Linguistics and Poetry

1 PREFACE TO SIDNEY’S ASTROPHEL AND STELLA Somewhat To Read For Them That List Tempus adest plausus, aurea pompa venit, so ends the scene of idiots, and enter Astrophel in pomp.Gentlemen, that have seen a thousand lines of folly drawn forth ex uno puncto impudentiae, & two famous mountains to go to the conception of one mouse, that have had your ears deafened with the echo of Fame’s brazen towers, when only they have been touched with a leaden pen, that have seen Pan sitting in his bower of delights, & a number of Midases to admire his miserable hornpipes, let not your surfeited sight, new come from such puppet play, think scorn to turn aside into this theatre of pleasure, for here you shall find a paper stage strewed with pearl, an artificial heaven to overshadow the fair frame, & crystal walls to encounter your curious eyes, whiles the tragi-comedy of love is performed by starlight. The chief actor here is Melpomene, whose dusky robes, dipped in the ink of tears, as y et seem to drop when I view them near. The argument, cruel chastity; the prologue, hope; the epilogue, despair; Videte, queso, et linguis animisque fauete.And here, peradventure, my witless youth may be taxed with a margent note of presumption for offering to put up any motion of applause in the behalf of so excellent a poet (the least syllable of whose name, sounded in the ears of judgement, is able to give the meanest line he writes a dowry of immortality), yet those that observe how jewels oftentimes come to their hands that know not their value, & that the coxcombs of our days, like Aesop’s cock, had rather have a barley-kernel wrapped up in a ballad than they will dig for the wealth of wit in any ground that they know not, I hope will also hold me excused, though I open the gate to his glory, & invite idle ears to the admiration of his melancholy. Quid petitur sacris nisi tantum fama poetis?Which although it be oftentimes imprisoned in ladies’ casks & the preceden t books of such as cannot see without another man’s spectacles, yet at length it breaks forth in spite of his keepers, and useth some private pen (instead of a picklock) to procure his violent enlargement. The sun for a time may mask his golden head in a cloud, yet in the end the thick veil doth vanish, and his embellished blandishment appears. Long hath Astrophel (England’s sun) withheld the beams of his spirit from the common view of our dark sense, and night hath hovered over the gardens of the nine sisters, while ignis fatuus and gross fatty flames (such as commonly arise out of dunghills) have took occasion, in the middest eclipse of his shining perfections, to wander abroad with a wisp of paper at their tails like hobgoblins, and lead men up and down in a circle of absurdity a whole week, and never know where they are.But now that cloud of sorrow is dissolved which fiery love exhaled from his dewy hair, and affection hath unburdened the labouring streams of her w omb in the low cistern of his grave; the night hath resigned her jetty throne unto Lucifer, and clear daylight possesseth the sky that was dimmed; wherefore break off your dance, you fairies and elves, and from the fields with the torn carcasses of your timbrels, for your kingdom is expired. Put out your rush candles, you poets and rimers, and bequeath your crazed quartorzains to the chandlers, for lo, here he cometh that hath broken your legs. Apollo hath resigned his ivory harp unto Astrophel, & he, like Mercury, must lull you 2 ________________________________________________________________________ PREFACE TO SIDNEY’S ASTROPHEL AND STELLA asleep with his music. Sleep Argus, sleep ignorance, sleep impudence, for Mercury hath Io, & only Io Paean belongeth to Astrophel.Dear Astrophel, that in the ashes of thy love livest again like the phoenix; O, might thy body (as thy name) live again likewise here amongst us, but the earth, the mother of mortality, hath snatched thee too soon into her chilled cold arms, and will not let thee by any means be drawn from her deadly embrace, and thy divine soul, carried on an angel’s wings to heaven, is installed in Hermes’ place, sole prolocutor to the gods. Therefore mayest though never return from the Elysian fields like Orpheus; therefore must we ever mourn for our Orpheus. Fain would a second spring of passion here spend itself on his sweet remembrance, but religion, that rebuketh profane lamentation, drinks in the rivers of those despairful tears which langorous ruth hath outwelled, & bids me look back to the house of honour where, from one & the selfsame root of renown, I shall find many goodly branches derived, & such as, with the spreading increase of their virtues, may somewhat overshadow the grief of his loss. Amongst the which, fair sister of Phoebus eloquent secretary to the Muses, most rare Countess of Pembroke, thou art not to be omitted, whom arts do adore as a second Minerva, and our poets extol as the patroness of their invention, for in thee the Lesbian Sappho with her lyric harp is disgraced, & the laurel garland which thy brother so bravely advanced on his lance is still kept green in the temple of Pallas. Thou only sacrificest thy soul to contemplation, thou only entertainest empty-handed Homer, & keepest the springs of Castalia from being dried up. Learning, wisdom, beauty, and all other ornaments of nobility whatsoever, seek to approve themselves in thy sight, and get a further seal of felicity from the smiles of thy favour: O Ioue digna viro ni Ioue nata fores.I fear I shall be counted a mercenary flatterer for mixing my thoughts with such figurative admiration, but general report, that surpasseth my praise, condemneth my rhetoric of dullness for so cold a commendation. Indeed, to say the truth, my style is somewhat heavy-gaited, and cannot dance trip and go so lively with Oh, my love, ah, my love, all my love’s gone as other shepherds that have been f ools in the morris time out of mind, nor hath my prose any skill to imitate the Almain leap verse, or sit taboring five years together nothing but to be, to be, on a paper drum. Only I can keep pace with Gravesend barge, and care not if I have water enough to land my ship of fools with the term (the tide, I should say).Now every man is not of that mind, for some, to go the lighter away, will take in their fraught of spangled feathers, golden pebbles, straw, reeds, bulrushes, or anything, and then they bear out their sails as proudly as if they were ballasted with bull-beef. Others are so hardly bested for loading that they are fallen to retail the cinders of Troy and the shivers of broken truncheons to fill up their boat, that else should go empty, and if they have but a pound-weight of good merchandise, it shall be placed at the poop, or plucked in a thousand pieces to credit their carriage. For my part, every man as he likes, Mens cuiusque is est quisque. ‘Tis as good to go in cutfingered pumps as cork-shoes, if one wear Cornish diamonds on his toes.To explain it by a more familiar example, an ass is no great state man in the beasts’ commonwealth, though he wear his ears upsevant muff, after the Muscovy fashion, & hang the lip like a cap-case half open, or look as demurely as a sixpenny brown loaf, for he hath some 3 ________________________________________________________________________ PREFACE TO SIDNEY’S ASTROPHEL AND STELLA imperfections that do keep him from the common council, yet of many he is deemed a very virtuous member, and one of the honestest sort of men that are, so that our opinion (as Sextus Empiricus affirmeth) gives the name of good or ill to everything. Out of whose works (lately translated into English for the benefit of unlearned writers) a man might collect a whole book of this argument, which no doubt would prove a worthy commonwealth matter, and far better than wit’s wax kernel: Much good worship have the a uthor.Such is this golden age wherein we live, and so replenished with golden asses of all sorts that, if learning had lost itself in a grove of genealogies, we need do no more but set an old goose over half a dozen pottle-pots (which are, as it were, the eggs of invention), and we shall have such a breed of books within a little while after as will fill all the world with the wild-fowl of good wits; I can tell you this is a harder thing than making gold of quicksilver, and will trouble you more than the moral of Aesop’s glow-worm hath troubled our English apes, who, striving to warm themselves with the flame of the philosophers’ stone, have spent all their wealth in buying bellows to blow this false fire. Gentlemen, I fear I have too much presumed on your idle leisure, and been too bold, to stand talking all this while in another man’s door, but now I will leave you to survey the pleasures of Paphos, and offer your smiles on the altars of Venus. Yours in all de sire to please, Tho: Nashe.

Language Teaching Essay

Over the past thirty years, technology is playing an important role in various areas of interest such as text, graphics, sound and animation. One of the area in which we are interested, is Language Teaching. Nowadays Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) is increasingly becoming popular among all. It has been evolved as a highly successful source of learning in the area of research and practical methodology to enhance the traditional teaching methods. The book Computer-assisted Language Learning (Levy, M. 1997) defines CALL as the series of programs designed specifically to promote language learning. He analyzed the results of a comprehensive CALL Survey, which he carried out among authors of CALL materials in order to determine what kinds of conceptual frameworks lay behind their work. From this, he found that the new approach to Language Learning is Data Driven Learning (DDL). Tim Johns, University of Birmingham, found it. In DDL the learning process is no longer based solely on the teacher’s initiative, his/her choice of topics and materials and the explicit teaching of rules, but on the learner’s own discovery of rules, principles and patterns of usage in the foreign language (Levy 1997:123) The objective of inclusion of Information Technology (IT) in language teaching is to develop an advanced understanding of practical, technical and practical aspects of IT applications in language teaching among students. In addition, students are also exposed to concordancing software, computer-based discussion forums, internet navigation, composition skills and other language learning multimedia activities. IT can be implemented in language teaching by giving the students, online homework, asking them to search the net to have an idea about the topics to be taught in class and by letting them to go for interactive studies via internet rather than spoon- feeding All these methods develop the communication as well as composition skills of the children. Infact, it is the turning point for our education system i. e from subject-oriented to learner-oriented. Proceeding further, we will come to know about potential role of IT in learning and teaching. Also, we will have a detail study of various ITLT program proposed by some key scholars and their research. Our focus will be on the possible ways of using available technology, at the same time we will have a brief overview of future possibilities of ITLT. Role Of Information Technology In Language Teaching and Learning:- Imagine, if you were asked to teach tomorrow’s technology in today’s classroom. How will you manage to give deep knowledge of the concerned topic to the students. This is possible if students are subjected to explore the topic presented from sources spanning the globe which are in the form of text, graphics, audio and video. Students can collect information by directly interacting with experts throughout the world. This is the role played by technology( internet and World Wide Web) in classroom studies. World Wide Web offers real world example of integrated knowledge, possibilities for collaborative working, up-to-date and abundant information. It is a rich source of authentic language and cultural material, appeals to learners with visual or tactile learning styles and builds critical learning skills. It also provides an opportunity for skimming or scanning practice and for online publishing. This type of learning can be achieved by introducing various softwares available in market, having a specific methodology for polishing the communication and other skills of the learners. CALL is a software that includes methodologies like giving multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks and other such types which can be easily corrected by the computer. The performance of student can be judged easily by these kind of worksheets. It plays an important role in developing logical and reasoning skills of the student. However, CALL fails to examine complex exercises i. e it becomes a time consuming task for it. This problem can be solved by Natural Language Processing ( NLP ) tools . It has an additional features such as written texts can be listened with the help of ‘speech synthesizer’, sentences can be analyzed by ‘sentence structure viewer’, verb conjugations can be verified with a ‘conjugation tool’, an error diagnosis system, spell checker, grammar checker etc. Nowadays, ‘language media centers’ have replaced ‘audiotape language labs’. Language media centers are equipped with equipment and computer software audio and video materials printed materials technical support staff and resources assistants training of teaching staff materials development Also, learners can have access to foreign language documents through World Wide Web. They can also contact their teachers, classmates and native speakers via electronic mail (E-mail). Network Based Language Teaching(NBLT) is a kind of CALL in which computers are locally or globally connected. It is widely used in tutorials, drills, simulations, instructional games, tests etc. Through these computer-mediated communication, learners can enhance their communication (hearing, reading, listening ) skills by noticing the language used in messages they compose and read. Hyperproof is a Macintosh software program. It assists in learning the principles of analytical reasoning and proof construction. It combines graphical and sentential information to present a set of logical rules using which student learns to construct proof of problems having consequence or no-cosequence. Hyperproof software checks the validity of each type of proof. CALICO is another software having an application in drill and practice, tutorial, game, simulation, assessment, instructional management etc. It enhances the reasoning and communicating skills of the learner by providing them with the activities like multiple choice questions, fill-in exercises, pronounciation, dialog repetition, listening comprehension, transcription, vocabulary learning, database building etc.

The Luxury Food Service Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Luxury Food Service Industry - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that marketing concentrates on the most fundamental necessities of companies to identify customers, their needs, and preferences, and to analyse their attitudes to promotion and other factors that influence their purchasing decisions; it also focuses on what influence them to buy products and services from the firm rather than a competitor. The selected three different venues from the high-end foodservice industry based in London are Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Radisson Edwardian Hotel, and the Langham London. This assignment tends to analyze the marketing strategy for these three choices. Jumeirah Carlton Tower: The luxury, five-star Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel is located in the heart of Knightsbridge. The demographical advantage which makes the Jumeirah one of the most preferred hotels is its location within the walking distance of Harrods and Harvey Nichols department stores and the exclusive designer boutique of Sloane Street. Moreover, th e highlighting points that make Jumeirah Carlton Tower one among the most chosen is that it has been voted Europe’s leading Business Hotel 2011 at the World Travel Awards; top three best hotels for service in the UK in the Conde Nast Traveller Gold List 2011 and 4th place for Best UK Business Hotel in the 2010 Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards. Radisson Edwardian Hotel Radisson Edwardian Hotel is located in the very heart of London’s theatreland, a five-star hotel of a Leicester Square landmark. The hotel is with the accent on contemporary elegance that has the potential to drag the customers into it. The luxury fabrics and muted shades of the individually designed rooms are much liked for its calming and comfortable experience. Moreover, the hotel’s warmth and hospitability belie the red-carpet glamour of its location. In the same way, the Hampshire Bar and Restaurant buzzes suit well for al fresco dining on the square. Today, the hotel has bec ome a part of the Green Tourism business scheme and has received the Silver Award, which proves that it is working well with the high standards set by Green Tourism. The Langham London is a renowned luxury hotel situated in London with more than 140 years of history. Guests can discover its 380 luxurious guestrooms and suites, 15 function rooms and the dazzling Palm Court, a place known for the tradition of afternoon tea. The hotel remains high having enchanted royalty, dignitaries, and celebrities since 1865 when the first grand hotel was opened in Europe by the firm. The Langham Hotel London continues to impress the potential travelers with its legendary ‘service with poise’. The well-celebrated history and renowned reputation of the obviously fine company make it different from other everyday London hotels. Moreover, it offers impeccably luxurious surroundings on Regent Street, one of the city’s premier locations. The service marketing mix, also known as an ex tended marketing mix is an essential element of a service framework design, which comprises of 7 P’s as compared to the 4 Ps of a product marketing mix. In another word, the service marketing mix presumes the service as a product itself but adding 3 more P’s which are required for optimum service delivery. The product in service marketing mix is intangible in nature, which cannot be measured like the physical products such as soap or toothpaste. Tourism industry or the luxury food industry can be an excellent example.

4.3 Analysis of Strategic Factors Research Paper

4.3 Analysis of Strategic Factors - Research Paper Example The strengths of the organization help to improve the current and future performance of the organization. Other strength of the organization is the highly qualified medical staff members who have the knowledge about the use of innovative technology for better treatment. The medical staff members deliver flexible treatment to the patient. In this respect, medical staff members provide services to multiple numbers of patients, which enhance the current as well as future performance of the organization. The organization is also identified to be having certain weakness that can affect its current and future performance to a large extent (Ascension Health, 2015). The organization does not have adequate resources and therefore, the organizational structure cannot be improved and correspondingly, it can affect the performance of the organization. The number of specialized doctors for handing the serious case is very few in the organization and accordingly, the doctors face problem at time o f providing treatment in different serious cases. Therefore to improve the current along with future performance of the organization, critical or expert doctors should be available in the organization to handle the serious cases (Ascension Health, 2015; Hunger & Wheelen, 2010). The organization also has certain opportunities that can positively affect its future performance. The several opportunities can be to develop number of healthcare centers in several places. In this context, the organization possessing expert medical staff members can expand its medical services in several services and can provide services to increased number of patients. Other opportunity can be to develop healthcare programs through which people can know about the organization and also about the treatment to be provided by the medical staff members of the organization. Along with certain opportunities, the organization also has certain threats that

Political systems and economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political systems and economics - Essay Example The society is viewed as a mesh of different people vying for different interests, that the art of reasoning, ruling and governance among the others, is essential to unify the society to act to a common vote, to pursue a certain interest. It explains how the governing political body and its directives affect the collective behavior of the players in the society Economics' parameters are set on scarcity, the use of incentives, the application of efficient economic tools and models, all to satisfy and suffice human's current and future wants and needs. Economics lies on maximizing and making sound decisions to make efficient use of existing scarce resources. Nothing in life is free, as explained by the concept of opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is the value foregone in pursuit of another activity or good of interest. Everything individuals do has a tradeoff. An individual's Economic decisions are motivated by incentives, a mechanism which motivates decisions and activities. Economics is different from political systems in the sense that, economics could go on forever without laying a hand on it to make it work; and in its continuity, it is only susceptible to its own natural dynamics. Politics now depends on the intervention and control of men. While economics seeks to explain occurrences through long-wearing principles, politics is just mainly an experimental, temporary tool in human affairs. "One (economics) is amoral, the other (politics) is moral" ("Economics versus Politics"). Both political science and economics acknowledges the participants in the society's selfish interests, that, control of which is delivered by laws and punishment in lieu of political science, and motivated by incentives and disincentives in lieu of economics. Economics, unlike political science though, is tackled like one of the exact sciences through the use of models, equations and numerical treatment to explain or forecast the situations governing and a society. ("Economics versus Politics") The book chapter is posing the challenges of the economic environment, and such may be seen as problems to solve, to outwit. QUESTION 2: Feudalism is a socio-political system wherein land and land-based assets determine an individual's social status. Land ownership entitles the owners of the manors-now equivalent to villages-exclusive rights to their lands, spending decisions with their money and other assets and administering homage for their serfs and vassals ("Feudalism and Medieval Life"). Serfs, peasants, vassals and landlords are the primary movers in the social structure and the king played only a representative role in the society. Serfs are the tenants sustained by the landowners. They are at the foot of the social structure. They serve their landowners who are responsible for their sustenance. He's devoid of tangible property and his marriage is subject to the landowner's permission ("Feudalism and Medieval Life"). Vassals are the more privileged than serfs. They have a certain amount of freedom although they live poor lives. They comprise 10-60 families living on a community. Landlords or barons ruled the manors, which pertains to the villages during the Middle Ages. The landlords serve as the local administrator of their lands and numerous serfs and vassals serve and protect him, as he is also accountable to them. Due to the Black Plague, The hundred year war and the

Intro Political Science Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro Political Science - Research Paper Example In adopting the normative approach, politics is considered as the study of power to establish the "right" values. The normative approach in the study of politics is actually founded on value. As stated by Jayapalan, the normative method is a value-laden method (21). In this approach, emphasis is placed on "what ought to be" and not "what it is" (Jayapalan 21). This means that in applying the normative method, the values that politics should uphold are stressed. It is more on formulating ideals. It can also be asserted that this approach is idealistic in a sense. In this context, certain disadvantages have been attributed to this method. First, it is claimed as not analytical (Macridis and Brow, qtd. in Jayapalan 21). It only poses ideas which are ought to be practiced and observed in politics. It is purely descriptive (Macridis and Brow, qtd. in Jayapalan 21). It is already contented in making suggestions and does not entertain a critical way of analyzing political events and behavio rs. Second, it has a very legalistic approach and demonstrates an outlook that is very narrow (Ball and Lauth, qtd. in Jayapalan 21). For the political scientists who use this method, the study of politics is ought to be legalistic. The problem on being legal is that it is restrictive. Third, it puts emphasis on values.

Breaking the Cultural Barrier to Medicine Essay

Breaking the Cultural Barrier to Medicine - Essay Example As a compliment to that effort, we need to address our state grants to achieve that goal. Our higher educational institutions need to address this problem by establishing new educational programs, increasing cultural competence, and recruiting for diversity. Health care cultural competency begins with communication. Communication is more than simply knowing the language. Health seeking behaviors are affected by cultural mores and University cultural educational programs should focus on acquiring skills that can elicit the patient's response and define the illness and treatment within their social context (Kirpalani et al. 2006 p.1116). This should also be applied to patients who have limited literacy as these patients usually have less awareness of disease management (Frist 2005 p.447). A grant to establish a course curriculum in diversity communication is a necessary first step to reducing the disparity in the health of our citizens. These skills moderate the patient's participation in medical decisions and treatment. Communication is more than simply learning the language and the medical terminology. Communication must be culture based. University educational programs that address cultural sensitivity to assure that the caregiver is adequately communicating within the patient's cultural context are imperative. Grants are required to establish a curriculum that would relate the attitudes that ethnic populations may have in respect to illness, medicine, and surgery. Failure to understand the cultural context of minority medicine can result in a perception of insensitivity. A patient who feels like they are being treated unfairly will be less prone to seek treatment. A course in cultural communication could alleviate many communication problems. Grants should also be directed towards diseases that have been identified as minority prevalent. The addition of a University course relating the strategies designed to reduce risk among minority populations is needed. Cardiovascular disease in the Arabic and Farsi speaking communities and Sickle-cell disease among African-Americans are two examples. Because studies have indicated that genetics are involved in some health related issues between racial and ethnic groups, training that focuses on recognition of the problem is essential (McBride 2005 p. 181). By recognizing ethnic trends in disease prevalence, caregivers can design programs for early intervention and develop appropriate pharmaceutical requirements. Medical school should also include training on the appropriate handling of the issue of death and dying within different cultures. Knowing the role of privacy and the perception of bad news can prolong patient survival. According to Misra-Hebert (2003), "People in many cultures believe that informing the patient of a terminal diagnosis may hasten death" (p.298). A cultural sensitivity to this issue would also include an awareness of the cultural issues that surround the care of the dying as well as the expression of grief. University medical schools require grants to initiate a curriculum that addresses death and dying in diverse cultures. Adequate cultural competency would necessitate the inclusion of the awareness of this issue. State grants should also

Mental Health Practice Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10750 words

Mental Health Practice Development - Essay Example Within the healthcare practice, critical reflection has been highlighted as a significant and important skill in helping to achieve the necessary standards of professionalism among nurses and midwives (NMC, 2004).   It has also become an important approach in increasing the coverage of continuing health education, work-based learning, as well as life-long education (NMC, 2004).   Due to the increased focus on professional practice as well as education, it has become important to evaluate the reflective practice based on more practical applications, in this case, within the mental health setting.   Dewey (1933) from the very start has identified how reflection is a specialised thinking exercise.   It is an act which can come about due to doubt and hesitation relating to a situation or phenomenon.   Such a situation can also trigger inquiry and problem resolution.   Reflective practice veers individuals away from routine actions, instead, prompting more reflective and thoug htful action.   Such conceptualization begins with experience, highlighting how individuals and practitioners learn by doing and also by practice (Dewey, 1933).   In this case, problems are thought out first, hypotheses are formulated and errors are resolved and prevented with the use of plan actions, as well as the testing out of ideas.   It utilises two themes based on the modules completed, with a focus on change management and clinical leadership. The Gibbs reflective model will be used for this critical reflection (Fook and Gardner, 2007). This reflective cycle is useful in making an individual evaluate all the phases on an experience or activity. In this case, the stages of Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan shall be used as part of this model. This model has been chosen over other models because it includes more detailed elements of the reflective process (Fook and Gardner, 2007). Such details would help me present how I was able to improve my leadership ability through the modules I have gone through. This critical reflective piece demonstrates the application of different theory models of leadership and change. This reflection would also be critical about my actions and decisions in the process of completing this MSc course. An assessment of this experience, with its challenges is a necessary

International fashion marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International fashion marketing - Essay Example Top shop has an international marketing department that is in charge of advertising the products in their areas of interest. I am part of the international marketing department for Top shop and our role is to make individuals aware of the products we sell, doing research on how to make more sales, identifying with the culture of the people in different countries, and using efficient advertisement means such as online operations to ensure that we reach all kinds of customers. This paper is going to discuss the benefits and cultural norms that need to be considered by Top shop when advertising in China, Japan, and United States of America. I will compare and contrast the requirements needed to establish successful markets in the three countries by discussing their cultural norms and beliefs that need to be considered when advertising different fashion commodities. The international marketing department for Top Shop is required to approach people with the respect they deserve to gain their attention. For instance, the when advertising in different countries, their cultural values and norms need to be considered in order to make them learn how to use the products and buy them. Choi (2012) stated that Chinese people have strict rules regarding their cultural values and their behavior and clothing depict their ancient traditional culture depending with the time and region. Advertising fashion products in China requires an individual to address the people with etiquette. Choi (2012) stated that family, social, and professional titles follow the name always rather than preceding it. It is discourteous to call people by their last names and first names, unless they are on familiar terms with you and when asked. The advertisers only need to use the surname followed by the title of the Chinese associates or friends when trying to introduce a product the customers. The Chinese people use handshakes as a form of

Organization Development Essay Example for Free

Organization Development Essay Organization Development is a type of strategy wherein the underlying goals and principles is to increase the effectiveness of a certain company or organization, so that it will be able to compete with other companies, regarding its performance and outputs. It is through carefully planned moves and actions that these goals are met, since attaining it requires careful planning and mastery. This is usually through the efforts of the head or the leader of the organization. It is a totality of the organization’s policies and procedures in order to attain a certain goal. Organization Development is a planned action since it looks at it and deals with it as a long range approach so as to improve the organizations turnouts; its outputs and performances. It is considered to be organization-wide since it focuses on the total system. It is also a system that is managed and taken-care of from the top, from the heads of the organization, wherein it is being modeled properly so that it will achieve its long term goals. Ownership from workers of the organization could also be a buy-in. The effectiveness and the health of the organization are also being considered by Organization Development because it is its main goal, to achieve an improvement, something concrete wherein they could base their performances in the future. It is also about planned interventions, wherein Organization Development calls for the interference and involvement of the people so that it could achieve permanent changes in the whole aspect of the organization. Also, Organization Development uses or utilizes the concept of behavioral-science knowledge, wherein it combines research and experience so that it will understand or take the view of the people themselves in the case of business systems, and other interactions. The article by Padraig Healy shows how Organization Development was applied in the Public Sector, considering the various important approaches so that it will be successful. One is the performance of the workers, wherein most of the employed people are the natives of their place, wherein the quality of work done is substandard. In order to solve this problem, rigorous training has been done in order to improve the quality of work, thus increasing the outputs and the level of performance from the workers. In this part, training is considered to be a series of events, wherein it includes various workshops, seminars and study visits. It is comparably different than just adjusting the knowledge and skills of the employees in order to meet the demands of the organization, since it is a change being observed in a time bound manner. Training people is an investment that would really require time and money, and it is obviously a luxury that most developed countries could achieve. The theory and practice of development is not necessarily rooted to the concept of development studies, as well as the practice of development itself. Considering the local situation, the organization development done in the public sector is basically a show of their approach on the problems of development itself, may be a product of rigorous planning and visualizing of the situation. There is also a need for CEOs of councils that will be able to own problems and their causes, since the organization they grew up to was associated with weak organizational systems, wherein the CEOs are expected to manage. There is also an increasing need to have key policy makers and heads that will be able to reexamine the important roles at play, wherein it is usually at the district level. The concept of change is given great importance, emphasizing it all throughout the organization. Organization Development is very important at the public sector level because it deals with various concerns, including human resources, changing the nature of the workplace, global markets and the accelerated rate of change. In the aspect of human resources, we take in consideration the most important player in the organization, the people who does the work. They are seen to be a large fraction of the costs of doing business, wherein they may spell success or failure for the organization. The last consideration would be the accelerated rate of change, wherein we are taking an approach that embraces open systems. Through this approach, we are able to identify certain competitions, local or international, competing for human resource or the people, capital, physical resources and information. The weakness shown by the Organization Development is the concern about short term effectiveness. The real effect or outcome of Organization Development is evident especially during a longer period of time, and if it is done in a shorter period of time, the results would probably not be good. But for long-term organizations, Organization Development is really essential. With time as the capital, it is a good investment so that you could achieve the success that the organization aims for. Conclusion This article is essential in the field of Organization Development because it showed the various factors that are at play in the organization and how it really affects it. Organization Development is not a simple term that requires the training of leaders, the careful planning of things, the setting of goals, and other concepts that usually come in our minds. It is the interplay of all the factors that play a role in running an organization. It is a totality of all the efforts that is exerted starting from the working groups, to division heads, to the organization leaders. What is Organizational Development? When we talk about Organizational Development, we are pertaining to a course of action done to a certain organization or work group so that it will be able to attain a certain level of effectiveness, so as increasing its efficiency as well. Organizational Development pertains to the careful planning and management of the organization, thus requiring the expertise and experience of a good leader, a head that will elicit change for the good of the group. It is also a well planned course of action, wherein every aspect necessary for the development is being thought of, to the extent that every problem that could be encountered is solved before it even arises. It is all done to promote the health and success of the organization, and to solve the current problems it is and will be facing in this globally competitive world. This entails investing on things that could lead to an increase in the effectiveness and productivity of the organization and that includes good leaders, expert workers, and good working conditions. That is why it is considered to be a concerted effort not only from the leaders, but also from the workers. It is a totality of the organizations effort in order to attain excellence. The Case of Petroleum Development Oman. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is considered to be the biggest oil explorer and producer in Oman. It is a national company that has the biggest share in the country’s oil production, accounting to about 90% of Oman’s crude oil and almost all of the country’s natural gas supply. PDO can be considered as a large organization, wherein other companies share in its interests, not only the country of Oman. But analyzing the situation, could we see clearly whether Organization Development is being applied in the case of a multinational company like Petroleum Development Oman? Looking closely at what Organization Development has to offer to PDO, the notion of an organization is said to be a conglomeration of efforts from two or more people which are working together towards a common goal, and that is usually the issue of productivity and effectiveness. On the other hand, development is said to be the actual goal of the organization, and that is moving towards being effective as the time goes by and meeting all the goals that you have set. It is a set course towards the increase in productivity, efficiency and improved quality of products or services that the company or organization offers. On the Case of Petroleum Development Oman, it is managed and owned by separate entities which include the Government of Oman, having a 60% share of interest, Royal Dutch Shell which has a 34% interest, Total, who poses a 4% share of interest and Partex who has a 2% interest. Because of this, the leadership and management is not fully unified, so as to say that this factor poses an important effect in the case of PDO’s Organization Development. First off, Organization Development could help in the renewal process that PDO could encounter when it focuses on the efficiency and collaboration of the administration. When we talk about efficiency, it is undeniable that many organizations lack on this aspect and they just supplement this deficiency with a large number of the working force, thus putting strength in numbers. Culture also plays a role in this set-up, where work teams could work efficiently if they are under a certain condition of the people that will be in the work group. This is where OD comes into the scene. Leadership When it comes to the concept of leadership, the case of Petroleum Development Oman doesn’t seem any different as compared to that of other multinational organizations. PDO is headed by various leaders, since there are a lot of people holding a spot in the organization. The big part of the company is held by the government and other organizations hold the other remaining parts. These leaders dictate that will run the organization will run. Unified or not, they are still the ones that handle the business, since they have the power to cease supplying a large part of the country. The transformation of the country depends on how these leaders would go about with their tasks in hand. There are a lot of changes that an organization undergoes, especially for the bank owners who are particular with what they are getting into. Major organizational change occurs, for example, wherein an organization changes its general strategy for achievement, adds or deletes a major section or practice, and/or wants to transform the very nature by wherein it operates. It also occurs when an organization advances through various life cycles, just like people must successfully evolve through life cycles. For organizations to develop, they often must undergo important major changes at certain varying points in their development. Thats why the topic of organizational change and development has become widespread in communications about business, organizations, leadership and management. Leaders, managers, and company heads, the people who has control of the establishment itself, continually make labors to achieve successful and noteworthy change its inherent in their jobs. Some are very good at this aspect, wherein they excel at almost any aspect of leadership, while others continually resist and fail. There are many schools with educational programs about organizations, business, leadership and management, schools which train hard these budding personalities with leadership qualities. Unfortunately, there still are not sufficient schools with programs about how to investigate groups, identify critically important priorities to address (such as systemic troubles or thrilling visions for amendments) and then embark on successful and noteworthy change to address those priorities. To really get a grasp of what organizational change is and start guiding thriving change efforts, the change mediator should have at least a wide acceptance and understanding of the context of the change effort. This includes understanding the basic systems and structures in organizations, including their typical terms and roles. This requirement applies to the understanding of leadership and management of the organizations, as well. The following links (broadly reviewed in the following order) might be helpful to establish some sense about organizations, and their leadership and management. Organizational change should not be conducted for the sake of change. Organizational change efforts should be geared to improve the performance of organizations and the people in those organizations. Therefore, its useful to have some understanding of what is meant by performance and the various methods to manage performance in organizations. The past few decades have seen an explosion in the number of very useful tools to help change agents to effectively explore, understand and communicate about organizations, as well as to guide successful change in those organizations. Tools from systems theory and systems thinking especially are a major breakthrough. Even if the change agent is not an expert about systems theory and thinking, even a basic understanding can cultivate an entire new way of working. Nowadays, with the complex challenges faced by organizations and the broad diversity of values, perspectives and opinions among the members of those organizations, its vital that change agents work from a strong set of principles to ensure they operate in a highly effective and ethical manner. There are different overall types of organizational change, including planned versus unplanned, organization-wide versus change primarily to one part of the organization, incremental (slow, gradual change) versus transformational (radical, fundamental), etc.. Knowing which types of change you are doing helps all participants to retain scope and perspective during the many complexities and frequent frustrations during change. Group Collaboration A typical planned, systemic (and systematic) organizational development process often follows an overall action research approach (as described below). Note that the more collaborative you are in working with members of the organization during the following process, the more likely the success of your overall change effort. Clarifying Expectations and Roles for Change Process This phase is sometimes called the Contracting and/or Entry phase. This phase is usually where the relationship between you (the initial change agent) and your client starts, whether you are an external or internal consultant. Experts assert that this phase is one of the most if not the most important phases in the organizational change process. Activities during this stage form the foundation for successful organizational change. Joint Discovery to Identify Priorities for Change The more collaborative the change agent is in working with members of the clients organization, the more likely that the change effort will be successful. Whether you are an external or internal change agent in this project, you and your client will work together during this phase to understand more about the overall priority of the change effort and how you all can effectively address it. It might be a major problem in the organization or an exciting vision to achieve. Other times, the effort is more extensive, for example, evaluating an entire organization and developing a complete plan for change. The nature of discovery also depends on the philosophy of the change agent and client. For example, subscribers to the philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry (referenced above) might conduct discovery, not by digging into the number and causes of problems in the organization, but by conducting interviews to disover the visions and wishes of people in the organization. Sometimes, people minimize the importance of or altogether skip this critical discovery phase, and start change management by articulating an ambitious and comprehensive vision for change. Many would argue that it is unethical to initiate a project for organizational change without fully examining (or discovering) the current situation in the clients organization. Focusing most of the change efforts on achieving a robust vision, without at least some careful discovery, often can be harmful to your clients organization because your project can end up dealing with symptoms of any current issues, rather than the root causes. Also, the project could end up pushing an exciting vision that, while initially inspiring and motivating to many, could be completely unrealistic to achieve especially if the organization already has many current, major issues to address.

Role of Human Resources (HR) in Organisational Effectiveness

Role of Human Resources (HR) in Organisational Effectiveness XXX is a leading International Healthcare Group with the purpose to help people lead longer, healthier and happier lives. The organisation does that by providing a broad range of healthcare services, support and advice to people throughout their lives. With no shareholders and its global presence in 190 countires, the organisation is said to be a industry leader. XXX is a 60 years old organisation providing services like Health insurance and Wellbeing, Healthcare provision, Healthcare Analytics and Care Services. The organisations vision to be world leader in the health care sector has been supported by the following objectives: Listen to its customers, act quickly and professionally. Living and Breathing organisations values monitored by HR on regular basis. Make a difference in peoples lives by offering all high quality and value added healthcare Creating diverse and mix work force of highly skilled and knowledgeable employees and invest in their development within the company via organised HR function. This report has been commissioned by the CEO of XXX. FINDINGS Forces shaping the HR agenda Our purpose is to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives and the 52,000 people we employ are at the heart of making this a reality. HR Director It is essential to have a strong and distinctive identity that clearly separates XXX from others in the field. Everyone has a part to play in this and hence thats where the HR plays a important role. Examples of External Forces that have shaped the HR agenda are Competition, Markets, Economic trends and the changing face of the Health Industry. Increasing expectations of the customers and more competitors offering similar services at lower rates, made XXX to look more further into its products and services, which resulted in hiring more talented people skilled in their sector to provide the best service to the customers and partners. To make sure that the right number of people are available and are able to effectively deliver the required results, HR department works in partnership with the management. HR provided the right environment for the people to learn, grow and develop them through Innovative Learning Approach and by recognising people for their contribution to the organisations success. By investing in its human capital, XXXs objective was to provide the best customer service through all channels to its members. HR proposed to offer its employees both an open environment and an informal culture, encouraging fresh ideas and helping employees realise their true potential. 3.2 HRs contribution to Organisational Effectiveness Creating competitive advantage through people. Group HR Management works in partnership with the Management. To reflect their different business needs, all the business units work exclusively to provide a direct, informed and tailored service to meet its unique needs. All business units individual HR heads reports to the HR Director. This is done so all the departments on its own are delivering higher levels of performance to the benefit of our customers and the bottom line. Individual HR in all these units perform common bundle of processes which impacts on organisational performance. Recruitment of talent that matches XXXs values. Leadership and management practices/ competencies Performance management Succession planning Recognition Organisational climate and workplace environment Facilitating effective change management Management development and training Career development 360 feedback tools 3.3 HRs roles and functions in management structures XXX HR Map Administration Training Departments are in each business units and have individual Change Management Teams IS HR Organisational Development HR Director HR UK Membership International HR Group HR Management Development Care Services Information Systems HR Training Development Group HR Functions Reward Recognition Business Technology Training IS Resource Management Group Resource Management Pensions Benefits HR Systems XXX One Life HR within XXX works as a strategic partner, hence plays a very important role in finance, operations and other business departments within the organisation. The main objective is to provide high returns on the businesss investment in its people. XXX does not follow any set models of HR but do closely relate with the Harvard model. It sees employees as resources. It emphasises on issues like involving people in decision making and developing an organisational culture based on trust and teamwork. It has shared goals for coordination and control and a flat structure to minimise status culture. It employs the multiple stakeholder model in which employees are seen as having interests along with other stakeholders, management, unions and government. The HR outlines four main policy areas which are Human Resource flows: HR manages the flow of people within XXXs individual business units through recruitment and selection, through the organisation by placement, appraisal and promotion and lastly through out of the organisation by termination. It also makes sure at right number of people are available at all the times according to the business needs. Reward Systems: Even though each business unit has separate Reward System in place, it serves a common purpose to attract, motivate and keep employees happy within the organisation. Employee Influence: People being the heart of the organisation, their views and concerns are given equal importance as of stakeholders and customers. Work Systems: With the ever changing business needs and the medical climate, XXX makes sure that the information and technology used within the organisation provides the best outcomes. The individual HR function currently concentrates on achieving the four Cs of the model i.e. Commitment, Congruence, Competence, Cost Effectiveness. The XXXs hr structure also somehow resembles the Ulrichs hr model as all the business units do individually have their own separate departments to deal with change, strategies and administration. 3.4 Business Ethics and Accountability XXX follows a code of professional ethics which are based on the principles that determine the way employees behave and Brand personality that describes the way employees are suppose to perceive. Brand Values : Caring, Respectful, Ethical, Enabling, Dedicated and Accountable Brand Personality : Warm Human Caring Understanding Approachable Health Care Expert Global Outlook BUPA Employee Individual Business units do have their own code of conducts in line with the group values. For example, the training and development department in all units have professional code of conduct from the Institute of Management Consultants which covers ethics as Integrity, Independence, Objectivity and Responsbility to the profession. All the core values and ethics are explained on the XXXs intranet which is available for all the employees across the organisation. It clearly mentions how employees are expected to act in relation to the various policies like Treating Customers Fairly, Health and Safety at work, Data Matters, Security Matters Policy and Data Protection Policy As a global healthcare company, XXX deals with the personal details, medical data and financial records of millions of people around the world. Protecting that information is essential is a key responsibility for all of us. XXX Chief Executive XXX as a major healthcare services provider, plays a very important role in designing and delivering medical procedures and policies. It works closely with NHS and makes sure that all the treatments offered to the members in their centres are within the medical guidelines applied by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). XXX has its media policy, Risk Management and Fraud Protection policies. XXX has its own Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Policy under which healthcare expertise is used in the way that is good for business and communities. It covers many areas including employee giving support and volunteering, community health and wellness partnerships, addressing and minimising our impact on environment and affiliations with like-minded businesses and organisations (e.g Nuffield Health Centres, Life Education, etc.). The Group HR provides support, encouragement and motivation to its employees to participate in various activities conducted to fulfil its corporate responsibility. 4.1 HRs role in strategy formulation and interpretation All organisations will at some point need to focus on the activities and actions that it will undertake to meet its long term aims and objectives. XXXs vision taking care of the lives in our hands is at the heart of all strategies that are planned and practiced within the organisation. The two main objectives helping HR to form strategies within the organisation are Management capability : Through validated processes and development, this objective is met by XXX recruiting, retaining and developing managers to meet the business challenges of today and future. It involves different strategies designed around Recruitment, Core competencies, Performance Management, Succession Planning, XXX One Life, Climate Surveys, Change Management, Management Development, Career Development, 360 feedback tools and Customisable Questionnaire. Enabling systems and processes : This objective is met by developing and maintaining a performance-oriented culture. It includes Induction and Measures of Success. Business priorities are cascaded through the different levels of the organisation through a process whereby they become increasingly more detailed and focused. They trigger departmental objectives which are translated into team objectives and in turn provide the foundation for personal objectives which are based on SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound) targets that are to be met on consistent basis. These objectives are discussed, set and measured as part of the performance management plan of all employees depending on their roles and business units. XXX does not fit into any particular model of relationship between the HRM and the Business Strategies but it does work on the theories based within these models. In the best fit model (Schuler and Jackson example), employees are seen as key in the implementation of the declared organisational strategy and the HR strategy is designed to fit with this. XXXs individual departments propose strategies to be implemented via management surrounding functions, systems and processes within the department which enable the functional strategy to be achieved. This is then responded by the HR by defining the strategy to meet organisational needs. In the Resource based approach, the focus is to sustain competitive advantage through development of human capital rather than aligning human resources to current strategic goals. XXX invests in regular development of its employees within the organisation to make sure that they are updated with all the knowledge required to perform their job well and so to add value to the company. 4.2 Business and HR Strategies Each business within XXX evaluates its current position, its market and competitor environment and identifies its key strategies and plans in its annual 3 Strategic Year Plan (explained in 5.3). They work together in order to achieve common objectives of the organisation. Two of these most important objectives to be achieved in XXX are Cost Control : To utilise the resources in the most productive and effective way. To recruit and retain effective and skilled staff More training and development options to the existing employees to perform various roles Flexible working patterns according to the business needs Authorising treatments that are medically appropriate and within clinical guidelines only, leaving a small room for exceptional cases Competition : to regularly update the products and services offered within the health and care sector. To provide best customer service on levels of the business To design and offer most flexible and tailored policies to the members. HRs role in meeting these objectives has been analysed through SWOT which looks at the internal strengths and weaknesses and the external oppurtunities and threats. SWOT Analysis Strenghts : No Shareholders : this enables all the profits to be utilised to provide better customer service and products to the members. People : highly skilled and mix work force which knowledge of various sectors and products. Team of qualified health care consultants and providers. Customer-focus work culture Technology : Most advanced technology in the health care sector relating to the processes and procedures for medical treatments. Guidance on health issues online and on the phone. Operations : Working with various organisations and health groups to provide the best health care to everyone. Weeknesses : No Shareholders : If profits margins not gained, not enough money to invest back into the business People : mix work force and long-serving staff who are resistant to change. People lacking knowledge of all the departments as specialising in one specific area. Operations : because of the high turn-over of the staff, no standard operating procedures. Regular changes to keep up with the changing demands of the business. Cost-control : Staff redundancies in many business units resulting in low moral within the organisation and heavy work load on the rest of the workforce. Oppurtunities : Partnership with various organisations within the healthcare sector. As a lead health care service provider, had access to higher numbers of consultants and medically trained people Works closely with NHS, hence very influential when it comes to decisions relating medical treatments and funding for certain experimental treatments International presence to make sure private healthcare is available and provided to people around the world. Threats : Competition from other insurance providers who offer private health insurances on lower rates. Outsourcing of many business units which lacks communication and information transformation in a quick and appropriate manner. Higher medical costs which makes the premiums of the policies go higher every year. Increased customer demands to cover more experimental treatments and drugs because of globalisation. 4.3 Vertical and Horizontal Integration XXX works with NHS and other health-care providers to provide better health care services. The Vertical Integration is practiced within XXX as many of the services are offered via other providers who specialises in Travel, Home Care and Conservative treatment. This does serves the purpose to achieve the organisation to provide more treatment options to its customers which results in more appropriate and affordable policies been given to its customers. The option of been treated via NHS or Privately is always available for the customers leaving room for them to choose the most appropriate and time-saving option. The horizontal integration is defined within XXX as all the HR functions are inter-related and inter-connected to each-other. This is achieved by a business units specially looking for skilled employees in customer service, information technology, nursing and administration sector which leads to internal recruitment or resourcing, further leading to development, performance management, rewards and recognition and employee relations. 5.1 HRs role in Business Planning The Global expansion of XXX has resulted in fine-tuning of the policies and functions throughout the organisation to ensure that required support is provided to drive XXX forward. This has created a demanding and fast changing environment to work in. XXX expect high standards from every one of its team members and in return offer the opportunity to enhance their career with one of the biggest and most successful brands in private healthcare. HR being the part of the Organisation Development team within the Group functions, has a very wide role to play to achieve the organisations one common goal. It works to make sure that all business units within XXX had right level of people with right level of skills are available to effectively deliver results to its customers at all times. Introduction to flexible working hours, change in employment contracts, inter-departmental transfers to suit the business needs, more systems and procedures to work with resulted in introduction to the change management team within HR of all business units. The things that caused XXX to go through change are Challenges of growth within global market i.e increasing cost of medical treatments and more experimental treatments introduced within UK market Technological changes i.e different technologies to work with to make sure that all processes and procedures are up to date according to the changing demands of the business Customer Pressure i.e. customers looking for more options and better services at lower costs The HRs involvement in various aspects of change was identified as Restructuring the recruitment and resourcing policies Advising team managers in skills available within the organisation, career development and transfer opportunities. Assessing the impact of change in one department on another part of the organisation. Making sure that the communication is clear and consistent within all departments of all business units within the organisations. Helping its to cope with change , performance management and motivation. 5.2 Environmental Planning It is very important for XXX to scan through the environment and consider all the present and future forces affecting the direction and goals of the organisation. Environment Planning involves external factors like trends and markets and internal factors like infrastructure and personnel. The STEEPLE analysis for XXX shows all the forces affecting organisational change Social Technology Economic Environment Political Legal Ethical Lifestyle changes of the customers involved with the company Energy costs and usage Inflation rates Natural resrouces Regulations related to private healthcare Employment Laws Reputation Living conditions of its employees and customers related to the business Changes in IT new systems and processes Consumer confidence within the companys products and services Strong Environmental policy Safety regulations Consumer Protection Business Ethics Income distribution within the community New inventions and software developments Medical costs Recycling Trade policies/ globalisation Trade Unions Client Confidentiality 5.3 Measures of Effectiveness What gets measured, gets attention and gets done. Tom Peters XXX has its own business priorities. To keep them accountable and focused on their key objectives, all businesses in XXX go through an annual process of setting their major priorities for the coming year. These are agreed in annual meetings, together with the key financial targets and from the basis of what the business will be measured on the following year. This is a similar process as Performance Management in employees. The organisation has The 3 year Strategic Plan which describes the direction the Group as a whole and the individual business units will take over the next 3 years. This plan is completed every year and is an important part of XXXs strategy processes. The context of each business is then evaluated on the basis of three important management tools. The Annual Operating Plan : It sets the detailed financial targets for the year for each individual department including HR. (sets targets for sales, costs, profits, etc) The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each individual in each business units. These are set of key operational, customer, strategic and people performance metrics. The Business priorities: The change acceptance rate of all individuals within the organisation. Performances of the employees are measured with the Brand values and behaviours been achieved, delivered and maintained. These are maintained within the organisation as Performance Review, which along with the Development Plans are sent to HRs administration department.They work closely with the training and development team to provide immediate attention to key issues. This process of measuring the human capital and oraganisations data provides a clearer picture within the working culture of the organisation. So, in this way, management, training and development team and HR administration works together to manage people and policies to achieve set business objectives.

Pro-Child / Pro-Choice: An Exercise in Doublethink? by Judith A. Boss E

In her essay â€Å"Pro-Child / Pro-Choice: An Exercise in Doublethink?† Judith A. Boss deconstructs the argument supporting legalized abortion on the basis that it is beneficial to children in general. Boss presents the oft-used slogan of the pro-choice position, â€Å"Pro-Child / Pro-Choice†. She maintains that this slogan seems closely related to â€Å"newspeak†, which she characterizes as â€Å"†¦vocabulary pared down to a minimum so that whole ideologies are expressed in a single slogan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (156-7). The term â€Å"newspeak† comes from George Orwell’s 1984. In the novel, these simplistic slogans serve to perpetuate â€Å"doublethink†, which entails, as Orwell writes, â€Å"holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously and accepting both of them† (156). Boss also explains, â€Å"Doublethink is maintained by a refusal to examine the assumptions and facts supporting one’s beliefsâ₠¬  (156). In order to weaken the pro-child/pro-choice position, Boss begins by presenting the â€Å"assumptions and facts† supporting it. Boss states that the basic assumption behind the pro-child /pro-choice position is the belief that â€Å"†¦the exclusion of humans prior to birth from the protection of the moral and legal community, thereby leaving the choice of carrying a pregnancy to term entirely up to the woman, benefits children† (157). Boss creates two categories of children and presents the possible benefits that abortion-on-demand provides. The first category, the unborn child, benefits because his or her â€Å"†¦ abortion will spare him or her a life of misery† (157). On the other hand, the second category, the born child, benefits because he or she â€Å"can enjoy a higher quality of life and paternal love unhindered by the presence of burdensome siblings who were... ...recognizes that the true utility that legalized abortion serves may lie in the benefits that it presents to women and that those benefits may appear in the form of social empowerment. It does seem that since 1973, women have been able to empower themselves in the occupational realm. However, Boss leads us to ask ourselves if this professional empowerment of women has come at any cost. In order to understand the true utility of allowing abortion-on-demand, one must weigh all the consequences it creates. It seems though that we have not appropriately measured the consequences of ensuring abortion-on-demand. Questions: How is doublethink mutually exclusive with the correct use of utilitarian theory? What positive consequences, if any, come from ensuring abortion-on-demand? How does one ensure that every child is a healthy child? Is it even possible?

Contrasting Fortinbras and Laertes with Hamlet Essay -- comparison com

     Ã‚   In William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras and Hamlet find themselves in similar situations.   While Hamlet waits for the right time to avenge his father's death, Laertes learns of his father's death and immediately wants vengeance, and Fortinbras awaits his chance to recapture land that used to belong to his father.   Laertes and Fortinbras go about accomplishing their desires quite differently than Hamlet.   While Hamlet acts slowly and carefully, Laertes and Fortinbras seek their revenge with haste. Although Laertes and Fortinbras are minor characters, Shakespeare molds them in order to contrast with Hamlet.   Fortinbras and, to a greater extent, Laertes act as foils to Hamlet with respect to their motives for revenge, execution of their plans and behavior while carrying out their plans.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although each character plots to avenge his father in the play, the motives of Laertes and Fortinbras differ greatly than that of Hamlet.   Fortinbras, who schemes to rebuild his father's kingdom, leads thousands of men into battle, attempting to capture a small and worthless piece of Poland. After his uncle warned him against attacking Denmark.   The added land will do little to benefit Norway's prosperity, but this campaign may cost "two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats" (4.4.26) .   This shows that pride is a driving factor behind Fortinbras' plan because he is willing to put the lives of his countrymen at risk for a minimal gain.   Laertes, on the other hand, is compelled to seek revenge because he loses his father and eventually his sister.   The root of Laertes' revenge appears to be the love for his family because he proclaims that he will "be revenged / most throughly for [his] father" (4.5... ...side Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Mack, Maynard. "The World of Hamlet." Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Rev. ed. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. New York: Oxford University P., 1967.    Rosenberg, Marvin. "Laertes: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware P., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907-21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000 http://www.bartleby.com/215/0816.html   

The History of the Metis :: World History

The History of the Metis The Metis were partly french and partly indian. Their leader was called Louis riel. Following the Union of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company in 1821, trading had been reorganized in order to reduce expenses. Since there was no longer competition in the fur trade, it was unnecessary to have two or more posts serving a single trading district. For this reason, some posts had been closed and the number of brigades reduced. This reorganization had led to some unemployment amoung Metis who for years had been working in the fur trade. The Hudson Bay Company had attempted to assist these these men by encouraging them to engage in farming in what is now South Manitoba. A few families take to agriculture, but most of the metis found it difficult. To them, the excitement and the adventure of the buffalo hunt held more appeal than farming. Hundreds of Metis were content to earn a living by hunting buffalo, making pemmican or finding employment as freight drivers. After a while Canada bought Rupertsland from Hudson Bay Company. When the Metis heard this they were alarmed. They feared their religion,their language, their lands and their old, free way of* life. They had known for some time that Canada was busy constructing a colonists highway from Lake Superior to the Red River. The situation became tense surveyors were sent into the flow of settlers, and it was considered a wise move to have the surveying well under way before settlement began in earnest. It was decided to use a system or land survey similar to that used in the western part of the United States. Townships were to be divided into thirty-six sections, each containing one square mile or 640 acres. The sections were then to be divided into, the quarter-section was thought to be enough land for each family settling in the North West. (An interesting aspect of the survey system was the plan of the setting asside two sections in each township for the future support of education. The idea to sell these sections at a later date and use the money for the construction of schools.) When th survey began, friction occured in those areas where the french specking Metis had settled along the river, occupying long narrow strips in the manner common in New France. Attempts were made by the surveyors to avoid disturbing the pattern, but in some cases the survey lines crossed the narrow holdings,

Make-believe plays

Make-believe plays are fundamental and vital elements in the overall development of the child. These are fantasy or imaginary plays in children usually between ages two and six, in which children practise their acquired knowledge of every day life and activities; they begin to play roles and mimic adult behavior as ways of thinking over what they have seen older people around them do. These plays contribute to the mental and emotional developments of children. Really all the developmental tendencies of the child are condensed in the plays. Make believe plays contribute to the formation of schemata; creating a mirror through which they see and interpret events and human interactions within the locality. In this way, the imaginative ability of this child is built. Apart from this, these fantasies plays help in their intellects and learning. Children who engage in them tend to envision imaginary things easier, they can create understanding pictures faster and their learning speed is faster. This is simply because these plays help develop their thinking and imaginary faculties, and learning is more pleasurable. Besides, role taking and sharing in these plays create a sense of belonging; this is the foundation for every human relationship. Although, they start first as solitary actor/actress, they soon realize the need to involve others. This helps them to understand the place of involving other people in their daily activities and achievements. This creates a connection between children. This way, a viable social life is incorporated to the growth process of the child, and this would continue into adulthood. Children use these means to try behaviors. They test what they have learnt and seen. This helps them master such and create a feeling of control over such. However, there are unfavorable concepts as death, fear, rejection, injury, incorporated into their plays, with a view to expressing such; thus, they develop significant control over these formidable threats.[Singer, 1996] Indeed, make-believe play is a creative way by which children develop their mental state, test their knowledge of life, try out behaviors and emotions, and engage in conversations with others. It is an essential part of their development. REFERENCES Singer, Dorothy, coauthor of The House of Make-Believe: Children's Play and the Developing Imagination   

Critical Thinking Case Study Essay

Describe all assumptions you see in any documents. Kelly Thomas – Senior Engineer, Product Development1. Assumed AcuScan’s customers would not be happy with just anything developed and launched. 2. Assumed Pat did not have any technology experience previous job in the cereal industry. 3. Assumed Pat was talking to the programmers without Kelly’s knowledge or consent. 4. Assumed Pat wanted to continue arguing on email. Pat Lambert – Director of Marketing1. Assumed the customer would be happy with anything launched on the market from AcuScan2. Assumed programmers could work in the new launch. 3. Assumed a new product launch would be simple to achieve. 4. Assumed that Kelly Thomas would go along with her regarding the â€Å"Operation Optimize†5. Assumed that the â€Å"Operation Optimize† could be launched in 6-months6. Assumed that meeting with Kelly Thomas in person would rectify the situation. Cliff O’Connor – CEO1. Assumed Pat’s work ethic and experience in previous job will automatically benefit the firm and reach AcuScan’s target market. 2. Assumed the staff would not have any communication or personnel issues. 3. Assumed there would be a budget crisis. Chris Martinas – VP, Product Development1. Assumed that it would not take much time to produce and launch a new product. 2. The potential return for first year would outlay with substantial ROI. THE CONFLICT2) Explain the arguments made by each of these people. Kelly Thomas argued that the new product features could not be developed ‘just like that’ and was detailed with planning, testing and quality control and could long make the features completely work by August. Kelly also stated that since the layoff two years ago, and 25% fewer programmers, they do not have the time or manpower for the product successfully to launch in time. Pat Lambert argued that ‘Retail’ is the answer instead of airports and store security for the new iScanner product to enable retailers to identify incoming customers, with several high-tech features can be developed as a prototype by August and at one point Kelly admitted to it not being a problem to make the iScanner market-ready in time. Chris Martinas argued that Secur-A was, AcuScan’s competition was working on a new product so AcuScan needs to expand into a different market and launch a new product by early 2004 or Secur-A would be on the top of the market. Cliff O’Connor argued that even though AcuScan was facing budget dilemma’s they can find a way to launch the new iScanner. 3) Evaluate each argument. a. Kelly Thomas – Kelly’s argument was logical mostly due to the fact he used the numbers and man hours from the first iScanner launch and he did not want to jeporize his and AcuScan’s reputation by throwing together a flimsy product launch. b. Pat Lambert – Pat’s idea on launching a new product in a new market was a positive one, in fact, a great marketing strategy to be the first company on the market with a new product to get ahead of competition. c. Chris Martinas – Chris does realize that to gain and maintain their  targeted market, a budget deficit would need to be put in action because he believes it is important to have a product launch in a new market. d. Cliff O’Connor – Although Cliff’s argument deems logical, it becomes unbeknownst there are major budgetary issues with AcuScan and to launch the iScanner correctly, there are many other decisions that need to be involved, this may include more lay-offs. Cliff is basing the fact that this new launch in a ‘new’ market will take minimal cost in time and money because AcuScan has done it in the past. 4) Describe specific fallacious arguments, and identify the people who hold them. Pat had a fallacious argument by stating that since other staff members had been with the company longer than Pat, they had a great deal invested in the company and knew what they had to accomplish in order to get a new product off and running. Chris made a fallacious argument about the company being on top again if the company developed a new product. But the since it is unknown, there is no evidence or research at this point the company cannot be certain of this fact. II: CONCLUSIONS1. Describe all problems in this situation. 2. For each problem, describe the data, arguments, and reasoning that contribute to each problem. AcuScan was faced with many problems trying to produce and launch their new iScanner. One main issue was the fact of AcuScan was planning to develop a new product when the company was already facing budgeting issues. Another problem was the staff at AcuScan not meeting face-to-face; instead they relied mainly on email to correspond with one another. Brainstorming, marketing product launches, and budgeting meetings could have benefited the staff and issues could have been handled different and resolved. Cliff, the  CEO should have taken initiative and interjected about the major communication issue the staff was having with one another. Use your reasoning to complete the worksheet below. 3. What is the underlying problem that is the base cause of the conflict within the company?The underlying problem that caused the majority of the issues at AcuScan was the lack of communication between department staff members which resulted in fallacious emails, snide, unnecessary comments which led to lack of production. 4. Alternative solutions. Due to the budgetary issues that were upon AcuScan, instead of a complicated new product launch, expanding the iScanner into industries such as hospitals, colleges and even government offices instead of expanding the new iScanner into the retail environment where the complicated launch requires many additional features is a possible solution, while keeping the idea for the retail industry on the shelf for future product launches. 6. Which solution will you recommend to the CEO? Why? Since both solutions are important, I would mention both to the CEO. Since communication is the backbone of an organization, I would bring up that issue first. Part II: Executive Summary1. Purpose and ScopeThe purpose of this summary is to analyze the issues on launching the new iScanner from AcuScan and rectify any facts pertaining to the potential launch. The scope includes various communications between colleagues and issues that resulted from that dialog. In conclusion the problems will be stated, solutions formulated and recommended results to rectify these problems will be discussed. 2. Summary of the SituationThe conflict between several key persons at AcuScan is hindering the growth of the firm and is causing havoc in receiving positive results for this potential new product launch. Secur-A, AcuScan’s, main competitor is only 4 months from launching their new product so it is believed to be absolutely essential to the survival of AcuScan to  beat them to market with a successful product as well. 3. Key PointsPat Lambert – the new director of Marketing, and Kelly Thomas – chief of the software development team, cannot agree on the length of time and the number of programming hours it will take to bring the new product to market. Kelly states that even with current staffing levels, they do not have the time or manpower to launch a new product the correct way. Pat’s states that a prototype can be built within the timeframe and budget however, neither Pat nor Kelly can compromise. Chris Martinas – VP of Product Development believes that Pat and Kelly can work out their differences together. Chris does not quite understand the magnitude of programming involved with this launch though. ConclusionsAs a result of fallacious emails to one another regarding the new product launch for Pat Lambert and Kelly Thomas both feel alienated and find it hard to compromise on the new iScanner Retail Project. The fallacious emails between Kelly and Pat are regarding their disagreement about the capabilities of the software design team and the man-power to create programming for all the features in the new iScanner. Pat is not quite experienced in dealing with software programmers, their processes and requirements. Pat and Kelly’s emails result in emotional and defensive and inability to listen to each other and cooperate on the new iScanner launch so it does not happen. Conclusion and RecommendationsIn many cases, conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life. Many have seen situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict. And we have all seen the often-intense personal animosity that can result. The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth. In many cases, effective conflict resolution skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes. The good news is that by resolving conflict successfully, you can solve many of the problems that it has brought to the surface, in addition to getting benefits that you might not at first expect:My recommendation would be to get Pat, Kelly, Chris and Cliff into a room for a face-to-face meeting. The point of this is to increase the understanding which is needed to resolve conflict and it expands people’s awareness of the situation, giving them an insight into how they can achieve their own goals without undermining those of other people. Additionally, if is resolved effectively, team members can develop stronger mutual respect, and a renewed faith in their ability to work together; and after allowing a brief period of venting, the meeting can be called to order. At this point I would recommend that all emotion be excluded from the communication process, so that the first of many beneficial and productive brainstorming sessions can begin. Another thing I would recommend is to re-vamp the iScanner launch so the product launch is conducive to the budget and to better fit the company’s abilities. For instance, instead of launching a complicated product, possibly expand the current iScanner into other industries such as hospitals, colleges and the government, while adding possibly one or two features. The iScanner retinal scanner will perform the same functions as its current version with possibly one or two new features to keep within the company’s budget. Keeping the expansion of the ‘Retail’ iScanner idea on the backburner to launch in a year or two but after Secur-A launches their product. Reference Apollo Group (2003). UOP Assessment. Retrieved 4/19/08, from https://mycampus.phoenix.edu

Cognitive, Cognitive Behavioral, and Reality Theory Essay

There are many definitions of counseling, but most share the same idea: it is when one person helps another. To me counseling represents one word more than any other: Change. One person is unhappy with some area of their life and wants it to change while the other person helps to facilitate that change. Just as there are many definitions of counseling there are many types of counseling with different philosophies. The foundation of cognitive therapy is that thoughts have the ability to influence individual’s feelings. One’s emotional reaction to a situation can be derived from their explanation of the situation. For instance, one experience the feelings of one heart racing and shortness of breath. If these physical symptoms occurred while one were lying peacefully in ones bed while watching television, the symptoms would more than be recognized to a medical condition, such as a heart attack, leading to fear and anxious emotions. In contrast, if these same physical symptoms occurred while running through the park on a beautiful afternoon, they would not be attributed to a medial ailment, and would likely no lead to fear or anxiety. Different interpretations of the same sensations can lead to entirely different emotions. Congitive therapy suggests that a great deal of our emotions are due out thought process; the way that we perceive or interpret our environment. These thoughts sometimes have a way of being bias or even distorted. Within the scope of cognitive therapy individuals learn to distinguish between their thoughts and feelings. They are also made aware of the way in which their thoughts have and can influence feelings that are not necessarily to their benefit. Therapists also evaluate critically whether clients  Ã¢â‚¬Å"automatic† thoughts and assumptions are accurate or biased. They also work to develop skills to notice, interrupt and correct these biased thoughts independently. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) covers numerous therapeutic approaches and is widely used to treat various psychological issues. In general, CBT is short-term and focuses on assisting clients with very specific issues. The treatment process enables clients to identify and change negative or alarming thought patterns that are contributing to or causing destructive behavior. CBT has been studied extensively because the treatment is focused on an extremely specific goal and the outcome can be measured easily (Good). Cognitive behavior therapy can be helpful in treating many mental disorders, but also can be used as a tool to help anyone who is dealing with the stress of everyday life. It is known that the root to most anger problems is stress and not understanding how to cope with stress. As many of life adolescents go through life the problems they are facing are getting bigger. So it is a need to learn techniques to manage these issues. Cognitive behavior therapy can assist with this by allowing the young person to see these situations in a different perspective. â€Å"Cognitive behavior therapy can allow a person to heighten awareness by keeping track of the triggers and the time in which they felt the most stress and how long it took for the triggers and the time in which they felt the most stress and how long it took for the stress to produce anger† (Hart, S. L., & Hart, T.A. (2010). By knowing this information and by changing the way a person is thinking, there are changes in the em otions and behavior pattern. Once an adolescent has learned these techniques it will allow them to cope in a more positive way, without anger. William Glasser developed Reality Therapy; he believed that nearly all human unhappiness is stems by people trying to manage others. He says, â€Å"The only behavior we can control is our own; by the same token, no one can make us do anything we do not want to. It is only when we give up spending our energy trying to force others to conform to our ideas or to keep them from doing the same to us that we are able to live the way we want to.† (William Glasser) In order to change a patient the therapist needs to change what the client is thinking and doing because these behaviors are controllable. One needs to assume personal responsibility for his or her feelings. The Choice theory of Reality therapy challenges the client to accept his or her part in actually creating his or her feelings. The choice theory emphasizes how people think and act therefore we can see that it shares some of the concepts of the cognitive behavior approach. There is always a learning curve when developing a new theory. There is the uncertainty of its efficacy and acceptance. One would believe as these theories continue to evolve and is practiced with clients this will no longer be an issue. I believe if a counselor knows the importance of the spiritual beliefs of the clients they are able to have a thorough understanding of their views and feeling towards the issues in their lives. I also believe that then they are able to help client’s determine that they are loved, accepted and have a purpose. Reference: Counseling and Psychotherapy: Theories and interventions; Third Edition by David Capuzzi and Douglas R. Gross Glass, W. (1997), Choice Theory and Student Success, Education Digest, 63, 3, p.16. 6p Good Therapy (ND). Mindfulness Approaches/Contemplative Approaches. Retrieved August 5, 2013 from http://www.goodtherapy.org/mindfulness-based-approaches-contemplative-approaches.html. Hart, S. L., & Hart, T. A. (2010). The Future of Cognitive Behavioral Interventions within Behavioral Medicine. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 24(4), 344-353. Howatt, W. (2011). The Human Services Counseling Toolbox. Theory, Development, and Resources. Pgs. 113, 131, 147-150.

Zen Garden

Nature is an important element for the Zen Buddhist as it is said to aid with meditation that can achieve enlightenment. The ultimate place for this mediation is a Zen garden. These gardens are a Buddhist art expression that focuses on nature. However, the garden is almost entirely made of stone and gravel, with almost no plant life at all. In this essay I will discuss a brief history of the role of nature in Buddhism, explain why the stones and gravel in the Zen Garden are so important and describe, in detail, the finest Zen Garden example that is Ryoanji Dry Garden in Japan. I have personally visited Ryoanji three times. Introduced to Japan in the mid-sixth century, Buddhism advanced various attitudes towards the natural world. The ideals of many Buddhists evinced a religiously based concern for nature. Buddhists in China and then Japan had long debated weather non sentient beings such as trees and rocks could actually attain Buddha-hood. Saicho (766-822) the founder of Tendai school, was one of the first to voice his opinion in an affirmative way, he declared that â€Å"trees and rocks have Buddha-nature† (Masao, 1989: 186). Later, Ryogen (912-985) a member of the Tendai School claimed that plants, trees and rocks desire Enlightenment, discipline themselves and attain Buddha-hood. Buddhist temples aesthetically enhanced the environment. These temples were surrounded by nature and were often built in forests and on the sides of mountains. Rock gardens, vegetable gardens as well as cherry and plum orchards were common features involved in the setting of temples. These features helped to improve the local environment and aid as a means of meditation through the natural beauty on a spiritual level in search of Nirvana which means to â€Å"put out the flame† in this world and escape to the otherworld. Zen Buddhist in Particular saw enlightenment as an experience to be had through nature. Dogen (1200-1253), founder of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, declared that â€Å"the ocean speaks and mountains have tongues – that is the everyday speech of Buddha†¦ If you can speak and hear such words you will be one who truly comprehends the entire universe. † (Shaner 1989:114). The Zen Buddhists believed that nature could help them achieve a status of mindfulness in order to ultimately achieve enlightenment. They began to create the ultimate garden for meditation, known as the Zen Garden or â€Å"Dry Garden†. Both by creating and meditating in these gardens aided to the understanding of the Buddhist religion. Karesansui, or the â€Å"dry-landscape† style of Japanese gardens have been in existence for centuries, but the Zen Buddhists developed a smaller, more compact garden style that focussed on observing it from a distance as opposed to walking through it; â€Å"There was a shift back to an emphasis on looking rather than using. These gardens were used specifically as aids to a deeper understanding of Zen concepts†¦these gardens were not an end in themselves†¦but a trigger to contemplation and meditation† (Davidson 1983: 22). In these Zen Gardens large natural stones, in particular, are arranged in ways that allude to the spiritual problems and solutions of the Zen faith. In fact, with in the walls of the gardens there are really only two or three elements used, stones, gravel or sand, and sometimes unintentionally moss. Both the stones and gravel are arranged to create â€Å"simple abstractions of nature† (Kincaid 1966:65). In order for the Buddhists to meditate and achieve enlightenment the garden â€Å"relies on understatement, simplicity, suggestion and implication†¦leaving room for the imagination by providing a starting point† (Davidson 1983:23). The Buddhists believe that the stones are more than just inanimate objects, they are thought to have a soul and are considered to be the realistic part of the garden; â€Å"We treat natural stones as materials which have vital factors. That is because we feel life and soul in the natural stones which are frequently used as an idealistic and also as a realistic representation† (Tono1958:38). The stones are surrounded by gravel that has been intentionally raked into patterns to represent flowing water. The moss that is sometimes found on and around the stones is usually the only plant life found in a Dry Garden and is formed and left as a natural occurrence. All of the elements in nature used in a Dry Garden have a purpose, however they often take a symbolic form and represent something entirely different to what western eyes may see. Stones are often looked upon as something much greater than just a simple stone; â€Å"They have an intrinsic beauty of their own, and on the other hand, can represent something altogether larger and more universal† (Davidson 1983:38). Stones can symbolize many things depending on their shape, colour and texture. Generally â€Å"stones represent mountains, islands, and waterfalls† (Takakuwa 1973:120). However, a vertical stone may symbolize the sky, while a horizontal stone may symbolize the earth. They may also be selected and arranged to represent the essence or spirit of animals or shrubs. The bed of raked gravel surrounding the stones is seen as a body of flowing water and the raked patterns are the ripples and swirls in it. The patterns are said to give energy to the garden and help the meditation process. Figure 1) Ryoanji garden is one of the most famous Zen gardens in the world. It is arguably the highest expression of Zen art and teachings that is perhaps the single greatest masterpiece of Japanese culture. No one knows who exactly designed and arranged this garden, or precisely when, but it is thought to date from the late 1400s. This garden is a karesansui dry-style garden and is relatively small, â€Å"a rectangular area, about twenty-five yards long and ten yards wideâ₠¬  (Holborn 1982:61). It consists of 15 stones that rest on a bed of white gravel, surrounded by low walls. (Figure 2) The moss-covered boulders are placed so that, when looking at the garden from any angle, only 14 are visible at one time. In the Buddhist world the number 15 denotes completeness. So you must have a total view of the garden in your mind to make it a whole and meaningful experience, and yet, from any position in the garden it is impossible to view all 15 stones at once making the only way to see all 15 is on a spiritual level. The gravel around the stones is raked to resemble ripples and swirls, in concentric circles that extend away from the stones, while the remaining surface of the gravel is raked in straight lines, creating a contrast between curved and straight lines. The only â€Å"living† element that lends a sense of depth to the composition is the green moss found covering parts of and around the bases of the stones. The Buddhists have given the garden symbolic levels to serve as illusions, with the gravel around the stones powerfully evoking water, and the whole scene appearing to be a miniature seascape with weathered volcanic islands. The extreme simplicity and powerful balance of the composition have been interpreted by many different people, in many different ways, however its fifteen stones â€Å"are generally believed to represent islands in an ocean, but the composition is called Tora-no-Ko Watashi (Tiger Cubs Crossing a Stretch of Water)† (Takakuwa 1973:122). As a meditation tool of allusion, the garden takes a dramatic title (Tiger Cubs Crossing a Stretch of Water) and uses it to create an image to capture the essence of tension, while viewing the illusion of a strong idealized image of nature, providing a setting for oncentration on the spiritual level. It is only an illusion, because the construction and maintenance of the Dry Garden is not a natural occurrence. The design of the garden and arrangement of the stones is completely artificial and processed by humans. The white gravel lines formed by the rake represent ripples in water or clouds in the sky; however the lines are so neat and precise th at they reveal that the garden is regularly groomed by a human hand. (Figure 1&3)This makes the garden an artificial illusion of nature. It has purposely been designed this way to achieve an idealized image of nature. In Zen Buddhism, enlightenment can be achieved through meditation that can be assisted by creating an illusion of the idealized image of nature. An important focus of this meditation is concerned with the essence of nature and reality. â€Å"Zen art does not try to create the illusion of reality. It abandons true to life perspective, and works with artificial space relations which make one think beyond reality into the essence of reality. This concept of essence as opposed to illusion is basic to Zen art in all phases†. (Lieberman 1997) The purpose of the garden is not to decide on a particular natural image that the stones and the white gravel are supposed to miniaturize. The driving force behind the design as an illusion is to portray an idealized vision of weathered, enduring and sublime nature. The asymmetrical balance of the stones, when combined with the calming patterns in the gravel turn the mind inward, making it ideal for meditation and allowing the Zen Buddhists to achieve Enlightenment. Whether the stones are representing mountains amongst clouds or islands in the ocean is not important. What is important is that they capture the essence of both, displaying the characteristics of endurance, austerity, and balance that is so essential to the idealized Zen Buddhist image of nature. Bibliography: Davidson, A. K. 1983, The art of Zen gardens: a guide to their creation and enjoyment, J. P. Tarcher, L. A. Holborn, M. 1982, The ocean in the sand: Japan, from landscape to garden, Shambhala Publications, Boston. Ito, T. 1972, The Japanese Garden—An Approach to Nature. Yale University Press, New Haven. Kimura, K. 1991, The Self in Medieval Japanese Buddhism: Focusing on Dogen, University of Hawaii Press. Kincaid, P. 1966, Japanese Garden and Floral Art, Hearthside Press Inc. , New York Kuck, L. 1968, The World of the Japanese Garden, Weatherhill, New York, Lieberman, F. 1997, Zen Buddhism and Its Relationship to Elements of Eastern and Western Arts. http://arts. ucsc. edu/faculty/lieberman/zen. html Masao, A. 1989, Zen and Western thought, University of Hawaii Press. Shaner, D. E. 1989, Science and comparative philosophy, Brill Academic Publishers, New York. Takakuwa, G. 1973, Japanese Gardens Revisited. Tuttle Co, Rutland Tono, T. 1958. Secret of Japanese Gardens, published by Mitsuo Onizuka, Tokyo.