Analyze Role Of Mentor Developing And Delivering Teaching Nursing Essay

Analyze Role Of Mentor Developing And Delivering Teaching Nursing Essay The role of the mentor in nursing is a crucial one and should not be undertaken lightly, it is a privilege with much responsibility, as the mentor is accountable for their own and their mentorees performance. It is a privilege as a professional nurse mentor to be able to help a student realize their potential and rewarding to see them putting the theory they have learned into practice and helping them get the most out of their placement. The role of the mentor cannot be over-emphasized; learning experience in the clinical setting ensures that the nurses and midwives of the future are fit to practice (RCN, 2007) and in this way the role is central to patient safety. Most registered nurses in the NHS will be expected to assume the role of mentor and with 50% of pre-registration nursing programs embedded in practice (RCN, 2007), with resources becoming less and less and the NHS becoming busier and busier, practice learning and mentoring play an increasingly important role. Mentorees nee d to be able to rely on the consistency, competency and superior knowledge and professionalism of the mentor to guide their learning, assess their competence and thus effectively act as gate keepers to the profession (Duffy, 2004) and as such is an extremely important role. The following essay will draw upon types of leadership to enhance the skills of the mentor and improve the relationship between the mentor and mentoree. The first question that needs addressing, is what is a mentor?. There exists many definitions, and the term mentoring has been used interchangeably with, preceptor, coach, supervisor and teacher (Morton-Cooper Palmer, 2000). Price (2004) defined it as an experienced professional friend, charged with the teaching, guidance and assessment of a learner in practice. The NMC considered it as, a mandatory requirement for pre-registration nursing and midwifery students (NMC, 2006a). Some have defined mentoring as essentially an evidence-based intervention that inspires confidence and innovation, and encourages continuous professional development, (Jakubic, 2004). In addition mentoring can be both informal and formal; informal mentoring is often used as an adjunct to the more formal process of supervision and is based on a agreed plan of action to help the mentor achieve realistic goals or address specific problem areas. Whereas formal mentoring involves a structured and time managed proces s with clearly set objectives to be realised in a timely manner (Tourigny Pilich, 2005). The role of the mentor primarily is to enable the student to understand the theory and its application in in the clinical context; the mentoree must learn to put theory and knowledge and be able to apply what they have learned to clinical practice. This process involves among others, assessing, evaluating and providing constructive feedback. It also involves assisting the mentoree in developing the ability to constructively reflect upon their practice and experiences and importantly be able to learn from this reflection (Schon, 1983). It is important to note that in order to facilitate reflection the mentor themselves must be able to self-reflect. The mentor must also have adequate knowledge and skills in order to integrate theory and practice effectively, (Eraut, 2004). The RCN (2007) in their toolkit for mentors draw attention to the obvious but crucial need for the mentors to be fit for effe ctive practice themselves and to have the depth and breadth of learning to be awarded a diploma or degree (RCN, 2007). The RCN also states that, a mentor is a role model and as such should be aware of their own practice and how it impacts the mentorees; the imitation of bad habits is not desirable. The mentor should be able to encourage, motivate and help the mentoree to improve skills and practice thereby increasing their confidence. It is also important that the mentor has the confidence in their own practice and knowledge in order for them to instill confidence in the mentorees. Mentors also need to have the experience and knowledge to identify learning points in practice, for example where something could have been done in a more productive manner or where an important mistake has been made; which is partly the reason for mentors being required to have at least one year experience post-registration. This can only really be achieved if the mentor has the interpersonal and communi cation skills required to build a professional relationship in which honest, objective and constructive feedback is received and given. It is also crucial for effective practice learning, that mentorees need time and attention from their mentors (the RCN, 2007, state that 40% of the time should be spent with the mentoree).Turner (2001) describes the pressures on clinical staff and the impact of high patient turnover resulting in little time to devote to the supervision of students; an issue that is exacerbated by the increasing demands on the available practice placements (Bennett 2003). This however is not set in stone as different people have different rates and styles of learning; what works for one does not necessarily work for all. The competent mentor should be able to discern the appropriate approach for each mentorees learning style and should not impose theire preferred way of learning and mentoring on the mentoree. Learning styles include; activists, those that are very active in their learning, reflectors, those that stand back and think over what they do and what others do, the theorists, they approach le arning from an almost empirical standpoint, they reject everything that does not have evidence and do not like subjectivity (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). The fourth style of learning (according to Honey Mumford, 2000) is that of the pragmatist; the pragmatist likes solving problems , likes to learn through trying new approaches and getting feedback, (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). Therefore if the mentoree has been identified as largely an activist then emphasis could be placed on learning through action, giving them new challenges often enough ensuring they do not get bored whilst making sure they learn and retain that learning, from each challenge and experience. It is down to the skills and competence of the mentor to detect the mentorees learning style and then tailor their learning plans, structures/ strategies to meet the needs of the mentoree. As well as interpersonal and professional leadership styles the mentor (and the mentoree) must both keep thorough records of the mentorees progress. Research has shown that innovation was taking place in practice based learning but it was not recognized because there was a lack of formal documentation (Aston et al, 2005). Effective and comprehensive records have to be completed so that the mentor can see how the mentoree is progressing and what they still need to work on. Similarly it is also important that the mentoree keeps thorough notes of what they should be doing, what they have found difficult and what they are still to do. A corollary to the need for thorough, comprehensive records is that of assessment which the mentor has to carry out; they must ensure that essential clinical skills are completed. To carry out a thorough assessment the mentor has to be sure what they want to measure and how measurement can be done, for example the mentor cannot asses most clinical skills by verbal communication alone, the mentoree must be observed in practice (perhaps asking patients if they thought their care was good). To be an effective mentor one must be able to evaluate which involves a number of skills, including observation, communication, confidence in ones own professional ability and knowledge. In the evaluation process the mentor must be able to identify problem areas partly by observing the mentorees practice and also by the mentorees self reports and assessment. It is also incumbent on the mentoree to identify failing students; this is crucial as patient safety could potentially be at risk if the mentor fails to spot a failing mentoree (RCN, 2007). There are a number of actions that a mentor can take to identify a struggling student; for example if a mentoree does not respond to constructive feedback and fails to incorporate improvements suggested by the mentor, if they are inconsistent in the clinical practice, high absence rate, or is unable to organize or plan their time adequately (Maloney et al., 1997). Duffy (2004), in her study of nurses in Scotland, found that all mentors highlighted the need for the topic of failing nurses to be addressed in mentorship programs. Duffy goes on and state that; the literature supports the view that mentors feel ill prepared for their role and given that mentors are ill prepared for their role in failing students it is recommended that mentorship programs address the issue of accountability (Duffy, 2004). The next section draws upon leadership styles to help the mentor. Any individual mentor will also have their own particular approach, Bayley et al (2004) list them as; authoritarian, as the name suggests, democratic, developmental, and task-orientated. The task-orientated approach, again as the name suggests, may be the most appropriate for a mentoree who has been identified largely as a pragmatist. The mentor should be able to understand and identify different learning styles and must adapt their own approach to mentoring to suit the needs of the mentoree. Moreover, the more contemporary styles from the leadership literature of transformative and transactional leadership styles can be applied to mentoring. The transformational leader (mentor) does not always lead from the front but tends to delegate responsibility amongst their team, they spend much of their time communicating and are highly visible and accessible (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). This leader tends to focus more on the needs of the members and their wants; they try to involve all members to work together. The transformational leader is quite similar to the democratic style as both leaders value fellow team members and focus on empowering nurses (Bayley, Chamber Donovan, 2004). Transformational leaders are inspirational and easily motivate those under their leadership (Aarons, 2006); they go above and beyond exchanges and rewards which are inherent in transactional leadership styles (see below). The transformational leadership style is said by some to be best suited to close supervisory relationships, compared with more distant relationships (Aarons, 2006) and this close relationship may be typical of a supervisor-supervisee relationship and is also captured in the notion of first-level leaders (Priestland, 2005). Mentors can be thought of as first level leaders as they are functionally close to the mentoree, in the organizational setting and because of that are vitally important, (Aarons, 2006). Mentors work closely with their mentoree, the RCN (2007) in t heir guidance for mentoring stipulates spending 40% of the time working and observing the mentoring. This leadership style would be good for the mentor mentoree relationship as the mentor is inspirational, positive and innovative; inspiring new, creative ideas and fosters an open honest learning relationship. This is a type of leadership that allows a person to step away from their comfort zone, promotes a high level of openness and innovation, is externally open in the hope of developing a high level of discovery and competence; they embrace deep change in order to obtain meaning, purpose and vision. The transformational leader (mentor) according to Aarons (2006) is a leader that works towards a goal in order for both members to benefit (Aarons, 2006). This style although appropriate for the needs of the mentor-mentored context perhaps could benefit from the some of the principles from the transactional leadership style outlined below. The transactional leadership is orientated towards satisfying subordinates self interest through suitable transactions in the work environment, (Aarons, 2006 ). There is a clear structure with this leadership style and Aarons (2006) comments on it as being a give and take technique. Rewards are given for work that is done, the work is set for the members and recognition is given when the task is completed; in this way it would be applicable to the mentor-mentored as mentoring should have a clear structure and achievement should be rewarded, however failure should not be punished but recognized and learned from . The transformational leader is similar to the autocratic style as there are clear set tasks within set time frames, the task is order to be done by the leader and the members will follow orders in assurance they will be rewarded. Aspects of the transactional leadership coupled with the innovative and open transformational style may be the most appropriate style; providing bot h motivation, inspiration and structure and security. The new nurse has just stepped from a secure environment of university and now has to be able to control what is happening within their new clinical setting. Whilst structure and security are important for the mentoree it is also important that they feel they are able to speak freely, honestly and openly to their mentor; for example the mentor should encourage the student to ask questions and speak openly and honestly about their views on the progress, and the mentor should give praise where it is due, as suggested in the RCN Toolkit (2007).The new or student, nurse need to feel secure within the ward; they are new to the role within the team and have a need to be perceived as confident in what they are doing. The mentor is also responsible for the professional socialization of a new nurse in the clinical setting (Bulman Schultz, 2008). The need to fit in must be balanced with the need to perform. Professional socialization is s een to be a process in which a person acquires a professional identity, and thereby is accepted by others in the profession (Bulman Schultz, 2008). Having support from their mentor is vitally important when making the transition from student to qualified nurse; their experiences can help to set aside any worries and issues that are felt by the new nurse. The mentoree is on a journey with a steep learning curve and it is the role of the mentor to help the them navigate the problems and challenges and help transform them into learning experiences, therefore the mentor should be able to identify learning opportunities which step from student to staff nurse is a journey that involves many problems and uncomfortable situations, though these problems are what help the student to learn and develop. The mentor is an integral part of the learning and orientating process of the new nurse, not only do they explicitly teach and inform but they also play a large part in the implicit learning process; for example positive role modeling and practice under supervision of the mentor helps the mentoree to develop the processes of integrating the knowledge with the conditions under which that knowledge applies and the culture in which that knowledge is used. A key skill required of students is that they learn to integrate into the culture and communiti es of practice (Eraut 2003). Mentoring, in an increasingly stretched national health service, is becoming more and more important; if done effectively it can instill confidence and competence it can also ensure that the mentored are comfortable with their identities and competencies leading to the retention of good nurses who contribute in the effort and emphasis of maintaining nursing excellence in practice (Godfrey, Nelson, Purdy, 2004).

Barbados Essay -- essays research papers

Barbados   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one thinks of Barbados, one thinks of luscious, turquoise blue waters; soft white sand beaches; blue, white clouded skies; fresh fruits; exotic, delicious dishes and honeymoons. One, however, tends to forget the formation of this land. This Caribbean luxury Island has much history and great heritage. In this report, I will detail Barbados’s location, history, labor relations, population size and structure, industries, plus add a little zest with the beauty of the Island.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let’s begin with the location of Barbados. Barbados is an Island of a cluster of Caribbean Islands. Its location is on the boundary of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, in a somewhat strange location, if you may. The Island is 166 square miles and is located 13 degrees North, 59 degrees West, leaving it at around 270 miles north-east of Venezuela. Closest to the Island are the nations Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Barbados is generally a flat island, with a central highland; the highest point being Mount Hillaby which stands at 336 meters tall. Barbados is also known as â€Å"Little England† by the British. Barbados was named by Pedro A. Campos, a Portuguese explorer, who originally named the Island â€Å"Os Barbados’ (The Bearded Ones) because he believed that the islands fig trees looked like beards due to their drooping aerial roots. The capital of Barbados is Bridgetown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Barbados holds a fairly reasonable climate, not assumed by many. The climate is tropical with few months of rainy weather from June to October. Assumptions by many lead one to believe that the weather may bring about hurricanes and tropical storms. In reality, storms do not hit except every 3.09 years, while hurricanes are not seen except for once every 26.6 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Barbados’s flag was chosen with much meaning and significance. The flag represents freedom and the breakaway from a colonized past. The flag holds three equal bands, blue, gold, and blue respectively. The middle band being gold, holds a trident head, this head is what represents independence, freedom and past disconnection. The flag is shown below: Source: ExxUN.com   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nationals of Barbados are known as Barbadians or Bajans. Barbados holds a population of 27... ...ongaline Festival and the Crop Over Festival. These are annual events, the Congaline Festival being the smaller of the two. This festival takes place during the last week of March. The Crop Over Carnival starts at the beginning of July and ends during the first week of August. Musical compitions and other traditional activities take place in this time of fun. The Crop Over festival closes with a large parade. Another economy growth, related to tourism, is the building of hotels, new homes, re-developments, office complexes, condos and mansions. By providing housing and resorts for tourists, the attraction will not only pull in tourists, but it will provide economic structure. Barbados is a country of much integrity, hospitability, and culture. Economic prospects are respected and growing. Tourism is an economic prospect that is growing for many reasons and one that is sure to lead Barbados in the right direction. References http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107321.html http://www.exxun.com/Barbados/c_pp.html http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0856844.html http://www.exxun.com/Barbados/a_fg.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados http://www.barbados.org/invest.htm

Needing Wolves in Yellowstone :: Yellowstone National Park Wildlife Essays

Needing Wolves in Yellowstone WHY THERE HAVE BEEN NO WOLVES IN YELLOWSTONE: A Brief History Around 1930, the last wolf was spotted in the Yellowstone Area by a paid hunter, he got a shot off but his aim was not true. That was the last recorded sighting of a gray wolf in the Yellowstone Park land. From 1918 to 1935 government scouts recorded killing 35 mountain lions, 2,968 coyotes and 114 wolves (Phillips 1996). Those are total numbers, since a wolf hadn't been seen since 1930, the 114 wolves had been exterminated in the early 1920's. In 1933, the Park adopted a slightly humanistic policy, taking a stance on limiting the unnecessary killing of predators in the Park, but it was too late; Humanity had successfully extinguished canis lupus along with its food sources and habitat from the west (Phillips 1996). (Canis rufus is the red wolf, which has been restored to the southwest since 1987). From the 1800's through the 1930's was a time of horrific destruction in the west. Between the United States Government and the newly formed National Park Service, predatory animals were s laughtered continuously. Even the urging of the President of the United States could not slow this thirst for dominance and desecration. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote a letter to the Superintendent of Yellowstone imploring the army to stop the killing, yet it went on relentlessly. Times have changed. In 1972, thoughts of restoring the wolf to Yellowstone National Park, as part of its original biodiversity, began to circulate. In part, the new philosophy of wildlife management (verses wildlife destruction) came into being with the help of a man by the name of Dr. Starker Leopold, chairman of the Interior Secretary's Advisory Board. He authored a paper later to be known as the 'Leopold report', which stated "As a primary goal, we would recommend that the biotic associations within each park be maintained, or where necessary recreated." (Phillips 1996). This document began to outline the critical areas of preservation and helped to turn people's thoughts from consumption to conservation. There were many others before him who tried to warn people of the loss of our wild areas, such as John Muir, Aldo Leopold (who advocated the reintroduction of the wolf to Yellowstone as early as 1944), and a significant political force, Theodore Roosevelt, but it was not until th e public began to realize that the environment was in terrible shape, and was not responding well to the continuing pattern of rape and pillage, that support for wolf restoration started to gain momentum.

Managerial Stakeholder Theory

Managerial Stakeholder Theory To predict real-life phenomena we need theories. Similarly, stakeholder theory is a theory which is used to explain the phenomena of motivation for corporate social disclosures. This research work is based on the concept of stakeholder theory and its practical applications in predicting the phenomena of corporate social disclosures (van der Laan 2009). Further there will be explanation of Managerial stakeholder theory. The concept of stakeholder theory has got popularity among corporate world, managers, media and academics.Concept of Stakeholder management theory is very much related to business ethics and it has dominated the literature of business ethics. In doing business values become a necessary part of the organization and stakeholder theory starts from this assumption. Stakeholder theory explains the behavior of managers towards their stakeholders and also tells us how the managers want to do the business. The theory also clears that what kind of relationship managers want with their stakeholders and what kind of relationship they should have (Aarhus School of Business 2004).There will also be a brief history of stakeholder theory and its role in explaining the motivation for corporate social disclosures. There are two theories which are offered to describe the phenomena of motivation for the corporate social disclosures. First one is managerial stakeholder theory and another is legitimacy theory. Legitimacy theory is not our concern here as it says that corporate social disclosures are voluntary in nature and are part of process of legitimating (Crane & Ruebottom 2011).An article â€Å"The role of theory in explaining motivation for corporate social disclosures: voluntary disclosures v/s solicited disclosure† from the journal â€Å"Australasian accounting business and finance journal† is considered to complete the assessment. The article is a good source of information for the topic stakeholder theory as i t is currently written. This is a highly reliable article as it is taken from the journal which is a journal of university of Sydney.The article covers all the information which is required to complete this assessment. It explains the concept of corporate social disclosures in detail and how it is motivated by the theories like stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory. Accuracy of the article is excellent as it is easily accessible and contacting information of the author is also provided. The author is a highly renowned author in Australia and also is a faculty of economics and business in the University of Sydney (Colorado college community 2012).The phenomenon which is discussed in this work later is of motivation for corporate social disclosures. Corporate social disclosures are primarily voluntary in nature as it tells the stakeholders of an organization about the internal information of the organization. Stakeholders are the important part of the organization and they should h ave the information about the organization. But today corporate social disclosures are not voluntary every time as there are companies which keep their stakeholder away from the information which can affect them.Stakeholders like NGO’s, regulatory agencies, fund managers who are directly or indirectly associated with the organization are demanding the social information from the companies and thus increasing the social responsibilities of the companies (Crane & Ruebottom 2011). This is how the concept of solicited corporate social disclosure comes into existence. Due to this confusion around disclosure principles we have a big area of research. According to Freeman the definition of Stakeholder is â€Å"any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization. Shareholders also come under stakeholders group as they are the important part of the organization. Shareholders are also affected by the firm’s success or failure just li ke customers, suppliers, employees and local community. In general the idea of the stakeholder theory is about the conceptualization of the organization i. e. how an organization should be. Friedman has said that â€Å"the organization itself should be thought of as grouping of stakeholders and the purpose of the organization should be to manage their interests, needs and viewpoints. A manager’s responsibility is to manage the corporation for the benefit of its stakeholder so that they can insure their rights and participation in decision making. Management of an organization is just like an agent for the stakeholders which ensures the survival of the firm (Fontaine, Haarman & Schmid 2006). The definition of stakeholder and its relationship with management; purpose of the organization and its behavior towards the stakeholders; role of the managers towards the stakeholders; these things have got changed over the time and are very confusing.For example the father of stakeh older theory Freeman himself changed the definition of stakeholder. In one of his latest publication he defines stakeholder as â€Å"those groups who are vital to the success and survival of the corporation. † In his other latest publication he states that â€Å"The principle of stakeholder recourse. Stakeholder may bring an action against the directors for failure to perform the required duty of care. † In all we can say that the concept of stakeholder theory needs to be studied thoroughly so that we can get a clear picture of the theory (Reed 1999).There are two approaches to the stakeholder theory first one is called as normative approach and the second one is known as descriptive approach. The principles and ideas which are explained above come under normative approach of Stakeholder Theory. Normative approach of stakeholder theory explains the behavior of managers and stakeholders towards organization i. e. how the managers and stakeholders should act and what sho uld be their view on the purpose of the organization.It is all based on some ethical principles. The descriptive approach of the stakeholder theory deals with the actual behavior of the managers and stakeholders towards the organization. This theory is concerned with managers and stakeholders i. e. how they actually view their actions and roles. There is another approach to the Stakeholder theory which is known as Instrumental stakeholder theory which is concerned about how the managers and stakeholders should behave if they want to work on their own interest.In some literature own interest is considered as the objective of the organization i. e. maximization of shareholders wealth and profit maximization of the organization. So in all we can say that generally there are three approaches to the managerial stakeholder theory first normative approach second descriptive approach and the third is Instrumental approach. As the concept of the Stakeholder theory has got popular among organ izations resultantly different definitions of the stakeholder has been developed. The question arises what is a Stakeholder?Stanford Research Institute (SRI) defines the stakeholder as â€Å"those groups without whose support organization would cease to exist. † This definition is given in the book of Freeman. After this Freeman gave another definition of the Stakeholder that â€Å"any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization’s objectives. † After this Freeman continued to use these definitions in a modified form â€Å"those groups who are vital to the survival and the success of the organizations. So, we can say that there is no a particular definition of stakeholder which is accepted by the entire business community but yes, they use it according to their needs. Now when the definition of stakeholder is clear the other question comes in front of us and that is who the stakeholders are? We can classify the stakeh olders in group of people who are associated with the organization. The main groups of stakeholders are: Customers, Employees, Local Communities, Suppliers and Distributers and Shareholders. This classification of stakeholders is done by Friedman.He has also considered some other groups as stakeholders in addition, these groups are: The media, the public in general, business partners, future generations, past generations (founders of the organization), academics, competitors, NGO’s or activists, stakeholder representatives such as trade unions or trade associations of suppliers or distributors, financiers other than stockholders (debt holders, bond holders and creditors), government, regulators and policymakers. After the classification of the stakeholder there are some other sub classifications such as media will be categorized as Print media, Television, radio.Similarly, other classifications are having their sub categories and definitions (Fontaine, Haarman & Schmid 20 06). If we talk about the history of the stakeholder theory, it came into existence in the mid of 1980. The person who gave this theory to the world is Richard Edward Freeman. The credit of the popularization of stakeholder concept goes to Freeman. The title of his work is Strategic Management and only the subtitle is A Stakeholder Approach and came out in 1984. The concept of stakeholder of Freeman was done on the perspective of company.He built on the process work of Ion Mitroff, Richard Mason, and James Emshoff. The word stakeholder came from research work in Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in 1960. After this the concept of stakeholder was heavily influenced by the planning department of the Lockheed Company and these ideas were developed from the researching done by Igor Ansoff and Robert Steward. Dodd said that GEC was already identifying four groups with whom they had to deal with. These four groups were: shareholders, employees, customers and general public.After this in 1 990’s Johnson and Johnson added one more group to this category and this group was of managers. Further the concept of stakeholder theory got modified by Friedman and is still on the way of modification. Theories and frameworks which were traditional were not efficient enough to help managers to develop new strategic directions. Freeman says that the old theories were not consistent with the quality and kind of change which were taking place in the environment of 1980’s. In Freeman’s word it was not enough to solve the calls for increased productivity using the methods from Japan or Europe.According to Freeman, â€Å"The emergence of new groups, events and issues which cannot be readily understood within the framework of an existing model or theory†¦ It makes us uncomfortable because it cannot be readily assimilated into the relatively more comfortable relationships with suppliers, owners, customers and employees†¦ It originates and the murky area lab eled environment and affects our ability cope with internal changes. † Freeman made his view of the firm as a common hub and managers were not mentioned in this hub as they work within the firm so they will automatically be included in the hub (Crane & Ruebottom 2011).The word Stakeholder was chosen by Freeman on the basis of the traditional word Stockholder. Stockholder is a word which takes only a look on the economic point of view but Stakeholder considers a group of people who can affect or can get affected by the achievement of the organization’s objective. Means stakeholder is a broader term and stockholder is a narrower term which can come under stakeholder. Now we will be discussing Normative, Descriptive and Instrumental theories of stakeholder separately.The aim of normative approach of the stakeholder theory is to understand the moral or philosophical guidelines linked to the activities or the management of the corporations. In descriptive approach we con sider the behavior of the managers towards the stakeholders, means how they deal with the stakeholders. On the other hand instrumental approach study the organizational consequences of taking into account stakeholders in management examining the connections between the practice of stakeholder management and the achievement of various corporate governance goals.Normative theory is the core of the stakeholder theory. It answers the questions like what are the responsibilities of the companies in respect of the stakeholders. And why should companies take care of others interests than the shareholder’s interests. Many authors accept that relationships between the firm and the stakeholders are based on the moral commitments and normative approach deals with the same. Freeman and Evan gave their normative theory based on the definition of stakeholder that â€Å"those groups who are vital to the survival and success of the corporation. These groups involve customers, employees, sup pliers, communities, shareholders and managers. Evan and Freeman proposed two principles: Principle of corporate legitimacy and the stakeholder fiduciary principle. The first principle says that the company should be managed for the benefits of its stakeholders and also stakeholders must participate in decision making. The second principle states that management must act as an agent of the stakeholders for the welfare of the stakeholders and to insure the survival of the firm. After this there were other principles developed by Freeman in normative approach e. g.The principle of entry and exit, the principle of governance, the principle of externalities, the principle of contracting costs, the agency principle and the principle of limited immortality (Fontaine, Haarman & Schmid 2006). Off course these principles are having their particular definitions. After normative approach if we discuss about analytical approach of the stakeholder theory then we must notice that it is the co mbination of instrumental and descriptive approach. This analytical approach was proposed by Donaldson and Preston. The analytical theory answers the question: how to organize into the hierarchy stakeholder’s influence.Let us first discuss Freeman’s theory. He gave two definitions of the stakeholders: â€Å"Group of people who can affect or can be affected by the achievement of the organization’s objective. † â€Å"Those groups who are vital to the survival of the organization. † According to the Freeman it is necessary to understand who are those groups who can affect or can be affected by the achievement of the objectives of the firm? He said that each MNC should be clear about its stakeholder and for that he suggested following questions: Who are our current and potential stakeholders? What are their interests and rights?How does each stakeholder affect us? How do we affect each stakeholder? How do we keep score with our stakeholder? And many mo re questions are there in the list. Now when we talk about stakeholder theory and its practical application on corporate social disclosure principles then the theory of solicited corporate social disclosure comes into its existence. According to Gray, â€Å"to place corporate social disclosures in a theoretical context, several broad, overlapping groups of theories concerning information flows between organizations and society have been used. † Theories which are social nd political in nature and deal with the flow of information from companies to the stakeholders are considered more appropriate for the explanation of corporate social disclosures (CSD). Development of the stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory is based on the political economy perspective. Even the perspectives for both the theories are same but there are big differences among them. Stakeholder theory is recognized when an organization has to deal with its stakeholders at micro – level and legitimacy theory is applied at a conceptual level (Fontaine, Haarman & Schmid 2006).Donaldson & Preston stated that, â€Å"Stakeholder theory has been advanced and justified on the basis of its descriptive accuracy, instrumental power and normative validity. These three aspects of theory, although interrelated; are quite distinct. They involve different types of evidence and argument and have different implications. † This research work is based on the descriptive aspect of the stakeholder theory because this is the only aspect of stakeholder theory which is applicable to the real world.Mitchell claims that stakeholder theory attempts to articulate a fundamental question in a systematic way: which groups are stakeholders deserving or requiring management attention, and which are not? † So, the descriptive approach of stakeholder theory clearly explains that who are the stakeholder accountable for the organization and in this way practical application of stakeholder theor y is required to explain the phenomenon of motivation for corporate social disclosure.Stakeholder analysis requires the identification of the stakeholders who are in the need of information from the organization or we can say that who are the stakeholders having some right to have the information (van der Laan 2009). Also it clears that why these stakeholders require the information and others don’t. While deciding the appropriate group of stakeholders to provide the information and the essential information CSDs results in conflict between stakeholders. There are no sufficient research works available which can clarify the CSD’s concept taking descriptive aspect of stakeholder theory into consideration.Social disclosures are used strategically to manage relationships with stakeholders by influencing the level of external demands originating from many different constituencies. Robert applied the framework of Ullmann and found â€Å"Stakeholder power, Strategic posture and economic performance are significantly related to the levels of CSDs and which is used by organizational managers as a proactive method of managing stakeholders and their organizational environment. † Thus we can say that the descriptive approach of managerial stakeholder theory provides a framework in which we analyze the CSD in a centered way.The only limitation of the theory is that it provides the information of organization to the stakeholders who are really in the need of it. References: Ruebottom, T & Crane, A 2011, Stakeholder theory and social identity: Rethinking stakeholder identification, J Bus Ethics, vol. 102, pp. 77-87. Laan, S 2009, The role of theory in explaining motivation for corporate social disclosure: voluntary disclosure vs ‘solicited’ disclosure, Australasian accounting business and finance journal, vol. , no. 4. Reed, D 1999, Stakeholder management theory: a critical theory perspective, Accessed on 3 august 2012, http://www. york u. ca/dreed/pdf/Stakeholder-Mgmt-Critical-Theory. pdf Fonatine, C, Haarman, A & Schmid, S 2006, The Stakeholder theory, Accessed on 3 August 2012, http://www. yorku. ca/dreed/pdf/Stakeholder-Mgmt-Critical-Theory. pdf Colorado community colleges 2012, five criteria for evaluating web pages, Viewed on 3 August 2012, http://www. ccconline. rg/Library_Resources/Evaluating_Sources/Five_Criteria Heath, J & Norman, W 2004, Stakeholder theory, corporate governance and public management, Journal of business ethics, vol. 53, pp. 247-265. Reynolds, S, Schultz, F & Hekman, D 2006, Stakeholder theory and managerial decision making: constraints and implications of balancing stakeholder interests, Journal of business ethics, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 285-301. Phillips, R, Freeman, R, & Wicks, A 2003, what stakeholder theory is not, Business ethics quarterly, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 479-502.

Gustav Vassa the Book

Gustav Vassa Plot Summary Gustavus Vassas was born Olaudah Equiano in the African province called Essaka in 1745. He was the youngest son of seven surviving children and was very close to his mother. He describes a happy childhood during which he learned – as all his people did – to work hard. He is kidnapped and taken as a slave while still very young and soon finds that he has a talent for the sea and for trading. By being very frugal, he is able to save enough to buy his freedom after only a few years, though his master initially refuses to honor their agreement for the sale.He does gain his freedom and soon returns to the sea, seeing there a greater opportunity for financial gain than any other he can find. He spends his time also in pursuit of an acceptable religious affiliation and eventually finds himself ready to become a missionary. Gustavus Vassa Summary and Analysis Gustavus Vassas was born Olaudah Equiano in the African province called Essaka in 1745. He was the youngest son of seven surviving children and was very close to his mother. He describes a happy childhood during which he learned – as all his people did – to work hard.He recalls little of any true religion though he describes briefly some ceremonies in which dancing and feasting were important. He write that his people were circumcised, one of many similarities to the Jewish religion. Chapter three begins when, at age eleven, Gustavus and his sister are alone at their house while the adults worked at their agricultural pursuits. While alone, they are kidnapped by slavers. They are soon separated and Gustavus is sold to several masters for various reasons over the next six or seven months. He encounters his sister briefly during that time but notes that she was soon taken away and he never saw her again.At the end of those months, Gustavus was taken to the coast where he is put aboard a slave ship. He promptly faints. When he wakes, he asks if the strange looking people aboard are going to eat him and is reassured that he won't be eaten. He remains on that ship for several days until a new ship arrives. He says that the whites aboard were happy to see the other ship and those who, like Gustavus, had never seen a ship in motion under the power of sails were convinced it was magic. In chapter three, Gustavus is first taken to Barbados where he is among the few who aren't sold.He is then sold to a plantation owner in Virginia but stays only a short period of time before being bought by a man named Michael Henry Pascal who intends him as a gift. At that time, Gustavus is called Jacob but Pascal refuses to call him such and renames him Gustavus. On the voyage to England aboard Pascal's trading ship, Gustavus meets a young educated white boy named Richard Baker who sees past the slavery issue and becomes friends with Gustavus – a situation that lasts until Richard's death. Gustavus spends about two years in England, mostly traveling by shi p with his master.He talks of the kindness of the people – especially two women named Guerin – who care for him at various times while his master is away. In chapter four, Gustavus talks about his emerging self-confidence and his waning fears. In 1759, Gustavus has learned about Heaven and requests baptism. In February, he is baptized at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster. Over the coming months, Gustavus is involved in many battles as the French and English clash. Eventually, Gustavus's master is released from his service and plans to return to private business. Gustavus has now met a man named Daniel Queen who has taught Gustavus many things.Gustavus regards him as a father figure and often spends his meager earnings on sugar or tobacco for Daniel. Gustavus plans to go into business with Daniel as soon as he is released from his military service but his master refuses to release Gustavus and instead sells him to another ship's captain, James Doran. Several of Gusta vus's former shipmates vow to redeem him as soon as they are paid but he is, in the meantime, at Doran's mercy. As chapter five begins, Gustavus writes that his current situation is a punishment for having said he planned to spend an entire day in London on â€Å"rambling and sport. He is initially forlorn but comes to believe that God gives suffering of this kind for a reason. In the West Indies, Gustavus learns that Doran has sold him to a Quaker named Robert King who says Gustavus will learn to be a clerk. Gustavus learns to handle almost all aspects of his master's businesses which include shipping. King is kind and Gustavus knows that several other plantation owners make offers for Gustavus. When King turns them down, Gustavus always works harder and thanks God for putting him in this place.Gustavus describes the cruel treatment of most slaves and says that he was once threatened by a man who says he will shoot Gustavus and then pay for him. Gustavus offers up the typical argu ments in favor of slavery saying that men who say they believe these arguments are fooling themselves. He also points out that those with kind masters and plenty of food work harder and live longer than those who are mistreated, and that those with cruelty as a daily part of life are more likely to simply give up and kill themselves. Gustavus points out that the slave trade is a study in avarice, and that slavers lie and cheat the slaves.He says that if slaves were treated â€Å"as men† they would be â€Å"faithful, honest, intelligent and vigorous. † As chapter six begins, Gustavus says that he could list many more instances of cruelty, but that to list them all would be â€Å"tedious and disgusting. † He is soon given the opportunity to become a sailor on one of his master's vessels and chooses to do so, trading a little to make some profit for himself. He notes that he is anxious to earn money and that escape and freedom is, of course, the ultimate goal thoug h he wants it to be by honest means.Gustavus prepares to go to Philadelphia with the captain. Gustavus's master hears a rumor that he is going to try to run away once they reach American but Gustavus points out that he's had opportunities and hasn't done so. His master sees the wisdom of the words, provides Gustavus credit for some goods to sell on his own in an effort to earn money and promises that he can buy his freedom if he earns forty pounds sterling money. He goes on the voyage to America though he is ill treated by the whites who would buy his items for sale.In Savannah, Georgia, he is beaten by a white overseer and left for dead but the captain finds him and with the help of a capable doctor, Gustavus recovers. In chapter seven, Gustavus earns enough money to buy his freedom. His master is initially upset, saying that he hasn't expected Gustavus to earn the money so quickly; but the captain intercedes and Gustavus is freed in return for forty pounds. Gustavus agrees to anot her voyage as a freed man for a wage and wants to buy bullocks to take back with him for sale but the captain refuses and insists that Gustavus buy turkeys instead.He does so against his wishes and the bullocks all die on the crossing though his turkeys survive. The captain takes ill on the voyage and also dies and Gustavus safely takes the ship to port. He's offered the captain's position but refuses though he agrees to yet another voyage under the new captain, William Phillips, who runs the ship aground. They are stranded on an island for days and then find themselves at the mercy of a crew who picks them up. Phillips sells some of the slaves that had been cargo on the ship and buys passage to Georgia with plans to sell the rest, parting here from Gustavus.It's in Georgia that Gustavus reluctantly agrees to perform a burial ceremony for a child and he notes that it's the first time he serves as parson. In chapter nine, Gustavus begins working his way toward his goal of reaching Lo ndon. There, he encounters the Guerins and Pascal and notes that Pascal seems indifferent of the way he treated Gustavus even after being confronted about it. Gustavus begins learning hairdressing as a means of supporting himself and begins studying the French horn and arithmetic.He soon learns that he can earn very little money in this way and decides to go to sea again, this time with a desire to see Turkey. He hires on as a hairdresser with John Jolly on a ship called the Delaware. He remains with that ship and captain until 1771, seeing and being enchanted with Turkey but declining the offer there of two wives and eventually parting ways to join Captain William Robertson on the ship Grenada Planter and then on the Jamaica under Captain David Watt. He later ends up on the North Pole, trapped for a period of time by ice.As chapter ten begins, Gustavus continues his travels, going to Turkey for awhile, then London again and then to Spain. In chapter eleven, he is appalled by the bu ll baiting and eventually returns to Plymouth. In chapter twelve, Gustavus spends more time with the Quakers and is impressed by their actions and their church activities. He wants to become a missionary and says that the rest of his life is to be spent with an eye toward assisting â€Å"the cause of my much injured countrymen. † —- Gustavus's story begins with descriptions of his own people.He notes that they possess slaves that are usually captured in battle or are people among his own tribe who broke specific laws. However, he writes that those slaves are not treated badly. They are required to work, but their masters work just as hard. The slaves are typically given their own house to live in and the only difference appears to be that those people are not free to leave. He doesn't go into this discussion to any great depth. Though Gustavus couldn't have known the horrors that awaited him aboard the slave ship, he notes that he is immediately afraid.He mentions a fe ar that he'll be eaten, but doesn't explain. It seems likely that his people were among those who commonly told their children that kidnappers were frequently cannibals. In any case, Gustavus writes that, had he had entire worlds of his own at that moment, he would have traded them all for the chance to swap places with the lowest slave in his country. Gustavus talks at length about the fact that his people believed in cleanliness and that they were circumcised, and that many of the rituals seem to indicate that the Jewish and the African tribes of that region were related.He quotes a writer who believes that to be true and says the writer indicates that climate is the reason for the dark-skinned appearance of the Africans compared to the traditional light-skinned appearance of the Jews. Gustavus also points out that men with higher degrees of education have discussed the matter and that he isn't the person to answer the question definitively. As Gustavus writes about his early trav els, he seems to flit from one incident to another. He relates the story of a man who got something in his eye and then lost the eye. He talks of being hospitalized for chilblains and small pox.He also mentions a man who saved him from being flogged for fighting with a â€Å"gentleman,† but does not go into any additional details. Gustavus seems to expect that his master is going to simply release him once the military stint is over and goes so far as to make plans for his future. He admits to being heartbroken upon the completion of his sale to a new master. It's interesting that Gustavus, having encountered so many kind and generous people at this point, has ceased to believe himself a slave. He points out that he's served his master well for many years and has earned nothing for it, and seems to expect that to be sufficient.He has become somewhat educated and expects a slave owner to have a moral responsibility to allow him to leave when he wants. At one point, Gustavus is enamored with a tribe of the Mosquito Coast. He talks at length about their customs, including that they love the color red and that they enjoy their ceremonies. Gustavus seems to enjoy the actions of the people. He also talks of the fact that they seem similar to his own family of his childhood. Important People Gustavus Vassa Born Olaudah Equiano and sometimes called â€Å"The African,† he was born in the African province of Essaka is 1745.Gustavus says that he'd been given another name in the early days of his slavery and had initially refused to answer to the name â€Å"Gustavus,† but eventually gave in. He is an intelligent man and adept at trading. His services are coveted because he is so capable and hardworking. When he's purchased by a master who has land and shipping ventures, Gustavus wants desperately to go to sea. He's learned much about shipping and knows that he has the potential to make enough money there to buy his freedom. He accomplishes saving that money in a matter of only a few years, though there are some pitfalls along the way.When he then asks his owner to release him, the owner initially refuses but is convinced by an employee – a ship's captain – who has taken a liking to Gustavus and prevails on the man's sense of fair play. Gustavus loves to learn and devotes as much of his time as possible to learning a variety of things ranging from the Bible to the French horn. He says that he hates to be idle and will take on some new endeavor rather than spend evenings with nothing to occupy his hands and mind. He comes to love London and Turkey as his two favorite destinations among all those he visits.Gustavus finds an array of friends during his travels and learns from many of them. He seems often overly trusting and occasionally finds himself in trouble when he trusts someone to make good on a promise, especially with regard to money. He says that there are those who defend slavery and that they are delusional in their arguments. Gustavus eventually applies to become a missionary. Themes The Desire for Freedom The desire for freedom is an overriding theme and the slaves who wrote these stories are each determined to find freedom, regardless of the cost.This can be seen clearly in the fact that slaves are brutally beaten if caught in a runaway attempt, yet many continue to take the chance. One of the best examples of this desire for freedom is seen in Harriet Jacobs' brother, William. William has been purchased by Harriett's lover and the father of her children, Mr. Sands. Mr. Sands is subsequently elected to Congress and takes William along with him. William has the opportunity to travel through many states and to see many things, and it's noted that Mr. Sands is not a cruel master.Despite the fact that William is treated well with enough to eat and has the promise of eventual freedom, he seizes an opportunity to run away. In his case, there's little cause for worry about reprisal because Mr. Sands isn't cruel and isn't likely to track him down. By contrast, Harriett's Uncle Benjamin runs away, is captured and brought back where he is treated severely, and still runs away again. In the case of Gustavus, he had a master who was willing to allow him time at sea where he was able to make money on his own, but spent a great deal of money to buy his freedom.This willingness to work for many years at jobs in addition to their regular tasks is another common theme in the quest for freedom and those who achieve that freedom are often then working to â€Å"buy† their family. Style Perspective Each of the stories is written in first person from the perspective of the author. It should be noted that three of these have two different names. For example, Gustavus Vassa was named Obaudah Equiano at birth and was later named Gustavus Vassa by a master. Because Gustavus used that name more frequently than the name given to him by his parents, he is referred to as Gustavus th roughout the story.Fredrick Douglass is a well-known name, though he was born Fredrick Augustus Washington Bailey. He took the name Douglass upon his arrival in the free states of the north, though he insisted on retaining his first name as some link to his true identity. For the sake of familiarity, he is referred to throughout this text as Fredrick Douglass. The same is true in the case of Harriett Jacobs who is writing as Linda Benton, and this author is referred to as Harriett Jacobs throughout the text. It should be noted that Jacobs admits at the beginning of the story to having changed the names of some of the people in her book.In fact, research shows that she changed many of the names and it therefore seems appropriate that she would have changed her own name for the purposes of the story. Writing in first person seems the only possible option available to each of these authors because the stories are presented as factual events in the lives of each. Tone The story is writt en in a straight-forward manner but it should be noted that there are some graphic scenes that may be offensive to some readers. They are, however, a part of the history of these people and it seems appropriate that they should be presented.For example, Gustavus Vassa describes the cruelties visited on the slaves of the Jamaican Islands. Those people were routinely beaten but the tortures often took the form of tying them in impossible positions where they were at the mercy of elements and creatures. In the case of each, the stories of separations of family members are a common theme and will likely touch the reader. It's interesting to note that all three of these use words that may not commonly be associated with people of little formal education.In most parts, the meanings of words are easily discerned but it should not be assumed that the level of writing is that of an uneducated person. Of the four stories, the messages of all are aptly conveyed but it seems that Harriett Jacob s' story has a more personal slant, possibly because her story is of a more personal nature and involves her family and friends on a deeper level whereas the others, especially Gustavus Vassa, tells more of his travels and how other people treated him. The tone is often hopeless and a sensitive reader may find himself feeling pity for those involved.

Comparing”Cask of Amontillado” with “The Rats in the walls”

Compare the narrator in Poe's â€Å"Cask of Amontillado† with the narrator of â€Å"The Rats in the walls.† The style and mode of narration in any story determines how appealing a narrator becomes to his or her readers. Additionally, this has much to do with the size of readership that the narrator garners. It is worthwhile that a narrator chooses a narration style that reflects the context of the story, captivating and which gets the reader engaged and involved throughout the narration. This narration will have significant implications for the reviews as well as comments that the reader will make which translate to more or fewer people seeking to read the narrators story. The narrators in â€Å"Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"The Rats in the Walls† share much in common about their styles, approaches, themes, and appeal to the reader although they differ substantially in some respects. â€Å"Rats in the Walls† is narrated by the last survivor of Delapore family who moves from Massachusetts to his ancestral homeland, Exham Priory in England. On multiple instances, the Delapore and his cats hear the scurrying sounds of rats behind the ways and upon investigation find a city below the subcellar of his home, which has existed for centuries and the dwellers of this underground city fed on human flesh (Lovecraft 4). The narrator in â€Å"The cask of Amontillado† is Montresor, seemingly a gentleman, but in reality, a vindictive and vengeance filled person. (Poe 1). Montresor commits a murder and is unrepentant and guiltless of his deed because he thinks that all, he did and does is right. Most of the time, Montresor is dedicated to his viewpoint which is quite cold, vengeful, brutal, and conniving. He lures his friend, Fortunato, to tunnels and tombs underground, drugs him and locks him in chains, walls him and leaves him in his position to die slowly (Poe 5). Montresor and Delapore exhibit a great deal of quality in their narration style. The tales are given from their points of view and involve crimes, and horrendous acts that get the reader aroused and somewhat scared. They keep a great deal of suspense to maintain the reader and ensure he or she follows to the end. Both narrators, however, could be questioned regarding reliability although they have various levels of any security that could be noted (Lovecraft 8).They seem to have some mental problems which make them act in ways unnatural and do things that would naturally be abominable to sane people. The fact that we have difficulties trusting the narrators question their reliability. Montresor, first, tells the story of the crime he commits fifty years later saying that he was never caught for this. Now, trusting someone telling things that happened many years ago can be difficult because in many cases, things surface a short time after they have been done. Confessions are made, or details unveiled not very long after. Walling his friend and leaving him to die with little to no remorse characteristically defines the possibility of soundness implying that he could probably not be entirely sane. This could make him be considered unreliable (Poe 8). Delapore, similarly, exhibits a high level of unreliability. He presents the story in a way that the things happen in the supernatural realm. This elicits fiction rather than reality, and the details raise many questions because few readers would be accustomed to the nature of things that unfold throughout the narration. Eating human flesh would be an act expected of animals or an unbalanced mind. There is an element of mental issue with the narrator, and this would make him unreliable (Lovecraft 10). Constant sounds of rats in the walls which are never found raise questions as to whether substantial evidence can be gathered to support the points raised in the narration. The default the tone by the narrators is one that conveys abject panic, fear, and impending doom. The mood they employ precedes or supersedes events which could reasonably justify it. Mostly, they share much in common in the narration technics, emotions, feelings, and atmospheres. However, they also differ in some ways. Delapore narrates in a setting of a family background rich in mystic scenarios. This is evident in the declaration of the finding of bones in the underground of the Priory(Lovecraft 14). Montresor narrates from a setting of being insulated which leads him to revenge (Poe 1). The motivations behind the narration are entirely different Delapore is motivated by the desire to unravel a family background which influenced him to act and behave in the way he did. Montresor is affected by the desire to resolve the dampness of his surroundings which exert pressure on him to react in a manner to repay for what has been done against him. The levels of the unreliability of the stories also differ. Delapore is somewhat fictitious in his narration and to some extent narrates from an insane person. Delapore is profoundly unreliable because the details are hard to prove in the real world from which the readers view the content of the narration (Lovecraft 16). Montresor can be termed unreliable, but the extent is not as deep because there are actual details which offer significant proof of turn of events with a human element. While for the most part, he remains unrepentant and self-justifying of the crime he commits, there is a portion where he notes his heart grew sick after he had only a brick left to seal Fortunato forever. However, he withdraws from guilty and accuses his surroundings instead. The narration is better regarding reliability as compared to Delapore. The narrative by Montresor is mostly a revenge mission which happens in the real world giving greater credit to the details (Poe 14). For Delapore, the narration based on the occult is something that questions the credibility and reliability of the details. Overall, however, there is much held in common with a few differences inherent for the narrators the nature of narration and story details. Works citedLovecraft, Howard Phillips. The Rats in the Walls. New York: WS via Publish Drive, 2018. PrintPoe, Edgar Allan.  The Cask of Amontillado. Publisher Not Identified, 2016.

Nature vs. Nurture in Oliver Twist Essay

Out of all the questions that anyone may have for the novel, Oliver Twist, one of the more common questions that can occur is; â€Å"What determines a person’s personality, decisions, actions, etc. Is nature to blame? Or is it nurture’s fault?† Seeing as though Oliver was orphaned at birth and never had a real mother or siblings to look up to, this essay will focus on the nurture section of the question. Nurture, by definition, is the value of experiences, cultural influences, and learned actions/reactions in a growing offspring’s life. Nature is defined as the qualities with which people are born (including genetic make-up, stable personality traits, â€Å"animals instincts†, etc.) Oliver had many bad influences to decide that it may have been nature that had affected him the most in this situation. In all cases, the nature vs. nurture debate is one and the same. Caring for a child most assiduously is very important, according to the definition of nurture, and within the story of Oliver Twist, the child never seemed to receive proper nurturing from any of the parochial people or thieves that he had accompanied. Dickens writes the character of Oliver in a way that seems to cement his stance in nature’s court; that Oliver appears to be an innately good person. His experiences in the workhouse, the abuse he has to endure from Mr. Bumble and other characters, and his exposure to a life of crime does not make Oliver turn from good to bad. However, to assume that Dickens supports the idea that only nurture is responsible for determining a person’s personality would be incorrect. In fact, other characters within the novel, assert that they are products of their environments. This means that characters such as Nancy, the Artful Dodger, and others have been molded by their experiences, which clearly supports nurture’s side of the debate. From a scientific point of view, most psychologists agree that neither nature nor nurture can be held completely responsible for the shaping of a person’s personality. When faced with the nature vs. nurture debate in real situations, it is typically assumed that personality can be attributed partly to nature and partly to nurture. At first glance many of Dickens’s characters appear to favor either nature or nurture, but further investigation shows that each character embodies traits that can be attributed to both. In Oliver Twist, Dickens draws the attention to numerous issues. For example, there is a very clear theme of disapproval of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act (and its accompanying effects) throughout then novel. And while most of the other issues that Dickens includes in his writing are societal, he does bring up an interesting debate that has psychological roots. Although Oliver is surrounded by horrible situations, Dickens still had a tone of hope underscoring it all. At points, there were questions if that was because the reader knew what would happen in the end. But Dickens intended Oliver Twist to be somewhat humorous. For example, by illustrating the dichotomy of the wealthy, fat parish leaders feasting while orphaned workhouse children starve on gruel. In conclusion, both sides to the debate of whether or not Oliver was most affected by nature or nurture remains to the opinion of the reader. Of course there may be certain circumstances as to which side the reader may favor and Dickens had probably pursued that route, intending for the reader to decide Oliver’s fate. The nature vs. nurture argument pertains to anyone who wishes for a good debate in their reading selections of Charles Dickens.