Understanding organizations and the role of HR Essay Example for Free

Understanding organizations and the role of HR Essay YTL Cement’s purpose in beginning this business is to supply quality cement to local construction companies for a competitive price especially in the eastern corridor of peninsular Malaysia. There were no cement plants in the eastern side of peninsular Malaysia. So, cost of purchasing cement was high due to logistics. Our plant in Pahang solved all issues as we could now provide cement with a much cheaper price. YTL Cement is currently the second largest cement producer in Malaysia. Our goal is to be the largest cement producer in Malaysia and also southeast Asia. From one cement plant, we have rapidly expanded to four plant now. The goal to be the largest cement producer in Malaysia might come to past earlier than expected. PRODUCTS SERVICES We have 5 brands of bagged product and 4 types of bulk product. The 5 brands in the bagged products are Castle, Orang Kuat, Wallcem, Marinecem and Dragon. Each bag weighs 50 kilogrammes. Each brand is different in terms of  uses, strength and suitability. Cement has many uses during the construction process such as brick making, brick laying, concreting, plastering and tiling. So, each brand has its own suitability. For instance, when it comes to tiling, the brands Castle and Dragon are the most suitable. We have 4 kinds of bulk products. They are MASCEM, SLAGCEM, OPC and CLAGCEM GGBS. Bulk products are usually dispatched in tankers. The weight of each tanker varies from 28 tonnes to 40 tonnes. We supply bulk cement to all parts of Malaysia via tankers and rail. CUSTOMERS CLIENTS YTL Cement has customers and clients both locally and internationally. The bagged products targets small contractors, hardware stores and individual purchasers. These target use cement for small scale renovations and other personal use. Bulk cement is usually bought by large contractors who are employed by the government or the private sector to build housing estates, buildings, bridges and more. The cement quantity needed in these projects is huge so purchases are made in bulks. 4 EXTERNAL FACTORS Economy The cement industry depends on the economy situation. If the economy is stable, then development and construction is on-going. The government and private organizations will initiate projects which include housing and other infrastructure project which requires cement. Hence, the demand for cement will increase. But if there is an economy downturn, it will have a bad impact on the construction industry. And when the construction industry is down, then the demand for cement will decrease which will directly affect the cement industry. Technology Technology plays a very important role in the process of making cement. Technology has grown and new machinery is constantly being introduced to maximize output and minimize the usage of power. The advances in technology, has also allowed cement plants to increase production on a daily basis. This directly contributes to the profit of the organization. One of the biggest issues in cement plants are the breakdowns. Metal fatigue and corrosion cause machinery to break down which effects production. Technology today allows machinery to run longer with minimal maintenance procedures. Legal Legal implications always surround heavy industries that effect the environment. New acts and new policies enforced by governments will affect the cement industry. A growing population with growing concerns about the environment will push the government to impose new laws which will directly or indirectly affect the cement industry. Environment The most important raw material to used to make cement is limestone. Limestone is a sedimentary rock. Limestone can be mined in two ways which are from hills which contain limestone and two, from limestone deposits deep underground. Aggressive mining can deplete the limestone and when that happens, we will not be able to produce cement. As most natural resources, limestone is not renewable hence making it a limited resource. Coal is used in cement plants to heat up the kiln. A kiln is something like an oven where raw materials are transformed at high temperatures. The temperature in a cement kiln can reach up to 1400 degree Celsius. So, huge amounts of coal are used everyday to heat up the kilns. Like limestone, coal is also a limited resource. The depletion of coal will impact the cement industry. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE YTL Cement has a top down organizational structure. It is a family owned business. As such, all decisions are made by the Executive Director which is Dato’ Sri Michael Yeoh who is a member of the Yeoh family. Authority is vested at the top and flows down through directors, managers and executives before finally reaching those who make the product. The four functions in this organization which are vital are operations, human resources, finance and purchasing. Operations The operations team are in charge of the day to day operations of the cement plant and all its machinery. Achieving daily production output is the end result of this team. Human Resources The human resources team are in charge of daily employee related activities such as recruitment, training and development, attendance, disciplinary and much more. Finance The finance team are in charge of financial aspects of the plant in the daily  matters such receiving payments, making payments, processing invoices and much more. Purchasing The purchasing team handles all purchases made by all the other departments in the plant. OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE All the functions in the organization work hand in hand to optimize performance. Operations Operations is the money maker in the organization. The wages, profit of the organization depends on the capability of operation in achieving its targets. The more money the organization makes, the better it is for the stakeholder and the employees. The extra funds can be used in various ways such as upgrading infrastructure and machinery, giving more incentives and benefits to employees, increased increments, better bonuses and much more. Upgrading infrastructure and machinery will directly increase performance. Increased performance leads to increased production which leads to increased profits. Providing better benefits, increments and bonuses, increases the employees’ morale and motivation. A motivated workforce raises productivity. This will directly lead to optimizing the performance of the department which will then optimize the performance of the organization. Human Resources Human resources work together with the rest of the departments in the organization in many ways. Recruitment of employees based on the forecast, manpower planning and attrition is an ongoing process. Selecting the right candidate at the right time is vital to insure that performance is not affected. A pool of suitable candidates for key positions must always be available incase of unforeseen emergency. Retention of employees is also important. Each employee carries knowledge, skill and experience of the designated role he or she works in. Losing an employee can affect performance of a department. Resources such as time, energy and money need to be used to re-train a new employee. As such, human resources must always be aware of the current market salary, current compensation and benefits packages, training and development requirements as to keep turnover as low as possible. Finance The finance department’s activities range from bookkeeping to providing information to managers and directors in making strategic decisions.   Finance department is responsible for all the day to day transactional accounting for the organization. This includes tracking of all financial transactions that happens in the organization. The finance department is also responsible for the organization’s cash flow to ensure that funds are available to meet the day to day payments. This is important as to make sure that operations run smoothly without any problems. The finance department also contributes to the management and improvement of the operations by reporting regularly on key numbers important to the success of the organization. They also work with managers and head of departments to prepare budgets and forecasts. This information can be used to plan machinery purchases and expansions and cash needs before they become necessary. All this contribute to optimising the p erformance of the organization. Purchasing The role of the purchasing department is to procure all necessary materials needed for production or daily operation of the organization. For YTL Cement, a heavy industry company, this will include raw materials such as iron, silica, gypsum, coal or sand which will be used in producing cement. Other items procured, which are as equally important such as machinery parts, electrical parts are vital in sustaining operations of the plant. The purchasing department also needs to evaluate the prices of materials procured to maximize profitability. A purchasing department in a small business needs to locate the best vendors’ at the most reasonable prices. Purchasing department staff needs to communicate with many vendors to negotiate a better price for any material which will be ordered. CULTURE AND ITS IMPACTS The culture in YTL Cement is more of a Power Culture. All decisions are made by the Executive Director and the Director of Operations. Due to this culture, all decisions are pushed upwards from below. The impact of this culture is employees are not empowered to make decisions about their job. They will always look for higher authority to make even a simple decision. And when employees do not take decision, they do not take responsibility. And when employees do not take responsibility, they do not feel proud of their organization. This also affects the loyalty of the employee which leads to a high turnover. 3 HR ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION’S STRATEGY Strategic HR Planning Strategic HR planning is links HR management directly to the strategic plan of the organization. Organizations nowadays have a strategic plan that guides them in successfully achieving their vision and mission. Based on this strategic plan, the organization can develop a strategic HR plan that will allow HR to make decisions now to support the future direction of the organization. Strategic HR planning also helps to: Ensure sufficient workforce to meet the strategic goals and operational plans of your organization Keep abreast with economic changes, technological changes, social changes and legal changes that impact HR and the cement industry Talent Management A talented workforce is essential to achieve our vision and mission. Aligning individual goals with the organizations strategy is a proven recipe for success. Goal alignment is a powerful management tool. When the organization engages employees in their work through goal alignment, a greater employee ownership in your companys ultimate success is created. Thus, the employees become more committed to your company and achieve higher levels of job performance. Compensation Benefits A good compensation and benefits package will always attract competent employees. Employing competent workers leads to better results and leads to higher productivity. A compensation and benefits plan that rewards employees for company loyalty is also vital in retaining talented employees. When this appreciation is shown to senior employees, new employees realize that the organization values employees who choose to work with the organization for the long-term. This encourages new employees to decide build a career with the organization hence retaining competent employees. 3 WAYS HR SUPPORT THE LINE MANAGERS AND STAFF Training and Development Based on the Training Needs Analysis (TNA), HR can then select the relevant  training courses and trainers to train the employees. Whether its technical training or management training, choosing the right kind of training with the right modules and trainer is vital. This to make sure that the training is relevant and effective. Training improves employee job performance. This helps reduce job performance disputes and contributes to the department achieving its KPI. Coaching Coaching can improve employee performance, increase employee engagement and reduce turnover. During coaching, the key issue will be on the employee’s performance in the workplace which includes assessment, appraisals and discussing the employee’s strength and weaknesses. Employees feel more engaged when they can discuss their achievement and plan for the future. Engaged employee will work harder, contribute more and are less likely to leave the organization. Recruitment Selection Recruitment includes screening potential candidates using tests and interviews and then selecting the right candidate. This procedure is important the candidate has to be balanced in terms of technical knowledge and also has good character and management skills. This will help department when the right person is selected and the candidate is able to fulfil their new roles effectively. Choosing the wrong candidate can lead to de-motivating and de-moralising current employees, workplace disputes, poor performance by the department and much more.

Assessment of Inappropriate Behavioral Development in Children and Teens :: essays research papers

It is far easier to measure a child's physical growth and maturation than to assess the complexities of individual differences in children's disruptive and antisocial development. Pediatricians can clearly record increases in a child's weight and height on growth charts and even provide percentile estimates indicating how a child compares to others at the same age. Measuring and interpreting acceptable versus unacceptable and normal versus abnormal behaviors among children and adolescents are far more complex. Children and adolescents often test the limits of appropriate conduct by crossing the boundaries set by caretakers. When a youth exhibits a particular problem behavior, it is important to consider not only if the behavior has previously occurred, but also if it is exhibited in multiple settings and with what frequency, duration, intensity, and provocation. For example, a 2-year-old who playfully nips a playmate is less off the mark of developmentally appropriate behavior than a 4-year-old who aggressively and frequently bites playmates to forcefully gain possession of desired toys. Among adolescents, a certain degree of misbehavior, experimentation, or independence seeking is common. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association (1994) indicates that "New onset of oppositional behaviors in adolescence may be due to the process of normal individuation." On the other hand, youth who persistently and progressively engage in problem behaviors with significant impairment in personal development, social functioning, academic achievement, and vocational preparation are of great concern to caretakers. Also of concern is the broad category of "antisocial behaviors" that have an appreciable harmful effect on others, in terms of inflicting physical or mental harm on others or causing property loss or damage. The Semantics of Disruptive and Delinquent Behavior A mother finds parenting exhausting and describes her 7-year-old son as extremely energetic, frequently switching from one play activity to another, often losing his things, and forgetting to do his chores. A second grade teacher notes that her student has a learning disability, as he is unruly, requires constant disciplinary attention, fidgets or squirms in his seat, fails to follow directions or complete assignments, refuses to wait his turn, and often disturbs his classmates. A child psychologist indicates a young boy lacks the ability for sustained mental effort, is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli, displays poor impulse control, and meets the criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as defined in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

Summerhill Education

SUMMERHILL EDUCATION Education is one of many elements, which create personalities of young people. We used to the fact that each school aims to teach, require and civilize. Most people think, that young do not know what is good for them, moreover, without appropriate mobilization, they cannot gain a success in future. 1. Alexander Sutherland Neill  (17 October 1883 – 23 September 1973) was a Scottish progressive educator, author and founder of  Summerhill school, which remains open and continues to follow his educational philosophy to this day. He is best known as an advocate of personal freedom for children.Neill believed that the happiness of the child should be the paramount consideration in decisions about the child's upbringing, and that this happiness grew from a sense of personal freedom. He felt that deprivation of this sense of freedom during childhood, and the consequent unhappiness experienced by the repressed child, was responsible for many of the psychologica l disorders of adulthood. Neill's ideas, which tried to help children achieve self-determination and encouraged critical thinking rather than blind obedience, were seen as backward, radical, or at best, controversial.Many of Neill's ideas are widely accepted today, although there are still many more â€Å"traditional† thinkers within the educational establishment who regard Neill's ideas as threatening the existing social order, and are therefore controversial. In 1921 Neill founded  Summerhill School  to demonstrate his educational theories in practice. These included a belief that children learn better when they are not compelled to attend lessons. The school is also managed democratically, with regular meetings to determine school rules.Pupils have equal voting rights with school staff. Neill's Summerhill School experience demonstrated that, free from the coercion of traditional schools, students tended to respond by developing self-motivation, rather than self-indulge nce. Externally imposed discipline, Neill felt, prevented internal, self-discipline from developing. He therefore considered that children who attended Summerhill were likely to emerge with better-developed critical thinking skills and greater self-discipline than children educated in compulsion-based schools.These tendencies were perhaps all the more remarkable considering that the children accepted by Summerhill were often from problematic backgrounds, where parental conflict or neglect had resulted in children arriving in a particularly unhappy state of mind. The therapeutic value of Summerhill's environment was demonstrated by the improvement of many children who had been rejected by conventional schools, yet flourished at Summerhill. Strongly influenced by the contemporary work of  Sigmund Freud  and  Wilhelm Reich, Neill was opposed to  sexual repression  and the imposition of the strict  Victorian values  of his childhood era.He stated clearly that to be anti-se x was to be anti-life. Naturally, these views made him unpopular with many establishment figures of the time. 2. CHARACTERISTIC Summerhill is a democratic, self-governing school providing boarding, day education and care for 78 pupils aged 5 – 17 years old. It is situated in the small market town of Leiston, within walking distance of the town centre. The school adopts an alternative philosophy to education based on the work of its founder, A S Neill. It is based on the notion that children should be free to decide for themselves how to spend their time in school.The proprietor, who is the daughter of A S Neill, continues to uphold these principles. The daily life of the school is governed by the school meetings, held three times a week, in which everybody has an equal vote. School meetings are used to create, confirm and amend all the school laws which form the structure of expectations for the community of staff and pupils, in which the adults and children have complete par ity of status. The school's philosophy is to allow freedom for the individual, each child being able to take their own path in life and find, through experience, the things that they want to do and the person they want to be.The school proposes that this leads to an inner selfconfidence and real acceptance of themselves as people. All of this is done within the structures of the school, through the meetings, self-government and the clear distinctions between freedom and licence, all elements which are at the very core of the school's philosophy and the day-to-day experiences of the pupils and staff. The school is part of a regional, national and international democratic network and reflects the extent of A S Neill’s continuing influence on the world.This is mirrored in the pupil intake. Approximately two thirds of pupils (mainly Dutch, German, Korean Japanese, and Taiwanese) speak English as an additional language. The principal and, from time to time other staff and children , go out from the school to speak to and work with other children and adults and to promote democratic education. A. S. Neill’s system is a radical approach to child rearing. In Summerhill School authority does not mask a system of manipulation. 3. THE PRINCIPLES ? Neill maintains a firm faith â€Å"in the goodness of the child. He believes that the average child is not born a cripple, a coward, or a soulless automaton, but has full potentialities to love life and to be interested in life. ? The aim of education-in fact the aim of life-is to work joyfully and to find happiness. Happiness, according to Neill, means being interested in life; or as I would put it, responding to life not just with one’s brain but with one’s whole personality. ? In education, intellectual development is not enough. Education must be both intellectual and emotional.In modern society we find an increasing separation between intellect and feeling. The experiences of man today are mainl y experiences of thought rather than an immediate grasp of what his hurt feels, his eyes see, and his ears hear. In fact, this separation between intellect and feeling has led modern man to a near schizoid state of mind in which he has become almost incapable of experiencing anything except in thought. ? Education must be geared to the psychic needs and capacities of the child. The child is not an altruist. He does not yet love in the sense of the mature love of an adult.It is an error to expect something from a child, which he can show only in a hypocritical way. Altruism develops after childhood. ? Discipline, dogmatically imposed, and punishment create fear; and fear creates hostility. This hostility may not be conscious and overt, but it nevertheless paralyzes endeavor and authenticity of feeling. The extensive disciplining of children is harmful and thwarts sound psychic development ? Freedom does not mean license. This very important principle, emphasized by Neill, is that res pect for the individual must be mutual.A teacher does not use force against a child, nor has a child the right to use force against a teacher. A child may not intrude upon an adult just because he is a child, nor may a child use pressure in the many ways in which a child can. ? Closely related to this principle is the need for true sincerity on the part of the teacher. The author says that never in the 40 years of his work in Summerhill has he lied to a child. Anyone who reads this book will be convinced that this statement, which might sound like boasting, is the simple truth. Healthy human development makes it necessary that a child eventually cut the primary ties which connect him with his father and mother, or with later substitutes in society, and that he become truly independent. He must learn to face the world as an individual. He must learn to find his security not in any symbiotic attachment, but in his capacity to grasp the world intellectually, emotionally, and artistical ly. He must use all his powers to find union with the world, rather than to find security through submission or domination. ? Summerhill School does not offer religious education.This, however, does not mean that Summerhill is not concerned with what might be loosely called the basic humanistic values. Neill puts it succinctly: â€Å"The battle is not between believers in theology and non-believers in theology; it is between believers in human freedom and believers in the suppression of human freedom. † The author continues, â€Å"Some day a new generation will not accept the obsolete religion and myths of today. When the new religion comes, it will refute the idea of man’s being born in sin. A new religion will praise God by making men happy. †

Online Exhibition Essay: A More Perfect Union

At the height of the internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II, the number of individuals relocated and housed at the internment camps reached a staggering 120,000 individuals.Spread over 10 camps nationwide, that were defined by remoteness and remove from the general structure of American society, these people many of which were born American citizens lived their lives under lock and key simply because of their cultural ancestry.Not only men, but women, children, and the elderly were classified as â€Å"enemy aliens† following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Using national security as justification, the U.S. government displaced and imprisoned these Japanese Americans for 2 years, taking not only their freedom but their assets as well.Given the information contained in the Smithsonian’s exhibition, A More Perfect Union, the justification of national security was faulty and played off prejudice rather than common sense. The Japanese migration to Hawaii and t he U.S. mainland began in 1861 and continued through to 1940. During this time over 275,000 individuals immigrated.Many of the first generation Japanese who came to the U.S. worked on sugar cane fields in Hawaii and on fruit and vegetable farms in California. There they established communities and were able to surround themselves with cultural familiarity but as their population grew, animosity against them also began to grow.Within a couple years of their first arrival, the Hawaii legislator passed laws restricting the immigration of Japanese. By 1907, the U.S. had restricted the travel of Japanese from Hawaii to the mainland. The exhibit notes that by 1940, forty percent of the population of Hawaii owed at least part of their ancestry to Japanese.In California, the Japanese Americans fought similar odds as their tenacity and success made them easy targets of racially fueled jealousy.The racism against them, however, was not limited to the unsuccessful farmer down the road but rath er reached into every branch of government. Unable to own land or become citizens, many Japanese placed their properties in the name of their children who had been born in the U.S. and were therefore citizens.The Supreme Court itself, played on the side of the oppressor, ruling against Japanese immigrants and upholding racist laws and restrictions.Anti-Japanese propaganda was also common place in the years leading up to Pearl Harbor, including bubble gum cards sold to children and political cartoons, editorials and speeches. Once the Japanese American population established itself as a living and growing community in the United States, the hatred became more concentrated.With the drop of the bomb on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the Japanese Americans fate was sealed. Americans had followed the Japanese Army’s support of Hitler and Mussolini, they were aware of the military power. What American’s were not prepared for was for that military power to reach across the Pa cific and tap them on the shoulder.The exhibit notes that in the panic that ensued along the West Coast, along with the prejudices already in place and made policy, the Japanese Americans became an easy target for political kowtowing and venting the prejudices which had until then only bubbled. With President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s issuance of executive order 9066, the situation exploded into full blown segregation.What is interesting to note, is that though the U.S. was also in a war against Germany and Italy, Italian American and German Americans were not targeted under E.O. 9066, â€Å"While German or Italian enemies were often viewed as misguided victims of despotic leaders, Japanese people were referred to as â€Å"yellow vermin,† â€Å"mad dogs,† and â€Å"monkey men.† Racist wartime propaganda further exacerbated fears of invasion and prejudice against people of Japanese decent.†Much of the political and military justification for the remov al of Japanese Americans was blatantly fueled by individual racism and not sound strategy. Congressman from the West Coast, who had their own individual prejudices against their own Japanese American communities were some of the strongest supporters of the measure.The initial order was for the military to remove persons from their jurisdiction who were seen to be threats to national security but the removal wasn’t limited to individuals near air bases or the coast but stretched far across the country, uprooting them from their homes and leaving them to take only what they could carry. Disobeying the order was not an option nor was it considered correct.Japanese American, Morgan Yamanaka, in recalling her own experience explains that it wasn’t in their upbringing to disobey the authority of the federal government, â€Å"I think one has to appreciate what our parents, the immigrant parents taught us: â€Å"Always respect order coming from the people above you. Respect your teachers, respect the government, respect the law.Be obedient, be reserved, be a good Japanese according to good Japanese traditions.† Though I doubt it was willing, there was little protest on the part of the Japanese Americans. However, perhaps this loyalty and obedience to the U.S. government despite the criminal nature of   E.O. 9066, was also a factor in the survival of spirit and their reemergence back into American society following the camps.The camp experience though far less extreme, despite the designation of internment rather than the Nazi concentration camps, did not differ so much from the Jews experiences in Germany during the same time.Fenced in by barbed wire and soldiers with guns, their were housed in substandard barracks and worked for minimal wages to help support the camp and war effort. Many used their opportunities at work as ways to continue their lives outside the context of the camp, while remaining imprisoned.The things which occupied their t ime such as artwork and making of furniture, the expression of their freedom through imagination are what I would most recommend to someone viewing the exhibit. The works, though deeply disturbing in the recurrence of the fences and general feeling of entrapment present in some, shows a freedom that no imprisonment can stifle.While the body is imprisoned, the mind continues to go forth into the world even if it is only a recoloring of the same landscape, dusty and isolated. To maintain artistic expression under such duress is a true show of the strength needed to survive becoming an unknowing enemy.By 1943, the U.S. government was asking all residents of the camp to fill out a questionnaire to determine their loyalty to the U.S. Some, feeling tricked and manipulated by the maneuver and the questions on the forms, chose to reply no to certain questions, such as â€Å"†Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States†¦ and forswear any form of allegiance or obedi ence to the Japanese emperor, to any other foreign government, power or organization?†The exhibit explains that some of the interned Japanese Americans saw the question as a double edged sword. If they were to answer yes, than they would be implying that they had ever been disloyal to the U.S. government and to answer no was to seal their fate. The ones who were deemed loyal were able to start on the road back to a normal life, the others were segregated further.Among these were children and natural born U.S. citizens. At the end of the war, over 4,000 Japanese Americans (all but 100 under the age of 20) were repatriated to Japan.

A List of the Best Topic Ideas for Narrative Writing

A List of the Best Topic Ideas for Narrative Writing Topic Ideas for a Narrative Essay: Choose from the Best! Often, when a tutor asks to complete a narrative essay, students think that they must talk about their personal life, hardships and emotions. However, it may not be the case. You can always make up a situation, describe an interesting event or simply tell about a person you consider your role model. If you want to create a piece of art, don’t be in a hurry and choose a proper topic. Luckily, there are multiple ideas available online and you can choose a good one. Before you choose a single topic, it is important to get familiar with a list of outstanding ideas for a narrative essay, which can boost your imagination and inspire. When you pick a topic, make sure you research it and check whether the content is completely unique. You may be tempted to copy samples online to save lots of your time but try to write the paper from scratch and include sources according to requirements. Concentrate on the topic and lead the audience through your memory. If you let your words flow, you will see how simple it is to create a memorable story! When all of these elements come together, you are doomed to make a solid impression on the audience. Why a great narrative essay topic is so important? When you should deliver a narrative paper, it is necessary to choose whether to write on a topic, proposed by your teacher or to create your own. Take this stage seriously, because topic selection influences the success of your future essay. In case you can’t choose it on your own, there are always professional writers ready to help! Not depending what topic you choose, your essay should always be interesting and easy to read. That is why you should be passionate about the matter. Remember, a narrative essay is the best assignment to show how creative you are, pushing your imagination to its limits. When working on this sort of an essay, you have a chance not to follow all the regulations of a particular style. This makes narrative essays one of the most popular assignments among students. It may be quite challenging for a writer to invent a topic without any side help. You may find yourself stuck when asked to write about your own experience or feelings. That is why many students make a big mistake and stop their search on the first idea, which comes to their mind. However, the chosen topic should light your inner fire and interest the reader. That is why we have collected the most recent ideas for narrative essays, considering your academic background and required subject. Ideas for your narrative essay on experience The goal of any narrative essay is to help you render your stories through the paper, using various literary tools and instruments. That is why you should first think of all the events from your past, whether they are good or bad ones. Make sure you provide maximum details to give the reader a chance to dive into your word and live those emotions together with you. Topic examples on experience The story of your success; An awkward situation you remember; What was the scariest thing you have ever experienced? Memorable family events; A situation that made you value your life more; Unpleasant experience from your past; Event, which made you fight your fears; A thing, which made you appreciate life even more; Event, which influenced your life values; Facts, which made you who you are. Ideas on childhood Childhood is the time of new impressions and experiences when we are still very sincere and naà ¯ve. Often that makes children become a part of ridiculous and funny situations. Every person has plenty of stories to share about childhood, so the next list of topics will help you boost your memory and think of the past events from the childhood, which can turn into a great narrative essay. A day you got a trauma, when playing in the street; Your favorite childhood game and why; What profession you wanted to master when you were a child? Share a story about the most memorable birthday of yours; Experience from childhood, which made you grow up at once; Did you ever get hurt, when playing with friends? What happened? What fairytale do you like the most? What did you like to do, when you were a child? Your favorite childhood belongings; What you miss the most about your childhood? Topics on school years School is a sort of bridge between the childhood and the adult life, where children get new skills, experience and knowledge. School years are filled with lots of challenges, which push the personality to new limits. All of these challenges are unique, and every child or teenager has plenty of stories to share. That is why, if you stop your choice on a school years topic, your essay will surely be original. The most awful event, which has ever happened in your class; When was the first time you participated in a school event? What was your favorite school subject? Why? Did you have any role models among teachers? Did teachers influence your personality? What school events made you who you are? Do you want to remain friends with a particular teacher? What did you like to study most of all at an elementary school? Who was your primary school best friend? What is your strongest school year memory? Topics on relationships We are all connected with other people: our relatives, friends, spouses. Every day we interact with other people, which cause positive or negative emotions. Your stories about people you love or hate are very personalized, which means that relationships are always a great source of inspiration! Did you break up with a close friend? Why? Who are you scared to lose most of all? When was the last time you were rejected? What was the funniest relationship misunderstanding you have ever experienced? Do you have loyal friends? What was the most awful argument in your life? Can you love one person for a lifetime? What impact did your first love have on you? The funniest times you had with your grandparents; Do you have many friends at school or college? Morality topics While every country has its own laws and regulations, there are laws, which regulate the lives of people across every continent and are called laws of morality and ethics. This topic is quite controversial and has lots of debatable issues, because every person is looking at the topic from his or her point of view. That is why such topics always cause interest and make the audience want to go on reading your essay. The most choice you had to make; Do you try to avoid strangers? Do you often lie? Examples of a situation, when you acted like a coward; What are the most disturbing morality problems for you? When and why did you break the rules? Do you often have to face ethics challenges? Do you regularly overhear other people talk? What is the biggest morality challenge you experience right now? A situation, when you helped your close friend to overcome a difficult morality issue. Ideas to talk about interests Our interests make up who we are because they occupy lots of our time. Our personal interests are made up of interesting events and hobbies, which is always a great topic to discuss. When writing a narrative essay on interests, you can tell about your music tastes, the ways how you like to spend leisure and so on. Write your essay passionately and you will surely get a high grade. What was the most remarkable movie you have ever seen? The most touching song you have ever heard; What talent do you dream to possess? Are you good at sports? Are there celebrities you would like to have dinner with? What book character you want to be? What talents have you already discovered in yourself? Are there book characters, which you associate yourself with? If there was a chance to shoot a movie, what it would be about? Did you ever want to write a book? Traveling topics It is almost impossible to find a teenager, who isn’t fond of traveling and discovering new places. When you are traveling, every moment is filled with new emotions and impressions. Even if every person in your class has visited Paris, you still have your own experience to share. There are plenty of ideas for writing a great narrative essay! Do you have a friend from abroad? What is your favorite vacation place? When was the first time you have visited a countryside or a big city (depending on where you are from)? What is your favorite way of traveling? Things you always take with you when traveling; If you owned a million dollars, where would you go to? The most memorable trip; If you had a chance to go to a camp again, what would you change there? Tell about your bad experience, when traveling; What do you like more: family vacations or trips with friends? College life topics Being a college or university student is completely different from being in school. It has more challenges and adventures because you need to meet lots of new people, learn massive amounts of information and adjust to new rules and laws. This makes college stories a great plot for a narrative essay. College years are called the best in every person’s life, so there are definitely plenty of stories to share! What was the most difficult exam? Lecture, which impressed you the most; Describe your first day at the university/college; The best party you have attended; The most awful event, which happened to you in college; People, who influenced you the most during college years; Do you communicate with foreign students? Are there are any role models among your teachers? Your favorite college subject; Why did you choose the particular college? Imagine if Often students are asked to write on a topic, which starts with words like ‘Imagine if..’ Such assignments usually require writing about things that may be possible in the future. This kind of topics is definitely one of the most popular ones because students can make up literally anything without revealing their personality much. The only limit is your imagination! Imagine if you invented the time machine. Where would you go? Imagine if you could be an animal. Who would you be? Imagine yourself a billionaire. How would you spend money? Imagine if you were a comic-book character. What power would you choose? The most recent and fresh topics Finding a topic, which would reflect your personality and still be interesting for the reader is quite a challenging task. That is why we have carefully examined the most popular subjects and categories to make a list of topics, which may inspire you the most! How would you spend millions of dollars, won in a lottery? If you could change only one thing in your life, what would it be? Your first job; If you could only turn back the time, what would you change? The most awful thing you have seen in your life; Your first time facing fear; Everyday issues, which bother you the most; An achievement you are proud of the most; Thing in your character, which annoys you the most; Do you have any family traditions? What makes you different from other family members; What do you like most about your teachers and why? Did you ever have to face the police? What was the case? Are you good at managing time and planning beforehand? Do you devote enough time to yourself? What was the most important lesson you have ever learned? Do you feel pressure to get a perfect appearance and body? Next step Once you find the most suitable topic, which meets all of your expectations, you need to get familiar with the tutor’s recommendations and guidelines. Make sure you know what length your essay should be and whether any sources are required. We are happy to provide you with the most important tips on writing a great narrative essay: Concentrate on things, which are important for the coverage of your topic. If possible, avoid irrelevant details and unnecessary information, which will only harm your essay; Instead of making up facts or lying to sound more interesting, try to explore the topic. Your audience will value your honesty; To make your text sound as a single piece, use transition words and phrases to sound logical. Connect all of your ideas and interlink paragraphs; Always write a conclusion. Although a narrative essay may have a free structure, it should still contain a summary of your work; Always reread the text and make sure that it is interesting. If you don’t like reading it yourself, others will hardly find it worth their time and attention; There should always be limits not to bore the reader. Of course, you may be tempted to tell the audience as much as possible. However, try to concentrate on main details; Remain creative, applying various stylistic instruments; Carefully follow tutor’s guidelines. Although a narrative essay is quite a free genre, it should still follow a certain pattern.

Definition and Examples of the Etymological Fallacy

Definition and Examples of the Etymological Fallacy Etymological fallacy is the faulty argument that the true or proper meaning of a word is its oldest or original meaning. Because the meanings of words change over time, a words contemporary definition cant be established from its origin (or etymology). The best indicator of a words meaning is its current use, not its derivation. Examples and Observations The OED [Oxford English Dictionary] . . . records that the word black has a difficult history, and was sometimes confused in Old English with a similar word which meant shining or white, but speakers would be ill-advised nowadays to use black to mean white.(Source: Michael Stubbs, Words and Phrases: Corpus Studies of Lexical Semantics. Blackwell, 2002)Doctor, Orient, Gyp, Decimate, Grow, DilapidatedIn our own day the etymological fallacy is widely honored, as revealed in countless statements by columnists, in letters to editors, and other public fora, which declare for example that the real meaning of doctor is teacher; or that the verb orient properly means to arrange something to face east; or that gyp cheat is derived from Gypsy (probably), and therefore, its use in any context is de facto an ethnic slur; or that decimate correctly means only to punish a mutiny or other serious breach of military discipline by killing one soldier in ten.The etymological fallacy appears from time t o time in puristic prescriptions, too, as when we are warned by usage authorities that because the real meaning of the verb grow is get bigger, expressions like grow weaker or grow smaller are incoherent; or that it is impossible to climb down; or that only stone structures can be dilapidated.(Source: Andrew L. Sihler, Language History: An Introduction. John Benjamins, 2000) Manure, December, CaptionOne thing to remember when you read or hear someone insisting that an English word must have a certain meaning because of its Latin or Greek roots is that these insisters apply their etymologies very selectively. You will find few of them who object to December being used for the twelfth month, when its Latin root means ten, or to manure being used as a noun meaning to work (land) by hand. So when you read, for example, that caption must refer to matter above a picture because it comes from Latin caput head, keep manure in mind.(Source: Merriam-Websters Dictionary of English Usage, 1995)EducationWhat could be called an etymological fallacy can sometimes be pushed quite a distance. Thus, partisans of a liberal conception of education have claimed that the word education comes from educere, etymology that invites a conception of education as an act of leading (induco) out of (ex) ignorance- which conforms to the liberal notion of education. On the other side ar e those who favor a notion of education understood as nourishing and, more broadly, furnishing the conditions necessary for a persons development. They invoke a second etymological hypothesis, according to which education comes from educare, which means nourish or raise. And still others maintain that education is an indeterminate concept and support their thesis with the very uncertainty of the etymology. You see that etymology, as illuminating as it sometimes is, cannot, in any instance, resolve problems of conceptual definition on its own.(Source: Normand Baillargeon, A Short Course in Intellectual Self-Defense. Seven Stories, 2007) Passing InsightsEtymology does not make a contribution to the description of the contemporary meaning and usage of words; it may help to illuminate how things have got to where they are now, but it as likely to be misleading as helpful (as with the etymological fallacy). Etymology offers no advice to one who consults a dictionary on the appropriate use of a word in the context of a written text or spoken discourse. It merely provides some passing insight for the interested dictionary browser with the requisite background knowledge and interpretative skills.(Source: Howard Jackson, Lexicography: An Introduction. Routledge, 2002)

Reflective practice journal of Mental health Article

Reflective practice journal of Mental health - Article Example But what was disturbing to me was that any child should have to have coping strategies – the parents were either ill with bi-polar, schizophrenia or even alcoholism. Reading the comments like â€Å"Sometimes my mom’s up, sometimes my mom’s down, sometimes she’s normal. I’m always nervous† (1140) are really disturbing. But comments like this in Mordoch and Hall’s study are just a tiny representation of what children have to go through as a result of the government’s initiatives to move caring for the mentally ill in the community rather than in an institution. The lecture notes show the process of how the government went from providing full care for people diagnosed as having a mental health issue, to the now virtually non-existent level of services available. If we combine that with an overworked GP service, the cost and lack of accessibility so many people face with even trying to get some form of help, and the shambles as government decided to try and get most mentally ill patients into some form of work by denying them any financial help and it would seem that the government has totally forgotten that there are more people involved than just those diagnosed with an illness – there are family considerations that should be taken into account as well. Sawyer has completed an extensive literature review on the topic of mental health practices and the challenges of finding a system that works for everyone. Through a review of published articles she isolated what I think is the most important thing that has been ignored by government to date – â€Å"Methods too come under scrutiny here to critique the assumptions behind service evaluation and the way that statistics might blinker our view of the broad social causes of mental illness† (116). Some of those broader social issues could include the number of children who are going to need treatment themselves as adults because of the coping mechanisms they have had to adapt while