Date Social work theories Essay Example

Date Social work theories Essay Social theory was to liberate the thoughts and thus aid social groups in deposing domination and repression. This formation of critical social science and social theory stands stridently at odds with the moderate positivist professionalism of mainstream sociology in the sense that it envisions human liberation as the highest rationale of intellectual commotion. Habermas has taken pains to argue that this decisive outset of social science and social theory is not opposed to what he calls the project of modernity, which commenced with the Enlightenment. Certainly, he contends that critical social theory, conceived as communication theory and ethics, accomplishes the project of modernity by further rationalizing social life in ways estimated but not completed by Weber. Though Habermas needlessly divides instrumental and communicative rationalities, much as Kant did, thus limiting the field of human liberation to communicative projects but leaving technology and its dominion of nature untouched, he masterfully reconceptualizes Marxism in ways that provide it empirical and political purchase in the present. Far from deserting modernism and modernity, Habermas argues that Marx was a modernist and that the project of modernity can simply be fulfilled in a Marxist way, although in terms that deviate drastically from the Marxist and Marxist-Leninist frameworks of the early twentieth century. Habermas supports the Enlightenments program of common liberation and rationality through (a reconceptualized) Marx. We will write a custom essay sample on Date Social work theories specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Date Social work theories specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Date Social work theories specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This assurance to the Enlightenment and modernity must absolve critical social theorists such as Habermas of the inductions that they are Luddites, antimodernists, anarchists. Far from inadequate academic life, including social science and social theory, to be abridged to didactic political education, Habermas wants to open academic life to genuine debate and diversity, which he theorizes in terms of his communicative ethics. though the characterization of left academics as bigoted supporters of political correctness is largely hype promulgated by eighties neoconservatives, many critical social theorists are especially hard on purveyors of multicultural identity politics, particularly those who derive from postmodernism (Denzin Norman. 1986). Professionalized liberal positivists, including numerous U.S. sociologists, conflate all theoretical heterodoxies, particularly where they argue that one should defend the disciplinary project of sociology against the wild men and women who would politicize sociology and social science at a time when reputable sociologists are fighting a rearguard action against budget slashing university administrators. These professional positivists marginalize all thought and research that do not kowtow to the strictures of supposedly value-free quantitative empiricism. This obliterates nuances: Habermas (1987a) takes postmodernism to task; Fraser (1989) urges Habermas and Foucault to be more overtly feminist. It also fails to distinguish that critical social theories hold rigorous analysis, objectivity, professionalism, even disciplinarily. Critical social theorists vary from professionalized positivist sociologists most sharply in arguing that the aim of knowledge is illumination and hence liberation, not the development of personal professional credentials or the progression of ones discipline. Critical social theorists snub Comtes model of the hard sciences as a symbol for their own work as they believe that positivism eradicated historicity and hence the possibility of large-scale structural change. Critical social theorists are unashamed to be seen as political, particularly when they agree with Horkheimer and Adorno in Dialectic of Enlightenment that the charade of freedom from values is the most invincible value position of all, taking up th e present as a plenitude of social being and contradicting utopia. It is sarcastic that positivist sociologists in the United States who attempt to establish their discipline in the university by stressing its resemblance to the hard sciences, including both positivist quantitative process and grant-worthiness, also argue that sociology should eloquent what are called policy implications, particularly now that a Democrat is president. Applied sociology proposes state policies in realms such as health care, aging, social welfare, work and family, and crime. Positivist sociologists assert that sociology pays its own way by underlining its real-world applications suggested in the narrow technical analyses propagating in the journals. numerous positivist journal articles formulaically conclude with short excursuses on policy in this sense. This segue into policy investigation both legitimizes sociology in the state apparatus (e.g., public research universities) and helps sociology evade a more fundamental politics the notion of policy implying moderate amelioration of social problems and not methodical change. As well, the discussion of policy enhances the grant-worthiness of sociological research, which has turn into a trademark of academic professional legitimacy. Thus, the shift from the sociological to the social on the part of significant social theorists who support interdisciplinary is intimidating to disciplinary positivists because it augurs the politicization of social theory and social science at a time while some believe sociology should put definitive distance between itself and its sixties engagements. The tired stand-up line of sociologys critics that sociology alliterates with socialism, social work, and the sixties symbolizes this preoccupation with the legitimating of sociological disciplinarity and explains why interdisciplinary approaches to the social are so threatening. The interpretive disciplines and sociology are moving in contradictory directions: Interpretive scholars and cultural critics acclaim the politicization of the canon, whereas positivist sociologists want to subjugate politics. Leading U.S. literary programs such as Dukes are awash in these new theoretical movements that hassle the obsolescence of canonical approaches to the study of literature and culture. In these venues, politics is not a afflict to be eliminated but an opening to new ways of seeing, writing, and teaching. Suddenly, with the invasion of these new European and feminist influences, traditional approaches to representation (depicting the world) in both art and criticism could no longer be trusted. Postmodern fictional and cultural theory blossomed in a post representational era, specifically the opposite of what was happening in positivist sociology, which clings more obstinately than ever to representation -achieved through quantitative method as the supposed deliver ance of an embattled discipline (Ann L. Ardis 2002). Not all versions of postmodernism are eligible as either social or critical theory. However, as Fredric Jameson (1991) has argued in Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, postmodern theory has the potential for new forms of neo-Marxist social and cultural investigation pertinent to late capitalism. Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, and Derrida make means for critical theories of the social, especially where they make possible the critical analysis of cultural discourses and practices that intimately resemble and deepen the Frankfurt Schools analysis of the culture industry. And postmodern theory has made it nearly unattainable for people in interpretive and cultural disciplines to approach texts as if the meanings of those texts could be revealed to presuppositionless, really positivist readings. Postmodernists drive home the point that reading is itself a form of writing, of argument, in the sense that it fills in gaps and contradictions in texts through strong literar y practices of imagination and interrogation. Few today can approach the act of reading or writing concerning reading in the same secure way that they could read texts before postmodernism, before representation was quizzed as a severely theoretical and political project in its own right. A momentous number of sociologists and anthropologists (Richardson 1988, Aronowitz [1990], Behar and Gordon [1995]) draw from postmodernism in reformulating both social science research and theory in light of postmodernisms influential challenge to positivist theories of representation, writing, and reading. However, it is clear that most American sociologists and others in neighboring social science disciplines not only distrust but deplore the postmodern turn for its alleged antagonism to science and hence objectivity, rigor, disciplinary legitimacy, quantitative method, and grant-worthiness. The new scholarship in humanities departments enlightens critical social science in that it reads cultural discourses and practices as ideological and commoditized and helps formulate more general hypothetical understandings of society. For example, the work of Jameson, the author of numerous vital books on cultural and social theory from Marxism and Form (1971) to Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (1991), clearly puts in to the project of critical social theory. Jameson is in dialogue with critical theorists and postmodern theorists. He develops a postmodern Marxism that learns from but does not give in to the detotalizing implications of postmodern theory. Although many of Jamesons references are from culture and literature whereas Habermass, for example, are from social theory and communication theory Jameson in effect does postmodern critical theory in his readings of works of literature, architecture, music, painting, and philosophy, presenting not simply close textual analysis but expanding his readings into oversimplifications quite similar to those of postmodern social theorists (e.g., Aronowitz, Luke) in social science disciplines. Cultural studies is intrinsically a pandisciplinary project in the sense that culture, as the Birmingham theorists conceptualized it, is not simply found in everyday life as well as in museums and concert halls but also disquiets a wide range of disciplines in the human sciences or human studies, broadly conceived. Almost no social science or humanities discipline falls outside of the potential purview of cultural studies, which could be seen as a theoretical perspective, a discipline, a corpus of writing, and even an investigative methodology. Like the Unit for Criticism at the University of Illinois, in which Cary Nelson, Lawrence Grossberg, and Norman Denzin had part-time faculty appointments, the CCCS at the University of Birmingham has brought together scholars from a variety of disciplines. Like interdisciplinary projects such as cognitive science, cultural studies is a perceptible interdisciplinary project collecting scholars who believe they cannot practice their interests in cultural studies within their home disciplines or who want to claim an individuality somewhat diverse from their disciplinary identities. By and large, scholars in humanities departments have been better able to do and teach cultural studies within their home disciplines, particularly where their home disciplines have embraced the new postcanonical, postcolonial, feminist scholarship. Social scientists have had a greater tendency to identify their interest in cultural studies outside of their disciplines proper, many of which have been indisposed to abandon their relatively narrow concepts of culture in favor of a more inclusive one or do not acknowledge the need to practice the study of culture outside of a discipline for which the study of culture has always been central, such as sociology and anthropology (Lorraine Y. Landry 2000). This distinction between the ways that humanists and social scientists build up their identities, affiliations, and academic practices as cultural studies scholars is also replicated in their respective attitudes toward the matter of politicization. Although most scholars around the campus who do cultural studies are leftist and feminist, social scientists lean to position cultural studies as an empirical and theoretical contribution without close ties to politics, therefore legitimizing their work within fundamentally empiricist and objectivist disciplines. Humanists lean to embrace their close ties to politics, as the Birmingham scholars did, even arguing that curricular politics, including the politics of the norm and the resist to define and implement multiculturalism, is an important place for social change today. nbsp; Post-modernism teaches the compression together of the objective and the subjective. Everything comes around full circle sooner or later. To laugh at the world is to laugh at yourself. There is no external platform upon which you can stand and view the outlandish antics of the human race. No matter where you stand you are always looking at yourself in a mirror. Like the bent blade of a crazy sword or the twisted barrel of a weird rifle, the point of every joke is always twisted around so as to come back upon the comic. The joke is always on ourselves (Paul Poplawski 2003). The great classical comic writers and the great classical philosophers have at least this much in common: They always plagiarized reality. The contemporary comic, however, reflects our newly nihilized world. There is no reality. Everything is mere verbiage. What the Theatre of the Absurd is to the intelligentsia, current popular comedy is to the less educated people in society. Hence the predominance of the one-liner, which reflects the disintegration of everything, rather than the well-developed and drawn out satire. Moreover, special effects replace plot; short shocking scenes substitute for story line; and the public keeps buying it. How can anyone remain sane in such a world? This is also mirrored in popular comedy. The present-day comic is always walking on the edge; always, like John Cleeses comic characters, just on the verge of going over the edge, of going completely insane. The fact that he doesnt actually go off the deep end, but instead continues to teeter on the brink, is precisely what makes his characters so believable and pertinent in post-modern times. We can empathize with such beleaguered characters, because that is the kind of world in which we ourselves live. The influence of post-modernism also holds in financial matters. We dont literally worship money today, but it is revered as the sign of what is of greatest importance in an anthropocentric world-view. Social consensus decides what the culture holds up to itself as its highest value. And in our contemporary world, taken as a whole, the general consensus is that the business of the world is business. We have decided that business is best for us. This is now, throughout the world, the great new religious myth of our times. Descartes wanted to make the world safe for science. Today we are much more interested in perpetuating our comfortable life-style by making the world safe for business. Because this is what we want, it must be right (Sieglinde Lemke 1998). To summarize, post-modernism has become in effect the unofficial new state religion, the new salvation myth, with universal validity, to which every good citizen must adhere. In effect, someone who fails to follow the liberal consensus is guilty of treason. The common standard of good behavior is no longer some inspired scripture, such as the Bible, but the pragmatic rules and regulations required for carrying on profit-making businesses. The governments business is to keep businesses going and profits flowing. To this extent, and only to this extent, it must be concerned about social welfare and stability. This takes money, the new means of salvation. Hence the central importance of the tax collector. In more ancient times heretics were burned at the stake; today the uncooperative dissident is grilled by inquisitors from the IRS, the new Holy Office. Philosophically its roots lie in the rejection of Greek Being, that is, in the rejection of anything which is self-identical, immutable, unchanging, and absolute. The foundation for this attitude was laid down by the Epistemological Idealism of Descartes and Kant, and has reached its culmination in the twentieth-century Phenomenologists such as Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and their many followers, including many nominally traditionally religious thinkers. They see being and becoming, essence and existence, tradition and novelty, object and subject, science and history, and so on, as absolutely irreconcilable. Truth to them means mainly internal coherence. There is no Truth, only local truths. There can be no correspondence to reality because there is no reality. The most we can ever expect to find or discover is reality. Everything is human-generated, anthropomorphized, and historicized. Moreover, there is a moral dimension to the scene. The postmodern is good; the opposition is bad. Whereas post-moderns are avant-garde, liberal, and progressive, the uninitiated are fundamentalists, reactionary, and static. While the traditionalist is a medieval witch-hunter, the trans-modern is open-minded and tolerant. Where the backward ones are institutional, hierarchical, rigid, object based, conservative, and unidirectional, the intellectually and morally superior ones are egalitarian, freedom-loving, process-based, subject-oriented, contextual, symbiotic, and self-transcending. Certainly the dogmatic ones cannot experience pathos, sympathy, and open-mindedness to the same high degree as the super-moderns. Cultural studies increasingly splits into politicized and apolitical camps, through the former group deriving from Marxist cultural theory and joining the influences of the Birmingham School, feminism, and Baudrillard. The latter group includes scholars who do not view cultural studies as a political project but somewhat as an occasion for deepening their own disciplines or working across disciplines. Much work on popular culture, such as that of the Bowling Green group mentioned, comes from this second group. Humanists are more probable than social scientists to belong to the first group. This is satirical in that left-wing and feminist cultural studies grew out of Marxist social and cultural theory and only later were modified by humanists such as Jameson to their own projects. In this sense, critical social theorists involved in culture tend to cluster in humanities programs, or if they work in social science departments, they are typically isolated among their colleagues. It is m uch more common to find gathers of culturally oriented critical social theorists outside the social sciences, for instance, in English and comparative literature departments and programs. Though these comparative literature students and faculty are more obviously and blatantly politicized than most of my erstwhile colleagues and students, they approach society through the text. This peculiarity is far from absolute. Nevertheless, much of the best critical social science and social theory is being done in humanities disciplines. Sociology, for instance, sought greater institutional authenticity by attempting to imitate and integrate the methods of the natural sciences. Disciplines such as English, comparative literature, womens studies, and media studies were concerned with culture as well as politics and thus were usual gathering points for faculty and students interested in the politics of culture.

Bilingual education essays

Bilingual education essays Bilingual Education: Not The Wisest Choice Bilingual Education has been a much-debated topic for the past few years. Some believe that bilingual education is used as a helpful tactic to learn how to grasp the English language faster. Others believe that bilingual education does not help people learn English faster, but prohibits them from moving forward by keeping them at a lower level when it comes to education. Advocates for bilingual education argue that not only does bilingual education help introduce English to students, but at the same time it should be a tool used in order to preserve culture and promote assimilation to the country. I do not believe that bilingual education is the most effective way to achieve the goals of assimilation and success in America. I believe that it is important to know a variety of languages for peoples own personal cultural preservation. Among other things, being bilingual can be beneficial for the future, since people would be able to communicate with a variety of cultures. I mere ly do not believe that bilingual education is the right way to strive for these objectives. Bilingual Education costs too much money and time. There is no possible way to reach out to every single culture in America to offer them bilingual education. How will schools decide who gets bilingual education and who doesnt? There will obviously be groups that will be left out of because of reasons like there not being enough people that speak that particular language. How will we provide education for them? Or will they be left out in the dust? This brings up an issue of segregation. Over the past century, America has struggled to eliminate the need for segregated schools. The only way to accommodate the many cultures that exist in American schools would be to separate them, or categorize them. This presents more problems than solutions. For many years, children were forced to attend s...

5 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

5 questions - Essay Example They said the school also awarded points for extracurricular activities as well as to applicants with financial disadvantages, a group that would include poor white students.† Bias is an inclination to support one individual, gathering, thing or perspective over an alternate, regularly in an out of line way. Predisposition might be an individual conclusion or a more general supposition, for example, a news story from fox news, suggests that just exhibits truths help one perspective. Example of bias as far as fox news is of concern comes from intent that â€Å"accusations have been levied against Fox News in response to its decision to exclude Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter from the January 5, 2008, Republican candidate debate.† In regards to television news Narcosis, Neil Postman suggests that the power of media and its effect is severe to all parties as far as age is of concern. We learn through his suggestion, which anticipate that â€Å"What are called newspapers, for example, do not consist mostly of news, adult movies appear to be puerile fantasies, and talk radio features a succession of thirty-second temper tantrums.† However, Postman believes that news media have curtailed it from being knowledgeable and difficult from one to understand. Evidence comes to standstill learning from Postman words, which illustrates that â€Å"Everything on a TV news show is arranged so that it is unnecessary, undesirable and in any event, very difficult to attend to the sense of what is depicted. Something that is ironical frequently resembles the genuine article keeping in mind the end goal to make fun of it. For instance, a portrayal on a parody demonstrate in which a comic sits behind an anchorperson and utilization a genuine tone to "report" on silly occasions that truly happened takes a sarcastic methodology to both the occasions and the idea of telecast news-casting. A TV program that draws on the news occasions of the day yet picks specifically among them, intensely

Financial and Human Resources Management - SEEN EXAMINATION Essay

Financial and Human Resources Management - SEEN EXAMINATION - Essay Example These documents seek to show the possible cost of successfully carrying out the construction project, if it is awarded. In contrast, tendering refers both to the refinement of conditions in order to arrive at the final and most rational price, and the, contractual terms that must be submitted to promoters or their representatives. The second phase (also referred to as bid adjudication), entails evaluation of the probable margins of error in established cost estimates, potential risks, as well as the likely financial impacts of completing the project. Decisions that are made by executive personnel in regard to bid adjudication are usually confirmed at a formal convention as Gray and Larson, (2003) notes. Such a formal meeting to make decisions in regard to bid adjudication occurs several days prior to placement of the final bid. This provides adequate time for clear assessment of bid credentials before actual tendering. The formal meeting also ensures that all the relevant information is taken into account before a contractor is chosen, thus avoiding selecting a contractor that cannot fully deliver on project requirements. The considerations made by managers include factors such as acute competition, uncertainty in cost estimates, inadequate or poor information regarding a particular project, and risks associated with production or project implementation. These aspects must be sufficiently analyzed, since, as Akintoye and Fitzgerald (2000, p. 164) suggest, â€Å"the most significant factors resulting in inaccurate estimates include insufficient time for tender preparation; poor tender documentation; insufficient analysis of the documentation by the estimating team and lack of review of cost estimates by company management.† Despite the wide assortment of challenges, executive personnel have to make appropriate adjudication decisions based on these factors. The aspects that influence management’s decisions during the crucial tendering process and ad judication in particular can be classified, according to Betts (1990, pp. 402-408), into three categories including job, market, and company related factors. The first class of job-related aspects, accounts for elements that are directly linked to the specific project or project type. Most of these factors are evaluated in the course of preparing bids and an analysis of these aspects is conveyed to relevant parties in the adjudication convention. Market-related decision making factors, account for the external influences, such as competition from other contractors. Analysis of aspects like external competition may enable the respective firm to formulate strategies that would aid in increasing competitive advantage. Finally, as Betts (1990, p. 403) states â€Å"company-related factors that influence decision making in the adjudication process, include: the business’ goals and objectives, as well as, its corporate policy on bidding.† Adjudicators, usually comprised of se nior directors or managers, are supposed, as Young, (2003), notes, to evaluate the aforementioned factors and related information, in reviewing project cost estimates and finalizing the price of the contract. As shown in the assessment above, there are numerous considerations in the tendering process. Therefore, decision makers must fully comprehend the stipulated objectives and goals of the process, in addition to estimated project costs, in order to ensure that tendering is fair and that it is aligned with the

The Changing Global Economy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words - 1

The Changing Global Economy - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Economies of Scale in micro-economics are defined as cost advantage that an enterprise enjoys with increasing scale as the cost per unit of output generally declines. Operating efficiency is also increases with economies of scale. The biggest challenge against the free market is the fear among the citizens about outsourcing. This is getting very dangerous every day in the United States. Other nations if follow this trend then the world can enter into the black days of protectionism again. And the loss for the global economy will be huge. Every day United States news broadcasters are telecasting fearsome news that millions of high paying middle-class jobs are getting out of the country. Financial and technological firms are finding that they can outsource a work with a fraction of the cost from China, India or Malaysia rather than give it to an equally qualified United States employee. This put policy maker, a government in a stressful si tuation because United States citizens have already started their protest against outsourcing. That is the reason government now making policies that will prevent the outsourcing. According to Drezner, it is a publicity stunt done by the media to sell their news by scaring the citizens on their job. He also explained his ideas that American economy is a huge one with over 130millions jobs. And like when these jobs get out of the country at that time the equal number of job created in this country. This is called â€Å"Creative Destruction†. He explained that when a firm is outsourcing its jobs from another part of the world to minimize its cost, instead of pressing the alarm we need to calculate how many well paid and higher proportions jobs are creating for that reason. If we look at this profit and loss structure we never have to panic anymore. According to statistics during 2010 the number of jobs was shifted to developing nations are 220,000. These are all low paid and lo w-quality jobs but the numbers of high paid and high-quality job created in the United States are 22milions.

Developing Professional Practice And Needed Skills

Developing Professional Practice And Needed Skills In all areas of expertise, technical skills of the profession are important in order to be able to tackle any arising matters in your field. As a student in psychology there is need to learn how to acquire the skills which are crucial for your profession. During placement, a lot is expected of you as you act like any other professional in that field. It is therefore of prime importance to develop the skills necessary for that professional practice. Reflection in practice is one of the skills necessary as a student of psychology. Reflective practice is a model applied in adult learning and educational teaching where there is application of various concepts of reflection to analyze real issues. According to Reid (1993, p.305), reflection involves critical understanding any experience that a professional goes through with an intention of giving a vivid description, an in depth analysis and latter conduct an evaluation. This will provide an avenue to be able to gauge what the learner has acquired as a result of the practice. The aim of reflective practice is to create a problem out of a learning situation. The act of solving the problem will provide the professionals with a good opportunity to research therefore acquire relevant knowledge and growth in their profession. Reflective practice imparts skills to learners not only to become a repetitive doer but also gain cognition of tackling different situations during practice. Donald Schon, a philosopher is credited to have described the process of reflective practice in his book in 1983. This essay gives a description of my plan to develop professional practice during my first placement experience. Importance of reflection Reflection practice that is applied in psychology works within the concepts of reflection. It accounts for a conceptional structure around which psychology as a discipline that involves patient management works. Reflection is important in identifying the positivity or negativity that is associated with any practice in any discipline. It helps a student to learn from experience in his or her field of expertise. Once they are exposed to a certain experience during their period of practice, reflective practice provides a chance for the student to think back and relate the experience to the theoretical knowledge learnt in c lass. Various models are used which provide the framework for reflective practice. Among the most common are; Gibbs Model of Reflection which was formulated in 1988, Atkin and Murphys Model of Reflection of 1994, Kolbs Learning cycle and finally the Johns Model of Reflection of 1994. Which the model you decide to apply or to follow its principles the end result should be acquisition of reflective practice skills. Reflective practice is an important tool in solving day to day problems. Its application in difficult situation and in ideas that are undeveloped to provide a concrete solution provides an opportunity for further analysis and dispensation of knowledge and skills. It further synthesizes emotions and provides time for sober thinking and development of solutions to difficult situations. However, to be able to develop these skills it is of importance to have a good atmosphere that is conducive to reflection. It is important to have an understanding supervisor who is able to take you t hrough the process. Flexibilities in time are crucial and an environment that provides support in case any is needed. Finally, your learning institution should have a well structured curriculum which is able to encompass the above factors. Key learning goals during student placement experience Mostly, as an undergraduate student there is more to learn since there is many changes that one undergoes during that transition. Most of us are not much conversant with wide reading and research activities. They do not embrace the team spirit that is essential in their acquisition of knowledge. Additionally, various approaches used like problem based learning is a nightmare to most of them. However, most centers of learning have well experienced lecturers and professors who supervise the students. In psychological studies they promote development of research and the application of knowledge leant in psychology in real life situations (Boyd Fales, 1983, p.102) . Hence, being provided with placement experience will help me acquire a lot in the practice of psychology. First and foremost, I intend to acquire a lot in patient care and the quality expected. To become effective you need to be able to provide care of high quality to improve their satisfaction. Various approaches to care like counseling will be acquired and practically performed. As a result, I will be able to apply theoretical knowledge learnt in class to real life cases in the health center. Having done so, I will have accomplished my goal of ensuring that the gap which usually exists between theoretical knowledge and practical skills is minimized if not closed. My third goal would be to enhance my personal as well as professional growth. Having been in practice, I will develop a liking for one specialization in psychology which I can further pursue later on in life. I am of the opinion that the time allocated will be more than enough to meet my strategic goals in the placement experience. Reflective techniques used during the placement Reflection is a brainstorming process that involves processing ideas in the mind to come up with a solution to a situation at hand. With the right atmosphere for reflection and tasks that encourage reflection, clear solutions emanate from the thinking process. Reflection is encouraged by facing challenges during practice and often asking question with no clear answer. As a result the brain is triggered to think and this provides an opportunity for old ideas to be incorporated with new situations in practice to have a solution. I intend to apply Kolbs learning cycle during my placement period. This can be represented in a pictorial form as follows; Source: Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall: New Jersey, p.21 First and foremost, what I have learnt in class will be put into practice in the active experimentation stage. After putting ideas to practice, I will have gained practical skills necessary in psychology. I will then evaluate the skills leant in a reflective manner. Finally, I will form ideas as a result of the experience gained. Experience to assess my practice It is important to have a form assessment during practice in order to gain full understanding of the skills that have been acquired. One of the assessment methods during my practice will be making entries in a journal (Ibarreta McLeod, 2004, p.136). The records that I will make in the journal will be the significant events that I experience during my time there. My entries will match to the concepts as defined be Kolbs in developing his model of reflective practice. This will provide a framework for which my arguments will come from during reflective thinking. After each day in practice, I will highlight the significant issues that I learnt or the skills that I was able to acquire. Detailing this information will guide me in enhancing my skills in critical thinking. In addition, it will impose an attitude of self directed learning as issues not well understood will be researched at a latter stage. The entries made will also be based by the relevant models hence acknowledging the wor ks of different scholars in the field of psychology. Entries made in the journal will also provide me with an opportunity to record in context any of the important aspects acquired as a result of the placement. The goals for the placement as outlined above will be comprehensively covered in the entries made in the journal. Patton et al. (1997, p.238), further notes that making entries in a journal provide a connection between what is learned theoretically in classroom and practical experiences that are gained during practice. Having gained this, it will be quite easy for evaluation of the notes and provide an avenue for reflection. Apart from journal entries, I intend to carry out an action research on one aspects of psychology that will seem to be having challenges. The aim of this research will be to modify the identified practice in order to enhance practice in my institution of placement. It will be important both to increase my professional skills and also leave an impact at the institution. Importance of supervision in the reflection process The students need supervision during their placement in order to acquire all the necessary skills and in a smoother manner. A good atmosphere is necessary during supervision to minimize serious distractions due to the clients. John (2007, p.3), notes that effective supervision is necessary as it offers practical support, enhances the morale of learning process and also offers challenges to the students to be able to learn. Supervision is important in practice of psychology as it gives inputs in the following three areas; to begin with it provides technical support in practice to the students. As a result the student is encouraged to seek more knowledge on an issue and the end result is attainment of practical and reflective skills. Secondly, the student is able to apply the learnt theory into professional practice. This is also part of the educational or teaching process. Finally, supervision gives a chance to the student to be able to evaluate their practical skills to those required to attain professional standards. In addition, a student is in a position to assess whether their goals of the placement have been achieved. Formal supervision sessions should take place daily and the student should be well prepared with any question, observation or addition that he/she intends to share with the supervisor. At times, the supervisor probes the students understanding through question asking or through interrogative discussion. After the session with the supervisor the student should be able to have a critical review of issues discussed with a view of updating him/herself and so as to remember the issues discussed. After reviewing, short notes are encouraged on the discussion held. The student should then proceed to the next issue of learning as per their formulated action plans. Supervision of students also serves to enhance a learning relationship between the students and the supervisors. It provides a chance for career counseling and mentorship and thus a student gets fulfillment and enjoys whatever they are doing. Supervision sessions also serves to check how the students are carrying on academically and disciplinary. It is through these sessions that abscond of learning process is noted and thus administrative actions can as well be taken against any such student. Challenges during placement and intended solutions During the teaching practice, one of the main challenges one may face is uncooperative supervisor. Some supervisors may be authoritative and give threatening warning of dire consequences to students during practice (Knowles, 1975, p.20). By so doing, an atmosphere of fear and mistrust is cultivated and this is retrogressive to acquisition of knowledge. A supervisor should be willing to negotiate and work towards creating good learning relationship with the students. When faced with such a supervisor care should be taken and avoid crossing their paths or being in the wrong places. Also, I would use professional approach whenever handling such supervisors. The second challenge is finding a non conducive atmosphere at the place of placement. This gives the student a hard time and learning is hindered. As a solution collaborative efforts with my supervisor to talk with the management would at least solve that problem. Lastly, is difficulty in putting theory into practice due to lack of e xperience. This would be easily solved through consulting my supervisor and the specialists that are in charge of me. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important for students to be given a chance during their coursework to have practical skills in their areas of expertise. This do not only give learners a golden opportunity to acquire professional experience essential for the practice, but also expose them to profession challenges that they may form part of solution finding. Moreover, by doing so professionals are produced who are capable of putting theory into practice and developing new ideas through their reflective practice.

Graduation Speech: May You Have Enough -- Graduation Speech, Commencem

Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968. Mother Theresa 1910-1997. Albert Einstein 1879-1955. All of these people are not remembered for their birth or death dates, but rather what they did with their dash. The dash that goes between their birth and death dates on their headstones. The dash that says what a person has accomplished in their life. The dash that takes up so little space, but holds so much meaning. What will you do with your dash? Will your dash be one of accomplishment, of success, of compassion, of love, of happiness? I wish you more than enough of all of these things to make up your dash. I heard a short story recently that I think seems appropriate to share. At an airport a father and daughter were saying good-bye to one another. "I love you, I wish you enough." The father said. She said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. I wish you enough, too." They kissed good-bye and she left. Walking over toward the window where another young lady was seated, he asked her, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" ..

Personal Goals

Leadership is a highly esteemed characteristic that attaches maximum political, business and social value with it. Every group, irrespective of its size and influence, is always in search for a leader whom it can trust to steer ahead through all the possible challenges and difficulties. Therefore leadership is an individual attribute   that allows one person   to motivate and carry many others towards common dreams and goals. Leadership, by its very definition, commands implicit faith, and confidence in the actions, decisions and philosophy of the leader. Here it is vital to understand that leadership is a dynamic and integral quality of a person and leaders emerge from ordinary groups; they are not made, elected or appointed. Arguably, there are no definite copy-book rules to construct a leader. The difficulties, complexities, and challenges associated with a situation give impetus to leadership qualities in otherwise ordinary people who believe in themselves that they are capable of rising up to the difficulties as well as helping others out of it. Therefore although it might be difficult to ‘teach’ a person quality of good leader, yet one can expect to inculcate leadership qualities by observing styles and principles of successful leaders. It is said that a leader is a dealer in hope. Leadership is then about inspiration, motivation, encouragement and direction that pulls people to accomplishments that they would not had managed if left alone. However, effective leadership is a very challenging domain as it requires some impeccable personal and organizational traits that can be developed and realized through considerable experience, knowledge and self- discipline. There are no fixed guidelines, set of rules and laws that exactly prescribe the traits, qualities and attributes of a successful leader. Quite often the leadership is situational and the leader is required to act purely through intuition and circumstantial requirements. However there are certain essential skills and characteristics that are rather mandatory for effective leadership are 1 Trustworthiness: Trustworthiness is about integrity in action. Effective leadership is about achieving coordination in words and actions and following the age old principles of truth, honesty and personal integrity. 2. Fairness: Leaders can’t afford to be biased or prejudiced or it would jeopardize the confidence of the followers in their secular character. 3. Communication and listening skill. Leadership requires excellent communication and listening skill through which the leaders can articulate their views unambiguously and also hear the views of others to give them sense of participation and involvement. 4. Initiative: Leadership is about taking initiative and orienting other people towards it. Taking initiative pulls the organization rapidly ahead. 5. Good judgment: Leaders must have the ability to process all information in the backdrop of their knowledge to make correct decisions 6. Motivational capacity: Leadership is ineffective if it cant motivate people to the dream and vision of the leader. It is the most desirous quality of a leader and one that is hallmark of leadership. A good leader should be honest, loyal and committed to the goals of the organization he intends to lead. A good leader should not have a desire for wrongful gains or hidden agendas. This is why perhaps people emphasize on transparency in all dealings of any organization. Some leaders have a self plan and pursue them rather than acting in the interests of the organization. Committed to the cause of the organization or group and being live to the sacrifices and pains of your colleagues is a basic quality of a good leader. National leaders and particularly the freedom fighters of several nations had steadfast qualities and determination in them, which helped them carry on and ultimately succeed. A good leader is perhaps a good follower. There is never a stage in which you have mastered everything and this applies even to leadership. Each day you learn more and more, perhaps the rights and wrongs of your own acts too. I have always been a wilful learner and strongly believe I should always keep learning if I am to lead.   I have always respected people with values and accountability. A leader is accountable for his actions and should voluntarily open up to any questions or suspicions in his dealings. Similarly a good leader should also emphasize such qualities among his followers and make them accountable too. Simplicity is a mark of identity for any leader and projecting himself as a role model. A leader’s thoughts, actions and words should be a reflection of him, inspiring all who follow. A leader indeed should have uncommon qualities to successfully lead his organization. One of the main challenges of a leader is his ability to manage change. Change is a permanent reality across time. The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, as never before witnessed. Change in an organization, group or any set up involves altering its structure, processes, the behaviour of its management and staff, its strategy, environment etc. The structure of an organization is one of the most common targets of change. This includes the manner in which it is held together, the various configurations of people and the relationship between them, communication channels, job roles and skills. The relationships within an organization are extremely important as it contributes to the internal shape and coherence. Some processes which are altered as a result of change implementation are communication processes, management processes and learning process. Periodic reviews of its goals and progress are vital for any organization or team to stay aligned with its objectives and expectations. I understand the need and consequences of change, which an organization undertakes according to the demands placed on it. Ongoing communication can motivate managers and employees and help them to overcome resistance to an initiative, keep them prepared for the ups and downs of change. Organizations are managed by several forms of leadership based on the exertion of authority within the organization. Two main, but interconnected types of leadership in organizations are the transformational leadership and the transactional leadership, both having strong philosophical and ethical foundations. Transformational leadership gives followers the opportunity to assess the leader’s view, to seek explanations and provide solutions, while transactional leadership is more based on imposition, where followers are driven by the praise, promise or reward of the leader. In the transactional leadership, the followers are confronted by reproof, threats and disciplinary actions. Transformational leadership has become more popular in the last three decades primarily due to the changing global economy. Transformational leadership promotes equality, justice and human rights through loyalty and fairness. Recent findings suggest that team performance and communication are improved under transformational leadership. Authentic transformational leaders are sometimes transactional too. The leader may present his opinion, plans and exhort agreement on them, which however may be in the mutual interest of all involved. I consider myself as a typical transformational leader open to criticism and discussion, unafraid of my decisions being questioned. After all only collective thinking and cooperation can bring results. People generally do whatever they want to do or, are motivated to do. Motivation is another vital component associated with productivity in workplaces. Suitable theories and principles of employee motivation are applied with basic logic to address the psyche of employees who are to be motivated. Motivation can also be described as a crucial skill for any business to succeed. It involves inducing individuals from his actual and deviant state to a required desired state in a specific way. Each motivational system must be specifically designed according to the organization and prevailing circumstances. Recognizing and understanding the motivational factors for each employee or follower is very important. It would be surprising to know that things like job security, money etc. cannot help in motivating people. However fear, like yelling from boss, do serve as a short-term motivator. Employees, colleagues and supporters all need to be motivated to perform to the levels expected of them. As a thoughtful leader, I can easily motivate my employees by setting an example and not forcing them to follow me. Recruitment is a very important function of human resources and recruitment strategies are vital in attracting talented and smart prospective candidates. Selection of best candidates who fit with the work culture of the organization is very important. The recruitment also has a direct bearing on the retention factor in an organization, apart from work efficiency and quality. Be it an organization, a political party or any association; it is very essential that only the right people with the right mindset occupy responsible positions. My association with people helps me to identify such people with the right mentality and the ones who should be kept away. As a leader I try to ensure that the goals and ideals of my employee are not shouldered by wrong persons. Conflict and dissatisfaction with superiors like other leaders and officers is another common cause for resignations. When managers or team leaders fail to provide the required leadership by bullying their subordinates or treating people unfairly, it gives rise to employee discontent. Such situations emphasize on the qualities of the manager and the team leader. Only those with well-developed leadership qualities must be selected as second level leaders. They should be trained in leadership skills, methods of resolving conflict and also on dealing with grievances. Poor selection or promotion decisions too can result in rapid turnover. The selection and promotion processes must be on par with the capabilities of the individuals, with regard to the work they do. As a leader, I know that I keep a close watch on the attrition rate of my organization to seek answers as to what makes people unhappy within my business. I have also implemented exit interviews to identify grievances and offer redress. Leadership is not a characteristic that exists in isolation. As it is defined, leadership implies establishing coordination, orientation, cooperation, and collaboration among the followers to accomplish designated objectives and goals. It is   possible when leaders can inspire their followers with respect, admiration, discipline, confidence in the abilities of the leader while being helped to envision themselves as empowered individuals. A good leader has the ability to take over even most complex, demanding and otherwise impossible condition by exhibiting personal integrity, ethical and moral traits and values that other can relate to and aspire to imbibe in their own conduct (Laurie, 2000, 53). Here it is important to distinguish personal charisma from leadership, as personal charisma, being an person specific phenomena, can awe people but hardly give them impetus to follow in the footsteps of the leader. Leadership is also means natural acquisition of power and potential to change its equation affect over the leaders and their followers. There inherent dangers associated with power, and for most of the people, the timeless adage-‘power corrupts’ suits justly. Power contains a temptation that is hard to resist and has potential to become the ultimate goal for a person rather the tool that was designated in helping to achieve the goals.   But a genuine leader understands this irony of power and therefore believes that power should be shared with others so that it can grow. The real power of leaders is their ability to inspire others with a sense of power and confidence

Ethic Norms Within Scientific Research

Ethic Norms Within Scientific Research Free Online Research Papers There are several reasons why it is important to adhere to ethical norms in research. First, some of these norms promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. Many of the norms of research promote a variety of other important moral and social values, such as social responsibility and human rights. Given the importance of ethics for the conduct of research, it should come as no surprise that many different professional associations, government agencies, and universities have adopted specific codes, rules, and policies relating to research ethics. It has been argued that researchers need to develop better understandings of the politics and contexts within which ethics are regulated in order to increase both the perceived and actual legitimacy of their research investigations. Understanding ethical principal A formal system of ethics is the means by which professionals establish explicit standards of behavior and hold themselves accountable to those standards. An ethical code helps both professionals and those affected by the professionals actions (e.g., clients and consumers) identify and understand the principles which must guide the professionals work (Keith-Spiegal, 1998). Less altruistically but more practically, professionals systems of ethics can also represent or be motivated by the professions desire to minimize regulation by external organizations and systems (e.g., state licensing boards, the civil and criminal courts) (World Medical Association, 2000). The origin or elaboration of formal ethical systems can also be a response to pressure from consumers, clients, and the public who seek a change from laissez faire and caveat-emptor approaches to professional responsibilities. The paternalism inherent in the attitude that professionals know best and are beyond accountability i s not tolerated among the public as it once was (Keith-Spiegal, 1998). Understanding Research Department of Health and Human Services regulations define research as a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge (45 CFR 46.102 d). Often it is assumed that a specific question is being addressed by the researcher, and that the design is appropriate to answer the proposed question. Data collection to evaluate a specific programs effectiveness is generally not considered research since findings are not normally generalizable. Collecting information regarding client change or satisfaction also may not fall under the aegis of research, because results are specific and informative to an individual therapist with the intent of improving therapeutic competence and success and therefore, are not generalizable (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). However, if therapists plan organized, well-thought-out designs to investigate a specific research question about a therapeutic procedure and intend to disseminate the results through publication or other means, they are engaging in human subject research (Institute of Medicine, 2002). Psychological theories on ethics During the 1960s there was increased interest in moral reasoning. Psychologists such as Lawrence Kohlberg developed theories which are based on the idea that moral behavior is made possible by moral reasoning. Their theories subdivided moral reasoning into so-called stages, which refer to the set of principles or methods that a person uses for ethical judgment. The first and most famous theory of this type was Kohlbergs theory of moral development (Macrina, 2000). Another group of influential psychological theories with ethical implications is the humanistic psychology movement. One of the most famous humanistic theories is Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs. Maslow argued that the highest human need is self-actualization, which can be described as fulfilling ones potential, and trying to fix what is wrong in the world. Carl Rogerss work was based on similar assumptions (Sherry, 1991). He thought that in order to be a fully functioning person, one has to be creative and accept ones own feelings and needs. He also emphasized the value of self-actualization. A similar theory was proposed by Fritz Perls, who assumed that taking responsibility of ones own life is an important value (Macrina, 2000). R.D. Laing developed a broad range of thought on interpersonal psychology. This deals with interactions between people, which he considered important, for an ethical action always occurs between one person and another. In books such as The Politics of Experience, he dealt with issues concerning how we should relate to persons labeled by the psychiatric establishment as schizophrenic. He came to be seen as a champion for the rights of those considered mentally ill. He spoke out against (and wrote about) practices of psychiatrists which he considered inhumane or barbaric, such as electric shock treatment. Like Wittgenstein, he was frequently concerned with clarifying the use of language in the field - for example, he suggested that the effects of psychiatric drugs (some of which are very deleterious) be called just that: effects, and not be referred to by the preferred euphemisms of the drug companies, who prefer to call them side effects (Keith-Spiegal, 1998). Laing also did work in establishing true asylums as places of refuge for those who feel disturbed and want a safe place to go through whatever it is they want to explore in themselves, and with others. A third group of psychological theories that have implications for the nature of ethics are based on evolutionary psychology. These theories are based on the assumption that the behavior that ethics prescribe can sometimes be seen as an evolutionary adaptation. For instance, altruism towards members of ones own family promotes ones inclusive fitness (Macrina, 2000). Ethical Principles for Conducting Research The Standing Committee on Ethics in Research with Human Participants has now completed its revision of the Ethical Principles for Research with Human Subjects and the new Ethical Principles for Conducting Research with Human Participants have been approved by the Council. In the forefront of its considerations was the recognition that psychologists owe a debt to those who agree to take part in their studies and that people who are willing to give up their time, even for remuneration, should be able to expect to be treated with the highest standards of consideration and respect. This is reflected in the change from the term subjects to participants (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). To psychologists brought up on the jargon of their profession the term subject is not derogatory. However, to someone who has not had that experience of psychological research it is a term which can seem impersonal. Deception The issue of deception caused the Committee considerable problems. To many outside the psychology profession, and to some within it, the idea of deceiving the participants in ones research is seen as quite inappropriate. At best, the experience of deception in psychological research can make the recipients cynical about the activities and attitudes of psychologists. However, since there are very many psychological processes that are modifiable by individuals if they are aware that they are being studied, the statement of the research hypothesis in advance of the collection of data would make much psychological research impossible. The Committee noted that there is a distinction between withholding some of the details of the hypothesis under test and deliberately falsely informing the participants of the purpose of the research, especially if the information given implied a more benign topic of study than was in fact the case. While the Committee wishes to urge all psycholo gists to seek to supply as full information as possible to those taking part in their research, it concluded that the central principle was the reaction of participants when deception was revealed. If this led to discomfort, anger or objections from the participants then the deception was inappropriate. The Committee hopes that such a principle protects the dignity of the participants while allowing valuable psychological research to be conducted (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). Debriefing Following the research, especially where any deception or withholding of information had taken place, the Committee wished to emphasize the importance of appropriate debriefing. In some circumstances, the verbal description of the nature of the investigation would not be sufficient to eliminate all possibility of harmful after-effects. For example, an experiment in which negative mood was induced requires the induction of a happy mood state before the participant leaves the experimental setting (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). Risk Another area of concern for the Committee was the protection of participants from undue risk in psychological research. Since this was an area in which the Principles might be looked to during an investigation following a complaint against a researcher, the Committee was concerned to seek a definition that protected the participants in the research without making important research impossible. Risks attend us every moment in life, and to say that research should involve no risks would be inappropriate. However, the important principle seemed to be that when participants entered upon a psychological investigation they should not, in so doing, be increasing the probability that they would come to any form of harm. Thus, the definition of undue risk was based upon the risks that individuals run in their normal lifestyle. This definition makes possible research upon individuals who lead a risk-taking or risk-seeking life (e.g. mountaineers, cave divers), so long as the individuals are not induced to take risks that are greater than those that they would normally encounter in their life outside the research (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). Implementation The Council of the Society approved the Principles at its meeting in February 1990.There followed a two-year period during which the new Principles were provisionally in operation. In spring 1992 the Council reviewed the Principles, in the light of experience of their operation. During this period researchers were unable to identify problems in the working of the Principles. Following minor amendment the Principles were formally adopted in October 1992 (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). The Council urges all research psychologists to ensure that they abide by these Principles, which supplement the Societys Code of Conduct and thus violation of them could form the basis of disciplinary action. It is essential that all members of the psychological profession abide by the Principles if psychologists are to continue to retain the privilege of testing human participants in their research (Sherry, 1991). Psychologists have legal as well as moral responsibilities for those who help them in their study, and the long-term reputation of the discipline depends largely upon the experience of those who encounter it first-hand during psychological investigations (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). Unethical practices / Current regulation A scandal that was made public in 1972 was the Tuskegee study, which began in Alabama in the 1930s and continued for about 40 years. Black males who were diagnosed with syphilis were left untreated to experimentally observe the natural course of the disease. The public outcry to this disclosure was considerable, especially after it was learned that a Public Health Service committee review of the experiment had recommended that the experiment be continued (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000)! The government response to the resultant public outrage was to regulate even greater public control of research ethics and provide for the bureaucracy to ensure its implementation. The National Research Act, which required mandatory ethics review by Institutional Review Boards in institutions receiving federal research grants, also created the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Over the next several years it was propose d to extend required ethics review to research in all disciplines, whether federally funded or not. Yet in another case that leaves question and concern, a funded collaborative research project between the county schools and probation office is aimed at 8th and 9th grade students who are on probation and are failing two classes. Funding requires that therapeutic intervention procedures be compared to determine if a specific approach is more effective in improving grades. A family therapy clinic that provides in-school counseling service is asked to lead two solution-focused groups. The family therapy clinic will be paid its standard fee for individual clients plus an additional $250 per student to complete research outcome measures. Students are identified by a school-probation professional team to take part in the research project. After identifying students, a letter and consent form is sent to parents that describe a special program aimed at improving grades so the student may be promoted. Parents are to send back a form if they do not want their child to be part of the program . One of the therapists is a part-time faculty member at the local university. She is requested to submit the study for IRB approval. Also, she plans to ask the department chair about using a MFT graduate student to assist with co-leading therapy sessions and with data collection and analysis. Confidentiality may also be violated. Because the therapy research was conducted at the school, faculty and other students may have been aware of who was in the study and for what reason. In addition, what would happen if a research participant revealed illegal behavior during the study (e.g., drug use or vandalism) is not specified (McCollum,2002). Currently, the federal government is emphasizing education and training for professionals who are or will be engaged in human participant research. Led by the OHRP and the Office of Research Integrity (ORI), professionals are expected not only to know the ethical principles underpinning human research, but also be familiar with the responsible conduct of research (Institute of Medicine, 2002). In addition to knowing human subject regulations, researchers are expected to know about other areas of responsible conduct of research, including data acquisition and management, publication practices, research misconduct or falsification, fabrication, and plagiarism (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2001). Conclusion In conclusion, ethical regulation is an element that has been permanently added to the design and conduct of psychological research. Regrettably, some researchers have been reluctant to acknowledge this fact. When psychologists engage in research activities, they are expected to cultivate a culture of research integrity. Professional ethical standards and federal and state regulations must be understood and followed. These regulations serve as the leading guidelines for correct research practice involving human participants. They are also the foundation for best research standards and practice, which simply stated is, Respect people while doing good science. (World Medical Association, 2000) Research Papers on Ethic Norms Within Scientific ResearchResearch Process Part OneThree Concepts of PsychodynamicInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Genetic EngineeringThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Origins of the Scientific Method Essay Example

Origins of the Scientific Method Essay Example Origins of the Scientific Method Essay Origins of the Scientific Method Essay It is only through the scientific method that the knowledge in the field of sciences can be verified.   Scientists must recognize that their assumptions and experience can be good sources for ideas, these ideas may be flawed. This is why scientists have to undergo the processes using scientific methods to validate both descriptions and explanations of phenomena in their discipline. Central to all scientific methods is the requirement that all propositions, or hypotheses, be subjected to empirical testing, and that this research be carried out in such a way that it can be observed, evaluated, and replicated by others. The four goals of scientific research are to: â€Å"(1) describe a phenomenon, (2) predict the occurrence of the phenomenon, (3) determine the origin or the causal event underlying this occurrence, and (4) explain the process creating or producing the phenomenon†. The scientific method provides a set of rules for gathering, evaluating, and reporting this informa tion (Malakoff, 1999).The development of scientific method is history is quite vague. This is because while the scientific method may appear to be both a practical and logical method of investigating scientific phenomena, it actually took a considerable amount of time for the method to evolve into its current form (Grinell 1992, p. 15). During the time of the ancient Greeks, philosophers such as Aristotle did not employ experimentation to confirm their observations. Aristotle thought that â€Å"science is not mere description or the ability to predict on the basis of previous experience; the aim of science is causal explanation in the interest of understanding†. However, Aristotle based his â€Å"scientific explanation† to consist intelligible ideas without any experimental basis (Dougherty, 2006). In fact, the great Greek philosophers believed that observation alone, without the support of either experiments or mathematics, was satisfactory enough to understand the re ality of the world around them.Relying merely on observation as â€Å"scientific thinking† persisted for centuries. It was not until the Renaissance period in Europe, and a resurgence of an interest in invention, science, and discovery, that scientists began to mathematically and experimentally question the world around them. One of the first documented uses of experimentation to confirm observations was by William Gilbert in 1600. Gilbert was a prominent physician of his time who became interested in applying the principles of magnetism to medicine. In a book entitled De Magnete (The Magnet) Gilbert outlined a detailed inductive investigative approach to explain the use of magnets in medicine. The results of his studies had far-reaching implications on science. His research on magnetism provided the foundation for studies well into the 18th century (Windelspecht, 2002, p. 208).Most readings generally attribute the use of scientific method to Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). Actu ally, there is an anecdote how Galileo formulated the scientific method. As the story goes, the young boy Galileo moved with his family to Florence, the heart of Renaissance culture. When he was 17, he left for the University of Pisa to study medicine, a career his father, a none-too-wealthy mathematician, had encouraged Galileo to enter. While in Pisa one day, young Galileo was sitting in the cathedral when he noticed the pendulum swing of the beautiful chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Already more attuned to observing and pondering the mysteries of nature than attending to the philosophical abstractions of religious ritual, he became engrossed with the motion of the chandeliers swing. Timing it against his pulse, he noticed that, for as long as he watched it, the chandelier completed the same number of swings in the same number of pulse beats. The arc of pendulum swings might become shorter as time passed, but the elapsed time from the beginning of one swing to the beginning of the next always remained the same. Later, at home, Galileo pushed the point further. To verify his observations he set up a simple set of experiments. He tried pendulums tied with weights of different sizes. He made them swing in wide arcs, in medium arcs, and in small arcs, always timing against his pulse (the best time measurement he had at that point). The number of swings in a given length of time never varied unless he changed the length of the string (Drake, 2001, p. 33-34).What Galileo found was the basis about movement and dynamics. But even more important was the method he used to conduct his small experiment: Instead of just reasoning his ideas through logically, in the manner of the ancient Greek philosophers and most of his contemporaries- the scientists or â€Å"natural philosophers† of his day- he measured time and distance and introduced mathematics into physics. Then he tested and proved his point by experiment.It turned out that anyone could repeat Galile o’s experiment and get the same results- another principle that became key to the â€Å"scientific method.† Although others including Francis Bacon and William Gilbert had championed this method, Galileo was really the first who consistently used this repeatable and verifiable approach. He intentionally designed his experiments so that they could be easily reproduced and verified. More importantly, Galileo had used mathematical principles to solve problems of the physical world. This combination of the deductive and inductive processes was the true beginning of the modern scientific method. Despite criticism from colleagues, Galileo continued this method of scientific inquiry in his future studies on the laws of motion.Finally, the scientific method came into full circle when Isaac Newton used it. Isaac Newton was considered by many to be the driving force behind the scientific revolution of the 17th century. In scientific methodology, Newton built on the foundations o f scientific thought presented by Galileo, Gilbert, and Bacon.   In 1687, as part of a landmark physics publication entitled Principia Mathematica, Newton outlined the basis for scientific thought that persists to this day. The major premises presented by Newton firmly established the link between mathematics, including the new mathematics of calculus, and analytical thought. In his method, Newton did not simply support his statements with philosophical thought. Newton put forth the idea that the results of experimentation and observation should be considered to be accurate until disproved by scientific processes. By using the experimental principles set forth by Galileo, Newton used the scientific method to examine the universal laws of nature. The combination of deductive mathematics and inductive experimental reasoning proved to be a successful combination for Newton and through his success found application in all scientific disciplines (Harper, 2002, p. 174-175).At present, t he scientific method is essential in any scientific undertaking. It is an essential process according to which scientists assimilate the existing information, usually by studying scientific journals and other professional publications. Then they develop testable hypotheses. They design and carry out the research necessary to test this hypothesis. Finally they write up their results as a scientific report. Following peer review, the report may be published in the technical literature. In this way, it fertilizes the body of scientific knowledge for the benefit of humankind.

Judaism and Divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Judaism and Divorce - Essay Example Although divorce in the United States of America is governed primarily by state laws, religion also plays an important role when many people consider divorce as an option. This is true whether the married couple is Christian, Jewish, Mormon, or attached to any other religious institution. What results is a multi-layered approach to divorce in which religious scripture exists alongside state law as a governing set of principles and processes. Of particular interest is when religious doctrine cannot be neatly harmonized with secular state laws; this is significant because there are instances, such as in the case of Judaism, when a civil divorce is granted under a state's laws but not granted pursuant to Jewish doctrine. The consequences can be especially difficult for Jewish women. This essay will examine this multi-layered approach to divorce, the tension that can exist between religious scripture and state divorce law, and how divorce among Jews compares with people from other religi ons. As a preliminary matter, divorce must be considered within a legal context. In the United States that means a combination of federal and state law; in the case of divorce, state laws are fundamentally controlling. Indeed, as stated by a leading scholar in the field, "Judges, scholars and practitioners commonly assume that family law decisions are quintessentially matters of state law. For example, a common theme of the Supreme Court's federalism decisions is the assertion that "family law (including marriage, divorce, and child custody).

Paying for College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paying for College - Essay Example There are some people who believe that though college expenses is one of the largest disbursement in a person’s life span, it should be treated as an investment which will give better income, extended career prospects and higher personal contentment as returns throughout one’s life. However, this investment is only possible at a minimum cost therefore, it is necessary to reduce college expenditure. My goal, in this paper, is to establish the point that reduction of college expenditure is absolutely indispensable. To achieve this goal, I have put forward the various reasons for reducing college expenditure in five different sections. In the first section, I have discussed about the negative impact of the debt burden on the parents and students who take loans to pay for higher education because of which reducing cost of education becomes necessary. The second section tells us how this high cost is affecting parents of all classes in the society which makes minimization of higher education costs urgent. In the third section, I have thrown light upon the fact that the high cost of education has made it inaccessible to most of the undergraduates in U.S. which in turn, is creating a deficiency in the workforce of the country. I have ended the paper with the fourth section in which I have discussed how reduction of high costs of college education will make U.S. competitive in the global economy. I have concluded with the fifth section where I have uphold the point that reduction of college education cost is deemed necessary and discussed, in brief, the steps which colleges and the federal government should undertake to reduce the high cost of higher education. However, before discussing these five sections, I would like to put forward the statistical trends of the increase in cost of higher education in recent years. STATISTICAL TRENDS The tuition fees of colleges and universities have been increasing four times faster than the inflation rate (see Fig. 1 ). The cost of educating has soared 439% since 1982 for colleges. The average tuition and fees is around $20,000 annually at a public four year college and it is nearly $30,000- $35, 000 at a private college (Chaudhari). Moreover, it has been predicted that the cost will rise as high as $ 1, 25,000 for a public college and $ 2, 50,000 for a private college by 2015. On an average, families shell out $64 billion annually to send 13.9 million students to public colleges and universities (Immerwahr). According to Rampbell, on an average parents pay for around 37% of the total cost of attending colleges from their savings and income, around 10% of the cost is arranged through borrowing by parents and rest of the expenses are borne by the students themselves or by taking financial aids. Fig. 1 College Tuition and Fees vs. Overall Inflation Debt Burden. There have been recent debates on whether college education should be reduced or not. According to me, it should be reduced because studen ts who study with borrowed money have to face lot of difficulty in paying it back in the long term, though there are some fortunate ones who get grants and scholarships (Chaudhari). There is great concern over the amount of debt students have to take for higher education, though some people argue that financial aids are easily available and payable for students who are willing to