Challenging perspective in research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Challenging perspective in research - Essay Example According to him: â€Å"Looking at the different cultures of the world, one finds that no society is classless that is un-stratified. There are some primitive communities so small that no class strata appear, the social organization resting almost entirely on age, sex and kinship; but even here chieftainship individual prowess and clan or family properly introduce an incipient stratification.† (Davis and Moore, 1945: 242, quoted in Zaidi, 1997: 29) A child learns the process of interaction with other individuals from family and the peer group. All the parents try to bring up their children within the best possible atmosphere. The resources play pivotal role in the socialization of the individuals in a society. The members belonging to the upper class contain better opportunities to educate and nurture their children, and thus can make them more civilized and cultured ones in the future years to come, whereas the lower classes lack proper sources and opportunities that may influence their children. Rothstein has also defined the fact in the following words: â€Å"Parents of different social classes often have different child-rearing styles. It makes sense when you think about it: If upper-middle-class parents have jobs where they are expected to collaborate with fellow employees or create new solutions to problems, they are more likely to talk to their children in open-ended ways that differ from how parents address children if their own jobs simply require following orders. Children raised by middle-class parents will, on average, have more inquisitive attitudes toward academic material than children raised by working- class parents. No matter how competent a schoolteacher, lower-class children’s achievement will, on average, almost inevitably be less. Because the achievement gap already exists by age 3, it is unlikely to be narrowed without expensive infant and toddler centers where lower-class children can be

El Lissitzky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

El Lissitzky - Essay Example He designed several exhibition display and propaganda for the Soviet Union and experimented with several techniques and styles that set him apart from other artist, in creativity, and later paved a niche for him through the 20th century (Lissitzky-Kuppers, 1980; Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum and El Lissitzy, 1990). Lazar Markovich Lissitzky, a Jew, started as an artist early in life copying and illustrating Yiddish children's books. His efforts were basically aimed a promoting the Jewish culture in Russia, in line with the several changes taking place after the country's anti-Semitic laws were repealed. Starting at the age of 15, he began teaching, a duty that he never strayed far away from, for the most part of his life (Friedberg, 1987). He taught in a variety of positions, schools, and artistic mediums, spreading and exchanging ideas at a rapid pace. The ability to imbibe people's ideas and at the time same influencing them, was his unique trait. This trait was exhibited when he met and worked with Malevich in heading the suprematist art group UNOVIS, when he developed a variant suprematist series of his own, Proun, and further still in 1921, when he took up a job as the Russian cultural ambassador in Weimar Germany, working with and influencing important figures of the Bauhaus and De Stijl movements during his stay (Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum and El Lissitzy, 1990). Also, in his later days, he significantly influenced and brought several innovations to the fields of typography, exhibition design, photomontage, and book design. He produced several internationally recognised works. This continued until his deathbed, where in 1941 he produced one of his last known works - a Soviet propaganda poster rallying the people to construct more tanks for the fight against Nazi Germany (Lissitzky-Kuppers, 1980). However, the entire career and works of El Lissitzky was inspired by his belief that art should serve the needs of the society and that the artist should be an agent of change. From this perspective, it can be argued that his innovations in the world of art were driven by his resolve to serve societal needs, or affect the lots of the people, giving his devotion to the communist movement (Lissitzky-Kuppers, 1980; Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum and El Lissitzy, 1990). This essay therefore, intends to examine the life and work of El Lissitzky with a view to analysing the impacts and effects that the ethical and ideological views prevalent during his days, especially during the Russian Revolution had on his approach to art and design. To achieve this purpose, this essay will be structured thus: the first section of this essay shall briefly describe the history of El Lissitzky and the rise of the Proletarian Culture to provide a background understanding of his early days and perhaps his motivation. The second section will describe the several popular works of this artist and attempt to critically examine the influence of the prevalent soviet ideological of the time, on such work of art. Also, by looking at how his approach to art and design metamorphosed from the early days of illustrating Yiddish books to his later days in typography, on would gain an insight into how prevalent ethics and ideological perspectives influenced his approach to, and

Recommendations For Solid Waste Management In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay

Recommendations For Solid Waste Management In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay Mauritius is a small island and due to land scarcity, it can neither have many landfills nor have all its wastes recycled. But it should be noted that incineration is not the ideal solution to this problem; it will rather encourage more wastes to be produced. First of all the Government should try to implement a zero waste policy. The use of plastics bags should be forbidden. Sorting of wastes should be encouraged to be done at home or onsite itself (plastics/organic/metals). Electronic gadgets should be made in such a way that they can be processed for parts that can be recycled and the toxic elements disposed of in the proper way and not burnt. If some of the steps are implemented, there will be nothing to get incinerated or a minimum amount of wastes would be burnt. Therefore, the followings are some of the proposed ideas towards sustainable municipal solid waste management: Policy planning and Strategy Solid waste management plans First of all there should be solid waste management plans in place. Waste management plans have essential roles to play towards sustainable waste management. Their primary purpose is to provide an outline of sources of wastes and treatment options. Waste management plans, national as well as local/regional are essential tools helping in the implementation and achievement of policies and targets that have been set up. Furthermore, the plans give an outline of the amount of wastes to be managed. Also, they contribute to ensuring that the capacity and the way of collection and treatment systems are coherent with the waste to be managed. The plans also identify areas in which technological measures should be taken to get rid of or minimize certain types of waste. Moreover, waste management plans make way for a statement of financial requirements for the operation of collection schemes and treatment of waste among others. On this basis, the needs for further investments in waste treatment plans may be determined. As a solution to many waste management problems, the involvement of several participants/authorities are required and coherent planning helps to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and thus benefits all participants, (EU Commission, Environment, 2003). Zero-waste policy The aim of this policy should be geared towards a sustainable economy. The purpose is to minimize consumption to a reasonable extent by using design-for-environment in every product and their packaging, and to make them all recyclable. The determining factors to achieve Zero Waste are the productsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ designs and industrial processes, that is, their components should be made in such a way that they can be dismantled, repaired and/or recycled. Zero Waste implies merging communities, businesses and industries such that ones waste becomes anotherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feedstock, which results in preventing pollution at its source. Implementing Zero waste will get rid of all discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the planetary, human, animal or plant health, (Recycling Council of British Columbia, 2009). Management of Municipal Solid Waste Waste Minimization Waste minimization is considered as a waste management approach that emphasizes on decreasing the amount and toxicity of hazardous waste that is generated. It is believed that waste minimization methods that focus on avoiding waste from ever being created, (source reduction) and recycling is encouraged. There are three general methods of waste minimization: source reduction, recycling, and treatment, (Scott.W.D, 2005). Waste minimization can be achieved by reusing materials. In doing so, materials which were bound to become waste can be used again and there will be no need for recycling, combustion for energy purpose and disposal of waste materials to landfill. This can lead to a reduction in waste management costs. However this can effectively be done by planning, fabricating, buying, or making use of materials in a way that reduce the amount of trash created, less waste is created and fewer natural resources are used. Waste Sorting Waste sorting should be done at home and this can be achieved by the help of the local authorities, in the sense that, the three bins system should be implemented and there should be continual training and education awareness programmes. People should be taught how to use this system effectively and the reason behind using it. The three bins can either be coloured differently or labelled in order to facilitate the users to dispose their wastes in the corrective way. Waste sorting helps in achieving a sustainable environment, in the sense that recyclable wastes will be disposed separately and thus can be sent directly to the recycling industries and other wastes can be processed accordingly. This will save time and cost of labour also. Composting Composting is the decomposition of organic matter by microorganism in warm, moist, aerobic and anaerobic environment. There are different ways to do composting. It varies from simple and cheap backyard or onsite composting methods to more costly and sophisticated methods such as in-vessel composting. For materials such as food garbage, vegetables garbage and other materials which are degradable, adoption of proven technologies for processing such waste as backyard composting can be used; as this can reduce the amount of waste destined for disposal. Inhabitants can then sell the compost to nearby farmers and other users. Government should favor and stimulate the development and acceptance of appropriate technologies for the conversion of municipal solid waste to compost and promote markets for its use as a soil amendment. It can also be noted that inhabitant can use the soil conditioner obtained from composting to grow their own vegetables and crops. This is a good path towards sustai nability and it demands patience and cooperation. However this project may take time to develop in Mauritius because there is lack of willingness on the part of communities, local authorities and other parties such as the informal sector and the formal waste collector. health, Best practices Enforcing Law To achieve a sustainable waste management, the Government must take actions against those who by-pass the law by throwing wastes haphazardly. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"pay- as -you -throwà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ program should be put in place and the local authorities must ensure that the legal duty to abide by this particular program is imposed on all people in the country, including tourists. Education and awareness There should be a continuous awareness programme in place, so that every person gets well accustomed to the new techniques of municipal solid waste management. There should also be public education so that people are not only made aware of the new techniques, but also that they can understand the reasons behind managing municipal solid wastes sustainably. The public should know and understand the importance of sustainable development.

Female Mutilation :: essays research papers

Female Genital Mutilation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Almost every person around the globe has a different viewpoint of different subjects. One such example is that of female genital mutilation, or otherwise noted as female circumcision. Many groups of people find female genital mutilation to be sacred while another group believes it to be terribly horrendous. Each year millions of women worldwide undergo a procedure often referred to as female circumcision; there are many reasons why a woman would choose to have this be done as well as many more women who go through this malicious process against their will.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female genital mutilation is called by a variety of different names. A couple of them include female circumcision and female cutting. Female circumcision is used in reference to female circumcision being the male circumcision’s counterpart. However, this is undoubtedly not the case. Female cutting is the most simplistic name given; it only regards the procedure as â€Å"cutting.† Female genital mutilation came along some years later with the intention of drawing attention to the horrid nature of the procedure (Source   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several different types of female circumcision. Mainly the types vary by severity of degree to which they are performed. Type I includes the â€Å"removal of the clitoral hood with or without removal of part or all of the clitoris† (Source Type 1 Excision (removal) of the clitoral hood with or without removal of part or all of the clitoris. Type 2 Removal of the clitoris together with part or all of the labia minora. Type 3 (infibulation) Removal of part or all of the external genitalia (clitoris, labia minora, and labia majora) and stitching and/or narrowing of the vaginal opening leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual flow. Type 4 (unclassified) All other operations on the female genitalia, including: Pricking, piercing, stretching, or incision of the clitoris and/or labia; Cauterization by burning the clitoris and surrounding tissues; Incisions to the vaginal wall;

Kings of Pastry Review

Kings Of Pastry Throughout history the French have maintained a culture that, when viewed by the outside world, is synonymous with fine cuisine, artistically beautiful architecture, and the overall presence of an elitist attitude to the folks who simply don’t belong within their borders. When discussing artistic craftsmanship and French cuisine in the same note, it is impossible for those who are aware of its existence not to mention the, Meillur Ouvrier de France.Commonly abbreviated, MOF, the Meillur Ouvrier de France, is a prestigious award that is earned by only the best pastry chefs in the business. To win the collar awarded to MOF’s is the ultimate acknowledgment of a pastry chef’s skills. Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker’s film, King’s of Pastry, speaks to the artistic genius in all of us, delving into the mental, physical, and creative ability required to win such a competition. This revealing film leads viewers to the realization that bec oming an MOF is to win the most difficult competition in the entire cooking realm.Following expert French pastry chef’s Jacquy Pfeiffer, Sebastien Canonne and Philippe Rigollot, the viewer is placed in the passenger seat on their obsessive quest for the quaint yet distinct collar that represents more than just a prestigious award. Though universally bided together by the competitions regulations, the candidates experience uniquely different trials and tribulations on their endeavors to have the chance to be declared forever one of the best in France.Not an aluminum, Iron, or any type of malleable metal Chef, not the winner of the fouled mouthed Gordon Ramsay’s train wreck of a show, Hell’s Kitchen, but a Meillur de France. King’s of Pastry begins with various scenes from French cities accompanied by subtitles that function as vocally silent narration. The opening narration is utilized to give background to the award, Meillur Ouvrier de France, and the env ironment in which the competitions are held. As the opening scenes of French architecture and culture subside, the film transitions into an introduction of the French chef Jacquy Pfeiffer.Pfeiffer manages the The French Pastry School in Chicago. Considered to be one of the most prominent cooking schools in the country, and the only one that exclusively teaches pastry, The French Pastry School thrives itself on engaging students while they learn the techniques necessary for mastering the art of French Pastry. As the camera follows Pfeiffer at work, the viewer is exposed to the surgeon like dexterity required to craft tasty and aesthetically pleasing pastry dishes.Along with the help of already renowned MOF’s, Pfeiffer and his team not only teach daily classes but are also in the midst of training for the upcoming MOF competition. In Olympic style, this three-day competition is held every four years and is a mental and physically draining process. After a somewhat long-winded i ntroduction, Pfeiffer finally bids his family adieu and embarks on his journey to France. As the film brings the audience back within French borders, a faster paced tempo is desired but not delivered. At this point in the film, we are introduced to more competitors of the MOF competition in a tangent like manner.Hardly any background is given to these competitors, which makes it difficult for the viewer to feel empathy or any other emotion towards them. Moreover, if it weren’t for the collars on the MOF’s it would be near impossible to differentiate which chefs are actually competing due to the plethora that appear in a single kitchen at any given moment. This middle part of the film also leads the viewer to realize how much preparation goes into such a competition. While I retained respect and understanding of this notion, I still found myself rolling my eyes every so often at the dragging manner in which the film presents itself.Despite the slow tempo and mono toned commentaries, the breathtaking sugar sculptures and mouth-watering pastry dishes suffice as a motive for the audience to be drawn into the film and left in awe at the craftsmanship required to create these dishes. Furthermore, these dishes more aptly resemble art sculptures that would be found in an art gallery rather than something on the desert menu at a restaurant. Consequently, it becomes apparent through commentary that transporting these sculptures is half the battle.At one instance Pfeiffer and company is seen moving one of the sculptures and at an erroneous placement the sculpture crumbles. Why these competitors would have to haul these magnificent sculptures anywhere was elusive at first. However, in light of the fact that the competition does in fact require the competitors to move their sculptures from the kitchen to the gallery was enough to rationalize how the entire competition could be reduced to a balancing act. It is for this reason that the MOF is a long-shot of a competition; one that requires dexterity and creativeness to craft the pastries, but also luck when required to move them.As the practice and preparation stages come into cessation, the competitors are eager for the anticipated three-day event to begin. As the first day of competition commences the competitors are required to work in the same kitchen at different stations. Cheating is unthinkable and impossible as countless MOFs pace about the kitchen scrutinizing every move the participants make. As the film finally transitions into a speedy pace it greatly exposes that in order to succeed, time management, efficient skills, and quickness are all equally imperative factors when creating dishes.The implication is surely one that speaks to most high-level competitions. An implication that a lifetime of skill and practice is not enough, rather a competitors entire repertoire is tested within a matter of hours. The competitors must obtain perfection that day, a task that requires both proficiency and chance. The second day of the competition entails the competitors to create ten cupcake resembling pastries called, â€Å"verrines. † Five of these must have the bride’s name, the other five must include the groom’s. The final day consists of creating the fragile sugar sculpture and then transporting it to the gallery room.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirteen

Bonnie clutched the banana-nut muffin to her chest as if it was some kind of sacred offering. She just could not bring herself to knock on Matt's door. Instead, she turned big pleading brown eyes on Meredith and Elena. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie,† Meredith muttered, reaching past her, shifting the pile of bagels and the carton of orange juice she was carrying, and rapping loudly on the door. â€Å"I don't know what to say,† Bonnie whispered back, agonized. Then the door opened, and Matt appeared, red-eyed and pale. He seemed somehow smal er and more hunched into himself than Bonnie had ever seen him. Overwhelmed with pity, she forgot al about being nervous and launched herself into his arms, dropping the muffin in the process. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† she choked out, tears running down her face. Matt held on to her tightly, bending over and burying his head in her shoulder. â€Å"It's okay,† she said final y, desperately, patting the back of his head. â€Å"I mean, no, it's not †¦ of course it's not †¦ but we love you, we're here.† â€Å"I couldn't help him,† Matt said dul y, his face stil pressed against Bonnie's neck. â€Å"I tried my best, but he died anyway.† Elena and Meredith joined them, wrapping their arms around Matt from either side. â€Å"We know,† Elena said, rubbing his back. â€Å"You did everything you could for him.† Matt pul ed out of their arms eventual y and gestured around the room. â€Å"Al this stuff is his,† he said. â€Å"His parents don't feel like they're ready to clear out his things yet, they told the police. It's kil ing me to see it al stil here when he's not. I thought about packing it up for his parents, but there's a possibility that the police might want to look through his stuff.† Bonnie shuddered at the thought of what Christopher's parents must be going through. â€Å"Have something to eat,† Meredith said. â€Å"I bet you haven't eaten for ages. Maybe it'l help you feel better.† Al three girls fussed around, fixing the breakfast they'd brought for Matt, then convincing him to taste something, anything. He drank some juice and picked at a bagel, his head lowered. â€Å"I was at the police station al night,† he said. â€Å"I had to keep going over and over what happened.† â€Å"What did happen?† Bonnie asked tentatively. Matt sighed. â€Å"I real y wish I knew. I just saw somebody dressed in black running away from Christopher. I wanted to chase him, but Chris needed my help. And then he died. I tried, but I couldn't do anything.† His forehead creased into a frown. â€Å"The real y weird thing, though,† he said slowly, â€Å"is that, even though I saw a person running away, the police think Christopher was attacked by some kind of animal. He was †¦ pretty ripped up.† Elena and Meredith exchanged an alert glance. â€Å"A vampire?† said Meredith. â€Å"Or a werewolf, maybe?† â€Å"I was wondering about that,† Matt admitted. â€Å"It makes sense.† Without seeming to notice, he finished his bagel, and Elena took advantage of his distraction to slip some fruit onto his plate. Bonnie wrapped her arms around herself. â€Å"Why?† she asked. â€Å"Why is it that, wherever we go, weird, scary things happen around us? I thought that once we left Fel ‘s Church things would be different.† No one argued with her. For a little while, they al sat quietly, and Bonnie felt as if they were huddling together, trying to protect themselves from something cold and horrible. Final y, Meredith reached out and took an orange slice off Matt's plate. â€Å"The first thing we need to do, then, is to investigate and try to figure out if these attacks and disappearances are supernatural.† She chewed thoughtful y. â€Å"As much as I hate to say it, we should probably get Damon on this. He's good at this kind of thing. And Stefan should know what's going on, too.† She looked at Elena, her voice gentle. â€Å"I'l talk to them, okay, Elena?† Elena shrugged. Bonnie could tel she was trying to keep her expression blank, but her lips were trembling. â€Å"Of course,† she said after a minute. â€Å"I'm sure they're both checking things out anyway. You know how paranoid they are.† â€Å"Not without reason,† Meredith said dryly. Matt's eyes were wet. â€Å"Whatever happens, I need you to promise me something,† he said. â€Å"Please, be careful. I can't – let's not lose anyone else, okay?† Bonnie snuggled closer to him, putting her hand on his. Meredith reached over and placed her hand over both of theirs, and Elena added hers to the pile. â€Å"We'l take care of one another,† Elena said. â€Å"A vow,† said Bonnie, trying to smile. â€Å"We'l always watch out for one another. We'l make sure everyone is safe.† At that moment, as they murmured in agreement, she was sure they could do it. Meredith pivoted and stepped forward, swinging her staff down to strike at Samantha's heavily padded knees. Samantha dodged the blow, then jabbed her own staff straight toward Meredith's head. Meredith blocked the blow, then thrust her staff at Samantha's chest. Samantha staggered backward and lost her footing. â€Å"Wow,† she said, rubbing her col arbone and looking at Meredith with a mixture of resentment and appreciation. â€Å"That hurt, even with the padding. I've never trained with anyone so strong before.† â€Å"Oh, Well,† Meredith said modestly, feeling absurdly pleased, â€Å"I practice a lot.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Samantha said, eyeing her. â€Å"Let's take a break.† She flopped down on the mat, and Meredith, her staff balanced lightly in one hand, sat beside her. It wasn't her staff, of course, not her special hunting one. She couldn't bring her heirloom slayer staff to the gym – it was too clearly a customized deadly weapon. But she'd been delighted to learn that Samantha could fight with a four-foot-long jo staff and that she had an extra. Samantha was quick and smart and fierce, one of the best sparring partners she'd ever had. Fighting, Meredith was able to block out the helpless feeling she'd had in Matt's room this morning. There was something so pathetic about seeing al Christopher's things sitting there ready for him, when he was never coming back. He had one of those weird little fake Zen gardens on his desk, the sand neatly groomed. Maybe just the day before, Christopher had picked up the tiny rake in his hand and smoothed the sand, and now he'd never touch anything again. And it was her fault. Meredith squeezed her staff, her knuckles whitening. She had to accept that. If she had the power of being a potent force against darkness, a hunter and slayer of monsters, she had the responsibility, too. Anything that got through and kil ed someone in her territory was Meredith's failure and her shame. She had to work harder. Practice more, go out patrol ing the campus, keep people safe. â€Å"Are you al right?† Samantha's voice broke through Meredith's thoughts. Startled, Meredith saw Samantha staring at her with wide, solemn dark eyes, taking in Meredith's gritted teeth and clenched fists. â€Å"Not entirely,† said Meredith dryly. â€Å"Um.† She felt like she had to explain her grimness. â€Å"Did you hear about what happened last night, the guy who was kil ed?† Samantha nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. â€Å"Well, he was the roommate of a real y good friend of mine. And I was with my friend today, trying to help him. It was †¦ upsetting.† Samantha's face seemed to harden, and she scrambled up on her knees. â€Å"Listen, Meredith,† she said, â€Å"I promise you this isn't going to happen again. Not on my watch.† â€Å"On your watch?† Meredith asked mildly. Suddenly, it felt hard to breathe. â€Å"I have responsibilities,† Samantha said. She dropped her eyes to her hands. â€Å"I'm going to catch this kil er.† â€Å"It's a big job,† Meredith said. It wasn't possible, was it? But Samantha was such a good fighter, and what she was saying †¦ why would she think she was responsible for stopping the kil er? â€Å"What makes you think you can do it?† she asked. â€Å"I know this is difficult to believe, and I shouldn't even be tel ing you, but I need your help.† Samantha was looking straight into her eyes, practical y vibrating with earnestness. â€Å"I'm a hunter. I was raised to†¦ I have a sacred trust. Al my family for generations, we've fought against evil. I'm the last of us. My parents were kil ed when I was thirteen.† Meredith gasped, shocked, but Samantha shook her head fiercely, pushing Meredith's sympathy away. â€Å"They hadn't finished training me,† she continued, â€Å"and I need you to help me get better, get faster. I'm not strong enough yet.† Meredith stared at her. â€Å"Please, Meredith,† Samantha said. â€Å"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. People are depending on me.† Unable to stop herself, Meredith started to laugh. â€Å"It's not a joke,† Samantha said, jumping to her feet, her fists clenched. â€Å"This is†¦ I shouldn't have said anything.† She stalked toward the door, her back as straight as a soldier's. â€Å"Samantha, wait,† Meredith cal ed. Samantha whirled back toward her with a face ful of fury. Meredith took a quick breath and tried desperately to remember something she'd learned as a child but never had occasion to use. Crooking her pinkies together, she drew up her thumbs to make a triangle, the secret sign of greeting between two hunters. Samantha just stared at her, face perfectly blank. Meredith wondered if she remembered the sign correctly. Had Samantha's family even taught it to her? Meredith knew there were other families out there, but she had never met any of them before. Her parents had left the hunter community before she was born. Then Samantha, moving as quickly as she ever had when they'd sparred, was before her, gripping her arms. â€Å"For real?† Samantha said. â€Å"Are you serious?† Meredith nodded, and Samantha threw her arms around her and clutched her tightly. Her heart was beating so hard that Meredith could feel it. Meredith stiffened at first – she wasn't the touchy-feely type, despite being best friends with wildly affectionate Bonnie for years – but then relaxed into the hug, feeling Samantha's slim, muscular body under her arms, so like her own. She had the strangest feeling of familiarity, as if she had been lost and had now found her true family at last. Meredith knew she could never say any of that, and part of her felt like she was betraying Elena and Bonnie just by thinking that way, but she couldn't help it. Samantha pul ed away, smiling and weepy, wiping at her eyes and nose. â€Å"I'm acting stupid,† she said. â€Å"But this is the best thing that ever happened to me. Together, we can fight this.† She gave a half-hysterical sniff and gazed at Meredith with huge shining eyes. â€Å"I feel like I've made a new best friend,† she said. â€Å"Yes,† Meredith said – not weeping, not laughing, cool as ever on the outside but, inside, feeling like she was breaking into happy pieces – â€Å"yes, I think you're right.†

Free Essays on Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams â€Å" He whose face gives no light shall never become a star.† Three filmmakers spent seven years in inner city Chicago to construct a documentary based on the lives and dreams of two boys, Arthur Agee and William Gates. The social institutions of education, sports, economics, and family influenced the growth and development of these two young men. Education played a major role in influencing both Arthur and William. Arthur gets accepted to Saint Joseph’s as a freshmen in High school. He will get a better education, and have a better chance at college at this school. In his first year, Arthur starts out at a fourth grade level. He does not advance much by the end of the first term, and he does not look to be very promising. Arthur ends up being thrown out of Saint Josephs, and has to return to the inner city school, Marshall High School. William is also accepted to Saint Joe’s as a freshman, and he does extremely well his first year. William starts out at a fourth grade level just as Arthur had, but he advances. William went from the fourth grade level to eighth grade in just one school year, which was a significant change. He did so well that Patricia Wier, a wealthy white woman, decided to pay for all the rest of his school, and any other expenses. So, Arthur did not achieve the success he had hoped for in his education, but William did. The sport of basketball was the one main social institution that had a big influence on Arthur and William. Arthur had big dreams of playing in the NBA, and he followed those dreams to the last. Arthur went to Saint Joes’ and he did not play as good as they had hoped, so they dropped him. Then he went on to Marshall high school, where he took them to State. This was a huge accomplishment for Arthur, and it go him into a junior college, despite his academic deficiency. Sports was the main thing that kept Arthur together and kept him focused, without it, h... Free Essays on Hoop Dreams Free Essays on Hoop Dreams Hoop Dreams â€Å" He whose face gives no light shall never become a star.† Three filmmakers spent seven years in inner city Chicago to construct a documentary based on the lives and dreams of two boys, Arthur Agee and William Gates. The social institutions of education, sports, economics, and family influenced the growth and development of these two young men. Education played a major role in influencing both Arthur and William. Arthur gets accepted to Saint Joseph’s as a freshmen in High school. He will get a better education, and have a better chance at college at this school. In his first year, Arthur starts out at a fourth grade level. He does not advance much by the end of the first term, and he does not look to be very promising. Arthur ends up being thrown out of Saint Josephs, and has to return to the inner city school, Marshall High School. William is also accepted to Saint Joe’s as a freshman, and he does extremely well his first year. William starts out at a fourth grade level just as Arthur had, but he advances. William went from the fourth grade level to eighth grade in just one school year, which was a significant change. He did so well that Patricia Wier, a wealthy white woman, decided to pay for all the rest of his school, and any other expenses. So, Arthur did not achieve the success he had hoped for in his education, but William did. The sport of basketball was the one main social institution that had a big influence on Arthur and William. Arthur had big dreams of playing in the NBA, and he followed those dreams to the last. Arthur went to Saint Joes’ and he did not play as good as they had hoped, so they dropped him. Then he went on to Marshall high school, where he took them to State. This was a huge accomplishment for Arthur, and it go him into a junior college, despite his academic deficiency. Sports was the main thing that kept Arthur together and kept him focused, without it, h...

The Directory, Consulate End of the French Revolution

The Directory, Consulate End of the French Revolution The Constitution of Year III With the Terror over, the French Revolutionary wars once again going in Frances favor and the stranglehold of the Parisians on the revolution broken, the National Convention began to devise a new constitution. Chief in their aims was the need for stability. The resulting constitution was approved on April 22nd and was once again begun with a declaration of rights, but this time a list of duties was also added. All male taxpayers over 21 were citizens who could vote, but in practice, the deputies were chosen by assemblies in which only citizens who owned or rented property and who paid a set sum of tax each year could sit. The nation would thus be governed by those who had a stake in it. This created an electorate of roughly a million, of which 30,000 could sit in the resulting assemblies. Elections would take place yearly, returning a third of the required deputies each time. The legislature was bicameral, being comprised of two councils. The lower Council of Five Hundred proposed all legislation but did not vote, while the upper Council of Elders, which was composed of married or widowed men over forty, could only pass or reject legislation, not propose it. Executive power lay with five Directors, which were chosen by the Elders from a list provided by the 500. One retired each year by lot, and none could be chosen from the Councils. The aim here was a series of checks and balances on power. However, the Convention also decided that two-thirds of the first set of council deputies had to be members of the National Convention. The Vendà ©miaire Uprising The two-thirds law disappointed many, further fuelling a public displeasure at the Convention which had been growing as food once again became scarce. Only one section in Paris was in favor of the law and this led to the planning of an insurrection. The Convention responded by summoning troops to Paris, which further inflamed support for the insurrection as people feared that the constitution would be forced onto them by the army. On October 4th, 1795 seven sections declared themselves insurrectionary and ordered their units of National Guard to gather ready for action, and on the 5th over 20,000 insurgents marched on the Convention. They were stopped by 6000 troops guarding vital bridges, who had been placed there by a deputy called Barras and a General called Napoleon Bonaparte. A standoff developed but violence soon ensued and the insurgents, who had been very effectively disarmed in the preceding months, were forced to retreat with hundreds killed. This failure marked the last time Parisians attempted to take charge, a turning point in the Revolution. Royalists and Jacobins The Councils soon took their seats and the first five Directors was Barras, who had helped save the constitution, Carnot, a military organizer who had once been on the Committee of Public Safety, Reubell, Letourneur and La Revellià ©re-Là ©peaux. Over the next few years, the Directors maintained a policy of vacillating between Jacobin and Royalist sides to try and negate both. When Jacobins were in the ascendant the Directors closed their clubs and rounded up terrorists and when the royalists were rising their newspapers were curbed, Jacobins papers funded and sans-culottes released to cause trouble. The Jacobins still tried to force their ideas through by planning uprisings, while the monarchists looked to the elections to gain power. For their part, the new government grew increasingly dependent on the army to maintain itself. Meanwhile, sectional assemblies were abolished, to be replaced with a new, centrally controlled body. The sectionally controlled National Guard also went, replaced with a new and centrally controlled Parisian Guard. During this period a journalist called Babeuf began calling for the abolition of private property, common ownership and the equal distribution of goods; this is believed to the first instance of full communism being advocated. The Fructidor Coup The first elections to take place under the new regime occurred in year V of the revolutionary calendar. The people of France voted against the former Convention deputies (few were re-elected), against the Jacobins, (almost none were returned) and against the Directory, returning new men with no experience instead of those the Directors favored. 182 of the deputies were now royalist. Meanwhile, Letourneur left the Directory and Barthà ©lemy took his place. The results worried both the Directors and the nation’s generals, both concerned that the royalists were growing greatly in power. On the night of September 3-4th the ‘Triumvirs’, as Barras, Reubell and La Revellià ©re-Là ©peaux were increasingly known, ordered troops to seize Parisian strong points and surround the council rooms. They arrested Carnot, Barthà ©lemy and 53 council deputies, plus other prominent royalists. Propaganda was sent out stating that there had been a royalist plot. The Fructidor Coup against the monarchists was this swift and bloodless. Two new Directors were appointed, but the council positions were left vacant. The Directory From this point on the Second Directory rigged and annulled elections to keep their power, which they now began to use. They signed the peace of Campo Formio with Austria, leaving France at war with just Britain, against whom an invasion was planned before Napoleon Bonaparte led a force to invade Egypt and threaten British interests in Suez and India. Tax and debts were revamped, with a two-thirds bankruptcy and the reintroduction of indirect taxes on, among other things, tobacco and windows. Laws against à ©migrà ©s returned, as did refractory laws, with refusals being deported. The elections of 1797 were rigged at every level to minimize royalist gains and support the Directory. Only 47 out of 96 departmental results were not altered by a scrutinizing process. This was the coup of Florà ©al and it tightened the Directors grip over the councils. However, they were to weaken their support when their actions, and the behavior of France in international politics, led to a renewal of war and the return of conscription. The  Coup of Prairial By  the start of 1799, with war, conscription and action against refractory priests dividing the nation, confidence in the Directory to bring about the much-desired peace and stability was gone. Now Sieyà ¨s, who had turned down the chance to be one of the original Directors, replaced Reubell, convinced he could effect change. Once again it became obvious the Directory would rig the elections, but their grip on the councils was waning and on June 6th the Five Hundred summoned the Directory and subjected them to an attack over its poor war  record. Sieyà ¨s was new and without blame, but the other Directors didnt know how to respond. The Five Hundred declared a permanent session until the Directory replied; they also declared that one Director, Treilhard, had risen to the post illegally and ousted him. Gohier replaced Treilhard and immediately sided with Sieyà ¨s, as Barras, always the opportunist, also did. This was followed by the Coup of Prairial where the Five Hundred, continuing their attack on the Directory, forced the remaining two Directors out. The councils had, for the first time, purged the Directory, not the other way round, pushing three out of their jobs. The Coup of Brumaire and the End of the Directory The Coup of Prairial had been masterfully orchestrated by Sieyà ¨s, who was now able to dominate the Directory, concentrating power almost wholly in his hands. However, he was not satisfied and when a Jacobin resurgence had been put down and confidence in the military once again grew he decided to take advantage and force a change in the government by use of military power. His first choice of general, the tame Jourdan, had recently died. His second, the Director Moreau, wasnt keen. His third,  Napoleon Bonaparte, arrived back in Paris on October 16th. Bonaparte was greeted with crowds celebrating his success: he was their undefeated and triumphant general and he met with Sieyà ¨s soon after. Neither liked the other, but they agreed on an alliance to force constitutional change. On November 9th Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and president of the Five Hundred, managed to have the meeting place of the councils switched from Paris to the old royal palace at Saint-Cloud, under the pretext of freeing the councils from the – now absent – influence of Parisians. Napoleon was put in charge of the troops. The next stage occurred when the entire Directory, motivated by Sieyà ¨s, resigned, aiming to force the councils to create a provisional government. Things didn’t go quite as planned and the next day, Brumaire 18th, Napoleon’s demand to the council for constitutional change was greeted frostily; there were even calls to outlaw him. At one stage he was scratched, and the wound bled. Lucien announced to the troops outside that a Jacobin had tried to assassinate his brother, and they followed orders to clear the meeting halls of the council. Later that day a quorum was reassembled to vote, and now things did go as planned: the legislature was suspended for six weeks while a committee of deputies revised the constitution. The provisional government was to be three consuls: Ducos, Sieyà ©s, and Bonaparte. The era of the Directory was over. The Consulate The new constitution was hurriedly written under the eye of Napoleon. Citizens would now vote for a tenth of themselves to form a communal list, which in turn selected a tenth to form a departmental list. A further tenth was then chosen for a national list. From these a new institution, a senate whose powers were not defined, would choose the deputies. The legislature remained bicameral, with a lower hundred member Tribunate which discussed legislation and an upper three hundred member Legislative Body which could only vote. Draft laws now came from the government via a council of state, a throwback to the old monarchical system. Sieyà ©s had originally wanted a system with two consuls, one for internal and external matters, selected by a lifetime ‘Grand Elector’ with no other powers; he had wanted Bonaparte in this role. However Napoleon disagreed and the constitution reflected his wishes: three consuls, with the first having most authority. He was to be first consul. The constitution was finished on December 15th and voted in late December 1799 to early January 1800. It passed. Napoleon Bonapartes Rise to Power and the End of Revolution Bonaparte now turned his attention to the wars, beginning a campaign which ended with the defeat of the alliance ranged against him. The Treaty of Lunà ©ville was signed in France’s favor with Austria while Napoleon began creating satellite kingdoms. Even Britain came to the negotiating table for peace. Bonaparte thus brought the French Revolutionary Wars to a close with triumph for France. While this peace was not to last for long, by then the Revolution was over. Having at first sent out conciliatory signals to royalists he then declared his refusal to invite the king back, purged Jacobin  survivors and then began rebuilding the republic. He created a Bank of France to manage state debt and produced a balanced budget in 1802. Law and order were reinforced by the creations of special prefects in each department, the use of the army and special courts which cut into the crime epidemic in France. He also began the creation of a uniform series of laws, the Civil Code which although not finished until 1804 were around in a draft format in 1801. Having finished the wars which had divided so much of France he also ended the schism with the Catholic Church by re-establishing the Church of France and signing a concordat with the Pope. In 1802 Bonaparte purged – bloodlessly - the Tribunate and other bodies after they and the senate and its president – Sieyà ¨s – had begun to criticize him and refuse to pass laws. Public support for him was now overwhelming and with his position secure he made more reforms, including making himself consul for life. Within two years he would crown himself Emperor of France. The Revolution was over and empire would soon begin

A Detailed Review Of The Education System In Japan And Shinto Religions Teaching

A Detailed Review Of The Education System In Japan And Shinto Religion's Teaching Nowadays, some modern scholars considered that Shinto was not a really religion at all or that it did not exist as a separate religion until the creation of State Shinto in the Meiji period. However, in my opinion, Shinto already became a religion before Meiji period. In the Oxford dictionary, the term â€Å"religion† is defined as â€Å"the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or Gods† (Oxford Dictionary.com). Shinto in early Japan complied with this definition of religion to some extent. Why some scholars thought that Shinto was not a real religion in the early period is that Shinto was not completely the same as western religion. But there are some scholars who talked about this kind of debate that it is because the Japanese conception of religion is not the same as the occidental conception of religion. Woodard pointed at that the occidentals regard Christianity as what a religion should be. This conception could not und erstand Japanese religions because the nature of Japanese religion is different from Christianity. He thought that Shinto itself was different and so is Buddhism; if religion is to be defined solely in terms of the traditional occidental concepts, then neither Buddhism nor Shinto can be called religions (86). People cannot say that Shinto was not really a religion in early Japan, it just a religion which has some different characteristics from other popular religions. The reason why Shinto is different with other popular religions is that it’s based on Japan’s unique culture, polity and it’s centered on the imperial institution. Lots of scholars such as Hirai Naofusa considered that Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan, and has continued in an unsevered line from prehistorical times to the present (Breeen and Teeuwen 4). Another scholar, Joseph Kitagawa, has a similar consideration with Hirai. He gives subdivisions of Shinto which are â€Å"shrine Shinto†, â€Å"folk Shinto† and â€Å"sect Shinto†. Kitagawa thought that Shinto as the indigenous religion of Japan has â€Å"no founder, no official sacred scriptures, and no fixed system of ethics or doctrine, Shinto may be regarded as Japanese types of religious beliefs, sentiments, and approaches, which have been shaped and conditioned by the historical experience of the Japanese people from the prehistoric period to the present† (139). Another scholar Teeuwen defined Shinto as consisting of â€Å"polytheism, animism, shamanism, divination, syncretism and ancestor worship† (373). Shrine Shinto can be seen as the origin of the Shinto religion. During the Jomon and Yayoi periods, except hunting and fishing for common life, people also acquired the spiritual life because the earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural calamities were common occurrences. Japanese people want some protections from spiritual world. Meanwhile, various cultural and religious customs were brought from Asian continent to Japanese island during this period. Japanese people built shrines and worshiped kami to show respect and thankful for world. A shrine is the place for worshipping kami (meaning of gods in Japanese). Japanese people go to the shrine and do rituals so that they can show their worship to kami. The worship of kami by the Japanese occurred much earlier than the formal establish of Shinto. In other words, the worship of kami by Japanese people at the shrine has started from very early period, but the formal name of Shinto, which written in Chinese characters are ç ¥Å¾Ã© â€œwe re appeared until sixth century A.D (Kitagawa 139). For example, the most important shrine in Shinto is the Grand Shrine of Ise. Ise Shrine was established sometimes around 300 C.E., when the sun god Amaterasu was moved to this place (Yusa 25). According Hirai’s view of Shrine Shinto, he considered that Shrine Shinto had existed from the beginning of Japanese history (4). Kami is a significant term in Shinto, kami is the first character â€Å"ç ¥Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ . Shinto defined that there are 8,000,000 kami in this religion. Kami can refer to sprits of nature—mountains, rivers, trees, rocks, and oceans—all conceived to be alive and sacred. Andreeva considered that kami were worshipped as supernatural forces controlling natural elements, or as hereditary deities and ancestors of powerful clans. Kami in Shinto are largely invisible but physically resided in Japan (679). Japanese people believed that different kami have different meanings and can give them different dei ties. The Japanese practice religious rituals in the kami’s shrines. Some of the shrines were official and some of them were non-official, and some of the shrines were in the outer space and some of them were in the inner space. In Shinto, kami can be both good and evil powers. This is different to other popular religions, gods in Shinto are not necessarily good. Starting from the Nara period, another religion took important position in Japan, which is Buddhism. In this period, Shinto and Buddhism interacted. The understanding of Shinto was influenced by the introduction of Buddhism. During Nara period, Shinto kami deities were considered to protect the Buddhist doctrines (Yusa 60). In later period, Buddhist created the idea Honji Suijiaku to associate with kami in Shinto from Buddhist deities. And some views, faith and ritual from Buddhism begun to be a part of Shinto. In other word, by the influence of Buddhism’s organization and way of rituals, the Buddhism help Shinto to build an organized structure. Similar with other popular religion such as Hinduism in India, Confucianism and Daoism in China. Shinto also used by Japanese government ruler to ruled people before Meiji period. The Emperor Tenmu (673-686) ordered the compilation of the early Japanese which resulted in the Kojiki. In Kojiki, the imperial family considered that they are the descendants of Amaterasu. The Emperor started to offered imperial protection to some major shrines. Emperor and Empress were described as living kami so that they can ruled local people very well and made them to obey or worship imperial family. Because of Shinto’s important role in the folk area of Japan or Kitagawa’s term â€Å"folk Shinto†, imperial family’s attitude to Shinto not only helped them successfully ruled local people, but also consolidated imperial family’s position in Japanese history. This can be a reason why imperial family can exist such long period from early Japan till now. Influenced by the imperial family, Shinto’s religious situation in Japan changed a lot. Shinto priesthood appeared and developed fast (Kitagawa 151). Men were chosen for religious of becoming kami-possessed, and some female shamanic diviners to speak on behalf of the kami. As far as the imperial court was concerned, lot of Shintoist and Shinto priestly families appeared to the stage of Japanese history. These priests, for instance, Watarai Yukitada, a Shinto priest of the Outer Shrine of Ise. He described various facts of Shinto tradition and Shinto symbolism (Yusa 63). The term â€Å"sect Shinto† which Kitagawa mentioned became an important thing in the history of Shinto by a famous Shinto priest Yoshida Kanetomo who further developed Watarai’s line of work. He is the head priest of the Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto. Yoshida asserted Shinto was the root and trunk of all truth, and Shinto should be pure and primal which was devoid of the influenced of other religions s uch as Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism (Yusa 64). Move to the Edo period, the several lines of Shinto support were united and reinforced by a powerful movement called Restoration Shinto (Earhart 144). During the Edo period, Japan was isolated from foreign influence for about 2 centuries. This isolation both had positive and negative effects. Because of the exclusion of foreign influence, the national pride and national strength of Japan grew in this period. Shinto became a significant term in Japanese national pride. Japanese people began to consider Shinto was superior to all religions, and Shinto scholars have been great religious importance and have influenced the course of the nation and its cultural identity (Earhart 144). The Restoration Shinto later become the spiritual base of Meiji Restoration. In a conclusion, Shinto has already existed as a religion before the Meiji period. Differenced with other popular religions, Shinto didn’t have a clear and formal start or organized faith. But this kind of situation was caused by Japan’s environment and Japan’s unique culture. Shinto do have the contribution and influence similar as other popular religions do. Firstly, Shinto has the exact worship places which named shrines and gave the spiritual encouragement to local people; secondly, it not only influenced local people’s life but also the ruling class; thirdly, Shinto also has professional priests and sect. Even though Shinto was organized and become a pure faith in later period which is different from other religions that are built an official myth at the beginning, we still cannot say that Shinto was not really a religion before the Meiji period.

Freemasonry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freemasonry - Essay Example But unlike natural or normal organizations, no one can speak for the freemasons. This maybe is the reason why some people demand for the unity of culture, ways and means of this group. But not looking at what people say about the group, the main purpose and reason of its existence is to better every individual and its society. Like any other fraternities or tight brotherhoods, getting in is not easy. There are also requirements or qualifications, one of which is a belief in the Supreme Being. This isn't bad for a requirement. Other things that need to be considered are the three principles namely Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. The first one refers to the respect that a Freemason shows to other people with regard to their ideas and beliefs. In the modern age specially, ideas that reign are the ideas of the powerful. This principle can be the answer to the rising claim for power which can be derived from the already-wealthy individuals who only accept their own ideas to standing for the majority even though it does not. This also relates to kindness and behaving well by understanding the situation of other people and the different scenarios in life. The second principle which talks of relief involves charity and care, still for other people.

Evolution Lab Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evolution Lab - Assignment Example One particular animal, which gained Darwin’s attention, was the finches on the island. It was through studying these finches that Darwin came up with one of the most important terms in evolutionary biology which is one of the driving forces for evolution: natural selection. Natural selection plays into the role that nature selects organisms, which are best fit for the environment. Those that have the traits that give them the best advantage in environmental conditions will survive and proliferate while those who have the inferior traits will not thrive and die out (Darwin, 2010). In this particular simulation, we were looking at what the effects of precipitation on two separate islands and how it would affect the size of the beak on a species of finches. We are able to make this hypothesis due to the fact that we know that the amount of precipitation will influence the different types of flora and seeds, which will grow on the island. This can affect size, hardness, and shape of the seeds and this will have a direct effect upon the size of the beak of the finch that inhabits the island. Our hypothesis was that of non-directionality, meaning that we did not know how precipitation was going to affect beak size in any particular direction, but we knew that the precipitation was going to have an effect on how flora grew on the island, thus this would have an effect on beak size. Materials Since this was an interactive simulation, very few materials were needed in order to complete this lab. A computer with an active Internet connection was necessary in order to use the online simulation software in order to collect the data, due to the fact that this observational data would be impossible to be collected over the thousands of years. Methods The first step of being able to run the experiment was to log onto the site in order to carry out the experiment at http://www.biologylabsonline.com/axia/EvolutionLab/. Next, depending on the experiment, the experimenter has the option to set the variables that they are interested in looking at. For the case of our hypothesis, we are looking at beak size in relation to precipitation. The independent variable is the initial size of the beaks. The experiment calls for modifying the precipitation on the islands in order to see if this has an effect on beak size. On one island, move the precipitation to the extreme of there is no precipitation and then on the other island, move the precipitation to the maximum amount of precipitation the island can have. Set the amount of time to look at over the course of three hundred years and run the experiment. Then look at and analyze the data to see if the data matches the proposed hypothesis. Data Parameter DARWIN WALLACE ------------------------------------------- Initial Beak Size: 12.0 mm 12.0 mm Heritability: 0.7 0.7 Variance: 1.0 1.0 Clutch Size: 10.0 eggs 10.0 eggs Precipitation: 35.0 cm 20.0 cm Population: 200.0 birds 200.0 birds Island Size: 0.5 km 0.5 k m Darwin ------ Wallace ------- Discussion and Results As can be seen from the graph, we have an interaction effect at the start and then both populations diverge from each other as time progresses. On Darwin Island, where the precipitation was observed to be 100.0 cm, there was an increase in beak size as time increased. On Wallace Island, where the precipitation was observed to be 0.0 cm, there was a decrease in beak size as time increased. Based on this result, we can conclude that over the 300-year

WheelWorks Business Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WheelWorks Business Case Study - Essay Example Therefore, employee needs are used to motivate employees across organizations universally. Maslow’s need hierarchy can be explained as below: This is the basic need of every individual. It is concerned with satisfying the primary needs such as food. Until these needs are satisfied, no individual would look forward to satisfy his/her other needs. A famous saying ‘man can live on bread alone if there is no bread’ suggests that human beings first try to acquire necessities for their survival. At Wheel Works, for example, the employees are being given highest possible wages along with bonus and sick pay. Once primary needs are satisfied to a reasonable degree (which is mostly subjective), the second level of needs comes. This need is concerned with the safety of an individual from danger or self-preservation. It is to be noticed that human beings will think of safety of their lives only when their need for food is met. In an organization, safety needs can be met by establishing safety system that ensures employees are free from danger and accidents. In the Wheel Works factory, for example, employees are assured sick pay, health plans. These needs in the ladder of Maslow’s need theory represent the desire for belongingness, which is concerned with human desire to be accepted and appreciated by others. When it becomes dominant, individuals try to create meaningful relationship with others. In an organizational context, where employee supervision and control are stringent, informal groups may be formed to interact among one another in the group. For example, the sales force has the freedom to do the correct job. The esteem needs are concerned with self-respect, self-confidence, a feeling of personal worth and feeling of being unique and recognition. In the context of Wheel Works, employees are given the freedom to work and excel in their work. It is the need to maximize one’s potential, whatever it may be. This is

Institutional Investments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Institutional Investments - Essay Example Last part of this article would highlight some of the tactics devised in order to control discount trading of investment trust. Summary at the end of this article would conclude this article. Investment Trusts Investment trusts are those types of companies, which are provided the domicile of United Kingdom such that they are listed in the London Stock Exchange. They mainly invest in the equities and securities of the companies across the world, which are listed in different stock exchanges (Redhead, 2008). These investment trusts are run by the panel of the independent directors who take care of the affairs of the investment trusts. Investment trusts are somehow different with the investment companies such that investment companies are domiciled outside the jurisdiction of UK such as Jersey or Guernsey (Redhead, 2008). Pricing of Investment Trusts The pricing of investment trusts are made based on a conceptual term named as Net Asset Value or NAV. Net asset value is the market value of all the investments held by the investment companies. Therefore, the market value of any investment trust is actually the NAV of the investments (Levy and Post, 2005). In case if the market value of the shares issued by the investment trust exceeds NAV, then this concept refers as the shares of the investment trusts are trading at a premium. ... This means that the shares of the investment trust are trading at discount. Very occasionally, it appears that the investment trust share is trading at a premium. The following discussion entails the factors that cause the investment trust shares trading at a discount. Investment shares trading at a discount can be regarded as one of the integral aspects that operate behind the performance of the investment trust. The measurement of the shares of the investment trusts can be made in two ways. Firstly, the share price of the investment trusts quoted at the stock exchange. Secondly, market value per share of the assets of those companies, which are held by the investment trusts. In this way, discount can be calculated by simply taking the difference between the price per share of investment trusts and net assets value divided by the net assets value. Principally, the discount is regarded as the function of demand and supply mechanism for the shares of the investment trust. However, the discounts, and specifically the fluctuations in discounts are more important and follow some basis rules, which help understand the problem of investment trust shares trading at a discount more consistently. In case if the discount rate increases, this indicates that there are more chances that the discounted shares will be priced higher in future. This suggests that the investment trust shares are quite attractive especially against those investment trust shares, which are currently trading at a premium (Baums and Buxbaum, 1994). However, this mechanism is not as easy and simpler as it appears, had there been such a potential in the discounted investment shares for a possible price increase, the whole market

Human Resources Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Human Resources - Case Study Example Managers can use this form to review the performance level of accountants in creating a trust work environment. Cipolla (102) reveals that feedback can be demoralizing in case they are negative. Therefore, when completing the evaluation, human resource managers should create an employee development plan that will lead employees towards achieving developmental goals. Organization leaders in the company can use the 360-degree management tool in determining the behavior of accountants and their competency skills, work requirements and performance objectives. These among the essential issues addressed in a company because they are beneficial issues in the performance evaluation process. Organization management would use the 360-degree tool in evaluating the way accountants perceive their engineering work. They can also examine the competency skills such as project planning, object settings, and effective teamwork or leadership. This is crucial because it will enable the HR managers to im plement effective strategies for improving the overall performance level.

WheelWorks Business Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WheelWorks Business Case Study - Essay Example Therefore, employee needs are used to motivate employees across organizations universally. Maslow’s need hierarchy can be explained as below: This is the basic need of every individual. It is concerned with satisfying the primary needs such as food. Until these needs are satisfied, no individual would look forward to satisfy his/her other needs. A famous saying ‘man can live on bread alone if there is no bread’ suggests that human beings first try to acquire necessities for their survival. At Wheel Works, for example, the employees are being given highest possible wages along with bonus and sick pay. Once primary needs are satisfied to a reasonable degree (which is mostly subjective), the second level of needs comes. This need is concerned with the safety of an individual from danger or self-preservation. It is to be noticed that human beings will think of safety of their lives only when their need for food is met. In an organization, safety needs can be met by establishing safety system that ensures employees are free from danger and accidents. In the Wheel Works factory, for example, employees are assured sick pay, health plans. These needs in the ladder of Maslow’s need theory represent the desire for belongingness, which is concerned with human desire to be accepted and appreciated by others. When it becomes dominant, individuals try to create meaningful relationship with others. In an organizational context, where employee supervision and control are stringent, informal groups may be formed to interact among one another in the group. For example, the sales force has the freedom to do the correct job. The esteem needs are concerned with self-respect, self-confidence, a feeling of personal worth and feeling of being unique and recognition. In the context of Wheel Works, employees are given the freedom to work and excel in their work. It is the need to maximize one’s potential, whatever it may be. This is

Human Resources Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Human Resources - Case Study Example Managers can use this form to review the performance level of accountants in creating a trust work environment. Cipolla (102) reveals that feedback can be demoralizing in case they are negative. Therefore, when completing the evaluation, human resource managers should create an employee development plan that will lead employees towards achieving developmental goals. Organization leaders in the company can use the 360-degree management tool in determining the behavior of accountants and their competency skills, work requirements and performance objectives. These among the essential issues addressed in a company because they are beneficial issues in the performance evaluation process. Organization management would use the 360-degree tool in evaluating the way accountants perceive their engineering work. They can also examine the competency skills such as project planning, object settings, and effective teamwork or leadership. This is crucial because it will enable the HR managers to im plement effective strategies for improving the overall performance level.

Independence Day Essay Example for Free

Independence Day Essay â€Å"India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.† Honourable Chief Guest, teachers and all my dear friends. This day 15th August of every year is a golden day engraved in the history of the world. We won our freedom on this date and it is a day of celebration. As we celebrate it hoisting the flag, playing our National Anthem with fervor, singing and rejoicing, we need to recall the past to remember and pay homage to the builders of our nation. My dear friends, we are the privileged lot to have been born in a free India. We are able to breathe in a land that is free from the day we were born. If at all we want to know the pangs of agony of being slaves under a foreign rule, we must ask our elders born before 1947. It was indeed a Himalayan task for every Indian in those days to fight against those powerful giants – the British rulers. We must not allow those hard times and struggles fade away from our memory. Hence it is befitting for us to celebrate such a National festivals and recall those heroic deeds of our National heroes. We remember them today. Right from Mahatma Gandhi to the many patriotic leaders to whom we owe our gratitude. As we regard those martyrs who laid their precious lives for our sake, we must not ignore the common people who sacrificed their lot for the good cause. There were farmers, land lords, businessmen, teachers, writers, poets and students who helped the land achieve the long cherished dream of being free from foreign rule. Today we have travelled a long way in the path of free India. We have proved ourselves worthy of freedom. We are considered as the largest democracy in the world. How proud we were when Sushil Kumar won the silver medal in 2012 London Olympics or when The Indian Cricket Team lifted The ICC Champions Trophy? We are proud of it and feel very happy about all these positive aspects. But can we afford to be blind to the black clouds surrounding us? Let us question ourselves have we used our freedom in the right manner? If so, why should there be so many problems facing our motherland that threaten its existence? Be it terrorist attacks or the blight of corruption; these are the dangers that threaten us all. Well what can a mere student do at this juncture? Should we go catch the terrorists? Should we fight against the corrupted politicians? Or should we take over the country by waging another war for  freedom? No, we are not expected to do anything that brings turmoil to our land. We must keep observing things around us. We will have our own day. Before that, let us do our duty of preparing ourselves to be well-educated citizens of tomorrow. Let us do our duty sincerely and study hard to achieve a goal that is to be responsible citizens of India who believe in their country. Today we require youngsters with lot of energy. Illiteracy is our first enemy for a democratic nation. Let us get rid of illiteracy and become informed citizens who take India to a bright future. Jai Hind

Examine functionalism explanations of socialisation

Examine functionalism explanations of socialisation Examine functionalism explanations of socialisation within the family Functionalists believe in the concept that of consensus and that that the family is at the heart of society, and is the key attribute in keeping society in an orderly and efficient manner. They also believe that hold the view that the nuclear family best suits the for anan advanced industrial society because it is more mobile to move from different areas thsan the traditional extended family because there a ferwer people making it economically viable,(Parsons nuclear isolated family theory.There view of the nuclear family comprises of the economi provider breadwinner husband (instrumental superior) and dependant wife (expressive superior) and children. Sociologists such as Durkheim have developed the functionalistic approach towards the family. Most of the sociloisdts coming from the United States. Functionalism is a theory that explains the role of the family within society- functionalists acknowledge the positive aspects of society and look at society on a macro scale. The family is a unit which workers for the efficiency and stabilisation of society. Functionalism is based on the belief of consensus, for example we are socialised on the norms of society- from what is right and from what is wrong. Early sociologists such as Durkheim (1858-1917) recognized how organic solidarity could be used to explain some social institutions and behaviours Durkheim stated that there were two types of solidarity, (mechanical and organic) mechanical solidarity being characterised by the division of labour yet this was deemed problematic by Durkheim. Organic solidarity on the other hand is when individuals see society as interdependent which according to Durkheim is essential for modern society to avoid anomie. Functionalist therefore are of the belief that every institution contributes to the smooth running of society- in particular the family being the most prominent function that keeps society from anarchy by producing social actors that are socialised stable individuals. The American social scientist Murdock thoroughly analysed two hundred and fifty societies and claimed that some sort of family existed in every form of society and therefore concluded that from his evidence that the family is universal. He refers to the family as a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of sexually cohabiting adults. He argues that the sexual and reproductive functions are essential. If reproduction did not take place there would be no members of society; it prevents disruptive effects on social order that would normally result if the sexual urges were allowed free-play. The family provides control and expression. Murdock also states that without the economic function no preparation and provision of food would take place his believes that the economic aspect of the family is enhan ced when the persons live together. Despite Murdocks thorough research of societies and observations of the family, his theory of the universal functions of the family have undergone numerous criticisms; many having the similar tone that there are many different types of families for example single parented families which are just as functional as the ideal nuclear family and in some circumstances have a better relationship with the child as there is more trust and responsibility delegated to the child. One critic stated the contents of values is culturally and historically specific and variable, and is no way universal. However Murdocks era also has to be taken into account when considering his theory, as the nuclear family was deemed the norm and he would have been socialised to be compatible with that concept. Parson is of the belief that the basic function of the family is the primary socialization of children so that they can become civilised members of the society he also believes that the family is essential for the stabilization of adult personalities- as it gives the adult opportunity to express signs of stress for example the family could relieve the adult of a stressful day at work. Parsons view was that these two functions were positively correlated because a child can be socialized into a society only if the society was institutionalized and organized into expected role structures which gives the adult stability. Parson despite criticism, believed that the patriarchal family was a strong and stable and consisted of a hierarchy which consisted of the instrumental superior father (husband), the instrumental inferior son (brother), the expressive superior mother (wife) and the inferior expressive superior daughter (sister).This role structure is the normal nuclear family. Parsons makes some assumptions regarding the family, especially regarding specific genders for example the woman is better fitted for the home and the man for more manual labour. Radical feminists argue that Parsons view of the female role in the family is an inaccurate perspective regarding the lives of females and believe that they are oppressed within the home and have to be the stereotypical emotive nurturer due to such theorists as Parson which make them confined to those roles- without there being an actual choice. Parson views the nuclear family as being best fitted for industrialisation for example jobs of today demand a desire for increased education, which means too many children on the become economic liabilities because the time taken to nurture children and the costs of schooling is very expensive. Too many children would not be economically viable which is why the industrialised family has been reduced. The reduction in size means the nuclear family is more geographically and socially mobile. Extended kinship is not needed resulting that extended kin are visited out of choice and not obligation. However this has been debated, it has been argued that specialised jobs such as politicians have to move relocate on demand, the rest of the population which is the majority, can easily remain situated in the same location for a number of years, and that the extended kin remain a fundamental part of the family as they often are in the third generation and pass down their knowledge and culture which in turn is internalised by the children and adults. Parsons work has been criticised by some theorists such as Robert Merton ( who worked in close proximity with Parsons) he argued that the social sciences were not yet ready for such sweeping theory but still had a tremendous amount of work to do gathering data and summarizing research findings with more modest theory. Interactionist theorists criticized functionalism for failing to conceptualize adequately the nature of actors and the process of interaction. Parsons work has been criticized, but has influenced generations of family scholars. Due to Durkheim, the grounds of functionalism were founded, and such social scientists as Murdock and Parsons expanded further of his ideas of the family- that the family socialises an individual through both primary and secondary socialisation, aiding the development of a stable adult character- however the individual is never fully socialised as society is continually evolving society.

Early Civilizations Essay -- essays research papers

Early Civilizations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 3000 BC to 1500 BC four civilizations arose that historians to this day marvel at, the Egyptians, the Sumerians, the Indus River Valley people, and the Shang dynasty in China. They all had great accomplishments in government, and religion and inventions. While they had their own different civilizations many similarities arise, such as depending on the river and their polytheistic religions. They had very isolated civilizations with the exception of the Sumerians. The geography, religion, and their governments all contributed to their success as a civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Egyptians were situated in northern Africa around the Nile. The Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Nubian Desert, and Libyan Desert were the natural boundaries that made the Egyptians very isolated. Also, the Indus River valley civilization was rather isolated, with water to the east and west, the Hindu Kush and Himalayas to the North. The monsoons that are seasonal flood the rivers. The Shang dynasty was situated in China over the Yellow River. On the contrary the Sumerians were not isolated at all in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Mesopotamia was in the Fertile Crescent, which was why many invaders invaded their land, ultimately crushing them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The polytheistic religions of the early civilizations were rather similar. The Egyptians had pharaohs, which were considered to have a g...

The Importance of Judicial Review Essay -- American Government Constit

By creating a Constitution, it is assumed that the people are going to agree to it as the law of the land. The Supreme Court is responsible for upholding the Constitution by interpreting the laws for the benefit of the people. The justices would be violating their oath if they were to oblige this obligation. If the Constitution were not the law of the land, why would it exist? This is the justification for judicial review, or the right of the court to declare legislative or executive unconstitutional. The Constitution states in article III, section 2 that, â€Å"The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority.† (Shafritz and Weinberg 16). Therefore, Judicial review is an implied power that determines whether or not legislation is constitutional and is necessary for the protection of the Constitutional rights of the people. The judiciary is not a representation of a particular party as it is in the legislative and executive branches. Although justices belong to different parties and they may have views determined by their political beliefs, the role of a justice is to carefully determine and interpret laws based on the Constitution. To do this, they must provide legitimate reason to defend their decisions and therefore, judicial review is beneficial for a successful nation. As a result of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court found that it did not have jurisdiction over the case and therefore could not issue a writ of mandamus. This is the first instance of judicial review by the Supreme Court. Regarding judicial review, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in his opinion that, â€Å"It is empha... ...es his point by saying that it does not specify the extent of those powers. Personally, I believe that judicial review is a necessity in order to preserve the constitution. Thus, I disagree with Gibson’s opinion. Although I understand the content of his words and why he believes them, but I think a very specific power such as judicial review is necessary to check the other branches. The judiciary cannot abuse the power but the legislative and executive branches can create laws that are abusive to the powers given to them by the constitution. This is why judicial review is a necessity. Works Cited Epstein, Lee, and Walker, Thomas. Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2007 Shafritz, Jay M., and Lee S. Weinberg. Classics in American Government. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006. The Importance of Judicial Review Essay -- American Government Constit By creating a Constitution, it is assumed that the people are going to agree to it as the law of the land. The Supreme Court is responsible for upholding the Constitution by interpreting the laws for the benefit of the people. The justices would be violating their oath if they were to oblige this obligation. If the Constitution were not the law of the land, why would it exist? This is the justification for judicial review, or the right of the court to declare legislative or executive unconstitutional. The Constitution states in article III, section 2 that, â€Å"The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority.† (Shafritz and Weinberg 16). Therefore, Judicial review is an implied power that determines whether or not legislation is constitutional and is necessary for the protection of the Constitutional rights of the people. The judiciary is not a representation of a particular party as it is in the legislative and executive branches. Although justices belong to different parties and they may have views determined by their political beliefs, the role of a justice is to carefully determine and interpret laws based on the Constitution. To do this, they must provide legitimate reason to defend their decisions and therefore, judicial review is beneficial for a successful nation. As a result of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court found that it did not have jurisdiction over the case and therefore could not issue a writ of mandamus. This is the first instance of judicial review by the Supreme Court. Regarding judicial review, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in his opinion that, â€Å"It is empha... ...es his point by saying that it does not specify the extent of those powers. Personally, I believe that judicial review is a necessity in order to preserve the constitution. Thus, I disagree with Gibson’s opinion. Although I understand the content of his words and why he believes them, but I think a very specific power such as judicial review is necessary to check the other branches. The judiciary cannot abuse the power but the legislative and executive branches can create laws that are abusive to the powers given to them by the constitution. This is why judicial review is a necessity. Works Cited Epstein, Lee, and Walker, Thomas. Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2007 Shafritz, Jay M., and Lee S. Weinberg. Classics in American Government. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006.

My Cv

OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY ILE-IFE CURRICULUM VITAE FOR ACADEMIC STAFF A PERSONAL DATA: 1. Name:APELOKO David Olubunmi (Surname) (Other names) 2. Date and Place of Birth: 19th September, 1979; Ilawe Ekiti 3. Nationality:Nigerian 4. State of Origin:Ekiti State 5. Senatorial District: Ekiti South 6. Local Government Area:Ekiti South West Local Government 7. Permanent Home Address:Line 1, Modomo Layout, The Dawn B/S, Ile – Ife. 8. Marital Status:Married 9. No. of Children and their Ages:One: 3 years. 10.Name and Address of Spouse: Mrs Olubunmi-Apeloko Kehinde Line 1, Modomo Area, the Dawn B/S, Ile – Ife 11. Date of Assumption Duty: March 1st, 2012 12. Status on First Appointment:Graduate Assistant 13. Present Position: Graduate Assistant 14. Date of Present Appointment: February 28th, 2012 15. Present Salary: CONUAS 01, step 2 16. Date of Confirmation Appointment: Not Applicable 17. If Not Confirmed, Why? :Duration Not Yet Attained 18. Faculty:Administration 19. Department /UnitPublic Administration B. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: 1. Higher Educational Institution Attended with Dates: ) Obafemi Awolowo University (2010-2013) b) Obafemi Awolowo University (2003-2007) 2. Academic and Professional Qualifications: a) M. Sc Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University (2013) b) B. Sc Political Science Obafemi Awolowo University (2007) 3. Other Distinctions and Awards (with Dates): Nil 4. Specialization: Comparative studies, Political communication, Conflict Management, Public policy, HRM and Governance 5. Fields of Interest: Conflict Study and Resolution, Comparative studies, New Media Communication, Public policy Analysis, HRM and Governance C.WORK EXPERIENCE 1. Previous Work Experience outside the University System Associate Lecturer, Osun State College of Education, Ila (Ife Study Center) 2. Work Experience in the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Graduate Assistant since February, 2012 till date 3. Courses Taught within the last Academic Session: PAD 301 – Organisation and Administrative Theory (Assisting-Lecturer-in-charge) PAD 306- Traditional Administrative System in Nigeria (Assisting-Lecturer-in-charge) PAD 401 – Local Government Administration in Nigeria (Assisting-Lecturer-in-charge)D. MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES Member, National Association of Political Science (NAPS) Graduate member, Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) E. PUBLICATIONS: 1. Thesis/Dissertation: i) The Impact of Domestic Policies on Nigerian Foreign Policy under President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) (B. Sc Dissertation, Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile – Ife) ii) An Assessment of the Role of the Mass Media in President Obasanjo’s Third Term Agenda. , (M. Sc Thesis submitted to the Department of Political Science, OAU, Ile- Ife. ) 2. Review of Book Nil 3a. Published Articles 1.Ayeni O. O. and Apeloko D. O. (2013): Political Party Finance: An Examination of the Three Dominant Political Parties in 2007 Governorship Election i n Ekiti State. JABU International Journal of Social and Management Sciences. Vol. 4. No 1. pp 128-143 ?2. Olaiya T. A.. Apeloko D. O and Ayeni O. O. (2013). Factors in Mass Media, Third- Term Agenda and Governance in Nigeria. American Journal of New Mass Media and Mass Communication. Vol. 10. pp 48-62. b. Published Conference Proceedings Nil 4. Manuscripts Accepted for Publication (a) Apeloko D. O. and Ayeni O. O. (2013). â€Å"Tyrant Democrats†, the Third Term Agenda and the Nature of Mass Media’ Role. Quarterly Journal of Administration. b) Apeloko D. O. and Ayeni O. O. (2012). National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Post- Crisis Management Project in Jos, Nigeria. Nigeria Journal of Social and Development Issues, University of Calabar, Calabar. 5. Manuscripts Submitted for Publication: a) Reporting Human Right Accurately: Panacea for Economic Development in Nigeria b) Apeloko D. Olubunmi and Ayeni O. O. (2012). New Paradigm of Political Violence in Nigeria: M apping the Territory of Theories. . Creative Work: Nil 7. Technical Reports: Nil 8. Papers and Works in Preparation Human Resource Management in Post-Bank Merger/Acquisition in Nigeria: A thoughtful examination of Access Bank Plc. _________________________________________________________ ? Foreign publication F. PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT: Research works on different subjects within the spectrum of politics and administration. G. CONFERENCE ATTENDED 50th anniversary international conference organized by the department of History, OAU, Ile – Ife, 28th-31st October, 2012 on Security Challenge in Nigeria.H CURRENT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES An Assessment of National ICT Policy in Nigeria and the Implication for the Promotion of Good Governance. I. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Thinking and discussing J. ANY OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION Duties within the department 1. Secretary, Departmental meeting 2. Assisting Part three Adviser †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Signature Date

Anna Quindlen Essay

When you think great American author, many people think of Anna Quindlen. She won many awards. They include but are not limited to a Pulitzer and two Clarion Awards. She is an older sister and a daughter, as well as a wife and mother. Anna Quindlen has published many, many literary works, including novels, children’s books, nonfiction works, columns, and new table pictorials. This woman is not only an author, but she is a role model and hero to some, having accomplished her dreams with great dignity and grace. Anna Quindlen was not always Anna Quindlen the famous author. First, she was Anna Marie Quindlen, the oldest of five children in Philadelphia, and later on, New Jersey. She has one sister and three brothers, all of which are younger than she is, her sister being the youngest of the five. When Anna was nineteen, her mother, an italian woman, died of ovarian cancer at age fourty. She uses that experience in much of her writing, such as â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life.† This left her with only her father, and Irish man, as most of the characters in her books such as â€Å"Object Lessons’ are. Since she was a teenager, Anna Quindlen has been a feminist, and although her reasoning has changed quite a bit, she still remains one. Anna currently is married to a man named Gerald Krovatin and has three children. They all live in New York City. This incredible woman has written and published four best-selling novels. They are â€Å"Object Lessons,† â€Å"One True Thing,† â€Å"Black and Blue,† and â€Å"Blessings.† â€Å"Black and Blue’ was made into a movie as well as â€Å"One True Thing†. Anna also has three collection of her colums published. They consist of â€Å"Living Out Loud,† â€Å"Thinking Out Loud,† and â€Å"Loud and Clear.† She also wrote about her own personal experiences in â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life, â€Å"Being Perfect,† and â€Å"Imagined London.† â€Å"Being Perfect† is a national bestseller as well as â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life.† She was a columnist for the New York Times from 1981 to 1994, and 1990 was a big year for her. In that year she was given the title of the third woman in New York Times history to write a column for the Op-Ed page. In 1995 Anna became a full-time book writer and left her column and journalism. In 1992, Ms. Quindlen won a very honorable prize. In the category of Commentary, Anna Quindlen won a Pulitzer Prize. However, she did not stop there . She went on to win a Mothers At Home Media Award in 2001, and two Clarion Awards. The first, in 2001 for Best Regular Opinion Column in a magazine, and the second in 2002 for Best Opinion Column from the Association for Women in Communications. Annna has received honorary doctorates from Moravian College, Smith College, Denison University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Mount Holyoke College. She was also give the University Medal of Excellence from Columbia. Ms. Quindlen was also a Victoria Fellow in Contemporary Issues at Rutgers, a Poynter Fellow in Journalism at Yale, and a Fellow of the Academy of Arts & Sciences. These things, among others, are what set her apart from others, and she has something to show for her achievements. And so Anna Quindlen accomplished more emotionally than any other woman on Earth. She was the third woman to write a certain column for the New York Times, and a best-selling author at the same time. As a role model for women everywhere, Anna Quindlen went from being little Anna Marie Quindlen to the great woman she is now. Her words have allowed the people of the twenty-first century to make great life choices and love people for who they are. Anna is thanked and revered for as long as she is remembered, which will definetly be for years and years to come.

Alton Towers Audit

Section A: Environmental Pressures Political (60%) The government has the authority to make decisions that can impact the operators greatly, for example they can decline planning permission and carry out health and safety checks resulting in closures such as Alton’s Black Hole. (25%) public campaigning can affect decisions made by theme parks in an attempt to resolve negative publicity. An example is when Soils Association campaigned against the provision of unhealthy foods in tourist attractions. Since then the park has made several changes and requested advice from nutritional expect Annabelle Karmel. 1 Regulatory (85%) â€Å"Various legislatives have been added to the woe,†2 limiting parks to what they can do such as only being able to employ those who have had CRB checks since public safety is a priority. Economical (60%) Less people have domestic expenditure which resulted in outbound tourism decreasing by 15% and domestic travel increasing by 17%. In 2009 the theme park industry as a whole gained revenue of ? 315m. (25%) The decreasing value of the pound makes it cheaper and more appealing for tourists and Britons to holiday in the UK. The pound has decline by a ? against the Euro in the last 5 years. 3 Social (50%) â€Å"What was once extreme is now tame and what was once unique is now old. †4 In today’s climate visitors are more demanding and not easily satisfied resulting in most operators introduce an attraction every 12 months. (40%) consumer lifestyles cause implications, household numbers are decreasing and more people choosing to have fewer children resulting in theme parks attracting other market segments 5 Technological (60%) Technology is the catalyst that allows futuristic attractions to be created as well as software such as CAD contributing to development, saving time and saving money. 6 Alton towers has a portfolio which consists of many â€Å"firsts. † Thirteen is the latest addition to these firsts, as the â€Å"first free fall drop rollercoaster† by which Alton towers claims that â€Å"so much technology has never been combined into one ride†. 7 Competitors (40%) In order to retain or increase market share theme parks have to be actively competitive. â€Å"You can guarantee in a few months another rollercoaster will be built slightly quicker or a couple of meters higher†8 (10%) â€Å"There are 7000 museums, gardens, zoos, etc that work hard to gain a market share of voice, consumer time and wallet. †9 The other two competitive factors (USP positioning and strategic alliances) are more important as they concern direct competitors. Organisational (80%) Designers, engineers and other intellectual property are the brains behind the â€Å"beasts†. The man behind some of Britain’s iconic roller coasters is Mr. John Wardley. His designs consist of Alton Towers’ Nemesis, Oblivion, Air and Thirteen as well as Thorpe Parks’ Colossus, Saw and Stealth. 10 Alton Towers employs 2000 people and supports another 3,700 jobs which prove how labour intensive the industry is. 11 Market (70%) According to one operator if there is rain before 9 am, ? of those who intended to visit a theme park do not go. Alton is trying to resolve the issue by considering â€Å"controlling† the weather using cloud seeing technology. 12 (30%) Marketing increases awareness. In 2002, despite others being affected by weather, Drayton Manor saw their visitor numbers increase by 2-5% thanks to its biggest ad campaign. 13 Industry Competitive Structure Alton’s direct competitors are made up of 20 operators all competing with a similar target audience. Alton towers direct, indirect, potential and current competitors are summarised in appendix 1. The main competitors are Thorpe Park, Chessington, Drayton Manor, Lego-Land, Blackpool, Flamingo and Gulliver’s. Alton towers are in lead with 20. 3% which accounts for a fifth of market share (appendix 4). 14 Using appendix 4, I would classify Alton Towers as the Market leader. More than half of the UK’s adults have visited Alton towers previously. 15 The market challengers would be its 2 competitors that play the biggest threats, Thorpe and Lego-Land. Chessington however would be placed with Drayton as followers, since the majority of rides are adjustments of standardised platform designs. This is backed up by the market shares both acquire. Neichers consist of Flamingo’s and Gulliver’s who appeal to only children whilst others try to satisfy all ages. A potential direct competitor is Disney land Paris, due to the fact that apart from Alton towers, it attracts more UK visitors than any other UK parks. 16 Its proximity is close and its transport connections are excellent, however its geographical location stops it from being a current competitor since the majority of individuals would rather have the convenience of staying in the UK for day trips. Current Indirect competitors are made of 7000 other attractions, which fight for a voice of market share, consumer time and their wallets. Theme parks are the 3rd most popular type of attraction after music concerts and festivals. 17 Potential indirect competitors can include the current concepts being aired for new parks themed around harry potter, CBBC and Horrible Histories. 18 The reason for them being indirect rather than direct is due to the fact we are unsure what will be involved within the park. As you can see, in appendix 3, Alton towers, Drayton Thorpe have a broader target market by providing attractions for all age groups, whilst Flamingo, Lego, Gulliver’s Chessington appeal to the younger market. Drayton Flamingo are the cheapest with ticket prices at ? 20-? 25 whilst others are priced at ? 35-? 40. Gullivers, Lego Flamingo differentiate themselves by having a consistant theme running through the park, with others having a number of themes within their grounds or no theme at all. An adoption life cycle has been created (Appendix 5) to show that Alton and Thorpe are the innovators constantly creating thrilling and exciting rides. Whilst at the opposite end are laggards Gulliver’s Lego-Land who simply adjust basic standard ride platforms to fit in with their theme. Industry Forces In appendix 6 there is a detailed porters 5 forces for Alton Towers. The numerical weighting is divided between the 5 elements; suppliers, buyers, threats, rivalry and substitutes. This model allows us to look at bargaining powers of each force. Starting with suppliers which have received the highest percentage of 40%, there are numerous companies that contribute to theme parks from additional services such as food and merchandise to essentials such as electricity and rides. Without suppliers industry competitors would not have any product/service to offer to buyers giving suppliers a dominant bargaining power. Dependant on the product, some suppliers such as LTC (ride consultants) are dominant within their market making switching costs high. The next highest percentage was distributed to industry rivals (20%) that play a massive threat to Alton Towers since they have the ability to take potential customers. The theme park industry is intense with its 20 operators fighting for market share. Buyers had equal percentage due to the fact they have the choice of which theme park to attend and low switching costs. The lack of demand or customer base which would lead to a theme parks closure. Substitutes and new entrants both have a low percentage of 10% due to the fact if customers are won over by other indirect attractions, most likely those customers wanted to gain another benefit other than high thrill seeking adrenaline rushes. There are also high entry and exit barriers such as the lack of investment and recourses, making it difficult to actually enter compete within this market. All of the forces have been declared to be a low threat for reasons mentioned above and the fact that it is unlikely that any force would be able to set up a strong competitor due to the various product offerings, services and labour needs to do so. Product /Service Evolution Theme parks products are focused around innovation, which is extremely rare. Parks attempt to create the tallest, fastest and longest rides which in reality are variation of basic platforms. Intellectual property plays a great role in the creation of innovative products. Examples of innovative products, all designed by John Wardly, are Alton Towers Flying coaster â€Å"Air†, its first free fall drop â€Å"Thirteen† or Thorpe park’s â€Å"Stealth† hydrochloride launcher . The latter two being described as â€Å"Engineering Genius†19 The park also provides other products to accommodate visitors such as its hotels to encourage overnight stays, healthier food options, various ticket passes (e. g. fast track/annual pass) and merchandise. Technology has assisted in increasing revenue through ride photos and â€Å"Your day† DVD’s f your day. The DVDs are produced using a RFID bracelet that potential customers carry around. 25-30% of potential customers have actually purchased a DVD. 20 Other products that theme parks have invested in to boost their existent product range efficiency is the CAD software used to predict if rides are going to work successfully before its even built. Parks such as Thorpe and Lego-Land also attempt to increase customer satisfaction and value for money by introducing Q-Bot systems. This technology allocated ride times to visitors so they can do other things in the meantime. Flamingo started using a variation product called Li-Lo Q texts which works in a similar way. 21 Appendix 7 shows the hierarchy for the leisure market, as you can see product forms split into a range of product items. A few have been selected to give an idea of the current product portfolio. An example of basic platform product, is Alton’s Spin-ball Whizzer and Chessington’ Dragon fury being the same product but altered. Alton Thorpe have many innovative products that attract numerous thrill-seeking visitors such as Colossus, Oblivion, Thirteen, etc. Companies also have co-branded or sponsored product such as Alton’s Sonic Spin-ball-whizzer or Drayton’s Thomas the tank engine land. Lego-Land Chessington offer products suited mainly for children making it difficult to be innovative due to extra restrictions and it means they are not appealing to any other segments. Appendix 8 shows the position of a few Alton Towers rides on the product life cycle. Thirteen being the latest addition is placed in introduction. Nemesis, Oblivion, Air Rita being the most popular are still in maturity due to the fact that their popularity does not allow them to decline. An example of a ride just past maturity would be submission where basic  platform products are no longer that popular. Deul II and Sonic Spin-ball are modified variations created to extend its product life cycle and boost its appeal. Market Segmentation Appendix 9 summarises segmentation variables. The main conclusions drawn up from all these elements are that the main target audience are aged 16-35 most likely being full time student or partly employed. It has a classless socio-economic market however those from D/E would most likely find a day out expensive. The majority of visitors live in the midlands region, where Alton has a high penetration of 71%22. Motivations where the average customer profile consists of those who are thrill seeking risk takers or family orientated individuals. Today’s consumer are more demanding, less patient, have high expectations and seen as being loyal since 88% of those who visited theme parks in 2009 are returning customers23. The average person visiting Alton spend more than 7 hours on the computer and shop at Waitrose indicating that they are young and well to do. 24 House hold numbers are decreasing and so is the rate of birth which means which can lead to labour shortages and less potential customers. Parks have also got to consider introducing smaller family packages. Appendix 10 shows a population shift where the population of the UK is currently 61,792,000. It shows there is a bulge located with the baby boomers, Males and females are fairly and the working population is represents 62% of the mid 2009 market. This information could assist and impact decisions made by the company, for example the increase of baby boomers means that the park may have to offer more services for suited for them. Appendix 1: Detailed PRESTCOM, Numerical Weighting Justification Political . The government realise by intervening in theme parks they could be restricting competition and suppressing innovation. The government involve themselves in matters concerning the safety and well fair of the general public. The government has the authority to decline planning permission, heavily fine theme parks and close them down if they feel it is necessary to do so. 60 *The government themselves are the most important factor due to their high authority and ability to make necessary decisions to restrict or enhance the industry and its competitors. *Reputation is more important than the political climate as it can create more damage to the brand in the long run. *The political climate can affect sales but only for the short term. The public themselves can cause havoc and protest against theme parks which can have an effect on the reputation and decisions made by the theme parks themselves in order to satisfy needs and keep a positive reputation. 25 The political climate itself can have an impact on a theme park sales, activities and management. 15 Regulatory Aspects of theme parks are under tighter control resulting in more red tape concerning employment, machine games, fire safety and CRB. 85 *Numerous regulations have been created for trading bodies to abide by. Recently theme parks are under tighter restrictions which obviously would have a massive impact in how they are run and in some cases what they provide. *There are only a number of people aware of the RFID tags privacy issue and it doesn’t impact theme parks to a huge extent. Connected to technology, there are concerns over privacy rights due to the introduction of RFID tags. 15 Economical Dependant on whether a country is in a boom or a recession it can affect the amount of disposable income an individual has and the unemployment rate of the country as a whole. The current recession has had a major impact on the visitor numbers and sales revenue. The current economic climate has had a positive effect on theme parks. 60 *The economical state of a country is vital to the growth and revenue of all industries. It is the most important economical factor as it means there is lower income rates and less spending power. *Having a weak exchange rate causes outbound tourism to decline and inbound tourism to flourish, both positive contributions to the increase of visitors to UK theme parks. *Inflation can influence sales rates. Exchange rate – the weak sterling rate increases inbound tourism due to the UK being a cheaper holiday destination. 25 Inflation is high causing admissions to rise by 16 % in the next 4 years. Expected to have 4. 7 million admissions 15 Social As time goes on there are shifts in demographics as well as people’s expectations and taste change continuously. Theme parks try to conquer this social factor by providing a variety of attractions to satisfy all needs. 50 *Socially, demographics, expectations and taste play the largest role in motivating people do to particular actions. *Life style also effects the actions of an individual and is nearly almost as important influencing people’s behaviour. *The fact that some individuals are afraid of rides/heights has little impact to those that do and doesn’t significantly decrease the number of visitors. Numerous people are afraid of rides and heights which influence sales, this isn’t helped by the fact that there are incidents where technical faults have caused injuries/deaths. These incidents could also damage a brands reputation. 10 The lifestyle of individuals has changed over the years due to a number of reasons but plays a big part in motivations for certain behaviour and attitude 40 Technological Technology has allowed the internal functioning of the organisation to be more efficient and less time consuming. 20 *Technology is the most important change impacting theme parks. It is the catalyst behind innovation, production and operation. *It has also assisted theme a parks to be run efficiently, make communication more effective and increase revenue through merchandising but obviously, they have had a smaller impact. Technology has also allowed theme parks to be more innovative when creating rides/attractions, improve existing rides and enhance the safety of rides. 60 Technology can assist theme parks to increase revenue through merchandise and convenience. 10 It has also made communication more efficient. 10 Competitive Direct competitors have a major impact on theme parks activities and visitor no’s. Alton Towers main direct competitors consist of Thorpe Park, The Adventure World of Chessington, Legoland, Drayton and Blackpool 40 *Direct competitors cause theme parks to respond in a competitive manner in an attempt to be the best. The USP positioning extra competitive facilities have an equal impact due to both having the ability to attract visitors and influence their decisions. Theme parks team up with other organisations can also increase awareness/attention The USP positioning has a major influence of how its run and if there successful in positioning accurately then how visitors perceive the brand/theme park. 20 Indirect competitors consist of other leisure activities. The UK leisure sector is a very competitive industry attracting various sorts of people. 10 Theme parks team up with other brands, organisations and companies to give themselves a competitive advantage. 10 Some theme parks have extra facilities to give them a better competitive advantage 20 Organisation Man power – the intellectual property that the theme park has can vastly influence the designs and construction of attractions. Theme parks are also very labour intensive industries. 80 *Intellectual property is a key factor to the success of theme parks; The brains behind the big ideas and the production of them. *The costs influence the organisation, their budget, margins and decisions. Higher overheads such as the increase of electricity cost and higher staffing costs have has an impact on theme parks margins. 20 Market Sales are vastly influenced an uncontrollable factor; the weather 70 The weather is the biggest influence of visitor attendance. Marketing comes second to it due to its ability to increase awareness. Marketing can influence the success of the theme park, especially with those outside local regions. 30 Appendix 2 – Direct Indirect Competitors LOWER COST DIFFERENTATION BROAD TARGET Drayton Alton Towers Thorpe Park NARROW TARGET Flamingo Lego Chessington Gulliver’s Blackpool DIRECT INDIRECT CURRENT Thorpe Park Chessington Gulliver’s Drayton Flamingo Blackpool London Eye Cadburys Sea Life Centre Tower of London Holidays POTENTIAL Disney Paris CBBC park Horrible Histories park Appendix 4 – Market Share (Created using source: Mintel, Theme Parks, Feb 2010) Appendix 5 – Adoption Life Cycle Appendix 6 – Porters 5 Forces Numerical Weighting Appendix 7 – Hierarchical Decomposition of the Leisure Attraction Industry Appendix 8 –Product Life Cycle Appendix 9 – Segmentation table (Created using Mintel Data/Sources) Demographics Geographics Physcographics Behaviouralistic Age – Visitors peak among 16 and 35 year olds. 16-24 year olds account for 21. 4% and 25-34 year olds account for 23. 3%. The data shows that as the age group gets older there is a decrease in the number of visitors. Region- Alton Towers attracted 19. 1% of those from the Midlands region. Followed up by the North West visitors of 17. 5% and then London at 13. 2%. Motivations – can be numerous. It could be for a social day out with friends, for the thrills of sky high rides, for family fun, for a change of scenery or value for money through incentives. Regular visitors – 1 in 4 people went to a theme park in 2009. 88 % were returning to that theme park whilst 12 % were first timers. Consumers are l were satisfied previously and also new targets have been attracted. Gender – 47% of those who went to Alton Towers were female with 53% being males. This shows that it has products to appeal to both genders. Population numbers have increased to 61. 8m. it has been predicted that in the next 4 years we shall see a increase of 10 year olds and over 50’s. Personality – Alton Towers is geared up for those who are energetic, lively, hrill seeking socialisers. They also appeal to family orientated individuals. According to the data 50% of theme Alton Towers visitors spend 7 + hours using the internet per day which indicates that our users are young. Occupation – 19% of those attending Alton Towers were full-time students with and 17. 7 being part time employed. This shows that it attracts many students and those between ages of 16 and 30 years. Climate – has a massive effect upon the attendance. According to one operator 1 out of 4 of those intended to come, get put off of coming if they see it rain before 9 am. 12 % of individuals claim that theme parks simply have no interest to them; theme parks have to try and find ways around this. There has been a high correlation between those that shop at Waitrose and those that attend the Alton theme park. this could indicate that visitors are quite well off as Waitrose prices are high compared to their competitors. Socio-Economic Class – It is classless, Alton towers attracts a number of various people from all sorts of backgrounds. However it has been found that majority D/E segments find it expensive. Today’s consumers are more demanding, less patient and get easily bored. The product life cycle is a lot shorter than it once was due to competitor increase and innovation change. This can be backed up by the fact that rides are now introduced every 12 months rather than every 2/3 years. Lifestyle : household numbers are decreasing. Less people chose to marry and settle down with children affecting the target audience of theme parks in the long run. We currently live in a digital world where people have a hectic life revolved around money and have no time to waste. Ethnicity Religion – attracts all types of people and even has allocated days for example â€Å"Muslim Day† Appendix 10 – Population Shifts