Human wk10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human wk10 - Essay Example These were questions that came to my mind when I started reading this chapter. Reeve (2009) points to research that suggests that extroverts are happier than introverts but I am not sure this is true. I know several introverts who live very happy lives without having to be very social. When I think about teens in Liberia, I would think that many of them would be happy with their lives because they may have no reason not to be happy. As an example, these children may all have similar experiences that move them more towards happiness than towards sadness. Many of the girls will be motivated to achieve more because they are feeling happy. Reeve (2009) states that arousal is important when thinking about motivation. The inverted-U curve suggests that when someone has a low level of arousal they are more likely to have a poor level of performance. In my understanding, arousal could be seen as engagement. In other words, if someone is engaged in learning, they are more prone to follow thro ugh with their goals. The girls may have a low level of arousal in the beginning, but if their education is stimulating and begins to engage them, they would be more prone to have a higher level of arousal. I would also think that stress would come into play with else girls because they may not have been in a classroom or formal education in the past. This could initially mean that they could become overly aroused. Reeves states that this could cause anxiety and other negative emotions that could impede their progress. When looking at personality and goal achievement, Jayasurija, Caputi, Gregory and Meloche (2007) found that students with a high achievement motivation were more prone to develop self-efficacy skills in computer use. They saw that goal orientation was a personality trait for those students who were the most motivated were more prone to develop self-efficacy skills in computer use. They saw that goal orientation was a personality trait for those students who were the m ost motivated to achieve their goals. Lee, Sheldon, and Turban (2003) suggest that individuals must have an understanding of self-control in order to develop strong mental focus. Mental focus helps an individual become more involved in their goal orientation, thus allowing a student to have a way to feel more positive about achieving their goals. Mental focus would also help in perceived control when an individual has challenges sticking to their goal. Students in Liberia may have difficulty understanding how to set and achieve goals but it would seem that their personalities would show quickly as to those who would have a higher or lower level of perceived control. Reeve (2009) states that those with higher levels of perceived control would be more apt to move their goals from inaction to action. References Jayasuriya, R., Caputi, P., Gregory, P, and Meloche, J. (2007). The role of achievement goal orientation in the development of self-efficacy during computer training. Retrieved February 5, 2011 from http://www.pacis-net.org/file/2007/1288.pdf Lee, F.K., Sheldon, K.M., and Turban, D.B. (2003). Personality and the goal striving process: The influence of achievement goal patterns, goal level, and mental focus on performance and enjoyment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88 (2), 256-265. Doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.2.256 Reeve. J. (2009). Understanding motivation and emotion (5th ed.). CA: Wiley. Assignment 3 Loretta is a professional illustrator who decided to go back to school. She chose a well known, accredited correspondence school that

Why Is Criminalization Significant to Victims Research Paper

Why Is Criminalization Significant to Victims - Research Paper Example The supremacy of judges to formulate fresh law and criminalize behavior with hindsight is discouraged, as well. In a less explicit manner, where laws have not been firmly implemented, the acts barred by those laws might also endure de facto criminalization by a more efficient or committed legal implementation. There has been some doubt as to the extent and nature of the role to be played by the victims of crime. However, as critics argue, the relationship between criminology and victimology has become more challenging. The main issue is that, in the dialectic of Left Realism and Right Realism, a spotlight on the victim encourages rights selectively for specific victims, and promotes the theory that some victim rights and freedom are more significant compared to competing values or rights in society. Keeping in line with this topic, this paper will evaluate criminalisation with regards to the new criminology, Howard Becker's claim that 'there is no such thing as a deviant act, it is m erely behavior that people so label', the main arguments relating to crime and race and finally present the key arguments within critical criminology.According to critics, modern (new) criminology is under threat of being confined by its own liberation (Radical Criminology n.d, p. 1). These critics’ despairing prediction was occasioned by what they considered to be insufficient developments in the way where criminologists were choosing and approaching their job. The liberation they talked about is that which had restricted criminology to behavioral thoughts; the confinement is that which at the moment limits a new account of criminology only to political thoughts (Jewkes & Letherby 2002, p. 45). By picking out power devoid of analyzing its class basis, as well as the state nature, labeling theorists, together with the sociologists of deviance, changed the behaviors of the influential into a random flexing of ethical muscle (Jewkes & Letherby 2002, p. 45). In general, the labe ling process was to be identified as class-based, but the failure to do this granted the state free power to control people from countercultures and lower classes through labeling them as deviants. Therefore, what was needed was a study of all the processes concerned in the development of deviant action comprising of the structural and political dimensions that earlier theories had not considered. The arguments incorporated in the new criminology were derived from a Marxist study of social associations being rooted in class. Marx proposed that society was structurally split between the middle-class people who own the factories, land, and machines, as well as the wage owning classes, referred to as the proletariat. The middle class is able to use the lower classes thus securing power and material wealth for themselves. Marx's study of exploitation and power was applied by the new criminologists to reveal the truth about the institutional organizations of a capitalist society. Through applying Marxist scrutiny of class, new criminologists provide a majestic theory, a theory, which is globally used as a study of crime, law and the state. Certainly, they try to provide a fully social theory of deviance that concerns analyzing deviant actions, as well as its reaction together, putting them in a political economy of crime.

Environmental Impacts: The Fashion And Textile Industry

Environmental Impacts: The Fashion And Textile Industry This report aims to understand the social and environmental impacts of the Fashion and textile industry, and the Sustainability challenges in the industry. The main focus of our work is on finding innovative solutions. However, first it is important to understand the issues. We have observed that there has been a lot of commotion revolving around fair trade fashion and new niche clothing labels emerging. We need to make sustainable clothing mainstream, for which there are some aspects of the industry that need to be tackled. Key issues in this regard are: Consumption the increasing number of fashion goods being purchased and disposed of Cotton production requires lots of energy, water and pesticides. Working conditions across the supply chain from cotton production to factories. Unsustainable man-made fibres can take longer to degrade Throughout this report we focus on ways for moving towards sustainable fashion. The sustainable garment should be designed carefully and made from renewable material. It would be pesticide free and produced by workers in decent working conditions. It would be washed at low temperatures and have fashion upgrades to extend its life. Recycle, Reuse or Compost. To make this vision a reality, the headline issues are: Raising awareness among the key industry players. There needs to be a common understanding within the industry of the scenario- the sustainability issues that need to be focussed on. Transparent supply chains should be developed. Brands and retailers should be able to trace the origins of their stock. This will ensure they can enforce high standards of sustainability. International standards need to be reviewed and developed. This will help in creating a common ground so that brands and retailers can differentiate on other issues for example fabrics used, design etc. Training and support should be provided along the supply chain. As well as a fair price and terms of trade, suppliers need support, time, encouragement and incentives to convert to sustainable practices. Empowering consumer An important driving demand for sustainable clothing. Research shows that most of the carbon footprint of an item of clothing tends to be in its washing, ironing and tumble-drying. Raising awareness to change behaviour will make a big impact. Designers are crucial in the success of sustainable fashion. They play a key role in coming up with innovative solutions for clothing, and making ethical fashion appeal to the target consumer ensuring it is in vogue, functional and stylish. Contents Introduction This report aims to draw a line in the sand for Primark to be able to move forward and seize opportunities. Primark and (un)sustainability Primark, the clothing industry, is challenged with the cycle of unsustainability. The relationship between productivity and resource use has entered into a lasting and unsustainable pattern. The lifecycle of any common item of clothing are shown below. There are social, environmental and economic impacts at every stage. Research shows that energy use at the usage phase overlaps that of any other stage so focusing on how we care for our clothes will have a significant impact. Having said that, impacts can be reduced at every stage. Why is Primark clothing unsustainable? The social and environmental factors are poorly considered in clothing and this becomes very complicated. But there are two main factors that have mainly pushed the sector towards unsustainability. One is the high street dynamic. High competition has been blamed on driving costs and standards down. And fast fashion changes means that clothing has become more disposable. The other is the complex and opaque global supply chain. Primark has different stages of production, often taking place in different parts of the world. Retailers can either purchase clothing directly from known suppliers or through agents and vendors. Before doing that, most fabrics (wool, cotton etc.) are bought on global commodity markets. Keeping track of items can be difficult in high stock turnover. To identify and ensure standards of sustainability throughout the supply chain, Primark should know the origins of their materials or stock. These challenges hold the key to creating a more sustainable industry. We are seeing some mainstream that primark embrace more sustainable options such as organic or fair trade products- and reap the benefits. Better traceability of the supply chain will allow Primark to procure more ethically and will allow customers to make more informed choices. Findings Fashion fabrics: producing natural fabrics sustainably The issues à ¢-  Pesticide use in growing cotton à ¢-  GM- Genetic modification à ¢-  Water use à ¢-  Fair conditions and prices for growers Clothes these days are made with a combination of wide range of Natural, man-made and synthetic fabrics. The sustainable impact of all types of fabric need to be managed and, where harmful to people and planet, should be reduced. Cotton as is by far the largest single fibre in production. The global demand for this amount of cotton, cheaply, encourages large scale, intensive production. Cotton fibres are blended from different origins around the world and sold on commodity markets and hence tracing the origins is very difficult. This complexity in the supply chain makes the incorporation of sustainability more of a challenge. Pesticides cause serious health problems to the cotton workers, and degrades the soil and also Biodiversity loss. Cotton needs a lot of water to be grown which is why it is called a Thirsty crop. This is made even worse by poor agricultural practices, where in some cases over 10 tonnes of water are used to grow enough cotton to make 1 pair of jeans The impact of this level of water use can be gigantic. Also cotton provides significant employment to local population and has a lot of economic benefits to the developing countries that produce it. What are the solutions? Naturally grown raw materials: They should be produced to the highest standards. While organic cotton production is still less than 1 percent of total cotton production, it is in increasing demand in the many developed countries. Water efficiency: Special reference to cotton production (including organic), is important. When Water havesting and drip irrigation are combined, Irrigated cotton can be very efficient. Labelling Country of Origin: There are calls for labelling, so that consumers can make an informed choice, and this creates more awareness of the social and environmental issues in that country. This would also allow retailers to control their supply chain. This also requires direct relationship with suppliers. Search for a substitute: Substitute cotton for other natural materials can be an overall solution Fashion workforce The issues à ¢-  Working conditions à ¢-  Human rights à ¢-  Boycotts à ¢-  Supplier audit fatigue Just like major global cloth producers, primark clothing industry has re-located much to low-cost economies, where labour costs are lower. The working conditions and human rights have forced to show concerns that many trade unions and NGOs may not have been maintained in some regions of the world, giving rise to what are referred to as sweatshops. The Textile workers in Bangladesh are working at as low as 5pence an hour for Primark, according to a recent study. This is largely due to workers being prevented from forming and joining trade unions. Poor treatment of labour can include people working for unreasonably low wages, excessive hours or overtime, in dangerous conditions and employing child workers. Boycotts can upset the production cycle and can damage the brand, the staff morale, and retention of both cuonsumers and employees, and to a very large extent sales and share prices. High street working conditions is a concern. Primark is a victim of Audit fatigue as they get to asked to fill in multiple questionnaire from different retailers and brands. Even if supply chains can be traced, the auditing, monitoring and enforcement of standards is often weak. Just being compliant is complex for suppliers. What are the solutions? Raising standards: The UK government took a lead and has set up the Ethical Trading Initiative in 1998.This organisation includes trade unions, NGOs and companies who work together improve working conditions. Membership only shows a commitment to addressing the issues but not a proof of actual standards. In addition, some companies have adopted the SA8000 standard which covers many aspects of working conditions. Many fashion retailers and brands have called to come together and draw up regulations to enforce minimum standards to draw a baseline for competition. This helps in real leaders to seize opportunities to seize more.To date 968 facilities have been certified worldwide. Transparency: Transparency is very crucial. Retailers and brands now include information on how they assess and how many they have conducted and what actions they have taken in their annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) / sustainability reports. Support for suppliers is the solution to help combat audit fatigue and improve conditions along the supply chain. There are various tools like the e-textile box are emerging that provide suppliers with the manual to be able to adhere with various different codes. The website provides guidance on setting up very basic management systems like how to measure water use. It explains the business benefits for improving social and environmental performance. Retailers, at the top of the supply chain, often have the power to encourage social and environmental good practice through: à ¢-  fair pricing policies Ensuring fair prices for producers à ¢-  lobbying Encourage suppliers to clean up the acts by lobbying for other incentives à ¢-  longer term commitments with suppliers Remove barriers by working together à ¢-  country of origin labelling- Support small suppliers by labelling country of origin on garments, à ¢-  Auditing garment suppliers and reducing this approach down to fabric, dye house and component suppliers paying particular attention to key points of production including any outsourcing or home working Global fashion markets and trade The issues à ¢-  Subsidies and quotas à ¢-  Price pressures à ¢-  Fair pay along the supply chain The reason to issue subsidies and quotas is to protect the domestic players and also to limit economic impact. This is mainly to protect the players from Free Market that would over whelm them. to prevent the sudden closure of critical industries in poor economies, free-trade is introduced it is clear that transitions need to be handled responsibly. As with most industries that involve long supply chains there are concerns over distribution of profits. The chart shows that besides production occurring mostly outside the UK, the largest gross profit throughout the clothing supply chain is for the retailer. This reflects the high costs of operating in the UK but also raises questions over fair pay further down the supply chain. What are the solutions? Lifting subsidies will help counter the downward pressure on price. Incentives should be given to command higher prices that may come from improving fibre quality Quality control in harvesting and efforts to improve the grade of cotton sent to market. Reflect the terms of trade between buyer and seller through Fair Trade standards which exist through International Fair Trade Association (IFAT). Fashion consumption: Disposal The issues à ¢-  Unsustainable consumption à ¢-  Recycle Clothes which are ending up in landfill Clothing has become increasingly affordable for everyone, and especially over the last two decades. Retailers have cashed on this affordability by shifting away from seasonal collections to fresh collections throughout the year. Because of much lower unit costs retailers have to sell significantly more product in order to maintain levels of turnover and market share. The success of retailers and brands currently demands an increase in volumes of clothing and apparel.. Increasing amounts of clothing is ending up in landfill when it could be recycled or reused. What are the solutions? Raising awareness- show the impact of clothing disposal and making recycling as easy as possible. Include promoting clothing hire and other entrepreneurial solutions. Take care of the easy ways to win, by reusing coat hangers and carrier bags and reducing packaging waste. In the longer term, government / industry could develop a producer responsibility policy where customers can take used clothing back to where they bought it to be disposed of in the most appropriate way. Conclusions These issues are inter-related and need to be considered in the wider economic context. Integration of the clothing industry, regulators, designers, the recycling industry and consumers need to work together to deliver these improvements so that we can continue to enjoy fashion without damaging the environment and people; industry can thus be productive and gain economic sustainability. Recommendations

Female Discrimination In The Labor Force Essay -- Gender Discriminatio

Female Discrimination in the Labor Force   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past decades there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women participating in the labor force. This expansion has unfortunately shown how women are still being treated as inferior citizens when comparing their wages and the jobs they are hired for to that of men. Many women in similar occupations as men, and having the same qualifications are only paid a fraction of what their male counterparts are paid. The only reasonable explanation that can be found for this income gap is discrimination. This unfair treatment shown throughout the handouts illustrate how far people still have to go before equal treatment becomes standard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The increase in female participation started occurring during the 1970's. The number of women in the civilian labor force jumped from 23 million in the 1960's to 31 million in the 1970's. This leap would continue and increase in the 1980's and on into the 1990's. The result, in 1995, is a female labor force that numbers over 60 million. This comprised 46 percent of the civilian work force (10).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A reason for the rise in participation by women may be in the way women saw marriage and children. Fewer women saw marriage as a settling down. Women who had children began to return to their jobs. The number of working women that were either married or had children or both increased dramatically. In 1965, women with children under 18 years of age numbered 35.0 percent of the labor force. This number increased to 47.4 percent in 1975. In ten years it was 62.1 percent and finally in 1995 it had grown to 69.7 percent (7). This showed that the female attitude towards having children and marriage has changed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the handouts, in 1970 women were paid poorly when compared to their male counterparts. The female worker had a median yearly earning of 19, 101 dollars. This was only 59.4 percent of what the males made. This does start to change in the 1980's as female earnings rose to 60.2 percent of men's. Five years later it had reached 64.6 percent. By 1990, the female's earnings had risen to 71.6 percent of what a man would make (2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women in the workplace have always been discriminated against. Ever since the first women started to work... ... that women were in some way not as accomplished or competent as men. Yet, a more in depth investigation would show that women are just as qualified, if not more so, than men. A principal of equal pay for equal work should be employed by all businesses and would definitely close the income gap.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most people want to correct the unequal treatment of women in the work force. One method that can be used to support equality would be to introduce a federal legislation to guarantee equal pay for equal work if there isn't one already. The logistical problem with this solution though would be great. How would people measure the value of one person's work to another's? Who would decide this and how would it be implemented? Much still has to be done before this important issue is laid to rest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People's attitudes towards women in the work force is slowly starting to change. More opportunities are appearing for women workers. The unequal treatment of working women will take years to change, but change is occurring. This topic will remain until the day people are treated and paid equally based upon their abilities and not anything else.

Capital One Bank Evaluation

Bank Performance Evaluation Project Capital One Bank Capital One Financial Corporation’s headquarters is in McLean, Virginia and in the Federal Reserve district five, The Federal Reserve of Richmond, Virginia. It is number 89 in peer group one with their consolidated assets of over $300 million. Peer group one banks are institutions that have equal to or greater than $10 million in consolidated assets. Capital One Bank specializes in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, while providing banking and savings products.They are a Fortune 500 company and have paved the way for mass credit card marketing in the 1990’s. Since its inception in 1988, Capital One has acquired numerous smaller banks and has kept growing to become one of the most well know bank holding companies in the United States. Unfortunately in November 2008, Capital One Bank suffered devastating losses and received $3. 5 billion bail-out funds from the Federal Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. But by mid 2009, Capital One Bank had bought back over 3. 5 million of their preferred stock shares from the United States Treasury.Although Capital One Bank has experienced some economic hardships in the recent past, it seems to be holding steady after the wake of the 2008 financial system meltdown. If we take a close look at this bank’s performance report, we can find some interesting information about their biggest asset components. For Capital One’s assets their percentage for loans to individuals is relatively high, 36. 77 percent compared to that of the peer group average of 4. 98 percent. This is indicative of a company that produces a large number of loans to individuals in the form of real estate, auto, and credit cards.This also indicates that this bank is interested in making profits from interest on loans. Real estate loans for this company are high with 22. 26 percent compared to the peer group average of 32. 89 percent. Although this bank dabbles in commercial bank ing, it keeps its commercial and industrial loans to a minimum in comparison to its other peer one counterparts. There are a few areas where Capital one shows virtually no interest such as; agricultural loans, investments in mutual funds and equity securities, and fed funds sold and reverse repos which are purchased under an agreement to resell.Federal funds sold are used for overnight funds that â€Å"keep balances on deposits at Federal Reserve Banks for purposes of clearing daily checks and deposits†(Olsen Research Associates). A reason Capital One Bank does not use this practice may be because it does not want to risk losing assets in the event that the borrowing bank defaults. Because Fed Funds Contracts are not secured they are always subject to loss if the borrowing bank defaults (Olsen Research Associates). Capital One Bank has relatively average percentages of debt securities of less than or more than one year.A debt security can be bought or sold between two parties , has defined amounts, rates, and maturities. As a whole, debt securities are relatively safer than equity securities because they have a principal amount that is returned to the lender at a specified maturity date. Moving on to the liquidity and funding of Capital One Bank, the core deposits are above those of other peer banks at 64. 84 percent compared to 55. 17 percent. Core deposits are comprised of demand deposits, deposit accounts that are subject to negotiable orders of withdrawal or automatic transfer from the savings accounts.This section also includes time deposits of less than $100,000, money market deposit accounts, other savings accounts, and other non-interest bearing deposit balances. Banks count on core deposits to fund loans while offering advantages â€Å"such as predictable costs and a measurement of the degree of customer loyalty† (Core Deposits). Core deposits are less vulnerable to short-term changes in the interest rates than CD’s or money market accounts (Core Deposits). The net loans and leases percentages of Capital One Bank are high as well compared to their competing banks.This is due to the high number of loans this bank awards to individuals in the form of mortgages, car loans, personal loans, and credit cards. Credit card loans blow the competition out of the water with an extremely high 40. 9 percent compared to peer group one’s average of 2. 41 percent. The liquid assets of Capital One are slightly lower in comparison to their peers by about 10 percentage point; this is another indicator that this bank produces numerous loans and has its assets â€Å"tied† up.Turning the attention to the relative income statement and marginal analysis portion of the report will describe the key components of earnings relative to average assets, margin analysis ratios, the yields or returns of specific assets, and the cost of funds. The report shows that Capital One’s main source of income is interest income in cluding; high interest income equaling a higher net interest income. Adjusted operating income, which is net interest income plus non-interest income, for Capital One Bank is 7. 45 percent to the peer group average of 4. 74.This is almost twice the amount of income from interest over its competitors. After accounting for operating expenses and realized gains and losses, the company has a pretax net income of 1. 82 percent and a net operating income of 1. 38 percent. The company’s interest expenses are insignificantly higher than those of its peers. Capital One has made provisions for loan and lease losses which are monies set aside for default loans. These provisions are greater than the competitors by 1. 25 percent and represent the bank’s desire to survive if loans default.Looking at the margin analysis portion of this section, you can note that the net interest income to average earning assets is twice as high as its competitors in peer group one at 6. 49 percent. I t is safe to say that Capital One Bank receives the majority of its income from interest. â€Å"Capitalization is the long-term funding that allows a business firm to operate. It is the investment that the business owner and any other investors make in the firm. It is a financial term which refers to the sum of the stockholder's equity of the firm and the firm's long-term debt, such as bonds or mortgages† (Peavler).Capitalization is also a measurement of business value based on the share price and number of shares outstanding. This is generally the market’s representation of the company’s value (Ycharts). For Capital One Bank, there capitalization is relatively similar to its counterparts. Equity capital to total asset ratio for Capital one is 13. 13 percent while the average for peer group one is 11. 30 and does not represent a substantial difference. Although Capital One Financial has seen its ups and downs over the past few years, it reports their â€Å"thir d quarter net income jumped 47 percent versus the prior year quarter†.This increase in profits is credited to the acquisition of ING Direct a financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance, and asset management services, and HSBC’s United States card business (Associated Press). Net income increased $357 million from this time last year and price per share went from $1. 77 to $2. 01, a 24 cent increase (Associated Press). Revenues also soared 39 percent to $5. 78 billion. Capital One Financial reports that it expects consumer demand to slow down soon, but they are prepared for what the future holds. ————————————————-Top of FormDec 10, 2012 12:17 p. m. ET| COF (Common Stock) | Exchange:NYSE (US Dollar)| Last Trade| $57. 77| Change| + 0. 70| | | | % Change| 1. 23%| | Volume| 1,167,465| Intraday High| $57. 80| | Open| $56. 91| Intraday Low| $56 . 78| | Minimum 20 minute delay Bottom of Form| | (Capital One: Stock Quote and Chart) Works Cited Associated Press. â€Å"News Summary:Capital One Posts Higher 3Q Profit. † Bloomberg Businessweek News. 18 2012: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. . â€Å"Capital One Financial Corporation Market Cap. Ycharts. N. p. , 06 2012. Web. 6 Dec 2012. . â€Å"Core Deposits. † Investopedia US. United States: 2012.

Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance: Introduction to Body Fluids Essay

   Fluid Compartments Water occupies two main fluid compartments Intracellular fluid (ICF) – about two thirds by volume, contained in cells Extracellular fluid (ECF) – consists of two major subdivisions Plasma – the fluid portion of the blood Interstitial fluid (IF) – fluid in spaces between cells Other ECF – lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, eye humors, synovial fluid, serous fluid, and gastrointestinal secretions Extracellular and Intracellular Fluids Water is the universal solvent Solutes are broadly classified into: Electrolytes – inorganic salts, all acids and bases, and some proteins Electrolytes determine the chemical and physical reactions of fluids Electrolytes have greater osmotic power than nonelectrolytes Water moves according to osmotic gradients Nonelectrolytes – examples include glucose, lipids, creatinine, and urea Each fluid compartment of the body has a distinctive pattern of electrolytes Extracellular fluids are similar (except for high protein content of plasma) Sodium is the chief cation Chloride is the major anion Intracellular fluids have low sodium and chloride Potassium is the chief cation Phosphate is the chief anion Proteins, phospholipids, cholesterol, and neutral fats account for: 90% of the mass of solutes in plasma 60% of the mass of solutes in interstitial fluid 97% of the mass of solutes in the intracellular compartment Fluid Movement Among Compartments Compartmental exchange is regulated by osmotic and hydrostatic pressures Net leakage of fluid from the blood is picked up by lymphatic vessels and returned to the bloodstream Exchanges between interstitial and intracellular fluids are complex due to the selective permeability of the cellular membranes Two-way water flow is substantial Ion fluxes are restricted and move selectively by active transport Nutrients, respiratory gases, and wastes move unidirectionally Plasma is the only fluid that circulates throughout the body and links external and internal environments Osmolalities of all body fluids are equal; changes in solute concentrations are quickly followed by osmotic changes Water Balance and ECF Osmolality To remain properly hydrated, water intake must equal water output Water intake sources Ingested fluid (60%) and solid food (30%) Metabolic water or water of oxidation (10%) Water output Urine (60%) and feces (4%) Insensible losses (28%), sweat (8%) Increases in plasma osmolality trigger thirst and release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) Regulation of Water – Homeostaisis Intake – Hypothalmic Thirst Center Thirst is quenched as soon as we begin to drink water Feedback signals that inhibit the thirst centers include: Moistening of the mucosa of the mouth and throat Activation of stomach and intestinal stretch receptors Influence and Regulation of ADH Water reabsorption in collecting ducts is proportional to ADH release Low ADH levels produce dilute urine and reduced volume of body fluids High ADH levels produce concentrated urine Hypothalamic osmoreceptors trigger or inhibit ADH release Factors that specifically trigger ADH release include prolonged fever; excessive sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea; severe blood loss; and traumatic burns Disorders of Water Balance: Dehydration Water loss exceeds water intake and the body is in negative fluid balance Causes include: hemorrhage, severe burns, prolonged vomiting or diarrhea, profuse sweating, water deprivation, and diuretic abuse Signs and symptoms: cottonmouth, thirst, dry flushed skin, and oliguria Prolonged dehydration may lead to weight loss, fever, mental confusion Other consequences include hypovolemic shock and loss of electrolytes Hypotonic Hydration Renal insufficiency or an extraordinary amount of water ingested quickly can lead to cellular overhydration, or water intoxication ECF is diluted – sodium content is normal but excess water is present The resulting hyponatremia promotes net osmosis into tissue cells, causing swelling These events must be quickly reversed to prevent severe metabolic disturbances, particularly in neurons Edema. Atypical accumulation of fluid in the interstitial space, leading to tissue swelling Caused by anything that increases flow of fluids out of the bloodstream or hinders their return. Factors that accelerate fluid loss  include: Increased blood pressure, capillary permeability Incompetent venous valves, localized blood vessel blockage Congestive heart failure, hypertension, high blood volume Hindered fluid return usually reflects an imbalance in colloid osmotic pressures Hypoproteinemia – low levels of plasma proteins Forces fluids out of capillary beds at the arterial ends Fluids fail to return at the venous ends Results from protein malnutrition, liver disease, or glomerulonephritis Blocked (or surgically removed) lymph vessels: Cause leaked proteins to accumulate in interstitial fluid Exert increasing colloid osmotic pressure, which draws fluid from the blood Interstitial fluid accumulation results in low blood pressure and severely impaired circulation Sodium in Fluid and Electrolyte Balance Sodium holds a central position in fluid and electrolyte balance Sodium salts: Account for 90-95% of all solutes in the ECF Contribute 280 mOsm of the total 300 mOsm ECF solute concentration Sodium is the single most abundant cation in the ECF Sodium is the only cation exerting significant osmotic pressure The role of sodium in controlling ECF volume and water distribution in the body is a result of: Sodium being the only cation to exert significant osmotic pressure Sodium ions leaking into cells and being pumped out against their electrochemical gradient Sodium concentration in the ECF normally remains stable Changes in plasma sodium levels affect: Plasma volume, blood pressure ICF and interstitial fluid volumes Renal acid-base control mechanisms are coupled to sodium ion transport Regulation of Sodium Balance: Aldosterone The renin-angiotensin mechanism triggers the release of aldosterone This is mediated by juxtaglomerular apparatus, which releases renin in response to: Sympathetic nervous system stimulation Decreased filtrate osmolality Decreased stretch due to decreased blood pressure Renin catalyzes the production of angiotensin II, which prompts aldosterone release Adrenal cortical cells are directly stimulated to release aldosterone by elevated K+ levels in the ECF Aldosterone brings about its effects (diminished urine output and increased blood volume) slowly Cardiovascular System Baroreceptors Baroreceptors alert the brain of increases in blood volume (hence increased blood pressure) Sympathetic nervous system impulses to the kidneys decline Afferent arterioles dilate Glomerular filtration rate rises Sodium and water output increase This phenomenon, called pressure diuresis, decreases blood pressure Drops in systemic blood pressure lead to opposite actions and systemic blood pressure increases Since sodium ion concentration determines fluid volume, baroreceptors can be viewed as â€Å"sodium receptors† Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) Reduces blood pressure and blood volume by inhibiting: Events that promote vasoconstriction Na+ and water retention Is released in the heart atria as a response to stretch (elevated blood pressure) Has potent diuretic and natriuretic effects Promotes excretion of sodium and water Inhibits angiotensin II production Influence of Other Hormones on Sodium Balance Estrogens: Enhance NaCl reabsorption by renal tubules May cause water retention during menstrual cycles Are responsible for edema during pregnancy Progesterone: Decreases sodium reabsorption Acts as a diuretic, promoting sodium and water loss Glucocorticoids – enhance reabsorption of sodium and promote edema Regulation of Potassium Balance Relative ICF-ECF potassium ion concentration affects a cell’s resting membrane potential Excessive ECF potassium decreases membrane potential Too little K+ causes hyperpolarization and nonresponsiveness Hyperkalemia and hypokalemia can: Disrupt electrical conduction in the heart Lead to sudden death Hydrogen ions shift in and out of cells Leads to corresponding shifts in potassium in the opposite direction Interferes with activity of excitable cells Influence of Aldosterone Aldosterone stimulates potassium ion secretion by principal cells In cortical collecting ducts, for each Na+ reabsorbed, a K+ is secreted Increased K+ in the ECF around the adrenal cortex causes: Release of aldosterone –>Potassium secretion Potassium controls its own ECF concentration via feedback regulation of aldosterone release Regulation of Calcium Ionic calcium in ECF is important for: Blood clotting Cell membrane permeability Secretory behavior Hypocalcemia: Increases excitability, causes muscle tetany Hypercalcemia: inhibits neurons and muscle cells; cause heart arrhythmias Calcium balance is controlled by parathyroid hormone and calcitonin PTH promotes increase in calcium levels by targeting: Bones – PTH activates osteoclasts to break down bone matrix Small intestine – PTH enhances intestinal absorption of calcium Kidneys – PTH enhances calcium reabsorption and decreases phosphate reabsorption Calcium reabsorption and phosphate excretion go hand in hand Influence of Calcitonin Released in response to rising blood calcium levels Calcitonin is a PTH antagonist, but its contribution to calcium and phosphate homeostasis is minor to negligible Acid Base Balance Introduction to Acids and Bases Strong acids – all their H+ is dissociated completely in water Weak acids – dissociate partially in water and are efficient at preventing pH changes Strong bases – dissociate easily in water and quickly tie up H+ Weak bases – accept H+ more slowly (e.g., HCO3 ¯ and NH3) Normal pH of body fluids Arterial blood is 7.4 Venous blood and interstitial fluid is 7.35 Intracellular fluid is 7.0 Alkalosis or alkalemia – arterial blood pH rises above 7.45 Acidosis or acidemia – arterial pH drops below 7.35 (physiological acidosis) Sources of Hydrogen Ions – Most hydrogen ions originate from cellular metabolism Breakdown of phosphorus-containing proteins releases phosphoric acid into the ECF Anaerobic respiration of glucose produces lactic acid Fat metabolism yields organic acids and ketone bodies Transporting carbon dioxide as bicarbonate releases hydrogen ions Hydrogen Ion Regulation Concentration of hydrogen ions is regulated sequentially by: Chemical buffer systems – act within seconds Physiological buffer systems The respiratory center in the brain stem – acts within 1-3 minutes Renal mechanisms – require hours to days to effect pH changes Chemical Buffer Systems Bicarbonate Buffer System A mixture of carbonic acid (H2CO3) and its salt, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) (potassium or magnesium bicarbonates work as well) If strong acid is added: Hydrogen ions released combine with the bicarbonate ions and form carbonic acid (a weak acid) The pH of the solution decreases only slightly If strong base is added: It reacts with the carbonic acid to form sodium bicarbonate (a weak base) The pH of the solution rises only slightly This system is the only important ECF buffer Phosphate Buffer System Nearly identical to the bicarbonate system Its components are: Sodium salts of dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4 ¯), a weak acid Monohydrogen phosphate (HPO42 ¯), a weak base This system is an effective buffer in urine and intracellular fluid Protein Buffer System Plasma and intracellular proteins are the body’s most plentiful and powerful buffers Some amino acids of proteins have: Free organic acid groups (weak acids) Groups that act as weak bases (e.g., amino groups) Amphoteric molecules are protein molecules that can function as both a weak acid and a weak base Physiological Buffer Systems Respiratory Buffer System The respiratory system regulation of acid-base balance is a physiological buffering system There is a reversible equilibrium between: Dissolved carbon dioxide and water Carbonic acid and the hydrogen and bicarbonate ions CO2 + H2O –> H2CO3 –> H+ + HCO3 ¯ During carbon dioxide unloading, hydrogen ions are incorporated into water When hypercapnia or rising plasma H+ occurs: Deeper and more rapid breathing expels more carbon dioxide Hydrogen ion concentration is reduced Alkalosis causes slower, more shallow breathing, causing H+ to increase Respiratory system impairment causes acid-base imbalance (respiratory acidosis or respiratory alkalosis) Renal Mechanisms of Acid-Base Balance Introduction Chemical buffers can tie up excess acids or bases, but they cannot eliminate them from the body The lungs can eliminate carbonic acid by eliminating carbon dioxide Only the kidneys can rid the body of metabolic acids (phosphoric, uric, and lactic acids and ketones) and prevent metabolic acidosis The ultimate acid-base regulatory organs are the kidneys The most important renal mechanisms for regulating acid-base balance are: Conserving (reabsorbing) or generating new bicarbonate ions Excreting bicarbonate ions Losing a bicarbonate ion is the same as gaining a hydrogen ion; reabsorbing a bicarbonate ion is the same as losing a hydrogen ion Hydrogen ion secretion occurs in the PCT Hydrogen ions come from the dissociation of carbonic acid Reabsorption of Bicarbonate CO2 combines with water in tubule cells, forming H2CO3 H2CO3 splits into H+ and HCO3- For each H+ secreted, a Na+ and a HCO3- are reabsorbed by the PCT cells Secreted H+ form H2CO3; thus, HCO3- disappears from filtrate at the same rate that it enters the peritubular capillary blood H2CO3 formed in filtrate dissociates to release CO2 + H2 CO2 then diffuses into tubule cells, where it acts to trigger further H+ secretion Hydrogen Ion Excretion Dietary H+ must be counteracted by generating new HCO3- The excreted H+ must bind to buffers in the urine (phosphate buffer system) Intercalated cells actively secrete H+ into urine, which is buffered and excreted HCO3- generated is: Moved into the interstitial space via a cotransport system Passively moved into the peritubular capillary blood In response to acidosis: Kidneys generate HCO3-and add them to the blood An equal amount of H+ are added to the urine Ammonium Ion (NH4+) Excretion This method uses NH4+ produced by the metabolism of glutamine in PCT cells Each glutamine metabolized produces two ammonium ions and two bicarbonate ions HCO3- moves to the blood and ammonium ions are excreted in urine Respiratory Acidosis and Alkalosis Result from failure of the respiratory system to balance pH PCO2 is the single most important indicator of respiratory inadequacy PCO2 levels – normal PCO2 fluctuates between 35 and 45 mm Hg Values above 45 mm Hg signal respiratory acidosis Values below 35 mm Hg indicate respiratory alkalosis Respiratory acidosis is the most common cause of acid-base imbalance Occurs when a person breathes shallowly, or gas exchange is hampered by diseases such as pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, or emphysema Respiratory alkalosis is a common result of hyperventilation Metabolic Acidosis All pH imbalances except those caused by abnormal blood carbon dioxide levels Metabolic acid-base imbalance – bicarbonate ion levels above or below normal (22-26 mEq/L) Metabolic acidosis is second most common cause of acid-base imbalance Typical causes are ingestion of too much alcohol and excessive loss of bicarbonate ions Other causes include accumulation of lactic acid, shock, ketosis in diabetic crisis, starvation, and kidney failure Metabolic Alkalosis Rising blood pH and bicarbonate levels indicate metabolic alkalosis Typical causes are: Vomiting of the acid contents of the stomach Intake of excess base (e.g., from antacids) Constipation, in which excessive bicarbonate is reabsorbed Respiratory and Renal Compensations Acid-base imbalance due to inadequacy of a physiological buffer system is compensated for by the other system The respiratory system will attempt to correct metabolic acid-base imbalances The kidneys will work to correct imbalances caused by respiratory disease Respiratory Compenstaion In metabolic acidosis: The rate and depth of breathing are elevated Blood pH is below 7.35 and bicarbonate level is low As carbon dioxide is eliminated by the respiratory system, PCO2 falls below normal In metabolic alkalosis: Compensation exhibits slow, shallow breathing, allowing carbon dioxide to accumulate in the blood Correction is revealed by: High pH (over 7.45) and elevated bicarbonate ion levels RisingPCO2 Renal Compensation To correct respiratory acid-base imbalance, renal mechanisms are stepped up Acidosis has high PCO2 and high bicarbonate levels The high PCO2 s the cause of acidosis The high bicarbonate levels indicate the kidneys are retaining bicarbonate to offset the acidosis Alkalosis has Low PCO2 and high pH The kidneys eliminate bicarbonate from the body by failing to reclaim it or by actively secreting it

Discover the Worlds Smallest Tree

Discover the World's Smallest Tree Some people claim that the title Worlds Smallest Tree should go to a tiny plant that grows in the coldest regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Salix herbacea, or dwarf willow, is described by some Internet sources as the very smallest tree in the world. Others see the tree as a woody shrub that does not meet the definition of a tree accepted by botanists and foresters. Definition of a Tree The definition of a tree that most tree scholars recognize is a woody plant with a single erect perennial trunk that reaches at least 3 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH)Â  when mature. That certainly does not fit the dwarf willow, although the plant is a willow family member. Dwarf Willow Dwarf Willow or Salix herbacea is one of the smallest woody plants in the world. It typically grows to only 1-6 cm in height and has round, shiny green leaves 1-2 cm long and broad. Like all members of genus Salix, dwarf willow has both male and female catkins but on separate plants. The female catkins are red in color, while the male catkins are yellow.

The cytoskeleton controls cell Essays

The cytoskeleton controls cell Essays The cytoskeleton controls cell Paper The cytoskeleton controls cell Paper Human body is composed of great number of cells which is one of the most basic parts of living creatures. A cell is the smallest unit of organism, having their own skeleton. This system termed as the cytoskeleton, works in a way that makes it similar to both the skeletons and muscles of human bodies. It maintains the shape of the cell and allows the cell move (NASA, 2004). The cytoskeleton is a network of fibers throughout the cytoplasm of cell which maintains cell shape, cell locomotion, movement of various elements in the cytoplasm, integration of the most important cytoplasmic organelles, cell division, chromosome organization and movement, and the adhesion of a cell to a surface or to other cells. The cytoskeleton is involved in cellular motility and in moving vesicles within a cell. It helps in the formation of food vacuoles as well. In the absence of cytoskeleton, the internal movement of cell organelles, as well as cell locomotion and muscle fiber contraction could not take place. The cytoskeleton is an organized group of three prime protein filaments which are microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate fibers. These structural proteins are made up of three main types: The actin filament plays an essential role in cell progress when related with another contractile protein such as myosin to form actinomyosin. The functions of Intermediate filaments are to retain the cell shape and giving a certain amount potency and stiffness to it. These proteins lengthen across the cytoplasm giving cells mechanical strength and, as in epithelial cells, span from once cell-cell junction to another. Microtubules form long straight hollow tubes which naturally come up out of a structure at the center of the cell, generally near the nucleus, called the centrosome. It is responsible for a range of functions including transport of organelles and products around the cell, movement of chromosomes during cell division and forms the components of cilia and flagella. The polarity is also significant in terms of the direction of transport along the microtubules as dissimilar motor proteins are accountable for the directional movement. All the cytoskeleton proteins have several common characteristics, they are a helical array of proteins and they go through fast cycles of polymerization and disassembly so that their cellular skeletal structure is very fluid and rapidly changing (Gary Reiness, 2000). Cytoskeleton is contained in all eukaryotic cells. Current research has discovered that it can be present in prokaryotic cells too. It is a dynamic structure plays important roles in both intra-cellular transport (the movement of vesicles and organelles) and cellular division. Integrity of the cytoskeleton is indispensable for cell endurance and function, and probable functional consequences of cytoskeletal loss include cell death. Cysteine proteases such as calpain are highly involved in the crash of cytoskeletal proteins (Kampfl et al 1996, Posmantur, et al. 1998). Loss of cytoskeletal proteins such as spectrin and tau is a vital feature in a diversity of acute central nervous system injuries including ischemia, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury (Wang, 2000). The literature contains widespread information on the proteolytic degradation of two significant cytoskeletal proteins, aII-spectrin and tau, after traumatic brain injury in the fully developed brain. In the mature brain, calpain and caspase-3 create signature 145 kDa and 120 kDa BDP of aII-spectrin (SBDPs) respectively (Pike et al, 2000). Discovery of the bacterial cytoskeleton is quite recent. FtsZ was recognized as the first protein of the prokaryotic cytoskeleton. In 1991, Erfei Bi and Joseph Lutkenhaus discovered that FtsZ assembled into the Z-ring. The cytoskeleton was formerly considered to be a characteristic only of eukaryotic cells, but homologues to all the major proteins of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton have newly been found in prokaryotes. Cytoskeleton research is a wide area of research that’s why it is not reserved to specialists in medical field, but other scientists are also interested to study about it. Advancement in cytoskeleton research in the European area can only be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach. The manner the cytoskeleton can withstand all of this compressing and stretching while still being strong is the major concern of NASA. Research is still continued about effect of variable gravity on cytoskeletons. Researchers discovered a way to make the cytoskeleton stiffen and relax. They were able to make cells change into different shapes, too. They erudited that certain shapes make cells succeed. They also learned that other shapes make the cells more about to die. They consider that changes in the cytoskeleton are involved in these actions (NASA, 2004). To conclude, the cytoskeleton is the supporting structure for cells connecting the nuclear matrix to the plasma membrane. It plays a crucial role in the compartmentalization of the eukaryotic cell cytoplasm. The cytoskeleton controls cell and tissue flexibility during biological processes such as development, wound repair or activation of the immune response. It can be assessed that mutations in genes encoding cytoskeleton proteins cause a huge number of diseases including neurological disorders, immune deficiencies, skin disorders, deafness or muscle dysfunction. References 1) Linda A. Amos and W. Gradshaw Amos. 1991. Molecules of the Cytoskeletion. 2) Kampala, A. , et al. 1996. mu-calpain activation and calpain-mediated cytoskeletal proteolysis following traumatic brain injury. J Neurochem, pg: 1575-83. 3) Wang, K. K. 2000. Calpain and caspase: can you tell the difference? Trends Neurosci, pg: 20-6. 4) Pike, B. R. , et al.. 2000. Stretch injury causes calpain and caspase-3 activation and necrotic and apoptotic cell death in septo-hippocampal cell cultures. J Neurotrauma, pg: 283-98. 5) Gary Reiness, 2000. Cytoskeleton II: Microtubules, lclark. edu/~reiness/cellbio/lectures/lect20. htm 6) NASAs Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASAexplores: January 29, 2004, nasaexplores. com/show2_5_8a. php? id=04-008gl=58

African Instruments

The history of African musical instruments is rich and diverse as the people that populate the African continent. Because music Is so deeply rooted in African culture, knowing about African instruments helps you understand the continent as well as the people. Apart from Africans themselves, this knowledge Is usually restricted to ethnomusicology and historians. The roots of African-American Instruments are burled deep within the music of the African continent. The history and evolution of African-Americans instruments are as rich and complex as the history of AfricanAmericans themselves. The essence of African-American Instruments Lies In Its expression of the human experience. Although the different styles vary widely In their tone, topic and the tools used to produce them, African-American Instruments have the ability to cross all color and culture lines. Styles such as the blues, country, jazz, gospel and hip hop have spread their Influence all over the world. Drums, banjo, and shakers have been a important key to making beautiful, inspiring music. Drumming was an important part of many African musical and religious radiation.The drum heads at either end of the drums wooden body are made from hide, fish-skin or other membranes which are wrapped around a wooden hoop. Leather cords or thongs run the length of the drums body and are wrapped around both hoops; when you squeeze these cords under your arm, the drum heads tighten, changing the instruments pitch. Drums served as an early form of long distance communication, and were used during ceremonial and religious functions. Ceremonial functions could include dance, rituals, story-telling and communication of points of order.The traditional drumming found in Africa is actually of three different types. Firstly, a rhythm can represent an idea (or signal). Secondly it can repeat the profile of a spoken utterance or thirdly it can simply be subject to musical laws. Drum Communication were based on actual natural languages. The sounds produced are conventionalism or idiomatic signals based on speech patterns. The messages are normally very stereotyped and context-dependent. By playing the drums the slaves would send warnings such as, the king is approaching or the enemy is attacking.After the work day was over, slaves would get together and sing out affirmations, pledges and prayers that they eventually lengthened out with repetitive choruses. At first, they accompany their vocals with handmade drums, but slave owners soon grew worrisome that this may be some sort of signal being made from one set of slaves to another that would ultimately lead to a revolt so the use of drums was abolished. African Instruments By Serenading populate the African continent. Because music is so deeply rooted in African culture, the people.Apart from Africans themselves, this knowledge is usually restricted to ethnomusicology and historians. The roots of African-American instruments are buried deep within the music of the African continent. The history and evolution of Americans themselves. The essence of African-American instruments lies in its expression of the human experience. Although the different styles vary widely in their tone, topic and the tools used to produce them, African-American instruments jazz, gospel and hip hop have spread their influence all over the world.

Incarceration in the Views of Kaysen and Abbott Essay

Incarceration in the Views of Kaysen and Abbott - Essay Example Susanna Kaysen was the author of the book Girl, Interrupted, which was published in 1994. The book was about her life while she was confined within the premises of McLean Hospital. She was incarcerated in the hospital because she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. During her time in the hospital, Kaysen felt being deprived of the freedom she once had. She felt that she was placed in a â€Å"parallel universe that is unconnected to the outside world†. She felt helpless being a patient in McLean Hospital because they may be able to have all the time they need, but the irony is that they are also captives of time. As patients, their lives were governed by the rules of the hospital. Their self-determination was removed from them, allowing the hospital to drive their faith and protection. Also, they were checked by the hospital staff every 15 or 30 minutes, which interrupts them in whatever they are doing. Also, the experience to be alone, unlike in the outside wor ld, means being deprive of freedom and put into the seclusion room. Also, in the beginning, she compared the hospital entrance similar to a prison, and that patients were locked in their rooms like prisoners. Furthermore, the hospital staff resorted to medications in order to control and refrained them from misbehaving. However, at the end, Kaysen â€Å"accepted the fact that she is mentally ill,† and that her stay in the hospital will eventually shed light on her illness and recovery (Klemens 2-4; Kaysen). On the other hand, Jack Henry Abbott wrote In the Belly of the Beast, which was about his life in prison. During the 20 years that he was incarcerated, he described his experience as a terrifying one. Aside from his childhood experiences, he was incarcerated in Utah State Penitentiary and was sentenced to serve for 19 years in a federal prison. Throughout these years, he had experienced eating cockroach in order to survive, beaten physically and verbally, and injected with drugs to calm or control them. Moreover, he cited that there was an impartial treatment between races which was exemplified by the officers. Also, murder was inevitable inside the prison, even though there were guards inside the premises. He stated that most of the time, the guards allowed riot inside the prison for them to avoid being harassed by the prisoners. He saw the American penal system as a corrupt one which made the prisoners lived by the rules of it. Furthermore, he was also in solitary confinement, where he dwelled into the nothingness of the world that needs to â€Å"justify himself as a mortal being† (White House 32-33; NY Book Time; Abbott). However, Susanna Kaysen and Jack Abbott are two individuals who are of two different backgrounds who battled against their incarceration experiences as being described in their books. Susanna Kaysen was from a well-off family and was also well-educated. Prior to her admission to the McLean Hospital, she had a bright future ahead of her because of her education and simply because she belonged to an affluent family. However, at the age of eighteen, Kaysen decided to kill herself, and for this reason, she was sent to McLean

Adult Bible study on part of the Book of John Coursework

Adult Bible study on part of the Book of John - Coursework Example egan to form which identified him with  John the Apostle.  This understanding remained in place until the end of the 18th century.3 Today the majority of scholars do not believe that John or any other eyewitness wrote it, and trace it instead to a "Johannine community" which traced its traditions to John. The gospel developed over time in various stages showing signs of having been composed in three layers, reaching its final form about 90-100 AD 4 and summarized by  Raymond Brown  as follows: 5 as â€Å"Signs Gospel.†7 This hypothetical "Signs Gospel" of Christs miracles, independent of the synoptic gospels, is believed to have been circulating before the year 70 AD. Bultmanns conclusion was controversial, nevertheless, scholars such as Raymond Brown continue to consider this hypothesis, plausible. They believe the original of the "Signs Gospel"   to be by the â€Å"beloved disciple† arguing that the disciple who formed this community was a companion of Jesus Christ from John 21:24 which states that the â€Å"beloved disciple† wrote an account of the life of Jesus.   However, this disciple died unexpectedly, necessitating that a revised gospel be written (John 21:23). Paul Anderson believes, it may be that John â€Å"is the source" of the Johannine tradition but "not the final writer of the tradition."8   Scholars are no longer looking for the identity of a single writer but for numerous authors involved in the gospels development over a period of time and in several

About culture(anthropology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About culture(anthropology) - Essay Example Pranzo was the mid- day meal was the most important meal of the day which consisted of grain products. Some of their specialties consisted of anchovies or tuna on bread, pickled vegetables (sott’acetti) and well preserved meats such as salami or prosciutto which was served along with fresh sliced cantaloupe or fresh figs. Most Florentines love the primo course the best which consists of a filling minestra – pasta or bread in soup. In the 1980’s, Polenta which is another well loved soup made of cornmeal mush which could be eaten either fried, or cooked with tomato sauce or even just plain. Traditionally meat played a minor role where Florentine cuisine was concerned because most people did not find it very tasty and used it mostly as toppings or flavorings. Now –a – days most of them eat vegetables cooked in either sauce or fried with eggs. Dinner was called cena and was eaten between 7.30 0r 8.00 pm. It was much lighter than pranzo and consisted of bread with butter, wine, sugar or olive oil. But in the 1980’s the merenda (snack) was made up of sweet cookies, bread and Nutella (processed chocolate hazelnut) By the fag end of the 20th century, the variety of snacks outside meals increased considerably. (Vercelloni 1998, 985) There was a strict separation between sweet and salt that the Florentines adhered to. Now – a – days I feel don’t have such a distinction and eat whatever they feel like eating. Sweets were rarely eaten and deserts were prepared only on special occasions. Every meal of pranzo or cena concluded with a fresh seasonal fruit. Sundays were special and special meals were cooked which usually included chicken. Christmas and Easter were special occasions where meals were elaborate- but not any more because people’s attitudes have changed and they feel – everyday is a holiday! The most important item in Florentine cuisine is

Humanities Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Humanities Ethics - Coursework Example Application of this understanding is equally to restate that human sexuality is to exhibit divine purpose that justifies why it is immoral to engage in sexual activities without the slightest intention and obligation to deliver the finality of the act. In other words, sexual activities are only mandated to be used for purposes of procreation. This one and the only end desire as evinced by the moral discourses. It is explained that only people in marriage that have the absolute authority of giving birth to offspring. Reproduction is essential in human life for the extensions of lineage (White 264). The family owns the moral objective ensuring that human beings multiply to fill the world as stated in the bible. The declaration does not however provide adequate information on giving birth to offspring outside the wedlock, but rather offers a poignant illustration on the danger of having children outside binding relationships that are sanctioned and approved by the society. For instance, if premarital sex can be used to raise offspring then there is a huge possibility that the family as a unit and a value will crumble (White 263). There will be immoral binding between such couples hence families will disappear and no one would take care of children. Sexual activities must therefore be for purposes of achieving the moral finality bestowed upon such an act, and this finality is procreation or reproduction. Other sexual engagements like homosexuality, pre-marital sex, masturbation are immoral since they do not possess any bit of the sexual moral teleology. They are meant simply for entertainment and recreation hence not justified by a moral discourse. There is no form explanation that can support sexual engagements outside marriage since they are not only valid for such important engagements b9ut most of them lack the ability to do so. It is immoral and unjustified by any available moral discourse. They do not meet the expectation of sexual activities as important and divine act given by the most high. 2. Explain the two sides of the debate regarding homosexual marriage and traditional heterosexual marriage, citing arguments both for and against. Which side appears to carry the weightiest arguments? Why? In a balance of acts, the society has undergone extremely severe changes. Many issues have not only cropped up, but they have delivered with them â€Å"moral justifications† for the respective acts. A huge proliferation of sexual acts has made the society succumb to a state of confusion. Many people are engaging in sexual activities such as homosexuality and masturbations. Homosexuality has gone to an extent of being integrated and accepted as a normal sexual act, hence people engaging in such kind of sexual activities should not be demonized or punished. In one way, this reasoning may be right because all human beings have the natural rights and freedom. They also have the constitutional right of liberty hence things that they do in thei r private lives should not be used against them as long as such acts do not affect others or those around them (White 274). On the other hand, these acts beat the logics of sexual morality. They do not see sexual engagements as unique phenomenon that is only entitled to provide the medium of reproduction or procreation. They defy the holiness that the religious moral emphasize in many occasions. Most of the religious mor

Patient Satisfaction Compared in 5 Rural and 5 Urban Hospitals in Research Paper

Patient Satisfaction Compared in 5 Rural and 5 Urban Hospitals in Illinois - Research Paper Example Majority concentrates on delivery of primary health care services. As portrayed by recent research, most rural patients’ by-pass rural hospitals to seek medical attention from urban- based hospitals. Due to under utilization of rural hospitals, these hospitals continue facing financial challenges due to reduced occupancy rates and declining government assistance (Dent & Haslam, 2006). The issue of lower occupancy rates has substantially increased costs, hindering efforts to introduce new services and technology. As such, the rural population continue to raise alarm of limited access to quality health care while at the same time they under- utilize rural hospitals leading to their closure The survey conducted in regard to satisfaction derived by patients generally rated the quality of rural care lower than that of urban care. In the figure below, the study was centered on two samples each consisting five hospitals selected from both rural and urban settings. The study found tha t, most patients were satisfied with services rendered by urban hospitals than those offered by their rural counter parts. Many patients from the rural setting either expressed dissatisfaction or were not sure of the quality of local services. Graphs Fig 1.0 Patients response on level of service satisfaction at rural hospitals Source: UnitedHealth Group/Harris Interactive Survey of patient response to quality of services in rural hospitals, May 2011 Results From the research carried out, it was learnt that 15% were strongly satisfied, 33% satisfied, 9% were not sure, 28% dissatisfied while 15% were strongly dissatisfied. Patient’s response on level of service satisfaction at urban hospitals Source: UnitedHealth Group/Harris Interactive Survey of patient response to quality of services in urban hospitals, May 2011 Results From the research undertaken, it was learnt that 37% of all the patients examined were strongly satisfied, 47% satisfied, 5% was not sure, 9% was dissatisfie d while 2% expressed strong dissatisfaction. Discussion Patients perceive rural hospital care to be more personal as they can identify themselves with the caregivers. There may be a chance of caregivers to interact with their patients after discharge. Therefore, they tend to be more attentive and courteous in their job (Chern & Wan, 2000). On the other hand, the anonymity of urban areas endangers the staff attitude of â€Å"who cares,† â€Å"I’ll never see the patient again.† Patients may have lower expectations of rural hospitals when they know that they lack necessary technology or experience high patient to staff ratio. As such, they may evaluate their preferred care against a lower set of expectations. In rural setting, there could be lesser chances of error due to the simpler care processes and simple technology being in use. From the previous studies, it was established that patients discharged from teaching hospitals derived more satisfaction. More so, pa tients want to receive care from hospitals with cutting -edge care, physicians who are the best in their field or those using state of art technology. Perhaps, patients viewed Medicare derived from such modern urban hospitals to be worth the cost associated rather than being prodded and poked by trainees in institutions that train practitioners and conducts research. Patient’s hospital choice between the rural and urban was found to depend on the ability of the patient to evaluate available options and their

About culture(anthropology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About culture(anthropology) - Essay Example Pranzo was the mid- day meal was the most important meal of the day which consisted of grain products. Some of their specialties consisted of anchovies or tuna on bread, pickled vegetables (sott’acetti) and well preserved meats such as salami or prosciutto which was served along with fresh sliced cantaloupe or fresh figs. Most Florentines love the primo course the best which consists of a filling minestra – pasta or bread in soup. In the 1980’s, Polenta which is another well loved soup made of cornmeal mush which could be eaten either fried, or cooked with tomato sauce or even just plain. Traditionally meat played a minor role where Florentine cuisine was concerned because most people did not find it very tasty and used it mostly as toppings or flavorings. Now –a – days most of them eat vegetables cooked in either sauce or fried with eggs. Dinner was called cena and was eaten between 7.30 0r 8.00 pm. It was much lighter than pranzo and consisted of bread with butter, wine, sugar or olive oil. But in the 1980’s the merenda (snack) was made up of sweet cookies, bread and Nutella (processed chocolate hazelnut) By the fag end of the 20th century, the variety of snacks outside meals increased considerably. (Vercelloni 1998, 985) There was a strict separation between sweet and salt that the Florentines adhered to. Now – a – days I feel don’t have such a distinction and eat whatever they feel like eating. Sweets were rarely eaten and deserts were prepared only on special occasions. Every meal of pranzo or cena concluded with a fresh seasonal fruit. Sundays were special and special meals were cooked which usually included chicken. Christmas and Easter were special occasions where meals were elaborate- but not any more because people’s attitudes have changed and they feel – everyday is a holiday! The most important item in Florentine cuisine is

Patient Satisfaction Compared in 5 Rural and 5 Urban Hospitals in Research Paper

Patient Satisfaction Compared in 5 Rural and 5 Urban Hospitals in Illinois - Research Paper Example Majority concentrates on delivery of primary health care services. As portrayed by recent research, most rural patients’ by-pass rural hospitals to seek medical attention from urban- based hospitals. Due to under utilization of rural hospitals, these hospitals continue facing financial challenges due to reduced occupancy rates and declining government assistance (Dent & Haslam, 2006). The issue of lower occupancy rates has substantially increased costs, hindering efforts to introduce new services and technology. As such, the rural population continue to raise alarm of limited access to quality health care while at the same time they under- utilize rural hospitals leading to their closure The survey conducted in regard to satisfaction derived by patients generally rated the quality of rural care lower than that of urban care. In the figure below, the study was centered on two samples each consisting five hospitals selected from both rural and urban settings. The study found tha t, most patients were satisfied with services rendered by urban hospitals than those offered by their rural counter parts. Many patients from the rural setting either expressed dissatisfaction or were not sure of the quality of local services. Graphs Fig 1.0 Patients response on level of service satisfaction at rural hospitals Source: UnitedHealth Group/Harris Interactive Survey of patient response to quality of services in rural hospitals, May 2011 Results From the research carried out, it was learnt that 15% were strongly satisfied, 33% satisfied, 9% were not sure, 28% dissatisfied while 15% were strongly dissatisfied. Patient’s response on level of service satisfaction at urban hospitals Source: UnitedHealth Group/Harris Interactive Survey of patient response to quality of services in urban hospitals, May 2011 Results From the research undertaken, it was learnt that 37% of all the patients examined were strongly satisfied, 47% satisfied, 5% was not sure, 9% was dissatisfie d while 2% expressed strong dissatisfaction. Discussion Patients perceive rural hospital care to be more personal as they can identify themselves with the caregivers. There may be a chance of caregivers to interact with their patients after discharge. Therefore, they tend to be more attentive and courteous in their job (Chern & Wan, 2000). On the other hand, the anonymity of urban areas endangers the staff attitude of â€Å"who cares,† â€Å"I’ll never see the patient again.† Patients may have lower expectations of rural hospitals when they know that they lack necessary technology or experience high patient to staff ratio. As such, they may evaluate their preferred care against a lower set of expectations. In rural setting, there could be lesser chances of error due to the simpler care processes and simple technology being in use. From the previous studies, it was established that patients discharged from teaching hospitals derived more satisfaction. More so, pa tients want to receive care from hospitals with cutting -edge care, physicians who are the best in their field or those using state of art technology. Perhaps, patients viewed Medicare derived from such modern urban hospitals to be worth the cost associated rather than being prodded and poked by trainees in institutions that train practitioners and conducts research. Patient’s hospital choice between the rural and urban was found to depend on the ability of the patient to evaluate available options and their

The Psychology and Philosophy of Education of Ayn Rand in The Comprachicos Essay Example for Free

The Psychology and Philosophy of Education of Ayn Rand in The Comprachicos Essay Ayn Rand writes mainly about the status quo and what and who is to be blamed for such circumstances. She talks of a miseducation so ingenious that when one reads about it one simply gets baffled as he is forced to look into his own experiences from the home, to the school, to the Church and in the province or in the city. One can expect to see various parallelisms with how he is brought up and what he is usually told by his superiors. The reason for these apparent similarities, I think is that aside from the ‘system’ that almost each person is forced into; there is something common in every one of us. This is what makes us man, Rand says, our capability to be rational. Rand believes that man is rational and that this characteristic is, by itself unyielding. It is a capacity that can be impaired and can be prevented to work at its best, as what the comprachicos do but it survives even in those who are the ‘exact concretization’ of the Nursery School ideal, the hippies. Rationality is that which enables any man to; even with the worst education given to him feel that something is wrong because things appear blurred to him, that things must have clarity for it to appear blurred in the first place. It gives him an inkling perhaps or an intuition that something is not right around him and yet he still feels that ‘he has to make something somehow’. This is because of his rationality which naturally is the opposite of the fake, the submission, the uncertainty and the chaos. Man is rational because he has a mind. For Rand, this mind is empty at birth as what John Locke holds to be Tabula Rasa. It does not have innate contents; it is on the other hand waiting to be written upon by the experiences to come. Rand says that it has the potential for awareness, with a conscious and a subconscious mind that he must learn to operate to be able to construct inferences about the perceptions he will make. Thus, one can easily see how important it is for every child to be given enough opportunity to develop this potential especially in the years of his life that it is most needed. Rand stresses that it is in the first two years of a person’s life that what he is capable of learning is most significant both in the quantity and the degree of his curiosity about everything around him and the intensity of how he takes every detail seriously. When he reaches his third year, Rand says, his cognitive development is completed. He has acquired the things he need, what he has to do at this point is to use them. How he uses his cognitive tools will determine how well his conceptual ability will be when he grows older. Hence, as early as the nursery level, educators should already start training the child’s mind. Rand holds that teachers should focus on the progress of his mind’s automization of conceptual knowledge. By this, he can then retain the knowledge gained in his consciousness and move on to new information so that gradually, he will learn to integrate the old and new inputs and thus establish relationships between them. This will guide the child in understanding the basic concept of time-continuity and in internalizing a projection of the future instead of acting on whatever he feels like doing in the moment. If the simple idea of having something like tomorrow, or even later, and that what is done at the moment affects the time thereafter is introduced to the child, he will inevitably practice his rational faculty because he needs to look at all his choices and reason when he is choosing among the different alternatives. He needs to think and debate by himself what best could be done in the situation because the consequences of it would always have a lot of implications. Rand postulates that if a child is given the chance to exercise his reason, being caught in an event where he has to make decisions will not be much of a hurdle for him. The important thing is not really for him to make what is in the older people’s opinion the right decision; but to let him, in all his capacity as a rational person and in all his limitations as a child have at least some disposition and not let him be governed by whims or emotions be it of himself, of another person or of the whole pack. To have a disposition requires that one should have a firm ground to stand his beliefs on. This is why Rand tells us that it is wrong to place the children in an environment that would not help him be secured about an objective world, one that would only make him settle for the company of persons the same age as he is and of course do not know any better. What he needs, says Rand is cognitive guidance especially to acquaint him to the reality instead of making him adjust to a group of people he does not know and lose himself in the process. In getting to know the reality, Rand talks of the Montessori Method which utilizes materials that are didactic thus very useful for child learning because it provides a solution that the child needs to discover by actively thinking of how to do it. Instructive materials, Rand moreover says introduces the child to a sense of order since it is directed to a right answer or a right way. During this stage, Rand says that a child can only identify objects around him and its characteristics as it appears to him. The child cannot comprehend its other properties like height, volume, color and so on. This is why at this time, it is best to provide for the child special exercises of attending, observing, comparing and classifying. I have noted that while keeping the learning pace in gear with the child’s current stage, the four exercises mentioned also further develops his reasoning skills [especially comparing and classifying]. It is significant to note in my opinion how the previous knowledge learned leads to the knowledge learned later and how the knowledge learned later reinforces the knowledge learned earlier. When the child is introduced to the reality and becomes more and more aware of his own self, Rand implies that the time for language, particularly speech comes. Interestingly, Rand says that language comes to fix by means of the exact words which the child’s mind acquired and this profoundly lets him find himself alike in the world. This is a start for him to have a sense of belongingness, an idea which is necessary as Rand says to be an active and intelligent explorer of the world. All learning involves a process of automizing, Rand has stated. In forming, integrating and using concepts, Rand establishes that it involves the person’s will; it is volitional. How else better to bring out the will of the child in learning and thinking critically than to let him use practice his cognitive abilities especially in the age when he is most up and ready for it? Rand stresses that educators should not let this time pass because what could have been a joyful activity of enhancing his mind when the child is young will turn to be an extremely strenuous task when he gets older. Rand also gives favor of understanding as a method of learning over memorizing. Understanding means to grasp the content and the essentials of a thing, an event or a concept, to establish relationships between these essentials and what was previously known in the past and most importantly, integrate it with other subjects. By understanding is how the child will learn reading, for instance. Rand mentions what she calls the ‘look-say’ method which is not merely focused on shape of the letters (which the child can reverse; i. e. b-d, m-w, etc. [1]) but more on their phonetic equivalent which encourages the child to think in abstractions; directing his attention to the sound of the letter and not the mere appearance of it. Memorization, Rand further holds, is appropriate only for the level of observation, when the child’s capacity to understand is not developed yet. Another method Rand despises is the Discussion Method. As implied, she prefers to have a teacher in the classroom to guide the students in learning about the subject and to not let them carry the learning process by their premature knowledge. Besides the obvious fact that to learn is why they come to school in the first place, Rand prescribes that the teacher really teach what he expertly knows because to leave the deliberation to the students is to give them an illusion that they can know without being taught; that they can claim expertise without really learning. It is not possible to learn from this method because as Rand tells us, the students are clueless about that which is supposed to be lectured. To employ this method, according to Rand is to give the false idea that any person’s opinion can be the right answer or that the right answer can be produced by a person who does not yet know anything about what is being talked about. This cannot be for the truth is independent of anyone’s mere whims and this, in turn is the reason why education is highly significant and relevant and must remain so by imparting on the students the knowledge and the skills necessary for his growth as a rational being. I think that the reason why Rand says that this method is inappropriate for the students is because the mind prior to learning about the subject is, to say still immature. By this immaturity, they are driven to be hostile people, indulging them to the guilty habits of criticism instead of creativity for they mistakenly think that to demolish a bad argument is to construct a good one. We can see very clearly here how Rand takes it to be an awfully big mistake to leave students of any age unguided and left to themselves when they in fact need to learn and thus to be taught by a superior more knowledgeable than him. To conclude, Rand takes the psychology and philosophy of Maria Montessori and John Locke in her basic idea of education. Her metaphysics on the one hand rests on the basic idea that there is an objective reality that the child will naturally belong to; in which he will find proper distinction between existence and consciousness. Her epistemology on the other hand lies on the thought that every person is born without knowledge but has the potential to exercise his rational capacity if given the due opportunities for development. Moreover, it is best to develop a person’s cognitive skills when he is young not only because it is when he is most ready and willing to do so but also because for Rand, a purposeful and disciplined intelligence is the highest achievement possible to man. Implied then by her basic ideas derived from Montessori and Locke, Rand takes a common stance with the position of Perennialism. [2] Abigail Thea O. Canuto EDFD 201 (HZQ2)/ Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 P. M. 2003-31176 / MA TEG (K-2) Prof. Muega / A Paper on ‘The Comprachicos’ II. Evaluating Ayn Rand’s Philosophy and Psychology of Education from the Standpoint of Pragmatism, Essentialism and Perennialism, Existentialism, Social Reconstructionism and Marxism As evaluated earlier, the philosophy and psychology of Ayn Rand with regards to education rests on the basic idea that man is rational; born with a Tabula Rasa mind that is to be filled with knowledge brought by experiences he will have in the world. She also holds that cognitive training is best started as soon as possible, which is in the nursery level because it is when the child is most ready and willing to learn about the reality and that to delay, or even worse to provide what I may call a wrong education will greatly impede his reason which is his basic means of survival; his reason. Again, the wrong education that I interpret to be in Rand’s article is basically the Progressivist method and any classroom setup that leaves the child to the whims and immature ideas of the collective. Pragmatism, especially that of John Dewey is just one of the various positions contended by Rand. Perhaps the most apparent distinctions that can be made between these two views is the way they regard reality and everything in it human experience, ideas, truth and so on. On the one hand, Rand believes that reality is objective and unchanging and that the experience man derives from this reality is primarily for his own ends alone. She does not think that what man learns from his environment should be directed towards the good of the society or any other person because to do so would be to surrender one’s own will and rationality. Rand says that to be rational is to refuse to act based on the collective’s demand and that this refusal makes him properly selfish. On the other hand, Pragmatism stresses that the reality is changing; what exists is an open universe of constant flux. This position believes that we cannot say that there are metaphysical absolutes because this assertion is unverifiable by human experience. Instead of resting his ideas on an objective, unchanging reality, the Pragmatists prefer to give emphasis on being, work and action as opposed to ideas, spirit and thought, which are targeted to the betterment of the society; to solve its problems. It thus follows that Pragmatism proposes an epistemology that is conditioned by societal institutions. By this, this view is in favor of experimental learning wherein theories which are derived from experience are tested and applied and that which contributes and affects the society in the best way is perpetuated. By extension, truth and morality then are not things that are absolute but are, respectively a tentative assertion based on the application of hypotheses to solving problems and values that arose from outcomes of human responses to varying situations. In evaluating Rand’s philosophy and psychology from the standpoint of the different positions through the use of my own interpretation, I deem it highly significant to first categorize where I think the latter’s ideas are coming from. Pragmatism, in my opinion does not choose the society over the individual. I do not think that its intention is to diminish the value of the individual man in order to promote progress of the society. What I think it does rather is to try to bring together, as harmoniously as possible human beings in every community to work together for the good of the group not only for the group itself but also because the group inevitably affects the individual. The point of the matter for Pragmatists, in my opinion is that every person is a member of a group and what happens in that group affects the individual. What best be done is to act and react based on what can be verified by human experience and to do so as freely as possible, unlimited by absolutes that act as constraints to the inquiry of every man. Therefore, Pragmatism would disagree with Rand in saying that the child should not be left to a group of other children and not to let him pursue activities based on his interests. This method is, on the contrary what best helps children in teaching them to be open to numerous possibilities that are discoverable by their minds through inquiry. Moreover, to let children mingle with other people especially those of their own age introduces them to the nature of a democratic society; one that fosters virtues of sharing, of waiting and of cooperating which I think would come in very useful in establishing healthy relationships in adult life. Rather than what Rand says about this method as justifying the omnipotency of the pack, the Pragmatists would say that to be with other men is the natural state of every individual and to expose them to this nature would better prepare them for a productive and empathic existence with each other, mutually beneficial for each and every man. Additionally, Rand’s method of cognitive training would, for Pragmatism limit that child’s capacity for free inquiry. Rather than the traditional way of teaching with the instructor merely imparting knowledge and skills, the Pragmatists are more inclined in an activity method which involves play, construction, nature-study and self-expression. These activities are I think formulated by the Pragmatists not for the reason of impeding the cognitive development of the child. Contradictory, the activity method enhances not only the thinking ability but the capacity of this ability to speculate critically by firsthand experience, by concept-building, by getting acquainted with the environment and by doing all these through expressing the self. Pragmatism would thus see Rand’s general thought regarding education as imposing on the individual; limiting the child’s capacity of learning by himself through play which he enjoys in his young age and helps a lot in critical thinking by inquiry and living in harmony with others. Finally, Rand says that the Pragmatists see the mere absorption of facts and values does not provide any social gain; in this I do not think that the latter would disagree. Conversely, the Pragmatists would not say that the activity method would make a child submit to the pack for what they promote is not submission but cooperation. The positions that are most similar to Rand’s thought on education, on the other hand are Essentialism and Perennialism. I find these views as very similar to each other but to properly distinguish and outline their individual points is nevertheless significant to see how exactly Rand’s ideas are alike with them and determine where they would diverge from each other. Essentialism, from its name itself talks about basic education. It calls for a return to the essential subjects that have been proven to be useful in the past and are likely to be beneficial in the future. Essentialism says that such a return is needed because the modernization of education, by the relaxation of academic standards for widespread social promotion and by the dominant educational theories that are enfeebling are causing academic standards to fall. Its orientation is thus very scholastic, holding that societal problems should not hinder academics. Essentialism deems it of high importance to transmit generative skills and intellectual disciplines that identify and perpetuate basic cultural elements. Hence, the teacher should exhibit high competence of the subject and of the task of bequeathing such knowledge to the students for the needed mastery in preparation for work and citizenship. All these, according to the Essentialists cannot be accomplished in a Progressivist classroom where the Whim rules, destabilizing the primary function of the school. Rand’s theory of education perpetuates the idea of basic education by Essentialism. Because of the stance that Rand takes with regards to man as being rational and in need of cognitive training, she proposes a classroom setup where a teacher handles the class in his full capacity to pass on knowledge that the children came to the school to learn about. Conversely, Rand’s idea of a purposeful and disciplined use of intelligence is also in common ground with what Essentialism promotes; as it would be attained in an environment of systematic and sequential learning. Interestingly, where one might tend to see Rand’s theory as alike with Essentialism is in her proclamation that the poor quality of man’s use of reason and the increasing frequencies and number of people engaging in violent behavior and drug use should be attributed to the educational system that has plagued human life for many years. However, I find it very remarkable that the precise aspect of the system that Rand is blaming for the status quo is different from what the Essentialists are talking about. As discussed earlier, Essentialism is fighting against the Progressivist schools that cater to children’s whims because they destroy the academic function of the school, which is to impart basic skills and knowledge that are useful in the past and will likely be useful in the future. The justification of the preservation that the Essentialists are vying for is that they believe that such basic education is what is needed for a person to grow a responsible adult who will gear his capacity towards economic productivity and growth. This is where I find a separation between Rand and the Essentialists. Rand criticizes Progressivism because it hinders the child from developing his capability to become a fully-functioning rational being by making him conform to the pack. She does not say anything about the society’s growth being impeded for in my opinion, it is not what she is most concerned about. The Essentialists, I think would find the curriculum and the method of teaching of Rand as those that would best encourage their thesis of preserving basic knowledge but they do not share her sentiments with regards to the rationality of man. Furthermore, the Essentialists share Rand’s views in expressing that the declining education is to be held responsible for violence and drug abuse that are getting more rampant nowadays. I have observed, however that while Essentialism blamed the Progressivists’ permissivism to students thus leading them astray, Rand tells us that such malady in the lifestyle of people today is an evidence of their impaired rationality’s search for a higher reality or higher experience. The ideas of Rand and the Essentialist are indeed related but quite unlike each other. They do not oppose each other but they nevertheless do not meet at the same point of the arguments. Perennialism, on the other hand promotes an education of man that upholds his potentialities; an education that is based on the universal characteristics of human nature. It goes further than Essentialism in promoting basic education; it does so in the name of rationality, that which, as Rand says defines us as human. Further, rationality is man’s highest attribute thus the cultivation of intellect is education’s highest goal. Rand, as well as the Perennialists blame the social orientation of today’s education to the growing malaise in the situation of man. They both proclaim that when students are left to educational trends that lean towards mere whims and emotions of the students and mediocre educators, they are brought to internalize false notions of success and progress (i. e. emphasis on the society, premature vocational training, specific economic training) that contradicts their individuality; their nature to be objective. This is the inevitable result of the elimination of the proper cultivation of intellectual abilities by means of acquainting them to an objective and universal reality, one that is in line with their existence and human nature, also objective and universal. The Perennialists would thus correspond Rand in the idea that a proper study of metaphysics would restore rationality. It is I believe the key point of their positions: that the reality in which we live in is universal and our human nature is unchanging as well. To say then that rationality, which defines human nature, is constant implies that education should be fixed as well. Perennialism, like Rand also emphasizes that the students come to school because they wish to know that is why it is imperative for the teachers to be mature; competent and knowledgeable about the subject. They both talk about a classroom setup which is open not to the mercy of the whims and emotions of the students but to the development of their cognitive abilities in a structured manner thus avoiding the tendency to be anarchic or despotic. The curriculum and the subject matter that they speak of are those that are systematic and sequential, thus both want to foster the basic skills in the younger years of the child to help him prepare for the disciplines he would need to study later. Moreover, the consciousness of the child should begin with his immediate environment and the idea that it is universal and objective before immersing him into a group in order for him to identify himself first as belonging in the reality thus achieving self-identity. By extension, Perennialism together with Rand would find that when the child is older, he will not be driven to the physical sciences to escape questions of morality and other issues in the humanities. The Perennialists would I think agree with Rand that a symptom that a person’s rationality is in good condition is when he is asking and forming his own concepts of these kinds of problems. I have found thus that the general views of Rand and Perennialism are alike except on some orientation (not root or ground) in their positions. Just to note, I have noticed that while Perennialism is usually associated with religion and the relationship of the individual to the universe and with God, Rand was a renowned atheist. This interestingly does not cause them to conflict with each other since they remain resolute on the universality of metaphysics and epistemology which is not affected with a belief or a disbelief in a higher being. Another position (or rather an inclination) that takes a totally different view of reality and human nature from Rand’s is I find, very fascinating to discuss. I say so because I have realized that even though they are very distinct from each other, at some point they still manage to meet. Existentialism is well-known for its statement ‘existence precedes essence’. Human nature, for them is subjective and independent from any antecedent reality thus negating Rand’s idea of metaphysics as objective and universal. For the existentialists, the freedom to choose is man’s highest attribute and not reason for if such is the case, then they cannot choose reason as a value. To be rational, thus is something for an individual to choose. This thesis is extended to the human purpose, which is also subjective for every person. One man can make and define his own purpose and his own alone; he is responsible for his every action that is derived from his freedom as a human being independent of the opinions of other people and on any reality that some may assume to exist before him. The existentialists thus would not agree with Rand in saying that man should be introduced to an objective and unchanging reality because it limits him in constructing his own definition of his existence. They further, unlike Rand do not see any problem with seeing the individual as not only possessing abilities for rationality but also for irrationality, feelings, and affective characteristics. They claim to see a person in more varied terms because they do not believe that one can simply define him as just rational or just emotional and so on. Human beings are to complex for this kind of definition, they say. The values, moral dispositions and the validity of knowledge for the Existentialists are thus to be determined by the individual. This is not to say, as Rand does that truth for instance becomes dependent on a collective group that the individual loses himself in conformity. Rather, what the Existentialists mean is that man’s determination of values, morality and knowledge validity stems from the recognition that human experience is subjective basically because of every person’s capability and freedom to choose. Therefore, while Rand speculates that it is reason, impaired or properly developed that determines how a person lives his life, for the Existentialists it is the freedom to choose which never wavers regardless of the situation he is in. For both points of view however, though what they interpret to be the highest attribute of man (reason vs. freedom to choose) is rigid and unchanging, it can still be limited and impeded by a crucial factor. That which harms human existence is one and the same thing for Rand and the existentialists: a societal orientation or the growth of a mass society. Both the Existentialists and Rand claim that the quality of human life is threatened because of the group that makes a student conform to it, thus preventing him to decide for his own and think in terms of his own liking. The general tendency of the Progressivist school, both for Rand and Existentialism is to be coercive on the student, alienating him if he expresses creativity and divergence from the norms. However, because of the rigidity of human nature, both contend that the essence of being human survives even in the bleakest of moments. Rand, on the one hand does not coin the term ‘choose’ in saying that man’s rationality will find ways of alternative expression in later life (i. e. drug addiction, violent behavior). She instead expresses it in a way that means that a man does not really choose for his rationality to be expressed in whatever way; the way it expresses itself is dependent on the cognitive training he receives in the course of his academic life. On the other hand, the Existentialists hold that his freedom to choose is the thing that lives on and even if he is oppressed and alienated, he can still choose to either conform, to submit or to revolt. With regard to the classroom setup and method of instruction, the Existentialists would find what Rand is proposing as prescriptive because they might interpret it as placing too much emphasis on the role of the teacher in imparting knowledge than letting the student discover for his own even when young. The Existentialists, hence would find the main goal of education to be that of cultivating in the children the freedom to choose and awareness of this freedom. They would agree with Rand insofar as, perhaps, autonomy and emphasis on the self is concerned but they definitely denounce her idea of rationality as man’s basic essence for such an idea limits and prescribes the individual to, in my interpretation, act rationally. Another position that detects problems in the status quo is what is called Social Reconstructionism. It talks of a cultural crisis, brought about by the growing population, conflicts between different cultures especially by discrimination, environmental pollution, violence and terrorism that threaten human existence. All these predicaments infiltrating human life, they say can be traced to the severing of human values from social and economic realities. What the Reconstructionists propose, from the name of the position itself is a reconstruction of personal and social experience to reform society. The obvious implication of this thesis, of course is that culture and society is not universal, it continually grows with the direction of its growth depending on the time, place, people and the general circumstance of it. Conversely, human can refashion culture to fit and promote human development and growth. Social Reconstructionism would thus first and foremost denounce what Rand calls an ‘objective and universal reality’ because it believes that change is a necessary feature of human life. The absence of change for them, I think is like a dead society; it is deprived of its potential for progress and betterment, all things in it obsolete and useless. The Reconstructionists would not support Rand in her theory that students should be encouraged to be selfish because he is rational and that to use one’s reason is by nature a selfish affair; rather, they would declare that there is no room for selfishness in any society at any time for how can progress be realized if men used their rationality for mere thinking and not much doing? The solution, according to the Reconstructionists is not to eliminate or deny the process of change but to learn to cope with it. As they put it, change itself did not provoke crisis; crisis occurred when man was unprepared to cope with it. They would hence find Rand’s virtue of selfishness as dangerous because it discourages social cooperation, perhaps because it hurriedly concludes that to belong in a group is to conform to it, losing one’s individuality. I do not think that the Reconstructionists have any problem with Rand’s assertion that man is rational and that it is what makes him human. On the other hand, what they would propose is that such rationality should be geared towards social progress for cognitive training for the sake of rationality only will not render any gain for society. Schools then should educate students with a deliberate purpose to inculcate in him a commitment to work for deliberate social reform and a planning attitude for cultural revision. For them, there is nothing wrong with orienting students even when young, a sense of cooperation and the acknowledgement that reality is changing not only because it is the case but also because it is happening rapidly and to ignore or deny it would cause a lag between the moral consciousness and social organization and technological inventiveness. They do not propose mere conformity to the group but they also do not renounce that the society and culture is imposing on the individual.