Worldview Paper – Secular Humanist Worldview

The Secular Worldview is a religious worldview in which â€Å"man is the measure† — mankind is the ultimate norm by which truth and values are to be determined. According to Secular Humanism, all reality and life center upon human beings. In fact, we act as God. The Secular Worldview is a comprehensive view of the world from a materialistic, naturalistic standpoint. Therefore, the Secular Humanist sees no place for the supernatural or immaterial. â€Å"There is no place in the Humanist worldview for either immortality or God in the valid meanings of those terms. Humanism contends that instead of the gods creating the cosmos, the cosmos, in the individualized form of human beings giving rein to their imagination, created the gods. † Secular Humanists believe that there is no God, that science and the scientific process have made God obsolete. Humanists believe that only matter – things we can touch, feel, prove, or study – exists and has always existed. Man is only matter (no soul or spirit). No supernatural explanation is needed for the existence of this matter. Naturalism says that only matter exists , things you can touch, feel, and study. The Humanist trusts the scientific method as the only sure way of knowing anything, so if something cannot be observed, tested, and experimented on, it doesn’t exist. Since you can’t observe God, hell, the human mind or spirit, or conduct experiments on them they can’t, and don’t exist. Since the Secular Worldview rejects the existence of God, human beings get to decide on standards and values. Humanists believe that science, reason, and historical experience are sufficient guides for figuring out what is right or wrong in any situation. These standards will not always be the same, as each person has a different background and reasoning. Therefore, the standards and values – ethics – are relative. The Humanist Manifesto II states, â€Å"We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing not theological or ideological sanction. Ethics stems from human need and interest. † The theory of Neo-Darwinism purports that natural selection acts on genetic variations within individuals in populations and that mutations (especially random copying errors in DNA) provide the main source of these variations. Because positive mutations seem to be rare, Neo-Darwinism contends that evolution will be a slow, gradual process. Without naturalistic evolution, there is no Secular Worldview. Anything else would demand a Creator, which would mean that man is not the source of all things. Secular Humanists believe that science has proven the theory of evolution to the extent that it is no longer a theory but a scientific fact. According to this â€Å"fact,† man is the most highly evolved of all creatures, and is now responsible for directing and aiding the evolutionary process

Native American Tribes in Virginia and Powhatan the Powhatan

The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten), is the name of a Virginia Indian[1] tribe. It is also the name of a powerful group of tribes which they dominated. It is estimated that there were about 14,000-21,000 of these native Powhatan people in eastern Virginia when the English settled Jamestown in 1607. [2] They were also known as Virginia Algonquians, as they spoke an eastern-Algonquian language known as Powhatan.In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, a mamanatowick (paramount chief)[3] named Wahunsunacawh created a powerful organization by affiliating 30 tributary peoples, whose territory was much of eastern Virginia, called Tsenacommacah (â€Å"densely-inhabited Land†),[4] Wahunsunacawh came to be known by the English as â€Å"Chief Powhatan. † Each of the tribes within this organization had its own weroance (chief), but all paid tribute to Chief Powhatan. [5] After Chief Powhatan's death in 1618, hostilities with colonists escalated under the chiefdom of his brother, Opechancanough, who sought in vain to drive off the encroaching English.His large-scale attacks in 1622 and 1644 met strong reprisals by the English, resulting in the near elimination of the tribe. By 1646 what is called the Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom by modern historians had been largely destroyed. In addition to the ongoing conflicts with the ever-expanding English settlements and their inhabitants, the Powhatan suffered a high death rate due to infectious diseases, maladies introducted to North America by the Europeans to which the Native Americans of the United States had developed no natural immunities.By this time, the leaders of the colony were desperate for labor to develop the land. Almost half of the English and European immigrants arrived as indentured servants. As colonial expansion continued, the colonists imported growing numbers of enslaved Africans for labor. By 1700 the colonies had about 6,000 black slaves, one-twelfth of the population. It was commo n for black slaves to escape and join the surrounding Powhatan; white servants were also noted to have joined the Indians.Africans and whites worked and lived together; some natives also intermarried with them. After Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, the colony enslaved Indians for control. In 1691 the House of Burgesses abolished Indian slavery; however, many Powhatan were held in servitude well into the 18th century. [6] In the 21st century, eight Indian tribes are recognized by the state as having ties with the original Powhatan complex chiefdom. [7] The Pamunkey and Mattaponi are the only two peoples who have retained reservation lands from the 17th century. 5] The competing cultures of the Powhatan and English settlers were united temporarily through the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Their son Thomas Rolfe was the ancestor of many Virginians; thus, many of the First Families of Virginia have both English and Virginia Indian[1] ancestry. History [edit] Naming and terminology T he name â€Å"Powhatan† is believed to have originated as the name of the village or town that Wahunsunacawh came from. The official title Chief Powhatan used by the English is believed to have been derived from the name of this location.Although the specific situs of his home village is unknown, in modern times, the Powhatan Hill neighborhood in the East End portion of the modern-day city of Richmond, Virginia is thought by many to be in the general vicinity of the original village. Tree Hill Farm, which is situated in nearby Henrico County a short distance to the east, is also considered as the possible site. â€Å"Powhatan† was also the name used by the natives to refer to the river where the town sat at the head of navigation. The English colonists chose to name it instead for their own leader, King James I.Many features in the early years of the Virginia Colony were named in honor of the king, as well as his three children, Elizabeth, Henry, and Charles. Although portions of Virginia's longest river upstream from Columbia were much later named for Queen Anne of Great Britain, in modern times, it is called the James River. It extends from Hampton Roads westerly to the confluence of the Jackson River and Cowpasture River near the town of Clifton Forge. (The Rivanna River, a tributary of the James River, and Fluvanna County, each survive as named in legacy to Queen Anne).However, the only water body in Virginia to retain a name which honors the Powhatan peoples is Powhatan Creek, located in James City County near Williamsburg. Powhatan County and its county seat at Powhatan, Virginia were honorific names established years later, in locations west of the area populated by the Powhatan peoples. The county was formed in may, 1777. [edit] Complex chiefdom Likewise, perhaps more significant misnomers are the terms â€Å"Powhatan Confederacy† and â€Å"Powhatan Confederation. This grouping of tribes is clearly not best-defined in modern terms as a confederacy. That word is generally thought of as a grouping of entities each with greater individual power than the group when united. In many uses, a confederacy is distinctly different in structure from a centralized greater power than the parts, such as the current federal structure of the United States. Many historians attribute to a minor level the failure of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War in part to the weakness of the central government in comparison to the Union. It is important for a reader to note that most historians do not consider this difference as one of the major weaknesses leading to the Southern loss. However, the term Confederacy has become associated with the principal of states' rights versus the central U. S. government). Using the word â€Å"confederacy† to define the Powhatan tribes extant in 1607 can therefore, be misleading when seeking to understand these people, their governments and their culture. It is true that the various tribes each held some individual powers locally.Each had a chief known as a weroance (male) or, more rarely, a weroansqua (female), meaning â€Å"commander,† [8]. As of 2010, we do not know to what degree most of the various tribes belonged to the group by choice or perhaps by coercion or even greater force. As early as the era of John Smith of Virginia, the individual tribes of this grouping were clearly recognized by the English as falling under the greater authority of the centralized power (whatever it is labeled) led by the chiefdom of Chief Powhatan (c. June 17, 1545 – c. 1618), whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh or (in 17th century English spelling) Wahunsunacock. 9]. At the time of the 1607 English Settlement at Jamestown, he ruled primarily from Werowocomoco, which was located on northern shore of the York River. This location of Werowocomoco, itself only rediscovered in the early 21st century, was very central to locations of the various tr ibes. The improvements discovered during archaeological research at Werowocomoco have reinforced the paramount chiefdom of Chief Powhatan over the other tribes in the power hierarchy. Such issues in other cultures and the definitions are covered at some length by author Robert L.Carneiro in his 1981 work on anthropology, The Chiefdom: Precursor of the State. The Transition to Statehood in the New World. The center of power held by Chief Powhatan (and his several successors) is much more concisely defined as a â€Å"complex chiefdom. † [10] To refer to this complex chiefdom, the term â€Å"Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom† has become favored. Over time, this and other revisions to the knowledge and information available about the Powhatan peoples native to Virginia will undoubtedly be made as research work at Werowocomoco and elsewhere continues in the 21st century. See also: Werowocomoco edit] Chief Powhatan builds his chiefdom Wahunsunacawh had inherited control over just six tribes, but dominated more than thirty by the time the English settlers established their Virginia Colony at Jamestown in 1607. The original six constituent tribes in Wahunsunacock's group were: the Powhatan (proper), the Arrohateck, the Appamattuck, the Pamunkey, the Mattaponi, and the Chiskiack. He added the Kecoughtan to his fold by 1598. Some other affiliated groups included the Youghtanund, Rappahannocks, Moraughtacund, Weyanoak, Paspahegh, Quiyoughcohannock, Warraskoyack, and Nansemond.Yet another closely related tribe in the midst of these others, all speaking the same language, was the Chickahominy, who managed to preserve their autonomy from the Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom. In his famous work Notes on the State of Virginia (1781–82), Thomas Jefferson estimated that the Powhatan Confederacy occupied about 8,000 square miles (20,000 km2) of territory, with a population of about 8,000 people, of whom 2400 were warriors. [11] Later scholars estimated the population o f the paramountcy[clarification needed] as 15,000. [edit] The English settlers in the land of the Powhatan John Smith taking the King of Pamunkey prisoner', a fanciful image of Opechancanough from Smith's General History of Virginia (1624). The image of Opechancanough is based on a 1585 painting of another native warrior by John White[1] The Powhatan Confederacy were the Indians among whom the English made their first permanent settlement in North America. This contributed to their downfall. Conflicts began immediately; the English colonists fired shots as soon as they arrived (due to a bad experience they had with the Spanish prior to their arrival). Within two weeks of the English arrival atJamestown, deaths had occurred. The settlers had hoped for friendly relations and had planned to trade with the Virginia Indians for food. Captain Christopher Newport led the first English exploration party up the James River in 1607, when he met Parahunt, weroance of the Powhatan proper. The E nglish initially mistook him for the paramount Powhatan (mamanatowick), who was in fact his father, Wahunsunacawh. On a hunting and trade mission on the Chickahominy River in December 1607, Captain John Smith, later president of the colony, was captured by Opechancanough, the younger brother of Wahunsunacawh.Smith became the first Englishman to meet the paramount chief, Powhatan. According to Smith's account, Pocahontas, Wahunsunacawh's daughter, prevented her father from executing Smith. Some researchers have asserted that a mock execution was a ritual intended to adopt Smith into the tribe, but other modern writers dispute this interpretation. They point out that nothing is known of 17th-century Powhatan adoption ceremonies. They note that an execution ritual is different from known rites of passage.Other historians, such as Helen Rountree, have questioned whether there was any risk of execution. They note that Smith failed to mention it in his 1608 and 1612 accounts, and only add ed it to his 1624 memoir, after Pocahontas had become famous. In 1608, Captain Newport realized that Powhatan's friendship was crucial to the survival of the small Jamestown colony. In the summer of that year, he tried to â€Å"crown† the paramount Chief, with a ceremonial crown, to make him an English â€Å"vassal. [12] They also gave Powhatan many European gifts, such as a pitcher, feather mattress, bed frame, and clothes. The coronation went badly because they asked Powhatan to kneel to receive the crown, which he refused to do. As a powerful leader, Powhatan followed two rules: â€Å"he who keeps his head higher than others ranks higher,† and â€Å"he who puts other people in a vulnerable position, without altering his own stance, ranks higher. † To finish the â€Å"coronation†, several English had to lean on Powhatan's shoulders to get him low enough to place the crown on his head, as he was a tall man.Afterwards, the English might have thought that Powhatan had submitted to King James, whereas Powhatan likely thought nothing of the sort. [13] In fact, only by being warned beforehand by a sympathizing servant, was an assassination plot led by braves averted (the British also refused to let the natives take their muskets for â€Å"safekeeping†). [citation needed] After John Smith became president of the colony, he sent a force under Captain Martin to occupy an island in Nansemond territory and drive the inhabitants away. At the same time, he sent another force with Francis West to build a fort at the James River falls.He purchased the nearby fortified Powhatan village (present site of Richmond, Virginia) from Parahunt for some copper and an English servant named Henry Spelman, who wrote a rare firsthand account of the Powhatan ways of life. Smith then renamed the village â€Å"Nonsuch†, and tried to get West's men to live in it. Both these attempts at settling beyond Jamestown soon failed, due to Powhatan resistan ce. Smith left Virginia for England in October 1609, never to return, because of an injury sustained in a gunpowder accident.Soon afterward, the English established a second fort, Fort Algernon, in Kecoughtan territory. The Coronation of Powhatan, oil on canvas, John Gadsby Chapman, 1835 In November 1609, Captain John Ratcliffe was invited to Orapakes, Powhatan's new capital. After he had sailed up the Pamunkey River to trade there, a fight broke out between the colonists and the Powhatan. All of the English ashore were killed, including Ratcliffe, who was tortured by the women of the tribe. Those aboard the pinnace escaped and told the tale at Jamestown. During that next year, the tribe attacked and killed many Jamestown residents.The residents fought back, but only killed twenty. However, arrival at Jamestown of a new Governor, Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, (Lord Delaware) in June of 1610 signalled the beginning of the First Anglo-Powhatan War. A brief period of peace came on ly after the capture of Pocahontas, her baptism, and her marriage to tobacco planter John Rolfe in 1614. Within a few years both Powhatan and Pocahontas were dead. The Chief died in Virginia, but Pocahontas died while in England. Meanwhile, the English settlers continued to encroach on Powhatan territory.After Wahunsunacawh's death, his younger brother, Opitchapam, briefly became chief, followed by their younger brother Opechancanough. In 1622 and 1644 he attacked the English to force them from Powhatan territories. Both these attempts were met with strong reprisals from the English, ultimately resulting in the near destruction of the tribe. The Second Anglo–Powhatan War that followed the 1644 incident ended in 1646, after Royal Governor of Virginia William Berkeley's forces captured Opechancanough, thought to be between 90 and 100 years old.While a prisoner, Opechancanough was killed, shot in the back by a soldier assigned to guard him. He was succeeded as Weroance by Necoto wance, and later by Totopotomoi and by his daughter Cockacoeske. The Treaty of 1646 marked the effective dissolution of the united confederacy, as white colonists were granted an exclusive enclave between the York and Blackwater Rivers. This physically separated the Nansemonds, Weyanokes and Appomattox, who retreated southward, from the other Powhatan tribes then occupying the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.While the southern frontier demarcated in 1646 was respected for the remainder of the 17th century, the House of Burgesses lifted the northern one on September 1, 1649. Waves of new immigrants quickly flooded the peninsular region, then known as Chickacoan, and restricted the dwindling tribes to lesser tracts of land that became some of the earliest Indian reservations. In 1665, the House of Burgesses passed stringent laws requiring the Powhatan to accept chiefs appointed by the governor. After the Treaty of Albany in 1684, the Powhatan Confederacy all but vanished.Red line s hows boundary between the Virginia Colony and Tributary Indian tribes, as established by the Treaty of 1646. Red dot on river shows Jamestown, capital of Virginia Colony. [edit] Capitals of the Powhatan people The capital village of â€Å"Powhatan† was believed to be in the present-day Powhatan Hill section of the eastern part of Richmond, Virginia, or perhaps nearby in a location which became part of Tree Hill Farm. Another major center of the confederacy about 75 miles (121 km) to the east was called Werowocomoco. It was located near the north bank of the York River in present-day Gloucester County.Werowocomoco was described by the English colonists as only 15 miles (24 km) as the crow flies from Jamestown, but also described as 25 miles (40 km) downstream from present-day West Point, measurements which conflict with each other. In 2003 archaeologists initiated excavations at a site in Gloucester County that have revealed an extensive indigenous settlement from about 1200 ( the late Woodland period) through the early Contact period. Work since then has added to their belief that this is the location of Werowocomoco. The site is on a farm bordering n Purtain Bay of the York River, about 12 nautical miles (22 km) from Jamestown. The more than 50 acres (200,000 m2) residential settlement extends up to 1,000 feet (300 m) back from the river. In 2004, researchers excavated two curving ditches of 200 feet (60 m) at the far edge, which were constructed about 1400 CE. In addition to extensive artifacts from hundreds of years of indigenous settlement, researchers have found a variety of trade goods related to the brief interaction of Native Americans and English in the early years of Jamestown.Around 1609, Wahunsunacock shifted his capital from Werowocomoco to Orapakes, located in a swamp at the head of the Chickahominy River, near the modern-day interchange of Interstate 64 and Interstate 295. Sometime between 1611 and 1614, he moved further north to Matchut, in present-day King William County on the north bank of the Pamunkey River, not far from where his brother Opechancanough ruled one of the member tribes at Youghtanund. [edit] Characteristics The Powhatan lived east of the fall line in Tidewater Virginia.They built their houses, called yehakins, by bending saplings and placing woven mats or bark over top of the saplings. They supported themselves primarily by growing crops, especially maize, but they also fished and hunted in the great forest in their area. Villages consisted of a number of related families organized in tribes led by a chief (weroance/werowance or weroansqua if female). They paid tribute to the paramount chief (mamanatowick), Powhatan. [3] According to research by the National Park Service, Powhatan â€Å"men were warriors and hunters, while women were gardeners and gatherers.The English described the men, who ran and walked extensively through the woods in pursuit of enemies or game, as tall and lean and possessed of handsome physiques. The women were shorter, and were strong because of the hours they spent tending crops, pounding corn into meal, gathering nuts, and performing other domestic chores. When the men undertook extended hunts, the women went ahead of them to construct hunting camps. The Powhatan domestic economy depended on the labor of both sexes. † [14] All of Virginia's natives practiced agriculture. They periodically moved their villages from site to site.Villagers cleared the fields by felling, girdling, or firing trees at the base and then using fire to reduce the slash and stumps. A village became unusable as soil productivity gradually declined and local fish and game were depleted. The inhabitants then moved on. With every change in location, the people used fire to clear new land. They left more cleared land behind. The natives also used fire to maintain extensive areas of open game habitat throughout the East, later called â€Å"barrens† by European colonis ts. The Powhatan also had rich fishing grounds.Bison had migrated to this area by the early 15th century. [15] [edit] The Powhatan people today [edit] State and federal recognition As of 2010, the state of Virginia has recognized eight Powhatan Indian-descended tribes in Virginia. Collectively, the tribes currently have 3,000-3,500 enrolled as tribal members. [16] It is estimated, however, that 3 to 4 times that number are eligible for tribal membership. [12] Two of these tribes, the Mattaponi and Pamunkey, still retain their reservations from the 17th century and are located in King William County, Virginia.Since the 1990s, the Powhatan Indian tribes which have state recognition, along with the other Virginia Indian tribe which has state recognition, have been seeking federal recognition. It has been a difficult process. They have been hampered by the lack of official records verifying heritage and by the historical misclassification of family members in the 1930s and 1940s, largel y a result of Virginia's state policy of race classification on official documents.After Virginia passed stringent segregation laws in the early 20th century and ultimately the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 which mandated every person who had any African heritage be deemed black, Walter Plecker, the head of Vital Statistics office, directed all state and local registration offices to use only the terms â€Å"white† or â€Å"colored† to denote race on official documents and thereby eliminated all traceable records of Virginia Indians. All state documents, including birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, tax forms and land deeds, thus bear no record of Virginia Indians.Plecker oversaw the Vital Statistics office in the state for several decades, beginning in the early 20th century, and took a personal interest in eliminating traces of Virginia Indians. As a follower of the eugenics movement and, by modern day standards, a white supremacist, Plecker fal sely surmised that there were no true Virginia Indians remaining as years of intermarriage has diluted the race. Over his years of service, he conducted a campaign to reclassify all bi-racial and multi-racial individuals as black, believing such persons were fraudulently attempting to claim their race to be Indian or white.The effect of his reclassification has been described by tribal members as â€Å"paper genocide†. Initially, the Virginia tribes' efforts to gain federal recognition encountered resistance due to federal legislators' concerns over whether gambling would be established on their lands if recognition were granted, as it would raise federal tax concerns and also casinos are illegal in Virginia. In March 2009, five of the state-recognized Powhatan Indian tribes and the one other state-recognized Virginia Indian tribe introduced a bill to gain federal recognition through an act of Congress. The bill, â€Å"The Thomasina E.Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act†, included a section forbidding the tribes from opening casinos, even if casinos became legal in Virginia. The House Committee on Natural Resources recommended the bill be considered by the US House of Representatives at the end of April, the House approved the bill on June 3, 2009. The bill was then sent to the Senate's Committee on Indian Affairs, who recommended it be heard by the Senate as a whole in October. On December 23, 2009, the bill was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under general orders, which is where the bill is currently.

Bombardier Case Preparation Essay

Bombardier is a successful company in the transportation industry. Bombardier has two divisions; The Aerospace and Transportation divisions. Bombardier Aerospace is the third largest designer and manufacturer of commercial aircraft in the world, and one of the leading producers of regional aircraft. The company encountered some challenges because of the company’s growth strategy by acquisition. The main problem was communication problems among systems which were different for each acquired company because Bombardier Aerospace became a â€Å"textbook silo organization† after acquiring with other companies. Addition to this problem, low visibility of inventory and lack of integration between its legacy systems was also important problem to the company. Symptoms of the problem were process delays, sequential activities, low inventory turns, supplier proliferation and price inconsistency, and multiple Bills of Material (BOM). The company found a solution for this problem that changing Bombardier Manufacturing System (BMS) which was the group of IT applications to support manufacturing activities to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.  · First ERP Implementation: After $130million spent, first ERP implementation discontinued mid-project in 2000. Failure of this attempt: †¢Focusing the implementation on inappropriate business processes †¢An outdated company vision †¢A weak sponsorship model †¢Insufficient involvement of internal employees. †¢Employing too many consultants who having a limited knowledge of the business to assist in the project.  · Second ERP Implementation (BMIS) Project: In 2001, a group of senior managers authored a project for the BMIS in order to establish a new integrated manufacturing system. BMIS was the first project to realize a wider ERP strategy and a vision of an integrated organization, one company. It would support Bombardier Aerospace’s operations; would focus on the processes that supporting manufacturing, procurement, finance and the engineering data to support these processes. Issues encountered by Training: †¢ Lack of process documentation or system functionality for trainers †¢3rd party consultants prepared training material †¢Lack of user friendly, understandable training materials †¢Lack of information to employees about necessity of training †¢Lack of focusing on the roles (e-learning module) †¢Incomplete and somewhat wrong data for training †¢Lack of explanation of the wider role & consequences of BMIS. †¢Shorter training time than what was planned Issues encountered after Go Live: †¢Three weeks shutdown to implement new system †¢Lack of knowledge of user’s new responsibilities and roles †¢Blaming new system when encountered problem didn’t solve in a short period of time by support staff †¢Availability of old system (some managers encouraged employees to use old system) †¢Lack of implementing General Ledger †¢Not using reporting functionality by managers BMIS was delivered on time and below budget. After Go Live some issues considered and inadequate areas improved: †¢Initial training supported with additional courses and training material. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Day in the Life† training documents developed by management team and these documents improved user’s attitude toward the system.  · Saint Laurent Implementation: After second implementation â€Å"Mirabel† project, some of the issues were solved and improved. †¢The important of user preparation was well recognized. †¢Managers of the Saint-Laurel plant were convinced to own this project. †¢Everybody in the organization got informed about every phase and details of the project. †¢Communication among employees and management for the project got better. †¢Users understood the changes introduced by the new processes. †¢Attendance for the training became priority. †¢Users informed about their roles and responsibilities before deploying the new system. Recommendation: Bombardier needs to apply the best ERP implementation practices which includes; †¢Understanding of the project by management and users: Bombardier did it on Saint-Laurel project. †¢Planning project: Bombardier made schedule for all project and applied on their project. †¢Training: Giving training to users before implementing the new system, and continuing training after implementation to make users to understand new system well. †¢Utilize mapping data techniques and conduct pilot runs and testing simulations: Bombardiers implemented ERP system on one site at the time.

Writing assingment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing assingment - Assignment Example Richard went to a great extend just to impress her (cleanliness). Within his school, no one seemed to understand him. Some thought he was just a fool who did not know anything. However, he was a normal kid faced with many challenges. For instance, poor housing, hunger, among many more. A few days before the Negro payday, students were supposed to pledge on behalf of their parents. Because of his love for Helene, Dick had a plan of topping up to her pledge. Unfortunately, his name was not read, and when he rose up to inquire, the teacher put him to shame. He was told that the contribution was not meant for him and those of his kind. Further, she said he did not have a father (Lunsford, 2013). Each person need to be treated equally regardless of race and background. In the short story, Gregory has been subjected to some racial discrimination. He was differentiated in a particular manner that made it seem like all minorities had to undergo. His teacher specifically did this during his early years of schooling. It is because he was from the poverty-stricken class. Consequently, this demoralized him; to the extent that he did not attend his classes as he used to. Moreover, it went ahead to affect his social life. This is because the teacher’s comments had a negative impact towards his self-esteem. As a result, he became sensitive to the slightest matter regarding him. This could evidently be seen in his change of attitude towards relief clothes and food. It was unfair for Gregory to be treated differently, yet he was a normal human being. If only the teacher could mind the aftermath of his sentiments, Gregory could be a better person today (Lunsford, 2013). Initially, the responsibility of cleaning the blackboard had been left for Gregory alone. To him this was an impression that he was important to the teacher. Foregoing the act of cleaning on a Friday usually made him feel incomplete the following school day. Cleaning the blackboard was less important

Effectiveness of Health and Safety at Work Place in Bangladesh Essay

Effectiveness of Health and Safety at Work Place in Bangladesh - Essay Example Fire and collapse incidents proved that compliance with employee safety was not being assured and workers were forced to work in vulnerable working conditions to keep their body and soul together. On 24 April 2013, a very grave collapse of garments industry was observed at a ten storey building in Bangladesh. It made the entire world suspicious of what could have happened. The accident took place in well known Rana Plaza where five garment factories were running with worldwide interactions. Many renowned brands were used to interact with garment factories in Bangladesh because of good quality of garments at cheaper costs. However the poor health and safety conditions are thought to be responsible of the deadliest building collapse in the history of Bangladesh (BBC News 2013). It is right to remark that it has become an alarming situation for governing bodies in order to cope the global defame and for resuming the relationships for trade and business. In near past, before the lethal c ollapse, Bangladesh remained a center of attention for international buyers because of extremely low wage rates. According to Minimum Wage Board (2010), the average wage in Bangladesh was Taka 3000/- which is extremely low as compared to contemporary market rate (Mondy and Noe et al. 2005). 2. The Accident The tragic collapse in Sawar on 24th April 2013 was one of the most astonishing historical accidents. The said plaza, situated in Sawar, Dhaka, was tremendously collapsed at 8:58 a.m on that day. The plaza building has been estimated to have 5000 workers employed in five garments factories. According to the government press release, around 1131 workers kicked the bucket in the accident and their bodies were rescued. The government spokesman further divulged that 2438 workers were rescued alive. In the collapse five garment factories, one bank, ATM booths, a market and parking lots were devastated (Mehr 2013). Rescue services were offered by Bangladesh army, Fire and civil defense services, Bangladesh Police and several volunteer welfare and nongovernmental organization. The made the injured reach to hospitals and different first aid spots according to the severity of injury. Emergency was enforced in public as well as in private hospitals at Dhaka (BBC News 2013). It has been reported that a morning before the collapse, a two inch crack was observed in ground pillars of the building. By hearing the news, several journalists of leading television channels arrived at the building. They covered the news and were lean to talk to the owner of building Sohel Rana. After the call, the owner personally came to the building and said that the crack is not dangerous. It can be managed without enforcing any emergency in the building. The peace of the building must not be disturbed. He asked the journalists not to report the news. He let out the situation of building satisfactory in all respects and went away. A local engineer visited the building and told that the condi tion is severely vulnerable; the building must be emptied immediately and should be inspected by a competent team of professional engineers (Quinn 2013). By seeing the response of the building owner, the garment factories’ owners decided to close the factories. From the next day, labors were called for strike.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example The purpose was even to make the White American population feel guilty of their atrocious behavior towards the African American population in order to gain sympathy and motivate them to give equal rights to African Americans. He quite effectively used the persuasion techniques of emotional appeal and credibility to persuade his audience. The speech that was authored and presented by Douglas was quite persuasive for the African American population as well as the White American population because he was a credible actor who really knew the pressing issues faced by the African Americans. He is well qualified to deliver the speech and persuade the audience because he had himself experienced the atrocities that he experienced at the hands of the White Americans. He had experienced the misery of being a slave and was even one of the numerous leaders who led the Abolitionist Movements from the front. His experience provides him the mandate of being a credible speaker and author of the speech in the eyes of the audience. Furthermore his repeated citing of bible and the context in which he was citing the bible portrays him as a person who is knowledgeable. Douglas continued to persuade the audience by appealing to the emotions of the African Americans who were still experiencing atrocities at the hands of the majority of the population of America. He uses various words and phrases to attract the emotions of his audience. For example, he uses the phrases such as â€Å"mournful wail of millions† in order to appeal to the audience’s emotions of sorrow as well as their emotion of begging to be helped (Douglass 1). Furthermore he uses the phrase â€Å"bleeding children† to appeal to the white audience to sympathies with the African Americans who were still suffering and were being treated as slaves (Douglass 1). His aim of using these terms to make the White population feel the pain that is being suffered by the African Americans and to

Genetic Engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genetic Engineering - Assignment Example Perhaps the first and most obvious reason that GMO food exhibits a clear and definitive concern to the human population is with regard to the unknown level of impact that GMO necessarily poses to human health. Shockingly, very little independent research has been performed on GMOs to determine the level of impact, if any, that they might have with regard to human health. Moreover, seed company agreements forbid the sale or use of any of their seeds for the process of independent research, all but stymieing any attempt that an independent researcher might make in order to draw a level of inference with regard to whether or not GMOs are harmful, beneficial or neutral. However, the fact that seed manufacturers are so particular about including the caveat that their products cannot be sold or utilised for independent research sheds a level of particular doubt in the mind of the reader with regard to the overall health concerns that use of GMO might present for any society’s food s upply. Moreover, another particular level of the unknown that exists with regard to the use of GMO in food is the fact that many of the GMO food sources currently in the market have been proven to have a built-in resistance to certain types of antibiotics. For instance, Amflora, a type of genetically modified potato, was recently tested by a European committee and found to have a gene specifically built-in to the potato that was predisposed to a type of antibiotic resistance. Although this particular type of genetically modified potato may have little or no effect upon the human being, the mere existence of an antibiotic resistant gene within genetically modified food is able to alert the reader that serious concerns about health may very well exist with regard to genetically modified food. Although genetically modified food is something that holds a great deal of promise it at the same time holds a great

Islamic economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic economy - Essay Example Throughout the Muslim nations, the comprehension was nothing was lawful about banks (Thomas 4). The modern setting of Islamic banking began in the 1960s in Egypt; nevertheless, this attempt was unfruitful and limited to certain contemporary setting. There were two events that triggered and spread the development of Islamic economy. The first event was the OPEC oil crisis as it was referred to in the west; however, unlike in the west, quotas and increased oil prices resulted in increased GDP per capita in the oil-producing Islamic nations. This resulted in increase of gross savings, consumption and most significantly demand for a banking system fit with Islamic regulations for devout Muslims. The second trigger was the Islamic revolution in Iran because it inspired the Iranian government to require a banking system that complies with Islamic sharia’a laws (Thomas 55). Recognition of non-western economic thought remedied the prevailing ignorance in the west regarding contributio n of Arab-Muslim thinkers in economics. Islamic economists criticized the assumptions upon which conventional economics based and their policies. Islam emphasizes communal responsibility and harmony of the Muslim nations or Muslim community. Islamic economists associated utilitarian to hedonism, which they considered as a replacement of the moral values. Unlike Marxist approach to remuneration that considers labor as a source of value; Islamic economists identify the legitimacy of rental income together with profits. With inbuilt deepness and breadth of Islamic commercial law, current jurists find realistic and hypothetical jurisprudence upon which to draw solution when confronted with disputes of the contemporary marketplace. The initial few decades of modern Islamic economy was a period of revival and the last decade has been an era of significant innovation. Modern Muslim jurist provide sharia’a-compliant solutions to the expanding spectrum of needs. Toward the end of the 1980s, the situation began to change with Islamic and banking and economy growing beyond the expectations of Islamic economy supporters. Since then, Islamic finance has become a growth industry with several multinational banks and asset management companies taking interest in the development of Islamic economy (Thomas 5). Within the banking and finance industry significant developments began with the significant reason being the progress made by Muslim jurisprudence to, understanding the modern business of commerce and applying sharia’a principles. An additional reason was the development of facilities by sharia’a boards with normal contracts allowing Islamic economies to be at ease with the novel organization. The renewal of Islamic commercial energy led to the development of cooperation and helpful interactions between Muslims and people with different religious backgrounds. Acceptance of sharia’a in Islamic economies does not lead to rejection of tools necess ary for economic analysis; rather, it implies evaluation of economic policy with moral perspective according to religious teachings (Thomas 8). Apart from oil and gas-rich states, many Muslim economies are either low or middle-income developing nations, where often

Marketing Management and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Management and Strategy - Essay Example SIA targets the upper strata of the income group and is positioned as a luxury carrier. It has four variations of first class cabins, a business class and an economy class. It offers world gourmet cuisines in all classes and is known for quality customer service. It is one of the most respected travel brands around the world. The frequent flyer program of SIA provides world class facilities and access to lounges. It also has strategic tie-ups in different countries offering special discounts on presentation of the boarding pass. Silkair, a wholly owned subsidiary of SIA group was formed in 1989 by the name of Tradewinds. It was targeted at the holiday traveler to SE exotic destinations. In 1992, the carrier was renamed Silkair. This marked its evolution from a leisure airline to one who also caters to the business traveler. To discuss the in flight experience, there are two classes of cabins available on all SilkAir flights - business class and economy class. The airline offers Oriental and Western menus which emphasize on flavors of the region. For in-flight entertainment SilkAir offers its passengers a handheld device called the DigEplayer. Interested passengers traveling in economy class on selected flights may rent the DigEplayer on board for a particular fee. DigEplayers are complimentary for business-class passengers flying on selected routes. Segmentation and positioning: Silkair, is not a lo... It was targeted at the holiday traveler to SE exotic destinations. In 1992, the carrier was renamed Silkair. This marked its evolution from a leisure airline to one who also caters to the business traveler. To discuss the in flight experience, there are two classes of cabins available on all SilkAir flights - business class and economy class. The airline offers Oriental and Western menus which emphasize on flavors of the region. For in-flight entertainment SilkAir offers its passengers a handheld device called the DigEplayer. Interested passengers traveling in economy class on selected flights may rent the DigEplayer on board for a particular fee. DigEplayers are complimentary for business-class passengers flying on selected routes. Segmentation and positioning: Silkair, is not a low cost carrier, it is a wing of Singapore airlines which operates within a specific geographic area. It prefers to be addressed as a value carrier. The group identified a new segment of holiday travelers from Singapore to other SE Asian countries. The destinations are usually short haul. Thus a dedicated carrier was launched to serve this market. This is a part of SIA group's global strategy where the decision was made to service new sectors. SIA followed the global strategy of aggregate segmentation, segmenting the customers on the basis of cosmopolitanism (Kotabe, Helsen, 2004). The initial positioning, "The regional wing of Singapore airlines", took advantage of the already established credibility of SIA. Once established, it adopted a new positioning, "Where the world unwinds", directly targeting its segment of holiday travelers. Global environment - Competition: Although it is not a low cost carrier, it faces competition from most of the low cost

Reading Response to Ali and Nino Essay Example for Free

Reading Response to Ali and Nino Essay The most evident and reoccurring theme that I noticed in Kurban Said’s, Ali and Nino was the importance of religion and cultural backgrounds. In many different places in the story it is evident that Ali and Nino have been taught some completely different things about the world in general. The first major example that I found is when Ali speaks with his father and Nino’s father about marrying Nino. Although they are both somewhat supportive of the marriage, they both send completely opposite messages. Ali’s father tells him that the love for Nino is not necessary and that if he wants Ali can still marry up to three more wives. Contrary to Ali’s fathers belief, Nino’s father feels very differently. He feels that he must show unconditional love and treat her with the dignity and respect that she deserves. He also feels that he should focus all her energy and love on her rather than having any other wives. If Nino’s father doubts Ali’s for his daughter, maybe that is part of the reason why he tried to postpone the wedding. The second example I found is when Nino tells Ali he absolutely can not have a harem because it is considered a disgraceful tradition of Ali’s background to Nino and her family. Ali agrees that he will not have a Harem and then the question of whether or not Nino will have to wear a veil. After a bit of deliberation between Ali and Nino, they were still unable to reach a conclusion to whether or not Nino would have to wear a veil. Nino does not understand why a women must wear a veil whereas Ali feels that it is very important that the women does so that Nino will be protected from strangers looks. Although Ali and Nino are very much in love there are very many cultural differences and misunderstandings that make this inter religion/faith marriage a bit more complicated. This idea of religious differences and cultural misunderstandings really hits home for me. As a Jewish adult, it has always been very important to me to marry someone of the same faith and belief system. As I have grown up I do believe that the most important thing is being happy and that being accepting of all peoples values and morals is very much important. Out of personal experience, I have two relatives that both decided to marry out of the Jewish faith. Neither of these marriages have worked out very well in regards to my family. The first relative of mine ended up getting divorced and is now going through a custody battle for his children. The other relative is still married to his wife but does not talk to anyone on our side of the family due to many reasons but mostly because she was not willing to support his Jewish identity and background. It is ignorant in my opinion to think that inter faith marriages can never work out, because a lot of them do. But in my experiences with my family they have not. Regardless if people can make them work, it is definitely harder than marrying someone with the same faith as you. With religion comes a system of ideals, morals and beliefs and if someone has those same values as you do, there will be less cultural misunderstandings and cleavages than if you married someone with different values than you. So the whole idea of cultural differences through religion complicating thing relates both very closely to my life in terms of my family and Kurban Said’s Ali and Nino.

Nurses Role In Communicating Effectively In Clinical Practice

Nurses Role In Communicating Effectively In Clinical Practice The purpose of this essay is to discuss and analyse the nurses role, in relation to communicating effectively in clinical practice. To explore this area fully an example taken from a clinical practice will be outlined, in accordance to the NMC (2008) confidentiality guide lines. To follow after will be how we learn to communicate, what communication is and the potential barriers that prevent effective communication. A nursing module by the name of Egan (SOLER) that has been especially designed to help nurses develop communication skills will be discussed in relation to the clinical practice example. Another nursing module from Roper, Logan and Tierney has also been briefly examined and related back to the clinical practice example. Suitable conclusions will be drawn up to bring this topic to a closure. In accordance to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2008, the patients name has been changed in order to protect their identity. Alex is a male patient, in his late forties and is currently being treated for on a mental health ward. To communicate with Alex a trusted relationship had to build up first, as he suffers from paranoia schizophrenia. His average day would consist of being huddled into a ball in a small arm chair anxiously aware of everyone and everything around him. I aimed to make sure that I approached Alex in the same manor every shift in order to build up a trust between us, so that i could offer assistance to him if needed. Over the placement period the trusted bond between Alex and I had started to form and he now trusted me enough to help assist him to the dining room to feed him, where as normally the food was brought to him because of his nervousness and anxiety around large groups . In order to communicate effectively you need to understand the aspects involved with communication. The basics start off with oral and written communication skills taught to us from a young age, in order to achieve in life. Oral communication is a constant learning skill throughout life, by observing and practising. The same can be said for written communication. Both communication aspects should equally complement one another, as weak or poor oral/written skills can lead to disagreements between individuals, poor documentation, and waste of time for resources. Whilst mastering the art of effective oral communication other factors now come into play such as, using open and closed questions to enhance a conversation and also the facilitators/barriers to communication. As well as being able to speak and write correctly, other learning functions are also taught from a young age by observing others, and are also included in our constant learning curve through life, these include listenin g, understanding, becoming self aware and to the ability to maintain confidentiality . Without these important extra factors no further improvement personally or professionally would be able to happen. If unable to listen and understand oral communication/commands catastrophic consequences could occur, especially in the field of nursing. Effective communication is needed in order to understand the individuals viewpoint on their illness and to strive for empathy. The nurses job does not only involve looking after the physical demands of the patient, but also to try and build up a therapeutic relationship between them. Oral communication consists mainly of two divisions called verbal and non verbal, from which they both strand off and explore the various different characteristics between them. Verbal communication pays close attention to the accents, pitch, tone, volume, speed and context. (Arnold, 2001, p.41) Referring back to the clinical example above, before I started to communicate with Alex I politely asked him what language he spoke or preferred to use, Alex stated that English was his only language. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) states that, You must make arrangements to meet peoples language and communication needs. (NMC code 2008, p.3) Communication was one of the barriers that affected Alex so therefore effective verbal communication was extremely important to my patient in order for him to maintain his social interaction skills and memory processing (Mason and Whitehead 2003) By approaching Alex frequently throughout each shift I tried to maintain as much social interaction as possible to help him overcome his timid social skills and to keep some sort of normality to his daily living on the ward. Communicating with Alex would often be a one way conversation due to the lack of response when communicating with him; some qualified health care professionals would spend less time with him, for the feeling of being ignored. When actually socialising with the patients is a therapeutic activity and can help with the healing process. Mason and Whitehead states that, Thus, nursing can be viewed as a social action and also as a form of therapy in itself. I tried to speak to Alex in a way that I hoped would reassure to him that I brought no harm, by slowing down my speech and speaking quieter and softer than normal. The purpose in doing so was that speaking in a lower tone to Alex proved to be more effective and calming for him, which overall provided a better response in conversation. If you were to suddenly ask Alex a question, without thinking about your self-awareness and interpersonal skills first, it would startle him and sometimes cause an outburst of unsettlement. Whilst trying to keep sentences short and simple for easier understanding, to further the conversion I made a conscious effort to ask open questions that would prompt more of an answer other than yes or no. The reason in doing so was to try and assist with Alexs social skills and build up his autonomy confidence. Questions such as what visitors have you had today or who got you out of bed this morning would help to establish a small conversion whilst trying to set up building blocks to further the conversation. To start a conversation off with one of the following words who, what, when, where, why and how, help to approach an open ended question and to also address specific symptoms. (Sheldon L.K, 2009.) While non verbal communication looks more at the paralinguistics such as, body language and movements, facial expressions, proximity, eye contact and posture. (Arnold, 2001, p.41) Referring back to the clinical example above, non verbal communication needed just as much attention because Alex would sit with his knees pulled in tightly to his chest, with his arms wrapped around them and his head bowed down. By displaying these closed gestures, Alex was indicating his need for self protection, and that he was feeling vulnerable. In order to open up his body language and communicate with Alex small and gestures had to be used such as, trying to maintain eye contact throughout lets you establish a connection and initiates communication whether it be verbal or non verbal, it also helps to engage with your patient and help with attentiveness. (Gupta, 2008) Before I sat down or made an approach, I made sure that I informed Alex what I was going to do. Uys and Middleton suggest, When moving towards the patient, inform him/her verbally of what your actions mean. By pulling up a chair to sit next to Alex decreasing the proximity between us i tried to show warmth, care and understanding, by placing my arm slowly and gently on his arm of the chair, instead of standing over him and coming across as superior. (Boyer,J.M 1992) Proximity between Alex and I would differ from day to day, sitting close to him in a chair may be ok some days and on others you would need to allow significant body space. By judging his non verbal communication such as facial expressions and eye contact, you consciously knew the distance he would appreciate. (Uys and Middleton, 2004) To offer assistance to Alex and prepare him for moving off his security setting and into the dining room for food, I would verbally and non-verbally explain to Alex what the plan was and how we were going to get to the dining room. I would point to specific points in the day room and explain it would only take three steps or five steps to the next point, to try and encourage movement. Whilst pointing around the room I would show my palms instead of pointing my index finger. The reason for showing my palms was that pointing at something can be misinterpreted as an attack, whereas a palm is more open and patient, ready for encouraging small movement at a time. Showing points in the room to where we would walk to first, would make the journey to the dining room seem less intimidating and also not to cause any additional anxiety for him, as some restless and panicky patients need reassurance about the availability of support (Uys and Middleton, 2004) Other days small gestures would be all it took for Alex to open up his body language, such as keeping a happy, wide eyed expression around him, showing that i was still available if he wanted some reassurance. The work of Egan (1986) has been drawn upon extensively by nurses as the basis for active listening, as this skill is a fundamental aspect required by nurses to provide adequate care, and by suggesting that non verbal skills can demonstrate to the patients that you are listening to what he or she is saying. The frame work is labelled by the name of SOLER, and is an acronym from the word squarely. It encourages the nurse to sit squarely facing your patient so that you may engage them fully; this was especially helpful when talking to Alex as it showed I was willing to communicate with him. It also mentions about adopting an open posture to show encouraging and facilitates patient expression. Alex displayed closed off gestures, by implying openness I tried to facilitate effective communication whilst also being aware of my own body language, posture and movement. To lean slightly forward showing attention and interest was not always a good position to hold, as being so close to Alex wo uld slightly unnerve him and make him feel intimidated. Soler also suggests maintaining good eye contact, which again shows interest. In relation to Alex maintaining good eye contact was vital for encouragement and progress when assisting to the dining room, by showing a wide eye, happy expression I aimed for encouragement and reassurance. The last part of Soler, Egan argues that it is imperative not to fidget and to feel at ease and relaxed (Stretch, 2007) again this part played an important factor when assisting Alex to the dining room. There are also many barriers that prevent effective communication between the nurse and patients such as, stereotyping. Nurses must try and refrain from culturally stereotyping patients, and should consult patients regarding values, beliefs, preferences and cultural identification first. (Boyer.J,M, 1992) Other barriers include perceptions, prejudgements, environmental factors and nurses avoiding subjects or rapidly changing the subject if the nurse feels uncomfortable within a nurse/patient situation. The reason for distancing themselves was to avoid exploring an area that could actually do more harm than good to the patient. Over time this procedure has been reviewed and communication is now seen as a vital aspect for improved better care and a more therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. (Walsh and Crumbie, 2007) Roper, Logan and Tierney collaborated to refine the Roper models (1980) as a way of introducing beginning students to think about nursing practice. It has been used extensively within the United Kingdom as a frame work for nursing care, practice, teaching and learning. The module is divided up into two sections, the module of living including the sixteen activities of living (ALS) and the module for nursing including twelve further activities of living that came into action after a lengthy debate in 1996. Starting off with the module of living Roper et al categorized this section into three groups, essential looks at the physical demands of daily living, increase quality of living pays close attention to the social aspect of daily living, and mortality looks at the dying stage of life. The next twelve activities of living are related to particular human needs and have biological basis to them, whereas the sixteen activities of daily living have social and cultural determinants. (Aggleton and Chalmers, 1986) (Holland et al, 2003) The focus of the theory model is aimed at efficient nurse/patient communication in order to achieve a positive living outcome for the patient. It shows empathy, non judgement and respect to the patients needs by recognising that, people require nursing episodically and that minimal disruption to a persons lifestyle should be maintained. As mentioned previously with Alex, communication with him on the ward was to try and keep some sort of normality to his daily living, whilst being looked after. Roper, Logan and Tierney states that, Alternative strategies should be carried out on an informed basis and not simply in accordance with past precedent. (Aggleton and Chalmers, 1986, P.31) One of the new strategies tried with Alex was to assist him to the dining room for food, rather than bringing the food to him where he felt secure in his chair. The purpose in doing so was to encourage and seek responsibility for self-care, to promote dignity and to raise Alexs self esteem. Conclusion