Why Reflective Practice Shall Increase in Importance in the Future Essay

Why Reflective Practice Shall Increase in Importance in the Future - Essay Example Moreover, universal access to health care is particularly important in Australia and in this manner, Medicare levy was established to provide varying benefits for individuals as regards hospital reimbursements, physician’s fees, medications and many more. Another worth noting fact is that health care system in Australia is largely government–run. Privatization of healthcare is said to be an issue gaining much commotion from all sectors of the society especially that private care offers freedom to choose doctors and that it also creates a threat to equity and access in the delivery of healthcare (Parbury, 2000). In connection, other issues compounding nursing practice in Australia include the aging populace which is also evident in other countries. In lieu of this, great fiscal demands are gauged to impact health care system. Moreover, the shortage of potential nurses in rural and remote areas of the country is apparent. If not properly addressed, this may result in further problems for the healthcare sector of the country. Moreover, the surging concern for the poor health of the indigenous people in Australia, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, increases the pressure for reconciliation between the indigenous people and white settlers of the country. As stressed by Parbury (2000), nursing in Australia is indeed exciting due to the massive opportunities for nurse practitioners. These are an outcome of the recent developments in nursing education and professional practice. Nonetheless, what is deemed to be of utmost concern is related to high attrition rate among the nursing workf orce and the challenge affronted the health care system as regards poor health and increased mortality rate amongst indigenous Australians. From this perspective, the study shall seek understanding and clarification of why reflective and critical thinking shall grow increasingly important in the future. According to past researchers, critical thinking or  reflection can help substantially in providing nurse practitioners with the freedom to introspect oneself as to his or her thoughts and actions (Simpson and Courtney, N.d.).

How Capitalism Works in Different Scenarios Coursework

How Capitalism Works in Different Scenarios - Coursework Example According to Hagopian capitalism is a social organization which is currently experienced in every country. In this type of organization, means that are used for production are owned by a minority group in society (capitalistic class). The rest of the population has to sell their labor in exchange for salary/wage (working class). Unlike the communist form of organization where a society has no classes, in capitalism class division plays a major role. Capitalism is best explained by Karl Marx who says a capitalistic society has two main classes; those who have (own the means of production) and those who have not. There may be the existence of other classes in society but the two are conceived as the major ones. According to Marx those who have are fond of exploiting those who do not have hence conflict will always exist between the two classes. This is what forms a capitalistic society and that is how it operates.Capitalism is the mode of production that is employed in our contemporary societies. In many societies today you will find the existence of the two main classes. Exploitation comes about when the capitalistic class uses the working class to their benefit. This is because as much as the working class is the one working on the ground the overall profits realized go to the capitalistic class. Costs paid by capitalists in the production process such as salaries are way too low as compared to the profits realized. These profits are then invested in order to generate more profits, leading to further wealth accumulation. When the working class gets tired they will result in a revolution and finally, the society will go into a state of communism. At this stage, no one owns anything and Marx asserts that the process will repeat itself.Blaut (127) explains the history of capitalism by first letting the people know the transitional debate history. Capitalism origins can be best explained through the commercialization model. ration to show how capitalism works is in factory scenarios, where a lot of people are involved in the production process but the profits are reaped by one person.

Impact of Globalisation on Architecture

Impact of Globalisation on Architecture What is meant By the Term Globalisation, and How Does It Have an Impact on the Practice Of Architecture? Introduction In any age of change, debates on conflicting ideologies often dominate discussions. The struggle to adapt often results in shaping the social, political, economic and cultural paradigms. In architectural context and urban designs, much has been argued on the ideology of modernism and traditionalism and, more recently, on globalism and regionalism. These ideologies have been tacitly acknowledged, yet their practices have often been considered non-conforming. To effectively argue for an ideology such as globalism, one needs to take into consideration the consequences and impacts based on prevailing evidence, as well as deliberate on opposing views. In the following discussion, the researcher shall discuss globalization and its impact on architecture with reference to various architectural styles that are considered global and assert that globalization has positively affected architectural styles of the world. Discussion Globalization is an umbrella term that refers to a complex and universal phenomenon that has affected varied dimensions including economics, politics, science, history, geography, environment, culture, management, international relations, and professional practices etc. Depending on the context it is used in, globalization can be defined as the growing interdependence of the world’s people †¦ a process integrating not just the economy but culture, technology, and governance. People everywhere are becoming connected-affected by events in far corners of the world.† United Nations Development Program (1999:1). From this definition, one understands that globalization is not only a phenomenon that is understood and appreciated by Western cultures but it is also fast becoming embedded in other regions of the world. Globalization has a daunting influence over almost all aspects of public and private life (Kiggundu 2002). Consequently, it is not surprising that it has also proliferated to architectural practices as well. To understand the influence of globalization on architecture, one needs to first understand the influence of culture on architecture. According to Lewis (2002), architectural history is filled with movements of opposing cultural and aesthetic diversity, which form the basis for architectural philosophy and design ideology. This is because governments, companies and people of nations around the world are the main sponsors of architectural designs and styles, which they use to symbolize their rule and identity. Thus, the Romans developed the magnificent coliseums and temples with the view to depict their empires grandeur (Lewis 2002). The classical Roman architectural designs points to the hegemony of its people who have been the determinism of hierarchy and values of the Roman culture (Tzonis, Lefaivre and Stagno 2001). Furthermore, one also observes that the classical Roman style of architecture depicts cultural hegemony. This trend of cultural influence over architectural design is not isolated in history. During the 19th and 20th century, to establish their identities in colonies they set up, the French and English had controlled the architectural styles of many regions of the world including China, South East Asia, Africa and America. Monumental designs, which have been developed and set in these regions, speak of their colonial rule and changing policies. Regarding colonial cultural hegemony, Metcalf (1989 qt. Wright ) writes, Administrators hoped that preserving traditional status-hierarchies would buttress their own superimposed colonial order. Architects, in turn, acknowledging that resistance to new forms is often based on affections for familiar places, tried to evoke a sense of continuity with the local past in their designs. (Wright 9) After the two World Wars, economic decline and rise of national universalism led to capitalism. European and American architects, according to Lewis (2002), rebelled against the classicism and demanded a new regime for international designs to be adopted with the new industrial, technological, social and political order; hence, emerged the modernist style. Modernism, according to Ibelings (1998), formed the basis for building, during the post-war era. Modern architecture progressed with faith in reason. It introduced the concept of internationalization in architecture, whereby designs of offices, schools, hospitals and housing have been based on multifunction. This style, however, has been fast replaced by postmodernism in which concepts are set on universally accepted ideologies. The post-modern style has become more dominant, partly because of the deterioration of modernism and partly because modernism could not convey the language of people who inhabited buildings and houses built by modern architects. Buildings are to function as vehicles of ideas and activities within it (Ibelings 1998). They need to reflect the aesthetic and inspiration of the people who live in it. It is during this post-modern era that emerged the concept of universalism to express and accommodate symbols of technological development, national progress, economi c integration and internationalization. As a result, during the late 20th century, a wave of architectural styles emerged that reflected the age of globalization. This international style emerged which had been synonymous with standardization, systemization, mass production, functional logic and economies of scale. The new functional type of architectural design has adopted the global culture of commerce and design. The global architectural style triumphed over the historic classical as it is based on the rationale of universalization. The global architects argue that the stylistic buildings during the modern age surpass its classical, constructivist, modernist and colonial counterparts because it facilitates the vernacular expression and allows regional and aesthetic inspiration to integrate into designs (Umbach and Bernd 2005). The global consumers manifest their expectations and ideologies are influenced by market opportunities, business agendas, standardization, franchises, and brands. Buildings are characterized by skyscrapers, towers, malls and branded buildings. The Petronas Towers, Sears Towers, World Trade Centre, Shanghai World Financial Centre and Canary Wharf, for example, all depict consumerism and universalism. Thus, the global architectural style has come to dominate the global arena. The global architectural style has also come to influence the architectural practice. As architect firms cater to international markets, they expand to profit from far away markets, even though the majority are based in the Western countries. They base their designs on a general framework of globalization and post modernism. They are more influenced by the local cultures. Their designs often reflect both, the local elements and universal designs. Oriental buildings, for example, are often based on Feng Shui principles, even though the monument is based on technological and modern architecture. Similarly, high-rise buildings in the US will have used glass, stainless steel and such metals, which depict the nations industrial past. While the above discussion depicts a positive picture of globalization and its influence on architectural style, there are contenders to it as well. Anti-global forces, such as humanists, claim that globalization has eradicated that which is essentially cultural of a place. By introducing functional, standardization and open space urbanism, cities of the world have replaced their historical skyline with ugly steel and concrete. Furthermore, the efforts to standardize and systemize have eradicated cultural identity that is the essence of a nation or state. Instead, today architectural designs are dominated by political hegemony and economic dominance. Buildings of today, like the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Dubai Airport and Thai Airports, all seem to belong to one style. Malls across the world, for instance, reflect similar functionality, devoid of humanism or cultural identity. Nevertheless, their argument cannot reason with the fact that global designs have purpose and help in conservation of the environment through effective utilization of spaces. It is this new style that provides habitation spaces without compromising land use (Scarpaci 2005; Umbach and Bernd 2005). Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that globalization has positively influenced architectural practices and styles. It reflects the culture of modernization, systemization, standardization and functional logic. It also depicts cultural integration, harmonization of spaces and universal consumerism. No doubt, the classical school of thought considers globalization of architecture as infringement over individuality and cultural identity. Nevertheless, they must contend that globalization has in fact alleviated localization through vernacular designs. The writer contends that globalization has replaced the individual aesthetic and cultural uniqueness. One must also acknowledge the fact that globalization has mass produced architecture that once had been a profession of individualism and unparalleled skills. Yet, globalization has benefited more through creative and functional architectural styles, as compared to the classical buildings that benefits a few group of high elites only. References Ibelings, H. (1998), Supermodernism: Architecture in the Age of Globalization, NAi Publishers. Kiggundu, M. N. (2002), Managing Globalization in Developing Countries and Transition Economies: Building Capacities for a Changing World. Praeger: Westport, CT. Lewis, R. K. (2002), Will Forces of Globalization Overwhelm Traditional Local Architecture? Washington Post. November 2. Metcalf, T. R. (1989), An Imperial Vision: Indian Architecture and Britains Raj. Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press. Scarpaci, J. L. (2005), Plazas and Barrios: Heritage Tourism and Globalization in the Latin American Centro Historico. Tucson: The U of Arizona. Tzonis, A., Lefaivre, L. and Stagno, B. (eds) (2001), Tropical Architecture: Critical Regionalism in the Age of Globalization. Academy Press. Umbach, M. and Bernd, H. (eds.) (2005), Vernacular Modernism: Heimat, Globalization, and the Built Environment. Stanford: Stanford University Press. UNDP. 1999. Human Development Report. 2 Vols. New York: UNDP and Oxford University Press Wright, G. (1991), The Politics of Design in French Colonial Urbanism. Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press.

What do you find to admire in the poetry of Christina Rossetti? :: English Literature

What do you find to admire in the poetry of Christina Rossetti? Christina Rossetti was born on the 5th December 1830 and died in 1894. She was an English poet and a devout High Anglican, from an Anglo - Italian background. She also was the sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who was a famous artist. Christina Rossetti could be described as one of the 19th Century's 'great odd women.' Even though she did have a variety of poems, no one has said she was a 'great' poet; however, the reason why we are so interested in her is because she was writing poetry in Victorian England and middle - class women were not seen to have any power. The fact that she had even been writing poetry was very unusual, as most females had little rights at this time. Most of her poetry expresses unfulfilled spiritual yearning, frustrated love and the sadness that is spread through her poems may be due to unhappy love affairs in her youth, or to the ill health she constantly suffered. Some examples of this are, 'When I am deadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦' and 'After death.' These poems are obviously about death and her poems are sometimes optimistic and depressing. But simply by writing poetry at this time, she was making a statement about how a lot of women felt during this period. One of the things I admire in the poetry of Christina Rossetti is that she was very honest in what she wrote. She was not afraid to express personal thoughts; for example in 'A Birthday' she says, 'My heart is like a singing bird.' This is very dramatic as she normally writes about darker feelings. Christina Rossetti is also not afraid of dying as she has strong religious beliefs that echo through each poem. For example in 'Song', she expresses that in some way she is looking forward to death and she feels that when she dies she will be a peace. When she wrote her poems, most of them were very depressing but she did, from time, to time write about happiness; for example the poem, which I mentioned previously, 'A Birthday.' This poem is about happiness and feelings of love that inspire her. In it, she is very happy and she cannot describe how she feels enough. Another thing that I admire is that she had the ability to write in different poetic styles; ballads, sonnets and songs, among others. Ballads are a simple song and are very sentimental often with several verses, with the same beat and rhythm. 'Maude Clare' is an example of a Ballad.

Balance Scorecard Training Essay

Business: Online Personal Training and nutrition plans called Lose the Fat Girl The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic performance management framework that has been designed to help an organization monitor its performance and manage the execution of its strategy. In a recent world-wide study on management tool usage, the Balanced Scorecard was found to be the sixth most widely used management tool across the globe which also had one of the highest overall satisfaction ratings (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). In its simplest form the Balanced Scorecard breaks performance monitoring into four interconnected perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Processes and Learning & Growth. According to Pearce and Robinson (2009), the financial perspective covers the financial objectives of an organization and allows managers to track financial success and shareholder value. The customer perspective covers the customer objectives such as customer satisfaction, market share goals as well as product and service attributes. The Internal process perspective covers internal operational goals and outlines the key processes necessary to deliver the customer objectives. The learning and growth perspective covers the intangible drivers of future success such as human capital, organizational capital and information capital including skills, training, organizational culture, leadership, systems and databases. Deriving what the company wants to get done starts with looking at why the company was founded in the first place. Basic principles that the company was founded upon helped drive its past to bring it to a successful present, and sustain the future for years to come. Lose the Fat Girl has a great plan to finish out the 2013 fiscal year on a strong note and even going into 2014 on the right foot would be beneficial to the company as a whole. The goals that were accomplished comparing year-over-year figures reveal that we have set goals to increase overall revenue, shareholder value, and capital  interest substantially and our results prove that these were realistic figures that we have set out for ourselves. There was a 30% increase in revenue compared to this time last year. Increases in shareholder value over the past two years of 15% , a steady average gain each year. Customer retention is at 90% and employee turnover is 0% since the company first started. Lose the Fat Girl is committed to developing personalized fitness programs that will motivate, support, and get each individual to their desired fitness goals by using safe and effective training techniques, for guaranteed results. The mission statement indicates that the company wants to touch and change people’s lives because it cares which will keep customers training for longer periods of time. The mission statement creates the foundation and is a reminder of the company’s overall purpose: To change people’s lives for the better. Working out has and always will be a problem for many people around the world. A service like this would allow us to reach people anywhere. This mission statement came about because of the need to help people that work long hours and simply need a little help, or push to get back in to shape by creating a lifestyle. Making training and coaching available to our clients anywhere has made it easier for more people to access our services. Looking at values for the company, we came up with a simple approach that coincides with what our clients ultimately find to be solid values to find in a company they can trust. Forming a strongly rooted client base, strict certification practices being encouraged and mandatory for employees, and even offering products that are going to fit the customer the best way possible are some of the things we encourage. Follow-ups are critical in making sure the client is happy with the services they are receiving at all times. This will continue a strong pipeline of customers for the future, instill confidence in the customer in knowing they are in the best hands possible, and customers ultimately benefit the best way possible in the end. The idea of the balanced scorecard is simple but extremely powerful if implemented well. As long as you use the key ideas to create a unique strategy and visualize it in a cause-and-effect map, align the organization and its processes to the objectives identified in the strategic map, design meaningful key performance indicators (KPI) and use them to facilitate learning and improved decision making you will end up with a powerful tool that should lead to better performance (Pearce &  Robinson, 2009). References Pearce, J.A. II, & Robinson, R.B. (2009). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (11th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

The Value of Philosophy

The Value of Philosophy and the Point of Our Lives It is basic human nature to question. There is a curiosity inside all of us that leads us to wonder about everything. Curiosity leads to examination, which leads to contemplation. Through this process the mysteries of life and the universe are slowly discovered. But there are some questions that can never be answered with certainty. These questions make up the study of philosophy, and are considered using reason and logic. Two of the main arguments in philosophy discuss its value and the meaning of life.Socrates, Bertrand Russell, Blaise Pascal and Thomas Nagel attempt in their own way to reason through these questions and form their own unique answers. In Bertrand Russell’s â€Å"The Value of Philosophy†, he discusses what philosophy is and why it is important. He concludes that the value of philosophy is rooted in its very uncertainty. He maintains that all those questions that cannot be answered are a part of philoso phical discussion, and questions with definite answers are a product of the physical sciences.When Russell is explaining in detail the value of philosophy he says, â€Å"These questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation† (Russell 12). For Russell, philosophy opens the mind and dispels ignorance and dogmatism, allowing us to think more freely and consider more possibilities. In Plato’s â€Å"Apology: Defence of Socrates,† Socrates also holds the view that philosophy is a necessary practice for all persons when he argues, â€Å"An unexamined life is no life for a human being to live† (Plato 40).Socrates has just been found guilty of corrupting the youth and not acknowledging the gods of the city. Once the verdict is reached, he argues for execution rather than exile because he believes that his study of philosophy is supreme in his lif e and it would be more honorable to die than to flee and study philosophy elsewhere, under subpar conditions than those in Athens. Philosophy is important to him because it allows people to think for themselves rather than go along with what they are told to believe.Russell and Socrates both uphold that the importance of philosophy come from what is does for the mind. Philosophy opens our minds, allowing unawareness and hypocrisy to dissipate. By questioning, we come to know more about the universe, and ourselves. However, Russell and Socrates do disagree on the certainty of truth. Socrates believes that there is certain truth, and one can reach it through reason and contemplation. Conversely, Russell maintains that everything is uncertain, but philosophy is still valuable because thinking of all possible explanations enlarges our minds.Through philosophy we are released from presumption, obliviousness, and bigotry. Whether or not we can know the absolute truth, contemplation throug h reason still holds immense importance for human beings. I draw from Socrates as well as Russell when I consider the value of philosophy. Philosophy allows me to see the world for what it is, instead of being bogged down by the opinion of the masses, or the societal norms. Through reason I can consider the truth and it’s importance to me. Similar to Russell, I see that much of philosophy’s greatness lies in its uncertainty.We cannot know for sure what the answers are, but through observation and thought we can form many possibilities, enlarging our minds to hold more than one solution to any given problem. Consequently this allows us to have a more open mind, and we can approach life with a broadened sense of self. Another question philosophers ask is â€Å"What is the point of our lives? † The answer varies greatly between each individual, demonstrated by the separate thoughts of Socrates, Pascal, and Nagel. Socrates argues that it is worse than death to be un just.He gives some examples of what qualifies as unjust. Injustice includes: lying, injuring others, breaking the law of a just state, and hurting those who hurt you. Above all, Socrates argues that the point of our lives is to seek the truth. He condemns the sophists because they have no regard for the truth; they only appreciate material things. The sophists were a group of philosophers around the time of Socrates who taught the youth of Athens how to win arguments, whether what they were arguing for was true or not. Socrates maintains that this is not the way to live.Life is not about money or material things, rather, the point of life is to be just, honorable, and true to yourself as well as the laws of the state. He even argues that one ought rather die than live a bad life. â€Å"I suggest that it is not death that is hard to avoid, gentlemen, but wickedness is far harder, since it is fleeter of foot than death† (Plato 41). Socrates claims that it is much easier to live in wickedness than die. Therefore, injustice and dishonor are two of the greatest evils and one should avoid them at all costs.In â€Å"The Wager,† Pascal presents a view of life centered on belief in God. Similar to Socrates, he upholds that life is about pursuing the truth as well as living a good life. He argues for the existence of absolute truth when he states, â€Å"Is there not one substantial truth, seeing there are so many things which are not the truth itself† (Pascal 83). Pascal maintains that this â€Å"one substantial truth† is God, and reasons for His existence. He claims that in life, we have two choices: to believe in God, or to not believe in God.We must accept the wager; we have no choice. There are four possible outcomes from this wager, according to Pascal. If God does indeed exist, and we so believe that he exists, we will gain infinite bliss; if we do not believe that he exists, then we are damned for eternity. However, if God does not exi st and we believe the same, then we lose nothing, but we also gain nothing. If we believe that He exists and He does not, then we also lose nothing, but have lived a good life with faith, humility, and compassion.Above all, Pascal wants us to believe. His main points are summarized when he writes, â€Å"If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing† (Pascal 83). We must wager, and we must believe in God, for He is the ultimate truth. Thomas Nagel discusses absurdity, which is the discrepancy between how seriously humans take their lives, and how uncertain life actually is. Everything is open to doubt, and that causes us to feel that our lives are insignificant, and therefore, nothing matters.He maintains that humans deem life absurd through epistemological skepticism, or the view that nothing can be known with certainty. He presents five options, which vary from completely avoiding life’s absurdity to embracing it fully. His thoughts on absurdity and his sol ution to it are best portrayed when he states, â€Å"If†¦there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our lives with irony instead of heroism or despair† (Nagel 27).By accepting the view that nothing matters, we accept the view that believing nothing matters also does not matter, freeing us from absurdity. Nagel urges us to not despair, but also not take life too seriously. Pascal, Nagel, and Socrates present different views of how to make our lives worthwhile; but all agree that our lives should be spent in search of the truth, which is reached through honest reasoning and individual contemplation. When faced with the absurdity and uncertainty of life, Pascal and Nagel agree that suicide is not a legitimate escape.It is not necessary and ends up robbing us of the possibility of infinite happiness or a life free from absurdity. I agree with Socrates’ view, that dishonor and injustice must be avoided in order to live a good and honest life. I accept Pascal’s wager, and am willing to place my bet on the existence of God, hoping to gain all. I have also experienced some of the absurdity Nagel discusses and have come to my own conclusions. I maintain that we should live for today. By living in the present we escape the fear of the future.We do not get hung up on the uncertainties, but still acknowledge their existence. I also agree with Nagel that life should be approached with irony, and we should not take ourselves too seriously. Russell, Socrates, Pascal and Nagel all present plausible answers to the questions â€Å"What is the value of philosophy,† and â€Å"What is the purpose of our lives†. They use reason and logic to reach their conclusions. Through philosophy, we can broaden our minds and free ourselves from the dogmatism of society.Once our minds are expanded, we are able to think with reason and discover, for ourselves, the truth. References Nagel, Thom as, â€Å"The Absurd,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. Pascal, Blaise, â€Å"The Wager,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007.Plato, â€Å"Apology: Defence of Socrates,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. Russell, Bertrand, â€Å"The Value of Philosophy,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007.