Metacognition knowledge and academic achievement of university students Essay

In general, metacognition is thinking about thinking. More specifically, Taylor (1999) defines metacognition as â€Å"an appreciation of what one already knows, together with a correct apprehension of the learning task and what knowledge and skills it requires, combined with the agility to make correct inferences about how to apply one’s strategic knowledge to a particular situation, and to do so efficiently and reliably. † The more students are aware of their thinking processes as they learn, the more they can control such matters as goals, dispositions, and attention. Self-awareness promotes self-regulation. If students are aware of how committed (or uncommitted) they are to reaching goals, of how strong (or weak) is their disposition to persist, and of how focused (or wandering) is their attention to a thinking or writing task, they can regulate their commitment, disposition, and attention. To increase their metacognitive abilities, students need to possess three kinds of content knowledge: declarative, procedural, and conditional. Declarative knowledge is the factual information that one knows; it can be declared—spoken or written. Procedural knowledge is knowledge of how to do something, of how to perform the steps in a process. Conditional knowledge is knowledge about when to use a procedure, skill, or strategy and when not to use it; why a procedure works and under what conditions; and why one procedure is better than another. Metacognition affects motivation because it affects attribution and self-efficacy. When students get results on tests and grades on assignments (especially unexpected results such as failures), they perform a mental causal search to explain to themselves why the results happened. When they achieve good results, students tend to attribute the result to two internal factors: their own ability and effort. When they fail, they might attribute the cause to these same internal factors or they might, in a self-protective rationalization, distance themselves from a sense of personal failure by blaming external causes, such as an overly difficult task, an instructor’s perverse testing habits, or bad luck. This tendency to attribute success to ability and effort promotes future success because it develops confidence in one’s ability to solve future unfamiliar and challenging tasks. The converse is also true. Attributing failure to a lack of ability reduces self-confidence and reduces the student’s summoning of intellectual and emotional abilities to the next challenging tasks; attribution theory also explains why such students will be unwilling to seek help from tutors and other support services: they believe it would not be worth their effort. In addition to blaming failure on external causes, underachievers often â€Å"self-handicap† themselves by deliberately putting little effort into an academic task; they thereby protect themselves from attributing their failure to a painful lack of ability by attributing their failure to lack of effort. The tasks that students need to perform vary not only among disciplines but among instructors in the same discipline. An effective strategy for preparing for a multiple choice test in biology is different from what is needed to prepare for a history exam with an essay that asks students to synthesize information from several chapters. Yet students often employ the same strategy—and sometimes the least effective strategy—for studying for very different kinds of tests. Furthermore, many students who perform badly misinterpret the tasks. Students need to understand the task accurately in order to use the most effective strategies. Research Question: The basic aim of the study was to identify the relationship between meta-cognitive knowledge and academic achievement of university students. Methods: To analysis and interpretation of data and Survey was planned to collect data from University of education (UE) and Govt. College University Lahore (GCU). Twenty five (25) students were collected of UE and Twenty five (25) students from GCU randomly. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) was used to measure meta-cognitive knowledge. This inventory consisted of six components i. e. Planning, monitoring, evaluation, declarative knowledge, conditional knowledge and procedural knowledge but researcher selected three components i. e. declarative knowledge, conditional knowledge, and procedural knowledge. Responses were collected on three point scale i. e. Yes, no and to some extent. Scores of these components were used to compare Metacognitive knowledge of UE and GCU students. Analysis of data was presented in the form of Tables. Null hypothesis: There is no difference b/w the metacognition knowledge and academic achievement of students. Alternative hypothesis: There is difference b/w the metacognition knowledge and academic achievement of students. Ho: ? 1 = ? 2 Ha: ? 1 ? ?2 Table 1. 1 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge) by Independent samples t-test. University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 6. 21 1. 63 6. 52 1. 23 .749 The result of independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). The value of t (48) = . 749 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students are not different on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Fig 1. 1 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 2 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Conditional Knowledge) by Independent samples t-test. University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 2. 98 .87 3. 10 1. 08 .430 Table 1. 2 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Conditional Knowledge). The value of t (48) = . 430 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students are not different on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Conditional Knowledge). Fig 1. 2 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 3 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive awareness (Procedural Knowledge) by Independent samples t-test. University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 4. 16 1. 01 3. 76 1. 109 1. 328 Table 1. 3 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Procedural Knowledge). The value of t (48) = 1. 328 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that means scores of UE students and means score of GCU students are same on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Procedural Knowledge). Fig 1. 3 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 4 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge by Independent samples t-test University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 13. 38 2. 83 13. 30 2. 60 .104 Table 1. 4 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive by Independent samples t-test. The value of t (48) = . 104 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students are same on component of Meta cognitive by Independent samples t-test. Fig 1. 4 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 5 Comparison of mean scores of academic achievement and Meta cognitive knowledge of both universities student’s by Independent samples t-test UE & GCU Low Achiever (n=25) High Achiever (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD Declarative knowledge 5. 08 1. 49 7. 33 0. 78 4. 64 Procedural Knowledge 2. 46 0. 72 3. 46 0. 72 3. 48 Conditional Knowledge 3. 50 1. 07 4. 77 0. 44 4. 0 Meta-cognitive knowledge 11. 04 2. 18 15. 54 1. 09 6. 6 Table 1. 5 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of academic achievement and Meta cognitive knowledge of both universities student’s by Independent samples t-test. These results show that mean scores of Metacognitive knowledge and academic achievement of both universities student’s are different. Procedure: To fulfill the above mentioned purpose instrumentation, data collection methods and procedures for analysis of data were used. The study was descriptive in nature as it addressed the prevailing situation of using meta-cognitive knowledge in daily life by students. The target population for this study was the students of UE and GCU Lahore. The researcher selected sample by using convenient sampling technique from the students of UE and GCU Lahore. Fifteen items wee included in the questionnaire taken from meta-cognitive awareness inventory. After the selection of sample and development of the questionnaire, the questionnaires were distributed. The questionnaire was administered personally by the respondent and filled questionnaire collected back. The return rate of the questionnaire was 100% due to personal administration. To analyze the data means standard deviations, independent sample t. test, was calculated. Results: 1. The mean score of Meta-cognitive knowledge (declarative knowledge) of University of Education are same from mean score of Govt. College University. Because the value of t is not significant at ? =0. 05. 2. The mean score of Meta-cognitive knowledge (conditional knowledge) of University of Education are same from mean score of Govt. College University. Because the value of t is not significant at ? =0. 05. 3. The mean score of Meta-cognitive knowledge (procedural knowledge) of (UE) are same from mean score of (GCU) because the value of t is not significant at ? =0. 05. 4. The mean score of Meta cognitive Knowledge and mean score of academic achievement are different among both universities. Because the value of t is significant at ? =0. 05.

Jorge Luis Borges: the Blind Man

Tyreak Kellem Hispanic Literature- Spring Semester, 2013 Narrative Exam Horacio Xaubet Narrative Exam I I. Jorge Luis Borges: (a. ) â€Å"†¦ in every story the protagonists are thousands, visible and invisible, living and dead. † The protagonist is the leading character of a story, novel or any literary work. A protagonist is also defined in the modern sense as a supporter or advocate of a social or political cause. The Protagonist is the primary figure of any narrative and the events of the plot are closely associated with the protagonist.Being the central character, the protagonist typically enjoys the most empathy from the audience. Often the protagonist may be the hero who enjoys being the focal point of the narrative and engages the emotions of the audience. It is also possible for the protagonist to be the villain or antihero of the story. In most cases, a story may contain subplots, each having its own protagonist distinct from the main protagonist. In addition to this, each story may neglect to highlight every protagonist. (b. â€Å"Now I possess the secret, I could enunciate it a hundred different and even contradictory ways. I'm not sure how to tell you the secret, now is precious and science, our science, it seems a mere frivolity. He added after a pause: The secret, otherwise it is not worth what they're worth the paths that led me to it. † From this quote, I learned that through his travels he acquired a mental understanding that through the English language we neglect to understand that it has a broader meaning than what we are being taught.Also, he stated that now that he has possession of the â€Å"secret† he could pronounce this secret in a hundred different ways and could even be opposing. Therefore, now that the secret is precious, our science is still mere foolishness. The English language is still â€Å"ignorant† to even comprehend the value behind the â€Å"secret. † (c. ) The first-person, â€Å"Ià ¢â‚¬  is telling about his relationship to â€Å"The other one, the one called Borges. † The focus is on the consciousness of the â€Å"I† who is exploring his feelings, perceptions about the relationship.The story is a meditation on the vertiginous complexities of self-consciousness. The story explores the sense of self as dual, the split between a private â€Å"I†; the self-known by itself and a public persona, the self-known by others. It expresses a multitude of feelings of the private â€Å"I† toward the public self-feelings of difference, strangeness and otherness; feelings of dependence, resentment and criticism; feelings of ambivalence. And finally feelings of confusion about the relationship: Is the private â€Å"I† no less a persona than the public self? â€Å"I do not know which of us has written this page. It is also a reflection on the relationship between a writer and his private self, how the writer turns his private self into art. How he transforms even his most intimate feelings about being used into a work of art. II. Pardo Bazan: (a. ) â€Å"And with the closed fist struck head first, then the face, pushing the fearful little hands, so not yet altered work with who hid Ildara, trembling. † From the very beginning we witnessed a sad spectacle. The image of a girl forced by the circumstances of poverty and the need to help her father appears at first sight.The narration is alternated with the description and dialogue in a way that is orderly and accurate fulfilling the role of the author to ready. For my dialogue explains, makes us speak the characters whom we know better, gives them life and Pardo Bazan puts us as silent witnesses of what happens in-house Ildara through description, torn, natural and real. However, the author belongs to the realist movement that fixed his attention on social problems as a reaction to romanticism whose escape makes escape reality.It does not prevent its reality prese nts it so stark as well as we can see the description of the face of Ildara destroyed us cover eyes to not see as it has been the face: ‘beaten nose', crushed the eye, destroyed mouth, tooth that is on hand with his face bleeding. In which I see traits of naturalism: the stark representation of the facts. In the story, the reader may find different approaches to define the theme for what I consider that the same must infer it. (b. ) While this short story does not involve death, it nevertheless involves a substantial tragedy.The tragedy in â€Å"Las medias rojas† occurs when Ildara’s beauty and essentially hope is destroyed by a violent father who disfigures her by violently beating her over a pair of red stockings she bought. When the story is examined it seems that the red stockings represent the hope and happiness that Ildara feels over the thought that she will soon be leaving her poor and destitute life for a better life. Unlike Ildara, Ildara’s fathe r does not want to leave and therefore disfigures Ildara so that she also cannot leave.The tragic disfiguration of Ildara is very important in that, Ildara’s beauty was what promised her that spot on the ship that would take her to a better life, but without that beauty Ildara no longer has a chance to leave as the ship only accepts the beautiful. On a figurative level, by destroying Ildara’s beauty, Ildara’s father destroys her hope of ever living a better life. By presenting such a brutal way of how one can be rendered hopeless, I believe that Bazan is sending a message about not only the brutality of life, but also the hopelessness that fills the lives of many.Hopelessness in my opinion is the greatest tragedy of all because without hope what is there to live for? Furthermore, this idea of hopelessness is really something that is at the heart of all these tragedies that we see in Spanish literature. In constantly putting tragedy after tragedy in their works, Hispanic authors are not trying to render life as something that is inherently dismal rather they are trying to show that hope is what keeps us alive and that when we allow the tragedies of our lives to consume us we subject ourselves to losing the most important thing that keeps us going each and every day, and that is hope.III. Juan Rulfo: (a. ) In this story we witness a common theme in Mexican literature, as well as in that of Latin America as a whole: the problematic nature of the father-son relationship. Ignacio’s relationship with his father is interesting in and of itself for the way in which the father, despite being clearly at odds with his son, nevertheless undertakes the incredible task of carrying him to Tonaya. It can be also be read, however, as an allegory of the problematic relationship of the post-revolutionary period with the idealistic Revolution that preceded it.Although the allegory is far from obvious, we can see the outlines of this problem in the rela tionship of Ignacio and his father. The father clearly had great hopes for his family but these quickly faded with the loss of his wife and the fragmentation of his family. The next generation, his son Ignacio, due in part to the impossibility of this ideal â€Å"family† and his own shortcomings, has become corrupted, much like many during the post-revolutionary period. One could rgue â€Å"No dogs bark† has some of the theatrical qualities of tragedy in the fatalistic manner in which the characters are driven towards their inevitable destruction. This quality is supported by the way the story largely consists of dialog between the father and son. It is also notable that â€Å"No dogs bark† also exhibits a tendency towards romanticism. The night, the moon and the individual heroism of the father in carrying his son contribute to this romantic impulse, and these elements serve in turn to heighten the force of the story’s tragic ending.

The United States Supreme Court and Public Opinion

The United States Supreme Court is a unique American institution. It is unique because, unlike the individuals serving in the executive and the legislative branches of government, the nine justices serving at the highest level of the United States Supreme Court are insulated in significant ways from the public they are sworn to serve. Most significantly, the justices are provided lifetime terms following nomination and confirmation. Unlike presidents or members of Congress, for example, the justices do not have to endure initial public elections or prepare for reelection campaigns.In effect, in many ways, the members of the United States Supreme Court are insulated from the public that they serve in extraordinary and unique ways. This very insulation, in turn, has generated fierce debates among legal scholars, political scholars, and historians regarding the proper characterization of the relationship between the United States Supreme Court and public opinion and the consequences of different characterizations.This essay will argue that the justices of the United States Supreme Court are not nearly as isolated as conventional wisdom and scholarship too frequently assume, that public opinion affects the justices in a myriad of deeply significant ways, and that adopting a majoritarian model better explains the United States Supreme Court as well as better serving important public policy objectives.In order to support the argument that majoritarian framework is the preferable model, this essay will explain why analytical frameworks are especially important in this context, the consequences of the different approaches, and why a majoritarian approach is the better framework for analyzing and discussing the relationship between the United States Supreme Court and public opinion. B. Why Analytical Frameworks MatterThis debate is particularly important because these justices, serving for life terms, are elevated to the United States Supreme Court as a result of politi cal decisions rather than intellectual merit or the possession of a neutrally objective judicial philosophy. Indeed, it is commonly agreed by scholars that Judges and scholars perpetuate the myth of merit. The reality, however, is that every appointment is political.Merit competes with other political considerations, like personal and ideological compatibility, with the forces of support or opposition in Congress and the White House, and with demands for representative appointments on the bases of geography, religion, race, gender, and ethnicity. (O'Brien 33) It is this political connection that makes the relationship between the United States Supreme Court and the American citizenry such an important issue.This is because certain assumptions may encourage special interests to pursue political appointments to the Supreme Court in an effort to circumvent public opinion. For those whom subscribe to the countermajoritarian school of thought, which holds that the Supreme Court is largel y immune to public opinion and hardly influenced by public opinion, the belief is that once a nominated justice is confirmed that he or she will be able to issue rulings unhindered by the pressures of public opinion (Davis 4).As a result, this approach encourages deeply political appointments because there is a belief that minority interests can be advanced or otherwise protected by a public institution shielded from public opinion; this, in turn, encourages potential justices to refrain from expressing their intellect or their opinions honestly in order to minimize political problems.One scholar has described this dumbing down of a candidate’s merits thusly: â€Å"A fictive discourse of appointments has thus emerged: a nominee's advocates make his case in the ideologically neutral language of merit, as if the candidate's views had no bearing on his selection,† (Greenberg, n. p. ) That prospective justices of the United States Supreme Court are compelled to engage in a â€Å"fictive discourse† is both disturbing and contrary to the American ideal of open and free discourse.The confirmation battle involving Robert Bork was illustrative of this type of political battle; indeed, rather than focusing on Bork’s intellectual abilities or merits the confirmation hearings devolved into perhaps the most contentious confirmation battle in modern history. Indeed, as one leading scholar of the Bork proceedings has noted, highlighting the aforementioned dangers associated with the countermajoritarian framework,Because few knowledgeable observers questioned Judge Bork's professional qualifications, opposition to Bork quickly focused on his judicial philosophy. The focus on ideology raised a crucial issue as to whether it was proper for the Senate to reject for ideological reasons an otherwise qualified nominee. (Vieira, and Gross vii)On the other hand, for those whom subscribe to the majoritarian school of thought, an increasingly influential app roach to the relationship between the United States Supreme Court and public opinion, the belief is that the justices are not only not insulated from public opinion but that public opinion affects the justices intimately in terms of the types of cases they choose to decide each year (O'Brien 165), what legal justifications that justices choose to rely on when deciding particularly contentious cases (Waltenburg, and Swinford 242), and whether to uphold or overturn longstanding legal precedents (Norrander, and Wilcox 707).Such assumptions, that public opinion does matter and that it matters significantly, have several significant implications if they are true. First, selecting politics over merit when deciding whom to nominate to the United States Supreme Court may be overrated; more specifically, justices will ultimately be more sensitive to public opinion than the political alliances that earned them the nomination in the first place.They will, after all, be freed of the need to sus tain the political alliances after confirmation as a result of their lifetime tenure whereas they will always be judged by public opinion. A case in point was the Republican nomination of Warren Burger. He was known to have been a conservative with a strict construction approach to the interpretation of the United States Constitution. In short, from a countermajoritarian point of view, Burger had seemed an extraordinarily safe political choice for the United States Supreme Court.The reality, however, was that as the 15th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Burger began to rule in ways that shocked his initial supporters. Rather than shunning public opinion, as his supporters wanted on issues such as race, he has since become known as one of the more activist Chief Judges in the history of the United States Supreme Court. The countermajoritarian school of thought cannot account for such a shift in judicial behavior, and this is a major flaw in this particular analytical framework.Burger is much better understood, as is the United States Supreme Court more generally, by employing a majoritarian framework that accounts for public opinion in addition to underlying political alliances or political philosophies. Second, if these assumptions are true, then public opinion matters. That means that studying the United States Supreme Court in isolation, rather than in conjunction with other related social factors such as public opinion, is a flawed approach.The better analytical framework is the majoritarian approach which, though a minority approach, accomplishes two important objectives. Initially, by accounting for and analyzing more carefully the relationship between public opinion and the United States Supreme Court, courts like Burger’s can be better understood and better explained; in addition, the majoritarian approach legitimizes public opinion as a part of the national debate with respect to legal issues of public interest rather than confi ning these issues to nine distant justices in a mysterious ivory tower.If one of the main functions of the justices is to safeguard the legitimacy of the American constitution, a document conceived of and designed to protect the public generally, then sound policy demands public participation and influence. There are two main questions to be resolved. First, does the countermajoritarian or the majoritarian framework better explain how the United States Supreme Court functions? Second, and related to the first issue, which model better contributes to the legitimacy of the United States Supreme Court and its legal decisions.C. Main Questions 1. Countermajoritarian or Majoritarian: A Threshold Issue Although the United States Supreme Court is one of the most heavily studied American institutions, there remain significant differences of opinion regarding the nature of the relationship between the Supreme Court and public opinion. One of the more fundamental debates among legal scholars, political scientists, and historians centers on whether the United States Supreme Court is in essence a countermajoritarian institution or a majoritarian institution.This debate has important implications. Those that believe that the countermajoritarian model best characterizes the actual function and operation of the United States Supreme Court also tend to view the Supreme Court as being largely insulated from public opinion; on the other hand those that believe that the majoritarian framework best characterizes the Supreme Court tend to believe that public opinion, to some extant, affects the function, operations, and the ultimate legal decisions of the Supreme Court.How one resolves this debate, therefore, pervasively affects American jurisprudence; indeed, â€Å"Much constitutional discourse is predicated on the assumption that the United States Supreme Court is a counter-majoritarian institution, and normative theories supporting the exercise of judicial review are seen, by some, as having to accommodate that fact.† (Solimine, and Walker n. p). Should this fundamental assumption be proven to be incorrect, and there is a growing body of research that suggests that it may be incorrect, then the constitutional discourse and the normative theories that have flowed from the traditional countermajoritarian characterization of the Supreme Court may be similarly flawed and incorrect.In short, a threshold determination needs to be made. This threshold question, as is relevant to the relationship between the United States Supreme Court and public opinion, is whether the Supreme Court is in fact a countermajoritarian institution as scholars have traditionally assumed or a majoritarian institution as some modern scholars argue. 2. Supreme Court as Arbiter of LegitimacyIn addition and intimately related to the aforementioned characterization debate, scholars have also examined the relationship of the United States Supreme Court and public opinion in terms of legitimacy; more specifically, scholars have debated whether and to what extant Supreme Court decisions resolve contentious legal issues legitimately so far as public opinion is concerned and whether and to what extant legitimacy instead results from public opinion affecting the Supreme Court either directly or indirectly.In short, is the ultimate source of legitimacy regarding contentious legal issues the Supreme Court, public opinion, or the interplay between the two? This source of legitimacy debate is made more difficult by the fact that public opinion tends to be more responsive to a narrow range of legal issues or what has otherwise been referred to in the literature as landmark cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, Roe V. Wade, and, more recently, Bush v.Gore. If this assumption is correct, that public opinion is only concerned with landmark cases, then the scope of academic inquiry must be significantly narrowed; to this end, one scholar has noted that â€Å"if we assu me that only the huge national landmark cases affect public opinion, in essence, we are saying that the remainder of the Court's work is inconsequential, at least in terms of public opinion. † (Hoekstra 3).An additional set of threshold questions, therefore, needs to address the more precise relationship between different types of Supreme Court cases and public opinion. Is the relationship relevant only with respect to national landmark cases? Does the relationship differ between landmark and non-landmark cases? This, in turn, demands an analysis which examines both the national and local effects of Supreme Court decisions. Indeed, acknowledging that â€Å"Using national data, it may be possible to connect cases such as Bush v.Gore to changes in public opinion and support for the Court† (Hoekstra 3) one scholar has argued for engaging in a more nuanced analysis that examines localized effects as well by suggesting that beneath the noise may actually be systematic effect s–ones not easily detectable or the same for all citizens–but systematic nonetheless. If citizens learn about different Court decisions based on information available and salient to them, then looking for uniform national level effects is misguided. This does not mean that Court decisions are without national effect.If the Court's effect is more localized–either in terms of geography or some other process–we might still see the effect of Court decisions on public opinion and that Court decisions might affect support for the Court on a national level. The process is just more subtle and possibly more gradual. Another reason to look at local public opinion is that Court decisions frequently require active implementation, oftentimes by local officials. If the Court can change public opinion on the issues, or at least cast legitimacy on the policy under review, the probability of successful implementation is greatly enhanced (Hoekstra 3)Thus, in short, a seco nd threshold set of questions addresses the extant to which scholars assume that relationships between the Supreme Court and public opinion are limited to national landmark cases or whether the relationship can be extended according to local effects and conditions. C. Benefits of a Majoritarian Approach The first benefit of a majoritarian approach is rather intuitive; more specifically, because legal issues affect the public then the public’s opinion ought to be considered.Although this essay also argues that public opinion is relevant in disputes that may not be considered landmark cases, the evidence strongly supports the proposition that public opinion particularly affects national landmark cases and that landmark cases decided by the United States Supreme Court tend to affect public opinion. What complicates a proper characterization of the court derives from different historical relationships between the court and the United States Supreme Court. Traditionally, the Ameri can public did view the justices as enlightened individuals whom didn’t require public input.This sort of public trust justified, in the past, the countermajoritarian approach; indeed, with respect to general public opinion, the justices were significantly insulated. One leading scholar, writing in 1957, stated that Until recently, the attitude of Americans toward the Supreme Court recalled with singular fidelity that with which, according to Burke, Englishmen of a century and a half ago should have looked upon the institutions of their country: â€Å"We ought to understand it according to our measure; and to venerate where we are not able to understand.† (Schwartz iii). This veneration, this assumption that the public can no longer understand the legal issues presented to the United States Supreme Court, is no longer an accurate description of the American public; quite the contrary, the public regularly criticizes Supreme Court decisions, it more carefully follows po tential and actual nominations to the highest court in the land, and through a variety of groups and organization it attempts to influence the court by presenting friend of the court legal briefs on virtually every type of imaginable case.What has emerged more recently is a United States Supreme Court that is besieged by rather than isolated from public opinion; one scholar has noted that even presidents attempt to influence the justices, stating that â€Å"presidents can influence the Supreme Court beyond the appointments process. † (Martinek, n. p. ). From the unemployed mother interested in an abortion issue to competing presidential candidates seeking a favorable ruling the United States Supreme Court has become, for better or worse, America’s arbiter of last resort.This change in the way the public perceives and interacts with the United States Supreme Court is the first reason why the countermajoritarian framework is no longer the best approach for analyzing the justices or the relationship between the Supreme Court and public opinion. The detached veneration of the public is a relic of the past and has been replaced by a greater public awareness. This greater public awareness, however, cannot be overstated; to be sure, though â€Å"Shifting majorities of the public do disagree with many decisions, to the extent they perceive them, or are simply ignorant of the great mass of the Court's jurisprudence.† (Solimine, and Walker, n. p. ) There are, therefore, gaps in the public’s knowledge about the nature of the Supreme Court’s power and the underlying issues. This imperfect knowledge, however, does not render public opinion marginal or irrelevant. It simply suggests that public opinion may at times be somewhat irrational; both a rational and an irrational public opinion can affect the Supreme Court and the majoritarian approach can be adapted to account for an idealized public which possesses an advanced understanding of c omplex legal issues and an imperfect public which sometimes reacts in less than informed ways.In short, the majoritarian approach is better able to incorporate the complex interactions between the United States Supreme Court than the rigidly outdated countermajoritarian model. In addition to the fact that public perceptions and demands have changed over time, it is also evident that legal precedents have been modified or overturned in response to public opinion. Some of the more well-known cases illustrating this fact have involved controversial issues dealing with racial segregation, abortion, and civil rights more generally.A countermajoritarian framework would assume that the justices would be significantly isolated from the public in cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade. Had these justices been insulated, it is entirely plausible that these cases would never have reached the United States Supreme Court, and if they had, that they would have been decided diff erently. The majoritarian model, on the other, admits that these issues were, to some extant, forced upon the United States Supreme Court and that the justices accommodated public opinion by resolving important national issues.This framework further contributes to an ultimate type of legitimacy with respect to the judicial decisions, even if the legitimacy remains challenged by some members of the public, because it treats the decision as a sort of cooperative effort between the United States Supreme Court and the American public. These decisions, in turn affected public opinion. More people accepted racial integration, more people accepted abortion, and more people came to believe that George W. Bush was entitled to the highest office in the land. In Brown v. Board of Education, for instance, the public was badly divided regarding issues of racial segregation.While it is true that the modern trend was toward integration the sad fact was that many members of the public, including st ates, resisted attempts to integrate the races more completely; as a result, pressure was brought to bear on the United States Supreme Court. On the one hand, there was a notion that the federal government shouldn’t interfere too much in state affairs; on the other hand, there was also a growing public recognition that only a decision by the United States Supreme Court, and not any actions by the executive or legislative branches alone, would settle the issues legitimately across the country (Klarman 348).A countermajoritarian framework would instead assume, and incorrectly so, that the justices themselves suddenly decided that racial segregation was unconstitutional rather than attributing a great deal of credit to the American public. The majoritarian model can both predict and explain cases such as Brown v. Board of Education. D. Conclusion In the final analysis, the United States Supreme Court is best analyzed when accounting for the influence of public opinion on its ope rational and decision-making process.This necessitates shifting toward a more majoritarian approach that also analyzes why and how legitimacy is often a function of the interaction of the Supreme Court and public opinion rather than the outdated view of the justices as isolated wise-men immune to public scrutiny or understanding. Works Cited Davis, Richard. Electing Justice: Fixing the Supreme Court Nomination Process. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Greenberg, David. â€Å"The New Politics of Supreme Court Appointments. † Daedalus 134.3 (2005): 5+. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Hoekstra, Valerie J. Public Reaction to Supreme Court Decisions. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Klarman, Michael J. From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Lasser, William. The Limits of Judicial Power: The Supreme Cou rt in American Politics.Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1988. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Martinek, Wendy L. â€Å"Popular Justice: Presidential Prestige and Executive Success in the Supreme Court. † Presidential Studies Quarterly 33. 3 (2003): 692+. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Norrander, Barbara, and Clyde Wilcox. â€Å"Public Opinion and Policymaking in the States: The Case of Post-Roe Abortion Policy. † Policy Studies Journal 27. 4 (1999): 707. Questia. 16 July 2009 . O'Brien, David M. The Supreme Court in American Politics The Supreme Court in American Politics. New York: W. W. Norton, 2000. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Perry, Barbara A. â€Å"†The Cult of the Robe†: The U. S. Supreme Court in the American Mind. † Social Education 66. 1 (2002): 30+. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Schwartz, Bernard. The Supreme Court, Constitutional Revolution in Retrospect. New York: Ronald Press, 1957. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Solimine, Michael E. , and James L. Walker. â€Å"The Supreme Court, Judicial Review, and the Public: Leadership versus Dialogue. † Constitutional Commentary 11. 1 (1994): 1-6. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Spurlock, Clark. Education and the Supreme Court. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1955. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Stephenson, Donald Grier. Campaigns and the Court: The U. S. Supreme Court in Presidential Elections. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.Questia. 16 July 2009 . Vieira, Norman, and Leonard Gross. Supreme Court Appointments: Judge Bork and the Politicization of Senate Confirmations. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1998. Questia. 16 July 2009 . Waltenburg, Eric N. , and Bill Swinford. â€Å"The Supreme Court as a Policy Arena: The Strategies and Tactics of State Attorneys General. † Policy Studies Journal 27. 2 (1999): 242. Questia. 16 July 2009 .

Do we have any responsibility to a broader humanity Only to ourselves, Research Paper

Do we have any responsibility to a broader humanity Only to ourselves, family, community, or state - Research Paper Example It is in the context of this global village of a world that this paper examines the scope of responsibility of the individual. In the world of today, is our responsibility only towards ourselves, our families, our community or our state; or should our responsibilities, in whatever aspect of life it may be, be towards broader humanity? Responsibilities are related to various aspects and context of life. Responsibilities can be broadly classified into personal responsibilities, social and political responsibilities and responsibilities related to work or occupation. Personal responsibilities are those which an individual have to carry out for the self or for the immediate family or relatives. A person is responsible for his own good conduct, for the well being of her or his family –children, family partner, siblings, and relatives. It is not that personal responsibilities affect only the self, family or relatives of the person. By carrying out such responsibilities the person contributes towards the community and the state also, albeit indirectly. The orientation of the person entrusted with the responsibility is however limited and do not encompass the broader perspective. Social and political responsibilities are responsibilities that have wider ramifications. These responsibilities are beyond the self or the family and are more directly related to the community, society and the state. Each community or society has its own codes of responsibility which an individual is expected to adhere to. In doing so, the person contributes towards the perpetual sustenance of the community or the society. Similarly, each state has its own constitution, its codes of laws and rules. The constitution of any nation state provides the guidelines to the social and political rights and responsibilities of a person. It is in the case of social and political responsibilities that the perspective of the individual has undergone radical changes in the last decade

The Use of Sweet Based Products in Treatment of Allergic Reactions Essay

The Use of Sweet Based Products in Treatment of Allergic Reactions - Essay Example As the paper outlines, Choco-Ice rehabilitation center uses a rather new modern strategy of making their patients better by using new modern based candies, chocolate, ice cream and cookies in treating them. Although, based on the assumptions of most health practitioners a lot of debates have emerged as to whether this method is a valid one or it may end up causing more health hazard to the people involved in the treatment.  Nevertheless, Choco-Ice center through their first treatment program has managed to prove their critics wrong. A majority of the people that check into the center are children who have severe allergic reactions to certain food products. It is as a result of this that the Centre is using the above products which for the record are usually medicated. Choco-Ice rehab center uses the technique of making people better by using the little amounts of the allergens they are allergic to until their body system become immune to the substance. Therefore, I agree that these products should be legalized since they are basically sweet products that are medicated to lure the target group of the center who are basically the children for a better treatment outcome.  Based on the assumptions of the critic regarding the use of the modern sweet based products in treating allergies, my claim is that using the method of inducing little amounts of the food item one is allergic to is quite effective. Why the sweet products? And how are they related to the allergies treatment program? These questions have been asked a lot regarding the nature of the treatment’s effectiveness. Well, it is simply the center as per its mission targets a younger audience the children and as we all know children need to be lured in order to take medications and more so it will be hard to make them take in the substance that they know that they are allergic too. Therefore, using the concept of having candies, cookies, ice cream and chocolate being medicated and with little amou nts of the allergens that they are allergic to is the best option. According to Dr. Kari Nadeau, a successful treatment trial of oral immunotherapy can help out to desensitize children that have severe allergies for instance with peanuts.  

Reading reflection 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading reflection 3 - Essay Example I agree with the author of the essay â€Å"Images of Women† in the sense that there truly are a number of reasons as to why these traditional roles for women continue to be perpetuated and exist today. Our culture and traditions as a people, which are documented in various ways such as the bible, have created and promoted the weaker sex version of women for as long as time has existed. For the strong willed and independent woman of today who sometimes have to deal with old school beliefs and traditionalists in the workplace, that has become a real challenge to overcome. I believe that the images of women as we see it today, can be directly connected to the modern feminist movement. Women as a gender have had decades of female empowerment stances to refer to and be influence by in their efforts to have themselves recognized as an equal to that of the male gender. The modern feminist keeps her femininity ate the forefront of her battle while also showing men that it is possible for a woman to have it all. The family, the career, the individual identity, and self-respect, are all elements that the previous promoters of the feminist movement have success fully managed to hand down to their counterparts from generation to generation, and generations to come. The agenda of woman's rights would not have been able to flourish without the support of the media, Bailey got that right. We all admit to and recognize the influence that various media have in our lives and point of view. Since the media has helped counter the effects of decades of female misconception by promoting them as equal to men in both ability and skill, men have come to learn to accept and respect women more as their equals rather than just being a gender in existence to serve their man, family, and society as members of a submissive gender. Struggling for the rights of a woman is directly related to the image that a woman carries of herself. But that image is oftentimes dictated by how society views them and their contributions on a larger scale. These days, women are at the forefront of most things related to our culture and traditions, so the mindset has changed in a significant way thus allowing for the emergence of a new image for women in the 21st century and beyond. Reflection on Kimmel's â€Å"Masculinity as Homophobia† When one hears the term â€Å"masculinity†, images of Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone, the like come to mind. They are the images of masculinity is today's world. These are the men who are emulated and admired by their fellow men because of who they are and what they have become. With those images in mind, it becomes easier to understand why the term â€Å"homophobia† cannot be used in the same sentence as masculinity. Yet Kimmel effectively does so in his essay. Just like Kimmel, I too have a personal belief that homophobia came to exist because of the way society viewed women as the weaker sex during significant eras of our history as a people. Men are looked upon unkindly when they prove to be weak at a certain gender based undertaking, or if they fail to accomplish a task that their counterparts could have completed as well. Homophobia is not a word that should only be used to define fear of a man who is attracted to the same gender. After reading the essay of Kimmel, I have come to understand that

Describing the American system of slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Describing the American system of slavery - Essay Example In order to exemplify on the various factors of slavery, it is imperative to focus on two points of view. The purpose for this project is to investigate the things that can be learnt from Jefferson’s and Jacob’s sentiments on the issue of slavery. Several things can be learnt about slavery from Jefferson’s point of view. For instance, the core aim of having slaves was to exploit them in all spheres of life, that is, economically, politically and socially (Jefferson and Nicholas, 493). Slaves were used to clear vast tracts of land and do all other activities pertaining farming. Unfortunately, they never benefited from any proceeds from farming. Most slaves were blacks and the whites had negative feeling towards them. The whites viewed the blacks as a desperate and inferior race that had no future. In fact, the whites saw very many features that differentiated them from the blacks, for instance, body, color, complexion, hair and many others. The blacks were preferred since they were less prone to diseases compared to the whites or other races. The blacks were brave and could work for long hours without getting tired. In addition, the blacks were considered stronger than other races and, therefore, could engage in hard labor without much complains. Some white scholars argue that the blacks have the same memory as that of the whites but when it comes to thinking and imaginations, they are very inferior. The whites believe that the blacks have hundreds of miles to cover as far as the music and entertainment industries are concerned. Their creativity and ability to harmonize different melodies to produce rich contents are yet to improve. The slaves are associated with all evil activates including theft and prostitution. Some whites argue that, due to the poverty experienced in most African countries, the incidents of theft among Africans must remain high. During

12 Billion Pounds NHS Computer Scheme Project Essay

12 Billion Pounds NHS Computer Scheme Project - Essay Example The IT system was integrated and new medical systems was enabled at individual hospitals. The NHS started as one of the largest public healthcare system implementation, which was needed for improving the overall service of the health care industry. Mintzberg et al (2005, p.8) comment ‘Strategy is a pattern, that is, consistency in behaviour over time. A company that perpetually markets the most expensive products in its industry pursues what is commonly called a high-end strategy, just as a person who always accepts the most challenging of jobs may be described as pursuing a high-risk strategy.’ The Project Management Process and Planning If the organization moves from simple system to complex, its environment and a number of other aspects needed to be modified. Employee and staff relationship is also important in this regard where the new relationships, departments and new skills are defined (Appleton, 1999). Change leads to resistance and confusion (Glover et al., 1999 ). The â€Å"Connecting for health† was the brand name given for automating and integrating the heath care service in UK. The plan was to automate a range of functions, including mundane services such as enabling members to use online system to making book appointments having their GPs (general practitioners). Clinically sensitive functions such as maintaining patient records and managing scans were part of the project. The whole system already posed a range of software system, which achieved few functions but these systems were not integrated fully. The common model for implementation involved questions such as What are we trying to accomplish? How we consider change is an improvement What changes can be achieved for improvement The project implementation processes involves - Study, Plan, Act and Do. The project lifecycle of NHS was determined through gateways such as the following- Strategic assessment (The earliest stage was to set up the business strategies and to make th e initial feasibility study) Business justification (After the development of program brief and business case, the business justification was identified, which requires detailed analysis of the project, capital investments, cash flow, operating expenditure such as salaries, maintenance materials, lease and revenue) Delivery strategy The investment decision Readiness for service (The project manager opts for implementation method for minimizing changes and improving coordination with interfaces from different stakeholders and suppliers is determined) Assessment of project, operational review and benefit realisation (The project should be able to provide benefits for decades) The security system of the project was developed with the help of Spine, which is the provider of security, and security measures were also compiled in the early stage of development. Wells (1996, p. 80) states ‘Sub organizations should create lower-level measurement plans that link with the corporate strat egic measurement plan. If the sub-organization has a separate strategic plan, then it will also need a separate strategic measurement plan. If the sub organization’s strategic plan starts at the strategy or objective level, it needs to have measures that link directly to the corporate strategic measurements. In the event that only a few measures can be linked, the sub organization should create additional strategic measurements that better describe its outcomes.’ The portfolio approach has been adopted by the project management teams for managing software development risk (McFarlan, 1981). Prior to this, risk was only considered from the technological perspective (Anderson and Narasumhan, 1979) and from the software development view (Barki, et al. 1993). For IT implementation the project should

Miss Evers' Boys Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Miss Evers' Boys - Movie Review Example This paper illustrates that government policies compel the nurse in the film to defy their ethical principles while the actions of the single nurse in the film shows that she understands the nursing ethics, and she strives to maintain them even in the grim instances. The film is an adaptation of the Tuskegee experiment makes the ethical issues it raises of immense importance to the practice since it shows the possibility of a government forcing nurses to act against their wishes. The nurses and doctors who ran the experiment defined fundamental codes of ethics in nursing whose primary objective is to minimize the harm caused by either the patients or the nurses in the practice. The American Nurses Association explains that a nurse has a primary commitment to the patients and works to protect the rights, safety, and health of the patient. In the film, the government forces the nurses to defy such basic ethical provision as they run the inhumane experiments on unsuspecting subjects. De spite the laws that protect the experiment, Eunice Evers shows compassion and cares for the patients. The actions of the nurses conform to the ethical provisions of the practice. Doctors treat while nurses care for the patients. She strives to do this by showing compassion and caring for the subjects who endure immense pain while receiving no treatment for their disease. Nurses provide both physical and psychological needs of the patients. They do this in different ways including the consolation of the patients.

Mauss, Corin, and Freud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mauss, Corin, and Freud - Essay Example t† Ellen Corin tends to view Mauss’s concept of ‘person’ in evolution or transition as one that is influenced by the legacy of European hegemonic attitude to the cultures of the non-European country. According to her, Mauss’s historical evaluation of ‘person’ is engrossed with the concept of the â€Å"other’ that bars the European scholars to perceive the ‘person’ of the non European societies as something â€Å"self-interested and self indulgent, and which is determined by outsides references to clans and divinities† (Corin 85). In Mauss’s conception of ‘person’ it is evident that the ‘person’ –which he is concerned with- is different from the concept of person as something â€Å"natural’. Though he does not completely defy the natural definition of ‘person’, he clearly asserts this definition of ‘person’ as unfocused, vague and simplist ic. For Mauss, the definition that tend s to describe ‘person’ as something â€Å"natural, clearly determined in the depth of [human] consciousness† is, as he says at the beginning of the article, â€Å"still imprecise, delicate and fragile, one requiring further elaboration† (Mauss 5). The major steps in evaluation of â€Å"person’ lies in the following speech of Mauss, â€Å"From a simple masquerade to the mask, from a ‘role’†¦ to a ‘person’†¦, to a name, to an individual; from the latter to a being metaphysical and moral value; from a moral consciousness to a sacred being; from the latter to a fundamental form of thought and action- the course is accomplished† (Mauss 22) Whereas Corin tends to view the concept of person from the anthropological desire to â€Å"have access to the Other’s alterity and to transcend to the contingencies and boundaries of †¦..cultural condition† (Corin 81), Mauss’s attempt to view ‘person’ from a socio-historical point is, as Corin criticizes, biased, therefore not absolute, by the cultural hegemony of the author. According to him the

Scope & Nature Essay Example for Free

Scope Nature Essay The scope of operations management ranges across the organization. Operations management people are involved in product and service design, process selection, selection and management of technology, design of work systems, location planning, facilities planning, and quality improvement of the organizations products or services. The operations function includes many interrelated activities, such as forecasting, capacity planning, scheduling, managing inventories, assuring quality, motivating employees, deciding where to locate facilities, and more. We can use an airline company to illustrate a service organizations operations system. The system consists of the airplanes, airport facilities, and maintenance facilities, sometimes spread out over a wide territory. The activities include: Forecasting such things as weather and landing conditions, seat demand for flights, and the growth in air travel.   Capacity planning, essential for the airline to maintain cash flow and make a reasonable profit. (Too few or too many planes, or even the right number of planes but in the wrong places, will hurt profits.) Facilities and layout, important in achieving effective use of workers and equipment. Scheduling of planes for flights and for routine maintenance; scheduling of pilots and flight attendants; and scheduling of ground crews, counter staff, and baggage handlers. Managing inventories of such items as foods and beverages, first-aid equipment, in-flight magazines, pillows and blankets, and life preservers.   Assuring quality, essential in flying and maintenance operations, where the emphasis is on safety, and important in dealing with customers at ticket counters, check-in, telephone and electronic reservations, and curb service, where the emphasis is on efficiency and courtesy. Motivating and training employees in all phases of operations, Locating facilities according to managers decisions on which cities to provide service for, where to locate maintenance facilities, and where to locate major and minor hubs. Now consider a bicycle factory. This might be primarily an assembly operation: buying components such as frames, tires, wheels, gears, and other items from suppliers, and then assembling bicycles. The factory also might do some of the fabrication work itself, forming frames, making the gears and chains, and it might buy mainly raw materials and a few parts and materials such as paint, nuts and bolts, and tires. Among the key management tasks in either case are scheduling production, deciding which components to make and which to buy, ordering parts and materials, deciding on the style of bicycle to produce and how many, purchasing new equipment to replace old or worn out equipment, maintaining equipment, motivating workers, and ensuring that quality standards are met. Obviously, an airline company and a bicycle factory are completely different types of operations. One is primarily a service operation, the other a producer of goods. Nonetheless, these two operations have much in common. Both involve scheduling activities, motivating employees, ordering and managing supplies, selecting and maintaining equipment, satisfying quality standards, and—above all—satisfying customers. And in both businesses, the success of the business depends on short- and long-term planning. The operations function consists of all activities directly related to producing goods or providing services. Hence, it exists both in manufacturing and assembly operations, which are goods-oriented, and in areas such as health care, transportation, food handling, and retailing, which are primarily service-oriented. A primary function of an operations manager is to guide the system by decision-making. Certain decisions affect the design of the system, and others affect the operation System design involves decisions that relate to system capacity, the geographic location of facilities, arrangement of departments and placement of equipment within physical structures, product and service planning, and acquisition of equipment. These decisions usually, but not always, require long-term commitments. Moreover, they are typically strategic decisions. System operation involves management of personnel, inventory planning and control, scheduling, project management, and quality assurance. These are generally tactical and operational decisions. Feedback on these decisions involves measurement and Control. In many instances, the operations manager is more involved in day-to-day operating decisions than with decisions relating to system design. However, the operations manager has a vital stake in system design because system design essentially determines many of the parameters of system operation. For Example, costs, space, capacities, and quality are directly affected by design decisions. Even though the operations manager is not responsible for making all design decisions, he or she can provide those decision makers with a wide range of information that will have a bearing on their decisions. A number of other areas are part of the operations function. They include purchasing, industrial engineering, distribution, and maintenance. Purchasing has responsibility for procurement of materials, supplies, and equipment. Close contact with operations is necessary to ensure correct quantities and timing of purchases. The purchasing department is often called on to evaluate vendors for quality, reliability, service, price, and ability to adjust to changing demand. Purchasing is also involved in receiving and inspecting the purchased goods. Industrial engineering is often concerned with scheduling, performance standards, work methods, quality control, and material handling.  Distribution involves the shipping of goods to warehouses, retail outlets, or final customers. Maintenance is responsible for general upkeep and repair of equipment, buildings and grounds, heating and air-conditioning; removing toxic wastes; parking; and perhaps security. The operations manager is the key figure in the system: He or she has the ultimate responsibility for the creation of goods or provision of services. The kinds of jobs that operations managers oversee vary tremendously from organization to organization largely because of the different products or services involved. Thus, managing a banking operation obviously requires a different kind of expertise than managing a steel- making operation. However, in a very important respect, the jobs are the same: They are both essentially managerial. The same thing can be said for the job of any operations manager regardless of the kinds of goods or services being created. The service sector and the manufacturing sector are both important to the economy. The service sector now accounts for more than 70 percent of jobs in the United States, and it is growing in other countries as well. Moreover, the number of people working in services is increasing, while the number of people working in manufacturing is not. The reason for the decline in manufacturing jobs is twofold: As the operations function in manufacturing companies finds more productive ways of producing goods, the companies are able to maintain or even increase their output using fewer workers. Furthermore, some manufacturing work has been outsourced to more productive companies, many in other countries that are able to produce goods at lower costs. Many of the concepts presented in this book apply equally to manufacturing and service. Consequently, whether your interest at this time is on manufacturing or on service, these concepts will be important, regardless of whether a manufacturing example or service. Operations management is often used along with production management in  literature on the subject. It is therefore, useful to understand the nature of operations management. Operations management is understood as the process whereby resources or inputs are converted into more useful products .A second reading of the sentence reveals that, there is hardly any difference between the terms production management and operations management. But, there are a least two points of distinction between production management and operations management. First, the term production management is more used for a system where tangible goods are produced. Whereas, operations management is more frequently used where various inputs are transformed into tangible services Viewed from this perspective, operations management will cover such services organization as banks, airlines, utilities, pollution control agencies super bazaars, educational institutions, libraries, consultancy firm and police departments, in addition, of course, to manufacturing enterprises. The second distinction relates to the evolution of the subject. Operation management is the term that is used now a day. Production management precedes operations management in the historical growth of the subject The two distinctions not withstanding, the terms production management and operations management are used interchangeably. Scope of Production and Operation Management The scope of production and operations management is indeed vast. Commencing with the selection of location production management covers such activities as acquisition of land, constructing building, procuring and installing machinery, purchasing and storing raw material and converting them into saleable products. Added to the above are other related topics such as quality management, maintenance management, production planning and control, methods improvement and work simplification and other related areas.

Ethics And Issues Essay Example for Free

Ethics And Issues Essay How should schools deal with Internet plagiarism? There are many ways as to how a school can deal with internet plagiarism. Firstly, they should teach their students the importance of writing a fair work and the worth of hard work it has. Students need to know that any piece written by them is their own accomplished hard work that is entirely original. In such a way, they have learned the essential elements of the work that the school teacher wanted them to work on. In other words, they have succeeded in meeting the requirements of the coursework, no matter what grade they get. Secondly, teachers should highly emphasize on the topic of ethics and ethical writing to the students. Apart from these, a school has to be up-to-date regarding the different ways as to how the students plagiarize. Keeping a track on the past papers of the previous is one way. The other is to use anti-plagiarism software today. The popular software used these days by the universities is Turnitin. com or Mydropbox. com. Students should be taught that plagiarism is a crime and is equivalent to stealing. Altering digital photos: Art or Fraud  Similar to plagiarizing, altering digital photos is fraud and can earn even legal consequences if used for financial or academic gains. Altering digital photos and stating it as your own work is like stealing someone else’s work, making some additions and stating it as your own. Just as the painting of Mona Lisa will always be the work of Leonardo Da Vinci, no matter how altered it is, any work done on anybody’s presently done work is a crime. In my opinion, altering digital photos can never be an art but a fraud because the original work is done by someone else. Photojournalism is mostly subjected to this fraud. If altering digital photos was to be considered as art, many people would misuse it to present as legal evidences. Since the natures of digital photos are, in a way, alterable, these pieces are never considered as a piece of legal evidence. Software have been developed where any alter in the digital images are spotted and traced that avoids altering of any digital piece as well (Pearson, 2006). Altering any image or piece for one’s own benefit in order to gain money is a crime, thus a fraud and not an art. Just as a re-mix music cannot be regarded as an original piece of art, altering digital photos, too cannot be regarded as an art.

Leadership Action Plan Essay

Leadership Action Plan Essay This paper seeks to prepare a personal development plan in my objective to become a leader in an organization. I will analyze the requirements of the targeted job in relation to my inventory of skills including my strengths and weaknesses in relation to the requirement of a goal in mind for which I am willing to know my deficiencies in terms of skills. I will therefore have to make an action plan on how to correct my deficiencies and to improve on my weaknesses to take advantage of my strengths in attaining a target job that I want to have and quality of a person that I want to happen as a result. 2. The Goal, Requirements, Deficiencies and the Strategies 2.1 My goal and its requirements The goal of this plan is to be able to attain the position of Pricing analyst which requires the following: having strong analytical skills and ingenuity to provide logical solutions to nonstandard issues, having a strong mathematical aptitude as well as well developed communication skills (written and verbal), being computer literate (including working knowledge of Excel and Word) and possessing the values of resourcefulness, organizational skills and ability to coordinate activities across company function. It further requires having demonstrated ability to work well under pressure to meet critical deadlines, having the ability to adapt to changing priorities and handle multiple tasks and having an exceptional attention to detail and problem solving skills. 2.2 Determined deficiencies and the causes of their perceived causes of having them Using as basis the job requirements and compare the same with my present inventory of skills, I found out that the targeted job requires the need for demonstrated ability to work well under pressure to meet critical deadlines as well as at the ability to adapt to changing priorities and handle multiple tasks. I believe this requires utmost patience on the part of person to be hired for the job. A patient person will not be easily being cowed into giving up for pressure as the person would normally consider pressure as part of the job. A patient person will also find the need to adapt to changing priorities and handling multiple tasks to be part of the challenge. I definitely need to be more patient partly because of my attitude of perfectionism which is rather out of proportions sometimes. Further comparison of my inventory of skills with the requirement of the job revealed that my verbal communication skills are weak as may be proved from past experiences when I have delegated tasks to people that resulted to some misunderstandings. I have diagnosed the in many instances times about the reasons for these misunderstandings and I found them in failure to make my instructions in a way that may be fully and intelligently understood. In wrongly believing that my own understanding results to my teammates understanding, I really have made a short cut of effective communication which is creating inefficiency to my job. I find deficiency also in my organizational skills as evidenced by my having overlooked a lot of times important details in my job because of deficient communication skills, failure to delegate and ineffectiveness if making motivations to my people. 2.3 Strategies to address deficiencies with corresponding time table The way I am going to tackle these leadership deficiencies is to set up a plan where I can draw on personal and others feedback. I have talked to my manager, supervisor, and other coworkers and they have agreed to provide feedback to me on these three subjects. I am going to keep a journal, as well, so that I can track my own thoughts and feelings about how I am handling and improving in these tasks. Also, I plan to do some research on all there subjects so that I may obtain further information on these subjects. The following are the things that I plan to do within my time table. Improving Patience On the basis of the above, I found out that I really lacked patience; I have decided to increase my patience in more systematic manner. My high anxiety level, which causes me to get short with people, could really be bad if I will not improve my patience. I am planning to monitor my progress and evaluate myself weekly on my patience levels. In a year I want to get to a point where I can handle any situation, no matter what that entails. I want to get to the point where I dont let my anxiety interfere with my job duties and interactions with other. Having stated earlier that lack of patience may be caused by my attitude of perfectionism, I feel addressing the latter is crucial to my development as a person for the desired job. Perfectionism makes me feel that I should always be imposing to people the highest requirement for many work activities without may be considering their capacities. My strategies for improvement of correction of said perceived caused of lack of patience are to analyze the importance of having something perfect in relation to realistic goals of every activity. Since every activity may have its deadline, I would devised an improve schedule so that I will not push myself unnecessarily on things. But since I may never know if I am progressing on this activity, I would measure my progress and my criteria for measuring the same would be to have less frustration with progress while ensuring that work is still successfully accomplish. The time table for this is one month intervals Improving communication One of the requirements of the targeted job is having a strong mathematical aptitude as well as well developed communication skills (written and verbal). Finding my skills to be lacking in this respect, I have decided to effectively improve my verbal communications skills continually by relying on feedback from manager and supervisors in my present job as well as peers and family and friends. In my own analysis what is causing my poor communication is the spontaneous and impulsive comments to teammates as I perceived bad comments in return making such irresponsive comments which offend their feelings, hence I would really need to reflect on how my comments would affect others. This is in addition to developing of course and an effective communication plan verbally and in writing. To know whether I would be progressing I would be recording my observance of the absence of negative peer reactions as well as my observation of positive oral feedback from family and friends. I am also giving month intervals ask for feedback from peers and family/friends Improving organization skills Organization will be one of my other big hang-ups and I think this should be evaluated daily by keeping a journal of my tasks as well as a calendar to avoid mistakenly overlooking anything. I believe this will take time to improve, and with the help of my observations, research, and others feedback, I could o be proficient in the skills within the next three years. For the meantime I have short goals as explained below. One way to improve this is to through having the skill to improve delegation. My rather poor delegation is basically rooted in the fear of poor teammate contributions resulting in team failure. I believe this could be corrected by building on trust with my team mates by being first becoming a trust worthy person. Delegation entails trusting people to do it with confidence to their abilities under given circumstances. In the case of team mates, I would have to realize the extent also of my influence so that I would not be ending up delegating everything. In addition I should be developing a system of evaluations of teammates since it is only in giving them the proper feedback that they would have the chance to improve themselves. The time table for this of course, requires that at checkpoints of project, I will have to assess feelings of comfort of myself and my teammates and address any problems immediately as may be necessary. Another way of correcting this perceived weakness is to utilize an equal work policy. Under this arrangement, some my teammates would not necessarily be burdened with having more than expected and this will have a chance of reducing really the fear of poor teammate contributions resulting in team failure. Still another way of accomplishing this strategy is for me to build in checkpoints for making sure that projects are on time. This simply means that making a reliable schedule to monitor and follow through that projects are on in fact accomplished on time. As a way of measuring my progress in this strategy, I would have to be chance to measure my progress, with myself personally performing less work that would result to utilizing more time to proper and maximum functioning of my teammates. This development should also be seen in my new developed ability to trust teammates that would lead more to better relationships with them by having a confidence in the result of their work. Another way to improve organizational skills is to improve my forcefulness in motivating people. As a consequence of poor communication skills, my capacity to motivate or move people is just as limited to a great extent. My strategies for this target is includes attend additional classes on leadership (Erez, M. et. al, 2001), reading pertinent books on motivation (Maddock and Fulton, 1998) and utilizing an effective communication. Motivation on organization is a big deal since organization basically involves people who need to have the internal drive to what they need to do. Given the fact that organization may not provide every thing what workers may need, I can top a great potential from them by knowing each of my team mates and really find out what drives to excel of perform better in their job. I would only be able to verify the attainment of these targets if there are positive responses of others to my improved motivational skills. If small goals get accomplished I would be pretty sure that I making a great motivation job on my teammates more often Another way of measuring the accomplishment of this strategy is the reality of having an accomplished goals and positive team responses. The time table to evaluate others responses and behaviors would be to undertake each monthly. 3. Conclusion Based on the above plans I believe I would be able to attain the target of becoming a price analyst. The requirements of the targeted position are very clear and I was honest enough to use the requirements to gauge whether I could actually satisfy the same. Driven therefore by the realization that I needed some skills, I should have the courage to correct my deficiency by tracing what are the behaviors that are causing me not to have the much desired requirements of the targeted position in terms of skills. I have categorized the some major requirements of the job as requiring the value of patience from the need for demonstrated ability to work well under pressure to meet critical deadlines as well as at the ability to adapt to changing priorities and handle multiple tasks. So important is the value of patience in the job and which I have carefully analyzed could be acquired by training me to consider work pressures as normal consider s part of the job that would also help me to adapt to changing priorities and handle multiple tasks to be part of the challenge. Improving communication between me and the people in the organization was could be by addressing the behavioral cause, that is the spontaneous and impulsive comments to teammates that I commit sometimes based from perceived bad comments. I would just have to stop offending their feelings by my having an honest reflection on how my comments would affect others. This is in addition to developing of course and an effective communication plan (Thorson and Moore, 1996) verbally and in writing which may involved the applicable of basic principles of effective communication that would be read in theory and experience if the actual workplace. Getting the right feedback from peers and friends would accomplish much for this. Improving my communication skill is also closely related with improving organization skills which I will have to develop over time through my observations, research, and others feedback. Having targeted to be proficient in the skills within the next three years, I believe would be realistic enough considering my targeted developed skills for communication. To improve organization skill requires me to improve delegation which I found to having been restricted by my fear of poor teammate contributions resulting in team failure. Being correctible by building on trust with my teammates by being first becoming a trust worthy person, I believe that my decision to delegation put me in the very right path to fully attain an integrated organizational skill (Heller et. al., 1998). I am however cautioned by knowing some limits in my planned delegation by doing still what I need to do best under the circumstances in avoiding to delegating everything. By my honest development of a system of evaluations of teammates, that would give them the proper feedback, I am hoping for the best about the accomplishment of this plan. Appendix: Chart of Personal Development Plan Skill to Improve Causes of Behaviors Strategies Measurement Time table for Assessing Progress Patience Perfectionism Analyzing the bad effects of too much perfectionism Making a working schedule Effective delegation to team mates -reduced frustration -successful accomplishment of work without much stress Will be monitored monthly Delegation Fear of poor teammate performance Make a system of evaluation of teammates Make an à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“equal work policy. Making sure that deadlines are followed Less work to be performed more time for the main requirement of the job Assess feeling of teammates if delegation is received with respect Effective Communication Irresponsible and impulsive comments Reflect on the effect of comments and reduce the same if necessary Design and effective communication plan Absence of negative peer reactions Positive feedback from friends, managers and supervisors Must be confirmed monthly Motivation Poor oral and written communication skills Read good books on communication skills. Attend seminars related to Office communications Willingness of others to have more responsibilities Attained output targets Evaluation should be done monthly or as often as possible

Andrew Carnegie Lived The American Dream :: Andrew Carnegie

What is the American Dream? According to Webster the American Dream is the ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and material success. Andrew Carnegie is the epitome of the American Dream because he is a classic example of rags to riches success story. He seemed to be touched by an angel. No matter what was wrong with the world, Andrew Carnegie was to consistently capitalize on success. Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835. â€Å"Protected by proud and self-sacrificing parents, Andrew may not have known in these years what real poverty was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wall, Andrew Carnegie) Andrew Carnegie’s formal education ended after elementary school, the family's respect for books and learning ensured that Carnegie's education would continue throughout his life. Born the son of a weaver, Carnegie’s family suffered the effects of the industrial revolution. The mass production of the new steam looms left countless families out of work. To escape the depression of their hometown his family immigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1848. At the age of thirteen, Carnegie began his new life in America as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory. Through a connection from his uncle, Carnegie was offered a job as a messenger boy and operator for the Telegraph Office. From the promotion of his new job, Carnegie became acquainted with Pittsburgh’s most Well-known men. While employed by the Telegraph Office Carnegie met Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who offered him a job. It was while being employed by Scott, that he was given a proposal to invest in the Adams Express Company. Carnegie was able to convince his mother to mortgage their home and loan him $500 to begin his first investment. In 1865 Carnegie left Pennsylvania Railroad after 12 years to concentrate on his own businesses, the first being the Keystone Bridge Company, which made iron and steel. Carnegie surrounded himself with intelligent advisors, made heavy investments in new equipment, and maintained his ownership stake in all his enterprises, enabling him to exponentially increase his wealth. During his trips to business trips Carnegie he came to meet steel-makers. At about age 38, he began concentrating on steel, founding the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works near Pittsburgh, which would eventually evolve into the Carnegie Steel Company. In the 1870s Carnegie's new company built the first steel plants in the United States to use the new Bessemer steel-making process, borrowed from Britain. Andrew Carnegie Lived The American Dream :: Andrew Carnegie What is the American Dream? According to Webster the American Dream is the ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and material success. Andrew Carnegie is the epitome of the American Dream because he is a classic example of rags to riches success story. He seemed to be touched by an angel. No matter what was wrong with the world, Andrew Carnegie was to consistently capitalize on success. Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835. â€Å"Protected by proud and self-sacrificing parents, Andrew may not have known in these years what real poverty was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wall, Andrew Carnegie) Andrew Carnegie’s formal education ended after elementary school, the family's respect for books and learning ensured that Carnegie's education would continue throughout his life. Born the son of a weaver, Carnegie’s family suffered the effects of the industrial revolution. The mass production of the new steam looms left countless families out of work. To escape the depression of their hometown his family immigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1848. At the age of thirteen, Carnegie began his new life in America as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory. Through a connection from his uncle, Carnegie was offered a job as a messenger boy and operator for the Telegraph Office. From the promotion of his new job, Carnegie became acquainted with Pittsburgh’s most Well-known men. While employed by the Telegraph Office Carnegie met Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who offered him a job. It was while being employed by Scott, that he was given a proposal to invest in the Adams Express Company. Carnegie was able to convince his mother to mortgage their home and loan him $500 to begin his first investment. In 1865 Carnegie left Pennsylvania Railroad after 12 years to concentrate on his own businesses, the first being the Keystone Bridge Company, which made iron and steel. Carnegie surrounded himself with intelligent advisors, made heavy investments in new equipment, and maintained his ownership stake in all his enterprises, enabling him to exponentially increase his wealth. During his trips to business trips Carnegie he came to meet steel-makers. At about age 38, he began concentrating on steel, founding the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works near Pittsburgh, which would eventually evolve into the Carnegie Steel Company. In the 1870s Carnegie's new company built the first steel plants in the United States to use the new Bessemer steel-making process, borrowed from Britain.

Nuclear Energy :: essays research papers fc

You are watching the control panels and gages for rector two. Sitting comely you think about how easy your job is. It is a joke! All day you sit around and watch the gages for reactor number two just to make sure they maintain their settings. You don't even need to look at the gages either because a computer automatically regulates them without you. Life is so good. Suddenly all the sirens go of and the gages and displays spin wildly in every direction. The ground shakes and you can hear the sound of a deep rumble. Unknown to you, the reactor's cooling pumps have failed to cool the reactor's core and in 3 seconds the temperature went from 280 degrees centigrade to 4,000 degrees centigrade. The water that was in the reactor is instantly turned to steam which creates tremendous amount of pressure in the reactor core. Above the reactor core there is a 5 foot thick lead plate and above that there is a meter thick floor composed of iron, barium, serpentine, concrete, and stone. The exploding steam fires the floor up like shrapnel. The metal plate goes through the four foot thick concrete roof like butter and reaches and altitude of sixty meters. You can hear ripping, rending, wrenching, screeching, scraping, tearing sounds of a vast machine breaking apart. L. Ray Silver, a leading author who covered the disaster at Chernobyl, said that within the core, steam reacts with zirconium to produce that first explosive in nature's arsenal, hydrogen. Near-molten fuel fragments shatter nearly incandescent graphite, torching chunks of it, exploding the hydrogen. The explosion breaks every pipe in the building rocking it with such power that the building is split into sections (11-13). You look down at your body and notice that it feels hot and your hands look different. Unknown to you a tremendous amount of neutrons are hitting your cells and taking chucks out of your skin. Suddenly everything goes black.The paragraph above describes the scene of what happened at Chernobyl nuclear plant a few years ago. From that time until the present many other smaller accidents have happened. From these accidents many people have died and millions have been indirectly affected. Nuclear energy has far to many negative problems than advantages. From the mining of uranium to disposal of nuclear waist there are problems of such magnitude that no scientist on this earth has an answer for.

The Neurosurgeon :: Biology Science Medical Essays

The Neurosurgeon The temporal lobe comprises all the tissue that lies below the Sylvian fissure and anterior to the occipital and parietal cortex. The temporal regions can be divided on the lateral surface into those that are auditory (Brodmann’s area) and those that form the ventral visual stream on the lateral temporal lobe. The visual regions are referred to as either inferotemporal cortex or by von Bonin and Bailey’s designation, TE. The sulci of the temporal lobe contains most of the cortex. The superior temporal sulcus (STS) which separates the superior and middle temporal gyri can be divided into many sub regions. It receives input from auditory, visual, and somatic regions as well as the frontal and parietal regions and the paralimbic cortex. The medial temporal region includes the hippocampus (and surrounding cortex) and the fusiform gyrus. The posterior end of the temporal lobe is referred to as the parahippocampal cortex and includes areas known as TH and TF. The fusiform gyrus and interior temporal gyrus are part of the lateral temporal cortex. The uncus refers to the anterior extension of the hippocampus. The hippocampus, as well as the amygdala, are buried deep within the temporal lobe. The temporal lobes have many internal connections which project to the sensory systems, to the parietal and frontal regions, to the limbic system, and to the basal ganglia. The neocortex of the left and right lobes is connected to the archicortex. Studies have demonstrated four projection pathways of information in the temporal lobe which each form separate functions. First, auditory and visual information processes from the primary regions ending in the temporal pole form the ventral stream of visual processing. Its function is thought to be stimulus recognition. Second, auditory, visual, and somatic project into the superior temporal sulcus whose function is stimulus categorization. Third, auditory and visual information is projected to the medial temporal regions including the hippocampus (called the preforant pathway) and the amygdale. This pathway is crucial to long term memory. Fourth auditory and visual information goes to the area of the frontal lobe which is necessary for various aspects of movement, control, short term memory, and affect. The Neurosurgeon :: Biology Science Medical Essays The Neurosurgeon The temporal lobe comprises all the tissue that lies below the Sylvian fissure and anterior to the occipital and parietal cortex. The temporal regions can be divided on the lateral surface into those that are auditory (Brodmann’s area) and those that form the ventral visual stream on the lateral temporal lobe. The visual regions are referred to as either inferotemporal cortex or by von Bonin and Bailey’s designation, TE. The sulci of the temporal lobe contains most of the cortex. The superior temporal sulcus (STS) which separates the superior and middle temporal gyri can be divided into many sub regions. It receives input from auditory, visual, and somatic regions as well as the frontal and parietal regions and the paralimbic cortex. The medial temporal region includes the hippocampus (and surrounding cortex) and the fusiform gyrus. The posterior end of the temporal lobe is referred to as the parahippocampal cortex and includes areas known as TH and TF. The fusiform gyrus and interior temporal gyrus are part of the lateral temporal cortex. The uncus refers to the anterior extension of the hippocampus. The hippocampus, as well as the amygdala, are buried deep within the temporal lobe. The temporal lobes have many internal connections which project to the sensory systems, to the parietal and frontal regions, to the limbic system, and to the basal ganglia. The neocortex of the left and right lobes is connected to the archicortex. Studies have demonstrated four projection pathways of information in the temporal lobe which each form separate functions. First, auditory and visual information processes from the primary regions ending in the temporal pole form the ventral stream of visual processing. Its function is thought to be stimulus recognition. Second, auditory, visual, and somatic project into the superior temporal sulcus whose function is stimulus categorization. Third, auditory and visual information is projected to the medial temporal regions including the hippocampus (called the preforant pathway) and the amygdale. This pathway is crucial to long term memory. Fourth auditory and visual information goes to the area of the frontal lobe which is necessary for various aspects of movement, control, short term memory, and affect.

On the Value of Philosophy Essay

â€Å"On the Value of Philosophy† by Bertrand Russell discusses the implications of philosophy and philosophical thinking. Special attention is paid to problems and core values of philosophy. The author argues that philosophy should be studied not to find answers for questions of particular interest, but for the sake of the questions themselves. It is noted that philosophy helps to distinguish truth, to enrich intellectual imagination, to enlarge understanding of the world order and to diminish dogmatic assurances. According to the author, human mind should be open for critical thinking and speculation because the power of the mind is strong enough to change the thinking of the globe. Russell states the philosophy aims at providing knowledge â€Å"which gives unity and system to the body of the sciences, and which results from a critical examination of the grounds of our convictions, prejudices, and beliefs†. (Russell, 14) Nevertheless, philosophy hasn’t succeeded in providing definite answers to questions of particular interest. Philosophy is interested mainly in issues which are hardly explanatory. If a questioned is fully answered, then it is separated from philosophy. For example, firstly human mind was a part of philosophy, though later it became a science of psychology. Therefore, philosophy is interested in uncertainty rather than reality. The value of philosophy is in uncertainty. The value of philosophy is that it makes people free in their thinking and attitudes towards the word order. Inability to comprehend philosophy makes all objects definite and common. The greatest value is that philosophy makes all objects great and worthy of attention. Philosophical life is full of something confined and feverish. Russell argues that â€Å"many philosophers have held that philosophy could establish the truth of certain answers to fundamental questions†. (Russell, 16) Thus, philosophy aims at enlarging not only human thoughts towards objections, but also about affections and actions.