Bas Assignmnent - 3464 Words

Assignment Cover Sheet 200336 Business Academic Skills College of Business -- School of Marketing Student family name: | | Student first name: | | Student number: | | Unit name and number: | 200336 Business Academic Skills | Workshop day: | | Workshop time: | | Workshop room: | | Workshop tutor: | | Title of assignment: | Learning Task: Essay development | Length: | About 800 words | Date due: | In your week 10 workshop AND the BAS vUWS/Turnitin assignment box by 11am of the day of your workshop in Week 10 (beginning 3 May 2010) | Date submitted: | | Campus of enrolment: | | Declaration: I hold a copy of this assignment if the original is lost or damaged. I hereby certify that no part of†¦show more content†¦From there you can either download SLU s comprehensive Academic Skills Guide – in its entirety or as individual chapters – or explore other Australian university language and learning resources. Student Learning Unit Academic Skills Workshops In addition to the online support, the Student Learning Unit provides free face-to-face workshops for those students requiring more intensive assistance with academic literacy. You need to register for these workshops. For more information about these workshops and how to register for them you can use the following link: http://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/getting_help/study_and_life_skills_workshops PART A – Compiling a reference list For this task, you are to compile a reference list of TEN (10) information sources that could be used in the construction of your essay plan in Part B. That is, when constructing your essay plan you will be selecting a subset from these references that you believe is particularly relevant in terms of answering the essay question outlined in Part B below. Remember that for the ‘Assessment Task: Essay’ you need to find at least FIVE (5) scholarly information sources in addition to the lead reference (shown on page 7 of this template) as part of the essay question. So finding suitable scholarly information sources and then listing the references for these information sources in Part A means that students do information search once (and get feedback on the

Virgin Mobile Marketing Metrics Free Essays

Virgin Mobile’s business model consists of several different strategies for success. On July 2002, Virgin launched its new cellular service company, mostly geared for individuals ages 15- 19. The UK-based company had plans to acquire new clientele by tapping the youth market with the following tactics: Text messaging bundles: Virgin believed text messaging was a key selling point for youth as kids would often communicate with friends or family through this medium as it was cheaper than daytime minutes and a more discrete form of communication while in class. We will write a custom essay sample on Virgin Mobile Marketing Metrics or any similar topic only for you Order Now Ring Tones: Virgin offered a large selection of favourite and popular tunes and music that could be set as your cellular ringtone. Fun Clips: Are audio clippings of new gossip, sports information, jokes and other information that teens generally have interest in and have the time to review. Other features such as Music Messenger allowed cell phone users to share their favourite music with their friends and classmates. These features appealed more to the youth market and generated additional cell phone usage (if not by using minutes) and customer loyalty. Virgin believed that these mediums would bond customers to their phones therefore creating more interest. Virgin signed contracts with several phone manufacturers such as: Kyocera, Nokia, LG and more to enable a variety of phones to choose from; each providing a different benefit that would appeal to the youth.By adding these features and targeting the 15-24 market, as well as being a contract-free cell phone provider, this generated more interest in the market because the ones under 18 would have had to use their parents to sign a contract for them in order to have a wireless device, this way, Virgin enables customers the freedom. Assuming the number of customers is 5 in year one, and retention rate is 75% the decline in customers yearly thereafter will be deducted by the same percentage.By taking the number of effective customers in 2001 and mul tiplying it by retention rates we acquire the pattern or deduction. (copy and pasting the formula along the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006; the five-year wireless contract). | | | | | | Retention rate was calculated by assuming the number of total customers was 100. 25 customers left to another service provider. 100-25 = 75. (75/100) *100 = 75% Retention. Tab 1 of spreadsheet Tab 2 of spreadsheet How to cite Virgin Mobile Marketing Metrics, Papers

The Role of Leaders in Building Learning Organization Free-Samples

Question: Discuss about the role of Leaders in Building a Learning Organization. Answer: Leaders are the member of the organization who plays a lead role to attain the objectives of the organization. Learning organization is the process of constantly learning and improvements in an individual or entire organization. It focuses on the activities of an individual and continuous testing made on it so that improvements and transformation of knowledge can be done as soon as possible. It can be said that learning organization is able to acquire, create and transfer the information or knowledge so that new knowledge and behavior reflect. In learning organization, leaders play a crucial role to enhance the knowledge of employee and make them learn new activities (Rippon James, 2015). John C. Maxwell quoted as a phrase, A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. The main aim of behind saying this quote that a true leader must be known about the vision and it should be clear. After having efficient knowledge and understanding about the vision, a leader must go with it. To achieve the goal in the context of organization, leaders should make aware others about vision so that they can contribute with better understanding for achieving the goals. It is the most inspirable quote which shows that leaders are not a famous people rather than it can be anyone who shows a path to others for success. It has been analyzed that most of the leaders in the organization are not clear about the vision and also do not follow the vision and start to guide others about the vision and mission (Lunenburg, 2011). It makes them fail to learn others. The phrase by Maxwell is giving clear understanding that leaders in learning organization must aware about the goal and the way to achieve the goal before providing any guidance to others. About the way it can be said that destination should be known by leader because without knowing the destination, leader cannot take or guide others about the destination. It is important to have the knowledge about the way and destination point. Visions has been made before planning and ass per time changes it can be adapted. It makes the shifting of vision from one part to another. Make adjustment in the vision is not an issue rather than without vision setting the way it is the major issue. Goes the way defines that every leader must know about the vision and should follow them in an adequate manner. Firstly, leader should accept the vision and follow them after that guide others. It is not possible to give correct guidance without accepting or experiencing it. It is considered as the most difficult step of leadership. Generally, people wants to be a leader and guide others without knowing that where they are going to others. In the sense of showing the path, leader is the flashlig ht that carries so many people behind him to show the path of success. This path is fulfilled by motivating people by leader and makes them aware about pros and cons of the path so that their mind can be settled. Leader should walk with people while showing the path to get the vision. Instructions are not The theory of organization learning is the process in which the learning of organization changes time to time as per gaining experience. Experience is the base of make the changes in organization and enhances the knowledge within organization (Ho, 2011). Knowledge covers a single topic that would be able to create better an organization. The theory of learning organization is system thinking, shared vision, team learning, mental models and mastery on personal basis. An approach related to system contains four parts such as structure, people, task and environment. An organization is considered as the most adaptive system which interacts with environment. The efficiency of organization can be evaluated by the quality of decisions taken by manager. A team is a unit which works together to achieve the common goal (Ward, 2016). Leader is the person who performs their role to make team member understand about the goals and way of working. Along with that leader helps to remove the obstacle s while performing the task and analyze performance of each employees and in case of finding issues and mistakes, it is the responsibility of leader to guide them in perfect manner without point out and dishonoring. Vision of organization should be shared with every employee who participates in the team (Salim Sulaiman, 2011). The theory of organization learning refers that the personal analysis should be there because it cannot be done to work on an individual while he or she does not take initiative step for change. There are three types of organizational learning theory which diagram is reflected below: Figure 1: organizational learning Source: (Havig, et. al., 2011) Single loop learning covers the loop of feedback when the modification of strategy brings the unexpected results. For instance, in single loop learning action is required if situation is not under control and even in case situation come under control, the procedure of action through improving and preventing harm will be carry on. Double loop learning brings the change in the environment of organization efficiently (Nahavandi, 2016). Value and assumptions are taken place in the organization with heartily and acceptable by everyone. It is the method which able to make all employees satisfied through effective learning. Deuterolearning is the learning which improves the system of learning itself. Structural and behavioral components are the part of this learning which helps to make decision regarding that how to learn. However, organizational learning considers as a complex mechanism but with the help of theories and principle the learning system can be made easier (Mckenna, 2015). Leadership in organization learning is considered the importance of learning. It defines that learning is crucial for organizations success. It describes the reason behind motive, means and opportunity. It is the responsibility of leaders in the organization to create an example. Leaders should accept the introspective look and enhance the awareness towards the leading personally and motivating others mainly as connected to fostering learning process (Khandekar Sharma, 2011). They must know about their personalities, believes and application of power within organization. Dynamic visionary leaders have the ability to overcome the failure and make the sustainable growth (Day Sammons, 2013). A team leader should discuss the vision with others team members and motivate them towards attaining it. Motivate the team does not mean to force them towards achieving the goal rather it is important for the leader to understand the expectations and need of an individual. Innovation is the key so urce of making sustainable business. To overcome the challenging task, innovation or creating is the element which easily acquires the situation positively. Leader is the person who can motivate their subordinates in various ways. It has been suggested that in case of achieving goal by team (Kools Stoll, 2016). Team leader should appreciate team by giving monetary or non-monetary gifts and celebrate the achievement of team with them. Setting the example can bring the huge change in the organization. Leader wants to others to do what he wants, it is important to him starts by taking first step (Havig, et. al., 2011). Communication is considered as an intangible channel which connects leader and team worker together. Communication between them should not be restricted only to interchanging the information but also involve to creating the trust and confidence of team. The quality of foresee should be in leader so that he or she makes ensure to the organization that in case of non-avai lability of resources organization can run. Succession planning of leaders can take other members in the path of grow and enhance the confidence level of team members as well as himself. It has been concluded that the role of leader in learning organization plays a crucial role. The principle role of leaders is to make the environment in which learning can be done in an efficient manner. Communication is the source which connects with followers. The role of leader in learning organization should not be dominating and over controlled rather behave and acts by providing knowledge and guidance to build system of organization that helps to amplifies the learning. It is necessary for the organization to remain relevant because it helps to keep learning fast to the others. In this essay the phrase written by Maxwell has been discussed which would be helpful to understand the actual role of leader in learning organization. Maxwell focused on three areas knowing, going and showing. In the context of knowing he meant to describe the vision in the point of view of leader and force to understand the vision firstly before following. Going is the description to follow the way thr ough which vision can attend. Showing is the way in which leaders show the path to followers of learning and motivate them towards attaining then goals appropriately. References Day, C Sammons,P. (2013). Successful leadership: a review of the international literature. Retreived on 8th april 2017 from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED546806.pdf. Havig, A. K., Skogstad, A., Kjekshus, L. E. Romren, T. I., (2011). Leadership, staffing and quality of care in nursing homes. Journal List BMC Health Serv Resv.11; 2011PMC3295728. Ho, L.A. (2011). Meditation, learning, organizational innovation and performance. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 111, 113-131. Khandekar, A. Sharma, A. (2011). Organizational learning and performance: Understanding Indian Scenario in Present Global Context.Education + Training,48(8/9), 682-692. Kools, M. Stoll, L. (2016). What Makes a School a Learning Organization?. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 137, OECD Publishing, Paris. Lunenburg, F. C. (2011). Systems Thinking and the Learning Organization: The Path to School Improvement. Schooling volume 2, number 1, 2011. Mckenna, G. (2015). 4 lessons in leadership from Richard Goyder, one of Australia's most influential businessmen. . Retreived on 8th april 2017 from: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/4-lessons-in-leadership-from-richard-goyder-one-of-australias-most-influential-businessmen-2015-7. Nahavandi, A. (2016). The Art and Science of Leadership -Global Edition. Pearson. Najafbagy, R. Doroudi, D. (2010). Model of learning organization in broadcasting organization of Islamic republic of Iran. Serbian Journal of Management 5 (2) (2010) 213 225. Rippon, D. James, I. A. (2015). Leadership philosophy of care home managers. Nursing Times; 111: 7, 12-16. Salim, I. S Sulaiman, M. (2011). Organizational learning, innovation and performance: a study of Malaysian small and medium sized enterprises.International Journal of Business and Management,6(12), 118-125. Ward, J. (2016). Keeping the family business healthy: How to plan for continuing growth, profitability, and family leadership. Springer.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Analysis Essay Example For Students

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Analysis Essay E.M. Forster makes a bold statement when he declares that he would rather betray his country than betray his friend. Forster takes a very moral stand on the issue and states that a friendship is often more important than a governments actions or societys beliefs. His opinion regarding the value of friendship is a common theme shared by many authors throughout history, including Mark Twain, and Alexandre Dumas. Mark Twains classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, describes a young boy torn between what he feels his country and society expect of him and what his heart tells him is right. Society believes that slaves should be treated as property; Huck, who had befriended a runaway slave, sees Jim as a person, not property. In the end, Huck Finn decides that he would rather disobey societys teachings about slavery, than betray his friend by returning him to his previous condition of servitude. We will write a custom essay on The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Further reiterating Forsters conception of the proper order of ones loyalty is a product of English folklore, Robin Hood. According to legend, Robin Hood robbed from the rich and gave to the poor in an effort to bring happiness to the peasants of Nottingham in an otherwise dreary time under the tyrannical rule of Prince John. A childhood friend of Robin, Maid Marion places her friendship with Robin Hood above loyalty to the crown. She has numerous opportunities to betray Robin Hood, but she does not. She sees the good he is doing for the land and the lone resistance he and his band of Merry Men provide against the evil Sheriff. Had she been loyal to her country, Robin Hood would have never been successful against the Sheriff of Nottingham and the citizens of her kingdom would have had to endure even greater injustices. Sharing many of the same principles Robin Hood embodies is Alexandre Dumass The Three Musketeers. The famous trio of noblemen battle against the villainy of the Court of King Louis XIII. DArtagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis fight to preserve the honor of their Queen, Anne of Austria, against the Cardinal Richelieu. Their famous motto All for one and one for all! illustrates the value they place on their friendship. Efforts to maintain their close ties of friendship help them in resisting an immoral government. Had they chosen to remain in adherence to the Cardinals oppressive rule, they would have been unsuccessful in effecting change. The value of friendship has been a prevalent theme throughout both literature and history. Authors representing several eras have addressed the moral dilemma of friendship versus loyalty to ones country. Governmental leaders and their policies are transient; friendships last a lifetime.

Typhoons essays

Typhoons essays Typhoons, what are they and how hazardous are they? When I started searching for my article, I came across the word typhoons; it sparked an interest in wanting to know what it was and how hazardous it could be. Typhoons are tropical cyclones that occur in the western Pacific or Indian oceans. They are basically what we call Hurricanes in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E. In China one of the natural hazards include frequent typhoons, about 5 per year along the southern and eastern coast. This year one of the most powerful storms of the season and one of the most powerful typhoons since 1997 hit in August. The typhoon was named Rananim, which means hello in the Chuukesse language. I found an article about Rananim on CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/o8/14/china.typhoon/index.html) The storm hit land on Thursday night in the city of Wenling. The winds were more than 160kph which is about 100mph, it weakened into a tropical storm as it moved west on Friday. The answer to the question Why I Care is I care about the injured people and animals, all the people who have lost there home, and because I need to be more knowledgeable about what goes on in the world, not just weather wise of course. A little over 410,000 people were evacuated from its path but still this storm injured over 1,800, killed 115, and 16 people were missing. The rain destroyed cropland and killed thousands of livestock. And more than 42,000 houses were destroyed and tens of thousands damaged. The only positive that came from Rananim is that it is expected to help relieve drought and heat waves that are effecting much of Eastern China. In conclusion, typhoons are tropical cyclones that affect many people, but also have a positive aspect in some places. The Typhoon Rananim affected China very greatly you can see this by the big numbers in the ...

Epithets Add Character

Epithets Add Character Epithets Add Character Epithets Add Character By Mark Nichol Have you thought about the impact of using epithets in your writing? An epithet (from the Greek word epithetos, meaning â€Å"added†) is a word or phrase used in place of or in addition to a name to characterize the person, place, or thing. In fiction or nonfiction, it’s an effective device for evoking the subject’s qualities and for elegant variation. An epithet, also called a byname, is sometimes also referred to as sobriquet, though this word (and its variant soubriquet) is also a synonym for the more pedestrian nickname. You’re familiar with many epithets: Superheroes are frequent recipients of such designations: Superman is the Man of Steel, and Batman is the Caped Crusader or the Dark Knight. Such application of this device is only natural, considering that throughout history, mythical and legendary characters have acquired alternate appellations based on various aspects of their perceived personalities, such as Venus Genetrix (â€Å"Mother Venus†). Greek myths and tales are replete with epithets; Homer employed them liberally for poetic effect, as in referring to Agamemnon as â€Å"the son of Atreus† for† or calling the ocean â€Å"the wine-dark sea.† Musicians, too, are given epithets (or claim them for themselves): Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, Aretha Franklin was the Queen of Soul, the Beatles were the Fab Four, and Bruce Springsteen is still the Boss. Other artists have earned them, too, like William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, or just the Bard. Epithets describe politicians such as Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator or the Teflon President, and his contemporary Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady. German leader Otto von Bismarck was called the Iron Chancellor, and a successor of his, Adolf Hitler, was styled Der Fà ¼hrer (â€Å"the Leader†), while his Italian counterpart, Benito Mussolini, was Il Duce (â€Å"the Duke†). Athletes have had epithets bestowed on them: Babe Ruth was the Great Bambino, or just the Bambino (Italian for â€Å"baby†), and the Sultan of Swat, while Brazilian football star Pele was the King of Soccer. As stated above, epithets can also be applied to places or things. Before Africa was thoroughly explored by Europeans and many of its countries came into their own in the twentieth century, it was long referred to as the Dark Continent. The New York Times is still known among journalists as the Gray Lady. Economics has been dubbed â€Å"the dismal science.† Note the mechanics of using epithets: When they appear by themselves, no emphasis is necessary other than, usually, initial capitalization of key words in the phrase. But enclose them in quotation marks when inserting them between first and last names (â€Å"Elvis ‘the King’ Presley†) or naming them as phrases (â€Å"Jealously is sometimes called ‘the green-eyed monster’†). Moderate use of epithets helps relieve the writer of having to exclusively use a person’s name or a pronoun, and it also allows for good-natured or not-so-good-natured humor: In the latter case, for example, the late artist Thomas Kinkade, widely criticized for the hubris of trademarking the personal epithet â€Å"the Painter of Light,† was referred to as â€Å"the Painter of Bud Light† after an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. In a more lighthearted vein, the character Horace Rumpole, from the television series Rumpole of the Bailey and its offshoots in other media, privately refers to his imperious wife as â€Å"She Who Must Be Obeyed†; this epithet is a tongue-in-cheek homage to the regal title character of the nineteenth-century lost-civilization novel She: A History of Adventure. Of course, writers can employ epithets in a more functional vein, as when they refer to any of the historical figures and pop-culture personalities mentioned above, but a subject need not be famous to earn an epithet: â€Å"Under his breath, Smith referred to Jones, who never returned what he borrowed, as ‘the Lord of the Light Fingers’ and ‘the Master of Mendicants.’† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.16 Misquoted QuotationsHow to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications

Social media Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social media - Research Proposal Example Significance of social media, its implications, and moderator role of age on implications of social media are discussed. Social media use is significant in the contemporary society because of the number of young people who use it and effects on the users. Children of as young as eight years use social media. Despite 13 years old limit for Facebook accounts, millions of children who are bellow this age use the media. Rate of the media usage is also high and many children have been harassed in the media (Georgia College, N.d.). Social media affects its users. A study on young women identified body dissatisfaction and eating disorders as some of the effects of social media (Perloff, 2014). Positive effects such as collaboration among students for knowledge development also exist (Tarantino, McDonough, & Hua, 2013). The social effects of social media however depend on users’ age. Younger people are likely to engage with the media for longer times and realize greater collaboration for knowledge development (Dominguez, Greene, Lawson, & Moreno, 2014; Holt, Shehata, Stomback, & Ljumberg, 2013). The moderator effects are however not consistent across applications (Eriksson, Luoma, & Krook, 2012). The study sought to discuss moderator effects of age on social media use, which is significant in the society. Children and adolescents have exclusive access to it and it have diverse effects such as lowering self esteem, influencing eating disorders, and influencing knowledge creation. Age moderates effects of social media but the moderator effect is not consistent. Social media use is popular among children and adolescents, it has positive and negative effects, and its use should be regulated to ensure optimal benefits. Eriksson, K., Luoma, A., & Krook, E. (2012). Exploring the abyss of inequalities: 4th international conference on well-being in the information society, WIS 2012, Turku, Finland, August

Strategic role of Human Resource in business dicisions Essay

Strategic role of Human Resource in business dicisions - Essay Example The role of human resource in taking business decisions lies both in strategy formulation and implementation. However, strategy implementation is more significant and human resource has a great role to play in it because human resources are more flexible than organizational strategies (Sluijs, Klyutmans). Traditionally, Human Resource was considered to be an administrative department only with almost no role to play in business planning and decisions. Gradually, the function evolved and played its role in performance management, managerial development, competency mapping, succession planning, change management and business networking. Inputs from HR started being a part of business decisions. Today, administration and line management is only one of the roles of HR. Human Resource has evolved to become an essential component of management teams for decision making. Many of the line management tasks in Human Resource have become transactional in nature and are therefore controlled by information systems. For example, there are information systems for recruitment, Learning & Education, Employee benefits, Payroll, Performance management and Expenses. Therefore, the role of HR has been oriented more towards strategic planning and change management. The line management part of HR has been replaced by her which a company can even afford to outsource to an It organization or internal IT team but it is the strategic part where key inputs are required from Human Resource (Edward, 2001). Inclusion of Human Resource in strategic decision making leads to greater profitability of the firm. HR being a strategic partner ensures higher management support in training and education activities which leads to increased productivity and workforce engagement. HR can justify required fund allocation for various activities such as training, recruitment, increasing salaries and benefits. These activities help a firm in retaining existing talent,

The Crucible Essay Example for Free

The Crucible Essay The title the â€Å"crucible† by Author Miller is a metaphor for the witch trial in Salem that manipulates the impure hearts just as the crucible melts impure metal. The crucible was set in the Puritan society where religion was strict and everything; everyone was either belong to god or the devil. People in the Puritan society used that as a tool to gain power and wealth. Throughout the witch trial, many people with impure hearts were manipulated by the overwhelming power of being connected to god and tried to benefit from it but eventually it led to their own destruction such as Abigail, Thomas Putnam and Paris. On the other hand many people with pure hearts were willing to be hanged than named other people such as Giles Corey and John Proctor. Abigail, Paris and Thomas Putnam hearts were blacken by the power of god but granted by the devil. They accused other of witchcraft in order to benefit from it. Thomas Putnam accused other as witchcraft so he could by off the land while Paris accused other who against him to protect his fame. Unlike Paris and Putnam, Abigail purpose was different. At first she accused other because she was offered a chance to get away with her sin but then she was overwhelm with the new found power ,the power that she never had before, the power that bring her out of the misery life of a Puritan girl who was only a little more than a slave. Abigail’s hatred against Elizabeth filled heart with vengeance which made it vulnerable and easy to be manipulated by the Devil. Giles Corey, an elderly who had many experience in lawsuits. Unfortunately his wife Martha Corey was accused for witchcraft by reading books. Giles Corey tried to safe his wife but he was arrested in a lawsuit against Putnam. The Judge tried to break him in many ways but he refused to name anyone. He was then tortured with a large rock on top of his chest until death but still not a name came out of his mouth except two words â€Å"more weight†. With no stain in the heart, Giles Corey and others who did not name other people to die in their place were like the pure steel that won’t melt under high temperature of the crucible. Difference from Abigail and Giles Corey, John Proctor was neither pure white nor black. He could be considered as a tragic hero, who had been upright for most of his life and the only his only sin was the lust with Abigail. His lust for Abigail Williams led to their affair and created Abigail’s hatred of his wife which sets the entire witch hysteria in motion. John was a dynamic character that changed through the plays. At the beginning he tried to hide his sin to keep his reputation but as things got worse he confessed himself. The judge nearly able to convinced him to name someone else but in the end he did not. He refused to give such false confession because such confession would dishonor his fellow prisoners, who are brave enough to die as testimony to the truth. The witch trial was like a burning flame that feed on the darkness in one heart. The witch trial only happen because people allowed to. If it weren’t for people like Abigail, Paris and Putnam the witch trial would never start and if it weren’t for people like Giles and John the witch trial would never end. Authur Miller used such fine metaphor for the title because the value of a heart can only by judge in such circumstance just as the value of an metal can only be tested by extreme temperature.

Nietzsche y el Cristianismo :: Spanish Essays

Nietzsche y el Cristianismo "2. El mundo verdadero, inasequible por ahora, pero prometido al sabio, al piadoso, al virtuoso ( «al pecador que hace penitencia »). (Progreso de la Idea: à ©sta se vuelve mà ¡s sutil, mà ¡s capciosa, mà ¡s inaprensible, -se convierte en una mujer [sie wird Weib], se hace cristiana...)". (1) El segundo movimiento de la conocida  «Historia de un error » del Crepà ºsculo de los à ­dolos es el texto que abre el espacio de nuestra reflexià ³n. Alrededor de à ©l, en su proximidad, otros textos se inscriben en esta misma là ­nea que pone los tà ©rminos  «mujer » y  «cristianismo » uno al lado del otro. Los temas son plurales y complejos, incluso en su anà ¡lisis independiente:  «Nietzsche y la mujer »;  «Nietzsche y el cristianismo ». Ambos recorren el camino entero del pensar del filà ³sofo; ambos pueden ser leà ­dos bajo la à ³ptica de la propuesta de un nuevo modo de pensar y hacer filosofà ­a. Cuanto menos permanece la pregunta, tambià ©n en relacià ³n con el primer problema. Nuestro propà ³sito en esta contribucià ³n es, sin embargo, sencillo y modesto. Consiste en ofrecer algunas notas alrededor del texto puesto delante y de los que con à ©l relacionamos, en el ensayo de alimentar el terreno de un debate. El relato de la  «Historia de un error » es cà ©lebre por ser una de las fabulaciones de Nietzsche mà ¡s atendidas por la crà ­tica, especialmente dentro del à ¡mbito de anà ¡lisis de la peculiar visià ³n del filà ³sofo de la historia de la filosofà ­a y de la cuestià ³n consiguiente del lugar que ocupa su propio pensamiento en la tradicià ³n metafà ­sica. La lectura de Heidegger subrayà ³ la importancia del fragmento sobre todo cuando se busca en Nietzsche un pensar mà ¡s allà ¡ de la mera inversià ³n del platonismo. (2) Mas, lo significativo para nuestro tema es cà ³mo, aun transcribiendo por entero el segundo momento del devenir de la  «idea », Heidegger omite todo comentario sobre la frase destacada por Nietzsche: "se convierte en una mujer". (3) Derrida hace notar la ausencia heideggeriana y construye su texto repensando lo no-pensado,  «la mujer » de Nietzsche. (4) Aunque no podemos aquà ­ reconstruir su anà ¡lisis, sà ­ queremos reconocerle nuest ra deuda, y destacar la nueva orientacià ³n que ha ofrecido a la historia de las interpretaciones del texto. Derrida anuncia: "No hay una mujer, una verdad en sà ­ de la mujer en sà ­"; (5) libera la mirada hacia el reconocimiento de la variada tipologà ­a presente en la obra de Nietzsche. En este caso, en la  «Historia de un error », la mujer como potencia  «castradora », en cuanto figura del cristianismo y del momento de la distancia de la verdad dogmà ¡tica, se opone a la instancia afirmativa de la  «mujer-vida ».

Pedagology of the Oppressed Essay

A careful analysis of the teacher-student relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals its fundamentally narrative character. The relationship involves a narrating Subject (the teacher) and patient, listening objects (the students). The contents, whether values or empirical dimensions of reality, tend in the process of being narrated to become lifeless and petrified. Education is suffering from narration sickness. The teacher talks about reality as if it were motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable. Or else he expounds on a topic completely alien to the existential experience of the students. His task is to â€Å"fill† the students with the contents of his narration – contents which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them and could give them significance. Words are emptied of their concreteness and become a hollow, alienated, and alienating verbosity. The outstanding characteristic of this narrative education, then, is the sonority of words, not their transforming power. â€Å"Four times four is sixteen; the capital of Parà ¡ is Belà ©m.† The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without perceiving what four times four really means, or realizing the true significance of â€Å"capital† in the affirmation â€Å"the capital of Parà ¡ is Belà ©m,† that is, what Belà ©m means for Parà ¡ and what Parà ¡ means for Brazil. Narration (with the teacher as narrator) leads the students to memorize mechanically the narrated content. Worse yet, it turns them into â€Å"containers,† into â€Å"receptacles† to be â€Å"filled† by the teacher. The more completely he fills the receptacles, the better a teacher he is. The more meekly the receptacles permit themselves to be filled, the better students they are. Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. Instead of communication, the teacher issues communiquà ©s and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat. This is the â€Å"banking† concept of education, in which the scope of action allowed to the students extends only as far as receiving, filing, and storing the deposits. They do, it is true, have the opportunity to become collectors or cataloguers of the things they store. But in the last analysis, it is men themselves who are filed away through the lack of creativity, transformation, and knowledge in this (at best) misguided system. For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, men cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry men pursue in the world, with the world and with each other. In the banking concept of education, knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing. Projecting an absolute ignorance onto others, a characteristic of the ideology of oppression, negates education and knowledge as processes of inquiry. The teacher presents himself to his students as their necessary opposite; by considering their ignorance absolute, he justifies his own existence. The students, alienated like the slave in the Hegelian dialectic, accept their ignorance as justifying the teacher’s existence – but, unlike the slave, they never discover that they educate the teacher. The raison d’à ªtre of libertarian education, on the other hand, lies in its drive towards reconciliation. Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students. This solution is not (nor can it be) found in the banking concept. On the contrary, banking education maintains and even stimulates the contradiction through the following attitudes and practices, which mirror oppressive society as a whole: a) the teacher teaches and the students are taught; b) the teacher knows everything and the students know nothing; c) the teacher thinks and the students are thought about; d) the teacher talks and the students listen – meekly; e) the teacher disciplines and the students are disciplined; f) the teacher chooses and enforces his choice, and the students comply; g) the teacher acts and the students have the illusion of acting through the action of the teacher; h) the teacher chooses the program content, and the students (who were not consulted) adapt to it; i) the teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his own professional authority, which he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students; j) the teacher is the Subject of the learning process, while the pupils are mere objects. It is not surprising that the banking concept of education regards men as adaptable, manageable beings. The more students work at storing the deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness which would result from their intervention in the world as transformers of that world. The more completely they accept the passive role imposed on them, the more they tend simply to adapt to the world as it is and to the fragmented view of reality deposited in them. The capability of banking education to minimize or annul the ‘students’ creative power and to stimulate their credulity serves the interests of the oppressors, who care neither to have the world revealed nor to see it transformed. The oppressors use their â€Å"humanitarianism† to preserve a profitable situation. Thus they react almost instinctively against any experiment in education which stimulates the critical faculties and is not content with a partial view of reality but always seeks out the ties which link one point to another and one problem to another. Indeed, the interests of the oppressors lie in â€Å"changing the consciousness of the oppressed, not the situation which oppresses them†;[1] for the more the oppressed can be led to adapt to that situation, the more easily they can be dominated. To achieve this end, the oppressors use the banking concept of education in conjunction with a paternalistic social action apparatus, within which the oppressed receive the euphemistic title of â€Å"welfare recipients.† They are treated as individual cases, as marginal men who deviate from the general configuration of a â€Å"good, organized, and just† society. The oppressed are regarded as the pathology of the healthy society, which must therefore adjust these â€Å"incompetent and lazy† folk to its own patterns by changing their mentality. These marginals need to be â€Å"integrated,† â€Å"incorporated† into the healthy society that they have â€Å"forsaken.† The truth is, however, that the oppressed are not â€Å"marginals,† are not men living â€Å"outside† society. They have always been â€Å"inside† – inside the structure which made them â€Å"beings for others.† The solution is not to â€Å"integrate† them into the structure of oppression, but to transform that structure so that they can become â€Å"beings for themselves.† Such transformation, of course, would undermine the oppressors’ purposes; hence their utilization of the banking concept of education to avoid the threat of student conscientizacÄ o. The banking approach to adult education, for example, will never propose to students that they critically consider reality. It will deal instead with such vital questions as whether Roger gave green grass to the goat, and insist upon the importance of learning that, on the contrary, Roger gave green grass to the rabbit. The â€Å"humanism† of the banking approach masks the effort to turn men into automatons – the very negation of their ontological vocation to be more fully human. They may perceive through their relations with reality that reality is really a process, undergoing constant transformation. If men are searchers and their ontological vocation is humanization, sooner or later they may perceive the contradiction in which banking education seeks to maintain them, and then engage themselves in the struggle for their liberation. But the humanist, revolutionary educator cannot wait for this possibility to materialize. From the outset, his efforts must coincide with those of the students to engage in critical thinking and the quest for mutual humanization. His efforts must be imbued with a profound trust in men and their creative power. To achieve this, he must be a partner of the students in his relations with them. The banking concept does not admit to such partnership – and necessarily so. To resolve the teacher-student contradiction, to exchange the role of depositor, prescriber, domesticator, for the role of student among students would be to undermine the power of oppression and serve the cause of liberation. Implicit in the banking concept is the assumption of a dichotomy between man and the world: man is merely in the world, not with the world or with others; man is spectator, not re-creator. In this view, man is not a conscious being (corpo consciente); he is rather the possessor of ÃŽ ± consciousness: an empty â€Å"mind† passively open to the reception of deposits of reality from the world outside. For example, my desk, my books, my coffee cup, all the objects before me – as bits of the world which surrounds me – would be â€Å"inside† me, exactly as I am inside my study right now. This view makes no distinction between being accessible to consciousness and entering consciousness. The distinction, however, is essential: the objects which surround me are simply accessible to my consciousness, not located within it. I am aware of them, but they are not inside me. It follows logically from the banking notion of consciousness that the educator’s role is to regulate the way the world â€Å"enters into† the students. His task is to organize a process which already occurs spontaneously, to â€Å"fill† the students by making deposits of information which he considers to constitute true knowledge.[2] And since men â€Å"receive† the world as passive entities, education should make them more passive still, and adapt them to the world. The educated man is the adapted man, because he is better â€Å"fit† for the world. Translated into practice, this concept is well suited to the purposes of the oppressors, whose tranquillity rests on how well men fit the world the oppressors have created, and how little they question it. The more completely the majority adapt to the purposes which the dominant minority prescribe for them (thereby depriving them of the right to their own purposes), the more easily the minority can continue to prescribe. The theory and practice of banking education serve this end quite efficiently. Verbalistic lessons, reading requirements,[3] the methods for evaluating â€Å"knowledge,† the distance between the teacher and the taught, the criteria for promotion: everything in this ready-to-wear approach serves to obviate thinking. The bank-clerk educator does not realize that there is no true security in his hypertrophied role, that one must seek to live with others in solidarity. One cannot impose oneself, nor even merely co-exist with one’s students. Solidarity requires true communication, and the concept by which such an educator is guided fears and prescribes communication. Yet only through communication can human life hold meaning. The teacher’s thinking I authenticated only by the authenticity of the students’ thinking. The teacher cannot think for his students, nor can he impose his thought on them. Authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about reality, does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication. If it is true that thought has meaning only when generated by action upon the world, the subordination of students to teachers becomes impossible. Because banking education begins with a false understanding of men as objects, it cannot promote the development of what Fromm calls â€Å"biophily,† but instead produces its opposite: â€Å"necrophily.† While life is characterized by growth in a structured, functional manner, the necrophilous person loves all that does not grow, all that is mechanical. The necrophilous person is driven by the desire to transform the organic into the inorganic, to approach life mechanically, as if all living persons were things†¦.Memory, rather than experience; having, rather than being, is what counts. The necrophilous person can relate to an object – a flower or a person – only if he possesses it; hence a threat to his possession is a threat to himself; if he loses possession he loses contact with the world†¦He loves control, and in the act of controlling he kills life.[4] Oppression—overwhelming control—is necrophilic; it is nourished by love of death, not life. The banking concept of education, which serves the interests of oppression, is also necrophilic. Based on a mechanistic, static, naturalistic, spatialized view of consciousness, it transforms students into receiving objects. It attempts to control thinking and action, leads men to adjust to the world, and inhibits their creative power. When their efforts to act responsibly are frustrated, when they find themselves unable to use their faculties, men suffer. â€Å"This suffering due to impotence is rooted in the very fact that the human equilibrium has been disturbed.†[5] But the inability to act which causes men’s anguish also causes them to reject their impotence, by attempting †¦to restore [their] capacity to act. But can [they], and how? One way is to submit to and identify with a person or group having power. By this symbolic participation in another person’s life, [men have] the illusion of acting, when in reality [they] only submit to and become a part of those who act.[6] Populist manifestations perhaps best exemplify this type of behaviour by the oppressed, who, by identifying with charismatic leaders, come to feel that they themselves are active and effective. The rebellion they express as they emerge in the historical process is motivated by that desire to act effectively. The dominant elites consider the remedy to be more domination and repression, carried out in the name of freedom, order, and social peace (that is, the peace of the elites). Thus they can condemn—logically, from the point of view—â€Å"the violence of a strike by workers and [can] call upon the state in the same breath to use violence in putting down the strike.†[7] Education as the exercise of domination stimulates the credulity of students, with the ideological intent (often not perceived by educators) of indoctrinating them to adapt to the world of oppression. This accusation is not made in the naà ¯ve hope that the dominant elites will thereby simply abandon the practice. Its objective is to call the attention of true humanists to the fact that they cannot use banking educational methods in the pursuit of liberation for they would only negate that very pursuit. Nor may a revolutionary society inherit these methods from an oppressor society. The revolutionary society which practices banking education is either misguided or mistrusting of men. In either event, it is threatened by the spectre of reaction. Unfortunately, those who espouse the cause of liberation are themselves surrounded and influenced by the climate which generates the banking concept, and often do not perceive its true significance or its dehumanizing power. Paradoxically, then, they utilize this same instrument of alienation in what they consider an effort to liberate. Indeed, some â€Å"revolutionaries† brand as â€Å"innocents,† â€Å"dreamers,† or even â€Å"reactionaries† those who would challenge this educational practice. But one does not liberate men by alienating them. Authentic liberation—the process of humanization—is not another deposit to be made in men. Liberation is a praxis: the action and reflection of men upon their world in order to transform it. Those truly committed to the cause of liberation can accept neither the mechanistic concept of consciousness as an empty vessel to be filled, not the use of banking methods of domination (propaganda, slogans—deposits) in the name of liberation. Those truly committed to liberation must reject the banking concept in its entirety, adopting instead a concept of man as conscious beings, and consciousness as consciousness intent upon the world. They must abandon the educational goal of deposit-making and replace it with the posing of the problems of men in their relations with the world. â€Å"Problem-posing† education, responding to the essence of consciousness—intentionality—rejects communiquà ©s and embodies communication. It epitomizes the special characteristic of consciousness: being conscious of, not only as intent on objects but as turned in upon itself in a Jasperian â€Å"split†Ã¢â‚¬â€consciousness as consciousness of consciousness. Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferrals of information. It is a learning situation in which the cognizable object (far from being the end of the cognitive act) intermediates the cognitive actors—teacher on the one hand and students on the other. Accordingly, the practice of problem-posing education entails at the outset that the teacher-student contradiction be resolved. Dialogical relations—indispensable to the capacity of cognitive actors to cooperate in perceiving the same cognizable object—are otherwise impossible. Indeed, problem-posing education, which breaks with the vertical patterns characteristic of banking education, can fulfil its function as the practice of freedom only if it can overcome the above contradiction. Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student with student-teachers. The teacher is no longer merely the-one-who-teaches, but one who is himself taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn while being taught also teach. They become jointly responsible for a process in which all grow. In this process, arguments based on â€Å"authority† are no longer valid; in order to function, authority must be on the side of freedom, not against it. Here, no one teaches another, nor is anyone self-taught. Men teach each other, mediated by the world, by the cognizable objects which in banking education are â€Å"owned† by the teacher. The banking concept (with its tendency to dichotomize everything) distinguishes two stages in the action of the educator. During the first, he cognizes a cognizable object while he prepares his lessons in his study or his laboratory; during the second, he expounds to his students about that object. The students are not called upon to know, but to memorize the contents narrated by the teacher. Nor do the students practice any act of cognition, since the object towards which that act should be directed is the property of the teacher rather than a medium evoking the critical reflection of both teacher and students. Hence in the name of the â€Å"preservation of culture and knowledge† we have a system which achieves neither true knowledge nor true culture. The problem-posing method does not dichotomize the activity of the teacher-student: he is not â€Å"cognitive† at one point and â€Å"narrative† at another. He is always â€Å"cognitive,† whether preparing a project or engaging in dialogue with the students. He does not regard cognizable objects as his private property, but as the object of reflection by himself and the students. In this way, the problem-posing educator constantly re-forms his reflections in the reflection of the students. The students—no longer docile listeners—are now critical co-investigators in dialogue with the teacher. The teacher presents the material to the students for their consideration, and re-considers his earlier considerations as the students express their own. The role of the problem-posing educator is to create, together with the students, the conditions under which knowledge at the level of the doxa is superseded by true knowledge, at the level of the logos. Whereas banking education anesthetizes and inhibits creative power, problem-posing education involves a constant unveiling of reality. The former attempts to maintain the submersion of consciousness; the latter strives for the emergence of consciousness and critical intervention in reality. Students, as they are increasingly posed with problems relating to themselves in the world and with the world, will feel increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge. Because they apprehend the challenge as interrelated to other problems within a total context, not as a theoretical question, the resulting comprehension tends to be increasingly critical and thus constantly less alienated. Their response to the challenge evokes new challenges, followed by new understandings; and gradually the students come to regard themselves as committed. Education as the practice of freedom – as opposed to education as the practice of domination – denies that man is abstract, isolated, independent, and unattached to the world; it also denies that the world exists as a reality apart from men. Authentic reflection considers neither abstract man nor the world without men, but men in their relations with the world. In these relations consciousness and world are simultaneous: consciousness neither precedes the world nor follows it. La conscience et le monde sont dormà ©s d’un meme coup: extà ©rieur par essence à   la conscience, le monde est, par essence relative à   elle.[8] In one of our culture circles in Chile, the group was discussing (based on a codification[9]) the anthropological concept of culture. In the midst of the discussion, a peasant who by banking standards was completely ignorant said: â€Å"Now I see that without man there is no world.† When the educator responded: â€Å"Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that all the men on earth were to die, but that the earth itself remained, together with trees, birds, animals, rivers, seas, the stars†¦wouldn’t all this be a world?† â€Å"Oh no,† the peasant replied emphatically. â€Å"There would be no one to say: â€Å"This is a world’.† The peasant wished to express the idea that there would be lacking the consciousness of the world which necessarily implies the world of consciousness. I cannot exist without a not-I. In turn, the not-I depends on that existence. The world which brings consciousness into existence becomes the world of that consciousness. Hence, the previously cited affirmation of Sartre: â€Å"La conscience et le monde sont dormà ©s d’un mà ª coup.† As men, simultaneously reflecting on themselves and on the world, increase the scope of their perception, they begin to direct their observations towards previously inconspicuous phenomena: That which had existed objectively but had not been perceived in its deeper implications (if indeed it was perceived at all) begins to â€Å"stand out,† assuming the character of a problem and therefore of challenge. Thus, men begin to single out elements from their â€Å"background awarenesses† and to reflect upon them. These elements are now objects of men’s consideration, and, as such, objects of their action and cognition. In problem-posing education, men develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves; they come to see the world not as a static reality, but as a reality in process, in transformation. Although the dialectical relations of men with the world exist independently of how these relations are perceived (or whether or not they are perceived at all), it is also true that the form of action men adopt is to a large extent a function of how they perceive themselves in the world. Hence, the teacher-student and the student-teachers reflect simultaneously on themselves and the world without dichotomizing this reflection from action, and thus establish an authentic form of thought and action. Once again, the two educational concepts and practices under analysis come into conflict. Banking education (for obvious reasons) attempts, by mythicizing reality, to conceal certain facts which explain the way men exist in the world; problem-posing education sets itself the task of demythologizing. Banking education resists dialogue; problem-posing education regards dialogue as indispensable to the act of cognition which unveils reality. Banking education treats students as objects of assistance; problem-posing education makes them critical thinkers. Banking education inhibits creativity and domesticates (although it cannot completely destroy) the intentionality of consciousness by isolating consciousness from the world, thereby denying men their ontological and historical vocation of becoming more fully human. Problem-posing education bases itself on creativity and stimulates true reflection and action upon reality, thereby responding to the vocation of men as beings who are authentic only when engaged in inquiry and creative transformation. In sum: banking theory and practice, as immobilizing and fixating forces, fail to acknowledge men as historical beings; problem-posing theory and practice take man’s historicity as their starting point. Problem-posing education affirms men as beings in the process of becoming – as unfinished, uncompleted beings in and with a likewise unfinished reality. Indeed, in contrast to other animals who are unfinished, but not historical, men know themselves to be unfinished; they are aware of their incompletion. In this incompletion and this awareness lie the very roots of education as an exclusively human manifestation. The unfinished character of men and the transformational character of reality necessitate that education be an ongoing activity. Education is thus constantly remade in the praxis. In order to be, it must become. Its â€Å"duration† (in the Bergsonian meaning of the word) is found in the interplay of the opposites permanence and change. The banking method emphasizes permanence and becomes reactionary; problem-posing education—which accepts neither a â€Å"well-behaved† present nor a predetermined future—roots itself in the dynamic present and becomes revolutionary. Problem-posing education is revolutionary futurity. Hence it is prophetic (and, as such, hopeful). Hence, it corresponds to the historical nature of man. Hence, it affirms men as beings who transcend themselves, who move forward and look ahead, for whom immobility represents a fatal threat, for whom looking at the past must only be a means of understanding more clearly what and who they are so that they can more wisely build the future. Hence, it identifies with the movement which engages men as beings aware of their incompletion—an historical movement which has its point of departure, its Subjects and its objective. The point of departure of the movement lies in men themselves. But since men do not exist apart from the world, apart from reality, the movement must begin with the men-world relationship. Accordingly, the point of departure must always be with men in the â€Å"here and now,† which constitutes the situation within which they are submerged, from which they emerge, and in which they intervene. Only by starting from this situation—which determines their perception of it—can they begin to move. To do this authentically they must perceive their state not as fated and unalterable, but merely as limiting—and therefore challenging. Whereas the banking method directly or indirectly reinforces men’s fatalistic perception of their situation, the problem-posing method presents this very situation to them as a problem. As the situation becomes the object of their cognition, the naà ¯ve or magical perception which produced their fatalism gives way to perception which is able to perceive itself even as it perceives reality, and can thus be critically objective about that reality. A deepened consciousness of their situation leads men to apprehend that situation as an historical reality susceptible of transformation. Resignation gives way to the drive for transformation and inquiry, over which men feel themselves to be in control. If men, as historical beings necessarily engaged with other men in a movement of inquiry, did not control that movement, it would be (and is) a violation of men’s humanity. Any situation in which some men prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence. The means used are not important; to alienate men from their own decision-making is to change them into objects. This movement of inquiry must be directed towards humanization—man’s historical vocation. The pursuit of full humanity, however, cannot be carried out in isolation or individualism, but only in fellowship and solidarity; therefore it cannot unfold in the antagonistic relations between oppressors and oppressed. No one can be authentically human while he prevents others from being so. Attempting to be more human, individualistically, leads to having more, egotistically: a form of dehumanization. Not that it is not fundamental to have in order to be human. Precisely because it is necessary, some men’s having must not be allowed to constitute an obstacle to others’ having, must not consolidate the power of the former to crush the latter. Problem-posing education, as a humanist and liberating praxis, posits as fundamental that men subjected to domination must fight for their emancipation. To that end, it enables teachers and students to become Subjects of the educational process by overcoming authoritarianism and an alienating intellectualism; it also enables men to overcome their false perception of reality. The world—no longer something to be described with deceptive words—becomes the object of that transforming action by men which results in their humanization. Problem-posing education does not and cannot serve the interests of the oppressor. No oppressive order could permit the oppressed to begin to question: Why? While only a revolutionary society can carry out this education in systematic terms, the revolutionary leaders need to take full power before they can employ the method. In the revolutionary process, the leaders cannot utilize the banking method as an interim measure, justified on grounds of expediency, with the intention of later behaving in a genuinely revolutionary fashion. They must be revolutionary—that is to say, dialogical—from the outset.

Emergency nursing

Speaking about the Emergency nursing, we should take into account the role of the emergency nurse in the modern hospital and to take into account the most widespread mistakes, done by the nurses in the emergency department. Also, to analyze the causes of these mistakes. To begin with, emergency nurse is usually the first person, meeting the patient in the hospital. Due to the triage system it is the nurse, who decide, according to the type of the injury, to what kind of doctor the patient should be sent. Sometimes nurses in the emergency department do play a role of the doctor as well –they can prescribe some kind of medicines and to give them to the patient. The kind of mistake in this case can be like this: 1.    Wrong diagnose. 2.    Non –well-organized work of the staff. As to the second one, here can be shown the episode from one of the hospitals, where the mistake was done according to the miscommunication of two nurses. A 50-year-old man with new atrial fibrillation was placed on a diltiazem drip in the emergency department for rate control. After arriving at the cardiac care unit (CCU), he was noted to be hypotensive and a saline bolus was ordered. The nurse asked a coworker to get her a bag of saline and went to check on another patient. When she returned to the first patient’s bedside, she noticed that an intravenous (IV) bag was already hanging from the IV pole, and thought that her coworker must have placed the saline bag there. Believing the patient required a rapid saline infusion, she opened the IV up, and the solution infused in rapidly. At that moment, her coworker arrived with the 500 cc saline bag, which caused the patient’s nurse to realize, in horror, that she had given the patient an IV bolus of more than 300 mg of diltiazem. The patient suffered severe bradycardia, which required temporary transvenous pacemaker placement and calcium infusion. Luckily, there was no permanent harm. The commentary to this case was given by Mary Caldwell, RN, PhD, MBA, and Kathleen A. Dracup, RN, DNSc. This case study raises several troubling issues. A patient was given an inadvertent overdose of diltiazem during a hypotensive episode due to a miscommunication involving two nurses. Intravenous diltiazem can cause bradycardia, hypotension, and reduced myocardial oxygen consumption, all serious side effects in an already unstable patient.Reported error rates for the administration phase of medication procedures are significant, ranging from 26% to 36%. With respect to intravenous medication preparation and administration, the possibilities for error are magnified compared with oral agents. In one large study, the investigators reported an overall error rate of 49% for intravenous medications, with 73% of those errors involving bolus injections. Providers are likely to encounter at least four complications specific to intravenous drug administration. First, the drug can be infused too quickly or too slowly, unlike oral agents, which have only one rate of administration. Second, IV pumps used to control the rate of administration can fail to operate properly or can be set up incorrectly by a nurse. Third, preparation of the drug can lead to error, as when the drug is added to an incompatible solution or mixed using the wrong ratio of drug-to-IV solution. And finally, the medication can be given through the wrong port, such as into the right atrium rather than into a peripheral vein. Intuitively, one might guess that the critical care environment would be the site of more medication-related errors than less acute units. In one study that compared intensive care unit (ICU) with non-ICU medication-related errors, preventable adverse drug events were twice as common in ICUs as in non-ICUs. However, when these data were adjusted for the number of drugs used or ordered , there were no differences between the settings. The fact that the patient-to-nurse ratio in the ICU is usually less than or equal to 2:1, while a single nurse on a medical-surgical unit may be responsible for 5 to 10 patients, may mitigate the risk of drug errors in the critical care setting. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices cites the â€Å"five rights† of medication use (right patient, drug, time, dose, and route) as touchstones to aid in the prevention of errors. In this case, following the five rights may have prevented the overdose. However, one must also recognize that many processes used to prevent errors are more difficult to design and implement in critical care units because of the rapidity with which nurses and physicians must act. Therefore, the basics of safe drug administration practice take on even greater importance. Building in manual redundancies (such as verbal read-backs, similar to those used when administering blood transfusions) may help when there are variances to standard protocol, such as an IV bolus. The high error level documented in IV bolus infusions provides important support for reviewing hospital policies related to their administration. System failures also contributed to the error in this case. If the patient was unstable enough to require a 500 cc bolus of saline, why did the nurse leave the room to check on another patient? Was the staffing inadequate? Workforce issues have been an enormous concern in recent years as nursing shortages reach crisis proportions. Nurses are stretched thin, and the shortage is felt most acutely among specialty nurses. The clinical impact of staffing shortages on increased mortality and ‘failure-to-rescue’ have been noted. A survey conducted by NurseWeek/A-ONE found that 65% of RNs felt the shortage impeded their ability to maintain patient safety. Although specific figures regarding the extent of shortages in critical care are not available, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses states that requests for registry and traveling nurses have increased substantially across the country, with a 45% increase for adult critical care, 50% for Pediatric/Neonatal ICUs, and 140% for Emergency Departments. In the past, most ICUs accepted only experienced nurses (with more than 2 years clinical post-graduate experience) as staff. However, this requirement of previous experience is often waived in times of staff shortages. Although new graduates usually participate in hospital ICU training programs, the learning curves are steep and new nurses may become overwhelmed, leading to errors in communication and execution. A recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report listed a number of human factors associated with medication errors. Performance deficit (as opposed to knowledge deficit), such as seen in this case, was the human factor listed most commonly (30%). Poor communications contributed another 16% to total errors. Thus, this case illustrates a common source of error—a problem of performance related to poor communication. This case study also provides an opportunity to evaluate mistakes on the personal level. A serious, commonly identified shortcoming of the current medical system is the fear of disclosing errors. When errors occur, the responsible staff member should be an active participant in an evaluative process aimed at preventing similar errors from reoccurring. Results of the evaluation on an individual, unit, and hospital level should be shared with the entire hospital so that similar errors might be prevented in the future. The tradition of morbidity and mortality conferences, used commonly by physicians, has not been adopted by nursing staff and might be an appropriate strategy if it provided a blame-free environment in which mistakes and system level issues could be discussed openly. Specific measures to prevent errors in situations similar to this case might include: Standard policy typically dictates the use of IV pumps on all vasoactive drips. (Because it was not specifically noted in this case study, we are compelled to state the obvious.) Standard policy usually dictates that vasoactive drugs be infused through a site dedicated to only that drug. Therefore, at least one other separate IV site should be used for other fluids and medications. This practice eliminates the need to use the high risk IV and the potential for an inadvertent overdose. More obvious labeling of ‘high risk’ IV drips (eg, bigger, brighter labels; duplicate labeling on IV   Ã‚  bag, pump, monitor). Independent double-checks of bolus fluids by nurses prior to administration. Reevaluation of staffing requirements if a patient becomes unstable so that the patient–nurse ratio can be appropriately adjusted. Participation of nurses as well as physicians in morbidity and mortality conferences. Sometimes the mistakes occur because of inattentiveness of the nurse. By the way, the documents, fulfilled by the nurse, have to be readable and clear not only for the nurse herself, but for the other well-educated staff as well (I mean, the doctors, etc. ). The data’s have to be collected precisely and correctly. But let’s have a look at one of the patients cards, taken from the Hospital. (Pict.1) The information is just not readable, and it is rather difficult to understand, what were the results. This patient’s card look likes an album of the child, but not as a professionally made card of the well-qualified staff.   Speaking about this case of the 72 years old woman, it is possible to suggest, that the wrong diagnoses have been done, what approximately lead to the death of the patient. As to the medicines given, it is seen, that not all the medicines needed were given to the patient (at the age of 70 there have to be given some medicines for blood –Heparin and as well some medicines for keeping the heart activity. In this case it looks like that on the base of the cough (probably pneumonia) there was a kind of heart attack (probably cardiac infarction) with the complications as pulmonary edema(or edema of lungs). 1. Bates DW, Cullen DJ, Laird N, et al. Incidence of adverse drug events and potential adverse drug events. Implications for prevention. ADE Prevention Study Group. JAMA. 1995;274:29-34. [ go to pubmed]2. Taxis K, Barber N. Ethnographic study of incidence and severity of intravenous drug errors. BMJ. 2003;326:684. 3. Cullen DJ, Sweitzer BJ, Bates DW, Burdick E, Edmondson A, Leape LL. Preventable adverse drug events in hospitalized patients: a comparative study of intensive care and general care units. Crit Care Med. 1997;25:1289-1297. ]4. Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber JH. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. JAMA. 2002;288:1987-1993. 5. NurseWeek. NurseWeek/A-ONE National Survey of Registered Nurses: NurseWeek/A-ONE; 2002. ]6. Critical Care Nursing Fact Sheet. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. ]7. Phillips J, Beam S, Brinker A, et al. Retrospective analysis of mortalities associated with medication er rors. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2001;58:1835-1841.

mtbe essays

mtbe essays 1990, the federal Clean Air Act was passed to improve air quality in the United States. President Bush's proposed amendments to the Clean Air Act initially would have led to the introduction of alternative, non-petroleum fuels. The petroleum and oxygenate industries responded by offering a reformulated gasoline program as a substitute for most of the alternate fuel proposals. As a result, the amendments to the federal Clean Air Act adopted in 1990 required steps to achieve lower vehicle emissions, including programs to oxygenate and reformulate gasoline. Oxygenated gasoline is designed to increase the combustion efficiency of gasoline, thereby reducing carbon monoxide emissions. Since January 1995, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments require areas that have the most severe ozone pollution to use reformulated gasoline containing fuel oxygenates to improve air quality. Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether is one of the most commonly used fuel oxygenates because it is produced in very large amounts from isobutylene, a waste product in the refining process. MTBE can be easily produced at the refinery, at a low cost, and can be transferred through existing pipelines once it has been blended with gasoline. In contrast to other gasoline additives used in the past, MTBE is a member of a class of chemical compounds, ethers, whose unique properties are enhanced solubility in water and chemical attraction to water molecules. These properties, along with widespread use of MTBE, have resulted in frequent detection of MTBE in samples of shallow groundwater from urban areas throughout the United States. MTBE moves quickly to shallow groundwater because it is not attached to soil particles, and is chemically attracted to water molecules. MTBE the potential to impact regional groundwater sources and may present a cumulative contamination hazard due to its mobility and apparent recalcitrance. The United States Geological Survey, in a paper pres...

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Strategic Human Resource Management - Essay Example How well an organization thrives in its operations is greatly determined by its human capital which is in turn driven by strategic human resource management and planning. Efficient human resource management has been universally acknowledged for the capabilities it possesses towards shaping employee behavior in attaining the overall mission of an organization (King and Zeithaml, 2001). Obtaining a productive pool of employee skills is a process which commences from selection and proceeds to molding their behavior and work ethics in line with the overall organizational goals (Youndt and Snell, 2001). Prior understanding of the requirements of various duties and processes in an organization may form the basis effective selection or recruitment of the most appropriate human labor. In shaping employee behavior, employee is visualized as cognitive and emotional being who possess free will to partake in various events (Baruch and Peiperl, 2000).Therefore, how efficiently employees are manag ed will greatly determine whether the work ethic behaviors they exhibit are in line with the business mission of the organization in question. Unlike other forms of capital in a firm, organizations do not own human but rather it is owned by individuals. Competitiveness within firms is said to be only achieved if the collective behavior of the human capital is geared towards the benefits of the firm (Youndt and Snell, 2001). Cost effective utilization of labor within a firm can only be achieved through strategic human resource management. Human resource management is concerned with identification of the roles and duties of the individual components of the human capital; in so doing, the various firm’s operations are of critical importance to the human resource managers (Richard, 2001). A combination of clear understanding of the organizational operations together with the pool of skills present in the human capital provides the basis for efficient and cost effective labor util ization (Youndt and Snell, 2001). Measures geared towards effective labor utilization often focus on maximizing the output from the human capital while at the same time minimizing the input spent on the same. These may be achieved through means such multiple allocation of duties on employees depending on the skills and outsourcing for various services with a firm (Baruch and Peiperl, 2000). Strategic human resource management involves effective planning and assessment of environmental uncertainty and adaption. Planning is the day-to-day execution of the organization goals; it involves undertaking of measures that best accomplish the goals of an organization at minimal costs and uncertainties (Mello, 2011). Effective planning calls for constant reviewing of the efforts being made towards attainment of particular goals. This helps one to determine whether the efforts being directed towards certain goals are generating the anticipated results. Constant reviewing minimizes the chances o f being faced with unnecessary uncertainties. Assessment of environmental uncertainty and adoption is also important in strategic human resource management. Therefore, within an organization, key focus should be given to appropriate environmental biodiversity. Adaption mechanisms will involve regulatory measures that together aim at contributing to the achievement of organizational goals (Baruch and

Service Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Service Marketing - Essay Example Service marketing in simple terms refers to both the business-to-business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) services and involves marketing such services as financial services, telecommunication services, all kinds of hospitality services, air travel, car rental services, professional services, as well as health care services (Lovelock & Gummesson 2004, p. 21). Thus, service marketing is a variety of the expressions and approaches of marketing ideas conducted with the hope of effectiveness in conveyance of ideas to wide range of population of individuals who receive it. As this paper is emphasizing on marketing of services, it is not good to overlook the concept of â€Å"service.† Services are the diverse economic activities offered to people or parties by another person or party. They are often time-based and effective performance brings about the desired outcomes to the objects, recipients, or the other assets of interest for which the purchasers have responsibility. The service customers anticipate value from their access to labor, goods, facilities, professional skills, systems, and networks in exchange for time, money, and effort. However, service customers do not assume ownership of the diverse physical elements involved (Lovelock & Wirtz 2011, p. 35). In the present day, every business entity is interested in promoting its business with such strategies of marketing that will foster its performance via the roof. There are numerous service sector businesses plugged with techniques of product marketing and this is the prime time for them to improve their marketing performance. In fact, services are totally different from products since they are intangible. In addition, the target audience for products and services is different hence the need of applying different strategies of promotion in order to attract potential clients. For effective promotion of services in order to generate significant buzz, service marketers are encouraged to employ 7 Ps i n their strategies of service marketing mix. The 7 Ps marketing mix is an extension of the 4 Ps marketing mix, which are the known as the marketing core strategies. The purpose of this paper is to provide advice to Mr Hirohito in his new venture of starting a high street restaurant in London. The paper shall provide information of how to develop appropriate strategies aimed at extended services marketing mix. It will also provide recommendations for action and preparation and presentation of informed, systematic, and effective marketing report as the basis for marketing decisions. Background Information: Hirohito Yamachu set up Wakaba Ltd, a London-based food company, in 2009 after being made redundant while working as head chef in Bank of Japan’s staff restaurant. The main business of Wakaba Ltd is involved in the supply of ready-to-eat ‘sushi’ meals and cooked Japanese cuisine to staff via company canteens in London City area. Currently, the business prides in its list of clients, which includes J P Morgan, Bank of Japan, Barclays, Chase Manhattan, and City Corp. While working there, his cooking was loved and much favored by the employees of the company unlike most of the other staff canteens. CEOs and senior managers even invited business clients, relations, and friends from outside for lunch in the staff restaurant. In 2008, unfortunately, Hirohito Yamachu became a casualty as the restructuring plan of the company as well as the ensuing BPR exercise reached an agreement of outsourcing in-house catering facilities. Termination of his career made him to establish his own business. Bank of Japan became his first client, as he did not need much introduction or serious marketing efforts. His cooking was done at his home with the aid of some family members

Macro Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macro Economics - Research Paper Example In details, the discussion seeks to establish the effects of fiscal, GDP, monetary, international trade, and demographic policies in real-estate business sector in the U.S.A economy. In the year 2008, the U.S economy faced a stiff slant as its domestic businesses slumped in performances due to inflation of the dollar unit. The government responded to the situation by resolving the dollar crisis and implementing long-term solutions to recover the economic deficits (McDonald & Stokes, 2013). Uncle Dan’s resolution to engage in real-estate business is for the good of the US society since the developed structures will provide direct and indirect job opportunities to many citizens in the nation (Capozza & Van, 2011). Statistics indicate that the US real-estate sector has in the past 3-year period contributed to the economy at a rate of 5%, 7%, and 8.6% respectively (Sanders & Order, 2011). Arguably, the real-estate economic segment serves to benefit the US economy through net contributions in the provision of working space for offices and other businesses that are invested within the rental premises. Therefore, a resolution to engage in real-estate business will serve to benefit the majority of the people and the investor will accrue profitable returns at the short and long run periods. Mainly, such benefits will be present in Uncle Dan’s real-estate business to the extent that he will provide commercial and residential premises to attract different customers with different needs and preferences (Deng, Quigley, & Order, 2004). The resolution further seems to be influential to the overall GDP rate of the economy. Economical reviews indicate that real-estate business’ contributions to the grand economic revenues at $2.15 trillion (LaCour-Little, 2008). Reviews concerning the business practices reflected in the real-estate field of business denote the profound growth rate and it is evident that the business is yet

The Evolution of the British Welfare State Essay

The Evolution of the British Welfare State - Essay Example It is often said that the Great Statesman, who rescued a warn-torn Britain in the First World War, Winston Churchill lay the very foundations of the British welfare state. Even as back as 1909 he had laid the groundwork for his "radical reforms," for the labor workforce aimed at making working conditions pleasant and to improve labor relations with the employer.The modern-day health insurance system is indeed a brainchild of Churchill and in 1946 despite his conservative roots he still gave support for Clement Atlee's introduction of near-full socialism in Britain.The emerging labor party, in particular, took it upon itself towards a commitment to reform and social justice, which was later dubbed rhetorically as the British brand of socialism. And thus began a period collective welfare which sought to rid the society of the "scramble for private gain" which tainted the society's ideals and conscience in the name of "Capitalism".According to contemporaries like George Bernard Shaw who called this an "installment of Socialism" rather than a revolution.Britain has had much to learn from its contemporaries in this regard. Whereas the Soviet Union seemed a complete package of central planning a concept new to the West, the British Government took this influence to enlarge its role in the Economic sector.This was the inception of a "Welfare state" which began in the mid-thirties as the Government became active in its industrial ventures.The saving of the national economy was a cause shared by all the affectees of the war.The traditional 19th-century liberalism was in shambles now and the concept self-interest being a social good was rejected as plain selfish and Unjust. One of the key leaders of this movement Prime Minister Attlee once remarked that the capitalism and self-interest was "a pathetic faith resting on no foundation of experience." The new Britain as envisaged by its labourite perceivers would be a promised land where past mistakes would never be repeated and the government would take responsibility for its people. The Beveridge Report was prepared by a government-appointed commission during World War II under William Beveridge, a former economist, and bureaucrat.The aim of this report was to slay the "five giants" of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness.The report generated worldwide controversy particularly in the Soviet and German circles, as Britain braced its role as a welfare state.The Beveridge report played a pivotal role in the setting up of free medical care(the modern day NHS), promoted the idea of pensions and welfare education and housing and unemployment benefits

Political Comedy In The Government Inspector

Political Comedy In The Government Inspector The Government Inspector was written by Gogol in 1835 during a time when government surveillance and censorship was at its height. Tsar Nicholas was in power and his fear of revolution forced a lot of writers at the time to limit what they intended to show and in some cases stop altogether in works they were producing. The play has since been interpreted in many different ways but Gogol tells us he simply hoped to collect into one heap everything à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that was bad in Russia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and laugh at the whole lot in one go  [1]  . The outcome of the play is no doubt comical, but Gogol himself was very interested in politics and I do not think he set out to denounce the system completely but to pick fun at it, among other things in Russia. There are a lot of characters and events in the play which could be interpreted as having underlying meaning to them. It does appear therefore that Gogol was satirising the imperial bureaucracy of Russia by highlighting the corruption and deception that are so apparent in the story. Gogol employed the use of humour in the story for many possible reasons. One reason was to cloud the real message that he was trying to send out, so that he could get The Government Inspector past the censorship regulation that were put in place by tsar Nicholas and enforced by the third section. The fact that The Government Inspector was allowed to be preformed at the time, despite its apparent mockery of the political system and the hidden messages was surprising. It becomes clear throughout the play that Gogol is criticising more how people treated one another. The final tableau at the end is used to show the audience that the characters in the play resemble them, and that people needed to rethink thei r moral values. It seems that Gogol thinks that the corruption and deceit which occurs in the play is happening all around him in real life, as he tells us through the governor theres nobody who hasnt got some sin on his conscience.  [2]  I believe that Gogol chose to write a comedy but on serious issues, in order to shed some light on the wrongdoings, but also to entertain his audience. The protest that arose after its first night at the Alexandra Theatre in St Petersburg in 1835 was not welcomed by Gogol, who fled from the clamour and went to Rome  [3]  . There remains much debate on Gogols intentions in creating The Government Inspector, but nevertheless by making these serious issues and denunciations of the government comical it helped him get his play past the censors and onto the stage. The political humour is presented in many forms in The Government Inspector. Many of the characters in the play provide the audience with much comedy and not one is depicted as being without fault; indeed there does not seem to be a hero. Instead Gogol presents to us very corrupted town officials, vain, naÃÆ' ¯ve women and the deceitful Khlestakov who is mistaken as the government inspector sent to the country from St. Petersburg. This mistaken identity is particularly humorous, especially when the governor greets Khlestakov in the inn where he is staying following his bankruptcy as a result of gambling. We quickly gather that the governor has the most to fear from an inspector, for his corruption is deep and his neglect of the townspeople is often highlighted. Despite this Gogol tells us in his notes that he has come up on hard work from the lowers rank of the service,  [4]  and we can infer that he is not especially a bad man. In acquiring position and status, and perhaps se eing how other men have benefited from it before him, he has been spoiled by greed and luxury. Gogol, renowned for his realism, would have been speaking directly to his audience, criticising their behaviour and their apparent readiness to give into temptation. The governors sycophantic behaviour towards Khlestakov at their first meeting in the inn is comical, and made more so by Khlestakovs belief that he has come to arrest him for not paying his bills. The use of dramatic irony throughout the play is key to the effectiveness of the humour, but also the ridiculing of the audience, who are essentially laughing at their own ignorance and folly. The town officials are portrayed by Gogol as fraudulent simpletons, and the effortlessness in which Khlestakov is able to deceive them only highlights this. It can be inferred from this therefore that Gogol is suggesting that perhaps many officials were incompetent and interested only in bettering themselves like the governor. The character of the postmaster is one who is very obviously depicted as abusing his station, as it is revealed that he often opens and reads the mail as a form of entertainment. Like many of the others he accepts bribes but is characterised as being ingenuous to the point of naivetà ©.  [5]  This character may also be representing the current state of government censorship, as he is disregarding peoples privacy and human rights by reading their private correspondence. Interestingly, it is the postmaster who uncovers Khlestakovs real identity later in the play, as he reads a letter that Khlestakov has composed to a friend revealing the whole charade in mos t mocking and humiliating language. Khlestakov, although deceiving the townsfolk, is portrayed by Gogol in a much better light than the governor and his and web of associates, including his narcissistic wife and immature daughter. The governor, it is revealed, has ignored his responsibilities in the town, taking bribes from various people and therefore allowing all the wrongdoing to continue. It would seem that this disregard of equality and justice is more offensive to Gogol than Khlestakovs taking advantage of their foolishness. Indeed Khlestakov is presented more as an opportunist than a malevolent deceiver. This criticism directed at the failure of the people in higher ranks to look after those below them is initially hidden from the audiences immediate understanding by the use of comedy. In this way the comedy utilised in the play could be seen as serving as a smoke-screen, making it more light-hearted by protecting the real messages of corruption and inequality. It became apparent to me in my study of the play that Gogol was asking his audience to examine their own moral code by presenting them with such dishonest and shady people and events and mocking the intense bureaucracy of the Russian Government at the time of writing. I found the main message was to be introspective of yourself and re-evaluate your moral code, for the characters represent the people who hold the power to protect those below them in rank, but in their greed have become the ones who others need real protection from. Gogols derision of the Russian bureaucracy is made most obvious in Act five when the governor, upon realising that he has been duped by Khlestakov, asks the audience directly What are you laughing at? Youre laughing at yourselves!  [6]  Essentially The Government Inspector serves the audience as a warning about the future of humanity if the government and its officials continue to treat the people they are supposed to be helping with disregard and unfai rness. In addition, the epigraph of the play sums up Gogols ridiculing of the political structure in nineteenth-century Russia; If your face is crooked, dont blame the mirror.  [7]  He is saying to his audience that it is your responsibility to be a good person and to uphold your morals, and you can not blame anyone else when you are also taken advantage of and humiliated, like the governor and his other roguish associates are in the play. There are many examples in the play of Gogol using humour to criticise the contemporary political system. The title itself does not suggest a comedy because Gogol chiefly has a serious point to make, but he achieves the humour by creating ridiculous characters and placing them in laughable situations. It is made even more comical because the themes which are being displayed are so normal in human existence that many can relate it to their own experience. A good example of this is shown by the character of Anna, the governors wife. Gogol describes her in his notes as a provincial coquette and the audience sees her flirt outrageously with Khlestakov throughout the play, believing him to be a man of power and money. She is vain and uppity and these features provide the audience with much humour. For example in Act Four, after she allows Khlestakov to surround her with false flattery despite her being married, she declares to her daughter that she stands as the kind of example she ought to be following.  [8]  Her vanity and foolishness is also demonstrated in a humorous way when she believes her daughter is to be married to a high ranking government official; she tells her overwhelmed husband that she always knew she would be related to someone as great but he would not because he has have never seen decent people.  [9]  Clearly this statement holds a double-entendre, as Annas own statement encompasses herself, pointing out that neither her, nor any of the people in the governors company are decent people. The fierce satire of the Russian bureaucracy in the nineteenth century was a common theme for Gogol in his works, and The Government Inspector, interpreted by many in this genre, was only permitted to be staged thanks to the interference of Tsar Nicholas. Although realising that everybody caught it, most of all me,  [10]  he managed to observe the light-hearted nature of the play, supposing it to be harmless. It was original in its time of publication as there was no sole character who would wholly entice the sympathy of the audience, as they were all presented as individuals who were flawed by their own making. As a result of Gogols explicit criticism, the reactions following its performance were explosive despite the tsars approval. Many members of the audience, the majority of whom would themselves have been civil servants, were personally offended by the overt similarities between themselves and the visibly corrupt characters on stage. Gogol imposed upon himself a state of ex ile and fled to Rome in the late 1930s following the uproar caused by his play and the themes he chose to incorporate in it. In addition to the play being interpreted as a political comedy, The Government Inspector was seen as a piece of didactic literature, to ask the people to put an end to their own venality. This satirical approach towards the imperial bureaucracy can also be seen in many of Gogols other works, particularly in The Nose. In this story the protagonist Kovalyov wakes to find his Nose has assumed a life of its own; it refuses to be re-attached to Kovalyovs face because it now holds a higher rank than him. His vanity is highlighted throughout the play, and his greatest fear in losing his nice is that he might not be able to advance up the social spectrum. Indeed, In the outwardly crazy story lurks a serious idea: what matters is not the person but ones rank.  [11]  Again we can see evidence of an official most concerned in bettering his own position. The only character who Gogol describes without criticism is Ossip, Khlestakov servant, who we are told is cleverer than his him and therefore quicker on the uptake  [12]  than any of the other characters. He is the only serf in the play, yet he shows much more intellect than any of his superiors, and is the one who warns Khlestakov to leave before he is foiled. In his private life Gogol was similar to Dostoevsky in his beliefs in politics and religion and I do not think that he set out with the intention of denouncing the role of government. Clearly however the provincial town that is depicted in the play has been neglected by the powers from the city, and the corrupt officials have been allowed to take advantage of the people under their authority. This thought in particular peaks in scene Four, when the townspeople come to appeal to Khlestakov and tell him of the many offences the governor has committed, believing that he will be able to help them receive justice. Gogol was more concerned about the role of the individual, and the dumb tableau which appears at the end of the play, capturing the fear and surprise of the characters, helps to convey this message. Gogols instructions to hold the tableau for almost a minute and a half  [13]  would have forced the audience to really examine what was been shown to them, and then perhaps exami ne themselves in relation to it. The play therefore was intended more as a teaching tool, revealing the lack of spiritual guidance and morals in his characters than a complete mocking of politics. The use of comedy in the play was to make the performance more enjoyable for an audience and to avoid it seeming like a lecture or a sermon. In addition to this, the comedy allowed the play to advance past the censors in Tsar Nicholas reign. Gogol produced an exposer of grotesque in human nature  [14]  in The Government Inspector, and it was met by enthusiastic praise and virulent obloquy confirming his own literary vocation.  [15]   Word Count: 2, 231