Heart and Cardiac Muscle Essay Example for Free

Heart and Cardiac Muscle Essay What is the heart? The heart is the organ that supplies blood and oxygen to all parts of the body. It is about the size of a clenched fist, weighs about 10.5 ounces and is shaped like a cone. The heart is located in the chest cavity just posterior to the breastbone, between the lungs and superior to the diaphragm. The heart is surrounded by a fluid filled sac called the pericardium. Blood is pumped away from the heart through arteries and returns to the heart through veins. The major artery of the body is the aorta and the major veins of the body are the vena cavae. Chambers of the Heart The heart is divided by a partition or septum into two halves. The halves are in turn divided into chambers. The upper two chambers of the heart are called atria and the lower two chambers are calledventricles. The atria receive blood returning to the heart from the body and the ventricles pump blood from the heart to the body. Valves allow blood to flow in one direction between the chambers of the heart. The Heart Wall The heart is composed of cardiac muscle which enable the heart to contract and allow the synchronization of the heart beat. The heart wall is divided into three layers: the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium. * Epicardium outer protective layer of the heart. * Myocardium muscular middle layer wall of the heart. * Endocardium inner layer of the heart that is continuous with the inner lining of blood * Cardiac Conduction * Cardiac conduction is the rate at which the heart conducts electrical impulses. Cardiac muscle cells contract spontaneously and are coordinated by nodal tissue, specifically the sinoatrial node. There are other factors that influence heart rate as well. These include endocrine hormones, body temperature and exercise. * Cardiac Cycle * The cardiac cycle is the sequence of events that occur when the heart beats. There are two phases of this cycle which are the diastole and systole phases. During the diastole phase, the atria and ventricles are relaxed and blood flows into the atria and ventricles. In the systole phase, the ventricles contract sending blood to the rest of the body. A heartbeat is a two-part pumping action that takes about a second. As bloodcollects in the upper chambers (the right and left atria), the hearts natural pacemaker (the SA node) sends out an electrical signal that causes the atria to contract. This contraction pushes blood through the tricuspid and mitral valves into the resting lower chambers (the right and left ventricles). This part of the two-part pumping phase (the longer of the two) is called diastole. The second part of the pumping phase begins when the ventricles are full of blood. The electrical signals from the SA node travel along a pathway of cells to the ventricles, causing them to contract. This is called systole. As the tricuspid and mitral valves shut tight to prevent a back flow of blood, the pulmonary and aortic valves are pushed open. While blood is pushed from the right ventricle into the lungs to pick up oxygen, oxygen-rich blood flows from the left ventricle to the heart and other parts of the body. After blood moves into the pulmonary artery and the aorta, the ventricles relax, and the pulmonary and aortic valves close. The lower pressure in the ventricles causes the tricuspid and mitral valves to open, and the cycle begins again. This series of contractions is repeated over and over again, increasing during times of exertion and decreasing while you are at rest. The heart normally beats about 60 to 80 times a minute when you are at rest, but this can vary. As you get older, your resting heart rate rises. Also, it is usually lower in people who are physically fit. Your heart does not work alone, though. Your brain tracks the conditions around you—climate, stress, and level of physical activity—and adjusts your cardiovascular system to meet those needs. The human heart is a muscle designed to remain strong and reliable for a hundred years or longer. By reducing your risk factors for cardiovascular disease, you may help your heart stay healthy longer.

Changes In The Concepts Of Childhood

Changes In The Concepts Of Childhood Discuss how childhood has changed since the 19th century. How do concepts from this period continue to influence current attitudes to childhood? What is childhood Childhood, the early years of a persons life, between birth to about 8 years, is also considered most beautiful, most meaningful and most important part of life for a human being. The importance of childhood can be understood by observing the fact that though many scientists have different theories to define the process of human development they all agree on the importance of childhood and experiences in that time having a profound affect on an individuals life. Many researches have been made on the process of human development and tough there are many proposed theories the actual difference between them is about how complex the relation really is between the stages and not what the stages really are. The differences are intrinsic not extrinsic. They all agree that childhood is a time when a person is moving from concrete to abstract thought. Man did learn sciences such as astrology, numerology, mathematics etc but the concept of schooling was deficient. People only knew as much as was required to trade and earn a living. A study conducted on child development concluded that in the year 1750 about 33 percent of infants and new born babies were left on doorsteps or social care homes by parents. (Archard, 1993)Poor children were also made to work in land mines and other industries by their parents to earn a living. Efforts to eradicate child labor have been made over centuries by the responsible government bodies in different countries and social welfare organizations in the world. But it seems that despite the changing perceptions towards childhood, statistical data proves otherwise. The commencement of specific child development theories and acknowledgment of these theories only date back to some 200 years ago, in the 17th and 18th century. An acclaimed name, in this regard is of Professor Malcolm W. Watson. (Heywood, 2001)He researched on Human Development and formed theories that are still studied and followed. Results of his findings emphasized on six major theories by different people in different times. These theories focus on different stages man goes through from infancy to adulthood. Details of how environment and other factors affect childhood are also underscored. The theories encompass effects and behavioral changes in man and what we opine about our own selves, be it scientists, researchers or a common man. Psychodynamic theory-Sigmund Freud. (James, 2004)This theory says that human psychology can be broken down in to three separate parts. These are namely the id, the ego and the superego. Id is the childish part of our personality and its driving force is food, warmth and appreciation and the sexual drive. This side of every being is then balanced by the other two parts i.e. ego and superego. The superego is contradictory to id. It is that part of human personality which enables us to control one self. Through this one acts in a socially acceptable manner. The ego is some where in the middle of these two extremes. Most of our troubles arise from balancing between the id and the superego. Oedipus complex is another very important entity of Freuds theory. This stage is when the child develops feelings for his opposite sex parents. Boys wish to take place of their father and be the head of the family and act as a husband to their mother but at the same time they respect their father and fear that if they cross limits they will have to bare the consequences. Psychosocial theory by Erik Erickson (Kehily, 2003)He coined the famous phrase Identity Crisis. His personality theory had 8 stages from infancy to old age. These were 1. Hope, 2. Will, 3. Purpose, 4. Competence, 5. Fidelity, 6. Love, 7. Caring, 8. Wisdom. Erik was the first to bring forth the notion that development is spread over our entire lives and not just childhood. Integrated Attachment theory- John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth: This theory originated in the early years of 1950s and was a joint effort by John Bowlby, specialist in child psychiatry and a psychologist, Mary Ainsworth. The concept is based on relationships and connections developed in the yearly years of our life. Also real life issues in a childs life pertaining to loss and separations with which he had emotional ties are emphasized upon in the theory. Social Learning theory by Albert Bandura: This theory was a modified version of the traditional learning theories. It says that learning is the same in infants, children, adults and even animals. Albert says that all respond to stimulus. Cognitive Mediation theory- Lev Vygotsky: Supporting many other major theorists, Vygotsky opines that learning comes first and paves way for development. According to his theory, a child learns through other individuals around him i.e. parents, teachers, siblings and other children. He says that developing thoughts and new skills is based on people in the environment we live in and our interaction with them. Cognitive developmental theory- Jean Piaget: Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist says that children learn by building their own cognitive worlds. He believed that individuals go through four stages of understanding. All of these are age related. Sensorimotor stage: This is from birth to two years of age. In this first stage, infants coordinate the senses of seeing and hearing with physical and motoric experiences to understand. Thus, the name sensorimotor. Preoperational stage: It goes on from two years of age to seven years. Children at this stage start relating the world and their surroundings with words and images. They go beyond the sensory experiences in this stage. Concrete Operational Stage: This third stage lasts from 7 years to eleven years. Children can perform operations, and logical reasoning replaces intuitive thought as long as reasoning can be applied to specific or concrete examples. For instance, concrete operational thinkers cannot imagine the steps necessary to complete algebraic equation, which is too abstract for thinking at this stage of development. (Mayall, 1994) Formal Operational Stage: The final stage is from 11 to 15 years. Children move further from concrete thoughts to abstracts and logical thinking. As a part of abstractive thinking they create hypothetical ideal circumstances and then compare their own life with these standards, deducing a satisfactory conclusion. In a nutshell, childhood is the time when we are understanding simple operations in order to be able to understand and master complex tasks in future. We need to identify the environment around us and use language to make connections to objects and the world in general. If this basic understanding is faulty, the future would certainly hold a lot more surprises, and many of them would be unwelcome. Only when a child fully understands the world around is he really able to grasp abstract concepts and use logic to reach meaningful conclusions in future. Having now understood what childhood is all about, how a human mind is developing, in stages, to understand the world it is introduced to and how important this part of life is in your life and mine, let us now take a look into how childhood has been different for people in the past century and the present. Childhood in the 18th century Compared to Childhood in the 19th century To begin with, the treatment of children with utmost care, especially in their earliest years, is a fairly recent notion. Before the 18th century, child mortality rate was so high that people had a lot of children of whom only a few actually survived. Parents could not afford to get too emotionally attached to children until they crossed a threshold age where chances of survival became greater than chances of death. In France, during the 17th century, between 20%-50% of infants died in their first year. (5) (Wyness, 2000) Zelizer, in his book, Pricing The Priceless Child, tells us how in the middle ages, Spanish children when they died could be buried anywhere on the premises, rather like a cat or dog, often, their bodies were sewn together into sacks and put inside common graves.In early Arabian cultures, the birth of a female child was considered a burden, it was mourned upon and in cases the infant was buried alive. Religion played a vital role in controlling erratic human behaviors and in both the east and the west, the religious institution was the first to recognize the rights of children and honorable dealings with them. The following table describes how religion basd institutions have provided childhood care facilities in the African continent. (Linda, 1984) With time and with the slow but steady spread of education, the world started becoming a different place altogether, especially in respect of the rights of children, and that happened mostly during the 18th and 19th centuries. We have, as the human species, come to realize that childhood is not just a biological phase in life. It holds much more meaning; it gives birth to a social being that embodies the belief system of on an entire populace at a point in time. Parents attitudes toward child bearing and rearing have undergone drastic reconstruction in modern times. 19th Century Concepts: In the 19th century children did not have a significant importance. No formal education and learning took place inside homes. Mothers generally did not have the awareness to spend time with their children and nurture them. A father in every home has been the breadwinner since times immemorial but women in the 19th century also joined the earning league. Till the early 19th century children were used to earn a living and a study shows that more than fifty percent of factory workers were children under the age of eleven years in northern parts of the world. They were made to work hard and perform hazardous jobs such as cleaning up narrow chimneys and going down cramped tunnels owing to their small size. Most historians would agree that children in present day world are much better off than the children in past centuries. But they continue to debate the extent to which childhood has changed since the 19th century and how the adults approach to childhood and dealing with children has altered. As such, children in past centuries worked with their parents from a very small age. But it was the industrial revolution of the 19th century which actually caused the inception of child labour. Researchers in the field of human development take one of two stances when explaining early childhood. They hold either an essentialist view (which considers childhood a commonalty that is no different in any part of the world, more a biological state than anything deeper). The other view to childhood, the constructionist view pictures childhood as being different in different cultures and different times. A child in Japan would be fundamentally different than a child in Britain. The children of one count ry would also be much different at different times. We can just take a look at the children around us and see the difference between our childhood and theirs to grasp the importance of the constructionist view. Cross cultural differences in childhood and its perception by elders is linked to the societies sense of a childs autonomy. It was considered an a vital aspect of Western cultures (Holland, 1992)but was not so prominent in eastern ones. While western mothers emphasized on teaching their child personal values and their rights at , each part of their lives, Japanese and Pakistani mothers have always emphasized more on differential treatment of elders and good mannerism (Gittens, 1998)The difference, as we see it plainly today, is that Japanese children display greater sensitivity and self discipline while American children are more confident and expressive. However, it has long been a subject of argument between researchers that irrespective of the vast differences in child rearing strategies across many cultures the fundamental importance of parenthood comes out in the form of warmth and acceptance against rejection and neglect (Jenks, 1996)However whether eastern cultures have been m ore histile toward the child in the past or western cultures have been more so is a matter of debate. While western cultures have displayed a generally strict attitude toward the childrearing and the lack of acknowledgement to their a childs own autonomy, eastern cultures on the other hand believe that strictness, control and and even corporal punishment are but ways to shw a child how much a prent cares. While the Chienese may consider American parents less caring for their childrens development of important social virtues, the American parent may consider Chinese as totally autorotarian and irrational (Higgonet, 1998)However, another psychological argument presented by Scientists says that in such collectivistic cultural arrangements as the Chinese, Japanese or Indian, authoritarian and restrictive parenting practices are necessary for maintaining harmoniously stable society . Literature on childhood from different cultures across the world have shown two main stream belief systems, the concept of childhood as Dionysian and Apollonian (Jenks, 1996)The Dionysian belief, taking from the greek mythological figure Dionysus (Prince of wine, nature and revelry) assumes that every child is born with evil or corruption in its nature imbued in their conscience. The Apollonian child is considers, from nature, the very image of beauty, poetry, sunshine and light. This is the belief that is prevalent today in the 21st century but did not exist in earlier centuries. While 19th century children were treated rather like animals. The industrial revolutions laid the foundations for the market for low paid child labour. IN textile factories, they worked as many as twelve hours a day. As education crept into the masses the parliament began passing laws to curtail child labour, but the first effective rule, emforced with the help of factory inspectors, came about in 1833. Education was not considered a necessity for every child and the responsibility of the state as late as 1870 and even then the poorest members of society could not afford school fee which were abolished in 1891. Victorian children were used to beatings and in extreme circumstances, poor children were forced to wear a cap which said dunce meaning a stupid person. Children dressed like adults, were supposed to act like adults and were treated in both love and hate as adults. The extent of neglect towards children can be seen by the fact that the first public park for children was build as late as 1859 in the city of Manchester. To us then, the hundreds of complex laws that protect children from evils makes utmost sense. Sexual and physical abuse, pornography, beatings and even simple neglect are considered crimes against childhood. Special laws for the special treatment of children are now in place to ensure that children are treated with delicate care. It seems that parental affection is not much of an instinct but only a reflection of what parents consider to be their duties toward their off spring. (Higgonet, 1998) It is a fact that parents in our world today can exercise less power over their children than in the past because a part of child rearing is controlled by the state (Donzalot, 1980). However these regulations have been brought into action to curtail the misuse of parental authority over children. Good parents can still be good parents, in fact, outside interference in maters such as family etiquettes, a childs eating, dressing, sleeping and entertainment habits and the setting of acceptable beahvorial standards is considered a breach of the parents right. The state usually only intervenes when it fears that the child is being ill treated or when it believes that the child is not well brought up and would be a danger to those around him or her. John Hood Willams (1990) points out that childrens lives are controlled by their families in quite a array of ways. Their social spaces are strictly defined, their times are set by elders, their clothes and haircut is subject to the parents ima ge of decency or acceptability. Parents even provide rules to be followed when eating, walking, talking and even standing in a crowd. Children are the most vulnerable to corporal punishment or all other members in the human society (Kline, 1993) However, 19th century and present day childhood is vastly different. Todays world is quite different than in the past century. Science and technology have rocketed human understanding of life many times over. Though the industrial revolution laid the foundations of all the progress we have seen in the past two hundred years, the greatest speed in the development of sciences and discovery has been hosted by the past 60 -70 years. Increasingly, the world has accepted that it is a global arena and not one divided by geographical boundaries. Cross cultural knowledge exchange has lead to a different populace which is ready to take on aspects of other societies almost readily. The media and internet have, without a trace of doubt, the greatest importance in the life of the modern child. Children are not only aware of fashion, trends and coursework, they are also aware of their rights and that 911 can save them from a parents physical or emotional abuse. At the same time that the present ce ntury is a blessing on children, it should also be brought into account that the 20th and 21st centuries have made childhood much more prone to corruption than previous centuries. To begin with, our environment is in a state of alarm, pollution and the green house effect have starting melting glaciers. Sea levels continue to rise and natural calamities have begun to affect humans in ever increasing ways. While countries emphasize on becoming wealthier and more powerful, they continue to expand their industrial and technological horizons but do not place due importance to the physical and mental development of a child. Physical activity (especially sport) for children has become an endangered species while computers and mobile phones have taken their place as a childs entertainment activity. Life has become fast and so much so that we enjoy and prefer fast food even if it delivers extremely low nutrition value and high cholesterol levels. Drug and sex abuse of children seems to be ri sing steadily, despite the existing laws to regulate such unacceptable actions. Terrorism, radical thought and the spirit of revolution among youth have made childhood an age where there should actually be more protection and concern from parents and the state. A childs cognitive and socioemotional development is therefore at the forefront of modern worlds strategies to rear better children. Cross cultural psychological studies have discovered that there are many ways in which cultural factors help in developing a sound child who would later develop into a socially acceptable person. The organization of physical and social setup in a surrounding, dictated by culture has a profound affect on the childs mannerism and activities. Prevalent social values, customs and norms provide a medium to evaluate his own acceptability or conformity in a society. Parental beliefs and practices, which have been molded by culture play a mediating role in a childs understanding of the world in which he/she lives. Contemporary societies use the schooling system, also built around their own cultural value, to imbed certain levels of acceptability criteria in the minds of children. (Gittens, 1998) For the broad minded modern child, many pieces of information, the instance of sexual information, is quite important in order to be able to perform in an agreeable way. It has already been shown by research that romantic ideals pave way for women coming to terms with their sexual drives and experiences .(Woodhead, 2003)At the same time boys, who hardly share romantic ideals with their parents tend to take on their masculine audacity to deal with love and sexual involvement .This finally leads to a pattern of married life (seen among the general populace) where women hardly get to the emotional closeness they expect to receive from their husbands .

Realization :: English Literature Essays

Realization From what I see, I am nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing has happened to me my whole life that hasn’t happened to nearly everybody else on this planet. Except that I met Brian. Being in his arms were some of the happiest times I had ever experienced. I could look deep into his eyes and be enchanted forever. Being with him changed my soul. I felt his love prying apart the hard shell of shyness that encircled me. His trust, his love and his support for me lifted me from the earth and gently sent me into the clouds. He cast off the chains I had given myself. Through him I learned a new insight about the world. It was as if a tall, dark mountain had stood in front of me, and out of nowhere, he provided the wings to fly over it. We met at my work. We started dating each other and seeing more and more of each other every day, not knowing that we were falling in love. Soon we became a couple. Our relationship was everything it should have been, almost as if our tim e together had been written for a novel. We grew closer and closer during the school year. We would go to the movies, go out to eat, go shopping and most of all be with each other for a long time. I could hardly sleep at night, just anticipating the next time I would see him and the upcoming weekend we would be together. I shared everything with him, even things I kept from my family and my best friend. Realization From what I see, I am nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing has happened to me my whole life that hasn’t happened to nearly everybody else on this planet. Except that I met Brian. Being in his arms were some of the happiest times I had ever experienced. I could look deep into his eyes and be enchanted forever. Being with him changed my soul. I felt his love prying apart the hard shell of shyness that encircled me. His trust, his love and his support for me lifted me from the earth and gently sent me into the clouds. He cast off the chains I had given myself. Through him I learned a new insight about the world. It was as if a tall, dark mountain had stood in front of me, and out of nowhere, he provided the wings to fly over it.

All Children Can Learn and Most at High Levels

One of the founding principles of the Kentucky Education Reform Act is the statement that â€Å"All children can learn and most at high levels. † With many states having a significant achievement gap between diverse students, it is becoming more important to hold high expectations for all students. I believe that all children can learn and most at high levels. But my point is that not all the children can learn at high levels in the same field. As we know the student is the subject of education. Education aims to develope students' learning potential. But children from different environments have differences in their physiology, intelligence, ability, aptitude, interest, personality traits and emotional development. Therefore some children may gain a great success in music while some others may in math. If we can educate them according to their personalities and individual needs, most children can learn at high levels. American educator John Dewey (John Dewey ,1859-1952) has pointed out that there are plasticity and dependency in the process of one’s growth. This means that the development of a child has unlimited possibilities. The ancient Chinese educator, the Confucius put forward the idea that â€Å"No Child Left Behind† and † Teach students in accordance with their aptitude. † This can be regarded as the practice of the concept that â€Å"every child can learn and most at high levels†. Therefore, whether ancient or modern, Western or Eastern, educators all hold the same concept. We want children to be able to learn and success, the key is the teacher. A professional, high-quality and enthusiastic teacher will be a good fortune to the children. This is why personal development is a necessity to teachers. During these years of teaching I met a lot of challenges to confirm the special needs of children and develope their learning confidence. I always try my best to help each child and encourage them. To teach a student well needs the effort of all parties including parents, teachers and communities. As a home class teacher, I combine all the parties well to improve students' learning capacities and help them to form clear awareness of themselves. If the children in my class can tap all of their potentials, that will be a great success to me as a teacher. Nowadays, the competition is very fierce. Teachers have the obligation to educate their students to be more competitive in certain area in the society. We don’t have the right to give up any of the children. Today, we have to give up the child. Tomorrow, the child may give up the society. Society will pay a higher price.

Genetically modified food †Allergy Essay

Genetically modified foods are becoming more and more used in our community. But, they are not as safe as people presume them to be. Genetically modified foods can cause a big problem in the world, even if it can produce large quantities of foods, it is found that it can cause an allergy to certain foods, many scientists had voted to ban them and there not always labeled that it’s a GMO. Therefore, they should be abolished within the world. To start off, the fact that there is a chemical that is produced that can cause allergic reactions to some people. The scientist had stated that the chemical is safe to use: â€Å"But the biotech companies and the Environmental Protection Agency–which regulates plant produced pesticides–tell us not to worry. They contend that the pesticide called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is produced naturally from a soil bacterium and has a history of safe use. † (Smith). The counter argument was proof that this chemical is actually not safe to use, it can make a person sicker than presumed. Jeffery Smith stated: â€Å"Repeated exposure via inhalation can result in sensitization and allergic response in hypersensitive individuals. † So much for the contention that Bt does not interact with humans. †(Smith). I have been allergic to onions since I was twelve years old, this could be caused by the chemical Bt. If the Scientists saying that is drug is harmless they’re wrong because it’s been proven that this chemical can cause an increase in allergies. Therefore, maybe if we had all natural food growths than maybe I could eat onions now. That is why GMO’s should be abolished. There are so many GMOs that are not even labeled as that how people ever know what their eating if it’s not labeled. It’s the people have a right to know what’s going in there body. Without sharing that information it’s bad for the people to trust anything that is not farmers. Granted some people don’t care, but there are people who do. In an article by Peter Sand he states: â€Å"Hence, in CCFL sessions since 1997,57 the EU and other food importers such as Norway consistently argued that the declared primary purpose of their GM food labeling regulations is not a health risk warning, but information to enable consumers to exercise their freedom of choice. † (Sand) It’s not that the food is completely unsafe that is the problem of not telling them that it’s genetically modified, the problem is that it’s breaking some freedom laws. If a person doesn’t knows about anything how they can make any decision about it. And my final point is that even scientist in some countries signed a petition to ban GMOs from their country. A letter was presented at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle in 1999. Ed Ayres stated that: â€Å"’The letter expresses â€Å"extreme concern† about the hazards of GMOs to biodiversity, food safety, and human and animal health, and recommends a global moratorium on environmental releases of GMOs â€Å"in accordance with the precautionary principle†Ã¢â‚¬  (Ayres). So even some scientists would like to ban GMOs, How can that make any sense if all GMOs are safe why do scientists want to ban them. When many people whom specialize in that field don’t want it in the country why should any average citizen of any country. It should be abolished if even the people creating it say it should be banned. Not to mention they want to ban it for the safety of people and animals. In conclusion, genetically modified foods cause an increasing problem with the allergy rate increasing, scientist wanting to ban them, and not even telling anyone that they are genetically modified. This could lead to a bigger problem with in the world and it should be stopped now. Genetically modified foods should be abolished within the world.

Adv & Disadvantages of Leadership Development Methods Essay

Professional qualifications that require refreshing will be supported if they are an essential criteria for the post| * Trust induction * Trust Essential Update training * Manual Handling * Professional re-registration training * PRINCE2, MSP, LEAN| * Provides an understanding of how the Trust works * Provides health and safety training * Sends out a clear message that professional registration is recognised, important and is supported| * Trust induction training tends to be very generic and does not necessarily relate to the job role * Training for re-registration is not always timely * Is dependent on funding * Cost implications of ensuring that the training budget can cover training| Elective Learning| Courses that are not part of the essential criteria for the post will be deemed to be elective and will be subject to the trust policy on supported learning| * Courses identified as part of the personal development plan * Influencing skills * Negotiating skills * MS Project/Other IT Skills * Meets specific needs for the individual * Can be delivered by others in the team or by a generic course * Ensures that leaders are given requisite skills| * Some generic courses do not cover specific requirements * Is dependent on funding being available| Work Assignments| Work assignments will be seen as an opportunity to help leaders develop specific competencies or practice key behaviours. * Specific goals will be set as part of personal development plans * Feedback on progress will be done either via formal appraisal or by 1:1 feedback with line managers| * Reiterates the message that lessons can always be learned * Gives leaders the growth opportunities to put theories and models into practice * Learning by doing| * Unless well managed there is a tendency to concentrate on ‘getting the job done’ * Opportunities are not always recognised or used to the full advantage| Special Assignments/Initiatives| Involvement in short-term assignments or initiatives either generated from within the team or as part of a project team| * Attendance at programme or project board meetings * Involvement in assignments/initiatives

Property According to Karl Marx and John Locke Essay

â€Å"Property, any object or right that can be owned. Ownership involves, first and foremost, possession; in simple societies to possess something is to own it† ( Funk & Wagnall’s. 1994). English philosopher, John Locke (1632-1704) believed that the only reason society degenerates to armed conflict and strife is because of a depletion of the essential ingredients of an individual or a community’s self-preservation. Those ingredients, according to the Second Treatise include: the right to private property which is grounded in the exercise of the virtues of rationality and industry; the powers of government must be separated because virtue is always in short supply, but prerogative, which depends on virtue in judgment, must be retained by the executive because of the necessary imperfections of the rule of law; and, the right of resistance to illegitimate government presupposes the exercise of restraint and rational judgment by the people (Locke, 29-34). For Locke, labor’s most valuable function is that it does more than simply define a division between what is private and what is public. He believes that it is labor that creates value and turns something that was fundamentally worthless into something of worth. For example, Locke presents the opinion that land without labor put into it is â€Å"scarcely worth anything. † He also notes that, â€Å"nature and the earth furnished only the almost worthless materials as in themselves. † It is labor, and thus the laborer â€Å"that puts the difference of value on everything. † Locke answers the question of whether or not a person has a right to acquire as much as he wants. The answer is a simple â€Å"no;† â€Å"As much as anyone can make use of to any advantage of life before it spoils, so much he may by his labor fix a property in: whatever is beyond this, is more than his share, and belongs to others. Nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy. † For example, he commented that â€Å"it is the taking any part of what is common, and removing it out of the state nature leaves it in, which begins the property; without which the common is of no use (51). Government, Locke believed, is a trust of the individual. The purpose of that trust is the security of the individual’s person and property, and, perhaps most importantly, that individual has the right to withdraw his or her confidence in the ruling government when the government fails in its task. Many of Locke’s political ideas, such as those relating to natural rights, property rights, the duty of the government to protect these rights, and the rule of the majority, were later embodied in the U. S. Constitution. For his time, Locke’s vision of labor as the â€Å"value added† to what is naturally occurring was relatively appropriate. In the 17th century, nothing of â€Å"value† existed without the input of labor. However, as civilization advanced and became more complex, so did issues of value, worth, and compensation. It is difficult to make the necessary translation of his economic philosophy to modern language and meaning. His views on government, though have lasted centuries, remain appropriate and applicable to this day. In significant contrast, the German-born revolutionary, economist, and â€Å"founding father† of communism, Karl Marx (1818-1883) believed private property in capital goods contravened the nature of the human person. He based his rejection of such property upon his understanding of the natural law. This research paper was sold by The Paper Store, Inc. of Jackson, New Jersey. Nor could Marx accept a system in which property was held by every individual, because the human person does not possess the â€Å"spiritual† strength to overcome greed; for Marx that could only come by reorganizing the model of production. Marx’s ultimate goal was to liberate the world from the evil of acquisitive materialism and lead the human race to a new freedom (Peterson 337). In the â€Å"Third Manuscript – Private Property and Labor† by Marx, written during the summer of 1844, he states: â€Å"The subjective essence of private property, private property as activity for itself, as subject, as person, is labor. It, therefore, goes without saying that only that political economy which recognized labor as its principle and which therefore no longer regarded private property as nothing more than a condition external to man, can be regarded as both a product of the real energy and movement of private property (it is the independent movement of private property become conscious of itself, it is modern industry as self), a product of modern industry, and a factor which has accelerated and glorified the energy and development of this industry and transformed it into a power belonging to consciousness† (Marx PG). He further condemns the private ownership of property and the government that supports such a system by saying: â€Å" . . . the supporters of the monetary and mercantile system, who look upon private property as a purely objective being for man, appear as fetish-worshippers, as Catholics, to this enlightened political economy, which has revealed — within the system of private property — the subjective essence of wealth† (Marx PG) He reaches what he considers a â€Å"logical† conclusion: â€Å"for man himself no longer stands in a relation of external tension to the external essence of private property — he himself has become the tense essence of private property. What was formerly being-external-to-oneself, man’s material externalization, has now become the act of alienation. † Marx described true communism, which is the â€Å"restoration of man as a social, that is human being. † Not only are the relations between human beings restored; so is the proper relation between the human being and nature. Communism is naturalism, which banishes alien spiritual beings from existence, and therefore humanism as well. The human being once again finds itself at home in the natural world, as that from which it came, and as the arena of its creativity. Marx viewed communism as the negation of the negation (private property being the negation of human nature). Interestingly, he did not declare it as final. â€Å"Communism is the necessary form and dynamic principle of the immediate future but not as such the goal of human development — the goal of human society. † â€Å"Communism is ultimately the positive expression of private property as overcome,† said Marx from his controversial days as newspaper writer to his death at age 65. It is a painful irony that the system that evolved into modern communism became the true â€Å"negation of human nature. † In its efforts to maintain the collective the individual was lost. Individual human spirit cannot (apparently) remain lost, hidden, or locked away indefinitely. The past twenty years have demonstrated how tentative the hold of communism actually was/is throughout the world. While Marx has often been denigrated for his philosophy, it was the perversion of that philosophy that caused. While the application of Locke’s idea of labor as the added worth of human hands shaping the natural world has changed significantly, it is still the philosophy that has most closely resonated to the way in which the greatest number of humans want to be governed. Works Cited Locke, John (1690) Two Treatises of Government: Chapter 5 – Of Property (http://wiretap. spies. com. /library/classics/ locke2nd. txt) Marx, Karl (April-August, 1844) Third Manuscript: Private Property and Labor (. cmn. edu/marx/1844-ep. mauscripts/1-property. labor. txt) Peterson, G. Paul Karl Marx and His Vision of Salvation: The Natural Law and Private Property, Review of Social Economy; 52(3), Fall 1994, pp. 377-90.