New Labour as Thatcherism with a Human Face Essay

New Labour as Thatcherism with a Human Face - Essay Example The move was said partly elicit greater support from the middle class and to support more liberal market policies, afford greater access to welfare and government services and to increase leverage for workers' rights and compensation equity initiatives not by prescribed or direct political intervention but through free market frameworks (Webber, 2009). Evaluation and Analysis There are key differences that have to be recognized by the two sets of policies. To achieve her political objectives, Hill points out that Thatcher essentially had to centralize power. In contrast, New Labour policies revived local governance and accountability including the restoration of the Greater London Authority. Both sought to address bureaucratic issues that were deemed as a deterrent to the effectiveness of governance (Talshir, 2005). Both sets of policies migrated away from the traditional politics of both of their respective parties to adapt approaches most associated more commonly with other political parties (Needham and Nou, 2005). Thatcher adapted liberal policies in contrast with her conservative background and Blair adapted free market policies that diverged from the socialist roots of the Labour party. The most often referred to contrast of the two policies has been in their policies on welfare (Hill, 2001). The Thatcher administration reduced welfare allocations a nd place more stringent criteria to its access. On the other hand, the Blair administration increased welfare funding and expanded services and coverage (Howard, 2004). Comparing the two policies their main similarities lies in their espousing free market principles: both Thatcher and Blair emphasized the need for market driven economies... Both sought to address bureaucratic issues that were deemed as a deterrent to the effectiveness of governance (Talshir, 2005). Both sets of policies migrated away from the traditional politics of both of their respective parties to adapt approaches most associated more commonly with other political parties (Needham   and Nou, 2005). Thatcher adapted liberal policies in contrast with her conservative background and Blair adapted free market policies that diverged from the socialist roots of the Labour party. The most often referred to contrast of the two policies has been in their policies on welfare (Hill, 2001). The Thatcher administration reduced welfare allocations and place more stringent criteria to its access. On the other hand, the Blair administration increased welfare funding and expanded services and coverage (Howard, 2004). Comparing the two policies their main similarities lies in their espousing free market principles: both Thatcher and Blair emphasized the need for ma rket driven economies that encourage productivity and efficiency.   Areas that they had contrasting policies, such as in their perspectives regarding welfare states, had similar consequences (Hills, 1998). Thatcher’s reduction of the welfare state emphasized the need to diminish the dependence on welfare state programs and reserved services to the most socially disadvantaged to reduce cost. In the case of New Labour policies on the same issue, though there was an increase of access pre-Thatcher reforms (Brown,   2004).

Meaning of Education Essay Example for Free

Meaning of Education Essay Recently, a university professor wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. He commented that people shouldnt put too much weight on the recently released trends in SRA scores of the states high school students. The professor went on to describe some of the unanswered questions about the nature and value of assessment. He mentioned that one of the problems with assessment was the ongoing disagreement on the very purpose of education. A few days later, a scathing response was printed from a community member who questioned whether the University really wanted someone on their staff who didnt even know the purpose of education. Clearly, this person assumed that his definition of education was shared by all. What is the meaning of education? Webster defines education as the process of educating or teaching (now thats really useful, isnt it? ) Educate is further defined as to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of Thus, from these definitions, we might assume that the purpose of education is to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of students. Unfortunately, this definition offers little unless we further define words such as develop, knowledge, and character. What is meant by knowledge? Is it a body of information that exists out there—apart from the human thought processes that developed it? If we look at the standards and benchmarks that have been developed by many states—or at E. D. Hirschs list of information needed for Cultural Literacy (1), we might assume this to be the definition of knowledge. However, there is considerable research leading others to believe that knowledge arises in the mind of an individual when that person interacts with an idea or experience. This is hardly a new argument. In ancient Greece, Socrates argued that education was about drawing out what was already within the student. (As many of you know, the word education comes from the Latin e-ducere meaning to lead out. ) At the same time, the Sophists, a group of itinerant teachers, promised to give students the necessary knowledge and skills to gain positions with the city-state. There is a dangerous tendency to assume that when people use the same words, they perceive a situation in the same way. This is rarely the case. Once one gets beyond a dictionary definition—a meaning that is often of little practical value—the meaning we assign to a word is a belief, not an absolute fact. Here are a couple of examples. â€Å"The central task of education is to implant a will and facility for learning; it should produce not learned but learning people. The truly human society is a learning society, where grandparents, parents, and children are students together. † ~Eric Hoffer â€Å"No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure. † ~Emma Goldman â€Å"The only purpose of education is to teach a student how to live his life-by developing his mind and equipping him to deal with reality. The training he needs is theoretical, i. e. , conceptual. He has to be taught to think, to understand, to integrate, to prove. He has to be taught the essentials of the knowledge discovered in the past-and he has to be equipped to acquire further knowledge by his own effort. † ~Ayn Rand â€Å"The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think—rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men. † ~Bill Beattie â€Å"The one real object of education is to leave a man in the condition of continually asking questions. † ~Bishop Creighton â€Å"The central job of schools is to maximize the capacity of each student. † ~Carol Ann Tomlinson These quotations demonstrate the diversity of beliefs about the purpose of education. How would you complete the statement, The purpose of education is ? If you ask five of your fellow teachers to complete that sentence, it is likely that youll have five different statements. Some will place the focus on knowledge, some on the teacher, and others on the student. Yet peoples beliefs in the purpose of education lie at the heart of their teaching behaviors. Despite what the letter writer might have wished, there is no definition of education that is agreed upon by all, or even most, educators. The meanings they attach to the word are complex beliefs arising from their own values and experiences. To the extent that those beliefs differ, the experience of students in todays classrooms can never be the same. Worse, many educators have never been asked to state their beliefs—or even to reflect on what they believe. At the very least, teachers owe it to their students to bring their definitions into consciousness and examine them for validity. Purposes and Functions. To make matters more complicated, theorists have made a distinction between the purpose of education and the functions of education. (2) A purpose is the fundamental goal of the process—an end to be achieved. Functions are other outcomes that may occur as a natural result of the process— byproducts or consequences of schooling. For example, some teachers believe that the transmission of knowledge is the primary purpose of education, while the transfer of knowledge from school to the real world is something that happens naturally as a consequence of possessing that knowledge—a function of education. Because a purpose is an expressed goal, more effort is put into attaining it. Functions are assumed to occur without directed effort. For this reason its valuable to figure out which outcomes you consider a fundamental purpose of education. Which of the following do you actually include in your planning? Acquisition of information about the past and present: includes traditional disciplines such as literature, history, science, mathematics Formation of healthy social and/or formal relationships among and between students, teachers, others Capacity/ability to evaluate information and to predict future outcomes (decision-making) Capacity/ability to seek out alternative solutions and evaluate them (problem solving) Development of mental and physical skills: motor, thinking, communication, social, aesthetic Knowledge of moral practices and ethical standards acceptable by society/culture Capacity/ability to recognize and evaluate different points of view Respect: giving and receiving recognition as human beings Indoctrination into the culture Capacity/ability to live a fulfilling life Capacity/ability to earn a living: career education Sense of well-being: mental and physical health. Capacity/ability to be a good citizen Capacity/ability to think creatively Cultural appreciation: art, music, humanities Understanding of human relations and motivations Acquisition/clarification of values related to the physical environment Acquisition/clarification of personal values Self-realization/self-reflection: awareness of one’s abilities and goals Self-esteem/self-efficacy As Tom Peters reminds us, What gets measured, gets done. Regardless of the high sounding rhetoric about the development of the total child, it is the content of assessments that largely drives education. How is the capacity/ability to think creatively assessed in todays schools? To what extent is the typical student recognized and given respect? How often are students given the opportunity to recognize and evaluate different points of view when multiple choice tests require a single correct answer? Teachers who hold a more humanistic view of the purpose of education often experience stress because the meaning they assign to education differs greatly from the meaning assigned by society or their institution. It is clear in listening to the language of education that its primary focus is on knowledge and teaching rather than on the learner. Students are expected to conform to schools rather than schools serving the needs of students. Stopping to identify and agree upon a fundamental purpose or purposes of education is rare. One sees nebulous statements in school mission statements, but they are often of the â€Å"Mom, baseball, and apple pie† variety that offer little substance on which to build a school culture. Creating meaningful and lasting change in education is unlikely without revisiting this basic definition. At the very least, educators must be challenged to identify and reexamine their beliefs in the light of present knowledge. It is time for the focus of education to shift from whats out there—the curriculum, assessments, classroom arrangement, books, computers—to the fundamental assumptions about and definitions of education held by educators and policymakers. NASA did not send men to the moon by building on the chassis of a model T. In the same way, education cannot hope to move beyond its present state on the chassis of 18th century education.

Comparing Huck Finn and Colden Haufield in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain :: essays research papers

Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Huck and Holden go through a series of events from which they are able to learn and grow from. They are able to develop opinions that they did not hold at the beginning of the novels but that they have formed from their travels, and both Huck and Holden are changed by the end of each novel. Although both Huck and Holden’s growth is addressed in the endings, both novels fail to provide a definite future for them. During their journeys, the reader wonders what is going to happen to Huck and Holden once this series of adventures is over and what their outlooks are. The reader is left uncertain of their future when different paths are presented from which the characters have to choose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Huck Finn and Catcher in the Rye, the authors bring the main characters back to where they begun which makes their growth from their journeys more evident. At the end of Huck Finn, Aunt Sally is planning to ‘sivilize’ Huck, but Huck has already been ‘sivilized’ once and from his journey down the Mississippi he has viewed the ways of society and has rejected them. At the beginning of the novel, Huck holds conflicting beliefs and is not sure whether he should follow society and its rules. By the end, he has decided from his travels that he has to form his own opinions and make his own decisions because society is not all that many believe it to be. In Catcher in the Rye, Holden holds a cynical view of society and the people in it, but in the end, Holden acknowledges his cynical view by revealing that he is under the care of a psychoanalyst and then says, â€Å"Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybo dy† (Catcher 214). Holden has begun to accept the people in society that he criticized throughout the novel and accepted the fact that he cannot protect children from entering the adult world. This shows that from the various incidents in his travels through New York, he has grown and begun to develop a new view on society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the changes made by Holden and Huck are apparent in the conclusion of their stories, their futures are left uncertain. At the end of Huck Finn, Aunt Sally plans to ‘sivilize’ Huck while Huck plans to head west.

Video Game Propaganda :: Entertainment Advertising Papers

Video Game Propaganda Propaganda is hidden in our literature, spews from our radios, and is even inside our televisions. Propaganda, information or material spread to advance a cause or to damage an opponent's cause in such a way as to hide negative aspects, surrounds us all in every aspect of our lives. It is unavoidable and now it is gaining ground in yet another technology. Throughout the years technology has always been used to wield propaganda. Even canvas paintings have had their hand in such a form of information with depictions of current events that resemble the style of some of today's political cartoons. The printing press provided the ability to mass produce pamphlets supporting or putting down a cause. Thomas Paine's Common Sense comes to mind when one thinks of propaganda pamphlets because of its large impact it had on informing the thirteen colonies of the importance of the American Revolution. The radio not only allowed a message to be able to reach a wider audience in a shorter amount of time, but messages could even reach those who were illiterate. The television and movies reach a wider audience still and a visual style becomes very important to propaganda and helps immerse the viewer into the information. More recently propaganda has been wielded through computer technology. Web sites for the respective governments and factions of the U.S. military are all over the World Wide Web. Banner ads (essentially mini posters that are sometimes animated) appear on various web sites that are chosen in much the same way that companies choose which television shows to buy advertisement time during. In all occasions of propaganda infiltrating the newest technologies the purpose is always to reach the audience the propaganda is directed towards and that is certainly no exception with propaganda's recent involvement with video game technology. Video game propaganda is just as effective as past incarnations of propaganda if not more so because of its immersive nature. The US Government's History with Video Game Technology In the late 1970s a video games started their long relationship with the U.S. military. An arcade game entitled "Mech War" was introduced into an Army War College. This was the first of quite a few games introduced into colleges to be used as skill-enhancers. The military recognized the ability of video games to hone reflexes and hand-eye coordination. In the 1980s the U.S. Army modified "Battlezone," a futuristic 3D tank battle game that actually introduced the idea of a first person shooter.

“My Bondage and My Freedom”

My Bondage and My Freedom is Frederick Douglass’ second autobiography, written in 1855.   It is important to remember that this work was written before Abraham Lincoln was elected President and before the Civil War. Slavery was becoming a volatile issue in the South and was threatening to split our young nation in two.   Additionally, it is important to remember that while slavery had some supporters in other sections of the nation, it was mainly a Southern issue. This is where the slaves were bought and sold and this is where the plantations depended so heavily on slave labor to be able to produce a product that was then sold and reaped great profits.   White American’s attitude differed depending on where they lived and how close they were to the issue; for the purpose of this paper the focus will be on attitudes in the South. In 1790 all white persons were granted citizenship in the United States.   This indicates how most white people felt about African Americans.   They were seen as, at best, a lower class and, at worst, no better than the animals that helped around the farm; the cows and the horses.   However, in some small towns slaves became part of the family and the family worked alongside their slaves to ensure survival.   This, unfortunately, was not Douglass’ experience.   Douglass writes, â€Å"After the valuation, then came the division.   This was an hour of high excitement and distressing anxiety.   Our destiny was now to be fixed for life, and we had no more voice in the decision of the question, than the oxen and cows that stood chewing at the haymow.† (138) Choices afforded to slaves were few and far between.   They were told where they would work, live, and be.   If they were lucky, they worked in a home where it was warm and relatively comfortable.   If they were unlucky or rebellious they were sent to slave breakers who were considered professionals at breaking the will of slaves who constantly ran or disobeyed their owners.   Douglass writes of his experience with one such man whom he calls Mr. Covey.   â€Å"I was a victim of his violence and brutality.   Such a narration would fill a My Bondage and My Freedom   volume much larger than the present one.   I aim only to give the reader a truthful impression of my slave life, without unnecessarily affecting him with harrowing details.† (170)   As any reader could see, slaves really had no choices.   Little more, yet enough more to make it appealing, were afforded free African Americans in America.   Douglass writes of the isolation of being a free slave, â€Å"For a time, every door seemed closed against me.   A sense of my loneliness and helplessness crept over me, and covered me with something bordering on despair.   In the midst of thousands of my fellowmen, and yet a perfect stranger!† (253) In his life Douglass chose not to give into the helplessness or despair that he writes of.   He chose to speak out and found himself at home with the abolitionist cause.   Douglass was an eloquent orator who constantly strove to bring his people into a different light.   One of his main objectives was to, â€Å"Chang(e) the estimation in which the colored people of the United States were held.† (xxiii)   He would do this through educating himself, through the speeches he gave, through the books he published and through newspapers like the North Star.   It seems he chose to educate rather than violate. The ramification of Douglass’ life and his choices were felt far and wide.   From the early beginnings of the abolitionist movement to the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment, to the eventual de-segregation of schools in the 1950’s, early pioneers of the anti-slavery movement set the wheels in motion for later events. Douglass closes his book by saying, â€Å"I shall labor in the future, as I have labored in the past, to promote the moral, social, religious, and intellectual elevation of the free colored people; never forgetting my own humble origin, nor refusing, while Heaven lends me ability, to use my voice, my pen, or my vote, to advocate the great and primary work of the universal and unconditional emancipation of my entire race.† (300)   His work and his words still continue today.

Free Essays on Capitalism Vs. Socialism

CAPITALISM vs. SOCIALISM Capitalism and Socialism are both types of systems in different societies throughout the world that have been successful at times, but also not so fortunate in it’s success at other times throughout history. When discussing Capitalism and Socialism we are asked if we desire a moral or immoral system, if we’d rather have our own freedom or a tyranny, and if we’d prefer prosperity or poverty!?! What would you choose? One distinct system of economic organizations that exists is Capitalism. Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned. Capitalism is based on the right to property. Property is acquired through trade, which is a trade in values. Those who believe in this system believe in the theory â€Å" if you do something good for me, I will do something good for you.† Capitalism is the only system that doesn’t deprive the individual of his rights. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, are all fulfilled in Capitalism. People are free from the use unearned force by the government, free to acquire and keep property, and live in an ethical way. Capitalism allows progress through the value of work. Productiveness is the virtue of creating material values, and in a free market, such a virtue is a necessity to trade. Capitalism is fine in many aspects of socie ty, especially when we are interested in wants as opposed to needs. If one were interested in luxuries Capitalism would be an excellent choice. The other distinct system of economical organization is Socialism. Socialism is a system, which is defined by governmental ownership and property, Socialism is against all basic rights: by using unearned force on its citizens, it removes from them the right to property. By using force and forbidding them to use this property, it therefore also affects the right to liberty... Free Essays on Capitalism Vs. Socialism Free Essays on Capitalism Vs. Socialism CAPITALISM vs. SOCIALISM Capitalism and Socialism are both types of systems in different societies throughout the world that have been successful at times, but also not so fortunate in it’s success at other times throughout history. When discussing Capitalism and Socialism we are asked if we desire a moral or immoral system, if we’d rather have our own freedom or a tyranny, and if we’d prefer prosperity or poverty!?! What would you choose? One distinct system of economic organizations that exists is Capitalism. Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned. Capitalism is based on the right to property. Property is acquired through trade, which is a trade in values. Those who believe in this system believe in the theory â€Å" if you do something good for me, I will do something good for you.† Capitalism is the only system that doesn’t deprive the individual of his rights. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, are all fulfilled in Capitalism. People are free from the use unearned force by the government, free to acquire and keep property, and live in an ethical way. Capitalism allows progress through the value of work. Productiveness is the virtue of creating material values, and in a free market, such a virtue is a necessity to trade. Capitalism is fine in many aspects of socie ty, especially when we are interested in wants as opposed to needs. If one were interested in luxuries Capitalism would be an excellent choice. The other distinct system of economical organization is Socialism. Socialism is a system, which is defined by governmental ownership and property, Socialism is against all basic rights: by using unearned force on its citizens, it removes from them the right to property. By using force and forbidding them to use this property, it therefore also affects the right to liberty...

Memo regarding the current salary of the CEO

Memo regarding the current salary of the CEO The main issue presented within the memo involves the current salary of the present CEO (James) and whether it is in line with standard salaries for CEOs within companies of the same size and within the same market as PDQ.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Memo regarding the current salary of the CEO specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author of the memo contends that based on the performance of the company, the current average salary rate for CEOs within the industry which is $300,000 and the supposed fact that workers at the company dislike James that replacing the current CEO is a matter of great urgency given that his lackluster performance and high salary are detrimental towards the growth and performance of the company. Reasons given The CEO’s salary is too high During his tenure the company has experience significant drops in performance Workers at the company supposedly do not like him He is rich, thus he would not feel the need to work hard He has a low level of performance In order to make the company better a new CEO would be needed Ambiguous Phrases There are several ambiguous phrases that piqued my interest within the memo. The first emphasized the current wealth of the CEO as detrimental towards his performance. The second emphasized on the need to replace him despite the lack of sufficient evidence and third involved an argument involving incentivized performance and compensation which was highly ambiguous given that various studies state otherwise. Descriptive Assumptions The memo explains that it is usually the case that the average salary for a CEO within a company of PDQs size is $300,000 and that due to the financial crisis most companies have actually frozen or cut back on CEO salaries due to lower profits. While this particular aspect of the memo is valid, the memo takes a strange turn stating that James must be fired on the basis of his supposedly lackluster perfo rmance (which the memo does not present sufficient evidence on), the fact that he is wealthy and would supposedly not work for the best interests of the company (similarly has no basis), the fact that the workers at the company supposedly dislike him (has not been confirmed with verifiable facts from the union) and on the fact that he has a high salary which is not commensurate with industry standards (considering the fact that it was based on a contract it should not be an issue). Fallacies in Reasoning While the memo was quite extensive in its use of a variety of statistics in order to properly frame its arguments, it made several assumptions that lacked sufficient evidence to actually prove to be accurate. First off, towards the end of the memo the author makes the following assumption regarding salaries and compensation: everyone in the Human Resources field knows that â€Å"pay for performance† is the most effective compensation method. The creation of this particular st atement is versed in such a way so as to connote a certain degree of factual appropriateness to what was stated. This means that it was created to make people assume that pay for performance is the most effective method by stating that it was a well known practice within the field of human resources.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In reality studies such as those by Goh Gupta (2010) have shown that pay for performance is actually one of the least effective methods of compensation (Goh Gupta, 2010). This finding has been backed up by several other studies and shows that the author of the memo was presenting an assumption as a fact. Examining the Evidence The author of the memo connects the failing performance of the company with the supposedly lackluster performance of the CEO. This particular argument in light of the circumstance is rather strange given the fact that the drop in company performance coincides with the 2008 financial crisis which resulted in considerable performance drops for nearly all corporations within the U.S. The memo fails to show any solid proof of corporate mismanagement by the CEO and merely presents an assumption based on data which has been proven to be outside of the control of the CEO. Not only that, it was stated early on that the increase in the CEOs salary was based on a pre-negotiated contract which should void any arguments regarding subsequent salary increases. While there was sufficient evidence to justify the lowering of the CEOs salary given the financial crisis, there is insufficient evidence to justify firing him. Based on an evaluation of the presented evidence, it can be seen that it is severely lacking in terms of actually showing that the current CEO of the company should be fired and is indicative of a lack of sufficient foresight and research into the performance of the CEO and largely consists of pure speculation and assumptions. Rival Causes The memo in certain sections elaborates on the need to replace the CEO with someone that is more hardworking and willing to do what is necessary. This creates the idea that the present CEO is not hardworking and is in fact lazy. This is rather ambiguous given the fact that the author of the memo fails to show any solid evidence regarding this particular fact and is evidence of a certain dislike by the author for the CEO given that he continually emphasizes firing James. Deceptive Statistics The statistics are definitely deceptive since the CEO had pre-negotiated salary increases that were not dependent on company performance. Not only that, the drop in company performance was not due to mismanagement but was a direct result of the financial crisis. The CEO should actually be commended for ensuring that the companys performance loss was kept to a minimum. Information that has been omitted The most obvious information that has been om itted is whether or not the CEO has been doing a good job despite the adverse circumstances that the company finds itself in as a result of the financial crisis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Memo regarding the current salary of the CEO specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is no information whatsoever indicating factors relevant to what initiatives he has successfully employed, what cost savings measures were carried out during his tenure, how has he helped to reduce the losses of the company and how has he responded to the adverse market situation. All of this information is relevant given the arguments being presented by the author but it is in fact missing which creates a certain degree of ambiguity regarding the fairness of the way in which the CEO is being portrayed. Reasonable Conclusion that can be Derived Based on the way in which the memo was created which emphasized on the supposedly lackluster perform ance of the CEO without sufficient evidence and the way in which the arguments were formulated to emphasize several negative qualities about the CEO and the need to fire him despite the fact that this was not the original intent of memo shows that the Senior HR manager has negative feelings about James and is actively attempting to have him removed despite the insufficient evidence proving the CEO’s inadequacy. Reference List Goh, L., Gupta, A. (2010). Executive Compensation, Compensation Consultants, and Shopping for Opinion: Evidence from the United Kingdom. Journal Of  Accounting, Auditing Finance, 25(4), 607-643.