Investment Banking in 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Investment Banking in 2008 - Essay Example This paper demonstrates the result of deregulatory measures initiated by the authorities of the United States in the decade of 1990s.The reason for such hype of the deregulatory measures has been primarily the universal bank model. The deregulatory measures allowed the investment banks to participate in the depository functions. The supporters of the deregulations believed that modern day clients preferred to do all of their business ranging from life insurance to commercial lending, from mergers and acquisition advisory to retirement planning, under one roof. And only a deregulated market could allow this to happen. Therefore, replacement of Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 (which prevented depository and brokerage functions) by the Gramm-Leach Bliley in 1999 opened a whole lot of opportunities for the bankers. With the approval to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999, investment banks, insurance companies and commercial banks were equally placed in respect to the products and the markets. This led to the concentration of financial power in fewer hands and soon the investment banks were being absorbed by the commercial banks. The deviation led to the rise in pressure on investment banks to create return on equity compared to the universal banks like Duetsche Bank and as a result investment banks laid more emphasis on the traditional services like M&A, underwriting, sales and trading. Also, the intense competitive pressure led to the withdrawal of Net Capital rule. and SEC allowed unlimited and unregulated leverage (in way of debts) to their brokerage units which proved to be fatal in the long run. Remaining Competitive Against the Trend From the analysis of the case, it appears that Goldman Sachs (and also Morgan Stanley, if not others) could have surely remained competitive without increasing its leverage to boost its return on investment. In fact, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were honest enough at the outset and had written down the losses in residential mortgages and leveraged loans and tried to avoid the excessive exposure to the mortgage industry. But as Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley faced increasing pressure from the investors as their profits eroded and return on equity subsided. Consequently, they decided to be the bank holding companies (under FED regulations) and initiate the depository functions which would allow them to play as commercial banks and have diversified banking operations apart from invest banking functions, which in turn would help them to stay competitive. Collapse of Lehman Brothers but Bear Stearns Saved For the purpose of bail out of Bear Sterns , Federal Reserve lent JP Morgan Chase $ 30 Billion out of which JP Morgan Chase agreed to assume responsibility for $ 1 Billion leaving the charge of other $ 29 Billion to the U.S. tax payers. But when the Lehman Brothers, which had almost 75% higher valuation of the assets (compared to Bear Sterns as on 30/11/2007) approached Federal Reserve they did not get the nod. The prime reason of such a decision by Fed is believed to be the political dominos. The decision makers hesitated to take another bail-out measure

Managing People and Organisations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing People and Organisations - Case Study Example PEST analysis shows that ALSTOM political situation was feeble in 1999 and continued to remain till 2003 until they change their HRM policies to unite the new and old employees. Among the major concerns were lack of funds, updated technology and unskilled labour which they overcome in 2005 by revising their policies and considering social factors on a cultural basis which gained customers' trust and trained their unskilled managers and employees so that they could move with the 'new' labour department. ALSTOM currently should consider economic conditions to be updated on a weekly basis as this would provide the managers with the latest updates to take financial decisions regarding investment and budgeting control. ALSTOM should also sought new ways to lower its' costs and increase its plant's efficiency. ALSTOM unintentionally became dual service business which consisted of a two-fold unit, the existing sector and the newly formed sector. This was the main reason why the industry started engaging in various conflicts. The service sector that was considered 'useless' in ALSTOM was promoted on 'managerial' post while the 'production' unit that consisted of the people who were considered as the real pioneers of the Industry, were merged with the newly formed staff. Any proposal suggested by the new comers and qualified staff was immediately opposed by the existing sector. ... This was the main reason why the industry started engaging in various conflicts. The service sector that was considered 'useless' in ALSTOM was promoted on 'managerial' post while the 'production' unit that consisted of the people who were considered as the real pioneers of the Industry, were merged with the newly formed staff. Any proposal suggested by the new comers and qualified staff was immediately opposed by the existing sector. The conflicts were not limited to the people alone, managers were also involved. Industrial unity began to fragile in the face of multiple pressures; some of them were even brutal which gave rise to the political involvement of managers which widened the potential scope of internal conflict and therefore threatened the basic industrial unity. As a result there started a cold war in two sectors which resisted unity simply as a means of self-protection. (Minkin, 1991, p. 8) The emergence of Uncertainty The existence of 'uncertainty' tended to further reinforce the sense of there being a political sphere distinct from the industrial world which is evident from the development of two distinct centres, the OEM and the newly emerged sector the one growing out of the other seemed to imply the acceptance of two orders and two sets of functions. All of this enhanced the possibility of political and employees' union role-playing in a way that accounts for much of the subtlety and flexibility of the organisational relationship. Walter's management was aware of the fact that ALSTOM was lacking experienced employees; therefore with the formation of OEM, ALSTOM hired capable employees. Inflexibility The more united the organisation, the better is its' structure in terms of flexibility. Walter perceived the two

Concept of suicide

Concept of suicide 1.0 Concept of Suicide 1.1 Background Sir Thomas Browned originates the word suicide in 1642 in his Religio Medici. It was derived from SUI (of oneself) and CAEDES (murder).since then, this word has caused much controversy and evoked many professionals to continuous research and debate upon its definition in various ways from every aspects: medical, social, psychological, administrative, legal, spiritual and religious purposes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Suicide is no longer uncommon in the society and every day, there are people from many walks of life living under the same roof without us knowing what problems they are plagued with. Back centuries, suicide was a taboo subject to be discussed and yet, many are engaged in such behavior although it is believed that most suicide cases are unreported. To some, suicidal actions are glorified especially to cults and religion purposes. As time progresses, the mentality of the society changes along with time and the stigma of suicide is slowly undergoing much debate and understanding. Now, suicide is regarded more of a tragedy instead of ritual because part of the reason is that the society undergoes globalization and no longer practices scarification. Even if there is a minority of tribes who endorses scarification, the groups are negligible throughout the globe. Also, suicide in this era more often is done due to personal reasons; be it mentality, spiritual etc. In 1763, the first attempt was done scientifically by Merian to understand the rationale behind suicide. It is believed that suicide was not perceived as a sin or a crime. Instead, suicide has been regarded as a disease of mankind. After the death of Jean Jacques Rousseau in 1822, which had sequentially and graphically described circumstances of his death, Farlet manages to conduct a first in-depth examination on suicide. This enables better understanding on suicide with broader perspective. A famous psychiatrist, Dr R. Gaupp, says that amongst people committing suicide they possess unique and bizarre personality traits. For the past 50 years, it is concluded by series of researches that suicide begins from the state of mind, coupled with external factors, resulting in suicide. Herein, we will look in depths of suicide amongst Malaysian school students. 1.2 Definition A suicide idea is when one thought of ending ones own life. One thing leads to another, suicide ideas often leads to suicidal attempt and suicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviours are thoughts or tendencies that started off a person and put them at risk for committing suicide. Simply said, suicide is an intentional or voluntary determination to end ones life, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). A suicidal person often closed ones options in life, and looks at another darker side of negativity. To them, dying is a pre-requisite for the end of all sufferings. A famous sociologist, Emile Durkheim whom not only proposes the theory of functionalism but also studied on Suicide, states that: the term suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result (1982, p. 110 [excerpt from Suicide]). 1.3 Description Suicide is not an uncommon issue these days and it is widely discussed in institutions although it is still condemned by the society. Much about discussing facts and truths behind this dark sentiment of life, there are common myths about suicide which we need to eradicate in order to comprehend the problem better we are able to curb this issue. When we listened to people whom talks about suicide, we assumed that these people would not do it since they are open to discussion. To include, people who are open to discussion should not be overlooked because they might also consider the options of suicide since the minds of a person is incomprehensible. In addition, the society views the troubled ones as people whom cannot be saved and are unwilling to seek help. Since they intend to commit suicide, nothing can stop him. These misconstrued assumptions are proven wrong because they are lost and sometimes hope for care and understanding. Indeed, these are individuals whom should not be segre gated. Another notion that should be avoided is that people believed that suicide indicates lack of faith in religion. This is incorrect because there are certain religions which encourage suicide in the name of faith. Thoughts and attempts of suicide as well as committing suicide are major concerns throughout the world and it is still a growing concern amongst the society. Very much obvious, most suicidal case involves adolescents and young teens. The teenage years are one of the most difficult stages in life, as identified by psychologists. Although teenagers are thought to enjoy life without worries of financial stability and mid-life crisis, suicide seems way an inconsiderable option to them since they ought to have no problems at this phase of life besides studying. But many changes in the mind which takes place during puberty can change their identity and their vulnerable self if they may have to cope with a broad range of personal and social obstacles. Since young people are so fragile, they may experience difficulty in dealing with stress. Children prior to puberty had hardly been bothered by suicidal behavior, probably due to their inability to envisage or execute a suicide plan. When puberty hits adolescence, risky psychiatric factors, such as depression and drug abuse become imminent and play a part in contributing to the causes of frequency in suicidal behaviour. Some children especially girls, view the transition from primary to middle school stressful. In addition, as one gets older parental supervision decreases, so teenagers are more likely to engage in unhealthy behavior without their parents consents. Suicide is divided into several commonly used terms to identify its symptoms and causes. Here are the descriptions provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding suicidal terms that needed to be taken into account:- Suicide: a planned act of killing oneself intentionally. The act can be performed by the person with or without the full knowledge or expectation of any fatal outcome. Suicidal attempt: A medical intervention is required in this case, after the person whom intended to end his or her life committed a life-threatening act with a conscious intent. Suicidal gesture: A series of self-threatening behaviour on display, which may be detrimental or non- detrimental. Suicidal idea: The power of mind to thought or set up the process to end ones own life. Suicidal risk: The tendency of ending ones life depends on this characteristic, depending on its presence or absence. Suicidal pact: Two or more people in agreement to die concurrently by committing the act of suicide. Suicidal cluster: People who gather in groups to commit suicide together, usually for a common objective. Suicidal counters: To prevent suicide, this set of factors operates within the individual, family or society. 1.4 Facts and Figures With many reasons believed to be the causes for suicide, facts and figures of statistics below are generally shown to highlight suicide from methods of ending life in different ethnic groups (inference is drawn from analysis of data from suicidal cases from the University Malaya Medical Centre mortuary ) to why it is committed : It is estimated that 450 million people suffered from mental of behavioral disorder. Every year, close to 1 million people committed suicide and 1 in 4 families have at least a member with mental disorder. There are 25 million schizophrenic patients and 50 million who suffer from epilepsy, which About 40 million or 80% are assumed to live in developing countries Most of them lived for 33% of the years with disability are due to neuropsychiatric disorders (depression, alcohol-use disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). From 2000-2004, University Malaya Medical Centre found suicides of 164 male (65%) and 87 female (35%) victims with their ages ranging from 15 to 80 years. The age group with the highest total of cases between 21 to 30 (83 of 251; 33.1%) The highest rate of suicide was among Chinese (ethnic groups) with a total of 120 cases (120 of 251; 47.8%) by using the common method; jumping from height (41%). Whereas, Indians commonly commit suicide by hanging themselves (49 of 87) and poisoning (20 of 37; 54.1%); and Muslims had shown the lowest cases of suicide (18 of 251; 7.2%). 1.5 Types of suicide Collective tendencies have an existence of their own; they are forces as real as cosmic forces, though of another sort; they, likewise, affect the individual from without (Thompson, 1982, p. 109 [excerpt from Suicide]) To separate true suicides from accidental deaths, Durkheim proposed this definition of suicide: the term suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result (1982, p. 110 [excerpt from Suicide]). Then, Durkheim proposes four types of suicide: 1) Egoistic suicide Minimal social integration allows outcasts and segregation of individuals who are not considered fit to be bounded to specific social groups. These individuals are left with little social support or guidance. Thus, tendency to commit suicide increases. For example, students especially girls in schools wanted to belong in groups or so-called cliques. Most of the times, the ones whom are shunned off are the ones to be laughed at and criticized. 2) Altruistic suicide The opposite of egoistic suicide. This type of suicide results from too much of integration. Self-sacrifice is the prominent trait and members of the group were so integrated that they lost their individuality and ever so willing to sacrifice for the groups interest. For example, black metal groups in school do underground sacrificial methods at times in their act of worshipping. 3) Anomic suicide (of moral regulation)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When means were unable to fulfill needs, an imbalance of means and needs arise. i. Acute economic anomie Traditional institutions such as religion and government failed to practise moral restraints on a capitalist society. Hence, the ruling of private individuals to determine ones fate in life. This type of suicide does not apply in Malaysia because it is a democratic country where everyone has the equal rights to flourish in their own ability. ii. Chronic economic anomie Social regulation gradually diminishes after a revolution or urbanization. As a result, traditional social rules deteriorated. Wealth and property was not enough to make individuals happy, as was demonstrated by higher suicide rates among the wealthy than the poor. For instance, richer students gain easier access to drugs because of their high allowance making it affordable for them. Later on, usage of drug substances will lead to suicide (will be discussed later in this topic). This also explains why students in urban schools are more prone to suicide instead of rural area students. iii. Acute domestic anomie   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The inability of an individual to adapt to sudden changes in life results in this suicide. For instance, a student who could not cope the loss of his or her family members might consider suicide as an option to end the suffering. iv. Chronic domestic anomie The way marriage is seen in different regulations and needs for each gender. Bachelors tended to commit suicide at higher rates than married men because of a lack of regulation and established goals and expectations. On the other hand, bachelorettes are lower risk to commit suicide because without marriage, they are not confined to boundaries set by the household. This is not an issue for students in Malaysian schools unless if young girls are married off during schooling. Such cases are rare in Malaysia unless in rural areas like in Sabah or Sarawak. 4) Fatalistic suicide This type of suicide did not receive much attention because it is a rare phenomenon of the real world. People who are over regulated and receive unrewarding lives like the slaves or childless married women might consider suicide. Their future is relies on others to determine. Cases do happened like prostitution or human trafficking, but this type of suicide does not relate much to the field of education. 1.6 Warning signs Rarely, suicide spurs a moment of intense decision, says Dr Suarn Singh, Head of Psychiatry, Ministry of Health Malaysia. More often, there are many clues to look out for to identify school students at risk of mental and social distress and signs leading to the actual attempt, such as: A change in behavior- speech or actions such as constantly saying that I cant go on or I want to end it all. Attitudes or appearance takes a toll on health and individual becomes recluse and not care of how they look usually by not grooming. Behaving recklessly by not taking safety measures, e.g.: crossing the road without looking. Giving away prized possessions and valuable items. Individual may be accompanied with unpredicatable mood swings like crying, self-mutilation and impulsiveness. Identify the distress and dramatic change that affects the students performance in school (e.g.: attendance and behavior) Lack of interest in school, overall decline in performance, misconduct in class, unexplainable absence or truancy. Abuse of substance, smoking or drug (including cannabis). Violent behaviour which sometimes involves the police. 1.7 Risk Factors and Risk Situations When accessing suicide patterns amongst students, all parties including school staffs, families and friends should be aware of the victims behaviour. Repetitive self mutilation should also be taken into note because distraught teenagers tend to repeat their acts. Particular suicide behaviour under circumstances is interdependent with the environment and genetic factors. Various states or neighbouring countries that features factors of cultural, political and economic differences may play a role in risking the youths decisions of suicide. On the other hand, risk situations are hurtful or injurious events which are experienced by the victims. These occurrences may wound the victims personal dignity and self-image. Example, a suicidal student may encounter with peer pressure in school, bullying, disappointment and failure in academic or high expectations from parents during examination. Suicide has become an intense debate, yet, it still remains as an ambiguous subject to fully grasp. A normal person will never understand to what extent these youth will do just to end their lives. Researches were done and found that major risk factors are linked to young people who are plagued with these causes that might have been the reasons leading them to suicide. The major risk factors to include are: Cultural and sociodemographic factors Family pattern and negative life events during childhood Cognitive style and personality Anxiety disorders Substance abuse Eating disorders Psychotic disorders Current negative life events as triggers of suicidal behavior Cultural and sociodemographic factors Different countries are linked to different cultures and demographic structures. In the third world countries, low socioeconomic status, lack of education system and unemployment are risk factors for suicide. Although Malaysia is a developed country and cannot be compared to third world neighbours, suicide still happens rampantly in urban areas, which is developed and suicide rates are expected to be lower instead of a drastic statistics to show. When urbanization enforces competitions, psychological impact of torture may lead to self-conflict between oneself and the society. One is expected to perform to the standards of societys customary demands. Likewise, in Malaysian schools, students are very academic inclined. This is a powerful risk factor for students to be depressed and may resort to self-destruction. Also, students and adolescents whom lack of self-identity and cultural roots may opt for this choice of suicide under stressful environment. That said, Each individual young p ersons growth is intertwined with collective cultural tradition, as stated by World Health Organization (WHO). Since Malaysia is a multiracial country, there are more than one race that plays a greater attribution of gender nonconformity and identity issues. Imagine an Indian girl being placed at a Chinese school with the majority of Chinese, she is hardly accepted into the culture of the majority. When a student begins to fear a serious acceptance problem, they will lack of support in order to experience an optimum growth during that phase of life. Family pattern and negative life events during childhood Personal loss and conflict, associated with parents or romantic attachments are one of the commonest reasons for suicide amongst students. Physical or sexual abuse, family feud played a part in suicide contemplation as well. Usually, suicidal youth will leave a note or tracks that they are about to suicide. Like the diary, short notes of apologies, so on and so forth. More often, suicidal students want to escape the pressure from demands of the environment or from psychological aspects that the truth is a painful unbearable fact to handle. Broken families and traumatic experiences e.g. rape, mental torture, etc. leave a scar for life in the child especially when the child is unable to manage with the aftermaths of trauma. There are evidences that suggest suicidal students often come from destructive families with more than one factor risks. The effects are cumulative and these problems are usually not known because suicides are more likely to refrain from seeking help from others. He re are a few negative aspects to take note of a dysfunctional family that often characterizes cases of suicidal students: Family with the history of suicide. Alcohol and substance abuse member in the family. Abusive family (physically, mentally or sexually). Divorce and separation of family Very high or very low demands of standards from the parents. Lack of attention and care from family members. Cognitive style and personality It is arguable between the relationship of a certain suicidal trait and an array of cognitive style and personality that risk suicides amongst young people. It is generally equivocal and ambivalent because suicidal patterns vary amongst different individuals. The following traits are observed in a suicidal youth, particularly students during adolescence: Instability in mood. Aggressive and needs anger management. Anti-social High impulsiveness Inability to grasp realities and rigid mentality, often in their own world of illusion. Great feeling of worthlessness and despair. Anxiety and inferiority. Provocative behaviour towards others including family and classmates. Ambivalent relationships with the society (family, friends, people). Suicidal behaviour is overrated amongst school children and adolescents with the following psychiatric disorders: Anxiety disorders and Depression It is known from studies that have proven the connection between anxiety disorder and suicide. Whilst traits of anxiety appear to be independent of depression, its effect always leads to psychosomatic symptoms if not treated. Unlike depression, anxiety disorder is prominent to detect and victim will always shows signs of worries and unhappiness with themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discussion about depression should be taken seriously. Depression is often beyond recognition. Students may seem fairly disappointed or angry at minor disturbances and may never considered suicide. But if the symptoms of depression last for more than a week or so without improvement, help is needed. The signs of depression noticed amongst students or youth include: Utter degree of sadness Gradual withdrawal from everything. Student becomes recluse and isolated. School performance dropped with no apparent reasons. Loss of interest in activities that student used to enjoy. Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness Lack of motivation. Differences in sleeping habits and fatigue. Change in appetite and eating patterns. Self-neglect and self-hatred. Physical complaints, sad thoughts or death. Anger management needed for reckless attitude and temper. Substance abuse. Restlessness and agitation with one self or others. School students with depression symptoms oftentimes present anti social behavior and both are precursor to suicide. It is noticed that depressed female student will be more silent and withdrawn from others, whereas on their male counterpart, students of that gender becomes aggressive and disrupted and seek a great deal of attention. Prior to that, students can kill themselves too without having to be depressed and they can also be in a state of depression without killing themselves. Substance abuse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students who abused alcohol and drugs are often linked to suicide. Teenagers are oftentimes found to have committed the act of suicide after consuming the substances. Sometimes, students used these substances to ease their stress and depression. In another case, youth whom have never thought of suicide may have done so after taken alcohol because alcohol suppresses rationale thinking. Simply, their actions are based on an impulsive act which leads them to ending their lives even so they might never have contemplated suicide when they are sober. Eating disorders Eating disorders happen mostly to the female genders whom are dissatisfied with their own bodies. In the eye of the society, thin slender girls are objects of desire. The media often portrays catwalk models, who are skinny and scrawny. In schools, fat students are always being sneered and jeered as well as being outcast. Anorexic and bulimic girls are susceptible towards depression and suicide risk for anorexics are as much as 20 times more than youth in general. Psychotic disorders Albeit, we hardly heard of Malaysian students suffering from severe psychiatric disorders like the schizophrenia or manic-depressive disorder, those affected are still in jeopardy with suicide risks. But most psychotic youths started off with other risk factors, such as excessive smoking and substance abuse. Current negative life events as triggers of suicidal behavior As aforementioned due to inherited genetic factors, destructive families and negative aspects in life, students of this age find themselves susceptible towards suicide because when current negative life events happen in concurrent with their condition they find it difficult to cope furthermore. This susceptibility makes it difficult to cope with negative life events adequately, and that said, stressful life events precede suicide. They reminds of the student of sense of hopelessness and despair. 2.0 How Schools can Prevent Suicide Usually, suicidal students hardly attempt suicides within the school compound. But when the outbreak of a students suicide takes place, even off schools territory, the news will shock others, causing extreme emotional distress amongst students, staff, and parents whilst school activities will come to halt for weeks before it is resumed. Hence, schools play an important role for preventing suicides. Many young students whom are affected by mood disorders or substance abuse later on contemplate suicide. Whilst the other emotional setbacks linked to suicide includes conduct disorders, aggression, split personality disorder, and intense feeling degree of hopelessness (Berman, Jobes, and Silverman, 2006). Here, the schools responsibility and roles to play are summarized by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) (Poland and Lieberman, 2003): 2.1 Detection/ Awareness School administration and staff personnel should take note of students behaviour for signs of suicide. Interaction on a regular basis is encouraged amongst the school and students. School counselor must play his or her responsibility in helping problematic students before any occurrence of suicide. 2.2 Parent notification When awareness is created, any changes in attitudes or suspicious acts arise the school should update the parents or guardian of students. Face to face discussion is recommended to come about ways of preventing the student from suicide, which includes close supervision or referral to professionals. Also, a record of victims parent and victim should be kept confidential. 2.3 Support for students at risk of suicide The school, psychologists and counselors, should monitor and support suicidal students. Counseling and follow-up services shall be recommended. 2.4 School-Based Suicide Prevention Programs Schools should train teachers and staffs to help recognize students at risk of suicide. This can be done through training and appropriate mechanisms necessary. These mechanisms include a series of programs specially designed to counteract suicidal risks. Schools must heed these vital steps to control suicide among their students: Ø School-based suicide prevention program and school-based mental health services Health screening, mental health survey and educational activities are carried out at school level to help students recognize and seek help when needed. Programs like health promotion program and risk prevention can be effective if made comprehensive to students. Ø Suicide prevention gate keeping program People who have regular interaction and contact with students in school are teachers. They need to know how to recognize students behavioural patterns and warning signs. Also, teachers need to be actively involved in dialogue to explore the risk of suicide amongst students and to ensure that the victim must receive proper guidance and treatment when it is necessary. Records must be kept up to date and problematic students must be scrutinized. Ø School crisis preparation and response plan This prepares the school in the case of emergency, from natural disaster to violence within the school. The school crisis preparation plan should include procedures of preventing self-destructive students as well as students in the midst of contemplation. Also, guidance must be taken into account as a reference for teachers and staffs to respond such cases when such tragedy arises. Ø Postvention Such term is used to measure preventions to be implemented after a tragedy takes place. The purpose of this program is to lessen the risk of those witnesses to be affected directly after the incident. Suicide or unexpected death of another student can result in a traumatized individual. This program includes grief counseling for students and school party. Postvention helps to identify other students whom may be at risk after a trauma, and to support students. Sometimes, school works with the media to ensure such coverage of news does not lead to additional risks of suicide. 3.0Suggestions: A guide for Teachers and School Staffs It takes time for a student to attempt suicide. Rarely, suicide occurs out of sudden with no warning. Most cases, teachers and members of the society who observe the victim on a daily basis is able to distinguish a behaviour of norm and suicidal. The following are three (3) steps of prevention: before, during and after a suicide: 3.1 General prevention: before any suicidal incident Early recognition helps save lives. Experts advised that it is not a wise approach to teach about suicide explicitly. Rather, they recommend tackling this problem by replacing issues of suicide with a positive mental health approach. a) Mental health of schoolteachers and other school staff Teachers are the role model in any causes. A positive teacher is able to change the outlook of a persons perspective in a brighter light. Hence, strengthening the mental health of a teacher only can he or she guides the students into the correct path in life. b) Students self-esteem Positive self-esteem is vital to protect students against suicide. One with topnotch of esteem will cope better with stress even how difficult ones situation may be. To nurture positivity amongst the students, a few rules should not be taken lightly. Firstly, students must never been pressured constantly to fare better than other students. They must always look on the brighter side of life experiences in order to forge a positive identity. Every student should be cherished as who they are and be accepted for what they are. In addition, the school should work on introducing life skills by having experts giving talks and later on assimilate a positive workshop as part of the curriculum. Most importantly, the programme is able to send out messages of knowledge to peers on how to be supportive and seek help if necessary. Plus, the school should revise and review the education system to enhance the development of every student holistically. c) Emotional expression Students should learn on how to express their emotions appropriates and to take charge of how they feel seriously. When things gone awry, they should confide in parents, teachers, adults, doctor, friends or even religious advisors. d) Bullying and violence at school Issues on bullying have been a serious matter for ages since bullying make suicide seemed more pleasant to students to escape from humiliation and personal dignity. Because the victim could not determine what others had done to him/her, the victim had only his own life to control. Thus, specific skills should be taught in schools to prevent bullying and violence. This way, only the school can provide a sanctuary for safety and intolerance of the negative aspects. e) Information about care services In Malaysia, Befrienders are not unfamiliar to the society these days. Students should be aware about the availability of these services and by making it accessible to the young people, so that they can utilize the help lines in the case of crisis and psychiatric emergency. To include, there are over 240 Health Centres nationwide in Malaysia that have psychiatric units and also counseling unit for help. The latest news up to date, Prof Hu

Modern Western Thought :: essays research papers

Modern Western though has been shaped by emphasis on scientific thinking and reasoning from the time of Copernicus, Galileo and Newton. The scientific revolution gave birth to a new era of thought, in which observations were made to support an idea. This involved what man could prove through sense, not religion or superstition. Notable ancient Greek historians, philosophers and scientists, such as Thucydides, Socrates, Aristotle, and Hippocrates, laid down the seeds of modern Western thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An ancient Greek writer who demonstrated modern scientific objectivity was Thucydides. Over time, this type of scientific objectivity has become a valuable tool of modern Western thought. The vividness and detail of Thucydides’ description of the effects of the plague is striking. A doctor today would be very impressed by the accuracy and detailed description of the plague: â€Å"Externally the body was not very hot to the touch, nor was there any pallor: the skin was rather reddish and livid, breaking out into small pustules and ulcers.† This precise description of the plague would be comparable to any description written today. The scientific objectivity demonstrated by the ancient Greeks had a direct influence on our medical, and non-medical, description today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many ancient Greeks such as Socrates used logic, another invaluable tool of modern Western thought. Socrates, by asking simple questions, was able to draw answers from people that supported his argument. By thinking a problem through, step-by-step, Socrates was able to formulate answers to a problem or question. This laid down the foundation for modern logic. â€Å"Not at all, my dear Agathon. It is truth that you find impossible to withstand; there is never the slightest difficulty in withstanding Socrates.† This shows that Socrates merely saw himself as a guide to logic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle, one of the very first scientists, used evidence to support his claims. Today, any argument made must be supported by evidence. Any argument not supported by evidence is not accepted as fact. Aristotle’s use of evidence made his arguments strong and convincing, even if he was quite wrong. When Aristotle writes â€Å"Again, if the earth as a whole is capable of floating upon water, that must obviously be the case with any part of it. But observation shows that this is not the case. Any piece of earth goes to the bottom, the quicker the larger it is† he is able to prove his point by the use of evidence. The method in which Aristotle supported his arguments is constantly used today as it shows that the point one is arguing is true. Modern Western Thought :: essays research papers Modern Western though has been shaped by emphasis on scientific thinking and reasoning from the time of Copernicus, Galileo and Newton. The scientific revolution gave birth to a new era of thought, in which observations were made to support an idea. This involved what man could prove through sense, not religion or superstition. Notable ancient Greek historians, philosophers and scientists, such as Thucydides, Socrates, Aristotle, and Hippocrates, laid down the seeds of modern Western thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An ancient Greek writer who demonstrated modern scientific objectivity was Thucydides. Over time, this type of scientific objectivity has become a valuable tool of modern Western thought. The vividness and detail of Thucydides’ description of the effects of the plague is striking. A doctor today would be very impressed by the accuracy and detailed description of the plague: â€Å"Externally the body was not very hot to the touch, nor was there any pallor: the skin was rather reddish and livid, breaking out into small pustules and ulcers.† This precise description of the plague would be comparable to any description written today. The scientific objectivity demonstrated by the ancient Greeks had a direct influence on our medical, and non-medical, description today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many ancient Greeks such as Socrates used logic, another invaluable tool of modern Western thought. Socrates, by asking simple questions, was able to draw answers from people that supported his argument. By thinking a problem through, step-by-step, Socrates was able to formulate answers to a problem or question. This laid down the foundation for modern logic. â€Å"Not at all, my dear Agathon. It is truth that you find impossible to withstand; there is never the slightest difficulty in withstanding Socrates.† This shows that Socrates merely saw himself as a guide to logic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle, one of the very first scientists, used evidence to support his claims. Today, any argument made must be supported by evidence. Any argument not supported by evidence is not accepted as fact. Aristotle’s use of evidence made his arguments strong and convincing, even if he was quite wrong. When Aristotle writes â€Å"Again, if the earth as a whole is capable of floating upon water, that must obviously be the case with any part of it. But observation shows that this is not the case. Any piece of earth goes to the bottom, the quicker the larger it is† he is able to prove his point by the use of evidence. The method in which Aristotle supported his arguments is constantly used today as it shows that the point one is arguing is true.

Buddhism in America

Buddhism is above all the religion of illumination. It seeks to aid those who study and practice at its feet to break throughout all that can fetter or delude in the monarchy of conditioned reality, and become free in Nirvana, Unconditioned Reality. Buddhism does this by leading one to identify the Four Noble Truths the Buddha himself discovered some twenty-five hundred years ago on the eve of his enlightenment. Beneath the numerous sectarian forms and rich accruals the faith of the Enlightened One has acquired in its journeys through numerous cultures and many centuries, Buddhism eventually depends on these principles.First, life as it is typically lived is unsatisfactory, shot through with anxiety, suffering, and insignificance. Second, this state is the result of attachments or desires, for in a universe of frequent flux and change, seeking to cling to anything from the grossest passion to the subtlest idol of the mind to the idea of being a permanent separate self can never bring anything but sorrow in the end. Third, the condition of suffering and desire can be struck at its point of origin ; there can be an end to desire. Fourth, that can be attained by following the Eightfold Path, which culminates in Right Concentration or Meditation.For meditation is the condition of mind that reverses the mind's ordinary outflow toward entangling objects of sensory or mental attachment. Zen has been the best-known form of Buddhism in America. This is first of all since it has been fortunate in producing a remarkable series of advocates on these shores: Soyen Shaku, Nyogen Senzaki, above all D. T. Suzuki. That in turn owes to Zen's relative tolerance and emphasis on humanistic culture and education in its homelands, and its relation to China and Japan's great custom of arts and letters.But it is also no doubt true that no other account of Buddhism would have communicated itself quite so well to the American mind. Zen's boast of breaking through words and philosophies i n favor of â€Å"direct pointing† and â€Å"immediate experience,† its artistic minimalism and rapport with nature, all appealed to major strands of American consciousness. â€Å"Senzaki, certainly, considered Zen none other than the American practicality of William James or John Dewey in another guise† Rick Fields, 1992, p14.Yet that other guise was not without significance, for while Zen could hark to the American images of ease and self-reliance, it also offered entree into another world of spiritual and cultural wonders, from the inscrutable Zen â€Å"riddles† or koans to the Zen-related martial arts. Zen's draw for Americans has lain first in its spiritual efficiency, second in its combination of otherness and homeliness. Its greatest spokesman in the West, D. T. Suzuki, like his disciple Alan Watts, subjugated the mix with a sure hand, offering the reader now a whiff of the exotic, now a supportive correlation with a motif of the West.Different aspe cts of Zen have appealed to diverse segments or generations of Americans. The age of Soyen Shaku and Senzaki Nyogen was, to judge from their own words, eager to hear of the sensibleness of Buddhism as well as its pointing to that beyond all reason. In the 1950s, the image of the â€Å"Zen lunatic† came to the fore in the work of such â€Å"Beat† writers as Jack Kerouac, who summed it all up in The Dharma Bums. The 1960s and 1970s, the era of the great Zen centers and the counterculture, was involved in Zen as a spiritual discipline and total, often communalistic, way of life.All through, still others, from poets like Gary Snyder to composers like John Cage, have been mostly interested in the relation of the Zen vision to artistic creativity. The tensions of these varying Zens are well spoken, and perhaps resolved, in the essay by Alan Watts here reproduced, Beat Zen, Square Zen, and Zen. Whether in tragic conflict or massively lucrative trade, seldom have two nations o f such diverse cultural heritage been as intensely involved in one another's lives as have Japan and the United States in the twentieth century.The diffusion of Zen to America, though but a tiny fragment of that exchange, helps divulge the spiritual dimensions, too seldom yet appreciated, of this significant meeting. From a historical perspective, American Buddhism is also an era making undertaking. One of the great spiritual traditions of Asia is moving west. For about four hundred years, western missionaries, explorers, scholars, and seekers explored Asia, wondered about Buddhism, and studied it. A few even practiced it.The foundation for the transmission of the dharma to the West was ready by many people over many years, but the appearance of the dharma as a significant element in American religion is a development that by comparison occurred only very lately. During the eighties and nineties, many Americans were debating amongst themselves what Buddhism was in this country and w hat they required it to be. They came up with many diverse ideas about how to form American forms of the dharma, so there is not a single answer to that question, nor is there likely ever to be.There is not one American Buddhism, any longer than there is one American Judaism, Islam, or Christianity. Zen meditation is valuable among Americans, Western associate with Zen has now reached a point where an understanding of the larger historical framework within which Zen articulated itself is also necessary. Such an understanding is significant not only for a more balanced academic view, but also for a more staid appraisal of the meaning of Zen practice for modern American life. The fundamental character of Zen emerged as part of a complex dialectic within Buddhism, and we cannot understand Zen until we realize what it is critiquing.If we take its statements out of their Buddhist context and construe them instead within our own cultural context, they are apt to mean something quite diver se, particularly in the realm of ethics. Zen's iconoclasm had a different meaning within a cultural context where Buddhist moral teachings were extensively affirmed than it does today to contemporary Americans who lack any such background and who are perhaps already suffering from an excess of moral relativism (Rick Fields, 1992, 194). Buddhist meditation developed and practiced in East Asia.It thus seeks to balance our acquaintance with Zen meditation which, as it is the only East Asian practice with which many Westerners are familiar, is often held up as the archetypal form of East Asian Buddhist meditation by placing it alongside other, evenly representative and vital forms of meditation: the invocation of the Buddha's name (nien-fo) in Pure Land; visualization (as exemplified by Hsuan-tsang's visualization of Maitreya); and Chih-i's monumental T'ien-t'ai synthesis of Buddhist ritual, cultic, and meditation practices.Meditation has been a notoriously vague and multivalent ideaâ⠂¬â€a circumstance that stems, no doubt, from its comparative lack of elaboration and systematization in the Western religious traditions, particularly in their post-Enlightenment forms. That the concept lacks any clearly defined and usually accepted referent in our own general cultural experience does not restrict its attractiveness indeed, it in fact enhances it. Meditation is a very useful category in particular as it can be understood in so many ways.In America it is believed that we should employ â€Å"meditation† in the broadest possible sense in the same sense that we find Buddhists using the term â€Å"dhyana† to include both samatha-bhavana and vipasyana-bhavana (Kapleau, Philip, 1980). There are two reasons for doing this both significant, and both inextricably consistent. First, we must recognize that such an inclusive conception of meditation is required if we are not to obscure what is most distinctive and characteristic about the Buddhist viewpoint on re ligious practice.Second, only by coming to terms with what is distinguishing and characteristic in Buddhist culture can we gain a better understanding of ourselves. The understanding we seek must not only inform our perception of the alien culture; it should also change our own experience, the understanding of our own culture. The true value of any cross-cultural exploration, after all, lies not in how successful we are in reducing the alien culture to the terms of our own experience.True understanding, rather, is born only when we should expand our own perspective to hold what initially appears to be alien. Yoga is also very significant type of meditation that is very popular among Americans. In yoga, lengthy meditations lead first to the telepathic powers such as those the Buddha attained and eventually to the realization of the illusoriness of all material appearances. In the Yogacara view, there is a sense in which any experience is just as real as any other, whether actually in ternal and hallucinatory or ostensibly external and objective.All that is eventually real and continuous of the individual is the pure subject, the mind store (alaya-vijnana), although it, too, changes. â€Å"It is this mind store, or alaya-vijnana, that experiences, judges, contemplates, and remembers, thus comprising a locus of identity and continuity through many obvious bodies, or lifetimes†. Ellwood, Robert, 1986. It might well be argued that the alaya-vijnana concept is just a rehabilitation of the old Hindu notion of atman, without the persistence on its ontological permanence and immutability.The early Buddhist perspective says that phenomenon are all that exist and that the apparent self is dogged by the phenomena that it encounters. The Yogacara philosophy, by contrast, says that mind is all that exists, and all obvious phenomena are merely its own projections. Coupled with the belief in medium teachings, the concept that all is only mind has tremendous implications for Vajrayana Buddhism. If all is only mind, the procedure of death and rebirth is no longer an inevitable feature of an external reality to which all must submit.It then becomes unnecessary to actually undergo a long succession of lifetimes, for by changing one's conscious thoughts, the whole succession can be broken or abridged. Even the law of karma is elevated to a completely different level. No longer are physical actions seen as having expected physical effects. Rather, mental acts are the only acts that have any effects at all, either in actually external happenings or in apparently internal feelings and visions.Karmic determination of an individual's future good or ill can thus also be evaded or aborted by mental purification and concentration. Mantras, mudras, and samadhi are requisite to affect this change of consciousness necessary to attain nirvana. Here, too, the Vajrayana departs from conventional Samkhya Yoga, in allowing the consumption of meat and wine, and even in tercourse with women, encouraging at each step the understanding that none of these phenomena are ultimately real.Under the tutelage of a Vajrayana Lama (guru), the student expects to develop psychic powers, to leave his body, and to experience the Absolute in reverie. Thus, he will prepare himself for the moment of death when he will direct his consciousness out of his body and into final union with Truth (dharmakaya), rather than permitting any further cycles of rebirth. Though, many Americans think that Zen is a Buddhist tradition without formal ritual, which is not actually the case.Zen was first introduced into this country in books that led lots of Americans to think of it as a philosophy rather than a spiritual tradition along with concepts of meditations especially yoga. People also be apt not to think of Zen sitting meditation, while a practitioner might face a wall or sit with downcast eyes for hours, as ritual activity. But every day or even twice-daily stints of yoga, du ring which a practitioner notes the movement of his or her mind, help to structure the lives of numerous American Buddhists, one of the primary functions of rite.In America, Zen calls up particular genus of art and verse, ink wash, tea ceremonies, haiku poetry, whose special genius is to portray nature just as it is, without theory or theology, yet so vividly as to leave one deeply moved without being quite sure why. Work Cited Ellwood, Robert, ed. Zen in American Life and Letters. Los Angeles : Undena Press, 1986. Kapleau, Philip. The Three Pillars of Zen. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1965, rev. ed. 1980. Rick Fields, How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America, 3rd rev. ed. ( Boston: Shambhala, 1992), 194.

How Each Piece of Legislation Will Influence Working Practices in the Setting? Essay

The Children Act 1989 has influenced setting by bringing together several sets of guidance and provided the foundation for many of the standards practitioners adhere to and maintain when working with children. The Act requires that settings work together in the best interests of the child and that they form partnerships with parents and carers. It requires settings to have an appropriate adult: child ratios and policies and procedures on child protection. This Act has an influence in all areas of practice within setting. For example; planning. 2. ) Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995)- The DDA states: â€Å"settings are required to make reasonable adjustments by either changing policy, providing alternative ways to access a provision, or by addressing physical features which make a service impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use. † (www. hse. gov. uk/disability/law. htm) This means that settings must make their provision more accessible. For example; by having downstairs toilets, wider doors and ramps to the front doors. . ) Children Act 2004 – This Act was introduced as a result of the death of Victoria Climbie and was the introduction of ‘Every Child Matters’ which ensures the wellbeing of children through its five outcomes. The Every Child Matters framework has influenced settings by giving them and other childcare settings a duty to find new ways of working together by sharing information and working co-operatively to protect children from harm. 4. ) Human Rights Act 2000 – This Act has had a huge impact in current legislation in the UK. Under the Act it was agreed that children would have the same rights as adults which means children have the right to dignity, respect and fairness in the way that they are treated. In terms of working with children the articles that relates to this Act are Article 8 which is about the right to privacy, Article 10 the right to freedom of expression and Article 14 discrimination. This legislation has also affected the main principles which underpin working with children. 5. ) Race Relations Act 1976 – The Race Relations Act 1976 aims to express ethnic discrimination. In 2000 there was an amendment to the Race Relations Act which reinforced some of the necessities of the earlier legislation and make settings work towards racial equality. In practice this means that a setting must be alert on how they promote their service, recruit staff and make the provision accessible to all. Following the Act, â€Å"the Commission for Racial Equality was established in order to help enforce the act, and also to advise the Government and others on issues concerning it.