Midsouth Chamber of Commerce

Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (MSCC), a non-profit member supported organization that lobbies state government for local businesses, needed to update its IBM AS/400 based UNITRAK system to a more advanced structure to meet the growing demands of employees and members. Dick Gramen, a former computer trainer for an insurance broker, who had no experience with the AS/400 computer or the UNITRAK software, was hired for the job. After struggling to learn the previous hardware, software, data structure and organization operations, he urged MSCC's executive committee to purchase the IBM RS/6000 computer system (a system he was familiar with) to enhance MSCC's computing capabilities. Despite Leon Lassiter’s (vice president of marketing) admonition, the executive committee unhesitatingly granted Gramen's request. Shortly thereafter, Gramen accepted a contract with the inapt and inexperienced vendor, Data Management Associates (DMA) to develop the software and convert the UNITRAK database into the new system. Gramen did not review the contract in great detail and sent it to MSCC president, Jack Wallingford for approval. Even worse, Wallingford, without having any outside specialist or corporate counsel to review the document, blindly signed the contract. The contract later revealed no explicit or quantifiable performance standards for the services to be provided, and that DMA only offered a certain number of free development hours for the creation of the software. Moreover, DMA had the right to increase the price of services and products provided at its discretion, while limiting its financial and performance liabilities. Not surprisingly, DMA encountered a myriad of problems from the moment of implementation. And as difficulties with the software conversion mounted, DMA quickly used up the development hours, and started billing the MSCC for the work beyond the free hours guaranteed. Consequently, the relationship between DMA and the MSCC declined. The software installation was subsequently stopped within a few months due to erroneous billing issues and the lack of progress. Additionally, the MSCC could not receive reimbursement from DMA to buy another system or hire another vendor to formulate the required software since it had already made full payment (which implied acceptance of the software system). Before long, it became apparent that Gramen did not possess the necessary expertise to maintain and support the hardware platform or solve problems regarding software implementation. In my opinion, MSCC could have avoided this predicament if upper management had initially chosen a qualified individual to manage its Information Systems. Gramen failed to carefully assess the existing data resource and rushed to install a new system. He also overlooked the organization's operations, and disregarded meaningful feedback from Lassiter, one of MSCC’s senior business leaders. Needless to say, the agreement with DMA ought to have been reviewed by someone who specializes in computer software contracts prior to signing. When Lassiter officially took over as President, he hired Sage Niele as financial officer and vice president of operations. This was a prudent maneuver by Lassiter given that he could no longer afford to leave Gramen in-charge of MSCC's information systems. Niele earned her MBA from Wharton School of Business, and had formerly performed systems management tasks for a large pharmaceutical company in the Midsouth area. She also managed her own information systems and financial consulting business. Niele began gathering information from the MSCC staff on the deficiencies of the computer system as well as the needs of the organization. At the same time, she sought support from the executive committee and key board members to determine the vision of the MSCC for the operational future. This bottom-up and top-down approach was effective, and it flattened her learning curve about the MSCC and its current information systems. She also identified several RS/6000 compatible software packages that were worthy of further investigation, and sent only ‘billable' payments to DMA. I believe Niele is off to a pretty good start. By analyzing the present information system and understanding the organization's needs, she will eventually be able to develop a well-organized strategic plan that will put an end to MSCC's long history of poor operational decisions. In conclusion, Niele must consult other vendors for the development of the needed software seeing as the DMA software module will most likely never become operational. On the other hand, if this option is not viable and proves to be more costly in the long run, she must recommend the acquisition of a suitable up-to-date computer system, and ‘reengineer' MSCC's entire information system in order to improve efficiency. References: 1. Brown, C. V. , DeHayes, D. W. , Hoffer, J. A. , Martin E. W. , & Perkins, W. C. (2009). Managing Information Technology (6th ed. ). (pp. 192-200). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 2. Brown, J. (2002). Midsouth Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:JUu8KurO1bcJ:www. obscure. org/~perky/uofr/fall2002/ISYS203U/MidSouth. pdf+midsouth+chamber+of+commerce&hl=en&gl=bh&sig=AHIEtbQeM3WcQZul-rFxO4h0x5-OQb7qtQ

Developing and Maintaining Skills for Everyday Life

As a carer your role is not to do things â€Å"for† the individuals you care for but to do things â€Å"with† them. Your role is to work in partnership with the individual and support their decisions, regarding their care and support them to do as much as possible for themselves. If you provide too much care for an individual they can lose skills, not learn new skills and do not regain skills they have lost. By providing active support and encouraging the individual to participate in their daily living needs you are helping them to develop and maintain their skills for everyday life.Individuals may have an evaluation to assess their physical skills. This may be carried out by an occupational therapist who will assess how well an individual can function in daily life and participate in their environment. The OT will assess what equipment and adaptations are appropriate which might assist an individual to remain as independent as possible. Occupational therapy has been sh own to be successful for the elderly population with many medical conditions and surgical recoveries.Therapists work with individuals to improve their strength and regain or maintain necessary life skills. Occupational therapists working with the geriatric community counsel families, groups in the community and local governments, to make sure that each sector is doing its part to help the elderly to maintain their independence. Occupational therapy also helps geriatric clients and patients with other activities to assist in diminishing the possibility of social isolation and its unpleasant side effects.They do this by helping elderly clients and patients continue social activities they know and encouraging them to get involved in new ones as well as showing these folks ways to continue to learn in spite their limitations. Occupational therapy also promotes mind stimulating activities. These mental gymnastics give the seniors feelings of self-worth and may help them avoid getting dem entia. Encouraging individuals to join local clubs and activities can also help them to maintain and develop their skills. Developing and Maintaining Skills for Everyday Life As a carer your role is not to do things â€Å"for† the individuals you care for but to do things â€Å"with† them. Your role is to work in partnership with the individual and support their decisions, regarding their care and support them to do as much as possible for themselves. If you provide too much care for an individual they can lose skills, not learn new skills and do not regain skills they have lost. By providing active support and encouraging the individual to participate in their daily living needs you are helping them to develop and maintain their skills for everyday life.Individuals may have an evaluation to assess their physical skills. This may be carried out by an occupational therapist who will assess how well an individual can function in daily life and participate in their environment. The OT will assess what equipment and adaptations are appropriate which might assist an individual to remain as independent as possible. Occupational therapy has been sh own to be successful for the elderly population with many medical conditions and surgical recoveries.Therapists work with individuals to improve their strength and regain or maintain necessary life skills. Occupational therapists working with the geriatric community counsel families, groups in the community and local governments, to make sure that each sector is doing its part to help the elderly to maintain their independence. Occupational therapy also helps geriatric clients and patients with other activities to assist in diminishing the possibility of social isolation and its unpleasant side effects.They do this by helping elderly clients and patients continue social activities they know and encouraging them to get involved in new ones as well as showing these folks ways to continue to learn in spite their limitations. Occupational therapy also promotes mind stimulating activities. These mental gymnastics give the seniors feelings of self-worth and may help them avoid getting dem entia. Encouraging individuals to join local clubs and activities can also help them to maintain and develop their skills.

Nursing Research Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nursing Research Portfolio - Assignment Example Indeed, although I had difficulties earlier in the interview and field observation, the hardship I experienced during the creation of the codebook was more difficult because it was much longer. I had to read the transcript over and over again in order to get a â€Å"feel† of the thoughts in the interview, and then I had to read them again in the coding of the transcript, and then again in the creation of the codebook. Looking at the steps, they can be almost considered as easy; however, what made them rather difficult was the fact that I grew tired of my transcript, to the point that I almost could not get new ideas in the succeeding times that I read it. Nevertheless, when I allowed myself some rest and then revisited the paper a few days after, I was able to appreciate the paper better. Somehow, the patterns and the recurrent concepts became more apparent and coding became a little easier. In addition, there were also some methodological/analytical insights that I realized f rom the coding process. One of these realizations is the fact that all the qualitative data are related to each other, although seemingly unconnected. Indeed, a response to one question could actually a supporting idea for another response in a later question. Another realization involves the fact that the researcher affects the way by which the coding is carried out, not only in the selection of methodology but in the actual choice of concepts itself. From my experience in the coding of my interview transcript, I observed that the interpretive process is shaped by my own spiritual beliefs and orientation. An example of this would be my inclusion of the principal characters involved in the maintenance/observation of religion and spirituality. Some people may have overlooked this aspect of the transcript, but because I believed that religion and spirituality involves a collective effort, I included the said principal players. Furthermore, when I compared my codebook with those of my group mates, I observed some significant differences. For example, my group mates included the characteristics of a spiritual person, as well as the different perceptions of spirituality, but these were not included in my code book. Also, my group mates did not include the principal characters involved in the maintenance/observation of religion and spirituality. I also noticed that the transcripts of my group mates did not really explore the role played or the influence of the workplace in the maintenance of religion and spirituality, which was, ironically, supposed to be the main topic of the coding exercise. Perhaps, the most basic explanation for these differences lies in the fact that I am different and unique from my group mates, and that although we share the same religion, we may not have the same spirituality. Week 6: Reflections on the Thematic Analysis If I thought that the creation of the codebook was difficult, then I guess I was greatly mistaken because it would seem th at the thematic analysis was much more difficult. I had two options in making the thematic analysis: I could either present the themes with written summaries and data excerpts illustrating the themes or I could choose to present my thematic analysis with the use of a concept map and a narrative describing the said map.

Good Documentation is Good Communication Nursing Care Plans Essay

Good Documentation is Good Communication Nursing Care Plans - Essay Example This essay approves that despite so many potential beneficial aspects covered in the nursing care plan, it continues to be regarded as a mere additional burden to work or just a waste of time. It is a sorrow to see this reflection of some experts in the healthcare system. A document as an additional attempt to make more scientific and applicable the care system is the nursing care document. Its preparation, maintenance, usage, application, and respect can certainly add to the good documentation practice. And good documentation practice has always been a preferable and better means of good communication. In an attempt to explain the crucial points for patient’s care, a nurse may be required to depart from much of her on-duty time. This loss of time can also become a cause of less potential care imparted to the patient in the span of specific time. A plan, its document can ease the need of explanation and ensure more specificity and knowledge to the learner. This report makes a conclusion that it is thus essential to maintain twenty-four hour outcome summaries in documented form. The document should be updated daily in the progress notes by the responsible registered nurse. This nursing care plan document should include any difficulties observed during the process of achieving the set goal. It should also include any changes and or/ deviations that were made in the care plan and family’s contribution in an attempt to achieve the document specified goal. The plans that are required to address an incurable but manageable ailment or symptom should be addressed.

Test#1, Part #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Test#1, Part #2 - Essay Example He objected most people moral norm – that is to â€Å"never† steal ones property, not minding much about giving their excess resources or wealth to the famine victims. He wanted to spread the â€Å"news† that its a moral norm to help and save â€Å"anyone† within your capacity. If one has plenty of money, he can therefore help somebody whos stomach is starving. How about Garrett Hardins remedy? Its more convincing and practical in many ways. Since we all share life on this planet, no single person or institution has the right to destroy, waste, or use more than a fair share of its resources. He clearly explained the ethics of a spaceship with those of a lifeboat. He clearly depicted the system of the commons where no one take control of the major resources that needed to be preserved for some significant reasons. One has to save, one has to protect, and one has to take control in order to preserve room for life in the future. A lifeboat, for instance, is l imited in capacity. Few would survive or else all of them will die. Going to Jonathan Swifts modest proposal – for preventing the children of poor people (in Ireland), from being a burden to their parents, or country, and for making them beneficial for the public – their mother will nurse them, make them fat, and sell them as a nutritious foods for the rich men. So instead of giving additional expenditures, they will turn to be an income to their families, time would eventually come that there is no more beggar, or woman in rag along the street that begs for food. Let me tell you what I comprehended: giving fair share to the famine victims, for example in Bengal refugees cant help them, because its impossible for all of us to act by heart. It was then shown by the amount actually contributed that time by richer nations. If we will talk about the moral norm suggested by Singer, all of

Problems when installing software Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problems when installing software - Essay Example mportant to clarify the existence of a significant of problems that usually arise when it is installed or put into use in an organization (Ashdown & Easton 2001). In simple terms, the term software installation entails a process of bedding in a well-defined set of computer programs necessary for accomplishing a predefined set of tasks. In other words, this involves the act of making a particular computer application ready for use by adding its integrated components into a computer with an objective of reaping crucial functionalities. One of the most common problems in installing a software in an organization is lack of full compatibility with the installer of the organization operating system. This problem arises in scenarios where poor requirements gathering process is done particularly on the operating system needs of the software. To be precise, the compatibility issue occurs in scenarios where the software is successfully installed but containing problems in implementing some crucial functionalities necessary for the daily organization operations. This results into immense losses since sometimes the whole software can have to be uninstalled and never used in the organization (Faris 2006). Fear of the unknown by most employees in an organization offers another major problem in the newly installed software. Most employees usually fear that a new software installation can affect their reputations or remove the advantages enjoyed before. In this sense, employees can do their best to manipulate the software and rendering it non-functional or not working as per expectations. To the organization, this usually results into a huge a problem since it renders all investments made for the software turn into complete losses (Rozanski & Woods 2011). It is important to note that hacker techniques all around the globe have under gone significant technological advancements. This includes the fact that they integrate Trojan horses into most organization software or business

Leadership traits behaviors and styles Assignment

Leadership traits behaviors and styles - Assignment Example However, of significance to the study is Marchionne’s tenure as CEO of Chrysler, an automobile company based in the United States. Marchionne took over as CEO in 2009 replacing Robert Nardelli, at a time when Chrysler faced huge financial constraints. The fact that he had turned Fiat, an Italian based automobile company into a profitable organization, made him the ideal candidate for the job. Marchionne managed to repay Chrysler’s loans to the government six years in advance and re-built Chrysler as a profitable automobile empire within a very short time (Wernle, 2010). Explored in this essay includes Marchionne’s leadership and personality traits, behavior orientation, and leadership style. The Five Factor Model (FFM) outlines five personality dimensions, which include Neurotism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion and Openness (OCEAN). Within each dimension are primary factors, which describe in detail individual qualities. Personality psychologists such as Eynseck infer that an individual’s personality encompasses a combination of both dispositional and situational factors. Dispositional factors account for internal factors such as temperance and cognitive and genetic predispositions among others. Conversely, situational factors account for external factors predisposed by the environment such as media, family and peers among others. The analysis of personality dimensions proposed by the FFM enables one to analyze an individual in a holistic manner without the overlapping of qualities, which are specific to each dimension. As such, a person either falls on one end of the high-low continuum of each dimension. Sergio Marchionne is high in conscientiousness, low in neuroticism, high in openness to experience, moderate in extraversion, and low in agreeableness. Conscientiousness encompasses an individual’s inclination towards being involved and dependable. As a CEO,

The Best Fish and Chips Shop in 2003 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Best Fish and Chips Shop in 2003 - Article Example Mr. Jones drew on his past experience as a customer and asked himself what he actually wants from a fish and chips product. All of the little things and ideas he and the staff have was put together to come up with better ways of improving both services and product. Some of their core products are the batter less Cod and Chicken Goujons which stands out among competitors. The staff has a way of reinventing some processes such as a certain way of washing the fryer so old starch would not stick to the new batter. Such things may seem little but they do go a long way in satisfying customer’s tastes. In fact, customers pass 8 more fish and chips shop before reaching Finnegan’s which shows how strong Finnegan’s brand loyalty is. Additionally, customers do not mind waiting for half an hour just to grab the favorite takeaway – fish and chips. There are several factors that can contribute to the future success of the organization, namely: focus on main products, creative marketing, and innovation. The owner himself doesn’t want to diversify too much when it comes to product development. He believes that diluting the focus of the business by offering too many products would not be advantageous in terms of profitability. Instead, current products are marketed in a different way so customers have better choices. For example, they created a kiddies’ serving for children which is not common among fish and chips shops. Also, they often ask the opinion of customers which is a good way of getting feedback. Even the packaging of the product is taken into account which just shows how keen the owner is in satisfying his customers. Simple things such as food warming process are also considered so eventually, everything ends up as the added value to the brand Finnegan. An obstacle that could limit their growth in terms of core competencies would be cutting costs. Although Mr. Jones saves as much as 10,000 pounds a year due to his good bidding skills.

A tale of two lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A tale of two lives - Essay Example As a result, the two teenage boys are now serving a sentence in juvenile jails (Pioppi 3). Frank court sentence is more rigid unlike Carlos. Frank is more violent and his criminal activities have landed him in jail thrice for alleged offences including drug peddling and murder. He is serving a sentence at the Long Lane School in Middletown. The juvenile prison is regarded as the home to some of the toughest teen criminals such as Frank. At this prison, the freedom of juveniles is curtailed and when they are allowed to go out, it must be under a guard watch (Pioppi 4). Unlike Frank, Carlos detention school is friendlier than Long Lane and it is managed by a private agency. Detainees at this prison are also privileged to have several amenities unlike in Long Lane. There are tennis courts and a swimming pool where the teens can unwind. According to the author, the Connecticut Junior Republic in Litchfield is more of a boarding school rather than a juvenile center for young criminals. In my view, Carlos prison enjoys more freedom than in Long Lane School, where juveniles are always handcuffed and their movements monitored. Carlos is never handcuffed and can move around the school without being guarded (Pioppi 5). Even though Frank is in a more secure facility, he manages to escape and still commit other serious crimes. His first crime was selling drugs at the city of New Haven. He was later released and was sentenced against for murder charges. He escaped again several time and was involved in a shooting incident. This shows his determination to commit more crimes without getting worried about spending his entire life in prison. His tone is rough and unapologetic and it shows that prison life has not rehabilitated him. As the author notes, the prison authorities are contemplating sending him to prison for good (Pioppi 4). Carlos is friendlier and polite as compared to Frank. The author describes him as a changed person who does not correspond to

Research for a Database For a Travel Agents Essay Example for Free

Research for a Database For a Travel Agents Essay Introduction I have been given a task to make things easier for a travel agent called Type a Flight. Type a Flight is a travel agent which is situated in Warrington and it was established in 2005 and it also has about 500 customers. The company does all its work manually. They keep their documents in filing cabinets. So when customers call in to book flights then they have to look in the cabinets for a document. This is very time consuming and due to this problem they could loose a fantastic amount of customers because they will get tired on the phone. Filing cabinets also take up a lot of space. This is getting very difficult and time consuming as the number of customers is rising on a daily basis. One of the problems is that it takes time writing letters by hand .For this problem I have come to conclusion that I will create template letters for the company and these can be sent out to customers to tell the customers that their ticket is ready or for any reasons. The conclusion I have come to is that I am going to help the agency in every single way. My main aim is to make the agency more professional and more modern and make things easier for them. For me to do my task, I will need a computer and a few important application softwares with which I shall make a database, logo and other things. Research I had a look at a database which I was shown by my class teacher. It was called Type of Flight. In the database it had things like name, ID, gender, telephone number. Database: Type a Flight Comment: The logo is located on the centre of the switchboard. The logo is got to do with holidays and other things which the agency offers. Around the logo there are the buttons which will be needed. The database has things like name, town, address, telephone numbers, date of birth, gender postcode and other few things. The database makes things easier and quicker now. This was done by putting queries, forms and a switchboard. Tasks To do my task I have broke the task into the following five parts: 1. Getting information about the travel agency. 2. Design a logo and a slogan for the travel agency. 3. Create a database, Queries, Forms and switchboard. 4. Create a letterhead and design letter templates. 5. Writing reports at the end (User Guides). 1. Getting information about the travel agency a. I can do this task by going on the internet but I will not do it this way because on the internet it will not tell you how the agency works. b. I can also do this task by going around and asking a few people but will not use it because people might not have the correct and up to date information. c. I will do this task this by Interviewing the agency manager because he will know the latest information and what problems there are in the agency. 1. What problems do you have in the agency? 2. How many customers does the agency have? Less than 100 100-250 250-500 More than 500 3. How are the documents of the customers stored? Filing Cabinet Other 4. What do you think of a computerized way to remove your problems? 5. Do your employees know how to use Microsoft Access? Yes No Do not know 6. Are your employees capable of using a switchboard? Yes No Do not know 7. Does the agency have letter templates? Yes No 8. Does the agency have a good logo? Yes No 9. Do the employees need a user guide? Yes No 10. What changes will the agency have if the computerized way was used? 2. Design a logo and a slogan for the travel agency a. I can do this task by using Microsoft Word but will not do it this way because it does not have many of the tools needed to make a logo but I can make the slogan on it. b. I can also do this task by using Adobe Photoshop but will not use it because the application is quite complicated for me. c. I will do this task this by using Paint because It offers a good amount of tools which can be used to make a good logo and a slogan. 3. Create a database, Queries, Forms and switchboard a. I can do this task by using pen and paper but will not do it this way because it will be time consuming and many mistakes can be made. b. I can also do this task by using Open Office Base but will not use it because it is harder to use than Microsoft Access. c. I will do this task this by using Microsoft Access because I can make databases, Queries, Forms and switchboards more quicker because I have used it many times before. 4. Create a letterhead and design letter templates a. I can do this task by using Microsoft Publisher but will not do it this way because it is a little hard to create a letter template but a letterhead can be produced easily. b. I can also do this task by using Paint but will not use it because it is not suitable for large amount writing. c. I will do this task this by using Microsoft Word because this application is good for making letterheads and letter templates as it gives a step by step way of making it. 5. Writing reports at the end (User Guides) a. I can do this task by using WordPad but will not do it this way because it is not possible to put in arrows to make things clearer to people. b. I can also do this task by doing it on paper and there after scan it but will not use it because it may not be neat and professional enough. c. I will do this task this by using Microsoft Word because I can take screen shots and then I can paste them onto the page. There after I will put in arrows and any other things if needed to label it clearly with information so that people fully understand. Input, Output, Process and Storage After my research and looking at the various tasks, I can establish what the input, output and storage of the system is. Ease of use The final product that I will make would consist of database, queries, forms and letterheads. It would be easy for the agency to use because I think the employees are more or less familiar with computers and using the applications needed. I will also supply them with a user guide. The user guide will be simple and very easy to use. It will have screenshots and clear labeling with arrows so if the employees get stuck any where then they could refer to the user guide which has clear instructions and easy step by step of using any application. After using the user guide the employees should have no doubt in using an application. Description of problem = 1 Plan of solution = 1 Methods = 1 Solution meets requirement = 1 Ease of use = 1

The Rural Development And Agritourisms

The Rural Development And Agritourisms As per the evidence in the chapter 2, it is clear that tourism is an important sector and it has the ability to contribute for national development of many countries in developed and also in developing world. In this chapter, relationship between agritourism; a form of rural tourism and rural development is going to be studied to understand the level of contribution of agritourism for the rural development using existing literature especially in developing countries. Therefore, this chapter establishes the vital theoretical background for this research. This chapter is consisted of three main sections. In the first section, information related to rural development including definitions, different sectors of rural development, a new paradigm of rural tourism and barriers of rural development in developing countries. The second section provides information related to agritourism such as the concept, definitions, theoretical basis of agritourism, activities of agritourism, factors affecting for successful agritourism, advantages and disadvantages of agritourism, impact of agritourism for local residents, important policies related to agritourism development and current situation and development of agritourism in the world and in Asia. In the last section, relationship between agritourism and rural development has been discussed in detail. 3.1 Concept of rural development Before understand what rural development is, it is important to look at what rural areas are. In general, rural areas are geographical areas that are located outside the towns or cities. Hamlets, villages, towns, and other small settlements are in or surrounded by rural areas. Rural areas are open swath of lands that has few homes or other buildings, and not very many people. In rural areas, population density is lower than urban areas. Still 70 percent of the worlds poor is living in rural areas (World Bank, 2010) and agriculture is the main source of income and employment. Agriculture and forestry represent activities which occupy many fields of land and play a primary role in the managing of the rich natural resources and in the formation of the landscape in the rural regions, where they constitute an essential part of the natural environment and cultural heritage. Wildlife is more frequently found in rural areas. Rural development generally refers to the process of improving the quality of life and economic wellbeing of people living in relatively isolated and sparsely populated rural areas. It aims at the improvement of welfare of rural populations through the sustained growth of the rural economy. As a concept, it connotes overall development of rural areas with a view to improve the quality of life rural people. As a phenomenon, it is the result of various physical, technological, economic, socio-cultural and institutional factors. As a discipline, it is multi-disciplinary in nature representing an intersection of agricultural, social, behavioral and management of sciences (Fotiadis, 2009.). Rural development is not simply an economic proposition; it has social, psychological and cultural dimensions as well. It is a multi-dimensional as well as multi-directional concept. Thus, rural development is a program designed to improve the socio-economic living conditions of the rural poor. It aims at raising their cultural level and reorienting their rich traditions. It seeks to achieve increase rural production and productivity, greater socio-economic equity and a higher standard of living for the rural poor. It is partly ameliorative and partly development-oriented (..). Development is interlinked with motivation, innovation and the active participation of the beneficiaries. Rural development recognizes the importance of improved food supplies and nutrition, as well as the importance of basic services such as health, housing, education and expanded communications, which will go a long way in enhancing the productivity of the rural poor. Moreover, it aims at providing gainful e mployment, so that the rural people too may contribute their mite to the national product. Rural development implies a fuller development of existing resources, including the construction of infrastructure, such as roads and irrigation works, the introduction of new production technology, the revival of traditional arts and crafts, and the creation of new types of institutions and organizations (Desai, 2005). Not like traditional rural development approach that was based on modernization theory, the contemporary rural development is a new rural development approach, representing a policy model that seeks to focus less on the production of primary commodities and more on innovation and diversification (Ploeg et al., 2000). The model claims to encourage more democratic and effective rural development on the basis that different local stakeholders are involved as decision makers in the development process, and that the emergent development outcome is more innovative and integrated as a result. (Macken-Walsh, 2009). 3.1.1 Definitions of Rural Development There is no universally accepted definition of rural development. The term is used in different ways in vastly divergent contexts. Rural development can be defined as the development of regions excluding the urban areas such as the towns and cities. Smaller settlements such as villages, farmsteads, and market towns are normally included within the concept of rural, while most of the land area is expected to be used as agricultural land, forest or in its natural state (Apostolides. 2001?). According to Robert Chambers, rural development is a strategy to enable a specific group of people, poor rural women and men, to gain for themselves, and their children more of what they want and need. It involves helping the poorest among those who seek a livelihood in the rural areas to demand and control more of the benefits of rural development. The group includes small-scale farmers, tenants and the landless. Rural development may be defined as overall development of rural areas to improve the quality of life of rural people. It is an integrated process, which includes social, economical, political and spiritual development of the poorer sections of the society. Social or economic activities or initiatives designed to improve the standard of living in areas far away from large towns or cities. Thus, the term rural development may be used to imply any one of the above-mentioned connotations. The avoid ineffective floundering among the myriad definitions, it can be defined as a process leading to sustainable improvement in the quality of life of rural people, especially the poor 3.1.2 Barriers for rural development In many countries several problems can be identified against the rural development. They act as barriers to reach rural development. Most of them are common to number of countries. Some main barriers prevailing in developing countries can be summarized as follows. Depleting natural resources, resulting in insecurity of food and employment, compelling over majority of the rural population to live in poverty. Pollution of the environment and climate change, causing shortage of clean drinking water and adverse impact on agricultural production. Lack of employment opportunities, forcing the landless and small farmers to migrate to urban areas reducing young labour for the activities of rural areas. Poor access to education, resulting in low literacy and unemployment of the youth. Particularly among women having adverse effect on their skills development, employment productivity, family welfare and education of their children. Poor health status due to lack of clean drinking water, hygiene, sanitation and drainage facilities; Inadequate health care facilities, leading to high child mortality and morbidity; loss of labour productivity, economic loss, indebtedness and poor quality of life. Poor infrastructure for receiving timely information on development opportunities, market demand and prices for agricultural commodities, new technologies, forward and backward linkages, credit facilities and development policies of the government and Lack of technological skills to conduct processing and value addition to agricultural and other local products available in rural areas. Lack of peoples organizations and participation for supporting various socio-economic development activities and governing themselves (Hegde, 2010; Walsh, 2009; Commission on Sustainable Development, 2007). If we can overcome these problems, significant level of rural development can be obtained. It is the responsibility of the government to create a suitable environment for rural people to engage in rural development activities to gain sustainable development. 3.1. 3 New rural development paradigm As explained earlier, the traditional rural development approaches mainly based on industrial sector and modernization path. Decline in number of farms and a sharp drop in employment opportunities were seen as inevitable outcomes of this model. In addition, regional disparities increased and tensions grew between farming on the one hand and landscape, nature, environment and product on the other (Knickel 1990; Meyer 1996; Roep 2000). Until the early 1990s, due to scale-enlargement, intensification, specialization, within other sectors, a strong trend towards internalization was the parameters that circumscribed developments in the agricultural sector. With the understanding of these issues, present rural development means a new developmental model for the agricultural sector. This model entails societys expectations of agriculture and with the interests, prospect and perspectives of increasing segments of the agrarian community. In brief, new rural development can be seen as the sear ch for a new agricultural development model which is targeting to use rural resources in an effective manner to distribute benefits for the majority of the community. It is impossible and undesirable to refer to rural development as a new blueprint, but understanding of what elements should comprise in this new model are emerging fast. (Mannion 1996; Saraceno 1996) Agritourism, an alternative for diversification of agriculture is one of the main elements of it. 3.2 Concept of Agritourism Agritourism can be explained as a farm enterprise operated for the enjoyment and education of the public that may also generate additional income for the farmer by promoting farm products and experiences and giving many opportunities to local community to enhance their living standards (Wilson, Thilmany, Sullins, 2006). The concept is gaining popularity and its providing a great escape for people in urban environment from their high-paced, strenuous and many times monotonous lifestyle. At the same time its helping the new generation to get first-hand experience of the rural life, which otherwise is limited only to the books for them. Spending time on the farms, interacting with the local people and farmers to get an insight into their day-to-day work and their traditions, participating in the local fairs and festivals, doing the actual work on the farm, milking the cow, riding a bullock cart, are some of the activities that can be enjoyed on an agritourism outing. 3.2.1 Theoretical basis of agritourism Agritourism is multifunctional and cooperative strategy (Sidali, Spiller and Schulze, 2011; Wilson, 2007; Essex, et. al., 2005; Schmitt, 2010; Mason, 2000). The post-productivits agricultural system is the new approach in agricultural development. It is very complicated than subsistence and productivits agriculture systems (Topcu, 2007). Post-productivits agriculture system is a broad concept and the five main tasks of it are qualitative priorities in food production, alternative income sources for farmers and sustainability of agricultural lands, conservation of environment and new employment opportunities. Agritourism can easily link with these new aspects of agricultural development. Moreover, agritourism can be performed in five important sectors such as agricultural economic, socio-cultural, environmental and educational context in an effective manner. Further, since it is highly involved with the gender factor, agritourism as a gender approach is also having higher importance ( Topcu, 2007; Sidali, Spiller and Schulze; 2011; Wilson, 2007; Essex, et. al., 2005). 3.2.2 Definitions of agritourism Before 1990, only a little information has been published on agritourism. This lack of information was one of the reasons for the absence for the commonly accepted definition (Lack, 1997). However, after 1990, the research literature on agritourism has flourished and several number of definitions are available now (McGehee Kim, 2004). Some selected definitions of agritourism are as follows. Agritourism can be defined as the practice of engaging in activities, events and services that has been provided to consumers for recreational, entertainment, or educational purposes at a farm, ranch, or other agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operation in order to allow consumers to experience, learn about, and participate in various facets of agricultural industry, culinary pursuits, natural resources, and heritage (Colorado Agritourism Research Project, 2010). Tew (2010) cited The Agribusiness Development Division of the Missouri Department of Agriculture (2010) defines agritourism as, visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operation for the purpose of appreciation, enjoyment, education, or recreational involvement with agricultural, natural or heritage resources Agritourism as an innovative agricultural activity related to tourism and agriculture both in which has capacity to create additional source of income and employment opportunities to the farmers and local communities (Maruti, 2009). Agritourism can be characterized as a business or activity that invites visitors to come on-farm or into a rural community to enjoy agriculture, its produce and the natural environment in which it exists. Agritourism is generally an additional enterprise added to the farm, integrating tourism into agri-business (Porcaro, 2009). An activity, enterprise or business which combines primary elements and characteristics of agriculture and tourism and provides an experience for visitors which stimulates economic activity and impacts both farm and community income (Bruch, 2008). Tourism on a working farm in which visitors can experience a direct connection with the host farm, rural life and/or the local environment. There is not a consistent definition of agritourism in the literature, and it has been used interchangeably with other terms. For example, some studies have previously been synonymously linked to rural tourism, farm tourism, agro-tourism, agricultural tourism and farm based vacation (Seong-woo and Sou-yeon, 2006; Ilbery, 1998; Ilbery, 1991). However, the main idea of all of these definitions is more or less similar. As a whole, agritourism can be explained as an interaction among agricultural producers, visitors, and local residents. Operators (mainly farmers) can earn extra income from the farm, visitors can get real knowledge and experience on farming and local residents can enhance their living slandered in several ways. 3.2.3 Working definition for agritourism in the study For the purpose of this study, agritourism is defined as tourism activities that conduct in working farm and surrounding, for enjoyment, education, recreation of visitors, hoping an additional income for the operator from farm resources in special and sustainable local development in general. This is the working definition for agritourism in this study that is suitable in Sri Lankan context. After having strong theoretical knowledge and practical experience in agritourism sector, this was developed, including considering the main purposes of agritourism visitors, motivation of agritourism operators and expectations of local residents for rural development. Economic, social, environmental dimensions have been included in this definition. 3.2.4 Activities involved in agritourism Normally, agritourism activities are the tourism activities take place in agricultural lands and surrounding rural environments. The number of agritourism activities mainly depends on the size of the farm and nature of the farming activities. These activities are important for the visitors to enjoy and learn agriculture. Blacka et al (2001) has divided agritourism activities in Virginia, into six categories as lodging and camping (bed breakfast, camp sites, youth camp, farm vacation, weddings, honeymoons), special events and festivals (music festivals, haunted house, holiday celebrations, harvest festivals) Off the farm (farmers markets, roadside produce stands), recreational activities and events (fee fishing, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, skeet shooting), tourism related direct marketing (pick your own fruits/vegetables, sell processed food on the farm, sell herbal organic products) an youth and or adult education (Organized tours, agricultural educational programs, dem onstrations). Lack (1995) divided agritourism British Colombia, into three groups as retail sales/ direct marketing (goods produced on-site, customer harvested produce and goods produced off-site), Tours (tour of processing facilities, scenic tours and tours of production facilities) and activities (accommodation, cultural activities, recreation and educational or hands on experiences). It is important to include all the possible agritourism activities because it helps to increase the length of stay and satisfaction of the visitors. In European countries, in a farm there are activities for visitors even for several days. However, the number of agritourism activities is lower in Asian countries. Further, activities in agritourism and rural tourism havent clearly categorized yet and most of the time they are used interchangeably. Briefly, a successful agritourism operation should have three aspects. They are the need to have things for visitors to see (educational tours, historical recreations, festivals/special events, crop arts), things for visitors to do (educational activities, petting zoos, hay rides, pick your own) and things for visitors to buy (food drinks, farm products, souvenirs). Things to see and do are often offered free of charge. But, money can be earned by selling things to the visitors (Adam, 2001). Agritourism can be used as primary, supplementary or complementary enterprise. As a primary enterprise, agritourism would be the main activity in the farm. Agritourism could be a minor activity in supplementary enterprises and it would share equal footing in complementary enterprises (Blacka et al., 2001). Agritourism can consist of different alternatives such as temporary attraction or special event, part of a large agriculture-oriented destination, part of a large non-agriculture-oriented dest ination, and complete agritourism agritourism operation. Different forms agritourism business Farmers can incorporate agritourism activities to their farms in various ways according to the situation. Four possible ways are; as a supplementary, complementary or primary enterprise, farmer must be ready to think creatively and plan effectively in order to success the agritourism enterprise (Mnguni, 2010). Supplementary enterprise In a supplementary enterprise, agritourism could be a minor activity that would support the other products on the farm. For example, if the primary enterprise is crop production, educational and training programs can be introduced with marketing facility of value added crop products. Complementary enterprise In a complementary enterprise, agritourism activities have equal share with other enterprises in the farm product mix. For instance, if there is a grapes production enterprise on the farm, it the farmer wants to sell half of the grapes to a whole seller and the remainder to pick-your-own operations for visitors on the farm, then the two enterprises would be complementary enterprises. The primary enterprise In the primary enterprise, agritourism would be the major activity on the farm. For example, suppose that a farmer wants to open a winery on the farm and invite guests to spend the day or the weekend tasting wine. As a part of the wine tasting package, farmer may include overnight lodging in a cottage on your farm. You may produce grapes for the wine on your farm to supplement your wine tasting activities. Here agritourism is the main part of the farm product mix and it becomes the primary enterprise (Bernardo, Valentin and Leatherman, 2007; Blacka, et al, 2001). 3.2.5 Issues and challenges of agritourism development As agritourism is a business activity, lots of requirements are essential for the successfulness of it. However, as agritourism is conduct mainly in rural areas by farmers, presence of several issues and challenges is a common phenomenon. For example, a study by Lack (1995) in British Colombia, has discovered that, lack of training, marketing knowledge, quality control, finance, appropriate insurance, excessive regulations, personal challenges for farm families, conflict with primary agricultural production, distance from markets, infrastructure limitations and farm disease are the challenges of agritourism development in that country. Agritourism in Nova Scotia has some obstacles. Many agritourism operators face the problem of lack of assistance and the knowledge required to produce market-ready products as Nova Scotia Tourism and Culture is reluctant to include and to enhance agritourism in their marketing campaigns. This lack of support hinders the development of agritourism produ cts and services resulting poorly developed and marketed products by farmers. So, farmers could not develop many skills required to operate an effective tourism business (Colton and Bissix, 2005). A study in Haryana, India has reported that the Lack of funds for publicity and advertisement less number of visitors, Lack of technology to develop farm tourism, lack of motivation of farmers, inadequate price for farm products/activities as major constraints in establishing agritourism (Shehrawat, 2009). In Sri Lanka, issues and challenges in agritourism are small size farm lands, lack of required skills for the operators, poor level of processing of agricultural products, low level of publicity and promotion are the significant factors. Furthermore, lack of visitors, environmental pollution, poor condition on infrastructure, are the common problems for all the operators (Malkanthi and Routray, 2011b). Although there are few differences, most of the issues and challenges are common for many countries. As issues and challenges are negatively affect for the growth of the sector, finding solutions is utmost important. 3.2.6 Sustainability in agritourism operations Sustainable tourism development is supposed to meet the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled, while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems (World Tourism Organization, 1999) Therefore, Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability. Same as other tourism destinations, sustainability of agritourism destinations are very important in long run. Although most of the destinations that are feasible in short run, face difficulties in survival in long run. So, economic feasibility, social acceptability and environmental friendliness of tourism operations are equally applicable to agritourism as well. World Tourism Organization (2001), defines sustainable development as convene the requirement of present tourists and host regions as caring and improving opportunity for prospect. Its management of resources satisfies in way of economical, social and aesthetic needs satisfying while maintaining cultural integrity necessary for ecological processes, biological diversity and existence support system. Markandya, et.al., (2003) have reported that the three main linkages among tourism and sustainable development are economic, social and environmental. Tourism can kill itself if we mismanage the tourism activities and places (Yalcin Kuwan Perran Akan, 2001). Unspoiled natural environment is an asset of the industry. It will create the competitive advantage to the industry (Cater, 1993). The implementation and success of policies of sustainability, in employing tourism income to support social and cultural development and wild life conservation, require strategy framework which guides tourism development in a balanced and coherent way (Hall, 1998). Economic feasibility As one element of destinations economy, tourism must support a viable economic base. A healthy economy enables a country, region or city to pursue initiatives designed to enhance the quality of its residents (Ritchie Crouch, 2003). Traditional way of management of tourism destination was rather productive and resource-centered. But since there are limits in adapting to the market, the present strategy is combined supply and market let approach. In this context, management of demand is highly responsible for the sustainable tourism development (Kastenholz, 2004). So, instead of profit maximization of a destination by damaging the environment in short term, now the principle is to obtain the optimum profit. Economic benefits are positively related with the number of visitors. Further arrangement of traditional and cultural events is cost effective with this large number. However, as agritourism is a niche market, socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable, cooperation of cultural activities is very important. Socio-cultural feasibility It is widely accepted that local community participation is essential in sustainable tourism. Since agritourism is a service industry, goodwill and cooperation of host communities are the key factors of the success of the industry (Cole, 2006; Knowd, 2006). It is more important for the positive effects of tourism to the local community. It should be free from negative effects to the community. So, it is essential to test the social acceptability of tourism destinations (Gonzalez and Falcon, 2003). Convery, Dutson Scott (2006) found out the importance of stronger link between tourism and surrounding communities. The study also emphasizes the importance of social capital and social network in remote upland rural locations for the success of the operation. Most common measurement in tourism socio cultural force is the relation of visitors to the local population. Vital indicators are the stay-over time and average length of stay (Mcelroy, 2003). Sharpley (2002) said that socio-cultural growth includes population of remote areas, development and maintenance of public services, renewal of local craft, customs and cultural recognition. So it influences the chance for social control and exchange. Environmental feasibility Tourism destination should less damage to the surrounding environment; especially it should be free from serious environmental pollution activities. So, it should match with environmental rules and regulations and followed by Environment Impact Assessment (United Nations, 1999). However, the literature reveals that little evidence is there regarding environment being considered by farmers, planners and tourism professionals (Kline et al. 2007). Thus, sustainable agritourism should ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation. Also, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance. It should make careful use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. Sustainable agritourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable agritourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary. Furthermore, it should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them. Although it is difficult and expensive, agritourism development should follow the sustainable tourism procedures to obtain the real benefits of it forever. However, most of the operators in many countries mainly emphasize only on short term economic advantages without social and environmental benefits. This is the reason for the breakdown of many tourism operations including agritourism, within a short time period. 3.2.7 Government policies in agritourism In general local government is the most important authority in establishing tourism development policies (Perce, 1989). However, the types and the content of its involvement vary from country to country based on the political, economic, and constitutional systems. In many European countries governments have supported the growth of the agritourism sector. There are national policies for the support and development of agritourism in a number of countries for a long time. For instance, in France, state financial aids to support the renovation of redundant farm buildings into accommodation facilities were introduced in 1954. Farms in Italy, Germany and Denmark also have long benefited from national support for the development of tourist facilities (Frater, 1983; Nilsson, 2002). In Britain, Scheme offering financial incentives and advices about diversification, together with partial relaxation of planning restrictions, have facilitated the development of farm-based tourism. The farm diversification Grant Scheme introduced by the ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1988, was one of the first measures offering grants to farmers to help them develop diversification schemes (Walford, 2001). According to Douglas Douglas, (2001); Fernando, Rebollo Biadal, (2003), it is important to develop policies in a proactive nature to lay the foundation and capture the development potential of tourism for rural communities. So, the national rural tourism strategy of a country must emphasis on infrastructure development, product development, accreditation and industrial standards, education and training, market analysis and the role of government authorities and industrial leaders in further developing the rural tourism product. Ritchie Crouch (2003) reported that policy is an important factor which ensures the success of tourism destination. It also creates a friendly environment among stakeholders. Therefore, the main objectives of agritourism policy are to minimize and alleviate negative environmental, s

Comparing the Synoptic Gospels Essay -- Papers Bible Christianity Jesu

Comparing the Synoptic Gospels Should one fully read the opening four Gospels of the New Testament, he or she can find many similar patterns of literature and themes affording much attention to detail and study. This is what someone such as Merriam Webster would define as the ?Synoptic Gospels?. So, what are and how can we explain the differences and similarities among synoptic authors Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the gospel, John? Which Book was written first? To what extent did the Evangelists depend on oral tradition, written sources, or each other? The phenomenon and mystery of these similar but unique Synoptic Gospels has for centuries challenged some of the best minds of academia and the church, stirring up much scholarly controversy; baffling many New Testament Survey students. To completely understand the similarities and differences between these Synoptic Gospels we must first be acquainted with the authors of them; we ought to discern the background of their life, academic qualifications, experiences, litera ture styles, and occupations. We must also ask the questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? The first very important question I?d like to pose is: Who? Who were these author?s that challenged our hearts and minds and taught us Jesus? life, ministries, and importance? The foremost book of the New Testament is Matthew. It was written by the author, Matthew, to illustrate clearly that the ?King? has arrived. Matthew, a Jew, was very literate. He was a despised tax collector who later changed his life and lived completely for Jesus and became one of His? twelve disciples. Matthew directed this Gospel to his fellow Jews c.60-65 A.D. to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and to explain God?s kingdom that He holds i... ...ner?s Sons, New York, 1932) Stonehouse 1963 Ned B. Stonehouse, Origins of the Synoptic Gospels, (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1963) Heim 1947 Ralph D. Heim, A Harmony of the Gospels for Students (Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1947) Linnemann 1992, ET 1992 Eta Linnemann, English trans. by Robert W. Yarbrough, Is There a Synoptic Problem: Rethinking the Literary Dependence of the First Three Gospels (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1992). Appleton 1910 Robert Appleton, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX (Robert Appleton Company, 1910) Koester 1990 Helmut Koester, Ancient Christian Gospels: Their History and Development (Philadelphia: Trinity Press Int'l, 1990). Farmer 1994 William R. Farmer, The Gospel of Jesus: The Pastoral Relevance of the Synoptic Problem (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox, 1994).

Soliloquy Essay - Theatre and Language in the Soliloquies of Shakespear

Theatre and Language in the Soliloquies of Hamlet  Ã‚      The first Folio is prefaced with an address to the reader to "Read him again and again". In terms of words and action, Hamlet is the most self conscious play about its own theatricality. Words and actions throughout the play are inextricably linked, as is the notion of "playing" a part. From the outset of the play we see evidence of the external show compared with the underlying reality. In Act One, Hamlet's speech to Gertrude (Nay seems...etc) shows us the Prince talking about actions that a man "might play" and also about what is "inside" him which "passes show". (NB "Action" in Elizabethan definition meant "acting") Throughout the play we see inner reality beneath the surface performances of not only Hamlet, but other characters, too. Hamlet has only "one-liners" at the beginning of the play until we hear his first soliloquy, which is an attempt to look at "that within, which passes show". The soliloquies create a bond between the character and the audience and were a dramatic convention inherited from Greek drama. By the time of Shakespeare they had moved away from commentaries on the plot and events of the play and had become illustrative of the inner thoughts of the character. In the soliloquy the character tells the truth as he perceives it, although "truth" is subjective and can have different meanings for different characters. In Hamlet we have seven soliloquies, five major and two smaller ones, and Hamlet's character is revealed through them as the play progresses.    Hazlitt - "This is that Hamlet the Dane...whom we remember...but all whose thoughts we know as well as we know our own..Reality is in the reader's mind..It is we who are Ham... ...so to the grave. Hamlet describes himself as "Crawling between earth and heaven". Shakespeare's audience would have had a physical picture of this before them, which added great weight to the imagery of his text, as of course would the scuffle over Ophelia's corpse. At the end of the play Hamlet stops musing and the language becomes very direct and simple, "there is a divinity.." "the readiness is all". In the final scene Hamlet "acts" in all senses of the word, and "theatre" takes over. The final speeches are terse and contain references to the theatricality of the occasion. he refers to the "mutes" (extras on stage) and the "audience to this act". Fortinbras commands him to be "carried to the stage", perhaps a last comment on a play which is characterised so much as actors playing to actors in a kind of Chinese box puzzle of outward show and inner secrets.   

The Life of Socrates :: Ancient Rome Roman History

The Life of Socrates I. Socrates The most interesting and influential thinker in the fifth century was Socrates, whose dedication to careful reasoning transformed the entire enterprise. Since he sought genuine knowledge rather than mere victory over an opponent, He familiarized himself with the rhetoric and dialectics of the Sophists, the speculations of the Lonian philosophers, and the general culture of Periclean Athens. Socrates employed the same logical tricks developed by the Sophists to a new purpose, the pursuit of truth. Thus, his willingness to call everything into question and his determination to accept nothing less than an adequate account of the nature of things make him the first clear exponent of critical philosophy. Although he was well known during his own time for his conversational skills and public teaching, Socrates wrote nothing, so we are dependent upon his students (especially Kenophon and Plato) for any detailed knowledge of his methods and results. The trouble is that Plato was himself a philosopher who often injected his own theories into the dialogues he presented to the world as discussions between Socrates and other famous figures of the day. Nevertheless, it is usually assumed that at least the early dialogues of Plato provide a (fairly) accurate representation of Socrates himself. Socrates profoundly affected Western philosophy through his influence on Plato. Born in Athens, the son of Sophroniscus, a sculptor, and Phaenarete, a midwife, he received the regular elementary education in literature, music, and gymnastics. Initially, Socrates followed the craft of his father; according to a former tradition, he executed a statue group of the three Graces, which stood at the entrance to the Acropolis until the 2nd century AD. In the Peloponnesian War with Sparta he served as an infantryman with conspicuous bravery at the battles of Potidaea in 432-430BC, Delium in 424BC, and Amphipolis in 422BC. Socrates believed in the superiority of argument over writing and therefore spent the greater part of his mature life in the marketplace and public places of Athens, engaging in dialogue and argument with anyone who would listen or who would submit to interrogation. Socrates was reportedly unattractive in appearance and short of stature but was also extremely hardy and self-controlled. He enjoyed life immensely and achieved social popularity because of his ready wit and a keen sense of humor that was completely devoid of satire or cynicism. II. Attitude Toward Politics Socrates attitude toward politics was obedient, but generally steered clear of politics, restrained by what he believed to be divine warning.

He Who Laughs Last Laughs Best

Freislyn Santana Revision English 106-112 (College English II) Professor Jaime Gallagher Essay #1- Short Story 11/12/2012 He Who Laughs Last Laughs Best Edgar Allan Poe is an extraordinary writer with many powerful pieces of work, such as The Raven, The fall of the House, and The Tell-Tale Heart. The author’s theme in the story â€Å"The Black Cat† is Overconfidence can betray. In his short story â€Å"The Black Cat† Poe explores the perils of overconfidence. Poe’s use of character, tone, and irony develop this dark tale of arrogance with adventure.To portray his theme, Poe uses the story element â€Å"character† towards the ending of the story, illustrating how the narrator believes there is no way he can be caught. IN the flowing days after the murder, he begins to feel free, happy, and secure. His overconfidence becomes evident when the police unexpectedly come to search his home. He felt no embarrassment nor regret in allowing them inside. He ac companied them in the search in a calm and collected manner. As the police prepare to leave, the narrator describes himself as too happy to contain himself and badly wanted to mention a single word of his triumph.He believes there’s no way he’s going to be caught, and becomes too confident and cocky. His overconfidence leads to his demise. His final act of overconfidence is evident as the police leave, he shows off by brazenly tapping the wall with his cane. The cat cries out from the wall which leads the police to tear down the wall. They find the cat atop the corpse, the same cat the narrator so loathed and believed had ran away. Furthermore, Poe also uses â€Å"tone† as a means to portray his theme. Poe establishes calmness when the police arrive to search the home.The narrator is not in any way nervous or afraid that he might get caught; in fact, he feels secure of his concealment of his wife’s remains. Faced with a police search, the narrator quivere d not a muscle. He says â€Å"His heart beats calmly as that of one who slumbers in innocence. † He invites the police in assists them in their search. The speaker is obviously calm, and Poe illustrates the tone calm here perfectly while also using a simile, comparing the narrator’s calm heart to that of one whom innocently sleeps.Lastly, Poe uses irony as a way to demonstrate his theme. The speaker’s thought triumphing over the cat is a good example of irony. The day after he hanged Pluto, his first cat, his house unexpectedly burned down. He imagines seeing in the ruins the shape of a cat imprinted on a wall, a cat with a noose around its neck. It’s clearly ironic that even though he killed the cat, his overconfidence of believing he defeated it leads to the Pluto having the last laugh when the narrator’s house and all his riches burn with it.Poe illustrates another example of irony when the narrator kills his wife and believes the cat has run aw ay in fear. When the narrator hides his wife’s corpse in the wall and during the search of his home out of overconfidence taps on the wall repeatedly, a cry responds leading the police to tear down the wall and discover the corpse and also the cat. It’s ironic that in the end it was the cat that leads to the narrator’s demise after believing the cat had ran away.In conclusion, Poe portrays his theme Overconfidence can betray by using story elements such as tone, character, and irony. There are several examples throughout the story and Poe uses them effectively. Imagine the joy and overconfidence combines with the adrenaline that one must have while knowing they’re about to get away with murder. In the end the narrator just couldn’t contain all that emotion. Put yourself in that situation, do you think you could’ve maintained composure and got away with it?

Assignment. Sustainable Tourism Essay

Marking Criteria 1. Relevance and appropriateness of title & Addressing posed assessment topic/task 2. Sound, logical, clearly developed and well supported argument 3. Clear essay structure (intro, body, conclusion; paragraph structure) & Adherence to good academic writing practice (presentation, grammar, clarity of expression) 4. Depth and breadth of research & Analysis, evaluation and integration of research 5. Referencing (minimum of 8 academic references; in-text citations and quoting; consistency of referencing style; construction of reference list) Choose one (1) of six topics: Sustainable tourism and†¦ 1. †¦climate change 2. †¦protected areas 3. †¦poverty alleviation 4. †¦mining 5. †¦ecotourism 6. †¦, cross-cultural understanding & peace Topic 1 – ST & climate change Many authors argue that tourism is a major contributor to climate change, particularly through its travel/transport component. As the consequences of climate change are starting to influence government policies (e.g. carbon tax) and consumer behaviour (i.e. through increased consumer awareness), explore the future of tourism and how it may change (or not) over the next 20 years. Draw on examples from government policy, travel behaviour data, climate change studies and/or tourism and sustainability debates to support your case. Topic 1 – support materials †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Unit topic 6 materials Unit topic 3 reading – What if governments banned tourism? Sustainable Tourism CRC reports: http://www.crctourism.com.au/BookShop/SearchResult.aspx?k=climate%20change CSIRO resources: http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Climate/Understanding.aspx Can ST include flying? Watch the debate: http://vls.uclan.ac.uk/play.aspx?videoid=5903 ABC TV series on climate change: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/changeyourmind/characters/ News report on some impacts: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-14/heatwavesbushfires-predicted-to-hammer-nsw/4009006 Official government website on Carbon Tax: http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/ Topic 2 – ST & protected areas About 10-15 percent of the earth’s surface is in designated protected areas, with the primary focus on biodiversity conservation. However, despite protection, â€Å"[t]he loss of biodiversity is still accelerating within and beyond the boundaries of protected areas† (Bushell & Eagles 2007, p. 1). Nelson Mandela, in his opening speech at the 5th World Parks Congress in Durban argued that â€Å"It is only through alliances and partnerships that Protected Areas can be made relevant to the needs of society.† In this context, critically review tourism’s contribution to biodiversity conservation and explore opportunities for alliances between protected areas and tourism to foster relevance of protected areas to local communities and the broader society. Use examples from around the world to illustrate your argument. Topic 2 – support materials †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Materials from Unit topic 7 World database on protected areas: www.wdpa.org Tourism and Protected Areas : Benefits Beyond Boundaries / Paul F. J. Eagles, Robyn Bushell Wallingford:CAB International, 2007: http://www.cabi.org.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/CABeBooks/default.aspx?site=107&page=45&LoadModule=PDFH ier&BookID=342 â€Å"Arguments for Protected Areas : Multiple Benefits for Conservation and Use†. You can access the book using this link: http://scu.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=517175 Tourism potentials for financing protected areas: Annals of Tourism Research, 2000, Vol.27(3), pp.590-610 http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.031 Protected areas, poverty and conflicts:A livelihood case study of Mikumi National Park, Tanzania: A livelihood case study of Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. Forest Policy and Economics, 2012, Vol.21, pp.2031: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.031 †¢ †¢ †¢ Topic 3 – ST & poverty alleviation Discuss the role of tourism in reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Critically examine models such as pro-poor tourism or volunteer tourism and draw on international examples and case studies in your argument. Topic 3 – support materials †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ http://www.propoortourism.org.uk/ http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/ Make Poverty History http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/ Micah Challenge & Millenium Development Goals http://www.micahchallenge.org.au/mdg UN website on MDGs http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ http://www.miniature-earth.com/ Global Poverty Project http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/pages/about_us & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1mp0t0qc80 Topic 4 – ST & mining With the rapid expansion of natural resource extraction industries such as mining and oil and gas operations in Australia, they are increasingly encroaching on areas used for nature-based tourism. For example, the expansion of Gladstone Port in Queensland is threatening the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef; and mining and gas projects along the Kimberley Coast in Western Australia are likely to negatively affect the current tourism experience in this area. Similarly, the continuation of old-growth logging in Tasmania may reduce opportunities for nonextractive economic opportunities such as ecotourism. In a political and economic environment where governments currently see themselves as highly dependent on the short term revenues from natural resource extraction industries, the needs of the tourism industry may be seen as secondary. Explore avenues for tourism to strengthen its voice and image as a more sustainable alternative and to ensure that the strategic needs of the tourism i ndustry are recognised and being considered in the political arena. Topic 4 – support materials †¢ †¢ Great Barrier Reef – http://youtu.be/tYd5_u6ehlA Kimberley – http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/kimberley/kimberley-tourism-report-launch-aug31st-2010 & the report http://www.wilderness.org.au/pdf/Kimberley_WhaleCoast_Report.pdf Topic 5 – Ecotourism Over the last two decades, ‘ecotourism’ has come under some scrutiny and has been subject to criticisms. Explore the concept of ecotourism (1) as defined in theory and (2) as applied in practice and outline (3) what you consider ecotourism to be. Through research, clearly identify key arguments by experts and practitioners who are pro ecotourism and arguments by experts and practitioners who are against ecotourism and support their positions with examples and references. Reflect on your personal position and critically examine the pro and con views against your position. Topic 5 – support materials †¢ †¢ †¢ Journal of Ecotourism – http://www.multilingual-matters.net.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/jet/default.htm Journal of Sustainable Tourism – http://www.multilingual-matters.net.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/jost/default.htm Unit topic 3 & 8 in particular & unit materials throughout Topic 6 – ST & cross-cultural undersanding The social and cultural dimensions of tourism sustainability have gained increasing attention over recent years in attempts to more equally balance and consider the economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism. For example, research is exploring ways of capturing and monitoring the less tangible impacts of tourism activities particularly in cross-cultural contexts, such as the effects on local Aboriginal communities of tourists accessing Aboriginal lands without Traditional Owner permission. In this context, explore and critically examine arguments by tourism scholars who promote tourism as a means for promoting peace and cross-cultural understanding. Draw on examples from the literature and reflect on your own experiences as a tourist to illustrate your arguments. Topic 6 – support materials †¢ International Institute for Peace Through Tourism – http://www.iipt.org/ †¢ Alternative Tourism Group – http://www.atg.ps/index.php?page=1177263170.1198159598.1208362704 †¢ Authors such as Freya Higgins-Desbiolles: – – – Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2010) In the eye of the beholder? Tourism and the activist academic. In P. Burns et al. (Eds.) Tourism and visual culture: Vol 1 theories and concepts (pp. 98-106). Wallingford: CABI. Higgins-Desbiolles, F. & Blanchard, L. (2010) Challenging peace through tourism: Placing tourism in the context of human rights, justice & peace. In O. Moufakkir & I. Kelly (Eds.) Tourism Progress and Peace (pp. 35-47). Wallingford: CABI. Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2009) International Solidarity Movement: A case study in volunte

Ap Us History Essay

There are many stereotypes that pertain to black people. One that really stands out is â€Å"If you want to hide something from a black person hide it in a book† which the white man is trying to call us African Americans illiterate. Which is ignorant is so many type of ways. But yet we do nothing more to make that statement false by not being educated, well organized and full of wisdom. Years ago, when slavery was in its actions African Americans where always thought of as less. White people came up with the assumption that black people where only good for three things; sex which they’d rape most of the women, singing, because they made them perform as entertainment, and sports because African Americans were always â€Å"active†. Which shows you that African Americans were nothing more than than serfs (which is another word for someone working labor on it’s owners estate). African American had no real opportunity of living. Reading was against the law for African Americans. They weren’t able to read or to even learn how to read, because the white men didn’t want the slaves to go against or better yet become stronger than them. Fredrick Douglas said â€Å"Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave. â€Å", and the white men knew that. So they stayed uneducated. Which gave the white men even a better reason to think they could take over our brains. From this point on was the way for the whites to start lowering expectations of black people. As of today, African Americans are still looked down on and still are given some of the stereotypes from slavery now. Are generation and before make it no better. With the lack of education, attitude and everything else that’s makes up our community in a negative way. The black on black crimes and violence doesn’t make it even better. It’s basically giving the white men exactly what he set out to happen. The gang violence and fighting just puts the icing on the cake for everything. We are basically confirming what the white me. Is saying because we are not taking any time to read into and make a change. Make it better for no one but ourselves. These assumptions are untrue and the only way we can show that we are the opposite of these stereotype are by making a change starting small and ending big. Ignorance has existed for decades. It not that we can’t do anything about it. But it’s something that’s never going to go away. But one thing we can’t do us loss out sense and pride for our race and culture. William Wilberforce once said â€Å"You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know. † Which basically means, yes you may feel what information you may have been given is something you don’t want to hear, but in reality it’s the truth and you’ll need it in the long run. It will define who you are a person if you take the information you get and go and expand it and take it a long way. To finish up, you have to realize education is the key to a better tomorrow. Now matter how many out down and downfalls you come across just know that’s there will always be brighter days. As an African American young lady i know I have to work ten times as harder knowing the roots of how females where looked at. As long as we have life and breath, we have an opportunity to change.

How Does Mill’s Principle of Liberty Contribute to Progress?

The concept of liberty seems to have been consistently analysed and re-structured throughout history by ambitious philosophers keen on creating a ‘better world’. John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher of the XIX century, is not an exception from this trend. With his thought-provoking work â€Å"On Liberty†, he sets a basis for what he believes will lead to the development of the human being and contribute to its progress. This gives way to his Principle of Liberty, which illustrates that only a free person, and by default also the society, has the opportunity for growth through searching the truth by questioning and debating.It may be agreed upon that a strong barrier to any form of progress is the avoidance or omission of the truth. Mill goes even further and argues that an opinion may be wholly true, wholly false, or partially true, and all three benefit the common good. The only way to attain this truth is through discussion, as â€Å"If all mankind minus one , were of on opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. This quote is a prominent example of the importance of seeking the truth through thought and expression, and is one of the factors contributing to individual liberty. The world a human being grows up in shapes his opinions, and while this is acceptable for initial formations of thought and awareness, Mill argues it is dangerous to rely only on it and not reflect on other ‘worlds’. Not only would such an attitude impair the total formation of one’s mental capabilities and capacity, it would also lead to seeing yourself as infallible.After all, if a person surrounds himself with people of the same convictions as him, then it is plausible to presume that he will believe many things as issues that are no longer doubtful. This in turn results in the line between o pinion and fact getting blurred due to the inexistence of debate, causing many future errors which could have been omitted otherwise. â€Å"The suppression of opinion based on belief in infallible doctrines is dangerous†, whereas any silencing of discussion is, according to Mill, an assumption of infallibility.Treating truth as a relative concept by refusing to hear what one considers a ‘false’ opinion is â€Å"assuming that their certainty is the same things as absolute certainty†. Humans should keep their mind open to criticism of their belief and listen to a variety of views on it in order to understand it and be able to defend against it. A clash of conflicting opinions enables us to find ‘fuller’ truths. The only way we may know if a belief is true or not is to challenge it. If a doctrine â€Å"is not fully, frequently and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth†.Mill seeks to point out this fundam ental issue which, due to its simplicity and obviousness, is often underrated. â€Å"No wise man ever acquired his wisdom in any mode but this; nor is it in the nature of human intellect to become wise in any other manner†. Of course, a major problem in attaining the truth is that it may remain in â€Å"narrow circles of thinking and studious persons among whom they originate, without ever lighting up the general affairs of mankind with either a true or deceptive light†. This is precisely what Mill wants to avoid.Moreover, he wants to advance the discussion to a higher level of clarity without an individual’s actions and beliefs being restricted by bonds of custom and conformity. He notes that the most venerable beliefs arise from a person’s own critical assessments and reasoning. The Principle of Liberty illustrates his argument that freedom is indispensable to originality of character as it is the means by which a person can develop as an individual. An d, Mill claims, â€Å"The free development of individuality is one of the leading essentials of well-being†.This line of reasoning leads us to an important aspect of Mill’s Principle, i. e. how it contributes to individual and, in the long run, social progress. We have already established that seeking the truth provokes the mental development of an individual. The cultivation of individuality will result in human happiness as it requires making choices that one thinks is most beneficial to their life. â€Å"First, Mill argues, even though people do make mistakes, individuals are still more likely to be right about what would make them happy than anyone else. It is essential to help one another distinguish between worthy and unworthy pursuits through persuasive argument and use of liberty in a sensible way to fully develop as free individuals. † A second reason for liberty is that it will not only lead to better decisions in the long run, but also that the exerci se of freedom of choice is itself vital to the full development of human nature. Those who are slave to customs, Mill suggest, will never develop into rounded, flourishing individuals; not necessarily because they will be nhappy, but because they will fail to develop one of their most distinctively human capacities, the capacity for choice. † Consequently, one can argue that since individuality is a positive thing, it is necessary to build social institutions that contribute to that individuality. A functioning society whereby individuals are able to learn from others’ ‘experiments of living’ is, according to Mill, human progress at its best. â€Å"Liberty is vital as a condition of experimentation† , for without it peoples’ rational would not be used and thus would not develop.When a person becomes more valuable to himself, he immediately becomes more valuable to society. It is necessary, however, to stress the limit of liberty, also known as the Harm Principle. As long as one person’s actions do not harm the interests of another, society should not interfere. Mill identifies ‘the permanent interests of man as a progressive being’ as his interests in autonomy and in security. Furthermore, when a human being does not intrude on another person’s freedom, that person can develop accordingly, and incidentally become a role model showing others how (not) to live.This is how the â€Å"less creative† individuals of society can make informed decisions on leading their own lives, i. e. learning from experimenting, which is â€Å"quite the chief ingredient of individual and social progress†. Nevertheless, critics of Mill’s Principle are quick to notice that his ideas rest on the optimistic outlook that human beings are capable of learning from experience, indeed, that they even want to do it. Yet as history shows, humankind is consistent in failing to learn from mistakes. â€Å"Pro gress is the cornerstone of Mill’s doctrine† , yet if humans are not prepared to learn, how do they differ from ‘children and barbarians’?Liberty is a means to progress; incapable of free speech and debate, children and barbarians do not benefit from liberty and hence it does not apply to them. Thus we may assume that a certain attitude towards life is needed for Mill’s Principle to succeed, that is to say it strongly relies on humans having the capacity of making moral progress. He believes this can be trained by society in the early stages of human life. It is throughout childhood when society has the biggest influence over a person, when it should strive to embed values it hopes to see materialize in adulthood.The knowledge a child accumulates should then be left free to be interpreted in any way the adult sees fit after reaching maturity. After all, non scholae, sed vitae discimus. Moreover, â€Å"if the person fails to accept those values, or r emains immature, it is society's own fault†. Precisely this point has been the target of much criticism, seen as the crux of Mill’s idealistic vision for an improbable future that goes against human nature. For if everyone remained ‘immature’, then how is liberty to contribute to individual and social progress?If this were the case, the entire ideology would be abolished in an instant and in lieu of it in modern times, other beliefs would dominate. Yet liberty continues to be epitomized as the best answer to a free, happy society. As previously stated, ‘bonds of conformity’ are considered by Mill to be a restraint on liberty. The reason behind this is twofold. First of all, relying only on traditions and treating them as your moral guide by which you live your life, a form of dogma which one accepts without question, hinders your decision-making abilities.Mill places great emphasis on the importance of choice. By narrowing someone’s choi ces and making them complaint to a certain lifestyle, you take away their freedom. Secondly, such forced conformity denies the existence of diversity. This is a key factor in human development, for by â€Å"seeing people’s dissimilarities (†¦) one learns about one’s own weakness†. Mill is eager to draw attention to the potential opportunities that arise with this, for example, by improving oneself: you have the freedom to make mistakes, assert falsehood, and interpret the experience as you see fit.Whatever conclusion one comes to is still a form of human progress, but this is only possible thanks to an open culture. This stance is severely criticized by communitarians, who see Mill is an iconoclast. They argue that we are too interconnected to simply untie society’s ‘bonds’, and nor is there any reason why we would want to- after all, humans are social creatures and individual separation is not the key to freedom. A counter-argument to t his may be that culture is an evolving process as well, and rapid cultural transgressions do occur frequently, especially in terms of technological and scientific progress.Of course, some morals are static and universal, but if we were to perpetually follow a form of customs of society, we would remain immobile. What is more, there is a lack of consistency in communitarians’ perception of freedom, simply because they do not considerate the full extent of how subjective traditions tend to be. What is customary for one person may not be for another, and enforcing one’s traditions onto another human being, especially if it is done by society, truly harms the minority.Such a repressive form of society is deemed by Mill as a regression of individual progress, a halt to â€Å"create the ultimate good in the future, human progress†. The above mentioned arguments illustrate clearly why Mill was so keen on defending the concept of liberty, what he considers the only way in which progress can be enforced without impinging on others’ freedom. It is, he argues, the fundamental human right. â€Å"The sole end,† Mill states, â€Å"for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively†¦ in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection†.Wolff comments on this by saying that â€Å"this will enable each to seek his or her own best; it will liberate a diversity of interests to the benefit of the individual and of all; and it will nurture moral freedom and rationality. With the latter comes creativity and the means of social and intellectual progress. † Such liberty contributing to progress is more so beneficial due to what it entails, i. e. the individual’s freedom of thought and discussion. Mill protests against any stifling of opinion, for even if it were false, we would not recognize its wrongness without contrasting it with the truth.One will never reach the highest level s of self-development without debate and constant awareness of one’s fallibility. Critical assessments of beliefs and opinions are necessary, and only when they â€Å"survive the struggle as it were in the â€Å"marketplace of ideas†, then, and only then, will one be entitled to accept them as justified† . Even then, however, we may be in the wrong. As history has showed us, men who we see now as ‘evil’ and ‘immoral’ were not in their time, as they were acting accordingly to the rules of the society they were brought up in. Thus the debate must be on-going and never lead to a â€Å"deep slumber of a decided opinion†.Furthermore, â€Å"mere shock to tender sensibilities can never be weighty enough harm to counterbalance the case for free expression of opinion. † Nevertheless, it is imperative to keep in mind the statements that Mill is being too optimistic and naive. After all, his whole Principle balances on the assumption that human beings are capable of progress. Even if we concede to that, Mill’s Principle still put forward an essential aspect of human growth. How? Let us look at a quote by George Bernard Shaw: â€Å"progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything†.The importance of free speech and debate reverberates throughout the whole of â€Å"On Liberty†. Mill is always eager to encourage seeking the truth; his Harm Principle states that we cannot harm others’ interests, yet he does not rule out persuasion. Through persuasive arguments and by taking advantage of our freedom in intelligent ways, we develop both ourselves and those we come in contact with and pave the way for progress. Bibliography 1. Bartleby Editors . (2012). On Liberty. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 2. Feinberg, Joel (1980). Rights, Justice, and the Bounds of Liberty. Essays in Social Philosophy.Princeton: Princeton University Press . 3. Gray, J (1996). Mill on Liberty: A Defense. London: Routledge. Chapter 3. 4. Honderich, Ted. (2005). John Stuart Mill's On Liberty, and a Question about Liberalism. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 5. Lacewing, Michael. (2012). Mill on Liberty. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 6. Mill, John Stuart (2001). On Liberty. Kitchener: Batoche Books. 7. Sparknotes Editors. (2012). On Liberty. Available: . Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. 8. Wilson, Fred. (2007). John Stuart Mill. Available: Last accessed 15th Dec 2012. Chapter 4.