Campus Wide Proposal For Fayette County Community Action...

Smoking Suspension Campus wide proposal for Fayette County Community Action Agency (FCCAA) The mission of Fayette County Community Action Agency is to strengthen individuals and families to become more self-sufficient, achieving their potential by taking advantage of opportunities, improving the conditions in which they live, and taking ownership of their community. The Agencies Mission statement makes a commitment to the well-being of the customers, residents, employees and business partners. The agencies staff and partners are dedicated to helping people help themselves, help each other, and enhance the community s quality of life. With the impending HUD policy applicable to Public Housing Agencies, and the federal Governments†¦show more content†¦Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate the exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.† It should be noted that there is no current written smoking policy included in the lease agreements of Community Action residential facilities. In part because of this overwhelming evidence the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is in the final stages of implementing a smoking policy. This proposed rule would require each public housing agency (PHA) to implement a smoke-free policy. â€Å"Specifically, this rule proposes that no later than 18 months from the effective date of the final rule, each PHA must implement a smoke-free policy for all public housing indoor areas. The policy must also extend to all outdoor areas up to 25 feet from the housing and administrative office buildings. HUD proposes implementation of smoke-free public housing to improve indoor air quality in the housing, benefit the health of public housing residents and PHA staff, reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, and lower overall maintenance costs. With the extensive campus and complex implementation problems this proposal suggests a policy that would cover the entire campus, all owned or leased property, should become smoke free for the consumers, residents, the employees and the community at large. This policy will be particularly important for residents in our supportiveShow MoreRelated_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 PagesIowa, concentrated on statistics, computer programming, psychometrics, and test development. Currently, he divides his duties between teaching and evaluation; in addition to teaching, he is the assessment facilitator for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Community Schools. In his spare time he enjoys reading and hiking. He and his wife have a daughter, Anna, who is a graduate student in Civil Engineering at Cal Tech. JAY DEVORE earned his undergraduate degree in Engineering Science from the University of California

Essay on A Philosophy of the Impersonal - 5155 Words

For a Philosophy of the Impersonal 1. Never more than today is the notion of person the unavoidable reference for all discourses, be they philosophical, political, or juridical in nature, that assert the value of human life as such. Leaving aside differences in ideology as well as specifically staked-out theoretical positions, no one doubts the relevance of the category of person or challenges it as the unexamined and incontrovertible presupposition of every possible perspective. This tacit convergence with regard to the category of person is especially obvious in a hotly debated field like bioethics. Truth be told, the debate between Catholics and secularists turns on the precise moment at which a living being can be considered a†¦show more content†¦This thesis, which appears most frequently in the recent work of Stefano Rodotà   (S. Rodotà  , 2006) and Luigi Ferrajoli (L. Ferrajoli, 2001), is that the renewed value awarded the category of person lies in the fact that only it is able to bridge the differ ence that is established between the concept of man and that of citizen, one formed at the very inception of the Modern State. This difference-- as Hannah Arendt argued in the immediate postwar period (H. Arendt, 1996) -- is born from the exclusive attachment to nation or territory (particolaristico) that characterizes the category of citizen, where citizen is understood as a member of a given national community and therefore not to be extended to every man as such. The idea was that only a concept that was potentially universal, like person, would allow for the strengthening and expanding of the fundamental rights of every human being. Its here then that we find the calls made over a vast cultural front, to move away from the limited notion of citizen (or individual) to the more general one of person -- as Martha Nussbaum has recently argued (M. Nussbaum, 2002). It is a formulation that a large part of contemporary philosophy has accepted in different guises. Turning to more theoretical work, one finds the same movement of ideas. Reflections on personal identity -- and hence the renewed interest in the category of person -- constitute one of the rare points ofShow MoreRelatedElbow And Bartholomae Rhetoric Essay797 Words   |  4 Pagesundergraduate studies are. Bartholomae believes that in teaching academic writing, the teacher must steer the relationship, correcting and perfecting the students writing. His definition of what academic writing should be includes a very serious, and impersonal stance. He wants the student to separate themselves from their experiences and culture in order to truly perfect their academic writing. He promotes a more isolated approach to academic writing than Elbow, a more detail oriented approach. BartholomaeRead MoreIs Science Rational? Essay1526 Words   |  7 Pagesor impersonal; â€Å"personal† meaning relative to the individual and â€Å"impersonal† meaning evidence for one indiv idual is evidence for all people. â€Å"In science, evidence is used in the impersonal sense† whether anyone knows it to be or not (Snyder 467). However, this ideal is not necessarily true when applied to science. Not all research is conducted in exactly the same way; with an infinite number of variables it would be unrealistic and irrational to claim that science is entirely impersonal. AlthoughRead More My Philosophy of Education Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophy of Education If I had to pick one view that is most compatible with my own view and learning and teaching it would have to be Constructivism. If I got to choose another one I would go with Cognitive. Constructivism is a view that focuses on the active role of the learner and a Cognitive view sees learning as an active mental process of receiving, remembering, and using knowledge. Both of these views see the role of students as an active role; an involved role. I believe that weRead MoreThe Reality Of Time And Space1304 Words   |  6 Pagesabstract title, A Place Beyond Time may at first glance appear to properly relate time as a tangent notion with space. Upon further contemplation, however, it becomes patent that A Place Beyond Time possesses a conspicuous absence present in its philosophy of aloofness from intangibility. And although the name of the course attempts to tackle and manifest the complications of abstract and concrete time, it is through its lack of definition and precision, l ack of possession, and lack of sensation ofRead MoreThe Anti Semitism1505 Words   |  7 Pagesfinancial worry. At the University of Berlin, Simmel studied philosophy and history and received his PHD. At this point in history Sociology wasn’t acknowledged yet but was quickly taking shape. In 1881 after receiving his degree Simmel taught philosophy, psychology, and early sociology at the same university in which he attended in Berlin. His dissertation on the philosophy of Kant gained a prize; the thesis he wrote was also on the same philosophy. Simmel continued to work over the next 15 years whilstRead MoreGlobalisation: a Study of Traditional Communities in Change Essay1439 Words   |  6 Pagesachieved status based on clear, specific and relatively unchanging roles without role conflict; strong faith in traditional institutions, values and sanctions. The latter is seen as demonstrating the opposite of the features: it means large-scale, impersonal contractual relationship s that encourage mobility and heterogeneity; challenging traditional authority; and invoking rational-legal authority. Nostalgia is being expressed for the loss of community accompanying globalization and the resultant wavesRead MoreReflective Journal of What I have Learned in Class738 Words   |  3 Pagespossible ways to interpret a question, to think laterally, to think not just in linear or convergent ways, to see multiple answers, not one.† 3. Development of universal elementary school (until 1800s) †¢ It became more secular †¢ Formal and impersonal †¢ Relied on rote memorization †¢ Large no. of student taught by one teacher †¢ Harsh discipline †¢ Popularity ended in mid 1800s 4. Revival of Learning †¢ Thomas Aquinas- worked to reform the education system He was the one who differentiatedRead MoreThe Pluralistic View : Is Jesus The Only Savior?1084 Words   |  5 Pagescontained in the Gospel and unless he or she exercises explicit faith in Jesus Christ. Since the early 1970s, Hick has been the vanguard of the rapidly developing pluralist perspective producing one of the most sophisticated and influential pluralist philosophies of world religions currently available. Hick explains his own interpretation this way: â€Å"There is not merely one way but a plurality of ways of salvation or liberation†¦taking place in different ways within the contexts of all the great religiousRead MoreThe Role Of Religions In Continual Opposition Around The World1447 Words   |  6 Pagespersonal creator or God (Ishvara) who controlled the eternal destiny of human souls. Hinduism also known as Brahman believes that there is one supreme, impersonal reality called Brahman. Brahman is the source of all things, but is not a personal creator. Brahman is, rather, the divine essence of all that exists. Brahman is the belief of impersonal, eternal, and beyond all human comprehension. Countries do things differently based on Religious beliefs not Universal Ethical Standards. The common EthicsRead MoreChristian Schools And Its Impact On The Development Of The Community871 Words   |  4 PagesChristian schools play a vital role in the development of the community and the students that make up the body. The Christian church has often seen philosophy as a roadblock to understanding our true purpose as humans and not a tool for learning what that purpose is. Philosophy is our response to every area of life, because through philosophy we investigate the truths and principles of being. Apostle Paul wrote two letter to the Thessalonians in which he was concerned about their receptivity

Dttls Assignment free essay sample

Unit 4: Theories and principles for planning and enabling learning In modern day teaching, the onus is shifting further and further away from teacher dictated methods of educational delivery, to methods that ensure the learner is placed at the heart of teaching, and every individual within the classroom is considered and catered for. Advances in technology available to teachers has contributed to a broadening of teaching styles, but this has mainly come about through the need to differentiate teaching more effectively and break down the barriers that exist between teacher and learner. Engaging every learner is a difficult task and requires the teacher to have a plethora of knowledge of teaching methods and theories. Learners may differ in terms of age, gender, ability level, communication skills, confidence, learning styles and many other factors. The job of the teacher is to ensure these factors do not hinder individual learning and that success and achievement within the group is widespread and at a high level. Planning and implementing learning is paramount to this process. To effectively plan and deliver to diverse and varied groups of students, teachers can draw upon a number of teaching theories and principles put forward by educational academics. Theories of teaching and behaviour are themselves, in general, varied and diverse in the way they approach the dissemination of learning and the bringing about of desired responses. Similarly, different theories of communication have been put forward that document methods through which we as teachers can effectively converse with our students. All of these theories can provide a vital insight or tool for teachers to improve their practice and ultimately promote inclusive learning for all students. Many examples of different teaching theories are evident across academic literature. Examples of these include Classical and Operant conditioning, Kolb’s learning cycle, Gagnes 9 events of instruction, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Knowles’ Pedagogical and Andragogical approaches. An example of a communication theory is Berne’s (1970) transactional analysis. It is concerned with ensuring that control and understanding occurs through ommunication between groups or individuals. Berne believes that transactional analysis represents â€Å"a theory of social intercourse and used it to help people understand and improve their behaviour towards others† (Huddleston Unwin, 1997, p115). This theory also suggests that communicating effectively will directly impact on success, motivation work rate and be haviour through increased understanding of the nature and demands of a task or the content of the message itself that is being communicated. If we also also consider the effectiveness of communication in the classroom and relating theoretical concepts, i. e. ehaviourist and humanistic theories, these have some distinct differences which affect greatly the approaches and techniques adopted by teachers. Behaviourist theories suggest all behaviour is ‘learned’ or that these theories bring about a recognisable ‘change’ in behaviour (Armitage, 2003). Examples of Behavioural theorists include Pavlov (Classical conditioning), Thorndike (Operant conditioning), Skinner and in terms of early behaviourist studies, Watson. These theorists along with others have over the past 100 years put forward a number of different behaviourist theories that are concerned with changing or ‘conditioning’ behaviour. Classical conditioning was pioneered by Pavlov who looked at learning by association. His famous study involved the use of dogs as a medium to facilitate associative learning. Pavlov rang a bell every time a dog was to receive food, the presence of food elicited a saliva response from the dog, which over time it associated with the sound of the bell. After a period of time, the stimulus of food was no longer produced, but the dog continued to salivate at the sound of a bell, as it now ‘associated’ this behaviour with the onset of a meal. Classical conditioning essentially elicits a reflex and an association is formed (Artmitage, 2003; www. learning-theories. com). Operant conditioning is a theory put forward by Thorndike. This theory waits for a desired behaviour to occur and then rewards it. It builds somewhat on the work done by Watson regarding trial and error learning. Perhaps the most prominent or influential behaviourist work is that done by Skinner. Skinner adopted an operant approach to behaviourism and famously conducted experiment using rats in specially designed boxes. Skinner’s ideas revolved around the presence of a reinforcer to cause a desired behaviour to be repeated. This could be in the form of a primary reinforcer (a basic need like food) or a secondary reinforcer (such as money or praise). In the case of his rats, Skinner effectively trained them to pull certain levers to release food. Initially, the release was accidental but after a while, the rats learned to associate the arrival of food with the pressing of a lever. Skinners work revolved heavily around the need for reinforcement, reward, punishment and feedback. The scheduling and delivery of these things was also important to Skinner who suggested the timing of something like a reward was paramount to its success at brining about long term changes in behaviour. Similarly, he suggested giving punishment should occur immediately after the event in question and in a consistent manner. Also, it was skinner who introduced the concept of successive approximations – small steps towards a desired behaviour (Artmitage, 2003; www. learning-theories. com). Humanistic theories of learning are much more concerned with the individual themselves than the behaviour. Maslow identified a Hierarchy of Needs which he believed outlined the basic requirements of all individuals Figure 1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (www. talkingtails. files. wordpress. com) Both humanistic and behaviourist theories have a huge application in the delivery of teaching and learning. In the curriculum area of Public Services, evidence of the use of both theories is apparent across different subject areas. Operant conditioning is embedded widely across public service lessons. This occurs on many occasions where praise is used within a fitness session to reinforce good performance. Primary reinforcers are also often used, for example, excellence certificates sometimes act as a tangible reward for students who perform well in strenuous task such as fitness testing. When coaching exercise techniques in the gym, classical conditioning is used to develop the desired response of good form. For example, when learning to perform a squat, the learner must bend their knees to a 90 degree angle. This is taught by putting a bench under the learner so that when they feel their posterior touch the surface of the bench they know to begin the upward phase of the lift. At the point of touch, they will be encouraged to reverse the process. Over time, the bench is removed from the lift but the learner still remembers the motion. Punishment is often used to discourage certain behaviour. For example, at South Devon College if a student is rude in a lesson they are given a set amount of press ups to do. Whilst punishment is deemed less effective than a positive reinforcement strategy, the section have a consistent and department wide policy towards distributing press ups which contributes to making this a more effective way to manipulate behaviour. Humanistic approaches such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are also evident within the curriculum, looking at developing individuals through agendas such as Every Child Matters and through the departmental tutorial process. The teamwork and overall nature of the course is also a particularly effective medium for learners to progress through the top two stages (esteem and self actualisation) of the hierarchy. Inclusive practice is something that all teachers are ultimately striving for. Within the curriculum, inclusive practice is complicated by the both theoretical and practical element of the subject area. A teacher must look to facilitate learning for those who are academically able, practically gifted and also attempt to integrate the study of theory and practical to enhance learning as a whole. Computer based learning, for example, is common place on all courses, and although often difficult to facilitate in all subjects, such as outdoor activities, the needs of the learner and future employer is paramount. The Uniformed Public Services today use computer systems, including email, online study, and specific service systems such as Wotan, on a regular basis and so it is vital that learners are prepared for this. This also helps out those learners who may struggle with putting pen to paper. Much of what the Public Services do is very practical and so as much as possible I try to embed a practical way of delivering the course specification. For example, team building activities using equipment outdoors. This enables some learners to shine as they are more practically minded. However, an indoor table top scenario does the same job, but gives learners with different learning styles chance to shine. Linking theory to practice is related to another teaching theory put forward by Kolb (1984). Kolb’s Learning Theory Kolb’s theory is ‘based on the assumption that people learn best by doing things then thinking about how they have done them, considering both the thoughts, feelings and perceptions which emerged during the experience’ (Harkin et al. 200, p42). This makes the process of learning more efficient, relevant and enjoyable. It also promotes inclusive practice with all three learning styles (Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic) being catered for effectively. The nature of our learners has a significant influence on the techniques and theories we implement in the preparation and delivery of lessons. In my own teaching practice, I have exposure to both adult and child groups. This difference in age groups has a big impact in how I teach and communicate with these groups. This is linked to Knowles’ (1970) theory of Pedagogy and Andragogy. These two states relate to the differences associated with teaching these varying groups. Effective communication is required throughout all levels of teaching. Transactional analysis is strongly linked to communicating and giving feedback and reflects the way we use our voice (in terms of tone, pitch, volume and content) to relay information to our students. The way this is done will affect whether a student understands a task and understands the nature and direction of the feedback. Within pastoral support mechanisms, teachers often undertake one on one tutorial discussions with students. Depending on the situation and the learner, the teacher may adopt one of the 3 ego states (Parent, Adult, and Child) in order to most effectively converse with the student. The ego state may also change over the course of the tutorial process as the teacher gets to know the learner more. Within the classroom, communicating with learners in the form of feedback allow them to understand if they are being successful or not achieving and what they can do to improve. As teachers, it is essential we have the ability to adopt the correct ego status for the situation but also to consciously manipulate the interaction of ego states between teacher and learner. Doing this involves manipulating our own tone of voice and delivery of information and also encouraging certain behaviours and attitudes amongst our students to allow them to best understand what is being said to them. In Public Services, when feeding back to a student on their performance in a practical session, a teacher may look to switch between the adult and parent ego states to best deliver positive and negative comments to a learner. Currently I teach a subject that is well within my comfort zone, particularly as a serving member of Her Majesty’s Forces, where I can relate much of my teaching to my current role. However, I am acutely aware of the need to teach and develop my own core skills in literacy, numeracy, language and ICT. To progress in a career in the Public services, it is vital that these core skills are maximised. As mentioned previously, the ICT is developing in all aspects of our lives and as a teacher, I feel this is an aspect where I maximise my potential. My own literacy and language is adequate for the subject matter that I teach, but would be limited I believe if I were to teach another core subject. My use of voice and body language overcomes many of my shortfalls when addressing learners but may not be appropriate in other subjects. Numeracy is my weakest area and as such my teaching reflects this. As a teaching group we play to our individual strengths and so the subjects that I teach have limited numeracy base. However, this is an area that I am conscious of and it does need to be addressed. As a teacher, I teach across a range of courses from Level 1 to Level 5 and with groups ranging from 15 years old to adult learners. This necessitates that I employ a range of teaching strategies and adopt a range of learning theories to best accommodate for all my students. I feel one of my particular strengths is my adaptability to work effectively with these diverse groups and adopt different ego states through which to control these groups and facilitate their learning. Sub consciously, I feel for a long time I have been utilising many of the learning theories discussed in this assignment, however through recent further study I now feel much more confident and able to take what I perceive to be the most advantageous parts of these learning theories and implement them in my classroom. I believe a further strength of mine is to bring about certain behaviours or encourage those that are most appropriate within the classroom. Using operant conditioning ideology, I am quick to recognise and praise desired behaviour but am careful how and how often I deliver this reinforcement. Although I understand the limitations of punishment, I believe it has a place in the classroom and feel I am fairly competent at being consistent and fair with punishments/press ups. Feedback from learners is clearly an essential medium to assess one own teaching. With my adult learners I widely adopt a andragogical approach, allowing them a lot of freedom to learn in their own way. This is effective but often leads to a lack of feedback from learners in terms of how they are progressing and learning. I feel I could improve by embedding some more formative assessment methods into my andragogical style of teaching to allow for freedom within learning, but also actually more feedback for me from learners. This will ultimately help me see how they are doing, and also how I am doing in terms of teaching. For future development, I believe it is essential for me to continue to develop my use of Kolb’s ideas integrating theory into practice. This is something I believe to be essential, especially given the more practical/kinaesthetic orientation of the learners who study upon the course on which I teach. I also feel that I could benefit from more in depth investigation into the Skinner’s schedule of reinforcement linked to operant conditioning. I feel I am good at giving constructive praise but could improve by really analysing how I give feedback, especially in terms of frequency.

Skin Cancer and Expert Knowledge free essay sample

The danger of being hit by an oncoming vehicle is always present, but manageable by recalling safety advice like the popular safety advice â€Å"Stop, Look and Listen†. However, some risks are not always obvious and we are dependent upon different types of knowledge generated by experts to help reveal them, but sometimes this expert knowledge can be contested and interpreted by lay people in society. The aim of this report is to explore the claim that the role of expert knowledge is disputed between experts and the lay public and will do so by drawing on useful evidence to help support the claim. 2. What is meant by ‘risk’? The word risk refers to a state in which there is a possibility of known danger or harm, which if avoided may lead to benefits (Carter and Jordan, p. 59). To elaborate, here is an example that illustrates the definition of risk: †¢ Someone who rides a bicycle may be aware of the risk associated with manoeuvring through traffic alongside vehicles moving at fast speeds and manages the possibility through the use of hand signals and reflectors and lights. We will write a custom essay sample on Skin Cancer and Expert Knowledge or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They may also wear a helmet to reduce the risk of head injury. However, they also manage the risk by weighing it against the benefit of healthy exercise associated with cycling. . Risk Society Sociologist, Ulrich Beck (1989), is a very influential theorist in the debate of risk in the social sciences and his theory of risk society stresses that as we have made the transition from industrial society to contemporary society, we are also in a period of transition toward a ‘risk society’ where we are dependent upon expert knowledge to identify and outline risks that are sometimes beyond the direct powers of human perception (Carter and Jordan, p. 79). Beck uses the events of the Chernobyl disaster to illustrate his theory. Here are a few key points about his theory: †¢ Beck argues that the as the cloud of nuclear radiation that spread through Europe, people who lived in the ‘fallout’ zones were heavily dependent on the knowledge of experts to identify the risk. †¢ Within a risk society, personal experience not longer enough in order to judge danger or harm. †¢ However, while Beck’s theory highlights the publics need of expert knowledge to define risks and the possible danger it poses for them, one of his key concerns is that the role of expert knowledge goes on to cause worry and anxiety for us all. This theory of risk is very useful in exploring the claim that expert knowledge in managing and understanding risk is disputed, because we can apply it to numerous other examples of everyday material risk. 4. Evidence of risk in contemporary society There are a large number of examples of material risk in contemporary society that we can apply Beck’s theory to. Here are just two of them. 4. 1 Allotment Example This example or risk involves the soil of an allotment which was said to be poisoned, how with the use of scientific tests the soil was in fact safe, and uncertainties were created when a different body of expert knowledge revealed that the original tests demonstrated too much variation and so was contested. †¢ After a four year wait, Tim Jordan and his family were given an allotment close to their home in which they grew vegetables and happily ate them. However, they received a letter from the local authorities stating that the soil on the allotment was poisoned with lead and arsenic, and was therefore unsafe. After months of consultations, the local council sent off samples of the soil to multiple laboratories to get it analysed. The results of which tests deemed the levels of toxins in the soil to be low enough not to prove a threat to human health, and so normal gardening was resumed in the allotments. †¢ Jordan and his family decided to give up the allotment because ex pert knowledge in the field of science was reliant on assumptions about the soil and they were uncertain of the risks posed by the poisoned soil. But the validity of the scientific tests was questioned by the UK Government’s environmental agency (EA) who claimed that the results of the tests were questionable because the tests seem to find differing levels of toxins, and so the EA submitted the same samples to nine laboratories in the UK and Wales, to one in the USA, and one in the Netherlands. The results they produced demonstrated enough variation between the laboratories to suggest that such tests may be underestimating the poisons. By applying the fundamental points of Beck’s risk theory to this example, we can see that expert knowledge did in fact bring the risk of poison in the soil to the attention of the public, but also it also shows that while scientific expertise identified the potential danger to human health, it was also contested by a different body of scientific knowledge. 4. 2 Sun tanning example In this example, we examine how the lay public interpret medical advice using personal experiences and cultural practices in order to make sense of the risk involved in sun tanning. This case study was conducted as part of a larger study funded by the Medical Research Council, with respondents aged between 20 and 35 years old and it is important to note that they were from Glasgow, a city where exposure to the sun is often a rarity. †¢ The respondents could all easily recall medical advice about exposure to the sun, but measured it against the notion of a healthy tan. †¢ Many of the respondents explained that by getting a tan they looked and felt healthier in themselves. The sun can be begin to see that the effects the sun’s rays have on the body are both a source of material risk, from cancers, and a symbolic risk, such as being pale and unhealthy looking (Carter and Jordan, p. 76). This example shows how expert knowledge in the form of medical advice tells us to keep our skin covered so as to prevent exposure from the sun that could cause skin cancer, and how this is interpreted by society using the cultural practice of booking holidays and ho w they balance the material risk of skin cancer with the symbolic risk of getting a tan in order to look and eel healthier. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, risk is all around us in our material lives, but through the use of expert knowledge that is mediated to us in a variety of different ways and helps us to shape our understanding of risk, we are better able to negotiate how to avoid it. In looking at Beck’s theory, risk society, we can also see that expert knowledge is depended upon to bring risks that are not obvious into society consciousness, but at the same time expert knowledge can also be a great cause of worry and anxiety. Lastly, the way that the public reinterpret exert knowledge through personal and cultural practices, like balancing the idea of poisoned soil with health benefits of growing their own organic vegetable, or balancing the material risk of getting skin cancer from prolonged exposure to the sun with the symbolic risk of getting a healthy tan so that they look and feel healthier suggests that although we know and are able to recall simplified messages conveyed by experts, sometimes we don’t always follow it to the letter. Therefore, we can see that the role of expert knowledge in understanding in managing risk is far from straight forward and is disputed. 6. References Carter, S, and Jordan, T. (2009) ‘Living with risk and risky living’ in Bromley, S. , Clarke, J. , Hinchliffe, S. , and Taylor. (eds) Exploring Social Lives, Milton Keynes, The Open University. ‘A risky world? ’ (2009) Exploring Social Lives [Audio CD 1], Milton Keynes, The Open University. Self Reflection How are you managing your time and coping with the study schedule? Generally I am managing my time by planning my studies around my work commitments and it appears to be working fairly well. I am also coping with the study schedule quite well although I do feel that I could spend more time on making notes that help to jog my memory if I get a little confused with subjects within the module materials.

Destiny in Naturalism Essay Example

Destiny in Naturalism Paper This corner stone of the genre is used to great effect in Nathaniel Hawthorns Young Goodman Brown, where the author exploits the evil of man to display this key feature of literary Naturalism, that of destiny, by Juxtaposing the reality of the seemingly devout puritans of Salem with the veiled truth behind their double lives. We are first Introduced to Young Goodman Brown In a typical, realist way; with the minor details that culminate In an accurate depiction of the way day to day life Is for the middle class protagonist and his wife. With Hawthorne ever-present use of foreshadowing however, the reader Is at once thrust Into the world of naturalism with the mention of Browns wife Faiths pink ribbons. This vivid symbol serves throughout the work to remind the reader of Faiths goodness, and yet, in the end, serves to display that however good she might have been, Faith is destined for something darker. As Faith begs her husband not to leave her on his Journey, the good and pure wife senses, if not knows, that something foul awaits her dear husband at the end of his travels. We will write a custom essay sample on Destiny in Naturalism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Destiny in Naturalism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Destiny in Naturalism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This collocation, upon inspection, alludes to the vile that lurks beneath the rather benign fade of our Just-begun story. As Goodman Brown Journeys on his way we are introduced to a character that bears striking resemblance to Brown. In their conversation Brown learns of the intimate nature In which his new companion Is acquainted with his family. As his fellow traveler speaks of his experiences with Browns family, the old man talks of some less than favorable events that he has undertaken with Browns father and grandfather. Pone learning of these events, Goodman Brown replies, We are a people of prayer, and good works, to boot, and abide no such wickedness (1200). This recall of his families past hints of Browns eventual fate and speaks to the life he is destined to lead. Though he believes he is of right and good lineage, he in fact is not. As the two continue their conversation, we find that Brown has changed his mind, and that the evil purpose (1 199), which he was set out on his Journey to accomplish, is no longer something he intends to complete. From this short distance into the story we see the force of destiny so heavily pulling on our main characters life: though he has decided that he shall not continue, It Is as If something stronger Han he, something not of this world Is yet pulling him towards his eventual fate. As Brown Is bldg move further along toward his destination by his elder guide, strange occurrences begin to pass. These unexplainable events, which perhaps happen only In our Young Goodman Browns mina, are textbook supernatural, Ana serve to underscore the dubbing of this short work of fiction as Naturalist. The pull of destiny is no where seen more vivid than in Young Goodman Browns realization deep in the forest that his beloved wife is going, the same night, to the same place that he has thus decided not to go. Bewildered and faint-hearted, Brown looks up to the night sky above to see a cloud, though no wind was stirring, hurried across the zenith, hid(inning) the brightening stars (1203). As this troublesome sight sweeps north in the direction he is supposed to be headed, he watches and listens and inexplicably enough hears the voices of his fellow towns people of Salem, and finally, to his horror, his cherished Faiths lamenting voice. As the cloud and the voices sweep away, down from above flutters a lone pink ribbon. This otherworldly occurrence points directly to the foregone conclusion that is Young Goodman Browns fife. His destiny is so etched in stone that even his marriage to such a good and pure woman cannot keep him from the indomitable evil that so unabashedly seeks his soul. As Brown realizes that his Faith is now on her way to the same place he was going, and that his faith in the good of humanity is eroded, he gives in to the forces of destiny saying, My Faith is gone. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil! For to the is this world given (1204). When Brown finally reaches his destination and wholly realizes what he has come o partake in, a dark figure stands up before all that are gathered and begins to speechify to him and his wife about their fellow towns people; those that they believed they knew so well. There are all whom ye have reverenced from youth. Ye deemed them holier than yourselves, and shrank from your own sin, contrasting it with their lives of righteousness, and prayerful aspirations heavenward. Yet, here are they all, in my worshipping assembly! This night it shall be granted you to know their secret deeds; how hoary-bearded elders of the church have whispered wanton words o the young maids of their households; how many a woman, eager for widows weeds, has given her husband a drink at bed-time, and let him sleep his last sleep in her bosom; how beardless youths have made haste to inherit their fathers wealth; and how fair damsels?blush not sweet ones! ?have dug little graves in the garden, and bidden me, the sole guest, to an infants funeral (1206). These horrifying revelations, displaying the true nature of the people whom Brown and Faith live among in Salem, is yet another efficacious display of Hawthorns liberate use of destiny as it was described by his fellow Naturalist writers. Believing that they were surrounded by other devout puritan souls, the couple lived their lives as they were taught they should, never suspecting that their fate was so perilously chained to the unseen acts of evil that were daily transpiring around them. Their destiny was to fall into collusion with their deceivingly good neighbors, not to follow their counterfeit virtuous ways however, but alas to follow their vile, iniquitous ways. Yet all the while, as they followed like the good and pure that they strove to be, Young Goodman Brown and his dear sweet Faith were following that which was diametrically opposed to the life of a right and honorable puritan. Just as the pull of destiny was so pervasive in Young Goodman Browns life, so was the same force strongly seen in the life of the stories author. Nathaniel Hawthorne is today consolable one AT Americas greatest writers, Ana It seems Tanat en was always destined to be so. From childhood the pull of the written word began weaving its ways through Hawthorns life when at the age of nine, a ball playing accident left him lame for fourteen months. Released from regular schooling, he immersed himself in the familys books (Goggling). Just the same, destiny was showing its weight when Hawthorne graduated Bowdon College with classmates that would become lifelong friends: his most intimate companion Horopito Bridge (who would help arrange publication of his first book), Henry Headwords Longfellow (who would review it), and Franklin Pierce (who would become President of the United States and appoint Hawthorne consul to Liverpool) (Goggling) all of these acquaintances favored heavily in Hawthorns eventual success as a writer. Naturalism in literature has any varied characteristics, but I believe none of them to be as important as the force of destiny on the characters of the given story. Weaving a tale that pulls the reader in is a hard task to master, but with destiny in a writers pocket, captivating an audience is much easier to achieve. Letting the reader in on the secret, that which the character of the story is not aware, gives the reader a sense of ownership in the unfolding plot. It is as if the reader can see into the future, to the end of story, without actually having yet gone there. As is the case in Young Goodman Brown, we he reader knows something wicked this way comes; we know this almost from the outset. Hawthorne even goes so far as to compare and contrast in the most vivid way possible the lives of good the towns people of Salem seem to live with the shocking truth that underneath it all, these devout puritans are, in actuality, living lives more inline with the dark of the devil. Yet knowing what we know, we are unable to tear ourselves away from the text because we are now tied to the destiny of the character. As the French proverb says, One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it.

5 Simple Questions To Stay Focused On What Matters

5 Simple Questions To Stay Focused On What Matters If you asked me what the most important core principal at was, I would probably tell you that its our ability to stay focused. This means staying 100% focused on what matters most to our company, customers, and product- no matter what. Of course, this is a learned skill and definitely, easier said than done. When you work in a company with a lot of creative people, there are always a ton of ideas popping up. There is also the temptation to continually chase down those new ideas and make them a reality. After all, were a startup, right? But, chasing down our whims would take us out of focus, and that would be a bad thing for everyone. 5 Simple Questions That Will Help You #StayFocused On What MattersHow We Stay Focused At †¦ Around our office, you’ll hear the phrase â€Å"that’s a thing we could do† at least several times per day. It indicates when we’ve come across an idea that we could work on, but instinctively know we shouldn’t  because it would be out of focus. As a company, we have a roadmap for our product and distinct metrics that were working to improve. If we chased down every idea, theres a chance we could lose our focus and miss our clearly outlined goals. If we chased down every idea, wed risk losing our focus and missing our goals. But, this isn’t the only thing we do to stay focused. As a leader, I have worked to instill our team with the necessary tools for battling â€Å"scope creep† and staying focused. Author John Maxwell says that good leaders ask great questions, and that advice has become very powerful for me. I’ve come to adopt a few key questions that cut through the crud and help our team stay focused like a laser beam. Good leaders ask great questions. -John MaxwellHere are my top five questions for keeping our team (and myself) focused 100% of the time: Question #1: Whats In It For Them? This is the essential question that frames everything we do at . With every blog post, new feature, or web page, we continually ask ourselves what’s in it for the reader, visitor, or customer. Whats in it for your readers? Customers?We’re kind of obsessed with it. The beauty of this simple question is that it constantly drives us toward focusing on providing more value. It’s simple- the more value you provide your readers or customers with, the more likely they will be to reward you with their attention and business. I would say that its the single most important question for our modern economy. If you aren’t focused on providing value, you aren’t focused on anything at all. If you arent focused on providing value, you arent focused on anything at all. Learn to ask this question at the beginning of any new project to keep your work focused and on point. You might be surprised at how much clarity it brings. Question #2:  Does This Meet Our Standard Of Performance? Does everything you ship meet your teams one true standard of performance?  This question allows your team to constantly review their own work and evaluate how it compares to the quality level your entire team has committed to. Even as a tiny startup, our goal has been to provide a best-in-class experience for everyone that comes in contact with our team. We expect ourselves to  perform as well, or better, than the top five companies in our class. No matter how limited our resources are. For our content marketing team, this means that they literally focus on writing the absolute best blog post on a given topic every time. This doesn’t mean the best blog post they are capable of; it means the best blog post on the entire internet. It means that they have to push themselves further every time. Create the best work anyone has ever seen in your niche.They do a ton of research, they read â€Å"competing† posts, and then assemble a post that goes at least one step further than others on the web. They even go back and rework posts that are later determined to have fallen short. This is, of course, only possible because the team has clearly defined their standard of performance. To use this question effectively, this is also something that you will need to do. Keep things simple, and ask the question often and you should be fine. As a team, you should define a clear â€Å"standard of performance† and constantly ask yourself if youre meeting it. Recommended Reading: The Horrifying Truth About Multitasking And Productivity Question #3:  What Can You Ship Right Now? While it may feel a bit contradictory to my recent statements about quality, we also frequently ask ourselves how we can get things out the door faster and sooner. This question is related to the concept of the minimum viable product made popular in the book Lean Startup by Eric Ries. Many people associate this concept with sloppy or unfinished work, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Rather, our team uses it as a way of splitting large projects into smaller and more manageable chunks. It’s all about shaping a project to ensure that we approach it  with clear goals in mind. Focus on something that you can ship in a week.An example of this comes in a recent redesign we started for this very blog. Rather than building it all at once, we opted to make some of the backend and functional changes first using our current design. That gave us an opportunity to test them out and work through the kinks before the big launch. This prevented us from taking on more than we could handle  and allowed us to focus on creating something that we could ship in a week- thus taking advantage of some of those changes right away, rather than waiting until we completed an entire redesign. Oftentimes, this question is also phrased in terms of â€Å"what can we ship this week,† meaning what small part of the project can be accomplished without waiting on everything else to be done?  This attitude allows us to continually focus on moving things forward, rather than getting ourselves bogged down in ultra-huge projects. The idea here is focusing on small frequent wins, rather than the  more traditional pattern of infrequent but huge wins. Large projects frequently bog us down, and usually lead to low satisfaction among team members. Always focus on moving forward.  What can you ship right now? #Startups #StayFocusedBy asking yourself What can I ship right now? you will keep yourself laser-focused on continuous improvements that constantly add up over time. This means that everything you do is constantly improving, and that is a very good thing. Question #4:  Are You Building A  Monopoly? Some of my favorite startup advice comes from PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist Peter Thiel. He simplifies it all by instructing startups to always seek to build a monopoly. In a monopoly, the business owns its market. It can set its own prices, avoid the struggle of competition, and maximize its place in the industry. What Peter is talking about here is building something that is unique enough to avoid competition, or has grown so aggressively that it simply leapfrogs the competition entirely. One way that we apply this idea at is to constantly evaluate the impact of the projects we take on. We look at it as 10% versus 10x improvement. The idea is simple:  There are always things that can improve what you do by 10%, but why bother with them if there is something else that could actually improve what you do by 10 times? It’s a lot like asking if the things youre doing right now will actually pay off enough to make them worth it. If you consider every hour of your day an opportunity, what is the opportunity cost of working on the 10% when you could be doing the 10x instead? It’s a really great question for staying focused. Rather than focusing on small goals and ideas at , we constantly shuffle our priority list by its potential impact on our company, and our ability to ultimately create a monopoly in our market. You can’t build a monopoly by grinding out 10% improvements all day. You need to stay focused on the 10x growth opportunities, and constantly ask yourself if what youre doing right now has the potential to result in 10x growth. If it doesn’t, it’s time to find something else to work on. You cant build a monopoly by grinding out 10 percent improvements all day.Question #5:  Do You Have Everything You Need To Be Successful? As a leader, its my job to make sure that everyone who works at has everything they need to be successful. This may sound simplistic, but its actually very powerful. One of the things that drive  me crazy is to see team members who have not been empowered to do their job. This is not their fault; it’s mine! It may be due to a lack of time or clarity but can often arise from a lack of permission to act as well. Either way, it’s  an inefficiency that needs to be dealt with. The problem with someone not having what they need  is that they can never achieve clear focus without it. If there are too many things on their plate, how will they ever do anything well? If there is too much on their plate, how will they ever do anything well? #team #teamworkIf they don’t have the knowledge required to complete a task, how will it ever get done? Sometimes, this can also be about â€Å"permission.† If someone doesn’t have the freedom or permission to do what they need to do, how will they ever be able to focus on it correctly? My job as a leader is to eliminate roadblocks, and this question helps me find out if there are any. It also helps my team reflect on their own needs and expectations. Recommended Reading: This Is What Happens When You Ask 12 Blog Editors About Increasing Productivity Another way we do this is to simply ask three distinct questions: Whats going well? Whats not going well? What is required for a happy future? If you want to stay focused, constantly ask yourself these questions to re-evaluate your own needs or the needs of those around you. If you know where you stand, you will always be focused. What Questions Are You Asking? These are the five questions I ask our team the most often, but it is far from a complete list. Questions are powerful tools for self-reflection and leadership What questions are you asking of your team to bring laser beam-like focus? Share them in the comments or via social media. We’d love to hear! P.S. This post is part of a new series about ’s workplace, culture, and productivity. Join our official email list and never miss a post!

Managing services 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing services 2 - Essay Example al, 2011). Moreover, it can also be observed that an effective strategy of service design tends to involve major dimensions in accordance with the needs and expectations of the ultimate buyers, enabling the organisations to enhance profitability (Best Management Practice, n.d.). Therefore, it is highly essential for any organisations irrespective of business industry to critically emphasise determining the role along with the importance of service design. For instance, the service management functions in fast-food service industry have been facing dramatic changes due to rapid growth of competitiveness in the respective industry. Organisations in the fast-food service industry are often recognised to critically understand the changing trends of the customers along with the markets in terms of structuring effective business strategies (Lin & et. al, 2011). Thus, taking into concern the changing trends of the global fast-food service industry along with the fiercely growing service man agement processes, the report tends to establish a critical along with a strategic understanding of s the specific requirements for service design and improvement to fast-food service industry. ... erm product/service design generally refers to the concept of demonstrating the needs, expectations and the perceptions of the customers towards any commodity or service. With respect to the conventional marketing perspective, the notion of service design is generally described as the concept of accumulating needs in accordance with the needs and the expectations of the customers (Morelli, 2002). In this similar context, according to the study of Slack and et. al. (2010), the concept of service design can be typically defined as an effective process of planning and organising people with the aim of improving the quality of a particular service. The definition also incorporates an in-depth understanding concerning the value, nature and the use of a particular product or service. Therefore, it can be stated that the design of a product or a service is a process which not only focuses on adding supplementary values, but also incorporates an effective way of delivering or presenting prod ucts or services to the ultimate customers (Slack & et. al, 2010). In relation to the conceptual perspective of product or service design, it has been critically observed that the organisations generally choose number of ways to design their range of products or services. In this context, standardisation, mass customisation, delayed differentiation, modular and robust designs are few of the major procedures that are implemented by the organisations while designing their respective products or services (Slack & et. al., 2010). According to El-Haik and Roy (2005), it has been identified that an effective and quality based service lifecycle process tends to involve five major stages including idea generation, screening, preliminary design, evaluation development along with prototyping and