McKay

It seems really ironic that a poem could be both an outcry during the Harlem Renaissance and a rallying song for Winston Churchill to persuade his country to fight against the Nazis, but that is exactly what this poem was.   Claude McKay’s â€Å"If We Must Die† was originally written about the race riots in Harlem in 1919, and it was a call to all African American men that it was time for them to stand up for their rights.   As with his poetry, McKay himself had quite an interesting life. Born in Jamaica in 1889, he published his first book of poetry at the age of twenty.   In this book called â€Å"songs of Jamaica,† he tells the reader about living the life of an average black in Jamaica.   In 1912, he came to America in order to attend Tuskegee, then moves on to the University of Kansas.   He flirted with communism and traveled to Europe only to find himself converting to Catholicism back in Harlem again.   Dying in 1948, McKay certainly left his mark on the world.   McKay’s poem â€Å"If We Must Die,† leaves a mark of his fierceness when it comes to social inequality and â€Å"bucking† the status quo.   McKay makes a plea to African American men. McKay uses many literary techniques and devices in this poem to enhance and emphasize his meaning.   He uses â€Å"like hogs† in line one, which is a simile.   He immediately begins with this because the reader clearly does not want to identify himself or herself with â€Å"hogs.†Ã‚   He is setting up the idea that black people do not want to live like animals.   Therefore, they must fight for their rights.   He uses apostrophe, both in lines 5 and 9.   He may allude to many other injustices suffered like Harper’s Ferry or slavery. An extended metaphor would be the animal imagery that is carried through the poem with words like â€Å"hogs,† (line 1)â€Å"hunted, â€Å" â€Å"penned,† (line 2) â€Å" bark,† â€Å"mad and hungry dogs,† (line 3) â€Å"monsters,† (line 7) â€Å"cowardly pack† (line 13).   A metaphor is used in line 7 with the word â€Å"monsters.†Ã‚  Ã‚   Again, McKay is making the conscience choice to evoke animal imagery because, in his mind, blacks have become animals.   They have been backed into a corner like animals, and now they must choose to fight their way out. His choice of rhetoric or diction clearly demonstrates that of the black man’s dignity and the animal imagery that dehumanizes the black man.   An example of hyperbole is â€Å"If we must die, let it not be like hogs† (line 1)   and â€Å"and for their thousand blows deal one death-blow† (line 11).   In line 3, onomatopoeia is used with the word â€Å"bark.†Ã‚   A rhetorical question is used in line 12 with â€Å"What though before us lies the open grave?†Ã‚   This reminds the reader that death waits for all of us, so what have they really got to lose?   Many of these techniques are used to create a sense of urgency in the reader. Basically interpreting this poem is simple.   It is brief but eloquent.   McKay does not feel that his fellow â€Å"kinsmen† should stand around and let society or white man attack them and do nothing about it.   He tells his brothers that they must fight.   They need to show themselves to be brave and fight back against injustice and oppression.   They must fight back against those who persecute them.   McKay clearly admits that they may be outnumbered, with their backs pressed to the wall, but they will not go down without a fight.   They will not be treated like animals in a pen by remaining passive; they will join together and fight.   If they have been made into animals, they will fight like animals. This poem is clearly a Shakespearean sonnet.   One easy way to tell is the rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg.   Also the reader knows because the poem consists of 14 lines and is made up of three quatrains and a couplet, with the last rhyming couplet being the â€Å"turn.†Ã‚   This sonnet is also written in iambic pentameter as to stay with traditional form.   The poem is clearly end-rhymed as the rhyme scheme suggests.   There is repetition of the words â€Å"If we must die.† By repeating these words McKay repeats his plea for people to fight back, not to just accept the way things are.   African Americans deserve equal rights and they should get them or at least go out trying.   This poem is a call to African American men to fight for their rights.   He uses a quite traditional poetic form with very strict rules to talk about a non-traditional topic—African Americans standing up for their rights.   It is formal structure to express a formal message, written almost like a speech or plea. McKay’s hatred for the passive nature of black men is shown in this poem.   He is calling for black men to stand up and fight against the injustices that have been done to them.   He says that if they have to die, they should at least die fighting, knowing that they were fighting for their cause.   Society has, in many ways, made them into animals.   Instead of sitting passively by and being treated like animals, they should fight like animals.   They have nothing to lose because they have no rights and in many ways are simply waiting for death. Works Cited McKay, Claude, â€Å"If We Must Die,† Retrieved October 30, 2007 at Web Site: McKay, Claude, Retrieved October 30, 2007 at Web Site: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/25         

Benefits and Drivers Paper

Benefits and Drivers Paper MGT/445 Organizational Negotiations March 24, 2013 Kudler Fine Foods is a food company that specializes in selling fresh grocery products with simple ingredients used to make gourmet meals. Nearly everything a customer could want would be found within Kudler Fine Foods. Currently Kudler Fine Foods operates from three locations each offering the same service. The company is a privately held, but seeks to offer stock publicly to increase capital. The increase in revenue will allow Kudler Fine Foods to pursue avenues of innovation that can increase profit margins and spark new growth.In this paper Team A will be exploring the internal and external driving factors that influence the innovation at Kudler Fine Foods as well as an overview of how these practices benefit the company. This information is important in ensuring that Kudler Fine Foods will be able to meet their organizational objectives. Kudler Fine Foods’ will continue to make it the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s main priority to provide customer satisfaction with the selection of fresh products. Kudler Fine Food External Drives of InnovationExternal innovation is the comparison of a company’s own to a competitor’s product or service. The external drives of innovation within Kudler Fine Foods are frequent shopper program, website, and catering. Kudler Fine Foods has created a program for their customers where they sign up to receive news about the stores events, featured products, and sales (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2011). With competitors they do not provide such access to information for frequent customers they receive preventing customers from knowing critical news the organization makes presenting.With the Kudler Fine Foods website formatted into a way not only local customers can view, but also customers outside of the counties to view the website. The website has also developed an e-commerce system that will provide the organization with ability to automate all invento ries and ordering systems to track sales and order replacements made (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2011). The last external innovation of Kudler Fine Foods from other organizations is catering the organization provides (Apollo Group, Inc. , 2011). The catering aspect has ot been fully constructed into the business organizational structure, so their approach will stand out from other competitors. Their goal is to provide a link to customers on their website that will allow them to view and order specifics requirements for the event needed to be catered. The website will provide every aspect of what meals, desserts, amount needed, specific arrangements or design the customer desires for the event. With other competitors they require customers to come into the store location to make arrangements, whereas Kudler Fine Foods is providing options for the busy individual to make arrangements via Internet.Internal Drivers of Innovations Internal drivers are events that occur inside the business sect or; the drivers are the success of any organization. The internal drivers of innovation for Kudler Fine Foods are the experienced, helpful, knowledgeable staff, and how they strive to make their customers experience delightful as well as a pleasing shopping outing. The first internal driver is the experience, and this is about Kudler Fine Foods ensuring they provide customers with a good experience to grow the business.To grow the business and to make sure, they have a good experience the employees must be helpful and knowledgeable to their customer base. It is important for management and the staff to focus on the internal drivers that will ensure the success of the organization. According to Kudler Fine Foods mission statement, they shop around the world for the finest products. Kudler’s management team goes through extensive lengths to ensure they have the best products for their customers who aspire to purchase the finest epicurean delights. Innovation, Design, and Creati ve ThinkingThere has been several years’ worth of Survey Results from the Sales and Marketing department at Kudler Fine Foods. From 2011 and 2012, invaluable sources of information directly from the customers telling Kudler Fine Foods exactly the types of changes they would want like to see in the company, and it is always important to give the customer exactly what they are asking for. There are some areas that can be confirmed that Kudler is definitely on the right track, such as the high customer approval on the available store hours and the knowledgeable service staff is consistently high on customers surveyed.Unfortunately, there are other areas where customers are clearly stating that they are unhappy with the price of the merchandise and are not receiving courteous customer service on a consistent basis. Some area surveys will show that customers are satisfied with the decor and product selection at these stores, which are definitely areas of opportunity for improvemen ts to get higher customer satisfaction. Brainstorming with local owners and managers on the survey areas where the ratings are low probably would result in some good ideas or suggestions that could be implemented across the chain.After reviewing the customer’s survey results, it becomes all the more important to focus on increasing efficiency. This can be a cost reduction on the goods sold at Kudler Fine Foods, which seems to be on the top of the list of complaints by current customers over the last several years. Increasing efficiencies could include minimizing food stored and un-sold at each store, finding ways to keep low shelf-life on products in efforts to decrease cost.This might have some impact on the available products but could be weighed as to which products sell the most and lease by using some software programs for point of sale purchases and reports. By analyzing the sales and shelf-life of goods at Kudler Fine Foods, it is possible that product price could be d ropped if fewer products were wasted by going bad and not being sold in-time at some stores. Innovation is a huge factor in determining Kudler’s success. To be competitive in the market, Kudler has to think outside the box.What will get people in the doors and what is going to keep them coming back? In today’s society there are so many options and choices that, one bad experience can cause a customer to never return. Innovation is what is going to keep consumers coming back. Being able to market effectively and get people in the doors is the first step. Keeping them coming back is a whole new challenge in itself. Hiring people with creative thinking, innovation, and good marketing skills will help Kudler Fine Foods stay a step ahead of the rest and keep consumers come back for more.Kudler Fine Foods recognizes the need for innovation and acts upon the creativity of not only their employees but also their customers as well. Kudler ensures that their on-site staff is ope rational, knowledgeable, and experienced, thereby providing support throughout innovations such as website design improvements, new catering concepts, and frequent shopping programs. Customer feedback through surveys, prove that Kudler is providing services that customers appreciate but also have identified areas that may be improved upon.Kudler Fine Foods strives to meet their organizational objectives by continually seeking innovations that will expand their customer base and ensuring that they remain a favorite among the current clientele. ? Reference Apollo Group, Inc. (2011). Kudler Fine Foods. Innovation, Design, and Creativity – Overview. Retrieved from, OI/361 – Innovation, Design, and Creativity for a Competitive Advantage course website. ScandinavianMinds. com. (2009). Innovation: Internal & External. Retrieved from http://www. scandinavianminds. com/innovation-internal-external

Applying Behavioral Principles Essay

Look at the following social problems as a behaviorist would. Suggest behavioral solutions for each. 1.Traffic! The problem of traffic gridlock in American cities continues to increase. Campaigns to encourage people to share a ride or take the bus have not been very successful. In one large city, commuters entering the city must cross one of several bridges to get to the area where office buildings and factories are concentrated. How could behavior modification be used to reduce the traffic congestion in the city? It is teaching people different behaviors and changes by making them take the transit bus or the subway or carpool in the hov lane to reduce traffic congestion in the city. Some people see it as a form of control trying to force people to ride these transportations instead of their own vehicles to try and reduce the traffice congestion in the city. 2.The Homework Puzzle. An article published in The New York Times reported the results of a large-scale study on the benefits of homework for elementary school children. The study showed that the lowest-achieving children spent more time with homework than children with better grades. How can the longer time spent by the low-achieving children be explained? Why aren’t the children who spent more time with homework the ones who are making better grades? The children that are spending more time on their homework is the ones that are struggling and have to work twice as hard as the other children that the work comes easy for them. The children that are spending hours on homework usually are the kids that have an IEP or in specialized classes. They are not making better grades than the other kids because they struggle in school and its sad to me to see them work harder and longer because its almost like a punishment to them because they struggle all day in school anyways. I think a solution for these children should be indiviualized assignments for these children and less homework or maybe not so hard homework for these children so as not to overwhelm them so they dont want to give up or stress them out.

Ethical Issues in Packaging Practices Research Paper

Ethical Issues in Packaging Practices - Research Paper Example Ethical issues arise when businesses use unfair or deceptive practices while advertising, packaging, promotion, pricing, and distribution among other activities. However, the concern of this paper is the ethical issues in packaging practices. The paper will begin by discussing what is packaging and its purpose. It will also discuss the practices involved in packaging such as labeling and the regulations in place concerning packaging and labeling of containers. The paper will also discuss what ethics is and the ethical issues involved in packaging as well as how they can be dealt with for businesses to be ethically responsible. Being ethical can save the business costs associated with suits and also improve on its sales revenue, brand and company image and royalty. Packaging is the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages to protect products for distribution, storage, sale and use (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Packaging products enables them to be transported easily to vario us market segments without any harm. Packages in this sense offer physical protection to products such as protection from shock and vibration. It also protects products from water and dust among other harmful effects. Some containers are designed in such a way as to extend the shelf life of products and also ensure products remain fresh, clean, and safe. Another purpose of packaging according to Shimp (2007), is to transmit information to consumers through labeling. This ensures consumers are aware of the contents that make up the product, product quality and quantity, how to use the product, and how to dispose off the package after use. There is also government requirement that consumers be made aware of the side effects of consuming certain products such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and other items hence packaging offers this service to consumers allowing them to make informed choices. This is especially so in an era where cases of child obesity are on the increase and people mo re aware of the need to reduce cholesterol intake and to eat healthy foods. Packaging is used by companies as a way of advertising products. When designing packages, manufacturers therefore take into consideration the needs of clients and the target markets. However, while taking advertising into consideration, laws and regulations in place are supposed to be adhered to avoid lawsuits (Padilla, 2004). Packages also are used for containment of products for efficiency especially by grouping small items together. Items such as liquids and powder are also easily contained in a package. This also enables apportionment of the items into small quantities for convenience in distribution. Packaging enables goods to be secured especially for shipment whereby a seal is inserted to avoid theft. Packaging is therefore a very important activity for businesses as it directly affects sales hence should be handled with care. The government and other agencies are keen on packaging practices to ensure ethical standards are maintained and that consumers get value for their money without being deceived. Ethics is a term commonly used in every aspect of our lives as it determines the behavior of individuals and firms in the market. However, it is also a controversial term as it depends on people’s perception of what is right or wrong or moral; what is considered

Writer's choice Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Writer's choice - Term Paper Example This paper focuses on the methods and tools of hunting employed by each category of man’s evolution. Supposedly, Homo habilis, Homo erectus and Neanderthal each used different methods of hunting and despite similarities in tools, each level of evolution had unique skills of using the tools (William, 47). Homo habilis it is believed to have existed 2.3 million years ago, with a brain capacity of about 650 cc. History shows that the Homo habilis fed on meat and plants. For them to survive with changes in their environments, they had to invent new ways of getting food. The inevitable need for change caused Homo habilis to invent stone tools that were used for hunting (Strada, 24). The Homo habilis, commonly referred to as the maker of crude tools, curved out round stones to obtain sharp edges. Use of the stone technique marks the beginning of an interesting use of brain by man. Historically, Homo habilis are credited for inventing tools. Homo habilis made stone cobbles which they used for hunting, and wedged stones that were used for cutting. These tools helped Homo habilis in chores like hammering, chopping and digging holes. Apparently, these chores were used for the primary purpose of making traps for animals. Actually, the Homo habilis invented tools for the sole purpose of improving hunting techniques. Most tools used by the Homo habilis were found in East Africa and parts of Asia (William, 56). Remains of Homo erectus were discovered in Indonesia, and are alleged to have existed more than 1.8 million years ago. Unlike the Homo habilis, Homo erectus had a larger brain capacity. The bigger brain would later be used to develop the element of speech. Members of the Homo erectus are credited for inventing Acheulean tools (William, 46). Similar to any other category of man’s evolution, Homo erectus also hunted animals for food but used more improved methods. For instance, use of better traps and fire commenced during the Homo erectus

Comic Books in America and Japan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Comic Books in America and Japan - Case Study Example The most vital demographic within the society are the children and youth. These active societal members have a greater impact towards future development. However, children are the most sensitive group within the society because they are at the developmental stage that is affected through influences from the majority of the aspects within the society. Moreover, the age is the most active in leisure activities because they require the socialization aspects that develop their intellectuality. The development and the children have been dependent on the presented values within the family and the environment that they hail from. Various societies present differentiated challenges to create a tradition f the nature these children relate to the accorded aspects. The group relations and the activities that these children engage in during their leisure time have influence their developmental attributes (Turow 2008, p159). Most children are involved in games that are both presented in technolog ical aspects and creative social groups. The most applied measures have been in comic books that have witnessed increased use in children. Comic books are either locally created or imported and often follow a similar fictional plot that children have associated with and identified easily (Gravett 2004, p13). Comic books have been boosted by technology as the children have accessed comic plots through the internet in computers and mobile phone. Both America and Japan have witnessed the increased trend of comic books use in children, and the regions depict a variation in behaviour as the entity presents impacts to their development. Japanese manga and American Comics Overview These two countries have been presented with similarities and exchange of intellectual development since the Second World War. The comic book prevalence in the two countries has been evident in the inclusion of super heroes in the fictional writings. The term has always been the comic book in America and the incl usion of manga in Japan. The argument is placed that the creation of the American comic books and super heroes influenced the creation of the manga characters. This fictional society has offered entertainment to an increasing audience, that has been noticed to incorporate children who are influenced in the fictional society in varied measures. The comparison in the traditional definition of both comics and manga are included in their significance to the publication industry. Comics had been developed in the American societies, in the thirties, when the superhero aspect gained popularity. They have since affected the creation of the Japanese manga that have borrowed on the ideology of creation based on the intuition of stars like Batman and Superman. Japanese production of the manga has been larger as compared to the American comic industry occupying a total of 40% in the total publication production. This is because the composition of the manga contents has been dynamic and to cover an increased scope as compared to the comics. The interest has increased among the users who have incorporated the application of the Japanese comic in their entertainment. Consequently, comic books plot has been developed to increase the creativity and involvement of the youth and children as compared to the manga that are a universal story influence. The argument has been placed that the Japanese manga have presented greater influences as compared to the

Definition of Disability In Relation To Using Website or Computers Dissertation

Definition of Disability In Relation To Using Website or Computers - Dissertation Example They may not be able to see, hear, move, or may not be able to process some types of information easily or at all. They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text. They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse. They may have a text-only screen, a small screen, or a slow Internet connection. They may not speak or understand fluently the language in which the document is written. They may be in a situation where their eyes, ears, or hands are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in a loud environment, etc.). They may have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system. Content developers must consider these different situations during page design. While there are several situations to consider, each accessible design choice generally benefits several disability groups at once and the Web community as a whole. For example, by using style sheets to control font styles and eliminating the FONT element, HTML authors will have more control over their pages, make those pages more accessible to people with low vision, and by sharing the style sheets, will often shorten page download times for all users. Content developers should make content understandable and navigable. This includes not only making the language clear and simple, but also providing understandable mechanisms for navigating within and between pages. Providing navigation tools and orientation information in pages will maximize accessibility and usability. Not all users can make use of visual clues such as image maps, proportional scroll bars, side-by-side frames, or graphics that guide sighted users of graphical desktop browsers. Users also lose contextual information when... Content developers must consider these different situations during page design. While there are several situations to consider, each accessible design choice generally benefits several disability groups at once and the Web community as a whole. For example, by using style sheets to control font styles and eliminating the FONT element, HTML authors will have more control over their pages, make those pages more accessible to people with low vision, and by sharing the style sheets, will often shorten page download times for all users. Content developers should make content understandable and navigable. This includes not only making the language clear and simple but also providing understandable mechanisms for navigating within and between pages. Providing navigation tools and orientation information in pages will maximize accessibility and usability. Not all users can make use of visual clues such as image maps, proportional scroll bars, side-by-side frames, or graphics that guide sighted users of graphical desktop browsers. Users also lose contextual information when they can only view a portion of a page, either because they are accessing the page one word at a time, or one section at a time (small display, or a magnified display). Without orientation information, users may not be able to understand very large tables, lists, menus, etc. An accessible Internet (web) site is one that has been designed and built in such a way that anybody can get into it and make use of all its facilities, even if they live with a disability.

IMPROVE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP IN THE CURRENT FASHION INDUSTRY (CRM) Essay

IMPROVE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP IN THE CURRENT FASHION INDUSTRY (CRM) - Essay Example Information technology has accelerated the evolutionary phase of customer relationship. Many CRM software and information systems are available today which can be used for capturing and storing potential customer data which help organizations in developing and maintaining customer relationship. This report is an attempt to provide comprehensive information on technologies used by the present day organizations for maintaining a healthy relationship with their potential customers. Supply chain has also supported organizations in improving their relationship building activities with their customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a comprehensive approach adopted by organizations in order to create, maintain, and expand their customer base. It has become an essential part of every organization and seeks participation from all of the departments of that organization. It should be noted the process of customer base development of an organization is not dependent on any specific department. Instead it is a strategy which must be followed by all of the departments while developing their departmental plans. It is not solely related to the IT department of the organization neither it is an activity performed by the sales and marketing team (Anderson & Kerr, 2002). Present day business situation has forced organizations to revamp their traditional approaches so as to meet their target revenue and sales volume. High level of competition has become an issue not only for international level organizations but also for the organizations operating in the national and domestic markets. Organizations are required to use smarter techniques for identifying and retaining their customers. This has also made it necessary for the present day organizations to analyze their offerings and identify their targeted customers. The latter is considered as the key to success as it increases the of the productivity and revenue generation of the

System Implementation At Red and Hot Chinese Restaurant Assignment

System Implementation At Red and Hot Chinese Restaurant - Assignment Example HACCP is in line with the ISO 9000 standards in terms of ensuring safe restaurant kitchen operations. It is based on the seven principles recommended by the US National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). It is defined as a system of controls and documentation designed to minimize the potential for food-borne illness due to pathogens or the physical or chemical combination. (Baraban and Durocher, p. 134) It addresses all biological, chemical and physical hazards and how to identify and control/prevent them. Food safety has become an important public policy issue because of concerns about food-borne illnesses and how consumers have increasingly sought ways to lead healthful lifestyles. (Engle and Quagrainie 2006, p. 151) As a result, authorities are increasingly requiring for food establishments and food handlers to have control on sanitation procedures. Some countries are even formulating laws that are related to food safety and the HACCP system. The entire HACCP processes look and appear very technical and complicated, but the truth is that it is an extremely systematic way of ensuring that food is produced in a kitchen is safe. Based on initial research, the HACCP system is a recognized as a worldwide standard in food safety, adopted by various food and hospitality establishments such as hotels, restaurant, ships, and so forth. While there is no formal HACCP system in place at Red and Hot Chinese Restaurant, this does not mean that there is no food safety strategy in place. I found this out, among other important facts about the restaurant, after I conducted a series of interviews with the Kitchen manager, several cooks, stewards and food servers. I have asked a set of questions which determined the staff’s knowledge and actual experience with the HACCP model and how it works.  

Elder Abuse and Living Arrangements in Late Adulthood Essay Example for Free

Elder Abuse and Living Arrangements in Late Adulthood Essay Late adulthood is a period of various biological changes which can impact on an individual’s health and ability to function as easily in society. The stereotypical changes of this stage are paler less elastic skin resulting in wrinkles, thinning hair gradually turning from grey to white, weaker bones, muscle loss, and vision and hearing impairments e. g. cataracts and difficulty with word discrimination. There are changes to the brain also, such as the loss of dendrites which causes a reduction in brain weight and volume and slower synaptic speeds resulting in slower reaction times (Bee 1998, p. 53). Their immune system slows down as well, becoming less effective, and making them more prone to illness (Fernandez 2010, p. 794). Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and is a change in the brain structure due to the tangling of dendritic fibres in the brain causing severe memory loss and personality changes (Bee 1998, p. 459). Overall, the elderly are more likely to have a chronic illness and disabilities which may impact upon their ability to bathe, walk, feed themselves, prepare meals, shop, dress themselves, and even live independently (Bee 1998, p. 56). This stage of life is characterised by a number of stresses and is a time of reflection. An individual’s changing work status, in particular when they retire, can be a source of stress as work is a major component of adult life and they now have to find other activities to fill their day. There is also the uncertainty of their financial future and whether they will have enough to live comfor tably off (Fernandez 2010, pp. 853-855). Their health or partner’s health may be another source of stress for them, especially if it results in a caring role being required to complete everyday tasks; and the knowledge that their life is coming to an end (Fernandez 2010, pp. 867-868). Fernandez (2010, p. 851) states that late adulthood is a â€Å" time of looking back and taking stock of where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished, and whom we have touched. † This results in a process called ‘Life Review’ which is gradually looking back at past experiences analysing and evaluating them to develop more secure and complex self concepts (Bee 1998, p. 02). Social interaction is an important part of life, continuing on in late adulthood and is associated with good health and life satisfaction. The elderly have frequent contact with family, finding strong emotional and practical support through them, especially adult children, and tend to have lower levels of institutionalisation with couple s and relatives providing a high level of care and assistance to each other (Bee 1998, pp. 484-490). Friendships play an important role in late adulthood, with many enjoying time with friends more than with family (Fernandez 2010, p. 43). They provide companionship, intimacy, acceptance, opportunities for laughter, sharing of activities, links to a larger community, and protection from the psychological consequences of loss (Berk 1998, p. 609). In late adulthood where and with whom individuals are going to live is an issue they face. There are a number of options available to the elderly such as mobile homes, age segregated villages/communities, institutions, with family, or in their own home (Kalish 1975, pp. 97-99). Deciding which option is the most suitable for an individual can be influenced by a variety of things, such as health, disability, socio-economic status (SES) and culture. Mobile homes such as caravans suit those looking for a low cost and informal arrangement, however, those that have a mobility affecting disability or very poor health may not be suited to this option as they are usually small and on outskirts of towns (Kalish 1975, p. 98). Age segregated villages/communities include retirement homes that provide independent living arrangements or some support depending on the individual’s needs (Johnson 1960, p. 7). They tend to be in semi-isolated areas (making it hard for those with serious health issues to access medical attention), and are quite expensive (only those of high SES tend to be able to afford them) (Kalish 1975, pp. 98-99). The most common institution for the elderly is a nursing home, which cares for those who need considerable attention due to severe physic al or mental disabilities (approximately 5% of the aged population) (Kalish 1975, p. 99). Some residents are unable to feed, dress or bathe themselves, are incontinent or unaware of where or even who they are (Kalish 1975, p. 9). Medicare subsidises some of the costs, but not enough, meaning some individuals are still unable to cover the costs (Kalish 1975, p. 99). Family members provide the most long term care, whether that is a spouse, partner or adult children (Berk 1998, p. 575). It is more common for an elder of an eastern culture to live with their children and extended family, even if healthy, than for an elder from a western culture. Most individuals, even with a moderate disease or health problem, don’t live with relatives, but in their own house (Bee 1998, pp. 82-483). Living in their own home provides the greatest personal control, but those living alone are often poverty stricken and have unmet needs (Berk 1998, p. 601). This is where the Government and charity or ganisations help; they both provide small homes at low costs in suitable areas, as well as providing services such as home help (cleaning mainly), home visiting, and Meals on Wheels (Johnson 1960, p. 48). Elder abuse is a very real and serious issue that occurs during the late adulthood stage of life. There are many different types of elder abuse, including physical abuse (use of physical force resulting in injury, pain or impairment), sexual (non-consensual sexual contact), emotional/psychological (inflicting anguish, emotional pain or distress), neglect (failure to fulfil obligations or duties to an elder), financial exploitation (improper use of an elder’s funds, property or assets), and medical abuse (failing to provide adequate medical treatment or misusing medications) (Biggs 1995, pp. 6-37). It can also be intentional (conscious and deliberate attempt to inflict harm) or unintentional (inadvertent action resulting in harm, usually due to ignorance, inexperience, lack of desire or inability to provide proper car) (CSAP’s Prevention Pathways 2004). Stereotypically, it is nursing home residents that are more likely to be abused, as they are believed to be â€Å"vegetables†, and Kalish (1975, p. 9) states that health care professionals sometimes describe fe eding the resident using the expression, â€Å"watering the vegetables† which highlights this view and often leads to elder abuse as a way of degrading the elder and punishing them for needing attention and help. Unfortunately many nursing staff receive little or no in-service training and receive a very poor wage, so they feel out of their depths and do not enjoy the tasks required of them, which increases the risk of elder abuse as they feel frustrated, especially if the elder’s abilities are declining and need more care (Kalish 1975, p. 00). This leads to very few long term facilities providing intellectual or sensory stimulation. The more staff fail to stimulate the residents, the more they have to do for them, and the more the residents sink into despondency, creating more stress and frustration for the carers; becoming a viscous cycle (Kalish 1975, p. 100). The lack of stimulation itself, could be a form of unintentional neglect, as their intellectual needs are n ot being met. Despite the stereotypical view of nursing homes, it is in fact those who live in their own homes or with family who are abused the most, and it is the family that are usually the abusers, especially sons (Biggs 1995, p. 41). Victims of psychological or physical abuse tend to be physically well but have emotional problems while the abusers tend to have issues with alcohol and/or mental illness and live with the victim and are usually dependent on them (Biggs 1995, p. 43). Victims of neglect are usually very old and mentally or physically impaired with very little social support, and the abuser suffers chronic and continuing stress (Biggs 1995, p. 43). Those who are unmarried with limited support are at more risk of being financial exploited, with the abuser having financial problems or dependent on the victim for finances and accommodation (Biggs 1995, p. 43). In 1993 the Commonwealth Government established the Working Party on the Protection of Frail Older People in the Community to protect the rights of residents in nursing homes (Biggs 1995, p. 53). Interestingly, mandatory reporting legislation that America has was rejected by most states in Australia at first and it wasn’t until July 2007 that compulsory reporting of unlawful sexual contact or unreasonable use of force was brought in, but this still doesn’t cover all elder abuse and only applies to residents of an Australian Government subsidised aged care facility (Aged Rights Advocacy Service 2012). Erik Erikson was a German psychoanalyst who developed an eight stage psychosocial development theory; this essay will focus on his last stage, ego integrity versus despair (Fernandez 2010, p. 21). The basic concept of this stage is the question ‘Was my life meaningful? ’ and involves looking back on one’s life to determine this. The hope is that the individual will come to terms with and accept who they are and have been, the choices they have made, and the opportunities they have gained and lost, and their impending death and thus achieve the vi rtue of wisdom (Bee 1998, p. 501). If they don’t come to terms with their life they develop despair, where they feel dissatisfied with their life and feel it is too late to change it (Berk 1998, p. 88). For example, someone who has very poor health and is reliant on others to help care for them may feel like a burden and have a sense of hopelessness resulting in them continuing to live alone as they do not wish to put others out. While someone else may view it as they’ve lived a long healthy life up until now and they have a loving family who is willing to help them in their old age, leaving them with a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction, and will happily move in with relatives. Another example might be living in a retirement home, some elderly may come to resent the age segregation and feel like society has pushed them to the outskirts to die, while others may feel stronger social connections, higher morale and a general higher life satisfaction due to the close proximity of others of similar age. Erikson’s theory is valuable in providing a guideline by which to understand this stage, but is it as clear cut as having integrity or despairing? Maxine Walaskay classified elderly into one of four categories, integrity achieved (aware of their ageing and accept the life lived); despairing (negative evaluation of life); foreclosed (content with their current life but resist self exploration); and dissonant (just beginning to evaluate their life) (Bee 1998, p. 501). Walaskay’s classification seems to say that not all individuals in this life stage look back on their life and evaluate it, that those in the foreclosed category base it on where their life is at now, so it would seem that Erikson’s theory does not apply to everyone in this life stage. Stress as a transaction theory looks at a stimulus only becoming a stressor when it is perceived that way by the individual, and whether they believe they have the resources to cope. In terms of elder abuse it would focus on the increasing dependency of the elder and a burden of care giving as the cause of stress thus increasing the risk of abuse (CSAP’s Prevention Pathways 2004). It proposes that there are factors influencing the risk of elder abuse in terms of elder related (physical or emotional dependency, poor health, impaired mental status and a ‘difficult’ personality), structural related (emotional strain, social isolation and environmental problems) and carer related factors (life crisis and burn out or exhaustion) (Biggs 1995, p. 25). For example an institutionalised resident’s dementia worsens making them more reliant on the carer, leading to more stress as the carer may not feel they have the capabilities to handle increased roles and this may cause them to abuse the resident. Another example could be an only child suffering extreme financial distress due to gambling debts, who lives with their mentally impaired mother and feels they cannot pay their own debs so they fraudulently use their mother’s funds. This theory looks at the relationship between the dependency of the elder and the stress this creates resulting in abusive behaviour, which research has been unable to prove (Biggs 1995, p. 30). According to this theory, by reducing the level of care giving stress, the likelihood of elder abuse would decrease as well, but this doesn’t take into account other factors that may be attributing to the abuse such as power roles (being physically and mentally more powerful and degrading and abusing the elder as a way to exert and maintain that power), and even a history of violence (if the elder was abusive earlier in their life and the abused becomes their carer, such as a wife or child, then the carer may have learnt that behaviour and carry it on by abusing the elder). There are many biological, psychological and social factors that impact individuals in the late adulthood stage of life, which can contribute to issues they face such as the influence of an individual’s health, ability to function effectively in society and social networks on where and with whom to live and the occurrence of elder abuse. The two theories, Erikson’s ego integrity versus despair and the stress as a transaction theory help provide some guidelines to examine the issues of living arrangements and elder abuse faced by individuals in this stage of life. Reference List Aged Rights Advocacy Service 2012, Mandatory Reporting: Elder Abuse and the Law, Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc. , accessed 23 September 2012, lt;http://www. sa. agedrights. asn. au/residential_care/preventing_elder_abuse/elder_abuse_and_the_law/mandatory_reportinggt; Bee, H 1998, Lifespan Development, 2nd edn, Longman, Sydney Berk, L 1998, Development through the Lifespan, Allyn amp; Bacon, Needham Heights Biggs, S, Kingston, P amp; Phillipson, C 1995, Elder Abuse in Perspective, Open University Press, Buckingham CSAP’s Prevention Pathways: Online Courses 2004, Out of the Shadows: Uncovering substance use and elder abuse, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 23 September 2012, lt;http://pathwayscourses. samhsa. gov/elab/elab_1_pg1. htmgt; Fernandez, E 2010, SOCW1003: Human Behaviour 1: Life stress and the life span, McGraw Hill, North Ryde Johnson, E 1960, ‘Social Provisions for the Aged: With special reference to accommodation, clubs and foster homes’, in A Stoller (ed), Growing Old: Problems of Old Age in the Australian Community, Halstead Press, Sydney pp. 46-53 Kalish, R 1975, Late Adulthood: Perspectives on Human Development, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, California

Ontological And Cosmological Arguments The Existence Of God Philosophy Essay

Ontological And Cosmological Arguments The Existence Of God Philosophy Essay Since the very beginning of human life, man has tried to identify the source of everything. Who am I?, What made me?, Did man create the stars? If not, there must be a higher being than humans, but who? Humans have always felt the need to rely on a higher being, a god, each culture identifying him either as one or many gods working together, but ultimately they provide protection, resources and strength to everyone and everything. But who IS God? Questions such as these prompted philosophers to ponder on the existence of a God; two of the arguments produced in reference to Gods existence shall be discussed. The two approaches of the arguments are based around the a priori and a  posteriori  reasoning. An a priori argument is one where the truth of the proposition does not depend on prior experience. It relies on knowledge collected outside of our own experiences. This is said by some to be an innate knowledge. The ontological argument is based around this reasoning. The basis of the argument itself depends on ones understanding of the nature of God. The Cosmological argument on the other hand, is a  a posteriori  based argument  [1]  . They argue that the truth of a proposition may only be known to be true after empirical knowledge is utilised to prove the statement true or false.  Ã‚  [2]   Renà © Descartes,  often called the father of modern philosophy, developed Anselms argument, in attempting to prove Gods existence from simply the meaning of the word God. The ontological argument is a priori  argument. The basis of these arguments depends upon ones understanding of the nature of God. Anselms definition of God being a supremely perfect being, is the basis of his argument. God must be such a thing that cannot be thought not to exist if he is: Than that which nothing greater can be conceived. (Anslem) Descartes points out that if you imagine a triangle, one of its main properties is that it has three sides and three corners. These are the predicates of a triangle. Descartes expands his point, this time referring to the properties of God. If something perfect is imagined, it must be even more perfect if it was in existence. Furthermore, the most perfect thing has all properties including existence. Descartes, therefore,  believes,  that a supremely perfect being has  all  predicates. Hence, if a perfect being has all predicates one of the properties must surely be existence. Therefore, if God is the greatest conceivable being and has all qualities, he must have all predicates, one of them being existence, therefore God must surely exist. Descartes says that trying to imagine God without the predicate of existence is illogical, like imagining a triangle without three sides!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ontological argument, in whichever version, has been the object of a great deal of philosophical criticism. Traditionally, the objection posed by the 18th-century philosopher Immanuel Kant has been thought to be one of the most decisive. Kant argued that the problem with the argument lay in its claim that existence is a predicate. (A predicate term describes something done by a subject; so, in the sentence John is eating the predicate is eating describes something that the subject, John, is doing.) Kant argued that existence cannot be a predicate because it does not add any new information to an understanding of the subject. To be told  that John is bald, that he is eating, and  that he is angry is to add three things to the stock of information about him. However, to be told that he exists does not genuinely communicate something about him. Likewise with God; to state simply that Gods existence follows from thinking about him is to have said nothing other than that God exists. Kant argued that nothing of philosophical consequence has been learnt. It is for this reason that many modern-day philosophers have held the ontological argument to be in error. In conclusion to  Descartess  argument, if the most perfect thing has all predicates, then one of those properties must be existence. God is the most perfect and flawless being, hence, he must exist. Similar to the ontological argument, the cosmological argument, also known as the first cause argument, is a classical argument for the existence of God. However, unlike the ontological argument, it derives the conclusion that God exists from a posterior premise (with evidence), as it is based on what can be seen in the world and the universe. It points the belief that there is a first cause behind the existence of the universe. The cosmological argument is based on contingency (dependent on something else) and points out  that things  come into existence because something has caused them to happen. The argument also states that things are caused to exist but they do not have to exist and that there is a chain of causes that goes back to the beginning of time. Time began with the creation of the universe, which came into existence about 15 billion years ago. Plato argued one of the Cosmological arguments earliest forms. He argued that the power to produce movement logically comes before the power to receive it and pass it on  [3]  Ã‚  This basically means that if there if movement, then something has to have caused this. This could not logically go on for infinity, so there has to be a single solitary being that caused this chain of events. This he calls the First Mover. Aristotle also believed in the Prime mover, the uncaused cause, the original cause. In this respect the two arguments are very similar. St Thomas Aquinas developed the cosmological argument. He developed five ways, the Demonstratio, to prove the existence of God. The first three ways forms the cosmological argument as a proof of the existence of God. These three ways are, motion or change, cause and contingency. In the first way, Aquinas states that anything which is in motion is moved or changed by something else. The object causing this push in movement is also given motion by another object. According to Aquinas, infinite regress is logically impossible, and because of this there must be something at the beginning which caused this motion, without being affected itself. This is God. It is certain, that in the world some things are in motion. Now whatever is moved is moved by another (Aquinas Summa  Theologica  [4]  ) From this quote, Aquinas clearly points out that, an object only moved when an external force was applied to it. He continued that objects only changed because some external force had brought about the change. He spoke of things achieving their potential through an external influence.  Ã‚  Aquinas used the example of fire making wood hot. When fire is applied to wood, it changes the wood to achieve its potential in becoming hot. Aquinas, in relation to the fire, stated that in order for a thing to change, actuality is required. If it did not, the thing would have to start the change itself, hence it would require both actuality and potential. However, Aquinas saw this as a contradiction, i.e. if wood could make itself hot then it would be hot already. Wood cannot be hot to beginwith,  otherwise it would not change and become hot. Therefore, Aquinas is emphasising the fact that wood is not hot already is its actuality. Moreover, something must have made the fire change and come  about,  hence each change is the result of an earlier change. However, Aquinas reported that these early changes did not go on to infinity, so there must have been a prime mover He concluded this first mover to be no other but God. In the second way, Aquinas says that God must be an uncaused causer, because if God were the efficient cause, and physically giving the object a push, rather than being The Final Cause, the push would affect God, meaning it would be contingent rather than necessary. To help explain this argument of motion, Aquinas uses the idea of dominoes. One force knocking domino causes the whole line of them to fall. For the objects to go from Potentiality to Actuality there needs to be something in the beginning which has already possessed Actuality. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is necessary to arrive at a first mover, moved by no other; and this everyone understands to be God (Aquinas) In the third way, Aquinas brings up the point of contingency of matter in the universe. He identifies that things come in to existence but then stop existing. He states that there must have surely been a time when nothing existed, however, for these to start existing,  the universe must have always existed. Aquinas states: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if at one time nothing was in existence, it would have been impossible for anything to have begun to existà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦therefore we cannot but admit the existence of some being having of itself its own necessityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Furthermore, there must have been a necessary being to bring about this existence, this being God. He evaluated that if God did not exist, then nothing would exist. In conclusion, Aquinas presents in his three ways of proving the existence of God that nothing could have existed without the existence of another. Moreover, something else must have caused the existence of this cause. Hence, a chain of causes is brought about. However, Aquinas emphasises that there must a beginning to the chain of causes. If the chain of causes is finite, then it means that this being does not have to rely on anything else to come into existence. There is only one such beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦God.