The Role of Ancient Gods Essay -- essays research papers fc

When we study ancient Greek and Roman literature, we realize that the world perception in those times, among people, was much different from what it is now. It is especially obvious when we begin to analyze the role of mythical and religious elements in ancient literature. According to the classical Christian theological theory, people’s need for believing in supernatural beings is caused by their fear of nature. This concept strikingly resembles the Marxist explanation - it also names fear as the main factor. If one reads Homer’s â€Å"Iliad† and â€Å"Odyssey,† and Virgil’s â€Å"Aeneid†, he gets to realize that the ancient concept of people’s interaction with Gods is totally deprived of fear in any form. In all three masterpieces, Gods are basically described as humans, with all their strengths and weaknesses, although being immortal. Humans often revere Gods, but not out of fear – they simply respect their superiority. Many historians suggest that one of the main reasons, which enabled Greek and Roman civilizations to reach extraordinary heights in the fields of culture and science, is the fact of their religious liberalism. Let us to take a closer look at all three poems, so it’ll be easier for us to find common religious motives in all of them. Homer’s â€Å"Odyssey† is one of the finest examples of ancient Greek literature. Along with â€Å"Iliad† it represents an ultimate expression of ancient spirit, which we still use as a standard while assessing the cultural legacy of our own Western civilization. Modern historians doubt whether the same author wrote these two epic masterpieces. The main reason for this is that â€Å"Odyssey†, stylistically and conceptually, is much different from â€Å"Iliad†. First one is a high tragedy, its storyline based on the events of Trojan War. The style of this poem is very noble and there is no place for petty human weaknesses. The action takes place at the time when city of Troy was being besieged by Achaeans. Achaean leader Agamemnon takes Chrysies as his prize. She prays Apollo, who sends a plague on Achaeans. Achaean hero Achilles asks his mother sea-nymph Thetis to ask Zeus to punish Achaeans for being ignorant towards Achilles: â€Å"God of the silver bow, thy ear incline, Whose power encircles Cilla the divine; Whose sacred eye thy Tenedos surveys, And gilds fair Chrysa with distinguished rays! If, fired to vengeance at thy priest's request, Thy d... ...iter favors Aeneas. The God of Sea Neptune is also on the side of Aeneas, who’s able to safely reach the shores of Carthage, after storm dies down as a result of Neptune’s involvement. Among other Roman Gods that interact with Aeneas, we can name Mercury, Aeolus, Cupid, Allecto, Vulcan, Saturn and Minerva. The role of divine beings in all three poems can hardly be overestimated. What separates these poems from later Christian literature is the fact the Gods actively participate in people’s affairs and there is no judgment found on them†¦ Bibliography: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homer. â€Å"The Odyssey†. Translated by Fitzgerald, R. Garden City, NY, Anchor/Doubleday, 1961 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homer. â€Å"The Iliad†. Translated by Lattimore, R. University of Chicago. 1951. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vergil. â€Å"Aeneid†. Translated by Williams. T. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1910. The Outline 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  P. 1, Short introduction of the topic. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pp. 1 – 2, Homer’s â€Å"Iliad† analysis. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pp. 2 – 3, Homer’s â€Å"Odyssey† analysis. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pp. 3 – 4, Virgil’s â€Å"Aeneid† analysis. The Role of Ancient Gods Essay -- essays research papers fc When we study ancient Greek and Roman literature, we realize that the world perception in those times, among people, was much different from what it is now. It is especially obvious when we begin to analyze the role of mythical and religious elements in ancient literature. According to the classical Christian theological theory, people’s need for believing in supernatural beings is caused by their fear of nature. This concept strikingly resembles the Marxist explanation - it also names fear as the main factor. If one reads Homer’s â€Å"Iliad† and â€Å"Odyssey,† and Virgil’s â€Å"Aeneid†, he gets to realize that the ancient concept of people’s interaction with Gods is totally deprived of fear in any form. In all three masterpieces, Gods are basically described as humans, with all their strengths and weaknesses, although being immortal. Humans often revere Gods, but not out of fear – they simply respect their superiority. Many historians suggest that one of the main reasons, which enabled Greek and Roman civilizations to reach extraordinary heights in the fields of culture and science, is the fact of their religious liberalism. Let us to take a closer look at all three poems, so it’ll be easier for us to find common religious motives in all of them. Homer’s â€Å"Odyssey† is one of the finest examples of ancient Greek literature. Along with â€Å"Iliad† it represents an ultimate expression of ancient spirit, which we still use as a standard while assessing the cultural legacy of our own Western civilization. Modern historians doubt whether the same author wrote these two epic masterpieces. The main reason for this is that â€Å"Odyssey†, stylistically and conceptually, is much different from â€Å"Iliad†. First one is a high tragedy, its storyline based on the events of Trojan War. The style of this poem is very noble and there is no place for petty human weaknesses. The action takes place at the time when city of Troy was being besieged by Achaeans. Achaean leader Agamemnon takes Chrysies as his prize. She prays Apollo, who sends a plague on Achaeans. Achaean hero Achilles asks his mother sea-nymph Thetis to ask Zeus to punish Achaeans for being ignorant towards Achilles: â€Å"God of the silver bow, thy ear incline, Whose power encircles Cilla the divine; Whose sacred eye thy Tenedos surveys, And gilds fair Chrysa with distinguished rays! If, fired to vengeance at thy priest's request, Thy d... ...iter favors Aeneas. The God of Sea Neptune is also on the side of Aeneas, who’s able to safely reach the shores of Carthage, after storm dies down as a result of Neptune’s involvement. Among other Roman Gods that interact with Aeneas, we can name Mercury, Aeolus, Cupid, Allecto, Vulcan, Saturn and Minerva. The role of divine beings in all three poems can hardly be overestimated. What separates these poems from later Christian literature is the fact the Gods actively participate in people’s affairs and there is no judgment found on them†¦ Bibliography: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homer. â€Å"The Odyssey†. Translated by Fitzgerald, R. Garden City, NY, Anchor/Doubleday, 1961 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homer. â€Å"The Iliad†. Translated by Lattimore, R. University of Chicago. 1951. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vergil. â€Å"Aeneid†. Translated by Williams. T. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1910. The Outline 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  P. 1, Short introduction of the topic. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pp. 1 – 2, Homer’s â€Å"Iliad† analysis. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pp. 2 – 3, Homer’s â€Å"Odyssey† analysis. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pp. 3 – 4, Virgil’s â€Å"Aeneid† analysis.

Behavior Therapy: Basic Concepts, Assessment Methods, and Applications

Behavior Therapy: Basic Concepts, Assessment Methods, and Applications. Different kinds of psychotherapies have existed throughout history, and have always been rooted in philosophical views of human nature (Wachtel P. , 1997). Specifically, behavior therapy intents to help individuals overcome difficulties in nearly any aspect of human experience (Thorpe G. & Olson S. , 1990). The techniques of behavior therapy have been applied to education, the workplace, consumer activities, and even sports, but behavior therapy in clinical settings is largely concerned with the assessment of mental health problems.In general, behavior therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims on changing undesirable types of behavior. It engages in identifying objectionable, maladaptive behaviors and replacing them with healthier ones. . According to Rimm D. & Masters J. (1974), the label â€Å"behavior therapy† comprises a large number of different techniques that make use of psychological-especially learning- principles to deal with maladaptive human behavior. Behavior therapy is a relative new kind of psychotherapy (Corsini R. & Wedding D. , 2008).As a systematic approach, behavior therapy began in the 1950’s, in order to assess and treat psychological disorders. Behavior therapy was developed by a small group of psychologists and physicians who were not satisfied with the conventional techniques of psychotherapy (Thorpe G. et al, 1990). They linked behavior therapy to experimental psychology, differentiating it from other preexisting approaches. During behavior therapy’s first phase, the applied developed from principles of classical and operant conditioning. There are varying views about the best way to define behavior therapy.However, most health professionals agree to Eysenck's definition: â€Å"Behavior therapy is the attempt to alter human behavior and emotions in a beneficial way according to the laws of modern learning theory†. Erwin E. (1978), ins tead of proposing a specific definition for behavior therapy, he referred to some basic and important characteristics that this therapy possesses. According to Erwin, behavior therapy is used largely to lessen human suffering or to improve human functioning. He pointed out that it is a psychological rather than a biological form of treatment.In the cases of phobias treatment, behavior therapy is usually applied to treat the symptoms directly. Moreover, behavior therapy is characteristically used to modify maladaptive behavior or to teach adaptive behavior. This means that the focus is on individuals’ behavior. In some cases, behavior therapy techniques may even be used to reduce unwanted mental states as in Davinson’s (1968) use of counterconditioning to reduce sadistic fantasy, simply because the mental state itself is unwanted (as stated in Erwin, 1978).Another basic characteristic of behavior therapy is that it is often used in an incremental rather than a holistic fashion. Problems that are to be treated are first divided into their components and each component is treated separately. Last, behavior therapy is studied and used experimentally, being closely related to learning theory research. Three main approaches in contemporary behavior therapy have been identified (Corsini R. et al, 2008). These are the applied behavior analysis (ABA), the neobehavioristic meditational stimulus-response model, and the social cognitive theory.ABA refers to the application of the principles of learning and motivation from Behavior Analysis (the scientific study of behavior), and the procedures and technology derived from those principles, to the solution of problems of social significance. This approach is based on Skinner’s radical behaviorism. It identifies behaviors that should be extinguished and behaviors that are to be taught. It makes use of reinforcement, punishment, extinction, stimulus control, and other procedures derived from laboratory re search (Corsini R. et al, 2008).It is most frequently applied to children with autistic spectrum disorders, but is an effective tool for children with behavioral disorders, multiple disabilities, and severe intellectual handicaps. The neobehavioristic meditational stimulus-response (S-R) model features the applications of the principles of classical conditioning, and it derives from the learning theories of Ivan Pavlov, E. Guthrie, lark Hull, O. Mowrer, and N. Miller (as cited in Corsini et al, 2008). The S-R model has been linked to systematic desensitization and flooding.Systematic desensitization was developed by Joseph Wolpe (1958). It is a therapy for phobias based on counterconditioning -a technique for eliminating a conditioned response that involves pairing a conditioned stimulus with another unconditioned stimulus to condition a new response. If the new response in incompatible with the old response, so that only one response can occur at a time, then the new response can r eplace the old one. In systematic desensitization, patients visualize fear- evoking stimuli while relaxing, to associate the stimuli with relaxation instead of fear. (Lieberman D. , 2004).Flooding is another psychotherapeutic technique discovered by psychologist Thomas Stampfl (1967) (as cited in Harold, 1990) that is still used in behavior therapy to treat phobias. It works by exposing the individual to painful memories they already have aiming to put together their repressed feelings with their current awareness. Flooding works on the principles of classical conditioning (Lieberman D. , 2004). Social cognitive theory (SCT) refers to learning in terms of interaction between external stimulus response, external reinforcement, and cognitive meditational processes (Corsini et al 2008).Personal and environmental factors do not function as independent determinants; rather, they determine each other. It is mainly through their behavior that individuals produce the environmental condition s that affect their behavior in a mutual way. New experiences are evaluated in relation to the past; prior experiences help to subsequently direct and inform the individual as to how the present should be considered. Behavior therapy has mainly been associated with the era between 1950 and 1960, especially with the theories of I. Pavlov, E. Skinner, J. Wolpe, and A.Bandura (Yates A. , 1975). It is a clinical application of psychology that relies on empirically-validated principles and procedures (Plaud, 2001). Since the first behavior therapy alternatives to the psychoanalysis and other associated therapies were introduced almost 50 ago (Wolpe, 1958), constant improvements in behavior therapy have mostly been supplied by its foundation on conditioning principles and theories (Eifert ; Plaud, 1998). Specifically, behavior therapy relies exclusively on the experimental methodology initiated by I. Pavlov. Clinical applications of Pavlovian onditioning principles began in 1912, when one of Pavlov’s students, was the first to establish the counter-conditioning effect in the laboratory. Studies on anxiety have considerably assisted behavior therapy’s development. According to Wolpe and Plaud (1997), Wolpe’s experimental studies were based on the implications of early Pavlovian experiments by giving emphasis to the importance of the conditioning procedures. Actually, Wolpe made important contributions to behavioral therapy, such as proposing systematic desensitization and assertiveness training, both of which have become important elements of behavioral therapy.Albert Bandura is usually associated with the development of the social cognitive theory (Corsini et al, 2008). Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory derived from social learning theory. It aims to explain how behavioral principles and norms are learned through an interaction of the individual and his/her environment, mostly through the observing others. Skinner worked on radical behavi orism. He rejected traditional psychology and all the included concepts that referred to what he called mentalism.That meant any concept that revealed a belief in cause and effect relationships between mental activities and learned behavior. In the 1966 edition of his 1928 book, The Behavior of Organisms, Skinner still named the belief that emotions are important factors in behavior a â€Å"mental fiction. † In addition, he thought that it is wrong, or at least not scientific, to consider that people cry because they are sorry or tremble because they are afraid. Behavior therapy developed rapidly. Three â€Å"waves†, that actually are three divisions of the behavior therapy’s development, have been proposed.The first wave focused mainly on altering overt behavior. The second wave focused on the cognitive factors that contribute to behavior. This approach is also known as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The â€Å"third wave† of behavior therapy was propo sed by Hayes, Hollette, and Linehan (as cited in Corsini et al, 2008). It includes dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). On the whole, DBT claims that some individuals, due to unfavorable environments during childhood and due to unknown biological factors, react abnormally to emotional stimulation.Their level of arousal increases much more rapidly, peaks at a higher level, and takes more time to go back to baseline. DBT is a technique for learning skills that aids to reduce this reaction. DBT applies mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills (Yates A. , 1975). Mindfulness skills include core skills. They are the most difficult skills to accomplish, but when learned, the process of thoughts and emotions occurs in an significantly different manner.Some of the processes included to the mindfulness skill, as listed by Corsini et al (2008), are the following: Observe or attend to emotions without trying to terminate them when painful, describe a thought or emotion, be nonjudgmental, stay in the present, focus on one thing at a time (one-mindfully). Mindfulness skills are applied in later sessions, when the other (three) types of skills on focus. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a quite new type of psychotherapy, found by Steven C. Hayes in the mid 1990s.It is the development and combination of behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has mostly been the established therapy for treatment of conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Acceptance and commitment therapy, like CBT, is based on the philosophy of â€Å"Functional Contextualism†, a modern philosophy of science rooted in philosophical pragmatism and contextualism, suggesting that words and ideas can only be understood within some kind of context and they are therefore often misinterpreted due to the fact that people have individual contexts.An ad ditional therapy that has had an impact on ACT is Relational Frame therapy, a type of behavioral analysis focused on language and learning. ACT is differentiated from CBT since it directly accepts the thought, â€Å"Everybody hates me. † This thought is viewed without passion, and sometimes it is transformed to a phrase like â€Å"I am having the thought that everybody hates me. † Ding so may be repeated until the thought becomes defused. Hayes identifies about 100 defusion techniques in ACT. Previous distracting thoughts are not actively dismisses by the individual going through ACT.This is another distinguishing factor from CBT which intends to reduce distracting and unhelpful thoughts. ACT therapists argue that the process of their therapy is much briefer than CBT, and for that reason it is considered more effective. There is a variety of concepts referring to behavior therapy. Two main categories of those concepts are the learning principles and the personal variab les. In classical conditioning, the researcher begins with identifying a reflex response, one that is activated regularly by a specific stimulus (Thorpe et al, 1990). In humans, these reflexes include he eye-blink response to dust or a puff of air in the eye, and the reflex of the knee jerk reflex in response to a hit in the correct point by the researcher’s hammer. Such reflexes appear regularly without any particular guidance, so they are considered to be unlearned or unconditioned. Classical conditioning occurs when a new stimulus acquires the ability to trigger one of these reflex responses. Operant conditioning makes use of the principles of (positive or negative) reinforcement and (positive/negative) punishment to bring about a desired response. (Lieberman D. 1994). Positive reinforcement is the presentation of something pleasant or rewarding immediately following a behavior, but In Negative Reinforcement a particular behavior is strengthened by the consequence of the s topping or avoiding of a negative condition. Moving to punishment, negative punishment occurs when in an attempt to decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future, an operant response is followed by the removal of a desired stimulus, though in positive punishment an operant response is followed by the presentation of an aversive stimulus.Operant conditioning occurs when a consequence eventually becomes expected for a particular behavior. One example would be when a student is rewarded for getting good grades. The positive outcome of their behavior to study and achieve gain those grades is motivated by the anticipation of a positive result in addition to the good grades. In order to teach individuals complex tasks, Skinner proposed a system of successive approximations of operant learning where tasks are broken down into several steps that, when individually learned, summarily progress towards the complex task desired.Extinction refers to the reducing the probability o f a response when a characteristic reinforcing stimulus is no longer presented. Discrimination learning is the process by which individuals learn to differentiate their responses to different stimuli. When the opposite occurs, that is when individuals fail to discriminate between different situations ending up with behavior on situations other than that in which it was acquired, generalization takes place (Corsini R. et al, 2008). Personal variables that were proposed by Mischel (1973, as cited in Corsini R. et al, 2008), explain and â€Å"swapping† between individual and situation.They include the individual’s competences to create varied behaviors under appropriate conditions, his/her perception of events and people (including the self), expectancies, subjective values and self-regulatory systems. Behavior therapy is applied for and aims to treat only learned behavioral problems. Sometimes, however, health and learned behavioral problems coexist. Whether the individu al being in treatment has a learned behavioral problem alone, or a learned problem which coexists with a learned one has to be determined in the beginning of the process of behavior therapy.Two additional possible situations are either the individual in therapy to have a learned behavior problem as part of a psychosomatic disorder, or to have a medical problem that just appears to have been learned (Yates A. , 1975). Behavioral assessment is vital to behavior therapy. It developed rapidly during the 1970s, after initially being a covered part of behavior therapy in terms of research and professional development (Thorpe G. , et al, 1990). Now, behavior assessment is a rich and diverse subfield of behavior therapy that continues to develop rapidly.In clinical settings, behavior therapy is a method for treating mental health problems. Treatment involves proposing and putting into practice a plan of action that aims to resolve a problem. Deciding on the plan of action depends on the pro blem formulation so what has to be done in the early sessions of the therapy is the agreement of the therapist and the client on what is wrong and what has to be changed to improve or even eliminate it. Behavior therapy uses a number of assessment methods. In guided imagery the individual is guided in imagining a relaxing scene or series of experiences (Rimm D. t al, 1974). When an individual visualizes an imagined scene reacts as though it were actually occurring; therefore, imagined images can have a great impact on behavior. Role playing is a technique used in behavior therapy to provide partaking and involvement in the learning process (Thorpe G. et al, 1990). It helps the individual (learner) to receive objective feedback about his/her performance. Role playing techniques can be applied to motivate individuals pay more attention to their interpersonal state.One of its most important aspects is that it helps the learner experience a real life situation in a protected setting. Ph ysiological recording, self-monitoring, behavioral observation, and psychological tests and measurements are some more examples of the assessment techniques that can be applied during the behavior therapy (Corsini R. et al, 2008). In general, behavior therapists do not use standardized psychodiagnostic tests and projective tests. They broadly make use of checklists and questionnaires, self-report scales of depression, assertion inventories, etc.These assessment techniques are not sufficient for carrying out a functional analysis of the determinants of a problem, but they are useful in establishing the initial severity of the problem and charting therapeutic efficacy over the course of treatment. In conclusion, the clinical investigations of behavior therapists have significantly improved our understanding of how our behavior is coordinated with external events that occur in our lives; they have created ways of mediating in disturbing interpersonal aspects that were not efficiently t reated through other kinds of therapy.Behavior therapy can be applied to treat a full range of psychological disorders. These include anxiety disorders, depression and suicide, sexual dysfunctions, marital problems, eating and weight disorders, addictive disorders, schizophrenia, childhood disorders, phobias, pain management, hypertension, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, etc. (Thorpe G. et al, 1990). References Corsini R, & Wedding D. (2008). Current Psychotherapies. New York: Thomson Brooks/Cole. Eifert, G. , & Plaud, J. (1998). From behavior theory to behavior therapy (pp. 1-14).Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Erwin E. (1978). Behavior Therapy: Scientific, Philosophical, & Moral Foundations. New York: Cambridge University Press. Harold (1990). Handbook of Social and Evaluation Anxiety. New York: Plenum Press. Lieberman D. (2004). Learning and Memory: an integrative approach. United states: Thomson Wadsworth. Plaud, J. (2001). Clinical science and human behavior. Jou rnal of Clinical Psychology, 57, 1089-1102. Rimm D. , & Masters J. (1974). Behavior Therapy: Techniques and Empirical Findings. New York: Academic press. Thorpe G. , & Olson S. 1990). Behavior Therapy: Concepts, Procedures and Applications. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Wachtel P. , (1997). Psychoanalysis, Behavior Therapy, and the Relational World. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Wolpe, J. , & Plaud, J. (1997). Pavlov’s contributions to behavior therapy: The obvious and the not so obvious. American Psychologist, 52, 966-972. Wolpe, Joseph. 1958. Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Yates A. , 1975). Theory and Practice in Behavior Therapy. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Introduction to Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is one of the ways doing research that involves only looking at the quality and not having any results that are quantifiable. This means that the conclusions that are made from a qualitative research are usually based on the secondary research, that is, other researches and conversations have to say. Qualitative research deals with either going through older researches that have already taken place and then using them as a support for taking interviews and focus groups of people or the target market that the research is looking for. This is the main objective of any qualitative research.â€Å"Qualitative is one of the two major approaches to research methodology in social sciences. Qualitative research involves an in-depth understanding of human behaviour and the reasons that govern human behaviour. Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research relies on reasons behind various aspects of behaviour. † (Wikipedia, 2007 ) Introduction to the Research The research that has been picked up for criticism is that which was done by a student on the garment industry in the subcontinent. There are a number of problems that are faced in this industry and there is not a lot that if happening from the WTO side.This is what the research carries further. Criticizing a Research Firstly, looking at the introduction of the paper, it does not explain the garment industry completely. The paper begins with a lot of numbers being thrown such as the garment number in the United States of America. Whenever, a research is conducted it is necessary that the researcher ensure that the secondary research be comparable to that of the research that is being conducted. If the research is being conducted about the subcontinent then there is a need that the garment industry of another developing country be analyzed rather than that of a developed country.The researcher must be careful when choosing such secondary data because it could be damaging to the results of the research. Another problem with the research’s introduction is that the explanation is too brief. The introduction is supposed to do a complete overview of the industry at to what the major products are and what are the current problems in this industry. Yet another point is that at this stage, the researcher should have provided some numbers of the subcontinent in a valid format so that the reader would have a better idea of the situation in the garment sector.The researcher is not going with a flow. There is a need to take up a complete flow of the information and ensure that there are no dead ends to the text. The last sentence of the research does not go with the entire introduction and it seems too abrupt and a lot of rephrasing is required. The next section of the research is the introduction of the WTO. According to a reader’s understanding, the introduction of the WTO should have come before that of the garment industry because the WTO would then be relat ed in the introduction of the industry, which has not been done.The introduction of the WTO is not a complete flow of statements but is rather just a list of the events that had occurred for WTO. The researcher should have taken out time to phrase the numbers and the events into statements so that the reader would be able to make sense of the format of the paper. There are a number of abbreviations that have been provided in the research but there is no glossary at the end of the research that explains what each abbreviation means. There are also no definitions of the operational terms that have been used throughout the research.The paper then goes about discussing the problems in the garment industry. There is no flow of the information and there is a lot of abruptness in the paper. Any reader will not understand what the research is about which also leads to another point. Any research always has an executive summary attached in the beginning of the paper so that the reader can ha ve a quick preview of the contents of the paper, also by looking at the table of contents, and understand the matter of the paper, whether it is worth reading or not.This is exactly what this researcher must also have done when he / she must have looked for articles. It is impossible going through the main matter of all the researches that a researcher would include in the secondary data. At first the researcher will look for understanding the article’s overview and then consider it as a source of data. To help guide the reader throughout the research, the researcher should have provided a clear summary of all the terms that are being used in the paper along with a few major points of the research as to what is being evaluated.There is no clear indication of what the research aims to look for. â€Å"Simply put, it investigates the why and how of decision making, as compared to what, where, and when of quantitative research. Hence, the need is for smaller but focused samples rather than large random samples. From which, qualitative research categorizes data into patterns as the primary basis for organizing and reporting results. † (Wikipedia, 2007 ) The researcher has then gone into providing recommendations and solutions to the two problems that were identified in the research.The solutions have been described very technically with a lot of understanding and analysis and it seems that the researcher knows what is being talked about. However, there is still some discrepancy on the sentence phrasing. The researcher has concentrated upon the branding side of the garment industry and there are a number of terms that are used here as well. However, there is a need to note that the researcher did not help the reader understand the whole situation first before providing the recommendations. The reader must know what the situation is like and what has currently been done for such industries that are not flourishing.There are a number of problems with the way the research is carrying forward because a reader would be unable to follow the whole idea and analyze it. The researcher has provided a lot of insight into the research such as the different options that are available to the industry to take control of such as branding themselves so that there would be a lesser possibility of competition from the foreign brands that have taken over such as Nike. The suggestions have proved to be quite helpful but then there is the problem of the researcher jumping from one section of the paper to another.There is a lot to provide to the reader and it seems like the researcher was unable to put it in a logical manner. Arranging information in a logical manner is a very important part of research because there is a lot of text that is going about and there is a need to keep the reader on track and help him / her understand every bit of the research. There is a requirement to follow these guidelines so that the research can be deemed helpful and successful and help in future researches on the same topic if there is any.The next thing that the researcher has jumped to is the external analysis of the industry. This should have been done before the whole introduction to the problems because there are a number of readers who would not have an idea of the factors that may affect the garment industry. The same problem occurs when the researcher is talking about the value chain analysis and this is why there could be a lot of problems with the technique that the researcher has used for placing the information. There is a need for the researcher to have a second look at the stream of information being provided.At the end of the paper, there is a description of a store that is currently selling clothes in the subcontinent and has been very successful because it deals with a brand and this is why the company is also facing a lot of brand equity. The conclusion of the paper was not available and hence, there is nothing that could have been drawn from the whole paper that was read. There was also no referencing that was done at the end of the paper. Such a violation would cause plagiarism which is not considered as lawful. References Wikipedia. (2007). Qualitative Method. Retrieved on May 10, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Qualitative_method

Job opportunities in performing arts Essay

The below information is a rough guide based on the information from the jobs4you website. There are over 500,000 people that work in the creative and cultural skills area of work, there are over 62,000 creative businesses in the UK, and 94% of the businesses only employ 10 people a year, so being an arts administrator is a very competitive area of work to get into. There are opportunities throughout the whole of the UK, in public and private organisations. You can get a job in theatre, concert halls, galleries, museums, exhibitions and festivals, etc. Jobs for admin are advertised in the local and national press, and through magazines such as the Arts Professional and The Stage. Qualifications Most of the employers ask for GCSEs at A-C in English and Maths, also it helps to have some relevant work experience. Some arts administrators have gone on to complete a degree, there are many degrees that offer relevant experience, for example business studies, arts management, music, drama or visual arts. The degrees normally last for 3 years, entry for a degree is normally at least two A levels. Entry for adults is a bit harder, so relevant work experience is required, for example: Administration or secretarial work, marketing or public relations, finance, performing arts, for example as a dancer or performer. Access courses are available for people that don’t have the relevant qualifications, and who would like to study a degree. In this job, many people train on the job, but they can take short courses to help develop or to produce new skills. There are many NVQs and SVQs that are relevant, these include: * NVQ/SVQ levels 3 and 4 in business and administration * NVQ/SVQ levels 2,3,4 and 5 in cultural heritage. A promotions manager in the music industry is specialised in finding any opportunities in publicity, this can be for all types of artists, for example a singer or instrumentalist. promotions managers may work with record labels and individual musicians or bands.

Managing Finance Resources and Decisions subject Assignment - 1

Managing Finance Resources and Decisions subject - Assignment Example When it comes to the cash flow forecast of North Seaton, the prediction shows that the company is failing to generate adequate income to cover its expenditures. A relatively comparison of the income and expenditure data suggests that the increase in expenditure is not being equally complemented with a similar or greater level of increase in the net income (Schleifer, Sullivan and Murdough, 2014). That is why the monthly surplus figures are far lower than the deficits which in turn results in the company incurring significant proportion of cash flow deficits every month. Moreover, the company is failing to attain economies of scale and scope which is why the purchase expenditures have been increase in the last six months of the year. The cash deficits that has been realized every month is also because of the insurance premium of  £55,000 and  £50,000 paid in the month of January and May respectively. This has largely depleted the profit margin for the company. The quarterly bill p aid for electricity and heat has also reduced the company’s margin of income. Although the expenditure behind buying company vehicles was one off, but it has proven to be big burden for the company given the fact that they have to incur a constant maintenance expense of  £11,000 throughout the year. All the above mentioned facts are largely responsible for the cash deficits incurred by the company every month. b. The major reason behind such problems within the sales budget can be attributed to the failure of the company analysts in forecasting the demand for products. The inaccurate predictions led to a demand supply gap which in turn led the company to incur negative variances between sales budget and the generated sales (Nugus, 2009). Other reasons that can be attributed to this discrepancy are inappropriate marketing strategies adopted by the company,

REFLECTION 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

REFLECTION 5 - Essay Example Teachers serve as alternate parents in the school setting and in the absence of his mother, who is assumed to provide the comfort and nurturance he needs when he is hurt, upset, hungry, etc., he turned his need for comfort at that particular time to me. When he was assured that he was safe in the company of a trusted adult, he was able to go back to his normal routine. The new box of puzzle worked in taking away his attention to the recent accident he just had. Theorize: This episode reflects Te Whaariki’s all three goals of the first strand of well-being. For the first goal of promotion of health, the staff followed all the rules when cleaning up the room, but accidents are inevitable. It is a good thing the centre is equipped with all the necessary materials to alleviate and cure injuries such as ice and skin cream. The emotional well-being of the hurt boy was addressed as I cuddled him and whispered words of comfort until he regained his composure after the shock of the acc ident. In doing so, I nurtured his self-esteem and gave him assurance that his embarrassment of slipping was not a big deal. Gonzalez-Mena (2009) contends that â€Å"self-esteem is made up of self-image – the pictures we carry of ourselves and self-concept- the ideas we have about ourselves† (p. 205). Assuring him that the image I held of him was not affected by the accident ensured his emotional well-being. Finally, the goal of keeping children safe from harm was evident in the episode even if there was an accident. Lesson learned here is to still be vigilant for the children’s safety at all times. The classroom environment should reflect the goals and expectations of the teacher. It will also dictate somehow to the children how they will behave (Brewer, 2001). In the case of clean-up time, if children will not be safe inside the classroom, the environment should speak to them that they should stay out. Act: I shall be vigilant in preventing accidents and ensur ing the health and safety of children by being alert to danger signs. I shall further study how to promote the emotional well-being of children so when my help is needed, I will be able to provide them with what they need to be emotionally healthy children. I shall learn first-aid procedures to apply in case of accidents. Brewer, J. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Allyn and Bacon. Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2009). Child, family, and community, family-centered early care and education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. REFLECTION 6 Analyse: The children enjoyed the story because it was a familiar bond that they recognized and they felt a sense of belonging in the activity. This activity specifically reflects how the Te Whaariki curriculum is implemented in class – how the children’s culture is given recognition and importance. I felt proud of myself while reading a story that reflected our culture. Theorize: Multicultural education using literature from various cultures engages such children in reading and writing and makes them eager to learn the social or cultural contributions made by various groups of people. In this case, it is the children’s own home culture, the Maori culture. The children recognized their own cultural background from the story read and appreciated it enough to ask me to read it again. Culturally-relevant teaching must be learned by teachers. Such teaching takes into consideration the cultural background of the students at all times. It also keeps in mind cultural aspects in all interactions with students on both personal and educational levels. (Edwards & Kuhlman, 2007). This activity totally reflects the Te Whaariki curriculum which is "the sum total of the experiences, activities, and events, whether direct or

Week-5 (weeks 1 to 5 journals) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Week-5 (weeks 1 to 5 journals) - Essay Example It is during this first week that I managed to get the assistance of my work mates into explaining minor details concerning my work. For instance, filing papers on criminal activities and judgments was a challenge to me. They explained to me the methods the organization uses in filing papers. My supervisor provided guidance into understanding the methodologies the organization uses in maintaining its papers. During this week, there were numerous challenges in interacting with my coworkers. Poor communication and miss-understanding of our job roles played a big role in these conflicts (Seta, 53). For instance, the secretary of my supervisor kept on giving me in accurate information concerning the instructions of the boss. On one occasion, the secretary asked me to present a file containing accident trials, instead of criminal cases. This issue lead to an argument between me, and the secretary. The situation was resolved when the boss came in, and outlined to us our responsibilities and how we ought to behave. During this week, I learnt perseverance while conducting my duties, as it is the only way of helping me associate well with others. This is because each of us possesses conflicting objectives in relation to our duties. Week two was the most challenging week during the period of my internship. The person supervising my work played a minor role in monitoring how productive my work was. This made me to take extra caution while conducting my duties, for purposes of efficiency while filing, checking and replying mails of the organization, and stamping judicial courts paper works (Seta, 12). It is at this week that a close relationship myself and coworkers developed. This helped in improving the manner in which we executed our duties, making us productive and efficient. My colleagues helped me a lot in filing court cases, since the papers were numerous. I could not meet the deadline of filing these papers, if I worked alone. During this week, the