Discussion Board 2-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board 2-2 - Essay Example One of the important training for traumatic counselors is self-awareness. According to Jackson-Cherry and Erford (2014), self-awareness refers to the understanding and knowledge about one’s abilities, weaknesses and professional skills. Training on the area is important considering that it enables counselors to monitor their behaviors and enforce effective management to avoid any occurrences or situations that can compromise quality of treatment. Another training area for trauma counselor is self-care. As discussed by Jackson-Cherry and Erford (2014), counseling in crisis conditions usually illicit emotions and depression due to witnessing of suffering people. To survive effectively, trauma counselors require thorough training in self-care so to manage harsh conditions and design proper treatment frameworks and strategies An experienced trauma counselor should understand or have ways to know when they act outside their profession. One of the ways that counselors can know when they work outside their competence is when involved in countertransference that entails counselors relating certain characteristics of individuals handled in the past to the current clients (Jackson-Cherry, 2014). The characteristics referred to here are usually negative and often compromise relationship of counselors to clients leading to compromised treatment process. Another way that counselors can know when working outside their competence is through occurrence of burnout. This occurs when counselors feel overworked, have little self-care that results to reduced empathy and detachment from client. Generally, burnouts lead to low job satisfaction and sometimes increased absenteeism. To resolve the issues, counselors should carry regular self-assessment and seek counseling from colleagues. Counselors should consult and seek supervision from other professionals in the field of

The Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire Essay Example for Free

The Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire Essay The Enlightenment and the values it promoted are really nothing less than the infant version of twenty first century America. Its emphasis on reason, freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, and its desire to secularize government all appear in the Bill of Rights and represent the core beliefs which have been shaping U.S. culture for over two hundred years. Voltaire, a leader among the French philosophes, embodies much of the Enlightenment sentiment in his collection of essay entitled Philosophical Dictionary. Voltaire was overwhelmingly concerned with religious and ethical issues. His belief that spirituality was a private matter simply didnt correspond with the norms of the day. Particularly unreceptive was the church which more times than not was the chief target of Voltaires criticism. The church had long wielded great power in Europe, and the morals which it claimed to support were often overshadowed by an obsession with ensuring its own theological proclamations were honored. Voltaire was quick to exploit this hypocrisy, and it inspired him to come up with his own philosophy on ethics and the role of the church. Far from being an atheist which he considered a bold and misguided scholar, Voltaire believed in an eternal, supreme, intelligent being (208) and thought religion was a good thing in a civilized society (56). However, what he hated was religious fanaticism, and it was something he saw all too often. He saw religion, far from being a beneficial food turn[ing] into poison in infected brains (203). He saw men who backed madness with murder and men who killed for love of god (202). And he saw this happening all throughout the church. If this was the effect religion would have on society, if it would only create an epidemic illness, then even atheism would be better, for at least atheists wouldnt kill those who thought differently than them. For Voltaire, a man who championed reason and empiricism, fanaticism had only one cure: free thought. Reason, Voltaire believed, was an ability which God gave all men as an instrument to guide moral behavior. Thus, any reasonable man who studied the  Bible would know that human killing was something God always despised. The fanatics then were without excuse as enemies of reason and of God (28). Voltaire believed these people, the persecutors, and the theological disputes they created to be humanitys worst problem. Because of mans inherent desire to dominate others, a just society led by religious leaders was impossible. In order to find the good and the true, law must rule the land and men must be allowed to express themselves without the fear of punishment. At the conclusion to his essay on Certainty, Voltaire provides two poignant insights: As for me, who have undertaken this little Dictionary to put questions, I am far from being certain (107). In a place and time where the public was expected to play the role of children and acquiesce to everything put before them, Voltaire, first, wanted people to think, ask questions, and arrive at their own conclusions: Natural law permits everyone to believe what he pleases (88). Secondly, Voltaire recognized the limits of the human mind, that only so many questions contained mathematically certain answers. In one of his essays, he challenged the church with that fact: I could compose for you a folio volume of questions to which you would have to reply only with four words: I do not know?' (74). To Voltaire it was clear enough. Not all things were in mans grasp, and it was an individual choice as to how to deal with those areas. These two points capture the grand message Voltaire sacrificed his life to spread. Religious faith will always be just that: faith. Yet, the most atrocious acts of evil have been committed when people assume that their own faiths are universal truths. This is the mistake Voltaire most wanted to discourage. Instead, he proposed a society where a secular body governed by laws derived from reason and permitted its citizens to freely exercise their natural rights to free speech and religion. The Age of the Enlightenment saw many of the events which have had the greatest impact present society. Voltaire and his contemporaries introduced the ideas of free speech, religion, assembly, and press. They openly questioned the established authorities and influenced the revolutions in both England and France. Today, most countries in the Western World reap the  benefits of such thinkers and the changes they introduced, embracing the Enlightenment culture and its love for secular leadership.

Ethan Frome Hidden Meanings :: essays papers

Ethan Frome Hidden Meanings Ethan Frome: Hidden Meanings Ethan Frome is the story of a family caught in a deep-rooted domestic struggle. Ethan Frome is married to his first love Zeena, who becomes chronically ill over their long marriage. Due to his wife’s condition, they took the services of Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver. Mattie seems to be everything that Zeena is not, youthful, energetic, and healthy. Over time Ethan believes that he loves Mattie and wants to leave his wife for her. He struggles with his obligations toward Zeena and his growing love for Mattie. After Zeena discovers their feelings toward each other, she tries to send Mattie away. In an effort to stay together, Ethan and Mattie try to kill themselves by crashing into the elm that they talked about so many times. Instead, Mattie becomes severely injured and paralyzed. The woman that was everything that Zeena was not became the exactly the same as her. In Ethan Frome, the author communicates meanings in this story through various symbols. One of the m ost significant symbols used in this story is the very setting itself. A symbol is a person, object, or event that suggests more than its literal meaning. Symbols can be very useful in shedding light on a story, clarifying meaning that can’t be expressed with words. It may be hard to notice symbols at first, but while reflecting on the story or reading it a second time, the symbol is like a key that fits perfectly into a lock. The reason that symbols work so well is that we can associate something with a particular object. For example, a red rose symbolizes love and passion, and if there were red roses in a story we may associate that part of the story with love. Although many symbols can have simple meanings, such as a red rose, many have more complex meanings and require a careful reading to figure out its meaning. The first symbol that I noticed in Ethan Frome is the setting. It plays an important role in this story. The author spends much of the first few chapters describing the scene in a New England town Starkfield. When I think of a town called Starkfield, a gloomy, barren place with nothing that can grow comes to mind. As the author continues to describe this town, it just reinforces what I had originally thought.

Books and novels Essay

Books and novels are constant sources of story or plot for so many movies. It is as if the books reinvented themselves with a new face. Though adaptation of books or novels is a prevailing reality, the question of fidelity to the original details of the story has always been the criterion for comparison. Ella Enchanted, a book by Gail Carson Levine was made into film directed by Tommy O’Haver. The most obvious similarity of the book and the movie is that it is about Ella, a girl who found love and the power of self-determination as she tries to reverse the ‘gift’ of obedience bestowed on her by the fairy, Lucinda. Though there were similarities between the book and movie, there are also glaring differences between the two. Here are the differences between the book and the movie: Time Period In the book, the story was set on the traditional and typical era of magic and awe; the same medieval setting that famous fairy tales used. The book’s time period had a striking semblance with the setting of Cinderella. While in the movie, pop culture dominated the story as if the seemingly dreamy and magical set up was modernized to give the film the teen spirit. Of course this aims to attract and please the moviegoers. Noticeably there are elements of contemporary time which obviously intend to relate with the target audience of the film. Among those elements are: the use of escalator, the shopping mall, the Frell Community College, the phenomenon of teens joining fans club (of prince Char), the 70’s, and 80’s soundtrack that includes the Queen’s â€Å"Somebody to Love† and . Though these are welcome additions in a teen’s perspective, the move sacrificed the book’s classic look. It was a move to enhance the visual attractiveness of the movie. These changes also contributed to the addition of singing and dancing which are very evident in the movie. New Characters In the movie, the audience saw the birth of new characters that were not present in the book. The new villains are Prince Edgar who intends to kill Prince Char for him to ascend to the kingship of Frell; and there is Heston, the talking snake, who partners with Prince Edgar in his evil plans. These two characters also contributed to the change of scenes and plot. In the book, the father of Prince Char is alive but in the movie he was killed by Prince Edgar who eventually plans to kill the heir to the throne, Prince Char. The changes also brought about the political tone of the movie. Ella was a crusader of the welfare of the fairy creatures which were maltreated by Prince Edgar’s way of governance. So the changes added twist to Ella’s character and added new elements to the story. References to other movies One can also see semblances of the movie to other well-loved films namely: â€Å"Shrek†, and â€Å"The Princess Bride†. It is an observation that the book also patterned its story and details from other stories; very obviously, from the story of â€Å"Cinderella†. If the movie has â€Å"Shrek† and â€Å"The Princess Bride†; the book has â€Å"Cinderella†. Comic Infusion Gail Carson Levine made a dreamy and fairy tale which for some, was considered a great version of the Cinderella story. For some, â€Å"Ella Enchanted† became a classic tale not only for children but also for book lovers who feasts on their imagination. But the movie departs from that perspective. Instead, the film version added a comic spirit that takes away that classic feel of the book. That is why; the romantic – magical feel is sacrificed for the entertaining value of the comic parts of the movie. Even with this effect, the funny parts of the movie added a very relax feeling for the viewers. Focus In the book, Ella’s focus was to lift the gift or curse given by Lucinda. The story progressed with this focus which climaxed with the Ella’s realization that she alone can be the master of her destiny and need not assistance or dependence from somebody else. But in the movie version, a lot of elements are added which makes one confused about the focus of the story. There are political standpoints which Ella feels very strong about. There is the romantic link with Prince Char. There were family situation that distracts Ella. Since the movie aims to entertain and not just present a classic story, the addition of such twist and turns clouded somehow the real and main focus of Levine’s work. Ending of the Story and Other Elements In the book, when Ella met Prince Char they became friends at once but in the movie, it did not happen that way. The parents of Prince Char were both alive in the book; but in the film they were dead. The book ended with the triumph of Ella against her ‘curse’ of obedience and she eventually lived happily ever after with Prince Char. In the movie, the ending was quite dramatic since it highlights the dilemma given before Ella: the choice between death to Prince Char and following the gift of obedience. The ending of the movie somehow affirms the another focus of the film which is the romantic love that has been shared by Ella and Prince Char. Conclusion Even if the visual representation of a book is easier on the imagination; even if it aids one’s creative confusion or curiosity; still the book leaves a lasting impression for it tickles one’s creative capacity and builds a story with such planned pace.Therefore, the book Ella Enchanted outdid its movie version in terms of its overall impression on the readers/ audience. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hollis, K. 2004. Book vs. Movie: Ella Enchanted. Box Office Prophets. Available from: www. boxofficeprophets. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009. Levine, G. C. n. d. Ella Enchanted. BellaOnline: The Voice of Women. Available from: http://www. bellaonline. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009. Burr, T. 2004. Ella’ is less than enchanting. Available from: www. boston. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009.

Coeducational vs Single Sex Schools Essay

I think it would be nice to attend an all-girls school. I am for this for many different reasons. Of course, there would be a lot less drama with the girls, and they would concentrate more on their schoolwork instead of their appearance. Their grades would be much better, because they would study more and ask questions about the assignments. An all-girls school is a great idea for teenage girls in high school, because since there would be no boys around, the girls wouldn’t be vying for their attention. Without all of the boys, the girls wouldn’t worry about many things, besides their schoolwork and their grade. They wouldn’t wear make-up or cute clothes, because they would have nobody to impress. I’m going to admit it, there are only two reasons why girls have drama or fight, either somebody is running their mouth, or it’s over a guy. On https://privateschool.about.com/u/ua/choosingschools2/singlesex.htm, there is a comment from a girl with the username, Girl Power. In her comment she makes really good points about why an all-girls school is better than coeducational. Although all of the comments were inspirational and helpful in making my decision, her comment was the one that helped me make my final decisions that I have written in this paper. All-girls schools help young women learn to be independent, and not fight about stupid things, like boys. In all-girls schools, just like coeducational schools, there are different groups of people. Some of the groups are similar to the groups at coeducational schools, such as preps, jocks, nerds, miscellaneous, etc. All-girls schools would have a lot less drama than coeducational schools, because the girls would have no reason to start drama. Alright, this whole next paragraph is my opinion; you don’t have to agree with me. Girls pay a lot more attention to their schoolwork then to boys in all-girls schools, because there are no boys around to pay attention to. Most girls just can’t help it, they are natural flirts. My friends and I are that way, so I’m not being mean. It’s completely natural to flirt, some girls may take it too far, but that’s their problem. If I was at an all-girls school, I am almost positive my grades would be better than they are now, except for math. Math is my weakness. If all the boys left midway for a week, and nothing was left but the girls, the school average would increase dramatically, because the girls would pay attention more, and make better grades. Girls are too worried about their appearance or too caught up in flirting with the boys to pay attention in class, therefore, they will fail. It’s normal for girls to crave the attention from the boys. Most of the time it reflects in the way girls act. Sometimes I don’t understand why girls have boyfriends, because they will flirt anyways, it’s the natural thing. I got off topic there for a second, let’s get back on track. The girls wouldn’t have to look â€Å"perfect† at an all-girls school. They wouldn’t have to wear any make-up; they would just have natural beauty. They wouldn’t be competing for attention from the boys, because there would be absolutely no boys. Well, after doing a lot of research and taking a lot of notes, an all-girls school is the way to go. Less drama, better grades, and you don’t have to be perfect. Okay, I’m going to go beg my mommy to let me go to an all-girls school. It’s the best decision in my opinion.

Analysis Of The Atomic Bomb Essays - Nuclear Weapons, Free Essays

Analysis Of The Atomic Bomb Essays - Nuclear Weapons, Free Essays Analysis of the Atomic Bomb Ever since the dawn of time man has found new ways of killing each other. The most destructive way of killing people known to man would have to be the atomic bomb. The reason why the atomic bomb is so destructive is that when it is detonated, it has more than one effect. The effects of the atomic bomb are so great that Nikita Khrushchev said that the survivors would envy the dead (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These devastating physical effects come from the atomic bomb?s blast, the atomic bomb?s thermal radiation, and the atomic bomb?s nuclear radiation. An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power from an atom. This power comes when the matter inside of the atoms is transformed into energy. The process by which this is done is known as fission. The only two atoms suitable for fissioning are the uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239 (Outlaw Labs). Fission occurs when a neutron, a subatomic particle with no electrical charge, strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and causes it to split apart. When the nucleus is split, a large amount of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released. These neutrons then in turn strike other atoms, which causes more energy to be released. If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes the atomic bomb to have its destructive power (World Book, 1990). This chain reaction can be attained in two different ways. The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type. In this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device similar to the barrel of an artillery shell. One piece is placed at one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest. The other subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel. A conventional explosive is packed behind the second subcritical mass. When the fuse is triggered, a conventional explosion causes the second subcritical mass to be propelled at a high velocity into the first subcritical mass. The resulting combination causes the two subcritical masses to become a supercritical mass. When this supercritical mass is obtained, a rapid self-sustained chain reaction is caused (World Book, 1990). This type of atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima, and given the nickname ?Little Boy? after Franklin D. Roosevelt (Outlaw Labs). The second type of atomic bomb is an implosion bomb. In this type a subcritical mass, which is in the shape of a ball, is placed in the center of the weapon. This subcritical mass is surrounded in a spherical arrangement of conventional explosives. When the fuse is triggered all of the conventional explosives explode at the same time. This causes the subcritical mass to be compressed into a smaller volume, thus creating a supercritical mass to be formed. After this supercritical mass is obtained, a self-sustained chain reaction takes place and causes the atomic explosion (World Book, 1990). This type of stomic bomb was used on Nagasaki, and given the nickname ?Fat Man? after Winston Churchill (Outlaw Labs). The blast from an atomic bomb?s explosion will last for only one-half to one second, but in this amount of time a great deal of damage is done (Physicians and Scientists on Nuclear War, 1981). A fireball is created by the blast, which consists mainly of dust and gasses. The dust produced in this fireball has no subeztial effect on humans or their environment. However, as the gasses expand a blast wave is produced. As this blast wave moves, it creates static overpressure. This static overpressure then in turn creates dynamic pressure. The static overpressure has the power to crush buildings. The dynamic pressure creates winds, which have the power to blow down trees (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). The blast pressure and fireball together only last for approximately eleven seconds, but because it contaitns fifty percent of the atomic bomb?s latent energy a great deal of destruction occures (The Committee for the Compilation of Materials on Damage Caused by the Atomic Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1981).

An Overview of the Book Democracy in America

An Overview of the Book Democracy in America Democracy in America, written by Alexis de Tocqueville between 1835 and 1840, is considered one of the most comprehensive and insightful books ever written about the U.S. Having seen the failed attempts at a democratic government in his native France, Tocqueville set out to study a stable and prosperous democracy in order to gain insight into how it worked. Democracy in America is the result of his studies. The book was and still remains, so popular because it deals with issues such as religion, the press, money, class structure, racism, the role of government, and the judicial system – issues that are just as relevant today as they were then. ​Many colleges in the U.S. continue to use Democracy in America in political science and history courses. There are two volumes to Democracy in America. Volume one was published in 1835 and is more optimistic of the two. It focuses mainly on the structure of government and the institutions that help maintain freedom in the United States. Volume two, published in 1840, focuses more on individuals and the effects that the democratic mentality has on the norms and thoughts that exist in society. Tocqueville’s main purpose in writing Democracy in America was to analyze the functioning of political society and the various forms of political associations, although he also had some reflections on civil society as well as the relations between political and civil society. He ultimately seeks to understand the true nature of American political life and why it was so different from Europe. Topics Covered Democracy in America covers a vast array of topics. In Volume I, Tocqueville discusses things such as: the social condition of Anglo-Americans; judicial power in the United States and its influence on political society; the United States Constitution; freedom of press; political associations; the advantages of a democratic government; the consequences of democracy; and the future of the races in the United States. In Volume II of the book, Tocqueville covers topics such as: How religion in the United States avails itself to democratic tendencies; Roman Catholicism in the United States; pantheism; equality and the perfectibility of man; science; literature; art; how democracy has modified the English language; spiritual fanaticism; education; and equality of the sexes. Features of American Democracy Tocqueville’s studies of democracy in the United States led him to the conclusion that American society is characterized by five key features: 1. Love of equality: Americans love equality even more than we love individual liberty or freedom (Volume 2, Part 2, Chapter 1). 2. Absence of tradition: Americans inhabit a landscape largely without inherited institutions and traditions (family, class, religion) that define their relations to one another (Volume 2, Part 1, Chapter 1). 3. Individualism: Because no person is intrinsically better than another, Americans begin to seek all reasons in themselves, looking not to tradition nor to the wisdom of singular individuals, but to their own opinion for guidance (Volume 2, Part 2, Chapter 2). 4. Tyranny of the majority: At the same time, Americans give great weight to, and feel great pressure from, the opinion of the majority. Precisely because they are all equal, they feel insignificant and weak in contrast to the greater number (Volume 1, Part 2, Chapter 7). 5. Importance of free association: Americans have a happy impulse to work together to improve their common life, most obviously by forming voluntary associations. This uniquely American art of association tempers their tendencies towards individualism and gives them a habit and taste for serving others (Volume 2, Part 2, Chapters 4 and 5). Predictions for America Tocqueville is often acclaimed for making a number of correct predictions in Democracy in America. First, he anticipated that the debate over the abolition of slavery could potentially tear apart the United States, which it did during the American Civil War. Second, he predicted that the United States and Russia would rise as rival superpowers, and they did after World War II. Some scholars also argue that Tocqueville, in his discussion of the rise of the industrial sector in the American economy, correctly predicted that an industrial aristocracy would rise from the ownership of labor. In the book, he warned that â€Å"friends of democracy must keep an anxious eye peeled in this direction at all times† and went on to say that a new found wealthy class may potentially dominate society. According to Tocqueville, democracy would also have some unfavorable consequences, including the tyranny of the majority over thought, a preoccupation with material goods, and isolating individuals from each other and society. Source: Tocqueville, Democracy in America (Harvey Mansfield and Delba Winthrop, trans., ed.; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000)

Catherine of Valois Biography

Catherine of Valois Biography Catherine of Valois Facts: Known for: consort of Henry V of England, mother of Henry VI, grandmother of Henry VII the first Tudor king, also the daughter of a kingDates: Dates: October 27, 1401 - January 3, 1437Also known as: Katherine of Valois Catherine of Valois Biography: Catherine of Valois, daughter of the King Charles VI of France and his consort, Isabella of Bavaria, was born in Paris. Her earliest years saw conflict and poverty within the royal family. Her fathers mental illness and her mothers rumored rejection of her may have created an unhappy childhood. Betrothed to Charles, Heir of Louis, Duke of Bourbon In 1403, when she was less than 2 years old, she was betrothed to Charles, heir of Louis, Duke of Bourbon.  In 1408, Henry IV of England proposed a peace agreement with France that would marry his son, the future Henry V, to one of the daughters of Charles VI of France. Over a number of years, marriage possibilities and plans were discussed, interrupted by Agincourt. Henry demanded that Normandy and Aquitaine be given back to Henry as part of any marriage agreement. The Treaty of Troyes Finally, in 1418, the plans were again on the table, and Henry and Catherine met in June of 1419. Henry continued his pursuit of Catherine from England and promised to renounce his assumed title of king of France if she would marry him and if he and his children by Catherine would be named Charles heirs.  The Treaty of Troyes was signed and the pair were betrothed.  Henry arrived in France in May and the couple was married on June 2, 1420. As part of the treaty, Henry won control of Normandy and Aquitaine, became regent of France during Charles lifetime, and won the right to succeed on Charles death. If this had come to pass, France and England would have been united under one monarch. Instead, during the minority of Henry VI, the French Dauphin, Charles, was crowned as Charles VII with the aid of Joan of Arc in 1429. Catherine and Henry V, Newly Married Couple The newly married couple were together as Henry laid siege to several cities.  They celebrated Christmas at the Louvre Palace, then left for Rouen, and then traveled to England in January of 1421. Catherine of Valois was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey in February 1421. with Henry absent so that the attention would all be on his queen. The two toured England, to introduce the new queen but also to increase commitment to Henrys military ventures. Their Son, Future Henry VI The son of Catherine and Henry, the future Henry VI, was born in December of 1421, with Henry back in France.  In May of 1422 Catherine, without her son, traveled to France with John, Duke of Bedford, to join her husband.  Henry V died of an illness in August 1422, leaving the crown of England in the hands of a minor. During Henrys youth, he was educated and raised by Lancastrians while the Duke of York, Henrys uncle, held power as Protector.  Catherines role was mainly ceremonial.  Catherine went to live on land controlled by the Duke of Lanchester, with castles and manor houses under her control.  She appeared at times with the infant king on special occasions. Rumors Rumors of a relationship between the Kings mother and Edmund Beaufort led to a statute in parliament forbidding marriage to a queen without royal consent by the king and his council without severe punishment. She appeared less often in public, though she did appear at her sons coronation in 1429. A Secret Relationship With Owen Tudor Catherine of Valois had begun a secret relationship with Owen Tudor, a Welsh squire. It is not known how or where they met. Historians are divided on whether Catherine had already married Owen Tudor before that Act of Parliament, or whether they married secretly after that.  By 1432 they certainly were married, though without permission.  In 1436, Owen Tudor was imprisoned and Catherine retired to Bermondsey Abbey, where she died the next year.  The marriage was not revealed until after her death. They Had 5 Children Catherine of Valois and Owen Tudor had five children, half-siblings to King Henry VI. One daughter died in infancy and another daughter and three sons survived. The eldest son, Edmund, became Earl of Richmond in 1452. Edmund married Margaret Beaufort. Their son won the crown of England as Henry VII, claiming his right to the throne through conquest, but also through descent through his mother, Margaret Beaufort.

Communication Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communication Issues - Essay Example People from the different culture may have different rules of exchanging signals and therefore, there is inherent uncertainty in exchanging information. Expansion of our business to China means dealing with the Chinese Government, the local businesses, the distributors and various other important entities. All of these parties communicate using their own language, Chinese. They feel pride in speaking their own language and most of them do not know English. Basically, the culture affects the thinking process of human behavior. It affects the thinking pattern, values and therefore eventually influences the communication processes. Therefore, in coming paragraphs, I will be discussing the various differences between the culture of China and the U.K. and the possible hindrance that may occur due to these differences in the communication process while I will also mention the solution to these issues wherever possible. The main dissimilarity that I have found is the vast contextual difference between UK’s and China’s culture. China is a high-context culture while U.K. is relatively low context culture. In high context cultures, messages are less spelled out explicitly and communicated more implicitly or in indirect ways(Differences in Cultures, n.d.). However, in a low context culture, the emphasis is given to exchanging of information in an explicit manner. Many things are left unsaid in high context cultures which are expected to be implicitly understood(High and Low Context, n.d.). Due to this high-context culture, Chinese use a great deal of non-verbal communication during their work. Their facial expressions, postures, the tone of voice, gestures and other expressions show what they are feeling. However, I feel necessary here to mention that there is both positive and negative effect of adapting to a new culture. The positive outcomes include gains in language competence, self-esteem, awareness, self-confidence, good interpersonal relationships, the development of multicultural identities etc. The negative outcomes include psychological and psychosomatic concerns, emotional distress, dysfunctional communication, culture shock, depression and anxiety. In short, we need to understand the culture of China in order to make the communication process effective.

Global Financial Crisis Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Financial Crisis Research Paper - Essay Example This paper will analyze the actions taken by Samsung’s leadership following the world financial crisis of the year 2007-2008. The experience of Samsung Company in the year 2008 was quite different from the Asia financial crisis of 1997. The pre-global crisis of the year 2007 to 2008 offered varying opportunities from the one that was experienced ten years before. The company was at a different level compared to 1977 and 1987 when the company was at its infancy. As it was realized later, even before the crisis of 2007 the company faced varying tension as it role in the Korean market continued to change. The company had not yet learned from the previous crisis and was unprepared when the global crisis struck. The company’s leadership was divided though dialogues, disagreement and arguments as a result of one group wanting the company to remain as original as possible while the other group wanted to challenge everything that was being experienced in the company. Both sides were however shaken by the global financial crisis of 2007-2008 (Lee, 4). Political issues led to the chairman of the company resigning in 2008, a slowdown in the drivers of business was registered 2007 and the triumph of the Korean voice that led to the resignation of Yun as well as the onset of the global economic crisis that hit the country at around October 2008 were among the challenges that were faced by the company. Since the world economic crisis that was experienced by the company in 2008, Samsung Company has proceeded on the path of becoming one of the globe’s leading organizations in terms of progressive entrepreneurship and creative innovations (Necker and Ziegelmeyer, 20). As the United States financial crisis deepened the world’s economic downturn in 2008, the leadership of the company experienced challenges that were quite different from the ones that they had

Consumer Law Coursework Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Law Coursework - Case Study Example The driver who was an expert could detect the bad condition of the car but after the purchase and payment. The sales man also did not wash the car before delivery contrary to his promise. His liability arises for having sold a defective car fraudulently, for the damages arising out of the accident occurred after delivery and for not having valeted the car before delivery. Second hand goods including cars came under the purview of Consumer Protection Act 1987 through amendment by General Protection Act 2004. Hence second hand cars are subject to the same terms as they apply to new cars. Martha as a consumer can expect the quality to be satisfactory as per prescribed standards applicable to that good under section 14 of Sales of Goods Act 1979 as substituted by section 1 of Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994.and also section 3 of Sale and Supply of Good to Consumers Regulations 2002. Accordingly, the car bought by Martha should be fit for the purpose, safe enough and durable as claimed by the seller at the time of sale. Martha can claim full refund of the value paid and she make an immediate complaint. No time should be lost since the seller can not say that the car might have been mishandled by the buyer after the purchase. But the witness of the driver who drove the car for delivery to Martha can always testify the condition at the time of delivery. I f Martha returns the car within a maximum allowed period of six months, she need not prove that car was faulty at the time of sale. If the seller is not wiling to take back, the burden is on him to prove that it was not defective at the time of sale. Martha should make sure to initiate legal proceedings immediately in case of the seller's refusal, though a claim can be lodged within six years. If the seller agrees for the repair and the repair still does not set right the defects, Martha can claim full refund though Martha can stick to demanding full refund since the seller has sold a rogue car fraudulently. In case of seller's non-cooperation, she can seek advice from local Citizens' Advice Bureau for legal action in small claims court and for further recovery action after the claim is allowed by the court. She can also approach Retail Motor Industry Federation, The Vehicle Builders and Repairers Federation or MVRA Ltd as 'A1' condition for the car may be a standard prescribed by t he trade for immaculate condition. Besides, section 14 of Trade Descriptions Act 1968 makes it an offence if false statement is made for the condition of the goods sold by the dealer. The local authority of trading standards department should also be approached for lodging her criminal complaint against the seller/dealer of the car. There is provision under section 75 of the Road Traffic Offences Act 1988 for making a complaint against the seller for selling an unsafe car.1 In Bartlett v Sidney Marcus (1952)2, Lord Denning had stated that in case of second hand cars, the buyer should be aware of the prospect of encountering defects any time after the purchase and hence should not buy without an express warranty as otherwise the buyer can not have any remedy in law. The consumer must apply the usability test by ensuring that car should be fit for the purpose that is to ride along the road. Earlier usability test to establish merchantable quality was being applied for second cars for their road worthiness rather than being wholly perfect for their use. In the

Corporate governance in Poland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporate governance in Poland - Essay Example lf-regulation in the global business markets has resulted in the establishment and standardisation of corporate governance policies and codes (Maassen, Bosch and Volberda, 2004). This paper will explore the concept of corporate governance in Poland drawing from the privatisation movement of the 1990s, which resulted in massive changes in the corporate structure and organization, thereby prompting the practice of corporate governance in the country. In the business context, the concept of corporate governance refers to the system through which management teams direct and control their organisations in pursuit of the organizational goals and objectives (Rossouw, 2008). Organisations have a set of goals and objectives, which they pursue following premeditated strategies, with the intention of maximizing outcomes; in that respect, governance provides the fundamental framework that organisations follow in setting up objectives and achieving them (Pucko, 2005). In other words, corporate governance is the mechanism through which the management is able to monitor the actions, policies, and decisions of corporations while ensuring that the partisan interests among the different organizational stakeholders are properly aligned for effective operations (Witherell, 2000). Corporate governance has emerged to be a crucial aspect of the corporate world today (Rossouw, 2009), following the global demand for accountability in corporations, whi ch has been prompted by the succession of numerous cases of malpractices in global corporations (Todorovic & Todorovic, 2012). Generally, corporate governance is a very fundamental concept in the corporate management practice especially in today’s highly dynamic and complex global business environment that requires formal organizational structures for operational effectiveness (Sreejesh, 2012). Corporate governance in Poland was introduced in the 1990s following the privatization of numerous State Owned Enterprises through the issuance of

Strategic Information Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Information Management - Essay Example This essay discusses that for any organisation, the strategic planning begins with clearly demarcated missions. The mission of an organisation defines the fundamental purpose of the company in the industry with respect to products or services it provides to the customers. It is the mission of an organisation which describes the cause for existence of the company in the market. Furthermore, the mission statement also tells about the abilities by which organisations seek to compete in the market and peruse success. On the other hand, strategies initiated by any organisation explain the limitations under which the company can conduct its business operations. The strategies of organisations are developed and implemented by management which describe the geographic restrictions, market operations, methods of conducting business and development of products or services. The mission of an organisation is translated in every deeds of organisation, and therefore the strategies are developed in such a way so that it can provide a framework about accomplishing the mission. There is a direct relationship with adoption of any strategy and mission. Apart from the mission of an organisation, the business environment on which the organisation operates its business also has direct relation with the adoption of strategy. The business environment levies several restrictions on an organisation and therefore has substantial impact on the possibilities and activities of organisation. Before developing a strategy, organisations need to identify the business environmental forces which can impact on the business. ... Numerous environmental aspects such as political, social, cultural, and competition among others have significant impacts on the strategies taken by organisation. It is significant for any organisation to understand purposes, scopes and objectives of business through mission statement, to recognise the internal and the external business environment and accordingly develop strategies which are consistent with the industry as well as the business. The following diagram will describe the relationship between strategy, organisational mission and business environment: Source: (Saleem, 2006). Strategic Planning Process A recognised strategic planning procedure has five basic steps which are illustrated in the following diagram: Source: (Hill & Jones, 2009). Formulate The Mission And Major Business Objectives: The first phase of strategic planning is creating the mission statement which delivers the outline or background within which the strategies will be framed. The mission statement of a n organisation has four key components which are: 1. Statement for cause of presence for an organisation in the industry 2. Statement of few anticipated future circumstances 3. Statement of crucial values that the organisation will promise to the stakeholders and, 4. Statement of main objectives The mission will provide what an organisation is for, such as the mission statement of Kodak provides customers with the solutions they require to capture, save, and share images, or in other words, the presence of Kodak in the industry is to deliver solutions reading photos to the consumers. The mission of Kodak is customer centric which concentrates on fulfilling the photo requirements of customers (Hill &

The Importance of Recruitment and Selection in Public Sector Business Essay

The Importance of Recruitment and Selection in Public Sector Business - Essay Example 2. Recruitment and Selection are two different but related terminologies. This project shall therefore be an opportunity of identifying the difference that exists between these two terms and how each of them contributes to the success of the organization. 3. Through this project, the research shall seek to look into the difference between processes and merits of recruitment private sector and public businesses though the public sector shall be made the experimental sample. 4. Within the public sector business, the researcher shall scrutinize various reasons why human resource managers undertake recruitment and selection on regular basis. 5. Clearly, the various merits or importance of recruitment and selection cannot be realized if certain factors are not adhered to. Through this project therefore, the researcher shall find out the various factors that human resource managers within the public sector business setup must stick to in order to ensure that they benefit from the importanc e of recruitment and selection. 6. ... LITERATURE REVIEW Having noted that human resource personnel in the public sector have always been involved in recruitment and placement, one is left with not more than to ask of the importance of recruitment and placement in the public sector that human resource personnel cannot seem to stop the practice. There indeed exists a number of importance of undertaking recruitment and placement. Five major reasons, merits or importance behind recruitment and selection in the public sector have been discussed below. Satisfies Legal and Social Obligations of Organizations The first importance of undertaking recruitment and selection in the public sector is that it is a process that goes a long way to satisfy the legal and social obligations of institutions. International and various labor laws provide that public institutions make their placement processes very fair and open. For that matter, placement must be done only after certain stipulated guidelines have been fulfilled (Gilmore and Wil liam, 2009). In labor provisions, undertaking recruitment and selection is the legally mandated means to get employees to occupy vacancies. By undertaking recruitment and selection therefore, public organizations are getting themselves out of legal entanglements and fulfilling their social obligations of making the lives of deserving skilled and unskilled personnel better (Thompson and McHugh, 2009). Previously, activities of public sector managers regarding placement was not seen as a social task but strictly business and corporative. Today, it has come to be accepted that there could not be any better way for public institutions to be socially responsible to the people than employing as many deserving people as possible (Arnold, J. et al 2005). This is because research has

Strategic Information Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Information Management - Essay Example This essay discusses that for any organisation, the strategic planning begins with clearly demarcated missions. The mission of an organisation defines the fundamental purpose of the company in the industry with respect to products or services it provides to the customers. It is the mission of an organisation which describes the cause for existence of the company in the market. Furthermore, the mission statement also tells about the abilities by which organisations seek to compete in the market and peruse success. On the other hand, strategies initiated by any organisation explain the limitations under which the company can conduct its business operations. The strategies of organisations are developed and implemented by management which describe the geographic restrictions, market operations, methods of conducting business and development of products or services. The mission of an organisation is translated in every deeds of organisation, and therefore the strategies are developed in such a way so that it can provide a framework about accomplishing the mission. There is a direct relationship with adoption of any strategy and mission. Apart from the mission of an organisation, the business environment on which the organisation operates its business also has direct relation with the adoption of strategy. The business environment levies several restrictions on an organisation and therefore has substantial impact on the possibilities and activities of organisation. Before developing a strategy, organisations need to identify the business environmental forces which can impact on the business. ... Numerous environmental aspects such as political, social, cultural, and competition among others have significant impacts on the strategies taken by organisation. It is significant for any organisation to understand purposes, scopes and objectives of business through mission statement, to recognise the internal and the external business environment and accordingly develop strategies which are consistent with the industry as well as the business. The following diagram will describe the relationship between strategy, organisational mission and business environment: Source: (Saleem, 2006). Strategic Planning Process A recognised strategic planning procedure has five basic steps which are illustrated in the following diagram: Source: (Hill & Jones, 2009). Formulate The Mission And Major Business Objectives: The first phase of strategic planning is creating the mission statement which delivers the outline or background within which the strategies will be framed. The mission statement of a n organisation has four key components which are: 1. Statement for cause of presence for an organisation in the industry 2. Statement of few anticipated future circumstances 3. Statement of crucial values that the organisation will promise to the stakeholders and, 4. Statement of main objectives The mission will provide what an organisation is for, such as the mission statement of Kodak provides customers with the solutions they require to capture, save, and share images, or in other words, the presence of Kodak in the industry is to deliver solutions reading photos to the consumers. The mission of Kodak is customer centric which concentrates on fulfilling the photo requirements of customers (Hill &

Response to The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht Essay

Response to The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - Essay Example Upon learning their situation, she remembered her recently deceased grandfather and had a brief look of her life when â€Å"there is war† in her hometown, the Balkan City. Natalia recalled that like any other little girl, she also loved and grew up listening to her grandfather’s stories. She remembered the two stories of her grandfather with memorable mythical characters: the tiger’s wife and the deathless man. The tiger’s wife is the story of a lonely deaf and mute woman, who lived in an isolated mountain village. She was married to an abusive butcher, where in she always suffered beating. The woman was named by the villagers â€Å"the tiger’s wife† because of their malicious thinking. The woman’s affection and too much kindness to the tiger that escaped in the zoo during the war, had been maliciously mistaken by the villagers for something indecent. They thought the woman married the tiger. This rumor had led the villagers to plan fo r the killings of the tiger. However, as Natalia narrated, they were saved and protected by her grandfather. The story of the deathless man was based from the story of Natalia’s grandfather, who was a Christian married to a Muslim from Sarobor.

Student Life Essay Example for Free

Student Life Essay Having a healthy youth is not less than having an atomic bomb, but, to be well educated, would like to have a future full of hope.There is no doubt that the Albanian youth today is poured through her brain tide of time and with great sacrifice made its challenges. Jobs with which it deals today are of different natures, even degenerate. Her dynamic energy used and consumed rapidly in things, that is not worth even give each eye. Albanian university youth as the hope of the nation, that nation has forgotten to shave cultural and scientific creativity and create artistic value, which will be further push towards integration in civilized countries. It is isolated on attractions, burden-cafes are packed full of freshman student, while bookstores and libraries have become museums, rarely someone comes to visit. This youth needs new roads, modern tools for quality and seasoned academic work, support, incentives to cultivate arts, crafts, from whatever genre it is. These youth lack adequate representation in society, the lack of support structures, whether governmental or non-governmental. Lost confidence In ancient fortifications youth has been basis of triumph, therefore, wars have often occurred when soldiers won a majority of young and well educated, with Bonton clean and sober intellect and sound. People and youth leaders have entrusted to them, so that military commanders have made.Then why Albanian youth today has lost the confidence of the people and state leaders? Is the problem? Does crime surplus and deficit of morality among young people in disbelief and influenced the creation of a terrific opinion against them? These and many other questions are those that erode the reasonable soul of the young man, who when he sees how his friends drown in doubt, their doubts and wonders make it.According to some polls say that doubt in our daily lives has become everyday expressions and very serious spiritual illness simultaneously. Suspicion and distrust man drown quiet, how to believe in a young, which depends on several times a day and darkness of doubt ropes? Lack of collective lab or It is an undeniable fact that young Albanian university teasel is neglected when it comes to collective organization. Association, forums, and student unions is no less similar. Our youth lacks sense and experience to work and other major collective. Sometimes it happens that you see and hear how the student or the student does not Ð ·mon knowledge, science, art, etc. The collective work. Fare does not care for books, newspapers and magazines .Can not escape the challenges and problems in individual time when you have the problem of global character.Lack of collective labor Albanian university youth is the weakest and disturbing. Should a speed to realize a sustainable stability and create conditions for collective work, if we want to preserve our identity as young university and provide a sense of hope still. Where next?! To get out of laziness world in the art world, the world of activity, cultivation of knowledge and morality, our youth needs to stop is given by way of error. Should have watched the advantages of youth in civilized countries, are taught to seek their right to belong and to implement it.To return to the lost dignity Albanian university youth, veÐ ·anà «risht here in Tetovo, where the spaces of both Universities and schools have thousands of students, seriously need to get back to work and dress with ethical values, scientific and success permanent and dignified work.Youth to read for the success of the actions that will maintain, for the scientific and artistic activities. This would then view and the desired profile for the student who has taken the oath of parents, villagers and people to Ð ·ua country forward towards success and the civilized world.

Life And Works Of Robert Mapplethorpe Film Studies Essay

Life And Works Of Robert Mapplethorpe Film Studies Essay The third of six children, Robert Mapplethorpe was born into a working-class Catholic family in Floral Park, Long Island on November 4th 1946. His childhood and adolescence were difficult because of his gawky physicality, his brothers athletic and academic success and his own early demonstration of artistic talent. After an accelerated career in high school, Mapplethorpe entered the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to study technical illustration and where he became a member of the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) in a bid to placate his father who disapproved of his artistic ambitions. Because of his experimentation with hippy culture and his fathers hostility, he never completed his degree at Pratt; instead he moved to Manhattan just before the summer of 1969. Mapplethorpes early artistic endeavours focused on collage work with found objects and jewellery design. In 1970 a fellow resident of the Chelsea Hotel introduced him to photography with the gift of a Polaroid camera and Mapplethorpe started by experimenting with self-portraits. Mapplethorpe had his first one-man show in November 1970, but did not achieve recognition in the New York art world until 1977. On February 4th 1977, Mapplethorpe had joint shows at the Holly Solomon Gallery and the Kitchen. Although both shows were organised by Solomon, the mainstream exhibition featured his flowers and portraits while the avant-garde exhibit consisted of his sex pictures. This segregation of subject matter would continue throughout Mapplethorpes career. Just over a decade later, Mapplethorpe was the subject of retrospectives in Amsterdam, London and the United States. In July of 1988 the Whitney Museum of American Art honoured Mapplethorpe with a retrospective exhibition, their first for a photographer. In December 1988, a slightly larger retrospective, The Perfect Moment, opened at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. Mapplethorpe was able to experience his rise to the pinnacle of the art world, but, as he commented to numerous interviewers, he was unable to take advantage of the fame. He died from complications related to Aids on March 9th 1989. Memorial services were held at the Catholic Church Mapplethorpe had attended as a child in Floral Park and at the Whitney Museum in New York. Populated mainly with members of New York Citys social and artistic elite, Robert Mapplethorpes book of portraits, Certain People, has a title with more than one possible meaning as noted in Susan Sontags essay. There is certain in the sense of some and not others; and certain in the sense of self-confident, sure, clear. Certain People are, mostly, people found, coaxed or arranged into a certainty about themselves. That is what seduces, that is what is disclosed in these bulletins of a great photographers observations and encounters. Although they are not famous in the same way as Annie Liebovitz, Philip Glass or Bruce Chatwin people who appear in Certain People Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter are exceptional in their own right. In their stance and with their defiant gaze, they have the same self-assurance as the celebrities that Mapplethorpe photographed. His camera treats them with the same dignity as that reserved for Lord Snowdon or Louise Bourgeois. Their portrait exemplifies many of the formal and thematic concerns that inform Mapplethorpes larger body of work. Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter (1979) (fig. 1) is a portrait staged according to the conventions of the royal couple portrait of Enlightenment Europe or the formal family portrait of the Victorian Age. Ridley and Heeter are centred in the frame and positioned frontally with respect to the viewer. Ridley is seated with Heeter standing at his side. The setting for the portrait is clearly domestic, presumably the living room of the couple. The heavy buttoned wing-backed leather chair in which Ridley is seated, the Oriental carpet beneath his feet, the modern lines of the console table to his right as well as the objets dart on the various surfaces indicate a degree of taste and wealth. The just-so arrangement of the furniture clearly signifies a gay male aesthetic of a particular kind. The parallel costuming of Ridley and Heeter indicate a gay male aesthetic of a very different but equally stylised kind. Heeter stands to Ridleys left casually holding two metal rings from which hangs a chain connected to the studded leather collar around Ridleys neck. In his left hand, Heeter holds a riding crop, angled toward Ridley, resting inside the arm of the chair, in ominous proximity to Ridleys body; much as a rider would hold it against the flank of his mount. Heeter is adorned in full leather drag: cap, jacket, studded belt, cod-piece trousers and biker boots. To emphasise the confidence with which he carries his power, he leans against Ridleys chair and crosses his right foot over his left in a relaxed, semi-swaggering stance. Ridleys leather uniform is virtually identical to Heeters biker boots, leather chaps, biker jacket. The differences between Ridleys and Heeters costumes indicate their respective positions in the relationship: instead of a cap, Ridley wears a collar, instead of a riding crop, he sports chains; these differences, along with the pairs physical positions gesture toward the power differential that the couple perform. From this description of the photograph, Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter could be characterised as a family portrait of a sadomasochistic couple. Although hardly as shocking as many of Mapplethorpes other sadomasochistic-themed photographs, the image is still unsettling. First, the portrait disturbs the classificatory terms it invokes. Is it possible for family, sadomasochism or portrait to mean the same thing independently and jumbled up together? If the picture grants Heeter and Ridley a certain kind of elegance, beauty and dignity, is this evidence that notions of family, domesticity and coupling are sufficiently elastic to incorporate sadomasochistic eroticism? If Ridley and Heeter are able to pose their unconventionally adorned bodies according to the codes of the conventional family portrait, is this evidence that family, domesticity and coupling have always already incorporated sadomasochistic eroticism? Second, aside from complicating dominant narratives of familial relationship s, this portrait exposes something about the relationship between the practices of photography and self-presentation. What does the staging of Ridley and Heeter in full leather drag show about the ideological work of portraiture writ large? What does this photograph expose about the relationship between power, eroticism, theatricality and image making? Given that both sets of questions relate to the tension between the pictures subject matter and its representational codes, is it fair to conclude that the relationship between content the sadomasochistic couple and form the family portrait makes Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter such an arresting photograph? More precisely, is it the photographs combination of form and content which helps us to see the never-before-related phenomena sadomasochistic couple and formal portrait in a different way, that makes this photograph worthy of critical analysis? In the following chapters I will focus on the relationship between form and content in Mapplethorpes images, with attention to his sex pictures. The interaction of form and content in these images, I contend, trains the viewer to see in a new way: not only to see the specific subject matter differently, but to see the practice of image making in art or in life differently. The beauty of Mapplethorpes images renders culturally unpalatable subject matter attractive and desirable. The stylised composition of Mapplethorpes images also reflects in the forms of self-stylisation within the images, using photographic style to expose personal styling as an equivalent staging, construction and performance. Form and content, then, function sometimes co-operatively, sometimes in opposition to make the spectator aware of the assumptions they bring to the photograph. The analysis of Mapplethorpes images will attend not only to how he represents masculinity and the performance of gay male ident ity but also to how his images draw attention to the dynamics of representation itself. Most commentators identify the curious disjunctionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ between the visual appeal of his photographs as pictures and the discomforting nature of his subject matter as the quintessential element of Mapplethorpes pictorial style. Arthur Danto, one of Mapplethorpes staunchest defenders characterises the artists work as both Dionysian and Apollonian at once. According to Danto, the sexual energy of the images content has a dialectic relationship to their chastely classic style of presentation; this tension is so profound, Danto finds Hegels notion of aufhebung a useful concept with which to addressà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mapplethorpes images. The forbidden and unsettling content of Mapplethorpes images is not erased by their pristine and mannered formalisation, and even the most sexually explicit of Mapplethorpes images both go beyond and fail as pornography, precisely because of their crisp beauty and clean elegance. The content is preserved. But it is also negated, and it is transcen ded, and that means the work cannot merely be reduced to its content. Ingrid Sischy, one of the most eloquent writers on Mapplethorpes sexual imagery, identifies this tension between form and content as the source of shock in Mapplethorpes photographs: What shocks isnt just the material, but how it is so artfully presented. The content, lighting, composition, sense of order and aesthetics all combine to give the photograph an unforgettable impact. The photographs impact depends on the audacious choice to present the forbidden, the transgressive, the underground, the violent, and the repressed in a beautiful manner. As Sischy goes on to observe, Mapplethorpes eye for beauty enables the pictures to challenge, among other things, prevailing notions about sadomasochism and homoeroticism. Germano Celants essay in the catalogue from a Guggenheim exhibition compares Mapplethorpes photographs with Mannerist paintings. He argues that Mapplethorpes style works to both defuse and legitimise th e content of his images by linking them to aesthetic codes of the past. Extending Dantos observation about the importance of the tension between form and content for understanding Mapplethorpes work aesthetically, Sischy and Celant argue that this tension is the key to evaluating Mapplethorpes images politically. Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter illustrates how the relationship between form and content functions across Mapplethorpes body of work. As already noted the tension between the mundanity of the portraits setting and style and the atypicality of the subjects costume and identity generates the images energy and arrests the viewers attention. As Danto observes: They look as though this were the most natural thing in the world for them to be doing in their middle-class living roomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. [But] what is a sexual slave doing sitting that way in a comfortable armchair? Form and content also generate tension with respect to time. To what historical moment does this photograph r ightfully belong? As several commentators have noted, Mapplethorpes sex photographs are important, if for no other reason, because they document a certain gay male subculture whose adherents failed to survive the ravages of Aids. This subject matter, closely tied to the sexual exploration of the 70s, was captured, however, using a visual aesthetic associated with late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century photography, if not older notions of symmetry, order and perfection. As Joan Didion observed in her introductory essay to Mapplethorpes collection of female portraits, Some Women: Robert Mapplethorpes work has often been seen as an aesthetic sport, so entirely outside any historical or social context, and so new, as to resist interpretation. This newness has in fact become so fixed an idea about Mapplethorpe that we tend to overlook the source of his strength, which derived, from the beginning, less from the shock of the new than from the shock of the oldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. There was, above all, the perilous imposition of order on chaos, of classical form on unthinkable images. Didions comments clarify that Mapplethorpes images are neither without historical context nor fixed within a single historical context. Instead, subject and style belong to different, and seemingly disparate, historical moments and social milieu. The form of Mapplethorpes photographs, however, renders the content of his images thinkable, palatable, legitimate. Mapplethorpes combination of form and content, then, is anything but dilettantism. Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter also plays with the distinction between public and private spaces. The space of the picture is a living room, a domestic space, a space hidden from the worlds prying eyes and attendant judgements. The sexual identity evoked by the subjects costumes also signifies private space; they are culturally understood as taboo, necessitating secrecy. The space of the portrait, both generally as a visual form and specifically as an artefact in a book or gallery, is, however, public. The staged presentation of these subjects underlines that they are opening their private space[s] to public scrutiny. This picture is not a snapshot; it is not a candid photo; it is not an image captured on the sly as in the work of Garry Winogrand. It is, instead, a formal portrait that required preparation and planning. As Danto points out, when emphasising the relationship of trust that Mapplethorpe must have developed with his photographic subjects, indicated by the settings, the sta ging, the careful execution and the use of names, in the photographs titles, it is clear that Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter, like Mapplethorpes other subjects, have consented to having this image made. They have admitted Mapplethorpe (and, consequently, the viewer) into their lives, such that the photographer [and, consequently, the viewer] shares a moral space with them. Heeter and Ridleys consensual act of opening their home works to situate the spectator non-consensually in a common, private space. This exposure of the taboo to public scrutiny compels the viewer to accept this intrusion into the public sphere; by voluntarily opening the walls of their private space, Ridley and Heeter have challenged the boundaries of what is acceptable in the public space. The form of the photograph as a posed portrait, then, sharpens the political challenge of its content. The troubling of the boundary between public and private establishes a complicated relationship between the image and temporality. As a portrait, Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter is the memorialisation of a single instant in the life of this couple. At the same time, given the disconnection between their regalia and their setting, the portrait necessarily invokes a before and an after. Insofar as Heeters and Ridleys costumes signify a particular set of sexual practices, they are not practices that likely take place (primarily) in the space in which they are photographed. Their costumes suggest the space of the playroom, the dungeon, the sex club places significantly different from the one they occupy. The portrait evokes a place and time outside the environs of the setting for the erotic activity it suggests. Because the sexual activity suggested by this photograph is understood as taboo, as requiring a private space, even though it is being exposed to a public viewing, the portrait als o intimates that these costumes and these roles are not the totality of the lives of these portrait subjects. Just as the picture suggests other times and places for sexual activity, the specificity of the intimated sexual activity, by negative implication, suggests non-sexual times and places in these subjects lives that require different styles of self-presentation. The temporal and spatial limitations on this particular self-stylisation are underlined by the incongruity of costume and setting. The form/content distinctions of this image, then, invest it with a temporal dimension. The photograph suggests a relationship of dominance and submission; the power dynamics at play in the image, however, are neither simple nor singular. On the most basic level, there is the power of the gaze, a power generated by the image that situates both the spectator and the pictorial subject. This gaze arguably belongs to Mapplethorpe and the spectator and is exercised against Heeter and Ridley. Even if Heeter and Ridley have been costumed, posed, lit and framed by Mapplethorpe, to claim that they have been objectified by his gaze fails to account for the complexity of the image. Ridley and Heeter both look at the camera with hard and fixed stares; they are not giving over their bodies, their lives or their subjectivities to the spectator. Ridley and Heeter each adopt a physical pose that underpins the defiance of their respective looks; Heeters nonchalant stance and Ridleys open-legged seating position situate them in the full solidity of their corporeal frames. When looking at Heeter and Ridley, the spectator is just as likely to feel intimidated, challenged and threatened as in control of the image. In this way, the power Ridley and Heeter retain vis-à  -vis the gaze relates to and underscores their consent to the image-making process. At the same time, their tight leather outfits draw attention to the precise contours of their bodies. The silver studs on Heeters codpiece and the positioning of Ridleys legs and hands also draw visual attention to their respective genital regions. In this way the portrait trades in traditional mechanisms of eroticising and objectifying its subjects. Because they have been trapped in the image, and because this photograph will now circulate freely outside of their control, however, their resistance to the power of the scopic regime is limited and partial. The photograph, then, transforms Heeter and Ridley into objects for contemplation. The spectators visual inspection of them, however, is disrupted by their respective l ooks, their physical poses and the iconography of sadomasochism within the photograph. The gaze that structures this image is neither straightforward nor unidirectional. The power dynamic between the portraits subjects is also complex. Heeters superior vertical position along with his grasp of the riding crop and Ridleys chains are evidence of his dominance. At the same time Ridley is foregrounded in the pictorial space and his face is both more clearly visible and more brightly lit, making him the focus of visual attention. Ridleys name is also given priority in the portraits title. While this priority is consistent with Western left-to-right titling practice, it runs against the perceived practice of many sadomasochistic practitioners who often deny the submissive partner the referential use of a name, personal pronouns or even capital letters. As Richard Meyer observed when arguing that the formal properties of Mapplethorpes photographs often work to undo the power dynamics of his images content: The contradictions of this portrait defeat any essentialist interpretation of Ridley and Heeter in (or as) their sadomasochistic roles. Building on a clo se reading of the Meyer article, I would add that it is the compositional elements of the picture that serve to disrupt the meaning of its specific iconography. In other words, with respect to how the picture trades in the erotics of dominance and submission, the form of the image undercuts its manifest content. The incongruity of costume and setting also works to complicate the readings of power in the image. In an essay largely critical of Mapplethorpes images, C. S. Manegold writes that the dreamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ promised by this portrait is one of pain, of submission, of servitude, a willing walk toward death. She goes on to claim that Mapplethorpes sadomasochistic photographs are funded by a fascistic aesthetic. While I agree that this image trades in the iconography of domination and submission, I would dispute that the leather gear is Nazi-esque, it is merely hyper-masculine and owes much more to the motorcycle cop or the cowboy than any sort of Nazi influence, there are certainly no badges or insignia to indicate such a position and is merely Manegold herself showing what her personal/political history brings to the table in terms of domination. Any characterisation of the image as representing only a single form of erotic or gendered self-presentation founders on the details of the ph otograph itself. Looking only at Heeters riding crop and studded cod-piece or only at Ridleys handcuffs and locked collar, Manegolds characterisation of the image as one infused with pain and death and fascinated with a fascistic masculinity may seem self-justified. What happens, however, when the spectator notices the antique brass clock, the carefully arranged books or the delicate figurines that are also part of the picture? Are these details irrelevant? Do they also signify death and embody fascism? Or do they expose the sadomasochistic self-presentation of Ridley and Heeter as convincing, chilling, arousing, and disturbing as it might be as, at root, a performance, a ritual, an enactment? Although it is implicit in what I said about the image and temporality previously, it bears emphasising that insofar as the portrait highlights the performative nature of (sadomasochistic or masculine) identity, this also relates to the temporality of the image. Because a performance require s a repeated bodily gesture, it also requires temporal duration. In other words, does the incongruity between the general setting and the specific costuming show that each signifies an alternative way to fashion a life? A less incongruous picture could have been crafted by stripping the room bare of furniture, positioning Ridley on his knees and painting the walls black. Equally less incongruous a picture could also have been crafted by stripping Ridley of his chains, positioning Heeter on the arm of the chair and dressing the pair in flannels and blazers. The posing of this master-slave duo in a well-appointed, to the point of chi-chi, living room, however, shows that the respective systems of decoration are fully parallel, even though they might imply different relationships to hegemonic masculinity. What Mapplethorpe has done is signify hyper-masculinity and then gone on to problematise it. By focusing the spectators attention on the stylisation of their clothing and props through its sharp focus and bright lighting, the style of the portrait underlines that Ridley and Heeters gear is drag, a costume, a mode of self-presentation, a performance. In addition, by staging Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter in a setting where their self-presentation as devotees of sadomasochistic eroticism would stand out in exaggerated bas-relief, the portrait calls attention to the artifice, the staginess of their chosen identity. The inherent theatricality of the picture is further emphasised by the dynamics of sadomasochistic erotic play itself. Given its emphasis on roles, costumes, props, scenes, the adornment of the body and implements of sexual arousal, sadomasochism despite the reality of the pain/pleasure experienced by its participants is a complex set of ritualised gestures. With these features in mind, it becomes easier to see how form and content are not merely in productive tensio n, but are virtually undone almost reversed by the portrait. Previously I identified the sadomasochistic couple as the content of the portrait, but the emphasis on performance, artifice and theatricality demonstrates that the term sadomasochistic couple is as much a formal trope enabling a reading of a situation as it is a pre-interpretive category with content. The viewer identifies Lyle Heeter and Brian Ridley as practitioners of sadomasochism not because their portrait contains sexual content, but because it trades in the signifying codes of the leather uniform. Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter provides no evidence that its subjects participate in sadomasochistic acts; it reveals only that they understand how to participate in sadomasochistic signification. If this portrait were placed next to one of a gay male couple in jeans and t-shirts posed in their living room and another couple in biker gear in a fetish bar, the mobility of sadomasochistic couple as an interpretive grid would be much clearer. By the same token, the classical and mannered stylisation of the image is not merely the formal code by which this portrait has been organised; it is the very subject matter of the photograph. On the one hand, Heeter and Ridley, as a sadomasochistic couple, are irrelevant i.e. negated and transcended. They are little more than one possible signifier that enables a set of meanings and associations to attach to an image. Other visual and cultural incongruities could have been used to achieve the same kind of shock and disorientation. On the other hand, Ridley and Heeters identity as a sadomasochistic couple is absolutely essential to the image, not because it is at odds with the domestic setting of the portrait, but because sadomasochism as a highly theatrical, self-aware, ritualised mode of erotic behaviour fraught with its own contradictions and tensions provides the most useful set of signifying codes for exploring the formal concerns about self-stylisation with which the portrait engages. The theatricality of sadomasochis m, captured in a highly stylised portrait exposes the performance of masculinity that Heeter and Ridley and countless others are attempting. In this way that portraits iconography both participates in and potentially disrupts certain fantastic constructions of the masculine self. Sadomasochism, then, is a useful point of entry into Mapplethorpes larger body of work not only because it is the subject matter of a large number of his photographs or it is the subject matter that catapulted him to fame, but because sadomasochism as a practice is so directly parallel to the notions of theatrical self-presentation with which Mapplethorpes images deal. As noted previously, it is not only the thematic of the photographs that are important, but also how they train the viewer to see.

The Philosophy of Cognitive Science Essay -- Neurology Psychology Pape

The Philosophy of Cognitive Science Psychophysical dualism — the distinction between mind and body — is the counterposition between essentially irreducible elements: the mind and body. Such a dualism implies the main ontological problem of the philosophy of cognitive science and philosophy of mind: the mind-body problem (MBP). The dualism and the referred-to problem has been insistently discussed in the philosophical tradition and several solutions have been proposed. Such solutions are properly philosophical or require a scientific approach. First, I will expound the philosophical solution to the MBP proposed by Descartes, to be followed by an exposition of Ryle's criticisms to the solution. Second, from Ryle's criticism, I will deduce a scientific solution to the MBP related to the neural framework model of mind in cognitive science by means of what I call 'the principle of the embodiment of the mind.' Finally, I shall point out the philosophical difficulties that are to be found in using such a princip le. If I've reason, then the philosophical problems must let dissolve themselves without any rest, differently from others... — Ludwig Wittgenstein But this very attraction should make us suspicious: in the history of philosophy, attempts at showing a problem to be "pseudo-problem" have often encountered the very same difficulties that have beset attempts to solve the problem. — Hilary Putnam I - INTRODUCTION The psychophysical dualism or mind-body distinction is the counterposition between two essentially irreducible elements: soul and body. Such dualism implies, as we will show, the more discussed issue of philosophy of cognitive science and philosophy of mind: the mind-body problem (MBP, henceforth) whose the en... ...r and Zopf, Pergamon, p. 255-78, 1962). Atlan, H. Entre le Cristal et la Fumà ©e. Essai sur l'organisation du vivant. Ed. du Seuil, Paris, France, 1979. Churchland, D. P. Theories of Brain Function. In : Neurophilosophy: Towards a Unified Science of Mind and Brain, MIT Press, 1986. Descartes, R. Les Meditations Metaphysiques. Ec. Tannery & Adam: Librairie Philosophique L. Vrin, vol. IX -1, 1982. Gardner, H. The Mind's New Science: A History of Cognitive Revolution. New York, Basic Books, 1987. Guà ©roult, M. Descartes Selon l' Ordre de Raisons. Ed. Aubier, vol 1, Paris, 1964. Gonzales, M. E. Q. Neural networks and Mental Representation: An essay on Harmony and Rationality. In: Trans/ Form/Aà §Ãƒ £o, Sà £o Paulo, v. 14, p.93-108, 1991. Nagel, E. The Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific Explanation. Routhledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1961.

United Kingdom – Cultural Leadership Style

A wise Professor named Geert Hofstede established one of the best studies that put into account a countries culture and how values in the workplace can affect them. Today I will look at a particular country that is quite similar to the United States. The country I have chosen is the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom encompasses England, Wales, and Scotland (which combined make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland. Before looking at how United Kingdom numbers there first needs to be a description of what is in fact being numbered. Hofstede created five cultural dimensions. In each dimension whether it marked high or low can help a business determine how it should operate in that specific country. The first Hofstede dimension is the Power Distance Index. The Power Distance Index has to do with the inequality that not only is accepted but the inequality in existence between individuals of power and also to those without it. There will always be some kind of level of power in all societies and although some may be very unequal this measure simply shows the level of inequality they really are. A low Power Distance Index would mean that power and equality are shared. Society may view them as being a society where power is well dispersed among each other. In a high Power Distance Index however there is an unequal distribution of power and people simply understand their place in the society. When it comes to the United Kingdom though the Power Distance Index is relatively low and has a thirty PDI. This number is an indicator that the ranking of a person or the status in conjunction with their inequalities are low. When relating to more of the office structure this can be more illustrated when looking at the relationship between the superiors and the subordinates. The relationship is more casual like and not as structured and strict as in a high power distance would have been. The second Hofstede dimension is Individualism. Individualism refers to the community and all the ties that link people to them. If there is a high individualism score than there is a loose connection which only means that sharing of responsibilities are low and a lack of interpersonal connection nless of course it is between family and a few close friends. It also means that an individual’s rights are quite dominant. If there is a low individualism score than there is a strong group bond in which there is much respect and loyalty for all members of that group. The group itself would be much larger in comparison to a high score and would take more responsibility for each person making it more collective. In the Uni ted Kingdom they score a quite high one with eighty nine being there IDV number. Therefore there is a need of people’s freedoms and the valuation of their time. They enjoy challenges and expect some sort of reward for their accomplishments. There is also more of a respect for their privacy. In this sense the United Kingdom has a nuclear family that is the more leading form of basic social structure. When you think of this on more of a business aspect having a high score would also mean that individuals would be thinking about themselves more instead of the group. High scores would promote individual success but may affect the group which should be monitored. The third Hofstede dimension is Masculinity. Masculinity refers to the traditional roles of a male and female and how much they are valued and stuck to within a society. Having a high Masculinity score would mean that these countries have males that have high expectations to being tough and being the provider for the family as well as being assertive and strong. When pertaining to females in a high context score if they worked would be doing a profession that men did not. There would also be a distinction between men and women’s work. In a low masculinity score for a country you would see more of a balance when it came to jobs and skills. Women would be able to have success doing the exact same thing as a man. The role of both genders just becomes a bit blur where women work equal across professions with men. Men are also allowed to be sensitive. The United Kingdom had a score of about sixty two. Therefore they try to be somewhere in the middle. Men and women can work equally with each other although a bit of gender bias may still exist. This bias may not be as apparent if the score was a fifty but because it exceeds a little more than fifty it shows that it is an underlying bias maybe just below the surfaces. When relating this to a more business aspect in a high masculinity score the leader of the team should be a male if you wanted to obtain greater success however in a low masculinity score the team should be more balanced with a greater emphasis on skill instead of on gender. The fourth Hofstede dimension is Uncertainty/Avoidance Index. Uncertainty/ Avoidance Index refer to the degree that society members may feel while being in an anxious or uncertain situation. This can also relate to whether or not a person is comfortable or uncomfortable within a certain situation. In a high uncertainty/avoidance index country avoidance of ambiguous situations is a must with the creations of lots of rules and regulations. There is much order with a collective type of truth that is held. Business is also very formal with the need for structure and differences are highly avoided. If there is any level of nervousness it creates high levels of emotion mixed with high levels of expression. In a lower uncertainty/avoidance index the society will enjoy surprises and the differences between individuals are highly valued. They are actually encouraged to seek for their own truth. The United Kingdom has an Uncertainty/Avoidance index of about thirty which means in a more business aspect that they have a more informal business attitude. There is also a more concern on the long term goals and strategies instead in comparison to the more daily happenings. There is a far greater acceptance of change and this society is more prone to taking a few risks unlike a high UAI group which would avoid risk taking. Conflicts and disagreements would also be seen as a healthy relationship amongst workers even at times superiors with different views taken into account to conclude with a better outcome. The last Hofstede dimension is Long Term Orientation. Long Term Orientation refers to how society views the long term standing of traditions and values in comparison to the short term traditions and values. In a high long term orientation score the individuals in a society would refrain from losing face and have social obligations. Traditions are valued to the extreme and family is the basis of the society. Parents and men are seen in these societies to have far more authority than women and young adults. There are very strong work ethics and a high value is placed on the education that is obtained as well as any training. The United Kingdom has a long term orientation score of about twenty. Being that it is very low in comparison to Asian cultures this just means that much can be expected when discussing the creative expression that is in the United Kingdom’s culture. Traditions may not be valued here as much as they would be valued in other societies. This then ust sums that they would be more likely to help when it came to the business aspect of innovating any sought out plans. There would be an execution of those plans as well with the compromise that there will be full participation. In a low long term orientation there is also promotion of equality. Creativity and individualism is also a definition of a low long term orientation where what is strived for is self actualizati on. Although some may see the United Kingdom as being more traditional with all its associations it still promotes equality which in the end makes it different from other cultures or societies. The five dimensions that Geert Hofstede established were one being Power Distance Index (PDI), two being Individualism (IDV), three being Masculinity (MAS), four being Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), and five being Long Term Orientation (LTO). Each one looked at in pertaining to the United Kingdom gives more of an insight on how the societies culture is and how a business can benefit better if in the United Kingdom. Although many cultural norms play a huge part in the procedure and interpersonal associations at work all these things may seem to just be. Each and every norm just comes natural to the society that you live in. However, when you move outside your norms and are found in a new society knowing what to do or how to run a business may be very intimidating without knowing how that society’s culture may behave. Once you step foot in a foreign place everything may seem different with completely different norms that are followed. Hofstede’s five dimensions can thus be a starting position for one to use in determining how to act when comparing what the reactions might be and how that society might think about how you just acted. It would also help in evaluating your approach and the decisions that you make in an organization or business. There may be other deviations from all the norms that may make up a society but having a guide like Geert Hofstede’s five dimensions will help to not feel completely off guard when encountering new societies. Sometimes not knowing what to expect can be very threatening and not knowing how to act or not knowing how your actions will be perceived can be scary. However, using Hofstede’s five dimensions can bring new light on any society. When looking at the United Kingdom it is quite similar to the United States so intimidations can be a little lower but taking into account every dimension will help in creating a successful business.

Lessons Learned Paper

Lessons Learned Paper Na’Kisha Sherrard, MS University of Phoenix Lessons Learned Paper Connecting with a group of doctoral students for the first residency is very frightening. Several students admitted to having feelings of misperception, worry, or uncertainty. Meeting someone new is certainly not comfortable, however the expectations and anxiety of a doctoral program is sufficient for someone to ask why one would choose to undertake a huge venture. This residency has motivated me to endure in my program. There were several eye-openers that revealed development and improvement as a doctoral student.In the last five days, various lessons and experiences were taught and learned but the most important lessons for me include the learning team experiences, scholarly writing, and reflection on the lessons learned. Learning Teams During this residency experience, I acquired a lot about learning teams. In my academic and professional experience, I have been a part of numerous teams. I have had some bad encounters with teams during my duration with the University of Phoenix and presumed that the team experiences at residency would be similar.I definitely applied my situatedness but I understand now a cohort of different personalities can form a successful team where all opinions are heard, all ideas count, all contribute and all appear to demonstrate an authentic interest for one another. Dr. Sally played a major role in team experience. She encouraged an atmosphere of empathy, hope, and interest. She was our main supporter. I appreciate and value the honest disposition Dr. Sally showed. Her charisma made us feel we belonged to the team.We completed several team assignments that allowed us to develop our learning team skills. We had various chances to work in learning teams. We reviewed course articles, course competencies, and were given several activities to develop team organization. We presented assignments on thinking models, constructing meaning, team pre sentations, and scholarly writing. The diverse assignments and activities we had in addition to the combined efforts of Dr. Sally and the students have made me reevaluate the idea of working with a learning team in my classes to come.While are listening to other doctoral students in a learning team communicate what they got from learning; I was able to get another viewpoint that also gets me thinking. My brain absorbed more information from listening to other student’s views. Understanding from other students also makes me try to pay attention to my lessons in a manner I would not have thought of without getting reactions from my learning team. I will be unbiased in the future and not believe that I will experience a negative encounter with a learning team experiences.I will guarantee to show encouraging traits of a team player and stay helpful. Individuals provided with new information and abilities are supposed to not only better themselves but to be instantaneously inspire d to change the world (Mezirow, 1990, 47). I am excited about my next learning team experience and look forward to making a difference. Scholarly Writing There was so much knowledge gained about scholarly writing and what it includes. These past five days has strengthened what I previously understood about this subject.Throughout several assignments we have did in class, I learned that scholarly writing must be involved. There are certain parts of scholarly writing that are not flexible. Scholarly writing must be written in third person, written for a reason, cannot be prejudged, avoid suppositions and be backs by evidences, theories, and data. I also learned new terminologies that have to do with writing such as anthropomorphism. Trustworthy sources must be used in scholarly writing. I learned a great deal about the choice of sources to use and about scholarly writing.The constructing meaning assignment helped reinforce the importance for trustworthy and legitimate sources in schol arly writing. I believe the assignment we accomplished personally where we had to select and analyze an article helped show how significant it is to use the correct sources. The resources used can also be deceiving and seem to be qualified, but may only be just an opinion of that author. To avoid this, we must use scholarly, peer-reviewed articles to back up our statements. One of my ultimate disappointments as a college and graduate scholar is not putting more importance on learning to become a critical writer.Although I think I obtained a great knowledge from awesome universities, this is one subject where I was dissatisfied with myself and the instructors. I desire that they would have held me responsible to being a critical writer. I would definitely tell an individual that is looking into pursing their doctoral degree, if writing is a weakness you should be not embarrassed. It is better to be mindful of this task and do all that can be done to improve it as early as possible. S earch for assistance immediately to learn to write appropriately and it will help throughout one’s education and career.With all the information I obtained about scholarly writing, I plan to use it to numerous types of writing I will do in the future. I can use this knowledge I acquired on this subject for different types of writings at the scholarly level during my studies at the university and beyond, upcoming course assignments, discussion replies, spoken conversations on the subject and my dissertation process. I can give this knowledge to my colleagues and well as other doctoral students to help advance their writing. I can also use what I acquired when I begin my study process whether it is on quantitative or qualitative study.Reflection One of the most valuable topics I learned was reflection. Reflection is scholarly and emotional activities in which a person engages to discover their encounters in order to guide new perceptions and gratitude (Mezirow, 1990). I also le arned the variations amongst critical reflection and reflection. The process of critical reflection covers three points: discovering suppositions that motivate views and behaviors, examining the precision and rationality in how we tie suppositions with our encounters of realism, recreating suppositions to make them more general and encompassing (Mezirow, 1990).During the different course activities we completed, I learned the value of reflection. This residency offered several chances for the students to reflect on what was learned. There were several practices used to promote reflection during this experience at residency. Our nightly journals were just one of the ways we could reflect on what was covered every day and focused on what we learned on each subject, how we can use what we acquired, what we learned about ourselves and how the class information and encounters have shaped our means of reflecting.This was not the only way of reflection we practiced during the residency. We encountered other types of reflection that inspired the practice of critical thinking. The residency essentially began with a type of reflection on why we were personally here and out purpose statements. We integrated reflection methods as we finished our reviews of the articles and talked about how we will use what we absorbed on writing assignments in the future. We also learned to reflect as a team. The comments we gave other teams was a type of reflection.We were able to help enrich their presentations while reflecting on methods we can individually advance personally and on a team. I can definitely foresee myself encompassing the lessons I learned on reflection. Dr. Sally made a recommendation to start journaling and I plan to apply the practice of journaling my reflections. I intend to use my critical thinking skills and reflection while working in teams and at work. Previously, I felt that reflections were strained when I finished my weekly summaries in previous courses, how ever I do understand the significance of reflections.This valuable practice will continue to develop me as a scholar, practitioner and leader and improve me be self-conscious so I can supportively touch others around me. â€Å"The processes of writing and reflection can help to clarify some of the whirling and unfocused thoughts that sometimes get in the way of more productive thinking† (Wellington et. all, 2005, p. 36). Conclusion Year One Residency was very gratifying. I have developed resourcefully and individually because of this knowledge. Although, when I arrived I was unsure of what to expect, I was relieved rather quickly.I met some awesome doctoral students and gained a great deal of knowledge that I can apply to my everyday life. This has been a rewarding and I am excited about Year Two Residency. References Mezirow, J. (1990). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipatory learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Wellington, J. , Bathmaker, A. , Hunt, C. , McCulloch, G. , & Sikes, P. (2005). Succeeding with your doctorate. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.