The US Policy of Marshall Aid Essay Example for Free

The US Policy of Marshall Aid Essay Assess the view that the US Policy of Marshall Aid was motivated mainly by the altruistic desire to help the economic recovery of Europe. Following advice from U.S General Marshall, Marshall Aid was introduced to Europe in 1947. Some argue this policy was motivated mainly through altruistic desire to help the economic reconstruction of Europe; however the four interpretations dismiss this argument, focusing on the need to boost capitalism, preventing communism. The main reasons for Marshall Aids introduction were political and economic, not altruistic. The theory that Marshall Aid was mainly motivated through altruism isnt credibly acknowledged in any interpretation. Judt acknowledges altruism in his interpretation by stating aid was offered to all European countries, without distinction and Enthusiastic American New Dealers had urged upon European colleagues virtues of freer trade, international collaboration and inter-state integration, however he dismisses altruism and argues other influences had great significance, aid was part of a program to reform the European economy as a whole; Europe would need to collaborate in planning and confer.with each other. Enthusiastic American New Dealers supported aid through their own self-interests, not altruistic desire. Balfour, McCauley and Gaddis fail to acknowledge altruism in their arguments, supporting Judts dismissal. However Europe was devastated following the war and Marshall Aid had reduced the problem, so altruism was not completely absent. America lacked any altruistic desire to help Russia. Fear of Soviet domination and the spread of communism was key to the introduction of aid in the first place, this is argued in each interpretation, adding credibility to each view. Gaddis argues the immediate psychological benefits produced by economic assistance would halt the spread of communism. However in contrast to Gaddis, Judt draws focus to productivity missions funded by the Marshall Plan in his interpretation, which brought thousands of managers, technicians and trade unionists the U.S to study the American way of business. There is evidence to make this a credible argument as it ties in with revisionist theory that America intended to use Marshall Aid as a form of economic imperialism to asset their authority over Europe. Gaddis concedes Russia refusing aid would strain relationships, enabling the U.S to seize the geopolitical and moral initiative in the emerging Cold War, thus strengthening Judts argument that aid favou red American interests as well as containing communism. Balfour suggests a main objective of the Marshall Plan was to win the mouths and minds of the West European peoples so as to prevent them from turning Communist, again focusing on Americas fear of communism. This meant boosting capitalism, which was being resuscitated and given a prosperity highly alluring to countries on the fringes of the USSR, to encourage Cominform nations to denounce communism, a fairly forceful argument acknowledged by each interpretation. Judt implies aid was part of a programme to reform the European economy and is correct when stating Stalin and Molotovs suspicions of the terms Marshall was proposing being quite incompatible with the closed Soviet economy. Neither the US or USSR were prepared to accept each others economic system, Judt again references the differing ideologies and argues that as well as reducing Soviet influence, boosting capitalism and encouraging free trade would have the desired effect of containing communism. Further evidence to make thi s a credible argument is within Balfours interpretation, Molotov viewed aid as an attempt by American capitalists to capture additional markets. In contrast to Balfour and Judt who focus on differing ideologies as a key motivation, the counter revisionist argument that Marshall Aid was motivated by U.S self-interest re-emerges in McCauleys interpretation, an expanding European market would take more U.S goods. Nations accepting aid would be open to U.S markets, the incentive of viable trading partners which would in turn avoid depression, as Molotov believed. Americas need for a viable trade partner is expressed further by Gaddis, arguing that economic assistance would provide immediate psychological benefits and material ones that would reduce this trend where goods and capital could move freely, boosting capitalism. Introducing Marshall Aid would solve two problems by containing communism and providing a badly needed trade partner for America, adding credibility to the two arguments. Balfours interpretation also focuses on economic factors as the main motivation behind Marshall Aid, which could be used to turn countries to capitalism and recover the position which had been lost between 1944 and 1947, despite the fact Balfour implies that Eastern Europe was not a market for the West, Molotovs belief supports Balfours argument. McCauleys interpretation also focuses on economic recovery; containing a speech by John Foster Dulles, putting the future of Germany in the context of the economic unity of Europe rather than the Potsdam view of Germany as an economic entity. German recovery would lead to production of industrial and capital goods so vital to Europes earnings, and would open up the German market for other European manufacturers, hence the link to re-establishing inter-European trade1. McCauleys argument that small economic units in a divided Europe could not prosper and Europe had to unite.to provide a market large enough to justify modern mass-production techniques, suggests that in order for the European economy to strengthen, and win the mouths and minds of the West European peoples as Balfour argues, Europe must collaborate. This posed serious problems European political ideologies varied, some countries would have problems working together. European collapse would be a disaster for America too, and revival in Germany was key to re-establishing European economies, further validating McCauleys argument on the importance of economic recovery. Opportunities would open up for other European manufacturers as a result of industrial revival in Germany. Washington believed that reestablishment of multilateral trade was key to boosting the economy, the protective device of aid intended European countries to switch from the bilateral to the multilateral as soon as possible. McCauley references the benefits of multilateral collaboration throughout his interpretation, strengthening Judts argument that economic reasons were the main motivation behind Marshall Aid. The subsequent boom led to an economic divide as obvious as the political one, with the rich West and poor East. European markets had exceeded pre-war levels of production and income by the 1950s, reducing the influence of the communists and verifying Ryans argument that Marshall Aid would negate the appeal of communism. The West had no incentive to turn communist now it was booming. All four interpretations agree Marshall Aid would gain popularity if it would have a negative impact on communism. Gaddis outlines the greatest threat to the West wasnt military intervention, rather the risk that hunger, poverty and despair might cause Europeans to vote their own communists into office, who would obediently serve Moscows wishes, this is a credible argument because communism was benefitting with many European economies bankrupt Soviet domination was a real danger. Gaddis further acknowledges the U.S knew they had to intervene as the communists were an electoral threat throughout Europe especially France and Italy. Ryan agrees, arguing that Communism was perceived to thrive on fear, desperation and chaos, summing up the state of Europe in 1945, and aid would in part negate the appeal of the left.2 McCauley furthers the anti-communism view; by linking it to anti-Communism the concept would be very popular in the USA and Balfour backs this up, stating funds required for aid would never have been approved by Congress unless a considerable amount of emphasis had been laid on the danger of communism in Europe, and on the significance of US aid as a protective device. He also suggests the threat would have to be exaggerated to gain enough support, however Soviet domination was already a serious threat to the West, there was no need to exaggerate its severity. Judt agrees with Balfour, arguing that because aid would be confined to the West, with Greece and Turkey being honorary West Europeans, it undoubtedly made it easier for Truman to secure passage of the ERP through Congress. Judt has acknowledged aid was offered without distinction and Ryan implies Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Ukraine were willing participants, but ultimately, Stalin pressured them into withdrawing3,.Gaddis also acknowledges Russia would not accept such aid or allow its satellites to, which is a credible argument because Stalin feared U.S economic domination, believing economic integration with the West would threaten Soviet control over Eastern Europe. Judt also focuses on the fact Stalin and Molotov were of course suspicious. Stalin had felt betrayed by the West during the war and he lacked trust, which is justifiable. Gaddis further acknowledges this, even though the Marshall Plan didnt yet distinguish the areas of Europe under Soviet control, the thinking behind it certainly did. Deputy Minister Vyshinsky argued the US was attempting to impose its will on other independent states, doing little to reduce Soviet tension. Despite several Cominform states being willing participants in desperate need of help and Judts argument that Russian sentiments were not widely shared elsewhere, aid was refused with Stalins persuasion, which strained relationships according to Gaddis. The four interpretations agree the U.S aimed to use European desperation for aid to boost capitalism. Judts view that aid was offered without distinction is challenged by Kunz, arguing that the State Department knew that Congress would never approve aid for Russia fear of Soviet domination was a key motivation for aid in the first place which validates Kunzs argument who adds that fortunately Stalin never called the bluff4. Russian acceptance would have caused problems as the Marshall Plan was based on the assumption that Russia would decline aid. McCauley implies European Governments were required to plan ahead and calculate future investment needs and to negotiate and confer with each other to aid economic reconstruction. There are numerous examples to validate McCauleys argument. By cooperating, economies would benefit. During the years of aid, countries in receipt experienced economic growth of between 15-25%. Without cooperation, this would not have been possible. McCauley further argues the German economy would improve as Frances desperate need for German reparations would be replaced by U.S credits, solving the French problem. Versailles had previously crippled Germany, and with German recovery important to revitalising Europe, it was vital to avoid a repeat despite Stalins wishes. The marrying of French and German economies would reduce French fears of German economic power. France would know if German expansionism posed a threat as the two were cooperating; they feared a future offensive due to geographical location. Judt focuses on the Americans whod blocked any return to the temptations of the interwar economy, and by encouraging Europe to cooperate, prevented future European conflict and promoted trust and reacceptance of Germany. American desire for a peaceful, united Europe expresses a degree of altruism. Balfour in his interpretation draws focus to an underlying military reason for the Marshall Plan; it later came to be given a more military significance, intending to recreate the military power of Western Europe. Britain and France could resume their roles as Great Powers allowing them to provide armies which would be strong enough, and backed by American atomic weapons in order to recover the position which had been lost by force. However the other arguments do not acknowledge militarism which severely undermines the credibility of this view. Britain and France received significant aid, revitalizing their economies, however no further military action took place in Europe. However Balfour goes on to concede that other events had greater significance, such as differing ideologies and fear of communism. Since Truman didnt want war in election year, these two factors combined dismiss this view. Several motivational factors were involved in implementing the Marshall Plan. A plan to boost capitalism, argued by Balfour, the economic concerns argued by Judt, and argued by McCauley and Gaddis to be interlinked with political concerns, along with hints of militarism and altruism. However, Gaddis argument that the US was following a political grand strategy through economic means, and the interlinking economic concerns established by McCauley reference the greatest motivational theory, along with the differing ideologies between U.S and USSR, implied by Judt and Balfour. The Marshall Plan wasnt motivated through altruistic desire to help Europe, despite Churchills statement that it was the most unsordid act in history5 1 How successful was the Marshall Plan? Scott Newton, History Today (2000) 2 David Ryan, The United States and Europe in the Twentieth Century (2003) 3 David Ryan, The United States and Europe in the Twentieth Century (2003) 4 The Marshall Plan reconsidered: A complex of Motives Diane Kunz (1997) p162, 9pgs 5 The American Past, A Study of American History. Joseph Conlin (2009) p. 724

Western Views of Women in Islam Essay example -- Essays Papers

Before venturing into the ideals and movements of Islamic feminism, it is important to recognize some of the biased views Westerners often take when it comes to women in Islam. Because of the portrayal of women in the Arab world through pop-culture and the media, some Westerners may believe that Islam creates a society in need of modernity. The concepts of religious government are also foreign to the Western world. Feminists often focus on the practice of veiling women in Islamic tradition as a law made to minimize the importance of women as citizens. It is important for us to recognize where our biased views exist, and what sorts of root assumptions we make about women in Islam. The truth is, Islamic culture is highly misunderstood, and the customs within Islam are often misinterpreted by Westerners. Often we point to the Arab world as an example of poor treatment of women, without evaluating our own laws and practices. In an article in the Start Tribune published in 1989, Dr. Fatma Reda, a scholar from Egypt who came to the U.S. with her husband the year before, experienced some of the Western stumbling blocks for women and longed for her Islamic country. She decided to buy a parcel of land for herself, but in the U.S., she needed a co-signature of her husband. She had been used to more equality in Egypt between men and women. â€Å"Under Islamic law, women can own property independently of their husbands†¦ in Islamic teaching, women are entirely equal to men†¦ many times Muslim women make choices that look on the surface like we don’t have as much freedom, but it is just different† (p. 1). Many Islamic cultures do in fact see women as secondary citizens, but Islamic women are becoming much... ... It is time they realized they have much common ground† by Arzu Merali, the author points out what feminists have assumed of Muslim women. â€Å"The Islamic Human Rights Commission receives case after case of employers and educators using this image of the downtrodden Muslim woman to excuse discrimination. Muslim women are denied many opportunities on the assumption that they will- if not on a whim then by force- get married, or have many children. Or they face the horrendous dilemma of having to choose between employment and their Islamic garb.† We are not prepared to enter a discussion on Muslim women if we do not understand that our stereotypical images are not accurate. The purpose of this project is to bring light to the facts of Islam, of women, and of the Qur'an. After obtaining these facts, only then can we interact for the common goal of feminism.

Solution Focused Therapy

Social Work Department Faculty of Humanities University of Johannesburg Student Surname| Le Roux| Student Initials| C| Student First Name| Charlene| Student Number| 201170104| Assignment Title| Practice Model| Date of Submission| 15 March 2013| Course Title| B Social work| Lecturers Name| Prof. Adrian Van Breda| Course Code| SW2A11| Plagiarism Declaration| I, Charlene Le Roux 201170104, declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements.I understand what plagiarism is and aware of the department’s policy in this regard. | Name| Charlene Le Roux| Signature| | Index Page 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. 15. 25. 35. 45. 55. 65. 767. 8. | Introduction History of Solution Focused TherapyUnderlying theoryKey principlesApplication to the PCPEngagementAssessmentPlanningImplementingEvaluationTerminationFollow-up Critical reflectionConclusionReference list| Page 334-55-66-116-77-88991010-11111213| 1. Introduction I have chosen to do the Solution focused therapy practice model (Hereafter referred to as SFT).I chose this model because I was interested in finding out more about how to use one’s own resources and strengths to empower oneself. My hardest issue with counseling is learning how to teach clients how to use their own resources instead of supplying it myself and also encouraging clients to come up with their own solutions and just giving them advice and my opinion. SFT discusses the different techniques one can use to ensure they are empowering their clients and not doing everything for them. 2. History The two founding theorists for SFT are Insoo Kim Berg and Steve De Shazer.Together they adapted existing theories to mold into a theory of their own. They strongly believed that true positive change lies within the client themselves and not in the relationship between the client and worker. Berg was the cofounder of a center in Milwaukee in 1978 whose intention was to launch the mental research institute and it used Brief Family therapy. This was an organization that made no profit and was used to serve the needs of people in surrounding areas and people and families that were poor or living in poverty (O’Connell, 2005).Four years later this became the home of SFT (Lee, 2011). De Shazer later worked in the center and was thoroughly trained in brief family therapy. According to Milton Erikson, brief therapy models were hugely influenced by the strengths perspective and social constructivism. The strengths perspective is about using one’s own strengths, assets and resources to come up for solutions that are best suited for them and their problem rather than simply providing everything for one’s client.It goes with the famous saying â€Å"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime †. Berg and De Shazer developed this model by listening to and using the feedback of their clients. They created this model by observing therapy sessions to observe the techniques and skills the therapist used, by listening to the feedback of their clients about what was or was not working for them and by observing the progress of their own clients (Lee, 2011). 3. Underlying theory of practice model Social constructivism strongly influences SFT (O ‘Connell, 2005).This perspective states that human beings create their own reality through different linguistic means. In other words, we create our own realities through conversations and by our own view of the truth so therefore each person has a different meaning that has been created which in turn means that there is no ‘objective truth’ that is true in any situation. This all implies that each person’s problems are constructed by the way in which they talk. As a result of each person having their own li nguistic style, there is no fixed meaning attached to a problem or a solution.In order for a person to see their created reality from another perspective, the therapist or practitioners main goal is to change the language the client uses. Practitioners encourage clients to use solution talk as opposed to problem talk. One thing that stands out from the social constructivist perspective is that the clients perception and experiences have main priority. This theory also takes into account the context in which the client lives and emphasizes that people do not exist in social isolation but rather are products of the interactions that surround them.The relationship between the practitioner and the client is of utmost importance in this perspective because it is within this relationship that a new style of language can be created for the client to build new realities. The systems theory is another perspective that influences solution focused therapy. The systems theory expects a practiti oner to look at all the systems surrounding an individual so that the best interventions can be used. To understand the systems theory fully there are some terms that are the most important (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006).Every individual is viewed as the product of interactions between different micro systems in that individuals life and practitioners look at their clients as a person-in-environment where they are constantly interacting with the various systems around them. These systems function reciprocally and change in one system means there will be change in another. The systems approach is also dynamic. It is ever changing and evolving from one particular view to another yet maintains a relatively stable homeostasis. All systems are interrelated.The systems theory basically states that because no two client systems are alike, no two solutions will be alike either and therefore every problem needs a unique and suitable intervention (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). Lastly, the strength s perspective has had an influence on SFT. The main view of the strengths perspective is that every individual, family or community has already got strengths, resources and assets that should be used in intervention strategies and it is the responsibility of the practitioner to uncover these different strengths.The strength perspective doesn’t see hard times such as traumatic experiences, struggles and sicknesses as demotivating experiences but rather as opportunities and challenges that can be overcome and in the end be used to the benefit of the client even if it is just a lesson that was learned. A worker should never limit their clients capacities and capabilities but rather believe in their goals and dreams and help them achieve it in any way that they can and another important aspect to remember here is that their goals and dreams can only be achieved if the client and worker work together to achieve these.One last thing that is important for people to know about the st rengths perspective is that it believes that every environment also has strengths and that the client should always look for help in their own environments rather than other environments. 4. Key principles As seen above and as previously mentioned, SFT was founded by bringing many different theories together. In this section the main principles of SFT will be discussed. First and foremost, it is set on the notion that if something is not broken there is no need to fix it (O ‘Connell, 2005).In other words, workers should not look for problems where there are none. If a situation is working for a client the worker shouldn’t try fix it even if it is different to the way the worker thinks it should be working. This is a theory that believes in the strengths of clients and the fact that people are resilient and can bounce back from traumatic experiences with the right support and resources. It draws on the importance of people to emerge as stronger people after the traumas b y relying on their own resources and coping methods that they themselves have learned (Van Breda, 2011).If the client’s way of solving a problem is working then the worker should encourage the client to do it more often and if a resolution is not working then there is no point in continuing to try it so the worker should encourage the client to stop that way and try to find another way of dealing with the problem. It should be kept as simple as possible so as not to confuse the client but rather to encourage them to find new and improved solutions to dealing with individual problems. This process of therapy should not be drawn out longer than necessary and should be to the point with as little intervention from the therapist as possible.This theory believes that one change ultimately brings about another change until all the required change has been achieved. Therefore, this theory does not seek to make big changes but rather a chain of smaller changes. Another reason why sma ller changes are encourages is because it helps the client feel less intimidated as they would feel by implementing one big change at one time. As always with positive change, a worker needs to recognize it and praise the client for the change they themselves have implemented.Since language is such an important aspect in this theory, the worker should never assume that there is only one possible solution to a problem but the worker should be open-minded and should try using many different paths to try and find a suitable solution. Since this theory focuses on solutions rather than problems, the worker should not spend time analyzing the problems but should jump into finding solutions that will work for that specific client and their circumstances (Malherbe & Greef, 2005). . Application to the PCP The planned change process is a set of stages that a social worker can follow and the stages overlap and flows into one another (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). 5. 1Engagement â€Å"Engagement is when a social worker begins to establish communication and a relationship with other but also addressing the problem† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 34). Engagement starts from the very first interaction a worker has with a client.The main goal of engagement is to build rapport by using different skills such as acceptance and warmth. It is very important that the worker does not judge their client at any stage and shows acceptance as acceptance is a necessary tool for change. Part of engagement in SFT is for the worker to help the change process along from the very beginning. Change needs to be spoken about and visualized. In the engagement stage it is important for rules and expectations to be set and this can be done by a means of contracting.Contracting is when the client and the worker discuss the roles, norms and expectations for sessions and this is where the boundaries are set for the client-worker relationship (Kirst-Ashman & hull, 2006) Contracting also helps esta blish roles between the client and the worker which is important in the formal relationship so that boundaries can be set in place. Firstly, the worker needs to enquire about the â€Å"pre-session change†. Pre-session change is that happened in the clients life that pushed them to make the appointment in the first place.The worker can do this by asking questions like â€Å"Tell me more about why you are here today† or â€Å"What made you seek help? †. Giving compliments to the client eases their anxiety and affirms the belief that positive regard increases the chance of change for people (Rasheed, Rasheed & Marley, 2011). 5. 2 Assessment â€Å"Assessment is differential, individualized and accurate identification and evaluation of problems, people and situations and of their interrelations to serve as a sound basis for differential helping interventions† (Siporin as cited in Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 34).Assessment is usually when the worker assesses what the problems are that the client is facing but because SFT focuses on solutions the worker needs to change problem talk into solution talk and already start thinking about possible solutions to the problem. A worker using SFT needs to pay attention to detail and listen to the clients carefully during the assessment stage. Once the worker has heard the clients issues they need to respond empathically as this helps create empowerment for the client as well as lets the client know that the worker is paying attention and understanding the clients’ point of view.There are many different types of questions that should be used in the assessment stage of SFT. The miracle question is the first. The answer to this type of question is usually on the path of the fitted solution. This type of question helps the client vision their preferred future. These questions are asked to find out about the clients story, strengths and resources and their own expectations for the solution. This type of question would be something like â€Å"Imagine you were sleeping tonight and a miracle happens that solves the problem you came to speak to me about.When you wake up in the morning, what would be the change that would make you realize something must have happened to solve your problem? † a client could possibly reply with answers similar to this, â€Å"my children weren’t moody and crying, my husband and I were smiling and organized. We left on time for work and when we came home we had food on our plates and the children were playing. † Another type of question is an exception question. This type of question helps the worker to get an idea of the good times in a client’s life. It helps the client remember that there were times when they knew what to do nd how to do it in order for them to function normally. Helping a client remember times when they were managing better gives them hope that they can do it again. A worker would ask this question â €Å"can you think of a time in the past month, year or ever that you did not have this problem? What were you doing differently during those times that helped prevent the problem then? † (De Shazer as cited in Lee, 2011). Coping questions are also important questions when assessing and planning for implementation. This question is useful for clients who feel completely helpless because it can give ideas to solutions that could help serve their problems.This type of question helps the worker get to know more about the clients coping strategies. A coping question would be something along the lines of â€Å"wow, how have you managed to carry on during all of these hard times? † Lastly, scaling questions can be used. These questions can be used during the evaluation stage as well. This question helps the client track their own progress which helps them identify where they are at (Lee, 2011). This is a question that asks the clients to choose a number between 1 and 10 to de termine their progress.A worker would ask a question like â€Å"from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how are you feeling now compared to when we started? † (Nichols & Schwartz, 2008). 5. 3 Planning â€Å"Planning specifies what should be done† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 370. Planning in this theory goes hand in hand with assessment because in assessment the worker will not spend too much time focused on the problem but rather on already finding possible solutions. It is also important to remember that changes should be planned as small rather than one big change. 5. 4 Implementation Implementation is the actual doing of the plan. The Client and worker follow their plan to achieve their goals. Progress during implementation must be constantly monitored and assessed. Sometimes, new issues, situations and conditions require the plan to be changed† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 40). The most important aspect to the implementation is the changes need to sm all so as to not overwhelm the client with major changes. When a small change is achieved, it leaves the client feeling empowered and motivated to start change in another dimension of their lives.It gives the client courage to try for new and bigger changes (Lee, 2011). The above mentioned questions can also be asked to stimulate change (Macdonald, 2011), therefore intervention starts during the assessment stage. Intervention by the worker should be limited ensuring that the changes will be as a result of the clients new ways of doing things while at the same time making sure the client gets a sense of independence rather than relying on the worker to do all the work. 5. 5 Evaluation â€Å"Each goal is evaluated in terms of the extent to which it has been achieved.The decision must be made about whether the case must be terminated or reassessed to establish new goals† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Evaluation in SFT basically combines all the above mentioned techniques. The worker uses the questions to find out how much change and progress has been made. Once the worker realizes what those changes are he or she points these out and celebrates together with the client for making these changes (Macdonald, 2011). The miracle question is used to monitor the progress and to keep the client in a positive frame of mind in order for them to continue progressing to their full potential.It is important for the worker and client to reflect to evaluate what has been improved and how. Evaluation in SFT does not necessarily only occur after implementation. The worker also evaluates the client at the beginning of every session to see what changes have been made and how the client is progressing. 5. 6 Termination â€Å"The worker/client relationship must eventually come to an end. Termination in Generalist Practice involves specific skills and techniques† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Termination begins from the very beginning in order to prepare clie nts for the ending of sessions.SFT is meant to be brief and not carry on for long periods of time. The worker needs to keep reminding the client that the therapy will not be long and the client should have the goals of finding new solutions quicker than in other types of therapy. In the last session, the client is asked to describe in detail what changes they experienced so the change can be maintained and the worker should point out what worked and what did not work in the clients’ progress. One way of knowing when a client is ready for termination is by asking them a scaling question (Macdonald, 2011).This is when a client answer from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best level of functioning. If a client’s answer is 7 or higher then the client is ready to terminate. These types of questions can be â€Å"What would you rate your level of functioning as on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best? † or â€Å"Consider that when we started you were on a level 3 s cale of functioning, what would you rate your level as now between 1 and 10? †. It is important to remember that terminating with an open door policy is of benefit to this client.This means that even though the sessions are over, you let the client know they are always welcome back should they encounter any other problems but the worker can also encourage the client to come visit in a few months to let the worker know how everything is going. this makes the client feel important and valuable and is a positive way to terminate. 5. 7 Follow-up Although not a stage of the planned change process I do think it is important for a social worker to follow up with their clients to ensure that everything is still going alright.Following-up with a client also empowers them in a way because it makes them feel like they are still cared for and worried about and not like they were just forgotten by the social worker. Following up can be done in many different ways. A worker can request that the client comes back for one last session just to follow-up and ensure that everything is okay. It can also be done telephonically or via e-mail. If a client does not respond to the email or does not come in for the session it is the responsibility of the worker to find out what the reason is just to make sure the client is still on track. . Critical reflection There are some concerns surrounding SFT. One of the concerns is that it is so focused on solutions that it does not focus on curing the root cause of the problems. A therapist using this model could say that the deep rooted cause was in fact also just a form of the clients’ distortion of reality. This therapy also relies too much on the client. In some cases people may not understand that what they want is not what they need and clients sometimes need a counselor to give them a new view point to look at their situation from.For example a married couple may sometimes not know what it is they need and a worker can step in to give some ideas for solutions they can try instead of relying on the client to recognize what it is they really need. I would use this practice model if I could change a few things. I would focus more on the way a client is feeling about their problems because sometimes all somebody needs is someone to listen to their problems and not just think of solutions. Sometimes it is important to try and understand a client in a bit more of an informal way rather than strictly professional.It is important though to remember boundaries and that a client may never be friend with a worker as there may then be conflict of interest. Although there are holes in this model, there are also things I really like about SFT. It is good to focus on the positive things rather than continuously analyzing the negative to get to a solution. Focusing on a solution puts the client in the future and motivates them to get to that level of functioning. It is a model that can help clients succeed a lot quic ker than other models.I also like the fact that SFT has specific types of questions that are direct because other models can sometimes take a long time just to assess the problem leaving the client feeling like there has been no progress over a period of time because the worker has just been assessing. With SFT the client will start to see changes quite soon and will feel empowered just by the questions that they will be asked. 7. Conclusion I like the idea of SFT because it focuses on strengths and it has always fascinated me to know how a client can use their own strengths.After researching this practice model I understand a lot more about how I can recognize what a client’s strengths are and how they can be used for solutions. It is a therapy that is direct and results can be seen soon after the first session. This therapy promotes the empowerment of people and is easy to follow in order to empower one’s own clients. It is a widely used therapy and has a high succes s rate. I am glad I have learned about this model because I can now apply it to my practice this year.Instead of focusing on my clients weaknesses (low self-esteem) we can focus on building confidence and not on what has caused the low self-esteem. This is great because often speaking about the causes can be re-traumatizing to the client when all they want to do is more forward instead of focus on the past. 8. Reference List Kirst-Ashman, K. K. , & Hull, G. H. (2009). Understanding Generalist Practice (5thed. ). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Lee, M. Y. (2011). Solution-focused theory. In F. J. turner (Ed. ), Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches (5th ed. pp. 460-476). New York: Oxford University Press. Macdonald, A. (2011). Solution focused therapy. In R. Nelson-Jones (Ed. ), Theory and practice of counselling and therapy (5th ed. , pp. 371-391). Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Nichols, M. P. , & Schwartz, R. C. (2008). Family therapy: concepts and methods (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson. O’Connell. B. (2005). Solution focused therapy (2nd ed. ). London: Sage Publications ltd. Rasheed, J. M. , Rasheed, M. N. , & Marley, J. A. (2011). Family therapy: models and techniques. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Solution Focused Therapy Social Work Department Faculty of Humanities University of Johannesburg Student Surname| Le Roux| Student Initials| C| Student First Name| Charlene| Student Number| 201170104| Assignment Title| Practice Model| Date of Submission| 15 March 2013| Course Title| B Social work| Lecturers Name| Prof. Adrian Van Breda| Course Code| SW2A11| Plagiarism Declaration| I, Charlene Le Roux 201170104, declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements.I understand what plagiarism is and aware of the department’s policy in this regard. | Name| Charlene Le Roux| Signature| | Index Page 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. 15. 25. 35. 45. 55. 65. 767. 8. | Introduction History of Solution Focused TherapyUnderlying theoryKey principlesApplication to the PCPEngagementAssessmentPlanningImplementingEvaluationTerminationFollow-up Critical reflectionConclusionReference list| Page 334-55-66-116-77-88991010-11111213| 1. Introduction I have chosen to do the Solution focused therapy practice model (Hereafter referred to as SFT).I chose this model because I was interested in finding out more about how to use one’s own resources and strengths to empower oneself. My hardest issue with counseling is learning how to teach clients how to use their own resources instead of supplying it myself and also encouraging clients to come up with their own solutions and just giving them advice and my opinion. SFT discusses the different techniques one can use to ensure they are empowering their clients and not doing everything for them. 2. History The two founding theorists for SFT are Insoo Kim Berg and Steve De Shazer.Together they adapted existing theories to mold into a theory of their own. They strongly believed that true positive change lies within the client themselves and not in the relationship between the client and worker. Berg was the cofounder of a center in Milwaukee in 1978 whose intention was to launch the mental research institute and it used Brief Family therapy. This was an organization that made no profit and was used to serve the needs of people in surrounding areas and people and families that were poor or living in poverty (O’Connell, 2005).Four years later this became the home of SFT (Lee, 2011). De Shazer later worked in the center and was thoroughly trained in brief family therapy. According to Milton Erikson, brief therapy models were hugely influenced by the strengths perspective and social constructivism. The strengths perspective is about using one’s own strengths, assets and resources to come up for solutions that are best suited for them and their problem rather than simply providing everything for one’s client.It goes with the famous saying â€Å"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime †. Berg and De Shazer developed this model by listening to and using the feedback of their clients. They created this model by observing therapy sessions to observe the techniques and skills the therapist used, by listening to the feedback of their clients about what was or was not working for them and by observing the progress of their own clients (Lee, 2011). 3. Underlying theory of practice model Social constructivism strongly influences SFT (O ‘Connell, 2005).This perspective states that human beings create their own reality through different linguistic means. In other words, we create our own realities through conversations and by our own view of the truth so therefore each person has a different meaning that has been created which in turn means that there is no ‘objective truth’ that is true in any situation. This all implies that each person’s problems are constructed by the way in which they talk. As a result of each person having their own li nguistic style, there is no fixed meaning attached to a problem or a solution.In order for a person to see their created reality from another perspective, the therapist or practitioners main goal is to change the language the client uses. Practitioners encourage clients to use solution talk as opposed to problem talk. One thing that stands out from the social constructivist perspective is that the clients perception and experiences have main priority. This theory also takes into account the context in which the client lives and emphasizes that people do not exist in social isolation but rather are products of the interactions that surround them.The relationship between the practitioner and the client is of utmost importance in this perspective because it is within this relationship that a new style of language can be created for the client to build new realities. The systems theory is another perspective that influences solution focused therapy. The systems theory expects a practiti oner to look at all the systems surrounding an individual so that the best interventions can be used. To understand the systems theory fully there are some terms that are the most important (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006).Every individual is viewed as the product of interactions between different micro systems in that individuals life and practitioners look at their clients as a person-in-environment where they are constantly interacting with the various systems around them. These systems function reciprocally and change in one system means there will be change in another. The systems approach is also dynamic. It is ever changing and evolving from one particular view to another yet maintains a relatively stable homeostasis. All systems are interrelated.The systems theory basically states that because no two client systems are alike, no two solutions will be alike either and therefore every problem needs a unique and suitable intervention (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). Lastly, the strength s perspective has had an influence on SFT. The main view of the strengths perspective is that every individual, family or community has already got strengths, resources and assets that should be used in intervention strategies and it is the responsibility of the practitioner to uncover these different strengths.The strength perspective doesn’t see hard times such as traumatic experiences, struggles and sicknesses as demotivating experiences but rather as opportunities and challenges that can be overcome and in the end be used to the benefit of the client even if it is just a lesson that was learned. A worker should never limit their clients capacities and capabilities but rather believe in their goals and dreams and help them achieve it in any way that they can and another important aspect to remember here is that their goals and dreams can only be achieved if the client and worker work together to achieve these.One last thing that is important for people to know about the st rengths perspective is that it believes that every environment also has strengths and that the client should always look for help in their own environments rather than other environments. 4. Key principles As seen above and as previously mentioned, SFT was founded by bringing many different theories together. In this section the main principles of SFT will be discussed. First and foremost, it is set on the notion that if something is not broken there is no need to fix it (O ‘Connell, 2005).In other words, workers should not look for problems where there are none. If a situation is working for a client the worker shouldn’t try fix it even if it is different to the way the worker thinks it should be working. This is a theory that believes in the strengths of clients and the fact that people are resilient and can bounce back from traumatic experiences with the right support and resources. It draws on the importance of people to emerge as stronger people after the traumas b y relying on their own resources and coping methods that they themselves have learned (Van Breda, 2011).If the client’s way of solving a problem is working then the worker should encourage the client to do it more often and if a resolution is not working then there is no point in continuing to try it so the worker should encourage the client to stop that way and try to find another way of dealing with the problem. It should be kept as simple as possible so as not to confuse the client but rather to encourage them to find new and improved solutions to dealing with individual problems. This process of therapy should not be drawn out longer than necessary and should be to the point with as little intervention from the therapist as possible.This theory believes that one change ultimately brings about another change until all the required change has been achieved. Therefore, this theory does not seek to make big changes but rather a chain of smaller changes. Another reason why sma ller changes are encourages is because it helps the client feel less intimidated as they would feel by implementing one big change at one time. As always with positive change, a worker needs to recognize it and praise the client for the change they themselves have implemented.Since language is such an important aspect in this theory, the worker should never assume that there is only one possible solution to a problem but the worker should be open-minded and should try using many different paths to try and find a suitable solution. Since this theory focuses on solutions rather than problems, the worker should not spend time analyzing the problems but should jump into finding solutions that will work for that specific client and their circumstances (Malherbe & Greef, 2005). . Application to the PCP The planned change process is a set of stages that a social worker can follow and the stages overlap and flows into one another (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2006). 5. 1Engagement â€Å"Engagement is when a social worker begins to establish communication and a relationship with other but also addressing the problem† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 34). Engagement starts from the very first interaction a worker has with a client.The main goal of engagement is to build rapport by using different skills such as acceptance and warmth. It is very important that the worker does not judge their client at any stage and shows acceptance as acceptance is a necessary tool for change. Part of engagement in SFT is for the worker to help the change process along from the very beginning. Change needs to be spoken about and visualized. In the engagement stage it is important for rules and expectations to be set and this can be done by a means of contracting.Contracting is when the client and the worker discuss the roles, norms and expectations for sessions and this is where the boundaries are set for the client-worker relationship (Kirst-Ashman & hull, 2006) Contracting also helps esta blish roles between the client and the worker which is important in the formal relationship so that boundaries can be set in place. Firstly, the worker needs to enquire about the â€Å"pre-session change†. Pre-session change is that happened in the clients life that pushed them to make the appointment in the first place.The worker can do this by asking questions like â€Å"Tell me more about why you are here today† or â€Å"What made you seek help? †. Giving compliments to the client eases their anxiety and affirms the belief that positive regard increases the chance of change for people (Rasheed, Rasheed & Marley, 2011). 5. 2 Assessment â€Å"Assessment is differential, individualized and accurate identification and evaluation of problems, people and situations and of their interrelations to serve as a sound basis for differential helping interventions† (Siporin as cited in Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 34).Assessment is usually when the worker assesses what the problems are that the client is facing but because SFT focuses on solutions the worker needs to change problem talk into solution talk and already start thinking about possible solutions to the problem. A worker using SFT needs to pay attention to detail and listen to the clients carefully during the assessment stage. Once the worker has heard the clients issues they need to respond empathically as this helps create empowerment for the client as well as lets the client know that the worker is paying attention and understanding the clients’ point of view.There are many different types of questions that should be used in the assessment stage of SFT. The miracle question is the first. The answer to this type of question is usually on the path of the fitted solution. This type of question helps the client vision their preferred future. These questions are asked to find out about the clients story, strengths and resources and their own expectations for the solution. This type of question would be something like â€Å"Imagine you were sleeping tonight and a miracle happens that solves the problem you came to speak to me about.When you wake up in the morning, what would be the change that would make you realize something must have happened to solve your problem? † a client could possibly reply with answers similar to this, â€Å"my children weren’t moody and crying, my husband and I were smiling and organized. We left on time for work and when we came home we had food on our plates and the children were playing. † Another type of question is an exception question. This type of question helps the worker to get an idea of the good times in a client’s life. It helps the client remember that there were times when they knew what to do nd how to do it in order for them to function normally. Helping a client remember times when they were managing better gives them hope that they can do it again. A worker would ask this question â €Å"can you think of a time in the past month, year or ever that you did not have this problem? What were you doing differently during those times that helped prevent the problem then? † (De Shazer as cited in Lee, 2011). Coping questions are also important questions when assessing and planning for implementation. This question is useful for clients who feel completely helpless because it can give ideas to solutions that could help serve their problems.This type of question helps the worker get to know more about the clients coping strategies. A coping question would be something along the lines of â€Å"wow, how have you managed to carry on during all of these hard times? † Lastly, scaling questions can be used. These questions can be used during the evaluation stage as well. This question helps the client track their own progress which helps them identify where they are at (Lee, 2011). This is a question that asks the clients to choose a number between 1 and 10 to de termine their progress.A worker would ask a question like â€Å"from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how are you feeling now compared to when we started? † (Nichols & Schwartz, 2008). 5. 3 Planning â€Å"Planning specifies what should be done† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 370. Planning in this theory goes hand in hand with assessment because in assessment the worker will not spend too much time focused on the problem but rather on already finding possible solutions. It is also important to remember that changes should be planned as small rather than one big change. 5. 4 Implementation Implementation is the actual doing of the plan. The Client and worker follow their plan to achieve their goals. Progress during implementation must be constantly monitored and assessed. Sometimes, new issues, situations and conditions require the plan to be changed† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 40). The most important aspect to the implementation is the changes need to sm all so as to not overwhelm the client with major changes. When a small change is achieved, it leaves the client feeling empowered and motivated to start change in another dimension of their lives.It gives the client courage to try for new and bigger changes (Lee, 2011). The above mentioned questions can also be asked to stimulate change (Macdonald, 2011), therefore intervention starts during the assessment stage. Intervention by the worker should be limited ensuring that the changes will be as a result of the clients new ways of doing things while at the same time making sure the client gets a sense of independence rather than relying on the worker to do all the work. 5. 5 Evaluation â€Å"Each goal is evaluated in terms of the extent to which it has been achieved.The decision must be made about whether the case must be terminated or reassessed to establish new goals† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Evaluation in SFT basically combines all the above mentioned techniques. The worker uses the questions to find out how much change and progress has been made. Once the worker realizes what those changes are he or she points these out and celebrates together with the client for making these changes (Macdonald, 2011). The miracle question is used to monitor the progress and to keep the client in a positive frame of mind in order for them to continue progressing to their full potential.It is important for the worker and client to reflect to evaluate what has been improved and how. Evaluation in SFT does not necessarily only occur after implementation. The worker also evaluates the client at the beginning of every session to see what changes have been made and how the client is progressing. 5. 6 Termination â€Å"The worker/client relationship must eventually come to an end. Termination in Generalist Practice involves specific skills and techniques† (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 41). Termination begins from the very beginning in order to prepare clie nts for the ending of sessions.SFT is meant to be brief and not carry on for long periods of time. The worker needs to keep reminding the client that the therapy will not be long and the client should have the goals of finding new solutions quicker than in other types of therapy. In the last session, the client is asked to describe in detail what changes they experienced so the change can be maintained and the worker should point out what worked and what did not work in the clients’ progress. One way of knowing when a client is ready for termination is by asking them a scaling question (Macdonald, 2011).This is when a client answer from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best level of functioning. If a client’s answer is 7 or higher then the client is ready to terminate. These types of questions can be â€Å"What would you rate your level of functioning as on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best? † or â€Å"Consider that when we started you were on a level 3 s cale of functioning, what would you rate your level as now between 1 and 10? †. It is important to remember that terminating with an open door policy is of benefit to this client.This means that even though the sessions are over, you let the client know they are always welcome back should they encounter any other problems but the worker can also encourage the client to come visit in a few months to let the worker know how everything is going. this makes the client feel important and valuable and is a positive way to terminate. 5. 7 Follow-up Although not a stage of the planned change process I do think it is important for a social worker to follow up with their clients to ensure that everything is still going alright.Following-up with a client also empowers them in a way because it makes them feel like they are still cared for and worried about and not like they were just forgotten by the social worker. Following up can be done in many different ways. A worker can request that the client comes back for one last session just to follow-up and ensure that everything is okay. It can also be done telephonically or via e-mail. If a client does not respond to the email or does not come in for the session it is the responsibility of the worker to find out what the reason is just to make sure the client is still on track. . Critical reflection There are some concerns surrounding SFT. One of the concerns is that it is so focused on solutions that it does not focus on curing the root cause of the problems. A therapist using this model could say that the deep rooted cause was in fact also just a form of the clients’ distortion of reality. This therapy also relies too much on the client. In some cases people may not understand that what they want is not what they need and clients sometimes need a counselor to give them a new view point to look at their situation from.For example a married couple may sometimes not know what it is they need and a worker can step in to give some ideas for solutions they can try instead of relying on the client to recognize what it is they really need. I would use this practice model if I could change a few things. I would focus more on the way a client is feeling about their problems because sometimes all somebody needs is someone to listen to their problems and not just think of solutions. Sometimes it is important to try and understand a client in a bit more of an informal way rather than strictly professional.It is important though to remember boundaries and that a client may never be friend with a worker as there may then be conflict of interest. Although there are holes in this model, there are also things I really like about SFT. It is good to focus on the positive things rather than continuously analyzing the negative to get to a solution. Focusing on a solution puts the client in the future and motivates them to get to that level of functioning. It is a model that can help clients succeed a lot quic ker than other models.I also like the fact that SFT has specific types of questions that are direct because other models can sometimes take a long time just to assess the problem leaving the client feeling like there has been no progress over a period of time because the worker has just been assessing. With SFT the client will start to see changes quite soon and will feel empowered just by the questions that they will be asked. 7. Conclusion I like the idea of SFT because it focuses on strengths and it has always fascinated me to know how a client can use their own strengths.After researching this practice model I understand a lot more about how I can recognize what a client’s strengths are and how they can be used for solutions. It is a therapy that is direct and results can be seen soon after the first session. This therapy promotes the empowerment of people and is easy to follow in order to empower one’s own clients. It is a widely used therapy and has a high succes s rate. I am glad I have learned about this model because I can now apply it to my practice this year.Instead of focusing on my clients weaknesses (low self-esteem) we can focus on building confidence and not on what has caused the low self-esteem. This is great because often speaking about the causes can be re-traumatizing to the client when all they want to do is more forward instead of focus on the past. 8. Reference List Kirst-Ashman, K. K. , & Hull, G. H. (2009). Understanding Generalist Practice (5thed. ). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Lee, M. Y. (2011). Solution-focused theory. In F. J. turner (Ed. ), Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches (5th ed. pp. 460-476). New York: Oxford University Press. Macdonald, A. (2011). Solution focused therapy. In R. Nelson-Jones (Ed. ), Theory and practice of counselling and therapy (5th ed. , pp. 371-391). Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Nichols, M. P. , & Schwartz, R. C. (2008). Family therapy: concepts and methods (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson. O’Connell. B. (2005). Solution focused therapy (2nd ed. ). London: Sage Publications ltd. Rasheed, J. M. , Rasheed, M. N. , & Marley, J. A. (2011). Family therapy: models and techniques. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Concept of ethical relativism Essay

Ethical relativism is the theory that there are no universalized moral standards to apply to all people all the time. The relativity of ethics refers to the ethics may be different in different societies. The same situation and behavior may be morally acceptable in one society but morally unacceptable in another. However, this theory is rejected by most ethicists. First of all, some claim that while the moral practices of societies may differ, the fundamental moral principles do not. Different nations, even the same nation in different times, often pursue different or even inverse ethics. However, the differences can only explain that moral has diversity but cannot deny that moral is universal and general. There is no doubt that ethics such as fairness, honest and self-esteem are applicable and essential to all societies at any time which is ignored by ethical relativism. Furthermore, ethical relativism promotes social inner conformity and causes no room for moral reform or improvement in a society. In addition, members of the same society may hold different views on practices. When the whole society lack of common agreement on certain issues, it’s really hard to declare which is the right behavior. When cross-cultural communication, ethical relativism may provide support for individualism and cause a situation that different social groups only focus on themselves so that go against the agreement with each other. History development is introduced Ethical relativism encompasses views and arguments that people in various cultures have held over several thousand years. For example, the ancient Jaina Anekantavada principle of Mahavira (c. 599 – 527 BC) states that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, and that no single point of view is the complete truth; and the Greek philosopher Protagoras (c. 481 – 420 BC) famously asserted that â€Å"man is the measure of all things†. The Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484 – 420 BC) observed that each society regards its own belief system and way of doing things as better than all others. Various other ancient philosophers also questioned the idea of an objective standard of morality. In the early modern era Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) notably held that nothing is inherently good or evil. The 18th-century Enlightenment philosopher David Hume (1711–1776) serves in several important respects as the father both of modern emotivism and of moral relativism, though Hume himself did not espouse relativism. He distinguished between matters of fact and matters of value, and suggested that moral judgments consist of the latter, for they do not deal with verifiable facts obtained in the world, but only with our sentiments and passions. But Hume regarded some of our sentiments as universal. He famously denied that morality has any objective standard, and suggested that the universe remains indifferent to our preferences and our troubles. The levels and types of western ethical relativism. Ethical relativism is an important inclination of thinking. It has many levels and types. Its causes are also very complicated. The experience lesson of western, ethical relativism in theoretical thinking may promote our research of ethics; it has both negative significance and positive significance in practice. Western Ethical Relativism is a completed social and ethical situation. From the development of western thinking, the performances of the Ethical relativism are various. The diversity of the western ethical Relativism can be analyzed from two aspects. First: he levels of western Ethical Relativism In general: The ethical relativism can be divided in three levels: t The ethical relativism in standard level believes that: the accuracy of ethical norm is relative. It doesn’t exist any ethic which is always right. The moral standard is right when in the areas people all think it is right. The ethical relativism in standard level is not always relative; the ethical principles may be relatively or absolutely. The ethical relativism in standard level means that the moral principles we obey in our life is not single, but numerous. The ethical relativism in hierarchy system means that the different ethical systems can explain the same social life in same degree. It advocate that the different or opposite ethical systems are morally. The ethical system that is always right and covers all of the society does not exist. The ethical relativism in principle level is always have the closely connection with the ethical relativism in hierarchy. We can hardly make a distinction between them. Second: The types of western ethical relativism. The ethical relativism can be divided in three types: The cultural ethical relativists believe that the different cultural systems need different moral. Different cultural has its own criterion of right or wrong, goodness or badness. We can’t use unique cultural criterion to judge the behavior of people in other culture. The cultural ethical relativism can be divided into three forms describe, standard and cognitive. The experiential ethical relativism advocates the variable and relative of the moral is not our concept, but the fact. It believes that the different people in different groups have different moral experiences, so the uses of moral principle and moral norm should be vary with each individual. Subjective ethical relativism advocate that the moral is only subjective cognizance of people, and it is also the result of expression of the personal attitude or emotion, psychological requirement. Ethical relativism of two kinds of basic theory form So far, people on the ethical relativism theory form are not form a unified opinion. In examining the many ethical relativism forms have basis, we according to the ethical relativism of the basis of the methodology of shall be classified, put it into culture ethical relativism and normative ethics relativism two basic theory form the theory. 1, culture ethical relativism Culture ethical relativism (also called the description relativism) is just a cultural relativism claims in the moral field expands. Its message is moral beliefs because of cultural different and different, the thesis is descriptive, namely to anthropology that special case study for the foundation. 2, the standard ethical relativism regulating the relativism also think that only a moral standard by group or individual when accept is only effective; The effectiveness of the standard limited to certain scope, and moral code itself also limit in a particular area, as most etiquette principles and customs limited to specific areas. The basic characteristics of the ethical relativism Any kind of ethical relativism theory, performance forms in theory has its own characteristic, however, from the overall opinion; all have the following three basic characteristics 1, separate the moral of universality and particularity dialectical unity 2, deny that moral; absolute and relative in dialectical unity 3, ignoring the moral subjectivity and objectivity in dialectical unity. The perverted moral values On the other hand, the moral, as dependent on and decided to part of the cultural organism, which will moral points, thought moral as materials is substantive, no existence people from the common features, human relationship, and people in the moral existence, validity and value shows the subjectivity of the out side. 2? Moral value of the lost Ethical relativism moral existence and value will be to strengthen the relativity of extreme, and creativity are intentionally or unintentionally covered, forgotten and cancelled, this actually means that people is the starting point of the moral value purpose and end-result forgotten and cancel, 3? Moral principles using the dislocation First, the moral are reality wrong. Second, ignore the moral convergence. Third, application strategies are machinery. The Limitations and Enlightenment about Ethical relativism Theory limitations have two main areas: (1) ethical relativism partition the moral of universality and particularity. (2) It denied the unification of the moral subjectivity and objectivity. (3) Ethical relativism misunderstood the relationship between the moral diversity and moral unity. The limitations of the practical level: Ethical relativism can lead to the moral crisis in society practice of moral life. Different people, different regions, different countries, different culture and different social form have different moral each other. When these various different levels of social group interact with each other, they are unavoidable produce conflict. But it is undeniable that ethical relativism provides us with much beneficial enlightenment: Ethical relativism contributes to cultivate moral freedom of the individuals and groups. It can make us take an open, flexible attitude and contributes to people of the different ethnic groups, cultures and social systems are forming the atmosphere of mutual respect, mutual understanding and mutual tolerance. Ethical relativism deny the unity of subjectivity and objectivity of the moral From the point of view of philosophical epistemology, ethical relativism recognizes most of the subjectivity of morality denies the objectivity of morality; deny that morality is subjective and objective unity. Ancient Greece wise to send an outstanding representative of Protagoras that â€Å"man is the measure of all things,† the well-known proposition, it is deeply hidden affirmed the denial of moral objectivity and moral subjectivity. Socrates â€Å"Virtue is knowledge† proposition more knowledge as a moral standard, the nature and source of Socrates, knowledge is not derived from practical experience, but from human reason, rational but the unique subjective cognitive ability, therefore, Socrates’ ethical thinking its deep implication is undoubtedly fragmented subjectivity and objectivity of morality. Skeptics of ancient Greece in the philosophical level, the objective existence of things and its nature in doubt, from the theoretical logic of prefabricated or pre-ethical thinking relativism, subjectivism direction of development. Modern Rationalism philosophy advocates the universality and inevitability of knowledge does not come from external experience, but from the inherent rationality; Accordingly, the scope of the ethics, rational camp philosophers and ethicists advocates ethical guidelines and the moral principle of universality, necessity, and moral truth of the theory can not be obtained from the experience of moral life, but only from the rational, moral, rational or practical reason. As Rationalism prominent representatives of Immanuel Kant, deontological ethics reflect the significant nature of absolutism, but his ethics and provides us with a real practical guide for the contents of his ethics should be said that formalism, empty, empty form that contains the possibility of changing to keep the subjectivism and relativism. In short, Modern Empiricism and Rationalism ethicists whether morality comes down to experience, emotion or reason, these are all subjective things of the spirit of their original purpose of trying to construct a new social objective, universal moral system, the result is returned to the person’s subjective mental world; actually hope to establish the objectivity of the efforts by the subjectivity, not only fail to achieve their goals, but its subjectivity digestion objectivity. Different social form or cultural system have the requirement of different moral inevitably, and ethical is relative to the social or cultural system. Culture ethical relativism mostly connected with the study of anthropology or compared culture. Anthropologists are usually very suspect the possibility of founding common moral principle, because they have seen mostly the great differences of moral life practice of different nationalities, different regions and different social. Culture ethical relativism advocates â€Å"customs control everything†, â€Å"moral vision changed with the geography â€Å". Different cultures have their own standard about right or wrong and good and evil, so they cannot use a culture standard of right or wrong, good and evil to measure the behavior of people in another culture life, and can’t stand in the standpoint out of a culture (other cultural standpoint) to judge a culture. All social formation which belongs to different culture often has very different things which they agree or oppose in the moral. But in an internal social, most of the people in the social have the moral conscience— common of moral, which is the general knowledge about right and wrong in moral. In a broad sense, culture ethical relativism think the entire moral standard is just the reflection of social habits or social customs; it is means that the moral behavior is just the behavior which is recognized by habits in a specific cultural system. Ethic relativism comes from cultural differentiation and also protect the existence of different culture. For example, as to the popular topic of Western hegemonism. Since modern times, western society first come into capitalist market economy. The development of the market economy will be addressing different country and each nation into the process of integration of world economy. Along with the economic integration, the western countries in a dominant and control status in the aspect of world culture, to other country or nation of culture . Even the western country make penetration of the cultural or conduct hegemonism to other culture or nation. According to the theory of ethical relativism judgment, western culture, ethic standardization and concept of value are outcomes of the interaction and integration of family, social history, cultural, economic, political and other factors among western people. Although these western culture, ethic standardization and concept of value affecting other nation to some degree, western culture could not absolutely beyond boundary to replace local culture. Because every culture have right to exist and protect independence from others. Because ethical relativism support that every culture in the world is equal, we can protect our local culture from the aggression of western culture and hegemonism. Conclusion: Through the above analysis, although ethical relativism has certain limitation, but different society has different moral standards and moral beliefs, and every social moral belief are all deeply influence of the culture. Ethical relativism encourages us to explore it. This enables us to maintain a kind of open mind and not blindly rejects other ethical system or foreign culture. We still support the ethical relativism.

Evidence Darwin Had for Evolution

Evidence Darwin Had for Evolution Imagine being the first person to discover and put together the pieces of an idea so big that it would change the entire spectrum of science forever. In this day and age with all of the technology available and all kinds of information right at our fingertips, this may not seem to be such a daunting task. What would it have been like back in a time where this previous knowledge that we take for granted had not yet been discovered and the equipment that is now commonplace in labs had not yet been invented? Even if you are able to discover something new, how do you publish this new and outlandish idea and then get scientists all over the world to buy into the hypothesis and help strengthen it? This is the world that Charles Darwin had to work in as he pieced together his Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection. There are many ideas that now seem like common sense to scientists and students that were unknown during his time. Yet, he still managed to use what was available to him to come up with such a profound and fundamental concept. So what exactly did Darwin know when he was coming up with the Theory of Evolution? 1.  Observational Data Obviously, Charles Darwins most influential piece of his Theory of Evolution puzzle is the strength of his own personal observational data. Most of this data came from his long voyage on the HMS Beagle to South America. Particularly, their stop at the Galapagos Islands proved to be a gold mine of information for Darwin in his collection of data on evolution. It was there that he studied the finches indigenous to the islands and how they differed from the South American mainland finches. Through drawings, dissections, and preserving specimens from stops along his voyage, Darwin was able to support his ideas that he had been forming about natural selection and evolution. Charles Darwin published several about his voyage and the information he collected. These all became important as he further pieced together his Theory of Evolution. 2.  Collaborators Data Whats even better than having data to back up your hypothesis? Having someone elses data to back up your hypothesis. That was another thing that Darwin knew as he was creating the Theory of Evolution. Alfred Russel Wallace had come up with the same ideas as Darwin as he traveled to Indonesia. They got in contact and collaborated on the project. In fact, the first public declaration of the Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection came as a joint presentation by Darwin and Wallace at the Linnaean Society of Londons annual meeting. With double the data from different parts of the world, the hypothesis seemed even stronger and more believable. In fact, without Wallaces original data, Darwin may never have been able to write and publish his most famous book On the Origin of Speices which outlined Darwins Theory of Evolution and the idea of Natural Selection. 3.  Previous Ideas The idea that species change over a period of time was not a brand new idea that came from Charles Darwins work. In fact, there were several scientists that came before Darwin that had hypothesized the exact same thing. However, none of them were taken as seriously because they did not have the data or know the mechanism for how species change over time. They only knew that it made sense from what they could observe and see in similar species. One such early scientist was actually the one that influenced Darwin the most. It was his own grandfather Erasmus Darwin. A doctor by trade, Erasmus Darwin was fascinated by nature and the animal and plant worlds. He instilled a love of nature in his grandson Charles who later recalled his grandfathers insistence that species were not static and in fact did change as time passed. 4.  Anatomical Evidence Almost all of Charles Darwins data was based on anatomical evidence of various species. For instance, with Darwins finches, he noticed the beak size and shape was indicative of what kind of food the finches ate. Identical in every other way, the birds were clearly closely related but had the anatomical differences in their beaks that made them different species. These physical changes were necessary for the survival of the finches. Darwin noticed the birds that did not have the right adaptations often died before they were able to reproduce. This led him to the idea of natural selection. Darwin also had access to the fossil record. While there were not as many fossils that had been discovered in that time as we have now, there was still plenty for Darwin to study and ponder over. The fossil record was able to clearly show how a species would change from an ancient form to a modern form through an accumulation of physical adaptations. 5.  Artificial Selection The one thing that escaped Charles Darwin was an explanation for how the adaptations happened. He knew that natural selection would decide if an adaptation was advantageous or not in the long run, but he was unsure of how those adaptations occurred in the first place. However, he did know that offspring inherited characteristics from their parents. He also knew that offspring were similar but still different than either parent. To help explain adaptations, Darwin turned to artificial selection as a way to experiment with his ideas of heredity. After he returned from his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Darwin went to work breeding pigeons. Using artificial selection, he chose which traits he wanted the baby pigeons to express and bred the parents that showed those traits. He was able to show that artificially selected offspring showed desired traits more often than the general population. He used this information to explain how natural selection worked.

Cultural Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Studies - Essay Example Moreover, representation of a particular culture is also a point which has triggered much controversy among the intellectuals. In this context culture entails subjective disposition of an individual or an ethnic group from an external frame of reference. Cultural theorist Stuart Hall laid the foundation of cultural discourses in modern times. Throughout his illustrious career, Hall researched extensively on a number of socio-humanitarian issues, including representation, subjectivity and identity. This essay is going to answer four questions that are central to Stuart Hall’s cultural theories. 1. ‘Culture is itself a signifying practice and has its own determinate product: meaning’ (Hall). Discuss this understanding of culture and relate it to other ways of conceptualizing culture referred to throughout the course. Stuart Hall was the first theorist to hint at the correlation between etymological significance of discourse and culture. His steadfast denial of a pervasive ‘cultural superstructure’ (During 97) brought about a revolutionary change in the social science of language and its meaning. Hall terms language as ‘the medium for the production of meaning’ (Hall 30), which underscores the linguistic concept of the paradigmatic shift from the signifier to the signified. In other words, we need to keep aside the superficial meaning of language to gain a profound understanding of what lies within. As regards perceiving a particular culture in its entirety, it is not as important to consider the outward manifestations of the same as it is to understand the subliminal threads that bind it in a structural accord. Hall himself stresses on dissociation of meaning even within a specific cultural discourse as he endorses arrangement or order of things (30). What he simply con ceives is that nothing has a static meaning per se (Hall and Open University 19). Meaning is itself an

Legal Perspective on Euthanasia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Legal Perspective on Euthanasia - Term Paper Example Nevertheless, even the issue of going through legal proceedings becomes contentious in several instances because some individuals think that the ‘right to die’ must be decided personally (Devettere 70). Even though individuals with these thoughts may seek advice from medical professionals or spiritual counselor, the concept of a legal resolution is detested because the act of placing the decision on another person meddles with a person’s rights to liberty and freewill. Numerous legal cases concerning euthanasia use the U.S. Constitution to support their judgments. They refer to privacy and liberty rights, protected by the Constitution, as the basis for a person’s right to decide how and when death should take place. Numerous individuals and groups supporting euthanasia claim that the reasonable step to take in the future is to constitutionally guarantee the ‘right to die’ (Keown 89). Even though legal decisions that support euthanasia somehow s et precedents which advocates can eventually use in future cases, making euthanasia legal would offer stronger protection under the constitution. Critics of euthanasia, in contrast, assert that euthanasia must not be legalized. This essay critically analyzes the legal perspective on euthanasia. Euthanasia: An Overview When patients and their loved ones see misery and intolerable pain, disagreement usually occurs between patients and their families, who want to put an end to misery, and medical practitioners, who are instructed to save human lives. This disagreement focuses on the notion of euthanasia and its value in the contemporary period. The issue of euthanasia forces an individual to face the greatest fear of human beings—death. The legal system has confronted it and has made progress in establishing certain rules to help decision makers in this issue; unfortunately, there is still a long way to go. Society should be safeguarded from the undesirable possibilities related to allowing the taking out of life-support mechanisms. Society cannot permit the complicated matters related to this issue to be underestimated to the point where it is simply recognized that life can be subjectively or instinctively terminated. The law should make sure that the patient’s constitutional rights are protected, while preserving society’s concern for life, and strengthening the integrity of health care professionals. During a medical emergency, it is impractical to instruct a health care provider to first check the patient’s clinical record for prior instructions before addressing the patient’s urgent needs (Pozgar 124). Ultimately, the limits of patient’s rights are still quite vague. Over time, euthanasia has become a subject matter with opposing moral, medical, and legal repercussions. Today, there are passionate campaigns supporting dignified death, which prohibits tubes, monitors, machines, and other technical equipment (Biggs 15 ). Even the definition of ‘euthanasia’ has evolved over time. Euthanasia is generally defined as â€Å"the mercy killing of the hopelessly ill, injured, or incapacitated† (Pozgar 124). In the 1870s, literature on euthanasia started to surface, mostly in the United States and England. Even though this literature was written, primarily, by ordinary people, medical professionals and the public started to pay attention to the issues posed by euthanasia (Biggs 25). During that time, euthanasia is viewed as