Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Essay Example

Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Essay Example Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Paper Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Paper From early 1970s discussions about the utility, benefit and relevance of qualitative research methodology to the psychology field, in general, and counseling psychology, in particular, has taken a central position (Goldman, 1976; Hanson, et al. , 2005; Howard, 1983). More specifically, Bogard and Wertz (2006) observed that Gordon Allport, in 1942, first made the call for pluralism of research methods in the science of psychology when, in a monograph commissioned by the National Research Council, he encouraged researchers to explore alternative research methods instead of the over-reliance on quantitative methods. However, only in the 1970s did any significant movement in this direction started. The 1980s and 1990s saw significant discussions about the incorporation of qualitative methods in counseling research. The enlightment created by these discussions and the increasing number of qualitative papers, texts and articles that have ensued have considerably changed the face of counseling research, such that more than five decades after Gordon Allport made the first call for research diversity; Ponterotto (2005) strongly believes that counseling psychology is moving away from its primary reliance on quantitative methods to a more balanced reliance on quantitative and qualitative methods (p. 126). There is no denying the fact that research plays a primary role in any academic or professional field. For example, Polit, Beck, and Hungler (2001) defined research as a systematic inquiry that uses disciplined method to answer questions or solve problems (p4). It is obvious from this definition that the goal of research is to create relevant knowledge, to develop, refine and expand the horizon of what is known, and also attempt to proffer answers for the unknown, within the chosen field of study. Moreover, in professional fields like counseling, research studies do not only refine and add to what is known in theory and practice, but also empower the counseling psychologist to capably foresee and manage the complexities and dynamism of the social world (Laws and Marcus, 2003). However, the knowledge that can be gleaned from different research efforts depends, to a large, extent, on the research method adopted, and this in turn is shaped by the researchers worldview and philosophy of science. Stressing this point, Howard (1983) indicates that different core ontological assumptions held by researchers predisposes to the adoption of related assumptions about human nature. Beliefs about human nature then shape opinions about what kinds of knowledge are appropriate, which in turn, significantly determine the research methods adopted. The author argued that a worldview that perceive reality as concrete and humans as responders to this reality encourages positivist science and quantitative research methods. Conversely, a worldview that perceive reality as subjective interpretations of experiences and humans as adapting organisms encourages an interpretivist approach and qualitative research methods. The philosophy of objective reality and laboratory experimentation of the physical sciences has dominated psychology research as the gold standard for over a century. However, the numerous calls for a move towards a more encompassing view and approach to social research that started in the 1970s have severally highlighted the failure of the quantitative research approach to provide answers to social problems and guidance to professionals (Bogard and Wertz, 2006; Howard, 1983). Fishman (1999) noted that the problems with the over-reliance on quantitative methods first came to light during the turbulent times of the 1960s. During this period and the decades that follow, it became clear to many, Fishman argued, that psychology’s delivery on the promise of clear, objective answers to the problems of the complex, ambiguous troubles of the social world was scant at best (p. 371). Apparently, this realization fostered the emerging consensus that counseling research requires a shift in perspective to meet the needs of practitioners (Howard, 1983). The explosion of textbooks on qualitative methods; the the strong affinity for qualitative approaches held by many counseling students and professionals; and the Delphi poll of counseling psychology training directors in the United States that rated qualitative sophistication as one of the top trends for counseling research development in the next decade, most probably confirms Ponterottos claims and belief that counseling psychology is in the midst of a gradual paradigm shift. This paper intends to present further arguments to support Ponterottos assertion. The next section will attempt to explain Ponterottos position on the paradigm shift presently taking place in counseling research; this will be followed by an explanation of the epistemological and ontological differences that distinguish the quantitative and qualitative research paradigms. Lastly, further argument will be provided to support and defend the claim that counseling research is experiencing a shift in perspective. The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Ponterotto’s Argument Ponterotto (2005) provided an elaborate argument on the need for, and the factors that expresses the movement towards a balanced reliance on qualitative and quantitative research methods. Presenting his recent observations and current perceptions (p. 126), Ponterotto argued that the field of psychology, in general, and counseling psychology, in particular, has been, for too long, dominated by the positivist and post positivist paradigms associated with quantitative research methods. This dominance, it is argued, is reflected in available course work, dissertations conducted and in published research reports. Ponterotto argue that such over-reliance on single research philosophy significantly reduces the potential for growth and also limits the knowledge base and practical relevance of counseling research. Therefore, by broadening the fields research scope to include interpretivist paradigms and the associated qualitative methods, counseling psychology will advance more rapidly as a scientific field. Ponterotto is not alone in his opinion. He shares the same sentiment with several other authors like Gergen (2001) who argued that the conception of psychological science commonly shared within the discipline is historically frozen and is endangered by its isolation from the major intellectual and global transformations of the past half century† (p. 803); and Goldman who has been calling for a revolution in counseling psychology for several decades. Ponterotto also observed that in recent times, the need to enhance and improve the level of qualitative research training available to students of counseling psychology has been emphasized by several stakeholders. The author argues that though the present level of adoption of qualitative research training is still low, it is on the increase. Highlighting the importance of the increase in qualitative research training students and scholars receive, Rennie, Watson, and Monteiro (2002) noted that graduate students and scholars start appreciating the richness of qualitative research methods and its potential contribution to the field counseling psychology. With such increase in interest, professional conferences start receiving proposals for qualitative research papers and eventually, journal editors and publishers start to take notice of the shift in the wind. The authors declare that from all indications, all of these have been happening already, signaling the slow, but determined shift in research perspectives. Lastly, Ponterotto observed that an increasing number of quantitatively trained counseling psychologist now adopt qualitative methods into their research programs. While the negative implication of this is that most of these counseling psychologists would erroneously be carrying out qualitative researches through a quantitative lens, on the other hand, this indicates the increasing awareness of and interest in, qualitative research methods. Since developing expertise in any philosophy of science or research method takes time, in a most cases, several years of study, it is apparent that this quantitatively trained counseling psychologist would become better qualitative psychologist with time. In sum, Ponterottos claim that the field of counseling psychology is in the middle of a paradigm shift is premised on these observations and perceptions. Fortunately, he is not alone in this thought; there are several observations from numerous authors to strengthen his contention. For example, Howard (1983) contends that there is a growing consensus that the prevailing concept of what constitute a good research is problematic, and that the problem calls for urgent solution. In the same light, Goldman (1976), declaring the need for a complete overhauling of counseling research pointed out that published research in counseling has, on the whole, been of little value as a base or guide for professional practice. Tied to largely inappropriate models derived from the physical sciences, much of the research has been trivial, atomistic, and obsessed with statistics and technical matters of research design (p. 543). Support for Ponterotto’s Argument In order to adequately explain Ponterottos idea of counseling psychologys shift from primary reliance to a more balanced reliance on qualitative and quantitative research methods, Rennie, Watson, and Monteiro (2002) set forth a couple of questions that should be answered. These questions include: when did the turn to qualitative research methods started in counseling psychology started? How much emphasis has been placed on qualitative research methodology? And most importantly, what should be made of the surge in interest in qualitative research methods with respect to the pre-dominance of quantitative methods? Is the presence of qualitative research methods now large enough to be considered a paradigm shift, as Ponterotto suggested, or alternatively, is it the case that the interest in qualitative method is still too low to be considered to have impacted counseling research significantly?. To answer these questions, the authors conducted a review of all the psychological literatures published throughout the 20th century. Although, as mentioned earlier, Gordon Allport is said to have made the first call to psychologists to adopt alternative research methods, and the social turbulence of the 1960s is known to have further aggravated the discontent with quantitative methods in counseling research, the 100year literature review carried out by Rennie, Watson, and Monteiro (2002) indicated that there were virtually no psychological literature related to qualitative research methods prior to 1970, with the exception of a some references to phenomenological psychology that appeared in some literatures. Apparently, with respect to the first question above, i. e. when the turn to qualitative methods started, once can infer that practical attempts to adopt qualitative research methods did not take form until in the 1970s and then 1980s and 1990s, although the discontent with quantitative methods could have started earlier. Portraying the gravity of the discontent with quantitative research methods that followed the social turbulence of the 1960s, Fishman (1999) observed that practitioners were caught between irrelevant and ineffective guidance from science and inviting courses of action suggested by reflection in the field but without justification by rational science (p. 371). The author observed that criticism of positivism and its associated quantitative methods developed independently from both the post-positivist and the phenomenological–hermeneutic–post structural schools of thought. Criticism from both angles pointed out that the continuous application of statistical and laboratory experimentation methods to social problems was not yielding the expected outcomes and that the over-reliance on theory testing and the hypothetico-deductive measures inherent in quantitative methods to real world situations that require context-sensitive methods, have considerably contributed to this failure. Again, the origin of the interest in, and application of qualitative research methods can be located in the increased social phenomena that psychologist had to explain and contain, starting the 1960s. While this did not immediately translate into the publication of qualitative papers, as the Rennie, Watson, and Monteiros study revealed, it provided the foundation for the growth experienced in the succeeding decades. Ponterotto attempted to indicate how much emphasis has been placed on qualitative studies in counseling psychology when he reported the Delphi poll of counseling psychology training directors conducted in the United States in which directors identified qualitative sophistication and methodological diversity as the two top trends for the next decade. While this alone is not enough to justify the increasing interest in and emphasis on qualitative research, the explosion of texts on qualitative methods and reports of qualitative studies add weight to the argument that increasing emphasis is being placed on how qualitative methods can better improve the field of counseling psychology. For example, Robins and others (2008) reported more psychology related journals have paid increasing attention to the potential contribution that qualitative studies can impact on the field of psychology. The authors suggest that as a result of this increasing support, increasing number of researchers have included qualitative research methods in their research programs and most of these studies have been able to highlight some very important and previously un-recognized factors that affect counseling practice. Although, there is no denying the fact that the attention and emphasis received by qualitative methods is still relatively low compared to the dominance quantitative method still enjoy; however, the growing interest and the fact that several quantitatively trained researchers have gone ahead to adopt qualitative methods either in isolation or by inviting and including qualitative researchers in their program points to a gradual shift towards balance emphasis on both research methods, as Ponterotto has suggested. Despite the potential shift towards a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in counseling psychology researches, one important issue that has generated hot debate and that could potentially hinder this paradigm shift is the paradigm-method fit known as the ‘paradigm debate’ (Hanson, et al. , 2005). The paradigm-method fit debate first surfaced in the 1970s and 1980s as the popularity of qualitative methods in counseling psychology became topical issue for discussion. The debate relates to the question â€Å"Do philosophical paradigms (e. g. , positivism, constructivism) and research methods have to fit together? † (p. 225).

Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence Essay Example

Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence Essay Example Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence Essay Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence Essay Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it. Stephen Butler Leacock Advertising may be described as the science of striking the human acumen for a period to get money from it. It is used in many different ways for all diverse principles. Ads are used to get the word out to the consumers whether its for selling a product or to promote a special occasion. Advertisements are found in various place such as on TV, newspapers, billboards, internet, pop-ups, banners, cars and through people. Its pros and cons and word of mouth is probably the best form of advertising, as where TV advertising isnt as big as it used to be because of newer technology and most people change the channel or tune out. Advertising is the paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy. Other components of the promotional mix include publicity, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion1. It must be seen or heard by potential buyers. Basically with ads its the most important aspects of any business to selling their products or service. Without sale, no business can succeed very long. The bottom line in any ad is quite simple: To make the reader buy the product or service2. A lot of companies spent extravagantly large amounts of money to make campaigns for their products to get the most from their patrons. One way they do this is by undergoing advertising techniques. Companies appeal to consumers in many different ways to persuade them to buy their products3. Advertisements are written according to a straightforward master formula which consists of four steps. 1 Advertising Wikipedia (2004) [online] at http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Advertising 2 Cyberganda Advertising Jeanell Bertels (2005) [online] at community. k12. mo. us/webquest/bertels/quest. htm 3 Media Awareness. They are, attract the ATTENTON of your prospect; INTEREST your prospect in the product; cause your prospect to DESIRE the product and finally demand ACTION from the prospect4. There are also numerous advertising techniques used to grab the human intelligence and to guide them into paying for a product or service. Avant garde is a technique suggesting that using this product puts the user ahead of times e. g. a toy manufacturer encourages kids to be the first on their block to have the new toy. Bandwagon suggests that everybody in using the product and that you should too in order to be part of the group e. g. a credit card company quotes the number of millions of people who use their card. Another technique is by using facts and figures in their advertisements. Statistic and objective factual information is used to prove the superiority of the product e. g. a car manufacturer quotes the amount of time it takes their car to get from 0 to 100 km/h. An alternative method used is through patriotism where it advocates purchasing this product show your love of your company e.  g. a company boasts about its products being made in Australia and employing Australian workers, Plain folks suggests that he product is a practical item of good value for ordinary people where it shows an ordinary family sitting down at a table for breakfast and enjoying their product the other is the Snob appeal where it shows the product being used by an elite group of customers with a luxurious and glamorous lifestyle e. g. a coffee manufacturer shows people dressed in formal clothing drinking their brand at an art gallery. Testimonials are another great way to sell items for consumption and a famous personality is used to endorse the product e. g. a famous NBA player recommends a particular brand of shoes. Last but not least is the technique through wit and humor. Customers are attracted to products that divert the audience by giving viewers a reason to laugh or to be entertained by cleaver use of visuals or language. The approach to take them extra dollars from the consumer pockets is on an all time high. With the fast food industries there has been a lot of controversy about the freshness and the health issue. 4 Advertising Campaign About. com (2004) [online] at http://advertising. about. com/od/smallbusinesscampaigns/a/youradcampaign. htm The fast food outlets came up with a new strategy to get rid of the negative stereotypes surrounding their companies. To overcome these problems, fast food outlets such as McDonalds came up with a new fresh and healthy menu for their customers. McDonalds issued out a campaign to start a Deli Choice menu for their consumers (see appendix 1). This was therefore due to the number of obesity levels and the criticism surrounding McDonalds through the film Supersize Me. McDonalds then introduced this to get a message to the public that their food isnt all fattening and unhealthy. They also started to put the nutrition details on every burger meal for their customers. The Salads Plus was also inserted into the menu to make the image give the impression of being healthy. Weve developed the range by adding new items and making improvements to some of the existing ones to ensure the Salads Plus menu range will leave you feeling great (see appendix 2). Through this manner, McDonalds are trying to make a statement to say that their products are healthy and that they have made a change from the past. McDonalds uses the technique of patriotism where they also tell their customer that their meat is all 100% Australian and that its endured to be of the highest quality5. With the fast food competition, McDonalds and Subway always were big rivals. They both used adverting techniques to make the other opponent look ghastly. With all the debate about the health issues, communication is a big part in it all. Without the communication, no one in the public will know the truth about all the good and bad things that happen in any class of advertisement. Advertising is used to grab out emotion in whichever sort of way and it will make us rethink about what we need to satisfy our needs. Ads can make us come back to something be decided to leave but through different viewpoint each time.

Domestic violence, Criminal justice Research Paper

Domestic violence, Criminal justice - Research Paper Example The author talks of a disparity that occurs in punishing cases of domestic violence depending on perpetrators. In this case, men are shown to receive harsh treatment and condemnation when they are perpetrators as compared to women perpetrators. For example, some of the key players that have been involved in domestic violence in National Football league have been relieved their duties as opposed to Hope Solo that continues playing despite allegations of assault on her sister and nephew. Also, a major organization such as Nike are shown to continue working with Solo even after damning accusations while they were quick to end ties in public with Rice and Peterson. The argument is that the Solo scenario is not the norm and men are seen as the primary perpetrators of violence. Jarrett, T. (2014, September 10). Why she stayed: Ray Rice video sheds light domestic violence. Retrieved September 27, 2014, from http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/nfl-controversy/why-she-stayed-ray-rice-video-sheds-light-domestic-violence-n200266. The article highlights the issue of domestic violence. Specifically, the author shows how it has been challenging to authenticate due to the environment in which such violence takes place. However, Ray Rice versus Janay issues are used to show various issues related to violence. The case was significant as it helped in highlighting issues related to domestic violence with a video. Most of the women are also shown to stay with their partner despite the abuse. On the other hand, the men are shown as not seeing anything bad with the rampant abuse of women. The media are also shown to lack ethics in addressing Janay’s case. The media role appears that of highlighting various crimes that occur in the country. Moreover, the purpose appears to offer sensational reporting with no analysis. However, the media help in reviving the debate concerning crime and also attracts the attention of the policy

Marriage in the 20th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marriage in the 20th Century - Essay Example First, they perceived conscience as the possession of a general knowledge as regards moral principles. In addition, it was also seen as a process towards being deliberated morally. Finally, these theologians examined the term conscience in terms of its usage in specific cases. The perspective of the Catholic Church is also threefold, as regards the term conscience. First, conscience is seen as that which an individual is able to experience as a reality, from within themselves. The term conscience is perceived as an analytical, evaluative and reflective judgment regarding that which is right in respect of particular cases. In this case, a call towards openness is called upon; if at all individuals are to identify the truth (Firer, n. d.). Finally, conscience is seen as an event that facilitates the attainment of a moral decision. In other words, it is the gateway that enables individuals to differentiate between that which is right, or wrong. The exercise of conscience calls for its development and cultivation. To develop it, it is required of an individual to undergo through an experience that shall both deepen and sharpen their sensitivity in terms of the evils on the one hand, and the moral good on the other hand. This enables individual to 'see rightly' (Firer, n. d.). Secondly, the development and cultivation of conscience may occur as a result of a learning process that entails making of judgment during times of conversation with say, a community as well as those responsible for giving such a community moral wisdom (Firer, n. d.). This way, individuals are assisted in judging rightly. Finally, the definite occurrence of arriving at a decision, coupled with the ensuing action, accords to each one of us what may at best be referred to as a ' track record' that upon reflecting on it, turns out to be our individual fountain of guidance as well as moral wisdom. This often takes time, but eventually, it enables us to 'act rightly'. Moral discernment According to Wallace (2003), discernment may be seen as a conventional name that refers to the difficult process of arriving at decisions or choices, on the basis of the "moral imperative" of an individual's conscience, while taking part in a "reasonable dialogue" with experts in subject-matter and also spiritual guides. It is important to note that there is a variation between the process of making daily decisions on the one hand and discernment on the other hand. Wallace has also referred to discernment as a "thoroughgoing effort" (Wallace, 2003). Logic alone is not enough to warrant recognition of discernment; the rest of our mental facilities are also called upon. To begin with, discernment tends to be in tune with the "the moral good", as opposed to the profitable that which is solidly conventional, or expedient. In other words, discernment is about trying to identify the best source of action to undertake from a moral perspective, as opposed to doing what we might find easier to accomplish, and that which may not lead to others criticizing our actions. Discernment also differs from the everyday decision making process in another way that could be seen as even more subtle. In this case, individuals take an assumption that sheer logic is not enough to help them attain "the good" (Wallace, 2003), thus calling for discernment. Conscience, moral

The Play Medea Case Essay Example for Free

The Play Medea Case Essay In the play Medea, Euripides recognises the lack of gender equality of his time and comments on the patrichial nature of ancient Greek society. A feminist theme resonates in the play and has been developed through the characterisation of Medea and Jason. Medea, the female protagonist, is portrayed as powerful figure. Medea is spurned and aggrieved by a man but instead of accepting the situation submissively as she would have been expected to do, she asserts her own power. Furthermore, when King Creon decides to banish her, she doesnt hesitate to argue persuasively on her own behalf despite his position of power. She naturally assumes that she has the right to speak as a man might do. Medea recognizes the oppression of women in her society when she declares we women are the sorriest lot: first we must at great expenditure of money but a husband and even take on a master of our body. However, Medea herself denounces women by admitting that they were born useless for honest purposes suggesting that womans skills lie solely in the ability to exert their will by deceit and manipulation. Her deceptive nature is evident in the nature of the murder of Glauce by giving gifts laced with poison. Medea argues that although women have a deserved reputation for treachery, they only do so as the patriarchal society to which they belong deprives them of any other avenues of power. Yet Medeas response to masculine exploitation surpasses any reasonable measures by her horrific murder of her children. The audience is positioned to be shocked and unsympathetic towards her actions. Medeas actions are portrayed as hers alone not indicative of the natural behavior of women and Euripide s acknowledges that the social injustice experienced by Medea cannot absolve her personal accountability for her actions. In the play through his characterisation of Jason, Euripides mocks the mens supposed entitlement to authority and supremacy over women. Jason, the key male figure, from the onset of the play reveals himself to the audience to be a weak character, at odds with his reputation as a hero. His abandonment of his obedient wife, Medea, his greed-driven re-marriage and his inability to admit his own culpability in the drama that ensued, portrays him to the audience as vapid, vacuous man whose actions are fuelled almost entirely by self-interest. His constant emasculation of Jason by his depiction as a weak and flawed character makes him appear unsympathetic to the audience. Medea is a strong-willed and powerful individual whose personality traits would be stereotypically attributed to a male character whilst Jasons self-obsessed and treacherous ways would more often be linked to a female character. Through the depiction of Medea and Jason, Euripides makes the conjecture their characters are both highly flawed and so they should be condemned for their deeds rather than for the gender.

Pardee Lowe Father and Glorious Descendent :: Essays Papers

Pardee Lowe Father and Glorious Descendent Pardee Lowe penned his autobiography, Father and Glorious Descendent, in 1943. In the book, Lowe tells his story of growing up in the home of first generation Chinese immigrants. Throughout the book he relates the trials and tribulations endured by himself and his family in California, ranging from major events like the Great San Francisco earthquake at the beginning of the century to everyday occurrences like dealing with widespread racism in the white majority. In the end, the author relates his success in attending Stanford College and later attending one of our nations most prestigious business schools. In doing so, he presents an Asian-American success story that serves as a tribute to the spirit and culture of a people. During the time when the field of Asian-American studies began to emerge, many scholars looked back upon Asian works from the past to try and build a library of books to convey the experiences of early Asian immigrants. Father and Glorious Descendent was dismissed by many in the field as a â€Å"document of self contempt† and a â€Å"humiliating book† to the Chinese and thus it was dismissed in most academic circles. Lowe begins his book with the statement â€Å"I strongly suspect that my father’s life is a fraud,† but he does not mean this as a derogatory statement. Instead it is a subtle compliment to his father’s ability to amalgamate into a foreign culture and become successful. This mirrors the fact that the rest of the book is a tribute to the ability of a people to adapt to a foreign land without losing themselves or their culture. It is for this reason that I believe Father and Glorious Descendent deserves to be studied by today’s scholars and students. First, Pardee Lowe’s book is a compliment to the Chinese because it continually paints the first generation of immigrants in a very favorable light. This story is filled with numerous success stories of immigrants building large businesses and becoming reasonably successful. There are families that own laundries and others, like Lowe’s, that own large dry goods stores. The author never refers to these businessmen in a derogatory way and often he speaks of his childhood amazement at the wealth of some of these people. At no point does he attribute this wealth to a shedding of traditional Chinese ways or to a complete adoption of American attitudes either.

Hamlet presents indecision with decisive craft Essay

Hamlet was written approximately in 1600, during the Elizabethan era, the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Although the head of church and state was a woman, it was predominantly a patriarchal society. The monarch held a policy such as male-preference primogeniture which allows a female to succeed if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants. Prior to her death, she announced that James I of Scotland would also become James VI of England. Elizabeth announced this to her people in order to avoid catastrophic political and social ramifications. Incest was ripe amongst European royalty, and still is still relevant nowadays. Queen Victoria earned the affectionate nickname, â€Å"Grandmother of Europe†, this royal incestuous behaviour is also evident in Hamlet. Although, adultery and incest is forbidden in the Bible and deemed punishable by death; the Elizabethan audience would have been outraged by the idea of incest and adultery. Although it does not state or there being sufficient evidence that Gertrude was committing adultery with Claudius, considering their hasty marriage shortly after his death, one can certainly allude to the possibility. Being a prince brings with it certain responsibilities and a sense of honour. Hamlet is trapped in a moral dilemma, does he kill the king and avenge his father or does he choose to follow his Christian and royal obligations? Ultimately, Hamlet proves to be indecisive by deliberating which course of action he should take when confronted by an issue. He deliberates due to his strong sense of moral beliefs and code of honour, so therefore is acting wisely when thinking before he acts. However, this does not make him an indecisive character, but rather a wise and logical one. Unfortunately, the conflict that exists between his sense of honour and moral correctness causes a conflict of emotionally driven consequences. Many critics believe Hamlet to be an indecisive character. On the contrary, Hamlet is a decisive character, Hamlet simply make decisions that lead to indecision. However, this does not make him indecisive. When Hamlet encounters the ghost, Hamlet learns that his father was murdered by his uncle, Claudius, â€Å"The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown†. Hamlet takes an oath to avenge his father’s murder and informs Horatio of his â€Å"antic-disposition†. Hamlet needs to feign madness in order to avoid suspicion from Claudius, this is a decisive decision. Hamlet has lost his father and also to a certain extent his mother, he finds out that his father was murdered by his uncle and he has lost the thorn to his Kingdom. The grief Hamlet experiences must be traumatic, although acting upon grief is extremely dangerous; this could possibly be why Hamlet waits until he can think clearly and productively before taking his revenge, Hamlet is a well-educated and civilised man whom contemplates his thoughts before taking action which are demonstrated throughout the play e. g. his soliloquies. Claudius is now king, if Hamlet attempted to murder him he would surely be executed on an account of the highest possible treason; regicide, which would surely not be justice. Hamlet needed to be smart about how and when to bring about the revenge. He not only needed to kill Claudius but he needed to ensure his and his father’s legacy while destroying Claudius’s in the process, surely unveiling the truth and exposing him as a â€Å"damned villain† would be more satisfying and greater justice than merely killing him. However, in doing so Hamlet has metaphorical blood on his hands, in the process of avenging his father many innocent people die including Ophelia and Gertrude. Also on his quest for revenge another revenge plot unfolds, Laertes revenging Polonius’s murder. Many critics consider Hamlet’s delay simply as a plot device claiming if Hamlet had taken revenge earlier then the play would have been extremely short, this is clearly not true since Hamlet makes it clear to the audience that he himself is aware of his inaction, Shakespeare would not have included this if not to make a clear point, one could also say it is used as a device simply to arouse tension and suspense, while this may be somewhat true I think it is only a minor contribution to the delay, I think the delay has more to do with Hamlet’s morality and his character and the conflicting factors and characters (i. e. Claudius as king and being married to his mother). Some critics believe the delay is nothing more than cowardice; however this proves to be incorrect as Hamlet appears most heroic in certain stages of the play such as killing Polonius and the duel with Laertes. Many critics claim the reason for Hamlet’s delay is due to Claudius being king and therefore it is difficult for Hamlet to take his revenge due to his status and tight security. However, there are times in the play where Hamlet has unguarded access to Claudius, such as when Claudius is praying. Freudian critics such as Ernest Jones and Sigmund Freud claim Hamlet’s mysterious procrastination is a consequence of the Oedipus complex: the son continually postpones the act of revenge because of the impossibly complicated psychodynamic situation in which he finds himself. Though he hates his fratricidal uncle, he nevertheless unconsciously identifies with him-for, having killed Hamlet’s father and married his mother, Claudius has carried out what are Hamlet’s own unconscious wishes. In addition, marriage to Hamlet’s mother gives the uncle the unconscious status of the father-destructive impulses towards whom provoke great anxiety and meet with repression. While it is impossible to prove this theory due to the subconscious nature, some could rebuke this by claiming Shakespeare did not clearly make this a concept in Hamlet, if he had chosen to do so then surely he would have made it more identifiable for the audience. It is certainly true that Hamlet feels betrayed by his mother for disgracing his father’s good name by marrying his brother so shortly after his death, however to claim that Hamlet had different motives for killing Claudius other than revenging his father and bringing about justice to the Danish court is extremely vague and questionable. If Hamlet kills Claudius, certainly it should be classified as justifiable homicide, not only has Claudius committed murderer, but he has also committed regicide and fratricide and could Hamlet not say he was simply acting in self-defence since Claudius sent him to England to his deathbed. It is important to note that Hamlet does not mind if he lives after he has got his revenge, the ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy contemplates whether to commit suicide or not, whether to take action upon his uncle or not, therefore from these soliloquies we can gather that the idea of death did not so much as fright Hamlet, rather the idea of death without fulfilling his purpose. Hamlet claims that fear of the unknown after death and the idea of going to hell are what stop him from committing suicide, however I believe this is simply an excuse not to take the cowards way out, I believe the real reason for him not committing suicide is due to his desire and need for his revenge upon Claudius. Hamlet’s death in the play, is somewhat similar to that of Jesus Christ, who had to die for the sins of humanity, perhaps this is why Christ is personified as such of a hero because he ended his life in sacrifice to God for us, similarly Hamlet did not just want to kill Claudius for the sake of avenging his father, he also wanted to bring justice to the Danish court and to get rid of the corruption on behalf of Denmark and her people, ultimately he kills Claudius and dies himself in the process and in return for his bravery, he has remained an iconic hero for centuries. Since the theme is revenge and justice, surely Hamlet had to die considering he is also now a target for revenge; it would have been highly hypocritical if Shakespeare had let Hamlet have lived after killing an innocent person, even if he was a â€Å"wretched, rash, intruding fool†. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betrayed Hamlet, they were aware of Hamlet’s upcoming death sentence and they did not do anything to try and prevent it, therefore I believe Hamlet was justified in sending them to their deaths instead. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are contrasting characters to Hamlet, their indecision led to their deaths and although Hamlet eventually dies as well he, at least he fulfilled what needed to be done. Does not everybody die eventually any why? Perhaps one could say that the pirates arriving gave Hamlet an excellent opportunity to escape was the will of God, destiny even. Considering these points, I do not believe Hamlet was an indecisive character. He made many decisions in the play, although he made some decisions that led to indecision however still with the focus of eventual revenge e. g. Hamlet decided to make the players perform the play â€Å"The Murder of Gonzago† in order to see evidence of Claudius’s guilt himself, â€Å"the play’s the thing wherein i’ll catch the conscience of the king† this leads to the waiting of the play’s performance but Hamlet did this to ensure without a doubt that Claudius was guilty of murder. Hamlet exclaims to his mother, â€Å"I essentially am not in madness but mad in craft†, Hamlet’s ‘craft’ ultimately leads to Claudius’s death, and although so does it to many other innocent characters in the play and himself, perhaps what Hamlet needed was to be decisive quicker in order to prevent innocent blood from being spilt. Perhaps this was Shakespeare’s message all along, when to take action and when to not, to achieve a balance between decision and indecision and to know when the appropriate time is to act. At the end of the play when Hamlet is dying, he is in the middle of Horatio and Fortinbras, Horatio symbolises the scholar and Fortinbras symbolises the warrior. Hamlet successfully achieved to be both scholar and warrior.

Was female rule unacceptable in early modern Europe?

This narrative will be investigating the political and royal policies of early modern Europe and it's reasoning behind preferring (and insisting) that only male royal blood lines should maintain the throne. I shall be researching how Queen Elizabeth 1st was able to take the throne as a single female, as well as (despite never being able to take the throne herself) the years that her sons ruled is now known as the ‘age of Catherine De Medici'. It will be necessary to look at religious opinions and political laws, as well as literary opinions from the 16th and early 17th century (in some cases earlier) across early modern Europe, England and Scotland, regarding women and their place in society and how that relates to women in positions of power Early modern Europe was segregated by extreme religious fault lines. With England, Scotland, Germany, The Netherlands and France fighting (both politically and literally) for superioty of their chosen religion, these were; Calvinism, Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, with a small minority of Anglican followers also. The majority of Spain, Portugal and Italy remained virtually wholly Roman Catholic, which lead to many wars and disputes with bordering nations. The Royal policy of the time was to use marriage to cement literal boarders between neighbouring countries in an effort to create great nations, and also to make intangible connections that cemented power between nations creating beneficial alliances. Political and social opinion of women at the time was largely due to the writings of St. Paul in the New Testament regarding Adam and Eve, and how Eve carried out the first human sin, disobeyed God and tempted Adam with the apple. This therefore made Eve responsible for the fall of mankind, and left women being seen as the source of all evil and sin. Coupling this with Aristotle's premise that a woman was an inferior version of the perfect male form, meant that the opinion of women was not something to be fought against, it was simply irrefutable fact. Because of this, religious political and social opinion of women in early modern Europe, women were only seen as valuable for their usefulness in connecting families through marriage or continuing family legacies through childbirth. Therefore families could effectively marry their daughters off like chattel. Women in early modern Europe were seen as feeble and weak minded, unable to be decision makers, and think for themselves. They (women) by religious opinion were created by God for man. Therefore giving man the right to rule them. As Martin Luther put so plainly; ‘Women are created for no other purpose than to serve men and be their helpers. If women grow weary or even die while bearing children, that doesn't harm anything. Let them bear children to death; they are created for that. ‘ Even women in positions of power were aware that they were not comparable to men. As Queen Elizabeth recognised, ‘I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King'1 Queen Elizabeth the first, was arguably one of the most famous female rulers in our history, yet her road to power was a difficult one. Elizabeth's rule while she was alive, and even after her death, has been shadowed by questions regarding the legitamacy of her right to the throne. The Catholic populace never fully accepted her, as her father Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church to divorce his first wife: Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn (Elizabeth's mother). However Henry VIII and Catherine (his first wife) had a daughter Mary, Henry VIII went on to have Elizabeth with his second wife and a son: Edward with Jane Seymour his 3rd wife, and despite Catholic beliefs regarding divorce, (which made Elizabeth illegitimate, but not Mary or Edward) the only surety was that Henry's male heir was going to take the throne first. After Edward took the crown Mary was to follow closely succeeded by Elizabeth. The only other candidate that could possibly take a rightful place over Elizabeth was Mary Stuart, who was currently Queen of Scotland and Queen of France (by marriage), and with the ever looming threat of a two-pronged assault on England by the French and the Scottish, Elizabeth became the necessary and logical choice as the English people were at the time seen to be more ‘nationalistic than catholic' (and an exceptional ruler she went on to be), managing to influence both Roman Catholic's and Protestant's into a compromise, which arguably stopped England from falling into a religious war, as was the case in France. But it also conveyed to her public that she was able to accept both faiths and allow them to coexist in the efforts of peace, a feat that had not been accomplished so logically or peacefully by her male predecessor's. France was plagued by its own political difficulties and religious disputes, and having a female singularly ruling was intolerable to them, and with the medieval ‘Salic Law' still in force (of which some of its policies are still in use today) the French were able to regulate who took to the throne and who maintained power. Salic law was clear, however; it decreed a purely French solution. (Elsewhere, in countries where Salic law did not apply – Scotland, England, Spain†¦ women undoubtedly had the right to succeed to the crown, although their rights in other areas were very limited. )2 As Queen Elizabeth found herself when trying to deal with her Generals and war strategists, many of whom ignored her input refusing to consider that she would have any useful insights into battle planning. Salic law was particularly relevant to Catherine De Medici, as it kept her from the throne after the death of her husband. Catherine then put her sons on throne, where she was virtually able to rule by defacto for many years, due to her sheer iron will and the strong maternal hold she had over her sons – even when her son Francis II died, his wife Queen Mary (Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots) fled back to Scotland rather than be dominated by her mother-in-law. Even with Queen Elizabeth being in power in England, and Catherine De Medici's virtual rule in France there were still many who felt that female rule was unlawful. But this started a debate in the early 16th century as to whether female's born of Royal blood and extensively educated were able to overcome the short fallings of their gender. Were Queen Elizabeth and her sister Queen Mary, as well as Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine De Medici able to break these notions and change history? To conclude as to whether women were acceptable Queens able to fully rule, the answer is clearly no. Female rule in early modern Europe was unacceptable. Men did see women as more feeble, both physically and mentally, and assumed that they were automatically superior. Women were nothing more than the child bearers, a point exemplified by marriages that were able to be absolved if no children were born (regardless of religion). It would appear that one of the factors of fearing female rule would be felt by the current King preparing to hand power to his daughter, the King (from any nation) would be aware that opinion of females was poor, and that the new ‘queen' would need to take a husband to guide and assist her. Which then leads to the question of whom should marry the future queen? Her right to power would automatically revert to her husband – very probably a Prince or King from another nation, which would leave the current King to foresee the fall of his Kingdom to a foreign land. France kept with the extremely old salic law, that was first made policy in medieval time's to make sure that only males of French blood from royal lines could ascend to the throne. But it would seem as was the case across Europe and England that Salic law, and English/Catholic opinion and preference on female rule only counted if it suited. If the alternative ruler was unpalatable (for instance Mary Queen of Scots) then the nobles and governments would find alternative methods to crown their ruler of choice. The debate of female rule was never about what was best for France, England or whomever, but quite plainly about those in power keeping that position for as long as possible at whatever the cost. Historic and modern literature written about Queen Elizabeth I, Catherine De Medici, Queen Mary I and Mary Queen of Scots can paint a picture of a very manipulative, autocratic and sometimes capricious class of Queen, but with the severe adversities they faced I feel that as independents they were utilizing their femininity, as well as their individual strong wills and education to keep a firm control. These famous rulers from our history did bring about change, and they forever altered the face of Royalty as well as assisting (even if only selectively) the view of women across the world.

5 Words and Their Nonantonymic Antonyms

5 Words and Their Nonantonymic Antonyms 5 Words and Their Nonantonymic Antonyms 5 Words and Their Nonantonymic Antonyms By Mark Nichol Some words appear to be antonyms of other words because they consist of one of those words preceded by an antonymic prefix. However, the sense of the prefixed word may be only tangentially related to the root word. Here are some examples of such mismatches: 1. Apprehension/misapprehension: The most common sense of apprehension is of foreboding (â€Å"A cloud of apprehension enveloped her†), and it refers to capture (â€Å"The apprehension of the suspect followed quickly†), but it also means â€Å"perceiving or comprehending,† and it is this sense that applies in the antonym, which means â€Å"misunderstanding.† (The root word, apprehend, is from the Latin word for â€Å"to seize or grasp†; comprehend is related, as is reprehend literally, â€Å"to hold back from grasping† which means â€Å"to disapprove.†) 2. Alliance/misalliance: An alliance (the root word, ally, stems from the Latin word for â€Å"to bind†) is an association between two or more parties. A misalliance is technically defined in the literal antonymic sense of an inappropriate union, but it is seldom used that way; it usually refers to a marriage between mismatched partners. (The French forebear, mesalliance, is even more specific in denoting a person’s romantic liaison with someone beneath them in social standing.) 3. Demeanor/misdemeanor: Demeanor refers to someone’s manner or behavior, but misdemeanor is a legal term for a minor crime (though it can also generically mean simply â€Å"an offense†). By the way, demean, from the Latin word for â€Å"lead,† is the rarely used verb form of the former. The demean we usually employ is a homonym meaning â€Å"to degrade or put down† (from the German word for â€Å"to have in mind†). 4. Fortune/misfortune: Fortune (from the Latin word for â€Å"chance† or â€Å"luck†) has three distinct meanings: â€Å"wealth,† â€Å"destiny,† or â€Å"luck.† Misfortune is antonymic only to the latter sense; it does not refer to a dearth of riches or an absence of fate. 5. Giving/misgiving: Giving is the act of offering something. A misgiving, however, is a doubtful feeling about an impending event. Both words derive from a Scandinavian ancestor, with a Latin near cognate that means â€Å"to have.† The rare verb form misgive means â€Å"to be fearful† or â€Å"to suggest fear or doubt.† 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadAnyone vs. EveryoneWood vs. Wooden

Presidential Elections - ESL Lesson

Presidential Elections - ESL Lesson Its the presidential election season in the United States and the topic is quite popular in classes around the country. Discussing the presidential election can cover a wide range of topics beyond just the two candidates. For example, you might discuss and explain the U.S. electoral college and process of collecting and counting votes. Advanced level classes might find the topic especially interesting as they can bring in observations and comparisons from their own electoral systems. Here are some suggestions and short activities that you can use in class to focus on the election. Ive put them in the order in which Id present the exercises in class in order to build up vocabulary. However, each exercise could certainly be done as a standalone activity. Definition Match Up Match the key vocabulary concerning elections to the definition. Terms attack adscandidatedebatedelegateElectoral Collegeelectoral voteparty conventionparty platformpolitical partypopular votepresidential nomineeprimary electionregistered voterslogansound bitestump speechswing statethird partyto electto nominatevoter turnoutvoting booth Definitions choose who will be the next presidenta state which does not typically vote either Republican or Democrat but swings back and forth between the partiesa short phrase which is used to encourage voters to support a candidatea political party which is neither Republican nor Democratthe person who runs for president  the person who is chosen by the party to run for presidentan election to decide who will be chosen by the party  a representative from a state who can vote at the primary conventiona gathering of a political party to choose a candidate and vote on other issues important to the partya standard speech that is used repeatedly during a campaignadvertising which is aggressive and tries to hurt the other candidatea short phrase which sums up an opinion or fact and is repeated throughout the mediahow many people vote in the election, usually expressed in a percentagethe group of state representatives which cast the electoral votea vote by someone in the Electoral College for the votethe number of people who vote for the president Conversation Questions Here are some questions to get the conversation going. These questions use the vocabulary in the match up to help start using the new vocabulary actively. Which parties have candidates?Who are the nominees?  Have you seen a presidential debate?How do presidential elections differ from the US election in your country?Do voters have to register in your country?Whats voter turnout like in your country?Do you understand the difference between the Electoral college and the popular vote?What do you think are the main planks in each partys platform?Which candidate appeals to you? Why? Electoral Points of View In this day and age of media sound bites, it can be a helpful exercise to remind students that media coverage almost has its own point-of-view despite claims of objectivity. Ask students to try to find examples of articles that are biased from both the left and the right, as well as from a neutral point of view.   Have students find an example of a biased Republican and Democratic news report or article.Ask students to underline the biased opinions.Each student should explain how the opinion is biased. Questions that cant help include: Does the blog post represent a specific point of view? Does the author appeal to the emotions or rely on statistics? How does the writer try to persuade the reader of his or her point of view? Etc.  Ask students to write a short blog post or paragraph presenting either candidate from a biased point of view. Encourage them to exaggerate!As a class, discuss what types of signs they look for when looking for bias. Student Debate For more advanced classes, ask students to debate the issues being presented as themes of the election. Students should base their arguments on how they think each candidate would address the issues.   Student Polling Activity A simple exercise: ask students to vote for either candidate and count the votes. The results may surprise everyone!   Finally, students might also find this presidential election dialogue helpful, as well as this longer reading comprehension on presidential elections.

Nutrition and Nursing Fundamentals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nutrition and Nursing Fundamentals - Assignment Example An anticoagulant is a medication taken mainly by people who experience health problems caused by blood clots in the body, such as strokes, deep vein thrombosis and other related cases as a blood thinner. It is mostly injected under the skin as it comes in a solution form. Only a health provider can administer this drug since its dosage varies with different patients. Like any other drug, this medication has its side effects. The effects are a rash or itching at the injection point, makes a patient experience dizziness, confusion and sleepiness as it affects the nervous system. Cases of low blood pressure are also extremely common in patients who are on anticoagulant medication. It is an exceptionally strong medication hence it's severe side effects that a patient has to cope with in the treatment process. They are situations where this drug can interact with some food types taken by a patient. Foods such as Kale, broccoli, spinach and tulip greens which are recommended by nutritionists as good blood-boosting supplements in a diet contain vitamin K. This vitamin reduces the effectiveness of anticoagulants as it produces blood- clotting substances. Therefore, in this case, the interaction of the drug and the food may have negative impacts on a patient. A patient is advised to avoid foods containing vitamin K as well as vitamin E as they prolong clotting time. From this research, it is clear that food and drug interactions can have negative impacts on the health of a patient. Therefore, medical practitioners should give advice to patients on what foods to avoid when on medication. This would create awareness to patients since many of them take drugs with foods that interact. This poses them to severe health related issues even when on  medication.

Study case S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Study case S - Essay Example ion Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a vital stakeholder as government agency who has the duty to see that road transports maintain high standard of transports and transport maintenance that promotes safe transportation. Basically, there are many stakeholders involved along the supply chain from manufactures to the end users as outlined above. The two pillars that have been broken by Imperial Tyres Sales are the trustworthiness and responsibility. The company has abused the trust of its customers who expected goods of high standard that would be safe to use. The notion of trustworthiness posits that when we someone is trusted, he is given a leeway by others because they do not feel the y need contract assurances that the same person will meet his obligations. It involves being honesty, integrity, reliability as well as loyalty. However, these elements of the pillar of trustworthiness have been broken as a result of low quality products that were supplied by HangZhemHai. ITS’s actions have also been against honest communication with the law and federal agency who should have been informed about the inferior quality of the tyres. They have also shown crass disregard for professional integrity by looking for their self interest at the cost of its customers’ safety. The pillar of trustworthiness has been broken by these two as their actions did not put into consideration the people’s safety. On the other hand, the pillar of responsibility has been broken by Hang Zhem Hai Rubbers by not upholding the expected standards of producing quality products that would be safe to be used by the consumers. The pillar of responsibility states that we should be accountable for our actions by always striving to pursue excellence. HZH has not been responsible in its actions for not putting enough gum stripes in its tires. HZH has been extremely indifferent to the fact that their low quality of tyres could be potentially dangerous to the safety of human life. In actual fact it