Anthem by Ayn Rand Essay

The book Anthem by Ayn Rand expresses the true meaning of the word â€Å"ego.† The definition says its meaning but the story itself shows it with actions. Ego means the self aspect of an individual that thinks, forms values, and makes judgments. In Anthem it refers to the need individuals have to be liberated from collectivism, free to use their own minds and express individual uniqueness. This word has a lot to do with the book and the purpose of the story. It recounts to it in many ways, since this is the story’s main focus. Ego relates to the book Anthem because it is the theme, and is the lesson we readers learn from it. Equality the main character of Anthem is our guided road to egoism. He is the one that leads the readers to understand the reasons his society is in need of ego. He goes after the solutions and takes dangerous risks as well. The world in which they live is so miserable, they are basically treated like robots. Equality felt like he needed to do something about it, that he needed to recover the ego that got lost in the web of dystopian inhumanities. There is where we see the relation between â€Å"ego† and the book. The whole reason why there is a problem in the story is because everyone is lacking of THE EGO that life grants each human being. As it states on page 46, â€Å"There is fear hanging in the air of the sleeping halls, and in the air of the streets. Fear walks through the City, fear without name, without shape. All men feel it and none dare to speak it.† Meaning these men are scared of their society which is why they don’t stand up for themselves and they feel fear. It all happens because they don’t have their own ego. At the end when Equality discovers what had been hidden for many years. He starts to live life the way it should had always been, that is when he finds egoism. We now see how ego turns to be the theme of Anthem. This book shows us how a different lifestyle/society can completely restrict us from the life humans are meant to have. That is the lesson I take away from this story. Ego is truly important in life and that is what Equality teaches us. He does so by showing how great his life can be when there is objectivism. He lives in the mountains in a two stories house by himself with the exception of Gaea. That is a big step towards the Unmentionable times and a better life for Equality and the ones that surround him. As it states on pages 99-100, â€Å"I shall live here, in my own house. I shall take my food from the earth by the toil of my own hands. I shall learn many secrets from my books. Through the years ahead, I shall rebuild the achievements of the past, and open the way to carry them further; the achievements which are open to me but closed forever to my brothers, for their minds are shackled to the weakest and dullest ones among them.† Asserting us he will make good use of his ego. Overall the word ego ties in very well with the book and the story’s purpose. This word is the motor that carries on the book. It is also the teaching that readers obtain. â€Å"Ego† is the best good word to represent all the barbarities that are now long gone and banned from Equality’s life. It was known as â€Å"the unspeakable word† and it turn into the salvation word. Ego relates to the book Anthem because it is the theme, and is the lesson we readers learn from it. â€Å"The word which can never die on this earth, for it is the heart of it and the meaning and the glory. The sacred word: EGO†

Introduction To Ethics Essay

Ethics is the study of the nature of moral virtues and evaluates human actions. Ethics come from agreements between people, duty considerations and considerations of the consequences of various actions we involve ourselves into. Philosophical ethics is the study of morality through rational means guided in human well-being. The three subsections of philosophical ethics are; normative ethics-is the study of moral standards that makes us judge our actions as wring or wrong or good from bad. Meta-ethics – is concerned with the meaning of ethical judgments that is responsible for the truth and validity of our actions. Meta-ethics assists us determine whether an opinion can be applied to any situation at present or in future. It asks questions such as; what’s the meaning of ethical terms such as good and right, the motives for acting ethically, the nature of moral reason. Applied Ethics – is the application of moral philosophy to real-life situations that have been investigated in normative ethics and judged on the lessons of meta-ethics. According to Paul Newall article moral philosophy is divided into branches; meta-ethics and normative ethics. The two have some differences according to how they are applied in the day to day real–life situations. Normative ethics is concerned with ethical questions that guide us in all what we do on a daily such as â€Å"What has value? † and â€Å"What are our moral obligations? † such questions give us our character and personality. Meta-ethics on its side is concerned with philosophical questions about ethics such as â€Å"What is value? † and â€Å"What can make it the case that we ought to do something? †. A personal ethical situation I experienced involved my neighbor who was caught stealing neighbor at the market place. Since police officers were not around to arrest him the mob took the chance to bit and stone him in protest. Being a person I had known over a period of time, I felt ethically right to save his live from the swelling mob. At first, I had to stop the mob from biting and stoning him, through dialogue. But my greatest fear was that the mob may turn and direct their anger towards me because I was protecting to protect a criminal who has been terrorizing them, but this did not happen since the crowd listened and accepted my request. In my opinion, it was ethically wrong for my neighbor to steal what others had ethically through struggle and hard work. He thus deserved to be punished, but the way the mob chose to punish the offender was totally unethical since the federal laws and regulations that govern the state should be followed in such a case. Being a quite tricky situation, I requested the mob first to stop any further biting and stoning and took the chance to dialogue and discuss with them other possible ways of punishing the offender such as taking him to the law officers. The mob seemed not to reason ethically at first because the police had in many cases fallen short of providing adequate security and the residents had no trust in them anymore. When I finally won them, I narrowed further to the issue of acting contrary to the state laws and the implications of their actions and even explained to them that the offender has right to live. The reason for this approach was that the mob seemed to have no moral standards and obligations to judge between good and bad. In many occasion, the mob makes wrong decisions but evaluates their action after an ffence has been committed, in this case the death of my neighbor. In my opinion their action was bad and could not be justified ethically, philosophically the mob morality was not rational and was not grounded in the notion of human happiness for both the accused ad the accusers. According to Newall’s explanation of normative ethics, several ethical questions must be questioned by all the participants in the whole process. First, my neighbor should have analyzed whether his decision to steal had any moral obligation and any value. Such a personal question should have stopped him from making the decision to steal. His morals could have been provoked and changed of mind taking a decision to engage in a more productive activity rather than stealing. The mob as well should have questioned their morals before choosing their action. By stoning to kill it implies that their morals were all wrong because it is moral wrong to hurt anyone. The law is very clear and precise on what should be done in such a case, but because they never followed the law; their moral values are as well questionable. My action was guided by the value of life and that no one is supposed to take the law into their own hands by causing bodily harm to anybody. My moral obligation was to safe my neighbor because if I watched him stoned to death, my moral conscience and quit would haunt me because I should have acted to save him. In conclusion, all our actions and decisions should be guided by our morals values and that normative ethics must always prevail in any action. We are supposed to fully evaluate our actions and be ready to face the consequences of our actions.

Zheng He and his voyage in Ming Dynasty Term Paper

Zheng He and his voyage in Ming Dynasty - Term Paper Example Zheng He, the Admiral and commander of these expeditions was entrusted by the Imperial court of China and the emperor to undertake these missions that were to serve mainly diplomatic purposes. He would surpass the court’s expectations upon return from each voyage with valuable trinkets and exotic, expensive goods from trade. In this article, the whole process and technical aspects of the Zheng He voyages during the Ming dynasty will be analyzed. This article will introduce Zheng He as an individual, his background and ascension to the position of Admiral. Furthermore, the article will lay emphasis on the impact of these voyages to the state of China and to some degree the countries or territories visited. Key areas that will be examined for this are Chinese culture, politics, history, business and trade. In addition, the effects of the voyages on countries toured will also be discussed. Attention will be diverted towards the reasons for the start of the voyages and ultimately those for their demise as a conclusion. Discussion Zeng He was born in 1371in Jinning, China and named Ma He (Chinaculture.org, 2005). Scholars indicate that his ancestors were of Arabian descent who immigrated into China during the Song and Tang dynasties between 7th and 13th Century AD. Research indicates that the great grandfather of Zeng He was appointed governor of Yunnan Province and is believed to have been a member of the Mongol Garrison in that province. During his childhood, Zheng’s home province of Yunnan fell under siege by the emperor of China and the ruler of the Ming dynasty at the time. He was taken to imperial court to serve as a eunuch. A eunuch is a person, who is castrated and forced to work for the government against his will (Chinaculture.org, 2005). Through service to Zhu Yuanzhang, he became prominent through aiding in the defeat of the Yuan Dynasty. He was rewarded with a promotion to an official government post. Zhu Di, Zhu’s fourth son initiated a coup in which Zeng played an integral role in Zhu Di’s acquisition of the throne. He was rewarded with the command of the Chinese navy. With this position, he wielded great influence and power at the court. An alternative reflection of historical texts is that upon ascension to the throne in 1402, Emperor Cheng appointed Zheng to command a large fleet of ships to the area known as Western Sea (Church, 2005). Zeng He’s voyages in the Ming Dynasty constitute this fleet of ships to distant lands. The ships travelled to nations in Southeast Asia and Africa (Levathes, 1997). The ships carried large quantities of products including food stuffs, silks, ornaments, soldiers and sailors. The voyages are considered a feat in navigation in that era. Though unexpected at the time, in Chinese history, they contributed considerably to trade and exchanges in culture. Historians believe that between the years 1405 and 1433, Zheng led his fleet of ships in seven voyages. The number of ships in each voyage ranged from between forty to sixty three. The total number of people on each voyage was estimated to be approximately twenty seven thousand. The ships navigated a vast area of seas and oceans from Ryuku Islands, Philippines, Mozambique all the way to South Africa. Mutual trade between China and the native lands the ships docked was developed. Cultures and technologies were also exchanged in addition to promotion of social economic development and enhancement of maritime traffic practices. The large fleets conducted voyages on the Indian Ocean astonishing the proficient Arab navigators of the time and Venetian merchants. These led to adoption of naval enlightenment to states in Europe (Church, 2005). Zeng He’s first expedition was in July 1405. Church (2005) observes that, â€Å"

The Automobile industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Automobile industry - Essay Example The automobile industry is a textbook example of an industry where economies of scale pay a very important role. While there may be dozens of players around the world who produce, support and work with the industry, there are only a few producers who can claim to have a significant share of the market. Similarly, even though cars are produced in almost every developing and developed nation, only a few countries contribute in a significant manner to the global car production and consumption statistics. This can be attributed to the fact that the first automobiles were produced and developed soon after the industrial revolution by countries that had the required infrastructure and engineering skills. For example, the first steam powered three wheeler was built in France in 1769 and the first internal combustion engine was built in Belgium while the Germans made the predecessor of the modern car in 1885. Ford started his assembly line plans in 1896 and the mass production of motor vehicles was created as an established industry (Baki, 2004). In the modern world, there are just a few companies who define the overall structure of the automobile industry. They are: GM, Ford, Daimler-Chrysler, BMW, VW, Volvo, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan. These companies also formed an industry alliance which is called the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. In the last two decades, the industry has seen a spike in mergers and acquisitions which has consolidated many different brands of cars under the same company (Raisch and Zimmerman, 2006). Very recently, technology and innovation has come to the forefront of car manufacturing since the pervasive nature of technology has motivated car producers to accept it as a given focus. For the present companies in the automobile industry, there are several different challenges which must be addressed. The first and most important

Fire service administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Fire service administration - Essay Example The case also comprised of varied civil cases, for instance, relatives of the dead and survivors who accused the then chief fire inspector for fraud and negligence. They state that he inspected the club at least twice and never indicated any faults made by the club owners in the club thus facilitating to the spreading of fire. Another civil case in the incidence is that of two brothers who owned the club accusing the white band floor using pyrotechnics without their permission. The latter equipments sparked up the fire before spread by the highly flammable flame. In the station nightclub fire, several functions of the US federal law to incidence like that are evident. For instance, the law ought to ensure safety of all its citizens everywhere at all times. For instance, the law required that station nightclub ought to have fitted certain safety equipments in the premises to combat occurrence of any such fatal incidences. The law also ought to be just and fair to all citizens. Certain accused parties like Michael and Jeffrey Derderian did not receive just sentences from their faults that spearheaded the ordeal. Public law generally encompasses of regulations set up by the federal regime and applies to all citizens in the government’s jurisdiction. These laws are set up by the government to oversee interactions between citizens and the state. However, in accordance to the United States criminal justice system private laws, it entails guidelines, standard operation procedures as well as regulations agreed upon by certain private entities to oversee their interoperations. Besides, the US government according to US federal constitution requires that certain social settings to attain a specific standard of safety requirements. According to station nightclub fire case, fitting of sprinklers in the club ought to be there as part of the

A Bright New Boise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Bright New Boise - Essay Example The play’s main character is Will, a staunch believer in Christian dogma. He interprets each word in the Christian Bibles as the literal truth and, therefore, believes that there will be â€Å"rapture† and God will come to redeem His people while the non-believers will be left to suffer. The play’s title suggests that, Boise, which is the capital city of Idaho, is bound to be a renewed and better place after the rapture that Will anticipates. This title also draws one’s attention to this fundamentalist belief of a future utopia, where there will no longer be any form of suffering. The dramatist and the director of â€Å"A Bright New Boise† settled for a suitable time to show people’s yearning for a better life and shift toward religious beliefs in the event of problems. This is because; the modern American society is presently characterized by numerous difficulties, especially economically, forcing many to believe the possibility of intervent ion or redemption by a higher deity. Hunter’s play shows how people’s beliefs vary and how we all seek refuge in diverse ideas about life in order to cope with hardships and tedium of life. Discussion During the introduction of the play, one is able to learn that the title’s connection to Idaho is due to Hunter’s background as a resident of the state. This perhaps gives the dramatist adequate knowledge about beliefs of Christian fundamentalists. The play begins just as the main character, Will, is hired in a Hobby Lobby store that deals with crafts and other works of art. Will, a middle-aged man who seems soft-spoken in nature, has left his home following a scandal that implicated his fundamentalist church. He has come to the Hobby Lobby store not only to escape his past, but also to try and regain a connection with his adolescent son Alex. Will apparently gave up baby Alex to adoptive parents and wants to reconnect with him before the rapture takes place . Tom Ross includes other characters like Pauline, the store’s manager; Leroy, a worker and Alex’s brother, as well as, Anna, another worker, to build themes portrayed by the play. The play, which adopts  a comic, yet somewhat dark nature, gives insight into family, religious faith, as well as, the significance of establishing connections with others. The play is set in the break room of a Hobby Lobby store. The room is painted with dull colors, like a dull shade of blue for the door and gray for the floors, lockers and walls. The tables are white with grayish supports, while the chairs are brown with legs similar to the tables. The hard edges of the rectangular door and window further accentuate the stereotype of discomfort and unaccommodating nature of modern corporate workplaces. This stereotype is also fostered by the harsh instructions and commands unleashed by the store’s manager. Ross also manages to incorporate other features of a contemporary workplac e like employees’ lockers and a working coffee maker. Further, the employees wear blue vests and badges on their chests, to signify their affiliation to the store. These elements emphasize the mundane or routinely nature of work, in America’s blue collar job environment. The break room at the Hobby Lobby is also lit by fluorescent lights that produce a harsh and irritating light. The television in the room does not play its purpose of relaxing the employees because of its white light and equally irritating noise. On the other side of the stage is an empty highway with big streetlights. As the play progresses, the audience hears loud traffic noises characteristic of a highway during late hours of the night. These features further emphasize the uncomfortable nature of the work environment and the long hours they have to

Review the pages provided then answer the 5-Questions. (Read Essay

Review the pages provided then answer the 5-Questions. (Read fulldirections) - Essay Example B. On the other hand, when it comes to the trip to Cancun, again those with more disposable income may have the motivation to purchase the trip. Older people with disposable incomes, middle-aged empty nesters both married and single, and young people with no kids all may have the motivation and may probably purchase the trip. In terms of the Household Life cycle therefore, both the young and those who are older, who have empty nests, those who are married, and those who are single all have the motivation, and are the likely customers for the trip to Cancun (â€Å"The American Society: Families and Households† 190). C. Breakfast bars are the probable purchase of young people across all groupings in the household life cycle, from singles to single parents, to married people with and without kids, because of the way the breakfast bars signify movement and convenience, as well as price consciousness and easy availability, whereas older people and middle-aged people may have different food preferences for breakfast. The latter groups in the household life cycle may prefer cooked breakfast food, either cooked at home or in restaurants and even fast food outlets, having more money for breakfast and in the case of older people more time and a greater concern for health and nutrition in food (â€Å"The American Society: Families and Households† 190). A. The most relevant reference groups for the brand of toothpaste is arguably parents across the different HLC groups, from young single parents, to full nest parents, to delayed full nest parents, because of the way these groups make the purchase decisions for household items for the rest of the family. This reference group is also the appropriate target for marketing and advertising campaigns for toothpastes, even when the toothpaste caters to younger people in terms of its product attributes and in terms of the other elements of the marketing

Systems Feedback Loops for Deckers Outdoor Corporation Research Paper

Systems Feedback Loops for Deckers Outdoor Corporation - Research Paper Example   The two categories of feedback loops utilized at DOC are the balancing loops together with the reinforcing loops. Sources consider such loops as significant constituents of the thinking of Deckers outdoor corporation. Concisely, systems thinking to refer to ways in which different elements present in an organization interact with each other, therefore, culminating in their growth, or fall. The literature describes systems thinking as people, different structures, as well as inherent processes essential for the overall prosperity of an organization. The two of the roles identified in DOC execute various, divergent functions. For instance, balancing loops are endowed with the conscientiousness of enhancing an organization’s stability. Alternatively, a reinforcing loop performs the role of controlling the pace of growth of an organization (Burgoyne, Araujo & Easterby-Smith, 2000). At DOC, a suitable example of a reinforcing loop is notable after an appraisal of an employeeâ⠂¬â„¢s performance and the support they obtain from the management. It is notable that employees who have demonstrated excellence in their performances tend to acquire incalculable support from the management. The management directs such individuals by the provision of bonuses, additional training for skills development, as well as allocation of better assignments. As a result, the performance of such individuals continues to improve, and the company notes an addition of its profits. This is among the reasons for the sustained expansion of DOC to diverse locales. In a different scenario, the workforces’ performance may progressively slow down. Simultaneously, the management is unable to offer the much-needed support thus the decline. In such a case, the reinforcement loop applies. In the largest percentage of companies, the reinforcing loop cannot drive an organization towards attaining its stability, therefore, the necessity of looking into a different category known as the balancing loops (Burgoyne, Araujo & Easterby-Smith, 2000). The balancing loops As opposed to reinforcing loops that focus on the growth or decline of an organization, this loop aims at attaining a stated steady state, or an objective. An apt action is unavoidable when trying to move from a current state to the designated desired state. The DOC has enacted various strategies for purposes of devising apt techniques for enhancing its growth to other geographical locations across the globe. Therefore, it resorts into incorporating some balancing loops to aid in achieving its stated goals. At DOC, instances of this class of loops are numerous (Burgoyne, Araujo & Easterby-Smith, 2000). This is because DOC has many plans for bringing new products to the market, therefore, creating a balancing loop. The interaction occurring between the two states results into formation of the gap.  Ã‚  

Earnnings management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Earnnings management - Essay Example earnings management plays a crucial role in determining the share prices of a listed company and also impact the direct allocation of resources buy the company in the capital markets. This paper is written with the aim of researching on the earnings management and reporting techniques, focusing on the big bath technique of earnings management. The main objective of the report is to understand the process of earnings management, especially the big bath technique of earnings management which is commonly used by companies and their managers to manipulate the reporting of the earning of the company. Earnings management is an important aspect of the financial management of any company. Earnings being crucial elements of the financial statements of a business, the evaluation and management of different types of earning are done by the management of any firm to ensure that the stock prices of the business remains high in the capital markets. There are many techniques that are traditionally a contemporarily applied for the management, manipulation and accounting of earnings in the financial statement publication of an enterprise. The study of the topic of earnings management and the much debated technique of earnings management and manipulation which is the big bath technique is critical in the contemporary corporate world. The management of earnings can have key influences on the political and regulatory structures of a country, the economic systems and prospects in the country and can also alter the functioning of industries as well as the investor groups of the business. Additionally, it may lead to crisis situations like financial downturns, extended low periods in the economic and business cycles and can also threaten the interests of the stakeholder groups of a business1. The use of manipulative techniques in earnings management can play a key role in misleading the investors and analysts in relation to the determination of the investment profile and investment

Marketing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing - Literature review Example Also, the study analyzes how product placement is utilized in different TV shows and movies in, different countries. Also, the literature review will look at the effects of the product placement on the consumer behavior and how likely are the product placement to change consumers mode of buying a certain commodity. It is crucial for people to know how to use product placement positively (Johnson, 2009). Product placement is the use of diverse types of media to make people conscious of different products and services when they are entertained through watching. Its development dates back upto 1896, when it was used by Lumiere brothers in their short film â€Å"washing day in Switzerland† and they advertised soap. It was introduced by Henri Lavancy who was the film director and publicist for the soap company but, it became popular in the 1930’s when the sound movie was introduced. For example, in 1934 in the movie, â€Å"It happened One Night,† the star Clarke Gable featured bare chest and sale of men’s shirts reduced; therefore, use of the movie is a strong tool of product placement (Johnson, 2009). It gained popularity with the years, but in 1980’s, it became more successful when the movie â€Å"Extra Terrestrial† by Steven Spielberg advertised Reese Pieces and increased its sales by 65%. The 80’s was the turning point of product placement where there was a working partnership between the movies and the commercial sector. According to Mary-Lou, product placement is necessary because moviemakers need money for their movie production; therefore, they will turn to the commercial sector to provide the money and them to provide the services of product placement (Johnson, 2009). Product placement in Sweden developed in the 1990’s when the real first commercial commenced, this was due to strict government regulations on media operations. It has been embraced in the recent past, for example, where TV shows get spon sorship from the commercial sector in SVT. In Kanal 5, the home improvement show â€Å"Room Service† was sponsored Marlamastana which is the trading association of painters. To the broadcasters this is a way of decreasing costs. Therefore, all media houses in Sweden are finding it important to use product placement also; the moviemakers are finding it important to advertise in movies which is becoming popular day by day, for example, in the movie â€Å"Hamilton† 1998 sponsored by Statoil. Product placement in Seinfeld and other TV shows, in the TV show they use product placement in their episode making them come in a unique way. They have registered success in advertising. Also, in the James Bond movies, product placement has been used to show new car models and gadgets (Johnson, 2009). Product placement can be unethical when it brings negative influence like smoking, use of guns. For example, teens tend to smoke if the influential stars in movies do so. In conclusion, product placement has become popular since its inception in the 1930’s. It is important increasing consumers’ knowledge of products. The product placement is embraced in most parts of the world. Also, product placement is an important tool in today’s business where the movie makers use it as a source of sponsorship while commercial industry view it as a source of publicity and a way to expand their market. The Product Involvement Inventory (PII), developed in 1985 by Zaichkowsky is a good measure at construct development. It has shown

Cultural Diversity Essay Example for Free

Cultural Diversity Essay Cultural diversity is a big part of the community I was raised in and apart of today. Many people spend their whole lives surrounded by one race or culture, but I grew up surrounded by many. Having been raised in a society influenced and shared by so many different races, I had very little idea about what or why racism existed in the world. Having never been taught and seeing very little racism growing up I believed benefited me, today and benefited my future. Today being in the Marine Corps I am surrounded by different races and knowing one day my life could rest in their hands I respect them for who they are not what color they are. Martin Luther King once said â€Å"Men hate each other because they fear each other, and they fear each other because they dont know each other, and they dont know each other because they are often separated from each other.† If the rest of the country had been raised in a military lifestyle then I believe racism would be all but extinct in the United States. Sadly racism is not only intertwined with the United States past but also with its present and its future. Racism has been part of the history of the United States, and helped create this country as we know it today. Racism not helped shaped the United States and infiltrated every aspect of American society while showing no signs of decreasing. Many people view racism as an evil minded treatment of one individual to another. This is not a correct assessment though, and would be more easily understood if it was viewed more accurately, an institutional ideology. The reason racism is allowed to subsist because governments and institutions foster and maintain racism. Even when these governments and institutions determine that the practices of a particular group of people are racist, individuals at the top of these hierarchical organizations are hard pressed to bring about change. To understand how racism relates to us in the United States today, one must understand the real definition of racism. â€Å"Racism is the belief that one group of people with a particular biological make up is superior to other groups with a differing biological make up.† So one could infer that the groups deemed superior gain economic and social dominance over the other cultural groups that are deemed inferior, even with the many strides that have been made over decades to mend the situation. An excellent example of a country that has made those strides and still lack racial reconciliation is the United States. From the bus boycotts in the fifties, to the sit-ins and marches in the sixties one could assume that these would be the starting steps to improvement. While the United States was mending the hatred and racism between black and whites another type of racism was creeping its way into American society. Today racism has taken a new face, one that has become multi-coloured and multicultural. To be able for the United States to keep a culturally diverse appeal new legislation and laws are being written against discrimination. Affirmative action has been taken to allow equal opportunity for employment, housing, and even in the military. Television and movies have had to change their format and even some of their characters in order to obtain political correctness. Even with so many fighting for change, there will always be the ancient invisible barriers blocking the few who are looking to main the status quo. Even with so many people trying to seek improvement for this country, it cannot happen unless every individual is working to abolish racism. There is racism in every facet of life no matter who someone hangs out with, or who someone even works for. Being in the Marine Corps I see different races every day, and work with different races every day. Mission accomplishment is the number one goal of the Marine Corps, so when a job needs to get done every one does their part of their job and race is not an issue. That is the way my career has gone so far, so when I read an article about racism in the Marine Corps it shocks me. New websites and social networking sites are being created all the time. A new social network website was created with the logo â€Å"online community for whites by whites†, so it was a social website for only white people. Out of the many number of people who have made a profile there have been about forty personal profile that have listed the military as their occupation. Out of those forty a number of them are wearing their military uniforms in their profile pictures. Even more disturbing a number of the military members have poster racial slurs and racial propaganda. One member states that he hate(s) illegal immigrants with a passion and feel(s) every true red-blooded, white American should do whatever it takes to stop the foreign invasion. While another lists The Turner Diaries, which is a white supremacist novel, as his favourite book. It is important for members of the armed forces to not participate in these types of websites or groups. The first reason not to participate in these organizations is the Pentagon has regulations in affect that prohibit active duty members form participating in extremist groups. The second reason is those racial extremists who serve in the military could be inadvertently training future domestic terrorists, and the United States does not need any more terrorist on her soil. A solution for this problem would be senior military members mentoring their junior service members on the dangers of becoming involved in these organizations. Being in the United States Marine Corp I have many close friends that are from different countries in the world. One of my close friends is from the Philippines, and has a very strong accent when he speaks. Sometimes he gets his words confused and does not make any since when he speaks. Marines tend to point out these faults, not just with him, but with many other Marines that are from different countries and have trouble speaking English. My friend does not believe that his fellow Marines are being racist, but are just having a friendly poke at him. Marines do not mess with only a few Marines, or the Marines from other countries, but every Marine. It is not because we are racist, or are a mean group of people, but picking and jibing on one another is just the way that Marines bond with each other. When my friend says that he is getting picked on, yes it sometimes hurts, but in the end it makes him feel like he is part of the family. If Marines are not being picked on they are usually secluded and out of the Marine Corps family. Racism is wrong and should not be used for any reason, even to bring people together. Racism may start with a good reason, but the final product will fester into an infection that could spread and destroy a family within a short time. Racism is in this world to stay whether people like it or not. Individuals believe that if they spread the word about the dangers and negatives of racism then it will cease to exist, but that is not the truth and will never happen. As long as we humans exist and have emotions, the knowledge of right and wrong, and pride there will be crimes. Whenever a person graduate’s high school as valedictorian or an athlete becomes the fastest man on the planet, stereotypes will follow. Crimes, education, athleticism all turn into a stereotype and stereotypes are a form of racism. Racism is one of the things that drive our great country, and create some of our countries greatest works. Racism is what helped form and mold this country into what it is today. Without racism then this country could be one of a single culture, there would be no freedom to branch out and try new diverse things. The dangers of bringing so many different cultures into one space are there, but I believe the good thing we bring to the table References Vardell, M. (1998). Cultural diversity. Retrieved from http://www.markvardell.com/quotes.htm. Associated press (2009). Congress asked to address racism in military. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31854789/ns/us_news-military/t/congress-asked-address-racism-military/#.Tr3ZM4LSRkY AllAboutPopularIssues (2011). The History of racism. Retrieved from http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/the-history-of-racism-faq.htm

Discussing The Disadvantage And Discrimination Of Social Work Social Work Essay

Discussing The Disadvantage And Discrimination Of Social Work Social Work Essay In the following I will be discussing the quotation Social Work is an ethical and political activity made necessary by the consequences of social and economic disadvantage and inequalities. I will be critically evaluating the statement by expressing my view of Social work role and what Social Services are there to do. I will be addressing the role of politics within Social Work and the effects it may have on service provision. I will also be highlighting the some of the ethical dilemmas and constraints social work services face. By discussing these issues I will be able to evaluate the statement and highlight the way in which service users may be discriminated against within Social Work. Social Work in the 21st Century has changed and improved throughout the years. Within Social Work today great emphasis is put upon the service user and working in partnership. Thompson, 2005 highlights that partnership is a highly skilled activity, being able to work in partnership also demonstrates so many other skills necessary within social work. This approach is aimed at empowering the service user as so many of the individuals that we work with are discriminated against within society. However this has not always been the main focus as service provision was very different at the beginning of the welfare state when the Poor Law was implemented. The focus at that time was labeling people as deserving and undeserving which then oppressed those labeled undeserving as this reduced the opportunities available to them as they were often sent to the workhouse with poor conditions. The underclass where described by the middle class as Dangerous and dark Mooney,1998 as they thought the i ncrease in urbanisation would cause overcrowding leading to disease which would spread onto the middle class. Therefore along with the new poor law philanthropic woman were introduced to contain and reduce disease. It has been highlighted by Forsythe, 1995 that philanthropic agencies did not wish to reduce deprivation for everyone but only for those who were seen as worthy. The wealthy middle class woman viewed themselves as superior to the working class therefore discriminating against them. The main focus of the support was to limit and contain the spread of disease from those that were poor onto the middle classes. This again discriminated against those who were experiencing great levels of poverty and deprivation. In the years that followed the Beveridge Report in 1942, legislation was implement by the Government to tackle the five giants that were highlighted within the report. By concentrating on these issues the Government aimed to tackle the difficulties which society was fa cing at that time. Unfortunately the same five giants continue to be problematic todays society although these difficulties are now approached with a different manner. Todays approach has been influenced by many reports highlighting various ways in which service provision could improve including social work. Today social work takes on so many different meaning and cannot be explained with a single definition. Social Works mission is to support and empower individuals to reach their full potential by addressing the difficulties they may be experiencing which then prevents dysfunction cited by IFSW, 1982. We do this by applying our social work skills and values and relating the knowledge and theory to our practice. By doing this we are then able to communicate and engage with the services user and gain knowledge of their environment which then enables the social worker to work in Partnership with the service user to address the difficulties that have been identified. This is done by applying the Social Work Process of Assessment cited by Coulshed Orme, 1996. Many of the service users that require the support of a social worker often are experiencing discrimination or oppression at some level within society due to social and economical constraints. It is the social workers role to work in a non discriminatory and anti oppressive manner to empower and encourage the service user to address their issues and minimize the level of disadvantage they they may be experiencing Social Work knowledge enables us to gain a greater understanding of the service users by applying a holistic view. One way this can be applied within the social work process is with the use of systems theory. When carrying out the assessment process with a service user it is important to gain a holistic view of the individual which will then enable an accurate assessment of the individuals needs and level of risk. By apply theory to practice you are able to adopt a holistic approach effectively. Systems within an individuals life are symbols for the different relationships which they are connected to. As all systems are interlinked they will then all impact on the individual therefore all systems need to be considered for the service user. Parker Bradley, 2007 highlight that this approach demonstrates that social workers commitment to work in an anti oppressive manner as this approach will enable the discrimination to be addressed and challenged. This is because systems take into co nsideration and social structures which may affect the service user. When carry out an assessment there are many skills that need to be implemented in order for the assessment to be accurate. One that I have already highlighted was the need for a partnership between the service user and social worker. However before this can form there is basic skills such as communication and engagement. As this takes place at the beginning of the assessment it is important that this is effective. By using communication this does not just mean to speak or inform but can also mean non verbal communication such as eye contact, facial expression or gesturing. It important to use effective non verbal communication as Thompson, 2002, highlights, non verbal communication can enable us to communicate our emotions and illustrate our reaction to what we have been told. When communicating, it is important to use the communication appropriately and in a non discriminatory or oppressive manner an example of this may include the use of jargon. Many people within Social Work can a t times forget that they are using jargon with service users as they are so comfortable with it this. However this can present a barrier between the social worker and service user as the service user may not understand what they are being told. This can then lead to oppression as the social worker is discriminating against the service user by using inappropriate language and therefore the service user is being oppressed as s/he is not receive the support required cited in Thompson, 2003. This can then lead to relationship breakdown as the service user may not wish to full engage as a result. Lastly values are also crucial when applying the skills required to address discrimination and disadvantage when working with service users. The values that we apply within our practice then enable us to work in a non discriminatory and oppressive manner. One of the main social work values includes approaching with a non judgmental attitude. It is important to remember that so many of the service users that we support are already being disadvantaged or discriminated against within society this could be a form of sexism, racism or classicism as so many service users are experiencing poverty and disadvantage which is often why social services are implemented. By applying a non judgmental attitude you are then able to engage and form a positive relationship which will then allow for a more holistic assessment to be carried out in order to identify the services users needs and level of risk. By doing this we are able to identify ways in which the service users needs can be met effectivel y and therefore minimse the level or oppression which they experience as a result of discrimination within society for example stigmatization. Within Social Work practicing in an anti discriminatory and anti oppressive manner is highlighted as being crucial from the beginning of the social work training and has always been a focus throughout the work carried out by students. Forsythe, 1995 stated all students had to demonstrate a level of competence in anti discriminatory practice when completing the Social Work Diploma. This is an area and a requirement that is emphasised in todays training with an emphasis on applying anti discriminatory practice. With recent literature such as Thompson, 2003 discrimination can be explained in a clear manner. Thompsons P.C.S. Model helps to prevent discrimination and oppression of the client and aids the Social Worker to work in an anti oppressive and anti discriminatory way. It explains how discrimination and oppression affects individual on three different levels these being Personal, Culturally and Structurally. This allows the Social Worker to become aware of these levels in working i n and anti Discriminatory way. Each of these levels is important in its own right, but so too are the interactions between them Thompson,2003, pg,13 Each level is linked therefore by understanding how discrimination effects individuals at a personal level you can then relate it in the wider context of Cultural and Structural. By understanding the model you can promote good anti discriminatory practice and work with the client in an empowering manner. The Scottish Government has highlighted that they are now providing the largest budget for social work than ever before with an increase to all services as highlighted by Scottish Executive, 2001. This budget has been used for services provision, training for staff etc this money should enable better service provision and reduce the inequality that many of the service users are currently experiencing within society as a result of a disability or mental health. The funding and support can then be offered to empower and enable the service user to progress with their lifes. However this money is not always evident within the social work services as many service users are being denied service provision. It has been highlighted that in the 21st century families are not having as many children therefore the birth rate has fallen while the elderly appear to be living for longer and requiring more support as cited by Hill, 1996. So much of the time social worker are having to negotiate with managers or services to enable their service user to gain a service as highlighted by Trevithick, 2005. When thinking back to the quotation social work can be viewed as a political activity with regards to budgeting. So much of the time resources are limited when service provision is higher than average e.g. high levels of unemployment. With the recession which is currently taking place more people are attempting to access services due to poverty, mental health and increased crime rates, all of these negatives will increase with the condition that society now faces. With the same budget in place this will then impact on the services available. This then causes disadvantage within social work services due to high numbers and low service provision. Social work aims to tackle discrimination but due to political restriction can often disadvantage and discriminate their service users. Nevertheless there have been positive influences by the government to improve social work provision to and promote an anti discriminatory practice. One of which includes the introduction of the care commission which was implemented with the Regulation of care (Scotland) act 2001. This was set up to regulate the care provision of social services including elderly care homes. By regulating the care the service user is then ensured that they will be provided with a consistent level of care which can minimise people being discriminated against due to a disability for example as their care will be regulated as cited by Care Commission, 2009 Another way in which the government has impacted on service provision within social work includes the introduction of the SSSC which was also introduced also under the Regulations of care (Scotland) act 2001. Their aim is to increase the protection of vulnerable people by regulating the training and registration of those working in social services and highlight the codes of practice. By doing this they are able to limit the discrimination and disadvantage that the service users may encounter as all people working in social services are registered. They highlight that they encourage equality by delivering a high level of competence in their work which can then enable and empower the service user to take up the opportunities available to them which will then prevent them from feeling oppressed within society. Within Social work ethical dilemmas are evident throughout practice. At time this can be due to challenging discrimination appropriately or being in conflict with your personal and professional values. As highlighted within the quote social work should be approached in an ethical manner by demonstrating the social work values. However at times social workers may experience ethical dilemmas in the work that they are carrying out in order to do the best for the service user. At times due to low levels of service provision which was highlighted earlier this can then impact on the service user and whether their needs are being meet in an effective way. If needs are assessed and identified then it is the role of the social worker to encourage the service user to meet their needs effectively. However if the service provision is not available this can then impact on the service user. Banks, 1995 highlights that the welfare state is benefiting and embracing those in need as it will increase the budget received from the government, although they are also seeking to limit and control poverty. However while the welfare state may be benefiting from those in need social workers cannot help but feel guilty when those needs cannot be met due to lack of resources. Social workers are accountable and answerable to their actions. At time it is not the social workers fault as Trevithick, 2005 advises that often social worker negotiate to the best of their ability for service provision but at times the resources and not available. This is similar to what was carried out regarding the deserving and undeserving as shows that at times services users do need to be prioritised due to lack of resources. This may then mean that they are oppressed by this as their needs cannot effectively be met. Another ethical dilemma which I have became aware of is Care vs. Control as it demonstrate the level of power that you as the social worker has although by informing the service user of your duty as a social worker, to pass relevant information on, you are also limiting the control as the service user may then withdraw or hold back in what is being said. This can have a great impact upon the relationship that has been built between the social worker and the service user. Thompson, 2005 advised that the basis of a positive working relationship is trust and respect. With this in mind it is possible that you may need to pass on information to the police etc regarding your service user. This may be difficult as the service user may then become disempowered and let down by social services. Lishman, 2007 states social workers are there to empower and encourage the service user to address their needs effectively. However if information was required to be passed on from what a service user h ad disclosed this would then demonstrate the power imbalance within your relationship. However this should be fully explained at the beginning of the working relationship and an appropriate connection should be made. This service user and social worker relationship is determined by confidentiality, accountability as the social worker has the responsibility as a professional personal to uphold the two were appropriate as cited by Hugman Smith, 1995. When working within social work there can be constraints that impact upon how we are able to fulfill our role to encourage and empower and this may then lead to further discrimination or disadvantage out with our control. One of which includes the legislation such as the Childrens Scotland Act 1995. The legislation highlights that the welfare of the child is paramount cited in Anderson et al, 2008. Therefore within child protection any referral that is made will be looked into which enables an assessment of the child to take place. This legislation enables better and more efficient child protection procedures; although the legislation states that a minimalist approach should be taken with the child. This may mean that the child continues to stay in the home as there may not be clear evidence of abuse or neglect. This can impact greatly upon the child and can cause the child to feel let down by the system and oppressed. This is due to the constraint of legislation and is put in place for the best interest of the child however this can lead to the oppression amongst young people who do not want to speak out and therefore their needs may go undetected. Another constraint that has been considered is in relation to service provision. I have previously discussed that at times service provision can be limited and what is available to that service user may be restricted. As a result the criteria for the service may then increase to reduce the level of service users who require the service. If this happens their need will not be met effectively and this will not be addressed. However the role of a social worker is to identify needs and risk and ways in which these could be met. Therefore this may then raise questions regarding the accuracy of the assessment. Social workers may alter the truth to ensure that their service user will be provided with the appropriate support. The focus for assessments should be needs led and the services should fit around the service user. However this is not always the case as Parker Bradley, 2007 state that at times due to limited service provision the services users have been placed wherever has been ava ilable. To conclude I agree with the quotation as I feel that at times social workers are providing services for those who are socially and economically disadvantaged within society for various reasons. If these people were not experiencing inequality there may then be no role for social work. It is important to remember that social work is informed by the knowledge skills and values which then enable us to practice and approach with a non discriminatory attitude this encourages and empowers the services user to reduce the inequalities which they be facing. However at times due to the constraints within social work e.g. resources services user continues to experience inequality. Word Count 3,157

Workplace Morals and Ethics

Workplace Morals and Ethics Introduction Over the past few years, principles of morals and ethics have become an integral part of the cultural structure of the workplace. Thus, most organisations and industry associations now incorporate these principles within their code of practice. The inclusion of these principles is intended to improve the professionalism of the business employees. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how this aid to professionalism is achieved within a property industry environment. Definition of Morals and Ethics Whilst the terms â€Å"ethics† and â€Å"morals† have different meanings, both are intrinsically linked. The RICS professional ethics guide (2000) rely on the definition as ethics being the code of moral principles, with morals being defined as the linked to the expected standard of conduct from the individual. When translating this to a business environment, the society have used the term â€Å"giving of one’s best to ensure that clients interest are properly cared for, but in doing so the wider public interest is also recognised and respected.† However, as a survey carried out by the same organisation (Poon 2004), this code is not unanimously achieved within the property and construction industry, where reduction in ethical standards was perceived by thirty eight percent of the respondents, despite the fact that, when faced with ethical issues, the clients interest were seen as the most important. Moral and ethical principles in the workplace Principles of morals and ethics are uniquely connected with the concept of â€Å"right and wrong† (Harris and Moran 2000, p.321) and therefore, one would expect them to be a primary focus for any organisation and its work ethics. Society itself is based upon the maintenance of certain standards which one would expect to be transferred to the workplace (Harris and Moran 2000, p.7). The same researchers have stated that part of the problems linked with the failures in work ethics can be linked with the way that the media promotes recreation and leisure as more important (ibid p.235). Nevertheless, as the public perceptions of standard has moved more towards standards of quality and service in recent years, organisations have begun to focus on the need for the introduction of ethical codes and standards. All organisations, irrespective of whether they are in a commercial environment or not, are performing a public service. The aim is to provide a product or service to the end user that is fit for the purpose, offered fairly without biased, does not offend, is legal and satisfies the demands and expectations of the consumer. For example, within the construction industry this would mean producing a product (a house) that is fit to be lived in and of a standard that householders would expect. In other organisations connected with the property industry, such as surveyors, fairness and honesty in their service is also expected by the consumer. There are numerous incidence where properties have been found unfit, despite assurances of standard from both the construction and property services organisations. Such issues also arise in the public sector. Despite moves towards a â€Å"market-oriented† system (Gilroy and Woods 2002, p.203), consumers still expect standards to be maintained. Harris and Moran (2000, p.279) state that public service, and for this can be included any service or product delivered to the consumer, â€Å"is a moral responsibility.† However, to achieve this position, moral and ethical principles must be applied both all the business stakeholders, both internal and external. This will include suppliers, employees and consumers. If each is treated fairly and ethically, then they in turn will treat others in the same manner. For example, if a supplier of raw materials is treated unfairly by a construction company, in terms of being pressured to unacceptably reduce prices or wait for payment, in other words treated unfairly, they are likely to feel that it is acceptable for them to treat the construction customer in the same manner. This will reflect on the moral standard the end user receives. Internally within the organisation, the same scenario would apply. If employs are treated unfairly or unequally, it will affect their working ethic. Unfair methods of the promotional choice methods can often reflect this (Harris and Moran 2000, p.187). People who are unfairly excluded from promotion will fell that the company has not treated them ethically or equally, which is part of the reason that equality has become a central part of employment laws (Kirton and Greene 2002, p.201). Moral and ethical codes can only be implemented if based around a â€Å"culture of dialogue† (Farrell et al 2003, p.103). As Simon Webley (2001) of the Institute of Business Ethics suggests it is a matter of asking question, of both oneself and others within the organisations. For the instigator of any decision, Webley suggest that they should consider the following points. Are the reasons for my decision transparent and is there an objection to others knowing the decision-making process? If I make this decision, whom will it affect and will it cause harm? Would others consider this decision fair to all who are affected by it? In essence, it is a question of â€Å"treating others as one would expect to be treated.† Therefore, ethics rely not only upon the behaviour of the individual, but also upon the interaction between groups of people, including management, especially within the workplace (Harris and Moran 2000, p.14). An ethical code will have a positive impact in the workplace and the stakeholders attached to it. Taking the example of the construction industry, if a supplier is treated fairly and in the right manner, they will respond in kind, providing a quality of goods and service that will enhance the delivery ability of the constructor. Similarly, if the construction employee is treated with fairness and consideration, they will become more productive in their work and respond in a positive manner to the customer. Lastly, if the constructor takes an ethical approach to the house that they are building, incorporating the right standards and quality, then the consumer will be satisfied. The result of this ethical process being met at all stages is that the business and all connected with it will be satisfied and secure and the organisations involved will achieve economic growth ((Bellamy and Warleigh, 1998: 453-6). Quoted in Mary Farrell et al 2002, p.114) Conclusion As can be seen from this research, the introduction of ethical codes does improve the actuality of fairness and, from the end users view, the perception of standard. Therefore, the employees of the business, in any position, will be considered to be behaving in a more professional manner. It follows that ethical and moral codes are a significant aid to professionalism. References Farrell Mary et al (eds) (2002). European Integration in the 21st century: Unity in Diversity. SAGE Publications. London, UK. Gilroy Rose and Woods Roberta (2001). Housing Women. Routledge. Oxford, UK. Harris, Philip. R and Moran Robert T (2000). Managing Cultural Differences: Leadership Strategies for a New World of Business. Gulf Publishing. Houston, US. Kirton Gill and Greene Anne-Marie (2001). The dynamics of managing diversity. Butterworth-Heinemann. Oxford, UK. Schneider Susan and Barsoux Jean-Louis (2003). Managing Across Cultures. Prentice Hall. Harlow, UK. Webley, Simon (2007). Eight Steps for a company wishing to develop its own corporate ethics programme. Institute of Business Ethics. Retrieved 14 May 2007 from http://www.ibe.org.uk/developing.html Poon, Dr Joanna (2004). The study of ethical behaviours of surveyors. Retrieved 17 May 2007 from http://www.rics.org/NR/rdonlyres/B5CE6FFE-C764-4648-81DF-C2C6079E68E1/0/ethical_behaviour.pdf Professional ethics (2000). Professional ethics guidance note: Part 1 introduction. Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. London, UK.

Education of Boys in Victorian England :: Victorian Era

Education of Boys in Victorian England The Upper and Middle Classes * The Elementary School Act of 1870 made school compulsory up to the age of 12. * The most famous group of public schools was referred to as â€Å"the Nine Great Public Schools.† * The famous schools were Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester, Shrewsbury, Charterhouse, Westminster, St. Paul's, and Merchant Taylors. * These schools were originally opened up to everyone and sustained through the donations of wealthy donors. Initially taught boys Latin and Greek grammar but in 1861 the administration was changed and more of the sciences were included. As a result, the schools became public in name only and were attended pretty much by upper class and middle class boys only. * Children of the upper and middle classes were taught at home by governesses or tutors until they were old enough to attend public schools. * Public schools were important for sons of well-off or aspiring families because schools gave them the opportunity to establish connections which could later help them out in their careers. * Most of the boys that attended these schools went off to Cambridge and Oxford and then later on to Parliament. * George Osborne was not of the upper classes but he interacted a lot with them and it was a possibility for a gain in status. * A lot of emphasize was placed on athletic games. They oftentimes even took precedence over the learning of Greek and Latin. Being a sportsman reaffirmed a man's leadership. The Lower Classes * Boys of the lower classes were excluded from attending the â€Å"public† schools of England because they did not fit into what was expected of the boys that attended those schools. * The boys attending the public schools were most often than not of well to do families, which meant they would be well-dressed, well-mannered boys. * Boys from the lower classes did not have the same upbringing and as a result did not fit into the public schools instead they attended what were often referred to as Ragged Schools. Purposes of Education * For the upper classes, the purpose of an education was to raise gentlemen and prepare them for prestigious appointments in Parliament or government.

The Use of Immorality in Order to Achieve Popular Rule Essay -- essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout The Prince and The Discourses of Livy, Niccolo Machiavelli demonstrates multiple theories and advocacies as to why popular rule is important to the success of a state. Popular rule is a term that will be used to define an indirect way to govern the people of a state. In order to rule the masses, a leader must please the people or revolts will occur, causing mayhem and a lack of stability in oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s state. During both written works, Machiavelli stresses the importance of obedience and order needed for a state, and especially for a leader to be successful. Machiavelli thoroughly states that anything and everything must be done to keep the peace of the masses, even if acts of immorality are used. However, instead of advocating immorality, Machiavelli is saying that to serve the people and the state well, a ruler must not restrict himself to conventional standards of morality. His use of immoral tactics in leadership would appear to be unpopu lar; however the acts of immorality have limitations and are done solely to avoid displeasing the masses or creating disorder. Therefore it is acceptable to practice immorality if it is done only to a small number of constituents, if it is not repeated, and if it is performed to please and benefit the public. It is these limitations that prove Machiavelli is arguing that the use of immoral tactics, to rule the people and in turn be ruled by the people, is needed. He suggests that if the majority of the population is unhappy with a leader, that particular leaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s rule would be in jeopardy, thus falling victim to popular rule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first justification for the use of immorality is that it is only practiced upon a small number of residents. Machiavelli summarizes that it is better for a ruler to be immoral to a few of his subjects and prevent disorder from spreading because disorder will damage the community as a whole more than it will damage a few individuals in isolated acts of immorality. The priority of the leader is to maintain order and act to prevent disorder because, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the whole community suffers if there are riots, while to maintain order the ruler only has to execute one or two individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (51). Citizens of a community would much rather live in a peaceful and orderly world which exemplifies how a ruler is actually a slave to the people. It... ...rder, brought unity and made the state as a whole law abiding and peaceful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall Machiavellià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s perspective does seem harsh and cold at times, but he proves to be an avid supporter of popular rule throughout his writings. He believes in popular rule so strongly that he states it is acceptable to use immoral means to achieve a peaceful government. If the citizens are not happy and feel their ruler disregards their wishes then the populace could become enraged and therefore, the ruler would not be executing his power of indirect popular rule. Machiavelli states that in order to achieve the necessity of popular rule, a leader will have to step outside a moral sphere and do whatever it takes to achieve popular rule. Machiavelli puts clear and strict limits on acts of immorality in leadership. The use of immorality is only acceptable in order to achieve overall good for a government. Engaging in immorality for the sake of popular rule is justified because it is done to serve the people and the state successfully. Works Cited Machiavelli. Selected Political Writings. Trans: David Wooton. Indianapolis: Hackett,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1994.

Dune Essay -- essays research papers

Dune   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book all started with the family Atreides landing on plant Arrakis, commonly known as Dune. The planet Dune was the centre of the universe due to its immense amounts of spice. This spice is greatly needed for all planets as fuel and for raw materials. The family Atreides were asked by Emperor himself to go and mine the spice on the planet. Their greatest enemy the Harkonnen's, were also on Dune. These two families mining the precious spice on the same plant would lead to great troubles and wars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon after that, I was introduced to a very brave and insightful young man. The young man is Paul Atreides. Paul is medium height with short, black hair. His mother Jessica is a Bene Gesserit that means she knows the â€Å"weirding way.† This means Jessica is trained to kill and is also trained as a mind reader. She is very tall and beautiful and is always concerned with the actions of Paul, the future ruler of the galaxy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jessica's teacher, the Reverend Mother heard of Paul and thought that he might be the great leader that the prophets told of. The Reverend Mother came to Dune and tested Paul to see if this was so. Paul underwent great pain and suffering but passed the tests with the highest reverence. Duke Leto, Paul's father now came into the picture. He was the leader of the Atreides Family. He seemed very established and perceptive. The Atreides family represented good and honesty while their enemies, the Harkonnen's, were ruthless killers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harkonnen home planet, Gedi Prime was very desolate and dark. It represented the immorality and darkness within the Harkonnens. Their leader Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was very obese and inhuman. He killed his own slaves for fun and hated the Atreides with a passion. He hated their peaceful and honest ways. Most of all he despised their coming to Dune. This Harkonnen leader appeared the typical tyrant leader. Vladimir Harkonnen's most trusted solider Feyd-Rautha was also like him except his physical appearance was that of ideal shape and form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Back at the Atreides base more characters are introduced to me. They are Duncan Idaho who was the personal trainer for Paul Atreides, Dr. Yeuh who was a good friend of the Duke and later was found out to be a traitor, and Thufir... ... understand the characters and their emotions with more comprehension. There were many themes in ‘Dune' such as â€Å"you shall get your just deserves.† This means that what you have done to others shall be done back to you in full. The Harkonnens army combined with the Emperors attacked and beat the Atreides. Paul in turn strikes back with brute force that many have not seen throughout their existence. The Harkonnens and the Emperor were annihilated and Paul's vengeance was paid. I must say that this science fiction book did create a sense of reality meaning that this situation could happen in the future. A boy or girl born in the future who is destined to be the almighty ruler. He/she will guide us out of depression and into a new era of peace and prosperity. Their may be truth to this story and one day a fight between good and evil may come to reality. Dune is the typical `Good guys vs. Bad guys' theme. The Atreides are at war with the Harkonnens and the good always win (as you already know.) Although this plot is really used too much Frank Herbert did an excellent job to disguise this fact. He blended this into a great story line of action packed adventure and dreams of the future.

Argentina Genocide Essay

There was court investigated crimes against 200 opponents of the military regime in six illegal detention centers in Buenos Aires, One of the crimes was a kidnapping of a man named Jacobo Timerman who was tortured by electric shocks, beatings and solitary confinement in the years he was held illegally. The prosecutor said Jaime Smart was a leading factor in the persecution of opponents in the military. The illegal detention centers were run in police stations under his command. During the seven year military rule, an estimated 30,000 people were kidnapped, tortured, and killed by the junta. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/argentina.htm The Dirty War ran for seven years, from 1976 – 1983. It was run by the Argentine government against dissidents (A person who opposes official policy) and subversives (A person seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution). Many people were â€Å"disappeared† which usually meant being taken in the night to secret government detention centers where they were tortured and killed. These poor humans were known as â€Å"los desaparecidos† or â€Å"the disappeared.† The war started with the death of President Juan Peron in 1974 when his wife gained authority, unfortunately the woman was not a strong political leader and a military junta removed her from office. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3673470/Argentinas-dirty-war-the-museum-of-horrors.html Miriam Lewin, 49, one of only 150 Esma survivors, was arrested and taken to a detention center for almost a year, Miriam was locked in a tiny dark cell, kept hooded and chained to the wall and tortured with electric shocks. They told her she was being taken to a work camp to be rehabilitated instead they shoved her into a car trunk and took her to Esma. Miriam spent 10 months at Esma, on her release she fled to the US and returned after the w ar as a journalist for a television station. Lewin repeats some of the horrific events passed, ‘It was similar to the Terezin Nazi camp: some prisoners worked and were shown films for entertainment, while others were tortured next door, then drugged and weighted before being taken on â€Å"death flights† over the Atlantic.’ The bodies were dropped into the ocean; others were burnt. As in the case of the Holocaust victims who were forced to write to their families saying that they were being treated  well, Esma prisoners were occasionally allowed contact with the outside world, mostly through calls from a monitored telephone booth in the entrance, which is now a lavatory.’When I was 20 they took me to see my parents,’ Lewin says, ‘to prevent them from looking for me. My mother asked, â€Å"How are you, how are you being treated?† Fine. â€Å"What do you do all day?† Well, we write, watch films, read†¦ â€Å"Are you with other girls of your age?† Yes, yes, Mum. I couldn’t tell her that I was in a concentration camp where they tortured and killed people, that this could be the last time she would see me alive, otherwise they would have been in danger, too.†I will never forget how, purely to humiliate us, they took me and some other female prisoners to have dinner in a restaurant in the centre of town with a group of armed plain-clothes officers. We would be sleeping in the middle of the night and a guard would shake us and say, â€Å"Wake up, you have to go.† We didn’t know if we were going out for a meal or to die. A girlfriend of mine was taken dancing by the guy who had killed her husband two weeks earlier,’ she says with a wry smile.Like most others, she was imprisoned in the casino or officers’ hall of residence, a building clearly visible from the street and overlooked by nearby flats. She was forced to work in the basement, translating into Spanish articles on the military regime that appeared in English and French newspapers; others wrote military biographies, forged documents and filmed propaganda videos. As they worked, inmates in adjacent rooms were tortured with water and electric cattle prods, their shouts sometimes muffled by loud music. http://www.vice.com/read/inside-argentinas-secret-death-camps Inside Argentina Camps In 1977 Nilda â€Å"Munu† Goretta was walking home from work on a busy street in downtown Buenos Aires when members of the Argentinean Military Death Squad blindfolded her from behind and shoved her into a nearby car. She wasn’t seen or heard from for 13 months. During the height of Argentina’s seven-year military dictatorship Munu lived as a political prisoner in the torture center, ESMA. In order to maintain control, the junta organized a system to eliminate any threats to the new government. Anyone who expressed the slightest sympathies for leftist politics would vanish without a trace. The general public was not aware of the concentration camps. ESMA operatedÃ'Ž

Piaget vs. Jung

Piaget *Missing Works Cited* Piaget work has received world wide acclaim and recognition , as well as having a positive impact in areas such as education and social curricula. Though he had made an impact on understanding of the child cognitive development , his theory of cognitive development has suffered a great deal of critics that it neglects the social nature of human development. (Hook, Watts and Cockroft ,2002). So the following essay will discuss on whether this critic is valid or not based on detail discussion of Piaget theory. The theory of Vygotsky shall also be discussed to prove that indeed social factors play a role . Piaget theory of cognitive development neglects the influence of social factors on child cognitive development. (Hook et al ,2002)As stated by Hook et al (2002,p. 190)in agreement with critics like Piaget theory gave insufficient attention to the ways in which children social interaction with their sibling or parents may influence their cognitive development† . Justification of this critic is provided by the fact that Piaget (1952)saw children as lone scientist who sought to understand and build knowledge of their external world through interaction with the world . According to Piaget as stated in Siegel &Brainerd(1978)cognitive development depend on two factors , internal maturation and external maturation . That is children are incapable of learning some tasks until they reached a certain age When considering cognitive development , Piaget focuses on the mental processes that occur, rather than on the actual measure of the cognitive development. Clearly justification to this critic of insufficient has been provided by the fact that Piaget sees children as the lone scientists who sought to understand and build knowledge of their external world their interaction with it (Hooketal ,2002). According to Piaget (1960)children actively construct their own cognitive world , he also stated that information is not just poured into children minds from the environment . Clearly this critic of insufficient attention to social factors was justified . According to Piaget (1952)as stated in Hook et al (2002p180)†much of what child learns begin by accident –The child accidentally performs some action , perceives it , like it and then repeats the action assimilating it into her or his existing schemes . The above quotation provides evidence that Piaget theory neglected social factors that plays a role on cognitive development of the child. Piaget devised four stages of development spanning from birth to adolescence. The stages progress in an invariant sequence, a child moves systematically through stages and advancement into the next stage depends on the mastery of the proceeding one (1952) The succession of stages involves the movement through that four stages. According to Piaget (1952) Children must move through these stages during their childhood. These include Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concreteoperational, and Formal operational. Stage movement is an important factor of Piaget's definition of cognitive development, because Piaget (1960) states that there are a specific set of criteria that must be met and mastered at each stage. In order to move from the first stage to the next, the child must master that specific set of criteria. (Siegel & Brainerd,1978) One may argue that Piaget uses biological approach, or biological adaption to discuss the cognitive development of the child. This includes our reflexes which occur when certain stimuli trigger an instinctive response. Piaget theory explains how child cognitive develops through an intellectual regulatory process geared by adaption to the environment. (Siegel & Brainerd,1978). During this on going relationship with the environment the child exhibits certain organisations based upon assimilation, the taking in process of experience, accepting new encounters and fitting them into existing schemes, and accommodation , the reaction of the individual who encounters new experiences that are not consistent with existingschemes and so the person must change their scheme to accept or accommodate the new information(Hook et al, 2002,Siegel& brainerd, Piaget ,1960,Tryphon & voneche,1996 ,1978) . Piaget felt that a baby is an active and curious organism, that reaches out and seeks to regulate a balance between assimilation and accommodation. This balance is what Piaget describes as equilibrium. Piaget considered the process of equilibrium an important factor in the cognitive growth and development of a child. (Piaget , 1952) This was the ground were he was criticize because he said that children must be allowed to do their own learning(Piaget,1952). Lourenco & Machado (1996)in defense of Piaget theory realized that Piaget has took into consideration the fact that humans progressively develop or mature to higher states of cognitive development and realized that children acquire knowledge transmitted by parents, teachers ,and books, Piaget called this â€Å"social transmission. † Piaget believed that when a child hears contradictory statements that challenge established schemes, equilibrium is disturbed. Piaget called such a disruption in equilibrium cognitive conflict or disequilibrium. When children experience cognitive conflict they set out in search of an answer that will enable them to achieve states of equilibrium. (Lourenco & Machado,1996) Justification of this critique was also provided by Vygotsky theory of development . Vygotsky (1929) believes that adults and child’s peers are involved in shaping cognitive development of the child. As stated by Vygotsky (1929) through social activities a child learns cultural tools and social inventions . These according to Vygotsky (1929) includes language, rules and counting. Vygotsky theory is one theory that has provided justification to the critics that Piaget gave insufficient attention to social factors. Mentioned on the second page Piaget (1952) contended that cognitive development is constructed into four stages . The following paragraph will examine each stage individually focusing on social factors that he ignore on each and every stage. The sensorimotor stage is the first of the four stages Piaget uses to define cognitive development. Piaget designated the first two years of an infants life as the sensorimotor stage. During this period, infants are busy discovering relationships between their bodies and the environment. Researchers have discovered that infants have relatively well developed sensory abilities. The child relies on seeing, touching, sucking, feeling, and using their senses to learn things about themselves and the environment. Piaget calls this the sensorimotor stage because the early manifestations of intelligence appear from sensory perceptions and motor activities. Through countless informal experiments, infants develop the concept of separate selves, that is, the infant realizes that the external world is not an extension of themselves. According to Piaget(1952)Infants at this stage realize that an object can be moved by a hand and develop notions of displacement and events. An important discovery during the latter part of the sensorimotor stage is the concept of object permanence. Object permananceis the awareness that an object continues to exist even when it is not in view. In young infants, when a toy is covered by a piece of paper, the infant immediately stops and appears to lose interest in the toy. After a child has mastered the concept of object permanence, the emergence of directed groping begins to take place. With directed groping, the child egins to perform motor experiments in order to see what will happen. (Hook et al, 2002) During directed groping, a child will vary his movements to observe how the results will differ. The child learns to use new means to achieve an end. The child discovers he can pull objects toward himself with the aid of a stick or string, or tilt objects to get them through the ba rs of his playpen(Hook et al,2002). The concrete operational stage is the third stage in Piaget's theory. This stage typically occurs between the ages of 7 and 12(Hook et al , 2002) During this stage, the child begins to reason logically, and organise thoughts coherently. However, they can only think about actual physical objects, they cannot handle abstract reasoning. This stage is also characterized by a loss of egocentric thinking. During this stage, the child has the ability to master most types of conservation experiments, and begins to understand reversibility. (Piaget 1952,Maier,1978 and Hook et al , 2002). The concrete operational stage is also characterized by the child's ability to coordinate two dimensions of an object simultaneously, arrange structures in sequence, and transpose differences between items in a series. The formal operational stage is the fourth and final stage in Piaget's theory. It begins at approximately 11 to 12 years of age, and continues throughout adulthood, although Piaget does point out that some people may never reach this stage of cognitive development. The formal operational stage is characterized by the ability to formulate hypotheses and systematically test them to arrive at an answer to a problem. The individual in the formal stage is also able to think abstractly and to understand the form or structure of a mathematical problem. Another characteristic of the individual is their ability to reason contrary to fact. That is, if they are given a statement and asked to use it as the basis of an argument they are capable of accomplishing the task. For example, they can deal with the statement â€Å"what would happen if snow were black†. Mental hospital in Zurich, a famous medical hospital. He studied under Eugen Bleuler, who was a famous psychiatrist who defined schizophrenia. Jung was also influenced by Freud with whom he later became good friends. Freud called him his crown-prince. Their relationship ended when Jung wrote a book called â€Å"Symbols of Transformation. † Jung disagreed with Freud's undamental idea that a symbol is a disguised representation of a repressed wish. I will go into that later. After splitting up with Freud, Jung had a 2 year period of non- productivity, but then he came out with his â€Å"Psychological Types,† a famous work. He went on several trips to learn about primitive societies and archetypes to Africa, New Mexico to study Pueblo Indians, and to India and Ceylon to study eastern philosophy. He studied religious and occult beliefs like I Ching, a Chinese method of fortune telling. Alchemy was also one of his interests. His book, â€Å"Psychology and Alchemy,† published in 1944 is among his most important writings. He studied what all this told about the human mind. One of his methods was word association, which is when a person is given a series of words and asked to respond to them. Abnormal response or hesitation can mean that the person has a complex about that word. His basic belief was in complex or analytical psychology. The goal is psychosynthesis, or the unification and differentiation of the psyche (mind). He believed that the mind started out as a whole and should stay that way. That answered structural, dynamic, developmental questions. I will attempt to restate the major ideas and terms in this book in a pseudo- outline. It will make the understanding a bit more clear. STRUCTURE ——— DYNAMICS ——– The psyche . There are some channels into the psyche through which ene rgy can enter in form of experiences. If the psyche were a totally closed systems, it could reach a state of perfect balance, for it would not be subjected to interference from the outside. The slightest stimulus may have far-reaching consequences on one's mental stability. This shows that it is not the amount of energy that is added, but the disruptive effects that the added energy produces within the psyche. These disruptive effects are caused by massive redistributions of energy within the system. It takes only the slightest pressure on the trigger of a loaded gun to cause a great disaster. Similarly, it may take only the slightest addition of energy to an unstable psyche to produce large effects in a person's behavior. Psychic energy is also called Libido. It is not to be confused with Freud's definition of libido. Jung did not restrict libido to sexual energy as Freud did. In fact, this is one of the essential differences in the theories of the two men. It can be classified as actual or potential forces that perform psychological work. It is often expressed in desires and wants for objects. The values for things are hidden in complexes. The psyche is always active, yet it is still very difficult for people to accept this view of a continuously active psyche, because there is a strong tendency to equate psychic activity with conscious activity. Jung, as well as Freud, hammered away at this misconception, but it persists even today. The source of psychic energy is derived from one's instincts and diverted into other uses. Like a waterfall is used to create energy, you have to use your instincts to turn into energy as well. Otherwise, just like the waterfall, your instincts are completely fruitless. For example, if you think that to get a beautiful wife, you have to be rich, so you direct your sexual drive into a business persona, which will bring you money. There are two principles of psychic dynamics. What happens to all that energy? 1. Principle of Equivalence. Energy is not created nor destroyed. If it leaves something, it has to surface. For example, if a child devoted a lot of energy to reading comics, it might be redirected into a different persona, som ething like being Mr. Cool Dude! He then will loose interest in reading comics. Energy also has an inclination to carry tendencies of its source to its destination. 2. Principle of Entropy. Energy usually flows from high to low. If you have a highly developed structure (persona, for example), instead of equalizing, it may start drawing values from other systems to boost itself even higher. Such highly energized systems have a tendency to go BOOOOM! So, entropy can destroy those high energy systems if they get too big. The operation of the entropy principle results in an equilibrium of forces. Just like two bodies of different temperatures touching each other would soon equalize temperatures. The hotter one will transfer heat to the cooler one. Once a balance is reached in your psyche, according to Jung, it will be then difficult to disturb. Tho se two principles influence the following: Progression and Regression. Progression is the advance of psychological adaptation. For example, if you need a shadow (creativity, perhaps), you will try to develop one. When conflicting traits loose power, your psyche enters regression. Say, your persona and shadow are in opposition and because they are in opposition, they both would be suppressed, because neither would get enough libido, or energy. DEVELOPMENT ———– During this stage, an individual establishes his/her position in life. His vocation and marriage partner are determined. A person usually uses his Anima and Shadow to decide those things. Values are channeled into his establishment in the outside world. Once one is independent, even a small experience can influence him greatly. The Middle Age is the one often neglected by psychiatrists. Lots of people have problems in this stage. They usually don't know what to do with the energy left over that was devoted to establishing positions in society as youth. As the principle of entropy suggests, the energy is conserved, so once an adult put it to use, he must redirect it elsewhere. Jung stated that those left-over energies can be usefully diverted into spiritual contemplation and expansion. Nothing much happens in old age. People have so much energy of experiences in their psyche that even a major experience won't upset their psychological balance. Often, society will force people to assume prefered types. Types are categories of classifications of psyches which are non-absolute and have no definite boundaries. There are eight â€Å"types. † Types are combinations of functions and attitudes (page 3). The following are the eight main types: 1. Extraverted Thinking Type. This type of man elevates objective thinking into the ruling passion of his life. He is typified by the scientist who devotes his energy to learning as much as he can about the objective world. The most developed extraverted thinker is an Einstein. 2. Introverted Thinking Type. This type is inward-directed in his thinking. He is exemplified by the philosopher or existential psychologist who seeks to understand the reality of his own being. He may eventually break his ties with reality and become schizophrenic. 3. Extraverted Feeling Type. This type, which Jung observes is more frequently found in women, subordinates thinking to feeling. 4. Introverted Feeling Type. This type is also more commonly found among women. Unlike their extraverted sisters, introverted feeling persons keep their feelings hidden from the world. 5. Extraverted Sensation Type. People of this type, mainly men, take an interest in accumulating facts about the external world. They are realistic, practical, and hardheaded, but they are not particularly concerned about what things mean. 6. Introverted Sensation Type. Like all introverts, the introverted ensation type stands aloof from external objects, immersing himself in his own psychic sensations. He considers the world to be banal and uninteresting. 7. Extraverted Intuitive Type. People of this type, commonly women, are characterized by flightiness and instability. They jump from situation to situation to discover new possibilities in the external world. They are always looking for new worlds to c onquer before they have conquered old ones. 8. Introverted Intuitive Type. The artist is a representative of this type, but it also contains dreamers, prophets, visionaries, and cranks. He usually thinks of himself as a misunderstood genius. Variations in the degree to which each of the attitudes and functions are consciously developed or remain unconscious and undeveloped can produce a wide range of differences among individuals. This book is an extremely valuable source of thought provoking logic. Jung wrote with common sense, passion, and compassion, and the reader experiences a â€Å"shock of recognition†; he will recognize truths he has known, but which he has not been able to express in words. This book made me think about myself, and people in general. How people's minds work, including my own. I found a lot of â€Å"truth† or at least I though I did in Jung's teachings. I could relate some of the reading material to elements studied in class. One will be astounded by the number of Jung's ideas that anticipated those of later writers. Many of the new trends in psychology and related fields are indebted to Jung, who first gave them their direction. The book is also interesting, because of its challenging nature. I suppose that not all people would enjoy reading such type of literature, since many people in this world are sensational types. I certainly did enjoy it, and have found out some things about myself in the process. The book is very well written. It has many good analogies and explanations which even the most sensational type would understand. The collection of information is tremendous. There is so much information bundled in 130 pages, that it makes you think that 500 pages would not be enough to really explain deeply the subject matter. This book can be faultlessly us ed as a textbook, which could prove to be salutary in psychology classes. I strongly recommend reading this book to all audiences that want to. A person, content with the world around him, not wishing to challenge the puzzles of nature, should not. This book is a treasure for all who seek to explore the human mind. Our personality traits come in opposites. We think of ourselves as optimistic or pessimistic, independent or dependent, emotional or unemotional, adventurous or cautious, leader or follower, aggressive or passive. Many of these are inborn temperament traits, but other characteristics, such as feeling either competent or inferior, appear to be learned, based on the challenges and support we receive in growing up. The man who did a great deal to explore this concept is Erik Erikson. Although he was influenced by Freud, he believed that the ego exists from birth and that behavior is not totally defensive. Based in part on his study of Sioux Indians on a reservation, Erikson became aware of the massive influence of culture on behavior and placed more emphasis on the external world, such as depression and wars. He felt the course of development is determined by the interaction of the body (genetic biological programming), mind (psychological), and cultural (ethos) influences. He organized life into eight stages that extend from birth to death (many developmental theories only cover childhood). Since adulthood covers a span of many years, Erikson divided the stages of adulthood into the experiences of young adults, middle aged adults and older adults. While the actual ages may vary considerably from one stage to another, the ages seem to be appropriate for the majority of people. Erikson's basic philosophy might be said to rest on two major themes: (1) the world gets bigger as we go along and (2) failure is cumulative. While the first point is fairly obvious, we might take exception to the last. True, in many cases an individual who has to deal with horrendous circumstances as a child may be unable to negotiate later stages as easily as someone who didn't have as many challenges early on. For example, we know that orphans who weren't held or stroked as infants have an extremely hard time connecting with others when they become adults and have even died from lack of human contact. However, there's always the chance that somewhere along the way the strength of the human spirit can be ignited and deficits overcome. Therefore, to give you an idea of another developmental concept, be sure to see Stages of Growth for Children and Adults, based on Pamela Levine's work. She saw development as a spiraling cycle rather than as stages through which we pass, never to visit again. As you read through the following eight stages with their sets of opposites, notice which strengths you identify with most and those you need to work on some more. . Infancy: Birth to 18 Months Ego Development Outcome: Trust vs. Mistrust Basic strength: Drive and Hope Erikson also referred to infancy as the Oral Sensory Stage (as anyone might who watches a baby put everything in her mouth) where the major emphasis is on the mother's positive and loving care for the child, with a big emphasis on visual contact and touch. If we pass successfully through this period of life, we will learn to trust that life is basically okay and have basic confidence in the future. If we fail to experience trust and are constantly frustrated because our needs are not met, we may end up with a deep-seated feeling of worthlessness and a mistrust of the world in general. Incidentally, many studies of suicides and suicide attempts point to the importance of the early years in developing the basic belief that the world is trustworthy and that every individual has a right to be here. Not surprisingly, the most significant relationship is with the maternal parent, or whoever is our most significant and constant caregiver. . Early Childhood: 18 Months to 3 Years Ego Development Outcome: Autonomy vs. Shame Basic Strengths: Self-control, Courage, and Will During this stage we learn to master skills for ourselves. Not only do we learn to walk, talk and feed ourselves, we are learning finer motor development as well as the much appreciated toilet training. Here we have the opportunity to build self-esteem and autonomy as we gain more control over our bodies and acquire new skills, learning right from wrong. And one of our skills during the â€Å"Terrible Two's† is our ability to use the powerful word â€Å"NO! † It may be pain for parents, but it develops important skills of the will. It is also during this stage, however, that we can be very vulnerable. If we're shamed in the process of toilet training or in learning other important skills, we may feel great shame and doubt of our capabilities and suffer low self-esteem as a result. The most significant relationships are with parents. 3. Play Age: 3 to 5 Years Ego Development Outcome: Initiative vs. Guilt Basic Strength: Purpose During this period we experience a desire to copy the adults around us and take initiative in creating play situations. We make up stories with Barbie's and Ken's, toy phones and miniature cars, playing out roles in a trial universe, experimenting with the blueprint for what we believe it means to be an adult. We also begin to use that wonderful word for exploring the world—†WHY? † While Erikson was influenced by Freud, he downplays biological sexuality in favor of the psychosocial features of conflict between child and parents. Nevertheless, he said that at this stage we usually become involved in the classic â€Å"Oedipal struggle† and resolve this struggle through â€Å"social role identification. † If we're frustrated over natural desires and goals, we may easily experience guilt. The most significant relationship is with the basic family. 4. School Age: 6 to 12 Years Ego Development Outcome: Industry vs. Inferiority Basic Strengths: Method and Competence During this stage, often called the Latency, we are capable of learning, creating and accomplishing numerous new skills and knowledge, thus developing a sense of industry. This is also a very social stage of development and if we experience unresolved feelings of inadequacy and inferiority among our peers, we can have serious problems in terms of competence and self-esteem. As the world expands a bit, our most significant relationship is with the school and neighborhood. Parents are no longer the complete authorities they once were, although they are still important. 5. Adolescence: 12 to 18 Years Ego Development Outcome: Identity vs. Role Confusion Basic Strengths: Devotion and Fidelity Up to this stage, according to Erikson, development mostly depends upon what is done to us. From here on out, development depends primarily upon what we do. And while adolescence is a stage at which we are neither a child nor an adult, life is definitely getting more complex as we attempt to find our own identity, struggle with social interactions, and grapple with moral issues. Our task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from our family of origin and as members of a wider society. Unfortunately for those around us, in this process many of us go into a period of withdrawing from responsibilities, which Erikson called a â€Å"moratorium. And if we are unsuccessful in navigating this stage, we will experience role confusion and upheaval. A significant task for us is to establish a philosophy of life and in this process we tend to think in terms of ideals, which are conflict free, rather than reality, which is not. The problem is that we don't have much experience and find it easy to substitute ideals for experience. However, we can also develop strong devotion to friends and causes. It is no surprise that our most significant relationships are with peer groups. 6. Young adulthood: 18 to 35 Ego Development Outcome: Intimacy and Solidarity vs. Isolation Basic Strengths: Affiliation and Love In the initial stage of being an adult we seek one or more companions and love. As we try to find mutually satisfying relationships, primarily through marriage and friends, we generally also begin to start a family, though this age has been pushed back for many couples who today don't start their families until their late thirties. If negotiating this stage is successful, we can experience intimacy on a deep level. If we're not successful, isolation and distance from others may occur. And when we don't find it easy to create satisfying relationships, our world can begin to shrink as, in defense, we can feel superior to others. Our significant relationships are with marital partners and friends. 7. Middle Adulthood: 35 to 55 or 65 Ego Development Outcome: Generativity vs. Self absorption or Stagnation Basic Strengths: Production and Care Now work is most crucial. Erikson observed that middle-age is when we tend to be occupied with creative and meaningful work and with issues surrounding our family. Also, middle adulthood is when we can expect to â€Å"be in charge,† the role we've longer envied. The significant task is to perpetuate culture and transmit values of the culture through the family (taming the kids) and working to establish a stable environment. Strength comes through care of others and production of something that contributes to the betterment of society, which Erikson calls generativity, so when we're in this stage we often fear inactivity and meaninglessness. As our children leave home, or our relationships or goals change, we may be faced with major life changes—the mid-life crisis—and struggle with finding new meanings and purposes. If we don't get through this stage successfully, we can become self-absorbed and stagnate. Significant relationships are within the workplace, the community and the family. 8. Late Adulthood: 55 or 65 to Death Ego Development Outcome: Integrity vs. Despair Basic Strengths: Wisdom Erikson felt that much of life is preparing for the middle adulthood stage and the last stage is recovering from it. Perhaps that is because as older adults we can often look back on our lives with happiness and are content, feeling fulfilled with a deep sense that life has meaning and we've made a contribution to life, a feeling Erikson calls integrity. Our strengt h comes from a wisdom that the world is very large and we now have a detached concern for the whole of life, accepting death as the completion of life. On the other hand, some adults may reach this stage and despair at their experiences and perceived failures. They may fear death as they struggle to find a purpose to their lives, wondering â€Å"Was the trip worth it? † Alternatively, they may feel they have all the answers (not unlike going back to adolescence) and end with a strong dogmatism that only their view has been correct.