Thursday, October 31, 2019
Leading and Managing in Early Years Settings Assignment
Leading and Managing in Early Years Settings - Assignment Example In this case, through effective education, the leaders have a direct impact on the general quality of the setting. All practitioners working with the young children have a responsibility of developing the communication skills for the children. Whether the practitioners work pre-school setting, in the playgroup or with the toddlers, they have a key role in ensuring that they develop the children to their full potential. Besides, effective learning affects feelings and behavior of the children and, therefore it is vital in the early years setting to ensure friendly communication. The leaders and managers ensure quality practices of the setting by putting in place an example regarding how the staff interacts with the children they teach and care for. The interaction between the staffs and the children that they teach helps in securing high-quality teaching and learning. Children and staff are in the most effective early years setting with an inclusive, warm and trusting relationship. Be sides, the emotional well-being and development of the children are also other vital ingredients in the setting. According to Rodd, effective learning strategies in the early year setting helps in the identification of the communication difficulties that exist between various children. Investigations have showed that most of the students that are prone to these difficulties are those that start schools with delayed skills in language because of lack of responsive parenting.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
“The Unknown Citizen†by W. H. Auden Essay Example for Free
â€Å"The Unknown Citizen†by W. H. Auden Essay â€Å"The Unknown Citizen†by W. H. Auden is a compelling piece of poetry that is multi-layered in thought. While it is poignant, it is also replete with tension. I have therefore decided to give three responses/presentations to this poem in the following executions: a) An MTV, b) A piece of Installation Art, and c) A Short Story. We shall tackle these one by one in the following paragraphs.                        Although the poem was written in the late 1930’s, much of its message still resonates today especially now that we are faced with technology that enables the quick transfer of information throughout the world. To be able to reach a broad audience, I thought of coming up with an MTV as a presentation because this medium is vastly appreciated by a wide spectrum of people. The MTV will have an instrumental piece of music as background. I am quite inclined to use 1920’s jazz as the musical genre a la the musical score for the movie ‘Chicago’ – mainly because jazz especially of this era reflects the moods, emotions, thoughts, etc. of the working class.                        The MTV’s visuals will consist of fast cuts of real people in real time doing a variety of daily chores/work. I would like to get visuals of factory workers at an industrial plant, rank and file employees at a Fortune 500 company, pedestrians at a busy street in a big city, etc. These visuals will be interspersed or dissolved on a background of a clock whose hour and second hands are rotating rapidly. This visual juxtaposition I think would be effective in imparting the message that we, as a workforce, have become slaves in the highly industrialized world.                         The second presentation I would like to propose is an Installation Art. The installation will compose of different objects, articles of clothing, supplies, etc. that I will gather from different people and/or areas of work. These objects will be arranged at random to form a sculpture-like piece that can stand on its own. The objects then will be ‘washed’ with a gray paint or metallic finish. The rationale for this presentation is to link or remind the audience of everyday objects that we take for granted but are part of our daily life. Objects that will remind us of our daily grind or the ennui we experience at work. The finishing of the installation in gray or metallic color will further enhance the ‘coldness’ or routine nature of ‘The Unknown Citizen’. The tactile nature of the installation will hopefully entice the audience to take a closer look at the piece of art. Also, copies of Auden’s poem may be strewn on the floor of the exhibition area where this installation will take place.                        The third response will be a short story that will basically deal with a man’s isolation from the world at large. Just like in the poem the main character in the story will be nameless, the readers however, will be able to get to know this ‘man’ by way of the descriptive manner that it will be written as well as the dialogue that will be included. The setting of the short story will be in contemporary times set in Middle America. I see the main character as a white male in his thirties, married with children. His wife is also a working mother. The isolation the main character feels will stem from his routine at the workplace, his ever-widening gap with his wife due to less time spent together as both are working, and his alienation from his teenage children who are caught up in a world of their own.                        The man’s catharsis will take form of his resignation from his work and goes on a long trip, alone, into the countryside in search of a connection with his past and a better understanding of his future. How the short story will end I still have to think about – however I will try to remain as true to Auden’s tone and intent as he wrote ‘The Unknown Citizen’.                        Out of these three responses I hope to finally choose one with the following criteria in mind: financial constraints in undergoing the project, feasibility in terms of time and resources, overall impact on the intended target audience. On the whole, I believe these three responses will best communicate Auden’s poem on a more contemporary manner. While art mirrors life, great art transcends time and space. The truths Auden spoke of during his lifetime still ring true today and will continue to impact the future generations to come.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Successful Enterprises as Means for Economic Growth
Successful Enterprises as Means for Economic Growth Comparative Study of Polish Regions Podkarpacie and Dolnoslaskie Research Question How can unsuccessful entrepreneurship of a region affect the economic growth of two Polish regions, Podkarpackie and Dolnoslaskie? State of the Art The aim of this research project is to find out how unsuccessful entrepreneurship of a region affects the economic growth of Polish provinces. In Polish language the word province is used interchangeably with the word region. In this proposal the word region refers to administrative unit, an entity of governance within a state (Van Langenhove, 2013). Poland is divided to 16 regions, some of which, for example the regions forming the Eastern wall are not as well of as the central region Mazowieckie, in which Warsaw, the capital is situated, or the other regions at the western border of Poland, such as Dolnoslaskie. According to analysis of Statistical Center in Rzeszow (2009), the synthetic measure defining the level of economic development of territorial governance units (regions) is gross domestic product per capita. The Raport Poland 2011 published by the Ministry of Regional Development (MRD) in Poland (2011) presents results gathered by Central Statistical Office (Glowny Urzad Statystyczny, GUS) which show that the real growth of Polish economy between years 2000 and 2010 was as large as 46 percent, making it one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union (MRD, 2011). However, the inequalities between the wealthiest and the poorest region have deepened as well. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the most active region was at the beginning of year 2000 more than 9 times higher than in the weakest region. After ten years this disparity grew up until almost 11 times higher (MRD, 2011). The disparities in GDP per capita, on the other hand were in year 2000, two times higher in the wealthiest region than in the poorest region and grew up to two and a half times higher by the year 2010 (MRD, 2011). Shares of individual provinces in GDP in 2012 varied significantly from 2.1% in Opole region to 22.7% in the region Mazowieckie (in 2011, from 2.1% to 22.4% in the same regions)(GUS, 2014). Studies of Statistical Centre in Rzeszow (2009) show that regional GDP and the amount of income attributable to the disposal of per capita situatePodkarpackie region on one of the last positions in the European Union, except for Bulgarian and Romanian regions. The regional GDP per capita in 2012 was at the level of 27 719 zÅ‚ in the province of Podkarpackie (67.0% of the average country) to 68299 zÅ‚ in Mazowieckie (165.0% of the national average) (GUS, 2014). These studies provide quantitative evidence on disparities in economic growth between Polish regions, however they are missing the reasons for these gaps in regional economic growth. According to measures by GUS (2014) Mazowieckie is clearly the wealthiest and most attractive region in terms of living, working or investing, thus the disparities in economic growth between this region and the regions in the East of Poland are much higher. Witold Czudec (2013) from Portal for Innovative Trasfre of Knowledge in Science (PITWIN) has conducted a comparative study of competiveness of regions of Eastern Poland and the central region Mazowieckie. However, Mazowickie is the region pulling most of the investors as well as wealthy residents which may be a cause of research bias. In order to avoid the bias in this study Mazowieckie is left out. Instead, the two regions that will be compared in this research are the region Podkarpackie, situated at the south-eastern border of the country and the region Dolnoslaskie, at the western border of Poland (see map). The GDP per capita of region Podkarpackie in years 2008-2010 amounted in approximately 24070PLN, which is equivalent to 5775 euros and GDP per capita, in the same period of time of region Dolnoslaskie was approximately 38708PLN, which is equivalent to 9318 euros (GUS, 2012). The regional economic development, can be defined as quantitative and structural development entities engaged in the economic activity of the region, which should be identified by the improvement and introduction of new products and services, expanding markets, upgrading of technology, investing , increasing employment and production efficiency , and the strengthening of the company’s financial actions (Sztando, 2000). According to Andrzej Sztando’s thoughts the area of economic growth is therefore based on individual entities and manifests itself in achieving a high level of efficiency and its constant increasing over time. While each company is an entity extracted from the environment in terms of legal, organizational and economic activities. However, isolation of an entity does not mean gaining independence from its surroundings. The survival and development of the individual entity depends on existing external conditions and those that will occur in the future. In t urn, by increasing the efficiency of individual companies, sectors, cities and regions, increase their efficiency and consequently the efficiency of the whole country (Sztando, 2000). Basing on the thoughts of Sztando, it has been concluded that at least one of the reasons for fast economic growth within a region is successful entrepreneurship. However, Sztando does not present concrete examples, for example by involving regional data in his study. Therefore this research will be concentrated on impact of entrepreneurship on regions, by focusing on two Polish regions as concrete examples. In the era of globalization, regionalization and departing from classical approach of degrading the role of industrial policy in favor of regional policy, the importance of research on entrepreneurship in regions and cities increases. Increasing number of research institutes and academic centers dealing with regional development is a proof of interest in this field. Studies conducted by them focus primarily on those aspects of the development of entrepreneurship (competitiveness, accumulation of wealth which is seen as indicator of economic development), which are stimulated by appropriate regulation of regional policy and socio-economic policy of the country, for example, tax policy, regulation of labour code, etc. (Platonoff et al., 2001). A research project conducted at University of Szczecin (Platonoff et al., 2001) analyzes and evaluates the economy of the city Szczecin and looks at the condition of entrepreneurial entities in the city and their impact on city’s economy. The study and its results are attention-grabbing and give a great insight to the economy of Szczecin and impact of entrepreneurship, however it is focused only on one city in the West of Poland. Thus basing on this research, it is interesting to conduct a similar kind of study in regions with one of the slowest growing economies in Poland, Podkarpackie region, and in one with fastest growing economy (right after Mazowieckie), which is Dolnoslaskie, in order to find out how unsuccessful entrepreneurship of a region affects the economic growth of Polish provinces. Objectives The current situation of Poland is quite difficult. On the one hand, the businesses are not liquid enough, they do not expand and go bankrupt more often. On the other hand, the Polish government does not have sufficient financial resources to cover basic needs for health, education, construction roads, etc. and many others. Businesses pay attention to too high taxes, and officials are looking for ways to enlarge their meet increasing social needs (Platanoff et al, 2001). Moreover, it has been observed that in bad times weak regions become worse. Weak regions do not have any mechanisms for immunizing: they are not competitive, they are not productive, they do not operate on a global market , they have diversified economy that would facilitate a soft landing (Maciejewicz, 2013). This perpetuates the division between the less prosperous Poland B, covering the eastern regions of the country and better developed Poland A, with the western and central regions. The latest GUS findings show that the gap between Poland A and Poland B deepened , even though the weaker regions received a remarkable sum of EU funds worth millions of Euros in order to help them to mobilize the regional operational programs . The per capita payments to the eastern provinces in 2007-2012 were significantly higher than those of Western . In addition, five provinces of the eastern wall had to use an additional pool of 2.4 billion euro allocated for the equal opportunities of developm ent (Tomaszkiewicz Kowalski, 2014). Regions of Eastern Wall of Poland are in the circle of slow economic development and one of the main reasons for that is inhibiting the development of entrepreneurship. For example, low income and high costs result in no or a low gross profit, and this in turn, lead to lack or low amount of money obtainable from taxes. Low budget revenues from taxes impede the development of infrastructure which would support entrepreneurship within the regions (for example: highways, health, education , promotion of the region in the world and other procedures established by the local and national authorities ). This leads to decreasing profits of individual companies which in turn restrain their development (lack of sufficient funds for investment, training staff, finding new customers, research and marketing , etc.), resulting in lower quality of the offered products or services and a decrease in their domestic and international competitiveness. In addition, low salaries of employees reduce their purchasing power by limiting the demand. Consequently, the reduction in the number of transactions has a negative effect on the revenues of companies causing depletion of other actors in the economic chain. This results in low competitiveness, thus slow economic growth of a region (Platonoff et al, 2001). Composition of Economy of Podkarpacie The gross value added (GVA) in Podkarpacie is composed of following shares: trade (29.46 %), followed by industry (27.02 %) and services (25.8 %). Construction (8.28 %) is also of a great importance in the economy of the region , which is traditionally considered one of the major sectors of the economy of the region. Slightly more than 7 % of GVA generates financial and insurance activities . Agriculture, forestry , hunting and fishing occupy the last place among the sections that shapes the GVA of Podkarpacie (Marshal Office of Podkarpacie (MOP), 2011). In the region of Podkarpacie at the end of 2012, there were just over 155 thousand registered entrepreneurial entities (including more than 148 thousand in the privte sector) , which accounted for 3.9 % of entities registered in the whole country. In spite of being close to reaching the national average of small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs) in the total number of enterprises , the companies of the Podkarpackie region absorb a much smaller share of labour force than any other Polish regions. While in Poland this percentage is 50 % it is only 40 % in Podkarpackie. In the case of micro-enterprises , this percentage is only 37 %. These proportions indicate the weakness of the SME sector in the region (MOP, 2011). Composition of Economy in Dolnoslaskie The GVA of Dolnoslaskie is generated mainly by the service sector (60%) , including 45.7% of market services, this is followed by industry (32%), and agriculture (2.2%) (GUS, 2014) . In the region of Dolnoslaskie in 2008, the average employment in the enterprise sector amounted up to 418.8 thousand people, and was higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year by 6.4%. At the same time, in terms of national employment in the enterprise sector increased by 4.8 percent. According to the data from the Central Statistical Office in 2008, on average 89,7% of labour force involved in enterprise sector was employed by the private sector in Dolnoslaskie. Employment in the private sector increased by 7.4 percent compared to the previous year (amounting to 375.6 thousand . Persons), public sector employment fell by 1.4 percent (amounting to 43.2 thousand persons). Average number of employees compared to the previous year increased by 5 percent (GUS, 2008). The Main Objectives of the Project The cognitive goal of the project is to: Make the diagnosis of effectiveness of management processes in business entities in context of their entrepreneurial potential in Podkarpackie and Dolnoslaskie. Develop proposals for rationalization of these processes and consequently, to stimulate the entrepreneurship in Podkarpackie. The scientific goal of the project is to: Develop model assumptions in order rationalize the management process in business entities Finally, the practical goals of the project are mainly to: Prepare reliable information on the economic condition of Podkarpackie and Dolnoslaskie on micro and macro scale Shape effective policy instruments and strategies for the support of regional business entities (mainly in Polkarpackie) Methodology: Possibilities for the development of entrepreneurship, and thus sources of wealth of region’s economy, should not only be looked at in macroeconomic parameters (cost of labour, the level of interest rates, the value of the national currency, etc.), but also in regional settings (resourceful and effective use of different opportunities, predisposition for progress and collaboration between different actors) and microeconomic parameters (differences in management of companies) (Platonoff et al, 2001). The starting point for establishment of a regional development program is to understand the economic potential rooted in economic operators and analyzing the main problems that hinder their functioning and growth. The potential of entrepreneurship lies in the individual business entities. First, a researching team has to be recruited. The research team will be composed of academic staff and students from two major universities in studied regions, Rzeszow University in Podkarpackie and University of Wroclaw in Dolnoslaskie. In the first phase of the research a representative sample of entrepreneurial entities in the region has to be collected, since studying the whole population entails high costs related to large amount of staff members and a long period of time in order to collect the data. Since the whole population is not studied, a proper sample size needs to be decided upon in order to assure a representative sample. 1550 enterprises from Podkarpackie region and 4188 enterprises from Dolnoslaskie region are to be selected, representing 1% of the entire population of each of the regions. By random selection of the sample it is meant that in the collection process each unit has the same probability of getting into the sample. After conducting randomized sampling, the business entities must be divided into categories by sizes of enterprises, that is micro, small, medium and large sized enterprises, as well as, into and profile of activity (construction, trade, manufacturing, agriculture and services) Bibliography Beata Tomaszkiewicz, Janusz K. Kowalski (2014) Bogate region uciekaja biednym, Forsal, Retrieved on 30.3.2014 from: http://m.forsal.pl/makroekonomia/bogate-regiony-uciekaja-biednym-polska-wschodnia-rozwija-sie-coraz-wolniej Macjejewicz, P. (2013), PogÅ‚Äâ„ ¢biajƦ siÄâ„ ¢ rà ³Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¼nice pomiÄâ„ ¢dzy najbogatszym a najbiedniejszym regionem w Polsce, Gazeta Wyborcza. Retrieved on 30.3.2014 from: http://wyborcza.pl/1,75248,13101621,Poglebiaja_sie_roznice_pomiedzy_najbogatszym_a_najbiedniejszym.html#ixzz2xeeEaLzh Platonoff, A.L.,Sysko-RomaÅ„czuk, S., Burlita, A., CypryjaÅ„sk, J., Dobrodziej, B., Gos, W., Iwin, J., Markowicz, I., MiÅ‚aszewicz, D., NarÄâ„ ¢kiewicz, J., Gadomska, K., Putek, E., Ruta, M., Siwy, A., UrbaÅ„ski, P., Wizner, A., Zobel, A. (2001). Research report: Ogà ³lna diagnoza szczeciÅ„skich przedsiÄâ„ ¢biorstw, University of Szczecin Czudec, W. (2013), Konkurencyjnosc regionow Polski Wschodniej, Pitwin Retrieved on 30.3.2014 from: http://www.pitwin.edu.pl/attachments/1053_019%20czudec.pdf Statistical Center in Rzeszow (2009), ANALIZA ROZWOJU SPOÃ…Â ECZNOâ€â€GOSPODARCZEGO WOJEWÓDZTWA PODKARPACKIEGO W LATACH 1999â€â€2008, Analizy statystyczne Marshal Office of Podkarpackie – Departament of Strategy and Planning (2011) ‘’Monitoruj Podkarpackie†, retrieved on April 1st 2014, from http://monitoruj.podkarpackie.pl/gospodarka-regionu/ http://monitoruj.podkarpackie.pl/przedsiÄâ„ ¢biorczoņºÃƒâ€žÃ¢â‚¬ ¡/
Friday, October 25, 2019
Censoring the Pages of Knowledge Essay -- Books Literature Essays
Censoring the Pages of Knowledge Imagine a world where you could not read or own any books. How would you feel if you had someone burn your house because you have books hidden within the walls? One of the most prevalent themes in Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 is the idea of censorship. In Bradbury's fictional world, owning books is illegal. A fireman's job is not putting out fires like one may assume. In Fahrenheit 451, a fireman has the job of starting fires. Firefighters start fires in homes containing books. If this were reality, there would be no homes to live in. Books have become an integral part of American life. However, the theme of censorship is still relevant in American life. Censorship is enforced in an interesting way in Fahrenheit 451. Normally if someone was asked about the roles of firemen, they would respond, "firemen are people who put out fires." The role of firemen in Fahrenheit 451 is completely different. Firemen are the enforcers of the censorship laws. They are called upon when a person is known to have books in their house. The opening line of Bradbury's novel is, "It was a pleasure to burn" (3). Firemen seemed to enjoy their status as book burners. Many even got an adrenaline rush out of burning books. Guy Montag, the protagonist and main character of the novel was a fireman who once felt starting the fires in people's homes was thrilling. In describing Montag's actions during one particular fire, Bradbury writes, "He wanted above all, like the old joke to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house" (3). This quote demonstrates the mentality of the firemen an d the opinion of the government. Books are evil in t... ...in restrictions are needed. Pornography should not be available to children. I do not have a problem with parental advisory labels on music. However, putting a ban on all books is a very scary proposition. Bradbury's novel does not come close to describing how miserable this world would become. Everybody in this world depends on books whether or not they are literate. It can be said that we get most of our morals and values from books. These morals are found in books such as the Bible, Aesop's Fables, and sometimes even the trashy romance novels that women tend to love. Without books, the world could be explained in one word, educated. An uneducated world is a miserable world full of fighting and conflict. An uneducated world is a world at constant war. A world with out books is a dystopian world. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine Books, 1953.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Disembowelment In Japanese History
Honor was defined in Dr Johnson’s Dictionary in several senses. The first sense described honor as â€Å"nobility of soul, magnanimity, and a scorn of meanness. †This sort of honor derives from the perceived virtuous conduct and personal integrity of the person endowed with it. On the other hand, Johnson also defined honor in relationship to â€Å"reputation†and â€Å"fame†; to â€Å"privileges of rank or birth†, and as â€Å"respect†of the kind which â€Å"places an individual socially and determines his right to precedence.†This sort of honor is not so much a function of moral or ethical excellence, as it is a consequence of power. Finally, for women, according to Dr Johnson, honor is synonymous with â€Å"chastity†. On the other hand, dishonor means loss of honor, respect, or reputation; the condition of having lost honor or good repute. Many Japanese heroes choose to engage in disembowelment because it forms the way of gr aceful suicide by a samurai in Japan. By this method, samurais are deemed to be free from the dishonor. A samurai is a professional warrior belonging to the Japanese feudal military aristocracy.Disembowelment or evisceration is the removing of some or all of vital organs, usually from the abdomen. The results are, in virtually all cases, fatal. It has historically been used as a severe form of capital punishment. The last organs to be removed were invariably the heart and lungs so as to preserve the victim's life force for the full procedure. In Japan, disembowelment also formed part of the method of execution of or graceful suicide by a samurai. In killing themselves by this method, they were deemed to be free from the dishonor resulting from their crimes.The most common form of disembowelment was referred to in Japanese as seppuku (where the term â€Å"hara-kiri,†literally â€Å"stomach cutting,†is regarded as vulgar), involving two cuts across the abdomen, sometim es followed by pulling out one's own innards. The act of beheading, in most cases by one's best servant, was added to this ritual suicide in later times in order to shorten the suffering of the samurai or leader, an attempt at rendering the ritual more humane. In the English language, hara-kiri and seppuku are often treated as synonyms.Seppuku was a key part of bushido, the code of the samurai warriors; it was used by warriors to avoid falling into enemy hands, and to attenuate shame. Samurai could also be ordered by their daimyo (feudal lords) to commit seppuku. Later disgraced warriors were sometimes allowed to commit seppuku rather than be executed in the normal manner. Since the main point of the act was to restore or protect one's honor as a warrior, those who did not belong to the samurai caste were never ordered or expected to commit seppuku. Samurai women could only commit the act with permission.In his book The Samurai Way of Death, Samurai: The World of the Warrior (ch. 4) , Dr. Stephen Turnbull states: Seppuku was commonly performed using a tanto. It could take place with preparation and ritual in the privacy of one's home, or speedily in a quiet corner of a battlefield while one’s comrades kept the enemy at bay. In the world of the warrior, seppuku was a deed of bravery that was admirable in a samurai who knew he was defeated, disgraced, or mortally wounded. It meant that he could end his days with his transgressions wiped away and with his reputation not merely intact but actually enhanced.The cutting of the abdomen released the samurai’s spirit in the most dramatic fashion, but it was an extremely painful and unpleasant way to die, and sometimes the samurai who was performing the act asked a loyal comrade to cut off his head at the moment of agony. Sometimes a daimyo was called upon to perform seppuku as the basis of a peace agreement. This would weaken the defeated clan so that resistance would effectively cease. Toyotomi Hideyoshi used an enemy's suicide in this way on several occasions, the most dramatic of which effectively ended a dynasty of daimyo forever, when the Hojo were defeated at Odawara in 1590.Hideyoshi insisted on the suicide of the retired daimyo Hojo Ujimasa, and the exile of his son Ujinao. With one sweep of a sword, the most powerful daimyo family in eastern Japan was put to an end. In time, committing seppuku came to involve a detailed ritual. A Samurai was bathed, dressed in white robes, fed his favorite meal, and when he was finished, his instrument was placed on his plate. Dressed ceremonially, with his sword placed in front of him and sometimes seated on special cloths, the warrior would prepare for death by writing a death poem.With his selected attendant (kaishakunin, his second) standing by, he would open his kimono (clothing), take up his wakizashi (short sword) or a tanto (knife) and plunge it into his abdomen, making a left-to-right cut. The kaishakunin would then perform daki-kub i, a cut in which the warrior was all but decapitated (a slight band of flesh is left attaching the head to the body). Because of the precision necessary for such a maneuver, the second was often a skilled swordsman. The principal agreed in advance when the kaishaku made his cut, usually as soon as the dagger was plunged into the abdomen.This elaborate ritual evolved after seppuku had ceased being mainly a battlefield or wartime practice and become a para judicial institution. The second was usually, but not always, a friend. If a defeated warrior had fought honorably and well, an opponent who wanted to salute his bravery would volunteer to act as his second. In the Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote: From ages past it has been considered ill-omened by samurai to be requested as kaishaku. The reason for this is that one gains no fame even if the job is well done.And if by chance one should blunder, it becomes a lifetime disgrace. In the practice of past times, there were instances w hen the head flew off. It was said that it was best to cut leaving a little skin remaining so that it did not fly off in the direction of the verifying officials. However, at present it is best to cut clean through. Some samurai chose to perform a considerably more taxing form of seppuku known as jumonji-giri (. â€Å"cross-shaped cut†) in which there is no kaishakunin to put a quick end to the samurai's suffering.It involves a second and more painful vertical cut across the belly. A samurai performing jumonji-giri was expected to bear his suffering quietly until perishing from loss of blood, passing away with his hands over his face. While the voluntary seppuku described above is the best known form and has been widely admired and idealized, in practice the most common form of seppuku was obligatory seppuku, used as a form of capital punishment for disgraced samurai, especially for those who committed a serious offense such as unprovoked murder, robbery, corruption, or treas on.The samurai were generally told of their offense in full and given a set time to commit seppuku, usually before sunset on a given day. If the sentenced was uncooperative, it was not unheard of for them to be restrained, or for the actual execution to be carried out by decapitation while retaining only the trappings of seppuku; even the short sword laid out in front of the victim could be replaced with a fan. Unlike voluntary seppuku, seppuku carried out as capital punishment did not necessarily absolve the victim's family of the crime.Depending on the severity of the crime, half or all of the deceased's property could be confiscated, and the family stripped of rank. Seppuku as judicial punishment was officially abolished in 1873, shortly after the Meiji Restoration, but voluntary seppuku did not completely die out. Dozens of people are known to have committed seppuku since then, including some military men who committed suicide in 1895 as a protest against the return of a conquer ed territory to China by General Nogi and his wife on the death of Emperor Meiji in 1912; and by numerous soldiers and civilians who chose to die rather than surrender at the end of World War II.In 1970, famed author Yukio Mishima and one of his followers committed public seppuku at the Japan Self-Defense Forces headquarters after an unsuccessful attempt to incite the armed forces to stage a coup d'à ©tat. Mishima committed seppuku in the office of General Kanetoshi Mashita. His second, a 25-year-old named Masakatsu Morita, tried three times to ritually behead Mishima but failed; his head was finally severed by Hiroyasu Koga. Morita then attempted to commit seppuku himself.Although his own cuts were too shallow to be fatal, he gave the signal and he too was beheaded by Koga. In 1999, Masaharu Nonaka, a 58-year-old employee of Bridgestone in Japan, slashed his belly with a sashimi knife to protest his forced retirement. He died later in the hospital. This suicide, which became widel y known as ‘risutora seppuku', was said to represent the difficulties in Japan following the collapse of the bubble economy. Well-known people who committed seppuku: Disembowelment in Japanese History Seppuku or ritual disembowelment is often considered by those of us in the western world to be a common form of institutionalized (by ritual) suicide: an ancient custom dating back to the age of Samurai under the code of bushido. However, in Japanese culture, it escapes this easy stereotype and is considered something much more complex and meaningful than mere suicide. T. Harada, writes: ‘It was not mere suicide. It was an institution, legal and ceremonial†¦by which warriors could expiate their friends or prove their sincerity'.From historical evidence as well as by contemposrary Japanese cultural identification with seppuku we can ascertain that â€Å"it is at least questionable whether thinking of seppuku as a variety of suicide is justified†(Fairbairn 144). Seppuku, in its original form as practiced by the bushi, involved slicing open the abdomen normally with a cross-cut from left to right and then slicing upward to the navel. The method might result in the vic tim living on for hours before death. For a bushi who was accused of a crime, whether innocent or guilty, seppuku was often the only honorable death.One central reason for the form of seppuku was the fact that the Japanese believed the soul or spirit of a person resided in the abdomen. By cutting open his abdomen the bushi could ‘lay bare his soul' and show his firmness to atone for his crime, or demonstrate innocence and earnestness. For a bushi who actually committed crimes seppuku was considered a lenient punishment, which preserved his honor and property. â€Å"A samurai might commit seppuku after having felt duty- bound to give his lord sensible but unwelcome advice, as a means of demonstrating his absolute sincerity†(Blomberg 75).Disembowelment in Japanese History Page -2- The sensational nature of seppuku as a painful and self-punishing act, as it is most commonly viewed by Western eyes is founded on a number of divergences in philosophy and spirituality that di vide the East and West culturally. Foremost among these divergences is the perception of death. In Western society death is viewed in linear terms, with little or no expectation that the â€Å"soul†would be reborn into earthly life.Japanese culture regarded death as cyclical and based in reincarnation; therefore to die honorably was more important than to live at all costs. â€Å"The connection with death is another part of the image we have of the samurai. The way of the samurai is found in death. aspects of the samurai connection with death figured prominently in Shogun†(Hurst 520). The belief in honor, coupled with the belief in reincarnation and in the cyclical, ever-present force of death, allowed the Japanese to regard seppuku as an act of preservation rather than an act of suicide.To Western eyes, the samurai willingly commits suicide, but to the Samurai, death and disembowelment is a much preferable remedy to shame or disgrace than living on past the point of moral or martial defeat. To atone for a crime or to accept responsibility for some error, by seppuku, or to gain glory and honor by the sword in battle: these concepts are one and the same to the Eastern mind. The samurai were conditioned to slaying others, especially peasants, with calm.â€Å"Although the bushi alone were entitled to be executed by decapitation with a sword, zanzai, a public execution was regarded as a disgrace†(Hurst). Disembowelment in Japanese History Page -3- â€Å"The convicted criminal was paraded through the streets to the common execution ground, with placards recording his crime carried before him. He had to kneel on the ground in order to be dispatched by the public headsman, and his severed head was then gibbeted for a certain period,with a wooden sign proclaiming his name and the nature of the crime†This disgraceful type of public ridicule disgusted the bushi; â€Å"only samurai proper could be sentenced to commit seppuku as punishment for a crime†(Hurst 521). So, far from an appalling and self-despising act, seppuku evolved out of a Japanese sense of honor and integrity, which, in its formality and tradition becomes rigidly different from contemporary Western standards for moral, ethical or legal punishment. For the Samurai the punishment lay in living, not dying.Because the seat of the soul was in the abdomen, the naked â€Å"exposure†of one’ soul also confirmed that the act of seppuku was not so much rooted in suicide or self-abnegation, but in revelation and in a (final) demonstration of personal will and moral fortitude. Over the centuries, common citizens sought to copy the ethical system of the leading elite, widening the practice of seppuku far beyond its original elitist conception. In fact, the tradition persisted well into the twentieth century: â€Å"Especially among military men of bushi stock the custom of seppuku lingered on [†¦] Many of the conspirators behind the attemp ted military coup of 1936 killed themselves in this manner when the coup failed†(Blomberg 191). In due time a non-lethal, symbolic variant of seppuku penetrated Japanese culture: â€Å"Imagine that the ritual of seppuku was further attenuated so that it involved nothing more than reaching out to a ceremonial dagger after which the seppuku's aide whirled a ceremonial sword round his head Disembowelment in Japanese History Page -4- three times, then shook the seppuku's hand.In this case, seppuku could not be suicide because the individual engaging in it would be aware that by doing so he could not arrange his death. And yet he would have done seppuku†(Fairbairn 145). If there is a widely understood Western parallel to the Japanese practice of seppuku, it may lie in the famous death of Socrates which has been much discussed by historians and philosophers. Socrates' death as recorded by Plato noted that he had been accused, among other things, of introducing unusual religi ous practices and of corrupting young people. At his trial he defended himself but was found guilty and sentenced to death.In the month leading up to his execution by means of a self administered cup of hemlock, Socrates did not accept the possibility for escape arranged by friends because it would have gone against his sense of duty to avoid the punishment decreed by Athens. Then on the appointed day, he drank the hemlock before the hour stipulated for his death. (Holland, 1969, p. 74) Though Socrates drank the cup of hemlock (and so could technically be said to have died by his own hand) â€Å"yet even this cannot make a man a suicide, given the fact that his death was not decreed by him [†¦]. Suicide would have to have been the case that by acting as he did Socrates intended not only to do that which he ought to do or had to do, but that he wanted to be dead and intended to bring about his death†(Fairbairn 148). The ritual of seppuku is, then, far from being a desper ate act of a suicidal nature, an act of self and soul preservation that, viewed through the prism of Japanese history and culture, emerges as a strong symbol of national and racial orientation, particularly impacting views of ethics, honor, and personal responsibility.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Code of Ethics Apex Inc.
Code of Ethics Apex Inc. Apex Inc. is an information technologies company that develops software solutions for hospitals and other healthcare organizations. In particular, the products of this organization are used for such purposes as telemedicine, knowledge management, electronic transfer of patients’ data, and other purposes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Code of Ethics: Apex Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main users of our products are medical workers. The following code of ethics regulates the actions of this organization and its employees. Integrity and relationship with customers Our company will disclose information about the possible advantages and disadvantages of our products, because our customers rely on the accuracy of data that we provide to them. The customer of Apex Inc. will not have to face any hidden costs that can be related to the development of software solutions. The products developed by Apex Inc . will be aimed at meeting the needs of users, in particular medical workers. Moreover, we will not attempt to reduce the cost of development at the expense of patients’ wellbeing. Apex Inc will ensure the confidentiality of our clients, their financial performance, or any other data that be used against hospitals or their patients. Our company will attempt to meet the deadlines and requirements that our clients will set and warn them about the possible challenges. Corporate social responsibility and HR policies Apex Inc. will promote diversity in their workplace. In particular, the organizational policies of the company will prohibit every form of discrimination against employees that can be based on gender, race, disability, religion or any other criteria that are irrelevant to the performance of a worker. The company will introduce accurate and objective performance appraisal methods that take into account the contribution of each worker. The managers of the company will be obliged to justify the reasons for the termination of employee’s contract or the promotion of a worker. The employees of Apex Inc. are obliged inform the superiors or HR managers about the violation of legal or ethical rules. People, who do it, may choose to remain anonymous, if they want to. Apex Inc. is responsible to preventing any form of discrimination against whistleblowers or people who inform governmental agencies about possible malpractices. The interaction with governmental and non-governmental organization The company will be obliged to disclose any kind of information that can be required by law-enforcement agencies of the United States. Apex Inc. will develop software solutions and information technologies that pose minimum threat to the environment and to the users of our products. The company will not object to the unionization of their employees. Moreover, it will establish close partnership with environmental agencies, consumer associations, and trade u nions. Apex Inc. will fully disclose information that is related to the financial performance of the company. Business partners Contractors and business partners of Apex Inc. are expected to reach the same ethical standards that the company sets for its employees or executive officers. Provided that the contractors or consultants of Apex Inc become engaged in unethical practices, the company will terminate the relations with these organizations or individuals. So, this code of ethics is related to different elements of corporate social responsibility, for example, integrity in relationship with clients, adequate compensation of workers, and the promotion of equality in the workplace. Moreover, this document explains how the company should interact with governmental and non-governmental organizations like environmental agencies or trade unions.
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