Plato’s Revolution Work

Professor’s Name Class’ Name Date ` Plato was a renowned philosopher in the early times. He has dealt with diverse issues in his work such as the politea, the philosopher king among others. He was in the early years inspired to become a politician but later on was discouraged by the circumstances that happened in the environment that he was in. He however diverted his focus to the study of philosophy. The final work that he did is normally taken to be comprised of a set of seven dialogues. His mentor, Socrates who was also his teacher greatly inspired his work. He was the first to establish an academy in Athens. He greatly helped to lay the foundations of most of the western philosophy. A. N Whitehead asserts that most of the European philosophy contains footnotes of Plato. One of the greatest works of Plato concerns the republic, popular as politeia, which contains a wealth of descriptive materials on the kind of a republic that dispenses justice and the right kind of leadership expected in such a just society. The Plato’s republic dialogues took place around the time of Peloponnesian War. The work describes how an ideal leadership can be achieved in the society. In addition, Plato also describes how an ideal leader can be able to attain the best character that can enable him/her to be the right leader in the society. He calls the ultimate position that one attains to become the best leader as ‘sunnum bonnum’. He describes the concept of justice in an in-depth manner. He treats the concept of justice both from the societal point of view and from the point of view of the individual. He argues out that there are two things that an individual can hold in life. There is reality and just appearance (Plato & Jowett, 1941). There is also the rightful means of acquiring knowledge. The foundations of morality are also clearly elaborated in the work of the republic. He also says that there are the right components of an effective education which an individual must follow in order to be the best leader in any given society. Basing on the work of Plato, the reality of nature is not always contained in what we can be able to see. He says that human beings who have attained the highest sense of knowledge are those whose focus transcends the visible world to focus to the invisible. He perceives hat the visible in most times can be deceiving. His first attempt was to give a detailed account of the analysis of the formation and organization of the state. He then used this to apply to the individual person. According to him, the reason why we form a society is because we cannot be self sufficient as individuals. We are highly dependent on each other. No one is self sufficient that can work alone and acquire of the necessities of life. The society is therefore comprised of individuals who come together so that they can be able to achieve common goals. The discussion on the significance of society elaborates further that specialization and division of labor leads to establishment of a worthwhile community. This concept is in line with the idea held by the functionalism sociological theories which holds the idea that the attainment of harmony in the society results when individuals are held responsible in different positions in the society. He gives an example of a typical society composed of the citizens in addition to other classes that ensure mutual benefit. There are the guardians, who are held responsible for society’s management. There are different types of guardians, the soldiers and the rulers. The function of the soldiers is to defend the state against external attack by enemies. The work of the rulers is to make decisions concerning the public as well as resolve disagreements among citizens. The soldiers cannot have private properties or have children and they can be from both genders. They are perceived to see reality beyond what the senses can allow them to reach. I can agree with Plato’s concept of justice regarding the responsibilities of the different classes in the state. However, I disagree with his concept on the restrictions that are to be imposed on the guardians. The natural division of each person’s responsibilities where the children whose parents are rulers take up the responsibilities as well as the idea of telling lies or myths when they are called. The choice of rulers basing on inheritance is not also objective. This is because the choice of incoming leaders from the outgoing leader’s children leaves out the possibility of electing the rightful leader from among the general population. To be able to govern the state, the guardians have to be special people. They must be endowed with capacity to be temperamental. They have to think philosophically. The value of good education was emphasized in Plato’s concept of the republic. He advocated for an organized and an in-depth system that will ensure that the individual will definitely attain the highest sense of education. This will erase the issue of the person confusing between deceptions/ illusions with reality. The highly educated man will eventually gain all the necessary skills to be able to govern the state. Self-deception on the other hand created by lack of sufficient education, may lead to an individual’s ignorance of the truth about their natures as human beings. From his point of approach, Plato says that it is important to control the kind of materials that children are in touch with. Those that they read see and hear. The training given to the individuals in form of education is the one that equips them to be able to handle the governance of the state. Depending on the level of training of the person, they can either be the soldiers or the rulers. However, the concept of natural selection of leaders will possibly be threatened by a revolution against the guardians if they do not meet the expectations of the subjects. From Plato’s point of view, the society needs first to convince the general population on the idea of natural division of labor from childhood. This idea would play a big role in shaping the thinking of the children and the people in general such that their minds will be fixed. This is contrary to his ideas on the potentiality of human mind as explicitly explained in the analogy of the cave. The justification of naturalness on the position of the individual in the society will create natural hierarchy which will indirectly affect the quality of leadership in the society. His approach is however, aimed at preventing the citizens from rebelling as well as keeping justice by everyone doing what he/she is supposed to be doing. The children according to Plato’s idea should only be taught the relevant material and literature that will ultimately ensure that they are skilled on the area of their duties. There should be restrictions as well as the quality on what the children are taught to ensure that satisfaction and efficiency in the state’s activities are maintained. However, there could be self deception by the children of the guardians that they are the best to take over from their parents which creates a false illusion (Plato & Jowett, 1941). Quality of leadership can be compromised which would hitherto disrupt Plato’s just society. Plato’s concept also emphasizes gender equality. It does not differentiate between the men and women. He believes that both men and women have equal intellectual capacity. Therefore according to him, the women as well can also be able to perform roles such as being guardians because their children will be reared by different parents. They are also detached from enjoying worldly pleasures such as being paid lowly. These disadvantages therefore discourage others from aspiring from becoming guardians. The guardians would approach issues from philosophical points of view and education that provided them with training that ensured that they reach the highest level of education. This would enable them to be able to distinguish between fiction and reality. This achievement is what Plato calls the highest sense of goodness, â€Å"sunnum bonnum† (Plato & Jowett, 1941). With this situation, they have attained the highest level of knowledge that can enable them to rule the people. The progress of the guardians is compared to the case of prisoners in an underground cave who are in darkness. At first, they could see shadows in the cave as reality (Watt, 1997). The people can however detach themselves and receive the light or truth. They are at first reluctant to receive the truth. The process of enlightenment according to Plato is a painful one entailing a lot of courage, persistence and patience. After the individual receives the truth concerning the reality, they should also enlighten others so that they should also know the reality and change the society. This is what produces change in the society. The training explained by Plato is the one that is directed towards the perceived guardians. The level of performance of the children being trained at an early age depends on whether they can be guardians or not. It also depends on whether they will be soldiers or rulers. To Plato, it is the duty of the society to be able to design a kind of educational system that will distinguish the future citizen’s roles. The training of the young people should be in line with their abilities (Plato & Jowett, 1941). Three distinct people in the state are brought out by Plato; rulers, soldiers and the commoners (Plato & Jowett, 1941). He maintained that membership in the guardian class will solely depend on the possession of appropriate skills. However, he held the idea that the off springs of the current guardians will most likely take over from them. These believe held by Plato is probably a means of social control and a tool used to maintain the status quo even by the unscrupulous leaders. Severe restrictions should be imposed to the guardians to control their quest to own properties. Since they are already endowed with superior natures, there is no need for wealth or other external rewards. The guardians should not own private properties. They should not also earn surplus income more than what fulfils their basic needs. In this case, most people will be discouraged from seeking the position of leadership. The kind of leadership that he advocates is the one that seeks the welfare of the state. This will ensure that the best of the citizens will be attained. The different classes working for the common good of the state need to develop certain qualities or virtues in order to achieve the best. The rulers, being responsible for making public decisions which affect the citizens, must have the virtue of wisdom. This is the capacity to make the right decisions, make impartial judgments and comprehend reality. The soldiers are endowed with the capacity to defend the state. They must therefore develop the virtue of courage. This is the willingness to sacrifice oneself and offer themselves to accomplish the interests of the state regardless of their personal welfares such as personal risks. The commoners must not pursue their own personal interests but must in all capacities strive to obey rules that emanate from the leaders. They must therefore exhibit the virtue of moderation. This involves the process of moderating ones personal desires for the purpose of a higher course. Plato asserted that when the different classes play their roles without overlapping with the roles of the other party, harmony is attained in the society and everything flows smoothly (Watt, 1997). Justice according to him is not the exclusive responsibility of one of the classes but it is the harmonious interrelationship between the different classes in the state. He then used the concept of the state to explain the virtues of the individual human beings. He presumed that just like the state, the individual has a complex system of different parts that function to attain harmony within the individual. The physical body corresponds to the land, buildings and other physical material resources of the city. In addition, every human being has got three souls that correspond to the three classes in the state. Each of them contributes in their own way to the successful operation of the person as a whole. There is the rational soul. It is also the mind or the intellect. This is the thinking portion of all humans that is responsible for discernment of reality and differentiates it with illusions. What is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false. There is also the spirited soul. It is the active portion of the humans that normally acts the will of the intellect. Finally we have the appetitive soul, which is emotional and contains desires. It wants and feels many desires. Most of the desires emanating from it must be deferred if the individual is to exercise self control directed by the rational pursuits. Just as in the case of a well organized state, justice in an individual is achieved when all the components making up the individual work in harmony. The tripartite division as explained by Plato forms the basis of understanding the individual. From the view that Plato develops, justice is better than injustice. True justice in human beings is a kind of good health that can only be attained when all the sections of the soul work together in harmony (Irwin, 1999). In an unjust person, the parts are in constant conflicts, poorly organized and disintegrated compromising the personality. The whole idea of the state is explained by Plato from the philosophical point of view. He states that philosophy opens up peoples thinking to be able to see far. This is parallel to the light provided by the sun. Philosophy is a great tool that helps people to be able to deal with life issues on a logical point of view. Just like the sun sheds light in the morning and darkness disappears, the same way philosophy enlightens the individual to be able to view issues from a wider and in depth perspective. This helps one to solve issues that affect the individual and those that affect the society. According to Plato, the love of philosophy is the love of reality. Those who remain in the world of shadows miss a lot of reality. When they are enlightened, they behave in the most noble way. To elaborate further the issue of enlightenment brought about by philosophy, Plato used the analogy of the cave. The allegory of the cave presents a condition where a group of prisoners are chained in a cave. The cave is dimly lit. The prisoners cannot be able to turn their heads and hands because they are fastened by ropes. They stare to a wall in front all day. There is a small fire outside the cave. A group of puppeteers are walking along a small raised path which is adjacent to the cave. The small fire projects shadows on the wall they are facing on. They just see the shadows of the objects which are outside. They believe that the shadows that they see are true. The people have been in the cave since childhood and have never seen the outside light (Plato & Jowett, 1941). The raised path also contains people who are walking along it. As usual some are talking while others are silent. The prisoners just see the shadows of the objects in the opposite wall. They cannot be able to see the real objects because their legs, hands and necks are fast chained. What they can only see images of themselves as well as the images of the outside objects being projected by the fire which is lit outside. They do not also hear the reality of what the people are saying. To them the truth is literally nothing else than the shadows that they can see (Plato & Jowett, 1941). Plato tries to explain what would happen when the prisoners are released from the underground cave. Plato explains what would happen when one of the prisoners is liberated and allowed to see the real objects outside. When one of the individuals is allowed to see the light outside, the eyes will suffer sharp pains due to the glare of the light outside. At first, he will not be able to see the realities which at first he had seen as shadows. He will also conceive someone saying to him that what he was saying was just an illusion. When he gets nearer to the reality and more light continues to shed on him, he is likely to react differently from his earlier conditions. If he is asked to name the objects that are real, he is likely to say that the shadows he saw earlier were the real objects and that what he was being shown was the illusion. When he is compelled to look straight into the glare, he might feel a sharp pain in the eyes that will compel him to resist reality and instead want to go back to see the objects which he can see without the pain. When he will be forced to see the light of the sun, he is also likely to be pained and irritated. When he approaches to the light, the eyes are likely to be temporarily blinded and he may not see anything of the realities. Other released prisoners are likely to behave differently. Some are likely to be resilient while others are likely to adapt to the reality world. In explaining this, when each of the individuals are placed in such a situation, they are also likely to behave in a similar to the prisoners. The allegory of the cave explains the process in which individuals undergo in the process of being enlightened. Each of the human beings has their own cave that they live in before the process of enlightenment turns an individual to think objectively. When one is not enlightened, they are like prisoners who are living in an underground cave. They always have the habit of seeing darkness. They distort reality and confuse reality for illusions. In a political situation for instance, the leaders do not know the reality about how they are supposed to lead. They therefore lead the people in the wrong direction because of the concepts that they hold which are not universal and are based on superficial reasoning. From a wide field of view, Plato believes that to maintain harmony and justice in society, everyone should be able to perform his/her activity in the society. I agree with this conception of Plato because a just and an efficient society is where there is no overlapping of issues. Where individuals play roles that they are not meant to be playing, there will be confusion and conflict is likely to arise in such situations. For instance, in a typical society where the police have been employed, they are supposed to maintain law and order in order to ensure that activities in the society run normally. They will punish the law breakers which will ensure that vices do not happen in the society. On another level, the traffic police would be able to deal with the drivers who break traffic rules. This will ultimately tend to minimize the accidents that happen on the roads. This ultimately produces harmony in the society. The issue that the lives of individuals are predetermined raises concerns on the freedom of the individual to rise to the position of leadership based on merit. Personal freedom is the key factor that determines who we are. Individuals should therefore be given a chance to choose the kind of life that they want to lead. It is through freedom that people come to know the kind of positions that is best suited to them. This happens through the meaning that is attached to things. In this case, Plato seems to ignore important factors such as hard work, passion and experience that allow humans to do extremely well in their endeavors even though they may not seem to be naturally gifted in such areas. Success in matters concerning leadership requires an integration of different factors apart from the natural qualities. Tasks are accomplished easily by use of the natural talents but they do not guarantee efficient accomplishment. Moreover, people with the zeal to succeed in certain tasks may at times do it better than those who are gifted because they are motivated to excel in such activities. A contradiction also arises in the case where Plato advocates for telling of lies in order to perpetuate the natural division of the different roles. On one hand, Plato advocates for morality. On the other hand, it is ironical to advice the educators to propagate falsehoods in order to reinforce the issue of naturalness of division of labor. Educators are meant to be role models in terms of being a role moral educator. Kant argues that everybody is equal, free and able to reason. Therefore holding the believe that the guardians are pure and are the ones who can only reason logically is a fallacy. The fact that the guardians are endowed with the capability of thinking philosophically does not in any way deny other people a chance to exploit their intellectual capability. The focus of such a concept can only be aimed at maintaining the status quo of the elites. They therefore prevent other categories from accessing chances in such status and analyzing the different possibilities of change that can be effected. (Foster,1937). The concept of Plato seems to bring about discrimination in the society. This happens when he advocates for the guardians to choose their partners from their fellow guardians. This will consequently tend to maintain power and authority among a small group of people. It is viable to choose leaders by producing intelligent people with philosophical thinkers. The idea that the guardians should live in poverty without families or property ownership is a violation of human nature. Plato provides an ideal situation of a different human who can live special lives. They can even fully sacrifice their comforts for the sake of the general population. This however is not always the truth. It could be hard if such a system was to be induced (Foster,1937). Most of the people are employed to gain material wealth. Denying them such kind of a right would repel services from such people. Plato’s concept of the allegory of the cave is highly applicable especially in the contemporary society. First, it brings out the real meaning of education. From his explanation, education is not meant to make individuals conform to the prevailing conditions. It is meant to reform the intellectual capability of the individual such that they can be able to discover issues on their own. The work of the educator is to ignite the person. From there the learner can be able to discover things on their own. He refuses to believe that the human mind is limited in any way. He believes that the human intellect is special in that it has an endless potential to venture into the infinite world of possibilities. From this understanding, human beings may realize their full potential and engage their full potential in solving problems especially those that affect the society. For example in leadership, the leaders should not be limited to the thinking applied since their childhood. As they grow up they should learn to adapt to new ways of solving problems and relating with the general public. Plato’s concept will also help every individual to respect each other regardless of their tribe or race as long as they understand that they are all special creatures. In a nutshell therefore, the work of Plato is still influential today as it can be applied to solve many problems in the current society. Works cited M. B. Foster. â€Å"A Mistake of Plato's in the Republic. † Mind, 46 (1937): 386–393. T. H. Irwin. â€Å"Republic 2: Questions about Justice. † in Plato 2: Ethics, Politics, Religion, and the Soul, ed. , Gail Fine (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 164–185. Watt, Stephen (1997), â€Å"Introduction: The Theory of Forms â€Å", Plato: Republic, London: Wordsworth Editions, pp. pages xiv–x Plato, & Jowett, B. (1941). Plato's The Republic. New York: The Modern Library.

About KFC Essay

Colonel Harland Sanders, born September 9, 1890, actively began franchising his chicken business at the age of 65. Now, the KFC ® business he started has grown to be one of the largest quick service food service systems in the world. And Colonel Sanders, a quick service restaurant pioneer, has become a symbol of entrepreneurial spirit. More than a billion of the Colonel’s â€Å"finger lickin’ good† chicken dinners are served annually. And not just in North America. The Colonel’s cooking is available in more than 80 countries and territories around the world. When the Colonel was six, his father died. His mother was forced to go to work, and young Harland had to take care of his three-year-old brother and baby sister. This meant doing much of the family cooking. By the age of seven, he was a master of several regional dishes. At age 10, he got his first job working on a nearby farm for $2 a month. When he was 12, his mother remarried and he left his home near Henryville, Ind., for a job on a farm in Greenwood, Ind. He held a series of jobs over the next few years, first as a 15-year-old streetcar conductor in New Albany, Ind., and then as a 16-year-old private, soldiering for six months in Cuba. After that he was a railroad fireman, studied law by correspondence, practiced in justice of the peace courts, sold insurance, operated an Ohio River steamboat ferry, sold tires, and operated service stations. When he was 40, the Colonel began cooking for hungry travelers who stopped at his service station in Corbin, Ky. He didn’t have a restaurant then, but served folks on his own dining table in the living quarters of his service station. As more people started coming just for food, he moved across the street to a motel and restaurant that seated 142 people. Over the next nine years, he perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic cooking technique that is still used today. Sander’s fame grew. Governor Ruby Laffoon made him a Kentucky Colonel in 1935 in recognition of his contributions to the state’s cuisine. And in 1939, his establishment was first listed in Duncan Hines’ â€Å"Adventures in Good Eating.† In the early 1950s a new interstate highway was planned to bypass the town of Corbin. Seeing an end to his business, the Colonel auctioned off his operations. After paying his bills, he was reduced to living on his $105 Social Security checks. Confident of the quality of his fried chicken, the Colonel devoted himself to the chicken franchising business that he started in 1952. He traveled across the country by car from restaurant to restaurant, cooking batches of chicken for restaurant owners and their employees. If the reaction was favorable, he entered into a handshake agreement on a deal that stipulated a payment to him of a nickel for each chicken the restaurant sold. By 1964, Colonel Sanders had more than 600 franchised outlets for his chicken in the United States and Canada. That year, he sold his interest in the U.S. company for $2 million to a group of investors including John Y. Brown Jr., who later was governor of Kentucky from 1980 to 1984. The Colonel remained a public spokesman for the company. In 1976, an independent survey ranked the Colonel as the world’s second most recognizable celebrity. Under the new owners, Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation grew rapidly. It went public on March 17, 1966, and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on January 16, 1969. More than 3,500 franchised and company-owned restaurants were in worldwide operation when Heublein Inc. acquired KFC Corporation on July 8, 1971, for $285 million. Kentucky Fried Chicken became a subsidiary of R.J. Reynolds Industries, Inc. (now RJR Nabisco, Inc.), when Heublein Inc. was acquired by Reynolds in 1982. KFC was acquired in October 1986 from RJR Nabisco, Inc. by PepsiCo, Inc., for approximately $840 million. In January 1997, PepsiCo, Inc. announced the spin-off of its quick service restaurants — KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut — into an independent  restaurant company, Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. In May 2002, the company announced it received shareholders’ approval to change it’s corporation name to Yum! Brands, Inc. The company, which owns A&W All-American Food Restaurants, KFC, Long John Silvers, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants, is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system units with nearly 32,500 in more than 100 countries and territories. Until he was fatally stricken with leukemia in 1980 at the age of 90, the Colonel traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting the KFC restaurants around the world. And it all began with a 65-year-old gentleman who used his $105 Social Security check to start a business. KFC KFC operates in 74 countries and territories throughout the world under the name â€Å"Kentucky Fried Chicken† and/or â€Å"KFC.† It was founded in Corbin, Kentucky by Colonel Harland D. Sanders, an early developer of the quick service food business and a pioneer of the restaurant franchise concept. The Colonel perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices for Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1939 and signed up his first franchisee in 1952. By the time KFC was acquired by PepsiCo in 1986, it had grown to approximately 6,600 units in 55 countries and territories. KFC restaurants offer fried chicken products and some also offer non-fried chicken-on-the-bone products, with the principal entree items sold in pieces under the names Original Recipe, Extra Tasty Crispy and Tender Roast. Other principal entree items include Chunky Chicken Pot Pies, Colonel’s Crispy Strips, and various chicken sandwiches. KFC restaurants also offer a variety of side items, such as biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy, cole slaw and corn, as well as desserts and non-alcoholic beverages. Their decor is characterized by the image of the Colonel and distinctive packaging includes the â€Å"Bucket† of chicken. In 1996, KFC’s worldwide system sales of over $8 billion grew faster than the industry average even though the number of restaurants in its global system did not materially increase. This growth was largely due to the impact of new products as shown by the fact that same store sales in Company-operated stores in the U.S. increased 6%. In 1995, same store sales for Company-operated stores in the U.S. were also strong, increasing 7%. For the first half of 1997, KFC same store sales growth for Company-operated units in the U.S. was consistently positive resulting in a 4% growth rate for the 24 week period. Average U.S. system-wide sales per traditional unit in 1996 were $775,000. YUM BRANDS The Yum! Brands, Inc. organization is currently made up of six subsidiaries organized around its five core concepts, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W All-American Food Restaurants and Long John Silvers. Yum! Brands and KFC is based in Louisville, Kentucky; Pizza Hut and Yum! Restaurants International are headquartered in Dallas, Texas; Taco Bell is based in Irvine, California; and A & W All-American Food Restaurants and Long John Silvers are based in Lexington, Kentucky. Each of Yum! Brands’ concepts are engaged in the operation, development, franchising and licensing of a system of both traditional and non-traditional QSR units. Non-traditional units include express units and kiosks which have a more limited menu and operate in non-traditional locations like airports, gas and convenience stores, stadiums, amusement parks and colleges, where a full-scale traditional outlet would not be practical or efficient. In addition, there are approximately 367 units housing more than one concept (â€Å"2n1s†). Of these, approximately 354 units offer both the full KFC menu and a limited menu of Taco Bell products, and approximately 13 units offer both the full KFC menu and a limited menu of Pizza Hut products. In each concept, consumers can either dine in or carry out food. In addition, Taco Bell and KFC offer a drive-through option in many stores. Pizza Hut and, on a much more limited basis, KFC offer delivery service. Each concept has proprietary menu items and emphasizes the preparation of food with high quality ingredients as well as unique recipes and special seasonings to provide appealing, tasty and attractive food at competitive prices. VISION Our passion, as a restaurant company, is to put a YUM on people’s faces around the world, satisfying customers every time they eat our food and doing it better than any other restaurant company. A&W, KFC, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell offer customers food they crave, comeback value, and customer-focused teams. The unique eating experience at each of our restaurants make our customers smile and inspire their loyalty for life. Toward that end, our 750,000 associates around the world are trained to be customer maniacs. With sales now in excess of $1 billion in Australia, we have proof positive of the power of Customer Mania. But what’s at its core? Three things, really:  · Operational excellence  · Great marketing and advertising  · Real â€Å"sit up and take notice† customer service When we took the concept of Mania to our Restaurant Team Members – the talented people who deal with our customers day in, day out, every day – they embraced it with passion. They took the program and ran with it, becoming powerful catalysts for change throughout our entire organization! Why? Simple – Customer Mania unlocked their enthusiasm and creativity, empowering them to do whatever it takes to satisfy guests. Listening to the Voice of the Customer Customer Mania is a great concept, but how would we give it meat? By listening to the Voice of the Customer! One initiative we undertook in Australia was to invite RGMs to customer research sessions, where they could closely observe customers talking about their experiences in our restaurants. Their stories – good and bad – were telling. Customers complained about speed and communication in the KFC drive-thrus, and the lack of ready access to a manager in the restaurant. As a direct result of these focus groups, our Customer Mania team developed two important initiatives: Improving our drive-thru facilities and service to make them more customer-friendly, and revamping our problem resolution process.  · Drive-thru: We embarked on building large glass boxes at the entry to drive-thrus, with menus and an attendant replacing the speaker. These changes will make the drive-thru experience much more personal and more responsive.  · Problem resolution process: We took our best frontline workers, put them through additional LAST training, and empowered them to resolve customer complaints on the spot. As a result, customer complaints made to the home office have been reduced dramatically – down over 50%! It’s all about Leadership No doubt we’ve got a long way to go. But it’s clear to me that the five leadership principles we’ve established for Customer Mania are working, and are worth sharing:  · Lead from the top  · Stay the course, create a â€Å"five-year journey† mindset  · Be consistent  · Recognize, recognize, recognize  · Define what success looks like  · Good luck, and Yum to you!

Mass Hysteria on Salem Witch Trial

What is mass hysteria? Mass hysteria is when most everybody develops a common fear that often spirals into a panic. The tragic story of the Salem Witch Trial contains mass hysteria back in 1692. In my two articles â€Å"Salem Witch Craft Trial† and â€Å"Mass Hysteria in Upstate New York† have similar problems. In both articles I will be explaining how mass hysteria played a key role in both of these issues. In the article â€Å"Salem Witch Craft Trial† it tells the history of the mass hysteria behind the whole Salem witch craft trials.The mass hysteria occurred from 1692-1693 and lead to many people dying. There were one hundred and forty arrests, nineteen hangings, one rock crushing and several people dying in jail while awaiting their trial. Everything that Salem had was to get rid of their witches in the city. In January 1962 two girls named Elizabeth and Abigail had fell out in church and start writhing on the floor. The doctor was convinced that it was witc hcraft.The pastor was asked â€Å"Who did this† and the two daughters said â€Å"Tituba the slave, Sarah Good a homeless woman and Sarah Osborn. † Tituba confess that she was a witch and was order to hurt girls. Tituba also told that were more witches in the town of Salem. The two girls start pointing people that could be witches who would spend months chained in jail. Over a hundred of Salem's prominent people would be incarcerated and suppose witches would visit the girls and torture them.Overall, nineteen people were hanged, one pressed to death and four others died in prison awaiting trial. What I learn from the articles that the people was scared of witchcraft. After Rev. Parris daughters were hurt, they start to kill people that were supposed to be a witch. Over hundred people were being killed during this time because of witchcraft. The mass hysteria in this article was the fear of having witches in Salem. With that being the mass hysteria a lot of people died.

Art with functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art with functions - Essay Example Therefore, the clarification of function depends on the context. Since, one can look at a piece of art and be able to tell its origin and time of its creation. In other instances, one tries to identify the artist, as he or she is half of the contextual equation. That is, what was the artist thinking about when he/she created the piece and to the viewer what does the piece of art mean right now, living in the moment. These factors are put in consideration before the assignment of function (Berkus 78). The function of art falls usually falls within three categories. These are physical, social and personal functions. In most cases, these three categories overlap in any given piece of art (Giovannini 235). The physical aspects of the functions of art are easy ones to deal with this is because works of art are to perform some physical functions. For example, e if one sees the Fijian war club may assume its function. However, brilliant the artisanship may be the club’s task is to perform the physical utility of smashing skulls. Another example is the Japanese Raku bowl that performs the physical functions in the tea ceremony. On the contrary, a fur- covered Dada teacup has no physical function. Art has social functions when it addresses collective aspects of life, rather than one person’s point of view. Political art usually performs this task. The fur- covered Dada teacup, which is useless for holding tea, when carried to social functions it is a protest to World War 1. In addition, satire performs social functions. William Hogarth and Francisco Goya both went this route, with different levels of success at enacting social change. In other instances, a piece of art in a community can achieve the social function of uplifting the community’s status. A Calder stabile is an outstanding example of a community’ s point of pride and a valuable treasure. The personal utilities of art are the most complex to explain because they are many and

Diabetic Foot Ulcer Infection Prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diabetic Foot Ulcer Infection Prevention - Essay Example The role that education plays in preventing foot ulcers have been emphasized in a comprehensive study written by the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) (2010). Their report evaluated and compared diverse studies which focused on non-healing wounds, or initially termed chronic wounds (European Wound Management Association (EWMA), 2010). The paper thereby defined non-healing or chronic wound as â€Å"a wound that has not healed for at least 4–6 weeks from its first observation at a trial screening visit† (European Wound Management Association (EWMA), 2010, p. 264). Since there were different types of wound that were apparently identified (diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, as well as pressure ulcers), the focus of the current review is clearly on diabetic ulcers. Concurrently, relevant issues and concerns regarding providing relevant information to patients, management, diagnostic and therapeutic protocol, as well as factors influencing the outcome of suggested int erventions were revealed (European Wound Management Association (EWMA), 2010; Faglia, et al., 2002; Schaper, Apelqvist, & Bakker, 2012).The main concern among the articles evaluated on the subject emphasized that management of diabetic foot ulcers actually require a multi-disciplinary approach (Schaper, Apelqvist, & Bakker, 2012; Lavery, Peters, & Armstrong, 2008). For instance, merely understanding the risk factors or variables associated with the development of foot ulcers was deemed insufficient and virtually ineffective in addressing the dilemma. Most of the interventions that were expounded were reactionary; as opposed to preventive – where education plays a relevant role. Only in the studies written by Dorresteijn, Kriegsman, Assendelft, & Valk (2012) and Lavery, Peters, & Armstrong (2008) did the authors emphasize education.... The paper thereby defined non-healing or chronic wound as â€Å"a wound that has not healed for at least 4–6 weeks from its first observation at a trial screening visit† (European Wound Management Association (EWMA), 2010, p. 264). Since there were different types of wound that were apparently identified (diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, as well as pressure ulcers), the focus of the current review is clearly on diabetic ulcers. Concurrently, relevant issues and concerns regarding providing relevant information to patients, management, diagnostic and therapeutic protocol, as well as factors influencing the outcome of suggested interventions were revealed (European Wound Management Association (EWMA), 2010; Faglia, et al., 2002; Schaper, Apelqvist, & Bakker, 2012). The main concern among the articles evaluated on the subject emphasized that management of diabetic foot ulcers actually require a multi-disciplinary approach (Schaper, Apelqvist, & Bakker, 2012; Lavery, Peters, & Armstrong, 2008). For instance, merely understanding the risk factors or variables associated with the development of foot ulcers was deemed insufficient and virtually ineffective in addressing the dilemma. Most of the interventions that were expounded were reactionary; as opposed to preventive – where education plays a relevant role. Only in the studies written by Dorresteijn, Kriegsman, Assendelft, & Valk (2012) and Lavery, Peters, & Armstrong (2008) did the authors emphasize education as one of the interventions for preventing diabetic ulcers. Accordingly, the authors asserted that â€Å"educating people with diabetes about foot care (would potentially) help reduce foot ulcers and amputations†

Bakery Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bakery Business Plan - Essay Example ur is the most valuable ingredient that influences the entire processing response and determines the final quality of the finished bakery products because of the unique proteins in wheat that gives the products a characteristic highly expanded structure. In addition, wheat flour is generally present in a large proportion than any other ingredient used in baking industry. The baked products provide majority of the food supplements recommended for daily consumption. Such elements include carbohydrates, lipids (free fatty acids and simple glycerides), fiber, vitamins, and mineral salts (Matz, 1992). The production environment within the bakery involves all the entire processes from the onset of acquiring the raw materials for baking the products to when the baked product is ready for consumption, sale, and transportation of the finished products to other consumers. Purchasing of various ingredients including the required quantity of wheat flour, margarine, sweeteners and other required ingredients, mixing which is classified as a chemical engineering unit operation, entails putting plurality of materials originally existing separately in non-uniform combination. For example mixing flour with water and the required fluids including margarine and other fats into such an arrangement that each particle of one material lies nearly and adjacent to each particle of the other materials and make a thick semi solid mass of the mixture, which will be sliced in variable sizes according to the desired products. Such mixing is done using mixer machines (Matz, 1992). After the baking process the products are placed on storage containers awaiting for transportation and outsourcing to various distributors, wholesalers and consumers, this involves the incorporation of various transportation modes to ensure the delivery of fresh products to the market. The entire operation involves the use and coordination through human labor that control the machines during the baking process.

Autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Autism - Essay Example This paper approves that this theory alludes to the notion that autistic children fail to understand the thoughts and opinions of others. Moreover, they have difficulties in understanding other the attitudes and emotions of their parents and peers. This theory has been used to test typical children and those with mental retardation; its phenomenon seems to be distinctive for autistic children. The theory appears to be independent of intelligence. Interestingly, pre- primary children with autism have trouble understanding when others do not have an answer to their question. They are likely to get upset. These children do not realize that other people are different from them and this result to difficulties in communication and social interactions as earlier explained. Additionally, they may have difficulties understanding how to react in different situations and seem to be overly distracted at all time. This report makes a conclusion that parents or caregivers first spot symptoms of autism in the first three years of a child’s life. As earlier stated, autism is a broad-spectrum condition which means that exactly no two children will exhibit the same symptoms. In other words, autistic children have shortfalls in the following imaginative play, social awareness and verbal and non- verbal communication. The precise cause of autism is not known. Previous studies have revealed that children have a genetic inclination to autism, which means that they are predisposed to develop this condition passed on from their parents. There is ongoing research on the genes contributing to increased vulnerability. Other studies have revealed that autism develops in the uterus from an interference of early brain development. Event if there is no cure for the condition now, early detection and treatment allows for comparatively normal development of the child and reduces manifestation of undesirabl e behavior. Treatment entails special education, occupational therapy, occupational therapy, behavior modification, speech therapy and specific types of medication that manage some of the symptoms of the condition (Towel, 2013). On the other hand, medications cannot treat the basic symptoms of the condition although they can greatly manage seizures, depression, inability to focus and high energy levels. Identification of an autistic child Like all other diseases, autism has key symptoms. The signs and symptoms of the condition are diverse as it effects. Some pre- primary children may have difficult obstacles to overcome while some may present mild impairments. The bottom line is every autistic child has problems in the following areas. Thoughts and behaving flexibly, social interaction and verbal and non- verbal communication/ There are varying opinions among caregivers, health practitioners and parents on the causes and treatment of the disorder, and there is a lot that is not know n. Nevertheless, it can be agreed on that early identification and intervention makes a huge difference in an autistic child’s life (Towel, 2013). Once the child has any of these

Conference And Exhibition Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Conference And Exhibition Management - Essay Example Generally, conference buyers are the event organizers or planners who purchase or employ event-related commodities or services (e.g. venues, specialist services) (Rogers 34). In the conference industry, there are two major kinds of conference buyers: the corporate buyers and the association buyers. Corporate buyers, as the name suggests, are buyers and organizers of corporate events for a financial gain (Rogers 34). The association buyers, on the contrary, work for not-for-profit organizations and merely rare are those who hold events with the purpose of benefiting financially from such events (Rogers 45). However there is also another kind of conference buyer: academic buyers. Academic buyers are those who plan for academic conferences such as the 2010 Museums and Heritage Conference. Academic conferences are usually an interaction among researchers in a specific field of study (Caroll-Clark). The 2010 Museums and Heritage Conference will mostly constitute delegates who are from universities to convene about one social and educational purpose - preserving and conserving museums and the heritage. Therefore the University of Bright People falls under the context of academic buyers. Since the conference is academic, the venue may not be luxurious however not inferior of taste to suit the varying preferences of the students, academics and industrialists. The venue is where the participants will be able to interact with each other; meet new acquaintances and/or opportunities for trade (Marx, et al. 15). The following are the criteria for selecting the conference venue. The delegates should be able to access the location without hassles so the conference site must not be hard to locate on the map. Otherwise, it is best recommended that the venue be a common knowledge to all, or in a word, popular. The conference venue should be able to accommodate at least 350

Literature review on ethical issue between employees and their Essay

Literature review on ethical issue between employees and their manegars - Essay Example The daily interaction, collaboration and interpersonal relationships required from managers and employees create tensions and issues that are considered normally pervading the working environment. Apart from operational concerns, managers and employees are faced with contrasting beliefs, values and preferences that occur because of the diversity in personalities, traits, cultural orientations and demographical factors that form each individual in the organization. These beliefs fall under ethical issues in business, defined as â€Å"â€Å"the principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business† (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2009, 6). In this regard, the current study aims to proffer a review of related literature on the subject of ethical issues between managers and employees. The theoretical framework and impetus for the review came as a result of an interview with a legal researcher for the Saudi – Central Bank, who identified problems which are et hical in nature and existed in their organization, currently affecting job satisfaction and productivity of employees. Ethical Issues in Business Organizations Ethical behavior have been identified to manifest actions that are â€Å"morally accepted as "good" and "right" as opposed to "bad" or "wrong" in a particular setting† (Sims, 1992, 506). ... According to Martires and Fule (2004), the culture of an organization influences the ethical climate that pervades. Organizational culture is a set of symbols, myths, ceremonies that reflect the underlying values and beliefs of the organization or its work force. This statement is supported by Hunt (1991) and Schneider and Rentsch (1991) who emphasized that there are factors that influence diversity in ethical climates of organizations, to wit: â€Å"personal self-interest, company profit, operating efficiency, individual friendships, team interests, social responsibility, personal morality, rules and standard procedures, and laws and professional codes† (cited in Sims, 1992, 510). As such, more detailed ethical issues facing human resources in organizations, particularly between managers and employees, are revealed by CiteHR (n.d.) to wit: (1) â€Å"discrimination issues include discrimination on the bases of age (ageism), gender, race, religion, disabilities, weight and att ractiveness; (2) issues surrounding the representation of employees and the democratization of the workplace: union busting, strike breaking; (3) issues affecting the privacy of the employee: workplace surveillance, drug testing; (4) issues affecting the privacy of the employer: whistle-blowing; (5) issues relating to the fairness of the employment contract and the balance of power between employer and employee: slavery, indentured servitude, employment law; and (6) occupational safety and health† (CiteHR, n.d., par. 1). In the case of the legal researcher for the Saudi – Central Bank, the ethical issue that existed between managers and employees was manifested in the way the manager discriminated against underperforming employees which further

Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

1 - Assignment Example The company has been in existence since 1980. The company is well set up and its employees have an average of 8 years work experience. All of their 30 personnel have at least a college qualification. This company has their own equipments which are maintained in their site. This vendor does not respond with haste to projects but offer quality service and is averagely flexible. Upon contract agreement, they start work after 6 to 8 weeks. It employs its own equipment and can work into the night to complete the project but charge for every extra hour. In case an extra item arises a charge of 200 dollars per hour is levied with equipment if required. The company has operated from 1995. The personnel of this vendor on average have a working experience of 10 years. They have fewer employees than vendor 1, as they have 18 full time employees. All the 18 employees are as qualified as the ones for vendor 1. Just like vendor 1 they are not very quick in responding to projects. Unlike vendor 1, it is highly flexible but offer moderate quality service. It also has some of its equipment maintained in site. Upon contract agreement, they start work after 4 weeks which quicker compared to vendor 1. Vendor 2 offers a break down in its pricing and identifies what can be done in house. It can also customize and write training programs using the company’ material. In case an extra item arises a charge of 180 dollars per hour is levied with equipment if required which is less than vendor 1’s offer. The company has existed since 2000. It’s a new firm but their personnel have an average of 5 years experience. It has 10 employees who are highly qualified compared to vendor 1 and vendor 2. They respond very fast to project and are moderately flexible. The company offers acceptable quality but not outstanding. They respond a week after an agreement is reached. They can work into the night to complete the project. In case an

Historical Developments of Traditional and Modern Ethics Essay Example for Free

Historical Developments of Traditional and Modern Ethics Essay The discipline of ethics, also called moral philosophy, encompasses systematizing, defending, and recommending views of right and wrong behavior. Philosophers today typically segregate ethical theories into three universal subject matters: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Metaethics explores where our ethical doctrines come from, and what they mean. Are they simply social innovations? Do they entail more than idioms of our individual emotions? Metaethical responses to these queries focus on the issues of universal realities, the will of God, the function of reason in ethical judgments, and the significance of ethical terms themselves. Normative ethics stands on a more practical task, which is to come up at moral standards that control right and wrong demeanor. This may require articulating the good habits that we should acquire, the duties that we should follow, or the consequences of our behavior on others. Finally, applied ethics involves probing precise controversial issues, such as abortion, infanticide, animal rights, environmental concerns, homosexuality, capital punishment, or nuclear war. By employing the theoretical tools of metaethics and normative ethics, deliberations in applied ethics try to resolve these controversial issues. The lines of distinction between metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics are often unclear. Each thoughtful person ought to be concerned about and fascinated in ethics. For the Christian, being moral is critical to a life that seeks to honor God. A lot of decisions made on a day-to-day basis entail questions of right and wrong. Ethics supply the basis on which one makes those decisions and the root of a moral choice is often as vital as the choice itself. Yet, few people have thought through the way they rationalize their conceptions of right and wrong. Ancient moral theory tries to offer a reflective account of an indispensable human activity so one can grasp what is of primary value in pursuing it. In historical order, the theories that influenced modern ethics today sprung from those of Socrates as offered in specific dialogues of Plato; Plato in the Republic; Aristotle; the Cynics; Cyrenaic hedonism; Epicurus; the Stoics; and Pyrrhonian skepticism. Ethics has been employed to economics, politics and political science, leading to quite a lot of distinct and unrelated fields of applied ethics, consisting of business ethics and Marxism. American corporate scandals such as Enron and Global Crossings are descriptive of the relationship between ethics and business. Ethics has been connected to family structure, sexuality, and how society examines the roles of individuals; leading to several distinct and unrelated fields of applied ethics, including feminism. Ethics has been applied to war, leading to the fields of pacifism and nonviolence. Often, such endeavors take legal or political shape before they are recognized as works of normative ethics. Of all the areas of philosophy, ethics is the one that seems most pertinent to us and it is no overstatement to say that everyone is engaged in ethical thought at most times in their lives, knowingly or otherwise (Newall, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If ethical consideration is widespread as suggested above then it should come as no surprise that there were many thinkers in the past that put forward their ideas and tried to improve on what came before them. Numerous notions of ethics in the ancient world were based on or prejudiced by the Greeks, particularly Plato and Aristotle. The former thought that people were disposed to be good and desired happiness; the dilemma was to know what would bring about that good in the first place. Some philosophers used God as their foundation, others reason and still others both, but the leaning throughout was that the aim was attainable.   The history of this time is too complex for our purposes here; suffice to say that this movement continued: thinkers explicitly or implicitly influenced by the three assumptions tried to create systems while those who were not disagreed with them, sometimes with other propositions. Reference: Anscombe, Elizabeth Modern Moral Philosophy (1958), Philosophy, 1958, Vol. 33, reprinted in her Ethics, Religion and Politics (Oxford: Blackwell, 1981). Newall, Paul .The Galilean LibraryEthics (2005)http://www.galilean-library.org/int11.html.

Preschool Teacher Hiring Standards, Policies, and Practices Essay Example for Free

Preschool Teacher Hiring Standards, Policies, and Practices Essay The early years of children are important because of their unique developmental needs (physical, cognitive, social and emotional). These needs can only be identified and addressed by professionally trained and competent preschool or early childhood teachers. However, attracting and hiring these teachers are serious challenges for school administrators. To look more closely into the problem and help craft a solution, this paper examined the current standards, policies, and practices in hiring preschool teachers in public and private schools in Pasig City based on the recommended hiring standards, policies, and practices in the literature, DepEd, and experts. The study suggests appropriate standards, policies, and practices in hiring teachers that will ensure that children’s unique developmental needs are met and that they shall have gained readiness to proceed to the next educational level. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of the Background of the Study Children who undergo preschool education perform better in primary grades (grade 1-3) than those who do not (Branscombe, Castle, Dorsey, Surbeck, and Taylor 2000; Jalongo, Fennimore, Pattnaik, Laverick, Brewster, and Mutuku 2004; Laosa 2005; Soliven, Guerrero, Barsaga, Palma, Canlas, and Garon 1997). Mutuku. By the time they enter elementary school, they can say the alphabet, write their names, and count numbers one to ten. They adjust better, follow instructions, and interact with their teachers and classmates. Because of thparents realize the benefits in the early schooling of children, preschool student enrollment has been growing in number, which encouraginges a number of investors to set up preschools. Preschool education is mostly managed by private individuals, organizations, and institutions because of insufficient government funding for the enhancement of preschool education (Neri 2001; Soliven et al. 1997). According to the Department of Education (DepEd), tis, there has been an unprecedented growth in the number of preschools both in rural and urban areas in the private sector. The latest directory of private preschools in Metro Manila from the Department of Education (DepEd) shows that there are 1,477 preschools all over the National Capital Region during the school year 2005-2006, and 872 preschools during the school year 2000-2001; thus, there was an increase of 575 preschools. (see table 1). (See Table 1)(See Table 1) he number latest of private schools in Metro Manila grew from 4,788 in school year 2003-2004 to 6664 in the school year 2007-2008, a 72% showing increase. from school year 2000-2001 to school year 2005-2006 (see table 1). Preschool enrollment in private schools rose from 349,574 in school year 2003-2004 to 410,778 in school year 2007-2008, an 85% increase. Many see preschool education as a profitable business, but one that entails high costs if one is to meet certain standards, such as hiring qualified and licensed teachers and paying higher salaries. Quality education also means better teacher-to-student ratio (the ideal is 1:10 or 1:15), a developmentally appropriate curriculum, and quality teaching materials—all of which translate to higher costs. Ms. Vanessa Morales, owner and administrator of Kid’s First Discovery Space preschool in BF Homes, Paranaque, wanted her preschool to be different from preschools run by business people. Her priority is providing quality education on a not-for-profit basis. At Kid’s First, she has knowledgeable and experienced teachers: all her head teachers have master’s degrees in Education or Psychology, major in child development (Manuzon 2006). Due to the growing number of private preschools in Metro Manila, there will be a great demand for preschool teachers who are professionally trained to manage the learning needs of young children. To ensure that For this purposeteachers hired are qualified and competent, , DepEd issued DECS Order No. 107 (1989) outlining the standards in the organization and operation of preschools (see appendix A), which include guidelines on staff requirements. The qualifications of teachers prescribed by DepEd for private schools are: Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Family Life and Child Development or Early Childhood Education or Kindergarten; Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with 18 units in Preschool Education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; Bachelor of Arts/Science degree in a discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology, with 18 units of preschool education. Upon appointment, the teacher should have at least 6 units of preschool education, and the requirement of 18 units may be gradually implemented as follows: At the end of Year 1 9 units; Year 2 12 units; Year 3 15 units; Year 4 18 units. In addition, the sprouting of private preschools are also due to the following: 1) most private schools do not accept grade one pupils if they have not been through kinder and nursery or preschools; b) they are financially viable and a lucrative business; 2c) public schools cannot accommodate all preschool-age children and so parents put them in private preschools; 3e) there is a growing number of preschool student enrollment; 4f) because of the child sduring their early years, 5the Department of Education (DepEd) is not as strict with preschools as with regular grade and high schools; or, 6g) parents are both working and the mother is too busy to give her children their first lessons. 7have become a (Newman 2002). The Due to the mushrooming of preschools grew asthat have been set up forcommercial, business reasons, especially in urban centers, and the government’s insufficient funding towards the enhancement of preschool education, the desired goal of standard quality educati on for young children may not be achieved. This vast, mushrooming, unregulated and still unsurveyed sector maybe violating the right of young children to quality education. Due to the absence of control or regulation, these schools would have unqualified teachers, large classes, and less infrastructure facilities (Newman 2002). Ms. Irene Bernardo, whosingle and now retiredSomeone who prefers to be anony from preschool teaching setismous and who’s up a preschool in her own home after retiring from teaching, stated that some preschool teachers are business or psychology graduates, business or psychology graduates, not education graduates, but business or psychology graduates.. In her case, she has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, magna cum laude, from the Philippine Normal College, ManilaUP, Diliman. For her, it is important for preschool teachers to have a background in education, especially in early childhood development education, which involves a substantial study of the- the psychomotor, affective, psychosocial and cognitive foundations of the childI. Bernardo, m), which will have bearing on the development of the child. which will determine how and what he will be when he grows up. The preschool teacher should also acquire skills and training in educating young children, them. From agesold . (. http://www. sunstar. com. ph/static/ceb/2002/06/13/life/the. mushrooming. of. preschools. html) | | DepEd also issued DECS Form GPR 3-A (revised 2005) to serve as a processing sheet for proposals for opening of new school (see appendix B). It limits the teaching staff requirements for preschool teachers to a Bachelor in Early Childhood Education (BECED); or Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEEd) with 18 units of Early Childhood Education. In public schools, student enrollment grows by 300,000 yearly, and some 10,000 teachers are needed to be hired every year to address the lack of manpower. Out of the 10,000 teachers recommended for hiring annually, 2,500 are intended for government preschools. The hiring of more teachers is needed because President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has issued an order requiring preschool education nationwide by 2010. (News Balita, January 13, 2006). In preparation for the launching of preschool education in public schools, DepEd business peoplebut . Theireesbetter teacherstudent, she not onlyes but also s: a. Furthermore,havesan degree P. Last August 24, 2007, DepEd issued Order No. 57 on August 24, 2007, laying down or the â€Å"Guidelines on Hiring and Deployment of Preschool Teachers† was issued as additional guidelines forin the selection and deployment of public preschool teachers (see appendix CB). Based on the guidelines, a preschool teacher applicant must must pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) to be eligibleconsidered for teaching. Preschool teachers in order to teach should take the LET for elementary teachers. There is no LET yet yet in specific to preschool teachers; prospective preschool teachers take the LET for elementary teachers. , while there is LET specific to secondary or high school teachers. According to Dr. Rogelio Baybayon, Assistant Superintendent of the Pasig Division office of DepEd, the requirements of the LET and the 21 early childhood education (ECE) units (instead of 18 ECE units) d et al. When I telephoned the Pasig DDivision of public schools to inquire on their policies regarding preschool education, and was able to talk to Dr.Rogelio Baybayuin, the officer-in-charge of preschool education,he said that they do not have preschool programseducation like nursery and prep, and what they have is onlythey only have kindergarten level which is being offered by very few public schools. They do not accept 4 year olds, only 5 year olds for kindergarten, and the 6 year olds are automatically Grade 1 even without going through the kindergarten level or preschool education. Since preschool educations is not yet part of the public school educational ladder. The , unlike the elementary and secondary education, it is mostly in the hands of private individual, organizations and institutions, which are operating without proper government regulations see guidelinescoveringsguidelinesthe renewal of toany administrators when they have been found to v some rules Neri (2001) disclosed a. s Based on the DECS Order No. 107, s.1989 or the Standards for the Organization and Operation of Preschools (Kindergarten Level), the required qualifications for preschool teachers are the following: (1) Bachelor of Science Degree with specialization in family life and child development of early childhood education or kindergarten; (2) BS Degree in Elementary education with 18 units in preschools education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; and (3) Bachelor of Arts or BS degree in a discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology with 18 units of preschool education (Industry Briefs, October 2001). The job requirements based on the DepEd qualificationss for for preschool teachers are also now being enforced for private schoolsteachers.to be able to teach in preschools. s do not include the licensing or certification, of preschool teachers. However, DepEd sare encouraged requires all public school teachers to undergo the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). .He revealed that there are some private schools which cannot follow these requirements and DepEd is forced to withhold their permit to operate. In any case, even if He also said that the LET for elementary teachers is for general education, and preschool teachers may take it. tTo qualify to teach For the 21 ECE units requirement, Philippine Normal University (PNU) is their reference. ,(pers. com. Dr. R. Baybayon, February 28, 2008). In the recent LET given by the Board of Professional Teachers on September 28, 2008 and conducted in 19 testing centers all over the Philippines, only 17,816 out of 58,471 elementary teacher examineesthere were who passed itThere were o,3who the examination (The Professional Regulation Commission, March 10, 2009). This meansmMan estimated that only 302933% of the examinees are qualified to teach, and are difficulty in the hiring of qualified preschool teachers, mo913,45,56eligible for hiringto hire. Table 2. National Percentage of Passing in the LET | |Teacher-Elementary |Teacher-Secondary | |Year |No. of Examinees |No. of Successful |Percentage of |No. of Examinees |No. of Successful |Percentage of | | | |Examinees |Passing | |Examinees |Passing | |2002 |76,626 |27,060 |35. 32% |65,106 |23,772 |36. 52% | |2003 |75,348 |19,765 |26. 25% |68,992 |18,115 |26. 25% | |2004 |60,614 |16,297 |26. 89% |58,507 |15,860 |27. 11% | |2005 |67,333 |18,517 |27. 50% |61,576 |15,945 |25. 90% | |2006 |59,457 | 17,377 | 29. 23% |53,303 | 17,290 |32. 44% | Former senatorSource: Professional Regulation Commission Licensing of teachers in the private preschools are also being encouraged by the DepEd, an example is the Pasig Catholic College, where their preschool teachers are graduates of early childhood education and are LET passers. The prospect of hiring teachers without credentials may be rampant because of the recent result of the LET. There were few teachers who passed the LET given by the Board of Professional Teachers on August 27, 2006 in 18 testing centers all over the Philippines. It showed that there were only 17,277 elementary public school teachers out of the 59,457 examinees who successfully passed. (Manila Standard Today, October 10, 2006). This is an estimated 33% who are qualified to teach in the public elementary schools and these may not be enough considering the growing number of student enrollment in public elementary schools which accounts to 12,089,365 based on Basic Education Statistics (BES) SY2004-2005. In view of the above, howHow can both private and public schools get teachers who can meet the minimum requirements for teaching in preschools and how can the DepEd ensure that only well-qualified, licensed preschool teachers educators are being hired and will be available in every preschool classroom.? How does the private and public schools cope with the supply and demand of qualified preschool teachers? Student enrollment is increasing and there are not enough qualified teachers to teacher these students. What other options can the government doy take in addressing hiring teachers without credentials? How can the preschoolsy tap sources of potential preschool teachers? has the government . annually . whomis afigure Trequiring nationwide. The combined public and private preschool enrollment increased from 2003 to 2007, from 778, 550831,730 (18. 36%) in school year 2003-2004 to 999,59652,109 (20. 53%) in school year 20076-20087; or 221120,046379 school children were added to the system. More than half of these children (588,81857, 220) were with DepEd’s preschool program in school year 2007-2008 (DepEd Updates, March 22, 20097). Mrs. Mariquita de Guzman, Assistant Principal of San Miguel Elementary School, said that their school has four preschool teachers for their 132 kindergarten students with a teacher to student ratio of 1:48. Miss Letty Flores, preschool teacher of Maybunga Elementary School, said that their school has two preschool teachers for the 90 kindergarten students with a teacher to student ratio of 1:45. All of their preschool teachers were volunteers from the elementary level who have a degree in elementary education (pers. com. Mrs. M. de Guzman and Ms. L. Flores, April 15, 2009). In some private preschools, principals wait until the enrollment has begun before they decide to hire teachers. As a result, teachers hired are not qualified. only a few qualified teachers are available and teacher to student ratio becomes to 1:50 (pers. com. Mrs. Susan Garcia, April 16, 2009). ). To address the teacher shortage in the public schools (including preschools), Education Secretary Jesli Lapus announced that 16,390 new teachers would be hired for the year 2007. (The Manila Times, June 4, 2007). lat thsover This e concern for the hiring of preschool teachers will create more pressuresnot likely abate in the near future because the pressures on that strain the local supply and ddemand for and supply ofof qualified teachers. With the increase in becausewill increase more and more private individuals and institutions will are venturinging into the preschool business education, and the institutionalization of preschool education by 2010, that will require more qualified preschool teachers will be requiredto support DepEd’s effort in institutionalizing preschool education.. . Human capital is the most important resource of any service organization, and the teacher is the most important capital in the educational setting. There are many nonhuman resources that are needed in the schools such as classrooms, computers, and textbooks, but these resources are dependent on competent teachers who will put them into good use. The preschool is a labor-intensive operation where the teacher’s knowledge, skills, abilities, stamina, values, and passion must be carefully managed to achieve its learning objectives (Hearron and Hildebrand 2003). However, in order to achieve its learning objectives, they should hire teachers who possess proper qualifications who can provide learning opportunities that will bring out the best in their students. epartment of ducation, ulture and ports (DECS)A major task of the artment of ucation (DepEd)school administrator is faculty hiring and selecting qualified and committed teachers is a more critical task considering the scarcity of qualified applicants. Teacher qualifications remains to be an issue and with the recent results of the Licensure Examination for Teachers given by the Board of Professional Teachers on August 27, 2006 in 18 testing centers all over the Philippines, there were only 17,277 elementary public school teachers out of 59,457 examinees who successfully passed. (Manila Standard Today, October 10, 2006). This is an estimated 33% who are qualified to teach in the public elementary schools and there may not be enough considering there the growing growing student enrollment in public elementary schools which accounts to 12,089,365 based on Basic Education Statistics (BES) SY2004-2005. However, in the private preschools but they should meet the minimum required in order to the desired qualifications which is:,need to prepare job descriptions that state the criteria like the applicant â€Å"(1) Bachelor of Science Degree with specialization in family life and child development of early childhood education or kindergarten; (2) BS Degree in Elementary education with 18 units in preschools education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; (3) Bachelor of Arts or BS degree in discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology with 18 units of preschool education† (Industry Briefs, October 2001). Hiring the right faculty is building the future. It is essential that utmost care and attention be given to hiring standards and policies and that execution be done with creativity and patience, since the hiring process is tedious and time-consuming, thus there should be no shortcuts. As the philosopher Spinoza observed at the end of his great work, The Ethics, â€Å"†¦all things worthwhile are difficult as they are rare† (A Re-Examination of Faculty Hiring Processes and Procedures, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, Adopted Fall 2000). The term â€Å"faculty† is defined as a branch of teaching or learning in an educational institution; something in which one is trained or qualified; the members of a profession; or the teaching and administrative staff and those members of the administration having the academic rank in an education institution (Merriam Webster 1991). The faculty is composed of all persons appointed for the instruction of students. In a preschool, the faculty or teachers are persons directly involved in handling children. They play a major role in the education of the children since they help in the formation and development of the students especially in their early years. They are responsible for providing environment conducive to learning conditions where children are given opportunities to interact. Thus, the faculty or preschool teachers significantly contribute to humanity and to the nation towards prosperity by providing learning opportunities that will bring out the best in their students. Hiring is engaging the services or labor in exchange for payment (Lexicon Webster 1978. ). Hiring involves the following steps: advertising, recruiting; screening; interviewing; teaching demo, selecting and final interview. Recruitment is defined as establishing a pool of potentially acceptable applicants (Lipham and Heoh, 1974 p. 236). The first step is usually to post (advertise) the job position usually in bulletin boards of universities, professional organizations, advertise in local newspapers and teacher based magazines. Once the school recruitment officer has received the letters of applications, the rest of the hiring process is accomplished. Faculty hiring is the recruitment and selection of teachers for teaching positions. It involves the following steps: advertising, recruiting; screening; interviewing; teaching demo; selecting and final interview. Faculty hiring is a major task of the administrative or leadership group of the school and selecting the right teacher is a more critical task considering the very few qualified applicants to choose from. Administrators need to prepare job descriptions that state the minimum as well as desired qualifications of a preschool teacher, these are: (1) Bachelor of Science Degree with specialization in family life and child development of early childhood education or kindergarten; (2) BS Degree in Elementary education with 18 units in preschools education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; (3) Bachelor of Arts or BS degree in discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology with 18 units of preschool education. † (Neri October 2001) â€Å"The teachers we need are immersed in discipline, informed professional inquiry and action that results in raising the bar and closing the gap by engaging all students in learning† (Fullan 2003). The preschool administrator or principal is usually the one in charge of recruiting the right teachers to fill in teaching positions clearly defined and understood by the selectors, i. e. there is a good and clear job description. The competencies to perform the job successfully are explicit, i. e. the job criteria or person specification have been prepared and are known by the selectors. There is a planned provision for the assessment of all the required competencies, i. e.the technical assessment stages have been clearly conceived and scheduled. There is a clear policy on how the final decisions are to be arrived at and the final stage procedure ensures that all of the evidence of earlier stages is accumulated and considered before making a judgment† (Kydd 1997). Although it can be time-consuming, principals must actively recruit good teachers to their schools. They usually do this by: (1) visiting teacher education classes to find promising new teachers; (2) providing practicum to student teachers and later hire the good ones; (3) talking to teachers and other principals to find quality experienced teachers who might be looking for new positions. Hiring policies and practices should be carefully crafted so fairness and equity are reflected to avoid legal complaints in the future. Applicants should be notified whether they were accepted or denied and the reasons why they were not accepted. â€Å"Hiring the right faculty is building the future because teachers play a major role in the education of children; they help in the formation and development of children, some of whom will become future leaders of tomorrow. But the right faculty may not mean hiring having a certification or licensure, but one who has a strong commitment to the care and education of young children. There is no wiser or more enduring investment than in the care and education of young children. worthwhile The Research Problem. DDue to the number mushrooming being put up and the government’s move to institutionalizeeize preschool education by year 2010, in Metro Manila and in the provinces without control or regulation, hiring would is in all probabilitymay be increasingly be intenserampant. DepEd’s hiring guidelines for preschool teachers prescribe only the minimum qualifications;;, but there are no clear-cut guidelines on the screening and hiring process for preschool teachers. these schools tend to hire preschool teachers who are not qualified. There is a need to carefully managed preschools to ensure that the intellectual development and values formation of childrenThus, there is a need forere should be specific and customized procedures for  screening applicants and hiring areistowardforqualified preschool teachers who are trained to address the unique learning and developmental needs of preschoolers. (Berk 2005; Branscombe et al. 2000; Brewer 2004; Essa 2003; Estes 2004; Machado and Meyer-Botnarescue 2001). However, Taguiwalo (2005) reported that recruitment is the number one weakness of the Philippine basic education. and eEvery year for the past five years, public schools recruited around 10,000 to 15,000 teachers from a pool of 100,000 new graduates. ,Yet the schools do not always get the best qualified teachers, as evidenced by the poor student achievement test results. they Results of the National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) in SY 2005-2006 reflected that only 29 percent or 38 of 131 competencies/skills were demonstrated by children. The problem of poor quality of education has been traced to a number of factors which include lack of teacher competencies and poor manpower planning (UNESCO and National Statistical Coordination Board 2009). How can DepEd ensure that only qualified and competent preschool teachers will handle every preschool class? HHoH will be assured hiring of professionally well prepared preschool teachers who are committed to caring and educating young children.. Preschool teacher hiring will not be easy considering the scarcity of qualified teachers. ow then can then school administrators ensure that they that they hire qualified and competent preschool teachers who can How can they tap available sources of prospective preschool teachers present? To seek answerss to the research problem, se questions, â€Å"The government, through the Department of Education (DepED), should come up with clear-cut policies on the operation of these schools offering pre-school education to children aged three to six years old,† Chipeco added. (http://www. congress. gov. ph/press/details. php? pressid=931) DepEd should also develop measures seeking not only to regulate and oversee the pre-schools, but also to develop preschool teachers hiring guidelines. DepEd should conduct investigation and close down preschools that do not use the guidelines. thus early childhood education is regarded as their top priority. â€Å"Childhood should be carefully defined in all nations as a highly distinct period of human growth and development that deserves careful educational, social, and political attention and intervention. † (Jalongo, et al 2004) However, Nolido (2006) said . While the government is not yet capable of putting preschool education in the educational ladder, we would like to expand it to reach more five year-old kids particularly in the depressed areas of the country. .. Jalongo, et al 2004et al, page 23number Educational prog for the world’s youngest citizen teachers who are ,m ? Will there be enough preschool teachers who will teach this growing number of student enrollmentissues in the Philippine basic and (LET) (NAT) private preschools hire applicantsare not education graduates or licensed? private . To seek answers to these questions, I will e researcheris Another issue which is very timely is the campaign of the Department of Education to institutionalize preschool education in public schools. Nolido said preschool education is not yet part of the educational ladder. Institutionalizing it requires a huge budget to the basic education system. â€Å"While the government is not yet capable of putting preschool education in the educational ladder, we would like to expand its coverage to reach more five year-old kids particularly in the depressed areas of the country,† Nolido said. and also the current issues in the Philippine educational systemthe Thus the objective of thisresearch willof the study revieweds and compareds the currentGrowing demand for preschool teacher applicants can be attested to the increasing number of student enrollments and the mushrooming of preschools in the metropolis. Drive along any neighborhood and you will likely pass by one, whether it is a small home-based play school or a more structured organization in a bigger edifice. The latest directory of private preschools in Metro Manila from the Department of Education shows that there are (872) preschools all over the capital region alone. Of this total, (217) are exclusively preschools only, defined here as catering to either the one-year-old to 6-year-old age bracket or the kindergarten level which may also include levels preparatory to kindergarten (e. g. nursery, etc. The remaining (55) schools offer elementary education up to 6th grade, in addition to the preschool curriculum. Quezon City has the most number of preschools with 275, followed by Manila with 112. Proximity to residence is criterion parents often consider when choosing schools for their children, however there are many other factors to bear in mind in deciding which school is best† (Neri 2001). Public and private preschools resort to hiring teachers to fill in the demand for teaching positions. The Department of Education has recommended guidelines for hiring preschool teachers, which the public preschools should implement while the private preschools are encouraged to use. Thus, the main research problem of this study is to compare standards, policies, and practices (SPPs) in hiring preschool teachers in preschool andpublic schools with those of privateprivate schools in Pasig City ,and , then compareds each group’s SPPs with offering preschool education with the standards, policies and practices in hiring teachers in private preschools in Pasig City the recommended SPPs in hiring preschool teachers based on related literature, DepEd requirements, and the views of experts on preschools. point out the gaps or discrepancies between the mandated and actual faculty hiring standards, policies and practices of public and private preschools in Pasig City. Secondly, I would like to understand the nature and causes of the gaps, and thirdly, I would like to understand why such gaps have been permitted to exist until the present. Purposess of the Study create awareness among the policymakers, DepEd officials, private preschool owners, and preschool principals The purpose of the study soughtoughtis to (1) investigate the SPPstandards in for hiring preschool teachers in selected public and private schools in Pasig City; (2)and pinpoint commonalities and differences in their current hiring SPPs; and, (3) find out how they measure up to what is recommended in the scientific literature, at DepEd, and by experts. Thus, this study has drawn upwilldetermine whether standards are in line with preschool learning capabilities and requirement for primary grades. s appropriate hiring SPPs for both public and private preschools that can serve ases benchmarks for hiring preschool teachers to ensure that the goal of getting the best qualified preschool teachers is met. Theensure that both public and private schools offering preschool education in Pasig City are able to hire the most qualified and competent preschool teachers and that ensure that there are standards, policies and practices in hiring preschool teachers in public and private schools in Pasig City. is that they together withmajority if not alleto review and reexamine their preschool teaching hiring standards, policies and practices. This assist in the hiring of preschool teacherswill enfrom a wider market and whose qualifications meet the preschool learning competencies. Research Questions In order to answer the research problem, the following research questions were looked intoarewere: †¢ What are the recommended faculty hiring SPPsstandards, policies, and practices for preschool teachers based on related literature, DepEd guidelines, and the views of experts and administrators? †¢ What are the reported and/or actual hiring SPPsfaculty hiring standards, policies, and practices for preschool teachers in both of public and private schools in Pasig City offering ECE? †¢ How do the reported and/or actual faculty hiring SPPstandards, policies.

Impacts of Chronic Illness: Biological Disruption

Impacts of Chronic Illness: Biological Disruption Chronic illness may cause ‘biographical disruption’. Explain what you understand by this term and drawing on the experiences of your patient. Discuss the different ways in which chronic illness impacts on an individual. Medical encyclopaedia defined disruption as the ‘morphologic defect resulting from the extrinsic breakdown of, or interference with, a developmental process.’[1] In other words, it is the interruption or impediment of a progress.[2] Therefore, biographical disruption is described as how the chronic illness can lead to the loss of self-identity or social interaction in an individual.[3] In this report, I will discuss how chronic illness impacts patients in terms of their behaviour, daily lifestyle, relationships with partners or family members and acceptance of their illness as well as how they cope with it.[4] This report will be illustrated based on my patient’s experience, Ali, a 58-year-old retired office worker from Gelang Patah. Onset and Getting a Diagnosis Chronic illnesses are non-communicable diseases which develop gradually over time. They generally cannot be solved instinctively and are barely to be cured ultimately.[5] In most cases, chronic illnesses are more likely to be insidious where the patients have mild or no symptoms. However, the transition between being asymptomatic to having a chronic illness diagnosis can be challenging for the patient. My patient, Ali, was diagnosed with hypertension in year 2010. Hypertension refers to an elevated systolic blood pressure of 140mmHg or greater and diastolic blood pressure of 90mmHg or greater.[6] It is also a risk factor of myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease, and stroke. It has been determined as the third leading cause of death worldwide by the World Health Organization and given a reputation as a ‘silent killer’.[7] Before Ali was diagnosed with hypertension, he experienced tiredness and nausea every day. He was shocked because has always led a healthy lifestyle and did sports regularly. Thus, he denied the diagnosis that the GP gave him. At first, he did not follow the routine of taking the medicine, but insisted in taking some herbs to relieve the symptoms. However, it showed no improvement in his condition. Then, he started to take his medication as indicated. Few days later, his symptoms were relieved and he accepted the truth that he is suffering from high blood pressure (BP). Before finally accepting his illness, Ali went through a stage of denial which was described by Freud as a way to protect the ego from anxiety, a defence mechanism, by not admitting that he would never return to his previous way of life and require medication for the rest of his life.[8] Coping with chronic illness Managing a chronic illness is far beyond medicating as it also involves how well a patient adapts to the effects of the symptoms in their day-to-day living. It is important how a patient manages his or her health, emotion and daily life as they can determine the efficacy of the treatment given to the patient. Besides, rather than formal healthcare and coping-with-life-changes being core [9][9][8][9][9][9][9][9]domains, they should eliminate health-compromising behaviours by self-regulatory efforts, and adopt health-enhancing behaviours. Ali said, â€Å"I had to adapt by changing my lifestyle including my diet, controlling my temper and reducing heavy workloads. Sometimes I feel that I am weaker than ever, no longer as fit as what I used to think I was. † The large submerged portion of hidden mass of the iceberg corresponds to the undiagnosed cases which are presymptomatic and unapparent.[10] About one-third of population with high BP are not aware that they have it. In other words, the extrinsic problems of what the patients present are the small constitution of the tip of the ice while the undiagnosed hypertensive patients represent the intrinsic complications deep below the surface.[11] Figure 1 Illustration of Iceberg theory[12] In addition, recent studies indicated that 58% of diagnosed hypertensive patients are receiving appropriate treatment and can communicate effectively with health care providers as well as actively self-manage their illness. This shows the difference between the two groups of individual and the success rates to reduce mortality and premature death of hypertension.[13] Chronic illness sufferers have to learn to manage their symptoms to get better. Parson’s sick role model states the obligations, ‘a sick person (patient) must get well as soon as possible’ and ‘must seek professional help’.[14, 15] Hypertension is a preventable disease, thus it is the patients’ duty to accept the medication regime. Therefore, for Ali to get well, he must actively learn to manage his illness at the same time be guided by doctors (professional role).[16] Psychosocial Impacts Relationships with family members and Daily Living Chronic illness brings a vast impact to the patient and the family. Since the onset of Ali’s illness, there have been some marked changes in his relationship with his wife of 33 years, Mira, who has taken up the responsibility to monitor his health. He finds it hard to accept that he is a patient who requires more care and attention from his wife of whom he used to take care. Despite this, Ali mentioned that the strength of his marriage had improved as he described them being closer than ever although he frequently feels frustrated due to his dependency on Mira. He now appreciates her more than before. Furthermore, Ali’s children who are highly educated always show concern for their father by checking up on him and advising him on his daily diet and exercise regime. Stigma and Isolation Stigmatisation commonly occurs with chronic illness. Stigma is described as depreciating a character which then causes the individual to be discounted.[17] It happens mainly when the patient is diagnosed with certain diseases and they are treated as abnormal or handicaps. This scenario can lead to unhappy consequences. It is then called as â€Å"deviant conditions† when they are not accepted by the society. However, Ali did not feel stigmatised at all as hypertension is one of the commonest diseases among the population. In Malaysia, the prevalence of hypertension was 42.6% in the year 2006 for the residents aged 30 years and above.[18] Furthermore, some of his friends are having the same illness; they generously shared their experiences, ways to handle the disease and methods to control BP. Changes in lifestyle and Uncertainty Life is full of uncertainties. Chronic illness contributes to unpredictable events due to the nature of the illness that can restrict some patients from leading their normal lifestyle. In addition, asymptomatic illnesses could result in distress in patients and their carers when they do not know when the disease will worsen. For Ali, he is uncertain when the BP might be raised as he knows that elevated systolic pressure above 200mmHg increases the risk of mortality from stroke[19] whereas Mira needs to get ready whenever she realises that Ali is unwell. Ali admits to feeling stressed most of the time as he is afraid that a sudden rise in BP may trouble his family, particularly his wife. Mira spends most of her time with Ali, worrying that something bad will happen to him if she leaves him alone. Uncertainty can persist throughout the course of chronic illnesses, not only at diagnosis or onset. In Ali’s case, this led to the feeling of fear and uncertainty to both Ali and his wife about what could happen to him. Stroke is the main concern for Ali as this thunderclap attack will have a huge impact on his independence and quality of life, forcing him to become a burden for his family members. Conclusion In conclusion, chronic illness is not merely a medical condition but it can cause several forms of biographical disruptions that can significantly affect a patient’s life. ‘Biographical disruption’ is one of the major aspects of living with a chronic illness because it can affect the patient’s role in the family and his or her relationship with the family members. In a wider context, it also impacts their daily life and relationship with their friends, colleagues and the community. It could potentially alter the focus of their life against their wishes and retrain them from succeeding theirs previous plans of life such as employment and hobby. For instance, Ali had thought of delaying his retirement, however, he was restricted from accomplishing jobs that he was being assigned to after being diagnosed with a chronic illness. The ability in performing tasks is diminished. Sometimes they are stigmatised as a ‘disabled’ by society. Each and every chronic illness sufferer will undergo different disruptions and changes in their life. Nonetheless, care, attention and support from the family members and society are essential to reduce the impact of the illness. Additionally, improvement on palliative care is necessary to improve the patients’ quality of life. It is important to note that the healthcare system also plays a big role in understanding the social behaviour that surrounds their patients for an efficient and effective health provision to be given. List of Figures Figure 1 Illustration of Iceberg theory References 1.Farlex, Distruption, in thefreedictionary. 2.Disruption, 2014: Research Narrative. 3.Bury, M. the Social Experience of Living with Chronic Illness and Disability. Concepts of Health and Illness: 2007 [cited 2007; Available from: http://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy-economics/4a-concepts-health-illness/section6. 4.William, S.J., Chronic illness as biographical disruption or biological distruption as chronic illness? Reflections on a core concept. Sociology of health and illness, 2000. 22(1): p. 18. 5.Promotion, N.C.f.C.D.P.a.H. Chronic Diseases. The Power to Prevent, The Call to Control: At A Glance 2009 2009 December 17, 2009 December 17, 2009]; Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/chronic.htm. 6.Malaysia, M., Clinical Practice Guideliness Management of Hypertension, M.o.H. Malaysia, A.o.M.o. Malaysia, and M.S.o. Hypertension, Editors. 2008: Malaysia. p. 70. 7.Maryon-Davis, D.A. Hypertension – the ‘Silent Killer’. May 2005; Available from: http://www.fph.org.uk/uploads/bs_hypertension.pdf. 8.centre, W.M., Asthma, F.s. N °307, Editor 2013, World Health Organisation: World Health Organisation. 9.Barry, A.M. and C. Yuill, Understanding the Sociology of Health: An Introduction. 2008: SAGE Publications. 10.Sharma, M. Theories of disease causation. 2012 1 Jan 2014 [cited 2012 26 Nov]; Available from: http://www.slideshare.net/monikasharma7739/theories-of-disease-causationppt. 11.Tarafdar, D.M.A. iceberg phenonmenance. Available from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Define_the_iceberg_phenomena_of_disease. 12.Ciulla, M.M., G.L. Perrucci, and F. Magrini. Adaptation and Evolution in a Gravitational Environment — A Theoretical Framework for the Limited Re-Generative Post- Natal Time Window of the Heart in Higher Vertebrates. May 22, 2013 13.Beth Collins Sharp, P.D., R.N., Hypertension Care Strategies, in Closing the Quality Gap2004, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: US Department of Health Human Services. 14.61% of Malaysians UNHEALTHY. 2012 Tuesday, 12 June 2012]; Available from: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2view=itemid=34769:61-of-malaysians-unhealthyItemid=2#axzz2qjcz5j7l. 15.Scambler, G., Sociology as Applied to Medicine. 6TH ed. 2008, UK: ELSEVIER. 348. 16.Burke-Smith, A. and D.F. McGowan. Introduction to Medical Sociology Available from: http://www.icsmsu.com/exec/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ABS-Sociology.pdf. 17.Organisation, W.H. 10 FACTS ON OBESITY. 2014; Available from: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/obesity/facts/en/. 18.Hypertension: Clinical management of primary hypertension in adults. 2011 Aug 2011 [cited 2011; Available from: http://publications.nice.org.uk/hypertension-cg127. 19.Judyta Cielecka-Piontek, Arkadiusz Styszynski, and K. Wieczorowska-Tobis, Knowledge of Risk Factors for Hypertension in the Elderly. Borgis New Medicine, 2004(1): p. 2-4. Social Science SectionPage 1