Prescription Addiction Essay Example for Free

Prescription Addiction Essay Addiction by Prescription In this essay, I’m going to explore the abuse of prescription drugs, provide information on the most commonly abused substances, and on the current treatment options available for users. Because of the rise of prescription pill addiction, it is important that people are made aware of the very dangerous effects that these drugs can have on them. The negative effects can result in jail time, illness, and even death. Painkillers, Depressants and Stimulants, are currently the most commonly abused prescription drugs. Years of research has shown that addiction to any drug (illicit or prescribed) causes a brain disease that can be treated effectively. Successful treatment may need to incorporate several components, including detoxification, counseling, and sometimes the use of addiction medications. Behavioral and pharmacological treatments are both necessary for the recovery of individuals with addictions. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it is estimated that 48 million people (aged 12 and older) have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons in their lifetime. That’s approximately 20% of the U.S. population. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in prescription drug misuse or abuse. This increase has led to a corresponding increase in ER visits because of accidental overdoses as well as admissions to drug treatment programs for drug addictions. Its thought that prescription drug addiction is on the rise because there are more drugs available to more people and the opportunity for abuse is greatly increased. Doctor’s are reporting writing more prescriptions for patients than ever before. In addition, you only have to go on the Internet to find high numbers of online pharmacies selling these addictive drugs. People become addicted to prescription drugs for various reasons. One may have an injury or any type of pain and begin to take the drug, and soon become dependent. Some take the drug longer than necessary and take more than the prescribed dosage. Other people have genetically addictive personalities. It just takes one prescription and the drug can quickly become ad dicting. Prescription drugs can still get you high, just like street drugs. People often don’t realize the impact these medications can have on them because they were prescribed by a doctor so they tend to think they are safe. Some people might abuse prescription drugs because they  are more readily accessible than street drugs. It is, unfortunately, very easy to doctor shop and get all of the pills that you want. Doctor shopping† is moving from provider to provider in an effort to obtain multiple prescriptions for the drugs an abuser is using.†¨ Vicodin, Oxycodone, OxyContin and Percocet are common painkillers that are abused. Painkillers often contain opioids which are highly addictive and can have a serious effect on the brain. They can cause a physical dependence, meaning the body becomes accustomed. There are also very severe withdrawal symptoms. Depressants, such as Valium and Xanax are drugs that slow brain function. They include sedatives (used to make a person calm and drowsy) and tranquilizers (intended to reduce tension or anxiety). These can cause depression, confusion, exhaustion and irritability and can dangerously diminish heartbeat and respiration. This is especially true when depressants are combined with alcohol and over the counter (OTC) medications. Its a combination that can even lead to death. Stimulants are a class of drugs intended to increase energy and aler tness. These drugs can increase blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. Stimulants affect the brain through a slow and steady release of two neurotransmitters; dopamine and norepinephrine. They are used for treating conditions including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy and, occasionally, depression. Excessive vomiting, tremors, sweating and anxiety are just some of the risks of abusing stimulants. †¨ Breaking free from prescription drug abuse takes much more than willpower. Fortunately, medications and counseling can improve the chances of success. New treatments like Suboxone, and traditional therapies like methadone and 12-step programs, are helping thousands of people stay on the road to recovery. There are various options such as; Drug Rehab Programs Available from Support Systems Homes, Detoxification, Residential Treatment (Residential Drug Rehab), Outpatient Treatment, and Community-Based Self-Help Groups. Now we have explored the depths and effects of addiction and dependency on prescription drugs. There are many causes for addiction and almost any substance can be dangerous if used improperly. As long as there are new drugs there will always be new developments in the way to treat them. In summation, there are many ways and substances to become addicted too and anyone can be at risk. If the dangers are known it is much easier to combat the problem of substance abuse. Work Cited  ·DRUG FACTS. Drug Facts. National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, 1 June 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. .  ·The Truth About Prescription Drugs. Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. .  ·Prescription Drug Abuse Rates Increase in the Western United States, Northwest Now Leading Area of Epidemic. Yahoo News. Passages Malibu, 3 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. .  ·Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction. Drug Abuse. National Institue On Drug Abuse, Oct. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. .  ·Prescription Drug Abuse: Addiction, Types, and Treatment. WebMD. WebMD, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. .  ·Prescription Drug Addiction: Information and Treatment. Treatment for Prescription Drug Addiction. Support Systems Homes Inc, Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. .

Challenges for Measuring Fear of Crime

Challenges for Measuring Fear of Crime A case study on the difficulty and the progress of measuring fear of crime Fear of crime has been the centre of attention of scientific inquiry for nearly half a century. Scholars in this field have argued that fear of crime is directly correlated to experiences of deviant activity (Blakin, 1979; Skogan Maxfiend, 1981). Additionally, fear of crime was also reasoned in terms of the risk an individual is exposed to (Jackson, 2005). Others have focused on explaining fear of crime in terms of the influence of environmental factors (Wyant, 2008). Although there has been extensive research in terms of explaining fear of crime, contemporary scholars have recognised methodological limitations when analysing it (Farrall, 2005; Gray, Jackson and Farrall, 2008). For instance, fear of crime was measured as a dichotomous response (yes or no) to fear of crime. One example includes the questions that were asked in the British Crime Survey (BCS, now called the Crime Survey for England and Wales, CSEW): How safe do you feel walking alone in this area after dark?. Therefore, this paper will argue what limitations these old measurements have when measuring fear of crime, as well as discuss how the new methods of analysis contribute to the better understanding of fear of crime. Firstly, this essay will draw upon the limitations of measuring fear of crime. This includes discussing the problem with defining fear of crime. Secondly, this essay will explain what progress researchers in this field made in terms of measuring fear of crime. This i ncludes how and why these advances improved researchers understanding of fear of crime, as well as how these new methods improved the validity and reliability of measuring fear of crime. Lastly, this essay will identify some examples from the literature, in terms of how these new measures have enabled researchers to conduct better studies of measuring fear of crime. This includes the female and male paradoxes, among others. DEFINITION Although many attempts have been made by scholars to define fear of crime, there remains a confusion as to what fear of crime means, due to the reason that there is not a universal definition in place. Therefore, because there is no general agreed definition of fear of crime upon researchers, questions differ from survey to survey, serving as a limitation to the way it is measured. For instance, Ditton et al., (1999) defined fear as a term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ encompassing a confusing variety of feelings, perspectives and risk-estimations and thus meaning different things to different people. Ferraro and LaGrange (1987) defined fear of crime as the negative emotional reaction generated by crime or symbols associated with crime. Ferraro (1995 cited in Gray et al., 2011) also defined it as emotional response of dread or anxiety to crime. From these two definitions, aside from the fact that they are both quite outdated definitions of fear of crime, they are also very simplified definitions, as they only focus on the term fear of crime, being generated only from criminal activity. However, more contemporary definitions of fear of crime were provided by Gray et al., (2010). They defined fear of crime by making two significant distinctions in terms of fear of crime as everyday worries and fear of crime as anxiety. The way they explained fear of crime, not only widens the spectrums in terms of what it is categorised as fear, but it also enables researchers to evaluate and conduct studies using more specific definitions, further allowing them to better understand this topic. OLDER MEASUREMENTS OF FEAR OF CRIME To begin with It is important to mention how the two way of measuring fear of crime had emerged from the theoretical point of view. Firstly, the old standard measurement of fear of crime, which started to emerge in the 1960s, developed from positivist ideas, by using data-driven models of research (Lorenc et al., 2014, p12). Additionally, it has also used observational research in order to identify factors which causes fear (Lorenc et al., 2014). Secondly, the new measurements, were developed on a more critical basis, using the foundation of sociology and criminology. Furthermore, the new development of measurement of fear of crime was also determined by the feminist ideas, as it explores a variety of attitudes and anxieties, that people experience in their daily lives fear (Lorenc et al., 2014). Although these two measurement of fear of crime, were developed from two different theories, the way they measured crime also different. For instance, the old positivist measurement, focused primarily on quantitative surveys, whereas the new critical measurements focused primarily on qualitative and ethnographic studies (Lorenc et al., 2014). With regards to, more recent research on the measurement fear of crime, both qualitative and quantitative research were used, in order to obtain more accurate and reliable data (Gray et al.,). The traditional single questions used to measure fear of crime is identified by researchers to be a formless measure, as it does not make any reference to real or specific offences. Therefore, it is still not certain if those question measured fear of crime, or measured any other approach (Ferraro LaGrange, 1987). For instance, on the British Crime Survey in 1995 questions such as How fearful are you when walking alone at night? were asked. Fearful is ambiguous in this question. The fear expressed by respondents may be about their physical or psychological circumstances, such as having a bad vision at night. In addition, the fear may also be expressed due to other factors, such as low street lightning. Therefore, it could be argued that those type of questions are mainly about fear of personal safety, rather than fear about crime (Radar, 2004). Questions about the validity of the instruments used to collect the data were also raised by various researchers (Gray et al., 1997 and Skogan Maxfiend, 1981). Additionally, the concept of fear of crime is being amplified from the research conducted via surveys (Farrall et al., 1997: 665-666). Furthermore, although some may argue that the traditional questions do measure fear of crime, those questions only measure general fear of crime, and not fear of certain type of offences (Gray et a.,). Therefore, participants might respond to questions based on offences they have experienced or offences they think about, rather than give specific, narrow answers. For instance, someone might think street robbery, while others might think of rape. It is important to specify the type of crime in questions about fear of crime, because the level of fear of crime that respondents experience, depend on different offences. One study shows that respondents expressed a higher level of fear of being a victim of burglary, when compared to the fear of being murdered (Warr and Stafford, 1983). It was also found that womens main reason of worry was being a victim of sexual attacks (Ferraro and Jackson, 1995). Nevertheless, the dichotomous single questions provide only two answers for respondents to choose from: yes or no. Therefore, it is difficult, if not impossible to precisely pinpoint the exact fears of crime experiences by the respondents. Additionally, because these questions measure broad areas, it is difficult to generalise different studies (Lane et al., 2014). For example, there is extensive research to show that females express a higher level of worry when are alone in the night, when compared to men (Ferraro, 1995). However, it can be argued that, the only reason women may express higher levels of fear is only because they are alone in the night, and not because females generally express a higher level of fear of crime. There is also a problem with perceived risk and fear of crime, in the formless measurements. For instance, LaGrange and Ferraro (1989) made a clear district ion between fear of crime and perceived risk. However, before this distinction, the surveys made no differentiation between these two concepts. Researchers who wanted to measure perceived risk of crime, used the same form of measurement used for fear of crime (La Grange and Ferraro, 1989). Also others have tried to measure fear of crime, as well as perceived risk of victimisation but they failed to distinguished between the two (Ferraro and Jackson, 1995). This could cause problems with the validity of the answers, as respondents might respond to experience of perceived risk, as fear of crime (Ferraro and Jackson, 1995). Various researcher also identified the problem with time. The earlier questions to measure fear of crime, does not include any time period; frequency (Farrall and Ditton, 1999). Due to this, some respondents might refer to their fear of crime, from an incident that happened years ago, while other might refer to an incident they witness recently (Nair, 1993). Problems with differentiating between frequency that fear of crime happens and the intensity of fear of crime also arises. These considerations are important because it is important to be able to make the distinguish between people who fear crime intensively and the frequency to which they experience those fears (Gray et al., 2008). Hough (2004) however opposes the view that these type of questions, require the need to know more about the frequency. He argues that researching the intensity of the fear is more important, than researching the frequency of the fear. He stated that: When we talk about mental states such as anxiety or worry, we are concerned with intensity, not frequency. Leaving aside acute anxiety attacks, anxiety is not comprised of a series of events that can be located in space and time (Hough, 2004, pp. 174). Although some researcher opposes the fact that frequency should be acknowledged when measuring fear of crime, Farrall (1997 cited in Jackson, 2008) found that when giving the respondents the opportunity to express their perceptions and feelings in detail (i.e. qualitative interview), showed that anxieties were happening rare. On the contrary, the old standard measurements revealed a more exaggerates image of the anxieties that respondents experience in their day to day life (Farrall, 1997 cited in Jackson, 2008). Old standard measures used to also ask respondents for a summary of the intensity of their worries. Researchers argued that, it is difficult to put emotions into writing, especially when the traditional questions were not clear, but where rather general (Jackson, 2005). Additionally, there is a problem with over-estimating the fear of crime. Researchers found that traditional measurements of fear of crime tend to exaggerate the results of the respondents. The reasons why this fear was amplified in the surveys, was because respondents summarised their most vivid and threatening experience of fear of crime as well as overestimated the frequency of those threatening experiences (Jackson, 2005). One example is from the 1995 British Crime Survey. it was found that there was a strong link between fear of crime, the experience of crime (which is either direct or indirect) and offences such a vandalism and drug use (Hough, 1995). Additionally, it was also found that fear of vehicle crime and mugging has increased since 1982 (Hough, 1995). It is difficult to say if those questions were accurately measured, due to the type of questions asked. NEWER MEASUREMENTS OF FEAR OF CRIME Various researchers have since modified the old standard questions used in the surveys such as British Crime Survey (Gray et el., 2008), as well as researchers who wanted to investigate fear of crime in their studies (Warr and Stafford, 1983, Fisher and May, 2008). For instance, Fisher and May (2009). They conducted a study, and asked questions about fear of four particular offences, rather than asking about fear of crime in general. By this, Fisher and May (2009) minimized the changes of obtaining measurement error, as respondents only had to measure fear of crime in relation to those type of crime. Furthermore, this type of questions not only diminishes the chances of measurement error, but also improves validity and reliability of data obtained from those responses (Jackson, 2005). Lastly, this also makes the questions clear and unambiguous, unlike the standard old measures of fear of crime. Other researchers such as Smith and Hill (1991) developed questions which have more specific context; such as: inside, outside, day, night, etc. These type of questions also adds to the validity and reliability of the questions, when compared to the non-specific questions. The scale of which the questions are answered was also modified in order to obtain more accurate and more unambiguous responses on fear of crime. For instance, the traditional questions used a two way answer (yes;no), whereas the new questions used the Likert-scale questions (Lane et al., 2014). For examples, researchers such as Fisher and Sloan (2003) used for their studies a 10-point scale (such as 1 being not afraid and 10 being very afraid). Gray et al., (2008) also used Liked scale (i.e. 1 being not worried and 5 being very worried). The new measurements of fear of crime also include questions about frequency and intensity of the fear/worry/anxiety felt by the respondents. These new questions were not taken into account when the old standard questions were used. However, when the new questions started to be integrated into the fear of crime measurement questions about the frequency and intensity of fear of crime, it could be seen that fear of crime was not as frequent as one might think, as often respondents answers using the traditional survey was exaggerated due to the measurement error caused (Farrall et al., 2004). Nevertheless, the standards question, never asked the frequency of the fear, until the new measurements of fear of crime started to take control (Gray et al.; Jackson, 2005). The newer critical measurements of fear of crime used in its questions terms such as worry, rather than fear of anxiety (Jackson, 2005). It is suggested that although it is difficult to predict how respondents understand these terms, terms such as fear or anxiety could have a negative impact, as well as ambiguous responses to questions. One reason for this could be because fear is understood, as a present respond to a stimulus, as well as anxiety. It is believed that these two words have a strong significance, which in turn could have a negative impact on peoples responses (i.e. exaggeration) (Jackson, 2005). However, the term worry could be a better word due to the fact that it includes a mental state, a concern about potential danger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a chain of thoughts and images about an unpleasant and uncertain outcome (Jackson, 2005, p. 301). Although it is believed by researchers (Farrell, 1997; Gray et al, 2008; Jackson, 2005) that the newer forms of measuring fear of crime are more accurate, some researchers still argue that even these measures have its flaws. Due to these flaws, these measures can lack validity and reliability. Some people might be more influenced, than other by certain factors, which in turn can make them report a higher level of worry (Jackson, 2005). For instance, those who reported the highest level of worry, were most likely to live in the low crime areas, experience fewer victimisation levels, as well as know fewer people who experience crime (Jackson et al, 2008 cited in Farrall and Lee, 2008). Media is also believed to be an important factor, which influences peoples perception of fear of crime, as well as perceived risk. Also, knowing people who have been exposed to victimisation can also increase respondents fear of crime. (Jackson et al., 2008 cited in Farrall and Lee, 2008). THE BENEFITS OF USING NEW MEASUREMENTS OF FEAR OF CRIME However, although researchers believe these new forms of measurements can also attract ambiguous responses, these measurements, are the most advanced and accurate methods that exist today to measure fear of crime. For instance, due to the advancements of measuring fear of crime, it allowed researchers to distinguish between experiential and expressive fear of crime (Jackson et al., 2009). The experiential being the former, whilst the expressive fear of crime being the latter. A research was conducted and it was found that on one hand lower income areas with more crimes, experienced more experiential fear of crime, whilst on the other hand it has was found the expressive far was correlated with the sympathy expressed for the victims (Jackson et. al, 2009). These conclusions were drawn using questions about experience of fear of crime, as well as the frequency of fear experience by the respondents (Jackson et al., 2009). Additionally, Jackson (2008 cited in Farrall and Lee, 2008) also identified functional fear. This is when individuals who are worried about crime, in order to protect themselves, take precautionary measures, which in turn it does not affect their daily life, but makes it better. The new methods of measuring fear of crime were also beneficial in terms of distinguishing between the levels of fear of crime amongst men and women. For instance, it is well known about the fear paradox. References Balkin, S. (1979). Victimization Rates, Safety and Fear of Crime. Social Problems, 26(3), pp.343-358. Ditton, J., Bannister, J., Gilchrist, E. And Farrall, S. (1999). Afraid or Angry? Recalibrating the fear of Crime. International Review of Victimology, 6(2), pp.83-99. Farrall, S. And Ditton, J. (1999). Improving the measurement of attitudinal responses: An example from a crime survey. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2(1), pp.55-68 Ferraro, K. And Grange, R. (1987). The Measurement of Fear of Crime. Sociological Inquiry, 57(1), pp.70-97. Gray, E., Jackson, J. And Farrall, S. (2008). Reassessing the Fear of Crime. European Journal of Criminology, 5(3), pp.363-380. Gray, E., Jackson, J. And Farrall, S. (2010). Feelings and Functions in the Fear of Crime: Applying a New Approach to Victimisation Insecurity. British Journal of Criminology, 51(1), pp.75-94. Hough, M. (2004). Worry about crime: mental events or mental states?. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 7(2), pp.173-176 Jackson, J. (2005). Validating New Measures of the Fear of Crime. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(4), pp.297-315. Jackson, P. And Ferraro, K. (1995). Fear of Crime: Interpreting Victimization Risk. Contemporary Sociology, 25(2), p.246. Lagrange, r. And ferraro, k. (1989). Assessing age and gender differences in perceived risk and fear of crime. Criminology, 27(4), pp.697-720. Lane, J., Rader, N., Henson, B. And May, D. (2014). Fear of crime in the United States: Causes, Consequences, and Contradictions. 1st ed. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. Nair, G., Ditton, J. And Phillips, S. (1993). Environmental Improvements and the fear of crime. British Journal of Criminology, 33(4), pp.555-561. Rader, n. (2004). The threat of victimization: a theoretical reconceptualization of fear of crime. Sociological Spectrum, 24(6), pp.689-704. Skogan, W. And Maxfield, M. (1981). Coping with crime. 1st ed. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. Warr, M. And Stafford, M. (1983). Fear of Victimization: A Look at the Proximate Causes. Social Forces, 61(4), pp.1033-1043 Wyant, B. (2008). Multilevel Impacts of Perceived Incivilities and Perceptions of Crime Risk on Fear of Crime: Isolating Endogenous Impacts. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(1), pp.39-64.

Role of Self Assessment in Learning

Role of Self Assessment in Learning My interest in self-assessment stems from personal experiences of being assessed and the frustration felt when most assessed work was simply awarded a grade, contained minimum feedback if any and was then expected to be filed away despite the many questions I may have had. However, many years later, while attended a language teaching training course, I was given a self-evaluation sheet to complete by the instructor. Uncomfortable as this was, I realised that this was the first time that I had been presented a format to self-assess/reflect on my work. After completing the sheet and the subsequent discussion about the contents, the instructor provided feedback of a type that I could use, in a context which was supportive and which respected my goals as a language teacher. Since then I have developed an interest in how self-assessment can be used to promote learning in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. During my teaching in Asia I have seen the need for learners to take greater responsibility for their own learning in order to move away from the more traditional teacher-led, didactic approach. I have found that using self-assessment as part of reflective learning can lead to greater ownership and autonomous learning as more attention is paid to how learners acquire knowledge. This essay evaluates the role of assessments, particularly self-assessment as a tool for promoting learning, as I recount the journey taken with my Chinese learners on an English Pathways Program (EPP) and what has led to the decision for using a range of formative tasks contained in a portfolio of written work, with learners ultimately taking ownership of their learning. What is the role of assessments? Assessment according to Gipps (1994, p. vii) is: a wide range of methods for evaluating student performance and attainment including formal testing and examinations, practical and oral assessment, and classroom based assessment carried out by teachers and portfolios. Many curricula in language schools reflect Tylers (1949) classical model that specified objectives, content, and means of achieving and assessing pre-determined learning outcomes. This model of behaviourism views the learner as a passive absorber of information provided by the teacher and in this way learning becomes an incidental rather than an intentional process. Gipps (1994) argues that the dominance of this model in the classroom, has meant that teachers have focused their instruction on discrete skills and on decontextualized test items, with continued practice until mastery is achieved. Black and Wiliam (1998a) found this type of testing encourages superficial or shallow rote learning, as learning isolated facts, quickly disappear from the memory because they have no meaning and do not fit into the learners conceptual map. This has been witnessed many time in our classrooms where on one day students are able to recite easily a list of vocabulary or grammatical rules, as they have just done that in class or in a test, but are unable to recall the same information, a few days later. An alternative to this behaviourist/objectives model comes from constructivist psychology which argues that knowledge is not directly transmittable from person to person, but rather is individually constructed or discovered. Glasersfeld (1989) argues that the responsibility of learning should reside increasingly with the learner and constructivism emphasizes the importance of the learner being actively involved in the learning process, unlike previous educational viewpoints where as we noted above the responsibility rested with the instructor to teach and where the learner played a passive, receptive role. Glasersf eld (1989) urges that learners be taught how to learn by engaging their metacognitive functions, resulting in learning being an intentional process and leading to deep learning. Sadler (1989) supports this by saying that developments in metacognition tell us students need to become competent assessors of their own work. McDonald and Boud (2003) have argued that the formal development of self-assessment skills is an important part of the curriculum at all levels (p. 210) with Black and Wiliam (1998b) stating that self-assessment is an essential component of formative assessment. In support of this active learning approach, Gipps (1994) advocates for more frequent and a greater range of assessments, such as essays, performance assessments, small group tasks and projects. Bould (1991) defines self-assessment as the involvement of students in identifying standards and/or criteria to apply to their work and making judgements about the extent to which they have met these criteria and standards. (Boud, 1991, p.5). The latter stage, often called self-grading or self-testing is only one aspect of self-assessment and Bould (1995) warns against an overemphasis on this aspect as it can direct attention away from involving learners in identifying and engaging with criteria, a stage which he says is both difficult and often neglected. In China today, assessments give all the power to the teacher, to make unilateral and final judgements on a students work. However, if we want our students to become independent, active learners, then this relationship between student and teacher needs to be changed and by incorporating self-assessment into classroom learning, students as well as teachers acknowledge assessment as a mutual responsibility, and not as the sole respon sibility of the teacher (Oscarson, 1989). Other relevant issues concerning assessments noted by Black and Wiliam (1998a) were: the filling in of records rather than analysing students work to identify their learning needs; and the over-emphasis on awarding marks and grades, often using normative referencing, which encourages competition rather than personal improvement. Many of our learners experience of normative referencing in their previous schools led them to believe that they lacked ability and as a result they had lost confidence in their own capacity to learn. Therefore, as a result of this, we adopted a more ipsative approach where learners are more focussed on their own gains rather than others grades. In support of this Hounsell et al. (2008) noted that awarding grades often comes at the expense of giving useful advice or feedback, which needs to be integral to the ongoing teaching and learning cycle, as achievement gains from formative assessment are amongst the most substantive of all pedagogical interventions. E llery (2008, p. 422) elaborates on this by saying that, the opportunities for learning are greatest in formative assignments requiring drafts where students receive feedback and have the occasion to actively engage with the feedback to improve the product in its subsequent draft(s), such as in essays. Gipps (1994) argues for the use of qualitative descriptors believing that collapsing or aggregating all results to provide a single figure for reporting is to lose detailed information. When scores must be aggregated for reporting then we need to use models which result in the least loss of information and to make the rules explicit. To summarise, I feel the program should consider the learner as an active participant, use a range of formative assessments, with a focus on self-assessments, feedback and leaners progress rather than awarding grades. What are the benefits, issues of using self-assessments and are they reliable? To evaluate self-assessments, the literature was reviewed to establish the associated benefits and issues, in addition to the reliability of the tool for sour situation. Several benefits of using self-assessment have been identified. A number of language researchers have found self-assessment to be a reliable method of improving students language skills and abilities (Ekbatani, 2000; Nunan, 1988), developing learner autonomy and metacognitive engagement (Andrade and Du 2007; Cassidy 2007), enhancing learning, including deep and lifelong learning (Taras 2008) and it contributes to student achievement (Hughes, Sullivan Mosley 1985; Schunk, 1996; Ross 2006). Studies have also shown that self-assessments has a positive effect on students learning motivation (Pope, 2001) and learning performance (McDonald Boud, 2003). However, several issues with self-assessment have also been identified. Some students are reluctant to self-assess, feeling they lack the necessary skills, confidence or ability to judge their own work or simply are afraid of being wrong (Leach 2012), preferring and expecting to be assessed by experts (Evans, McKenna, and Oliver 2005) or students may see it as the teachers responsibility (Brown and Knight 1994). In addition, in many Asian countries the very concept of self-assessment goes against deep-rooted cultural expectations about learning and giving themselves a good grade is considered inappropriate, boasting (Leach 2012), resulting in individuals from Eastern cultures generally displaying a modesty bias, and thereby underrating their performance (Yik, Bond, and Paulhus, 1998). Therefore, it is important to explain the rationale to the learners and demonstrate that as learners we daily self-evaluate (e.g. reciting a list of words). To address cultural issues it may require ind ividual consultations to allay concerns. Although self-assessment is being used in a range of settings: science, maths, and language classes; primary, secondary and tertiary education; there is still some doubt about its reliability which Gipps defines as the extent to which an assessment would produce the same, or similar, score on two occasions or if given by two assessors (1994: p. vii). Bachman and Palmer (1989) found that a group of EFL learners in the US were able to reliably self-rate themselves for their communicative language abilities. Boud and Falchikov (1989) found there was no consistent tendency to over or underestimate performance by students. Some students in some circumstances tended towards one di ­rection, others in the same or different situations towards the other. However, they found the ability of self-assessors was a noticeable variable, with the more able students making more accurate self-assessments than their less able peers. Weaker and less mature students also tended to overrate themselves an d the weaker they are, in terms of teacher ratings, the greater the degree of overrating. One explanation offered by Boud and Falchikov (1989) for this was learners not being aware of, or choosing not to subscribe to, the standards set by teachers, erred on the side of optimism. Boud and Falchikov (1989) also found that over-estimates are more likely to be found if the self-assessments contribute to the students grade in a course and young children may over-estimate due to a lack of cognitive skills to integrate information about their abilities and are more vulnerable to wishful thinking. Ross, et. al (1999) found that agreement of teacher and student assessments is higher when teachers provide direct instruction to students on how to self-assess their work, Ross (2006) says that the strengths of self-assessment can be enhanced and weaknesses addressed through training students how to assess their work thereby placing training as central to the successful implementation of self-ass essment. According to Ross (2006), one other factor which may be overlooked by teachers is that students may include in their self-assessments information that is not available or obvious to the teacher, such as effort. We have found that discussing with the students their grade helps to draw out underlying beliefs of the students on their work, rather than relying totally on the physical evidence presented. Issues identified with previous studies Ross (2006) and Boud and Falchikov (1989) after extensive review, both found a lack of sufficient studies looking at improvement over time, to draw any firm conclusions and there is particularly a lack of studies on the influence of practice on self-marking over time. They also expressed some concern about the quality, especially regarding the lack of definition in the criteria used by teachers and students, something we address later in the essay. What needs to be consider before Implementing Self-Assessment Considering what the literature provided, outlined below is the approach taken on implementing self-assessment in EPP. Firstly, as identified by Boud (1995, p.189), an effective program needs to gain student commitment, link well with the subject matter, and encourage students to take greater responsibility for learning. A common issue on many language courses which follow the objectives approach, is only the products of learning are assessed which is insufficient to guide learning. However, on the EPP the process of learning is often of greater importance than specifically what is learned as not all learning is evident in a final product, no matter how well thought out the assessment tool may be. We will look at now how negotiating criteria and the selection of evidence can involve learners more in the assessment process. Negotiating the Criteria Boud (1986), maintains that the involvement of learners in making decisions about the criteria which are appropriately applied to their work and their making of judgements about achievements is the key characteristic of self-assessment. He further says that engagement in such activities helps to stimulate metacognitive skills and wean students from dependence on the assessments of others. Boud (1995) suggests two approaches to generating criteria; structured group activities and structured written schedules. The former is used to generate common criteria for a class, and I have found it a good way to start the process as the class generates and discusses potential criteria for inclusion. This can address some of the issues identified earlier such as; students reluctance to self-assess, supporting less able students, and poorly defined criteria. In general, for writing tasks there are four areas that are looked at, Grammar, Lexis, Coherency and Content. The discussion can help student s to become more aware of the criteria and assist them in the structured written schedules, which consists of three steps to guide each student in individualising the process. These steps are as follows: identifying the criteria which they consider appropriate to apply to their work, for example they may choose a number of the four areas or another such as format, thereby taking responsibility for learning and personalising it; clarifying these criteria, what specific area for example are they examining; and assessing the priority or emphasis which they wish to give to each criteria, encouraging deeper thinking and learning Once satisfactory criteria have been generated, students then use them to judge their own performance. From a checklist of the criteria, students may simply award themselves a mark with respect to each criterion chosen, and then make a statement justifying that mark (e.g. on format, I have written four paragraphs, including a clear introduction and conclusion). The emphasis on which criteria is important to the learner will change over time as they identify additional areas of weakness or choose to challenge themselves. The initial negotiation of the criteria occurs within the first two weeks of the program so learners can become familiar and start using them as quickly as possible. Learners discuss with teachers the criteria that they have chosen to be used in assessments, to eliminate potential confusion and to avail of support. The selection of evidence. The learners are involved in deciding on the form and quantity of evidence to be used in assessment, which allows for individuals to take more responsibility, by selecting from their own work and creating a portfolio, which will be explained in greater detail later. Learners indicate what evidence they have chosen, for the attainment of their goals, including essays written, as well as feedback received, and reflections. The negotiation of learning goals. Historically, the majority of assessment tools have been created based on external goals and imposed on the learners usually by the curriculum. However, it is important and appropriate that students are actively involved in setting class or personal goals and assessing themselves so that through this, they are more invested in learning and develop the skills required in how to learn, leading to the development of independent learners and critical thinkers. Self-assessment can provide a very personal and detailed record of learning. This negotiating of goals occurs early in the program so that the purposes and directions of the program are set to meet the learners self-perceived needs. Initially these are quite general but over time become more refined and individualistic as they are reviewed or change during the course. Goals may relate to the process as well as the outcomes of the course. Goals should be of a personal or context-specific nature (e.g. I want to be able to write a per sonal statement). Assessment approach on EPP On the EPP we have endeavoured to compile an assessment for learning approach, which supports the teaching/learning process, rather than assessments of learning which, simply measures student performance by tests and examinations. Tasks, which support higher order skills and support learners learning goals are utilised. Examples of tasks used are as follows; written essays, role plays, maintaining vocabulary and reflective learning journals. Some of the characteristics, and underlying reasons for the tasks are as follows: a clear rationale for the activity, so that learners can be actively engaged with a task which they accept is for learning (not passively following a set of instructions); explicit procedures so learners know what is expected of them, both in carrying out the tasks and in self-assessing; given that these were mainly new experiences for them, and that lack of training was identified as a major failing in previous studies; the task is constructed to allow significant elements of choice by the learners so that they can begin to own it and make it meaningful and worthwhile for them, taking greater responsibility for their own learning and learn to become independent of their teachers (Boud 1988); selection and reflection elements which reinforce student responsibility in taking charge of their learning and it provides a more valid, individualised assessment (Boud, 1995); reassurance so that learners can be honest about their own performance without the fear that they will expose information which can be used against them, and to address and cultural sensitivities or bias; tasks contribute to the final grade, although, based on the findings of previous studies, there is the potential for learners to overestimate or underestimating due to cultural bias, it was deemed necessary to do this to because of the general need for recognition by learners and to comply with external bodies; allocation of class time to complete the tasks and to enable learners to get assistance, this alleviates time pressures on the leaners and to also allow for sufficient training/retraining to take place so learners gain confidence in the process; Finally there was an emphasis on the process rather than just the product of assessment (Boud 1995). Students on the program are allowed to work and re-work their written drafts, based upon multiple sources of feedback, until such time that it is ready to be submitted allowing for students writing ability to be assessed in an ongoing, authentic context. Teachers were advised to exercise caution as tasks are usually completed over a period of time, both inside and outside the class and the degree students are assisted with feedback has the potential to affect validity (Boud, 1995). To address reliability, moderation where teachers and students scores are compared, can be used. However, if teachers moderate students results excessively, then students do not put much effort into being objective but simply rely on the teacher to do the assessing. At the same time, if teachers place the full responsibility on students, the danger is that there will always be some students whose self-assessment is not justified, however, the payoff is that the majority of students undertake their self-assessment much more seriously, and therefore learn a great deal more in the process of doing it (Boud, 1995). Portfolios of Evidence A recent trend in language assessment advocated by Boud (1995) and Race (2001) is the inclusion of portfolios in a course. A portfolio allows students to track their progress by compiling a selection of their work, selected from larger body of work. The portfolio is then presented with feedback comments and a reflective piece written by the student to justify the selection. Race (2001) points out that while most other forms of assessment are like snapshots of particular levels of development, portfolios can illustrate progression, reflecting how quickly students can learn from and implement feedback. The involvement of the student in reviewing and selecting is central, helping student-centred learning to become a reality (Calfee Freedman, 1996). Kathpalia and Heah (2008), stress the importance of reflection stating that a writing portfolio without reflection is merely a collection of written work which does not contribute to real learning. Portfolio Procedure At the beginning of the program, time is taken to ensure learners are provided with instructions on how to reflect on activities as well as filling self-assessment checklists through which they could improve their autonomy in writing. As identified earlier, training is key to the successful implementation of self-assessment. After the first two weeks, a simple class checklist was created for the purposes of self-assessment. An exemplar piece of writing was then given to the individual learners and they were asked to use the self-assessment checklist with this writing. The results were discussed with the class along with individual consultations. This process was then repeated with another piece of writing. Once learners were familiar with using the checklists, they could create their own, using the individual criteria chosen by themselves. After that, learners were then given a list of topics to choose from and were required to write one task during class and one outside the classroo m. Learners then had to assess their work using their individual checklists. Again, the general results were discussed with the whole class in addition to individual feedback sessions. After one month learners showed significant improvement in self-assessing as confidence grew and could begin to self-evaluate their own work independently, using their own checklists, and to add them to their body of work. Grades were awarded by the learner based on their individual, agreed negotiated criteria. Initially, each student awarded themselves a grade together with a justification for it based upon the evidence submitted. Students are encouraged to consult with their peers if they are lacking confidence and to focus on the process of evaluation rather than simply the grade. Independently of this, a teacher assessment is made using the agreed criteria on the evidence available but without knowledge of the students proposed grade. If the two proposed grades did not fall within the same band, a discussion took place during which each party justifies their grade. Agreement generally resulted, but there is provision for final arbitration by a third party if needed. Race (2001) argues that portfolios can be high on validity as it is possible to assess appropriate evidence of achievement relating more directly to intended learning outcomes, than (for example) can be achieved just with written exams. Race continues by saying that portfolios contain evidence reflecting a wide range of skills and attributes, and can reflect students work at its best, rather than just a cross-section on a particular occasion, such as one-off exams. He cautions that ownership of the work can sometimes be in doubt and the inclusion of an oral assessment or interview, can validate the origin of the contents of portfolios. There are however, some issues with portfolio use, with McMillan (2004) and Race (2001) highlighting that assessing portfolios is time-consuming, requiring time for both designing the portfolio and preparing rubrics for scoring. In addition to that, the teacher has to train learners to self-assess their work adequately, which often entails a one-to-one conference with each student so that portfolio implementation is done properly. As McMillan puts it, portfolio assessment requires time, expertise, and commitment (2004, p. 238), all of which are not always available. Reflective Learning Journals Reflective learning journals are another important aspect of self-assessment and the EPP, with evidence showing that good learners have better metacognitive processes than poor learners (Ertmer and Newby, 1996). Developing reflective skills is an important aspect of self-assessment, leading to a reflective practitioner which according to Schà ¶n (1987), includes: reflection-in-action that is immediate, short term, concerned with a devising a new strategy for approaching the situation; and reflection-on-action, typically undertaken some time after an event has occurred. The challenge we had was ways of incorporating reflective activities in the course. Boud et al, (1983) suggests that learners maintain a journal, to reflect on their learning, over a sustained period, maintained with the intention of improving or supporting learning. Records can include both academic as well as personal development with students generating records on such items as: their objectives and how these have been addressed and achieved; expectations, attitudes, values, beliefs, and skills. The records can start off structured but may become more unstructured as learners take ownership. Morrison (1996) identified some matters which need to be considered regarding the reflective activity: not all students find reflection easy; there may also be cultural issues where the concept is particularly difficult to grasp; and what is the depth of reflection required. A means of addressing these is to provide real examples of reflective writing, as well as some structured questions to the learners. Allowing for adequate practice and providing opportunities for feedback can also alleviate any potential problems. In terms of assessing the work, initially a journal may be considered satisfactory and passed, or not yet satisfactory and not yet passed, avoiding some of the difficult judgements about work that may be very diverse and / or creative (Morrison 1996). We found that this can also encourage gr eater participation as leaners feel that they are not being scrutinised about what they are writing. Evaluation of using Self-assessment in EPP One of the greatest challenges was with the concept of criteria where both the teachers and learners preferred to rely on well-known externally imposed criteria rather than take ownership of self-generated criteria, negotiated in the classroom. Indeed, there was also a strong resistance from the institute itself, however the future success of this approach the acceptance and willingness of all the participants. From an learners perspective Each term, a survey concerning the course in general and the use of the self-assessments is conducted to gather the views of the learners. For the most part, after the initial introductory phase, learners find self-assessment a useful tool which helps them focus on their own learning: I found it very difficult in the beginning but now I know it will be good for my future study. Difficult to start but then I started to enjoy it when I realised what I had achieved. Students commented on the tasks in general (reflective journal; self-assessment): A very interesting and different experience for me. I learned how disorganised I am and that I need to change. I now have more confidence in my work before I submit it. Students were very positive on the experience: Amazing, I had no idea that I had achieved so much until I reviewed my journal at the end. I now really enjoy reflecting on what I have done not just memorising information. Students rarely, if ever find the task of self-assessment easy, especially in a Chinese society where the teacher is traditionally viewed as having ultimate control. Some learners are naturally more self-reflective or self-critical than others, and some are more willing to share their learning than others. It provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning and think about the applications of ideas in their own situations. It is common for them to report that they only start to become aware of what they have learned when they looked back on the course in a systematic fashion, in preparing to submit their portfolios. Two major obstacles that learners had difficulty overcoming was the doubt in their ability to assess themselves and the objection to the concept of self-grading, arguing that grading should be the sole responsibility of the teacher, which is similar to studies mentioned earlier (Leach 2012, Brown and Knight 1994) however, we feel this has been addressed. From the Teachers Perspective Despite the increase in using self-assessment, Ross (2006) explains that teachers still retain doubts about the value and accuracy of the technique, saying many teachers holding the view that learners are incapable of self-assessment believing that learners are unable to appreciate or understand the process. In our situation some of the more senior teachers resisted the change in the power dynamic that self-assessment entails as it not only changes the role of the teacher but also the relationship between the teacher and learner. A secondary issue we experienced was when the teachers themselves are unsure of or are having difficulty in interpreting criteria and are therefore reluctant to negotiate with the learners. However, I have found that through the process of discussion the criteria ultimately become clearer. From my perspective Producing a portfolio of evidence has the advantage of students summarised and demonstrating their learning at many different stages of learning and has been a valuable takeaway from the program for the learners. Now before submitting a written piece of work, many learners have gone through the process of self-assessing and therefore have formed an educated opinion of how good they think the work is which leads to reduced anxiety. Overall, assessment portfolios are beneficial to students. They give them the opportunity to reflect, and to develop their abilities in assessing their own work and understanding. Thus, learners end up eventually taking responsibility for their own learning and have continuing opportunities for using their creativity and imagination and increasing the quality of their work (Barton and Collins 1997). On reflection, I believe that although portfolios require considerable work on the part of both the students and the teacher, they provide a much more effective assessment tool than those used traditionally because the ongoing and developing nature of the portfolio provides a much clearer indication not only of what the learners have achieved (the learning process) but also what the teacher has enabled the learners to achieve (the teaching process

Suppression of Women in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper essay

Suppression of Women in The Yellow Wallpaper "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, tells the story of a woman's descent into madness as a result of the "rest and ignore the problem cure" that is frequently prescribed to cure hysteria and nervous conditions in women. More importantly, the story is about control and attacks the role of women in society. The narrator of the story is symbolic for all women in the late 1800s, a prisoner of a confining society. Women are expected to bear children, keep house and do only as they are told. Since men are privileged enough to have education, they hold jobs and make all the decisions. Thus, women are cast into the prison of acquiescence because they live in a world dominated by men. Since men suppress women, John, the narrator's husband, is presumed to have control over the protagonist. Gilman, however, suggests otherwise. She implies that it is a combination of society's control as well as the woman's personal weakness that contribute to the suppressio n of women. These two factors result in the woman's inability to make her own decisions and voice opposition to men. John, the narrator's husband, represents society at large. Like society, John controls and determines much of what his wife should or should not do, leaving his wife incapable of making her own decisions. John's domineering nature can be accredited to the fact that John is male and also a "physician of high standing" (1). John is "practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of thi... ...nd alarmed to see her behaving that way. She has to keep "creeping" over John, even in the end, and it shows that a woman is not much different from a man, in the aspect of being a self-governing individual. People need to have control over their own lives and the ability to make their own decisions, even women. People cannot always make assumptions for what is best for others. We have learned this from John: John demonstrates that the best way to help someone is to have the patience to really listen and find out what that person truly wants, not simply making assumptions about what is right when its not in the other's best personal interest. But until every woman is treated in this manner, she will be driven into her own world of insanity where she continues "creeping" over all who try to control her.

The McCarthy Period :: Joseph McCarthy McCarthyism Communism

The McCarthy Period As a result of the "Red Scare" from the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union, Americans were concerned that Communists were threatening their country from within. Senator Joseph McCarthy, operating under the House Un-American Activities Committee, directed his search towards Hollywood and the intellectual community. McCarthy's committee called many members of the film and theatre community to testifiy about Communist activities, and to name any individuals who were believed to have been involved with Communist groups. Many artists and intellectuals had been involved with "leftist" ideas and causes, including Arthur Miller himself. Miller was held on trial for his previous support of left-wing causes and was found guilty for contempt of Congress. This was reversed two years later when an appeal proved he wasn't adequately informed about the risks surrounding the charges of contempt. Miller states that he was "motivated in some great part by the paralysis that had set in among many liberals who, despite their discomfort with the inquisitions' violations of civil rights, were fearful, and with good reason, of being identified as covert Communists if they should protect too strongly" (Bender, 21). He goes on to say that he feels the play still holds some relevancy today in that "its paranoid center is still pumping out the same darkly attractive warning that it did in the fifties" (Bender, 21). Miller felt that _The Crucible_ works on the basis that "where evidence is only circumstantial, the dividing line between delusion and reality is difficult to draw" (Welland, 55). During the McCarthy trials, many people were named and called before courts

Elton’s interpretation of the roles of Somerset and Northumberland Essay

Geoffrey Elton presented a view of Somerset as an incompetent leader, who failed to fill the political vacuum the ascension of an infant monarch had created; nonetheless, he was noble minded and had visionary aims. On the other hand, Elton saw Northumberland as ambitious and power greedy; however, he did recognise that Northumberland had introduced welcome reforms to the finances and administration, which certainly marked an improvement upon Somerset’s rule. In this essay, I will argue that Elton’s assessment of their reforms and actions was correct, although his judgement of their characters, although true to a certain extent, has been exaggerated. Somerset demonstrated very little concern for humanitarian reform, as has been said by historians such as Elton, and his rule merely exacerbated problems at the end of Henry’s reign. However, Northumberland showed more political ability in tackling the equally bad situation he faced and was not as power hungry as Elto n suggested. There were significant problems at the end of Henry’s reign. His foreign policy had led to a poor financial situation; wars with France and Scotland, although a matter of national pride, actually achieved very little and led to huge debts. Over 2 million had already been spent on the war with Scotland, however victory would have far outweighed these huge financial repercussions. Somerset, therefore, inherited huge financial problems with huge debts and a debased coinage; in addition, the war with Scotland continued and hostilities with France were high. However, it would be a mistake to say that the situation was at a point of no return, Somerset’s political inability is demonstrated in his failure to deal with the situation inherited from Henry. Indeed, his actions worsened the financial status of the Crown and served only to escalate discontent in his reign. Somerset’s political inability is shown in his failure to discontinue the damaging Scottish war; he didn’t realise, as his successor did, that the Scottish war was unsustainable. Rather, Somerset’s decision to continue the war was the worst possible start for his rule and indicative of his inability, it lead to a poor economic situation throughout his protectorate and also to his neglect of the more important issues facing his subjects. The Chantries Act (1547) that continued the dissolution of the monasteries in Henry’s reign created inflation; as a result, prices, especially grain, rose rapidly fuelling discontent among the poor. Had Somerset been more politically astute, he would have ended the Scottish war and undertaken financial reform. Instead, he made little or no effort to resolve the economic problems and left Northumberland with a worse situation than he had inherited. In this respect, I agree with Elton, who said that Somerset was â€Å"without any sign of administrative or political sense,† 1 this was not, however, limited to his economic policy. Somerset also inherited a nation divided on religion. Henry, although he had split from papal authority, never made the full transition from Catholicism to Protestantism as Northumberland did later in the Edwardian period. Rather, the doctrinal modifications, which followed the split from Rome, resulted in a confused nation. The ten articles of 1536 had seemed to establish England as Protestant; however, the six articles 3 years later represented the return of some Catholic doctrine. As a result, there was a certain confusion and ambiguity as regards the state religion to some extent to do with the competition of the conservative and reform factions of the court, but also the fact the Henry had never been totally converted to Protestantism. Nevertheless, since he followed a monarch who had implemented perhaps the largest religious reform in the history of the church, Somerset had to deal with a situation of religious insecurity. Arguably, the effects of religious reform are harder to forecast than the effects of economic policy; therefore, it is easier to condemn Somerset as inept on the basis of his economic policies than it is on the basis of his religious reforms. Somerset’s religious reforms moved towards Protestantism with the introduction of a new Prayer Book and the Act of Uniformity as well as the Chantries Act, which abolished the remnants of Catholicism. However, in an attempt to appease both sides of the spectrum, a certain ambiguity still remained and Catholicism had not been categorically denied. However, the reforms were met only with discontent, for some it was too extreme and for others too moderate. The Treason Act, which ended restrictions on the discussion of religious doctrine, served only to make matters worse and led to disorder. In terms of religious reform, the outcome would have been more stable had Somerset done nothing. We have seen that religious turmoil was the result of a lack of continuity in the short Edwardian and Marian eras. This suggests that a period of stability following the fast paced religious reform of the Henrician rule would have been beneficial in Somerset’s protectorate. However, as we have noted, the outcome of religious reform would have been much harder to gauge at the time. While Somerset’s religious policy is not the sign of an expert politician, it cannot be used to condemn him to the same extent as his economic record. His religious reform, therefore, supports Elton’s view that â€Å"Somerset had talked much about liberty but had produced disorder.† 2 His aim to appease the extremes can at least be seen as well meaning, while his actions were not those of an experienced politician; furthermore, his belief that appeasing the extremes was possible at th is point is arguably naive. Somerset was poor at dealing with the growing feeling of discontent in England. Not only was he largely responsible for the growth of discontent due to his economic and religious policies, but more importantly, instead of dealing with the roots of discontent he attempted to control the disorder that resulted. The Vagrancy Act (1547) was a heavy-handed attempt to control the public, it meant that anyone out or work for 3 days would be branded with a V and sold into slavery for two years. He put out the message that dissent was not to be tolerated, though his action was strong it showed few signs of effective leadership. As his reign progressed it was clear that he showed no signs of dealing with the root of the issue, rather to avoid rebellion. A reform programme was supposedly being put together by John Hales, who later turned out not to exist. Furthermore, having blamed the problems on enclosure, reforms to remedy the problem were merely piecemeal and demonstrated indecisiveness. Somerset was inept; the paranoid measures preceding his fall such as bans on football and on the spreading of rumours simply confirm the hypothesis that Somerset had no real understanding of the political situation. In a similar vein to his belief that he could appease the religious extremes, attempting to pacify a discontented populace with piecemeal anti-enclosure measures and a fake reform programme was equally naive. Somerset fell from grace because of his own inability to rule; Elton’s assessment was clearly correct: â€Å"Somerset was †¦ disastrous as a leader.† 3 However, Elton’s view of Somerset as a humanitarian reformer with the best intentions exceeds the reasonable bounds of optimism. Most people, who have a most basic sense of human rights, would see the Vagrancy Act as simply morally corrupt. His poor management of the economy and heavy-handed measures of control hit those most in need the hardest. This demonstrates almost a total disregard for the needs of the poor; furthermore, anyone regarded as a humanitarian reformer, or at least a man with good intentions, would be incapable of passing the Vagrancy Act. It has been conceded that some good will may have lay behind his religious reform, also anti-enclosure legislation may show faint concern for the poor. However, such evidence is far outweighed by his record of controlling legislation. Somerset was not a humanitarian reformer; Elton seems to have avoided the conclusion that a rudimentary presentation of the facts would suggest. Rather, the failure of anti-enclosure legislation is evidence of Somerset appeasing the elite as well attempting to pacify the poor, an end from which he could gain a lot more politic al capital. Indeed, far from concurring with Elton’s thesis on this issue, I suggest that Somerset was motivated by a desire to secure his own position of power. His continued use of proclamations as well as his neglect of the Privy Council demonstrates this theme. The Treason Act had done more than permit religious discussions; it repealed a previous act, which said that royal proclamations had the same force as acts of Parliament. Consequently, Somerset was now able to issue proclamations without the consent of his council and he frequently availed himself of this opportunity. Indeed, on average Somerset issued 13 more proclamations per year that usual. Furthermore, his attempts to hold onto power by control rather than tackling the root issues point to a man who was motivated by a need to secure his own position. Elton did recognise his neglect of the council: â€Å"He alienated his fellow councillors whose feelings and ideas he persistently ignored.† 4 However, Elton did not recognise the power seeking nature of Somerset’s character. I would agree with Heard who presented Somerset, not as a man with noble aims as Elton suggests, but as an â€Å"arrogant self-seeker.† 5 Therefore, It seems that Elton was correct in his judgement of Somerset as an inept leader as demonstrated in his economic and to some extent his religious policies as well as his abysmal handling of a situation of unrest, which he himself had created. However, Somerset was power seeking, not a man of noble aims; his record of legislation was clearly not motivated by a concern for the poor. Elton said: â€Å"It is difficult to say who did more harm to the country they were supposed to govern.† 6 It can certainly be said that Somerset exacerbated the poor situation after Henry’s reign, the economic situation worsened through continuation of the wars and the Chantries Act. Religious confusion was not eased and arguably fuelled dissent and he left a country in unrest after the rebellions that led to his fall. Therefore, I agree with Elton’s view that he was inept and cause harm to the country, although I disagree with Elton’s view of Somerset’s aims. Northumberland, on the other hand, introduced welcome reforms. Elton argues as much, however I believe Elton exaggerated his assessment of Northumberland as power hungry; furthermore, Northumberland’s effective reforms did not harm the country and it is unjust to tar Northumberland and Somerset with the same brush. Northumberland inherited a worse situation than Somerset and demonstrated political astuteness in his action, which dealt with the root of the problem. In addition, his dealings with the Privy Council and use of proclamation were far removed from the power hungry tactics of Somerset. Though his religious policy was arguably harsh and his attempts to alter the succession seem power seeking, Elton exaggerated this element of Northumberland’s character. Arguably, Northumberland’s best move was to end the Scottish and French wars. Indeed, the way in which the two leaders dealt with the wars can be seen as key in defining their rule and also how we interpret their ability. The treaty of Boulogue, although bad for England in the short-term, allowed the finances to improve and Northumberland to focus on the serious social unrest, Somerset’s mess that Northumberland was forced to deal with. The treaty is a clear indication of Northumberland’s superior ability to Somerset; indeed, this theme is shown throughout the governance. Far from harming the country, Northumberland had shown realism and taken the first step towards recovery. Furthermore, re-evaluation of the coinage and prohibition of usury in 1552 helped to improve the economy. Northumberland, in contrast with Somerset, made some positive achievements; his economic policies helped to reverse the terrible situation left by Somerset. Moreover, his governance seem s to have shown a commitment to reform, which had a current and lasting positive effect. The reformation of the revenue courts was indicative of this commitment to reform. In 1549, five ministries were responsible for collecting money and the situation was worsened by corruption in some courts. Although reform was not carried out under his rule, the recommendations of the Royal Commission were carried out in the Marian era. Therefore, the Boulogue treaty coupled with other economic policies and a clear commitment to financial reform demonstrates that Northumberland was an able politician. Northumberland’s economic policies were sound and he should be praised for steering a course out of the economic disaster created by Henry and worsened by Somerset. Indeed, it is arguable that Northumberland set the foundations for stable finances through into the Marian and Elizabethan eras. Elton notes that in Mary’s reign â€Å"financial and administrative recovery †¦ owed nothing to the queen or her policy.† 7 This adds strength to the argument that Northumberland deserves particular credit for his economic policy. Certainly, Elton was unreasonable to ask which of the two did more harm to the country. In doing so Elton comes dangerously close to equating the achievements of the two; however, Northumberland could not be accused of harming the country, particularly in reference to the finances. However, on this issue, it seems that this quote should be taken with a pinch of salt, for, within the same paragraph Elton praised Northumberland’s economic policies. Ignoring that rather peculiar quote, I would concur with Elton’s high acclaim of Northumberland’s financial reforms, which Elton says â€Å"provided the basis for sound finance in the reign of Elizabeth I.† 8 His religious policy resulted in a largely more favourable result than that of Somerset. Northumberland’s policy was clear; the Church of England was to become Protestant. The 1552 Prayer Books changed the services to meet Protestant doctrine and all ‘glamour’ was removed in favour of simplicity. Somerset’s mistake had been to introduce half-hearted, indecisive reform that attempted to appease as many people as possible. By contrast, Northumberland was decisive; arguably, this was a risky strategy as it may have incited catholic rebellion. However, rebellions were small and Northumberland was successful in crushing them. It is clear that his religious policy was, once again, a sign of his political ability. Northumberland had recognised that decisive action would create the stability required after the fast paced and confusing reform of his predecessors. His religious policy has been accused of being harsh; though this may be the case, it was a successful policy. Furthermore, it is arguable that had Mary not usurped the Protestant reformation, Northumberland’s religious policy would have enjoyed the same long-term success as his financial policies. Northumberland’s successful consolidation of the reformation supports Elton’s argument that he showed skill in public affairs 9. Further support for Elton’s assessment of Northumberland’s role comes from his handling of the social unrest. He deserves credit for his handling of the serious law and order problem during his rule. The aftermath of the 1549 rebellions and bad economic situation following Somerset’s fall coupled with three bad harvests and a collapse of the cloth trade meant that Northumberland had serious social unrest and disaffection to deal with. Rather than attempting to control and crush the unrest like Somerset, Northumberland attempted to solve the root problems and therein Northumberland’s greater understanding of the situation is demonstrated. Sheep tax was abolished, enclosure commissions were abandoned, an Act in 1552 protected arable farming and a new poor law meant that Northumberland had a more successful social policy. Furthermore, his success with financial recovery enhanced his efforts at calming dissent largely through reducing inflation. In this regard, though not a humanitarian reformer, Northumberland â€Å"demonstrated a concern for social justice† 10, which was clearly greater than that of Somerset. Again I would support the view of Elton that Northumberland showed political skill demonstrated here by his social policy, which solved the root problems rather than attempting to control the dissent. Therefore, Elton was correct in pointing out the very positive achievements of Northumberland’s reign. He played an important role in halting the financial and religious problems, which were created by Henry and exacerbated by Somerset. This was not a point that Elton expressly put forward, however I think this was a significant part of Northumberland’s role, which should be emphasised. I would also agree with Elton that his financial reforms were influential far past his fall although I would venture to suggest that his religious reform also had an influence in the future, though to a lesser extent, in shaping Elizabeth’s policy 11. There may be an argument, however, to suggest that the assessment of Northumberland’s role in the preceding paragraphs has gone too far to presenting Northumberland as a political genius. It must not be forgotten that Northumberland always had the benefit of hindsight, having seen the failures of Somerset’s reign. His financial, religious and social policies can all be seen as informed by the failures of Somerset’s reign. Whether, for example, Northumberland would have followed the same decisive religious policy had he been the direct successor of Henry is an interesting question. Therefore we must conclude that Northumberland was an apt politician, though certainly not anywhere near a political genius as we must recognise that he was able to learn from Somerset’s reign. It is possible to argue on the exact political abilities of Northumberland and how much advantage hindsight afforded him; however, the fact remains that his achievements were positive. While I may give more credit to Northumberland in some areas of his role, I would concur with Elton’s view that Northumberland was an apt politician. Moreover, his view that â€Å"Northumberland’s rule marked an improvement on Somerset’s† 12 is clearly correct and is supported by other historians, such as Alan Smith: â€Å"Northumberland was a much more realistic and effective ruler than the traditionally overpraised Somerset.† 13 Elton was correct in his assessment of Northumberland as greedy, however he has exaggerated the claim that Northumberland was power hungry. It is clear that this desire for power was present in his character as revealed in the desperate attempt to alter the succession at the end of his rule; nevertheless, it did not dominate his governance as Somerset’s desire for power motivated much of his policy. It is undeniable that during his rule his power and wealth increased significantly. Initially he gave himself the Earldom of Warwick and later became the Duke of Northumberland. He proceeded to make financial gains through land; many of his followers took the liberty to do the same. Clearly, he exploited his position to satisfy his greed and many argued this was at the expense of the King. Therefore, I would not argue with Elton’s view that Northumberland was greedy. His desperate attempt to alter the succession is certainly a sign of a serious desire for power. He attempted in vain to abandon the previous succession acts of Henry’s reign to bypass Mary and Elizabeth and install Lady Jane Grey, through whom Northumberland could retain a high level of power. It was a failure from the outset, he was unable to secure Mary’s arrest and upon the death of Edward the people of England opted unsurprisingly for the rightful heir. It was a dismal end to his governance and certainly evidence of a serious desire for power. However, as evidence of his desire for power, it should be viewed in the context of his whole governance. This was an act of desperation at the end of a rule in which his policies could not be seen as indicative of a thirst for power. Many of Somerset’s policies were methods of control to secure his position; moreover, he had demonstrated his desire for power through continued use of proclamation and a neglect of his council. Northumberland, despite the end of his rule, displayed a far more restrained policy and attitude to government, which leads me to the conclusion that Elton has exaggerated his claims of Northumberland as power hungry. Northumberland restored the Privy Council to its proper position under his guidance and control. Although he did not limit his power to use proclamations, he was much more cautious with their use making sure they were always based on parliamentary statute; furthermore, he made sure he consulted the council. This restrained attitude to government is evidence of him limiting his power and therefore is not demonstrative of desire for power. Of course, one could argue that he had learnt from Somerset’s mistakes and realised that the approach he took was the best way to keep in his council’s favour and thus maintain power. This argument leads to the opposite conclusion that this attitude to government demonstrates his desire for power. However, the fallacy of the latter argument is that his attitude to government led to the retention of his position, not to power. His motivation for this relationship with his council was to remain in his position; the fact remains that throu gh these means his power was limited and therefore it seems that it is more reasonable to accept the former argument. His policy and governance was not indicative of power hunger. Therefore, his desperate attempt to alter the succession coupled with his moderate policy and governance as discussed above lead to the conclusion that he did have a desire for power, but not to the extent that Elton suggested. It is worthy of note that the very nature of Somerset and Northumberland’s rules implies a certain extent of power hunger. Their positions relied upon taking advantage of the political vacuum opened up by the infant monarch. Therefore, I would agree with Elton that Northumberland was greedy, however to say that â€Å"Northumberland was exceedingly ambitious of power† 14 is an exaggeration and is not supported by his record in power. Lastly, it must be noted that though Northumberland may have displayed some unpleasant character traits, this does not infringe upon the success of his reform programmes. In brief conclusion, I agree with Elton’s interpretation of the roles of Somerset and Northumberland to a certain extent. I agree with Elton that Somerset was incompetent and his role did indeed harm the country exacerbating the problems he inherited from Henry. However, Elton’s view of Somerset as a humanitarian reformer is an error. Largely, I concur with Elton’s view of Northumberland although I would give him more credit for dealing with serious problems he faced and leaving a lasting political influence. Furthermore, he was undoubtedly greedy, yet Elton has exaggerated his desire for power. If we ignore the characters of the two rulers, Elton’s general view seems to be that Somerset was damaging whereas Northumberland brought forward marked improvements. In this general sense, I would agree with Elton’s thesis. 1 Elton, G.R. England under the Tudors. p. 208 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. p. 210 4 Ibid. p. 208 5 Heard, N. quoted from Webb, C. â€Å"Was it the policies pursued by Henry VIII that caused ‘the mid-Tudor crisis’?† 6 Elton, G.R. England under the Tudors. p. 210 7 Elton, G.R. England under the Tudors. p. 214 8 Ibid. p. 209 9 Ibid. p. 210 10 Smith, A.G.R. The Emergence of a Nation State. p. 71 11 Anderson, A. and Imperato, T. An Introduction to Tudor England 1485-1603. p. 154 12 Elton, G.R. England under the Tudors. p. 209 13 Smith, A.G.R. The Emergence of a Nation State. p. 73 14 Elton, G.R. England under the Tudors. p. 209

Biblical Worldview Essay Essay

Introduction The Bible is an illustration of God and His love for us. Within the pages that we so effortlessly read, it is our life long journey to embody Christ and adhere to scripture and it’s teachings. The lessons to be learned in life are all encompassed in God’s words. The Bible displays so many lessons on life and how our lives should resemble His love. In this essay, we will examine the scripture of Romans 1-8 as it teaches us in great multitude of how our biblical worldview derives from the various aspects within those chapters. The Natural World God made the heavens and the earth, therefore, any and all acknowledgment of the natural world is a blessing by which He spoke the words of life and it appeared. We give all praise to God for providing such a blissful place to lie before we unite with Him in Heaven. The natural world is distinctively seen throughout Romans but more so in Romans 1:20 where Paul writes, â€Å"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.† This piece of scripture is saying that through all of our doubt in God and His power we can’t deny the fact that the world in which we live in is a product of His power. Without our natural world we would not exist and be able to live and die within our flesh. Our natural world is a showcase in which God shows His presence  within every facet of our natural world. Human Identity â€Å"Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.† Written in Genesis 1:26-27. To identify as humans is to embody Him because God created us in His image and gives us the choice to be Christ-like. To be Christ-like we must connect with Christ in all avenues so that we may die with sinful flesh but forever live in Heaven as an untouchable essence that no sin can corrupt. We are designed in the image of God and it’s our sole purpose to live life and love, as His son Christ loved us. Human Relationships Human relationships are a complex aspect to our lives. If we look at this topic from a biblical worldview then all human relationships and encounters should derive from love and not of hate. Since we are created in God’s image it is only fitting that we pay other humans the same love that we grace in our Lord’s presence. In Romans 5 we read of how humans are destined to be sinful as a result of the original sin but through Christ’s birth and sacrifice we can be born again and be seen through a new light. Romans 6:11 states so clearly, â€Å"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.† We are giving a second chance in living up to God’s image and allowing our human relationships to cultivate as a result of Christ’s love for us. From that point on we are no longer seeking out God’s acceptance but rejoicing in His profound forgiveness. Culture God does not see us as a culture or a race. He identifies us by our faith and saves us by his grace. Within the Roman scripture we see that the Romans  had faltered in their ways and the habits in which they displayed on a regular basis showed God that their culture was full of sin and that sin inevitably forced them to turn away from God. Acknowledging God’s presence but not acting in accordance to His word is a sign of a culture of rebellion and denial. The Romans turned their backs on God and this is not something that you would want God to do. Some cultures seek out God and long to live for Him and as stated from history, there are the lesser fortunate cultures and subcultures that follow their flesh and their minds. Your culture does not define your relationship with God but it can inhabit you from ever having a relationship with Him. Conclusion Throughout life we can identity what our worldviews are and throughout our life with God and the Bible we can stamp our biblical worldviews and share them to the world. The things we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste are all products of our God’s spoken words to create life. We should live everyday of our lives thanking Him for grace. We can be thankful that God created us all in His image and it is our life long pursuit to live Christ-like. Our flesh will always be a burden and let us down because of Adam’s sin yet it is Christ who sacrificed himself and gave us the opportunity to be born again. Our newfound life as a child of God is to live as Christ did and love others as He loves us. God loves us by grace and does not see us as cultures but as individuals whom seek him and love him as Christ does.