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A Comparison of Othello and Paradise Lost

Introduction

The power of jealousy is so devastating that it does not care about relationships. It seeks to find its own way by eliminating anything or anyone who stands on its way and stops at nothing unless it has achieved the goal or is permanently stopped by a stronger force. The following discussion will focus on the theme of jealousy as it is demonstrated in the story of Paradise lost and that of Othello.

Discussion

The story Othello and Paradise Lost are related in the sense that in both of them, the predominant theme is jealousy. Paradise Lost is a story by John Milton which portrays a Christian story showing the fall of man as it is quoted from first book of Paradise Lost by Milton (1.3), “of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal task Brought Death into the World, and all our woe.’ This explains that as a result of disobedient, man lost the paradise where he was meant to live forever. It begins with a commotion in heaven where Lucifer is waging war with God’s angels. The devil says, ‘On this side nothing; and by proof we feel Our power sufficient to disturb his Heav’n,’ (Milton. 2. 103). He is said to have been the greatest choir master in heaven and had extensive choir abilities. This gave him so much pride that he wanted to usurp God’s position as it can be observed from the quote in the Paradise Lost book “Either to disinthrone the King of Heav’n We warr, if Warr be best, or to regain (Milton.2.231).he was so determined to wage war with God’s kingdom. War subsequently broke between the angels whom he had been able to woo and those who were still with God.

Lucifer could however not match the offensive war mounted by God’s Angels. He was defeated and cast into hell. From that moment, hatred was created between God and the devil and therefore, he has been looking for the opportunity to avenge by destroying those that want to relate with God.

Lucifer’s clear manifestation of jealousy is demonstrated in the Garden of Eden after the creation of Adam and Eve. The two were created for the purpose of having a healthy fellowship with their creator. Adam was created first and even was made from his own ribs. The two were placed in the Garden which to them was a paradise for the reason that they did not have to toil for anything. God had already made everything for them and gave them the power to have dominion over all other created things.

From Hell or Tartarus as it is referred, Satan summons his mammon and Beelzebub where they have an intensive discussion on how they are going to destroy the relationship between God and the couple. All this evil emanates from the anger that he was cast into hell and still wants to prove that he is powerful. After that, Satan comes out in a bid to poison the whole earth by making it flooded with sin.

He begins his plan by approaching Eve on several occasions with rhetoric, which is the use of language in the most convincing way that it appeals to the listener. He used logic and creativity to prove to Eve why they needed to eat the fruit that God had warned them against. He understood that God had warned them against eating the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden as it is recorded in the Paradise Lost story “So various, not to taste that only Tree Of knowledge, planted by the Tree of Life, So neer grows Death to Life, what ere Death is,’(Milton.4.425). He eventually succeeded in his evil plan by making Eve pluck the fruit in the middle of the garden and have a taste of it.

It is said that Adam noticed that Eve had sinned against God. He was however willing to die with her than living without her since she was part of whom he was, owing to the fact that she was made from his own flesh and blood. It is recorded that Adam was also convinced by Eve to take the same fruit making both of them unfaithful to their creator.

The devil was succeeding in his jealous act in the sense that immediately Adam ate the fruit, both of them had lustful sexual intercourse something that had not happened before. The story explains that this experience made Adam get convinced that Eve was right in the act of disobeying God. However, it had not dawned on them about the repercussions of what they had just done. They had not realized that the devil was out to bring an end to their fellowship with their creator. They were also not aware of the jealousy that the devil had upon them and the vengeance that he craved to take against God.

It is recorded that they fell into deep sleep and had terrible nightmares. Such are things they had not experienced since they were placed in this paradise. This is when it came to their realization that they had committed a terrible sin against their God. They knew nothing about nakedness but now when they woke up, they realized that they needed to cover themselves. Life was beginning to change very fast. They had been promised by the devil that after eating the fruit they would have the knowledge of good and bad and that they would become wise like God himself.

An angel of God is said to have taken Adam through a vision to see what he had caused the whole world to go through. The errors that they had committed is said to have culminated into a sea of sins in the whole world. That was the initial plan of the devil of destroying the beauty that God had created and making sure that man did not worship God.

The consequence of this was that the relationship between Adam and God became distant. God who was initially omnipresent and visible became invisible to them. He would visit them and they would have a conversation before they sinned but now everything had to change due to their unfaithfulness.

The devil was rejoicing to have succeeded into his mission after having taken his revenge. This is demonstrated by the fact that God became so angry with the couple he had so much loved. This prompted Him to cast them out of the Paradise he had given them where they had no struggles in their lives. The Angel Michael was sent to guard over it and to see that Adam did not come back. The relationship was now broken and there was to be an eternal separation between God and man.

As the devil was celebrating his victory, the Son of Man Jesus Christ was pleading with his father to allow him to be the redemption and bring back the fellowship between God and man. This is according to what is recorded in the Paradise Lost story, ‘till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat.’(Milton.1.100). This quote in book one expains that man had hopes of enjoyed fellowship with God again if someone greater came to provide a bridge. God agreed and this meant that the devil had not fully succeeded in creating an eternal separation.

The main theme in the above story is jealousy in the sense that the devil realized that God created man so that he could offer worship and praise to him. He too wanted to be worshipped and because he had lost that chance, he did not want God to have it either. This is the reason why he was looking for an opportunity to destroy the kind of fellowship God enjoyed with his creation.

Paradise lost story compares with that of Othello in the sense that the whole of Othello is dominated by jealousy. The only difference is that while paradise lost is spiritual, this particular one is secular and does not involve the supernatural beings as we have seen above.

Othello was a prince who had a rank of a general in the Venetian army. He had two closest soldiers who assisted him in his duty who were Iago and Cassio. In this particular essay, we focus on Iago since he is the reason why the theme is so profound.

It is said that Othello awarded a promotion to Cassio to become a lieutenant at a time when Iago was openly more prominent and had a belief that this promotion deserved him more than it did Cassio. It is this promotion that breeds hatred and jealousy and generates so much abhorrence and pain in Iago’s heart that he is looking for an opportunity to take revenge and reclaim that post instead. According to him, Cassio was a Scholarly tactician with no field experience as he had. He was the one who ‘deserved’ the promotion instead. This made him start planning on what to do in order to gain his desired or otherwise deserved position.

It is said that there was a celebration at the palace and people were having fan. Iago in his bid to succeed; knew that he had to utilize this opening to destroy Cassio’s reputation. He planned to make him extremely drunk and make him get into a fight with Roderigo. He actually succeeded into it and immediately, Othello appeared to quell the situation. He was so angry with Cassio his lieutenant for being responsible for the whole commotion and shame and for acting in an irresponsible manner and did not therefore hesitate to demote him and relieve him of his duty.

This was Iago’s first successful attempt but he pretended to be very sorry and willing to offer assistance in order see to te successful reinstatement of Cassio. He goes ahead to entice and advise Cassio to approach Desmodema who is Othello’s wife and plead with her to talk to the husband within the house and to try to convince him to reinstate Cassio.

Cassio knew not that this was a plan that was meant to add an insult to an injury priory secretly secured by Iago. They met on several occasion with Othello’s wife but they stuck to the objective. While all this was happening, Iago took that opportunity to create a picture that the two were having an affair. He took the news to Othello who at first did not believe Iago since he trusted his wife for the reason that he had never cheated on him before. He could not contemplate the fact that such a thing would happen. It was not possible.

Iago knew that he had to devise a new way. He asked his wife Emilia who also happened to be Desmodema’s maid servant to steal a handkerchief from her mistress. This was a much honored present that Othello had given to her to express his love and commitment for her. Iago took the handkerchief and made sure that he placed it in Cassio’s lodgings. This would serve as a proof that Desmodema had been visiting him and that the two had been having an affair.

Iago moved to Othello to prove to him that his wife was really being unfaithful. He explained that she had even given the present that he had bought her to Cassio. He was so furious and asked Iago to help him in killing Cassio. He is promised promotion after doing this.

This is Iago’s happiest moment because he knows that he is going to succeed in reclaiming the position that he was dying to have. While he was planning the murder of Cassio, Othello on the other side was plotting to smother his wife while they lay in bed. Iago approached Roderigo once again and told him to help in the murder of Cassio. He easily accepted since he did not like Cassio. He ambushed him in the street and the two struggled in the fight. Iago noted that Cassio was much stronger for Roderigo and he disguised himself before cutting him in the leg. He then hid himself before the arrival of the officers who had come to Cassio’s rescue. He emerged to join them and to pretend that he knew nothing. It is said that he stubbed Roderigo and killed him so that he would not confess and put him to trouble.

While all that was happening, Othello was on the other side strangling his wife. It happened that Emilio got into his room and was shocked by what she saw. Othello said that she deserved to die for cheating on him. When he mentioned about the handkerchief, it dawned on her that the whole thing was plotted by her husband. Othello was so angry when he realized that he had killed his innocent wife.

Immediately, Iago and some officers entered Othello’s room. He had not realized that all his plans had been disclosed. Othello moved to attack him but then realized that torture would be the best thing for him so that he could pay for the evil that he had caused. Iago realized that his wife had set him up and immediately jumped on her and murdered her on spot.

The officers moved in and apprehended both Othello and Iago. It is said that Othello opted to commit suicide rather than be taken into custody. Iago on the other side was taken for torture and it is thought that he was finally executed.

The two stories therefore are comparing in the sense that they express the theme of jealousy. They also compare in that both Satan in Paradise Lost and Iago in Othello do not achieve their goals. They only manage temporary success and terminal happiness at this achievement which soon come to an end. The only contrast is that the two protagonists in Othello die while they remain in the Paradise Lost.

Conclusion

Theme of jealousy is so profound in the two stories. In both the two pieces, the evil characters try to reclaim their lost glory by eliminating the one’s that deserved it. The two however do not succeed fully in their plans though they cause a lot of damage and enjoy temporary joyful moments as a result; which is extreme agony for others. Jealousy is therefore a powerful force that should be avoided since it results into devastating events.

References:

Butler, G “Giants and Fallen Angels in Dante and Milton: The Commedia and the

Gigantomachy in Paradise Lost”, Modern Philosophy 95 (3): 352–363. 998

Anderson, G “The Fall of Satan in the Thought of St. Ephrem and John Milton”:

Journal of Syriac Studies 3 (1), 2000

http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol3No1/HV3N1Anderson.html 

Biberman, M Milton : Marriage, and a Woman’s Right to Divorce, SEL Studies in

English Literature 39 (1): 131–153, doi :10.2307/1556309. 1999

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A Comparison between “Stone” by Timothy Findley and Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne Masculinity Concepts

According to the “Stones” by Timothy Findley, a man was bred to become a soldier and nothing less than that. The masculinity identity is an issue that is worth mentioning. The conception of masculinity is manifested in a soldier. The essence of masculinity according to Findley is seen from when in his qualities of leadership and as the protector of the family. The above roles are evidently operative roles; to be figurative and literal soldier and not that of the opposite-women. In the story Stones, one of the characters called David experiences psychological problems (43). He has been indoctrinated into war; violence, making his definition as masculinity skewed. On the other hand, the Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne (p. 23) gives a different view of masculinity as below. The symbolism shown by the author is very distinct with the difference in masculinity of the characters in the novel. The nature of masculinity is shown in the face of Georgiana’s. It shows the struggle between science and nature, via his repeated attempts of removal of masculinity. The class between nature and science shows the concept of women and man, through the femininity of nature and masculine characters of the globe of science.

According to the Findley Davis needs to be soldier to be considered as a man. Findley indicates that psychological torture is worse than physical torture. The author later introduces another character called Ben. Ben’s memories indicate that his is a perfect father. On the contrary, David is a failed soldier with evident problems of femininity. Since David changes into feminine boy since lily approaches him as a mother. It is noted that the author tried to inform his audience that the role of man should not be confused to that of the women and that the man was the bread winner of the family and the society. In the Birthmark, All through the story, nature is seen as feminine and is present through Georgiana. This is the same way how science depicts masculine and symbolizes through Aylmer. The dilemma or the conflict between nature and science of the attempts that men have in control of women. According to Eckstein, modern science is full of masculine endeavourers as well as nature is considered as metaphorically female (512).

From his analysis, it can be concluded that David is less masculine while Ben is seen as the real man with masculine to protect his people and family (96). Findley defines the negative effects of masculine psychological dilemma in Stones via indoctrination of violence, the ideal principle of perfection, and the female in contrast. The author informs the reader that gender roles are significant in determining masculinity ideas in humans. In the contrary, Birthmark story states that, all through history, people refer to nature with the preceding word of “nature” making individual to belief that nature can only be considered feminine. A true appeal of such beliefs is evident in the contemporary world, where women are now fighting for gender rights all over the world. Rucker sees how Georgia frightens Aylmer, it is seen from the novel that Aylmer fears sexuality (443), especially feminine sexuality. He is concerned with managing his wife and her looks. This shows the theme of women versus men.

Findley indicates that departing to war has psychological effects to man. Men are instructed into violence. A man is psychologically disturbed when he knows he has to go to war. Similar men exist out in the streets gangs of the youths as zombies, extremely defensive of their manhood, challenging the soldiers who were dancing (Findley 207). If Ben had a chance to come to street with his greatcoat if would be assumed that he was a deserter and the societies patriotism could have come to that (208). The soldiers returned from the war filed with wounds that were very damaging… it was the women’s role to lift their morale and to deny the harshness of the wounds. The physical is not as damaging as psychological. The author shows that men feared psychological wound rather than physical wounds. The meaning of this in the cotemporary world as indicated by Findley is that men should not fear the physical experience that we get from time to time but we should fear the impacts that come with psychological contractions. On the other hand, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Aylmer sees Georgiana as an object for perfection with the exception of birthmark in him. Before meeting her all his was dreaming was science and the art of perfecting nature. He was posed with the degree of belief of man ultimate control of nature (p 29). This clearly shows what he ought to perfect from the exiting nature.

It is evident from the Stone that women are subjected to simple roles such as soothing their men when “wounded” indicating that their masculinity is designed for simple roles or duties. Findley informs the audience that masculinity was used to determine a person’s role in the society while the author in Birthmark indicates that difference between men and women perception and stereotype of nature evident among the characters in the novel. The author comes with clear description of the role that main character such as Aylmer and Georgiana have towards depicting the roles that gender roles have to the society.

It is clear that the Findley uses masculinity traits to identify characters in the Stone. David is seen as feminine with weak masculine expectations while the novel as the real masculine image that can fight for the family-brave advocates Ben while in Birthmark, to balance the considerations of Georgiana and the mark, Nathaniel includes the opinion of the masculine observer; if the birthmark did not show the admiration of the contented selves, then the problem lies to the gender roles that nature has indicated in the society of the type of relief that the character presents in the novel.

The Findley also raises the notion of patriarch. A man is expected to take part in a battle and such a man is considered as the perfect being. However, the notion of perfection prevents an individual’s sense of perspective. Both Ben’s and David’s perspective and blurred. The masculine approach of the perfect father and soldier suggests that David was firm with his Son and Ben femininity. David was introduced to violence earlier in life this rendering his masculinity life similar to when he became a soldier. The author deduces that one’s masculine nature does not come one a mere trial it is a learned process. In addition, individual’s character are crafted from their masculine form while Nathaniel states that information, streaming from nature is coupled with different meaning in the world of science. He concludes that Aylmer is a person who wishes to define masculinity as the only source of changing nature.

Findley portrays masculine identity to be a negative psychological concern. Concerning soldiers, the concept of masculinity has been altered. The man’s social identity defined as leader and provider has been produced negatively outcomes. David is seen being psychologically castrated when he returned from war however; this has given him false protection. The memories that Ben has for David pre-war is unclear as it is expected that a soldier heading for war should have a strong masculine complex (209).

It is clear from the Stone that the author use masculinity them to arrange his plot from the start of the story to the end. The sequential analysis of the novel was planned on the nature of the characters representation of their masculinity image. As a new character is added to the plot his value adds to depiction of what he denotes of male values or roles. In addition, the author also used masculinity identity to indicate an individual character in the novel. For example, the ideal character for David was weak and that of Ben previously was courageous man. In Birthmark, on the principles between nature and science, the author used masculinity to define the plot of the novel. He divided the plot into several potions defining the role of masculinity in Gender roles.

It can be concluded that masculinity plays a significant role in shaping one’s life both as nature and as science. Both novels have indicated the fear of masculine roles among characters in the novels hence showing a sense of masculine responsibility. It is also evident that both are using masculinity in developing plots and character representation.

Works Cited

Erskine, John. “Nathaniel Hawthorne.” In Leading American Novelists. New York: Books For Libraries Press, 1968.

Findley, Timothy. “Stones.” Stones. N.p.: Viking Canada, 1988. 195-221. Print.

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Political science

A Comparison of the French Constitutional Reforms with the Proposals to End the Political Gridlock in American Politics Especially Since the 2010 Elections

The 5th Republic instituted a number of constitutional reforms in France upon ending the 4th Republican political gridlock. The reforms ranged from a renewal of the party system to victory for feminism where minor parties and women were allowed to contest every elective post. Consequently, women made up 19% of the legislature.

Contrastingly, in the US especially after 2010, courts interfered with the democratic process. For instance, the 2010 Supreme Court’s ruling on the citizens united, disgraced the political equality that had been enjoyed by Americans for many years. This ruling ensured that independent billionaires and the political clout in Washington had their day at the expense of many disgruntled voters. Politicians could still reach out to corporate organizations for campaign funds.

“Inequality has a direct impact on the democratic process by placing greater amounts of wealth in the hands of a tiny minority, who can use it to exercise undue influence on who is nominated and elected. The influence can also lobby governmental decision-making bodies, which in turn allow them to generate even more wealth for themselves (Schneirov and Fernandez 210)”. Despite this blow to democracy, the 2010 US Affordable healthcare act had a plus for the democratization process by enabling all Americans to access health care.

A Comparison of US and French Electoral Systems and Bipartisanship amongst Their Parties

The French 5th Republic provides a case in point of two ballots plurality system. In this system, there is a need for a majority in the first ballot/round election. The absolute majority is registered by more than 50% of the cast votes. If there is no 50+1% in the first round, there is a rerun where the winner in this case, regardless of the percentage of votes, is one who has most votes. Like the US system, the weakest candidates are usually pressured to withdraw. On the other hand, the US system has impediments such as bare minimum vote sharing thresholds. These procedures obstruct small parties from winning voter representation.

Members of an electoral college in the USA determine the winner in case of a close race. In both countries, the party that holds the majority in the legislature tends to encourage polarization and hyper-partisanship amongst parties. For instance, the lack of suggestions for dramatic change, less charismatic leaders, cohabitation and scandals has reduced the presidential powers in France. “Republicans have been able to maintain control of the House since 1994 chiefly because elections are seldom contested and because large campaign donors are more likely to contribute to likely winners. (Schneirov and Fernandez 239)”

A Comparison of the Role of the Legislatures in Decision Making In France and Britain

The French Parliament is more powerful than the British parliament. This is because Britain has a parliamentary system where there is considerable unity between the executive and legislative branches. Consequently, parliament in Britain plays a very negligible decision making role. Apart from that, the party with the majority in parliament names the cabinet from its members. This means that the legislature cannot go against the executive given that its members are in the ruling party. Contrastingly, France has a hybrid system where the country is governed by two principals: the President and the Prime minister on a power sharing agreement. Since the running of government is the prerogative of the Prime minister and a cabinet appointed by the President, parliament has more power over the executive. However, the President can unanimously introduce a referendum; hence, bypassing the legislating role of parliament if the bill is passed by the masses. In the 1950’s, most French governments lasted for about 9 months because the lawmakers introduced a vote of no confidence and a new government was elected if their motion sailed through by absolute majority.

A Comparison of the Role of the State in France and the US As Far As Their Economic and Societal Outcomes Are Concerned

In France, there are high rates of unemployment in comparison to the USA. Consequently, voters want to elect a socialist regime because they believe that it will stop the high inequality rates and the decline in job security that has been typical of the country since the 1970s. However, the case in the US is quite different: “Since 2008, the country has moved in a progressive economic direction for middle and low-income Americans. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides for a significant improvement in the medical and financial security for a large number of Americans, especially for the bottom half of the income distribution (Schneirov and Fernandez 269).”

Works Cited

Schneirov Richard, and Fernandez Gaston A. Democracy as a Way of Life in America: A History. Routledge: New York. (2012): 210-270.Print.

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Movie Critique: 13th Amendment

African Americans have never been absolutely free even after the emancipation. The ratification of the 13th Amendment was a chance for slave owners and supporters to draft a law that had loopholes to keep African Americans in chains, literally and figuratively. It was a clause that shifted the definition of slavery from a ‘legitimate” business to a legal method of punishment for lawbreakers. African Americans are suffering from the legacy of slavery a century almost two centuries after 1867. The institutionalization of slavery and the wide racial and partisan disparities and the position of African Americans in American society has been nothing short of slavery. America boasts of these lofty ideals, but on the other hand, it has subjected Negroes to a second class status with the political elite selecting the nobility of their civic creed at the expense of social arrangements that have been in existence for many years.

The black race in America is subjected to extreme stereotyping, economic inequality, and stigmatization for their way of life and isolated by the society. Their purported criminality has resulted in racial profiling by law enforcement to the extent that black people are arrested, and many of their rights are violated in the process. There have been documented and undocumented cases of black people being physically beaten by the police during arrest and held at police stations beyond the requirements of the law.

The 13th is a documentary by Ava DuVernay, which focuses on the Thirteenth Amendment very significant legislation that resulted in mass incarceration in the United States. Besides covering this epic event in history, the film is gorgeous, reminiscent, and infuriating exploration powers, roots, and permanence. The film showcases the account of those wielded power and those made to kneel by this power, their roots, and their permanence. From history, the economy of the Southern state was decimated. The primary sources of income for the South, slaves, were no longer obliged up and serve as free labor for their fields. There was, however, an exception was made for criminals who, according to the law, were eligible for enlistment as slaves as part of their punishment. In the first restatement of a strategy by the South, hundreds of slaves who had started enjoying their freedom were enslaved again courtesy of trivial mistakes and minor charges. This informed the beginning of Duvernay’s examination of the evolving iterations.

The cycle was such that when one method of subservience-based injustice and terror subsided, another rose in its place. The list used by Duvernay in this documentary included the Jim Crow era, lynching if black people, Nixon’s race for the presidency, Reagans War on Drugs, President Clinton’s three strikes, and the compulsory sentencing rulings and the cash-for-prisoners in effect today. The cash for prisoners is a model that bail and incarceration firms use to generate millions of dollars.

The 13th, however, concentrates a bit more on the cash-for-prisoners model and even portrays the tally of the prisoners to go through the system on-screen (Luxe). The use of context, in this case, is very important because although history still has significance, it is necessary to create awareness of the situation of black people today. The other does a perfect job to remind the world and black people that they are still not considered nothing more than just that, African Americans. America does not see beyond their color. The use of the 13th Amendment as the thesis for this film is appropriate and creates a path that allows the film director to exhaust the evolution of prejudice against black people over the years.

Works Cited

Luxe. (2016, October 16). Thirteenth Amendment Documentary [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WU608Z2678

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The problems and solutions to a Shortage of Skilled Jobs to Accommodate Degree Holders

Introduction

Research indicates that the people that have post-secondary education have better lives get better jobs with more money, are happier, healthier, and more engaged in civic duties. Education is an integral aspect of American meritocracy. It is through education that people from poor backgrounds improve their lives and socioeconomic status. However, there is a large number of people out there who are jobless or working jobs that are way below their skills. Graduates are struggling to find positions that are corresponding to their education. According to a study by Horowitz (2018), skilled jobs are too few compared to the number of college graduates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the National Center for Education Statistics report that there are 6 million more graduates than the jobs available. This paper seeks to identify problems and solutions to this phenomenon.

Problems

The BLS projects that the number of jobs that require degrees will increase to 29,176,700 by 2020 from 26,033,000 in 2012 (Snyder & Dillow, 2014). This means that the number of unemployed graduates will still exceed the number of available jobs. In an interview with Neal Lesley a director of education at a local community college, he identified credential inflation as one of the reasons for these statistics. He said, “employers include an additional credential that is not necessary for a certain job.” “Most employers ask candidates for credentials just because they have the power to do so.”

Stacy Jones is an educator in the same institution and had this to say in addition to the comments of Mr. Lesley, “only two-thirds of bachelor degree-holders are working in positions that require their skill set, the rest are working in jobs that do not require the credentials they possess. This number does not just represent new graduates but also includes people who have been working the same career track for many years.”

My parents were also interviewed and being degree holders, they were the perfect candidates to represent parents. This is what my father had to say, “I am not sure if this can be considered a problem, but the reason why there are more graduates without jobs is that the investment in higher education has grown significantly over the years. A few years back there was not as much incentive to join tertiary institutions as they are now.” Further research on this claim showed that this is called education expansion and it has a deleterious outcome on bachelor degree holders. As a hiring officer, my mother says that “we are now forced to include a B.A as a requirement even for jobs that do not require such credentials because of the huge number of job seekers in comparison to the available posts.” This explains why college graduates are working lower-skilled jobs although this has not helped a lot because there are still a significant number of unemployed graduates.

The next interviewees were a group of former workmates at my last summer job. The interview that stood out was with Blake Eastwood an educator by profession but works as a manager at a printing firm. His opinion was that “since schooling was made compulsory, a lot of mechanization, specialization, and routinization have followed.” He says that the need for skilled labor has fallen significantly. “For instance, car assembly lines do not require a craftsman to build an entire vehicle using their knowledge and skill but instead one person is required to add a few screws to cars as they go through the assembly belt.”

Solutions

The solution to education expansion is making high-quality education more accessible. Education expansion is a result of the expansion of low-quality education. The programs that are given to most students do not do much to promote social mobility. According to McMillan (2017), not-for-profit colleges have focused on getting more people degrees than offering education that raises human capital. Dysfunctional labor markets and social contracts are the reason why there are so many problems with higher education. The microeconomic paybacks of human capital can only be realized if higher education is in fact able to deliver human capital.

The other solution is investing more in jobs that need high skills. It is obvious that the shortage of college graduates is not something to expect. However, the increased number of graduates means a decline in the value of these degrees, which is also a sign of having fewer high-skilled jobs. research initiatives by universities can help in the generation of skilled jobs. According to Abel and Dietz (2009) on behalf of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, colleges and universities have a significant role in increase human capital in the regions they are located in. This is done through research and development activities. Research and development activities increase the levels of human capital because spillovers from these activities have a positive correlation to increased demand for human capital. Metropolitan areas that have more college and university activities are found to have a larger share of graduates working jobs in high human capital occupations (Abel & Dietz, 2009). In essence, colleges and universities are able to raise the levels of human capital by increasing the demand and supply of a certain skill.

The third solution should focus on easing the pressure on education to fix inequality. The education system is not able to fix the problem of what is referred here as “bad jobs.” Bad jobs are those that pay poverty-level wages without enough benefits. Relying on education to change the economic status of workers does not consider the fact that many graduates are still working bad jobs ensuring the stability of inequality. There should be long-term strategies by employers and the government to provide better training opportunities that increase human capital and reverse the trend of unemployed or unprotected degree holders working bad jobs, which is not so different than being unemployed.

Conclusion

More than 6 million graduates are unemployed and the projected increase in jobs does not promise to cater to this number, which will grow as well considering more people graduate each year. credential inflation is one reason for this statistic where employers abuse their mandate by requiring credentials unnecessarily. The other issue is that increased investment in education has not been matched by investment in jobs requiring a higher level of human capital. Instead, education has resulted in a reduced number of skilled jobs as automation has increased. This in essence is education working against itself. To fix this, it should be understood that education cannot solely handle the problem of poverty and inequality, there should be other strategies to go with it including increasing the demand for these skills. There should be more to making education accessible which is making quality education accessible not just education for the sake of it.

References

Abel, J. R., & Deitz, R. (2009). Do Colleges and Universities Increase Their Region’s Human Capital? Staff Report No. 401. Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Horowitz, J. (2018). Relative education and the advantage of a college degree. American sociological review, 83(4), 771-801.

Kalleberg, A. L. (2011). Good jobs, bad jobs: The rise of polarized and precarious employment systems in the United States, 1970s-2000s. Russell Sage Foundation.

Snyder, T. D., & Dillow, S. A. (2014). Digest of education statistics 2011. National Center for Education Statistics.

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Myths

Question 1: A Comparison between the Babylonian creation myth, Enuma Elish and the Greek creation myth, Creation of gods and the titans

The above creation myths have varied similarities as well as differences. The very first similarity pertains to the fact that both of these are creation myths. They detail the creation of natural things and the influence of different powers in the process of creation. At the beginning, both myths indicate that the earth was devoid of any creature. The creation of the creatures takes place through time in both myths. Then, the gods constituting both myths seem to be related in some way to the natural facet of the earth. For example, there is the god of the sky that is represented by Anu and Zeus, the god of waters represented by Posiden and Tiamat and so forth.

The storyline in both myths seems to be the same, only that the details differ considerably. The fathers in the stories are afraid of having to be overthrown by their sons or children. Because of this fear, the fathers devise different plans to get rid of the children in order to secure their status as the most superior. Although the plans in both stories are different and are pursued differently, the results of the plans are the same. The children or sons win the fights; in the Greek creation, Zeus takes the throne while in the Babylonian creation myth, Marduk assumes leadership of all gods after becoming a hero.

The most obvious difference between the two myths includes the fact that they are used by different religions. This implies that relative beliefs influence the life of the populations differently. The Babylonian creation myth brings to light a number of females such as Tiamat, Kishar and Lahamu (Rosenberg 155). Females in the Babylonian myth primarily perform the role of procreation. However, one of the female in the Greek myth is used as an agent to transfer destruction and evil to man. The treatment that the hero gods in both myths accord their enemies or enemies is also different. Marduk approaches the enemies more directly by involving them in a war and finally destroying them. Zeus on the other hand simply sends his presumed enemies a gift containing the evil spirits as well as punishes them directly (Rosenberg 8). Unlike Zeus who was at some point in time corrupted by power and control, Marduk remained strong and was marveled by all the gods. He was considered a king and appreciated by all the gods because of his power and strength.

Question 2: Contrasting creation of gods and titans, the Greek myth with the Hindu myth, creation, death and rebirth of the universe

The two myths are different from each other in various ways. While the Hindu creation myth revolves around reincarnation, the Greek myth primarily details events from one generation to the other. The war that the generations in Greek mythology engage in is waged by the creatures. These wars are not present in the Hindu myth, rather the suffering that humans experience in this comes from the severities of the weather. Unlike the Greek myth in which the creatures are constantly exposed to some kind of forces, the Hindu myth details a phase in which there is utmost peace (Rosenberg 327). The age of moral perfection and virtue does not have any anger, sickness or sadness. In the Greek myth, the creatures are in sole control of the universe and influence natural occurrences in different ways. This is unlike in the Hindu creation myth where the natural forces that influence the occurrence of drought and rain are fundamentally controlled by a higher power. The creatures that are represented by humans do not have any form of influence on the natural forces; rather they only suffer the negative implications that are associated with the natural forces.

The climate has a great influence on the development of the two myths. Climatic conditions in the Greek myth are instrumental in shaping the behavior of the Hecatonchires. Reportedly, he was wild and played with lightening, thunder and earthquakes. This disappointed his father the sky and strained the relationship that the two shared. The climate is used as a form of weapon to fight against the enemies in the Greek mythology. This is because it had far reaching implications on the creatures and had the potential to destroy them. Climate in the Hindu creation myth also exhibits negative characteristic or attributes. The heat from the sun is used to punish to punish humans and destroy life. The flood that comes after this prolonged drought plays an important role in rebirth. Generally, the climate sustains life in both myths. In the Hindu mythology, good climate support he growth of fruit trees in the first phase of life. These provide food for humans who depend on them for survival. The climate in the Greek myth on the other hand helps the creatures to pursue their goals during the war.

Question 3: Analyzing the epic hero, Zeus

In Greek mythology, Zeus was the epic hero after he defeated is father Cronus and assumed the leadership of the gods. He was powerful and from the point of view of the Greeks, e was the protector of the city, society, state, law, strangers and family. His decision to exile all the titans or rebels that fought against him was wise. This is because it helped in retaining peace in his kingdom. He was protective of his children and even freed Gaea from the dangerous hands of Typhoeus. This was morally acceptable because he was furthering the good and happiness of his son. Moreover, he exhibited courage and persistence in his struggle for justice. Although Typhoeus was fearsome, Zeus still faced him and using his superb fighting skills, he was able to kill him. This was admirable because besides freeing his son, he freed the entire gods from the fear of Typhoeus (Rosenberg 6).

The cruel punishment that Zeus extended to Prometheus after he refused to reveal the secret of other sons was however immoral. This is because it led to intense suffering of Prometheus. However, had a forgiving heart as he allowed his son to free Prometheus after being pleaded with. Likewise, his use of a woman to punish man who was innocent in this regard implies that Zeus was immoral in this regard. Indeed, the misery, despair, plague, hatred, famine, warfare and innumerable other types of suffering that were contained in the gift box have had adverse effects on the quality of life of man to date. Although he also included hope in the box, this came last and did not have the ability to counter the negative effects that were related to the preceding forms of suffering that had already been released in the universe.

There are various virtues that can be learnt from the character of Zeus. Arguably, virtues related to persistence and confidence are important in attaining one’s goals and objectives. Another important lesson that can be learnt from Zeus pertains to the use of power. Seemingly, power and control can corrupt an individual. Therefore, leaders need to exercise it with caution to avoid impacting negatively on the subjects.

Question 4:

The behavior and character of Zeus was related to the Greek culture in different ways. To begin with, the Greek society was stratified in different social classes. Those that assumed the higher social classes were powerful and controlling. In light of the character of the Zeus, his power gave him an upper hand and was instrumental in influencing his leadership. In other words, his ability to fight his enemies gave him a chance to be herald and accorded leadership by the other gods. Also, in the Greek culture, women were not allowed to assume any public space. They were merely seen as helpers and were confined to procreation and domestic life. This can be used to explain why Zeus chose to use a woman to pursue his evil ways towards man. Although women were not pronounced in the public sphere, it should be appreciated that they greatly influenced the decisions that man took in different ways.

The ancient Greeks also depended heavily on the natural resources and more specifically land for their survival. Although the climate and their land made farming difficult, they still depended heavily on this and grew grains and wheat or barley. Notably, Zeus also benefited significantly from the climate. Seemingly, he used thunderstorm and lightening as his weapons to fight against the rebels. The fact that he had control over the natural occurrences made it easy for him to manipulate them for his own good.

The character of Zeus regarding constant involvement in war is closely related to the Greek culture regarding engaging in war with other states. The wars enabled the Greeks to attain slaves and prisoners to provide them with labor on their farms and homes. Seemingly, the government was responsible for maintaining law and order. Relative status was assumed by the leaders of the society that were also powerful. In light of the character of Zeus, he was vigilant and sought to maintain law and order. This explains why he punished Prometheus for failing to reveal vital and sensitive information that could undermine harmonic co existence. Zeus in this regard was simply taking precautionary measures towards maintaining stability in his kingdom.

Question 5:

The Ramayana is an Indian epic that is important in different ways. From an emotional point of view, it is an exemplification of the importance of ideal behavior. It also shows the significance of relating well with other individuals, family and the society at large. The Ramayana indicates that virtues of righteousness or truth are of paramount importance to the wellbeing of an individual (Rosenberg 337). The underlying lessons postulate that humans need to uphold truth and righteousness at all times in order to live a fulfilling life. The Ramayana teaches that an individual needs to uphold the teachings of the parents and respect them at all times in order to live a righteous life. This according to Rama needs to be upheld at all times, regardless of the circumstances that an individual finds himself or herself in.

The Ramayana story is relevant to the plight of humans on various levels. It is important to the children because it teaches them to obey their parents at all times. The story cites that parents are ordained by God and therefore basically instruments of Gods. They should therefore be respected and there commandments followed at all times. This is important as it aids in addressing incidences of disrespect that undermine the quality of life of humans. The Ramayana also teaches that couples need to respect each other and should be dedicated to bringing up a happy family. Currently, incidences such as divorces are having far reaching implications on the holistic wellbeing of humans. The Ramayana in this regard would be useful for addressing the emergent problems.

Finally, the Ramayana teaches about the importance of good leadership. As a King, Rama is dedicated and holds the needs of his subjects in high regard. He is responsible and instills relative values in his subjects. In addition, he makes efforts to reconcile the differences within his kingdom and ensures that justice prevails. Currently, it can not be disputed that a significant percentage of human problems emanate from poor leadership. The inherent social disparities and leadership wrangles have adverse effects on the local populations. Ramayana teaches current leaders the importance of humility. Seemingly, the Rama was humble and went as far as foregoing his leadership position as way of respecting his parents. Likewise, leaders need to exhibit humility and be more dedicated to serving rather than being served. Most importantly, they need to uphold important values and virtues that guide behavior. Righteousness and truthfulness is undoubtedly requisite for addressing the current problems that humanity is grappling with.

Work Cited

Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. McGraw Hill, 2001. Print

A Comparative Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jnr. And Malcolm X

Both Martin Luther King Jnr. and Malcolm X were active forerunners of one of the biggest movements in the history of America famously known as the African American Civil Rights Movement. They were influential figures in the Civil Rights era which reached its apex during the 1960s. Their powerful voices appealed to African Americans who had been disenfranchised and unabatedly treated as second class citizens across the entire nation. Individually, each had a different approach in the quest for racial equality. Martin Luther King Jnr. preached the philosophy of “love thy enemy” which had been imposed on him earlier on by his role model Mahatma Gandhi and believed equality could be achieved through peaceful, non-violence means. In contrast to King’s non-violent approach, Malcolm X did not ascribe to such idealism but believed racial equality and justice could only be achieved through force and violence. In this essay, I will compare and contrast King’s idealistic approach to Malcolm X’s radical extremism to show how their views paved the way for equality and social justice.

Many scholars have sought to determine who between King and Malcolm X was responsible for a greater change in the civil rights movement. The question can only be answered through an evaluation of each man’s views and how coherent each was in agitating for social justice. There are many who consider Martin Luther King Jnr. as the more influential force behind the movement mainly because it was King who promoted the inclusion of other sympathetic races including White Americans to the Civil Rights movement thereby broadening the base of support for their cause. Those who ascribe to this school of thought perceive Malcolm X as a man who believed in black separation as the first step followed by black pride and then equality “by any means necessary”. He is believed to be a man who saw the Civil Rights Movement as an opportune prospect for revolution in which violence and hating the enemy were the only means of achieving their objective. To better understand the views held by each of the two African American Civil Rights leaders, it is imperative to delve into their origins to determine how their lives shaped their personal philosophies in the struggle for equality and recognition of African Americans as genuine citizens of the United States of America.

Martin Luther King Jnr. was born in 1929 as a middle child to Reverend Martin Luther King Snr. And Alberta Williams King. He grew up in Atlanta and attended Booker T. Washington High School and later Morehouse College aged fifteen without even graduating from High School due to his high intelligence abilities. He graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951 and later married Coretta Scott in 1953. Throughout his entire academic life, King was a known skeptic of many Christianity claims among them the bodily resurrection of Christ.

In his adult life, Martin Luther King Jnr. was professionally a clergyman who later became an activist and a prominent leader of the Civil Rights movement. As a minister in the Baptist Church, King’s early activism laid the foundation for his future leadership roles that included the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, founding of the 1957 Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the March on Washington in 1963 where he gave a speech that would later be famously remembered as the “I Have a Dream” address. In this speech he not only established himself as a great orator but more importantly expressed his vision of an American society where a person would not be judged by the color of his or her skin. King became the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts in ending racial segregation and discrimination by non-violent means. Before his assassination on 4th April, 1968 at Memphis, King was working on poverty eradication and ending the war in Vietnam. Besides the Nobel Peace Prize, King also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1977 and 2004 respectively.

Malcolm X on the other hand was an African American Muslim minister who doubled up as a public speaker and a human rights activist. His followers saw him as a brave advocate for African Americans’ rights and as a man who spoke strongly against crimes perpetrated against black Americans by the White American society. He was perceived by his opponents and detractors as a preacher of racism and black supremacy through violence. He however remains one of the most influential figures in African American history.

Born in 1925 as Malcolm Little, he was the fourth child of Earl Little and Louise Norton. His father is significantly remembered as an outspoken speaker in the Baptist church, a Universal Negro Improvement Association leader, and a strong supporter of Marcus Garvey. He was a major influence on Malcolm’s development of black pride values and self reliance. His early life was characterized by victimization by Ku Klux Klan who lynched one of his brothers and killed two others. After further threats by the Klan, Earl Little’s family had to repeatedly relocate to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and thereafter Lansing, Michigan. His mother’s Scottish ancestry which gave him a light skinned complexion was one of the most hateful aspects he saw in himself so much that he was known to repeatedly observe that he “hated every drop of that white rapist’s blood that is in me.” Despite being a good student in junior high school, Malcolm X dropped out at eighth grade when one of his teachers told him that his ambitions of becoming a lawyer bore “no realistic goals for (an African American)” in a derogatory reference. He later in life remembered the incidence and stated that it made him feel like a career-oriented black man had no place in a white man’s world.

Malcolm X is described as having largely been influenced by his father’s lessons in black pride and self-reliance as well as his own experiences in adult life. His early life was characterized by significant loses including his father’s death when he was only thirteen years old and his mother’s admission in a mental hospital. He spent his youthful years in a series of foster homes after which he became involved in criminal activities that culminated in an eight to ten years prison sentence. Prison life was significantly influential to Malcolm X’s life because it is while he was serving his sentence that he converted to Islam, became El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, and joined the Nation of Islam. He became the organization’s outspoken leaders after his parole. He quit the Nation of Islam after leadership wrangles with Elijah Mohammed, another influential figure among the African Americans, and became a Sunni Muslim.

Before his assassination in New York by members of his group, Malcolm X had founded a religious organization called Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Pan-Africanist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Malcolm X was a renowned agitator and a propagandist who utilized his exceptional oratory skills in public speaking to influence the emancipation of African Americans to rise against discrimination racial prejudice. Today there are over fifty of his published lectures and interviews being used as scholarly academic materials. His image is highly regarded in the popular culture of rap music, and an abbreviation of his name to a single “X” is found on caps, T-shirts, and buttons. His popularity gives credence to the fact that his views can not be simply be passed off as radical extremism but as a diversity that has grown to be universally recognized.

Martin Luther King Jnr. agitation for a peaceful resolution to the problem of race inequality through non-violent means like civil disobedience can be attributed to the influence of his mentors. One of the people who significantly influenced King was his father’s former classmate at Morehouse College, Howard Thurman. Thurman was a theologian civil rights leader and an educator who mentored King among other youths. He had met and conferred with Mahatma Gandhi during his missionary work and the lessons he learned from Gandhi had a significant influence on his students among them Martin Luther King Jnr. After visiting Gandhi’s birthplace in India, King was so inspired by the legendary Indian’s success through non-violence activism that he later observed in a radio address: “Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity. In a real sense, Mahatma Gandhi embodied in his life certain universal principles that are inherent in the moral structure of the universe, and these principles are as inescapable as the law of gravitation.”

Unlike Malcolm X who agitated for recognition of African American rights through all means including violence, King’s views were largely expressed in his numerous sermons and speeches which called for an active participation of all Americans of all races to fight against racial injustices and equality. His travels across the entire country brought him face to face with the harsh reality of racism. He realized that it was not only the African Americans who were affected by racism but poor people of all races had been left out in the country’s socio-economic development. He spoke on behalf of all people who were victim of all forms of discrimination as he stated in his “I Have A Dream” speech which called for freedom to all citizens. He believed the country could only prosper when all people joined together leaving no group behind to suffer oppression. His crusade for justice was driven by passionate statements like in a sermon where he stated:

“All I’m saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we’re caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”

Another famous example of his non-violent approach to the race issue is the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. The boycott was caused by the refusal of a pregnant fifteen year old girl to give up her bus seat to a white man according to Jim Crow rules which led to another arrest of an African American woman Rosa Parks for the same offence. The arrest led to a boycott of all the Montgomery buses company organized by King for 385 days during which his house was bombed. He was later arrested but the boycott brought an end to racial discrimination in all the Montgomery buses.

King’s activism methods in which he expressed his views also included the founding of Southern Christian Leadership Conference which aimed at harnessing the power of all black churches in organizing non-violent protests for civil rights reforms. His literary works including the 1959 Measure of A Man were a reflection of Gandhi’s non-violent techniques. He believed that the use of non-violent means in protesting against racist issue like the southern segregation laws referred to as Jim Crow laws would result in extensive media coverage of the African Americans’ struggle for equality and the right to vote. He organized marches and speeches which were successful in the passing into the United States Law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the subsequent Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Similar to King, Malcolm X used religion to launch his civil rights campaign. Most of his teachings were expressed through the Nation of Islam. His views were largely concerned with promoting self-reliance and respect for African Americans. However, the national media focused on the controversial aspects of his campaign which tainted his national appeal. In some sections of the media he was quoted as making outrageous claims like black people being the original inhabitants of Earth or that the White people were blue eyed devils. In reality he was opposed to the non-violence policy in the civil rights movement and agitated for the creation of a separate nation for African Americans. He preached on self defense by any means the people would find necessary. Malcolm’s violent response can nevertheless be justified by the fact that he spoke to the black community in the south where life was characterized by police using water horses and dogs against protest marchers. This is why he spoke on African Americans defending themselves against violence perpetrated on them by the white American society. However his call for the creation of a separate Black nation was unworkable. Notably, many African Americans from the Northern and Western States were more in support of Malcolm’s approach than that of the mainstream civil rights movement. They believed that by giving an active expression to their problems and frustration, Malcolm X “made clear the price that white America would have to pay if it did not accede to black America’s legitimate demands.”

In conclusion, both men will forever be remembered for their Black Nationalism spirit that fought for equal rights and justice against white supremacy. However, Malcolm X’s approach to resolving the racial injustice issue, though it was meant for good intentions, often caused ripples between different groups of African Americans. Martin Luther King Jnr. believed that responding to violence with violence was detrimental to the process of implementing change. He knew that change could only be achieved by uniting all Americans under one accord not by dividing the nation. In Martin Luther’s dream both White and Black Americans were one people.

Bibliography

Baldwin, Lewis and Al-Hadid, Amiri Yassin. Cross and Crescent: Christian and MuslimPerspectives on Malcolm and Martin. Gainsville, Fla: University Press of Florida, 1990.

Brendler, Gerhard. Martin Luther: Theology and Revolution. New York: Oxford UniversityPress, 1991.

D’souza, P. Placido. “Commemorating Martin Luther King Jnr.” SFGate.com (2003), HYPERLINK “http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-01-20/opinion/17474454_1_nonviolence-philosophy-king” http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-01-20/opinion/17474454_1_nonviolence-philosophy-king(accessed March 22, 2011).

Jeffrey, Gary, and Christopher Forsey. Martin Luther King Jr.: the Life of a Civil Rights Leader.New York: Rosen, 2007.

Khan, Ali. “Lessons from Malcolm X: Freedom by Any Means Necessary” Howard LawJournal (1994), HYPERLINK “http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=938821” http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=938821 (accessedMarch 22, 2011).

King, Martin Luther Jnr. And Carson Clayborne. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. LosAngels, CA: University of California, 1992.

Natambu, Koffi. The Life and Work of Malcolm X. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002.

Warren, A. Mervyn and Gardner Taylor. King Came Preaching: The Pulpit Power of Dr. MartinLuther King JR. New York, NY: InterVarsity Press, 2008.

X, Malcolm, Alex Haley, and Paul Gilroy. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. London: Penguin,2001.

Response

The primary role of nurses is to take care of patients, and this is done through the provision of care that advocates for dignity, respect and empowerment. All patients need to be treated equally, with no discrimination or favor to some patients. Every life is equally important and thus, the treatment and caring plans to the patient must uphold dignity and respect. Respect is a two-way traffic; nurses need to show respect to the patients for them to respect the nurses. Through respect, nurses can create a conducive environment for the patients that fosters understanding, and make the patients feel cared and valued in the heath care, providing an opportunity for the patients to open up on their history which helps the nurses to come up with a better diagnosis and treatment option. This makes it possible to promote a holistic care that includes the opinions of the patients in regard to culture and personal beliefs leading to better patient health outcomes. All these are elements stipulated in Swanson’s caring theory which outlines the caring processes such as knowing, being with, doing for, enabling and maintaining belief, and which are essential in cultivating a meaningful healing relationship between nurses and patients (Nurse-Clarke, DiCicco-Bloom & Limbo, 2019).

References

Nurse-Clarke, N., DiCicco-Bloom, B., & Limbo, R. (2019). Application of caring theory to nursing Care of Women Experiencing Stillbirth. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 44(1), 27-32.

Introduction

There are several human resouce management practices that if well applied by an organization can enhance it’s competitive advantage in the marketplace. Employment security, selectivity in recruiting and selection, self-managed teams and decentralization, high compensation, extensive training and skill development ,reduced status distinctions and barriers and Information sharing are among the seven human resource management practices according to Jeffrey Pfeffer. This paper discusses the principle of extensive training and skill development as a way of enhancing an organizations competitive advantage in the market place.

An organization’s success largely depends on the performance of its employees whether good or bad. Employees need the right skill motivation and knowledge to conduct efficient work in an organization. Extensive training and skill development among the employees of an organization, that is, providing the employees with the right skill necessaryto do their job through training, is among the best human resource management practices that can improve the competative nature of that organization. This includes training and staff development that are based on competencies required and developmental needs that meets the requirements of the workplace and the individual needs.

Since the educational background of an organization may considerably vary, training that is extensive is necessary for an organization to maximize its output through the employees.This in turn enhances the organization’s competative nature compared to its competitors not practicing the same principle depending on how far they go in implementing the extensive training of their employees.For an organization to enhance its productivity, morale ,increase performance and at the same time reduce job turnover its mandatory for the organization to help its employee use employee skill effectively, and further improve those skills by providing training and development opportunities. This improves employees satisfaction with their job and working conditions as a whole and improve its stability by reducing the chances of strikes and demonstrations by the employees which may tarnish the organization’s name through negative publicity hence reducing its competitive nature.

Through extensive training of employees, skills are developed by the employees which enhance productivity and quality of work in the organization besides building worker loyalty. Improving employee skills through training can increase individual and organizational performance and help to achieve business results which are highly competitive in the marketplace. This can further lead into increased chances of recruiting and retaining high quality employees resulting to the organization’s growth and expansion hence increased edge of competition agaist its competitors. Field work jobs and an organizations rapid pace in technological change are some of the sources of employee skill since they constantly generate new knowledge.

Organizations should be able to perform assessments needs of the types of training needed, create the content of the training and find the best means of delivering training to its employees. Different organizations conduct different training and development programs to their employees according available resources at their disposal and requirements. Employee training may be provided in computer laboratory,classrooms or on site production facilities. An organization should also be able to help employees maintain and improve their job skills and prepare for jobs that require greater skill for an increased competion in the market place.

Conclusion

Extensive training and development programs are vital for an organization aiming at improving and enhancing its competative nature in the market place since they help employees and the organization as a whole to cope up with the changes in technology and diversity within it.

Works Cited.

Golding, N. “Strategic Human Resource Management “ 2010

Pfeffer, J. “Competitive advantage through people” 1994 Harvard Business School Press.

Armstrong, Michael.” A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice “ 2006 London.

Bacon, N,;Ackers, P;Coates, D “ The International Journal of Human Resource Management”.2004.

A Comparative Analysis of National and Regional Quality Awards

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A Comparative Analysis of National and Regional Quality Awards

Summary

The 1980s is when quality as a majority of organizations knew it changed; many countries turned to it in order to be the best in the market. As a result, a lot of implementations of quality strategic structures and many measures were taken by organizations to cope up with competition. However, the change was not entirely new since quality award programs were already being continuously implemented in some countries. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was formed in America at that time; it objectively provided a model that reflected improvement and understanding of quality management. In 1988, major companies in Europe formed European Quality Award, which was a regional award that involved 16 countries, unlike other awards. Continuous analysis of feedbacks from applicants and constant adjustment made its quality improve (Vokurka, Standing, & Brazeal, 2000). And in Australia, Australian Quality Award was formed in 1993. It measures quality performance in seven criteria categories that have a big effect on quality of products. Earlier, Japan had formed Deming Award in 1951. The awards evaluation included 10 equally weighed points that each applicant must address. Lastly, there is the Canadian Quality Award; it originated in 1984 and revised in 1989; It relies on a continuous improvement guide named The Road to Excellence (Vokurka, Standing, & Brazeal, 2000).

Key Learning Points

As I went through the quality awards and familiarized myself with them, I personally gathered certain key points. Starting with the Australian Quality Award and the Canadian version, I saw how Canadian organizations were encouraged positively by the National Quality Institute by honoring them with the reward due to continuous practice of quality improvement. In the Australian Quality Award, they had seven categories of criteria namely leadership, people, information, analysis, strategy, policy and planning categories. This had a great link between the people and leadership. The Singapore’s Deming Award is really encouraging in the context where private and public organizations are honored for their success in the implementation of quality control activities. The Deming Award, furthermore, does not provide a framework model for prioritizing and organizing criteria like other awards but it has in its evaluation 10 equally weighted points that must be addressed by each applicant. The points include: standardization, assurance, policies, effects, human resource, organization, information, maintenance, improvement and future plans. Performance is judged by the expert panel using these points.

Relevant Statements to the Article

Suppliers: Organizations must invest in the relationship they have with their suppliers in order to receive proper quality services.

Customers: customer satisfaction is achieved through knowing their needs, requirements, demands and provision of good services.

Leadership: Leaders offer supervision, organization and manage all company affairs.

Processes: Quality of products is of paramount importance, hence identification, designing and processing activities should receive proper attention.

Planning: In each award planning was essential to become the best in one’s field, so many measures were put in place after a thorough discussion among members.

Employees: The employees play a major role in an organization, hence motivation and training of employees are dually encouraged.

Results: Results depend on all the following sectors: employees, customers, production, organizational performance, human resource, stakeholders and all the aspects of the organization.

Critical Analysis

Planning is the approach I may support and value above all. I would adopt good plan measures concerning all aspects of performance: leadership, processes, suppliers, good customer services, employees wellbeing. The results, hence, will be superb. There must be a well-developed plan to come up with all those strategy and working structures that boost performance. A company might have good products, leaders, suppliers, loyal customers but, without having a sound plan, all those may vanishing. Leaders should provide their employees with guidelines on how to deal with all aspects of the organization; they should inform suppliers on current customer needs; they should discuss terms of employment and devise expected results. Setting achievable goals, conducting quality control and management lead to excellence. Planning is so much essential since prior preparation prevents poor performance.

Practical Implications

In my planning, I will start with the structure of leadership, analyzing it from management to supervisors; such actions will encourage the chain of command. The plan will discuss the employees’ terms of work and salaries. I will discuss with my suppliers the best ways to satisfy my customers and provide quality products. The organization’s board of directors will devise a plan including all these aspects; further on, all these implementations should be followed without alteration.

Learning Reflections

I have learned that quality is all any organization needs to be successful; quality products and services improve customer satisfaction, sales and reputation. For this to be attained there must be an understanding among all sectors of the organization and not just the main ones. Leaders, stakeholders, suppliers and customers all play a major role in attaining excellent overall results; their needs have to be discussed and their interests addressed for company activities to run smoothly.

References

Vokurka, R. J., Standing, G. L., & Brazeal, J. (2000). A comparative analysis of national and regional quality awards. Quality Progress.