There seem to be many problems within the American educational system today Essay Example For Students

There seem to be many problems within the American educational system today Essay There seem to be many problems within the American educational system today. Most of the problems refer back to the differences in the students that undergo the education system. Some of these students are handicapped, some are not motivated either at home or by themselves, and some have learning disabilities. The world of learning disabilities is large and seems to receive the least amount of attention. Learning disabilities are apparent in some children while in others they remain hidden. One example of a learning disability exists in children that speak languages different from English, which is spoken the most in schools today. We will write a custom essay on There seem to be many problems within the American educational system today specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Children that speak different languages seem to have the most trouble in math because their memory works differently, their organizational skills are different and they lack the symbolic understanding that English speaking children possess. Psychologists have also found that there is a link to children with language disabilities, their mathematical skills, and their reading skills. This is especially seen in word problems. When solving story problems, children must understand complex language and solve problems presented in meaningful contexts. Jordan p. 569 The most apparent problem found amongst children that are language impaired is their symbolic understanding. This weakness is also found amongst children with other disabilities. The main problem with symbolic understanding is that the children do not seem to realize that things can stand for other things. They may fail to come to terms with the notion that one coin can stand for two other coins Grauberg p. 3 It is understood that children with a problem with symbolic understanding most likely suffer from other learning disabilities. Such children are most probably learning-impaired in a wider sense, but they are often found in special language units and in special schools for children with language impairments. Grauberg p. 3 Children who seem to have the most problems with symbolic understanding are the ones that are known as being semantic or pragmatic. These types of children are able to use the symbols that are numbers and letters. However, they can only use them as they learned them causing the children to be unable to see the symbols as constructs which, only stand for a meaning. In general, such children will have difficulty in applying acquired number skills to new situations. Grauberg p. 4 Some children with very large problems in language development seem to just give up on learning mathematical skills at a very early age. Here the problem of teacher interaction becomes a problem because if the teachers do not spend a lot of time helping and introducing the concepts of symbols to these students at very young ages the students will give up at fail at math later in the future. These children tend to become distracted very easily by their surroundings. Another problem found in the symbolic understanding is that the children may know a counting system very different to the one that they are learning at their present school. The confusion of the two number systems can be extremely large. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦children will have difficulty in accommodating their own, more global and non-verbal working symbol systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Grauberg p. 6 There are ways to help these children with learning mathematics. First, one must begin by concentrating on the cardinal aspect to numbers. Here the relationship between linguistic form and the content in small and simple. Some suggest working with terms that are in relation to numbers and amounts such as a little or a few. Before precisely specified quantities like three or four are introduced, it may be useful to work with large nonspecific quantities. Grauberg p. 9 The next step is to have the child associate specific amounts to the numbers such as five apples or seven shirts. Then, one should introduce the written symbols to the children. Some specialists believe that children should write the number and understand that before they speak the number. They suggest that the children will become familiar with the notion that a quantity can be labeled in writing Grauberg p15. Another issue that children with language developmental problems have is organization. The problem of organization relates itself to the other problems found in the children. A child with added language difficulties will have even greater problems because the strategy of talking a problem through while solving it- essential for most of us when organizing a problem solving situation- will not come naturally to him. Grauberg p. 61 Much like children with problems having to do with symbiotic understanding the children with organizational problems will be learning impaired in a much larger sense because while they may look or act as though they understand their work shows that they do not. Teachers can also use patterns to help them learn the symbols. The patterns strategy requires students to examine sequences of numbers or geometrical objects in search of some rul e that will allow them to extend the sequence indefinitely. Thomas p. 204 .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c , .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .postImageUrl , .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c , .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c:hover , .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c:visited , .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c:active { border:0!important; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c:active , .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u225cdddb0af72c9ae4d6a751cbd9c89c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Child Abuse EssayChildren who have problems with organizational skills have many features. The features are impulsiveness, lack of concentration, clumsiness, and lack of spatial ability. The impulsiveness is seen when the children continue to test their parents or teachers patience. They will not look further into given information, and they can not sort out the relevant from the irrelevant information. Just as in problems in symbolic understanding if the child does not understand the information or process it quickly enough they begin to show signs of a lack of concentration. Children so clumsiness because research has shown that children with a lack of organization physical movements seem slow and they appear to have no rhythm. This results in untidiness and a lack of clarityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Grauberg p. 62. Children with this issue have problems with math because they have problems sequencing, halving, sharing, and classifying the numbers. Children need to learn how to explore the various possibilities of grouping in order to make more efficient decisions having to do with organizing themselves. The main problem within the organizational problem is trying to sort out word problems. The relations between the numbers and words must be understood before the problem itself can be solved. Word problems are very complex even at the easiest level. some knowledge is needed in at least three different areas: the specific aspect of life in which the story takes place, the mathematical procedures that can be applied to the problem, and the logic and language of the story Grauberg p. 81. The area of spatial organization seems to be the hardest to teach children. There are serious doubts about methods and transfer and there seems to be very little information about the frequency and severity with which spatial disability occurs Grauberg p. 101. Spatial ability is the ability to see and understand the relationships between shapes, spaces, or areas. This area can be noticed in the childs early years as they play with toys dealing with shapes and placing. When dealing with word problems a t eacher should analyze the problem out loud. This allows the child to hear the breakdown of the word problem. Teachers should explain their thinking as they test the choice of schema and algorithm. Thomas p. 202 The final area that effects children with language impairments is memory. Early research on children with MD suggested that they were deficient in two areas of mathematical cognition: retrieval of number facts and the ability to solve story problems. Jordan p. 1 This area is directly related to organization. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦memory is organized and structured, and the more efficiently it is organized, the more successfully it will function Grauberg p. 124. Therefore if more problems lye in the childs organizational skills then more problems are bound to exist in their memory. There are at least two parts to a persons memory, long-term memory and short-term memory. Long-term memory has an unlimited amount of storage space however; one can not always recall what they are looking for from the storage space. What makes a teachers job so difficult with regards to long term memory is that all of the organization that goes on in the long term memory is done in a very personal way so, when recalling information it can be difficult to recall exact specifics. Learning matter can be offered in a way that the teacher considers well-organized and therefore likely to be remembered and easily produced, but it is by no means certain that all children will accept the organization and store it accordingly in their long-term memory. Grauberg p. 127 Short-term memory can also be called primary memory. It holds what we need for the present. Unfortunately the information that is stored in short term memory can very easily thrown away. Its content, supported by consciousness, can be easily accessed, altered and worked with; but, as the name suggests, any information stored in it is liable to fade away quickly. Grauberg p. 127 .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 , .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .postImageUrl , .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 , .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461:hover , .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461:visited , .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461:active { border:0!important; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461:active , .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461 .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9786049f59ceb0670fe27ecae2954461:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Odyssey Themes EssayThe short-term memory is also called the working memory because there is always room for more information. While memory might cause difficulty to language impaired children some feel as though it is not a prominent feature in these children others feel that the children can not seen to escape it. A weak memory I not a feature that is peculiar to children with language difficulties. Grauberg p. 130 Many teachers seem to complain that their students memory is their largest problem. One does not need to have been teaching a long time in a school with language impaired children to find that anchoring facts in long-term memory takes a lot of targeted effort; that the number of times which can be held in working memory is low, and that word-finding problems among the children are widespread and severe. Grauberg p. 130 The main problem that lies in children with language impairments is that they seem to have difficulties with vocabulary and auditory tests appear low. In reference to long-term memory and the childrens mathematical skills the children seems to have the most problem with learning to count. These difficulties may occur for a long time which, can affect all further number work. The children can not recall what certain numbers amount to and they have to keep learning the equation while normal children learn these amounts quicker. Short-term memory however, brings up other problems with mathematical skills. Children seem to have problems with all mental arithmetic. They will not be able to keep a number question in mind while they hear it, let alone while they think about it. Grauberg p. 131 Numerical problems in either written or oral form will give the children problems this is because they often forget the beginning before they get to the end. Following instructions is also a problem for children with language disabilities. The information that the teachers are looking for is unavailable to the students so they can not provide it fo r the teachers. While some of the first problems that occur with children who have difficulties with symbolic understanding share those problems that children with memory problems have. However, these problems are made worse by those with memory problems. Children with memory deficits may experience the same problems, but they are made worse because the children find it hard to remember the names of first numbers and, more importantly, they find it hard to remember the names in the right sequence. Grauberg p. 133 Much like the other problems that exist in these children the problem of memory can be helped. One has to realize that in both forms of retrieval problems help can only be very indirect; the child needs to learn strategies for self-help. Grauberg p. 160 of course this solution is easier said then done. The main idea is to turn a difficult free recall into a simpilier easier cued recall. This new cued recall can also be called recognition. Making up cue games is also a good way to help. The child can begin to recognize the numbers through their associations in the games. As seen above there are many problems within the educational system that seem to go unadvised. The main problems that occur in children with language disabilities are symbolic understanding, lack of organizational skills, and poor memory skills. These problems can be helped if teachers and parents are willing to put in the time and effort.

So You Just Got Fired. Now What

So You Just Got Fired. Now What Even if it wasn’t your fault, getting fired can be a traumatic experience. Here are 8 steps you can take to ensure you bounce back. 1. Take a momentSulk. Set yourself a time limit- a week or less- and throw yourself a pity party. Wear sweatpants and have ice cream for breakfast and grieve for the job you lost. Feel all the feels and then cut yourself off and get back on that horse.2. Stop Facebook stalkingNo good can come of you and social media right now. You’ll only compare your current situation to everyone else’s apparently devastating success- the constant feed full of fancy promotions and careers, even marriages and babies. Remember that your current situation does not define the scope of your life or career and take a breather from all the bragging of your network.3. Open the windowThe door is closed. That sucks. But now you get to find the window. There will always be a window. Reframe how you’re looking at this loss, and turn it into a gain. What do you now have the freedom to pursue? Figure that out and go get it.4. Soul searchYou’ve turned the positivity corner. Now you’re strong enough to examine what you may have done wrong- or failed to do really well- so you can prevent that from happening again. This could be a valuable learning experience for you. Even if you learn that you just picked a rotten company at a rotten time. Figure out how you can make yourself a better worker having learned where your performance was perhaps not perfect.5. Take it on the chinAsk former coworkers you trust how they view the situation. Ask them to give you straight-up, honest feedback, then listen to what they have to say. Don’t argue. Just take in their view and examine it in the comfort of your own home. Ask yourself what you can take away from what they said in order to do better next time.6. Make a planNow that you’ve learned more about your weaknesses (and are starting to feel that sneaky despair again), it ’s time to get back into the positive and proactive realm. Make a plan for improving each thing on your newfound list of faults, whether major or minor. Turn all of this difficult feedback into a new set of goals you can work at, reach, and celebrate.7. Get physicalNever underestimate the endorphin rush of exercise. Or the confidence you’ll gain from realizing your bod is getting hotter by the day. Your self-esteem will thank you.8. Be gratefulWrite a thank you note. Or ten. To your former boss, your colleagues. Most importantly, to your former supervisor for the opportunity and the things you learned from them. You’ll never know when you might cross paths again.

You can choose a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

You can choose a topic - Essay Example of such values is the assigning and instilling of traditional gender roles among children, which is the typical parenting norm within the mainstream girl/ boy dichotomy. However, another form of parenting, known as gender neutral parenting (GNP), shifts focus away from categorizing children into specific genders basing only on their biological sex, allowing them to find their own spots of comfort on the gender continuum. In that sense, parents should raise their children in gender-neutral homes where kids can construct their own identities because parents have the most influence over their children’s lives and have a responsibility to educate children. Because children mimic their parents’ behavior, parents are best placed to influence them towards gender neutrality. Children begin mimicry at birth, but by the time they are one year old, it turns into true imitation, which means they imitate with intent (Zentall, 2006). They will observe and process information conveyed through their parents’ behavior, and since they already understand that such behavior has significance, they will copy it. In that way, gender neutrality can be imparted on them. Gender neutrality in parenting pertains to not referring to any one particular sex, which means that boys and girls are brought up the same. The most basic indicators of GNP include allowing boys to play with toys and girls to play with toys usually associated with boys, and not emphasizing on gender by way and type of dressing. Parents, therefore, should make the homes in which they raise their children gender-neutral. It is significant for parents to acknowledge that GNP is not aimed at abolishing female or male concepts and creating a genderless world. Rather, its underlying objective is not to force any predetermined gender standards onto children. It simply provides that a child’s identity should not be suppressed by the parents, which is usually the case when children are restricted to traditional gender

Report assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report assignment - Essay Example Body: 76 expectant mothers have been interviewed for this survey. They were asked to describe Honey bear in one word that first come to their mind. 57 of the responded used negative adjectives such as â€Å"depressed†, â€Å"gloomy†, etc. to describe the honey bear; however only 8 responded positively used the words like â€Å"cute†, â€Å"appealing†, etc. The result of the survey clearly indicates that not all the people find Honey bear appealing. It is true that they were considered attracted way back in the 90’s but in modern age there is a need of changing the so called authentic image of the Honey bear. The graphic design department needs to make it more attractive by changing its shape and adding more colors to it or at least changing its position and introducing more poses. When the interviewees were asked that what can be done by the firm to make the honey bear more attractive they suggested to add more colors and add more poses. Now it is the responsibility of the graphic design department as well as the marketing department to work in collaboration on the design of the honey bear, based on the result that has been extracted from the interviewing the expecting mothers. As the mothers are the target market for the children’s clothing and bedding; therefore their opinion matters a lot as they will also be the potential buyers of the product. The result of the survey is clear. The audience wants innovation in the design. They want it to be more colorful as the children get attracted to such thing (Lascurain). Closing: the graphic design department needs to understand the fact that people no longer gets attracted to the old designs. If they will be using the old cartoon they must add new characteristics and innovative features to make it more interesting and make it more appealing in the eyes of the customers. The graphic

Essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

2 - Essay Example In 2009, the poverty rose to over fourteen percent, which was the highest since 1993. In 2008, the poverty rates reduced to about thirteen percent. Generally, since 1980s, the poverty rates in U.S have been higher compared to the other wealthy nations (Hefner 7). Currently, California has over twenty percent of the poverty rate, which is the largest in all the States of America. In 2009, the poverty rates were approaching the levels of 1960s, which prompted the war against the poverty in America. In2011, the poverty levels in children, reached record high levels with over sixteen millions of children living in poverty. In 2013, the UNICEF records showed that U.S was ranked second with the highest child poverty levels among the developed nations. As at January 2009, over six hundred thousand sheltered and unsheltered people were homeless in the nation. Close to two-thirds stayed in the transitional housing program, and the emergency shelter and there are three were waiting in the stre ets. In 2008, over one million people of the America’s population were using transitional or emergency housing program and in2009 there were about forty-four percent of the employed people who were homeless. The America’s poor population has a lot that they offer in the nation building. However, the poor have been neglected in many ways, and their recognition has been assumed on many occasions, they have an alt of wealth of ideas that can be of critical importance in the nations growth. According to the article â€Å"born poor and smart,† refers to the mother who was destitute but she had brain wealthy. The woman never did things that were done by the poor counterparts. The woman had self-believe her and never allowed anyone to demean her due to her social class. In another article by Matt Yglesias, it addresses the concern of the equality between the poor and the rich (Yglesias 23). It illustrates that the

Individual Freedom And Rights

Individual Freedom And Rights Is it most important to value ones own life, happiness and interest or to obey the higher authority of the state? This statement raises the question of the individuals freedom and rights in comparison to the states control over individuals life. In this paper I will be arguing against Socrates and Confucius view of placing the state ahead of the individual. This paper is constructed along my line of defense which looks at the issues and arguments around the individual freedom and rights. This argument largely dwells on the concept of freedom from Socratic and Confucius philosophy, Christianity and individual freedom and also modern/postmodern thinking on this subject. The concept of freedom and rights in ancient Greek Philosophy Socrates and Confucius are two major philosophers who tried to develop the relationship between the individual freedom, rights and the state control (Philosophy study guide). According to Beck both Confucius and Socrates lived in cultures where hereditary privilege was the main factor in social status. Neither of them was extremely high-born, but they certainly were not peasants either (Beck 2010:14) .Socrates contributed much on political discussion, he did not engage in political career. He was so much concerned with how state laws were implemented in city life style, which determined a healthy relationship between the citizens and the state. However, this relationship should not be forced or coerced on them rather it should come naturally. Both Socrates and Confucius teachings were meant to prepare men for the world of politics. This is why they both stressed the value and importance of ideals and portrayed the ideal state in the midst of various prevailing governments which were far from perfect. They criticized their unjust practices and diagnosed their problems. Socrates seems to have gone into more detail in delineating the different types of government (Beck 2010:7). But Confucius went further by teaching about the importance of self control and temperature. It taught about the ideals of social controls and proper behavior. Beck maintains that for Socrates and the Greeks personal behavior was focused more on the individual as his own responsibility of self-discipline and did not extend so strongly into the social milieu. The rules of propriety were designed to bring harmony in relationships, while temperance is concerned with the harmony within the individual (Beck 2010:5 ).This shows how individual freedom and rights played an important role in the mind of the Greeks. Of course, the State is important but too is individual liberty. However, both men emphasized the need for advancement of knowledge. This knowledge is to be taught in schools and public places. Confucian philosophy it today, being practiced in Japan, Korea and China. It puts much emphasis on learning and educational values but imitating the master teachers words and deeds. Education is therefore, being used to correct some unbecoming behavior from the ethical perspectives (Philosophy study guide). The ideals of Confucius philosophy has been translated into human behavior and values in the Far eastern societies. Taking the lessons from the Socratic and Confucius ideology, this philosophy emphasizes the need to practice virtue and temperature at all times, thus avoiding friction and rash actions (Beck, 2010). Christianity and individual rights Christianity was born in Palestine at the time of Roman colonial rule. The relationship between Christianity and the State was somewhat not healthy, as these two entities often collided both in principle and practice. Being a Roman Citizen at the time would incorporate many responsibilities and roles which one needed to follow. However, the Romans were considered to be atheists for their insistence on emperor worship. Roman Citizens were commanded by the law to publicly follow and worship the cultic figures that represented the Roman gods. This worship was characterized through private and public worship and giving of sacrifices (Stumbaugh Balch, 1996) in special places and temples. However, for many years intellectuals and philosophers began to question this cultic worship. Roman Citizens were required to perform some rituals, prayers and sacrifice to company their worship. Through this worship all citizens were obliged to affirm their allegiance to the emperor. Christians refused to follow the demands of the state to follow the worship of demi gods of Roman religions. As a result, this refusal led to the persecution of Christians who insisted in worshipping their only God and Lord Jesus Christ. Christians decided to live in different set of life style which is different from the religious institutions of the Roman Empire and its social environment. This shows the unhealthy relationship between the state and the church. This forced the Apostle Paul to address the issue of obeying the state laws and control in the Romans Chapter 13. The divine right of rulers has been disputed and discussed over the years. The question often asked is whether Christians are obliged to follows state laws and regulations. How far should Christians go to obey the laws of the state even when it is against their religion? For many years, Christian theologians and theologians have tried to grapple with the concept of the State and the Church. There are those who believe that the Church and State are mere sides of the same coin and therefore, Church leaders should be involved inn the affairs of the State. This view was largely developed by theologians such as Martin Luther, Zwingli and John Calvin (Stumbaugh Balch, 1996). It is through this theological thought that led to State Churches such as the Church of England and Lutheran Churches that are commonly found in the Scandinavian countries. On the other hand, there are those theological views which holds that Church is supreme over the State because it subscribes to the higher heavily powers. It is this divine authority which makes many churches to argue that they subjected to divine power and not state control. Those theologians who subscribes to this thought argue that the State is in subsidiary position to Church. Through out the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church view developed the notion that Church and State must be separate or remain separate entities. This thought also advocates that State and Church that must not just remain separate but is also independent of one another (Bramsted, 1978). Most of theologians hold the view that Church and State different entities and have different origins. The Church owes its origin and allegiance to God and therefore Christian followers need to express their allegiance from God. Whereas the State, is seen as the divine institution that has been put in place by God for human Society to exercise power and authority of human beings. However, the Church has no control over men, but can only appeal to their minds, hearts and consciences. As a result, those who have accepted to be under the rule of the Church must adhere to Cannon laws, rules and regulations (Stumbaugh Balch, 1996). In this case, the church would exercise authority over them, control their behavior patterns, thoughts and lives. The Church also has the power to correct, admonish or even discipline those who contrary to the rules of their faith. The concept of freedom and rights in modern European philosophy Modernity is considered to be the period between 1750 to late 1960s. The development of ideas in the western world is closely connected with the philosophical thoughts of their day. This period was associated with enlightenment thought often associated with scientific progress, technological advancement and industrial revolution. This new thinking permeated social thinking, values and relations. One those of those philosophers who contributed greatly to the development of enlightenment thinking in relation to individual freedom and rights were Jean Jacques Rousseau. Jean Jacques Rousseau, who lived between 1772 to 1778, is one of those philosophers who committed his life to follows the ideal of liberty during his political career. He followed the political line of republican persuasions and sympathized with the Republican ideals. He argued that the advent of western civilization corrupted the goodness of human nature (Friend, 2004). He emphasized that progress in the arts and sciences contributed to moral degeneration and the decay of modern societies. He argued that human beings existed because they live social groups that later produced inequality. And therefore, once people begins to live in fixed relations like social groups, the quest for freedom begins to emerge because they want to free themselves from social bondages and oppressive social contracts. Therefore, this is the beginning of social inequalities and oppressions. Concerning Civil Society, Rousseau argues that it was founded by the person or people who emerged by enclosing people in groups. Then it claimed ownership over the piece of land. Therefore, civil society has been used by individuals to justify and maintain relations in property, which is based on inequality and associated moral decays (Friend, 2004). However, although people have the will to choose what is right for them, it is important for everybody to set aside their own personal and ethno-cultural interests for the common good of others. Although, the concept of common goal is important, most scholars believe that it leads to a form of dictatorial leadership or authoritarian leadership. It also leads to dictatorship of the majority. The other European who developed this concept of the rights of man is Thomas Paine. He advocated for the rights of man theory was about the defense of the Principles of French Revolution. The other philosopher who contributed to the development of individual freedom was Thomas Pain. According to Paine, human beings are born with equal, human rights even though they do not live isolation with others in the society. Every human being has the right to live in freedom and enjoy the benefits of cooperation with others in the society. However, this is not often realized, in our societies because these principles are often violated because human beings are not perfect. They have imperfect and naturally deprived nature that always wants to do evil. Paine argued therefore, that the natural rights of all people can only be secured when people learn to deposit those rights which they cannot uphold as individual human beings. Nevertheless, the state has the overall of the individuals life especially when it comes to addressing the issues of violence against humanity. The state also has the overall rights over the protection against the harm of others. To him, it is only the state that has the mandate to ensure the stability of our societies. This means that a legitimate government must be based on the concept of people rule for the sake of the people (Friend, 2004). This type of government is what is often refereed to as democracy. It is only the democratic government that can be considered as a legitimate form of government which represents the rights of the people. Democratic governments are meant to defend and protect the rights of individual human beings and secure the security of all citizens (Bramsted, 1978). The concept of freedom and rights in the post modern world views Much of the western culture resulted from the matrix of the enlightenment period. It promoted the attitude of tolerance towards others and relative view towards belief of any time. The Enlightenment doctrine promoted then doctrine of individualism, purporting that individuals are free, emancipated and must act in autonomy. The basic principles democracy is based on the notion of government consent, in other words, it is about people centered government that is elected by people for the people. The power given to people derives from the electorates. The concept of individual rights to freedom has attracted lots criticism from the intellectual communities and philosophers. The Marxist philosopher argues that the rights of individual go contrary to social progress because they are not in line with cultural or historical relativity (Bramsted, 1978). Postmodernism rejected the enlightenment views that characterized much of then 18th to 19th century. Post modernism promoted the notion of pluralism, individualism and relativism. It rejected the notion of one blue print or overall dominant theme that dictates the thinking of man. Instead, it calls for the plural form of human relations. It opposes the notion of meta-narratives and calls for one many narratives in expanding human story. Contrary to the Enlightenment theory, post modernism attacks this concept of development or progress or the so called notion of forward match of history. Therefore, the principles of justice, freedom and rights in the postmodern world view are very much fragmented. It is also socially constructed depending on the social, economic, cultural and political contexts. The World western mostly exercise liberalism which is based on freedom and rights of individual human beings. This is why post modernism is often in loggerhead with modern enlightenment theor y (Bramsted 1978). However, the Liberal individualism which subscribes to Liberal democracy promotes the ideals of civil and political liberties. Civil liberty is big movement in the USA that pressures for the rights of Citizens. The theory of rights advocates for the rights of others and as well as their own. Such rights include life and liberty of others. This view has developed into human rights movement that taken centre stage in the world of politics advocating for universal human rights. Liberalism emphasizes the value of universal freedom and cosmopolitan citizenship. This view argues that individuals are allowed to display distinctive commitment to their personal lives but not to enforce them others. Civil liberties also argue that the government has no right to infiltrate into their personal lives. This means that we all have the rights to live a peaceful and free life without interference from the state (Bramsted, 1978). Personal Opinion Freedom is some thing which we all cherish and hold on to ideally. But individual freedom is something that is socially constructed. The concept of freedom has been misinterpret and misconceived. These views of freedom are erroneous in nature. Some people think that freedom is the absence of laws, regulation and restrictions. I have personally heard a teenager shouting back saying that they want to be free from their parents rules and regulations. Some even think that freedom is without anarchy or live a life without rules and regulations or rules. Many people and especially young people think that freedom is about living irresponsibility, without being responsible or being accountable to any body. For some people freedom is about the avoidance of work and obligation. This equates to laziness and being slack. But from my own understanding, freedom demands much of our time and work than when in bondage. When your are bound, you are well looked after by your captors for instance when you are in prison, it is the responsibility of the prison authorities to look after you. Further I have heard some people saying that freedom is retiring from responsibility. But is not true because one cannot separate freedom from responsibility these are two sides of the same coins. Indeed, some extend, say that freedom is about relaxation from social boundaries and rules, but this is misconception. One does have to relax because they are free. By and large, some even argue that freedom is being released from external control. They argue that it is about being left alone to do what they want or like without control from the parents, employers or even the government. Conclusion This paper has attempted to answer the question whether it most important to value ones own life, happiness and interest or to obey the higher authority of the state. It is question which address the question of individual freedom and rights. Individual freedom and rights are two concepts that are intertwined together. One cannot do without the other. The concept of freedom is often associated with being released from the external controls whereby one thinks that they are not held accountable or responsible to the others. These two views have been very contentious for many years as scholars contend with them. Beginning with the Greek philosophers such as Socrates and Confucius, individual freedom and rights were discussed in more details. These philosophers taught that although we are free agents were are still subjected to human control and governance. This means that we are still obliged to follow the rules and regulations of the state. However, the issue of obeying the state and its decrees is what caused much friction between the church and the state. For many years, the first century were persecuted by the Roman governments for now disobeying the emperors orders on cultic worship. This factor was taken board by theologians for many years latter as to whether the church is free from the powers of the state. This is also implied as to whether indeed Christians are free from following the rules and regulations ordered by the state. During the enlightenment period various thoughts began to emerge concerning the issue of individual freedom and right from modern Europe philosophers. These discourse produced further debates on liberalism, democracy and human rights. Following the end of modernity the postmodern paradigm began to emerge to give different views to those ones held by modernity thinkers. The post modern mind view argues that there is one met narratives, that we all have our stories of what is right and wrong, we should follow what is appropriate for us. I would not subscribe to any of these views but a mixture of both. I would like to argue that individual freedom is there, but we have to be accountable to what we do to others. Our concept of freedom, rights and happiness must be inline with the laws of our societies.

A Farewell To Arms By Ernest Hemingway :: Free Essay Writer

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Catherine Barkley and Frederic Henry in A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway present a contrast in personalities: in the ways they are playing opposite roles, in Catherines maturity and leadership and in Frederics immaturity and ineptness, and in the ways they view love. Frederic Henry is the narrorator and the protagonist in the novel. He is a former student of arcitecture of arcitecture who has volunteered to join the Italian Army as an ambulance officer, because he could not speak Italian. He tries to find fulfillment in love following his injury and desertion of his army post. Catherine Barkley is an English nurse with whom Frederic Henry falls in love with. Catherine Barkley takes care of Henry physically and emotionally. Besides making love, Catherine cares for Frederic liek a mother cares for her child (Hays-52). Frederic Henry remains selfish despite his love for Catherine, and never comes close to the self sacrificing devotion that his friend, the prie st, characterizes as true love (Donaldson-56). When Frederic gets shot in the knee, Catherine is the nurse that takes care of him. When Frederic decides to desert his post, he leaves with Catherine. Frederic does not fall in love with Catherine when he starts telling her he loves her, it is not until later in the book that he finds the love for her in him. Although Catherine loves him with all she has, he does not realize the true meaning of love, at first, but yet still tells her that he does love her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A contrast in personalities is presented in the ways Frederic and Catherine are playing opposite roles in the relationship in the relationship. In a â€Å"normal† relationship between a man and a woman, the man is the one who takes care of the women and all that, but in this relationship it is reversed. Frederic is an ambulance officer for the Italian Army and Catherine is his nurse. Any time Frederic is injured, Catherine is there to help him out and care for him. Not only does Catherine take care of his physical state, but she also takes care of his emotional state. Whenever Frederic is feeling down, Catherine is there to cheer him up. Catherine maturely decides to make a commitment, to love someone who she knows does not love her back, and to take full reponsibility for her actions throughout, including the pregnancy that occurs (Hays-55). A Farewell To Arms By Ernest Hemingway :: Free Essay Writer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Catherine Barkley and Frederic Henry in A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway present a contrast in personalities: in the ways they are playing opposite roles, in Catherines maturity and leadership and in Frederics immaturity and ineptness, and in the ways they view love. Frederic Henry is the narrorator and the protagonist in the novel. He is a former student of arcitecture of arcitecture who has volunteered to join the Italian Army as an ambulance officer, because he could not speak Italian. He tries to find fulfillment in love following his injury and desertion of his army post. Catherine Barkley is an English nurse with whom Frederic Henry falls in love with. Catherine Barkley takes care of Henry physically and emotionally. Besides making love, Catherine cares for Frederic liek a mother cares for her child (Hays-52). Frederic Henry remains selfish despite his love for Catherine, and never comes close to the self sacrificing devotion that his friend, the prie st, characterizes as true love (Donaldson-56). When Frederic gets shot in the knee, Catherine is the nurse that takes care of him. When Frederic decides to desert his post, he leaves with Catherine. Frederic does not fall in love with Catherine when he starts telling her he loves her, it is not until later in the book that he finds the love for her in him. Although Catherine loves him with all she has, he does not realize the true meaning of love, at first, but yet still tells her that he does love her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A contrast in personalities is presented in the ways Frederic and Catherine are playing opposite roles in the relationship in the relationship. In a â€Å"normal† relationship between a man and a woman, the man is the one who takes care of the women and all that, but in this relationship it is reversed. Frederic is an ambulance officer for the Italian Army and Catherine is his nurse. Any time Frederic is injured, Catherine is there to help him out and care for him. Not only does Catherine take care of his physical state, but she also takes care of his emotional state. Whenever Frederic is feeling down, Catherine is there to cheer him up. Catherine maturely decides to make a commitment, to love someone who she knows does not love her back, and to take full reponsibility for her actions throughout, including the pregnancy that occurs (Hays-55).