Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Philosophy - Assignment Example ey argue using stock question, "If everything has a cause, then what caused about God?† To recommend that God require not have a cause, and then it implies the universe did not have a cause. Perhaps, the individuals who disagree with the question and recommendation, it is the universe itself or the occasion that rose it, that is the uncaused cause (Solomon and Martin 90). There are numerous illustrations of philosophers who are against the straw man First Cause contention. They incorporate Graham Priest, Steven Hales, Bertrand Russell, Nigel Warburton, Robin Le Poidevin, Simon Blackburn, Jenny Teichman, Michael Martin, and Katherine Evans. Solomon and Martin offers a few further samples from philosophy books, including Russells book Why I Am Not a Christian as the source from which numerous writers realized the caricature that was answered by the stock. Solomon and Martin believe that David Hume through his book the Dialogs Concerning Natural Religion discredits the stock straw man’s First Cause contention; he was among the first extraordinary authors to do as such. Solomon and Martin suggest that it is agreeable without qualifying the rule "Each being has a cause,† any invalidation this, if nothing else, ought to excite suspicions among the believers concerning the principle or practice. Critics routinely discredit the straw man without referring to any individual who has ever defended it. For example, Le Poidevin conceded that nobody has actually defended it, after dishonestly criticizing proponent or the advocates for the First Cause contention of disaffirming themselves by denying that God has a cause. Solomon and Martin note that Aquinas unequivocally denied that everything had a cause. Aquinas said that "to be caused by an alternate or another, does not apply to a being inasmuch as the being; generally, every being would be caused by another, so we ought to need to move ahead to limitlessness in causes - impossibility†. Aquinas believes that it is

An introduction to working with children Essay Example for Free

An introduction to working with children Essay Nurseries provide care and education for children under the age of five in my area by offering free learning and play sessions which take place in the mornings and afternoons. Instead of a nursery just being a place where your child plays, a nursery provides education by qualified staff and professionals who encourage a child to learn as well a play while still providing care. Holiday play schemes is a place where children over the age of five go and can participate in various different types of activities which are both educational and play sessions, the activities range from reading books and watching educational programmes/videos/DVD’s to children playing on game consoles. ‘The room is divided into areas of various types of play experiences. These areas include, large and small construction sets, imaginative play dressing ups, home corner, mark making, Hama beads, dance mats, games machines, pool table, small world, football table. We also have two adjoining areas where children can access messy/art and craft activities and relax in the quiet area, reading books or watching various videos/DVDs.’ http://brightbeginningschildcare.co.uk/playscheme 11.11.11 A Child-minder is a person who looks after a parents children in their own home, child-minders usually look after children under the age of five, they provide care and education by helping the child with school work such as homework, participating in educational games or activities with them or generally playing games with them, baking or watching programmes with them. Nurseries aim to support children and their families by building a strong partnership with parents/careers because the setting and the child’s guardian want what is best, and for the child to achieve. If a nursery did not have a good relationship with parents/careers then there isn’t any trust or respect so if an issue is raised for example the child is underachieving and the nursery thought it is best for that child to receive additional support, a parent/career could take offence to it and then the situation could escalate. But if the nursery had a good positive relationship with parents and careers then a discussion could take place about the child receiving additional support, because it is important that you include the parent or career in discussions about their child otherwise they could feel that they are not valued or respected, and it is also their right to make decisions about their child, so if a nursery overlooked a parent or career regarding a situation wi th their child the parent or career could feel disrespected. ‘It recognises that parents and carers need to be fully involved in discussions about their childs additional support needs. Where necessary, they should be given support by their school or nursery to take part in meetings and be included fully in decisions that affect their child. Establishments and parents/carers may not always agree on what is in the best interest of the child, but by developing good relationships, and through good communication, it is expected that most problems and disagreements will be solved at school/nursery level.’ http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/learning/aslfamilies/ 18.11.11 Holiday play schemes offer children a wide range of different activities from rock climbing to extra-curricular lessons such as additional english, maths or science, but the way these extra-curricular lessons are integrated into the activities do not seem like they are lessons, but the children are subconsciously learning new things which would help them throughout school because they can relate back to these activities. This supports children because they are providing a safe and secure place where they can come and be happy, make new friends and learn new skills and play schemes provide for all children so every child is included, they are also supporting the child by teaching them new things or helping them with specific work by integrating it into an activity. Holiday play schemes support families by ensuring their child is in a safe, stimulating learning environment while they are unable to look after the child because they are at work etc. Play workers also can pick the child up from their school so the parent/career will not have to worry about transport for the child. ‘Holiday play schemes are run by play workers. Play workers are responsible for planning activities to help children learn, play and relax with their friends. Play workers will often pick up children from local schools.’ http://www.youngsouthampton.org/parentsandcarers/childcare-schoolaged/holiday -play-schemes.asp 12.12.11 Child-minders aim to support children and their families by providing a safe and stimulating for the child/children they are caring for, child-minders mainly care for a child in a domestic environment such as the child’s home. Child-minders become a valued member of a family because they pay such a big role in the child’s life. A child-minder usually takes the child on day trips to museums or animal parks such as zoo’s, they are usually educational day trips where the child can learn something. Arranging stimulating and therapeutic learning activities such as finger painting, cooking, reading, dress-up games or even celebrating cultural events which could include making Christmas or Eid cards or creating their own Easter egg. All these activities support children because they are learning new skills which they will need in life, they all acquire the child to use their fine and gross motor skills which will help them develop, and also their language and intellectual development. ‘They do this in a domestic setting (normally their own home) for payment†¦to ensure they provide a safe and stimulating environment for the children that they care for. Registered child-minders are usually self-employed and run their own business. Although every day will be different, a child-minder’s typical day may include: †¢visiting a park, museum, library or playgroup †¢arranging fun and stimulating learning activities, such as dressing-up, creative play, reading, and celebrating cultural events from around the world †¢providing meals and snacks for the children, involving them in food preparation and menu choices †¢taking children to and from school or clubs †¢working with other local child-minders to organise group activities.’ http://www.ncma.org.uk/childminders/become_a_childminder/what_childminders_do.aspx 12.12.11 The Human Rights Act 2000 This act ensures all children have a right to the protection of private and family life, this means in practice all children’s personal life is always kept private, this includes any information that is disclosed from parents or carers about a child, also anything that is revealed during placement. The right to education, this means that every single child has the right to have an education no matter of their race, gender, culture or background whether it is at a statutory or private sector. To discriminate against children because of their race, sex, culture, background etc is unlawful . ‘The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.’ http://www.elc.org.uk/pages/lawarticleshra.htm#14 16.12.11 These are some of the ri ghts that The Human Rights Act 2000 allows children to have, this legislation overall supports the rights of children because it ensures children have the right to equality, dignity and to be respected. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 This act supports the rights of children because it states that it is unlawful for educational providers such as teachers to discriminate against pupils with a special educational disability or need. It influences working practices in the setting because if a teacher discriminated a child which was physically disabled and in a wheel chair by not making sure they had access to everything they needed, additional care, help or support then they could be prosecuted because it is against the law. The Equality Act 2010 This act supports the rights of children because it states the legal responsibilities of public sectors such as schools to provide equal opportunities for everyone. This act influences working practices in the setting by trying to ensure that everyone is treated equally no matter what ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion etc. A staff member could not treat a child differently to the other children because of their religion, for example; during a seasonal period such as Christmas and the children are creating Christmas cards and one of the children is Muslim and their parents have asked the staff for their child not to take part in activities like that, the staff could not just isolate the child and give them nothing to do, the staff should either set a different piece of work of that child to do which does not involve Christmas activities or send them to a different class where they are doing a different activity so that child does not feel left out or isolated.

The Bank of England Monetary and financial stability

The Bank of England Monetary and financial stability The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom. Sometimes known as the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, the Bank was founded in 1694, nationalised on 1 March 1946, and gained independence in 1997. Standing at the centre of the UKs financial system, the Bank is committed to promoting and maintaining monetary and financial stability as its contribution to a healthy economy. The Bank of England exists to ensure monetary stability and to contribute to financial stability. The Bank of England has been issuing banknotes for over 300 years. During that time, both the notes themselves and their role in society have undergone continual change. From todays perspective, it is easy to accept that a piece of paper that costs a few pence to produce is worth five, ten, twenty or fifty pounds. Gaining and maintaining public confidence in the currency is a key role of the Bank of England and one which is essential to the proper functioning of the economy. Core Purpose 1 Monetary Stability Monetary stability means stable prices and confidence in the currency. Stable prices are defined by the Governments inflation target, which the Bank seeks to meet through the decisions delegated to the Monetary Policy Committee, explaining those decisions transparently and implementing them effectively in the money markets. The first objective of any central bank is to safeguard the value of the currency in terms of what it will purchase at home and in terms of other currencies. Monetary policy is directed to achieving this objective and to providing a framework for non-inflationary economic growth. As in most other developed countries, monetary policy operates in the UK mainly through influencing the price at which money is lent, in other words the interest rate. The Banks price stability objective is made explicit in the present monetary policy framework. It has two main elements: an annual inflation target set each year by the Government and a commitment to an open and accountable policy-making regime. Setting monetary policy deciding on the level of short-term interest rates necessary to meet the Governments inflation target is the responsibility of the Bank. In May 1997 the Government gave the Bank operational independence to set monetary policy by deciding the short-term level of interest rates to meet the Governments stated inflation target currently 2%. Core Purpose 2 Financial Stability Financial stability entails detecting and reducing threats to the financial system as a whole. Such threats are detected through the Banks surveillance and market intelligence functions. They are reduced by strengthening infrastructure, and by financial and other operations, at home and abroad, including, in exceptional circumstances, by acting as the lender of last resort. One of the Bank of Englands two core purposes is monetary stability. Monetary stability means stable prices low inflation and confidence in the currency. Stable prices are defined by the Governments inflation target, which the Bank seeks to meet through the decisions taken by the Monetary Policy Committee. A principal objective of any central bank is to safeguard the value of the currency in terms of what it will purchase. Rising prices inflation reduces the value of money. Monetary policy is directed to achieving this objective and providing a framework for non-inflationary economic growth. As in most other developed countries, monetary policy usually operates in the UK through influencing the price at which money is lent the interest rate. However, in March 2009 the Banks Monetary Policy Committee announced that in addition to setting Bank Rate, it would start to inject money directly into the economy by purchasing assets often known as quantitative easing. This means that the instrument of monetary policy shifts towards the quantity of money provided rather than its price. Low inflation is not an end in itself. It is however an important factor in helping to encourage long-term stability in the economy. Price stability is a precondition for achieving a wider economic goal of sustainable growth and employment. High inflation can be damaging to the functioning of the economy. Low inflation can help to foster sustainable long-term economic growth. Monetary Policy Framework The Banks monetary policy objective is to deliver price stability low inflation and, subject to that, to support the Governments economic objectives including those for growth and employment. Price stability is defined by the Governments inflation target of 2%. The remit recognises the role of price stability in achieving economic stability more generally, and in providing the right conditions for sustainable growth in output and employment. The Governments inflation target is announced each year by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the annual Budget statement. The 1998 Bank of England Act made the Bank independent to set interest rates. The Bank is accountable to parliament and the wider public. The legislation provides that if, in extreme circumstances, the national interest demands it, the Government has the power to give instructions to the Bank on interest rates for a limited period. The inflation target The inflation target of 2% is expressed in terms of an annual rate of inflation based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). The remit is not to achieve the lowest possible inflation rate. Inflation below the target of 2% is judged to be just as bad as inflation above the target. The inflation target is therefore symmetrical. If the target is missed by more than 1 percentage point on either side i.e. if the annual rate of CPI inflation is more than 3% or less than 1% the Governor of the Bank must write an open letter to the Chancellor explaining the reasons why inflation has increased or fallen to such an extent and what the Bank proposes to do to ensure inflation comes back to the target. A target of 2% does not mean that inflation will be held at this rate constantly. That would be neither possible nor desirable. Interest rates would be changing all the time, and by large amounts, causing unnecessary uncertainty and volatility in the economy. Even then it would not be possible to keep inflation at 2% in each and every month. Instead, the MPCs aim is to set interest rates so that inflation can be brought back to target within a reasonable time period without creating undue instability in the economy. The Monetary Policy Committee The Bank seeks to meet the inflation target by setting an interest rate. The level of interest rates is decided by a special committee the Monetary Policy Committee. The MPC consists of nine members five from the Bank of England and four external members appointed by the Chancellor. It is chaired by the Governor of the Bank of England. The MPC meets monthly for a two-day meeting, usually on the Wednesday and Thursday after the first Monday of each month. Decisions are made by a vote of the Committee on a one-person one-vote basis. Communications The interest rate decision is announced at 12 noon on the second day. The minutes of the meetings, including a record of the vote, are published on the Wednesday of the second week after the meeting takes place. Each quarter, the Bank publishes its Inflation Report, which provides a detailed analysis of economic conditions and the prospects for economic growth and inflation agreed by the MPC. The Bank also publishes other material to increase awareness and understanding of its monetary policy function. Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Interest rates are set by the Banks Monetary Policy Committee. The MPC sets an interest rate it judges will enable the inflation target to be met. The Banks Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is made up of nine members the Governor, the two Deputy Governors, the Banks Chief Economist, the Executive Director for Markets and four external members appointed directly by the Chancellor. The appointment of external members is designed to ensure that the MPC benefits from thinking and expertise in addition to that gained inside the Bank of England How Monetary Policy Works From interest rates to inflation When the Bank of England changes the official interest rate it is attempting to influence the overall level of expenditure in the economy. When the amount of money spent grows more quickly than the volume of output produced, inflation is the result. In this way, changes in interest rates are used to control inflation. The Bank of England sets an interest rate at which it lends to financial institutions. This interest rate then affects the whole range of interest rates set by commercial banks, building societies and other institutions for their own savers and borrowers. It also tends to affect the price of financial assets, such as bonds and shares, and the exchange rate, which affect consumer and business demand in a variety of ways. Lowering or raising interest rates affects spending in the economy. A reduction in interest rates makes saving less attractive and borrowing more attractive, which stimulates spending. Lower interest rates can affect consumers and firms cash-flow a fall in interest rates reduces the income from savings and the interest payments due on loans. Borrowers tend to spend more of any extra money they have than lenders, so the net effect of lower interest rates through this cash-flow channel is to encourage higher spending in aggregate. The opposite occurs when interest rates are increased. Lower interest rates can boost the prices of assets such as shares and houses. Higher house prices enable existing home owners to extend their mortgages in order to finance higher consumption. Higher share prices raise households wealth and can increase their willingness to spend. Changes in interest rates can also affect the exchange rate. An unexpected rise in the rate of interest in the UK relative to overseas would give investors a higher return on UK assets relative to their foreign-currency equivalents, tending to make sterling assets more attractive. That should raise the value of sterling, reduce the price of imports, and reduce demand for UK goods and services abroad. However, the impact of interest rates on the exchange rate is, unfortunately, seldom that predictable. Changes in spending feed through into output and, in turn, into employment. That can affect wage costs by changing the relative balance of demand and supply for workers. But it also influences wage bargainers expectations of inflation an important consideration for the eventual settlement. The impact on output and wages feeds through to producers costs and prices, and eventually consumer prices. Some of these influences can work more quickly than others. And the overall effect of monetary policy will be more rapid if it is credible. But, in general, there are time lags before changes in interest rates affect spending and saving decisions, and longer still before they affect consumer prices. We cannot be precise about the size or timing of all these channels. But the maximum effect on output is estimated to take up to about one year. And the maximum impact of a change in interest rates on consumer price inflation takes up to about two years. So interest rates have to be set based on judgments about what inflation might be the outlook over the coming few years not what it is today. Setting interest rates As banker to the Government and the banks, the Bank is able to forecast fairly accurately the pattern of money flows between the Governments accounts on one hand and the commercial banks on the other, and acts on a daily basis to smooth out the imbalances which arise. When more money flows from the banks to the Government than vice versa, the banks holdings of liquid assets are run down and the money market finds itself short of funds. When more money flows the other way, the market can be in cash surplus. In practice the pattern of Government and Bank operations usually results in a shortage of cash in the market each day. The Bank supplies the cash which the banking system as a whole needs to achieve balance by the end of each settlement day. Because the Bank is the final provider of cash to the system it can choose the interest rate at which it will provide these funds each day. The interest rate at which the Bank supplies these funds is quickly passed throughout the financial system, influencing interest rates for the whole economy. When the Bank changes its dealing rate, the commercial banks change their own base rates from which deposit and lending rates are calculated. Quantitative Easing In March 2009, the Monetary Policy Committee announced that, in addition to setting Bank Rate at 0.5%, it would start to inject money directly into the economy in order to meet the inflation target. The instrument of monetary policy shifted towards the quantity of money provided rather than its price (Bank Rate). But the objective of policy is unchanged to meet the inflation target of 2 per cent on the CPI measure of consumer prices. Influencing the quantity of money directly is essentially a different means of reaching the same end. Read more Significant reductions in Bank Rate have provided a large stimulus to the economy but as Bank Rate approaches zero, further reductions are likely to be less effective in terms of the impact on market interest rates, demand and inflation. And interest rates cannot be less than zero. The MPC therefore needs to provide further stimulus to support demand in the wider economy. If spending on goods and services is too low, inflation will fall below its target. The MPC boosts the supply of money by purchasing assets like Government and corporate bonds a policy often known as Quantitative Easing. Instead of lowering Bank Rate to increase the amount of money in the economy, the Bank supplies extra money directly. This does not involve printing more banknotes. Instead the Bank pays for these assets by creating money electronically and crediting the accounts of the companies it bought the assets from. This extra money supports more spending in the economy to bring future inflation back to the target

Isaac Asimov, Mind of a Child Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout history man has always had a vivid imagination. In prehistoric times, old man used to write stories, tales and such upon their cave dwelling walls. These were performed through the use of symbols. These symbols, called hieroglyphics, portrayed the thoughts and creativity of their authors. Boszhardt once said while talking about the cave pictures in Wisconsin, "When I first visited the cave, I was skeptical about the possible art that Daniel had written to me about, But once my flashlight came upon some of the drawings, there was no question that this was authentic Native American art. The birds, deer, and bow hunters are of styles that had to be prehistoric, and the charcoal had been absorbed into the rock. I was literally stunned--this was real, this was old, and there was a lot of it." In ancient Egypt, we also find such displays of messages and stories. Weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve all heard of such writings in the pyramids and such. The most brilliant display of these messages lies in the Mexico Desert with its mile long pictures created by who are believed to be Aztecs. These messages from the very beginning offered new, unique views and ideas upon existing scenarios. Ancient authors who had witnessed and read such symbols got their own ideas and developed their own style of writing and stories. This is has happened throughout history and is most prevalent in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s society. In the early 1900à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s technology began to boom. Many tales of science fantasy were created. The imagination of many was stirred violently as America and the U.S.S.R. were neck and neck in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Space Raceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Magical tales of aliens and Martians were shaped by the twisted and horrifically minds of authors such as Isaac Asimov. Many remember the comical almost, ridiculous movies of the early nineteen fifties. At that time though, many believed them to be real and were frightened beyond normal convention. Many authors in this era began to evolve, much how the earlier ancient writers evolved themselves. I will give you a brief biography of Isaac Asimov to allow you to understand his writing better and relinquish the ideas captured within his works. Throughout his amazing and fantastical life he has written almost five hundred astonishing works. While not... ..., Robot is a collection of short stories written by the science fiction author himself, Isaac Asimov. He set out the principles of robot behavior that we know as the Three Laws of Robotics. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (choen, Lindsay. I,Robot) Contained in this whimsical collection are stories of robots gone mad, mind-reading robots, robots with a sense of humor, robot politicians, and robots that secretly run the world, all told with Asimov's trademark dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction. This collection has set the boundaries and set a certain criteria for other authors to follow and keep consistency in their stories involving robots and other forms of artificial intelligence. Throughout time many innovators come and go. For some of these great men we remember not only their accomplishments but them as a person. Many of our modern technologies were developed or founded by one man, but do we know their names? Isaac Asimov must be considered one of the few innovators whom have not only shaped a new idea into reality but have also kept their legacy along with it.

Developing Negotiation Case Studies

While a great deal of excellent advice exists for producing case studies on managerially relevant topics in general, negotiation cases have distinctive aspects that merit explicit treatment.This article offers three types of tailored advice for producing cases on negotiation and related topics (such as mediation and diplomacy) that are primarily intended for classroom discussion: 1) how to decide whether a negotiation ­related case lead is worth developing; 2) how to choose the perspective and case type most suited to one’s objectives; and 3) in by far the longest part of the discussion, ten nuts and bolts suggestions for structuring and producing an excellent negotiation case study.Suppose you read about, participate in, or otherwise become aware of a negotiation that intrigues you as a possible candidate for a case study. Perhaps a student, colleague, participant in an executive program, or private client suggests such an episode. You may consider researching and writing u p the case yourself or you might supervise someone else for this purpose. Should you proceed with an investment of your scarce time and resources? If so, how?What’s the best casewriting advice you can give to a research assistant, a student (team) grappling with a course assignment to produce a case study, or someone else who is simply interested in writing up a negotiation for discussion purposes? ii Generations of experienced, even legendary, casewriters have codified guidelines for producing excellent case studies on virtually any subject. iii Yet negotiation cases often have distinctive aspects that merit explicit treatment.Over the years, I’ve found myself in many conversations trying to crystallize and convey the elements that seem to contribute to crafting superior negotiation cases. I hope that pulling these insights together and developing them a bit more systematically will be useful for others undertaking casewriting projects. A quick caveat: though casewrit ing is often properly part of a larger research program, and synergistic with other methodologies, I focus here on case studies that are mainly intended as vehicles for classroom discussion and analysis.As such, I sidestep important issues associated with systematically selecting and developing cases for well- defined research projects. For example, in the field of international relations, which thrives on case studies, the â€Å"method of structured, focused comparisons† is a research staple. iv More generally, exacting criteria exist for identifying, developing, comparing, and Draft: Developing Negotiation Case Studies. Copyright  ©2010 by James K. Sebenius. 1 contrasting case studies in order to extract valid inductive social scientific knowledge. However, I leave that set of considerations for specialists with casewriting as a component of well-defined research agendas. vi The following sections offer three types of advice for producing cases that are primarily intended for classroom discussion: 1) how to decide whether a case lead is worth developing; 2) how to choose the perspective and case type most suited to your objectives; and, 3) in the by far the longest part of the discussion, ten nuts and bolts suggestions for structuring and producing an excellent case study.One of the best ways to learn the casewriter’s craft is to study a number of truly excellent case studies, or better, to discuss such cases in a forum led by an experienced case method instructor. As such, in each of the three advice sections that follow, I’m tempted to list a number of my favorite negotiation cases as models.Since, however, these choices may be unfamiliar to many readers, and may be set in times, places, or contexts of little interest to others, I will instead offer a set of model cases, plus commentary, in an online forum in the hope that others will consult, comment, and contribute. (See online url to be provided later. ). I. Advice on developing a prospective case: a case for what? A case of what? Start by seeking clarity on your overall purpose: â€Å"a case for what? †

Sexuality and Gender in the Therapeutic Relationship

Sexuality and gender in the therapeutic relationship There is a minefield awaiting the counsellor who has not given much time in the study of gender issues in the therapeutic relationship. When we enter a room to see a client, we are encouraged to bring ourselves as a complete person, so we can create a relationship with the client, and thus facilitate the changes he/she needs. To bring ourselves into the relationship we bring all aspects of our identity including our sexuality and our sexual hang-ups and our pre-conceived gender notions. In spite of the fact that we are in a post-Victorian, post Irish catholic guilt, post free love time. We all carry the accumulated burden of our forefathers, educators policy makers and others. Firstly being male or female dictate how we deal with any situation. Whether its talking to our mothers to opening a can. Our gender and how we perceive ourselves in it informs our view of the world. If we look at the profession itself as a whole, counselling is defined by gender. Simply put there are more female counsellors than male by a huge factor. Also there are many more female clients than male. This tells us volumes. The profession is a caring one and is top heavy with those whose gender attract them to the caring professions. This puts a gender bias on all that psychotherapy does. Also the predominance of female clients can put the few male counsellors on their guard. This is because the person sitting opposite us in the room is our client, but also is a woman, with physical attributes and a subject of attraction to the male counsellor. Counselling is a one-to-one relationship that exists between two humans in which one is the focus ant the other is the companion or guide. The sex of the two protagonists is probably the first aspect that will impress upon either one. â€Å"The client coming for the first time might already know that she or he will be seeing a man or a woman. She might have certain expectations as result of this knowledge, for example she might expect a woman to be gentle and supportive and a man to be more judgemental and confrontational. † Palmer (1997) Therapy will tend to be dominated by the structures that society imposes on both the counsellor and the client. Once the therapist is aware of this here are two ways he/she can go. First they can try to act as if they are a â€Å"tabla rasa† or blank slate and be as neutral as possible and hope that by being counsellor first and a sexual being second. This is guaranteed to be a failure, primarily because the blank slate idiom is aspirational and not very practical. Also it goes against concreteness as the therapist will not be â€Å"there† in any real sense and wil l not function in any valid person centred way. The other alternative is â€Å"Explicit treatment†, which put gender issues at centre stage of therapy. This requires a clear understanding of the gender position of both protagonists in the therapeutic relationship. The dynamic between both is not a static situation as the initial meeting causes automatic reaction in the therapist. For example when faced with an attractive female client a male counsellor may think. â€Å"Nice smile, good legs† or â€Å"not pretty†, etc.. This gives way to â€Å"Good speaker, Lovely laugh,. † Then the presenting problem is aired and it would be hoped that the â€Å"skilled helper† mentality kicks in. But the societal hooks have dug into the therapist and may affect his relationship with the client. So until gender is expressed in some way it is hidden and can surface in an unhelpful way. There are many ways that this can be expressed. If part of the problem is self confidence issues, there would be a perfect lead in to a confidence boosting â€Å"You see yourself as ugly but you are an attractive woman with a strong personality. † for example. If the client dresses attractively it may be how she always dresses, perhaps as armour against the world. When people begin to see a counsellor they often see this as a new beginning and the attractive dress of the client might be an expression of her â€Å"newâ€Å" personality, making a strong effort to face the world more robustly, and to leave it uncommented on might do harm to her new-found confidence. Also it may be simple transference, so this should be explored in the therapeutic relationship. Other Gender Issues In our world we are also subject to the â€Å"Dominant Discourse† of our society. These are the system of statements, practices, and structures that share a common value and sustain a world view. It is so easy to let our societies be reflected in the therapy room, especially how we view gender. The best way to insure that society's dominant discourses do not alter the desired â€Å"shape† of therapy is to make gender issues explicit in the therapy dialogue when relevant to the discussion. Explicit treatment can lead to reconstructions of the dominant discourses or at least an opening up to alternative discourses. We make assumptions when we meet clients, Housewife, business man, etc.. The male therapist may feel pressured to â€Å"fix† his female clients â€Å"problems† A female therapist may feel the need when dealing with a male client to display a very strong nurturing role and may avoid challenging her client into action. Conversely the therapist may, when facing a powerful man with attitude to match may become businesslike and direct because that is what society tells us to do when we â€Å"do business†. Same sex client and counsellor can be a problem too. Two people, especially if their backgrounds are similar, can collude with one another and not challenge if the therapist is not aware of the human tendency to let a cosy cartel of collusion to develop between two people of the same sex. There also may be a frisson between two people of the opposite sex and may cause an unease between them just because they are the opposite sex and carry whatever societal burden is imposed on them. The above attitudes are â€Å"static† and can be monitored and adjusted if the counsellor is aware of their presence and their effect can be lessened by self examination, supervision and personal therapy. But there is a more insidious side to gender issues. This is a â€Å"fluid† attitude change. If a male counsellor has been out for a game of rugby with his friends he could have a more â€Å"macho† base to his personality than if he has recently left the embrace of his loving wife and family. This could affect his dealings with a client. How we interact with our fellow man is affected by our experiences immediately before meeting them. An incident while driving may put us in an emotional state where our patience with the opposite sex may be compromised. There is an unfortunate side effect in the way society loudly defines our gender and how it manifests itself. We can become so preoccupied by our gender and the its affect on us in the counselling room that by being careful about how it affects us that we cease to be effective in our dealing with another human. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW Janet Shibley Hyde of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has reviewed evidence from studies on cognition, communication, social and personality variables, psychological well-being, motor behaviours and other variables. She has turned all these aspects of gender in to one â€Å"meta survey† and came to the conclusion that fully 78% of the much vaunted differences between me and women are small or close to zero. (Hyde, 2005). There are 3 main areas of difference. Sexuality – in particular attitudes to sex in uncommitted relationships, Aggression – Men are usually the more aggressive . Motor performance – Men are better at throwing, jumping, running and such. So why are we so hung up on our differences if there are so few between the genders? Society has painted them in lurid colours and made us believe they are intractable. Perhaps it is not our position as men or women, but our position as humans that looks for differences that are not there, to define us as people. It also reminds us that rather than accuse the nebulous â€Å"Society† of putting a bias on our view of other humans we should remember that we are society ourselves. As Hyde puts it â€Å"It is time to consider the costs of over inflated claims on gender differences. Arguably, they cause harm in numerous realms, including women’s opportunities in the workplace, couple conflict and communication, and analyses of self-esteem problems with adolescents. Most important, these claims are not consistent with the scientific data. † Hyde (2005). Also there is the concept of gender as limiting rather than defining. Judith Butler (1956-) is Professor of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, and is well known as a theorist of power, gender, sexuality and identity. In her most influential book Gender Trouble (1999), Butler gave the history of feminism, a much vaunted alternative to the common view of gender, and argued that they had made a mistake by trying to assert that ‘women' were a group with common characteristics and interests. That approach, Butler said, performed ‘an unwitting regulation and reification of gender relations' — and reinforced the simplistic binary view of gender, albeit from an alternative view. If there are only two sides then no matter what side we choose we still support a simple binary view. Rather than opening up possibilities for a person to form and choose their own individual identity, â€Å"masculinism† never did it and feminism has closed the options down. Butler argues that sex (male, female) is the cause of gender (masculine, feminine) which is seen to cause desire (towards the other gender). Butler's approach is basically to destroy the supposed links between these, so that gender and desire are flexible, unmoored from biology and not 'caused' by other stable factors. Butler says: ‘There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; †¦ identity is performatively constituted by the very â€Å"expressions† that are said to be its results. ‘ Butler J. (1999) . In other words, gender is a performance; it's what you do at particular times, rather than a universal who you are. In the counselling room we may be victims of this binary problem. CONCLUSION As I read back over this essay I find that I have no personal recognisable stance on the issue of gender and sexuality. Perhaps I have had the fortune to be brought up in a liberal, forward thinking household and am less affected by society’s strictures. But alternatively I may be carrying around significant biases but not realise it. Also, if Hyde is right, I may be carrying around biases for differences that in the main part do not exist and this essay is a figment of my own imagination, an illusion that I share with the rest of humanity. And if I carry such a burden, the all of my fellow human carry similar ones so perhaps they cancel each other out. If we are to be real in the counselling room and we subscribe to Ms. Butlers ideas that unless we are careful to separate from gender we continue to perform the dance that we have been trained to do for millennia. BIBLIOGRAPHY Palmer Stephen, McMahon Gladeana, (1997), â€Å"Handbook of Counselling† page 272, Routledge. New York. Hyde, J. S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60(6), 581-92. And 590. Butler Judith (1999) â€Å"Gender Trouble† p 25. Routledge New York