Quest For Literary Form The Greeks Believed That The...

Quest for literary form The Greeks believed that the tragedy was the greatest form of drama, and Aristotle’s concept of tragedy followed this belief. In the modern times, there has been a change in this view with various authors abandoning the classical form to follow more liberal forms of literacy. (Kennedy Gioia, Pp. 1203) Aristotle s Concept of Tragedy The analysis of Aristotle on tragedy formed the guideline for later poets in the Western civilization. Aristotle defined tragedy as â€Å"the simulation of actions that are stern, containing magnitudes, comprehensive in itself in a suitable and gratifying language in a dramatic system. It contains occurrences that stimulate pity and distress to achieve a catharsis of these feelings.† (Kennedy Gioia, Pp. 1203) Therefore, in poetry, Aristotle relates tragedy to some other metrical forms such as comedy and epic. Aristotle concludes that the tragedy just like all poetry is an arrangement of simulation, but it has serious determination and uses straight action rather than the description to obtain its purpose. He states that the imitation in poetry is the simulation of things as they ought to be and not as they are. (Kennedy Gioia, Pp. 1204) The object of tragedy is the result into catharsis of the audiences; this arouses in the audiences the feelings of pity and anxiety. Further, the object of tragedy at the end of the drama is to eliminate these feelings inShow MoreRelatedHedda Gabler - a Tragic Hero? Essay1256 Words   |  6 PagesWhat makes a play a tragedy? Generally defined, a Greek tragedy is â€Å"a drama of a serious and dignified character that typically describes the development of a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (such as destiny, cir cumstance or society) and reaches a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion† (Merriam). The themes of the literary piece revolve around the main character and their actions, reactions, emotions and sufferings. This main figure is the tragic hero, who also acts as the play’sRead MoreFaustus Tragedy2251 Words   |  10 PagesDiscuss Dr. Faustus as a tragedy Dr. Faustus is a tragedy because the main character falls as a victim of his own circumstances, and is a victim of himself. He is a man with all the potential and possibilities to be successful. He is a Renaissance man who is versed in every aspect of science, philosophy, the arts, education, and genius, yet, he utilizes his energy and wit into absolutely nonsense and unnecessary goals, such as his obsession to be a magician, and his ridiculous fixation for power:Read MoreEssay about Ben Johnson and William Shakespeare 1275 Words   |  6 Pagesimpact the literary world in different ways. Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare had different experiences in life, styles of writing but both would leave a lasting mark on the literary world. Ben Jonsons life was filled with tragic events. The death of his father before he was born, the loss of his inheritance because of the reign of Mary Tudor, barely escaping a death sentence, and the loss of his sons and daughters life were tragic events that shaped the man. Despite the tragedies there wereRead MoreGreek Mythology8088 Words   |  33 PagesGreek  Mythology   I   INTRODUCTION   Temple  of  Apollo  at  Didyma   The  Greeks  built  the  Temple  of  Apollo  at  Didyma,  Turkey  (about  300  bc).  The  temple  supposedly  housed  an  oracle   who  foretold  the  future  to  those  seeking  knowledge.  The  predictions  of  the  oracles,  delivered  in  the  form  of  riddles,   often  brought  unexpected  results  to  the  seeker.  With  Ionic  columns  reaching  19.5  m  (64  ft)  high,  these  ruins   suggest  the  former  grandeur  of  the  ancient  temple.   Bernard  Cox/Bridgeman  Art  Library,  London/New  York   Read MoreConcept of Beauty According to the Western Philosophers4706 Words   |  19 Pageshave had some love for the arts, because he talks about them often, and his remarks show that he paid close attention to what he saw and heard. He was also a fine literary stylist and a great story-teller; in fact he is said to have been a poet before he encountered Socrates and became a philosopher. Some of his dialogues are real literary masterpieces. On the other hand, he found the arts threatening. He proposed sending the poets and playwrights out of his ideal Republic, or at least censoring whatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Speech Praise Of Eros On Plato Symposium1785 Words   |  8 Pages Jose A. Nunez Introduction to Philosophy 1113 Professor Dr. Sarah Woolvine March 23rd, 2015. Tittle: Analysis of Speeches Given in Praise of Eros on Plato’ Symposium Among the ancient Greek philosophers, Plato was one of the greatest. Known for his remarkable philosophical works, Plato was born into a very prominent Athenian family, and he was expected to have a proliferous political career, but the political scene at that time made Plato devote himself instead to his philosophicalRead MoreModernist Elements in the Hollow Men7051 Words   |  29 PagesMen (95-98). The end of The Hollow Men can only be the beginning of a deep and long reflection for thoughtful readers. T.S. Eliot, who always believed that in his end is his beginning, died and left his verse full of hidden messages to be understood, and codes to be deciphered. It is this complexity, which is at the heart of modernism as a literary movement, that makes of Eliot’s poetry very typically modernist. As Ezra Pound once famously stated, Eliot truly did â€Å"modernize himself†. AlthoughRead Moreâ€Å"the Spirit of Renaissance and Elizabethan Era†5448 Words   |  22 Pages Third, some of the noblest ideals of the period were best expressed by the movement known as Humanism. Fourth, and connected to Humanist ideals, was the literary doctrine of imitation, important for its ideas about how literary works should be created. Finally, what later probably became an even more far-reaching influence, both on literary creation and on modern life in general, was the re ligious movement known as the Reformation. Renaissance thinkers strongly associated themselves withRead MoreEssay on Tragic Flaws in Oedipus the King3561 Words   |  15 PagesOedipus the King, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy, presents tragic flaw(s) as the cause of   the near-total destruction of the life of the protagonist. This essay examines that flaw. In his essay â€Å"Sophoclean Tragedy† Friedrich Nietzsche agrees that there is an â€Å"error† within the protagonist, but refrains from specifying exactly what it is: The most pathetic figure of the Greek theatre, the unfortunate Oedipus, Sophocles takes to be a noble man called to error and alienation in spite ofRead More Mythology in Oedipus Rex Essays3980 Words   |  16 Pageshave been, who naturally did and suffered what the tales say they did and suffered?† That was his method of analysis (38).    The Greek Sophoclean tragedy Oedipus Rex is based on a myth from the Homeric epic Odysseus. With his tragic flaw the protagonist, Oedipus, lives out the main episodes of the Homeric myth.    In his essay â€Å"Sophoclean Tragedy† Friedrich Nietzsche searches out the mythology in this drama, and finds that the story originates in Persia:    Oedipus who murders

Chapter 12 Is That A Symbol - 1083 Words

Chapter 12: Is That A Symbol? Accepting the fact that something is a symbol is easy. However, finding out what it means or what it stands for. Symbols can interpret more than one thing, we can only discuss possible meanings and interpretations. Symbols are not only built on associations readers have, but also on emotional reactions which captures the reader emotionally. f it isn’t symbolism, its allegory, which stands for other things on a one-for-one basis that convey a certain message. The cave is a symbol of secrets and mysteries represents mainly by how the reader engages the story. Keys: We want symbols to mean something, something for all of us Allegory fails if there is obscurity between the i) emblem, ii) the figurative construct. iii) the thing it really represents The message is usually hidden, the reader must find it out by themselves Symbols do not work neatly Actions can be symbolic Chapter 13: It’s All Political If literature isn’t Shakespearean or biblical, it is political. Foster wrote this chapter to convey to the readers that almost every story is inspired by the political problems that is around the writer. For example, a very old, and popular story, â€Å"The Christmas Carol.† Foster claims that the tale was really an attack to a widely taken political belief at the time. There are two different types of political writing. One is â€Å"I hate â€Å"political† writing,† this is the type that Foster dislikes because of their â€Å"primary intents to influence theShow MoreRelatedSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter By Nathanial Hawthorne881 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism is the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature. There are many symbols throughout Nathanial Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. The characters and many different things throughout the book are all symbolic, but the main symbol in the novel is the letter â €Å"A† on Hester Prynne’s gown. Not only are there many symbols throughout the novel, but the letter â€Å"A† has many different representations of itself such as, adultery, which is the main symbol for the â€Å"A,† her abilityRead MoreDesign And Fpga Implementation Of Ofdm Synchronization1254 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 5 Design and FPGA Implementation of OFDM Synchronization The channel estimation technique proposed in Chapter 4 is based on the assumption that the coherent reception is perfect. That is, the system synchronization is perfectly implemented. Synchronization is one of the most challenging and important tasks to any receiver using coherent modulation, especially for OFDM systems which are highly sensitive to synchronization errors. This chapter proposes a synchronizer based upon the delayRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Of And It Gon Na Hurt You 1203 Words   |  5 PagesMrs. Jones English 101 28 August 2015 Chapter Analysis of How to Read Literature like a Professor (chapters 11-15, 18-27) Chapter 11 - ...More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence The main objective of this chapter is to describe violence and its purpose in a literary work. In this chapter, the author speaks of violence and the two kinds of violence which are the specific injury and the narrative violence. Violence can be described as symbolic, thematic, biblical, Shakespearean, romanticRead MoreEssay about How to Read Literature Like a Professor1562 Words   |  7 PagesHow to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster Chapter Reflections Introduction: How’d He Do That? * How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How does the recognition of patterns make it easier to read complicated literature? Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work was enhanced by understanding symbol or pattern. * When reading literature: memory, symbol, and pattern help you understand the text better. If you don’t comprehendRead MoreNotes On Reading Literature Like A Professor Log1286 Words   |  6 PagesRead Literature Like a Professor Log Chapter 1: Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not) From this chapter, In learned that the truth behind all quests is to find self-knowledge. Most of the time, the people on the quest are young and inexperienced, but by the end of their adventure, they’ve found their niche, and completed their mission. There is always a quester, a place to go, a reason to go, challenges and trials en route, and the real reason to go. Chapter 2: Nice to Eat with You: Acts of CommunionRead MoreThemes And Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne705 Words   |  3 PagesIn most novels, symbols are introduced to the readers often through prevalent attributes. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many people, places, and objects that hold a more complex meaning than it’s shown to be. This novel, containing shame, secrets, and ultimately retribution is shown with many characters and situations. These symbolic ideas are used throughout The Scarlet Letter to bring deep connections between the characters and the story. The symbols usually appear toRead MoreThe Color Purple Chapter 11267 Words   |  6 PagesKim Magtibay Mrs. Gregory AP Literature and Composition 21 August 2017 Summer Reading Assignment The Color Purple Ch. 1 â€Å"Every Trip is a Quest† In this chapter, Foster addresses the five elements of a quest: a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, some challenges and trials on the way, and a real reason to go there. At the end of the quest, the questers learn that the real reason is always for self knowledge and self growth. Celie, the protagonist, struggles to find happiness and comfortRead MoreSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne923 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism is a common approach used in writing, but it is not to be taken for its exact connotation. In literature, the symbol can be a person, item, circumstance, or action that has a more profound significance in the writing. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are four main symbols that the reader would notice. The symbols include, the colors red and black, the meteor, Pearl, and the scarlet letter itself. Hawthorne uses symbolism in the novel to communicate his message. In thisRead MoreImplementing Android Based Application For Attendance Management System For Colleges994 Words   |  4 Pages DFD LEVEL 0 7 3. DFD LEVEL 1 7 4. DFD LEVEL 2 9 5. USE-CASE DIAGRAM 10 6. SEQUENCE DIAGRAM 11 7. ACTIVITY DIAGRAM 12 LIST OF SYMBOLS, ABBREVIATIONS AND NOMENCLATURE End1 End2 End association Actor1 Actor User System Boundary Action state Control flowRead MoreThe Significance of the Title To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1095 Words   |  5 PagesThe Significance of the Title To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee In this novel the most significant symbol is the mocking bird. A mocking bird is a type of Finch: a small, discrete bird with a beautiful song, which mocks or imitates the other birds song. One of the most explicit references made about mocking birds is that in chapter 10. Atticus is telling Scout and Jem how top use their shotguns for the first time, he says, Shoot all the bluejays you want, if

Mkt for Cafe de Coral free essay sample

This report will discuss the marketing plan of Cafe de Coral. This report will have four major components namely marketing strategy, coordination of the marketing mix, action plan, and control. Under the marketing strategy are the four essential elements of the marketing mix such as product, pricing, place, and promotion, each of which will include a detailed discussion on the relevant strategies. Cafe de Coral is the leading fast food brand in Hong Kong. With its average of 300,000 consumers being served daily, Cafe de Coral is undoubtedly the undisputed leading fast food restaurant in Hong Kong. The company attributes its becoming the most successful fast food brand in Hong Kong to its broad experience from being a part of the food and catering industry for 34 years. Since Cafe de Coral has been in the business for such a long time, its proven experience has made Cafe de Coral one of leading companies in Asia. Cafe de Coral is a fast food enterprise that is becoming more and more global. Since Cafe de Coral is the largest restaurant chain throughout the world, it is not surprising that Cafe de Coral is listed in the Hong Kong stock exchange. Cafe de Coral has various business operations and has even managed global expansion. The major business operations of Cafe de Coral include fast food restaurants, institutional catering, specialty restaurants, food manufacturing and distribution, and other international food and beverage enterprises. Since the loyal consumers of fast food restaurants are developing perceptions of fast food outlets because of communicating with other consumers, being exposed to promotions and advertising campaigns, and personally experiencing fast food service in the past, and other sources, international fast food consumption is increasingly becoming popular in the market. In the food service business, it is recognised that marketing strategies should understand the perceptions and preferences of the consumers for quick service restaurants and how these vary across segments. Marketing Strategy With the wide variety of fast food restaurants, the promotional campaigns of Cafe de Coral must develop a perception among people that Cafe de Coral are the best fast food restaurants in Hong Kong and in other countries. The positioning of Cafe de Coral can be enhanced and changed by means of careful and selective promotional campaigns. Cafe de Coral serves various fast foods, mostly served sizzling on a single-serving iron skillet. Cafe de Coral restaurants are fast food versions of favourite Chinese dishes served mostly in high-end restaurants and luxurious hotels. This seems to be though for a fast food chain like Cafe de Coral. On the other hand, technological developments have provided numerous opportunities for the food retailing industry in Hong Kong and elsewhere. Having said this, there is no reason for Cafe de Coral not to consider technology in its marketing efforts. Since the goal is to commercially diversify the market, Cafe de Coral should integrate social network advertising to increase its web presence. There are many ways by which Cafe de Coral may be able to utilize social media marketing in its operation. This may be a marketing strategy that could be launched in 2013 and beyond. Cafe de Coral has to communicate with the different markets that they operate in, inside and outside Hong Kong. Again, the operation is geographically disseminated that it would be impracticable for the business to do such at the individual level. Social marketing medium can therefore provide consumers with more insight about the business while also engaging them in the contents of the site. Cafe de Coral can easily target large portion of the consumer market through social networking sites. The plan is to create value for the consumers through communicating with them through the social networking medium. Social media is considered as new-age platforms where connecting, sharing, communicating, and building relationships are possible. Social media constantly evolves, and it now includes blog and social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Capitalizing on the marketing capabilities of the social media is the current wave. These platforms emerged as the leading and the most cost-effective way of promoting brands, leading to greater brand awareness by means of word-of-mouth marketing among others. There will be two components that will be integrated for social networking marketing namely loyalty programme and coupons and discounts. To illustrate: Product strategy Cafe de Coral offers various food selections. The menu of Cafe de Coral is especially designed in order to meet the tastes and budgets of the onsumers. With its 100 items on the menu, Cafe de Coral indeed has a lot to offer. This wide range of food options is made for consumers looking for best-tasting food at affordable prices that comes with an enjoyable dining experience. The food items included on the menu are rotated on a regular basis so that the consumers would have various choices. The standard menus vary from Western cuisine to traditional Chinese dishe s. Cafe de Coral also introduces new products to their consumers regularly. Through social network marketing, new products will be launched to the public. Information on the new food products will be made public through the different social networking mediums. There are two ways by which the social media presence will be utilized. First is through online advertising and promotion including letting the consumers know of daily specials and meal packages and purchasing them through their loyalty cards. Second is through product value by letting the consumers the access to downloadable coupons and discounts by just visiting, liking, and interacting with others on the social networks. Cafe de Coral shall have a branding strategy that focuses on the emotion. This can be coupled with an exclusive loyalty programme. Issuing of loyalty cards could become a structured marketing initiative for Cafe de Coral which aims are rewarding and encouraging the Hong Kong consumers to do repeat purchases. The loyalty card will function as a credit and debit card as well as. People cannot underestimate the power of loyalty cards especially for the affluent consumers who would want to become ethical shoppers as well. Some consumers are not making a purchase for the sole purpose of purchasing. Sometimes, they purchase because of the advocacy behind such purchase. Cafe de Coral may au am at advocacy programmes including fundraising for a special cause. Pricing strategy At this point in time, the pricing strategy of Cafe de Coral is well-received by the food savvy public in Hong Kong, but of course, coupons and discounts will be welcome. In this way, Cafe de Coral can consider a dynamic pricing strategy which Strauss and Frost (1999) noted as a way of diversifying the prices offered for the consumers. That is, the prices of the products can be offered at a lower price when they are loyalty card holders. The same goes if they have downloaded coupons and present them upon purchasing their order where discounted prices will be offered. Nagle and Holden (2000) said that price sensitivity will move along with the changing value effects of the products. This is more so when substitute to the products are known to the consumers. Cafe de Coral is at an advantage since the food products offered are relatively unique wherein there are little substitute to the wide range of products offered by Cafe de Coral. Basically, Cafe de Coral is currently price inelastic, resulting to not having to change prices due to the fluctuating demand. Prices of the new products will be made public through the social networking sites. Discounts will be offered at a specified period of time so that the Hong Kong consumers will be able to taste the new products at a lower launching price. There will be price- and discount-related campaigns like receiving 20% discount coupons for the first 100 visitors and likers of a Facebook campaign, for instance. Place strategy All of the Cafe de Coral restaurants are strategically located. This is done so in order to be easily accessible for its target markets and attract new consumers. Cafe de Coral restaurants can be found in various mixed use districts, business cores, shopping centres, industrial areas (public and private), and housing estates. The modern design and warm ambiance of the restaurants encourage the consumers to come back and attract new consumers. Thus, Cafe de Coral serves as a favourite meeting place for many people. Basically, Cafe de Coral’s social networking profiles will be the new distribution channel. The Internet will be the place where facilitation of purchase of products will take place. With the use of social networking sites at Cafe de Coral’s disposal, it will have greater capabilities of encouraging the locals to try out new meal offerings and to a wider audience. Promotion strategy Cafe de Coral has been committed to Achieving a Hundred Points of Excellence. This catch phrase is now commonly heard from and used by people. Effective advertising campaigns are launched continuously as a part of the on-going campaign of Cafe de Coral to strengthen the Brand. Through these advertisement campaigns, the brand image of Cafe de Coral has been further improved because the campaigns have resulted in the positioning of Cafe de Coral as not only the place for best tasting and affordable food but as a popular meeting place of different people as well. With respect to social networking marketing, there are specific issues that Cafe de Coral will have to deal with, and these points to creating awareness about the social networking presence, loyalty programme, and downloadable discounts and coupons. There should be offline and online strategies. Offline promotional strategies will include different suggestive navigational tools. Some of these are â€Å"Visit Cafe de Coral’s Facebook/Twitter/Youtube page for more details†¦. † or â€Å"Check out our Facebook/Twitter/Youtube page for more information†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In this way, the consumers will be encouraged to visit and explore the web presence of the firm. Another way of showing potential consumers with the new products at Cafe de Coral is through using direct marketing. Utilisation of virtual portals like train stations, sides of the buses, airport walls and hallways, and leisure parks and gyms must be apparent, announcing the web presence and how to avail the loyalty cards unique to Cafe de Coral as well as coupons and discounts. There are several online promotional strategies that can be utilised in creating consumer awareness. Generating leads and sending potential consumers with direct mails are advisable. Cafe de Coral may easily generate a response through this strategy. The second is through hiring Internet spaces. The third is through online collaborations or by teaming up with the affiliated companies like hotels. Coordination of 4Ps Understanding how the 4Ps interact would be very helpful for fast food restaurants in terms of targeting different segments for promoting fast food and enhancing or changing the perceptions of the consumers. This would result in a higher consumer demand for fast food restaurants. The marketing strategies of Cafe de Coral should reflect a sound understanding of the perceptions of the consumers for fast food restaurants. According to Parry (2004), strategic marketing management is a process that is driven by various fundamental decisions involving the synergism between the product, price, place, and promotion strategies unique to a business like Cafe de Coral. Cafe de Coral must know what matters and what might matter to potential consumers. Perhaps, one of this could be savings considering the very unstable economic conditions. Also, of those things that matter to the potential consumers, which Cafe de Coral should focus? Of course, the locals favour high quality foods and dining at an affordable price, and in accessible places. The social networking marketing strategy therefore can be considered as Cafe de Coral’s way of retaining the market more so because Hong Kong is increasingly becoming a breeding ground for new restaurants and with new concepts and themes. This strategy, including the loyalty programme and downloadable coupons and discounts, will definitely lead to the improvements of the performance and sustenance of the sales and profits. The marketing mix forms part of the relationship building that Cafe de Coral should strive at. Gummeson (2004) said that the strategy will contribute to the return on relationships in the long run wherein the foundation is the establishment and maintenance of consumer relationships at the individual level. The strategy could also mean the changing and complications needs for information, which should come handy. Cafe de Coral invests on its products, processes, and people, offering them at the highest possible quality level. The coordination of these factors is the one delivering value through relation-based sales hence this is the element that will make a difference for Cafe de Coral. The goal is through social media marketing Cafe de Coral would be able to build relationships with the right customers with the right products, with the right prices, at the right places, and through the right channels. Action Plan The action plan for the social marketing strategy will be divided into two phases. The first is through creating the social media presence and second is through promoting the social media presence. Spontaneously, the loyalty programme will be detailed and the downloadable coupons and discounts will be carefully planned. The social media presence will provide information to the consuming locals. It will also have an indirect commercial function since transactions will not be made through the sites, but the sites will have downloadable coupons and discounts that can be directly used when they purchase at any Cafe de Coral store. It would be best for Cafe de Coral to hire an expert on social media marketing. Social media marketing experts will develop highly customized social media marketing campaigns for Cafe de Coral encompassing different social media channels. The experts will devise the social media marketing plan after a thorough business needs assessment of Cafe de Coral. This will be followed by implementing the social media marketing strategies in lieu with the results of the assessment. This can result in highly targeted market that will have retained interest in the brand. In the second phase, word of mouth is the most effective way to promote the social media presence. However, Cafe de Coral will utilise various website promotional strategies as noted above. Budget Since the objective of having a social media presence is long-term, free online social media marketing services must be avoided. While the creation of social media presence is free of charge, hiring an expert to do that for the firm and maintaining the social presence may be costly. However, Cafe de Coral will not spend more than HK$50,000 for such on a yearly basis, so this should be a conservative estimate. Implementation The first phase of the action plan will take about 3 months – 1 month for the actual creation of the social media presence and 2 months for pilot testing, analysing, and implementing it. After the social media presence has been launched, it can now be promoted through the activities discussed.

What is social work and why do we need it free essay sample

To clearly define what social work is can be difficult due to the diversity of the profession. The reasons we need social work are a little easier to identify. Through examination of current literature, this paper examines what social work is and why we need social work Often when we meet someone new the first question they ask is â€Å"what do you do for a living? † This question of what we do appears to be something that, in many ways, defines us as a person. When the question of what we do is answered with â€Å"I am a social worker† it tends to lead to additional questions such as â€Å"what is a social worker? † or â€Å"what does a social worker do? † Through examination of some of the current literature on the topic of social work, this paper will seek to answer the question â€Å"what is social work and why do we need it? † The question â€Å"what is social work? † should be an easy one to answer. We will write a custom essay sample on What is social work and why do we need it or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The definition of social work is readily available from The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) who defines social work as: â€Å"The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviours and social systems, social work intervenes at the point where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work† (IFSW, 2012). But what does that really mean? In order to fully understand what social work is, first we need to examine social works origins (Skehill, 2007). According to Mendes (2010), understanding the history of social work is an important aspect in developing social works identity. Social works origins can be traced back to early 1800’s to a group known as the ‘Friendly Visitors’ (Chenoweth McAuliffe, 2012). The Friendly Visitors would go and visit poor and needy families and assess them and then attempt to help them. The Charity Organization Society (COS) was the next step in social works historical development, again focused on individuals needs (Chenoweth McAuliffe, 2012). The Settlement Movement followed the COS and this was where a split began to form in the role of social work, one which can easily be seen today (Hugman, 2009). According to Hugman (2009), The Settlement Movement took a more structured approach to people’s problems and looked working more on a community level. This approach is classed by Hugman (2009) as a macro-level approach, one which differs from the more individualistic approach which is categorized as a micro-level approach. According to Sandu (2010), many American and European social workers in the early 20th century started to believe that individual treatment was pointless if not done in conjunction with larger social issues which addressed social policy and change on a larger level. Social work has evolved since its beginnings. According to Hugman (2009), social work has constantly been plagued with disagreement regarding its true identity. From a very individualistic focus during its beginnings, social work appears to have split into two parts. Social work can focus on the individual, seeking to use a therapeutic approach to help the individual, or focus on larger social objectives, such as social justice and human rights. Payne (2005) believes that the nature of social work can be divided into three areas, the Reflective-therapeutic approach, the Individualist-reformist approach and the Socialist-collectivist approach. Both the Reflective-therapeutic approach and the Individualist-reformist approach focus more on individual change while the Socialist-collectivist approach focuses on larger social systems (Payne, 2005). While both approaches are essential aspects of social work Chu, Tsui and Yan (2009) believe the pursuit of social justice must be balanced with individual well being. Hudson (1997) believes that this duel focus on both the individual and society as a whole has allowed social work to draw information from other human services professions such as psychology and sociology and while this sees some overlap between different human services professions, it has also allowed social work to develop its own identity. This divide between micro and macro approaches to social work makes it difficult to clearly define exactly what social work is. The definition of what social work is appears to be very much dependent upon the individual social workers approach to social work as a whole and their practice framework, which helps them define exactly what social work is. However, there are a few key principals which all social workers would agree upon. According to Chu, Tsui and Yan (2009), the principals of human rights and social justice are regarded by social workers as fundamental elements of social work. The ultimate goal of social work is to help people solve their problems while at the same time retaining their dignity (Chu, Tsui Yan, 2009). That is what social work ultimately is, helping people with their problems, while at the same time helping them hold onto their dignity. But why is social work needed? The social work profession finds itself in a unique position. The very thing which makes it so difficult to define, the conflicting views between individual work and larger social issues are the very thing which explains why we need social work. Social workers can work with individuals, families, groups and communities. They can work on change and update to social policy, research as well as education and training (Chenoweth McAuliffe, 2012). Having such a massive domain to cover allows social workers to experience what changes are actually needed. Social workers ability to look at both the micro level and the macro level allow them the unique opportunity to see the things that need to be changed on an individual level and try to make those changes required on a macro level. Very few other professions have this ability. Some focus on individual change, some focus on social policy, law and human rights, but few if any have the ability to do both. Society needs social workers because there will always be people in need, people who are less fortunate than others. Those people need a voice, they need advocates and social work offers some level of hope to the less fortunate. To clearly define what social work is can be difficult due to the diversity of the profession. The reasons we need social work are a little easier to identify. Through examination of current literature, this paper has briefly examined what social work is and why we need social work.