Monday, September 30, 2019

How does Dickinson mock puritan values in her poems? Essay

Dickinson poem ‘the world is not conclusion’ does not reflect a concentrated attack however she does mock puritanism and undermine its values, although she is a religious catholic Christian herself she feels that people do not understand religion like she does and that they are trying understand something which they never will. She conveys in the poem that there is an afterlife and how it undiscovered ‘s you have to go through it to know, suggests that she has experienced death. mentions themes of puritanism and death in this poem, similar themes are discussed in ‘I felt a funeral in my brain’ and ‘There’s a certain slant of light’. Dickinson starts poem 501 with the lines ‘This world is not Conclusion. ‘ this line shows that Dickinson is certain that there is afterlife, this line also shows confidence in the speakers tone suggesting that maybe Dickinson has experienced this to be so certain. This line is paradoxical since since in this line she is suggesting that there is an afterlife however she ends the sentence with a full stop, implying a stop or end to something. The word conclusion stands out in this line since it starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. This gives the word ‘conclusion’ emphasises and shows its importance. This line shows religious connotations since it is related to death. It neither mocks or supports puritanism however it just highlights something that the speaker confidently believes. Poem 501 is written without any stanzas and flows right the way through this may be to highlight the continuous search for answers about death and religion and how this search it futile and everlasting since death can not be discovered. The tone at the beginning of the poem is quite arrogant implied by her confidence. Similarly in poem 280 Dickinson says ‘ I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,’ this suggests that she has been through death and that she is now recalling events from the past, this also hints that Dickinson is mocking puritan values since she may be implying that people try to understand death and she has already understood it, making her self more knowledgeable then the ‘scholars’. The word brain associates to mental stability or state of mind, we may interpret that by using the phrase ‘in my Brain’ it shows Dickinson losing her sanity and losing her mental stability as she is experiencing this in her mind rather than in reality. The coma used after ‘Funeral,’ is quite significant as it breaks the sentence in too two parts highlighting the distance between her actually experiencing death and her thinking that she is experiencing death. Against the tone her is quite arrogant as she seems to be more knowledgeable then the believers and the faithful people, suggesting she is pointing a finger at puritan values. Dickinson clearly mocks puritan values in the line ‘To guess, puzzles scholars-‘ this lines picks on the scholars knowledge and questions his knowledge, this line also suggests that the scholars are naive and in actual they don’t know what they are talking about. This shows a slight arrogance on the speakers part as it makes it seem as if the speaker has the knowledge and the scholars don’t. It also shows that maybe Dickinson has experienced death since she is so confident. The word ‘puzzles’ in this poem associates to confusion, which shows that Dickinson is mocking the puritan values as she claims they don’t have enough knowledge or understanding about something they believe in so strongly. The line ends with a dash this may represent how the scholars are trying to work out something which is not able to be understood and the dash may represent the endless search for answerers. Similarly in poems 280 she also highlights the puritanisms nativity by saying ‘That sense was breaking through-‘ this makes the puritans seem like they have no sense since she say ‘sense was breaking through’ its like she is implying that finally they are understanding. This line ends with a dash implying that the puritans are having some result and maybe that there is hope , this line also shows that the puritans are finally understanding god or religion. Dickinson criticises puritans again by saying ‘Faith slips-and laughs, and rallies’ from this we interpret that Dickinson is saying that faith can slip and is not always perfect. This picks at puritan values and makes it seem that they are not perfect, by saying this she implies that she may be something better then the people who follow puritan values. The word ‘slips’ associates to imperfection showing how Dickinson attacks puritan values it shows how she undermines the puritan values as imperfect and weak. Dickinson uses a dash after ‘slips’ in this line to emphasise the flaws of puritan values. The line has two comas in it, to slow the sentence down and really emphasise what Dickinson is saying, the comas also make us question the puritan beliefs. The capital letter of ‘Faith’ makes it something important and gives it a status. Similarly in poem 258 Dickinson says ‘That oppresses, like the Heft/Of Cathedral Tunes-‘ this line shows that the puritan values such as the cathedral tunes oppress people and put down there individualism. The word ‘Heft associates to something heavy or burden like, this shows how Dickinson attacks puritans since she is saying there traditions are suppressing, she also capitalises ‘Heft’ giving it a heavy and downwards feel, the capital letter almost literally puts a burden on the reader. Dickinson puts a dash at the end of this line since it shows a unfinished feeling and shows that their traditions are incomplete and they are never ending. Overall Dickinson does attack puritan values and mocks them. She repeatedly shows them to be oppressing and incomplete in the sense that puritans themselves are unaware of there teahings and faith.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Bottlenecks: Theory of Constraints Essay

â€Å"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link† (Goldratt, 1984). Goldratt’s theory means organizations and processes are vulnerable because the weakest part or person can damage, break, or constrain them while affecting the outcome. In operations management, the solution is to pull materials through the system rather than push them into the system. By using the drum-buffer-rope methodology, components in a system can be identified helping to identify constraints and eventually break the constraint or find a solution. Bottlenecks: Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints helps identify bottlenecks in the process of fixing a flashlight and how to fix or break the constraints. Drum-Buffer-Rope Named for its three components, drum-buffer-rope is a manufacturing mythology execution. The physical constraint of the plant is the drum. The drum could be a machine or work center and limits the whole system to produce more. The drums are protected by buffers which always keep work flowing to it. Buffers are measured in units of time rather than the quantity produced. Buffers are usually placed at the constraint, shipping, and synchronization points. The work release mechanism for the plant is represented by rope. Orders are released before they are due at a certain buffer time. If the buffer is one week, the order is released one week before it is due at the constraint. The drum-buffer-rope mythology will be very useful to solve the problems in process of manufacturing and selling a flashlight. Constraints and Solutions According to â€Å"Theory of Constraints† (2013), â€Å"TOC is systemic and strives to identify constraints to system success and to effect the changes necessary to remove them† (Theory of Constraints). The drum would be the equipment used to manufacture the flashlights or even the employees that are putting them together. Continuously providing work to the system, the buffer could be a computer helping the employee keep track of what they are doing and helping to process their work. The rope represents the time flashlights are placed in stores ahead of time to help offset the time lost by the constraint. If an employee is at their limit of production, an additional employee could be hired to increase production. A machine could even be implemented into the process at the bottleneck to assist the employee or the employee could help the machine if it was the constraint. If the buffer is causing a bottleneck, its rate should be decreased. Placing orders in stores before they are to be put on the shelves could help offset the time it takes for merchandising and stocking the items. Conclusion Bottlenecks are inevitable in processes and organizations. A company needs to locate the bottlenecks in their process and break the constraint before it breaks or shuts the system down. Companies are only as strong as their weakest links and should solve the issues right away. Using Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints helps to identify and come up with a solution for the constraint. The drum-buffer-rope methodology also helps to identify constraints and is a useful execution to making a process more efficient.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Importance Of Personal Development Education Essay

With out a program cipher can make their finish. As Bob ( 2010 ) , described that â€Å" Personal development refers to activities that improve self-knowledge and individuality, develop endowments and possible, build human capital and employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realisation of dreams and aspirations. The construct is non limited to self-development but includes formal and informal activities for developing others, in functions such as instructor, usher, counselor, director, manager, or wise man. Finally, as personal development takes topographic point in the context of establishments, it refers to the methods, plans, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human development at the single degree in organisations † Personal development planning is a supported procedure which helps to concentrate on single public presentation and helps to accomplish and develop their bearer. The chief aim of personal development program is to better the capacity of single. Harmonizing to careereducationweb.com personal development is repeatedly seting a individual in a place where we need to be alteration or developed or motivated to make our finish. It takes control of a individual to turn and coercing to go dead. Personal development and growing are critical to success. Most of the people fail to accomplish their end because of deficiency attempt, clip invariables or an incapableness of concentrating on the ends. Harmonizing to heacademy.ac.uk web site PDP is defined as â€Å" a structured and supported procedure undertaken by an single to reflect upon their ain acquisition, public presentation and/or accomplishment and to be after for their personal, educational and calling development. PDP embraces a scope of attack to larning that articulation planning ( an person ‘s ends and purposes for larning or accomplishment ) , making ( alining actions to purpose ) , transcript ( judgement, facts, experience, in order to acknowledge and grounds the process and consequences of larning ) and look reviewing and measure experiences and the consequences of larning. † Personal development program is a procedure which gives a character a clear position of life. And every witting professional should hold a personal development program to accomplish their nonsubjective and make their finish.Importance of Personal Development:Every organic structure got its ain endowment indoors. Every person has its ain thought and endowment. But most of us can non research it because of lacking of personal development. Without growing life is like dull being. Due to lie state of affairss many people can non develop personally. Growth is indispensable portion of life of a individual. Personal development helps to larn which we are capable to larn. Personal development is really of import. It helps to happen out chance to make a better life mentally, physically and spiritually. Personal development is really of import. It helps to happen out chance to make a better life mentally, physically and spiritually. There are few grounds why personal development is of import. First ground is personal development helps you to concentrate on of import things of your life. There are many things in u your life which can deviate you from of import things. For an illustration it could be short – term pleasance. Short term pleasance may do us experience good for short clip but it will be do the long term suffer for hereafter. Merely personal development can direct you on the right way. Second ground is personal development develops our capacity. Personal development non merely concentrate on of import things of our life but besides helps to manage a critical state of affairs. We are capable to confront some specific challenge but personal development increase our bound to manage more hard challenge. Third ground is personal development helps us to link with positive people. When we will affect us in personal development so we will establish many positive people around us. Having this positive people around us, we will be more motivated to travel frontward. Personal development means difficult work. it takes consistency, forbearance and clip. Harmonizing to scotthyoung.com web site if we want our personal development we need to concentrate on deriving bravery which thing we fare of, decilpline, more learning, hope and power. Personal development is an investing for our life. Personal development helps to better our cognition. Personal development is an attitude which helps to better our life. If you want development in our personal life we need to concentrate on Understand yourself Better your consciousness, Work on your attitude, Believe in yourself, potencies Develop your accomplishments, Set your ends, Begin with the terminal in head. It is really of import to under stand my self fist because we need to cognize where is our failing and heterosexual and believe on yourself and be confident. And so put our ends it is really of import to put our end it is impossible with out a end to accomplish something. And last one is set up head. It means we must hold to be confident and promise that I will make it by any opportunity. Allen and Adair ( 1999 ) province that â€Å" There is no ‘end ‘ to the self-development procedure. † The besides show that why this is of import for professional life and where to concentrate on. Personal development helps to better our public presentation, develop appropriate accomplishments and competencies and gain full potency. Every organic structure want a place to work but most of them do n't hold proper set of ends. Merely for this ground most of us can non make our coveted finish. Merely personal development plan can assist us to cognize where to travel how to better our ego and assist us to make our finish. From the above discursion it is clear that personal development is really of import for our life. It gives witting attempt to turn up. Every organic structure grew up with their ain single endowment and accomplishments. Personal development helps us to happen out these accomplishments. Like that I have some accomplishments in my professional life. Team worker: I believe that I am really good squad participant because when I work I like to affect every one into work, expression after single demands and seeks to derive committedness by engagement. I am really good hearer and willing to impart my manus if needed. For my difficult work and as a good squad participant I became associate of the month from my working topographic point. Co- ordinator: I am confident at my work topographic point. I am able to work at busy clip and able to take the challenge. I am ever committed to my organisational end and aim. For those activities I became crew trainer at my working topographic point. A Good Presenter: Presentation accomplishments is really of import for professional life. I conducted a professional accomplishment class and learned how to make it decently. On the first twenty-four hours of my presentation test I run off from speech desk but after that I took that challenge and I got 2nd tallness Markss on my concluding test. I discussed about my three accomplishments which I poses. But I believe that I need more pattern on it. And I need to travel further for more accomplishments which will assist me in hereafter for my professional life.1.2 Importance of Professional Skills:Harmonizing to answer.com web site accomplishments defined as â€Å" Proficiency, sleight that is acquired or developed through preparation or experience. † Professional accomplishment is really of import for personal bearer. We must concentrate on it. Professional accomplishments is a sort of accomplishment that we learned from a company and applied on professional life. The accomplishment and importance are described below: Communication Skills: Communication accomplishments are really of import for professional life. It is really of import to hold a good communicating accomplishment. With out a proper communicating it is impossible to pass on with other and achieve the aim. Performance Management: Performance direction should be see really strongly. It is about to happen out recognized staff and honor them, behavior coaching Sessionss with staff etc. Customer Service: As a director it is really of import to concentrate on client service. It is all about to betterment of client service. Organizational accomplishment: To accomplish an organisational end we must hold to hold organisational accomplishment. Which includes effectual at deputing work, clip direction system etc. Professional development: Professional development is really of import for professional life. It is of import to cognize section functions programs and ordinance of working topographic point. Legal Issue: Legal issue base on understanding the all employment Torahs. Effective legal employment interview etc. Leadership: Make determinations easy and efficaciously monitoring assignments without micromanaging. Team work: Positive ambiance which helps to team work together. Creat chance for other. Problem resolution: With out job work outing attitude it is impossible to run a company. It most of import for professional accomplishment. From the above discursion, it is clear that it is really of import all professional individual. To do a successful bearer those accomplishments are really of import. From the Belbin squad roles – â€Å" Self Perception Inventory † utilizing this tools we can acquire into deepness of importance of professional accomplishments. Plant, resource research worker, coordinates, proctor judge, squad worker, implementer, complete finisher those are the cardinal factor of professional accomplishments. I completed Belbin Team Roles appraisal and found my ego as a squad worker. Which indicate that like to affect with everyone, I like to expressions after single and perceptive and diplomatic. And happen my failing as I could be influenced and indecisive in crunch state of affairss. I attach the tabular array below.Belbin Team Roles Inventory:Key Team Role Team contribution/personal manner Allowable failing PL 26 Plant Generates thoughts. Creative, inventive, irregular, solves hard jobs Ignores inside informations, excessively preoccupied to pass on efficaciously Rhode island 27 Resource research worker Maintains consciousness of resources available outside the squad. Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores chances, develops contacts Overoptimistic, loses involvement one time the initial enthusiasm has passed Carbon monoxide 48 Co-ordinator Ensures internal resources are applied to the squad aim. Mature, confident, a good president, clarifies ends, promotes determination devising, delegates good. Can be seen as manipulative, delegates personal work. SH 43 Maker Shapes the manner the squad operates. Challenging, dynamic, thrives on force per unit area, has the thrust and bravery to get the better of obstructions Can arouse others, hurts peoples feelings Maine 38 Monitor judge Buttockss squad advancement against the aims and mileposts. Sober, strategic and discerning, sees all options, Judgess accurately. Lacks drive and ability to animate others, excessively critical TW 51 Team worker Involves everyone, looks after single demands, and seeks to derive committedness by engagement. Co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic, listens, physiques, averts clash, calms the Waterss Indecisive in crunch state of affairss, can be easy influenced IM 48 Implementer Turns thoughts into practical actions. Disciplined, dependable, conservative and efficient. Slightly inflexible, slow to react to new possibilities Californium 24 Completer closer Ensures the occupation is decently finished. Painstaking, painstaking, dying, searches out mistakes and skips, delivers on clip Inclined to worry unduly, loath to depute, can be a nit-picker. ( Beginning: Conducted by Class Tutor ) My failing are complete finisher. I need to guarantee that the occupation is decently finished or non. I need to develop on clip as good. To acquire more clear position of professional accomplishments, presently which I use Memletic Learning manner stock list. Which is given below: The tonss are out of 20 for each manner. A mark of 20 indicates you use that manner frequently. Style Tonss Ocular 4 Social 13 Physical 10 Aural 13 Verbal 11 Lone 12 Logical 13 Memletic Learning Styles Graph: ( Beginning: www.learning-styles-online.com ) Everybody has its ain strength and failing. Memletic manner helps me to happen out which my heterosexual and failing. From this graphs it is clear that my chief failing is ocular, verbal and lone. And my chief strengths are logical, verbal and societal. To became a successful professional I must necessitate to better my failing because those are my chief obstruction. From graphs it is clear that my chief failing is on ocular. Think it is really of import for a professional individual. This graphs helps me to cognize where I need betterment. And it helps me to better my personal accomplishments2.1 Importance of Skills Audit:A accomplishment audit is an indispensable procedure which helps to mensurate and enter the accomplishments of single or group. The intent of carry oning accomplishments audit are to place the accomplishments presently we have and the accomplishments we need to better. Skills audit helps to reconstitute and develop personal life. Importance of Skills audit: with out accomplishments audit it is impossible to cognize where to better. Using this skills audit information we can better and develop our hereafter program. The chief benefits of accomplishments audits are ; a ) Improve cognition and accomplishments ) Valuable and valid work topographic point plan. , degree Celsius ) Increase productiveness. The accomplishments audit based on three things, those are a ) Behavioural accomplishments, B ) Technical cognition, B ) Other cognition. I have conducted self appraisal accomplishments audit which I given below.Skills Audited account:Knowledge and accomplishments which I consider to be of import for my current Job Your Ability Rating ( 1-5 ) or strong / weak / someplace in between I am a good squad participant. Always try to assist other Friendly which helps to our occupation done decently. I am witting about client demands. I ne'er ignore client complain. Strong Knowledge and accomplishments which I consider to be of import for my hereafter calling Your Ability Rating ( 1-5 ) or strong / weak / someplace in between Involve my ego in different topographic points at my work Necessitate more experience in peculiar place. Need to better communicating accomplishment. Legal issue. Missing of organisational leading accomplishments Poor ( Beginning: Conducted by Class Tutor )Rating Ability:= Some consciousness but non sufficiently competent to utilize it, = Familiar with and able to utilize the cognition or accomplishment ( some competence ) , = Proficient in the cognition or accomplishment and able to demo others how to utilize it = Expert with a high grade of accomplishment and/or comprehensive cognition From the accomplishments audit tolls I found myself need to work hard on communications accomplishments, because it is really of import and need to cognize more about organisational leading accomplishments. And my chief strengths are helpful and difficult worker and client service. 2.2 SWOT Analysis and Precedences: SWOT analysis is tool through which we can place our Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat. For the Personal scheme, SWOT analysis has a bold impact. It helps us for future program and my current state of affairs, where I have improve for my bright bearer. Harmonizing to quintcareers.com web site Randall and Katharine described that SWOT analysis helps to capitalise our strength and over come the hereafter. The demonstrate that SWOT analysis dived into parts -a ) Internal personal development, B ) External personal development.Personal SWOT AnalysisInternal Strength Failing Education Movable Skills Personal characteristicsA Good contactsLack of Work ExperienceWeak proficient cognitionExternal Opportunity MenaceEnhancing instructionPositive tendenciesOpportunities for professional developmentStrong webLack of the advanced education/traininglimited professional developmentAFrom this SWOT analysis, I found that I still I have some strength and chance and some failing. For my personal development I can analyze more which will assist me develop my bearer. I have another strength that is movable accomplishments which helps me to be a good squad member. My failing are deficiency of work experience and proficient cognition. My chance and menace, I can travel for farther instruction to construct up my calling and so I will acquire to be involve with more professional development and strong web.My Five Future Precedences:Higher Education: After finishing this class I will travel for farther instruction which will assist me develop my bearer. Travel: Beyond my higher instruction I will seek to go because it will assist me to contract with different civilization and different people which will assist me to my hereafter. Technical Knowledge: Exploitation of engineering is increasing twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours. So I will seek to affect my ego to maintain my ego up to day of the month with engineering. Involving with Multinational Company: will work for transnational company because this is a topographic point where I will acquire chance to develop my bearer. To make the end: After finishing my grade and making avobe work I want to make my finish and I want to open my new company and develop my ain organisation.3.1 Personal Development Plan:Developing a PDP My demands How can I run into those demands? My Future Aim What are the challenges in my occupation current that I need to run into? Improve Personal development Opportunity to work at direction Position A Work on personal development that will assist me to work at direction place Where do I desire to be in 2 old ages? To go resource research worker Awareness of resources available outside the squad. Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores chances, develops contacts. Where do I desire to be in 5 or 10 old ages? To go a maker A Shapes the manner the squad operates. Challenging, dynamic, thrives on force per unit area, has the thrust and bravery to get the better of obstructions How does that tantrum in with what the pattern wants? A To go a completer closer A Ensures the occupation is decently finished. Painstaking, painstaking, dying, searches out mistakes and skips, delivers on clip What adjustments will I need to do to accomplish what I want? Travel for farther higher instruction. Be more confident and positive What accommodations will other people need to do for me to accomplish what I want? A Provide me good preparation A After holding my preparation I want to work as resource research worker How can I get the better of my proficient obstruction? A Go for farther preparation It will assist me to be up make day of the month about my on the job topographic point. What helps me to be societal? Be more friendly and helpful It will assist me to be more acceptable in my professional life. What should I see to accomplish my end? To do a personal program and put a mark. Personal program will assist to accomplish my end ; Why I need a balance life? Practicing personal development and follow them decently It will assist me to success all the point of my professional life. Without a program it is non possible to make a finish. A is a way manner where it is written really clearly from where to get down and how to complete. To accomplish a coveted finish every organic structure must hold to hold a program. A individual without a program means a bird with out wings. Here I developed my program in table which screening, my needs 2nd 1 is how can I run into those demand and last 1 is my future aim. Here I tried to explicate my current demands which is most of import for me to accomplish my aims. Obstacles is everyplace. To accomplish my ends I would hold to confront some jobs. But in my development program I found some solutions how to over come it. The last 1 is my future aim. where I tried to happen out after my demands and how can I run into those demands what will be my accomplishment. Not it is more clear for me that what is my personal development program and how can I accomplish my finish.3.2 Obstacle to accomplishing aims:Aim Problem I can confront What are the challenges in my occupation current that I need to run into? Work Experience Communication accomplishment. Missing of Information and preparation. Less Job Opportunity Time direction. This universe is altering really foremost. Every twenty-four hours we are confronting new jobs and able to work out every bit good. New chance are lifting and new jobs come to look to accomplish them. Like that I have some obstructions of my bearer to accomplish the obstruction. First obstruction is my current occupation demand. I am working for a company as a trainer but I want me to see more higher place but I cant range at that place. I must hold to hold higher instruction, work experience, trained myself for suited place and better my communicating accomplishments. Question is that how to get the better of those obstructions? We know that there is job, there is a manner. So every job has its solution. First things is that I must hold to work hard and put a end to over come those obstruction. My first obstruction is missing of preparation. In every company where we want to turn up we need a preparation. I believe with a proper preparation I can get the better of my current occupation demands. To get the better of this job I can contract with my senior directors who can assist me to give right way. Work experience is my another obstruction, to over come this job I think I need to concentrate on clip direction. First I need to put my clip how to use it. It could be give some more clip for work topographic point through which I can acquire more experience. Communication accomplishments are became chief cardinal point for a professional. There is no other picks without holding a communicating accomplishment instruction. I think if I study communicating accomplishments and pattern it will be really helpful for my professional life.3.3 Brooding ReportI have covered a broad scope of subjects in Personal Development Skills. The purpose of this class is to cognize our accomplishments and failing and how to develop them and helps to take any challenges. This capable gives right way for life who wants to prosecute their ends and success. Personal development accomplishment helps me to understand my ain personality and ability to alter. It shows me where is my strengths and failing. For illustration I need to pay attending on organisation and clip direction. This topic helps me to put my nonsubjective and helped me to cognize how can I accomplish them. Now I know my chance and menace and where I have to pay more attending. For illustration – heightening my instruction which will assist me to be more confident. I have covered twosome of appraisal here such as Belbin squad function appraisal which helps me to cognize what types of worker I am. I found myself as a effectual squad participant. Which is my menace but still I need to better to take challenge in critical state of affairs, communicative and originative. Memletic appraisal helps me to cognize what sort of personality I have. Which is rather interesting and informational to cognize yourself. It is really utile tools to better personality. And another one is skill audit tools. Using this tools now I able to cognize where I can work efficaciously and what accomplishments still do I need to go successful in professional life. I conducted personal grind analysis. It really of import to cognize the personal strength, failing, menaces and chance. This analysis helps to place obstruction of bearer and demo how to over come it. Personal development accomplishments helps to measure our accomplishments. This topic helps to put up my ends and shows the way which is full of chance. After analyzing this topic it is clear to me that which is my strength, weaknesses where I have chance. To go a successful professional in future I know at which point have to work more. This is a topic which breaks the obstructions and open the new doors for future. At the terminal I would wish to state that analyzing of personal development accomplishment takes charge of future.

Friday, September 27, 2019

What did Gospel mean in Paul's world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What did Gospel mean in Paul's world - Essay Example He has done the impossible. He has turned shame into glory and glory into shame. His is the folly that outsmarts the wise, the weakness that overpowers the strong†¦the liberating victory of the one true God (Hogan 47).’’ Second, that the resurrection of Jesus is the dawning of the New Age. That man is no longer bound by the shackles of death but that by the resurrection of Jesus, humanity is being invited and called by God to live in the â€Å"spiritual body†¦(not) in the Platonic sense, i.e. non-material. He means a body (physical in some sense), which is constituted by the ‘spirit’ (Hogan 50). Thus, Jesus’ resurrection is the Christian’s hope that at the end of all the pains and sufferings that they may encounter there is the resurrection. Third, that Jesus is the fulfilment of the Old Testament - of the promise Messiah. The crucified and risen Jesus is the King in the Davidic sense. And that Jesus is the embodiment of the Kingship of God in this world. And lastly, Jesus is the King and God not only of the Jews but of the entire world. This shows us that God’s kingship is not limited solely among the Jews but that his Lordship encompass all the peoples of the world for He is the One True God and that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s victory over all the evils, powers and death is â€Å"God’s victory over all the world (Hogan 47).† In the end, Gospel for Paul is a proclamation not only of the acts of Jesus – His life, death and resurrection – but that Jesus himself is the fulfilment of the Messianic promise(s) that resounds over and over again in the Old Testament. But more than that, Paul has presented to us that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus opened the doors of heavens not only for the Jews but for all people – Jews and Gentiles – as Jesus’ victory is over all the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Stability In An Economy And Human Development Essay

The Stability In An Economy And Human Development - Essay Example Economists define and measure economic growth in terms of the increase in real GDP or the increase in real GDP per capita over some time period. GDP is a reasonably accurate and highly useful measure of how well or how poorly the economy is performing. By using the real GDP per capita as a measure of growth means we are considering the size of a population in the economy. And there some instances or things of importance that real GDP per capita either understate or totally does not account for. It does not accommodate the satisfaction or psychic income that many people derive from their work. The increase in leisure time has a clear positive effect on the overall well-being of the people. Next is the improved product/service quality. Because GDP is a quantitative measure, it fails to take into account the improvements in quality of products and services in the economy. The social costs of the negative by-products such as air, water, and noise pollution, are not deducted from the tota l output. These costs also reduce our economic well-being. GDP per capita does not tell us whether the composition of the output is enriching or detrimental to the society or how these goods/services are distributed. Just as a household’s income does not measure its happiness, GDP per capita does not measure its total well-being.  The 2010 Report introduces three new indices to capture important aspects of the distribution of well-being for inequality, gender equity, and poverty.... Equity is inherent in the ideal of progress and seen as the convergence of standards of equality of opportunities or social justice (Cardoso 1996, p.44). There should be an equal distribution of resources to make more economic opportunities by making productive assets, health and education more accessible to all and thus increase avenues for human development. The more equal the distributions of these resources, the more likely that income growth will be reflected in an improvement in the life of each individual. The Gender Inequality Index is more on the topics of how women are treated in the economy because they are more likely at disadvantage in dimensions of reproductive health, empowerment and participation in the labor force. It relates human development and the inequality of male and female in terms of their achievements. The Multidimensional Poverty Index is used to measure human development resulting from their socio-economic status. The degree of poverty is seen as the caus e for the deprivation or loss of access to education, health and higher standard of living. However, there are important indicators of human development that are not included in the index. This includes the empowerment, cooperation and security. The expansion of people’s capabilities involving enlargement in choices available and increase in freedom is where basic empowerment relies on. People should be free to do and choose what economic activities to participate in. Human development should also be concerned with how people interact and cooperate in their communities. As social beings, the sense of belonging becomes an important source of their well-being giving them

Ratio Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ratio Analysis - Essay Example Suppose we want to assess the financial health of a very large or small firm, how can we analyze the firm so our analysis can provide an insight into the basic prospects for profitability of a firm? Is the firm losing or is it profitable? Are there prospects for making the firm profitable? Is the firm worth buying? Should we sell the firm? If we are to sell the firm, at what price should our purchase price be? How large are the firm’s debts? What are its prospects for profitability? What is the firm’s net worth? These are some of the questions in which ratio analysis can help provide an answer. Gibson (1982, p. 18) pointed out that the financial â€Å"ratios can be grouped into four categories: liquidity, debt, profitability, and other† financial ratios. The liquidity ratios include the working capital ratio, and the current ratio (Gibson 1982, pp. 18-19). Some of the broad debt ratios include the debt-to-capital and the debt-to-equity ratios. The debt-to-capital ratios used by many firms include the long term debt-to-long term debt plus stockholders’ equity, short term debt plus long-term debt-to-short term debt plus long-term debt plus stockholders’ equity, and several other ratios (Gibson 1982, p. 22). ... It also plausible that ratios can be devised based on one’s objectives although there are financial ratios that are conventionally or more popularly used to assess firm performance and status. As pointed out by Gibson (1982, p. 22), for example, â€Å"firm executives have many different opinions on how a firm debt position should be determined from the balanced sheet.† Profitability ratios include measures for earnings per share, return on equity, profit margin, return on capital, return on assets, gross margin, pre-tax margin, and operating margin (Gibson 1982, p. 23). Each type of ratio on profitability can include several specific types of measures. For example, the specific measures or ratios for profit margin include net income-to-sales, income from continuing operations-to-sales, income before minority share-to-sales, net income-to-total revenues, income before extraordinary item-to-sales, income from continuing operations and before extraordinary item-to-sales, a nd income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle-to-sales (Gibson 1982, p. 24). The tone of Gibson (1982) indicates that a financial analyst may improvise ratios or measures as long as they are helpful to analysis but there are ratios that are conventionally or more popularly used by analysts for assessing liquidity, profitability, debt, or other aspects of firm or business operations. The formulas of the more popular ratios are contained in financial and accounting textbooks. Meanwhile, the ratios identified by Gibson (1982) for drawing insights on firm or business operations include dividend per share, book value per share, effective tax rate, dividend payout, price earnings ratio, and labour per hour. However, surely there are other measures that can be developed depending

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Differentiate between the different types of cryptographic algorithms Essay

Differentiate between the different types of cryptographic algorithms - Essay Example These are secret key cryptography, public key cryptography and hash functions (Schneier, 2007). First, secret key algorithms are also known as symmetric key algorithms. The major feature of symmetric algorithms is the single key for encryption and decryption. This means that, the sender of the information uses a particular key to encrypt the plain text to cipher text sent to the receiver. After receiving information in the form of cipher text, the recipient uses the same key to decrypt the received message (Kessler, 2014). The single key used must be known to both sender and receiver of the message only. Therefore, the message sent is secret and only accessible by either sender or receiver. The second cryptographic algorithms are the public key cryptography. It is also known as asymmetric key cryptography. Public key cryptography involves two related keys although knowledge of one key cannot be used in determining the other key. The sender of the message uses one key to encrypt the plain text while the receiver uses another different key to decrypt the message. The public key can be revealed publicly while only the message owner uses the private key (Kessler, 2014). Lastly, in Hash functions, a computed based hash value of a fixed length is used upon a plain text making it secure and unrecoverable. In most cases, harsh algorithms provide a â€Å"digital fingerprint† of files to ensure that no alteration occur on the file. In addition, hash functions are used to encrypt passwords in many operating systems (Schneier,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Organizational Behavior and the Individual Essay - 3

Organizational Behavior and the Individual - Essay Example As stated above, studies of organizational behavior have gained immense prominence in the last few decades owing to globalization, cross cultural business settings and greater focus on increased employee productivity. Organizational behavior studies determine the context, environment and other factors which lead to successful desired behavior of employees that aligns with the strategies goals (McShane & Glinow, 2010). In anchoring a better understanding of the organizational behavior concept, MARS model is of special recommendation which points at four major determinants of individual performance- motivation, ability, role perceptions and situational factors (David Bourassa 2010). These four determinants take into account both personal and external factors that help determine the voluntary behavior and performance of employees. Weakening of any single factor result in a decline in the overall desired performance. Motivation is the drive which compels an employee to achieve the coveted goal. Various motivational theories have been propounded by eminent researchers stating the needs which work as facilitators for work encouragement. Maslow’s need hierarchy theory levels those needs on physiological, safety and self actualization criteria (David Bourassa 2010). It states that employees first look for fulfillment of general food, clothing and shelter needs and then climb up the need ladder to security and finally self actualization. This theory asserts that with successive levels of job and work, how needs change and alter the motivational perceptions of employees. Ability refers to the inherent talents and the acquired skills needed to accomplish the tasks given (David Bourassa 2010). Employees are found to demonstrate superior performance in areas where their competencies- values, skills and talents match. Also, with training and making them develop the required skill

Monday, September 23, 2019

Journal entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Journal entry - Essay Example The characteristics of learning materials were concurrently expounded providing discussions on language, culture and viewpoints of learners, as necessary. Various techniques were likewise presented regarding soliciting information regarding materials and getting the most from them. One would definitely benefit from the contents of the article in terms of recognizing the role that instructional materials play in learning English as a second language. In the process, the techniques that were discussed are tools that would provide direction and guidelines in determining which materials are most effective and what particular information could be used to maximize learning. If one would be required to work on a particular project within the course module, the materials would provide the theoretical framework within which various applications could be generated. Therefore, through recognizing and awareness of instructional materials’ relevance to the course, one is made more sensitive and discerning in selecting and using the most effective materials to ensure that learning objectives are appropriately met. Kitao, K., & Kitao, S. K. (1997, April). Selecting and Developing Teaching/Learning Materials. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from The Internet TESL Journal :

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Magnificent play Essay Example for Free

Magnificent play Essay Language is extremely powerful in The Crucible. Millers words are used effectively and do not include anything unnecessary to convey the idea. For instance, She thinks to dance with me on my wifes grave. And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whores vengeance and you must see it, I set myself entirely in your hands. This quote consists of simple speech and tells a straightforward message. Proctor knows his mistake and regrets it, but he also knows he must reveal it to the court in order to stop the trials. Another example of a powerful quote is A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This quote is very effective in a way Danforth is telling everyone their fate. He is saying those against the court are evil and will suffer the consequences for it, presumably death. he tells everyone in favour of the witch trials that they are victorious and have nothing to worry about if they carry on as they are doing. The theme of this play I believe is a very interesting one. In my opinion The Crucible is about rising over adversity, standing for the truth even to the death. there are many examples in the play to support my opinion. John in the beginning wanted to keep distant from the trials, he didnt want to have a part whether good or bad, but when Elizabeth was arrested he was forced to take part. Throughout the trial, he stood for the truth. He confessed to his affair and was forgiven for his sin. He died a hero learning what truth really meant through his sufferings and struggles. there is also a great deal of hysteria in this play. The villages people were easily manipulated by Abigails lies and came to quick poorly judged conclusions, which lead to killing a great many innocent people. Act 3 is very strong most of the main things are revealed such as the courts verdict, who is right and who is wrong, who will win and who will die. It is an extremely gripping part of the play, telling how Proctor was so close to victory (through his confession and Mary Warren) yet he still defeated by the envy of Abigail, or rather the loyalty of Elizabeth and the fearful Mary warren. He knows he will die but he also knows he has a chance of stopping this fate yet because of his decency Proctor decides he would rather face death than bring trouble upon his friends and everlasting shame upon his family. I also noticed that in act 3 the three main sides are shown clearly. The power hungry stand together, those full of jealousy, greed, hate and lust join and those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the truth unite. The people in this play may have had different motives for accusing other people, and practically sentencing them to death, but the outcome of all accusations was more or less the same. Innocent people died and there was more than one person to lay the blame on. In almost every conflict, there is someone or some people to hold responsible. In this case, it was Abigail for her manipulative nature, the Putnams for their greed, Mary Warren for being weak-willed and Rev. Parris for craving power. It makes one wonder how such a diminutive act of young girls could lead to such destruction of a community. How could innocent people be sentenced to death simply because some girls were playing and dancing? This is the power of religion and the annihilation it can cause if people refuse to tolerate any other explanation and follow it blindly. The Crucible is a magnificent play, superbly written conveying one simple message. It is better stand for the truth and sacrifice yourself than to live with a lie. It reminds us that man is not perfect, and that we can make mistakes. However, even with these mistakes, we can cleanse ourselves and purify ourselves by making what is wrong right.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Land Law Problem Question on Driveway Development

Land Law Problem Question on Driveway Development Land Law Coursework Introduction The problem focuses on whether James would be bound by the right of driveway and the lease that Lily creates during her ownership in which the land was unregistered. Also, James wants to know whether the developer is bound by his interests; the restrictive covenant and the drainage. A distinction between the interests must be revealed in order to determine whether those interests are legal or equitable since they are treated differently by the law.[1] James became the first registered proprietor of the property in 2016 since Lilys title had remained unregistered from 1982. The sale to James is a registrable disposition of the land as a transfer.[2] Subsequently, James has become the legal owner and has complied with obligations under s.27 Land Registration Act 2002 (LRA). Driveway The first issue is whether James is bound by the right to use the driveway that Lily granted to Bill. This right is an easement.[3] The next thing to consider is whether this easement is capable of being a legal or equitable easement. Under s.1 (2) (a) Law of Property Act (LPA) for an easement to be a legal, it must be for a term equivalent to the fee simple absolute in possession or for a fixed term of years.[4] However, as shown by the facts this only lasts until Bill could create an alternative access. That is not a term of years since there is not a fixed date and it is not equivalent to the fee simple absolute as it is determinable. Therefore, it can be only equitable easement.[5] Equitable rights are rights in personam, which means a right is enforceable against certain persons.[6] Although the land was unregistered, James can be bound by rules for equitable interests. As there is no land charge registered,[7] the only way this right will be enforceable is subject to the doctri ne of notice. The only way that James can be bound is the doctrine of notice. This operates so that equitable interest will bind everyone except the bona fide purchaser (BFP) for value of a legal estate without notice. So, equitable owners could lose their interests if BFP of land has no notice of them. The absence of notice must be genuine and honest.[8] In this situation, the reasonable purchaser would have made enquiries because as the house plan showed, there is no alternative way for Bill to enter his garage apart from using Jamess driveway. Constructive notice is set out in s.199 (1) (ii) (a) LPA which provides that a purchaser will be bound by notice if it is within his knowledge, or would have come to his knowledge if such inquiries and inspections had been made as ought reasonably to have been made by him.[9] Here, James has deliberately abstained from enquiries to avoid having notice.[10] So, the fact that James solicitor did not find anything about the right of driveway o n the title register is irrelevant, and it is therefore likely that he will be bound due to constructive notice. Legal lease The second interest was a 4-year lease of the stable block to Usman which was created in 2015. This is potentially a legal lease since it is a term of years absolute, thus being a legal estate in land.[11] However, a lease that is more than 3 years to be valid must be created by deed.[12] In this case, Usman has only a letter which suggests that he failed to comply with the formalities.[13] At this point, is necessary to know exactly if it was a letter or a deed as it is considered as a very important detail. Since there is no deed it does not take effect at law and is equitable only. S.11 (4) (b) LRA[14] states that unregistered interests that override first registration are those that appear in Schedule 1.[15] Equitable leases cannot be an overriding interest under Schedule 1 Paragraph 1 because it applies only to legal leases.[16] It can be argued that James had constructive notice when he bought Oswald House as he noticed the painting equipment when he viewed the stable. However, James asked Lily about them and she clearly lied to him as she replied that they belonged to a friend which would get rid of them before James moved in. James can be considered as a BFP of a legal estate for value without notice. Therefore, James takes free from Usmans lease. Restrictive Covenant The third issue is whether the developer can build houses on the register land field. Although the covenant was created by deed, it is an equitable interest[17] because it does not fall in any legal interests that are listed in s.1 (2) LPA.[18] It is not a registrable disposition under s.27 of LRA.[19] S.29 of LRA[20] makes it clear that a purchaser is bound by interests that are protected by entry of notice on the title register or interests that override under Schedule 3.[21] Also, Schedule 3 Paragraph 2 refers to the interests of persons in actual occupation. James is not in actual occupation therefore it cannot be applied.[22] Restrictive covenants do not appear on Schedule 3 of the interests that can override. Also, there is no notice under s.32 LRA[23] which would protect the interest and thus developer takes free. Drainage Within the same deed as restrictive covenant, James had been granted a right of drainage. Right of drainage is an easement.[24] The next thing to consider, is to identify the nature of this right as to whether it is a legal or equitable easement. To be a legal easement, it must be equivalent to a term of years or to the fee simple absolute under s.1 (2) (a) LPA. Since it is created by deed and it complies with the requirements it can be regarded as potentially a legal easement.[25] As this easement was created prior to the LRA, it is not a registrable disposition.[26] Although, they can be overriding interests under the LRA Schedule 3 Paragraph 3 (which states that a legal easement is an interest that can override registrable disposition).[27] This easement is not the subject of an entry in the register, as James can find no mention of it. Therefore, it needs to be checked whether it falls within any of the Paragraphs of Schedule 3. Schedule 3 deals with interests that override regis trable dispositions. Only easements that are obvious on a reasonably careful inspection will override. It is argued that this should have been obvious due to its regular use, therefore it will override.[28] Therefore, developers are bound by James easement even though it does not appear on the title register. Conclusion In conclusion, James is bound by the right that Lily creates in relation to Bills driveway but takes free from Usmans lease. On the contrary, the developer can build his new homes on the field but is bound by Jamess right of drainage. Bibliography Primary Sources Table of Cases Ellenborough Park, Re [1956] Ch 131 Jones v Smith [1841] 66 ER 943 Kling v Keston Properties Ltd [1989] 49 P CR 212 Midland Bank v Green [1981] AC 513 Table of Legislation Land Charges Act 1972 Land Registration Act 2002 Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 Law of Property Act 1925 Secondary Sources Books Clarke S and Greer S, Land Law (5th edn, Oxford University Press 2016) Journal Articles Chambers R., Landmark Cases in Property Law [2016] CLJ 635 [1] Sandra Clarke and Sarah Greer, Land Law (5th edn, Oxford University Press 2016) 38. [2] Land Registration Act 2002, s.27(2)(a). [3] Ellenborough Park, Re [1956] Ch 131. [4] Law of Property Act 1925, s.1(2)(a). [5] Ibid, s.1(3). [6] Robert Chambers, Landmark Cases in Property Law [2016] CLJ 635, 637. [7] Land Charges Act 1972. [8] Midland Bank v Green [1981] AC 513, [528] (Lord Wilberforce). [9] Law of Property Act 1925, s.199 1(ii)(a). [10] Jones v Smith [1841] 66 ER 943, [55] (Lord Wigram). [11] Law of Property Act 1925, s.1(1)(b). [12] Ibid, s.54(2). [13] Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 s.1(2). [14] Land Registration Act 2002, s.11(4)(b). [15] Ibid, Schedule 1. [16] Ibid, Paragraph 1. [17] Law of Property Act 1925, s.1(3). [18] Ibid, s.1(2). [19] Land Registration Act 2002, s.27. [20] Ibid, s.29. [21] Ibid, Schedule 3. [22] Kling v Keston Properties Ltd [1989] 49 P CR 212. [23] Land Registration Act 2002, s.32. [24] Ellenborough Park, Re [1956] Ch 131. [25] Law of Property Act 1925, s.52. [26] Sandra Clarke and Sarah Greer, Land Law (5th edn, Oxford University Press 2016) 88. [27] Land Registration Act 2002, Schedule 3, Paragraph 3. [28] Ibid, Paragraph 3(2).

Friday, September 20, 2019

Understanding Educational Aspirations And Expectations

Understanding Educational Aspirations And Expectations It is no longer questioned that high education level and human capital formation promote human well-being and are one of the main preconditions for economic growth (Romer, 1989:28). Moreover, along with evolving globalization, competition and economic challenges world is facing, returns to academic achievements have become larger than ever (Harmon and Walker, 2001:39), and low academic achievements can be seen as a constraint for economic independence. It has been observed that during the World financial crisis unemployment has risen exactly among the less educated people  [1]  . Therefore, it would be just natural if we would see more young adults, from both genders and all ethnic and social groups, reaching for higher educational levels and taking advantage of possibility to gain higher returns. However, evidence shows that educational attainment among youth differs significantly (e.g., Betz and Fitzgerald, 1987). Therefore, the question remains: why equally talented individual s with similar abilities and initial preferences make different academic choices, and why some of them end up in lower paying jobs and occupations? Economists have tried to explain this phenomenon with the existence of credit market imperfections, which individuals from less advantageous backgrounds might be facing (Loury 1981, Galor and Zeira 1993, Piketty 1997). However, these hypotheses are questioned in a large body of literature. Although in developing countries credit constraints might be a partial explanation for differences in educational attainment, this does not fully explain the differences in the developed world. Evidence shows that in developed word families facing economic constraints, when it comes to education, represent only a small part of the community (Cameron and Taber 2002). Besides, nowadays there exist many organizations and funds which are providing scholarships and financial help to students from low income families  [2]  . Therefore, it is essential to look for other, more internal reasons that could explain differences in educational choices and attainment among young adults with equal abilities a nd preferences. For being able to understand and change ones educational and career choices, it is crucial to understand what determines his or her aspirations. However, explaining it is not a straight forward task. Aspirations are determined already in early childhood and are prone to changes throughout the life. Moreover, sometimes high educational aspirations are not sufficient to guarantee a better outcome. This phenomenon exists due to aspiration-expectation gap, when ones desired goals do not coincide with the expected outcome due to the disbelief to a successful result. This pattern is especially observed among women and certain ethnic groups. Therefore, it is not only crucial to look at the level of educational aspirations, but it is also essential to ask if ones aspirations are always fulfilled. Although a considerable amount of literature has examined educational and career aspirations of young adults, the existing literature tends to provide somehow different conclusions; therefore, a comprehensive and critical literature review, overlooking different factor influence ones academic and career aspirations, is still missing. The purpose of this study is to contribute to an understand of how factors like gender, ethnicity, peers, parents, teachers and self-efficacy beliefs influence young adult academic and career aspirations and decision making. This thesis will also explain why sometimes high aspirations for girls and Black students do not lead to higher educational outcomes; the existence of an aspiration-expectation gap will be supported by the latest empirical data. Further, this thesis will discuss the existing policy measures aimed to promote and raise children educational attainment. Hence, the research questions of this thesis are: What are the determinants of educational and career aspirations? Why high educational aspirations do not always lead to better outcomes? What are the existing policies and projects in order to raise ones educational and career expectations? The focus of the thesis will be qualitative studies and will be based on an extensive literature review, covering various study fields, explaining the determinants of educational and career aspirations (Part I). Part II will provide different theories explaining an aspiration-expectation gap for girls and Black students; the existence of it will be supported by the latest quantitative data from U.S. Census Bureau 2010. Further Part III will concentrate on the overview of the policy measures and government projects that have been implemented in order to raise ones expectation level and close the aspiration-expectation gap. Chapter 1 Literature review of the determinants of educational and career aspirations This chapter introduces the determinants of educational and career aspirations and expectations. It begins with an introduction of the necessary definitions. Further, it is explained how ones aspirations and expectations are formed by providing different views and findings from an existing literature. 1.1 Defining educational and career aspirations It is believed that student educational and career aspirations are the most relevant factors determining ones future educational attainment (Gottfredson 1981; Trice and King, 1991). Therefore, it is essential to understand the exact meaning of aspirations. However, there has not been reached a consensus of one and certain definition; therefore, various explanations have been provided by different authors. Markus and Nurius (1986) have reported aspirations as ones ideas and hopes of possible selves, i.e., what a person would like to and what would not like to become or achieve. In psychology, aspiration level has been defined as the level of quality of a task which one desires to attain. It is a determinant of an individuals performance level in the future. It has been hypothesized that aspiration level varies from persons to person and place to place and is determined by factors that may change and influence aspirations level during the lifetime  [3]  . Likewise, the Wisconsin model  [4]  , which is a socio-economical model developed by Sewell and his colleagues in 1969 meant to explain ones social mobility and its determinants, provides definitions of educational and career aspirations. The educational aspiration level variable in the model is explained as the level of education one would like to attain, e.g., not continue higher education after high school, finish vocational school or attains college or university degree. Sewell et al. (1969) defines career aspiration level as ones ambitions and thoughts about their future occupation. However, some studies have suggested that high educational aspirations do not necessarily lead to high educational attainment (Empson, 1992; Conroy, 1997). Gottfredson (1981) has identified this phenomenon and has provided explanation to it. She suggests the existence of realistic aspirations or expectations and idealistic aspirations. The former is applied when ones educational and career aspirations are tempered by knowledge of obstacles and opportunities (Brown, 2002: 91), while the idealistic aspirations are ones desired goals and ideal education and occupation, in other words best possible life outcome. If there is a difference between these two types of aspirations and ones idealistic aspirations do not reflect ones expectations or realistic aspirations, there exist an aspiration-expectation gap (Danziger and Eden, 2006). Hence, in this thesis Gottfredsons theory about two types of aspirations and Danzigers and Edens definition of aspiration-expectation gap will be used. Firstly, determinants of idealistic aspirations will be discussed. Later this thesis will elaborate on the external factors that shape ones expectations or realistic aspirations. For the sake of simplicity, in the following text this thesis will refer to realistic aspirations as expectations while to idealistic aspirations as aspirations. 1.2 Determinants of educational and career aspirations and expectations Understanding the exact elements that determine ones educational and career aspirations and expectations is a tricky task. Existing evidence shows that there are many factor and circumstances that can shape them in a positive or negative way. Therefore, to contribute to a clearer understanding, in the following sections this thesis will deeply and broadly examine the determinants of aspirations and expectations. 1.2.1 Initial endowments determinants of ones aspirations We will firstly look at the initial endowment determinants, i.e. gender and ethnicity, which influence ones aspirations. These factors are extremely powerful in shaping ones academic and career aspiration level already in an early childhood. 1.2.1.1 Gender: Gender effect has a relevant role in determining ones aspiration level. A considerable amount of literature has focused on gender-related differences in academic and career aspirations (Howard, 1979; Betz and Fitzgerald, 1987; Danziger and Eden, 2007). Different views exist on the nature of the differences among both gender aspirations. Patton and Creed (2007) has argued that male students tend to hold higher aspirations for education level and position in the labor force, while Mau and Bikos (2000), approaching the same question, found the opposite. They claimed that girls are more likely to hold higher aspirations than men. Overall, most of the studies have supported Mau and Bikos (2000) view (Figure No.1) (e.g., Clift and Vaughan 1997; Butlin 1999; Anisef et al., 2001; Perry et al., 2009). Also, during the last decades female educational attainment and workforce has increased rapidly (Schoon, Martin and Ross, 2007); however, it has been observed that not too many women expect to follow careers which are mainly associated with the opposite sex, such as science and technology, despite the fact that these careers usually yield higher salary. This pattern becomes even more compelling as there is no evidence observed of differences i n quantitative abilities in tasks related to science and technology between both genders (Betz and Hackett, 1981). Figure No.1: Source: Looker, D. And Thiessen, V. (2004:Figure 1) 1.2.1.2 Ethnicity: Research has shown that educational and career aspirations vary across different ethnic groups. However, the results found in different studies yield different conclusions. It has been wildly assumed that the highest educational aspirations are held by Asian (especially Chinese) students (e.g., Cheng and Stark, 2002; Willitts et al., 2005). Their high aspirations are formed earlier than ones for other ethnic groups and are held constantly high throughout life (Kao and Tienda, 1998). Most of the researches contacted have found that White boys have the lowest aspiration level between all the other ethnic groups (Figure No.2) (Dillard and Perrin, 1980; Strand, 2007) and their educational achievements during the last years have increased less than for other ethnic groups (Figure No.3)  [5]  . White boys were found to hold lower aspirations than their Black peers in the research conducted by Wilson and Wilson (1992). Contrary, Cook et al. (1996) discovered that middle class White male s had higher educational aspirations than low-income African American males. However, this conclusion does not seem straight-forward as the differences might be also explained by the economic factors. Figure No.2: Figure No. 3: Data source: S., Strand (2007: 39) Data source: Department for Children, Schools and Families: Statistical First Release, England (2010: 12) Although, Strand (2007) has found that Black Caribbean and Black African students might have higher academic aspirations than White students, their higher educational attainment seems to be much lower (Figure No.4). Therefore, a question arises: what are the factors that do not allow high aspiration transformation into high achievements? The answer lies in the aspiration-expectation gap on which this thesis will elaborate in chapter 2. Figure No.3: Source: Jusan Ng (2011) 1.2.2 External factors determinants of ones expectations In the next two sub-sections, this thesis will concentrate on external factors, i.e., peers, teachers and parents, which can positively or negatively influence ones academic and career expectations. 1.2.2.1 Peer effect: A variable studied in the literature concerning the determinants of academic and career expectations is the peer effect. The peer effect refers to the positive or negative influence significant others have on ones expectations and level of achievement (e.g., by providing one with feedbacks, models or norms how they should behave, think and act in certain situations). Among their peers young adults develop their identities and self concept; therefore they are essential socialization agents for a young individual (Bandura, 1989; Brown et. al., 1994; Black, 2002). Although, some have argued that children expectations are more likely to be shaped by the characteristics of a family than by the characteristics of peers (Duncan et. al., 2001), relevant amount of the literature shows that peers play a crucial role in influencing ones achievement level and educational expectations (Peterson et al., 1986; Willms 1986; Goldstein et al., 2005). Ide et al. (1981) examined ten studies published form 1966 to 1978 that concerned the peer effects influence on ones academic achievements and expectations. In all these studies, they found a significant correlation. This finding is consistent with Downs and Rose (1991) who argue that peer effect is contributing to the construction of ones behavior and academic expectations. Another, slightly different view is held by Haller and Butterworth (1960) who look more critically on the straight forward correlation between ones academic expectations and peer influence. Although, they do not reject it, they emphasize that the initial factors, like characteristics and family backgrounds, could play a key role in bringing together similar individuals in that way forming homogeneous groups of peers. According to Jonsson and Mood (2008) children with high academic expectations and achievements are likely to connect with those sharing the same interests and expectations. Oppositely, adolescents, who have worse attitude to school and lower expectations, will most probable be attracted to peers with similar views (Ryan, 2000). In sum, it has been found that being around a certain group of people will have an effect on a persons future, specifically, it will impact the academic level or career one will expect to achieve. However, the degree of the importance of peers is ambiguous as different studies yield different results. 1.2.2.2 Teachers and parents influence: As discussed earlier peers have a certain influence on shaping ones academic expectations (e.g., Peterson et al., 1986; Willms, 1986; Black, 2002); however, a significant amount of literature points out the importance of familys and teachers influence on children long term decisions, e.g., occupation considerations (Jurkovic and Ulrici, 1985; OBrien, 1990; Furman and Buhrmeister, 1992; Wall et al., 1999; Duncan et. al., 2001). It is believed that teachers and parents can positively influence ones confidence and beliefs of his or her abilities, thus, persuading that the person is capable of being successful in further life (Van Auken and Stephens, 2006). According to Wall et al. (1999) parents as a support and role model have influence on ones conception about educational and career opportunities. Parents social support is directly linked with students school experiences, achievements and behaviors (Nurmi, 1987). There also exist a positive correlation between parents expectations for their child and childs expectations for himself (e.g., Davies and Kandel, 1981; Hossler and Stage, 1992). Family support can encourage the student to devote bigger effort to learning and school tasks (Gilbert et al., 1993). It is also observed that children who have the highest self-efficacy are the ones with the biggest family social support (Dubow and Ullman, 1989). In contrast, the ones with low family cohesion are more exposed to depression, low self-efficacy and self-esteem (Moran and Eckenrode, 1991; Cauce et al., 1992; Hirsch and DuBois, 1992). Moreover, Wall et al. (1999) has claimed a stronger correlation between young male expectations and the family support than the one for girls. In the research by Roper, (2008) it was shown that parent expectations and student GPA are correlated (Table No.1). Children with higher grades tended to have parents with higher expectations for them. According to De Coulon et al. (2008) also parents education level plays a significant role in formation of children expectations. In their research, they found a significant correlation between low literacy rates of parents and low test scores by their children. It was shown that parents with the lowest literacy skills were the least supportive and encouraging in relation to education. As a result, children with such parents were more likely to report dissatisfaction with school and develop low educational expectations. Table No.1: Source: Roper (2008: 2) A significant amount of literature has discussed parents and family role in shaping ones expectations, however, the body of literature about teachers expectation influence is rather small. Cheung (1995) found evidence on positive teacher influence on ones academic achievements. Teacher support has shown to have a bigger influence on women, student from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic minority perceptions of academic and career opportunities (Ellis and Lane, 1963; Wall et al., 1999). However, it is often blamed that teachers have insufficient expectations for their students, especially for students in rural areas and for certain student groups (Bishop, 1989; Hilliard III, 1991). It is shown that teachers tend to establish better contact and attitude forward students with higher ability (Bamburg, 1994). This is seen as a problem because children tend to internalize and adopt teacher perceptions about their abilities, which as a result, in case of low teacher expectations can lead to psychological constraints for self-efficacy and self-esteem (Raffini, 1993). To sum up, a considerable body of literature has shown that teachers, parents and peers can influence ones academic and career expectations. Young adults tend to internalize expectations that others have about him or her and accordingly adjust their own educational and career expectations. 1.2.3 Self-efficacy beliefs As already discussed, all of the beforehand mentioned factors, i.e., gender, ethnicity and social support, have an effect on shaping ones behavior, thoughts and attitudes towards different tasks, education levels and occupations. However, in order to be able to reach the aspired goals it is also extremely beneficial that one has a high self confidence in what he is doing. It was shown that teachers and parents have the ability to influence ones self-beliefs what in turn leads to higher or lower level of academic expectations of that individual. Therefore, this section will discuss why high self-efficacy beliefs, i.e., ones belief that she or he is capable of producing certain level of performance to attain certain goals (Bandura et al., 2001), are important in determining the outcome. The importance of self-efficacy on ones educational expectations have been wildly studied in the literature (e.g., Bandura, 1994; Lent and Brown, 1996; Nauta et al., 1998; Brown Lent, 2006); it has been proven that individuals self-efficacy beliefs have a significant importance in promoting positive outcomes and reducing the possibility of negative outcomes (Oyserman et al., 2006; Destin and Oyserman, 2009). Students who have high self-efficacy are more productive, efficient and confident about their performances than their peers with the same ability but lower self-efficacy. It has been also shown that they put more effort and are more concentrated on the task than others, as well as they are more committed to their goals (Bandura, 1997; Schunk and Pajares, 2005). Therefore, the ones with high self beliefs perform better and based on better outcomes have higher future academic and career expectations (Brown Lent, 2006) (Figure No.5)  [6]  . Figure No.5: Source: Looker, D. And Thiessen, V. (2004: Figure 10) Chapter 2 Aspiration-expectation gap In the previous chapter, determinants of ones academic and career aspirations and expectations were discussed. It was shown by the evidence from the existing literature, that girls are more likely to hold higher aspirations than boys (e.g., Clift and Vaughan 1997; Butlin 1999; Anisef et al., 2001; Perry et al., 2009) and Black adolescents hold higher aspirations than Whites (e.g., Wilson and Wilson, 1992; Strand, 2007). It was also shown that social support has an influence on forming ones expectations. However, high aspirations do not always lead to high educational attainment and high position in the labor force (Strand, 2007). It has been suggested that the problem lies in the difference between aspirations and expectations. Unfortunately, often academic and career expectations of girls, Black Africans and Black Caribbean students are lower than their aspirations due to some perceptions in the society, perceived barriers or even academic feedback (e.g., Gottfredson, 1981; Armstrong Crombie, 2000). As a result, this can lead to underachievement and lowered self-efficacy beliefs (Bandura et.al. 2001). This chapter will approach this phenomenon by providing existing and relevant theories that tend to explain the reasons of an existing aspiration-expectation gap for females and ethnic minorities. Later, empirical data obtained from U.S. Census Bureau results will be provided to help us to confirm or reject some of the existing theories and hypothesis, therefore, giving the final concussions. 2.1 Gender: One of the explanations for different gender-related career expectations is that women career decisions are more complex than those of men. This arises from a bigger involvement in family and children lives or possible early pregnancy (Vonderacek et al., 1986; Lucas et.al., 1997; Eccles, 2005). Even more, women academic and career expectations can be shaped by existing stereotypes or strong gender identity because of social role perceptions (Eagly, 1987; Akerlof and Kranton, 2000; Danziger and Eden, 2007; Gupta et al., 2008). 2.1.1 Stereotype activation theory: Gender stereotyping can influence a persons decision making when it comes to academic or career choice (Heilman, 2001; Nosek, Banaji and Greenwald, 2002). Gupta et al. (2008) examined the impact of stereotypes on both genders intentions to follow traditionally male-related occupations. They found evidence showing that people were likely to internalize stereotypes and act according to them, choosing tasks associated with their own gender. This pattern is more observable if the stereotype is wildly accepted in a culture (Heilman, 2001). According to Day (1990) many women have high aspirations; however, usually they do not expect to be able to have the occupation they would like to in case it is more male-dominated. Wall et al. (1999) was examining the correlation between career expectations and career aspirations. As a result, they found inconsistency between women career expectations and aspirations, i.e., their expectations were most of the time lower than their aspirations. The phenomenon was explained by stereotypes in the society about gender-related jobs and women beliefs about the limits of what they possibly can achieve. 2.1.2 Social role and socialization theory: Another important theory explaining differences in men and women career and academic expectations is the social role theory. The theory, developed by Eagly (1987) is based on the historical division of men and women roles in the society, where women were associated with household responsibilities while men had responsibilities concerning livelihood of the family. Consequently, career expectations started to differ among men and women. Furthermore, the gender-related roles were usually transmitted to future generation making the distinction between appropriate gender roles in the society even stronger (Eagly, 1987). Moreover, the academic and career expectations are shaped by socialization processes people experience in childhood. Socialization shapes people perceptions of what is appropriate for themselves and for others, including what is expected from both genders (Seymour, 1999). Further, in early childhood children learn these roles associated with their gender, which in turn, shapes later perceptions about different types of jobs and influences their academic and career expectations (Danziger and Eden, 2007). According to Eagly and Wood (1999) and Franke et al. (1997) both genders tend to adjust their expectations in accordance with their social roles and expect to have occupations connected with their own gender (Dunne, Elliott and Carlsen, 1981). This leads to men occupying men-related professions and attaining higher educational levels while women tend to enter more female-related studies and jobs and attain lower educational levels (Powell and Butterfield, 2003). Although, gender stereotyping has been diminishing and the gender gap in education has been decreasing (Power and Wojtkiewiez, 2004), there are still fewer female than male representatives in men-related studies and profession fields (Powell and Butterfield, 2003); this shows that Eaglys (1987) social role theory is a considerable attempt to explain the differences between female and male academic and career expectations. 2.2 Ethicity: There are two main views, respectively structuralist and culturalist, that tend to explain differences in educational attainment between ethnic groups. 2.2.1 Structuralist theory: According to structuralist perspective, differences in educational choices between ethnic groups can be explained by external factors. The most influential factor, following structuralist theory, shaping ones expectations is the teacher support. This view has been supported by Ellis and Lane (1963) and Wall et al. (1999) who state that teacher support have an influence on ethnic minority students perceptions about academic and career opportunities. Unfortunately, most of the time teacher expectations are negatively correlated with ethnic minority group students expectations (Strand, 2007). In his report, Strand (2007) found evidence that teachers are likely to develop lower expectations for certain ethnic groups, especially for Black students. They also tend to hold unequal attitude towards White and Black student behaviors due to racism and social stereotypes. This, as a result, leads to a situation where ethnic minority students, following teacher beliefs about them, lower their ow n expectations of the possible outcomes regardless to their initial high aspirations. This, in turn, can explain the differences in educational attainment between Black students and their other ethnicity peers. However, the hypothesis, that educational expectations and attainment between ethnic groups can be fully explained by racism and social stereotypes have been criticized. Modood (2003) has argued that Asian students tend to face more social pressure and racial harassment than Black Caribbean and Black African students, yet their achievements are outstanding and there is no evidence that Asian students would experience aspiration-expectation discrepancies due to the racism toward their ethnic group. Although, there exist several problems with the structuralist core assumptions, their ideas present useful and testable information that helps to explain and understand the reasons behind Black African and Caribbean student aspiration-expectation discrepancies. 2.2.2 Culturalist theory: According to culturalist point of view, differences in educational choices rise from internal factors, like internalization of historical and social norms or constraints. Therefore, culturalist perspective can partly fill the missing holes in the structuralist theory and explain why, for example, Asian students perform better than their Black peers although are both prone to racial harassment. Caplan et al. (1991) has argued that Asian performance is significantly better than one for other ethnic groups due to their cultural perceptions and understanding. It is claimed that Asian students tend to hold higher sense of responsibility for their family and prioritize self-reliance more than students from other ethnic groups, especially, Black Africans and Black Caribbeans. It is observed that Black Caribbean boys on average experience bigger peer pressure than other ethnic groups. They are exposed to the pressure to adopt the lifestyle of street culture, which negatively influences their academic performance (Sewell, 1997). Ogbu and Fordhams (1986) have contributed to the explanation why Black students tend to have low educational attainment despite the fact that they are holding high educational aspirations. They focused on two opposite ways how students are thinking and behaving, i.e., acting White and acting Black. Due to the previously mentioned peer pressure of adopting the street culture, acting White, i.e., doing well at school, is not seen as appropriate behavior for Black students. Therefore, Black students choose to keep their identities and are avoiding acting White, what results in lower educational achievements and attainment than in case of an absence of this pressure. Another factor that triggers the low educational attainment for Black African and Caribbean students is the socio-historical factor (Ogbu, 1991). Based on the historical roles in the society for Black population, Black African and Black Caribbean students may under value the necessity of investment in education. This is due to job ceiling they might feel they are facing. It has been suggested that Black people do not have the same economic opportunities as White people in the job market. In a recent study, Fouad and Byars-Winston (2005) found that, despite the high aspiration level among the Black students, they expected fewer job offers and opportunities than their White counterparts. Therefore, it is easy to understand why Black student do not see education as an essential tool for being able to gain a high position in the labor force and their academic attainment is lower than the one for other ethnic groups. This in turn, unfortunately, has resulted in a tendency that Black peopl e are overrepresented in low skilled jobs and are a considerable propo

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

Econ 157 Health Economics Aram Cherkezyan Analytical Policy Write-Up Assignment 1 Affordable Health Care (ACA) In last few decades Health care sector many times helped to drag the economy from recession. However in last two years health care spending grew more slowly than the economy, and most probably it will repeat this year. Ongoing debates during last week continued about the pros and cons of Affordable Care Act and whether it will help the economy or not. Affordable Health Care plays a huge and a very important role in current US economy and particularly on employment, that is why I decided to focus my writing on Affected Health care and its consequences on US labor economy. The opponents of Affordable Care Act (ACA) claim that the Act will significantly worsen an economic condition in the country. However, in this write-up I’m going to focus on the advantages of Affordable Health Care and write only positive aspects of it. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) presents six ways that the ACA is helping the labor market, laying the foundation for future economic growth, and improving families’ financial security and well-being. I am going to provide an explanation for the most important points. First of all, preventing the growth of health care costs will decrease unemployment in near future. Currently United States has an unprecedented slowdown in the growth of healthcare (the lowest growth in the history during last three years), thus it will reduce the insurance premium costs for employers. Furthermore, employers will be able to hire more workers as soon as health care premium costs going to be smaller. Slower growth in health care costs reduces the growth of the health insurance premiums paid by employers, which has i... ...ty. Fifth and last point is the reduction in the long-term deficit and the foundation for future growth. ACA will reduce the deficit by about $10o billion and the ACA’s deficit-reducing effects will increase over time. CBO guesses that over the next two decades, the ACA will reduce the deficit by an average of 0.5 percent of GDP each year, thus reducing approximately $1.6 between 2022 and 2032. The decrease in long-term deficit will increase national savings, reducing foreign borrowing thus increasing national income. These factors will improve standards of living in the future. Relaying on these five major points I believe that Affordable Healthcare Act may shave a positive effect on US economy, improve health condition of low-income families, increase demand for goods and services, reduce foreign borrowing and decrease an unemployment rate in the United States. Essay -- Econ 157 Health Economics Aram Cherkezyan Analytical Policy Write-Up Assignment 1 Affordable Health Care (ACA) In last few decades Health care sector many times helped to drag the economy from recession. However in last two years health care spending grew more slowly than the economy, and most probably it will repeat this year. Ongoing debates during last week continued about the pros and cons of Affordable Care Act and whether it will help the economy or not. Affordable Health Care plays a huge and a very important role in current US economy and particularly on employment, that is why I decided to focus my writing on Affected Health care and its consequences on US labor economy. The opponents of Affordable Care Act (ACA) claim that the Act will significantly worsen an economic condition in the country. However, in this write-up I’m going to focus on the advantages of Affordable Health Care and write only positive aspects of it. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) presents six ways that the ACA is helping the labor market, laying the foundation for future economic growth, and improving families’ financial security and well-being. I am going to provide an explanation for the most important points. First of all, preventing the growth of health care costs will decrease unemployment in near future. Currently United States has an unprecedented slowdown in the growth of healthcare (the lowest growth in the history during last three years), thus it will reduce the insurance premium costs for employers. Furthermore, employers will be able to hire more workers as soon as health care premium costs going to be smaller. Slower growth in health care costs reduces the growth of the health insurance premiums paid by employers, which has i... ...ty. Fifth and last point is the reduction in the long-term deficit and the foundation for future growth. ACA will reduce the deficit by about $10o billion and the ACA’s deficit-reducing effects will increase over time. CBO guesses that over the next two decades, the ACA will reduce the deficit by an average of 0.5 percent of GDP each year, thus reducing approximately $1.6 between 2022 and 2032. The decrease in long-term deficit will increase national savings, reducing foreign borrowing thus increasing national income. These factors will improve standards of living in the future. Relaying on these five major points I believe that Affordable Healthcare Act may shave a positive effect on US economy, improve health condition of low-income families, increase demand for goods and services, reduce foreign borrowing and decrease an unemployment rate in the United States.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Islamic Religion :: essays research papers

Todays Muslims are branded as terrorists or fudamentalist. But their religion is a gentle religion. On the Arabian Penninsula, home of the Arabs, was isolated and they were able to develop their civilization without outside influences. It is about 1 million miles square, that is located between the Red sea and the Persian Gulf. There are two distinctive regions. The first has well-watered valleys between mountains and the second is arid plains and desert. Grass grows quickly during the showes of the rainy season. In ancient times the Arabs were bedouin (nomads that hersed sheep, goats, and camels. and lived in tents made made of felt from camel or goat hair.) They ate fresh or dried dates and drank milk from their herds. On special occasions they ate mutlon. their tribes were made of related families. They valued family ties becuase because they ensured they ensured protection and survival. They had a chief (sheikh). The sheikh ruled as long as the tribe allowed him. They had a counsil of elders. There was warfare over waterholes and pastures. Their way of punishment is an eye for sn eye and a tooth for a tooth. To improve warrior skills they had camel and horse. They had story telling in frount of the campfire. They had poetry about battles, desert, camels, horses, and love. In 500 A.D. they started a town called Makkah, which was fifty miles inland of the Red sea. Trade was mostly of animal producys for weopeans dates grains, spices, jewels ivory, silk, and perfumes. They had caravans travel there from as for china. Arabs had and worshipped many ditied business ties were replaceing family ties, and old tribal laws were not adequat Byzantine and the Persin armies were threatining to conquer them. The tribes had the some language but they had no central goverment, or sense of unity, The Arabs searched for new beliefs. The prohet of Islam was muhammad. He was born in Makkah in 570 A. D. . He was orphaned at an early age and was adopted by his uncle. He worked as a carovan leader on a trade route. He was know to be honest and able. His employer khadij'a ,a weakthy window if age 40, put him in charge of this business and proposed marriage to him. He went to a cave outside the city in 610 A.D. to pray and fast reveloution (vision) there. He was told to recite. "Recite in the name of your lord, the creator who created man from clots of blood. Rwcite! Your lord os the most bountiful one who by the pen has taught mankind things they didn't know.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A Review of Saint Augustine’s Virtue and the Human Soul Essay

In Augustine’s article â€Å"Virtue and the Human Soul,† happiness is discussed in great detail. What makes a man happy? How do we obtain this happiness and where does happiness reside? Can this happiness be lost? Augustine answers these questions by the notion of one’s â€Å"chief good.† He explains that a man’s chief good is the reason behind all happiness. If one is not happy, it is because they have not found their chief good, and therefore cannot be happy until they find it (Augustine 264-267). â€Å"Happiness is in the enjoyment of man’s chief good. Two conditions of the chief good: 1st, Nothing is better than it; 2nd, it cannot be lost against the will† (Augustine 264-267). As human beings, we all want to be happy and live enjoyable lives. However, Augustine believes that only one type of person can fully achieve happiness, the man who both loves and possesses their chief good (Augustine 264-267). He describes three other cases when happiness is not obtained. First, one who seeks what he cannot obtain suffers torture (Augustine 264-267). This means that someone who strives for something that they will never be able to reach is not happy. Secondly, one who has got what is not desirable is cheated (Augustine 264-267). This is saying that someone who has received happiness in a way that they do not like, or has received happiness that they do not want, can never be happy. Thirdly, one who does not seek for what is worth seeking for is diseased (Augustine 264-26 7). This final case is when someone seeks happiness through things that are wrong and not worth having. In all of these three mentioned cases, one’s chief good has not been found. Augustine continues in the article by discussing how man’s chief good is not inferior to man itself, but more as an equal to man. The chief good then must be something that is never lost against the will (Augustine 264-267). The chief good, once properly in the heart of a man, can never be taken away. It resides fully in the inner workings of man and is buried so deep within that nothing could ever take away the happiness. â€Å"For no one can feel confident regarding a good which he knows can be taken from him, although he wishes to keep and cherish it. But if a man feels no confidence regarding the good which he enjoys, how can he be happy while in such fear of losing it?† (Augustine 264-267). For example, when you go to a pet shop and see all the cute puppies. You want to hold them and pet them, and it makes you so happy for that brief period. However, you know that the happiness can be taken away from you, because you don’t own the puppies, you don’t get to take them home. Ultimately, you walk away sad, and wishing you could hold on to that happiness just a little longer. It is hard to be confident in a happiness that you know can be taken away from you at any time, and it’s equally as hard to have no confidence in your happiness because you live in fear of never being happy. Augustine continues his discussion of what makes a man. The question lies in the discussion between man being of the body only, of the soul only, or both. He talks about this to determine where man’s chief good resides, and from where it is discovered. â€Å"Man’s chief good is not the chief good of the body only, but the chief good of the soul† (Augustine 264-267). Augustine states that a person’s chief good is found in the soul and that the soul gives life to the body. The soul provides bodily pleasure, pain, strength, beauty, swiftness, etc. Without the soul, there would be no body, and without the body, no soul. They work together in order to achieve the chief good for man. Augustine gives the example of a coachman who works for him. The coachman does the most satisfactory job of caring for the horses, all because Augustine has provided the funds and bounty to the coachman. Can any one deny that the good condition of the horses is due to Augustine? (Augustine 264-267). His point is that without his money and horses, the coachman would never be able to do the job he was assigned, and because of Augustine in this example, the coachman can provide the happiness and care to the horses. This relates to the body being a direct worker of the soul. The body is the outward laborer of the soul’s control. Augustine’s article is summed up in the discussion of virtue. â€Å"Virtue gives perfection to the soul; the soul obtains virtue by following God; following God is the happy life† (Augustine 264-267). Augustine debates whether or not virtue exists on its own, or if it can only exist within the soul. He says virtue must exist on its own because the soul must have something to follow after in order to attain that virtue. Virtue must be gained; it is not already contained within the soul. This virtue, according to Augustine, belongs in the pursuit of God. As mentioned before, Augustine believes that one’s chief good cannot be taken away against one’s will. Therefore, it must remain that God is the virtue one seeks. Through following God, one’s chief good, happiness, and virtue can be both loved and possessed (Augustine 264-267). After reading and re-reading this article, I feel I have finally found the true meaning of what Saint Augustine was saying. Happiness cannot just be attained by the snap of a finger, by a simple glimpse of hope. Happiness must be sought after in a way that completely fills the soul and in a way that one can feel they are completely confident in their happiness. I agree with Augustine’s argument for the pursuit of God in finding happiness. I believe that God is the creator of happiness and virtue, and that through him anyone can find their chief good. My question to the class is this: do you agree with Augustine’s argument of happiness only coming from within the soul and God, or do you believe happiness can be obtained to its fullest potential in a different way? Work Cited Augustine, Saint. â€Å"Virtue and the Human Soul.† Vice and Virtue In Everyday Life. Comp. Christina Hoff Sommers and Fred Sommers. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.