Organisations culture Essay

1.Executive summary In this paper I look at how organisations develop ‘culture’ and how this culture can be created, manipulated and changed my management. I also look at what other factors can change and affect a companies’ culture. The paper will take the following format. A definition of culture and the problems associated with its definition. I then look at how organisationl culture develops, with an explanation of the levels of cultural analysis, a look at the various different types of culture, and the role of the leader/manager in creating the organisations culture. How culture can be changed and the skills and actions needed by management to successfully implement a cultural change. I then finish with a conclusion. 2.Defining organisational culture What is organisational culture? This it has been found, is not an easy question to answer. The concept of culture has its roots in anthropology, the study of human affairs. In this context, culture has been used to designate two different things. A tribe or a social group is studied as a ‘culture’ that produces and may have cultural artefacts. The second use of the term refers to aspects within a given culture, such as customs, rituals, knowledge and so on. (Sackman, S, 1991). In the context of organisational culture it is largely the second approach that is studied. Although people may not be aware consciously of culture, it still has a persuasive influence over their behaviour and actions. (Mullins, L, 2002). This statement explains that although we may not have the knowledge that we belong to a certain cultural group it will still have an impact on our behaviour and in an organisational sense, our working lives. The culture concept began to affect organisational thinking in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Although is it evident in ideas from a number of earlier writers, for example Bernard (1938) and Jacques (1952). If we look at a number of different of organisations it is clear to see that ‘things are done differently’. This idea applies to all organisations, even in similar companies that are operating in the same industry. Tesco provides  much the same service as Sainsburys, but on close inspection we would be able to see the differences in which the two companies operate. It is more difficult however to describe how things are ‘done differently’, or why the company ‘feels’ different. A major problem with the concept of culture is the degree to which individuals, organisations or entire communities display characteristics which are consistent within it. (Martin, J, 2001). Do all British people display characteristics that are consistent with British culture? It is clear that although there are many similarities in the behaviour of people within a defined culture, that individual differences provide some variety. The same must also be assumed in the context of organisational culture. Another problem with finding a definition for organisational culture is the sheer number of definitions that already exist. Kroeber and Kluckhorn list more than 250 definitions of culture, that include components such as ideas, concepts, ideologies values, attitudes, goals, norms, learned behaviours, symbols, rites, rituals, customs, myths, habits or artefacts such as tools and other material representations. (Sackman, S, 1991). This inevitably leads to confusion amongst researchers as to a universal definition of organisational culture. The term ‘the way we do things around here’ (Deal and Kennedy, 1988) is often accepted as an operational definition of organisational culture. However this offers little in terms of the content of culture. Kilman et al. (1985) suggests ‘culture is the reflects the ideologies, shared philosophies, values beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, expectations, and norms of an organisation’ 3.Levels of culture Now we have looked at a definition of organisational culture we should look deeper into what develops and makes up an organisations culture. According to Schein (1985), organisational culture is made up of three levels. Visible organisational structures and processes (Hard to decipher) Strategies, goals, philosophies (Espoused justification) Unconscious, taken for granted beliefs, habits of perception, thought thought and feeling (Ultimate source of values and action) The Levels of Organizational Culture, Schein, E (1985) Artefacts These form the surface level of culture. They include all the things that a person sees, hears and has contact with. In an organisation it would be the architecture of the environment such as the management hierarchy, its technology, its creations and products and its style in terms of manners of address both up and down the hierarchy, dress codes and formal procedures. Schein identifies the most important point of this level being that artefacts are easy to identify but hard to decipher. Two organisations may well have the same system in operation but they can mean different things in terms of the culture of the organisation. Schein puts his point into an example by saying both the Egyptians and Mayas built large pyramids, but they were tombs in one culture and temples in the other. This point is contradicted by Gagliardi (1990) who says ‘ones own response to physical artefacts such as buildings and other office layouts can lead to the identification of major images and root metaphors that reflect the deepest levels of culture’. This is supported by my own experience. I have worked in a supermarket, an  organisation with a tall management hierarchy. Many of the artefacts of the organisation gave the impression of a very formal culture. A strict uniformed dress code was in place, with management wearing different colours from subordinates, and formal forms of address being used. The company was also largely bureaucratic with countless forms to be filled out a large numbers of standard procedures in place. One person however may look at a very informal organisation and class it as inefficient and unproductive, while another may class it as innovative and free from unnecessary bureaucracy, this depends on the individuals previous preconceptions about the artefacts that are present. Values Values are usually one persons beliefs about a given situation. If a manager believes that at a certain time of the year his/her company should run at a lower capacity due to demand etc. This is attributed to his personal values. Only once these values are acted on, successfully implemented and accepted by the organisation do they become transformed into underlying assumptions. From a marketing perspective, some of these values may remain conscious and may be explicitly stated in a company’s mission statement as the â€Å"dominant values of the organisation† (Deal and Kennedy, 1982). Only values that are concrete that can be physically and socially validated, they are confirmed by the group’s experiences, go through his transformation process. Underlying assumptions If a solution to a problem works frequently then it is often accepted as a rule for solving the given problem. The power of culture comes forth because these assumptions are shared within the group and are therefore mutually reinforced. These assumptions can often cause problems when someone new, with a different set of underlying assumptions from a previous culture, joins the organisation. As humans we like stability. Any decision which challenges or questions an underlying assumption, such as changing a costing method, or a method of production, will likely lead to anxiety and defensiveness within the organisation. A skill required by managers wishing to change aspects of an organisations culture is to recognise this connection, to get to the deeper levels of culture, and to deal with the anxiety that results when these assumptions are changed. The three stages are linked constantly together. ‘Basic assumptions are treated as the essence- what culture really is; and values and behaviours are treated as observed manifestations of the culture essence.’ (Mullins, 2002). We are able to see now how culture is developed in term of ‘values’ being acted upon and accepted by the organisation, these values being transformed into ‘underlying assumptions’ and the artefacts of the organisation being formed by the interpretation of these underlying assumptions. 4.Types of organisational culture Handy (1993) identifies four types of organisational culture. Power culture Power cultures revolve around a focal person or small group, this person or group has absolute power throughout the entire organisation. It is often found in small entrepreneurial companies, and relies largely on trust and communication. It is normally non-bureaucratic with few formal procedures. The success of the organisation depends largely on the skill of the focal person or group. Role culture Role cultures are often largely bureaucratic, it is often described as a small number of senior managers resting on the strong pillars of the various functions of the organisation. Each person has a specified role within a function of the organisation which in turn has a specified role within  organisation as a whole. These roles are expected to be adhered to and it is rare for an individual or function to deviate into different areas of the business. Predictability and stability are two main themes within this type of culture. This type of culture often develops in large companies with large numbers of staff and a tall management hierarchy. Companies with this type of culture tend to have steady objectives and operate in largely predictive markets. Again this relates back my own experience as this type of culture is largely prevalent in supermarket chains. Task culture Task cultures recognise the objectives and goals of the organisation as being paramount. Handy describes this as a ‘net’ or ‘matrix’ culture. Power is often shared by a team of experts who are highly manoeuvrable to suit the needs of the organisation. It largely found in team or project based organisations such as consultancy firms or engineers. Person Culture Person cultures are largely individual orientated. Any structure is solely suited to aid the individuals within the organisation. There is no specific power structure with individuals having complete power over their own operations. Examples of this would be barristers chambers, architects, business consultants, individuals that have come together to share resources such as office space and admin support. Some people are more suited to different types of cultures than others. Where one person will be happy working in an organisation with a task culture, he/she may feel constricted and undervalued in a role culture environment. Another person may be the opposite and may feel secure within a largely role orientated company. An important skill for managers is being able firstly to identify the type of culture his/her organisation is operating in and then to hire the correct people for that culture, this helps in reducing any anxiety caused by  changes to underlying assumptions previously discussed. There are many other models of the types of organisational culture available to the researcher. Writings by Deal and Kennedy on the generic cultures, Ouchi’s type Z companies, and several more. The focus of this paper however is on the development and change of culture and this will be explored in the following sections. 5. Factors affecting the development of culture The role of the founder ‘Organisations do not form accidentally or spontaneously. They are â€Å"created† because one or more individuals perceive that the coordinated and concerted action of a number of people can accomplish something that an individual cannot’ (Frost,p et al. 1991) At the beginning of an organisations life the founder often has complete control over the organisation. He/she will make most of not all of the important decisions over all areas of the organisations operations. ‘Because they had the original idea, founders will typically have their own notion, based on their own cultural history and personality of how to get the idea fulfilled. (Schein, 1985). Since the founder started the group it is natural to assume that he/she also impose their thoughts, values and assumptions on the group. As new members enter the group the founders assumption will be changed and modified to suit the new organisation, but will always have the biggest impact on what becomes the organisational culture. This has large implications for the future of the organisation. If the company was founded by an informal, easy going type of person then this is the type of organisational culture that is likely to develop. Similarly if the organisation is founded by a formal, autocratic person, the company will likely develop this kind of organisational culture. This will continue to form the organisations culture and have a large influence on the actions of the company even if new leaders are brought in to the organisation. The assumptions of the founder will already be deep routed and form the basis of  the culture. Size Size affects an organisation because of the formality that is often required in larger companies. A large company with many levels of management and a large number of functions or even businesses cannot realistically operate on an informal level. This has implications for the culture of the organisation. Technology If the company uses highly technological systems and procedures in its operations ie pharmaceuticals, the cultural emphasis will be on the technical skills of its employees. A company in the service sector may have a cultural slant towards customer service. Goals and objectives What the organisation wants to achieve will also affect culture. An organisation that wishes to become a market leader may inherit cultural values that reflect that attitude, i.e. company image focused, or have a heavy marketing orientation. Environment There are many environmental factors that can affect an organisations culture, stakeholders, competitors, government etc. etc. How a company chooses to interact with each of these environmental forces will determine how the organisations culture develops. People The preferred style of work amongst both senior management and employees has a large effect on the organisations culture. If senior management attempt to implement a culture that is unacceptable to employees a reaction will  follow, industrial action, low motivation, poor productivity etc. Likewise if employees attempt to force management into following their own culture then a negative reaction will also result. i.e. relocation or the replacement of workers. (Section taken from Martin, J, Organizational Behaviour, 2001) Senior management need to realise the factors that affect an organisations culture and attempt to you analyse the likely impact major business decisions may have. Failure to do may have negative consequences for the culture and hence the success of the company. 6.Cultural change, the role of management â€Å"There is some considerable debate as to whether changing something as deep-seated as corporate culture is possible’ Writers with this view usually focus on the deeper levels of culture, the underlying assumptions. Turner (1986) supports this view by suggesting that it would not be possible to manipulate it accurately because it becomes such an integral part of the organisations fabric. Because these are taken for granted assumptions about organisational life, members cannot envision any other way of operating. Those advocating corporate culture usually focus on the surface elements of culture, the artefacts. These are more easily changed than the deeper routed assumptions. Some writers have argued that unless the deeper assumptions are changed that the company will revert back to old ways of operating. Despite these arguments there is wide consensus that cultural change should only be attempted as a last resort and after other avenues have been sought. (Cummings, Worley, 1993) A primary task of management is to control the activity of employees to best serve defined organizational interests. They can achieve this control using formalized rules (bureaucratic mechanisms), economic rewards and sanctions or values and norms about how the work is to be done (â€Å"clan† or cultural  mechanisms) (Wilkins and Ouchi, 1983; cited by Sinclair, A, 1993). This statement reflects the common view that organisational culture needs to be aligned with organisational strategy if the company is to be successful. Many companies have now realised the importance of developing strategies harmonious with the organisations culture. Sometimes however culture needs to be changed, if circumstances require an organisation to follow a particular strategic route or a significant change affects the organisation i.e. market forces, government action, rapid growth etc. then the culture will have to be adjusted to suit the strategy and external environment. Managers require many skills in order to successfully change an organisations culture. It is a lengthy process that is full of danger. Staff need to be reassured and convinced that the new culture will work, otherwise defence mechanisms and the problems discussed earlier may begin show. The following guidelines to changing culture have been cited in (Cummings, T, Worley, C, Organization development and change, 1993) 1.Clear strategic vision- the firm needs to have a clear view of its operational strategy if culture is to be changed. Managers need to know where the company is now and where it is planning on going. 2.Top-management commitment- cultural change must be managed from the top of the organisation. Senior managers need to be committed to the new culture. They must have the staying to see the changes through. 3.Symbolic leadership- executives must communicate the new culture through their own actions. Their behaviour needs to symbolise the behaviours and actions that are being sought in the entire organisation. In an example given in the text, the CEO of Dana Corporation Rene McPherson threw the companies multi-volume policy manuals into a waste paper basket during a meeting and replaced them with a one page set of principles. 4.Supporting organisational change- the culture change must also be supported by changes in the organisational structure and operations, ‘the artefacts’ as have already been discussed. They can get people aware of the behaviours required in the new culture for the organisation to be successful. 5.Selection and socialization of newcomers and termination of deviants. One of the most important methods in changing an organisations culture is hiring the right people. This is particularly prominent in management positions where the manager has influence over the behaviour of subordinates. 6.Ethical and legal sensibility- sometimes when culture change happens some employees feel they are being hard done by, maybe due to a change in roles, due a promise made during the transition that has been fulfilled. This may lead to legal battles and or resignations from the company. These steps demonstrate some of the ways that managers can influence and successfully change an organisations culture. There is of course no universal solution to changing or influencing culture, all companies are different and individual approaches are more than likely necessary for cultural change to be successful. An example of cultural change is given in (Martin, J, Organizational Behaviour, 2001). In this case study of a motor car dealership in the UK, the newly appointed managing director wanted to change the company culture. The existing culture was largely autocratic with instructions coming down the hierarchy and staff carrying out these instructions. She wanted to change the culture so that the company has a more had team based approach with decision making at team level and initiative being used at all levels of the organisation. To do this she had to use drastic tactics such as showing staff a video of disappointed customers and even accepting a loss in revenue while the changes were being made. Along with this approach she introduced many changed such as more staff training, revision of pay schemes, continuous improvement groups, multi-functional teams etc. After three years the culture change was deemed complete and she could turn her hand to the future of the company. This case study highlights the often drastic measures and level of commitment that is required by managers to introduce a culture change to an organisation. 7.Conclusion It is relatively clear that organisational culture exists and that it plays a huge part in an organisations actions and the behaviour of its employees. Very few writers now argue with this point. I have discussed how culture develops in an organisation and the different levels and types of culture that emerge. Referring back to the second part of the original question, we have seen how managers can influence and attempt to change an organisations culture and the various problems that are encountered in this process. Although there are debates as to whether an organisations culture can or cannot be changed it would seem that there is a mid-point between the two arguments. There are examples of successful culture changes and I have given one in the text. It is clear that if properly organised and implemented a cultural change can be achieved. However we cannot assume that the culture has been changed all together. If the underlying assumptions are as strong as Schein and other writers claim then these will always affect the company culture in some shape or form. If the new culture is not carefully controlled could reappear. To conclude I would say, although cultural can be changed to suit the environment and organisational strategy, that managers should be cautious take into account the underlying principles that govern the organisational culture. 8.References Martin, J, (2001), Organizational Behaviour, 2nd edn, Thomson Learning Mullins, L, (2002), Management and Organisational Behaviour, 2nd edn, Financial Times, Prentice Hall Schein, E, (1992), Organizational Culture and Leadership, 2nd edn, Jossey-Bass Inc. Cummings, T and Worley, C, (1993), Organization Development and Change, 5th edn , West Publishing Company Sackman, S, (1991), Cultural knowledge in Organizations Exploring the Collective Mind, Sage Publications Frost, P et al. (1991), Reframing Organizational Culture, Sage Publications Sinclair, A, (1993), Approaches to organisational culture and ethics, Journal of Business Ethics, Dordrecht: Jan 1993. Vol. 12, Iss. 1; pg. 63, 11 pgs Wilson, A (2001), Understanding organisational culture and the implications for corporatemarketing, European Journal of Marketing, Bradford, Vol. 35, Iss. 3/4; pg. 353

Afro-Caribbean Poetry Essay

In this essay I will be studying the various items of poetry from manyAfro-Caribbean poets. One of the poets is Langston Hughes who was  born in Joplin, Missouri on the first of February 1902. He started  writing poetry after moving to Lincoln, Illinois. The poems I will be  studying are â€Å"Mulatto† and â€Å"I, Too†.  The next poet I will be looking at is Grace Nichols. Nichols was born  in Guyana in 1950, she came to England in 1977 this is when she  developed her fiction and verse writing. The poem I will be studying is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Praise song for my mother†. The next poet I will look at will be Dr Benjamin Obadiah lqual  Zephaniah, he was born in Birmingham, but he spent most of his  time in Jamaica. After he spent some time in prison he decided to use  his energy for good and educate himself. The poem I will study â€Å"I love  me mudder†.  The last poet work I will be looking at will be John Agard. Agard was  born in Guyana in 1949, the country was still a British colony until  1966. In 1977 Agard moved to England. This is where he became the  light of the new West Indian British dawn of various bardic  compositions. Agard is a poet whom blends calypso styled language  with unique sounding spoken word. The work I will be studying is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Half-caste†Ã‚  I have paired the poems up. The pairs either share the same topic,  tone or language. One of the pairs is â€Å"Half-caste† by John Agard and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mulatto† by Langston Hughes, because they have the same type of  topic and also tone.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Half caste† is about weather: the term half-caste can be applied to  any thing else apart from people. John Agard has written a very good  poem witch makes you think about the words we use every day with  out knowing the proper meanings and whether it makes any sense  when you break the word down. I think that many words we use now  are â€Å"out of date† and should be changed for politically correct terms  and alternatives. Agard also uses some stunning references to get you  thinking. The other half of this pair â€Å"Mulatto† tells us about the harsh  treatment black women faced at the hands of their white bosses in  the slave era and how the women were only used as play things, this  is shown in the part â€Å"What’s a body but a toy?†. The word â€Å"mulatto†Ã‚  means the same as â€Å"half caste† but not as many people use it  nowadays. The boy in the story has a trouble fitting in with black  people and white people and does not have that sense of belonging if  he had been born to parents of the same race. The next pair is â€Å"Praise song for my mother† by Grace Nichols and â€Å"I  love me mudder† by Benjamin Zephaniah. I’ve paired these poems  because they share the same topics which is their mothers.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Praise song for my mother† is about how Grace Nichols loved her  mother and how she inspired to do the best she could. It’s also how  she looked up to her, and how her mother was all the things she likes  such as the sunrise and the fried plantain smell. The poem is set in a  past tense which seems to tell us the readers that her mother has  died. The second half of my pair is â€Å"I love me mudder†. This poem is about  how Benjamin Zephaniah’s mother came from Jamaica on a boat  called Windrush. Many people came from Jamaica because they  thought they would have a better life than the one they all ready had.  In black family family (need to delete this) life the figure of the  mother is very strong and is the main rule maker in the house, and  this poem shows how she works so hard just to make sure her familydon’t go without. The last pair of poems is â€Å"taint† by Grace Nichols and â€Å"I, Too† by  Langston Hughes these two poems have been joined together because  they both have kind of the same topic which shows the pain black  people have overcome but still yet we are strong.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"taint† is about the treachery that this person has had cast upon  them while they where a slave, the fact that they where stolen by men  the colour of their own skin. This reminds me of the black on black  gang warfare and killings. This person who trusted the people of their  same skin colour was betrayed. This work also shows how these  people where traded like they where animals. The poem has a  message to everyone: to stop fighting and live peacefully together.  The second half of the pair is â€Å"I, Too† which shows how black people  had to eat in a kitchen when company came but they ate well and  became strong. So when company comes no one will dare tell me to  eat in the kitchen and now you are ashamed about what you did to  me when I was mentally weak. This poem has a promise of hope for  Ã‚  change. Hughes suggests that â€Å"Tomorrow† things will be different and  people will see that beauty and equality of all peoples.

Post-War Boom Essay

Every 22nd of April, the world celebrates Earth Day, where the importance of environmentalism given emphasis. What was once an ideology is now a social movement, with major corporations joining in the campaign to preserve the environment. In the US, the road to environmental movement started as early as the 1960s but only reached extensive recognition in the 70s. In 1962, Rachel Carson, a biologist, wrote a book entitled Silent Spring, which exposed the threats brought on by the use of pesticides (Brinkley 875). She wrote that it was the first time that human beings were being subjected to â€Å"dangerous chemicals† and called on the government to act on it (LaFeber et al 547). But it was not only Carson who opened the door for environmental movement. Following the war, the drastic effect on the environment was starting to put people in a crisis. Water pollution was spreading; toxic fumes from factories and power plants had started to infiltrate the water and the atmosphere (Brinkley 876-877). In Ohio, for example, the Cuyahoga River had â€Å"burst into flames† following constant dumping of petroleum waste into it (877). The word â€Å"smog† was created to refer to the combination of smoke and fog which relentlessly plagued the people living in cities (877). Environmental destruction had started. The realization made people become aware of the possible damages it could inflict not just on the people but also on their surroundings. In fact, as early as 1950s, the Sierra Club, a traditional conservation organization, had contested the proposal to dam the Green River in Colorado (Glen Canyon Institute 2008). Sierra Club deemed the proposal as â€Å"America’s most regretted environmental mistake† (2008). The group sought to stop it but was in vain. The Glen Canyon damming opened the waters (put intended) for the environmental movement that when proposals for damming Marble and Grand Canyon were put forward, the Sierra Club staged not just protests but also placed advertisement in the New York Times to stop it. In a way, the Colorado incident put forth the rising environmental movement. It triggered the concern for environmental conservation and preservation. Among the environmental problems which people hoped to address were the aforementioned water problem, ozone layer, greenhouse effect, nuclear power and the escalating amount of garbage (Divine et al 870-871). For instance, studies in the 70s revealed the effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) to the earth’s ozone layer (870). Scientists also discovered that smoke and other toxic fumes contributed to the formation of acid rain, which was dangerous not only to forests but the aquamarine (870). Only April 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated in campuses, the start of what was to be a campaign to expand the threats of toxic wastes to the environment (LaFeber 547). Earth Day was the idea of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin who initially thought of conducting a series of talks around campus (Brinkley 878). Compared to the antiwar rallies that as common during these days, the Earth Day demonstration had an â€Å"unthreatening† aura that made it interesting to people. During President Nixon’s first term, the Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (Brinkley 878). Laws were also created to regulate environmental hazards, preserve endangered species and protect wilderness areas (LaFeber 547). The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act were passed in 1972 (Brinkley 878). The support of government in environmentalism made it easier to somehow alleviate environmental degradation brought on by pollution and the advancing industrial society. However, during the Reagan administration, federal cuts were made in favor of promoting private enterprises (547). Reagan also hoped to abolish the Council on Environmental Quality and cut funds for the Environmental Protection Agency (547). However, his anti-environmental revolution only made the environmental movement stronger. Environmental groups saw rise in its members.

Health Issues as It Relates Health In High sSchool Education Essay

Health Issues as It Relates Health In High sSchool Education - Essay Example Keeping this in mind, the writer has felt that it would be essential to conduct a probe into a serious concern of high school education, that is, use and abuse of alcohol, since this has a major impact on the health and educational pursuits of students. The designing of this Research study has been carried out for determining the positive, or negative impacts of drinking by high school students, on their learning and academic performance. Importance of this research: Health hazards caused by use of alcohol by high school students has assumed serious dimensions and has adversely affecting academic performance in the student community; it also connotes indisciplined in class behaviour, lowering of ethical and moral standards, sexual permissiveness under the influence of excessive alcohol and a host of other social and physiological problems, besides endangering students' mental health, well being and their future college studies. Despite the fact that social and Governmental organizations have long evolved policies, practices and programs for curbing this social evil, the truth remains that much more effective policy making and implementation needs to be done in these vital areas which have grave socio-economic and medical implications. The research Hypothesis: is based on the premise that alcohol interferes with the functioning of impressionable minds of high school students, causing mental debility & lack of mental co-ordination, affecting academic performance among high school students Aims of the study In order to curb the use of alcohol and its detrimental effects on the high school student population, as a whole, it has become necessary to introduce and... This essay stresses that the findings of the experiments conducted proved beyond doubt that â€Å"alcohol is a powerful drug that slows down the body and mind. It impairs co-ordination; slows reaction time; and impairs vision, clear thinking and judgment....drinking while the brain is growing may lead to long lasting intellectual effects and may even increase the likelihood of delayed alcoholic dependence later in life.† This tested hypothesis that attributes alcohol as one of the main drugs for substance abuse, in today’s high school population has been established, both by the current literature written by eminent scholars and practitioners, and also by independent empirical studies. In today’s social settings, especially in the field of High School educational pursuits, the use of alcohol, substance abuse and permissive sexual behaviour have become a common phenomenon among school students, especially in the developed world. This paper makes a conclusion that the school administration should enforce individual programmes that could create a social environment that could actively discourage, if not reduce the use of drug by school children. A holistic approach, involving the student community, teachers, social workers, school administration and, most importantly, the parents needs to be taken in order to address a permanent solution to the problem. It is believed that creating awareness and self belief is more important that strict enforcement, since these measures could have contrary results, which may not in total alignment to the fundamental purposes for its enunciation.

American Goverment (2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American Goverment (2) - Essay Example This helps in ensuring nationals from whichever corner of the globe help the state as well as the city governments with empowerment of social objectives and financial projects. We also get to learn that all the elected members of the American government together with the media do have a direct influence on the choices of public policies in the country. The approaches used in the public are blueprints being used by administrations. Despite being dependent on the law, they are being set by more than one individual. The setting and motivation that is vested in political gatherings, different government extensions, and political parties have a role in shaping the dynamicity of the American government. Plans are always not static; they are under constant reshape when a new president takes in charge of the office or whenever a party takes the largest congressional share (Goodnow, 27). An approach is received when the congress passes a law. This can occur when there is a signature on an official request from the president or the ruling on an important case by the supreme case. This procedure regarded as genuine fluctuate in most times. The United States seems to be supporting strategies incremental results, setting and motivation. This creates a great instrumentalism that helps in providing a degree of dependability that is extraordinary in the process of developing strategies thus providing quick and vital changes in the social order and economy of the United

Argument Paper on Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument Paper on Gay Marriage - Essay Example Gay marriage should not be allowed because it is unnatural, does not provide a child with both a mother and father, and does not fall under the jurisdiction of the government. Also, a counter argument will be given to the view that not allowing gay marriage is discriminatory. Marriage has always been thought of as between one man and one woman. The reason for this is simple—the main objective of marriage is to continue the human race. Gay people cannot make a child together because it is not physically possible. Of course, gay couples can adopt children or use a surrogate, but this is not the same as producing a child themselves. There is a reason why only one man and one woman can make a baby, and that is because they have the necessary means to do so. A man and a woman getting married further cements their relationship and helps confirm to their children that they will remain committed to one another for a very long time. Gay couples cannot have children together, so there i s no reason to allow them to marry. They should be thought of along the same lines as a heterosexual couple who choose to have a fling. They do not want to have a child together, and that is why they do not get married. Gay people should be able to act in the same way, but demanding marriage is going too far. How a child is brought up plays a significant role in how they act when they become adults. Parents have the greatest single influence over a child because they have the most to do with them. While it cannot be denied that having two parents is better than one, it can also be argued that having a parent of each gender helps a child to grow more. Recent research has shown that â€Å"fathers make some unique contributions† in their children’s lives (Eggebeen). Each gender has certain qualities that they can offer a child, and a child should benefit from all of these qualities rather than just one set of them. Two fathers or two mothers cannot fulfill a child’ s emotional needs because there will always be something missing. This is not to say that gay parents don’t try hard, it’s just that two parents of the same gender can only offer so much. Having parents of different genders means that one parent will make up for where the other one lacks and vice-versa. There has always been fierce debate among many religions over their different points of view, but one thing that nearly every major world religion can agree on is that gay marriage should be prohibited. The reason why virtually every religion believes this is because marriage is something that was invented long before any government came around. Thus, it should not be up to the government to decide who can and cannot get married; marriage is a religious institution. Senator Jim DeMint says that â€Å"the government [is] legitimizing and promoting behavior that culturally we have always considered wrong† (Mantyla). Besides being a religious institution, marriage i s also a cultural institution. It is true that culture is something that can evolve over time, but the concept of marriage has been set in stone for many thousands of years, and there is no reason to change that now. For the government to claim ownership of marriage, it would have to prove that it invented the institution of marriage. However, it did not. The only thing that the government does is legally recognize marriages so as to offer tax breaks and provide

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry - British - Food and Drink Assignment

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry - British - Food and Drink Trends - Assignment Example This industry is now becoming more competitive because multinationals companies are incorporating new products with innovative. In recent trends, this industry has gain more customer trust, which is important for the development of this industry (Food Marketing & Technology, 2012). Food Science helps to understand the theory of food in the food industry and its significance in the healthcare industry. Food science and food technology is a new field, which helps to understand the nature and structure of the food industry (Jessie & Aruna, n. d). Food and drink is an important consideration for the hospitality industry as quality of food and the trend is a crucial aspect. The paper intends to evaluate about the food and drink industry with regard to the latest developments. The food and drink industry is growing on continues basis due to the changing and increasing demand for food. This industry has to deliver the products according to the demands of the customer for surviving in the market. The law of food industry has developed in the last two years and is likely to be continued. The development of legislation is important for the enhancement of food and its nutritional value, which affects the health of people (Leatherhead Food Research, 2014). Food and drink products are vital in the daily life and it plays a fundamental role in the safety of the life of people. For the development of food and drink industry European food and drink manufacturers has to improve the environmental performance of their products continuously (Bear, 2007). The food and drink industry has changed due to the use of new advanced technology. New technology opens new doors and new areas for this industry as per the changing trend and food habits of people. There are number of roles of legislation for the development of food and drink industry as per the trend and season. The major roles are support by the government, export incentive, R & D

Discussion broad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion broad - Essay Example The author has rightly proposed practicing and preparing as two of the important strategies to control meeting stress. I am a Chinese and was recently interviewed in Shanghai. My interview went well because I had thought about the possible questions and prepared answers for them in advance. I also practiced the interview with my friend before the actual interview which gave me a fair idea of the interview. This topic is mentioned in the course book e.g. while preparing for a meeting or an interview, an individual should at least prepare four Ps i.e. â€Å"purpose, product, participants, and probable issues† (Wilkinson, 2012, p. 590). I find this article very informative and useful. It contains very useful pieces of advice that are easily practicable. The author has not only suggested what to do in a meeting to control stress and boost performance, but has also clearly indicated what not to do e.g. not to overprepare or have a crafted and premade answer for every question. I discovered the article recently over the

Autism in a Child at School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Autism in a Child at School - Essay Example These children are often wrongly dismissed by many teachers in ordinary schools as having normal behavioural problems and are not given the special kind of treatment and education that they need. Instead, they are treated just like other kids in most schools leading to poor performance on their part. Many a times, private schools refuse to admit children with autism giving reason that they are ill equipped to deal with autism in the classroom. The handful of schools that admit these special needs children are very expensive and have a limited capacity, meaning they can only accept a limited number of children (Cowly, 2010). It is therefore the mandate of teachers in special needs education and parents with an autistic child to ensure that they acquire quality education and stand a fair chance at life after school, and this is the subject of this research paper. The research discusses in depth different aspects of autism in children in school and is divided into different sections for comprehensiveness. First, it discusses the legal definition of special education needs. The second section talks about the role of the learning support worker/ teaching assistant regarding supporting an autistic child in school. Third, Workplace behaviour policy and procedure in schools that will ensure creation of quality environment for supporting children with autism in schools is discussed. ... Special Education Needs Special Needs Education refers to the process of providing education to students with special needs in the best possible way that recognizes and addresses the individual needs and differences of the students. The achievement of the objectives of this delicate task requires planning of individual and carefully monitored teaching procedures, carefully designed teaching materials and equipment, well thought out settings and any other measures that will help children with special needs to achieve the required level of confidence and self esteem to succeed in school work (Haddon, 2004). There is general agreement between professionals and parents that it takes a lot of hard work to help children with autism get the best out of the classroom. This is because every child with an autism spectrum disorder is unique, with various characteristics and styles of learning. This therefore requires an education curriculum that is wide enough to accommodate the whole spectrum. Effort must therefore be made to create these conditions that are not available in ordinary classrooms. Students with ASD will benefit more in an environment with additional educational services like use of unconventional teaching methodologies; use of technology developed for their aid and auxiliary facilities such resource centers. These measures are what set special education apart from general education, which is the type of learning in education centers for normal children. Special education has in the past been used to refer to a special instruction set or approach meant to enhance the learning process of special need children who are slow learners. Children with autism have however shown a high level of intellectual giftedness that usually surpasses that of ordinary

To what extent has the CCTV camera reduced the crime in the uk Essay

To what extent has the CCTV camera reduced the crime in the uk - Essay Example proponents of this technology; with an approximated 1.9 million CCTVs in 2011-which easily translates into 1 camera for every 32 UK residents-with this number rising daily. Estimates also claim that the average Briton is normally caught on CCTV 300 times every day. This paper aims at exploring the effectiveness of CCTV in crime reduction in UK (Fenwick, 2012). The use of CCTVs in tackling crime in UK has greatly grown over the past decade. No official figure exists for how many cameras are currently in use, although on the basis of academic research, a 4.2 million figure has been frequently cited. Whereas the underlying principle for use of CCTV has been that it aids in prevention of crime, numerous studies have queried the assumptions behind this claim; drawing attention to a complex variety of factors that must be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of CCTVs. A 2007 Campbell Collaboration report stated that CCTV has a â€Å"modest but significant desirable effect on crime†, however its usage must be more closely targeted than it is at present (Siegel,2015). The beginnings of CCTV usage for public places in UK dates back at the start of 1980s. From then, CCTV system usage has gradually, but considerably expanded. The initial systems were financed in a few places by the local businesses or the police, however, in most of cases local authorities via what were referred to as Safer Cities or City Challenge Initiatives. Successive Government financing assumed the shape of CCTV Challenge Competition between 1994 and 1999, whereby 38.5 million pounds was availed for about 585 schemes throughout the country. Consequently, between 1999 to 2003, core investment was started in public space CCTV via the Home Office-funded Crime Reduction Programme (CRP).Thus, a sum of 170 million pounds of capital financing was availed to local authorities after a bidding process. The coming to an end of the Crime Reduction Programme indicated the finishing of a devoted central

MBA BUSINESS ANALYSIS, portfolio 1 sub Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MBA BUSINESS ANALYSIS, portfolio 1 sub - Essay Example Business analytics is the key for the company to run its business activities. As Vijayan (2011, p. 1) states, â€Å"predictive analytics approaches are focused on helping companies glean actionable intelligence based on historical data†. For working on the data provided by the clients and checking its operational feasibility through predictive models, the use of business analytics seems essential. Moreover, the company also uses management information system to manage information in a logical manner. The management information system helps the company in storing and processing of information into useful data which can be used for decision making purposes. Let us take a real life example of the use of business analytics in Front Guide investment Solutions. A client goes to the company to know whether he/she should make investment in the telecom sector of any particular country or not. Now, the company will gather data related to the telecom sector of that country which may incl ude annual revenue, growth potential, GDP deflator, and other important data and will perform statistical analysis of the data to know whether investment in that sector will be a feasible option for the client or not. Looking at this example, it is obvious that the company is a data driven organization and has adopted the use of business analytics to a great extent. How is it benefiting from doing so? The company is getting a number of considerable benefits from the use of business analytics. For example, the company is able to provide accurate details about the feasibility of investment to the clients. Clients come to the company to know what the investment will yield for them in future. The company provides the clients with information based on statistical analysis of data which in not only accurate but also very close to reality as the analysis is done using predictive models. As Stubbs (2011, p. 1) states, â€Å"the value of analytics lies in its ability to deliver better outco mes†. The more the employees will be skilled in using business analytics, more accurate and consistent will be the results of analysis. The well organized business analytics system also provides many other benefits for the company. For example, one of the main benefits of using business analytics appears when the company applies re-apply existing competencies to get real life data regarding investment scenarios. The company also applies modeling skills to increase the revenue, improve customer retention, and maintain the business image. Along with improving the business efficiency, business analytics helps the company in avoiding the risk of miscommunication by communicating the value of business analytics clients in such a way that become able to build support and gain traction. Business analytics does not just relate to statistics, it also plays a key role in organizational change processes (Stubbs 2011). Do analytics contribute to business performance and profitability? The business analytics definitely contribute to improved business performance and profitability. It helps the company maintain its competitive advantage that comes from the firm’s ability to capitalize on uniqueness. Front Guide investment Solutions has the potential to make use of that exact uniqueness in a unique and matchless way. The company takes advantage critical data, which is the biggest

The Rise of Christianity in the Roman Republic Essay Example for Free

The Rise of Christianity in the Roman Republic Essay Throughout the Roman republic and most of the empire, the Roman religion was polytheistic. The religion was based on the Greek religion and included multiple gods and goddesses who were anthropomorphic and cruel. However, during the first century of the Common Era, Judaism and â€Å"mystery religions† such as Mithraism, Eleusis, and Christianity were becoming increasing popular. Roman rule tried to control the spread of these religions but eventually Christianity became the chief religion of Rome and its empire. In the early stages of these new religions, Rome was surprisingly tolerant. Many rulers allowed citizens to practice these religions and asked only for simple patriotism and to recognize the holidays of Roman gods. Most Jews and Christians were uncooperative with this notion. In fact, many radical Jews and Christians emerged. A notable radical Jesus, who was an orthodox Jew, led and taught â€Å"the good news† to his followers. This stubborn disobedience enraged rulers such as Nero and Diocletian, who ordered for many Christian persecutions. Diocletian ordered that churches and sacred books be destroyed throughout the Empire. Nero is best known for a devastating fire which was rumored to have been started by Nero himself. He tried to end these rumors by punishing many Christians as a distraction. Persecutions were common and often resulted in death. Women were persecuted the same as men. Christians accepted Jesus as their messiah after he had been put to a gruesome death under the orders of Pilate. At this time, the Roman Empire was in economic turmoil and Christian persecutions were its last attempt at control. A major turning point in the history of Christianity occurred in 312 of the current era. The story is told that Constantine, Roman emperor during this time, had a dream telling him to decorate his shield with the Greek letters for Christ. When he did so and was victorious during battle, Constantine decided that he would convert to Christianity. Constantine also ended all persecutions and allowed all Christians to worship freely. Theodosius the Great took the work of Constantine a step further. He forbade any religion to be practiced except Christianity. This movement gave many more privileges to the church. Churches could now own property and were exempt from certain taxes. Christians were finally free to live and worship. The phenomenon of Christianity was not a battle won easily. There were many cruel and devastating punishments to those who practiced against Roman religion. Men and women were put to death or forced into hiding in the first century. However, as the population of Christians grew rapidly, Roman law found it necessary to revise laws and allow Christianity within the Empire. Christians had won the victory of faith and progressed onward through history.

Complex process of human development

Complex process of human development Introduction Human Development varies from a person to person and is a highly complex process'[1]. It develops as a result of the effect of various factors influencing the growth at different stages in a lifetime of an individual. The following essay is divided into two parts. In part one, we will be analysing the work of a professional practitioner and for this I have interviewed the Youth Worker of St Andrews church in Charminster. In part two, we will be examining a real life case study which centres on the problem of rebellion and we shall analyse it in detail looking at the various issues surrounding it and the possible solutions. Youth Worker Charminster is one of the places in Bournemouth which is constantly monitored by the police due to the presence of drug dealers and high crime rates within teenagers. Therefore, especially here the youth worker is an important role in the development of the community. Youth workers promote the personal, educational and social development of young people. Roger Baker, who is the current youth worker of St Andrews, says that working in Charminster is a challenging and an interesting place to work. Roger has 10 years of rich Christian youth work experience and prior to that he worked with the council as a youth worker and also as a probationer officer. Job Description His overall objective is to increase the churchs community involvement with the young people, to strengthen the relationships with the local schools, to work in partnership with other organisations to engage with the young people for their welfare and development. Mainly his role on a yearly basis includes: Assessing the needs of young people, running various youth clubs on Friday nights for the youth of the community. Multi agency working in line with the informal youth project. Agencies like Bournemouth Youth Services, Youth Offending Team, Connexions and Bournemouth Council. Alsoacting as an advocate for young peoples interests and presenting them to the required agency. Taking the Bible studies during the week for different age groups and discipling the young people into a Christ like character. Managing developing the youth and community projects and resources Serving the needs of the young people in the community including the delivery of sports programmes, supporting recreational activities, providing advice and counselling. Drawing up business plans, writing reports and making formal presentations to funding bodies. Over and beyond the job description the youth worker does many more informal activities for the church and the community. Advantages of the role Since previously Roger worked with the council as a secular youth worker, now he compares his former role to his present role as a Christian youth worker and says that the latter has more advantages and more opportunities. As a secular youth worker in case of emergency he couldnt drive in a car alone with a young person. Besides, he said that they worked only during their working hours in a day after which they didnt think about youth work at all and they worked just because its their job and spent less time with the youth. Now, he says that Christian youth work role is more relaxed and comfortable with no set timings to work and therefore he can focus on a particular issue or work giving it the time required in order to resolve or to work on it. According to Bruce Britton, what young people want from their youth workers is not their organisational ability, but willingness to focus and to listen to their views and spend time with them as per their availability.[2] Though this is Rogers perspective, however I think this is how youth workers actually need be irrespective of whether they are secular or religious feeling comfortable with time and spending meaningful time with the youth. He said that he had less opportunities for detached youth work whilst working with the council. If a young person had a problem they had to come to the centre, only then they could help them. But now they can operate without the use of a centre and can go to the place where young people are, both geographically and developmentally. He gave an example where one young guy (19 yrs) called him and said that he had an interview and was little nervous and asked him to accompany him to the interview. So Roger did accompany that young person which made the young person feel confident. He said that this wouldnt have been possible if he had been with the council. According to Erik Eriksons 8 stages of development youth who are 19-25 yrs wrestle with the Isolation versus Intimacy.[3] This is the stage where they need someone to guide, comfort and build a relationship with them. Stresses and Strains In his work there are few stresses and strains which they are trying to work out. He says the main issue is the ever changing staff team with in the youth team. People who come to help as volunteers or those who come on placement stick with the youth club for 6-12 months and then they move to a different place. He says that this is where the whole problem lies with maintaining continued relationships with the youth. Suddenly that person moves out and a new staff member who works with a different approach or method takes more time to build that same relationship with the youth and because of that there is no consistency. They currently get close to 40-60 kids during a Friday youth club and low staff resourcing is a problem in supervising these kids. Another issue he raised was that of finances. They have enough projects and plans for the local youth, but they lack funds to run these projects. Also he says that since its a church setting, for effective discipleship of youngsters the church needs to come and help the youth groups on a random basis supporting the youth worker. Skills for Practice Roger is a trained professional in the area of youth work. He did few former roles like youth worker and probationer office with the local council. His role as a youth worker with the church is twofold. The first task according to his priority is working with the unchurched youth of the community contributing to their growth and development and the second aspect being discipling and nurturing the youth of the church. He often keeps himself updated with some of the books written by youth and community workers. He said that the book Joined Up: An Introduction to Youth Work and Ministry'[4] with itsfour core values of youth work: voluntary participation, empowerment, equality of opportunity and informal education were very helpful and gave a great insight in understanding the youth work within the church and outside the church. He used to draw his skill for his youth work from the national occupational standards of the National Youth Agency when he started working with the youth. However now he draws his expertise from various available sources. He subscribes to the major youth work magazines and draws the latest news and developments from them. Sometimes he does take the Sunday Bible studies for the youth from the Youth Work magazine and basically he goes by the current trend of the youth compared to the prescribed theory within the youth work. Theory to Practice The challenging part of the youth work is executing the theory into practice. When I asked him for a live example he shared with me the story of a young person whose name is Allan and he was aged 13.[5] Allan was attending behavioural school and was in trouble with the police for couple of times. His mother is in recovery from drugs and his father lives somewhere else. There were complaints from his neighbours and went through isolation in the school. The whole idea in working with this young person was to gain his trust and to give him responsibility and contact with other young people to develop social skills with his peers. Josh McDowell, says that teens that are vulnerable to rejection and peer persecution come from homes of broken families and its is not important to minimize their pain but to give them a chance to express themselves without reproach in a loving relationship.[6] Since they need a chance to express themselves in a loving relationship, Allan was asked to help in t uck shop and rewarded him with a voucher to spend. He also helped as a leader during juniors youth club. Roger did school visits with Allan and his mum to look around the school and to meet the staff and pupils. With a bit of regular counselling there is a change in Allan today.[7] In his practice he says that reflection plays a vital role and he often reflects on this practise and develops his youth work as the situation demands. He also made an important comment saying that theory doesnt work always. We need to go out of the box especially when working with the teenagers. In his words Theory is nothing but suggested practice, but suggested practice is not always the right one. So always go according to the situation and create the theory. Case Study Rebellion In my youth group I have this guy whose name Ill keep it anonymous and for the purpose of this essay we shall call him Joe. Joe comes to the youth Bible study that I lead every Thursday. He comes to that group not because he likes it, but only because his best mate comes to this group and partly also because he gets a tuck of crisps and a drink. The main issue as I categorize it with Joe was Rebellion. Especially with teenagers the word rebellion sounds synonymous with them. We will be looking at this in more depth with the PARC steps of Theory-Practice model. Practice Joe, who is 14 years old lives with his both parents and has an elder sister who is four years older than him. Both his parents are Christian and are actively involved in the church activities. His sister sometimes comes to the various youth groups and often helps the staff team in supervising the groups. Joe is an average student at school and is brilliant at sports, especially football and cricket. He plays for his school and also in some different leagues. If I organise any cricket match within the church, he is my key player of my team. Joes mum loves him very much and wants him to be a good Christian but Joe thinks that his mom is asking something impossible from him. I have heard Joe couple of times saying, Im not a Christian, just because of my mum I come to church, I dont believe in God, He doesnt talk anyways, My dad never keeps his promises, last night he said that he would watch a football match with me and he didnt turn up, My sister is in her own world. There is a lot of confusion and agitation going inside of Joe, which is ultimately resulting in his rebellion against his family. Key point to be noted here is that his rebellion is mainly seen on his spiritual side though it has its effects on his physical and social aspects. Analysis From his background we can clearly see that his problem is mainly coming through his own family. Joe is in his key transitioning period of moving from dependency to independence. He is going through a lot of changes like biological, cognitive, psychological and spiritual and all of these changes in one way or the other are contributing to his discomfort and rebellion. Childhood experiences, environmental stresses and hazards can also influence his problem during this stage, but in my view these dont explicitly affect him.[8] In his situation we can the main causes of rebellion are due to: Poor relationship with his family: I agree with Josh McDowell where he says when parents try to lay down rules without first establishing a real relationship with their kids, they sow seeds of rebellion.[9] In Joes situation that was the exact problem. Though he doesnt show an outward rebellion directly he is growing an inward rebellion which is very unhealthy for his personal development. His poor relationship with his sister adds to his predicament. Discipline method: On the Sunday morning Joes mum asks him if he is coming to the Church and his usual reply is NO and then carries on sleeping. I think Joes parents are too lenient on their methods of discipline with Joe. Proverbs 22:6 says that parents should train a child in the way he should go. I am not saying that they have to be threatening or smacking him and make him come to church but the lack of strict discipline from his childhood and being lenient on him is one of the causes. Anger and Frustration: Olson tells that rebellious behaviour is caused by aggressive impulses that are turned inward.[10] In Joe we see that he is frustrated with God and at times is angry with his mum and dad. This Anger is being suppressed and hence leading to a rebellious nature in Joe. When we look at this rebellious nature in Joe, the main person who is being affected is his mother. Every time I ask her about Joe, she looks very concerned and worried. Whenever she talks about him, her eyes are filled with tears and sometimes have sleepless nights. I dont know about Joe, but his mother looks like she is going through depression and there is this anxiety and fear in her about her child. Comparatively his mother is getting affected by his rebellion than himself. Relating Theory Olson cautions that counselling rebellious and delinquent youth is a very difficult, slow and often frustrating task and success might be marginal at best.[11] From a biblical perspective Bible is very straight forward to kids who are rebellious. Deuteronomy 27:16 says that cursed is the man who dishonours his father or mother. God gives a lot of importance in honouring ones parents. The fifth commandment is to honour ones parents. Proverbs 10:1 says a wise son brings joy to his father,but a foolish son grief to his mother. There is a very harsh Old Testament law which talks about a rebellious son. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 says, If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him,then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. Joes situation is not as bad as the above passage therefore a clear biblical and psychological counselling is sufficient to solve his problem. I am currently working on Joes case. I lead the Junior Pathfinders group on Thursday evenings. I asked the group to come up with all kinds of questions that they face regularly at school or in the community so that I can prepare Bible studies exclusively addressing those questions. Joe came up with few questions like, Why should I be a Christian in the first place?, Can I really feel God?, These are tough and genuine questions for a young person and I thought it was right to address these first and we looked at one question each week, looking at its consequences and how to deal with them both biblically and in practice. On a psychological level, Josh McDowell gives a good pattern to deal with this problem and that is in the form of an acrostic LEADER.[12] It goes in this order: Listen: Rebellious teenagers often expect criticisms or Bible verses. Listen with the eyes as well as with the ears and understand where they are coming from. Empathize: Reflecting and trying to see the things through the eyes of the young person. Affirm: Affirming the honesty to come and talk with you and the goodness within that teen. Direct: Here we outline a structure of direction working towards a negotiated agreement and long term plans in dealing with their rebellious nature. Enlist: The teenager must be convinced that rebellion is not the best way to respond by which he slowly eliminates that character. This is cognitive strategy. Refer: In extreme cases where it cannot be handled, then he has to be referred to the respective more qualified counsellor with their parents consent. Overall his parents also need counselling. The two essential dimensions of parenting are relationship (support) and empowerment (guidance).[13] Their relationship with Joe needs to be first set right before going on to the empowerment. They need to start fulfilling their promises and need to make a full effort not to disappoint him in the future with their promises. Change There are many things that could have been done. In this case Joes sister can come into picture and can be a lot of emotional help and someone with whom he can identify with in his family. Since his mates at the youth group are his main interest in coming to the group, his friends can help him to overcome this rebellion with encouragement and support. Once happened can always potentially take place again, so in case of a future similar rebellious behaviour we need to quickly assess the root of the rebellion and start working from there till the problem is resolved. Conclusion Developmental psychology is an endless fascinating topic especially because teens of similar ages develop at different rates according to their cognitive capabilities and social status. Anyone who decides to work on any developmental issues one has to clearly understand the underlying cause and effects according to the age of the person. Methodology and techniques are consonant with the work of the Spirit and therefore its very imperative that as Christians we need to depend on the Spirit as much as we depend on our methods in counselling. Appendix 1 Robbie-20 Years Background: Low attendance at school. Biological father with drink problems. Step dad smoking cannabis. Mum holding down three part time jobs. Robbie in bottom sets in all of his classes. Bullied by others living on the same housing estate. Once having to go to A and E because of injuries sustained. Grandparents supportive and positive influence. Spending long periods of time at home in fear of going out alone. Priorities: To build up Robbies confidence and self esteem. No exams being taken in year 11. Need to find alternative qualifications. Get him involved in a hobby or sport. Support mum with time management with multiple jobs and siblings. Obtain and pass information to step dad with regards to the effects of smoking cannabis and the legal implications. Action: Get Robbie involved in setting up and helping at youth club. Sign him for local football team and to attend training one night a week. Offer to the school an extended work experience placement. Complete an Asdan award scheme. Attend a youth world cup competition in Sweden, 1500 teams from all over the world. Raise money for trip by sponsored walk and car washing. Secure some private coaching from ex professional goal keeper to increase Robbies ability and confidence. Support application for training courses later to support application to join the Army. Currently after sustaining an injury waiting to re- apply in June 2010. Elliot-19 Years Background: Mum and dad living together but for previous 15 years lots of arguments and living apart for periods of time. Police involved and accusations made by mum towards Elliot and dad but never proven. Mum using two names at different times with different people. At least twice Elliot coming home from school and finding her after she had taken overdoses of tablets and being submitted to hospital. Moved home several times sometimes with dad and sometimes with mum. Elliot was kicked out of home several times whilst living with mum. Attending school outside of the area travelling daily to attend a distance of about thirty miles. Priorities: To stabilize some of Elliots circumstances giving some consistency. Speak with mum and dad to rationalize long term issues. Get him involved with youth club. Help with anger management. Find group to support mums behavior. Build father son relationship. Action: Encourage mum to attend overcomers outreach a twelve step recovery group meeting. Get father and son to attend and help at youth club. Work alongside Elliot to discuss how he feels in certain situations that then turns to anger and methods to deal with that anger. Support Elliot during the times when mum and dad are not together more recently to support an application for Elliot to obtain a place in the YMCA having been kicked out of home December 2009 after an argument with dad and his new girlfriend. Currently no contact with mum. April 2010 help Elliot to move from the YMCA to Fortuna house supported lodgings for around twelve young residents. Support Elliot to secure a place on a full time training course prior to finding a job. Bibliography: Balswick, Judy., and Balswick, Jack., Piper, Boni., Piper, Don, Relationship-Empowerment Parenting, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003. Boyd, Denise., Bee, Helen, Lifespan Development, 5th (ed.), Pearson, 2009. Britton, Bruce., Youth Workers as Social Workers, in Jeffs, Tony and Smith, Mark, (ed.), Youth Work, London: Macmillan Press, 1987. Brierley, Danny, Joined Up: Introduction to Youth work and ministry, Authentic Media, 2003. Brierley, Peter, Reaching and Keeping Tweenagers, London: Christian Research, 2002. Flannagan, Andy, Distinctive Worship: How a new generation connects with God, Authentic Media, 2004. Geldard, Kathryn., and Geldard, David, Counselling Adolescents, 2nd (ed.), London: SAGE Publications, 2004. Greene, Roberta., and Kropf, Nancy, Human Behavior Theory: A Diversity Framework, 2nd (ed.), AldineTransaction, 2009. McDowell, Josh., and Hostetler, Bob, Josh McDowells Handbook on Counselling Youth, Word Publishing, 1996. Olson, Keith, Counselling Teenagers, Loveland: Group Books, 1984. Denise Boyd Helen Bee, Lifespan Development, 5th (ed.), Pearson, 2009, 3. Bruce Britton, Youth Workers as Social Workers, in Tony Jeffs and Mark Smith, (ed.), Youth Work, London: Macmillan Press, 1987, 25. Roberta Greene, Nancy Kropf, Human Behavior Theory: A Diversity Framework, 2nd (ed.), AldineTransaction, 2009, 84. Danny Brierley, Joined Up: An Introduction to Youth Work and Ministry, Authentic Media, 2002. The name of the young person is changed due to disclosure and privacy reasons. Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler, Josh McDowells Handbook on Counselling Youth, Word Publishing, 1996, 162-163. During my interview Roger shared couple of more examples. Listing those examples are not under the scope of this essay. Please see appendix 1 for a detailed description. Kathryn and David Geldard, Counselling Adolescents, 2nd (ed.), London: SAGE Publications, 2004, 16. McDowell and Hostetler, Youth, 235. Keith Olson, Counselling Teenagers, Loveland: Group Books, 1984, 476. Keith Olson, Counselling Teenagers, Loveland: Group Books, 1984, 480. McDowell and Hostetler, Youth, 239-241. Judy Jack Balswick and Boni Don Piper, Relationship-Empowerment Parenting, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003, 18.

Being A Sponsor Of The Olympic Games Marketing Essay

Being A Sponsor Of The Olympic Games Marketing Essay Global marketing is defined by the Oxford University Press as marketing on a worldwide scale reconciling or taking commercial advantage of global operational differences, similarities and opportunities in order to meet global objectives. With globalization and advanced technology, global marketing becomes more important, and some activities are used as new global marketing tool such as worldwide sports events. The modern Olympic Game is held every four years since 1896 except in 1916, 1940 and 1944 because of the world wars. For now, the Olympic Games are considered to be the worlds most popular sports competition, with more than 200 nations participating, and so many companies use it as a global marketing tool. But does this tool work well? This essay will discuss the benefits and the drawbacks of using the Olympic Games as a global marketing communication tool and evaluate its effectiveness. Becoming a sponsor of the Olympic Games is one of the most common ways to use the Olympic as a global marketing tool. Being a sponsor is a big business, it always costs a company millions of dollars to acquire the marketing rights to use the events including its image and logo. The sponsor fee does not include the advertisement expense, meaning that companies need to spend more money to promote their brand or products. Indeed, visa alone was estimated to have spent $886 million on its official sponsorship of the 2008 Olympic Game (CNBC, 2008). With such a large amount of money, being a sponsor of the Olympic Games seems really risky. There are four main disadvantages that a company may face when they use the Olympic Games to promote their brands. Firstly, using the Olympic Game- a worldwide sports event can let more people know the brands or companies and find some potential customers, it also ignores the inconsistency in consumer needs. A customer in America will be different from a customer in South African. So a good global marketing activity should not just depend on the fame of the Olympic Game and use the same means of propaganda all over the world. It also needs different marketing strategy for different countries to address different consumer needs. Furthermore, the inconsistency in consumer needs is not the only factors different from one area to another and people in one country may also react differently as compared to a consumer in another country. To a company, customers are one of the most important elements, so the reactions from consumers influence a companies next move. The Olympic Games usually lasts about two weeks, and during this time, companies marketing activities are received by people all over the world. It is difficult to collect different reactions from different people and improve the next marketing method in time. In the end, marketing activities may be not attractive for some potential consumers which could lead to fall of the whole global marketing plan. Moreover, consumers loyalty is also one of the factors influencing global marketing achievement. When people get used to buying goods of one brand, it will be very difficult to change their choice. Using the Olympic Game let people know a brand is effective, but Japanese might like a product to have a traditional touch, whereas an American might like to add a retro modern look to it. In this case, the Olympic Game global marketing strategy is difficult to devise. In the end, the laws of the land have to be considered. Usually, original company policies may be devised according to the laws of home countries. But when it comes to the global scale, the overseas laws perhaps are conflicting in these policies. The sponsors spend tons of money to purchasers the right to use the Olympic Game logo and image, but if their advertisement could not published in some countries just because laws conflict, then all the effort will be in vain. So it is necessary for a company to know laws and rules abroad before they make the global marketing strategy. On the other hand, global marketing also brings benefits to companies. First and foremost, using the Olympic Games as global marketing tool can increase brand awareness. As the Olympic Game is a worldwide sports event involved more than 200 nations, almost every nation will purchase broadcast rights. So advertising at this moment can reach potential customers all over the world effectively, especially with the Olympic image and logo. Moreover, in an extreme case, the sponsor may get a chance for free advertising. In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Game, the last torchbearer- the athlete who lights the stadium flame was Li Ning who is a former gymnast who won six medals. In the last few minutes of the ceremony, Li Ning run into the stadium and lighted the flame as billions of people watched. For that 2 or 3 minutes millions of people who did not know this Li Ning brand before learned it (Pitt, 2010, p.282). Secondly, using the Olympic Game as a marketing tool to promote products and brands could also increase brand recognition. An example of this is the study carried out by John and Martin (2009, pp.126-127) in which compared brand recognition level between Nike (sponsor) and Adidas (non-sponsor) by collecting respondents of Australian adults from nine months before the 2000 Olympics to three months after it. The results show that at the beginning of the survey, 77% of Australian individuals recognized Nike, while only 47% of them knew Adidas. During the Games, the recognition level of Adidas suffered a drop from 67% to 56%, but Nikes recognition level as official Olympic sponsor was still over 70%. Thirdly, using the Olympic Game as a marketing tool becomes a unique experience. Global marketing is a multi-million dollar business but it is never only about money. Being a successful sponsor of the Olympic Game and gaining expected benefits is not easy. It includes setting appropriate marketing goal, making accurate marketing niche and using various marketing strategies. All the factors can be practiced during the marketing process. When the Olympic Games are over, sponsors can get feedback and try to improve their marketing policy to get more achievement in the next global marketing activity. For example, the Coca-Cola joined the Olympic Torch Relay. Since 1996 Coca-Cola has been a member of the Olympic Torch Relay and started to use it as on of the significant sponsor able constituents. In the next 5 Olympic Games, summer and winter, Coca-Cola learned from the successful previous Olympic Torch Relay programmes and improved its marketing strategies. As a result, Coca-Cola launche d its new marketing strategy. The company did not just use the offline platform to promote but by using both online and offline platform at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, to allow more customers in China to know the Olympic spirit and to be more loyal towards the Coca-Cola brand (Choi, 2008, pp.248-249). Finally, global marketing could lead to lower marketing costs and increase revenues. Worldwide sponsorship generated $866million for the 2006-2008 Torino/Beijing Olympic cycles. Eleven multinational sponsors paid an average of $72 million each. More remarkably, these numbers represent only the fees for sponsorship rights; sponsors still had to pay for the advertising itself (CNBC, 2008). According to this figure, the cost of using the Olympic Games to promote brand or product is really high, but is even higher if the company has to market a product differently in every country that it is selling. In addition with same input, the effect of Olympic marketing tends to be 2-4 times more than conventional marketing. GE illustrates this point clearly. GE is one of the Olympics Game sponsors. During the Games its company-wide sales revenues exceeded US$1.7 billion, includes NBC Universal, GEs subsidiary media company, more than US$1 billion in advertising revenue was made which generate a r ecord and make Beijing the most successful Games in GEs history (Hanssen, 2009, pp.126-127 ). This essay has discussed the benefits and drawbacks that using the Olympic Games as a global marketing tool can bring to a company. Indeed, there are some disadvantages about the inconsistency in consumer needs and reactions, but all the problems could be solved by tracing outcomes and improving marketing strategy after the marketing activity. However, the advantage of global marketing is widely agreed, otherwise companies would not spent large amounts of money on it. Overall, the benefits of the global marketing outweigh the drawbacks and it would be interesting to find what is the most important factor could influence the effects of global marketing. World count: 1,416

Unprogessive Advances :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The MP3 â€Å"We are born savage and self-centered, and then, unless we move to Hollywood, we get over it. We become civilized. We enter a state in which we understand that sharing is good.† – John Perry Barlow   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past few years record sales have plummeted to an all time low, the record industry has since been frantically searching for the crack in the dyke; a reason for all this. The most obvious target that has been chosen by these corporations is the act of internet file sharing, more specifically the programs that run these services like the previously shut down â€Å"Napster† and the currently battling â€Å"Kazaa.† There is no doubt that file sharing is a factor in declining record sales but does it really deserve all the blame? Maybe today’s mainstream music lacks a certain quality that would normally motivate a consumer to purchase the CD. There are many factors that could cause declining sales, one of them being file sharing but does the record industry really have the power to classify our right to share as illegal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The number of users for file swapping programs is in the millions. In its height Napster held 36 million people in the palm of its hand, and since the program has shut down more and more like it have been sprouting too fast for the recording industry to shut them down (Gaither,2). The companies that are filing suit apparently expect us to be sympathetic towards them because they aren’t rolling in the dough like they used to. A CD costs me about $20 after taxes, as a college student and normal person that money is better spent doing time in my bank account, it is almost the same lifestyle as subsistence farming. If I can receive the same music for free over the internet than why bother giving more money to excessive rock stars or silicone divas. The richest of the rich seem to be the only ones complaining as well, small time acts such as â€Å"Battery Park† practically rely on the free trade of music over the internet, mainly because they cannot affor d airplay on major radio or television stations. It is the only way for bands like these to be heard. Lead singer J. Brown of â€Å"Battery Park† however admits that â€Å"Downloads don’t necessarily equate to sales, we hope they like what they hear and want to hear more so they’ll purchase the CD.

Cold Mountain : The Civil War Essay -- essays research papers

Cold Mountain: The Civil War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was a four year armed conflict between northern and southern sections of the United States. The Civil War cost more American lives than any other war in history. There were bout 3 million people who fought in the beginning of the Civil War and about 600,000 people’s lives were lost at the end of the war. What began for many as a romantic adventure soon became a heartbreaking bitter struggle between the two parts of a divided country. This, however, was more than the industrial North fighting against the agricultural South. There were divided families with brother fighting brother. Some Northerners joined the Southern ranks and some Southerners were in the Union army, each fighting for what he thought was right.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most obvious causes of the Civil War were the issues of states’ rights and slavery.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hundreds of books, movies, and documentaries have been published on the Civil War. One of them was writ ten by Charles Frazier called Cold Mountain. The novel focuses on the life during the Civil War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cold Mountain captures some of the spirit and reality of the Civil War. Many people contributed their time, effort and lives in the Civil War. The main character, Inman, walks away from a hospital for Confederate wounded at the start of the book and is constantly on the move, meeting odd and dangerous characters, even a Circe. Beginning with Inman’s decision to leave the hospital where he has been recovering from a near fatal neck wound which turns him into a deserter, or an â€Å"outlier†. As a fugitive, Inman must take back roads and obscure footpaths, always hiding from the murderous Home Guards. Inman is sickened by the wanton waste of young lives on the battle field and torn between the traditional conflict of valor and cowardice. In the field hospital, the injured Confederate private witnesses the brutality of both sides in the most bloody of American armed struggles, the War Between the States. Emotionally shaken, Inman realizes that he will r eturn to the front and possible death as soon as he is well. He watches men on both sides ordered to charge into lethal barrages of gunfire and cannon shot, only to fall after a few precious steps. On more than one occasion, he is forced to kill. Inman is haunted by ni... ...m. Everything that she wanted, he gave her. He was a trader who lost his money because of the war, (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ at arm’s length the war, the embargo, the various other expressions of hard times, and their effect on Ada’s income†¦(61),† which left Ada nothing when he died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goat woman is an old lady that takes care of goats, and had been far away from the human world. She meets Inman while she is doing something to a bird trap. The goat woman takes care of Inman for a few days and helped heal his neck wound from the battle and from the wandering Home Guard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Frazier had a very different way of narrating a story about the Civil War. Usually when people think of the word war, they think of it as people killing people or something more brutal. But instead, Charles Frazier focused his novel on how the war affected the lives of the people during the war. It was a very realistic novel because his characters were not all heroes, they were ordinary people with struggles and problems that they have to deal with and adapt to. Frazier did an excellent job by recapturing the war and how it affected those people who lived in Cold Mountain. Cold Mountain : The Civil War Essay -- essays research papers Cold Mountain: The Civil War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was a four year armed conflict between northern and southern sections of the United States. The Civil War cost more American lives than any other war in history. There were bout 3 million people who fought in the beginning of the Civil War and about 600,000 people’s lives were lost at the end of the war. What began for many as a romantic adventure soon became a heartbreaking bitter struggle between the two parts of a divided country. This, however, was more than the industrial North fighting against the agricultural South. There were divided families with brother fighting brother. Some Northerners joined the Southern ranks and some Southerners were in the Union army, each fighting for what he thought was right.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most obvious causes of the Civil War were the issues of states’ rights and slavery.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hundreds of books, movies, and documentaries have been published on the Civil War. One of them was writ ten by Charles Frazier called Cold Mountain. The novel focuses on the life during the Civil War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cold Mountain captures some of the spirit and reality of the Civil War. Many people contributed their time, effort and lives in the Civil War. The main character, Inman, walks away from a hospital for Confederate wounded at the start of the book and is constantly on the move, meeting odd and dangerous characters, even a Circe. Beginning with Inman’s decision to leave the hospital where he has been recovering from a near fatal neck wound which turns him into a deserter, or an â€Å"outlier†. As a fugitive, Inman must take back roads and obscure footpaths, always hiding from the murderous Home Guards. Inman is sickened by the wanton waste of young lives on the battle field and torn between the traditional conflict of valor and cowardice. In the field hospital, the injured Confederate private witnesses the brutality of both sides in the most bloody of American armed struggles, the War Between the States. Emotionally shaken, Inman realizes that he will r eturn to the front and possible death as soon as he is well. He watches men on both sides ordered to charge into lethal barrages of gunfire and cannon shot, only to fall after a few precious steps. On more than one occasion, he is forced to kill. Inman is haunted by ni... ...m. Everything that she wanted, he gave her. He was a trader who lost his money because of the war, (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ at arm’s length the war, the embargo, the various other expressions of hard times, and their effect on Ada’s income†¦(61),† which left Ada nothing when he died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goat woman is an old lady that takes care of goats, and had been far away from the human world. She meets Inman while she is doing something to a bird trap. The goat woman takes care of Inman for a few days and helped heal his neck wound from the battle and from the wandering Home Guard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Frazier had a very different way of narrating a story about the Civil War. Usually when people think of the word war, they think of it as people killing people or something more brutal. But instead, Charles Frazier focused his novel on how the war affected the lives of the people during the war. It was a very realistic novel because his characters were not all heroes, they were ordinary people with struggles and problems that they have to deal with and adapt to. Frazier did an excellent job by recapturing the war and how it affected those people who lived in Cold Mountain.

Important People of History Essay

Ancient Greece was known for many things, including great thinkers and philosophers. Many names come to mind from this period, including that of Socrates. Certainly, none are so colorful. He wrote nothing, but his impact was unmatched by others. His ideas were revolutionary, and caused enough controversy that he was finally put on trial in Athens, guaranteeing that his mark on history would be indelible. Socrates was born in 469 B. C. E. to Sophroniscus and Phaenarete. Little is known about him beyond what others wrote, since he resisted any urges to put words on paper. What is known about him comes from Aristophanes, Xenophon, and Plato, all of whom wrote about him. However, their narratives differ in some crucial ways, and so there are some things that will never be known about the enigmatic philosopher. Socrates was a firm believer in the power of the intellect. He insisted that â€Å"a man must order his life by the guidance of his own intellect,† believing that it was this above all that must be cultivated. He never hesitated in saying what he believed, and this tendency made him unpopular in many circles. However, he did not allow this to deter him from expressing these beliefs. Knowledge and truth were paramount to him, and he would not sacrifice these virtues for anything. When he was eighteen, Socrates was required to do the duty of every citizen, and this included training in the Athenian militia. He served the years that were expected of him, engaging in battle in 432 as a foot soldier to help put down a revolt. On the way home from the siege that followed, Socrates saved the life of Alcibiades during a subsequent battle near Spartolus, losing the battle. They returned to Athens in 429, where he was accused of helping the playwright Euripides to write his tragedies. Important People of History Page 2 of 5 Socrates next saw battle at Delium in 424. The Athenians saw defeat yet again, although Socrates distinguished himself once more. In another year, he was yet again immersed in battle, this time at Amphipolis. This ended in another defeat, and was also the last battle that Socrates fought. Peace was made between Athens and Sparta, and this is when Socrates could begin to concentrate in earnest on debates and discussions to pass on his ideas and beliefs. Education, democracy, and Mystery religion were key themes in this. During this time, Socrates married Xanthippe, and they would have two sons. Socrates perhaps became best known for the Socratic Method. This method was meant to help intellectuals come to correct conclusions, and it made definition the most essential point of this. In a desire to find the truth, Socrates believed that one must â€Å"require a standard of truth and an explanation of the causes of error. † The comparison of two ideas is necessary in making a judgment, and those ideas must be clear and not vague. This method lasted throughout the centuries, and is still practiced today. Socrates is also known as the founder of utilitarianism. Ethics and the process of applying his methods to them was a key interest of his, and this study led to utilitarian ideas. With this, he came to the conclusion that good is useful and â€Å"virtue is happiness. † This formed the core of his paradox, which is that men do not willingly commit wrongs, and that this is done only through ignorance. While Socrates wrote nothing, he spent a great deal of his life conversing with others. This was a major part of his Socratic method. He never attempted to teach, for he believed that he had no knowledge. He professed that he was only exceptional in the fact Important People of History Page 3 of 5 that he knew that he knew nothing. It was a goal of his to prove that popular ideas were inconsistent, and he wished to convince all to whom he spoke that their convictions could not stand up under examination. Socrates was well known for frequenting places such as marketplaces, where he would engage people in conversation. He enjoyed doing this with people of all ranks and stations, often putting off important people and gaining their animosity. His manner and lack of deference gained him many enemies; many resenting what they felt were his ridicule. There was nothing that Socrates felt was too sacred to question and criticize, and this included both religion and government. He was perhaps more agnostic than anything, and he had no compunctions about questioning and criticizing the gods. This added to feelings of animosity against him, as did the fact that he was also quite vocal against the ruling powers. It was this that was to lead to his arrest and subsequent trial, which is perhaps the pinnacle of his career. Socrates was arrested when he was seventy on charges that â€Å"he does not believe in the gods recognized by the city, but introduces strange supernatural beings; he is also guilty, because he corrupts the youth. † The political reasons were kept quiet, instead focusing on impiety, and the sentence proposed was that of death, although those who accused him had no real desire to put him to death, only to force him to leave and no longer be a thorn in their sides. However, Socrates refused to leave, instead remaining behind to face the charges against him. A life away from his interactions with the Athenians would not have suited him, and so he remained. Important People of History Page 4 of 5 Socrates faced a jury of 501 men. This jury, as all Athenian juries, would vote twice. Their first vote was on guilt or innocence, and their second vote was for the sentence. While Socrates expected that he would be convicted, he expressed surprise at â€Å"how closely the jury was split on the first and basic question. † It was a difference of six percent that would have turned the tide, acquitting him. Socrates had the chance to avoid a sentence of death once the verdict came in. It was a practice of the Athenian law system to allow the defendant to put forth another punishment, and the jury would choose between the two. However, the punishment that Socrates suggested was merely a small fine, which was so minuscule a punishment that the jury had little choice but to condemn him to death. It was not for thirty days after his trial that Socrates would meet his end. During that time, his friend Crito appealed to him to escape, but Socrates believed that the harm that would come from that would be a greater harm to the city than to allow himself to follow through with the sentence, and that it would have â€Å"brought shame on his family and friends. † Socrates did not seem to fear his death. In fact, on the day upon which he was scheduled to die, he seemed quite happy and pleasant. Death was perhaps another opportunity for him to learn and experience. He was also not alone when the end came, as his wife and younger son, as well as friends, were present. He spent his last day doing what he loved best, discussing philosophy and once more passing on his wisdom. Xanthippe was taken home before his actual death took place, leaving him with his Important People of History Page 5 of 5 friends and advising them to agree if they believed what he said was truth, and to oppose it if they did not, refusing to restrain themselves. To the end, he was determined to hold onto his ideals and beliefs, and insisted on others doing so as well. After bathing and then meeting with his family once more, he met with his executioners. He was given a glass of hemlock after having its effects explained to him. After this formality, he â€Å"cheerfully took the cup and drank. † Thus ended the life of one of the most profound leaders of philosophy. Socrates, through all of his life, lived up to the ideals and beliefs that he taught. He never compromised these, even up to the day that he died. To him, the importance of remaining true to himself and his teachings was paramount, and to do otherwise would be an injustice. He did not simply talk and hope that others learned from him; he lived by example and died by the same. His legacy proved to be quite enduring, and is still a cornerstone of philosophy to this day. His students, such as Plato, helped to preserve this and pass it on. Without Plato and others, little would be known today of Socrates. The impression he made was a lasting one, and a good example even today, encouraging people not to be afraid to question and discuss, because without these things, learning cannot be successful. Works Cited Bury, J. B. and Russell Meiggs. A History of Greece. London: Macmillan Education LTD, 1975. Nails, Debra. â€Å"Socrates. † Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 16 Sept. 2005. . Stone, I. F. The Trial of Socrates. New York: Doubleday, 1989.