Assisted Living Volunteer Experience Reflection

Assisted Living Volunteer Experience Reflection Austina Burton Robert Frost, a famous American poet, wrote, â€Å"Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.† This is an excerpt from one of his most well-known poems, The Road Not Taken. It intends that in making this choice, one is trying to distinguish oneself from the rest of the world by taking the less traveled road, or the less popular decision. This indicates a person who is ready to take a chance, and to face a challenge. This is directly related to the foundation of The Davis Community, where I volunteered at this semester. In 1963, Champion McDowell Davis was a retired railroad executive. He began with a vision to create a positive living environment for aging men and women. This vision inspired him to transform his family’s former peanut plantation into, what is today a 50-acre not-for-profit community, where seniors choose to live (Davis, 2014). The Health Care Center, at The D avis Community, welcomed its first residents in 1966. In 2000, Champions Assisted Living was completed, which added another support service in the Davis Community. In 2010, the Rehabilitation and Wellness Pavilion was added, to provide seniors with a modern fitness center, outpatient therapies, and short-term inpatient care (Davis, 2014). Agency Information The part of the Davis Community I volunteered in was Champion’s Assisted Living. Its exact address is 1007 Porters Neck Rd, Wilmington, NC 28411. The Davis Community campus is located at Porters Neck, on a 50-acre campus (Davis, 2014). It is only a quarter of a mile from the Intracoastal Waterway. The campus is settled in a woodland location with luxury homes, yacht basins, and golf courses in close proximity. Nearby to the property is Plantation Village, an independent, not-for-profit residential community for seniors (Davis, 2014). The Davis Community is only 12 miles from Historic Downtown Wilmington, and the campus is within easy reach of the Wilmington International Airport and major roadways. Their phone number is 910-686-6462 (Davis, 2014). The person who was my supervisor was the activity director at Champions. Her name is Vicki Hardiman. My orientation was on January 24th, then I volunteered every Monday since January 27th. I skipped Monday, March 3rd because I was on spring break. Then my last day was on April 7th. What I Did During the orientation, I was welcomed in immediately. I was given a handbook and an application to fill out. There were other volunteers there for an orientation. At the end, we were given a tour of the building. On my first day I painted in the memory care unit, with the memory care patients. I helped a woman named Marilyn. The second day consisted of crafts and bingo, and, on my third day, there was a sing along group that came to perform, and then I helped with bingo. On the fourth day, I got to take control of my own activity because the staff was short-handed. I conducted a trivia game for half an hour, with the general population. The fifth day I volunteered consisted of craft time and bingo. On the sixth day, I attended craft time in memory care, and then I got to bake cookies. On the seventh day I volunteered, I got to watch a woman play the piano and sing, then I helped during bingo. The eighth day was really fun. I got to help Vicki do a trivia game, and then help with bin go. On my last day, I set up the recreation room for bingo, then helped get residents to the homeschooled children’s play on the second floor. Agency Structure Champions Assisted Living is a not-for-profit organization. The agency’s distinction of nonprofit is that decisions are guided by principle not profit (Davis, 2014). The people who make the decisions for the Davis Community is the Board of Directors. Then rules, regulations, and information is given to the staff to go bye (Davis, 2014). My supervisor was the Activity Director, so she was over the activity department for the assisted living home. Vicki had two people working under her, but she never treated them as such. The staff at Champions Assisted Living work as a team. There is a social worker who works at Champions Assisted Living. She has a Bachelor’s degree. Her job at Champions consists of conducting pre-residency assessments, and screening, of potential residents, and makes recommendations for appropriate level of residency. She is also responsible for evaluating the psychosocial, and activity of daily living needs of residents, and coordinating care and services as needed. She develops a care plan based on the resident’s needs, and works with an interdisciplinary team to communicate with residents and families before the plan of care is changed, or when there is a change in the resident’s condition. She provides individualized support to residents, and their families, through family meetings or support groups, and assists through the transition process to a higher level of care. Lastly, she monitors the needs of residents routinely. Many clients are served by Champions Assisted Living. The minimum age, that a resident may be, is 55 years old (Davis, 2014). Both males and females are welcome, as well as, all ethnicities. As far as the needs of the clients is concerned, there are caregivers and nurses that are assigned to specific halls on each level of the building, and there are a lot of services for each individual resident. When it comes to doing research, the most Champions does is keep medical records, and do checkups on each patient that is there. Champions provides a variety of services. When it comes to care services, Champions offers assisted living, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation and wellness, dementia care, respite care, and end of life care. Champions has a special care Alzheimer’s unit, and offers many amenities. A few of these are emergency call units in each bedroom and bathroom, clinic services open seven days a week, weekly housekeeping and daily tidying, restaurant-style dining, an in-house beauty salon/barber shop, a wide variety of activities, including weekly field trips to restaurants and museums, laundry services, pharmacy services, and psychological services (Davis, 2014). There are governmental policies that influence how Champions assisted Living operates. One of them is the policy about the minimum age of residents. To be eligible to be a resident at Champions Assisted Living, one must be 55 years old or older. Another policy is a no smoking policy in private or public areas indoors (Davis, 2014). This was set in place because some of the residents have oxygen tanks they carry around with them. You are not supposed to have an open flame around one, under any circumstance. Feelings over Experience My feeling about the experience was that, mainly, it was fun. It was definitely a memorable experience. I learned a lot while I was there, about myself, and the population I want to work with in the future. The volunteering I did at Champions was enjoyable. I got to spend a lot of time with the residents. Volunteering there was definitely worth it. The agency is a great community for the older adults to live out the rest of their lives. It has a good atmosphere, and the staff were nice. I could tell the staff was qualified for their jobs. Continue Services I would be willing to continue to volunteer at Champions Assisted Living. Patrick White, author of Three Uneasy Pieces, summed up the public’s feelings about the older adult population in his own opinion. I would like to believe in the myth that we grow wiser with age. Those of a middle generation, if charitable or sentimental, subscribe to the wisdom myth, while the callous see us as dispensable objects, like broken furniture or dead flowers. For the young, we scarcely exist unless we are unavoidable members of the same family, farting, slobbering, and perpetually mislaying teeth and bifocals. (White, 1988) I am one of the few â€Å"young† who still view old age as wisdom. Every day that I volunteered, I learned something new from one of the residents. Sometimes it was as simple as experiencing a kindness I never had before. Other times, it was listening to their life stories. Older people have encountered some amazing incidents in their journey of life. When they shared their life stories, it gave me an insight about lifestyle in their time. The life stories I was told were very insightful to why things are the way they are in the present time. Also, it is very interesting to know about their adventures and the places they travelled to. I would be willing to provide services to any agency, not just an assisted living facility. I believe volunteering is very important, because you get to learn about new agencies, it looks good on a resume, and one can gain much needed experience from it. Human Behavior in the Social Environment In terms of human behavior in the social environment, I observed a lot of activities at the agency regarding client issues. I did not see much aggressive behavior. The old ladies were mean sometimes, though, during bingo. Most of the residents were really sweet, and non-confrontational. I didn’t observe any resistance to activities of daily living care. I also did not observe any depression. Sometimes when I was there, some of the residents would not want to partake in the activities, such as board games or trivia time. On these occasions, the staff had to be extra suggestive to get them excited about the activities. I noticed that everyone in memory care was forgetful in some way. For example, they needed assistance with walking to places or they would get side tracked very easily. Every resident at Champions Assisted Living needed assistance in some way. Conclusion Overall, I enjoyed volunteering at Champions Assisted Living. I would consider volunteering here again. I loved working with the staff, and visiting with the residents. I had fun watching all the old ladies play bingo, and I liked helping them. Champions is a nice facility. The Davis community, in total, is great. The campus is set in a nice location. It is close to the ocean, as well as, downtown Wilmington. I am glad I chose to do my service learning at Champions Assisted Living. References The Davis Community: Assisted Living in Wilmington NC. (2014). Retrieved April 9, 2014, from http://www.thedaviscommunity.org/ White, P. (1988). Three uneasy pieces. London: Jonathan Cape.

Changing Commodity Prices Impact On Common Agricultural Policy Economics Essay

Changing Commodity Prices Impact On Common Agricultural Policy Economics Essay In the wake of an increasingly globalized economy, one that has seen the emergence of large trade blocs and common markets, the nations of the world have been competitively forced into becoming more economically integrated year after year. In light of hundreds of years of consumer theory, this would almost certainly lead one to a conclusion of necessarily lower prices and more efficient production on almost all products. However, as is the case in many nations, the European Union (EU) has succeeded in creating an artificial market for agricultural products through the use of a Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P). The Common Agricultural Policy is a policy, set forth by the European Union (EU), which is comprised of a set of rules that regulate the production, trade, and processing of agricultural products. The C.A.P currently accounts for almost fifty percent of the EU budget, however, this number continues to decrease over the years. The C.A.P is significant in that it symbolizes Europes switch from sovereignty on a national level to a European level. (McDonald and Dearden, (2005), European Economic Integration, Prentice Hall, 4th edition.) Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P). The EUs agricultural policy dates back to 1957, when the creators of the Treaty of Rome defined the general objectives of a common agricultural policy, post-war food shortages still fresh in minds. The principles and mechanisms of the Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P) were adopted by the six founding members of the European Economic Community, and in 1962 C.A.P came into force. C.A.P was designed to secure Europes self-sufficiency in food production. The basic principles of C.A.P remained the same for decades: guaranteed prices for agricultural products, often above world price levels, and subsidies based on the quantity of production, with little concern for the problem of surplus production. C.A.P has been the most fully integrated of EU policies. In the 1970s, nearly 70% of the EU budget went into agriculture. After a series of reforms, agriculture expenditures in the budget have dropped to 35 % for the 2007-2013 financial period. Over the same period, more money (9.7%) has been allocated for rural development and the expansion of EUs other responsibilities. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). Common Agricultural Policys reforms. The C.A.P has had a long history of reform, and is nowhere near perfect. The first attempt at reform came just ten years after its implementation. In 1968, the Mansholt Plan was put into effect in an attempt to reduce the number of people in the agriculture business and to promote more efficient means of agricultural production. In 1972, the extensive food surpluses were targeted through the creation of structural measures designed to modernize European agriculture. This attempt at reform is generally regarded as a failure because many of the problems it tried to fix were still left unchecked. In 1983, a publication was released entitled, The Green Paper, which sought to balance the ongoing disparities between supply and demand through improvements in production. In 1988, the European Council agreed on various reform measures. The most important was the agricultural expenditure guideline, which limited the percentage of C.A.P expenditure in the overall budget. In 1991-92, the future of the C.A.P was addressed through what has been called, the MacSharry Reforms. The key aspects of the reforms included the cutback of agricultural prices to make the products more competitive, compensation for farmers that incurred a loss in income, and environmental protection. The reform of 1992 was generally regarded as successful, with positive effects on European agriculture. However, international trends, the enlargement towards Central and Eastern Europe, the preparation of the single currency causing budget constraints, the increasing competitiveness of products from non-member countries, and a new round of World Trade Organization negotiations forced further adaptation of the C.A.P (europa.eu.int). In July 1997, Agenda 2000 was created to address many of the important issues facing the EU and the C.A.P. The key focuses of this new agenda are the reinforcement of the competitiveness of agricultural commodities in domestic and world markets, the promotion of a fair standard of living, the creation of extra sources of income for farmers, a new rural development policy, revamped environmental considerations, better food quality and safety, and the simplification of C.A.P legislation. The first wave of C.A.P reforms had decreased over-production, brought down butter mountains and emptied the milk lakes. But by 2002, several factors made it a necessity to undertake major review of the EUs farm policy, including several food crises, the EUs planned eastward expansion, World Trade Organizations objections to the C.A.P and the sustainable development strategy defined during the Gothenburg Summit. In 2003, Franz Fischler, then the Commissioner for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, presented a C.A.P reform package he described as the most radical improvement to the EUs agricultural policy ever. His main proposals included: decoupling of subsidies and production high requirements of environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards as prerequisite for getting subsidies more money to rural development as opposed to direct and market subsidies cuts in intervention prices in many sectors After heated debate, farm ministers agreed to go through with the C.A.P reform. Although, the link between farm subsidies and the amount of production was not totally abolished, as originally proposed, a major shift did take place, with the bulk of farmers income now coming from direct aid, based on the size of their holdings and not production. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). The reform also prepared the EU for the WTO Doha round of international trade liberalization talks, where the EU offered to eliminate export subsidies altogether by 2013. The talks were put on hold in 2006. Whatever the result of the trade talks, the EU remains the worlds largest importer of food, especially from developing countries. A number of sensitive sectors were left out of the 2003 C.A.P reform, including sugar, wine, bananas and other fruits and vegetables. Since then, a profound reform of the sugar sector was agreed on in 2005. In 2006 and early 2007 the Commission also proposed reforms for the wine, banana and fruit and vegetables sectors. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). Under the Barroso Commission, Mariann Fischer Boel took over stewardship of the renamed Agriculture and Rural Development DG. She continues to strive for higher food quality and safety, efficient application of the Rural Development Policy 2007-2013, energy crop schemes and simplification of the C.A.P and cutting of red tape. The enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 members has brought new challenges to C.A.P the number of farmers in the EU increased by over 70%. Meanwhile, farming organisations have welcomed the EUs decision to set a minimum 10% target for the use of biofuels for transport by 2020. The EU has also created the possibility for agriculture to play a bigger role in the fight against climate change, according to the COPA organisation. A key aim of the 2008 French EU Presidency was to bring the C.A.P up to speed with new global challenges. To this end, with the backing of the Commission and a vast majority of member states, four texts were adopted in November 2008, focusing on rural development, direct aid to farmers, and regulation mechanisms for the single market (dairy quotas, interventions, etc.). (A health check'(CAP)by Europa (European Commission) (2009)). These agreements officially launched the EU debate on the future of the C.A.P post-2013, also taking stock of global food balances, competitiveness, sustainable development, and the economic dynamism of rural areas. The Czech Presidency of the EU, in the first semester 2009, failed to secure an agreement on the future of the C.A.P post-2013. However, the Agriculture Council did agree unanimous conclusions on agricultural product quality and the retargeting of aid in Less Favoured Areas (LFA). (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). The quality policy paves the way to clearer labelling and, it is hoped, better communication and understanding among farmers, wholesalers and consumers. The Council also said it would consider national and private food certificates that follow Commission good practice guidelines and pledged to cut red tape for farmers and producers who want to apply for EU schemes like the organic label and geographical indications. The LFA programme is designed to improve the targeting of aid to farmers in areas with natural handiC.A.Ps. Member states have been asked to produce maps by 31 January 2010, including specific details on climate, soil, and terrain. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). Global food prices and C.A.P reform. The European Unions common agricultural policy protects and subsidizes agriculture so heavily as to bring serious social losses to the Economic Union. The policy creates inefficiencies in the agriculture sector as well as other sectors of society such as manufacturing, textiles, and service industries. Furthermore, there have been many economic consequences of the C.A.P, including the high level of protection, the burdens on consumers, taxpayers, and the EU budget, environmental damage, the harm to international trading relations, and the failure to raise farmers incomes (The Common Agricultural Policy:Past, Present and Future. Brain E.Hill. `Metheuen Co. Ltd, London. (page 117). There are a lot factors responsible of the food price rise: speculation in commodity markets, low global food stocks, subsidies, high cost of energy, concentration of important agricultural markets in the hands of a few firms, trade restrictions by important exporters to protect domestic consumers, deprecia tion of the US dollar and lower productivity growth due to low investment in agricultural researchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As global prices  hit new highs,  the European Commission had to intervene. First they sold its intervention stocks, removed the obligation to set aside 10% of arable land for the 2008 harvest, increased milk quotas by 2% and suspended import duties on cereals. (Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009). Then, the  Commission  proposed  policy  measures aimed at improving market transparency. It decided to enhance monitoring of  developments in agricultural markets and  analyze the impact of price speculation.  The EU executive also announced plans to  investigate the functioning of the food supply chain for potential unfair commercial practices, which may be holding back competition  and  driving up prices.   Overall, the Commissions  policy to address rising global food prices comprises three  strands of action: Mitigating short and medium-term effects of the food price shock  by monitoring price developments and speculative investments, changing the CAP Increasing agricultural supply and ensuring food security in the longer term  by strengthening the sustainability  of EU and global policies on biofuels, boosting agricultural research  to increase productivity and maintaining an open but vigilant GMO policy,  and;   Contributing to the global effort to help the poor  by promoting an open trade policy and concluding the Doha round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks,  offering humanitarian  aid and supporting  agricultural and rural development policy changes in developing countries. (Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009). C.A.P effects upon the environment. The C.A.P has also caused concern for the environment as well as concerns for the economy. Because of the subsidies provided to farmers, they have the incentive to produce more agricultural products because they will receive more money. The C.A.P price policies have encouraged intensive farming and the overuse of antibiotics, pesticides, and nitrates. This has put a strain on the environment and has concerned the people of the European Union. The policy did not foresee farmers overproducing and over using chemicals, but this has become an indirect cost created by the policy. Europeans are also concerned with food safety because of farmers using so many chemicals in production. Farmers have been getting away with using the chemicals and unsafe practices because of the limited food safety regulations. Policymakers believed that high price supports would lead to higher food safety and quality. High support prices do not increase either food safety or quality: indeed, minimum prices and intervention guarantees encourage low quality and standardized produce (The European Community: Economic and Political Aspects. (V.Lintner and S.Mazey. `Mcgraw-Hill, Maidenhead. (page 107) (1991). CCL: C.A.P has been seen as a monument to the determination of politicians, especially in the early years of integration, to work together for a united Community. It has become a symbol of co-operation. C.A.P has economic and social dimensions. There are many reasons put forward to explain  rising  food prices. These range from changing eating habits to trade restrictions and climate change. The  European Commission  insists that there is no connection between EU agricultural subsidies and rising food prices, and  stresses that the C.A.P is  much less trade-distorting than the American policy.  (Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009). ANNEXES: Figure 2: EU agricultural payments, 1963-2013. Source  : Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt Figure 3: EU expenditure: 1988-2006. Source  : Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt Figure 4: Source  : Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt Figure 5 and 6: Source  : Europa. REFERENCES: WEB SITES: Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009) http://www.euractiv.com/en/cap/global-food-prices-cap-reform/article-184329 Accessed 15th February 2010. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by European Journalism Centre (EJC). (2009) http://www.eu4journalists.eu/index.php/dossiers/english/C8 Accessed 16th February 2010. Agriculture CAP by Europa (European Commission) (2009) http://europa.eu/pol/agr/index_en.htm accessed 16th February 2010. The Doha Development Round of trade negotiations: understanding the issues by OCDE. (2008). http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00HYPERLINK http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00en-USS_01DBC.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00en-USS_01DBC.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00en-USS_01DBC.htmlen-USS_01DBC.html Accessed 17th February 2010. Fortress EuropeOne vision, one market: Europe as a success story? (2008) http://www.groupedebruges.eu/Word docs/manifest_chapter_4_(draft_version_1).doc Accessed 20th February 2010. LECTURE: Lecture 11: Agriculture. SEMINAR: Seminar 11: Agriculture. Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt REPORTS: CAP reform document  : 970 Future CAP.pdf  ; 981 Future CAP.pdf CAP report: Open Europe CAP report.pdf

The Existence of Crime Culture Among Certain Social Groups Essay exampl

Albert Cohen’s thesis is that class based status frustration is the origin of subcultures. Crime culture existed in certain social groups and the individuals learned the value of the delinquent subculture through participation in gangs. Delinquent subcultures have values that are in opposition to those of the dominant culture. The strain is rooted by low economical conditions, poor parental relations, and low school standards, with no chance of succeeding in the future. The anti social structure of cities also affects the why a boy and or girl joins a gang. The formation of gangs in cities, and most recently in suburbs, is assisted by the same lack of community among parents. While almost half of high seniors used marijuana at least once, thirty-seven percent said they had used it in the past year, and twenty-three percent said they had used it in the previous month. Strain Theory, posits the disjuncture between socially and sub culturally sanctioned mean and goods as the cause of criminal behavior. Albert Cohen’s thesis is that class based status frustration is the origin of subcultures. Cohen's focus is on school based achievement status. The institution of the school symbolizes middle class values for honesty, courtesy, personality, responsibility, and the middle class measuring rod. It is this environment where competition takes place for status, approval, or respect. Strain is interpersonal, located at the level of group interaction. There are many problems facing today's society. One of the problems is the violent condition that surrounds the lives of children in America. We are awarded of the violence among our juveniles because we read, hear and see it. The newspapers, magazines, news media, and our neighborhoods testify the living proof of the chaos. What can we do to influence these kids to stay out off trouble? First of all, we have to realize this is a very serious problem. And it has to be stopped. The second step is to figure out what causes children to be violent and become juvenile delinquents. This negative attitude causes them to lead a life of delinquency and a life isolated from society's idealistic world. When we ask this question, many others come in mind. Do these problems begin in the family? Are parents good role models or are they condoning the violence? How can we prevent parents from destroying the minds and future o... ...ephan C., Understanding Criminal Justice. Boston: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1999. Lyman, Michael D. and Gary W. Potter, Drugs in Society: Causes, Concepts and Control. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, Ohio: Anderson Publishing Company, 1998. Nisbet, Merton, Contemporary Social Problems. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1971. Regoli, Robert M. and John D. Hewitt, Delinquency in Society. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2000. Schmalleger, Frank, Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1999. United States of America, National Drug and Safety League, Leading the Fight Against Gangs in the United States. GPO, 1996 ---. National Center for Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. GPO, 1999. Dukes 17 ---. National Center for Juvenile Justice, 1998 National Youth Gang Survey. GPO, 1999. Void, George B., Thomas J. Bernand and Jeffery b. Snipes, Theoretical Criminology. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Williams, Frank P. and Marilyn D. McShane, Criminal Theory: Selected Classic Readings. 2nd ed. Cincinnati, Ohio: Anderson Publishing Company, 1998.

The Purpose of an Education Essay -- Educational Teaching Teachers Ess

The Purpose of an Education Many of today’s youth do not see the purpose of education. Students, however, have goals and ambitions they want to fulfill when they reach adulthood. They want to be the lawyers, doctors, teachers, computer analysts, and government officials. They want to have salaries that exceed $50,000 so they can drive the BMW(s) and Lexus(es). To fill these positions, young people need to meet the qualifications and they will see that it fundamentally comes down to receiving a good education. The purpose of education is not to prepare young people for the next grade. The overall purpose of an education, however, is to prepare adolescents to be adults so they can be productive citizens in our society. Before the overall goal can be met, students need to learn the smaller things. In kindergarten, they are taught their ABC’s and 123’s. Here they realize that their hands can be used to write and color. By second grade, they would have mastered penmanship and adding and subtracting numbers. They also should know how to spell small words and use them in small sentences. By fifth grade, multiplication and division should be memorized. They should know by now how to write short essays. By this time, punctuation should not be much of a problem. As they reach junior high school, students would have experienced writing longer essays and they now should be able to comprehend what they read. Throughout their high school career, they should ...

Othello Essay

In Shakespeare’s Othello, we see the protagonist Othello being deceived due to his openness of nature and credulity. When Iago estimates Othello’s character as follows, â€Å"The moor is of a free and open nature, / Those thinks men honest but seem to be so. / And will as tenderly be led by the nose/ As asses are. † (II. i. 387-90). We see that it is this trait of his which strained his relationship with his beloved Desdemona. The great tragedy of Shakespeare, Othello, starts with a marriage which was based on a very strong bond of love between Othello and Desdemona. From the early part of the play itself, it is evident that Othello has a slight feeling about his inferiority in terms of beauty and color. He substantiates this point by telling that instead of loving him for what he is, â€Å"She loved me for the dangers I had pass’d, / And I loved her that she did pity them. † (I. iii. 167-8) We see that throughout the play, Othello is a victim of his own jealousy and Iago’s betrayal. This gives way to a change in attitude towards his lady love- Desdemona. As a result, Desdemona, once the whole world of Othello, became his ‘most loved enemy’ who happened to die by his own hands. Hence we can see that love in their relation reaches the highest point that even the lover’s life is at the disposition of her better half. That too as a victim of suspicious loyalty Desdemona is believed by him to be immersed in an affair with his trusted lieutenant, Cassio. To take advantage of the grains of suspicion in the mind of Othello about Desdemona, Iago sets the stage through her handkerchief. Othello is convinced by Iago that his fears about Desdemona’s disloyalty towards him are beyond doubt by promising that he saw Desdemona’s handkerchief with Cassio: â€Å"By Heaven, that should be my handkerchief† (IV. . 147). It is here that we get the most evident proof of Othello towards his wife as the love for his wife is well conveyed by making it clear that he can not bear to live knowing that his wife has become a whore,: â€Å"Aye, let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. † (IV. i. 168). Thus a man, who was hailed for his royal lineage, his skill for adventure, his most efficient soldiership, his openness of nature and credulity, his modesty, and dignity stoops to the level of a murderer without any second thoughts. He did so because he loved his wife so dearly so that whether he lived or died, whether he maintained his reputation or not, nothing was of importance to him compared to his love for Desdemona. Here their relationship turns out to be ironic for it is difficult for a common man to think that one would murder someone for intense unblemished love. On the other hand, we see Desdemona forgetting her very self out of her self-effacing love and devotion for Othello. She idolized him, as she says: â€Å"I saw Othello’s visage in his mind/ And to his honours and his valiant parts/ Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate. (I. iii. 251-3). When she was charged with infidelity, and that her husband could not have done anything more unkind, she could only protest: â€Å"His unkindness may defeat my life,/ But never taint my love. † (IV. ii. 159-61). Her tactlessness that springs from her purity and innocence was what brought about her death. If she had imbibed the worldly maxims, which Emilia dispensed, she might have averted the disaster. She made a capital blunder in engaging herself to solicit for Cassio. She had not the remotest idea that her action might be misinterpreted. She did not realize it even at the visible displeasure of her lord. A woman of the world would have taken the hint, and pressed no more Cassio’s suit. Iago, in spite of himself, meant but the simple truth when he said, â€Å"She is of so free, so kind, so blessed a disposition, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested. †(II. iii. 298-9). Not till the last moment did the truth break upon her mind that she had compromised herself by pleading for Cassio. It is the simplicity and purity of Othello and Desdemona, in all means that is exploited by Iago, who was trusted to the utmost by both, especially Othello. Othello’s life was always lived by faith, instead of right. Moreover, he was a man whose nature was passionate and high, generous in thought and ready in action. He considered all that is subtle and devious as dishonor, and as Desdemona understood about him, jealousy and suspicion was foreign to his nature. His life was always identified with his absolute trust in Desdemona. But when a person who was too honest to him throughout and a good friend full of experience, honor, devotion and delicacy to him, exhorted too vehemently that Desdemona is not at all honest to him and that she is having a very passionate love affair with Cassio, his innocence and purity forces him to believe it. Desdemona too is a victim to the darker shades of finer feelings like innocence, purity and simplicity. She is a saint who always stood firm for love, be it to her father or her husband. She firmly believes that there is nothing in this world that cannot be recovered by true love. Her answer concerning the fatal handkerchief, â€Å"It is not lost; but what an if it were? †(II. iv. 79) shows she, most pathetically and with a childlike innocence, endeavors to uphold the truth of her relation to her husband. If she had tried to reply to the accusation she was in, with harsh words, her angelic stature in the minds of those who loved her might have faltered. A close reading of the play substantiates the fact that Othello and Desdemona are the two most innocent people that ever existed. At first their relationship is romantic to the utmost but it takes a profane hue in course of time due to the lack of a perfect foundation for a relationship, by race, color, temper and character and hence we see an absence of trust, understanding and communication between the two. For Othello, the word ‘battle’ is of foremost importance as he was a perfect soldier. We see him telling about himself: â€Å"Rude am I in my speech, / And little bless’d with the soft phrase of peace; / For since these arms of mine had seven years’ pith, / Till now some nine moons wasted, they have us’d/ Their dearest action in the tented field;/ And little of this great world can I speak/ More than pertains to feats of broils and battle†. (I. iii. 81-7). In sharp contrast to this, we have Desdemona who is totally inexperienced in the ways of the world. It is Othello’s war stories that infatuate her. Once she identifies his virility and manliness, she is taken aback with a mad love towards him. But it should be debated whether that is a solid base on which a relation should be built on. We see that though she speaks so fondly about him, her understanding about his nature is minimum. She defends her newly born love for Othello, in the following words, (among other things), â€Å"My downright violence, and storm of fortunes, / May trumpet to the world. My heart’s subdu’d / Even to the very quality of my lord. / I saw Othello’s visage in his mind, /†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ soul and fortune consecrate. † (I. iii 248-253) Hence the whole play shows forth that it is innocence and purity that laid foundation to the failure of the relation between Othello and Desdemona who was renowned for the purity of love between them crossing all the barriers that were ‘built’ by man. These good qualities, undoubtedly, turned fatal in their all encompassing love. We find Anthony Trollope’s Lady Anna an apt sequel to the relationship presented between Othello and Desdemona. In the above-said novel we have Daniel Thwaite, a tailor and his lover, later wife, Lady Anna, who belongs to the aristocracy. There too we have Frederic instead of Cassio. In both these works we see that the people with whom the ladies are accused of having an illegitimate relation are far better and appropriate than their present spouses. This instills a feeling of inferiority in both the men and that is what takes the garb of jealousy and in course of time their intense love to their better halves become too bitter and lead them to much graver mistakes. Trollope, no doubt had Shakespeare’s Othello in mind, while he was drawing his caricatures of Lady Anna, Thwaite and Frederic to make them sequels to Desdemona, Othello and Cassio respectively.

Diderot

I have come to a point in life that many people have not. I have made a firm decision to recommit myself to pursuing my dreams. While there are those who believe that with an ounce of luck and a ton of persistence anything can be accomplished, I believe that there is no reason to expend so much energy and rely on luck. I believe in taking hold of my destiny and carving out a future for myself based on the decisions that I make in life. Life is simply too short and too precious to be left to luck alone.I have many very special characteristics that make this profession one that I will not only excel at, but one that I know will provide me with great opportunity to meet and treat my community. Although an excellent student, my ability to listen to people has helped me to excel both professionally and personally. Too often people are misdiagnosed, misheard and not heard at all because of the time constraints forced on the profession by the high number of patients and insurance constraint s.This was not always a characteristic I would consider my strongest, but after realizing the importance of listening to people I decided to change my own behavior, and even change my small part of the world. The ability to hear people, to really listen, has transformed my life in a positive and crucial way. This experience of working with those who are less fortunate in life has opened my eyes to the possibilities of pursuing a career that revolves around helping others. I realize that there is a lot that I am grateful for in life and that there is also so much that I can give to others.By devoting my life to the service of others I am confident that I too can benefit by having the opportunity to learn more about myself and others. Growing up we lived in a middle income neighborhood, at best, and I was very fortunate to be surrounded with not only many cultures, but many income levels. My friends were as diverse as the neighborhood we lived in, a melting pot. I learned early on not to pass judgments on people based on their wealth, lack of it, color, religious background or anything that may make my friends different from me.Some of my best memories are of all of sharing what we did on the holidays. I was grateful for such loyal friends and will never forget how they helped me become the adult I am today. These, I believe, are the main characteristics that one needs to possess for social work practice. While I may not have the qualifications as others, I am confident that my determination to succeed in the pursuit of a career in social work will help me in the future. From the point of view of personal growth, I must admit that there is so much for me to gain from doing voluntary service at the elderly home.One important aspect of personal growth is the understanding and the lessons that I can learn from the elderly. The youth, such as me, must learn how to acknowledge the achievements of the older generation and respect their experience. The older generation has a hard time teaching the youth how to avoid the same mistakes that they made when they were young because all they see is wasted and reckless youth but I see that my exposure at a home for the elderly will give me the unique opportunity to learn from them and perhaps avoid the same mistakes.I have found that my experiences with the older generation have inspired in me the joys of learning. As previously mentioned, there is so much that I can learn from them and so much knowledge and wisdom that they can impart. As such, this also creates a certain excitement for me for I know that as I grow as a person there lies so much for me in the world. Unique opportunities that are available to those who are prepared and ready to make a contribution to the world. Pursuing my career in this course is just the first step in my plan. My main philosophy in life is to lead by setting an example.I cannot expect others to do what I myself would be willing to do but that does not mean that I cann ot hope that others will see the example that I have shown them. This philosophy is one of the many forces that drive me to pursue my dream of pursuing this career and of becoming so much more in life. The chance to help those who are less fortunate in life, the chance to help those in need, the opportunity to be of service to humanity; these are the reasons why I have selected this as the profession that I will pursue; for, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, â€Å"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Strategic Lenses Essay

There are 4 strategic lenses: Strategy as Design Strategy as Experience Strategy as Variety (Ideas) Strategy as Discourse Strategy as Design: Is the view that strategy development can be a logical process in which economic forces and constraints on the organization are weighed carefully through analytic and evaluative techniques to establish clear strategic direction and in turn carefully planned in its implementation is perhaps the most commonly held view about how strategy is developed and what managing strategy is about. It is usually associated with the notion that it is top management’s responsibility to do this and that top management led the development of strategy in organizations. Strategy as Experience: Here the view is that future strategies of organizations are based on the adaptation of past strategies influenced by the experience of managers and others in the organization; and are taken for granted assumptions and ways of doing things embedded in the cultural processes of organizations. In so far as different views and expectations exist, they will be resolved, not just through rational analytic processes, but through processes of bargaining and negotiation. Here, then, the view is that there is a tendency for the strategy of the organization to build on and be a continuation of what has gone before. Strategy as Variety (Ideas): This lens emphasizes more the potential variety and diversity which exists in organizations and which can potentially generate novelty. Here strategy is not so much seen as planned from the top but emergent from within and around the organization as people cope with an uncertain and changing environment in their day-to-day activities. New ideas will emerge; but they are likely to have to battle for survival against the forces for conformity to past strategies that the experience lens explains. Drawing on explanations from evolutionary and complexity theories, the ideas lens provides insights into how this might take place. Strategy as Discourse: This view consists in making choices between different possibilities and then inspiring confidence for the choice taken. This view is very high on legitimacy and low on rationality and innovation. Strategy as discourse sees strategy development in terms of language as a â€Å"resource† for managers by which strategy is communicated, explained and sustained and through which managers gain influence, power and establish their legitimacy as strategists.