Wednesday, November 27, 2019

My Papas Waltz essays

My Papa's Waltz essays Confessional in spirit, viewing madness as a transforming force, Theodore Roethke's poetry explores the depths of the self, attempting to achieve wholeness through destruction. His verse is finely-crafted, full of stunning images and chant-like rhythms, which echo the poetry of T. S. Eliot and William Butler Yeats. From his Modernist masters, along with others such as Gerald Manley Hopkins, Roethke learned to find objects in nature which crystallized his poetic emotions. He drew upon his early childhood in Michigan, where his father owned one of the largest and most beautiful greenhouses in the state thus his work is rich in natural imagery of the garden. The luxuriant plant life of his father's greenhouses symbolized for Roethke both abundant life and death often the wet soil and the curling garden slugs became associated with decay and loss of self, while flowers could spark a mystical sense of oneness in the poet. At the center of Roethke's universe as well as his garden was h is father, a rough and stern man of Prussian descent who often grew irate at his son's delicate nature. The death of the father engendered enormous guilt in his teenage son, and the shadow of the father loomed over Roethke as he experienced nervous breakdowns, perhaps courting madness in attempts to exorcise his inner demons. The aloof and cold father, whose love was never expressed openly, created in the young poet feelings of inadequacy, as well as contradictory desires to reconcile with the father and to flee his burdening memory. Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" captures in dramatic fashion his relationship to his father. In the poem, whiskey has loosened Otto Roethke's stern demeanor, demolishing his habitual aloofness and moral severity. Thus the poem describes an exhilarating, as well as frightening, moment of union with the father, who has become a drunken whirlwind in the kitchen. Roethke's poetic style captures the movement of the dance, as ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Advertise Smarter

Advertise Smarter Successful independent authors advertise. Its as simple as that. You cant publish a book and expect the world to notice. You must get the word out. However, not all types of advertising produce the same results, and its easy to waste an awful lot of money without seeing substantial return. Trust me, Ive wasted plenty, and I want to help you avoid some of the same mistakes. I only advertise books that are on sale, or free, and I look for sites with a substantial mailing list. I avoid sites that boast huge Twitter followings as their claim to fame, because its easy to artificially inflate social media stats. I also avoid doing banner advertisements on sites, because the click-through rate on those are a Bookbub Lets address the behemoth first. I havent encountered a site thats more consistently worth the investment than Bookbub. At first glance, its expensive, but an ad with them is worth every penny. On average, for a free book in the horror genre, I see around 8,000–20,000 downloads on the day my ad hits, and the effect continues for several days until gradually coming back down to average. Bookbub can be awfully picky about which titles they advertise, which might be discouraging if they decline your novel. Dont be disheartened. Acquire more reviews on your book (which is part of their selection criteria), and give them another try in a month. For tips on finding more reviews, see my article in last weeks FundsforWriters newsletter: How to Get Reviews – Without Cheating! Freebooksy/Bargainbooksy This is another pricey option thats had consistent, positive results, although with nowhere near the same success as Bookbub. Their prices run between $40 and $200 depending on the genre of your book, and I usually see an uptick of about 1,000 downloads (for a free horror novel). Advertising with Bargainbooksy is considerably cheaper, but Ive never seen an impressive result from them. In my opinion, you should only use this site when your book is being offered for free. Kindle Nation Daily / Bookgorilla Its daunting to look at the pricing structure of this sites advertisement packages. Ive participated in several different options (including some of the frighteningly expensive ones) and surprisingly discovered that the best one is also the cheapest. If youre offering a free book, then its worth your time to invest in the $29.99 Free Book Highlighter option. OHFB Another free book advertising opportunity. This one competes closely with Freebooksy in terms of price and results, although I only utilize it when Im putting a slew of ads out all at once. Bookbasset Heres one thats still relatively cheap (get them while you can), but still manages to drum up impressive downloads. One of its options makes you the featured author for the day and can be used to advertise all of your books. This one runs $21.99 and is a good option if youre hoping to advertise books that arent available for free. If youre marketing a free book, then theres an option that runs a meager $7.99, but will usually land you a few hundred downloads. Good luck advertising your book! If you find a different site thats worth advertising with, please reply with   a comment.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Investigating the molecular basis of oligomerisation specificity using Essay

Investigating the molecular basis of oligomerisation specificity using coiled coil peptides - Essay Example The studies have identified that there is unexpected and general correlation between trigger sequences (Indispensable elements for coiled coil formation) and coiled coil oligomerization state specificity .Through the use yeast archytype coiled-coil domain transcriptional factor activator GCN4 as a model system, it was found that oligomerization state determinants that are trimer specific and well established ,switched the topology of the peptide to a trimer from a dimer, only after being inserted into the trigger sequence. The results were confirmed with 2 other coiled coil dimmers that is not related (cortexillin-1 and ATF1).It is further indicated that multiple topology determinants have the capacity of co-existing in the same trigger sequence, and this reveals a delicate balance of the resultant oligomerization state through forces that are position dependent (Steinmetz et al., 2007). Due to the simplicity of this leucine zipper, the alpha helical coiled coil has been traditionall y used in a broad number of studies that have targeted the key principles of protein stability, oligomerization and folding (Steinmetz et al., 2007).In this case, the coiled coils currently are exploited as multipurpose tool in various applications seen to be increasing steadily as well as ranging from basic research to medicine. It is well known that what is referred to as trigger sequence plays a critical role in controlling coiled –coil formation. The distinct feature of several trigger sequences is that they have a capacity of folding into several reasonable stable monomeric helices before the formation of the coiled coil structure (Kammerer et al.1998) Recently, the NMR structures of peptide spanning the GCN4 trigger sequence was solved and indicated that the structure is stabilized by electrostatic interactions and a network of hydrogen bonds (Steinmetz et al., 2007) The trigger

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Expected effects of the 2022 Fifa World Cup on Qatars economy Term Paper

Expected effects of the 2022 Fifa World Cup on Qatars economy - Term Paper Example This will strengthen Qatar’s national economy which shows a striking and buoyant performance amid slothful global conditions. In 2010, Qatar registered a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 14.0 %. The country projected that in 2011 the GDP would hit a 15.8 % mark. This steady growth in GDP presents Qatar as the fastest in economic growth among GCC region (Qatar First Investment Bank 4). Qatar is expected to benefit a lot from tourists’ activities. The estimate of the visitors in Qatar amounts to about half million people. This is largest number of tourism representing about a third of Qatar’s population. Due to this large numbers of tourists, Qatar intends to construct 90,000 hotels and restaurants. This surpasses FIFA’s requirement for Qatar to have 65,000 hotel rooms (Oxford Business Group 281). The country expects to receive many foreign funds from the visitors which will boost the growth of well performing economy. According to neoclassical growth theory, the explosion of population will lead to high Gross Domestic Product (Barclay 66). Doha has already witnessed 65% of total visitors that come from corporate sector. The overnight stays are expected to generate a lot of revenues for Qatar. Tourism industry anticipates raising the occupancy rates in order to capitalize on the FIFA World Cup. The basis of this expectation is from 2011 when hosted AFC Asian Cup. The large number f fans increased the rate of hotels to about 24 %. This was a remarkable rise when compared to the year 2010 (Oxford Business Group 285). The retailers expect to amass a lot of money from the sales. This is due to increased domestic and foreign consumption Qatar will refurbish her infrastructure to meet the FIFA standards. The country plans to use 100 billion US dollars to expand and construct new system of infrastructure. Some of expected infrastructural changes will feature stadiums, roads, communication systems, airports, and places of accommodation. Doha airport is under

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Essay Example for Free

The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Essay This novel is the autobiographical description of a young African American girl growing up in the South. She was left with her grandmother Annie along with her older brother Bailey while her parents went their own ways. She experienced segregation, discrimination, rape and molestation. Towards the end she became pregnant by a boyfriend, yet still completes high school. The story ends with her sleeping close to her new born son. Through all of these things, she learned that to be a black female you have to be strong. Obviously, a major theme that is addressed throughout the story is racism. She has observed her grandmother experience it and she experienced it herself. Her thoughts on how to deal with ‘white folks’ was less passive than she felt her grandmother’s approach was. Another theme was displacement. As a descendant of slaves, she felt that she, among many other African Americans, are struggling to find their place in this society. Her opening line: â€Å"What you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  reflects that she feels like she doesn’t belong where she is, and is on her way to where she does belong. African American dialect is used throughout the book, particularly in dialogue. She tells the story in first person and gives her commentary on the events of her life as well as descriptions of the significant occurrences of her life. The novel had a conversational style, as if she was in the room talking to you. She reflects on her memories and describes her emotions, and the effect certain situations had on later events in her life.   It seems to be a chronological account. It is evident that she believes that blacks should stand up for themselves. This is a society where there are many disadvantages for African Americans, but the challenges can be overcome with strength. She views life as a passing journey with lesson after lesson to be learned along the way.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Forward To The Past - Feudalism And Communism :: Communism Essays

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites The core countries of Central Europe (the Czech Republic, Hungary and, to a lesser extent, Poland) experienced industrial capitalism in the inter-war period. But the countries comprising the vast expanses of the New Independent States, Russia and the Balkan had no real acquaintance with it. To them its zealous introduction is nothing but another ideological experiment and not a very rewarding one at that. It is often said that there is no precedent to the extant fortean transition from totalitarian communism to liberal capitalism. This might well be true. Yet, nascent capitalism is not without historical example. The study of the birth of capitalism in feudal Europe may yet lead to some surprising and potentially useful insights. The Barbarian conquest of the teetering Roman Empire (410-476 AD) heralded five centuries of existential insecurity and mayhem. Feudalism was the countryside's reaction to this damnation. It was a Hobson's choice and an explicit trade-off. Local lords defended their vassals against nomad intrusions in return for perpetual service bordering on slavery. A small percentage of the population lived on trade behind the massive walls of Medieval cities. In most parts of central, eastern and southeastern Europe, feudalism endured well into the twentieth century. It was entrenched in the legal systems of the Ottoman Empire and of Czarist Russia. Elements of feudalism survived in the mellifluous and prolix prose of the Habsburg codices and patents. Most of the denizens of these moribund swathes of Europe were farmers - only the profligate and parasitic members of a distinct minority inhabited the cities. The present brobdignagian agricultural sectors in countries as diverse as Poland and Macedonia attest to this continuity of feudal practices. Both manual labour and trade were derided in the Ancient World. This derision was partially eroded during the Dark Ages. It survived only in relation to trade and other "non-productive" financial activities and even that not past the thirteenth century. Max Weber, in his opus, "The City" (New York, MacMillan, 1958) described this mental shift of paradigm thus: "The medieval citizen was on the way towards becoming an economic man ... the ancient citizen was a political man". What communism did to the lands it permeated was to freeze this early feudal frame of mind of disdain towards "non-productive", "city-based" vocations. Agricultural and industrial occupations were romantically extolled. The cities were berated as hubs of moral turpitude, decadence and greed.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Introduction To Research

Research is a high-hat word that scares a lot of people. It is a welcoming attitude towards change. The research state of mind can apply to anything. It is a problem-solving mind. What is Research? Research is defined as a careful, systematic study in a field of knowledge, undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles (Webster, 1984). Research is defined as a systematic process of collecting and analyzing data to find an answer to a question or a solution to a problem, to validate or test an existing theory.The Value of Research Research helps professionals by providing information to make decisions, or o perform their functions more effectively. Teachers need to know what teaching method can be used Health services providers need health-related data in developing health programs Research Improves the Quality of Life Quality research is the lifeblood of any scientific discipline. Without it, disciplines would stagnate, failing to advance past their current limits and unders tanding. (Wan 1997 p. 7) General Types of Research Research can be classified into three categories: Descriptive research Correlation or association research Experimental or intervention research Descriptive Research The descriptive of study finds answer to the questions who, what, where and how. This type of research describes a situation or a given state of affairs in terms of specified aspects or factors. Examples of research topics fall under the descriptive type: 1 . ‘The management style of school administrators in Lillo City' 2.Tardiness and absenteeism among high school students† 3. â€Å"The insecticidal properties of pepper Explanatory or Correlation Research An explanatory study goes beyond description of the problem or situation. It attempts to explain the possible factors related to a problem which have en observed in a descriptive study. This study answers the questions why and how. The factors related to the problem, however, need not be viewed as real â €Å"causes† Of the problem, but factors which are associated with or may contribute to the occurrence of the problem.Certain factors are â€Å"assumed† to explain or contribute to the existence of a problem or a certain condition or the variation in a given situation. The researcher usually uses a theory or a hypothesis to account for or explain the forces that are â€Å"assumed to have caused† the problem. For example, relationships between the following pairs f variables can be studied: 1. Gender Grades 2. Knowledge about cancer compliance with medical regimen 3.Educational attainment repayment status of cooperative members Intervention or Experimental Research The intervention or experimental type of research evaluates the effect or outcome of a particular intervention or treatment. It studies the â€Å"cause and effect† relationship between certain factors on a certain phenomenon under controlled conditions. The following examples of research topics f all under the explanatory or correlation category: 1 . â€Å"The Effect of Different Levels of Applied Nitrogen on the growth and Yield of Rice† Experimental vs..Non- experimental Research Experimental research Treatments are given to subjects Cause-and-effect questions Non-experimental research Treatments are not given to subjects Participants are observed as they naturally exist Other Dichotomies of Research There are other classification of research: 1. Pure or Applied 2. Exploratory or Explanatory 3. Quantitative or Qualitative Pure Basic Attempts to describe an existing situation and/or explain certain patterns of behavior using either or both qualitative and quantitative research cuisines Pure research offers better descriptions and better explanation of human behavior.The intention is to accumulate knowledge about a certain phenomenon. Doesn't necessarily provide results of immediate, practical use Applied Research Aims to see an immediate solution to a problem Focuses on variables or factors which can be changed by intervention in order to achieve a desired goal An experimental study comparing the effectiveness of two methods of improving a situation Exploratory Designed to describe an existing problem situation and examine the underlying factors that contribute to the emergence of the problemExplanatory To understand or explain a prevailing situation or explain a relationship between factors which may have already been identified in exploratory studies Seek more specific answers to ‘Sunny† and â€Å"how† questions Quantitative vs.. Qualitative Research Quantitative – data are gathered such that they can be quantified and subjected to statistical analyses Qualitative – data are gathered such that they can be analyzed through informed judgment Research may be obtrusive or non-obtrusive: Obtrusive research – where the researcher introduces conditions that influence participants. Introduction To Research Research is a high-hat word that scares a lot of people. It is a welcoming attitude towards change. The research state of mind can apply to anything. It is a problem-solving mind. What is Research? Research is defined as a careful, systematic study in a field of knowledge, undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles (Webster, 1984). Research is defined as a systematic process of collecting and analyzing data to find an answer to a question or a solution to a problem, to validate or test an existing theory.The Value of Research Research helps professionals by providing information to make decisions, or o perform their functions more effectively. Teachers need to know what teaching method can be used Health services providers need health-related data in developing health programs Research Improves the Quality of Life Quality research is the lifeblood of any scientific discipline. Without it, disciplines would stagnate, failing to advance past their current limits and unders tanding. (Wan 1997 p. 7) General Types of Research Research can be classified into three categories: Descriptive research Correlation or association research Experimental or intervention research Descriptive Research The descriptive of study finds answer to the questions who, what, where and how. This type of research describes a situation or a given state of affairs in terms of specified aspects or factors. Examples of research topics fall under the descriptive type: 1 . ‘The management style of school administrators in Lillo City' 2.Tardiness and absenteeism among high school students† 3. â€Å"The insecticidal properties of pepper Explanatory or Correlation Research An explanatory study goes beyond description of the problem or situation. It attempts to explain the possible factors related to a problem which have en observed in a descriptive study. This study answers the questions why and how. The factors related to the problem, however, need not be viewed as real â €Å"causes† Of the problem, but factors which are associated with or may contribute to the occurrence of the problem.Certain factors are â€Å"assumed† to explain or contribute to the existence of a problem or a certain condition or the variation in a given situation. The researcher usually uses a theory or a hypothesis to account for or explain the forces that are â€Å"assumed to have caused† the problem. For example, relationships between the following pairs f variables can be studied: 1. Gender Grades 2. Knowledge about cancer compliance with medical regimen 3.Educational attainment repayment status of cooperative members Intervention or Experimental Research The intervention or experimental type of research evaluates the effect or outcome of a particular intervention or treatment. It studies the â€Å"cause and effect† relationship between certain factors on a certain phenomenon under controlled conditions. The following examples of research topics f all under the explanatory or correlation category: 1 . â€Å"The Effect of Different Levels of Applied Nitrogen on the growth and Yield of Rice† Experimental vs..Non- experimental Research Experimental research Treatments are given to subjects Cause-and-effect questions Non-experimental research Treatments are not given to subjects Participants are observed as they naturally exist Other Dichotomies of Research There are other classification of research: 1. Pure or Applied 2. Exploratory or Explanatory 3. Quantitative or Qualitative Pure Basic Attempts to describe an existing situation and/or explain certain patterns of behavior using either or both qualitative and quantitative research cuisines Pure research offers better descriptions and better explanation of human behavior.The intention is to accumulate knowledge about a certain phenomenon. Doesn't necessarily provide results of immediate, practical use Applied Research Aims to see an immediate solution to a problem Focuses on variables or factors which can be changed by intervention in order to achieve a desired goal An experimental study comparing the effectiveness of two methods of improving a situation Exploratory Designed to describe an existing problem situation and examine the underlying factors that contribute to the emergence of the problemExplanatory To understand or explain a prevailing situation or explain a relationship between factors which may have already been identified in exploratory studies Seek more specific answers to ‘Sunny† and â€Å"how† questions Quantitative vs.. Qualitative Research Quantitative – data are gathered such that they can be quantified and subjected to statistical analyses Qualitative – data are gathered such that they can be analyzed through informed judgment Research may be obtrusive or non-obtrusive: Obtrusive research – where the researcher introduces conditions that influence participants.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Intolerance in Nigeria Essay

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between religion and sustainable development, as well as the role of Nigerian intellectuals in ameliorating religious crisis in the country. Religion, as a system of faith is based on belief in the existence of a particular God or gods, to some extent, influences or contributes in developing and coordinating the expression of the capacities latent in human nature for the progress of the society. All the elements that made up the resources originating from human are expressed in their actions, behaviour and daily activities, either in positive and constructive ways, or in a negative and destructive ways, especially with respect to their inherent power to generate value by leveraging other production variables for economic growth and development. Empirical results obtained, using descriptive analysis approach, indicate that religion plays an important role in shaping the moral and social values necessary for development. Based on these findings, some recommendations are offered which include: Re-examine education policies in the light of its contribution to individual growth and to bring about fundamental structural changes in society, changes which are necessary for the creation of a just, peaceful, and harmonious environment, hence teachers and other intellectuals must be a model of nobility, selfactualization and discipline, since sound character is ultimately more important than intellectual brilliance.. Keywords: Religion, Economic growth, Amelioration, Tolerance and Intellectuals. INTRODUCTION A religion can be broadly described as a set of common belief and practices generally held by a group of people. Oxford Learner Dictionary described religion as a system of faith that is based on belief in the existence of a particular God or gods. According to Oke, Oloruntimehin and Akinola (1996), it is generally accepted by social scientists that people’s religious beliefs and their social organizations are closely interrelated. They quoted Emile, as noted that religion is a social artifact symbolizing what a society considers sacred and the most sacred thing to any society is the society itself. In view of this, religion provides an organized picture of the universe and establishes a more or less orderly relationship between man and his surroundings. Early economists and other researchers have paid little attention to any link between religion and economic development, rather it is seen as something personal between man and his God. The early relationship between religion and economic was established by Marx, who was of the opinion that the strength of an economy would influenced a religion or belief. However, the like of Max Weber, an eminent sociologist of early 20th century was of contra opinion. According to him, the source of the growth of the western economy is religion, especially the reformation of protestant and its doctrine about 40 Religion and Economic Development: the Role of Nigerian Intellectuals Saheed, Zakaree S. and Alofun, G. O. O. simplicity and moral responsibility to work (Skousen, 2007). Weber Marx (1930), believe that capitalism originated from religious ideals and not historical materialism. Specifically, the protestant reformation teachings changed the western culture, and led to the rise of capitalism, which in turn led to the growth and development of their economy. Islam as a religion also played a positive role in the development of the Arab society and transformed it to such a remarkable extent that it not only overcame its own handicaps but also brought about a revolutionary change in the societies that came under its influence (Charpra, 1998). Barro and McCleary (2003) suggested that higher rates of religious beliefs stimulate growth because they help to sustain the aspect of individual behaviour that enhances productivity. The higher number of church or mosque attendance, for instance, tends to depressed growth because it signifies a greater use of esources including land, buildings and other capital, by the religious sector. However, that suppression of growth is tempered by the extent to which church or mosque attendance leads to greater religion beliefs, which in turn encourages economic growth. In Nigeria, traditional communities are essentially religious. In these communities, religion is kinship based because it governs the peopleâ⠂¬â„¢s lineage or family relationships; it governs the doctrine of collective responsibility and forms the basis of the family, which in turn is the basic unit of social control. Indeed, religion is so important in the society as a form of social control because of people’s adherence to religion, whether traditional, Christian or Islam (Ikporukpo, 2001), which are the recognized religions in Nigeria, though the last two are more pronounced. Christianity and Islam, especially have a great influence on the daily lives of Nigerians, and plays a significant role in the socio-political and economic development. According to Nwite and Wilson (2010), churches in Nigeria has contributed immensely to the economic development of the country through investment in different sectors of the economy like real estate, capital market, shopping complex and schools. The essence of economic and human development embodied health, for which life expectancy is taken as a reasonable gauge; knowledge, which is expressed as a combination of literacy rates and average years of schoolings; and per capital income (Lynn, 2001). Any effort put forward towards the development of these determining factors would amount to stirring the economy towards development. Given the foregoing, the paper proposes to critically examine/analyses: i. The contribution of religion to the education sector in Nigeria. ii. The role of religion in the development of health sector in Nigeria. iii. The role of religion towards creation of job opportunities in Nigeria. iv. The role of religion and Nigerian Intellectuals in socio-ethnic crisis in Nigeria. To this end, the paper is organized into five sections. Following this introduction is section II, which focuses on conceptual issues. Section III discusses the role of religion on economic development in Nigeria. Section IV analyses the role of religion on socio-ethnic crisis in Nigeria, while section V summarises the findings and offer policy recommendation. 41 Journal of Social Science and Public Policy Volume 3, December 2011 CONCEPTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT There are different conceptions of development. First, it could be viewed as the development of the mind in which case the humanity of man is no longer subjugated to nature, but has transcended the confines of nature to progressively understand the whole of the world in order to be able to develop from it an environment which is most suitable for him. Moreso, economic development means sustained and sustainable growth per capita income, accompanied by diversification of production, reduction in absolute poverty, and expanding economic opportunities for all citizens (Lynn, 2003). The definition implies an economic growth which can be maintained over a long period of time. Moreso it requires diversification of economic activities so that the nation can be producing variety of goods and services, with the economy gradually progressing from primary, to secondary and then to tertiary economy. This should be able to create an expanding opportunities for people to make a choice of work and earn income through which they can improve their lives and able to participate in the social life of the community. Most importantly, there should be reduction in the level of absolute poverty in the country. The conception of development also connote growth with changes, which usually demands significant structural transformation within a country, and that includes the reorganization and reorientation of the economic and social systems, radical arrangements in installations and administrative structures, as well as reorientations in popular attitudes, customs and belief (Ogunkola and Egwaikhide, 2001). In contemplating development, more than access to goods and services is at stake. As such, in measuring level of development, the Physical Quality of Life (PQL) is considered, and it is equal weighting of an infant mortality rate, life expectancy, and basic literacy. However the United Nations Development’s version of development measurement refers to as Human Development Index (HDI) incorporates an income measure. All these elements considered in measuring the level of development of a nation are subject of level of development of the health and educational sectors, where the eligious sectors in Nigeria has contributed, as can be seen in the Holy Scriptures. For instance: Both religions in Nigeria, that is, Christianity and Islam recognize that the created universe is subjected to man for the enrichment and fulfillment of his life (Quran 45:12-13, 14:32-34 and Genesis 1:26-28). More so, contrary to the view that religion only emphasis faith and not works, the Bible and Qur’an invite men to labour and action (Qur’an 13: 11, 2:275 and Exodus 20 :9, Proverbs 16:3, 2. Thessalonians 3:10). All the elements that made up the resources originating from human are expressed in their actions, behaviour and daily activities, either in positive and constructive ways, or in a negative and destructive ways (Zainun, 2006), especially with respect to their inherent power to generate value by leveraging other production variables for economic growth development. In carrying out development activities, religion provides some code of norms and obligations which subject man to regulations necessary for the progress of the society. 2 Religion and Economic Development: the Role of Nigerian Intellectuals Saheed, Zakaree S. and Alofun, G. O. O. The Role of Religion in Nigerian Economic Development Religion has contributed much to development of human race, and it will be totally absurd to ignore the contributions of religion, especially Christianity and Islam. Both religious communities have become the key determinants of history and destiny of the nation, and its vast population, as well as deciding the course of development and building of the nation. Religion is given a reasonable degree of recognition by governments of Nigeria and some other countries as a major factor determining the stability of a nation. The roles of religion in economic development are more pronounced in the educational and health sectors, as well as creation of job opportunities. The Role of Religion in Educational Sector in Nigeria Education is a continuous and creative process which aimed at developing the capacities latent in human nature, and coordinate their expression for the enrichment and progress of ociety, by equipping students with spiritual, moral and material knowledge. Education in terms of the knowledge, qualities, skills, attitudes and capacities that enable individuals to become conscious subjects of their growth and active responsible participants in a systemic process of building a new world order. In Nigeria, Christian missions pioneered the establishment of primary and secondary schools, and ever since then the two religions, that is, C hristianity and Islam, have played a significant role in the establishment of schools in Nigeria. As the primary schools and their products multiplied, secondary schools were established to satisfy the demand for higher education. The Catholic Missionary Society (CMS) established the C. M. S. Grammar School in Lagos in 1859, followed by the Methodist Boys’ High School in 1879 and St. Gregory’s College, established by the Catholic in 1881. It is on this foundation that secondary schools education has rested in Nigeria (Olurode, 1999). Many other religion based secondary schools later emerged. These include, Ahmadiyya Grammar School, Anwar-Ul-Islam Grammar School, St. Theresa College, Islamic High School, Ebira Muslim Community College among many. The religious sector in Nigeria is also involved in establishment of higher institutions, to enhance government effort towards educational development. Among the religion based private higher institutions in Nigeria are listed in table 1. 0 below: Table 1. 0 Some religion based private higher institutions in Nigeria S/N Institution 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 8. Bowen University, Iwo-Osun State Fountain University, Osogbo- Ondo state Founder/Sponsor The Baptist NASFAT Islam Bishop Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo – Anglican Churches Oyo state Al-Hikama University, Ilorin – Kwara State Islamic Foundation (AROIF) and Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) Redeemer University, Lagos state The Redeemed Churches Wesley University of Technology, Ondo The Methodist churches State. Covenant University, Lagos state Living Faith Church World 43 Journal of Social Science and Public Policy Volume 3, December 2011 . 10. Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun state Christ Apostolic Church VERITAS University (Catholic University of The Catholic Churches Nigeria), Abuja. Source: Culled by the authors from lists of private universities in Nigeria The Contribution of Religion to the Health Sector in Nigeria The spread of western ideas including medicine and social welfare also owed much to the advent of religion in Nigeria. According to Olurode (1997), by the end of the nineteen century, the hospital; was as effective as the school. By 1914, various missions had established hospitals such as the C. M. S. Iyi Enu Hospital near Onitsha, the Wesley Guide Hospital in Ilesha, the Baptist Hospital in Ogbomosho and the Sacred Heart Hospital of the Society for African Missions in Abeokuta. Missionary involvement had, as its aim, the eradication of superstitious beliefs about such diseases as smallpox. In Yoruba land, for instance, the god of smallpox shoponna had a strong hold on the people which took western medicine, specifically vaccines to break. Even where orthodox medicine failed, some religion has been playing a significant role to proffer spiritual solution to cure illness. The Role of Religion and Nigerian Intellectuals on Socio-ethnic Crisis in Nigeria According to UNHCR (2008) as quoted by Saheed and Alofun (2010), since 1999, more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed and more properties worth billions of naira have been destroyed in sectarian and communal attacks and reprisals between Muslims and Christians. The most serious of these clashes occurred in Kaduna state in February and May 2000, and November 2002; Jos, Plateau state in September 2001; Kano state and Yelwa, Plateau state between February and May, 2004; and in the northern and southeastern Nigeria in the wake of the controversy over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in the Danish press in February 2006. Table 2. 0. Some of the Religious Crises in Nigeria in the last one decade Date Events Victims Sept. 2001 July, 2007 Sept. 2007 Dec. 2007 Dec. 2008 July, 2009 Violent clashes between Muslims and Christians in 3,000 people killed Jos, Plateau state. Violent clashes between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims over 5 people killed the murder of a Sunni cleric in Sokoto Rioting in the northern state of Kano 19 people killed Three churches burned in the northern state of 10 people killed Bauchi Violent clashes over disputed election result which 400 people killed degenerated into religion crisis in Jos, Plateau state Two days battle with radical Islamists in two northern 150 people killed cities of Yobe and Bauchi Source: Culled by the Authors from the records of UNHCR, GlobalSecurity. org and Mail and Guardian online, 2009 44 Religion and Economic Development: the Role of Nigerian Intellectuals Saheed, Zakaree S. and Alofun, G. O. O. All these events, as shown in table 2. 0 above, have a negative effect on Nigerian economy in terms of capital and loss of lives, especially manpower or human resources with high productivity potentials. In each of these events the role of Nigerian intellectuals calls for question. In the two widely acknowledged religions in Nigeria, that is, the Christianity and Islam, the leaders are intellectuals who are well educated, many of whom are holders of various degrees ranging from bachelor, to masters and even doctorate. They are very influential among their followers and the congregations. Their words are like policy within that congregation. They are leaders who are supposed to articulate an ideological vision congruent with deeply held value of the country. They are supposed to engage in alignment, with interpretive orientations such that the country’s interest, value and belief as well as these religions activities, goals and ideology becomes congruent and complementary. Universal education must be relevant to he true needs of a community and contribute to the unification of mankind, in such a way that it will enable the people to move in the direction of their own chosen field and help them appreciate those universal qualities that distinguish the human race (Saheed, 2008). However, a situation where misunderstanding between two people in a community degenerated into communal clashes that claimed several lives, or members of congregation dispersed from their places of worship and created anarchy in the street, then the impact of the message of such religion leader becomes questionable. Is it a sermon of peace or hatred? CONCLUSION AND POLICY ISSUES Religion, especially Christianity and Islam, to some extent, has contributed to economic development either indirectly, by influencing and coordinate the expression of the capacities latent in human nature for the progress of the society, and by shaping the moral and social values necessary for development, or directly by its contribution to the growth of the educational and health sectors in Nigeria. However, religious intolerance among the people which often lead to crisis claiming several lives and destruction of properties has a negative impact on Nigerian economy. Adherents of the religious communities, to some extent, have lost focus of their responsibility towards nation building, and are embraced vices such religious fanaticism or intolerance and its attendant problems such as unending intensive strives, fight of superiority, loss of human and material resources. To promote religious tolerance towards national development, the religious communities in Nigeria must wake up to their responsibilities in home so that the problem of moral decadence plaguing the nation will radically reduced. Since many Nigerian families are facing the pangs of unemployment, inability to pay their children and wards school fees among other hardships, the religious bodies should resume their pioneering work in the area of health, education, industry and vocational training to assist the nation, especially in the area of human development. Education should be examined in the light of its contribution to individual growth and to bring about fundamental structural changes in society, changes which are necessary for the creation of a just, peaceful, and harmonious environment, hence teachers and other intellectuals must be a model of nobility, self-actualisation and discipline, since sound character is ultimately more important than intellectual brilliance. A well educated community 45 Journal of Social Science and Public Policy Volume 3, December 2011 ember is a determined yet humble participant, who helps overcome conflict and division thereby contributing to a spirit of unity and collaboration. Therefore, Nigerian education, like a universal education, must be relevant to the needs of the Nigerian communities and contribute to the unification of the people of Nigeria, regardless of their religion and race. It must enable the people both to move in the direction of their choice and help them appreciate those universal q ualities that distinguish the entire human race. REFERENCE Barro, J. B. and McClear, R. M. 2003), Religion and Growth, Havard University Press, U. S. A Ikporukpo, C. O. (2001). Government, Society and Economy. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Publishers (Nig. ) Ltd. Lynn, S. R. (2003). Development Economics: World. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River Theory and Practice for a Divided Nwite, S. C. and Wilson, A. (2010). Churches in Nigeria and Investment Strategies: Problems and Prospect. Book of Abstract. Second World Congress on Research and Development, University of Ibadan. Oke, F. A. , et al. (1996). Introduction to Social Institutions. Ibadan: Akinlabi Fayinmi Ventures. Saheed, Z. S. (2008). Ebira: What Our Problems Is. http://jakomodebiravonyainternational. blogspot. com The Ebiras and the World. Saheed, Z. S. and Alofun, G. O. O, (2010). Nigeria, Five Decades of Sovereignty: Rich But Poor. Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Development Studies, Vol. 5, No. 1. Skousen, M. , (2007). Modern Economics Theories. Indonesia: Prenada Media Group Publication. Sushmit, N. (2007). Religion & Economic www. mpra. ub. uni-muechen. de/8181 Growth and Development. MPRA. Zainun, B. (2001). Indonesia Human Resources Development. Jakarta: PT. Gunung Agung Tbk. 46

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Preventive Maintainance System in Primary Schools Essay Example

Preventive Maintainance System in Primary Schools Essay Example Preventive Maintainance System in Primary Schools Paper Preventive Maintainance System in Primary Schools Paper Everything built by man requires preventive maintenance especially schools built for the education of a country’s citizens. For Primary Schools to continue being ideal places of education for pupils and teachers alike, preventive maintenance should be regarded as an important aspect of the schools program. Commenting on preventive maintenance, PC Kaiser and Harvey H say this; â€Å"Preventive maintenance† means scheduled maintenance actions that prevents the premature failure or extends the useful life of a facility, or a facility’s systems and components that are cost-effective on a life-cycle basis. (PC, Kaiser, Harvey H 1991: 9-10) In this paper the term preventive maintenance has been used in a broader sense to include all those activities that are desirable and regularly scheduled to prevent premature failure or to maximize the useful life of a Primary School facility. This has been referred to as Preventive Management System and abbreviated PMS. For the purpose of this essay, preventive maintenance will be understood as planned and scheduled maintenance to all building systems, lawns, flowers, trees, school gardens, instruments, fittings and production unit. Scheduled activities includes things like daily sweeping and dusting, roof inspections, repainting of classrooms, door hardware adjustments, lubrication of mobile equipment, replacements of broken windows, caring for lawns and flowers, and pruning of trees. This paper has been divide into two main parts . The first part will look at five reasons why preventive maintenance system is important in a primary school. The second part will consider how preventive maintenance system is organized with reference to my school. It will also look at the challenges faced and suggested ways in which these challenges can be overcome. The first and most important reason why PMS is important is that it will maximize the useful life of School buildings. Huge public funds go into construction of these school facilities and therefore, to extend useful life span preventive maintenance must be carried out. Primary Schools are unique and exceptional from other building types due to their intense use and abuse and young occupants. If a preventive maintenance system is implemented in a primary school, it will ensure that a regular schedule of care and maintenance is followed. Any problems with the building and other school facilities are identified and corrected before they actually lead to a failure. This in itself will improve the useful life of the school buildings and improve the way they look. Some of this maintenance especially to buildings would require specialized services and cost some money. The school administration should arrange this through the ministry of education. In avoiding costs of major repairs, preventive, maintenance creates efficiencies. †(Marilyn Howard 2006: 4) Indeed replacement costs are avoided because repairs are done during preventive maintenance. The second reason is too prevent premature failure of buildings in the school. A preventive maintenance system if properly implemented would prevent premature failures to any building or school facilities that would interrupt occupant’s activities and the delivery of lessons. School buildings that operate trouble-free allow teachers to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. Because preventive maintenance includes regular inspections and replacement of equipment crucial to operating a building, maintenance staff reduces the problems that might otherwise lead to a breakdown in learning activities. Faults in school desks, windows, doors and many other facilities will be prevented as these things are maintained before they break down. This in effect reduces cost of replacements should item be left to completely wears out. When maintenance is delayed, one risks losing the true value of the capital, premature equipment failure, and product damage and production delays. †(Hardman1998:3). In terms of school infrastructure, well maintained buildings will not collapse or the roof will not be blown off during the rain seasons. This will improve the safety of both pupils and teachers. The third reason why PMS is important is that it can sustain a safe and healthful environment by keeping school buildings and their components in good repair and structurally sound. The school surrounding is an important aspect of learning environment. â€Å"A classroom with broken windows and cold drafts doesn’t foster effective learning. † (Forrojalla 1993: 15)Preventive maintenance in schools should include the regular watering of flowers and lawns and planting of trees. Trees and flowers should be an integral part of any learning institution. Proper care should be taken to ensure that these things do not pose any problems to buildings and pupils. Szuba T and R Young mphasize the fact that preventive maintenance is â€Å"†¦is about providing clean and safe environments for children. It is also about creating a physical setting that is appropriate and adequate for learning. †(Szuba T R Young 2003:11) The fourth reason is that a well developed preventive maintenance system involves all members of staff at the primary school and the pupils. Involvement of pupils in the preventive maintenance activities will instill a sense of responsib ility in the pupils and help them to grow into responsible citizens. This is also cost effective way of maintaining the school environment while inculcating the spirit of team work in the pupils and teachers. The overall benefit of a good learning environment as a result of the preventive maintenance system will make learning enjoyable for pupils. Pupils will grow with a sense of responsibility for public property and are more likely to avoid vandalism. The fifth and final reason considered is that a well organized PMS will ensure that buildings and surroundings function the way they were intended to do. This will reduce inefficiencies and make the building safe for the pupils and teachers all the time. There have been numerous reports of some remote schools in Zambia where roofs from classrooms are blown off during the rainy season while pupils and teachers are in class. This cannot happen where a serious preventive maintenance system is in place. The loose iron sheets could be identified and the problem rectified at minimal costs. A well organized preventive maintenance system is not a one man show. It requires that everyone be involved from the school headmaster to the pupils in the lowest grade. With a well planned mission and vision, different committees will be formed to participate in various aspects of the preventive maintenance and this will ensure team work amongst teachers and pupils working towards the same goal of making the school a safe place for effective learning. As different members of the different committees interact, they will learn to work together thereby fostering the spirit of teamwork. â€Å"Participants’ involvement in school facilities maintenance ranged from one to 30 years. Ten participants had experience of less than 10 years, three with less than 20 years, two with less than 30 years and one had 30 years of experience. † – (M I Xaba 2012: pp3). By involving different teachers in the committees with varying experiences, the PMS in primary school can work effectively and interactions amongst teachers and pupils fosters the spirit of team work which is a vital in society. In the light of its significance, it is necessary that a preventive maintenance system be accorded high priority as part of a school’s schedule aimed at promoting teaching and learning goals with effectiveness. As Coll and McCarthy put it, â€Å"School facilities can be broadly be classified into buildings, grounds and service systems. School buildings consist of the external building envelope, which comprises the building foundation and external walls of buildings, which, in conjunction with the roof, windows and external doors, separate accommodation from the external environment† (Coll McCarthy Architects, 1998:3-02)In this regard, the preventive maintenance system in a primary school is headed by the School Head teacher. This is the main Committee of the PMS. In return the head teacher puts in place various sub committees and appoints chairpersons for these committees. The deputy head teacher is appointed chairman general for all these committees and reports directly to the head teacher. In this way, despite having a busy schedule, the head teacher is the overall supervisor and system owner for the PMS. The main PMS committee is chaired by the Head teacher and comprises the deputy head as secretary, the PTA chairperson, and all teachers who are chairpersons of various sub committees. In many instances, the Head teacher is also the financial officer of the organization and is therefore in a position to provide guidance when it comes to budgeting for requirements. This committee sits to draw up programs and policies and schedules and budgets for the entire school PMS. â€Å"Good plans include short- and long-term objectives, budgets, and timelines, all of which demonstrate organizational commitment to facilities maintenance. †(Szuba T R Young 2003: 13) The chairpersons of the sub committees will then take these decisions made for implementations in their areas. The main PMS committee therefore is responsible for the overall implementation of the programme. The main sub committees has been made to ensure that PMS runs properly are buildings and Construction Committee, School Furniture Committee, School Environment Committee, School Sports facilities Committee, School Production Unit Committee. Each committee is headed by a chairperson who ensures that policies and objectives of the school regarding PMS are implemented in his area of appointment. Teachers eading these committees may or may not have specialized training in these areas but they work in consultations with the school deputy head teacher and the head teacher. Building Construction Committee usually headed by the industrial arts teacher is responsible for the maintenance of all buildings all class teachers and the pupils are also involved in maintaining their classrooms in a clean state. The buildings and Construction committee implements, all programs to do with inspections of bu ildings, painting, replacement of window panes, roof maintenance and any construction works that are being undertaken. The chairperson records and updates the Head teacher and the deputy regularly on the success and problems faced during any period under review. The School furniture committee comes second to buildings and is comprised of the chairperson who is a teacher and includes several other class teachers. This committee ensures that all furniture in the school is in good condition especially pupil’s desks. They carry out regular inventories of all school furniture and allocate required numbers to various classrooms and offices. Regular reports on the status of school furniture are given to the deputy and head teacher. Another equally important subcommittee is the production unit committee. This is one of the largest main subcommittees with divisions such as gardening, poultry and School tuck shop. The committee is headed by one of the teachers known as the Production Unit coordinator. Each of the subcommittees has a teacher in charge that is responsible for direct management of the unit. Other In addition to teachers, a prefect called production Unit Captain. The production unit teacher, gardening ensures that a suitable area is identified within the school premises and each class is allocated a specified time to take care of the garden. The Tuck-shop committee ensures that the school tuck shop is well stocked and accurate records of accounts are maintained with regular reports going to the Head teacher. They may have additional income generating ventures like poultry and this falls under production unit. The production units subcommittee of preventive maintenance usually acts as an income generating unit of the school and is therefore very important. Apart from that, it can also result in pupils acquiring skills that can help them later in future. The sports facilities committee ensures that all school sports facilities are well maintained at scheduled times. The committee is made up of the Sports teacher, other teachers in charge various sports and a prefect called the sports captain. Together, this committee will coordinate the maintenance of sports infrasturre. Like the popular saying goes, â€Å"all work and no play make Jack a dull boy† sports play an important role in the development of pupils as responsible citizens. The formation and composition of these committees have made preventive maintenance system possible. This also makes it easy for the Head teacher and the deputy to have control of all aspects of the PMS by meeting with members of the main preventive maintenance committee. The Head teacher may not attend all meetings but the deputy head will be there to provide leadership and guidance. In most cases, members of the community through the Parent Teachers association PTA will also participate effectively. The buildings committee will ensure that School buildings are well maintained regularly. Regular maintenance of buildings will prevent premature failure of the buildings and preserve their original beauty. This will ensure that all school buildings including classrooms are well maintained and continue to be effective learning places. The committee has established a schedule that includes high dusting; cleaning of chalk or marker boards; emptying pencil sharpeners and wastebaskets; daily dust mopping of the floor. After the classroom is cleaned, the desks are arranged in an orderly manner, and windows cleaned. Each class has a daily cleaning schedule during which time these activities are carried out. In order to motivate the pupils, a reward system has been put in place. Inspections are done by different teachers during the week and the points for each class are recorded. After the inspections of the cleaned classrooms, each of them is graded and the overall best is given an award by the school administration at the end of the term. The Furniture subcommittee is important because effective learning cannot take place without desks for learners to sit on and write. The committee on furniture carries out regular inspections and all desks and teachers furniture that are not in good condition are taken for maintenance instead of waiting for them to breakdown completely. This avoids replacement costs which are high and reduces running costs. The teachers responsible ensure that learners are taught how to inspect the desks and remove those that need maintained. The school environment involves all class room surroundings, lawns and flowers. The teacher who is the chairperson of this committee has divided the entire school surrounding into zones that all allocated to different classes. The class teachers in turn supervise their classes and ensure that these areas are well maintained. Other school maintenance staff is involved where pupils cannot manage. Szuba and Young put it this way when talking about the school environment, â€Å"Students and staff thrive in an orderly, clean, and safe environment. † ((Szuba T R Young 2003: pp11) When it comes to production unit activities, all classes of pupils have been assigned a specific day of the week in which to perform their specified task. This may be any of the following, watering the school gardens, cleaning the poultry and dressing the chickens for sale. At the end of their assigned task, the preventive maintenance teacher will then do an inspection and offer some recommendations on whether the work has been done to his satisfaction. All the activities that are part of the school preventive maintenance must be planned and should be fully supported by management. â€Å"Effective maintenance plans reflect the vision and mission of the organization, include an accurate assessment of existing facilities, incorporate the perspectives of various stakeholder groups, and focus on preventive measures that ensure that capital investment is managed responsibly. (Szuba T R Young 2003: 7) Once the PMS plans are reflected in the school vision, it is very easy for all members to relate to them and carry out their roles. A work schedule for implementation of a PMS has been prepared which shows tasks to be carried out and times frequency. A sample of the preventive maintenance schedule is shown in figure 1. 0 for general cleaning and maintenance of school buildings and surroundings. In addition to this schedule, there must be an inspection schedule to for the Head teacher and the main PMS committee to carry out inspection. Figure 1. 0 – Schedule for General Cleaning, Classroom and environment.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Practice in Identifying Helping Verbs in English

Practice in Identifying Helping Verbs in English A helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb) is a verb (such as have, do, or will) that comes before the main verb in a sentence. This exercise will give you practice in identifying helping verbs. Instructions Each of the following 15 sentences contains at least one helping verb. Identify the helping verb(s) in each sentence, and then compare your answers with those on page two. Keep in mind that more than one helping verb (such as has been) can be used in front of a main verb. In addition, remember that sometimes another word (such as not) separates the helping verb from the main verb. My sister has promised to come with us to the Thousand Islands.Sam and Dave will prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the class.I must return to Yellowstone National Park to appreciate its significance and astonishing beauty.We should read another book by E.B. White.We should not waste our time watching TV.My brother will be flying out of Cleveland tomorrow morning.We have been studying all week for the final exam.Katie has not been studying very hard.My car was stolen by a couple of kids out for a good time.I can help you tonight if you will drive me home later.Thousands of people, braving the cold and the rain, had been waiting for hours for the band to show up.Tony and his friends are bored with their lives, and so they are always looking for trouble.I know that I must make a decision soon, but first I may ask my teacher for advice.Marie could not start her car this morning, so she will probably not go into work at all today.I have finished the quiz on helping verbs, and now I am going home.   Below are the answers (in bold) to the practice exercise in  Identifying Helping Verbs. My sister  has  promised to come with us to the Thousand Islands.Sam and Dave  will  prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the class.I  must  return to Yellowstone National Park to appreciate its significance and astonishing beauty.We  should  read another book by E.B. White.We  should  not waste our time watching TV.My brother  will be  flying out of Cleveland tomorrow morning.We  have been  studying all week for the final exam.Katie  has  not  been  studying very hard.My car  was  stolen by a couple of kids out for a good time.I  can  help you tonight if you  will  drive me home later.Thousands of people, braving the cold and the rain,  had been  waiting for hours for the band to show up.Tony and his friends  are  bored with their lives, and so they  are  always looking for trouble.I know that I  must  make a decision soon, but first I  may  ask my teacher for advice.Marie  could  not start her car this morning , so she  will  probably not go into work at all today.I  have  finished the quiz on helping verbs, and now I  am  going home.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Discuss nature vs. nurture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discuss nature vs. nurture - Essay Example The ‘nature versus nurture’ debate for instance is one of the binaries that offer certain perspectives explaining human attitudes and behavior. Socialization as one of the factors influencing human behavior (Berger and Luckmann 42-50) was primarily introduced by sociologists to emphasize the role of the environment and society in the formation of their self-concept and identity. In the field of psychology, behaviorism on the basis of human instincts and stimulus-response was considered to be one of the major theories that explain human nature. In analysis, in contrast with psychological theories, sociological explanations of human behavior are leaning toward the ‘nurture’ side of the debate; thus, placing psychology on the ‘nature’ side. However, through further studies and exploration of the subject, integrative theories about human behavior are also introduced. Social behaviorism pioneered by George Herbert Mead (1913) and psycho-social develo pment introduced by Erik Erikson (1950) are examples of the integrative works. In this paper, an exploration of ‘nature-nurture’ debate will be presented by examining the basis and foundations of both perspectives. The discussion about the importance of socialization in human thinking and behavior will also be analyzed. Moreover, other factors influencing and explaining human nature will be discussed to see how such matters contribute to the development of human behavior. In the process of human development, many contributing factors are regarded to be influential in one’s growth. In an extreme theoretical position, human experiences are considered to be the primary factor affecting behavior (see Schutz 32). Socialization through interaction with others influences an individual’s way of thinking about his or her reality. More importantly, interaction affects one’s idea of the self as he or she tries to situate him or herself within the context of so cial categories. In Mead’s The Social Self, he explained how interactions with individuals help us develop our self-consciousness. Socialization with others helps us realize the existence of ‘the other’ and thus, the existence of oneself (Mead 374). Through interaction, the recognition of the ‘I’ becomes possible. Through self-consciousness and the recognition of others around an individual, language becomes a necessary tool to further identify oneself. In here, communication through language is given importance as such eventually explains more about human nature; that is, explaining our uniqueness in contrast with the non-speaking animals. In Mead’s theory, the concept of ‘the social self’ (374-380) ultimately emphasizes the relation of the self to others in the social world. Though the theory is seemingly grounded on abstract concepts, Mead was able to explain his theory objectively with reference to behaviorism. Apparently, Mea d’s mature social psychology offered an example of how ideas coming from opposing arenas can be integrated in a single work (see Cook 67). To further explain human behavior, we can also observe how scholars attributes it to human ‘instincts’ and the biological and psychological state of a person. In this perspective, ‘nature’ was considered to be the primary cause of human behavior. In the field of psychology, most established theories are based on this assumption reflecting the preferred ‘objective’

Friday, November 1, 2019

Killing of the Buddha Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 187

Killing of the Buddha - Essay Example The Koan should not be taken since killing goes against Buddhist teachings. Instead, the koan advocates for self-interrogation with an aim of bringing in clarity aspects that promotes the development of one’s self. In the Koan â€Å"finding the Buddha† symbolizes a walk on the path of enlightenment. The process can be interpreted to include our path or the direction that an individual takes in his life. The â€Å"Buddha† that we are supposed to represent an idealized personal perfection that we have about ourselves. The Buddha represents us as well as our projection to the outside world. The Buddha consists of our conception of absolute enlightenment (McGee, 2015). The â€Å"Killing of the Buddha† means that human beings are often wrong in the conception of themselves. The Koan dictates that it is practical and achievable for an individual to separate himself from the misconception of himself through meditation. If a person believes that he has spiritual e nlightenment, then the person must get rid of the perception and meditate. Through meditation, the enlightenment has no permanence, and everything keeps on changing. The Koan teaches us that if we consider ourselves as having all solutions then such a perception must be avoided, and we must question such solutions to get better solutions. By following the Koan and always meditating, then one creates a learning process and keeps on enlightening. Such a process reinforces the journey to being complete. Ultimately, one learns that he or she is a disguised Buddha (McGee, 2015).