Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Management - Essay Example I believe the demand for Business Management graduates is growing since future business leaders are expected to ensure their organizations adhere to highest ethical principles in their operations in order to ensure good corporate reputation. In addition, business managers should be able to understand the effects economic and technological changes in their businesses and plan effectively in order to meet the changing customer demands.  I have good communication skills and interpersonal skills that will be essential during my study such as writing assignments or forming study groups with my colleagues. I am self-motivated and confident and thus I will take personal responsibility in ensuring that I successfully complete the degree program.  A Business Management degree will immensely assist me understand the business practices and the obligations of businesses to the society. The course will enable me understand numerous business management aspects such as the business environment assessment, planning, budgeting, employee relations and management of conflicting interests. In addition, the business skills such as decision-making, communication, presentation and numeracy are in high demand and this will accord me better employment opportunities and better pay.  I believe a degree in Business Management will prepare me enough to face challenges in the real world and assist my future employers in ensuring ethical business practices. The program will enable me understand the modern business environment and assist my future employer in running a business that is financially viable.

Jack Welshs Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jack Welshs Leadership - Essay Example He set up a priority of getting GE to occupy the #1 or #2 spot. Hence, he worked on massive changes to be implemented. Firstly, he sold almost 200 businesses of GE. He disposed off, the non-working, plagued businesses and acquired 370 acquisitions. He made the staffing 'lean and agile'. He also scrapped the strategic planning system and made it much simpler and focused. Besides this, he also took down massive downsizing, by removing employees who did not play an important role or contribution. He thus, retained only those employees who added value to the company. He also deleted the eight-level hierarchal system, reducing it to just half of it. 2. What is Welch's objective in the series of initiatives he launches in the late 1980's and early 1990s What is he trying to achieve in the round of changes he put in motion in that period Is there a logic or rationale supporting the change process Welsh clearly defined his objectives in the second phase of changes initiated. All the changes and activities he undertook had the underlying goal of creating a specific workplace culture. His intention was to create a culture that would be reflective of the company's brand image. More than this, the culture would give every employee the freedom to voice his opinion. His aim was to motivate a close-knit culture, where everyone could interact and work in cooperation and coordination for the best interest of the company. He also steered clear of the unnecessary bureaucratic pressure, in order to bring about a more focused work approach. He aimed at a decentralized method of work, with the building of small teams. However, he also believed in accountability. Welsh also took up the aspect of building a global business, as against a global company, in the wake of globalisation. This he did by strengthening and base and then moving across . Strenthening the quality of leadership in the organization was important, since teams had to function properly, for a collective overall work procedure. Every team was the micro unit of the whole macro company. In addition to this, a boundaryless functioning across the globe, with a collective and unified work culture was his vision. Hence, evidently, Welsh's strategies were aimed at changing with the changing times, especially in the wake of globalisation, without compromising on the company's culture and policies. 3. How does such a large, complex diversified conglomerate, defy the critics and continue to grow so profitably Have Welch's various initiatives added value If so, how GE has been a surprise spinner for many an on-looker. The critics continue to be surprised by its progress and innovation. Welsh's initiatives have always been towards

To say the word Romanticism is to say modern art- that is intimacy Essay Example for Free

To say the word Romanticism is to say modern art- that is intimacy Essay Blake and Wordsworth were both Romantic poets yet their views of London are opposed to each other. What are these conflicting visions of the same city and how do they differ from one another? To say the word Romanticism is to say modern art- that is intimacy, spirituality, colour, aspiration towards the infinite, expressed by every means available to the arts. Charles Baudelaire Romantic poets were preoccupied with the idea of the pastoral idyll; a rural landscape where man was spiritually and physically at one with nature. These Pastoral fantasies typically invoked Pagan deities and ideology. Romanticism, according to Baudelaire is colourful and lively. Blake and Wordsworth are both Romantic poets yet their views of London, as portrayed in their poems; Westminster and London, are very different. Wordsworths poem Westminster has a joyful, exultant tone towards London and the diction could be considered colourful and spiritual. However, Blakes poem London has a pessimistic tone, more typical of a Romantic poet. Blakes London shares a view which is expected from a Romantic as the Romantics did not want industrialisation of Great Britain to occur. The negative effects of the Industrial Revolution were especially prominent in London, so this miserable, urban landscape is anathematic to Blake. Romantics wanted the countryside to remain untouched and bucolic. The gloomy diction in London shows this funereal tone. Cry of fear, marks of weakness, marks of woe, hapless Soldiers sigh and blights with plagues the Marriage hearse are all examples of the diction used to build a sense of vulnerability and repulsiveness in London. The perspective that Blake uses also shows that he is projecting his own Romantic feelings onto London. He uses the first person, I repeatedly throughout the poem and also opens with it. For example, I wander, I meet and I hear. This illustrates that his view of London is subjective. The poem is also written in the present tense and this gives the sense of living the experience with the narrator. Thus the poem seems more immediate and intimate. The imagery used in Blakes poem is also depressing and there are many examples of aural, tactile and visual imagery. The marks in every face he meets are examples of visual imagery. He uses words such as marks and every repeatedly and this stresses the ubiquity of misery and moral decrepitude in the city. Examples of the aural imagery that Blake uses are cry of every man, cry of fear and the mind-forgd manacles I hear. These aural images convey the negative effects and emotions that can be found within the people of London. The tactile image of the mind-forgd manacles is also particularly interesting as it is an example of figurative language rather than literal. It is a metaphor for the restrictions or constraints that are placed on people, either by societys expectations and demands or perhaps by themselves. It appears that Blake suggests that people in London are manacled by their own moral weakness. During the Victorian period, men who paid prostitutes were disgraced, not only for the moral reasons of committing a sin, but for the fact that they may have contracted a venereal disease such as gonorrhoea or syphilis. The marks which Blake relates to, such as the marks of woe may be moral weaknesses that men would have been ashamed to be associated with, for example when paying a prostitute for sexual pleasure. However, these marks may also have been literal scars from diseases they had caught. In the last stanza, Blake uses the word midnight. This has dark connotations to it and gives the sense of an evil atmosphere. Blake also adds to this wicked atmosphere in the lines, How the youthful Harlots curse/Blasts the new-born Infants tear as he uses diction such as Harlot, curse and Infants tear. These lines also inform the reader about the harlot and her baby. The curse which Blake relates to could be infecting of the harlots baby with gonorrhoea. This is shown as her baby has a tear in her eye and probably has a problem with it, a symptom of gonorrhoea. In the last line, Blake writes And blights with plagues the marriage hearse. This line suggests that the city is married to death as it uses the oxymoron marriage hearse. This is a conflation of two opposed ideas since a hearse is associated with a funeral because it carries a coffin. Blake may be implying that the city is married to death, or is doomed since the majority of infants in the city are possibly associated with venereal disease. This is shown as he uses the word most when discussing the most common thing that he sees in the streets of London. However, these lines could be considered ambiguous since Blake may be telling us of what he hears in the streets, for example, a Harlot cursing, or swearing at her baby when it cries. London is divided into four stanzas of four lines each and has an alternate rhyme scheme. The rhythm is rather constrained and this gives the impression that the poet is narrating the story as he wanders thro' London, this further emphasises the intimacy. In each stanza there is one main idea which develops the overall motion that London is a corrupt, morally decrepit city. In the first stanza, the idea of London being a charterd city is explored. Blake says that the streets and the River Thames in London are charterd. It could be interpreted that he believes the city has been hired and brought up by commerce and through money. In the second stanza, Blake attempts to show the unhappiness in the city and the depressing effect it has on people by using the word cry repeatedly whilst in the third stanza he writes about how the institutions are corrupted such as the palace. This is shown in the lines The hapless soldiers sigh/Runs in blood down Palace walls. One possible interpretation of the word palace is that it is a metonymy for the government. Blake may be stating that the hapless soldiers have been sent to die while trying to gain power for the British Empire. These lines are also a powerful fusion of light and sound and contain examples of both aural and visual imagery, for example hapless soldiers sigh and runs in blood down palace walls. In the third stanza, Blake implies that the church is becoming corrupted or is blackning, either literally by the pollution that the city is creating or figuratively as it stands by and watches the innocent youths being exploited, such as the chimney sweepers, and the abuse of soldiers. However, the line Every blackning church appals could be considered ambiguous, since the phrase Church appals suggests that it is disgusted by the corrupted institutions, such as the Palace but does not have the power to take much action against them or simply does not want to irritate the palace. Therefore, Blake most likely wants the palace to hear his concerns that he is voicing, which he believes many other people in London share. This idea is reinforced by the fact that in this stanza, if the first letter of every word, on every line is taken, the word HEAR can be made, this also highlights the aural imagery used in this stanza. The word appals may also echo the largest symbol of religious power in London, St Pauls Cathedral and this suggests that Blake is questioning why the church has not spoken out against the government. Unlike the third, the fourth stanza is focused on the future of London. This is because the infant described has a future and eventually the infants in London will become adults who will have to take part in the daily running of the city. However, unlike Blake and other Romantics, Wordsworths Westminster has a surprisingly optimistic tone for a poem written by Romantic. This joyful tone is shown in the diction and imagery he uses. Such as, beauty of the morning, sun more beautifully and calm so deep are all examples of the lauding diction that Wordsworth uses. His exultant view towards the city is also shown in the form in which his poem is constructed. The rhythm is an iambic pentameter and the first eight lines have a rhyme scheme which is ABBAABBA, an octet, then the last six lines have a different rhyme scheme which is CDCDDC, a sestet. This octet and sestet suggests his powerful feelings towards London as it is a sonnet, and sonnets are usually associated with love and desire. In the octet, Wordsworth tells us in detail what he sees and introduces his idea of London being so touching. However, in the sestet; he develops this idea and attempts to unify Londons landscape with the beauty of the natural world, Wordsw orth also informs the reader about what he feels, rather than what he sees. The images that Wordsworth uses also show the rhapsodic tone of the poem as shown in the line a sight so touching in its majesty. The poet uses the word touching in order to convey the uncomplicated strength of his perception, touch being the most direct of the senses. In the opening three lines Wordsworth challenges any doubters that do not believe London looked so perfect at this time. This is shown in the argumentative punctuation he uses and he writes that: Earth has not anything to show more fair:/Dull would he be of soul who could pass by/A sight so touching in its majesty. In these lines, Wordsworth is praising the city and claiming that there is nothing more fair on earth than London on this particular day. He also criticises any soul or person who could ignore a sight so great in majesty and beauty. The fact that Wordsworth opens with these powerful lines of adoration sets the atmosphere in the poem and also shows the reader how beautiful the city looked. He uses the words majesty and soul since these have religious connotations connected with them. The word majesty could be associated with the King or Queen; who was traditionally appointed by God, this makes the city seem almost royal or God-like. This diction and the tone of the poem, along with the examples of personification he uses, make it seem that Wordsworth is almost having an epiphany due to the spiritual intensity of the diction he uses. The words by and majesty are also particularly interesting as although there is not a strict aural rhyme, there is a sight rhyme which means that the rhyme scheme is not disrupted. Unlike Blake in London, Wordsworth uses personification to eulogize the city, this can be seen when he says that This city now doth, like a garment, wear/The beauty of the morning; silent, bare. As Wordsworth uses the simile like a garment, this personifies the city. Wordsworth says that the city wears the beauty of the morning, it could be interpreted that the city and the morning contrast so perfectly that they seem to be one with each other, but may also just be an example of Wordsworth attempting to reunite the urban area with nature. There is a similar example of this when Wordsworth is seeking to reconcile the urban sprawl with the bucolic scenes that a Romantic values above all else. This is why the city is described in natural terms and why Wordsworth sees the city merging seamlessly with the countryside beyond: Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie/Open unto the fields and to the sky. Wordsworth also lists the ships, towers domes (and) theatres and this gives the impression of him looking across a horizon. The word lie also gives the sense that the ships, towers domes (and) theatres rest grandly, but gently on the horizon as though they are blanketed in their own majesty. Unlike Blake, this is an example of Wordsworth studying and appreciating the city and its physical features, rather than the people who live in it. Wordsworth has an objective view of the city as he is literally elevated on a bridge, while Blake has a more detailed perspective which does not allow him to realize the true beauty of the of London, since he is walking through the streets. Blake seems to be immersed in this anathematic landscape, the emotional problems of the people in the city and the government who live there. Another image that Blake uses acts on our sense of smell. He describes the air as being smokeless and this destroys the idea of London being a polluted city covered by smog, which was caused by the many factories. It is surprising for a Romantic to write this as the Romantics were a reaction to the industrial revolution and one would expect that a Romantic would not speak highly of an industrialised city, such as London. However, this leads the reader to believe the poem was written in the early morning, when the sun was rising since the very houses (seemed) asleep and the factories had not yet opened. Wordsworth also uses other examples of personification and one of these is shown when he says Never did sun more beautifully steep/In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill. The poet personifies the sun by relating to it with the word his. The personification that Wordsworth uses is an example of figurative, not literal language. Wordsworth also leads the reader to believe that he has never seen such a perfect sunrise and that it is equal to or more than a sunrise in a rural landscape. Another example of Wordsworth personifying something in nature by referring to it as his is when he tells the reader that The River glideth at his own sweet will. This not only personifies the river but it deifies it adding evidence to the poets pagan sensibility. This is because many Romanticists were connected with paganism as they believed in the worship of natural Gods, for example the Gods of Sun and Water. This line also makes the river seem as though it flows freely, peacefully and without being forced, Wordsworth further emphasises this serene atmosphere when he says neer saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! This gives the impression that the city is a peaceful place. Wordsworth also uses other techniques to praise London apart from personification. On the last line, the poet uses a metaphor to describe London. He says And all that mighty heart is lying still! The mighty heart is a metonymy for London and he describes the city as being still, this further leads the reader to believe that this is set in the early morning when even the very houses seem asleep. This adds further evidence that London was calm and tranquil at this particular moment. Although it seems unusual for a Romantic to write such an optimistic poem about London, the specific time, date and place: Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802 is a message to the reader that the poet remains a Romantic yet could not help but succumb to this particularly powerful vision of beauty. By creating such a precise title, Wordsworth attempts to explain that any Romantic would have felt the same way and therefore, it is not meant to be unexpected; he attempts to explain that this experience was an anomaly. Although it seems that Blake only saw a certain, lower class part of London where soliciting and disease thrived alongside especially harsh working conditions for children, Blakes poem, London is typical of a Romantic poet who was opposed to the Industrial Revolution and therefore, this justifies the reason for him writing such a negative poem, since the Romantics were preoccupied with the idea of a bucolic landscape.

What Are The Effects Of Petroleum Environmental Sciences Essay

What Are The Effects Of Petroleum Environmental Sciences Essay Is a process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network of communication and trade. The term is sometimes used to refer specifically to economic globalization: the integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, and the spread of technology. However, globalization is usually recognized as being driven by a combination of economic, technological, socio-cultural, political, and biological factors. The term can also refer to the transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture through acculturation. 1.2 Petroleum Industry The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline (petrol). Petroleum is also the raw material for many chemical products, including pharmaceuticals, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics. The industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. Midstream operations are usually included in the downstream category. Petroleum is vital to many industries, and is of importance to the maintenance of industrial civilization itself, and thus is a critical concern for many nations. 1.3 Current Situation Reliable Source of Energy: Petroleum is still the most reliable source of energy. Although renewable sources of energy do exist, but the extent to which they can replace petroleum and the possible environmental damage they may cause is not known and controversial. For transportation use high energy density liquid petroleum cannot be replaced by sun, wind, geothermal and other renewable electricity sources. Environmental Pollution: One of the most prevalent sources of environmental degradation in the industrialized world is the petroleum-derived contaminants. In large concentrations, hydrocarbon molecules that make up the petroleum products are highly toxic for the living organisms. Petroleum also contains some amount of sulphur and nitrogen compounds, which when react with the environment they produce secondary poisonous chemicals. Oil Spills: Oil spills are most visible source of petroleum pollution. During transporting crude oil from one country to another these oil spills occur. Oil travels for long distance by either ocean tanker or land pipeline. Oil spills also occur at areas where oil is extracted. Massive quantities of petroleum are released into land and marine ecosystems when there is a tanker, pipeline or oil well accident. Small spill near shore is more harmful for marine organisms then a large oil spill in the open ocean. Global Warming: Petroleum fuelled transportation is considered as one of the chief reasons of global warming. Greenhouse effect is created by the capture of excess amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxide. Carbon Dioxide even though is not a toxic, but its the main constituent of petroleum fuel exhaust. About one-third of carbon dioxide emitted in the air every year comes from exhaust of vehicles. Whenever crude oil is extracted, transported, refined or stored methane is also emitted. Lesser Carbon-Dioxide released compared to Coal: Lesser amount of carbon dioxide is released in environment by burning petroleum as compared to coal. So coal has more harmful effects on environment than petroleum. 1.4 Recent Trends Decrease Dependence on Petroleum Energy efficient engines and hybrid gas/electric cars help to reduce some need for oil. It provides better gas mileage and less demand. Renewable Energy Petroleum companies are now investing in renewable energy products and services. There are little or no greenhouse gas emissions through renewable sources of energy and they do not contribute towards formation of smog, acid rain or other hazardous air pollutants. In growing number of applications, renewable sources of energy are used and they have many environmental benefits as well as increased local opportunities. Recycling Used Oil: Used Motor oil can be reprocessed into fuel. Two gallons of used oil can generate enough electricity to run the average household for 24 hours. These days the petroleum companies are providing convenient used oil collection sites at their service stations. Recycling used motor oil conserves a valuable resource as well as it keeps the surface waters and groundwater supplies safe from potential contamination due to improper disposing of used oil. 1.5 Opportunities Reduce impact and occurrence of oil spills: The oil companies should dispose of their waste products carefully and maintain their equipment in peak conditions. For downstream petroleum industry protecting land and groundwater is their priority. Designing environmental friendly disposal solution: Distributors and refiners should work closely with the government authorities to design environmental friendly disposal solutions. These would allow more used oil to be recycled or reused in an environmentally safe manner. Recycling used oil: Used oil can be recycled many times which means less new materials are consumed. Hence refining is more practical. 50 per cent less energy is consumed in re-refining used oil than producing motor or lubricating oil from unrefined crude. Reduce natural gas flaring and implement new emissions estimation and tracking tools: Oil companies have to reduce natural gas flaring in order to cut emissions (while also adding to energy supplies) and  they have to store Carbon Dioxide underground, so that it can be safely preserved for many year. The oil and gas companies should also implement new emissions estimation and tracking tools so that it would enable them to assess how well they are meeting the goals set for themselves and  report  progress to the public. Refinery cleaning: Oil companies should clean up their refineries. They should reduce their air and water emissions. Gasoline should be reformulated to bum cleaner, which would dramatically cut the levels of lead, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons released into the air. 1.6 Threats Alternative Fuels: There are wide variety of alternative fuels developed like ethanol, biodiesel (made from vegetable oil), and hydrogen. They produce little or no green house gases and exhausts. Renewable Sources of Energy: Renewable sources of energy like solar power, bio fuels, geothermal energy, and wind power are available nowadays. Companies are now working with the automakers and government agencies on new fuel and vehicle technology. Global Warming and Environmental Pollution: One of the most prevalent sources of environmental degradation in the industrialized world is the petroleum-derived contaminants. In large concentrations, hydrocarbon molecules that make up the petroleum products are highly toxic for the living organisms. Petroleum also contains some amount of sulphur and nitrogen compounds, which when react with the environment they produce secondary poisonous chemicals. Petroleum fuelled transportation is considered as one of the chief reasons of global warming. Greenhouse effect is created by the capture of excess amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxide. Carbon Dioxide even though is not a toxic, but its the main constituent of petroleum fuel exhaust. About one-third of carbon dioxide emitted in the air every year comes from exhaust of vehicles. Whenever crude oil is extracted, transported, refined or stored methane is also emitted. Oil Spills: Oil spills are most visible source of petroleum pollution. Massive quantities of petroleum are released into land and marine ecosystems when there is a tanker, pipeline or oil well accident. Small spill near shore is more harmful for marine organisms then a large oil spill in the open ocean. 2.0 INFLUENCE OF GOVERNMENT OVER ENVIRONMENT United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It has to co-ordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. They cover wide range of issues regarding atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. They have aided in the development of guidelines and treaties on issues such as the international trade in potentially harmful chemicals, trans-boundary air pollution, and contamination of international waterways. Government Regulations and Petroleum Industry The U.S government provides financial support for exploring alternative sources of energy like renewable sources of energy. They provide grants to researchers so that they can experiment with renewable energy technology. The Department of Energy has developed a grant-based research project called the Climate Change Technology Initiative. Through this CCTI project, researchers help to find ways of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. A partnership was formed between the U.S. government and major automobile manufacturers in U.S with the hope that technology developed through this research would help in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from automobiles in the United States. This grant also helps in supporting other experiments in the field of renewable sources on energy. OPEC supports the use of CCS technology. CCS technology has the potential of reducing emissions by 40%. A need exists for companies to learn more about the CCS process and the different technologies that may be used. Hence, OPEC is further advocating the development of CCS technologies along with the Carbon-Dioxide enhanced oil recovery. Living in a carbon-constrained world has lead to changes in policy priorities in industrialized countries. Many companies and countries have already implemented policies to limit the use of petroleum products in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However other energy sources (like coal) have far greater carbon emissions than petroleum. 3.0 Summary Energy is what moves the world. And many energy resources have been relied upon for ages, to make our lives convenient and comfortable. Petroleum is one such energy resource.   Energy, environment and associated global warming concerns are the focus of raging debates as the global climate system impacts the political climate. The impending energy crisis and the soaring oil prices have their roots in the fast depleting non-renewable source of energy: petroleum. Petroleum takes the spotlight as the worlds primary energy resource as the petroleum industry produces indispensable gasoline and other fuel derivatives. Petroleum is considered a major building block for the economy as well. Therefore the petroleum industry, generating bulk-volume products by way of gasoline and fuel oil, is of paramount significance when issues related to energy or ecology are at the center of current public and world affairs. Petroleum has been the critical element for development of numerous industries in the last two centuries. The receding supply of petroleum has sparked off the search for crude through offshore drilling.   The process of oil exploration with offshore drilling is a tedious and intensive one.   Oil wells are dug miles into the earth or the sea shore in the hope of finding natural gas. Oil and gas have been much under the spotlight because the global specter of rising oil prices strains the economies of the world. Recommendations The oil companies should dispose of their waste products carefully and maintain their equipment in peak conditions. For downstream petroleum industry protecting land and groundwater is their priority. Used oil can be recycled many times which means less new materials are consumed. Hence refining is more practical. 50 per cent less energy is consumed in re-refining used oil than producing motor or lubricating oil from unrefined crude. Distributors and refiners should work closely with the government authorities to design environmental friendly disposal solutions. These would allow more used oil to be recycled or reused in an environmentally safe manner. Oil companies should now invest in alternative fuels like ethanol, biodiesel (made from vegetable oil), and hydrogen. Oil companies need to look for renewable sources of energy like solar power, bio fuels, geothermal energy, and wind power. Oil companies should also reduce its demand by increasing their efficiency.

Sir Gawain and Green Knight Essays: Plot Elements :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Plot Elements in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  Ã‚   The most striking feature of the organisation of plot elements in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the fact that the meaning of the poem is enacted by the shape of the narrative itself. The three major elements of the plot of this narrative: the Beheading Game, the Temptation, and the Exchange of Winnings are linked in a way which helps convey the meaning of the poem. The reader quickly realises the interdependence of the Temptation plot and the Exchange of Winnings plot. The bedroom scenes correlate with the hunting scenes - therefore each one must be understood in reference to the other. On each of the three days the behaviour of Sir Gawain corresponds to that of the animal, which had been killed on that day. On the first day he is cautious - like a deer; on the second he is more like a boar; and on the third he is cunning - like a fox. These are not the only similarities between the two plot elements . Hunting is generally used in literature as a metaphor for the pursuit of love - that is for courting. This metaphor had most probably already been known in the Middle Ages and was used by the Gawain Poet. The most important device used to make readers aware of the interdependence of these two plot elements is the technique of narration. Great care is taken to make sure the reader understands that the bedroom scenes and the hunt scenes happen at the same time. The narration jumps from the castle to the forest â€Å"Pursuing the wild swine till the sunlight slanted./All day with this deed they drive forth the time/While our lone knight so lovesome lies in his bed†.(l 1467-1469). Each bedroom scene is â€Å"inserted† into a hunting scene - which emphasises their simultaneity. The Beheading Game is also linked to the other two plot elements - but in a way which only becomes visible to the reader after having read the entire text of the poem. At first, the castle episode seems to be an interlude between the two parts of the Beheading Game. The reader awaits the climax - that is the second part of the Beheading Game. Finally it turns out that the real test has already taken place and the Game itself proves to be an anticlimax.

History of Special Needs Provision in Ireland Essay

The history of education for children with special needs in Ireland has been one of neglect and exclusion until there was a change in attitudes and policies. The government had no need for policies regarding education and care of children with additional needs because they were carried out by religious orders. Many children were sent away to hospitals, homes and even asylums. They were hidden away from society. There were three stages in relation to the education and care of children with additional needs. Era of Neglect and Denial The era of neglect and denial was when the government thought children with special needs didn’t need to be educated and were seen as a medical problem. The Medical Model of Disability thought that children with special needs were abnormal. The problem was seen to be with the person with special needs and this model focuses on the causes of the disability and would look for cures rather than accept the person. â€Å"The medical model of disability views disability as a ‘problem’ that belongs to the disabled individual. It is not seen as an issue to concern anyone other than the individual† (www.2.le.ac.uk, Assessed 07 March 2014). Era of Special Schools The era of special schools was when a number of religious orders set up schools for children with special needs. The care and education was entirely up to the religious orders and the children would often board here rather than stay at home with their families. These schools were later recognised by the state. The government now believed children with special needs needed to be educated but not with â€Å"normal† children. They believed that the children would interfere with the education of the other children and therefore could not be educated in the same schools. Era of Integration and Inclusion The era of integration and inclusion began when the government introduced policies on education for children with special needs. They introduced these because of the decline in religion and religious orders. The state took over the care and education of children with additional needs. There was a demand for these children to be educated in schools alongside children who did not have special educational needs. This did happen but the children with special needs were taught in separate classrooms away from the other children. They were been educated but still not included. There are over 140 special schools in Ireland to date. These schools are designed for children who cannot be educated in mainstream schools. Some children may go to these schools for a period of time and then move into mainstream schools. Children with special needs are entitled to a free education until they reach eighteen years of age. They are entitled to help and support from resource teachers or special need assistants if the need it and to be educated in the same environment as every other child and to be treated equally. Legislation and Policies The Education Act 1998 The Education Act 1998 was the first piece of legislation that outlined the rights regarding education. This act is a general one but it provided the first legal definition of disability, the first legal definition of special educational needs and it defined what support services are. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of teachers, Board of Management, the Inspector and the Minister for Education. The Education Act 1998 says that all children including children with special needs are entitled to free education. Parents have the right to send their children to a school of their choice. All schools must respect beliefs, languages and traditions of all children. Schools have to have a plan in place to deal with any obstacles that may affect the education or welfare of a child with additional needs. All children have the right to be treated equally and should be included in all aspects of education despite their ability or disability. â€Å"This was the first piece of legislatio n passed since the foundation of the state that directly outlined the government’s rights and legal obligations regarding education† (Assisting Children with Special Needs, Assessed 08 March 2014: 10). The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 This Act was passed to ensure that all people with special educational needs can be educated in an inclusive environment where this is possible. They have the same rights to education as a person who does not have special educational  needs. They have the right to the equipment they need in order to participate and continue with their education. The Board of Management needs to provide information to the parents and others relating to the education of the child. They need to ensure the progress of the child is monitored and reviewed regularly. To review the resources that are needed to help and provide education to children with special needs. They need to ensure that the needs of the child are being met and that a plan is put in place specifically for each child. â€Å"This Act was passed in June, 2004. The Act makes provision for the education of people with special educational needs, to provide that education whe rever possible, in an inclusive environment with those who do not have such needs† (www.asti.ie, Accessed 10 March 2014) Special Needs Conditions Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ADHD is a common behavioural disorder that affects school age children and is more common in boys. Signs and Symptoms There are three major symptoms of ADHD inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Some signs of ADHD are been easily distracted, switching from one activity to another frequently and talking excessively. Causes The causes of ADHD are not known. There are a number of factors that may be linked to ADHD such as genetics, diet and family environments. Diagnosis The diagnosis should only be made if the problem has been assessed for more than six months and has happened in two or more places. This is because there are other conditions which are very similar to ADHD that have to be ruled out. â€Å"Attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) is a disorder that appears in early childhood. You may know it by the name attention deficit disorder, or ADD. ADD/ADHD makes it difficult for people to inhibit their spontaneous response – response that can involve everything to speech to attentiveness† (www.helpguide.org, Accessed 09 March 2014). Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy occurs when the part of the brain that controls muscle tone and movement is damaged. The condition can result in someone just been  clumsy or it can be more severe where the person cannot walk or move any part of their body. Signs and Symptoms Cerebral palsy may have the following signs and symptoms, lack of movement, difficulty walking, delays in speech development and trouble with swallowing. Causes There are no exact causes for cerebral palsy but it may be caused by brain damage before or during a child’s birth. Diagnosis A diagnosis for cerebral palsy will only be made after a child has been assessed and tests carried out. The tests will focus on the child’s movements and their muscle tone. Diagnosis for cerebral palsy can take a long time. â€Å"Cerebral palsy is a term used to refer to a group of complicated conditions that affect movement and posture because of damage to or failure in the development of the part of the brain that controls movement† (www.sess.ie, Accessed 10 March 2014). Autism Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brain from functioning properly. Autism affects the way a person communicates and how they relate to other people. Signs and Symptoms Some signs and symptoms of autism are if a child does not respond to their name by the age of twelve months, have no words by sixteen months and does not point at objects to show interest by fourteen months. The child will avoid eye contact and will like to play alone frequently. Causes The exact cause of autism is unknown. Abnormalities in the brain, genetics and environmental toxins may be causes but this have not been proven. Diagnosis A screening test to diagnoise autism must be based on the observation of communication, behaviour and development and compare them to children in the same age group. â€Å"Autism is a neurological condition in which a child is unable to relate to people and situations. It first emerges in early childhood, when the child is first developing social and interpersonal skills. It is a rare condition affecting approximately five people out of  every 10,000† (www.irishhealth.com, Accessed 11 March 2014). Dyslexia Dyslexia is a learning disorder which makes reading, writing and spelling more difficult. It is the most common learning difficulty among children. Signs and Symptoms The most common sign of dyslexia is getting letters and words jumbled up. Lack of self-esteem, bad behaviour and lack of interest in school related activities are symptoms of having dyslexia. Causes There is no real evidence to suggest what causes dyslexia but it may be caused by an impairment in the brain or it may be inherited. Diagnosis Tests will be done on a child that is suspected of having dyslexia and will focus on how the child processes information, their language abilities and word recognition. â€Å"There was a time in Ireland when dyslexia was the disorder that dare not speak his name. The Dyslexia Association of Ireland. (DAI), established 40 years ago this year, had to change its name in the 1980s to the Association of Children and Adults with Learning Difficulties, so it would be taken seriously† (www.irishtimes.com, Accessed 11 March 2014). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) FASD is mental and physical condition that results from alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Signs and Symptoms Some of the signs and symptoms of FASD may include having a small head, deformities of limbs, heart defects and vision or hearing difficulties. Causes The causes of FASD is when a mother drinks alcohol excessively during her pregnancy. Alcohol interferes with the oxygen getting to the developing brain. Diagnosis FASD can only be diagnosed after a child is born. Doctors will access motor skills, facial features and heart problems. Support Services HADD Ireland is a support group for people affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They offer a wide variety of services  including courses for young people, courses for parents and support groups. In these courses they build skills, promote self-awareness and encourage problem solving. In the support groups they offer talks and workshops for parents that provide information and advice on ADHD. Cerebral Palsy Alliance is a support group that provides support and assistance for parents and carers of people who suffer from cerebral palsy. Each service is in place to help improve the quality of life and participation in everyday life. The services they provide include therapy and health services, counselling and respite care. They offer early intervention services and mentoring programmes for teenagers Irish Autism Action is an organisation that was formed to help sufferers of autism and their families. They offer a range of services including early detection prog rammes, education support, counselling, and home based support. They also have a helpline that offers confidential information and support for people with autism. They provide information and advice to families upon a diagnosis been made. Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) is a membership based organisation that educates people about dyslexia. They offer appropriate and effective support services for children and adults dealing with dyslexia. The services they provide are information services through phone, website or text, assessment services, specialist tuition for children through workshops or one on one tuition, training and education for parents, teachers and others. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Ireland is a support group that was set up by a group of carers who have had contact with children who suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). They provide information to families, carers and individuals on any disability associated with FASD. Alcohol Awareness Week 2014 is one way in which they provide information and promote awar eness about FASD. References University of Leicester: â€Å"The social and medical model of disability† (Online), available: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ssds/accessability/staff/accessabilitytutors/information-for-accessability-tutors/the-social-and-medical-model-of-disability

Virtue in Several Dialogues

Plato presents Socrates views on the question whether virtue can be taught in several dialogues, most notably in Protagoras and Meno. In Meno Menon puts the question to Socrates this way: â€Å"Can you tell me, Socrates–can virtue be taught? Or if not, does it come by practice? Or does it come neither by practice nor by teaching, but do people get it by nature, or in some other way?† [35]. Socrates claims to not â€Å"know the least little thing about virtue† and unable to speak as to its qualities. Moreover, he claims to know no one that does. [29]. There follows a discussion as to whether Gorgias, the Sophist, might not be such a person. Both Socrates and Menon know Gorgias' teaching. Menon obviously has a higher opinion of Gorgias' teaching than does Socrates. It is agreed, upon Socrates suggestion, that the conversation should proceed to explore what Menon, not Gorgias, knows about virtue. And so Socrates, puts the question to Menon: â€Å"[W]hat do you say virtue is?† [29] Menon finds â€Å"nothing difficult† in the question and attempts, forthwith, to answer it. But there are complications with the answer, for Menon has suggested that men, slaves, children, women all demonstrate a different kind of virtue, and concludes that there is a virtue â€Å"for doing each sort of work† associated with being a slave, a child, a woman, a free man. Menon's idea of virtue is what we would call role specific. Socrates attempts to show that Menon's initial answer misses the point because it does not show what is common to the virtues of these various actors. If the virtue of men and women, free men and slaves, does not share something in common then it cannot be said to be the same thing and one would necessarily call the one virtue, and the other something else. As Socrates puts it, â€Å"Even if there are many different kinds of them [virtues], they all have one something, the same in all, which makes them virtues.† [30]. Menon accepts Socrates criticism and argues that it is indeed one thing of which he speaks. In order to determine what the common quality of virtue is, Socrates observes that Menon has associated virtue with the ability to manage public affairs well. Socrates now sets out to question Menon on whether virtue would be present in the management of public affairs in the absence of temperance and justice and Menon readily agrees that it would not. Socrates has already disclaimed any personal knowledge of virtue and he has steered Menon away from a discussion of Gorgias' view of virtue. But when Menon fails to provide a persuasive account of his conception of virtue, Socrates poses a question with substantive content. Socrates may know nothing about virtue, but he knows enough to ask whether virtue can be present without temperance and justice. The question suggest that it is Socrates rather than Menon who knows enough about virtue to keep the conversation going. Socrates interrupts the dialogue to make a brief statement about the conversation he has been having with Menon. He distinguishes the conversation he is having with Menon from those where the questioner is â€Å"one of those clever fellow, who just chop logic and argue to win.† Questions such as the one that Socrates and Menon are discussing — whether virtue can be taught? — are best left, says Socrates, to â€Å"friends† who wish to talk together. In such a relationship argues Socrates, â€Å"I must answer more gently and more like friends talking together; and perhaps it is more like friends talking together, not only to answer with truth, but to use only what the one who is questioned admits that he knows.† [34] Socrates, in rapport with Menon, tries to clear up a possible confusion as to whether it is possible to seek that which is bad. Socrates suggests, as he does in other dialogues, that we â€Å"all desire good things.† Menon has responded to Socrates question by saying that one can desire bad things. Socrates tries to clarify this point by asking whether one desires that which is bad because of a mistake, that it is assumed to be bad. But Menon does not pick up on the point and contends that one desires the bad both as a result of a misplaced assumption as to its value and we can also desire the bad even when it is known to be bad. But upon further questions, Menon agrees with Socrates that no one seeks to inflict injury and misery upon himself, and it is injury and misery that are the results of that which is bad. Socrates summary of their agreement goes like this: â€Å"Then it is plain that those who desire bad things are those who don't know what they are, but they desire what they thought were good whereas they really are bad. . . .† [37] Menon has mentioned in passing that virtue consists of the desire of good things and to provide the good. Menon admits that one good thing it is possible to desire is â€Å"to possess gold and silver and public honour and appointments.† [38]. Socrates inquires now whether the virtue of possession of gold and silver must be qualified so that its possession is fair and just. Menon agrees that it is not a virtue to have such possessions if they have been unjustly acquired. On the contrary it would be a vice. â€Å"It is necessary,† Socrates says, â€Å"to add to this getting, justice or temperance or piety or some other bit of virtue, or else it will not be virtue, although it provides good things.† [39] Socrates rebuffs Menon for trying to talk about virtue by looking at it piece by piece and drawing into the discussion a sense of virtue that he has not yet presented. Menon agrees that it is a problem and comments on his reaction to what has gone on: Well now, my dear Socrates, you are just like what I always heard before I met you: always puzzled yourself and puzzling everybody else. And now you seem to me to be a regular wizard, you dose me with drugs and bewitch me with charms and spells, and drown me in puzzledom. I'll tell you just what you are like, if you will forgive a little jest: your looks and the rest of you are exactly like a flatfish and you sting like this stingray–only go near and touch one of those fish and you go numb, and that is the sort of thing you seem to have done to me. [40] Socrates response to Menon's description of his puzzlement is that he himself is â€Å"not clear-headed† when he puzzles others, and that he is â€Å"as puzzled as puzzled can be, and thus I make others puzzled too.† [41]. And where can the conversation go from here? Socrates says, that he wishes to investigate virtue with Menon's help so â€Å"that we may both try to find out what it is.† [41] Socrates argues that there is no such thing as teaching, only remembering. This notion of teaching comes out of Socrates belief in the immortality of the soul. The soul dies but is reborn and thus never destroyed. (This is given by Socrates as a reason for why â€Å"we must live our lives as much as we can in holiness. . . .†) â€Å"Then, since the soul is immortal and often born, having seen what is on earth and what is in the house of Hades, and everything, there is nothing it has not learnt; so there is no wonder it can remember about virtue and other things, because it knew about these before. For since all nature is akin, and the soul has learnt everything, there is nothing to hinder a man, remembering one thing only–which men call learning–from himself finding out all else, if he is brave and does not weary in seeking; for seeking and learning is all remembrance.† [42] After questioning the slave boy about geometry Socrates seeks Menon's concurrence in the proposition that the boy, shown to have been in error about geometry, is better off now, that he too is numbed but has knowledge about the limits of what he knows. By being numbed by the sting of Socrates' conversation the slave has come a step â€Å"onwards, as it seems, to find out how he stands.† [29]. Menon answers yes, when Socrates asked: â€Å"Then do you think he would have tried to find out or to learn what he thought he knew, not knowing, until he tumbled into difficulty by thinking he did not know, and longed to know?† Menon agrees, that he does not think he would and thus gains from being numbed. Menon takes up again his original question, whether virtue can be taught, or one gets it by nature or in some other way. Socrates agrees to proceed but contends that they need a common ground as neither of them can say at this point what virtue is. Socrates has Menon agree that if virtue is knowledge then it can be taught, and if not a knowledge then it cannot be taught. (Conclusion: All that is taught call be called knowledge.)