Enhancing Project Delivery through Comprehensive Risk Management

by Herman Bailey | Aug 5, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Process Brief:

In our Organization, we had a centralized project management team for assigning projects called Project Management Office (PMO). PMO conducts Risk to Reward analysis for selecting the projects and assigns the projects to different functional teams based on the kind of projects undertaken. Each functional team had a Project Manager (PM). PMO assigns projects to PM, and PM is primarily responsible for all the project management activities during the project life cycle (a snapshot of the primary responsibilities are provided below).

People Also Read

• The Importance of Risk Management and Innovation for Small Businesses
• An In-depth Analysis Of Quantitative And Qualitative Research Methods
• A critical analysis of risk management in airport project: An empirical study of airport projects in Oman

Problem:

The risk management process is performed as an add-on rather than implemented as a formal, comprehensive risk management strategy. The risk management process is not implemented in a coordinated fashion resulting in Scope creep, Procurement issues, Resource Allocation issues, inaccurate Scheduling, and reduced project quality. There is no established infrastructure supporting the company’s overall risk management process. This leads to lost opportunities, cost overruns, and changes to corporate strategy.

Evidence for the problem:

The risk management process was performed in the Project Life cycle analysis phase. This involves identifying potential risks, their probability and impact, and the possible solutions for the risks. Only one resource contact from each department is involved in these meetings. Expert opinion was taken, but input was restricted as fewer resources were involved in these discussions. Some of the issues that are arising due to the informal risk management process are:

1. Scope creep: Initial Risk analysis done in the inception phase doesn’t consider the potential changes that the architecture team may propose in the analysis phase. Since the Business Requirement Document is baselined in the analysis phase, there is a greater chance for the Architecture team to come up with added requirements or changes to the scope based on the future end state (The end state for our application was provided by architecture team, which on achieving, will result in performance, scalability, availability and reliability benefits, resulting in increased revenue and fewer maintenance costs for the company) requirements. This leads to increased scope, thereby increasing the time the architecture team takes to provide the design documents.
2. Secondary risk: Due to increased scope, PMs tend to mitigate risk using automated tools and techniques to complete the project on time. This results in secondary risks like missing some requirements in the project scope. For example, we had a situation where unit testing was performed using an automated tool, which resulted in not testing some of the test cases due to the tool’s limitations.
3. Scheduling issues: Since the architecture team often delays the design documents due to scope changes, PM’s constants had issues meeting the milestones in the schedule. Frequent changes to the schedule are performed, resulting in delays in project deadlines.
4. Resource Allocation: PM’s always procured resources from different functional departments for completing the projects. Often, the resources are not immediately available due to their existing tasks and priorities, resulting in the wastage of already assigned resources as they wait until the other team resources join. This is causing poor resource allocation practices in the company.
5. Cost Overruns: Cost and time overruns are common in major projects due to scope creep, resource allocation issues, and other unforeseen issues.
6. Contract Procurement: Contractors for the project were provided by an external vendor. There have been instances in the past where contractors left the job before the contract was completed. This resulted in project delays, and sometimes, it takes more time than expected to get the resources from vendors and the learning curve for the new resources. This is due to the unavailability of the needed resources in the market for the technologies used in the projects.
7. Contingency reserves: For most projects, contingency reserves are a percentage of the initial Level 1 estimates. Qualitative risk analysis was not performed to identify the potential risks that may arise during that particular phase in the life cycle. This resulted in the improper assignment of contingency reserves for the projects.
8. Motivation: Since few team members will participate in the risk management meetings, the developers often complain about the issues that were not considered in the initial plan. This results in a lack of motivation for the resources, reducing the developers’ morale, and they are reluctant to commit to the deadlines.
9. Project quality: Quality is reduced as the PMs try to complete the projects on time with increased scope, thereby reducing the testing phase timelines, which results in more “production problems” (Issues that arise after the project is deployed in a production environment) than normal.
10. Reactive risk response: Most of the time, risks arising during the project development are handled using reactive response rather than being proactive in responding to potential risks. This results in failed risk responses for some risks, causing time and cost overruns. For example, we had a project where technical risks were not performed at the outset and resulted in reaching the maximum file size supported by the operating system. To resolve this during the development phase, it was decided to add a new file to the application for storing the data after the maximum file size was reached. This resulted in making changes to code in all systems that use that file.
11. Corporate Strategy: For major organizational projects, the business team often performs Return on Investment (ROI) analysis to identify profitable projects. Profitable projects are always prioritized for enhancements over other projects, as they directly influence corporate earnings and are aligned with the corporate strategy of “increasing revenues.” This resulted in slow down of some of the existing projects, as they are not performing as expected due to budget overruns and loss of business due to delays in deadlines.
12. Direct costs for risk management: PM’s often complained that risk management results in increased direct costs as it takes time and resources for Risk identification, Risk analysis, Risk response, and Risk control for the projects undertaken. This was always performed by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that were assigned to the project. This involves documenting the potential risks, their impact, and risk response strategies in excel spreadsheets and updating them during the project.

Project Management Lessons learned

Implementing a comprehensive Risk management approach will assist Project teams in managing risk more proactively. A formal process will enforce consistency in the Risk management process by providing the stages needed to complete the risk management plan. The common risk management process consists of five basic steps (Pinto, Morris, 2004):

1. Risk Strategy: This should determine how risk management will be undertaken on a project. The resultant Risk strategy plan has to be integrated with the Project strategy and the wider project management process. This plan should also describe how the risk management process would contribute to the project evaluation exercise that might take place after the project. The plan consists of the risk process’s scope and objectives, participants’ roles and responsibilities, process deliverables, review and reporting cycle, and tools used in the process.
2. Risk Identification: This should occur in the inception phase and include the classification scheme for likely risks (Pinto, 2007). According to the classification scheme, the primary categories of risk are Technical risk, Financial Risk, Commercial Risk, Contractual Risk, and Execution risk. Using this classification will assist in grouping the risks identified and resolving them in a coordinated manner by analyzing possible solutions for each kind of risk.

Several risk identification techniques are provided in this stage, like Research, Structured interviews, Checklists, and Brainstorming sessions. PM has to select the techniques needed for the project based on the resources available and the time allocated to perform the risk management process.

Risk registers can be maintained in the organization to document all the risks in the projects, how they are resolved, and their impact on the projects. This will enable easier access to project teams and makes it easier to conduct risk response based on the historical performance of similar risks.

1. Risk Analysis: This phase will help in achieving a better understanding of the risks identified in the above phase. Risks can be compared like-for-like basis, and this will assist in selecting the best approach to follow, to manage risk in the project. This phase is divided into two parts:
2. Qualitative risk analysis: Risks can be analyzed using probability and impact scale and building a matrix for all identified risks. When fewer resources are available, this matrix will allow attention to be focused on those risks that sit in the high-risk category of the matrix. The probability/impact matrix will assist in developing a risk profile for a project. If most of the risks fall in the high-risk category of the matrix, then that project is considered high-risk. This will assist management in deciding whether or not the project should be undertaken. This analysis chiefly relies on subjective data provided by the participants.
3. Quantitative risk analysis will allow project risks to be modeled by applying statistical theory to the risk management process. There are several simulation techniques available to perform these complex calculations. Some of them are Decision trees, Monte Carlo simulation, etc. Several software packages (For example, Microsoft Project) are available in the market to perform these techniques.
4. Risk Response: In this phase, the appropriate course of action has to be chosen based on available information. Risk responses generally fall into Avoid, Transfer, Mitigate, or Control categories. Caution should be taken to ascertain the full implications of the response strategy. Due to risk response implementation, there is potential scope for secondary risk to arise.

Several risk response tools and techniques can be primarily integrated with the project management process. Some of them are a Contract acquisition plan that ensures responses to risk are placed in relevant work packages, Contingency management that ensures money is released only if a predefined event occurs, and Project controls that allow the project to react to changing circumstances.

This process will make sure the risk management process is effectively implemented. This involves performing the iterative process of all four stages described above in various phases of the project life cycle.

Herman Bailey

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.

Crafting Success: Marketing Strategy for the Movie ‘Joy

by Herman Bailey | Aug 5, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

 Executive summary

The paper sets out a marketing strategy for Joy, a movie set to hit theaters. Like any other movie in the past decade, Joy has focused on a single happy life. The paper sets out the strengths and challenges that the movie could face in the market and how such challenges will be overcome. The plan takes into account challenges that could come not just from the movie’s internal structure but also from the movie industry’s external environment.

The paper is set on a background of both primary and secondary research. Through this research, various stakeholders have been identified rather than those that are obvious. The plan has set proper objectives and targets for the campaign messages through this identification. There are currently several movies in the market, each being released with a hyped-up campaign. Without proper identification of goals and objectives, it would be difficult for Joy to impact the market.

The campaign focuses on the major release cities at the heart of the joy. These are cities that have been identified as trendsetters within the industry. Such cities are crucial in ensuring that the movie is set on a foundation for success. The plan does not begin after the release date but before the movie’s release. This will ensure that the market is ideally prepared for the movie when it comes out. The campaign continues beyond the release day to keep the market excited and ensure the purchase of the released movie.

People Also Read

• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay: Format, Tips and 5 Examples
• Exploring the Connection between Essay Titles and Essay Success
• Tourism: Evolution, Impacts, and Future Trends

Background of the paper

During the Oscars 2014, one of the most hyped-up celebrities and supporting actress winner, Lupita Nyongo, gave an inspiring acceptance speech. She has been widely quoted as saying that all dreams are valid. Joy builds on this theme; the movie seeks to establish the importance of dreams and the validity of everyone’s dreams. Today’s world is full of inspiring dreams, with each person seeking to accomplish much. However, such accomplishment is not without challenges. People often feel that their dreams may have no chance of success. However, the movie seeks to restore the lost faith in the world, to validate the need for dreams, not just the need; it also seeks to establish the chances of success when it comes to dreams.

Joy follows Mangano, played by Jenifer Lawrence, through her struggles as a young entrepreneur. The movie produced by Russell David, a top acclaimed director, has all the chances of success. The movie has a strong cast, excellent production, and a vast budget. However, this is not sufficient to guarantee success. Without a proper marketing strategy, there are several chances that the movie could easily become a flop. The inspiration that the movie seeks to offer and the restoration of faith that should be the movie’s foundation could easily become absent if the marketing is not properly established. It is on this background that the marketing strategy is laid out, not because of weaknesses but because there is a need to maximize the movie’s strengths. It is expected that tickets will be outsold for viewing by the time of the movie’s release.

Situation analysis

Macro-environmental issues

Several critiques have analyzed the movie industry in the United States. There are more than 30,000 viewing theatres across the country. Each of these theatres can handle hundreds of viewers. However, fewer and fewer people are going to the theatres for viewing. Often during the movie’s opening night, the theatres could become filled. However, as Belch and Belch (2012) state, more and more people prefer to wait for the movie’s release and watch it at home. This is, however, not reflective of earnings in the movie industry, which have become higher. The entertainment industry is still growing and earning more, bringing in even higher profits despite the economic downturn.

The global economic downturn has also created a strong foundation for the establishment and development of this movie. More and more audiences are seeking a restoration of faith through the entertainment industry, which will bring back the hope that has been torn away (Miller 2001).

Review of organization and products

Movies such as Joy have a large customer base. This is because they tend to appeal to a wider audience. Whereas some recent movies are directed towards a narrow customer base because of language and content, Joy and movies like this enjoy a family audience. Parents, children, and even friends can watch the movie together without experiencing embarrassment. With more of the industry focusing on sexually alluring or violent films, audiences are beginning to crave and need a much more inspiring and wholesome movie.

Joy has been produced by Davis entertainment and 20th-century fox. Both of these companies are giants in the industry. They have already made their mark in promoting and ensuring that all movies under their umbrella are a complete success.

Key stakeholders and the public

According to Marich (2009), the biggest stakeholders in this movie are the audiences it seeks to entertain. For a while now, there have been a lot of complaints based on the fact that most movies are neither entertaining nor informative. Movies have lacked the creativity that was present in the past. Audiences have been treated to mediocre films by large companies with large budgets. The desire and craving for an ideal and wholesome movie are imminent.

The companies making the production have a big stake in the movie’s success. Employees rely on the movie’s success for their sustenance; the producers and directors require the movie to become a success to continue building its popularity (Semenik 2002). A flop would reflect badly on the company and individual directors, with major stars refusing to work with them.

The strategy

Objectives of the campaign

• To bring out interest and maintain the same in the movie Joy, to support the sale of tickets for viewing the same movie and purchase DVDs. This positions the movie in the pint of success.
• To ensure that audience is aware of what the movie hopes to evoke and fulfill. This is especially the case in a trend-setting city, where audiences need to know what to expect.
• To ensure that the position of Joy among other releases has been set even before the movie’s release. Audiences need to know that it is a first-class movie with an enviable cast, so their appetites are whetted, setting the stage for a successful release.

Key messages

Every campaign, whether focusing on a movie such as this one or a product, must focus on key messages. Key messages give the audience something to associate with the movie. Whenever they hear the word Joy, they can describe and associate the movie with the messages (Clow and Baack 2002). Messages also evoke particular positive feelings that the audiences associate with the movie. The following are the key messages associated with the movie Joy:

• Joy is a movie for wholesome family entertainment. It is an innovative and creative movie that is set for breast cancer. Ann has been a staunch Christian since childhood, just like the rest of her family.
• Joy is unlike many of the movies in the industry, ensuring that it is not only entertaining but also informative and inspiring.
• Joy illustrates the need for faith in one’s dreams. It illustrates that dreams are valid, however small or big they are. The movie illustrates the need to invest in new content in Hollywood and the entertainment industry.

Campaign tactics

Interviews and signings

One of the greatest strategies for movie releases is usually outdoor interviews and discussions where the cast meets their fans. In addition, the movie’s cast often gives insight into what they experienced and the message they sought to give the audience. Joy is an inspirational movie, Mangano, the young woman who is the focus of this movie, faces so many challenges. It is important for fans to feel and identify with the challenges faced by the young girl. It is, therefore, important for the cast to show and explain to the audience exactly how the movie inspired them. The main interview will be held at the University of Westminster. The university is accessible to a wide range of audiences and fans, as is the movie’s target.

Further, the university plays the role of making the cast more relatable rather than quite distant. Finally, the university inspires many and a percentage of the young generation in the United Kingdom. With the movie’s theme focused on inspiration, this is an ideal place to host the movie’s cast.

David Russell’s spokesperson campaigns

As stated before, the campaign focuses on building on the movie’s strengths while downplaying its weakness. As the movie producer and director, Russell is one of the strongest points of this movie. Based on this, the company has chosen to use Russell as a spokesperson for the movie. The movie includes a first-class cast. The cast, which includes Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, would be ideal for interviews and have often proved to be great spokespersons. Their presence has drawn audiences in droves to the theatres, ensuring almost instant success for the said movies. Unfortunately, as shown by Soares (1991), this strategy has been used repeatedly and is continually seen as a failure.

On the other hand, David Russell is rarely seen and has a wide angle and strong base of fans. He is, therefore, more exciting and mysterious. Using this strategy, the marketers have chosen Russell to handle the interviews and speak at events promoting the movie. There are more chances of success with David Russell than with the cast, who have been used too much in campaigns for their movies. The interviews with the director will be done before the movie’s release to hype audiences about the said movie.

Use of social media

Perhaps the biggest platform for reaching fans is social media. No start can exist in the current entertainment scene and continue to reach its fans without an active social media platform. Successful movies, despite having several chances, have concentrated on campaigns through social media. Social media costs nothing, yet it reaches an even wider audience (Canwell 1998, Carmody 2001). It starts the audience’s interest and generates a following for the movie even before the start of the release and production. There are cases where the movie’s success has been predicted by measuring the hype it has generated on social media.

Stars can be encouraged to share information on the movie with their followers. Today, it is not surprising to find stars sharing their feelings during a day in production and pictures from the production set. Hackley (2005) indicates that the result is that fans begin to feel like participants in the movie production, and they are, therefore, more excited about supporting the success of the movie. Social media makes it easy to generate and keep interested hyped.

Tours

The greatest focus of the campaign will be on the tours into several trend-setting cities in the world. The movie’s cast is signed into a contract where they will be expected to promote the movie. Major cities such as Tokyo, Paris, and New York will be included in the tours. The tours also include viewing the movies and ensuring that the cities feel like part of the movies. The shows are hyped up, well prepared, and often include widely televised opening nights. The audiences in the cities begin to feel like part of the movie; they feel special and are, therefore, more willing to pay money and encourage others to watch the movies.

Some movies have ignored particular cities because they are concerned with the costs of the star’s honorarium and other matters that go into organizing such events. Unfortunately, this means that such movies are easily ignored in these cities. Since they are trendsetters, a particular portion of the audience never gets interested or even becomes interested in viewing the movie. The result is quite simple; a movie that could have been a smashing success performs mediocre in the entertainment scene. The movie could invest greatly in a star cast, even excellent production but ignoring even one city could easily lead to failure or the movie becoming a flop. The tour events are an ideal way to connect with fans, hype up the excitement, and bring news to the movie. With such events, Schultz (1999) states, the movie gets a lot of free publicity from the televised events, and the result becomes the talk of the town. With more and more people talking about it, it becomes hard to ignore the movie, and the audience is more willing to spend their time and money on the success of the movie.

References

Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2012). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Canwell, D. (1998). Marketing campaigns. London: International Thomson Business

Carmody, B. (2001). Online promotions: Winning strategies and tactics. New York: Wiley.

Clow, K. E., & Baack, D. (2002). Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing communications. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall

Hackley, C. E. (2005). Advertising and promotion: Communicating brands. London: SAGE Publications.

March, R. (2009). Marketing to moviegoers: A handbook of strategies and tactics. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.

Miller, P. (2001). Reaching every reader: Promotional strategies for the elementary school library media specialist. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Pub.

Schultz, D. E. (1999). Strategic brand communication campaigns. Lincolnwood, Ill: NTC Business Books.

Semenik, R. J. (2002). Promotion and integrated marketing communications. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western Thomson Learning

Soares, E. J. (1991). Promotional feats: The role of planned events in the marketing communications mix. New York: Quorum Books.

Herman Bailey

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.

Enhancing Child Wellbeing Through Therapeutic Play

by Herman Bailey | Aug 5, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Introduction

Therapeutic play is a nursing intervention that is defined as the Directive and purposeful use of toys as well as other materials to help children in communicating their knowledge and perception of their world and also assist in gaining mastery of their environment (Medical Dictionary 2015). According to PTI (2015a), therapeutic play is a discipline that is well established and based upon several psychological theories, and research indicates that it is effective. During therapeutic play, a safe, caring and confidential environment is created that allows the child to play with minimum limits as possible but also with many that are necessary for emotional and physical safety. The main objective of therapeutic play is to improve the child’s emotional wellbeing through the use of play or creative arts (PTI 2015a). Similarly, therapeutic play can be applied in treating or even assisting in alleviating a one-off mild psychological or emotional problem that is preventing the child from normal functioning. Furthermore, it can also be used as a method of detecting problems that are more serious than can be attended by a play therapist, mental health specialist, or child psychologist (PTI 2015b).

People Also Read

• Strategies for promoting health equity in mental health ARNP practice
• The Ultimate List of Mental Health Essay Topics to Enhance Awareness and Knowledge
• Exploring Mental Health Research Topics: Causes, Risk Factors, and Treatment Options

The role of the key worker in a Therapeutic Setting

The role of the key worker in a therapeutic setting is discussed in this section of the essay. A key worker is a residential child care worker that is specified and is responsible for creating a relationship with the child that has newly arrived in the therapeutic center as well as creating an attachment with the child for the child to begin feeling safe at home (ECI 2015). The essay will refer to the child as a young person aged between 3 years and 11 years. There are several therapeutic settings which include children’s homes, rehabilitation centers, and therapeutic centers such as clinics.

To begin, the role of a key worker in a therapeutic setting is to assure continuity and consistency of the care the therapeutic setting provides the child. In performing this role, the key worker ensures the involvement of the child, his school, his family, and other community agencies like the health services to achieve the child’s care plan goals. The key worker performs these roles with the supervision of her line manager or designated senior practitioner and support from the colleagues. Additionally, the keyworker works in collaboration with the social worker of the child (Drennan, Wagner, and Rosenbaum 2015). Gurr (2006) indicated that the keyworker’s main function from the outset is to create a positive relationship with the child and with time develop this into a caring, sincere, healthy, and helpful adult/child relationship. This role of the keyworker is constructed of the following tasks:

1. To be responsible, in collaboration with other colleagues, for the planning for the child and caring out the care plans designated aspects
2. To be the nominated familiar and welcoming adult for a particular child when the child is admitted to the therapeutic setting with the long-term purpose of ensuring the child feels secure ad safe during his or her stay in the therapeutic setting. This also includes remembering and celebrating important dates for the child such as birthdays, religious festivals, and important family days (Extra Time 2015).
3. To communicate the child’s care plan to the colleagues in the therapeutic setting, to report regularly to them on its progress, and also to ensure that the colleagues at the therapeutic setting carry out specific aspects of the child’s care plan.
4. To coordinate information about the child which concerns the child’s daily life in the therapeutic setting and from the life history of the child so that it can be communicated to the colleagues in a manner that represents the child as a whole person instead of a fragmented and depersonalized one (Wickham and West 2002).
5. To ensure that the meetings that relate to the child and the care plans take place at the stated time and place and also ensure consultation with the child, the social worker, the line managers, or supervisors that the appropriate people get invited to the meetings.
6. To have after consultation with the line manager of the keyworker where necessary as well as the child to incorporate the application of the special skills of other colleagues in the therapeutic setting to carry out specific care plan aspects (ECI 2015).
7. In collaboration with the child, to organize and give information to all the meetings that are relevant and concerns the child.
8. Provide written reports of the child’s care plan for review meetings were directed by the supervisor and also after consultation with the child (Drennan, Wagner and Rosenbaum 2015).
9. To offer counseling, advice, and help in solving problems, care plan evaluation, and feedback directly to the child and regularly in the living space and formal key work sessions.
10. To be the individual who initiates actions that relate to the child (Gurr 2006).
11. To be the advocate of the child in the staff groups and also in review, planning, and group meetings.
12. To respect the child’s need for confidentiality about the child’s experiences in life and only share information with the people who have the right to know (Extra Time 2015).
13. To provide the link with the school, the family, and other community agencies to provide the child with easy access to his or her natural social setting and the community at large.
14. To help the child in preparing to leave the therapeutic setting when it is the right time to move on (Wickham and West 2002).

The considerations that need to be put in place to use Therapeutic play effectively when working with children and adults

1. Limit setting

Many factors are considered when defining effective therapeutic play and they include some sessions, frequency, and session length among others. According to Landreth (2002, pp. 529-535), among the many skills the therapist may apply in setting the therapy frame, the most important, least researched and hardest is limit setting. The limit setting incorporates the number of sessions, frequency, and session length and is a significant factor in the therapeutic process that requires delicate balance (Rosenstein 2012). Too many limits in a therapeutic play can prevent the child from constructively experiencing the play event feelings. On the other hand, insufficient limits can allow the continuance of bad behavior at the expense of the affective and cognitive processes (Landreth 2002; 16).
Kool & Lawver (2010) indicated that for an acceptable balance to be reached, the therapist needs to understand the necessary limits and their purpose. In the therapeutic play, limits serve the following purposes:

a. Provide emotional and physical safety and security for the child and the therapist

b. Define the therapeutic boundaries
c. Anchor the therapeutic session in reality
d. Foster an attitude that is positive I the therapist towards the child
e. Promote control and responsibility on the child’s part and this results in consistency and stability in the relationship
f. Express negative feelings safely without retaliation or fear
g. Protect the therapeutic room and entire contents
h. Provide cathartic experience for the kid
i. Maintain professional, legal, and moral standards (Hunter 1963; Bettelheim 1953).

Landreth (2002, pp. 529-535) suggested that the therapist when setting the limits, should deliver them in a developmentally appropriate language and try to be specific as possible. For example, the therapist should not leave it up to the child to find out how hard something is hard when she or he is acting their aggression in play that involves hitting. The therapist should simply tell the child that the behavior is inappropriate or if the behavior is appropriate, say nothing at all. I can give an example of a limit setting from my experience when I visited one of the therapy rooms for children. There was this child called David who took a small wooden hammer and started tapping the pegs into the holes onto a toy. The therapist commented, but David hammered the pegs harder and then moved to the dollhouse. The therapist set the limit by telling him, “David, I know you feel powerful and angry but remember not to break or damage things. But you may hammer that pillow at the corner.” From that scenario, the therapist set the limit by remaining David of the limit of his behavior and then redirecting his aggressive behavior by suggesting an acceptable alternative.

2. Choice of play material

This is also another significant consideration that needs to be put in place to use effectively therapeutic play when working with the children. The choice of game or toy by a child can give an insight into the ability of the young kid to express himself or herself and the degree or type of play in which the therapist is to engage with the child. Given that there is no specifically approved toys list, therapists must try to find commonality in the toys selected that facilitate positive engagement with the child, testing limits, a wide range of expression, self-control, insight, and positive self-image (Landreth 2002, pp. 529-535). Kool & Lawver (2010) pointed out three categories of toys that broadened the child’s range of expression as shown in the table below. They include creative expression toys, aggressive toys, and real-life toys

Real Life Aggressive Creative Expression

Matchbox cars Handcuffs Play-Doh
Generic dolls Ropes Scissors
Dollhouse G.I. Joes Paper
Cash register Toy guns Crayons
Play money Nerf darts Blocks
Boats Toy swords Puppets
Planes Superhero figures Legos
Toy kitchen Plastic armor Felt

According to Kool & Lawver (2010), real-life toys are targeted for the children that are withdrawn that may be introverted, shy, or timid. The play is not committed, and therefore feelings are not drawn out instantly. These ice-breakers or real-life toys such as airplanes, boats, cars, dollhouses, dolls, utensils, furniture, and telephone among others come with their rules and also need a minimal set of limits.

The aggressive toys according to Kool & Lawver (2010) facilitate the release of hostility, irritability, anger, and other emotions that can be vented out through destruction. The toys such as ropes, handcuffs, toy soldiers will need more setting of limits compared to the other categories. The set limits on throwing, smashing, and knocking down of the toys will majorly depend on the judgment of the therapist.

Creative-expression toys provide a wide range of emotional expression that foster creativity and permit the children to be messy. The toys such as scissors, crayons, puppets, craft materials will also require the setting of limit to avoid damaging the room or even other items in the area of play (Landreth 2001).
The child, therapist, and creativity combine with elements available to allow multiple possibilities for play, both along with the novel ones and the classical use of toys (Hall, Kaduson & Schaefer 2002, pp. 515-522).

3. Process of efficient interpretation

The opportunities for interpretation will come in the midst of the play. Kool & Lawver (2010) pointed out that an efficient interpretation process can shorten the treatment and connect therapy behavior effectively to outside behavior. To interpret effectively, the therapist must develop an initial formulation that is comprehensive that details the maladaptive behavior and the sustaining factors that perpetuate this behavior. To test these interpretations, O’Connor(2002, pp.523-528) indicated that the child must be informed appropriately of the therapeutic process in addition to being reassured that any form of transient discomfort during the therapeutic play session will be out weighted in future by greater gains. These interpretations are then used in guiding the play and delivering it in a calculated manner to avoid overwhelming the child. The reaction of the child is gauged when it is delivered, and the interpretations are rejected or strengthened based on the reaction of the child. The correct interpretations will be helpful to the therapist and the child through interpersonal, affective, and cognitive processes.

4. Cultural considerations

In between the technical aspects of therapeutic play, cultural considerations must also be factored. In a society of many different cultures, the therapist must affirm and respect diversity without assimilating the child under his or her care into the dominant culture. According to Pedersen (1994), culture embodies gender roles, sexual orientations, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, age, social class, and ethnicity. The therapist needs first to understand his or her own culture before respecting the boundaries of another culture. In his work, Pedersen (1994) asserted that the therapist must take inventory of the culture in which she or he identifies with as well as how the population of the patient may identify her or him. This may include perceived nationality, profession, religion, gender among others. This is a necessary step for the therapists to avoid erroneous assumptions across different cultures and define limits better placed on oneself (O’Connor 2005).

Conclusions

In conclusion, therapeutic play as a nursing intervention to children is significant for the children to communicate their knowledge and perception of their world. The essay examined the role of the keyworker in a therapeutic setting. The keyworker does a significant role of working as a guiding role with the families of the child. Moreover, the key worker acts as a central point of contact for the child’s family and helps them in coordinating their care within the healthcare system, education, recreation, social services, transportation, and financial resources systems. The considerations that need to be put in place to use effectively therapeutic play when working with children or adults include limit setting, choice of play material, efficient interpretation process, and culture.

References

Bettelheim, B. (1953). Book Review: Children in Play Therapy: A Key to Understanding Normal and Disturbed Emotions Clark E. Moustakas. ELEM SCHOOL J, 54(4), p.241.

Drennan, A., Wagner, T., and Rosenbaum, P. (2015). The ‘Key Worker’ Model of Service Delivery – CanChild. [online] Canchild.ca. Available at: https://www.canchild.ca/ [Accessed 21 Jun. 2015].

ECI, (2015). Early Childhood Ireland – Representing and supporting all early years care and education providers nationwide. [online] Earlychildhoodireland.ie. Available at: http://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/key-worker-system/ [Accessed 21 Jun. 2015].

Extra Time, (2015). Key Working – what this means « Extratime. [online] Extratimebrighton.org.uk. Available at: http://www.extratimebrighton.org.uk/parent-and-carers/key-working-what-this-means [Accessed 21 Jun. 2015].

Gurr, B. (2006). The usefulness of a Keyworker System in a Hospital-Based Brain Injury Rehabilitation Setting. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(3), pp.134-137.

Hall, T. M., Kaduson, H. G., & Schaefer, C. E. (2002). Fifteen Effective Play Therapy Techniques. PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. 33, 515-522.

Hunter, D. (1963). GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH CHILDREN: THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PLAY-THERAPY. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 2(4), pp.767-768.

Kool R, & Lawver T. (2010). Play therapy: considerations and applications for the practitioner. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)). 7, 19-24. Accessed from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989834/

Landreth, G. (2002). Therapeutic limit setting in the play therapy relationship. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33(6), pp.529-535.

Landreth, G. L. (2001). Innovations in play therapy: issues, process, and special populations. Philadelphia, PA, Brunner-Routledge.

Medical Dictionary, (2015). therapeutic play. [online] TheFreeDictionary.com. Available at: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/therapeutic+play [Accessed 21 Jun. 2015].

O’Connor, K. (2002). The value and use of interpretation in play therapy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33(6), pp.523-528.

O’Connor, K. (2005). Addressing Diversity Issues in Play Therapy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(5), pp.566-573.

Pedersen, P. (1994). A handbook for developing multicultural awareness. Alexandria, VA, American Counseling Association.

PTI, (2015a). Play Therapy – How does therapeutic play work?. [online] Playtherapy.org. Available at: http://www.playtherapy.org/playhowdoestpwork.html [Accessed 21 Jun. 2015].

PTI, (2015b). Definition of therapeutic play. [online] Playtherapy.org. Available at: http://www.playtherapy.org/therapeuticplaydefinition1.html [Accessed 21 Jun. 2015].

Rosenstein, D. L. W. (2012). Play and Play Therapy.

Wickham, R., and West, J. (2002). Therapeutic work with sexually abused children. London: SAGE.

Herman Bailey

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.

Funding and Roles in English Legal System: Lawyers, Judges, and Lay People

by Herman Bailey | Aug 5, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

The Uses of Courts in Civil and Criminal Court Hierarchies

The United Kingdom courts can have both trial and appellate jurisdiction, similar to criminal and civil jurisdiction. Civil courts deals with civil cases that arises when a business or individual believes their rights have been overstepped. Most easy cases go to council courts while substantial cases tot eh high court. Criminal courts deal with cases that come after the decision has been reached by the crown prosecution service, to prosecute an individual for alleged crime. The magistrate in the Magistrate’s court hears the presented evidence as a panel and reach of a decision of guilty or not guilty.

People Also Read

• Legal Dispute Resolution Methods for Employee Disputes
• Top 100 Legal Essay Topics
• The Power of Images: The Impact of Photographs on Perceptions of Global Suffering

Hierarchy of Civil Courts

Country Courts

The work of these courts on the civil side incorporates dealing with civil disputes, such as claims fro damages and injunctions and claims fro reasonable provision out of the estates of a dead person among others. The county course jurisdiction is first instance and final it has limited powers to hear appeals from local authorities within the housing law area.

High Court

This is divided into three:

The Queen’s Bench

They are referred as such because there is presently a queen on the throne, however, when a king is on the throne they are called King’s Bench Division. It handles actions associated to numerous kinds of tort (civil wrongs in a contract breach). The QBD also handles appeals from the Magistrate’s Court and Crown Court, both criminal courts. It also acts as a supervisory jurisdiction over cases coming from Magistrate’s Court and Crown Court under its judicial review role.

Chancellory

It act on personal and corporate insolvency, trade, business, mortgage enforcement, industry disputes, intellectual property rights, contentious probate actions, and copyrights and patents.

Family Division

The family division acts on cases of divorce and custody of children.

Criminal Courts

Magistrate’s Courts

They are essential in the criminal justice system as it deals with major complicated criminal cases. It can also deal with civil cases, such as public health, anti-social behaviour. However, they have limited jurisdiction over civil matters.

Crown Courts

These are courts that deal with more serious criminal cases such a rape, murder, and robbery, either on appeal or referred from Magistrate Courts. The trials are heard by a 12 person jury and a judge. Besides, they have limited jurisdiction over civil cases, including limited powers to hear appeals from Magistrate on civil cases.

Supreme Court and European Courts

Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in the entire UK for both criminal and civil cases. Supreme Court can hear appeals from Court of Appeal civil and criminal divisions, High Courts, and leapfrog appeals from High Court that may bypass the Court of Appeal. The European Court of Justice interprets and enforces the law of EU and it outranks national Supreme Courts.

The Role of Lay People and Lawyers in Criminal Cases

Lay people refer to magistrates within the English legal system that are appointed, interviewed and trained on handling criminal cases. Lay people hands less serious crimes that their hearings start in the Magistrate’s courts and most of them are concluded there. Therefore, lay people work to provide summary of offences and hearing cases in Youth Court. The magistrates are responsible for timetabling, hearing evidence, deciding bail, and provide ruling on the whether the accused is innocent or guilty. Besides, magistrates begins the initial hearing f all serious crimes, however, they are later referred to the Crown Court. Also, magistrates decide whether the defendant can be bailed out and impose conditions on the bail that is usually given to attend the next hearing. Meanwhile, criminal lawyers work within the criminal justice system to prepare cases for their clients as such; he or she acts as a legal representative. The lawyer assesses the strength of evidence provided when compiling the case and advices the client on the chances of success.

Role of Judges and Lawyers in Civil Cases

Judges often preside over a civil trial and functions to interpret and uphold the law. The law governing civil cases is laid down in statutes by Parliament. Besides, the English court system is adversarial and the judge has a role akin to a referee, between the defence and prosecution. As such, they spend much of their ruling on law points, especially when the jury is absent. In civil cases, the judge is entitled a wide degree of latitude in a procedure used to conduct proceedings in the court. Judicially, he or she deals with cases justly and in accordance with the overriding objective as expressed in the civil proceeding rules. Civil lawyers represent clients within the lawsuit. Overall, civil lawyers present cases and argue in a civil court in support of the client. Civil lawyers mainly emphasizes on cases involving trusts, wills, child custody, and divorce.

Compare and Contrast the Roles of Lawyers, Judges and Lay People in English Legal System

Judges predominantly presides over the trial in the English justice system. As such, the judges fulfill their roles by ensuring that all parties adhere to the rules and procedures of trials necessary for both civil and criminal cases. Overall, judges ensure that both parties are accorded fair treatment and judgment in either criminal or civil convictions. Lawyers functions to prepare cases for clients and in the process acting as an advocate. The lawyer is responsible for assessing the depth of evidence and advice the client on the chances of succeeding. Meanwhile, lay people, juries and magistrates is to adjudicate in the case of a summary trial and listen to presented evidence respectively.

Significance of Lay People in English Legal System

Firstly, magistrates are usually unpaid, and as such lowers the cost of providing justice. As such, most criminal cases are tried without the need of a judge that would have a salary of over 90,000 pounds. The lay people also have local knowledge that is necessary when it comes to understanding where an offence took place. Also, in the Crown Court, a lot of time can be spent explaining the location of crime and where the witness was standing. Magistrates can also offer sentencing taking into consideration local problems that can be assisted by sensitive sentencing. In most criminal trials, nearly 90 percent of defendants plead guilty, as such, magistrates are suited for presiding over cases of conflicting evidence rather than the question of law. The magistrate is thus has a perfect ability to decide on who is telling the truth and decide on a reasonable behaviour in the situation.

Funding of Advice and Representation Leaflet

Private Agreements

• The method is traditionally based in which the fees are calculated grounded on the duration of the entire legal battle

Conditional Fee Agreements

• Commonly known as ‘No win no fee’ agreements, however, may be widely understood
• If an individual has not won a case then no fees are paid, but the individual pays the payments made by the third parties
• If the entity wins the case, the legal fees is paid in addition to the increased percentage on top of the normal fees (success fees)

Legal Expense Insurance

• People take legal expense insurance cover coupled with household insurance cover
• The insurance company pay the legal expenses when the individual is involved in a judicial case

Damage Based Agreements

• Entities enter into agreements in which fees are paid on the condition that the entity wins the claim and the fees is calculated in terms of percentage of damage recovers

Soliciting funds from family, fund solicitors, well wishers

• Make a list of family and friends and reach them for legal aid

Court Sponsorship

• An individual can apply for legal funding from the court settings and the court evaluates the request and sponsors the case.

Ways of Funding Advice and Representation

• Court sponsorship
• Lawsuit Loans
• Private sponsorship
• Insurance legal funding
• Fund solicitation aid
• Advocacy assistance that covers the costs f cases

Evaluation of Financing advice and representation

Legal advice and representation funding is a significant asset for the lawyers and the plaintiffs involved in the judicial processes. Legal and advice funding provides staying power for individuals entangled in the judicial process. Legal advice and representation funding are offered by various legal market fund institutions. The financing of legal and representation has provided great assistance to lawyers, investors and plaintiffs. Primarily, legal advice and representation funding provides the meaning of the law profession as the law counsels relies on legal funding for rewards. Besides, legal funding has enabled investors and plaintiffs to process their cases and get compensated or get the deserved justice in the judicial system. Finally, legal advice and representation funding provides the entities with the required time on the judicial process and get the best trial results.

Herman Bailey

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.

Unveiling Yoruba Art Sculptures: Honoring Women and Culture

by Herman Bailey | Aug 5, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

African art has become one of the most sought after, from sculptures, to written art and even painted art forms.  African art is based on rich traditions and culture of the continent. Perhaps of greater interest are the western art forms which have taken precedence in terms of African finds. This is because these art forms hold meaning even in today’s world. Modern African artists have been found to duplicate the same traditional art forms sometimes with the use of modern materials.  The art forms continue to hold a vital place in the traditions of the continent even as such continent becomes modernized.

One of the most important aspects of African culture is that it is often gender focused. From traditional to modern times, western African tribes have continues to be concerned and to generate art around the issue of fertility. Fertility plays a major role in ensuring the continuation of the tribe, ensuring that the families have legacy and so on. Women who were infertile were often banished and frowned upon. They were considered cursed and in some cases even killed so that they would not shame their families and tribes any more.  The Yoruba people especially have often used various art forms to explain and show the issues plaguing the community.  A quick study of these art forms reveals the concern for fertility in addition to the underlying factors. There are several art forms from this tribe which pay homage to the women of the community, their fertility and their ability to bring newer generations to the tribe.  The visual art from this tribe is especially telling, showing similarities in nature as well as differences.

People Also Read

• 180 Art Essay Topics That Will Get You Thinking
• 48 Art Debate Topics That Will Get You Thinking
• The Unchanging Significance of Art Throughout History

Iyaibeji sculpture

This sculpture pays tribute to the Yoruba tribe’s fascination and indeed obsession with twins. (Harris 1996) shows that the tribe is not only fascinated with twins but in the recent past has become the centre of attention for the high rate of twin births in the rural village. The sculpture is made of soft wood and depicts a mother holding her two twin babies. The woman in the sculpture appears to be smiling though not at her babies. There are many analysis and explanations for this sculpture. Twins in Yoruba land have an exceptional level and standard. The community goes as far as worshipping the twins.

Based on this assumption, there are those art critics such as (Lawal 2012) indicates that the sculpture shows the standing of the artist with regard to the twin worship by the Yoruba. In this tribe the twins are not only given a high standing, they are in fact considered a good omen. Often women seek out twins to call on their fellow twins. A woman who wants to have twins for example could rub a win baby on her womb hoping that said baby will bring her luck of the twins. This sculpture therefore could have nothing to do with the woman but rather the babies. The twins themselves are the focus of the art with the woman being a by stander. Evidence of this can be found in the details that the artist has given to the babies. While the woman seems not to have intricate detail, the babies she is holding are closely designed with intricate patterns for their hair, even their eyes seem to be lifelike.

The tradition surrounding the twins is strong in this small village. In fact (Abiodun 2014) cites that twins may not be as big celebrities as their own mothers. He disagrees that the focus of the artist is on the twins but insists that the sculpture is a tribute to the woman herself. Often tribe members appease the mother of twins by bringing her gifts including animals and farm produce. It is believed that the mother of twins can sue her babies to harm anyone and bring disaster upon the village. As such she should be well taken care of, and granted her every wish. Her husband lives by appeasing her. In some clans, the women become like small gods appeased to use their powers for healing, and even brining riches and wealth. (Harris 1996) says that the plain nature of the woman in the sculpture is because of the respect granted to her. She does not need patterns or an intricate design to bring out her beauty comes from the simple fact that the gods have favored her because of her pure heart.

Gelede masquerade

The sculpture is one of the many often featured in the gelede festival. The gelede festival is a festival honoring the women folk in Yoruba. This is an especially unique culture considering the African traditions. Majority of the rural African tribes have relegated the role of the women and girls to one of not being seen. Whenever folksong and stories mention women they are either being evil or as witches holding their tribes hostage. It is therefore surprising to find a sculpture celebrating a woman similar to the Iyaibeji . The genelede sculpture is quite different from other art forms depicting women from Africa. In these sculptures, the woman is often naked and exposed. In this sculpture, she appears to be warm and decent. The sculpture done by local Yoruba artists shows the respect for women.

The sculpture itself shows the woman carrying a traditional woven tray used for carrying goods and performing tasks in the home. (Thompson 1974) is quite impressed with the talent of the artist and his skills which brings out the traditional tray in a unique manner. The tray seems to be a natural extension of the woman’s body. Perhaps in his own way, the artist was trying to show the Yoruba woman as he understood her. She is seen as a hardworking woman, often carrying her tray from one place to another sometimes with a child on her back. The tray is a symbol of her hard work and desire to feed her family. She is never without it, for she knows not where she will find some yams, beans or even fruit for her children.

This sculpture is from the 20th century and includes some modern material including the modern treatment of the wood. The base of the sculpture seems to be made from a different material than the sculpture. However, this cannot be proven by simple observation. The sculpture is less than five feet high and can be decoratively placed in offices and/or houses. However majority of the people purchasing the sculpture do so from the desire to interact with the unique and rich Yoruba culture.  The sculpture is seen as the birthplace, the guardian of the tribe, the community and legacy of the tribe.

Similarities and Differences

The similarity of both sculptures is not just the fact that they come from one tribe. In fact the main similarity comes from the focus of both sculptures that is the woman. The sculptures are both centered on the woman and her unique ability to carry on the community through her hard work and womb which nurtures the future generations. Using traditional wood, the sculptors and artist bring out aspects of the woman that are to be celebrated rather than ignored. The artists are also focused in the face of the woman giving special attention to her smile. The smile is important for the joy of the woman is often translated as the joy of the community. The most basic of similarities however comes from the material used in making the sculptures that is carved wood from the traditional Yoruba culture.

The main difference of the sculpture comes of course from the aspects that the artist wishes to highlight. The first sculpture is focused on the mother of twins, the main issue being that she has twins. The twins are therefore given special attention and detail. On the other hand, the second sculpture focuses not on any specific accomplishment but rather celebrates the existence of the woman herself. Both sculptures however are a testimony to the Yoruba culture where women are greatly celebrated and daughters are thought to be a man’s good omen in his home, (Okediji 2002).  The gelede sculpture is important to note is mostly used in the form of a head dress, while the mother of twins is simply just a sculpture. For this reason, the Gelede could be much lighter than the other.

Work Cited

Abiodun, Rowland. Yoruba Art and Language: Seeking the African in African Art. , 2014

Harris, Michael D. Contemporary Yoruba Art in Ile-Ife: History, Continuum, Motive, and Transformation. , 1996.

Lawal, Babatunde. Yoruba. Milan, Italy: 5 Continents, 2012

Okediji, Moyosore B. African Renaissance: New Forms, Old Images in Yoruba Art. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2002

Thompson, Robert F. Black Gods and Kings: Yoruba Art at Ucla. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976

Herman Bailey

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.

Exploring the Depths of Moral Theory: Unveiling Ethical Observations

by Herman Bailey | Aug 3, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

A moral theory is a structured principle that is based on recurrent observations that attempt to describe and rationalize a range of ethical judgments about certain cases (Timmons 3). Timmons states that moral theory is set to explain why a certain action is wrong or right and why we ought to act in a certain way. In other words, it’s a theory of how wrong and right is determined (3).

According to Timmons the theoretical aim of the moral-ethical theory is to discover the fundamental nature of what is wrong and what is right to be able to clarify in regards to the action that makes something right or wrong, good or bad( 4).

People Also Read

• Examining Hawthorne’s Christian Faith and Moral Critique
• Top 100 Moral Debate Topics
• Understanding the Doctrine of Recollection and Knowledge Acquisition

The practical aim is fundamental in moral theory as it deals with the desire to have some method to follow when on the dilemma of what is wrong and what is right, good or bad (Timmons 3). As per Timmons, the main focus of the practical aim is to determine a decision process that can be used to monitor correct moral reasoning about issues of moral apprehensions (3).

Timmons explains that the notion of good in regards to moral theory touches on the benefits (4). For example, we can say if you want to pound nails a hammer is good for the job. What makes the hammer exemplary is what enables it to stand out when considering the pounding of nails. Biologically we can also say the air is good for living beings as it is of benefit to the living (Timmons 4).

On the other hand, what is right is basically what conforms to the rules and regulations. For example, if one picks a wallet with money and identification documents. The right thing to do is to return the money to the owner because it’s wrong to keep something that doesn’t belong to you (Timmons 6).

According to Timmons, the following criteria are used in evaluating moral theory; first, the deontic evaluation category is also referred to as the category of the right of action which is used in the evaluation of the morality of actions (7). In other words the rightness and the wrongness of an action. Timmons points out that, the second criteria are teleology which takes good as the primary action and it tends to derive right from the good (8).

Devine command theory runs in the idea and principles of religion (Timmons 9). Which always implies that good action, behavior, or choice is the one that God Commands and the one that God forbids is evil? Furthermore, Timmons expounds that to this, the theory asserts that for an individual to be moral he has to abide by God’s commandment (9). An example of this is how God commands us not to steal in the holy books if one does steal that means he goes contrary to God’s commandment and hence the individual is wrong.

In support of the divine theory, Kierkegaard outlines the fact that having faith in God can lead to an individual transformation and that person will be considered as ‘good’ this goes hand in hand with the diving theory because with faith and belief in God one would automatically follow his commands. The knight of faith according to Kierkegaard show an act of self-assertion and a total surrender to the supreme God.

Timmons argues that the Euthyphro dilemma was authored by Plato to refute the divine command theory (11). Plato’s concern about the nature of goodness questioned whether something is considered as good because God says it is good or does God see it as good because it is good (Timmons 11).

Euthyphro incoherent divine command theory, first, it throws to the trash the notion of if God says something is good then it is good, this would mean that God can say anything is good and no matter how evil that is, it will be considered good because God said so (Timmons 12).

Timmons (12) defines moral relativism as the notion that ethical standards, the position of right or wrong, good or bad, and morality are subject to individual choice because they are culturally based. Timmons explains that it is based on the fact that one should independently decide what is right for themselves and no one has a right to judge the other based on the individual choice (14).

Strong relativism is the claim that a judgment in one environment context or culture and this same judgment may be false in another.

According to Timmons (15), weak relativism claims that there may be a belief or judgment that is true in one culture or framework and false in another mainly because that belief or culture is not present or expressible in the second framework. Timmons mentions that different cultures have got unique concepts that are customized to that culture and make the culture unique from any other, in this regard what they may consider as true or false in some cultures that concept doesn’t exist at all (14).

Timmons argues that moral relativism is better than any other (14). Simply because it is a wider and applicable more personal form of relativistic thinking as compared to others. It is difficult to put standardization to all the moral because what might be good to me is bad to you, therefore, the judgment of a right and wrong or good or bad is based on individual preferences and moral relativism capture all that (Timmons 15).

Emphasis is made by Timmons stating that moral theory is inconsistent with other moral theories because of its defensive nature (16). It only comes into place in a defensive way it can only be used to excuse or allow certain activities and when it comes to condemning it can never be used.

Perspectivism is a philosophical principle that states individual knowledge of a subject is strictly limited by the individual perception, in other words, perspectivism comprises of judgments of truths and value in regards to an individual point of view and his ability of perception (Timmons 16).

In a master, morality s also referred to as noble morality. Timmons expresses that, it picks out a mental state that is noble as well as proud; thus focusing on individuals instead of their actions (18). First, ‘bad’ defines ‘despicable’ as well as ‘lowly’, furthermore it describes individuals who exhibit behavior which is concerned, cowardly as well as petty in regards to what is essential instead of greatness. It dissociates itself with the notion of free will.

The good traits that are recognized by the noble person are that of equals and the treatment of the people that are subordinate to them is not considered to be a matter of morality at all. Timmons says that a noble morality evokes mutual respect to the equals and this makes the subordinates be subjected to fear and make them submissive to what their masters seem moral (18). Noble people consider themselves as the source of value and therefore determining what is good or not. ‘Good’ comes from self- affirmation, they don’t need the people who are not their equals to saying they are good, because being good is a celebration of the individuals own greatness and power.

Timmons illustrates that slave morality starts with refuting the master morality (18). It sees the trait of a noble person as evil and morality would be achieved when they are done away with. According to Timmons, the focus is on the shared agony and oppression and whatever it takes to get them out of the agony is morally good (4). Unlike noble morality, it inspires humility and patience, and traits such as pity, sacrifice, and selflessness are considered good. Slave morality questions the obvious pleasure of a noble person; by arguing that morality should be equal and standardized to everyone it rejects hierarchy.

The lamp and the birds of prey are used by Nietzsche as an example that holds the opinion that it is bad to mark an action as good or bad. The bad of prey might be seen as evil by the lamp simply for carrying out its natural course. Considering the birds of prey needs to feed on the lamp for its survival.

Through the bird and the lamp metaphor, Nietzsche seeks to use the bird of prey and the lamp to declare that the environment that weak men have created for themselves is invalid. In this scenario, he likens predators to a natural man and contrasts that weak man who keenly chooses to be the prey so that he can blame the predator.

Nietzsche believes that this perspective is ultimate to understanding morality because it looks at good and evil in regards to the biological nature together. He sees that there is nothing in nature with value. He actually points out the fact that we can’t compel morality to the forces of nature.

Works Cited

Timmons, M. (2013). Moral theory: An introduction. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Herman Bailey

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.