College Essay

I remember it clearly- that fourth period history class. Mr.. Reilly was pacing along the front of the classroom in such a straight line that he could have been only walking on the cracks of the title floor. Somehow he was trying to consider the best possible way to explain the relationship between society's proclaimed geniuses and natural talent in relation to the artists of the Italian Renaissance. We were studying the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo Ad Vinci as well as their significance in history.He began with the statues created by Michelangelo which led to the discussion about social interaction and mental capabilities of â€Å"geniuses† in modern and ancient societies. It was noticed that those with superior skills in one element such as art. Music or academics, usually lack the experience and expertise in social interaction or other elements of life. The conversation then proceeded to contemplate the idea that without proper encouragement and nourishment of these t alents, how are they ever supposed to flourish? T was with this question that he began to move into the main point of this lesson. â€Å"Who is the greatest artist of all time? † As Mr.. Reilly asked this of us, he began to unroll his tangled arrangement of fourteenth century maps that dangled from the white board the classroom and pointed directly to where modern day Russia is now. Again he asked the sleepy teenagers of his fourth period class as if there was a totally obvious answer. He said, â€Å"It is some little unknown farming working in the family fields. No one will know her name or remember her eave, but she had a gift.She sat under a tree and drew elaborate drawings of her surroundings until he was caught and made to return to the frills. She never had a chance. † Every person is special; they just need to guidance and power to prove it. What he said never really affected me until I got home that night and thought about the little girl; however, I knew in cl ass that day that what he was saying to us would become important in some way or another. The potential for greatness is in everyone. Without harnessing that greatness, no one would succeed. Everyone is special.This was a lesson most children learn, but for me, it never registered. â€Å"l am not good enough. How could I be special in some way? All I can do is trace a picture from my computer and, if done right, pass it off as my own work to my friends or keep just good enough grades in each class to keep my A average. How can there be nothing that was good at? Everything that I could do in life was mediocre. † had thought that nothing in my life was ever going to make me stand out from everyone else but honestly†¦ I was just afraid of being globed together with society and being lost in the public image.Afraid to stand apart from everyone else. Terrified that my life would continue to be nothing out of the ordinary. Too scared to try. That there was nothing about me tha t me special. Took only that four hours. Six minutes and thirty-two seconds to realize that all that insecurity did not matter. To think that there was nothing special about me was incorrect. That negative path of thought was wrong from foundation to delivery. I realized that what separated me from everyone else has always been my drive to be better, to try new things, to work harder than everyone else in the room.Art or music or academics may not be my strongest attributes in the game of life but that does not mean that the game can not be played. To be a â€Å"genius† or â€Å"talented† is supper overrated. I am me- perfectly imperfect. My love for languages and foreign cultures, blossoming into my goal of becoming an interpreter is my talent. This dream of pursuing a life engulfed in language, culture and history is what makes me similar to that little unknown farm girl. Without realizing it, my teacher gave me the spark I needed to pursue my goals. Surprisingly, th is revelation occurred in under five minutes. College Essay I remember it clearly- that fourth period history class. Mr.. Reilly was pacing along the front of the classroom in such a straight line that he could have been only walking on the cracks of the title floor. Somehow he was trying to consider the best possible way to explain the relationship between society's proclaimed geniuses and natural talent in relation to the artists of the Italian Renaissance. We were studying the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo Ad Vinci as well as their significance in history.He began with the statues created by Michelangelo which led to the discussion about social interaction and mental capabilities of â€Å"geniuses† in modern and ancient societies. It was noticed that those with superior skills in one element such as art. Music or academics, usually lack the experience and expertise in social interaction or other elements of life. The conversation then proceeded to contemplate the idea that without proper encouragement and nourishment of these t alents, how are they ever supposed to flourish? T was with this question that he began to move into the main point of this lesson. â€Å"Who is the greatest artist of all time? † As Mr.. Reilly asked this of us, he began to unroll his tangled arrangement of fourteenth century maps that dangled from the white board the classroom and pointed directly to where modern day Russia is now. Again he asked the sleepy teenagers of his fourth period class as if there was a totally obvious answer. He said, â€Å"It is some little unknown farming working in the family fields. No one will know her name or remember her eave, but she had a gift.She sat under a tree and drew elaborate drawings of her surroundings until he was caught and made to return to the frills. She never had a chance. † Every person is special; they just need to guidance and power to prove it. What he said never really affected me until I got home that night and thought about the little girl; however, I knew in cl ass that day that what he was saying to us would become important in some way or another. The potential for greatness is in everyone. Without harnessing that greatness, no one would succeed. Everyone is special.This was a lesson most children learn, but for me, it never registered. â€Å"l am not good enough. How could I be special in some way? All I can do is trace a picture from my computer and, if done right, pass it off as my own work to my friends or keep just good enough grades in each class to keep my A average. How can there be nothing that was good at? Everything that I could do in life was mediocre. † had thought that nothing in my life was ever going to make me stand out from everyone else but honestly†¦ I was just afraid of being globed together with society and being lost in the public image.Afraid to stand apart from everyone else. Terrified that my life would continue to be nothing out of the ordinary. Too scared to try. That there was nothing about me tha t me special. Took only that four hours. Six minutes and thirty-two seconds to realize that all that insecurity did not matter. To think that there was nothing special about me was incorrect. That negative path of thought was wrong from foundation to delivery. I realized that what separated me from everyone else has always been my drive to be better, to try new things, to work harder than everyone else in the room.Art or music or academics may not be my strongest attributes in the game of life but that does not mean that the game can not be played. To be a â€Å"genius† or â€Å"talented† is supper overrated. I am me- perfectly imperfect. My love for languages and foreign cultures, blossoming into my goal of becoming an interpreter is my talent. This dream of pursuing a life engulfed in language, culture and history is what makes me similar to that little unknown farm girl. Without realizing it, my teacher gave me the spark I needed to pursue my goals. Surprisingly, th is revelation occurred in under five minutes. College Essay Do we send students to college to grow personally and intellectually or strictly to develop work related skills? In your opinion what should be the purpose of a college education and what do you hope to gain from your personal experience? College is a big step for anyone, especially teenagers, who is still growing up. Unlike in high school where the main focus is the curriculum, college also focuses on developing personality. College is not about papers and tests; it is about growing personally and intellectually while developing work related skills to help in life. A college education involves more than books and tests.It should be an experience a student should never forget. At Southwestern University, the school motto is â€Å"Be Southwestern. † To â€Å"Be Southwestern† students have to be determined and focused. To â€Å"Be Southwestern† students have to be involved. During my visit to Southwestern University, I noticed that for such a small school there are so many opportunities available to learn in variety of environments and participate in campus life. At Southwestern University the campus life consists of music, plays, Greek life, athletic events, religious interests, and preparation for the study abroad program.I have never been out of this country, and one thing I like about Southwestern is the study abroad program. Personally, I have always wanted to go to Italy. Not just because I am in love with Italian food but because it’s so different from America. I want to go to a college that allows me to see the world and experience new things. A college education should help you meet your desire to explore and interact with the world around you. Another thing I like about Southwestern University is how much help is available for students from professors. I want to go to a college that has small class sizes and cares about me as an individual.Every Southwestern University student I’ve talked to has said the professors wil l know who you are, will always be available for assistance, and will always help you succeed. At Southwestern University, a student is not just a number. The professors there are dedicated to a student’s personal success. Instead of going to a tutor, a student can schedule a simple meeting with the professor to discuss theclass. A little help can go a long way. As a student at Southwestern University, I hope to continue to strengthen my sense of pride and leadership.I have played the game of softball my entire life and hope to continue to play competitively in college. In my college softball experience, I hope to gain a greater inspiration to push myself harder than ever before both, academically and athletically. I hope one day when I look back on my college career I can say that Southwestern made me the student-athlete I always wanted to be. Through my college experiences, I will see the world in a new perspective, developing new intellectual light in a variety of subjects , and engaging in challenging curriculum and discussions.I want to find out who I am and what kind of person I will become, and I strongly believe Southwestern University will help me do that. A college education should additionally develop an individual’s appreciation for history. I go to a high school that is starting to make its history; however, I want to go to a university that has its history already established. As the oldest school in Texas, Southwestern University has many traditions. I want to be able to engage in these traditions and perhaps help make some new ones while I’m there.I don’t just want to be a part of history – I want to make history. A college experience should be one of the best times in a person’s life. The professors, the activities, and the history of the school should help one develop personally and intellectually as a student. I know that my time spent at Southwestern University will make me stronger, confident, and a more independent thinking individual who is ready to face not only challenge of working environment but also whatever life throws at me.

Human Overuse of Resources Calls for Second Earth Essay

According to a UK study, growth of the population and an increasing consumption of resources could leave humans in need of a second planet as early as 2030. Human demands on natural resources have doubled in less than 50 years, according to the Living Planet Report. The rate at which resources are being utilized with the population as is – or growing – will exceed the capacity of the planet in about 30 years. The report also said tropical wildlife populations are falling by as much as 60 percent over the past three decades. Authors of the study analyzed 8,000 populations of 2,500 species, as well as global changes in water consumption and land use. According to the latest information, it could be that half of the total plant production and most of the animals worldwide contribute to the wellbeing of just one species – mankind. The exploitation of nature’s resources occurs when we consume more than can be replaced naturally. For example this happens when we cut trees down and do not replace those we have felled. Each time that more trees are felled than can be replaced naturally, it causes the forest to gradually disappear and with it, all of the species dependent on this habitat for survival. Currently the rate of tree-felling is 10 times quicker than the rate of natural reforestation. The exploitation of the sea also belongs in this category. More than 70 percent of the fish we consume are over-farmed. The trawlers have become so efficient that very few fish remain behind as the nets collect the day’s catch. Coal is often used by power-plants to produce electricity. If people would use electricity more efficiently (ie, by turning off appliances when not in use, etc. ), there would be less demand for electric power and thus less coal to be burned. Domestic heating often uses natural gas. One can cut down on consumption by isolating their homes better (reducing the amount of heat which escapes), by using more energy efficient heaters, etc. Soil covers a major portion of the earth’s land surface. It is an important natural resource that either directly or indirectly supports most of the planet’s life. Life here depends upon soil for food. Plants are rooted in soil and obtain needed nutrients there. Animals get their nutrients from plants or from other animals that eat plants. Many animals make their homes or are sheltered in the soil. Microbes in the soil cause the breakdown and decay of dead organisms, a process that in turn adds more nutrients to the soil.

The evolution of the central processing unit Research Paper

The evolution of the central processing unit - Research Paper Example In addition, the largest challenge with this type of central processing unit in the fact that it had to be programmed, in which case programming meant rewiring its circuitry to run designated tasks due to the lack of dynamism in automation. As such, all manners of programming done to the CPU were done manually through wiring and rewiring to suit the computational demands of each task. This took plenty of time to do thus was very challenging as was the case of the Harvard Mark 1 and EDVAC, which were amongst the earliest computers that used the custom made processors to execute programs. This can effectively be termed as the first wave of the first generation of processors as it marked a new wave in computing. Therefore, this is where the processors ran at a low clock rate of roughly 100 kHz to 4mhz. the low speeds of the clock rate were largely due to the speed of switching devices and circuitry, which were largely relays and vacuum tubes. Next in line was the transistor and integrat ed circuit CPUs, which was an upgrade to smaller electronic devices that had a higher level of reliability due to the use of transistors. It is these transistors that saw the CPUs of the 1950s and 1960s shrink in size due to the exclusion of electric relays and vacuum tubes, and instead the entire CPU was mounted on one or several printed circuit boards and each had individual components. These usually consisted of tens to a few hundred transistors and for a single to be built all these had to be soldered onto the earlier mentioned printed circuit boards. This is because of the numerous transistors required, there was need to have multiple boards and these needed to be interconnected in a chassis to create a complete central processing unit. In this case, each board consisting of soldered in transistors was known as a die or a chip, and it is only unspecialized digital circuits that were miniaturized into integrated circuits. Miniaturization into transistor integrated circuits were a large step since these did not need rewiring to conduct different due to their non-specialized nature. This phase of the evolution of central processing units was characterized by low power input due to advancement in microelectronic technology and the number of individual transistors required in making a single CPU reduced significantly. Furthermore, in the 1960s, IBM introduced a new standard of architecture and this saw the introduction of CPUs that could run similar tasks and programs at different speeds and performance levels. This marked the first processor that could show a variation in performance and speed as most processors and computers were incompatible with one another to extent that even those that were created by the same manufacturer were completely incompatible. IBM’s system/360 was the name of this architecture and it made use of micro programs that are also known as micro-code and these are still used inn modern CPUs (DejaVu Design, n.d). The reliability of these transistor-based central processing units was based on the lower switching times, which enhanced their speeds as compared to the time taken I the case of electric relays and tubes. The clock speed of these transistor based CPUs marked a new record in that they were double and triple in the dozens of first generation of specialized CPUs. It is after different companies created

TIBET AND THE DALAI LAMA NO 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TIBET AND THE DALAI LAMA NO 2 - Essay Example The figurehead for the religion is the Dalai Lama who has been attempting to negotiate some sort of autonomy for Tibet that would allow them to keep their culture intact. This force for continuity is in direct conflict with the changes in farming, education, and politics that the Chinese government has implemented since its invasion of the area. The efforts that the Dalai Lama finds himself with to act as a force of continuity are limited. Being in exile in India, the Dalai Lama is unable to directly affect any sort of policy change in regards to the Tibetan people, so he must appeal to western powers and point out human rights abuses in hopes that something will be done: â€Å"The exiled Dalai Lama finds himself standing on the sidelines unable to impede or reverse changes in his country that he deplores, and the frustration engendered by this impotence has seriously heightened the danger of violenceâ€Å" (Goldstein, 1998). For instance, the Chinese government initially implemented agricultural policies that lead to widespread famine and deaths throughout Tibet: The Chinese Communist Party restructured Tibets farming and nomadic pastoral areas into communes, and†¦placed Tibetan traditional culture and religion under severe attack. Between the rebellions, food shortages, and struggle sessions against "class enemies," Tibet suffered substantial privation. The full loss of life is still not clearly known, but the damage to Tibets culture was substantial (Goldstein, 1997, pg. 59). In response to the Dalai Lama’s pleads to the western media, China responded with modernisation efforts meant to improve the quality of life for Tibetans. There were many different aspects to China’s modernisation efforts, which was known as the China Western Development plan. Part of this effort was to build the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Along with economic reforms, China instituted agricultural reforms, as many of the deaths were a result of the lack of food that could

Professional Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Professional Issue - Essay Example About 50 per cent of the total population of children in Britain between 9 and 12 years of age use the social networking sites in spite of the established limits of minimum age. According to EUKidsOnline, at least one in every five children has a profile on Facebook despite the fact that the rules require children to be 13 years old to have a Facebook profile (BBC, 2011). The matter of safety of the innocent users of social networking sites like children is debatable. This paper draws a critical analysis of the argument that social networking sites pose threats to the safety of children. An Overview of the Laws in UK related to Social Networking Sites Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 Organizations in the UK that deal with the information about living as well as the identifiable people are obliged to show compliance with the DPA 1998 provisions. Service providers have to be very careful while processing children’s information to comply with the DPA 1998 provisions. This includes the providers of social networking sites that gather the users’ personal data to enable the registration. ... However, the new requirements of notification also include the email addresses’ registration. The government has proposed that these blacklisted email addresses be forwarded to the social networking sites so that they can check the email addresses against the ones in their user base and accordingly, deactivate the matching accounts. Guidance Report by the Home Office Task Force on Child Protection The Home Office Task Force on Child Protection published a note of guidance on the Internet in April, 2008 whose objective was to enhance the safety of children using the social networking sites. Along with serving as a resource of education for the parents, the guidance provides the providers of the social networking services with recommendations on ways to operate the sites in such a way that safety of the users is maximized. The guidance report of the Home Office acknowledges the fact that no environment is completely safe for children in any circumstances, though risks can be red uced by changing the default settings of privacy for the users under 18 years of age to private, making the private profiles of the users below 18 years of age non-searchable without the users’ consent, clear declaration of the information that would be publicly available that what would be private at the time of registration, declaration of simple and user-friendly ways of reporting abuse, discouragement for children to provide excessive information about themselves, and establishment of a system of sharing of reports of abuse between the law enforcement agencies and the industry (The In-House Lawyer, 2008, p. 82). In addition to that, the government of the UK â€Å"set guidelines requiring the sharing of the ‘email addresses’ of registered sex offenders to

Contemporary film theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary film theory - Essay Example lm Black Girl, which was directed by Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene is different from the typical Hollywood motion picture because the people in the movie are not stars, the story is not depicting any sort of popular or political beliefs, nor is it showing the world in a mythical fashion, where an unbelievable turn of events changes the outcome of the characters lives. This film shows what is happening in Africa with absolute realism, making Black Girl an excellent example of third cinema. An important reason why Black Girl can be considered third cinema is because it depicts the third world in a realistic manner. This is the story of a young Senegalese woman who works for a French family in Dakar. Over the course of this film, this woman is constantly mistreated by the family that she works for, making her all too aware of the racial identity that she has been labelled with. She becomes caught up in the tension between the rich French people in the area and the African people who have been oppressed since colonial times. She finds that she does not fit in with either world, leaving her alone. This film does not attempt to make any excuses for the treatment of the woman, but simply shows how large of a problem racism is within the country. In a Hollywood-style movie, there would be some sort of character growth, which would probably result in a happy ending, but this would not have been a realistic ending for this type of movie. This film is an example of â€Å"the c inema that recognises in that struggle the most gigantic cultural, scientific, and artistic manifestation of our time, the great possibility of constructing a liberated personality with each people as the starting point - in a word, the decolonisation of culture† (Solanas and Getino). Third cinema films such as Black Girl are important because of the realism that they bring to the filmmaking world. They do not offer an idealized version of events, but rather strive to tell a story in the most

Mrs. Dalloway and Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mrs. Dalloway and Hamlet - Essay Example The novel depicts the velocity of human mind and many thousands of the thoughts confined in the conscious and sub-conscious of human brain. In addition, it also indicates the novelist’s command over human nature, psychology, disposition, needs, desires and unfulfilled wishes as well. The first chapter of the novel begins with the traveling of the protagonist Clarissa Dalloway, a middle-aged lady of fifty-one years, has been living in Westminster for over last twenty years, visiting market in the morning in order to buy flowers for the party has been arranged at her house by the evening of the same day. Every incident and happening like the small articles, sound of airplane, crowd’s noise and sight of flowers—all make Mrs. Dalloway tick within the spur of the moment. She discovers the morning as cool, calm, fresh, fragrant and gorgeous one, ‘as if issued to children on a beach’. The idea of freshness takes her thirty-three years back, when she was a young damsel of eighteen years with lofty vigor, awesome enthusiasm and emancipated sentiments rising in her heart and mind like the restless tides of ocean. What the marvelous feelings those were, when she used to stand by a window wide open to reveal the wonderful panorama of flowers, bree ze as well as delights of dawn. The past memories, related to her young life are very important to Mrs. Dalloway, which make her day and bring smiles in her imagination. Her thoughts jump from one idea to another and take no time in reminding Mrs. Dalloway her childhood friend and lover, Peter Walsh, whose marriage proposal was turned down by her. Peter Walsh used to interrupt her in her imagination by commenting â€Å"â€Å"Musing among the vegetables?† The memories of childhood, and the personality affiliated with it, made her thoughts both sweet and sour, and she remembered even trivial things Peter Walsh possessed including his smiles, pocket knife, his eyes and many

Gran Torino Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Gran Torino - Movie Review Example The beginning of the movie shows Walt Kowalski as a loner, whose wife has recently died leaving him alone in a neighborhood which is gradually being filled heterogeneous working-class ethnic minorities. In such a scenario, the American flag hoisted in front of his house and his meticulous mowing of his lawn maintaining boundaries are suggestive of the strict boundaries Walt has in his mind. He is strictly American, who drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, drives a vintage Gran Torino and hates Land Cruiser and Hmong people. He refers to his Hmong neighbors as, "swamp rats" and "barbarians". He even doesnt mind closing the door on Thaos face when the later turns up at his door asking for jumper cables. However, his endeavor to save his lawn one night accidentally saves Thaos life and leads to a battery of interactions between the Lor family and himself. Initially reluctant to take the relationship with his neighbor any forward after that night, Walt throws away all the gifts and flowers that the Hmong neighbors leave at his doorstep as their mark of gratitude towards the man who saved their child. On one hand, this scene shows how the Hmong culture pays respect to a person who has helped them, on the other hand, it also shows how Walt is not ready to accept gratitude for a deed that he never actually intended to do. Walt only tried to keep people out of his lawn. However, he actually saves Sue from being harassed by three colored boys in a desolate area. It is Sue who introduces Walt to Hmong culture by enlightening him with the fact that, Hmong is a race of hill people. The party scene at Lors house actually shows Walts adaption to a new culture which till date he had no idea about. The audience along with Walt comes to know that Hmong think a persons soul resides on his head and should never be touched. They also consider it rude to make eye contact while talking and would most likely be found smiling while being

Historical document analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Historical document analysis - Essay Example At the close of the Second World War, America’s role in the world had changed drastically, from merely a great power to a superpower – one of the two in the world. It was also clear that there would be a long ideological, and possibly military, conflict with the other superpower. This, combined with the lessons learned from the Second World War, meant that America had to change its traditional military presence – it had to form a standing army and ensure that it was on the forefront of research and development for military techniques. The two responses for this week, one by Marshall and one by Eisenhower, show two sides of this coin. Marshall emphasizes the way warfare had fundamentally changed, essentially stating the need for a military-industrial complex. Eisenhower largely agreed with Marshall’s analysis of the lessons of the Second World War, but argued for a more cautious approach, and espoused serious concerns with the kind of social and governmenta l changes that could come with a large and growing military industrial complex. Marshall’s description of the lessons learned from the Second World War make it clear that he believes that the only way to possibly maintain peace in the world is to constantly be on alert for war. An unarmed peace is unlikely to persist, he argues, because it makes the violence such a tempting option. He equates it to a society that outlaws murder, but does not introduce any mechanism to enforce the laws that it has established (211). He says that America laying down its arms, as it always had after a war would â€Å"court disaster† (211). He does not, however, envision a large standing army per se, but rather would like to see the development of a military industrial complex – a group of researchers, producers and so on that keep America at the forefront of development. He noted that â€Å"98%† of America’s war effort had been technological – it

Leonardo da Vinci Lifepath and Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leonardo da Vinci Lifepath and Activity - Essay Example In Milan, he began various projects for the duke and managed to complete six paintings among them there was one called the Virgin of the Rock, which showed figures from the bible including the Virgin Mary, the baby Jesus together with John the Baptist which he finished in approximately 1485. In Milan, Leonardo did not just work as an artist, but he also advised other people on subjects such as engineering and architecture. He was fond of writing notes and filled many pages with observations and thoughts on everything from the human body to astronomy. Leonardo came up with inventions in his notebooks, which could not be made at the time. For instance, he designed a helicopter, an underwater breathing device, a tank and a submarine which showed that he was way ahead of time (Joanne 6).Leonardo wrote most of his personal notes in mirror writing. He only used normal writing if he wanted his texts to be read by others. It is not clear why he did this, but several reasons have been suggest ed. His friends wrote that he wrote and painted using the left hand. In those times, writing left handed was a mess since the wet ink would smear as his hand moved across the paper; therefore, writing in reverse would stop the ink from smudging. It is also suggested that he did this so that people could not read.Leonardo was said to be tall with long blonde hair whose abilities were beyond the ordinary that he could readily solve any difficulty. In addition, Leonardo was said to be able to sing divinely.... Leonardo came up with inventions in his notebooks, which could not be made at the time. For instance, he designed a helicopter, an underwater breathing device, a tank and a submarine which showed that he was way ahead of time (Joanne 6). Leonardo wrote most of his personal notes in mirror writing. He only used normal writing if he wanted his texts to be read by others. It is not clear why he did this, but several reasons have been suggested. His friends wrote that he wrote and painted using the left hand. In those times, writing left handed was a mess since the wet ink would smear as his hand moved across the paper; therefore, writing in reverse would stop the ink from smudging. It is also suggested that he did this so that people could not read and steal his ideas (Jill 18). Leonardo was said to be tall with long blonde hair whose abilities were beyond the ordinary that he could readily solve any difficulty. In addition, Leonardo was said to be able to sing divinely and his charming conversation worn all hearts. Leonardo did more to create the concept of the artist genius than anyone else of his times. He constantly stressed the intellectual aspect of the art and creativity. Leonardo is said to be so curious, this curiosity made him shift from a project to another (Joanne 8). Back in Florence, Leonardo painted an artwork that became one of the most recognized art images in the world, the Mona Lisa; for a long time no one knew who the woman was. However, it is now known that she was Lisa di Gherardini, the wife of Florentine silk trader named Francesco Del Giocondo. It is said that Leonardo took the painting with him everywhere. Francesco commissioned the portrait with the aim of

Critique of Pure Reason Essay Example for Free

Critique of Pure Reason Essay Immanuel Kant, (born April 22, 1724, Konigsberg, Prussia [now Kaliningrad, Russia]—died February 12, 1804, Konigsberg), German philosopher whose comprehensive and systematic work in epistemology (the theory of knowledge), ethics, and aesthetics greatly influenced all subsequent philosophy, especially the various schools of Kantianism and idealism. Kant was one of the foremost thinkers of the Enlightenment and arguably one of the greatest philosophers of all time. In him were subsumed new trends that had begun with the rationalism (stressing reason) of Rene Descartes and the empiricism (stressing experience) of Francis Bacon. He thus inaugurated a new era in the development of philosophical thought. BACKGROUND AND EARLY YEARS Kant lived in the remote province where he was born for his entire life. His father, a saddler, was, according to Kant, a descendant of a Scottish immigrant, although scholars have found no basis for this claim; his mother, an uneducated German woman, was remarkable for her character and natural intelligence. Both parents were devoted followers of the Pietist branch of the Lutheran church, which taught that religion belongs to the inner life expressed in simplicity and obedience to moral law. The influence of their pastor made it possible for Kant—the fourth of nine children but the eldest surviving child—to obtain an education. At the age of eight Kant entered the Pietist school that his pastor directed. This was a Latin school, and it was presumably during the eight and a half years he was there that Kant acquired his lifelong love for the Latin classics, especially for the naturalistic poet Lucretius. In 1740 he enrolled in the University of Konigsberg as a theological student. But, although he attended courses in theology and even preached on a few occasions, he was principally attracted to mathematics and physics. Aided by a young professor who had studied Christian Wolff, a systematizer of rationalist philosophy, and who was also an enthusiast for the science of Sir Isaac Newton, Kant began reading the work of the English physicist and, in 1744, started his first book, Gedanken von der wahren Schatzung der lebendigen Krafte (1746; Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces), dealing with a problem concerning kinetic forces. Though by that time he had decided to pursue an academic career, the death of his father in 1746 and his failure to obtain the post of undertutor in one of the schools attached to the university compelled him to withdraw and seek a means of supporting himself. Tutor and Privatdozent He found employment as a family tutor and, during the nine years that he gave to it, worked for three different families. With them he was introduced to the influential society of the city, acquired social grace, and made his farthest travels from his native city—some 60 miles (96 km) away to the town of Arnsdorf. In 1755, aided by the kindness of a friend, he was able to complete his degree at the university and take up the position of Privatdozent, or lecturer. Period of the three Critiques In 1781 the Kritik der reinen Vernunft (spelled Critik in the first edition; Critique of Pure Reason) was published, followed for the next nine years by great and original works that in a short time brought a revolution in philosophical thought and established the new direction in which it was to go in the years to come. The Critique of Pure Reason The Critique of Pure Reason was the result of some 10 years of thinking and meditation. Yet, even so, Kant published the first edition only reluctantly after many postponements; although convinced of the truth of its doctrine, he was uncertain and doubtful about its exposition. His misgivings proved well founded, and Kant complained that interpreters and critics of the work were badly misunderstanding it. To correct these wrong interpretations of his thought, he wrote the Prolegomena zu einer jeden kunftigen Metaphysik die als Wissenschaft wird auftreten konnen (1783; Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics That Will be Able to Come Forward as Science) and brought out a second and revised edition of the first Critique in 1787. Controversy still continues regarding the merits of the two editions: readers with a preference for an idealistic interpretation usually prefer the first edition, whereas those with a realistic view adhere to the second. But with regard to difficulty and ease of reading and understanding, it is generally agreed that there is little to choose between them. Anyone on first opening either book finds it overwhelmingly difficult and impenetrably obscure. The Critique of Practical Reason Because of his insistence on the need for an empirical component in knowledge and his antipathy to speculative metaphysics, Kant is sometimes presented as a positivist before his time, and his attack upon metaphysics was held by many in his own day to bring both religion and morality down with it. Such, however, was certainly far from Kant’s intention. Not only did he propose to put metaphysics â€Å"on the sure path of science,† he was prepared also to say that he â€Å"inevitably† believed in the existence of God and in a future life. It is also true that his original conception of his critical philosophy anticipated the preparation of a critique of moral philosophy. The Kritik der praktischen Vernunft (1788, spelled Critik and practischen; Critique of Practical Reason), the result of this intention, is the standard sourcebook for his ethical doctrines. The earlier Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten (1785; Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals) is a shorter and, despite its title, more readily comprehensible treatment of the same general topic. Both differ from Die Metaphysik der Sitten (1797; The Metaphysics of Morals) in that they deal with pure ethics and try to elucidate basic principles; the later work, in contrast, is concerned with applying these principles in the concrete, a process that involved the consideration of virtues and vices and the foundations of law and politics. The Critique of Judgment The Kritik der Urteilskraft (1790, spelled Critik; Critique of Judgment)—one of the most original and instructive of all of Kant’s writings—was not foreseen in his original conception of the critical philosophy. Thus it is perhaps best regarded as a series of appendixes to the other two Critiques. The work falls into two main parts, called respectively Critique of Aesthetic Judgment and Critique of Teleological Judgment. In the first of these, after an introduction in which he discussed â€Å"logical purposiveness,† he analyzed the notion of â€Å"aesthetic purposiveness† in judgments that ascribe beauty to something. Such a judgment, according to him, unlike a mere expression of taste, lays claim to general validity, yet it cannot be said to be cognitive because it rests on feeling, not on argument. The explanation lies in the fact that, when a person contemplates an object and finds it beautiful, there is a certain harmony between his imagination and his understanding, of which he is aware from the immediate delight that he takes in the object. Imagination grasps the object and yet is not restricted to any definite concept, whereas a person imputes the delight that he feels to others because it springs from the free play of his cognitive faculties, which are the same in all humans. LAST YEARS The critical philosophy was soon being taught in every important German-speaking university, and young men flocked to Konigsberg as a shrine of philosophy. In some cases the Prussian government even undertook the expense of their support. Kant came to be consulted as an oracle on all kinds of questions, including such subjects as the lawfulness of vaccination. Such homage did not interrupt Kant’s regular habits. Scarcely five feet tall, with a deformed chest, and suffering from weak health, he maintained throughout his life a severe regimen. It was arranged with such regularity that people set their clocks according to his daily walk along the street named for him, â€Å"The Philosopher’s Walk. † Until old age prevented him, he is said to have missed this regular appearance only on the occasion when Rousseau’s Emile so engrossed him that for several days he stayed at home. From 1790 Kant’s health began to decline seriously. He still had many literary projects but found it impossible to write more than a few hours a day. The writings that he then completed consist partly of an elaboration of subjects not previously treated in any detail, partly of replies to criticisms and to the clarification of misunderstandings. With the publication in 1793 of his work Die Religion innerhalb der Grenzen der blossen Vernunft (Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone), Kant became involved in a dispute with Prussian authorities on the right to express religious opinions. The book was found to be altogether too rationalistic for orthodox taste. He was charged with misusing his philosophy to the â€Å"distortion and depreciation of many leading and fundamental doctrines of sacred Scripture and Christianity† and was required by the government not to lecture or write anything further on religious subjects. Kant agreed but privately interpreted the ban as a personal promise to the king, Frederick William II, from which he felt himself to be released on the latter’s death in 1797. At any rate, he returned to the forbidden subject in his last major essay, â€Å"Der Streit der Fakultaten† (1798; â€Å"The Conflict of the Faculties†). In 1797 Kant published Die Metaphysik der Sitten (The Metaphysics of Morals), comprising Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Rechtslehre (The Philosophy of Law) and Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Tugendlehre (The Doctrine of Virtue). The former was the major statement of his political philosophy, which he also discussed in Zum ewigen Frieden (1795; Project for a Perpetual Peace) and in the essay â€Å"Uber den Gemeinspruch: Das mag in der Theorie richtig sein, taugt aber nicht fur die Praxis† (1793; â€Å"On the Old Saw: That May Be Right In Theory, But It Won’t Work in Practice†). The large work at which he laboured until his death—the fragments of which fill the two final volumes of the great Berlin edition of his works—was evidently intended to be a major contribution to his critical philosophy. What remains, however, is not so much an unfinished work as a series of notes for a work that was never written. Known as the Opus postumum, its original title was Ubergang von den metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Naturwissenschaft zur Physik (â€Å"Transition from the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science to Physics†). It may have been Kant’s intention in this work to carry further the argument advanced in the Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Naturwissenschaft (1786; Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science) by showing that it is possible to construct a priori not merely the general outline of a science of nature but a good many of its details as well. But judging from the extant fragments, however numerous they are, it remains conjectural whether its completion would have constituted a major addition to his philosophy and its reputation. After a gradual decline that was painful to his friends as well as to himself, Kant died in Konigsberg on February 12, 1804. His last words were â€Å"Es ist gut† (â€Å"It is good†). His tomb in the cathedral was inscribed with the words (in German) â€Å"The starry heavens above me and the moral law within me,† the two things that he declared in the conclusion of the second Critique â€Å"fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and the more steadily we reflect on. † IMMANUEL KANT Prepared by: Cherry B. Ordonez Alliona Gem S. Tolentino N- 201.

Ethical Concepts in Counselling

Ethical Concepts in Counselling Ethics pertains to beliefs we hold about what constitutes right conduct. They are moral principles adopted by an individual or group to provide rules for right conduct and represent aspirational goals or the maximum standards which are set and enforced by professional associations. The American Counseling Associations (2005) Code of Ethics states that when counselors encounter an ethical dilemma they are expected to carefully consider an ethical decision making process. While counseling a client, the counselor is presented with countless challenges to recognize when and where a specific ethical concept, standard and guideline might be crucial. Ethical standards and guidelines inform our judgment as they help us recognize, think through and find or create path to deal with a dilemma. The way we respond to a dilemma has a great deal to do with our sense of what is valuable and right. In this perspective, the response is seen as being fair and judicious for the client or perhaps is in t he client’s best interest for continued development. When counselors operate from this highly personal and subjective position, they call upon a sense of morality. Morality is concerned with perspectives of right and proper conduct and involves an evaluation of actions on the basis of some broader cultural context or religious standard. Morality serves as a foundation to ethical practice and decision making. To decide ethically is to first decide morally. (Values and Ethics in Counselling: Real –Life Ethical Decision Making, Dana Heller Levit) Values pertains to beliefs and attitudes that provide direction to everyday living. Clients ethical issues becomes a dilemma when they pit ethical, legal or organizational requirements against each other or when the ethical codes become silent on the clients issues. With respect to these , finding occasional inconsistencies among resources are inevitable. As a result, to select a preferred course of action from among the conflicting guidelines, counselors use a decision making model that allows them to weigh the relative importance of the information obtained. A structured method of information collection and review can facilitate the ethical decision making process. The application of this model may help counselors to avoid ethical misconduct and to pursue ethical ideals. The counselor essentially needs to be inquisitive at the beginning phase of an ethical decision making process. The initial step is to identify the problem or the dilemma based ethical, moral and legal dimensions by gathering all relevant information that illuminates the situation. In other words, counselors need to obtain a clear description of the nature of the problem through the usage of effective counseling skills such as reflexive questions. The second step involves a careful evaluation of the most critical issues abstracted from all the information gathered previously. At this point, attempts should be made to review the rights, responsibilities and the welfare of clients and other stakeholders concerned with the dilemma. This review extends to the point of considering the cultural aspects of the situation influencing the clients welfare. Furthermore, the use moral principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity to address the situation is inevitable here. With regard to autonomy, the counselor should allow clients the right to choose and act according to their preference. Nonmaleficence is a primary concern that emphasizes on refraining from actions that may risk harming clients. An example would be inappropriately labeling clients with diag nostic terms that may denote abnormality, which could pose serious consequences to the welfare of the client. Beneficence is applied when counselors respect clients dignity and promote the welfare of clients. The principle of justice refers to being fair and nondiscriminatory towards clients. Fidelity deals with faithfulness to promises made and to the truth. There lies a problem in upholding fidelity when a counselor works with a minor client and is obligated to be loyal to the client, while the principle of beneficence may suggests that disclosure may be best for the whole family. In such circumstances, when counselors are left between the conflicting principles, they may need to prioritize certain principles over others as required by the situation. The third step is to review the ethical codes that are relevant to the problem situation. Ethical codes prompt, guide and inform significant values and concerns regarding ethical behaviour. Professionals sought the code of ethics and examine the particular sections relevant to the dilemma to consider if they offer possible solutions. At this point, they also consider if their values and ethics are consistent with or are in conflict with the relevant codes. In the event of an inconsistency with a particular standard, counselors seek supervisory guidance and clarify the issues. Upon rectifying the inconsistencies, they produce a rationale to support their position and document their judgment and reasoning to justify their actions to solve the dilemma. The significance of the fourth step involves keeping up to date on the relevant state and federal laws that might apply to ethical dilemmas. In order to do so, the counselor needs to be knowledgeable in the applicable laws and regulations. At the same time, interpreting these legal statutes as according to how they may relate to clients issue becomes a fundamental aspect of the decision making process. This would be pertinent in matters of breaching confidentiality, reporting abuse of the vulnerable , dealing with issues that pose a danger to self or others, parental rights and record keeping. It will also suffice to seek guidance from professional bodies concerning ambiguous ethical or legal situation. After thorough assessment of all ethical, clinical and legal issues pertaining to the dilemma, counselors present their facts of the situation and obtain consultation from professional authorities in the fifth step . This is especially useful when counselors are grappling with an ambiguous ethical issue. As an ethical dilemma can be intellectually overwhelming and emotionally distressing for both the client and the counselor, objective feedback from various reliable sources such as colleagues, supervisors or inter-organizational bodies can provide a wider view of the problem or even a new focus on unconsidered facts. Besides consulting professionals who share the same viewpoints, it may also suffice to seek expertise from cross cultural entities , as required by the nature of the dilemma. With adequate information and guidance at hand, the counselor is now at a position to formulate possible solutions to the dilemma (Frame Williams, 2005). In essence, the sixth step is about contemplating the possible and probable causes of actions. Apparently, it requires an extensive exploration process that would allow counselors to lay out the possible courses of action, while at the same time accounting for the ethical obligations of such actions. As counselors review the possibilities, it may be imperative to involve clients in the exploration process before deciding on the most probable courses of action. This is to ensure that decisions are made to the best interest of the client. As it was done in earlier steps, documenting these discussions and would be helpful for counselors to justify their actions in the event of them being questioned. The seventh step entails the previous one as it informs the counselor to enumerate the consequences of various decisions that were taken after evaluating the possible courses of action. This involves considering the positive and negative consequences of each option while at the same time weighing the relative significance of each option. Clients involvement matters during this analysis to ensure that the decisions gravitate towards the best interest of the client. To achieve this the counselor may employ the five moral principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity as a framework to consider the consequences of a particular course of action. In the last step of the model the counselor decides on what appears to be the best course of action. After generating the best possible decisions and their outcomes, counselors together with clients and other supervisory consultation, would be select and implement the most appropriate course of actions. Implementation of decisions is followed by assessing the appropriateness of the outcomes of those decisions. The decision making process reaches the fin al phase when the counselor reflects on this assessments and communicates them with clients. However, a follow up may be necessary to determine if the actions taken are effective or if they require a modification. Last but not least, it is essential to document steps taken so as to clarify options, facilitate reasoning and avoid redundant efforts. More importantly, having a documentation is significant if evidence of these efforts are later requested during an investigation. In overall this ethical decision making framework serves as a deliberative and creative approach that guides counseling professionals to fulfill their ethical responsibilities amidst an elusive situation. It assist baffled counselors to think though an ethical dilemma and to arrive at an ethically appropriate decision. Moreover, the framework also helps to prevent ethical violations by enabling counselors to acknowledge the intricacies of ethical decision making as a basis on which competent, ethical and profess ional counseling can be practiced. Despite its useful aspects, the decision making model does falls short in certain areas. In evidence, Corey, Corey and Callanan (1998) indicate this model cannot be applied in an automated or generalized manner, as practitioners often find themselves confronted with a complexity of personal values, social context, as well as a prescriptive professional code. As in the model fails to correspond with this reality or address the level of complexity they confronted. For instance, the general guidelines that states the counselors responsibility to minor clients and to their parents, may provide little help to a counselor who is struggling with an adolescent client who feels alienated from his chaotic family and wants the counselor to keep his violations of curfew and experimentation with alcohol from his parents. The counselor is in a dilemma determining how much material from counseling must be shared with parents and what does that disclosure mean to the progress of the therapy. As it is, the burden of analyzing ethical issues falls squarely on the professional who obviousl y requires critical thinking and intellectual ability that allows careful reasoning to arrive at the best solution. At the same time, reviewing numerous ethical codes and standards in an attempt to abstract those that relate to the dilemma can be a painstaking as well as a time-consuming process. On the other hand, after checking on all ethical and legal obligations, considering the available courses of actions can be again challenging as it may require the clients and the counselors collaborative efforts to speculate all possible options open to them. It may be exhaustive in the sense that it involves an in-depth exploration process where all possible actions and their outcomes have to be thoroughly scrutinized before arriving at a decision. Nevertheless, the ethical decision making model is of much relevance to the current practices of various professional organizations and is widely used by practitioners to find their way out of an ethical dilemma. The following scenario demonstr ates the application of the ethical decision making model. Joe, a 17 year old tells her school counselor, Anne that she was sexually abused by her stepfather and now intends to leave the house to stay with her close friend Mary. Joe also reports that she has not been able to focus in her studies due the trauma caused by the incident and hesitates to tell her mother as it is shameful to do so. In this case, Annes first task is to gather all relevant details of the problem situation such as Joes emotional health, sociocultural background, her current status with the her mother and stepfather and other and other relevant details. Anne also identifies Joes mother, stepfather, Mary and other members of the household as the stakeholders involved in the problem. Anne then attempts to safeguard Joes rights and works in line with the moral principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice and fidelity to protect Joes welfare. In Joes case it is highly likely that different princip les may lead to incompatible conclusions. At this point, Joe seeks guidance and evaluates on which principle should take priority over the others. Anne also reviews the relevant ethical codes to check on ethical obligations regarding her actions. For instance, she may evaluate if a disclosing the issue to her mother would compromise Joes welfare. To mitigate this ambiguity, Anne refers to the ethical codes and standards. Then, Anne explores if any legal statutes are relevant to her actions and is careful about not violating them. Subsequently, Anne talks to her supervisor about Joes case to obtain feedback and solicits ideas from her colleague who works with teenagers. With all the information, Anne identifies a number of possible courses of actions. She lists down the potential responses such as encouraging Joe to talk about it to her mother while maintaining confidentiality of Joes case or as another alternative, informing Joe that she (Anne) would like to consult her mother. In J oes presence and with some supervision, Anne then considers the consequences and outcomes of the possible actions and evaluates the most probable options. Upon arriving at a decision which is ethically appropriate, Anne assesses the outcomes of those decisions and reflect on how they will set an impact on Joe. She communicates these to Joe and documents her action for record-keeping. Another case scenario would involve a family whose child has leukemia and the parents are addressing the situation with prayers rather than medical treatment. They have sought Paul for counseling. To begin with, Paul is faced with a dilemma, as he recognizes a serious problem. On one hand, safety and the welfare of the child and on the other, maintaining client confidentiality are two issues of concern. Conclusion: As counseling focuses on important perspectives such as clients needs, hope,risk and expectations to the point where lives can be at stake, counselors need to reason ethically through challenging situations and determine the most appropriate course of action that ultimately is in the best interest of clients. This requires counselors to be aware of professional and personal issues influencing their decisions, especially when considering the potentially profound, harmful ramifications to clients and the counseling profession when sound ethical judgment is not made.

The management of wound dressings whilst on placement

The management of wound dressings whilst on placement This reflective piece will look at the management of wound dressings whilst on placement in the community. I will use the Gibbs model of reflection this will allow me to describe the event, explore my thoughts and feelings, make an evaluation on the event and then analysis different components which can be explored separately including different dressings and why they are used, finally I will conclude and action plan looking at if this happened again what I would do differently. Whilst on placement in the community I visited a lady who had chronic leg ulcers on both legs and the district nursing team had been visiting this lady for a number of years. The lady had oedematous legs and poor mobility and sat in a recliner chair although the chair was never reclined. I had visited the lady previously on a number of occasions and had applied her dressings and documented what I had done and the dressings used in her district nursing records. On this occasion the lady requested that I didnt put the K-lite dressing on and allows the other nurse do this, as previously when I had dressed her legs she stated the dressing had become loose. I mapped the dressing so that the notes had an up to date record of the size of the wounds and washed and redressed the legs as per the plan of care. The plan of care stated to wash the legs apply aqualcel ag silver this is used for wounds that have a high level of exudates, then atruman was applied covered by mesorb, comfifast yellow then K-soft and then I passed over to the Registered Nurse (RN) to apply the final layer, whilst she applied the final layer I documented the notes that the leg had been mapped, washed and redressed as per the plan and noted that strikethrough was on the dressing prior to removal I also noted the patients level of pain at the time of the cleaning and mapping of the wounds and also after the legs had been redressed. I documented the patients records that the patient had been advised to elevate the legs when resting to aid healing. When the patient advised me that she would prefer the RN to do the top layer I felt like my confidence had been knocked. The patient had never said this before and always stated not to wrap the dressings too tight as she found it very uncomfortable. I told her that I didnt do them too tight as she always stated not to do so and apologised to her that they had fell down and in future would ensure that they werent too tight but would not fall down either. When I left the patients house with the RN she told me that this lady does this to all the new nurses that visit her and not to worry about it. Pressure sores and leg ulcers are classed as chronic wounds and are defined as slow healing wounds with the likely hood of reoccurrence and the pain that a patient feels may be severe and ongoing (Dealey 1999). The dressing plays a major part in the reduction of pain and by choosing the wrong dressing this can cause discomfort when removing the dressing and the nurse needs to avoid this by using careful assessment prior to administering the dressing (Dealey 1999). For a wound to heal the key is to have successful wound management, the nurse should use a wound assessment tool this will ensure that there is valid reliable and also consistent information documented. Wounds need to be regularly reassessed to ensure that evaluation is given on the treatment that the patient has received. When making a wound assessment this should include the location of the wound, the cause, etiology, tissue type the size and the exudates and finally the level of pain the patient is experiencing (Prescribing Nurse Bulletin). To achieve optimum healing the role of the nurse is to be able to select the most appropriate dressing for the wound, this is to be based on the most up to date evidence, and recent development of new dressings makes this a challenge for the nurse (Lansdown 2004). The wound should be assessed for slough and necrosis, signs and symptoms of infection and wound malodour. The patients records need to be documented to state if the wound is healing, e.g. granulisation and epithelisation (White 2005). The ideal wound dressing that will meet the treatment objective and promote the wound from further injury would be a moist wound healing dressing, that manages excess exudates and prevents the wound from maceration and further wound breakdown, ensure that it prevents the exit and entry of organisms, it will cause minimal trauma at the time of removal and is cost effective (Northern Health and Social Services Board NHSSB 2005). One important factor in wound dressings is to ensure that dressings get the maximum exposure to the wound bed. This can be achieved by a dressing that decreases the voids and spaces where bacteria can thrive (Jones etal 2005). Aquacel Ag dressings contain Hydro fibre Technology and it gels on contact with the exudates and micro-contours to the wound bed this helps to eliminate voids or spaces where bacteria and fluid can collect it maximising exposure of the wound to antimicrobials. It is presented as a soft sterile, non-woven pad and is impregnated with ionic silver (Aquacel Ag 2006). This dressing can absorb a large amount of fluid and helps to prevent exudates leakage onto the periwound skin. The dressing can be left in place for up to 7 days however should strikethrough be evident on the dressing then the dressing needs to be changed (NHSSB 2005). It has been recognised that silver is an effective antimicrobial agent (Thomas and McCubbin 2003). It has proved that it is effective against methicillin and vancomysin-resistant strains of bacteria (Lansdown 2002) Atrauman dressings are made of a fine mesh of hydrophobic, polyester fibres and have mesh pores with a smooth surface this effectively counteracts adhesion to the wound by preventing new tissue from penetrating the dressing and allowing the exudates to pass through, this means that the dressing is easy to remove and causes minimum discomfort to the patient and also to the wound. The dressing is highly permeable to air and water vapour and has been found to be very well suited to the management of infected wounds (Hartmann 2010). In recent years Honey has been found to benefit wound healing, clinically topical honey treatment has been found to possess antimicrobial properties, promote autolytic debridement, deodorise wounds and stimulate the growth of wound tissues to quicken healing, it also stimulates anti-inflammatory activity helping to reduce pain, oedema and exudates (White 2005). A fast rate of healing has been reported in wounds treated with honey (Ahmed 2003) it helps the developing of a clean granulating wound bed (Stephen-Hayes 2004) It is clear that wound management is a complex area and the it is the nurses responsibility to ensure that they give the correct care to the patient and they use the dressings that are selected on their knowledge and understanding of what the dressing will achieve they need to be constantly aware of new products available to treat the wounds. By regular assessment of the wound they will be able to see if the dressing selected is helping to promote wound healing. I am aware that if I wish to work in the community I would need a good knowledge of dressing that is used in wound management. I know that I am likely to meet patients who try to make me doubt my ability however this is something that I know I will over come as my confidence builds and I become more used to working in the community.

The Use of Symbols in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay

The Use of Symbols in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter, the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a few key symbols to represent major themes in the book. The most obvious and well known, as it is in the title, is the scarlet letter Hester is forced to wear. Three other symbols are the scaffold, the sun, and the forest. To begin with, the most important and influential symbol in the entire book is the infamous scarlet letter, hence the title, The Scarlet Letter. In the second chapter, Hester walks out of the prison, wearing the infamous scarlet letter ‘A’. During the first few years of Hester’s punishment, the letter was a daily reminder of shame. In chapter five, Hawthorne writes,, "†¦Hester Prynne had always this dreadful agony in feeling a human eye upon the token; the spot never grew callous; it seemed, on the contrary, to grow more sensitive with daily torture." As the story unfolds, though, this letter comes to mean other things to Hester and the people. Rather than bringing torture to Hester, it eventually becomes a symbol to some people meaning "able." In chapter 13, Hawthorne writes, "They said that it meant ‘Able’; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength." A few pages later, Hawthorne writes, "The scarlet letter had not done its off ice." The scarlet letter was meant as a punishment for Hester, and yet here we see that it hasn’t punished Hester. Then, in chapter 18, Hawthorne writes, "Thus, we seem to see that, as regarded Hester Prynne, the whole seven years of outlaw and ignominy had been little other than a preparation for this very hour." Although the scarlet letter does bring shame to Hester, as Hawthorne writes, it has not performed its duty. Hester pl... ...d. (For example, in chapter 21, Hawthorne writes, "Their immediate posterity, the generation next to the early emigrants, wore the blackest shade of Puritanism, and so darkened the national visage with it, that all the subsequent years have not sufficed to clear it up.") The common interpretation Hawthorne tries to get across implies that Natural Law (as seen in the book) is equal to God’s Law, and that the Puritans have all their beliefs mixed up and they’re wrong. This is where Hawthorne errs. In reality, Puritan Law is closer to God’s law than is Natural Law, as we see it in the book. The Puritans base their law on God’s Law, but the Natural Law portrayed in the book isn’t based on God’s law. In closing, Hawthorne uses several symbols to portray themes and ideas in this novel. Each of these has common interpretations, many of which aren’t completely accurate.

Dylan Thomas :: essays research papers

Thomas’ Dying Light Dylan Marlais Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales on October 27, 1914. After leaving school, he worked briefly as a junior reporter on the South Wales Evening Post. In November of 1923 he moved to London and in December of that he published his first book, Eighteen Poems. In April 1936 he met his future wife, Caitlin Macnamara. In September 1936, his second volume of poetry, Twenty-five Poems, was released. In July 1937 Dylan and Caitlin were married and in the following year they moved to Laugharne, Wales. Their first child, Llewlyn Edouard Thomas was born in January 1939. The Map of Love, soon to be the title of a major film, was published in August and The World I Breathe was released in December.(Bookshelf ’98) In April of 1940 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog was published and in September Dylan began working for Strand Films, Inc. He remained with Strand through the conclusion of the Second World War. His second child Aeronwy, Byrn Thomas was born in March of 1943. Deaths and Entrances was released in 1946. Three years later his child, Colm Garan Hart Thomas, was born. In 1952 his final volume, Collected Poems, was published. In addition to the work previously mentioned, he also published many short stories, wrote filmscripts, broadcast stories, did a series lecture tours in the United States and wrote Under Milkwood, his famous play for voices.(Bookshelf ’98) During his fourth lecture tour of the United States in 1953, he collapsed in his New York hotel. He was but a few days past his 39th birthday. He died on Noovenber 9th, 1953 at St. Vincents Hospital, New York. His alcoholism was legendary and no doubt played a significant role in his demise. His Body was sent back to Laugharne, Wales, where his grave is marked by a simple wooden cross- the way he would have seen fit. In July 1994 his wife, Caitlin, died in Italy. She had spent most of her years there since his death.(Bookshelf ’98) Thomas, one of the best known poets of the mid-twentieth century, is remembered for his highly original, obscure poems, his amusing prose tales and plays, and his turbulent, highly-publicized personal life. He was widely recognized for his powerful poetry readings of BBC radio. He became a very popular public figure. Thomas was a man with a very Keatsian style and manner.

Free Essays - Examing the Conclusion of Beowulf :: Epic Beowulf essays

Examing the Conclusion of Beowulf       Endings in books are the culmination of many important events. Sometimes they are joyous and pleasant, where the conflict of the novel is resolved and everyone lives happily ever after. And other times, endings can be sad, lamentable, and downright evil. Beowulf's ending shows a sharp contrast between both types of endings. His character, along with the tragic events in the book, allowed for this ambiguous ending. But, in my opinion and when thought about closely, Beowulf, ends in an extremely terrible fashion.    Beowulf, Ecgtheow's son, is strong in mind and body. He is born a true hero.. He backs up his extraordinary feats with a powerful sense of social responsibility and morality. He is also engaging and humane. These good qualities often blind readers to his other traits. He, in my opinion, is a selfish, power hungry, and attention grabbing fool. He never asks for help even when he needs it, he prefers recognition rather than doing the right thing, and he puts others at danger to prove himself worthy. As a young man, he is a bit wild and reckless, who swims for seven days in the open sea to satisfy a foolish wager. Beowulf later admits that it was his false pride that made him accept the bet. When Hrothgar asks Beowulf to fight Grendel, he does not hesitate. His only request is that if he is killed, his armor should be returned to Hygelac, for he is loyal to the King of Geatland. Once Grendel has been wounded and chased away, Beowulf agrees to fight Grendel's mother, who want s vengeance for her son's death. When he succeeds in killing her, he severs her head and the head of the dead Grendel to show as a symbol of his success and bravery. At a young age, Beowulf was strong. He was physically and mentally able to fight Grendel and Grendel's mother. He triumphed over them and won great fame. But this all went straight to his head. 50 years later, as an old and weak man, he puts himself at risk once again to fight the dragon. His mental and physical stamina are nowhere near his old self, but being stubborn, he fights the dragon anyway.

Psychological effects on women victims of domestic violence Essay

Campbell, Jacquelyn el â€Å"Intimate Partner Violence and Physical health Consequences†. Archives of Internal Medicine 162i 10 Article 7 (2002) The research was: â€Å"Intimate Partner Violence and Physical Health Consequence† where researchers were examining how violence affects a woman’s short term as well long term physical wellbeing. This study explored the area of abused and non abused women assessed the two groups for physical problems. Abused cases, either physically and or sexually were 201. This research employed Abuse Assessment Screen in its measurements (Wisner, 1999). Measures of physical abuse was done via use of Miller physical symptom and injury scale, that requires a woman to ascertain whether she has been to a doctor or nurse due to any of the 25 conditions related to domestic violence (Wisner, 1999). The results showed that women suffered more physical disorders as a result of abuse (Wisner, 1999). Such disorders were found to include headaches, back pain, STD s, vaginal bleeding, vaginal infections, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, urinary tract infections, appetite loss, abdominal pain as well as digestive problems, long terms effects were found to occur due to recurring central nervous system signals such as headaches, back pain, fading and hallucinations (Wisner, 1999). Domestic violence is associated with problems of the cardiovascular system, high blood pressure among others The importance of this study is that it offers clue on how women are fatally threatened by domestic violence (Wisner, 1999). Diseases such as cardiovascular and blood pressure are among the serial killer diseases within the society (women). This study relates to this topic in that psychological effects are secondary to physical effects. For instance, where a woman gets her back broken as a result of domestic violence, even if the back heals she remains psychologically affected by the memories of this ordeal for the rest of her life (Wisner, 1999). Future implications of the study are that it is important for the public to be educated on matters relating to domestic violence. There is also the need to provide better medical attention to women of domestic violence, that is, there should be well trained physicians to deal with female patients involved in domestic violence (Wisner, 1999). This would mean increased costs on health planners (Wisner, 1999). Reference Wisner, C. , Gilmer, T. , Saltzman, L. , Zinc. T (1999). Intimate Partner Violence Against Women. Do victims cost health plans more? Journal of Family Practice, June.

Mission statement

This   essay   deals   with   three   mission   statements   of   human   service   organizations. It   evaluates   the   effectiveness   of   each, as   a   qualitative   mission   statement.  A mission statement is defined as , â€Å" a   brief   description   of   a   company’s fundamental purpose. A   mission   statement   answers   the   question, â€Å" why   do   we exist?’ It articulates   the   company’s   purpose   both   for   those   in   the   organization   and   in   the public†. ( Ward Susan )Statement 1   :The   first   mission   statement   chosen   for   this   essay   is   that   of   the   center   for   faith-  based   &   community   initiatives, Unites   States   department   of   health   and   human   services.  It   consists   of   three   paragraphs. The   first   paragraph   says   that   it   intends   to   create  an   environment   where   faith   based   and   community   based   organizations   are   invited  to   be   partners, â€Å" to   focus   on   improving   human   services   for   our   country’s   neediest  citizens †.The   second   paragraph   mentions   that   many   more   faith   based   and   community  based   organizations   have   been   made   partners, and   offered   technical   help   the   needy  citizens. It   also   says   that   it   has   collaboration   with   many   old   organizations   and   its  staff   is   trained   well   to â€Å" understand   how   to   reach   out   and   partner   with   these  organizations†.The   third   paragraph   states   that   it â€Å"provides   information   and   training,   but   does   not   take   decisions   on   which   groups   will   be   funded†. It   further   gives   web   links   for  more information.   Analysis   of   this   mission   statement   reveals   that   it   does   not   convey â€Å" what† is/are  the   real   functions   of   the   center. The   statement   has   words   which   have   too   broad  meanings, like â€Å" partners†, â€Å" collaboration†, etc. By   reading   this   statement   the   only  aspects   which   become   clear   are   that   the   center   makes   partnerships   with  Ã‚   faith   based   and   community based   organizations   to   help   needy   citizens   and   it   does   not   take   decisions   on   funding.Answers   to   what   type   of   â€Å" information   and   help† is mgiven   to   partners   is totally   missing. Giving   some   idea   of   specifics   of   functional   areas   would   have   added   a   lot   of   meaning   to   this   statement.( CFBCI )  An   hypothetical   example   will   prove   this. ‘A’ may   say   that   its   mission   is   to  Ã¢â‚¬Å" make   profits †. ‘B’ may   say, its   mission   is   to â€Å" make   profits   by   importing   crude  Ã‚  oil   and   selling   it   in   the   local   market†. The   second   is   a   much   better   mission  statement.  This   statement, though   very   long, is   a   bad   example   of   a   mission   statement.Statement – 2The   second   statement   is   the   one   issued   by   College   of   Liberal   Arts   and  Sciences, Villanova   University, Department   of   Education   and   Human   Services.  It    makes   clear   that   it   supports   the   Catholic   Augustinian   thought   tradition   and   it   treats   every   individual   on   the   campus   as   a   unique   human   being, working   with  one goal,   that   of   ‘ assimilation   of   knowledge’.   The   second   paragraph   tells   very   specifically   its   purpose   is   to   prepare   teachers,  human   service   providers, counselors, supervisors   and   administrators. This   is   achieved  through   theoretical   and   practical   exposures   in   school   and   community   settings. It  claims   that   each   of   its   graduates   will   have   a   commitment   to   social   justice,  cultivation   of   the   intellect, and   willingness   to   serve.This   is   an   ideal   example   of   a   good   mission   statement. Needless   to   say   that  assimilation   of   knowledge   is   the   mission   of   any   department   of   an   University, but  this   statement   further   clarifies   the   areas   of   knowledge   to   be  Ã‚   imparted, how   it   is  imparted   and   what   are   the   expected   results   of   its   mission. It   also   mentions   that   it  is   dedicated   to   the   Christian   Augustinian   faith.The   only   drawback   of   this   statement   is   that   the   language   and   the   vocabulary  bear   a   very   high   profile, especially   in   the   second   paragraph. The   message   can   be  understood   only   by   those   who   are   very   good   at   English. Perhaps, simple   words  and   shorter   sentences   would   have   been   more   effective. ( mission statement ).Perhap s, simplicity   communicates   the   best !!Statement – 3The   third   statement   analyzed   in   this   essay   is   of   an   association   names   as  PROTECT. Its   one   paragraph, very   short   yet   very   comprehensive   mission   statement  says   that   it   is   a   ‘pro   child, anti   crime   membership   association ’. It   is   founded   on  the   belief   that   the   first   and   most   sacred   obligation   as   parents, citizens   and   human  beings   is   to   protect   children   from   harm. Its   aim   is   to   build   a   powerful, non  partisan   force   to   protect   children   from   abuse, exploitation   and   neglect. It   is   also  clear   that   the   tools   adopted   to   achieve   its   goals   would   be   a   determined   single-issue   focus, aà ‚   meaningful   mainstream   agenda, and   use   of   proven   medical   political  strengths.This   is   one   more   example   of   a   good   mission   statement. It   gives   a   complete  picture   of   the   motives   of   the   organization. The   goals   are   clearly   stated   and   the  means   to   achieve   these   goals   are   also   very   clear. Some   more   clarity   could   have   been   added   if   the ‘ how ‘ part   of   the   statement   is   elaborated. Few   more   words   on  how   children   will   be   protected, will   make   this   an   ideal   mission   statement. The only  drawback   of   this   statement   is   that   it   does   not   mention   if   the   target   is ‘ children’  on   a   universal   base, or ‘ children’ of   a   speci fic   country   only. ( protect ).ConclusionA   mission   statement   is   judged   by   its   ability   to   put   across   the   main   function   of  an   entity. Out   of   the   three   statements   selected   for   this   essay, one   does   not  communicate   the   crux   in   the   minimum   required   depth. This   is   despite   the   fact   that  it   is   a   very   long   statement. The   other   two   are   very   brief   and   successfully   tell   the  main   function   in   a   very   brief   fashion. These   are   good   mission   statements. None   of  them   have   to   say   anything   else, apart   from   the   main   function.Works-cited   pageWard Susan, Mission   statement, about Inc. a New York Times Company, 2007, Retreived on 4 April 07 from:CFBCI, CFBCI mission statement, Center for faith based an d communityinitiatives, United States department of health and human services, 4 Dec 06,Retrieved on 4 April 07 from: < http://hhs.gov/fbci/ >Mission   statement, Department of education and human services, VilanovaUniversity,   2003,   Retrieved on 4 April 2007 from:< http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/education.html  > Mission statement This   essay   deals   with   three   mission   statements   of   human   service   organizations. It   evaluates   the   effectiveness   of   each, as   a   qualitative   mission   statement.  A mission statement is defined as , â€Å" a   brief   description   of   a   company’s fundamental purpose. A   mission   statement   answers   the   question, â€Å" why   do   we exist?’ It articulates   the   company’s   purpose   both   for   those   in   the   organization   and   in   the public†. ( Ward Susan )Statement 1   :The   first   mission   statement   chosen   for   this   essay   is   that   of   the   center   for   faith-  based   &   community   initiatives, Unites   States   department   of   health   and   human   services.  It   consists   of   three   paragraphs. The   first   paragraph   says   that   it   intends   to   create  an   environment   where   faith   based   and   community   based   organizations   are   invited  to   be   partners, â€Å" to   focus   on   improving   human   services   for   our   country’s   neediest  citizens †.The   second   paragraph   mentions   that   many   more   faith   based   and   community  based   organizations   have   been   made   partners, and   offered   technical   help   the   needy  citizens. It   also   says   that   it   has   collaboration   with   many   old   organizations   and   its  staff   is   trained   well   to â€Å" understand   how   to   reach   out   and   partner   with   these  organizations†.The   third   paragraph   states   that   it â€Å"provides   information   and   training,   but   does   not   take   decisions   on   which   groups   will   be   funded†. It   further   gives   web   links   for  more information.   Analysis   of   this   mission   statement   reveals   that   it   does   not   convey â€Å" what† is/are  the   real   functions   of   the   center. The   statement   has   words   which   have   too   broad  meanings, like â€Å" partners†, â€Å" collaboration†, etc. By   reading   this   statement   the   only  aspects   which   become   clear   are   that   the   center   makes   partnerships   with  Ã‚   faith   based   and   community based   organizations   to   help   needy   citizens   and   it   does   not   take   decisions   on   funding.Answers   to   what   type   of   â€Å" information   and   help† is mgiven   to   partners   is totally   missing. Giving   some   idea   of   specifics   of   functional   areas   would   have   added   a   lot   of   meaning   to   this   statement.( CFBCI )  An   hypothetical   example   will   prove   this. ‘A’ may   say   that   its   mission   is   to  Ã¢â‚¬Å" make   profits †. ‘B’ may   say, its   mission   is   to â€Å" make   profits   by   importing   crude  Ã‚  oil   and   selling   it   in   the   local   market†. The   second   is   a   much   better   mission  statement.  This   statement, though   very   long, is   a   bad   example   of   a   mission   statement.Statement – 2The   second   statement   is   the   one   issued   by   College   of   Liberal   Arts   and  Sciences, Villanova   University, Department   of   Education   and   Human   Services.  It    makes   clear   that   it   supports   the   Catholic   Augustinian   thought   tradition   and   it   treats   every   individual   on   the   campus   as   a   unique   human   being, working   with  one goal,   that   of   ‘ assimilation   of   knowledge’.   The   second   paragraph   tells   very   specifically   its   purpose   is   to   prepare   teachers,  human   service   providers, counselors, supervisors   and   administrators. This   is   achieved  through   theoretical   and   practical   exposures   in   school   and   community   settings. It  claims   that   each   of   its   graduates   will   have   a   commitment   to   social   justice,  cultivation   of   the   intellect, and   willingness   to   serve.This   is   an   ideal   example   of   a   good   mission   statement. Needless   to   say   that  assimilation   of   knowledge   is   the   mission   of   any   department   of   an   University, but  this   statement   further   clarifies   the   areas   of   knowledge   to   be  Ã‚   imparted, how   it   is  imparted   and   what   are   the   expected   results   of   its   mission. It   also   mentions   that   it  is   dedicated   to   the   Christian   Augustinian   faith.The   only   drawback   of   this   statement   is   that   the   language   and   the   vocabulary  bear   a   very   high   profile, especially   in   the   second   paragraph. The   message   can   be  understood   only   by   those   who   are   very   good   at   English. Perhaps, simple   words  and   shorter   sentences   would   have   been   more   effective. ( mission statement ).Perhap s, simplicity   communicates   the   best !!Statement – 3The   third   statement   analyzed   in   this   essay   is   of   an   association   names   as  PROTECT. Its   one   paragraph, very   short   yet   very   comprehensive   mission   statement  says   that   it   is   a   ‘pro   child, anti   crime   membership   association ’. It   is   founded   on  the   belief   that   the   first   and   most   sacred   obligation   as   parents, citizens   and   human  beings   is   to   protect   children   from   harm. Its   aim   is   to   build   a   powerful, non  partisan   force   to   protect   children   from   abuse, exploitation   and   neglect. It   is   also  clear   that   the   tools   adopted   to   achieve   its   goals   would   be   a   determined   single-issue   focus, aà ‚   meaningful   mainstream   agenda, and   use   of   proven   medical   political  strengths.This   is   one   more   example   of   a   good   mission   statement. It   gives   a   complete  picture   of   the   motives   of   the   organization. The   goals   are   clearly   stated   and   the  means   to   achieve   these   goals   are   also   very   clear. Some   more   clarity   could   have   been   added   if   the ‘ how ‘ part   of   the   statement   is   elaborated. Few   more   words   on  how   children   will   be   protected, will   make   this   an   ideal   mission   statement. The only  drawback   of   this   statement   is   that   it   does   not   mention   if   the   target   is ‘ children’  on   a   universal   base, or ‘ children’ of   a   speci fic   country   only. ( protect ).ConclusionA   mission   statement   is   judged   by   its   ability   to   put   across   the   main   function   of  an   entity. Out   of   the   three   statements   selected   for   this   essay, one   does   not  communicate   the   crux   in   the   minimum   required   depth. This   is   despite   the   fact   that  it   is   a   very   long   statement. The   other   two   are   very   brief   and   successfully   tell   the  main   function   in   a   very   brief   fashion. These   are   good   mission   statements. None   of  them   have   to   say   anything   else, apart   from   the   main   function.Works-cited   pageWard Susan, Mission   statement, about Inc. a New York Times Company, 2007, Retreived on 4 April 07 from:CFBCI, CFBCI mission statement, Center for faith based an d communityinitiatives, United States department of health and human services, 4 Dec 06,Retrieved on 4 April 07 from: < http://hhs.gov/fbci/ >Mission   statement, Department of education and human services, VilanovaUniversity,   2003,   Retrieved on 4 April 2007 from:< http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/education.html  >

Racism Without Racists

Either you’re with us or you’re Against Us Throughout Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s Racism without Racists, he attempts to describe a new form of racism that has emerged in today’s society. Bonilla-Silva refers to this new style of racism as, â€Å"color-blind racism. † During the Civil Rights Era and other previous time periods, racism was characterized by brutal physical, verbal, and emotional battering of minority races through actions such as Jim Crows Laws and other inhumane acts.However, unlike violent-forms of racism that were practiced years ago, this new-age â€Å"color-blind racism† incorporates subtle, institutional, and apparently nonracial practices (Silva 2010). In order to counter this new form of racism in society, Bonilla-Silva explains how civilians need to become actively involved in the fight against color-blind racism. In order to actively fight against color-blind racism Silva distinguishes the difference between a non-racist and an anti-racist and the certain implications and repercussions that accompany each label.Although the transformation from a non-racist culture, to a new, anti-racist community could produce outcomes that solve racism altogether, with this transformation comes a major moral dilemma: whether receiving white privileges outweighs the moral obligation of promoting equality in society. Through this interpretation of the text, I will try to rationalize what it means to be an anti-racist in today’s world and Bonilla-Silva’s call for social movement, along with the responsibilities and moral obligations that are incorporated with both.Bonilla-Silva suggests that a major change, from non-racists to anti-racists, needs to take place in order for color-blind racism to diminish in society. The distinction between a non-racist and an anti-racist is characterized by moral obligations and active participation in combating racism. Likewise, Bonilla-Silva suggests that being an anti- racist begins with understanding the institutional nature of racial matters and accepting this stand involves taking responsibility for your unwilling participation in these practices (Silva 2010).One who claims to be anti-racist actively takes responsibility for their unwilling participation in these practices and beginning a new life committed to the goal of achieving real racial equality (Silva 2010). Bonilla-Silva suggests that the conversion to an anti-racist will be challenging because in order to fulfill the role, one is struck with a moral dilemma; whether receiving white privileges outweighs the moral obligation of equality in society. According to Bonilla-Silva, a non-racist is a person who does not actively combat against societal norms regarding race and privileges.A non-racist is seen as a passive person who does not take a personal interest in combating the â€Å"new racism. † A major problem in the author’s eyes is that white Americans are considered the dominant race in today’s society, and most people who belong to this group are unaware of the privileges that they receive just by being white. For instance, many white Americans gain special privileges regarding education, job opportunities, social contexts, and more. While these privileges positively influence whites, they also help to reinforce the racial barrier that exists in the United States today.In Bonilla-Silva’s eyes, if the white society does not acknowledge the hidden privileges that they receive, and society continues to portray waves of color-blind racism, then societal norms related to color-blind racism will circulate within culture for ages. Bonilla-Silva states that a social movement needs to take place in order to debunk the â€Å"new racism† that America is facing today. To challenge societal norms, people need to refrain from using stereotypical white ideals to justify racial issues that arise throughout life. These interpretations are wid ely used by whites claiming to be non-racist.Bonilla-Silva suggests that many non-racists’ often resort to particular frames, or sets paths for interpreting information, as a way to justify certain racial situations that appear in life. These frames include abstract liberalism, naturalization, cultural racism, and minimization of racism. Abstract liberalism incorporates concepts related to equal opportunity and choice in an abstruse way to justify racial experiences. For example, in regards to identifying people as â€Å"individuals† with â€Å"choices,† many non-racists fallback on the notion that people have the right of choosing to live in segregated neighborhoods.Next, the naturalization frame allows whites to blame certain racial matters as natural occurrences. Within this frame, many whites claim that the segregation that is seen today is natural and a result of people gravitating toward likeness (Silva 2010). According to Bonilla-Silva, this frame can be characterized by the saying, â€Å"that’s the way it is. † Another frame, or path, used by many non-racist whites is cultural racism. This frame relies on culturally based arguments to explain the current societal status of minorities. For instance, many hites resort to the claim that, â€Å"Mexican’s do not put enough emphasis on education, that is why they are behind in society† (Silva 2010). This particular frame allows for whites to highlight the mishaps and negative stereotypes about certain minority groups as their reason for not excelling in society, rather than the fact that minorities have been historically behind the dominant white race in aspects such as education, socio-economic status, occupations, and living conditions. The final frame that Bonilla-Silva uses to strengthen his argument is referred to as the minimization of racism.This frame suggests that discrimination is no longer a major factor that impacts the daily lives of minorities. T his concept incorporates the beliefs that racism is a thing of the past, and minorities are products of their own efforts and capabilities. These frames are used, in collaboration, to provide whites a way of expressing their beliefs about racial matters without coming off as demoralizing to minorities or flamboyantly racist. They also provide the justification that the racial inequality that occurs today is strictly logical, democratic, and non-racist.In Bonilla-Silva’s eyes, once society, as a whole, deviates from using these frames, then our culture can begin to make the shift from non-racists to anti-racists. According to the author, American society needs to make this transformation from non-racists to anti-racists for a multitude of reasons. First, he suggests that this movement needs to take place in order to educate the black population on the aspects of color-blind racism, because this new form of racism has tinted blacks recognition of its existence.He also suggests that the current group of anti-racists need to engage with all whites regardless of gender, socio-economic status, and educational status in order to gain a collectively larger group of followers. In turn, he suggests that power is in numbers, and with this power, anti-racists can begin challenging color-blind ideologies internally. Another reason for this movement that Bonilla-Silva points to is that fact that activists need to provide counter-arguments for the current color-blind frames that non-racist whites’ are using to justify racial scenarios.Likewise, we need to counter-balance common white arguments including equal opportunity and affirmative action. A major issue within today’s society is that many whites firmly believe that discrimination during past and current times does not significantly impact the lives of minority groups, when in turn; this subtle discrimination enhances the privileges of the white race, while severely limiting minority’s privile ges.Furthermore, â€Å"Bonilla-Silva claims that the most important strategy for combating â€Å"new racism† is to become militant with it† (Silva 2010). The strategies that Bonilla-Silva proposes above to combat color-blind racism are all grounded on specific and plausible reasons and explanations. Bonilla-Silva states that in order for this movement to be effective, it must defile the domination that color-blindness has over our whole country. Also he suggests that the overall demeanor of whites regarding race related issues needs to be exposed and challenged.Another motive for this anti-racist movement incorporates the idea that there should be a focus on white segregation and how this physical separation from minorities ultimately affects the white races’ values, beliefs, and emotions about race related matters. Finally, he states that in order for this movement to be successful in changing the cultural norm of color-blind racism in society, we need to chall enge a position that might seem impossible to overcome, however it is the only way to genuinely achieve racial equality in future times.After analyzing this book through readings, blogs, and class discussion, the moral dilemma of white privilege or equality has puzzled me for some time. Along with white privilege, I have been contemplating whether to classify myself as a non-racist or an anti-racist, and whether to join the social movement against color-blind racism that Bonilla-Silva claims needs to happen in order to defeat racism indefinitely. Before studying racism I never thought about the concept of white privilege and the tremendous influence it has on my life on an everyday basis.After my analysis of the different components of a non-racist versus an anti-racist and the certain privileges that resonate within each category, I feel almost guilty referring to myself as a non-racist. However, after analyzing Racism without Racist’s explanation of anti-racism and claim fo r an anti-racist movement, I believe that I still consider myself a non-racist, contrary to the author’s wishes. In spite of Bonilla-Silva’s argument, I believe that I can still combat racism without necessarily taking an â€Å"active role. I am not currently taking an active role in this movement, however in the future; I believe that I could possibly take a passive role in regards to this movement. The transformation from â€Å"nonracist† to â€Å"antiracist†, that the author describes, I think is an aggressive approach that could potentially generate substantial positive results in regards to combating racism. However, I personally don’t believe that the only way to fight racism is to take a military-like approach against it and resort to an in-your-face attempt to flip societal norms.Falling-back on a militant-style attack plot and fighting socially grounded powers could quite possibly work against achieving the collective goal of ending racis m. In order to accomplish this idea, the anti-racist coalition (which is an extreme minority) would have to convert massive numbers of the non-racist majority to a belief system that fundamentally contradicts the basic roots of their current values.Currently, I do not have an alternative solution to racism in America, however I do know that educating the population as a whole about this concept is a necessary step to accomplishing the overall goal. Through Bonilla-Silva’s distinction between non-racists and anti-racists, along with his call for a social movement against color-blind racism, I have determined that something has to be done about certain aspects of color-blind racism, such as the overall mindset of the American population.Be that as it may, combating color-blind racism will be an almost impossible task to accomplish for that fact that it is very difficult to get people to buy into a motion that they themselves are not emotionally invested in. Until the American s ociety can buy into the notion that color-blind racism is an actual cultural problem that is affecting minorities of all backgrounds, we will be a society filled with white privilege and subtle discrimination against non-whites. References Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo . 2010. Racism without Racists. Lanham, Maryland, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.