President Of The Executive Branch And The President Essay

Founded on the premise of a Republican Democracy where the three branches of government, elected by the people to which it governs, are held accountable to one another by one another, the expansion of the powers of the Executive Branch and the President is a troubling matter as it at times encroaches on the freedoms and liberties so granted to us as citizens of the country and the earth. This increasing of the powers of the President has ultimately made the President the most dominant force in politics in regards to foreign policy, but the role, or rather, the lack thereof from Congress in regards to foreign policy, has also lead to such an imbalance of power in terms of foreign policy. Because of those two reasons, I think that Congress should reaffirm and reassert their constitutional authorities on the matters of foreign policy, so that the President can be once again put in check. The President of the United States has the most control over foreign policy for several reasons, but primarily I will focus on two of them. First, of the powers prescribed to the President in the Constitution, some of the more powerful ones include their roles as the Commander in Chief of the military at large and as the Chief Diplomat of the United States. These two powers are pertinent to any foreign matters as the President is given the authority to, in essence, act as the leader of the country to all other countries whom he or she may talk to during negotiations or other matters. As theShow MoreRelatedThe President Is The Leader Of The Executive Branch1820 Words   |  8 PagesThe U.S. President is the leader of the executive branch. Elected at the same time, both the President and Vice President will serve the same four-year term. Clause 2 During the creation of this Constitution, the Electoral College was made to make voting much more organized. The number of electoral votes each state gets depends on the number of senators and representatives in Congress. That way, the number of votes is proportional to the state’s population. However, a congressman cannot be appointedRead MoreThe Framers Of The United States Constitution769 Words   |  4 Pagessystems of checks and balances. This means that no branch of the government would have absolute power over another. Each branch is independent. One particular established statutory limit to ensure the separation of powers is the selection of branch members by another branch. There is one exception to this, The President nominates judges and the Senate confirms the nominations. Sense then the correlation between the Congress and the President has been a continuing contentious relationship. ThereRead MoreThe National Government Of The United States1445 Words   |   6 Pagesgovernment, which include the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch, separate the government s power into a form of checks and balances. The system of checks and balances has been set in place to allow the three branches to limit the power of the other branches, this way, no branch is more powerful than the others. Each of these three branches of government will be further explained and the duties and responsibilities of each branch will be defined. The branches will alsoRead More Who Really Has the Power? Essay1666 Words   |  7 PagesThe strongest branch of government is the Executive branch because it holds the most influential power of the Three (being the Executive, the Legislative, and the judicial branch) as well as many other informal powers. Though the strengths of each branch of government were meant to maintain equality in the government, due to informal powers, the executive branch can override a veto from either branch. In addition, the president, who is a part of the executive branch, is more or less the faceRead MoreThe Supreme Law Of The Land877 Words   |  4 PagesThe Executive Branch which carries out laws by the President of the United States, Vice President and Cabinet, whereas the Legislative Branch is where the Congress makes the laws. With each branch being able to change the acts of the other branches, this is only if a president vetoes a law that Congress has passed or if the Justice of Supreme Courts overturns an unconstitutional law and if Congress accepts (USA.gov). Even though the connection among Congress and the President of the United StatesRead MoreThe Government Of The United States1275 Words   |  6 Pages The government of the United States is divided into three parts- the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The vast amount of control within this government is split between the aforementioned three branches; and is also known as power. The definition of power as given by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is ‘[the] ability to act or produce an effect’, which in the instance of power within the government would imply the ability to produce an effect on the economy or wellbeing of the UnitedRead MoreThe Constitution Of The United States1490 Words   |  6 PagesLegislative branch, Executive branch and the Judicial branch. All the branches are based on the idea of separation of power in which each branch has a specific power and responsibility and don’t rely on the other two branches to operate. All three also use the system of check and balance in which each branch is monitored by the other two to keep it from becoming too powerful. Legislative Branch As outlined in Article 1 of the constitution, the first branch is the Legislative branch. It hasRead MoreThe System Of Checks And Balances Essay1446 Words   |  6 PagesEven though there is a separation of powers, its clear to argue that the executive branch(President) is the most important branch and there are flaws in the system of checks and balances. II Signifigance of the Topic The system of checks and balances is an significant part of the Constitution because With checks and balances, each of the three branches of government can limit the powers of the others. so that, no one branch becomes too powerful. III Evidence related to topic 1.For example theRead MoreThe United States Government and Its Executive Branch698 Words   |  3 PagesThe Executive Branch America is called a democracy which means that the government is designed to be run by the people. Since it is a representational democracy, this means that instead of voting for everything directly, the people vote for others who will then make a great deal of the decisions regarding laws of the land. The United States government is comprised of three branches: the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive. Each branch is responsible for certain tasks which when all branchesRead MoreThe United States Federal Government Essay910 Words   |  4 PagesGovernment is comprised of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. To guarantee the administration is successful and nationals rights are ensured, every branch has its own particular forces and obligations, incorporating working with alternate branches.(Branches of Government  · House.gov n.d.) The legislative branch is comprised of the House and Senate, referred to all in all as the Congress. Among different forces, the legislative branch makes all laws, announces war, directs interstate

Cultural Diversity At The Twenty First Century Decade Essay

The Twenty First Century Decade, Outline Factors That Lead To Discrimination –and-Fairness Perspective and Explore Cultural Differences Managers Display Lereiya Edmonson Martin Class MGMT 630 Most organizations have identified factors that contributed to managers’ blindness to the impact of cultural diversity. In the twenty first century decade organization, have a direct impact on low productivity. Besides, diversity leads to ambiguity, disagreement on specific action and over complexity in the workforce. As a result, there is tension that is related to cultural diversity, which frustrates managers and cause lack of preparedness to deal with the sensitivity of cultural differences. To minimize on these impacts, managers are now addressing the challenges that factors the notion of cultural diversity; and managers are trying to transform culture to a culture of dignity, transparency, respect, fairness and trust. Cultural differences are critical issue managers face as there is an increase in cultural diversity in the workplace. This urge organizations in the twenty first century decade, to outline factors that lead to discrimination –and-fairness perspective and explore cultural differences managers display. It is believed that discrimination –and-fairness perspective is described as the most prevalent theory that concentrates on giving everyone an equal opportunity. However by applying this theory would change the manager’s perspective to consider fair treatment to theShow MoreRelatedCultural Diversity Has Impacted The Country1460 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica was built on one particular culture, but there are a multitude of cultures in America today. One questions how such cultural diversity has impacted the country. The primary influences of the early years of the United States were from Europe and its English settlers under British rule which cultivated the English language, British culture, legal system, and other cultural inheritances. The most influential was the Jeffersonian democracy which was one of two dominant political outlooks and movementsRead MoreProgressivism Within Twenty First Century Learning1203 Words   |  5 PagesProgressivism within Twenty-First Century Learning By Josh Fix Submitted to the Faculty of Columbus State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Leadership Columbus State University Columbus, GA July 2015 By design twenty-first century learning prepares students to be successful, contributing citizens in the locale of today’s global society. Twenty-first century learning requires students to understand how to learnRead MoreEssay about Mgt 538682 Words   |  3 Pagesdemands that businesses practice cultural sensitivity when aiming for successful business integration into foreign markets. According to Deresky (2011, p. 31), â€Å"competing in the twenty-first century requires firms to invest in the increasingly refined managerial skills needed to perform effectively in a multicultural environment.† Managers and leaders need to develop the ability to motivate and negotiate using appropriate multicultural tools because cultural diversity affects not only business practicesRead MoreThe Emergence Of The New Literary Movement1072 Words   |  5 Pages It seems every few decades the literary ground shifts. Romanticism and Realism dominated the latter 18th century well into t he 19th century. Next came Modernism, arising in the 1900s. Soon after, postmodernism took stage in the 1950s. Now into the 2000s, authors have performed remarkable feats of literary creativity and diversity. Authors are evoking occurrences from the turn of the millennium—events and conflicts that are specific to the twenty-first century. The new forms, tropes and theoreticalRead MoreLeadership Vs. Classical Leadership1309 Words   |  6 PagesThis literature review is based on 21st Century Leadership. This review will provide a comparative discussion of the various leadership developments, theories and models, identifying similarities and differences based on a set of criteria selected. This paper begins with an introduction to viewing the ‘map’ of leadership, its theory and frameworks through the different contextual lenses of academic, practitioner and learner. It affirms the complementary importance of theory and practice and the abilityRead MoreThe Conventi onal Narrative Accounting For The Demographic Diversity Of The Caribbean1567 Words   |  7 Pagesnarrative accounting for the demographic diversity of the Caribbean asserts that after the ‘discovery’ of the islands by Columbus, disease and maltreatment by Spaniards decimated the Indigenous populations. The assumed extinction of these Indigenous populations necessitated the securing of a new supply of manual labour capable of surviving in the tropics and working the newly established plantations and mines. This supply started with European migrants at first, but soon turned to West African slavesRead MoreNative American And The Revolutionary War Essay1704 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican’s were the first known settlers in North America, ten thousand years before Columbus came to the continent. Their origins completely unclear, anthropologists believe there were three to five million Native Americans in North America in the year 1492 (Hoxie and Iverson, 1997). As e arly as the Revolutionary War in 1775, European settlers started taking note of the Native Americans. Unfortunately, the Native American population plunged significantly in the first decades after their first contact withRead MoreWhat Did I Learn?895 Words   |  4 Pagesthe diversification of many of our countries school districts. For this reason, I wonder why in this decade of diverseness these children are taught by the typical white, middle class, Christian, female teacher? As a result of the heterogeneity of our schools, community, and country educators must incorporate instruction that blends the different cultures and experiences into the twenty-first century classroom. By integrating multicultural and global education, students will gain the knowledge, skillsRead MoreAn Organization Environment Can Have A Strong Effect On Employee Satisfaction And Productivity1699 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction In our ever changing world organizations are required to change to meet the needs of employees and their customers. The organization environment can have a strong effect on employee satisfaction and productivity. (Bernerth, 2004).Over the past century many elements have changed as the economical boundaries have created the need for these changes. As society changes and the perspective of future leaders grow and inject their personal ideas things will continue to change. Change is relevant and toRead MoreMulticultural Competence Of School Psychologists1031 Words   |  5 PagesMulticultural Competence of School Psychologists For more than two decades, school psychology has known about the necessity for, and importance of, developing multicultural competence (Fouad Arrendondo, 2007). From research, ethics, and practice standards, school psychologists and other school personnel have been aware that an effective school professional is multiculturally competent and able to make sense of students’ sociocultural, socioracial, and sociopolitical backgrounds that

Clinical Psychology Implications Treatment

Question: Discuss about the Clinical Psychology for Implications Treatment. Answer: Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a clinical condition associated with symptoms of low self-esteem, loss of interest in activities, impaired concentration and feeling of restlessness. The morbidity of the disease is associated with adverse outcome like poor interpersonal relationship as well as suicidal thoughts. The DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis of MDD depicts symptoms of anhedonia (loss of pleasures in rewarding things) should be every day till a minimum of two weeks (Henriques Davidson, 2000). Recent studies indicate that continuous periods of depressive symptoms impairs the brain areas related to positive emotions and hence anhedonia becomes a cardinal symptoms of depression (Der-Avakian Markou, 2012). The brain mechanisms underlying anhedonia is very elusive and it is necessary to study the contribution of the brain reward system in the symptoms of MDD. To analyze reward-based reinforcement learning in depression, many fMRI studies had been done to analyze brain activities in targets area and determine the extent to which brains reward system is influenced by the disease. fMRI studies investigating reward processing in depression revealed that depressed patients mainly shows reduced activations to rewards and they had reduce anticipatory response after a winning trail (Pizzagalli, 2014). Behavioral studies have also indicated low-reward sensitivity in depressed participants and this was confirmed by the reinforcement learning parameters in the task. The study was done in control groups and depressed groups and the reinforcement learning model was applied in patients behavioral data. The findings showed that MDD patients had lacked reward-based decision making skills and they faced difficulties in carrying out many actions. Hence, people with depressive disorder show varying response to action (Kunisato et al., 2012). A study by (Naranjo, Tremblay, Busto, 2001) indicates that alterations in the neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine systems lead to depression and dopamines and serotonins mostly play vital function in it. Tryptophan depression leads to de creased flow in certain regions of brain and lead to depressive symptoms due the activation of orbitifrontal cortex, septal region and amygdala. Hence there are neurobiological overlaps between MDD and brain reward system and anhedonic symptoms in depression is due impairment of the brain reward system. There are also indications that impairment in brain reward system might reduce reward related learning outcomes of patients with MDD. This might also affect and challenge the maintenance of MDD in diagnose person. In such case person behavior will be affected as they will not be able to modify behavior in terms of pay-off condition of rewards. This factor explains why depressed patients mainly experience anhedonia and why anhedonia is a potential trait marker of MDD (Forbes Dahl, 2012). The question now arises whether reduced learning might normalize with treatment and this is a new area of investigation to determine the impact of reduced reward learning due to depression. One study investigated the relation between reward learning and MDD after 8 weeks of treatment. The patients and control subjects had to complete reward task to determine how reward functions regulates behavior of participants. The comparison of reward responsiveness between control groups and depressed patients r evealed that MDD patient have reduced learning and this is even higher in patients with high level of anhedonia than those with low level of anhedonia. It led to persisting symptom of depression even after treatment (Vrieze et al., 2013). Hence, it indicates that reduced reward learning might significantly affects treatment goals and new approach is needed to eliminate persisting symptoms of anhedonia in patients. Anhedonia is the main focus of attention while defining treatment plan for patients with depression. It is the most vulnerable factors that might severely affect health condition of diagnosed person. The functional magnetic resonance imaging tests have indicated that there is difference in key nodes of brains reward system that affects anhedonia symptoms. Anhedonia is correlated with reduced nucleus accumbens (NAcc), reduced NAcc volume and increased resting delta current density. As NAcc reward response is inversely associated with resting delta activity, it is predicted that delta might have a role in the brains reward circuit activity (Wacker, Dillon, Pizzagalli, 2009). Further research in this area might help in elucidating the neural basis of anhedonia. On research study tried to review the neural bases that lead to anhedonia and it was found that deficits in hedonic capacity mainly lead to the conditions and this has impact on reward related processes in the brain particularly in ventral striatum, prefrontal cortical regions and different projections. This understanding might play a great role in addressing reward related deficits in patients with MDD (Der-Avakian Markou, 2012). Further extension to thought can be given by the idea that MDD is associated with poor neurobiological response to pleasant stimuli and psychotherapy has the potential to normalize this response. A study with MDD adults was done who completed fMRI scans and received behavioral activation therapy. The findings showed that psychotherapy lead to functional changes in structures that mediate award response. Hence, it can help to improve reward related functions of patients (Dichter et al., 2009). Diagnosis of MDD may lead to low striatal response and high medial prefrontal response to rewards. As there is change in the dopamine system and the reward functions due to aging, the altered reward functions is more prominent in depression (Forbes Dahl, 2012). The purpose of this research is to study response to reward-based reinforcement learning in depression and investigate the implications of altered reward functions on treatment development. The fMRI study will help in in vivo identification of brain regions involved in cognitive and motor processes in participants (Chau et al., 2004). It is expected that findings from this study will have great clinical implications by suggesting target areas for treatment of depressive patients. The fMRI study will help determine the specific brains which get affected by MDD and accurate clinical intervention will be given based on this results. Aim of the research: The main aim of the research is to conduct and fMRI study in healthy controls and depressed participants to analyze reward-based reinforcement learning in depression. Research objective The main objectives of the research are as follows: To determine the association between rewards and dopamine activities on health control and depressive individual through fMRI study. To analyze the concept of reward processing by means of reward-based enforcement learning in participants. To compare actions of health control and depressed subjects on a verbal memory task based on conditions on reward based reinforcements. To utilize results from the study to identify activation of different regions of brain and take adequate actions to modify behavior and treat depressed patients. Research question The research questions for the study are as follows: What is the difference between the brain reward systems of healthy controls and depressed patients? How reward processing differs in participants by means of reward-based reinforcement activities? How the action of control and MDD subjects differs based on monetary pay off of rewards? In what way findings of the results could be used to treat symptoms of depressive patients? Literature review: Tremblay and Mayberg (2005) have described the pathway called the brain reward system which plays a major in the mediation of reward behaviors and that of motivation. They have stated how the neurological pathway system that is involved is responsible for providing rewards which serve elicit approach and as well as consumatory behaviors that will be helpful in inducing subjective feelings based on pressure and also for positive emotional states. They also help to prevent extinction. While conducting research on it, it was suggested by them that there might be a neuroanatomical substrate which will be responsible for the feeling of anhedonia. Anhedonia takes place when an individual cannot experience pleasure as a rewarding attitude. To test this they used a compound called the destroamphetamine substrate in participants severely affected with the major depressive disorder. When tested it was seen that the compound was able to induce the release of dopamine form the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. This resulted in enhanced rewarding effect which indicated altered reward processing in MDD. They have thereby used the functional magnetic resonance imaging called the fMRI along with that of the positron emitting tomography in order to study the varieties of the human neuroanatomical substrates that remain in close association with the positive subjective experiences after the reinforcement of the drugs such as destroamphetamine and also nicotine. The technique of the fMRI is used because it provides a higher superior temporal and spatial resolution (Clark, Chamberlain Sahakian, 2009). It also helps in visualizing brain activity and also because it does not use radioactive tracers. These proved that dopamine related neuroanatomical substrates are intricately associated with altered rewarding processing in MDD (Der-Avakian Markou, 2012). A similar study was supported by Santesso et al. in the year 2008 which stated that the phasic modulation that take place in the dopamine neurons of the midbrain during the reinforcement learning is conveyed to the dACC which is often termed as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and alo in BG called the basal ganglion. They are mainly responsible for adaptive responding. The scientists used the electrophysiological studies of daCC function which mainly focuses on the probabilistic reward learning in healthy subjects. The task that they used, for the study, mainly corporated the integration of reinforcement history over time. When comparisons were made between the learners and the non learners, learners showed more positive feedback related negativity but greater dACC activation when they received reward for the proper identification of the stimulus. The patients were allowed to take part in a monetary incentive delay (MID) task that was administered during the Functional resonance imaging. When comparisons were made again, the learners showed stronger BG response in the reward for the MID task. All these prove that there is a higher possibility that learners who were under the probabilistic reinforcement task are characterized by stronger responses from dACC and BG in case of rewarding outcomes. These suggested that dACC indeed played a very important role in probabilistic reward learning in humans. The above study was supported in the article of the scientists namely Di Martino et al. in the year 2008 which showed that indeed basal ganglion has a major role in clinical disorders of mental health and has been proved by the fMRI. Basal ganglia take part in a number of activities like motivational, cognitive motor and emotional processes and thereby plays a very crucial role in the varieties of neurological and psychiatric disorders (Foti and Hajkack, 2009). Researchers here also used the functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment for conducting a comprehensive functional connectivity analysis of the circuitry system of the basal ganglia. Voxelwise regression analysis has shown to provide the proof of the hypothesized cognitive motor and affective divisions mainly among the striatal subdivisions. It also provided a solid evidence of the functional organization consistence with the parallel and the integrative loop models. This process also helped them to identify subtle dist inction in the striatal sub regions. They have shown that the inferior ventral striatum remains associated with the medial portions of the orbitofrontal cortex. They researched that superior striatal seed remains associated with medial and lateral portions. These had been a big help to the science world for the treatment of the disorders. This ability found to map the multiple distinct striatal circuits within a particular study in humans is the main strength of the fMRI technique. This approach therefore has been found to be extremely helpful for these disorders of the mental health that suffer from altered structure and function of the basal ganglia (Robinson et al., 2012). Also other studies conducted by Henriques and Davidson (2000) have revealed that the left anterior hypoactivation remains present in the brain of the expressed individuals. Thos in turn have found to be the main result of the decrease in the approach related motivation and behavior in the depressed individual. For this the researchers conducted a trial between the depressed participants meeting the DSM IV criteria for major depression and another group of non depressed participants. The control group was successful in maintaining the reinforcement learning technique as they changed their pattern of responses in both the rewards and the punishment situations in relation to their neutral conditions so that they could have maximized their earning. However such a response was not shown by the depressed participants who were in the depressed categories. The findings from this study also reported of the decreased responsiveness to the reward in case of the depressed participants. Through t horough research they have been able to find out that the left prefrontal hypoactivation which is mainly found in cases of depression reflects a deficit in the approach related behavior. Researcher Niv in the year 2009 had published his research which had shown that decision making processes that are adopted by different animals and also human beings usually follow a neural framework. It can be connected with specific learning pathways that have links to neural substrates having specific roles for each. These pathways are often found to link with the dopaminergic neurons signals in the mammalian brains and this is well observed from the various human brain imaging procedures (Chau, Roth Green, 2004). He had clearly stated that reinforcement learning mainly helps in evaluating the activity of the decision making process and to earn the best reward from it. There are many cases where the mentally ill patient feels incomplete even when receiving rewards which might not be the best but can be pleasurable. Evidences have been given by Whitton, Treadway and Pizzagalli in the year 2015 that in many cases of disorders like bipolar disorders, depression, schizophrenia and ot hers, reward processing abnormalities take place when the various parts of the neural processes are altered. They have proved this through experiments where they have dissected the different subcomponents of the reward processing components. They have studied these effects on the different neurobiological pathways and thereby investigated their dysregulation in different disorders of mental health patients. They have even suggested that this type of experiments holds a great strength in future. From these statements one can relate how reinforcement learning pathway may affect the reward based decision making and deliver better results. Dayan and Niv (2008) have stated that neural reinforcement learning technique is a dynamic field that has not refined confined to its conventional approach of narrow confines of the trial and error reward learning method. It had now been exposed in a near overwhelming rate where they have been successful in connecting the substantial theoretically motivated and the informative animal studies with that of the human neuroimaging results. A new set of data have been also achieved by them like cyclic volta-metric measurements of the phasic dopamine concentrations, results on serotonin kevel, and many others. They have also observed the nascent t efforts to activate DA cells in vivo using the new types of optogenic methods like the targeted channel rhodopsin which is believed to help the reinforcement model to give more success in the future. Ethical considerations The research will be conducted on depressed participants and hence all the codes of ethics mentioned in the Australian Psychological Society will be followed to minimize any risk to participants. Before sample recruitment, all participants will be informed about the purpose of research and the detailed procedure of research. They will be ensured that their confidentiality will be protected and the identity of the participants will not be revealed at all circumstances (Ritchie et al., 2013).Hence, all participants will be selected after taking informed consent from them regarding the research. As the research will also include patients with MDD, they will be diagnostically tested before the research to assess health risk or suicide related intentions in participants. Ethical issues related to the publication of the research findings will also be looked after and researcher will ensure that no confidentiality issue arises (Clarke Cossette, 2016). As this research aims to modify the stimulate human brain through reward based activities, any devastating impact of brain related conditions will assessed before the research (Cabrera et al., 2014). The neuroethics related to fMRI will also be considered by addressing all the ethical and legal considerations in neuroscience clinical practice. The challenges may arise in fMRI techniques and this problem will be looked after by experts groups who have better understanding about the neural mechanism of conscience, emotion and social behavior in participants. It will also help to address reporting biasness in the fMRI results (David et al., 2013). Treatment of results It is predicted that the findings of the results will give insight into the range of abnormalities in brain areas of participants and the effect of the structural impairment on reward based learning in participants. It will give idea whether the research finding has proved the hypothesis or conflicting results have been found. If the result is consistent with the research hypothesis, it is intended further extend the research to study the brain structure abnormalities on response rate of participants. Future research in this area could help to determine the sensitivity to reward functions of depressed patients and thinks of ways to treat their symptoms. It will give idea regarding a more efficacious treatment and interventions strategies for MDD patients. The research finding will help to answer several questions related to the pathophysiology of depression and confirm whether behavioral activation treatment will benefit patients depression or not. It also holds promise for studying basal ganglia dysfunction in MDD patients (Di Martino et al., 2008). Good time planning As the data collected after the experiment will be evaluated only after fMRI studies, some delay might also occur in the process. Furthermore the analysis of the brain structure will take time, hence it is planned to overcome this delay by engaging expert neurologist in the research. (Robinson et al., 2012). Behavioral and neuropsychological research also indicates delayed actions occur due to different neural substrates and it will lead to delay in visual or action related response. Based on these issues, the time required for completion of the research process will be determined accordingly (Singhal et al., 2013). Reference Cabrera, L. Y., Evans, E. L., Hamilton, R. H. (2014). Ethics of the electrified mind: defining issues and perspectives on the principled use of brain stimulation in medical research and clinical care.Brain topography,27(1), 33-45. Chau, D. T., Roth, R. M., Green, A. I. (2004). The neural circuitry of reward and its relevance to psychiatric disorders.Current psychiatry reports,6(5), 391-399. Clark, L., Chamberlain, S. R., Sahakian, B. J. (2009). Neurocognitive mechanisms in depression: implications for treatment.Annual review of neuroscience,32, 57-74. Clarke, S. P., Cossette, S. (2016). Secondary analysis: Theoretical, methodological, and practical considerations.Canadian Journal of Nursing Research Archive,32(3). David, S. P., Ware, J. J., Chu, I. M., Loftus, P. D., Fusar-Poli, P., Radua, J., ... Ioannidis, J. P. (2013). Potential reporting bias in fMRI studies of the brain.PloS one,8(7), e70104. Dayan, P., Niv, Y. (2008). Reinforcement learning: the good, the bad and the ugly.Current opinion in neurobiology,18(2), 185-196. Der-Avakian, A., Markou, A. (2012). The neurobiology of anhedonia and other reward-related deficits.Trends in neurosciences,35(1), 68-77. Di Martino, A., Scheres, A., Margulies, D. S., Kelly, A. M. C., Uddin, L. Q., Shehzad, Z., ... Milham, M. P. (2008). Functional connectivity of human striatum: a resting state FMRI study.Cerebral cortex,18(12), 2735-2747. Dichter, G. S., Felder, J. N., Petty, C., Bizzell, J., Ernst, M., Smoski, M. J. (2009). The effects of psychotherapy on neural responses to rewards in major depression.Biological psychiatry,66(9), 886-897. Forbes, E. E., Dahl, R. E. (2012). Research review: altered reward function in adolescent depression: what, when and how?.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,53(1), 3-15. Foti, D., Hajcak, G. (2009). Depression and reduced sensitivity to non-rewards versus rewards: Evidence from event-related potentials.Biological psychology,81(1), 1-8. Henriques, J. B., Davidson, R. J. (2000). Decreased responsiveness to reward in depression.Cognition Emotion,14(5), 711-724. Kunisato, Y., Okamoto, Y., Ueda, K., Onoda, K., Okada, G., Yoshimura, S., ... Yamawaki, S. (2012). Effects of depression on reward-based decision making and variability of action in probabilistic learning.Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry,43(4), 1088-1094. Naranjo, C. A., Tremblay, L. K., Busto, U. E. (2001). The role of the brain reward system in depression.Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry,25(4), 781-823. Niv, Y. (2009). Reinforcement learning in the brain.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,53(3), 139-154. Palminteri, S., Justo, D., Jauffret, C., Pavlicek, B., Dauta, A., Delmaire, C., ... Pessiglione, M. (2012). Critical roles for anterior insula and dorsal striatum in punishment-based avoidance learning.Neuron,76(5), 998-1009. Pizzagalli, D. A. (2014). Depression, stress, and anhedonia: toward a synthesis and integrated model.Annual review of clinical psychology,10, 393-423. Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C. M., Ormston, R. (Eds.). (2013).Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage. Robinson, O. J., Cools, R., Carlisi, C. O., Sahakian, B. J., Drevets, W. C. (2012). Ventral striatum response during reward and punishment reversal learning in unmedicated major depressive disorder.American Journal of Psychiatry,169(2), 152-159. Santesso, D. L., Dillon, D. G., Birk, J. L., Holmes, A. J., Goetz, E., Bogdan, R., Pizzagalli, D. A. (2008). Individual differences in reinforcement learning: behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging correlates.Neuroimage,42(2), 807-816. Singhal, A., Monaco, S., Kaufman, L. D., Culham, J. C. (2013). Human fMRI reveals that delayed action re-recruits visual perception.PLoS One,8(9), e73629. Treadway, M. T., Zald, D. H. (2011). Reconsidering anhedonia in depression: lessons from translational neuroscience.Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews,35(3), 537-555. Tremblay, L. K., Naranjo, C. A., Graham, S. J., Herrmann, N., Mayberg, H. S., Hevenor, S., Busto, U. E. (2005). Functional neuroanatomical substrates of altered reward processing in major depressive disorder revealed by a dopaminergic probe.Archives of general psychiatry,62(11), 1228-1236. Vrieze, E., Pizzagalli, D. A., Demyttenaere, K., Hompes, T., Sienaert, P., de Boer, P., ... Claes, S. (2013). Reduced reward learning predicts outcome in major depressive disorder.Biological psychiatry,73(7), 639-645. Wacker, J., Dillon, D. G., Pizzagalli, D. A. (2009). The role of the nucleus accumbens and rostral anterior cingulate cortex in anhedonia: integration of resting EEG, fMRI, and volumetric techniques.Neuroimage,46(1), 327-337. Whitton, A. E., Treadway, M. T., Pizzagalli, D. A. (2015). Reward processing dysfunction in major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.Current opinion in psychiatry,28(1), 7.

Medicare and Medicaid in California

Introduction The need to get better health care services is a mandatory requirement by all citizens irrespective of their age, race, tribe or political affiliations. Nations have developed their health institutions to ensure everybody gets quality health services that are also affordable. The state of California and other states have programs that ensure all people get health services without struggling.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Medicare and Medicaid in California specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They have established the Medicaid and Medicare services that ensure all citizens are guaranteed proper medical services. This essay explores how these programs have been incorporated in California’s healthcare systems to ensure people get quality services. Medicaid This program was established to ensure all people who have financial difficulties access medical services without constraining their budgets. T his means that this program offers subsidized services for all poor people and those that are disadvantaged in the society. It is crucial to state that this program is not offered to everybody except those that have limited sources of income and are low income earners. This means that people earning above the average pay are not allowed to subscribe to this program. This program gives direct qualification to anyone who receives CalWORKs, foster care assistants and those that are entitled to receive Supplementary Security Income. Another group of people who can get this service includes those that have physical disabilities like the blind, pregnant, people aged less than 21 and those aged more than 65 years. People operating child care centers and nursing homes are eligible to this program since they take care of children aged 21 years. This favor is also given to foster parents and those living and taking care of children aged below 21 years. The California Department of Health Care Services (CDHCS) administers this program by offering an identification card that contains all the details of the beneficiary and the provisions under this program. The following are also observed before consent is granted to a person to enroll in this program. A person must have assets not exceeding $2000 or if the person is married their total should not be more than $3000. Medicare This program exists to take care of the old people in California. This means they must have attained 65 years of age or more to qualify for it. It ensures that all old and retired people continue to get quality medical services through subsidizing their health expenses. They are allowed various privileges provided they have their membership cards. The federal government offers this insurance scheme to ensure that all young people with various physical disabilities. This provision favors most people who already have disability insurance benefits and social security retirement advantages. In California this service is offered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They ensure they have all the details of their clients concerning their hospital and medical insurances and when they began.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most people have both Medicaid and Medicare and use them to help pay for their health care needs. In this case Medicare precedes Medicaid since it has more rooms to accommodate various conditions. Beneficiaries are always advised to present both cards when seeking medical services to ensure they get maximum services. There are various health insurance providers and people are advised to seek services from providers that accept these two cards. This ensures that there will never be delays or useless expenses when seeking medical assistance. This essay on Medicare and Medicaid in California was written and submitted by user Michaela Howe to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Reflection Paper

Reflection Paper As I reflect over my past writings, I’m amazed by how little I knew about the writing process. English is one of the most complex languages on the planet. The ground rules are very significant and must be followed correctly to achieve the best results. In writing an essay paper, the proper placement of the topic sentence is important. The correct use of sentence structure is equally important in writing an essay. Proper grammar is an important element in writing an acceptable paper. A topic sentence is used to state the subject of an essay paper. I have had great difficulty with the proper placement of a topic sentence. One inaccuracy that I made was to use a body main idea as the topic statement. Another mistreatment that I have preformed was to omit the topic sentence from the introductory paragraph. My most recent error, the topic sentence was absent in the conclusion paragraph. Learning to write well takes time and practice. Good writing skills are essential for effective communication. Sentence structure is an independent grammatical unit that has a subject and predicate. The complexity of correct sentence structure has been a challenging process for me to learn. The comma is used to indicate a separation of ideas or elements within the structure of a sentence. The use of a comma is one of my big trouble areas. I create comma splices, as well as, I forget to use a comma in front of the word â€Å"and† when joining three or more items. A sentence that lacks a subject, a verb, or doesn’t complete an understandable thought is a sentence fragment. I have an extensive problem with fragmented sentences. I start a new sentence that builds on or adds to the previous sentence, and I overlook the fact that the new sentence does not have a subject. The fragment can be fixed by combining it with another sentence, or by changing the fragment into a sentence. A run-on sentence happens when two sen... Free Essays on Reflection Paper Free Essays on Reflection Paper Reflection Paper As I reflect over my past writings, I’m amazed by how little I knew about the writing process. English is one of the most complex languages on the planet. The ground rules are very significant and must be followed correctly to achieve the best results. In writing an essay paper, the proper placement of the topic sentence is important. The correct use of sentence structure is equally important in writing an essay. Proper grammar is an important element in writing an acceptable paper. A topic sentence is used to state the subject of an essay paper. I have had great difficulty with the proper placement of a topic sentence. One inaccuracy that I made was to use a body main idea as the topic statement. Another mistreatment that I have preformed was to omit the topic sentence from the introductory paragraph. My most recent error, the topic sentence was absent in the conclusion paragraph. Learning to write well takes time and practice. Good writing skills are essential for effective communication. Sentence structure is an independent grammatical unit that has a subject and predicate. The complexity of correct sentence structure has been a challenging process for me to learn. The comma is used to indicate a separation of ideas or elements within the structure of a sentence. The use of a comma is one of my big trouble areas. I create comma splices, as well as, I forget to use a comma in front of the word â€Å"and† when joining three or more items. A sentence that lacks a subject, a verb, or doesn’t complete an understandable thought is a sentence fragment. I have an extensive problem with fragmented sentences. I start a new sentence that builds on or adds to the previous sentence, and I overlook the fact that the new sentence does not have a subject. The fragment can be fixed by combining it with another sentence, or by changing the fragment into a sentence. A run-on sentence happens when two sen...

WALL Surname Meaning and Origin

WALL Surname Meaning and Origin The Wall surname has several possible meanings: a topographical surname often originally bestowed on someone who dwelled at or near a stone wall, from the Old English weall, and Latin vallum meaning wall or rampart. Often this was a wall built to fortify a town or a sea wall.  The Wall surname was also sometimes an occupational name given to a special kind of mason; a wall was one who specialized in building wall structures. This same meaning also has origins in Germany, from the middle high German wal.A topographical surname for someone who lived by a spring, from the northern Middle English walle, and Old English wà ¦lla, meaning well.In Germany the surname could indicate someone who lived near a wall, from the middle high German wal, or be a variant of the last name Wahl, meaning election or choice.In Ireland, Wall may have originally been de Valle (Gaelic  de Bhl),  meaning of the valley.Wall could also have Swedish origins, from  vall, meaning pasture or grazing ground. Surname Origin: English, Scottish, Swedish, German, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings: WALLS, WALE, WALES, WAHL, WALLENBERG, WAHLBERG  See also WALLER. Where in the World Is the WALL Surname Found? The Wall surname is found most commonly in Ireland, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the East and South East regions. It is also fairly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England, as well as Sweden, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.  Forebears  has the Wall last name as almost evenly common in both Ireland and Sweden. The Wall surname is fairly evenly distributed across the United States, but is especially common in North Carolina where it ranks #159. Famous People with the Last Name WALL Max Wall - English comedian and actorGarret D. Wall - New Jersey military officer and politicianWilliam Guy Wall - American painter of Irish birthArt Wall - PGA golf champion of the 1950sLucille Wall  - American actressJohn Wall  -  English Catholic Franciscan friar; martyr Genealogy Resources for the Surname WALL Wall/Walls DNA ProjectJoin over 220 researchers with the Wall surname or its variants interested in working together to combine Y-DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to sort out Wall ancestors around the world. 10 Top Databases for British GenealogyMillions of records from England, Scotland and Wales are available online in the form of digital images or transcriptions. These ten websites are a great starting point for anyone researching British ancestry. Wall Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Wall family crest or coat of arms for the Wall surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Wall Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Wall surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Wall query. FamilySearch - WALL GenealogyExplore over 3.2 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Wall surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WALL Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts a free mailing list for researchers of the Wall surname around the world. DistantCousin.com - WALL Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Wall. The Wall Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Wall last name from the website of Genealogy Today. -References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Final - Essay Example For various American Tribes and other indigenous group, the key point is coping with changing environment conditions. The main objective of all various forms tribal American Indian leaders is â€Å"to encounter the contest head-on, probing for plans to manage rising seas, melting ice and unstable populations of plants, animals and fish. Another key fact associated with their adaptation process is tackling changing social and economic culture. The job patter and living style is changing constantly in the USA. The people of America, especially American Indian are facing challenges associated with â€Å"With better health and longevity, lower birth rates, and the ageing of baby boomers, the world is seeing a major change in demographic trends. The process of adaptation can be more elaborately discuss in light of Abbott (1999) article- Alcohol and the Anishinaabeg of Minnesota in the Early Twentieth Century. The article discuss about the changing pattern of the drinking style of the In dian American in the country from Nineteenth century till date. In the seventeenth century, well before the discovery of alcohol pathology, Indian American was passionately attached to drinking. In the Nineteenth century the pattern changed slightly as they get addicted to strong drinks rather than regular and large volume of drinking (Abbott, 1999, pp. 25-26).In the earlier stage the trade of Alcohol was carried out against food and other important staff which slowly started to change. Slowly the pattern started to change as the American Indian started to use this as a gift in occasion and often resemble the same with the mother milk. In the areas such as Anishinaabe, drinking was a major incident among the people but soon they forced the pattern that they used to follow. There was a distinct difference in the pattern of drinking of the people in that area, those who used to live near the border or trading

Theory of Mind and Child Bullying Literature review

Theory of Mind and Child Bullying - Literature review Example Conclusion 15 References 17 Introduction Social issues and concerns have normally come under immense ignorance and people fail to notice the issues that leave indelible imprints on to abundant of people. Bullying, predominantly child bullying is one of the socially ethical dilemmas that dates back to several decades and may be centuries (Sanders and Phye, 2004, pp. 1-3). One can define bully as a "Use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants" (Alvesson and Spicer, 2011, pp.165). This means that bullying is an action that can come under performance by either one person and can even involve a group of people, where they tend to have aggressive and violent conduct. In addition, the practice of bullying is intended to provide harm to other people or become a source of humiliation for them publically because they perceive them stronger and wants to prove their dominance over the weaker people (Sanders and Phye, 2004, pp. 3-5). In general, it has come to observation that the victim's abilities, personality, ways of expression, gender, religion, culture, and several others become the primary or fundamental source of bullying. Bullying not only comes under restriction to verbal harassment, but also can lead to further violent conduct that includes physical assault and psychological violence. (Coloroso, 2009, pp. 5-8). Bullying has become one of the common and widespread practices that comes under exercise in nearly every institution whether it be educational institutions like schools and universities, workplace and even neighborhood. Due to this persistent and extensive application of bullying in every facet of life, it has become imperative to discover the root causes behind it, the harm that it can provide and the extensive research with respect to the subject matter (Macfarlane and McPherson, 2004, pp. 10-12). The relation of child bullying to theory of mind is imperative t o understand because the theory of mind is one of the social cognitions that come under development in the early childhood. However, the actions of the child are highly dependent upon social cognitions. This means that the mind and development of the child leads to understand the actions performed in the social world. Due to this, it comes under considerations as one of the most important developments of early childhood tha t helps in shaping the personality of the child. Child bullying has a lot of influence and power on how the personality of the child comes under formation in his or her childhood. Therefore, it is pivotal to study and analyse the role and impact of theory of mind upon the performance of the child that can help understand how and why child bullying comes under relationship to theory of mind. The thesis report has come under division into segments where the first segment broadly defines the wide-ranging research that has come under performance with respect to the grave issue, at the same time enlightening child bullying and theory of mind. In addition, it also includes a comparative study that delineates the relationship between the two. The following segment highlights the strengths, limitations, and omission in the research taken place concerning the two aspects. Lastly, based on all the research studies suggestions would come under articulation for future research questions as well as research methods. Overview to Literature Review Process The literature review concerning the matter of child bullying and theory of mind have come under consideration, numerous studies and researches have come under practice that can bring this matter into

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

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

North American Society Relected in John Updikes Short Story A & P Ess

North American Society Relected in John Updike's Short Story A & P At first glance, John Updike's short story A & P seems to be another coming of age piece. But with taking a deeper look, in many ways you see how the A & P grocery store could be viewed as microcosm of North American society in the 1960's - and it's not a very positive portrait. The general bleakness of the people, the accepted coldness of the store itself, and the theme of class consciousness throughout the entire story causes you to really see how this story parallels society and many peoples, especially young peoples, views in North America during this turbulent time of policy, rules, conservatism, and some of the actions taken against them. The store and the people paint a picture of an oppressively conservative and narrow-minded America based on policy before people, and rules of the corporation. You can either follow policy, or be labeled as a delinquent "Policy is what the kingpins want. What the others want is juvenile delinquency" (856). On several occasions the customers are referred to as "sheep" and as "scared pigs in a chute" (856); indeed they are processed facelessly though the checkout and the "electronic eye." Sammy goes even further to dehumanize them, and makes them seem devoid of spirit and individuality "I bet you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by and large keep reaching and checking off their lists and muttering..." (854). He even starts to dehumanize himself by the repetitive, mindless routine noise of the cash register "bing, gung, splat" (856) It makes everything seem like a part if the system; nothing goes unnoticed, everything is in line and the policies are enforced. Another thing which lends a han... ... Sammy quitting the A & P was his way of standing up against the typical North American society of `policy before people' attitudes and taking action. And though minute, his quitting was a small step against oppression and conservatism that is ever present in society. This was his way of fighting back. He thought that his quitting would shine through as a heroic deed to the upper class girls, and they would see him in a different light, "their unsuspected hero" (857). Unfortunately, when he walks out side into the fresh and alive sun he has no spoils "I look around for my girls, but they are gone, of course" (857), and at that point he realizes that just because you stand up for something doesn't make you a hero, and it definitely does not promise glory. Bibliography: Updike, John. "A & P.' Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories. New York: Knopf, 1969. 187-96.

PLAYS †Work in Pairs&give a brief description Essay

In pairs, simulate two role plays demonstrating your communication skills in a health and social care context. The role plays should demonstrate the application of two communication theories (the theory could be from a humanistic, behaviourist, cognitive or psychoanalytical perspectives)in relation to the health and social care sector. You are free to choose the context and the content of communication for your role plays. Let’s break it down: ïÆ' ¼Write a brief explanation of how the two theories have been applied in your role plays. (Pass) ïÆ' ¼Explain, using appropriate arguments and examples, why you have chosen a particular communication theory for a particular role play. (Merit) ïÆ' ¼Design a feedback sheet to collect the feedback from your class mates/peers (students)regarding your role plays. -Collect the feedback after the role plays. – Write an evaluation of how well each theory is suited for the context of the communication based on the feedback from your peers and your research. (Distinction) 1.1.2 (P1b) 1.1.2 In pairs, simulate two role plays demonstrating communication in a health and social care context. The role plays should demonstrate the â€Å"application† of two different communication techniques. You are free to choose the context and the content of communication for your role plays. Let’s break it down again: ïÆ' ¼Write a brief explanation of how the two techniques have been applied in your role plays. (Pass) ïÆ' ¼Explain, using appropriate arguments and examples, why you have chosen a particular communication technique for a particular role play. (Merit) ïÆ' ¼Design a feedback sheet to collect the feedback from other students on your role plays. Collect the feedback after the role plays. Write an evaluation of how well each communication technique is suited for the context of the communication based on the feedback from your peers and your research. (Distinction) 1.2.2 Write a Memo to all the staff in your department of Health and Social Care informing them of an important policy change. Your memo should be correctly structured and professionally presented. 1.3(P1a,b) Simulate two role plays which use different techniques/strategies to support communication between people with ‘specific’ communication needs. ïÆ' ¼Briefly explain how the techniques were used in your role play. (Pass) ïÆ' ¼Explain how the techniques/strategies you have applied facilitated communication between people with specific communication needs. (Merit) ïÆ' ¼Design a feedback sheet to collect the feedback from other students on your role plays. Collect the feedback after the role plays. Write an evaluation of how well each communication technique/strategy facilitated communication between people with specific communication needs based on the feedback from your peers and your research. (Distinction) What to submit for part one: -Transcripts of your role-plays -Written explanation of the techniques/theories/strategies used -Indicate who you worked with and how you have divided the work -A list of sources used in Harvard Referencing format -Your Evaluation of peer feedback / Feedback collected from peers (Distinction) -(All feedbacks need to be placed into your Appendix – to achieve a Distinction only) -A Memo †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. PART 2: WRITTEN REPORT (s) Task A (L02) – Brief Description (about 100 words) 2.1 (P1b) Select three different communication techniques used for different purposes in health and social care work. Review the application of these communication techniques for different purposes in health and social care work. Provide examples. Justify your conclusions and arguments. 2.2. (P1c) Discuss the ways in which communication influences how individuals feel about themselves. [Here you could use humanistic theory] 2.3. (P1d) Describe, using examples, ways of dealing with ‘inappropriate’ interpersonal communication between individuals in health and social care work. [Here you could use behavioural theory] 2.3 (P1f) Briefly describe and evaluate workplace strategies, policies and procedures for good practice in communication in health and social care. Tell me which strategies, policies and/or procedures are, in your opinion, best suited to facilitate and enhance communication in health and social care sectors? You would need to justify how you came to your conclusion (Merit to Distinction). Task B LO2: Brief Description (up to 100 words) Describe physical, emotional,cultural and legal influences regarding communication in health and social care. [Here you need to relate to equal opportunities – as explained to you in class] 2.1 (P2a) Analyse, using examples, how methods of communication are influenced by individual values, culture and ability in health and social care. 2.2 (P2a/b) Briefly describe legislation and charters governing the rights of individuals to communicate in health and social care. 2.3. (P2b/c) Discuss, providing examples, how the legislation and codes of practice relating to records and communication of information about people impact on health and social care. 2.4. (P2c/d) Based on the organisation of you have chosen, analyse the effectiveness of organisational systems and policies in relation to good practice in communication. Suggest and justify ways of improving communication systems in a health or care setting. What to submit for part two: As explained to you in class + examples of previous assignments for your perusal -A written report of 2500 – 3000 words -Evidence of research for the report in the Appendix, e.g. examples of policy, relevant legislation, research into IT, feedback†¦ etc -A list of sources used in Harvard Referencing format. Bibliography – [Please do not use Wikipedia for the references]. -1 page (A4) self-evaluation of involvement and work throughout the given assignment (make it personal with your own views and ideas) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. PART 3: Use of IT in Health and Social Care setting/organisation LO3: Brief Description (about 100 words) 3.1.1. Explain, using examples, how the use of IT (ICT) in health and social care benefits the individual – service users/patient/clients. 3.1.2. Critically evaluate how the IT supports and enhances the activities of care workers and care organisations/agencies. Provide examples. Justify conclusions reached. 3.1.2. Briefly describe health and safety legal considerations in the use of IT in health and social care. Here, you would need to demonstrate your ability to access and use standard IT software, used routinely, to support work in health and social care. This task will be assessed by ‘observation’ of your work during tutorial sessions. *You will be observed during the ICT lesson/tutorial What to submit for part three: †¢A summary of specific ways of communication by producing an ‘ICT Design’ of your research . Presentation requirement: †¢Font (Arial or Times New Roman) †¢Font size of 12 †¢Good margins (2 cm to the left and 2cm to the right) †¢Line spacing 1.5 †¢Separate paragraphs by adding a space between them. †¢Insert page numbers in the footer – at the right hand side of each page (every page must a number – in numerical order) †¢Start a new task on a new page †¢The module name, module code and assignment number must appear in the front of your assignment and in the Header of every page †¢Your name should appear at the top (header) of every page †¢Print on one side of the page only †¢Follow all explanations and guidance as taught in class †¢Finally, compile your work together in a presentable manner prior to submission. †¢Do not miss the dead line Reassurance: Since this is your first assignment at LCUCK for most of you; I have set it in a very simple way with many pointers so that you could achieve a good grade. Please plan your work (time management) to complete this assignment by the deadline. Good Luck! Sheila Gooljar Assessment Criteria for a ‘Pass’ To achieve each outcome the learner will demonstrate the ability to: P1. Be able to explore how communication skills are used in health and social care Explanation: Explore communication between people in health and social care a.apply relevant theories of communication to health and social care contexts b.review the application of a range of communication techniques for different purposes used in health and social care work c.discuss the ways in which communication influences how individuals feel about themselves d.describe ways of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication between individuals e.analyse the use of techniques and strategies for supporting communication between people with specific communication needs f.evaluate workplace strategies, policies and procedures for good practice in communication P2. Understand how various factors influence the communication process in health and social Explanation: Describe physical, cultural and legal influences on communication in health and social care a.analyse how methods of communication are influenced by individual values, culture and ability b.describe legislation and charters governing the rights of individuals to communicate c.discuss the implications in health and social care contexts of legislation and codes of practice relating to records and communication of information about people d.analyse the effectiveness of organisational systems and policies in relation to good practice in communication e.suggest and justify ways of improving communication systems in a health or care setting f.demonstrate ability to communicate appropriately using a range of techniques P3. Be able to explore the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in health and social careExplore the use of information technology in communications in health and social care a.demonstrate ability to access and use standard IT software, used routinely, to support work in health and social care b.analyse how the use of IT in health and social care benefits service users c.critically evaluate how the IT supports and enhances the activities of care workers and care organisations/agencies d.analyse health and safety legal considerations in the use of IT Assessment Criteria for a ‘Merit’ (include Pass criteria+): M1 Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions: -Students provided evidence of research from various sources (the internet and books) for the written report in a well-organised and neatly presented Appendix -Students correctly referenced and acknowledged sources used in the report M2 Select/design and apply appropriate methods/techniques: -Students explained how the techniques/strategies in the role plays facilitated communication in different contexts -Students supported the report with a range of relevant examples from the context of health and social care M3 Present and communicate appropriate findings: -Students used the language at the correct level; technical language was used accurately, spelling and grammar checked used. -Students presented the report which reads fluently and has correctly structured and professionally presented. -Students provided a bibliography of sources used in Harvard referencing format Assessment Criteria for a ‘Distinction’ (include

Religious Backgrounds

My Religious Background I am catholic. I was raised by catholic parents who were raised by catholic parents. Even all of my great grandparents except for one couple were catholic, and beyond that I have no idea. My Grandpa was the only one who was not raised catholic, but converted soon after he married my Grandmother and is buried in a catholic cemetery. I have always agreed with everything that The Catholic Church has taught me, but I feel like that may be because I have never known any other belief.I have been in Catholic school since kindergarten and rarely learned about other religions other than how they differed from my own faith. The only two things I can think of that I may disagree with The Catholic Church on are really more political matters than they are matters of God. For instance, it is taught that a marriage is not complete without the act of sex. For a marriage to be valid under God, the couple must have sex. When I heard this, I immediately thought about men who hav e been paralyzed from the waist down who would not have this opportunity.When I asked my teacher about that situation she said that the marriage was invalid due to the situation, but that there may be drugs out there that could help the situation. That was something I couldn’t believe. It made me feel like we were ousting them from the church because they were paralyzed. It seems to me that these men have been through enough trouble in their lives and shouldn’t need anyone’s permission to marry a woman who they are to fall in love with. The other concept I disagreed with was the idea of same-sex marriage.Maybe it is just that I have issues with marriage in general, but I feel like two people who love each other should be able to marry legally. Now, that being said, I do agree with the church that it is not necessarily what God had in mind, and I do not really feel comfortable saying that I think God is â€Å"in favor† of same-sex marriage, but I would lik e to see the church say that legally same sex couples should be able to marry. I imagine the reason I feel this way could be because my aunt is a homosexual and is legally married to her life-partner and they are very happy.I believe they were married in Illinois, but do not quote me on that. It just bothered me that they had to travel all that way to get legally bonded and it is not even valid in the state they live in. In other words, I agree with the church on the concept that they shouldn’t be married under God, but I see no reason that two people who really do truly love each other cannot be bonded together and share the same benefits that couples of the opposite sex share in marriage.

How Amino Acid Chirality Works

How Amino Acid Chirality Works Amino acids (except for  glycine) have a  chiral  carbon atom adjacent to the carboxyl group (CO2-). This chiral center allows for stereoisomerism. The amino acids form two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other. The structures are not superimposable on each other, much like your left and right hands. These mirror images are termed  enantiomers. D/L and R/S Naming Conventions for Amino Acid Chirality There are two important nomenclature systems for enantiomers. The D/L system is based on optical activity and refers to the Latin words dexter for right and laevus for left, reflecting left- and right-handedness of the chemical structures. An amino acid with the dexter configuration  (dextrorotary) would be named with a () or D prefix, such as ()-serine or D-serine. An amino acid having the laevus configuration  (levorotary) would be prefaced with a (-) or L, such as (-)-serine or L-serine. Here are the steps to determine whether an amino acid is the D or L enantiomer: Draw the molecule as a Fischer projection with the carboxylic acid group on top and side chain on the bottom. (The amine group will not be at the top or bottom.)If the amine group is located on the right side of the carbon chain, the compound is D. If the amine group is on the left side, the molecule is L.If you wish to draw the enantiomer of a given amino acid, simply draw its mirror image. The R/S notation is similar, where R stands for Latin rectus (right, proper, or straight) and S stands for Latin sinister (left). R/S naming follows the  Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules: Locate the chiral or stereogenic center.Assign priority to each group based on the atomic number of the atom attached to the center, where 1 high and 4 low.Determine the direction of priority for the other three groups, in order of high to low priority (1 to 3).If the order is clockwise, then the center is R. If the order is counterclockwise, then the center is S. Although most of chemistry has switched over to the (S) and (R) designators for absolute stereochemistry of enantiomers, the amino acids are most commonly named using the (L) and (D) system. Isomerism of Natural Amino Acids All amino acids found in proteins occur in the L-configuration about the chiral carbon atom. The exception is glycine because it has two hydrogen atoms at the alpha carbon, which cannot be distinguished from each other except via radioisotope labeling. D-amino acids are not naturally found in proteins and are not involved in the metabolic pathways of eukaryotic organisms, although they are important in the structure and metabolism of bacteria. For example, D-glutamic acid  and D-alanine  are structural components of certain bacterial cell walls. Its believed D-serine may be able to act as a brain neurotransmitter. D-amino acids, where they exist in nature, are produced via post-translational modifications of the protein. Regarding the (S) and (R) nomenclature, nearly all amino acids in proteins are (S) at the alpha carbon. Cysteine is (R) and glycine is not chiral. The reason cysteine is different is that it has a sulfur atom at the second position of the side chain, which has a larger atomic number than that of the groups at the first carbon. Following the naming convention, this makes the molecule (R) rather than (S).

Obdurodon - Facts and Figures

Obdurodon - Facts and Figures Name: Obdurodon (Greek for tough tooth); pronounced ob-DOOR-oh-don Habitat: Swamps of Australia and South America Historical Epoch: Miocene (23-5 million years ago) Size and Weight: About one foot long and a few pounds Diet: Insects and crustaceans Distinguishing Features: Broad, flat bill studded with teeth About Obdurodon The prehistoric platypus Obdurodon used to count as one of the exceptions to the rule that every modern creature had a plus-sized ancestor lurking millions of years back in its family tree: this monotreme (mammalian egg layer) was about the same size as its modern playtpus relatives, but its bill was comparably broad and flat and (heres the main difference) studded with teeth, which adult platypuses lack. Judging by this dental equipment, paleontologists believe Obdurodon made its living by digging with its bill into the soft silt near lakes and rivers and eating whatever crawly things lay exposed (such as insects, crustaceans and the occasional small fish). As ancient as it was, Obdurodon wasnt the first platypus ancestor to appear on the prehistoric scene; there were also the early Cretaceous Teinolophos and Steropodon. We say used to in the paragraph above because a new discovery has placed Obdurodon squarely in the megafauna mammal category: a three-foot-long species (diagnosed on the basis of a single tooth) that was recently discovered Down Under, in sediments dating from 15 million years ago. Besides its size, Obdurodon tharalkooschild was distinguished by its highly developed teeth, which it used to crush crawfish, crustaceans, small vertebrates including birds and lizards, and possibly even the occasional turtle!

What are the justifications state legislatures have used to pass laws Thesis

What are the justifications state legislatures have used to pass laws legalizing same-sex marriage - Thesis Example ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.59 Vermont†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦59 California†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦59 In Re Marriage Cases†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..59 Prop. 8 and Strauss Case†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..66 Perry v. Schwarzenegger†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..67 Perry v. Brown†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦73 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..73 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.80 Cases and Statutes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦86 Abstract This dissertation will focus on an analysis of states where same-sex marriage has been legalized. The bulk of the analysis in this regard will be court decisions, as courts provide much more evidence and argument for their positions than do legislatures. The conclusion is that courts use different standards of review for same-sex marriage, which indicates a clear split between jurisdictions on the matter. Another conclusion is that courts, in making their decisions regarding same-sex marriage cases, tend to reach in order to get to the desired conclusion. This seems to hold for both courts ruling against same-sex marriage and courts ruling for same-sex marriage. The conclusion is that the courts that rule on... The researcher states that same-sex marriage has been a source of controversy in the modern era. Same-sex marriage implicates gay rights, as this is the basis for the success that homosexuals have had in recent years. The modern thought regarding homosexuals may be traced to 1977, which was a watershed year for the homosexual rights movement, according to Fejes. It was during this year that homosexuals began to be positively portrayed. States were also eliminating sodomy laws, and more states began offering protections to gays and lesbians. Also during the 1970s, the same-sex couples began nascent efforts to marry – in 1970, the first gay couple attempted to obtain a marriage license in California. They were denied, as were other couples in Wisconsin and Colorado. During the 1980s, same couples pushed for marriage to a greater extent, as the era of AIDS was ushered in. AIDS affected same sex couples, and encouraged them to pursue marriage, because same-sex couples were increas ingly denied the right to make health care decisions for their ailing partner. The gay marriage debate picked up steam in 1993, as the state Supreme Court of Hawaii ruled that the state’s refusal to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples was an unconstitutional form of sex discrimination that would need to be justified by a compelling state interest. However, this move by Hawaii produced a major backlash, in the form of the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed by the federal government in 1993 in response to Hawaii’s decision.

Report (addressing the key issues surrounding financial and marketing Essay

Report (addressing the key issues surrounding financial and marketing applications of management information system - Essay Example MIS systems enable organisations to transform unmanageable volumes of data into formats that supports faster decision making. Faster decision making empowers organisations with the capability to survive in today’s rapidly changing business environment. MIS systems also enables organisations run simulations based on raw data which allows them to answer ‘what if’ questions regarding their strategy. Broadly, MIS  increase information utility across an  organization. Information availability is essential  to the decision making process at all levels of the organisation: functional, operational and strategic. In this discussion we shall look at the key issues surrounding application of MIS in two major business processes, namely: marketing and finance. Marketing management information systems (MkIS) are computerized systems designed to support the availability of information required to ensure effective marketing activities of an organization. These needs of the organization can only be met by the marketing information systems if it provides the organization with operational, analytical and collaborative functionality (Harmon 2003). The operational needs aspect is addressed by the customer management applications that focus on daily customer transactions and customer service. The analytical function is done by MkIS decision support systems that enable data analysis on factors affecting the market conditions such as customers, competition and technology. The collaborative MkIS applications make it easier for managers to share information and work together virtually. Also, it assists in encouraging organizations to collaborate with their customers on product designs and preferences. Managing marketing information by means of IT has become an indispensible element of effective marketing. MkIS offer new approaches for making better the internal efficiencies of a firm especially with

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Economics - Essay Example Due to current civil unrest in Bahrain and neighboring locations there are no current statistics available. However, the rate of inflation in 2010 was 3.3% which was up sharply from the reported 2.8% in 2009. One author from the Wall Street Journal wrote, â€Å"In its statement, Egypt's Central Bank said deteriorating regional political circumstances, including a civil war in Libya as well as violence in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, could drive up oil prices and further slow the continuing global economic recovery.† (Bradley) The Bahrain Economic Development board is positive in the most recent release, â€Å"In Q4 2010, the Bahrain economy is expected to post similar growth to that seen in the third quarter growth†¦over 4%† (Bahrain Economic Quarterly p. 4). Overall there is growth occurring especially in the tourism section as oil only accounts for approximately 15% of the economic outlook. With the civil unrest and potential for continuing problems there may be a d rop in tourism as a result. It will be necessary to see what the results are before making long term forecasts. Bahrain Economic Quarterly, . "Bahrain 2030, Bahrain Economy." Bahrain Economic Development board. N.p., First Quarter 2011. Web. 28 Apr 2011. http://www.bahrainedb.com/uploadedFiles/Bahraincom/BahrainForBusiness/BEQ%20Q1%202011.pdf Bradley, M. "Egypt Central Bank Keeps Key Interest Rates Unchanged ." Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones and Company, 28 April 2011.

Theories of African Christian Ethics

Theories of African Christian Ethics INTRODUCTION Before I begin, let me first suggest to you the overall task of Christian Ethics. If I speak about ethics, I speak about Who we are, how we are to perceive our world and how we are to live in this world. This is the main crux of Christian Ethics. In this assignment I would like to demonstrate a working knowledge of African, Western and African Christian Ethics. I will also look at the differences between selected ethical theories. ASSIGNMENT 1 Explain Western Ethics and evaluate the effect it has on our understanding of ethics. Underscore both the positives and negatives it has brought about in ethical thinking. According to Barnhill (2009) the Western tradition has four major approaches to ethics: The first two listed (Utilitarian Ethics and Deontological Ethics) are modern developments and they dominate modern philosophy. He says that Virtue ethics is as old as Plato and is making a bit of a come-back. Natural law ethics is relatively popular among environmental ethicists. After reading his Environmental studies, I have come to realise the following: This study speaks about goodness and badness. We can identify happiness with the good and sees virtue as a major part of happiness. We can explain that happiness and virtue should be detached. If we look at virtue it relates to good will, a good will is good in every circumstance and is absolute or unconditional good. It grows when you act for the sake of duty. A human action is morally good and is done for the sake of duty. Western Ethics shows us that an action can be motivated by duty and has moral worth. Not because of the results it achieved, but for satisfying a formal principle. The principle of performing ones duty, whatever it may be. People have impulses and desires and that is why the moral law appears to us as a law that we must obey. This impulses and desires is our only source for moral judgement. This is our free will. Our free will can create a moral law and we will obey it. The human mind is able to know what is good and evil. To have value judgement is born from ins ide of us. This is called your conscience. Most people recognize that man is free to make his or her moral decisions. On the other hand, all the things that we do wrong come from our human desires. Men and women should follow the will of God. Use the will of God to make certain decisions in life. There is a universal moral law, the knowledge to free ourselves from human desires. We are free to make good and sound moral judgements. In the approach of care and the community, too much Western Ethics has given individuals the right to think about themselves. We must build love and compassionate relationships among people. The full theory of ethics would have to accommodate all four aspects of Western ethics. One way to sometimes approach Western ethics and the influence it has on ethics is based on four aspects like rights, goods, virtues and our relationship with each other. We must look at the following questions like: Do our actions violate another persons rights? We must try to achieve good in life. Look at our integrity. Care for each other. Ethics and even Western Ethics can never be static and with Western Ethics there are certain frameworks and principles. We dont know whether Western Ethic has a future, but it really and most definitely do have a past. We can see that the patterns of the Western moral personality will continue to surface and really have to be dealt with, either through painful reflection or painful restructuring (Kunhiyop, 2004:29). Define in your own words Contemporary African Ethics. Highlight its important characteristics. Kigongo (nd) says that Contemporary African Ethics is a combination of African ethical tradition and European ethical tradition. What better way to describe Contemporary African Ethics than the word Ubuntu. Ubuntu means that people are people because of other people. In Africa nobody can survive alone, we need each other to survive. I think that we are all searching and suggesting new directions which to follow in pursuit of African values. We can say that the foundation of African ethics is definitely a humanistic worldview. Everything about the community is seen to exist not just in the here and now, but also in the past, through those who have already gone and also in the future, those who have yet to come. It is the past that influence the present and the present the future. Why, we ask, has this worldview, with the emphasis on respect for all mankind, support and responsibility not travel through the whole world yet? You remember in the second paragraph I spoke about Ubuntu. Well, I can say that this worldview is expressed by the very society that lives according to it. If the community follows Contemporary African Ethics, they are living testimonies to their worldview. This worldview is worth reviving and respect for another, especially a stranger, is well known to communities in the south of the Sahara. With them a visitor was to be welcomed and feted, not suspected and resisted like in some of our communities (Kunhiyop, 2004:23-27). Africa is currently looking at a new future when it comes to African Ethics. Africa believes that its own worldview has so much potential and contemporary messages to give. Africa does not have all the above on record, but the culture itself speaks of enrichment and value. Definitely African values can be included in everything in life, for example in institutions of higher learning. The world needs more Contemporary African Ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004:13). Identify the key aspects of African Christian Ethics. I hear what Okolo (nd) says: First, the African may well count himself fortunate to be blessed with such a basically sound and enduring religious and moral tradition. But this does not at all mean that the Christian religion based on Christs love ethic constitutes a mere superficial dimension in his moral life. The Christian religion means for the African fundamental changes in many of his cultural values and options such that a real conversion is required for him to be a Christian in the authentic meaning of the term and in its ethical implication. I think that the African society is in a moral crisis. The African are having an identity crisis and have shifted away from their value system. Their moral values they gave away for other value systems. In a sense the first aspects is the fact that they have betrayed the African value system by analyzing it with the socio-economic and political implications that are taken from all the different value systems. The second aspect for me is the fact that Africans are now abandoning their value system by trying to embrace other systems, namely liberalism and utilitarianism. The consequence of this above mentioned shift is that the African will no longer be known by what he is, but by what he has acquired by different means. The African have lost the sense of Who am I and this created the moral crisis in South Africa. If we look at virtue ethics, I think it could help us to redeem the African value system as well as every individual in South Africa. Virtue ethics is intended to provide a s ociety in which people can live a meaningful life. There is a general agreement amongst the African people that the African cannot be defined except in the closeness of the community. We can see the closeness of relationship between the individual and the social nature of the African. The African system is not concerned with material issues; it is concerned primarily with human beings in their relationship with one another. It is like that, the community means that the community alone can constitute the context, their social and cultural space. Africans needs to find freedom and responsibility in themselves and also in other people in South Africa. CONCLUSION Whether African Christian Ethics will start a different socio-economic and political arrangement remains a question that needs to be explored in-depth. Bibliography Barnhill D L 2007. Four Traditional Western Approaches to Ethics. Online article: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/barnhill/ES_375/ethics.html, 07/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. Kigongo J K n.d. The Relevance of African Ethics To Contemporary African Society. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-8/chapter_ii.htm, 13/01/2009. Okolo C B n.d. The African Experience of Christian Values: Dimensions of The Problematic. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-3/chapter_xi.htm, 13/01/2009. INTRODUCTION The Bible is an expression of Gods will to us and possesses the right supremely to define what we are to believe and how we are to conduct ourselves. In the book African Christian Ethics Samuel W. Kunhiyop gives us guidelines in biblical Christianity for Africa. Although Samuel Kunhiyops book does not deal exclusively with the role of the Bible, I will review his book to get to the core. We know that everything stays the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. To review a great Theologian like Samuel W. Kunhiyop, I dont think it is for me to comment on the way he wrote his book. ASSIGNMENT 2 Write a critical book review of the course textbook: Samuel Kunhiyop (2004), African Christian Ethics. In the introduction Samuel describes the need for writing this book: Christian ethics is often regarded the same as Western ethics, but they are really not the same. The two have become confused because Western missionaries did not bring a true and honest gospel but one that is different from the true gospel. Students who should be studying African Christian ethics are too often busy with the wrong ethical theories coming from the West. What should be taught in African theological colleges is an ethics that is African, biblical and Christian. That is what this book seeks to give to its reader (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-10). We can find a lot of information on African Christian Ethics through the internet and there is a lot of information for Western churches to use. Hippo books are so popular that they are used by many publishers and are well known throughout the world. Some of the publishers like Zondervan and African publishing houses also make use of Hippo books. Hippo books create an environment for the learner or student to get acquainted with all sections of Theology. Hippo books have got information and theories of many of scholars who share their knowledge and experience with us. Hippo books have got a vision to help with the growth in all African churches so they can see their culture from an evangelical perspective. Hippo books also published African Christian Ethics which I am about to review (Davy, 2010). Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was previously the Professor of Theology and Ethics at ECWA Theological Seminary. He holds a Bachelor of Theology, Masters of Theology and PhD at Trinity International University, Illinois. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was ordained by the Evangelical Church of West Africa as a minister. Currently he is one of the heads of the Postgraduate School at the South African Theological Seminary (Kunhiyop, 2004:4-5). The need for an interpretation of Christianity and all its aspects from an African point of view was necessary. One such aspect is the question of Christian ethics and how it is affected by Africa and its enormous cultural variety. Samuel identified the need to explore and explain the many questions that arose around the issue of African Christian ethics. According to Kunhiyop he started in his life seeking to find all information and truths about African Christianity. He studies for 8 years in Nigeria for his undergraduate theological training and another 7 years in the United States for his graduate theological training. In 1993 he went back to Nigeria and has been teaching now there for 11 years. Samuel is a great teacher of the Bible, Theology, Ethics and Philosophy. In 1994 he was teaching to a group of students and after finishing with them he asked the students What did you learn from this course? One of the students stood up and answered with the words nothing. Samuel was stu nned and because of that answer, he started to investigate and wanted to seek for the right answers. He realised that the information he gave through to the students did not pertain to them and their culture. He knew that he needed to do more for the students for them to succeed in life (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-9). If I can mention that it was very difficult to find the book in the library and Protea Bookshop gave an indication that it would take 10 weeks if I order the book. The book had to come from Kenya. When we look at the life of Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, we can see a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Although he did most of his studies overseas, he was born and raised in Africa. He wanted to help and assist African Christians struggling with their own situations and problems. He recognized that Africans, and even more so, African Christians, needed guidance in relation to the interpretation of their everyday personal problems within an ethical frame of reference (Kunhiyop, 2004:9). At first I didnt know what to make of the book African Christian Ethics. The book seemed extremely difficult to read, interpret and understand. Why might that be, I asked myself. Then I came to a conclusion. It was because I knew nothing about the Africans and their unique, intricate and diverse cultures. The only knowledge I have is about my own culture and roots. In Ethical Foundation: Section one Samuel Waje Kunhiyop explains what African morality and the African culture consists of (Kunhiyop, 2004:11). It is wonderful to read about my fellow African inhabitants within their interesting context. The songs they love to sing and the stories they love to tell. Then suddenly, the way of the African opens up to you and you begin to understand everything. The style in which the book has been written became much easier to read and interpret. As soon as I caught the drift of things, I enjoyed reading the book immensely. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop has done a lot of research to get to the truth. He also incorporated Biblical content to support his findings and to better explain the interpretation of these findings from a Christian point of view. At work my responsibilities include informing the soldiers about HIV and AIDS. With the knowledge that I gained from Samuels book I can now understand the African soldier better. It also helped me in building better relationships with the soldiers, as I better comprehend their training of thought and understanding of Christianity. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, through this book, opened up the eyes of many people, scholars and foreigners, although I think there is many more to explore and more information to gain. In South Africa a lot of African people are still confused and do not have identity. I can see that when I work with the youth in South Africa. The youth are lacking the strong morals and values they need to become better human beings in their communities and societies. The content of this book is magnificent and I would definitely encourage other individuals to read it and apply it to future situations with the African cultures. Let us explore the content of the book in detail to grasp the crux of what Samuel Waje Kunhiyop want to explain to us. I believe Kunhiyops work is excellent and I want to give him all the credit for this book. The book is divided into two sections, section one: Ethical Foundations, Chapter one, two and three deals with the theory of ethics, while section two: Contemporary Ethical Issues, Chapter four to thirteen discusses practical issues. Issues that is so relevant that we can apply it in our daily lives. The issues are grouped in the following order, as given in the Table of content: Political Issues, Religious Issues, Medical Issues, Welfare Issues, Financial Issues, Witchcraft Issues, AIDS Issues, Marriage Issues, Sexual Issues and Reproductive Technologies. Each chapter begins with a general introduction followed by the chapters dealing with the specific issues in that area. Samuel does not go into a detailed debate regarding War, rather, he looks at the wars and conflicts in Africa and then examines the Bible to find an answer (Kunhiyop, 2004:2). Starting with Contemporary African ethics, we can see that the African society does believe in God as the highest order and as the sole creator of earth and mankind. Secondly they stand under the authority of spirits and ancestors who are the leaders and instructors of good and evil. The distinct differences between morality and ethics are not acknowledged as they experience it as one with their religion. These assumptions are only written on paper as there is no documentary proof of the history or origin thereof. The growing up and teaching or learning through the elderly and community by word of mouth is their reference in life. Most important is the tribe, community and family rules for belonging and not to be a single individual with his or her own set of rules and regulations. Believing in the spirits and the ancestors justifies certain actions as long as you dont get caught and therefore has a deterrent effect on your family or community. They also believe that you must keep th e spirits happy in order to be blessed and not to be cursed in life. Mostly the interaction between family (grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews) and the community (neighbors, friends, etc.) is a vital link to the forming of the African cultural inheritance (Kunhiyop, 2004:11-28). Secondly, while Western ethics were founded and applied by numerous leaders of the Enlightenment eras, it had different positive as well as negative impacts on society. One example that has a negative impact on the biblical views of the religious community is the privacy factor where a woman has the sole right to apply abortion if she wishes to. Furthermore I do believe that technology is good for anybody except where it is applied have a negative result to humanity (Kunhiyop, 2004:29-46). The reading and understanding of African Christian Ethics was very difficult. Samuel makes mention of many authors and in text citing. The English language he used in Chapter three to point out his facts is confusing as to get the history facts straight. What I do understand from this Chapter is that Samuel writes that Christian theology is the backbone of African Christian ethics and that it will be useless if the Scriptures are not part of the guidance to the rules of African Christian ethics. The Black African Christian has a rule of ethics whereby their ancestors are always consulted and is a part and parcel of their decision making. Therefore in their ethics within certain issues they leave out God in certain other issues they consult Him. He explains that African ethics is deeply rooted in the soul and that it becomes personal, influencing the mind, heart, body and spirit of a person. If a family member has got an issue, that issue will affect the immediate family, as well as t heir distant relatives. It will influence those who are living and those who are dead, but still interested in the affairs of the living. To understand the community is to understand African ethics. This is a critical tool and must be used when studying African ethics. These ethics are developed in interaction with the past, the present and the future, nothing or nobody can be excluded. God, the spirits of the departed, the ancestors and good and evil will always have an enormous influence on the morality of the people. Why, because they are African and full of culture. Although the Bible does not support the doctrines of demons, evil spirits and witchcraft, many Christians are unaware of what the Bible teaches on the subject. Christians believe the Bible also serves as an authoritative moral influence, thus in Africa there is no such thing as an ethical system that has no practical and religious implications. There will always be principles or rules that guide behaviour. These prin ciples or rules are intertwined with practices of ethics and work nicely together (Kunhiyop, 2004:47-70). Samuel takes into account all the factors that are historically tied to the given topic and describes each problem in detail. In each problem he looks for a Biblical perspective on the issue, usually asking what the Old Testament says and what the New Testament says. This he does by also including the churchs response and the separate African churchs response before drawing an overall final conclusion. This method which he is using is effective because it keeps the Western reader aware of the differences between the West and Africa approach to ethical problems. The Western and traditional African understanding of ethics has affected the ethical thinking of Christians. We need to change our perspective of the church because the church is constantly growing and becoming stronger in other parts of the world. To conclude his thoughts Kunhiyop offers an outline for decision making. He based this outline on five important principles: God is the ultimate model of morality. The Scriptures pr ovide the only authority in matters of morality. Every aspect of life is subject to the laws of the Scriptures. The scriptures must be properly interpreted and the community of faith can provide support, responsibility and accountability. The world provides the boundaries in which we live out this morality and ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004). I really dont see any difference between Western Christian Ethics and African Christian Ethics. Kunhiyops point is actually what is underlying these ethics. Understanding the different world views on Christian ethics paves the way for Western churches to be influenced by and to have a greater influence on the African churches and their day to day functions. It is important for Christianity to overcome the barriers of culture and language. We are after all loved by Christ regardless of ethnicity and the limitations of the human race. I regard it important to note that even though the ethical values between the Western civilization and the African cultures are similar, the traditions within the set framework of each group changes the interpretation and thus also the outcome of the ethical concepts. It is in this idea that the key to unlocking Samuels thinking process lies. He understands, having been exposed to both African and Western culture, that these differences, however subtle so me may be, have an immense impact on the eventual interpretation of a persons set of ethical values. Christian ethics cannot be separated from its religious foundation. The important thing is that God requires something of man and that He stands ready to reward the obedience and punish violation. God has something to do with the very meaning of obligation. This book explains these issues well. The Western world is now faced with a choice: are we going to utilize the tools that will enable us to bridge the gap between two very different civilizations or are we going to sit back and do nothing? With the right understanding of Africans and how they interpret ethical values we can incorporate a set of Christian ethical values that will, without a doubt, benefit both parties (Kunhiyop, 2004). CONCLUSION The churches need to understand and interpret African Christian Ethics for them to survive in their communities. Let us think about this and understand where Kunhiyop comes from. Bibliography Davy T J 2010. HippoBooks African Evangelical Imprint. Online article: http://bibleandmission.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/hippobooks-african-evangelical-imprint/, 15/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. INTRODUCTION Must Christians become involved in politics? In Romans 13:1-7 God is proclaiming that the government belongs to Him. God also tells us that we must follow the government of the day. Let us now try and establish a link between the church and the state. ASSIGNMENT 3 Evaluate the practical value and effectiveness of the four factors of change in the church and state relations. Political Factor Bishop Desmond Tutu exclaimed, Now I am going back to the church to do the real business of the church and leave politics to those well qualified to do it (Kumalo, 2009). When Nelson Mandela became the new president of South Africa that was then that there was an active democratic development in South Africa. Bishop Buthelezi also made the same statement on his farewell function. If we look at the church leaders we can see that most of these prominent leaders came from the political milieu and then go over to the church. On the other hand the other side of the coin is also true, church leaders sometimes also join departments and commissions. We dont know if what the two theologians above said, made the church to withdraw from politics, but they do make us to think about the church and their leaders in South Africa. The Sociological Factor It is true that Muslim politicians go to the Muslim community for their votes. In the Christian community the Christian politicians will go to the Christian community for their votes. The recent call by General Muhammadu Buhari from Nigeria that Muslims should vote only for Muslim candidates in the forthcoming elections in 2003 has generated a lot of controversy. It is important to understand why this is the case. The morality issue of Buhari could be defended from the point of view of his fundamental right. In other words, he has the freedom and fundamental right to take any position on any issue. The changing relationship between religious groups and the state opens up new challenges and new possibilities. More and more people of different religious groups are getting intertwined and use each other to accomplish goals (Kofarmata, 2009). The Economic Factor God has not called Christians just to work in the church, but however he has called us to get involved with all the economical issues in the world. In any case, God is in us and not just in the church. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that God has bestowed upon us and the calling from God, means getting involved in identifying the causes of poverty. We can address these problems and help the needy with the support of God. This means that it is not only the responsibility of the government, but a responsibility of the church. Christianity also means getting involved in politics so that the people can have a better life. Christians must try to create and provide on the job training for other people also encouraging them to find jobs. The African church specifically must get involved in politics and government. The church needs to educate their people so that everybody can make positive contributions to our country and government (Kunhiyop, 2004:74). The Religious Factor According to McCain (2008) the last two decades of the twentieth century have been known by for great explosion of Christian activity and Christian growth. Kunhiyop (2004:74) said: During the 1970s it was not uncommon to hear Christians, especially Christian youth, praying for the nation, which was believed to be under the forces of darkness. All night prayer meetings, fasting and prayers for the nation were common in the church and parachurch organisations such as the one mentioned above. I want to say that the above is true, but the opposite is also true and if we as Christians dont wake up, we are going to miss the opportunity to have an influence in politics. People all over the world still think that religion in politics is a negative and harmful issue that needs to be avoided. We really need to change the way people are thinking and acting in our country. We need to have transformation in our religion, having some objective value that can guide us. If we look at our political leaders when they speak, we must be able to say they are right or wrong, not from a political perspective, but from a religious perspective. The scriptures that we use must be not white or black, but the scriptures of the Holy Word of God. It is the absence of religion in politics that creates this huge gap in our society. We really have to be critical in this analysis. What are we going to do as a nation? Can a nation return to God? I think the question is, can we as a nation rise above our racial and discrimination issues and form one church? If black and white churches unite and stand together, the prayer and fasting for our nation will come back. The youth in this country will stand together and fight for religion and not for politics (MCain, 2008). Distinguish between the concepts state, government, politics and church. State A State is a self-governing political driven place. A state has territory which has internationally recognised boundaries and sometimes there can be quarrels over boundaries. A state has got the following in it: People that are staying and living there permanently. A strong or weak economic structure. A government that must supply things like police services and public services. A state can enter into relations with other states. A state is a nation? Where there is a state there is a nation? Governments can change but a state can stay static and not change for a very long time. Most of the States have sovereignty over their countries so that other states cant interfere. In Somalia this very same thing happened due to civil war. Somalia was part of the internal strife and because it had little authority outside Afghanistan, Somalia collapsed (Global Policy, nd). Government A government can be seen as a body within the community or an organisation that makes and enforce the laws, rules and regulations. A government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and human dignity. They are there to establish a society based on democratic values and social justice. The government must lay the foundation for a democratic and open society which is based on the will of people and where every citizen is equally protected by law. They definitely have to improve the quality of life of all the people supporting the government of that day. It is necessary to construct a culture of peace and replacing a culture of violence and disregard for human life. For me, this is what a government must consist of (Kunhiyop, 2004:77). Politics Politics is a need for the general public to have a representative in places other than the ordinary home or workplace. Candidates make themselves available to be elected through votes so that they can represent the people in different public and government organisations (Wikipedia, 2010). Church A church is a Christian religious organisation made up of a congregation, its members and clergy. The religious body is organised with constitutions and laws so that the church can function well. Churches often belong to a broader tradition within the Christian religion, like the Dutch Reformed church, sharing in a sense a history, culture and doctrinal rules with other church (Davies, 2009). Renwick and Harman (1958) said the following with regards to the church: Here we see the fulfillment of our Lords words that, although His kingdom was like a grain of mustard seed, it would yet become a great tree sheltering the birds of the air (Luke 13:19). The small and apparently weak church became a mighty organisation known throughout the earth. Its history shows its moral grandeur; it shows, too, certain defects arising from human weakness and the love of worldly pomp and power contrary to the spirit of the Master. We Theories of African Christian Ethics Theories of African Christian Ethics INTRODUCTION Before I begin, let me first suggest to you the overall task of Christian Ethics. If I speak about ethics, I speak about Who we are, how we are to perceive our world and how we are to live in this world. This is the main crux of Christian Ethics. In this assignment I would like to demonstrate a working knowledge of African, Western and African Christian Ethics. I will also look at the differences between selected ethical theories. ASSIGNMENT 1 Explain Western Ethics and evaluate the effect it has on our understanding of ethics. Underscore both the positives and negatives it has brought about in ethical thinking. According to Barnhill (2009) the Western tradition has four major approaches to ethics: The first two listed (Utilitarian Ethics and Deontological Ethics) are modern developments and they dominate modern philosophy. He says that Virtue ethics is as old as Plato and is making a bit of a come-back. Natural law ethics is relatively popular among environmental ethicists. After reading his Environmental studies, I have come to realise the following: This study speaks about goodness and badness. We can identify happiness with the good and sees virtue as a major part of happiness. We can explain that happiness and virtue should be detached. If we look at virtue it relates to good will, a good will is good in every circumstance and is absolute or unconditional good. It grows when you act for the sake of duty. A human action is morally good and is done for the sake of duty. Western Ethics shows us that an action can be motivated by duty and has moral worth. Not because of the results it achieved, but for satisfying a formal principle. The principle of performing ones duty, whatever it may be. People have impulses and desires and that is why the moral law appears to us as a law that we must obey. This impulses and desires is our only source for moral judgement. This is our free will. Our free will can create a moral law and we will obey it. The human mind is able to know what is good and evil. To have value judgement is born from ins ide of us. This is called your conscience. Most people recognize that man is free to make his or her moral decisions. On the other hand, all the things that we do wrong come from our human desires. Men and women should follow the will of God. Use the will of God to make certain decisions in life. There is a universal moral law, the knowledge to free ourselves from human desires. We are free to make good and sound moral judgements. In the approach of care and the community, too much Western Ethics has given individuals the right to think about themselves. We must build love and compassionate relationships among people. The full theory of ethics would have to accommodate all four aspects of Western ethics. One way to sometimes approach Western ethics and the influence it has on ethics is based on four aspects like rights, goods, virtues and our relationship with each other. We must look at the following questions like: Do our actions violate another persons rights? We must try to achieve good in life. Look at our integrity. Care for each other. Ethics and even Western Ethics can never be static and with Western Ethics there are certain frameworks and principles. We dont know whether Western Ethic has a future, but it really and most definitely do have a past. We can see that the patterns of the Western moral personality will continue to surface and really have to be dealt with, either through painful reflection or painful restructuring (Kunhiyop, 2004:29). Define in your own words Contemporary African Ethics. Highlight its important characteristics. Kigongo (nd) says that Contemporary African Ethics is a combination of African ethical tradition and European ethical tradition. What better way to describe Contemporary African Ethics than the word Ubuntu. Ubuntu means that people are people because of other people. In Africa nobody can survive alone, we need each other to survive. I think that we are all searching and suggesting new directions which to follow in pursuit of African values. We can say that the foundation of African ethics is definitely a humanistic worldview. Everything about the community is seen to exist not just in the here and now, but also in the past, through those who have already gone and also in the future, those who have yet to come. It is the past that influence the present and the present the future. Why, we ask, has this worldview, with the emphasis on respect for all mankind, support and responsibility not travel through the whole world yet? You remember in the second paragraph I spoke about Ubuntu. Well, I can say that this worldview is expressed by the very society that lives according to it. If the community follows Contemporary African Ethics, they are living testimonies to their worldview. This worldview is worth reviving and respect for another, especially a stranger, is well known to communities in the south of the Sahara. With them a visitor was to be welcomed and feted, not suspected and resisted like in some of our communities (Kunhiyop, 2004:23-27). Africa is currently looking at a new future when it comes to African Ethics. Africa believes that its own worldview has so much potential and contemporary messages to give. Africa does not have all the above on record, but the culture itself speaks of enrichment and value. Definitely African values can be included in everything in life, for example in institutions of higher learning. The world needs more Contemporary African Ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004:13). Identify the key aspects of African Christian Ethics. I hear what Okolo (nd) says: First, the African may well count himself fortunate to be blessed with such a basically sound and enduring religious and moral tradition. But this does not at all mean that the Christian religion based on Christs love ethic constitutes a mere superficial dimension in his moral life. The Christian religion means for the African fundamental changes in many of his cultural values and options such that a real conversion is required for him to be a Christian in the authentic meaning of the term and in its ethical implication. I think that the African society is in a moral crisis. The African are having an identity crisis and have shifted away from their value system. Their moral values they gave away for other value systems. In a sense the first aspects is the fact that they have betrayed the African value system by analyzing it with the socio-economic and political implications that are taken from all the different value systems. The second aspect for me is the fact that Africans are now abandoning their value system by trying to embrace other systems, namely liberalism and utilitarianism. The consequence of this above mentioned shift is that the African will no longer be known by what he is, but by what he has acquired by different means. The African have lost the sense of Who am I and this created the moral crisis in South Africa. If we look at virtue ethics, I think it could help us to redeem the African value system as well as every individual in South Africa. Virtue ethics is intended to provide a s ociety in which people can live a meaningful life. There is a general agreement amongst the African people that the African cannot be defined except in the closeness of the community. We can see the closeness of relationship between the individual and the social nature of the African. The African system is not concerned with material issues; it is concerned primarily with human beings in their relationship with one another. It is like that, the community means that the community alone can constitute the context, their social and cultural space. Africans needs to find freedom and responsibility in themselves and also in other people in South Africa. CONCLUSION Whether African Christian Ethics will start a different socio-economic and political arrangement remains a question that needs to be explored in-depth. Bibliography Barnhill D L 2007. Four Traditional Western Approaches to Ethics. Online article: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/barnhill/ES_375/ethics.html, 07/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. Kigongo J K n.d. The Relevance of African Ethics To Contemporary African Society. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-8/chapter_ii.htm, 13/01/2009. Okolo C B n.d. The African Experience of Christian Values: Dimensions of The Problematic. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-3/chapter_xi.htm, 13/01/2009. INTRODUCTION The Bible is an expression of Gods will to us and possesses the right supremely to define what we are to believe and how we are to conduct ourselves. In the book African Christian Ethics Samuel W. Kunhiyop gives us guidelines in biblical Christianity for Africa. Although Samuel Kunhiyops book does not deal exclusively with the role of the Bible, I will review his book to get to the core. We know that everything stays the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. To review a great Theologian like Samuel W. Kunhiyop, I dont think it is for me to comment on the way he wrote his book. ASSIGNMENT 2 Write a critical book review of the course textbook: Samuel Kunhiyop (2004), African Christian Ethics. In the introduction Samuel describes the need for writing this book: Christian ethics is often regarded the same as Western ethics, but they are really not the same. The two have become confused because Western missionaries did not bring a true and honest gospel but one that is different from the true gospel. Students who should be studying African Christian ethics are too often busy with the wrong ethical theories coming from the West. What should be taught in African theological colleges is an ethics that is African, biblical and Christian. That is what this book seeks to give to its reader (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-10). We can find a lot of information on African Christian Ethics through the internet and there is a lot of information for Western churches to use. Hippo books are so popular that they are used by many publishers and are well known throughout the world. Some of the publishers like Zondervan and African publishing houses also make use of Hippo books. Hippo books create an environment for the learner or student to get acquainted with all sections of Theology. Hippo books have got information and theories of many of scholars who share their knowledge and experience with us. Hippo books have got a vision to help with the growth in all African churches so they can see their culture from an evangelical perspective. Hippo books also published African Christian Ethics which I am about to review (Davy, 2010). Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was previously the Professor of Theology and Ethics at ECWA Theological Seminary. He holds a Bachelor of Theology, Masters of Theology and PhD at Trinity International University, Illinois. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was ordained by the Evangelical Church of West Africa as a minister. Currently he is one of the heads of the Postgraduate School at the South African Theological Seminary (Kunhiyop, 2004:4-5). The need for an interpretation of Christianity and all its aspects from an African point of view was necessary. One such aspect is the question of Christian ethics and how it is affected by Africa and its enormous cultural variety. Samuel identified the need to explore and explain the many questions that arose around the issue of African Christian ethics. According to Kunhiyop he started in his life seeking to find all information and truths about African Christianity. He studies for 8 years in Nigeria for his undergraduate theological training and another 7 years in the United States for his graduate theological training. In 1993 he went back to Nigeria and has been teaching now there for 11 years. Samuel is a great teacher of the Bible, Theology, Ethics and Philosophy. In 1994 he was teaching to a group of students and after finishing with them he asked the students What did you learn from this course? One of the students stood up and answered with the words nothing. Samuel was stu nned and because of that answer, he started to investigate and wanted to seek for the right answers. He realised that the information he gave through to the students did not pertain to them and their culture. He knew that he needed to do more for the students for them to succeed in life (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-9). If I can mention that it was very difficult to find the book in the library and Protea Bookshop gave an indication that it would take 10 weeks if I order the book. The book had to come from Kenya. When we look at the life of Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, we can see a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Although he did most of his studies overseas, he was born and raised in Africa. He wanted to help and assist African Christians struggling with their own situations and problems. He recognized that Africans, and even more so, African Christians, needed guidance in relation to the interpretation of their everyday personal problems within an ethical frame of reference (Kunhiyop, 2004:9). At first I didnt know what to make of the book African Christian Ethics. The book seemed extremely difficult to read, interpret and understand. Why might that be, I asked myself. Then I came to a conclusion. It was because I knew nothing about the Africans and their unique, intricate and diverse cultures. The only knowledge I have is about my own culture and roots. In Ethical Foundation: Section one Samuel Waje Kunhiyop explains what African morality and the African culture consists of (Kunhiyop, 2004:11). It is wonderful to read about my fellow African inhabitants within their interesting context. The songs they love to sing and the stories they love to tell. Then suddenly, the way of the African opens up to you and you begin to understand everything. The style in which the book has been written became much easier to read and interpret. As soon as I caught the drift of things, I enjoyed reading the book immensely. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop has done a lot of research to get to the truth. He also incorporated Biblical content to support his findings and to better explain the interpretation of these findings from a Christian point of view. At work my responsibilities include informing the soldiers about HIV and AIDS. With the knowledge that I gained from Samuels book I can now understand the African soldier better. It also helped me in building better relationships with the soldiers, as I better comprehend their training of thought and understanding of Christianity. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, through this book, opened up the eyes of many people, scholars and foreigners, although I think there is many more to explore and more information to gain. In South Africa a lot of African people are still confused and do not have identity. I can see that when I work with the youth in South Africa. The youth are lacking the strong morals and values they need to become better human beings in their communities and societies. The content of this book is magnificent and I would definitely encourage other individuals to read it and apply it to future situations with the African cultures. Let us explore the content of the book in detail to grasp the crux of what Samuel Waje Kunhiyop want to explain to us. I believe Kunhiyops work is excellent and I want to give him all the credit for this book. The book is divided into two sections, section one: Ethical Foundations, Chapter one, two and three deals with the theory of ethics, while section two: Contemporary Ethical Issues, Chapter four to thirteen discusses practical issues. Issues that is so relevant that we can apply it in our daily lives. The issues are grouped in the following order, as given in the Table of content: Political Issues, Religious Issues, Medical Issues, Welfare Issues, Financial Issues, Witchcraft Issues, AIDS Issues, Marriage Issues, Sexual Issues and Reproductive Technologies. Each chapter begins with a general introduction followed by the chapters dealing with the specific issues in that area. Samuel does not go into a detailed debate regarding War, rather, he looks at the wars and conflicts in Africa and then examines the Bible to find an answer (Kunhiyop, 2004:2). Starting with Contemporary African ethics, we can see that the African society does believe in God as the highest order and as the sole creator of earth and mankind. Secondly they stand under the authority of spirits and ancestors who are the leaders and instructors of good and evil. The distinct differences between morality and ethics are not acknowledged as they experience it as one with their religion. These assumptions are only written on paper as there is no documentary proof of the history or origin thereof. The growing up and teaching or learning through the elderly and community by word of mouth is their reference in life. Most important is the tribe, community and family rules for belonging and not to be a single individual with his or her own set of rules and regulations. Believing in the spirits and the ancestors justifies certain actions as long as you dont get caught and therefore has a deterrent effect on your family or community. They also believe that you must keep th e spirits happy in order to be blessed and not to be cursed in life. Mostly the interaction between family (grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews) and the community (neighbors, friends, etc.) is a vital link to the forming of the African cultural inheritance (Kunhiyop, 2004:11-28). Secondly, while Western ethics were founded and applied by numerous leaders of the Enlightenment eras, it had different positive as well as negative impacts on society. One example that has a negative impact on the biblical views of the religious community is the privacy factor where a woman has the sole right to apply abortion if she wishes to. Furthermore I do believe that technology is good for anybody except where it is applied have a negative result to humanity (Kunhiyop, 2004:29-46). The reading and understanding of African Christian Ethics was very difficult. Samuel makes mention of many authors and in text citing. The English language he used in Chapter three to point out his facts is confusing as to get the history facts straight. What I do understand from this Chapter is that Samuel writes that Christian theology is the backbone of African Christian ethics and that it will be useless if the Scriptures are not part of the guidance to the rules of African Christian ethics. The Black African Christian has a rule of ethics whereby their ancestors are always consulted and is a part and parcel of their decision making. Therefore in their ethics within certain issues they leave out God in certain other issues they consult Him. He explains that African ethics is deeply rooted in the soul and that it becomes personal, influencing the mind, heart, body and spirit of a person. If a family member has got an issue, that issue will affect the immediate family, as well as t heir distant relatives. It will influence those who are living and those who are dead, but still interested in the affairs of the living. To understand the community is to understand African ethics. This is a critical tool and must be used when studying African ethics. These ethics are developed in interaction with the past, the present and the future, nothing or nobody can be excluded. God, the spirits of the departed, the ancestors and good and evil will always have an enormous influence on the morality of the people. Why, because they are African and full of culture. Although the Bible does not support the doctrines of demons, evil spirits and witchcraft, many Christians are unaware of what the Bible teaches on the subject. Christians believe the Bible also serves as an authoritative moral influence, thus in Africa there is no such thing as an ethical system that has no practical and religious implications. There will always be principles or rules that guide behaviour. These prin ciples or rules are intertwined with practices of ethics and work nicely together (Kunhiyop, 2004:47-70). Samuel takes into account all the factors that are historically tied to the given topic and describes each problem in detail. In each problem he looks for a Biblical perspective on the issue, usually asking what the Old Testament says and what the New Testament says. This he does by also including the churchs response and the separate African churchs response before drawing an overall final conclusion. This method which he is using is effective because it keeps the Western reader aware of the differences between the West and Africa approach to ethical problems. The Western and traditional African understanding of ethics has affected the ethical thinking of Christians. We need to change our perspective of the church because the church is constantly growing and becoming stronger in other parts of the world. To conclude his thoughts Kunhiyop offers an outline for decision making. He based this outline on five important principles: God is the ultimate model of morality. The Scriptures pr ovide the only authority in matters of morality. Every aspect of life is subject to the laws of the Scriptures. The scriptures must be properly interpreted and the community of faith can provide support, responsibility and accountability. The world provides the boundaries in which we live out this morality and ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004). I really dont see any difference between Western Christian Ethics and African Christian Ethics. Kunhiyops point is actually what is underlying these ethics. Understanding the different world views on Christian ethics paves the way for Western churches to be influenced by and to have a greater influence on the African churches and their day to day functions. It is important for Christianity to overcome the barriers of culture and language. We are after all loved by Christ regardless of ethnicity and the limitations of the human race. I regard it important to note that even though the ethical values between the Western civilization and the African cultures are similar, the traditions within the set framework of each group changes the interpretation and thus also the outcome of the ethical concepts. It is in this idea that the key to unlocking Samuels thinking process lies. He understands, having been exposed to both African and Western culture, that these differences, however subtle so me may be, have an immense impact on the eventual interpretation of a persons set of ethical values. Christian ethics cannot be separated from its religious foundation. The important thing is that God requires something of man and that He stands ready to reward the obedience and punish violation. God has something to do with the very meaning of obligation. This book explains these issues well. The Western world is now faced with a choice: are we going to utilize the tools that will enable us to bridge the gap between two very different civilizations or are we going to sit back and do nothing? With the right understanding of Africans and how they interpret ethical values we can incorporate a set of Christian ethical values that will, without a doubt, benefit both parties (Kunhiyop, 2004). CONCLUSION The churches need to understand and interpret African Christian Ethics for them to survive in their communities. Let us think about this and understand where Kunhiyop comes from. Bibliography Davy T J 2010. HippoBooks African Evangelical Imprint. Online article: http://bibleandmission.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/hippobooks-african-evangelical-imprint/, 15/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. INTRODUCTION Must Christians become involved in politics? In Romans 13:1-7 God is proclaiming that the government belongs to Him. God also tells us that we must follow the government of the day. Let us now try and establish a link between the church and the state. ASSIGNMENT 3 Evaluate the practical value and effectiveness of the four factors of change in the church and state relations. Political Factor Bishop Desmond Tutu exclaimed, Now I am going back to the church to do the real business of the church and leave politics to those well qualified to do it (Kumalo, 2009). When Nelson Mandela became the new president of South Africa that was then that there was an active democratic development in South Africa. Bishop Buthelezi also made the same statement on his farewell function. If we look at the church leaders we can see that most of these prominent leaders came from the political milieu and then go over to the church. On the other hand the other side of the coin is also true, church leaders sometimes also join departments and commissions. We dont know if what the two theologians above said, made the church to withdraw from politics, but they do make us to think about the church and their leaders in South Africa. The Sociological Factor It is true that Muslim politicians go to the Muslim community for their votes. In the Christian community the Christian politicians will go to the Christian community for their votes. The recent call by General Muhammadu Buhari from Nigeria that Muslims should vote only for Muslim candidates in the forthcoming elections in 2003 has generated a lot of controversy. It is important to understand why this is the case. The morality issue of Buhari could be defended from the point of view of his fundamental right. In other words, he has the freedom and fundamental right to take any position on any issue. The changing relationship between religious groups and the state opens up new challenges and new possibilities. More and more people of different religious groups are getting intertwined and use each other to accomplish goals (Kofarmata, 2009). The Economic Factor God has not called Christians just to work in the church, but however he has called us to get involved with all the economical issues in the world. In any case, God is in us and not just in the church. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that God has bestowed upon us and the calling from God, means getting involved in identifying the causes of poverty. We can address these problems and help the needy with the support of God. This means that it is not only the responsibility of the government, but a responsibility of the church. Christianity also means getting involved in politics so that the people can have a better life. Christians must try to create and provide on the job training for other people also encouraging them to find jobs. The African church specifically must get involved in politics and government. The church needs to educate their people so that everybody can make positive contributions to our country and government (Kunhiyop, 2004:74). The Religious Factor According to McCain (2008) the last two decades of the twentieth century have been known by for great explosion of Christian activity and Christian growth. Kunhiyop (2004:74) said: During the 1970s it was not uncommon to hear Christians, especially Christian youth, praying for the nation, which was believed to be under the forces of darkness. All night prayer meetings, fasting and prayers for the nation were common in the church and parachurch organisations such as the one mentioned above. I want to say that the above is true, but the opposite is also true and if we as Christians dont wake up, we are going to miss the opportunity to have an influence in politics. People all over the world still think that religion in politics is a negative and harmful issue that needs to be avoided. We really need to change the way people are thinking and acting in our country. We need to have transformation in our religion, having some objective value that can guide us. If we look at our political leaders when they speak, we must be able to say they are right or wrong, not from a political perspective, but from a religious perspective. The scriptures that we use must be not white or black, but the scriptures of the Holy Word of God. It is the absence of religion in politics that creates this huge gap in our society. We really have to be critical in this analysis. What are we going to do as a nation? Can a nation return to God? I think the question is, can we as a nation rise above our racial and discrimination issues and form one church? If black and white churches unite and stand together, the prayer and fasting for our nation will come back. The youth in this country will stand together and fight for religion and not for politics (MCain, 2008). Distinguish between the concepts state, government, politics and church. State A State is a self-governing political driven place. A state has territory which has internationally recognised boundaries and sometimes there can be quarrels over boundaries. A state has got the following in it: People that are staying and living there permanently. A strong or weak economic structure. A government that must supply things like police services and public services. A state can enter into relations with other states. A state is a nation? Where there is a state there is a nation? Governments can change but a state can stay static and not change for a very long time. Most of the States have sovereignty over their countries so that other states cant interfere. In Somalia this very same thing happened due to civil war. Somalia was part of the internal strife and because it had little authority outside Afghanistan, Somalia collapsed (Global Policy, nd). Government A government can be seen as a body within the community or an organisation that makes and enforce the laws, rules and regulations. A government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and human dignity. They are there to establish a society based on democratic values and social justice. The government must lay the foundation for a democratic and open society which is based on the will of people and where every citizen is equally protected by law. They definitely have to improve the quality of life of all the people supporting the government of that day. It is necessary to construct a culture of peace and replacing a culture of violence and disregard for human life. For me, this is what a government must consist of (Kunhiyop, 2004:77). Politics Politics is a need for the general public to have a representative in places other than the ordinary home or workplace. Candidates make themselves available to be elected through votes so that they can represent the people in different public and government organisations (Wikipedia, 2010). Church A church is a Christian religious organisation made up of a congregation, its members and clergy. The religious body is organised with constitutions and laws so that the church can function well. Churches often belong to a broader tradition within the Christian religion, like the Dutch Reformed church, sharing in a sense a history, culture and doctrinal rules with other church (Davies, 2009). Renwick and Harman (1958) said the following with regards to the church: Here we see the fulfillment of our Lords words that, although His kingdom was like a grain of mustard seed, it would yet become a great tree sheltering the birds of the air (Luke 13:19). The small and apparently weak church became a mighty organisation known throughout the earth. Its history shows its moral grandeur; it shows, too, certain defects arising from human weakness and the love of worldly pomp and power contrary to the spirit of the Master. We