Monday, January 20, 2020

A Transcendence of Exhaustion? :: Free Essays Online

A Transcendence of Exhaustion? In his article "Power and Weakness", Robert Kagan offers an insightful explanation of recent trends in transatlantic relations. He puts forth a very elegantly systemic explanation for this unraveling, or at least schism, of the West that seems to be taking place under our very noses. And yet for all its apparent clarity, Kagan's underlying argument is a myopic one, a model in need of a corrective lens in order to gain any significant predictive power. Luckily, current events offer an indispensable laboratory for testing some aspects of Kagan's ideas, while even our class' very circumscribed readings in the field equip us to spot major shortcomings of the argument. Kagan posits that a Kantian "perpetual peace" has emerged in Europe in the decade after the Cold War's demise. (211) America, in many ways a Western European nation but in many ways not, has found itself straddling a sort of a boundary between ideologies. (239) On the one hand, it espouses the same liberal values held by the Europeans, of forming economic and diplomatic ties, the establishment of the liberal "separate peace," so to speak. However, even as it speaks these noble words, it finds itself stomping on Panama and Chile, reaching out to slap at Iraq. It is not free from the need to act in the Hobbesian world of anarchy and strife. (211) This fundamental disagreement drives much of the tension over foreign affairs that has arisen between Washington and the European governments in the recent past. (Ibid) It is in offering a historical explanation for this state of affairs that Kagan excels. He dismisses outright the possibility that some abstruse national character might be to blame, pointing out that in many respects Europe and America have recently switched places, and behaviors accordingly, on the world stage. (214) Europe from the time of the Westphalian peace until the World Wars was the bloody realm of machtpolitik, the constant power plays at home and abroad that characterize especially the colonial period. As the locus of power in the Hobbesian sense, the Europeans historically believed in it and wielded it without hesitation. The timid young America, subject to the persecution of hostile European empires for much of its early life, learned accordingly to make use of the weapons of the weak: political and economic diplomacy. (215) However, Europe laid waste to itself in the two World Wars that can rightly be called the climax of machtpolitik, eliminating the concrete basis it once held for world domination.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Phenomenology and Healthier Organismic Self

Exploring the terminology of the word Phenomenology and its etymology, presents me with an overture dating back to a long tradition of philosophical literature. I find it very difficult to try and explain what phenomenology means, because expressing significant ideas of one philosopher, will exclude others, and my choices will contradict the very idea of what phenomenology is beginning to mean for me. Drawing examples from phenomenological theoretical sources, I shall integrate personal experience to support what I understand by the term phenomenology.In brief, I am going to start to explain what I understand about the term Phenomenology by giving answers with references from theoretical sources. I shall, in no particular order along this essay, give examples to support the reason why I think phenomenology is important in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Lastly, I intent to discuss my current ability to understand my own, and another person’s worldview with some examples.The ter m Phenomenology originates from the Greek word phainomenon, meaning appearance, that which shows itself, and, logos meaning science or study. As Hans Cohn puts it, â€Å"the Greek word ‘phenomenon’ is derived from a verb meaning to appear, to come into the light, and ‘logos’, on the other hand, is rooted in a Greek verb meaning ‘to say’. (Cohn, 1997:9-10). To me this suggests, come into light through speech, or enlighten oneself through speech. In simple terms phenomenology is the study of how things appear to be.In order to acknowledge the phenomenon of perception, Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), developed a method from his former teacher’s philosophical intentionality, Franz Brentano (1838-1917) that explains how reality cannot be grasped directly because it is available only through perceptions of reality, which are representations of it in the mind. This is a method that attempts to describe phenomena without prior assumptions, by rejec ting prior beliefs or consciousness about things, events and people.His aim was to find a way to transcend subjectivity and understand phenomenon through experience as the source of conscious knowledge (Dermot Moran, 2002:1-22). He intended by this to suspend or bracket events, to go beyond the usual choices of perception to describe the things as they really are. Husserl’s phenomenological method includes concepts of Noema, ‘the object of our attention, or, blocks of meaning’, Noesis to mean, ‘the experience as it is experienced and the act of consciousness itself, or, process of conferring meaning’, and Bracketing ‘an act of suspending our prejudices and usual interpretations’ (Van Deurzen, 2005: 154).At this stage, these concepts are helping me to frame old acknowledged ‘blocks’ and consciously describe them. It is also helping me to bring to my awareness some of my behaviour patterns, which I was unaware of, or aware in hindsight, but unaware of their reasons. Husserl’s method is ingenious in that it brings to light my ‘perspective dynamics’ (sense of reality, prejudices, family dynamics) and helps me to understand and realise how to locate my blocks. I can now begin to verbalise enigmatic reactions and unveil covert fears, when truth about my character and individual qualities begin to be more approachable and real.I very often have been lost in my own personal history not knowing any other way out of it. ‘This felt like a block in my life loosing touch, feeling alienated within myself and therefore, preventing the self to extend towards other people as fully as I would wish. In my understanding of phenomenology in the above example, my own blocks can prevent me from living in the moment of now. The examples that will follow, there are so many thoughts and emotions distracting me from the moment of now.Learning to make conscious my personal assumptions in the form of noem a, noesis and bracketing, an aspect of phenomenological reduction called Epoche, was to learn how to suspend prejudice, frame a particular behaviour in focus, and examine the way I view things and people. I don’t know if it is possible to translate this process of reduction in all layers of my behaviour. But what I do know, is that this reduction process has taught me to be aware, in a more awake state, of my hidden intentionality and to take responsibility, or better own my thoughts and actions consciously because very often I searched for the blame outside of myself.And the search was not to be found outside, but the understanding of those reactions is to be found deep inside of me. ‘Bracketing is necessary because the phenomenological inquiry is not mere fact-finding, it is the apprehension of intentional acts’ (Van Deurzen, 2005: 154). Husserl’s transcendental Phenomenology hasn’t particularly been followed by his students and former colleagues such as Martin Heidegger (Spinelli, 1989:2-3). A remark from Paul Ricoeur follows ‘that phenomenology is the story of the deviations from Husserl; â€Å"the history of phenomenology is the history of Husserlian heresies† (Moran, 2002:2).I find that Husserl’s at the time controversial scientific opinions allows phenomenological progression. But his findings are a good basis to question what our true values are, to allow us to investigate our potential to be good therapists. Why is the relationship between Phenomenological philosophy, Existential, Person- centred Counselling and Psychotherapy, important in counselling and psychotherapy? I very soon started to comprehend that phenomenology addresses key questions of human experience and that this attempts to examine the process of subjective human nature, without being indoctrinated by some fixed theory.Philosophers have written a great deal about the nature of the self, and it is useful for psychotherapists to refl ect if they are addressing human issues of existence from the right angle or just emphasising one from an infinity of possibilities, or simply if the theory needs progression. One concern that I think relevant to consider is that psychotherapy, particularly existential and person-centred counselling, focus on the promotion of the client’s autonomy (Sanders, 2004). Are the theories open enough to offer that autonomy, or are they in its effort to make sense of a state of mind, limiting its variability?In my opinion, it is essential to have an uncluttered mind which is free from unprejudiced assumptions when approaching psychotherapy and counselling. Existential therapists for example, put more emphasis on the existence, than on the essence through the phenomenological reduction, because they do not wish to suspend existence. Carl Rogers‘s (1902-1987) concept of phenomenology maintains that knowledge of individual perceptions of reality is required for the understanding of the human behaviour, and suggests that we live in accordance with our subjective awareness (Nye, 1992:97).Rogers believed that human beings need the right psychological and environmental conditions to allow the troubled self to change and find a healthier organismic self. ‘Necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change’ (Kirshenbaum & Henderson, 1990:219). There are three core conditions out of the six sufficient conditions: Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR), meaning truly accepting the person as they are with no pre-conceived judgements intruding in the process of the relationship between client and counsellor.Empathy, meaning listening carefully, leaves aside my conditions of worth, and, Congruence, meaning genuine authenticity within the counselling relationship (Hough, 1998:103-104). I found a way to process these conditions through phenomenology. I can see the parallel between person-centred and existential psychotherapy, because for examp le, Rogers’s therapy involves the therapist's entry into the client's unique phenomenological world, without attempting to search for unconscious motives, but rather concentrate on immediate conscious experience and expectations (Sanders, 2004:4).These conditions have to be processed within myself first, before I can attempt to offer them to other people. To me, there was an intellectual and emotional understanding of how to integrate Rogers’ core conditions when with other people, but I was missing the link ‘how’ to do it, because the theory felt all very delicate, non-directive and carved for those who were born with those qualities. I wanted it to be part of my daily make up, but I many times regressed to old habits, and felt I was back to square zero.This is the reason why I think phenomenology is important in counselling and psychotherapy. It is a method that allows us to strip down any masks or shadows we have and work on many of our unprocessed cond itions of worth, for a healthier organismic experiencing. I have been fortunate to find the path to work on my true self, and something definitely happened in my conscious mind caused by the above learning cues. I can honestly describe with some contentment that I am processing my projections successfully with my environmental relationships.The example that follows, describes a significant event that showed me I have brought into light what looked like a projection into my full conscious. Right at the beginning of the academic year, I used to hear one of my colleagues speak, and I used to feel some irritation. I didn’t know the cause. It was only after the third week that I questioned myself the reason why because the symptom persisted. I wrote on my journal: I feel I was quite disrespectful today towards ‘Blue Sky’ when she was speaking in the group experience. (Blue Sky is a pseudonym name.I give all my course group colleagues a pseudonym name to keep their ide ntity protected). I reflected on my interrupting her several times while she was speaking. Interrupting felt intruding because something was not flowing. I like Blue Sky but I have ambivalent feelings towards her. I still don’t know what and why I feel the way I do. She is lovely and warm and welcoming and emotionally intelligent †¦ Today, my tutors introduced philosophy to the group. It is fascinating to be introduced to the question about subjectivity.Our subjective truth is based on our subjective human experience. Is this going to help me to find out about my incognitos? †¦ I don’t want to be lost in my own personal history and yet I do want to know all those parts of me that hurt and why. In learning phenomenology and the wish to get acquainted with those parts of me that remain unclear, provoked some sort of brewing threatening sensation. Nevertheless, over the next few weeks I went through a very painful learning curve. Phenomenology helped me to disc over my irritability about Blue Sky.After class, we took the train together and we were talking fluidly, when all of sudden, that cloudy irritable sensation about her struck back again, and I noticed it affected my congruent and empathic responses towards her. She must have felt it because our conversation fell flat. When she left the train, I knew it wasn’t her doing. I knew I was transferring something berried deep in me. I couldn’t write my journal for the rest of the journey as I usually do, and was suspended over that event that just happened.I went back to that feeling that made me feel that way, and I connected the event. I knew somebody 24 years ago that looked like Blue Sky. I was struck by the physical and verbal similarities and even more surprised how the arms and body expressions are so similar. Why didn’t I see that before? She was my then husband’s ex-girl-friend. It was a very painful experience at the time, because she didn’t seem to be able to forget him, and I could see her pain, and with that she was hurting my relationship with my husband by not wanting to give him up.Linking the irritation about Blue Sky with a totally unconnected old event, is proof that unresolved emotional and psychological experiences impedes reciprocal interaction and communication with another person in the present. For this reason, I was so happy to release Blue Sky out of my perception, and see her for what she really is. On that same week another projection towards one of my tutors was resolved, and when I discovered what it was, I experienced that same relieved sensation. I am now able to see my tutor for whom he is showing to be and not for what I was projecting.To me this is a sign that I am learning to identify my introjects, and not just let the natural attitude react as the victim of my conditions of worth. I feel that I am growing towards my potential, in Rogerian terms called actualising tendency, for a healthier organis mic self (Mearns & Thorne, 1988:11-14). In Gestalt terms this is described as healthy cycle, the drive towards actualisation of the self (Clarkson, 1989:27). Although these projections were resolved, I continued to feel a threatening sensation that there was more to come and I even felt physically sick over a period of two weeks with sleepless symptoms and anxiety.I felt all my toxicities were coming to the surface as a result of this process and told this to the group. All the present negative experiences were mirrored in the way I was articulating myself. The group reacted very strongly when I used the word toxic to describe myself, and said that they didn’t experience me that way. It was with the group process that I realised I was using punitive self-description, such as ‘I am toxic‘, that were introjects from a significant other’s values imposed upon me.I was beginning to believe those descriptions about me, and owning them. My language was showing sel f-condemnation in front of the group, but in truth I was using the group as a healthy pillar, or in Gestalt (form) terms, healthy cycle, to test my organismic experience of failure, and to examine the accuracy of my introjects (Clarkson, 1989:27). What came to the surface was how I feel vulnerable and unsupported at home. This showed me a dysfunction in the boundary disturbance of my private cycle, and a disclosure of my coping mechanisms.By believing the negative description of my significant other, I’m taking in the other person’s projection. I showed therefore a coping mechanism called confluence, which is a merging sense of self with the projection of the other. Patricia Clarkson explains that Fritz Perls saw these coping mechanisms ‘only as neurotic when used chronically and inappropriately ‘†¦ they are useful and healthy when authentically chosen temporarily†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The other person‘s negative view of me is often things they cannot a cknowledge or accept in themselves.There are other three most important psychological coping mechanisms, out of the seven fixed Gestalts called, introjection, meaning to take in values without questioning them; projection, as explained above, and retroflection meaning inability to externalise emotion, the act of directing a difficult emotion such as anger at oneself rather than at somebody who has provoked the emotion (Clarkson, 1989:42-45). What I have learned from these experiences is how some of my own subjectivities and defences can get in the way of being open to other people.I would be carrying a false-self when offering non-judgemental acceptance, empathic and genuineness towards others, if I haven’t inwardly processed my conditions of worth. This process of dismantling my projections so intensely are absolutely essential in that I am responsible for knowing myself to the fullest of my capacity before I come in serious helping contact with clients. There is a danger of not resolving blocks that can interfere with a therapeutic relationship, in that clients can become the projection of the counsellor.This is why I think phenomenology is important in counselling and psychotherapy, because it helps us to put in practice the process of identifying our troubles and put it aside in order to be able to understand another person’s world view to the fullest of our competency. I do befriending volunteering once a week, and I noticed that my listening skills have improved and that my natural attitude for interpreting is decreasing, leaving room for the client to find meaning in the description of their feelings.I noticed that the quality of the relationship with some of my clients is deepening in that we are allowing more sensitive layers of hurt to surface. Clients on the search of a healthier organismic self will benefit the most from a therapeutic relationship when the counsellor can facilitate deepest understanding for the client’s percept ion of their world. This is only possible, if the counsellor has developed skills to discern about what is the client’s concern and what is the counsellor’s projection.A good relationship can only be built as far as a counsellor’s skills facilitate the client to feel the space is theirs to explore in the present. Irvin Yalom puts beautifully, ‘†¦ a therapist helps a patient not by sifting through the past but by being lovingly present with that person; by being trustworthy, interested; and by believing that their joint activity will ultimately be redemptive and healing’ (Yalom, 1989:227).Just as I thought I have learned a substantial amount of phenomenological theory to expand openness in my thinking process, with the aim to prepare me to understand myself, and then another person’s worldview, I read about Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980). I find Sartre’s concept of nothingness, that human beings are essentially emptiness and that we are constantly creating and reinventing ourselves, mind blowing. The human tragedy is that we aspire to being definite and fixed as objects are’; ‘†¦ human paradox: on the one hand we are nothing definite and, because of this, on the other hand we are able to become many different things†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sartre would call what I described in the above paragraphs about introjects, ‘bad faith’ as an important human strategy. To be in bad faith is to perform role-plays in the here-and-now to cope with situations (van Deurzen, 1997:45- 48).In conclusion, phenomenology has opened gates to infinite possibilities of thinking consciously, supplying me with more space to understand how to be with other people. It is hardly surprising and I can understand why psychotherapy chooses to draw wisdom from phenomenological philosophy, because there seams to be a flux with no fix point to allow further exploration of the human distinctive many layered qualities. What is special and significant about this Phenomenological movement is its evolving history in search for truth in perceptions and beyond perceptions.My argument that my ability to understand another person’s world view, lies in my ability to comprehend and integrate all of the above discussed theoretical processes in my behaviour. The vignette ‘Blue Sky’ illustrates my present ability to recognise limits in my character and the willingness to change. I have set myself in an un-compromised path to know myself profoundly for both the benefit of my self-development and ultimately for the benefit of my future clients.I can choose the state of my mind and the emotions attached to it, and that therefore, interactions between me and other people will be of an egalitarian and mutual understanding. The examples I gave about my tutor and voluntary placement with clients, illustrate my endeavour to be fully authentic and transparent in all parts of me, including the understanding of relationship’s phenomenon. I could give other examples of how interactions with other people were successful, but they would have not demonstrated the difficulties and the painful metamorphosis I am going through towards the route of understanding myself, and others.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

My Successful Friend Idiom Story for ESL Students

Here is a story about a successful friend who has had a fantastic career. Try reading the story one time to  understand the gist  without using the idiom definitions. On your second reading, use the definitions to help you understand the text while learning new idioms. Finally, youll find idiom definitions and a short quiz on some of the expressions at the end of the story.  Ã‚   My Successful Friend My friend Doug has really done well for himself in life. Im very proud of him and all of his achievements! We get together every year or so for a two or three-day hike in Oregon. Its a great time to reflect on how life is going, talk about old times and have new adventures. Let me tell you a little bit about Doug. It was clear from the beginning that he was going places. He did very well in school, and everyone knew he was a smart cookie. Not only were his grades good, but he was also an outstanding athlete, as well as keeping his nose clean. Some accused him of being squeaky clean, but that didnt bother him. He wasnt going to let anyone rain on his parade!   After he graduated from college, he decided to go to New York. As the song goes: If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere! Back in those days, New York was a hotbed of innovation. Doug was a product design specialist and had some great designs on tap. Unfortunately, he didnt immediately succeed. Things werent easy in the beginning, and it took him a while to learn the ins and outs of the Big Apple. In any case, it soon became clear to him that he needed to make some brownie points with his director. He decided he would volunteer to create a presentation for a new product at the companys yearly dog and pony show.   The boss wasnt so sure, but the decision about who would make the presentation wasnt carved in stone. In the end, the manager decided that Doug would do a good job. Doug gladly accepted the challenge and decided to make quite an impression. He wasnt exactly going to reinvent the wheel, but he knew he could improve on past presentations. He felt that giving a great presentation would improve his standing in the company. The day of the presentation arrived, and, no surprise, Doug did an outstanding job. His presentation was informative, and he didnt blow any smoke. Where there were problems, he pointed them out and made suggestions as to how to improve the situation. Long story short, because of his excellent presentation the director realized that he was a genuine article. Doug started taking more and more responsibility at the company. Within three years, he had sealed the deal on the development of two of his best ideas. As they say, the rest is history.   Idioms Used in the Story be on a roll to have one success after another has a string of successes  Big Apple New York New Yorkblow smoke to fake or provide false information in order to gain somethingbrownie points extra goodwill  carved in stone not changeable  dog and pony show a presentation during which a companys best products are showngenuine article real true not fakego places to become successfulhotbed of something an area that is famous for a certain type of industry or successins and outs the details and inside information about a place or situation  keep ones nose clean to not make any illegal or unethical mistakeson tap readyrain on someones parade to criticize the success of someonereinvent the wheel to remake or invent something that already exists  seal the deal to make an agreement sign a contractsmart cookie very intelligent personsqueaky clean without fault not having problems or mistakes Quiz I think were ___________. All of our products are selling very well.This bag looks like its ______________. It doesnt look fake.We ________________ with our partners and start the project in May.The contract isnt ________________. We can still negotiate the details.Work with Anna and shell show you the ____________ of the company.I dont want to _________ your _________, but there are still a few problems.I think shell ______________. Shes very intelligent AND competitive.  I wouldnt believe that. Hes known for ______________.   Quiz Answers on a rollgenuine article  sealed the dealcarved in stoneins and outsrain on your paradego placesblowing smoke

Friday, December 27, 2019

The Criminalization Of Prostitution And Sex Work - 1103 Words

In a cozy, first world country, the realm of crime, abuse, and drug use, seems like it is worlds away, when in reality, these horrific acts occur in our own backyard. But to a prostitute, it’s their entire world, being forced to work in the grit and grime of the streets, and to make a dangerous living in the underground. The criminalization of prostitution and sex work is flawed at its very core- men and women shouldn’t have to lower their standards of living in order to exercise their rights to both their body and work. Unfortunately, there’s a disconnect between these sex workers and those outside their world, and people often mistakenly tie prostitution to feeding horrific crimes, such as human trafficking rings, rape, and murder.†¦show more content†¦But of course, Amnesty International, a well known human rights non-profit organization, says otherwise with a recent development: a request for the decriminalization and legalization of prostitution, the vote passing mid August of last year (Global Movement Votes to Adopt Policy to Protect Human Rights of Sex Workers). Amnesty International’s vote is all-inclusive, aiming to do all they can to better the lives of sex workers. The organization actively worked with current and former sex workers in the formation of their policy regarding sex work, and hope to have their model accepted globally. Other abolitionists of prostitution seem to think that â€Å"sex work fuels the demand for commercial sex, which is the indisputable driving force behind the sex-trafficking industry† (McCain) despite evidence that points the opposite of such a relationship, and goes against basic economic principles - criminalizing prostitution will only result in it being driven underground, and raising the stakes of competitive trafficking rings (Ahmed). With regulation, easy access, and availability, there would be less of a reason for johns, or clients, to get an escort through the underground, and would result in the sex trafficking industry having a surplus of victims as demand decreases. And while

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Hamlet s Madness Is Less Than Madness And More Than Feigned

Charmaine Bowden-Hancock Honors English III 3rd Period Dec. 17. 2015 Fact or Fake? â€Å"Hamlet’s madness is less than madness and more than feigned†. What is madness? Mad is a word with such uncertainty that it can be stretched to mean an abundance of things more than just pure psychological instability: a weariness of life; a suicidal impulse; a plotting charisma. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, a wild disagreement has been consequent for a series of years in the case of the madness of Hamlet, the play s central narrative, was justifiable or feigned. As in any decision, one must be given both sides of the controversy before making an impartial conclusion. The case of Hamlet s madness is no exclusion. It is appropriate to say that Hamlet may have remained sensible throughout the performance, especially in consideration of his rag flashes of what seems to be psychological discipline and stability. However, Hamlet is perceived as disoriented by overwhelming burst of hysteria after acquiring knowledge of his father’s death, news of Ger trude’s quick remarriage, and Claudius becoming the new King. In the butt end it is up to the scholar to determine for him or herself the psychological nature of Hamlet’s madness, as it may have been the motive of William Shakespeare, taking into review how open-ended this subject continued throughout the play. With Hamlet’s return to Denmark he is made aware of his father’s death, Old King Hamlet. His reaction to his father’s death isShow MoreRelatedHamlet s Madness And Insanity1481 Words   |  6 PagesMuch has been has been discussed of Hamlet’s madness and insanity. There have been endless arguments of whether his madness is feigned or unfeigned. Although, minimal arguments have been made about Hamlet’s pessimism. 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Also, like in Oedipus the King, there is a direct relationship between the state of the state and the state of their kings. Furthermore, there is also a relationship between Oedipus armed entrance into the bedroom in which Jocasta hangedRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare Essay1752 Words   |  8 Pagesanalysing the tragic play of Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, I have concluded that Hamlet only ever pretends to be mad. In researching various critic’s opinion on Hamlet’s madness I found that they had similar views to mine. The critics I reference are A.C. Bradley, Paul A. Jorgensen, and Alexander W. Crawfor. A.C. Bradley’s view is that what the audience see as madness in Hamlet is really only his melancholy. This is very different from the madness which Hamlet feigns, as when he is aloneRead More Comparison of Oedipus and Hamlet Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesComparison of Oedipus and Hamlet Compare and contrast Oedipus and Hamlet. Is Oedipus more a man of action? Or is he more a man driven by whim and sudden, rash decisions? Which character is more selfless? Does Hamlet show any signs of selfish motives in his actions or inactions? Which protagonist seems more learned? wiser? more religious? more loving? more incestuous? Which seems to be a better murder investigator? Does Oedipus have any of Claudius motives when he kills the king, Laius? ThenRead MoreHamlet, Prince Of Denmark1869 Words   |  8 Pages ABSTRACT I, with all my interest and will decided to do my term paper on one of the most controversial yet diversely analysed work of literature that is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark written by the ever greatest man in history of English literature, William Shakespeare.The aura of this play is not at all questionable. The essence it captures down throughout every single scene and dialogues is undeniably recommendable. But in spite of these the playRead MoreEssay The Thought Process of Shakespeares Hamlet4082 Words   |  17 PagesThe Thought Process of Shakespeares Hamlet If Hamlet from himself be taen away, And when hes not himself does wrong Laertes, Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it then? His madness. Ift be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wrongd; His madness is poor Hamlets enemy. (V.ii.230-235) Hamlets self-description in his apology to Laertes, delivered in the appropriately distanced and divided third-person, explicitly fingers the greatest antagonist of the play†¹consciousnessRead MoreComparing Hamlet And Oedipus Rex1868 Words   |  8 PagesMarcos Martinez John Q. Davis English 103 Date†¦.. Hamlet Oedipus Rex In Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, there is a seemingly close common relationship shown between the two plays regarding mainly the community and era in which they took place in. As well as different scenes throughout both stories which show very similar ideas from the writers such as, murder being the common theme in both plays. One example comes from the story, Oedipus the King, and it is that there is a direct

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Principles of Management Service Operation-Samples for Students

Question: Identify and analyze an ongoing service problem or past failure for a real Organization that can be traced back to sub-optimal use of Operations Management. Answer: Ubers Management Problem Uber is an American private technology company that develops markets and operates the Uber car transportation and food delivery mobile apps in 633 cities globally. Drivers for Uber can use their own cars or rent cars to drive with Uber. The company has been a forerunner in the sharing economy and has been a subject of several disputes and legal actions. One of these includes the suing of its chief executive, Travis Kalanick, of fraud and other transgressions. Chief Executive Sued For Fraud. Travis Kalanick is the one responsible for conversion of Uber into a transportation colossal company and due to his actions; the investors expelled him as the CEO of the company, (Stone, 2017). One of Ubers largest investors, Benchmark, which is a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, filed a suit against Kalanick and accused him of fraud, breach of fiduciary and duty and a breach of contract. Benchmark, after supporting the Uber management for a very long time turned against the companys top ranks leaving the members of the board of directors in turmoil. (Slee, 2015). This is because they remained undecided on what to do and how to face the problem that the firm was causing. Benchmark owns a 13% stake in the company and a board seat but the influence of Benchmark on the board was eventually diminished, restricting the firm from accessing any information about the companys legal actions after the firms board representative exonerated himself from the board committee, which deliberated litigation issues. The firm insisted that Kalanick should be removed from the board of directors and it went ahead to publish an open letter to employees of Uber insinuating that the company held some dark secrets from them. (Damodaran, 2017). Questionable Management Style The management style of Travis was under criticism and after he lost temper in an argument with an Uber driver who had issues about his salary, he added some swearing comments that were unfortunately caught on video. Overall allegations about the corporate culture were made against the company and its board of directors met to hear about them. Among the allegations were that the workplace environment permitted harassment, bullying that was left uncontrolled and discriminations. After hearing all of these, the board decided to adopt a series of recommendations about the culture of the company from the former US attorney general Eric Holder and were undecided about what action to take concerning Kalanicks actions. In attempt to make things right the company hired a law firm to investigate, various complaints brought forward like sexual harassment and other deep-rooted cultural problems. After a former female Uber engineer published on a blog claiming her boss in a chain of messages had propositioned her on the very first day at work and that after taking the matter to her superiors, her grievances were ignored; the company set up a hotline specifically for complains and hired the firm to inspect those complaints. After separate investigations being conducted, the company fired 20 employees for harassment-associated cases, (Damodaran, 2017). Implications of the problem on customer expectations and organisational performance In a verdict that could have some implications on thousands of firms and the gig economy, a British tribunal ruled that Uber drivers should be given minimum wage, a holiday pay and be treated as employees. This was after two drivers presented their case to an employment tribunal claiming that the app was unlawfully treating them as self-employed individuals and therefore missing to provide certain rights. Uber has faced legal actions, protests and bans across the world including most of Europe and the United States. It was ruled that the drivers should be paid the minimum wage for those that are over 21 years. This ruling could have implications for many businesses across Britain and influence judges in those countries that Uber faces legal actions. It also could have several effects on employees that work for firms that deliver services and in the gig economy that includes individuals working for several employers day to day without having permanent contracts, (Slee, 2015). Implications of the problem on shareholder performance Because of the big scandal caused by its action towards Uber, Benchmark is now disadvantaged leading to one of the Uber backers, Shervin Pishevar and other investors asking Benchmark to sell its shares in Uber and leave the board claiming that its lawsuit against the Chief Executive was irrational, ruthless and culpably wrongheaded. (Ledlow, 2013) Mr Kalanick filed an opposition to the lawsuit and argued that it was founded on a personal and public attack on him. The suit included issues on how the CEO attained control of several Uber seats back in 2016. Benchmark claimed that those seats were achieved through deceitful cover-ups of information and material misstatements. The suit said that the objective of Kalanick is to fill the companys board with trustworthy associates for the purposes of clearing the way for his ultimate return as the CEO and protecting his previous conduct from inspection all to the disadvantage of the companys stakeholders, driver associates, employees and cus tomers, (Meyer,2016). How to Avoid Such Issues in Your Company Companies in order to avoid such incidents of corporate fraud suits should adhere to the principles of operations management such as organisation, the manufacturing processes have to be interconnected with all elements being predictable and consistent. This can be achieved through conducting annual audits to ensure there is complete honesty among the staff responsible for record and bookkeeping, (Heizer, 2016).The fundamentals principle is also applicable whereby a company should strictly adhere to the maintenance of records and disciplines. Surprise check-ups, independent checks on general performance, inventory counts and audits should be conducted to make sure that policies and procedures are adhered to and for maximum accuracy. When the company executives and managers exercise humility, they can in turn acknowledge their areas of weakness and try to get help instead of applying trial and error that could result into bigger consequences for the whole organisation. An anonymous rep orting mechanism such as an employee fraud hotline should be instilled so that cases such as harassment and others can be brought forward to the responsible personnel and addressed accordingly, (Galloway, 2014). New theories should be tested and new solutions sought for different situations and problems in the company, a learning organisation does not just stick to one mechanism or way of doing things but embraces change. Stable management will be achieved and employee performance improved through the causality principle application. Whenever there are signs of problems in the company among employees or even the management, they should be addressed to prevent the same problems from appearing repeatedly, (Raturi, 2015) References Damodaran, A. (2017). Narrative and numbers: The value of stories in business. New York City: Policy Press. Galloway, L. (2014). Principles of Operations Management: Thomson Business Press Heizer, J. H., Render, B. (2012). Principles of operations management: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall. Ledlow, G. R., Coppola, M. N. (2013). Service Operations Management: Theory, skills, and applications. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett. Meyer, J. (2016). Uber-positive: Why Americans love the sharing economy. Bristol: Policy Press. Raturi, A., Evans, J. R. (2015). Principles of Operations Management: South Western College Publishing. Slee, T. (2015). What's yours in Mine: Against the sharing economy. Malden, Mass: Wiley-Blackwell. Stone, B. (2017). The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the killer companies of the new Silicon Valley are changing the world. New York: Peter Lan

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

mrs. Essays - Family Law, Divorce, Marriage, Parenting,

changing the laws on divorces where men have equal right to their children. Men should be able to get the children the same as a woman. I have found that men are treated unfair just because the are a male. In a case which is about to come up in court soon, there are paper showing this woman has filed for social security for the following reason: lost of memory, seizure disorder, head trauma, migraine headaches and back injury. This should be enough to give custody to the father who is fighting for custody. Due to memory lost alone she could put the child health in danger,little alone the other thing she has filed for. Such as: having migraine headaces, when you have to take maedican for this it puts you to sleep most of the time.This is about the only way to get over a migraine, I know because my youngest son has had them senice she was eight years of age and has to take meds for them. Then there is back injury: if the child was to get hurt and need you to pick them up to get them un chock then you would not be able to do this either. Head trauma this could show that you are not capital of thinking or reacting in away that is needed to acted on. May cause slow reactions also. Then there is seizure disorder: This could put the child in danger should the person have a seizure while the child is left in that person care. Where dose the courts take in concideration with these facts? They have a tendtives to over look the well being of the child just because it is a woman. There is also other things that I find are unfair to men. My oldest son by court order could not move to cut cost or change his address, bank account,or insurnaces,or any thing else, he had to keep a child that was not his on his insurance even thought the state of Georgia was carring her and the child father also had insurance on her. But on the other had the mother lied to get temp. custody of the child even though the week before she loaded her into my car and pack my granddauther things for her to come home with me. Danielle has spent every months at least two weeks out of the months with us since she was born. We had her stay with us until she was 6 days old. The day she came home from the hospital she was brought to us because the mother said she was to sore to take care of her. My son David worked nights at that time so he asked if we would keep her for him until Friday morning. I asked him what was wrong with Heather, who was the mother? He said she said she was hurting so ba d that she could not take care of her. The only thing that sould of be sore was he back side, I know I was there when Danielle was born. So why dose the court say she is the best parent? She didn't even want to take care of her when she came home from the hospital. We even have other things such as written letters from people who have been around her tell how she is. Such as: the landlord, Friends,her ex hudband. We also have statement where she has been running to the doctor everytime she turns around. I have pictures of the house wherer she supposted of clean it and it still a filt mess. The landlord even stated this and also stated she was at home full time and no reason to have a filty house with food, cloths, toys,papers, dishes in the sink. I also know for a fact she quick her job at MacDonalds even though she had a child by another man. This caused them to have to file bankrupt. So how do you get the laws change to where they are equal for both parents. The laws should be where both parents have to have a job and both parents should be given joint costody with neither of them