The result of which was the disintegration of companys objective and human resource management, this scenario made the human resource participation in sustainable competitive advantage limited. (Appleby Mavin, 2000). With the evolution of modern business era, that has started from 1980s, the management practitioners and commentators has been feeling the need of taking the companies to one direction, and they have also realized that it very important that human resource department should be made part of the strategy formulation process and their human resource strategies should be made while keeping in mind the business strategy of the organization. Therefore the researchers came up with the concept which is called the Strategic Human Resource Management, that enables the HR department to derive their practices from the corporate strategy and they are also made part while making the business strategy (Armstrong, 2006). Strategic Human Resource Management requires the dept being proactive rather than being reactive, they are required to adjust themselves according to the human resource need of the company. They are also required to foresee the upcoming needs of the company and then plan beforehand accordingly (McMahan et al., 1998). Strategies for Recruitment, Retention, Training Learning Vodafone is a market leader in their category, they have a competitive advantage because of their diversification in products, services and marketing strategies, therefore their corporate objective is to sustain their marketing leader position with the help of their diversification. Below is the snapshot of HR strategies for various HR functions of the organization that tells us the organization is linking their business strategy with their human resource strategy: Recruitment Selection Vodafones recruitment and selection process is aligned with their business strategy, as they are in the business of providing services and their market position is a leader with differentiations, therefore when they recruit individuals on different seats, they have set of core competencies that are required for each position and they check these while hiring someone(Armstrong, 2006). Their selection process makes sure that the right person with right set of capacities and attitude is selected, for example if they are hiring for the position of customer service they would make sure that person being hired has the soft skills, the empathic attitude and is not aggressive in nature. They have devised a set of such soft skills that are evaluated on each of the hiring and these skills vary from position to position. For managerial level position they make sure they hire someone with good analytical skill along with flare of leadership in them. So in Vodafone the entire selection process is linked with the corporate objectives (Armstrong, 2006). Compensation Benefits Vodafones entire compensation and benefits are also linked with business strategy, their remuneration systems and annual appraisal systems are derived from corporate strategy. Since our case company is working in highly competitive environment and they have to maintain their market leadership position therefore they have designed their compensation system that encourages the quality individuation to work in this organization. They provide they employees with state of the art facilities and salary packages so that the best in the industry are attracted to work in the company and then they play their part in making the organization a market leader (Armstrong, 2006). His annual appraisal system is also managed strategically, in Vodafone, every department has their quarterly and annual objectives, and these objectives are then used to make the individual and teams quarterly and annual objectives. Now when performance appraisal is done, Vodafones human resource department makes the objective achievement the part of the appraisal system and all the increments in salary and bonuses are linked with the objective achievement in teams and individuals. For their objective achievement calculation they make sure that performance objective are time bound, quantifiable and measureable (Armstrong, 2006). Training Development Training and Development is an important component of their human resource strategy. They keep on adding value in their human resources by training them on hard skill and soft skill whatever is required by the nature and role of the job. The processes start from indentifying the training needs of each of the department. They after understanding the objective of the each of the department for the coming year, asks the relevant managers to identify and evaluate the individuals in their teams that require the training and development in certain areas of their job. These training needs can be of soft skill and also can be of hard skills that are directly related to the job (McMahan et al., 1998). Once the training needs are indentified then human resource department manages the training calendar of the year, in which all the required training are mentioned and employees are sent for on job and off job training. Human resource department also have the eye on the upcoming expansions and technological developments in the market so the relevant employees can be trained before the time and they are ready to work when there is any technological advancement and change in the organization. Learning Human resource department of the organization put special emphasis on developing the learning culture within the organization. Employees are encouraged to share their experiences and learning with each other so that team members can have a learning culture in the organization. Since Vodafone is working in different geographical regions of the county, therefore they make sure that employees are encouraged the learnings regarding technical and marketing knowledge with each other, so that employee of one region can learn from the experience of the other region (Armstrong, 2006). As discussed above they also send employee on training, they also send different employees of different department to their different geographical markets so that they can have the training of various situations and have the understanding of various markets, that rotation also helps employees and increase the learning within the organization. Career Building Since attracting and retaining the quality employee is challenge for the organizations working in todays competitive market, therefore Vodafone have the policy of having a clear and well defined career path for each of their employee. This clarity of career path makes it clear for employee that where they should see themselves after spending different number of years in the company. The department also makes sure that all the career advancement of the employees are based on their performance and every top performing employee should have the advancement in their career, this policy helps to control the employee turnover and encourage employees to work hard and perform as they would have the chance to grow (Armstrong, 2006). Empowerment Vodafone is working in competitive environment and to stay ahead of competition it is very important for organizations to have the fast and correct decision making. Therefore the human resource department put the special emphasis on empowering the employee for timely decision making. For this purpose they have worked in devolution of power, decentralization of decision making and flatter organizational culture. They have been working on the dimensions on giving the employee the power of making the less critical decisions and top management should only be making decision that are or critical nature are of strategic importance. This empowerment of employees gives them sense of responsibility, increases their commitment towards the organization and save the precious business time that is required to take the decision from top management (Armstrong, 2006). Retention As it is very important for organizations working in competitive business environment, Vodafones human resource practices also work in the same way, they try to retain their quality employees to go to the competition. Their retention strategies revolve around the good compensation and benefits, pay per performance, rewards and increments on good performance and then having the well defined promotional system that gives the chance to every employee to perform and build their careers and then grow. Their retention policy is derived from the strategic objective of the organization to be diversified in their business, and same is the case in their human resource management (Armstrong, 2006). Performance Management Employee Relations Below we shall see that performance management is done in Vodafone, these lines will presented the different methodologies and practices that are being adapted in the performance management section of strategic HRM of company. Determination of Performance Targets The first step in strategic performance management of the organization is to determine the required performance targets of the organization for the year. These targets are derived by combining number of activities, first of all market analysis is done; the management analyze the external environment so that market growth trends and competitors market share can be understand. Once this step is done management have the background information for dominating the organizational performance for next year, then the next step is to decide and agree upon the performance targets, once the corporate level targets are decided then these targets are divided into department level targets. These department level targets are then reflected in individual level targets and objectives.(Wall, 2007). Encouraged Individual Commitment Vodafone has realized the importance of encouraging the employee commitment towards organizational objective, as without this commitment employees will not be able to achieve the performance that organization is expecting them to achieve. Once organization is able to make the organizational objectives the target of the individual then we can see the success rate of achieving this objective is high. Therefore Vodafone increases the employee commitment to the organizational objectives by involving them in the objective making process (Rheem, 1996). It has been the practice in the Vodafone that managers and teams decide their performance targets themselves and once these are approved by the management their personal commitment to these targets is high. They strive and struggle more to achieve the targets that has been made in consultation with them (Wall, 2007). Delegation, Mentoring and Coaching There are some other activities that play their role in strategic management of the performance of the organization, Vodafone on the also using the three of the activities that are delegation of power with responsibility, proper mentoring and feedback system, and coaching (Wall, 2007). Vodafone believes in delegation of power to the employees that are responsible for achieving certain targets, as responsibility comes with authority, same is the philosophy that is applied throughout the Vodafone. Their culture is devolution of power so de-centralization, they try to give maximum power to their employees so that they can achieve their responsibilities with given authority. Vodafone also believes in mentoring and coaching of employees, managers are encouraged to act as mentor for their team members, this also involves on job training for the teams, this systems encourages learning environment in the organization(Armstrong, 2006). Monitoring and Feedback Monitoring and feedback system is an important part of the organizational performance management; same is the case with Vodafone. They have proper monitoring and feedback system that helps us monitoring the performance and individuals and teams. They have a quarterly performance management system that relates the performance of the employees with their objectives of that quarter. After the evaluation and monitoring of the performance of teams then feedback is provided to them. That system helps the organizational performance on the track and helps the organization to stay on their performance objectives throughout the year (Wall, 2007). Handling Under-Performance Vodafone handles the underperformance of their employees by having a proper monitoring system, they first evaluates the performance of the employees, then if team members are found to be underperforming then they see that if there is any training needs. If there are training needs then employees are sent on training, after the trainings their performance is again monitored. If performance is found satisfactory then it is ok, if again performance is not found satisfactory then employees are replaced to other jobs. Employee Relations Vodafone puts special emphasis on managing good relations with their employees; they believe that their employees are their more important assets, their human resource policies are more focused towards managing their employees relations with the organization. Their performance evaluation, benefits and compensation system is targeted towards retaining their employees and maintaining their motivation with the organization. Conclusion Strategic human resource management is the modern concept that is in practice by different by different organizations, in this paper we have observed the strategic human resource management practices by one of the leading organization in UK. We have observed their organizational objectives with relation to their human resource management activities. The focus of the paper has been on the recruitment selection, training and development and learning functions and their relationship with organizational strategy. It has also been observed that how performance management system is working on strategic guidelines provided by the organization and how it is playing role in competitive advantage.

Conformity Vs individuality Essay

Though many struggle to be there own person. Many struggle to decide things on there own.We are all different, but most of us are the same, because of conformity. Conformity is the easy way of things. Following the leader is the natural way of humans. For an example take Germany during World War II. There was little hate towards Jew or Jipsys or the mentally disabled but because one man was such a persuasive and strong leader a whole country conformed to killing millions. We see the nonconformity in Thoreau, the strive to conform in Gatsby and the struggle to do become an individual in a place of discor in Fahrenheit 451. Thoreau wanted to be his own man and live his own life without, the influence of government or society. He did not want to follow in the american dream of a white picket fence, instead he wanted to create his own dream. A dream that was his and his alone. To accomplish this unorthodox dream he cut his life off from society and from the government. He strove to creat e his own person, to be different from the average. To be unique. Thoreau isolated himself in the woods, did not pay taxes, and lived off the wild so he would be without influence from the government. Thoreau did not feel a part of america. He saw how the american people were conforming and thinking more about self image than which was truly important. So he decided instead of conforming to the american way he would create his own little society. Thoreau tried which most would not even considered he tried to be an individual. Gatsby on the other hand tried to conform to impress his loved one. Is conformity attractive? To most they would say yes. Few want someone who thinks differently . Few want a unique person. People want safeness and people find that in the norm. Gatsby tried to reach the white picket fence not because he wanted it forsay but because he wanted to attract his loved one, Daisy. Daisy was attracted to the american dream. Though because of her situation she was not able to achieve the dream for herself she wanted to marry and be with someone who had achieved it. So Gatsby tried his best to get to the White picket fence. Though the ways he ended up getting to the white picket fence was a little unorthodox . He did conform to the american dream and the american way. We see the struggle of doing what one wants to do even when it is against the norm in fahrenheit 451 by the character Guy Montag. Montag feels the emptiness of conformity and wants to read which is illegal. Instead of  listening to those around him or to his wife or even the government he starts to read. And in doing this he becomes an individual. Becoming an individual causes him to lose his wife lose his job and makes him a fugitive but his emptiness vanishes. The government had become tyranny controlling what each individual did. We see throughout the book people conforming like they conformed in War World II to this tyranny. The outcome was the same as in WWII the government fell and the ones who had not conformed were regarded as heroes. To be unique is a great thing but society continues to look down its nose at those who want something different. When you start to think for yourself you are no longer â€Å"Part of any country.† Most people when they think of a country they think of the leaders or the people who control the things. But in itself that its wrong. A country is a mass of people that follows the laws and and silent laws dictated by the people. Inside the Unite d States of America there are thousands of countries each of them have slightly different silent laws. To become an individual you obey the laws but you create your own silent laws. When Thoreau made that choice to leave the masses and make his own country, a country of one then he became a individual. A country of one is infinitely better than a country of two for one reason, freedom. When you create your own country you are granted more freedom than ever before. No longer do you have to follow the normality or silent laws of the other countries The difference between a Non-conformist and a criminal is silent laws verses laws. Thoreau gave up on all the silent laws so he is no longer a part of â€Å"America.† Gatsby gave up on the enforced laws but kept the silent laws so he is part of america. Guy montag gave up on the silent laws which were enforced so he became a individual.

Child Developmental Theorists Essay

Introduction Over many years, development theories have been made about the development of children and the stages they move through in order to grow and mature. There are five stages of childhood development; cognitive, physical, social & emotional and moral & spiritual. In this report, there will be a focus on three types of development theories. The three development theories that will be researched in this report are Jean Piaget (1896-1980), Erik Erikson (1902-1994) and Abraham Maslow (1908-1970). Developmental Theory One- Jean Piaget 4.1Jean Piaget was born on the 9th August 1896 in Neuchatel which is in the Francophone region of Switzerland. As a young boy he was always interested in biology and the natural world. He attended the University of Neuchatel and also briefly attended the University of Zurich. He didn’t study biology however. His interests changed as he became older and he graduated from university with two published papers on his thinking at that time. After he graduated he moved from Switzerland to Paris, France where he taught at a boy’s school. It was here at this school, where he was helping to mark the Binet intelligence test, that he noticed that the younger children were consistently answering the same questions wrong, which the older children were getting right. From these results he produced the theory that young children’s cognitive processes are naturally different to adults thinking. In 1923, Piaget married and had three children, which he studied through infancy. Through the next couple of decades he became Directors and chiefs of a couple of different organizations and universities. Piaget sadly passed away on the 16th September 1980. 4.2Piaget’s theories are focused around two areas, which are language and cognitive. His theory was split into four parts which were the sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage and the formal operational stage. These will be expanded on later on in the report. 4.3Some significant ideas in Piaget’s cognitive theory include the following: cognitive development is mainly a result of the child’s active and independent interaction and exploration of their environment, that the role of the adult is as a provider and facilitator for the child, that children have differently distinct thinking processes from, that new knowledge is compounded on from previous knowledge and lastly that intellectual functioning is a very important factor in determining the behaviour of the child. 4.4In Piaget’s theory, it is split into four parts which are the sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage and the formal operation stage. The sensorimotor stage for a child is between the ages of birth to approximately two years of age. For children in this stage, they have minimal competence in representing their environment using a different range of images, language and/or symbols. Infants also have no awareness of objects or people. Piaget called this a lack of â€Å"object permanence†. When people develop object permanence it means that they can understand that people and objects continue to exist even when they aren’t in that present environment. The preoperational stage is from the ages of approximately two to seven years. These years can differ or change for any stage depending on the developmental of the child. This stage focuses around the language area of development. In this stage, children develop an internal representation of the world which helps them describe events, people and feelings which may be their own and/or others. During this stage they also use symbols as a way of playing and explaining themselves. Although the child’s thinking has developed from the sensorimotor stage it is still extremely lower than the thinking of adults. Children in this stage are very egocentric. This means that the child only thinks from their perspective and has no concept of thinking for others. In the concrete operational, children have some difficulty with abstract thought and often think in very â€Å"concrete† terms- hence the name. Their thinking is very black and white and they are attentive to the values of fairness and rules. The concrete operational stage is focused around children from the ages for seven to twelve years old. In this stage, children also have a better understanding of time and space, but still have limits to their thinking. They also tend to think in a more logical manner and begin to overcome the egocentric manner and characteristics of the previous stage. In the last stage, the formal operational stage, it usually focuses around children aged twelve years old and continues into adulthood. In this stage they finally begin to develop the ability to think formally, logically and abstractly. At this stage they can think hypothetically and problem solve using their logic. Developmental Theory Two- Erik Erikson 5.1.Erik Erikson was born in Frankfurt, on the 15th May, 1902 to Danish parents and died on the 12th May 1994 in America. Erikson was the result of an extramarital affair by his mother. The circumstances surrounding his birth were concealed throughout his entire childhood. Erikson had a major issue with identity which is shown through his theories and through his life. 5.2.Erikson’s theory is based around psychosocial development. His theory was organized into eight stages which extended from birth to death. These stages are hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity, love and care. These eight stages are expanded and explained later on in the report. 5.3.Erikson’s theory was based around the psychosocial beliefs that: a.People tend to have the same basic needs b.Personality develops and changes in response to the basic needs c.Development occurs in stages that reflect physical life span changes d.That in each stage of development, the individual us confronted by a â€Å"crisis† or developmental task which is critical to that particular stage of development e.Lastly, that the motivation of each person to meet these challenges will vary from stage to stage as their needs vary. 5.4.Stage One in the theory of Erikson is Hope: Trust vs. Mistrust and is from birth to one years of age. The psychosocial crisis is trust v. mistrust and the virtue is hope. This stage focuses around if the infant’s needs are being met by the parents as infants depend entirely on their parents, especially their mother who provides food, sustenance and comfort. What the parent provides their child is what the child will learn to accept. For example, if the parents expose the child to warmth, a sense of regularity and dependable affection then the infant will view the world with trust. If the parents fail to provide these things and instead provide an insecure, cold, abusive and unloving environment then mistrust of the world will be developed. The second stage is Will: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt which is from the ages of two to four years of age. This stage is focused around the question of â€Å"can I do things by myself or must I always rely on others?† As the child begins to gain motor skills and enough knowledge, they begin to explore their surroundings. In this stage caregivers are encouraged to support self sufficient behaviour which enables the child to become capable of fulfilling their own needs such as dressing and feeding themselves. Stage three is Purpose: initiative vs. guilt and focused around the ages of four to six years of age. The main question in this stage is â€Å"Am I good or bad?† In this stage, children learn how to control and understand the world around them. The fourth stage is from age seven to twelve. This stage is called Competence: Industry vs. Inferiority. The main question asked in this stage is â€Å"How can I be good?† Through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities. They also find it easier to share and co-operate with others. When the children are encouraged by parents, teachers and peers they begin to believe in their skills. Those children who receive little encouragement from anyone will doubt their own abilities and doubt their ability to becoming more successful. Stage five is Fidelity: Identity vs. Role confusion and is from the ages of 13 to 19 years of age. The main question asked in this stage is â€Å"Who am I and where am I going?† In this stage the adolescents are developing and exploring their independence and sense of self. Like the other stages, those who receive encouragement will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of not only independence but control of themselves and sometimes others as well. The sixth stage is Love: Intimacy and Isolation. This stage includes the ages from 20 to 40 years old. The main question in this stage is â€Å"Am I loved and wanted?† and â€Å"Shall I share my life with someone or live alone?† During this stage there is the exploration of personal relationships. Erikson believed that people developed a close and committed relationship with other people. Those who are successful will then develop relationships which become safe, committed and secure and are able to incorporate a level of intimacy. If they are unable to develop these relationships they may develop a sense of isolation. The seventh and second last stage of Erikson’s theory is Care: Generativity vs. Stagnation and is from the ages of 45 to 64 years of age. â€Å"Will I produce something of real value?† is the main question asked in this stage. During this stage, they have already developed and build on their lives, with a main focus on family and career. Those who are unsuccessful during this stage and fail to obtain this skill may feel unproductive and uninvolved in their world. The last and eighth stage is Wisdom: Ego Integrity vs. Despair which is from the age of 65 onwards. The main question is â€Å"Have I lived a full life?† This phase is mainly focused on looking back over life and assessing their achievements. Those who are unable to complete this stage will experience a large amount of regrets and despair; however those who are successful look back on their life with few regrets and a feeling of satisfaction. Developmental Theory Three- Abraham Maslow 6.1Abraham Harold Maslow was born on the April 1st 1908, in Brooklyn, New York. Maslow had six siblings and was the eldest child. Maslow recalls his childhood as rather lonely and unhappy. This was because his parents were un-educated Jews, and he was brought up in a non Jewish neighbourhood. This resulted in Maslow spending most of his time in libraries and with books. Maslow wanted to pursue law, but ended up graduating at the University of Wisconsin with a psychology degree. While studying at the University, he married his first cousin Bertha in December 1928. While at numerous other universities, including Columbia and Brooklyn he researched and found mentors which he began to take notes on, resulting in the basis of his research. Maslow sadly died on June 8th 1970 of a heart attack while being a resident fellow of the Laughlin Institute in California. 6.2Maslow’s theory has a couple of areas of development it focuses on. Due to the number of levels, there are a large number of areas which are developed such as emotional development, cognitive development and social development. Using these areas of development, Maslow developed his Hierarchy of Needs, which was a layer of needs. Each layer has to be completed before you are able to move up to the next level. Some people never manage to reach the top layer, but some people manage to reach that level very early on in adulthood. 6.3The principle idea of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is self actualization. In the Hierarchy of Needs, above air, water, food and sex he laid out five broader layers of basic needs. Above these basic needs, higher levels of needs exist. These five broader layers of basic needs, which can be classified as other principle ideas are physiological needs, the need for safety and security, need for love and belonging, need for esteem and the need to self actualize. 6.4In this report, the focus will be on an interpretation of the Hierarchy of Needs which is shown in the diagram below and only shows the basic needs. These basic needs are human instinct. These basic needs are expanded: a)Physiological Needs: This need is a biological need. This layer consists of the need for oxygen, food, shelter, water, health, sex and a constant body temperature. These are in the first layer because if a person was deprived of these needs, they would not be able to survive and would come first in a person’s search for satisfaction. b)The second tier in the Hierarchy of Needs is Safety. This layer consists of the need for security of body, employment, resources, morality, family, health and property. This layer can only be achieved when the first layer has been achieved to its full extent. This goes for every tier/layer in the Hierarchy of Needs. c)The third tier in the Hierarchy of Needs is Love and Belonging, which focuses on building friendships, family and sexual intimacy. Once the second layer has been completed, the need for friends, family and sexual intimacy and affectionate relationships in general becomes larger. This stage also means giving and receiving love, affection and the sense of belonging. If this level doesn’t get reached, the person can often be susceptible to loneliness and experience social anxieties. d)Esteem is the second last tier in Maslow’s theory which focuses on self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others and respect by others. Maslow split this level into two types of esteem- high and low. The lower type of esteem is the need for the respect of others and the need for status, fame, glory, attention, reputation, dignity and in some cases dominance. The higher form of esteem is the need for self respect and the need for feelings such as confidence, achievement, independence and freedom. Once self respect has been accomplished, it is a lot harder to lose than the lower form of esteem. If this level isn’t reached, a person can feel inferior, weak, helpless and worthless. e)The last tier in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is self actualization which is one of the principal ideas of the theory. This last layer has the needs of morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice and the acceptance of facts. Maslow describes this level as a person’s need to be and do what that person â€Å"was born to do. All these stages can be seen in this diagram below. Conclusion Through Jean Piaget’s, Erik Erikson and Abraham Maslow’s theories we can see how each man has developed how they think children develop whether it be through language, cognitive, emotionally, socially or a mixture of all or some. Each theory gives an in depth explanation on how they think children and in some cases, adolescents develop. Some people only believe one theory but there are also others who believe in many different theories on the development of children. Whatever theory/theories people believe is not right or wrong as there are many different views on the subject.

Qualifications to Become a Member of the Roman Senate

Qualifications to Become a Member of the Roman Senate In historical fiction members of the Roman Senate or young men who dodge their civic responsibilities but who are senatorial material are rich. Did they have to be? Were there property or other qualifications to become a member of the Roman Senate? The answer to this question is one that I need to repeat more often: Ancient Roman history spanned two millennia and over that time, things changed. Several modern historical fiction mystery writers, like David Wishart, are dealing with the early part of the Imperial Period, known as the Principate. Property Requirements Augustus instituted a property requirement for senators. The sum he set it at was, at first, 400,000 sesterces, but then he raised the requirement to 1,200,000 sesterces. Men who needed help meeting this requirement were at this time given grants. Should they mismanage their funds, they were expected to step down. Prior to Augustus, however, the selection of senators was in the hands of the censors and before the institution of the office of censor, selection was by the people, kings, consuls, or consular tribunes. The senators selected were from the wealthy, and generally from those who had already held a position as magistrate. In the period of the Roman Republic, there were 300 senators, but then Sulla increased their number to 600. Although the tribes selected the original men to fill the added ranks, Sulla increased the magistracies so there would be ex-magistrates in the future to warm the senate benches. Number of Senators When there was a surplus, censors trimmed the excess. Under Julius Caesar and the triumvirs, the number of senators increased, but Augustus brought the number back down to Sullan levels. By the third century A.D. the number may have reached 800-900. Age Requirement Augustus appears to have changed the age at which one could become senator, reducing it from perhaps 32 to 25. Roman Senate References Seating Space in the Roman Senate and the Senatores PedariiLily Ross Taylor and Russell T. ScottTransactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association Vol. 100, (1969), pp. 529-582A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, by Sir William SmithA Summary of the Roman Civil Law, by Patrick Mac Chombaich de Colquhoun

The Internal Conflict of Good vs Evil essays

The Internal Conflict of Good vs Evil essays Good day. My name is Matthew Henson. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1866. My life was going well until my parents died when I was twelve years old. I went to my parents funeral. Their caskets side by side. Being an only child made it hard. No one to lean on. So I became a sailor. The crew took me in as if I was a part of the family. By the time I was 21, I had traveled the world! It was extremely exciting. I have never seen so many different people and cultures ever. After I traveled the world, I worked in a small shop in Washington D.C. I decided to take a break from the world. While I was working in the shop, a man named Robert Peary came and asked me to go to the North Pole with him. He heard about me and how Ive traveled the world. He said he could use me as an assistant. I was excited about the idea and I asked my boss if I could go. At first he said he needed me at the shop, but I talked him into letting me go. So I shook hands with Robert and we were on our way. On April 9,1909 Robert and I set off on our expedition. It was cold in the Artic. There were even a couple blizzards. Sometimes I never thought I would make it, but we did. It was the most amazing thing placing the American flag on it. I thought I had just landed on the moon. I will never ever forget that day. Back in the U.S.A., I was forgotten for many years. That was until 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower awarded to me a medal for being the first black man on the North Pole. The geography of the land helped me because I was able to use sled dogs and that way I was able to travel far distances and I would never get stuck in a ditch. The geography also helped me because it was challenging to get there and that is how I became famous. If it was easy I wouldnt be famous because no one would care. The advice I would give world leaders today is to do their jobs. Dont act like a fool by fool ...

Analyse the opening sequence of desperate housewives Essay

Analyse the opening sequence of desperate housewives - Essay Example The pop-up format is reminiscent of childish cartoons, with sudden swerves and changes in viewpoint. It serves the dual purpose of maintaing a pretend childlike environment, where serious syntagms and paradigms are displayed under the cloak of lighthearted comedy and of speedily moving the viewer from one realm of intertextuality to another.The undercurrent of dark humor flows through the entire sequence, mainly through the subversion of iconic signs in order to show unusual meanings that invoke surprise and incongruity, and hence laughter. The sequence opens with the iconic images of Adam and Eve at the very moment of temptation.In the original painting, Lucas Cranach the Elder, known for some of the most explicit nudes in the history of art, uniquely captures the instant of original sin in the salacious expression of Eve. She is not seen here as the traditionally naive primal woman, but one fully aware of her sexual prowess, hence becoming a coded sign for woman as the femme fatale. "....... the color "red" implies different things. .....If a woman wears a red dress, or a man wears a red armband, it means something different. So red in western culture means usually danger, hot, sexy.....". ( Yildiz, 2002) The moment The moment gains a new meaning when the animated Adam, instead of eating the proverbial apple, is promptly squashed by a car-sized, shining red apple that falls on him. Despite being farcical at the denotation level, the falling of the apple becomes a symbol of female power within the bounds of the sequence. It is a power not yet understood by the iconic woman Eve, who is still holding her proffered apple, but nonetheless lethal. The next pop-upshows the painting of a hapless Egyptian lady of rank, who is overwhelmed by a flood of children, and drowns in the process.This is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the various goddesses of fertility, who were invariably connected with the yearly flooding of the river Nile as this was what gave Egypt its fertility.Fertility for an Egyptian woman was as important as that of the land, and despite possessing equal regal rights as men, women were only considered as successful as the number of children they could produce. As Caroline Seawright says about ancient Egyptian sexuality, "To the ancient Egyptians, the most attractive women tended to be the fertile ones. A women who had children was seen to be more fortunate than ones without... In the Egyptian community, men had to prove their masculinity by fathering children, while the women had to be able to bear these sons and daughters. Being a mother meant being able to keep her marriage secure and to gain a better position in society." (Seawright, 2001) The animation sequence takes this Egyptian way of living and turns it on its head, attributing on a symbol of fertility a completely different meaning by showing the cause of a woman's misery or downfall to be her children! This is a comic, modern take on the pains of motherhood never openly spoken of in our society.It is clearly seen in Lynette's character played in the series by Felicity Huffman whose name

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 23

Marketing - Essay Example An integrated approach is more vigorous and likely to reach a large number of potential customers. Having realised that there was a possibility of expanding into new services, UPS’s promotional strategy was to integrate all the services into a synchronised entity where they will fall under one umbrella name. All the services would be offered at the same time together and the customers were supposed to get this information correctly. â€Å"Synchronised commerce† entails that different activities can be performed during the same period by the same company which is UPS’s objective of enlightening is customers that it is growing bigger and offering more services whilst still under one umbrella name at the same time. 2. UPS can use either electronic or print media to reach all its five segments. Advertising is very effective in reaching the targeted audience where specially designed adverts are posted on selected media at given time frames which are popular with the targeted audiences. Public appearances in popular business press such as the Wall Street Journal are other means that can be used to reach the targeted audiences. Promotional elements such as price discounts can be effectively used to attract more customers as they will also benefit at the end of the day for using the service. The promotional services can also include the use of coupons where draws can be conducted to identify winners in promotional events meant to market the services offered by the organisation to all its customers as well as potential clients. 3. The colour brown is a primary presentation of UPS and it represents a creative platform which brings together all pieces of the campaign. UPS is basically identified with the brown colour which is found on all its fleet of vehicles, planes, uniforms as well as packaging. Brown colour forms part of the