Assignment of Work Base Learning Essay Example for Free

Assignment of Work Base Learning Essay 1. Introduction. This assignment is to evaluate my role in the job Im currently doing and upto what extent its been helpful in my personal development. As I m currently working in fright forwarding industry (Shipping), I have chosen this job to finish my assignment of work base learning. It would be easier for me to choose this job to finish my educational assignment instead of going volunteering job somewhere else. This will also affect my attendance in current work place. 1.1 Company Profile- Reisa Freight Ltd. is a U.K. based company engaged in import and export activities. As a company we supply our services to buyers, exporters and importers for their international transportation needs. Reisa freight Ltd. acts as a middle man / agent working globally with agents in several countries. We handles export from shippers or manufacturers warehouse to buyers warehouse not end users. 1.2 Job Profile- The main purpose of my role is to coordinate with customers, prepare relevant docs and coordination with back office or operations for smooth activity. This job role requires efficiency, accuracy and completion in given time frame. My job is also involved with coordination with airlines to ensure pre-booked space for upcoming cargo during the week. This avoids last minute problem. In short this work required a solid planning and in-time execution. Also it requires understanding People at Work, including understanding others interests, motivations and competence. In short, Developing and reviewing relationships with others (manager, colleagues, team members, customers and suppliers etc) including agreeing respective roles, responsibilities, rights and expectations booking cargo space on ship, airplane, train, or any other form of goods/cargo transportation, route planning, various documentation, export packing, insurance, warehouse, collection and delivery consignment. 2. Main Body- During my seven months of tenure I have learned how to gain necessary skills and what I needed most. There are certain skills which I need to improve and some others I have achieved while working with Reisa freight Ltd. I have discussed all these in following paragraphs. 2.1 Skills that need some developments. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Communication- Major hurdle with me here the language. Being English as my second language I find it as biggest hurdle to improve my communication skill. There is a lot more development since I started but there is still lot more to do to bring it upto a level where it is acceptable as high standard. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Decision-making- I find my self uncomfortable while making important decision which requires my independency. I have only spent 7 months in total as working person. I would need to have more experience of work to gain my confident in decision making. Some education in learning skill would definitely help me which Im planning to intake after finishing my graduation. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Leadership- Being an un-experienced in past and total 7 months of work experience I see a lot more to do with leadership skill. Leadership skills require work experience and a standard of education which I will gain after my studies. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Analysing- Being a new employee in the field I see a lack of analysing skill to analyse the situation and plan things accordingly. This makes me to be depended on my seniors and old employees. I personally think that this would be developed while the time spent with work and putting my efforts to plan it from the beginning and executing it upto the end. In my job profile I have been given chance to analyse each shipment from the beginning and act as necessary and accordingly. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Problem Solving- Due to the lack of decision making, it directly affects my problem solving skills. As a new employee I havent been given chance to make decisions of my own which will be given to me after a specific time spent with in the company. Now because I cannot make decisions I will have to rely on my seniors to give me instructions in these types of situation which will lead to problem solving directly from decision makers at above post not me. 2.2 Skills scored highest with. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Planning- My job profile requires a pre-planned activity which is a base of service commitment to customers. First w learn in this business is to plan things and then execute. The planning doesnt give a hundred percent surety of desired results but it leads to a way to execute right thing and a right time. I personally feel that my job responsibilities made me well enough to deal with planning skill. Its adding something extra everyday to my skill. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Monitoring- Once the planning has been made and executed second step comes to monitor it on each and every step. A break any where in the planning chain may fail the whole assignment. The purpose of my monitoring is to take care of assignment and rectify problems as soon as and wherever they come up. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Reviewing- Reviewing the work everyday gives me efficiency and proficiency in my work. A skilled reviewing gives an idea what needs to be done. During the work I have learned that reviewing all our daily deeds gives us experience and probable outcomes of next day and future. This also shows the performance improvement. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Prioritising- As a worker I learned how to priorities my work. Its a way of placing an order of priorities what needs doing and when. This can be achieved by Setting objectivise and goals. Its an important aspect of decision making. In my work priorities has importance as we will have to make decisions depend on the situations. For examples in a situation where buyer needs all his order with several suppliers in once, but due to problem with space allocation we may have to make own decision sometime to priorities to particular orders or shipments. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Reporting- My job profile is to work as an executive. I have responsibilities and direct reporting to my seniors. I need to report all my day to day activities that its understandable and most important is acceptable. An acceptable standard of work has been gained through the work experience. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Motivating- Motivation is necessity in every success. De-motivation will lead to failure in the job and work assignment. I have learned that how to challenge my negative thoughts. It helps me to realise possibilities of my future. 3. Monitoring my self- level achieved. Presentation Skills Competent Speaker- able to talk to small groups of my peers albeit a little nervously. Written Skills- Good Creative- able to use comparison, example, similes, metaphors, vocabulary and other tools. Organisational/Planning Skills- Limited- can plan and organise my own time to achieve targets. Team-working Skills- Good- Able to work well in a team of people and to perform a number of team roles. 4. Conclusion There is Overall performance satisfaction within the organisation and as recognised by senior level. Seven months of tenure within the firm was spent just as a trainee. This helped me to gain a lot. But still there is a long way to go and far more to achieve what I thought before. There is lot more confidence required while taking the necessary decisions. An uncomfortable situation always leads to lose either big or small. Currently Im working with the help of other experienced staff which also de motivates me to take my own initiative. But in nearer future I hope for responsibilities with an independent role. That will surely help me to gain improved skills and goals. For sometime I have had a loose idea of the goals I would like to achieve in the short to medium term. Now that I have set my self a deadline Im confident and assured to achieve that. However I would like to improve my self confidence increase my motivation to achieve the most out of my work. I would like to eliminate the attitude that holds me back and cause hassles to it and finally unhappiness. I would like to increase my pride and satisfaction in my achievements advantages of goal settings. I would like to increase my self confidence from the current level and perform better in all areas of my works.

The Impact Of Living With Chronic Illness Social Work Essay

The Impact Of Living With Chronic Illness Social Work Essay Families and individuals have to overcome new challenges due to disability and chronic illness. Families have suffer financial burden related to providing health facilities, education and buying appropriate equipment for the disabled or chronically ill member of the family. Some times house needs to modified to accommodate the needs of affected individual. Sometimes families and affected individuals get financial help from social services but getting the whole procedure and paper work done puts an extra burden while caring for the affected family member. Sometimes the situation is more worse when affected families and individuals suffer because they are unaware of the facilities and help they can get from government institutes Stress: Caring for the affected member of the family on daily basis puts family members under constant stress, anxiety, and depression and also physical fatigue. Family members and the affected individual become uncertain about the future. The affected individual also suffers from the frustration of disability and losing function. Gender: Disability affects family members differently- female family members tend to be more considerate and affectionate towards the affected person while male family members tend to provide financial support. Most families who are responsible for the care of disabled/chronically ill members of the family find this division of labour according to gender an easy way to manage and cope with challenges. Gender also affects disabled individual- female and male individual show different attitudes towards physical disability or chronic illness/pain. Women do not feel comfortable outside their home anf find it dangerous while men tend to adapt to their reduced function and still tend to be as functional as is possible. Disabled females tend to be more dependent on family and friends compared to disabled males. Relationships: Often relatioships change their meanings within the family responsible to care for a disabled member. The person who is mainly responsible for the care/ entertainment/ diet and necessities of the disabled person tends to take more important position in the family and the rest of the family becomes less involved in decision making. If a mother is more involved in the care of a disabled child this can lead to father being less involved in the care responsibilities and tend to indulge himself more in work or activities outside home- this can sometimes lead to conflicts within the families with one member feeling overburdened. Lifestyle: Most of the resources (money, time etc) of a family with a disabled member are spent in the care of the disabled leading to an overall lower quality of life. Families have to give up entertainment plans such as holidays due to lack of resources, facilities and extra responsibility of care. Friends, neighbors, and people in the community may react negatively to the disability by avoidance, disparaging remarks or looks, or overt efforts to exclude people with disabilities and their families. Despite the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, many communities still lack programs, facilities, and resources that allow for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities. Families often report that the person with the disability is not a major burden for them. The burden comes from dealing with people in the community whose attitudes and behaviors are judgmental, stigmatizing, and rejecting of the disabled individual and his or her family (Knoll 1992; Turnbull et al. 1993). Family members report that these negative attitudes and behaviors often are characteristic of their friends, relatives, and service providers as well as strangers (Patterson and Leonard 1994). Social stigma: Families with disabled member and disabled individual themselves feel isolated from the society. Friends, neighbours and other family might not play their supportive role effectively Overall, stress from these added demands of disability in family life can negatively affect the health and functioning of family members (Patterson 1988; Varni and Wallander 1988). Numerous studies report that there is all increased risk of psychological and behavioral symptoms in the family members of persons with disabilities (Cadman et al. 1987; Singer and Powers 1993; Vance, Fazan, and Satterwhite 1980). However, even though disability increases the risk for these problems, most adults and children who have a member with a disability do not show psychological or behavioral problems. They have found ways to cope with this added stress in their lives. Increasingly, the literature on families and disabilities emphasizes this adaptive capacity of families. It has been called family resilience (Patterson 1991b; Singer and Powers 1993; Turnbull et al. 1993). Many families actually report that the presence of disability has strengthened them as a family-they become closer, more acceptin g of others, have deeper faith, discover new friends, develop greater respect for life, improve their sense of mastery, and so on. While there are many commonalities regarding the impact of disabilities on families, other factors lead to variability in the impact of disability on the family. Included in these factors are the type of disability, which member of the family gets the disability, and the age of onset of the disability. Disabilities vary along several dimensions, including the degree and type of incapacitation (sensory, motor, or cognitive); the degree of visibility of the disability; whether the course of the condition is constant, relapsing, or progressive; the prognosis or life expectancy of the person; the amount of pain or other symptoms experienced; and the amount of care or treatment required. John Rolland (1994) has outlined a typology of chronic conditions based on some of these factors and has described the psychosocial impact on families based on these factors. His argument, and that of several others (Perrin et al. 1993; Stein et al. 1993), is that the variability in the psychosocial impact of chronic conditions is related more to characteristics of the condition than to the diagnosis per se. Consider the course of the condition. When it is progressive (such as degenerative arthritis or dementia), the symptomatic person may become increasingly less functional. The family is faced with increasing caretaking demands, uncertainty about the degree of dependency and what living arrangement is best, as well as grieving continuous loss. These families need to readjust continuously to the increasing strain and must be willing to find and utilize outside resources. If a condition has a relapsing course (such as epilepsy or cancer in remission), the ongoing care may be less, but a family needs to be able to reorganize itself quickly and mobilize resources when the condition flares up. They must be able to move from normalcy to crisis alert rapidly. An accumulation of these dramatic transitions can exhaust a family. Disabilities with a constant course (such as a spinal cord injury) require major reorganization of the family at the outset and then perseverance and stamina for a long time. While these families can plan, knowing what is ahead, limited community resources to help them may lead to exhaustion. Disabilities where mental ability is limited seem to be more difficult for families to cope with (Breslau 1993; Cole and Reiss 1993; Holroyd and Guthrie 1986). This may be due to greater dependency requiring more vigilance by family members, or because it limits the persons ability to take on responsible roles, and perhaps limits the possibilities for independent living. If the mental impairment is severe, it may create an extra kind of strain for families because the person is physically present in the family but mentally absent. This kind of incongruence between physical presence and psychological presence has been called boundary ambiguity (Boss 1993). Boundary ambiguity means that it is not entirely clear to family members whether the person (with the disability in this case) is part of the family or not because the person is there in some ways but not in others. Generally, families experience more distress when situations are ambiguous or unclear because they do not know what to expect and may have a harder time planning the roles of other family members to accommodate this uncertainty. In addition to cognitive impairment, other characteristics of disabilities can create ambiguity and uncertainty for families. For example, an uncertain life expectancy makes it difficult to plan future life roles, to anticipate costs of care, or to make decisions about the best living arrangements for adults requiring assistance in the activities of daily living. For example, from 1970 to 1991, survival for children with cystic fibrosis increased 700 percent, to a life expectancy of twenty-six years in the United States (Fitzsimmons 1991). These young adults now face difficult family decisions, such as whether to marry and whether to have children. In more extreme cases related to severe medical conditions, persons may have their lives extended by using advances in biomedical science and technology. When this happens, families can be faced with very difficult decisions about what techniques and equipment should be used, for how long, with what expected gains, at what cost, and so on. Society is facing new issues in biomedical ethics, but there is no social consensus about how aggressively to intervene and under what circumstances. Family members who bear the emotional burden of these decisions do not always agree on a course of action and, furthermore, may be blocked by hospitals and courts from carrying out a particular course of action. While these kinds of cases may not yet be widespread, they have sparked intense debate and raised the consciousness of many families about issues they may face. In addition to type of impairment, there is variability in the severity of impairment. The degree to which a person with disability is limited in doing activities or functions of daily living (e.g., walking, feeding oneself, and toileting) can be assessed and is called functional status. The lower the persons functional status, the more assistance he or she will need from other people and/or from equipment and devices. Family members are a primary source of this needed assistance (Biegel, Sales, and Schulz 1991; Stone and Kemper 1989). Providing this assistance can create a burden for family caregivers, which may result in physical or psychological symptoms of poor health. For example, parents, especially mothers, experience more depression when their children with disabilities have lower functional status (Patterson, Leonard, and Titus 1992; Singer et al. 1993). For elderly caregivers, physical strain may be a limiting factor in how much and for how long assistance can be provided f or the disabled individual (Blackburn 1988). The age of the person when the disability emerges is associated with different impacts on the family and on the familys life course, as well as on the course of development for the person with disability (Eisenberg, Sutkin, and Jansen 1984). When conditions emerge in late adulthood, in some ways this is normative and more expectable. Psychologically it is usually less disruptive to the family. When disability occurs earlier in a persons life, this is out of phase with what is considered normative, and the impact on the course of development for the person and the family is greater. More adjustments have to be made and for longer periods of time. When the condition is present from birth, the childs life and identity are shaped around the disability. In some ways it may be easier for a child and his or her family to adjust to never having certain functional abilities than to a sudden loss of abilities later. For example, a child with spina bifida from birth will adapt differently than a child who suddenly becomes a paraplegic in adolescence due to an injury. The age of the parents when a childs disability is diagnosed is also an important consideration in how the family responds. For example, teenage parents are at greater risk for experiencing poor adaptation because their own developmental needs are still prominent, and they are less likely to have the maturity and resources to cope with the added demands of the child. For older parents there is greater risk of having a child with certain disabilities, such as Down syndrome. Older parents may lack the stamina for the extra burden of care required, and they may fear their own mortality and be concerned about who will care for their child when they die. The course of the childs physical, psychological, and social development will forever be altered by the chronic condition. Since development proceeds sequentially, and since relative success at mastering the tasks of one stage is a prerequisite for facing the challenges of the next stage, one could anticipate that the earlier the onset, the greater the adverse impact on development (Eisenberg, Sutkin, and Jansen 1984). There are many ways in which the accomplishment of development tasks is complicated for persons with disabilities. This, in turn, has an effect on their families as well as on which family roles can be assumed by the person with disability (Perrin and Gerrity 1984). For example, in infancy, disability may frighten parents, or the infant may be unresponsive to their nurturing efforts such that attachment and bonding necessary for the development of trust are compromised. The parent may feel inadequate as a caregiver, and parenting competence is undermined. For a toddler, active exploration of the social environment, needed to develop a sense of autonomy and self-control, may be restricted because of the childs motor, sensory, or cognitive deficits. Parents, fearing injury or more damage to their young child, may restrict their childs efforts to explore and learn, or they may overindulge the child out of sympathy or guilt. If other people react negatively to the childs disability, pare nts may try to compensate by being overly protective or overly solicitous. These parent behaviors further compromise the childs development of autonomy and self-control. As children with disabilities move into school environments where they interact with teachers and peers, they may experience difficulties mastering tasks and developing social skills and competencies. Although schools are mandated to provide special education programs for children in the least restrictive environment and to maximize integration, there is still considerable variability in how effectively schools do this. Barriers include inadequate financing for special education; inadequately trained school personnel; and, very often, attitudinal barriers of other children and staff that compromise full inclusion for students with disabilities. Parents of children with disabilities may experience a whole set of added challenges in assuring their childrens educational rights. In some instances, conflict with schools and other service providers can become a major source of strain for families (Walker and Singer 1993). In other cases, school programs are a major resource for families. Developmental tasks of adolescence- developing an identity and developing greater autonomy-are particularly difficult when the adolescent has a disability. Part of this process for most adolescents generally involves some risk-taking behaviors, such as smoking and drinking. Adolescents with disabilities take risks too, sometimes defying treatment and procedures related to their condition, such as skipping medications or changing a prescribed diet. Issues related to sexuality may be particularly difficult because the person with disability has fears about his or her desirability to a partner, sexual performance, and worries about ever getting married or having children (Coupey and Cohen 1984). There is some evidence that girls may be at greater risk for pregnancy because of their desire to disavow their disability and prove their normalcy (Holmes 1986). Teens with mental impairment may be subjected to sexual exploitation by others. When disability has its onset in young adulthood, the persons personal, family, and vocational plans for the future may be altered significantly. If the young adult has a partner where there is a long-term commitment, this relationship may be in jeopardy, particularly if the ability to enact adult roles as a sexual partner, parent, financial provider, or leisure partner are affected (Ireys and Burr 1984). When a couple has just begun to plan a future based on the assumption that both partners would be fully functional, they may find the adjustment to the disability too great to handle. The development of a relationship with a significant other  after  the disability is already present is more likely to lead to positive adjustment. Young adulthood is that critical transition from ones family of origin to creating a new family unit with a partner and possibly children. When disability occurs at this stage, the young adults parents may become the primary caregivers, encouraging or b ringing the young person home again. The risk is that the developmental course for the young adult and his or her parents may never get back on track. This is influenced in part by the extent to which there are independent living options for persons with disabilities to make use of in the community. When the onset of disability occurs to adults in their middle years, it is often associated with major disruption to career and family roles. Those roles are affected for the person with the disability as well as for other family members who have come to depend on him or her to fulfill those roles. Some kind of family reorganization of roles, rules, and routines is usually required. If the person has been employed, he or she may have to give up work and career entirely or perhaps make dramatic changes in amount and type of work. The family may face a major loss of income as well as a loss in health and other employee benefits. If the person is a parent, childrearing responsibilities may be altered significantly. The adult may have to switch from being the nurturer to being the nurtured. This may leave a major void in the family for someone to fill the nurturing role. If the person is a spouse, the dynamics of this relationship will change as one person is unable to perform as indepen dently as before. The partner with the disability may be treated like another child. The sexual relationship may change, plans for having more children may be abandoned, lifestyle and leisure may be altered. Some spouses feel that their marital contract has been violated, and they are unwilling to make the necessary adjustments. Children of a middle-aged adult with a disability also experience role shifts. Their own dependency and nurturing needs may be neglected. They may be expected to take on some adult roles, such as caring for younger children, doing household chores, or maybe even providing some income. How well the familys efforts at reorganization work depends ultimately on the familys ability to accommodate age-appropriate developmental needs. In families where there is more flexibility among the adults in assuming the different family roles, adjustment is likely to be better. The onset of disability in old age is more expectable as bodily functions deteriorate. This decline in physical function is often associated with more depression. An older person may live for many years needing assistance in daily living, and the choices of where to get that assistance are not always easily made. Spouses may be unable to meet the extra caretaking needs indefinitely as their own health and stamina decline (Blackburn 1988). Adult children are often in a position of deciding where their elderly parent or parents should live when they can no longer care for themselves. Having their parents move in with them or having them move to a nursing home or seniors residence are the most common options. However, each of these choices carries with it emotional, financial, and social costs to the elderly person as well as to his or her adult children. This responsibility for elderly parents is not always shared among adult children. Adult daughters are more likely than adult sons to be involved in providing direct care for their elderly parents (Brody 1985). The many decisions and responsibilities can be sources of tension, conflict, and resentment among extended family members. This period of disability in old age can go on for a very long time, given the medical capability to sustain life. While the practice is still not widespread, more elderly people are preparing a living will, which is a legal document preventing extraordinary means from being used to prolong their lives.

Workplace Morals and Ethics

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

Ancient Greek Health Theories: Understanding the Melancholic Mean in Aristotelian Problema XXX.1 :: Philosophy Medicine

Ancient Greek Health Theories: Understanding the Melancholic Mean in Aristotelian Problema XXX.1 ABSTRACT: In ancient Greek theories of health, it was the equal balance or mixing of the humors or elements (i.e., the isonomic mean) that comprised the ideal healthy state. In the Aristotelian Problema XXX.1, however, there is a description of a form of melancholic constitution that is both 1) itself characterized as a mean, and 2) thought to lead to intellectual outstandingness. This is theoretically problematic since the melancholic constitution was by definition a constitution in which there was a natural preponderance of black bile. Thus, there appear to be two incompatible means that are descriptive of the ideal in ancient Greek medicine: the isonomic mean that underlies the ideal healthy state, and the melancholic mean that describes the melancholic who is capable of greatness. This paper attempts to understand the melancholic mean as described in Problema XXX.1 by considering the two different but related models of this mean that are suggested in the text. A reconciliation of the two somatic ideals is argued for on the basis of what else is said in the Problema, as well as ideas found in the Hippocratic work Airs, Waters, Places and other Aristotelian Problemata. Why is it that all those who have become eminent in philosophy or politics or poetry or the arts are clearly of an atrabilious temperament, and some of them to such an extent as to be affected by diseases caused by black bile, as is said to have happened to Heracles among the heroes? (Problemata XXX.1 953a10-14) (1) So begins the Aristotelian Problema XXX.1. Why indeed! The atrabilious temperament or melancholia is, according to Aristotle, a natural disposition in which there is a preponderance of black bile over the other humours. The healthy somatic ideal, however, was conceived by Greek medical theorists as the equality of the humours, either with respect to their quantity or their relative strengths (quality); disease was by definition an excess of one of the humours or elements. If the ideal state with respect to the humours was equality or isonomic proportion, but "all those who have become eminent in philosophy or politics or poetry or the arts..." be melancholics, then which state is the ideal — health or melancholia? The explicit association of melancholia with genius is found for the first time in this Problema. The author was working within a long tradition that linked the ideal state with a mean.

Platos Communism :: Communism Essays

Elites: Elites not masses, govern all societies, but in whose interests do they serve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elites are inevitable in all societies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to both Madison and Plato, factions will inevitably occur within society, the way to address this is viewed in two different ways by Plato and Madison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato sees within society an inherent flaw of two cities, a city of the rich and a city of the poor. He rejects oligarchy, the rule of few over many, because he believes that â€Å"absolute power corrupts absolutely† and rejects democracy for the incompetence within the system because it lacks people properly schooled in the Plutonian tradition and sees the violence inherent in the system, for: existent in all forms of government exist the extreme violence and selfishness of party struggles for factions within society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato would remove the causes of factions, choosing to give up further liberties to protect the good of the people. His theory is similar to the state of nature, believing that societies are formed to meet the needs of the people. Because of the inherent yearning for power within a few elites, Plato would remove these feelings of selfishness, with his own form of Communism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato’s communism would take two main forms which meet in the abolition of the family. The first of the two forms would be to set up a new form of hierarchy: Philosopher king, who would rule by merit of vision and capacity to realize that vision in reality. Guardians, who would serve as the military/ruling class of society, merchant class which serves as a middle class, a buffer between the poor and the rulers. This sunders in two the idea of a city of rich/ city of poor. However the main thing to note is that the rulers must give up certain freedoms in order to attain their position of power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The rulers must give up the right to own property, effectively removing self-interest. Anyone can be a ruler as long as they MERIT the position. Also, the must live in common barracks style living and eat at a common table, facilitating discussion and equality amongst them. Also they all must be schooled in the Plutonian Tradition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second form of communism would be the abolition of a permanent monogamous sexual relationship. This removes loyalty to family/lover. Lovemaking would be more like livestock breeding and would occur at the behest of the ruler.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato believed that if the unity of the state is to be preserved and marriage and property stand in the way than they must be abolished.

Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Essay

Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings chronicles the early years of the author’s life – up to age seventeen. In the book, Angelou poetically describes the phenomenon that is growing up black, in the south, in the time before and during World War II. I believe that you are expected to interpret this as a memoir of overcoming the odds. I believe that you are expected to regard the happenings of this book with feelings of empathy and/or sympathy. You are also supposed to marvel at the way Angelou persevered to become the woman (and writer) she is today. At the end of the prologue, Angelou states that, â€Å"If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat.† (4) The razor to the throat is symbolic of authority. To a Southern black girl in the 1930’s and 40’s, authority is almost everyone. Young black female was the absolute bottom of the barrel. She must let herself be ruled by all sorts. Older black kids, black adults, and anyone white. Likewise, these people are ready to pounce on her should she do the least little thing wrong. Everyone was reprimanded for one thing or another as a child. No one enjoyed it. Imagine being surrounded by people, just waiting for you to slip up so that they can yell at you, punish you, etcetera. Through this, Angelou gaines your sypathy, and you may very well find yourself in awe that Angelou made it through such a childhood with her sanity intact. When a young Maya Angelou’s grandmother tried to take her to a white dentist who owed her a favor, the dentist said, â€Å"‘Annie, my policy is I’d rather stick my hand in a dog’s mouth than a nigger’s.'† (189) This adds upon the point made earlier. The pain of a toothache combined with the pain of wounded pride. Maya Angelou has massive amounts of pride. She spent most of her years in Stamps, Georgia being insulted by one thing or another. Some of the occasions were insulting (the dentist), while some others were the product of reading too deeply into something, like when a white politician came to speak at her graduation. He spoke of how much new equipment the white school was getting, and how the black community would not be forgotten. Here, her pride was injured because of the way the politician  spoke, like their school came second when in fact, in that time and place, they did come second, and the politician did not mean anything negat ive; he was simply being honest. To have your pride assaulted day in and day out is a horrible way to live. Maya’s brother did not return home once after attending the movies. When they found him, â€Å"Bailey was talking so fast he forgot to stutter, he forgot to scratch his head and clean his fingernails with his teeth. He was away in a mystery, locked in the enigma that young Southern Black boys start to unravel, try to unravel, from seven years old to death. The humorless puzzle of inequality and death.† (198) All children learn about death eventually. They have to. Death is a part of life. But imagine living where your death is regarded as a burden on society relieved, as opposed to the tragedy that it would be. It makes you wonder why you are viewed as so low, and it makes you wonder if those people who view you as such are correct. â€Å"I was given blood tests, aptitude tests, physical coordination tests, and Rosarchs, then on a blissful day I was hired as the first Negro on the San Francisco streetcars.† (270) Triumph! Angelou somehow managed to overcome all of society’s efforts to hold her back. Such an accomplishment, though little-remembered today, was a great thing back them. Many little wins like that contributed to winning the equality of today. â€Å"What happened to the moonlight-on-the-prairie feeling? Was there something wrong with me that I couldn’t share a sensation that made poets gush rhyme after rhyme, that made Richard Arlen brave the Arctic wastes and Veronica Lake betray the entire free world? . . . . â€Å"Three weeks later, having thought very little about that strange and strangely empty night, I found myself pregnant.† (283-284) Angelou did not completely understand the connection between sex and love. This in itself is proof of the way she grew up – almost like everyone held her at arm’s length. Her didn’t (or I imagine she didn’t) think that she was old enough to know these things, and even if she was old enough, her grandmother was too old fashioned to adequately explain it. By the time she moved in with  her mother, she was past the age that modern kids learn these things. Maybe her mother figured she already knew this stuff, or maybe she figured that anything her daughter needed to know, she would ask her. But needless to say, one would be hesitant to ask their mother about such a touchy subject. Angelou did not even want to tell her mother that she was pregnant. This unfortunate situation is not exclusive to minorities, but was and still is very common. It occurs less frequently now, that one makes a sexual mistake out of ignorance, due to people being more open about such topics. The fact that the baby is delivered healthily, despite the fact that she was the only one in the area who knew about it for the first eight months of the pregnancy is amazing. It makes you think about how lucky she is. And she is very lucky. Maya Angelou’s accomplishments are pretty amazing. All of the things she had to overcome to become until she acheived the ultimate goal – equality, and perhaps normalcy. When one is possessed of a childhood such as hers, normalcy may be a thing to strive for, and a thing to cherish once experienced. Indeed, she surpassed the point of normalcy to reach the opposite point from where she started. She went from being someone who was barely noticed, and when she was noticed, regarded with contempt, to one who is admired and revered for her work.

The Bantu

LESSON PLAN GRADE 11 HISTORY. TOPIC: BANTU MIGRATIONS INTO CENTRAL AFRICA BEFORE 1800. OBJECTIVES: Pupils should be able to: Define the term â€Å" Bantu† Define the term â€Å" Migration† Explain the origin of the Bantu. Explain the causes of the migration and settlement of the Bantu Describe the ways of life of the Bantu. ORIGIN Bantu is a common term used to refer to the over 400 different ethnic groups of Africa stretching from south of the Sahara desert to South Africa that have similar languages and to some extent customs. Their movements are called migrations their large scale movements over long distances.It is important however to understand that these movement did not occur at once. They took place in phases. The Bantu speaking people were part of the Iron Age people from the Middle East. They settled along the banks of the River Nile. Later, they moved to North Africa and occupied some areas in the Sahara grasslands. From here, they moved to the area around L ake Chad, Nigeria and the Cameroon highlands area called the Benue-Cross region. However, some settled in the great lakes region in east Africa. These people were given the name ‘Bantu’ because of the imilarities that were noticed in their languages. For example, the prefix ‘ba-’ and the suffix ‘-ntu’ was common among the languages they spoke. To illustrate this, look at the table below which shows translations of the word ‘person’ and ‘people’ into some Zambian Bantu languages: 1 Language Lozi Tonga Bemba Kaonde Tumbuka Singular Mutu Muntu Umuntu Muntu muntu Plural Batu Bantu Abantu Bantu antu CAUSES The drying up of the Sahara grasslands. This led the groups that practiced agriculture to migrate in search of new fertile land and water for farming. There was population increase.This created pressure on the causing others to migrate in search for new land. Occupation, agriculture, hunting, blacksmith etc. Succession di sputes in some cases led to the migration of some groups. This normally happened when a king died and members of the royal family quarreled about who should succeed. Convicted people or criminals migrated in order to run away from being punished or killed. Tribal wars caused migrations as defeated tribes ran away from powerful ones for safety. Slave trade contributed to the migrations in that in order to avoid being ttacked and sold as slaves, some groups were forced to migrate to new areas. Some groups or individuals migrated merely for adventure. They did this so that they could explore and see what other lands were like.Ambition Another reason that led to the Bantu migrations was that of expansion. Some rulers wanted to expand their kingdoms and therefore migrated in search of new areas. 2 THE COURSE AND EXAMPLES OF THE GROUPS THAT MIGRATED 1. = 3000 – 1500 BC origin 2 = ca. 1500 BC first migrations 2. a = Eastern Bantu, 2. b = Western Bantu 3. = 1000 – 500 BC Urewe nuclus of Eastern Bantu . – 7. southward advance 9. = 500 BC – 0 Congo nucleus 10. = 0 – 1000 AD last phase 3 First group Passed through Congo Forest, avoided Zaire River and settled in Katanga or Shaba. This was about the 5th century. They settled here because of the fertile land, good rainfall, minerals, and grazing land. Interacted with the Portuguese who introduced them to new crops like, maize, sweet potatoes, and bananas. Second group Migrated around the 14th century. Settled western side of Lake Malawi. The descendants of this group are the Tumbuka, Nsenga, Kamanga and Tonga of Malawi.Another group of the Shona, Rozwi, and Karanga took a short cut, crossed the Zambezi River and settled in Mashonland. Third group This group had the Sotho and Nguni and went north east via Tanzania through the western side of Lake Malawi. They settled in Mashonaland. Here, they were forced out by the Rozwi, Shona and the Karanga. The group went to settle in South Africa. Th is was between 9th and the 14th century. 4 WAYS OF LIFE Economic The Bantu were agriculturists who grew crops like sorghum, millet, beans, maize, and sweet potatoes.They were pastoralists who kept animals like cattle, pigs, goats. They were hunters who hunted wild game for meat. They were also smelters and also made farming implements Pottery makers, made channel decorated type. Made baskets and mats. 5 Social Lived in small households. Households were made of pole and daga. Roof was thatched with grass. Huts built in a secular form Kraal built in the middle for protection of the cattle. Diet included fish, meat, and vegetables. Bark of the tree used as cloth. Political Family household under eldest male member.Family formed clans which formed villages. Villages headed by a headman. Villages formed a chiefdom or kingdom. Headed by a chief or king respectively. Religious Believed in a superior being. They called their superior being by different names. Their god would be approached b y leaders who were semi-divine. Had different spirits for different problems. Religious ceremonies held on tombs, under the msoro tree or any other sacred place. Cattle and/or other animals would be killed only during such ceremonies.  © One World Africa (Zambia) 2007 6