Summary and Response in the Face of Imperialism Essay Example for Free

Summary and Response in the Face of Imperialism Essay In the subtitle â€Å"Orthodoxy as ‘Objectivity† of â€Å"Thinking About Empire† Michael Parenti argues that all opinions are not of the same value, and the more entrenched the orthodox view becomes, the more irrelevant evidence will be. Firstly, the functions of the heterodox view is to contest the prevailing orthodoxy, to broaden the boundaries of debate, to wake people up and unearth suppressed data. However, the function of orthodox is just the opposite. As we all know, people’s self-protection will be motivated by meeting something they never think about or even never met before. They will fall back when they are in this kind of situation. Secondly, some inflammatory topics like the legitimacy of the 2004 presidential election in the United State, Shangri-La image of Tibet before the Chinese invasion and so on raise issues. They break the traditional ideas, deny rational discourse and make an assertion. This process creates the dominant paradigms. However, whether they will be created all depends on their intellectual reputation or even their careers. In the subtitle â€Å"The Myth of Innocent Empires† of the article Michael Parenti argues that empires seem to be innocent unintentional accretions sometimes, however, they actually are not innocent, absent-minded, accidental accretions. Empires have been welcomed and glorified by people by being given empires laudatory names. They are seen as innocent without plans and reasons occasionally like the example of the United State invaded Iraq. Nevertheless, empires are not innocent, because rulers would like to plunder other lands and people by using them such as the British aggression of India and the Americans armed intervention against Iraq. I agree with Michael Parenti’s idea which is â€Å"When the orthodox view becomes so entrenched, evidence becomes irrelevant†. He use one sentence for a paragraph independently, which I think is very important. I think in this way. The orthodox view have been existed for a while, and people always think it’s right, and never question it. When it faces challenges, people’s first reaction is challenges are wrong even there are some evidence. Believe it or not, some ideological cognition and perspectives about something have already been existed in our mind. Before we judge it, we have already had a answer, unless something we never know. When it comes to whether empires are innocent. I also agree with him. Empires are not innocent. There are a lot aggressions cause by empires in history. They took lives from innocent people, destroy the nature, and so on. Although empires once make people get together, makes them apart as well.

Psychology Vocab Essay Example for Free

Psychology Vocab Essay Anal stage: the stage at which children advocate erotic pleasure with the elimination process Archetype: an inherited idea, based on the experiences of one’s ancestors, which shapes one’s perception of the world Altered states of consciousness: conscious level, preconscious level, and unconscious level Amnesia: a loss of memory that may occur after a blow to the head or as a result of brain damage Biofeedback: the process of learning to control bodily states with the help of machines monitoring the states to be controlled Bipolar: a disorder in which a person’s mood inappropriately alternates between feelings of mania and depression Client centered therapy: an approach developed by Carl Rogers that reflects the belief that the client and therapist are partners in therapy Conditioning: a type of learning that involves stimulus response connections in which the response is conditional to the stimulus Central nervous system: Spinal cord and the brain Classical conditioning: a learning procedure in which associations are made between a natural stimulus and a neutral stimulus Collective unconscious: the part of the mind that inherited instincts, urges, and memories common to all people Consciousness: an individual’s state of awareness, including a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas, and perceptions Compulsion: an apparently irresistible urge to repeat an act or engage in ritualistic behavior such as hand washing Cross- sectional study: research method in which data is collected from groups of participants of different ages and compares so that conclusions can be drawn about differences due to age CS (Conditioned stimulus): a once neutral event that elicits a given response after a period of training in which it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus CR (conditioned response): a response by the conditioned stimulus; it is similar to the unconditioned response, but not identical in magnitude or amount Defense mechanism: Certain specific means by which the ego unconsciously protects itself against unpleasant impulses or circumstances Dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality): a person exhibits two or more personality states, each with its own patterns of thinking and behaving Dependent variable: changes in relation to the independent variable Discrimination: the ability to respond differently to similar but distinct stimuli. 2. The unequal treatment of individuals on the basis of their race, ethnic group, age, gender, or membership in another category rather than on the basis of individual characteristics Depression: a psychological disorder characterized by extreme sadness, an inability to concentrate, and feelings of helplessness and dejection Superego: the part of the personality that is the source of conscience and contracts the socially undesirable impulses of the id Dopamine: Involved in learning, emotional, arousal, and movement Eidetic memory: the ability to remember with great accuracy visual information on the basis of short term exposure Extinction: in classical conditioning, the gradual disappearance of a conditional response because the reinforcement is withheld or because the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus Endocrine system: a chemical communication system using hormones, by which messages are sent through the blood stream, EEG (electroencephalograph): a machine used to record the electoral activity of large portions of the brain Extravert: an outgoing, active person who directs his or her energies and interests toward other people and things Electroshock therapy: also called (ECT), an electrical shock is sent through the brain to try to reduce symptoms of mental disturbance Ego: the part of the personality that is in touch with reality and strives to meet the demands of the id and the superego in socially acceptable ways Free association: a Freudian technique used to examine the unconscious; the patients instructed to say whatever comes into his or her mind Formal operations: the person is able to solve abstract problems Fixed ratio schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific number of correct responses is required before reinforcement can be obtained Fixed interval schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific amount of time must elapse before a response will elicit reinforcement Functional fixedness: a mental set characterized by the inability to imagine new functions for familiar objects Genital Stage: Freud’s fifth and final psychosexual stage during which an individual’s sexual satisfaction depends as much on giving pleasure as on receiving it Hypothalamus: regulates the autonomic nervous system Hallucinations: perceptions that have no direct external cause Hypothesis: an assumption or prediction about behavior that is tested through scientific research Identity crisis: A period of inner conflict during which adolescents worry intensely about who they are Id: in psychoanalytic theory, that part of the unconscious personality that contains our needs, drives, and instincts, as well as repressed material Independent variable: experimenters change or alter so they can observe its effects Imprinting: inherited tendencies or responses that are displayed by newborn animals when they encounter new stimuli in their environment Introvert: a reserved, withdrawn person who is more preoccupied with his or her inner thoughts and feelings than in what is going on around him or her Imitation: The third way of learning Latency Stage: the fourth stage of Freud’s psychosexual development at which sexual desires are pushed into the background and the child becomes involved in exploring the world and learning new skills Long term memory: the storage of information over extended periods of time Longitudinal study: research method in which data is collected about a group of participants over a number of years to assess how certain characteristics change or remain the same during development Lithium carbonate: a chemical used to counteract mood swings of bipolar disorder Maturation: the internally programmed growth of a child Meditation: the focusing of attention to clear one’s mind and produce relaxation Modeling: the process of learning behavior through observation and imitation of others Mnemonic devices: techniques of memorizing information by forming vivid associations or images, which facilitate recall and decrease forgetting Negative reinforcement: increasing the strength of a given response by removing or preventing a painful stimulus when the response occurs Neurosis: One of the most commonly used diagnostic distinctions Oral Stage: Freud’s first stage of psychosexual development, in which infant’s associate erotic pleasure with the mouth Object permanence: Child’s realization that an object exists even when he or she cannot see or touch it Operant conditioning: a form of learning in which a certain action is reinforced or punished, resulting in corresponding increases or decreases in the likelihood that similar actions will occur again Obsession: a recurring thought or image that seems to be beyond control OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder): an anxiety disorder consisting of obsessions and compulsions Oedipus complex: seems more like a literary conceit that a thesis worthy of a scientifically minded psychologist Psychosexual stages: 1. Oral stage, 2.anal stage, 3.phallic stage, 4.latancy stage, 5.ganital stage Psychosocial stages: 1. Trust vs. mistrust, 2. Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt, 3.initiative vs. guilt, 4. Industry vs. inferiority, 5. Identity vs. role confusion, 6. Intimacy vs. isolation, 7. Generativity vs. stagnation, 8. Ego integrity vs. Despair Pre-operational stage: emerges when the child begins to use mental images symbols to understand things Pituitary gland: â€Å"master gland† Psychosis: One of the most commonly used diagnostic distinctions Projective test: an unstructured test of personality in which a person is asked to respond freely, giving his or her own interpretation of various ambiguous stimuli Phallic stage: Freud’s third psychosexual stage, children associate sexual pleasure with their genitals Psychology: the scientific, systematic study of behaviors and mental processes Psychiatry: a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders Psychotherapy: a general term for the application of psychological principles and techniques for any treatment used by therapists to help troubled individuals overcome their problems and disorders Positive reinforce: a stimulus that increases the likelihood that a response will occur again Psychoanalysis: a form of therapy aimed at making patients aware of their unconscious motives so that they can gain control over their behavior and free themselves of self-defeating patterns Reli ability: the ability of a test to give the same results under similar conditions REM sleep: a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, a high level of brain activity, a deep relaxation of the muscles, and dreaming Reinforcement schedule: an important factor in operant conditioning Random sample: One way to avoid a nonrepresentative sample Rorschach inkblot cards: 10 cards with inkblot designs and a system for interpreting responses Self –actualization: the humanist term for realizing one’s unique potential Shaping: technique of operant conditioning in which the desired behavior is â€Å"molded† by first rewarding any act similar to that behavior and then requiring ever-closer approximations to the desired behavior before giving the reward Short term memory: memory that is limited in capacity to about seven items and in duration by the subject active rehearsal Spontaneous recovery: the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after some time has passed Selective attention: Focusing\ on only one detail of many Schizophrenia: a group of severe psychotic disorders characterized by confused and disconnected thoughts, emotions, behavior, and perceptions Separation anxiety: whenever the child is suddenly separated from the mother Superego: the part of the personality that is the source of conscience and contracts the socially undesirable impulses of the id Sensorimotor: the infant uses schemas that primarily involve his body and sensations Surrogate mothers: substitute mothers TAT (Thematic Apperception Test): This test consists of a series of pictures Thalamus: major relay station of the brain Unconscious: the part of the mind that holds mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories of which we are unaware but that strongly influences conscious behaviors UCR (Unconditioned response): an organism, automatic or natural reaction to a stimulus UCS (unconditioned stimulus): an event that elicits a certain predictable response without previous training Variable- ratio schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific amount of time must elapse before a response will elicit reinforcement Variable- interval schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which changing amounts of time must elapse before a response will obtain reinforcement Validity: the ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure Theorists Carl Jung: (1875-1961) believed that people try to develop their potential as well as handle their instinctual urges. He distinguished between personal unconscious and the collective unconscious Alfred Adler: (1870-1937) believed that the driving force in people’s lives is a desire to overcome their feelings of inferiority Sigmund Freud: (1856-1939) believed that our conscious experiences are only the tip of the iceberg, that beneath the surface are primitive biological urges that are in conflict with the requirements of society and morality Erick Erickson: (1902-1994) believed that the need for social approval is just as important as a child’s sexual and aggressive urges Abraham Maslow: (1908-1970) tried to base his theory of personality on studies of healthy, creative, self actualizing people who fully utilize their talents and potential rather than on studies of disturbed individuals Carl Rogers: (1902-1987) believed that many people suffer from a conflict between wh at they value in themselves and what they believe that other people value in them John B. Watson 🙠 1878-1958) psychology should concern itself only with the observable facts of behavior. Said that all behavior is the result of conditioning and occurs because the appropriate stimulus is present in the environment Ivan Pavlov: (1849 -1936) charted another new course for psychological investigation. Demonstrated that a neutral stimulus can cause a formerly unrelated response B.F. Skinner 🙠 1904-1990) introduced the concept of reinforcement. Attempted to show how his laboratory techniques might be applied to society as a whole Albert Bandura: people direct their own behavior by their choice of models. Harry Harlow: (1905- 1981) studied the relationship between mother and child in a species closer to humans, the rhesus monkeys Galen: Identified four personality characteristics called melancholic, sanguine, choleric, and phlegmatic Alfred Binet: Karen Horney: (1885-1952) stressed the importance of basic anxiety. She believes that if a child is raised in an atmosphere of love and security, that child could avoid Freud’s psychosexual parent child conflict b Lawrence Kohlberg: His studies show how important being able to see other people’s points of view is to social development in general and to moral development of moral reasoning Jean Piaget: Discovered that knowledge builds as children grow. Children develop logic and think differently at different ages Lorenz Konrad: (1903- 1989) became a pioneer in the field of animal learning. He discovered that baby geese become attached to their mothers in a sudden, virtually permanent learning process called imprinting Stanley Milgram: conducted the most famous investigation of obedience in 1963. Wanted to determine whether participants would administer painful shocks to others merely because an authority figure had instructed them to do so James Marcia: main contribution is in clarifying the sources and nature of the adolescent identity crisis Philip Zimbardo: made the Zimbardo experiment Solomon Asch: designed what has become a classic experiment to test conformity to pressure from one’s peers Hermann Rorschach: made the inkblot test   Wilhelm Wundt: he proposed that psychological experience is composed of compounds, much like the ones found in chemistry Phillipe Pinel: Father of scientific psychiatry   Dorothea Dix: Chief spokesperson for reform

Coping Styles Used by Chronic Health Disorder Sufferers

Coping Styles Used by Chronic Health Disorder Sufferers Analyse and evaluate coping styles used by individuals with a chronic health disorder identified in a case study. Case study; BBC documentary called ‘The Truth about Depression’: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5YubjEqbZ8) In this essay the author will examine chronic illness with focus on depression and its symptoms as well as critically evaluate coping skills used by individuals with chronic depression. According to better health (2015), a chronic illness is a long term illness, which can be stressful and may change the way a person lives or relates to others. For the purpose of this essay the author will investigate chronic depression (or Dysthymia). Despite mental health professionals’ massive efforts to educate the public, lack of knowledge and misconceptions around resulting in stigma and discrimination (Web MD, 2015). NHS (2015), state that the symptoms of chronic depression are sadness or depressed mood and being physically restless or rundown in a way that is noticeable by others. Fatigue  or loss of energy and problems with concentration or making decisions, a loss of enjoyment in things that were once pleasurable, either weight gain or weight loss of more than five percent of weight within a month, insomnia  or excessive  sleep  almost every day, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness or excessive guilt and lastly, the most devastating symptom being the almost daily recurring thoughts of death or suicide. According to research carried out by Science Direct (2015), there are a range of different ways an individual can cope. These include; sourcing information on the illness, (which can help combat feelings of helplessness or lack of control), emotional support from others, (particularly family and close friends), setting short-term goals which can restore certainty, power and control and lastly, thinking about possible outcomes and discussing them with health professionals. The overall aim of these coping strategies would be to help the sufferer put into context and give some meaning to what is happening to them. However, not all individuals can achieve this and will find different ways of coping. Whilst coping with depression, individuals need to work on many aspects, contending with sleeping problems, eating, activity, positive and negative emotions, thinking, and relationships. Above all, individuals need to cultivate hope. However, all of these aspects cannot be worked on at the same time. If an individual is severely depressed, their first priority should be their physical health as this can improve their emotional wellbeing by releasing endorphins. These can lift a sufferer’s mood and give them a sense of achievement. Sufferers may also benefit from exercising in groups in order to help build new relationships. However, this coping strategy may not be achievable by all individuals as the participation in such physical activity could be unrealistic due to other underlying health conditions (Everyday Health, 2015). When reality is a nightmare for a sufferer of chronic depression, using sleep as a coping mechanism is simply like clocking out and taking a break from life. However, after sleeping, the reality will continue to make them unhappy. To add to this, a lack of sunlight due to excess sleeping will also lower the mood of the sufferer even further, because it causes an imbalance of certain brain chemicals (Thought Catalogue, 2015). Some other coping skills to practice for sufferers of chronic depression could include; meditation and relaxation techniques. Deep breathing techniques, can activate a relaxation response and help reduce stress. Hobbies are also important in order to set aside time to allow relaxation and escape from the stresses of life, for example, gardening, art therapy, dancing or cooking. One must remember that these techniques may not be suitable for all suffers because of differing interests, or the severity of the depression as they may feel more apprehensive than others to venture out of their surroundings to attend these groups (NHS, 2015). Psychologist World (2015), consider the attachment theory to be important when studying coping styles for chronic depression. Attachment is a biological need and is the basis of the power of therapy ranging from individual to group, hospitalization, and support groups. Ultimately, by the individual establishing or rebuilding secure attachments in friendships, family relationships, and intimate relationships they can start to recover. Stressful life events contribute to the onset of chronic depression. An individual can minimize stress by learning to use coping skills to manage stress. For example, by making sure there is clear communication with doctors, by maintaining emotional balance to cope with negative feelings and maintaining confidence and a positive self-image are essential in the process of remaining well. However, not all individuals can achieve this and find lowering stress levels harder to achieve than others (Help Guide, 2015). Finally hope is the foundation of recovery. What gives an individual hope might change from one time to another. Hope is likely to be intermingled with fear and doubt. One might be afraid to hope for fear of being disillusioned; thus hoping takes courage. Perhaps there’s no firmer ground for hope than the possibility that some good ultimately might come from the painful experience (Share Care, 2010-2015). As well as needing to find ways to deal with the stress involved with chronic depression, from this essay the author has found that an individual will also need to understand their condition, know about the treatments and therapy’s on offer. Maintain trust and confidence in heath professionals, especially when recovery isn’t possible. Know how to control their symptoms by using individual coping skills and lastly maintain social relationships and avoid social isolation. It was also found that obtaining and maintaining good coping skills takes practice. However utilizing these skills becomes easier over time. Most importantly, good coping skills make for good mental health wellness and a way forward from chronic depression. In this essay the author has examined chronic illness focusing on chronic depression and its symptoms. It has also critically evaluated coping skills used by individuals with chronic depression. Bibliography: Allen, J. G. 2003. Substance abuse is a catalyst for depression.Menninger Perspective, 33(1), 17-20. Antony, M. M., Swinson, R. P. 1998.When perfect isnt good enough: Strategies for coping with perfectionism. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger. Bifulco, A., Moran, P. 1998.Wednesdays Child: Research into womens experience of neglect and abuse in childhood, and adult depression. London: Routledge. Every Day Health Media LLC (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression-photos/ways-to-cope-with-depression.aspx [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Hammen, C. (1997).Depression. East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press. Health Line (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.healthline.com/health/dysthymia#Overview1 [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Health Wellness Week (2009) [Online] Available from: http://www.mhww.org/strategies.htmlMental [Accessed: 6th May 2015]. Help Guide. Org (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/dealing-with-depression.htm [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (1998-2015) http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dysthymia/basics/definition/con-20033879 [Accessed: 7th May 2015]. Medicine Net Inc. (1996-2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.medicinenet.com/dysthymia/article.htm [Accessed: 8th May 2015]. NHS Choices (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Depression/Pages/Symptoms.aspx [Accessed: 7th May 2015]. Psychologist World and Partners (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.psychologistworld.com/developmental/attachment-theory.php [Accessed: 7th May 2015]. Share Care Inc. (2010-2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.sharecare.com/health/depression/health-guide/major-depression-mdd/self-help-for-major-depression [Accessed: 7th May 2015]. State Government of Victoria Better Health (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/Bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Chronic_illness?open [Accessed: 7th May 2015). The Thought and Expression Co. (2015) [Online] Available from: http://thoughtcatalog.com/christopher-hudspeth/2013/05/9-life-coping-mechanisms-you-might-not-realize-youre-using/ [Accessed: 7th May 2015). Web MD (1994-2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/728612_2 [Accessed: 8th May 2015]. Web MD (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/chronic-depression-dysthymia#4 [Accessed: 7th May 2015]. Williams, M. (1997).Cry of pain: Understanding suicide and self-harm. London: Penguin Books.

The Motivation of Lester in Child of God :: Child

The Motivation of Lester in Child of God  Ã‚   In the novel, Child of God. Lester Ballard committed heinous crimes against innocent victims. He murdered people in cold-blooded fashion and raped women when they were dead. What makes a human being do this may tell us a lot about criminals and humans themselves. In this paper I will try and analyze some of the core issues that lie at the heart of this story. Why did Ballard do what he did, to what extent is he responsible and what should have been his punishment. From birth, Lester Ballard seemed to have been cursed with misfortune. His mother had run away from home when he was an infant and his father hung himself when he was about nine or ten years old. Lester actually had to see his father hanging from the ceiling. That would leave a permanent scar on any child, including Ballard, as the author notes, "They say he never was right after his daddy killed hisself." (21) From then on, Ballard seems to have gone where life took him. What he suffered from was a total lack of awareness. Ballard was a well before he understood what that word meant and he never learned the concept in his entire life. He did not know what things meant, did not even know what happened. Every signal he got from the outside community was telling him that he did not belong there, that he was not accepted. Even when Ballard enters a church service, a setting where people are accepted and loved, he was rejected for who he was. People spoke about him in whispers, "A windy ruffle of whispers went among them." (31). His community, through rejection victimized Ballard. Rejection may well be the most potent form of victimization since it cuts off the air to out most cherished need of connection and love. Connecting Ballard's background and childhood to his crimes is a difficult task. Other than his parents, we are not told too much about what else he went through when he was a child. From the bizarre nature of his crimes, he seems to have to have been through intense suffering and agony. A lot of his crimes were committed against women. He raped women, but only after killing them. A living woman might have been too much for Ballard to handle; the risk of rejection would have been too great for him.

Comparing Roosevelts New Deal and Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Comparing Roosevelt's New Deal and Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie Books Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote many books during her time. She is best known for her Little House on the Prairie books, which were written in the 1930's during the great depression. I will contrast Roosevelt's New Deal with Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie books. The comparison between these two is the fact of how the Little House on the Prairie books did not depend on the government and Roosevelt's New Deal plan and how Laura and her family lived life with little to no help from the government. To start off I am going to give you a brief background on what caused the great depression and how the New Deal came about. The great depression came about for many different reasons. Some of these reasons are due to the stock market crash of 1929. Most people think that this is what started the great depression but actually it was only part of it. The upper and lower classes played a big role on wages for what was paid between the two different classes. Because of this wage difference it had an impact on the banking system. Also America became know as a credit nation vs. a debtor nation. Which meant that the United States was owed more money by other countries and the United States owed. Another problem that the United States was having is that the whole dollar vs. gold. During the 1930's the United States was still on a gold value system where paper money had no value. With all of these factors and the stock market crash of 1929 was just the final straw that broke the camels back as the saying goes. With the depression going and 1 out of every 4 people not having a job, the country was in serious troub le. Franklin D. Roosevelt came up with the New Deal. The New Deal was also known as Works Progress Administration (WPA). The program put 8,500,000 of Americans back to work. The work consisted of everything from building public parks and a writers program to paying farmers not to plant crops. This is the part of the New Deal that I will be addressing. The Agricultural Adjustment Act also known as AAA. The AAA act came about to stabilize prices and overproduction on farm products such as cotton, wheat, corn, rice, tobacco, hogs and milk.

Biography of Abraham Lincoln Essay -- American Presidents History Essa

Biography of Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was born Sunday, February 12, 1809, in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky. His parents names were Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. They named him after his grandfather. Abraham’s grandfather had been killed by Indians long before Abraham had been born. Both of his parents were born in Virginia. Abraham had an older sister and a younger brother. His younger brother was named Thomas but he died in infancy. Abraham’s sisters name was Sarah. Abraham’s father was a hard worker, he was a carpenter and a farmer. Abraham’s parents were members of a Baptist congregation which had separated from another church due to opposition to slavery. Abraham was seven when his parents decided to move to Indiana. One of the reasons they wanted to move there was because of slavery. Abraham had attended school for a little while in Kentucky and did so again in Indiana. In 1818, Abraham’s mother died from milk sickness. It was a sickness that you got from drinking the milk from cows which had eaten poisonous white snakeroot. He took her death hard. His father remarried in a year. Abraham liked his new step mother. She brought along three of her own children to the household. Her name was Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln. As Abraham grew up he realized that he preferred learning things than to be working in the fields. This caused a problem between Abraham and his father because his father was the complete opposite. Abraham would borrow ...

Curriculum Development for Inclusive Practice Essay

Introduction: In education, the word â€Å"curriculum† is not new since the organisations of schooling and further education have long been associated with the idea of a curriculum. Before starting the assignment, we would like to find out what it means by â€Å"curriculum† and what is â€Å"curriculum development for inclusive practice†. By definition, in formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses and their contents offered at an educational institution. John Kerr defined â€Å"curriculum† and later taken up by Vic Kelly in his standard work on the subject as, â€Å"All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school.† (quoted in Kelly 1983; also, Kelly 1999). There are four ways of approaching curriculum theory and practice: 1. Curriculum as a body of knowledge to be transmitted 2. Curriculum as product, i.e. an attempt to achieve certain ends in students 3. Curriculum as process 4. Curriculum as praxis We will express the later three ways in this assignment. These ways of approaching curriculum theory and practice can be also described in three disciplines: the theoretical, the productive and the practical. These are illustrated as the map below: (Source: infed.org/ Curriculum theory and practice.) Inclusive curriculum refers to the process of developing and designing a programme of study to limit the barriers that students may face in accessing the curriculum. Indeed, the curriculum created by the educational institution should aim to provide opportunities for all students to learn and to achieve. Also the curriculum should aim to promote students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, to establish an entitlement and to establish standards. In this assignment, we will discuss how different theories, principle and models of curriculum have been developed and applied in a learning environment in order to achieve these. Particular in this essay, we will focus on the dental nurse training  environment where all trainee dental nurses are expected to meet standard set by General Dental Council (GDC) at the end of training regardless their background and entry levels. Analyse and discuss the influence of theories, principles and models of curriculum design with a view to promoting inclusive learning. Curriculum as product Curriculum as product model is also known as behavioural objectives model, as it heavily depends on the settings of behavioural objectives and it is interested in the product of curriculum. It is the dominant model of describing and managing today’s education. Because in modern education system throughout different stages and qualifications, certain standards or objectives are set and education institutions aim to draw up a plan to achieve these objectives and create methods in response to the plan. Outcomes reflecting on students’ learning abilities as well as efficiency of these plans and methods will be measured. From above, there are four fundamental questions for education practitioners: 1. What are the aims and objectives of curriculum? 2. Which plan and methods meet these aims and objectives? 3. How can these plans and methods be practiced? 4. How can the extent to these plans and methods be evaluated? (Adapted by Tyler 1949) Curriculum as product is strongly supported by the behaviourist model which believes knowledge is finite and learning supposes to be overt, observable and measurable. It also believes the statements of objectives of the education institution should be a statement of changes occurred to students. (Tyler 1949:44) Regarding to stimulation of positive changes to students, few major theorists have contributed to the behaviourist theory. Edward Lee Thorndike (1874-1949) believed learning was a process of linking physical and mental events in various combinations. Also, learning is enhanced when bonds are made between the stimulus and the response. B F Skinner (1904-1990) innovated in â€Å"operant conditioning† and expanded on Thorndike’s work on reinforcement of learning. In Skinner’s view, positive reinforcement strengthens behaviour by applying some encouraging events. Oppositely, negative reinforcement improves behaviour by removing some  aversive events. Advantages of curriculum as product model include: it makes assessment more precise; it helps to select and structure teaching plan; it makes teachers aware of different types and levels of learning involved in particular subjects and it guides teachers and students on skills to be gained. However, some criticisms are also raised, such as: it discourages teacher’s and student’s creativity; the curriculum is too subject and exam bound and some specific behaviours are appropriate for affective domain. Curriculum as process: Comparing to curriculum as product which is focusing on the outcomes, curriculum as process focuses on teacher and student activities. Indeed, it emphasis on means rather than ends. Rather than teachers set up objects and draw up teaching plans and methods, students have part in deciding nature of learning activities and therefore it is a more individualised atmosphere and different learning experience. Lawrence Stenhouse (1975) produced one of the best-known explorations of a process model of curriculum theory and practice. He defined curriculum as: ‘an attempt to communicate the essential principles and features of an educational proposal in such a form that it is open to critical scrutiny and capable of effective translation into practice.’ Curriculum as process is supported by humanist model which concentrate upon the development of the student’s self-concept. It believes learning is a progress towards the pinnacle of self-development. In the other words, if students feel good about themselves and the concept of learning, it is a good start. There are a few theorists who contributed in the humanistic theory such as Alexander Sutherland Neill (1883-1973), Carl Rogers (1902-1987) and Abraham Maslow (1908-1970). The most significant theorist among these is Maslow, who invented hierarchy of ‘basic needs’ and term ‘Self-actualisation’. The main advantages of curriculum as process model are: it emphasis on active roles of teachers and learners as well as learning skills. It believes on certain activities as important in themselves and for ‘life’. However, people also criticize that it neglect considerations of appropriate content and it is difficult to apply approaches in some areas. Curriculum as Praxis Curriculum as praxis is a development of the process model. Comparing to  curriculum as process which is driven by general principles and emphasises on judgement and meaning making, curriculum as praxis makes an explicit commitment to emancipation. So basically, teachers need to have a proposal for actions involving essential principles and features of the education encounter. They encourage students to build up conversations and interactions between each other in the situation. These actions lead to a form of commitment to learning.  Teachers continually evaluate this process and provide a view of outcomes according to this. Therefore through this approach, the curriculum as praxis itself develops through a dynamic interaction of action and reflection. Similar to curriculum as process, the curriculum also emphasises on the development of student’s ‘self- actualisation’. Therefore it is also supported by the humanistic model. Describe, critically analyse and reflect on which factors might affect curriculum design and how the curriculum can differ according to the context in which it is provided. Also describe and discuss the impact some of these factors have on your own specialism. As a dental nurse tutor, my students have following characteristics: firstly they are adult learners; secondly they have different academic and cultural backgrounds as well as learning abilities; they have an initial interest in the subject and a clear objective and motivation of getting qualification and becoming a dental nurse.Upon above characteristics of students, my role has following aims: to create an inclusive learning environment for all my students; to follow guidance from General Dental Council (GDC) and draw up teaching plans according to the guidance; to help students reach GDC standard, pass theoretical assessments and gain GDC registration; to provide great exposure of the practical side of training to students a nd make sure student reach GDC standard on practical/hand-on skills enabling them to gain registration. From above, it is not hard to see that the overall objective of getting GDC qualifications cannot be achieved by applying single curriculum design and model during my teaching. In fact, it requires a combination of curriculum as product, as process and as praxis as well as other auxiliary curriculums such as the hidden curriculum. Curriculum as product: GDC requires a certain theoretical assessment standard for trainee dental  nurses to reach. Students need to sit GDC exams for all the theoretical units they have attended. This has become the crucial objective for dental nurse tutors. In order to achieve this, we have created a practical plan and various methods in teaching. Firstly, classroom teaching has been arranged three times a week for two hours per class. Contents of teaching and learning are strictly referenced to GDC publications and the classes are well organised and formatted. Secondly, regular mock assessments to students are applied in order to track trainee dental nurse’s progress and provide feedback to our teaching methods. In order students to carry on progressing towards GDC exams, certain forms of encouragements and punishments have been applied which reflects on Skinner’s ‘Reinforcement’ in Behaviourist model. For example, students with top exam scores are offered scholarships and students with failed grades are required to attend extra classes and re-sit for exams. Curriculum as products model has provided a clear path for dental nurse tutors and trainee nurses to process towards objectives. However, it has also led some problems. Once trainee nurses are pushed too much towards exams and grades, they may lose enthusiasm and motivation. Also, as students are with uneven learning background and ability, trainee nurses who are lack of certain skills or previous knowledge may find reaching GDC standard particularly challenging. Here comes the concept of â€Å"providing an inclusive practice†, we will discuss this later in â€Å"The hidden curriculum†. Curriculum as process: As well as ensuring trainee nurses to pass GDC exams, they are also required to achieve strong practical skills and pass practical assessments. The practical side of training are carried out in trainee dental nurse’s work placements, usually within hospital’s dental department, a local NHS dental practice or a private dental clinic. After learning fundamental theories of dental knowledge, trainee nurses will work along with senior dental nurses and dentist to observe and practice skills at real work place. Trainee dental nurses usually spend at least half of their entire training in work placements and the placement is well organised by both dental tutors and head nurse in dental practice. Trainee nurses’ learning progress is observed mainly by senior nurses and dentists at work placement, a report will be sent back to dental tutors regularly. Dental tutors also visit trainee  dental nurses’ work place on a regular basis to observe and assess on student’s progress. Curriculum as process within dental nurse training has closely followed the Humanistic model, especially Maslow’s hierarchy of ‘basic needs’. Trainee dental nurses have to gain fundamental knowledge of dentistry in order them to gain security once putting knowledge into practice. When they feel secured, they are more enthusiastic and motivated to achieve the next level and eventually gain ‘self- actualisation’. Curriculum as paxis: As mentioned in curriculum as process, dental nurse training values entire journey of student’s progress rather than the final exams. Trainee dental nurses are observed and assessed throughout their training in all different aspects. Apart from the practical skills, dental tutors are also aware of trainee nurses’ oral/ communication skills, writing skills, co-ordinating/ interacting skills with colleagues and patients as well as professional manner as a medical staff. All of these factors are observed and accessed via multiple tunnels throughout classroom and work placement, such as dental nurse tutors, senior nurses and dentists, feedbacks from fellow trainee nurses and patients. As trainee nurses get more and more skilled in handling patients and communicating with fellow colleagues, they will find work get smoother and therefore they will gain more confidence and motivation in their job. This has reflected again on the humanistic model and Maslow’s hierarchy o f ‘basic needs’. Development of inclusive practice and the hidden curriculum Regarding the characteristics of adult learning, although trainee nurses are more purposeful in learning and show more active participation, their previous knowledge background and learning ability may vary. In order to get all the students on the same line and help them to achieve GDC qualification, we have applied the hidden curriculum to achieve an inclusive teaching and learning environment for the trainee nurses. The hidden curriculum means all that is learnt during school/college activities that is not designated part of official curriculum, such as one-to-one class for individuals, extra assessments and mock exams. Although learning associated with the hidden curriculum is often considered in a negative way, we find  this is a suggestive method for adult learners. For trainee dental nurses who are lack of language skills or basic medical knowledge, we arrange occasional individual class for them with one of our dental tutors. This is usually carried out in student’s and dental tutor’s spared time. As some trainee dental nurses are desperate in improving their essential skills, they feel rather welcome to the extra tuition and are willing to put in extra efforts. For trainee nurses who did not achieve satisfactory results in their mock exams before final GDC exams, we also occasional organise extra class for them and offer them opportunity to re-sit the mock exams. By carrying out occasional hidden curriculum, trainee nurses with less skill improve so that dental tutors are able to prepare them at the same level for GDC exams. This has helped us I developing inclusive practice within our institution in a different perspective.