When Should We Discard Explanations free essay sample

When Should we Discard Explanations that are Intuitively Appealing? Intuition, knowing or considering something to be likely from an instinctive feeling and not from conscious reasoning, is a difficult concept to deal with. Intuition can be often be true, but also lead us down a path of poor judgement. The difficulty with intuition is knowing when to accept it or when to reject it. Complicating this dilemma is dealing with explanations that are intuitively appealing. The more we want an explaination to be true, the more difficult it becomes to reject the explanation. Thus, when should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing? In short, explanations that are intuitively appealing should be discarded when, after sufficient analysis and applying reason to the argument, the explanation is proven false. In the realm of religion there are several examples of intuitively appealing explanations. One of the most appealing of which is Christianitys belief that there is the existence of an eternal after life. We will write a custom essay sample on When Should We Discard Explanations or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Evidence of its existence is primarily based in the beliefs of individuals. These beliefs are primarily based on religious writings and teachings. In that most of these writings are based on individual accounts of events which occurred over 2000 years ago, we are unable to substantiate these writings and teachings with any evidence. That said, there is an equal void in the existence of empirical evidence to prove the religious writings and teachings which support the existence of an eternal after life to be false. So, even though there is no proof of the existence of an eternal after life, conversely, there is no basis for discarding this explanation because there is no definite way to prove that this is not true. Therefore, given the possibility that either point of view may be true, the explanation should not be discarded. When we consider the statement â€Å"Thomas Jefferson was a good and moral individual,† given he was one of the founding fathers of our country, it would generally be considered a very appealing position. However, when we analyze totality of Jefferson’s life, we find areas where compelling arguments could be made that he was not such a moral individual. Primarily these arguments revolve around the subject of slavery. Thomas Jefferson wrote â€Å"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal,† yet he himself owned slaves. To compound this contradiction, Jefferson knew the practice of slavery was not a moral act. Gore Vidal, a famous author, quotes Jefferson as saying, â€Å"I fear for this nation, if God is just† (Vidal). In this quote Vidal explains that Jefferson is referring to the act of slavery and God’s view of it. Given these facts, there are those that claim Jefferson was an immoral individual. However, it is my position that it is wrong to judge the acts of historical figures by today’s standards, rather we should judge those individuals by the values and norms of that individual’s time. For clarity, future generations could look back at our actions and consider us immoral for testing medical products on animals. Additionally, I believe that it is only when you have established that an individual must be either all good or all bad that you may then have a definitive argument that Jefferson was an immoral individual. But most people are a mixture of bad and good and we must look at the totality of their accomplishments and deeds to determine if they are moral. Based on this, the idea that Jefferson was a good and moral individual should not be rejected. The idea that the cure for cancer is eminent is an intuitively appealing idea. To begin our analysis of this statement, we must first define the meaning of eminent as it relates to the cure for cancer. In that cancer has afflicted humans throughout recorded history and dates back to approximately to 1600 B. C. , the definition of eminent as it relates to finding a cure could be stated as a period exceeding fifty to a hundred years. However, using such a timeframe would render our statement unappealing. So, to make the statement that the cure for cancer is eminent intuitively appealing, we will define eminent as within five years. To test this concept we need to turn to the opinions of oncologists and other cancer specialists who are involved in the quest to conquer cancer. Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer for the American Medical Society feels, â€Å"the idea in calling for a cure does scare me a little bit because I don’t think that’s realistic in some cancers† (Landau). Dr. Leonard Saltz, a notable colon cancer expert at Memorial Sloan-Kettering stated of cancer, â€Å"It’s a much more complicated problem than anyone ever appreciated. It will, unfortunately, be with us for a long time† (Landau). These two respected doctors echo the opinion of most other experts. These experts believe the emphasis now is more on managing the cancer than curing it, much like we manage diabetes or heart disease. Additionally, the very fact cancer encompasses over 200 diseases and we have yet to cure a single one is daunting evidence that the cure for cancer is not imminent and we must therefore discard the notion. The concept of the â€Å"hot hand† in basketball is intuitively appealing to the everyday basketball fan. The idea is that a team should keep giving the ball to a certain player that is consistently making his shots and therefore increasing that team’s chance of winning. However, to test this phenomena, a study was conducted in 1985 by Thomas Gilovich of Cornell University, and Robert Vallone and Amos Tversky of Stanford University. To test if the concept described by the hot hand is valid, Gilovich et al. analyzed the shooting of a professional level basketball team over the course of an entire season. They determined that, â€Å"for each individual player, the proportion of shots hit was unrelated to how many previous shots in a row he had either hit or missed† (Burns). Additionally, their study showed that the number or duration of runs of misses or hits for each player was not different from the expected given the players overall shooting percentage. This was true for field goals as well as free throws. It is primarily for these reasons that they determined the hot hand phenomenon to be a fallacy. Regardless, to most basketball fans, as well as numerous sports experts, the â€Å"hot hand† remains an intuitively appealing explanation and it has yet to be rejected. Gilovich suggests that this belief still remains because of, â€Å"memory biases (streaks are more memorable) and misperception of chance, such as belief that small as well as large sequences are representative of their generating process† (Burns). So, based on this extensive study involving mathematical analysis, and regardless of the majority opinion, the intuitively appealing phenomena known as the â€Å"hot hand† should be discarded. In conclusion, after considering all the arguments towards an intuitively appealing explanation, the explanation should discarded when the concept does not hold up to scrutiny. In the examples presented, it is clear that while intuitively appealing explanations can be be initially seen as viable, only after you subject them to analysis and apply reason, can you make a determination of their viability.

Heart Rate Essay

Heart Rate Essay Heart Rate Essay Cardiovascular: Project and Workout Log Workout Log As you learned in the Getting Started lessons, each topic in the HOPE course includes a workout log. As you work through the Cardiovascular lessons and activities, you will need to conduct and document six hours (or 360 minutes) of physical activity on your Cardiovascular Workout Log. A variety of physical activity can be defined as a minimum of three different activities. You will submit your completed workout log when you reach the final lesson of this topic. You will also reflect on your workout with your instructor when you complete the Cardiovascular Discussion-Based Assessment. Project Introduction How much do you think the general population knows about the cardiovascular system? Do you think they know which activities benefit the cardiovascular system and how many minutes of activity are needed for cardiovascular activity? Do you think they know the importance of the target heart rate zone and regular cardiovascular activity? What do you think the public needs to know about this important topic? You have been selected as a health news correspondent for a famous news network. Every good news correspondent needs to have an understanding of the topic they are going to cover and the best way to deliver the information to the public. The lessons in this topic will provide you with the background information you will need to create your news report. Collaboration Component Your HOPE course requires that you complete one collaboration component for each segment of the course, but you may choose to take advantage of more than one collaboration opportunity. You may complete your collaboration component during this topic or during the other segment one topics. Please see the collaboration component instructions to fulfill your assignment. Cardiovascular: Project and Workout Log Project Checklist Print the Project Checklist provided below to help you track your progress on the topic lessons and project milestones. It is important that you read each page in every lesson as well as all linked readings. Take notes as you read to assist you when studying for future assessments. Remember to participate and document your physical activity on your Cardiovascular Workout Log as you proceed through the lessons and project milestones. You will submit your completed workout log, along with your completed project, in the final lesson. Cardiovascular: Lessons and Assessments Time to Complete Points Possible Project and Workout Log Lesson  ½ hour N/A Lesson One: Cardiovascular System 1 hour N/A Project Milestone One 1 ½ hours 25 Lesson Two: Cardiovascular Activities 1 hour N/A Lesson Three: Monitoring Your Heart 1 hour N/A Project Milestone Two 1 ½ hours 25 Lesson Four: Cardiovascular Disease 1 hour N/A Project 2 ½ hours 100 Workout Log 1 ½ hours each week totaling 6 hours 100 Discussion-Based Assessment  ½ hour 50 Cardiovascular: Project and Workout Log Project Steps and Rubric Your task for this project will be to create a news report that educates the public on a specific aspect of the cardiovascular system, cardiovascular activity, monitoring your heart, or how to prevent cardiovascular diseases. News reports are designed to be both informative and entertaining, as the news reporter wants to ensure the public is enticed to watch the report. Project Steps: 1. Complete the Project Milestone One (occurs in lesson one). 2. Complete the Project Milestone Two (occurs in lesson three). 3. Following the News Report Rubric, complete a news report based on a cardiovascular topic. Cardiovascular Lesson One: Cardiovascular System When you hear the term, cardiovascular, what do you think of? Do you know that the cardiovascular system is working all the time- even when you are sleeping? The cardiovascular system is a vital part of your body’s ability to function. The decisions that you make today will impact your cardiovascular system and your

Teddy Roosevelt Simplifies Spelling

Teddy Roosevelt Simplifies Spelling In 1906, U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt tried to get the government to simplify the spelling of 300 common English words. However, this didnt go over well with Congress or the public. Simplified Spelling Was Andrew Carnegies Idea In 1906, Andrew Carnegie was convinced that English could be a universal language used around the world  if only English was easier to read and to write. In an attempt to tackle this problem, Carnegie decided to fund a group of intellectuals to discuss this issue. The result was the Simplified Spelling Board. The Simplified Spelling Board The Simplified Spelling Board was founded on March 11, 1906, in New York. Included among the Boards original 26 members were such notables as author Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), library organizer Melvil Dewey, U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Brewer, publisher Henry Holt, and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Lyman Gage. Brander Matthews, professor of dramatic literature at Columbia University, was made ​the chairman of the Board. Complicated English Words The Board examined the history of the English language and found that written English had changed over the centuries, sometimes for the better but also sometimes for the worse. The Board wanted to make written English phonetic again, as it was long ago, before silent letters such as e (as in axe), h (as in ghost), w (as in answer), and b (as in debt) crept in. However, silent letters were not the only aspect of spelling that bothered these gentlemen. There were other commonly used words that were just more complex than they needed to be. For instance, the word bureau could much more easily be spelled if it was written as buro. The word enough would be spelled more phonetically as enuf, just as though could be simplified to tho. And, of course, why have a ph combination in phantasy when it could much more easily be spelled fantasy. Lastly, the Board recognized that there were a number of words for which there already were several options for spelling, usually one simple and the other complicated. Many of these examples are currently known as differences between American and British English, including honor instead of honour, center instead of centre, and plow instead of plough. Additional words also had multiple choices for spelling such as rime rather than rhyme and blest rather than blessed. The Plan So as not to overwhelm the country with an entirely new way of spelling at once, the Board recognized that some of these changes should be made over time. To focus their push for adaptation of new spelling rules, the Board created a list of 300 words whose spelling could be changed immediately. The idea of simplified spelling caught on quickly, with even some schools beginning to implement the 300-word list within months of it being created. As the excitement grew around simplified spelling, one particular  person ​became a huge fan of the concept - President Teddy Roosevelt. President Teddy Roosevelt Loves the Idea Unbeknownst to the Simplified Spelling Board, President Theodore Roosevelt sent a letter to the United States Government Printing Office on August 27, 1906. In this letter, Roosevelt ordered the Government Printing Office to use the new spellings of the 300 words detailed in the Simplified Spelling Boards circular in all documents emanating from the executive department. President Roosevelts public acceptance of simplified spelling caused a wave of reaction. Although there was public support in a few quarters, most of it was negative. Many newspapers began to ridicule the movement and lambasted the president in political cartoons. Congress was especially offended at the change, most likely because they had not been consulted. On December 13, 1906, the House of Representatives passed a resolution stating that it would use the spelling found in most dictionaries and not the new, simplified spelling in all official documents. With public sentiment against him, Roosevelt decided to rescind his order to the Government Printing Office. The efforts of the Simplified Spelling Board continued for several more years, but the popularity of the idea had waned after Roosevelts failed attempt at government support. However, when browsing the list of 300 words, one cannot help but notice how many of the new spellings are in current use today.

Group therapy and t-groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Group therapy and t-groups - Essay Example Sometimes clients consider themselves liable for the progress their peers make and therefore the ultimate feeling of being helpful is generated. Quite often after observing the changes in the group, the clients adopt the positive behavior they observe in others and at the same time they manage to learn from each other and therefore the trust can increase their self-confidence and interpersonal skills among members. Clients are more prone to test their new skills in a safe environment before going to normal a little bit hostile social world. In many case group experience may be therapeutic by offering the clients a chance to reinforce or revise the way in which they relate to their primary families. Purely practical advantage of group therapy is the fact that it is more cost-effective and results in the therapist's time reduction. The therapist's role encompasses facilitating member participation and interaction, focusing conversation, mediating conflicts among members, offering emotional support when needed, facilitating the establishment of group rules, ensuring that the rules are followed and in the case the conflicts are smoothed. The main disadvantage of group therapy can be the fact that not people are... dvantage of group therapy can be the fact that not people are predisposed to reveal their problems in front of everybody and group therapy can be not as efficient for some personality types. In addition to this, the feedback that group gives is not censored by the therapist up front, and quite often it can be detrimental for the client. Another disadvantage that group can face is the switch from the problem to the other focal points. There are many different groups that are used in the psychotherapy: Some groups such as alcohol dependence groups, single parents group, and assertiveness training group. Some group can accept new member, meanwhile the other can be completely closed to new members, once the group is formed. Group therapy became very a popular practice after the Second World War and includes numerous methods of psychotherapy, including psychodynamic, behavioral, and phenomenological. In Fritz Perls's application of his Gestalt approach to group work, the therapist tends to work with one group member at a time. Other approaches, such as J.L. Moreno's psychodrama (role playing) method, stresses the interaction among group members. Psychodrama calls for the group to act out scenes relevant to the situation of a particular member under the therapist's guidance. Influenced by Moreno's approach, new action-based methods were introduced in the 1960s, including encounter groups, sensitivity training, marathon groups, and transactional analysis, whose foremost spokesperson was Eric Berne. Marathon groups, which can last for extended periods of time, are geared toward wearing down the members' defenses to allow for more intense interaction. In addition to the adaptation of individual psychotherapeutic methods for groups, the popularity of group therapy has also

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION - Essay Example Changing attitude of the companies to global gives relevance to strategic planning and implementation. An organizations strategic goal helps in directing the resources towards it. But strategic plan alone does not result in a successful implementation of the strategy. It depends upon the overall environment of the business i.e. its size, culture, market pressures etc. Studies show that strategic management led to increased performance of an organization in terms of its profit, market share etc. Strategic management decisions taken at all levels of management helps to evaluate and measure the benefits derived. It also helps in the creation of problem prevention culture in the organization. Strategic management offers a number of benefits to the organization practicing it. People could realize the importance of their working and what are expected from them. Better delegation, coordination, monitoring, performance evaluation and control. Strength and weakness of the firm could be identified. The word strategy has different meaning in different parlance. In business, there is no definite meaning and it is often used to mean a number of things. Alfred D Chandler had defined strategy as â€Å"the determination of the basic long term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the adoption of the courses of action and allocation of resources necessary to carry out these goals.†(Page no.26, Second Edition, Business Policy and Strategic Management, Azhar Khazmi). William F Gluek, a well known in the strategic management area has defined strategy as " a unified, comprehensive and integrated plan designed to assure that the basic objectives of the enterprise are achieved" (page no. 27, Business Policy and Strategic Management, Azhar Khazmi, Second Edition).   Unified refers that the strategic plan joins all levels of an organization, comprehensive refers all aspects

The Importance of A Project Management Office Essay Example for Free

The Importance of A Project Management Office Essay Project management can be a tedious job especially if the personnel or department in charge is already loaded with tons of work. It may be hard to cope up with the schedule, time pressure, workload, and other factors. In line with this, the task of handling such tasks must be assigned to a specialized department known as Project Management Office. What is a Project Management Office? A Project Management Office is a unit or department functioning within a business, company, or agency that is charged with defining and maintaining project management standards within the company. The main objective of this office is to achieve beneficial gains from setting uniform policies, processes, and methods in managing projects(Search CIO. com, n. d). The Project Management Office will provide direction, metrics connected with practices concerning project management and implementation. The principles, methods, and practices of managing a project are based from Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) or Project in Controlled Environment (PRINCE2). These models complies with the specifications related to ISO9000 as well as in government regulation specifications(Search CIO. om, n. d). Essentially, the job of the Project Management Office is to perform related to a certain project and to work for the completion of the project. The PMO may from time to time update management regarding the status and problems of the project so that they can come up with decisions which are congruent to the goals and objectives of the firm(Search CIO. com, n. d). The Kinds of Project Management Office There are three varieties of project management offices that are suitable for organizations in various phases of developing a project. Each of them have their own pros and cons. Here is a brief explanation of the different kinds of project management offices(Billows, 2006). The Weather Station With this kind of PMO, the person-in-charge of the project is aware of what is going on with the project but does not make any action to influence it. The project officer just disseminates information without bothering the flow of work(Billows, 2006). This kind of office is most suitable in organizations that have just started in project management. The job of this kind of office is usually limited because the various line managers usually experience difficulties in incorporating various projects into their management duties(Billows, 2006). The Control Tower In contrast to the first variety, this kind of PMO provides the guidance that the project managers might need. Although they are still doing their tasks, the project managers are being instructed by the project officer. They are liable for any glitch that will happen to the project(Billows, 2006). The Squadron Commander Just like in the Control Tower, the Squadron Commander provides guidance to the project managers. However, the SC closely supervises all the people handling the project. There might be instances of successes and shortcomings but the Squadron Commander is held resposible for the general performance of the department(Billows, 2006). The disadvantage of this kind of office is that the personnel who have the technical know how as well as the most credible managers are doing multiple tasks aside from their main job. Aside from that, the job of allocating resources and prioritizing projects can go out of hand. Another problem that Squadron Commanders is that management may be hesitant in injecting company-wide standards related to project tracking and approval(Billows, 2006). History of Project Management Office The concept of modern project management can be traced to only a few decades back. During the 1960s, businesses and other firms discovered the advantages of organizing project tasks. Most companies developed an understanding on how crucial it is for their staff to establish communication and collaboration while incorporating their jobs with several departments and professions, and in certain instances, with several industries(Microsoft Office Online, n. d). The Early Years During the later years of the 19th century, at a time when businesses were becoming complicated, the corporate world began to see the evolution of project handling from simple management principles. Wide-scale government initiatives became the foundation for project management processes and principles. During the time that the United States was constructing the transcontinental railroad during the 1860s, business leaders were faced with the tough task of coordinating with workers who will engage in manual labor as well as in producing and processing of a large number of raw materials(Microsoft Office Online, n. d). Into The Twentieth Century Frederick Taylor started to made further studies of work. Using scientific reasoning, he proved that labor can be evaluated and enhanced by concentrating on its basic elements. Taylor applied this view in various jobs found in steel mills, such as shoveling and lifting and transporting parts. At that time, the only method of increasing productivity is through hard work and extended working hours. Taylor believed that productivity can be improved through efficient work instead of exerting more effort and work extension(Microsoft Office Online, n. d). Henry Gantt, an associate of Taylor, extensively studied the sequence of operations in work. His research delved on navy ship manufacturing during World War I. He developed the Gantt Charts, which comes with task bars and milestone markers, as a tool for outlining the order and extent of all tasks in a prcess. These illustrations proved to be a powerful aid for managers that there were no modifications for almost a century. In the early part of the 1990s, Microsoft Corporation introduced MS Project which included connector lines to the tasks bars, showing a more accurate relationship between the differen tasks. Over the years, Microsoft Office became an even more powerful tool(Microsoft Office Online, n. ). His contribution merited Gantt with a patent from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In the years leading to the Second World War, new approaches to marketing, human relations, and industrial psychology, became vital components of project management(Microsoft Office Online, n. d). Middle 20th Century The Second World War necessitated the need for new organizational patterns. Complicated network illustrations, like PERT charts and critical path method were developed, providing managers with greater control over complicated projects. As the demand for new management techniqes increased, these tools extended to various industries. General system theories were applied by businesses in their business dealings during the early part of the 1960s(Microsoft Office Online, n. d). New Trends In Project Management In the last decade, project management continued to develop. At present, there are two trends evolving namely bottom-up planning and top-down planning and reviewing(Microsoft Office Online, n. d). Bottom-up planning, also called agile project management, involves basic project designs, shorter project chain, efficient cooperation between members of the team, solid involvement of team members in the decision process. Common methos used in this trend are Scrum, Unified Process, Extreme Programming, Crystal, to name just a few(Microsoft Office Online, n. d). In top-down planning and reviewing, the entire organization is involved in making decisions concerning the various projects of the organization(Microsoft Office Online, n. d).

Cadaver Organ Donation :: Health Medical Essays

Cadaver Organ Donation Recently, TV Land aired a 1975 episode of All in the Family in which Archie Bunker tries to impress his boss by being the first in line to sign up for the boss’ favorite charity (Bogart 1975). It is not until Archie is holding his donor card that he realizes that he has signed up to be an organ donor. This causes great anxiety for Archie which manifests itself as more stress than usual, worrying about his age, and problems sleeping. Archie finally goes to rescind his donation and states that it is for religious purposes. Archie states that he had a dream in which he has died and is driving his taxi toward heaven. As he is driving toward heaven, people begin taking parts from the taxi. As he continues, people begin removing parts from Archie. When he reaches heaven he is not allowed in because God does not recognize him due to so many parts missing. Another humorous piece concerning organ donation is from Monty Python's Meaning of Life. In â€Å"Part V: Live Organ Donations† Mr. Brown answers the door and finds two men who have come to take his liver, which Mr. Brown states that he is still using. The two men wrestle Mr. Brown to the ground and find on him his Liver Donation Card. Mr. Brown states â€Å"Listen! I can't give it to you now. It says, 'in the event of death'.† One of the men respond with, â€Å"No one who has ever had their liver taken out by us has survived,† followed by a very bloody removal of Mr. Brown’s liver. Mrs. Brown enters the room and confronts the two men who respond that they are taking Mr. Brown’s liver. After she realizes what is going on she sees the entire episode as being Mr. Brown’s fault for signing the donation card in the first place (Gilliam and Jones 1983). These two views of organ donation in the popular culture make light of reasons why people do not register to be organ donors; however, they do reflect many people’s anxieties about being an organ donor. An example of this is found in a Boston Herald front page article where the removal of organs from an eighteen month old boy, not for the purpose of transplant, was called â€Å"heartless.† The child’s mother stated, â€Å"Our son David was all heart, and now he is buried without his heart.

Health & Wellness Essay

Heath and wellness are key components in my life. To me, health is having no health issues such as, illness, sickness or injury. Wellness is a synonym of health, however I would define it as living a happy, healthy lifestyle with little or no health issues. I feel the importance of health should be included in everyones daily lives. The importance of health to me is to live a long, prosperous life. Also, to avoid medical conditions that go along with an unhealthy lifestyle. Throughout my paper I will express my philosophical opinion on health and wellness. My view on philosophical health and wellness starts with being educated on healthy foods and eating habits. Poor eating habits have become more common in our society over the last couple of decades. Obesity is becoming a significant problem in America, especially in young children. Another important philosophical belief that I have is physical activity. Physical activity is something one should incorporate into his/her daily schedule. Something as simple as walking can improve ones health. For example, instead of a young child or teenager laying around on his/her cellphone or playing video games, he/she could be outside playing a pick up game of basketball, football, etc. I feel if one incorporates any physical activity into his/her daily life, our society would be much healthier. I try to incorporate as much physical activity into my life as possible. Being a student athlete here at Waynesburg University will make that a lot easier for me. As I am part of a team or family as I call them now, we all encourage each other to stay physically active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am also trying not to fall into the stereotypical category of â€Å"The Freshman Fifteen.† Every freshman fears those words, but that is where healthy eating habits come in to play. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, one of my goals is to maintain a healthy weight. To do this, I must reduce the amount of processed foods, junk foods, and carbonated beverages in my diet. Being a student athlete I am required to maintain a level of physical activity before, during, and after my season. Therefore, my goal during offseason is to at least exercise sixty minutes per day. Another goal I set for myself is time management. With my busy schedule I will need to get an appropriate amount of sleep each night. My eating habits, time management, diet, and physical fitness will need to change to meet the goals that I have set for myself. A seemingly non health issue would be a winning or losing sports team. A winning sports team can be such a boost to a city and the people who live there, to include the economy, morale, and optimism to name a few. How about we start with an example, the Pittsburgh Pirates. A team who has not been on a winning streak in twenty years, this has boosted the economy in Pittsburgh. More people go to the games to watch this winning team and they spend more time and money in the city. It has been proven in cities with winning sports teams that depression, anxiety, suicide and crime has all been decreased when their sports teams are on a winning streak, rather than on a losing streak. In twenty five years, I will be the ripe age of forty four years old. I should be many years into my chosen career of a registered nurse and hopefully further educated to be a nurse anesthetist. I hopefully have had been blessed to be married and have children of my own by now. At this point I hope to have past on the importance of a healthy lifestyle to the ones I love. Three to four decades from now, I wish to be a active part of society, physically active and hopefully have maintained good health and wellness. My health philosophy is to maintain my physical activity, proper nutrition as well as my emotional and physical health. Combining all of the these together I should be able to have a healthy lifestyle and prosperous life. Physical activity is important therapy for your emotional and well being, it makes you feel good and that you have accomplished a goal that you set for yourself. Maintaining proper nutrition is required to keep up with your physical activity, the â€Å"better you eat, the better you feel.† Eating healthy, natural, and organic foods while staying away from processed foods, carbonated beverages, and fried foods. These bring your emotional and physical health down. My philosophy in life is to feel good, eat good, and educate the importance of health and well being. The health initiative 2020 will hopefully educate more people of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. I feel that this initiative will cost more at the forefront to educate people across the country but after people are educated, strive to live healthier lives that medical costs will decrease and the health initiative will be achieved. In conclusion, throughout my paper I have expressed my philosophical opinion on health and wellness, and what this means to me. I hope to achieve the goals I have set for myself this year as well as into my future.

Human Relations Vs Classical Approach To Management Essay

This essay will explore the main features in both the â€Å"Human Relation Approach† & â€Å"Classical Approach† to the management of organisations. The essay will compare both approaches and explain why? In my view, the human relation approach is superior to the classical approach in the management of organisations. Before we can declare that the human relation approach is superior to the classic approach in the management of organisations, we must first explore the main features of the two approaches. The Classical Approach The classical approach to management began to come to the fore of management in the first half of the 20th century as organisations looked for more ways in which to improve the number of issues that were surrounding industrial management from that time. Management were striving to find new ways in which to increase productivity, lower costs, increase quality of their products, improve employee/manager relationships and increase efficiency at their factories. The main concern for management using the classical management approach was to find the â€Å"Best Possible Way† in which employees were to perform and manage their daily tasks. What were to come from this were 3 separate branches of the classical approach to management. The 3 branches were as follows, Bureaucratic Management, Classical Scientific Management and Classical Administrative Management. Each of these branches had the one goal of finding the â€Å"Best Possible Way†. Bureaucratic Management The example I will use to explain Bureaucratic Management is Max Webber’s theory on bureaucracy. In the late 1800’s Max Webber criticised organisations because of the way they ran their companies, in some cases like a huge extended family. An example of a company running the business like this would be for a manager to promote a family member for a job  position over another employee simply because he is a relation. The other employee may even be better skilled to carryout the job on offer but this won’t make a difference when the decision is being made. Another scenario would be for management to pick an employee for promotion simply because he gets along with this employee better than he does with the other employees. Webber believes this informal organisation of supervisors and employees inhibited the potential success of a company because power was misplaced. Webber believed in a formal rigid structure of organisation called bureaucracy. This non-personal view of an organisation follows a certain structure of rules, authority and competence. Webber believed that a supervisor’s power within an organisation should only be based on the individual’s position within the organisation, the level of professional competence and the supervisor’s adherence to the organisations rules and regulations. In other words if a company was to make you a supervisor it would be on merit alone or to reverse an old saying â€Å"it’s not who you know it’s what you know†. Following the organisations rules and regulations will ensure that an organisation follows the correct procedures that facilitate consistency in management practices. An example of these rules and regulations would be when an employee calls in sick, the employee must follow the correct procedure i.e. call supervisor before 10am, all employees are expected to follow this procedure and the supervisor is expected to enforce it. The division of labour and work specification was another one of Webbers theories. If an organisation has a workforce of 50 people and management had 4 specific jobs to carry out, the organisation would distribute the jobs to the employees who had the most experience in the specific field in which the job required. Impersonal management was also an important part of Webber’s theory. He believed that while management should be friendly and active with employees they should maintain an impersonal relationship as to promote fair and equal treatment of employees so that unbiased decisions can be made. Classical Scientific Management This branch of classical management focused on the methods and theories in the creation of specialized work processes and workforce skills to complete  a number of the organisations production tasks efficiently. Frederick Taylor, Henry Grant and Frank & Lillian Gilbreth are some of the people who pioneered the classical scientific management theory. They spent their time researching how specific jobs in their companies were being carried out, what steps were taken by an employee to complete the work and the amount of time it took for the worker to complete a task using different methods. These steps were used to determine which way was the most effective. This research led to the 4 principles of scientific management. Number 1, management provide employees with a precise, scientific approach for how a worker completes individual tasks. Number 2, management should choose and train each employee on one specific task. Number 3, management must communicate with staff and ensure the method used to complete the task is in fact the most efficient way to do a task. Number 4, management should create the appropriate division of labour. Following these 4 principles ensured that any organisation that used classical scientific management was left with â€Å"Best Possible Way† of doing things The division of labour allowed management to break down complex and difficult tasks into much smaller and manageable jobs and tasks that single employees could complete. Each employee is given precise instructions and training, specifically in how to best perform their jobs and tasks, each tasks is then watched closely by management who will ensure that the method used is the most efficient method for completing the task. When management is happy with all the methods being used they will watch as the product is passed on from employee to employee. If you think of an assembly line in a factory were each worker has one single job to do over and over in the production of a product on an assembly line, the product is finally ready for sale after each worker completes their specific tasks along the assembly line. Henry Ford’s mass production of the Model T car is a great example of how the assembly line really worked within an organisation. Ford used the  classical scientific management theory along with his own engineering background to determine the â€Å"Best Possible Way† in which he could mass produce the Model T car using the assembly line. First he rationalized the most effective way to build the car based on the size of parts. He then determined the best order to assemble similar sized parts. Workers were trained in assembling these parts on an assembly line. Once the process was defined in only took 93 minutes to produce a Model T car using the assembly line. This allowed Ford to mass produce the car. Classical Administrative Management When systematic management grew in popularity, the number of people who where interested in defining and improving the practice, the likes of Max Weber & Henry Fayol to name a few were among the theorists who sought an alternative more general approach from the specialized functions of scientific management. Where scientific management focused on the workers productivity, administrative management focused on management processes and principles of the organisation. The goal of management theory shifted from exact work methods to the development of managerial principles, which in turn led to the birth of administrative management. The administrative theorist tackled the idea of management from many angles with the goal to designating management as a profession the can be taught to companies anywhere in the world. Weber & Fayol researched topics such as organisational principles, philosophy of management & organizational structure to list a few in order to make management a legitimate force within organisations. For Weber & Fayol management was a profession and an important role within an organisation. Scientific management focused on how to best get a job done administrative management focused on the best way to pull all the jobs together to organise a business. Simply put scientific management was concerned on the parts and administrative management was concerned on the sum. Human Relation Approach As a result of developing the classical management theory by the likes of  Frederick Taylor, Henry Grant and Frank & Lillian Gilbreth was that critics began questioning classical management theory for the potentially harmful effects on employees. It was not so much the way in which management went about finding the most effective way to complete a task that concerned critics, but the assumption of classical management theorist that management and workers would meet half way on their attitudes on standardisation. Many believe that the emphasis on standardisation had in avertedly created an attitude among managers that employees were merely just the clogs in a machine, in this case the organisation. While machines and processes could be standardised, it was unrealistic to expect that standardisation among emotional human beings. Instead the 2 needed to be looked at individually. While Taylor and other classical management theorist continued to study and rollout the standardisation of jobs and processes, others began to look at a new research and approaches that involved the employee. This led to the creation of the human relation approach. The human relation approach attempted to incorporate the behavioural sciences into management thought in order to solve the problems that were encountered when incorporating the classical approach to management. The theory behind this idea was that the roll of management was to use employees to get the work done in organisations, rather than focus on production, structures or technology the human relation approach was concerned with the workers. Human relation theorists concentrated on questions that concerned how to best way to motivate structure and support employees within the organisations. A study during this time called the Hawthorn study was originally devised by a company called Western Electronics and was carried out by their own industrial engineers in 1924. The company was the manufacturing division of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. The Hawthorn Works employed up to 30000 people and at the time was considered a prime example of the techniques and processes that are involved in the mass production of products and the work organisation methods that were advocated by the likes of Fredrick Taylor and Henry Ford. However, there was a difference mainly being the company’s personal and welfare policies that included pensions, medical care, disability benefits and recreational facilities. The first phase of the study aimed at examining the effects of various lighting levels in the workplace and how these lighting levels could affect workers productivity. They divided workers into 2 groups, one that would have the light varied in the room and one that would have a constant illumination level in the room. Engineers expected to see various results in the group with changing light levels in order to determine the correct level of light, however the opposite happened. The group with the changing light levels in their room surprised engineers by actually increasing their output. The only time their work actually decreased was when the light in the room was actually so dim that the work could not continue. Even more startling was that the group with the same constant light levels also increased their work output. The second phase of the study wanted to establish the effects on productivity with increased rest periods, for example shorter working days, reduced working week, refreshments and better friendly communication between workers and supervisors. They tested a group of 6 women in an assembly test room and gave them the new privileges. The initial results were noted by Gillespie (1991:59) [Their] privileged status and a modicum of control over work days brought about a strong identification with the test room among the workers . . . With the introduction of refreshments during the morning rest period, the women’s status soared higher still. Within 2 years of phase 2 starting productivity in the group of 6 had increased up to 30%. This led to the commissions of even more tests being carried out on various groups of people using the new techniques of reducing working hours and providing better care for their employees. The great results in output and employee job satisfaction undermined the assumptions regarding human behaviour that had been previously perceived by other classical management theorists. The study concluded that it was not the changes in the environment such as lighting and refreshments that had improved the production output in the group, but it was in fact the personal and special attention that the workers were receiving that made them perform better. It was in fact that they were being studied that made them improve  performance. This later became known as the â€Å"Hawthorn Effect†. This was the reason why the group had that had same consistent lighting in there room also showed increased performance levels. They also felt special because they were being studied which led to them wanting to impress the people who were studying them. Two major propositions came from the core of the Human Relations approach. The first proposition related to the importance of informal groups within organisations. The Hawthorn Study had proved that employees performed better when they worked as a collective force that cooperated throughout the organisation with no barriers between higher management and the employees. The second proposition was that humans are emotional beings who have a deep need for recognition and the feeling of belonging to something or someone. The Hawthorn Study found that employee’s performance and attitude can change dramatically once these needs are met. This also did not go un noticed by the organisations who also needed to gain the collaboration of these new working groups if they were to get the best performance from their employees. Conclusion For me the Human Relation Approach to management is by far the most rewarding and fair approach between the two. Using this approach to management is both rewarding to the employee and the organisations for which they are working for. The employees get the job satisfaction, acknowledgment and felling of belonging to an organisation through this type of management. The employees will feel proud and honoured by the work that they carryout for the company and will feel secure and happy by the rewards offered. For the organisations, they get a work force that is happy to work for an organisation that treats its employees so well and fair. The production levels increase as a result of this. We as human beings need to be acknowledged in the work place and made to feel we belong to something, in turn we will continue o perform to the best of our abilities. References Bernard Burns (2009). Managing Change a Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics. 5th ed. Harlow England: Pearson Education Limited. P9-90. Bureaucracy: Max Weber’s Theory of Impersonal Management, Education Portal, YouTube 9th October 2014, Viewed 11th November 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buJcTq2b6sE Classical Management Theory, Education Portal, YouTube 31st December 2013, Viewed 02 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE9XvUWgwaI Classical Management Theory, Education Portal, YouTube 9th October 2013, Viewed 04 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTBAMdA7YGg Classical Administrative School of Management, Education Portal, YouTube 14th October 2014, Viewed 10 November 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhJtRlFgno Classical Administrative School of Management, Education Portal, YouTube 14th October 2014, Viewed 15th November https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhJtRlFgno Neoclassical Theory of Management: The Human Relations Approach, Education Portal, YouTube 14th October 2014, Viewed 16th November 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhSJplS8tPY

Analysis Of The Holocaust Essays - Nazi Germany, Anti-communism

Analysis Of The Holocaust Essays - Nazi Germany, Anti-communism Analysis of the Holocaust Of all the examples of injustice against humanity in history, the Jewish Holocaust has to be one of the most prominent. In the period of 1933 to 1945, the Nazis waged a vicious war against Jews and other "lesser races". This war came to a head with the "Final Solution" in 1938. One of the end results of the Final Solution was the horrible concentration and death camps of Germany, Poland, and other parts of Nazi-controlled Europe. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, people around the world were shocked by final tallies of human losses, and the people responsible were punished for their inhuman acts. The Holocaust was a dark time in the history of the 20th century. One can trace the beginnings of the Holocaust as far back as 1933, when the Nazi party of Germany, lead by Adolf Hitler, came to power. Hitler's anti-Jew campaign began soon afterward, with the "Nuremberg Laws", which defined the meaning of being Jewish based on ancestry. These laws also forced segregation between Jews and the rest of the public. It was only a dim indication of what the future held for European Jews. Anti-Jewish aggression continued for years after the passing of the Nuremberg Laws. One of these was the "Aryanization" of Jewish property and business. Jews were progressively forced out of the economy of Germany, their assets turned over to the government and the German public. Other forms of degradation were pogroms, or organized demonstrations against Jews. The first, and most infamous, of these pogroms was Krystallnacht, or "The night of broken glass". This pogrom was prompted by the assassination of Ernst von Rath, a German diplomat, by Herschel Grymozpan in Paris on November 7th, 1938. Two days later, an act of retaliation was organized by Joseph Gobbels to attack Jews in Germany. On the nights of November 9th and 10th, over 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed, 175 synagogues demolished, nearly 100 Jews had been killed, and thousands more had been injured, all for the assassination of one official by a Jew ("Holocaust, the." Microsoft Encarta 96). In many ways, this was the first major act of violence to Jews made by the Nazis. Their intentions were now clear. The Nazi's plans for the Jews of Europe were outlined in the "Final Solution to the Jewish question" in 1938. In a meeting of some of Hitler's top officials, the idea of the complete annihilation of Jews in Europe was hatched. By the time the meeting was over, the Final Solution had been created. The plans included in the Final Solution included the deportation, exploitation, and eventual extermination of European Jews. In September 1939, Germany invaded western Poland. Most, if not all Jews in German-occupied lands were rounded up and taken to ghettos or concentration camps. The ghettos were located inside cities, and were a sort of city/prison to segregate Jews from the rest of the public. Conditions in the ghettos included overcrowding, lack of food, and lack of sanitation, as well as brutality by Nazi guards. Quality of life in a ghetto was probably not much above that in a concentration camp. In June 1941, Germany continued it's invasion of Europe by attacking and capturing some of the western U.S.S.R. By this time, most of the Jews in Europe now lived in lands controlled by Nazi Germany. The SS deployed 3000 death squads, or "Einstagruppen", to dispatch Jews in large numbers ("Holocaust, the." Microsoft Encarta 1996). In September 1941, all Jews were forced to wear yellow Stars of David on their arms or coats. A Jew could be killed with little repercussions for not displaying the Star of David in public. Some of the first Jewish resiezce to the Final Solution came in 1943, when the process of deportation to concentration and death camps was in full swing. The Warsaw ghetto in Poland, once numbering over 365,000, had been reduced to only 65,000 by the continuing removal of Jews to camps in other lands ("Holocaust, the." Microsoft Encarta 1996). When the Nazis came to round up the remaining inhabitants of the ghetto, they were met with resiezce from the small force of armed Jews. The revolt lasted for almost three weeks

How to Write a Thriller in 7 Heart-Stopping Steps

How to Write a Thriller in 7 Heart-Stopping Steps How to Write a Thriller in 7 Heart-Stopping Steps Someone has been kidnapped and your protagonist is trying to prevent their murder. The clock is ticking but their car has just exploded, the building they were in has been set on fire, and, as they turn around to try to escape, they are face-to-face with a gun†¦. Now what? Since you’re here, you obviously want to answer that question by writing your own thriller.In this post, we look at how to write a thriller by outlining the main characteristics of the genre and turning to professional editors for their top tips.What is a thriller?A thriller is a fast-paced novel full of conflict, tension, suspense, unexpected twists, and high stakes. Every single scene and element in a thriller is meant to propel the action forward, test the characters, and take the readers on a roller coaster ride that will leave them on the edge of their seats.What are some of your favorite thrillers? Let us know in the comments below!

Identify 5 themes of risk (majors or minor ones) in the book Research Paper

Identify 5 themes of risk (majors or minor ones) in the book - Research Paper Example 1. Risk of Exploring an Unknown Territory- Expedition of Antarctic Continent Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure is filled with a number of risks. While some risks are just meant to accelerate the adrenal, other risks prove to be life saving in the mouth of dangers. The very starting and planning of the adventurous trip to Antarctic Continent is actually one great risk that Sir Ernest Shackleton took with his life. There are similar expeditions taken in other corners of the world, where the thrill seekers met with fatal consequences and many of them even lost their lives. However, the expedition that was undertaken by Shackleton actually 2 showed his true spirit as a leader who was ready to face all odds and give up his dreams of adventure just to save the precious lives of his crew. The unknown always beckons the adventurers to explore it and be the first one to get acquainted with it. There are high risks involved as one does not know what kind of territories would greet them. He nce, one can only assume of the threats involved and prepare themselves accordingly. But, if the peril comes out to be a fantastic one that no one had even dared to think, then only the bravest of spirit could stand up to such challenges and come out a winner. Hence, the undertaking of the Antarctic journey that was known to be one of the coldest and the harshest of all land forms was an unbelievable risk undertaken by Shackleton. On the fateful day of 5th December, 1914, the great adventurer, Sir Ernest Shackleton along with his twenty seven crew members set out for an exhilarating journey into the unknown territories of the Atlantic continent. His goal was to walk on foot the entire continent and get closely acquainted with this secluded and pristine place. The much uninhabited South Pole had just had a couple of visitors first by Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian and later by Falcon Scott of British origin. Unfortunately, Falcon Scott died during the return trip. Thus, it was no use vi siting the South Pole again as it was now a known territory. Hence, the adventurer Sir Ernest Shackleton 3 wanted to prove himself by conquering a new region that had lain virgin till now. And what was more elusive, more dangerous than the extremely cold Antarctic region that no one had dared visited till now. Thus, he took on a risky journey into the unknown world of Atlantic ready to make himself familiarize with this place and bag a name for himself. To embark on this daring journey, Shackleton got himself a small ship that was renamed as Endurance. The ship was built up of Oak and Norwegian fir that was sheathed in enduring and tough greenheart wood. It was designed to function in tough pack ice. Unfortunately, Endurance did not prove as enduring as its name and it was a pack of wreck even before it touched the mainland. This made the journey more tough and formidable as there was no help on sight. Shackleton had been warned by the whalers of the South Georgia Island that the An tarctic had a tricky constitution. Even though it was summer, the ice shelf was found much beyond the continent’s main land area, but Shackleton, filled with a feeling of adventure and confident of his little well made boat took little notice of the well