The Vices and the Virtues of the Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Vices and the Virtues of the Middle Ages Essay The Middle Ages reflected a continuum of events that greatly influenced the way of living of the people in Europe. It was a very long period of struggle among the social classes, invasion of barbarians, cross cultural influences, feudalism and its decline, famine, plague, strong Roman Catholic influence, series of wars lasting for almost a century, as well as the dawn of reformation and humanism. Thus, it is very hard to conclude a particular value distinct in this era (Benton, 192). If we are going to compare Europe in its earlier days when the Roman Empire fell as to the latter part when Europe began to experience reformation, we would definitely see a big difference. European civilization at the start of the Middle Ages was more chaotic and primitive. On the other hand, the latter part of the epoch was more peaceful and new inventions made the lives of people easier and paved the way for urbanization (Benton 193). During the start of the Middle Ages, the Roman Empire was on the verge of collapse. It can be attributed to poor governance and illogical decisions of the Roman emperors. The government dwelled too much on rigorous military training and preparation for warfare. It had forgotten the other needs of its constituents such as food and proper education. There was a very slow development in culture and arts as well as in trade. As a result, people lived in fear and submission. Their virtues were greatly influenced by war and survival. Evidently, they care less about human life and its worth (Benton 193). When the Roman Empire suffered from attacks and invasions from barbarians, most of the Roman heritage was devastated. Some Roman edifices were unnecessarily destroyed. There were series of migration from one area to another in search of a better place. During this time, only the strong and victorious in war got the power to rule the land. Along with that, influences from other culture began to enter Europe that left remnants like the design of the architectural edifices. Since the people were weary of wars and fears of barbaric invasion, they seek citadel from someone who was capable to protect them. Thus, the era of feudalism began. The hierarchy in the society was formed based on land ownership. The land was subdivided among feudal lords who would give protection and lease the land to the subject and in turn, the latter needed to work for the former. In this system, the feudal lords became very wealthy while the peasants became very poor. The wealthy lords became very abusive and greedy towards their subjects while the latter at first were tolerant and submissive. In this system, only the rich and the powerful had access to a comfortable and abundant life. There was a big distinction between the wealthy and the poor. Thus, it was almost impossible for peasants to improve their quality of life. The abuse of feudal lords sparked the revolt of medieval towns and formation of guilds that caused the decline of feudalism (â€Å"Feudalism†). Through the formation of guilds, a better system of governance was created. There was greater emphasis on human relations and alliance. People with the same expertise group together and formed guilds. The people were encouraged to enhance their craft. The system of trade and business improved during this time and a new class or level of society emerged (Benton 193). The influence of the Roman Catholic Church was placidly reflected on the lives of the medieval people. Their outlook in life and social relations were based on the teachings of the Church. People were encouraged to live a pious life. The Church also played a major role in the formation of formal schools and universities. Thus, a lot of people started to have a formal schooling. Thus a system of education began to form. Thus Europe began to learn and establish fundamental (Benton 193). I could say that wars, famine and plague infested Europe on the latter part of the century that adversely affected the lives of the people. Because of massive deaths, hunger and unending wars, people tend to doubt the existence of God and the Catholic Church. It was aggravated by the abusive and greedy religious rulers that led to the revolt and rise of different sects and religion. Thus, Christianity was divided and people have an alternate doctrine to believe. Liberal minds began to emerge. The widespread epidemic made people become resourceful and determined in exploring the human anatomy and trying to find a cure for the disease. Thus, these series of unfortunate events probably served as a good driving force that made people appreciate humanity, thirst for more knowledge and invent things to improve the lives of the people (Benton 193). How have the Great Plague, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition influenced modern thought? The Great Plague caused massive devastation ever recorded in European history. It was the worst plague that caused the death of millions of people. It happened in 1665 when the Bubonic plague spread in Europe in the spring and summer. This disease, also known as the Black Death in England, was acquired from fleas and characterized by swelling of the gland, darkening of the skin accompanied with fever and severe pain (Defoe). In the book â€Å"History of plague in London† (Defoe), the author Daniel Defoe placidly elaborated a great number of people who died in the disease as recorded in the parish and how it spread across Europe. The disease was widespread that it almost wiped off the population. (Defoe 9) I could say that this tragedy compelled great minds to explore further the human anatomy. They tried to study how the human body works and tried to find a cure to this disease. Our modern medicine will not be as advanced and effective as it is today without these rudiments. Through a series of failures and success, cures for a variety of disease were found. The importance of proper sanitation to prevent the spread of disease was also considered. The Crusaders were soldiers who vowed to protect the Christendom and the Holy Land. The period of their realm lasted for centuries. The helped protect the Roman Catholic Church against its opponents. It stirred up the people to defend their faith against the non-believers. They also traveled far to protect the Holy Land. The Crusaders acquired great influence and power that they were able to contribute a lot in the political structure, economy as well as socio-cultural heritage of the Western Civilization. To sustain the needs of the army, the Crusaders traveled far and wide and fostered trade in areas they visit. Thus, trade among areas in Europe began to develop until this day. Along with that, their great influence in politics might have led to the formation of a bureaucratic government. During the voyage, they were able to find religious and cultural artifacts that enriched our modern history (â€Å"The Crusades†). The Spanish Inquisition was a period that occurred when the monarch of Spain wanted to unify Spain in the Catholic religion. During those times, a lot of other religions thrived in Spain like Judaism and Islam. The rulers of Spain collaborated with the pope to perform an inquisition and get rid of non-Catholic believers in Spain. The government and Church authorities were given the privilege to conduct an investigation to identify the non-believers. This was a ruthless procedure that was more political rather than religious. It greatly influenced the culture and history of Spain. Their culture today still reflects the Catholic faith as well as their festivities and devotion. The abuse and havoc caused by the Spanish inquisition were some of the factors that stirred up revolt and rise of Protestantism and paved way for the separation of the Church and the State (â€Å"The Spanish Inquisition†). What were the vices and virtues of this relatively homogenous Christian European experience? During the Middle Ages, it can be noted that the Roman Catholic Church held the seat of power as they greatly influenced the beliefs and the moral standards of the people. Since the Church led the development of formal education, its main course focused on religion. They set a standard of what is right and wrong thing to do. They have defined vice as a sin against the God and His people. It is an offense against the Absolute being. The repercussions of vices would be punishment after death. However, this can be absolved by penance through confession. The Church had identified series of vices that should be avoided. However, the list changed through time. The recent list that requires absolution from a priest includes gluttony, pride, envy, lust, anger, greed and sloth. Gluttony is getting too much of what one can consume. Pride refers to too much belief in oneself and failure to consider God’s authority. Envy refers to excessive desire on what others have. Lust refers to the excessive desires of the body and sex. Anger refers to hatred and grudge against another person. Greed refers to the excessive craving for material things. Lastly, Sloth refers to excessive laziness. These are considered as the deadly sin because they cause the death of the soul (â€Å"The Virtues and Vices in Medieval Society†). Of course, the Church also exemplified a pious life through practice of virtues. These virtues were categorized into cardinal, theological, contrary, heavenly virtues and the corporal works of mercy. It can be observed that there are seven in each. The Seven Heavenly virtues were faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, temperance, prudence. The 7 The Seven Contrary Virtues were humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality and diligence. The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy were also encouraged like giving food to the hungry people, offering a drink to the thirsty, sharing a shelter with the homeless, helping in burying the dead, spending time with the sick, enlightening the prisoners and giving clothes to the cold and naked. These were the virtues greatly encouraged by the Church up until this day (â€Å"The Virtues and Vices in Medieval Society†). Works Cited Benton, William. â€Å"Middle Ages. † Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1971 ed. â€Å"Crusades. † On-line Reference Book for Medieval Studies. 4 April 2009 http://www.the-orb. net/encyclop/religion/crusades/legacy. html Defoe, Daniel. History of the Plague in London. N. p: n. p, 2005. â€Å"The Spanish Inquisition. † Koeller, David W. 5 May 1997. Western and Central Europe Chronology. 04 April 2009 http://www. thenagain. info/WebChron/westeurope/SpanInqui. html â€Å"The Virtues and Vices in Medieval Society. † Library of St. Nicholas. 4 April 2009 http://nicolaa5. tripod. com/articles/vice. html â€Å"Feudalism. † Vinogradoff, Paul. 1924. Cambridge Medieval History. 4 April 2009 http://socserv. mcmaster. ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/vinogradoff/feudal

Audio Visual Material Is More Effective English Language Essay

Audio Visual Material Is More Effective English Language Essay In teaching and learning process, it is considered that audio visual aids are very much practical that approaches to acquire a second language more effectively other than any way. The methods of language acquisition will improve day by day and audio-visual aids will continue be the more effective way to acquire a second language. Material based learning will be the pathway rather than any theoretical way to acquire second language. In this post-modern teaching and learning process, audio-visual aids are more essential because in modern teaching structure about 85% of the processes are affiliated with the audio-visual materials (Professor Jadal, 2011). The use of materials in learning process is more effective especially in primary level education. In higher education second language acquisition will be effective rather than using grammar translation methods, communicative methods etc. the effectiveness of audio-visual methods more likely depends on some factors that are used along th e way of acquiring language. Material based education is always effective rather than theoretical knowledge and application. Basically, in the case of acquisition of second language, use of materials might be more efficient than any other methods. The input process becomes important in the process of using materials when learning a second language, visual materials helps effectively in this regard. Background of the research The research is all about how the materials are more important to acquire second language than the effectiveness any other methods. The effectiveness of audio-visual materials is the topic of this research. The use of the audio visual materials, learners expectation and learners capability are important in this research. The background of this research is more likely use of different materials in case of acquiring foreign language. Research Questions What are audio-visual materials? How it is effective in acquiring second language? What does audio and visual refers to? Aim of the Research This research aims to clear the concept about how the audio-visual materials are more effective to acquire second language than the other processes in language acquisition. The main concern of this research is to find out the best effective methods in acquiring second language in learning and teaching process in classrooms. Objectives of the Research The study is about to find out the most effective way of acquiring second language. The following are the main objectives of the study: To find out the most effective way of acquiring second language To evaluate how effective the materials that are used to acquire second language To make a comparison of effectiveness between audio-visual aids and any other process To investigate which way is more effective in acquiring second language Justification of the Study The objective of the research is to find out the effectiveness of the audio-visual materials in second language acquisition. So this is a qualitative research. The topic of this research is related to the capacity and acquisition of learners. The research is done in the classroom by using audio-visual materials and applying the practical implementation of the aids. This research is dependant mainly in the effectiveness of the materials used in the classroom. Critical Literature Review In the literature review chapter there will be some review of the previous works that indicate the effectiveness of the audio-visual materials as the best. There will have some several concepts that will have discussed in this part of the research paper. The research papers done on this topic will be presented as the source for conducting this research paper. Methodology The methodology of this research paper will be descriptive. Practical evaluation of the process will be maintained properly. The improvement of a learner will be investigated in this research project. The effective process of acquiring second language will be researched with the help of the questionnaire and experiences of the learners. Data Collection Method A survey will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the audio-visual materials in acquiring second language. The primary data will be collected from the survey that will be taken from different persons. In addition, the experienced person who has acquired language like this will be surveyed. Statistical and historical information will be analyzed in gathering the data for conducting this research paper. Data Analysis The primary data will be analyzed and researched from the data that will be collected from the questionnaire and survey that will be conducted in the particular people who have acquired a second language by using audio-visual materials. The data analysis will help out to find out the aim of the effectiveness of using audio-visual materials. Reliability The reliability depends on the people who are going to attend in the survey. The survey will be taken on the persons who have already used audio-visual materials to acquire second language. So the research paper is reliable as this survey will be done on the persons. Validity If any part of the research in invalid, the validity will be questioned. How much valid the research paper is, has to be ensured by the true information. The information and statistical analysis will have validity by ensuring the authentic information. Limitations: The limitations of the research paper might be on the surveying process. The process might have limitations if people cannot evaluate properly. The proper and authentic information cannot be found due to the qualitative questionnaire. as the questionnaire will be qualitative, the limitations will be in this part of the research paper. Conclusion Audio à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬visual material is more effective to acquire second language is a product and analysis based research that will be conducted by taking a survey on the people who have experienced the audio-visual materials during acquiring second language. The materials like tape recorders, maps, charts, animation, cartoons, video clips etc will be the materials that are included in the audio-visual materials. The research is about the effectiveness of the audio-visual materials. So, this qualitative research will be based on the survey. The effectiveness of the audio-visual method will be proven by the statistical analysis and based on the data collected on the survey.

What Is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Health Essay

What Is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Health Essay Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is a term used to define a group of problems a newborn will exhibit due to exposure for drugs like opiates, narcotics or anti-depressant during pregnancy. As almost every drug that passes through the mothers bloodstream is passed on to the placenta. Therefore any illicit drug abuse will lead the foetus to utero exposure of these substances which will make it physically dependent, same effect that will do the mother herself. Therefore, after the baby is born, this dependence still continues, but since he is no longer maintained through the placenta which passes on anything his mother has in her bloodstream, after some time, depending on the drugs active ingredient half-life, this supply of substance will be no longer available. This lack will lead the neonates central nervous system to become overstimulated causing withdrawal symptoms. Why is NAS a concern? The abuse of illicit drugs from a mother, not only puts the newborn at risk for NAS but even many other syndromes. These risks are mainly increased due to high chance that being a drug user, the pregnant mother may be reluctant to seek prenatal care, and therefore any conditions or complications the mother may be going through during the prenatal stage are not being screened by any medical specialist. A fact to consider is that most drug users, usually dont abuse of only one substance, which usually would lead to several complications during treatment of the newborn for withdrawals. Moreover, if the mother is an intravenous drug user, there is high probability of passing on to the child any infections acquired following use of infected needles, namely; HIV/AIDS. Apart from the NAS symptoms the neonate may have other problems related to this drug use which include; poor intrauterine growth, premature birth and birth defects. More problems were observed from the abuse of recreational drugs before and during pregnancy and findings through studies found that some drugs frequently cause specific problems in babies, for example; the use of heroin and opiates, like methadone, is likely to cause substantial withdrawal in the baby, with certain symptoms lasting between four to six months. Methadone users babies have a higher probability of seizure episodes than others. The use of marijuana reduces birth weight and size of the newborn, likewise with use of amphetamines, which in turn even increases the chance of premature birth and may be the cause of intracranial bleeding in the neonate. Cocaine abuse is mostly associated with poor foetal growth and may be even related to a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). These similar problems at birth are not only seen with illicit drug use, but even use of alcohol and cigarette smoking does damage the foetus. Complications with regards to alcohol abuse called foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), include slow growth both during and after pregnancy, specific deformities of head and face, heart defects and mental retardation. Smaller babies, premature births and stillbirths are at a higher chance of encounter to smoking women. Symptoms Nearly all substances lead to some sort of effect on the newborn, but NAS symptoms may differ with the type of drugs, doses taken, how long the mother abused from these drugs and whether the baby was born premature or full-term. Incidence of NAS varies with strength of drugs; Heroin and Methadone are more likely to cause NAS, although drugs like Cocaine, Amphetamines, Barbiturates (Anti-Convulsive) and Narcotics may also lead to withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol use during pregnancy can also cause withdrawals in a baby. Neonate can start to appear symptomatic as early as 24 hours to 48 hours after birth, when strong drugs with short half-life were used, or as late as 5 to 10 days with weaker and longer half-life drugs. Withdrawal symptoms as a consequence of alcohol abuse during pregnancy may begin within a few hours after birth. Common symptoms may include; excessive/high pitched crying, diarrhoea / vomiting, irritability to light/sound, trembling (jittering), seizures, sweating, fever, hyperactive reflexes, excessive sucking, poor feeding and slow weight gain, rapid breathing, insomnia, increased muscle tone and skin irritation. A neonatal is diagnosed with NAS when he/she exhibits a combination of these signs, since several signs may also be experienced by newborn having other problems, the baby will have to be closely checked to confirm NAS. A history of the mothers drug use during pregnancy, as accurate as possible, will be required to proceed with the necessary tests. This is argued about its reliability especially when mother, or worse, both parents are illicit drug abusers, but for the sake of the newborn, a background of what substance the child maybe withdrawing from is of extreme importance to start the right treatment to manage withdrawals as soon as possible. Diagnosing withdrawals in a newborn may require tests like; urinalysis, toxicology screen of first bowel movements (meconium) and typically an NAS scoring system is used. By means of assigning points to certain signs and symptoms and their severity, this NAS scoring system apart from helping to diagnose, it also aids in grading the severity of the withdrawal and may even help in treatment planning. Therefore once born and transferred to the postnatal ward, the baby is assessed for signs of withdrawals by the midwives using the NAS scoring chart. If the repeatedly four hourly assessments will get a score of 8 or higher, a doctor will be notified and it may be necessary for the baby to be transferred to the Neonatal and Paediatrics Intensive Care Unit (NPICU) to start any necessary treatment for the withdrawal symptoms observed. Treatment Treatment for NAS will be determined by a paediatric physician and will be specifically based on the neonates gestational age and overall health, the extent of disease, the babys tolerance for specific medications and therapies and expectations for the course of the disease. Neonates suffering from withdrawal are irritable and frequently hard to calm and to get comfortable. Snugly wrapping the baby in a blanket, gently rocking the baby and reducing lights and sounds usually helps a bit to manage this irritability exhibited. A higher-calorie formula may be recommended for the extra calories necessary due to their increased activity. Intravenous (IV) fluids are sometimes necessary to avoid the newborn becoming dehydrated due to severe vomiting or diarrhoea. Depending on the severity of the withdrawal symptoms, babies may need medications to help relieve the discomfort and other complications of withdrawal, seizures in particularly. The drug of choice is usually a drug similar to the one the mother used during pregnancy, which therefore is the substance the baby is withdrawing from, then dosage is slowly reduced when withdrawal symptoms are managed. Benzodiazepines are usually used for alcohol withdrawals and methadone for heroin and other opiate withdrawal. Prevention An attempt to break the cycle of reproductive morbidity or mortality starts from identifying substance abuse. Most of the birth defects mentioned to be cause of illicit drug use, could be possibly less if the mother stops using drugs as soon as she finds out she is pregnant or if possible before. Preferably both men and women should stop abusing of any drugs before conception itself to further reduce the chance of birth defects which can occur not only through the gestation stage, but even at gametogenesis. Whilst with most birth defects the termination of drug abuse from mother does only lower their probability, in the case of NAS this could be completely prevented, therefore is encourage to stop any abuse and seeking prenatal care. Drug screening at this stage prevents fully the transmission of any substances through the placenta to the foetus avoiding any future dependence. Health education is currently focusing on these problems as to prevent this growing social problem phenomenon to become oversized. Prognosis Children of drug dependents, do not only go through a rough period in the first days of their life due to the utero exposure of illicit substances, but also various longer lasting, or worse, lifelong medical disabilities will be incurred due to the exposure to different types of drugs. Adding up is the fact of the social challenges as son/daughter of a drug addict, for example, being socially left out from school friends or other groups. Moreover, looking at the economic aspect, which may be due to the persisting drug dependence of either or both parents, could easily be critical and lead to a low standard of living. Definitely the prognosis widely varies with all these variables, but surely if this drug addiction of any of the parents wont cease, it will be of no help for the baby, hopefully in good health, to have an amusing future ahead. Long-term problems in children, who were exposed to illicit substances during gestation, may symptoms related to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes leading to low IQ scores from births to methadone and cocaine users. The perception, speech and intellectual functions were found to suffer some disturbances to youngsters who were exposed to opiate drugs. Major part of the children born to a illicit substance abusing mother have been reported to suffer from behavioural problem, such as; low levels of learning and adapting to new situations and high sensitivity to their environment causing irritability, agitation, aggression, poor social skills. Marijuana use during pregnancy was associated with increased impulsivity, delinquency and hyperactivity exhibited in the exposed kids. None of the treatments used to treat NAS was proved to affect any final outcome of this prenatal exposure. Epidemiology Internationally, from the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs it is suggested that 6,000 babies, i.e. 1% of UK births, are born to drug abusing mothers each year. Due to their availability and recreational use cocaine, methadone and other illicit substance are now being preferred to the past higher ratio of heroin abusers. A broader image shows us that as much as European women use opioids during pregnancy as analgesic treatment, the number of pregnant women abusing of other drugs is somewhat similar. In Malta, although on low scale its still increasing in incidence from year to year. This is most likely due to the more common day to day recreational drug use around teenager and slightly older generations. Along with the availability, dependencies on certain substances have increased, leading to abuse from mothers even during pregnancies and the newborn suffering from NAS as an end result. From a conversation with a nurse from NPICU revealed me that the number of NAS in Malta is around 0.4% of all births in our country, but a number which is disturbingly on an incline. Conclusion Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and any other birth defects are usually topics that no one would like to converse about, as usually talking about these fragile human beings, born with some sort of problem, either being congenital or lifestyle-induced during gestation, does make both parties feel uneasy. Nonetheless avoiding to talk about these wont lower their incidence, it is actually the opposite, proper health education is one way where one can teach what someones habits can lead to. It is a known fact that there is little we can do with congenital conditions, but we can reason out that a least we should not help the number of premature births or still births increase. NAS is one of many conditions, which I personally think that recent changes in our lifestyles can easily lead us to newborns having similar problems. Main reason being, the increment of habitual/recreational drug use and availability amongst 14-30 age bracket, is probably one of the highest ever seen. Not considering the exaggerate number of alcohol abusers, which also can lead to similar conditions. In addition to the other problems linked to promiscuous sexual relationships leading to higher risks of infection which can easily be transmitted and later inherited by a newborn. Anti-drug abuse campaigns do already show some of the consequence these substances will do to your body. But maybe sometimes things look amplified and interest is lost whilst listening or even looking at a leaflet. More evident data should be used to incept the thought in the minds that these conditions are not out of this world, and clearly outline any possible remedies to prevent themselves and their babies from going through unnecessary pain. I would like to conclude saying that nowadays life presents us with enough and may be too many challenges. If we can minimize these with some thought and assertiveness, we can make at least our nuclear sized life a better place. Temptations during hard times do arise, but it is not fair on anyone to suffer from our bad decisions, especially those that should be a symbol of our love to life.

Comparing Burgess and Drapers Theory of Family Violence and the Film,

Comparing Burgess and Draper's Theory of Family Violence and the Film, The Burning Bed    I.   Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Burgess and Draper argue coercive patterns of family interaction represent the principal causal pathway that connects ecological instability to violence within families.   They maintain this raises the possibility that some of the common correlates of such violence are themselves reactions to sudden or chronic ecological instability.   For example, alcoholism, depression, and anxiety may be responses to ecological stresses in the family, such as loss of employment, excessive financial debt, or divorce.   Burgess and Draper suggest that violence towards one's mate or children may consequently be a direct result of ecological instability.   They argue that certain individual traits (e.g. problem drinking), which have previously been assumed to precipitate violent behavior, may actually be the result of the same factors that lead to family violence itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie, The Burning Bed, is a made for TV movie centered on the issue of family violence.   The main characters were Francine and Mickey Hughes, a battered wife and abusive husband.   In the story, Francine struggled with Mickey's violence and intimidation for the better part of twenty years and finally ended up killing him in his sleep.   It is a vivid and realistic movie about domestic violence and the way society viewed such violence in the not so distant past.   By comparing the movie to Burgess and Draper's hypothesis, some agreements and some disagreements become apparent.   Do Burgess and Draper adequately explain and predict the Hughes's pattern of domestic violence?    II.   Ecological Instability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ecological instability describes when a... ... beaten and afterwards when she was scarred and bruised, I feel that Mickey Hughes deserved what he got only he should have suffered more.   The compassion I feel towards any woman who is victimized by a man probably makes me biased in that way.   After reading Burgess and Draper's article, I feel even more justified in my position.   They make the reader look for the cause of the abuse somewhere other than with the woman or the man's drinking.   The way Burgess and Draper's article mirrors the abusive relationship in the Hughes family helps to put the violence in the right perspective where an adult can still be held responsible for his own actions.    Works Cited: Burning Bed, The (1984) (TV).  Ã‚   Directed by Robert Greenwald.   Writing credits: Rose Lieman Goldemberg. Ohlin, Lloyd and Michael Tonry, eds.   Family Violence.   University of Chicago Press, 1989.

Robert Louis Stevenson :: essays research papers

When one reads the nonfiction work of Robert Louis Stevenson along with the novels and short stories, a more complete portrait emerges of the author than that of the romantic vagabond one usually associates with his best-known fiction. The Stevenson of the nonfiction prose is a writer involved in the issues of his craft, his milieu, and his soul. Moreover, one can see the record of his maturation in critical essays, political tracts, biographies, and letters to family and friends. What Stevenson lacks, especially for the tastes of this age, is specificity and expertise: he has not the depth of such writers as John Ruskin, Walter Pater, or William Morris. But he was a shrewd observer of humankind, and his essays reveal his lively and perspicacious mind. Though he lacked originality, he created a rapport with the reader, who senses his enthusiastic embrace of life and art. If Stevenson at first wrote like one who only skimmed the surface of experience, by the end of his life he was pa ssionately committed to his adopted land of Samoa, to his own history, and to the creation of his fiction. Robert Louis Stevenson was born to Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson in Edinburgh on 13 November 1850. From the beginning he was sickly. Through much of his childhood he was attended by his faithful nurse, Alison Cunningham, known as Cummy in the family circle. She told him morbid stories about the Covenanters (the Scots Presbyterian martyrs), read aloud to him Victorian penny-serial novels, Bible stories, and the Psalms, and drilled the catechism into him, all with his parents' approval. Thomas Stevenson was quite a storyteller himself, and his wife doted on their only child, sitting in admiration while her precocious son expounded on religious dogma. Stevenson inevitably reacted to the morbidity of his religious education and to the stiffness of his family's middle-class values, but that rebellion would come only after he entered Edinburgh University. The juvenilia that survives from his childhood shows an observer who was already sensitive to religious issues and Scottish history. Not surprisingly, the boy who listened to Cummy's religious tales first tried his hand at retelling Bible stories: "A History of Moses" was followed by "The Book of Joseph." When Stevenson was sixteen his family published a pamphlet he had written entitled The Pentland Rising, a recounting of the murder of Nonconformist Scots Presbyterians who rebelled against their royalist persecutors.

Importance of Understanding Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Essay

Culture is defined â€Å"as a set of values, practices, traditions or beliefs a group shares, whether due to age, race or ethnicity, religion or gender† (Mayhew, 2014). Diversity is â€Å"the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation† (2014). Diversity in the workplace refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. It can include gender, age, personality, background, race, ethnic group, and much more. It doesn’t just include how people see themselves but how they see others as well and this affect how they act in a work environment. Some of the issues companies have to deal with are communication, adaptability and change. Embracing diversity and accepting and appreciating the differences means individual strengths and weaknesses can be understood and factored into building workplace teams. Recognizing and appreciating cultural differences is only the tip of the iceberg. Subordinate group attitudes that have developed over time may cause them to be defensive. It is necessary to work towards bridging the gap between dominant and subordinate groups to help them to communicate better. Managers and leaders need to step out of their comfort levels and develop knowledge of cultural differences and be sensitive to the fact that there are diversity issues. If you establish relationships at work with people who are different than you, you start to learn about the talent and knowledge that diverse culture can add to your company. Most hospitals have come to the realization that people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, genders, as well as religions, bring with them different values and perspectives. Managers have to make sure that top priority is given to  patient care. If there are misunderstandings between employees related to culture, ethnicity, or gender, it will eventually affect patient care. It is the managers’ duty to keep in mind that it is important to make the hospital unit as diverse as possible but making sure there is also a balance. â€Å"Fortunately, attitudes are changing. Nursing managers in hospitals must creating workplace and educational programs to help nurses overcome discriminatory feelings they may consciously or unconsciously hold toward colleagues or patients.† (Rob & Douglas, 2004) . If there are diverse groups in the unit, there are a number of nurses who think differently and have a different way of looking at patients and their needs. Therefore there is a better chance that patient’s needs will be tended to. Being a lefty for a day is a challenge that left handed people endure on a daily basis. Tasks such as opening a bottle of wine, using a wall mounted pencil sharpener, and turning the pages of a book were all rather difficult. Daily tasks that we don’t think twice about become r a daunting mountain to climb. My mom is a left-handed so in addition to my own experience, I asked her what she has gone through since she was born a lefty. She told me that her mom, my grandmother, would always yell at her for using her left hand to write and do day to day tasks. When my mom would do her homework with her left hand, my grandmother would threaten her and make her use her right hand. Her reason was that left handed people are not â€Å"smart.† In today’s modern day and age, we know and understand that is not the case. â€Å"Forcing a left-handed to be right-handed causes reduced activity in the dominant right hemisphere and increase activity in the non-dominant side. Since creativity and imagination are dominant parts of right brain, they will remain under-developed and the left-side of the brain sees increased activity that deals with reality, facts and logic, characteristics that are opposite of the person’s true potential† (Abbasi, 2011). Forcing people therefore tends to make them slower and do not reach their potential in life. It does seem being a lefty in a right handed world is a very big disadvantage. However, lefty’s do learn to adapt to doing things with both hands making them ambidextrous. So, in the end they gained something, rather than losing something. References Chron. (2007, May 4). Examples of Cultural Differences in the Workplace. Retrieved From the Chron small business website: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-cultural-differences-workplace-11494.html Reason before Passion. (2011, August 8). Never force left-handed child to be right-handed. Retrieved from the Reason before Passion website: http://wasioabbasi.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/never-force-left-handed-child-to-be-right-handed/

Leadership and Supervision Issues in Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea Essay

Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea describes the tragic final voyage of the Nantucket-based whaler Essex in 1820. The Essex was a floating factory, a comparatively small but sturdy vessel designed to travel great distances to find, kill, and process whales, thus yielding the extremely valuable whale oil and other products. In the Heart of the Sea also describes a series of errors, mishaps and miscalculations—often with fatal results—in the management, leadership and supervision of the enterprise. These events, despite the distance in time, provide scenarios to compare and contrast present-day concepts of leadership and supervision. The story of the Essex illustrates numerous instances of (a) poor planning before and during the journey, (b) poor staffing decisions before and during the journey, (c) indecisive and/or poor leadership and (d) poor supervision which contributed to the difficult journey, the sinking of the Essex and the horrible aftermath. Typical of the practices of the era and locale, Essex was captained, but not owned and provisioned, by a sailor-officer who had risen through the ranks. This would be the first command voyage of Captain George Pollard, Jr. By all accounts he had successfully risen to First Mate of the Essex on previous voyages and was given captaincy when the former captain was given a newer and larger vessel. Unfortunately he inherited a worn ship soon to be out of commission. Accordingly the owners spent as little as possible on repairs of the vessel and even less on provisions for the multi-year cruise. There is no indication Pollard had any input in either decision. As this was his first command he was likely to remain in his employers’ good graces and refrain from insisting on better repairs and outfitting. To further compound these initial as well as future problems was the wage payment structure in which Pollard and the crew were essentially working on commission. Payment to officers and seamen alike would be a portion based on rank and seniority paid only if the valuable whale oil was safely in port. Other experienced captains had the ability and option to add to the original provisions. Pollard either decided to set sail despite the meager provisions or was unable to supplement them by his own means. This system strongly contrasts to management practices of the day as well as contemporary practices. Owner-operated businesses were not at all uncommon in the era with a strong â€Å"hands-on† style of leadership. Most striking would be the owner-operated vessels with a captain well-versed on ship maintenance and outfitting. Obviously today anyone would be considered naive at best and insane at worst to take on such a logistical task of any sort without having been given decision-making authority. Today even with companies having distant or publicly held ownership the leadership and decision-makers of the company are urged to â€Å"buy into† the company in the sense of making decisions and leading in a manner consistent with actual ownership. If Pollard can be excused to some extent for the poor decision-making at home port, the disastrous lack of planning during his maiden voyage is his burden alone. After almost loosing his ship virtually at the onset of the voyage he is either unable or incapable of tactical or strategic planning when the Essex is destroyed. With a previously damaged vessel prudence would dictate some sort of â€Å"disaster plan† short of a belief that lightening will not strike the same place twice. While the Essex was sinking it was the foresight of others who managed to salvage essential items. Some decisions defied common sense. Instead of cooking and preparing a substantial amount of available turtle meat he simply placed two live turtles with each surviving whaleboat. Perhaps Pollard did not think the unthinkable could happen again. Such planning and preparedness is not something novel, for his era or ours. It is simply the ability to survive the unexpected and the wisdom to learn from it. Contemporary leadership in management, government, and virtually any other field must be prepared for the unexpected. The unexpected and the disastrous will certainly occur, usually when least expected. It then also becomes a learning experience for leadership to plan and think for the â€Å"unplanned and unthinkable†. Consistent with the idea of poor or non-existent planning was the Nantucket concept of staffing vessels with the unskilled. Pollard’s ship was manned by a significant number of â€Å"sailors† who had never lived in Nantucket nor experienced life on a whaler. Other â€Å"sailors† included inexperienced Nantucket youngsters anxious for their first cruise as well as officers sailing in newly-promoted ranks. It was expected of Pollard and his officers to essentially conduct on-the-job training for the unskilled staff. However, once again, if Pollard can be excused for having to deal with something out of his control, the staffing decisions made during the disaster were his alone. Most glaring was the decision regarding the placement of the survivors in what would become their lifeboats. No consideration was given to skill, ability or health. Instead, it was a system based on whether a sailor was black or white, Nantucketer or not. Apprenticeships and on-the-job training are time-honored practices dating back centuries and still valid today. Both systems are based on both a lengthy or at least sufficient period of time and a non-critical or at least supervised situation. The apprentice or OJT worker will make mistakes and is given the opportunity to make them and learn from them in a controlled situation. Once skilled, the staffing pattern must be developed to maintain whatever production or quality standard is to be met. In an emergency situation such decisions must be made by leadership without being distracted by pointless issues of race, class, or place of birth. Again, Pollard can be shielded to some extent by the customs and practices of his day. Contemporary leaders have no such excuse. Decision-making is often made in the lonely vacuum of sole command, something that Pollard, at times, was unable or willing to do. â€Å"Leadership by consensus† was not something he learned, but he did indeed practice. Additionally, indecision is in fact a decision, and one that eats time. After the initial near-fatal keeling of his ship Pollard commits both errors: he abdicates sole leadership, procrastinates, reverses himself, and by trying to lead by consensus ultimately leads his ship to disaster. Again, forces work against Pollard. To turn back with a damaged empty ship would result in no wages and possibly a loss of command. By deciding to continue the voyage with a damaged ship, lost provisions, and lost whaleboats Pollard was not talking a calculated risk, he was essentially dooming his ship and crew to disaster. Modern management case studies abound with the disastrous stories of managers failing to decide and having that â€Å"activity† yield worse results than a bad decision. Most missions are time-critical and while many, if not most missions can have a built-in method of correcting erroneous decisions there is no method for reversing time lost in indecision. The texts are equally full of the horror stories of leaders who take the â€Å"ahead at all costs† attitude without a realistic appraisal of whether their â€Å"ship† can handle the journey. This inevitably results in the learned experience that â€Å"profitability at all costs† is very unprofitable. After the sinking of the Essex a variety of decisions were made, some based on common sense, or lack of same, and others based on the nautical knowledge of the time. Perhaps the most glaring was the decision to allow the surviving whaleboats to operate in an individual fashion, without tying together during the night. While a questionable seafaring decision, it casts some light on broader contemporary issues. During critical situations, whether a production run or a full-scale emergency it is common sense and a practical necessity to maintain communication and command. Failure to maintain either can jeopardize the personnel and the mission. In the Heart of the Sea is filled with numerous examples of poor supervision. From the very onset there is no indication Pollard really supervised the repair and provisioning of his vessel; it all likelihood he delegated a great deal of this responsibility to his First and Second Mate. There is no indication he did a thorough, hands-on investigation of his damaged vessel after the initial near-sinking. Once whaling he was out in a whaleboat, as was the custom, instead of being in a position on deck to supervise all of the events that would unfold. There is no indication he personally undertook a surveillance of Henderson Island to determine if it could sustain the crew, or in the alternative, if it could better provision the survivors on their continued voyage. During many of the catastrophic events Pollard seemed overwhelmed and incapacitated by the situation. He was unable to command and supervise what can only be described as life-threatening or life-saving activity unfolding in front of him. Once all was lost he decided to allow the boats to go their own way, and was unable to maintain the supervision of survivors when that was his most critical duty. Throughout the disastrous journey the questionable command of Pollard is and will be debated. What is certain is there was considerable doubt at the time that he exercised the decision-making responsibilities in a prudent manner. The captain of a ship and the leader of a corporation must be able to face a situation, whether mundane or critical, and make very quick and decisive actions. First and foremost is the decision of whether to take a â€Å"hands on† approach or delegate responsibility. There is no easy or set answer, and either method can be disastrous, if a leader usurps a subordinate’s better command of a situation or if responsibility is delegated to someone incapable of handling the situation. However, the command of a ship is unique and very similar to many organizational situations in that the leader at the very top is expected to be well-versed and capable of every function in the entire organization. If that is not the case, then the leader must have a clear understanding of his personal abilities and limitations as well as that of all of the subordinates in the chain of command. Throughout the narratives and accounts which the book is comprised of there is mention of, and no doubt that the captain knew his ship better than anyone. However, it became very obvious at the onset that his knowledge of his and his officers’ capabilities was suspect. At only one point was Pollard described as acting with the authority and decisiveness normally required of a ship’s captain. He quickly and ferociously responded to an early â€Å"protest† by the crew relating to what they considered poor rations. His outburst and threatened action quelled the protest and certainly left the crew with no doubt of his intent. However, what is missing is the not-unusual comments and attitude from crewmen indicating complete respect of their captain and their willingness to follow his commands, regardless of outcome, because of their knowledge of him and his ability. It is imperative upon leaders to not just know their workplace, but to know their staff. It is not enough to â€Å"go ballistic† once in a while to let the staff know what will happen if something is discovered amiss or in response to what behavior is not to be tolerated. Command through intimidation is foolhardy; what is necessary of leadership is to prove competency to staff and subordinates to the point where there is no doubt there is respect in the leader’s ability. At that point leadership becomes â€Å"natural† if and when the staff and subordinates believe the leadership will in fact lead, but do so in a manner that takes into account the well-being, if not survival, of all. In modern society â€Å"survival† is often economic survival, and depending on the organization or industry economic survival must be paramount in management’s priorities. Pollard lost on both counts; the voyage was a complete economic disaster and resulted in the deaths of the majority of his crew. The journey was a voyage of poor planning, staffing, decision-making and supervision. It is an epic of missed opportunities and unrealistic goals. It is a blueprint for any manager or leader in what not to do. Leadership cannot afford to be unprepared in any of the areas noted above. Each interact and influence the other, often in ways unanticipated and noted only too late. It is easy, but very necessary to look at situations with twenty-twenty hindsight if lessons are to be learned and errors prevented in the future. There is a host of what-if questions presented by In the Heart of the Sea which every leader should take to heart.