Saturday, December 28, 2019

Journal Article Review - Global Strategy An Organising Framework - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2090 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Journal article review Introduction: This review critiques and analyses the article à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Global Strategy: An Organizing Frameworkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, written by Sumantra Ghoshal, which appeared in the journal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Strategic Management Journalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (vol 8, 425-440), published in 1987. This review will begin by summarising the article. It will then briefly analyse the effectiveness of the article based on how it was structured à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" investigating how the information is set out and whether the readers can access it effectively and with ease. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Journal Article Review Global Strategy: An Organising Framework" essay for you Create order And finally the article will be critiqued based upon its authority and accuracy, and how current and relevant the information presented is. The review will also analyse any graphs and tables before finally judging the articleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s accessibility and credibility. The central theme of the paper is to present a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"conceptual framework encompassing a range of different issues relevant to global strategiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. The framework provides a foundation for organising the existing and the growing literature on international competition and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"creating a map of the fieldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. This article can be used for both teaching and future research, but more importantly this article is most beneficial for manager of multinational corporation. Which is aimed at providing then with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"relating and synthesizing the different perspectives and prescriptions that are currently available for global strategic managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. The writer has reviewed Global Strategy in an unbiased way by presenting both the positive and negative consequences and views of each concept within the framework. Overall the article is presented clearly, well written and fluent, as is it relevant to the topic. Summary: The purpose of this paper is to provide an organising framework which could possibly help managers of multinational corporations (MNCs) and/or academics in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"formulating the various issues that arise in global strategic managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. This article serves as a basis for organising existing literature on the topic of global strategy. This is a result of corporate objectives being multidimensional and quite often seen to be mutually contradictory, thus causing difficulty for both researchers and practitioners to deal with the rich literature on global strategies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Actions to achieve a particular objective often impede another equally important objectiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ ž ¢ (Ghoshal, 1987). The article begins by presenting the multiple arrays of perspectives and prescription that are created by various other writers in the field. He explains that the difference between authors and their views on global strategy and how to manage them are not limited. He gives a brief insight into the views of 4 different authors and how on various occasions these views may contradict each other yet none of these can be truly criticised. Therefore this framework provides the key strategic objectives of MNCs and the tools that one is required to posses in order to achieve them from an range of different writers. He continues most of this article referencing back to these other authors to support his views. The article further goes onto explaining how this integrated analysis of different means and ends are more helpful than a simple categorizing scheme which only distinguishes between global and multi-domestic strategies. Before elaborating on the different mea ns and ends, the author presented a simple argument on the goals of multinationals and their strategic objectives. He states that there are 3 broad categories which must be considered when generating an inclusive checklist of factors and issues that are to be considered when reviewing different strategic alternatives. These factors include: Achieving efficiency in its current activities Managing risks associated with carrying out these activities Developing internal learning capabilities so as to be able to innovate and adapt to future changes. The writer provides this simply and straightforwardly in a table that displays the factors that may be considered when carrying out comprehensive statistic audits for MNCs to achieve a competitive advantage. The 3 factors that Ghoshal (1987) aluminates are; the exploitation of national differences in input and output markets, the benefits from scale economies in different activities and the exploiting of synergies or scope economies that are available due to diversity. He mostly elaborated on scope economies in product and market diversification as he believes that this aspect is both new and not very well understood. He defines scope economy based on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the notion that certain economies arise from the fact that the cost of joint production of two or more products can be less than the cost of producing them separately. He supports this by comparing product diversification and market diversification in three categories of; shared physical assets (diversified firm, flexib le manufacturing system, cross-subsidization of markets and exploitations), shared external relational (with customers, suppliers, distributors) and shared learning. However he does also explain the negative aspect of scope economy as being costly due to its different environmental demands. He advises the reader by saying that to succeed the firm must differentiate its management system so that its activities can fall under external consistency within its own environment and internal consistencies within the firm and across its many different activities. The writer goes on to saying that to create these synergies it may result in compromises of external consistency in each activity. Ghoshal states that this checklist à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"simply serves as a basis for mapping the overall strategies of the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. He also goes on to saying that the essence of an organizing framework and the key to a successful global strategy is to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"manage the interaction between the different goals and meansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (Ghoshal, 1987). The article also acknowledges the possible benefit for MNCs by explaining how another à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"practical utility of the frameworkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ is to highlight the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"contradictions between different goals and different meansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ thus emphasising the strategic dilemmas that would otherwise be resolved through omission. The following sections of the framework further explain the dimensions of its construct à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the strategic objectives of the firm and the source of competitive advantage available to MNCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" he strengthens his arguments by using other article sources that ultimately contributes to the literature and generally the overall framework. The author concludes the paper by briefly discussing trade-offs that are steadfast in some of the more recent prescriptions on global strategic management. According to Ghoshal (1987) these trade-offs imply à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"that to formulate and implement a global strategy, MNC managers must consider all the issues suggested in Table 1, and must evaluate the implications of different strategic alternatives of each of these issuesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Structure: The article under review was accessed in a clear and well set out form. The article was introduced with an abstract, which provided the stance or thesis developed by the article, background to the issue as well as briefly outlining the purpose of the article, its main points, findings, conclusions, implications and future research directions. The rationales for the article and for the research it describes were also included. The paragraphs in the body were mostly short and therefore the information in each paragraph was easy to access, however there were a few longer paragraphs that seemed to be overly complicated for those who might not have any prior knowledge on the topic. The arti cle is broken into headings and subheadings and most of the paragraphs were structured in a clear cut way thus allowing important information to be categorised and spread out for easy access. The Introduction provided background information and the rationale behind the article. This allowed clear understanding of the context and importance of the study. The body was logically organised. This allowed the reader to read the entire article or just the part of interest. As the article described a global strategy for organising framework, the provided tables and diagrams to clearly display and outline its framework. For example when the author was describing the relationship between strategic objective and their competitive advantages thus allowing the reader to clearly see the contradictions. The writer also used a table to explain scope economies in product and market diversification. The conclusion adequately explained and summed up the article and provided adequate research direction s. The article had both qualitative and quantitative aspects with excerpts from other articles and sources related to the topic. There were extensive references cited in-text and set out clearly in the References section. The article was a PDF document which meant it could easily be printed and read or accessible online. However as it is a scanned document no information was provided to help to make the information accessible. This in turn disallowed readers to evaluate the articleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s worth more effectively, however linked headings and subheadings allowed the reader to move through the paper more quickly. The articleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s structure was logically developed overall; with the use of short paragraphs helping the reader access the main points more easily thus allowing an average person to read most of the article however in some sections the level of literature was advanced. Critique: The journal, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Strategic Management Journalà ¢Ã¢â€ š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, is a publication of the highest quality research most relevant to strategic management. It is one of the highest ranked business and management journals. The authorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s credibility was established in a number of ways. These included the fact that the article was a peer reviewed article. Also the fact that most of the in-text citings involved papers which he has jointly written on similar topics thus indicating his broad knowledge of the topic. The article also contained references from a broad array of different writers who are also seen to be very knowledgeable in the topic. This information highlights that the article is highly credible. The source of the information in the article was a current and based on recently emerged popular concepts among MNGs and also researchers in the field of international management. The information is verified and supported by a comprehensive, recent reference list with these sources cited in-text to support both the liter ature review and the research itself. The information in the article is therefore accurate and reliable. The articleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s accuracy is also confirmed by the careful scrutiny that it was subjected to by two anonymous referees from the strategic management journal. The fact that the article is peer reviewed also verifies its precision. The journal, although published in October 1987, is still very prominent in the field of strategic management. The research it describes was current (for its time) and the article cites up-to-date references in the body of the text (ranging from information 1980s). The article is although not current it is supported by a range of studies over an extensive time frame. This was an academic journal on an academic database, which has high credibility in an academic context. It was written to inform researchers and students rather than to entertain or advertise. The subject is covered well and as the topic is based on an international scale it c an be generalised. It would be relevant to both these groups but particularly a manager of a multinational corporation. It is a simple article to read and understand and therefore can be relevant to first year students. The article is very detailed with the topics being explored in great depth. The material is presented in a logical and organised way. The article is accordingly relevant to the academic community. The information was objectively developed, well supported with a current research base and with all evidence acknowledged and referenced. There was no evidence of bias. The article acknowledged the complexity of the issues discussed in a number of ways. For example, the literature review provided explanations of how some managers of MNCs can be contradicting when it comes to finding a strategic advantage and that globalisation of a company can result in negative effects if managers arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t aware of the conceptual ambiguity about what a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"global strategyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ really means. The article, with its source an academic journal on an academic data base and available as both print and electronic forms, is stable as a resource. Conclusion: This review has both summarised and critically reviewed Ghoshalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s article à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Global Strategy: An Organizing Frameworkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. The structure, accessibility, content, strengths and limitations of the article were analysed and critiqued along with the tables which was included. The authors and journal are credible, accurate and current. The articleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s information is accessible, well structured, relevant and presented in an objective way. The article is also stable as a resource. The article has contributed to the literature in terms of its valuable critique of current research study on existing and the growing literature on international competition and the implications provide possibilities for future resear ch in this field. The article has contributed to a better understanding amongst the business community of the advantages and disadvantages, for the globalisation of MNCs. References: S. Ghoshal. Strategic management journal, volume 8, No.4 (Sep. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Oct., 1987), pg.425-440

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Social Benefits of Legalization of Marijuana - 1459 Words

In the societies narcotics constituting taboo and users are isolated by societies. In our days narcotics are a tremendous problem with a lot of effects on the societies. I want to give the definition of Marijuana that is important for my research. â€Å"Marijuana is a mixture of leaves, stems and flowering tops of the hemp plant.†(Marijuana, 317). Today in most countries soft narcotics and especially narcotics like marijuana are illegal. Marijuana is a misunderstood drug that is thought of as dangerous but it isn’t. Because of people’s ignorance and gullibility marijuana has become illegal for all the wrong reasons and should be re-examined for legalization. Society today cannot understand that there has been a culture behind marijuana for many†¦show more content†¦Moreover in a recent study of prisoners who have committed crimes like theft, robbery and burglary the results have shown that 33% of those crimes have been made in order to purchase drugs. In addition, these criminals are responsible for the 75% of all robberies, thefts and burglaries. Much research shows that when narcotics are cheap the rates of the drug related crimes decrease. Moreover, the legalization of marijuana will reduce the problem of overcrowded prisons and the numerous accusations against drug users. As it is referred by Nadelmann the U.S. national costs from 1981 to 1987 for law enforcements against drugs tripled from lower than 1 billion per year to 3 billions. In 1988 this amount was 6 billion. Moreover in 1986 local authorities spend 5 billion on anti-drug activities. Therefore in federal prisons the numbers of prisoners count for 33% of the 50.000 total cases, while prisoners for similar crimes in state prisons are 30.000. A similar situation takes place in courts, from the 583.000 cases the 135.000 are related to drug crimes. The costs for keeping in prisons all these people have become a tremendous amount. Despite of the money the criminality, neith er the citizens nor the drug lords have felt no change. Today the annual arrests for violation of drug laws are more or less 750.000 in US. In particular, 75% of these are done by citizens who just possess small quantities for personal use. In most of the times theShow MoreRelatedLegalization of Marijuana: the financial, medical, social, and political benefits1349 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Brandon Smith Professor Gregor ENGL 1102 21 April 2014 Legalization of Marijuana: the financial, social, medical, and political benefits. The legalization of marijuana has been a topic of debate for many years. This may be because of the cultural diversity that the United States of America is known for. Recently, bills were passed in Colorado and Washington to implement the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana use. These events along with the ever growing popularity of theRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Legalization Of Marijuana1072 Words   |  5 PagesThe subject of marijuana legalization has been an exceedingly popular discussion topic in recent years and, as time goes on, only seems to grow more popular. This discussion has resulted in many arguments that support marijuana’s legalization. One popular argument says that since alcohol is worse for you, and alcohol is legal, marijuana should be legalized. However, this argument that marijuana should be legalized because marijuana’s effects when consumed or smoked are better than those of alcoholRead MoreLegalizing The Legalization Of M arijuana1012 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscourage is a way to fix the problem. Evident by Colorado and Washington, â€Å"the legalization of marijuana can stop most of these possession arrests† (Levine). After the first opening of the first retail marijuana stores on January 1, 2014, Colorado had decreased crime rates, decreased traffic fatalities and increase in economic output (DPA). Since 2010, the marijuana possession arrest have went down 84% since its legalization. The tactic of legalizing, controlling, and discouraging has been proposed byRead MoreMarijuana Decriminalization and Legalization636 Words   |  3 PagesThe validity of marijuana decriminalization (and even legalization) is illustrated in the following analysis of the social, fiscal, political, and medical attributes and conceptions associated with the drug. Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, in 2008; archeologists discovered over two pounds of cannabis in a 2,700-year-old grave of a shaman found i n Central Asia. (Armentano, 1) Should marijuana be legalized or at least decriminalized in America? The following information may give theRead MoreMarijuana Legalization1424 Words   |  6 PagesLegalization of Marijuana Marijuana is the most common drug in America and all over the world. It is legalized in some countries, but most countries prohibit its use. It has proven medical abilities and was used for this purpose for a while before being federally criminalized. The United States has been debating on the legalization of marijuana with some states supporting the move and others against it. (10 Facts About Marijuana) Despite all these debates, the legalization of marijuana is theRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana was first criminalized in 1923 when it was added to the narcotics act. In 1971 the LeDain commission recommended the decriminalization of simple possessions of marijuana, followed by the legalization of medical marijuana in 2001. Currently, the liberal government is taking steps towards their promise, to legalize marijuana, made during the 2015 election. Currently, there are laws that regulate the use of marijuana in Canada. It is illegal t o possess or sell marijuana for non-medial purposesRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization1442 Words   |  6 PagesOf the many social issues that plague American society, the issue over the legalization of Marijuana remains as one of the most controversial topics. Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. According to national surveys conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), â€Å"marijuana use rose from 4.1 percent to 9.5 percent of the U.S. adult population in the past decade.† The increase of Marijuana use created an ongoingRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Legalization Of Marijuana901 Words   |  4 PagesThe legalization of Marijuana is a topic that has been discussed for many years. It has had many support as well as opposition. This topic has caused a lot of controversy over the years. In today’s society the amount of marijuana or cannabis that is being consumed is, for the most part, consumed by teens and adults. Although marijuana is an illegal drug, that does not stop people from getting a hold of it. The use of marijuana can be for many reasons such as, socializing, obtaining a high, escapingRead MoreThe Debate Over The Legalization of Marijuana Essay examples1363 Words   |  6 Pagesgovernmental intervention on businesses. When deciding just how much control will be used, one must look at all the benefits and costs. Not only must economic benefits be asserted, but moral and social benefits and costs must be taken into consideration. A topic that many people have been contemplating is the legalization of marijuana. Many people believe that the legalization of marijuana with a high tax is sensible because it would place the demand curve in the same place as if it were criminalizedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1232 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The possession, use, cultivation, transportation, and sale of marijuana are illegal under the federal law in the United States. However, the federal government announced that states are allowed to pass a law to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use, provided that they develop a system to regulate the activities. Under the Controlled Substances Act, passed in 1970, Marijuana is classified as a substance of schedule 1, the highest listing under the legislation. The classification

Thursday, December 12, 2019

18.3 Map free essay sample

In 1649 Charles I was publicly beheaded, and Parliament alone ruled England. [pic] Map Activity 1. ON THE MAP, LABEL THE AREA OF ENGLAND. 2. Use a bright color to trace the borders of the area controlled by Parliament at the start of the war in 1642. 3. Use a second bright color to circle the location of the first battle of the war. 4. Use two different light colors to trace the routes of forces that arrived from outside England in support of the king and in support of Parliament. Analyzing Maps 5. REGION BASED ON THE MAP, WHO CONTROLLED A LARGER AREA OF ENGLAND AT THE START OF THE WAR IN 1642? . Location From which country did forces invade England in support of King Charles I at the battle of Nantwich in 1644? 7. Location Troops from which country joined the Parliament army to defeat King Charles I at Marston Moor? 8. Region Based on the map, which area of England did Parliament gain in their victory at Marston Moor? 9. We will write a custom essay sample on 18.3 Map or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Location Based on the map, did King Charles I or Parliament win the battle at Lostwithiel and gain control of southwest England? 10. Region Based on the map, which small portions of England remained in the control of the king and his forces in December 1645?

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Aristotle The Good Life free essay sample

An analysis of Aristotles philosophy of what makes a good and complete life. This paper discusses the philosophy of good life given by the great thinker Aristotle. It looks at Aristotles view that there are certain external and internal goods available to man, and it is through the attainment of internal goods that man is able to live a life that can be identified as a good life. Aristotle was the prized student of Socrates and his works though are not widely available are still considered to be of great significant to the world of euphemism. The philosophical thought is incomplete without the works of Aristotle as his contribution is huge and some of his views are studies even today by the students of philosophy. Aristotles theory of a good life is based one certain actions and virtues which fall in the realm of ethics. It was the view of Aristotle that good life means a man should act while in possession of certain external goods. We will write a custom essay sample on Aristotle: The Good Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By this it means that one should possess all moral and intellectual virtues in order to qualify as someone with a good life. The moral virtues to him were prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. All these virtues are based on reason and it was the Aristotelian view that reason and logic should be given precedence over passion. Intellectual virtues are based on pure theoretical contemplation and they cannot be considered very practical as they seem to arise from Aristotles views on logic and a Stoic philosophy which meant that man must first not act purely on impulse or passion but should think carefully before acting.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Principles and Practice free essay sample

Part 1: Principles of Effective CommunicationChapter 1: Foundations of Management CommunicationChapter 2: Setting GoalsCase: Yellowtail Marine, Inc. Chapter 3: Audience AnalysisCase: Weymouth Steel CorporationChapter 4: Point of ViewCase: Smith Financial CorporationChapter 5: Message: Content and ArgumentCase: Cuttyhunk Bank (A)Chapter 6: StructureCase: McGregors Ltd. Department Store Chapter 7: Choosing MediaCase: The Timken Company Chapter 8: Style and Tone Case: Vanrex, Inc. Part 2: ApplicationsChapter 9: Giving and Receiving FeedbackCase: Bailey and Wick Chapter 10: Managing Meetings Case: Lincoln Park Redevelopment Project Chapter 11: Communicating ChangeCase: Hammermill Paper CompanyChapter 12: Communicating with External Audiences Case A: Oxford Energy Case B: NutraSweetChapter 13: Diversity and Intercultural CommunicationCase A: Reed-Watkins PharmaceuticalsCase B: International OilChapter 14: Personal and Corporate EthicsCase A: Hal of Erhardt Company: One Audit Senior’s DilemmaCase B: McArthur PlaceChapter 15: Electronic CommunicationCase A: The E-Mail EncounterCase B: Unifone CommunicationsPart 3: TechniqueChapter 16: Effective WritingStyle manual to be cross-referenced throughout the courseChapter 17: Effective SpeakingStyle manual on speaking, use of graphics, and group presentation to be cross referenced throughout the courseAppendix Case 16: Dotsworth PressCase 17: Fair is Fair, Isn’t †¢Identifying external communication ne eds according to your different audiences and in different contexts. We will write a custom essay sample on Principles and Practice or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For instance, a project may involve the participation and coordination of various other organizations that need a permanent communication system to work together in organizing events or developing and sharing documents related to the events. Another project may involve posting a survey on the Web site that needs to be simple and straightforward to entice the audience to respond immediately and seek future results. Engaging the board of directors in a more active role in the strategic planning of the organization may also require a special communication set-up that would facilitate sharing documents, receiving feedback and having virtual meetings to finalize decisions. †¢Identifying the tools that would effectively engage external audiences in a two or multi-way communication practice with the organization, as related to a specific project or to an organizational objective. For the first case mentioned above, setting an electronic discussion group for a specific project and setting up a private site to share documents would facilitate the communication and coordination among all the actors involved in it. For the third case, you may want to setup a private site where the board of directors can look at financial statements and strategic plans, send their comments on specific issues to the rest of the board, and coordinate a virtual meeting to discuss critical issues and finalize decisions and recommendations regarding the organization. †¢Building awareness of external audiences in engaging in a two or multi-way communication system that will improve the execution of specific projects or achieve specific goals related to the organization.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Bathsheba Everdenes Strenghts and Weaknesses in Far from the Madding Crowd Essays

Bathsheba Everdenes Strenghts and Weaknesses in Far from the Madding Crowd Essays Bathsheba Everdenes Strenghts and Weaknesses in Far from the Madding Crowd Paper Bathsheba Everdenes Strenghts and Weaknesses in Far from the Madding Crowd Paper Bathsheba Everdene’s Strengths And Weaknesses in Far from the Madding Crowd and how most of them are shown in our first encounter with Bathsheba in the first chapter at the incident at the toll gate. Robbie Deffense 11AB In Thomas Hardy’s â€Å"Far from the Madding Crowd†, we become acquainted with the leading character, the very independent and vain Bathsheba Everdene. In this essay, I will discuss Bathsheba’s character by attempting to describe her strengths and weaknesses, and show how most of these characteristics are delivered to us on our first encounter with Bathsheba’s in the incident at the tollgate. Bathsheba Everdene is the young beauty in Hardy’s novel; she comes across as a woman with many strengths and weaknesses. We find that she does not lack beauty; this is a reason why many men desire her. Hardy uses words such as â€Å"young and attractive† and â€Å"the handsome girl† to transmit Bathsheba’s beauty. To further enforce how Hardy wants us to perceive Bathsheba, Hardy used a name from the Biblical figure who was also named Bathsheba, she too was beautiful and men fell deeply in love with her upon their first gaze. However, sometimes with such beauty comes a large amount of vanity, which is Bathsheba’s biggest weakness. We first meet Bathsheba Everdene in the incident at the tollgate. Farmer Oak sees an ornamental spring wagon coming down the incline of the field. Walking beside the wagon is a Waggoner with a whip in hand. On the wagon there are household goods and seated is the â€Å"young and attractive† Bathsheba. The Waggoner stops the wagon to tell her that the wagons tailboard has gone and she tells him to run back and get it, which he does, which already shows how much power Bathsheba has. While she waits quietly on the wagon for the Waggoner’s return, she pulls out a mirror and places it on her lap, then proceeds to â€Å"survey† herself, then smiles. And the more that she gazes upon herself the more she smiles and the more she blushes. This clearly shows the amount of vanity that Bathsheba possesses. This statement is further proved by the fact that Thomas Hardy describes the fine morning so beautifully and delicately, fully describing the awesome power of nature, but all Miss Everdene is capable of doing is admiring herself. This is a time when Hardy uses pathetic fallacy, to bring Bathsheba’s characteristic of beauty, by comparing the beauty of nature to the beauty of Bathsheba Everdene. Following this exposure of vanity, the Waggoner returns and they proceed towards the tollgate where an argument arises about the people with the wagon having to pay the tollgate keeper an extra two pence. Knowing that without paying the two pence, she will not be able to pass, Bathsheba still refuses to pay the money. This reaction shows how independent she is. Out of Farmer Oaks kind and generous heart he comes forth and pays the two pence for Bathsheba. She might have looked at Gabriel to thank him for his generosity but instead she turns to the Waggoner and tells him to drive on. This makes Bathsheba a slightly rude character that seems very unlikable and very egocentric since she wanted something done and she wanted it done her way this is a very immature act but it gives us a chance to see how she matures over the novel. But still being very immature through this action, she is still able to have power over Farmer Oak. This can be seen from two different perspectives, a good and bad . On the positive side, women in modern times would relate to Bathsheba, since they have raised their position in society; However the female readers at the time when Hardy’s novel â€Å"Far from the Madding Crowd† first came out might have been shocked, since Bathsheba character goes very much against the women of the time since she is able and determined to make choices of her own. The novel was published in 1874 and at this time women were very much under the control of men without any independence or ability to make choices for themselves, so Bathsheba Everdene could have been of big importance to the female readers, maybe even a hero. Also, the story was set before the 1870 Married Women’s Property Act, which allowed women to keep the earnings she made and not have to give it to her husband. However Bathsheba was very much in control of her land and money until she was married to Troy, therefore until that time, she represented a very strong female symbol. After Bathsheba leaves the tollgate and proceeds towards her destination, the keeper turns to Farmer Oak and says â€Å"That’s a handsome maid† which further implies how Hardy wants to show how beautiful Bathsheba is. Then Farmer Oak tells him how she also has one of the most common faults â€Å"found in most of them† (referring to women) †¦ â€Å"vanity†. Hardy is able to use such a simple word to describe her and such simplicity sticks with us and gives us a clear image of Thomas Hardy wants us to know about Bathsheba. This powerful word, which means feelings of excessive pride, ends the first chapter powerfully giving us a strong first impression of Bathsheba’s character. These are the strengths and weaknesses that Bathsheba possesses and that are shown only in her first impression in the first chapter of the novel. These characteristics are shown and proven again throughout the novel, for example the fact that she decides to take over her late uncle’s farm in Weatherbury shows that she is clearly independent and this again would’ve been interesting for both the female and male readers at the time, since this novel was showing a women being responsible over a piece of land, which wasn’t common. Also the further fact that she is very hard working and all of the things needed to be done, are done, displays that she has got a very efficient character. In addition she tries to act very confidently all the time and this is one of her weaknesses because, while she tries to act confidently she isn’t actually that confident. An example of this would be towards the end of the novel, this is when Bathsheba goes to Gabriel’s house to speak to him and she looks up to him in awe and even starts stuttering, this would also be a good example on how Bathsheba develops throughout the novel and how her character and that of Gabriel have switched throughout this novel. One of the actions that Bathsheba does that proves how her character has matured throughout the entirety of the novel and that makes us feel sorry for and further more like her as person more is the scene wherein Fanny’s dead body lays in Bathsheba’s parlour and Bathsheba has the heart to lay flowers around the body. This small action is very important since it foreshadows the replanting of the grave. Bathsheba has been kind enough to allow Fanny’s corpse stay inside her house and through this the truth about Troy and Fanny’s relationship is revealed to her. We feel pity and we feel sorry for her because her heart has just been broken and we understand how she feels. Hardy is able to bring up the theme of trust, love and betrayal and involve it in all the characters even including the dead body of Fanny Robin in just one scene. So to conclude, we can definitely say that Bathsheba Everdene is a character with many strengths but again many weaknesses her strongest being her beauty, independence and vanity and Thomas Hardy is able to bring such strong characteristics in small ways. He is able to make us have different and mixed feelings towards Bathsheba Everdene throughout the novel and makes it hard for us to decide whether she is a likeable or unlikable character in his beautifully romantic but strongly dramatic novel â€Å"Far From The Madding Crowd†.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Proposal (for Dissertation) Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

(for Dissertation) - Research Proposal Example Immigrants in the UK from the OECD countries are the worst affected by the downturn. The internationalization of higher education in the past 30 years has been the driver for the growth of the sector globally (Bodycott, 2009). The number of international students since 1995 has almost doubled to 2.7 million globally. The motivations for internationalization differ across countries and institutions. The drive to internationalize has also led to the development of ‘transnational education’ programs. Internationalization has led to strategic alliances and use of technology to deliver education to students located in various countries. Today universities around the world seek quality international students to enhance their reputation, to enrich their campuses and programs through contributions from different sources. While education is a priority sector, student inflows have been found to be sensitive to economic conditions in their home countries and to the exchange rates ( Papademetriou, Sumption & Somerville, 2009). Economic conditions and currency fluctuations influence the student flow between the host country and the source countries. Downturn has reduced the individual savings in sending countries. This would likely reduce the number of self-financed international students as they would prefer an educational institution closer to home. This is also because the students work during their studies in order to support themselves (Somerville & Sumption, 2009). Rationale for research Following the recession, the GDP of the UK contracted by 1.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the decline was unusually rapid over the entire year (Somerville & Sumption, 2009). This downturn has been unusual as all sectors have been hit. The effect of recession is very prominent in the international students’ inflow in the UK. Students account for a quarter of total of migrants into the UK and the UK is the second most important destination country for int ernational students worldwide. The precise number of international students in the UK is not known but as per the figures of 2008-09 approximately 214,000 non EU students studied at the public-funded schools in the UK (UKCISA, 2010). The non EU students are bound to pay the entire costs of the education which typically ranges between ?8,000 and ?15,000. The fees from the international students account for 10-30% of the income of the universities. This translates into ?2.5bn earnings of the UK universities with another ?2.5bn spend by international students on goods and services. This contribution is only from the public –funded colleges and when the earnings of the private colleges are added, the international students contribute about ?8.5bn to the UK economy. About 26 UK institutions derive at least 10% of their income from foreign students’ fees (Somerville & Sumption, 2009). The UK receives the highest number of students from China. During the Asian crisis on 1997 also the flow of Malaysian students to the UK was affected (Somerville & Sumption, 2009). In addition the UK universities face stiff competition from the US and Canada international schools. The global market for international students is increasingly competitive (Bodycott, 2009). This results in the UK universities incurring loss of revenue. Under the circumstances, the UK universiti

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Laplaces Conceptions of Spiritual Counseling Essay

Laplaces Conceptions of Spiritual Counseling - Essay Example In the words of Jean LaPlace from the 1975 book â€Å"Preparing for spiritual direction†, spiritual direction is defined as â€Å"the help one person gives another in assisting her to become herself in the faith.† This unbiased perspective of what is the role that God plays in each human’s heart (which is same, and nuclear) is what makes â€Å"Preparing for spiritual direction† such a great book, not just for future spiritual counselors, but actually for anyone who wants to understand his own conscience; similarly, it’s not just a good book for people who practice Christianity, but for any member of any religion, since it aims for an universal conception of God; Creeds are but perspectives, and despite the existence of many branches, the source is but One; and the source is within each man’s heart. A counselor is someone who has come to terms with his own heart, which grants him the ability to make fellow humans come to terms with theirs. The book is a clear and practical guide to assist any priest in offering counseling and spiritual direction. It’s structured in five parts, which reflect the progression that must be undertaken by anyone who wishes to be a spiritual director. First and foremost, one needs to be able to direct his own conscience, before he can except to be able to effectively help others; one cannot possibly expect to stabilize other spirits unless he has settled his own spirit first. Inner peace invites outer peace, in the same measure that inner turmoil only brings about outer confusion. So, the spiritual director must direct his own conscience before he attempts to illuminate anyone else's. Second, we who follow this path must understand the nature of the spiritual dialogue; we must understand prayer, and we need to learn listening to the silent voice of the heart, which is no other but the voice of God. We must learn to realize the universal currents that bind the whole of humanity together, we must learn to see God in our own lives before we expect to point out how god manifests in the lives of those we seek to advice. The spiritual director is a person of prayer and experience, who understands and accepts his strengths as well as his shortcomings, his sins as well as his virtues; he's someone who learns to understand and cope with his feelings, and trough such knowledge he is able to understand others and help them manage themselves. Third, LaPlace elaborates quite clearly on the details regarding the formation of a Spiritual Director. Not only must he be able to listen to his own inner voice, but he must also be able to listen to others, and reach out to them in order to help them find their own strengths. The director must be both a witness and a friend; he must be someone who helps, either by asking or listening, but especially by being able to discern the appropriate time for each. His every effort must be focused in bring about awareness, and he should direct the advisee into learning to direct his own conscience. Fourth, the author talks of the kinds of spiritual direction. According to Laplace, all persons should be regarded equally by the spiritual director, and there should be no distinction between persons, religious or otherwise and even priests. Although, each particular case prompts for a specific guidance; we must learn to adjust our methods accordingly. The spiritual director must be a sharp observer of human differences, in order to determine which road is more suitable to lead each person to himself. Finally, the last section of the book is about the psychology of the directed, which is a refining of the spiritual director's formation. This part offers practical advice about counseling and directing

Monday, November 18, 2019

Sales planning and operations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales planning and operations - Assignment Example n mix is business tools that are used by entrepreneurs to pass information effectively to customers regarding the various benefits of their goods and services (Baker 2014). Therefore, it involves combining strategies and allocating resources in a cost-effective way. One of the objectives of a promotional mix is to increase the demand of a product or service. During product cycle, this strategy is used to increase the sales although a product may reach a saturation point, and the company turns to a new product. The Second objective is presenting information about the existence of the products and services. The customers or consumers need to understand the full information about the product that may include its availability and benefits. The last objective is to differentiate the product. In circumstances when we have many competitors in the market, firms opt to differentiate their products to look different from what their competitors offer. Personal selling is face to face or a direct two-way communication between the buyer and seller with an aim of making a sale. Moreover, it involves developing a good relationship with the customer, identifying their needs and also adjusts the products to fit their needs. More companies prefer personal selling because it results to more profit although it is costly. Personal selling is considered as more efficient in business growth. Therefore, it plays vital roles in supporting the achievements of goals of the promotional mix. Personal selling increases the demand of products and services by increasing the products’ awareness towards purchase. When customers become aware of the availability of the product, then its demand will increase since they will start buying it. Through presenting information to the customers, personal selling is good at explaining the products’ information or any aspect related to the products hence giving explicit information regarding the product (Smith, Gopalakrishna & Smith 2004). Business

Friday, November 15, 2019

Factors Affecting Kidney Function

Factors Affecting Kidney Function Kidney Diseases and end stage renal failure are not isolated to affecting just the kidney. All organs are affected by the disruption through Kidney disease and similarly other organs will also affect the kidney and how it functions. The following five diseases show the impact they have on the kidney, its function and pathophysiology. 2. HIV/AIDS Renal complications in patients with HIV/AIDS can be either as a result of the long-term repetition of, or simultaneous infections in an immune suppressed patient or as a result of the many drugs (nephrotoxins) used to treat the HIV/AIDS virus. The exact role that the HI-Virus plays in the pathology of the kidney is still controversial (James, 2005:1632-1633). There are a number of kidney diseases identified by means of biopsies associated with HIV, the most predominant one being HIV-associated Nephropathy. Others are Mesangial Glomerulonephritis where immune deposits are seen, to a lesser degree also minimal change disease, TTP/HUS, Amyloidosis and Lymphoma (Dolin, 2008:1257). It was shown that the type of nephropathy was also clearly defined by race, such being that people of Black African origin predominantly showed HIV-associated nephropathy whereas in other racial groups immune complexes played the major role (James, 2005:1632-1633). In a study done by Tygerberg hospital in conjunction with Stellenbosch university it has shown that 54% of biopsies done on Black HIV positive patients show HIV nephropathies, in the USA this figure shows that it is the 3rd most common cause of end stage renal failure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV-associated_nephropathy accessed 19/03/2011). In HIV-associated nephropathy there is sclerosis of the Glomerular apparatus as well as microcystic tubulointerstitial disease which is defined by the enlargement of the tubules with protein deposits in the tubular space as well as oedema in the surrounding tissue, fibrosis and inflammation (Dolin, 2008:1257). Where kidney involvement is due to immune complex deposits the entire nephron is involved; this can be as a direct result of infection from the virus or alternatively due to the release of cytokines when first infected with HIV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV-associated_nephropathy accessed 19/03/2011). Treatment forms include transplantation, which can however, pose problems with regard to medication interactions between antiretroviral drugs and immunosuppressants, furthermore a high rate of rejection as well as a high risk of cardiovascular disease post transplant are a problem (Trullas [in press]) Treatment consists of slowing the process to ESKD and treating the HIV infection with antiretroviral drugs, further treatment with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers are used to treat hypertension, possibly immunosuppressant drugs or steroids and dialysis if kidney failure progresses to chronic (Greenberg, 2009:254) 3. Malaria There are four types of malaria parasites; the one that is generally known to show manifestations in other organs including the kidney is Plasmodium falciparum. There are over 500 million people infected with this parasite worldwide with an annual death rate of between 1-3 million. There are over 100 countries worldwide in which malaria is prevalent and many of these countries have reported a 0.57- 60% acute renal failure as a result of malaria. It has also shown that the acute renal failure associated with malaria is more common in adults than children in the tropics where transmission of malaria is low or unstable and where symptomatic disease occurs at all ages (Idonije, 2011:4-7) Acute renal failure occurs in a very small percentage of the cases infected, however the mortality rate can be as high as 45%. (Saroj, 2008:395) The exact pathophysiology of Malarial Acute Renal Failure is not known but there are many theories as to how the kidney is affected, namely through obstruction and adherence of the vascular space by disease affected and thus altered erythrocytes, this is known as erythrocyte sequestration. Further, immune complexes may be responsible for changes in the glomerular and tubular physiology. Dehydration due to sweating, vomiting and reduced fluid intake can lead to reduced perfusion of the kidney with ischemia resulting in acute kidney failure. Pulmonary oedema, acute respiratory distress syndrome and anaemia are all factors that may complicate the malarial acute renal failure. Treatment options include the identification of the involvement of the kidney early on which may be difficult especially in home based treatment in the rural environment, renal replacement therapy (haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis), anti malarial drugs, intravenous fluid replacement (although this may lead to pulmonary oedema and must be closely monitored), diuretics which may reduce the time the patient requires dialysis, possible blood transfusion to help replace fluids as well as assist with the malaria induced anaemia and the avoidance of nephrotoxic drugs (Das, 2008:83-97). Mortality of patients increases with: high Creatine levels, oliguria/anuria, anaemia CNS involvement and late referral to a tertiary care center for early commencement of treatment, age plays no role in the mortality of these patients (Kanodia, 2010:1088-1091). 4. HUS/TTP There are three reasons for thrombocytopenia namely due to platelet destruction as in Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) and Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), failure of platelet production as in malignancies and platelet sequestration (Underwood, 2009:585) TTP and HUS are both thrombotic microangiopathies and both are characterised by the deposition of clots in the small vessels of various organs, amongst these being the Kidney. There is a large clinical overlap between the two (Underwood, 2009:670). HUS is an acute disorder often following a haemorrhagic or diarrhoeal illness. It is characterised by microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, which is caused due to an increase in fibrin in the vessels and this fibrin network damages the erythrocytes causing anaemia. It has been established that HUS is associated with viral and bacterial infections especially in children (McCance, 2010:1408). Both HUS and TTP are linked to pregnancy related acute kidney failure but it is a rare occurrence. If they occur then HUS generally occurs postpartum whereas TTP is linked to preeclampsia and occurs pre delivery (Greenberg, 2009:410). The toxin released from a bacterium such as E. coli causes inflammation when it attaches to the wall of the intestine and from here enters the vascular system. It finds its way to the kidney where it causes damage both in the glomerular and tubular system through thrombosis, and inflammation and thus kidney failure. This infection may also cause fever, hypertension, cerebral and pulmonary oedema, congestive heart failure and seizures (Lerma, 2009:289). TTP on the other hand is caused by blockage of the small vessels through the accumulation of platelets causing vascular lesions in the central nervous system, heart and kidney causing organ failure or malfunction (Underwood: 2009:671). There are two types of TTP, one is chronic relapsing TTP which is rare and the other is idiopathic relapsing TTP. This is a lot more severe in its course and can be fatal within 3 months if left untreated (McCance, 2010:1046). Treatment for diarrhoeal related HUS is generally supportive, fluid-electrolyte replacement, blood transfusion and dialysis if needed. Recovery rate is high but there is a 3-5% mortality rate during the acute phase (DAgati, 2005:498) Glomerular involvement HUS has a better prognosis than HUS with a high vascular involvement. Compared to HUS, the TTP has less haemolysis and milder renal impairment but shows more neurological symptoms such as confusion, headache and motor and sensory defects. Treatment for TTP takes the form of plasma exchange with fresh frozen plasma. Since the implementation of this therapy form the mortality rate has dropped by approximately 25% but with severe renal involvement it still has a poor prognosis. It may re-occur in 25% of the patients who have been successfully treated (DAgati, 2005:511). 5. HELLP Syndrome HELLP Syndrome is an acronym for Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets and is generally found in pregnant woman who have developed preeclampsia or eclampsia (Gould, 2006:120). Symptoms are Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, elevated liver enzymes are due to obstruction of the hepatic vessels by fibrin deposits and the low platelets are the result of either increased use of or the destruction of platelets (Counts, 2008:168). HELLP Syndrome may only develop during labour and as with preeclampsia the best cure is the delivery of the baby. Severe bleeding is unlikely unless platelet counts are very low (below 50 000/mm3). Severe thrombocytopenia or rupture of a subcapsular liver haematoma can both be life threatening (Ratcliffe, 2008:493) Many signs and symptoms such as jaundice, hematuria, GIT bleeds, gum bleeds can be seen in pregnant woman which are related to HELLP but could be mistaken for other diseases such as Hepatitis, ulcers, kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, TTP or HUS so a full blood count is important to differentiate HELLP from other diseases (Queenan, 2007:275) HELLP Syndrome is one of the Thrombotic Microangiopathies as is TTP and HUS but as it is a result of preeclampsia it only occurs during pregnancy and then usually only in the third trimester. Preeclampsia is more common than TTP/HUS during pregnancy but with a lower risk of renal failure unless the case is a severe one. HELLP syndrome shows mild disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) which is characterised by uncontrolled coagulation, increase in bleeding time and liver enzymes (Greenberg, 2009:410) It can be potentially fatal to the expectant mother, decrease perfusion of placenta thus threatening the foetus (Counts, 2008:168) with a mortality rate of up to 24% for the mother and 7.7 60% to the unborn due to intrauterine asphyxia, placenta detachment or extreme prematurity (Feehally, 2007:350). In some instances symptoms do not improve after birth but generally the best therapy is the delivery of the baby. Corticosteroids may be used to help hasten the recovery and reduce the need for blood products (Feehally, 2007:350). Treatment is generally symptomatic; the stasis of any bleeding, blood products if a significant amount of blood was lost or is still likely to be lost without intervention, and the same applies for FFP. A cryoprecipitate may be given if the fibrinogen levels are low (for example Factor VIII from frozen blood) and fibrinolysis inhibitors may be considered in some patients (McPhee, 2009:474-475). 6. Rhabdomyolysis Rhabdomyolysis is due to damage of muscle cells as a result of a variety of factors and can become a life-threatening problem (McCance, 2010:1575). As a result of the damage of muscle cells, its contents (myoglobin, enzymes, potassium and phosphorus) leak into the blood stream. The kidneys secrete myoglobin as myoglobinuria in the urine (Lerma, 2009:109). Muscle cell damage can be due to a variety of reasons and amongst others are: Trauma, extreme exercise, seizures, compromised blood flow, electrolyte disturbances (such as hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia), drugs, temperature (hyperthermia, burns), inflammation and infections. Clinically this disease can vary from mild, with slightly elevated serum levels of myoglobin and creatine kinase (CK) to severe with the necessity for renal replacement therapy. Incidence of acute kidney failure due to rhabdomyolysis is as high as 5-15% (Greenberg, 2009:298-299). Renal insuffiency is due to the excessive amounts of myoglobin being filtered by the kidney resulting in tubular injury and is generally also associated with hypovolaemia (McPhee, 2009:742). Large amounts of myoglobin may clog the nephrons with these being overwhelmed and may produce casts which will also cause obstruction in the tubules. Hypovolaemia is due to not only a decrease in fluid intake but also due to large amounts of fluid accumulating in the damaged muscle tissue (Counts, 2008:162-163). Decreased renal blood flow, hypovolaemia and acid urine all are signs that acute tubular necrosis is likely (Lerma, 2009:109). Treatment consists of hydration with high volumes of preferably IV fluids to increase the intravascular fluid volume, thus increase the perfusion of the kidneys and forcing diuresis, reducing the risk of cast formations in the tubules and increasing the GFR. In severe cases of rhabdomyolis the use of mannitol and bicarbonate to improve urine pH as well as high fluid volumes of up to 12l/24hours have proven beneficial, Dialysis may need to be commenced if urinary output remains low and with urea and hyperkalemia not responding to conservative treatment (Greenberg, 2009:302). Fluid administration must be carefully monitored, as there is a risk of pulmonary oedema in the face of acute kidney failure. The mannitol will assist in myoglobin clearance and urine flow and thus assist with the reduction of the nephrotoxicity of the myoglobin. CK levels will drop over a period of a few days provided there is no further injury to the muscle. Hypocalcemia is generally not treated in these instances, as the calcium tends to accumulate in the injured tissue (Lerma, 2009:112). 7. Conclusion Many external factors and diseases with origins elsewhere in the body, easily affect the kidney in its function. The above five diseases showcase just a small percentage of the many diseases and dysfunctions which affect the kidney in a multitude of ways and gives us an insight of just how important an organ it is.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Gillian Armstrong :: essays research papers

The first reason I chose Gillian Armstrong for my research paper is because I admire her dedication and ambition to become a director even though it was a male-dominated job at the time. She is an extremely ambitious and independent woman that didn’t let anything get in her way of pursuing her goal to become a director. The second reason I picked Gillian Armstrong is because she is the director of Little Women, which has been an all-time favorite film of mine since I was little.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Armstrong has explored several genres, including gangster, musical, and most frequently, period drama. The three films I am going to explore are My Brilliant Career, Mrs. Soffel and Little Women. These are all period drama films that evolve female characteristics and feature women in lead roles. These films demonstrate the stylistic pattern of story telling, (Carter, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gillian Armstrong produced My Brilliant Career in 1979. This film was the highlight of the period drama, which was popular in Australia at that time. Armstrong became the first woman to direct a feature length drama in Australia in 46 years, (Carter, 2002). The film is about Sybylla Melvyn, a sensitive, passionate young woman with high hopes for a writing career. When offered the opportunity to escape her outback station home to stay with relatives in New South Wales, she accepts willingly. In New South Wales, her cultural openness and writing career is encouraged. She eventually meets Harry Beecham who is wealthy and handsome. Sybylla struggles with the tough decisions between ambition and independence, and between love and marriage. She eventually sacrifices romance with Harry and takes a job as a governess in the McScwatt household while still pursuing her goal as becoming a writer. Sybylla eventually finds success as a writer and also as an independent woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Soffel was produced by Armstrong in 1984. This film was directed in Pittsburgh, and was her first American film, (Carter, 2002). This film is about a woman named Kate Soffel who is the wife of the warden of the Allegheny County jail. Her job is to distribute Bibles and read the scriptures to the prisoners. Kate is unhappy and unsatisfied with her lifestyle. She is tired of her husband constantly controlling what she can and cannot do. Kate eventually falls in love with Ed Biddle, who is a prisoner being wrongly sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of a grocer during a robbery.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Hamlet Act 3 scene 1 Essay

Hamlet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It recounts how Prince Hamlet of Denmark goes about taking revenge for his father by killing his murderer, Claudius. In act 3, scene 1 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fail to report the reason for Hamlets ‘madness’, so Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover, is instructed by Claudius to see if his ‘madness’ is caused by her. I chose to perform this scene because it shows key elements of Hamlets character, his contemplative yet cynical side, shown fully in his famous â€Å"to be, or not to be† soliloquy and Hamlet’s rash and impulsive side, showing his anger at Ophelia as well as his unpredictability. The area that I focused on was from the start of his soliloquy to where he leaves Ophelia before her â€Å"oh what a noble mind† speech. I started the scene in silence, keeping a neutral body posture, and slowly began with â€Å"to be, or not to be†, instead of making it a huge dramatic statement, I chose to make it more hesitant, with a lengthened pause at the comma, this was done to make it look like it was a statement that had just come to Hamlet. Hamlet is a scholar and a philosopher and I was trying to portray this by making it seem as if he had discovered this notion of the ‘point of existence’, a key recurring theme throughout the whole of the play. Hamlet is not talking about a wish to commit suicide, in fact he does not use the words â€Å"I† or â€Å"me† throughout the whole speech, which meant that the speech was more rhetorical than personal. I tried to portray this by conducting the speech as if it were two balanced sides of an argument. In an underlying tone that would be used to say the phrases like on the one hand for the line â€Å"whether tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune† and on the other hand, â€Å"or to take arms against a sea of troubles†. I also had to show how Hamlet related to the speech, showing how he contemplated the idea of ending all his troubles through death, but without actually expressing the actual desire to kill himself, so I put emphasis on lines like â€Å"to die, to sleep† and using lengthened pauses to make is seem like he was in pensive state. This ‘argument’ then brings him to the issue with his issue of â€Å"being†, which was that of not knowing what comes after death, which Hamlet concludes is what all men fear, â€Å"thus conscience does make cowards of us all†. I said this line with a defeatist tone, lowering my voice and adding a sigh to show Hamlets philosophical and cynical attributes made him come to this conclusion. When Ophelia enters, Hamlet is initially glad to see her, although he is still in his pensive mood, this was achieved by him smiling when facing her and returning to a more sombre expression when turned away, emphasised by the three â€Å"well†s which are in response to Ophelia demanding how hamlet is. The first is higher pitched, and said with a smile to show how hamlet is happy to be standing in front of his love, the second is more to himself, said with a more questioning feel to it, and the last is more for the audiences benefit who previously participated to his† to be, or not to be speech†, said in a lowered voice almost through gritted teeth to show how Hamlet is thinking about the conclusion to his soliloquy, and the uncertainty of life after death. Ophelia has been instructed by her father to return several tokens of Hamlets love to him, this hurts Hamlet who thinks it odd and makes him start to question her motives; concluding that Hamlet might think that she might have a sent by someone else, at which point I look around stage looking for this ‘other man’ to show how Hamlet is cynical. At this point Hamlets anger comes out, which is where I raise my voice to a near shout, throwing the tokens, in this case, books, to the floor. Hamlet then tells her how he really feels for her, saying, â€Å"I did love you once† which is where I lock with the actress playing Ophelia to show how Hamlet is in fact saying his true feeling, to which she replies â€Å"indeed my lord, you made me believe so†, this blunt statement just angers Hamlet’s character even more, which makes him want to hurt her feelings, so he retorts with â€Å"I loved you not† which is in fact a lie, was portrayed by Hamlet looking in the opposite direction to Ophelia, so I could give Hamlet a pained expression that expressed his true feelings. Hamlet then has his â€Å"get thee to a nunnery† speech, which is where Hamlet again addresses the wider public with his notions; a key speech which is the dramatic climax of the scene, here I had to show Hamlet releasing all his anger and frustration by essentially saying that Ophelia should lock herself away never to be a temptation for any other man ever again. Being quite a vicious message, I chose to put emphasis, on the key words and phrases such as â€Å"get thee to a nunnery† and â€Å"breeder of sinners†, to show it was like Hamlet was actually trying to hurt her with each metaphorical â€Å"blow†. At the end of his speech Hamlet asks the question â€Å"where is your father†, I interpreted this as Hamlet giving Ophelia one last chance, to show his compassionate and loving side. This was done by getting closer to the actress playing Ophelia and instead of demanding as a loud command which is what would have been expected, I whispered it, to show how Hamlet was testing her, as he knew that there was someone else, observing them. And when Ophelia fails his test, I expressed disappointment instead of anger, again to show how really he would have wished for her to be truthful to him, so that he could continue to love her as he always had. Now Hamlet is resigned to not being able to trust Ophelia, so he returns to his previous way of abusing her. I again used this chance to show Hamlets hasher, angrier side. Emphasising his more powerful images such as â€Å"chaste as ice† where I elongated the sound of the sibilance. Toward the end of the scene is where Hamlet says a line that indicates that he is referring to the other person in the room; â€Å"all but one shall live†. This shows how the aim of revenge is ever present in Hamlets head; I showed this by focussing all my characters attention on a spot that had previously been accidentally pointed out by Ophelia. In conclusion, I portrayed Hamlet as an impulsive and unpredictable character who did not always give the reaction expected by the audience. The scene contained a speech that was perfect to show Hamlets philosophical and cynical side, where key themes are introduced into the play. I also showed Hamlets ability to love through his relationship with Ophelia, where even though he knew she wasn’t acting truthfully, he still gave her a chance to prove herself to him. And finally, I was able to show how Hamlet reacted in anger, which was the state that he is in for the better part of the scene, portrayed through a number of little venomous speeches directed at Ophelia.

Friday, November 8, 2019

MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS Essay Example

MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS Essay Example MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS Essay MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS Essay Running Head: MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS Motivation Theories and Personality Traits DeVry University Psychology: 110 November 27, 2013 MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS 1. Take a look at the material on sensation seeking on page 286 (Ch. 11). Do you consider yourself a sensation seeker? Why or why not? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your level of sensation seeking? After reviewing the material in the textbook and answering all the questions on sensation seeking I find that I am not a sensation seeker. I say this for many reasons such as I like things to remain orderly nd calm. Typically, I would rather be around the same group of people with the same interests rather than a wild crowd and I am not adept to trying new things such as white water rafting or Jumping out of an airplane. Advantages to being a non- sensation seeker are that I can get things done without distractions or being to high- strung. For instance if I had an office Job that required mostly sitting down at a computer all day I would not be trying to Jump out of my seat all day or having the boredom effect. Disadvantages of being a non-sensation seeker would prevent me rom trying new and exciting things that could very well enhance my personality and increase my happiness level. 2. How would you rate your own achievement motivation? Why? In what ways is this an advantage to you? In what ways is it a disadvantage? I would rate my own achievement motivation as responsibility because I prefer being, in my view in control for a task so that I can feel fulfilled when a Job is properly performed (Carpenter 294). Also, it is gratifying to know that someone can put forth to you such a task knowing that you are capable of completing it successfully. That to me is an advantage in itself. Not to mention completing such tasks can earn you higher positions in employment. I also find myself to have intrinsic (Carpenter 297). I say this for the reason when I complete a tasks or project with success I really get a sense of happiness with myself. For example when my grade was a 90% and I brought it up to a 92% I was really happy with myself for improving that grade. A disadvantage to this is that you can get ahead of yourself and become a little big headed which in turn can make others think of you in a not so good way uch as (stuck up). In the employment field that is last thing you really want to have happen if you want that peaceful environment. 3. What did you learn about yourself from reading about the trait theories of personality? Reading about the trait theories was a great experience and I found that you can remember them as O. C. E. A. N. which stands for Openness to Experience/lntellect, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Nonetheless, I really learned more about myself by taking the Big Five Personality Test which relates to the readings. I found that I cored the highest on Neuroticism which means I am usually an anxious person and tend to worry about things too much and in reality that is very true; however, there is one aspect that I do like and that is that I am very well-organized and reliable and have been told that often by friends and family members. While Neuroticism can be hindering it can be fixed to a point with different methods such as counseling (having someone to talk to), simple psychiatric medications, or even meditation like yoga etc Just because you are high in one category does not mean it has to be permanent. I also learned that Neuroticism is not typically what is wanted when choosing mates/ partners; however, having some control over this factor could help although in my personal relationship it can be hindering at times and puts pressure on the relationship. 4. What did you learn about yourself from reading the other theories of personality? (List and explain at least three things. ) I would have to say the first thing I learned about reading about the other trait theories is that opposites do attract. I say this because my spouse and I are completely different in all aspects. Where I worry and am anxious all the time, he is cool, calm, and collective. I think his calmness helps with me being so high-strung. However, although he never says anything Im sure it does put some stress on him by wondering if I am o. k. in the long-run of things. The second thing I learned about myself takes me back to the discussion board this week. I feel the one that suits me best is the Bio-psychosocial theory which includes MasloWs hierarchy of needs. Lower needs must be met before moving on to the higher needs. Its like I mentioned sometimes I get so wrapped up n looking for employment and delving into my schoolwork Ill put off things like eating Just to finish an assignment or an application. However, all the theories are just as important as the next. It really Just depends on which one suits you the best. The third thing is all of the theories seem to build on each other and I can find a little of myself in each one. For instance, with the Social-cognitive Theories you have self- efficacy where one is adept of generating preferred outcomes, such as learning new abilities and accomplishing individual objectives (Carpenter 326). I would say this relates to me personally by furthering my education to build my future career and as for the individual objectives I am always setting the bar high as with my grades and being a successful student. 5. How will you use this material on personality to improve your relationships (personal and/or professional)? In truth I feel I can use the and to be able to assess situations in a new light. Moreover, there are things that I can work on internally that will benefit my relationships with others such as the worrying too much; which puts stress on a relationship; my relationship. Professionally, I can work on getting out there more and try to be more social so to benefit the type of work I would like to do instead of dream of doing. Being social is not really my forte I am a to myself nervous individual so by changing this it would benefit me in the long-run in the career field of Information Technology since it deals with a lot of diverse individuals. This is the career that I really want and would love to be doing. References Carpenter, Siri. Visualizing Psychology, 3rd Edition. John Wiley Sons, 02/2013. VitalBook file.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Funny Mole Day Jokes and Humor

Funny Mole Day Jokes and Humor Mole Day is  October 23 from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. in honor of Avogadros Number (6.02 x 1023). A  mole  is a unit of measurement used when existing measurements are inadequate and its particle measurement is based on Avogadros number. Like Pie Day which is celebrated on March 14 due to the fact that it mirrors the pie number, Mole Day is celebrated on either October 23 or June 2 due to the dates being similar to Avogadros number. What better way to celebrate a holiday born out of chemistry humor than with jokes? Mole Day Jokes Q: What did Avogadro teach his students in math class?A: Moletiplication Q: What do you call a 10th grader who is taking chemistry?A: A sophomole. Q: Why does Avogadro like Cindy Crawford?A: Shes his favorite super-mole-dle (and she has a mole). Q: Why is it bad to tell mole jokes?A: Its mole-itically incorrect   Q: What did the generous mole say when people crashed his party?A: The mole the merrier! Q: What are mammoles?A: Four-legged animoles! Q: How would you describe a stinky chemist?A: Mole-odorous Q: What kind of fruit did Avogadro eat in the summer?A:  Watermolens Q: What kind of test do chemistry students  like best?A: Mole-tiple choice. Q: Why is Avogadro so rich?A: Hes a multi-mole-ionare! Q: Which tooth did Avogadro have pulled?A: One of his molars. Q: What does Avogadro put in his hot chocolate?A: Marsh-mole-ows! Q: What did one mole say to the other?A: We make great chemistry together. Q: Why was there only one Avogadro?A:  When they made him, they broke the Moled. Q: What illness kept Avogadro in bed for two months?A: Moleonucleosis   Q: What do you get when you have a bunch of moles acting like idiots?A: A bunch of Moleasses   Mole Day Pledge #1 I pledge allegiance to the mole, and to the science from which it comes, one SI unit, extremely divisible, with micromoles and millimoles for all. ~ R. Thomas Myers - Kent State University, Kent, OH Mole Day Pledge #2 I pledge allegiance to the mole, to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and to the atomic mass for which it stands, one number, most divisible, with atoms and molecules for all. ~ Sylvia Cooper - Morgantown High School, Morgantown, WV Mole Day Definitions In addition to pledges and one-line jokes, there are plenty of opportunities for mole puns: Demoleition: destruction moles cause in your yard (or on your chemistry paper, if you forget Avogadros number)Dismole: being sad on Mole DayImoleble: anything that is completely unrelated to a moleMol: the symbol for mole (of course!)Mole-mole: a mole double agentMolearchy: government controlled by Moles Mole Day is celebrated more than once a yearMolebile: a mole decoration which hangs from the ceilingMolect: the obsessive collection of Mole Day t-shirts, games, and other stuffMolectomy: the study of mole anatomyMolehill: a small mound  of dirt in your backyard made by burrowing molesMoleism: the reverence given to moles on Mole Day or on any day by a chemistMolelaberate: working together on a Mole Day projectMoleodic: a word describing the sound of Mole Day songsMoleskito: a tiny winged mole-like creature that drinks the blood of a person who forgets the date of Mole DayRemolte control: a devise used to watch television shows about chemistry and molesRemoletly: having to do with a mole, barely Sophmole: anyone in the tenth grade who is taking chemistryThermole: an adjective describing one  mole of an explosive

Monday, November 4, 2019

Peculiarities of Movies' Promotion as Intangible Products Assignment

Peculiarities of Movies' Promotion as Intangible Products - Assignment Example Movies are deemed intangible or experiential because they appeal both to the senses and the emotions. Movies, unlike tangible products such as toothpaste, have experiential attributes like â€Å"the original movie’s storyline, its genre, and memorable scenes. These attributes are typically featured in movie trailers and television ads; hence, they should be relatively easy to recall. In contrast to physical goods, we suggest that experiential attributes such as the storyline and genre tend to satiate such that consumers prefer to experience something different in the sequel; hence, dissimilarity is preferred to similarity†   (Sanjay Sood). There are three studies completed in the research article to examine four hypotheses. If you were planning the marketing strategy of a sequel, which hypothesis would be the most interesting to you? Which study? Why? The most interesting fact for someone planning a marketing strategy is Hypothesis 2: There will be an interaction between naming strategy and order of presentation in sequel evaluations. Numbered extensions will be rated more favorably when the title is presented after the description that when the title is presented before the description. There will be no significant difference in sequel evaluations when a naming strategy is used. This hypothesis is highly confirmed by Study 2. The study has the following findings: The pattern of interactions between presentation order and naming strategy suggests that numbered-sequel evaluations involved a greater degree of assimilation, indicating a greater reliance on the original movie as a basis for evaluations. When the numbered title was shown after the sequel description, respondents took longer to evaluate the sequels, they recalled more about the sequels, and they evaluated the numbered sequels more favorably. On the other hand, Consistent with a more piecemeal processing strategy, named sequels took longer to evaluate, and recall of sequel information was higher relative to a numbered sequel   (Sanjay Sood).

Friday, November 1, 2019

Comprehensively describe Cicero's On the republic, Marcus Aurelius Essay

Comprehensively describe Cicero's On the republic, Marcus Aurelius Meditations, Job from The Hoy Scriptures, and St. Augustine's the city of god - Essay Example General structure of the treatise is the following: it consists of six books – each two books are dedicated to each day of conversation. Every day is devoted to the discussion of a certain question: books I and II debate over the best state system , reveal the development of constitution, and give outline of Roman history. Books III and IV discuss philosophical justification of concept of the state (proceeding from idea of justice). And, at last, books of V and VI question the qualities of the best statesman. Extensive parts of the text were lost, only fragments have remained from books V and VI. The treatise comes to an end with a certain deification – a dream vision of Scipio Aemilianus in which he meets Scipio Africanus. The last predicts brilliant fortune to the adopted grandsonand, at the same time, explains to him that people who truly serve the fatherland, deserve immortality and eternal pleasure. This part of the whole treatise became the most famous due to the fact that it was commented by Macrobius who excreted the large parties.Cicero speaks about such sources, as Plato, Aristotle, Theophrastos (and in general the school of peripatetics) besides repeated name of Plato, it is possible to find references on Polibio. â€Å"Meditations† of Marcus Aurelius can be considered the culmination of ancient philosophy with its constant reflections about the nature of human soul, God, and destiny. Marcus Aurelius, one of the greatest Roman Emperors, had passion for philosophy, which, in his opinion, allowed revealing the sense of real life. His famous work was written in the last days of his life in continuous process of thinking, and has a form of personal notebook. There is no particular order of the entries, and occasional groups of quotes are used randomly. The topics of reflections may simply be repeated throughout the book. Therefore, taking into account that

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Transfusion in the patient with Sickle cell Disease Essay

Transfusion in the patient with Sickle cell Disease - Essay Example e, transfusion strategy is applied to prevent the recurrence, or the first occurrence, of stroke which is a major crisis in SCD, and to manage pulmonary hypertension and other sources of morbidity and mortality. Exchange transfusions are used to reduce the sickle cell haemoglobin (HbS) levels during crisis. Several situations also exist wherein the indication for red cell transfusion is controversial, uncertain, or downright injudicious. Many side effects of transfusion have been identified and methods to overcome them have been developed. Iron overload (remedy: iron chelation), and alloimmunisation (remedy: phenotypical matching of transfused blood) are two notable examples. Association of haemoglobinopathies and neurologic sequelae after transfusion is also known. At the present time, bone marrow transplant is the only curative procedure available for both SCD and ÃŽ ²-thalassaemia major. Potential therapies involving stem cell transplantation and gene techniques are being vigorous ly researched. A detailed discussion of the current status of clinical management strategies as applied to inherited haemoglobin-related diseases in particular, sickle cell disease and the thalassaemias, is presented in this paper. Anaemia is a syndrome characterised by a lack of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin deficiency in the red blood cells, resulting in inadequate oxygen supply to the tissues. The condition can be temporary, long-term or chronic, and of mild to severe intensity. There are many forms and causes of anaemia. Normal blood consists of three types of blood cells: white blood cells (leucocytes), platelets and red blood cells (erythrocytes). The first generation of erythrocyte precursors in the developing foetus are produced in the yolk sac. They are carried to the developing liver by the blood where they form mature red blood cells that are required to meet the metabolic needs of the foetus. Until the 18th week of gestation, erythrocytes are produced only by liver

Monday, October 28, 2019

Aztec Belief System Essay Example for Free

Aztec Belief System Essay Throughout the history of mankind civilizations have trusted in the existence of a higher power. Although the existence of a higher power doesn’t bear as large of an impact on societies like the United States today, it was the focal point of life in many civilizations of the past. A great example of a civilization that was extremely reliant on the connection between humans and higher powers was the Aztecs. The Aztecs believed that they were connected to the universe by a sacred energy. They believed this energy was the source of all natural events and if it were unbalanced, they would suffer. In order to maintain the balance, the Aztecs performed ceremonial sacrifices, bloodletting, and other forms of violent cultural behavior. The connection between the Aztecs and the universe is evident among their myths about how humans were created. One creation myth is the story of the goddess Tlaltecutli. In the story Tlaltecutli was ripped apart by the gods Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca and her body parts were used to create the earth and the other gods. This event caused Tlaltecutli to desire human hearts and she would not be quiet until they were brought to her. Nor would she bear fruit until she had been drenched in human blood. Another creation myth, and the most common legend amongst the Aztecs, was that the god Quetzalcoatl descended into the underworld and retrieved the bones and ashes of previous human beings in order to recreate humanity because the universe had been destroyed after the fourth Sun went out. Quetzalcoatl ground the bones into powder and used his blood to fertilize it and create humans.   The Aztecs also had a myth that explained how the Sun and moon were created. According to legend, the gods Nanautzin and Tecuziztecatl sacrificed themselves by jumping into a fire, which turned them into the Sun and moon. The other gods also sacrificed themselves to provide nourishment for the Sun. However the Sun and the Earth still had an insatiable craving for human blood, therefore war was created to satisfy the Sun’s needs. What’s interesting about these creation myths is that they all included some form of death, sacrifice, or blood shed in order to create something. The creation myths shaped the foundation for why Aztecs placed so much emphasis on violent cultural behavior. In the Aztec society, human sacrifice was extremely common. This is because sacrifices were the main method of creating cosmic order between humans and the universe. Pubic sacrifices took place at the beginning of each of the 18 twenty-day months. The sacrifices consisted of mostly captured warriors, but in rare cases included children and young women. The purpose of public sacrifice was to acquire the divine forces embedded in the physiology of human beings in order to nourish the Sun, Earth, and rain. Aztec ceremonies consisted of days of ritual preparation, ceremonial sacrifice, and acts of nourishing the gods and the community. Priests carried out the sacrifices, which included many forms such as decapitation, burning, hurling from great heights, strangulation, and arrow sacrifice. The most common was the removal of the heart. The heart and the head were the two most important body parts to the Aztecs. Tonalli was a type of energy that came from the head and determined the shape of one’s temperament and destiny. Tonalli was first acquired as an embryo in a female uterus. The Sun was the most powerful way to increase tonalli. It was believed that hair prevented tonalli from leaving the body. Therefore hair was a major prize in warfare. When heads were decapitated during ceremonies, the city as a whole gained tonalli. Teyolia, or â€Å"diving fire†, was the energy that came from the heart and determined a person’s sensibilities and thinking patterns. When a person died his or her tayolia traveled to the world of the dead, or â€Å"sky of the Sun†. Tayolia gives energy to the Sun, which is why heart sacrifices were so popular.   Giving hearts and heads wasn’t the only donation made to the higher powers. Bloodshed was also seen as a type of nourishment. The Aztecs believed that spilling blood was vital to please the gods and to ensure natural forces such as strong harvests. Another Aztec creation myth, the story of Tezcatlipoca, gives strong insight into the importance of bloodshed. In the story the body of Tezcatlipoca was cut into pieces and divided over the four directions of the world, with his blood flowing into the center. The divine blood redistributed energy to animals, body parts, vegetation, and the calendar. Although The Aztecs believed that by giving the hearts and heads of their victims to the gods and the universe, they would be blessed with gifts like bountiful harvests, strength in war, and healthy lives, they didn’t practice sacrifice just to receive blessings; they also feared that the universe would be destroyed. The Aztecs believed that there had been four previous ages that the universe passed through prior to the present age, the Fifth Age. At the end of each age, the Sun went out and caused a catastrophic event that destroyed all life on Earth. In the Second Age, for example, it was believed that the beings that lived there were carried away by the wind. (AD1, p. 4) The fear of the Sun going out again and ending the Fifth Age is one the main catalysts for explaining why the Aztecs placed so much importance on human sacrifice, warfare, and other violent cultural behavior. In order to ensure that the Sun wouldn’t go out again, the Aztecs participated in what is known as the New Fire Ceremony. It took place once every fifty-two years and was used to ensure that the Sun would last for another fifty-two years. The rebirth was achieved by the heart sacrifice of a brave, captured warrior specifically chosen by the king. The ceremony began at the top of a mountain with a priest cutting out the warrior’s heart and throwing it into a fire. The people in the village would then cut themselves and splatter their blood in the direction of the fire. The fire was then brought down the mountain and the people blistered themselves with fire. The Aztecs believed that if they did not perform the ceremony properly to nourish the Sun, it would go out and the demons of the darkness would descend to eat all human beings. The New Fire Ceremony is a great example of how the Aztecs viewed the connection between human beings and the cosmos. The role of humankind in the Aztec society was very pre-determined. Men were devoted to warfare and females were devoted to the household. Warfare was extremely important to Aztec men because it was used as a way to appease the gods with the hearts of prisoners of war.   It was also used a way to rank the importance and worth of a man. Men higher up in the military rank received more luxuries and entitlements than men of lower ranks. For example, a top war commander, or â€Å"quauhpilli†, was given land by the ruler and could run schools for commoners.   Military service was a compulsory obligation by all free men. The Aztec’s innate desire for combat is a direct impact of the believed connection between conflict and nourishment for the universe. When a male child was born, he is dedicated to the Sun, and â€Å"the flowery death† of the warrior in battle or on the killing stone. This shows that the Aztecs believed that the only honorable death for a male is on the battlefield or being sacrificed on another tribes killing stone. The Aztec devotion to the universe was so strong that they not only believed that they had to sacrifice others in battle to please the gods; they had to sacrifice themselves as well. The culture and beliefs of the Aztec civilization were much different than the culture and beliefs of society today. Human sacrificing no longer occurs because it is considered cruel and unusual punishment. Humans do not believe that sacrifices and bloodshed are necessary to please a higher power. Although there are certain religions that believe that the way humans act bear some consequence on things like karma and where we go in the afterlife, it is rare to find a society in today’s world that believes wholeheartedly that there is a direct connection between human’s actions, the divine, and natural forces, like the Aztecs believed. Science and technology have allowed humans to understand that we can control all aspects of processes such as growing crops and that the gods have no effect on it. Warfare, although still important, does not have nearly as strong of an impact on humans today. Warfare is only needed for protection, to defend other countries, or in certain areas of the world, to attempt to settle religious differences like the Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Today, men and women have the choice to grow up and become whatever they want. Men are not required to serve in the military and women have the ability to do more than just take care of the household. The main difference between the Aztecs and humans today is that for the Aztecs, the connection to the universe was the most important aspect of life, while today creating a family, treating others fairly, and having proper morals are the most important aspects of life. The majority of people just want to make the most of their lives on Earth while they still have time, and depending on their beliefs, if they do it right they will reach an afterlife when they die. The Aztecs were one of mankind’s most interesting civilizations. They devoted their lives to pleasing the universe and believed that sacrifice and bloodshed were the best ways of doing it. They attempted to control every aspect of their lives in order to keep the connection between humans and the universe in balance. The Aztec belief system was very extreme. No other civilization has put so much emphasis on sacrifices, and more than likely, no civilization ever will again.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Employment in a Technological World Essay -- Unemployment, Competitive

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of September 2011, a whopping 9.1 percent of the American people are unemployed, meaning 14 million possible workers can't find a suitable job (â€Å"National Employment Monthly Update† par. 1). Many of the jobs that were once available to millions have been made obsolete by the creation of new technology. On the other hand, information and engineering technology have established a vast number of skilled and unskilled jobs in the business sector and many research fields. The balance between creation and destruction is applicable to the effects of technology in today’s society and has been studied since the ancient civilizations. With the arrival of new technology every day, there is a constant oscillation in the number of available jobs in every field. This system of creation and destruction of jobs originating from new technology is the most important effect on employment. Technology, most simply, terminates jobs in numero us professional fields and establishes engineering positions in only a few other fields. Defining unemployment and technology will elevate the understanding of technologies effects on employment. Unemployment is difficult to explain, however the Labor Department says that people are unemployed if they are without employment but are searching for possible jobs, although the jobs they are looking for are not available while other employment opportunities may exist(Mabry and Sharplin 2). Therefore, any person that has been laid off because of technology and is still looking for the same job that they previously had is considered unemployed. Mabry, a professor of finance at Clemson University, and Sharplin, a professor of management at Northeast Louisiana University, state... ...tion of jobs related to technology typically keeps itself in balance. However, this reaction does not occur over night, and there is always a brief period of economical instability. At first the jobs that were filled by unskilled laborers are lost or they are filled by new skilled laborers. Occasionally, some technological advancement completely destroys the need for a job which causes extreme unemployment for that labor field. This is followed by a period of staleness where employment doesn’t work its way buck up, but rather balances out at alternating percents depending on the economy. Afterwords, there is always a sky rocket in employment as competition and applicability of the technology becomes more diverse. This in turn proves that although technology is economically unstable right out of the door, it is a great way to increase jobs over a long period of time.