Analysing Jamaican Creole Through English Language Essay

Analysing Jamaican Creole Through English Language Essay Creoles can be generally defined as genuinely mixed languages, which emerged from the blending together of two or more different languages and became the mother tongue of a new generation of speakers, acquiring the full range of communicative functions that a native language needs (Svartvik 2006: p.183). Most creoles developed as a result of colonialism and lived side by side with the dominant language. As a consequence, these contact varieties were reduced to lower functions and seen as deviant or broken forms of the language from which they derived. Nevertheless, since postcolonial times, there has been a shift towards the recognition and acceptance of national languages and identities, which has given rise to a new status and opportunities for those stigmatised varieties (Schneider 2007). Jamaican Creole, generally known as Patwa, can be considered as a good example of English-based creole which has begun to overcome stigma around its use and be recognised as a fully developed lan guage, as well as a symbol of Jamaican identity ( Schneider 2010: p.102). Jamaican Creole has its origins in the late 17th century, when British colonised the territory (1655) and imported slaves from West Africa to work in the plantations. Those Africans soon started to outnumber white population and became the linguistic models of the new slaves, contributing with this to spread the creole (Schneider 2007). During the decades of colonialism, Jamaica ´s language and culture were dominated by the British norms. In this sense, Standard English was considered as the highest variety, acquired through formal education and used in public and formal context (Devonish and Harry 2008: p. 256); for its part, Jamaican Creole was stigmatised as a bastardized distortion of English, to be avoided at all costs in public discourse (Schneider 2010: p.102). After independence in 1962, a sense of nationalism emerged and led to new attitudes towards Jamaica ´s national culture and language. However, this way for acceptance was not easy and Jamaicans had to fight against prejudices and an exonormative orientation which favoured the Standard variety without taking into account realities of language use and the Jamaicans ´ identity (Schneider 2007: p.234). The figure of Louise Bennett may be used to represent the spirit of this period and can help us to understand the current linguistic situation in Jamaica. Therefore, taking one of the Bennett ´s most famous poems Back to Africa (1966), we are going to analyse the features of Jamaican Creole, as well as the reason that led the poet to use this variety and the ideas she wanted to transmit. The poem deals with a girl, called Miss Mattie, who wants to go back to Africa because she thinks that her homeland is there. The poetic voice develops a group of arguments to try to persuade the girl not to emigrate to that continent and, at the same time, offers the reader a good description of Jamaica ´s essence. Firstly, Bennett presents Jamaica ´s population as a combination of different cultures: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) you great great great/ Granma was African/ But Mattie, doan you great great great/ Granpa was Englishman? (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)/ You whole generation (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)/ oonoo all is Jamaican! According to Holm (2000: p.93): Ethnic origin of the population in the 1960 census was 76% African, 15% Afro-European, 3.5% East Indian, 1% European, 1% Chinese and 3% other. Nowadays, it is estimated that over 90% of Jamaica ´s population are of African origin (Schneider 2008: p.610). Secondly, the poet alludes to Jamaicans ´ facial features and colour, which reflect their African heritage and distinguish them from English people: oh, you view the countenance/ and between you an de Africans/is great resemblance!. Therefore, Bennett introduces in this poem the defining characteristics of the Jamaican population: their cultural melting pot and their strong African roots. Finally, the poetic voice claims that the girl does not need to look for her homeland because Jamaica is already her home: you dah go fe seek you homelan/ for a right deh so you deh!. In this sense, the poet considers that the real homeland is the place where one is born, rather than the country of ancestral origins. In the same vein, Bennett also seems to encourage Jamaicans to accept their African heritage and make the island their own home, as it is the only way to achieve self-identification: do Sure a whe you come from so you got/ somewhe fe come back to! Regarding the language, the poem is entirely written in basilectal creole. Jamaican Creole has West African languages as its substrate (Startvik 2006: p. 183); which means that languages from Akan, Kwa and Buntu families are likely to have influenced part of Jamaican basic grammar and pronunciation (Patrick 2008: p.610). In this sense, as it can be seen in the poem, Jamaican Creole shares several characteristics with the rest of Atlantic Creoles and differs in some aspects from the English grammar. Firstly, in Jamaican Creole, tense and aspect are not marked by inflectional morphology, but by context. Therefore, neither the third person singular -s nor the past form of the verb come were found in the poem: Ef the whole worl start [`starts ´] fe go back/ whe dem great granpa come [`came ´] from!. In the same vein, progressive aspect is only signalled by pre-verbal dah (you no know wha you dah seh?) and the base form of the verb is used to express participle function in do/Sure a whe you come [`have come ´] from (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦); however, non-concord was appears in the poem to express the past form of the verb to be: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) you great great great/ Granma was Africa. Secondly, auxiliary verbs were not found in interrogative or negative sentences. Negation is marked by means of the preverbal negator no, both in negative declaratives sentences and in imperative ones. The use of no is a distinctly creole feature (Scheneider 2010: p.106), which is also very common in other languages, such as Spanish, and can be seen in the early stages of the grammar of second language learners, as well as in child language acquisition. Other negative structures are the use of doan in negative tags (But Mattie, doan you great great great/ Granpa was Englisman?) and the presence of double negations (But no tell nobody say); which is a feature that appears not only in other creoles, but also in other non-standard English varieties (Schneider 2010: p.106). Regarding pronouns, first and second personal forms were found: Me, you, oonoo (`unu ´) and also interrogative pronouns; such as weh/whe (`where ´), as well as the possessive form who-fa (`whose ´). Furthermore, as Patrick (2008: p.633) claims, bare personal pronouns sometimes fulfil possessive functions; in this sense, you can refer to the personal pronoun you or to the possessive you: Ef a hard time you dah run from/Tek you (`your ´) chance!. In the same manner, a single preposition can also cover a range of functions (Schneider 2010: p.106): Mus go back a (`to ´) Englan, de balance a (`of ´) you family. The use of a single form playing several roles is a characteristic that all the linguistic systems possess as a result of applying one of the most fundamental principles of the language: economy. Another feature of Jamaican Creole is the lack of grammatical suffixes (Schneider 2010: p.106). In this sense, possessive -s is avoided and, as Patrick (2008: p.633) says, possession can be expressed by juxtaposition (possessor+ possessed), as in great granmader fader, or by the use of the preposition a (`of ´), as in de balance a you family. In the same vein, plural of nouns are generally not marked or they are expressed by means of the morpheme dem, although it was not found in this poem; rather, Louise Bennett alternates zero-marking of plural (American), very common in basilectal speech, with the plural allomorph -s (Africans), which is closed to mesolectal and acrolectal forms. Finally, it is necessary to point out the use of passive meanings in active form (as in oonoo all barn dung a Bun Grung), as well as the use of fe (`to ´) as the infinitive marker and the presence of say and seh as the complementizer (correspoding to that) to introduce a finit object clause after verb s of thinking or talking (Schneider 2010: p. 106): Me know say dat [`I know that ´] (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Apart from the grammar, the manner in which some words were written contributes to reflect locally pronunciation features. In this sense, it was found that the diphthong /ei/, as in `take ´, is monophthongized, giving rise to the form tek. In the same manner, fricatives [ÃŽÂ ¸], [ÃÆ' °] and [Ê’]  do not exist in Jamaican creole (Devonish and Harry 2008: p. 285); therefore, they are substituted by stops (Schneider 2010: p.105), as in the case of dat (`that ´), fader/mader (`father ´/`mother ´) or den (`then ´). Finally, as in other varieties, word-final or syllable-final consonant clusters are usually omitted (Schneider 2010: p.105); this can be seen in words as granpa/granma (`grandpa ´/ `grandma ´), an (`and ´), mus (`must ´) or homelan (`homeland ´). Writing her poems in Jamaican Creole and talking about a national identity, Louise Bennett shows her commitment to a language and a culture that have been undervalue and marginalised throughout time. In this sense, she demonstrates that Jamaican Creole is neither a broken or deficient variety, but, as it was analysed, one fully developed language with its own grammar and vocabulary (Svartvik 2006: p. 176) and; consequently, as able as the Standard English to express the whole range of human experiences, thoughts and emotions. Figures as Louise Bennett contributed to instil pride in Jamaican ´s national language and culture; that is why, nowadays the linguistic situation in this country is totally different from past decades. Although, Standard English is expected to be the variety used in official contexts and by educated speakers (Schneider 2007), most Jamaicans speak a kind of mesolect, a variety which is midway on the continuum between creole and the standard language (Svartvik 2006: p.181) and they moved towards acrolectal or basilectal forms depending on several factors, such as the formality of the context or the social relationship between the interlocutors (Schneider 2007). This lack of correspondence between expectations and reality has led to more tolerant attitudes which have result in new education policies, more presence of creole in political and literary contexts, as well as in the media. Furthermore, attempts to codify the variety with the elaboration of grammars (Cassidy) and dictionari es (Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage) reflect the efforts to make Jamaican Creole an official language (Schneider 2007). However, fifty years after the political independence, some prejudices and debates about the use of Creole still remain and it is only in the power of Jamaicans to make creole a stronger language and a symbol of their identity. Modal verbs, such as mus (`must ´), and the infinite marker fe (`to ´) were also found in the poem, both fulfilling the same function as in Standard English.

Hannah’s Prayer

DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY OT NARRATIVE LITERATURE: 1 Samuel 1:1-28 BIBLE STUDY SUBMITTED TO DR. BLACKABY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE APPLIED HERMENUTICS THEO 5313 01 GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP BY Glenda Juarez DALLAS, TEXAS February 19, 2013 Outline for the bible study * Introduction * Context of the Bible Study * Literary Context * Historical Context * Characters * Content of the Bible Study * Exegetical Notes * Theological Principles Application of the Bible Study * Bibliography INTRODUCTION 1 Samuel is one the two books that have his name, the firsts chapters describes event as his birth, his childhood, his calling and develops his important place in history as a prophet to introduce people like Saul and David that will mark the history of Israel in such a great way. We are focusing on the first chapter of 1 Samuel, which shows us the background of Samuel’s birth through his father Elkanah and his mother Hannah.Scholars agree that is not reve aled with precision the author of 1 and 2 Samuel, but according to the Scriptures is believed that the prophets Samuel, Nathan and Gad were authors of these wonderful events in the history of the Bible. Samuel became a man of God used for his glory, but before this happened, he was consecrated by his mother Hannah, a woman of God and faith. This first chapter will help us to learn from each character in this passage and to apply principles and to give steps of faith in our own lives. CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE STUDY Literary Context: The first chapter of 1 Samuel opens the introduction of a family, of a woman who is added to the list of many other women in the Bible that could not have children. The main character in this chapter is Hannah, a woman deeply broken for not having children. * The first chapter of 1 Samuel follows Judges. â€Å"The last chapters of the book of Judges, with their refrain, there was no king in Israel, (Jdg. 21:25) prepares the way for new developments in Israel ’s leadership†. * The time at Israel was crucial in history because it was transitioning from the rule of the judges, for they did whatever the want to do. Israel felt the need of who would unite tribes, have an effective standing army, and be a match for those who led their enemies to victory† * Israel was struggling with the different opinions of the people they were asking and desiring for a king to reign over them, and here comes in the story the leadership of Samuel who years after with God’s authority was going to set a man as the King. * Samuel’s birth opened the new era of monarchy. Historical Context * It is though that the story takes place in the â€Å"era of the Judges†, but introducing new characters that will be develop in the two books of Samuel. Based on David Toshio, he mentions: â€Å"It was not until ca. 1200 B. C. that iron technology influences every phase of life. With this as the historical background, the First Book of Samuel begins. † * Toshio agrees with Baldwin that the first book of Samuel is placed in the â€Å"period of the judges†, probably in the mid-eleventh century. Characters: * Elkanah: Man from Ramathaim, who had two wives. A man that yearly offered sacrifice to worship the Lord. (v. 3) * Hannah: Wife of Elkanah who loved her and which had no children. (v. 5) * Peninnah: one of Elkanah’s wife. A jellous woman who provoked Hannah to irritate her. v. 6) * Eli: Priest that talked to Hannah, who thought she was drunk, but who believes that God answer prayers. (v. 18) * Hophi and Phineas: Two sons of Eli that were priests in Shilo. (v. 3) * Samuel: Meaning: â€Å"Because I asked the Lord for Him†. (v. 20) The son of Hannah and Elkanah, a gift from God dedicated to him, a man who years later established kingship in Israel. Places * Ramathaim-Zophim (Ramah): means â€Å"high† * Shiloh: city that was twelve milles far away from Ramah, place where Elkanahâ₠¬â„¢s family offered sacrifices to God every year. CONTENT OF THE BIBLE STUDY Exegetical Notes * v. A man from Ramathaim; Elkanah the ephramite. â€Å"The phrase ‘the Ephrathities’: can refer either to ‘those hailing from Ephrath’ or ‘Ephraimites,’ members of the northern tribe of Ephraim† (Jdg 12:5). Toshio relates Elkanah as an ephramite but that he might have been of bethelehemite stock rather than being ephramite even he lived in the hill country of Ephraim. * v. 2, 5 Elkanah had two wives. In Israel was acceptable under certain circumstances, when his first wife failed to have children. This was the case of Elkanah, he married Hannah for love, and this love persisted even she did not have children. * v. -4 There was a yearly action that Elkanah and his family did. â€Å"Elkanah’s inclination and ability to take his family on an annual pilgrimage to Shiloh suggest that he was pious and also a man of some substance†. Elk anah seemed to be fair with his family. * v. 6-8 Peninnah was her tormentor, she was jealous and provoked Hannah in despite Elkanah love her. For women in the ancient Israel the honor and reputation was measured by the amount of children they had. It was hard for Hannah to deal with her situation plus the rivalry of Peninnah, she probably felt ashamed of before Peninnah’s attitude, she felt unuseful as Elkanah’s ife, and she wept for her sorrow and for the desire of any woman in the world. * v. 9-11 â€Å"I will give him to the Lord† suggests that Hannah that God has all the power to open the womb. â€Å"Hannah took the opportunity to pray† she had no hesitation, she did not realize Eli was there, her desperation, her cried, her sorrow moved her to pray and express to God what she was going through. She dedicated her son, the thing she was asking a son, and she made a vow to God. â€Å"Vow accounts are always prayers and they follow a typical order.By ma king the vow the worshipper enters into a binding relationship with God† â€Å"The sentence I will give him to the Lord has a performative force; it shows not only that Hannah promises it but also that she has already given him by faith† * v. 12-18 It begins a dialogue with Eli, her agony captures the attention of Eli that he thought she was drunk. Can you imagine that picture? Have you prayed in that way? â€Å"The expression pouring out my soul denotes not simply an inward state of one’s heart or mind but an involvement of the whole being† Hannah responds to Eli in a positive way, after we see in v. she did not want to eat because of her pain and sadness she left and she ate v. 18 She was deeply encouraged because of the words Eli told her which she took them as God’s promise. * v. 19 The next morning they arose and worshipped before the Lord. â€Å"Though the family made an early start, they worshipped before the setting off for home. The Lord r emembered Hannah, as he had remembered Noah (Gen 8:1), and his suggest covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ex. 2:24), not to suggest that his memory was faulty but to indicate that He was about to work out his unfolding purpose† * v. 0 Hannah named her son: SAMUEL â€Å"Because I asked the Lord for him†. These were the words Hannah said when she named her son. However scholars agree that this meaning will go better with the name of Saul, and that the meaning of Samuel comes from â€Å"the Name of God† * v. 21-25 â€Å"Samuel was probably about three years old before he was taken to the house of the Lord at Shiloh† Elkanah and Hannah returned Samuel to God, and the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli (1 Sam 2:11) * v. 26-28 Here the dedication of Hannah is completed and irrevocable.Hannah worshipped God and recognized the gift He gave her, recognized His power to answer her prayer and dedicated his son to the Lord. Theology Principles * â€Å"The con sistent worship offered by Elkanah and his family year by year set a positive example of faithful and godly living† * Hannah’s pain took her to pray and seek God’s answer of love. * God turns our sorrows to joy and peace. * A vow to God, talked about Hannah’s faith and trust in the Lord. * Fulfilling a vow reflects Obedience. * Hannah’s prayer could be a selfish prayer, but when things come from God, He answers to take all the Glory and Honor.APPLICATION OF THE BIBLE STUDY It is amazing how the study of the Scriptures takes you to know things that maybe sometimes we do not think about them. Hannah’s is the main character in this passage, her faith in the Lord, her honest prayer the way she pours out her broken heart before God, and how God works for us to give him the glory. I will mention some applications I found through this Bible Study: * As humans we will have to deal with people that will provoke, and through Hannah’s attitude we need to be controlled and not respond them in the same way and be humbled because God exalts the humble and listen to him. Psalms 10:17) * The Lord closed Hannah’s womb (1 Sam 1:5); there are things that God has set already in our lives in which He has the control over them, but Hannah fought against her situation, self-esteem, and the mockery and thoughts the people had about her, we will face hard sad and desperate moments in life, but we need to be ready to fight and to know the value we have in God, no matter our situation. * Cry out to our God in perseverance. (v. 11) God will respond. (Jer 33:3) * Give a step in faith and make a vow to God.He will receive you. (Heb 11:6) * Worship, worship, worship! In bad in good, in trouble in peace. Worship Him, Hannah worshipped him in her agony but also worshipped God when He provides and satisfied the desires of her heart. * Value the people is on your side, Elkanah was a good man that loved Hannah in every situation, open your e yes and love the people that has been with you in the happy and hard moments of your life. * Hannah was a great model of person, recognize always the sovereing and the power that only God has. BIBLIOGRAPHY . Baldwin, Joyce G. , 1 and 2 Samuel An Introduction And Commentary (England: Inter Varsity Press, 1988) 2. Toshio Tsumura, David The First Book of SAMUEL (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 2007) 3. Buttrick, George Arthur et al. , The Interpreter’s Bible The Holy Scriptures (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1953) 4. Cartledge, Tony W. Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary 1 & 2 Samuel (Georgia: Smyth & Helwys, 2001) 5. Allen, Clifton J. The Broadman Bible Commentary Volume 3 1 Samuel-Nehemiah (Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1970) ——————————————- [ 1 ]. Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel An Introduction And Commentary (England: Inter Varsity Press, 1988), 49 [ 2 ]. Ibid. , 49 [ 3 ]. Ibid. , 50 [ 4 ]. David Toshio Tsumura The First Book of SAMUEL (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 2007), 34 [ 5 ]. Ibid. , 103 [ 6 ]. George Arthur Buttrick et al. , The Interpreter’s Bible The Holy Scriptures (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1953), 876 [ 7 ]. Toshio Tsumura, 107 [ 8 ]. Tony W.Cartledge Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary 1 & 2 Samuel (Georgia: Smyth & Helwys, 2001), 27 [ 9 ]. Clifton J. Allen The Broadman Bible Commentary Volume 3 1 Samuel-Nehemiah (Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1970), 13 [ 10 ]. Toshio Tsumura, 114 [ 11 ]. Cartledge, 27 [ 12 ]. Buttrick et, all. , 880 [ 13 ]. Baldwin, 52 [ 14 ]. Cartledge, 32 [ 15 ]. Toshio Tsumura, 118 [ 16 ]. Ibid. , 121 [ 17 ]. Ibid. , 122 [ 18 ]. Baldwin 53 [ 19 ]. Buttrick et al. , 881 [ 20 ]. Allen, 15 [ 21 ]. Buttrick et al. , 882 [ 22 ]. Baldwin, 52

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It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a research project at Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data Strategic Use: OrientingRead MoreMarketing Plan For Athletic Sports1079 Words   |  5 PagesSupreme is a well-known company that has been selling athletic equipment for nearly 10 years. Although the company has been performing solidly, we would like to expand our offerings into the athletic apparel world. With athletic wear becoming more popular in the fashion world and the growing interest in sporting events, Athletic Supreme would like to become a â€Å"one-stop† shop for our customers. Our main goal is to maintain our brand identity, while also maintaining profitability. 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Analysis of market performance by firms using its principles has called its usefulness into question, and it has been removed from some major marketing textbooks

Humanistic Psychology Free Essays

Humanistic Psychology Basis Humanistic Psychology is so named due to its core belief in the basic goodness present in and respect for humanity. Its core is founded upon existential psychology, or the realization and understanding of one’s existence and social responsibility. The two psychologists, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow initiated the movement with this new perspective on understanding people’s personality and improving their overall life satisfaction. We will write a custom essay sample on Humanistic Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now When war broke out in the 1960s, the world felt compelled to better understand the nature of humanity. Humanistic theory provides an understandable mechanism for examining an individual’s need for conflict in order to create peace. This simplistic theory has become a favorite and popular topic throughout self-help literature. Additionally, the struggle for mankind to gain greater understanding and meaning for life and existence is a timeless cornerstone conflict in entertainment and literature. The premise behind humanistic psychology is simple. So simple, in fact, that naysayers believe it to be excessively simple. Humanists adhere to these beliefs: 1. The present is the most signficant aspect of someone. As a results humanists emphasize the here and now instead of examining the past or attempting to predict the future. 2. To be mentally healthy, individuals must take personal responsibility for their actions, regardless if those actions are positive or negative. 3. Each person, simply by being, is inherently worthy. While any given action may be negative, these actions do not cancel out their value as a person. 4. The ultimate goal of living is to attain personal growth and understanding. Through constant self-improvement and self-understanding can an individual ever be truly happy. Abraham Maslow provided the best known and mostly widely understood precept in humanistic psychology. Abraham Maslow believed that Watson and the other behaviorists’ ideas about control were lacking. He saw human life as more than simply external reinforcement, disputing the assumption that humanity was born without value or direction. When he was studying psychology, the prevalent ideas were psychoanalysis and behaviorism. These theories were covered by most courses and a great deal of energy was used for each psychologist to identify the theory aspiring psychologists would subscribe to. Maslow did not follow either of these paths. He condemned behaviorism, eventually taking the same perspective with Freud’s works as well. Even though Maslow accepted the existence of an unconscious being within us, Maslow refuted Freud’s idea that the bulk of our being is hidden far from our consciousness. Maslow purported that humanity is aware of motivation and drives on the whole. Without life’s obstacles, all of humanity would become healthy psychologically, attaining a deep self-understanding and acceptance of society and the world around them. Maslow reinforced his energy on realizing the positive aspects of mankind, while Freud saw mostly negativity. One might summarize the distinction between humanism and psychoanalytic thought in this way – psychoanalysis is founded upon acceptance determinism, or acceptance of aspects of our lives outside of control, while humanistic thought bases itself on the concept of free will. Maslow’s best known contribution to Humanistic psychology is his Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy is frequently used to sum up the humanistic psychology belief system. The fundamental premise of his hierarchy is that everyone is born with specific needs. If we do not meet those base needs, we are unable to survive and focus upward within the hierarchy. The first stratum consists of ;b;physiological needs;/b;, or survival needs. Unable to obtain oxygen, sleep, water, and food, all else is irrelevant. After we meet these needs, we can shift our focus to the next stratum, the need for security and safety. When pursuing safety needs, we attempt to secure safety in others and yearn to create an environment that protects us, keeping us free from harm. Until these goals are met, it is unlikely that someone would consider higher order needs, and their growth is then stifled. When someone feels safe and secure, we attempt to build friendships and establish a sense of belonging to a greater whole. Maslow’s third level of needs, the social needs of belonging and love, focus on our desire to be belong to a group and have a place in a larger whole. Meeting social needs get us one step closer to the top of the triangle — the fourth level: esteem needs. Those attempting to fulfill esteem needs channel their energy on respect from others, self-esteem, self-respect, and gaining recognition for our accomplishments in life. We push further and further to excel in our careers, to expand our knowledge, and to constantly increase our self-esteem. The final level in the hierarchy is called the need for self-actualization. According to Maslow, many people may be in this level but very few, if anybody, ever masters it. Self-actualization refers to a complete understanding of the self. To be self-actualized means to truly know who you are, where you belong in the greater society, and to feel like you are accomplishing all that you are meant to be. It means to no longer feel shame or guilt, or even hate, but to accept the world and see human nature as inherently good. Against Scientific Basics At its onset, Humanistic theory was not researched easily. To start with, since the fundamental belief of Humanism is in the goodness of people, treatment should focus on the positive, instead of negative. This leaves very few tests upon which to build the case of Humanism. Then, through assessment, the assessor is essentially trying to say that the tester knows more about the client’s emotion, thought, and behavior. To do something so presumptuous is a flagrant contradiction of the belief principles of Humanism. As a result, most theorists, specifically behaviorists, refuted humanistic theory since it was not easily researched. However, as with psychoanalysis, it was possible to aggregate meaningful data on the effectiveness of applying Humanistic theories. Actually, just as with psychoanalysis, innovative testing needed to be designed to accentuate the exact theory and the intended application of the theory. Psychoanalysis use tests like TAT and Rorschach — humanists use the Q-Sort. Humanistic Theory – Weaknesses and Strengths Humanistic Theory Strengths Just as with every theory, some find humanistic psychology to be relevant, as others can only see the flaws. A couple of humanistic theory’s strengths are the focus on the positivitity and goodness of humanity, as well as the free will related to change. Contrasting Freud’s and biological approaches, focusing on the belief that human behavior and cognition are causally determined by prior events and actions, such that we lack self-control, Maslow and Humanistic psychology believe that the individual is quite powerful. Another strength of humanistic theory is how easily many aspects of the theory integrate with other schools of thought. A number of therapists adopt humanistic undertones when working with their clients. While the individual may believe that humanistic theory doesn’t cover the distance, they understand the benefit of the core values and beliefs in changing people’s lives for the better. Ultimately, humanism has benefits which carry over into a number of other professions. In a business class, you will probably cover Maslow’s hierarchy. When studying finance or economics, the course will no doubt cover the concept of moving up financially and physically, to eventually become more enlightened and aware of who we are and our place in the world. This principle is similarly present in other professions such as criminology, history, and literature, since the core of humanistic thought rings true in everything that deals with what it means to be considered human. Humanistic Theory Weaknesses For every yin, there is also the yang. Humanistic theory has its share of flaws as well. The most significant criticism of humanistic psychology centers around its lack of specific approaches to treatment aimed at precise problems. Since the core belief behind Humanistic theory is that of free will, it is very complicated to both innovate a technique for treatment as well as a means to study the efficacy of this treatment technique. Additionally, it is believed that humanistic theory falls is unable to help people with severe personality or mental health disorders. While Carl Rogers’ Theory of Personality may have positive effects on a minor abberation, using it as treatment for schizophrenics is laughable. Lastly, humanistic theory applies some human nature generalizations which are widely believed to be complete. Are all people good at the core of their being, or are some people just not there? Can we effectively position that Maslow’s needs hierarchy, as explained, applies to everyone universally? Or is it possible that each individual can impose their own belief system or their order of attainment, or even their very definition? Why is it that some individuals appear to consciously take negative alternatives while positive choices are right in front of them? These doubts huant humanistic psychology and the complexity associated with performing measurable research of the theory further exacerbates the issue. However, regardless of these trials, humanistic theory is incorporated into nearly every opposing school of psychotherapy and improvement of the human condition. It is widely believed that treatment with humanistic undertones creates a nice environment for positive change. While, alone, humanistic theory may be insufficient, the groundwork it lays might be a necessity for to effect significant changes of personality. How to cite Humanistic Psychology, Papers

Impact of Financial Ratios Analysis †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Financial Ratios Analysis. Answer: Introduction The present report provides an analysis of financial position of Wonderland Construction Supplies established on July 16 through the help of calculating the financial ratios. The company has started its business with the initial capital of $70,000 and has developed its general purpose financial reports after taking into account the overall year adjustments. In addition to this, the report also illustrates the technique of deprecation used by the company for accounting its long-term assets and the significant methods adopted for managing and controlling the inventory. Income Statement: This financial statement provides an insight into the revenue and expenses incurred by the company during a reporting period. The end-users can interpret the information in relation to operating expenses of the company such as administration and manufacturing through income statement. As analyzed from the income statement of Wonderland management, it can be stated the operating expenses incurred are more than the revenue realized. This is an issue of concern for the company as it should develop effective strategies for reducing the operating expenses for improving its profitability position. Equity Statement: Also known as statements of equity change and disclose the information related to equity structure of a company. The analysis of equity statement of the company has revealed that it has equity capital of $70,000 and there is withdrawal of about $2000 from the equity capital as drawings. The significant reduction in the equity capital is attributed to the loss made by the company. Balance Sheet: The statement depicts the position of the assets and liabilities of the company at the end of a reporting period (Robinson et al., 2015). Accounting Ratio Analysis Current ratio: The ratio provides a measure of the liquidity position of the company and is calculated through the use of following formula: Current ratio=Current assets/Current liabilities Current ratio of Wonderland=$78,247.20/ $18,227.00=4.3 Thus, the current ratio of the company is 4.3 that is regarded to be better in comparison to its competitor ratio that is estimated to be in between of 15 to 2.7 times. Therefore, it can be said that Wonderland has maintained good liquidity position. Gross Profit Ratio: The ratio depicts the profitability position of the company and is calculated through the use of following formula: Gross Profit=Net Profit/Sales Revenue Gross Profit=$20,664.00/ $69,120.00 = 29.9% The gross profit ratio of competitor of Wonderland is estimated to be in between 3.8% to 4.3%. Thus, it can be said that profitability position of the competitors of the company is better as compared to Wonderland and therefore it should develop effective strategies for improving its financial profitability (Beyer, 2010). Depreciation Techniques The business entities incorporate the use of following two methods for calculating deprecation: Straight-line basis: The method involves calculating deprecation of an asset over its useful life. The sales value of an asset is deducted from its cost and the residual value is depreciated over its useful life. The method is easy for use and thus is widely used by businesses management for calculating deprecation. Reducing Balance Method: The method is also known as written down value method that involves calculating deprecation through charging it to the asset value that remains after deducting the depreciation amount of each year. Thus, the method involves calculating deprecation on an annual basis (Beyer, 2010). The inventory can be monitored and controlled through the use of following two methods: FIFO (First in First Out): The method involves selling the goods that are produced first. Thus, it involves selling the inventory with lower value first as compared to higher value inventory and therefore can lead to significant increase in the inventory value on the balance sheet. LIFO (Last in Last out): The method involves selling the goods primarily that are brought last and therefore lead to decrease in the value of inventory (Warren, Reeve, and Duchac, 2015). The use of internal control methods is essential for the company to prevent the occurrence of any fraudulent activities leading to manipulation of its accounts. In this context, the company can use internal control mechanism such as developing risk and audit committee for monitoring and controlling the cash operations. This will help the company to prevent the chances of occurrence of any frauds related to its financial activities (Albrecht, Stice, Stice and Swain, 2007). Conclusion It can be inferred from the overall report that Wonderland through is experiencing some operating losses but yet has performed well in its first year of business. Thus, the company is expected to deliver better financial results in the coming period and is recommended reducing its operating expenses for improving its profitability position. References Albrecht, W., Stice, J., Stice, E and Swain, M. 2007. Accounting: Concepts and Applications. Cengage Learning. Beyer, S. 2010. International Corporate Finance - Impact of Financial Ratios on Long Term Credit Ratings. GRIN Verlag. Robinson, T. et al. 2015. International Financial Statement Analysis Workbook. John Wiley Sons. Warren, C., Reeve, J. and Duchac, J. 2015. Accounting. Cengage Learning Management.