Aristophane`s Love Theory Essays - Socratic Dialogues,

Aristophane`s Love Theory The love as discussed by the characters in the Symposium is homosexual love. Some assumed that homosexuality alone is capable of satisfying "a man's highest and noblest aspirations". Whereas heterosexual love is placed at an inferior level, being described as only existing for carnal reasons; its ultimate purpose being procreation. There are differing views in these dialogues, Aristophanes contradicts his peers by treating heterosexuality at the same level as homosexuality, arguing that both are predestined. Aristophanes considered himself as the comic poet and he began his discourse as such. Yet as the speech continued, he professed to open another vein of discourse; he had a mind to praise Love in another way, unlike that of either Pausanias or Eryximachus. "Mankind", he said, "judging by their neglect of him, have never at all understood the power of Love". He argued that if they had understood him they would have built noble temples and altars, and offered solemn sacrifices in his honor. He sought to describe his power and wanted to teach the rest of the world what he was teaching at that moment. Aristophanes spoke first of the nature of man and what had become of it. He said that human nature had changed: The sexes were originally three in number; there was man, woman, and the union of the two. At one time there was a distinct kind, with a bodily shape and a name of its own, constituted by the union of the male and the female: but now only the word 'androgynous' remains, and that as a term of reproach. Aristophanes proceeded by telling an anecdote about the terrible might and strength of mankind and how "the thoughts of their hearts were so great that they made an attack upon the gods", leaving the celestial councils to decide whether or not to kill them. Zeus found a solution, and decided to cut them in two so as to divide their strength. As he cut them one after another, he bade Apollo give the face and the half of the neck a turn in order that man might contemplate the section of himself: he would thus learn a lesson of humility. He made all the forms complete except in the region of the belly and navel, as a memorial of the primeval state. Aristophanes continued his discourse in a vein of seriousness and brought forth an important truth. He related the division the two parts of man, each desiring his other half and dying from hunger and self-neglect because they did not do anything apart, to love as a need. Since when one of the halves died and the other survived, the survivor sought another mate, man or woman. The anecdote continued with Zeus, in pity, inventing a new plan: having males generating in the females so that by the mutual embraces of man and woman they might breed, and the race might continue. Or, equally so, if man came to man they might be satisfied and go about their ways to the business of life. Aristophanes was trying to demonstrate that our original nature was to search for our other half, to make one of two and to heal the state of man. Aristophanes thus demonstrated that man was always looking for his other half and this need was perhaps more than purely physical. There was also a longing to regain some lost happiness. "Such a nature is prone to love and ready to return love, always embracing that which is akin to him." Aristophanes described that when one half met with his other half the pair became lost in an amazement of love, friendship and intimacy, and spent their whole lives together. Yet they could not explain what they desired of one another. He added that the intense yearning which each of them had towards the other was not that of the lover's intercourse, but of something else which the soul of either evidently desired and could not explain. The reason Aristophanes gave to this need was that human nature was originally one and we were all a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called love. It was because of the wickedness of mankind that God had dispersed us. Aristophanes eventually adopted a sober tone in his speech and asks to be taken seriously. He applied his anecdote to include men and women everywhere, and proposed that if mankind's love were perfectly accomplished, and each being found his original true love, that our race would be happy.

Positive and negative influences of Guy Russo as CEO of Kmart

Positive and negative influences of Guy Russo as CEO of Kmart Kmart stores were characterized by various negative features before the arrival of Guy Russo as the new Chief Executive Officer. The stores had shabby change rooms, old carpets, less motivated staff, inadequate supply of products to customers and daunting product range which demoralized customers from making their purchases. The business model that employers were operating under had some broken hitches and broken processes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Positive and negative influences of Guy Russo as CEO of Kmart specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Positive contributions The arrival of Guy Russo changed the company making it experience increased profits and, at the same time, enjoy top ranking on the retail map. The CEO changed the leadership structure through handpicking executive management team comprising of six people and, at the same time, considering issues of gender balance within Kmart’s leadership str ucture. Then he went ahead to moderate Kmart’s product range lines, as well as improving pricing mechanisms (Clawson, 2012). Additionally, Guy enriched the supply chain by reducing involvement of middlemen and wholesalers (John et al, 2006). Model where middlemen and wholesalers are used characterizes Australian retail model which does not practice direct sourcing model. Russo ensured that Kmart’s target market segments were clearly defined (McKee et al., 2013). At the same time, Russo assisted in positioning the store in the market as a place where all essential goods can be found, including home appliances and clothes, at affordable prices. This ensured reduction of company’s operational costs and at the same time maintained focus on Kmart’s real business processes (Lussier and Achua, 2010). Guy Russo also encouraged company development through application of the principle of less is more whereby Kmart replaced all expensive goods with less expensive on es. This was for the purposes of capturing considerable market share since majority within various market segments considered purchasing quality goods at affordable prices (Cravens and Piercy, 2009). Russo also removed spot discount imposed on products sold. This was contrary to tradition of most Australian retailers who applied pricing model involving offering percentage-off discount for the purpose of improving sales. He ensured that all new managers were taken through thorough training granting them new perspective in leadership and management of company affairs. Good example is when Guy took over hundred of store managers to Beijing for the purposes of giving them new perspective on looking at life (Lussier and Achua, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Negative contributions Such moves as change in management style had consequent results, Russo’s lea dership style within Kmart’s management prompted replacement of several company staff based on the fact that they could not commit to efforts of turnaround. This led to replacement of approximately 20% of chain store management officers. At the same time, application of direct model brought by Russo led to cases of unemployment since many people were pushed out of their jobs especially wholesalers and middlemen. Direct sourcing was applied in markets in low-cost countries and such strategy could only be adopted by large retailers rather than small players. Conclusion The CEO introduced intensive use of modern technology system for the purposes of managing its inventory. Such improvement ensures that the company achieves highest sales within every market segment compared to its competitors within the same market. Serving low-end consumers prompted Russo to encourage division of its products to fully satisfy their clients (Lussier and Achua, 2010). However, intensive use of tec hnology might not work well in low markets like Bangladesh since not all consumers are technologically literate to use services such as those provided on the Internet. However, Kmart’s application of the web pages on the Internet in retailing provides consumers with efficient means which they can utilize in selecting variety of goods available online, hence saving their time (McKee et al., 2013). References Clawson, J 2012, Level Three Leadership: Getting below the Surface, 5th Ed, Prentice Hall, USA Cravens, D Piercy, N 2009, ‘Strategic Marketing, ‘McGraw Hill, London John, S, Caroline, E, Godsell, J, Harrison, A 2006, ‘Supply chain Management: theory, practice and future challenges,’ International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 7, No. 26, pp 754-774.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Positive and negative influences of Guy Russo as CEO of Kmart specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lussier, R, N Achua, C, F 2010, Leadership: Theory, Application Skill Development, 4th Ed, South-Western Publishing, Australia McKee, A, Kemp, T Spence, G 2013, Management: A Focus on Leaders, Pearson Education, Australia

Education in the World of Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education in the World of Politics - Essay Example It can be recalled that the sovereign theory refers to the submission of individuals or a group to a one common sovereign who can protect them against violent death. This submission can also be looked at as a master-slave relationship where those who do not abide form the law is subjected to punishment. In this case, education is important since this is the means or the main tool for the followers and even for the leaders to know their duties and or responsibilities in the group or in the society where they belong. Hobbes also said that since humans are grounded to passions, it is important that humans know how to correctly reason out and that has something to do with logic. Also, with the basic idea that man lives for his own selfishness, there is always a tendency to act through emotion and therefore, with proper education, logic can be attained. On the other hand, there is also another idea from Plato about education. This has something to do with the "guardians" of the "just city." According to him, the guardians, in order for them not to use their power for their own benefits to rule over the people they are protecting, they should be properly educated to know not just their limitations but also their privileges.

Discuss the possibility that hamlet never encountered the ghost of his Essay

Discuss the possibility that hamlet never encountered the ghost of his father, that the ghost was all a figment in the imagination of a troubled mind - Essay Example There is a possibility that Hamlet was inspired by Martin Luther, the initiator of the Protestant Reformation. In Denmark, people follow the Catholic faith and are very religious. In Hamlet’s days, Catholics faced many problems. In those times, the Roman Catholic Church was rapidly gaining absolute power. The priests said that our sins can be condoned from God’s punishment by buying tickets to heaven. However, since Hamlet studies in Wittenberg in Germany and not in Denmark; he is little influenced by the Catholic school of thought. In Germany, Luther is epochal. Luther confronts the tenets of Roman Catholicism in the Ninety-Five Theses. Hamlet is surrounded by Protestantism, in mind as well as in spirit. Hamlet says, â€Å"O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? And shall I couple hell?† (Act 1 Scene 5). He starts to doubt Purgatory as it is a Catholic concept. As his father comes from Purgatory and asks him to avenge his murder; Hamlet questions himself about the existence of Purgatory. He thinks that the Devil himself has disguised as his father’s ghost and has descended to test him. Therefore, the ghost might be his imagination. Hamlet is caught between the conflict of two opposite forces, so he tries to save his sanity and sense of reason. He has strong moral integrity. Since his father’s death remains a sudden occurrence; the next king of Denmark is supposed to be Hamlet. His uncle’s readiness to take his place makes Hamlet wonder how his father passed away. To make things worse, his mother marries him right after her husband’s death. Shakespeare writes, â€Å"Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables† (Act 1 Scene 2). Hamlet doubts his mother ever loved his father, and asks himself how in a short time she could overcome the grief and get married to her brother-in-law. Hamlet is disturbed by the happy demeanor of his mother. Shakespeare states, â€Å"How weary, stale,

Human Anatomy and Physiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Anatomy and Physiology - Essay Example The hip joint is a good example of a ball and socket joint. A ball and socket joint is so-called because of its general physical makeup, which consists of a bony pocket and a ball-like appendage on the connecting bone that fits within this pocket. This type of joint provides a wide range of motion in several directions as well as the ability to carry a great deal of strength. In addition to the hip joint, the shoulder joint is another example of a ball and socket joint. The bones of this joint consist of the ilium, the femur and the ischium. The ilium contains â€Å"four spines serving as sites for muscle and ligamentous attachments† while â€Å"two large processes - an upper, lateral ‘greater trochanter’ and a lower, medial ‘lesser trochanter.’ †¦ provide attachments for muscles of the legs and buttocks† (â€Å"Human Anatomy Online†, 2004). The important ligaments involved in this joint include the pubofemoral ligament, the iliofemoral ligament, the ligaments of the sacrum and the ischiofemoral ligament. The major muscles involved in this joint include the iliopsoas muscles, the gluteous muscles, the piriformis and gemellus muscles, the sartorius muscle, the pectineus muscle, the quadriceps femoris muscles, the gracilis muscle, the adductor muscles and the hamstring muscles. The iliopsoas is actually two muscles that blend (â€Å"Human Anatomy Online†, 2004). The psoas major originates at the â€Å"sides of T12 to L5 vertebrae and intervertebral discs between them† and its insertion at the lesser trochanter of the femur. The iliacus originates at the iliac crest, iliac fossa, ala of sacrum, and the anterior sacroiliac ligaments while insertions are at the tendon of psoas major and the body of the femur, inferior to the lesser trochanter (â€Å"Muscles of the Hip and Thigh†, 1998). These muscles are the strongest flexor muscles of the thigh and work to maintain erect posture at the joints as well as to raise the trunk from a flat (lying

Reincarnation And Its Psychological Effect On Children Psychology Essay

Reincarnation And Its Psychological Effect On Children Psychology Essay Reincarnation is becoming more and more popular through time it is a broad and interesting debate to discuss and shed light on. Everyone may know a little about reincarnation, but few understand the complexities and how it actually works. Now you can find out how reincarnation really affects us. Reincarnation  is a concept which is common to many religious beliefs and spiritual practices. According to the theory of  reincarnation, when  people  die, some part of themselves lives on in another person. After understanding the meaning of reincarnation and after believing in its existence there is an important hide side in it which interested me to talk about( S.E. Smith 2003) . This research will help us understand how it is important for the parents and the individuals to know the direct and indirect effect of reincarnation on their psychological side. Reincarnation is the belief that a part of our consciousness will continue living after the death of the physical body and will be re-born into a new body here on Earth. The belief of reincarnation is widespread, in fact almost universal in the East, but it has never been that popular in the West. For many people the idea of life after death is very comforting because it lessens their grief and removes their fear of annihilation (Esoteric Science lee bladom 2006). Reincarnation and its psychological effect 3 For others it is a subject that is never contemplated because ignorance is bliss. But whether we believe in it or not, the fact remains that life after death is a certainty because life cannot be extinguished. Problem statement Based on my own experience in reincarnation I became interested in childrens past life memories because when I was young i had memories of other lifetimes I remember parts of previous lives as if they were yesterday . Due to my experience and researches I did, I found three main problems that reincarnated children pass through. One of them is the crash and the illusion that the children pass through in their current life and that is the result of the destruct that happens in their personality since they find it so hard to accept their current parents . Second problem Is the ignorance of the parents due to the lack of knowledge about how it is important to understand and work on their children psychological and believing in what they are passing through. Reincarnation and its psychological effect 4 Third problem is when something that happened to someone in a previous life, has created a phobia in this current life. For the above stated problems, there is a need to find a solution and to make the parents aware from what their children is passing through. Research questions: The following research questions are used to guide the research process: How can events or memories from a past life affect people/children in their current life? How should parents deal with reincarnation if it happens to their children? How do reincarnate people differ from un reincarnate people? Hypothesis: Reincarnation has serious psychological effects on childrens current and future life? Reincarnation and its psychological effect 5 Definitions: The terms that are recurrent in this research includes reincarnation, phobia, ignorance, psychological effect and after death. Reincarnation: The word  reincarnation  derives from the Latin term meaning the re-entering of the flesh.It means the Rebirth of the soul in another body(The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language).Other define reincarnation that there a distinction between reincarnation in the New Age movement and the doctrines that come out of Eastern religions such as Buddhism or Hinduism. While the Western idea of reincarnation, or transmigration of souls, borrows heavily from these two Eastern religions it is cycle of birth, death and rebirth. This differs from the New Age conception of reincarnation because often times in the New Age movement there is no concept of evil or immorality (Chandler 264; Pham 6). Phobia: Social phobia is an anxiety disorder that is accessible to two forms of treatment yielding scientifically validated results: drugs and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Graded exposure to feared social situations is fundamental to obtain an improvement of the anxious symptoms( Jesse Fox, Sun Joo Ahn Oct 2012: 255-271).moreover (Murray stein issued in September)define phobia that is degree of anxiety and stress throughout their lifetimes. Also its is lack of social skills or motivation to improve their interpersonal relationship. Ignorance:   ignorance and uncertainty are usually unwelcome feelings and it is the condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed(The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the Reincarnation and its psychological effect 6 English Language).according to Writer (Thomas Pynchon 2001)Ignorance is not just a blank space on a persons mental map. Psychological effect: Due to the world English dictionary defines psychological as pertaining  to  the  mind  or  to  mental  phenomena  as  the  subject  matter  of  psychology,and  pertaining  to,  dealing  with,  or  affecting  the  mind,  especially  as  a  function  of  awareness,  feeling,  ormotivation:  psychological  play;  psychological  effect. While (  John B. Watson) defines it as Psychology  is an academic and  applied discipline  that involves the  scientific study  of  mental functions  and  behaviors. Literature review: There is a high agreement that reincarnation effects children psychologically, since Past-life memories effects present life in both aspects positive and negative. Positive past experiences can help people to have extra exercises and to be more wise since they lived before. And with respect to the Negative past experiences can lead to aversions and phobias that effect current and future life. Reincarnation and its psychological effect 7 So how much do our past lives affect our current lives?( Josef head) came up in discussion that, something that happened to someone in a previous life, has created a phobia in this current life. this means that pervious life affects children future and current life by building his personality on the phobia that is created and caused by previously experienced and has been carried to our currents lives. For example it could be someone who is fearful of water may have been a drowned sailor in another life and so on. Moon Goddess  on May 31, 2011 at 11:13pm in  Daily Banter posted that he truly feel that he have been here before, at least once. They could not tell us who or what they was previously but he feels that he lived before where it effects him in his current life, Because he is afraid of heights, mildly  claustrophobic, and afraid of particular spiders snakes. Nothing happened in this life to instigate these fears, but they are still there. In addition to all the discussions and points of view( Rules of the House #25e) says that previous life holds through over fears -and said that previous life effects our present and future life psychological by creating for children a social disease called phobia. Moreover they posted If you are terrified by fear to the point you worry about being burned, you have phobia. This Reincarnation and its psychological effect 8 means that you are affected by your past live negatively since you fear fire without ever having experienced it in this life, you have most likely died by fire in past lives. Moreover, as the published author of Hidden Treasures from Past Lives, Barbara explores the ways in which past lives impact our current lives and how to heal the effects. Although the majority of Americans also believes that they have lived past lives, and they are studying how can reincarnation may affects their present life time. Many psychologists and psychiatrists are studying the influence of past lives on their clients such as Barbara has studied their work as well as counseled her own clients in this field. It is Barbaras belief and experience about previous life that is affecting our thoughts, beliefs and the way we behave. And these leftovers from other lifetimes are what may be called legacies. (Barbara k.folts 2010) proposes about the clues that it may be experiencing a legacy right now and about the problems that exists for any reason in our current life. Some possible examples of legacies that Barbara listed are: Abandonment in a past life which leads to hypersensitivity to people leaving you in this lifetime Betrayal in a past life which now appears as a difficulty in your trusting others. Sexual abuse in a past life which leaves you with a legacy of sexual dysfunction in the current lifetime. Being smothered or trapped in a tight space in a past life causing you claustrophobia now Reincarnation and its psychological effect 9 An unexplained symptom, physical, mental, or emotional, that is out of context within your general life A legacy can become part of your personality, the stimulus for your behavior. other researches criticize about reincarnation and past lives such as( Joseph M. Higgins and Chuck Bergman ) that posted the effect of reincarnation is positive since you gain as much experience as possible and u will be able to have many opportunities. In addition that you will be better prepared for that encounter due to the wisdom and experience youve gained. While Dr. Jim disagreed with them since he posted that reincarnate people pass through many negative effects such as destruction in their personality and this will take work and time. Moreover it will be hard for them to continue since they get tired of the journey and that they have to continue until the journey ends. Perhaps the strongest and best documented evidence in support of reincarnation comes from the work of the late Dr. Ian Stevenson (1918-2007), a Virginia psychiatrist of impeccable credentials, who began studying cases about past life memories ,he studies about 3000 cases and all of them are children that are between 4 and 10 years who were able to talk about past lives and all the actions that happens with them in their past lives even they remember the date they Reincarnation and its psychological effect 10 die and the villages they lived in. Additionally, many of the children Stevenson studied could remember how they had died in their previous life providing details Methodology: The current research involves both qualitative and quantative methods since the data collection procedure are based on a questionnaire and an interview. Questionnaire: The first method of data collection is a questionnaire including seven questions which range between yes/no questions and open ended ones. The purpose of these questions is to collect data about the psychological effect of reincarnation on children in their current and future life. It is going to be distributed and administer by the researches herself. Sample investigated includes 30 people from the Shouf area (the sample is random chosen). Reincarnation and its psychological effect 11 Interview: The interview is going to be conducted with two known exerted in field of psychology it includes (3 to 4 questions) about the topic (effect of reincarnation on children current and future life) and their point of view . Conclusion: As a result I strongly believe that reincarnation has a direct effect on children current and future life since it involves in them the feelings of punishment and abandonment as well as their personality will be built on Remnants of mass and on past memories. So here is the parents role to fix and help their children come over their problem.

The Forgotten Time of the Middle Ages Essay -- European History

Professor Anthony Grafton is a renowned historian at the Princeton University. He is noted for his studies about the history of culture and science of Renaissance Europe. In his paper, Dating history: the Renaissance & the reformation of chronology, he first talked about the science of geography that was revolutionized by European explorers in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. As Grafton argued that â€Å"While the western understanding of geography expanded during the Renaissance, then, the traditional dating of the past and future remained curiously narrow-minded.†, he then started to talk about his profound study of the scholarship and chronology of one of the most significant classical scholar of the late Renaissance, Joseph Justus Scaliger: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦won renown for his reformation of the traditional approach to chronology. Working in decades around 1600, Scaliger relaid the technical foundations of the field.† According to Grafton, in order to â€Å"a ppreciate the explosive impact of this reformation of historical chronology, we need to look backward†. He looked back to examine the chronology in fourth and fifth century C.E., in the fifth century B.C. Greek, and in the Romans of the late Republic and early Empire. However, Grafton did not look back to the Middle Ages which was the period between the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of Italian Renaissance. People generally considered the Middle Ages as very dark era, where nothing happened except for plague, famine, and the well-known black death. People considered this period as stagnation that they believe there was no growth in the socioeconomic prospective. For example, they believe there were no development of new technology and no expansion of towns and city. ... ...ugh many people considered the Middle Ages as an era where nothing happened, my paper conveys that point that lots of territorial, demographical, cultural, economic, and scientific developments took place in the Middle Age. I hope that people could abandon their stereotype of the Middle Ages and could come to learn this colorful time period. Works Cited 1. Dating History: The Renaissance & the Reformation of Chronology, Anthony Grafton,†¨Daedalus, Vol. 132, No. 2, On Time (Spring, 2003), pp. 74-85 2. North, J. (2004) God's Clockmaker: Richard of Wallingford and the Invention of Time. Oxbow Books. 3. The Rise of the Western World: A New Economic History. By Douglass C. North and Robert Paul Thomas. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1973. 4. Church time and merchant time in the Middle Ages, by Jacques Le Goff, Social Science Information 1970 9: 151

Novelist of the Harlem Renaissance Essay

In Nella Larsen’s Passing, racial identity and â€Å"passing,† or traversing the color line, have multiple configurations. Clare Kendry is the character who seems to saunter undisturbed back and forth across the color line. Irene Redfield wants to maintain a strict perimeter around her life, a perimeter far from the ambiguity of the color line. Their reunion starts when Clare introduces herself to Irene at a restaurant and end with Clare’s death. It is easy to read the novel as one where Clare is dangerous to Irene’s life. After all, she brings the color line right to Irene’s doorstep. But Irene seems to be more dangerous at the end of the novel. Larsen raises the question of whether Irene pushed Clare or if she fell. Irene and Clare interpret racial identity in very different ways. â€Å"Passing† is also open to interpretation, not only because racial identity is constructed but, because Irene and Clare also negotiate boundaries of gender and sexuality. Just as she does with race, Irene maintains a strict perimeter around her sexuality and in adhering to expectations of femininity. The abandon with which Clare seems to move back and forth across the color line is the same abandon that seems to inform her sexuality and gender identity. Larsen very skillfully unsettles reader expectations by delineating a rigid character on one hand and a flexible character on the other. Then Larsen undermines those expectations over the course of the novel. A reader’s experience of race is initially confirmed by Irene and challenged by Clare but not all of the pieces of puzzle fit. Class identity, something both Irene and Clare have in common, is a consistent challenge to broad generalizations in the 1920s about what black people could do and be. Because of the way â€Å"class† and socio-economic â€Å"place† for black people was associated with extreme poverty and lack of education, a middle-class black woman could not â€Å"stay in her place. † Works Cited Davis, Thadious M. Nella Larsen, Novelist of the Harlem Renaissance: A Woman’s Life Unveiled. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1996. Doyle, Laura. Freedom’s Empire: Race and the Rise of the Novel in Atlantic Modernity. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2008. Favor, J. Martin. â€Å"A Clash of Birthrights: Nella Larsen, the Feminine, and African American Identity. † Authentic Blackness: The Folk in the New Negro Renaissance. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1999: 81-110. Hutchinson, George. In Search of Nella Larsen: A Biography of the Color Line. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2006. Jenkins, Candice M. â€Å"Decoding Essentialism: Cultural Authenticity and the Black Bourgeoisie in Nella Larsen’s Passing. MELUS 30. 3 (2006): 129-54. Larsen, Nella. Passing: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Carla Kaplan. New York: W. W. Norton, 2007. Rabin, Jessica. Surviving the Crossing: (Im)migration, Ethnicity, and Gender in Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, and Nella Larsen. New York: Routledge, 2004. Wald, Gayle. Crossing the Line: Racial Passing in Twentieth-Century Literature and Culture. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2000.

Routines in Healthcare that seem to be inefficient Essays

Routines in Healthcare that seem to be inefficient Essays Routines in Healthcare that seem to be inefficient The scientific management theory was advanced by Frederick W. Taylor. He was an engineer and inventor. The theory seeks to enhance an organization's efficiency by systematically increasing the efficiency of task completion by using engineering, scientific, and mathematical analysis. Additionally, the aim is to reduce waste, upsurge the methods and production methods and generate a just distribution of goods. This purpose serves the employers, employees and societys common interests (America in Class, n.d.). He established 4 principles centered on this theory: 1. Managers ought to collect information, analyze it, and lessen it to laws, rules, or mathematical formulas. 2. Managers must scientifically choose and train workers. 3. Managers should guarantee that the techniques which are developed by science are utilized by the workers. 4. Managers are duty-bound to apply the work similarly between workers and themselves where they apply scientific management theories to the planning process and the workers carry out the tasks with regard to the plans. An instance of a routine in healthcare that appear to be inefficient can relate to understaffing a floor with a potentially high acuity rate. In the medical facility that I usually work in, conscription is grounded on the census of the floor as opposed to the level of acuity which ultimately leads to a culmination of shift overtime, thus in my view, this leads to nurse dissatisfaction as well as more medical errors. An instance of a participative decision making that is present at the workplace is inspiring leading to nurses becoming members of the hospitals Shared Governance Committee. Regularly, such a committee provides autonomy to nurses to be involved in the decision making process in their practice. Most hospital have nurses who are part of recruitment and retention council, nursing informatics council, nursing practice council, and MAGNET council as a component of the powerful Shared Governance Committee. References America in Class. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://americainclass.org/wp content/uploads/2013/03/Taylor-Scientific-Management-1910-excerpt.pdf

Motivating Employees through training

Motivating Employees through training Free Online Research Papers INTRODUCTION The success of any organization depends on the ability of managers to provide a motivating environment for its employees. Motivated employees are more productive, happier, and stay with the organization longer. One of the primary tasks a manager faces is to find out what motivates their staff. By understanding employee needs, managers can understand what rewards to use to motivate them. Advanced economies are constantly evolving. There is a general sense that the pace of change has accelerated in recent years, and that we are moving in new directions. Central to these notions is the role of technology, particularly information technology. The implementation of these technologies is thought to have substantial impact on both firms and their workers. Globalization and increasing international competition also contribute to the sense of change. In this environment, greater attention is being paid to the management and development of human resources within firms. Education and training are increasingly seen as an important investment for improved prosperity- both for firms and individual workers. This paper studies what motivates employees and designing a motivation program based on those needs, drives, and expectations. NEW TRENDS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT With todays workforce, becoming increasingly diverse, and organizations are doing more to maximize the benefits of the differences in employees, Human Resource managers are evolving from the old school sideline player to the front-line fighters. Organizations are relying on managers to get the people who get the job done, and of course, make the company money. People have always been central to organizations, but their strategic importance is growing in todays knowledge-based business world like never before. An organizations success increasingly depends on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of its employees, particularly as they help establish a set of core competencies, which distinguish one organization from its competitors. When employees talents are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and organize, an organization can achieve a sustained competitive advantage. In order to compete through people, an organization has to be able to do a good job of managing their human capital: the knowledge, skills, and capabilities that add value to the organizations. Managers must develop strategies for identifying, recruiting, and hiring the best talent available. Develop these individuals in ways that are specific to the needs of their individual firms, encourage them to generate new ideas while familiarizing them with the company strategies, invite information sharing, and rewarding collaboration and team work. The basis on which compensation payments are determined, and the way they are administered, can significantly affect employee productivity and the achievement of organizational goals. It is generally recognized that firms that innovate are more profitable, grow more rapidly and create a larger number of jobs. Within a firm, the process leading to innovation requires a high level of human capital among workers. In order to participate fully in this process, workers must not only acquire strong basic knowledge through the education system but also need to have opportunities to acquire training in the labour market. Training taken within the firm could extend the knowledge acquisition process and help workers to renew or adapt previously accumulated skills and enable them to fully contribute to the improvement of productivity or to innovation (see Figure 1). Figure 1 Human Resource Managements front-line fight is to get the organization in order. Evidence points to a more active interest in and careful implementation of human resource management. Management is, by definition, getting things done through people. If managers are to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve their organizations competitive advantage, they must focus on how properly manage personnel. Creating effective motivation and leadership, recruiting and retaining the right personnel, rewarding and treating employees fairly, establishing an environment that supports the people and benefits the organization, the Resource Manager looks towards a future with exciting challenges and opportunities for managing an organizations most valuable resource its people. UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYEE DRIVES AND MOTIVATIONS Definition of Employee Motivation The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service. When you think about it, the success of any facet of your business can usually be traced back to motivated employees. From productivity and profitability to recruiting and retention, hardworking and happy employees lead to triumph. Unfortunately, motivating people is far from an exact science. There is no secret formula, no set calculation, and no work sheet to fill out. In fact, motivation can be as individual as the employees who work for you. One employee may be motivated only by money. Another may appreciate personal recognition for a job well done. Still another may work harder if she has equity in the business. The way I believe you motivate people is to make it clear not only what goals the company is trying to achieve but also why the goals are important to society. It is important that employees feel a sense of passion and deep interest in doing a good job, no matter how big or little the job may be. Matching the right job with the right person will further help to motivate employees. An employee who feels mismatched with their job will feel frustrated and motivation will decrease. Many individuals express frustration in performing the same responsibilities repeatedly . The ability of a company to structure career planning programs, including job rotations, skills training, and project management assignments are of interest to many employees. Providing immediate recognition for a job well done is most rewarding. This will likely ensure work to continue to be good throughout the day, week, or month. If recognition is only given at specific times, employees will only be motivated closer to the time the recognition or reward is expected. Advantages of Employee Motivation A positive motivation philosophy and practice should improve productivity, quality, and service. Motivation helps people: achieve goals; gain a positive perspective; create the power to change; build self-esteem and capability; manage their own development and help others with theirs. Disadvantages of Motivating Staff There are no real disadvantages to successfully motivating employees, but there are many barriers to overcome. Barriers may include unaware or absent managers, inadequate buildings, outdated equipment, and entrenched attitudes, for example: We dont get paid extra to work harder. Weve always done it this way. Our bosses dont have a clue about what we do. It doesnt say that in my job description. Im going to do as little as possible without getting fired. Such views will take persuasion, perseverance, and the proof of experience to break down. Basic Principles to Remember 1. Motivating employees starts with motivating yourself. A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. The key to helping to motivate your employees is to understand what motivates them. So what motivates you? Consider, for example, time with family, recognition, a job well done, service, learning, etc. How is your job configured to support your own motivations? What can you do to better motivate yourself? 2. Key to supporting the motivation of your employees is understanding what motivates each of them. Different things motivate each person. Whatever steps you take to support the motivation of your employees, they should first include finding out what it is that really motivates each of your employees. You can find this out by asking them, listening to them and observing them. 3. Recognize that supporting employee motivation is a process, not a task. Organizations change all the time, as do people. It is an ongoing process to sustain an environment where employees can motivate themselves. If you look at sustaining employee motivation as an ongoing process, then you will be much more fulfilled and motivated yourself. 4. Support employee motivation by using organizational systems (for example, policies and procedures) do not just count on good intentions. Do not just count on cultivating strong interpersonal relationships with employees to help motivate them. The nature of these relationships can change greatly, for example, during times of stress. Instead, use reliable and comprehensive systems in the workplace to help motivate employees. For example, establish compensation systems, employee performance systems, organizational policies and procedures, etc., to support employee motivation. In addition, establishing various systems and structures helps ensure clear understanding and equitable treatment of employees . THEORIES OF HUMAN MOTIVATION Hierarchy of needs theory Abraham Maslow proposed the theory called hierarchy of needs theory . Maslow believed that within every individual, there exists a hierarchy of five needs and that each level of need must be satisfied prior to an individual pursues the next higher level of need. As the individual progresses through the levels of needs, the preceding needs lose their motivational value. The five levels of needs, according to Maslow are 1. Physiological Needs These needs include food, water, and sex, which are essential for us to survive. If these needs are not met, then all other needs will not be a source of motivation. 2. Safety Needs This refers to the need to feel safe from physical and emotional harm. 3. Social Needs These needs are concerned with social interactions with others. The individual needs to feel a sense of belonging, affection, acceptance, and friendship. 4. Esteem Needs Esteem is concerned with the feelings of self-confidence derived from achieving something, and the recognition and prestige that comes with that achievement. 5. Self-Actualization Needs This level of needs is concerned with achieving ones full potential and dreams. It is only when these needs are met that workers are morally, emotionally, and even physically ready to satisfy the needs of the employer and the customers. Two-factor theory Fredrick Herzburg developed another popular theory of motivation called the two-factor theory . Herzburgs findings suggest there are two factors that contribute to employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The first is referred to as motivators, which includes responsibility, advancement, and recognition. The other is known as hygiene factors. These factors include the work environment, management, salaries, and company policies. Unsatisfactory hygiene factors can act as de-motivators, but if satisfactory, their motivational affect is limited without motivators. Thus, Herzberg has put emphasis on the psychological needs of the employees in designing jobs. Reinforcement theory Another theory, developed by B.F. Skinner, is the reinforcement theory . This theory is a behavioral approach. The main point is consequences influence behavior. According to the reinforcement theory, there are four ways to modify behavior. The first and most affective way is positive reinforcement, which refers to rewarding a desirable behavior to strengthen the likelihood that it will be repeated. The second way a manager can modify behavior is negative reinforcement, which is defined as removing a negative stimulus in the environment after the behavior occurs. Another way to modify behavior is punishment, which decreases the chances of the behavior to occur. The last method of behavior modification is lack of reinforcement. The idea behind this method is that if a behavior is not reinforced in any way that it will decrease in frequency, and be eliminated. Expectancy theory The last theory of motivation this paper will cover is the expectancy theory , proposed by Victor Vroom. Unlike the reinforcement theory, this theory is concerned with internal processes that an individual undergoes in order to decide whether they want to put forth the effort to strive towards a specific goal. According to Vroom, there are three important elements to consider when determining motivation. The first element is valence, this refers to the desire an individual has to achieve a goal or fulfill a need. The second element is instrumentality, this is the belief that if an individual gives a certain level of performance, then a desirable outcome is expected. The third element is expectancy, this is the belief an individual has about the relationship between effort and performance, if one exerts a high level of effort, then one can expect good performance. What motivates people depends on their perception of the attractiveness of the goal and its attainability. Regardless of which theory is followed, interesting work and employee pay are important links to higher motivation. Options such as job enlargement, job enrichment, promotions, monetary and non-monetary compensation should be considered. ESTABLISHING COMPENSATION PACKAGES Work is about the money and earning a living. Work becomes not about the money only when employees have enough money to meet their basic living expenses. Establishing compensation programs require both large and small organizations to consider specific goals. Employee retention, compensation distribution and adherence to the budget must be carefully weighted against the overall organizational goals and expectations. Compensation must reward employees for past performance while serving as a motivation tool for future performances. Internal and external equity of the pay program will affect employees concepts of fairness. Organizations must balance each of the concerns while remaining competitive. For internal equity, an organization can use one of the basic job evaluation techniques to determine relative worth of job. The most common are the ranking and classification methods. The job ranking system arranges jobs in numerical order based on the importance of the jobs duties and responsibilities to the organization. Job classification slots jobs into reestablished grades with higher rated grades requiring more responsibilities, working conditions, and job duties. External equity can be determined by a wage survey. Data obtained from the surveys will facilitate establishing the organizations wage policy while ensuring that the employer does not pay more, or less, than needed for jobs in the relevant labor market. Base salary is only one aspect of a retention plan for important employees. By offering enticing compensation packages, equitable pay, flexible benefits and known incentives, an organization allows itself the luxury of identifying and selecting those, which meet the needs of the organization. In filling job openings above the entry level an employer usually finds it advantageous to use transferring and internal promotions. By recruiting from within, an organization rewards employees for past performances and sends a signal to other employees that their future efforts will payoff, while capitalizing on previous investments made in recruiting, selecting, developing, and training its current employees. The budget for salary, compensation, and benefits is not unlimited in most organizations. Thus, in addition to traditional increases to base pay, and variable rewards, such bonuses, profit sharing and gain sharing, I recommend attention to quality of work life rewards. These can include the following: Payment of a one-time, lump sum payment for a result or outcome that deserves recognition. Payment of smaller rewards with â€Å"thank you† notes for above the call of duty contributions These are not necessarily tied to an achieved result, but they are contributions, that when emphasized, increase the probability of results. Increased emphasis on additional benefits such as pre-paid legal assistance, educational assistance, and vision insurance. Increased opportunity for flexible work arrangements and job-sharing. An organizational emphasis on the training and development of employees. Clear career paths so employees see opportunities within your organization. In summary, organizations are moving toward salary and compensation systems that emphasize flexibility, goal achievement, and variable pay based on performance, and less emphasis on increases to base pay. They are using bonuses based on profit and accomplishment to add to employee compensation. The rising cost of benefits is causing rethinking of their place in the compensation system. Forward thinking organizations are emphasizing â€Å"quality of work life† rewards and recognition to add to the value of the total compensation package. Benefits Benefits and incentive plans are valuable rewards in recruiting and retaining essential employees. Benefits are an established and integral part of the total compensation package. In order to have a sound benefits package there are certain basic considerations. It is essential that a program be based on specific objectives that are compatible with the organizational philosophy and policies as well as affordable to the company. By utilizing a flexible benefits package, employees are able to choose those benefits that are best suited to their individual needs. On average, organizations spend 41 cents for benefits for every dollar of payroll. That is 29 percent of the total employee compensation package. Research reported in the journal, Personnel Psychology, suggests that employees only understand and appreciate between 31 and 68 percent of the cost or market value of the benefits they receive . Employees undervalue their benefits for many reasons including: employers communicate the value of the benefits poorly, the employees have little or no choice in benefits packages or options, and the employees misunderstand the market value of benefits. Firms that wish to maximize the value of their benefits expenditures need to survey their employees to ask them what they value and how much. Benefits surveys or focus groups are important first steps in understanding employee preferences. Relevant questions might include the following. What benefits are most important to you? If you could choose one new benefit, what would it be? If you were given X dollars for benefits, how would you spend them? Follow-up research about the cost of the benefits employees desire, can help you determine which programs will provide the most â€Å"bang for the buck.† Based on the data developed, you can adapt your benefit offerings or provide choices consistent with organizational objectives such as employee retention or performance. The success of an incentive pay plan depends on the organizational climate in which it must operate, employee confidence in it, and its suitability to employee and organizational needs. Importantly, employees must view the incentive plan to be equitable and related to their performance. Tuition Assistance Tuition assistance is an employer-provided employee benefit that is a win-win for your workplace. In a tuition assistance program, an employer pays all or part of an employees cost to attend college or university classes. Most employers, who offer a tuition assistance program, pay the full cost of the employees tuition, lab fees, and books. In most cases, employers cap the amount of tuition assistance available for employees. Either employers set a limit in terms of dollars available per employee per year or they establish the number of classes they will pay for per year per employee. When tuition assistance is available, the most common method for administering the program is to require employees to pay for their own tuition and books when they register for classes. The employee is then reimbursed when he or she submits the receipts and evidence of earning a C or above grade upon completion of the class. In some cases, where extensive funds are spent on tuition assistance, the employer requires that the employee sign an agreement to pay back the tuition assistance if he or she leaves the organization within a certain period. In these cases, the employer forgives a percentage of the tuition assistance for every year the employee stays with your organization . Tuition assistance makes sense for employers because you enable your employees to continue to grow and develop their knowledge. Your employees stay in the practice of learning and university attendance fosters an environment at work that supports employee learning. Performance appraisals Performance measures should be quantifiable, easily understood, and bear a demonstrated relationship to organizational performance. Performance appraisal programs serve many purposes, but in general, those purposes can be clustered into two categories: administrative and developmental. The administrative purposes include decisions about who will be promoted, transferred, or laid-off. Developmental decisions include those related to improving and enhancing an individuals capabilities. These include identifying a persons strength and weaknesses, eliminating external performance obstacles, and establishing training needs. In every enterprise, every form of employee compensation or reward is either contingent or non-contingent on accomplishment of desired performance. Contingent Reward is that which can only be had through doing desired performance. In other words, if the performance is not accomplished, the reward is not realized. Non-contingent Reward is that which can be had without doing desired performance. In other words, employees get it regardless of whether or not they accomplish desired performance. A key to building employee motivation for desired performance is to increase the amount of contingent reward and decrease the amount of non-contingent. The difference between the amounts of contingent and non-contingent reward we call the contingency differential. The greater the differential between contingent reward and non-contingent reward, the more frequently employees will choose desired performance over undesired performance . We should consider installing a differential pay program - a program that enables each employee to get a larger paycheck when s/he accomplishes a particular â€Å"bonus† performance criteria during the pay period. By doing that, we increase the net payoff that employees derive from pursuing desired performance, which builds their motivation for continuing to pursue it. Carefully designed performance standards that are reliable, strategically relevant, and free from either criterion deficiencies or contamination are essential foundations for evaluation. TRAINING Providing opportunities to learn new technologies, methods and accomplish new achievements are significant in capturing prolonged interest from high potential staff. Giving people the opportunity to gain exposure and implement new programs while building self-esteem and credibility is valuable for both the company and the employee. Opportunity and recognition of accomplishments can prove to be a much more lucrative incentive than any financial considerations a company may offer. Today organizational operations cover broad areas and require continuous training for effective job performance, evolutions in product areas, and corporate growth. In order to have effective training programs organizations can utilize a systems approach. Key areas of this approach include needs assessment, program design, and evaluation. Needs assessment begins with organizational analysis. Managers must establish a context for training by deciding where training is needed, how it connects with strategic goals, and how organizational resources can best be used. In designing a training program, managers must utilize principles of learning in order to create an environment that is conducive to learning. The evaluation of a training program should focus on several criteria: participant reactions, learning, behavior changes on the job, and bottom line results. There are two types of training, classroom training supported by the employer and on-the-job training supported by the employer. Classroom Training Classroom training (sometimes called formal training) is defined as training activities with a predetermined format, pre-defined objectives, specific content and progress that can be monitored or evaluated. Occupation appears to have a significant impact on the probability of taking classroom training, but not much on the probability of taking on-the-job training. The various categories of workers (except managers) are less likely than professionals to take classroom training. Thus, professionals not only have better access to training but they are also more inclined to take it, if available. Permanent workers are more likely than non-permanent workers to take classroom training (of around nine percentage points) and on-the-job training (five percentage points). Since firms are less likely to recover their investment in training for temporary workers, they will be less inclined to support training for these workers (especially the most costly training). Temporary workers may also be less interested in investing time in training if they see few benefits in it. Further, participation in classroom training increases with level of education, these two forms of investment appearing to be complementary. However, this effect appears to be limited to post-secondary education since the effect of a high school diploma (compared with no high school diploma) is not significant. Having a university diploma increases the probability of taking classroom training by 12 percentage points. The probability of taking on-the-job training does not appear to be substantially affected by the level of education. One possible explanation of this phenomenon is that this type of training is more useful at the beginning of employment in order to assimilate the characteristics inherent to the work performed, and that this applies to all workers regardless of level of education. On-The-Job Training By definition, on-the-job training is given during work hours and at the workplace (in a location that is not necessarily separate from the production facilities). On-the-job training involves four steps : 1. DESCRIBE the performance to be learned. 2. DEMONSTRATE how to do it. 3. REVIEW the employee doing it. 4. REINFORCE the employee for what s/he did well. If needed, Step 5 is REPEAT steps 2-4. Step 1 Describe DESCRIBE what the learner will be learning. In doing this, describe WHAT the task is, HOW it is done, and WHY it is done that way. Bear in mind, the ability to do something well usually depends on three components: Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge. So be sure to describe the particular attitudes, or perspectives, that are vital to doing the task excellently. In addition, explain how excellent performance of the task is important to the company. Also, explain how it can contribute to an employees career development. Step 2 Demonstrate DEMONSTRATE how its done. If the tasks performance involves a particular speed, first demonstrate how its done at regular or full-speed, then demonstrate it at half-speed, or step-by-step. For the step-by-step demonstration, consider having the trainee/s read aloud the procedure for each step prior to you’re doing it, if applicable. Also, consider fortifying your demonstration with a follow-up visual aid (photo, video tape, computer CD). Step 3 Review Have the trainee try it while you REVIEW his/her performance. Before s/he starts, ease the tension by explaining, â€Å"No one expects perfection first time out. So just relax, enjoy it and give it your best effort - whatever happens will be fine.† If it is a complex multi-step process, suggest that the person refer to the manual between steps. Finally, if applicable, have the trainee explain what they are doing while they are doing it. Step 4 Reinforce REINFORCE the trainee for good performance. To do this, point out what the trainee did well and praise him or her for it. This is vital to creating a positive attitude and motivation to continue learning. Therefore, no matter how weak the persons first performance might be, always pick out the strongest aspect of their demonstration and commend them on it. General Benefits from Employee Training and Development There are numerous sources of online information about training and development. Several of these sites suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training among employees. These reasons include: Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees Increased employee motivation Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods Increased innovation in strategies and products Reduced employee turnover Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity training CONCLUSION Every employee has a need for self-expression, entertains plans for professional development and career advancement, wishes to be accepted as family member, feel respect towards management and pride in his/her work, receive acknowledgment and reward, be listened to and trusted. Through strategic communications, it is manager’s duty is to share with employees’ company goals, market, industry and business information and futures plans, and invite employees to give feedback. We must learn how to place people in a role where they can use their abilities and make progress towards the realization of personal goals. Misplacements can cause a company substantial financial loss due to turnover, accidents, lawsuits, rebates, refunds, loss of customers and sales. Fair benefits and pay is the cornerstone of a successful company that recruits and retains committed workers. If you provide a living wage for your employees, you can then work on motivational issues. Without the fair living wage, however, you risk losing your best people to a better-paying employer. It is important for employees to know that management is aware of their existence, recognizes them, remembers their names and greets them. Managers who fail to greet employees or respond to greetings lead to a high degree of de-motivation, lack of trust, and disloyalty. We must learn how to create a corporate culture and a supportive work environment. This is done through leadership and management excellence, a human approach, effective human resources strategies, positive discipline, fair and just treatment to all, clearly defined policies, career and personal development training programs (including cross-training and job rotation), organizational communications, tools to facilitate communication, team assignments, reward programs, objective appraisals, adequate pay, benefits and company activities . Research Papers on Motivating Employees through trainingThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

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The Role of Baptism in the Book of Acts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Role of Baptism in the Book of Acts - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Pentecostals and many charismatics employ Lukan biblical theology as the correct methodology for understanding Spirit-baptism. According to their exegetical findings, the Day of Pentecost was an empowering event that is theologically separate from and subsequent to conversion. Moreover, "pattern of Pentecost" exists for subsequent events in Acts as well as for all believers throughout the church age. However, some consider the exegetical abilities of Pentecostals as one of their greatest weaknesses. In an attempt to investigate the role of baptism in the book of Acts, this paper will explore the prospect of Acts 2:37-39 serving as a paradigm for understanding Luke's account of Spirit-baptism. This text has several features that make it worthy of consideration. First, this text has a close proximity to the events of Pentecost, for it is situated at the conclusion of Peter's sermon. Second, the response given to those who inquired comes fr om a leading apostle who had just been "filled with the Holy Spirit". Third, it is the only didactic passage in Acts that contains the element of repentance, water baptism, and the gift of the Spirit. These three features are also found in subsequent corporate texts of Act. Thus, in the narrative of a text of Acts, in which the corporate passages that record Spirit-baptism are non-normative, including the sequence of repentance, water baptism, and the giving of the Spirit, Acts 2:37-39 appears to be the most normative text available. "Though the Pentecostal movement began in humble obscurity,.. it has grown to become a major force within Christendom." Pentecostalism is not only recognized as the most powerful revival movement of the twentieth century, in the estimation of some, it has surpassed the classification of "a mere passing movement" and can legitimately be called a major Christian tradition, second in size only to the Roman Catholic Church. Statistics reveal that "Pentecost alism is therefore fast becoming the dominant expression of Christianity and one of the most extraordinary religious phenomena in the world of any time." Pentecostals credit this phenomenal growth to their understanding of Spirit-baptism which, along with signs and wonders, is their spiritual heartbeat. The Pentecostal movement eventually led to the beginning of the new-Pentecostal movement, which is commonly referred to as the charismatic movement or charismatic renewal. Though the charismatic movement is comprised of both mainland Protestants and Roman Catholics, the beginning of these parts of the movement is separated by about seven years. It resembles Pentecostalism in that dual emphases on the baptism in the Spirit and the miraculous lie at the heart of the movement. However, the charismatic movement differs from Pentecostalism, not only in its understanding of Spirit-baptism but also in that several competing interpretations of this doctrine are simultaneously held within the movement.