Social performance of Unilever an Example of the Topic Business Essays by

Social performance of Unilever Introduction: Need essay sample on "Social performance of Unilever" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Every business house, no matter how big or small it is, has some social responsibilities which are needed to be met essentially. The prime goal of a corporate house is not only to run a profitable business and use community resources for its own gain, but also to provide adequate return to the society by taking active part in the development of the society within which it operates. A corporate house should respect and protect human rights and take efficient measures to ensure that they are not engaged in any kind incident relating to abuses of human rights. Not only that, a business house should also work in an environment friendly way. It should ensure that environment does not get deteriorated by its operation; rather it should take some effective measures in order to improve environmental conditions. The United Nation has also recognized social participation of corporate houses. It has taken a huge step in launching the worlds largest initiative for making corporate citizen socially responsible by introducing global compact in 2000 which enacted some universal principles that corporate houses should follow in order to operate in the global market in a more stable way and to build more prosperous and flourishing societies. This global compact launched by the United Nations actually engages players in the private sectors to identify and spread good corporate practices in the areas of human rights, labor rights, protection of the environment, and anti-corruption. (Rasche 2009, 513) The global compact includes ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor eight, environment, and anticorruption that a corporate house should follows. In the areas of human rights, a business house should extend support and respect the protection of human rights within the area of its influence, and ensure that they are not engaged in human rights violations. In case of protection of labor rights, a corporate house should pay respect to the right of collective bargaining and the freedom of labor association, should eliminate all types of compulsory or forced labor, should engage in effective abolition of child labor, and should avoid any sort of discrimination with respect to employment and occupation. As far as the environmental issue is concerned, every business house should undertake precautionary approach to meet environmental challenges, should take initiatives for promoting greater responsibility towards environment, and should encourage the development and implementation of environment friendly technologies. And finally, in the areas of anti-corruption, each business should take active measures against all kinds of corruption including bribery and extortion. (United Nations 2010) This paper will try to analyze how far one of the worlds most renowned corporate houses, Unilever, has performed towards meeting its social responsibilities, in other words to say, this paper seeks to examine to what extent Unilever has been successful in adhering the principles of the global compact. Social performance of Unilever: Unilever is world famous multinational company that owns a number renowned brands in the market of food, home and personal care, beverages etc. It operates on a global platform with a well persified product portfolio including famous brand like Persil, Dove, Flora, Knorr etc. it mainly manufactures food products along with home and personal care products. Its market has become so huge that its market has extended to as many as 150 countries. It has a huge employee base including 227,000 people worldwide. It is fully multinational company in the sense that in every continent, except Antarctica, it has its factories and operational companies. Over the years in order to extend its market power it has been following the method of acquisitions and take overs. Through a number of big acquisitions it now owns as many as 400 brands. (Brands for Life (Unilever 2010, 1)) Being such a large corporate house, the corporate social responsibility of Unilever is also supposed to be huge and it has rightly recognized its responsibility towards the society besides fulfilling its profit making objective. But recognition of responsibility is not enough, rather it is necessary to focus more on those activities which can help identifying the company as a socially responsible corporate house. Thus let us look at the performance of Unilever towards fulfilling its social responsibilities. As far as the companys responsibilities towards protecting the environment is concerned, the company has taken some effective steps towards producing its products in environment friendly ways. For example, it has taken some effective steps towards fulfilling its commitment of buying required palm oil from sustainable sources which are environmentally certified in order to meet the requirement for its businesses in entire Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In 2010, the company has been able to secure sufficient GreenPalm certificates for buying sustainable palm oil. GreenPalm is actually a certificate program for trading in palm oil which has been designed to tackle all sorts of environmental and social problems that are associated with he production of palm oil. However, in spite of gathering enough of GreenPalm certificates, the company has been criticized by Greenpeace fro causing deforestation. In 2008, Greenpeace UK Accused Unilever for securing palm oil from those suppliers who produced palm oil in such a way that the rainforest of Indonesia got damaged. One of the palm oil suppliers of Unilever was also accused of deforestation for the plantations of palm trees which threatened a species of monkey. (Environmental sustainability ((Unilever 2010, 1)) Although there are some criticisms and accusations against Unilever in the areas of environmental issues, one vital point should not be ignored that in all these cases Unilever responded in a positive ways by searching effective methods which should adhere environmental norms. In fact, the attempt of securing enough of GrenPalm certificates is an example of such an effort. Apart from buying palm oil from environmentally certified sources, the company has also taken a vital step towards bringing revolution in the tea industry by making the commitment of buying all its tea from ethical and sustainable sources. Being the owner of the worlds best selling tea brand, Lipton, the company aims at getting all its tea bags environmentally certified in the global market by 2015. This move marks the first step by any tea company in bring new sustainably certified tea in the market on a large scale. The company has established Lipton as a potential brand which can reassure its consumer about the tea sources. It always engages in improving the quality of the tea in an environment friendly way. However, one thing should not be ignored that while the company has trying to secure its raw materials from sustainable sources in order to protect environment, some times it gets accused of dumping of chemical waste. For example, Hindustan Lever, its Indian subsidiary, frequently has criticized for dumping chemical waste even in those places which are protected nature reserves. (Environmental sustainability ((Unilever 2010, 1)) In spite of having some allegations in the areas of protecting environment, the company has been able to establish itself as the first company which has placed due care towards using environment friendly raw materials for its products. This would essentially increase markets for its products and make the company more profitable and thus stakeholder can now get higher pidends. (Brammer, et al. 2005, p. 13) Unilever is also very active towards extending help to the community within the sphere of its influence at the time of need. For example, on January 15, 2010, Unilever had made a monetary donation of $500,000 in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme to the devastating earth quake victims of Haiti. The company is, however, sometimes criticized for boosting racism through its advertisements. For example, in a recent advertisement of its skin lightening product, fair & Lovely it shows how a dark-skinned lady who used to be ignored by her employers and other men suddenly becomes attractive to all men and get glamorous career, this advertisement seems to be demoralizing for dark-skinned women. Not only that, the company has also introduced a new ice-cream in Austrailia with the name Mohr im Hemd which was earlier used for a chocolate speciality in order to refer naked wild Africans. The company however, refutes such allegations and claims that it has used the name after conducting a broad market study without having any critical feedback. (Respecting Rights (Unilever 2010, 1)) As far as its responsibility towards protecting labor rights is concerned, some important allegations has been made against the company, particularly against its subsidiaries in India and Pakistan. These allegations concerned the issues of use of child labor, site closures, freedom of labor associations, and collective bargaining. Where everyone is soughting for banning child labor, being one of the worlds most renowned MNC, Unilever is accused of using child labor in its manufacturing units. This kind of incident may take the company to the court which would not be very good for its reputation and stakeholder might sell their stakes in the company in the fear of bad outcomes. However, the company has been able to resolve most the complaints. ((Respecting Rights (Unilever 2010, 1)) As far as the areas of protecting human rights are concerned, the company has taken some effective steps. A very interesting point to be noted here is that although the company is criticsed for using child labour, in some areas it has taken some steps to stop exploitation of children. Fopr example, in Brazil, it is working with local community and governments to eliminate exploitation of children in the tomato plantations of its suppliers. Since 2003, the company has been able to protect as many as 22,000 children. The company has also taken some initiatives to improve the health and safety of the farm workers. (Respecting Rights (Unilever 2010, 1)) Conclusion: On the basis of the above analysis, it can be concluded that Unilever is quite aware of its social responsibilities and has made several commitments towards meeting these responsibilities. In fact, it has already started working in these areas. However, it would not be completely right to say that it has placed responsibility towards the society over its profit making objectives as the company still falters in some areas in properly meeting its commitments towards the society. While in one hand it has committed to protect labor rights, on the other hand it is quite active in employing child labor as it would reduce its production costs. The company seems to be more concerned about building its reputation as a socially responsible company by making enough of commitments than fulfilling them on a priority basis and hence very often it is accused of encouraging racism, violating labor rights, violating human rights, damaging environments. However, it should not be ignored that towards protecting the environment it has seriously taken some effective steps. Works cites: Unilever. 2010. Respecting Rights. http://www.unilever.com/sustainability/employees/rights/ (accessed 6th august, 2010) Brammer, S., Brooks, C. and Pavelin, S. 2005. Corporate social responsibility and stock return. UK Evidence from Disaggregate Measures. http://www.hedgefund-index.com/brooks-corporatesocial.pdf (accessed 6th august, 2010) Unilever. 2010. Environmental sustainability. http://www.unilever.com/sustainability/environment/ (accessed 6th august, 2010). Unilever. 2010. Brands for Life. http://www.unilever.com/brands/?WT.GNAV=Our_brands (accessed 6th august, 2010). United Nations. 2010. Global Compact. http://www.unglobalcompact.org/aboutthegc/thetenprinciples/index.html (accessed 6th august, 2010). Rasche, A. 2009. Business and Society. Business Society 48; 511.

The Umayyad Dome Of The Rock Analysis Religion Essay Example

The Umayyad Dome Of The Rock Analysis Religion Essay Example The Umayyad Dome Of The Rock Analysis Religion Essay The Umayyad Dome Of The Rock Analysis Religion Essay The Umayyad Dome of the Rock is one of the cardinal plant of Islamic architecture. At this point, it is deserving adverting the fact that the Umayyad Dome of the Rock is celebrated work of art and architecture, which had a figure of inexplicit significances among which it is possible to individual out political deductions and correlativities to Biblical Bibles. In add-on, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock reveals the impact of external factors, including the impact of Christianity and Judaism on the architecture of the dome. In this respect, it is deserving adverting the fact that, historically, Islam and Judaism were closely intertwined, although Islam had appeared centuries ago since the visual aspect of Judaism and Christianity. In this respect, it is deserving adverting the fact that many specializers ( Cowling, 2005 ) position Judaism as one of the major monotheistic faith, which became the precursor of such universe faiths as Christianity and Islam. In fact, the outgrowth of Islam w as the development of the new faith, which though had a batch of similarities to Judaism and Christianity. In such a context, the similarity between Islam, Christianity and Judaism can be viewed as the consequence of the historical interaction between these faiths. In this respect, it is deserving adverting the fact that the development of Islam was closely intertwined with Judaism and Christianity because representatives of these faiths have interacted since ancient clip. Even though Islam emerged in the 7th century AD, the population converted to Islam had an extended experience of interaction with Judaist, whereas Jews ever lived in Muslim states. In such a manner, the interaction between Islam, Christianity and Judaism was determined by the historical development of both faiths and it was grounded on the vicinity of both civilizations. In such a context, the inexplicit significance of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock reveals non merely concealed Islamic context and significance but besides it reveals the influence of Christianity and Judaism on Islam. At first glimpse the Umayyad Dome of the Rock is the manifestation of the traditional Islamic architecture. In this respect, it is deserving adverting the fact that the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was built in Jerusalem, the metropolis, which was sacred for Muslims every bit good as representatives of other mainstream faiths in the part, such as Judaism and Christianity. At this point, it is of import to put accent on the fact that the sanctity of Jerusalem was, after all, inherited by Islam from Judaism and Christianity ( Rabbat, 14 ) . Therefore, the building of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem was an of import determination and, in all chance, it was determined by the importance of edifice in the political and spiritual context. In fact, the building of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was the effort to demo the power of Islam and its domination in the Holy City Jerusalem. On the other manus, specializers point out that the Dome of the Rock has no instantly discernable intent or map other than the commemorating 1, and even that is riddled with uncertainnesss ( Rabbat, 12 ) . However, such uncertainness refering the intent of the building of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock is caused by the assortment of deductions refering the significance of the edifice and its intents. In other words, the diverseness of positions on the Umayyad Dome of the Rock leads to the outgrowth of legion readings of the significance of the edifice. At this point, it is deserving adverting the fact that the Umayyad Dome of the Rock represents the manifestation of the Islamic architecture. On the other manus, specializers point out that it is necessary to see the Dome as a memorial which used Biblical intensions and Christian-Byzantine signifiers to enforce Islam s presence in the Holy City. The combination would connote that the new religion considered itself the continuance and the seal of the two predating 1s: Hebraism and Christianity ( Rabbat, 12-13 ) . Such a decision derives from the monumental architecture and the location of the edifice. At this point, it is deserving adverting the fact that the Umayyad Dome of the Rock has incorporated elements of Biblical texts and Bibles. Hence, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock reveals the close links of Islam with other faiths, such as Christianity and Judaism. The similar tendencies between faiths can be traced by similarities of their spiritual constructs and thoughts. For case, Christianity, Islam and Judaism are monotheistic. In this respect, Judaism was one of the first monotheistic faiths, whereas Islam is one of the latest universe faiths, which had gained the public blessing and support of many trusters. Christianity, Judaism and Islam acknowledge one God merely, although each faith has its ain God. In add-on, similarities can be traced in sacred texts and books of Judaism and Islam. At this point, it is deserving adverting the fact that Islam and Judaism have similarities in sacred texts because their sacred texts are interrelated. To set it more exactly, they frequently refer to similar or indistinguishable events in the history and spiritual life of Jews and Muslims. As a consequence, they focus on similar events but the reading of these events every bit good as their inside informations may differ depending on the faith. Hence, the elements of Biblical texts and Christian and Judaist constructs can be traced in the Umayyad Dome of the Rock. At the same clip, it is possible to presuppose that the Biblical elements in the Umayyad Dome of the Rock can be determined by the effort of designers to demo the power of Islam and its high quality in respect to other faiths. In such a manner, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock could typify the high quality of Islam because it showed that all Biblical texts and sacred texts of Christianity and Judaism were incorporated in the Umayyad Dome of the Rock that implies their subordination to Islam. In add-on, specializers ( Rabbat, 15 ) point out the political deductions of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock. What is meant here is the fact that the Umayyad Dome of the Rock could be constructed to the show the power of the opinion dynasty. To set it more exactly, the opinion dynasty efforts to demo its regard to God and faith. In such a context, the building of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was the manifestation of the effort of the governing dynasty to go forth its hint in history of Islam and to demo its power. At the same clip, the building of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock implied that the opinion dynasty is ageless because its regulation will last every bit long as the Umayyad Dome of the Rock bases. In such a context, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock has a symbolic political significance. In add-on, the edifice was constructed in Jerusalem, which was non merely the spiritual centre but besides the topic of heat political battle. For case, Crusades ever aimed at the invasion of Jerusale m, whereas Muslims ever attempted to continue the metropolis as the Holy City of Islam. Therefore, taking into history all above mentioned, it is of import to put accent on the fact that the Umayyad Dome of the Rock had multiple significances and deductions. In this respect, it is possible to individual out the spiritual, political and cultural deductions of the building of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock. The chief point of the building of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was to demo the high quality of Islam and Islamic civilization over others and to demo the power of the governing dynasty under which the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was constructed. In such a manner, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock became a symbol of Islam in Jerusalem.

SC2C67C Rights, social justice and diversity. (Criminology subject) Essay

SC2C67C Rights, social justice and diversity. (Criminology subject) - Essay Example His major thesis was that the basic equalities that we all share as ‘citizens’ in modern western industrialized democracies have the effect of reducing or ameliorating basic inequalities. In T.H. Marshall’s view, citizenship should mean an enhancement in the concrete substance of civil life, a general reduction of risk and insecurity, an equalisation between the more and less fortunate people in all areas and at all levels (p.1965). The main purpose of citizenship according to T.H. Marshall is to achieve a fuller measure of equality, an enrichment of the various aspects of which the status is made, and an increase in the number of those on whom the status of citizenship is bestowed. Equalisation is not so much between classes as between individuals within a population which is now taken as one class. Equality of status is considered to be more important than equality of income (Dwyer, 2004: p.1965). The rights of citizenship: Dwyer (2004: p.1965) states that T.H. Marshall had delineated three rights, as integral to citizenship: civil (legal), political and social: The civil element is composed of the rights necessary for individual freedom – liberty of the person, freedom of speech, thought and faith, the right to own property and to conclude valid contracts, and the right to justice. The political element is the right to participate in the exercise of political power, which includes universal suffrage, which is the right to vote without restrictions such as property qualifications, and the right to hold public office. The social element is the whole range from the right to basic economic welfare and security, to the right to share in the full in the social heritage, and to live a civilized life according to the standards prevailing in society (Dwyer, 2004: p.1965). The duties of citizenship: Corresponding to the rights are the duties of citizenship: paying taxes and insurance contributions, education

Societal Forces Affecting Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Societal Forces Affecting Science - Essay Example Half were given an application from a â€Å"male† applicant. The other half were given the identical application, from a â€Å"female†. The allegedly female applicant was consistently marked as a less competent and less likely candidates than were the allegedly male applicants (Yuriewicz). Thus, gender bias definitely exists in the scientific community, and it blocks equality of opportunity (Yuriewicz). Masculine bias would obviously shape the field of science significantly. The findings strongly indicated that female scientists also rated male applicants as more competent and more likely candidates (Yuriewicz). This indicates that the bias in those who pride themselves on objectivity is sub-conscious, and unquestioned. This effect can and should be minimized through gender bias awareness training, and through a more objective applicant screening process, one carried out by a computer program, for example. A positive influence bias in science is the strong bias for journal publication and citation search indexes to include only English research articles (Granda-Orive, Solano-Reina and Jimenez-Ruiz 104). There is a negative influence, in that language, not quality, positions papers to be cited and quoted (104). Yet, there is a positive influence in that language and thought are closely intertwined, and it is beneficial to the advancement of scientific knowledge for there to be a global base from which to theorize. Replication is part of the scientific method, so common language brings common understanding and a common framework within which to communicate. The negative effect can and should be minimized by maintaining a citation database for non-English papers, but the positive influence of this bias outweighs the negative impact, and should be

Online Privacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Online Privacy - Research Paper Example Most U.S citizens dont want to be watched while surfing on the Internet or sending text messages to their friends. This essay will argue that the Constitution should protect the privacy of all online users. People, especially the ones who work for the government prefer that privacy continue to be monitored than staying private. It is right that having access to Internet research is strongly useful for police because of criminals that are online users. However, Government should recognize that watching Internet research of US citizens affects their privacy. Firstly because staying anonymous is impossible today, people who want to stay anonymous can’t live in the society. Everything in everyday life requires our personal information. Secondly because some sources of information picked up by the government could be wrong and these mistakes have important impacts on innocent people. And thirdly because online misuse is a breach of the constitution, knowing everything on people thanks to these new technologies is unconstitutional. A lot of technology is being invented and reinvented every day. This is makes technology dynamic which is the major reason as to why the government should prevent invasion on any individual’s privacy (Colbridge, 2012; Price 2012). Individuals have the right to privacy, Kyllo v. United States: technology v. Individual’s privacy, Colbridge, poses the question â€Å"do individuals have an actual expectation that their activities will remain private?† (337). It is from this statement that Calbridge backs it by saying that the fourth amendment expresses that the government should have a search warrant when it does an invasion. When one is online it can be said that he is on a private situation and trying to grasp what he is doing can qualify to be a form of intrusion to privacy. As much as the privacy of online users is permitted the

Work Based Learning as an Assessment Tool

Work Based Learning as an Assessment Tool Flanagan (2000) defines work-based learning as a collection of acquired knowledge, work experience and basic knowledge. It uses formal structure and the learner management to increase learning and professional development opportunities in the workplace. This definition also includes learning at work and educational activities which enables reflection, values the learners experience and learning opportunities in practice and which enhance the development of professional knowledge. Barr (2002) suggests that learning can occur at the work place or outside of work with the plan of improving work performance. In the context of health care, work-based learning has the potential to meet the needs of nurses by promoting learning that is practice driven (Walker and Dewar 2000). It allow students to find the learning abilities of their experiences, link learning to practice and interpret learning for the purpose of assessment (Swallow et al 2001). It is in view of these operational definitions that I delivered a training during one of my teams practice development sessions on Using KGV as an Assessment Tool. KGV was first published by three Psychiatrists in 1977 by; Krawiecka M, Goldberg D, and Vaughn M. as a standardised psychiatric assessment scale for rating chronic psychotic patient (Gamble, C. Brennan, G. 2000). It was later revised by Stuart Lancashier in 1996 called Manchester Symptom Severity Scale. This is to enables the user to express and measure the severity of those psychotic symptoms that are most commonly experienced by people who have psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. Corrigan et al (2001) argues that there is evidence that work-based training which is interactive with staff and practice development approaches can bring improved outcomes (McCormack et al 2006). These focus on the team in the practice setting, enabling staff to learn new practices together. In this case the training delivered adopts a bottom-up approach tailored more to team needs and, as a result, stronger ownership of the practices being developed at the end. Participants Profile Nine band 5 staff nurses and Six healthcare assistant, from two adjacent single-sex acute admission inpatient wards, took part in the session. This was a relatively mature group: six were over 40 years old and nine under 30 years of age. Some staff has never been formally trained and some need to be refreshed on the use of the tool to make them more versatile. Most had been qualified for many years and they had been working on the wards for over six years. Given the differing range of skills among participants, an important feature was flexibility of approach to meet each learners needs. The main components of the approach adopted included the following: Therapeutic skills teaching because of the topic. A key aspect was the development of a strategic approach to encounters with service users in preference to random dialogue in using this assessment tool. The overall approach aimed to enable participants to change by becoming more self-determined in their team and being more facilitat ive, rather than custodial, in their role with service users when using the assessment tool. The session started by introducing myself and the rest of the team followed. The aim of the session was explained which is to further develop staff knowledge of the use of KGV as an assessment tool within the acute inpatient admission wards. The objective was also elicited; at the end of the session staff are expected to be able to use KGV as an assessment tool to enhance patient care. The team were asked open question to begin with to encourage participant to talk, and to ascertain their needs and expectation of the session. This is also to determine how much they know about the subject. This approach was achieved based on the psychological learning theory described by Kolb (1984), which relates to experiential learning. This involve asking questions which encourage reflection, conceptualisation, and ways of testing the ideas. Learning Theories Psychologists have attempted to explain how the process of learning occurs. The main theories are explored in the context of the clinical environment, and lifelong learning. Behaviourism Psychologists from the behavioural school believe that the environment is crucial to learning: if the environment is right, learning occurs as links are made between what is offered and how people respond to it. (Quinn 2001). In this instance the room used for the session was spacious and well ventilated. The sitting arrangement was oval shape that enabled interactions between everybody in the room. It is secluded and away from the noisy environment on the ward that prevents interruptions. Although often criticised for emphasising performance at the expense of the individuals thoughts and feelings (Quinn 2001), behaviourism has some areas that are beneficial, particularly in the area of skills building and this is particular relevant to the session. Skinner (1990) concluded that hard processes need t o be learned in stages, each stage being organised and built on previous ones. Cognitive theories consider learning as an unconscious process that involves higher order mental activities such as memory, perception, thinking, problem-solving, reasoning and concept formation. Cognitive theories were built in response to behaviourist theories and include meaningful learning and discovery learning (Atkinson et al 1990). Learning occurs according to the relations between new information that the individual accumulates, and the specifically relevant structures that the learner already has (Ausubel 1968). The session was delivered to ensure the interaction results in the assimilation or incorporation of both new and existing information to form a more detailed cognitive structure (Quinn 2001). This implies that information is not just added to the old in a cumulative way; rather it acts on the current knowledge and both are changed into a more recent and detailed cognitive structure. The students starting point is an important principle of Ausubels (1968) theory. With this in mind one of the first thing I did was to ask all the participants to explain their current understanding and/or previous experience of using the KGV. This enabled me as a facilitator to relate learning more closely to individual needs thereby achieving greater effectiveness and saving valuable time. Humanistic psychology and learning is a general term for a group of theories that emerged in response to scientific explanations of the person. It is concerned with the self distinctly human qualities such as personal freedom and choice, and places value on individual experiences (Tennant 1986). Among the humanistic psychologists Rogers (1983) and Maslow (1968) developed theories based on their experience in clinical psychology. They indicated that humans beings have two main needs a need for growth and development and a need for positive regard by others. The above thoeorists focus on how individuals perceive and interpret events rather than on objective scientific interpretation. Rogers (1983) applied to education his extensive experience of observing clients learning through client-centred therapy, concluding that learning is essentially a helping process. This is reflected in the key features that form the basis of his humanistic approach to learning that education should be student-centred and that the teacher becomes a facilitator of learning. The features of the humanistic approach are summarised by Joyce and Weil (1986): individuals have a natural drive to learn, learning can be enhanced by using experience and self-evaluation which promotes independence and creativity. The whole session was interactive and participants were encouraged to be expressive on the topic since some has been using it before. Hinchliff (2004) suggests that social learning theory can be seen as part of the behavioural approach, although it relates with the cognitive areas. It is defined by Atkinson et al (1990) as: learning by watching the behaviour of others and observing what consequences it produces for them. It is often described as learning by sitting next to Nellie, and is probably one of the most common ways that learning takes place in clinical areas. Quinn (2001) believes that people learn by the type behaviour they observe and how they express difficult feelings , although ultimately the quality of the learning depends on the quality expressed by the role model. The scoring system when using KGV is a bit complex, I went through this process with the team and actually completed one to make it practical. Reece Walker (2002) suggests adult learners are able to learn more using humanist approach rather than behaviouristic principle. A humanistic approach was used in facilitating this session because it emphasises the effective aspects of man as being of equal importance to the cognitive and psychomotor elements however a bit of each theory was used (eclectic approach). During the session I was able to encourage participants participation, a relationship of mutual trust can promote the natural potential for growth and development. It was also remembered that for some of us, the deepest learning and the best performances have occurred in the most anxiety-provoking situations. Adopting a humanistic approach does not mean that students were protected from such situations. Rather, they were all supported and guided through them. Skinner (1990) argues that praises and rewards can be used as a positive reinforcement and should be given immediately and regularly to have an impact on the individual. When there is a delay in giving praise and reward, this would no longer have effective because it would not be linked to the behaviour. Hinchliff ( 2004) stated that reward can take form of smiles, nods and verbal encouragement, all these were put into use during the session with the learners. Teaching Methods: Knowles (1984) explains the theory of andragogy as a process through which adult learners takes in knowledge differently to children. He uses the term andragogy to describe the way in which adults learn, and pedagogy to describe how children learn. The andragogical approach to teaching includes of seven elements which a facilitator should take into consideration (Knowles 1984): Setting the climate for learning This involves both the physical and psychological environment and takes account of mutual respect, seating arrangements, working together, supportiveness, openness and being real and a climate of humaneness. In this instance the room used for the session was spacious and well ventilated. The sitting arrangement was oval shape that enabled interactions between everybody in the room. It is secluded and away from the noisy environment on the ward that prevented service users from knocking at the door. Power point was used to present the teaching material that was projected to the wall, this made it visible and distance between the participants and the wall was appropriate. Involving learners in mutual planning The two teams were involved jointly organising and arranging learning opportunities in line with the participants identified learning needs. This was led by two team leaders. Involving learners in identifying their learning needs This is was achieved through discussion with the participants in the light of the focus on the topic. Decision was too focused on the application of KGV and to make it relevant to our client group. Involving learners in the formulation of objectives Prior arrangement had taken place between the two leader of the two acute ward on re enforcement of using KGV on the two units. This was discussed in staff meetings. Involving learners in the design of lesson plans all the participant were aware of the rudiments of practice development forum and the learning contract was tailored to ensure that teaching is centred on the needs of participants and was delivered at their level. Helping learners to carry out their learning plans This is made possible by the facilitator. There was prior arrangement between the facilitator and the participants to read around the subject. Involving learners in evaluating their learning This should include qualitative as well as quantitative evaluation. This was done at the end of the session and all participants filled in a form that has ten questions regarding the session. There was also discussions on how we can improve our forum to make it more relevant to our need. A follow up session was arranged to support staff progress. Reece and Walker (2002) believe that adult learning theory is highly relevant to professions such as nursing, suggesting that facilitators need to provide an appropriate and individualised patient-centred learning that meet patients needs. Andragogy is similar to the humanistic psychology approach to learning as both support shared responsibility for learning and a learner centred approach. Staff Nurses are adults and, as such, are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning. Knowles (1984) seven elements above provide a useful framework for encouraging learning, based on the identified needs of students. Knowles (1990) believed that andragogy would give the field of adult education a balanced theory and a sense of unity. While pedagogy is defined as the art and science of educating young children, and viewed andragogy as any intentionally and professionally guided activity that aims to bring about a change in adults. Andragogy therefore supports a proactive approach to learning in which enquiry and freedom feature predominantly. It has much in common with the student-centred approach. To achieve the goal of this session, andragogical process was used. By adopting the above learning strategies, participants felt effectively supported as adult learner and became relaxed. Two main principles that apply are; student-teacher relationship and learning environment. Learning Styles: Sutcliffe (1993) investigated whether nurses preferred learning styles varied according to subject area studied. The results suggested that there was a change in learning style as different subjects were studied. Other factors emerging were the importance of prior learning experience, they wish to share, acknowledge and the need for close relation between theory and practice. Thus, learning style preferences influence the way in which students respond to an educational programme in relation to mastering its goals and objectives. The topic of the session is familiar but we were trying to re validate it and see how we can better enhance patient care. At the start of the session when the an open question was asked not many responded considering the fact that it a familiar topic to some. Kolb (1985) asserts that it is important for individuals to understand their learning styles so that they can increase their effectiveness as learners. Divergers excel in concrete experience and reflective observation. As with any behavioural model, these styles of learning are dynamic. Nonetheless, most individuals exhibit strong preferences for a given learning style. However, Kolb et al (1995) maintain that each individuals learning style is not necessarily static and that in using them there is a need to prevent the danger of being stereotyped. Honey and Mumford (2001) developed their learning styles questionnaire as a variation on Kolbs model. The four learning styles are: Activists who are dominated by immediate experiences and mainly interested in the here and now. They like to initiate new challenges and to be the centre of attention. I realised most are not forthcoming in responding to some of questions asked and at times lots of prompts before any response. Reflectors are observers of experiences and prefer to analyse them thoroughly before taking action. They are good listeners, cautious and tend to adopt a low profile. As the session progresses participants became more open and interactive possibly after they have ascertain and able to analysis the theory behind the subject in question. Theorists like to adopt a logical and reasonable approach to problem-solving but need structure with a clear purpose or goal. Theorists learn least well when asked to do something without apparent purpose, when activities are unstructured and ambiguous and when emotion is emphasised. There was a great deal of participation when we work through a scenario. Pragmatists are keen on trying out ideas and techniques to see if they work in practice. They are essentially practical, down-to-earth people, who like making decisions and solving problems. The four learning styles: activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist overlap and are a product of combinations of the learning from stages of experience. On a whole it will be fair to say that the class is mixed with all the learning styles. Evaluation: The session was evaluated by the way of interaction between myself and the participants. One of the highlights was the pace of the delivery, it was too fast but this was due to the time constrain. However the participants did commend the quality of handouts which can serve as reference point for individual and the knowledge of the facilitator of the subject matter. The participant did agreed that a follow up session will be useful to evaluate how much impact the session has on care delivery on the two wards and this will be in relation to multi disciplinary working. Conclusion: With the complexity and degree of change in practice, nurses are being encouraged to take responsibility for their learning. Work-based learning aims to encourage the student to be an autonomous learner. The delivery of work-based learning moves away from the concept of the teacher imparting knowledge towards the model of the teacher being a facilitator of learning (Chapman and Howkins 2003). This method of learning is consistent with the underlying philosophy of adult-centred learning (Knowles et al 2005). This is where adult learners are responsible for their learning which is self-directed and have a readiness to learn. However, even when adults are willing to assume responsibility for their own learning, they will have different aptitudes for certain kinds of learning (Russell 1990). McCormack et al (2006) reckons that work-based learning is not a panacea to providing effective learning that leads to effective practice, the consensus however is that it offers many benefits. Delivering the session on KGV has enhanced my port folio as individual and gives our practice development forum more recognition. It has also contributed to learning environment and training of staff within the clinical environment which will enhance patient care.

Andrew Jackson :: Biography Biographies Bio

Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States of America, was born on March 15, 1767 in the Waxhaw’s area near the border of North and South Carolina. His parents lived in North Carolina but historians are not sure exactly where. Jackson was the third son of Scots - Irish parents. His father died a few weeks before he was born in a logging accident. His mother, Elizabeth Hutchison Jackson was a strong independent woman. After Jackson’s father died she was able to raise their three sons while they lived with one of her sisters. When Andrew was nine years old the Declaration of Independence was wrote and signed. Then when he was only thirteen he joined the Continental Army as a courier. The Revolution hurt the Jackson family. All three boys saw the front lines. Andrew’s oldest brother Hugh, died in the Battle of Stono Ferry. Then two years later Andrew and Robert, his other older brother, were taken for prisoners for a few weeks in April of 1781.They both got smallpox and within a few days of getting let go Robert died. Later on that year Elizabeth Jackson went to Charleston to nurse American prisoners of war. There she contracted either ship fever or cholera and died. After the war was over, Andrew found himself an orphan and an only child at 14. The next year and a half he spent living with relatives and being apprenticed to a saddle maker. He taught school for a short time after the war but did not enjoy it. When he was seventeen he went to Salisbury, North Carolina which is where he studied law for a few years. He was admitted in to the North Carolina Bar in September of 1787. In June of 1796 Tennessee separated from North Carolina and admitted to the Union as the 16th state. Andrew was soon elected Tennessee’s first congressman. He was also elected as a U.S. senator but resigned after only one session. He then went home and became a judge for six years on the Tennessee Supreme Court. Andrew’s military career which had all started when he was only 13 years old became even more successful when he was elected major general of the Tennessee militia. Jackson later lead troops during the First Seminole War in Florida. General Jackson came from the battlefields of the War of 1812 a national hero. It was during this time he got his nickname which is â€Å"Old Hickory.