Wider Reading – Cider with Rosie and Cranford

Cider with Rosie is an autobiography, it is not fiction like a novel but an account of a persons own life. Unlike a novel, it does not have the thread of a story with interacting characters connecting all it's parts. It has a different pattern with which we are all familiar. It is about childhood and growing up. We all have our own special early childhood memories and Laurie Lee seems to highlight the things we all have in common. The book starts with early childhood, early memories of people, an animal and places which then seemed strange and sometimes frightening. It goes on to describe going to school and branches out to tell us about members of his family, neighbours, tales about the neighbourhood and how the changing seasons of the year changed peoples habits and activities. Laurie Lee writes about the illnesses which brought him close to death. He writes about the entertainment to be had in those days, his first girlfriends and the book ends in his teens with the first of his family about to leave home to get married. The book is set in the village of Slad which still exists, not far from Stroud in Gloucestershire, however Laurie Lee is writing about the village as it was fifty or sixty years ago. We are reading about a past that has changed almost out of recognition. Laurie Lee uses language in an attempt to make his memories come alive, vividly and colourfully. He may use a single word: â€Å"Peas come in long shells of green pearls† Or a comparison: â€Å"The sun hit me smartly on the face like a bully† Or a very descriptive and poetic sentence: â€Å"All day she trotted to and fro, flushed and garrulous, pouring flowers into every pot and jug she could find on the kitchen floor. † All of these words, phrases, comparisons and rhythm of sentences are chosen to add spring and sparkle into what is being described. Cider with Rosie is a youthful biography set in the colourful world of over half a century ago, it is about those occasions that occur in most of our lives. This is what makes the book such an enjoyable read. Cranford is the work of Elizabeth Gaskell on the surface it appears as a quaint picture of provincial life, we are told in the first sentence it is a society of â€Å"Amazons†. However as you get deeper into the book a somewhat ironic distance from society is maintained. Throughout the book there seems to be a tender, delicate mocking of lifestyles and values which invites us to marvel and sympathize with the eccentricity of the characters. Unlike Cider with Rosie, Cranford is a novel, studying the aspects of change in the world. However like Laurie Lee, Elizabeth Gaskell writes about the people she had known in her childhood. It must also be taken into consideration that Cranford is set one hundred and fifty years ago, about one hundred years before Cider with Rosie. Cider with Rosie and Cranford are both similar and different in many ways. Both books seem to be made up of short stories rather than a novel. In fact some chapters first appear as single articles in a magazine. In Cranford this is rather like the germs of stories which are found in the letters Miss Matty has kept tied into bundles which she reads with Mary. Cranford is a series of linked sketches of life among the ladies in a quiet country village in the 1830's, it is based on Knutsford in Cheshire where Elizabeth Gaskell spent her childhood. The novel revolves around Miss Deborah Jenkyns and her gentle sister Miss Matty, daughters of the former rector. Elements of drama are provided by the death of Captain Brown whilst trying to save the life of a child, the surprising marriage of the widowed Lady Glenmire to the vulgar Mr. Hoggins, the failure of a bank which ruins Miss Matty and her rescue by the fortunate return from India of her long lost brother Peter. In my opinion the reason why Cranford is such an enjoyable read is its amusing but loving portrayal of the old fashioned customs and ‘elegant economy' of a group of middle aged figures in society. Women in Cranford are very set upon keeping up their appearances and this can make them seem somewhat fierce, never openly admitting to straightened circumstances. They would rather practice ‘elegant economy' and observe the smallest rules of etiquette. At the tea table they would wear appropriate headgear while keeping to the well-understood patterns of social visiting. To gain self-respect you had to keep your feelings hidden this was as important as status. Due to this fact Mary learns more about the great sadness in her friend Miss Matty's life through the details she fails to tell her than through the details she reveals. In the book Cider with Rosie the narrator, Laurie Lee, actually lives in the village and sees and takes part in all village activities. Whereas in Cranford the narrator, Mary Smith, is an outsider and only hears of the goings on in the village from her friend Miss Matty. The idea of social order and solidarity is most strongly seen in Cranford when Miss Matty looses all her money. The other ladies of Cranford contribute all they can to set her up as a tea-seller and sweetshop keeper even though these kind and commercial practices would not enable her to survive elsewhere. As Mary comments: ‘My father says; â€Å"such simplicity might be very well in Cranford, but would never do in the world†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Cranfords marketing may not be responding adequately to change but social forms show otherwise. Although Cranford ladies stress the importance of class distinctions, it is in fact Miss Matty's loyal servant Betty and her new, labourer husband who offer her a home. This arrangement however does not need to be put to the test because Peter returns from India with enough money to bale out his sister. Peters return brings up another illusion the ladies in Cranford hold; the fact that they can manage without men. Elizabeth Gaskell can be seen as being somewhat tongue in cheek about the self-protective, socializing characteristics of the unmarried women. But on the other hand, Elizabeth Gaskell seems to be experimenting with what might be thought of as women's narrative. Mary comments that: â€Å"I had often occasion to notice the use that was made of fragments and small opportunities in Cranford; the rose-leaves that were gathered ere they fell, to make the pot-pourri for someone who had no garden; the little bundles of lavender-flowers sent to strew the drawers of some town-dweller, or to burn in the chamber of some invalid. Similarly, Cranford is made up of ‘fragments and small opportunities', The letters, which Miss Matty reads with Mary, carried with them: â€Å"A vivid and intense sense of the present time, which seemed so strong and full, as if it could never pass away. † These letters symbolized, as they are dropped one by one into the fire, a passing of a changing world. The world around Cranford is changing but the women seem to be set in their ways. They prefer to ignore the vast economic and social changes taking place taking place in England at that time. However they cannot remain unaffected. Cranford is made up of a collection of ageing women who although want to stay as they have always done are now becoming unable to do so. Throughout the book new influences keep on creeping their way in. These begin with the arrival of Captain Brown and continue with the closeness of the railway. Cranford is a town in a world of its own but it snobbishness and old-fashioned ways must make way for the more vital energetic forces of the new age. Never the less Cranford did have some good points. The motivation of Miss Matty and her friends was based on true kindness and generosity the very qualities the industrial new age lack. In the village of Slad in Cider with Rosie, everyone was poor. It was an extremely rural dwelling. There was a church, a chapel, post office, two pubs – the Star and the Woolpack – and the Hut for penny dancers. There would have been one woman in the village who acted as midwife and another who would lay out the dead. Villagers bottled fruit, kept pigs and hens, trapped pigeons, collected kindling, fermented flowery wines and bartered home grown vegetables, eggs, rabbits and game. There was a heroic village cricket team. Life was intensely communal, with choir outings, concerts and harvest festivals. Otherwise they just amused themselves. However the village was not all ‘fields of poppies and blue skies'. There were tramps and children dying of perfectly ordinary diseases like whooping cough. Then there was the murder of Vincent, the boastful villager who had returned from New Zealand, the escape of Jones's goat: â€Å"Huge and hairy as a Shetland horse. † There was also the tale of the Browns' sad ending in the workhouse and the suicide of the beautiful Miss Flynn. Walking was probably the main form of transport in Cider with Rosie along with cycling. The whole village went on many outings which mainly consisted of walking and picnics: â€Å"Then sometimes there'd be a whole days outing, perhaps to Sheepscombe to visit relations – a four-mile walk, which to our short legs seemed further, so that we needed all day to do it. † Laurie Lee also took trips with his local choir. These outings were a great reward and had to be worked hard for. They may have ventured to places like Weston-Super-Mare or Bristol to see the docks. â€Å"The first Choir Outing we ever had was a jaunt in a farm wagon to Gloucester. † A farm wagon was probably the most common form of transport for this kind of outing up until: â€Å"The coming of the horse-brake and charabanc† Man and horse power were the only power ever known to Laurie Lee in the village of Slad, with the horse being the most powerful. You could only travel at speeds of up to eight miles an hour, which really limited where you could go, as it says in the chapter ‘Last Days': â€Å"That eight miles an hour was life and death, the size of our world, our prison. † As Laurie Lee grew older he noticed changes occurring in the village transport which he had always known and been familiar with. There was the introduction of ‘The brass-lamped motor-car', ‘the clamorous charabanc', and ‘scarlet motor-bikes. ‘ Everything began to change as new technology began to take over. Cranford is almost the complete opposite to Cider with Rosie. In Cider with Rosie walking was common and thought of as the norm but in Cranford walking was almost unheard of especially among the upper class members of society. Miss Jamieson comments: â€Å"Don't you find it very unpleasant walking? † Miss Jamieson says this as if she looks down upon those who wish to walk. Or maybe it is just that she likes to draw attention to herself and the fact that she has ‘her own carriage in the coach house' and her very own sedan chair which she always went out in even if it was to cover the shortest of distances. There was also the railway which although everyone hated as it showed the change taking place in the outside world, was still a means of transport. The main means of education in Cider with Rosie is the small village school to which all the children attend. The school was made up of only two classes which you stayed in up until the age of fourteen. School was where you met the other village children and made friends. You didn't learn much at school, you left with: â€Å"Nothing in his head more burdensome then a few mnemonics, a jumbled list of wars and a dreary image of the worlds geography. It seemed enough to get by with. † School was more of a place to learn manners and prepare yourself for when you left and had to work in a field or factory. Unlike Slad there was no village school in Cranford, children would have been sent away to a boarding school or a private tutor would be hired. Peter was sent away to Shrewsbery boarding school and was to go to Cambridge but he did not do very well. His father could not afford to hire him a private tutor and so taught him to read and write himself. In Cider with Rosie Laurie Lee talks a lot about his first girlfriends. The relationships are mainly those of a young boy whereas in Cranford there is talk of marriage and settling down. In Cider with Rosie there was young Jo, a thin girl with brushed back hair a ‘cool face' and ‘speechless grace'. She was the first girl Laurie was ever interested in. Laurie would wait for her after school when they would go and play a game together. The game was: â€Å"Formal and grave in character, its ritual was rigidly patterned. It was almost like a game of doctors, Jo would be the patient lying on the grass and Laurie would be the doctor moving his hands across her, exploring her body. They played this game every night until they were caught and even then they were just laughed at, Laurie comments: â€Å"There were no magistrates to define us obscene. † Then there was Rosie Burdock, a devious girl who had ‘sharp salts of wickedness about her' and looked at you with the ‘sly glittering eyes of her mother. ‘ The events between Laurie and Rosie are what give the book its title. Rosie was provocative. Laurie had gone to the farm to help with the haymaking when he stumbled upon Rosie behind a haycock. She had a bottle of cider and offered it to Laurie and so he had: â€Å"His first long secret drink of golden fire. † It was at this time under the hay wagon that Laurie had his first kiss: â€Å"We kissed, once only, so dry and shy, it was like two leaves colliding in air. † These images of romance in Cider with Rosie are very innocent, those of a young boy learning more and more about the world each day as he becomes adolescent. Cranford is a society of women who think they can live without men. It was unheard of for women in this period to tell a man that they were interested in them. It was not like today where it is perfectly acceptable for a woman to ask man out in those times the women had to wait to be asked by the man. In the chapter ‘A love affair of long ago' we hear of Miss Pole's cousin Mr. Holbrook who offered to Miss Matty long ago. From then on the whole chapter revolves around the ladies gossiping about why Miss Matty did not accept his offer. Also within this chapter we can see another example of class-consciousness: They did not like Miss Matty to marry below her rank. † This gives the impression that Mr. Holbrook was not looked upon as good enough for Miss Matty. When anyone in Cranford got married it made all the other ladies look to themselves and wonder if their turn would ever come. For this reason they would dress up smartly perhaps to impress the men or perhaps simply to make themselves feel better. Contact between people in Cider with Rosie is mainly by word of mouth. As the village is so small everyone hears about each other's business. Everyone hears about the death of Miss Flynn and the murder of Vincent the New Zealander. The good thing about this is the fact that everyone knows each other and however bad the crime committed they are not about to go and tell the police. To this day it is still unknown as to who committed the murder. Of course letters were written but as education was poor many people in Slad could not read or write, which made letter writing difficult. In Cranford contact was also spread by word of mouth and gossiping between the ladies but the main point of contact was through letters. Mary Smith keeps in contact with Miss Matty through letters, it is the sorting through of old letters which prompt Miss Matty to unearth the story of her younger brother, Peter. In the beginning of the book the only contact that Mary has with the village is from her occasional visits to Miss Matty. However, as the book progresses she becomes increasingly active in shaping the town she records. It is she who initiates the scheme to set Miss Matty up in her teashop and she who sends off the letter which recalls Peter. The older generations in the village of Slad in Cider with Rosie seem to make more of an effort to dress up formally then those who are younger. Laurie Lee's two Grannies, Granny Wallon and Granny Trill included. They wore: â€Å"High laced boots and long muslin dresses, beaded chokers and candlewick shawls, crowned by tall poke bonnets tied with trailing ribbons and smothered with inky sequins. † Laurie was enthralled by their attire. He would imagine many, many grannies all dressed up parading in front of him, as he puts it: â€Å"Rank upon rank of hobbling boots, nodding bonnets, flying shawls and furious chewing faces. There is talk in the chapter ‘Outings and Festivals' of Peace in 1919. Everyone was to go in fancy dress. Laurie watched everyone change. He watched as his sister Marge transformed herself into Queen Elizabeth with his other sister Phyllis as her lady in waiting. Marge wore: â€Å"A gown of ermine, a brocaded bodice, and a black cap studded with pearls. † Laurie sees his sister in a new light. She is beautiful and graceful, Laurie is awestruck. Phyllis is also looking beautiful, she is wearing: â€Å"A long chequered dress of black and white velvet, and a hat full of feathers and moths. † Ladies in Cranford weren't too fussy about what they wore. They didn't follow fashion but what they did wear made them look respectful and admirable, as it was the expected rules of dress. They observe: â€Å"What does it signify how we dress at Cranford, where everybody knows us? † When they visited other towns or villages their explanation for dress was: â€Å"What does it signify how we dress here, where nobody knows us? † So the women in Cranford stuck to clothing that was in general ‘good and plain'. There are many interesting characters in Cider with Rosie but perhaps the most amusing are the grannies. Their constant bickering and unusual habits make you feel warmth towards them. They are two very different characters. Granny Wallon was the more mysterious of the two, scurrying around never saying much about her past. She was very interested in the outside world collecting plants and taking walks in the garden: â€Å"One saw her hobbling home in the evening, bearing her cargoes of crusted flowers, till she had buckets of cowslips, dandelions, elder-blossom crammed into every corner of the house. † Then there was simple Granny Trill who seemed to the children very strange. Her pattern of life was very different to others, Laurie says: â€Å"She breakfasted, for instance at four in the morning, had dinner at ten, took tea at two-thirty, and was back in her bed at five. † Granny Trill seemed almost fierce. She was very religious and believed very much in fate, she also believed she knew what was going to happen in the future. These two Grannies were ancient enemies but their lives revolved entirely around one another: â€Å"Like cold twin stars, linked but divided, they survived by a mutual balance. † The Grannies died within two weeks of one another. Granny Trill was the first to go and once she was gone there was no further reason for Granny Wallon to live. You can tell from the constant references throughout the book that Laurie Lee has a lot of respect for his mother. She has been through a lot. She was left to bring up many children on her own after her husband left to go to war. She lives in hope of his return and when the war ends she is really exited but he never returns and ‘mother' is left to nurse a broken heart forever. Cranford also has its far share of interesting characters. There is ‘The Honourable Mrs. Jamieson', all but Mary look upon her as the local oracle although she shows herself to be quite unworthy of her status. She doesn't seem interested in others and at house-parties when everyone else is chatting and playing cards it can be counted upon that Mrs. Jamieson would be found fast asleep or eating. There is also Signor Brunoni who is a majestic figure revealed when the curtain rises on a much vaunted performance of magic in the assembly hall. He is an exotic touring conjurer who is not all he appears to be. Of course there is also the dear and innocent Miss Matty who everyone knows and loves. Unfortunately she has led a sad life of lost opportunities. She admits: â€Å"I dream sometimes that I have a little child†¦ she comes to me when she is very sorry or very glad, and I have wakened with the clasp of her dear little arms round my neck. † Finally there is Mary Smith the narrator of the novel. She has much affection for the ladies in Cranford and provides a link between the old world and the new industrial one. She is practical and down to earth, able to sort out many of her neighbours' problems and on many occasions she has the last word. I would now like to end by saying which of the two communities I would like to live in and why. Cranford is very picturesque with its ‘elegant economy' and rules of social etiquette. The people who live there are very interesting and amusing and have true qualities of kindness and generosity. If somebody gets into trouble they stick together and help each other. But Cranford is in a little world of its own. The world around them is changing but they are too determined to stick with their old fashioned traditions that they will not move with the times. For this reason I can say I would prefer to live in Slad with Laurie Lee. I like the fact that everyone knows each other and are willing to stick up for one another. Everyone one treats each other equally and they aren't as class conscious and so quick to pass judgement as those in Cranford. Slad is a more rural community where everyone chips in. There seems to be more freedom and although the education isn't brilliant at least you get to stay with your family. If you have a problem you don't have to go through it on your own, everyone will be there to support you and won't judge you for it. As far as I am concerned, Slad, the rural village of the 1940's would offer me a more fulfilling existence.

The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle June 4, 2012 Ann Lee 8D â€Å"The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle† by Avi is about a thirteen-year-old girl, Charlotte Doyle, traveling from England to America, where her family was living. After the ship had left, she realized that she was the only female passenger on the ship, which was called Seahawk. Charlotte was an upper class and educated girl, unlike many of the sailors on the ship. Despite the fact that one of the sailors warned Charlotte about Captain Jaggery’s true side, Charlotte didn’t believe him and became friends with Captain Jaggery, who seemed like a gentleman to her.However, she realized that the captain was using her to get information and he was cruel to the sailors. Charlotte decided to join the rebels. The rebels wanted to kill the captain, who was cruel and mean to them, and Captain Jaggery was trying to prevent the sailors from rebelling against him. Clearly, there was a conflict between the reb els and Captain Jaggery. The climax of the story was when Captain Jaggery died by falling off the ship, and the conflict was also resolved, since the war between the rebels and Captain Jaggery was over. The main theme of this novel is the change of identity.Before her journey, she was just a rich, upper class girl, who was educated. But when she was on the ship with other sailors, she had to be one of them. She wore dirty clothes that she wasn’t allowed to wear at home and didn’t care about her manners and behaviors. Her parents always told her to behave like a lady, but her identity has changed when she was on the ship; she was acting like a different person. Clearly, change of identity took place in this novel. I like how this book was written in the perspective of a teenage girl, who is about my age. I could understand the character better, and read the book from her perspective.

California Public Schools Essay

Having the experience in heading different departments and programs in the District of California Public Schools, I began to develop an interest in formally studying, understanding and implementing important administrative skills in classroom and school management. I would love to develop my leadership skills in accordance to the needs of our schools right now. For me, it is an important facet of improving the structure of the curriculum, as well as the administration of the school. In developing corporate management, coupled with my current skills as a teacher, I can better push, not only myself, but the entire school administration to employ corporate techniques in improving the performance of teachers and school administrators alike. By improving and developing the management of teachers and school administration, the improvement and development of teaching will ensue. And the end result would be better learning results of the children. Management is not only needed in classrooms. The school itself should learn to manage its own people managing the children. Because of my interest in leadership, I have decided to pursue my doctorate degree in K-12 Educational Leadership. This degree will equip me with the theoretical and practical knowledge in school administration management. With this, I can combine corporate management with the techniques that I have learned and employed as a teacher. Being an educational leader does not only mean that you know how to manage your students, or you make sure that your students learn through your teaching methods. An educational leader knows how to deal with students and colleagues alike. And he is able to make positive changes that will improve the teaching and administration performance of the entire institution. I want to understand better the programs needed to be established in a school in order for teachers to grow and improve. The quality of teaching is based upon the program of the school for the teachers and students alike. The school does not adapt solely on the students, but they should also look at the needs and the teaching patterns of the teachers. With a doctoral degree in K-12 Educational Leadership, I am better equipped with an understanding of how to create and initiate programs that are important for the teaching performance of the school staff. As a teacher, one’s responsibility is to make sure that their students learn. But it does not end their. As a teacher, one is responsible to become a role model that children can look up to, as a source of their inspiration and motivation to become who they want to be in the future. A teacher creates the future of the world not just through the academic lessons they teach, but the life lessons that they implicitly and explicitly affect the children. With educational leadership, I aim to direct the programs of the schools to a more defining positive inspiration and model for the children. By knowing the intricacies of management, as similar to managing a business, I will better equip myself with the important concepts of management and leadership. My career path is with leadership and management, thus, it is important for me not only to experience leading and managing but also to learn and to understand all the concepts connected to it. By undergoing the doctorate program, I will be able to gain the important academic and practical knowledge needed to manage the institution better. With this, I will be able to push forward my own ideas and concepts on administration and at the same time, combine it with what I will be learning. I am sure that Walden University will allow me to push forward my career path towards better educational management for teachers and students alike.

Technology ,Rights, Value and Free society Essay

Technology ,Rights, Value and Free society - Essay Example This essay argues that individual rights and the common good can be reconciled; that it would be disastrous to adhere to only one principle. For instance, some claim that the authority bestowed upon individuals by private property rights is very dangerous to the common good; criminologists claim that protecting the criminals’ individual rights is endangering the common good by letting criminals walk; advocates who are focused on the overall moral environment of the society claim that protecting the rights of individuals to take unsafe drugs will certainly challenge public moral standards, whereas others, who are interested in the market’s ethical standing, generally conveys displeasure with the right to freedom of trade and commerce, declaring that these sorts of freedom set free the forces of insatiability, greed, and materialism to the detriment of unity, peace, and civility. Reconciling Individual Rights and the Common Good The restriction of individual rights seldom takes place without asserting or demanding some public value from it. And leading scholars, such as Mesthene, and governing political forces use this public value to justify their agenda of restricting individual rights. However, the key questions are, should it have to be this way? Should individual rights go against the common good? Without a doubt, those who support the natural rights of individuals refuse to believe so. It was exactly to prove the harmony between individual rights and the development of the community. John Locke would definitely disagree that there should be a battle between these two principles. Indeed, the disagreement arises from a fundamental misinterpretation. This includes believing that the community is far from being â€Å"a community of human individuals who share certain community concerns which will best be served if each individual has his or her rights fully protected† (Machan, 1998, 154). The argument is that human nature brings people toge ther into one community and establishes principles by which society could be completely unified, at least in theory. This is the very argument supported by natural rights scholars-- that the common good is most successfully protected by awarding each individual prerogative. Within such prerogative every individual is in all likelihood be able to achieve the best s/he can, bringing about the little or no damage in the process, for by denying individuals the power to meddle in other people’s business, the damage or immortality they do will almost certainly harm only them. This will absolutely work as dissuasion to misbehavior, which, consequently, generates benefits to the larger society. Even those scholars, who thought that preferably the most appropriate course of action for all individuals is to work for the society, also thought that the common good could be gained by means of private avarice, as long as specific ideals of liberty are respected. Even ancient philosophers, such as Aristotle, claimed that private property rights would benefit the common welfare. As stated by Aristotle (Machan, 2004, 73): That all persons call the same thing mine is the sense in which each does so may be a fine thing, but it is impracticable; or if the words are taken in the other sense, such a unity in no way conduces to harmony. And there is another objection to the proposal. For that

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND DRUGS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND DRUGS - Research Paper Example Research statement Is there an association between drugs and juvenile delinquency? Introduction Criminal behavior and delinquency among young people as they transit from childhood to adulthood is rising and is currently a public challenge in most countries in the world. Experts opine that such a problem has soared because of collapsing social relations that lay a basic foundation for smooth transition. Factors contributing to this challenge are extended maturity gap, restructuring of the labor market and limited opportunities for turning into an independent adult. Other factors include rapid growth of population, unavailability of support and housing services, unemployment, overcrowding, family disintegration, poverty, ineffective educational systems, child abuse, decline in local authorities and underemployment (World Youth Report, 2003). Due to these and several other factors, more and more young people are getting involved in illegal activities, criminal offenses and drug abuse. J uvenile delinquency and drug abuse are strongly interlinked. ... Methodology In order to retrieve useful articles for research in this topic, the electronic database used was â€Å"Google Scholar†. The words â€Å"juvenile delinquency† and â€Å"drugs† were typed in the search brackets. For more wider search, â€Å"criminal behavior† and â€Å"drugs† also were typed in another search. Several articles were displayed in the search result. After going through the abstracts, 3 articles were selected for the purpose of research review. Based on these, the following review was prepared. The articles retrieved are provided under the reference section. Literature review Substance abuse in young people can lead to several problems like anti-social attitudes, juvenile delinquency and health problems. The problems not only affect the young individual, but also the community, family and the society of the individual (World Youth Report, 2003). There is enough evidence to suggest that earlier the drug use is initiated, more likely is the individual to develop drug related problems in life. According to the Monitoring Future Study of 2008, "19.6% of eighth graders, 34.1% of tenth graders, and 47.4% of twelfth graders use any illicit drug within their lifetimes." Thus, the soaring rise of drug abuse among youngsters has contributed to increased anti-social attitudes, criminal behavior and delinquency in this population. According to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of FBI, in 2007, 109,444 individuals under 18 years of age were arrested by various law enforcement agencies. In the year 2004, 1.9 percent of drug arrests made were under 19 years of age. According to the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring

To what extent do the narratives of Polybius and Caesar support Essay

To what extent do the narratives of Polybius and Caesar support William Harris's account of the factors driving Roman imperial - Essay Example An empire can thus be defined as ruling people in a wide territory without their consent. On the other hand, imperialism is the attitudes and process that are used to establish and maintain an empire. This is to say that imperialism is a shape shifting process and dynamic; this is because imperialism changes as the society develops. The empire expanded as a result of military expeditions. In this, the essay discusses on Harris view on Roman imperialism and the extent to which Polybius and Caesar narratives support William Harris’s account of the factors driving Roman imperialism. Different historians have different views on Roman Imperialism. Being one of the earliest historians, Polybius clearly gives a well-defined account of Roman imperialism. He comes up with a theory referred to as â€Å"Cycle of Political Revolution† to explain the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. In his theory, he brings up the cycle of Roman imperialism how a new system in leadership comes in causing the old one to be replaced by the new one (Polybius 238). His account relates to William Harris account because he states that just as the man evolved from an animal into a civilized human being the governance system evolves in the same way. As stated earlier, William Harris states that imperialism in the ruling system is dynamic. In his theory â€Å"Cycle of Political Revolution†, he shows how with the evolution of manpower came in hence the establishment of a monarchy (Polybius 235). In the Monarchy, power is embossed on one individual within the society. To maintain the Monarchies heirs obtained the position of Monarchies from their parents. However, because the system of government evolved as men become more civilized, the heirs rebelled against the existing ruling system and saw the need to implement new ways of ruling the people. As a result of this, Kingship system was established (Polybius 235). In the Kingship system, democracy is practiced and the leader com es down to common person’s level. Because the system is dynamic, the heirs see the need to distinguish himself from the common person. As a result of this the system of governance changes from democracy to aristocracy. In his theory, Polybius blames the heirs for the change in the system of political governance. For instance, he says that heirs take advantage of the people because when they are born they do not face hardship. The heirs only enjoyed luxuries and wealth that they had not labored. The aristocracy was replaced by oligarchy because the heirs enjoyed wealth and luxury life. In oligarchy, people had a say in the governing process. This means that the people worked together for a democratic state. In a democratic state people have a say in the government affairs (Polybius 241). Because of the democracy, there is freedom of speech and expression. As a result of this everyone expresses his opinion on different issues concerning the state and this result in chaos and mi sunderstanding among the people in the state. Because of the misunderstanding among the members in the state, the strongest and outspoken person takes over as the leader. This resulted in the creation of a Monarchy going back to the first stage of leadership. By this, we see that the system of leadership cycles in one place although the systems take a substantial amount of time to move from one season to another. This clearly shows the application of Polybius theory â€Å"Cycle of Political Revolution† in political systems. History defines Julius Caesar as

The Constructive Role of Ambiguity in the Policy Process Essay

The Constructive Role of Ambiguity in the Policy Process - Essay Example Furthermore, contradictions between long-term and short-term goals are likely to bring in ambiguities in policy formation and implementation, as well as compromises between irreconcilable intentions, like protected natural reservoir and dam projects. This essay discusses the positive contributions of ambiguities to policy formation and implementation, particularly in the sectors of health and environment. More importantly, the discussion tries to demonstrate how these ambiguities provide an opportunity to successfully and productively integrate diverse perspectives, worldviews, and values of different stakeholders, as well as how such ambiguities create and strengthen a system of participation. Strain brought about by ambiguities in policy formation and implementation may have serious ramifications on the opportunity to develop a rational policy-making process and employ practical systematic instruments for priority setting (Birkland 2010). There is a need for ambiguities to be recognised and organised, normally in a course of increased stakeholder involvement with an emphasis on social concerns instead of procedural concerns only. An Overview of the Pros and Cons of Ambiguity in the Policy Process Ambiguity may be not as much of a tactical tool used by policy-makers as they wish than an unavoidable outcome of the political mechanism. It is thought that implementation becomes unsuccessful because system of government is either not adequately capable or unduly independent (Hill & Hupe 2002). Nevertheless, the complexity innate in realising effective implementation, that is, the alleged ‘implementation deficit’ (Lane 2000, 106), may reveal a much more severe risk to the notion of policy implementation. According to Birkland (2010), the policy system could function to make ambiguity general in each and every policy. Hence, policy implementation becomes unsuccessful not due to a discrepancy between sound policy formation and inadequate policy implementation but because of the policy’s inaccuracy. More importantly, it is claimed that policy is inseparable from implementation, that, in contrast, policy is only recognisable in the implementation process. Thus, the entire notion of a policy framework could be relegated to the mere study of public governance or organisational research (Lipsky 1971). However, if ambiguity in the policy-making process were as common as argued, if policy were the consequence of implementation, then is it possible that policy ambiguity assists policy formation and implementation? Ambiguity, far from being an impediment or an abnormality, is a necessary component of policy process. It has disadvantages because it causes disorder, chaos, and uncertainty in policymaking. Ambiguity obliges experts to have plenty of information (Sabatier 2007). However, a great deal of information will not automatically eliminate ambiguity; it will only increase the clarity of the process. According to Colebatch (2009), perspective rather than intention becomes crucial. Resolutions seldom mitigate difficulties; they only apply or work them out. Nevertheless, ambiguity also confers advantages. Improvement thrives because it grants new i nsights an opportunity to be implemented to work out old issues. It allows disagreement or inconsistency to be scattered

Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis - Assignment Example Recession affected various industries. Beer, being a luxury product, saw a record breaking drop in sales as the marginal propensity to consume alcohol reduced. This was due to the reduced purchasing power. High cost and low income reduced the amount that people spent on beer consumption. However, after the recession, the customers had more income to spend on luxuries and beer, thus, demand pushed sales up (WSJ; October 2, 2012). Top beer producers gained value after the recession, but their brands could not hold on their share prices, they fell. The biggest players in the industry, Anheuser-Busch Inc. saw record sales of 39.9% in 2011 and 39.7 in 2012. The firm was closely followed by Molson Coors brewing n miller brewing. The chart (iii) in the appendix shows the top beer brands in the industry Despite the competitive conditions in the United States alcoholic beverages and tobacco industry, craft beer has gained value and their brands have higher demand. The craft brewing sub-industry improved and recorded a 15% growth in 2011 and 17% in 2012. In 20122, the craft beer sector had a market share of 10.2%. The craft beer sub-industry is expected to continue with the growth trend if all economic conditions remain constant or improve. Boston beer is the biggest producer of craft beer with over 15.7% market share in the brewing industry. The company competes in both high quality and premium beers and also on low priced beer. The company has a business unit that produces premium beer under the label Sam Adams to compete with established brewing giants. Boston Beer boasts being the largest craft beer brewer in the United States. It is also ranked sixth in the brewing industry in terms of sales. The share price of the SAM as of 11th April 2014 is $234.4 per share that represented small- cap growth. The earnings per share (EPS) stood at $6.80; this implies that every share issued by the company had a return of $6.80 as of April 2014(Yahoo! Finance). This is a

Organizational Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Organizational Development - Research Paper Example In the last section, the study has recommended OD intervention strategies for the organization in order to improve its performance. The research paper has also suggested evaluation technique which can monitor the efficacy of recommended OD interventions for the organization. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Literature Review 5 2.1 Organizational Context 5 2.2 Theories of OD 6 8 3.0 Organizational Needs 10 4.0 Impact of Environmental and Internal Issues on OD 10 4.1 Labor Pool Diversity 10 4.2 Technological Advancements 11 4.3 Global Expansion 13 4.4 Ethical Standards 14 5.0 Recommended Intervention 14 5.1 Human process based intervention strategies 16 5.2 Techno-structural intervention 17 5.3 Socio-technical intervention 17 5.4 Organizational transformation (OT) 18 6.0 Success Factor for Recommended Intervention 19 7.0 Evaluation of Recommended Intervention 20 8.0 Conclusion 21 Reference 22 1.0 Introduction Gone are the days when organizations can stay at top of both organic and inorganic growth by banking on first mover’s advantage in sustainable manner, in hypercompetitive modern business environment, a particular organization need to be flexible and ready to change in order to keep going. The concept of organizational development (OD) was postulated by research scholars almost 50 years ago. According to supporters of OD, the concept can be used solving pertinent issues of change management for a modern organization as like other neo-classical concepts like business process improvement, business process re-engineering, organizational life-cycles and total quality management (TQM). According to Holland and Salama (2010), OD can be described as sustainable and one way improvement of activities for an organization. The scholars’ duos have also pointed out that, implementing OD process is a challenging task for an organization due to reasons like, First- the organization needs to breakdown its structure in partial or comp lete manner in order create room for newly implemented system, Second- the organization needs to adopt resource hungry intervention strategies in order to ensure efficacy of the change management process and last- the organization needs to influence its internal and external stakeholders to align their interest with common mission and vision statement of the change process. Holland and Salama (2010) have found that interaction of organization with the external environment decides the dynamics of OD process. Interesting fact is that, academic scholars state that OD is an initiative of top management to develop mid level and lower level organizational members but there are examples where employees develop themselves without seeking intervention from top management (Mulili & Wong, 2011). The concept of job security has changed after the recession during 2007-2009 and sovereign debt crisis and organizational members are enrolling themselves to flexible and lifelong learning process in o rder to remain employable in changing and harsh economic environment. Therefore it has been observed that employees are embracing various facets of OD process such as, off-the- job education, on-the-job training and many others. Now the question is can an organization improve its performance by using the theoretical framework of OD. Well, answer of this crucial question is the key essence of this research paper. Contextual analysis of OD process

National Honors Society Essay Essay Example for Free

National Honors Society Essay Essay If I had the power to change three things in my school or community, I would obligate all high school students to take a culture and religion class to educate students about people’s various beliefs and customs. Secondly, I would encourage students to take higher level academic classes instead of just the basics. We would send students into freshmen classrooms to and inform them about the benefits of taking some of the tougher classes. At the the same time we are trying to erase some of the misconceptions about the upper level math and science courses. Finally, I would encourage hosting more community activities. Living in the age of globalization, it is crucial for schools to offer a class that teaches global culture, including as well as the beliefs of various ethnic and religious groups. Offering such a class would be a crucial improvement in our school. We all are aware of the importance of obtaining a good education and the highest degrees in the latest and best technologies. In preparation for that we take the hardest classes in school and try to get into the most illustrious college and learn, but, alas, we forget the most important aspect of life: ______. We always forget that what is even more important than understanding the world in which we live in and how it functions and its sciences, is understanding each other and how we as individuals functions based on our beliefs and culture. In the real word, disagreement arises from the inability to understand someone else’s approach to something, especially if they come from a different background than you. On a bigger scale, disputes between countries due to our lack of understanding of others and their customs can often lead to war. So much unnecessary conflict arises from our ignorance and lack of education we receive from school. Therefore, making such a class mandatory for all students would also indubitably trigger healthy relationships throughout the student body, instead of the stereotypical malice that currently flows around. Secondly, I would encourage the student body to take more challenging courses. In high school, we all think about having fun and making the most of these four years, especially during our senior year. Nonetheless, we fail to realize how valuable our time is in high school. How we spend this time determines what colleges we get entry to, what scholarships you receive, but also our future career. Students often surmise that the higher level math and sciences courses are only for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"nerds† and fail to realize the benefits, including how much money it will save them in college. Therefore, I would like to create a program where students who have taken theses higher level courses go around the school during the two-week period when everyone is choosing courses for the next year and discuss the benefits of taking classes such as AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. Furthermore, this would also clear up some of the appalling misconceptions created about some of these classes. For instance, during a personal encounter I had with a student who I was helping with math homework, she asked what math class I was in. To which I replied, â€Å"I am taking AP Calculus†. She immediately replied with comments such as, â€Å"Why bother, it’s a waste of time. No one ever use Calculus in the real world except if you’re a rocket scientist.† Obviously, she made an illegitimate claim. I had to explain to her that, in fact, the type of math most applied in any career is calculus, as it helps solve 80% of real-world problems and much more applicable than algebra or trigonometry. Reasons and encounters as such is what motivates me to create such programs so students can benefit from them and make the most out of high school. Finally, I would encourage hosting more community activities. We already have a town square where we celebrate the first Friday of every month with a small carnival. But with our small community size and our extremely diverse population, we could host annual picnics where people bring traditional dishes, stage a mixture of cultural performances, and, overall, just have a good time with each other. This kind of exposure is very beneficial for everyone, especially employees and their colleagues. Not knowing about your colleagues and their entertainment and food preferences could create unnecessary problems. One might accidently comment or reference something that is offensive to their co workers creating a spark that could potentially ignite a fire. There are many changes that can be brought to the community and school that would be very beneficial. But if I had the power to change three things in my school or community, I would obligate all high school students to take a culture and r eligion class, encourage students to take higher level academic classes instead of just the basics, and I would encourage hosting more community activities.

Self Education and Self Development

Self Education and Self Development INTRODUCTION This assignment will examine the definition of self analysis, self development, continuous self development, their importance and how it influences ones future career as a manager. Self analysis and continuous self development has been described in different contexts and topics by various authors and the best way to understand its complexity is by been aware of oneself. Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell (2007), describes self development as a personal development, with the person taking primary responsibility for their own learning and choosing the means to achieve this. In identifying developmental needs it is important for one to explore this six sources which are work itself, self reflection, feedback from others, individual psychometric and self diagnostic measures, organizational metric and lastly professional metrics (Megginson and Whitaker, 2003). Mumford (1993) believes that self development is an attempt to improve managerial effectiveness through a learning process. Burgoyne (1999) suggests that developmental aspect of ones career is about how you change, learn and develop the knowledge, abilities and value that you acquire through both formal and informal learning. Argyris (1985) maintains that the door to self development is locked from inside and no one can develop anyone but themselves. At the same time,, the importance of self development to managers will be identified. Firstly, self development helps manager to continue to grow up to the best that is within them (Warren, 2001). Secondly, self development helps managers to develop their skills, knowledge and insight by sharing experience with others (Mumford, 1993). By contrast, awareness is defined as a process that helps us to move from unconscious to conscious incompetence (Routledge and Carmicheal, 2007) which seems to play an important role in learning. Self analysis can be seen as a process that leads to self awareness. In managing an organisation, it is important for you to be able to manage yourself before you can manage others (Pedler and Boydell, 1999). It is believed that an individual that is self aware has a better understanding of his or herself. Goleman (1998) proposes that self analysis is a candid sense of our personal strength and limits, a clear vision of where we need to improve, and the ability to learn from experience. Furthermore, Telford (2006) claims that from the moment we are born and first reach out to other human beings; we begin the lifelong process of trying to make sense of ourselves, others and our relationships. Self awareness is a hallmark of effective managers (Caproni, 2005). He went further by saying successful managers know what they want, understand why they want it and have a plan of action for getting it. Additionally, Goleman (1998) states that self awareness is knowing ones internal state, preferences, resources and intuitions. However, the importance of self awareness to manager will be identified. Self awareness helps managers to regulate and control their emotions and have a better understanding of the emotions of others (Goleman, 1998). Peter (1987) suggests that self awareness helps manager to have an orientation toward change. It is important for managers to continuously develop their selves in order to have a competitive advantage over their competitors in the business world. A managers character is a reflection of his or herself which has a direct impact on the performance of an organisation. To achieve good organisational performance, a manager needs to be aware and learn about his or herself which is through self development (Burgoyne, 1999). The notion of continuous development is based on the Japanese concept of kaizen which means change for good or for better (Armstrong and Stephens, 2005).Continuous development is an approach to management and it is define as learning from real experiences at work (Wood, 1998). However, it is crucial to look at what management is in different contexts by different authors. According to Armstrong and Stephens (2005) management is concerned about deciding on what to do and then getting it done through people and use of effective resources Adair and Allen (2003) believes that management is about running the business in steady state condition, the day to day administration, organising structure, establishing systems, controlling especially by financial methods. In the same, Cole (2004) proposes that management is the ability of an organisation to effectively plan and bring the plan into limelight through the help of employees. Mintzberg (1989) in his own work went into details of the qualities a good manager must possess and this includes interpersonal communication, being well informed and being able to make decisions for an organisation. It is seems that people do not understand the difference between manager and a leader. Management involves coping with complexity, while leadership is about coping with changes (Kotter, 1990). Covey (1999) claims that management focus on doing things right while leadership focus on doing the right things CONCLUSION To be an effective manager in future, it is important to be knowledgeable and understand that business environment is constantly changing, you learn to change rather than become a victim of change (Pedlar, Burgoyne and Boydell, 1986). Clifford and Thorpe (2007) agrees that learning needs to be continuous because of the pace of change and an organisation that do not learn faster than the rate of change in the environment will eventually die. After reviewing books, articles and journals by different authors on self development, self awareness, it can be argued that self development, self awareness and continuous self development are essential to ones future career. Summary of critical incident (use detailed critical incidents from your module activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc) What happened, or what did I do? During the residential weekend, the critical incident was building of tower of Toki. My job was sorting of symbols on the cards and explaining the process to my team members. I also contributed in calculating the number of moves for the building of the tower of Toki by representing the moves with different denomination of coins and preparation of the proposal by extracting the cost per each blocks. Although we did not win the competition but I learned what is called team sprit from the way the team members believed and encouraged one another. How does this reflect the findings of your chosen self analysis toolkit? Behavioural traits of individual can fit into team roles (Belbin, 2004). Based on Belbin result my preferred roles in a team are that I am a completer finisher, resource investigator, team worker and implementer. Being a completer finisher means painstaking, conscientious, anxious, searches out errors and omissions and also to deliver on time. This attributes reflected in my person during the building of tower of Toki at the residential, where my team members ran out of ideas and decide to setback and abandon the task. I took up the challenge of making sure that the task was completed by spending more time in calculating the number of moves for building of the tower of Toki and also submitting our proposal at the right time. This brings me to the role of a resource investigator. A resource investigator is an extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores opportunities and develops contacts. This also reflected in my attitude at the residential during the sorting of cards for the tower of Toki, some of my team members had communication problems as we are all from a different cultural background I had to explain the card process as many times as possible to my team members before they could understand. I was able to communicate effectively and I also develop contacts with all my team members and my various facilitators. Being a team worker means co-operative, mild, perceptive, and diplomatic, listens, build, averts friction and these attributes also reflected in my person during the residential weekend when one of my team members was giving her ideas, I gave her my audience and I showed interest in the message she is trying to pass to the team even when everybody seems not to understand what she was saying because of the communication barrier I was tact and skilful dealing with all my team members. The feedback that I got at the residential during different task from my various team members and my facilitators supported my stated preferred Belbin roles, based on this feedback it appears that Belbin report is quite reliable. What are the implications for future career or personal development According to my Belbin result, I realized that I am more of people and action oriented person which was supported by feedback from my team members and facilitators at the residential weekend. As a future manager being action and people oriented person appears to be good qualities because managers are concerned with dealing with people and making decisions (Armstrong, 2008).The implication of these attributes is that I will be able to build relationships, develop networks, manage people and create contact with my workers. Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell (1986) suggested a number of qualities or attributes of a successful manager which are social skills and abilities, creativity, self knowledge, proactively and so on. However, I need to work on my creativity to be a successful manager to be able to make effective and efficient decisions which I also got feedback on during the residential weekend. Self Analysis Toolkit _____JOHARI WINDOW________ Summary of critical incident (use detailed critical incidents from your module activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc) What happened, or what did I do? During my high school days, I never use to talk or share my ideas because I was shy, not confident about myself, like keeping to myself and I am an introvert. I was always avoiding any form of publicity. How does this reflect the findings of your chosen self analysis toolkit? One of the toolkits used in discovering myself is the Johari window and it is made up of four different windows which include: open, blind, hidden and unknown. I got a constructive feedback from my classmate and friends from my country using the adjective list. Based on the feedbacks from my classmate, friends from my country and personal reflection, I have been able to discover some attributes which I possessed. These attributes are friendly, helpful, kind, organized, introverted and trustworthy which is also confirmed by my adjective list result except from been calm which falls in the hidden window which is not known to people. However, the feedback through adjective list was able to list some other attributes which are not known to me and these attributes are able, adaptable, brave, caring, confident, dependable, intelligent, knowledgeable, loving, matured, modest, quit, religious, sensible and shy. From my blind window I never thought about myself as been dependable, brave, adaptable and confident but Johari window has helped me discover new things. It seems that studying here in united kingdom helped me to realize that I am capable of doing some things which I never thought I could do such as presentations, addressing group of people and asking questions in the classroom. From this result, I want to refer back to the attribute of dependable, it seems that Belbin result also supported this attribute because as an implementer and a completer finisher that I am, people can rely on me that a job will be done and deliver on time. Belbin identify me as a resource investigator and one of the attribute of a resource investigator is been an extrovert, although I sometimes switch my mood and it might be very difficult to know which of the attribute I actually posses but it would appear that Johari window is right based on my personal reflection and feedback from people. All other attributes of been a resource investigator such as communicative, developing contacts appears that it is right because Johari window also supported it by saying that am friendly. (see Appendix 2) What are the implications for future career or personal development Atwater and Yammarino (1992) describes self awareness as the ability of a person to reflect on the feedback from others and imbibe it into ones evaluation. Based on my result, being shy and an introvert is what I need to work on, this I intend achieving by assessing myself and get to realize those things that I am capable of doing just as I have discover from doing presentations that I am confident. As a future manager, I need to be more open and transparent with my employees to be able to get new ideas, opinions and feedback. It seems that where there is transparency and with my qualities of been friendly, helpful it is likely to achieve high organizational performance from employees. Self Analysis Toolkit: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Summary of critical incident (use detailed critical incidents from your module activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc) What happened, or what did I do? In my country, after undergraduate courses there is one year compulsory placement imposed by government for one to have knowledge about business environment and of course working experience. Where I did my one year placement back in my country, we have this supervisor who was so temperamental and nasty. How does this reflect the findings of your chosen self analysis toolkit? Goleman (1995) define emotional intelligence as the capability for recognizing our feelings and that of others, for motivating ourselves, managing emotions well in ourselves as well as others. Referring back to the aforementioned critical incidence, Everybody sees my supervisor as a very difficult person to deal with because of her attitude, at the initial stage her attitude towards me affect me and I was always thinking I cant cope with her and I was looking for a way to resign. Later on, I got to understand her kind of person knowing fully well that I can not change her. I had to ignore her totally making sure that her attitude towards me didnt affect my performance at work and was determined to gain experience and learn new things from other members of the organization since she has proving difficult. Bennis (1989) believes that if a leader is self aware, they demonstrate determination, farsightedness and strong convictions in their belief. The result of my emotional intelligence discovery test reveal that I have high scores in self awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill based on my self perception which means I am aware of my emotions and their effect, I know my strengths and limits and so on. (See Appendix 3). The result of the emotional intelligence discovery test supported the critical incidence by revealing my high scores in self regulation which means that am capable of controlling and regulating my emotions, keeping disruptive emotions, impulses in check and ability to stay calm, clear and focused when things do not go as planned. Based on the result of my emotional intelligence and the role I played in the critical incidence it appears that the emotional intelligence test is good and reliable. What are the implications for future career or personal development People are regarded as the most important resources available to managers, it is through this resource that all other resources will be managed (Armstrong, 2008). The implication of the discovery test for my future career is that I will be able to recognize peoples feelings and manage relationships with them and this might lead to the success in the organization. However, I had a low score in self esteem which means that I dont have a strong sense of my own self worth and capabilities. To be a successful manager, I need to have a strong sense of my own self worth and capabilities by having confidence and believing in my own ideas. TASK THREE STRENGTHS Based on the three toolkits, I have been able to analyze both my strengths and weaknesses. With respect to my strength, my analysis reveals that my main strength is that I am more of people and action oriented person and my strengths are helpful, organized and trustworthy Moss (1992) agrees that these are some of the qualities a manager must posses. I am also adaptable, brave, caring, dependable, modest, intelligent, matured and confident which I never thought of myself as been confident but with the help of presentations and seminars I have been able to build my confidence to a certain level. Practicing continuous reflective review to aid my learning and development process (Megginson and Whitaker, 2007). In my future career, I need to possess self knowledge this has been the basis of this paper and relevant professional knowledge (Boydell, Burgoyne and Pedler, 2001). All this identified strengths needs to be worked on and developed properly. WEAKNESSES My weaknesses based on my personal reflection and constructive feedback from friends and class mate it reveals that I am shy, introverted, quite, and I sometimes dont express my own opinion about something which means I might not be transparent or open. I am not too creative and sometimes lack confidence in my own ideas and opinion which I am trying to overcome with time. Goldsmith (2006) claims that confidence is very important for organizational and ones usage. He identified several ways of building self confidence. In order to improve on my weaknesses I have decided to believe in myself not to compare my strength or weaknesses with others, take responsibilities for my decisions and engage in activities with my classmate. I will also try to motivate myself and also be optimistic (positive about something). Self development and self analysis is a good way of understanding oneself and the knowledge of it will be useful to individual who is involved in the process (Boydell, 1981). IMPLICATION FOR MY FUTURE CAREER DEVELOPMENT After analyzing my strength and weaknesses there is need to overcome my weakness to become strength and the attributes I need to work on are introverted, shy, quietness, transparency, not confident in my own ideas, views and opinion although feedback from people appears that I am confident but personally I sometimes dont believe in myself. As a future manager, identifying my strength and weaknesses seems to give me an insight of what I need to improve on and the attributes I also need to develop to be an ideal manager. As mentioned earlier on I am more of action and people oriented person which will help me in managing employees in an organization but the need to also be a cerebral oriented person is also important as a manager because a manager needs to be creative. I also want to be a better communicator because good communication across all level improves performance and aid organisational development (Darling, 2007).

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) Nguyen Ngoc Gia Linh Case Study the Wasp Sting Wasps are the order Hymenoptera family which contain venom and poisonous substance can have transmitted to human through a sting (Carl and Max 2016). A 10- year- old girl in the case was stung by a wasp while playing at school. For approximately 20 hours, she had an asymptomatic that includes sharp pain, burning in the initial sensation, redness, swelling and itching. Because the wasps venom contains phospholipase A, phospholipase B and mastoparan peptide which effect directly to mast cell degranulation and also release of histamine. In addition, ischemia increases the inflammatory response with subsequent vasodilation and increases capillary permeability with redness at the site of the sting to the patient (Carl and Max 2016). Unfortunately, the patient passed away on day 5 due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome and hypersensitivity. This report will focus on explanation of the innate immune reaction which can disrupt the normal function of each the several stated physiologi cal systems during the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). An innate immune system is the adaptive immune responses which can be maintained activation of a pathogen and made of defences against infection (KhanAcademy 2014). There are many types of cell in the innate immune system in order to work together for defendant and protection human body. However, the progression requires in both elements of cellular immunity and humoral immunity. The cellular components consist of lymphocytes with both T cells (CD4+ and CD8+) and B cells; macrophages; and mast cells. On the other hand, the humoral factors include immunoglobulin E (IgE) and cytokines (Carl and Max 2016). Moreover, the group of blood protein act as disruption of the membranes microorganism to produce an inflammatory response and to arrange the forces of the adaptive immune system (Alberts et al. 2002). In this situation, the most influence is mast cells which are found in mucous membranes, connect tissues to heal wound and defence the pathogens via the inflammatory response. Basically, when mast cells are activated, the particle cytokines are released during this process which contains chemical molecules such as histamine, phospholipases, and neurotoxins to produce an inflammatory cascade and act as messenger service or warning for circulating threats (Zhang and An 2009). Some of the venoms of hymenopterous insects include bees, wasps which contain some of the enzymes such as small proteins and peptides; phospholipases and histamine (Voronov et al. 1999). Histamine is going to play a pathophysiological regulatory role in cellular for binding four subtypes of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Furthermore, histamine produces many of the effects of inflammatory and hypersensitivity that affect increased vascular permeability and smooth muscle contraction. Some above classic symptoms lead to the signs of allergic reaction which cause inducing increased blood flow from capillaries into the tissues and vasodilatation (Benly 2015). In addition, smooth muscles are arou nd the trachea that is contracted by histamine to make difficulty breathe or suffocation (Lauren 2012). However, the dangerous circumstance with the patient makes lots of IgE antibodies in response to wasp toxins that can cause triggers degranulation of mast cells. In such a case, the release blood fluid into the tissues reduces the blood volume that the heart induces inefficiently pump and create a heart attack. The innate immune response such as systemic inflammatory response syndrome-SIRS disrupts the homeostatic function of following three main systems that include respiratory system, cardiovascular system and renal system. Firstly, a girl patient was diagnosed with SIRS that include reference to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or acute lung injury (ALI). ALI and ARDS occur on hypoxia, hypercapnia, acidosis and pulmonary hypertension. These were defined a pulmonary endothelial dysfunction that caused alveolar oedema because of high protein secretion and phagocytic immune cells (Janet et al. 2014). The activity of neutrophils are increased the high concentrations of pro- inflammatory cytokines to migrate damaged endothelium that influence alveolar denudation damage the basal membrane (Janet et al. 2014). Neutrophils are in the lungs which effect of IL-8 and the concentration of cytokine in patients with ARDS is correlated with mortality. Blood carries oxygen and other essential substances to your organs and tissues. However, when the gas exchange functions are failed in oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination, these are classified hypoxia and hypercapnia. Hypoxia is characterised by an arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) which is lower than 60 mm Hg. Hypercapnia respiratory failure is characterized by a PaCO2 that is higher than 50 mm Hg (David 2000). On the other hand, the decreased blood supply to various cells and tissues due to tissues hypoxia that leads increase in respiratory rate to take in more oxygen. Consequently, the patient was increased respiratory rate of 59 breaths per minute (normally breath rate is 15- 30 breaths per minute with 6- 10 years old) (Edward 2015). Normally, the blood oxygen saturation is 95%- 100%, but the patient got below 90% oxygen. There must not be able to take up the oxygen for inhaling and carbon dioxide for exhaling. In addition, the lungs in ARDS also affect to brain functions that the patient becomes confused and disor iented. In this conditions, concentrating ability are impaired and it also lost awareness of time and place because blood flow significantly reduce and the ability of oxygen absorption is also limited. In this case, the girl administrated of chlorpheniramine maleate which had some of the side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, or headache. Moreover, certain human disorders are attributed to the activity of the immune system that is commonly known as hypersensitivities. Both the heart and blood vessels are sensitive to cause vasodilatation in SIRS that act on histamine H1-receptors of dilation in blood vessels. In hypovolemia, tachycardia is initiated as a response in acting on H2- receptors where the blood volume decreases (Benly 2015).When the patient suffers around 124 beats per minute in heart rate and the vasoconstriction decrease which is moderate tachycardia or known as stage 3 of hypovolemic shock. As a result, the patients exhibited a weak peripheral pulse and an unrecordable blood pressure because the ventricles do not have enough time to fill with blood before heart contracts. In systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), organ dysfunction and high- risk factors for multiple organ failures influent renal failure. The circulatory dysfunction of acute renal failure is involved both vascular and tubular factor that reduce in renal blood flow with falling oxygen and substrate delivery to the tubule cells (Robert et al. 2004). On the other hand, the creatinine will be released by the muscle cells and transported to the kidneys to be excreted from the body in urine. The kidney failure causes high urinary creatinine level and obstructions within the urinary tract. Base on all the symptoms, the girl is immediate hypersensitivities, which is severe response to an antigen. Sensitization to an allergen during the initial exposure leads to the production of large immunoglobulin E (IgE) which is mediated release of histamine and other mediators from mast cells and basophils (Frederic et al. 2015). Moreover, the patient used two kinds of drugs: chlorpheniramine maleate and dexamethasone, which did not work with patients symptoms. Chlorpheniramine maleate is the most widely used of the classical antihistamine that used in allergic reactions. And, dexamethasone is investigated that the effect of glucocorticoids and blocked a natural chemical during an allergic rejection. However, hypersensitivity is a contraindication in both dexamethasone and chlorpheniramine maleate, so the patient should not take these when she has serious symptoms (TabletWise). Basically, there is no cure for hypersensitivity disease but the treatment strategy is controlling the symptom. Although type I hypersensitivity reactions can cause significantly inconvenience in terms of their signs and symptoms. However, the most important medication has been shown to use along with emergency medical treatment of hypersensitivity that is epinephrine (Becky 2015). Epinephrine is in a class of medications called ÃŽÂ ±- and ÃŽÂ ²-adrenergic agonists which it works by relaxing the muscles in the airways and tightening the blood vessels. Normally, it is injected at the first sign of a serious reaction subcutaneously (under the skin) or intramuscularly (into the muscle). It should inject when patient is suspected about some serious signs of allergic reaction include itching, swelling, skin redness, fast heart beat, weak pulse, confusion, and losing control of urine (Epinephrine Injection). References: Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., et al. (2002) Innate Immunity. in Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. [online] available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26846/ > [22 March 2016] Benly, P. (2015) Role of Histamine in Acute Inflammation Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research [online] avalible from http://www.jpsr.pharmainfo.in/Documents/Volumes/vol7Issue06/jpsr07061526.pdf > [22 March 2016] Becky, B. (2015) Immediate Hypersensitivity Reactions Treatment Management. Medscape [online] available from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/136217-treatment > [22 March 2016] Carl, A., and Max, V. (2016) Wasp Stings: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology. Medscape.com. [online] available from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/169324-overview#a6 > [22 March 2016] Edward, C. (2015) Normal Vital Signs Medscape [online] available from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2172054-overview > [22 March 2016] Innate immunity (2014) KhanAcademy [online] available from https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/organ-systems/the-immune-system/a/innate-immunity > [22 March 2016] Janet, M., Mark, J., Yen, C., Antonio, B., Karim, B., Elizabeth, J., Leo, K., Paul, K., Richard, J. (2014) The systemic immune response to trauma: an overview of pathophysiology and treatment. The Lancet [online] available from http://thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60687-5/fulltext > [22 March 2016] Zhang, J and An, J. (2009) Cytokines, Inflammation and Pain. HHS Public Access [online] available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2785020/ > [22 March 2016]

Antibiotics :: essays research papers fc

Antibiotics An antibiotic, is defined to be a drug produced by certain microbes. Most doctors use antibiotics to help fight the germs in a patient. Antibiotics are obtained from plants, fungi, air, water, soil, just about anything on earth. Antibiotics kill and attack the germ or virus in the body, but do not hurt the human cells, ordinarily. The antibiotics are used to treat many various types of diseases, such as tuberculosis, syphilis, and several kinds of infections. People have been using antibiotics for more than 2,500 years. They used molds to help cure some skin infections and rashes. It was in the late 1800's that the real study of medicine began. Louis Pasteur discovered that bacterium was the cause of disease, and proved wrong the theory of spontaneous generation. After him there was Robert Koch, who developed a method of isolating and growing bacteria. Scientists tried developing drugs that could kill microbes, but they proved to be either dangerous or ineffective. In 1928 there was a discovery by Alexander Fleming. He detected that a substance he called "penicillin" destroyed bacteria. Then in the late 1930's, two British scientists invented a method of extracting penicillin from the mold. This was the start of developing new drugs to treat diseases and bacteria. Over the years, numerous thousands of antibiotic material have been found in nature as well as produced chemically but, there are few that are safe and useful. However the ones that are safe and effective have saved many lives and have helped extend life expectancy. Right now, there is more than 70 different kinds of antibiotics in use. Most antibiotics are used to treat infections, some for fungi and protozoa, but antibiotics are not usually effective against viruses. So they have developed other methods such as vaccines against viruses. Antibiotics work by one of three ways, they can one, prevent the cell wall from growing; two, obstruct the cell membrane; or three disrupt the chemical processes. When the antibiotic prevents the cell wall from forming, the antitoxin surrounds the bacteria's membrane, and then it forms a rigid wall that stops the cell wall from splitting open, which would produce another cell. The humans' cells are not hurt by this because human cells do not have cell walls. If the antibiotic obstructs the cell membrane, which controls the flow of items in and out of the cell, then essential nourishment can escape the cell. Then a toxic substance could enter the cell killing it. Human cells are not effected by this method because the antitoxin only effects the microbial cells. If the antitoxin disrupted the chemical process, then the microbe cannot

The History and Theory of Magical Realism Essay -- Literature Essays L

The History and Theory of Magical Realism      Ã‚  Ã‚   Fantasy, Magical, Supernatural, Sublime, and Realism are all several genres of literature that may be familiar to many people. However, there may be one that is not as well-known as these: Magical Realism. Although Magical Realism is mostly common in the Latin American countries, one may wonder where and how Magical Realism got its start. On the other hand, one may simply wonder what some of the characteristics of Magical Realism are. By looking at the history and theory of Magical Realism as well as some of its characteristics and influences, these questions will be answered. Interestingly, the term "Magical Realism" was first used in 1925 by a German art critic, Franz Roh. In his essay, "Magic Realism: Post-Expressionism," Roh used the term "Magical Realism" to actually characterize a style of painting instead of a style of literature (15). However, there are still at least two different viewpoints as to where and when Magical Realism truly had its start. In Angel Flores' essay, "Magical Realism in Spanish America," he claims that Magical Realism had its basis in the works of Franz Kafka. Furthermore, Flores thinks that the year 1935 was the year that Magical Realism had its beginning in Latin America because this was the year that Jorge Luis Borges' work, A Universal History of Infamy, appeared in Buenos Aires. After the appearance of Borges' works, several other writers began to follow his style, giving Magical Realism its rise in popularity in the years of 1940 to 1950 (Flores 113). In his essay "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature" Luis Leal disagrees with Flores' viewpoint. Leal does not think that Magical Realism had its growth during the 1940 to 195... ...Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 125-141. Flores, Angel. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 109-116. "Garcia Marquez - Biography." 14 Jan. 2001 <http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/gabo_biography.html.>. Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 119-123. "Magical Realism." 8 Jan. 2001 <http://www.iskl.edu.my/~Breen_O'Reilly/Chronicle2/page2.html>. Roh, Franz. "Magic Realism: Post-Expressionism." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 15-30.   

Writing Paragraphs

Should boys and girls be in separate classes? 2. Should the government place a tax on Junk food and fatty foods? 3. Should students' textbooks be replaced by notebook computers? 4. Pretend you woke up one day and there were no rules. People could suddenly do whatever they wanted! Would this be a positive or negative outcome? Answers (jot notes): 1. No because†¦ A. When they're out of college, and they have a job, it's not going to be separated by gender.They need to learn how to communicate with the opposite gender. B. It will Increase more Judgment between genders. . For Example when you were a child you thought the opposite gender has some type of diseases except you will think that through most of your school years and this may cause a lot of misunderstanding between men and women. C. I believe If a child has been going to school with the opposite gender this child will grow up not know how to respond when they do come into contact with the opposite gender. . The opposite gen ders might start to think that they are better or smarter than the other gender which could cause conflicts between each other In the future. 2. No because†¦ A. People would still buy, I. Example Even though government has raised prices on tobacco and cigarettes people are still buying them b. Government shouldn't tell people what to eat. Let the people do what they want. C. Everyone shouldn't have to suffer due to some people being overweight. 3. No because†¦ A.If all the student's assignments, and textbooks, and other data is on the computer and the computer is lost, stolen, or all of its data somehow gets erased then the student's marks will suffer drastically. B. People may use computers inappropriately, and since the devices are very distracting students may not listen to the teacher. . A lot of people get headaches when stare at a computer screen for a long time and using computers the whole day is a long time. D. This could lead to a generation of people who rely on computers, and they may not be able to function without computers. . Negative because†¦ A. People will no longer be able to differentiate between bad and good b. People may decide to start doing bad things. 1 OFF to the teachers, they probably wouldn't finish their work and that may cause them to suffer in the future. C. Crime rates may also possibly increase as people would know hat if they were to do something bad there would be no punishment as there are no rules. Answers (paragraph form): 1. I don't think that boys and girls should be placed in separate classes. This may cause increased Judgment about the other gender.For example when you were a child you thought the opposite gender has some type of diseases except you will think that through most of your school years and this may cause a lot of misunderstanding between men and women. I believe if a child has been going to school with the opposite gender this child will grow up not know how to respond hen they do come into contact with the opposite gender. The opposite genders might start to think that they are better or smarter than the other gender which could cause conflicts between each other in the future.Also, when they are out of college, and they have a Job, it's not going to be separated by gender. They need to learn how to communicate with the opposite gender. These are the reasons why I think that boys and girls shouldn't be separated into different classes. 2. The government should not place a tax on Junk food and fatty foods. First of all, the government should not be telling people what to eat. Just let the people eat and do what they desire. I think that people would still buy the Junk and fatty food if their price was increased.For example when the prices of tobacco and cigarettes are raised, people don't stop smoking, they still continue to smoke and the same thing would probably happen with Junk food. And last of all, why should everyone be punished and have to pay more even if they are not overweight or obese. For example if you were innocent, but you the police thought you were the person who committed the crime and they punished you, would that be fair? No that wouldn't be, o are being punished for something you didn't do.It's the same thing with Junk food, why would the people who are not obese and overweight have to pay more for junk and fatty foods. This is why I believe the government should not place a tax on junk food and fatty foods. 3. I believe that student textbooks should not be replaced by note book computers. First of all, students may use these devices inappropriately during school time, and since the devices are distracting they may not pay attention to the teacher. For example many students who claim to be using their phones, or ablest for an assignment are actually playing games or testing, not doing the work they are given.Also, these devices aren't very trustworthy, and they could easily malfunction or be stolen, and it would cost a lot f or them to be replaced. For example if all of a student's work was on the computer, and the computer broke, got stolen, or malfunctioned then the student's marks may decrease drastically, and it wouldn't even be there fault. They would be getting punished for something that was not in their control. A lot of people tend to get headaches when staring at computer screens ND of the day, and this would be shown in their academic progress.This could also produce a generation of drone-like people who would not be able to function without computers, and people will no longer know how to do anything manually, like writing a sentence on a piece of paper with a pen. I think textbooks should not be replaced with notebook computers. 4. I think having no rules would have a negative outcome. First of all, people would not be able to differentiate between bad and good. These could lead to conflicts in the future. People may start to do bad things.For example if dents came to school one day and the y had no rules, like listening to the teachers, they probably wouldn't finish their work and that may cause them to suffer in the future. Crime rates may also possibly increase as people would know that if they were to do something bad there would be no punishment as there are no rules. For example if you were really greedy, and you wanted to be rich, then you would probably rob a bank, if there were no rules, because you would know there would be no punishment or consequences. This is why having no rules would have a negative outcome.

8 Stages of Social Development

Social development theory attempts to explain qualitative changes in the structure and framework of society, that help the society to better realize its aims and objectives. Development can be broadly defined in a manner applicable to all societies at all historical periods as an upward ascending movement featuring greater levels of energy, efficiency, quality, productivity, complexity, comprehension, creativity, mastery, enjoyment and accomplishment. Development is a process of social change, not merely a set of policies and programs instituted for some specific results.This process has been going on since the dawn of history. But during the last five centuries it has picked up in speed and intensity, and during the last five decades has witnessed a marked surge in acceleration. [2] The basic mechanism driving social change is increasing awareness leading to better organization. Life evolves by consciousness and consciousness in turn progresses by organization. When society senses n ew and better opportunities for progress it accordingly develops new forms of organization to exploit these new openings successfully.The new forms of organization are better able to harness the available social energies and skills and resources to use the opportunities to get the intended results. Development is governed by many factors that influence the results of developmental efforts. There must be a motive that drives the social change and essential preconditions for that change to occur. The motive must be powerful enough to overcome obstructions that impede that change from occurring. Development also requires resources such as capital, technology, and supporting infrastructure.Development is the result of society's capacity to organize human energies and productive resources to meet challenges and opportunities. Society passes through well-defined stages in the course of its development. They are nomadic hunting and gathering, rural agrarian, urban, commercial, industrial, and post-industrial societies. Pioneers introduce new ideas, practices, and habits that conservative elements initially resist. At a later stage, innovations are accepted, imitated, organized, and used by other members of the community.Organizational improvements introduced to support the innovations can take place simultaneously at four different levels—physical, social, mental, and psychological. Moreover four different types of resources are involved in promoting development. Of these four, physical resources are most visible, but least capable of expansion. Productivity of resources increases enormously as the quality of organization and level of knowledge inputs rise.Erikson's stages of psychosocial developmentErikson's stages of psychosocial development, as articulated by Erik Erikson, explain eight stages through which a healthily developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. In each stage, the person confronts, and hopefully masters, new challenges. Eac h stage builds upon the successful completion of earlier stages. The challenges of stages not successfully completed may be expected to reappear as problems in the future. However, mastery of a stage is not required to advance to the next stage.Erikson's stage theory characterizes an individual advancing through the eight life stages as a function of negotiating his or her biological forces and sociocultural forces. Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial crisis of these two conflicting forces (as shown in the table below). If an individual does indeed successfully reconcile these forces (favoring the first mentioned attribute in the crisis), he or she emerges from the stage with the corresponding virtue. For example, if an infant enters into the toddler stage (autonomy vs.  shame & doubt) with more trust than mistrust, he or she carries the virtue of hope into the remaining life stages.Stages of psychosocial developmentStages of Social Development In this post Cold War and postmodern age, we are asking serious questions regarding the preeminence of rigid ideologies, national boundaries, proprietary interests, technological utopias and naive, egalitarian demands in crafting the next global mesh. We hear all of these voices. We register all of the claims. We record all of the â€Å"truths. † We see all of the demonstrations and displays of street theatre.But, we have a sense they all stream from the Tower of Babel. No wonder the realities are so diverse; the thoughts so confusing, the solutions so divisive. It is as if all six billion people have climbed on top of the Tower and are now shouting slogans at us. All seem to want a place in the sun, a position in the niche, and free tickets to Disney World. If one were to do a content analysis of all the books and articles written on the global gaps, or arguments presented in academic or think tank settings, or even the political dialogue in national parliaments or international summits, we would see several clear and distinct patterns.Capitalism is great or greedy. Socialism is humane or harmful. Technology is a blessing or a curse. The rich are that way because they worked hard or simply won life's lottery. The poor are that way because they are undisciplined or oppressed by the rich. Economic redistribution will level the playing field or dumb down global intelligences. Which is it? Most of the discussions center around competing economic models, open political access, mandated equality of opportunity and results, and a host of other external, top-down solutions.Arguments grow in emotional intensity around the size and distribution of budgets. Money becomes the magic elixir that will cure all ills. If we build attractive places for all to live the â€Å"losers† will be transformed into â€Å"winners† by simply changing street addresses. New rules and regulations will transform hearts and minds. Everybody will benefit from the rising tides of prosperity as the f ree market makes global waves. Everybody will benefit from the largess of big government, using taxes to fund social work schemes.And, of course, brilliant technological innovations will bring the Internet into each and every home, with or without electricity. Right. But, why haven't these policies worked in the past? Look at Africa. Look at Haiti. Look at the Balkans. Look at Russia. Look at the Mississippi Delta. Look at Yorkshire's coal mining villages. Look at American Indian reservations. Look at the huddled masses everywhere yearning for a loaf of bread. Look at India's Calcutta kids. Look at border sweat shops and urban cesspools. Look at the number of â€Å"minority† teenagers in American prisons.In spite of all of the money spent, expectations raised, programs imposed, â€Å"good deeds† celebrated and â€Å"good works† performed, our problems persist. Why? The central thesis of this document is that external approaches designed to improve the human cond ition are faulted unless they also include, as parallel and simultaneous tracks, the essential steps and stages in interior social development. In short, economic, political, and technological efforts must correlate with the levels of complexity of thinking within individuals and entire cultures.Unless the external efforts match, in their respective operating codes, the existing capacities within leadership cadres and the general population in specific countries, they will make things worse, not better. Like the deep sea diver who gets the bends by coming up too rapidly, or runs out of air if the ascent is delayed too long, entire societies are vulnerable to this too much: too little dynamic. This discussion will describe 1. the eight stages of social development; 2. the economic and political models appropriate to each stage; and 3.twelve postulates to employ in the search for global cohesion in this age of societal fragmentation.EIGHT STAGES OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: How Cultures Eme rge A social stage is more like an emerging wave than a rigid step. Each stage is simply a temporary, transitional plateau that forms in individual and collective minds. Some call them â€Å"paradigms† or â€Å"levels of psychological existence. † In other writings I refer to them as valueMEMES or bio/psycho/social/spiritual DNA-type scripts that inculcate their codes throughout a culture, and even migrate around the planet on CNN and in 747s.These are fluid, living systems rather than rigid hierarchical steps. They form into spirals of complexity and exist within people, organizations, and entire societies. The terms â€Å"social stage,† â€Å"cultural wave,† â€Å"value system,† and â€Å"vMEME code† are synonymous. Cultures, as well as countries, are formed by the emergence of value systems (social stages) in the response to life conditions. Such complex adaptive intelligences form the glue that bonds a group together, defines who they ar e as a people, and reflects the place on the planet they inhabit.These cultural waves, much like the Russian dolls (a doll embedded within a doll embedded within a doll) have formed, over time, into unique mixtures and blends of instructional and survival codes, myths of origin, artistic forms, life styles, and senses of community. While they are all legitimate expressions of the human experience, they are not â€Å"equal† in their capacities to deal with complex problems in society. Yet, the detectable social stages within cultures are not Calvinistic scripts that lock us into choices against our will.Nor are they inevitable steps on a predetermined staircase, or magically appearing like crop circle structures in our collective psyche. And, cultures should not be seen as rigid types, having permanent traits. Instead, they are core adaptive intelligences that ebb and flow, progress and regress, with the capacity to lay on new levels of complexity (value systems) when conditio ns warrant. Much like an onion, they form layers on layers on layers. There is no final state, no ultimate destination, no utopian paradise.Each stage is but a prelude to the next, then the next, then the next. Each emerging social stage or cultural wave contains a more expansive horizon, a more complex organizing principle, with newly calibrated priorities, mindsets, and specific bottom-lines. All of the previously acquired social stages remain in the composite value system to determine the unique texture of a given culture, country, or society. In Ken Wilber's language, each new social stage â€Å"transcends but includes† all of those which have come before.Societies with the capacity to change, swing between I:Me:Mine and We:Us:Our poles. Tilts in one direction create the need to self-correct, thus causing a shift toward the opposite pole. Me decades become us epochs as we constantly spiral up, or spiral down in response to life conditions. Some social stages stress divers ity generators that reward individual initiatives and value human rights. Other social stages impose conformity regulators and reward cooperative, collective actions. Societies will zigzag between these two poles, thus embracing different models at each tilt.Once a new social stage appears in a culture, it will spread its instructional codes and life priority messages throughout that culture's surface-level expressions: religion, economic and political arrangements, psychological and anthropological theories, and views of human nature, our future destiny, globalization, and even architectural patterns and sports preferences. We all live in flow states; there is always new wine, always old wine skins. We, indeed, find ourselves pursuing a never-ending quest. THE LIVING STRATA IN OUR PSYCHO-CULTURAL ARCHEOLOGY Stage/ Wave Color Code Popular Name ThinkingCultural manifestations and personal displays 8 Turquoise WholeView Holistic collective individualism; cosmic spirituality; earth cha nges 7 yellow FlexFlow Ecological natural systems; self-principle; multiple realities; knowledge 6 Green HumanBond Consensus egalitarian; feelings; authentic; sharing; caring; community 5 Orange StriveDrive Strategic materialistic; consumerism; success; image; status; growth 4 Blue TruthForce Authority meaning; discipline; traditions; morality; rules; lives for later 3 Red PowerGods Egocentric gratification; glitz; conquest; action; impulsive; lives for now 2  Purple KinSpirits Animistic rites; rituals; taboos; super- stitions; tribes; folk ways & lore 1 Beige SurvivalSense Instinctive food; water; procreation; warmth; protection; stays alive.Here's the key idea.Different societies, cultures and subcultures, as well as entire nations are at different levels of psycho-cultural emergence, as displayed within these evolutionary levels of complexity. Yet, and here is a critical concept, the previously awakened levels do not disappear. Rather, they stay active within the value system s tacks, thus impacting the nature of the more complex systems.So, many of the same issues we confront on the West Bank (red to blue) can be found in South Central Los Angeles. One can experience the animistic (purple) worldview on Bourbon Street as well as in Zaire. Matters brought before city council in Minneapolis (orange to green to yellow) are not unlike the debates in front of governing bodies in the Netherlands. So-called Third World societies are dealing, for the most part, with issues within the beige to purple to red to blue zones, thus higher rates of violence and poverty.Staying alive, finding safety, and dealing with feudal age conditions matter most. Second World societies are characterized by authoritarian (blue) one-party states, whether from the right or the left. Makes no difference. So-called First World nations and groupings have achieved high levels of affluence, with lower birth rates, and more expansive use of technology. While centered in the strategic, free-ma rket driven, and individual liberty focused perspective — all traits of the Stage 5 (orange) worldview — new value systems (green, yellow, and turquoise) are emerging in the â€Å"postmodern† age.Yet, we have no language for anything beyond First World, believing that is the final state, the â€Å"end of history. † Further, there is a serious question as to whether the billions of people who are now exiting Second and Third World life styles can anticipate the same level of affluence as they see on First World television screens. And, what will happen to the environment if every Chinese family had a two-car garage? The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the GTO, and most multinational corporations reflect the blue-orange worldview codes of cultural discipline, financial accountability, and individual responsibility.Attacks are launched from three directions: Red zone activists, anarchists, and spoilers who love a good fight, and believe the Big Orange Money Machines are easy targets from which to exact tributes in various forms; Blue zone ideologies who defend the sacred against the secular and resent the intrusive technology and destruction of the holy orders and extol the purity of the faith, noble cause, and divine calling; and Green zone humanists and environmentalists who level charges of exploitation, greed, and selfishness, noting the eradication of indigenous cultures and the poisoning of the â€Å"pristine' environment by Big Mac golden arches.The WTO demonstrations were so confounding to so many because they combined these red, blue and green critiques into single anti-orange crusades. Capitalism and materialism were the twin villains; spirituality, sharing, and social equality, along with sustainability, were the noble virtues. There appeared to be no middle ground; no zone of rapprochement; no win:win alternative. Herein lies the global knot: the seemingly irreconcilable conflict between and among the haves, t he have nots, the have a little but want more, and the have a lot but are never content.There must be a better way. STRATIFIED DEMOCRACY: Managing the Global Mesh Stage/ Wave 1 Stage/ Wave 2 Stage/ Wave 3 Stage/ Wave 4 Stage/ Wave 5 Stage/ Wave 6 Stage/ Wave 7 Stage/ Wave 8 Beige Purple Red Blue Orange Green Yellow Turquoise POLITICAL SYSTEMS AND POWER DISTRIBUTION RATIOS survival clans Haiti tribal orders Somalia feudal empires Taliban authoritarian democracry Singapore multiparty democracy UK & US social democracy Netherlands stratified democracy holonic democracy Confederal unitary Federal unitary IntegralECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION FORMULAS eat when hungry mutual reciprocity & kinship to victors belong the spoils the just earn the rewards each acts on own behalf to prosper all should benefit equally all formulas contribute to spiral health resources focus on all life As you can see, the projected bulge of global thinking is in the purple/red zones, with a somewhat smaller peak in the orange enclaves. Many are locked in the blue authoritarian flatland and are just now waking up to orange, â€Å"good life† possibilities.At the same time, the postmodern mindset is attacking orange materialism, living more lightly on the land, and searching for meaning in Navaho sweat lodges or excursions into variations on the spiritual theme. In his new book entitled The Cultural Creatives (Three Rivers Press; ISBN: 0609808451; October 2001), Paul Ray describes Heartland-Blue, Modernity-Orange, andCultural Creatives-Green. We add Integral-Yellow as the next developmental stage. There are different futures for different folks. The future of the Third World will be Second World â€Å"authority† before either First World autonomy or postmodern sensitivity become options.There are different futures for different folks along the evolutionary trajectory. â€Å"Democracy,† then, comes in many different variations, hues, and levels of complexity. Beware of imposing the form that fits a specific stage or zone on the Spiral onto other strata. This is an invitation to cultural disaster. There are good reasons why humans have created survival clans, ethnic tribes, feudal empires, ancient nations, corporate states, and value communities in our long bio-psycho-social-spiritual ascent. Robert D. Kaplan makes this point clearly in a lengthy essay â€Å"Was Democracy Just A Moment?†(The Atlantic Monthly, December 1997). He notes that authoritarian China (blue) is doing more for its citizens than democratic (orange) Russia, and that enlightened one-party-states and even dictatorial empires (red), can build a middle class more quickly than multiparty models (orange) in Africa. The evolutionary spirals are dancing all over the planet, in a figurative sense. While some hear tribal drum beats, others are doing the tango, the waltz, the Texas two-step, the jitterbug, theCharleston, or even the line dance.In some dances each expresse s self, oblivious to others. In others, we dance in concert, in a multitude of interlocking arrangements and movements. This is the global diversity. New political and economic models are beginning to appear, based on the assumptions and codes within integral commons and holistic meshworks. Welcome to the global dance. THE TWELVE POSTULATES : AN INTEGRAL PERSPECTIVE ON GLOBALIZATION: The Prime Directive A â€Å"postulate† is defined as â€Å"an essential presupposition, condition, or premise of a train of reasoning.†Postulates must all hang together and be seen as both simultaneous and sequential in creating a critical mass shift. These shifts are part and parcel of The Prime Directive, a universal ratchet through layers of complexity that appear to impact human choice-making, as well as that of other life forms. Bacteria, viruses, genes and memes all appear to be shaped by nonlinear, adaptive intelligences as life as we know it continues to evolve on the planet. Rathe r than existing as stand-alone, independent fragments, the postulates materialize â€Å"a train of reasoning† as they work in synergistic concert with each other.It makes no sense to argue as to which one is the most important. They are all interwoven into an evolving Global Meshworks. Note how horizons are broadening from families to clans, to tribes, to empires, to ancient nations, to corporate nation states, and now to global views. Yet, all of these viewing portals continue to exist on the planet earth. We are witnessing new versions of the historic continental drift as our economic, political, technological, and social worlds are, indeed, being pulled closer together.Further, global problems will require global solutions which, of necessity, will require global thinking. The historic past:present: future time lines will need to be understood. Up stream and down stream viewing points must be maintained. Final state paralysis must be replaced by flow state perspectives. Si mplistic car-wash solutions must be replaced by a rich understanding and respect for diversities in people, uniqueness in situations, and inevitable steps and stages in human emergence.Rigid rules, a product of fixed state  ideologies, must be supplanted by fluctuating algorithms that engage a world full of variables, life cycles, wild cards and other complex dynamics that lie at the core of life itself. There are no guarantees; no eternal road maps; no inevitable destinations; no blue print etched in permanent ink. Yet, there are equations, formulas, fractals, consequences, flows, and processes. Each new solution will, over time, create new problems. Human motivations will change as our life conditions get better, or get worse.There are systems within us rather than types of us – stratified decision-making stacks that constantly rearrange themselves in terms of priorities and senses of urgency. Different cultures and subcultures, then, are organic entities that lay on new levels of complexity as changes in life conditions warrant. Finally, the real intent of these postulates, when taken as a group, is to shape both interior and exterior dynamics to expedite the natural principles that appear to drive societal transformation. Such dynamics rely heavily on self organizing principles and processes rather than mechanistic, artificial mandates or commandments.They are messy, chaotic, often violence-prone, and uncertain with false starts, regressions, quantum leaps, advances and retreats, within a whole wilderness of snarling beasts, wild cards, sink-holes, and life-sustaining oasis. Such a systemic and integral initiative is designed to dredge out channels, drain stagnant back waters, unblock tributaries, navigate white water rapids, and maintain the ongoing movement of ideas, energy, and the human spirit through time and space. In this sense we become co-creators with the The Prime Directive in crafting the human story.But first, some personal questions for you to consider: Why do you see globalization issues the way that you do? Who are the â€Å"bad guys; the good girls? † What personal priorities shape your perceptual filters? Why do you have them? Have you changed? What will you personally gain or lose under different global scenarios? What mindsets, viewing-points, or value systems influence your own thinking? Which groups do you represent, causes do you support, and personal or professional commitments do you have which could alter your views?Are you open to new and different perspectives, fresh and expansive horizons? THE TWELVE POSTULATES 1. Reframe globalization issues around value system codes rather than behavioral stereotypes. In place of the racial, ethnic, nationalistic, culture-bound, moralistic, economic, and oppressed/oppressor filters, consider viewing globalization matters through this integral/holistic (yellow & turquoise) frame. By understanding these deeper value system currents or complexity strata, it becomes possible to develop more realistic big picture views and craft practical, appropriate solutions to real problems.Further, by recognizing the core cultural codes, as reflected in individuals and social groupings, one can quickly identify the generating, internal forces that will ultimately shape external behaviors and actions. For example, why is it the HIV infection rate so high in parts of Africa? If you identify the causative category as â€Å"African,† or â€Å"black,† or â€Å"poor† or â€Å"Third World,† you will miss the point entirely. Not all Africans, blacks, poor, or Third Worlders exhibit the identical sexual behaviors associated with AIDS.When women are influenced by the purple/animistic/safety & security vMEME, it is in their interest to breed large families because their children will provide a work force (gather wood and water) and future security. When men are dominated by the red/exploitative/predatory value system, they will imp regnate as many women as they can just to keep score. And, when they believe (purple) that having sex with a virgin will cure their AIDS infection, you can see why the plague spreads so rapidly. So, the pandemic is a purple and red problem; not a â€Å"black† problem.Blacks in the blue, orange, and green zones are less vulnerable to the destructive behaviors. â€Å"It's the vMEMES, stupid! † 1. Create vital signs monitors to track deeper currents and critical indicators. In order to track these underlying currents that flow over all of the continents, it is essential that we develop the capacity to monitor the concentrations and shifts, and be able to make sense out of the more traditional social/economic/health/quality of life indicators that are now available.This use of GIS (geographic information survey) type information displays can be enhanced by overlaying the patterns over the vMEMETIC codes to find deeper meaning in the data. Further, it should be possible to identify the early signs of an emerging â€Å"hot spot† that may explode in social eruptions. Such a scan would have warned the world community of bloody encounters-in-the-making in Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Indonesia. We have Dow Jones indicators of the economic health and well being of various countries. Where are the value scans that can inform us of major changes, or sound the alarm when danger is on the horizon?For example, when the Balkans political leaders were brought to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio to iron out some kind of peaceful settlement to the lingering conflict in the former Yugoslavia, they were exposed to cyber maps showing the actual land forms, mountain ranges, and border lines. What if, in addition to these surface-level profiles, they were shown the vMEMETIC contours of the various population groups, or the stages of social development that were apparent? And, if the UN could have monitor these cultural codes in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, or even East Timor, wouldn't the responses have been significantly different?It is dangerous to be trapped in a paradigm. 2. Focus on the future as more significant than the past in shaping the present. The past can never be replayed or replayed. Time is not a straight arrow that flows on a unbroken line from the past to the future Rather, we go through a number of nonlinear jumps that totally alter the conditions, world views, and operating systems. In one sense author Thomas Wolfe had it right: â€Å"We can't go home again. † This, of course, means crafting a compelling vision of a realistic future state, and then aligning the various efforts and projects to accomplish those objectives.This often happens through the creative use of scenario building processes, a technology well developed by John Petersen at the Arlington Institute in Virginia. (Seewww. arlingtoninstitute. org). Yet, how do we â€Å"let go† of the past without jettisoning or eroding the essential codes that are required in crafting new and more complex social systems? Both raw capitalism and materialist Marxism pore acid on the indigenous cultures, both designed to create the New Man or Homo economicus. The second will foist a high consumer culture on more traditional environments.The first has used the Cambodian â€Å"killing fields† to wipe out every vestige of the older orders. Both do quite serious damage to the cultural strata. Both promote â€Å"final state† paralysis. And, there remains a serious question as to how we move beyond the anger and guilt from past deeds that often keep a society from moving ahead. Both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and the â€Å"Sign the Sorry Book† campaign in Australia with regard to the mistreatment of the aborigines are options.There is a growing movement within African American subcultures in the United States to demand reparation payments for the inhumane institution of slaver y and pervasive influence of centuries of segregation and discrimination. Yet there are far better ways to address the resulting asymmetrics that are the product of many different forces. A shift from blame and be blamed, or even live and let live, in the direction of thrive and help thrive, may hold the key. Ultimately, even subcultures must pass through stages of development. 3. Search for the new intelligences that appear around chaos and within crucibles.One of the basic assumptions within Spiral Dynamics is that complex, adaptive intelligences form in response to the stress and strain forged by life conditions. In contrast to IQ (Intelligent Quotient), EQ (Emotional Quotient), AQ (Adversity Quotient) SQ ( Spiritual Quotient) or other expressions of intelligence that have appeared, we are describing a VQ (Values Quotient) capacity. VQ codes emerge whenever the older thinking patterns can no longer handle the new complexity that they have helped create. In short, â€Å"cometh th e time, cometh the value codes.†The intent, here, will be to construct scaffoldings of solutions, arrange them according to the stages of social development, and be willing to scan for new insights and codes that will naturally appear, like diamonds on the veldt. These, like George Bush's â€Å"Thousand Points of Light† and Clinton's â€Å"Faces of Hope,† could be quickly disseminated through the Internet and other avenues for communicating practical solutions to common problems. Why continue to â€Å"invent the wheels† when well-designed vehicles are already up and running elsewhere. 4. Identify the superordinate goals that transcend other priorities and agendas.A superordinate goal is a goal or value that everybody wants and needs to realize, but no individual or group can achieve it in an unilateral fashion. These overarching umbrellas can take a number of forms. Some spring from a â€Å"woe is us† syndrome in that we are all in this horrible sit uation together. In other cases, a â€Å"common enemy† will appear on the scene, one that threatens the well-being of each and all. The best superordinate goal umbrella is a genuine and constructive outcome that everybody values, but one that requires the longer term integration of the conflicting groups.There are plenty of candidates for healthy superordinate goals: the threat of HIV-type viruses, the dangers inherent in global warming or other forms of environmental poison; the fear of nuclear explosions triggered by demagogues or militant â€Å"true believers† who have no fear of death; the growing gaps between rich and poor that sow seeds of class envy, and other wild cards such as water depletion, population growth, and biomedical monster gone amuck. All problems, challenges, and threats cut across national boundaries, ethnic enclaves, and gated communities. 5. Facilitate and honor the inevitable steps, stages and waves in human emergence.This is the critical path way that lies at the â€Å"DNA† core of The Prime Directive. The focus, here, should be on the process dynamic itself, not on any specific system, level, stage, or whorl that have been activated in forming the complex, adaptive intelligences. Each of the emerging value system waves not only addresses the unique problems in the milieu that gave it birth, but also adds texture and quality to the more complex vMEME codes in the future. (Note the colorful spiral on the wrap around to this document. See how each of the colors bleeds up into the more complex zones.)By keeping each stage/wave healthy, positive, and congruent, the avenues are open for movement to occur, if and when it has been â€Å"awakened† by life conditions. Instead of imposing the one-size-fits-all economic or political package on the entire developmental spectrum, one should craft the unique form that fits the different circumstances. Entire societies (and subcultures) move along the value system traject ory and should be assisted in meeting their needs and challenges at each of the stages, with the economic and political structures and models that are both tailored and appropriate to those conditions.It is both futile and counter productive to attempt to skip stages, or leap into a more complex world view before its time. Lawrence E. Harrison provides the clearest rationale for this process in his work on value systems and prosperity codes. (See Who Prospers? How Cultural Values Shape Economic and Political Success (1992) and Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress (2000), written with Samuel P. Huntington).Harrison has demonstrated, in both his books and in his developmental work in several different cultural settings, that â€Å"traditional explanations like imperialism, dependency and racism are no longer adequate† in explaining why some countries and ethnic groups are better off than others. He stresses the critical importance of â€Å"cultural values that powe rfully shape political, economic and social performance. † In Spiral Dynamics terms these are the 4th Level (blue) and 5th Level (orange) vMEME – the blend of â€Å"good authority† with â€Å"practical enterprise. † 6. Mobilize all available resources (quadrants/levels) and focus them like laser beams.Ken Wilber has pioneered the concept of â€Å"all levels, all quadrants† as an essential framework for accelerating the development of people and cultures. Fragmented, isolated, ad hoc, piecemeal, and single quadrant solutions will fail to make a significant difference. Both interior (within the hearts and minds of individuals and cultures) and exterior (the exterior arrangements, economic perks, political structures, and social rules and regulations) must be meshed, coordinated, and aligned to the relevant level (stages of social development) to get maximum impact.See Wilber's new book, A Theory of Everything, for a thorough analysis. Further, the eff orts of families, schools, religion, law enforcement, business, professional societies, and political entitiesshould be integrated, aligned, and synergized to get them all on the same page. Their resources and efforts should befocused like laser beams on the essential steps and stages of emergence. These I call MeshWORK solutions. 7. Contain destructive conflicts while respecting the essential cycles of change. Life is full of dynamic tension, disruptions, conflicts, discord, and even violence.The problems may be within a stage (i. e. Lord of the Flies conflicts and holy wars) or between emerging stages (i. e. Lexus and the Olive Tree, Jihad vs. McWorld, or human rights vs. authoritarian values). Symptoms can be seen in societal blockages, cul-de-sacs, sink holes, minority vs. majority bloodshed, battles over scarce resources, inept and corrupt leadership, terrorism, and perpetual wars for national liberation or economic domination. Major conflicts should be â€Å"depressed† much like raging forest fires, from all angles and as quickly as possible.Minor scrimmages should be prevented if possible or allowed to play themselves out if relatively harmless. As the core vMEME flows are understood and accommodated, there will be fewer such conflicts as the human energy passes more freely the development dams and locks in an ongoing, positive fashion. 8. Promote power differentiation through appropriate, stratified stages and layers. No single political arrangement fits every situation. Each stratum within the human/social archeology will possess different operating philosophies in terms of how power is distributed.These are natural life forms, indigenous to the unique circumstances within each layer and level. Each will have its own unique organizing code, and can only respond to the models and processes which resonate with those â€Å"DNA† scripts. Not every person has the capacity to recognize these vertical stages of development. Many will attempt to impose the codes from single operating levels onto the entire strata of emergence. Some require a Tribal Order that is safety-driven, while others will thrive in an Exploitative Empire that is power-driven.You can also see why an Authority Structures (order-driven) is appropriate in some settings, while the codes within a Strategic Enterprise (success-driven) is congruent elsewhere. When a strong middle class is constructed, and a modicum of affluence is shared, then the Social Network (people-driven) structures make a lot of sense. Today we are moving in the direction of the Systemic Flow (process-oriented) and Holonic Meshwork (synthesis-oriented) global models are relevant. 9. Resolve major paradoxes by implementing creative win:win:win solutions.Many political leaders and groupings are now searching for alternatives to the traditional bipolar models of decision-making – whether expressed in the English Westminster formula, the American checks and balances procedures, or the historic Left vs. Right orientations from the French tradition. Even the win:win negotiation model carries with it the limited codes of the 5th Level (ORANGE) vMEME. These new models are now forming in complex thinking cells in this country and elsewhere. They focus first on the ultimate â€Å"win,† i. e. the integrity of the overall system, the well-being of all people, the  long-term ethical principles, or the inherent wisdom within The Prime Directive.This is the universal touchstone that can be using in resolving deep conflicts. A vMEMETIC understanding, tracked by a Global Vital Signs Monitor, could enhance the quest for peace in the Middle East as well as in Africa. It should be part and parcel of the insights offered at Camp David, in Geneva, or at UN headquarters. 10. Integrate the body, mind, soul and spirit in enriching the human experience. Many of our dysfunctional actions and social breakdowns stem from our own personal fragmentation.While the Age of Enligh tenment brought us many benefits of a material nature, we are now aware that such â€Å"progress† came with a price. We found ourselves separated from our spiritual sense, from the deeper values that resonate in our individual and cultural cores. Yet, it does no good to reject totally any of our senses of self. The key to health and well-being, within both a short term context and the longer flow, is to search for ways to mesh all of these attributes in an integral whole. There are plenty of opportunities to access some of these intangible but powerful practices.They should be developed in our youth while they are open to the inner life and welcome experiences designed to expand conceptual horizons. And adults, who are growing weary of the fast-track, technology-rich and digitized world around them, often search for ways to express a spiritual sense, or bond themselves with a transcendent cause, or renew their souls by reconnecting with nature's wonder. 11. Nourish and replen ish the natural habitat so that all life forms may flourish. Perhaps this postulate should come first because it may well be the one that should concern us the most.What is at stake here is preservation of life itself. We are now discovering the genetic codes that shapes our biological DNA scripts. This knowledge is both wonderful and frightening at the same time. The issue itself, and perhaps our permanent residency on the planet, will be determined by which of the vMEME codes controls the knowledge. At one time we believed, for example, that the very best way to protect the elephant species is to focus specifically on the elephant — the mating habits, the food requirements, and ways to keep individual elephants alive and reproducing.Today, the focus is on the environment – the total milieu that will naturally support elephant life. The elephant sprang from that milieu and flourished for centuries within it. As long as it provides what elephants need to survive and fl ourish, they will. No more prizes for forecasting the rain; only prizes for building the ark. The late Professor Clare W. Graves, Union College, New York said it best: Clare W. Graves.