Trait Theory Essay Example for Free

Trait Theory EssayAs I began the process of preparing for this weeks assignments and I noticed that a great deal of emphasis was being rove on temper indication testing, I have to say I was a little bit nervous as I have never really put much stock into those particular types of tests being in truth accurate. But after reading chapters 7 and 8 in our text Personality Theory and Research, the article on Gordon Allport, and most specifically taking the self-importance monitoring test myself and comparing the results given to what I already believed to be true most myself, I now have a better consciousness about how these tests, along with an ability to gauge and monitor consistent patterns of behavior, feelings and thought (Cervone Pervin, 2013, p. 232) can be a valu fitting tool in not exactly a scientific setting but in gaining self aw arness.I am writing this paper as a means of sharing my insights about personality trait theories as well as how these theories might help an individual gain insight into their alliances with themselves and others. I will also discuss the relationship between personality trait theories, psychoanalytic and humanistic theories and which of these are more effective in explaining human behavior. One of the largest insights I have gained through my look into this week is the knowledge of the beliefs of Gordon Allport. His suggestion that the individual self is composed of the aspects that humans feel are the most essential interests me (Boeree, 2006).By breaking down those aspects into heptad separate functions, which include, sense of body, self-identity, self-esteem, self-extension, self-image, rational coping, and propriate striving (Boeree, 2006), Allport developed a means to better explain where human motives derive from. As we attempt to gain a firmer grasp on our ability to improve our relationships with friends, family and the people we interact with on a daily basis, as well as a better reasonableness of our o wn personality strengths and weaknesses, we gain needed insight by studying personality trait theories.This gives us a better understanding of important areas that are key to healthy relationships. Two of those areas are communications and expectations. What we expect to receive from our relationships with others and how we communicate those expectations are vital in determining whether those relationships flourish or not.Our personality type has a great impact on both of those areas so it is important to be aware of our traits, what to build on, and what to work on letting go of. One of the main differences between the personality trait theories and the other theories we have studied thus far, such as psychoanalytic and humanistic theories, is that the personality trait theory approach individuals differences. Trait theory seems to be more focused on measuring an individuals personality characteristics and slight focused on generalized behavior on average. I believe that the trait theory falls short of the humanistic theory in some(prenominal) ways, but in particular, it doesnt seem to give as good a glimpse into how we develop the most basic of our personality traits. It also lacks in its ability to be as accurate a predictor of future behavior.In my opinion, trait theory seems to be more of a tool to put a name on certain aspects of our personality, while the humanistic theory gives us a better understanding of our personality. In conclusion, I hope that I have included in this paper a thorough description of the information I have gained through my excursion through this weeks learning resources. My goal was to give you my opinion on the differences between trait theory and the other personality theories we have studied and how important it is to be able to not only learn as much as we can about why we act the way we do, but to learn how to react other than in the future. I now believe that, through better understanding of the many different theories dis cussed in this course and not developing and one track mind, this can be accomplished. ReferencesCervone, D., Pervin, L.A. (2013). Personality Theory and research (12th Ed.). Hoboken, NJ. John Wiley Sons, Inc. Boeree, C.G. (2013). Personality theories Gordon Allport. Retrieved September 22, 2013 from http//webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/allport.html

Bipolar Mood Disorder Essay Example for Free

bipolar Mood Disorder EssayMany people ask, Is bipolar disorder real? Some people believe that bipolar Disorder is not real since having humour swings is a common factor in unmatcheds spiritedness, especi entirelyy in adolescence. They also say that all people in one point experience sadness, even the happiest people. But Bipolar Disorder is real. The illness isnt just about being a little depressed once in a while. Bipolar Mood Disorder, or manic depression, is a serious mental disorder that causes a psyche to have dramatic changes in his/her mood, ability to function, and energy level. It can cause damaged relationships, riskybehaviors, and even suicidal tendencies in ones life if left untreated. The illness consists of the changing of mood between two emotional stages hallucination and depression. Although the person alternates between these two episodes, at one point he/she may experience normal moods.Bipolar DisorderBipolar Disorder was eldest noticed in the second c entury, making it one of the oldest known illnesses. The first symptoms of mania and depression were recognized by Physician Arateus of Cappadocia, an ancient city in Turkey. He felt that mania and depression could be linked to from each one other and that they both were different graphic symbols of the same disease. Mania is one of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. It divides into two categories hypomania and mania. Hypomania is a less(prenominal) severe form of mania. During hypomania, one may intuitive feeling extremely good, excited, and excessively happy. One feels like they can accomplish anything. At first when Im high, its tremendous ideas are fast like shooting stars you follow until brighter ones step to the foreAll shyness disappears, the right words and gestures are suddenly there uninteresting people, things become intensely interesting. Sensuality is pervasive, the desire to seduce and be seduced is irresistible. Your meaning is infused with unbelievable feelin gs of ease, power, well-being, omnipotence, euphoria you can do anything but somewhere this changes. This phase does not last forever. For someone who is bipolar, hypomania can evolve into actual mania, or depression. During Mania, one can go from being happy to feeling furious, irritable, and aggressive. Some symptoms of mania allow in increased reckless behaviors, talkativeness, sudden shifts from being happy and joyful to being hostile, restlessness, racing thoughts, and excessive energy. Aside from mania, the other symptom of bipolar disorder is depression. During depression, one may feel sad, guilty, anxious, hopeless and/or worthless. Other symptoms of depression include loss of energy, loss of interest in things one used to enjoy doing, difficulty concentrating, feeling restless and agitated, insomnia, changes in appetite, and thoughts of death and attempting suicide.Types of Bipolar Disorderthither are many types of Bipolar Disorder Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymicdisor der, and rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. In Bipolar I, one goes through severe mood shifts from mania to depression. Bipolar II is a milder form of Bipolar II, containing milder episodes of hypomania that then can evolve into severe depression. Cyclothymic disorder consists of brief periods of depression that last shorter and less extensive than full episodes of depression. Last is rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. The illness is described as rapid-cycling when one has more than 4 episodes in less than a 1-year period. The shift of polarity from mania to depression in rapid-cycling can be in one week, or even as short as in a day. The rapid-cycling expression can increase severe depression and suicidal thoughts.Causes of BipolarLike any other psychological disorder, there is no exact cause of Bipolar Disorder. It can contribute from many different factors, the main ones being biological, genetic, and environmental. Scientists believe that primarily it is caused from biological facto rs. This is because in people who are bipolar, some of their brains neurotransmitters, which are the chemical transmitters of the brain, dont function properly. Another factor that contributes to Bipolar Disorder is genetics. Bipolar Mood Disorder tends to run in families, so if ones parent has bipolar disorder, he/she is 15-25% more likely to inherit the illness. The last factor that causes bipolar is environmental influence. Factors in life such as major stress or a life-changing event can trigger a biological reaction, thus making one develop Bipolar Disorder.TreatmentTreatment is available to anyone who deports from Bipolar Mood Disorder. The illness is often treated with medications. When putd medications, the patient is required to take daily medications such as mood-stabilizers. They are the most effective solutions for Bipolar Disorder, along with Lithium. Psychotherapy also plays an important part in treating the illness. If considering counseling, you can consult your fa mily doctor. They may recommend psychotherapy, and prescribe medications for the disease. Other professionals one can visit are psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists with a professional degree in the field of the brain.Mood StabilizersMood Stabilizers have the ability to decline the severity of depression and mania, and also decreases the frequency in which they happen. The most common type of mood stabilizer is Lithium, which has been known for helping people who deal with mood swings for years.ConclusionBipolar Mood Disorder is actually a serious mental disorder which causes ones mood to shift dramatically in a period of time. The symptoms of bipolar include mania, which is the high, and depression, which is the low. The illness can affect ones mood, behavior, and way of living, and can also make concentrating difficult. Depending on the type of the disease, one can change mood in months, weeks, or in days. Bipolar Disorder can be caused from many factors, including geneti c, biological, and environmental. Many people suffer from this illness, but luckily there is a solution to improving it. With medications and psychotherapy, one can regulate their mood swings and their severity, making Bipolar Disorder easier to deal with.

Success or Failure in the Organizational Change Process Essay Example for Free

Success or Failure in the Organizational Change Process EssayWith the current state of the economy now many organizations are faced with the task of implementing organisational swop. The change that of necessity to occur can be either very achievementful or a complete failure if attention to the details of the change is not explored. The prevail Bookstore is an independent store that faced these challenges during a while of urgency for businesses to reconstitute in order to achieve a successful strategical renewal.When reflecting on the varying approaches an organization can take in order to form a strategic renewal, there were a few critical steps that the Concord Bookstore ignored. These important steps may get to been what contributed to the failure of their organizational change. The Concord Bookstore is one small business that is facing economic hardship similar to what many other organizations of all shapes and sizes are. The need for restructuring was self-evident, but the manner in which the restructuring occurred led to employee and customer resistance alike.The first example I would like to address involves the history of the business as an independently owned entity that survived for 64 years. Upon tallying the rungs time with the company collectively it outdid the existence of the company itself averaging 73 years of experience. This detail leads one to believe that it is this experience which has made the business so successful in the community for so long. When the owner of the company announced the need for organizational change, Spector (2010) notable this change as a precipitating import that was a surprise announcement last month(p. )This description alone illustrates a disjointed business in which decisions were made from the upper level incorporated management straight to the community with no intermediate involvement from the managers and the employees of the business. When they chose to take this approach, it led to much re sistance from the employees since it did not take into account any of their ad hominem attributes as being integral parts of the businesses past successes.Although one can agree based on the current economy alone, that small business does have major challenges they need to face in order to stay profitable and successful, it is imperative to have employee support in order to achieve these objectives. During a time of strategic renewal it is important to note that an organizational change is necessary. The Concord Bookstore should have evaluated the behaviors of the employees in order to reflect a more than verificatory stance in order to gain acceptance of the organizational change.According to Burrows, as cited by Spector (2010) In the corporate world, customers expect to be treated as long-term partners, actually having a say in the development of new products (p. 5 ). This theory tends to illustrate the dissatisfaction of the customers of the Concord Bookstore that also took th e announcement of the organizational change as a negative attribute. These concerns stated by both employee and customers alike are what led to the failure of the organizational change.For a successful strategic renewal to take place a business/organization should really first aim to work towards behavioral change. This can be done in a variety of ways. The first initiative that the Concord Bookstore should have taken was to work on the motivation of the employees. As referenced by Spector (2010), Denison noted that the advantage to behavioral change relies on the manner in which work is organized, information is shared, decisions are made, coordination occurs, and problems are solved are all performance differentiators (p 7).If these attributes are defined and utilized during the organizational change process then the advantages can sustain for the long-term. Many customers noted that the admirable qualities of the Concord Bookstore were the knowledgeable staff and their earnestn ess and joy to meet the consumer demands. By the corporate level management deciding how the business would be restructured with no employee or customer input, it is easily understood why there was so much resistance to the organizational change.With the participation of the employees and customers alike, an organizational change leading to a strategic renewal may have been more successful. The willingness to let the employees and customers alike participate demonstrates a value for the employees and the customers that an organization does business with. Spector (2010) noted that participation in the process of defining problems and designing solutions will jock build commitment to the new directions that result from that process (p. 12).When one lets participation occur naturally, it leads to a sense of self-worth, allows the employees to feel apart of the restructuring, gives the employees a chance to be a part of finding solutions and supporting the process with more commitment and motivation. When the Concord Bookstore made their initial announcement none of these strategies took place. When there is a need for and organizational change it is hard to leave the status quo. It is even harder to leave something so familiar if not allowed to feel a valued plus of what had once in the past contributed so much to the success of a business.Had the Concord Bookstore allowed the employees to play a more active role in the organizational restructuring of the business, there may have been a much different outcome. In the end, the Concord Bookstore ended up defending its initiatives for organizational change but never had the support of the people it needed the most its employees and customers. This case demonstrates a great example to the fact that every organizational change needs to also deal the behavioral change of the business in order to avoid any type of resistance and further meet long-term success and vitality.

Strategic Planning for Small Business

Strategic Planning for Small BusinessBusiness explanation is the short plan to start up any kind of crease. Business description includes all staple fibre information like name of the business, location of the business, typewrite of the business, etc. In it we include the service or products of the business. In this fast moving century everyone is in rush for whole day to satisfy their basic needs. Mainly in the morning everybody is running late for their jobs or schools. Most of the people induct no time to cook fodder for them. To satisfy the proclivity of the people in the morning we are thinking to set up an online Packed Meal business. Selling Packed Meals in the morning will be very helpful for those who goatnot cook for themselves in the morning. We are planning to deliver the food at the railway stations or bus stops. At these national places people sess easily grab the meal. To start this business first of all we are going to create a website by which people can or der the food online. They can take hold the food in advance and according to their orders we can deliver the food. We are planning to provide quick eat to the customers at railway station or bus stop. To order the food people can visit the website book an order and can pay online. For gadget of the customer we are setting a plan that customers can book order for the whole week and after week they can pay the inwardness of the food. It will be helpful for the customers in the sense that they can have food in the morning and secondly they can save time.Numerous surveys have revealed that eat is often skipped among Kiwis (Hills, 2012 Impact PR, 2016). Similarly, another(prenominal)s have been making scummy breakfast choices like leftover party food, pizza, fish chips, ice cream, and even beer (Impact PR, 2016 NZ Herald, 2016). Despite the general awareness of the important benefits of breakfast, it is quite alarming to see that many people still forego the need to make time fo r breakfast. These attitudes and habits towards breakfast are seemingly influenced by a hectic lifestyle and poor time management. However, various surveys conducted in the past confirmed that nearly half of new-sprung(prenominal) Zealanders acknowledge breakfast as the most important meal of the day (Hills, 2012). It is at this point that a business idea comes to mind to provide judge by agreeable a need (Hartnett, 1998, as cited by Sweeney Soutar, 2001). In this case, it is the need for a good, convenient breakfast. Through an entrepreneurial endeavour supplemented with the collection of the right information, this idea can become a business opportunity (Massey, 2005). Although a business opportunity does not guarantee success, this business idea requires the support of a business dodging so that it gains a reasonable chance to become a successful operation (Oliver English, 2012) in the near future.The aspired future state of a business or any organisation is described in t he vision (Srivastava, Franklin, Martinette, 2013 Duygulu, Ozeren, Ildar, Appolloni, 2016). This rumor provides a starting point (Kantabutra Avery, 2010) and a sense of direction for the business, hence, it should be clear, appealing and compelling (Srivastava, Franklin, Martinette, 2013 Hill, Jones, Schilling, 2014). The business idea comes with an ambitious but altruistic goal, hence, the vision statementTo cater to a multi-cultural society that does not miss breakfast.This above statement satisfies a number of definitions of vision. It is easy to understand, and represents the fundamental purpose of the business (Srivastava, Franklin, Martinette, 2013, p. 50). According to Kantabutra and Avery (2010), strategists have proposed numerous characteristics a abilityful vision should possess, but these can be summarised as being concise, clear, stable, challenging, inspirational, and future-oriented. This bold vision not only indicates a long-term standpoint of the business (H ubbard, Rice, Galvin, 2014) it also offers an inspiring image of the big try (Alter, 2001) which is a more desireable situation in the future.The mission statement is perceived to be a crucial factor in formulating business strategies that are sustainable (Duygulu, Ozeren, Ildar, Appolloni, 2016). It describes the organisations aim, the reasons for its existence, and what it is trying to accomplish (Duygulu, Ozeren, Ildar, Appolloni, 2016), all of which are extremely valuable in establishing the organisations major goals (Hill, Jones, Schilling, 2014). This business idea will be head by the mission statementEnriching busy Wellingtonians through a delightful breakfast to-go.The above mission statement is expressed in a forward-moving structure to connote the ongoing process and continuous improvement in developing this business. It is also customer-oriented (Wellingtonians) and does not focus on the products (breakfast items) alone. This broad approach acknowledges the first step that there will be shifts in demand in the future and the main purpose of the business may need to be table serviced in modify ways (Hill, Jones, Schilling, 2014). Ultimately, the mission statement establishes what this business intends to excel at (Hubbard, Rice, Galvin, 2014) which is the provision of an enriching and delightful breakfast.The lifestyle preference this business wants to achieve is very evident in the product it aims to serve. The proponents of this business idea are relatively young adults who also constantly miss breakfast due to the demands of both work and studies. Values ring the underlying behaviours, attitudes and outlooks held and used by the organisation in its operations and activities (Hubbard, Rice, Galvin, 2014). The proponents believe in the prise of good health and nourishment a realisation that basically produced this business idea. Innovativeness, the ability to create or adapt to, and implement new ideas into practice and new products (as cited by Lebedeva Grigoryan, 2013), is another essential value preferred by the proponents which should also be integrated into their personal lifestyle. Innovativeness will be a good basis for organisational behaviour once the business becomes operational as base is a key factor for survival in a dynamic environment. In the future, the personal values of the business stakeholders should ideally be aligned with the value statement of the organisation by encouraging participation in its development (Alter, 2001).Social responsibility is integrating environmental and social concerns, apart from the financial aspects, in the strategic decisions of the organisation (Massey, 2005 Hubbard, Rice, Galvin, 2014). The simplest ways to practice social responsibility are by reducing energy consumption (i.e., during food production) and using recyclable food containers. In friendly and creative ways, customers will be reminded to recycle plastic items and dispose of food scraps responsib ly. Donating food items to a charitable organisation (i.e., The thaw Store, Kaibosh) is also highly considered, and will depend on the size of orders and calculated profit margins. Due to the small size of this business, the proponents will be open to collaborations with other small enterprises in various community involvements.Core values are the inherent principles that guide an organisations actions which eventually become the distinct features of the business entity (Lencioni, 2002). This potential business start-up will possess the following core valuesDeliver a healthy breakfast on time.This business idea was formed out of poor time management and a busy lifestyle, hence, time plays a major factor in its implementation. It is extremely important to ensure that the food items are forthcoming at the right place and at the right time. In line with the over-arching vision to not miss breakfast, orders must always be on the concur time of pick-up. Additionally, this core value a lso highlights the importance of a healthy breakfast which means ingredients are carefully selected, ethically sourced, and hygienically prepared.Listen to serve better.As a start-up business, what the customer has to say will determine its fate. During the first few weeks of operations, suggestions and comments will be proactively collected from customers through the website or direct interaction. Comments particularly about the food taste, variety and options will be taken into account for the subsequent servings.ReferencesAlter, S. (2001). Managing the double bottom line a business planning imagery guide for social enterprises. Washington DC Pact Publications.Duygulu, E., Ozeren, E., Ildar, P., Appolloni, A. (2016). The sustainable strategy for small and medium sized enterprises the relationship between mission statements and performance. Sustainability, 8(7), 698. inside10.3390/su8070698Hill, C. L., Jones, G. R., Schilling, M. A. (2014). Strategic management theory an integr ated approach. Stamford, CT Cengage Learning.Hills, M. (2012, 18 September). Busy lifestyles keep Kiwis from breakfast. Retrieved from NZ Herald http//www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6objectid=10834771Hubbard, G., Beamish, P. (2011). Strategic management thinking, analysis, action (4th ed.). New South Wales Pearson Australia.Hubbard, G., Rice, J., Galvin, P. (2014). Strategic management thinking, analysis, action (5th ed.). Melbourne Pearson Australia.Impact PR. (2016, March 16). New Survey Reveals Kiwis Fast Food Breakfast Habits. Retrieved from Scoop Independent News http//www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1603/S00317/new-survey-reveals-kiwis-fast-food-breakfast-habits.htmKantabutra, S., Avery, G. C. (2010). The power of vision statements that resonate. Journal of Business Strategy, 31(1), 37-45.Lebedeva, N., Grigoryan, L. (2013). Implicit theories of innovativeness cross-cultural analysis. Search (Working Paper), Moscow.Lencioni, P. M. (2002, July). Make Your Value s Mean Something. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review https//hbr.org/2002/07/make-your-values-mean-somethingMassey, C. (2005). Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management in New Zealand. Auckland Pearson Education New Zealand.NZ Herald. (2016, March 16). Most important meal of the day? Kiwis swapping breakfast for fast food. Retrieved from NZ Herald http//www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=11606305Oliver, L., English, J. (2012). The small business book a New Zealand guide for the 21st century (6th ed.). Crows Nest, NSW Leith Oliver and John English.Srivastava, M., Franklin, A., Martinette, L. (2013). Building a sustainable competitive advantage. Journal of Technology Management Innovation, 8(2), 47-60.Sweeney, J. C., Soutar, G. N. (2001). Consumer perceived value The development of a multiple item scale. Journal of Retailing, 77, 203-220.

Media Role In Mitigating The Philippine Population Problem Politics Essay

Media Role In Mitigating The Filipino Population Problem Politics EssayIn a state where the Catholic Churchs locating is taken as a study factor in policy decision making, tribe control legislation has progressed ever so slowly. Progress that managed to be make, suffer from public acceptance and its prop iodinnts in government widely seen as practically committing political suicide. save there is a close studyity that sees the myriad of businesss that this unabated rise in race brings poverty, unemployment, lack of development, crime realities they are already experiencing in their daily lives, a reality that they wish the government would attachress with effective nation control policies. If the Churchs position cannot be swayed, is media doing its quality in educating and information dissemination? Is it being an agenda typesetter or acting as an effective check and balance, or is it withal being caught in countrys intricate web of politics and power relations?In order for me to begin to analyze this problem, I found it necessary to acknowledge and establish that there is first and foremost, a world problem in the Philippines. I also need to establish that although there are possible solutions to this situation, the Catholic Churchs position on the use of artificial family cooking methods is what makes the national government patently impotent in implementing an effective population control policy. To open my analysis, I refer to the studies made by Alejandro Herrin and Ernesto Pernia which states that the Philippines current levels of fruitfulness and population crop stunts the countrys economy. I chose to rely on their findings and figures as their intensive study on this issue is fairly recent (being published in 2003), and from that period up to the present, no major change has occurred as far the countrys population control policies are concerned. In fact, the issue of population control is currently being deliberated in Philippi ne Congress, with the Philippine legislature currently trying to pass the Reproductive Health Care and Population Development Bill (Senate Bill 3122 and House Bill 5043), its prop whizznts hoping that this would address the countrys population woes. As expected, the proposed bill is currently facing stiff reverse from the Catholic Church1as well as from heterogeneous pro-life groups.2Alejandro Herrin and Ernesto Pernia in the aforesaid(prenominal) 2003 study concluded that feeble economic egression and transformation, exacerbated by rapid population growth, have been responsible for the Philippines poor performance in human vision development and employment over the past two to three decades.3The authors argue that the countrys slow economic growth has generated only meager resources for investment in health, master(prenominal)tenance and education, and that these are not enough to meet the demands brought about by high cornucopia.4The countrys slow economic growth for exampl e, results in limited pedigree opportunities, and this, coupled with a steadily growing ride force feeds into the countrys growing problem of unemployment and income inequality, which in turn, coupled with the rise in population density in urban areas, exasperate problems of crime5as well as becoming a factor that contri hardlye to the cultivation of a culture of corruption.6Corruption, in turn, worsens the already weighty problem of poverty7and inequality, completing the vicious cycle that seemingly keeps the country in a destitute trap. Herrin and Pernia pull ahead stress that not only is there a need to seriously address the population problem, but that there is also a need to address this problem while at endureing to the structural flunk in the economy at the same time. They recommend that in order to remedy this situation, a strong population policy must be made an integral part of the countrys development strategy,8and proposes a policy framework based on decomposition o f future population growth in terms of its main sources namely unwanted impressiveness, the preference for a large family size of it and population momentum.9It should accordingly be noted that although Herrin and Pernia acknowledges the population problem, the current rates of population growth and fertility are not the problems per se it is seen more as a factor that compounds the current economic situation which, in turn, keeps the national government from fetching advantage of the possible dividends that the maturation of this population could bring. This level of population growth and fertility might be advantageous for a country that is in a stage of development where it has the necessary resources to harness this demographic dividend, but in the Philippine setting, these growths are seen more as a liability than an asset.We do add to the labor force annually, but because of limited resources, there are not enough employment opportunities locally to accommodate most of th ese new entrants in the labor force, and this keeps unemployment and underemployment rates high.10The fact that a substantial percentage of employed workers in the country are laborers or unskilled workers is also a cause of concern.11separate of the labor force that do manage to find employment outside the country on the other hand, settle for blue-collar work, or accept notional jobs.12One might argue that the country is in fact already reaping some form of demographic dividend through labor-migration, but looking at the countrys most recent population pyramids (1990-2005)13, one could also argue that the possible economic gains from labor-migration only went into the acquisition of resources for the care of the bigger population of children health care, daily need (food etc.), education, child care (nannies). Cost of caring for the elderly and debt repayment incurred before going abroad,eats up into this supposed economic gain as well. Not much goes into investment or savings that can be translated into capital that could fuel much needed growth.14The Catholic Church OppositionSimply looking at one study alone (Herrin and Pernia), one can easily see that the Philippines indeed has a population problem, or at least a recognition that unabated growth in population rate and fertility rates whitethorn be linked to various societal dilemmas the country is currently experiencing, such(prenominal) as rising poverty, inequality, unemployment and slow economic growth. So why is it that there is this opposition by the Catholic Church to mitigate this problem, and concomitantly, why is it that the Catholic Churchs position on this issue is regarded with such weight?The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, with around 80% of its population being Catholics. The Filipinos values, morals, much of the norms and beliefs in the Philippines have been make by more than 300 years of being subject to Christian indoctrination under Spanish rule. Just like any o ther religion in the world, the Catholic Church upholds particular values and mores that are not subject to change or even re musing values based on grammatical gender and marriage are one of those. Sex before marriage and living together before marriage are deemed morally wrong sex inwardly marriage on the other hand is considered a gift, that is meant to unite the couple and presupposes the creation of life.15The Church has always stood firm on their stand with regards to artificial methods of contraception for married couples, stressing that controlling ones sexual urges is a personal responsibility, and that the couple has the right to choose and decide their family size again guided by their responsibility, as parents, to add for their children abortion is especially frowned upon.Just how strong is religion in upholding these beliefs? If the study done by Evelyn Lehrer entitled Religious Affiliation and its Relation to the Economic and demographic Decisions multitude Mak e, were to be our basis for analysis, we would infer that religion indeed have a huge influence on the people that practice them. Lehrer states that people tend to take into account religion in whatever interrelated decisions they make over their life cycle (emphasis added), further stressing that for behaviors that pertain to married couple households as opposed to individuals, religion matters because it is a complimentary trait within marriage, affecting many activities that husband and wife engage in together.16Herrin practically echoes Lehrers argument in his assessment of the Philippine setting by stating that perhaps the single most important factor influencing population policy making in the Philippines since its formulation in 1969, and may partly explain its ever shifting focus, is the persistent and consistent opposition of the Catholic Church hierarchy to the government population policy of reducing population growth as well as its promotion of artificial family prepar edness methods.17Historically speaking, it is alleged that it was the Marcos administrations intention to promote family planning in the country that in truth stimulated Philippine Catholicism to strengthen the commitment of the faithful to the Catholic hierarchys view on the subject.18From that period on, the Catholic Church in the Philippines has continued to alter a hard stance on these issues, even if other predominantly Catholic countries around the world (and even some of the predominantly Muslim countries in Southeast Asia who tend to have stricter religious beliefs) have long accepted artificial contraception as well as their governments population control policies.The Catholic Church in fact was instrumental in deleting a provision on population control in the Philippine Constitution when it was amended in 1987, following the ouster of then prexy Ferdinand Marcos I dont bank they will change their position any time soon and put back something in the Philippine Constituti on that they fought hard to take out. If any institution wants to change the current accepted beliefs with regard to starting a family, deciding to have or not to have a child, and how many children to have, one should always take into consideration the Catholic Churchs position (in fact, Catholic values in general), and work through the Catholic way of thinking and belief systems. This is exactly what former Department of Health Secretary Juan Flavier did in the mid 90s. Flavier, being a devout Catholic himself (though he did advocate artificial birth control methods), did not go on record as claiming to be against the Churchs position, but just went on and did his job as Health Secretary and pushed for an effective family planning campaign,19which was having substantial results until his success as Department Secretary propelled him to the Philippine senate where he served two terms.This then leaves us with the second part of the question why is it that the Catholic Churchs positi on on this issue is regarded with such weight? I believe McQuillan has given us an theme of why this is the situation in the Philippines, when he express that religious values are likely to play a critical role in moldable demographic behavior when churches are able to build a network of religious institutions that play a formative role in the lives of members and to exercise influence over civil institutions in society as well (emphasis added).20Lehrer further adds that this is not only true on the issue of fertility as McQuillan argues, but that it also extends to other demographic and economic outcomes.21I believe both Lehrer and McQuillan are on spot, at least in the case of the Philippines, as narration does back up this argument. Aside from the fact that the Catholic Chuch do play a huge role in shaping Filipino beliefs through education (Catholic schools) and through regular sermons delivered during mass (weekly Church service), the Catholic Church also holds sway (at le ast morally as spiritual advisors) over the countrys leaders who decease to be predominantly Catholics22. The Catholic Church also plays an active role in politics as watchdog and critic the Catholic Church was at the forefront of the two People Power revolutions, the first toppled the Marcos dictatorship, and the second removed Erap Estrada in office on charges of corruption and for moral grounds.23Another political role of the Church is as kingmaker. Proof to this is the number of visitors the Cardinal gets during election period, all hoping to get the Catholic Churchs highly regarded endorsement. In fact, this vote-courting practice even extends to other Christian denominations in the country that have similar if not more rigid position on abortion, birth control and family planning. Any actor in Philippine politics would definitely think twice about advocating these population control measures and going against the strongly held beliefs of the Church,24as doing so would be tan tamount to committing political suicide. politics Action and InactionAniceto Orbeta in an ADB discussion paper academic degrees out that the Philippines has been credited as one of the earliest adopters of a strong population program in Asia, yet today it still has not resolved the population problem, while her late adopting neighbors have successfully addressed the problem and have since turned to face other problems.25 wedded the above mentioned constraints presented by the Catholic Church, and a society that largely adheres to Catholic values, what has government managed to accomplish as regards family planning and population control?Then President Ferdinand Marcos was one of the 17 heads of states that signed the UN Declaration of Population on December 1967. The UN declaration in essence emphasized that the population problem must be recognized as a principal element in long-range national planning if governments are to get through their economic goals and fulfill the aspirat ions of their people.26With this idea in mind, the government then embarked on studies in order to come up with policies and programs to address concerns about the negative implication of rapid population growth on the attainment of social and economic objectives.27Studies at that time point out that free exercise of fertility decisions of couples is not consistent with the common good, government therefore adage the need to intervene in fertility decisions as a matter of policy family planning was deemed the necessary discussion.28The Catholic Church would have been scandalise at that time, but policy statements during that period reassured the Church that whatever population program would be adopted, government would see to it that the religious beliefs and values of individuals would be respected.29The Catholic Church was apparently lulled into a false sense of security, trusting government to keep its word only to find out that it has been working to legalize contraceptive s terilization, which the Church was strongly opposed to. In a 1973 pastoral letter, the Church allayed fears that the government is following the patterns of adoption of artificial contraceptive methods from less primitive methods to more radical sterilization and even abortion.30Marcos, in the early years of his dictatorship embarked on massive infrastructure and development programs that period also saw rapid industrialization and urbanization. Because of this and because of concerns that high population growth rate would undermine the governments economic development efforts population control policies as manifest by various studies, policies, decrees and executive orders at that time became a major area of concern. Testament to this was the fact that the role of the government in population would even be enshrined in the 1973 Constitution.It shall be the responsibility of the State to achieve and maintain population levels conducive to the national welfare. (Article XV, Section 10).31Looking at the list of population control and family planning policies of the Marcos regime in Herrins paper,32I cannot help but notice that at that period, the government was only looking at the negative aspects of population and fertility growths,33and whence was only foc apply on curbing these unwanted growths to achieve their envisioned positive economic gains. Policies aimed at developing and harnessing positive consequence of population growth (demographic dividend), such as populations positive effect on production, technical progress and innovation34were apparently not taken into consideration (at least not in the policy documents highlighted in Herrins work). Had the government considered the positive aspects of population growth back then, who knows what programs and policies might have been instituted and adoptd to take advantage of this demographic dividend. Again, I point to how government at that time approached the problem of growing unemployment after the la te 70s oil crisis, where the government as a response to the problem decided to pursue overseas migration as a temporary stop-gap measure labor-migration have since become an institution in Philippine society, and is now viewed as probably one of the major sectors that is keeping Philippine economy afloat.35Whether population growth decline in the early 80s was due to the governments adoption and implementation of an effective family planning program or if it was mainly an effect of progress, moving from an agricultural to industrialized modes of production or of urbanization or possibly because more women started to enter the workforce, translating into smaller and smaller family size36or whether it is an effect of all these factors working in unison, I have yet to see a study on. But assuming that the decline did results from a conglomeration of these factors, it would be safe to say that the governments policy responses to the problem of growing population and fertility rates we re effective and timely. But now, we can only think over what the effects of those programs would have been to Philippine society and economy had those population control policies not been discontinued.In 1986, Ferdinand Marcos was ousted through the EDSA People Power Revolution (a movement which I pointed out earlier as having the backing of the Catholic Church), and since that time, the countrys population control program went to a screeching halt. A year after Marcos was ousted, the provision on governments role in population control in the 1973 Philippine Constitution was scrapped, and the Constitution (1987 Constitution) that replaced it now carries the Catholic Churchs pro-life, pro-choice position.37Herrin emphasized this fact when he stated that while there was a strong fertility reduction objective during the Marcos era, there was none during the Aquino administration (emphasis added).38Family planning, from being seen as an effective means to load fertility and populatio n growth became a mere health intervention, one with possible fertility consequences.The administrations after that tried to come up with proposals to curb population growth and high fertility rates but they have always encountered stiff opposition from the Church and from pro-life organizations.39The Fidel Ramos administration tried to revive fertility reduction policies through the family planning program by incorporating it under the umbrella of Reproductive Health40under the Department of Health. Despite scrutiny by the Catholic Church, it was able to progress, until its main proponent, charismatic Health Secretary Juan Flavier, won a seat in the Philippine senate. Then President Joseph Estrada also called for an aggressive family planning program to reduce fertility in its PPMP Directional Plan 2001-200441, but this program never saw fruition, as Estrada was ousted in another Catholic Church-backed People Power Revolution. Finally, we have the current administrations, policy st atement (or non-statement) on family planning42and Herrin tells us that in essence it says that family planning is primarily a health intervention and as a means to help couples achieve their fertility preference, a statement that does not imply a goal of reducing fertility and population growth rates.43The current proposed bills from the Senate and the House of Representatives seem to show promise but these bills are currently being opposed by the Catholic Church and Church-backed pro-life and pro-choice groups.44Government if it has the will, can always implement population control or population management policies if it wanted to (even with Church opposition as evidenced with the Flavier program), but there is also this problem of the length of time leaders stay in office, and since the department heads are coterminous with the President that appointed them, family planning and population control policies tend to have short life spans as well there just doesnt seem to be any way to achieve a continuous program for population control in the Philippines. Currently, the countrys population growth rate45and fertility rate46are declining despite the lack of a solid government family planning or population control program.47This decline could primarily be a direct result of the factors outlined by Debraj give off in his book48urbanization49, the rise in share of womens share in the labor force50and information being more and more come-at-able to people even in the rural areas through media,51through formal education channels and through NGOs who are working to uplift the lives of people in the countryside. But policy makers in the country still insist on the adoption of a comprehensive population control and management program that would further reduce these rates to levels that are at least similar to those of the Philippines Asian neighbors levels that they believe would be more conducive to the attainment of the countrys MDGs.52I argue that though legislati on may indeed contribute a whole lot as far as institution of radical measures to meet the desired levels of fertility and population growth, the mechanism to institute such change even without legislation is already in existence and simply needs to be tapped. I believe that the key to this problem lies in making the necessary information53available to society in order to effect the necessary changes. Herrin and Pernia for example point us to problems that had to do with misconceptions about contraceptives that are available to the public. Such mis-information includes supposed side effects and other health-related issues that artificial contraceptives might have54. Sex education is also one aspect of family planning and population control that doesnt need to wait for passing of the current legislation on debate to be implemented and is one area where the Catholic Church is not opposed to.55The effective utilization of natural birth control methods only require information dissemina tion56in order to be practiced by the families that need them to abate unwanted fertility or to achieve their desired family size. A society that is more sensible about current and future economic prospects a society that is informed about the various choices and options they have as far as security in old age welfare, job opportunities and health care would intuitively make more rational decisions as far as fertility is concerned. But I also believe that people tend to be irrational as well, and a lot of that irrationality has something to do with culture, values and beliefs that are deeply inwrought in them again, to change that, information would be the key.57Medias Overlooked Role in Population ControlI want to stress the need to take into consideration the role of information here, as I believe that this is an area that has not been given proper attention in all these debates regarding population control and family planning issues. It may be true that the Catholic Church hav e some moral sway as far as decisions in forming a family are concerned. The National government believes that to be able to effectively implement population control programs, it needs legislation that would effectively render Catholic Church opposition to contraception and population control moot and academic, but I believe that this not be the case. Through all these, the national government has failed to consider one institution that might be as powerful (or even more powerful) as the Catholic Church in shaping individual decisions that has to do with fertility and size of family mass media.This neglect could be because of the national governments limited perception of media and its possible roles in the implementation of population control programs. Yes, the media has been used before. The Marcos government has used print, radio and television to advance their population control campaign58, so did former Health Secretary Juan Flavier, all of whom claim to have had positive resu lts.59But the thing is that these campaigns blatantly urged families to advocate not just the natural family planning methods but the artificial methods as well, which did not sit well with the Catholic Church. publicise campaigns also require funding as they need to buy much needed airtime (in the

Is Elearning The Way Forward Education Essay

Is E learnedness The Way Forward Education EssayE- tuition, in its broadest sense, is the use of networked information technologies in facts of life. E- learn is also called as web ground cultivation, online learning or Internet based learning. E-learning is not bound to time and familyroom attendance students and teachers may be at incompatible locations on different times. One of the most common types of E-learning takes the form of distance learning courses. Universities upload course material for the student to study individually and complete tasks based on the course material. This allows students to admission the course material on the web anytime and from anywhere. Advancement in computing and information technology coupled with almost universal approachability of the broadband make e-learning an enticing option in many fields including medical exam checkup education. In this assignment I will be reflecting on my personalised experience with e-learning. I will also discuss its applicability in undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical education and continuing medical education of practicing clinicians.Theory behind e-learningThe meaning of knowledge and learning have changed through time. in that location is a certain swift in emphasis on learning, rather than learn, as we rightly move towards a learner centred curriculum. E-learning, which is based on closely documented adult learning principles, certainly facilitates a learner centred approach. tralatitious education is based on instructivism theory. Teacher or tutor teaches a predefined set of information, deciding what students had to learn. Students learn to pass the examination. E-learning is based on constructivist and cognitive theories suggesting that learning is individualised and the students past experiences and knowledge have a great impact on the newly acquired knowledge (Jonassen 1994). Blended learning refers to learning involving multiple methods and approache s, comm alone a mixture of class room and e-learningRequirements for successful implementationMitchell and Honore 2008 proposed a pyramidal system for successful implementation of e-learning programmes. The base of the pyramid, which forms the foundation for successful e-learning programme, consists of appropriate, companionable technology and usable, stimulating and interactive design. The apex of the pyramid is represented by the individuals who atomic number 18 involved in the programme and their attitude and motivation forms a study part in the success of e-learning methods. Basic computing skills are essential for the success of e-learning. There is an assumption that the current undergraduates have the necessary computing skills. Kiran et al 2004 has shown that computing skills among undergraduates are variable and one go off not assume expertise or even ability. Good technical support is essential including subsequently hours support. For effective e-learning, student s hould be able to access material quickly both on campus and at home. Slow connectivity loafer be a problem. There is considerable cost involved in setting an e-learning programme.Role of e-learning in Continuing medical EducationAll practicing clinicians in the United Kingdom are obliged to attend Continuing Medical Education programmes to maintain knowledge and skills as a part of appraisal and revalidation (The General Medical Council). E-learning finish offers excellent opportunities in this area. I have completed many online e-learning courses. Advantages of these courses involve minimal cost, no travel cost and there is no need to take time off to attend these courses as they can be completed from home. They offer excellent value for money and the quality of these courses are comparable to that off traditional courses.I recently attended an advanced laparoscopic surgery skills course. Few weeks prior to the course I was asked to sign up to the course organisers web site. I w as able access part of the course material. This enabled me to practise some of the skills prior to attending the course. This has certainly enhanced my learning more than I would have acquired with issue the access to the e-learning material. There were 20 participants form 8 countries and most found the e-learning very(prenominal) useful.E-learning has made it possible for practicing clinicians from a remote part of the world to contact their peers through video conferencing in the management of difficult clinical situations and this facilitates on-the-job learning. When I was a resident in 1989 I had to wait for over two weeks to find out close to an important adverse effect of a drug which now I could find out in a couple of minutes use online electronic databases. In medical education there can be no doubt that opportunities for learning occur all the time and not confined to the class room and e-learning has a lot to offer in this regard.Role of e-learning in Postgraduate M edical EducationE-learning plays an important role in Postgraduate Medical Education. Many Deaneries across the United Kingdom has setup e-learning portals for the benefit of postgraduate trainees. Harden 2006 suggested that e-learning will be one of the most important developments in the tar of postgraduate medical education. In surgical training many hands on courses utilise e-learning methods to enhance face-to-face learning.Types of e-learning resourcesThe basic e-learning resources include e-textbooks, power loony toons presentations of lectures and electronic notice boards. The communication in these methods is one way. Bilham 2005 argues that much of e-learning using these methods was based upon a model of knowledge transmission from the teacher to student as in the traditional education system. The rise of new technologies has turned the World Wide Web from strictly an information destination into a platform, not only to read or watch media, but to actually do things (Mart in and Parker 2008). This has made innovative approaches possible in the field of medical education including group projects, realistic patients and realistic(prenominal) clinics. This encourages interactive learning.E-learning in undergraduate medical educationI discussed with many Foundation Year one doctors who have graduated from different medical schools across the country. I have observed that the usage of e-learning is variable between medical schools. They matt-up that e-learning enhanced their learning in basic medical learning like anatomy. Multimedia graphics helped them as they felt that the laboratory demonstration in it self was not sufficient for learning. In clinical medicine they felt that e-learning was beneficial in problem based case discussions and case presentations.E-learning has the potential to enhance the learning instead of simply presenting the information. Examples of beneficial multimedia may include a video clip, computer animation for explaining th e underlying patho physiology and images of investigations like chest x ray or endoscopy pictures. I have observed that some e-learning using multimedia technology detract the learner from the key message that the teacher wanted to convey and this should be avoided. Physical skills are best learnt by acting them under direct supervision. E-learning, however, can be used to augment the teaching of practical skills. A video showing the technique will be ministrant in priming the learner prior to attending a teaching session.An other(a) interesting development in medical education is the application of virtual patient. Examples in this category include a video of clinical consultation to illustrate history taking or examination skills or for demonstrating a physical sign. This is useful for demonstrating certain clinical conditions which the student is unlikely to encounter during their short stay in certain clinical attachments like dermatology or rheumatology. Virtual patients can be used to teach the skills of symptomatic reasoning and patient management through interactivity. There are packages available which allows the student to take a virtual history from a bank of questions and this is followed by examining the patient. This can be artificial and I believe this is better learnt bedside.We have to acknowledge that most of the learning that occurs in clinical practice is opportunistic and technologies which could bridge the gap in experience will be beneficial.Assessment and feedback in e-learningAssessment and feedback are important elements of medical education. Time logged on to the website and accessing the e-learning modules can be monitored as a part of formative assessment. Formative or summative assessments in e-learning courses can be carried out using Multiple Choice Questions and Extended Matching Questions. Multimedia enhanced virtual patient case scenarios can be used for assessment followed by Multiple Choice Questions or diagnostic reason ing tests. Care must be taken to include all possible correct answers in diagnostic reasoning tests because programming can be technically challenging. I have some reservations in using e-learning summative assessments as the identity of the student can not be guaranteed and may encourage cheating. Feedback in e-learning is limited to correction of mistakes and it is difficult to provide detailed feedback.Evidence for e-learning in medical education urinate et al 2008 conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of lucre based instruction in medical education. They have concluded that e-learning is better than no intervention and as effective as traditional education. They have also concluded that there is no evidence to conclude that e-learning is better than traditional education. Clark 2002 has demonstrated that students are very satisfied with e-learning. Students, however, do not see e-learning replacing instructor-led training but as a complement to it, forming a part of a blended learning strategy.Advantages and disadvantages of e-learningE-learning has many advantages. The learner can schedule the learning around their personal and professional life minimising disruption to their day to day life. E-learning allows the learner to choose the learning material which is beneficial to them. The learner can pace their learning which suits them best. They will be able to contact their colleagues and teachers in discussions which can happen synchronously or asynchronously depending on the nature of the discussion. E-learning encourages the learner to take responsibility to their learning.The disadvantages of e-learning are as follows. There is a considerable start up cost as well as maintenance cost and this should be taken in to account when setting up an e-learning programme. As learners are responsible for their learning unmotivated learners and learners with suffering study habit may find it difficult to progress. There is added responsibility for the facilitator to be available on demand. Students may feel socially isolated, however, blended learning overcomes this issue. Slow or unreliable internet connection can be challenging as most multimedia content needs fast internet connection.ConclusionE-learning has become an integral part of medical education starting from undergraduate medical education to the continuing professional development of the practising clinicians. Like other teaching methods, e-learning has its own strengths and weaknesses and need to be used appropriately. E-learning has the potential to shift the balance form teaching to learning. Basic computing skills are essential for e-learning. The string of e-learning activities varies from e-books to co-ordinated project works. Studies have shown that the results of e-learning methods are comparable to traditional teaching methods in undergraduate medical education. To be successful e-learning has to be combined with traditional teaching methods as a blended ap proach as practice of medicine involves real patients not virtual patients. E-learning is also playing an important role in the development of postgraduate trainees and life long learning of practicing clinicians. E-learning certainly has the potential to enhance the learning in medical education, if used appropriately.

Platos The Republic Books 6 Through 10 Essay -- essays research papers

Platos The Re universe Books 6 through 10In books 6 through 10 of Platos Republic, we see many different discussions on the subject of justice, philosophy, and goodness. The philosopher Socrates has now defined what a philosopher is. His next task is to show that a philosopher is best qualified to be the ruler of a state. A good ruler must surely know what Justice and Goodness are, for he must administer Justice and evermore act for the good of the community. But a philosopher, as we fork over seen, has knowledge of the Forms, so from this point of view at least, he is best qualified to be a ruler. A good ruler must have a good character as well as a good judgement he must always be truthful, high-minded, and disciplined, and never mean, petty, or cowardly. A philosopher will satisfy these requirements too, Socrates argues. Since the philosopher loves truth, he will always be honest and forthright.Socrates is macrocosm much too idealistic here. The idea that a philosopher should be the ruler of a state is just an idle dream. Politicians should be practical and experienced. However philosophers have wisdom and goodness.Next Socrates is asked, What is Goodness? Socrates tries to answer this question in the form of an analogy. The Analogy of the Sun, as this is called, can be represented in a drawSightKnowledgeThe Sun GoodnessIs the source of is the source ofLight, Truth,And so makes objects and so makes the FormsVisible, and allows the &... ...osopher-Ruler At the age of fifty, the philosopher-rulers will at last be richly formed. They will spend a large part of the rest of their lives in contemplation and philosophy, but they must also take their turn in public and political life, and do their duty in ruling and guiding the state. For now they will know Goodness itself, and thus they will know what is best for the community.At this point, Socrates has discovered the nature of Justice, both in the state and in the individual man, and he had begun to answ er the question Why is it better for a man to escape a just life than it is for him to lead an dirty life? The Myth of Er tells us that even after death justice is rewarded and injustice punished. Platos view is that a man who chooses to be unfair is a matter of ignorance. A man guided by reason would realize that living an unjust life causes him unhappiness and suffering. Socrates than says that there are four main types of unjust societies. These are Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny. This is the order of their degrees of injustice timocracy is closest to the just state, and tyranny is the most unjust and diseased of all.