Discuss critically the main successes and failures of Tony Blair's New Essay

Discuss critically the main successes and failures of Tony Blair's New Labour government 1997-2007 - Essay Example This implies that the government was not stable and had no strong probability to solve governmental issues or give firm stands concerning the United Kingdom hence Blair had to work hard under his personal capacity to ensure that the UK was better placed as compared to earlier governments. Tony Blair’s regime as a Prime Minister achieved a landslide of successes though on the other side, the government failed to address some national and international challenges as discussed below (Shaw, 2012: 56). Achievements of tony Blair’s government 1. Development Tony Blair being a Member of Parliament before winning the 1997 general elections had a clue on the sidelines to follow in order to enhance development and growth of the United Kingdom. Though this seem to be unrealistic due to the less informed his cabinet was, he made a lot of positive strides across the entire world. The Prime Minister reasoned out with the all the political parties, British public as well as the media against joining the Eurozone to adopt the Euro. This act brought internal cooperation and peace as the nation spoke in one voice (Gunter & Forrester, 2008: 151). Being a learned person, Blair new well that motivation was key to success and quality work. He therefore introduced the National minimum wage and went as far as raising it. The move positively enhanced the living standards and created a great correlation to the general provision of services which include government and non-governmental based. In the early years, Tony Blair held several meetings with key African leaders showing how personally he was concerned on developing Africa and making it a free sate of success, a message that went down into giving the Africans more attention beyond the issues of aid. The Great 8 (G8) summits majorly centered on issues to do with: development through improving governance, investing in people, embracing peace and stability as well as mutual accountability (David, 2012). The long standing relationship between the South African President; Thabo Mbeki and the British government led to establishment of new approaches to develop Africa as a whole to enable the African countries to rely on their efforts unlike depending so much on donors. Today South Africa stands out to be a great republic through these unstoppable efforts (Andrew, 2013: 90). The New Labour Government invested more in realizing the goals of learning institutions through fully supporting learning processes as from lower levels to high institutions, employment of more civil servants, improving their terms of work and enhancing job creation. 2. Climatic change policy. Unpredictable weather patterns has remained a major issue to be address up to date and policy makers find it difficult due to the ever changing living patterns surrounded with scientific innovations and industrialization. The New Labour Party developed the climate change agenda in 1997 as Europe become reluctant to minimize the levels of sulp hure emissions into the air. It was later taken to be the government’s environmental policy that aimed at regulating the amount of harmful gases and other wastes eliminated into the air. Successful cooperation of Tony Blair’s government and the business firms saw more approaches developed towards tackling climatic change. Through Blair’

Money - is the second most important Essay Example for Free

Money is the second most important Essay Money is the second most important thing in the world, Says Margaret on p. 134. To what extent do you feel your reading of Howards End has confirmed or undermined this view of the world Forster creates in his novel. Forster sets the novel in Edwardian times. This setting is one of great industrial and cultural advances that reflect greatly upon the characters in the novel. During the Edwardian period the first motorcar was developed for public use, there was a great divide between the upper classes and the lower and women did not yet have the right to vote. I will be exploring how money and other privileges affect characters behaviour. As well as describing how Forsters portrayal of these characters driven by money affects the novels story and readers perspective of how ones lifestyle was in Edwardian times. The Shlegels and the Wilcoxs both have very different views on life. Though from similar social status the Shlegels are of German origin and are interested more by culture, whereas the Wilcoxs are deeply involved in the world of business. The Wilcoxs wealth is demonstrated at the start of the novel as Charles drives Mrs Munt from the station to Howards End. It is clear straight away to the reader that the Wilcoxs must be of great wealth as a motorcar was a great privilege in Edwardian times and only the elite would have them. Helen and Pauls affair at the beginning of the novel also allows for the reader to see how much the Wilcoxs care for money as Charles states that Paul hasnt a penny, dooming the relationship barely before they even knew it had begun and finished. Pauls lack of financial substance gives an interesting contrast to a modern audience. As in modern times most couples would not let money divide their love, whereas in Edwardian times it would ruin relationships in an instant. Mrs Munts first reaction to the affair is one of a pessimistic nature; she exclaims, What do you think of the Wilcoxs? Are they are sort? Are they likely people? This shows Mrs Munts interest is more in the Wilcoxs financial and social background. Forster portrays the different interests of the two families in an interesting way, which affirms Margarets view that money is the second most important thing in the world. The Shlegels love for literature and music is demonstrated when the Shlegels go to a lecture on music and meaning. This is where Forster cleverly introduces Margarets interest in Leonard Bast. The Clerk is in the lowest rank of the middle classes but strives to better himself and his social status and cultural bacground. The two meet rather awkwardly as Helen accidentally steals Mr. Basts umbrella. Helen immediately takes an interest in Mr Bast as she realises he is not very well off but she see his desire for the arts. Helen does not seem to understand how strong willed Mr Bast is, as she tries to help his financial situation by giving him money. He is offended by this as he wants to make his way in life, but he wants to do it by himself. This is when Helen learns that money is not as important as happiness. It is clear from the way Helen and Margaret react to Mr Bast that the Shlegels are committed to personal relations. Helens interest in Mr Bast soon turns into something more as she begins to really admire his desire to climb the social ladder. Even when the Shlegels try to help Leonard by giving him money he returns the money out of principle showing that he does not want hand outs. The ironic factor in this section of the novel is that Helen invests the money and subsequently makes a profit. This portrays how for some of the upper classes money is inescapable. F. R. Leavis stated that although the portraits of the Schlegels and Wilcoxes were reasonably accurate, Leonard Bast was an unreal creation, a mere external grasping at something that lies outside the authors firsthand experience, This critique is interesting as it shows Forsters portrayal of Bast as a generalisation of what he assumed of a class he knew little about. Forsters depiction of the two families in the novel helps the reader understand how important happiness and culture is. The Wilcoxs unfortunately seem too involved in money to behave in a more ethical manner. When Ruth Wilcox dies, she leaves Howards End to Margaret Shlegel. Henry Wilcox knows from the beginning that the scrap of paper Mrs Wilcox has written on is no forgery, but Charles and the other Wilcoxs money driven personalities come in to play. Charles says My dear father, consult an expert if you like, but I dont admit that is my mothers writing Why, you just said it was! cried Dolly. Never mind if I did, he blazed out. This confusion represents the Wilcox selfishness and in a way lack of respect for their departed mothers wishes. Although the piece of paper is not legally binding there is certainly a moral issue that would be looked upon far more seriously in modern times than in Edwardian. Again this demonstrates how Forsters depiction of the Wilcoxs is far more based around money and material goods than morals and personal relations. I think that too many readers, one is quite shocked at when Margaret agrees to marry Henry Wilcox after having read about his families deceitful ways Leavis, also cannot believe, in other words, that a sensitive, imaginative, cultivated woman like Margaret Schlegel could ever be attracted to an obtuse, egotistic, unscrupulous, self-deceiving businessman like Henry Wilcox. The material artefacts in Howards End have a great impact on the readers understanding of Edwardian times, as well as what portraying the two families interests. Motorcars represent class divides and the restless, money driven, modern civilization that the Wilcoxs are involved in building. They are cut off from the natural world as they travel at abnormal speeds again giving the impression of the Wilcoxs care for only one thing. They also are brutally unsympathetic when they kill a girls pet cat and made no effort to comfort the child. The Schlegels books and sword portray the powerful, expensive European culture that Leonard Bast aspires to but cannot reach. In the end, the interfering of the Shlegels seems just as responsible for Leonards unhappy fate as the Wilcoxs lack of sympathy for Mr Bast throughout the novel, and the part the books and sword play in his death dramatizes.

Sporting crises :: essays research papers

Sporting crises lay sponsors' most valuable assets, their brands, open to an associated fallout. How they can minimise its impact? Sport is never far from controversy. Whether it be alcohol-fuelled misbehaviour, allegations of drug abuse or inappropriate public musings on a thorny political issue, the national press is filled to the brim with sports stars dragging the image of their employers — and the sports they represent — through the proverbial mud. Such crises can have a major knock-on effect on existing sponsorship partners and the potential for attracting new income to the sport. The medium has only begun to prove its commercial viability in terms of return on investment over the past five years, and some believe that brands are being scared off by the inherent risks of sports sponsorship deals. Football is the most obvious sport whose commercial value has been tainted by the actions of its players. While the game still attracts multimillion-pound investment from brands due to the massive media spotlight it enjoys, many are questioning the wisdom of their associations in light of a seemingly never-ending stream of negative headlines. The guilt of the player involved in many of these cases can be irrelevant. As one sponsorship industry expert says: 'A sports star may be cleared of any wrongdoing following the emergence of a scandal, but would you put him back on the road for your brand? I know I wouldn't.' The flip side of any sponsorship deal is the knowledge that the sponsoring organisation's most valuable marketing asset, its brand, is exposed to the risks that are inherent in professional sport. The key issue is the strength of the link between shocks, crises and general bad behaviour of top-profile sports people, and the image and brand equity of sponsors. In short, when the mud flies, does it stick to the brands? According to David Abrahams, senior vice-president of Marsh Risk Consulting Practice and an expert in brand risk, there is often a demonstrable link between the way in which a crisis is handled by a company and what happens to that business and its associated brand. 'The way in which any crisis is handled becomes a visible test of management capability,' he says. 'If that crisis arises from a fundamental breach of trust or performance, the compound effect of the bad handling can be devastating.' Crisis management The size of the problem faced by sponsors relates closely to an incident's shock value in media terms.

Society and the Roles We Play/Zimbardo and the Hoax

Psych 333: Social Psychology Society and the Roles We Play/Zimbardo and the Hoax As social human beings we encounter the powerful effects of roles every day. Whether you’re an experienced doctor or a propane truck driver, your roles are much more than just a small piece of a big picture. Our roles are in nature a social element that when used correctly can slightly or completely alter another’s. When used maliciously our roles can not only psychologically damage an individual or a handful of people, but also the masses.Adolf Hitler’s role as a chancellor changed the roles of normal German soldiers to genocidal henchmen which in turn changed the Jews’ roles as a race of beautiful people to what seemed like verminous animals needing extermination. The dynamics of social roles are not always this drastic but when they are, our life as we know it changes. To see how similar a real life tragedy and a staged study are with damaging effects of roles, it is import ant to analyze the Stanford Prison Experiment and a very horrible real life tragedy comparatively.In order to explain such a socially fascinating phenomenon as the Stanford Prison Experiment led by Zimbardo, we must first see what social psychological factors were at play. First it is important to know that all participants in this experiment including the prisoners, the guards, and the confederates gave their full consent to participate. This is important because the main method of this experiment would make the participants take on different roles. This method helped determine the purpose of this experiment which is whether or not the participants’ would perceive their roles as pretending or reality.This perception was shown through behavior from both prisoners and guards as a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is evident because the reciprocal behaviors expressed by the prisoner participants and the guard participants would amplify each other’s behavior. An increase of aggression causes an increase in submissiveness which in turn amplifies aggression and continuous into a vicious cycle. The experiment has been argued to have been unsuccessful; however the experiment contained a high amount of experimental realism. Although the experiment was unethical it yielded fascinating results from both the prisoners and the guards.First I believe it is important to analyze the behavior exhibited by the participants in the experiment. Prior to the experiment, the participants were in fact informed about the nature of the experiment and the moment they were arrested they would assume their roles as prisoners. A majority of the experiment was done inside of the prison. It was during this time that the prisoners displayed many social psychological behaviors that result from playing a submissive role. The progression of the experiment’s time also caused some of these interesting behaviors to amplify.It is important to understand that the underlining qualit y that the prisoners in this study exhibited was learned helplessness. This is predominantly evident when the prisoners’ acts of rebellion toward the guards diminish. This leaved the prisoners with an overall sense of helplessness. They were more likely to submit to the hostile and aggressive demands of the guards. Although some of the demands of the guards such as doing countless numbers of pushups would seem unethical in a real prison, even a participant assuming a false role as a prisoner follows such preposterous demands.What is more perplexing about this study was the fact that these participants in fact knew that they were not really guilty of any crime but as the experiment progressed and the guards became more aggressive the inmates displayed very passive behavior because they knew that their behaviors could not change the current predicament that they were in. Another remarkable concept that helped reinforce the participants’ roles as prisoners was the Saying- Becomes-Believing Effect. In one instance the participant known as prisoner 8612 would either rebel or would show what would be seen as undesirable behaviors in the guards’ eyes.After doing this the guards would have the inmates punished and also have them chant â€Å"Prisoner 8612 was bad†. The prisoners seemed to show a certain degree of animosity towards prisoner 8612 and eventually led to his outright emotional breakdown and made him to truly believe that he was a bad prisoner. This again shows the strength of learned helplessness in social cognition. Prisoner 8612 believed he was a bad prisoner; therefore he became a bad prisoner. The only thing more fascinating than the growing submission of the prisoners had to be the increasing aggression by the prisoners.It is a confounding concept that in most prisons, the idea that prison guards act more harshly towards an inmate because they are in fact psychologically feeding off of the prisoners’ submissiveness. Th e guards in the study were introduced exactly as the prisoners were to the study’s nature just as different roles. Their roles would begin the moment they arrested the prisoners. Upon arriving to the prison however, the guards would assume an entirely different role than a prisoner.These soon-to-be tyrants would use one of the most powerful social psychological weapons in their armory: deception. The Stanford Prison guards used deception in a number of ways during this study. In the experiment they introduced the privilege cell and the penalty box to the prisoners. The privilege cell was a much nicer cell than the ones given to the rest of the prisoners. When the guards put certain prisoners in the privilege cell this deceived the other prisoners into believing that this prisoner was good which in turn caused the prisoners to be more behaved.The same deception was used in punishing the prisoner with the penalty box which was a small broom closet sized room which would be used to keep the prisoners when they were bad. Another method of deception that the guards inflicted was towards the family of the prisoners. The guards forced the prisoners to write to their families constantly that everything was going well in the prison. Along with these letters the prisoners would also force the prisoners to identify themselves as their assigned numbers rather than their actual names.I confounding factor that also helped in the amplifying aggression of the guards towards the prisoners was their act of justification. It is rather odd that regular people who for the most part did not assume any kind of authoritative role use authority in such a severe way. When questioning the severity of their actions towards the prisoners justified their actions by telling themselves that they are being told to be this way towards the prisoners and also that the prisoners’ behaviors caused them to bring the consequences upon themselves. The experiment seemed so real that it c ould not even complete the full desired duration.This experiment will always be remembered as one of the biggest contributions to social psychology because it showed the powerful effects of submissiveness vs. authority. It was because of this experiment also question and reevaluate what is and isn’t ethical in social psychology experiments. It also shows us how people whether they are in positions of authority or not can manipulate this powerful psychological element against others causing not only psychological and emotional ramifications, but also legal ones as well. This was seen in one of the cruelest hoaxes ever played.The hoax that I am describing was one that went from what seemed to be a mean prank call, to dozens of legal repercussions and countless victims of emotional and psychological distress. These calls were made by David R. Stewart. Although Stewart seemed like a man of average intelligence, it wouldn’t be unfair to consider him to be a social psycholog ical genius. Stewart’s calls as a person in a position of authority not only manipulated his victims but also tormented them with a number of social psychological weapons but also used the psychological factors of his victims against themselves.He was sometimes able to take two innocent people and make one a victim of sexual assault and the other a victim in a single phone call. In order to analyze how Stewart was able to succeed at this it is important to see what psychological factors were in play both in the mind of Stewart and his victims. First, Stewart assumed a role of authority as a police officer, corporate employee, or federal officer. This role helped Stewart claim legitimacy to his victims. Although this would seem like enough to control his victims he also used a factor that was possessed not by him but by his victims.Stewart attacked those who worked in the food industry. This may seem odd but it is fact a very intelligent group of people to attack because peopl e in the food industry are trained to be more obedient than others traditionally would. Society’s schema of the food industry portrays it in such a fashion that the number one priority of the industry’s employees is customer satisfaction. In order to achieve customer satisfaction the employees must obey the customer’s wishes. When the employee is on this type of a mindset it isn’t unfair to say that their vulnerability to authority would also heighten.The heightened obedience to authority also arises from another social schema of law enforcement. We tend to live in the illusion that because law enforcement has a higher authority than civilians do, we must do everything they tell us to. This schema is also the reason police often get a confession or information leading to a confession from people because although individuals have the right to remain silent, police use authority to trick them into confessing. The perplexing aspect of this event is not just the acts themselves that were performed, but the fact that the acts grew more and more sexually perverse.Although the act of the hoax itself was perplexing, it is even more fascinating on how the public criticized the whole phenomenon. This alone had so many interesting psychological happenings. Even news broadcasters like Fox-TV called the â€Å"victims† of this hoax were â€Å"colossally stupid†. Another made a statement quoting â€Å"They had the critical ability to decide whether to carry out their orders†. Statements like these show both a hindsight bias and a self-serving bias. People claim that they would never perform perverse and lewd acts on another because an authoritative figure told them to do so.The self-serving bias is the fact that they believe they would personally behave more favorably and the hindsight bias is the fact they claim they would have behaved differently after they heard of the incident. Although people harshly criticized the victim s Stewart did in fact con two thirds of the people he called. This proves an interesting argument because people who read this story will most likely claim that they will never behave in such the fashion the victims did, but because of these social biases it is impossible to know if one would truly fall for a hoax like that.Many look at Zimbardo’s and Milgram’s studies and see the obvious social psychological connection between both. What is interesting is how this real world hoax and the two above studies have very predominant similarities. Both instances involve two different groups of normal people assuming a role and watch how their roles completely change their lives. In both situations people who would never normally behave to the roles they were given behave exactly to their roles. In both situations the submissiveness of one person amplifies the aggression and authority of another.In both situations the victims’ roles caused long term psychological and e motional distress. It shows us a society full of schemas that is naturally obedient in following orders whether we believe them to be right or wrong. So in essence these incidents are very relevant to each other and also to social psychology as a field. It is relevant to how we think, how we behave, and how we interact with others. The average person would say that Zimbardo’s study was obviously unethical. This is true because it is unethical.The American Psychological Association provides the Institutional Review Boards to keep experiments ethical and protect the participants in this study. The fact that participants in the study underwent emotional distress proves that the study was unethical. In hindsight, if Stewart’s hoax was indeed replicated it would be terribly unethical to say the least. It is because Zimbardo’s study being so similar to the hoax that roles become psychological damaging. In Zimbardo’s experiment, the participants felt the effects of a six day role long after the study.In Stewart’s hoax, just a few minutes or hours changed some of the victims involved for the rest of their lives. Although it is fair to challenge ourselves as psychologist, experiments with the psychological severity of the Stanford prison experiment are not needed because we know the social psychological implications of role playing. This analysis fits very well with the social psychological perspective. Roles, schemas, and biases show the dynamic of the human’s psychological potential.You do not have to be a PhD psychologist to manipulate more than sixty average people to perform sexual or lewd acts on other innocent people. It also does not take a PhD psychologist to give average people a role that is unordinary to them and watch them change as a person. What seems like simple terms in social psychology can be used as powerful and manipulative weapons in psychological warfare. These concepts also help realize the importance of the roles that we play every day and how they can change the social world as we know it.

Education is not the only key to success Essay

Most groups use some form of parliamentary procedure for their meetings. This Factsheet not only briefly explains proper parliamentary procedure for more formal meetings, but also describes acceptable alternatives for decision-making in smaller groups. Rules For Meetings Just as the object of a game gives direction to its players, traditional principles of a democratic meeting guide group members when they gather: 1. Every member has rights equal to every other member. 2. The will of the majority must be carried out. 3. The minority must be heard, and its rights protected. Only one topic will be considered at a time. In order to play a particular game, certain rules for that game must be followed. â€Å"Parliamentary procedure† is a set of rules for meetings which ensures that the traditional principles of equality, harmony and efficiency are kept. Robert’s Rules of Order, the best-known description of standard parliamentary procedure, is used by many different organizations as their rule book for conducting effective meetings. The Problem With Rules The saying â€Å"Rules are meant to be broken †¦ † implies that no rules are perfect. The parliamentary rules used in government provide guidance for a body of hundreds of people meeting daily for months with a great volume of business to conduct. These same rules are not appropriate for all organizations. How rigid are your meetings? Does too much technical procedure (motions, amendments, seconding, etc. ) get in the way of effective decision-making and total group discussion? Too much formality in a meeting will frustrate and discourage members when the proceedings â€Å"bog down†. Parliamentary rules for meetings are intended to help the group conduct its business (fairly and efficiently), not hinder it! There are many effective ways for a group to conduct its meetings. Technical procedure, however, should be discouraged in the average group meeting. Every organization should examine standard parliamentary rules, then interpret and adapt them to its own use. If group members agree that the rules they’ve developed permit a majority to accomplish the organization’s ultimate purpose within a reasonable period of time, while allowing the minority a reasonable opportunity to express its views, then those rules are appropriate. Rules For Small Group Meetings? Meeting procedures for committees, executives and most boards can be much different than those for larger gatherings. Certain formalities are unnecessary when the group size is less than about a dozen members. For example: 1. There is no limit to the number of times a member may speak to an issue. 2. It is not necessary to address the chair before speaking. 3. The chair needn’t leave that post in order to speak, make motions or vote. (In fact, he or she may well be the most active participant in discussions and work of the committee. ) 4. Motions need not be seconded. 5. Action can be taken, at times, without the introduction of a motion. If, however, a small group using these â€Å"relaxed† rules discovers that any one of the four basic meeting principles is being abused, then more formal procedures may be reintroduced to the meeting. Parliamentary Procedure At A Glance If your group follows parliamentary procedure â€Å"by the book†, the occasional technical question might be asked. 1. What is the proper sequence of steps in having a motion voted on? A motion has nine possible steps: Moved – a proposal from the floor. Seconded – another member feels the proposal is worth discussing. Stated – by the chair or secretary. Wording is recorded properly and everyone understands the intent of the proposal. Discussed – every speaker addresses the chair and must speak only to the motion. Usually, each member may speak only once to a motion except the mover who has first and last chance to speak. Amended – changing the wording of the motion by: adding or deleting words replacing with different words. – each amendment has the same 9 steps as a motion. Called – after sufficient discussion, either a motion to end debate or a vote is called at the discretion of the chair. Restated – ensures everyone understands what is being voted on. Voted – chair calls each option: â€Å"All in favour? â€Å", â€Å"Opposed? † or â€Å"Abstaining? † Declared – results of the vote are announced by the chair. 2. Can the intent of the main motion be changed by an amendment? Yes; the main motion may be changed, contrary to the intent of its movers. Only two criteria govern the use of an amendment: An amendment may not convert a motion to its direct negative; and An amendment must be pertinent to the topic in the main motion. E. g. , a motion â€Å"to purchase a new typewriter for the secretary† may not have â€Å"and to pay the expenses of delegates to the annual meeting† added to it. This amendment clearly has no relationship with the secretary’s need for new equipment. 3. How many amendments can be made to a motion? There are only two kinds of amendments: those pertaining to the proposed motion called â€Å"first rank†; and those pertaining to a proposed amendment called â€Å"second rank† (amendment to the amendment). Only one amendment of each rank may be on the floor at one time. Any number of amendments may be made to most motions, but no â€Å"second rank† amendments may be amended (i. e. , an amendment to the amendment to the amendment is not allowed! ). 4. How can a meeting start without a quorum? A quorum is the minimum number of eligible voters that must be present at a meeting to conduct business. This number is designated in the by-laws of the organization and for a board is usually half the voting members plus one. If no quorum is present when the advertised hour of the meeting has been reached, then: the presiding officer may dismiss the group (after setting a time for future meeting); or the group may agree to proceed informally with the agenda, awaiting ratification of any decisions at a future meeting; or the group may discuss any items of interest but make no decisions. 5. How can our constitution be amended? A good constitution contains provisions for amendment, so the structure and procedures can continually meet the changing needs and purposes of the group. Usually, a special committee is appointed to review the group’s objectives, structure, functions, etc. Copies of its report and recommendations are circulated to all members with the required notice and agenda for the meeting (often the organization’s annual meeting). Any amendments proposed during discussion at the meeting require a majority vote for approval, but the motion to amend the constitution needs a two-thirds majority vote for adoption. Who is the presiding officer at meetings? Often the president is designated in the constitution or by-laws to chair the organization’s meetings. In many groups, however, the chair is assigned to the past-president, special moderator, or to a different person each time on a rotating basis. This allows the president to take a lead in debates on policy rather than maintain a position of â€Å"supposed† neutrality which is directly contrary to his or her usual role as spokesperson for the group. 7. After considerable debate, we still are not ready to vote on the motion. What can we do? A motion to postpone the matter until the next meeting may be in order, so that more information can be gathered. A motion to postpone temporarily (to table) allows a motion to be set aside until later in the meeting, allowing more urgent business to be dealt with, permitting amendments to be drafted, or allowing time for implications of the motion to be checked. A motion to take from the table brings it back before the meeting. The motion may be withdrawn at the request of its mover, but only if no member present objects. 8. What happens when someone yells â€Å"Question! From the floor indicates that he or she wants the motion put to a vote. Only if the chair feels that the motion has had reasonable debate and most members are ready to vote, can he or she call the question (i. e. , â€Å"All those in favour? â€Å", etc. ). Another way to close discussion on a motion is for someone to make a motion to call for a vote. This motion must be seconded and requires a two-thirds majority vote in order to proceed with a vote on the motion on the floor. 9. How should a committee report be accepted by an organization? A motion to â€Å"receive† the report means that the organization is not committed to any of the conclusions or recommendations contained in it. (An example of such a report would be the monthly, unaudited treasurer’s report. ) A motion to â€Å"adopt† the report in whole or in part commits the organization to some or all of the recommendations of the report, and often implies some action to be taken. 10 Sometimes while one motion is being considered, an alternative motion might be the better one. How can it be presented? 1. The movers request permission from the presiding officer to read out the alternative motion. The movers of the original motion are asked if they will withdraw their motion, with the unanimous consent of the meeting. 3. If the original motion is withdrawn, then the alternative motion is moved. 4. If the original motion is not withdrawn, then the movers of the alternative motion inform the meeting that their motion will be moved if the original is defeated. They thus urge the members to vote against the original motion. | Top of Page | Consensus: Another Method Of Decision-Making In Groups How many meetings does your group hold in a year to discuss issues or problems? How much time is spent in each regular meeting making decisions or solving problems? Does the discussion end with a proposal for action? One rule in parliamentary procedure that can hamper a free and easy exchange of ideas is: â€Å"Discussion can take place only after a motion is proposed†. In fact, a motion is a proposed course of action, a solution to a problem, or a decision. By focusing the group’s attention on a solution before realizing the scope of the problem, the group may be voting on something that is entirely inappropriate. Is the â€Å"cart before the horse†? A simple method of ensuring an effective group decision is to build a motion through consensus. This method eliminates a complicated amendment procedure after an initial motion has been proposed. It also ensures that a large majority will agree with the motion rather than the mere 51% required by a typical voting procedure. The following process can be used throughout the meeting for every problem the group needs to discuss. Step 1. Describe the issue or problem confronting the group. – State the problem clearly and concisely. If it is complex, then write it out. Step 2. Gather all information relevant to the problem. – All pertinent facts and ideas about the problem need to be heard in order to make a wise decision. – Distinguish between facts and opinions. A decision can often be made right away. However, action may need to be deferred so that additional information can be gathered. Step 3. List all possible solutions or actions. – Explore alternatives. – Be creative. Use brainstorming techniques to generate new ideas, from every member. Step 4. Choose the best possible solution. – Use a process of elimination; refine and combine parts of your list in step 3. Reaching consensus is not always easy. Some individuals become frustrated with the time taken for group decision-making. Also, this method relies on the discretion of the chair who eventually decides when a general agreement or common â€Å"feeling† has been reached. In some situations, if only extremely vocal and confident individuals dare to challenge the majority view, then the minority opinion is in danger of being suppressed. Using consensus, however, can result in higher quality decisions. The complicated rules of parliamentary procedure are reduced while maximum member participation is encouraged. In the end, group decisions lead to group action! Conclusion Whichever method your group chooses to make its decisions or conduct its meetings, the four principles of a democratic meeting must be followed. As more formal procedures are adopted, more complicated rules are followed. There is little reason for any one person to attempt to learn every rule of parliamentary procedure. To know where to find the answers is enough. The following references may help answer any questions not addressed in this Factsheet. References Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance. Jones, O. Garfield.

Plutons, Defined and Explained

Plutons, Defined and Explained A pluton (pronounced PLOO-tonn) is a deep-seated intrusion of igneous rock, a body that made its way into pre-existing rocks in a melted form (magma) several kilometers underground in the Earths crust and then solidified. At that depth, the magma cooled and crystallized very slowly, allowing the mineral grains to grow large and tightly interlocked - typical of plutonic rocks.   Shallower intrusions may be called subvolcanic or hypabyssal intrusions. There are a slew of partial synonyms based on a plutons size and shape, including batholith, diapir, intrusion, laccolith, and stock.   How Pluton Becomes Visible A pluton exposed at the Earths surface has had its overlying rock removed by erosion. It may represent the deep part of a magma chamber that once fed magma to a long-vanished volcano, like Ship Rock in northwestern New Mexico. It may also represent a magma chamber that never reached the surface, like Stone Mountain  in  Georgia.  The only true way to tell the difference is by mapping and analyzing the details of the rocks that are exposed along with the geology of the surrounding area. The Various Types of Plutons Pluton is a general term that covers the whole variety of shapes taken by bodies of magma. That is, plutons are defined by the presence of plutonic rocks. Narrow sheets of magma that form sills and igneous dikes may qualify as plutons if the rock inside them solidified at depth. Other plutons have fatter shapes that have a roof and a floor. This can be easy to see in a pluton that was tilted so that erosion could cut through it at an angle. Otherwise, it may take geophysical techniques to map the plutons three-dimensional shape. A blister-shaped pluton that raised the overlying rocks into a dome may be called a laccolith. A mushroom-shaped pluton may be called a lopolith, and a cylindrical one may be called a bysmalith. These have a conduit of some sort that fed magma into them, usually called a feeder dike (if its flat) or a stock (if its round). There used to be a whole set of names for other pluton shapes, but they arent really much use and have been abandoned. In 1953, Charles B. Hunt made fun of these in USGS Professional Paper 228 by proposing the name cactolith for a cactus-shaped pluton: A cactolith is a quasihorizontal chonolith composed of anastomosing ductoliths whose distal ends curl like a harpolith, thin like a sphenolith, or bulge discordantly like an akmolith or ethmolith. Who said geologists couldnt be funny?   Then there are plutons that have no floor, or at least no evidence of one. Bottomless plutons like these are called stocks if they are smaller than 100 square kilometers in extent, and batholiths if theyre larger.  In the United States, the Idaho, Sierra Nevada, and Peninsular batholiths are the largest. How Plutons Form The formation and fate of plutons is an important, long-standing scientific problem. Magma is less dense than rock and tends to rise as buoyant bodies. Geophysicists call such bodies diapirs (DYE-a-peers); salt domes are another example. Plutons may readily melt their way upward in the lower crust, but they have a hard time reaching the surface through the cold, strong upper crust. It appears that they need help from regional tectonics that pulls the crust apart- the same thing that favors volcanoes at the surface. Thus plutons, and especially batholiths, go along with subduction zones that create arc volcanism. For a few days in 2006, the International Astronomical Union considered giving the name plutons to large bodies in the outer part of the solar system, apparently thinking that it would signify Pluto-like objects. They also considered the term plutinos. The Geological Society of America, among other critics of the proposal, sent a quick protest, and a few days later the IAU decided on its epochal definition of dwarf planet that banished Pluto from the register of planets. (See What Is a Planet?) Edited by Brooks Mitchell

Ralph Polo Lauren Case Essay Example

Ralph Polo Lauren Case Essay Example Ralph Polo Lauren Case Paper Ralph Polo Lauren Case Paper - Polo Ralph Lauren Case - 1. Polo Ralph Lauren is an American apparel company that was founded in the 1970’s. When it was founded it had three branches in the apparel business: design and development, manufacturer management, and inventory/stock handling. Because they did not want to own factories, they outsourced the garment manufacturing to Luen Thai, an apparel manufacturing company in China. Luen Thai got their fabric supply from the textile firm Ruentex in Taiwan. Not only was Luen Thai responsible for garment manufacturing, they were also in charge of product quality, making sure the deliveries were on time to Polo, and managing Advanced Shipment Notices, which ensured that information about the products (such as SKU numbers, carton and pallet numbers, and quantity) was sent to Polo ahead of the product shipment. A third party logistics operator was used to deliver the products to Polo’s warehouses in the United States where the inventory was then organized for distribution. Polo’s warehouses then delivered the goods to the different retail outlets. Originally, Polo’s supply chain was set up to take advantage of the participating companies’ competencies. Because Ruentex and Luen Thai are located in areas of the world that have less expensive labor, the textile and apparel manufacturing were done there. Polo Ralph Lauren did the designing because it is a more complex process and involves a lot of technical specifications. Polo Ralph Lauren is also located in the United States which is the country that buys the final product, so the designers there knew better what kinds of designs would sell. This kind of supply chain worked well for Polo Ralph Lauren in the past. There were lags in information sharing which caused inventory buildups, stock outs, and less efficient logistics, but overall Ralph Lauren was able to be competitive. - In 2005, however textile quotas were going to be lifted, which would change the whole competitive environment of the apparel industry. Polo Ralph Lauren needed to look at their supply chain structure to see how they could make it more efficient and therefore more competitive. - 2. Using the Exhibit 1 as an example, we can see a model for the Polo’s supply chain. Each step in the supply chain operation as a whole can be understood as a unit in a big international organism. With that in mind, the bottleneck concept can be applied and we can understand that each of those steps, if improved, will not affect the whole organism unless it is a bottleneck. If you improve the bottleneck your process will be improved, otherwise no sensible change will be observed. The big challenge managing supply chain, in this case, will be identifying which step is really the bottleneck in your chain. Polo must know well its process to define where is the real bottleneck among the material provider (Ruentex), the manufacturing activity (Luen Thai), the 3PL operator, or the warehouses (Polo). - 3. Sharing information will be the most important tool in the process of improving Polos’ supply chain. A better management can be achieved through a real time information system, which will help to identify more easily where the bottlenecks are. On the same side, all â€Å"work-in-process† generated for the system and the entire inventory can be managed more precisely as well. On the other side, sharing information can be dangerous when expose its business competitive advantages and strategies. In this scenario, the middle of the chain to the end looks to be the ones that will benefit the most from information sharing in face of the new strategies adopted to create efficiencies. Having opted for being ahead on fashion trends, this differentiation associated with the need of minimum stock and time management, makes real-time information a crucial asset to Polo. So, the end of the supply chain will be the most affected if a non-controlled system starts to generate undesirable levels of inventory. - 4. The Ruentex supplies good quality raw materials to Luen Thai, which produces the final goods according to the design elaborated for Polo. A 3PL operator will deliver the goods to Polo’s warehouses and then the products are delivered for the different retail outlets. The main change that could be highlighted in this process is the transfer of design activity to Luen Thai. Once transit of information is a major factor of reducing efficiency in that supply chain, reducing the need of intensive communication during the design process could be a plus. But it has a cost. To design is not an area of expertise for Luen Thai, so some risk is attached to the learning curve associated to that transfer of activity/know-how from Polo to them.

PBS -- Positive Behavior Support

PBS Positive Behavior Support PBS stands for Positive Behavior Support, which seeks to support and reinforce appropriate behavior in school and eliminate negative, problem behaviors. Focusing on reinforcing and teaching the behaviors that lead to learning and school success, PBS has proven to be significantly better than the old methods of punish and suspend. Using Positive Behavior Support There are a number of successful strategies for supporting positive behavior.  Among them are color behavior charts (as in the illustration,) color wheels, token economies and other means of reinforcing good behavior. Still, the other important components of a successful positive behavior plan include routines, rules, and clear expectations.  Those expectations should be posted in the halls, on classroom walls and all the places students will see them.   Positive Behavior Support can be class-wide or school-wide. Of course, teachers will write behavior plans in collaboration with behavior specialists or psychologists that will support individual students, called BIPs (Behavior Intervention Plans) but a class-wide system will put everyone in the class on the same path. Positive Behavior Support plans can be adapted to support students with disabilities.  By making modifications to the plans, and using the reinforcers designed for the whole school, or the strategy (color chart, etc.) to describe the behaviors and the consequences (i.e. Quiet hands when the clip goes to red.  No calling out when the clip goes to red, etc.)   Many schools have school-wide positive behavior support plans.  Usually, the school has a single set of cues and prompts for certain behaviors, clarity about school rules and the consequences, and means to win prizes or special privileges.  Often, the behavior support plan includes ways that students can win points or school bucks for positive behavior which they can use toward prizes donated by local businesses. Also Known As: Positive Behavior Plans Examples: Miss Johnson started a Positive Behavior Support plan for her classroom. Students receive raffle tickets when they are caught being good. Each Friday she pills a ticket from a box, and the student whose name is called gets to pick a prize from her treasure chest.

Education fund scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education fund scholarship - Essay Example Also, the learning experience in college itself imparts great experiences. My first source of inspiration and my happiest memories of childhood are associated with my grandfather. He had lived during Depression and told me stories about his childhood. As a parental figure in my life, he was extremely wise and philosophical. He would read me Shakespeare at bedtime when I was 9 years old and also tutor me in mathematics and science when I got older. He climbed out of extreme poverty by educating himself, became successful and lived the American dream. He was an extraordinary person who demonstrated that education could take you places. He died of cancer when I was 14. I was devastated. I have been living on my own since I was 17. I have come to realize how hard it is to get ahead without a college education. A college education is prerequisite for being successful in today's economy. Unfortunately, higher education is also very expensive. I got my first job as a 1-hour photo processor at 16 (during 1990-1993), while I was still in high school and I have held a variety of jobs. I worked at Radio Shack when I lived in Tucson AZ and I attended the university of Arizona and Pima community college (1994-1996). I volunteered on weekends at the Tucson Humane society in 1995. I cleaned cages, aided in the grooming of the animals and processed adoption applications. In high school, while others saved up for a car, I wanted to save up to buy my first computer. I have always loved to fix things electronic and computers as a kid. That's why I think the course at Devry's I am aiming to take, is a dream come true for me. BS in technical engineering (the development of computer hardware) is so aligned to what I wanted to do, that I am very enthused by it. When I dropped out of school (1996) due to a massive personal setback, and moved to San Francisco, I worked as a waiter and spent my spare time tutoring other people about computers. Now that I am more mature (32 yrs old), I realize what a blessing it is to be able to live in a country that has the resources and values higher education. In the past, (1992-96), when I went to community College, I befriended many older adults, who returned to school to better themselves and become more educated. Now as a "returning" college student myself, I look back and realize how courageous they were to return to school. I am more realistic now, able to imbibe more and my experiences in life have instilled a depth in me that aids faster conceptual understanding. Going back to school is going to be exhilarating, especially studying computers. Most of all, education is going to mean independence for me. I started getting unwell around 3 years ago and started receiving SSI about 2 years ago. I have been getting healthier due to the miracles of modern medicine. Since I have been on SSI, I have been relying on others to help me out with my day-to-day expenses. I believe going back to school and completing a degree will help be more independent and fend for myself. ESSAY #2 describes a situation in your life where your determination and/or perseverance have helped you achieve a goal. (600-word max) College can pose financial, academic and cultural challenges for students. Students who are most adept at facing challenges often have the greatest determination to succeed. We want to know about an experience in your life that

Issues about using an Internet service in Education Essay

Issues about using an Internet service in Education - Essay Example EFL classrooms for the children would be the point in focus because of its overriding linguistic and ethical issues. The paper discusses the educational search engines in general and its advantages and disadvantages. Stress is, then, given to EFL learner in an age group of 7-9 years and how search engines could contribute to their learning process. Finally ethical and moral dimensions of doing so are examined. Search engines are huge databases of web page files. It responds and takes the users to those web files they are looking for in the Internet. Search engines are particularly useful when the user does not know the website(s) where the information they require might be located. It is also widely used to find those websites of which users are not aware of the location. A comprehensive definition of a search engine is given by Teeler & Gray (2000): "a search tool that collects information from the Web by running an automatic program which visits huge numbers of web pages. It stores this information in a database and searches it by keyword when it receives your search request. It then provides you with a list of sites that include your keyword(s)." Search engines help people find information stored on other sites. ... For the search engine managers, once developed, this is an automated process with only maintenance and updating required. A user connected to the Internet from anywhere in the world can avail these facilities with an ordinary Personal Computer of minimum hardware capacity and an Internet browser. Two types of search engines exist. There are individual search engines that compile their own databases on the web and there are 'metasearchers' that do not compile databases but search the databases of a cluster of search engines simultaneously. Based on this, a wide array of search engines exists catering to assorted needs often in a specialized manner. For broad educational requirements Academic Info (www.academicinfo.net/index.html), Britannica.com (www.awesomelibrary.org), Gateway to Educational Materials (www.thegateway.org) and Library Spot (www.libraryspot.com) are available with overriding academic focus and with their primary intended audience at the schools and university levels. Recognizing the learning requirements of the children a number of websites and web databases are available especially dedicated to them. Some of the prominent ones are Yahooligans! (www.yahooligans.com), Ask Jeeves for Kids (www.ajkids), Berit's Best Sites (www.beritsbest.com) and Surfing the Net with Kids Archive (www.surfnetkids.com). These sites are designed for young web surfers and are carefully reviewed, safe and recommended websites for children and contain literally all information that this segment of users need. Research is an important component of students' activities. Researching generally requires high access to a wide array of information. Furthermore, research usually is time specific, which is strictly enforced particularly to the students. Search engines

Term paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Term paper - Essay Example Currently, technology has developed to invent mobile phones which can access any information with convenience. As a result of easy access to information, there has been significant change in how people view information. The use of internet has not only made life more convenient but also changed the entire world. The network has become a major platform of mainstream media unlike previously when the media was just newspapers, televisions, and radio. The network has facilitated saving of resources besides availing more information in less time. Today, more and more people are able connect to people from across the world through social networks. Numerous social platforms have emerged with Facebook being the most famous. Facebook has evolved since its creation in 2004 by Zuckerburg, to become party of people’s daily lives. People access the application through laptops, computers, iPad, and smartphones. Through this application an individual can publish their real names, images, emails, relationship status, as well as birthdays. Various people have understand privacy in varying perspectives, particularly the youth. Most young people have an immature and incomplete understanding of the world. Currently, the main challenge that needs to be addressed is whether the online article about Facebook has an impact on college students’ understanding on personal confidentiality problem. Facebook offers a great platform that allows individuals to interact with more people online as well as know themselves better. However, sometimes too much personal details are exposed to the public. This excessive exposure results to too many negative consequences. Although the laws stipulates the right to freedom of expression, instances of cyber bullying, phishing, as well as, malicious slanders have increased at an alarming rate in people’s daily lives. These consequences will normally emerge since the application user’s privacy is not adequately

E-Commerce Challenges and Solutions Research Paper

E-Commerce Challenges and Solutions - Research Paper Example The author of the essay "E-Commerce Challenges and Solutions" begins with that E-Commerce is the cutting edge for today’s business. It is a modern business style which deals with the needs of organizations and consumers. E-Commerce helps to reduce the costs, develop the quality of goods and raise the speed of delivery. It is related with buying or selling products and information through internet. Nowadays, business institutions want the flexibility for changing business partners, platform and network at their will. Organizations want to form unique business strategy which includes creating a personal electronic communication to customers, suppliers, distributors and competitors for upgrading the effectiveness of their business communication. It will lead the organizations to increase market share, maintain long term viability in today’s business condition. It will help to exchange valuable information to customers constantly. E-Commerce enables business organizations t o exchange valuable information related to business and their offerings among their continuously varying sets of consumers. E-Commerce offers organizations opportunity to perform online business activities as well as utilize it as an integrated marketing with promotional tool in order to increase the sales. E-Commerce provides an option of efficient processing of orders from consumers. E-commerce as a powerful tool has an insurmountable importance and organizations on a worldwide basis have started to recognize its significance as a cutting edge technology. (eCommerceProgram, 2007). Ethical Challenges of E-Commerce There are certain ethical issues regarding internet marketing and E-Commerce, which are described below: Privacy Issue Business organizations using E-Commerce should keep in mind that the customer’s personal information must be safe. This will help to build the trust of the customer in the field of safety and security of e-business and also to maintain the honesty of the organization (Botha, 2004). The ‘power of information technology’ to store as well as retrieve information often has harmful effect on the privacy of consumers. Several companies at times monitor the confidential emails of employees. Every time a person visits ‘World Wide Web’ the personal information about that person may be stored by the use of ‘C ookie’. At times several secret information of government bureaus, credit organizations or private business organizations are misused which can result in invasion of privacy or fraud. Computer Crimes Internet is an easy tool for committing crimes. Any person can commit crime by using the tools of internet. It is a

How Has Professional Learning Changed and Why Essay

How Has Professional Learning Changed and Why - Essay Example It is very important to change the professional learning pattern with the passage of time to compete in the challenging world. In other words, learning is no more just a word; it is associated with real life experiences, case studies and practical exposure which improve the process of learning. Professional learning has transcended beyond the traditional learning processes of merely classroom learning and in recent times the aspect professional community has taken a centre stage. Professional learning community provides an opportunity to augment staff development related approach (SEDL, 2012). The objective of this paper is to explore professional development for New Times and to put light on the area of professional learning, its changing patterns and the reasons for its changing pattern. There are various issues, contradictions and dilemmas which would be considered while attaining the objective of the essay. The Issues In HERDSA International Conference, there will be many issues discussed regarding the learning process. The conference will be held mainly to focus on creating and maintaining peer connections, for establishing community links, enriching the interdisciplinary connections, linking the students for success and connecting them with research. The main subject matter of HERDSA International Conference is connections in Higher Education, which is one of the important fundamentals for professional learning. In has been observed that higher education has altered significantly in recent times with relevant changes in policies, leadership, research approach and student outcomes that are followed to make the education process more pertinent to Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Certain steps that are followed in altered process of higher education include sustaining as well as creating peer connections, emphasizing on community based connections in learning and focusing on interdisciplinary connections among others. Therefore, in order to as sess the significance of these issues further in professional learning the conference is conducted specially for leaders, researchers, students, policy makers and teachers who are associated in higher education sector (Conference Design Pty Ltd, 2012). Professional learning process engages the professional development for the enhancement of skills and knowledge. The ‘Australian Flexible Learning Framework’ has made a commitment towards for maintaining and developing vocational education along with training for the professionals. The endeavor behind this is to keep on side by side with changing technological approach in the field of professional learning. The framework has been prepared keeping in consideration the ongoing and upcoming developments in the resources, research along with ideas. World has changed dramatically in terms of innovation and process. The computer and internet have become key components of present day world and people have to develop themselves in order to compete in this world. E-learning has become a part of professional learning. Therefore, it would not be wrong to suggest that learning has changed from a traditional concept to a modern concept (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005). TAFE Development Centre (TDC) is one of the leading vocational educational and training workforce development initiatives. The main area of service includes both public and private sector. TDC mainly customizes learning course and it also

E-Commerce Challenges and Solutions Research Paper

E-Commerce Challenges and Solutions - Research Paper Example The author of the essay "E-Commerce Challenges and Solutions" begins with that E-Commerce is the cutting edge for today’s business. It is a modern business style which deals with the needs of organizations and consumers. E-Commerce helps to reduce the costs, develop the quality of goods and raise the speed of delivery. It is related with buying or selling products and information through internet. Nowadays, business institutions want the flexibility for changing business partners, platform and network at their will. Organizations want to form unique business strategy which includes creating a personal electronic communication to customers, suppliers, distributors and competitors for upgrading the effectiveness of their business communication. It will lead the organizations to increase market share, maintain long term viability in today’s business condition. It will help to exchange valuable information to customers constantly. E-Commerce enables business organizations t o exchange valuable information related to business and their offerings among their continuously varying sets of consumers. E-Commerce offers organizations opportunity to perform online business activities as well as utilize it as an integrated marketing with promotional tool in order to increase the sales. E-Commerce provides an option of efficient processing of orders from consumers. E-commerce as a powerful tool has an insurmountable importance and organizations on a worldwide basis have started to recognize its significance as a cutting edge technology. (eCommerceProgram, 2007). Ethical Challenges of E-Commerce There are certain ethical issues regarding internet marketing and E-Commerce, which are described below: Privacy Issue Business organizations using E-Commerce should keep in mind that the customer’s personal information must be safe. This will help to build the trust of the customer in the field of safety and security of e-business and also to maintain the honesty of the organization (Botha, 2004). The ‘power of information technology’ to store as well as retrieve information often has harmful effect on the privacy of consumers. Several companies at times monitor the confidential emails of employees. Every time a person visits ‘World Wide Web’ the personal information about that person may be stored by the use of ‘C ookie’. At times several secret information of government bureaus, credit organizations or private business organizations are misused which can result in invasion of privacy or fraud. Computer Crimes Internet is an easy tool for committing crimes. Any person can commit crime by using the tools of internet. It is a

Are behaviourist principles still relevant in contemporary classrooms Essay

Are behaviourist principles still relevant in contemporary classrooms - Essay Example However, criticism of the behaviorist principles has surfaced with some psychologist expressing the weakness of this procedure of learning in the modern school environment. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate whether or not the behaviorist principles are still relevant in the contemporary classroom. The origin of the behaviorist principles is dated back to the 20th century when psychologist such as Pavlov conducted experimental research to investigate the stimulation of specific human behavior. Pavlov conditioned his test dog by providing food at a specific time during the day, after ringing a bell, and observing its reaction at that particular time of the day. After sometime, Pavlov observed that the dog would produce suggestive sound and salivate immediately after the bell at exactly the time that he served it with food and in turn concluded that the dog had associated the bell with food. Theorists such as Watson and Skinner have also supported the idea of Pavlov by expressing their opinion regarding development of personal human behavior (Shield, p. 13). The idea of these scholars is that it is possible to stimulate observable human behavior by introducing a conditional environment. ... The principles of behaviorism are based on classical and operant conditionings which may philosopher have come to regard as the roots of these principles. In classical conditioning, for instance in Pavlov experiment, a stimulus, in this case a bell, is used to trigger a natural response from a human being (Camp &Doolittle, p. 12). The impact of this kind of conditioning is that a trigger, not usually associated with a particular natural response is learnt by a human being through experience and becomes associated with some natural phenomenon. On the other hand, operant conditioning relies on the reinforcement of a particular response to a particular stimulus in, which can be termed as an enhancement of the classical conditioning. For instance, if a mother gets used to feeding a baby whenever it cries, the baby will learn that after crying it will be fed. From this perspective, these proponents of behaviorism came to believe learning process can be enhanced by eliciting responses from students and reinforcing these responses. According to Laurete (p. 5), the learning process can be stimulated by adopting the concept of stimulation that was developed by behaviorists. The foundation of the integrated learning system is to enhance the learning by using different approaches in transferring knowledge to the students in the classroom. Two approaches have been upheld as the superior means of transferring knowledge to the learner in any learning environment; first, learning through experience that aims at enhancing the learning process through exposing students to various experiences and secondly inducing students to learn through provision of stimulus. In integrated learning system, the learners are subjected to practical tasks that will help them

Akhenaten Family Background Essay Example for Free

Akhenaten Family Background Essay Describe the family and family background of Akhenaten. In your answer refer to: the 18th dynasty pharaohs, his mother, his brother, Akhenaten’s wives, particularly Nefertiti (her origin and roles) and his children. Assess their importance to the pharaoh. In your answer refer to at least four sources, ancient and modern. You can also show diagrams if you wish. (500-550 words) Akhenaten was the tenth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty; he reigned over New Kingdom Egypt for approximately 17 years. Akhenaten was the son of Amenhotep III and his chief wife, Queen Tiy. Scholars agree that Amenhotep III and Queen Tiy had four known daughters and two sons, Thutmoses and Akhenaten, who was originally named Amenhotep IV. Akhenaten was a sheltered child and appeared to be rejected by his father as he was rarely included in portraits of the family and was never taken to any public events unlike his brother, Thutmoses, as he was not assumed to take the throne. Akhenaten became pharaoh after the death of his father Amenhotep III in 1352BC, as Thutmoses had died prematurely. It is believed that Akhenaten was already married to Nefernefruaten- Nefertiti when he came to the throne. Nefertiti’s origin or parents are unknown, there are two main theories of her origin, and the most accepted is that Nefertiti is the daughter of Ay, vizier to various pharaohs of the 18th dynasty and the assumed brother of Queen Tiy. This is believed as Nefertiti’s nurse was the wife of Ay, as well as references that Nefertiti’s sister, Mutnojme, is prominently featured in the reliefs of Ay’s tomb. Another theory is that Nefertiti was the Mitannian princess sent to Egypt for a diplomatic marriage, referred to as ‘Tadhukhipa’, this is supported as Nefertiti means â€Å"the beautiful woman has come†. Nefertiti was Akhenaten’s chief wife and it is clear that Akhenaten valued his beloved wife, in his tomb he referred to her as ‘the mistress of his happiness’, and according to C. Alfred on one of the boundary stelae at Amarna he describes her as â€Å"Fair of Face, Joyous with the Double Plume, Mistress of Happiness, Endowed with Favour, at hearing whose voice one rejoices, Lady of Grace, Great of Love, whose disposition cheers the Lord of Two Lands†. In Akhenaten’s tomb and in tombs of the nobles, Nefertiti is depicted as equal to the pharaoh, in Akhenaten and the Amarna Bradley states â€Å"she’s is treated as the king’s partner not only in their family life but in religious and political life as well†, unlike other pharaohs there are also many family reliefs depicting Akhenaten, Nefertiti and their six daughters making offerings to the Aten; no son was ever depicted in reliefs. Akhenaten and Nefertiti are accepted to have had six daughters together. They were Meritaten, Meketaten, Ankhensenpaaten, Nefernefruten-tasherit, Nefernefure and Setepenre. Meritaten ‘beloved of Aten’, married Akhenaten’s successor, Smekhkare. Around year 15 of Akhenaten’s reign, Meritaten was given the rank of ‘Mistress of the House’ and favourite of the King, at this time she was depicted performing certain religious rituals in the temple of the Aten. Meketaten ‘protected of Aten’ possibly died at childbirth (Alfred) or at the age of eleven (Redford), mourning scenes of Akhenaten and Nefertiti are depicted in the king’s tomb. Ankhensenpaaten ‘her life is in the Aten’, married Tutankhamun and became Ankhensenamun. Nefernefruaten-tasherit ‘Nefernefruaten Junior –after Nefertiti’, Nefernefrure ‘beautiful as the beauty of Re’, and Setepenre ‘chosen of Re’. What happened to the youngest three daughters is unknown. In addition to Nefertiti, Akhenaten had many other minor wives that he inherited from Amenhotep III’s harem as well as those he would have selected himself. Of particular importance is Kiya, one of Akhenaten’s minor wives. Her full origin is unknown, but she seems to have come from an official family with links to the royal household. In Akhenaten’s inscriptions Kiya was described as the greatly beloved wife of the king, this was purely an acknowledgement of her position as secondary wife and in particular as the mother of royal children. She is believed to be the mother of Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamen) and possibly Smenkhkare, who succeeded Akhenaten’s reign. It appears Kiya was a favourite of Akhenaten’s for a reasonably long time. Describe the building projects of Akhenaten in East Karnak, near the traditional capital Thebes, and Akhetaten (his new cult centre). Describe the features of the buildings and account for the stylistic changes, especially to do with the worship of the Aten. In your answer include evidence from sources ancient and modern. You can use diagrams and maps if you wish. When Akhenaten came to power in 1353BC instead of holding the holistic New Kingdom Egypt builder-warrior pharaoh, Akhenaten focused on his building projects and the establishment of Aten worship in New Kingdom Egypt. In the first year of his reign Akhenaten ordered that his father’s construction project be completed, this was typical of New Kingdom pharaohs. This project was of two decorated pylon gateways at the temple of Amun-Re at Karnak. The relief scenes carved on the pylon at this time show Akhenaten in a traditional way, they also depict the Aten as a falcon-headed god. In the second year Akhenaten ordered the construction of four temples dedicated to the Aten to be built at East Karnak, outside the enclosure wall on the east of the Great Temple of Amun-Re. These temples were Gempaaten – ‘sun disk is found’ , the Mansion of the Ben-ben stone, Rud-menu – ‘Sturdy are the Monuments of the sun-disk Forever,’ and Teni-menu – ‘Exalted are the Monuments of the sun-disk Forever’. The Gempaaten was an open rectangular court approximately 300m by 200m enclosed with a mud-brick wall, surrounding this was a roofed colonnade. The temple itself was adorned with colossal statues of Akhenaten. The decorative scenes shown in the temple showed a celebration of the Heb-sed festival in the second and third year of the king’s reign. According to an unknown source in the depictions of the first year the ritual was enacted before officials from all the districts and the gods of Egypt, whose statues had been brought from near and far to be placed in shrines. Akhenaten offered to the gods individually and was accepted by each to continue ruling. However, in the Heb-sed festival of the third year all the shrines of the gods of Egypt are replaced by the Aten and Akhenaten in the reliefs. Typically when a pharaoh is being depicted with a god he is either drawn equal or depicted kneeling to the deity, but as the sun-disc is shown at the top of relief scenes Akhenaten’s single standing figure becomes more prominent. There is no firm evidence of the other three Aten temples purpose or location at Karnak, as they were destroyed and the building materials were reused in later pharaohs building projects. It is believed that the Mansion of the Ben-ben stone was built for Nefertiti, the Ben-ben stone is typically depicted as a pyramid shaped stone, but in this temple it was shown as an obelisk. In the relief scenes Nefertiti is portrayed making offerings to the Aten as this role was generally undertaken by Akhenaten, these reliefs were the first to include Nefertiti in the triad of the Aten. A major change in the depiction of Akhenaten began to appear in these temples, he was no longer portrayed as the tradition pharaoh but instead his face become elongated, he showed very little upper body tone and had a pot belly. However large and remarkable Akhenaten’s Aten temples were, they would never be able to overcome the dominance of Amun at Karnak. This issue led to Akhenaten’s desire to form a new capital city entirely devoted to the Aten sun-disc. In year six of his reign Akhenaten selected a site halfway between Memphis and Thebes, where the cliffs on the east bank form an amphitheatre opposite from the river Nile, this naturally occurring amphitheatre was 13km in diameter and 5km wide. Akhenaten set up boundary stelae to mark the limits of his new city in every directions, he affirmed that the ground did not belong to any deity and it was the Aten himself who had revealed the land to Akhenaten. On the boundary stelae the king states the city is to be called Akhetaten meaning ‘the Horizon or seat of the Aten’, the message on the stelae mentions the temples Akhenaten intends to construct in the city – A House of the Aten, a Mansion of the Aten, a Sunshade of the Queen and a House of Rejoicing for the Aten in the Island. Evidence of most of these temples and buildings has not been found or confirmed. Akhetaten was divided into several main building regions; these included the Main city – with the royal palace and temples, the North Suburb, South city, Maru-aten (Southern Palace), a workers village and rock cut tombs. The Great Temple of the Aten was built as the centre of worship in Akhetaten. The building was an 800m by 300m open roofed rectangular court, similar to the Gempaaten in layout but much larger. The temple was not open to the public and only the royal family or high priest could enter into the Great Temple of the Aten. R. J. Unstead states the temple was designed in a processional way; entrance to the temple was from the west between two tall pylons, this entrance let into a small courtyard, ahead of this was the House of Rejoicing or Per-Hai. This was a hall filled with columns and adorned with reliefs of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. From Per-Hai you reach the next part of the temple Gem-Aten ‘finding of the Aten’, this courtyard contained rows of mud brick offering tables. Ahead of the Gem-Aten is the entrance to a long narrow court with a raised altar, beyond this alter is then entrance to another court, followed by a second and finally into three smaller sanctuary or garden courts. Each court of the temple, aside from the Gem-Aten had its own altar and colossal statues of Akhenaten as well as representations of the Aten on wall reliefs. There was no exit at the other end of The Great Temple so the procession of Akhenaten, Nefertiti and the Aten priests had to turn around and exit through the west entrance.

Youth Justice Policy in the UK

Youth Justice Policy in the UK Youth Justice Policy In order to evaluate why developments in youth justice policy and practice since 1997 are a cause for celebration and concern, the ideological motivations and the wider social and political context will be identified. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998; the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act, 1999 and the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 will be discussed in terms of the motivating ideology and rational underpinning. The practical implications of the acts and their social consequences will be evaluated in order to demonstrate what the acts achieve and where they fail to serve the rights of the individual in the youth justice system. Developments in youth justice policy and practice in the previous decade have been rooted in an ideological context that incorporates both neo-liberal approaches of responsibility and risk management (Muncie, 2006) and neo-conservative ideologies that entail an authoritarian realisation of policy (Muncie Hughes, 2002). However, cultural elements cannot be undermined when considering factors that motivate the formation of youth justice policy. Increasingly, a culture of fear and intimidation has arisen in the UK around societys youth. Muncie and Hughes (2002) point to cases such as the murder of 2 year old James Bulger by two 10 year olds as contributing factors to this fear culture. The manifestation of this cultural consciousness of fear is demonstrated in the coining of the term hoody to represent an intimidating youth in a hooded jumper (Sanders, 2005). Thus youth justice policy must be seen to appease these societal concerns. A result of this is that youth are at risk of crimina lisation and marginalisation (Scraton, Haydon, 2002). The risk is of a presumption that members of youth culture are likely to, or already have committed a criminal act. To understand whether developments in youth justice policy should be celebrated or be regarded with concern, it is important to understand the aims of the wider context of New Labour Reform. Policy has been motivated by a desire to form a transition from penal to restorative justice (Gelsthorpe Morris, 2002). This is motivated by a culture of increasing understanding and engaging the offender with the implications of their actions and is reflective of the New Labour political stance to be tough on crime and the causes of it. The resulting revolution in youth justice policy has been criticised for its failure to maintain a consistent ideology throughout (Goldson Muncie, 2006). The resultant risk is a confused, or muddled ideological approach to youth justice, and a contradictory experience between liberalism and conservatism for the offender passing through the reform system. However, this mixture of ideological approach is increasingly difficult to unify in a diverse multi-cultural society (Newburn, 2002; Fergusson, 2007). It is against this cultural and political backdrop that three significant pieces of youth justice legislation have emerged. These are the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 and the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 employs principles of actuarial risk management by imposing local authorities with the duty to implement risk reduction measures within a constituency (Moss, 2001; Farrington, 2002). These Community Safety Strategies are required to specifically address the prevention of youth crime. The practical outcomes of these strategies include the implementation of parenting and child safety orders, local curfews and action plan, detention and training orders (Scanlan, 1998). The Act brought into use the Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) and refuted the previous assumption that individuals under the age of ten should not be criminalised for committing an offence. The ASBO is administered to individuals who are deemed to be behaving in a manner that may cause harm or distress to others. The use of risk management strategies to form Community Safety Strategies has been both supported and challenged. Rooted in quantitative analysis, they explicitly identify predictor variables for youth criminal activity providing a target area for interventions and preventative measures (Farrington, 1997). Such identified risk factors have frequently included impoverished socio-economic backgrounds, harsh and erratic discipline cultures and peer group influences (Loeber, Farrington Waschbusch, 1999). Clearly, successful prevention strategies aimed at improving the conditions surrounding these risk factors are of benefit to the juvenile offender and to society as both enjoy improved welfare conditions. However, there are problems inherent in the decentralised approach to Community Safety Strategies. The quantitative approach dictates that concepts are generalised, and the actuarial assessment strategies focus upon efficiency and streamlining through youth justice process (Kempf-Leona rd Peterson, 2000). What is lost is a qualitative, individual approach to youth justice reform, and the individualistic consideration of the most beneficial (if not most efficient) process is absent. Case (2007) argues that this approach neglects to account for the experience of stakeholders such as youth workers and juvenile offenders. A combination of the quantitative and qualitative approaches would improve the ecological validity of risk analysis interpretations. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 amends details of prevention strategies such as parenting contracts and ASBO administration. Inherent in the motivations contributing to the policy is the desire to appease public fear of juvenile offenders by re-establishing a notion of respect within British community culture (Squires, 2008). Rooted in social inclusion discourse, the act predominantly aims in part to improve the educational and social bonds between the youth, parents and the school establishment. This is evident in the parenting contracts which require an insurance of a childs attendance at school. According to the social development model (Catalano Hawkins, 1996), factors of poverty and poor education jointly interact to promote the likelihood of delinquent behaviour. By ensuring parental and childhood engagement with education, this link can be broken. Furthermore, parents may be required to attend parenting courses if their childs behaviour is not deemed to improve. The act st ates that local education authorities are able to engage with parents of children excluded from school in order to establish the contractual process. The Act also puts in place powers for police to disperse groups of more than two individuals in public spaces if they appear to be causing nuisance. There are problems inherent in these new powers allocated to the police. Research has demonstrated that groups of youths are more readily perceived as threatening than congregated groups of other age groups (Mille, Jacobson, McDonald, Hough, 2005). Furthermore, local agencies present conflict in how to deal with individuals deemed to be engaging in anti-social practice. There appears to be a difficulty in balancing neo-liberal and neo-conservative approaches and the favoured approach may vary regionally. Mille et al (2005) also demonstrated a discrepancy between national perceptions and local implementations of ASBO administration. A national consensus that there should be an emphasis on enforcement contrasts with the local implementation of social inclusion policies. While parenting courses have been deemed as successful in the short-term (Kazdin, 1997), concerns have been raised about the long-term efficacy and the cost effectiveness of national implementation. It has also been de monstrated that the notion of responsibility has been centralised in governmental youth justice reform and that the rights of the parent and the child have not been sufficiently conceptualised to deal with this (Hollingsworth, 2007). The failure to do this has resulted in a social stigmatisation and criminalisation of families with low socio-economic status (Goldson, 2002) which negates the desired effects of social inclusion. The overall result of the Act is the social penalisation and discrimination of young individuals and working class parents. The Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 was also borne out of a desire to effectively manage youth crime issues in a manner that was economically efficient. The focus on crime prevention and intervention is borne out of this motivation for efficiency. It has been deemed that prevention of crime is more cost effective than punitive measures once the act has been committed (Winter, 2007). Furthermore, concepts of diagnosis, rehabilitation and reformation are considered too individualistic and are more efficiently managed by employing applications of resource management (Muncie, 1999). In order to improve efficiency, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 orders the referral of first time youth offenders to panels as opposed to serving a custodial sentence. The resource of the panel which is allocated to the youth offender is deemed to be an early solution to re-offending, ensuring that the individual does not become a habitual criminal. This will ensure that the indi vidual requires less resources overall from the penal system. The practical outcome of the Youth Justice and Criminal Act 1999 is that the juvenile offender is referred to a panel upon the first offence if they plead guilty. The individual confers with the panel to produce an action plan that the youth will adhere too. Action plans are aimed at improving the social circumstances of the child and negating risk factors. On the outset this appears positive. The offending individual is consulted and if able to work co-operatively, is theoretically able to engage in a rehabilitative process that will deter future offending behaviour. While this approach has deemed to initially appear as an effective measure, further research is required to fully determine the effectiveness of the approach (Anand, 1999). Muncie (1999) argues that the re-conceptualisation of rehabilitative issues into resource management rhetoric results in a depoliticised issue where youth justice problems are viewed as requiring efficient management as opposed to resolution. Therefo re, while the alternative to custodial sentences may prove beneficial, it is important that the emphasis on rehabilitation is still prominent. It has been determined that youth justice policy is rooted in a conflicting ideological basis centred upon neo-liberal and neo-conservative ideals. This occurs against a backdrop of a social context of a mass cultural fear of the young individual. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 are borne out of political motivations to govern public services with economic efficiency. What results is a process that manages youth justice as a resource issue. Any focus upon individual needs and rehabilitative process is threatened. Actuarial concepts do favour preventative measures which can work to improve the circumstances of the individual. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 aims to improve social inclusion by re-conceptualising notions of social responsibility. However, the administration of parenting contacts; and the power to move on groups of individuals, results in a criminalisation of young individuals and families of lower socio-economic st atus. References Anand, S.S. (1999). Youth Crime: What Works, What Doesnt, and What it Means for Canadian Criminal Justice Policy. Queens Law Journal, 25,177-189. Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003.(c. 38): HMSO. Case, S. (2007). Questioning the Evidence of Risk that Under-pins Evidence Led Youth Justice Interventions. Youth Justice, 7(2),91-105. Catalano, R.F., Hawkins, J.D. (1996). Social Development Model: A Theory of Antisocial Behaviour.Rockville, MD: National Institute of Justice. Crime and Disorder Act 1998. (c. 37): HMSO. Farrington, D. (1997). Evaluating a Community Crime Prevention Programme. Evaluation, 3(2),157-173. Farrington, D. (2002). Understanding and preventing youth crime. In J. Muncie, E. McLaughlin, (Eds.). Youth Justice: Critical Readings.London: Sage Publications Ltd. Fergusson, R. (2007). Making sense of the Melting Pot: Multiple Discourses in Youth Justice Policy. Youth Justice, 7(3),179-194. Gelsthorpe, L., Morris, A. (2002). Restorative youth justice: The last vestiges of welfare? In J. Muncie, E. McLaughlin, (Eds.). Youth Justice: Critical Readings.London: Sage Publications Ltd. Goldson, B. (2002). Youth Crime, the Parenting Deficit, and State Intervention: A Contextual Critique. Youth Justice, 2(2),82-99. Goldson, B., Muncie, J. (2006). Rethinking youth justice: Comparative analysis, international human rights and research evidence. Youth Justice, 6(2),91-95. Hollingsworth, K. (2007). Responsibility and Rights: Children and their Parents in the Youth Justice System. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 21(2),210-219. Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.(c. 23): HMSO. Kazdin, A. (1997). Parent Management Training: Evidence, Outcomes, Issues. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(10),1349-1356. Kempf-Leonard, K., Peterson, E. (2000). Expanding the realms of the New Penology. Punishment Society, 2(1),66-97. Loeber,R., Farrington, D., Waschbusch, D. (1999). Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders. In R. Loeber D. Farrington (Eds.) Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Succesful Interventions.London: Sage Publications. Mille, A., Jacobson, J., McDonald, E., Hough, M. (2005). Anti-Social Behaviour Strategies: Finding a Balance.Bristol: Policy Press. Moss, K. (2001). Crime Prevention v Planning: Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Is it a Material Consideration? Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal, 3,43-48. Muncie, J. (1999). Institutionalized Intolerance: Youth Justice and the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. Critical Social Policy, 19(2),147-175. Muncie, J. (2006). Governing young people: Coherence and contradiction in contemporary youth justice. Critical Social Policy, 26(4),770-793. Muncie, J., Hughes, G. (2002). Modes of governance: Political rationalities, criminalization and resistance. In J. Muncie, E. McLaughlin, (Eds.). Youth Justice: Critical Readings.London: Sage Publications Ltd. Newburn, T. (2002). The contemporary politics of youth crime prevention. ? In J. Muncie, E. McLaughlin, (Eds.). Youth Justice: Critical Readings.London: Sage Publications Ltd. Sanders, B. (2005). Youth Crime and Youth Culture in the Inner City.London: Routledge. Scanlan, D. (1998). The Crime and Disorder Act 1998: A Guide for Practitioners.London: Callow Publishing. Scraton, P., Haydon, D. (2002). Challenging the criminalisation of children and young people: securing a rights based agenda. In J. Muncie, E. McLaughlin, (Eds.). Youth Justice: Critical Readings.London: Sage Publications Ltd. Squires, P. (2008). ASBO Nation: The Criminalisation of Nuisance.Bristol: Policy Press. Winter, H. (2007). The Economics of Crime: An Introduction to Rational Crime Analysis.London: Routledge.

Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay -- Oscar Wilde Imp

Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest Webster’s dictionary defines earnest as â€Å"characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind.† This definition is subject to total upheaval by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest. The title suggests a treatise on the value of solemnity in everyday life. However, Wilde presents us with an ironic play that leaves us with the opposite lesson. None of the characters benefit from propriety. The least serious characters, Algernon and Jack are rewarded in the end for their frivolous behavior throughout the play, implying that there is very little, if any, importance to being earnest, excepting that you give the appearance of such, for example the name. In several instances, even indirectly, Wilde draws back the curtain of convention in the Victorian age and shows us the ridiculousness of such a passionate attachment to gravity. Before the name or adjective is even used the reader is presented with two men, Algernon (the purveyor of un-earnestness) and Jack, his protà ©gà © in deceit and jocularity. The discussion on their alternate personas’ escapades introduces us to the irony of the title. â€Å"You have always told me it was Ernest. I have introduced you to everyone as Ernest. You answer to the name of Ernest. You look as if your name was Ernest. You are the most earnest-looking person I ever saw in my life. It is perfectly absurd your saying that you name isn’t Ernest.† (Act I p. 14) Not only does Wilde put the concept of â€Å"being earnest† into question throughout the play but he doubles the irony by adding such importance to the name itself. For Algernon to tell Jack he is being ridiculous by asserting he has been lying about his name and... ... on Victorian culture, the modern day reader is left with disdain for the earnest ideal. The characters rely on it only superficially. Through the play the meaning of the word is manipulated until its meaning is lost and the remaining value of the word is to essentially mask the true natures of the people who use the word (or name) too freely. The implication is that the characters in the play are silly as well as hypocritical, and as representatives of Victorian culture, Wilde is leading the reader to the conclusion that much of the decorum expounded by society is just as silly and hypocritical. Luckily for the proponents of the stiff propriety in the Victorian age, the blow of this conclusion is softened immensely by the comical nature of the play, and we are left with the lesson that there is really no importance in being earnest, but merely being named Ernest.