Jean-Paul Sartre Essay -- Biography Biographies Philosophers Essays

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre was an existentialist philosopher. The questions of his philosophy often come out in his readings. Existentialism questions why we exist. Existentialists deny the existence of God. Existentialist writers such as Kafka and Sartre often use prisons and solitary confinement to tell their stories. Often, neither the reader nor the protagonist is aware of what crime has been committed. Jean-Paul Sartre’s â€Å"The Wall† reflects his philosophy and personal experiences. He worked for the French resistance and was imprisoned by the Germans during WWII. The story takes place during the Spanish Civil War in an old hospital being used by the Spanish Fascist’s to house prisoners. â€Å"The Wall† is told from a first person, stream of consciousness point-of-view, and uses existentialist philosophy, to illuminate the follies of totalitarian governments like Fascism, and Nazism. Like most existentialist writers, Sartre chooses to tell the story of â€Å"The Wall† form the first person stream-of-consciousness point-of-view. We get dialogue from other characters, but the dialogue is filtered through the mind and thoughts of Pablo. The terror in the story slowly unfolds from Pablo’s mind. In the beginning, Sartre only gives us a hint of terror. The reality of the situation has not yet set into Pablo’s mind: They pushed us into a big white room and I began to blink because the light hurt my eyes. Then I saw a table and four men behind the table, civilians, looking over the papers. They had bunched another group of prisoners in the back and we had to cross the whole room to join them. There were several I knew and some others who must have been foreigners. The two in front of me were blond with round skulls; they looked alike. I supposed they were French. The smaller one kept hitching up his pants; nerves. (7) The emphasis on the â€Å"round skull† foreshadows a scene that later brings terror into greater effect. Tom tells Pablo while they are waiting to be executed, that they aim for the eyes and head to disfigure your face. The emphasis on the perfect round skulls in the first paragraph draws attention to faces and heads. â€Å"The smaller one hitching up his nerves,† tell us from the beginning that Pablo should be nervous himself. Pablo knows he is in trouble at the beginning. He just does not realize the amount yet. ... ...out truth or a person’s innocence. Juan is guilty of know crime and is put to death. Garcia who Pablo meets in the courtyard after he gives his false testimony, â€Å"had nothing to do with politics† (36). When asked why he was arrested, Garica responds â€Å"They arrest everybody who doesn’t think the way they do†(36). The Nazi’s and the Fascist’s used mental torture and the threat of terror to get people to question their own existence, their own sanity. They do not think, they just take orders and obey. Therefore, it is perfectly ironic that Pablo sends them to a place devoid of reason or thought. The further irony is that Gris is hiding in the graveyard in the gravediggers’ shack and is killed in a gunfight. Pablo says after learning of Gris’s death, â€Å"everything began to spin and I found myself siting on the ground: I laughed so hard I cried† (37). Pablo laughs until he cries because he realizes he never will understand why one man dies and another lives. In spite of all his thinking and mental anguish over the question, every answer he discovers leads back to Descartes; the only part of his existence he can not question is the one truth, â€Å"I think, therefore I am."

African Americans jazz Essay

Many believe that jazz is a music that African Americans played together with the Creole musicians during the 19th century in New Orleans, Louisiana in United States that bind the race together, black and white Americans. This is also considered as the ancient and most distinguished musical genres in North America and known as â€Å"America’s classical music. † Based from the quote of Gerald Early, a lecturer and a writer of African – American studies, he emphasizes that America will be known from three things: in the Constitution, sports (baseball), and in jazz music, since these are the most captivating things that they developed. Jazz is a type of lyricism that reflects on the Great American promise and expresses hope for freedom in slavery. It is also illustrated by the exceptional attribute of collective improvisation and should be performed with the right feelings about it. According to Louis Armstrong if you will ask, you’ll never know. He discovers the secret behind the jazz music, that’s why he became known as one of the successful musicians and leading stars in the whole world. The early jazz musicians create a great impact to the life of many as they change their point of view towards music. Although, jazz music is originated from the black, who are considered outsider but living in America, wherein they use this as a passage to be accepted in the society, still America truly owns this music. I prove it accurate because the New Orleans jazz musicians improve, develop, and patronize this music until the whole world has known it. One more thing, jazz has a big role to the history of America. This music becomes the expression of freedom because way back in 1970, it played a major role in the life of African American culture. Their longing for freedom is emphasized as they sing. I also believe that jazz eliminates the discrimination between the white and black people, that’s why I strongly agree that jazz belongs to America because the whole history of this country is the song itself. The history of jazz is deeply rooted in America and until now the musical tradition lives here. Works Cited The Importance of Jazz in American Culture | Jazz & More† http://jazz. learnhub. com/lesson/6809-the-importance-of-jazz-in-american-culture#ixzz0ESyZePQV&A The Importance of Jazz in American Culture http://jazz. learnhub. com/lesson/6809-the-importance-of-jazz-in-american- culture#ixzz0ET3vi6Uc&A A History of Jazz http://www. historyjazz. com/ The History of Jazz Music http://meltingpot. fortunecity. com/zaire/721/introframe. htm Jazz Music http://www. smallsjazz. com/

Duality in “The Odyssey” Essay

Odysseus exhibits a certain duality in his nature that defines his persona and controls his actions. In Book Nine of The Odyssey, both oppositional sides of Odysseus are poignantly illustrated: the tactful, crafty leader who uses reason, and the rash warrior in search of home and glory who acts impulsively. From the opening scene, Odysseus uses his cunning and charm to win the respect and honor of the Phaeacians and their king, Alcinous. This is shown when he states, What a fine thing this is, to listen to such a bard/as we have here—the man sings like a god./The crown of life, Id say† Clearly, Odysseus is trying to flatter and win the favor of his hosts in order to secure their help for passage to his beloved Ithaca. In order to impress them further, Odysseus declares that he is â€Å"known to the world/for every kind of craft—my fame has reached the skies† (21-22). Odysseus creates an image of being an incredibly strong leader. However, for a man of great ingenuity, Odysseus makes several imprudent mistakes. Among the gravest of his faults is acting without caution. Upon sighting the land of the Cyclops, Odysseus feels a sense of foreboding in the upcoming events. He states that he knew that hed â€Å"soon come up against/some giant clad in power like armor-plate—/a savage deaf to justice, blind to law† (238-240). Although he gets this feeling, he acts without reason. However, he irrationally leads his men into the cave of the Cyclops anyway. As a result, Odysseus led some of his men to a horrendous death. Long after the Cyclops is utterly defeated, Odysseus taunts Polyphemus. Odysseus allows his haughtiness to surpass his wisdom and ridicules the blinded giant; thereby, jeopardizing the lives of his entire crew when the Cyclops hurls a boulder at his boat. Odysseus could not stop there; he had to take the credit for Polyphemus defeat and shouts his true identity, contrary to his mens pleadings. He had previously instigated the monster, who in turn, could now seek revenge upon him. These instances depict how Odysseus’ rash behavior overtakes his wiliness. Bibliography: The Odyssey by Homer

Development and Social Change Essay

DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE STRATEGIES IN KENYA IN THE 21ST CENTURY DEFINATIONS Strategy is a high level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. Strategy is important because the resources available to achieve these goals are usually limited. Strategy is also about attaining and maintaining a position of advantage over adversaries through the successive exploitation of known or emergent possibilities rather than committing to any specific fixed plan designed at the outset. Henry Mintzberg from McGill University defined strategy as â€Å"a pattern in a stream of decisions† to contrast with a view of strategy as planning while Max McKeown (2011) argues that â€Å"strategy is about shaping the future† and is the human attempt to get to â€Å"desirable ends with available means†. Development means a progression from a simpler or lower to a more advanced, mature, or complex form or stage. It is also defined as the gradual advancement or growth through a series of progressive changes. Development is a process, not a leve l. It is a path to achieve certain goals. see more:factors affecting social change INTRODUCTION In the 21st century Kenyans have come up with different strategies to advocate for development and social change. These strategies are mostly based on economic issue, political issue, and social issues those which are affecting the development and growth of our country. These strategies are aiming at transforming Kenya into a newly industrialized middle income country providing a high quality life to all its citizens. For these development to be achieved thre have to be an all inclusive and participartory stakeholders and a consultive process involving Kenyan from all parts of the country. Kenyans are also willing to from suggestions by some of the leading local and international experts on the newly industrialized countries around the world have made the leap from poverty to widely spread prosperity and equity. Every strategy has been developed to address issues lying across them e.g. economic strategy aims to improve the prosperity of all Kenyans through an economic development programme covering all the regions in Kenya. Social  strategy seeks to build a just and cohesive society with social equity in clean and secure environment. Political strategy aims to realize a democratic political system founded on issue based politics that respect the rule of law and protect the rights and freedom of every individual. Kenyans in the 21st century are advocating for a consultive approach in its development involving as many ordinary Kenyans and stakeholders as possible i.e. public service, private sector, civil society, media and non government organization. The importance of consultations is to provide in-depth understanding of countries development problems and necessary strategies to achieve development. Detailed analysis is carried under the consultative approach in order to come up with the s trategies capable of resolving the social and political problems that face Kenyans today. Findings  In every category of the strategy Kenyans have come up with ways to address the problem found in that particular category. The Social Strategy  Kenya’s journey towards prosperity also involves the building of a just and cohesive society, enjoying equitable social development in a clean and secure environment. This quest is the basis of transformation of the problems found in the category of social strategy, I .e. Education and Training; Health; Water and Sanitation; the Environment; Housing and Urbanization; as well as in Gender, Youth, Sports and Culture; and also in terms of promoting equity and poverty reduction across the entire Kenyan society. It also makes special provisions for Kenyans with various disabilities and previously marginalized communities. Education and Training Under education and training Kenya will provide a globally competitive quality education, training and research for development. The overall goal for 21st century is to reduce illiteracy by increasing access to education, improving the transition rate from primary to secondary schools, and raising the quality and relevance of education. The Health Sector To improve the overall livelihoods of Kenyans, the country aims to provide an efficient and high quality health care system with the best standards. This will reduce health inequalities and improve key areas where Kenya is lagging, especially in lowering infant and maternal mortality. Specific  strategies will involve: provision of a robust health infrastructure network; improving the quality of health service delivery to the highest standards and promotion of partnerships with the private sector. Water and Sanitation Kenya is a water scarce country. The country therefore aims to conserve water sources and start new ways of harvesting and using rain and underground water. The 21st century has a vision for Water and Sanitation is to ensure that improved water and sanitation are available and accessible to all. The goal to increase both access to safe water and sanitation in both rural and urban areas beyond present levels The Environment Kenya aims to be a nation living in a clean, secure and sustainable environment. Specific strategies will involve: promoting environmental conservation for better support to the economic pillar, improving pollution and waste management through the design and application of economic incentives; and the commissioning of public-private partnerships for improved efficiency in water and sanitation delivery. Housing and Urbanization The 2030 vision for housing and urbanization is an adequately and decently housed nation in sustainable all inclusive environment. The goal for 2012 is to increase the annual production of housing units from the current 35,000 annually to over 200,000. Kenya’s cities and towns are poorly planned. There is an acute need therefore for an effective capacity for regional and urban development planning. In addition, there will be better development of and access to affordable and adequate housing; enhanced access to adequate finance for developers and buyers, and pursue targeted key reforms to unlock the potential of the housing sector. 6. Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups The 2030 vision for gender, youth and vulnerable groups is gender equity, improved livelihoods for vulnerable groups, and a responsible, globally competitive and prosperous youth. The goal for 2012 is to increase opportunities all-round among women, youth and all disadvantaged groups. 7. Equity and Poverty Elimination The 2030 goal for Equity and poverty elimination is to reduce the number of people living in poverty to a tiny proportion of the total population. Kenya will aim at a society that guarantees equality of opportunity in accessing public services and providing income generating activities as widely as possible. That will be achieved by placing the citizens at a level of income sufficient to cater for basic requirements of a healthy, productive life. 8. Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Vision 2030 will be based on the creation of international competitiveness through more efficient productivity at the firm and household level, with government support. However, all the strategies and flagship projects will exploit knowledge in science, technology and innovation (STI) in order to function more efficiently, improve social welfare, and also promote democratic governance. STI can and will be applied in all the lead sectors. The education and training curricula in the country will, therefore, be modified to ensure that the creation, adoption, adaptation and usage of knowledge become part of formal instruction. Economic strategy The Kenyan economy, East Africa’s largest, has experienced considerable growth in the past few years, driven by several key factors. The country enjoys some particular advantages: a reasonably well-educated labour force, a vital port that serves as an entry point for goods destined for countries in the East African and Central Africa interior, abundant wildlife and kilometers of attractive coastline and above all, a government that is committed to implementing business reforms. This strategy seeks to improve the prosperity of all regions of the country and all Kenyans by achieving a 10% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate by 2012(vision 2030). To achieve this target, Kenya is continuing with the tradition of macro-economic stability that has been established since 2002. It is also addressing other key constraints, notably, a low savings to GDP ratio, which can be alleviated by drawing in more remittances from Kenyans abroad, as well as increased foreign investment and overseas development assistance The country is continuing with the governance and institutional reforms  necessary to accelerate economic growth. Others critical problems being addressed include poor infrastructure and high energy costs. The five key sectors described below are being given priority as the key growth drivers for achievement of the economic vision: * Tourism * Increasing value in agriculture * A better and more inclusive wholesale and retail trade sector * Manufacturing for the regional market * Financial services Tourism This sector aims to be one of the top ten long- haul tourist destination in the world. To achieve this it has put ahead some strategies as their guideline that is offering a high end, diverse and distinctive visitor experience, achieving high tourist revenue by improving facilities in all underutilized parks, creating new high value niche product and investing in new conference facilities to boost business tourism Agriculture This aims to promote an innovative, commercially- oriented and modern agricultural sector. This will be accomplished through transforming key institution in agricultural and livestock to promote agricultural growth, increasing productivity of crop and livestock, introducing more irrigable areas in arid and semi- arid areas for both crops and livestock. It also aim sat adding value to our firm and live stock products before they reach local and international market (vision 2030) Whole sale and retail market Aims to raise earnings by giving our large informal sector opportunities to transform itself into a part of a formal sector that is efficient, multi tiered, diversified in product range and innovative. This will be raised through training and credit, improving efficiency by reducing the number of players between the producer and the consumer (vision 2030) Manufacturing It aims to have a robust, diversified and competitive manufacturing sector. This will be achieved through the implementation of the following restricting key local industries that use raw materials but are currently  uncompetitive, exploiting opportunities in value addition to agricultural product. The Political Pillar This aims to realize a democratic political system founded on issue-based politics that respects the rule of law, and protects the rights and freedoms of every individual in Kenyan society. It hopes to transform Kenya into a state in which equality is entrenched, irrespective of one’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender or socio-economic status; a nation that respects and harnesses the diversity of its peoples’ values, traditions and aspirations for the benefit of all its citizens. The political pillar vision for 2030 is â€Å"a democratic political system that is issue-based, people-centered, result-oriented and accountable to the public.† An issue-based system is one in which political differences are about means to meet the widest public interest. â€Å"People-centered† goals refer to the system’s responsiveness to the needs and rights of citizens, whose participation in all public policies and resource allocation processes is both fully appreciated and facilitated. A result-oriented system is stable, predictable and whose performance is based on measurable outcomes. An accountable system is one that is open and transparent and one that permits free flow of information. This vision is expected to guarantee Kenya’s attainment of the specific goals outlined under Vision 2030’s economic and social pillars To meet objectives outlined in the economic and social pillars, Kenya’s national governance system is being transformed and reformed to acquire high-level executive capability consistent with a rapidly industrializing country. The country is adopting a democratic decentralization process with substantial devolution in policy-making, public resource management and revenue sharing through devolve d funds. This has been achieved through a delivery of a new constitutional dispensation which came in effect in August 2010. Transformation within Kenya’s political governance system under Vision 2030 is expected to take place across six strategic initiatives, whose overarching visions, goals and specific strategies for 2012 are as follows: * Rule of law * Electoral and political processes * Democracy and public service delivery * Transparency and accountability * Security, peace building, and conflict management Rule of law Under the rule of law the vision 2030 is adherence to the rule of law is as applicable to a modern market based economy in a human right respecting state. A lighting the national policy and legal framework with the need of a market based economy, national human right and gender equality commitment. Increasing access and quality of service available to the public and reducing barriers of justice. Democracy and public service delivery People centered and political engaged open society, pursuing, constitutional and legal reforms necessary to dissolve to more resources and responsibility to local governance institution. Encouraging formal and informal civil education and action programmes, promoting open engagement between government and civil society as well as the free flow of information. Transparency and accountability Transparent, accountability, ethical and result oriented government institution strengthening the legal framework for ant- corruption, ethics and integrity. Promoting result based management within the public service, introducing civilian oversight around key legal justice and security, strengthening government legislative oversight capacity. Security Security of all persons and property throughout the republic, Promoting public- private cooperation and community involvement for improved safety and security, Deeping policy legal and institutional reforms for improved enforcement of law and order, Promoting national and international dialogue in order to build harmony among ethnic, racial and other groups. Electoral and political process Seeks to cultivate genuinely competitive and issue based politics introducing rules and regulations covering political policies, enhancing the legal and regulatory framework covering electrical process, conducting civil education programmers to widen knowledge and participation among citizens leading to an informed active citizens. Conclusion For development and social change to occur Kenyans in the 21st century Kenyans should evaluate the pre and post development and analyze the strategies they want to put across and see whether they will be of any impact or they will be able to serve them effectively. There should be an integration of all strategies for sustainable development to occur. That is they should put value both in economic, social and political strategies. Commitment is expected for both the government and civil society, international, local and personal positive relationships are also major contributors to sustainable development in the 21st century. Mission, vision, goals and objectives should be successfully laid, well defined and achievable. References Vision 2030 document The national broad strategy Vision 2030 flagship project

WORLDVIEWS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WORLDVIEWS - Coursework Example A co-worker or a neighbor who follows the Islamic way of life should be understood in terms of what he/she stands for, and also be ready to embrace the differences between him/her and the other party. Presenting the Christian gospel to an Islamic person would be faced by religious differences. Islamic and Christian beliefs are significantly different. Countering one’s Islamic beliefs must be accompanied by outstanding evidence of the arguments being made. On the same note, faith in involved in the process. Faith and religious superiority would pose substantial barriers to presenting gospel to an Islamic person (Quá ¹ ­b & Rami, 2006). Personally, I uphold respect for other religions and the different forms of worldviews. In this respect, presenting the gospel must account for Islamic views and the Muslim beliefs. The idea is to present the gospel without tarnishing one religion over the other. Personally, balancing these two aspects poses substantial challenges to presenting the gospel to a person from Islamic worldview. The parties involved would have to be considered, and the efforts in presenting the gospel would not have to present Muslim religion or Islamic practices as inferior to

Effect of stigma on people with mental illness in the UK Dissertation

Effect of stigma on people with mental illness in the UK - Dissertation Example The intention of this study is mental illness as one of the major concerns in global disease burden. It has a significant impact in the quality of life of people suffering from mental illness and yet there is the prevalence of low levels of treatment seeking and follow-through among patients. This situation poses a crucial concern since it places patients in higher risks, and at the same time, it curtails the effort of heath care providers, such as nurses, in giving the appropriate care to mentally ill patients. One major identified reason why mentally ill patients do not seek treatment or attend follow up is stigma. Stigma is ‘a social construction that defines people in terms of a distinguishing characteristic or mark and devalues them as a consequence’. The categories create an invisible demarcation separating people with the distinguishing mark from those who do not. However, it is not just attributes but language, labelling, also plays a critical role in fortifying the distinction As such, stigma perpetuates the divide between the person that is labelled as deviant from the person that is deemed normal. In this context, stigma is ‘a collection of negative attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors that influence the individual, or the general public, to fear, reject, avoid, be prejudiced, and discriminate against people with mental disorders’. Thus, stigma contributes to the continued exclusion and dehumanisation of people who are suffering from mental illness.... In this regard, this study intends to address the question what are the effects of stigma on people with mental illness in the UK? Rationale Stigma is one of the major reasons why people with mental disorders does not seek treatment, are reluctant in attending follow through and are experiencing continued exclusion and dwindling quality of life (Lauber & Satorious 2007; Pinto-Foltz & Logsdon 2008; Ross & Goldner 2009). This condition gives rise to the urgency of the need to attain a better understanding of the effects of stigma to people who are suffering from mental disorders. This is essential in order to authentically address their predicament, and create a platform wherein their voices may be expressed and heard. In addition, this study is vital as it helps in clarifying the possible role of nursing in de-stigmatisation of people with mental illness. Aims and Objectives Recognising the significant influences of stigma in the life of people with mental illness and its implications in the nursing practise, the research aims the following. To identify the effect of stigma to people with mental disorders To determine the approaches being undertaken to address the issue of stigma vis-a-vis mental illness To establish the role of nurses in stigmatisation and de-stigmatisation of patients with mental illness To understand the function of language in the context of stigma To know the extent of the changes in the perception of stigma vis-a-vis people with mental disorders Overview Fig. 1 Overview As stigma is a social construct and phenomenon that afflicts and affects the life of people with mental disorders, it also influences the family, community, health care providers and

Diversity in the Workplace Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity in the Workplace - Coursework Example In addition to these groups of people, diversity also focuses on people belonging to other categories like, people having different educational background, different tenure with the company, different functional backgrounds and the resulting diversity from the mergers and acquisitions activity of organizations. Affirmative action is concerned with people who are experiencing issues related to discrimination based on color, ethnic groups, etc (Kravitz, 2008, p. 175). However, managing diversity is more related to the desire of the manager of a company to explore the potentials present in all the employees. Thus, affirmative action is only a means of attaining diversity in an organization through the implementation of various policies and diversity is a broader concept which is the end result of affirmative action. Answer 2: Cultural diversity in workforce mainly refers to the various types of people that work in an organization and can be differentiated on the basis of their race, gen der and ethnicity. In a culturally diverse workforce one can find people who have different cultural values (Pride, Hughes, & Kapoor, 2011, p. 253). According to Esty, Griffin & Hirsch (1995), they have suggested ten different dimensions of diversity which are thought to be the critical in a workplace. They are: 1) Sexual Orientation, 2) Class, 3) Ethnicity, 4) Age, 5) Race, 6) Hierarchy or Status, 7) Gender, 8) Religion, 9) Physical ability or disability, and 10) Family situation. Hence, people working in a workplace can be differentiated based on any of these cultural dimensions. Organizations having culturally diverse workforce are characterized of having people who have different cultural values and varies with respect to the dimensions mentioned above. Answer3: Managing a diverse workforce is not an easy task and is associated with many challenges to be faced by the leaders in an organization. Diversity management is not restricted to acknowledging the differences that exist be tween people working in an organization. It also involves the recognition of values associated with such differences between people, promoting inclusiveness and combating discrimination. The leaders of an organization managing a diverse workforce may also face the challenge of losing the personnel or reduction in work productivity because of discrimination, prejudice, legal actions and complaints against the organization. In addition to this, negative behaviors or attitudes can prove to be barriers for an organization because this can result in having a negative impact on the working relationships between the employees and reduce the work productivity and morale of the people. The negative behaviors or attitudes that have been referred here include stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination and it should not be utilized by the company management while performing activities like retention, hiring, and termination of employees. Answer4: Increasing diversity in the workforce of an org anization needs implementation of an effective diversification strategy. By following the four steps mentioned below it is possible to increase diversity in the companies. Step 1: Explaining diversity for the company: The first step is to define and explain what diversification implies to the company as a whole. It is an important step to initiate diversity because the term diversity carries different meaning for different people in the organization.