Current Legislation Essay Example for Free

Current Legislation Essay Introduction As a teacher I must ensure that current legislative requirements are met. Gravells (2008) states that there is legislation that applies to the entire lifelong learning sector. There are also areas of legislation that apply to particular courses. This paper explains the general areas relevant to me and the areas I must also consider in teaching Business Administration and Planning. Legislation Relevant to the Lifelong Learning Sector General Legislation Although ECM refers to learners to the age of 19, OFSTED applies it to the performance of FE colleges. The Protection of Children Act 1999 legislates that teachers must have current Enhanced Disclosure checks by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988 and The Data Protection Act 1998 also apply. Human Rights, Diversity and Equality The six areas of diversity in law are disability, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and religion / belief. Discrimination is forbidden in these areas by legislation including: †¢Sex Discrimination Act 1975 †¢Race Relations Act 1976 (amended 2000) †¢Human Rights Act 1998 †¢Equal Opportunities Act 2004 †¢DDA – Disability Discrimination Act 1995 †¢DDA Part 4 Code of Practice 1995 †¢SENDA – Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 Health and Safety Petty (2009) confirms that the sector has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for learners. This is also where specific needs for specific courses arise. Generally, the Health Safety at Work Act 1974, RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 and the Management of the Health Safety at Work Act always apply. For Business Administration and Planning The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 is an example of HSE legislation relevant to my own area. Conversely the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and COSHH – Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 do not apply to my work. Codes of Practice I am also responsible for fulfilling responsibilities prescribed in Codes of Practice. For example, I must register with the Institute for Learning and comply with their Code of Professional Practice (2009). Colleges may also have Codes of Practice to which I must comply. References Gravells, A. (2008) Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector 3rd ed. Exeter: Learning Matters. Francis and Gould (2009) ‘Achieving Your PTLLS Award – A Practical Guide’. London. Sage Publications Limited. Department for Children, Schools and Families (2004) ‘Every Child Matters: Change for Children’ [online] UK: Available from http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/ [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (2004). ‘Children Act 2004’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/pdf/ukpga_20040031_en.pdf [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1999). ‘Protection of Children Act 1999’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1999/pdf/ukpga_19990014_en.pdf [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1988) ‘The Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/ukpga_19880048_en_1.htm [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1998) ‘The Data Protection Act 1998’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980029_en_1 [Accessed 4 February 2010] Petty, G (2009) Teaching Today 4th ed. Cheltenham. Nelson Thornes Office of Public Sector Information (1975) ‘Sex Discrimination Act 1975’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (2000) ‘Race Relations Act 1976 (amended 2000)’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1998) ‘Human Rights Act 1998’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (2004) ‘Equal Opportunities Act 2004’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1995) ‘DDA – Disability Discrimination Act 1995’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1995) ‘DDA Part 4 Code of Practice 1995’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (2001) ‘SENDA – Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1974) ‘Health Safety at Work Act 1974’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1995) ‘Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1999) ‘Management of the Health Safety at Work Act 1999’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Office of Public Sector Information (1992) ‘The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992’. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advanced-search/index [Accessed 4 February 2010] Institute for Learning (2009) ‘Code of Professional Practice’. Available from http://www.ifl.ac.uk/professional-standards/code-of-professional-practice [Accessed 4 February 2010]

My Sisters Keeper Essay Example for Free

My Sisters Keeper Essay In My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult weaves a gripping tale of pathos, humor, and love. As thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald struggles to define herself as a person apart from her sister Kate, Picoult exposes the universal truths of human relationships. Life is full of choices and consequences. Love demands risks and sacrifice; self-examination and sharing. As the characters unfold, in their own words, the importance of communication emerges as a unifying theme. Kate Fitzgerald is dying of acute promyelocytic leukemia. A kidney transplant is her only hope. Anna’s parents assume without question, that she will offer her kidney. Aware that she was conceived to be a genetic match, and ongoing donor for Kate, Anna wants a chance to live her own life. Though she loves her sister dearly, Anna retains Campbell Alexander, seeking medical emancipation, knowing that without the surgery Kate will die. Thus begins the saga of seven lives intertwined in ways none could ever have imagined. Anna forces a legal confrontation that compels each character to examine the relationships in their lives. Sara Fitzgerald has focused obsessively on Kate’s medical needs, unwittingly ignoring the needs of other family members. Brian, a firefighter, finds respite from his family’s ills on the job, and in the stars, which become a metaphor for life. Jesse, eighteen, is the family misfit. Unable to help Kate, he is wracked by guilt. A rebel, he becomes an unlikely healing force. As the court proceedings swirl around Anna, all involved are forced to reckon with the ghosts of their pasts and the paths they have chosen. Picoult addresses the ethics of the situation only tangentially. The ending is superbly crafted, literally pulling the reader into the text. This is a cosmic tale about relationships and endurance, and the ability of love to change lives forever.

Research Methods in Psychology

Research Methods in Psychology METHODS OF PSYCHOLOGY: Research in psychology is conducted in broad accord with the standards of the scientific method, including both qualitative and quantitative statistical modalities to generate and evaluate explanatory hypotheses with regard to psychological phenomena. These methods vary by the sources of information that are drawn on, how that information is sampled, and the types of instruments that are used in data collection. Methods also vary by whether they collect qualitative data, quantitative data or both. American Psychological Association has laid down the following rules and regulations for researches: Informed consent (tell them what this research is about). There should be no harm to the subject. After the research, you must tell the subject about the deception. Types Of Research Methods: Quantitative research Quantitative research is generally associated with the positivist / post positivist epitome. Usually it is to gather and transform the data into digital form so that statistical calculations can be made and conclusions can be drawn. Qualitative research Qualitative research is the method usually associated with the social constructivist epitome that emphasizes the socially constructed nature of reality. This is about recording, analyzing and trying to discover the meaning and importance of human behavior and experience, including conflicting beliefs, behaviors and deepest emotions. Researchers are interested in obtaining a rich and complex understanding of the experience of people and not in gaining information that can be generalized to larger groups. Requirement of Methodology: All methods used for researches should have the basic three qualities, which are: They have to be standardize (it must have a certain norm). They have to be valid (a test should measure what it’s supposed to measure). They have to be reliable. The following are the different types of research methodologies: Case History Method Experimental Research Correlational Research Survey Method Naturalistic Observation CASE HISTORY METHOD: A case study (or case report) is a descriptive, exploratory or explanatory analysis of a person, group or event. An explanatory case study is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles.Case study is also called life history/Clinical method. Case study is a detailed investigation of a person’s certain or particular behavior. Case study research excels at bringing us to an understanding of a complex issue or object and can extend experience or add strength to what is already known through previous research. Case study is a descriptive method and it consumes a lot of time. In this method, we are going to question subject, family, relatives, teachers and friends. Typically data is gathered from a variety of sources and by using several different methods (e.g. observations interviews). The case study research method originated in clinical medicine (the case history, i.e. the patient’s personal history). The case study method often involves simply observing what happens to, or reconstructing ‘the case history’ of a single participant or group of individuals (such as a school class or a specific social group), i.e. the idiographic approach. Case studies allow a researcher to investigate a topic in far more detail than might be possible if they were trying to deal with a large number of research participants. In Case history, we use the following techniques: Day-Book method (day to day development of a child). In this we will question to child’s pediatrician. Biographical Method. Clinical Method (preventing, diagnosing and treating an individual) Social therapy worker, psychologist and physician are collectively going to make a detailed report about the subject. After that they will conclude if the subject needs psycho-therapy or not. Case studies are widely used in psychology and amongst the best known were the ones carried out by Sigmund Freud. He conducted very detailed investigations into the private lives of his patients in an attempt to both understand and help them overcome their illnesses. Freuds most famous case studies include Little Hans (1909a) and The Rat Man (1909b). Even today case histories are one of the main methods of investigation in abnormal psychology and psychiatry. For students of these disciplines they can give a vivid insight into what those who suffer from mental illness often have to endure. SURVEY METHOD: The survey is a non-experimental, descriptive research method. Surveys can be useful when a researcher wants to collect data on phenomena that cannot be directly observed. A survey is a data collection tool used to gather information about individuals. Surveys are commonly used in psychology research to collect self-report data from study participants. A survey may focus on factual information about individuals, or it might aim to collect the opinions of the survey takers. Survey method is a general evaluation and inspection carried out with specific aim in mind to search for particular kind of information. When you have shortage of time, then you go with survey methodology. First we identify the problem on which we want to carry out a research. Then we make a hypothesis on which our whole research would depend on. Then the questionnaire is made. The questions should be simple and clear, so that the subjects would not have any difficulty to understand the questions. Researchers have to ensure that all the questions are valid and relate to the research topic. After that, you sample the population and analyze the results and then conclusions are made according to the results. So following are the steps in survey method: Identify the problem. Determine what you want to study. Sampling the population. Define the population to be studied. Design the questionnaire. Select a representative sample. Administer the survey. Analyze, conclude and discuss the results. PERSPECTIVES: Psychology is a discipline that asks and answers the fundamental question, why do we behave the way we do and think the way we think? The best way to characterize the different approaches that are taken to answer the question of psychology is to identify them as major perspectives. The major perspectives represent fundamental assumptions that underlie the research questions and methods that are used in order to answer the questions of psychology. Most all perspectives define psychology as the discipline interested in studying human behavior and mental processes, but that covers a lot of ground and the causes of behavior and mental processes are not always clear.So there are six major perspectives to explain a human behavior. 1. Biological perspective: 2. Psychoanalytic perspective: 3. Behavioral Perspective: 4. Humanistic Perspective: This perspective emphasizes on the role of motivation on thought and behavior. Two of the most influential and enduring theories in humanistic psychology that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s are those of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. The humanistic perspective suggests that we are each responsible for our own happiness and well-being as humans. We have the innate (i.e. inborn) capacity for self-actualization which is our unique desire to achieve our highest potential as people. Because of this focus on the person and his or her personal experiences and subjective perception of the world the humanists regarded scientific methods as inappropriate for studying behavior. Humanistic perspective believes that if are determined to change anything you can. Decision making is in your own hand. So this perspective believes in human capacity and positive side of his behavior. 5. Cognitive Perspective: 6. Social cultural Perspective: SCHOOL OF THOUGHTS: When psychology was first established as a science separate from biology and philosophy, the debate over how to describe and explain the human mind and behavior began. The different schools of psychology represent the major theories within psychology. The modern history of psychology starts from the school of thoughts. The following are the six major schools of thoughts. 1. Structuralism: 2. Functionalism: 3. Gestalt Psychology: It’s a German school of thought developed by Max Wertheimer, Kohler and Koffka. The word ‘Gestalt’ meaning is ‘form, shape or unified whole’. Gestalt psychology is a school of psychology based upon the idea that we experience things as unified wholes. This approach to psychology began in Germany and Austria during the late 19th century in response to the molecular approach of structuralism. Instead of breaking down thoughts and behavior to their smallest elements, the gestalt psychologists believed that you must look at the whole of experience. According to the gestalt thinkers, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. According to Gestalt psychologists, the human mind works by interpreting data through various laws, rules or organizing principles, turning partial information into a whole. For example, your mind might interpret a series of lines as a square, even though it has no complete lines; your mind fills in the gaps. Gestalt psychotherapists apply this logic to problem-solving to help patients. This school leads to the development of theory of perception. For instance when you perceive something, you perceive as a whole rather than parts of something. 4. Psychodynamic Model: 5. Humanistic Model: Humanistic psychology developed as a response to psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Humanistic psychology instead focused on individual free will, personal growth and the concept of self-actualization. While early schools of thought were largely centered on abnormal human behavior, humanistic psychology differed considerably in its emphasis on helping people achieve and fulfill their potential. This school of thought was developed by Abraham Maslow Carl Rogers. Humanistic psychology is basically a positive psychology, which emphasizes on the positive side of your behavior. This particular branch of psychology is centered on helping people living happier, more fulfilling lives. Humanist psychologists teach that to understand psychology, we must look at individuals and their motivations. Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs exemplifies this approach: a system of needs, such as food, love and self-esteem, determines a persons behavior to various extents. Meeting these needs leads to a sense of self-satisfaction and solves psychological problems. 6. Behaviorism: 7. Cognitive Model: Objective: Fill in the blanks: Meaning of word ‘Gestalt’ is: __________(form, shape or unified whole) ____________ is a German school of thought.(Gestalt psychology) ____________ School of thought refers to positive psychology. (Humanistic) _______________ Perspective believes that ‘Decision Making’ is in your own hands. (Humanistic) ______________ School was developed as a response to psychoanalysis and behaviorism.(Humanistic) MCQ’s: Which of the following methods will we choose, if we have shortage of time: (Survey Method) Case History Survey Method Experimental Research Which school of thought leads to the development of theory of perception: (Gestalt psychology) Gestalt psychology Functionalism Structuralism Which of the following is a descriptive, non-experimental and less-time consuming method:(Survey Method) Naturalistic Observation Correlation Survey method In which research method, we question from the subject’s pediatrician, therapist, friends and family: (Case Study) Correlation Method Experimental method Case Study Method Who gave the pyramid of ‘hierarchy of need’?(Abraham Maslow) Max Wertheimer Kohler Sigmund Freud Abraham Maslow Match the columns: Unified whole (c)a. Theory of perception Decision Making (e)b. less time consuming Hierarchy of needs is given by (d)c. Gestalt Gestalt Psychology leads to (a)d. Abraham Maslow Survey Methodis (b)e. Humanistic perspective True/False: Gestalt psychology leads to theory of evolution.(False) Case study is a less time consuming research method.(False) Humanistic school was developed by Abraham Maslow.(True) Survey is an experimental method.(False) Humanistic perspective believes in positive psychology.(True)

Free Essays - Yoricks Attitude Towards Women in A Sentimental Journey :: Laurence Sterne A Sentimental Journey

If we are to read Laurence Sterne's A Sentimental Journey, we must abandon the fixed idea about ordinary travel, which are filled with detailed descriptions of the landscapes. In Sterne's work, however, there are unique descriptions of human feelings, compared to the other ordinary travelogues. Consequently, the whole work makes readers confused at first. However, once we are absorbed in that story, we can easily follow Yorick's unique thoughts. Especially his attitude towards women is interesting. He meets many women and his attitude towards them does not change. That is, we can see there exists some principles when Yorick faces women. Therefore I will discuss Yorick's attitude towards Lady at the Remise; the Grisset in Paris; the fille de chambre; Maria and Eliza. Why does Yorick meet so many women in such a short time? As there is not a single passage about his own profile in the story, we cannot assume what he is and what he does in his country. Nevertheless, Yorick seems to be single, because nobody ever told Yorick not to go abroad in the first episode. And also Yorick is really afraid of being kept in prison. Though it is a sort of general fear that everybody can be scared, Yorick seems to be even more sensible about being limited to a particular place or group of people. He tries to set free the "starling" (71-3), because he does hate the feeling of confinement. A marriage possibly can be a sort of confinement to Yorick. That is, being a free single man, Yorick does not want to be tied to particular person. And that makes him meet so many women in such a short time and have lots of relationships with them. Then what is Yorick's attitude towards these women? First of all, he is a little bit passive when he approaches them. Yorick is usually left with a woman in some place, such as "the Remise", "Desobligeant". It is totally different from other's way of making acquaintance with someone. For instance, in case of La Fleur, he directly goes to some girl and have a good time with her (101). As the following example show, Yorick, is not active at all. : "Mons. Dessein left us[Yorick and a lady] together with her hand in mine" (16). When he is in the shop with the Grisset, she willingly asks him to feel her pulse (53).

Essay --

Affirmative Action Affirmative action in the United States is loosely defined as a policy that redresses the disadvantages of certain minority groups as a result of past discrimination, such as African Americans and Latinos, by giving them preferential treatment with respect to employment and university admissions. In particular, affirmative action has generated a great deal of controversy in university admissions, which has resulted in several Supreme Court cases. Proponents of the policy claim that affirmative action is permissible because a) certain racial groups have suffered from a long past of discrimination and b) there is evidence showing the educational benefits that result from a racially diverse student body reflective of the racial makeup of the United States. Although affirmative action may be a well-intentioned policy whose supporting arguments are based upon true historic facts, the policy as a whole is morally impermissible and only serves to perpetuate the issues it claims to address. In addition, the arguments in favor of affirmative action have several key issues, which include: a) not all groups that have suffered from discrimination benefit from the policy, b) using the two wrongs make a right fallacy to justify discrimination against nonminority groups, c) vague terms such as â€Å"critical mass,† d) assuming that an applicant is disadvantaged solely on the basis of race, e) stereotyping minority groups, and f) the contested definition of race in general. For centuries, African Americans and Native Americans have suffered from blatant discrimination, unjustified theft of land, grueling enslavement, death marches, cruel medical experiments, systematic lynchings, and genocide. Although most Hispanics never had to co... ... believe blacks can achieve in every avenue of American life without the meddling of university administrators.† Therefore, the solution to this issue of academic performance is bettering the education system in poverty stricken areas. If all racial and economic groups had access to equal educational opportunities, then they would all have the same capability to succeed in university admissions, given they are determined to do so. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† Unfortunately, Dr. King’s dream has not yet come true, since African Americans are still judged (whether it be positively or negatively is beside the point) on the basis of their skin color when it comes to college admissions.

Nutrition for Lean Muscle :: Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As important as it is to exercise, it may be even more important to watch what you eat. It is not so much of what you eat, but how much you eat, when you eat, and how often you eat. If you eat low in calorie snacks between meals, you will not be as hungry during normal meals, causing you to eat less then you would have without the snacks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eating five or six smaller meals a day, rather than three large meals, is said to increase your metabolism. An increase in metabolism should help you burn calories when you are exercising. A small meal may be a bowl of whole-wheat cereal with one percent milk for breakfast. For a mid morning meal, you could have a cup of cottage cheese. Your whole day continues like this, with small, yet healthy meals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem with low protein, low calorie, low fat, low anything diets is that when you are working out, or even performing everyday activities, your body does not have anything to get energy from in order to burn off fat. Foods that are high in protein or calories give your body energy, which is important if you are trying to increase your metabolism. Smoking and drinking don’t help if you are trying to lose weight because they make your body hungry, one because you are not aware of how much you are eating, or two because your blood pressure and pulse increase, and they too need nutrition to keep them down.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you are careful about what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat, your muscles should become healthy and lean. It is also important to note that skipping meals does not help you loose weight, but gain weight, because when your body does get food it stores it as fat because it does not know when you ate going to eat again.

The Difference Between Benjamin Franklin and Phyllis Wheatley

In the 18th century, the British colonies that would eventually become the United States of America contained a wide variety of types of people. America really was a â€Å"New World.† It had not really completely invented itself yet. As a result, there were a wide variety of types of people living in the British American colonies. Benjamin Franklin and Phyllis Wheatley are two examples of Colonialists in America with markedly different backgrounds, lives, and gender and those differences are reflected in what they wrote. Phyllis Wheatley was kidnapped as a child from Africa and sold to a family in Massachusetts. This family recognized her abilities and educated her. Phyllis Wheatley wrote poetry that reflected her refined upbringing in Massachusetts. Benjamin Franklin, on the other hand, essentially ran away from home at the age of 15 and made his own way. He came from a more working-class family. One thing that these very different two people have in common, however, is that they rose from humble beginnings to accomplish things that are still highly regarded today. Wheatley's poetry demonstrates that she must have received a classical education. The language she uses is elaborate and full of symbolism. They reflect high degrees of optimism and idealism. One example of such a poem by Wheatley is â€Å"On Imagination.† In the poem, Wheatley uses metaphor to think of imagination as an â€Å"imperial queen.† In language that would be considered artificial and stilted today, she writes, â€Å"Thy wond'drous acts in beauteous order stand†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The flowery and exalted language compare sharply with Benjamin Franklin's style of writing, which was much more practical and down-to-earth. Much of Franklin's writing was completely practical in nature. In â€Å"Poor Richard's Almanac† he provided information people needed at the time in their everyday lives. He wrote pithy columns for daily or weekly publications about issues that affected people right then. Franklin was a practical man, and although he displayed tremendous imagination, he put it to practical use. While Wheatley was writing about â€Å"Th' empyreal palace of the thund'ring God.† Franklin debated the merits of being married vs. taking an older woman as a mistress. These differences are to be expected. In the 18th century, genteel women – and Wheatley was raised as a genteel woman even though she started her life in America as a slave – did not concern themselves with the practical realities of life. The differences in their writing highlight the fact that although they both grew above their position at birth, Franklin was able to elevate himself more than Wheatley could. Part of this difference undoubtedly lies in their racial differences, and part of it their gender differences. Franklin was an active inventor, a highly imaginative use of creativity. He invented bifocals, a development that resulted in dramatic changes in the manufacture of eyeglasses. He invented the Franklin Stove. Homes were often heated by fireplaces during that time, and only one side of a fireplace released heat into the room. The Franklin Stove stands in the room and is not built into the wall. The result is that heat is released from all sides, providing more heat for the home. While Franklin's work was largely practical, sometimes he applied imagination to life simply out of curiosity. He devised his experiment with a kite and a key because he was curious about lightning, not because he was looking for some way to harness lightning and use It in some practical way. But even then his approach was simple and concrete. He wrote no flowery poem extolling the wonders of lightning after he finished his experiment. It seems likely that if a woman had taken a kite, tied a key to the string and flown the kite in a thunderstorm, people might have thought she had gone mad. The differences between Franklin's and Wheatley's writing may reflect a difference in formal education. Wheatley must have had a formal, classical education to write in the style she did. Her poetry includes references to Greek mythology. We know that Franklin had little formal education. During the 18th century this did not have to interfere with advancement and a high level of education was not required for most jobs. As a printer, it seems likely that skill with his hands would be at least as important as the ability to read and write, skills Franklin clearly developed. But since he was apprenticed to his brother at age 12 and fled to Philadelphia when he was 15 it seems very unlikely that he had an opportunity to study Greek myths. Franklin advanced himself by developing skills that had real market value. He became a very good printer and actually created a franchise for his skills. His writings were widely read. He had a trade, he was very good at it, and because of that he could support himself and his wife well. His wife helped. She ran the store they owned. But she did not start businesses on her own, and while she was certainly entitled to share in her husband's wealth, she would have had a very hard time accomplishing what he accomplished on her own. For instance, Franklin began his first real successful printing enterprise by getting a loan. It seems unlikely that such a loan would have been given to his wife. Wheatley, of course, had the added obstacle of being Black. Interestingly, it appears that being Black was not much of an obstacle for Wheatley, given the times in which she lived. She still received an outstanding education. Instead, the differences between Franklin and Wheatley may be more one of class. Wheatley's poetry suggests an upper class education, whereas Franklin's life and writing suggests a much closer connection to the common man. It also appears that Wheatley was very religious. This is revealed in another of her poems, where she expresses thanks for being brought to America as a slave, because it brought her to Christianity. However, her religious beliefs go well beyond the simple concept of salvation. In â€Å"On Imagination,† she views imagination as God's residence, and writes, â€Å"From star to star the mental optics rove, measure the skies, There in one view we grasp the mighty whole, or with new worlds amaze th' unbounded soul.† She sees God in everything she views, and grasps the enormity of creation. By comparison, Franklin talks about religion in practical terms. In his letter â€Å"Advice on the Choice of a Mistress,† he says that taking an older woman for a mistress is less of a sin than â€Å"debauching a Virgin.† While he mentions sin, most of his letter witty and clever but completely ignores the issue of whether taking a mistress is against God's law or not. His argument is moral: don't ruin a young girls' life just because you don't want to marry – it's not necessary. Franklin wrote directly, and without metaphor, especially the extended ones Wheatley was fond of. He used short sentences that got right to the point, such as â€Å"A stitch in time saves nine.† Wheatley, however, wrote more elaborate expressions. When she admired the paintings of a young African-American, she wrote a 34-line using iambic pentameter – the same meter often chosen by Shakespeare. However, although we know from reading her poem that she admired the paintings, we don't get any clear image of what the painting might have looked like. She spends a good part of the poem in good wishes for the poet: â€Å"Still may the paint's and the poet's fire to aid thy pencil, and thy verse conspire~ And may the charms of each seraphic theme Conduct they footsteps to immortal fame!† By comparison, Franklin gives very specific and practical advice to his friend who does not wish to marry, including 8 reasons he should take an older mistress if he does not marry, including the final one: â€Å"and lastly. They are so grateful!!!† Such earthy humor is not present in the poems of Wheatley's examined here. He also gives humorous advice such as to cover the upper torso of an older lover with a basket, because the head and upper body suffer the ravages of age first. Even when giving intensely personal advice, Franklin is practical as well as entertaining. Franklin seems to enjoy bawdy humor based on this example. However, it should be noted that Franklin may not have intended this letter to be published and may have written in a less graphic style for public consumption. Benjamin Franklin lived a remarkable life. He was apprenticed to his older brother and worked hard for him, only to make his brother jealous of Benjamin's abilities. Benjamin managed to keep his brother's paper operational while the brother was in jail for expressing his beliefs, and wrote a column for it anonymously, slipping his work under the door at night. When he finally revealed to his brother that he was â€Å"Silence Dogood,† his brother only scolded him. Defying the norms of the day, he ran away at age 15. He arrived penniless in Philadelphia but not only created his own fortune, but won the hand of the young woman who first saw him when he arrived in Philadelphia looking quite disreputable. He then parlayed one success into the next, ended up a leader in the emerging new country, and served as the new country's ambassador to France. Franklin seems to have succeeded at everything he attempted to do. With almost no education, he became a famous writer, a founding father of what became a great nation, and an ambassador. He had no advantage of class; upper class youth were educated and not apprenticed to a trade. He seems to have had a talent for recognizing opportunity when it was presented to him, because running away was illegal. Such an action could have begun a serious downward spiral. Instead it was the start of the first of many opportunities Franklin created for himself. Along the way he developed concern for the common good. He organized Philadelphia's first hospital and first fire department. Wheatley's circumstances were quite different. Kidnapped and brought to the U. S. as a slave, she was fortunate to be purchased by a family that educated her. However, she could not have had the opportunities to create her own fortune as Franklin did, both because she was female and because she was Black. One has to wonder how Phyllis Wheatley fit into Massachusetts society as an adult. It would have been difficult for her to find an African-American husband who had her level of education. It just have been quite a shock to many to discover that the beautiful, elaborate poetry had been written by a former slave. It would have been very difficult for her to get a college education. Perhaps she could have been a teacher, maybe for African-American children, but genteel women of the time were not brought up to have some kind of career or trade. That was the province of young men such as Benjamin Franklin. Still, both Franklin and Wheatley seem to have made the best they could of their circumstances. Franklin had an uncanny knack for business and understood the printing trade very well. It probably helped him that he entered this field just as being able to communicate with people via the printed word was going to become very important. The printed word played an important role in rallying colonists around the cause of separating from Great Britain. In spite of what must have been very restrictive circumstances, Wheatley found the perfect outlet for her education, language abilities and intellectual skills in her ornate poetry. In this way, both Franklin epitomized the United States during the 18th century, because for people with talent and determination, America truly was a land of opportunity.