Useful Guidance for Studying Aboard

Useful Guidance for Studying Aboard

Introduction

One is usually delighted with the fact that you are going to be studying abroad, away from home. Having moved from my home country to California for a period of four years, I had the experience of all the processes and preparations involved in this venture. It is good to note that studying abroad is not just like any other usual visit, but it entails living in a place far away from home for as long as the course takes. Without much preparation, this can turn to be an expedition full of stress. This is the reason as to why you should make adequate preparations before leaving. Going abroad definitely means a change of country, culture, food, traditions, language and so more.

1.      Preparations before departure

   There are various aspects of preparations before you leave for your study abroad. First, there is need to establish the reputation of the institution where you are going to study. This is important because there will be no refund once you have paid in the institution. You should make sure that you are fully enfranchised with most information about the institution and that you have made the correct choice of institution to study in. try to find out information about whether there is support given by the government or any available insurance for the foreign students.

Be sure to be aware of your accommodation arrangements and the place for your stay in the destination country. Prior preparation for a place to stay will work out better for you instead of waiting until when you arrive for your studies. Many countries do have a reserved place for international students to stay in on arrival though it may not be suitable for you. This is always aimed at making sure that the international students adapt to the destination environment before finally moving out on their own. Going there before studies commence and settling down in a place to live will help you adapt fast and easily.

Communication is a vital aspect of living in a foreign country. There is therefore need to find out the language that is used in the country where you are going to be studying in for instance, if English is your second language yet it is the language of use in the destination country, you will have to make plans to start learning the language slowly. Knowing the basics of the language will give you an advantage like being able to make friends faster and adapting to life in the destination country.

Mental preparation is the basic necessity of studying abroad. Leaving ones country for a foreign land needs you to be well prepared to handle the challenges that will come with it. This is even because you will be leaving your friends that you were used to for another foreign place where you will not know anybody. This calls for the strength of the mind and preparation.

Ultimately, the main aim of travelling abroad is to study. This focus should not be lost. You need to be actively involved in the various aspects of life in the university. You can do this through being academically aggressive and finding out about other additional courses that you can do. Find more about the events and competitions in the institution to ensure that you get to register in those that interest you because some of them may be having deadlines for applications which may be due before you get to the institution.

2.      Adaptation to the life style in the new environment.

Adapting to the lifestyle in a new environment is usually a challenge to most people, especially when you are in an environment where you do not know anyone. This is the scenario you will find yourself in once you land in the destination country that you are going to study in. there are however various ways and steps that you can take to help you adapt easily to life abroad and to carry out your study with less strains and stress.

  

You need to take your time and get accustomed with your new environment. Now that you have arrived in a foreign country and have already registered at your institution of your choice, you will have to learn a lot about your new environment and the responsibilities that lie ahead of you. It is advisable to move in to where you will be living days before you commence your studies. This will accord you enough time to know your environment, neighborhood and to know the general organization of where you will be staying before you start your studies.

It will be important to realize that at first everything around you will seem to be interesting since you have just moved in. however, you must be alive to the fact that this is set to change with time as you will be getting used to the place. Where you once called abroad will now change to be your actual home. The excitement will soon fade away and you will have to cope with the usual scenes that surround you. You will be feeling lonely and secluded for the first few weeks or even months. Do not try to live in denial but be speaking out about how you feel to other people that you feel are friendly to you. Handling emotions in a foreign country is the main solution of enjoying one’s stay in a land far away from home. In the institution, ensure that you make as many friends as possible to make you have a sense of belonging and not to be bored all the times.

Do not stop connecting with your family members and friends back in your home country. Always make some effort to find time to talk to those you endear and who you left behind at home. In doing so, you will reconnect with those back at home and you will be sharing with them your new experiences and livelihood in the foreign land. This will help ease the pressure of solitude as through telling them about your new home, you will get to be used to the environment and you will not be feeling like missing home all the times.

The best way to adapt in a new institution is getting in touch with those that are already there. Once you arrive in the institution and foreign country, make a point of meeting as much people as you can. Staying in the house or room will not make you any comfortable. You need to be going out regularly and meeting people so as to share your experiences and learn more about them. You need to learn to work with the culture and not to stand against it. Observation will help you a great deal to you as you will get to know how to respond to certain situations following the manner in which other natives respond to the situations. Always ask the local residents in cases when you do not know what to do, after all, you will be having a lot bunch of classmates around you. During your adaptation period, do not always rush into doing things or making decisions which you are not sure of.

3.      How to overcome homesickness

 Studying abroad needs preparation for homesickness. No matter how prepared and excited one is, feelings about missing home are bound to occur. It is important to note that for students who are studying abroad, feeling of being lonely, sad and bored are not unusual. However, you should make an effort of dealing with these feelings of homesickness before they get a toll on you and distract you from your main aim of studying in your new institution. 

  

You must be prepared for homesickness. This is the only way through which you can handle home sickness well. In getting prepared, you need to carry with you some of that will be reminding you about home. You can have some pictures of your home, family members and friends. Having some of the favorite music CDs that you like listening to will be healthy. You can also carry with you a favorite magazine. All these will help you have a close feeling of being home.

Building a network of friends and colleagues is important. While studying abroad is vital, the friends and colleagues will help in combating the feeling of being lonely. When you spend some time with your friends and colleagues, you will have a feeling of belonging and this will reduce the desire for your home. While abroad, always immerse yourself in the main activity that took you there, that is studying. However, there are a lot of additional activities that you can participate in outside the class work. Engaging in a lot of activities will keep you busy and take away the feeling of loneliness and homesickness. To do this, you can look for some part time job or internship to cover up for the free time that you will be having off your class work.

Sharing with others about personal feelings is an important step of dealing with homesickness. You should build friendship with the students who are studying abroad and who you have same feelings about leaving your home countries. You can always share how you feel and therefore feel better. In other circumstances, visiting a counselor can do a great help in dealing with home sickness. At your study institution, look out for the counseling services offered so that you can be guided on how to manage and handle homesickness.

Always stay in contact with your parents, family members and friends back at home. Staying connected to those you treasure and love will give you a sense of belonging. You can be sending them mails and photos online just to feel valued with those you left back at home. In that same sense, always feel and think positively about all the experiences that you encounter. You need to be appreciating the role of all the challenges as helping you to grow even stronger. Making a list of the exciting things that you have encountered in your stay in the foreign land can help you handle homesickness. Whenever you feel like you are missing home, looking at the list will give you a reason to be happy with your new dwelling place.

Do not be all by yourself. Find other interests that are non academic or academic that will help you bond with people. You can go out to movies, join a sports team, attend night schools, and attend parties and orchestras in the country. The more you become occupied and busy, the lesser you will think of home. Go out and find people who share a lot of common things with you. As much as you should be relating to the locals, find foreigners and be close to the so as to learn from them how they managed to handle cultural shock. Ensure that you do not visit home in the first five months or so of your stay to avoid breaking the adaptation that you were yet to fully achieve.

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Aristotle’s concept of the right

Aristotle’s concept of the right

Introduction

Moral reasoning is philosophical aspect that includes the determination of the difference between wrong and right. This is done on the basis of logic. Moral reasoning plays a vital role in the daily today lives of human beings as people are always in constant decision making processes of what is right and what is wrong. There are dilemmas that people face daily with whether they are to say the truth or to lie on certain situations. The consequences of actions are usually weighed against the morality. Moral behavior has four major components. This includes the moral sensitivity that includes the ability of humans to discern ethical dilemmas. Secondly, moral behavior deals with the ability to have a correct reasoning on what is supposed to be done in various circumstances. Moral action commitment and taking the responsibility of actions is yet an aspect of moral behavior. Lastly, moral character forms the fourth aspect. Several philosophers have exploited aspects of moral reasoning. Among them is Aristotle who greatly exploited the concept of the right.

Aristotle’s concept of the right

One may wonder what ‘right’ means or what is meant by actions being right. According to Aristotle, an action is considered to be right if the action is done in a way that it corresponds to virtues that are moral. He further emphasizes the fact that there is need for the agent who does an action to be in the right mind alongside maintaining a certain standard. Aristotle explores the case of excellence and that of arts as two different things. According to him, arts produce products that are good and bear goodness in themselves hence bearing certain characters. In the event that the actions are in line with excellences and bear specific characters then there is no guarantee that the actions are done in a temperately or justly. The condition of the agent who does the actions needs to be definite and the agent must make a choice not for the sake of anyone else but for their own sakes. The actions taken by the agents have to be based on a character that is firm and one that is unchangeable.

In his argument, Aristotle moves further to acknowledge the fact that knowledge is vital in the taking of actions while steadfast and choice are important in the reactions of affections and passion in the lives of human beings. He further emphasizes on the virtue feature especially when he argues on the fact that the proximategenus of virtue is a dispositional state or a habit in which humans make responses in a habitual manner to various episodes and aspects of like hatred, love, joy,  envy, confidence, fear , anger, appetite, pity, emulation, longing among others. This includes the feelings that are generally accompanied by pain or pleasure. Choice forms the element that is central in the action that is virtuous. This further reinforces the fact that right is also considered to be good in its own capacity.

Aristotle in his philosophy believes the fact that humans tend to act in a virtuous way through choosing a mean between two different and extreme situations which have in them a correspondence of vices. Mean is further viewed as a notion that is quantitative with its applications being warranted basically by the sense that there is a possibility in both actions and passions to set a distinction between deficiency and excess. It is obvious that people know the difference that exists between being overconfident and being afraid excessively. This can be illustrated through one who is considered to be rash or foolhardy by charging an enemy at the hoplites’’ front line while one can be considered to be a coward when he opts to remain behind in a circumstance when there is an advancement of the phalanx. However, Aristotle does not reduce these judgments that are considered to be quantitative as to be reducible to arithmetical calculations that are strict. The first issue is the change of the circumstances in the problem. He also holds a view that there cannot be a possibility even with the right way, the right aim, the right people, the right objects and the right time. Moreover, there is a variance in the subjective conditions hence mean is determined by the constitution of an individual. This is further illustrated by the fact that a wrestler may consider an amount of food to be too little yet the same amount of food may be considered as being too much for an athlete who is just upcoming. In both cases, the trainers will have to find the mean of both the wrestler and the athlete. Aristotle’s aim is to make our thinking similar to that of a trainer and a gymnast combined into one individual.

Excellence

Excellence according to Aristotle is a state that is basically shaped by the choices that lay relative to humans in a mean. Logos or reason then greatly determines excellence and is the way through which men of wisdom establish themselves. The actions that are virtuous do demand that there be a habitual and regular preference to the mean just as it is dictated by reason. Aristotle further adds the fact that the right reason is important in this precision or other there should be logos that are a true one. To him, the moral choice that is right involves choosing logos that is right through a process of deliberation which in turn a right decision is made. A logos which is right is described as one which is objective and which relates to the conditions and circumstances that surround the agent.

Prudence is considered to have a vital role in the whole process of moral choice according to the conception by Aristotle. In the logical aspect, the human good is a is a conception that is prudent in the life of a human being. Aristotle observes that this aspect comprises several goods including the actualizations of the intellectual and moral capabilities of the human being. Man is aware of the fact that the basic good is a virtuous activity and which is vital in the contribution towards his own good. Man therefore chooses to pursue this as good. The agents are in a position to determine the difference notions in the moral values and are in position to establish the circumstances that present an opportunity of exercising a specific virtue. The agent is also aware of the fact that there is a requirement by the general virtues that a choice be made concerning a mean and there be a judgment on the components of the mean. This whole concept amounts to the right as viewed by Aristotle.

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Helicopter parents

Introduction

The term ‘helicopter parents’ is an interesting expression that was incepted in the year 1990. Jim Fay, a school and discipline professional consultant together with Foster Cline, a psychiatrist used it in one of their work concerning teaching the children responsibility. This term is basically used to allude to the parents who are overprotective, over concerned or over engaged with the lives of their children who are adults and are maybe in college. The helicopter parents are usually concerned with their children and assume the status of negotiators and do dominate the lives of their adult children through creating a path and offering them a prestigious life. These helicopter parents are usually engaged in the entire lives of their children. This goes as far directly participating in the job application process, and further negotiating the terms and conditions of the job by their children’s companies. These are the kind of parents that make follow ups to colleagues concerning their children’s grades and are very concerned about the private life of their children

The parenting debate

Helicopter parents offer a style of rearing children where the further or the mother becomes overprotective hence discouraging the child from being independent as the parents do get completely involved in the lives of their children. It is a kind of parenting where the parents swoop or avert any discomforts or challenges that may come in the way of their children. This type of parenting has elicited a lot of debate on its efficiency and influence to the life of the child, with some warming up to the idea while other warning about its dire consequences in the future lives of the children. There have been beliefs pervasively held concerning the treatment of the children by the parents to be a make or break issue and that eventually impacts on the general development of the child’s life. Various quarters have indicated that the behavior of the parents towards their children is instrumental. However, it has been noted that the treatment that the parents give to their children and the cooperation by the two parents as co-partners in raising the child in an environment is even more crucial. This is because through the treatment given to the child, the child is in a position to know how to handle relationships and the relationship overtly determines the way the child handles the challenges that face him or her at school or at work. (Higley, 2012)

There has been a backlash on the issue of over parenting. There are those who have a view that such parents who are the helicopter parents engage in everything, leaving the child with nothing to do or to learn on his or her own. For instance, these parents are the sole problem solvers for their children. As much as it is appreciated that the parents play a vital role in the lives of the children, there are those who think that over protecting the children amounts to more harm than good. That the children are ultimately left with no space of making their own choices and may never learn how to address the issues and challenges that come their way in their adult life. Helicopter parenting is further blamed for the common marriage problems that some people experience. For the men, it is believed that those who were taken through helicopter parenting would want to do the same in their families as they would have a feeling of insecurity to their wives and children. Children are not given the space and chance to be their own persons as they are treated like robots that are controlled and directed. This is said to be a poor way of parenting.

There has however been an argument in support for helicopter parenting. These quarters believe that the parents have a role of providing protection for their children against mistakes, disappointments and harm throughout their lives and as much as they can. Some have had a view that the overprotective nature of the parents is always as a result of the parents’ fear for the safety and development of their children, and that this adds up to self worth. The parents do impart values that if good, then the children will grow to be responsible in their later lives. The act of the parents attaching their own self worth to the children is often seen as a good attribute, especially if the parents are responsible and mean good for their children. As a result of helicopter parenting, the children learn and do not make a lot of mistakes. (Nelson, 2010)

Conclusion

Helicopter parenting has its basis on the fact that the parents do find it very difficult to let go of their children and are always in constant intervention in the lives of their children. This is often seen by some as a bad way of upbringing children as they do not have the time to make mistakes on their own and even to acknowledge their own mistakes and learn on their own. However, others view helicopter parenting as a positive way of raising children and that it is a sign of love and concern. These people think that this way of parenting makes the children to be caring in their family lives in future.

Work cited

Higley, D. Momaholic: Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Parent. NY: Thomas Nelson Inc, 2012

Nelson, M. Parenting Out of Control: Anxious Parents in Uncertain Times. New York: NYU Press. 2010

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Human Sexuality- Film Analysis on movie “Shame” (2011)- APA

Human Sexuality

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Film Analysis on movie “Shame” (2011)

Film Summary

The film “Shame” is a drama film that is British. Steve McQueen is the director of the film, with Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender being the starring in the movie. The film was co-produced by Sea-Saw Films and Film4 and was rated NC-17 in the United States of America due to the sexual addictions that eventually resulted as a result of the films explicitly sexual scenes. The film was opened on a limited release in America on 2^nd of December the year 2011.

Characters

In the film, Michael Fassbender stars as Brandon Sullivan. Brandon is a guy whose sexual proclivities seem to be insatiable and extreme. He is a man who is addicted to prostitution, has his computer filled with pornographic content and is always in masturbation blissfully. Sexual lust, masturbation and pornography have totally taken over Brandon’s life and he is isolated totally without any close friends. Brandon’s boss, David is a married man. James Badge is the guy who plays the role of David. David is found of hitting on the chicks like breathing in a second manner. “Shame” makes one understand why Brandon’s time is spent so much on sex. Brandon’s relationship with his sibling Sissy who is singer by aspiration creates another twist. Sissy is unreserved ant went to an extreme end of showing up at Brandon’s apartment without notice went to the shower and stepped out t greet Brandon on his arrival back.

Through covering few days of Brandon’s life, author MacQueen allows for the development of the relationship of the character hence deflating before the eyes of the viewers. Brandon’s date with Marianne, a coworker, creates a further connection as Fassbender seems to squirm a little. In fact, Brandon seems not to be too sure about the date or whether it is a plan for another sex, leaving the viewers in suspense.

Critical Analysis

The film ‘Shame’ is a movie that is very controversial. Consequently, the film has merit or value that must be given to it. However, the level of sexual abuse and trauma that is exhibited in the film cannot be ignored. This is especially based on adolescent sexual abuse and the effects that are caused by such actions to the lives of individuals. Brandon’s life is full of lack of intimacy as exhibited by the “I want your love” subtitles, forming the basis of the narrative and sound track. Addiction to drugs and sex is viral in the film. Throughout the film, there is no exhibition of the working of the diseases on Brandon’s life.

MacQueen in his movie uses copious nudity of both male and female to prove its braveness. However, this does not mean that the performance by Fassbender or Mulligan lacks the necessary focus.

The film ‘Shame’ focuses mainly on the life of man who is embattled with the acceptance of his addiction to sex. Brandon gets desperate every day as he tries to suppress his sexual urge. This urge of having sex takes over his life and controls him completely. The theme of sexuality is dominant in the film ‘Shame’. Brandon feels guilty and bad about his sexual actions and struggles to hide his sexual urges. This condition makes him struggle daily and he gets it very hard to be like the other people who are around him. Subsequently, the sexual situation he is in gets out of hand when his sister arrives. Sissy appears at his house and requests if they can stay together. At this juncture, there is the rise of tensions attached to sexual desires. Brandon eventually drowns in the sexual addiction and ultimate shame. He ends p affecting the lives of the people who greatly care for him. (Coconi, 2013)

Themes presented

Social alienation strongly presents itself in the film. Right from the start of the film, there is an outright alienation where Brandon seeks to be separated from the other people in the movie. He struggles very hard to distance himself from the rest of the people in the film. The distance in the film is further exhibited by the long, lingering shots and the soundtrack which basically show the level of social alienation. The audience is left to watch and judge the film and everything that is happening in the movie. This alienation is as a result of the addiction of Brandon. Sex addiction is generally frowned upon by various people of the society. Brandon has a constant feeling that he is different from other people in the film and that everything he does seems to be wrong. An instance of alienation is when Brandon sits in a room and then someone tells him, “I find you disgusting. I find you inconsolable. I find you invasive.” The zooming of the camera takes us to a meeting where Brandon is sited and the boss is speaking about a topic that seems irrelevant according to Brandon. Brandon seems to have a lot of fear on hearing the words at the meeting. The author, MacQueen, at one point becomes open and tells the audience of Brandon’s paranoid and shame and even indicates the fact that those around Brandon are likely to find about his own state of mind. (Cladwel, 2009)

Accuracy of the themes.

Sexual addiction is used to refer to the urge, thoughts and behaviors that are usually exhibited by an individual, driving him towards wanting sex or engaging in sexual activities. Scientists view sexual addiction as a sexual behavior that is compulsive. Sex addiction affects the social alienation of an individual. The ability of an individual to function normally is reduced. Medical experts, clinical sexologists, psychologists among other experts have indicated that sex addiction is a psychological and physiological addiction. This can greatly lead to destruction of an individual.  The film has masturbation, intercourse and nudity. The accuracy of the theme can be said to have been achieved. Basing on what Brandon feels the extent of sexual addiction’s effect is exhibited. Brandon’s relationship with his sister and other people close to him is difficult, a proof to the fact that sexual addiction is destructive.

Film Messages

The film uses a cold color wonderfully portraying the general mood in the story. The director aims to portray the feelings of Brandon in a manner that is very subtle. The style of shooting is that full of melancholy and beauty. The main point of the film is to bring out the effects of sexual addiction and social alienations to an individual. The purpose is to illustrate the extent to which addiction to sex and being socially alienated can cause more damage and shame.

Implicitly, the film portrays the extent to which sexual addiction can drive one, using Brandon as a case study. Explicitly, the idea of sexuality, masturbation and the urge for sex is exhibited. The messages in the film seem negative though there is some positivity. For instance, by Brandon masturbating to satisfy his sexual desires, there is a negative message sent to the audience.

The message in the film seems to be in contravention with the societal ethics and norms. The sex scenes have been too much. The themes and concept presented in the film are those of sexuality and sex.

References

Caldwel, (2009). Cinema Autopsy: Film reviews and discussion. Link: http://blog.cinemaautopsy.com/

 Coconi, A. Movie reviews: Shame (2011)Link: http://www.helium.com/items/2266350-movie-reviews-shame-2011?ref_=ttexrv_exrv_18316^thSeptember 2013

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Gun Control vs. Second Amendment(How does 2nd Amendment and right to bear arms relate to the stand your ground laws of a state like Florida?)

Gun Control vs. Second Amendment

1.      How does 2nd Amendment and right to bear arms relate to the stand your ground laws of a state like Florida?

The Second Amendment and right to bear arms

The Second Amendment refers to a change in the Constitution of the US constitution which was initiated in order to protect the people’s gun ownership rights, and to prevent against the infringement of bearing arms. This amendment was adopted 10 1791 December 15^th. This was alongside the Bill of Rights of the United States of America. The right to bear arms and the right to keep arms were the basis of the Second Amendment, and which was largely influenced by the 1689 English Bill of Rights that was described as an auxiliary right by Sir William Blackstone. This was seen as a right that was essential in acting in concurrence with the state defense, civic duty, the resistance of oppression and the larger support of self defense rights. Generally, the Second Amendment has had varied interpretations. (Doherty, 2008)

The National Rifle Association believes that the Amendment presents a guarantee of carrying and possession of various firearms by different individuals. However, those advocating for gun control insist that the Amendment is purposefully meant for guaranteeing the right to operation by the militias. The right to bear arm has been a subject of controversy in the United States of America over a long period of time. There are those who have held onto the fact that there is need for the gun control in order to control the high crime rates and to make America to be a safer place to live in. there are those who have however held onto the fact that the anti gun control measures would help secure the nation more. There have been arguments that no one would walk into a family’s house with an intention to cause harm if he knew that the family was in possession of an arm. The Second amendment has stressed on the fact that there shall not be an infringement to the rights of a person to be in possession of an arm. This has led to the argument that this Amendment makes everyone feel that owning an arm is right. (Massaro, 2008)

Relationship with ‘stand your ground’ laws.

The ‘stand your ground’ law is basically a law that allows people to defend themselves even if it means through the use of force. From the name, it means that a person can stand his or her ground instead of retreating to a safer place. If one has a belief that there is an impending danger, or that someone wants to harm or kill them, then the person is allowed to stand his or her ground through retaliation. It is a law that is more of a self defense law. The law accords individuals the permission of using force and avoids retreating when faced with an impending danger. It applies within certain sates in the United States of America like in Florida. This relates to the Second Amendment and gun control.  The ownership of arms by individual as spelt out in the Second Amendment has a bearing on the stand your ground law. This is because an individual who has a gun can easily be prompted to apply the stand on your ground law as he or she will feel more comfortable. This means that there shall be an increase in cases of gun killings in the name of defending one’s self. The Second Amendment indicates that one shall not be deprived of his or her right to own an arm. However, this will greatly cause insecurity if the stand your ground law is applied by that person having an arm. At times, the human judgment can fail. One can have a perception that he is under attack or in danger yet the actual fact is that it’s not the case. (Krouse, 2012)

2.      What influence do the NRA and lobbyist have on politics and gun laws in the United States?

The NRA is an organization that since its formation in 1827 has continued to posse’s power and influence over the politics and gun laws in the United States of America. NRA promotes the ownership of firearms, carries out self defense trainings, hunting trainings, marksmanship, firearm safety and police training. This contributes to the fact that the organization yields a lot of power in the United States. The NRA is also the biggest firearm certifying body and safety training in the country. Apart from certifying, the organization is also in charge of proficiency and safety trainings regarding firearms, the safety of child firearm and recreational hunting training.

According to Spitzer(2009), the influence of the NRA cannot be washed aside. This is due to the fact that firearm handling and policies are part of the fundamental issues addressed by the constitution of the United States of America. Moreover, firearms are associated with powerful individuals like politicians, prominent businessmen among other citizens. NRA has a strong connection and influence on the political activities in the USA. This is basically due to the fact that the ownership of firearms is enshrined under the constitution as a civil right. This was affected by the Second Amendment that was done to the Bill of Rights. The NRA has therefore had a long history of lobbying against or for certain legislations that have been proposed dealing with firearms. Eventually, the NRA refers to itself as the longest standing civil rights group. In Washington, the lawmakers and observers regard the NRA as an influential bobby group. In fact, it is regarded to be among the top three with its membership exceeding 5 million people.

The National Rifle Association has in many cases made its position clear on issues touching on gun policies. For instance, in the gun debate in America, the Association stood its grounds that the laws were already in the books and that all that needed to be done was to enforce the laws. The organization is well known for lobbying for the prevention of legislations preventing the limitations of using firearms and ownership.

Florida case study

The NRA has even had influence among the political circles, influencing the policies made at political levels regarding gun usage. Florida State is a case study of how powerful and influential the NRA is. The legislation that was passed concerning doctors was through the influence of the NRA. The doctors are forbidden from asking the patients they treat and examine as to whether they posses guns. This would lead to the doctors being jailed. On its side, the NRA has insisted that its main objective is to ensure that the taxpayers; money is not channeled into the promotion of certain political agenda, but the money is used for programs that will benefit the people of the United States of America. There have been concerns that the NRA has been overstepping its mandate and using its powers excessively, to the extent of hamstringing the lawmakers. This has been especially on the case of the pro gun NRA lobby team. NRA has been on the spotlight over gun laws and other political policies. The influence of the organization cannot be overlooked by those having interest in politics as their lobbying is usually very intense and influential on the decisions taken by a majority of the civil servants in the Unites States of America. (Uviller& Merkel, 2002)

3.      How do you protect the nation’s right to bear arms and take guns away from criminals?

It is a tough balancing act between the protection of the nation’s rights with regards to bearing arms and taking the guns away from criminals who obviously have harmful intentions with the guns. The government of the United States of America, various lobbying groups and organizations and the NRA has been trying to combat criminals with firearms. This challenge can however be addressed through a comprehensive and well crafted gun policy. For instance, the relevant authorities should be tight on licensing all the firearms in the country and ensure that there is a catalogue of all the individuals with firearms. This will make it easier to track the criminals who have firearms. Moreover, security should be beefed up to make the people of America more secure and shun the need for having firearms. (Carter, 2006)

References

 Carter, G. (2006). Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook. California: ABC-CLIO.

Doherty, B. (2008). Gun Control on Trial: Inside the Supreme Court Battle Over the Second Amendment. NY: Cato Institute.

Krouse, W. (2012). Gun Control Legislation. New York: DIANE Publishing.

Massaro, J. (2008). No Guarantee Of A Gun: How and Why the Second Amendment Means Exactly What It Says.Bloomington: AuthorHouse.

Spitzer, R (2009). Gun Control: A Documentary and Reference Guide. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.

 Uviller, R. & Merkel, W. (2002). The Militia and the Right to Arms, or, How the Second Amendment Fell Silent the Militia and the Right to Arms, or, How the Second Amendment Fell Silent. Duke University Press. 

 

 

 

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Reform in education locally and globally

Emerging possibilities and ongoing reform in education locally and globally

Executive summary

Reform in education is a process that is usually political engineered toward the improvement of the education standards and contents especially in public schools. These improvements that are done on education ultimately have an impact on the health, wealth, social returns and the well being of a people. Reform in education has taken different forms in the history of educational reform. This is majorly because there have been various motivations that have driven the reformers of education. Some of the reasons cited for reform in education include the need of having an affordable education to the society and the students. For instance, there were reforms in the 1800s with a major aim of cutting on the cost of education. The classical education was quite expensive as it was undertaken with personal tutors who were expensive and did that full time. This form of education could then be accessed by the wealthy people only. In attempts to lower the cost of the classical education by then, there was emergence of grammar schools, public libraries and encyclopedias as innovative ways of lowering the cost of accessing education. (Horn, 2002)

There have been related reforms which have since sought to further examine the classical education by seeking to answer more questions as to what the content should be and the reason of having the system. There was then an introspective that is abstract that answers the questions by bringing out compressed facts that are few out of the abstract. Reform in education has also been incorporated with social and humanistic goals as in the case of Maria Montessori’s view. Reform in education has taken many dimensions from the history and current world. This is as a result of changes in the education methods and the meaning attributed to education. The debates have been varying in terms of the contents and modes of education. (Berry, 2011)

Introduction

Chapman (2009) sees ‘reform’ in itself as having its complexities. It refers to the policy changes, changes in organization or in practice. This is the noun perspective. To reform also means to attempt to enact or to correct certain problems. In education, reform basically aims at being an aspiration to the realization of a systematic, deep and achieving a reconstruction to the public schools and education. In the American history, reform in education has been aimed at enacting the conceived visions for the good of the education system. This was exhibited in the formation of the common schools as a result of Dewey’s advocacy for the achievement of social reform. Other remarkable instance of reforms in America was the enacting of the No Child Left Behind advocacy among others that have sought to bring equality and quality in the education system in America. (Earnest, 2006))

Education reform in America

The various American reform movements in the public education were majorly mooted by crisis declarations alongside rhetoric urgencies that are intolerable. This was further fuelled by the inspirations, hope and visions of the American educationalists and reformers. The reforms in the country have taken three major dimensions namely Holism, Progressivism and Essentialism. These reforms in the American education have been characterized by controversies over the practice, policies and the principles of education in the American public schools.

Holism approach on reform in education

The holism approach on reform in education is based on the indigenous ecological philosophies and beliefs specifically from Transcendentalism, Taoism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Education is seen as having its primary purpose as encouraging integration and development of the human spirit, heart and body vis-à-vis promoting environmental and social communion. Holists believe that it is essentially rational for one to have knowledge that is contextually enduring, compassionate and of mutual benefit. In this perspective, reform in schools is designed to encourage the relationships that support and promote learning that is interpersonal that developed a connection between individuals and the community at large. Further, the reform in education is designed to achieve transpersonal learning that aims at achieving a connection between the environmental and social forces, the values that are spiritual and the entities that are non human in the learners.

 This reform in education basically aims at transforming individuals to be connected to the non human nature and the humanity as a whole thereby developing in the social aspects of life. Education in this perspective is not only about academic content but about the sociality of the people. These reforms are further prompted by the need to have transformation at personal levels so as to be in harmony with the biophysical and social environments. Education is therefore made as an instrument of integrating and developing the dimensions of spirituality alongside the emotional moral and intellectual aspects of the learning process in schools and life. Holists view spirituality as the moments of inspirations that are always complex and elusive to understand but do become clear through education. This is only deemed possible through an integration of emotion, insight, mystery and sensation. The Holists view education as a more interdisciplinary and front for reform in education in that perspective. The view is that education should present a relationship of interdependence between the methods used in enquiry and the fields. This reform aimed at creating a situation of synthesized perceptions in education that include cognitive, kinesthetic and emotional aspects of learning. (Levin, 2011)

The reform also was in support of explanatory learning where the students are free to enquire and question the coverage of the content. Education was also to incorporate the sustainability in the environment through creation of an environmental understanding of the economic and social consequences brought about by consumption. Public education was also seen as an important aspect in education. This included the development of the spiritual aspects of humans incorporating non materialism, aesthetics and the intuition in learners.

Progressivism reform in education

This educational reform pursues the access to personal fulfillment that is universal without losing site of promoting social justice and civil rights. Education is crafted to be an agent of social change that is crucial in the promotion of economic, political and social equity in the society. This education reform perspective largely draws its philosophy from various perceptions including Pragmatism, Humanism, Social Reconstructionism and Romanticism. The reforms aims at presenting education as a journey through which an individual walks as an individual but its destination is a broad ended social responsibility and self identity. The knowledge acquired from the educational system is not only aimed at being intellectualized, but also includes the various dimensions of learning that are emotional based and education is seen as a political endeavor that is explicit. (St. John, 2006)

This reform perspective in education aims at shifting the public schooling from being a place of the preparation of the brightest and the best students to effectively compete economically and academically, to another higher level of being an empowering factor to the educationally and socially disadvantaged in order to improve their lives’ quality. Education should thereby be a source of knowledge which in turn is a form of power to the learners. In this aspect, reform in education majorly aims at elevating education as an academic gratification element to an element of strengthening the learners’ skills in social advocacy and self efficiency.

The progressive reform in education aims at offering a system that guides learners through experiences that are carefully designed so as to help in the ultimate build up of knowledge through a cooperative and pedagogy which is constructive in the learning process. This perception aims at reforming education to be relevant in the provision of knowledge that can be relevantly utilized in specific social contexts by specific persons. The ambiguity of knowledge in the assumption that all circumstances and people are the same is not encouraged in progressive reform in the education sector. Education is reformed to accommodate the community aspects and to extend to the community life other than just academic work. This system aims at creating awareness in the communities towards the achievement of equal access to social and economic privileges in the society. (Towers, 2007)

Currently, the progressive educational reform advocated for an equal distribution in school financing. This is based in increasing the funding that comes from the federal and state government and a decrease of tax dependence on property. The reform further aims at decentralization in education through power sharing of management in charter schools. Issues of gender fairness, bilingual, multicultural and anti bias curriculum are key on the reforms. There is a deliberate move to achieve a more compact and strengthened ties that exist between the communities and schools to enhance increased community and service learning partnerships. Social activism and teaching of deliberation skills are among the reforms that are aimed at creating curriculum that is based on discussion, contemporary issues, and engagement in civic issues and to achieve authentic democracies in the governance of the schools.

Essentialism reform in education

Essentialists’ view of reform in education is basically informed on providing equal access to common literacy to all the citizens. Education in this reform is comprised of a core of skills, values and knowledge whose applicability cuts across all cultures and time. These reform proponents borrow heavily from the philosophies of Realists and Idealists in which learning is supposed to be an agent of individual excellence. (Zadja, 2010)

Education is supposed to help the learners to accumulate knowledge that will eventually help them in developing cognitive skills that are necessary for moral, intellectual, social and economically empowered lives hence leading to productivity in life. The achievement of positions in the competitive hierarchies is maintained through a process of rewarding and acknowledging the learner’s progress. As Ladd (1996) observes, this reform aims at leading the learners to a path that is clearly defined through modeling, articulating and ensuring that the learners are held accountable to the various standards that are universally held. This is only achieved through the teachers and schools as the main agents of bringing this transformation. Teachers are further elevated to the stature of authoritative, skillful and respected agents of guiding the learners to understand the highest thoughts of humanity.

Current reforms in education

Currently, the objectives of reform in education in public schools are based on achieving high educational standards that are nationally accepted. This reform is aimed at improving the performance of the public school. The current reforms in education seek to prepare the teacher for the task and to propel student achievement in the education system. Most of the reforms are based on the national curriculum content which emphasized more on the advancement of placement, scientific research and reasoning and ultimately imparting cultural literacy among the learners. There is a deliberate attempt to strengthen the accountability of the schools, students and districts for the purpose of improving the academic performance in schools and learners in general. The reforms are further geared towards expanding the various choices of schools by the learners by tendering an open enrollment system, the increasing of charter schools and the exploration of home based schooling. This is to open up the accessibility of education and to make knowledge acquisition flexible. (Ball, 1994)

The ongoing reforms in education are driven by the need to have effective connections that exist between the national and international economic goals and the national education goals. This is in an attempt to align the education system with the current job specifications and requirements to enhance job readiness and to impart consumer education to the learners in schools. The achievement of character development is a key aspect in the reform in education as the reformists aim to emphasize the need and importance of patriotism, the significance of role modeling and ultimately developing social values in the society.

Teaching and learning in the 21st century

Education has really evolved and advanced over the years. The twenty first century is characterized by a change in the teaching and learning process. There has been incorporation of digitalism, collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking aspects in the education system. This is basically the situation as demanded for by the change in today’s world which unlike the past centuries, has advanced in all the sectors. Long (2010) states that the learning ways in the twenty first century have however been characterized by a lot of criticism and controversies. The teaching and learning process in the twenty first century is characterized by an inquiry and collaboration into the environment of learning. Teachers have to create personal learning networks with a number of other educators in the learning environment through the utilization of the vast amount of knowledge that is available. The teaching and learning process is basically based on skills acquisition with an aim of fitting into the competitive world.

References

Ball, S. J. (1994). Education reform: a critical and post-structural approach. UK: Open University Press.

Berry, R. (2011). Assessment Reform in Education. New York: Springer.

Chapman, C. (2009). Radical Reforms: Perspectives on an Era of Educational Change. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Earnest. J. (2006). Education Reform in Societies in Transition:  International Perspectives. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Horn, R. A. (2002). Understanding Educational Reform: A Reference Handbook. California: ABC-CLIO.

Ladd, H. F. (1996). Holding Schools Accountable: Performance-Based Reform in Education. Washington D. C: Brookings Institution Press.

Levin, B. (2011). Reforming Education: From Origins to Outcomes. New York: Routledge

Long, W. R. (2010). It's All the Basics: Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century. London: CreateSpace.

St. John, E. P. (2006). Education and the Public Interest: School Reform, Public Finance, and Access to Higher Education. New York: Springer

Towers, J.  (2007). Twenty "No-Brainers" for Reforming Education in America. New York: Mill City Press, Incorporated.

Zajda, J. (2010). Globalization, Ideology and Education Policy Reforms. New York: Springer.

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