by Herman Bailey | Jul 13, 2023 | Essays |
Cardiac unit human resource assessment
For Washington Hospital, the introduction of a new cardiac department featuring experts in cardiac issues is a step in the right direction. Support however s required not just in the business itself but also from the human resource. According to Dessler (2000), the right human resource is the foundation upon which the success of the unit shall be built upon. The human resource department is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the unit receives the right clinical and non-clinical staff.
While introduction of a cardiac unit in itself offers an excellent opportunity for growth, it is important to note that sustainability of such program can only be achieved through quality service provision. This means hiring the best talent to ensure that the unit runs properly. For many individuals, a cardiac unit is not measured simply by the tools and equipment for diagnosis and treatment, the service provided in the center has also got to be of high quality to guarantee a return client and also sufficient word of mouth marketing. To be productive, the cardiac unit needs to be focused on reworking the entire system to ensure high quality service at lower costs thereby ensuring competitive advantage.
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Human resource strategy
Through human resource strategy, the hospital will be able to link the human resource directly to the cardiac program strategic plan. Whereas, the program is set up on a strong plan, with idealistic goals designed to bring extra income and success to Washington hospital, without the right human resource, it is likely that the program sues will not be realized. Human resource strategy will assist in achieving competitive advantage for the cardiac unit through the following ways:
Decision making: human resource strategy is the foundation upon which decisions of the hospital will be based on. All aspects of human resource such as compensation, recruitment and even selection will be based on the strategy that is set forth. There are less chances of failure when the chances of failure (Grieves 2003). Human resource strategy provides a guideline through which managers can look into the future and build success for the hospital not only in the present but also in the future. It is important to note that strategic human resource is all about harnessing and bringing the best out of human resource. With a unit such as the cardiac unit, it has been noted that highly qualified specialists for diagnosis and treatment. In addition, the right investments have already been made into high quality equipment and resources. Human resource strategy however, allows the hospital to take advantage of the excellent skills and experience of the workers in order to channel the new cardiac unit in the right direction.
High performance: a specialized unit such as the new cardiac wing requires to be of a high performance rating. Many specialized units tend to fail because performance is not given a priority. There are less chances of failure when strategies have been put in place to ensure high performance. Workers have the right skills, and experience and inclusive of the right knowledge, however strategy plays the role of empowering the workers so that they can channel these skills and experience to ensure high performance.
Through high performance, human resource will be able to address the strategic goals of the new unit. It is through this strategy that Washington hospital will be able to transform human resource from just a group of employees into the most valuable asset in the hospital. improve its customer service to its clients. The associates or the Employees are often the richest source of information in the hospital. Through their suggestions, the hospital has been able to differentiate its products gaining competitive advantage. The cardiac unit being set up in the hospital is not the first in the Washington state, by employing strategy, the ideas and suggestions of the employees can be employed to distinguish the unit thereby making it one of a kind.
Importance of recruitment
Perhaps the most important venture for the human resource department of Washington hospital is finding the right people for the new cardiac unit. In the past, the hospital has exclusively relied on talent that is already within the hospital. These strategy has offered two distinct advantages for the hospital: the first is that the recruitment process is much faster and cost such lower than selecting of few effecting the rate of premiums. For instance, an insurance firm that operates with many employees. Setting up new unit has therefore been much simpler in terms of resources and time. Secondly, this strategy has also allowed the hospital to take advantage of the experience of current workers. However, it has also been noted that is strategy offers a distinct advantage, in that the culture of the organization remains the same, little if any changes are made in the way the hospital works and therefore competitive advantage is lost without new talent. Based on this, the human resource department will seek to introduce a new face of talent, combining the experiences of the current hospital workers with that of the new workers. The recruitment process will therefore offer the following advantages:
Reduction of costs: in the past poor recruitment strategies have been unite costly to the hospital. What has been imagined to be excellent talent as well as unique skills have become quite expensive and very difficult to maintain with the hospital budget.
Retention: with a specialized unit such as the cardiac unit in Washington hospital, it is vital to maintain a high retention rate. Loss of on specialist can indeed cripple the hospital itself making it impossible to deliver what has been promised to the customer.
It is important to note that as competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees continue working and seeing the growth of the unit, they develop loyalty which is directly linked to performance of the unit.
Compensation and benefits
Washington hospital already faces a tough task in the attempt to transform the cardiac unit into the best in the region. Unfortunately today, many hospitals have the advantage of acquiring resources as well as equipment that is vital for the setting up of cardiac units. Patients are often faced with more in the choice in selecting a place of treatment. In the same way, competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees are faced with several choices within which they can work. It is therefore completely possible for the hospital to miss out on excellent talent simple because of the compensation package. Whereas, the compensation policy is not the only single factor that competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees take into account when choosing a place of employment, it plays a major role in determining the first choice for employees. The right compensation strategy is the first step in ensuring interest of potential competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees. However, this does not mean that the hospital will agree to all demands of the specialists and highly skilled potential competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees. However, the hospital will in itself create a strategy that allows the compensation package to reflect the market demands and therefore remain attractive to employees. In ensuring and building a competitive compensation budget, it is important o leave space for flexible changes while still considering the budget. A compensation policy will allow the hospital to remain profitable and sustain costs of the new unit far into the future.
Salaries and bonuses have become a vital component of ensuring motivation in workers. The cardiac unit will require highly skilled individuals who will spend much of their time building up the reputation of the unit. Performance therefore needs to be acknowledged. Monetary compensation is likely to be a first step in ensuring that the workers remain motivated over time. Teams that have the best leaders, even when offered challenging opportunities and excitable tasks cannot remain motivated is the compensation package is poor (Mello 2002). Lack of motivation will in turn translate to low productivity and misuse of resources. When patients do not get the best service from the hospital, they are more likely to seek out better alternatives. In this way, the compensation policy of the hospital will bring a competitive advantage; attracting the right and best skilled workers and motivating the same workforce to channel their skills towards positive growth of the organization. The right mix of career opportunities for development and growth coupled with compensation will offer the best advantage for the new cardiac unit.
Training and development
Washington hospital like many other traditional organizations has been reluctant to invest in training and development of the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees. Such investment is only seen to benefit the employee and not the hospital. However, as the human resource department has pointed out, investment in the right training and development only ensures that the hospital not only has low turnover but that corers continue to remain competent for the tasks that are expected from them.
New skills for the unit: with specialized are such as is required in the cardiac unit are often changing and progressing and transforming. This means that the staff must continuously learn new skills and knowledge in order to remain relevant in a competitive world. Without continues training, new and most modern ways of treatment and more effective ways of addressing patient needs will pass the unit. The result is that patients will seek other alternatives where they can find faster and more effective treatment.
Addresses weaknesses: even with the most skilled employees and the best talents, there is most likely to be areas of weakness in the individuals themselves and the entire unit as it is. According to Armstrong (2000), Training allows the employees and the hospital to address areas of weaknesses and ensure higher chances of success. When competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees gain relevant skills with which they can work with, skills and knowledge hitch can be employed and which are structured to benefit the unit, business organization goals are easier to achieve. Earning of an individual worker often reflects on the entire workplace. The new skills and knowledge are often used to bring higher performance of the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees, to simplify tasks, to make the work environment more effective. Learning reflects on the performance not just of the singular employee but indeed on that of the entire team, in term of effective customer service and increased income per employee.
Confidence and motivation: even though employees are skilled to deal with majority of the challenges that they will encounter in the work place. There are some chances that they lack the necessary confidence to address complex questions such as those that will come up in the cardiac unit. With patients requiring assurance and seeking it from the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees, it is therefore completely necessary for the employees to undergo training. Training shows competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees how to apply the skills that they possess thereby giving them confidence and ultimately improving the performance of the workers in the unit. With training, companies and businesses operate with certain expectations and values. employees are able to feel more competent and therefore more capable of competing the tasks ahead of them. They therefore also become more motivated to improve their own performance and that of the unit. Training therefore will reflect directly on the productivity of the unit.
When competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees go into training, they are exposed to new information, ideas and knowledge. When such knowledge s applied through tasks assigned to them, the hospital will be able to come up with creative ways of improving performance and addressing the customer needs. Such information will benefit not just the unit but the entire hospital as well.
Employee relations
Washington hospital has been at the forefront, focused and determined to maintain strong employer- employee relations. Policies have been made, managers have been given exclusive freedom to define ways in which these relationship can not only be maintained but can also remain stronger over time. Strong relationships have shown that the hospital enjoys productivity, efficiency as well as a decrease in conflict. Conflict often distracts focus from the business objectives. The managers become focused on ensuring that conflicts are resolved, thereby drawing focus and resources away from the productivity. The three most likely befits of ensuring strong employee and employer relationships at the cardiac unit are:
Productivity: strong employee relations have the most distinct advantage of ensuring that the wok environment remains positively charges. When the work environment is healthy, less and less conflict exists providing two advantages for the cardiac unit. In the first place, the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees are less likely to level the cardiac unit or seek alternative employment. This is important because finding specialized who are skilled and experienced in the area of cardiac treatment is quite difficult. Secondly, there is less conflict in the work environment and therefore increased productivity. When employees are happy with their work environment, they become highly motivated thereby ensuring an increase in productivity. Patients will be treated as required, with greater speed and efficiency, ensuring that the unit reaches profitability within the shortest time possible.
Loyalty and commitment: with anything new such as the now established cardiac unit, challenges are many and employees are often encountering difficulties in completing their own tasks. Strong employee relations means that they have access to resources which are necessary to resolve changes and therefore remain relevant and productive. The work environment in itself embraces the support of the employee ensuring that they face the challenges with more confidence. competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging Employees are less likely to want to leave, instead they become more committed and loyal to the path which guarantees success of the cardiac unit. Despite several other offers, such competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees are more focused on remaining part of the supportive environment (Analoui 2007). The cardiac unit cannot afford the costs of employing new talent, selecting and building a compensation strategy for the new competitive advantage. It revolves around being hardworking and putting the customer first. employees. Loyalty and commitment is completely important t ensure that the unit becomes profitable.
With employee relations providing increased motivation and commitment from workers, it far outweighs the cost of investment that will be required. Good employee relations give an atmosphere where success is guaranteed and profitability is easily achieved.
Importance of safety
Safety in a hospital especially is virtually important, not just for the patient but competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees as well. In fact there are serious legal implication where the safety of the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees is not granted. The cardiac unit is set to become a brand name and especially a first class unit in cardiac treatment. However, cardiac treatment is often quite delicate and several concerns are likely to arise in matters of safety for the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees including injuries and likely infections. The hospital has invested in quality safety measures for the employees. There is less chance of injury and infection, and in the few cases where such may happen, the hospital has set up a strategy for addressing the same. The following benefits are expected to accrue from the safety measures at the cardiac unit:
Improve morale: the staff are more likely to actively participate in treating patients when they are assured that their safety is guaranteed. With increased staff morale, productivity becomes higher. Patients are able to get the best experience, therefore becoming returning and loyal clients of the cardiac unit. In this way, growth becomes assess and profitable. When competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees have high morale it is also most likely that there will be less abseentism. It is important to note that with a specialized unit such as the cardiac unit, absenteeism will cost the hospital highly in terms of service delivery. Reduction of absenteeism is in fact a goal of the human resource in the new cardiac unit.
Save money: Schuler and Jackson (1999) cite that when employees are exposed to unsafe working conditions, the hospital will be charged with liability which will in fact cost the hospital a lot. Dealing with unsafe conditions is much more costly than creating a safe environment. The cardiac unit safety is structured in decisive safety statement. It is also important to note that for the safety statement is two way: the hospital has set up ideal conditions within which the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees are to work. On the other hand, there are conditions that the competitive advantage. Gilbert (1991) indicated that the manager’s voice in encouraging employees must meet in order to remain safe. Whiteout meeting these conditions, safety is not guaranteed. Periodically, employees will be taken for training to equip them in modern safety techniques for them as well as their patients. This will ensure that there are minimal chances of accidents, injuries and infections within the cardiac unit. The cardiac unit in fact aims to be a zero tolerant accident area and hundred percent safety areas for workers and patients.
Conclusion
The human resource department of Washington hospital is set to give direction and establish a foundation upon which the Cardiac unit business goals can be achieved. Through human resource management, the structure, design and culture planning for the right resources is vital in order to create a winning mix that will give advantage to the new cardiac unit. Human resource policies at the unit are set to be comprehensive and ongoing feature not just for the implementation of the unit but also continued success.
References
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Armstrong, M., & Armstrong, M. (2000). Strategic human resource management: A guide to action. London: Kogan Page.
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Analoui, F. (2007). Strategic Human resource management. London: Thomson.Bottom of Form
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Dessler, G. (2000). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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Grieves, J. (2003). Strategic human resource development. London: Sage Publications.
Mello, J. A. (2002). Strategic human resource management. Australia: South-Western College Pub.
Schuler, R. S., & Jackson, S. E. (1999). Strategic human resource management. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
by Herman Bailey | Jul 13, 2023 | Essays |
Introduction
Religious warfare refers to violent conflicts with a religious goal, such as protecting sacred places and holy nations. Major religions in the world: under certain conditions, practice violence as a sacred and holy undertaking. Numerous historical instances from various beliefs commend the hypothetical concepts, enlightening that the abolition of the religious battle defies advocates to adopt the highest creeds of their corresponding faiths. Holy war is common in the Islamic religion, which uses terrorism as a form of religious conflict. This essay seeks to understand why major religions support warfare under some appearances such as jihad, crusades, or Dharma despite the diversity in doctrine. This paper aims to take a holistic look at the several causes of religious warfare while recognizing the important role that doctrine plays in religiously endorsed warfare.
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The main question is what increases the vulnerability of the Islamic religion to violence compared to other doctrines. There are several occurrences of conflict motivated by the Muslims, including violence, terrorism, and war, than those of Jewish, Christian, Hindus, and Buddhism. Holy wars are products of doctrine, beliefs, and scriptures (Tor 45). Even though the account and scriptures of the world’s belief articulate stories of harmony, reconciliation, and love, they also speak of violence and war. Some individuals believe in securing holy and sacred places of worship and, therefore, can do whatever it takes to provide protection. Jenkins (45) argues that the holy war is effective in definite situations which are single-sided. Spiritual leaders often condemn this argument and say it contradicts religious teachings and beliefs. They make assumptions that religion can be a means of collecting violent provisions.
Improper interpretation of the scriptures is a major issue in most doctrines. Some believers and even unbelievers come up with inappropriate versions of the Holy Prophet and Quran through written books, articles, journals, and acted movies (Jenkins 52). A good example is a book by David Marshal (1999), which portrayed Islam as a bloody faith with an extracted quote from the Quran. The fact that some Muslim community fails to understand the attitude of the matters of Jihad leads to their dangerous actions (Tor 45). These actions open ground for criticism of the holiness in Islam, which is none other than a replication of the commandments of nature and indicators of the magnificence of the creator.
The ability of Muslims to believe in the Quran’s misinterpretations creates conflict among Mohamed’s followers. The main reason for exposure to religious oppression, violence, extremism, and terrorism is some professors’ wrong interpretation of Jihad (Jenkins 62). According to analysis, the present practices among Muslims, such as a mass attacks, destruction, and killings of civilians, have links to Jihad (Gregg 40). The existence of certain myths that support the need for holy war for self-purification and spiritual peace is a great misguidance to believers. These actions are blasphemy to God’s instructions since they initially start from the destruction of sympathy for humankind. Islamic religion does not require the sustenance of a blade for its promulgation.
Political factors, including leadership and its roles in religion, can cause religious warfare. Both political and religious leaders are significant for the acknowledgment of the holy war. For instance, spiritual front-runners have the gift of translating scripture and preserving religious cultures; these spiritual possessions can be treasured gears for extenuating the application of power and rallying people for war. Political leaders are the managers of public resources, such as the military force, which the country can use to protect from threats (Tor 45). The relationship between the two leading sectors is evitable mostly in spiritually driven violence. Both groups can exploit resources from each side to meet their goals in entanglement cases. The intermixing can be due to religion, political parties, government posts for spiritual leaders, monarchies, and doctrine laws.
Cashman and Leonard (156) argued that religion and politics should be different associations with purely dissimilar objectives. They supported that state leaders need to honor the integrity of God by allowing religious liberties out of federal interference. State leaders cause conflicts through their use of forceful translations of the religion to defy the people in power (Gregg 40). However, separation of state authority from religious leaders can never end the religious war. Some religious authorities use violence to out-smart the state to disturb a revolution. Examples: include the use of jihad by the Islamic organization against their state and the emergence of Christian terrorists in the U.S, whose goal is to overtake the American government and replace it with a Christian theocracy.
The perception of threat is another factor that can motivate an individual to participate in a religious conflict. Gregg (37) explains that leaders plan the religious war in response to perceived and real threats, not as a chance to obtain resources of adherents to trust. Some holy wars do not tend to pose a threat to individuals or nations, but rather, they are for territory expansion, such as the jihad’s fight to enlarge the Dar al-Islam. The frontrunners react to the situation, communities, or territories that oppose the existence of religion. The conflict between Ayodhya and Jerusalem is an instance of spiritual motivation to secure sacred spaces (Jenkins 68). Besides, intimidations that point at terrorizing the social pattern trigger religious responses. They come from occupation, wars, new ideologies, and fresh political systems.
Evolutionary plays an important role in mobilizing a person to participate in religious warfare. The more a religious group possesses numerous properties, the high chances that they can apply force to meet their success. Material, military, and technological resources play a crucial part in initiating conflicts (Tor 58). They include material resources; buildings of institutions, property, and money that can be a major cause of holy war, technological resources; communications technology and transportation, and military equipment; charismatic leaders, social resources, network-educated leaders, and organizations (Gregg 47). The lack of these resources can stimulate the use of soft alternative modes such as hibernating from wars to protect the faith.
There is a significant difference between the war with religion and religious war. General arguments over conditions of spiritual war and conflict with spirits can cause a misunderstanding. The wars of religion come up in situations of separation of societies deemed normal gender roles. Gender is personal, part of everyone’s developing identity and web of relationships, political authority, and religious leaders (Cashman and Leonard 146). It may result in secular conflict with the government. It can also result from intermixing between political and religious goals to achieve both secular and spiritual ends. On the other hand, the holy war is to defend the nation, sacred places, and control over the state through religious rebellions, which allows the groups to implement their translation of faith (Jenkins 53).
Effects of Witnessing Religious Warfare
People who undergo trial for promoting or declining to support a faith or religion are referred to as martyrs (Tor 60). Martyrs gain respect and honor from believers as they consider them heroes. They are significant persons who endured torture, suffering, and even death for their faith in relevant religions. Several people, at one point or the other, witnessed an actual murder attack or watched video footage of a brutal killing. They often respond to the situations differently depending on the degree of the attack or harm and an individual’s exposure to such situations. Some react by screaming, passing out, surrendering, or death (Jenkins 68). Such situations can pose emotional and physical dangers; therefore, such people require frequent visits for spiritual care and group prayers.
Religion War witnesses may end up with mental health complications. The condition affects women and children more than men (Cashman and Leonard 170). Physical torture and psychological manipulation are a great danger to people. The fear of safety, loss of friends and relatives, and witnessing direct slaughtering can greatly impact a person’s sense of control. The result is high depression and unmanageable stress levels caused by frequently distorted memories, disturbed sleep, and nightmares (Jenkins 62). Lack of concentration, poor ability to remember, grief, and high anxiety levels may cause a total mental sickness that may as well take a long recovery period.
The witnesses’ physical abuse results in acute and chronic injuries. Direct beatings or threatening to kill in sequences from inflicting pain to cutting and then slaughtering cause a lot of pain (Tor 45). On most occasions, participants hold civilians in hostages exchange for their demands. They shoot them one after the other as they pose a threat and push for the demanded actions. Another instance is during the mass destruction of an infrastructure or a factory, where civilians get severe injuries as they try to run to their safety. In cases of fire, third-degree burns and death are the main outcomes of the war. According to Gregg (47), these injuries may take time to heal, with some people having a physical disability, apathy, and emptiness.
Religious conflicts such as the Jihad of the Islamic state aim to overtake cities and the government and force people to live according to their twisted Muslim rules (Cashman and Leonard 150). During this war, many people lose their homes and family members, resulting in dislodgment in refugee camps. Immigrants undergo awful situations in camps: sicknesses, death witnesses, lack of medical care, education, and food (Tor 55). Emotional disturbance about the whereabouts of their loved ones is also a major problem. Such undertakings have huge negative impacts on the performance level of daily activities as they cause emotional weakness and mental distortion. The ideal and frustrating conditions in the camps stimulate crime rates among the youths as they live in the belief of violence for personal or group achievement, hence leading to inter-group battles within the camps.
Sexual assault in the refugee camps, especially on children and women, causes fear of strangers and distrust. Most young individuals in these camps lack parental guidance and care since some died during the war, while others are still under trauma and pain (Tor 65). These people are helpless and, therefore, cannot give protection to their children. Sexual abuse results in sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies among individuals. Young people live with low self-esteem, emotional disturbances, lack of confidence, and suicidal memories (Jenkins 62). Fear of threat from strangers and lack of trust may be a long-lasting impact on the assault.
The civilian captive experience exploitations with forceful recruitment into fighting or terrorist groups. First, the religious leaders accept the existing religious beliefs whether twisted or deal with the consequence of death in denial (Gregg 67). As a result, loses faith in their religion and rejection of their land. Then they use them to make video footage showing live killings to threaten the governments in excellent demanding conditions (Cashman and Leonard 140). Some become the recruits of the fighting crew, where they undergo physical torture during training. The chances that these people survive the attack after training are minimal since they lack experience in endurance techniques. Some captives work as enslaved people for the benefit of the attacking organizations.
The witness of religious war requires psychological and physical assistance to recover from the traumas of conflict. The step is to respond to children, youths, and their families by initiating programs that help provide stable housing and support (Tor 45). For instance, young individuals need coordination and support during recovery. It may include the provision of social amenities such as learning and religious institutions in the refugee camps (Gregg 38). Then finally, assist in dealing with disorders of post-trauma by initiating stress management programs and relaxation techniques to help reduce grief and gain emotional strength.
Conclusion
Religious war must have the element of spiritual achievement, the religious reward for the fighters, and should be under the control of a religious leader to qualify as one. Its main aim is to safeguard sacred spaces, retrieve holy countries, avenge blasphemy (brutal killings and slaughtering of civilians), and spread faith and revolution. This essay portrays the difference between religious wars, wars within religions, and their cause. Even though religion spreads the need for peace and love among nations, it can also initiate conflict within and outside the doctrine. These religious wars greatly impact civilians, including physical and psychological trauma, which may take time for recovery. Therefore, the victim often requires first medical and support attention.
Work cited:
Cashman, Greg, and Leonard C. Robinson. An Introduction to the Causes of War: Patterns of Interstate Conflict from World War I to Iraq. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. 145-180
Gregg, Heather S. The Causes of Religious Wars: Holy Nations, Sacred Spaces, and Religious Revolutions. , 2003. 30-45
Jenkins, Philip. The Great and Holy War: How World War I Changed Religion forever, 2015. 20-75
Tor, D G. Violent Order: Religious Warfare, Chivalry, and the ʻayyār Phenomenon in the Medieval Islamic World. Würzburg [Germany: Ergon, 2007. 40-71
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
by Herman Bailey | Jul 13, 2023 | Essays |
Introduction
After the World War II, another conflict began between the Soviet Union and the United States called cold war. Cold War refers to a pressure between nations, where each side implements strategies intended to reinforce it and deteriorate the enemy. The War originated with the Russian Revolution that formed a Soviet Russia (Amadae 2003, Pp. 40-86). The conflict between the two nations was never physical but rather related to the military, economic, and ideological rivalry. Ross (2002, p. 34) stated that the U.S. had a better ideological and economic status compared to that of Soviet Russia. The Russian civil war facilitated the extension of communism, which triggered a situation of suspicion and panic within Europe. The policy of independence initiated by the U.S. became the cause of hatred, which amplified the anti-Soviet aggression. The notion of this paper is to explore the notions of the origin of the cold war about the both revisionist and orthodox views: post-revisionist.
The revisionist opinion outlines that the U.S. was the major cause of the cold when it intentionally unrestrained the wartime strategy of cooperation. It took the privilege of its atomic bomb and espionage to inaugurate democracy and expel Russian influence from Europe (Amadae 2003, P. 40-86). The orthodox interpretation of the origin of Cold War explains that the USSR was responsible for its start. The cold war was a crucial reaction of democratic individuals to communist hostility (Arnold & Wiener 2012, P. 130). The post-revisionist notion states that both the Russians and Americans initiated the battle. However, different studies on the post-revisionist indicate that scholars put dissimilar weight on either side of the opinion and argue that the U.S. contributed more to cause of cold war.
The foundation of the cold war was the difference in power, National Security, and ideology. Gaddis (2000 P.20) stated that cold war originated in 1914 after World War II when the opposing concepts of the substantial democracy and communism began the conflict. The Russian Revolution in 1917 and the 1918 civil war created tension in the West (Leffler & Westad 2010, P.p. 150-230). The pressure called for action taken by President Wilson Woodrow of directing the fighting flocks against the Bolsheviks. Before the beginning of the tension, the president in the Congress meeting addressed the need for global cooperation, free trade, freedom, and peace among nations. In his points, he supported national self-determination and that the main reason for sending the group into a fight.
The hunger for power made the U.S. stand against the Russian Revolution. They knew that allowing the Russian government to initiate communism would interfere with the existence of the international cooperation by stopping free trade, which the greatest strength of the U.S. economy. According to Arnold & Wiener (2012 Pg. 80), the rebellion in Russia did not support the international freedom and peace. The fear of losing leadership and power in trade created the hostility against the communists. Wilson’s intervention convinced the Western nations that the Americans would do whatever it takes to stop the vision of the communists (Amadae 2003, Pp. 40-86).
The conflict began when the alliance among Russia, U.S, and the Britain leaders started having issues. The association among the three nations from 1917 up to the point when Bolsheviks grabbed authority (Gaddis 2000, P.20). Bolsheviks converted a dispersed reconciliation with the Central Powers at Agreement of Brest-Litovsk, thus causing the mistrust the Soviet Union and the America. The Soviet Russia realized their segregation from the international discretion and their enclosure by an aggressive capitalistic development (Leffler & Westad 2010, P.p. 150-230). The negotiation represented the defense to create the division between the Soviet enemies. The pressure between Russia and its allies turned powerfully philosophical. The ideologies, significant differences, and the hunger for power were the biggest issues between the allies.
The attempt of Russia to protect its National Security posed a threat to the West. Achievement of state security was possible then with the help of post-war organization such the United Nations (Levering 2001, p. 132). However, Russians refused to join the association claiming that the U.N. was an American organization. During the Potsdam seminar, Stalin denied a request to remove its troops from Eastern and Central Europe and to allow the conduction of unrestricted elections in Poland (Amadae 2003, Pp. 40-86). He appealed that withdrawing its troops would be a threat to its national security. The main source of Russian harm depends on the status of Poland border. It was essential for the Soviet Russia to protect its border and therefore, its national security.
The greatest purpose for the beginning of the conflict was the separation of Germany. The Britain, U.S, and Russia did not come to a covenant on the partition of Germany (Gaddis 2000, P.20). The two superpowers, the United States, and the Britain had a plan to amalgamate the entire Germany under the Western policy. The Soviet Union reacted to the situation by combining its clutches on Europe by forming satellites. The situation led to the formation of Communist Federation, which dominated approximately half of Europe (Lewkowicz 2008, P. 54). The action was questionable on whether Stalin wanted to create a global communist movement or he was protecting its borders from any form of intervention from its allies. The purpose of his actions was never clear.
The foundation of cold rotated around the relationship in the innovative improvement in the United States and Soviet. In early 1946, Truman gave up on the Soviets and gave it a description of a nation that comprehends “only an iron and strong language.” (Levering 2001, p. 132). Later Stalin reacted to this with a speech emphasizing on the fundamental irreconcilability between Soviet socialism and the Western Republic. A telegram by Kennan (1946 p. 80) indicated that the root of the Soviet danger to the West addressed the need to legitimate their wounded authoritarianism. The Russian must believe in the predictable achievement of socialism over capitalism to defend their history and culture. The Soviet was to use available chances to expand their system.
The United States being in ownership of a hazardous weapon, it created tension between the Russians national security. The nuclear age started when the U.S. tested their atomic bomb on the day of Potsdam conference. Was the Russian concern about their national security right? Yes, several answers revolve around this question (Lewkowicz 2008, P. 54). The existence of the atomic bomb posed a threat to the entire world. How could the U.S. preach for international peace, freedom, and cooperation when they created the most harmful weapon that could cause conflict? The U.S. were very certain about the state safety having the most dangerous defense and claimed that it had a connection with other nations (Mccauley 2008 p. 76). The American took the privilege of the issue of national security to dominate globally.
American actions encourage colonization and ascendency of the world but not international freedom and peace. For instance, during the war in Korea they sent their soldiers in the cover of protest of unity. Their real mission was to form a ground for their interest. In the Truman’s allegation on imperialism, he said that UN was in Korea with the aim of conquering it (Levering 2001, p. 132). There was fear of the spread of their effect to Asia and Europe. In his statement, “We are fighting in Korea for our national security and survival”, the President knew that if the socialism wins in Korea, it might interfere with his strategy of supremacy (Okoth 2010, p. 250).
Propaganda is a great deterrent for American politicians. The attempt of the Russian government to develop nuclear power threaten Americans were making them use the intervention against Russia (Leffler & Westad 2010, P.p. 150-230). The U.S. citizen protested for its termination, claiming that Russian empire was creating a dangerous weapon that would destroy the world. Russians being under the tension of its enemy, it tried to develop its weapon for national defense. They had justifiable reasons to create their nuclear weapons since they were in an arms race with the U.S. The dream of America to be in supremacy could not allow them to accept the defeat by any nation (Mccauley 2008 p. 76). Most nation internationally feared Russia for being in possession of huge resources for nuclear power development.
The espionage in the U.S. was another form of propaganda. Americans used royal and social media and Hollywood actors against the communists (Lewkowicz 2008, P. 54). They publish that America was a nation that supported freedom of religion, speech, and political ideas compared to Russia where there was killing or execution of the anti-communists. These media platforms were under control to release the twisted notion and not the reality. The Americans were the pressure from the communism that they would begin within its citizen. The truth is that punishment was to those who supported socialism such as public figures in the royal and social media (Okoth 2010, p. 250). America used publicity as their greatest weapon during the origin of cold war.
Americans did not interest in the international cooperation but rather in conquering the USSR. Everything becomes clear after the leader of the Soviet Union passed away when George Malenkov spoke on behalf of the party (Arnold & Wiener 2012, P. 130). He proposed for peaceful synchronicity of both nations, which sent a spiking message of cooperation and peace with the U.S. government. It never a propaganda from the Soviet, they preached peace and that is all they wanted. However, the United States secretary’s response showed that they had no interest in making peace. In his statement, “We are not dancing on any Russian tune,” he clearly showed future intervention on international freedom, peace, and cooperation (Mccauley 2008 p. 76).
The U.S. action of spying on the USSR was another issue that cause the cold war. During the reign of Nikita Hushovd, he fought for peace between the two superpowers (Amadae 2003, Pp. 40-86). He became the first leader in the USSR history to visit the U.S. meeting. Later the Americans began spying on the Soviet by use of its espionage planes. Unfortunately, the Soviets shut down one of the American’s plane, crushing the aspiration for peace. If the American government wanted peace then why would they spy on Soviets, especially when they were in the middle of their national parade? The question showed the doubt on whether the U.S. preserved the ideology and national security or they wanted to dominate the world (Okoth 2010, p. 250).
The Vietnam War was another intervention where the U.S. showed its thirst for supremacy over the world (Gaddis 2000, P.20). America assisted South Vietnam in the war and gave it a hand in changing from socialism into a capitalist nation. The biggest fear then was the suspicion that Vietnamese would turn to support communism and. Therefore, many nations would follow being it had a lot of influence. The leader of the Vietnam being a communist, he uses socialism to govern his people. The fight carried for almost two decades without any success thereby pushing the Americans to withdraw. The Vietnam citizen lost hope in the democratic federation and turned to communism (Phillips 2001, p. 98). A statement from the President that failure in Vietnam War did not show the end of American reign over the world was clear evidence that the U.S. was fighting for power and not for peace.
President Truman permitted approximately $ 400 million for the mechanical expansion program in Africa, Latin America, and Asia after the fear of colonialist in the Soviet Union (Leffler & Westad 2010, P.p. 150-230). The program had the aim of revolutionizing and consolidation developing countries to discourage the spread of socialism. American’s agenda was not to help the countries but rather to control them in future. It was one of the stages passed through by U.S. to rule the world (Okoth 2010, p. 250). The three superpower had different ideas: the Americans wanted political and economic supremacy, British sought power balance while Russia though of influence. The Russians main goal was to protect their national security, which was under fear.
The creation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was another step that the U.S. adopted to dominate Europe (Arnold & Wiener 2012, P. 130). The reason for NATO emergence was the fear of the renewal of Soviet aggression in Europe. Western Europe required a guarantee of protection from aggression by the U.S. government (Ross 2002, p. 34). NATO indicated that nobody would separate Americans from European affairs. Even though there was no evidence of future expectations of the Soviet attack, NATO did not create advanced levels of global tension. The U.S. and USSR had a great difference (Levering 2001, p. 132). The American has several interventions in almost every nation that wanted to join communism while the Soviets assisted those countries that were ready to join the socialists. The situation indicated the Americans concern only about their global position but not people’s need.
The study shows that some scholars have the traditionalists’ view of the origin of cold war. The desire of Moscow’s leaders to promote the security of the Soviet was the foundation of the war (Mccauley 2008 p. 76). Stalin used philosophical pomposity to militarize his followers for the war. He wanted to control several regions to promote national security. The Soviet leadership believed that by conquering several nation, it would protect its nation. The aim was to overturn the Europe and the Balkans to facilitate the ideologies of the Soviet. Stalin wanted to construct an empire without going against the U.S. government. According to Gaddis, J. L. (2000), Soviet policy triggered the onset of the cold war.
The Soviet’s hostile intentions based on the communist philosophy and the desire for defense for internal tyranny were some of the ways that triggered cold war. The Americans felt threatened by the Soviet action to spread socialism in the Eastern Europe calling them to react (Lewkowicz 2008, P. 54). They were certain that communism would extend very fast to non-communist thus leaving them the only capitalist nation. Besides, communism was not in support of free international trade, which the strongest basis of the U.S. (Phillips 2001, p. 98). The initiated several interventions in the most countries to avoid losing them. Therefore, the presence of socialism among the Soviet and fear of its spread caused the reactions that promoted cold war.
The relationship between Stalin and Truman was also another cause of the origin of cold war. Truman accused the leader from Soviet for not conducting a free election as agreed in the conference (Mccauley 2008 p. 76). Poland being at the border was susceptible to treat for the U.S. Stalin wanted to use to Poland as a national safeguard to avoid any upcoming incursions from occurring, following the loss of the World War II. Stalin addressed the accusation by saying that he was willing to comply with the demand, but to surrender the attentiveness of security of Russians (Okoth 2010, p. 250). However, his enemy reacted to this by saying that there were no differences between the leadership of Hitler and that of Russia.
Even though a new strategy existed, there was a claim that the Soviet leaders still acted under revolutionary. In 1953, the Soviets managed to obtain a huge empire was not willing to let it go. The most important aspect was to extend the effect of socialism (Arnold & Wiener 2012, P. 130). The call for peaceful coexistence by the Khrushchev did not reflect the actions of Moscow, thereby alerting the obligation to the radical- majestic standard (Lewkowicz 2008, P. 54). During the tenancy of Kremlin, there was an increased support for the nationalist of the Third World, which posed a threat to the U.S. nuclear weapon. The action of Khrushchev has a great damage to the relationship between the two antagonists.
The attempt of Soviet leaders to guide in the period of intervention called détente. They never wanted conflict but instead were in thirst for global peace (Levering 2001, p. 132). However, it did not give any reason for the rolling back of the Iron Curtain or abandoning the revolutionary. They thought that by creating an era of firmness between the superpowers, they would protect the Soviet empire. Despite the renounce of the use of force by the Soviet, Americans continued with the ideological colonialism in the Third World (Leffler & Westad 2010, P.p. 150-230). They wanted to dismantle the Soviet Union segregation, destroy the old philosophies, and to revive its present situation.
The development of a new strategy apart from the Soviet policy that aimed at creating ties with the West. The new strategy anticipated gaining adaptability of Moscow in the international phase. In summary, the Soviet Union contributed to the origin of cold by failing to observe the rules of elections, opposing capitalism, and their exploitation in the Soviet zone of Germany (Gaddis 2000, P.20). They felt threatened by the Americans nuclear weapon hence they had to secure the western border through the spread of communism. The disagreement between their leaders made it impossible to for the U.S. to share their nuclear secrets with Soviets in an attempt to build its own.
Conclusion
The cold war originated from the differences in the political interest USSR and the United States. The dissimilarity in the culture of the American leaders and their virtuous rationalizations for negotiation from Soviet Union leaders’ socialist’s colonialist policies led to disagreement. The basis of the war was alliance formation and future strategies preparations. There were no physical battle but rather political and economic threats. Distrust, suspicion, and dishonesty had an unspecified source between the two nations. They both implemented policies that designed their country in their desired directions thus rendering both parties at fault; they both contributed to the separation and therefore blamed for the origin of cold war. However, the United States contributed much of its effort to the cold war with aim of conquering the world.
Bibliography
Amadae, S. (2003). Rationalizing capitalist democracy: the Cold War origins of rational choice liberalism. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Arnold, J. R., & Wiener, R. (2012). Cold War: the essential reference guide. Santa Barbara, Calif, ABC-CLIO.
Gaddis, J. L. (2000). The United States and the origins of the Cold War, 1941-1947. New York, Columbia University Press.
Leffler, M. P., & Westad, O. A. (2010). The Cambridge history of the Cold War. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Levering, R. B. (2001). Debating the origins of the Cold War: American and Russian perspectives. Lanham, Md, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Lewkowicz, N. (2008). The German question and the origins of the Cold War. Milan, IPOC.
Mccauley, M. (2008). Origins of the Cold War, 1941-1949. Harlow, England, Pearson Longman.
Okoth, P. G. (2010). USA, India, Africa, during and after the cold war. Nairobi, University of Nairobi Press.
Phillips, S. (2001). The Cold War: conflict in Europe and Asia. Oxford, Heinemann.
Ross, S. (2002). The causes of the Cold War. Milwaukee, WI, World Almanac Library.
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
by Herman Bailey | Jul 13, 2023 | Essays |
Most of us by now have distinguished between information and knowledge. Given that our culture, especially its educational institutions, is increasingly presenting information as the only kind of knowledge, how would you suggest we articulate the difference and value of knowledge as distinct from mere applied information?
Please note, you don’t have to encompass everything in this essays. A tightly focused exposition is better than a huge, vague, and general one.
Include references from the additional note I have attached in the essay, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, label the references “attached note”. Include additional three source
You need to explicate the ideas and arguments in the course material. This is a very important part of the assignment.
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The essay must have a thesis statement in the introduction, i.e., a claim that centres the discussion. The ideas in the body of the essay must be well organized and were often pertinent to the topic. And less grammatical problems.
“Life is Lived Individually and I Want to See What YOU Know and Think.”2
“”Survival,” has a Darwinian ring to it these days, not just in biological circles, but in politics and economics and in just about every other sphere of life.
survival of the fittest… the principle that animals and plants suited to the conditions they live in are more likely to stay alive and produce other animals and plants than those which are not suited3
It denotes staying “alive”, sustaining life (“…vive”). But 20th & 21st Century developments in health and science, to say nothing of military technology and commercial trade law, have raised serious questions about what life is, when and how it begins and ends, and who has “property” rights over it.4 A couple of sections of Dr. Renaud’s paper raise what he describes as “democratic life”5 issues we need to resolve if Costanza and Luque and Jonas and others are right in their assessments of where our current technological culture has brought us. We can begin by noting what he sees as the past.6
Both the corporatization of universities and the prominence of natural sciences have sent shock waves to the ways we conduct our business in the social sciences and humanities. The glory days are long gone for the stereotypical pipe-smoking English professor in his tweed jacket, with leather patches on his elbows, making timeless pronouncements on high culture or for the bearded sociology professor discussing the next phase in the dictatorship of the proletariat.
My argument will be that we are now way past the old debate between the so-called social sciences and the so-called humanities. I’ll argue that the real debates are about the:
role of disciplines in academe (multi-, cross-, inter-, or trans-disciplinarity);
place of group, team or network approaches to knowledge building;
place of problem-, issue-, mission- or performance- driven research (also called targeted or strategic research); and place of knowledge transfer (mobilization, translation, management) in our scholarly undertakings.
Despite my own beard—and a deep affection and respect for many such tweedy, bearded professors in my own life—I fully agree that the traditional “tweed jacket” approach practised by many of us “bearded sociology,” or philosophy, “professors” is no longer effective culturally or pedagogically. I will come back to this important issue in a moment.
We must also note what Renaud cautions us7 he is “NOT” proposing.
I am NOT making the case here for some kind of mythical “unity of knowledge” whereby the human mind would transcend all the differences between the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities… (T)his debate has not much ground to occupy anymore. The variance within disciplines is now larger than that between disciplines. The economist who is a quantitative modeller has more in common with the mathematician than with the economic historian. The qualitative sociologist has more to do with philosophy or literature than with the quantitative sociologist, who may feel closer to the scientists who have sequenced the human genome.
Renaud makes an important point here, in my view. And, just in case there is some confusion about my own argument, I want to endorse this aspect of his position as well. In my view—and in Aristotle’s as I understand it—any epistemic unity or discursive integration such as Costanza and Jonas hope to secure is not likely to emerge as some jointly held set of truths on which there will be some universal consensus.
The only epistemic unity or discursive integration possible in our current technologically dominated culture is as a function of jointly experienced needs; “needs” like those encountered by the dialectical companions at Republic 372, which we have seen Aristotle address in his practical treatment of the effective relationship of knowledge and action in the Nicomachean Ethics. Any discursive integration or epistemic unity will arise through searching for what we do not yet properly “have” but need, rather than through searching for “survival” in securing and enhancing what we think we already have, our presumed wealth. In Aristotle’s view as I am arguing it here, the properly disciplined scientific search for what is causally “necessary,” and the recognition of its relevance as actually needed, provides an irresistible urgency that forces us to act (“praxis”) selectively and wisely.
And we can actually make the selective choices (that Dreyfus says computers cannot make) in Aristotle’s view, if we recognize what he and Plato both saw as the “weakness” of language, and if we adopt appropriate measures to overcome that weakness. The appropriate measures, Aristotle argues, are that we jointly undertake thorough, faithful, logically disciplined analysis that will reveal to us which acts mediate the obviously “weak” names we variously and inadequately use to “symbolize”9 the furniture of the world for ourselves. That analysis entails, and shapes, a unified, jointly discursive set of political practices and cultural behaviours that, in Dreyfus’ terminology, embody a shared field of relevance, a shared culture, a shared “life.” This dialectical approach fosters constantly growing, unified, living bodies of practice rather than finished, dead—and deadening—unified bodies of knowledge.10
Renaud goes on to say:11
The real issue is, How should we structure our approach to knowledge development in the future? How can we … strike an alliance to make sure the ‘human’ sciences deliver as much to the world as the ‘natural’ sciences … have done?
Renaud then sets out to answer this question by examining four related and vigorously debated features of contemporary academic life: “multidisciplinarity, teamwork, problem-focused research, and knowledge transfer,” which he describes as “having emerged as fundamental issues only over the last quarter century.” Dr. Renaud notes a recent piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education:
What if the humanities adopted a different model for intellectual interchange? Imagine if ideas in the humanities evolved not in response to public—and adversarial—diatribes in magazines, journals and conference panels, but in a regular, even routine, manner, the equivalent of a science laboratory. In a lab—or at least the platonic ideal of a lab—discovery of one sort or another is the shared, overt goal… The humanities could borrow from the collaborative model of the lab, where even the most senior and junior members count on one another, and where joint publication and grant applications acknowledge and formalize a structure of mutual dependency. The Oedipal “anxiety of influence” so championed by humanists is counterproductive for both junior and senior members …12
And then he strikes a note that responds to a key aspect of the problem we saw Jonas raise: how, if at all, do solitary individuals participate in contemporary knowledge? Renault observes:
No matter how brilliant and creative, there is no way a solitary thinker could puzzle through the complex issues of today’s world as deeply and comprehensively as a group of people from different fields, different areas of expertise, different disciplinary training and perspectives, and spanning several generations. The difficulty now is figuring out what this all means for academic work. As I kept telling my students who were constantly asking for collaborative term papers to be accepted, “Life is lived individually and I want to see what YOU know and think.” Collective undertakings cannot supersede the need to make a contribution that is specifically one’s own….Yet, collective work can make a huge difference in terms of its overall depth, breadth and impact… Inadequate attention to human sciences… has contributed to making human problems seem beyond the reach of human understanding and redress. When “common sense”—often no more than prejudice and superstition—holds more sway than solid evidence and debate, we court a huge risk of error and a grave decline in the quality of democratic life.
You will recall that I introduced this Philosophy course on “contemporary” issues in technology by stating that its goal was to raise some “timely” questions: ones we can no longer avoid asking, because they can no longer be safely postponed. “Contemporary” comes from two Latin words, cum which means “with”, and tempus which means “time.” So a “contemporary” issue is one that is “in time with us.” A recurrent theme of these essays has been the role of history as a way in which we accommodate, and accommodate to, time.
I have tried to suggest a view of history that is based on Aristotle’s biological “teleology.” I am not convinced that Aristotle has it right. In fact, I am pretty certain he does not in certain important respects that are, however, not particularly relevant to our discussion here. But his approach is valuable in that it raises a perspective we may find helpful in testing our sense of being imprisoned or determined by history when it is viewed as a record of a causal chain of inevitable events, or even as a science of the meaning of past events as they shape the present and future. Aristotle sees history in technological terms, as a technique or skill for accurately determining precisely what is possible. He suggests that we can use history to support free possession, exploration, and practice of the possible so as to ensure that events occur in ways that do not impede their best outcomes.
But the course as a whole is not about history or time. It is about whether contemporary practice, informed as it is by modern technological skills and devices, can be more wisely grounded in scientific knowledge conducted according to relevant measures of value. That is what we have seen as the contemporary issue preoccupying Emilio Luque and Robert Costanza and Hubert Dreyfus and Hans Jonas and Marc Renaud and the Buccaneers and Helen Caldicott and Seamus Heaney, among others.
A lot of energy went into exploring how relevant measures of value are achieved, and into trying to see why bodies, as Dreyfus and Aristotle both argue, are crucial to all knowledge, including scientific knowing. Dreyfus sees a body as a site of risk, and therefore as the lens that finally determines what really is relevant. Building on that notion of risk, and on the problems facing contemporary knowledge institutions, we explored how bodies of practice risk doing the truth as a result of directly experiencing a compelling need.
That experience of need is what, in the earlier essays, we saw Plato design into his dialectic as practised by group of faithful participants bound by a faithful commitment to name things as accurately as language permits. Aristotle transformed this procedure into a description of how a practically wise community body, he suggests, can be effective once the impediments are removed by attending to the lessons of history as we explore the possible. Bodies grow when anything threatens by its presence, as participants in dialectic threaten each other with meaning-lessness unless their experience leads them into practices that are vital and sustaining. Bodies are sites of contested relevance resolved in practice.
There are lots and lots of questions left dangling as we come to the end of this course. On the other hand, I did not promise you I would be asking questions to which there were good answers; just questions we can no longer avoid asking, because they can no longer be safely postponed.
The Video Technology
First we should note something about what the video is. The actual making of the video was, itself, a key part of the impediment-removal process. The film’s Director, Charlie Callanan, and the members of MUN’s Educational Television Unit did not go out to Buchans as voyeurs, simply to observe and record the pain and frustration of its people as they struggled to decide their future. Nor were they acting as journalists to record events so as simply to inform the general public. Nor, finally, did they make the video so we could sit, also like voyeurs, and watch the story as a kind of entertainment.
The making of the video itself was a formal documentation of a history-making communications event that provided an occasion for the people of Buchans to ask themselves, and others, some of the questions they needed to ask. Please note the way Mr. Callanan describes (at about 5 min 10 secs) the participation of the people of the community in the technical aspects of the community television event.
It is not nostalgia that prompts the need to document such moments. It is faithfulness, in the sense we saw the term used earlier by Plato, that makes this kind of documentation necessary. The video documents what the participants themselves said to themselves. It establishes a reference by which they can judge their future acts. It provides a memory, a criterion of relevance, that allows the townspeople to test the truth-basis of their actions. In this sense the video functions in something like the way old treaties were recorded graphically hundreds of years ago and are now used as the basis for determining land, and other rights. It is even a bit like the famous Bayeux tapestry,2 though perhaps not quite such a supreme work of art!
This dynamic use of live television, and film, and later video, technology arose out of an approach developed earlier here in Newfoundland at Memorial. It was called the “Fogo Process” and was designed as a “tool in participatory community development.”3 The Guelph University Web site describes the process, as follows:
…. It was to be a project that used film to assist communities in coming to terms with some of their problems. It was intended to help the people realize that they had problems in common and to move towards building cooperation and development.
The community members interviewed clearly identified a number of island issues: the inability to organize, the need for communication, the resentment felt towards the idea of resettlement, and the anger that the government seemed to be making decisions about their future with no community consultation process. (The film maker, Colin) Low decided to show the films to the people of Fogo and thirty- five separate screenings were held with the total number of viewers reaching 3,000. This became an important part of the process. It was realized that people were not comfortable discussing issues with each other face-to-face. Instead, they were quite comfortable explaining their individual views on film and having those opinions played back to other community members. By viewing the films, the islanders started to realize that all the communities were experiencing the same problems; they became more aware of these problems and what needed to be done to solve them.
There was controversy back at the university about what the political consequences for the institution would be because of the blatant criticisms of the government that occurred in the films. After some discussion, it was decided that the Premier and his cabinet should view the films. This was phenomenal since it allowed fishermen to talk to cabinet ministers. It was also successful: the Minister of Fisheries, Aiden Maloney, asked to be able to respond to the commentaries. The government point-of-view was filmed through him and shown back to the communities. This brought about a two-way flow of knowledge between community members and decision makers. From this point things began to happen on their own. The films simply helped contribute to an island-wide sense of community and assisted people in looking for alternatives to resettlement.
It is not known for certain what would have happened on Fogo had the filming never been done. What is certain is that “the fishermen formed an island-wide producers cooperative which handled and processed large catches, enabling them to keep the profits on their island. Unemployment of able-bodied men disappeared, and government directed their efforts into helping people to stay. Films did not do these things: people did them. There is little doubt, however, that film created an awareness and self confidence that was needed for people-advocated development to occur”… The Fogo project became an internationally acclaimed prototype using media to promote dialogue and social change and was later used by various communities around the world.4
Filmmaker Colin Low and his crew recognised there was a natural communication dynamic emerging in the process that was important politically and culturally. The film process provided a reflective medium in which people could test what they could safely say to each other, what they needed to say, what was really relevant. And it allowed them to say it more precisely, more cogently, more accurately. Like the participants in Plato’s Republic, they were being enabled jointly to search for the right names for their experiences, and to develop a more precise definition of themselves and their situation. That enabled the community to engage not only more effectively within itself, but also with others, including government officials.5
The Buchans community event, and the documenting of that event, were applications of the “Fogo Process” technology. The aim was to create a suitable opportunity that might move talk into action by focussing the talk into a reflective moment crystalizing everyone’s experience around what was relevant to them as a body.
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
by Herman Bailey | Jul 12, 2023 | Essays |
Introduction
The essay will contextualize the personal viewpoint of Pierre Elias ‘experience of health, disease and healthcare in the contemporary American society. The essay will use a personal essay “Insensible Losses: When the Medical Community Forgets the Family” by Pierre Elias from Health Affairs. The essay will discuss and explain how the main issues raised by your Pierre Elias relate to the broader historical context in American current culture, including a comparison to a relevant past historical context. The paper will also have a political, socio-economic, cultural theme that recognizes the social determinants of health. The insensible loss of the patients’ family by the medical community is rampant in many healthcare facilities.
The author
The article “Insensible Losses: When the Medical Community Forgets the Family” was authored by Pierre Elias. The author who is a medical student at Duke University School of Medicine is a scholar who has also served as a TEDMED researcher. Currently, Pierre Elias is a visiting researcher at the University of California, Division of hospitality Medicine, San Francisco (Elias 707-710).
Authors viewpoints and main themes
There are several viewpoints and themes presented by the author in this article. To begin, the author indicates that the family of the patients are always respectful and patient with the doctor when their family members are in the doctor’s care. This patience and respect are also accompanied by trust since the families of the patients believe that the physicians or the health care workers know best on the condition affecting their family member
Under the subtopic, “telling Laura,” many themes and viewpoints come forth. To begin, the theme of neglect of the patient’s family is evident. The author narrates how after the condition of Steve, the patient, had deteriorated; he was rushed to the ICU where new doctors working in the ICU section took over. As the initial doctors assigned to take care of Steve, they had no responsibility over him. However, everybody has returned to their normal duties of attending to other patients and forgetting about Laura, a wife of 40 years to Steve. No healthcare worker considered informing Laura about the developments and the status of her husband for over six hours; she sat apprehensively with her other relatives waiting (Elias 707-710). Pierre states that their clinical team went through their afternoon to-do-list, and they no longer saw Steve as their patient, nor his family as their concern. This is because a new team had assumed the responsibility for his care. Similarly, at the ICU unit, the senior ICU resident on duty only knew the basics about Steve, did not know about the wife of Steve leave alone that she was patiently waiting in the waiting room. Moreover, she had planned to talk to the wife only when she had a new report. This implies that if there will be no new report, then the relatives of Steve would have waited longer to know about the condition of Steve (Elias 707-710).
Another theme evident in the article is a lack of systematic approach to communicating with families to the family members about the condition of their relative who is hospitalized, or when their health deteriorates unexpectedly and requires a change of healthcare providers. The author states that he realized that someone was needed to inform Laura about the condition of her husband, but it was unclear on who to do that. Steve was their patient, but he has been handed over to the neurological unit in other doctor’s care. The unclear protocol is seen on who to inform the family; the previous doctors or the current physicians handling him at the ICU. Lack of proper protocol also saw Pierre, the student physician, taking the responsibility of talking with the family of Steve. A responsibility that should be taken by the doctor in charge of the patient (Elias 707-710).
The theme of lack of emotional care to the families of the patients is also evident. The patient was facing an uncertain and long recovery from stroke and was to go for cancer treatment, and yet the wife with other family members sitting few meters away had no clue about it. Leaving the families of the patients in the dark for longer hours is less a mental torture to the families. Laura was kept for over six hours in darkness about the condition of her husband with no doctor caring to attend to them. Moreover, there was no senior physician to deliver the cancer news to the family, comfort with them, and explain about the condition. That was a blatant lack of emotional care for the families of the patients (Elias 707-710).
Lack of proper policies in place to handle communication with the families or attend to them is also highlighted by the author. Pierre elaborates that most hospitals lack properly instituted handoffs. Handoffs are defined as the care transition that involves transferring responsibility, information and authority amongst clinicians, and it is always risky. Moreover, the author pointed out that even in hospitals with properly instituted handoffs procedures, families are left out (Elias 707-710).
Personal viewpoints
From my personal viewpoints, I believe that the author highlighted some important issues that are evident in many hospitals. Neglect of the families is common in many hospitals especially when the patients have been admitted to hospital units that do not authorize non-staff members. Similarly, lack of systematic communication to the families’ leaves may family members in darkness since they do not understand who to ask about their relative. Furthermore, lack of emotional care to the families is also rampant. Psychologists majorly deal with patients with psychological problems and forgetting that families to the patients also have emotional problems when kept waiting for doctors communication.
Contextualization of the article
Many aspects of the article show that it was written in the present day. For instance, the hospital set up with functional ICU, different departments and working schedules for doctor’s shows that it is of the present day modern hospital.
The article also tells a lot about the current culture in terms of health policy. To begin, the healthcare policies does not focus on implementing policies for preventive checkups and screening to determine some health condition. Also, they do not cover emotional care and how to respond to questions from the families (Goodnough 1).
The article also has highlighted many public health issues, the healthcare system, and healthcare professionals. Many healthcare professionals have not been taught about emotional family care, proper communication, and reporting (para 4). The Pierre pointed out that in a proposed curriculum for the residency program, interns were proposed to be taught about handoffs. Lastly, in the 21st century in America, there are many emergent diseases like cancer, stroke, among others that need proper mechanisms of breaking the bad news to the families (Dower 1).
Comparison this viewpoint with a past period
Comparing the viewpoints in this article to the past time period, I believe there are some improvements in healthcare delivery. Medicine is a changing field with improvements day by day. In the past time period, the proper mechanisms proposed and instituted currently may not have been available in the decade. For instance proper procedure of handoffs. Similarly, an inclusive medication where the family and the healthcare providers are involved in the care and treatment of a patient may not be available in the past, but is being encouraged in the 21st century (Dower 2).
Work cited
Elias, Pierre. ‘Insensible Losses: When The Medical Community Forgets The Family’. Health Affairs 34.4 (2015): 707-710. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.< http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0536>
Goodnough, Abby. ‘Success Of Kentucky’S Health Plan Comes With New Obstacles’. Nytimes.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.< http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/us/kentucky-health-plan-is-flooded-with-the-poorest-and-sickest.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0>
Dower, Catherine, and et al. ”Health Policy Brief: Health Gaps. Among Different Populations Across The United States, Substantial Disparities In Health And Health Care Persist”. N.p., 2013. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. < http://healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief_pdfs/healthpolicybrief_98.pdf>
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