Rhetorical Analysis Mary Oliver

Period 4B In this very lyrical excerpt, Mary Oliver has a great attraction to nature because of its paradoxical yet balancing form. By being both terrifying and beautiful, nature fills the world with contrasting entities that can be â€Å"death-bringers† or bring â€Å"immobilizing happiness. † Oliver uses imagery, parallelism, and contrasting to express her swaying emotions of fear, awe, and happiness towards nature. The imagery creates the very distinct contrast between terrifying and beautiful parts of nature. The frightening great horned owl has â€Å"razor-tipped toes† that â€Å"rasp the limb† and a â€Å"hooked beak† that makes a â€Å"heavy, crisp, breathy snapping. † The physical form is rough and rugged, reminiscent of a terrifying being. The owl is presented with characteristics of the â€Å"night† and â€Å"blackness,† The flowers, on the other hand, are like â€Å"red and pink and white tents. † The color contrast reinforces the complete oppositeness of the flowers and the owl. Contrasting continues throughout the excerpt to display the conflicting character of nature. Nature is so complex that even very similar animals have very differing aspects. Oliver can â€Å"imagine the screech owl on her wrist† and she can learn from the snowy owl, but the great horned owl will cause her to â€Å"fall† if it â€Å"should touch her. † Even though this great horned owl is terrifying, Oliver still is in amazement of it. She says it would become the â€Å"center of her life. † While â€Å"the scream of the rabbit† in â€Å"pain and hopelessness† is terrible, it is not comparable with the â€Å"scream of the owl† which is of â€Å"sheer rollicking glory. † Nature has extremes, and the owl is the extreme of terror. The flowers, however, represent the extreme of happiness. Through parallelism, Oliver exemplifies the happiness given by the fields of flowers. The flowers have â€Å"sweetness, so palpable† that it overwhelms Oliver. She uses phrases continually beginning with â€Å"I’m† and then a verb, to show how the fields engulf her like a â€Å"river. † She is then â€Å"replete, supine, finished, and filled† with an â€Å"immobilizing happiness. † The continual use of adjectives reinforces how the field is so vast and â€Å"excessive† that it creates an almost surreal feeling of satisfaction. Parallelism is also used to describe the great horned owl. The merciless elentlessness of the owl is so great that it hunts â€Å"even skunks, and even cats†¦thinking peaceful thoughts. † Its â€Å"insatiable craving for the taste of brains† is so excessive that the owl is â€Å"endlessly hungry and endlessly on the hunt. † The uncontrollable, terrifying nature of the great horned owl fu rther emphasized because â€Å"if it could, it would eat the whole world. † The owl causes so much terror that soon enough the terror becomes â€Å"naturally and abundantly part of life,† any life of any world. The terror even fills the â€Å"most becalmed, intelligent sunny life† that Oliver lives in. Despite the massive contrast between the two extremes of nature, there is still a universal concept of nature. Both the owl and the field of flowers are overwhelming, vast and â€Å"excessive. † The owl is so overpowering that â€Å"if it could, it would eat the whole world. † The fields â€Å"increase in manifold† creating an â€Å"immutable force. † Oliver asks two rhetorical questions, â€Å"And is this not also terrible? † and â€Å"Is this not also frightening,† to describe the excessiveness of the fields and also the owl. But, even though Oliver is frightened, she is also amazed. While continuously describing the owl as terrifying, Oliver still acknowledges that the owl is â€Å"perfect† and â€Å"swift. † Even though the fields of roses seemingly engulf in a terrifying manner, it still creates a feeling â€Å"full of dreaming and idleness. † The combination of opposites, the owl and the field of roses, shows how nature can be seemingly paradoxical by being both cruel and sweet at the same time. By being so complex, nature also requires a complex response. Oliver’s emotional and sensuous response is filled with conflicting feelings of fear, happiness, and amazement to show her attachment to nature.

Promo Plan

Students also benefit from the trainers experience, knowledge and enthusiastic support. Target Market: Students that want to develop managerial skills and a global business perspective to secure work in international business environments or with international clients or colleagues. Target Market Choice: Young people that normally have time to study and have a big interest in learning new things and gaining new skills. People in our target market want to improve themselves, they are ambitious and career-oriented.Demographics: Age: 18-25 Gender: Income: $ minimal, parental support additional Location: Urban and Suburban English is essential Languages: Cultural Considerations Men and Women Beef and pork are off the menu for nearly all Indians. By no means can beef or pork snacks be served at the presentation for the Indian delegation. A ‘yes' may not be followed by the expected course of action. Many cultures take ‘yes' to mean yes'. For other cultures, ‘yes' can mean anything from ‘it is my intention' to a simple desire to avoid confrontation Indians will be very conscious of how they are treated by each other as well as by business visitors.There is an expectation that one should be treated with the level of respect they deserve due to their status or position, both in the equines environment and in society as a whole. Promotional Technique's: will Promote this course on two different types of advertising techniques: Online and Events, these two work incredibly great in ILLS, we count with many way to promote via online like Faceable, Twitter etc.. And we provide events all around Sydney to reach all kinds of public and make social interaction easier to the international public.Effectiveness: Having these two types of advertising its proven to be successful in the past and having already a large range of social media at IL SC we make a big impression on young students that are browsing the internet often, in the case of events and person al advertising, having a more personal approach to people its really important for making a bond with the student and we have a lot of cultural diversity in the administration of the college that helps us to promote the course as well. Financial performance: Online is the cheapest, fastest and the more effective way to promote the course.Local and international events aren't that hard either, the events that are made by IL SC are managed real carefully and the various brochures and leers that we hand out are incredibly detailed and well done. Objectives: My goals for my promotional activities are: 200 new followers on Faceable 100 new followers on twitter 1000 hand out flyers all around Delhi Promotional Activity Resources Timing Budget Who 1. Postage for the expedition of the printed material Postage Australia to India September 2014 $5000 John 2.Ads in Indian youth magazines Launch advertising in popular Indian youth magazines September 2014 – September 2014 $75000 George 3 . Ads in Indian daily newspapers Launch advertising in Indian newspapers $100000 . Marketing assistant In Delhi to support the Marketing September 2014 -? September 2014 $35000 5. TV commercial Commercial and show it as many times as possible December 2014 – February 2014 $248000 6. Leaflets that will be laid out in Indian travel agencies 1 ooh leaflets August 2014 $2000 Paul 7. Brochures that will be laid out in Indian travel agencies 10000 brochures Paul 8.Social Media On IL Sac's social media sites August 2014 – December 2014 $0 9. Online banner promotion in total 500'000 banners Contact our marketing agency and let our marketing assistant in Delhi organize it September 2014 – September 2015 $10000 10. Online pop-up-ads in total 1,000,000 pop-ups Let our marketing assistant in Delhi organize it September 2014 -? September 201 5 $20000 Policies and Procedures: Legislative: The economic liberation's process began in India in the 1 adds, the process of setting u p businesses and incorporation of entities has become more transparent and organized.Things that ILLS should consider: Seek legal advice on protecting intellectual property. There could be potential violations of intellectual property and copyrights. Adopt an appropriate legal ND tax structure from inception use a qualified legal and tax firm with a presence in India to review all contracts Ethical: ILLS has to ensure that the human rights of its employees and local people in countries in which it operates are protected. Security: All files password-safes.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an opportunity to utilize Essay

The purpose of this paper is to provide an opportunity to utilize community assessment strategies, uncover a community health pr - Essay Example While only a tip of the iceberg is reported, a significant disease burden goes unnoticed. This paper seeks to assess, identify and highlight on community specific healthcare problems in one of the communities, in the US. A unique highlight is given to the community of Georgetown, one of the oldest cities in South Carolina and the headquarters of Georgetown County is seated at Winyah Bay situated at the confluence of three beautiful rivers. The community is a business hub as it hosts a sea gateway second business in the State of South Carolina. Georgetown city is moderately populated with a total population of less than ten thousand people with a population a density of 1,276/sq mi according to 2010 census report. The community is predominated by Black or African Americans, forming 56.7% of the population while the second largest race is whites (U.S. Census Bureau). Other races such as American Indian, Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiian make about 1% of the entire population. Appreciable proportion (over 80%) of the community has received formal education up to high school while less than 21% of people aged 25 years and above have received university higher education. The region has per capita income of less than $20, and about 23.2% of the population is below the poverty line (U.S. Census Bureau). Teenagers (less than 18 years) represent a bigger proportion (about 27.1%) of the total population compared to adults (about 14.7%). Female persons are also the majority representing more than half of the entire population (U.S. Census Bureau). Majority of the youths in Georgetown are unemployed accounting for 13.3% of the population and, therefore, do not have easy access to medical care (U.S. Census Bureau). The high rate of unemployment subject them to risk behaviors such as drug and substance abuse, crime, and risk sexual behavior among others. These behaviors expose the youths to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancies. The communi ty had 22 and 113 reported cases of gonorrhea and Chlamydia, as the common etiologies of STDs in 2010. Nationally, in the same year there were 110million reported cases of cumulative STIs with Human Papilloma Virus as the leading pathogen (Satterwhite, 2013). Although Georgetown is ranked below the top ten in HIV infection rates among South Carolina States there, is still a significant HIV infections rate among the youths in this community. About half of the new reported HIV infections are acquired through homosexual behavior while heterosexuality accounts for 40% of all cases. Majority of these new cases were reported in African American at a rate eight times higher than in whites. This difference could be explained by social economic differences between the two races (South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council, 2009). A teenage pregnancy is rated at 30% among teenagers in this community, with most of them giving birth of their firstborns at an age less than 20 years (South Carolina Campaign: to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010). There was a drop in U.S teen pregnancies reported (Ventura, Abma, Mosher, & Henshaw, 2009), which was attributed to by a reduction in sexual activeness among the youths, as well as effective use of birth control measures. In contrast teen pregnancies are an existing threat to teen health in Georgetown the drop in cases

Prevention of mental ,emotional disorders in youth Article

Prevention of mental ,emotional disorders in youth - Article Example Some of the disadvantages the society face include the failure to complete high school along with high alcohol dependence, teenagers becoming pregnant and many other problems for the youth and the society. There are many preventive steps and actions which are taken into account for improving this undesirable situation and for the improvement of the mental health of the people. The mental disorders are particularly caused by the focus being majorly on the well being rather than the illness and disorders. The promotions which take place majorly from the mental health being promoted as not only to improve the conditions of the mental problems but also to improve and promote self esteem and well being amongst the people. These promotions help in improving mental abilities of the people. Now when it comes to the behavioral preventions it talks about the steps taken to eliminate youth pregnancy. There are also proper parental training institutions along with schools where there are class rooms for the training of the substance abuse. It is crucial for the communities to promote preventions of risky sexual behavior and aggressive nature of the teenagers. Psychiatric problems are common from preventions to eliminate the increasing depression problems along with the schizophrenia which is in the young people. Social problems such as divorce and alcohol usage can be added here. Also it is important to keep in account the social problems which arise due to such mental and behavioral disorders which include poverty, family problems and the conflicts between married couples. There are various committees which are working for improving the situation which include the verdict of the experts who talk about the information which is gathered along with the child maltreatment and how the children and the teenagers can achieve academic success. There are

Computer applications in management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Computer applications in management - Essay Example Social networking sites include Facebook, Tagged.com, Xanga.com, Live Journal, MySpace, Friendster.com, Liked In among others have cropped on the Internet for the past few years. Social networking services can facilitate learning and skill development outside formal learning environments and especially for the youths below 25 in Australia through support brought about by peer to peer learning of skills and knowledge, diverse cultural expression, collaboration, skill development within the working area (Ito et al, 2006; Jenkin, 2007, cited by Palfrey, 2008, p7 cited by Collin, Rahilly, Richardson and Third, 2011). These sites play key roles in youth culture as they give youth space and a place to hang out amongst themselves, where they share cultural artifacts. Most of these sites enable young people to flirt, post pictures, share videos, creative artwork and also meeting new people. They connect students from different schools across the nation (Barnes 2006). Young people pour their minds, into these social networking sites in order clear their heads, show their thoughts and get feedback from their peers (Hoang 2006 cited in Barnes 2006). Social networking services foster a strong sense of community and belonging which has the potential to promote resilience, that helps young people to adapt to change and also stressful events (Collin, Rahilly, Richardson and Third, 2011, p7). ... Boys, who are reluctant when discussing their feelings, tend to benefit more than girls from this effect (Farrer 2009). University of Minnesota conducted a study last year using social media which revealed improved technology and communication skills boosted creativity and exposed students to new views. This activity has taught students on editing content, designing and also encouraged the production and sharing of poetry, art, photographs, video content etc. This improves on students resulting to better performance in exams (Farrer 2009). These sites create a central repository of personal information. As American adults are concentrating on how the government and other organizations are collecting data regarding its citizens as teenagers freely give up their personal and private information in their social media. School officials, government agencies, marketers and online predators can collect data about youths through online teenage diaries. We can conclude these by saying adults are more concerned about the invasion of privacy while youths are freely giving up personal information. This occurs mainly because youths are unaware of the public nature of the Internet (Barnes 2006). Whereas adults argue that some certain information like that may lead to hacking of one’s account. However, formal communication is not vanishing. As social networking is displacing other forms of online communication to some degree such as email, chartrooms among others incorporates others like blogging, music downloading, and instant messaging and remediates yet more notably, face to face and phone communications (Bolter and Grusin, 1999; Jenkins, 2006 cited in Livingstone 2008, p395). To sum up on the benefits, Social Networking Services constitute new spaces for civic

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

International business - Essay Example In the past, MNEs were contented with the surplus they earned from doing business in the developed world markets and other selected countries. However, with the saturation of these economies, global business organizations have come to the realization that there is a need to venture into emerging markets which provide new opportunities. The emerging markets have a huge demand base for products that were hitherto unavailable to them coupled with large populations with significant purchasing power. In consideration of these unique features, the emerging markets have come to be regarded as fitting and dependable suppliers of an array of goods and services. Despite the existence of a huge economic potential, the MNEs are continuously faced with various risks and challenges unique to these emerging markets. MNEs and other global business organizations therefore, have to formulate alternative strategies in order to remain successful in emerging markets and maintain their existence in the gl obal arena. ... These unique approaches that may differ from the ones these MNEs employ in the developed world markets enhance the techniques of global strategic management. The success of champions in emerging market economies has shown that these multinationals clearly understand the emerging market environment in which they operate, paying them huge dividends on the innovative strategies they are able to formulate. The existing successful multinationals have also indicated that they understand the chemistry and the psyche of consumers in the host country, enabling them to target a broader market instead of focusing on a fortunate few (Upadhyay, 2007). Moreover, the highly successful MNEs have built considerable distribution channels that utilize a highly advanced distribution strategy with the aim of reaching a bigger percentage of the population. In the process, these firms have been able to build their brands, establish reputations, and create an image that neatly merges their overall global st rategy with local consumer preference and ensured satisfaction. Owing to their discretion and highly developed strategic approaches, MNEs such as Unilever Group, Coca Cola, LG Electronics, GE and IKEA have shown remarkable success in emerging markets such as India, China, Brazil and Argentina (Upadhyay, 2007). The examples above provide evidence showing that in order for MNEs to be successful in their pursuit of globalization and the quest to remain globally competitive in emerging markets, they need to come up with unique strategies that take into account an understanding of the host country’s psychological trends and choice patterns. In addition, it is imperative to note that emerging markets consumers

ABU DHABI ISLAMIC BANK - CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ABU DHABI ISLAMIC BANK - - Case Study Example Islamic banking became popular in Arab countries by 2003 and also in Malaysia. The number of banks increased to 450 during 2009; moreover about 300 conventional banks are observed to offer to Islamic banking products and services to the customers. In the last five years, Islamic banks had witnessed rapid growth in assets, which have doubled during the period (ADIB, 2014a). The Islamic bank is referred to the bank that follows the Shari’a principles with regard to financing, investment and banking. These banks are controlled and supervised by the Central Banks. The banks meet the requirement of the customers by following the Shari’a principles (Siraj, and Pillai, 2012). It provides with a number of options that helps the customers to safe guard their investments and finance. These options are Musharakah (joint venture), Ijarah (leasing), letter of credit, Murahaba (Cost plus) and covered cards. The banks have Shari’a boards, which comprise Islamic jurists, who consult and control the different aspects of the new banking transactions (ADIB, 2014a). During the global financial crisis, it is observed that the banks were affected severely; however, it hardly made any impact on the Islamic banks. Mortgage crisis was regarded as the main cause of the situation in the US. The stability in Islamic banks originates from its nature of business as the financing method is based on Shari’a principle, which dictates Musharakah, Ijarah and Mudarabah (ADIB, 2014a). In light of the above principles and practices that are followed by Islamic banks, the following case analyses the operation of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB). The case highlights the financial condition of the bank post and pre-financial crisis. ADIB was founded in 1980 and presently it has become the largest financial institution operating under Shari’a principle in Egypt. It has received the highest market standards. It employs around 2000 employers who form a dynamic

Children who are affected and impacted by their parents with aids Essay

Children who are affected and impacted by their parents with aids - Essay Example Children are at risk of mental, physical and psychological trauma, growing up with the scars of AIDS resultant mutilated life. There is the horrifying problem of children getting AIDS due to the parental ailment. That apart, assuming that these children were born before the parents were afflicted, this will not allow them off the hook and for the rest of their lives, they usually are troubled with the resultant trauma, if not by regular AIDS itself, and for a child, both are equally terrifying. Despite the publicity and literature, surprisingly there is a lack of knowledge about the fatal disease, its transmission and preventive measures. This happens perhaps mainly due to the stigma attached to HIV. People still hesitate to openly discuss the implications and policies; their rights and the help on hand. Usually the subject is avoided, especially in the presence of children. If children are below the understandable age, any way it is not easy for them to know, other than that their parents are suffering and dying and the future is bleak for them. If they are adolescents or old enough to understand the implications, their suffering is all the more acute. It is extremely difficult for children to watch the parents suffer from AIDS and the connected 'opportunistic' illnesses, like serious, incurable infections. It is mentally debilitating for them to see the difficult times that the parents are going through. to see the agony of approaching death, and to watch the parents who were their security in their short lives, losing their strength and nearing the death's door with every passing minute is psychologically horrendous for the innocent lives. According to a 1986 survey by CDC 28,098 cases were reported and 15,757 were dead by December 18, 1986. According to Public Health Service, two million people in US are infected, but are asymptomatic. CDC projected in 1986 that 270,000 cases in US by 1991. 79% of them came from families in which one or both parents were afflicted. 88% were children under 5 out of which 20% were white, 57% were black, and 22% were Hispanic and 55% of them were male children. (All figures based on http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-925/aids.htm) Children, unlike other social segments, lack cohesion, grouping, militancy, united fight and lobbying. They simply resign themselves to reality and wither away and hence, the need for their protection is on the society and government. This is a sacred and bounden duty and immense responsibility. "According to the UN definition, which includes children that have lost either their mother or both parents before the age of 15, the epidemic is already thought to have created 14m orphans ," (Elbe, 2003, p.54). After a few years, the real horror of the problem struck the world, when an extensive survey was taken and the unimaginable figures came out. "In the year 2000, UNAIDS Report gave the figure as 34.75 million children below the age of fifteen who have been orphaned because of AIDS" (Smith, 2003, pp. 108-9). AIDS still remains the same life threatening and devastating disease with a connected stigma. It becomes extremely difficult when the individual/s hit by AIDS belong to a family with children. Sometimes, children are already affected. But sometimes the earlier children might not have been affected and will survive their parents. It is difficult to presume the reaction and questions from a child's standpoint, watching one or both

The ethical challenges of the biomedical revolution Essay

The ethical challenges of the biomedical revolution - Essay Example The concept of genetic engineering has risen due to the realization that some medical conditions emanate from genetic abnormalities. Genetic engineering is not a new practice. For example, farmers have long tried to enhance productivity by crossbreeding plants to eliminate undesirable traits and enhance the positive traits. The same case applies to people to explain the root of diseases and highlight disorders that are likely to be transmitted to offspring. The application raises the question of ‘breeding people’ to produce a superior species with disease resistance and desirable traits such as body strength and looks. In fact, there is an increase in the number of women seeking artificial insemination due to the reducing values of traditional institutions of the family. Therefore, the concept of genetics as used today creates ethical challenges because it increases social strains and treats people like animals and plants, which are bred to produce superior offsprings (2 3). Though the above case is practical in the present day, there are possibilities for improvement that would reduce the ethical concerns in the future. For example, germline therapy is a proposed genetic therapy that would erase defective genes and eliminate the possibility of passing the genes to the future generations (26). Though the technology is still in the growth stages, it holds the promise of reducing disease prevalence in the future and thus reduce the cost of healthcare for future generations. It is an advanced form of genetic engineering with an ability to revolutionize the field of healthcare and reduce human suffering. Therefore, though the perception of genetic engineering has a negative outlook, there are possibilities of development that would overcome the ethical concerns held about biomedical revolution. However, religion places God’s supremacy beyond the reaches of human

Social Networking Essay Example for Free

Social Networking Essay Social Networking A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Technological Institute of the Philippines College of Engineering In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements in Bachelor of Science Industrial Engineering By: Jessica P. Tumambing Approved By: Ms. Federa Acknowledgements The author would like to express his sincere appreciation to all those that have assisted in the completion of this Thesis. Ms. Federa Ms. Federa has been an excellent professor. The author could not have completed the research without her guidance and ongoing support. Respondents Author would like to thank all the people that took the time to respond to the questionnaire and assisted in gathering the primary data. Friends and Family Finally the author would like to thank his friends especially to my very best friend for their great help and for enduring me. Their assistance has been very motivating. I would also like to thank my family for their support, with special mention to my Mom and Dad, for always covering my back and providing me with encouraging words DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my parents who have always been my nearest and reverse nearest neighbors and have been so close to me that I found them whenever I needed. It is their unconditional love that motivates me to set higher targets. I also dedicate this to my best friend (Jhae Jimenez) who is my nearest surrounder and have provided me a strong love shield that always surrounds me and never lets any sadness enter inside. ABSTRACT Social Networking Sites are experiencing a rapid growth; there seems to be no limit to their size. Many Social Networking Sites boast with millions of members using their networks on regular basis to communicate, share, create, and collaborate with others. Popular examples of these Social Networking Sites are Facebook, LinkedIn and Bebo. Although most of these sites lack decent business models, they are valued at millions of pounds. Google paid 1.5 billion dollar for YouTube when it wasn’t even earning a single penny. The reason successful Social Networking Sites have become so valuable is due to the amount of people that are using it; and people are exactly what organizations are after. This report aims to find out whether Social Networking Sites have the same value in the context of recruitment. Academic literature extensively discusses online recruitment, however not much is said about recruitment on Social Networking Sites: ‘Sociocruitment’ Research revealed that professionals are quite optimistic about Sociocruitment. Although users of Social Networking Sites had a disperse opinion on organizations contacting them on these websites; not many were negative. The contemporary research furthermore harvested information from a range of sources to create understanding of key issues allowing readers to familiarize themselves with the concept. Finally the report makes suggestions on how organizations can engage in this new media. TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval Sheet I Acknowledgement II Dedication III Abstract IV Table of Contents - V CHAPTER 1 Background of study - 1-2 Statement of the Problem 3-4 Significance of the Study 5 Assumption of the study 6-7 Scope and Limitations - BACKGROUND OF STUDY This thesis explores Social Networking sites as a medium of expression for sexual identity construction; more specifically the research question aimed to explore how gay and lesbian individuals use social networking websites as a means to construct and explore their sexual identities through self presentation on conventional social networking sites (SNS) available and used by everybody versus LGB SNS which are primarily used by Lesbian/Gay and Bisexual individuals and groups. Through the conduction of eight semi- structured interviews with an even number of four males and females and a content analysis of each participant’s social networking profiles, the research explored how sexual identities were presented and played out on these sites by the variation and degree of information that was disclosed by the sample study. Overall the aim was to explore the advantages and disadvantages social networking entails for the gay community through a comparison of both types of SNS, exploring how self presentation and sexual identities are negotiated and managed through the two while determining if these sites were in fact a safe location to play out sexual identities if they are a site of identity restrictions. From research up to this point it has struck me that there is limited research concerned with the disadvantages of social networking and identity experimentation for gays and lesbians. Thus this present study aims to acquire if gay individuals feel  they can perform their sexual identities more comfortably and honest in one ahead of the other or if they feel the need to ‘conceal’ their sexual identities on certain social network sites which are accessible to all e.g. Facebook and reasons why. The basis of this study is to get both sides of the story, addressing the positives but also taking into account the negatives and weighting up which SNS is less restrictive on sexual Page 2 of 39 identity construction. Self presentation will be a dominant theme in drawing research, extending on the existing research exploring the differences of presentation between the two sites. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace allow you to find and connect with just about anyone, from a coworker in a neighboring cube to the girl who played Emily in your high school production of â€Å"Our Town† thirty years ago. Browsing these sites can make you feel connected to a larger community, but such easy, casual connection in an electronic environment can also have its downside. A False Sense of Connection According to Cornell University’s Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. By focusing so much of our time and psychic energy on these less meaningful relationships, our most important connections, he fears, will weaken. Cyber-bullying The immediacy provided by social media is available to predators as well as friends. Kids especially are vulnerable to the practice of cyber-bullying in which the perpetrators, anonymously or even posing as people their victims trust, terrorize individuals in front of their peers. The devastation of these online attacks can leave deep mental scars. In several well-publicized cases, victims have even been driven to suicide. The anonymity afforded online can bring out dark impulses that might otherwise be suppressed. Cyber-bullying has spread widely among youth, with 42% reporting that they have been victims, according to a 2010 CBS News report. Decreased Productivity While many businesses use social networking sites to find and communicate with clients, the sites can also prove a great distraction to employees who may show more interest in what their friends are posting than in their work tasks. Wired.com posted two studies which demonstrated damage to productivity caused by social networking: Nucleus Research reported that Facebook shaves 1.5% off office productivity while Morse claimed that British companies lost 2.2 billion a year to the social phenomenon. New technology products have become available that allow social networks to be blocked, but their effectiveness remains spotty. Privacy Social networking sites encourage people to be more public about their personal lives. Because intimate details of our lives can be posted so easily, users are prone to bypass the filters they might normally employ when talking about their private lives. What’s more, the things they post remain available indefinitely. While at one moment a photo of friends doing shots at a party may seem harmless, the image may appear less attractive in the context of an employer doing a background check. While most sites allow their users to control who sees the things they’ve posted, such limitations are often forgotten, can be difficult to control or don’t work as well as advertised. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 1. Informatics Manila Students – The main target of the study, for the students to be aware of the impact of social media to them 2. Parents – This study will be beneficiary to parents of the students, for them to be aware of the impacts of social media usage. 3. Informatics College Manila – The study will also be beneficial to the educational institution for the awareness on the impact of social media usage. 4. Future Researchers – They will benefit from the study through the information they could gather.

Ludwig Feuerbach The Essence Of Christianity Religion Essay

Ludwig Feuerbach The Essence Of Christianity Religion Essay Feuerbachs own introduction to the second print of his The Essence of Christianity is as good an exposà © as any of both his intentions and the content of his book. His own comments on the style of his writing are insightful both with regard to the content of the book as of the Young Hegelian movement as a whole. Forms, it seems, encapsulates the direction which Hegelian thought seem to have taken. This sense of style seems both as a device by which Feuerbach distances himself from the at times tiresome and elaborate musings of the German philosophical tradition and as a means by which to demonstrate the immediate and down-to-earth conclusion he himself has drawn from studying the Christian faith. In doing so Feuerbach claims to walk a path wholly of his own making, far removed from the obfuscation associated with Hegels work. Style, then, is as much content as it is on the surface of things. It tells us both to whom the message is addressed and the context in which it is written. F euerbach is, perhaps as a result of his awareness of the to be resolved Hegelian dichotomy between form and content, highly self-conscious of the form he is taking in addressing his audience: I have never held, surely, the scholars to be the measure of true learning and of the art of writing; not those abstract and particular academic philosophers, but universal man instead. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and I have made a law of the highest level of clarity, simplicity and determinacy to the extent to which the subject matter allows it. I have done so in all my writing, including this one, in order that every educated and thinking man can at the very least understand the main point of my work.  [2]   Feuerbachs style is inherently democratic and adverse to the prevalent mandarinism of the German intelligentsia. It is a statement in and by itself. The suggestion Feuerbach is making is that this is the language of science. These are not subjective utterances of a particular individual but irrefutable truth arrived at by virtue of strict application of a thoroughly rational methodology. Feuerbachs posture is one of a levelheaded thinker who aspires to the elementary truth. A truth that is, as we shall see, not shrouded in the abstract mysteries of abstract thought, but instead claims to be commonplace. One only needs to look clearly at the world in order for the ghosts of speculative idealism to dissipate. Feuerbach is practising the art of artlessness. Many of those influenced by Feuerbach have tried to emulate this posture and it is probable that a large part of the success of The Essence of Christianity is due to it tone. Its tone must have been seductive to an ever increasing contingent of thinkers barred from having a place within the established order. The author of The Essence, so it seems, took a certain pride in his lack of social stature. After all, such rogue thinkers might well be more inclined to think outside the box, not needing to adorn their truths in order to make them acceptable to all. This pathos is certainly recognizable in our present and practically an idiom in popular culture. At the time of its publication, however, the feeling was such that The Essence had cleared new grounds. It was frequently said that The Essence had a liberating effect. It expressed double entendre implied the spirit of the age. Or at least the very least the spirit of a particular segment within the 19th century German speaking coun tries of Central Europe. A segment of society that was repressed and excluded and had now, finally, found a voice to call its own. Feuerbachs aim was to clear away the alienating representations of Christianity in order to gain an empiricism that allowed to clearly state the nature of reality. Feuerbach: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) weiter will meine Schrift nichts sein als eine sinngetreue ÃÅ"bersetzung bildlos ausgedrà ¼kt: eine empirisch- oder historisch-philosophische Analyse, Auflà ¶sung des Rà ¤tsels der christliche Religion.  [3]   (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) my book wants to nothing more than a translation that is true to the senses expressed without images: an empirical- or historical-philosophical analysis, resolution of the mystery of the Christian religion.  [4]   In the above Feuerbach makes clear his intent. He wants to strip bare the Hegelian dialectic into its most elementary form and overcome an idealism that is identified as being synonimous with the teachings of Christianity. The truth attained after decomposing Christianity will be immediate, sensual, and therefore without images. These words resemble those of an iconoclast, of someone wanting to empty the faith of all idolatry that stands in the way of truth. This is feeling is enhanced by Feuerbachs insistence that the Christianity which he shall tackle is not the same today as it was at the moment of its own genesis.  [5]  The original teachings of the Christian faith by Jesus have been steadily corrupted, according to Feuerbach, by subsequent interpretations and explanations of theologists. Theology has transformed Christianity into dogmas that are contradictory and unintelligible. The Essence is an attempt to retrieve the religion of Christianity from its theology, and Feuerbach makes a clear distinction between the two. Only after going back to this moment of authenticity within the Christian faith, that is, of the original myths surrounding the teachings of Jesus, can we hope to gain a new insight as to what these myths really imply. This explicit disapproval of theology in Feuerbachs writing is, as we shall see, consistent with a particular strand of anti-intellectualism expressed in The Essence. For Feuerbach believed that he had transcended not only the limitations of religion but those of philosophy as well. The Essence is itself therefore not a work of philosophy but of anthropology. In anthropology both religion and philosophy were superseded; it provided immediate, scientific, truths about human nature. By emphasizing that he was practicing another form of enquiry altogether Feuerbach tried to make more dramatic his break with both Christianity and the excesses of speculative philosophy as done by Hegel. Anthropology was believed to provide concrete results that could be empirically verified by basic human understanding, doing so in a commonsense language untainted by jargon. Anthropology dealt with humanity in general and had as a field of study, according to Feuerbach, something concrete and real. For humanity was undeniable since we ourselves were human. Feuerbach abhorred the tendency of idealist thought to reduce everything to the consciousness of the single mind. This, he thought, was an absurdity since much of what one calls ones own can be seen to be embodied by other human beings as well.  [6]  The human body was as a source of non-intellectual understanding, or feeling, shared by all members of the species.  [7]   So too was (historic) human culture a field for the creation of collective meaning by which those unalienable qualities of the human race could be represented. Feuerbach remained a Hegelian in seeing historical development of human culture in connection with the development of human consciousness. He too believed that the ideas and truths developed and represented in culture would, given time, be embodied by human consciousness. Feuerbach diverted from Hegel in seeing this development in terms of mans understanding of himself as member of a species. This understanding was expressed in highly naturalistic and empirical terms. With regard to Strauss, Feuerbach said not to be interested in the question of whether Jesus Christ had truly existed or not. Nor would Feuerbach critically interpret theology, a field in which he had no interest other than a feeling of disdain. What was of interest was the instantly recognizable myth told by the Biblical story of humanities redemption through Christ. This was the core around which the webs of mystification were spun. Just as the life and death of Christ was key in Hegels understanding of the Christian faith in being his philosophys other. So too was redemption, according to Feuerbach, the single most important event which had taken place in human history. Feuerbachs task was to take this myth and explain it in atheistic, anthropological, terms which directly reflected the hope and aspirations of humanity at large. This was not, however, to reduce or criticize the essence of faith. Rather, this methodology exhibited in The Essence was to scientifically explain the myth central to Christianity. In the understanding of the dialectic this meant that the content of the Bible, which was still marred by an excessive dependence on representation, could be brought on a higher plain of immediate understanding. In other words, although Christianity contained a truth, this truth was itself marred by Christianity. Christianity was in contradiction with itself, a contradiction that had to be resolved by its being superseded by anthropology. Feuerbach says of this: Ich (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) lasse die Religion sich selbst aussprechen; ich mache nur ihren Zuhà ¶rer und Dolmetscher, nicht ehren Souffleur.  [8]   I (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) let religion speak for it self; I am merely its audience and translator, not its critic.  [9]   Feuerbach, like Hegel, sees Christianity as a mirror of human consciousness. The qualities ascribed to Christianity are, in truth, the qualities of the human mind at a given time. Throughout The Essence the claim is repeated that faith is but an alienated manifestation of the self-as-species. The consciousness of God is the self-consciousness of mankind, the knowledge of God is the understanding of mankind. Religion is the first attempt towards self-consciousness. Yet it is in itself flawed; it remains an indirect self-consciousness through the manifestations of religion. Feuerbach writes in a sentence that could have been made by Hegel himself; Der Mensch verlegt sein Wesen zuerst außer sich, ehe er es in sich findet.  [10]   At first man misplaces his essence outside himself, before finding it within himself.  [11]   Everything that is to be found in religion can be found in actual human consciousness itself. Religion is constituted by reverence for alienated qualities of the self. Despite all its grandeur, religion has no content that is particular to its self. Religion is alienation itself and therefore made up around nothingness. This also explain the vague, indistinct, character of the omnipotent Christian God. God is said to embody all virtues of man, yet none in particular. God is everywhere, yet nowhere in particular. God knows everything, because he knows nothing in particular. According to Feuerbach the very notion of God is itself void: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) weil alle Dinge, die der Vernunft imponieren, vor der Religion verschwinden, ihre Individualità ¤t verlieren, im Auge der gà ¶ttlichen Macht nichts sind. Die Nacht is die Mutter der Religion.  [12]   (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) because all things, that are impressive to the mind, vanish before religion, lose their individuality, are nothing in the eyes of God. The night is the mother of religion.  [13]   Religion is itself the very movement by which man loses his own essence. That which enriches our conception of God makes our understanding of ourselves all the more poorer.  [14]  The two are directly related in that what benefits one deprecates the other. In the mirror house of representation that is religion, a strange shift has occurred the puts the world upside-down. God, the representation, has replace man as representans, that is, as the very source from which the representation was brought forth. Der Mensch dies ist das Geheimnis der Religion vergegenstà ¤ndlicht sein Wesen und macht dann wieder sich zum Gegenstand dieses vergegenstà ¤ndlichten, in ein Subjekt, eine Person verwandelten Wesens; er denkt sich, ist sich Gegenstand, aber als Gegenstand eines Gegenstands, eines andern Wesens. So hier. Der Mensch ist ein Gegenstand Gottes.  [15]   Man this is the secret of religion objectifies his being and then again transforms himself into an object in relation to his own objectification, into a subject, a essence changed into a person; he thinks himself, is object to himself, but as object to an object, another being. There you have it. Man is an object of God.  [16]   As was hinted at in the above, however, Christianity carries within itself a contradiction. According to Feuerbach this contradiction means the end of Christianity itself and has to do with the notion of love. Love was crucial in the story of redemption. In this Biblical narrative man is redeemed in the eyes of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus had died for our sins in the name of mankind in an act of love and so had brought us into union with God. A harmony had been restored. A new holy light shone upon mankind in which all men were henceforth assured of the love of God. Feuerbach that this was the message and myth central to Christianity; a myth that was still clearly visible after ages of theological corruption. But Feuerbach believed that love did not unify mankind but, instead, divided it into those having Gods grace and those lacking it. The notion of love, central to Christianity, narrowed the conception of who was man and who was not. In practice love had gained a negative meaning; it served to denote the faithful from the heathen.  [17]  Love, then, determined who was to be fought and annihilated. Im Glauben liegt ein bà ¶ses Prinzip, that is, in faith there rests an evil principle.  [18]  Love is, according to Feuerbach, an completely natural and distinctly human instinct. Love is one of the most compassionate, benign, qualities of man. Love serves to bridge the gap between subject and subject; it is by virtue of itself inter-personal. Yet Christianity had managed to pervert love and make it not into a unifying notion, but a dividing one. Christian love, then, furthered particularity and subjectiveness, preventing a higher dialectical union in universal objectivity. Feuerbach had granted love a moral dimension. To love mankind is a moral type of love, to love a single individual is a personal, subjective love.  [19]  The former unifies, the latter divides. For to love a single person is to excluse others from your love. Only universal love of man-as-species is moral. Since love of God is love that is particular it shows itself to be immoral. The love of God deprives mankind from the love of both other human beings and himself as a member of mankind. Christian love is therefore intricately connected not only with the image of those who do not receive it and are the enemy but also with the notion of self-hate. To love God is to alienate that which make you human and thus reduce oneself to something underserving of that very love. This is why the concept of sin in a post-Christian era would not make any sense. Sin exists by virtue of God, a God whom we have granted our most valuable and essential qualities. We are sinfull because we have alienated our essence unto God. To deny God is to reclaim those qualities. Since I cannot be in contradiction with myself, there is not higher authority, I cannot live in sin.  [20]   Christianity is essentailly intolerant and adverse to any true understanding of love. It denies that which it claims is its essence. Christianity, then, in the end, denies itself. This is what Feuerbach meant with the idea that to let Christainity speak for it self is to end it. It is a negativity that negates itself. Love has to be made universal. We should not say, as Feuerbach would have it, God is love, but Love is god.  [21]  God is our own universal nature that we have alienated through religion. Love is synonimous with universality itself. Feuerbach: Die wahre Liebe ist sich selbst genug; sie bedarf keiner besondern Titel, keiner Autorità ¤t. Die Liebe ist das universale Gesetz der Intelligenz und Natur sie ist nichts andres als die Verwirklichung der Einheit der Gattung auf dem Wege der Gesinnung.  [22]   True love is enough by virtue of itself; it needs not special titel, no authority. Love is the universal law of intelligence and nature it is nothing else but the realization of the unity of the species on the road of natural inclination.  [23]   Love is only free when it is universal, unrestrained by particularity. Only then can it serve as the means by which man recognizes himself-as-species. The notion of species is not a cold intellectual thought; the very energy of love, our most human of inclinations, is that which constitues our species-being.  [24]  The historical figure Jesus Christ is therefore nothing else but our species-being represented in a singular image. Since we are all human, and therefore part of humanity, so too are all of us Christ.  [25]   (The emperorss new clothes by Hans Christian Andersson as a metaphor for Stirners Ego and Its own; The Emperor (Feuerbach) is not wearing any clothes!)

Analyzing Atheism Essays -- Religion, Spirituality

Religion is one of the touchiest subjects in America. It is something that is rarely on the forefront of many people’s minds but as soon as someone brings it up, everyone has an opinion. Similarly, the idea of no religion, of atheism, is equally opinionated. While Americans of â€Å"faith† often have conflicting opinions with each other, they often stand united on the stance of atheism. For them, atheism is bad and atheists are bad. However, what really is an atheist? At its most basic, an atheist is merely an individual who rejects the idea of god and religion. It is nothing more, nothing less. Nevertheless, many people of faith attach secondary implications to this definition. They unify atheists under a series of assumptions concerning morality, belief, organization, and just plain illogical misconception. As an atheist of eight years myself, I find such assumptions to be insulting and prejudiced. I am an individual. My lack of belief does not entail other beliefs. T he same is true for all atheists. The first misconception I bring up is the most radical and illogical. Very few hold this sort of belief, but those that do I am unlikely to sway with simple logic and common sense. They are the type of people who only see what they want to see and hold onto their preconceived prejudices like a life preserver in a dark sea. Thus, I will address it first and be as quick and succinct as possible. As an atheist, I do not believe in the devil and so I cannot be a Satanist. That is a logical impossibility. The next misconception is a little more subtle, but by far the more widespread. Many people believe that morals are a religious construction and that without religion there is no morality. Thus, they conclude that atheists are amoral ... ...e science of the universe and the science of life are beautiful and help give meaning to existence to me in ways that religion never could. At the end of it all according to science, we are all made up of the same stuff as stars. Within us all are the building blocks of creation, of everything. The last and overarching point I am trying to illustrate is the atheism in not a standardized system of beliefs like religion is. Being an atheist does not entail anything other than a disbelief in deities and religion. While it is likely that atheists will share other beliefs it is not because they are atheists. To say otherwise is to make a baseless and prejudiced assumption. Atheism is not a religion or a belief system; one is not a follower of atheism. We are individuals with differing thoughts and opinions on the many myriad of issues that we often are lumped under.

Biodiversity :: essays research papers

Biodiversity is described by Ruth Patrick as, â€Å"the presence of a large number of species of animals and plants†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Patrick 15). In other words, biodiversity is the term for the measure of the variety of different species that do exist still on our plant. These species can range from the simplest bacteria to the very complex primates. Biodiversity can relate locally or globally. For example the Southern New England forest contains 20 or 30 tree species while in the rainforest of Peru there are hundreds of species of trees (Patrick 15). There are also further ways to view biodiversity and that is in levels. These levels can be the â€Å"diversity of higher plants, number of species, or expressed as sheer weight (biomass)† (Patrick 15). Biodiversity is different is each part of the world. Not every part of the world contains the same amount of creatures yet there are parts of the world that might contain similar amounts. These regions of the world have similar we ather patterns and therefore similar species will develop there but they are not necessarily the same. One of the more important regions of the world that contain a large amount of biodiversity is the tropical rainforest region. â€Å"The forests comprise roughly 7% of the dry land surface of Earth and may hold more than 50% of all species† (Patrick 15). Yet us as humans do not know all of the creatures and organisms that live on this planet at all. We only have discovered, in one way or another, about 1.4 million species yet the number that is estimated is about 10-100 million (Patrick 15). The unknown species that do exist on this world can have many and countless benefits to the human race. A good example can be the rosy periwinkle, which is a plant found on the island of Madagascar, helped cure the Hodgkin’s disease and lymphocytic leukemia. (E.O. Wilson 3). Another can be the cyclosporin that was found in an obscure Norwegian fungus that is the foundation for the organ transplant business (Wilson 3). There also exist countless other potential uses and numerous other benefits that can be found in nature. The only problem is that we do not know even half of the amount of life that exists on this planet and many of them are disappearing faster than we can discover. With the advancement of technology and the growing population go mankind, nature seems as if it is in the way.

Ready :: essays research papers

The Good King of Bechuanaland 1819 to 1923 Khama distinguished his reign by being highly regarded as a peace-loving ruler with the desire and ability to extract technological innovations from Europeans while resisting their attempts to colonize his country. Such advancements included the building of schools, scientific cattle feeding, and the introduction of a mounted police corps which practically eliminated all forms of crime. Respect for Khama was exemplified during a visit with Queen Victoria of England to protest English settlement in Bechuanaland in 1875. The English honored Khama and confirmed his appeal for continued freedom for Bechuanaland. Khama distinguished his reign by being highly regarded as a peace-loving ruler with the desire and ability to extract technological innovations from Europeans while resisting their attempts to colonize his country. Such advancements included the building of schools, scientific cattle feeding, and the introduction of a mounted police corps, which practically eliminated all forms of crime. Respect for Khama was exemplified during a visit with Queen Victoria of England to protest English settlement in Bechuanaland in 1875. The English honored Khama and confirmed his appeal for continued freedom for Bechuanaland. A brief biography of Sir Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president: Seretse Khama (1921-80), founding President of Botswana, 1966-80. He inherited an impoverished and internationally obscure state from British rule, and left an increasingly democratic and prosperous country with a significant role in Southern Africa. Seretse Khama was born on 1 July 1921 at Serowe in the British protectorate of Bechuanaland. He was was the son of Sekgoma Khama, and the grandson of the internationally famous Kgosi Khama III (c.1835-1923), ruler of the Bangwato people of central Botswana. He was named Seretse-the clay that binds together-because of the recent reconciliation between his father and grandfather. Seretse's mother, Tebogo Kebailele, had been chosen by Khama to be the new wife of the ageing Sekgoma. When Sekgoma died in 1925, four-year old Seretse was proclaimed Kgosi. His uncle Tshekedi Khama became regent and later sole guardian for him. The lonely and often sickly child was sent to boarding schools in South Africa, but developed into a healthy and gregarious adolescent sportsman. He attended Fort Hare University College and graduated with a general BA degree in 1944. In August 1945 he was sent to England for a legal education. After a year at Balliol College, Oxford, he enrolled for barrister studies at the Inner Temple, London. In 1947 Seretse Khama met an English woman of his age, Ruth Williams, daughter of a retired army officer. Ready :: essays research papers The Good King of Bechuanaland 1819 to 1923 Khama distinguished his reign by being highly regarded as a peace-loving ruler with the desire and ability to extract technological innovations from Europeans while resisting their attempts to colonize his country. Such advancements included the building of schools, scientific cattle feeding, and the introduction of a mounted police corps which practically eliminated all forms of crime. Respect for Khama was exemplified during a visit with Queen Victoria of England to protest English settlement in Bechuanaland in 1875. The English honored Khama and confirmed his appeal for continued freedom for Bechuanaland. Khama distinguished his reign by being highly regarded as a peace-loving ruler with the desire and ability to extract technological innovations from Europeans while resisting their attempts to colonize his country. Such advancements included the building of schools, scientific cattle feeding, and the introduction of a mounted police corps, which practically eliminated all forms of crime. Respect for Khama was exemplified during a visit with Queen Victoria of England to protest English settlement in Bechuanaland in 1875. The English honored Khama and confirmed his appeal for continued freedom for Bechuanaland. A brief biography of Sir Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president: Seretse Khama (1921-80), founding President of Botswana, 1966-80. He inherited an impoverished and internationally obscure state from British rule, and left an increasingly democratic and prosperous country with a significant role in Southern Africa. Seretse Khama was born on 1 July 1921 at Serowe in the British protectorate of Bechuanaland. He was was the son of Sekgoma Khama, and the grandson of the internationally famous Kgosi Khama III (c.1835-1923), ruler of the Bangwato people of central Botswana. He was named Seretse-the clay that binds together-because of the recent reconciliation between his father and grandfather. Seretse's mother, Tebogo Kebailele, had been chosen by Khama to be the new wife of the ageing Sekgoma. When Sekgoma died in 1925, four-year old Seretse was proclaimed Kgosi. His uncle Tshekedi Khama became regent and later sole guardian for him. The lonely and often sickly child was sent to boarding schools in South Africa, but developed into a healthy and gregarious adolescent sportsman. He attended Fort Hare University College and graduated with a general BA degree in 1944. In August 1945 he was sent to England for a legal education. After a year at Balliol College, Oxford, he enrolled for barrister studies at the Inner Temple, London. In 1947 Seretse Khama met an English woman of his age, Ruth Williams, daughter of a retired army officer.

Death, Tragedy and Community at Wartime Essay

Dying in War: Implications for the family, the community and the social worker Death is a phenomenon that evokes mixed reactions and views from a community. For some, it a blessed release from the trials and problems of life. To others, it may very well be the end of the world when they lose a loved one. What remains constant however is the grief, bereavement and loneliness experienced by those left behind. Even more so when death was sudden and unexpected as like what happens in times of war, disaster, and terrorist attacks. Grief goes through many stages, each stage more difficult that the last. While most people generally manage to cope with time, some experience more difficulties and tend to develop psychological and emotional problems. During the First and Second World Wars, the knock of the postman was a thing of dread. They either brought telegrams summoning the sons and fathers of families for the draft or telegrams announcing the death or loss of loved one. An estimated 8 million military personnel in 14 European countries were killed in World War I, and 14. 4 million military personnel in 17 European countries were killed in World War II (Aiken, 2001, p. 111). Parents who suddenly lose their children such as what happened to most wartime mothers with adult sons usually have a harder time coming to terms with the death of their child (Gilbert, 2005, p. 6). The loss and feelings of helplessness and anger can be intense. There is a common belief that something is wrong when a parent buries his/her child. Most parents who have experienced this report that they feel dissociation with life and everything just felt so unreal (p. 6). That it is not right that parents should survive their children is often the thought that haunts bereaved parents. What role do social workers play in times of war and terror? Social problems are defined as the challenges that face and exist in communities (Hardcastle, Powers & Wenocur, 2004, p. 62). It is the social worker’s job to help the community and its members formulate and implement solutions to these problems. Social workers usually work with problems related to economic disadvantages, illness and disability, crime and delinquency, abuse and maltreatment, service provision to special parts of the population and mental illness. All these problems call for leadership attention and trained intervention (p. 62). No situation can put all these things together more than times of war. What may be the biggest challenge to a social worker though is the task of helping a family and community deal with the sudden losses of loved ones in combat. In addition to this, they should also be prepared to cope with the rehabilitation of those who have been able to come back home but exist with scars that are not only physical but also mental and emotional. The events of September 11, 2001, though technically not a part of any formal war except the one on terror, had an impact that was not dissimilar to armed conflicts. There was confusion, anger, anxiety and above all, people who in an instant lost their loved ones. As with wartime, sudden death can only be viewed as unfair and untimely (Clements, Deranieri, Vigil & Benasutti, 2004) For example, the September 11, 2001 terror attacks left behind families and children who have lost moms and dads in that instant. Even adults and children who were indirectly affected by the attacks have grown to suffer feelings of anxiety and shattered security in their personal and familial safety (Smith & Reynolds, 2002). Besides the inevitable feelings of grief, children especially were left behind and often had to contend with nightmares and morbid pictures of the traumatic deaths their loved ones experienced as well as the stress and difficulty of trying to picture lives without mom or dad. It is also important to remember that the effects of trauma are not limited to those who suffer it directly (Sims, Hayden, Palmer & Hutchins, 2000, p. 41) The ubiquity of television also afforded children at home not only news of the attacks but also vivid pictures and descriptions of the tragedy and all its violence. This made it even more problematic for children and people who have lost loved ones in the Twin Towers and the plane crashes as coverage of each horrific scene gave them fodder for the imagination and subsequent nightmares. The case of a 7-year old boy named Johnny is cited in the study (2002) by Smith and Reynolds. : Following the 9/11 attacks, Johnny developed a constant fear of his parents leaving home and getting killed by â€Å"bad men. † He also developed a phobia of elevators and would throw tantrums whenever his parents tried to make him use one. Johnny admitted to his therapist that his fear of elevator stemmed from a story he heard of how â€Å"people in the Twin Towers were trapped and killed while riding in the elevators. † (Smith & Reynolds, 2002) Neither Johnny nor his family were directly involved or affected in the terror attack. The mental and emotional strain suffered by survivors and those affected by this very high profile event led to the American Psychiatric Association’s setting up of counseling services â€Å"focusing on grief, acute stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Smith & Reynolds, 2002). The difficulty that most surviving relatives meet is in the un-timeliness of death. While conventional wisdom holds that sons and fathers who go to war may not come back again, more often than not, there is a strong hope that they will be able to come home. Despite the knowledge of all the possibilities, the sudden and traumatic nature of death often creates problems among surviving relatives. They become victims in their own right. Muller and Thompson believe that the manner of death plays a vital role in determining the reaction of the survivors (Muller & Thompson, 2003). If its bad enough for people to suddenly lose their loved ones, how much more would it be for children to live and go through an environment of war and death? In his article in the Journal of Multi-cultural Counseling and Development in 2004, Clinical psychologist and Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) Gargi Roysircar relates the case of 20-year old Yugoslavian emigre Stephen, who at the age of 10 witnessed the height of the civil war between Christians and Muslims in Kosovo in 1990. In interviews with his counselor, Stephen recalls witnessing about 80% of his classmates get killed by bombs, sniper shots and gunfire as they walked to and from school. At age 14, Stephen was taken by his father to the frontlines for training in combat to fight with the Serbian army. The next two years wold take Stephen all over the Balkans and would expose him to all kinds of death, privation and war atrocities. Eventually migrating as political refugees in the United States, in 1999, Stephen demonstrated difficulty in acculturation and adjustment. The constant displacement he experienced in war along with the mistrust bred by his past and cultural paranoia fostered by the Croatian community they lived with made it difficult for Stephen to acclimatize to peacetime setting. Roysircar describes Stephen as having â€Å"recurrent thoughts and images of his violent experience in the Balkans. He experienced nightmares, hostility and a profound sense of a lack of belonging. Stephen also often recounted the difficulties he experienced including â€Å"hiding in a basement and eating rats† especially when angry. He also displays a deep-seated hatred for the Muslims and believes â€Å"the Middle East should be wiped off the face of the Earth† (Roysircar, 2004). While there may be models detailing stages of grief and recovery, social workers must be prepared for instances that do not adhere to such models. In Stephen’s case while he did not directly lose any of his close family members, he was exposed at an early age to violence and death. He has also experienced being the cause of another human being’s death as he and his father fought on the Serbian army. This is no different from the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder exhibited by American soldiers returning from Vietnam or any other area where they fought in combat. A person does not have to lose anyone in order to feel grief, bereavement and suffer any disorder that may result from it as evidenced by the little boy Johnnie and Stephen. Death in wartime is not limited to just the loss of a loved one. In a community where all able bodied men are called to arms, anybody can lose husbands, brothers, fathers and sons at any day. Families left behind are left to their own devices and imaginings of what horrors their loved ones are facing. Those who do lose family members are haunted by the manner by which their loved one died. There is also the unfortunate circumstance in war where death is an ambiguous issue. In the Vietnam War, many people were reported missing in action. The families of such people were left at an awkward and horrible position of not knowing whether they should be mourning or holding out hope for their loved one’s return (Worden, 2003, p. 40). In some cases, some families do accept the reality that their loved one may be dead and go through the entire process of mourning and recovery only to be told later that their husbands and sons were simply prisoners of war and has since been released. While ordinarily this may sound like a fairy tale ending, there may come unbridgeable gaps and tension that can only ruin relationships and lives (p. 85). On the other hand, some families may keep clinging to the hope that their loved ones are alive and therefore refuse to give way to grief and acceptance. Stacy Bannerman (2007) is one of the many army wives whose marriage was broken up by war. In her article that appeared in â€Å"The Progressive,† she relates how her once happy marriage with one of the military’s mortar platoon commanders started heading downhill with every death he caused and witnessed during his stint in Iraq. She decries the insensitivity and lack of support for military families from the National Guard. She further cites how there was an absolute lack of prompt attention to the mental and emotional needs of returning military men who more often than not suffered from PTSD like her husband, Lorin did. Because of this, there have been military men who have survived their tour of duty only to succumb to mental and emotional anguish and end up committing suicide on American soil (Bannerman, 2007). It is the soldiers, their families, and the people of Iraq that pay the human costs. The tab so far: more than 3,000 dead U. S. troops, tens of thousands of wounded, over half a million Iraqi casualties, roughly 250,000 American servicemen and women struggling with PTSD, and almost 60,000 military marriages that have been broken by this war (Bannerman, 2007). The problem here is that most of those left behind are left to cope with their own fears without the support of anybody else except family and members who are also wrapped up in their own concerns. In this case, social workers must be able to take the lead in establishing outreach and community groups so people do not have to cope and suffer in isolation. Carpenter (2002) states that the psychological well-being of the members of a community is one of the jobs of a social worker. While it is true that the trauma brought on by exposure to violence and death may be an individual process, healing and recovery needs societal support and strong relationships (Carpenter, 2002). This may become a challenge to families and communities who are dealing with their anxiety and grief. However, Carpenter reminds social workers that one of the primary goals of social work is to help empower the oppressed. Oppression in itself can take on many definitions and forms. In this particular case, it is the trauma and grief that is debilitating and oppressing the individual and the community. Social workers must also be prepared to look for signs of repressed grief. Some individuals choose to withhold and fail to express grief and therefore develop problems later in life often developing manias, paranoia and demonstrate abuse towards other people. At times, the feelings of grief or multiple losses of loved ones may lead to a â€Å"grief overload† that would cause an individual to delay grief (Worden, 2003, p. 91) The community as a social system can provide a network of support. Given the right leadership, empathy and sensitivity, it can also become a â€Å"safe† place where people can come to terms with their grief and slowly move on toward recovery. In the cases of Johnnie and Stephen, it took time before they were able to face and admit their anger, anxiety and grief at the bad things that they experienced and fear. Sometimes, self-reflection and a ready ear is all that’s necessary. As clinically trained counselors and diagnosticians, social workers are tasked with the duty of helping people recognize and understand what problems they may have. Community-wise, social workers should have enough knowledge of the community’s demographics in order to unify and create a solid network of safety and interaction that may assist troubled and grieving individuals particularly in conflict filled times such as war. Death at wartime comes in many forms. It could be the actual death of a loved one, anxiety at the possible death, loss at whether somebody is dead or not, or even those who continue to physically live but have broken spirits and permanent disabilities as a result of war wounds. Much as death is a big thing that affects not only the family but also the community as a whole, war brings with it so much more problems and issues that will undoubtedly challenge most social workers. Undertaking social work means one must be in sync with the community. By in sync, it covers everything from issues, key people, and resources that may be mobilized in times of need. War is a time of immense crisis and tragedy that the social worker must be prepared to face head on and ably lead and facilitate the processes by which the community may be transformed into a supportive societal system that each member may be able to depend on. This does not mean however that social workers cannot be affected or lose their sense of self in dealing with all these tragedies. Tsui and Cheung (2003) recommend a self-reflection on the part of the social worker in order to understand and come to terms with their own reactions and feelings to tragedies they both witness and hear about from their clients before attempting to deal further with the grief of others. They also stress that once social workers attend to their duties, they should do so intellectually yet with empathy and focus on assessing and addressing the needs of the community rather than one’s own (Tsui & Cheung, 2003) References Aiken, L. R. (2001). Dying, Death, and Bereavement (4th ed. ). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=22091057 Bannerman, S. (2007, March). Broken by This War. The Progressive, 71, 26+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5021139792 Carpenter, J. (2002). Mental Health Recovery Paradigm: Implications for Social Work. Health and Social Work, 27(2), 86+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5000778618 Gilbert, K. R. (2005). 1 When a Couple Loses a Child. In Family Stressors: Interventions for Stress and Trauma, Catherall, D. R. (Ed. ) (pp. 5-30). New York: Brunner Routledge. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=109184971 Catherall, D. R. (Ed. ). (2005). Family Stressors: Interventions for Stress and Trauma. New York: Brunner Routledge. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=109184958 Clements, P. T. , Deranieri, J. T. , Vigil, G. J. , & Benasutti, K. M. (2004). Life after Death: Grief Therapy after the Sudden Traumatic Death of a Family Member. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 40(4), 149+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5008586582 Hardcastle, D. A. , Powers, P. R. , & Wenocur, S. (2004). Community Practice: Theories and Skills for Social Workers. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=104722138 Roysircar, G. (2004). Child Survivor of War: A Case Study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 32(3), 168+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5012181947 Sims, M. , Hayden, J. , Palmer, G. , & Hutchins, T. (2000). Working in Early Childhood Settings with Children Who Have Experienced Refugee or War-Related Trauma. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 25(4), 41. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5001127890 Smith, S. , & Reynolds, C. (2002). Innocent Lost: The Impact of 9-11 on the Development of Children. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, 5(5), 12+. Retrieved November 21, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5002560442 Tsui, M. , & Cheung, F. C. (2003). Dealing with Terrorism: What Social Workers Should and Can Do. Social Work, 48(4), 556+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5002045024 Worden, J. W. (2003). Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. Hove, England: Brunner-Routledge. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=108479290

Identify Tranisitions Experienced by Most Children and Young People Essay

A Transition is a movement, passage or change from one position, state, stage, subject or concept to another. The change can be gradual or sudden and last for differing time periods, meaning some transitions are short term while others are long term. Children make transitions without prior experience so it may feel daunting such as their first day at school, first exam or first sexual expression. Most children will experience many transitions within their life; the most common transitions that most children experience are detailed below. One common transition that children experience is moving home whether it is within the same town the already live in or to a new city. Moving from the street they know and the house they have grown up in surrounded by their friends can be a very daunting experience for children as it’s the unknown. It may cause them to become frustrated as they are been torn away from favourite places and old friends. They will also feel anxious about moving to a new town and neighbourhood and worry about making new friends. Friends may also move away either from their neighbourhood or they could move schools. This may leave the child feeling like they have lost a friend, they may feel nervous about making new friends leading them to feel anxious and shy. They will also experience upset if their friend is moving far away and they are not likely to see them again i.e. if they emigrate. Puberty is a transition that all children will experience but they will all experience puberty at a different ages while some girls start puberty around the age of 11 others don’t start till they are 15, this is also the case with boys. Puberty can be a scary thing to go through as a child it may leave them feeling confused about the changes going on in their bodies, they may also begin to feel self-conscious for example if they are maturing slower or faster than friends as they will be constantly comparing their bodies with friends bodies. Children will also feel like they have no control over the changes taking place. During this stage children might become dismissive and argumentative as a way to take out their frustration of the changes taking place within their body. Starting a new school is another transition that all children will experience i.e. when they first start nursery, primary school or secondary school. It can be a daunting experience for a child especially if none of their existing friends are going, they will feel anxious as they won’t know what to expect. They may also be nervous about the fact they have to make new friends and settle into new surroundings. Children may become shy, dismissive and anxious until they have settled in and feel comfortable within the surroundings. Another transition that children will experience is sitting their first exam, they will fell anxious and nervous about what to expect they may also be worried about the result and concerned that they haven’t done well enough to get onto the course they may want for their future career. This can cause a child a great deal of stress and anxiety so it is important that they are supported by teachers and parents. When a child experiences there first sexual experience it can be very stressful they will feel anxious about what is about to happen as they have never experienced it before they may also feel nervous about what to do and might feel shy. These are the main transitions that most children will experience as they are growing up. The situations can cause negative feelings for a child including; anxiety, nervous, embarrassed, upset, jealous, confused and frustrated. Transitions also cause positive feelings for the child including; content, excited, boost of self-esteem and proud of themselves. It is important that children experience transitions as it helps them to learn and develop and also helps them learn how to cope in different situations that may be stressful and uncomfortable. It is important that children are supported by parents, peers, teachers and other adults around them when experiencing transitions to help them cope with the situation and also to give them advice and emotional support, the support and help that is required will differ depending on the child’s age, situation, ability to cope and other individual circumstances.

Counselling Skills Essay

The term of Humanistic theory is an umbrella term. In fact it covers several approaches that embrace the idea of individuals being inherently good and a positive attitude towards humanity in essence. The most famous would be the person centered approach by Carl Rogers. Rogers studied Psychodynamic theory but his personality drove to focus more on feelings and less on the unconscious. He developed a form of therapy that was non-directive by the therapist, allowing the client to lead the session. Rogers considered the client to be the expert of himself, with the ability to heal himself if the conditions were right. He thought that interior growth in people would happened when we were experienced by someone else with no judgements, complete respect, acceptance and honesty. Rogers would call these the core conditions. To create these right conditions would be the task of the therapist. Rogers defined these core conditions as : Empathy, Genuineness and Acceptance. Empathy can be defined as understanding a situation from the other person’s perspective. This understanding would then have to be communicated back to the client. Instead of taking a solving problem approach towards the issues the client might be presenting, the therapist would try to understand them from the point of view of the client, from the place the person is at that time. When this happens, the client feels that their view is valid, that there is value in their thoughts and that they are therefore accepted. Genuineness can be defined as being open and real towards the client, admitting our imperfections if needed be. Rogers didn’t believe in the therapist as an aloof, impersonal expert but as someone that was â€Å"transparently real† to his clients. Genuineness can be communicated in different ways. It could be through our body language, by maintaining an open posture, not sitting behind a desk and not taking notes. It could also be by disclosing personal details about  yourself so the client can see your humanness too or sharing how you’ve felt about something the client might have shared. Acceptance, also know as unconditional positive regard or warmth is about not judging people and instead accepting them unconditionally and believing they are worthy on their own right. By doing this, the client feels free to explore and to express himself without having to behave in a particular way or trying to gain the therapist’s approval. He is accepted and allowed as a whole person, whether the therapist approves of their actions or not. This approach to therapy believes these conditions are â€Å"necessary and sufficient† for therapeutic change to occur, that growth will inevitably follow and the client will develop their own way or â€Å"self-actualise† and become true to himself, independent of external pressures. This is the goal in Humanistic Theory. Cognitive-Behavioural Theory Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck developed this model after training in the Psychodynamic approach. They both separately realised that focus should be on conscious thoughts and that painful, repetitive and unrealistic thought were the cause of issues. Over time their ideas have been put together and blended with some of Rogers’. The core idea underlying CBT is that is not events that create unhappiness or ill-being but our thoughts and emotions about those events. To learn to think correctly and realistically is the goal of CBT. In a CBT approach, the relationship between client and therapist is collaborative. The therapist’s aim is to teach the client how to think realistically and the behavioural skills relevant to the client. Before they start, goals and a time frame are agreed, progress is measured and the therapy ends when these goals are achieved. The client is also invited to choose actions to do each week as a form of homework. The ultimate goal of this kind of therapy is for the therapist to teach the client all they know and the techniques necessary so that he can continue to be in charge of his own well-being. To achieve this, the therapist may use some of the tools idiosyncratic to CBT: scaling, to give an indication of where the client is and measuring progress, exposure therapy, being gradually closer to an object or situation that causes fear until desensitisation occurs, or training of the skills needed by the client. The core of CBT is based on the ABC model by Ellis and the Automatic thoughts model by Beck. The ABC model of personality and emotional disturbance shows the link between thoughts and emotions. Ellis believed it was the individual’s response or interpretation of an event based in their own internal beliefs (which could be rational or irrational) what caused issues to arise. It wasn’t the event itself but the individual’s reaction to it that was damaging. The description of automatic thoughts would be of fleeting, involuntary thoughts and images that we are only semi-aware of. Beck realised these irrational thoughts, when negative or unrealistic could cause emotional distress and disorders. CBT teaches the client to be aware of these cognitive distortions, to monitor â€Å"activating events† that would spark disturbance and to recognise the connections between thinking, emotions and behaviour. Also, it aims to teach to test these maladaptive beliefs by examining the actual evidence for them and to ultimately substitute these negative thoughts for more realistic thinking. Psychodynamic Theory This approach is largely based on the work of Sigmund Freud. He focused on the such as importance of the unconscious as the force directing our behaviour. He also made links between our experiences in childhood and  present behavioural problems, placing an strong emphasis on the role of sexual drive and repression in the development of of personality. Freud developed a model that divided the human personality in three areas: the Ego, the Superego and the Id. The Ego would be the collection of behavioural rules and beliefs acquired during childhood and would act as a mediator between the Id and the Superego. It would balance impulses and expectations, unrealistic dreams and reality. The Id would be the animal, infantile part of our psyche, generating impulsive urges for instant satisfaction such as food, drugs, pleasure, sex, etc. The Superego would be the internal judge, our conscience, the internalized authority figure. It criticises our behaviour and thoughts. Freud thought that the first seven years of a person’s life were the most significantly developmentally. This was be the time when our unconscious would be populated, not just by events, but also by how we reacted to those events. To create a conscious connection to those experiences and examining them is the core of a Psychodynamic approach. Some of the ways in which the unconscious could be uncovered are : the phenomenon of transference, the significance of dreams and defence mechanisms. Transference would happen when the client would repeat patterns of behaviour, towards the therapist or someone else that reveal an issue from the past. An example could be the way they feel about the therapist, mirroring their relationship with a parent or other authority figure, maybe signalling an unsolved conflict. Dreams were thought to be extremely important for the understanding of the unconscious mind. They were considered our unconscious way of processing and dealing with events and by noting and examining them, important insight  could be gained. Freud also noticed the use of defence mechanisms. These are behaviours or patterns of thought that impede the clear understanding of a particular issue by the client. Behaviours such as resistance, denial or over-rationalisation are the most common. These patterns happen because of the fear people might have to change, the discomfort about the unknown that makes them stick to their old patterns of behaviour, even if they are not useful any more. Once that real understanding of what the client is defending against is reached, the defence can be given up.

Autonomous work group an essential ingredient for effective organising? Essay

Following the needs of many businesses to adopt alternative forms of work design this paper tries to explain and make some sense about the effectiveness of autonomous work groups in organising. It will be argue the thesis that such groups have been, are and will be effective in some definite organisational setting. The assumptions underpinning this idea will be explored along the dialectic forming three sections. To understand this concept it seems important introduce notions of individual, group and explain why they are so central from an organisational point of view. Thus, the first part of this paper will present some psychological effects resulting through their interaction of these actors Moreover, being the idea of autonomous work group part of a complex system, it will be restrictive analyse its characteristics without locate it among others concepts produced by sociotechnical researchers. Thus, a broader analysis of sociotechnical system (STS) will be part of the second section. Difference between what STS aimed to achieve, what they really achieved, and/or what they are achieving today is still discussed. This lack of unanimous consensus lets the debate open to several interpretations, and offer the opportunity to explore and address few issues related to the self-managing groups. Hence, the last side of this paper will address a discuss about the role of management, the subordination of human criteria to the dictates of efficiency, the application to both linear and non-linear systems, and a movement toward a self-leading team type. The magnitude of such topic and the number of interesting studies surrounding this area offer to the author a dilemma regarding what should be treated and what should not. Obviously, having this script humanistic approach major evidence is given to people in organisation, and respectively team members, and management. Moreover, analysing the way in which the system adapted itself during the second half of the last century, it will be argued that organisations designed or redesigned in respect of human criteria in certain industries and environments, can reach a competitive advantage respect those that will not do it. In short, STS is an effective tool by which it is possible match both individual and organisational needs. Pursuing the paper this line of argument, issues related to politics, unions, and power, and other effects of identifications, ideology and control are not dealt in this paper neither because not relevant, nor because of secondary importance, rather, due to the limitation of the length. Individuals, Groups and Organisation To some extent groups always existed, even in USA -where in time of cold war ambitions were led to unbridled individualism, organisation used to split task into subtask, assigned it to various subunits, than these subunits divided subtask into sub-subunits and so on. Even if an organisation is formally organised according individual performance, the division of labour break down the organisation into groups. What does group means, and what needs a group fulfil for both organisation and individual? ‘A psychological group is any number of people who interact with one other, are psychologically aware of one other, and perceive themselves as group’ (Schein 1994), and are seen as group by the others from outside (Hackman 1987, in Brown 2003). If in everyday life, groups can be formed through a spontaneous or random meeting -such as four friends meets for chance in library, in organisational setting they have diverse origin. Basically, it is possible recognise two types of groups in organisation, those which are deliberately created by managers in order to fulfil the tasks required from the organisational mission, an those fulfilling psychological needs of individual beyond the minimum ones of doing their jobs; respectively formal and informal groups (Schein 1994). According to its duration the former can be of two types: permanent -such as the group of lecturer or/and professors forming the BOR depth at Lancaster University; or temporary -such as a matrix group of lecturers or/and professors committed in a project for a definite time or mission. Nevertheless, organisation takes an informal structure within which individuals interacting with others generates a group that fulfil their social needs. But contrary to the everyday life the interaction depend on defined physical location, being in fact their activity within the organisation limited by their tasks and mission to perform -such as the possibility to interact with people both meeting and working in the same office, depth, building and so on. Bearing in mind that groups can simultaneously fulfil diverse organisational functions and needs of their members, it useful here to distinguish these kinds of functions in ‘organisational and individual’ (Schein 1994). According to this partition, it is possible group organisational functions as those features coinciding with the mission of the organisation -i.e. working on a complex or interdependent task, generating new ideas or creative solutions, liaison or coordinating functions, facilitate the implementation of complex decision, or be a vehicle of socialisation or training. On the other hand, among needs group members can bring with them and groups can fulfil there are needs such as those of affiliation, sense of identification and maintain self esteem, establish and tests social reality, moreover, it reduce insecurity and anxiety. Appear now clear why groups are so important, from an organisational point of view it speed, facilitate, and improve the task-related functions. On the other hand, spending two third of our life within the workplace, meeting our psychological needs inn a group, and spending two third of our adult life in a work setting of various kinds, groups become a integral part of such work settings (Schein 1994:152). Thus, an enormous potential can be offered mixing up informal and formal functions, to comprehend it means to imagine how they can serve at the same both organisational and individual. Reed supported this thesis stating understand organisations means grasp the diverse political forces acting in it, nevertheless, decisions are not taken during a board of director, rather main actors discuss and reach agreement during a dinner on a golf course (2002). In other words, linking together individual’s needs and organisational functions to fulfil, by means of formal and informal organisation could be achieved, through effectiveness and the right balance with the social needs of employees, an organisational competitive advantage. The Socio Technical System (STS) Understand the dynamic process made up of individual’s needs interacting in organisational setting it is not as easy as at a first sight. After two decades in which the human relation (HR) approach allocate ‘attention to the employees, not work condition per se, that has the dominant impact on productivity (Peters & Waterman, cited in Moldaschl & Weber 1998:350), the sociotechnical group took another direction. Researches, associated with the work done by the Tavistock Institute in London, instead of concentrating on the enterprise as social system -where technology was not considered and workers were treated better whilst their job remained the same (Trist, in Moldaschl & Weber 1998), attempted to overcome both Tayloristic and HR approach of work design. Whereas the HR movement achieved the so-called ‘Hawthorne public relation effect’ -enforcing psychotechnics to deal with employees’ psychological ‘wealth’, STS underlined the importance of a real design of tasks (Emery 1978). The idea of STS implies that any productive organisation or part thereof is a combination of technology and social system in mutual interaction to each other. Each determines each other and the nature of work determines the type of organisation that develops among workers, whilst the sociopsychological characteristics of the worker determine the manner in which a given job will be performed (Schein 1994). This idea led to the development of an open system theory in which organisations imports and converts various things from its environment -such as people, money equipment, raw material, and so on, and exports products, services and waste materials which result from the conversion’s process (Schein 1994). Importing people the organisation have to deal with individual’s needs, values, norms, and expectations, as a consequence, to be effective the organisation have to take in account both the nature of job and those of people. Through the Norwegian â€Å"Industrial Democracy Programmes† sponsored by the government, the employer association, and unions, STS achieved a value-free research far from the political justification for self-governance and from the economic justification of self-regulation (Susman in Moldaschl & Weber 1998:350). It led their researchers to claim a third realization through the so called principle of industrial democracy -whilst for others concentrating their efforts on the micro level of participation, and neglecting representative forms of industrial democracy they realized just direct workplace democracy (Blackler 1982 in Moldaschl & Weber 1998). Another important concept is based on the joint optimisation through which it is possible developing design solutions that consider human criteria and efficiency criteria equally (Brown 2003). Thus, it â€Å"enables a best match in this way†¦such as Emery’s ‘nine-step model’ that aims to reduce â€Å"key variances† in, and between work systems, and to control them by â€Å"self-regulation† of the workers’ (Moldaschl & Weber 1998:360). This self-regulation, interdependence and self-governance, draw attention to decisions that ca be delegated to work groups that, in function of these, are defined as autonomous work group. In some industries has been discovered that higher levels of productivity and quality can be achieved giving clusters of tasks to a work group (Findlay et al, 2000; Barker 1999; Knights and McCabe 2000; Muller 1992; Sewell 1998); such ‘autonomous work groups are then made responsible for producing entire product such a radio, an engine’ (Schein 1994). The idea was to group several workers -organised in multifunctional structure with flexible job rotation, in a spatially and organisationally limited production unit, share a common task that is divided into interdependent sub task, and assume share responsibility over the long term. Among its criteria can be notice boundary maintenance (Moldaschl & Weber 1998:360). What sociotechnology group tried to achieve through the implement of autonomous work group is a way of simultaneously satisfying psychological and task needs (Buchanan 2000:29). In other words, a whole group is provided the opportunity to design and manage a total integrated task, thus permitting workers to fulfil their social and self actualising needs within the context of the work situation’ (Herbst 1962 in Schein 1994:195). Nevertheless being the role of management present to some extents, it is more correct to speak about semi autonomous work groups. Among the variety of semi-autonomous work group, it is useful to adopt the three forms identified by Brown (2003). The composite fully multi skilled -as in the Tavistock Institute Coal Mining studies where miners learnt and performed diverse task; the matrix form -as in Fiorelli’s idea of quality circle where a group of people, having different specialised functions, overlapped competences (1998); and the network where individuals are far but frequently in contact to each other through information technologies such as teleconferencing to exchange knowledge – from which the ongoing ‘knowledge management team’ (Bell, Blackler and Crump in Fulop & Linstead 1999:228). This tri-partition can be associated with changes in the second half of twentieth century in western society where ‘technological and organisational improvement led radical changes in economical sector’ (Ackroyd and Lawernson 1995, Piore & Sabel 1984, Zuboff 1998). Especially during the last three decades of the twenties century, after a climate of tension, a new international distension opened up new opportunities for businesses and ventures, new markets were found available to be explored and offered new competitive advantages to companies, (Hutton 2002). The re-design of the organisational structure bring in fact some effects within the socio-economical system where it is embedded. International markets got crowded; pressure and competition increased forcing companies to redesign their organisation. To face this turbulent environment Trist et al propose: ‘an alternative design based on the redundancies of functions: for individual they create role rather mere jobs; for the organisation they bring into being a variety-increasing system rather than the traditional control by variety reduction†¦(through) continuing development of appropriate new values concerned with improving the quality of working life by keeping the technological determinants of worker behaviour to a minimum in order to satisfy social and psychological needs by the involvement of all. Autonomous working groups, collaboration instead competitions, and reduction of hierarchical emphasis, are some of the requirements for operating effectively in modern turbulence (in Pugh & Hickson 1996:182 -emphasis added) As stated by Trist within this theoretical pattern, autonomous work group is an essential ingredient for the effective organising. Discussion and conclusion The role of management seems to be an essential component to the achievement of the best match within the system for both Blackler and Brown (1978), and Fox (1995), whilst strangely, STS approach does not seems to explicitly address neither the problem of management, nor those of managerial control. Differently, Knights & McCabe (2000) exploring what team working means for employees’ lives within an automobile manufacture company, affirm that employees as well as managers are capable of exercise power interpreting and reinterpreting management strategies. Stressing the accent on autonomy, managerial role need to be redefined to support and favourite tasks of group members. Accordingly, to meet autonomous work group needs a manager should be a good diagnostician, trying to be flexible enough to understand and to vary their own behaviour in relation to the needs of their subordinates (Schein 1994). Nevertheless, it is useful remember that individuals’ needs are not just meet through groups, they have another set of necessity that are fulfilled outside the group, alone, as well as with a friend. What I am addressing here is what Costea and Crump called the standardisation of individual -or better how to make an individual as unique as its mate (2003). In other words to be effective in self managing groups members have to maintain their equilibrium that permits them to keep and evolve its personality: members are not asked to follows rules, rather to make decisions. For this reason Often, the practical one does not confirm what in academic setting appear feasible from a conceptual level. Even for the best social scientist it is quite hard, if not impossible, individuate a priori the huge amount of forces arising from the combination of interests and pressure groups in which his theory will become part. In practical conditions, sociotechnical projects sometimes failed because they subordinate human criteria to the dictates of efficiency or because they become victim of a political conflicts (Blackler, 1982; Kelly, 1978; Sydow, 1985; Pasmore, 1995 in Moldaschl & Weber 1998), making it often impossible to translate joint optimisation of human goals and efficiency into reality. ‘Although mainly consisting of psychologist of work and organisation, the â€Å"classical† Tavistock representatives of the STS approach does not regard its primary goal to be the far reaching consideration of human criteria in the design process of a work system. Rather they st rive for an optimal compromise between technical, economic, and human work design objectives’ (Moldaschl & Weber 1998:362). Changing our analysis from a classical to more contemporaneous perspective, a diverse slant come from the observation that self managing groups are still effective, but they loose their grip on organisation when have to deal with the no-routine office work of management and professional -being these set of practices developed for linear work systems (Fox 1995). Diverse from Pugh and Hickson (1986), Fox notes that not always the use of autonomous work group seems to be appropriate, in fact ‘the creation of recticular organisation (characterised by a fluid distribution of information and authority that changes are required) may be appropriate†¦in some non linear work systems (1995:103). STS’ concepts have contributed to improve design and redesign of many work systems, however most of the successful experiences occurred in well-defined linear systems-characterised by a sequential process of input-output, rather in unclear defined non-linear system -where the absence of the in-out property makes it difficult to separate different conversion flows into well-bounded entities (Pava, 1986). Nevertheless, a major revolution is not required to broaden the applicability of STS principles: Modifying the practices employed in STS design to include non-linear work systems is consistent with the essential precepts of STS design: open system analysis, a best match of social and technical subsystems, redundant functions over redundant parts, systemic interrelationships between design factors, self-design, and critical specification (Pava 211). In this capacity to adapt itself in both changing organisational requirements and environment, I think should be recognised the bigger strength of STS. Becoming this adaptability without distort any principle, the approach seems to be relevant especially nowadays, seeking organisations new means of empowerment to boost the productivity in increasingly turbulent environment. A final consideration is due to the work Manz who argue, the future of self-managing groups seems be oriented to lead workers to lead themselves (1992). During this movement toward a self-leading team type of work design, the latter identify some contingency factors relevant to this transition such as: nature of workers; work context; new manufacturing techniques; environment; and organisational system. However, this model seems more likely applicable in such culture where both high trust to workers and decentralisation of power is given -i.e. UK as opposite to Japan and Germany. In fact, ‘Movement toward self-leading team work likely to require significant involvement of the work force in determining the direction of the organisation as well as carrying out that direction, and the opportunity for the work teams to influence that direction, especially as it relates to their specific work performance’ (Manz 1992). Within this framework, it possible imagine shift from traditional & participative leadership to a self management role of leader, in doing it, the new role will be to lead members’ group to lead themselves (Manz & Sims 1987). Being both the power shifting from managers to team members, and the latter able to distinguish true managerial aptitudes from artificial (Knights & McCabe 2000), a certain amount of resistance from the former could be assumed. It leads to pay attention on the way in which managers implement these set of practices. In conclusion, due to its adaptability to technological innovations, and its flexibility in linear and non linear systems autonomous work group could seems even more actual today than during the second half of the second century. Its democratic principles and the democratic way in which tasks are thought and accomplished, seems to make this system the most appropriate within those political environment in which principles of democracy are used. This thesis seems reinforced from the growth of lean systems and consequently from practices as Just in Time, Business Process Re-engineering, or Total Quality Management in those organisational setting where work design diverse from human centred. On the base of both the literature proposed, and the assumption resting on this paper, an important feature seems emerge. For those organisations pursuing human relations and democratic policies, autonomous work group permits both individual and organisations to pursue their own interests. Not just offering the opportunity to decrease alienation filling their social needs to the former, and to reduce practice such as of absenteeism, sabotage, and achieve that commitment and loyalty, to the latter. Rather it seems the best compromise between capitalism and working class since the first industrial revolution to nowadays. An effective tool capable to improves and re-defines the boundaries of the psychological contract and consecutively boosts productivity and reduces costs. To create effective self-managing groups become central the role of top management in planning and develop a long-term program made of continuous investment in work design research, and in staff and management programs (Pearson 1992). It will allow a deep understanding about the dynamics of members’ needs, a constant design, a re-negation of the task requirements, and to avoid both mismanagement, and the establishment of repetitive alienating tasks. Finally, to figure out this sophisticated topic, a broader research should analyse the interrelation and influences of related issue such as: identifications; role of control; ideology of team, politico-economic and socio-cultural peculiarity of the society; in which the organisation will decide to implement self management group working. Within this system, autonomous work group seems to be not a problem to be solved, rather a solution to deal today with the confluence of tensions resulting from yesterday’s decisions.