The Influence of Humanity on Education and Women

The age of Enlightenment put forth the importance of humanism and reason, concepts that creates a balance between humanity's innate tendency to experience emotions while at the same time, cultivating a rational view of experiencing sensations and interactions around him/her. Indeed, discourses that were created and published in the 18th century reflected the use of reason in order to elucidate the nature of human beings. Enlightenment discourses,' in effect, provide an important insight into the humanism and reason that dwells inside the human mind. These important concepts of the Enlightenment were shown in the works of Mary Wollstonecraft and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Both being proponents and believers of the principles reflective of the Enlightenment, they expressed their views of how humanism and reason influenced their position about the role of women and feminism, and their relationship with education. In Wollstonecraft's â€Å"Vindication of the rights of women,† the author utilized reason as a tool to argue her point about the history of women's suppression when it comes to achieving quality education and fair regard with men in the society. Rousseau, meanwhile, in his work entitled â€Å"Emile† (or â€Å"On Education†), asserted that neither women nor men were suppressed or antagonized against each other, whether the comparison is on their rights, social status, and even privileges such as attaining education. He provided the ‘opposite face' of Wollstonecraft's argument of women suppression in society through their lack of education. Given these descriptions of the works of Wollstonecraft and Rousseau, this paper posits that the works of the authors share a similarity and difference that pertains to the issue of women's equality in attaining education and education in general. This paper argues that using both humanism and reason as foundations for their arguments, Wollstonecraft and Rousseau similarly believed that education must be achieved by all, although education in itself must not be confined to formal education, but to formative education done by the society as well. However, both differed in expressing their opinion concerning women's roles and feminism. Wollstonecraft believed that women had been suppressed and not given the privilege to acquire good formal and formative educations, while Rousseau believed that women were not hindered by society to receive education, and they can do so if they only willed themselves to achieve it. Presentation, analysis, and discussion of these arguments are supported with texts from Wollstonecraft's â€Å"Vindication of the rights of women† and Rousseau's â€Å"Emile. Wollstonecraft and Rousseau presented similar arguments when they discussed the issue of how society should develop and implement education for children and the youth. Both acknowledged the fact that formal education is important, although its state (in the 18th century) leaves more to be desired; in fact, they cited the deficiencies that formal education can have to people's learning and intellectual and moral development. They believed that formal education must include formative education, which means people must not only learn through accumulation of facts and information in schools and educational institutions, but also learn through constant interaction with other people. The youth must learn not only from within the walls of the classroom, but in the real world as well. Rousseau expressed his strong belief in formative education in â€Å"Emile. † In fact, the creation of the discourse itself was meant to critique and analyze the state of formal education as Rousseau observed it during his time. One of his critiques against formal education is that it tended to provide knowledge that is ‘quite limited,' even â€Å"censored† for the students. In expressing his disagreement against â€Å"censored† material used in teaching students, he stated, â€Å"[t]he literature and science of our century tend to destroy rather than to build up. When we censor others we take on the tone of a pedagogue†¦ In spite of all those books whose only aim†¦ is public utility†¦ the art of training men-is still neglected. Books and instructional materials are only useful as aids towards learning, but if these educational materials are â€Å"censored† and created in order to suit the institutions' needs rather than the students', then the â€Å"training of men† is forfeited. What results is a society where children and the youth depend on education to provide its learning knowledge, taking for granted ‘lessons' learned in real life, such as knowledge that comes out from daily interaction with other people and learning lessons from their everyday experiences in the outside world. Apart from the censorship in the educational material taught to students, Rousseau also cited the seemingly lack of imagination in the educational system. By ‘imagination,' he meant that people have become heavily dependent on information and knowledge already extant in the society in all kinds of discipline. Gone is the drive to discover new things in the natural and social environment, which makes human knowledge and most importantly, intellectual development, stagnant. Learning and knowledge accumulation must be a process in which students must think â€Å"out of the box,† an idea that should have been supported because this is what led to the age of Enlightenment. Without humanity's imagination and drive to learn more about the world they live in, perhaps the age of Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution Rousseau's society was benefiting from would not happen. He explicated in better terms his idea of thinking â€Å"out of the box† in the following passage from â€Å"Emile†: By freely expressing my own sentiment I have so little idea of claiming authority that I always give my reasons. This way people may weigh and judge them for themselves. But while I do not wish to be stubborn in defending my ideas, I think it my duty to put them forward†¦ Propose what is feasible, they repeatedly tell me. It is as if I were being told to propose what people are doing already, or at least to propose some good which mixes well with the existing wrongs†¦ Wollstonecraft had similarly expressed Rousseau's sentiments concerning formal education. In expressing her views about education (in general), she focused on the effect that intellectual development from schools have over the moral development of the students. Rousseau, on one hand, had not expressed explicitly his desire for an moral, alongside intellectual, development for humanity's youth. Wollstonecraft, on the other hand, had been more than explicit in expressing her desire for moral development as an individual goes through intellectual development. In â€Å"Vindication,† she expressed concern that the public and private education systems are focusing too much on the intellectual development of the individual, and might, over time, experience greater knowledge and learning without a strong and firm moral character. By emphasizing on moral and intellectual developments, Wollstonecraft strove to put a balance between the humanism and reason, the pillars of the Enlightenment that helped promote intellectual and social progress in human societies. Her fears of escalating moral degeneration for the future of 18th century society was expressed in her discourse, where she declared, †¦ children would be entirely separated from their parents, and I question whether they would become better citizens by sacrificing the preparatory affections, by destroying the force of relationships that render the marriage state as necessary as respectable. But, if a private education produces self-importance, or insulates a man in his family, the evil is only shifted, not remedied. By claiming that â€Å"evil is only shifted, not remedied,† Wollstonecraft meant that formal education does not prepare people for the knowledge that would become more important and useful in real life. This knowledge is not the wide expanse of information that one knows, nor the deep understanding of a discipline or study, but rather, the knowledge that one has in having the best judgment and manner of interacting with other people. Moral development, in effect, was considered more important than intellectual development because it is through a healthy psyche that humanity is able to move forward and leave the ways of the ‘primitive human. ‘ This primitive being is one who is not able to control his emotions and desires, seeking and pursuing these at the detriment of other people's lives and welfare. With social progress in mind, Wollstonecraft proposes that education or intellectual development is not the sole key to it, but morality reigning in human societies as well. Wollstonecraft and Rousseau expressed their similarities in the belief that moral development is just as important in attaining intellectual development. However, when it comes to discussing role of women in the society and feminism, the authors have different perspective toward these issues. Wollstonecraft's view of women and feminism is more radical and attempts to break the status quo (i. e. , the perceived dominance of males over females). Rousseau, meanwhile, sought to establish the fact that in general, men and women are equal in that they complement each other's differences. Thus, for him, their differences are nature's way of creating a balanced whole and harmony in the society. Wollstonecraft's views were apparent in her discussion of education, where, after criticizing education in general, she applied the issue of the achievement of formal education in the context of the women's sector and feminism. In her discussion of moral development as an essential factor in developing intellectual growth, she argued that women's lack of opportunity to achieve formal education also resulted to their lack of moral growth. This means that because they were not exposed to ideas that would encourage the development of a moral character, women were left to act and behave attitudes and character that they deemed as ‘right' and ‘pleasing' to the society. She expressed dismay over women's lack of privilege in education, both moral and intellectual, relegated her to the low and weak status in the society: No, it is indolence and vanity-the love of pleasure and the love of sway, that will rain paramount in an empty mind. I say empty emphatically, because the education which women now receive scarcely deserves the name. For the little knowledge that they are led to acquire, during the important years of youth, is merely relative to accomplishments; and accomplishments without a bottom, for unless the understanding be cultivated, superficial and monotonous is every grace. This passage reflected the fact that the perpetuation of a patriarchal society in the 18th century was due to many factors, which included the tolerance of women's lack of privilege to develop themselves intellectually and morally. If women will not understand the repercussions that education can have in their lives, they will remain as â€Å"indolent† individuals possessing an â€Å"empty mind†-individuals who remain unchallenged and unknowing because they lack the knowledge to survive in a world where survival not only depended on physically, but intellectually and morally as well. Rousseau offered an opposing opinion to Wollstonecraft's feminist ideals. In â€Å"Emile† (Book Five), he made it clear that â€Å"[t]o cultivate the masculine virtues in women and to neglect their own is obviously to do them an injury. Women are too clear-sighted to be thus deceived. When they try to usurp our privileges they do not abandon them. But the result is that being unable to manage the two, because they are incompatible, they fall below their own potential without reaching our's and loose half their worth. † This assertion reflected how women, in their desire to be equal in skills and knowledge as men, weaken themselves in the process, for they were not able to cultivate their own skills and knowledge. Attaining equality with men by aspiring for their characteristics is abandoning one's self and acquiring the identity of the other, thereby creating confusion and guilt. The woman is then left feeling weak because she had abandoned her true, strong self. It is through this point that Rousseau was able to explicate how males and females are equal in that they complement each other: one draws strength from the other, and become weak when they try to be not their true, strong selves.

Comparative Programmes of Business Education in Nigerian Universities (a Case Study of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Delta State University, Abraka)

Current Research Journal of Social Sciences 2(2): 58-64, 2010 ISSN: 2041-3246  © M axwell Scientific Organization, 2010 Submitted Date: November 18, 2009 Accepted Date: December 14, 2009 Accepted Date: March 10, 2010 Comparative Programmes of Business Education In Nigerian Universities (A Case Study of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Delta State University, Abraka) 1 F. O. Ohiwerei and 2 N. A zih Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpom a, Edo State, Nig eria 2 Departm ent of Business Education, E bon yi State University, Abakaliki, Eb ony i State, Nigeria Abstract: This paper is aimed to critically x-ray the business education curriculum of Nigerian Universities a case study of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Delta State U niversity, Ab raka. It w as observed that in Amb rose Alli University business education is housed in the department of Vocational and Technical Education with two options namely Accounting Education and Secretaria l Education while it runs a specialized system right from 1 00 to 4 00 lev els. On the other hand the Delta State University runs a 100 to 200 levels broad based system. Specialization is done in 300 and 400 levels.Here business education is a unit of its own; housing accounting option, secretarial option, management option, but unfortunately computer education options is not functional. It was observed that the objectives, philosophy and ad mission requ irements of bo th universities are the same. While courses offered are different in nature. Conclusion and recommendations were made. Key w ords: Business educ ation, curriculu m, effectiveness, pro gram me, teachin g, univ ersity INTRODUCTION Education is the totality of life experience that man acquires and which enables him to cope with and derive satisfaction from living in the word.This is because it enables him to achieve social competence and optimum individual development. Broken down, business education which is a subset of the general education can be seen as the development of person’s h ead, heart and han ds for his self fulfillment and optimum service s to human ity. To achieve this according to the National Policy on Education (2004), compu ter education was integra ted into the primary school curriculum, a welcome development but sad to note that sub jects like shorthand, typewriting, commerce, and book-keeping are integrated together to form business studies thereby losing their original identity.Experience has shown that most people are not interested in business education as a profession with the mind set that it is education meant for the less privilege or a programme, which up on graduation, there is no opportunity for securing a job. This is so because Bu siness educ ation curriculum planners who are not profe ssional membe rs in the field could not design a uniform curriculum that will ho use all the universities offering business educ ation courses in Nigeria. The incompetence on the part of business education graduates also lays on the curriculum not properly designed to reflect the psychomotor nature of our noble profession.Pitman (1974) defin ed curriculum as a prescribed courses of studies. While Hornby (2006) says curriculum are the subjects that are included in a course of study or taugh t in a school, college, etc. According to Okoye (1991), the process of curricu lum developm ent and plan ning is continuo us. It does not end once and for all time. Acco rding to Uwaifo (2006) a close look at the current Vocational and Technical Education curriculum g enera lly reveals some problems that border on inadequate course content.Uhumuavbi and Ebhomhen (20 06) in their ow n vain stated that irrespective of the level of education and training given during the pre-colonial days in Africa, it was functional because the curriculum was relevant to the needs of the society. Unemployment if it existed at all was minimal and very few young men roamed the villages and towns with nothing to do. According to Snyder (2008), a flexible curriculum is important because there is no single cu rricular path to career success. We are giving students more flexibility; this is not a radical departure from our curriculum.Robert and Booth (2008) stated that the curriculum changes allow students to increase the intensity o f their studies. The present Nigerian Universities business education curriculum has overstayed, therefore, it is important that they be modified to meet today’s needs. This is very essential from the standpoint of academic integrity. One will be tempted to ask at this juncture, is there anything wrong with the present Nigerian Universities business Corresponding Author: F. O. Ohiwerei, Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria 58Curr. Res. J. Soc. Sci. , 2(2): 58-64, 2010 education curriculum? The researchers answer is â€Å"YES’ but that does not mean that the p res ent curriculum on ground can not be improved upon. The reasons for the reform ation of the business education curriculum is aimed to he lp create tomorrow’s competitive workforce by inspiring and engaging businesses to work in partnership with schools to raise the levels of achievement of young people, especially those in disadvantaged circumstances. Business education has advanced the level of â€Å"garbage in, garbage out words system† but a leadership role.The importance of the business edu cators is increasing as the business world becomes more complex. Through this programm e, individuals are educated to become skilled employees who can contribute mea ningfully to the overall effectiveness of an office, teaching and learning in schools. It is on the basis of this therefore; the researchers attempt to examine, compa re and contrast the cu rriculum of business education programmes of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Delta State University, Abraka with a view to s cientifically reform it to meet the ever increasing techn ology deve lopm ent.This study will be of benefit to the teachers, students, parents and governmen t. Through this study, students’ competency for work placem ent w ill be ach ieved . The teachers will be properly informed on what should be included or excluded from the curriculum for effective teaching and learning. The parents will have a sign of relief that upon gradu ation from the unive rsity their children will be gainfully employed or self-reliance. The government will appreciate the programm e, as it will help to reduce unemployment and crime rate in the society.LITERATURE REVIEW BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMM ES OFFERED BY AMBROSE ALLI UNIVERSITY, EKPOMA AND DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA Business education program mes offered by A mbro se Alli University, Ekpoma are: C C Accounting education option Secretarial education option C W hile the business education programmes offered by the Delta State University, Abra ka are: C C C C C Accounting Option Secretarial Technology Option Management Option. Computer Education Option.Programm e title: Secretarial Studies/O ffice Ma nagem ent: Both universities have the same philosophy, specific objectives and admission requirements as described below: Philosophy: The introduction of the office automation, by the use of electronic equipment has not only brought changes on office procedures and competencies, but also has created new functions in the business offices. In order to met the chan ging o ffice skills, educational have also changed their business education programmes to cater for the new requiremen ts by introducing office management programme.In Nigeria, office automation has become a reality and all levels of government are requesting educational institutions to include co mpu ter literacy in their curriculum. This programme is designed to meet the requirements of the changing office environment and the call by the governments in Nigeria. Spec ific Objectives: This programme is designed to give the students the liability to work in modern business offices and to teach modern office skills in seconda ry schools.Specifically, the programme will give the students the skills to perform the follow ing functions in the office: C C C C C Planning and organizing office operations, W ritten communications and telecom mun ications in the office, Information and records management in the office, Leadership and Human Relations in the office, Controlling office operations. Adm ission requirements: (Four-year programmeUM E): W est African School Certificate (W ASC) or General Certificate of Education (GCE O/L or NECO with at least credit passes in five relevant subjects which must include English Language.Direct entry: C Passes at merit level in relevant Diploma programme of a University or any other institution recognized by Senate in addition to fou r O/L credit passes which must include English Language. Passes in two relevant subje cts at A /L in ad dition to three C/L credit passes or its equivalent which must include English Language, Passes at merit level in least tw o sub jects in NC E in addition to three credit passes in G CE O/L or its equivalent, in not more than two sittings.In the actual sense, Accounting, Secretarial and man agem ent op tions are opera tional. 59 No student shall qua lify for the award of an hono urs degree of the University if he/she spends more than two sessions (four semesters) beyond the normal period allowed for the degree programme. Curr. Res. J. Soc. Sci. , 2(2): 58-64, 2010 Accounting Education University, Ekpoma Option of A mbrose A lli ACC ACC ACC ACC 304 306 307 308 Public Finance Com pany Law Banking A nd Finance Quantitative Analysis For Business Decision 2C 2C 2C 2C 24F I R ST S E M E S T E R 1 0 0 L E V E L S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 3 00 L E V E L EDU 100 EDU 101 EDU 102 ECO 101 ACC 101 GS T 10 1 GS T 1 02 CSC 101 Introduction To Teaching Profession H istory Of Educ ation Developm ental Psy 1 E conom ics Principles 1 Principle Of Accounting U se O f Eng lish An d Lib rary P hilos oph y A nd L ogic Intro To Compu ter 2C 2C 2C 3C 3C 4C 2C 2C 20 VTE 311 Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme F I R ST S E M E S T E R EDU EDU ED U ACC ACC 400 LEVEL 15CS E C O N D S E M E S T E R 1 00 L E V E L EDU 111 EDU 115 GS T 11 1 GST 1 12 EC O 1 11 BED 111 BED 114 AC C 1 11 Introductions To Social Studies Intoduction To Special Education N igeria Peo ples A nd C ulture History And Philosophy Science E cono mics P rinciple II Office Practice F undam entals Of Bu siness P rinciples O f Acc oun ting II 2C 2E 2C 2C 3C 2C 3C 3C 19 400 Project 402G uidance And Counseling 4 03 C ontin uou s A ssess men t 402Auditing And Investigation 404 Public Sector Accounting 4 00 L E V E L C 2C 2C 3C 3C 16 SECOND SEMESTER EDU 411 EDU 413 EDU 415 ACC 412 AC C 4 14 ACC 415 BED 413 BED 415 VTE 411 F I R ST S E M E S T E R 2 0 0 L E V E L EDU 201 EDU 202 VTE 201 ACC 201 ACC 204 A C C 2 08 ECO 201 Philosophy Of Education C urriculum And Instruction Vte In Nigeria And Other Coun tries Financial Accounting 1 Introduction To Finance 1 B us in es s L aw 1 M icro Economics 2C 2C 2C 3C 2C 2C 3C 16 C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 3C 3C 2C 23 Secretarial Education Option of A m b ro se A ll i U n iv er si ty , E k po m a F I R ST S E M E S T E R 1 0 0 L E V E L EDU 100 EDU 101 EDU 102 GS T 10 1 GS T 1 02 BE D 1 01 BED 102 AC C 1 01 CSC 101 Introduction To Teaching Profession H istory Of Education Developm ental Psy I U se O f Eng lish An d Lib rary P hilos oph y A nd L ogic S hortha nd I Typew riting I P rinciples O f Acc oun ting I Introduction To C omputer Science 2C 2C 2C 4C 2C 3C 3C 3C 2C 23O rganization of Primary And Secondary Education C omparative Education E ducational Psychology Management Accounting F inan cial M ana gem ent M anagement Information System H uman Relations And Personnel Management B usiness Communication Professional SeminarF O R D I R E C T E N T R Y ST U D E N T S O N L Y GS T 10 1 U se O f Eng lish An d Lib rary GS T 1 02 P hilos oph y A nd L ogic CSC 101 Introduction To C omputer Science S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 2 00 L E V E L EDU 211 EDU 212 EDU 213 EDU 214 ACC 211 ACC 213 AC C 2 14 GST 222 VT E 2 11 Subject Method E ducational Technology Sociology Of Education R esearch Method S and Data Processing Financial Accounting 11 Cost Accounting I In troduc tion To Finan ce II Peace And Conflict Resolution V OC & T ech .Edu catio n in N igeria 3C 3C 2C 2C 3C 2C 2C 2C 2C 21 4C 2C 2C 24 S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 1 00 L E V E L EDU 111 EDU 115 GS T 11 1 GST 1 12 BED 111 BE D 1 12 BE D 1 13 BED 114 AC C 1 11 Introduction To Social Studies Introduction To Special Education N igeria Peo ples A nd C ulture History And Philosophy Science Office Practice T ypew riting II S hortha nd II Introdu ction To B usiness P rinciples O f Acc oun ting II 2C 2E 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 3C 3C 23F I R ST S E M E S T E R 2 0 0 L E V E L EDU 201 EDU 202 VTE 201 B ED 201 BED 202 BED 203 BED 205 BED 208 Philosophy Of Education C urriculum And Instruction VT E In Nigeria And Other Countries Intermediate Shorthand Intermediate Typewriting P lanning O rganizing Office O perations I B usiness Co mmu nications I Business Law 2C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 3C 3C 21 F O R D I R E C T E N T R Y ST U D E N T S O N L Y GS T 11 1N igerian P eople A nd C ulture GST 1 12 History And Philosophy Of Science 2C 2C 25F I R ST S E M E S T E R 3 0 0 L E V E L EDU 300 EDU 301 EDU 302 VTE 301 BED 304 ACC 301 ACC 303 Teaching Practice E ducational Administration And Planning E ducational Technology Time M anagement B usiness Machine Intermediate Financial Accounting I Element Of Management 3C 2C 2C 2C 2C 3C 2C F O R D I R E C T E N T R Y ST U D E N T S O N L Y GS T 10 1 U se O f Eng lish An d Lib rary GS T 1 02 P hilos oph y A nd L ogic CSC 101 Introduction To C omputer Science 4C 2C 2C 8 0 Curr. Res. J. Soc. Sci. , 2(2): 58-64, 2010 S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 2 00 L E V E L ED U 211 EDU 212 EDU 213 EDU 214 GST 222 BED 211 BED 212 BE D 2 13 BE D 2 15 VT E 2 11 Subject Method E ducational Technology Sociology Of Education R esearch Methods And Data Processing Peace And Conflict Resolution Intermediate Shorthand I Intermediate Typewriting I P lanning /Orga nization O ffice O peration s II B usiness Co mm unication II V oc. A nd te ch.E duc ation in N igeria 3C 3C 3C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 3C 2C 27 S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 1 00 L E V E L BE D 1 11 In troduc tion to S ecretarial Ed ucation in Sho rthand II BE D 1 12 In troduc tion to S ecretarial Ed ucation in Typ ewriting II BED 113 Principles of Business Education BED 114 Introduction to Vocational & Technical Education BED 115 Principles & Practice of Cooperative EDU 112 Introduction to Social Studies Education AC C 1 11 In troduc tion to A ccou nting II BUS 114 B usiness Communication EC N 1 11 P rinciples o f Eco nom ics II GS T 11 1 N igeria Peo ple and Cu lture GST 113 Peace Studies andConflict Resolution GS T 1 14 Com munication in French F I R ST S E M E S T E R 2 0 0 L E V E L 2C 2C 4 BED 201 B asic Word Processing: Shorthand I BED 202 B asic Word Processing: Typewriting I BED 203 M arketing Management Education EDU 200 Principles of Instruction EDU 201 Philosophy of Education EDU 202 C urriculum Development ACC 201 Financial Accounting I AC C 2 03 Q uan titative F inan cial A naly sis BU S 2 01 P rincip les of M ana gem ent I CSC 200 Introduction to Compu ter S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 2 00 L E V E L BE D 2 11 B asic W ord P rocessin g: Sho rthand II BE D 2 12 B asic W ord P rocessin g: Typ ewriting II BED 213 O ffice Management BED 214 Leadership Behaviour BED 215 Finance and Economics of Business Education EDU 211 B usiness Education Method EDU 212 T est and Measurement EDU 213 Sociology of Education AC C 2 11 F inancial A ccou nting II BU S 21 1 Princ iples of M anag emen t II 2C 2C 2C 2C 2E 3C 3C 2C 3C 2E 23 Accounting Option 300 Level of Delta State University, Abraka BED BED EDU EDU EDU ACC ACC ACC BUS 302 B usiness Edu cation Statistics I 303 B anking Education 300 Teaching Practice 301 E ducational Administration and Planning 302 Educational Technology 301 Corporate Accounting I 303 Cost Accounting I 305 Auditing B us in es s L aw I 2C 2C 3C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 2C 22 2C 2C 2C 2C 2C 2C 2C 2E 3C 3C 22F O R D I R E C T E N T R Y ST U D E N T S O N L Y GS T 11 1N igerian P eople a nd C ulture GST 1 12 History And Philosophy of Science 4 F IR S T S E M E S T E R 3 00 L E V E L EDU 300 Teaching Practice EDU 301 E ducational Administration And Planning EDU 302 E ducational Technology VTE 301 Time M anagement BE D 3 01 In termed iate Sho rthand II BE D 3 02 In termed iate Typ ewriting II BE D 3 03 R eco rd M ana gem ent I BED 304 B usiness Machine AC 3 06 Com pany Law S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 3 00 L E V E L VTE 311 Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme F I R ST S E M E S T E R 4 0 0 L E V E L EDU EDU EDU BED BED BED 400 Project 402 G uidance And Counseling 403 C ontinuous Assessment 401 O ffice Dictation I 402 W ord Processing I 403 Personnel Management 6C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 19 15C 3C 2C 3C 2C 3C 3C 3C 2C 3C 24 2C 2C 2C 2C 2E 2C 2C 2C 3C 2C 2C 2C 25 S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 4 00 L E V E L EDU 411 O rganization Of Primary And Secondary Education EDU 413 C omparative Education EDU 415 E ducationalPsychology VTE 411 Professional Seminar BE D 4 1I O ffice D ictation II BE D 4 12 W ord P rocessin g II BED 413 Hum an Relations And Personnel BE D 4 14 R ecord M anag emen t II ACC 415 M anagement Information System 2C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 2C 3C 3C 23 Accounting, Secretarial and M ana gem ent O ptions of D elta Sta te University, Abraka F I R ST S E M E S T E R 1 0 0 L E V E L BED 101Introduction to Secretarial Education in Shorthand I BED 102 Introduction to Secretarial Education in Typewriting I EDU 100 Introduction to Teaching Profession EDU 101 H istory of Education EDU 102 D evelopmental Psychology ACC 101 Introduction to Accounting I BUS 102 I ntroduction to Business Mathematics ECN 102 P rinciples of Econom ics I GS T 10 1 U se of E nglish a nd L ibrary GS T 1 02 P hilos oph y an d L ogic 2C 2C 2C 2C 2C 2C 3C 3C 2C 2C 22S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 3 00 L E V E L BE D 3 12 B usiness Edu cation S tatistics II BED 313 H uman Resources Management in Education EDU 311 Educational Psychology EDU 312 R esearch Methods and Data Processing ACC 311 Corporate Accounting II (Accounting Option) ACC 312 Taxation AC C 3 13 C ost A ccou nting II F I R ST S E M E S T E R 4 0 0 L E V E L BED BED BED BED EDU EDU EDU ACC 400 Research Project 402 Project Evaluation 403 A dmin. Of Vocational and Technical Education 404 Business Finance 401 Teaching Practice 402 G uidance and Counseling 403 C ontinuous Assessment 402 Advanced Financial Accounting 6C 2C 2C 2E 3C 2C 2C 3C 21 2C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 3C 18 61 Curr. Res. J. Soc. Sci. , 2(2): 58-64, 2010S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 4 00 L E V E L BED BED BED BED BED EDU EDU ACC 410 Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) 411 Sm all Business Development 412 Professional Seminar 413 B usiness Education and Industrial Relations 414 M anpower Training and Development 411 O rganization of Primary and Secondary Education 412 C omparative Education 412 Financial Management 6C 2C 2C 2C 3E 2C 2C 3C BED 313 H uman Resources Management in Education BE D 3 14 In termed iate W ord P rocessin g II B E D 3 15 In te rm ed ia te Sh orth an d II (1 00 W PM ) BED 316 Law and :Practice of Meetings (E) BE D 3 17 S ecretarial Pro cedu re EDU 311 E ducational Psychology EDU 312 R esearch Methods and Data Processing F IR S T SE M E S T E R 40 0 LE V E BED 400 Research Project BED 402 Project Evaluation BED 403 A dmin.Of Vocational and Technical Education BED 404 Business Finance BED 405 A dvanced Word Processing I B E D 4 06 Ad va nc ed Sh orth an d I (1 10 W PM ) EDU 401 Teaching Practice EDU 402 G uidance and Counseling EDU 403 C ontinuous Assessment S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 4 00 L E V E L B ED 410 BED 411 BED 412 BED 413 BED 414 BE D 4 15 B E D 4 16 BED 417 EDU 411 EDU 412 Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Sm all Business Development Professional Seminar B usiness Education and Industrial Relations M anpower Development A dvan ced W ord P rocess II Ad va nc ed Sh orth an d I (1 20 W PM ) V ocational Guidance in Business Education O rganization of Primary and Secondary Education C omparative Education 6C 2C 2C 2C 3E 2C 2E 2E 2C 2C 25 4C 2C 2C 2E 2C 2E 3C 2C 2C 21 2C 2C 2C 2E 2C 2C 3C 19 22Managem ent Option of Delta State University, Abraka F I R ST S E M E S T E R 3 0 0 L E V E L ED U 30 2 Bu siness Education S tatistics I BED 303 B anking Education EDU 300 Teaching Practice EDU 301 E ducational Administration and Planning EDU 302 E ducational Technology BUS 304 Production Management BUS 307 D ata Processing and Management Information B U S 30 2 Bu si ne ss La w I S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 3 00 L E V E L BED 311 Business M achines BE D 3 12 B usiness Edu cation S tatistics II BED 313 H uman Resources Management in Education EDU 311 E ducational Psychology EDU 312 R esearch Methods and Data Processing BUS 316 C onsumer Behaviour and Production BUS 317 D ata Processing and Management Information F I R ST S E M E S T E R 4 0 0 L E V E L BED BED BED BED EDU EDU EDU BUS 400 Research Project 402 Project Evaluation 403 A dmin. Of Vocational and Technical Education 404 Business Finance 401 Teaching Practice 402 G uidance and Counseling 403 C ontinuous Assessment 401 Business Policy 6C 2C 2C 2E 3C 2C 2C 3C 22 2E 2C 2C 2C 3C 3C 3C 17 2C 2C 3C 2C 2C 2C 3C 2C 18DISCUSSION The objectives, philosophy and admission requirements of both universities are the same. The course description of Compu ter education option of Delta State University was not stated in their handbook an indication that the p rogramm e is yet to take of. It was also observed that the present curriculum being operated by the Business Education of Delta State University bec ame operational in 2006/2007 academic session to date. Differences in course units were observed. For example, according to Ambrose Alli University, F aculty of Education hand book (2000), shorthand, which is 3 units in Ambrose A lli University, is 2 units in Delta State University. Title differences were observed e. g. n Amb rose Alli University BED 205 and BED 215 is Business Comm unica tion, w hile in De lta State University Business Communication is coded BUS 114. BED 400, which is research pro ject in D elta State University, is EDU 400 in Am brose Alli Un iversity. There are some courses that are offered in Ambrose Alli University that are not offered in D elta State University. A lso there are some courses that are offered in Delta State University that are not offered in Ambrose Alli University, such as BED 113 Principles of Business Education, GST 114 Communication in French, BED 203 Marketing Management Education, BED 214 Leadership b ehaviou r, BED 410 Small Business Deve lopment, BED 413 Business Education and Industrial Relations BED 414 Manpower Training and D evelo pme nt.S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 4 00 L E V E L BED 410 Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) BED 411 Sm all Business Development BED 412 Professional Seminar BED 413 B usiness Education and Industrial Relations BED 414 M anpower Development EDU 411 O rganization of Primary and Secondary Education EDU 412 C omparative Education BUS 416 Sale Management 6C 2C 2C 2C 3E 2C 2C 2C 21 Secretarial Technology Option of Delta State University, Abraka F I R ST S E M E S T E R 3 0 0 L E V E L BED 302 B usiness Edu cation Statistics I BED 303 B anking Education BED 304 Intermediate Word Processing I B E D 3 05 In te rm ed ia te Sh orth an d I (9 0 W P M ) BED 306 Office Information System EDU 300 Teaching Practice EDU 301 E ducational Administration and Planning EDU 302 E ducational Technology B U S 30 2 Bu si ne ss La w 1 S E C O N D S E M E S T E R 3 00 L E V E L BED 311 Business M achines BE D 3 12 B usiness Edu cation S tatistics II 2C 2C 2C 2C 3C 2C 2E 3C 2C 2C 2C 20 62 Curr. Res. J. Soc. Sci. 2(2): 58-64, 2010 W hile the following are courses offered in Am brose Alli University that are not offered in D elta State University; BED 111 O ffice Practice; BED 114 Foundamental of Business; ECO 111 Economics Practice; ACC 208 Business Law; V TE 301 Time M anag eme nt; VTE 201 VTE in Nigeria and other coun tries; BED 203 Planning Organizing Office; BED 303 R ecord Manag eme nt, and BED 415 M anagement Information System. CONCLUSION C It is our responsibility to plan, im plem ent, and update programmes so that students can attain a satisfactory level of achievement appropriate to either imm ediate employment or advanced education in preparation for later employment. Opportunities are ab undant for studen ts in the business w orld if their preparation is complete and if their attitudes are positive.RECOMMENDATIONS The authors hold the view that to be relevant in t he 21 st Century, business educ ators sh ould be trained based on the following courses: 100 and 200 level for both office education and accounting education: (1) Computer in business education (2) Shorthand (3) Introduction to Office Education in typewriting 1 (4) Principle of Accounting 1 (5) Introdu ction to Office education in typewriting II (6) Office Ma nagem ent (7) Introduction to B usiness (8) Principles of Accou nting II (9) Office Information System 1 (10) Basic word processing in Office (11) Business Communication (12) Financial Accounting 1 (13) Business Law 1 (14) Basic word processing in Office II (15) Business Ma chines (16) B usiness C omm unication II (18) Planning/Organisation of Office operations. (19) Office Information system II (20) Entrepreneurship. 00 and 400 level office technology: (1) Audio typing (Manual and Electric) (2) Record Management (3) Time Management (4) Company Law (5) Sma ll Scale Business (Introduction to Bu siness) (6) Indu strial Attachment (SIWES) (7) Practical Teaching ( 8) Applied W ord processing in Office (9) Office Dictation I (10) Business Ownership/Applied Economics (11) Human/Personnel Management (12) Marketing (13) Industrial and Labour Relations (14) Applied W ord processing in Office II (15) Office Dictation II (16) Record Management II (17) Seminar and Project wo rk. This is how ever subjec t to regular revision. 300 and 400 level accounting education: (1) Record Management (2) Time Managem ent (3) Company Law (4) Small Scale Business (Introduction to Business) (5) Industrial Attachment (SIWES) (6) Practical Teaching (7) 63 C Business Ow nership/Applied E conom ics (8) Human/Personnel Management (9) Marketing (10) Industrial and Labour Relations (11) Record Management II (12) Seminar (13) Project work. Accounting courses from Accounting Department should be added to the above. This is however subject to regular revision.Other recommendations are; C National University Commission should regularize the curr iculum of business education in all Nigerian Universities. Curriculum planners should be careful while planning in order not to remove some essential recipes from the existing content. Such as the issue of shorthand to be or not to be. All business education students should be allowed to offer all courses in 100-200 levels and specialized in 300 levels. National University Commission should take it upon her self to redeploy those lecturers who are not business educators specialist to their specialized departments. Regular review of the curriculum of our educational system is urgently required.This view is supported by that of Snyder (2008) which stated tha t flexible curriculum is important because there is no single curricular path to career success. While Kaplan (2008) says g iving studen ts more flexibility, is not a radical departure from their curriculum . Government shou ld provide fun ds and equ ipment to assist holistic regular curriculum designers for the smooth running of business education programmes as this will encourage parents, teachers and students. This is in line with Omo-Ojugo and Ohiwerei (2008) that stated that local, state and federal gove rnments shou ld assist by providing funds and equipment for teaching and learning of business education.More courses shou ld be incorporated in the business curriculum to provide more job opportunities for graduates as recently carried out by the U niversity of Chicago Gradu ate school of Business as confirmed by Sny der (2008). REFERENCES Amb rose Alli U niversity, 2000. Fac ulty of Education Handbook for Undergraduate Students 2000-2004. Ekpoma, AAU. Delta State University, 200 6. Bu siness Education Unit Academ ic Programme for B. Sc. Degree In Business Education. Abraka, Delsu. Federal Government of Nigeria, 2004. National Policy on Education. Yaba Lago s: NERD C Press. Hornby, A. S. , 2006. Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary of Cu rrent Eng lish. th Edn. , London, Oxford press. C C C C Curr. Res. J . Soc. Sci. , 2(2): 58-64, 2010 Kaplan, S. , 2008. Curriculum Changes Announced by University of Ch icago Graduate School of Business. Business Wire. Posted on W ednesd ay, 8th October. 09:00 CDT. Okoye, N. S. , 1991. Curriculum Theory and Development. Enugu, Ne w A ge Publishers. Omo-Ojugo, M . O. and F. O. Ohiwerei, 2008. School factors affecting teaching and learning of business education studies in Nig eria. Pak. J. Soc. Sci. , 5(7): 663-670. ISSN : 1683 -8831. Pitman, I. , 1974. Dictionary of English and Shorthand. Lon don, Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons Ltd. Robert, G. and W. W . Booth, 2008.Curriculum Changes Announced by University of C hicag o Graduate School of by Business. Business W ire. Posted on Wednesday, 8th October. 09:00 CDT. Snyder, E. , 2008. Curriculum Changes Announced by University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Business W ire. Posted on W ednesd ay, 8th October. 09:00 CDT. Uhumu avbi, P. O. and E. S. Ebhomhen, 2006. Curriculum innovation in Nigeria, succe sses and failures: implication for teacher ed ucation. J. Curric. Stud. Instr. , 2: 69-77, ISSN: 1117-4080. Uwaifo, V. O. , 2006. Vocationalization A panacea for a s us ta in a ble t e c h n ol o g i ca l a nd m an p ow e r development in Nigeria. J. Curric. Stud. Instr. , 2: 3039, ISSN: 1117-4080. 64

The Soul as Inseparable Entity from the Body

Aristotle basically believes that a soul is the basic or core essence of a living organism. The notion of a body or form without a soul is simply unintelligible. Soul is what makes a living thing alive. Plants and animals that include man have souls. But Aristotle believes that every kind of living thing possessed a different kind of soul. Soul is simply defined by Aristotle â€Å"as the expression or realization of a natural body† by which he basically elaborate â€Å"soul according to its functions† (â€Å"On the Soul†). He holds the idea that there is a strong connection between the psychological states of living organisms (their sense of logic, reason and physical manifestations as product of their thought processes) and physiological processes. Body and soul are unified. â€Å"The movements or the development of the soul is manifested through the body† thus the soul is the substance that characterized the living body (Sachs 2001). The soul is inseparable from the body since it provides essential characters to it. However, Aristotle believes that every kind of living thing possesses a different version of soul. The nature of soul according to Aristotle depends on the type of organism and its position in the hierarchy. What makes a human being authentic to other living organisms is his ability to hold rational beliefs and to exercise reason. He classified life into different levels because of the soul they possessed. Plants have the lowest level of soul, animals other than humans have a higher level of souls and humans possessed the highest level of soul having the capacity for reason. Both plants and animals obtain what they need for reproduction and growth but only animals specifically man have a sense of touch or sensory, perception and cognitive abilities. The biological nature of human beings with their unique capacities to think and feel is definitely a reward. Aristotle says: â€Å"We must maintain, further, that the soul is also the cause of the living body as the original source of local movement. The power of locomotion is not found, however, in all living things. But change of quality and change of quantity are also due to the soul. Sensation is held to be a qualitative alteration, and nothing except what has soul in it is capable of sensation. The same holds of the quantitative changes which constitute growth and decay; nothing grows or decays naturally except what feeds itself, and nothing feeds itself except what has a share of soul in it† (Sachs 2001). Aristotle opposed the popular belief in Philosophy that a soul is a separate entity that can exist even without a body. However, Aristotle believes that the soul moves the body. Sensation, locomotion, biological and eventually physical development are caused by the soul. All the faculties of the soul are inseparable from the living body except our sense of reason, since reason will not die and fade. It has the capacity to live and facilitates even after death but not perception. When the living body dies, their biological and physical development and sensory faculties will eventually stop and obstruct. Aristotle in his views on soul basically believes that soul is not a separate entity but rather it is the actuality of the living body. Soul can not be immortal. When the living body dies the exercise or faculty of soul also stops with the exception of reason of course, since reason can stand on his own even after the death. Reference: On the Soul. (2009). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved February 28, 2009, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/428826/On-the-Soul Aristotle. Aristotle's On the Soul: And, On Memory and Recollection. Sachs (2001). Green Lion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press

ESL PAPER based on ''outcast united'' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ESL PAPER based on ''outcast united'' - Essay Example In fact, the coaching style of Coach Luma was what the kids needed to push themselves hard and to be better than what they actually are because it is only their selves that they got in a foreign country. This kids cannot afford to be lax because they do not have any support system to fall back on so they need to be pushed hard. In addition, the fiery style of Coach Luma may be acceptable to these kids who may have been desensitized already having seen violence and murder from their respective countries of origin. They may not take offense with the strong language and style of Luma because they are used to it already. Had Coach Luma Mufleh been a â€Å"nice† coach, these kids may perceive it as soft and thus weak that they would not respect the coaching style. This coaching style of Coach Luma is not applicable to affluent suburban town due to many reasons. First, their circumstances are different. Kids in affluent suburban town have very strong support system and they do not need to be berated to push themselves hard. These kids may be spoiled and Luma’s coaching style may not sit well with that instead of being motivated to train harder, they may fight back at the coach. In addition, there may be parents watching during training. If Coach Luma will do to the affluent suburban kids what was done to the refugee kids, the coach may be in a big trouble with the lawsuits that will be filed by the parents. Kids from affluent suburban cities are also sensitive and are not used to being berated. They are used to American treatment that kids are being treated nicely and protected by anti-child abuse law. If Coach Luma yells at them, the coach may be sued. Child abuse is a serious case in America. This is not to say that Coach Luma’s coaching style is bad. It is just that it can only be applicable and effective to a certain set of

Community Field Visit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Community Field Visit - Essay Example One distinct assessment relates with the area’s population—majority of citizens were decidedly African-Americans and Hispanic in origin. The implication that there is a relation of poor economic conditions and domination of darker-skinned residents can somehow hold a ground basis. Further explorations throughout the day revealed several outcomes. Similar with other cities, students and workers alike go on with their routine activities—going to their respected destination and coming home by the end of the day. As night time falls, however, depicts a different scenario. Groups of mixed young adult races, mainly African-American and Hispanics, prowled the streets of Orange City, each pursuing various habits—smoking and drinking, etc. In an article on Orange City (2004), statistics demonstrated that only a small percentage attained a college degree, while majority graduated in high school. Moreover, the crime index in the area by 2006 reached almost 13,000. The low academic attainment of residents may seem to contribute to its poor economic state, while high criminal rates had possibly scared off potential business investors—resulting in shortage of job opportunities and lack of income source. In a book by Kirst-Ashman and Hull (2009), one of the organizational models emphasized was the need to identify targets for change in community settings. Targeting for change, as emphasized by Sheafor and Horejsi (2006), â€Å"provides direction for the leader and followers† (as cited in Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2009, p. 83). In this case, a specific group (African-American young adults), are likely to be the identified targets in need of change. Clearly, the presence of economic deprivation, where there is â€Å"inadequate or unjust access to financial resources†¦such as job discrimination, unemployment, insufficient work benefits† can be applied basing from the situation presented (Kirst-Ashman & Hull,

Civil and Criminal law in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Civil and Criminal law in the UK - Essay Example It is impractical to make selection of differences between criminal and civil law unless guided by a selected application of the two laws like safety in work place (Harr 2008). Nevertheless, it is impossible to analyze application of these two laws in relation to work place safety without first understanding the two concepts. A critical analysis of the major differences and similarities of the two laws will be articulated accordingly. The main feature of civil law is that it is contained in civil codes, which are illustrated as systematic and authoritative (Maguire 2007). Civil law mainly contains general rules and principals, mostly lacking details. One of the basic features of the civil law is that the court’s major duty is to apply and interpret law enclosed in a code based on case facts (Sanders 2010). This is in light with the assumption that the code regulates all cases that could arise, and when certain cases are not synchronized by the code, the court ought to apply some of the general principles used to fill the gap (Foster 2005). It is concerned with the rights and duties of individuals and institutions towards each other (Omerod 2008). The main feature of the offences focuses on negligence on health and safety of individuals (Maguire 2007). Main civil cases comprise of an action brought by a person against another in order to seek compensation for the offences committed against them (Hodge 2009) . Basically, criminal law is concerned with offences against society in general (Farrar and Mitchell 2008). In this law, crimes are defined as actions committed by individuals or institutions which violate the basic rules and principals of the society. In some situations, it becomes difficult to distinguish between criminal and civil law. However, an important feature that distinguishes the two is that in criminal law the means of demonstrating that actually an offense has or was indeed committed gas to be beyond

Cultural Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Cultural Anthropology - Essay Example The poor in this scenario adapt based on the environment. The manner in which a person survives the social and economical complexities will determine their success. The nature of survival is attributed to adaptive strategy in that those who positively adapt would survive the complex environment. The society bases itself along the social hierarchy. According to Stack (1974), the society within which poverty prevails adapts a risk and opportunity sharing strategy. This strategy implies that members within a certain community collectively solve issues in an effort to reduce the costs incurred while performing particular functions. In this case, family members are used as a single unite. The self-help strategy at the family level ensures the community survives while fostering relation among family members (28). The strategy highlights the importance of unity along the family setting. According to the author, the unity and risk sharing are an adaptive strategy adapted by people lining in the Flats to overcome poverty and survive the harsh environments. The risk-sharing concept created by friends. These friends exchange basic goods and ensure fair distribution of basic commodities (33). The author acknowledges the close ties among the society members. This relation ensures that people develop a tendency of exchanging goods. The sharing culture ensures that the society enjoys commodities that are within the environment and hence limit the effect of poverty within this setting. The model ensures people within the Flat setting deal with social and economical challenges through sharing. The sharing aspect limits the amount of cash required to possess material elements. The culture ensures those who have surplus of given commodities share with others in the spirit of togetherness and social balance. The author highlights the tactics deployed members of the social setting as based on extended family

Explanation of business decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explanation of business decision - Essay Example Several individuals’ re-adore believers of the ethical standard of utilitarianism: â€Å"Each individual is obligated to perform whatever will attain the biggest good for the biggest figure† (Ferrell, 2010:161). Another group is even as dedicated to the main principle of Immanuel Kant: â€Å"Each individual is obligated to perform merely in manners that adore the human self-respect and ethical rights of all people† Ethical standards such as these concentrate majorly on persons’ deeds and actions. People use them through asking what these standards need of them in specific situations; for example, when evaluating if to lie or commit suicide. People in addition use them when they ask what they need of them as experts, for example, doctors, lawyers, or business individuals or what they need of their social rules and organizations (Havard, 2007:57). In the past ten years, dozens of morals institutions and schedules dedicated to â€Å"business ethics†, à ¢â‚¬Å"legal morals†, â€Å"medical morals†, and â€Å"morals in civic rule† have emerged. These institutions remain established to study the effects ethical standards have to people’s lives. ... These moralists note that through concentrating on what individuals must do or the way individuals must behave, the â€Å"ethical principles approach† ignores the much significant matter-what individuals must be. Consequently, ethics does not constitute â€Å"what must people do?† however, â€Å"what type of individual must one be?† (Fernando, 2010:10) Depending on â€Å"virtue ethics†, there are some realities like excellence or devotion to the common good, to which people must struggle and which permit the complete growth of people’s humanity. These realities remain noticed by imaginative reflection on what people as human beings have the capacity to change to. â€Å"Virtues† remain feelings, dispositions, or character attributes that facilitate people to be and to perform in manners that grow this capability. They make people follow the realities they have accepted. Brevity, sympathy, honesty, loyalty, fairness, kindness, integrity, carefu lness, and self-control are all examples of good values. How does an individual grow virtues? Virtues remain established by education and by practice. Like the early philosopher Aristotle proposed, an individual would develop his or her behavior by observing self-discipline, whereas a precise character can remain distorted through recurrent self-lenience. Just like the capability to run a marathon grows by much practice and coaching, so the same people’s ability to be justice, to remain brave, or to remain sympathetic (Harris, 2011:74). Virtues are customs. That is, the moment they remain adopted they turn to feature of an individual. For example, an individual who has grown the virtue of kindness is always termed as a kind individual since these people appear to be kind in all situations when

Innovation, Ethics and Sustainability in Engineering Research Paper

Innovation, Ethics and Sustainability in Engineering - Research Paper Example Since engineers are able to do several works, it means that they are able to use numerous materials in a bid to meet their objectives. However, it is of paramount significance to note that the materials that the engineers use are important because without them, they would not be able to accomplish their missions. This means that it is vital to exercise innovation, ethics and sustainability in engineering because without this, development will come to standstill. Introduction Engineering is very diverse because the people who work in the field have the responsibility of doing several essential things. Engineers have the opportunity to do several things, which are: production of food, ensuring quality supply of water, provision of houses, waste management and sanitation, development of energy, building of roads. In addition, they have the right to ensure that there is adequate industrial processing, development of natural resources and ensuring that waste sites are cleaned up. Moreover , they ensure that natural disasters are prevented by discovering and preventing them, reducing natural disasters by restoring rivers, forests, wetlands among others, provision of better industrial processes that will reduce consumption of energy as well as waste production and providing appropriate technology that will increase production of the things that area needed in the society (Pollan, 2007). This shows that engineers are very important in the society because they ensure that life runs smoothly for all the people (Small, 2007). Innovation ensures that engineers are able to come up with ways that will best utilize the available materials. It is of paramount importance to note that materials, when misused, will be depleted and, as a result, the engineers will have nothing to use in their activities. This is the reason why innovation is important for it ensures that new methods of production are implemented which will ensure that sustainability is achieved (Small, 2007). On the other hand, ethics is very important because it guarantees that all laid down rules are followed to the latter. It would be useless to set rules that are not followed by the people whom the rules are meant for. However, sustainability requires engineers to be fully aware of the rules that ought to be followed in their profession. Sustainability cannot be achieved if the professionals do not follow the ethical standards set. However, all that needs to be done, in order to ensure that sustainability is achieved, is just to follow the set ethical standards (Pollan, 2007). Literature review Sustainability involves adhering to three factors which are: social equity, ecological health and economic welfare. Between 1992 and 2002, many accomplishments were achieved in the engineering sector. The World Engineering Partnership for Sustainable Development (WEPSD) was formed with the sole purpose of ensuring that all engineers across the world follow ethical standards that ensure that material s are used sustainably. It is extremely important to note that all engineers across the globe understand that it is unethical to misuse the materials that are provided because there is always a tomorrow (Pollan, 2007). Sustainability does not focus on the needs of the current generations but puts more emphasis on the generations to come. This means that the people have to be responsible for anything that they do because otherwise, they

Chaleffs (1995) perception of leaders and followers Essay

Chaleffs (1995) perception of leaders and followers - Essay Example Leadership styles are an important component of a medical organization, but it is important to note that followers are responsible and determine their behaviour, which has an effect on service delivery. The relationship between a leader and a follower should be interrogated to ensure it is follower-centred for effectiveness and efficiency at a medical centre. Follower’s behaviours bear significant impacts owing to a leader’s style that is mediated by the self-determination of a follower. The confident demeanour of a leader can be cited as a factor contributing to their competence, but it can also be misconstrued to indicate a leader who stifles the participation of followers. It can be deduced that exhibition of nonverbal confident demeanour on the side of leaders contributes to decreased participation of followers in discussions (Chaleff, 2009). Staff nurses form an important component in any medical organization owing to the immense responsibilities they shoulder as they dedicate their services towards patient care. Nurses provide the direct contact between a medical organization and patients. This contact point is therefore, of immense importance in the promotion of values and policies upheld by hospital organizations. This in mind, the nursing fraternity within the organization is bound by some established structure, which is responsible for the oversight of responsibilities assigned to individual nurses. This hierarchal structure has clearly identified nurse leaders who work in tandem with other departments and report to the management of the organization (Chaleff, 2009). The clinical example to be cited is the routine activities of staff nurses who take care of the sick daily and are tasked with the responsibility of responding to emergencies. These staff nurses bear immense power collectively and as individuals and they determine the success or failure of a medical organization. The management of hospitals including nurse

Awareness of Identity Theft among Mature Students Essay - 1

Awareness of Identity Theft among Mature Students - Essay Example Identity theft has been a serious issue. It has become one of the fastest-growing crimes in the US and in the UK. A 2007 report shows that in the UK, GBP 1.7 billion is lost annually and about 10,000 fell victims in 2006 (Staff Writer, 2007). In the US, though the figure has decreased, still about 8.4 adult Americans are victims of identity fraud (Javelin, 2007). Serious and rampant as it is, awareness of this type of crime was not immediately high. Identity awareness drives had to be conducted to inform more people of the danger of falling victim to the frauds. It is important that we become aware of their existence before they steal who we are. It is important, most especially for students, to know when and when not to give away certain personal information. But before giving precautions as to how to avoid identity thieves, it is necessary to have a figure as to what fraction of the population is actually aware that frauds like these exist. A look at the history of fraud cases migh t help measure the level of awareness that has come to arise throughout the years. The number of identity fraud cases in the UK has continued to rise since eight years ago. From a mere 9,000 cases in 1999, the number increased to 24,000 in the 2001, 46,000 in 2003, and almost doubled to 80,000 in 2006. As recorded, dealing with this crime has cost the UK government GBP1.5 billion in 2005 (CIFAS). In other parts of the world, particularly the US, fraudulent activities are more rampant and damaging. For instance, US lenders were reported to have lost about USD 1 billion. In Canada, a loss of about CAND 21.8 million was recorded in 2003 because of the 14,526 cases (Report on identity theft). Looking back at a 2005 investigation by the Which! Magazine, results showed that about one-fourth of UK adults had been victims of identity fraud. This has cost the UK government about GBP1.3 billion annually. The same investigation found out that awareness of the crime has increased, with two-thirds of the individuals now concerned with the crime. "Which found that 33 per cent of adults don't take any precautions to beat the ID thieves, while 18 per cent shred their documents but still use a single password for all online banking; a similar number don't shred documents but make use of several different passwords, while 31 per cent take both precautions" (Best, 2005). After looking at statistics of how the number of identity fraud cases has continued to rise, it is then important to take a look at how people usually fall victim to frauds, and how personal information are given away. There are several ways by which a fraudster can acquire information needed to steal your identity. For one, phishing occurs over the internet. This is an easy way for thieves to get away with important account numbers and such. This may be obtained through online dating services and even job applications online. Phishing scams happen when thieves pose as employees of legitimate companies verifying information over the phone or online. And as a study shows, 92 per cent of people in London will give information to a stranger (Thomson, 2005). Another way is by engaging in casual conversations. It may

Our War On Drugs Essay Example for Free

Our War On Drugs Essay A drug can be described as a chemical substance that influences how an individual’s body and mind works (Rees 2005 p. 5). It is uncommon today to hear the word drugs on televisions and read them in magazines. Drugs are virtually everywhere and there is continual development of these drugs. They are used by people for various reasons ranging from medicinal to recreational purposes. Drugs that are taken as medicines include antibiotics and penicillin among others. However some drugs are illegal. They include: cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, cannabis, heroin, crack, methamphetamines, LSD (acid), alcohol and magic mushrooms. These illegal drugs are also known as recreational drugs and many are gotten from plants growth in various parts of the world. Amphetamines are drugs that can be inhaled, or eaten in form of tables. Heroin is smoked or taken as an injection. Marijuana on the other hand consists of a brown resin. It is mostly smoked in cigarettes and it can also be eaten (Rees 2005 p. 30). Abuse of drug use is known as drug addiction. When a person constantly takes these illegal drugs for recreational purposes this addiction develops as a process and not instantly. Addiction to drugs affects individuals of multicultural, geographically diverse, across gender and racial classes. The initial steps are very moderate but their increased use results to a state of life threatening situation. Withdrawals are hardly achieved as the issue becomes of medical concern. Those who abuse drugs have their various reasons. They argue that drugs help them alleviate stress, boosts their morale and confidence, makes them feel good about themselves among many other things. Drug abuse has various adverse effects. Some of the effects include rises in blood pressure, vomiting, impairs memory and judgment capability of an individual. Other effects are poor decision making, accidents, impaired health and poor relationships. The consequences of these are physical, psychological and emotional instability on the drug abuser. The individual hence suffers from depression (Rick 2005 p30) A large number of people who abuse drugs decide to quit at some point but this is often difficult since once a person is addicted to drugs, it is almost impossible to avoid taking them as they mostly experience withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms are for instance body aches, sweating, and flu in the case of heroin. Nicotine on the other hand results to fatigue and premature aging affecting the skin, body shape and body weight. On the other hand, fast withdrawals could result to dangerous impacts. For instance tranquilizers could be dangerous resulting in high blood pressure, vomiting, temperature and stomach cramps (Rees 2005 p. 42) Our War on Drugs The war on drugs is a move undertaken by the United States including help from other participating countries whose priority is to eliminate trade in illegal drugs. It traces its origin way back in 1880 where there was a memorandum of understanding between United States and China to prohibit trade in opium between the two countries (http://www. nh-dwi. com/caip-213. htm). Today in America, mostly the youth experiment with these illegal drugs and they do it for various reasons. Some do it for recreational purposes whereas others are simply addicts as they cannot do without them. The United States government and the general public have become concerned about drug abuse and addiction. The government became more concerned about the issue in the 1960s when the youth mostly college students protested against the Vietnam war and in the 1960s and 1970s they began using licit and illicit drugs on a large scale for the first time (Fleckenstein Hanson Venturelli 2005 p. 125). As a starting point the United States government introduced new strategies for tackling this issue of drug use and abuse. These strategies include demand reduction, inoculation, supply reduction, interdiction and drug courts. The use of drug courts has become a common strategy. The supply reduction is a strategy aimed at reducing and controlling supply of illegal drugs. Demand reduction aims at reducing the individuals’ tendencies to abuse drugs especially the youth. It places emphasis on reforming behaviors. Inoculation on the other hand attempts to protect drug users by informing them on their responsibilities. Drug courts on the other hand integrate incentives, sanctions, treatment and ensure that nonviolent drug addicts are placed in rehabilitation programs. Lastly interdiction is a policy aimed at stopping the supply of these illicit drugs (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 25). In the United States of America, there are quite a number of law enforcements Acts on drugs that have been established to control drug abuse. They include: Harrison Acts that looks into the production, sale, importation and distribution of opium. The other Act is the Narcotic Drug Import and Export Act aimed at alleviating use of narcotics but it is exceptional for medicinal and other legitimate use. Heroin Act of 1924 prohibited the manufacturing of drugs. The Marijuana Tax Act also controlled the production, sale and distribution of marijuana. The Opium Pappy Control Act restricted the cultivation of opium poppies in the United States except if one is licensed to do so. Narcotics control act on the other hand intended to establish suffer penalties to individuals who broke the marijuana or narcotics laws. Drug Abuse Control Amendments (DACA) was established to adopt stuff controls over barbiturates, amphetamines, LSD among others moreover; the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act (NARA) was established to rehabilitate drug addicts in the three programs that is voluntary, sentencing to death addicts who are convicted and the pretrial civil commitment. In 1988, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act introduced the office of National Drug Control to oversee policies on research controlling drug abuse. Lastly the 2000 Drug Addiction Treatment Act gave a go ahead to physicians to prescribe narcotics for the treatment of oploid addiction (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 135). The white House National Drug Control Strategy in 2006 declared it stand and wish to balance the reduction in supply and demand of illegal drugs in the United States of America. It also outlined programs intended to curb abuse of drugs. In the same year, the National Drug Control Strategy pointed out its aim of supporting random student testing, intervention, screening, prevention, treatment and support for drug courts examining methamphetamines and making the United States southwest border secure (uninfo. state. gov/xarchives/display. gtm/? p. ). Another regulatory law enforcement body concerning drug abuse in the United States is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Its mission is to control drugs and provide laws and regulations regarding drug abuse. The National Drug control Strategy established a ten year plan to reduce drug abuse. It also aims at reducing America’s demand for drugs by offering treatment and supply through law enactments (http://www. usembassy-mexico. gov/bbfbfdossier-combDrogas. htm). The above drug laws indiscriminate use of drugs and it is through the legislation that licit and illicit drugs are determined. The government of the United States tries to meet public needs and control pressure through these rules and regulations. Due to the advancement in technology in today’s society, trained experts and government agencies provide information and protection on drug abuse. Are we winning the war on drugs? In my opinion, I do not believe that we are winning the war on drugs. I have based my judgment according to various reasons. Since the prohibition of drug abuse in 1937 in the United States of America; marijuana once considered for Mexican immigrants has been actively used by 20-37% of the youth in the United States. The same applies to the use of cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamines (World Drug Report, 2000). The continual trade in drugs is also another factor that has severely affected efforts by the government to prevent drug abuse and addiction. The United States of America is largely affected more so because of its population and largest budget that focuses on enforcement. President George W. Bush in February 2002 established a National Drug Control Strategy based on the Principles of stopping the usage of drugs, disrupting the market and curing America’s drug addicts (Policy and Program Development, 2002). Evidence also shows that the criminal law in the United States has had only small success in preventing drug abuse. It is approximated that in 2004, 39% of students in the 12th grade used an illicit-drug, 34% was marijuana, cocaine 5% and LSD 2%. Also, those aged 12 and above who use illegal drugs as estimated by National Survey is 19. 5 million in the United States (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 140). In the United States, family structures have changed considerably having half of all women working outside home and the divorce rate is quite high. This has affected the nurturing of children by all these single parents. Family and friends have also contributed to the increasing drug abuses since they are ready to bail out and offer excuses for those who have been convicted (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 40). To conclude, it is therefore evident that the war on drugs is still far from being over. It is therefore essential that the society works hard to stop abuse of drugs which is causing deaths on a massive scale. It is essential for individuals to know that the effects of drugs on the social life, economic life, emotional and spiritual life are adverse. The extreme case of addiction to these drugs is the exposure of the individual person to death.

The Physical Soil Properties Environmental Sciences Essay

The Physical Soil Properties Environmental Sciences Essay Soils are composed of five main components mineral particles derived from rocks by weathering; organic materials humus from dead and decaying plant material; soil water in which nutrient elements are dissolved; soil air both carbon dioxide and oxygen; and living organisms including bacteria that help plant decomposition. Soils differ in their fertility levels, because they have different proportions of these components and because the mineral particles have been affected to different degrees by weathering. Age of soil minerals, prevailing temperatures, rainfall, leaching and soil physico-chemistry are the main factors which determine how much a particular soil will weather (Sinha and Shrivastava, 2000). Soil thus, is important to everyone either directly or indirectly. It is the natural bodies on which agricultural products grow and it has fragile ecosystem (Sinha and Shrivastava, 2000). South Africa ranks among the countries with the highest rate of income inequality in the world (Aliber, 2009). Compared to other middle income countries, it has extremely high levels of absolute poverty and food insecurity threat (FAO, 2009). As part of this, a potential contributor to food security might be small-scale agricultural production. Aliber (2009) indicated that input support targeting smallholder farmers could boost production and food security. Utilisation of uncultivated arable lands and subsistence agriculture might be one option to contribute to incomes and/or savings, as well as to encourage food diversification (Altman et al., 2009). Land with high agricultural suitability is considered to have greater long-term security with regards to both agricultural production and development. From a planning perspective, high agricultural flexibility is therefore considered an appropriate measure of high quality agricultural land that is highly productive and fertile. Only a small proportion of worlds soils have a very good level of fertility, most of which have only good to medium fertility and some have very low fertility, and are often referred to as marginal soils (Ashman and Puri, 2002). Well-known fertile soils are deep alluvial soils formed from river mud, organic matter- rich soils on loess material, nutrient rich Vertisols and volcanic soils (Brady and Weil, 2004). Under poor management, soil fertility can be seriously depleted and soils may become useless for agriculture. 2.2. SOIL PHYSICO-CHEMISTRY Soil is a natural medium on which agricultural products grow and it is dependent on several factors such as fertility to be considered productive (Shah et al., 2011). The fertility of the soil is depended on concentration of soil nutrients, organic and inorganic materials and water. These soil physico-chemical properties are classified as being physical, chemical and biological, which greatly influence soil fertility (Ramaru et al., 2000). To manage soil fertility, knowledge and understanding of these properties is required (as discussed below). 2.2.1. Physical soil properties (i) Soil texture Soil texture refers to the relative proportions of the various size groups of individual particles or grains in a soil (Rowell, 1994). It is dependent on the mixture of the different particle sizes present in the soil. Based on these different sizes, soil particles are classified as sand (0.05- 2mm), silt (0.002-0,5mm) and clay ( Clay particles hold larger quantities of water and nutrients, because of their large surface areas (Brady and Weil, 1999). This property causes the swelling and shrinking of clay soils, but only those with smectitic group of clay minerals. The large surface area of clay particles gives nutrients numerous binding sites especially when the surface charge density is high, which is part of the reason that fine textured soils have such high abilities to retain nutrients (Velde, 1995). The pores between clay particles are very small and complex, so movement of both air and water is very slow (Brady and Weil, 1999). Clay particles are negatively charged because of their mineralogical composition. Soils with such particles usually have high CEC and can retain water and plant nutrients; thus such soils are considered to be fertile and good for plant growth (Brady and Weil, 1999). The knowledge of the proportions of different-sized particles in soils is critical to understand soil behavior and their management. Since sand particles are relatively large, so are the voids between them, which promote free drainage of water and entry of air into the soil (Brady and Weil, 2002). The implication of free drainage in sandy soil is that soil nutrients are easily washed down into the soil and become inaccessible for use by plants (Brady and Weil, 2002). Sandy soils are considered non-cohesive and because of their large size, have low specific surface areas and thus have low nutrient retention capacity (Rowell, 1994). Sand particles can hold little water due to low specific surface area and are prone to drought, therefore have a very low CEC and fertility status (Petersen et al., 1996). The pores between silt particles are much smaller than those in sand, so silt retains more water and nutrients (Rowell, 1994). Soils dominated by silt particles therefore have a higher fertility status than sandy soils and provides favorable conditions for plant growth when other growth factors are favorable (Miller and Donahue, 1992). (ii) Soil structure The term soil structure refers to the arrangement of soil particles into aggregates (Six et al., 2000). Soil structure is affected by biological activities, organic matter, and cultivation practices (Rowell, 1994). It influences soil water movement and retention, erosion, nutrient recycling, sealing and crusting of the soil surface, together with aeration and soils structural stability, root penetration and crop yield (Lupwayi et al., 2001). Soil structure can be platy, prismatic, granular, crumbly, columnar and blocky (RCEP, 1996). An ideal soil structure for plant growth is often described as granular or crumb-like, because it provides good movement for air and water through a variety of different pore sizes and it also affects root penetration (RCEP, 1996). An ideal soil structure is also stable and resistant to erosion (Duiker et al., 2003). Organic matter and humification processes improve structural stability, and can rebuild degraded soil structures (Brady and Weil, 1999). Therefore it is vital to return or add organic material to the soil and to maintain its biological activity in order to enhance soil structure for plant growth. Favorable soil structure and high aggregate stability are therefore vital to improving soil fertility, increasing agronomic productivity, enhancing porosity and decreasing erodibility. (iii) Water retention capacity Water holding capacity refers to the quantity of water that the soil is capable of storing for use by plants (Brady and Weil, 1999). Soil water is held in, and flows through pore spaces in soils. Soil water can be described into the following stages: gravitational, capillary, and hygroscopic, based upon the energy with which water is held by the soil solids, which in turn governs their behavior and availability to plants (Rowell, 1994). Water holding capacity is an important factor in the choice of plants or crops to be grown and in the design and management of irrigation systems (Brady and Weil, 1999). The total amount of water available to plants growing in field soils is a function of the rooting depth of the plant and sum of the water held between field capacity and wilting percentage in each of the horizons explored by the roots (Brady and Weil, 1999). Field capacity is the amount of soil moisture or water content held in soil after excess water has drained away and the rate of downward movement has materially decreased, which usually takes place within 2-3 days after a rain or irrigation in pervious soils of uniform structure and texture (Govers, 2002). The ability of the soil to provide water for plants is an important fertility characteristic (RCEP, 1996). The capacity for water storage varies, depending on soil properties such as organic matter, soil texture, bulk density, and soil structure (RCEP, 1996). This is explained by the degree of soil compaction, where problems will arise if excessive compaction occurs which would results in increased bulk density, a decrease in porosity and aeration and poor water drainage (Gregory et al., 2006), all resulting in poor plant growth. (iv) Electrical Conductivity (EC) Soil electrical conductivity (EC), is the ability of soil to conduct electrical current (Doerge, 1999). EC is expressed in milliSiemens per meter (mS/m) or cm (cm/m). Traditionally, soil scientists used EC to estimate soil salinity (Doerge, 1999). EC measurements also have the potential for estimating variation in some of the soil physical properties such as soil moisture and porosity, in a field where soil salinity is not a problem (Farahani and Buchleiter, 2004). Soil salinity refers to the presence of major dissolved inorganic solutes in the soil aqueous phase, which consist of soluble and readily dissolvable salts including charged species (e.g., Na+, K+, Mg+2, Ca+2, Clà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, HCO3à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, NO3à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, SO4à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2 and CO3à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2), non-ionic solutes, and ions that combine to form ion pairs (Smith and Doran, 1996). Salt tolerances are usually given in terms of the stage of plant growth over a range of electrical conductivity (EC) levels. EC greater than 4dS/m are considered saline (Munshower, 1994). Salt sensitive plants may be affected by conductivities below 4dS/m and salt tolerant species may not be impacted by concentrations of up to twice this maximum agricultural tolerance limit (Munshower, 1994). Electrical conductivity is the ability of a solution to transmit an electrical current. The conduction of electricity in soil takes place through the moisture-filled pores that occur between individual soil particles. Therefore, the EC of soil is determined by the following soil properties (Doerge, 1999): . Porosity, where the greater soil porosity, the more easily electricity is conducted. Soil with high clay content has higher porosity than sandier soil. Compaction normally increases soil EC. . Water content, dry soil is much lower in conductivity than moist soil. . Salinity level, increasing concentration of electrolytes (salts) in soil water will dramatically increase soil EC. . Cation exchange capacity (CEC), mineral soil containing high levels of organic matter (humus) and/or 2:1 clay minerals such as montmorillonite, illite, or vermiculite have a much higher ability to retain positively charged ions (such as Ca, Mg, K, Na, NH4, or H) than soil lacking these constituents. The presence of these ions in the moisture-filled soil pores will enhance soil EC in the same way that salinity does. . Temperature, as temperature decreases toward the freezing point of water, soil EC decreases slightly. Below freezing, soil pores become increasingly insulated from each other and overall soil EC declines rapidly. Plants are detrimentally affected, both physically and chemically, by excess salts in some soils and by high levels of exchangeable Na in others. Soils with an accumulation of exchangeable Na are often characterized by poor tilth and low permeability and therefore low soil fertility status, making them unfavorable for plant growth (Munshower, 1994). (v) Bulk Density (BD) Soil bulk density is defined as the mass of dry soil (g) per unit volume (cm3) and is routinely used as a measure of soil compaction (Gregory et al., 2006). The total volume includes particle volume, inter-particle void volume and internal pore volume (Gregory et al., 2006). Bulk density takes into account solid space as well as pore space (Greenland, 1998). Thus soils that are porous or well-aggregated (e.g. clay soil) will have lower bulk densities than soils that are not aggregated (sand) (Greenland, 1998). Plant roots cannot penetrate compacted soil as freely as they would in non-compacted soil, which limits their access to water and nutrients present in sub-soil and inhibits their growth (Hagan et al., 2010). Compacted soil requires more frequent applications of irrigation and fertilizer to sustain plant growth, which can increase runoff and nutrient levels in runoff (Gregory et al., 2006). The bulk density of soil depends greatly on the soils mineral make up and the degree of compaction. High bulk density usually indicate a poorer environment for root growth, reduced aeration and undesirable changes in hydrologic function, such as reduced infiltration (Brady and Weil, 1999). The presence of soil organic matter, which is considerably lighter than mineral soil, can help decrease bulk density and thereby enhancing soil fertility (Hagan et al., 2010). 2.2.2. Soil Chemical properties Soil chemical properties which include the concentrations of nutrients, cations, anions, ion exchange reactions and redox properties, but for the purpose of this study focus will be based on properties that have an implication on soil fertility including: (i) Soil pH Soil pH is an important soil property that affects several soil reactions and processes and is defined as a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil (Bohn, 2001). It has considerable effect on soil processes including ion exchange reactions and nutrient availability (Rowell, 1994). Soil pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, where a pH of 7.0 is considered neutral, readings higher than 7.0 are alkaline, and readings lower than 7.0 are considered acidic (McGuiness, 1993). Most plants are tolerant of a pH range of 5.5-6.5 which is near neutral pH range (Bohn, 2001). Soil pH is one of the most important characteristics of soil fertility, because it has a direct impact on nutrient availability and plant growth. Most nutrients are more soluble in acid soils than in neutral or slightly alkaline soils (Bohn, 2001). In strongly acidic soils the availability of macronutrients (Ca, Mg, K, P, N and S) as well as molybdenum and boron is reduced. In contrast, availability of micronutrient cations (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Al) is increased by low soil pH, even to the extent of toxicity of higher plants and microorganisms (Bohn, 2001). The pH of a soil is also reported to affect so many other soil properties (Brady and Weil, 1999), including nutrient availability, effects on soil organisms, fungi thrive in acidic soils, CEC and plant preferences of either acidic or alkaline soils. Most plants prefer alkaline soils, but there are a few which need acidic soils and will die if placed in an alkaline environment (Brady and Weil, 1999). (ii) Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) Cation exchange capacity is defined as the sum of the total of the exchangeable cations that a soil can hold or adsorb (Brady and Weil, 1999). A cation is a positively charged ion and most nutrients cations are: Ca2+, Mg2+, K +, NH4+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+. These cations are in the soil solution and are in dynamic equilibrium with the cations adsorbed on the surface of clay and organic matter (Brady and Weil, 1999). Clay and organic matter are the main sources of CEC (Peinemann et al., 2002). The more clay and organic matter (humus) a soil contains, the higher its CEC and the greater the potential fertility of that soil. CEC varies according to the type of clay. It is highest in montmorillonite clay, lowest in heavily weathered kaolinite clay and slightly higher in the less weathered illite clay (Peinemann et al., 2002). Sand particles have no capacity to exchange cations because it has no electrical charge (Brady and Weil, 1999). CEC is used as a measure of soil nutrient retention capacity, and the capacity to protect groundwater from cation contamination (Brady and Weil, 1999). It buffers fluctuations in nutrient availability and soil pH (Bergaya and Vayer, 1997). Plants obtain many of their nutrients from soil by an electrochemical process called cation exchange. This process is the key to understanding soil fertility (Rowell, 1994). Nutrients that are held by charges on a soil are termed exchangeable as they become readily available to plants (Rowell, 1994).The higher the CEC of a soil, the more nutrients it is likely to hold and the higher will be its fertility level (Fullen and Catt, 2004). Factors affecting cation exchange capacity The factors affecting cation exchange capacity include the following (Brady and Weil 1999), soil texture, soil humus content, nature of clay and soil reaction. Soil texture influences the CEC of soils in a way that it increases when soils percentage of clay increases i.e. the finer the soil texture, the higher the CEC as indicated in Table 2. CEC depends on the nature of clay minerals present, since each mineral has its own capacity to exchange and hold cations e.g. the CEC of a soil dominated by vermiculite is much higher than the CEC of another soil dominated by kaolinite, as vermiculite is high activity clay unlike kaolinte which is low activity clay. When the pH of soil increases, more H+ ions dissociate from the clay minerals especially kaolinite, thus the CEC of soil dominated by kaolinite also increases. CEC varies according to the type of soil. Humus, the end product of decomposed organic matter, has the highest CEC value because organic matter colloids have large quantities of negative charges. Humus has a CEC two to five times greater than montmorillonite clay and up to 30 times greater than kaolinite clay, so is very important in improving soil fertility. Table 2.1: CEC values for different soil textures (Brady and Weil, 1999) Soil texture CEC range (meq/100g soil) Sand 2-4 Sandy loam 2-12 Loam 7-16 Silt loam 9-26 Clay, clay loam 4-60 (iii) Organic Matter The importance of soil organic matter in relation to soil fertility and physical condition is widely recognized in agriculture. However, organic matter contributes to the fertility or productivity of the soil through its positive effects on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil (Rowell, 1994), as follows: physical stabilizes soil structure, improves water holding characteristics, lowers bulk density, dark color may alter thermal properties; chemical higher CEC, acts as a pH buffer, ties up metals, interacts with biological supplies energy and body-building constituents for soil organisms, increases microbial populations and their activities, source and sink for nutrients, ecosystem resilience, affects soil enzymes. Soil organic matter consists of a wide range of organic substances, including living organisms, carboneous remains of organisms which once occupied the soil, and organic compounds produced by current and past metabolism of the soil (Brady and Weil, 1999). Soil organic matter plays a critical role in soil processes and is a key element of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) (Brady and Weil, 2004). Organic matter is widely considered to be the single most important indicator of soil fertility and productivity (Rowell, 1994). It consists primarily of decayed or decaying plant and animal residues and is a very important soil component. Benefits of Organic matter in soil according to Ashman and Puri, (2002) include: increasing the soils cation exchange capacity and acting as food for soil organisms from bacteria to worms and is an important component in the nutrient and carbon cycles. Organic matter, like clay, has a high surface area and is negatively charged with a high CEC, making it an excellent supplier of nutrients to plants. In addition, as organic matter decomposes, it releases nutrients such as N, P and S that are bound in the organic matters structure, essentially imitating a slow release fertilizer (Myers, 1995). Organic matter can also hold large amounts of water, which helps nutrients move from soil to plant roots (Mikkuta, 2004). An important characteristic of organic matter in soil fertility is C: N ratio. The C: N ratio in organic matter of arable surface horizons commonly ranges from 8:1 to 15:1, the median being near 12:1 (Brady and Weil, 1999). The C:N ratio in organic residues applied to soils is important for two reasons: intense competition among the micro-organisms for available soil nitrogen which occurs when residues having a high C:N ratio are added to soils and it also helps determine their rate of decay and the rate at which nitrogen is made available to plants (Brady and Weil, 1999). (iv) Plant Nutrients Plants require 13 plant nutrients (Table 2.2) (micro and macro nutrients) for their growth. Each is equally important to the plant, yet each is required in vastly different amounts (Ronen, 2007). Essential elements are chemical elements that plants need in order to complete their normal life cycle (Scoones and Toulhim, 1998). The functions of these elements in the plant cannot be fulfilled by another, thus making each element essential for plant growth and development (Scoones and Toulhim, 1998). Essential nutrients are divided into macro and micronutrients as illustrated in Table 3. Macronutrients are those that are required in relatively high quantities for plant growth and can be distinguish into two sub groups, primary and secondary ones, (Uchida and Silva, 2000). The primary macro-elements are most frequently required for plant growth and also needed in the greatest total quantity by plants. For most crops, secondary macro nutrients are needed in lesser amounts than the primary nutrients. The second group of plant nutrients which are micronutrients are needed only in trace amounts (Scoones and Toulhim, 1998). These micronutrients are required in very small amounts, but they are just as important to plant development and profitable crop production as the major nutrients (Ronen, 2007). Classification Element Function in plant growth Source Deficiency symptoms and toxicities Macro nutrients Primary Nitrogen (N) Chlorophyll and Protein formation Air/Soil, applied fertilisers Slow growth, stunted plants, chlorosis, low protein content Phosphorus (P) Photosynthesis, Stimulates early growth and root formation, hastens maturity Soil and applied fertilisers Slow growth, delayed crop maturity, purplish green coloration of leaves Potassium (K) Photosynthesis and nzyme activity, starch and sugar formation, root growth Soil and applied fertilisers Slow growth, Reduced disease or pest resistance, development of white and yellow spots on leaves Macro nutrients secondary Calcium (Ca) Cell growth and component of cell wall Soil Weakened stems, death of plants growing points, abnormal dark green appearance on foliage Magnesium (Mg) Enzyme activation, photosynthesis and influence Nitrogen metabolism Soil Interveinal chlorosis in older leaves, curling of leaves, stunted growth, Sulfur (S) Amino acids, proteins and nodule formation Soil and animal manure Interveinal chlorosis on corn leaves, retarded growth, delayed maturity and light green to yellowish color in young leaves Micronutrients essential Iron (Fe) Photosynthesis, chlorophyll synthesis, constituent of various enzymes and proteins Soil Interveinal chlorosis, yellowing of leaves between veins, twig dieback, death of entire limp or plants Manganese (Mn) Enzyme activation, metabolism of nitrogen and organic acids, formation of vitamins and breakdown of carbohydrates Soil Interveinal chlorosis of young leaves, gradation of pale green coloration with darker color next to veins Zinc (Zn) Enzymes and auxins component, protein synthesis, used in formation of growth hormones Soil Mottled leaves, dieback twigs, decrease in stem length Copper (Cu) Enzyme activation, catalyst for respiration Soil Stunted growth, poor pigmentation, wilting of leaves Boron (B) Reproduction Soil Thickened, curled, wilted and chlorotic leaves; reduced flowering Molybdenum (Mo) Nitrogen fixation; nitrate reduction and plant growth Soil Stunting and lack of vigor (induced by nitrogen deficiency), scorching, cupping or rolling of leaves Chlorine (Cl) Root growth, photosynthetic reactions Soil Wilting followed by chlorosis, excessive branching of lateral roots, bronzing of leaves Additional nutrients Carbon (C) Constituent of carbohydrates and photosynthesis Air/ Organic matter Hydrogen (H) Maintains osmotic balance and constituent of carbohydrates Water/Organic matter Oxygen (O) Constituent of carbohydrates and necessary for respiration Air/Water/ Organic matter Table 2.2: Essential plant elements, their sources and role in plants (Ronen,2007) Deficiency of any of these essential nutrients will retard plant development (Brady and Weil, 2004). Deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients in soil present unfavorable conditions for plant growth, such as: poor growth, yellowing of the leaves and possibly the death of the plant as illustrated in Table 3 (Ahmed et al., 1997). Therefore proper nutrient management is required to achieve maximum plant growth, maximum economic and growth response by the crop, and also for minimum environmental impact. In addition to the nutrients listed above, plants require carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are extracted from air and water to make up the bulk of plant weight (Brady and Weil, 1999). Achieving balance between the nutrient requirements of plants and the nutrient reserves in soils is essential for maintaining soil fertility and high yields, preventing environmental contamination and degradation, and sustaining agricultural production over the long term. 2.2.3. Soil Biological properties (i) Soil organisms Soil organisms include mostly microscopic living organisms such as bacteria and fungi which are the foundation of a healthy soil because they are the primary decomposer of organic matter (Brady and Weil, 1999). Soil organisms are grouped into two namely soil microorganisms and soil macro organisms (Table 2.3). Table 2.3: Soil Macro and microorganisms and their role in plant and soil (Brady and Weil, 1999) Classification Organisms Function in plant and/or soil Source Microorganisms Bacteria Decomposition of organic matter Soil surface and humus particles Actinomycetes Source of protein and enhance soil fertility Surface layers of grass lands Fungi Fix atmospheric nitrogen and enhance soil fertility Soil (without organic matter) Algae Add organic matter to soil, improve aeration of swamp soils, and fix atmospheric nitrogen Moist soils Macro-organisms Nematodes They can be applied to crops in large quantities as a biological insecticide Soil and plant roots Earthworms Enhance soil fertility and structural stability Aerated soils Ants and termites Soil development Dominant in tropical soils Soil can contain millions of organisms that feed off decaying material such as old plant material, mulch unprocessed compost (Ashman and Puri, 2002), Microorganisms constitute Soil organic matter is the main food and energy source of soil microorganisms (Ashman and Puri, 2002). Through decomposition of organic matter, microorganisms take up their food elements. Organic matter also serves as a source of energy for both macro and micro organisms and helps in performing various beneficial functions in soil, resulting in highly productive soil (Mikutta et al., 2004). Macro-organisms such as insects, other arthropods, earthworms and nematodes live in the soil and have an important influence on soil fertility (Amezketa, 1999). They ingest soil material and relocate plant material and form burrows. The effects of these activities are variable. Macro-organisms improve aeration, porosity, infiltration, aggregate stability, litter mixing, improved N and C stabilization, C turnover and carbonate reduction and N mineralization, nutrient availability and metal mobility (Amezketa, 1999; Winsome and McColl, 1998 and Brown et al., 2000). The various groups of soil organisms do not live independently of each other, but form an interlocked system more or less in equilibrium with the environment (Brady and Weil, 1999). Their activity in soil depend on moisture content, temperature, soil enzymes, dissolution of soil minerals and breakdown of toxic chemicals. All have a tremendous role in the development of soil fertility (Alam, 2001). Their actions involve the formation of structural systems of the soils which help in the increase of agricultural productivity (Alam, 2001). 2.3. SOIL CLAY MINERALOGY The clay fraction of soil is dominated by clay minerals which control important soil chemical properties including sorption characteristics of soils (Dixon and Schulze, 2002). Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic compounds, with defined chemical and physical properties (Velde, 1995). Minerals that are formed in the depths of a volcano are called primary minerals (Pal et al., 2000). Feldspar, biotite, quartz and hornblende are examples of primary minerals. These minerals and the rocks made from them are often not stable when exposed to the weathering agents at the surface of the earth (Dixon and Schulze, 2002). These rocks are broken down (weathered) continuously into small pieces by exposure to physical and chemical weathering processes (Dixon and Schulze, 2002). Some of the elements that are released during weathering, reform and crystallise in a different structure forming secondary minerals (Melo et al., 2002). Secondary minerals tend to be much smaller in particle size than primary minerals, and are most commonly found in the clay fraction of soils (Guggenheim and Martin, 1995). Soil clay fractions often contain a wide range of secondary minerals such as kaolinite, montmorillonite and aluminum hydrous oxides, whereas the sand or silt particles of soils are dominated by relatively inert primary minerals. The clay fraction is usually dominated by secondary minerals which are more chemically active and contribute the most to soil fertility (Melo et al., 2002). Two major secondary mineral groups, clay minerals and hydrous