Structural Family Therapy

Structural Family Therapy (SFT) has a few interventions within the theoretical model that I could see myself using with clients (families) from diverse backgrounds with diverse presenting problems. I am in agreement with the way this model looks at the different types of families and the types of issues they present with such as the patterns common to troubled families; some being â€Å"enmeshed,† chaotic and tightly interconnected, while others are â€Å"disengaged,† isolated and seemingly unrelated. This model also helped me understand that families are structured in â€Å"subsystems† with â€Å"boundaries,† their members not seeing these complexities and problems that are going on between them. Compared to the four family and couple therapy models in this paper, I think this model fits the most with Adlerian assumptions for the following reasons. This model understands and speaks to the complexities in the family system, the roles that each member takes on how they relate to each other, of power, and hierarchy, thus treating the family system holistically. This is also similar to the emphasis on democratic parenting skills that Adler focused on, with the aim to help families understand that relationships based on power and hierarchy are not effective in the long run. A few other similarities between SFT and Adlerian interventions are the use of reenactment, metaphors, and focusing on the family’s strengths to work toward a common goal of a changing the existing structure of the family to a healthier one. Role of the Therapist: When using this model, I would be comfortable as the therapist as my goal would be to join the system using myself to transform it. In that role, I would be active and directive, determining the structure of the therapy and facilitating the process. This model may work better with families from diverse background because from personal experience and understanding, it may be easier for Asians to let the therapist take on the facilitator role, structuring and directing because most Eastern cultures and families are run that way. I like the aspect of this model where the therapist seeks to change the maladaptive patterns by choreographing family interactions in session in order to create the opportunity for new, more functional interactions to emerge, using the major techniques of joining (engaging and entering the family system), diagnosing (identifying maladaptive interactions and family strengths), and restructuring (transforming maladaptive interactions). By learning how to use this model well, I could learn to assess and facilitate healthy family interactions based on cultural norms of the family being helped when using this theoretical model in practice. Interventions: Most of Minuchin’s interventions under this model resonated with me, however it seems as if this model (and Minuchin himself) tends to be quite directive, I will have to keep in mind that for some families this may not be the best approach to take because they may find it offensive and crossing their (the family’s) boundaries. I also think that with the use of common sense and after building an alliance with the family, the direct approach can be a healthy no-nonsense way of helping the clients see the problem, and facilitating change may not be a process that gets dragged on for months. I think practicing the intervention of joining could benefit me as a therapist because I as the therapist would support specific behaviors or verbalizations to increase the strength and independence of every member of the family, subsystems, and alliances. I could do this by adjusting to the communication style and perceptions of the family members to â€Å"join† the system, making the goal to establish an effective therapeutic relationship with the family. I can also resonate with using restructuring where I would be able to utilize therapeutic interventions that bring about change through modification in the family structure. Functional Family Therapy Theory: Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a theoretical model that fits with me for the following reasons. FFT’s three intervention phases- engagement and motivation, behavior change, and generalization- are straight forward techniques for the therapist to follow and interventions that are interdependent. I like the systematic approach to understanding families in this model, and that it can be used as a prevention and intervention model when dealing with family systems. I think this model is quite similar ith Adlerian assumptions because the use of techniques such as engagement and motivation establishes a family-focused perception of the presenting problem that serves to increase the family members hope and expectation of change, decrease resistance, improve alliance with one another and create greater trust between family and therapist, reduce negativity within family, and assist in building respect for individual differences and values. Clinician s provide concrete behavioral intervention to guide and model specific behavior changes such as parenting, communication, and conflict management. Role of the Therapist: As a future therapist whose goal is to practice with diverse populations, I would be comfortable using functional therapy because of the flexible integration of clinical theory as part of the model’s design which offers an opportunity to meet families where they are most comfortable, understand and encourage their natural social networks and to provide culturally and linguistically responsive services as truly part of the treatment process. I think this model has flexibility and extends to all family members and thereby results in effective moment-by-moment decisions in the intervention setting, thus being systemic and individualized. In my personal opinion and experience, I find that the field of psychology is lacking in diverse cultural competencies as much as the society is diverse in its population. I believe that as with using any theoretical model, the therapists’ cultural knowledge needs to include understanding of the many cultural considerations influencing the effectiveness of treatment when dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds. When servicing the individuals in the family, care and attention needs to be directed towards family and community norms and values around help seeking, secrecy and confidentiality, family roles, child rearing and spiritual practices. Interventions: One of the main interventions of Functional Family Therapy that resonates with me is that one of the prime goals of this model is to identify the primary focus of intervention (the family) and reflect an understanding that positive and negative behaviors both influence and are influenced by the relationships each family member has with one another. Therefore, making functional therapy a multi systemic program, meaning that it focuses on the multiple domains and systems within which families live and interact with one another. Within this context, FFT works first to develop family members’ inner strengths and sense of being able to improve their situations by using skill building techniques. These characteristics provide the family with a platform for change and future functioning that extends beyond the direct support of the therapist and other social systems. As hopeful as it may sound, when using this theoretical model, I as the therapist could lead the family to greater self sufficiency that work for them as a team, and not against each other. Solution-Focused Therapy Theory: The way the Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) theoretical model fits me is that it focuses on exceptions to the family’s problem, working towards a change in behavior which can naturally develop through this process. I think this model is similar to the Adlerian assumptions where it is future oriented and personally, I think it is quite an insight-oriented model, not getting too deep into one particular family member's â€Å"pathology,† but rather focusing on what the system can do to adapt to it, and allows the family decide if that â€Å"pathology† is a problem or not. Like the Adlerian model, SFT looks at the family system holistically, taking every member into account yet working as a whole towards a common goal of having a healthier relationship with one another. I think this is an essential aspect in family therapy because he therapist is not only dealing with one individual, but a few, with different personality types and world views. Role of the Therapist: The aspects of this theory that I like is that it differs from some traditional therapy models and does not focus on the cause of the family’s problems nor dictated the way the family is supposed to work, but focuses more on a better approach that moves the family focus off of what is wrong and onto what is right, stresses the resources and skills clients already have and bring into therapy, and helps the family members take on the role of the experts (which they hold anyway) and take responsibility for setting their own goals and reaching them. Putting this into practice, I would see the family not become stuck in a passive and helpless role as a family unit, locked into a problem narrative they rehearse over and over again, but more active participants in the therapeutic process. From the South-East Asian perspective, this model could be effective working with multi-cultural families because the therapists maintain a future more directed focus, with language like â€Å"as things get better†¦ † â€Å"lets work on positive reinforcement with the kids this week†¦ â€Å". From my personal experiences and observations, because the idea of therapy is still a very new, almost unpopular concept, it is difficult for South East Asians to do too much ‘processing’ of a negative situation, and would rather prefer to focus on the positive, which in turn may give them insight into the negative, leading to a positive change. Interventions: The intervention that resonated with me in this model is that solution building is the goal, and as the family changes the language that shapes how they think about the problem, they change the language that shapes how they think about the solution. This model does not put too much emphasis on what is missing and that which causes woe for the family, but what is positive and present and that which can lead to a healthier relationship amongst the family members. From my viewpoint, there are quite a few similarities between SFT and the interventions used in the Adlerian model that resonate with me personally and I will use as part of my interventions in the future. For example, asking each member the ‘miracle question’ such as â€Å"if one night you were sleeping and a miracle happened and fixed this (the presenting problem) problem, what would that look like? As it is the goal from the Adlerian perspective, the key with this question from the SFT perspective is not to immediately â€Å"find the cure†, but rather to refocus their attention on the elements they need to construct a new and positive story of how their life is going to be. I also like the intervention in this theory that rather than summing up wha t the therapist thinks the client is saying, the therapist asks questions to focus and direct the client's thinking and view; which in turn gives the other family members a chance to listen and understand where the family member is coming from as well. The solution may not even look like it will fit or resolve the problem, however a small enough change will nudge the system in a different direction and that may be all that is needed for the family to move towards a positive change. Integrative Behavioral Therapy Theory: Integrative Behavioral Therapy (IBT) is a newer model based on traditional models of behavioral couples therapy. In this particular model, one of the goals of therapy is to help the couple understand that some problems can be resolved by compromise, but realistically some likely can not. Also, the aim for this model is to help the couple see that it is not the incompatibilities, but the rigid, negative, and excessive emotional responses that can develop from these unresolved issues that creates the problems and misunderstandings between them. I do believe the models of this theory because it is helping the couple realize that talking about how they feel and think about problems sometimes is necessary before they go on to accept them. Also, I like the approach of the theory that most partners can learn ways to alter the negative emotional responses they have to problems, responses that make them, as well as their partners, unhappy. However, on the other hand, this theory tends to have an optimistic approach that most partners can learn new ways to resolve relational problems, but realistically human behavior is not as easy to change as this theory predicts it can. Role of the Therapist: I can see myself using parts of this theoretical model for the following reasons. I think this model has somewhat of a no-nonsense approach and suggests that simply talking about how one feels and thinks about a problem is not very helpful; rather, teaching the couple to do something about it is what can really help them. However, for the partners to learn ways to break bad patterns of behavior that cause problems in their relationship, as this model suggests, is easier said than done in some relationships. As this model suggests, most partners can learn new ways to compromise and resolve problems, making each other happier, it is a concept that may be quite challenging for couples to put into practice outside of the therapeutic setting, where they have the therapist to play the role of the coach in their relationship. Therefore, as much as I love the idea of a couple not only talking the talk, but walking the walk, this may be a struggle with most couples who are stagnant in their ways and thoughts, it would certainly take it’s time (as well as money) in putting this theory into practice. Interventions: While I could see the interventions in this model being a little easier to work with when working with an individual, it would be difficult with a couple because I would not only be dealing with one personality type, but two different one’s, sometimes very different. Further, at the end of therapy, it is hard to know if the couple will recover from their problems well enough to have a healthier relationship. Thus, not knowing that the initial improvements that the couple works on during therapy even appear to last as the couple goes onto being and making it on their own. The addition of a â€Å"communication skills† to this therapy may be able to help improve the lasting effect of treatment to some extent for the couple. Emotion-Focused Therapy Theory: The theoretical model of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) would be a good fit for me for the following reasons. The speaking and understanding of emotions is a huge part of any/every relationship, and this theory views both partners as lacking in some skills in misunderstanding such emotions; men need to expand their emotional repertoire and women need to feel powerful enough to express their needs. Also, validation of one’s feelings, i. . fear, sadness, hurt, anger, is an important part of growth, intimacy and understanding between a couple. It is when emotions are not heard or misunderstood that couple’s begin holding grudges and the relationship undoubtedly suffers. That is why this model of therapy is so important, is because it focuses on an individuals emotions, which is one of the most salient parts of change in human behavior, in turn validating the partners' emotions and attachment needs, responding genuinely to the partners individually, and try to stir the two partners' own ability to heal themselves and their relationship. In my opinion, EFT is humanistic based, and believes the couple can heal itself. This way, I as the therapist should not be doing more work than the couple, rather leading them in a direction that does not shows a patriarchal pathologization of connection and attachment (women's ways of relating), and idealization of separation and individuation (men's ways of relating). Role of the Therapist: I would be comfortable using this theoretical model in the future for the following reasons. I believe that in this model the therapy session is used as a healing time where a corrective emotional experience between partners happens, and it is that process that leads to the method of therapeutic change. EFT has the unique factors of seeing change in therapy where there is focus on the partners emotions, in turn leading the therapist to empower the clients. When used in a clinical setting, I believe I would benefit from using this model because I would be able to help my clients understand that when one partner expresses their underlying feelings, the other should change their perceptions in an understanding way after hearing their feelings. Also, with this model I would be able to teach my clients to learn to understand their underlying emotions and to productively express their emotional needs to their partner. Foremost, pointing out to my clients that they both need to take responsibility for their emotional needs and to be able to receive validation from the other partner for those needs. Being from a South-East Asian background, I have noticed that I am pulled towards therapy models that are culturally sensitive. EFT is culturally sensitive as universal emotions between the couple are examined, but placed in a personal cultural context. For example, shame is universal, but shame takes on an additional role in the Pakistani culture. Anger is universal, but often takes different forms when men and women express it. Responsibility is universal, but what's â€Å"a man's responsibility† and â€Å"a woman's responsibility† is determined but the culture's views of marriage. Interventions: One of the interventions in this model that resonated with me is that I, as the therapist, have to seek out vulnerable emotions in my clients, and very slowly build the awareness of them, an example can be of moving from â€Å"uncomfortable† to â€Å"upset† to â€Å"hurt† eventually. On the other hand, this may be difficult to do in some clients with a South-East Asian and/or Asian and/or Middle Eastern descent because most individuals from that region find it difficult to face their emotions or being vulnerable in front of a ‘stranger’ (the therapist) because of cultural upbringing. Hence, it may be a challenging concept to bring into practice when dealing with population from the East because most people from that part of the world are raised and taught to conceal their emotions and not expose them to show one’s vulnerability, which in turn means being a failure for individuals. This means, I as the therapist will probably need to take more time building a relationship alliance with my clients so we can make use of the valuable interventions that this model provides. Another salient part of this model I can see myself using in practice is when I am uncovering the â€Å"primary† or underlying emotions, I notice the language the partners use. For instance, the partner's may say things like â€Å"I feel like I'm drowning,† it may seem dramatic, but it captures an intense, painful, and powerful emotional experience of the individual. I can point out to my clients that the â€Å"secondary† emotions of anger and resentment are far easier to show and talk about which many couples end up doing.

A Person Who Has Made a Great Impact on My Life

Sometimes we come across a person who changes our whole perspective of life for better. Last summer I met Uncle Joe. My parents sent me to my uncle on holidays. I was supposed to spend my whole summer holidays with him and his family. That was the first time we have been introduced to each other. At first, I thought that it was going to be my worst holiday ever. I felt embarrassed of living with people I hardly knew and wanted to return home but days passed and I got to know my uncle better. Everyday, we used to wake up early in the morning and go for fishing.We packed our bags with provision and went to the river. He taught me how to fish and then we sat together for hours, fishing. While fishing, he used to tell a lot of interesting stories based on his own life experience. He told me stories about his student life, about his career, and about life in general. Once he asked me what I want to become and what I want to achieve in my life. I did not know what to answer  and never th ought about it before. He told me that I should  decide wisely  so that in the end I would not regret about anything I have done. I  told him  that I don't know what I want to do.Then he advised that I should do only what  I am interested in. I remember his words, he said, â€Å"Don't care about money or prestige of your occupation. Just do what you really love. † I started to list down the things which I really love and began writing them in my diary. The whole summer I spent exploring myself and finally deciding that I want to connect my future with physics and architecture. Therefore, I came to conclusion that I should study civil engineering. But this is not all what my uncle has helped me with. He also told me that I should be determined and persistent in achieving my goals.He often said that resolute determination is the truest wisdom. However, I think the most important lesson I got from my uncle is to see only positive side in any occasion. One day, we did n ot catch any fish and went home with empty hands. I looked at my uncle and noticed that he was smiling. I wondered why he was smiling as I did not see any reason to be happy. Then he said exuberantly, â€Å"We didn't catch any fish, but we had a great time. I don't see any reasons to be unhappy. † I admire his attitude. He is always grateful to everything he has and is truly happy.Uncle Joe is the person who has made an impact on my life. After that holiday, I changed my lifestyle and attitude. I used to spend a lot of time in front of my computer, playing games and surfing the net. Now, I spend more time studying, playing basketball and going out with my friends. I learned a lot of things which were new to me. I became more serious, optimistic and mature. During the time I spent with him, I also learned that no matter how smart I am or how much I know, there is always more to learn or experience. I'm grateful to him that he has helped me to find out who I am and what I want.

Harley Davidson Financial and Strategic Analysis Review

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (Harley-Davidson) is one of the leading manufacturers of heavyweight motorcycles in the world. Harley-Davidson is the parent company of the group of companies including Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS). The company offers more than 30 models of touring and custom Harleys through a worldwide network of more than 1,600dealers,spreadacrosssixcontinents. Harley-Davidson provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs principally to its dealers and customers.SWOT AnalysisShare DataHarley-Davidson, Inc., Share Data Price (USD) as on 01-Aug-201241.67 EPS (USD)2.33 Book value per share (USD)10.50 Shares Outstanding (in million)234.92 Source : GlobalDataPerformance Chart Harley-Davidson, Inc., Performance Chart (2007 – 2011) Financial Performance The company reported revenues of (U.S. Dollars) USD 5,311.71 million during the fiscal year ended December 2011, an increase of 9.31% over 2010. The operati ng profit of the company was USD 829.97 million during the fiscal year 2011, an increase of 74.59% over 2010. The net profit of the company was USD 599.11 million during the fiscal year 2011, an increase of 308.83% over 2010.Source : GlobalDataHarley-Davidson, Inc. – SWOT AnalysisSWOT Analysis – Overview Harley-Davidson, Inc. (Harley-Davidson) designs, manufactures, and sells heavyweight motorcycles. The company markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. The company’s strong brand image, coupled with its wide range of products, helps it to be a front-runner in the industry. However, dependence on the domestic market and product issues are a few areas of concern to the company. Nonetheless, expansion in global markets, especially Asian markets, and launch of new models could ensure a strong future for the company. New emission standards for two wheelers and  the prevailing competition could negatively impact the companyâ€⠄¢s growth.Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Strengths Strength – Strong Brand Image Harley-Davidson owns one of the strongest brands in the world, which helps it attract and retain a loyal customer base. The company established a strong brand image with its motorcycles achieving iconic status and being ranked among the world’s most valuable brands. Harley-Davidson has been continuously ranked among the top 100 global brands in the world. The company holds 55.7% share in the US heavyweight market; and is ranked #1 or #2 in the heavyweight motorcycle market share in nine countries across Europe.Harley-Davidson’s motorcycles are known for their traditional styling, design simplicity, durability and quality. The company achieved industry recognition for its high quality, best design, robust performance and unflinching customer confidence, loyalty and trust of its products and services. The Harley-Davidson brand has significantly contributed to the success of the compa ny by building strong market recognition and a loyal customer base.Strength – Broad Product and Service Portfolio Harley-Davidson offers a broad array of products and services through its two business segments, namely, the Motorcycles & Related Products segment and the Financial Services segment. The company offers a variety of products in the motorcycle segment to cater to the various needs of its customer base. Harley-Davidson designs, manufactures and sells heavyweight touring, custom and performance motorcycles, besides a line of motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise and related services.Harley-Davidson is well known for its unique motorcycles. Its subsidiary, Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC), manufactures five families of motorcycles, namely, Touring, Dyna, Softail, Sportster and V-Rod. These models are distinguished by their frame, engine, suspension, and other characteristics. The company shipped 233,117 motorcycles in the fiscal year ended December 20 11, comprising 39.5% Touring motorcycle units, 39.2% Custom motorcycle units, and 21.3% Sportster motorcycle units.Through Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS), the company offers a package of wholesale and retail financial services for its products, providing it a competitive edge in the motorcycles business in the US and Canada regions. HDFS financed 51% and 30.4% of the new Harley-Davidson motorcycles retailed by independent dealers in the US and Canada respectively in 2011. HDFS provides wholesale financial services to Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealers, including floor plan and open account financing of motorcycles and motorcycle parts and accessories. These specific services provide a competitive edge to the company in capturing a higher market share and enhancing its bottom line.Strength – Focused Research and Development Activities Harley-Davidson has a strong research and development unit that facilitates innovation and attracts industry attention. Its Product D evelopment Center (PDC) undertakes the development of new and better quality products. The company spent $145.4m, $136.2m, $143.1m and $163.5m in the fiscal years ended December 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 respectively on research and development activities.Harley-Davidson’s continuous focus on R&D helped the company in launching innovative products such as Softail motorcycles with 1584 cc engine with new features such as new hand controls, a larger odometer, and an anti-lock braking system option. Continuous research and development activity enables the company to maintain a leading position in custom and touring motorcycle market and develop products for the performance segment. Focused R&D activities enable the company to offer innovative products and improve its operational performance.Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Weaknesses Weakness – Product Recalls/Issues Product recalls/issues not only affects the company’s current revenue, but could also affect its long -term performance by reducing customer confidence. In February 2012, Harley-Davidson launched a repair service campaign to fix faulty brakes in about 1,228 units of 12 models, including the Road King and the Electra Glide Ultra Classic.In October 2011, the company initiated a world-wide recall affecting over 308,000 units of its Touring, CVO Touring and Trike motorbikes. The company made this recall owing to a potentially  dangerous glitch with their braking systems, where in the problem with a switch on the bikes could cause the brake lights to stop working, or may even cause the rear brakes to fail. Such recalls would hamper Harley-Davidson’s brand image and have a significant impact on its product sales.

Insurance Law - Insurable Interest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Insurance Law - Insurable Interest - Essay Example Before insurance companies came up with regulations regarding issuance of policies people would take life policies on other people, and if the insured was to surpass the expected life expectancy, some insurers tended to â€Å"help them along† so as to get their claims. This presented moral hazards and created to need to come up with insurable interests. Analysis In property insurance when a policy is to be taken, insurance companies ensure that insurable interest is shown to the property. In a case where no loss was incurred, then the insurer is not paid anything (Evans 1912). Insurable interest also serves to reduce intentional losses and damage, before this was enforced, people used to take out policies on property and intentionally destroy the property so as to get the claim, but with insurable interest when the insurer has taken a policy on a property that they have an interest in, they are less likely to intentionally cause damage to it. This serves to significantly reduc e the number of bogus claims. The issue of valuation also arises, being that some policies will only pay of the value of the property even with insurable interest; the valuation question is still unresolved and highly controversial. The main difference in the application of insurable interest in property insurance and life insurance is that, when it comes to property, it proves essential. For example, if an insurance policy of 100.000 is taken on a house, at a premium of 300 per year. If the insurer doesn’t lose anything if the house is destroyed, then the insurer will be betting 300 every year that something happens to the house. Insurance policies should not be incentive for people to destroy property, just to claim. Non indemnity insurance, valued insurance, is when the policy holder is entitled to a certain amount if the insured property is damaged. If insured against fire, even if the fire does not do as much damage, the insurance still pays the claim. The contrast comes is life insurance where the insurance should change the insurable interest policy and change it with, the right to give consent, although this might be a bit complex, as in the example of someone who takes life insurance and sells it, as seen if the case of Arthur Kramer who took a life insurance policy of 56 million dollars and sold it to investors. When he died, his family could not claim anything, this led to long court battle for ownership. Life insurance, which engulfs other aspects as critical illnesses or accident, may be taken by a person on themselves for any amount. The law also allows one to take out a policy on a spouse or civil partner recognized by law (Dobbyn 2003). It does not however cater for natural affection or cohabitants. Therefore the law requires that for one to take a life insurance policy on another there must be reasonable interest, but this begs the question, how much interest? And how does one get to measure this? It comes down to the degree, which crea tes ambiguity. Although the law permits the insurance of a spouse, it does not have further specifications like, if the spouse is abusive, or is abused, should the allow for giving of consent. The law also holds that if you have pecuniary interest in a person you can take a life policy on them, for example business partner because the law will likely permit this, but then the business might fall, or a fallout occurs. Then there will be no more interest

Digital Digest of Mexican Art in the News Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Digital Digest of Mexican Art in the News - Essay Example One of the works of art that still being admired in today’s era is the Nativity Group with Angel of the 18th Century Guatemalan. This piece of art describes the era of crucifixion and shows the mother of Christ, Mary and his father Joseph. They are clothed in silk robes which signify a touch of the Asian fashion. This drawing depicts the Virgin Mary as in the face of a Hispano-Philippine. This is deduced from the eyes being heavy-lidded and the oval face that is braced with pure countenance. The drawing also depicts the usual culture of the silk from the Chinese that is attained through the Galleon trade. The design that was generated by the workshops that created the Guatemalan sculptures maintained a constant style over the years. The paint also demonstrates the influence of Guatemalan estofado through the use of gold textiles and silk that was lavish. This was achieved through a unique form of painting that had more freedom to try out different styles enables variety witnessed in the sculptures. They used a variety of patterns and the painting can therefore effectively be used to determine the setting that was intended to be expressed. This painting is of great value and is also describes the culture of Spanish American style. The portrait is put together with wood, polychrome and glided. It has eyes made of glass and halos that are silver-glint. Jose Manuel de Cervantes y Velasco is a portrait that dates to 1805. It is of a toddler and depicts him lying in a coffin that is lace-trimmed. This toddler is dressed just like the Archangel Michael with wings that are jewel studded and a crown that is plumed. Both of the above paintings, though from different artists are a depiction of culture and a window into historical beliefs. The Nativity group angel and the Jose Manuel de Cervantes y Velasco are portraits that were developed with great keenness to detail. The grace captured in the portraits is almost tangible at

Theories of knowledge and different purposes of the curriculum Essay

Theories of knowledge and different purposes of the curriculum - Essay Example Epistemology, the theory of knowledge, has traditionally competed for the primary role in philosophical inquiry. Sometimes epistemology has won, and sometimes metapysics, depending on the methodological and substantiative presuppositions of the philosopher. The epistemologist asks what we know. Some philosophers have begun with an account of the nature of reality and then appended a theory of knowledge to account for how we know that reality. Plato, for example, reached the metaphysical conclusion that abstract entities, or forms, such as triangularity or justice, are real and all else is mere appearance. He also held that the, real is knowable, and he inquired into how we might know this reality. Aristotle, on the contrary, held that individual substances, such as individual statues or animals, are real, and inquired as to how we might have knowledge, especially general knowledge, concerning these substances. It is hardly surprising that Plato and Aristotle produced vastly different theories of knowledge when they conceived of the objects of knowledge in such different ways. Their common approach, starting with metaphysics, we might refer to as metaphysical epistemology. Other philosophers, most notably Ren Descartes, turned tables on the metaphysical approach by insisting that we must first decide what we can know about what is real and must remain skeptical about what is real until we have discovered what we can know. It is refer as skeptical epistemology. However, there is also a problem with this approach. When one once enters the den of skepticism, an exit may be difficult to find. Seeking to discover what he knew by following the method of doubting all that he could, Descartes imagined a powerful demon bent on deceiving us and thus found demonic doubt. It remains controversial whether such doubt admits of relief by reason. It seems natural to begin with skepticism with the hope of discovering what we know and what we do not, but if we first pretend to total ignorance, we shall find no way to remove it. Moreover, we shall lack even the meager compensation of knowing that we ere ignorant, for that too is knowledge. To indicate the information sense of the word 'know' as being the one in question is quite different from analyzing the kind of knowledge we have picked out. What is an analysis of knowledge An analysis is always relative to some objective. It does not make any sense simply to demand the analysis of goodness, knowledge, beauty, or truth, without some indication of what purpose such an analysis is supposed to achieve. To demand the analysis of knowledge without specifying further what you hope to accomplish with it is like demanding blueprints without saying what you hope to build. Many philosophers have been interested in the task of analyzing the meaning of the word 'know' (A. J. Ayer 1955, 76). Indeed, many would argue that there is no need for philosophical analysis once we have a satisfactory analysis of the meaning of the term 'know'. This restrictive conception of philosophical analysis is sustained by a dilemma: either a theory of knowledge is a theory about the meaning of the word 'know' and semantically related epistemic terms, or it is a theory about how people come to know what they do. The latter is not part of philosophy

Child Abuse in California Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Child Abuse in California - Research Paper Example Generating greater level of awareness would contribute in encouraging their interests in participating in the research program. The use of the quota sampling method contributes in selecting respondents based on specific quotas from different groups as identified above (Black, 2011). Use of Quota Sampling contributes to the selection of respondents bearing like attributes, which in turn help in generation of related inferences in a speedy fashion. The Quota sampling method operates likewise to Stratified Random Sampling method in that it focuses on selection of respondents pertaining to different groups or strata sets. This feature makes the sample selection activity more scientific in nature thereby helping in generating greater benefits (Bajpai, 2009). The data analysis activity would be based on the use of quantitative techniques. For the ordinal data relating to Hypotheses 1 and 2 the use of pie charts, bar and line graphs would be used to depict the needed inferences. For analyzing the nominal data sets the use of Kruskal Wallis would be used for analyzing the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. It is used in cases where there is an existence of a nominal and measurement variable (Tracy,

As Project Management evolves a new set of issues is demanding Essay - 1

As Project Management evolves a new set of issues is demanding attention - Essay Example Consequently, complexity and drastic change build a high-risk environment wherein decision makers have little faith about the future. They view experiences through dense perspectives and base their decisions on guesswork and small measures of certainty (Lewis 2007). Making things more difficult is the aggressively competitive environment that has emerged with the introduction of the Internet and the spread of globalisation. This competitive environment has motivated a fascination with winning customers’ hearts and minds. In the contemporary business environment, customer satisfaction rests at the core of most business endeavour (Lewis 2007). This paper will explore the new business climate and their implications for project management. The traditional saying â€Å"the only constant is change† (Frame 2002: 26) ceases to be a witty oxymoron and is now a prevailing reality in contemporary business life. Untapped change is a primary determinant of project failure. Changes in markets, technology, regulations, budgets, and personnel motivate changes in project requirements and demands. Project personnel discover themselves operating in ‘rubber baselines’ (Frame 2002: 26). The abundance of alternatives is obvious in project management. For instance, there are several workable ‘scheduling software packages’ (Howes 2001: 13) being recommended by suppliers. How does an individual choose from such diversity? A great deal of the complexity of present projects is linked to the diversity of alternatives confronting all project actors, from customers to team members to project managers. These alternatives cover all project features. For instance, consider the alternatives related to the buying of a product or service (Howes 2001). Practically any product or service to be used on a project has a variety of suppliers or providers, each with its distinct qualities (Frame 2003). In

Perceptions of Online Learning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Perceptions of Online Learning - Research Paper Example ople who were interviewed fall between 17 and 25 years, and many of them are single.2 Since the majority of the students are -usually single and under the age bracket of 17-25, I conclude that the representativeness of the sample is fair since the majority of the surveyed students falls under these demographic characteristics. As shown in Table 2 (a), if the students were to take a fully online unit, the largest number of them agrees that email communication with the lecture would be the most helpful, while many of them disagree with the argument that online unit would be better for learning than class discussions. The extent to which students find different situations helpful are as ranked in table 2(a), starting with the least helpful to the most helpful (this is based on the mean). The standard deviation for the helpfulness of chat rooms if the highest, meaning that students strongly differ on this issues, while many of them share common opinion regarding the usefulness of power point slides (STD: 1.13657>0. 79434). As shown in Table 2 (b), the biggest number of students agrees that fully online units require reliable internet. On the other hand, the least number of the students declare that they are very interested to take fully online units, which is evidence that many students do not value/like online learning. Based on the standard deviation, very many students have divergent views regarding the fact that fully online learning leads to better visibility of course outline and study materials. However, many students share common view on the fact that many students may be unprepared by the overwhelming commitments required study fully online units (Std. Deviation is smallest at .81784). As shown in figure 3, the histogram is corn shaped due to lower standard deviation. Table 2(c) shows that the largest number of students agree that good support by lectures is very important when they are taking a fully online unit, while very few of them agree that guest

Importance of Organizational Culture in the work force Term Paper

Importance of Organizational Culture in the work force - Term Paper Example In an environment which is rapidly changing, organizations have started giving a serious thought on how to increase effectiveness within firms. In order to accomplish objectives and goals, organizations are evaluating ways and strategies both for internal and well as external management. Once goals are perfectly aligned with the vision of the company, addressing the cultural type of the organization is essential in order to advance these objectives and goals into actions. A well defined organizational culture also helps in ensuring that necessary changes are successfully implemented. An organization is a platform shared by individuals and teams who perform in a united way with the objective of earning profits for the company as well as the livelihood for them. The working style of each organization is unique and this often ends up contributing to the culture. The beliefs, principles, values and ideologies of an organization constitute its culture. A workplace culture controls employe e behavior within and outside the organization. The overall effectiveness of an organization can be determined through various indicators. Organizational orientation, employee satisfaction, organizational growth performance and organizational culture are few of them. As a result of its influence, organizational culture has started getting importance in business terms and is currently the one of the most analyzed subject for researchers and analysts. In the present study organizational culture will be studied with respect to its various dimensions. Few of the organizational behavior and cultural theories will be discussed in detail. This will helping the overall evaluation will be the base for strategy implementations for managers and business. Culture is known as a wide concept and the various elements differ according to the area of business. Thus, understanding its dimensions and purpose is important for proper implementation of organizational culture in any organization. Many of the success stories link performance with culture of the organization. Organizational culture can be referred as a pattern of shared beliefs and values demonstrated by company employees in their daily behaviors and activities. An organizational cu

Educational In Cambodia Essay Example for Free

Educational In Cambodia Essay Education is very important means to train and build up human resources for development of each country and it is also important for development of child as person. However, educational system in Cambodia has suffered too much during Khmer Rouge Regime from 1975 to 1979. After that period, the government has tried to improve it by cooperated and collaborated with external aid and non-governmental organization (NGOs). According to the Cambodian constitution, it states that â€Å"the state shall provide free primary and secondary education to all citizens in public school. Citizens shall receive education for at least seven years†. Nowadays, though the pupils have no pay the fee, they still have to spend money on other things such as stationery, textbooks, contribution fee etc. Moreover, some provinces students are asked to spent money to teacher for fee; this is the problem that prevent pupil from poor families from attending school. About a half a million Cambodian children from 6 to 11 years old have no access to school, then 50percent of those who entered grade one dropped out of school and had to repeat the class. Those problems are caused by video games, karaoke and the presence of brothel for the students in city, and for female pupils, they could not attend school because of many problems. First, parents are poor, so they cannot provide children to learn and sometime they need their children, especially the girls, to earn money to support the family. Second, the schools are located too far away from their house. Only boy can go to school at some distance from home because they have given accommodation in pagodas near the school. The last one is some parents do not understand about the important of education, so they do not allow their children to attend school. Moreover, the ministry of education has not provided adequate education for minority children. Many children cannot access to school, and there is no provision for schooling in minority languages except for classes provided by private ethic associations. Even though some organizations co-operated with government to provide school for those, this effort is not yet enough. Then, the quality of education in Cambodia is very poor, especially in remote area such as Kompongthom, Kompongcham, Ratanakiri province and so on.

Response to a Staging of Jack Heifner’s “Vanities” Essay Example for Free

Response to a Staging of Jack Heifner’s â€Å"Vanities† Essay I considered the performance an enjoyable one. In other words, I commend the actors and the whole production for doing well. The closeness of Heifner’s masterpiece is really close to what it happening in reality. On the part of the actors, I noticed that the actors were a little nervous during the beginning. They appeared to be a little tensed. But as the play progressed, the actors seemed to be getting into momentum. This made the actors â€Å"initially† guilty of being actors on and off stage. It would be helpful to the actors if they would put into practice what Hagen said about the beginning â€Å"be in character while waiting to go on† (Hagen 97-100). This would give them a headstart so everything flows smoothly. Kathy’s monologue was good. It seemed like the actor had rehearsed it a lot. Although, Hagen might have a problem with that because the audience could see that she practiced it, meaning the audience could see an act she did in real life which was rehearsing. As Hagen puts it â€Å"it’s a monologue if you are alone talking to yourself, if you talk to the audience, it’s a duologue. † (120) Well, Nobody is perfect and criticism promotes growth so I might as well say it. Something seemed to be lacking in some portions of the play. As if the acting was fluctuating at times. Maybe this is because the actors did not genuinely experienced being a cheerleader or a teacher. But I must give it to them for they had managed to constrain their true selves from acting like the people they are off stage. It should be considered that the actors are still young and have much to learn. After all, even oscar winners would find it challenging to follow all of Uta Hagen’s acting tips. Work Cited Hagen, Uta. Respect for Acting. NY: Wiley Publishing Inc. 1973

Risk Management Plan in Healthcare

Risk Management Plan in Healthcare Cyrill Hannah A. de Leon Introduction Risk Management is known as the process and system of distinguishing risks, assessing risks and planning approaches to regulate risks. In this growing business industry, risk management plan and business core analyses are essential and integral parts of a business plan. Each company or organisation must be aware of the possible potential risks that may arise within the organisation for it to be prepared if ever an unavoidable problem occurs and discover ways to reduce the effects if ever such problem takes place. There are different types of risks from one business to another. Risk Management plan follows a systematic process. It must describe the strategies of dealing the risks that is particular to the business. Risk Management is essential in scheming, observing and reducing unfortunate events that will impact the business. Each organisation has its own risk management. Healthcare Risk Management provides its own standards in delivering quality healthcare, ensuring patient safety and avoiding unfortunate consequences thus, carrying effective, efficient, and high quality patient care to clients. The Purpose of Risk Management within an Enterprise. Risk Management is very essential in determining the possible problems that may arise in each organisation and for it to be equipped with risk precautions in order to manage and tolerate adverse effects. Quality management has always been important when we speak of the service division. This is specifically true with healthcare. In a healthcare setting, there are numerous risks that are prevalent like risk among the staff, risk among the patients or even risk among the entire organisation. Thus, it is very important for each organisation to have risk managers who will assess, monitor and respond to each risk to minimize exposure of risks that may be a threat to the organisation. As a healthcare provider, our main concern is the safety of our patients. In order for us to deliver the best quality healthcare to our clients, healthcare professionals specifically health care managers must work reactively and proactively to minimize any damage that may occur in the future or prevent any ma lpractice. (The University of Scranton, 2014) The Benefits of Risk Management within an Enterprise Development and implementing of Risk Management is relative in each organisation. It is a continuous process that transpires not only in the beginning but all throughout the entire process itself. The benefits of Risk Management includes: (Grow Indiana Media Ventures (LLC), 2014) Awareness of Risks With the help of risk management process, the organization may be able to assess and identify the potential risks that may occur within the enterprise. In this way, managers may be able to weigh the severity of the risk and provide measures to solve the problem. It is the responsibility of those in higher positions or the enterprise managers to allocate time to it’s staff to let them be aware of the hazardous risks and the corresponding approach. Reduction of Financial Risk Every company’s aim is to gain profit. It is the prerogative of each company to develop risk management plan to evaluate the risk that may affect the market, operational services and other related circumstances. Risk management will also help to better manage the costs and the visibility of risks to the economic condition. It will also aid in the management of financial stability of the company thus avoiding any chance financial instability or worst, bankruptcy. Improved Attention and Communication of Risk This provides a standardised context of risks for all the members within an organization. It is very important that each organization should communicate among every department regarding the status of the company and communicate up from the senior management down to its labor workers regarding risk information within the operations of the company and discuss insights on how to properly manage risks to develop an effective approach to minimize risks. Avoid Future Problems Risk management will enable the company to foresee the possible glitches that may occur in the company. With the aid of risk management, every company will be prepared on how to face these problems and minimizing or reducing financial costs. With this awareness, proper management will be implemented and it’s objective in controlling risks will be observed. Risk management enables to reduce or eliminate financial risk through a cost effective approach and proper intervention with the execution of a contingency plan that will aid in reducing risks that the company shall face. Risk Management Components in relation to the overall role of the Risk Management. Reviewing of Activities and Internal Environment In this evolving world, the healthcare industry faces a number of issues regarding the reform of healthcare. Risk management in the field of healthcare is very important in achieving its goals and objectives and constructing plans in delivering quality healthcare to its clients. Risks in the internal environment of a healthcare institution is observed where standards should be observed in order to ensure the safety of the clients and to avoid jeopardizing their welfare. Risk Management in healthcare organizations focuses on patient safety and ensuring that clients receive the effective and efficient quality healthcare. The following are the risks in the internal environment of a healthcare industry: Machines/Equipments There are certain healthcare facilities that lack equipment or machines due to lack of resources or funds or due to unavailability because of certain damage or defect. The use of defective diagnostic machines may produce unreliable reults. This may jeopardize the treatment process of clients like for example, a patient with pneumonia may need to have an chest xray examination. If the xray machine would be unavailable or is damaged, the treatment process of the client may be delayed due to the inaccessibility of the diagnostics that will support the diagnosis of the disease. Staffing of Personnel In as much as each healthcare provider would like to give the best quality healthcare to it’s clients, it’s is unavoidable that the workplace will be understaffed or overstaffing. But among the two, understaffing would likely affect the services that will be rendered to the clients. Whenever there is a lack of manpower, services are usually hampered and clients may most likely not receive suffer. The hiring of unskilled staff may also jeopardize the safety of clients. It’s the responsibility of the human resource department to properly screen newly hired personnel and provide them with basic training whenever someone will be hired in the company in order to ensure that they provide the best quality care that each client deserve. There are also incidents wherein services may be hampered due to absences of staff from work. Setting objectives Setting objectives for Risk Management: The first step regarding risk management is Risk assessment. Risk assessment should be recorded, systematic and reviewed regularly. In this step, management committee will identify the potential risks that the company will be facing then manage the major risks that will arise. Identifying the risk whether it will just be a minor or major threat to the organisation. Determine what might happen when this potential risk will be observed in the organisation Analyse the level of the risk whether it will just be a minor or better yet a major issue and reviewing the controls into the system and the possible likelihood or the consequences that may occur when the risk will be observed. Evaluate the severity of the risk and then rank the risks. Communication within the organisation is very important because this will give awareness to the people and will enable them to discuss further what are the possible ways of minimizing the risk within the organisation Treat the risks by identifying the options, selecting the best responses, developing risk treatment plans and implementing them within the organisation. In this way, it will give them the assessment whether goals have been met. Event identification There are internal or external events that may affect the risk management plan or strategies. In the healthcare setting, an example of an internal event that may affect the organisation is technical risk. If I will relate it to the healthcare, almost all hospitals use the patient information system in supporting the patient care process through computer based patient records, patient care systems and patient classification systems. This system provides the necessary details in order to properly manage clients according to their specific needs. If for instance there will come a time that the software may fail, this will surely affect the entire organisation. It may affect the function of the organisation in keeping track of the record of the patient. Thus, it is very important that each organisation should not only be reliable to software programs. They must also keep hard copies of each patient record to serve as standby file of their records. In this way, patient care may not be jeo pardized. In the external events, there are uncontrollable situations or events that occur outside the organisation causing a great impact like natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, fire. These events may affect the organisation in such manner that there will be a great possibility that the staff may not be able to work and the company will suffer because it will lack manpower thus, production may be put risk and profit will be minimized. Risk assessment with particular reference to the impact and likelihood of risk Each organisation follows its own policies and regulations. Orientation of the staff is very important to decrease the likelihood of risk. For example in a healthcare setting, the administration should orient its staff for them to be aware of the policies within the organisation or better yet provide them with seminars, programs and trainings from time to time that will help them increase their knowledge, let them be aware of the up to date changes in the management and let them be equipped with the desired skills in case potential threat may arise in the company. Risk response plans Many organisations implement risk response plans that will help them avoid or control potential threats and apply the necessary risk management controls to a specific organisation. There are different ways on how to respond to specific risks. Few of the following are: Recognition In case of occurrence of any risk, each organisation must be able to accept and recognize the problem. With this, the team will be able to develop proper management plans in order to regulate risks. Control There are always risks in every organization. We know for a fact that it is unavoidable but with mitigation, this will reduce the probability and impact of risk in the organisation by taking some measures by the time the company faces the risk. For instance, companies may organize seminars that will help the team develop project management plans. Prevention In this, risk is eliminated by developing strategies even before the company will face the risk. This will also help in preventing major damage to the organisation. Risk Management strategies identifies external threats along with strategies that will aid in addressing each problem. Control activities Risk Control is the method by which the organisation evaluates the potential losses and takes the necessary action to reduce or eliminate the threat. It involves the implementation of standards and policies and managing procedural changes. Controlling risk management is the solution in maximizing profits in the business. Developing control activities will help in decreasing the risk of business failure and for the accomplishment of goals and objectives. Control activities that will decrease the likelihood of risk includes supervision of the team by the senior management in taking precautions in case a threat may be predisposed in the company. Reporting will also help in keeping the team updated on the latest strategies that will be useful in controlling the risk in the organisation. Information and communication Information and Communication should be observed within the organisation to help the team keep posted on what are the precautions that should be observed in case the company faces a threat. The top management plays a very influential role in the dissemination of information in the enterprise. It is the obligation of the top management to relay the necessary information down to the different departments of the organisation. Communication serves as a foundation in planning, organizing, motivating each team. It can be through verbal or written form such as memorandums, emails or forms. Communication and relaying of information is necessary in moulding the reputation of the organization. Correct dissemination of information within the organization will prompt customers to be loyal with the company and promote or boost the organization’s image and to its customers. Monitoring Monitoring is the process of implementing risk plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project. Regular monitoring enables the management to keep track of the risks and to foresee circumstances making the implementations effective and analysing the results of the plans. This includes the continual measurement and monitoring of risk environment and the performance of risk management strategies. Conclusion Risk management is important in an organisation because without it, a firm cannot possibly define its objectives for the future. If a company defines objectives without taking the risks into consideration, chances are that they will lose direction once any of these risks hit the organisation. Risk management is very essential in each organisation because it will help in preventing loss or even damage to the institution. The risk management plan should propose applicable and effective security controls for managing the risks. REFERENCES Grow Indiana Media Ventures (LLC). (2014). Benefits of Enterprise Risk Management. Retrieved from http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/contributors.asp?id=2148 The University of Scranton. (2014). The purpose of Risk Management in Healthcare. Retrieved from http://elearning.scranton.edu/resource/health-human-services/purpose-of-risk-management-in-healthcare Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI). (2009). Healthcare Risk Control. Retrieved from https://www.ecri.org/documents/secure/risk_quality_patient_safety.pdf

Fact Sheet on Imperial Russia in 1914 :: Russian History

Landforms †¢ the European side is mostly flat plains †¢ the Ural Mountain and several large rivers (Volga, Ob, Yenisey, Lena) run in a south-north direction †¢ much of the Asian side (west of the Ural) is in the tundra zone †¢ high mountain ranges along the Mongolian border and in the far east of the country Climate †¢ the largest country in the world. †¢ extreme temperate conditions: temperatures below freezing for several months, although it can get very hot in the summer †¢ most of the ports freeze in wintertime, living the country with only limited year-round access to important sea routes Resources †¢ rich soil and grazing land in most places in the European side †¢ coal and iron accessible in the European part †¢ huge mineral wealth in the Asian part (gold, diamond, oil, iron and heavy metals, etc.) – hard to access People †¢ population is about 174 million, the second largest in the world after China, with a 50% population rise between 1860 and 1914 †¢ about four fifth of the population lived in the European part, †¢ about 80% of them peasants, had been owning small pieces of land since 1861 †¢ the Tsar, Nicholas the II, was an autocratic ruler †¢ most of the population lived in poverty. †¢ most of the land was owned by the church and a few noble families, the nobility accounting for 1% of the population owned 25% of the land †¢ poor education system, only a selected few could read and write †¢ disease and starvation was common †¢ only 40% of the people are Russian-speaking Comment Russia, the world’s largest country, covered one sixth of the planet’s total landmass (Warnes, 1999), excluding Antarctica. The country had a huge wealth of resources, most located in hardly accessible or completely inaccessible parts of Siberia. The European coal and iron mines supported and increasingly powerful iron industry. The Trans-Siberian Railway completed in 1904 did not make mining of these resources much easier. The roads in Siberia were muddy and impassable for most of the summer season. The flooding rivers made east-west travels and transportation very difficult. Most routes were open only in the winter, when the harsh conditions made movement of people and goods tough. As a result, the country could not enjoy the benefits of the available mineral resources. Although home to the world’s second largest population, the 174 million people were not united. Only 40% belonged to the â€Å"motherland†, the rest was made up almost 20 different other nationalities and several other smaller groups. Most people lived below the standards of other European nations.

Effects of Atmospheric Instability on the Anthrosphere :: Geology

EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY ON THE ANTHROSPHERE INTRODUCTION The atmosphere rises to 500 km above Earth's surface. The atmosphere is divided into four parts based on temperature change in relation to change in altitude. The four parts are the: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere. This paper will be discussing instability in the Troposphere, the lowest level, since it is where the Earth's weather takes place. Tropospheric instability often times yields severe weather, such as tornadoes. A Tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendent from a cumulonimbus cloud. A tornado's fierce winds have the ability to severely impact the lives of humans by: turning innocent stationary objects into flying missiles, collapsing buildings, and even throwing people hundreds of yards. One researcher summarized tornadoes well when he said "Tornadoes are one of the World's strongest forces, and they will not stop at anything that will get in their way!"(Elias Demakes). FORMATION OF SEVERE WEATHER HOW: Atmospheric instability is the result of air rising in a cloud that is warmer than its surroundings. The heat released by the condensation within the cloud allows the rising air to maintain its relative warmth in comparison to its surroundings. This is characteristic of a supercell, the strongest type of thunderstorm (Supercell). Supercells occur when the warm updraft moves through an overlying stable layer and continues upward into a zone of cool dry air. This process produces fierce vortex motions, a pre-requisite for tornadoes. WHERE: Tornadoes can occur anywhere as long as the conditions are favorable. However, the United States is host to more tornadoes than any other country. And within the United States, geographically, the western plains has the highest frequency of tornado occurences. The western plains has so many that it has become known as "Tornado Valley". One reason that this area receives so much tornadic activity is because here, the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico converges with the cool dry air from the north. This creates the unstable atmosphere necessary for the formation of a tornado. WHEN: Tornadoes can occur on any day of the year at any hour. However, tornadoes occur most frequently in the spring.

Placebos: Can a Sugar Pill Cure? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Placebos: Can a Sugar Pill Cure? Placebo: the word is Latin for "I will please." Originally it started the Vespers for the dead, often sung by hired mourners, and eventually "to sing placebos" came to mean to flatter or placate (1). Later, the term was used for any kind of quack medicine. Today, it is a medicine that has no value in itself, but improves a patient's condition because the patient believes it to be potent. Belief in a swallowed sugar pill or saline injection has been shown to produce real reactions. 80% of patients given sugar water and told it is an emetic respond by vomiting (1). People often show an allergic response to something they believe they are allergic to, even if it is only plastic flowers. Does this strong reaction hold true for more serious medical conditions, then? There are three explanations as to why placebos may work. The first, called the opoid model, says that the positive response is a result of endorphins released in response to swallowing a pill, etc. The second is the conditioning model, which holds that the important factor is not the medicine, but contact with a medical professional. Because patients are used to getting better after they go into a doctor's office and talk to someone in a white coat, they are psychologically conditioned to get better after contact with the medical environment. The last is the expectancy model, in which patients improve because they expect the placebo to have a certain effect. There are even more arguments, though, as to how the placebo effect has been exaggerated or fabricated. Some studies include additional treatment along with the medication, sosimply being in a study may produce results (1). Some studies on placebos often show similar rates of success for a drug and a placebo, but do not include a control in which no treatment is used. In such studies, it is impossible to tell what improvement was actually due to the placebo and what would have happened anyway (3). Patients may also tend to report improvement because they think this is what is expected. This is especially true with poorly designed response forms with more options for improvement than worsening. Many illnesses, like colds, improve by themselves given time. Others, like depression and chronic pain, fluctuate. Thus improvement in these types of illness might well have happened without any medicine or placebo.

How Society Shapes Your Decision for College

Peter Berger refers to the sociological perspective as seeing the general in the particular, meaning sociology helps one see the general patterns in particular people. Well we all know that society can affect our choices in life, whether it be the jeans you buy, the food you eat or the path you choose for your future, society always has a say in it even if it isn't welcomed. My choice to go to college wasn't much of a choice, as far back as I can remember my parents and teachers alike were constantly grooming me for exams and tests and everything I would need to get accepted into and succeed at whatever higher institution I chose. Not that this was a bad thing at all, I'm more than grateful for all of it considering without it I would not be where I am today. The point is, society embeds in your mind that the only way to be successful in todays business world is to go to college, get a degree, and then search for a desk to sit behind for the greater part of the remainder of your life. If that wasn't encouragement enough to keep my grades high and my sights set even higher, looking around at the other students at my school certainly did it for me. I told myself that I would not allow myself to slip and fall into the pattern that all the others around me had or soon would. I was bound and determined to get out of that school, out of my hometown, and away from any negative people or negative energy those people might be harboring. So the easy part was done, my choice had been made, but now the big question: What university do I choose? Being from a middle income family in Texas I knew I wasn't going to attend any Ivy League Institution, but I still wanted to go to an amazing University without bankrupting my parents of course. When I looked at my parents, along with other parents who were equally successful in their careers I noticed they had all gone to Big 12 schools. Again, keeping my parents bank accounts in mind I decided it would be the wisest decision to choose a Big 12 University that was still in Texas to avoid the $30,000 + fee for out of state tuition. Based on my major and who had accepted me so far I had it narrowed down to my top three universities; Texas A&M, University of Texas, and good ol' Texas Tech University. The deciding factor was that Texas Tech and the University of Texas were the only two schools with their own college of communication, but Texas Tech came out on top as the only University in Texas that offered advertising as its own major in its own college. It also didn't hurt that all the people I had grown to dislike from my hometown, if they were even graduating, were going on to UT or A&M, so the fact that Texas Tech was ten hours away from home was just the cherry on top.

Criminal Justice Process Essay

Generally speaking, the concept of the legal system can often seem very complex, confusing, and intimidating. However, to assist in comprehending the system, the state of Kansas has defined a sequence of events in processing criminal cases where each action encompasses a specific function. Whether it is the police officer who investigates the crime, the prosecutor who must gather the facts for action, the defendant who must obtain a lawyer and prove their case, or the judge and jury who determine the fate of the offender; having a basic understanding of the law is imperative in protecting individual rights. Within this paper I will discuss the Kansas state criminal justice process and the multifaceted decisions that ensure justice is provided to all. Although the Kansas criminal law process is disclosed, it still may be difficult for an individual to navigate through the system alone. Therefore, once a person is taken into custody, he/she should immediately seek counsel to assist in the legal process. The first step in the criminal process is the investigation by law enforcement before an arrest is made. Moreover, an investigation of a said crime may be initiated in many ways. For instance, it could be as simple as an officer who witnesses a vehicle speeding or something that requires a more collective effort such as a 911 call from a bystander. An officer may speak to only one person or it may involve multiple witnesses being interviewed where evidence may be gathered over time. If an officer believes that there is enough evidence of a crime, he/she can try to obtain a search warrant. This process includes a judge who will review the information and approve/disapprove the warrant based on probable cause. Probable cause, as it applies to a search, is the facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that evidence is in a particular place (Wright, 2013). After law enforcement has conducted their investigation, a criminal arrest will transpire. A person may or may not be aware that they will be taken into custody, but in either situation, it is important for that individual to obtain the representation of an experienced defense lawyer as soon as possible. An arrest is defined as a seizure of a person and/or deprivation of his/her personal liberty by a legal authority or under legal authority (Gale, 2002). In Kansas, an officer of the law may arrest a person for the following reasons: a warrant  commanding that person to be arrested; has probable cause to believe that a warrant for the person’s arrest has been issued in this state or in another jurisdiction for a felony committed therein; has probable cause to believe that the person is committing or has committed felony (KSA, 2009). No matter where or when an interrogation occurs, the person in custody (deprived of his or her freedom of action in any significant way), must be read their Miranda rights if the suspect’s answers are to be used as evidence at a trial (Merriam-Webster, 1996). A Miranda warning is not required if a person is not in police custody; however, anything the person says can still be used at trial if the person is later charged with a crime. This exception most often happens when the police stop someone on the street to question him/her about a recent crime and the person blurts out a confession before the police have an opportunity to deliver the warning. Therefore, it is critical that a person in custody does not answer the police/detective’s questions without having a lawyer present. This will ensure the individual’s rights under the Fifth Amendment are protected and they do not make any self-incriminating statements. Kansas divides crimes into two categories: felonies and misdemeanors. A felony crime can be defined as a crime that results in incarceration of one year or more in jail or prison (Wright, 2013). The state of Kansas has four types of felony convictions: drug felonies, non-drug felonies, off grid felonies and non-grid felonies. Drug felonies are related to the possession, use, manufacture, and the sale of illegal drugs. Off grid felonies, which frequently have a life time sentence, are typically related to murder and certain child sex crimes. While, non grid felonies are usually related to domestic battery or felony driving under the influence. Once the suspect is arrested, a defense attorney is assigned to the person if the individual cannot afford one. A defense attorney is a lawyer who advises, represents, and acts for the defendant in a legal proceeding or for the offender in post-conviction proceedings (Gale, 2002). A defense attorney appears with the defendant at the arraignment where the defendant will plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. If the defendant pleads not guilty, the defense attorney then represents his/her client during the various stages of the trial process. During the pre-trail stage, the defense counsel’s investigation should begin its own inquiry by interviewing witnesses,  obtaining police reports, and reviewing other documents. (Gale, 2002). Additionally, any exculpatory evidence that the prosecutor discovers which is helpful to the defendant must be given to the defense attorney. It is during this stage that the defense attorney assesses the strength of the prosecutor’s case and advises the client as to the possible outcomes. If it would be useful in the defense effort, the defense counsel could hire a private investigator in an effort to collect evidence in support of the case or to discredit elements of the prosecution’s case. While the defense attorney is collecting evidence to help the client from being convicted, the prosecutor initiates his/her own effort on the criminal actions against the alleged person who has committed the offense. A prosecutor can be defined as a lawyer employed by the state who seeks to obtain a conviction in a court against the defendant (Gale, 2002). After the police investigators have filed the paper work for the arrest, the prosecutor will review the paper work and apply the appropriate Kansas laws to determine if the person that has been arrested should be formally charged with a crime. Unfortunately, this period can last a few days, weeks, or months. The most serious crimes in Kansas, such has murder and terrorism, have no statute of limitations. Statutes of limitations are federal and state laws that set out time periods within which a certain type of civil or criminal action must be brought or the right to bring the action will be lost (Gale, 2002). This law is to ensure the defendant has a fair chance to rebut the claim. Since Kansas does not set a time period for murder and terrorism, this does not violate the due process of the Fourteenth Amendment. The prosecutor will continue to examine the files and he/she may contact the police and request that additional inquiries are conducted. During this time, it may be possible to convince the prosecutor not to file charges or to request a lesser charge. After a charge is filed, the number of court appearances may vary depending on the type of case. A court appearance can be defined as the act of coming to court to defend or prosecute a case and to enter an appearance to register with a court that a defendant intends to defend an action (Black, 2007). â€Å"The first court appearance is known as an arraignment in the state of Kansas. An arraignment is a hearing before a court having jurisdiction in a criminal case. When a court arraigns a person, the identity of the defendant is established, and the defendant is  informed of the charge and his or her constitutional and statutory rights. Bail can also be set at arraignment. The defendant is required to enter a plea, which distinguishes an arraignment from a defendant’s first appearance, where all other matters may be raised† (Gale, 2002). The arraignment process in felony cases cannot take place unless the prosecutor has prepared a written set of charges. In the state of Kansas, the prosecutor is required to convene a grand jury before charging a defendant with a serious crime. After the suspect is convicted of the crime, a sentencing process is started. On July 1, 1993, the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act was developed to assist in determining felony sentencing through a grid system. For this reason, Kansas law uses the following two primary factors to determine the punishment of a convicted felon: the severity level of the crime and the defendant’s criminal history. Sentencing is the penalty imposed by a court upon a person convicted of a crime. The types of sentences include capital punishment, imprisonment, fines, restitution, and probation (Gale, 2002). Since the 1980s, sentencing guidelines started utilizing a point system based on the criminal offense and the criminal history of the defendant. A higher number results in a more severe criminal sanction. Additionally, judges have little or no discretion to depart from these guidelines (Gale, 2002). Thus, sentencing guidelines that Kansas has established provide practitioners in the criminal justice system with an overview of presumptive felony sentences. The juncture of the severity level of the crime of conviction and the offender’s criminal history category is the presumed sentence (KSA, 2012). Once a person is convicted of a felony, either by pleading guilty or being found guilty at trial, the judge will order a pre-sentence investigation and receive a report from the probation office. This report will advise the judge of the severity level of the crime, which grid it is on, drug or non-drug, and the defendant’s criminal history. In Kansas, the sentencing grid is how the judge determines the sentencing of a felony conviction. Nevertheless, not all crimes will fit on the grid. Thus, the sentencing for those crimes is individually outlined by the legislature. The majority of the felony crimes in Kansas fall on the sentencing grid, where the criminal history and the severity level of the crime aid the judge in determining the sentence. Non-drug and drug are two grids on the sentencing range. The  non-drug grid contains ten severity levels of offenses that range from theft to rape and murder. A level one offense represents a significant transgression while a level ten represents the least serious of the crimes. The drug grid contains four levels of offenses encompassing possession, distribution, manufacturing and cultivation of controlled substances. Similar to the non-drug grid, a level one offense is a severe crime and a level four represents a minimum wrongdoing. After the judge or court reviews the drug or non drug grid, the next step is to look at the criminal history of the accused. Criminal history in Kansas is classified as â€Å"A† through â€Å"I†, depending on a person’s past criminal history (KSA, 2012). A criminal history score of â€Å"A† is the highest criminal history score and would likely be assigned to a person with three or more personal felonies. A criminal history score of â€Å"I† is the lowest criminal history score and would be allocated to an individual with only one misdemeanor conviction or no criminal history. Within each grid box there are three numbers which represent months of imprisonment. These three numbers provide the judge or court with a range for sentencing. The sentencing judge or court then has the discretion to sentence within these parameters. The middle number in the grid box is the average number that is intended to be the appropriate sentence time for a typical case. The upper and lower numbers should be used for cases involving aggravating or mitigating factors sufficient to warrant a departure. The sentencing judge or court may increase the length of a sentence up to double the duration within the grid box (KSA, 2012). The judge or court may also depart downward to lower the duration of a presumptive sentence. Moreover, the judge or court can impose a dispositional departure by electing to implement a sentence of prison to probation or probation to prison. Once the criminal history and the severity level of the offense are determined, the grids will dictate the sentencing range and disposition for the judge or court. For example, rape in Kansas is a severity level one felony. If the defendant has no prior criminal record, then the crime is punishable by 147, 155, or 165 months in prison. If the same crime was particularly cruel or violent, the judge may impose the aggravated sentence of 165 months in prison. A defendant with an â€Å"A† level criminal history who is convicted of a particularly brutal rape could face up to 653 months in prison. After the judge or court  has reviewed the grid and all the files for the case, sentencing can be deliberated. By Kansas law, judges or the court must impose a sentence shown in the appropriate grid box unless substantial and compelling reasons exist to depart from the sentences. The sentencing judge or court should consider all available alternatives in determining the appropriate sentence for each offender. The sentencing guidelines seek to establish equity among like offenders in similar case scenarios. Rehabilitative measures are still an integral part of the corrections process, and criminal justice professionals continue efforts to reestablish offenders within communities (KSA, 2012). The guidelines do not prohibit sentencing courts from departing from the prescribed sentence in atypical cases. The sentencing court is free to choose an appropriate sentence, or combination of sentences, for each case (KSA, 2012). In 2008, Kansas changed its sentencing guidelines by implementing a no downward dispositional departure for any crime of extreme sexual violence. A downward durational departure can be allowed for any crime of extreme sexual violence to no less than fifty percent of the center of the grid range of the sentence for such crime. Does the Kansas judge or court have to follow the guidelines in the grid box? The answer is no. The judge can deviate from the presumptive range within the box; however, in order for him/her to do so, there must be a substantial and compelling reason. This means, a specific fact should either illustrate that this case is either worse than typical for this type of crime, justifying a longer sentence, or better than typical for this kind of offense, justifying a shorter sentence. As long as the judge stays in the box, the sentence cannot be appealed. A conviction could be appealed, but not the sentence. Judges typically do not depart, either shorter or longer, unless both the prosecution and the defense agree that he/she should. In order for a judge to depart upward to a longer sentence than contained in the box, he/she must usually have a jury finding of the extraordinary fact justifying the longer sentence. In Kansas, the legislature has designated convictions as presumptive probation, presumptive prison, and border box. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a presumptive probation offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is entitled to a contract of probation. The defendant, on the other hand, could serve the underlying sentence if he/she violates the terms and  conditions of the probation contract. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a presumptive prison offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is not entitled to a contract of probation and must serve the underlying sentence. A defendant can avoid prison, only if, the court formally deviates from the sentencing guidelines by finding considerable and convincing reasons to grant probation. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a border box offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is not entitled to a contract of probation and must serve the underlying sentence. However, the court is allowed to grant probation at the request or agreement of the parties as long as the court is satisfied that a program is available to the defendant that will ensure community safety interests by promoting the defendant’s rehabilitation and reducing the likelihood of recidivism. There are special rules which could deprive a defendant of his/her presumption of probation and in turn can allow the judge to sentence him/her to prison. An example would be if the crime occurred while the defendant was already on probation or on bond for another crime. These special rules must be taken into consideration when determining what a judge might do at the time of sentencing. In conclusion, Kansas has established a concrete criminal law process that can be directly correlated to its own state legislation. The system provides reasonable and comprehensible guidelines for all to follow in the service of justice. The law is enforced to protect individuals; however, being aware of your fundamental rights is a personal responsibility. If you are stopped, questioned, arrested or searched by federal, state or local law enforcement officers, the most common approach should always be to ask for an attorney. Inevitably, the law is there to sustain the status quo, to protect property, vested rights, and established relationships. An ordered society cannot survive without some type of legal system, even if it is just one simple rule. In the end, the legal system is the only procedure which can guarantee that all human rights are respected. 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Decision of Allowing the Procurement of Used Items Essay

Discussing the pros on the decision of allowing the procurement of used items in public sector (PPA 2011): * It is economical; This is because of the liquidity crisis and improvements in product quality control hence some governments are opting for secondhand purchases. The current update in this regard is that, According to BBC News (Feb’2009) the Indonesian military is currently negotiating with the US Army to purchase secondhand F-16 fighter jets in a bid to modernize its air power military capability. Mark you Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and one of the dynamic emerging markets in the world. The country is also a member of the elite G-20 major economies. Quality control especially technically aircraft never get old as such because they are meet international standards and principles that govern air transport. * It is affordable to procure at low cost of acquisition, in case of emergencies circumstances to rescue situations especially those of public interest, the * government should allow procurement of used equipment under exceptional circumstances to serve people, that are evaluated on case by case basis procurement in the need The Bank understands that the decision between the outright purchase and lease arrangements depend on the economic loss and benefits, however, given the potential risk associated with used equipment, the government should consider leasing as the preferred alternative only in emergency. * It helps and is the way to go if the government is to fulfill its obligations as far as capital intensive investments are concerned. â€Å"Purchasing secondhand machines suited Tanzania at the moment because many countries were applying the same strategy on costly machines such as planes, train engines and ships. * Equipment may be available immediately, that result to shorten procurement process of acquiring used equipment, compared to the time  required for the acquisition of new equipment because it involves ordering which took sometimes up to delivery period. Discuss the cons on the decision of allowing the procurement of used items in public sector (PPA 2011) * May lead to procure poor quality items that do not meet intended purpose that is performance requirements of the goods, and minimum standards for age, residual economic life, and quality of materials. That might result in massive economic losses this is refer to the economic life cycle of goods procured. Since they will not be expected to originate from Tanzania, it will be difficult to get authenticated record of the time they had been used and condition at the time of sale. * Failure of getting loans from world Bank at deficit circumstances, this is according to World Bank Procurement Manual Draft (2001)- Procurement of brand new Goods policy, which explain that it the Bank’s general Policy is to finance the procurement of new goods only. Borrower’s procurement should be to the new. * Procurement of used goods does not correspond to the principles of value for money, since the experience in the country has shown there were no credible personnel to undertake such kind of purchasing with evidence of quality of such used items together with its residual value, relevant to the cost of purchase/money spend on buying. * Creation of a fertile ground for rampant corruption because the government/institutions functionaries might use this loophole to buy junk equipment through underhand methods thus causes great losses to the taxpayers. * Higher running expenses, It is cost fully in case of running expenses such as maintenance and service for used item than for brand new equipment, when government institutions decides to purchase used items, will result to incur a lot of money spending on frequently buying costly spare parts and  maintenance as a result to high total cost of operation hence less productivity. Summary: The decision of allowing the procurement of used items in public sector have their respective advantages and disadvantages to the national economy and general social welfare issues as follows. The advantages of procurement of used items are; it is economical, It is affordable due to low cost of acquisition, Used equipment may be available immediately, procurement of more items for the same budget, improves transparency and integrity. The disadvantages are Lack of competitive bidding, failure of getting loans from world Bank, May lead to procure poor quality, does not correspond to the principles of value for money, Creation of a fertile ground for rampant corruption, and Higher running expenses.

Pasyon: a Factor That Shaped the Filipinos’ Identity Essay

The review of the literature for this study focuses on the significance of the Pasyon as one of the popular forms of literature that seems to have fascinated people throughout the centuries. This focuses on a number of different studies and published articles that supports the former statement. Many writers have proclaimed that Pasyon was used by the Spanish as one of the factors to slowly conquer the Philippines, in which it created a big impact in the minds of every Filipinos. One of these is Reynaldo Ileto who alluded to this significance: â€Å"One of the principal ideas developed in this study is that the masses experience of Holy Week fundamentally shaped the style of peasant brother- hoods and uprisings during (the Spanish and early American colonial periods. Instead of glorifying the ancient rituals of the babaylane’s (native priests) as evocative of the true native spirit, the fact has to be accepted that the majority of the lowland Filipinos were converted to Spanish Catholicism. [†¦] The various rituals of Holy week, particularly the reading of the story of Jesus Christ â€Å"(Pasyon and Revolution, 1840-1910). Paul Spickard in his work, Race and Nation, quoted that â€Å"Colonialism seem to always result in â€Å"racialized† hierarchies between conquering people and the conquered. Colonialism brought many common items to the places that were colonized and resulted into rapid decline of the native’s culture, language, and traditions. Terms and Concepts Words matter. In this research, one finds several terms and concepts that are used in different chapters. Here are their definitions that will guide and give us a little background about the study. Pabasa ng Pasyon. The Pasyon is normally heard during Holy Week in the Philippines, where its recitation, known as the Pabasa (â€Å"Reading†) can span several days over the course of the period, extending no later thanBlack Saturday. Readers will chant the verses of the Pasyon without pause from beginning to end in front of a specially-constructed shrine or altar. This non-stop reading of the Pasyon is facilitated by the chanters working in shifts. The reading of Pasyon must be finished before 3 pm of Good Friday (the time when Jesus died on the cross). Musical accompaniment to its recitation is practised by some though is by no means universal. (Pasyon, Wikipedia. org) Before evolving into the contemporary version of the reading and chanting ritual in the Philippines during the Lenten season, the early form of the pabasa was introduced to the indigenous people of the Philippine islands by Spanish friars. The Spaniards brought Catholicism to the Philippines. Gradually, over the period of Spanish colonialism in the Philippines (1521–1898), the ancient Filipinos adapted the religious chanting introduced by the Spanish priests and incorporated it to their own custom of singing epics during native celebrations. (Pabasa (ritual), Wikipedia. org) Race One finds the word â€Å"race† used to refer to particular group of people competing each other for power or control. Race is one of the factors that shape the relationship between peoples. According to the pseudoscientists, there are big races (perhaps four or five of them). In this view, race is about biology, genes, phenotype, and the body. It is physical, inherited, and immutable. The races are discrete from each other. Each race has not only specific distinguishing body features- skin color, hair texture, nose shape, and so forth- but specific character qualities that cannot be erased; they may be suppressed, but eventually they will come out. These qualities are cultural aspects, such as language, citizen, religion, child rearing practices, food habits clothing, and so forth. (Paul Spickard, Race and Nation, 2005) Language One finds the word, â€Å"language† used to refer to a complex and dynamic system of conventional symbols that is used in various modes for thought and communication (qtd in COMA 104 notes). Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication. The scientific study of language in any of its senses is called linguistics (language, Wikipedia. org). Culture One finds the word, â€Å"culture† used to refer to the totality of group’s thought, experience, and patterns of behaviour and its concepts values and assumptions about life that guide behaviour. (qtd. in COMA 104 notes) C. Statement of the Problem Looking now at the present context, many had claimed that the Filipino Language, culture, as well as history and identity were all distorted out of its original shape, its original civilization. Using the pasyon as one of the tools introduced by Spaniards to slowly conquer the Philippines, we focus on this main question, what are the impacts of the Pasyon and its influences that shaped the Filipinos identity? Here are some additional questions that help us determine the first question: What are the factors that affect the perception of both races in understanding the pasyon. Do both races have different understanding on the reading? How did the translation affect or create an impact to the people’s perception? Moreover, what were the other Christianization Strategies employed by Spaniards to successfully convert the Filipinos to Roman Catholicism given the fact that the both sides were having communication problems? To answer these queries, we are going to examine the content and the history of the pasyon particularly the Pasyon Mahal. And also, we will study both races (Spanish and Filipino) to determine how the pasyon influenced their culture, language, and values to what it is today. D. Objectives of the Study The general objective of the study is to identify the changes and transformation of the Filipino society in terms of the influences brought by the Pasyon. We are also interested in the different custom, tradition, and ideas brought by the colonizers during their invasion. For the most part, Pasyon will be examined as one of the main reasons of how our culture, race and language in the Philippines evolve. We will also analyse and appreciate the content of the pasyon as a factor that shaped the Filipinos identity; and to be able to learn how the Filipino culture and language evolved and adjusted for many years so to understand also the current situation of Filipinos identity. Pasyon was used by the Spanish colonizers as one of their Christianization Strategies; therefore we will also look for the impacts employed by the said reading in Filipinos original customs and tradition. Lastly we will explain why both races have their own perception in understanding the Pasyon. E. Theoretical and Conceptual framework Theoretical framework The following are the theories and concepts related to this study: Medium Theory -medium affects perception, also known as channel theory, or media formalism. McLuhan (1964) challenged conventional definitions when he claimed that the medium is the message. With this claim, he stressed how channels differ, not only in terms of their content, but also in regard to how they awaken and alter thoughts and senses. He distinguished media by the cognitive processes each required. McLuhan popularized the idea that channels are a dominant force that must be understood to know how the media influence society and culture. (Medium theory, utwente. nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/) Standpoint Theory A standpoint influences how the people adopting it socially construct the world. Social group membership affects people’s standpoints. The inequalities of different social groups create differences in their standpoints (Standpoint Theory, Wikipedia. org). Conceptual framework Sapir- Whorf hypothesis would help us understand the different perceptions of the different races with different language of an event with the same situation. Since it assumes that different language produce different way of behaviour, this could help solve our question: â€Å"Do both races have different understanding on the reading? †. This would help us understand that the impacts of the pasyon could have produced more than one In media theory, it is supposed that medium affects perception. This idea would help us lead to a conclusion on how the Pasyon was presented to the audience as the factor that affects their understanding. While the standpoint theory, could help us solve the problem by making social status as the main factor of the problem since it indicates that people with different social levels have different perceptions since they are affected by the hierarchies they are in. F. Significance of the study As Communication Arts students, we believe that this study will help us deepen our understanding about language and culture, particularly in race and language where we can see the relation of how race, language and culture gradually changes. By this we will fully understand how these three elements are continuously shaping each other. We will also learn to see how people in early times communicate and how they relate messages in to reality. In this case, we will have the idea on how people have varieties of notions and interpretations depending on the situation they are in. We are looking forward that our study will also contribute to the body of literature, specifically, to the history of Philippine literature. In terms of appreciation of our Philippine culture, this study aims to seek and value the early literatures written by our early writers here in the Philippines and how this writings awakened the minds of our early heroes. It would also make us understand that the religion of most Filipino today is not solely influenced by the colonizers but a religion gradually modified by our very own native Filipinos. Chapter II Research methodology A. Research design Content analysis or textual analysis is a methodology in the social sciences for studying the content of communication. Earl Babbie defines it as â€Å"the study of recorded human communications, such as books, websites, paintings and laws. † According to Dr. Farooq Joubish, content analysis is considered a scholarly methodology in the humanities by which texts are studied as to authorship, authenticity, or meaning. Harold Lasswell formulated the core questions of content analysis: â€Å"Who says what, to whom, why, to what extent and with what effect?. â€Å"Ole Holsti (1969) offers a broad definition of content analysis as â€Å"any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages. † Procedure This introduction to case study research draws upon six processes: B. Method of Analysing the Data Since we are determined to seek for the history and analyse the content of the Pasyon, a certain descriptive data, must undergo the process of case study method to fully understand its contents. We will access the existing information gathered from the past as well as to dissect the contents into different parts (preferably stanza by stanza) for us to comprehend its ideas and the meanings it imparted. By using the method of case study, we will see why the pasyon has two contradictory functions in the past society. To expand, we will determine and define the research questions, which are already stated in the former part of this paper; Select the cases and determine data gathering and analysis techniques; Prepare to collect the data, since we already have the existing datum, which is a copy of Reynaldo Ileto’s pasyon and revolution book; Collect data in the field, collect records that are related to the making of the Pasyon and how it was used by the early people, considering also its impacts imparted to the society; Evaluate and analyze the data, scrutinized the contents of the said records, and relay it to explain the ideas imparted, say the stanzas of the pasyon and how the Filipino culture relate it to their way of life, next, we also need to compare these collected data and look for the similarities as well as the differences of the subjects, say the culture of the Spanish against the culture of the native Filipinos. Chapter IIIResults and discussion. In this study, we used the Pasyon Pilapil, since it is commonly used, actually the second, and the least-polished of three Church-approved pasyons. This popular name for the Casaysayan of 1814 originates from a traditional belief that it was written by a native priest named Mariano Pilapil, but recent scholarship has established that Pilapil merely edited the 1814 text, the author of which remains unknown (Ileto, 12). For the Content itself: In Reynaldo Ileto’s textual analysis of Pasyon, he claimed that the existence of Jesus Christ was concurrent to the mass’ experiences where His sufferings are much closely understood by the peasant Filipinos, as if their agonies are much like His. Say for example, despite the fact that from the Spanish perspective, the more effective tool, to discourage Indios from enriching and educating themselves to the point where they might constitute a threat to colonial rule, is the pasyon, the perspective of the mass audience, the identification of the wealthy, educated Pharisees, maginoo and pinunong bayan (local Ieaders) with Christ’s tormentors could not fail to have radical implications in actual life. Take the following pasyon Stanzas in which the priests and gentry demand that Pilate sentence Jesus to death (Ileto, 15-16): At caming nagcacapisan dito sa iyong harapan (And we gathered here before your Excellency) Guinoo’t, pinunorig bayan, (Are aristocrats and town chiefs) di mu pa paniualaan (So you have no reason to doubt) sa mga sumbong ng tanan. (all our accusations. ) Caming naghahabla rito (We plaintiffs here) di sinungaling na tauo mayayama,t, maguinoo (Are truthful people gentlemen of rank and wealth) houag nang paniindimin mo (so away with your misgivings) hatulan mo nang totoo. (hand down the verdict. ) (114:6-7) The words were used as obviously boastful and vain that to the extent it imparted an idea of aggression against the weak and poor, making more the character of Christ as the opposite personality. As for the Filipinos, the pasyon carries a language that attracted them to become like the characters of Christ. It gave them a feeling of subversion, a feeling to oppose the â€Å"maguinoong† friars. Even if we, for the moment, limit our attention to the Pasyon Pilapil as a text, it’s bearing on popular movements and social unrest can already be seen. For one thing, the inclusion of episodes relating to the Creation of the World, the Fall of Man, and the Last Judgment makes the Pasyon Pilapil image of universal history, the beginning and end of time, rather than a simple gospel story. In its narration of Christ suffering, death, and resurrection, and of the Day of judgement it provides powerful images of transition from one state or era to another. † (Ileto, 14) The material contains encouragement of revolt against the abusive controls of those who are in power more than the Spanish’s plan of taming and encouraging acceptance of the church since the characters encrypted have symbolism that is not far from the masses (Christ) and Spanish colonizers (Roman Friars) roles in reality. In terms of observing the context structure and word translations, it can be purely seen that errors in composition are highly persistent. â€Å"The Pasyon Pilapil was, in fact, soundly criticized in the late nineteenth century by Aniceto de la Merced, a native priest, in a pamphlet titled Manga Puna (critique). The account, writes De Ia Merced, will open your eyes to the errors, unnoticed hut rampant in that book called Pasong Mahal, which is really the work of an ignoramus. ’ The major criticisms of the Pasyon Pilapil are its incoherence, faulty scholarship, repetitiveness, and clumsy, inaccurate use of language. † (Ileto, 13) However, in terms of the translation, we found out that the original Pasyon, which we discovered that it was really a Filipino who wrote the book. Gaspar Aquino de Belen, a bilingual poet and a translator made the first Pasyon under the order of the Spanish missionaries, the Encomienda System that orders the people to convert the people into Catholic religion. In this case, we found out that neither the Pasyon was modified from the Book of the Bible and was from Spanish nor from Roman origin thus it was a customization of the story of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. However, in terms of the alteration of the meaning, though the text was converted and modified, we have observed that the sense that the reading wants to impart are still the same since both the Bible and The Pasyon contains the story and the life of Jesus Christ, though the latter is in poetic form. For Social Hierarchy It was said that the power dynamic that makes racial difference historically has been tied to colonialism. Some, incorporated fairly fully, forcing their national language (or atleast its writing system) (Paul Spickard, Race and Nation, 2005). In, Leslie E. Bauzon’s work, â€Å"Influence of the Spanish Culture†, she pointed out that Spaniards transplanted their social, economic, and political institutions for about 333 years of colonial sovereign (1565-1898). Moreover, in order to administer the Philippines, the Spaniards extended their royal government to the Filipinos. This highly centralized governmental system was theocratic. There was a union of Church and State. The Roman Catholic Church was equal to and coterminous with the State. In addition, when we look into the perspective of the colonizers, the use of the pasyon simply affirms prevailing social structure in which the virtue of meekness and resignation to suffering, rather than the confrontation of the oppression, seems to have been encouraged. Filipinos then, were isolated in the idea that a Christian must follow its duties because reward is forthcoming in heaven. Because of that it was obvious that the Spaniards take advantage of the situation that the natives will not rebel against them since they respect the Friars as a leader who teaches the gospel of the Lord. Meaning, having the thought of opposing the Catholic Church, suggests that you also oppose God. (Filipino Heritage. com) Therefore, it could be the influenced of the colonizer’s social status in which they stand as the powerful and dominant in which the natives did not seem to see the idea of revolution. Since, the area where they view the framework is less viewable than the view of the others who sees it. However, on the side of those who were classified as low class, the native Filipino, the interpretations of the pasyon are more viewed as a social awakeners and generator of revolution than just a pure passionate reading for the religion. Just like what the Standpoint theory tells, â€Å". The inequalities of different social groups create differences in their standpoints. † It was clear that there were functions in which the pasyon may alter popular consciousness. However, because of the social levels they are in, the interpretations of the meanings of the book were altered. For the Culture (in terms of religion) To understand this factor, it is good to look back the practices and behaviour they both (Spaniards and Filipino) had before the colonization take place. There, we must observe, and study their similarities and differences. For the Spanish: Spain, as it has been observed, is a nation-state born out of religious struggle mainly between Catholicism and Islam, but also against Judaism (site) The culture of Spain is a European culture based on a variety of influences. These include the pre-Roman cultures, mainly the celts and the Iberians cultures; but mainly in the period of Roman influences. In the areas of language and religion, the Ancient Romans left a lasting legacy. The subsequent course of Spanish history also added elements to the country’s cultural development. [†¦] Spain became an almost entirely Roman Catholic country and Catholicism became their state religion in 1851. (Culture of Spain, Wikipedia. org) For the Filipinos, their God, Bathala was the supreme god of the pre-Spanish Filipinos. They attributed to Bathala, the creator of the heavens, Earth, and man. There were lesser gods and goddesses, like a god of death, a god of agriculture, a goddess of harvest, sea gods, river gods, and the like. It was also believed that things found in nature were full of spirits more powerful than man was. Spirits of dead relatives were also revered. Sacrifices were offered to all of them. The ancient Filipinos believed in the immortality of the soul and in life after death. Disease or illness was attributed to the whims of the environmental spirits and the soul-spirits of the dead relatives. The pre-Spanish Filipinos also revered idols, called anitos in Tagalog and diwata in Visayan. These seem to be the counterparts of the present saints, to whom Filipinos offer prayers and food, much like their ancestors did. (Philippine History, asiarecipe. com) Their likenesses of their religion are much likely far from each other. As we observe, Spanish religion is purely an influence from Roman civilization and Filipino religion is a culture that blooms naturally as their civilization grows. The Spanish believes in one God hence, Filipinos were animists. That is why, when the colonization took over, majority of the Filipinos rejected their own religion. Moreover, considering some factors that give difficulties to penetrate the areas, colonizer almost failed their mission. However, in 1599, negotiation began between a number of chieftains, their freemen, and the Spaniards. The natives agreed to submit to the rule of a Castilian king and in return, the natives were indoctrinated into Christianity and were protected from their enemies, mostly Japanese, Chinese, and Muslim pirates. However, the conquest and conversion efforts were neither as easy nor as negotiable as this contract. The missionaries faced many obstacles and successes along the path to Christianization. [†¦] When, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi set up the colonial system beginning 1565, he implemented an encomienda system where a native could acquire land if he underwent baptism and registered as a Catholic. Massive conversion occurred at this time. Many of which have, since then, adopted the same values of Catholics. It was clear to understand that they accepted the conversion only for protection and not as a pure religion. (Roman Catholic, Wikipedia. org) The pasyon is a Tagalog prayer book introduced by the missionaries and one of the tactics used for evangelism. Because of that, there is be a possibility that if natives refuse to follow the Spaniards, it could be an act of revolt of their new religion since they still have the faith of the former beliefs and since the conversion was only forced. However, these evidences are not strong enough to support the culture as the main factor that triggers different understanding on the reading. Moreover, as the colonization took place, and the catholic religion was introduced, the religious culture was slowly evolving and modified by several aspects, one of these is the Pasyon. â€Å"But like other regions of Southeast Asia which â€Å"domesticated† Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, and Islamic influences, the Philippines, despite the fact that Catholicism was more often than not imposed on it by Spanish missionaries, creatively evolved its own brand of folk Christianity from which was drawn much of the language of anticolonialism in the late nineteenth century† (Ileto, 11-12) Chapter IV: Summary, Conclusion and recommendation The Pabasa or Pasyon have become a part of the Filipinos religious life ever since the colonization begun. As what history tells, it was used to tame and convert the native Filipino from being pagans to Christian. But, unfortunately the function did not worked accordingly to the Spanish since it had caused the Filipino people to revolt against them. It had become a tool that helped the Filipinos awaken their minds and thought about their present standing. We will try to determine the major factor that contribute to this event by gathering data, analyze and evaluate the data collected. Our findings lead us to this conclusion, according to the numbers of reliable data and by deep analyzing of the three supposed factors, the content of the pasyon and the social hierarchies are the main roots why the revolts of the mass have ascended. Though we consider the culture in terms of religious aspects as an undersized contributor, it is likely stands more on the fact that the culture is the one modified by the Pasyon since the beliefs of the Philippine culture eventually changed in time colonization. Bibliography Ileto, Reynaldo. Pasyon and Revolution; Popular Movements in the Philippines. Manila, Philippines: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1979 Spickard, Paul. Race and Nation: ethnic systems in the modern world. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2005 Language Definitions. 26 September 2011. Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. 26 September 2011. < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki>. Medium Theory. 7 Sep 2010. University of Twente. 7 Sep 2010. < http://www. utwente. nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/> Pabasa (ritual). 11 July 2011. Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. 11 July 2011. < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki>. Pasyon. 19 July 2011. Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. 19 July 2011. < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki>. Roman Catholicism in the Philippines. 26 September 2011. Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. 26September 2011. < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki>. Standpoint theory. 29 April 2011. Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. 29 April 2011. < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki>. Vanzi, Sol Jose. â€Å"FIRST TAGALOG ‘PASYON’ A BESTSELLER. † PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE. (4 April 2007): 20 Sept. 2011 Language and Culture notes. (COMA 104 Class) Spanish Influence on Language, Culture, and Philippine History. Spanish Made easy for Filipinos. 26 September 2011.