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Evaluating HR Systems

According to the authors, human resources most distinguishing virtue entails the ability to thoughtfully challenge and be able to refocus unfounded conceptualizations of behavior, irrespective of the organizational status of the speaker and the apparent conviction behind his or her words. I agree with the author in this regard because of the fact that human resource in such instances has the required skills, capacities and knowledge regarding sustainable decision making. Their professional experiences expose them to a wide range of challenging scenarios and impart viable skills with which they are able to mold respectable and beneficial organizational culture.

They are in the best position to understand the behavioral functioning of the organization, besides being able to cite any weaknesses whenever they arise. In other words, human resources provide useful insights with which an organization can be able to align its decisions and behavior to the established organizational norm. Of great importance is the recognition that relative skills and knowledge enable the human resource to provide the management and other disciplines with credible information that then ensures that all decisions made at different levels are based on informed thought.

In their review, Barney and Wright (1998) contend that in some instances, the top management or other organizational disciplines tend to make unfounded assumptions that compromise the organizational culture as well as its performance. Such decisions are usually influenced by the presumed important role that relative disciplines play in the wellbeing of organizations. Besides undermining the performance of the organization, playing along demeans the role and importance of human resources management. To counter this, human resources need to be more aggressive and pursue their primal role of shaping organizational culture and behavior. This can be attained by use of positive and well thought out processes to nurture the organizational decision making to maturity.

Essentially, metrics are employed in human resource to not only measure performance but also identify non performing areas for relevant action. In addition, human resource metrics are imperative in formulating sustainable benchmarks that can be employed in regulating human resources behavior in future. Ultimately, Ulrich (1997) indicates that these measures seek to improve the holistic performance of the organization. Further, human resource metrics provide relevant guidance to the management that can be employed in enabling the same to meet its goals and objectives.

Examples of metrics that are employed in human resources include cost per hire, interviews per offer ratio and turnover ratio. There are also other human resource metrics that seek to determine the level to which programs as well as people related activities affect the productivity and costs of the organization. Examples of these entail the relationship between the practice of employee selection and relative performance and the relationship between the attitudes of the employee, absenteeism levels and the related costs. Essentially, the effectiveness of the human resource metrics is based on its ability to not only report relevant results with regard to performance but to also cite the cause effect relationship between different factors. This enables the management to employ sustainable approaches that would resolve the emergent issues effectively. In the long run, this enables the organization to save resources that can otherwise be employed in other development sectors.

Besides human resource metrics, customer surveys and performance appraisals can effectively be employed in measuring the performance and productivity of human resources. With regard to customer surveys, Ulrich (1997) ascertains that customers can provide credible feedback with regard to the performance of human resources. This is possible because they (customers) tend to be directly affected by the human resource services. Questionnaires and interview schedules can be employed in getting the feedback from the customers on various activities and practices of the human resources.

In order to attain optimal results in this regard, one needs to make a credible decision with respect to the aspects of the human resources that need to be evaluated at a given time. In most instances, emphasis is placed on the evaluation of human resources services like training development and staffing. This is because the relative activities are integral in not only developing skilled persons but also motivating the workforce and ensuring that it remains committed to its respective professions. This can be employed together with an external audit hat would accredit the results.

Seemingly, performance appraisals can also be instrumental in determining the performance of the human resource. These enable the human resources to learn about their performance and identify the weak areas that require their review (Ulrich, 1998). Being informed about these weak performance areas enables the organization to adopt accurate measures towards improvement. In addition, human resources employing this tend to be well informed about their progress and they use the relative feedback to make major improvements. Finally, clarification of the relationships between the employee goals and performance is imperative in development of viable performance strategies in future.

References

Barney, J. & Wright, P. (1998). On Becoming a Strategic Partner: The Role of Human Resources in Gaining Competitive Advantage. Human Resource Management, 37 (1), 31-46.

Ulrich, D. (1997). Measuring Human Resources: An Overview of Practice and Prescription of Results. Human Resource Management, 36 (3), 302-20.

Ulrich, D. (1998). Human Resource Champions. Harvard: University Press.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide

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Introduction

Matters pertaining to life and death have always been controversial in many countries. This is especially considering the differing opinions on when it starts and ends, as well as who should have the final say on when it ends. Controversy has particularly been with regard to euthanasia and mercy killing. Euthanasia refers to the act of ending the life of an individual who is suffering from a terminal (and usually painful) ailment in order to bring their suffering to an end. As much as euthanasia is, more often than not, an act of mercy, it is usually considered an act of crime and would be charged as criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter or second-degree murder. However, euthanasia comes in varied forms including active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, and involuntary euthanasia. Active euthanasia, more often than not, involves a facilitator (usually a physician) providing a means and method of ending one’s life, as well as putting the process of ending life in motion (Biggs, 2000). This may be considered as voluntary euthanasia in instances where the victim’s consent has been obtained. Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, involves allowing an individual who is terminally ill to die through removing all assistance that would keep him alive, for example removing respirators or feeding tubes (Biggs, 2000). Involuntary euthanasia involves ending the life of an individual who has not given his consent to the process, or an individual who is sufficiently competent.

In California, euthanasia is considered a criminal act. Also referred to as “Mercy Killing” or “Assisted Suicide”, active euthanasia is specifically prohibited. The California Penal Code Section 401, which is titled “Advising or Encouraging Suicide”, states that an individual who intentionally advices, encourages, or assists another person to end his own life would be guilty of a felony (McDougall et al, 2008). Assistance, in this case, would entail the provision of anything that would be necessary or useful in the attainment of an end, for example, the provision of a weapon to an individual while knowing full well that the individual will attempt or even commit suicide. California voters, in 1992, brought down a ballot whose passing would have legalized doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia (McDougall et al, 2008).

Varied ethical issues arise from mercy killing and euthanasia. First, there is the issue of personal autonomy. This is especially in instances where an individual is not sufficiently competent as to make a decision on whether his or her life should be ended. This was the case for the Lawrence Latimer case in 1993, where Mr. Latimer had ended the life of his 12 year old daughter who was suffering from varied painful ailments and was about to undergo an even more painful surgery without the option of taking powerful palliatives. It could be argued that the individual should have the say on whether he or she wants his life ended, in which case euthanasia would have amounted to the violation of her autonomy as an individual. In addition, there are ethical issues pertaining to protection of the vulnerable individuals in the society especially the disabled (McDougall et al, 2008). This came out clearly in the Latimer’s case especially considering that the daughter had been disabled since birth to the extent that even though she was 12 years old, her mental aptitude was that of a three year old. Many would see her mercy killing as increasing the risk for the disabled who cannot fight for themselves. Other issues revolve around the redefinition of physician’s role in dying and death especially considering that they are charged with the responsibility of preserving life and assisting individuals to retain, attain and regain their quality of life (Biggs, 2000). Other issues revolve around compassion and ending an individual’s suffering, especially with regard to whether there should be legal limits to them. On the same note, there is the ethical issue pertaining to personhood, where there is the question on whether an individual who has become severely incapacitated would qualify as human or as a non-person. Bioethicists are of the opinion that individuals who have become cognitively impaired should be regarded as non-persons, in which case they would not be entitled to legal and ethical rights and protections. This raises the question on whether the quality of life determines whether an individual is human or it is merely an issue to do with being alive.

Out of these ethical issues crop varied arguments in support, as well as against euthanasia and mercy killing. One of the key arguments for euthanasia revolves around individual autonomy and right to make decisions pertaining to the time, as well as the manner in which he or she should die (Torr, 2000). This concept is based on the notion that an individual should have the autonomy and self-determinism capacity to make decisions pertaining to his life provided that the decision does not have destructive effects on other people. This also stems from the rights of an individual, where proponents of euthanasia state that the right to life goes beyond mere existence. The right stretches to being able to make decisions for a dignified exit.

In addition, proponents of euthanasia quote beneficence where they state that relieving individuals of their agony and pain through euthanasia would be more beneficial than harmful to the individual. This stems from the belief that the notion that death is welcome beyond the point where the body cannot take any more pain (Manning, 1998). They state that the basic moral values of any society, mercy and compassion require that the society does not allow any patient to undergo unbearable suffering. This is also tied to the notion that life does not amount to mere existence but to having a certain level of quality of life (Manning, 1998). In this regard, individuals who are experiencing a certain level of pain or agony should be considered non-persons. It is often assumed that they would have made the same decision had they been given the capacity to choose between death and unbearable pain from which they suffer.

Nevertheless, there are varied arguments against euthanasia or mercy killing. One of the key arguments revolves around the sanctity of life irrespective of its quality (Biggs, 2000). This may be based on religious or secular beliefs, with the underlying ethos being that it is imperative that human life is preserved and respected irrespective of its quality. Religions such as Christianity and Islam see life as God-given, in which case He should be the only one who has the capacity to take it, as well (Torr, 2000). However, it is worth noting that these religions would allow passive euthanasia based on the notion that withdrawal or withholding treatment in instances where such treatment would be futile should be permitted. In such instances, the ailment from which an individual is suffering would be seen as the cause of the death rather than the action of the physician (Biggs, 2000).

In addition, euthanasia is seen as murder as it underlines an action whose key intention is ending the life of another individual, which is inherently wrong regardless of the consent of the patient. On the same note, euthanasia is seen as abuse of the independence, as well as human rights of an individual (Torr, 2000). As much as proponents of euthanasia may use personal autonomy to advocate for euthanasia, opponents of the same argue that the requests of the patient at such times are never autonomous especially considering that a large number of terminally ill patients are not of rational or sound mind.

In addition, there is objection to euthanasia based on the role played by palliative care. Opponents of euthanasia feel that there is no suffering or pain that cannot be relieved through the administration of the appropriate pain-killing care (Manning, 1998). In any case, technology is dynamic in which case most of the ailments that seem terminal or that come with unbearable suffering may be curable as new inventions of medications and technologies are made every day. Scholars note that on extremely rare occasions are requests for euthanasia sustained once appropriate care has been established.

In addition, euthanasia is seen as detrimental to the rights of powerless or vulnerable individuals. There are fears that accepting euthanasia would give rise to cases where the rights of such individuals would be undermined. This may include the coercion of such individuals especially in instances where their treatment is seen as to costly. On the same note, it raises questions pertaining to the physicians’ role, as well as the relationship between doctors and patients (Manning, 1998). Opponents note that physician-assisted suicide or active voluntary euthanasia undermines the relationship between patients and physicians thereby destroying the confidence and trust that is built in the relationship. This is especially considering the fact that physicians are charged with the responsibility of assisting and saving lives rather than ending them. In essence, the medical profession’s objectives would be compromised and undermined if doctors were to be given the role of carrying out mercy killing or euthanasia (McDougall et al, 2008).

In conclusion, euthanasia or mercy killing has been one of the most contentious issues in the contemporary society. Most societies see it as a criminal act or felony especially considering the sanctity of human life. Nevertheless, passive euthanasia is usually allowed as such a death is seen as having resulted from the ailment (natural cause) rather than the actions of an individual. Various ethical issues crop out from euthanasia including protection of individuals seen as vulnerable in the society, encouraging good palliative care, personal autonomy, ending suffering, as well as the redefined role of doctors in dying and death. Various arguments have been put forwards in support of euthanasia especially with regard to personal autonomy and beneficence or ending the life of an individual in order to end his unbearable suffering. Nevertheless, other people feel that euthanasia would put vulnerable individuals at risk, and refute the use of autonomy argument to support calls for euthanasia. They opine that individuals in such a state do not have the capacity to undertake rational thinking. In addition, they feel that allows euthanasia undermines the key objective of the medical profession, which is to preserve and protect life.

References

Biggs, H. (2000). Euthanasia, death with dignity and the law. Oxford: Hart.

Torr, J. D. (2000). Euthanasia: Opposing viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Manning, M. (1998). Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: Killing or caring?. New York, NY: Paulist Press.

McDougall, J. F., Gorman, M., & Roberts, C. S. (2008). Euthanasia: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO.

Evaluating Human Services

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Abstract

A support group refers to an organization dedicated to help people deal with a particular problem or problems. Support groups help people deal with illness, job loss, and addiction. They provide information, comfort, teach coping skills, help reduce anxiety, and provide a place for people to share common concerns and emotional support with others.

Support groups may include education, behavioural training, and group interaction. Behavioural training could involve muscle relaxation or meditation to reduce stress or effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Family violence is defined as the infliction of physical injury by one family or household member on another. It is also a repeated / habitual pattern of such behaviour (Merriam-Webster dictionary).

Family violence also termed as domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviours by one partner towards the other in an intimate relationship such like marriage, dating, cohabitation or family. It could be in many forms, physical assault or other forms like sexual abuse, emotional abuse, stalking.

Most domestic violence victims need temporary and permanent safe housing, financial assistance, medical reimbursement,  HYPERLINK “http://www.examiner.com/x-17770-Sacramento-Abusive-Relationships-Examiner~y2009m7d30-Privacy-101-Top-5-privacy-protection-tips-for-domestic-violence-and-stalking-victims” privacy protection and counseling.  They too need access to social service support and advocacy, legal representation, vocational training and childcare. However, the needs of these victims do not stop there. Domestic violence victims’ who seek aid from government agencies and the courts end up creating technological trails of their private lives in government records and on-line databases thereby allowing for domestic abusers to become cyberstalkers with ease. Phone records, social security numbers, previous and current employment information, property records, credit information, medical records and more is available on-line today making a victims’ path to freedom more difficult than ever before. Therefore, there’s great need for privacy protection for most family violence victims in order for them to live comfortably in the society.

Family violence victims normally get traumatised for whatever form of violence they are exposed to. This leads them to live with fear. They therefore require either some temporary or permanent housing facility but which will put them away from their perpetrators. Trust especially in cases where the individuals involved are couples may have quickly faded. Coupled with fear, most victims will not agree to stay next to their perpetrators.

Many victims are at times left in a bad state. Violence associated with assault or sexual abuse results in horrible injuries. In turn, the victim may require financial assistance that will aid in settling medical bills, travel expenses to a safer region. This need is normally great especially for victims who do not or are not in a working condition to provide for themselves thereby requiring well wishers to help out.

Counselling is the other great need most victims require. They truly need to be taken through a counselling session to help revert the psychological conditions and trauma affected by the violence. In most instances, counselling does help but only when the victims decide to speak out what they went through. They are taken through a healing process that at the end of the day helps them live a normal life once again.

Domestic violence in this instance sexual abuse may start up when one partner feels that there is need to control and dominate the other. Abusers may get this need to control their partners as a result of low self-esteem, extreme jealousy, difficulties in regulating anger and other strong emotions, or when they feel inferior to the other partner in terms of education and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some men with very traditional beliefs may think they have the right to control  HYPERLINK “http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/05/12/stress-triggers-depression-in-women-alcohol-craving-in-men/2266.html” o “women” women, and that women aren’t equal to men in society.

Sexual abuse may lead one being infected with diseases including HIV and AIDS. Out of all these, the trauma accompanied by the act is heavy to bear for most victims and may lead to suicidal cases. People feel they are not worthy living anymore after what they have been taken through. They may view life as a painful pill to swallow.

This domination then takes the form of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Studies suggest violent behavior often mostly caused by an interaction of situational and individual factors. That means that abusers learn violent behavior from their family, people in their community and other cultural influences as they grow up. They may have seen violence often or may have been victims themselves.

Children who witness or are the victims of violence may learn to believe that violence is a reasonable way to resolve conflict between people. Boys who learn that women are not to be valued or respected and who see violence directed against women are more likely to abuse women when they grow up. Girls who witness domestic violence in their families of origin are more likely to be victimized by their own husbands.

Alcohol and other chemical substances or drug abuse contribute to violent behavior. A drunk or high person will be less likely to control his or her violent impulses. However, counseling for perpetrators too could be deployed and help change such individual behavior.

 

REFERENCES

http://www.examiner.com/article/domestic-violence-victims-needs-the-21st-century

After the time of community authorization at the Philadelphia Conference had casted votes all

together to support the legislation, this was assigned to the co-federal association of Congress,

after a few discussions the Congress dispatched this to the state to be analyzed for approval.

Anticipating the importance of the American impressive agreement in constitutional government,

Madison affirmed that the combat to affirm the amended Constitution “will judge the future of

The democratic authority.” May be that was a crucial occasion for the America, one which will

finally establish the America on its advancement for least twenty years. Madison first confirms

that there are two procedures to confine the impairment generated by the conflict: whether

abolish the reason of disagreement or command its influences. He further argues that there can

be two methods to abolish the reasons which evoke the growth of discord.

He claims that the issue arises through the mass discords as the

standards of the accepted and well-known domination should anticipate the few discords from

obtaining the strength. He signifies that the opinions of the humanity declared through a batch of

members is much more agreeable to the well-being of society, the judgments of individuals are

influenced because of their self-centeredness. Madison discussed that in a huge democracy the

chances to choose a good and capable representative would be more because of the large

number of votes. While in a narrow democracy it may be possible for the applicants to mislead

the electors. He said that amid the various benefits acceded by an effective alliance, nobody is

entitles to be correctly cultivated rather than its inclination to cutoff and command the intensity

of Faction.

As per the views of Madison, Faction refers to the number of

noncombatants. Either aggregating to a greater part or an outnumbered group of the entire, who

are combined or motivated through a linked drive of paroxysm, or of concerns conflicting with the

liberty of the other noncombatants, or to the constant and accumulated concerns of the society.

Interest Groups and Bureaucracy:

Interest groups refer to an association of individuals who have an

identical procedure missions so that they can step in the governmental mechanism to attempt to

obtain those specific objectives. These Interest Groups chase their mission in several areas.

These groups are distinct from the governmental groups in that they do not govern their list of

applicants. Additionally, Interest Groups are generally administrative experts, while bureaucratic

groups are administration generalists.

The resolutions of James Madison for the issues aroused by the

interest groups was to generate a lawless arrangements in which various communities would

take part so that the communities which have conflicting concerns can amend each other. A

psychoanalyst adjudges that the expansion in political campaigning activities has caused in less

sway everywhere for interest groups, and improved equalitarianism. Affluent concerns are

considerably beneficial through the “Political Action Committees” processes. He said that it has

been more difficult to fulfill huge strategy alterations in United States of America due to the

composition of several communities.

Ageing in Humans

Introduction

Ageing is defined as the accumulation of changes that takes place in human over a period of time. It is considered as a multidimensional process of psychological, physical and social change. The dimensions that come with ageing either grow and multiply over time or decline. An example is with time most people gain wisdom and knowledge. In humans, ageing is an important part of the society since it reflects on biological changes that come with it. On the other hand, about one hundred and fifty people die of age related sickness or complications.

Age is measured by the number of years that an individual has lived. The celebration of one’s age is usually on their birthday and most people take the day to be a special day in their lives. There are various ways in which different groups, nations, non-government organization, and government classify the age of their population (Evered, Devid and Julie, 66). The increase in the number of older people in the society is known as population ageing and is caused by a number of issues such as long life expectancy, low birth rate, and migration.

The process of ageing affects the society in various ways. With the increase of young people and older tend to hold on to their jobs since they claim to be more experienced, the young people are left with no jobs and they end up committing crimes. Besides the crime, it is still the young people in the society that push for both social and political changes when the old seem to be less bothered by them. It is also the young people within the society that develop and easily adapt to new technology that the old enjoy. The society and the government require very little from the old as compared to the young. The paper will discuss ageing in human.

According to the scientists, there are various theories that explain the process of ageing though none of them satisfies the reader. Most theories used in the past to explain ageing were not genetically related. However, the modern theories used to explain the process of ageing are categories into two which are error and programmed theories.

According to the programmed theory, aging comes about as a biological timetable whereby one grows from being a child and later develops. The changes that take place in development depends on the changes that take place in gene expression which later affects the systems that are in charge of maintaining, repairing and defending the body (Holliday, 78). On the other hand, the error theory states that ageing is caused by environmental assaults that take place in humans. Moreover, the environmental assaults are the induce damages at different levels.

The programmed theory is further divided into three categories which are programmed longevity, endocrine, and immunology theory. Programmed longevity theory states that aging is caused by successive switching on and off of particular genes. The outcome of the process shows at a time when age related deficits are displayed. The endocrine theory states that biological clock controls the hormones which in turn controls the rate and pace at which people age (Holliday and Robin, 34).

Research shows that aging is regulated by hormones and a certain insulin IGF-1 plays a key role in regulating hormones responsible for ageing. According to the immunological theory, it is the immune system that has been set in such a way that it declines over time. This eventually leads to increased vulnerability to infectious diseases thus one age’s and then dies.

Research shows that the peak of one’s immune system is at puberty and it keeps going down as they grow old.

Damage theory is also further divided into other theories that explain is in the details. The wear and tear theory states that the tissues and cells have crucial parts that wear out with time leading to aging. Just like any machine that wears out body parts wear out due to over use and lack of proper care. At the end, we kill the body parts as well as the body itself. According to the rate of living theory, an individual life span is shortened by rate of oxygen basal metabolism. This theory does not explain an individual’s maximum life span.

The crossed linked theory states that aging is as a result of the accumulation of the cross linked proteins which damage both the tissues and cells. The damaged body then slows down in its processes thus leading to ageing.

Ageing is one of the things that cannot be avoided in life for human beings cannot live forever. They have to grow from babies to children, adults, and then grow old. As we age, there are a number of responsibilities that come with it. It is important that we prepare early enough for responsibilities to avoid some of the misfortunes that come with irresponsibility. It is also the duty of the government to ensure that its citizens are catered for depending on their age (Clare, Linda and Robert, 12). Most nations are not economically prepared to handle the youth and they end up breaking the law.

In most countries the youth end up doing drugs and commit crimes due to lack of employment. Most employers like to maintain older people since they believe that they are wise and they rarely make silly mistakes. This leaves the youth with no choice but fight to survive. On the other hand, the youth that is well trained to face the future with or without employment come up with new ideas that are used in the world today. Apart from the scientific theories that explain ageing, stress is another reason that causes people to grow old. Almost everyone understands the stress and gets stressed for one reason or another. However, very few people know that it causes a change in our bodies. The body is programmed to respond to stress so that it can save our life. Stress causes a number of hormones and chemicals to react which later affects the whole body. The society that we live in is full of stress as people try to make life better for them.

Stress therefore causes people to grow old without their knowledge. Moreover, stress affects other body systems and that is why some people feel sick and even die. Some of the diseases that are as a result of too much stress include high blood pressure, low immunity, heart disease, fat accumulation, and muscle breakdown. It is therefore important to stay away from things that might cause them to get stressed (Schmitt, Freedman and Rayma, 23). It is also important that they find a solution to the problems that surround us in a better way so as to avoid damaging the cells and tissues. Apart from stress we have to take care of the body since we need it so as we can function.

Though ageing is one of the things that one cannot run away from, there are things that one can do in order to slow down the process. Younger people tend to look older that their age because of the things that they eat, lack of enough sleep and lack of exercise. Most children of today are not trained to work out, and they are fed on junk food. The food might be sweet but at the end the child gets to be obese. Obesity comes about with another disease such as high blood pressure, and heart attack.

Moreover obese brings about low self-esteem among children which at the end of the day brings about stress. When the child gets stressed, they tend to look older. It is therefore important to know the effects of the food that we eat since poor quality food end up causing inflammation. To avoid aging, it is important that one eats whole foods which are in their most natural state. Doctors do recommend that if possible one should avoid taking foods that have sugar since it reduces the lifespan in organisms. Besides eating the right foods one has a duty of exercising so as to get rid of toxins in their bodies.

Antioxidants are also good for the body since they protect the body from the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are made when the body changes food and oxygen into energy. Antioxidants can easily be added to the diet and are easily available in the market. Some of the well-known antioxidants are fruits and vegetables.

It is the duty of the government to advise its citizens on the things that they can do so as to avoid ageing fast. When the body becomes weak, it becomes hard for an individual to perform their duties. At the end of the day when the cells and tissues wear out an individual dies and this affects the life span (Mordini and Paul, 99). The government can ban the sale of certain things such as cigarettes or rather increase their prices so that few people can afford it. Cigarette is one of the things that not only makes one look older but destroy any of the body organs leading to early death. Not only does cigarette affect those who smoke it directly but it also affects the people who are close to the person smoking.

Research shows that the person closest to a smoker gets affected more. In such a case the government can then ban the public smoking of cigarette. The government should encourage people to eat healthy foods so that they can slow down the process of ageing. It should make life bearable for its citizen so that they can avoid stressful situation which leads to ageing.

Conclusions

Therefore all of us human race ought to be aware that aging is natural to every human being as well as many other creatures and plants, however living a healthy life through our lifetime contributes a lot to humans high production and making the world a better place for generations to come. The dimensions that come with ageing either grow and multiply over time or decline. An example is with time most people gain wisdom and knowledge. In humans, ageing is an important part of the society since it reflects on biological changes that come with it. On the other hand, about one hundred and fifty people die of age related sickness or complications that can easily be managed to have a healthier old generation.

Work cited

Evered, David, and Julie Whelan. Research and the Ageing Population. Chichester [England: Wiley, 1988. Internet resource.

Holliday, Robin. Understanding Ageing. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1995. Print.

Clare, Linda, and Robert T. Woods. Handbook of the Clinical Psychology of Ageing. Chichester, West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Internet resource.

Schmitt, L H, L Freedman, and Rayma Pervan. Genes, Ethnicity, and Ageing. Nedlands, WA, Australia: Centre for Human Biology, University of Western Australia, 1995. Print.

Mordini, E, and Paul . Hert. Ageing and Invisibility. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2010. Print.

Poetry Journal

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A Certain Lady

Love relationships tend to be emotionally sensitive and the failure to attend to a partners emotional needs leads to feelings of pain and rejection. Parker presents a woman who reflects on her relationships with a man that he is deeply in love with. She experiences immense emotional pain but puts on gay pretense in order to make the man believe that she really loves him. She “Marvels rapturous eyed” while he “rehearses his lists of love” (6, 13). The woman can be blamed for this state of affairs because of the fact that she fails to make the man understand her true feelings of pain. This is a common incidence especially with young and adventurous ladies who would go to great lengths to keep the man that they love regardless of the fact that the feelings between the two are not mutual. This is especially common with women who are desperate for love and would therefore endure all pain in order to keep the men to themselves. This theme has been explored by the media industry through time. Young women in most movies tend to be more susceptible to such scenarios than their older counterparts. In the long run, such mannerisms lead to abusive relationships that are counterproductive. The resultant emotional pain and suffering is however self deserving.

After a Great Pain

A painful experience is often characterized by different stages that Dickinson describes as “First chill—then Stupor—then the letting go” (Line 13). After a great pain that is usually experienced after the death of a close person, the formal feeling that follows this pertains to the funeral. Emotions that stem from the extreme painful feelings are always responsible for making us experience numbness. Dickinson’s process is essential for one to be able to get over the pain and regain normalcy. It is ingrained in a person’s psychological wellbeing and skipping one stage usually culminates in serious medical conditions. It can basically be likened to suppression of certain feelings as opposed to overcoming them. Emotional pain always makes one heart to feel as though it is dead. The death of a close person is particularly hurting. The pain that is experienced tends to be extreme but once the person goes through the entire procedure, painful feelings tend to cease and s/he returns to normalcy. However, in most cases, such incidences are seldom forgotten. The impact of this has been expressed by the author through line 12 “As Freezing Persons recollect the snow”. Basically, this implies that frequent remembrance of the dead persons also reminds the living of the similar experience that they would undergo during their lifetime.

Those Winter Sundays

Sunday is considered a day of rest and most persons always do that- rest. During my childhood, winter Sundays were particularly just suitable for sleeping. The author seems to capture the description of the situation well when he states “I would wake and hear the cold/ splintering, breaking” (Stanza 2). In this poem, the author presents to the audience an extra ordinary man whose Sundays were not always times of sleep. He wakes up before the rest of the household to address their comfort needs and ensure that they do not experience a similar difficulty as he did when he woke up. However, the entire family treats him with indifference; disregard and “chronic angers” are typical of the home environment. They fail to appreciate the great effort that the foster father makes. I wonder how many a times we fail to be appreciative of the little yet significant favors that various persons accord us. I understand at times it is human nature to disregard certain activities but the value system stipulates that it is virtuous to acknowledge the efforts that certain individuals make to enhance our comfort. Failure to do this often culminates in feelings of guilt that undermine the quality of life of our entire being.

The Ruined Maid

The current societal value system prescribes that humans uphold certain virtues that are aimed at enhancing good behavior. Although no human is perfect, it is important to emphasize on the need to do good and avoid evil. Despite this recognition, I love the way Hardy presents sin tin The Ruined Maid. He manages to portray the life of sin to be very attractive as compared to a sinless life. In this Audrey lives a grubby life in the countryside. By comparing her to Amelia who experiences great leisure and lives a life that is fun filled, hardy underscores the fact that virtuous behavior has a great price. This is exemplified when Amelia tells her sister “My dear—a raw country girl, such as you be/ Cannot quite expect that. You ain’t ruined”, said she”. It cannot be disputed that most individuals admire the material benefits that are associated with sin. However, attaining such a status involves compromising of important virtues and values that are intrinsic in nature. One s left to wonder whether Audrey would be compelled to take after Amelia and follow her footsteps. This is undoubtedly a personal decision that requires great thought and an objective analysis of the pros and cons that are likely to stem from the given decision.

My Father’s Song

The inherent attributes are typical of my father who worked desperately to ensure that we led a quality life. He was exceptionally talented and gifted in the sense that despite lacking credible education and training, he still made us proud by providing effectively for our material and emotional needs. He was indeed a role model, a mentor and a great inspiration that impacted positively on my life. His life can be likened to Wills “…Thin slice of life…” (Line 16). Have you ever wondered why the best persons in our lives tend to live short lives? I usually attribute this to the proverbial plucking of the best flower form the garden by God. Even in adulthood, it feels nostalgic to think about the great responsibilities that this man shouldered. Many a times I used to take for granted his presence and overall contribution to my life. Only after his demise did I realize that I miss his help and support. Of great importance however are the values he instilled in me since childhood. Undoubtedly, they are important in facing the current emergent challenges that I grapple with in my adult life. Will’s assertion “Gone Dreams” (Line 28) however brings me back to reality.

To His Coy Mistress

No other poet provides a distinctive explanation of the feelings that men experience during courtship. The cycle of events that has been presented in the poem is a typical presentation of the experiences that women always have to deal with during courtship. It is true that most men begin by telling the women that they would wait forever for the woman to make the decision. However, with time, impatience and feelings of insecurity creep in. According to Marvel, this is exemplified when the men think “Thy beauty shall no more be found, Nor, in thy marble vault shall sound” (Line 25-6). During my teenage years, I found it difficult to keep up with my boyfriend’s demands to take me to bed on the premise that this would strengthen the relationship. This is a representation of the extent that men can go to make excuses geared towards taking their women to bed. Once they have mentioned this idea, they tend to get obsessed with it and failure to attain this can lead to the dissolution of the relationship. Just as Marvel puts it, such men always think that this is the best feeling that they could ever experience. However, it should be appreciated that this is immoral and does not offer the best option for having a woman.

Mr. Flood’s Party

Human beings require each other’s company for them to be able to cope with their day to day challenges. In Mr. Flood’s Party, the author explicitly underscores the different negative implications of loneliness and desperation. Since all his friends have succumbed to death and the townspeople tend to shun him, the old man lives alone. Notably, time passes fast and the intrinsic events are well beyond his control. He is an intelligent person whom despite his loneliness, he makes the best out of the situation. In this respect, when he realizes that he is likely to succumb to death very son, he decides to hold a drinking party.

“Well, Mr. Flood, we have the harvest moon  Again, and we may not have many more; The bird is on the wing, the poet says,  And you and I have said it here before.  Drink to the bird.” (Lines 9-13)

The inherent theme that the author explores is a true reflection of our day to day life. In most instances, we would always want to utilize our time well in order to benefit maximally from a given situation. For instance, whenever I go visiting my grandparents for a day, I can still up until late to talk to them and ensure that I have quality time.

I Knew a Woman

It is widely contended that beautiful women tend to be appreciated and acknowledged by the entire society. Physical beauty is defined differently by varied societies. Regardless of this, it is widely agreed that such women often have likeable characteristics. My sister is a very beautiful woman who is very social and interacts with people of different backgrounds. As a result, she is loved and adored by the entire family as well as the public. This can be likened to the poet’s “I knew a woman, lovely in her bones” (Line 1). This implies that the beauty of this woman is both internal and external. These are exemplary attributes that not all beautiful women tend to have. In the modern society, pride influences such women to disregard other people. While this was uncommon in conventional societies, its incidence was comparatively on a lower scale than it is today. The charm that characterizes the beauty of a woman is a conception that has been lyrically explored since historical times. To date, there are different songs as well as poems that are composed in praise of the physical attributes of a woman. The poem I Knew a Woman is an exemplary exploration and appreciation of the beauty of a woman. Regardless of the fact that the poem is not entirely sexual in nature, I find it interesting because of the remarkable choice of words that make the entire poem arresting.

What Lips my Lips Have Kissed and Where and Why

Ever heard of kissing a dozen frogs before meeting a prince? Well, the author of this poem ascertains that it is a common incident that in most instances occurs because of our mistakes. She sounds apologetic to the past lovers as she wronged them in different ways. Breaking from a love relationship is always emotionally disturbing and draining especially if the degree of attachment was very high. It ultimately culminates in feelings of loneliness and immense distress. Although the persona in the poem does not remember her past lovers, she ascertains that she had some and lost them. She is currently lonely and laments;

“And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in winter stands the lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:” (Line 6-11).

Broken love relationships are seldom remembered with fondness. My personal experience can attest to this. Whenever I break up from a love relationship, I always develop feelings of resentment if the break up was caused by the particular person. However, in cases where I am the cause, I tend to struggle for a long tem with feelings of guilt.

My Last Duchess

Hatred and compulsive feelings of possessiveness often have far reaching implications on the holistic welfare of the individuals. In the last Duchess, the duke is compelled by these feelings to kill his wife because of her alleged flirtatious nature. He complained that the last duchess always flirted with every person and failed to appreciate the “gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name” that he gave her. Although such incidences are not popular in modern times, hatred and possessiveness has been a major cause of relationship break ups. This has in result led to incidences of divorce that undermine the credibility of the institution of marriage. The negative psychological impacts that children from single families suffer undermine their ability to compete favorable with the rest of the children who enjoy the material and emotional support of both parents. This is particularly painful when such children have intense love for both parents. My cousin was forced to be taken in foster care after her parents divorced and her mother failed to provide for her material needs. Since then, her grades have dropped significantly and her social life has also been affected. Despite the fact that the foster family provides for all her material needs, she still misses the emotional needs from both parents. This is a classic illustration of the implications of divorce that are increasingly being contributed to by hatred and possessiveness in love relationships.

Question 1: European Civilization Compared to India and China

There was a significant trajectory, and rise of European civilization. The latter can be compared to the civilizations, which occurred in India and China. In Europe, after the tenth century, people benefited from territorial expansion, population growth and prosperity. People became aware of the importance of specialization, and in turn, commerce and trade occurred in the towns and rural areas. Example of towns, which prospered due to commerce and trade, were Italian cities such as Venice. Furthermore as the fourteenth century began, many people lost their lives due to various calamities. The latter included; epidemics. The Black Death, wars, as well as famines. The result was that the population levels declined, and people had to deal with rising wages and falling rents (Duiker& Spielvogel, 2011).

On the other hand, in China, many people existed as compared to Europe, in a phase known as the Common Era. As compared to Europe, political stability existed in China and even its economy improved drastically. Europe was in dire need of Chinese products, such as ceramics and tea, which in turn, contributed to it being a stable and competitive market. In India, a caste system existed, which had an impact on its population growth and the economy (Duiker& Spielvogel, 2011). Thus, most parts of India were not as developed as compared to china and Europe. On the other hand, in India, there was extreme advancement in technology and commerce. However, it did not assist in making India have prosperous industries.

There were also differences that existed between the Arab civilization and civilization, which existed in Europe. The latter were mostly Christians, while the former were Muslims, and they had different lifestyles. In the Arab civilizations, the men were the ones who dictated how society ought to be. Also, in European society this existed, but to a limited extent as witnessed. For example, the Puritans did not give any rights to their women and they were expected to be passive in societal matters (McNeill & McNeill, 2003). In a nutshell, the European civilization is described as being more advanced as compared to the Arab one. Moreover, most Europeans migrated to other regions and they influenced other civilization such as the Americas.

Question 2: The Impact of Black Death

The Black Death is a notable period, which took place in history, as many people died due to the spread of deadly diseases. Also, it had a significant impact on the Byzantium as well as in Medieval Europe. In turn, many societies in Western Europe were affected as they became vulnerable to many other problems. It is believed that the Black Death originated in Asia before it spread to other parts. Rats and fleas were the ones that transmitted the disease and then spread to human beings. There was a tremendous strain, especially to the population of mediaeval Europe. Furthermore, people began to doubt traditional values, and others even began to challenge and change their old institutions. Even the Byzantines were affected, including the son to the king, and he came up with ways to protect his people from the plague. The people who were affected by the Black Death had to change their lifestyles. For example, those who usually took a bath many times, had to reduce, and only the rich had the privilege of bathing regularly. The calamities, which took place in Byzantium and medieval Europe, lead to many areas becoming developed (Bennett & Hollister 2006).

References

Duiker, William. & Spielvogel, Jackson. (2011). The Essential World History, 6th Ed. Boston, Massachusetts: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

McNeill, J. & McNeill, William. (2003). The Human Web: A Bird’s Eye View of World History 1st Ed. New York and London: W.W. Norton and Company.

Bennett, M. & Hollister, C. (2006). Medieval Europe: A Short History .New York: McGraw-Hill.

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European Civilization

The eleventh to the eighteenth centuries were a historical time period of major changes to the face of European civilization. This is especially true with regards to religion (Christianity), scientific and geographical discoveries, and technological and agricultural advancements. These eight centuries span the time periods recognized as the high middle ages, late middle ages and early modern Europe. This historical time period has significant milestones ranging from the division (schism) of the Christian church all the way to the start of the French revolution. It was during this time period that England was invaded successfully by William the Conqueror, the Black Death (plague) killed a third of Europe’s population, Christopher Columbus landed in the New World (North America), the Renaissance flourished, Martin Luther demanded for Reformation in the Christian church, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the union of England and Scotland. This was also the time period when the First Crusade was called for by Pope Urban II, the Hundred Years War happened, Vasco da Gama established direct trade with Asia, and Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper in Milan.

There were many changes in the structure and practice of religion that occurred during this period in Europe. In the mid-eleventh century the East-West (Great) Schism of the Christian churches took place. This was a major rift occurring between the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church and was brought about primarily by Pope Leo IX, and one of the issues the two churches differed over was the extent of power vested in the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople. Following the Great Schism many Central European kingdoms that had newly been created such as Poland and Hungary took up Christianity. In Rome as the Roman Catholic Church gained power the Pope came into conflict with the Emperor. In the other European kingdoms it was the lords and the nobles who ruled the church, thus the Pope worked to rid the church of this secular control and succeeded. In the early twelfth century the Roman Catholic Church established the inquisition to make Europe catholic by force. By the fifteenth century most of Europe was thus Roman Catholic. From the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century major reformations occurred in the Roman Catholic Church. At this time the Roman Catholic Church was accused of corruption. A variety of individuals shaped this reformation, including Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Protestant movement emerged during this time and its aim was not only to eliminate corruption within the church organization but also to improve on some of the principal Catholic teachings and beliefs. The Jesuit movement was also formed during this time. King Henry VIII of England set up the Anglican Church in an attempt to regain control over the religious masses and thus end the influence exerted by the Roman Catholic Church.

At the turn of the eleventh century the barbarian invasions that had characterized the previous centuries were greatly reduced and Europe became better organized politically. England was invaded in the late eleventh century by the Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror). This led to the creation of a very powerful monarchy in England and opened up trade between itself and other coastal regions such as Asia, Africa and Australia. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the Mongol Empire came into power as its military leader Batu Khan planned on conquering all of Europe. He managed to conquer Poland and Hungary before he was recalled back to Mongolia. In the fifteenth century there were peasant uprisings in France and England and this social unrest was the cause of the Hundred Years War. Towards the end of the fifteenth century Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks who made the Constantinople the capital of their Ottoman Empire. From the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century many wars broke out in Europe mainly triggered by religious differences between empires. Despite the work of the European Council and the Treaty of England to end the wars in Europe, everlasting peace was not achieved and the wars continued nonetheless. Monarchs started establishing powerful independent nations such as England and France. Religious differences were responsible for numerous wars on Europe’s soil. The French Wars of religion in the sixteenth century were an example. Between 1916 and 1948 the Thirty Years War occurred involving a majority of the European nations. The war, fought in what is modern-day Germany, was started off as a religious fight between Catholics and Protestants but soon developed into a general war, and resulted in great destruction of a large part of Germany and Italy.

Rebirth of civilization in Europe occurred around the eleventh century. This was set in motion by trade in Italy and let to the formation of cities such as Florence and Venice. Nations such as Spain and Portugal also started slowly arising. One of the results of this was the use of vernacular (French in France, Italian in Italy) in writings rather than the traditional Latin. The philosophy of Scholasticism was developed with the rediscovery of Aristotle’s work. There was thus renewed interest in the ancient Roman and Greek works leading to the Italian Renaissance. The Italian scholar Francesco di Petracco was the first humanist. Learning became important as the Renaissance all spheres of intellectuality from art to science, from philosophy to politics, from literature to history. Even religion was not spared.

Europe, starting from Italy then spreading north and west, began admiring the Roman and Greek texts and inculcating them into their own culture and day to day lives, especially by artists and writers. Leonardo da Vinci is a prime example of a multi-talented artist who incorporated Greek and Roman ideas into his own work. A major influence on European civilization from the Greeks and Romans was the idea that education, discipline and residing in towns is what constituted civilization. The humanist movement was further advanced by the development of postal services all over Europe as this allowed intellectuals to freely communicate with one another.

Summary 1

After a longer delay of the Far Eastern oil pipeline there has been no solution reached to be able to solve the rivalry among the top oil reach nations (Japan, China, and Russia). As a result delay of the pipeline project there are several assessments that can be evaluated from the rivalry. There has been emergent of competition that has been brought via geographical conflicts. The Chinese-Russian relationship is based only on individual country interest and not the interest of the entire Far Eastern region. Despite the fact that competition from for Rivalry has several downfalls to there are other positive and encouraging trends. For example superiority in oil dominancy is a requirement for political security and stability.

It has also been identified in the text that the converging energy interest of these three nations can lead to integration of cross border oil negations for region based corporation.

Summary 2

The article denotes that resources and other environmental components are very important aspects that a nation or a country needs in order to main its sovereignty of these nations. Struggle over the nation’s resources has been a source of tensions and civil wars like that between Chile and Peru. Environmental collapse has been known to be the cause of famine, rebellion and migration. Some of the world resources such as farming land, water resources such as fish, fossil fuel and minerals are the cause of armed struggles.

Although, it has been indentified that competition of resources were the root of modernity and warfare frameworks, the past has had its feelings but the present and the future is yet to face the worst as this struggles of resources as well as exploitation of the same is alarming.

After critical view of the current American situation, three major problems facing the United States of America

Introduction

After critical view of the current American situation, I would say we have three major problems facing the United States of America. Key among these problems includes problems related to the economy, crime policy and poverty. This paper therefore explores these problems highlighting their effects and possible intervention.

Discussion

One of the three major problems facing the United States of America today according to Arrighi and Maume (2007) has to do with the issue of poverty among its men, women and children. While exploring the issue of poverty, it is only right that we emphasize on the ways in which the health status and health care availability interact with the low wages, irregularity, and insecurity of gendered work. Poverty presents some difficulties faced by the ordinary people since, for example, the health of a family member and the caregiver’s work are intertwined with a host of other issues and problems including those related to the children schooling, the family’s housing and their access to transportation. While this presentation focuses on the intersection of work and health, we also explore the ways in which both interact with these other problem areas. With the multiple responsibilities facing the ordinary people and their children alike, they are forced to sacrifice important elements of healthcare as well as educational and work opportunities.

One of the major task and responsibility of a modern government is the maintenance of law and order. A government defines and explains the boundaries of crime, law and justice for domestic peace and tranquillity. Since the beginning of human civilisation, instrumentalities of government and policy-making for crime and justice have existed. As regards the crime policy, crimes related to abduction, rape, drugs and murder have been a problem of crime and justice in America for a long time and have become a widespread fear in the American minds. According to Shahidullah (2008) in the last three decades, America’s criminal justice system has seen unprecedented growth and expansion, but the growth in crime has been one of the most important. As regards all forms of crimes, particularly violent crimes have been consistently on the increase. Crime has been rated as one of the most important problems facing local communities. Related studies conducted as regards the topic of crime, found that the American people would rather have their government address the issue of crime as an important issue than economy.

With regard to economic problems, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2007), the taxes currently are too high for the American people and need to be brought down, as ample and increasing evidence of their environmental effectiveness is now available. However, there remains a high potential for a wider use of these environmental policy instruments provided that they are well designed and that their potential impact on international competitiveness and income distribution are properly addressed. In particular, the environmental effectiveness and economic efficiency of the environmentally related taxes could be improved further if existing exemptions and other special provisions are scaled back and if the tax rates were better aligned with the magnitude of the negative environmental impacts to be addressed.

Conclusion

We can bring to a close that the current difficult yet problematic issues facing the United States of America may be attributed to the major preoccupation of politics and governance since the beginning of civilization because it is a domain of governance that is vital for social order and stability.

Reference

Arrighi, A. B. and Maume, J. D, (2007) Child Poverty in America Today: Families and Children. Greenwood Publishing Group.

Shahidullah, S. M. (2008). Crime policy in American laws, institutions and programs. University Press of America.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (2007). The political economy of environmentally related taxes. OECD Publishing..