Army Leadership Competencies Essay

Leadership competencies are groups of related actions that the Army expects leaders to do. The three categories are leads, develops, and achieves. The Army leader serves to lead others; to develop the environment, themselves, others and the profession as a whole; and to achieve organizational goals. Core competencies are those groups of actions universal to leaders, across cohorts and throughout organizations. They provide a clear and consistent way of conveying expectations for Army leaders. Leader competencies can be developed. Leaders acquire competencies at the direct leadership level. As the leader moves to organizational and strategic level positions, the competencies provide the basis for leading through change. Leaders continuously refine and extend the ability to perform these competencies proficiently and learn to apply them to increasingly complex situations. The category of leads encompasses five competencies. The first two focus on the affiliation of the followers and the common practices for interacting with them. Leads others involves influencing Soldiers and Army Civilians in the leader’s organization. Extends influence beyond the chain of command involves influencing others when the leader does not have designated authority or while the leader’s authority is not recognized by others, such as with unified action partners. Builds trust is an important competency to establish conditions of effective influence and for creating a positive environment. Leader actions and words comprise the competencies of leads by example and communicate. Actions can speak louder than words and excellent leaders use this to serve as a role model to set the standard. Leaders communicate to convey clear understanding of what needs to be done and why. Leaders are expected to extend influence beyond the chain of command, which usually has limited formal authority. This competency widens the responsibility and sphere of influence for a leader. Such influence requires insightful, and possibly nonstandard, methods to influence others. Its limited authority stems from the audience’s possible lack of the traditions, customs, and regulations of the Army and military forces. When extending influence, Army leaders have to assess who they need to influence and determine how best to establish their authority and execute leadership functions. Often they have little time to assess the situation beforehand and need to adapt as the interaction evolves. Extending influence is a competency that includes negotiation, consensus building and conflict resolution. Extending influence largely depends on the trust established with unified action partners and often applies to stability and defense support of civil authorities operations. Leaders operate to improve or sustain high performance in their organization. They do so by focusing on the four develops competencies. Creates a positive environment inspires an organization’s climate and culture. Prepares self encourages improvement in leading and other areas of leader responsibility. Leaders develop others to assume greater responsibility or achieve higher expertise. A leader stewards the profession to maintain professional standards and effective capabilities for the future and also they are responsible for development. They must ensure that they themselves are developing as well as developing subordinates, and sustaining a positive climate while improving the organization. Leaders encourage development and set conditions while performing missions they do this by having subordinates reflect on what happened during the event, by assessing whether units performed at or well above standard and why, in addition to having a positive mindset of improvement and l earning. Every experience is developmental. There are choices to make about developing others. Leaders choose when and how to coach, counsel and mentor others. Leaders often have the freedom to place people in the best situation to maximize their talent. Then the leader provides resources the subordinate needs to succeed, makes expectations clear, and provides positive, meaningful feedback. While leaders need to develop others, they have to set a positive climate in which individuals and the unit can improve and operate. As part of their developmental responsibilities, leaders must prepare themselves and act to promote long-term stewardship of the Army. Gets results is the single achieve competency. It relates to actions to accomplish tasks and missions on time and to standard. It is a process of providing value toward mission accomplishment. Getting results is the goal of leadership. However, leaders must remain mindful that leading people and creating positive conditions enable them to operate as successful leaders. Getting results requires the right level of delegation, empowerment and trust balanced against the mission. Adaptability to conditions and adjustments based on adversarial actions are ever important elements of success. Leadership and increased proficiency in leadership can be developed. Fundamentally, leadership develops when the individual desires to improve and invests effort, when his or her superior supports development, and when the organizational climate values learning. Learning to be a leader requires knowledge of leadership, experience using this knowledge and feedback. Formal systems such as performance evaluation reports, academic evaluation reports, and 360 degree assessments offer opportunities to learn but the individual must embrace the opportunity and internalize the information. The fastest learning occurs when there are challenging and interesting opportunities to practice leadership with meaningful and honest feedback and multiple practice opportunities. These elements contribute to self-learning, developing others and setting a climate conducive to learning. Leader development involves recruiting, accessing, developing, assigning, promoting, broadening, and retaining the best leaders, while challenging them over time with greater responsibility, authority and accountability. Military leadership is unique because the armed forces grow their own leaders from the lowest to highest levels. Army leaders assume progressively broader responsibilities across direct, organizational and strategic levels of leadership. The Army entrusts leaders to develop professionally and be ready to accept greater responsibility when called upon. Reference List United States Army. (2006). Army Leadership (Field Manual 6-22)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office United States Army. (2012). Army leadership (Army Doctrine Reference Manual 6-22)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office United States Army. (2007). Army Leadership (Army Regulation 600-100)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office United States Army. (2012). Leadership Development and Assessment Course HandbookJoint Base Lewis-McChord: U.S. Government Printing Office Department of Defense. (2010). Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. (Joint Publication 1-02) Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Culture and Sexual Behaviors

Indeed, an obvious common trait of every being, insects, animals, and peoples, comes from their need for reproduction. On the lesser beings, the need for reproduction is based on the security of their species and on increasing their population for food and territorial accumulation.People on the other hand, aside for survivability, see reproduction as an opportunity for fulfilling sexual desires. However, sexual activity is enforced not only by instinct but by other factors such as intimacy and social engagement. Also, sexual behavior is where human families are formed and defined[1].Culture has contributed on the differences of sexual behaviors of humanity. Because of the diversity of native or local beliefs, traditions, practices, and arts among people of different nationality, sexual behaviors differ across nations.Also, religious affiliation and moral convictions affect these differences. In this essay we will discuss culture and religion and their development by region and give s pecific examples by country. Also, the essay will seek to describe and define sexual behaviors with regards to psychological studies.Sexual behavior is a term which describes human activities concerning their interaction with an homosexual or hetersexual partner. Sexual activities primarily start on attraction by an individual and the efforts done in order to attract the other person. It is followed by interactions and conversations which later reveal their compatibility and satisfy their preferences.Social contact or the actual love-making then occurs. The process may happen in a short period of time in liberal societies, usually in places where people are open minded on the concept of â€Å"one night stands.† In conservative areas, however, sexual behavior may follow strictly the tradition of courting which may take a very long time.One major sexual behavior issue concerns sexual transmitted diseases (STD's). Transmitted through sexual activities, these diseases requires th e attention of health workers and the awareness of the public. Also, another issue is pre-marital sex or literally engaging in sexual activities outside of marriage.This sexual activity is criticized mainly by religious sectors who value the sanctity of marriage and reproduction, most vocal is the catholic church. Other important issues are rape, child pornography, and unwanted pregnancy.Culture is considered to be the mental programming of societies which differentiates them from another [2]. Cultures primarily have three elements: systems of meaning, ways of social organization, and unique group features and product[3].It implies a society's set of norms, behaviors, practices, beliefs, and moral considerations. On these, it is proper to say that culture defines how and what people conceive and act. These factors are however changed by people due to their exposure to other cultures.The differences between cultures are caused mainly by the area's native and historical formation. How ever, cultures are influenced mainly by religious dominance or teachings accepted in the area. Large portions of a sociey's norms and values come from religious teachings. Religion affects one's convictions and moral considerations, which also defines individual actual preferences.The western culture is considered to be the most dominant due to its rich and early development and the capacity of its people to employ their cultural activities in many places through efficient means. Also, it is enforced by great western thinkers and intellectuals who have contributed in the formation of human activities and knowledge. Included are Aristotle, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, and Martin Luther.Western culture originated in ancient Greece, the founder of freedom and democracy. There the formation of free human thought and will came to the conception of many through the great teachers like Socrates and Plato.It grew larger together with the expansion of the Roman Empire in Europe leaving large amount of influence to its new found territories. Its development goes with the stages of intellectual formation in the west, including the renaissance, scientific revolution, the period of enlightenment, the American revolution, the industrial revolution, and today's modern and advanced society[4].Individualism and the pursuit of knowledge and practical results characterize western culture[5]. These then explains the active, open-minded, and experimenting characteristics of westerners.The Asian culture is the collective term for the system of thought and action for the continent of Asia. The area however is subdivided into different relative nations or regions based on their geographical and historical relationships. Included in this regions are the central, east, south(Indian subcontinent), north, southwest, and southeast asia.These subregions usually share a common history and heritage, with beliefs extended by religious dominance. Also, many parts of Asia h ave been colonized by western countries thus having characteristics of western culture.Compared to western beliefs, Asians give large amount of importance to hierarchy, politeness, and conservatism. Traditions are followed strictly in many places not yet influenced by the west. Also, the non-material pursuit dominates Asian beliefs due to the extensive influence of Buddhism.[1]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tom W. Smith. American Sexual Behavior: Trends, Socio-Demographic Differences, and Risk Behavior [Digital Library] Available from http://cloud9.norc.uchicago.edu/dlib/t-25.htm[2]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Silvia Ubillos, Darà ­o Paez and Josà © Luis Gonzà ¡lez. â€Å"Culture and sexual behavior† Psicothema 2000. Vol. 12, Supl., pp. 70-82 [ Digital Book] [3]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Peg Collins, Dr. Richard Law, and Eric Miraglia. â€Å"What is Culture† [website] accessed from http://www.wsu.edu/gened/learn-modules/top_culture/culture-index.html[4]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Western Culture Global. â€Å"What is Western C ulture.† [Internet Article] Accessed from http://www.westerncultureglobal.org/what-is-western-culture.html#1a[5]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr James Ng. Characteristics of Chinese culture and aspects of health care [internet article] accessed from http://www.stevenyoung.co.nz/The-Chinese-in-New-Zealand/History-of-Chinese-in-NewZealand/Characteristics-of-Chinese-culture-and-aspects-of-health-care.html

Health Promotion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health Promotion - Assignment Example Also, chronic diseases account for 75% of the national health budget. Prevention of chronic diseases, therefore, not only improves the health of the community but also reduces healthcare spending. There are a lot of health challenges associated with old age. Most degenerative and non-communicable diseases are prevalent among the elderly population, affecting mostly those living in low socioeconomic settings (Thakur, Banerjee & Nikumb, 2013). Furthermore, the authors note that health in old age is related to health earlier in life. For instance, intrauterine growth retardation has been shown to increase the risk of diabetes and diseases of the circulatory system later in life. Also, obese children are more likely to develop chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes among others. As a result, elderly people face a lot of health challenges that should be addressed to improve their quality of life. In the case of AK, the most easily identifiable health problem is unintentional weight loss, attributable to the recent appetite loss. He reports that he takes a glass of wine before going to bed and also smokes 0.25 packs of cigarette a day for the past six months. An analysis of his social history reveals that he has been having trouble sleeping, and experiences daytime somnolence. The patient also has several chronic diseases that are being treated, including hypertension (ICD-9 401-405), osteoarthritis (ICD-9 715.09) and cataracts (ICD-9 366). Several interventions can be made for AK’s condition, covering primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention. They include: At the primary prevention level, AK should incorporate certain behavior changes into his daily life. First, he needs to ensure that he is more physically active. He says that he enjoys gardening at home, which is a good form of exercise. However, his recent accident indicates that he should not do the gardening alone. High resistance physical

Japanese Internment Camps Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Japanese Internment Camps - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that the subject of the Japanese internment camps has been a topic of hot debates over the decades. In most cases, several opinions abound on the very essence of those camps and on whether or not they addressed the situation for which they were intended. Critically, that continues to be the subject of argument. In any case, the perspective of the arguer is very critical in the analysis of the whole concept. The core of the argument also lies on whether the camps were necessary as a military action and or whether it was a nationality issue gone sour. To begin, it is imperative to realize that prior to the Pearl Harbor, most Americans of Japanese decent were actually residing peacefully in the United States and there was no issue in connection to American security despite the war that was picking up in the world. This paper makes a conclusion that the trigger of the whole imbroglio was the attack on the Harbor which certainly left many Americans confused and bitter. The justification of their radical change of mind with regard to their Japanese counterparts arose out of the paranoia situation that certainly engulfed the country. In any case, this was a very critical time and Americans were just being democratic by addressing their right of security. History is awash with several instances where spies have caused more trouble than was expected. In the American case, there idea to confine the Japanese was therefore a timely decision considering the world events at that time. In the period of the WWII it was clear that the Axis powers were basically fighting to capture the whole world under their control while the Allied powers were rooting for global peace. With such an evil mindset on the Japanese leaders, there was a need to carefully address the Japanese situation in the United States. Moreo ver, the general trend at that time was the possibility of a long period of war which could involve the United States. The role of the military is basically to safeguard the country’s borders in whatever respect as may deem necessary. Therefore the decision to create the internment camps should always be addressed from the perspective of United State’s security which was certainly at risk in that period. It is known that in critical situations very radical decisions are normally the order of the day. Inasmuch as counter opinions arise against the internment of the Japanese, it is important to come to terms with the realities of that time. Any

Private prisons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Private prisons - Research Paper Example Governments do consider the benefits and drawbacks of Private Prisons and pros and cons are always analyzed all the time. The arguments in favor and against the case of private prisons revolve around money matters. Some advocates believe that it diminishes the overhead cost for federal and state agencies. Opponents are of the idea that private prisons will not have quality staff or security, lack of excellent maintenance and building, and also probable delays of letting the community know of the convict’s flight (Moore). When a state transfers convicts to private prison, there are many rooms inside the state prisons for more prisoners or right space for prisoners who were already present there. This state prison saves the money which is spent on supplies bought for the current convicts living there and also can diminish potential violence because whole living tension is reduced. When a private company goes bankrupt, all the doors are shut down. This results in possible prematu re release of violent prisoners. The whole amount of money that federal government gives to private firm to run the operations of a prison can be reduced if government can carry on the activities of prison by itself. Lower labor costs which are an aftermath of public prisons are also a factor. Most public service employees receive more in wages that is salary and the benefits in comparison to private employees. These wages are almost more than half of the overall operating expenses that a prison bears. Most private organizations still give the same salary as do the federal governments. But the health care, overtime payments and claims for compensation are usually lower for private prisons (Bledsoe, 2013). Private firms are better when it comes down to performance as compared to publicly owned prisons. They bear the claim that as the contracts they make with governments can be canceled any time, so they work on their best to provide better service than the public prisons. This usuall y means that privately owned prisons are mostly safer as compared to publicly owned prisons, and living conditions in them are better as well. Mostly, it is the prisoners’ rehabilitation that is the most noticeable quality of private prisons. Budget Predictions are much easier when it comes to publicly owned prisons. Federal governments, when working with private enterprises, have a good prediction of right cost to bolster each prisoner each day. This also assists in analysis when grant is requested. The challenge that privately owned prisons pose is that they increase their fees or allow raise expenditures for other activities and create a strain for the state financially. Private prisons pose a threat to the state in the sense that governments become too much reliant on the private organizations for a prison. This leads to high costs of operating such prison because private firms sometimes tend to work with lesser efficiency as they promised before. When governments become too much reliant on private enterprises, the cost increases a lot (Michael, 2013). All the prison services do not have money to increase the size of the building as the population of convicts grows. The amenities offered by private prison have the capacity to increase the size of their buildings so that they can arrange the building parts so that they can be utilized for different purposes. For instance, a huge room with a closed room can be used as a gym or a dormitory. This is easily achieved in

Nursing Response to Suspected Excessive opioid Overdose in Palliative Research Paper

Nursing Response to Suspected Excessive opioid Overdose in Palliative Care Patient - Research Paper Example However, in this case the answer was negative and the triage process was moved to decision section B. Decision section B, the triage staff, decides whether the patient can safely wait or can not to be given medical attention. If the patient is not able to hold on then the process is moved to decision section C. However, in this scenario, the patient can not wait much longer and thus the patient is categorized as ESI level 2. In ESI level 2, Three chief question are put into consideration. These questions are: (1) Is the patient in serious risk situation? (2) Is the patient disoriented? (3) Is the patient in serious distress? The triage healthcare provider obtains patient subjective and objective assessment to respond to these questions. From the short and quick interview, gross examination, and the six sense from the triage, healthcare provider in ER identifies the patient to be at high risk (Nielsen, Siersma, Nielsen, and Rasmussen, 2012). In ESI sub level1a above, the healthcare pr ovider perform the assessment of the patient. It is extremely complicating and of high risk when taking care of a patient under the overdose of the opioid. The triage healthcare provider has the responsibility of assessing the patient for any suspicion of the narcotic overdose. Some of the symptoms for a suspected opioid overdose the staff comes up with in this case are; slowing level of consciousness, low respiratory rate, decrease of the pupils in size, and poorly reactive pupils. Overdose of Opioid weakens the respiratory and the CNA. In the flowchart above the second step, ESI sub-level 2b, is the stimulation of the patient, it clearly suggest the patient to be stimulated by administering oxygen... ESL algorithm produces fast, reproducible, and clinically stratification of patients into five steps. It is better to operationalize a case scenario to demonstrate health flow use of ESI. Consider the case scenario represented in the flowchart above, The patient is Opioid overdosed and is admitted into the ER. For the ER staff to assist the patient they will have to create an ESL module that will facilitate the optimal care of the patient. ER staff initiates the drafting of the flow chart above using ESI triage tool. The tool aide the staff to formulate a sequence of analytical steps to assist the patient. ESI triage tool groups patients into five categories 1= most serious and 5= less serious. ESI postulate a method of classifying patients in ER by both resource needs and acute. ESI in the ER is to prioritize all incoming patients to denote those who can not wait to be seen. The staff in ER perform a quick, determined assessment, and assigns the patient a triage level, which is the key measure of how much longer a patient can safely hold on before treatment. It is vital to identify the workflow in ER can be extended further to achieve functionality that is not addressed by the external presentations included in the above levels. This can be postulated by programming new external application of certain problem.

Ww1, roaring 20s, theodore roosevelt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ww1, roaring 20s, theodore roosevelt - Assignment Example He propagated for a government that serves as an agent of reform for the benefit of the citizens. Through his belief in the government, he gave it, more power to regulate big businesses so that its activities did not affect the general public negatively. Roosevelt also revolutionized foreign affairs because he believed America had a responsibility to build a strong foreign policy. In terms of the presidential style of leadership, Roosevelt incorporated charisma into his political equation. He had a strong attachment to the public and knew how to use the media to shape public opinion (Giblin 151). Even after his death, his legacy continues today and Americans continue to commemorate his life. When Germany declared its intentions to resume unrestricted submarine attacks on Allied and neutral shipping areas within the prescribed war zones, President Woodrow Wilson did not find a reason to join the battle. He refrained from asking for a declaration of war on Germany since he doubted whether the U.S. public would support him (Giblin 51). He thought providing ample proof that the Germans intended to attack the U.S. ships without warning would more important instead of seeking support without proof. Wilson left open a possibility to negotiate the situation with the Germans in case they refrained from attacking the U.S shipping. Nevertheless, the German submarines sank several American ships throughout the February and March period, resulting in the death of several U.S. citizens and seamen. Thus, on February 26, President Wilson requested the Congress to allow him to arm the U.S. merchant ships with naval equipment and personnel (Giblin 121). The request proved unfruitful, and Wilson was forced to arm the merchant ships through his executive order. These among other conflicts between the Germany and the U.S. forced Americans to declare war on Germany in order to protect their territory. The 1920s is often regarded as the â€Å"Roaring Twenties,† and

Leadership Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Leadership Theory - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present moral accountability as one’s ability to decide what is good and what is wicked. For organizations, it is their rules and regulations, strategies and policies and actions of management, which demonstrate that whether the organization is on the path of morality or not. British Petroleum like many other organizations has several issues regarding Moral Accountability that deteriorate their reputation and weaken the trust of their employees. One most important issue pointing out low moral accountability in British Petroleum is the killing of eleven workers and churn out of more than four million barrels of oil from Macondo well into the sea. This happened because of crash of various processes and equipments, which the experts did not maintain and investigate earlier. If they had done so, the consequences would not be that precarious. Another problem was stoppages of key disconnect system, which could have stopped the flow of oil, but unfo rtunately it did not work due to outburst and blowout preventer did not receive the signals. In addition, the automatic closure system also did not work which created a big question on the upholding and testing of blowout preventer technology. BP furthermore experienced disappointment from its remote operated vehicles, which should have worked on shear rams to close up the pipes of oil. The reason for this failure also remains a mystery. All these machinery problems are not merely results of technology failure but real causes must be the people who had the duty of taking care of all the machines responsible for saving human lives in danger (Walsh, n.p, 2010). However, they did not consider themselves accountable for loss of human lives, which resulted in this incident. This shows that British Petroleum did not have strict rules and regulations pertinent to taking care of emergency machines and systems, indicating less accountability for moral issues. Impacts of Low Moral Accountabil ity in British Petroleum Now, the important matter is that what influences a rig operator will have after the occurrence of such big destruction. Undoubtedly, he would not like to work at such a perilous place because he must have lost his trust in the technology and take a long time to recover from this dilemma (Bower & Gilbert, pp. 427-428, 2005). It would be very difficult for him to get his trust back and start working at British Petroleum or any other organization having same technologies or procedures. Another major accountability problem of British Petroleum is the decreasing value of its shares. If a person has invested a huge amount in shares of British Petroleum that he has a major income stream from its shares, then he is going to be in a great danger because after the accident of oil, the value of its shares has decreased 39 percent. People invested in shares of British Petroleum have long lasting impacts of this incident because they invested almost half of their saving s, which no more remained savings. In this way, British Petroleum lost the trust of many retirees of UK and became injurious for their invested money. Moral Accountabil

The Last Song Essay Example for Free

The Last Song Essay It has been widely accepted that textbook is an essential component of the classroom. It is the most common teaching device. A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study. They are produced according to the demand of educational institution. This paper is a textbook evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the book to the 3rd year high school students in the reading development and if it provides the learning goals of each lesson, classified into listening, speaking, reading, grammar, writing and study skills, and values objectives as a tool for learning and living in the highly competitive world. Education demands a high-quality level of learning device or technology. In fact, the efficiency of the teaching-learning process depends on the authenticity and relevance of the instructional material. One of which is the textbook. One of the skills education demands is the skill on reading. Reading is the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message. According to Timothy Dwight, â€Å"A person who cannot read is something like a blind man walking through a pleasant meadow, where there are flowers and fruit trees; there are many pleasant things and many wise and good things printed in books, but we cannot get them unless we read†. It is the root of all wisdom. So what do you think would be the effect if a student will gather wrong information or inaccurate learning from a book? Textbook is book used in schools or colleges for the formal study of a subject. They play a big role in the learning process of every individual. They can make or break the student’s future. So it is really important to select the best book that you will use in facilitating learning. Well, selecting isn’t enough, there should always be an evaluation; for you to see the efficacy of every components of the book. This paper will present how a specific textbook satisfy the requirements to be considered an efficient book. Each part of the book will be criticized and evaluated whether they work for each other or some should be eliminated. The following parts of the paper are product of close reading of the book â€Å"Public Speaking and Speech Improvement for Filipino Students Fourth Edition† by Arsenia B. Tan. OBJECTIVES 1. To determine the effectiveness of the book to the 3rd year high school students in the reading development. 2. To value the importance of the reading book/s instead of depending everything on the internet. 3. To awaken the students that even in their simple ways, they can be a good public speaker. TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS I. Title of the book: Public Speaking and Speech Improvement for Filipino Students II. Author: Arsenia B. Tan III. Subject Area of Concentration: English IV. Curriculum used: Third Year High School (English III) V. Textbook Analysis: This book offers a practical approach to the fundamentals of speech improvement. Since speech is a communication, there are a number of factors that the reader must consider. If he wishes to be an effective communicator of his thoughts are feelings. The following premises will discuss each part of the book about their content, implication, and efficiency. A. Title Page The book is covered with a yellow- colored skin with the title pointed on it. The design used a picture at a speaker showing his conviction in public speaking. As a reader you will initially figure out that the book indeed offers a great content by simply looking on its cover page. B. Copyright Page The book displays the total information about the book’s publishing company, date, and authors. This would be beneficial to the students who aim to have a research. C. Table of Contents Based on convention, the topics of the book were presented in organized form. Each topic was specified with its page location. Each part of the book was placed on the table of contents. The teacher, student of any reader will have an easy time looking for the topics of the book. D. Preface The most precious gift that God has given to man is the power of speech. It is the power that distinguishes man from animals. Man uses speech to communicate his thoughts, feelings, desires, and aspirations to his fellow beings with to whom he interacts in continual living or in social activities. This is how the authors started her preface. It is indeed encouraging to read the preface. It gives us an efficient birds-eye-view about the goals and content of the book. If you will match it to the curriculum, it is suitable to the demands of the Language subjects of the students. The preface seems to be the author’s journal. You can read how dedicated she is to transmit the wisdom of public speaking to her readers. It is the main objective – to develop not only mastery of the communication skills but also proficiency in the transmission of ideas that this book has been prepared. For this reason, this book will serve as an individual tool to develop one’s communicative power to the outmost if he expects to become a competent and dynamic administrator or leader in his field of endeavour. E. Chapter Analysis A. Part 1: On Public Speaking Chapter 1: What public speaking involves? The chapter deals with the definition of public speaking. It also presents different definition from various authors of public speaking. Since the book is used for language subjects in secondary, the content of chapter one satisfy the demands of a newbie speaker who will read this book. The student will easily understand the ideas of chapter one because the words are clearly defined and the examples given are congruent to the reality of life the book describes. The teacher could also apply the tips presented in the chapter. Most of the explanations can be easily discussed through the use of examples provided. The chapter offers a self- evaluation on its last part. It is an oral examination which asks ‘What can you contribute to make your country a better place to live in as an individual? As a member of the community? As a professional? † See page 12. Basically, the activity is appropriate to test the effect of the tips given on the chapter. The teacher could assess whether learners is effectively learning. B. Chapter 2: Delivery as an effective medium of putting words into action. This particular chapter talks about delivery. Its process, definition, and aspects. The factors affecting delivery were also presented chronologically. The salient factors to underscore in the process of delivery were presented in detail. The student could easily understand the steps because they were narratively presented. And most of the examples are true to life. The student can easily relate with the scenarios of delivery. The teacher is the best demonstrator of the following reminders of delivery. If she will follow the steps given she’ll be effective in her discussion of the chapter. The chapter offers another self- evaluation which asks for application test. The activity can help the teacher to assess the student’s development in his delivery. C. Chapter 3: Developing a pleasing, impressive voice and using gestures effectively. The chapter discussed the definitions of voice and gestures. It also presented different techniques in developing the two. The book gave a lot of standard procedures in performing voice and gestures. The students are subjected to corrections and criticism whenever they attempt to perform such. The chapter could help the teacher in managing the voice quality of the students, even the execution of the gestures. The teacher should master every bits of information of this chapter three. She could effectively demonstrate the standard procedures. The chapter presented a voice drill and gestures drill which serves as an activity to evaluate the students’ mastery of the lesson. D. Chapter 4: Preparing the speech In this chapter the content is all about how will the student prepare a speech. There are factors that the student must consider as a speaker before making a speech. How to become an interesting and effective speaker are being underscore in this chapter. It also includes suggestions in preparing a speech to be a great public speaker. As a good speaker, every individual must know how to make a plan on how to produce or write an interesting beginning and a remarkable ending. The book suggests the ways in choosing a topic or a subject considering the audience, occasion, and the availability of the materials to be used in the speech. The activity given in this chapter assess the capability of the student’s knowledge on a certain topic and how will he react or present in the situation given. Thus, the given topic is somehow difficult for the students for the secondary level. The topic must be appropriate in their level. E. Chapter 5: Tackling the problem of listening. This chapter discussed the problems in listening. Basically, this is a very interesting topic for the readers who are experiencing problems in listening since talking is such a natural and endless activity that we perform in daily. We frequently have conversations without realizing that we are engaged in a public rather than in a private activity. Good thing about this chapter is that, it provides demonstrative examples like dialogues of native speakers as they overcome problems in listening. It also discussed different symptoms and signs about having listening problems. The students could easily relate to the lesson because students nowadays are sometimes experiencing listening problems. The chapter’s topic is a challenge to the teacher because it provides different tips to solve the listening problems. Part of which are the suggested activities see page 52- 53. F. Chapter 6: Variations in the forms of your prepared speeches. This chapter is a performance- based part. The time to speak has come! The students should have to stand before an audience and deliver their speech. This chapter asks for what kind of category of speech will the student perform on a specific purpose. The chapter provided concrete excerpts and sample speeches from different sources (see bibliography) which played a big role in transmitting the skills in speaking. There are also practical speeches to be practiced after every type of speech. A student could also use the examples to compare their speech efficiency to others. The teacher is privilege to have this part of the book because she will not have a hard time looking for resources. She could easily facilitate learning by simply using the given examples of speech on the chapter. Education- wise, the chapter also provided a practical activity on the latter part of it. It requires students to perform different types of speeches see page 66. G. Chapter 7: Speaking with a definite purpose. After discussing how to speak, this chapter aims to illustrate different purposes why we speak. The general purpose of speaking is usually to inform, to inspire, to convince, to entertain, to persuade. The student is lucky to have this part of the book, only limited books presents comprehensive details about different purpose of speeches. They could practice and inculcate in their minds the variation of speeches according to specific purpose. As expected, this chapter provided examples of speeches depending on its specific purpose of such. It presented narrative explanation of each type of purposeful speeches. A teacher can facilitate learning by using different examples given to this chapter. In fact, most activities are already given in the evaluation part of this book. H. Chapter 8: The art of audience psychology. As we observed, the topics are getting deeper and more complex. Since speeches are fundamentally built around people’s lives and are primarily directed to an audiences it is of vital importance to study the audience and to know the art of its psychology if a public speaker wishes to be successful and efficient during the moment of speech communication. This chapter, it was clearly searched that a speaker should master the audience’s psychology. In fact, it provides different factors to remember the audience’s psychology. The teacher is expected to discuss all pointers given in the chapter through the use of practical examples given in the book. In the evaluation part, it can be used in the actual discussion because it is performance- based. See page 85. I. Chapter 9: Can children and teenagers become public speakers and type of audience in a public speaking occasion. In this chapter, children and teenagers as public speakers and as an audience in a public speaking occasion. They will surely gasp with disbelief and prospect of seeing children and teenagers going to podium, standing before a microphone and getting ready to deliver a speech. This chapter deals with the other dimension to consider in public speaking. It focuses on a specific human age. These are children and teenager. Basically, childhood is the beginning of development. This chapter offers different pointers and suggestions on how to develop public speaking skill in special occasion. The teacher can use the given excerpts and literary pieces to facilitate the activities which the chapter demands. It is comprehensive because standard procedures were given to be able to perform a speech. J. Chapter 10: Getting involved with a group discussion. Today, we recognized the value of group discussions. Many changes are brought about in our social, political, and religious conditions. Religious conditions through participation of individuals in group discussions. After learning bout individual’s performances, this chapter moved to the next level which is group discussions. The student is being prepared for social interaction. It also presented the different requirements of group communication. The teacher and student can distinguish how efficient a group can be in accomplishing something that would be impossible or at least improbable for a person will depend on a large degree upon the ability of the group members to communicate effectively when they find themselves in a group situation. This chapter is a great source to read because nowadays we are dealing with a multi- cultural world wherein we are demanded to be socially competent. This chapter gave an activity see page 128. It asked the student’s to perform an activity about group communication. ’ K. Chapter 11: The campaign speech. Since speech is broad, this chapter tackles a specific kind of speech which is the campaign speech. This is beneficial to students or even teachers who are hoping to be efficient in campaign speeches. We live in an era today, where politics, economics and social event dominated and determined the outcome of people’s life and destiny. This chapter discussed the definition, importance, implication, and glamour of campaign speech. It provides different styles and techniques in a good campaign speech. Each part of the speech is discussed on how to create such and how to implement. Each part provided different exercises which can test and practice the student’s efficiency in campaign speech. The attitudes of a campaign speaker cited can be used by the teacher while discussing the topic. It serves as a motivation for them because the exercises were really challenging for the learners. L. Chapter 12: Speeches for special occasion. Public speaking is indeed multi- faceted. It appears In different forms as it evolve out many varied occasions in which a person is asked to speak publicly. There is a variety of occasions that produce special types of public speaking and though brief in nature may still require a professional mode of preparation and delivery of speech in public and may demand guidelines to help the speaker achieve his goals. A student can efficiently master these topics presented simply because life is full of special occasions, wherein these occasions requires a good speaking skills. As a beginner, this is a good source of wisdom to follow. Practical examples and guidelines on making speeches for special occasions were given. Speech for special occasions is done with the use of following steps. So each topic gives procedures on how to perform such. The teacher can use the activities provided on page 49. M. Chapter 13: Some special types of public speaking which arise from occasional, historical, or special events of the time. There are types of speeches evolves only out of the occasional, historical, or special events that happen in a country, region, city or any business on educational institutions wherein buildings are expected to commemorate a special historical events or when important persons who have dedicated their whole life to the source of a country, on a well- known business organization or an outstanding educational institution are accorded full honours for their unstinting and meritorious works or services to humanitarian causes by means of status or other sculptural works in order to perpetuate their names during and specially after their life time. It is a great chapter because the newly- invented types of speeches were presented comprehensively the standard procedures were also presented comprehensively the standard procedures were also presented orderly in detailed- manner. The chapter offers practical activities about the types of speeches presented. The speeches can be read by the students and performed inside the class. The teacher can also make different activities suggested by the book. * Chapter 13’s Appendices This is a special portion of the book because it gives a lot of examples or ifferent genres of public speaking (see page 166-176). Some books don’t offer this portion. These examples can be used and implemented in the different speaking activities the teacher wish to perform. Drills for children on vowel and consonantal sounds through these action nursery rhymes and through varieties of poems. N. Chapter 14: The interview and choral verse recitation. From single performance/ speech this chapter pres ented a more complex speech type. They’re actually considered as special form of public speaking. Why? Because this special speeches requires two or more number of speakers. First on the list is the interview this will be very beneficial to the students because one of these days they will experience an interview. Another is the choral verse this is also known as â€Å"speech choir† the unity of voice and mind here is very important. The teacher can use different sources given for evaluating the acquired knowledge by the students. It provides situational activities wherein the students will be the one to decide on what to do. O. Chapter 15: Dramatic interpretation and play production. This is the last objective chapter of the books and this is another phase of public speaking. This time it tackles about drama and play production. As a public speaker being an actor is a must. The students and teachers shall deal with dramatic interpretation and play production as distinct special forms of public speaking. Principles and factors to consider in Drama were presented comprehensively. It will surely benefit for all the students. B. Part II. On Speech Improvement Students who desire to master the pronunciation of English or American vowels and consonant sounds that give them difficulties in the roduction of these sounds. This is a special part of the book wherein from lesson (1-51) are presented for the enhancement of the student’s proficiency in speaking. The students will be provided guidelines during the production of these sounds such as the position of the tongue, type of the sound, lip formation, etc. Students who wish to be proficient in the pronunciation o f the English or American show some clusters must always bear in mind that these consonant clusters are among difficult sounds for speakers of other language. A. Appendices The sources used were presented in a standard format of bibliography. It is good because the future researchers won’t have difficulty in using the book. The sources are efficient for the reader to use. B. Bibliography It is rare for textbook to have â€Å"appendices†. This part contains different excerpts and masterpieces which can be used by the students in exercising the lesson of public speaking. GENERAL FINDINGS: Fit between Student and Text 1. Content / Explanation Is the content likely to be of interest or use to the students? The book is easy to read and has a refreshing style. It has a â€Å"Speech Improvement Part† that is relevant to the book content and it captured the interest of the students because of its contents that contains oral reading and acting activities that will develop the student’s skills in reading and speaking. And also it helps the teacher to evaluate the individual progress of the students. 2. Examples Are the examples appropriate to the lives and interests of the students? Do the examples fit closely with the concepts they are supposed to be explaining? The examples in the textbook are appropriate and interesting because it helps the pupils to learn more. The textbook also provides an illustration in the example which emphasizes the real life situation where pupils will learn. 3. Exercises / Tasks Do the exercises or tasks provide enough variety to meet the needs of different kinds of learners in the class (es)? Will they be of interest to those students? The exercises or tasks provide enough variety to meet the needs of different kinds of learners in the class by means of providing activities which are systematically organized to develop reading proficiency. It meets the interest of the learners, because it includes enjoyable activities which they can relate and apply the things that they have learned. 4. Presentation / Format Does the book look right for these Students? Are the illustration and other graphical and design elements appropriate for their age and educational level? Is the printed text easy to read and appropriate for their reading level? Is the mix between print and white space balanced so that readability is enhanced and appropriate? Does the book have an index, appendices, or other sections that are usable by students? Is the book well-constructed will it last a term of hard use by students? Yes, because the illustrations, graphical designs elements and all its contents are appropriate for the student’s age and grade level. It is conducive for learning. In fact, the hierarchy of lessons is in the simple to complex form. Which is really good for the readers? ADVANTAGES OF THE TEXTBOOK 1. The reading exercises provide practice in a variety of informational skills and reading comprehension skills. 2. The important words are being emphasized by means of bolding the letters. 3. Concrete how-to procedures are given, based on actual teaching experience. TABLE I. Analysis of Content for implementation of teaching Linguistic Content| The content contributes towards addressing learning objectives of the system. It teaches pupils to be an English-educated person for it helps to develop reading English skills. Concepts and skills are presented in the most logical sequence, from reading readiness level to the highest level, to make it easier for the pupils to learn and for the teacher to teach, and also to help pupils to enhance their creative or logical thinking. Thematic Content| The book contains two (2) that has different topic, and in each unit contains different lessons. Since this is a reading and speaking book, in the first unit the topic is all about â€Å"On Public Speaking†, second unit entitled â€Å"On Speech Improvement†,The topic in each unit makes happen to students that reading is fun and interesting. By this topics It can motivate st udents to read more, since each theme are connected to the lessons to be tackled. | Table II. Analysis of Teaching Activities for Implementation in Teaching Which of the activities provided in this textbook will I do in class? Chapter 7, Activity 2. The re-enactment of a specific scenario is one of the most done in English Classes. | Which activities in the textbook will I assign as homework? | Chapter 4 (Activity 1-4) The student should prepare different tips on how to create a speech by using different sources or speakers. | Which activities in the textbook will I hold back to use for testing? | Unit 2, (Chapter 2) Mastery of the English Sounds. With this type of activities it focuses with one main goal; to evaluate whether the learners understand the topic or not. We can also identify if the information given was acquired by the learners and how long it was retained with their minds. | Which activities in the textbook can be used for review later in the term? | The activities that can be used for review are activities are Chapter 1, Activity 1. With these types of activities teachers can evaluate whether the learners are listening to the stories presented in class and how they will reason-out with the questions being asked. | Which activities in the textbook require longer periods of time to accomplish- special projects? Chapter 6, (Interview and prepare a talk about a famous TV show nowadays, in this activity learners is requiring a lot of self-confidence, Creativeness is one approach that learners could apply with this said activity. | Which activities in the textbook might require special Equipment that was to be ordered ahead of time? | Activities 6(Role playing) are the activities in the textbook that might require special equipment. The reason why it requires special equipment for the learners to see the reality of things. Having props and costumes conveys someone’s curiosity and imagination. With this role playing activities the learners can witness and experienced what’s in the book and how it was being done. | Which activities in the textbook do I not want to do at all? | Chapter 14, Activity 1. Prepare a choral verse presentation. | CONCLUSION The program of activities should follow a predictable format wherein each lesson is covered in one week. Planning that the students will know in advance what areas of development are to be taken up each day. DAY| ACTIVITY| Mondays and Tuesdays| Developmental reading skills with emphasis to comprehension. Wednesdays| Functional skills with emphasis on the materials in science, math, social studies, and other subject areas. | Thursdays| Literary appreciation skills with emphasis on reading for enjoyment and enrichment. | Fridays| Review and testing of the reading skills covered during the week, including unite test. | RECOMMENDATION Since it is for 3rd year high school students, as observed the book doesn’t have a lo t of graphics which the learners like to see and learned, especially for the gestures taught. I recommend that all pictures/illustrations must be in practical and visible design regarding with some activities, I prefer to suggest putting some rubrics for evaluation purposes. With their young age, I think this kind of activities is not truly appropriate. 3rd year high school students are in the stage of reading refinement wherein they can figure out the purpose for reading. Activate background knowledge of the topic in order to predict or anticipate content and identify appropriate reading strategies. Attend to the parts of the text that are relevant to the identified purpose and ignore the rest. This selectivity enables students to focus on specific items in the input and reduces the amount of information they have to hold in short-term memory. And of course select strategies that are appropriate to the reading task and use them flexibly and interactively. Students comprehension improves and their confidence increases when they use top-down and bottom-up skills simultaneously to construct meaning. Check comprehension while reading and when the reading task is completed. Monitoring comprehension helps students detect inconsistencies and comprehension failures, helping them learn to use alternate and the directions to be followed or if they can’t put a glossary in the back of the book can surely help the learners if they can see the meanings of hard words they have encountered. Another thing is the book must have an index, because an index seeks to direct the reader/s to all names and subjects on which the book has information. Index can set as a guide with the learners if they are in trouble of finding their lessons.

Functionalism Presentation Essay Example for Free

Functionalism Presentation Essay Structural Functionalism is simply known as Functionalism; it is defined as a system of parts, all of which serve a function together for an overall effectiveness and efficiency for society. This theory views norms, customs, traditions, and institutions that surround society and society should acknowledge different elements to gain social stability. Failure to do so results in imbalance, negative attitudes, war, and misunderstanding in a community. An example can portray this concept: for instance, the government or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. The family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families. If it all goes well, parts of the society produce order, stability, and productivity. If it does not go well, parts of the society then must adapt to recapture a new order, stability, and productivity. Functionalists accept the fact that change is sometimes necessary to correct social dysfunctions (the opposite of functions), but it must occur slowly so that people and institutions can adapt without any rapid disorder. A set of theories that differs from Functionalism is the Conflict Theory. Conflict Theory states that society or an organization functions so that each individual participant and its groups struggle to maximize their benefits, which inevitably contributes to social change such as political changes and revolutions (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry./Conflict_theory). Functionalism makes seven main assumptions which focuses on several level of analysis which are [society, community, individual, social unit (ex. family, organizations, and so forth)]. Functionalism focuses on macro-level (looks at large-scale social institutions like society as a while, government, the labor force, and so forth) (http://structuralfunctionalism.com/). It looks at grand-scale sensation and pays little attention to individual agency and personality development. Though, micro theories like symbolic interactionalism center more on individuals and their everyday interactions with others and small-scale social groups or organizations. There is a metaphor for functionalism which is the human body. Without one or more important organs, the body cannot operate. So saying that functionalists argue: in order for a  society to operate, it has to place and motivate individuals to occupy the necessary positions in the social structure. There are two main ways society does this is through motivation and rewards. A society must instill in the proper individuals the desire (motivation) to fill certain positions. Once the proper individuals are in these positions, society must offer them appropriate (rewards) so that they maintain desire to fulfill their difficult positions (i.e. jobs) (http://structuralfunctionalism.com/). There are two examples that functionalism plays a good role which are education and crime. Structural-functionalists see education as contributing to the smooth functioning of the society. Education helps maintain society by socializing young beings into values of achievement, competition, and equality of opportunity. Education transmits culture such as shared beliefs, values, and train the most qualified individuals for the most socially important positions. It teaches people not only the skills and thinking skills to maximize their potential, but also teaches them to be good citizens and get along with others. They would not see education as  contributing to inequality along with class, race, gender, and so forth but rather as serving the positive function of the overall society. Structural-functionalists view crime as a necessary part of society. Through public outrage and legal punishment, the majority of people in a given society recognize, accept, and adhere to a shared set of moral guidelines and rules. Without crime, there would be no legal system or shared morals in our society. As well as a stable crime rate is a sign of a healthy society. If the crime rates escalate, people will lose trust and solidarity. But, if the rates of crime remain low, people will think that they are living in a state where is no freedom and individuality or no shared moral guidelines that penetrates right, wrong, immoral and moral, normal, and deviance. References Friley, G. (2012). Understanding Human Society . Answers.com http://structuralfunctionalism.com/ http://people.ath.ac.uk/ssxlw/structural%20Functionalism%20lecture%202leah.ppt http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/functionalsim_education.htm

Importance Of Semiotics In A Film Film Studies Essay

Importance Of Semiotics In A Film Film Studies Essay Semiotics in film is always an important and perplexing element in any picture. It is the    signification and communication of signs and symbols to develop a plot and define certain events that happen within the plot.    Popular Films such as The Sixth Sense and The Matrix have unbelievable amount of reference to aspects previously mentioned. The film The Sixth Sense uses great color and different shots to represent and imply meaning and patterns in the story. Where as The Matrix    is referenced more toward the Bible in this analysis and uses much religious references and color to develop its story and meaning.   In the supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense made by M. Night Shyamalan, extreme symbolism is used to mystify and personify the feeling of fright to the viewer.    Each symbol in the picture is an important contribution to the film. In this film, and eight year old boy named Cole is haunted by a gift of seeing ghosts.    Cole is terrified by visitations from these ghosts that want him to help them resolve things left undone in their previous lives.    Cole, with no one left to turn to, goes to a psychologist named Dr. Malcolm Crowe that helps him though out the movie deal with his haunting gift. One important symbol in this film is shadows and reflections.    Shadows since the beginning of time have been known to symbolize spirits.    At various points in the film, the camera reverts to shots of shadows that signify the presence of spirits around Cole. Doors and windows are also extremely important in this film.    Dr. Malcolm comes across many locked doors throughout the film.    Doors are said to signify entrance into other dimensions and realities.    Dr.    Malcolms encounters with locked doors are a way of clueing the audience in on his severed connection with the real world.    At one point in the film Dr. Malcolm is looking through a glass window at his wife with another man.    The glass is used to help signify the strain in Malcolm and his wifes relationship. The church, religious figurines and plastic toy soldiers are all also significant symbols in the film.    Cole searches for a place of peace to hide from the ghosts, and Malcolm directs him to the church.    Religious figurines such as figures of Jesus and various saints are focused on which all remind the viewer of death. The cold temperature also signifies the coming of sprits.    In each scene the temperature drops, and the characters breath is able to be seen when a ghost is going to approach Cole.    Possibly the most reoccurring and important symbol through this film is use of the color red.    I have heard various interpretations of red as a symbol in this film.    In probably the most semiotic filled scene, Cole is traveling up a spiral staircase following a red balloon.    In the shot, you can see Coles shadow on the wall of the staircase which we already have established as a symbol of relevant spirits.    The spiral staircase is said to symbolize the journey into the afterlife, while the red balloon is supposed to symbolize a spirit as well.    Another source of red in the film is the box that a dead girl gives to Cole to deliver to her family that has a video tape in it bound in a red ribbon.    We later find out that the video is a tape of her step mother poisoning her and when he delivers it to the family the murderer is dressed in what else but a bright red suit.    Coles safe place, the tent he built, is also red and also surrounded by figurines.    When Cole confides in his mother to tell his secret to, she is also dressed in a red sweater which suggests that she is now Coles safe haven.    Also, the church that I have previously spoken about has red doors, and the door knob of the basement that Malcolm is locked out of is red.   Ã‚   A totally different but interesting take on the use of the color red in the film is that in the Catholic religion red is worn on Pentecost.    Pentecost is said to be the birth of the church, and a time when Jesus could communicate and pass on his faith with the disciples.    Every time there seems to be an important conversation in the movie someone is either wearing red or surrounded by red which could signify important communication as Pentecost does to Catholics.    Another movie that holds great semiotic symbolism as The Sixth Sense is The Matrix.   There are several signs and symbols that occur during the movie that have references to Christianity. An important scene is where Neo is given a choice between two pills: one blue, which would enable him to wake up safe in his bed but never learn the truth about the Matrix; the other red, which would allow him to see how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Here the color red could be used to symbolize action. The pill is used to rescue him from the Matrix representing him being saved from the world. Another example is the name Trinity who is one of the main characters. This can be considered as a symbol for the Holy Trinity. The name of Morpheus ship is the Nebuchadnezzar. This is a reference to King Nebuchadnezzar mentioned in the book of Daniel in the Bible. In The Matrix, Zion is the underground home of the free humans. Zion is used as a generalized metaphor for a mythical city which could be considered to be the last hope for humanity. It receives mention in the Bible in the book of Revel ations. Zion is often used metaphorically, to symbolize Jerusalem and the Promised Land to come, in which God dwells among his chosen people. Neo is The One. The Oracle has prophesied that The One would hail the destruction of the Matrix, end the war and bring freedom to the people. In short, he is the saviour of the human race. This can be compared to the story of Christ. He was the Saviour who had been prophesied about and would bring about the freedom of mankind. Neo is an icon as he represents the saviour.Christ was betrayed by one of his own disciples, Judas Iscariot. In the film, the role of the betrayer is represented by Cypher. Towards the end of the movie, Neo is killed and comes back to life. This represents the Death and the Resurrection of Christ.    Aside from the religious views of the film there is reference to a childrens story. There are several references to Alice in wonderland by Lewis Carroll. When Morpheus first contacts Neo, he tells him to follow the White Rabbit. According to Lewis Carrolls book, Alice stumbles into Wonderland because she follows a White Rabbit. When Neo and Morpheus finally meet, Morpheus says I imagine that right now, youre feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole? He then gives him a choice between two pills one blue, which would enable him to wake up safe in his bed but never learn the truth about the Matrix; the other red, which would allow him to see how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Here again is a reference to Alice in Wonderland. Alice falls down the rabbit-hole into wonderland. It is important to note that Alices entire adventure is just a dream. This could have significance in the fact that Neo is right now trapped in a dream from which he has to awaken. The Matrix is not limited to just one philosophical issue alone. There are numerous issues and concep ts that can be drawn from the Matrix, including the purpose of life, the existence of a self and personal identity, and the question of the meaning of life    Film makers like M. Night Shyamalan and Andy and Larry Wachowski have made it thrilling to go back to the movies again when it comes to looking for symbolism and meaning in movies. As one watches movies over and over again, some may find that they missed things in the movie they hadnt noticed before. It is sometimes exciting and fulfilling to find and notice things you never knew were symbols later on.    Signifiers and symbols can make a film so much more interesting to watch and figure out, and thats precisely the function they hold in these movies.    Without the sensational symbolism, either film would not hold half the brilliance and genius that they have.    Semiotics is so obviously significant to the making of films.   The major fault in semiotic analysis is its complete dependence on societies pre-existing shared knowledge. The media relies on the fact that its viewers already know current background information on their topic of choice. Without this pre defined knowledge, signs and their signifiers mean nothing and are obsolete. However that doesnt mean one cannot pick up on these signs, it would just be a bit more difficult than it would for a person who has previous knowledge of how and what the creator is using. Semiotics can be used for any type of medium to produce a meaning.    It is not limited to just films for which this essay has used but, for radio, television, written text, and illustrated pictures along with text, such as comics. All have semiotics and all have its advantages to display meaning and use symbols best fit for the form.

Inclusion :: essays research papers

Educational Psychology Inclusion What a society feels about it’s diverse membership, particularly about citizens who are different, is expressed in the institutions of that society. A close look at the major institutions of our society the schools, the legislatures, and the courts should tell us a lot about the place of exceptional children in our society. In the category of exceptional children one would find a list of any and every child that requires education in academic matters as well as life skills. These children must work at things that average society takes for granted. Out of this group of exceptional children has risen a disability that is drawing more and more attention known as Down Syndrome. The obvious reason for Down Syndrome children to come to the forefront is their parents. By this I mean that studies have shown that a couple with two or more college degrees among them are more likely to have a Downs baby then that of a couple of high school drop outs. This odd occurrence has lead to more affluent families to give birth to one or more Downs babies. The limitations facing a Downs child will affect the child’s whole life and it is the environmental circumstances around him that determine how he fares in life. Included in these circumstances are his family and their unity and maybe most importantly his level of education. In our society education plays a big part in all we do and this serves no difference for the Downs child. As we look back in time, we find that the notion of educating every child to achieve his or her greatest potential is a relatively new concept. The current use of the term exceptional is itself a reflection of the radical changes in societies views of people whom differ from the norm. The world has come along way from the Spartans’ practice of killing infants who did not meet their standards of normalcy, but the journey has been slow, moving from neglect and mistreatment, to pity and overprotection and finally to acceptance and integration to the fullest extent possible. The phrase "Acceptance and integration into society to the fullest extent possible† has been the topic of the most heated arguments in education today. The term integration has grown to include such devices as inclusion and mainstreaming. Although the U.S. has come a long way from the 1850’s when 60 percent of people living in poor houses would today have been classified as exceptional.

Stones from the River Essay -- Stones from the River Germany Essays

Stones from the River 1. Synopsis of â€Å"Stones from the River† Trudi Montag was growing up during the World Wars in Burgdorf, Germany. She lived with her father, Leo, and helped him run their pay library. When she was young her mother, Gertrude, went insane, and died at the asylum. Trudi could remember how her mother used to run away, and after her father carried her home, he would lock her up in the attic, to try to prevent her from escaping again. She always did escape, and Trudi usually found her outside, hiding under the stairs. Trudi would spend time with her mother in the attic, or under the stairs. In the attic, the two would play with the paper dolls Leo gave his wife, and Gertrude would teach Trudi how to escape from the attic. Under the stairs, Gertrude told Trudi of her affair with her husband’s friend, Emil, and how she fell off his motorcycle one day, and skinned her knee. Her knee healed, but the stones could be felt beneath her skin if she let someone try to feel for them. That very same day Leo got shot in the kn ee in the First World War, and had to come home, and would forever walk with a limp. Gertrude blamed herself for her husband’s injury, just as Trudi blamed herself for her mother’s death. Trudi was born a dwarf, a Zwerg, in German. Trudi felt that if she were a normal baby/child, then her mother would have never tried to run away. Trudi thought that it was her fault her mother went insane, and had to go to an asylum, where her mother died. Although Trudi’s father told her it was not her fault her mom died, she blamed herself anyway. Trudi and her dad became close, and would spend their time playing, reading, walking, or working in the library together. At the end of the book, Trudi felt a great lose when her dad died the day after his birthday. Ever since his friend Emil died, and Mrs. Abramowitz was taken away for being a Jew in WW II, Leo grew weak, and seemed to give up his will to live. Trudi hated the fact that she was a dwarf, and began to hang from doorframes in attempt to stretch her body. She would also tie her mother’s scarves around her head to keep it from growing at night and pray everyday to grow. She asked the town doctor how to make her grow, and even drank some â€Å"magic potion† from a man who said it would make her grow. Trudi had no friends in school, and every child made fun o... ...can prison camps, the Americans kept their prisoners close to starvation, with only two bowls of soup per day.† He said, â€Å"that the Americans said it was only fair because the Jews got even less food in the KZs.† In short, American prisoners almost starved because the Jews did, so it was fair. Do you agree with this? Why? 7. Trudi and many others risked their lives hiding Jews in their houses. If you were confronted with this situation, what would you do? 8. Frau Simon saved a little Jewish girl from being stoned by a group of boys. If you witnessed the same thing, knowing that protecting Jews was against the law, would you have done the same as Frau Simon? Why? 4. Open ended questions continued 9. What are your feelings toward the Nazis? If you were confronted whether or not to turn in your family members, as Helmut was, would you? Why? 10. After WW II had ended, many Germans said, â€Å"It’s not good to dwell on the things that were terrible.† â€Å"Nobody wants to relive those years. We have to go forward.† If you were told this, would you agree or disagree? Would you want to talk of the War, or never hear of it again? Why?

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Dehumanization Essay

The novel â€Å"One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich† follows the life of a prisoner in a Siberian labor camp during the communist period. Although the novel only describes one day in the life of this prisoner, the author succeeds at making the motifs that occur most likely every day clear to the reader. A major motif in the novel â€Å"One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich† written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn is dehumanization; Ivan Denisovich Shukhov is striped of his humanity because he is treated similarly to the way an animal would be treated. He is given instructions every second of the day, and has no say in how to live his life. Dehumanization occurs when people view others as less than human, therefore not giving them the moral respect they deserve as humans. In this particular Stalinist labor camp, in which the main character Ivan Denisovich Shukhov is imprisoned, the officers are instructed to attack the prisoner’s dignity, therefore they are taking away their humanity, treating them like they would treat a cattle, not people. As soon as the novel begins, so does Shukhov’s day. When he opens his eyes, he already knows how the day will proceed, because all days are the same. He must go for breakfast at the same time every other prisoner does. This shows that he doesn’t have a say in when to do things, even such a basic need that many take for granted. Yet he does not complain, this is due to the fact that food is valuable to him and he has limited access to it. The prisoners are not only instructed when to eat, but they also have to compete for food, the same way a group of chickens would fight for some grain. This fact is clearly shown when the narrator describes the scene shortly before Shukhov receives his meal, â€Å"the cook shouted through the hatch, and people were shoving at him from the other side † (86). This shows how the workers have to fight to their food, as if they were savages. The cooks treat the men like one would treat a dog; throwing food among a large crowd, thus making the â€Å"dogs† fight for their food. This is inhumane and takes away the prisoner’s dignity. It is just one of the many meals that Shukhov will have during his stay in the labor camp that represent the motif of dehumanization, and not only that, also humiliation. As humiliating as it is, the prisoners are grateful for any type of meal they get, â€Å"A bowl of thin cabbage soup, half burned, was as welcome to them as rain to parched earth. They’d swallow it in one gulp. That bowl of soup—it was dearer than freedom, dearer than life itself, past, present, and future † (126). The prisoner’s minds are set the way an animals mind is, they only think about food, and it is their main reason for living. They have stepped to the level of an animal and lost their humanity and any hope in achieving anything else in their life. Another way in which the prisoners in this novel were dehumanized was the fact that they could not own anything that the officers found too dangerous. However, the officers took advantage of this and would not give the laborers any freedom. For example, Shukhov had to hide a loaf of bread in his mattress so he doesn’t get punished in one of the daily searches, â€Å"Stich, stich, stich, and the little tear in the mattress was ended, with the bread concealed under it† (25). This proves that the prisoners feared the officers, and the consequences that would come with not following the directions. Another way that the prisoner’s identity was taken away from them was that they were assigned numbers for easy identification, in an effort to dehumanize them. By numbering them they were once again treated like animals, a way that cows are labeled on a farm, and not like individual humans. To continue, officers in the camp play a big role in the dehumanization process of the prisoners. The officers are in charge and treat the workers without any respect. The guards use forced labor and cruelty to dehumanize the workers. This is shown when the narrator himself compares the workers to animals, â€Å"†¦the fellows bringing the mortar were winded like horses† (124). The prisoners were not only compared to horses, but also mules, hawks, and wolves. The officers treated the workers as if they were animals, therefore, they did not see them as human beings. This is shows when the narrators says, â€Å" He wouldn’t treat us like human beings; now let him burst himself shouting† (118). The officers looked at the prisoners as less than humans. The officers were the ones that took away the prisoner’s identity and humanity In conclusion, a key motif in the novel, â€Å"One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich† written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn is dehumanization. Prisoners in this novel are treated not as humans should be treated but as animals. They are gathered in crowds to be fed and counted. In this way the officers strip them of their identity and their humanity. Leaving behind only humiliation and disrespect.

Hamlet: to Be, or Not to Be: Movie Analysis Essay

Branagh’s vision of William Shakespeare’s famous â€Å"To be, or not to be,† soliloquy manifests Hamlet’s displeasure with himself as he debates eternal sleep; the set up of this scene contributes significantly to the emotional impact and symbolism. The lack of music and sound in the beginning forces the audience’s attention towards the soliloquy. The quietness in the scene also exhibits how Hamlet is wishing for a quiet death, suicide. Walking slowly towards the two-way mirror, while he professes his conflicted feelings, the camera follows steadily over his shoulder, only filming Hamlet’s reflection. The soliloquy stands alone as a reflection, Hamlet is reflecting on his life and the options he has, â€Å"To die, to sleep – / No more – and by a sleep to say we end† (3.1 68-69). The mirror reflection stands as a symbolic example of Hamlet’s self reflection and his search to find the answer within himself. Hamlet criticizes himself while staring deeply at his own reflection in mirror, even though he is aware of Claudius malicious acts. Blaming himself for not taking action yet, â€Å"Thus conscience does make cowards† (3.1 91), and focusing on his faults he is making himself to be the villain and tormenting himself. The true reason for his misery is Claudius actions, and Claudius, the one behind it all- metaphorically and physically- stands behind the mirror as Hamlet criticizes himself. Branagh’s tone of voice and body language exert emotions in the scene making Hamlet’s true feelings apparent. Half way through the soliloquy, suspenseful classical music begins to play, adding intensity to Hamlets dark description of the unnecessary burden of life and his ambiguous understanding to why a person would endure such suffering, â€Å"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,† (3.1 78-79). There are few actions Hamlet makes in the scene but the movements he does make are significant. Calmly stating, â€Å"Or to take arms against a sea of troubles / And, by opposing, end them,† (3.1 67-68) as he raises a clenched fist in the air, illustrating his anger toward Claudius and passion to seek revenge is portrayed through the small, but powerful hand gestures. It is indubitable that Branagh’s version of this scene captures both the emotions and themes of Hamlet and his tortured character.

Discuss the Relationship Between Persuasion and Attitude Change.

Discuss the relationship between persuasion and attitude change. The procedure of changing attitudes to then furthermore change behaviour has led psychologists to develop research into the topic of how persuasion takes place. The Hovland-Yale model was initially developed to persuade the American public for more support in the last stages of WW2. It was learnt that in order to persuade effectively, the need was to focus on who and what. Principally the content, the audience and the communicator.It was found that the most effective sources were experts as they had more credibility than non-experts, but also popular and attractive sources were more effective than unattractive sources. Bochner & Insko asked students to suggest how much sleep was needed, before showing them two different sources of information – an expert and a non-expert. Students were more persuaded by the expert even when it conflicted with their own beliefs. Another finding from the model found that messages a re more effective if the audience feels that their main purpose is not to persuade.Also, if a message contains a moderate level of fear it becomes more successful. McGuire also found that there was a primacy effect in messages. His research found that when he was trying to persuade students to join a course, he was more persuasive if he gave the positive points first. The final factor involved in the Hovland-Yale model is audience factors. It was seen that moderately intelligent audience members were more easily persuaded and when aiming at high intelligence audience members, it would be more effective to present both sides of the argument.The Elaboration-Likelihood model focuses on the message itself and splits this into two sections. Whether the audience focuses on the main content of the message or if they focus on other factors such as the communicator giving the message. Petty et al. called this the central and peripheral route. The central route audience members focus on the q uality of the arguments and are motivated to think about the message. It’s been suggested that this has a lasting attitude change.The peripheral route is quite the opposite as audience members are not motivated to think about the message and they focus on the peripheral tools (such as music, celebrities, colour) rather than the arguments presented. Attitude change through the peripheral route is temporary. The Hovland-Yale model has good research support for all three factors involved in the model. Morton et al. found that children had more favourable attitudes after being given information from an expert (doctor) than a parent. Lewis et al. ound that fear arousing messages were effective in the short-term, but messages containing humour were more effective in the long-term. However, Fechback et al. found that high fear level was most effective in messages which disputes McGuire’s findings. However, McGuire’s findings can also be explained another way to show su pport. If following the basis of the psychodynamic approach, messages using high fear arousal may trigger defence mechanisms such as denial or repression in audience members, suggesting moderate fear level is the most effective.Research also supports the key points of the Elaboration-Likelihood model. A psychologist supports the claim that the central route is more effective for high need-for-cognition audience members. Models have heavily relied on laboratory based research, which causes us to question the ecological validity. However, real-life application has occurred and found that when students were exposed to a fact-based or emotion-based health campaign, the higher NC individuals were more influenced by the central route (fact-based) and the lower NC were more persuaded by the peripheral route (emotion-based).Although both models are heavily supported by research, many research studies have involved students which brings problems of generalisation. Students have an age, wealt h, and education status which is not typical of the general public. In addition, experimenters have exposed participants solely to their stimuli, whereas in the real world, we are exposed to thousands of media forms everyday; thus lacking in mundane realism.

How to Get Motivated Essay

Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It’s the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day. It’s the crucial element in setting and attaining goals—and research shows you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control. So figure out what you want, power through the pain period, and start being who you want to be. 5 Keys to Unlock Your Creative Motivation Motivation is a much more complex process than just â€Å"wanting† to do something. When you’re working on a creative project and the going gets tough, if you’re not motivated enough, you’ll quit. And it always gets tough, whether you’re a novelist, artist, musician, or even a creative entrepreneur. In my own research with highly experienced writers, I found that motivators are often combined for best effect. Here, then, are 5 ways to raise your motivation level: 1. Increase the challenge of your project. Try something you’ve never done before. When I interviewed bestselling novelist Diana Gabaldon, she told me that she once gave herself the challenge of writing a â€Å"triple-nested flashback.† For many of us, concocting an ordinary flashback is challenge enough, but those are a snap for her. 2. Change your creative method for the stimulation of a fresh approach. I f you typically write with an outline, try not to. Or begin writing without an ending in mind. If you never write with a plan, see what happens if you plan ahead. Even if it doesn’t work, you’ll learn something. Here’s Wells Tower, author of a volume of short stories, Everything Ravaged Everything Burned: I can never coldly write a story; it doesn’t work. I’ve tried it where I have an outline, and I’ll think this is going to be so easy, but when I sit down of course it’s not. You have to get into a state of autohypnosis and let the story be what it wants to be. 3. Create from a different point of view. Do you always write in first-person? Do you never write in first-person point of view? Try the opposite. Or create something artistic from the point of view of the bicycle, or the car, or the dog or cat, or the new immigrant or the alien from outer space. 4. Look deeper to find your intrinsic motivation. Here’s how poet Ralph Angel put it: As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve learned in recent years that writing, even more than some of the most important relationships in my life, is where I am most in touch with myself, and, worst case scenario, people I love die and my life goes on. But if anything took me away from the work, I would be separated somehow from myself. 5. Forget about the goal and find the fun. This is the most crucial key to entering flow. Put all thought of audience aside for the time being and find something pleasurable about what you’re trying to create. If it’s not fun, figure out why not and make it more engaging for yourself. There’s nothing trivial about fun, as I’ve found in my talks with great creative individuals. It’s one of the many motivators that bring them back to the work they do, day in and day out. The 3 Biggest Myths About Motivation That Won’t Go Away Just Write Down Your Goals, and Success is Guaranteed! There is a story that motivational speakers/authors love to tell about the Yale Class of 1953.Researchers, so the story goes, asked graduating Yale seniors if they had specific goals they wanted to achieve in the future that they had written down. Twenty years later, the researchers found that the mere 3% of students who had specific, written goals were wealthier than the other 97% combined. Isn’t that amazing? It would be if it were true, which it isn’t. I wish it were that simple. To be fair, there is evidence that getting specific about what you want to achieve is really important. (Not a guaranteed road to fabulous wealth, but still important.) In other words, specificity is necessary, but it’s not nearly sufficient. Writing goals down is actually neither – it can’t hurt, but there’s also no hard evidence that writing per se does anything to help. Just Try to Do Your Best! Telling someone, or yourself, to just â€Å"do your best† is believed to be a great motivator. It isn’t. Theoretically, it encourages without putting on too much pressure. In reality, and rather ironically, it is more-or-less permission to be mediocre. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, two renown organizational psychologists, have spent several decades studying the difference between â€Å"do your best† goals and their antithesis: specific and difficult goals. Evidence from more than 1,000 studies conducted by researchers across the globe shows that goals that not only spell out exactly what needs to be accomplished, but that also set the bar for achievement high, result in far superior performance than simply trying to â€Å"do your best.† That’s because more difficult goals cause you to, often unconsciously, increase your effort, focus and commitment to the goal, persist longer, and make better use of the most effective strategies. Just Visualize Succe ss! Advocates of â€Å"positive thinking† are particularly fond of this piece of advice. But visualizing success, particularly effortless success, is not just unhelpful – it’s a great way to set yourself up for failure. Few motivational gurus understand that there’s an awfully big difference between believing you will succeed, and believing you will succeed easily. Realistic optimists believe they will succeed, but also believe they have to make success happen – through things like effort, careful planning, persistence, and choosing the right strategies. They don’t shy away from thinking â€Å"negative† thoughts, like what obstacles will I face? and how will I deal with them? Unrealistic optimists, on the other hand, believe that success will happen to them, if they do lots and lots of visualizing. Recent research shows that this actually (and once again, ironically) serves to drain the very energy we need to reach our goals. People who sp end too much time fantasizing about the wonderful future that awaits them don’t have enough gas left in the tank to actually get there.

Elizabeth Poor Laws

The Last Years of the Poor Law During the interwar period the Poor Law served as a residual safety net, assisting those who fell through the cracks of the existing social insurance policies. The high unemployment of 1921-38 led to a sharp increase in numbers on relief. The official count of relief recipients rose from 748,000 in 1914 to 1,449,000 in 1922; the number relieved averaged 1,379,800 from 1922 to 1938. A large share of those on relief were unemployed workers and their dependents, especially in 1922-26.Despite the extension of unemployment insurance in 1920 to virtually all workers except the self-employed and those in agriculture or domestic service, there still were large numbers who either did not qualify for unemployment benefits or who had exhausted their benefits, and many of them turned to the Poor Law for assistance. The vast majority were given outdoor relief; from 1921 to 1923 the number of outdoor relief recipients increased by 1,051,000 while the number receiving indoor relieve increased by 21,000. The Poor Law becomes redundant and is repealedDespite the important role played by poor relief during the interwar period, the government continued to adopt policies, which bypassed the Poor Law and left it â€Å"to die by attrition and surgical removals of essential organs† (Lees 1998). The Local Government Act of 1929 abolished the Poor Law unions, and transferred the administration of poor relief to the counties and county boroughs. In 1934 the responsibility for assisting those unemployed who were outside the unemployment insurance system was transferred from the Poor Law to the Unemployment Assistance Board.Finally, from 1945 to 1948, Parliament adopted a series of laws that together formed the basis for the welfare state, and made the Poor Law redundant. The National Assistance Act of 1948 officially repealed all existing Poor Law legislation, and replaced the Poor Law with the National Assistance Board to act as a residual relief ag ency. In what way might the legacy of the 1834, poor Law be seen in contemporary welfare policy? This essay will endeavour to highlight the    advantages/disadvantages, and how the welfare state treats individual members of the community differently .The historically changing conceptualization of the welfare state and its provision of social services the individuals democratic right to access the state provided benefits, are looked at in their historically and geographically changing existing structure. Conflicting conservative, liberal and socialist methods to the view of individual vs. collective responsibility are considered in the context of rival welfare state arrangements. The Poor Law was established and put into motion in 1601 during the time of Elizabeth I. The aims of the poor law, according to Golding and Middleton were work, discipline, deterrence and classification.The poor law was the most important policy development dealing with poverty up until the end of the nine teenth century and it was a development, which main objective was upon control and deterrence. The Poor Law of 1601 lasted for over two centuries, but it was inefficient. Governments did not have the control, means or organisation to deal with poverty effectively. Poverty was a regional and national problem, and yet each local parish was left to deal with it individually The Poor Law cannot be seen just as a vehicle used to preserve life of those who could not feed, clothe or house themselves.Rather it should be seen as a part of the social response of a society that was moving from a wholly agricultural and village based society towards an industrialised and largely urban society. What is the legacy?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the welfare state of to day with social benefits for all and free medical help also education    no one needs to starve in Britain. The idears of the older poor laws can be seen in to days welfare state as an extension of these poor laws through more recent governments .. (2011, 01).In What Way Might the Legacy of the 1834, Poor Law Be Seen in Contemporary Welfare Policy?. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 01, 2011, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/In-What-Way-Might-The-Legacy-549882. html Modern welfare state development is generally considered to lead to social security or benefits payments, social housing provision, health provision, social work and educational services. Together these services are known as the ‘big five' but these services tend to develop over time and have differed in quantity, availability and quality.Provision and development can change due to social, economic and political factors (Spicker, 1995, p. 3). State provision of welfare has a long history, in Britain for instance dating back to the Elizabethan Poor Laws and earlier. Welfare states started to develop when surveys of poverty by people such as Charles Booth showed the inadequacy of welfare provisions that could not deal with poverty particularly with increasing urbanisation and industrialisation (Thane, 1996, p. 7). The worldwide depression from 1929 would lead countries to consider further welfare developments.High unemployment (12% of the working population in Britain at its worst) showed that better welfare provision was needed (Robbins, 1994, p. 208). From such modest roots the public sector in Britain for example represents around 40 % of the economy (Simpson, 2005, p. 4). There are various key theories that seek to explain the processes involved in welfare state development that will be explained below. The theories have evolved or being devised to explain the differences and similarities in welfare state development in different countries at the same time or in a single country over a period of time.Theories agree that welfare states were developed to serve those that needed help the most or sometimes as universal services to all (O'Brien and Penna, 1998, p. 2). After the main theories have been discussed the one or ones that are mo st applicable for evaluating contemporary changes will be outlined. There are different ways of looking at the development of the welfare state and deciding how far it should extend, demands. (2013, 01). Welfare State. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 01, 2013, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Welfare-State-1342080. html