Tikanga Maori Essay Example

Tikanga Maori Paper (Tikanga Whakaaro, Barlow, C 1996) In all these examples, the word kaupapa is used to describe the type of work or functions to be carried out. Similarly, in the context of government departments, the word kaupapa applies to the setting of policy, for example: Social welfare policy: the policy contains the rules and guidelines, relating to the operations of the department. Maori school policy: this relates to the guidelines, rules, and conditions for setting up independent Maori schools at the primary level. Iwi transition authority policy: since 1989 Maori tribes and government officials have been engaged in a process of determining policy for iwi authorities which following the devolution of the Maori Affairs Department. The word kaupapa can be associated with almost any organization with reference to its policy and practices, particularly in relation to administration. (Tikanga Whakaaro, Barlow,C 1996) Te Toi Whakairo is the art of Maori carving, and Tohunga Whakairo was the great carvers the master craftsmen. A master carver was highly considered. We will write a custom essay sample on Tikanga Maori specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tikanga Maori specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tikanga Maori specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Maori believed that the gods created and communicated through the master carvers. Today, carving is an important Tikanga for Maori. Tapu and noa remain part of Maori culture today. Tapu goes to the heart of Maori religious thought and even though a majority of Maori are members of some Christian church or sect the notion of tapu holds. It is not really a matter of choosing one religion over another. Rather it has to do with integrating different philosophies and making an attempt at reconciling apparent contradictions. tapu is everywhere in our world. It is present in people, in places, in buildings, in things, word, and in all tikanga. tapu is inseparable from mana, from our identity as Maori and from our cultural practices. Maori respect tapu of places and buildings such as the ancestral meeting house. They also respect the tapu of persons including their own. These are ideals and values that Maori believe in but it has to be admitted that many of them no longer know about these values and often do not know what to do. However, tapu remains an important part of Maori actions and of their beliefs. Maori should not step over a sleeping person the reason has to do with the tapu of the person; one should not pass anything over the head of another, the head being the most tapu part of a person. A building is opened at dawn because it is tapu until the moment the builders, carvers and decorators are released from the tapu of creative work and the building is cleared ready for public use. The whole of the tangihanga ceremony cannot be explained unless the notion of tapu is clearly understood. tapu itself was the most powerful, the most important, and the most far reaching into Maori life. (http://www. history-nz. org) Noa is often paired with tapu indicting that often noa refers to restoring a balance. A high level of tapu is regarded as dangerous. Here the role of tikanga and of tohunga is reducing the level of endogenous tapu until it is noa or safe. It is not useful to think of noa as being the opposite of tapu or as absence of tapu. This is plainly not the case. For example a person can be very tapu if one is very ill of there is bleeding and shedding of blood. Once these tapu-increasing symptoms have passed the person returns to a safe state, but still has personal tapu . the state of noa indicates that a balance has been reached, a crisis is over, health is restored and life is normal again. This means relationships are restored. This state coincides with a state of ea and noa. This state might last for several weeks until upset by some unexpected event. (http://www. history-nz. org) Tapu and noa remain part of Maori culture today, although persons today are not subject to the same tapu as that of previous times. A new house today, for example, may have a noa ceremony to remove the tapu, in order to make the home safe before the family moves in. Nowadays, tapu absolutely are still in evidence concerning sickness, death, and burial. Tapu is evident in the Marae and in the Whare as well. The original reasons for some tapu are unclear today, but other reasons for tapu included the conservation of natural environment. This was seen to benefit the community as a whole. (http://www. history-nz. org) In conclusion, this report shows the values, beliefs and ethics that underpin traditional Maori society and make relevance of literature about kaupapa Maori and tikanga Maori, analysis relevant philosophical and culture term of traditional Maori society and culture. Bibliography http://www. history-nz. org New Zealand in History http://tikanga. maori. org. nz The world wide web of Maori Organizations of New Zealand http://tikanga. maori. org. nz/ The main Maori Site on the Net. Barlow,C(1996)Tikanga Whakaaro: Key concepts in Maori Culture, Oxford University Press, Auckland.

Marijuana- Yes or No essays

Marijuana- Yes or No essays Should the Nation Try to Smoke the Pain Away? Marijuana (a.k.a. pot, weed, Mary Jane, bud, ganja, grass, smoke, dank, green) Marijuana has many bad effects on the body. Although a user cannot become physically addicted to marijuana, he/she may become psychologically dependent on the drug. Also, a person driving under the influence of marijuana is a danger to themselves and others. Mental breakdown can also occur if weed is smoked like mad. Marijuana is also known as a gateway drug. It often leads to use of more dangerous drugs. Many people often abuse this drug. If marijuana were legalized, many people would take advantage of this, and use it excessively. Marijuana is a "gateway" drug. Even if legal, it would lead to the use of more dangerous drugs. When arrested for possession of marijuana, the possessor gets put into rehabilitation centers, which use our tax money! There are supposed legitimate reasons that marijuana should be legalized. One of these is lawful medical use of the drug. It is said that it can help cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma patients. However, no other drug prescribed is smoked. New findings show that marijuana is somewhat harmful to AIDS and cancer patients because the active ingredient in marijuana slightly reduces the bodies white blood cells which fight off infections. After many years of research of marijuana, there has been no hard proof that it can be used as a medicine. No scientific proof has been found! The Federal Government tries to stop the use of marijuana. Government agencies spend millions of dollars every year to try and get rid of marijuana. The amount of money they spend is increasing, however the use of marijuana is also. Their goal was to inflate prices so less people would purchase the drug, but the opposite has been happening. Although, fair cases can be fought that marijuana has a reason to be legal, it should stay illegal. Because of t ...

The Ethics of What We Eat Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ethics of What We Eat - Assignment Example Obesity is caused by a died full of carbohydrates and salt laden junk food, high fat and processed meats like hot dogs and bacon and sweetened sodas full of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Obesity brings about other chronic diseases such as stroke, type II diabetes and heart diseases. These epidemics have been on the rise and all of them are as a result of what we eat. The industrial manufactured products have also contributed to a decline in nutrients in food. The modern crops are grown for high yield, fast growth and ease of transport. These crops are often lower in nutrients which are important components of our diets than the conventionally grown crops. The modern crops have shown decrease in protein, potassium, iron, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, calcium, selenium, zinc among other essential macro and micro nutrients. Macro nutrients are consumed in large quantities for the body to function. They include fiber, protein, water, carbohydrates and fats (Clay 2004, 39). Micro nutrient s include vitamins, organic acids and minerals that our bodies require to function properly. Animal nutrients have also risen with the increased industrial farming. Higher yields in milk correspond to lower concentrations of fats, protein and other milk components. The low nutrients values have resulted in increased disease associated with nutrients intake and it has also resulted in the large intakes of supplement nutrients. The supplements are also very expensive which disadvantage those that cannot afford them. This shows that we are what we eat. In industrial agricultural production, the antibiotics that are used to treat animals are the same antibiotics that treat humans. Large quantities of antibiotics are administered to animals in order to promote growth and compensate for the crowded unhygienic conditions in the farms .The high use of antibiotics leads to development of antibiotic resistant bacteria which is found in soil, water and air around the industrial farms and also in the food products of the farms. This has lead to antibiotic resistant diseases. Antibiotic resistance is the process whereby bacteria resist treatment using speficic antibiotics (Singer & Mason, 2007, 61). Resistant bacterial infections are common and can be extremely dangerous. This shows us that with the increase in industrial produced products, there is a huge risk in getting resistant bacterial infections hence we are what we eat. In industrial farming, pesticides are extensively used to control pests especially in the production of vegetables, fruits and grains (Clay 2004, 41). Although it is a health concern for the products, pesticides are known to cause health problems which include cancer, neurologic and psychological problems among others in adults. In children pesticides has been found to cause damage to organs, delayed development, disruptions to the reproductive systems and cancer. Children are prone to the effects of pesticides because of their lower body mass and a re also the great consumers of the affected products. Cancer has been in the rise in the recent years due to the increase in use of pesticides this shows that we are what we eat. Industrial agriculture is increasingly using genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are created by introducing specific genes into different plant or animal, the genes can be created or from an existing organisms. The GMOs are important because they address problems that come along

General Electric's Allocation of Costs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

General Electric's Allocation of Costs - Essay Example General Electric and Cost Allocations At General Electric’s managers are very much concerned about the allocation of costs as these allocations are required for the proper delegation of resources and cost to the respective department. Manager at GE realize that the cost allocation to different divisions, plants, departments, contracts and/ or products will result in increased motivation for the organization, it will also justify costs of various expenditures as these would than be used by the auditors to audit and overlook all the managerial activities so that there are no issues arising at General Electric. Also, in order to justify cost plus pricing, General electric is involved in cost allocations and in strengthening the cost of the procedure. They are also involved in decision making with regards to joint costs, re allocation of costs from one department to another department as need arises. GE makes sure that the allocated costs are fair, workable, and rational and accor ding to the needs of what is required by all the departments. Allocating costs for the handling and managing of different activities have to be simplified in various ways, this simplification will ensure that the targets for the companies are achieved and that the targets achieved should give maximum profitability for the company. The products of General electrics include lights, bulbs etc all go through manufacturing process to the finished stage where it has to be marketed and sold in the market. So it is important that the manufacturing sector gets the required budget for the manufacturing through their raw materials, the proper supply chain processes and than the marketing should also get all the required budgets to handle proper marketing and selling for the company. The budget that is circulated in the company, managers can't surpass that and hence this is the only way through which employees can manage the way they negotiate in their dealings to conduct more cheaper and inexp ensive work. Departmental budgets and costs are a good way to keep the company and all department effective and informed about how they get their departments to work on these lines and hence they adapt themselves to work in a culture which motivates all the employees, justifies all the costs that are accrued and also it justifies the way they make their expenditures. All the departments' accrues costs, but the heaviest department is marketing, as all the marketing activities are very expensive and they are conducted on a large scale. The activities that are conducted on a large scale employs that bigger expenses would be done to meet the expectations of their competitors. Like if GE wants to make any advertisement, it will accrue cost, if they want to get some marketing done through sponsorships and other such related stuff than it is also expensive. So it's important to track all the activities and to see it's impact on sales. If sales are not improving than there's no point of all these heavy ativties and hence it is important to do all but keeping in track of the sales situation. As with inflation the cost of doing business is also increasing. The raw materials are expensive, the duty on these raw materials is also expensive and the way to procure them has also become very expensive. So at every stage proper analysis has to be done and controlled budgets have to be allocated with all the departments to keep a proper check and balance on these situations for

HR Competencies - Part II Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR Competencies - Part II - Assignment Example With this experience of mine, I confident that any organization that chooses to develop competencies through leading change for employees will be better placed to also gain the second competence of knowledge acquisition of the business. But whiles doing this, an addition insight I would like to add is that it will be very important that leaders will do so with the use of democratic leadership style which allows the employees to learn directly from the leaders rather than leaving everything out to the employees (Ulrich, 2009). I would rightly agree with you on the point that competencies help in adding to an HR professional’s ability to be a strategic partner. This is because quote (year) stressed that when employees develop competencies, they are put in a better position to contribute effectively to the larger organization. Such contribution takes place as there are modalities such as cross-functional teams and shared responsibility used in the organization. By implication, as soon as the HR professional with competencies begin to contribute effectively to the larger organization as a means of helping it achieve its goals, it can be said that the HR professional has become a strategic partner. This is because instead of being useful to a single department within the organization, the employee becomes utilized for the larger organization. Having said this, I will advise that HR managers must put in efforts that ensure that there is an accommodating atmosphere for the employees to be strategic partn ers. One such means will be to use cross-functional teams and shared

mental disorder; DSM-IV

mental disorder; DSM-IV DSM-IV DSM-IV is a classification of mental disorders that was developed for use in clinical, educational, and research settings. What the DSM attempts to do is have specific criteria for specific disorders, but at the same time, not have the manual be used in a cookbook fashion. Meaning that the specific diagnostic criteria in the DSM are meant to serve as guidelines concurrently with clinical judgment. As we all know, each disorder included in the DSM has a set of diagnostic criteria that signify what symptoms must be present in order to meet the criteria for a diagnosis. Conversely, there are some disorders where there are symptoms that must not be present in order for an individual to be eligible for the diagnosis. A strong point of this particular set-up of the DSM manual makes finding the disorder and its diagnostic criteria easier because of its conciseness. The use of the DSM diagnostic criteria to diagnose has been shown to increase diagnostic reliability. As noted above, the DSM-IV is a manual that helps outline mental disorders. A major strength is that healthcare professionals such as physicians, psychologist, psychiatrists, and others combined their resources and knowledge to create a universal manual (Well in the US anyways). Also, the DSM is used for appropriate coding for billing and insurance purposes which, for most psychologists, is imperative in order to receive reimbursement for treatment. DSM IV allows researchers anywhere to gather together a group of patients who meet the described criteria for the disorder, try different treatments, and compare the results. The diagnosis is universal. Thus, a given percentage of patients with social phobia might be helped by placebo, and if a greater number will be helped by paroxetine, or gabapentin, or cognitive behavioral therapy, or whatever the treatment in the research design might be, then these treatments can be designated effective if statistical significance is reached.  "Evidence based treatment† appeals to the FDA and, more importantly, seemingly appeals to common sense. Empirical data is usually far more valuable than theories and controversy that cannot be backed up by a test of the facts. In recent years â€Å"evidence based medicine† has become a rallying cause. Pressures are exerted for it to become the standard of care. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States. It is intended to be applicable in a wide array of contexts and used by clinicians and researchers of many different orientations (e.g., biological, psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, family/systems). DSM-IV has been designed for use across settings, inpatient, outpatient, partial hospital, consultation-liaison, clinic, private practice, and primary care, and with community populations and by psychiatrists, psychologists, soc ial workers, nurses, occupational and rehabilitation therapists, counselors, and other health and mental health professionals. It is also a necessary tool for collecting and communicating accurate public health statistics. The DSM consists of three major components: the diagnostic classification, the diagnostic criteria sets, and the descriptive text. They have again missed the opportunity to note that although terms such as neurosis, hysteria and neurasthenia are not disorders in the DSM system, they are widely used throughout the rest of the world; none of these three terms is given an entry in the general index to the volume. This is a particularly unfortunate omission with regard to neurasthenia, since it means that the claim about taking notice of recent research cannot be taken very seriously. ? One of the weaknesses of the DSM system has always been the frequently available option of including the social effects of disorders in the criteria by which the same disorders are identified. The DSM-IV is a categorical classification system. The categories are prototypes, and a patient with a close approximation to the prototype is said to have that disorder. DSM-IV states, â€Å"there is no assumption each category of mental disorder is a completely discrete entity with absolute boundaries† but isolated, low-grade and noncriterion (unlisted for a given disorder) symptoms are not given importance.[18] Qualifiers are sometimes used, for example mild, moderate or severe forms of a disorder. For nearly half the disorders, symptoms must be sufficient to cause â€Å"clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, although DSM-IV-TR removed the distress criterion from tic disorders and several of the paraphilias. Each category of disorder has a numeric code taken from the ICD coding system, used for health service (including insurance) administrative purposes. Despite caveats in the introduction to the DSM, it has long been argued that its system of classification makes unjustified categorical distinctions between disorders, and uses arbitrary cut-offs between normal and abnormal. A 2009 psychiatric review noted that attempts to demonstrate natural boundaries between related DSM syndromes, or between a common DSM syndrome and normality, have failed.[4] Some argue that rather than a categorical approach, a fully dimensional, spectrum or complaint-oriented approach would better reflect the evidence.[38][39][40][41] In addition, it is argued that the current approach based on exceeding a threshold of symptoms does not adequately take into account the context in which a person is living, and to what extent there is internal disorder of an individual versus a psychological response to adverse situations.[42][43] The DSM does include a step (Axis IV) for outlining Psychosocial and environmental factors contributing to the disorder once someone is diagnosed with that particular disorder. Because an individuals degree of impairment is often not correlated with symptom counts, and can stem from various individual and social factors, the DSMs standard of distress or disability can often produce false positives.[44] On the other hand, individuals who dont meet symptom counts may nevertheless experience comparable distress or disability in their life. Despite doubts about arbitrary cut-offs, yes/no decisions often need to be made (e.g. whether a person will be provided a treatment) and the rest of medicine is committed to categories, so it is thought unlikely that any formal national or international classification will adopt a fully dimensional format.[4] Reference

Free Ophelia Essays - Alone in Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Ophelia - All alone in Hamlet Within Ophelia's head spins many thoughts after the death of her father. She is inevitably suffering from a nervous breakdown at the hand of her once suitor Hamlet. Ophelia is now alone without, her brother Laertes, Hamlet, her father Polonius, or even a female role model to help her through this time of sadness. During the scene, she struggles with reality and fiction. Is what she saying all lost thoughts about her head, or do they make sense, perfect senses to the outcome of the play. For the most part during this time in her life, Ophelia has no one to tell her, or guide her. As her brother does when he warns her of "Hamlet and the trifling of his favor..." (1, 3, 5), that "His greatness weighed, his will is not his own"(1, 3, 17). She is also at a loss for her father, Polonius' words of wisdom of her relationship with Hamlet; he states, "Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers, not of that dye which their investments show..." (1, 3, 126-127). Nor does she have Hamlet to lean to for advice as when he tells her to "get thee to a nunnery..."(3, 1, 121). Shakespeare never lets on that Ophelia had a mother; this only leaves Queen Gertrude to fill the empty void as a female role model. At one time Polonius tries to convince the King and Queen that the lack of his daughter's love is the cause of Hamlet's madness, in Act two, Scene two. Only a short time later does Gertrude tell Ophelia, "Ophelia, I do wish that your good beauties be the happy cause of Hamlet's wildness. So shall I hope our virtues will bring him to his wonted way again..." (3, 1, 38-41). On the other hand, later in the play Gertrude refuses to see Ophelia, stating, " I will not speak to her " (4, 5, 1) on the first line of Act four, Scene five. Gertrude does not even attempt to change her mind until Horatio reminds her, " T'were good she were spoken with, for she may strew dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds" (4,5,15-16).