The Similarities between the books Brave New World and Logan’s Run

In a dystopian society, one is not limited to the sum of displeasure and lies that might transpire. The lines between dystopian and anti-utopian societies are similar in contrast, but offer a wide array of absent pleasure for the citizens of the totalarianistic state. Brave New World, a brainwashed utopia, written by Aldous Huxley, introduced the first suggestions of human cloning in literature. Thinking about the class ranks that the â€Å"embryos† are classified into, you are literally born into either the lower classes or upper classes; contrasting Logan’s Run.In the movie, the society presents themselves in different colors. It’s not that the women wear one color and the men wear another, but instead based upon their age. The different colors of their wardrobe put forward an insight into anyone that they might converse with. It seems a little bizarre, don’t you think? But very logical. To sustain population control in Logan’s Run, the process ve iled as â€Å"renewal†, masks the true reason for the so called â€Å"carousel†. When the citizens in Logan’s Run reach the age of 30, they are basically done, meaning they are sentenced to death.But in the minds of the rebellious ones that are next up for â€Å"renewal†, they take their chances and run. You know their considered a runner because the red dot on their hands will lose their color, and when their ready to be renewed there’s no longer life, so the red will start blinking. This enjoyed process by the other citizens watching isn’t so tasteful for anyone humane or sane. When compared to our society throughout the world, China has a high policy on child restrictions. The law states they are limited to the one child policy.So with the ever growing population of China, there’s certain ways to try and slow down the growing rate of humanity; similar to Logan’s Run. In both Brave New World, and Logan’s Run, one thing is apparent. The futuristic society’s role in sexual relations. It’s a â€Å"no strings attached† kind of constructional, sexual pleasure. The way Logan used the technology to choose women he wanted for the night, was disgusting to the common person; but in all actuality, it was acceptable and encouraged in their civilization. When Logan 5 is selecting his pray he comes acrossJessica 6 in which her rejection to his offer, makes him feel allured. This is because of their conditioning, intercourse is practiced and performed so much, that there’s no rejections, it’s as if their playing a Simon Says game. Same case in Brave New World, there’s no repercussions to their actions! I believe that’s the alarming red flag. Any woman in our society to be unprotected meaning, no way to prevent pregnancy, then your cruising to become a mother. But in both sex pleasured worlds, they know nothing bad is going to happen after their one night stand, s o they continue on their ongoing activities.The inevitable fate of both worlds has its bad sides and okay sides, for us outsiders we can only image how much harm is going on. But both Brave New World and Logan’s Run illustrate a society striving for ultimate efficiency, and ultimate pleasure. There is so called life outside of both considered â€Å"utopias†. Not suited for the non-rebellious intellectuals. The conscience minds who question the rule of authority and the ways of the society are gaining new ground in discovering the outside world. There’s ways around everything.But for some, living in the dystopian setting of futuristic, test tube lives can alter you true, humanly instincts. One living in lies, won’t or can’t be acceptable to the ways of life on the outside, it may take time or just never happen. Good example: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. I know we all knows the story, but the societies in both: Brave New World and Loganâ€⠄¢s Run complement each other, suggesting new, alien ideas, thought of by obviously more than one man. The boundaries are endless in according to dystopian and utopian works of literature, leaving one to think†¦. What kind of society are we living in?

“Is Racism a Permanent Feature of American Society?” Essay

The situation dealing with racism became alive at the start of slavery. The whites controlled the blacks years ago and today in some parts of America it is still happening. Racism had split today’s society into two parts. One side is the blacks and the other side is the whites. If you are not African American or Caucasian, then whatever the color of your skin is, that determined what side you was placed on. Some say that in the twenty-first century, racism is still in Americans Society. Those people are totally right, but the question is will racism be a permanent feature of Americans society. After reading Dinesh D’Souza’s response to the previous question, there is more than enough evidence to say that racism will not be a permanent feature in America’s society. Black people do crime and white people see it on television. White people do everything and anything that they can to keep blacks out of sight. If that’s following a black man around the store, or not hiring any black people to work for the whites, but a white person is always going to think twice about associating with blacks. A black man walks into a shoe and he is followed all around the store by a white man. The white man is not too close the black man but he is close enough that the black man knows that he is getting followed. All the way until the black man gets to the register and pays for his items. Then the white man says to the black man, â€Å"Have a nice day and come back soon.† The first thing that this black man thinks is that the white man was a racists person. But he was unaware about the other black man that came in before him that stole five pairs of shoes, and just walked right out the front door without paying. The only reason the white man was following the black man was because he did not want to get robbed again. The black man did not know that, so that’s why he felt as though the white man was racists. All whites are not racist but it’s just the bad things that some blacks do that hurt the whole race. A black lady comes to an interview to be a greeter at a restaurant. She has all the certification and experience that is need for the job. She answered all the questions correctly and gave great reasons why she should be hired. But for some reason she does not get the job and they tell her that she needs more work before they hire her. She feels that the company is being racist because she is a black woman. What she doesn’t know is that a black women before her got that same position and almost got their business shut down. The company made an agreement that no more black  would be allowed to work in that company. The black women had everything that she need for the job but because of the black lady before, she was not hired. That is another example of how some black people mess things up for the whole race and because of that blacks call white people racist. Derrick Bell believes that because the whites are in control of the education, they make it too hard for blacks to pass. Well black families are way different than white families, and they also have different beliefs. Some white families push their kids to do good and set high standards for them to reach. On the other hand, some black families just make sure their kids are making average grades and they are not being bad in school. While the whites children are on the right level or even above the grade level, the black kids are just barley pass their classes. When open house comes alone and the black parents find out that their child is not doing well in school, the first thing the black parents say is their child’s teacher is racist and the teacher is giving their child bad grades. But the whole situation is the difference between how black children are raised and how white children are raised. That does not have anything to do with any kind of racism. According to D’Souza it is just as excuses to not have to deal with the situation. To sum it up, racism is not a permanent feature of American society. Some blacks will tell you that it is but, those are the same blacks that make it hard for white people to trust them. Racism was very big at some point but after it died down, it all came to what race was going to rise to the top. The whites did their job and now because of they have biggest business in the United States. Black people are not determined to do a lot of different things. They just want everything to fall in their laps or they want someone else to do things they want for them. If some people didn’t mess it up for the whole race then we could be at the top of businesses and have our faces on build boards, but that chance was messed up long time ago. Racism does not have to continue in today’s society.

Learning differences in a given learning environment Essay

Learning differences in a given learning environment - Essay Example Debates exist on whether it is the parental or teacher responsibility to effectively educate all these differences in student learning. Teacher's expectations/stereotypes whether conscious or subconscious may serve to either support all these learning differences in a mutual learning environment or may advantage some to the disadvantage of others. According to the theory of critical pedagogy which attempts to tailor the educational environment according to students' lived experiences, most educators do not consciously attempt to disadvantage students who come with non-dominant cultural, economic, ability differences yet since all of these students are located within a dominant culture they may or may not receive the proper attention required. Due to dominant curriculum content/narratives and norms of thinking which serve to stream non-dominant students into lower learning tracks and socializes them as such, many students fall between the cracks of the educational system and do not ge t their full learning potential realized. According to several critical pedagogical theorists the role of most schools is one in which the values of society with all its inequities are reproduced. Instead of focusing on the Zone of Proximal Development as described by Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1962) and Giroux (1998) teachers simply do not have all the knowledge base resources available nor the financial incentive to pay due attention to these important factors. Although working in the same time frame as Piaget, Vygotsky focused on cultural influences on cognitive stages of development in thinking (Santrock, 2008; Vygotsky, 1962; 1978). For Vygotsky culture specifies what to think, how to think and the means by which individuals think. For this reason, language is considered by him to be an essential element in the learning process since it represents the means by which the adult guides the child through the learning process (Santrock, 2008; Vygotsky, 1962). This illustrates that students who have a second or third language that they are exposed to at home learn differently than those exposed to English only. Since language is the primary means, according to Vygotsky, of intellectual transformation then language has a direct impact on learning. Children use internal speech and imitate their parents' speech so they start teaching themselves through the use of this self-talk. Development according to Vygotsky, means that children gradually become adapted through language to their cultural background and effectively to the learning environment. This theory otherwise known the sociocultural or social cognitive approach illustrates the importance of culture and language in the learning process. Teachers who address language and cultural differences in their teaching by recognizing and effectively including these understandings within learning are being effective educators (Santrock, 2008; Vygotsky, 1962; 1978). Another important factor is the role of socio-economic backgrounds. According to Giroux (1998) schools should do more than simply replicate the stratification existing in society by emphasizing values of competition, individualism, and intellectual consumerism. Instead schools can and should promote a sense of democratic community for teachers and students (Giroux & Schmidt, 2004). This inevitably means

Scene of Lamentation for Jesus Christ in Northern and Southern Assignment

Scene of Lamentation for Jesus Christ in Northern and Southern Renaissance - Assignment Example The essay "Scene of Lamentation for Jesus Christ in Northern and Southern Renaissance" concerns Lamentation's Scene for Jesus in the context of Renaissance. Several particular features give hint on the fact that this picture can be attributed to Northern Renaissance. The material and the type of canvas are among the most obvious. Oil on panel was commonly used by Northern artists as it permitted to preserve brightness of colors for a long time. The painting is very detailed and vivid with elaborated landscape. Apparently, the author underlines human`s side of Jesus Christ showing his tortured body and concentrating on the minor details of it. Ribs that got visible through skin because of starving, injuries that bleed, closed eyes of a dead man- there is no presence of God on this picture as the author tells us that Christ was suffering as much as we did. Despair, sympathy and sorrow can be read on the faces of Christ`s followers who came to him. Nothing on the picture suggests that C hrist will resurrect as he is portrayed as an ordinary human being who was suffering enormously. Massys does not concentrate nature in his painting, for him it is still the man and his suffering which matters the most but still the city o the background and the crosses thought-out ad realistic. Northern and Southern painting styles were different due to numerous reasons: they appeared in different geographical regions and were formed under the influence of different sources. Northern style was originated on the territory.

Institution of Learning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Institution of Learning - Case Study Example Secondly, the fact that Steven is senior in the college, creative, but hates having to write reports or deliver presentation, it might interfere with his contribution to the development and presentation of the project. Third, Erick made certain alteration of some of the wording in the report and added different information, making a number of parts to sound unoriginal without consulting the other two members, thus breaching the spirit of a team (Shepard, 2005). Fourth, Kelly is in an aggressive quest to relocate to Oregon soonest possible to be close to her fiance and intends to switch her career. Perhaps, she was adhering to agency theory that indicates the relationship between motivation and the individual worker’s productivity. It seems the workers are not motivated, thus could not work as a team because the perception from their interaction is that each operates on his/her own (Shepard, 2005). This fact could interfere with the group spirit since she might not be intereste d in the outcome of the project, contrary to the goal of the group initiative. The case also revealed that Steven, Eric and Kelly decided that they could individually self-organize and let each other prepare for the presentation in his/her own fashion. This contravenes the group spirit since they were to agree on all aspects of the project, create a sense of understanding on each of them, on the full report and finally give one of them the opportunity to do the presentation. This would be important because, allowing each person to present in his/her own fashion could give room for manipulation of the content to their personal interest and satisfaction, perhaps not for the Institution (Shepard, 2005). The key Problems in this Case There are certain problems in this case ranging from personal to technological in nature. For example, there tree staff members lack coordination since they do not interact during their duties. To substantiate this claim, the Steven and Kelly could not prep are the ten questions, which they agreed on for the interview, citing their own reason for failing to do so. Steve only had five questions while Kelly did not present questions at all, claiming that the system could not open her document to print the questions. Indeed, this posted a big challenge in executing a group’s project and should be addressed, if the three staff members wanted to succeed in the initiative (Shepard, 2005). Moreover, after deliberation on the project, Erick prepared the final draft and sent a copy to the IT Director and Mark for their review. Surprisingly, he did this without consulting Steven and Kelly for their comment on the final draft. Therefore, the two could not endorse the content of the final draft, subsequently creating a problem during its presentation (Shepard, 2005). As given in the case, Kelly established at least two flaws in the final draft, which did not make sense for her, but had no choice since the final copy had reached the IT Direc tor and Mark who initially did not have any problem with the document. The second problem is time keeping. The case information stated that Steve and Kelly could not report in time for the presentation, despite Erick’s effort to arrive 30 minutes earlier. Kelly’

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FINANCE AND TRADE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FINANCE AND TRADE - Essay Example The Enron Corporation before its collapse was one of the largest global company which had its hands in the sales of natural gas and electricity, commodities like bandwidth internet connection and provided other financial and management services. Failure of corporate governance can be due many reasons. In financial terms if a company owes more than it earns over a significant time period and is not able to carry out trade then it faces a corporate failure. Failure can also occur due to institutional failure in which a group of managers fails to tackle major issues of the company. An important factor behind the collapse of corporate governance is the financial crisis. â€Å"The Enron failure demonstrated a failure of corporate governance, in which internal control mechanisms were short-circuited by conflicts of interest that enriched certain managers at the expense of the shareholders.† (Enron: Corporate Failure, Market Success, 2002). A complete reevaluation of corporate govern ance practice in the United States became important after the fall of Enron. The financial goals of a corporate sector are mainly maximization of share holder’s wealth and the maximization of corporate wealth. The wrong financial decisions taken by the authorities leading to a ‘dubious’ financial transaction also contributes to the failure of corporate governance. The free market situation which emerged as a result of liberalization and the process of privatization of public sector got questioned after the breakdown of the Enron. â€Å"The failure of the corporate governance system should be viewed as the failure of the corporate internal control system† (Dewan, 2006, P. 51 An effective system of corporate governance has both internal and external aspects that have to be sufficiently responsive if governance is to succeed. â€Å"Different internal and external influences address different issues within an organization† (Hafner, 2010, P. 6). Absence of an appropriate internal governance system which leads to an inefficient financial and management performance may also contribute to the breakdown of corporate governance as happened at Enron. Failure of External governance system which has the responsibility to warn the company about the future market situations to do its duty may also contribute to the failure of the corporate governance. The power in the hands of the company given by the corporate rules to influence the policy makers and hence the government has been another reason for the corporate failure. The collapse of corporate governance was not just rooted in poor managerial performance but the entire corporate department plays a major role in ruining the corporate ethical values and principles. But the primary responsibility for the failure of corporate governance lies with the executives and the managers. If the operations management were allowed to work according to the corporate norms then the tragedy of the Enron c ollapse might not have occurred. Effective regulation and oversight, restrictions on campaign financing, and an arms length approach of government in dealing with business may have prevented the breakdown of Enron. â€Å"Enron situation taught a lesson about the main reasons for such failures and not to repeat the same mistakes in the future. The Enron situation was the focus of a massive investigation that led to significant changes in corporate governa

Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack - Essay Example In case of Jackson, it is rather different because he was more interested in raising questions than answering them. His paintings are believed to be the sources of exploring oneself and he always attempted and tried to help the audience in the process of imploration, Jackson’s work is all about finding one’s true potential. The artist used dull colors like black, grey and white in contrast. The themes that he used told a lot about him and his life as he was always looking to communicate his frustration, anger and confusion through his works. Pablo on the other hand, lived a very fulfilling and satisfied life and because of this reason, his paintings promoted happiness and pleasure in the world. The basic and fundamental purpose of writing this essay is to compare and contrast the works of Picasso and Pollack that go by the names of â€Å"Three Musicians† (Picassso, Three Musicians) and â€Å"Shewolf† (Pollock, Shewolf) respectively. The work of Picasso was painted in order to tell the people to make the most of their life by creating harmony with one and another as musicians play their pieces and add to the mass of this universe by pleasuring the people. The deep sense of Picasso’s own perception towards reality was revealed through the featured painting.

The Frst Genuine System of Federal Government Essay

The Frst Genuine System of Federal Government - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  grandfather Franklin was more reserved, though with prodding he too became excited and animated.   Grandfather Jefferson would call him a Deist, a man of science, and argue that he favored an elimination of religious faith from American governance rather than a mere separation of church and state.   This always served to start Grandfather Franklin talking.   He told us that religious faith was an essential part of our philosophical heritage, that while it led to oppression when abused, it also functioned as an integral aspect of our culture.   He told us that he favored religion, so long as it was adequately shielded from politics and from state affairs.This paper highlights that  the reporter's grandfathers adhered to the same basic story of the Founding Fathers, and they themselves admired the founding philosophies.   They agreed that America was correct to decide that natural laws ought to govern our roles as individual citizens and that government ought to be designed to respect the individual.   They agreed that powerful governments were dangerous, a threat to these natural laws, and that is was necessary to implement a series of checks and balances in order for these ideals to persist.   They both agreed on the separation of church and state, and they both agreed that religious values nevertheless remained valuable.   They both sought to separate the government into separate branches.

Greenlea Residential Care Home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Greenlea Residential Care Home - Essay Example Mrs. Marchant is of the opinion that acquiring such reports is now becoming more and more bureaucratic. Her profits have been falling slightly during the last few years and this is becoming a cause of concern for her. Mrs. Merchant is now considering expanding the Care House by building an extension. This extension will enable her to house double the capacity. Of course, she feels , her staff will also have to be doubled to take care of the increased number of residents. She has acquired an estimate for the building and construction of this extension which amounts to 100,000 pounds. Since her debts are not very high she is seeking limited liability which will allow more financial protection. It will also ensure a greater range of tax concessions. However, she is facing one legal claim. An employee who fell down while assisting a resident and hurt her thumb is seeking compensation. But Mrs. Merchant is of the firm opinion that she will not pay compensation since there was a chair lift available and the employee had acted negligently resulting in a breach of regulations. Now she takes time off to prepare the necessary accounts to put her plan into action.

Idealism Philosophy Using the dialectic as an instructional method Essay

Idealism Philosophy Using the dialectic as an instructional method - Essay Example One way - the Socratic method - is to show that a given hypothesis (with other admissions) leads to a contradiction; thus, forcing the withdrawal of the hypothesis as a candidate for truth. Another way of trying to resolve a disagreement is by denying some presupposition of the contending thesis and antithesis; thereby moving to a third thesis. Briefly, the term "dialectic" owes much of its prestige to its role in the philosophy of Plato, where it figures as the logical method of philosophy in the Socratic dialectical method of cross-examination. The term was given new life by Hegel, whose dialectically dynamic model of nature and history made it, as it were, a fundamental aspect of the nature of reality (instead of regarding the contradictions into which dialectics leads as a sign of the sterility of the dialectical method, as Kant tended to do in his Critique of Pure Reason). Hegel's dialectic, which he usually presented in a threefold manner, was vulgarized by Heinrich Moritz Chalybaus as comprising three dialectical stages of development: a thesis, giving rise to its reaction, an antithesis which contradicts or negates the thesis, and the tension between the two being resolved by means of a synthesis. In the mid-nineteenth century, the concept of "dialectic" was appropriated by and Engels and retooled in a non-idealist manner, becoming a crucial notion i

Food Adulteration Essay Example for Free

Food Adulteration Essay Kraft Foods offer a wide variety of products. They offer delicious foods and beverages for every lifestyle on the go. While exploring the website of Kraft seems to define their product mix as foods that are geared more towards the people on the go. I would define their product mix as health/wellness foods, quick fix meals, snacks and beverages as well as offering a Premium line of foods. In their health/wellness foods they offer products in a â€Å"light† form such as things like Philadelphia light cream cheese and reduce fat cookies. For meals on the go or quick fix meals Kraft have designed meals like the Kraft Mac Cheese Cups, frozen meals and sandwich kits. They offer a wide variety of snack foods including everyone’s favorite cookie Oreo’s and Splendips. The Premium line that Kraft offers includes foods like DiGornio Pizza and Oscar Myer bacon. Kraft offers 8 product lines with over 50 different brands. Kraft’s product mix is the offering of their premium foods, such as DiGornao Ultimate Pizza which is made as a higher quality pizza then the standard. Tombstone Mexican Style Pizza is offered as a convenience food as a favorite food of teenage boys. It was designed for the ease of cooking a easy, quick, healthy meal. Tang is real fruit goodness of oranges. Everyone will surely love its sweet, refreshing flavor plus the added nutrition it gives. It is also instant drink mix offering the convenience food again. South Beach Diet foods are part of their healthy yet, convenience foods. The line offers alternatives to other popular diet fads. South Beach Diet foods play on wholegrain and the correct or right fats like canola oil and olive oil. In this line they also offer bars for a fast way to fill a craving during the day.

Referendums: Arguments For and Against

Referendums: Arguments For and Against What are the arguments for and against the holding of popular referendums? Under what circumstances, if any, should they be held? The referendum has its origins in direct democracy, and can therefore be dated back to the 5th Century BC in the Greek city state of Athens. The concept of a referendum has changed and developed in line with democracy and can now be found in a number of differing forms throughout the developed world. A referendum is broadly defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as â€Å"a general vote by the electorate on a single political question†; however this definition fails to make distinctions between the many types of referendum which exist, or the modern day importance of referendums. In an initial classification there are three types of referendum as defined by the Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia. Obligatory referendums; which are required by law, optional referendums; which are put on the ballot when a sufficient number of voters sign a petition demanding that a law passed by the legislature be ratified by the people, and voluntary referendums; when legislatures submit to voter s to decide an issue or to test public opinion. There are a number of widely credited arguments both for and against the holding of popular referendums, however, there are only a few key ideas encapsulated in these arguments. Those in favour of referendums generally tend to point out that they; promote political participation and increase voter knowledge on issues as well as helping to strengthen democracy and further legitimate the government. Whilst arguments against referendums concentrate on ideas; that the public are ill equipped to make important political decisions, and that the information they do have is distorted through media influence, that referendums only provide an idea of public opinion at that one point in time, and that referendums weaken and remove power from the representative institutions elected by the public. The holding of popular referendums is key in a democratic system where the people are becoming, not only disengaged but disinterested in the political process as a whole. The use of referendums can help to counter this affect, provided that clear guidelines are set for when a referendum should take place. The word democracy comes from the Latin demos meaning the people and kratos meaning power or rule (OED); rule by the people. The practicalities of this literal definition, often referred to as direct democracy, are almost impossible in our world today, where in the UK in 2005 there were 44,245,939 people registered to vote (www.idea.int)[1]. However, representative democracy is a â€Å"limited and indirect form of democracy† (Heywood 2007:74) which relies on, in most cases, an electoral mandate for legitimacy. This electoral mandate has been called into question on a number of occasions in modern political history, most notably in the US presidential election of 2005 between George W Bush and Al Gore, and again in the UK General Election of 2005. Referendums could be seen in a modern political context as a stepping stone between direct and representative democracy. It is fair to say that in the majority of developed political societies people have the opportunity to vote into office representatives whom they believe to share policy views with. However, it would be impossible for any political party to represent all the views of its members and supporters, as a result parties may include certain policy promises in their manifestos that their voters do not want to see implemented (Caramani 2008:254). This, along with the fact that people vote for parties for such a wide range of reasons, mean that it is not possible to conclude that peoples policy preferences are the same as the party they vote for (Setala 1999: 14-16). Therefore, a referendum allows the public to show a direct opinion on a specific policy matter they would otherwise be impossible. Linked to the idea that referendums strengthen democracy with regards to policy decisions, there is also the theory that they legitimate government between elections. The period between major governmental elections is, in many countries, several years. In this time period governments can, for the most part, make decisions without any public consultation. There is therefore a danger that although these officials are elected as representatives, it is only the opposition parties and the checks and balances outlined in constitutions that prevent them from deviating from their original promises. Referendums allow the government to not only gauge public opinion on policy but also to make clear that the decisions they are making are in line with public attitude on issues concerning them, therefore providing another check against the power of government. Opponents to referendums argue that instead of strengthening democracy and legitimising government they in fact weaken the political system by removing power from elected bodies. Representative democracy is founded on the principle that elected officials represent the views of the people and make decisions on their behalf; therefore a referendum undermines this principle. Sir Patrick Nairne observed that â€Å"if Members of Parliament are elected to settle national issues of major policy brought before them by the Government, is it right to throw such issues back to the voters to settle† (Qvotrup 2005:23). This argument concerning the weakening of bodies is, although worth acknowledging, very limited in its view on referendums. It concentrates for the most part on the idea that referendums remove decision making power from elected bodies and would therefore render them both less effective and less powerful. However, this is an extreme view that fails to recognise that referend ums can be used to aid governments as well as the people, and provide a vital link between the two, as has already been argued. In the majority of political systems across the world we are witnessing a worrying downward trend in voter turnout. This can be attributed to a number of causes including; partisan dealignment, disenchantment with the political system and indifference to politics. Referendums can be used to help promote political participation by enabling the electorate to become better educated and informed and therefore reduce the feeling of alienation (Heywood 2007:250). By providing people with the opportunity to participate in referendums they are presented with the opportunity to educate and inform themselves on political issues. There is clearly a link between an informed electorate and higher levels of political participation, as Verba, Schlozman and Brady (1995) argue. This correlation arises from the fact that a more politically educated electorate is able understand the workings of government, and the issues affecting them; therefore seek to bring about change. Switzerland was one of the f irst countries to introduce referendums to make decisions on proposed legislation. Although turnout figures in Switzerland are not very high, around 45% (www.idea.int)[2], it can be argued that the Swiss people are more politically active than turnout figures show due to the fact that there is such a large number of referendums not everyone votes in all of them, and also that they are more involved with political parties and in other ways than most other countries. Aside from elections there are very few ways in which citizens can directly influence political decisions. There are provisions in most democratic countries for the electorate to have some personal contact with their representative, however for the most part people do not make use of this tool because they believe it to be ineffectual; issues raised in these arenas rarely have an effect on the outcome of policy. People are also able to join political parties yet; again, they are faced with the same problems of ineffectuality. A referendum therefore provides an answer to increasing ways for the electorate to positively participate in politics. A binding referendum permits the public to make the final decision on a specific policy, although these types of referendums are not widely used, it is rare for a government to go against the public even in a non-binding referendum. In 1975 the UK, both electorate and government, was divided over whether or not it should continue its membership in the European Economic Community. The overwhelming â€Å"Yes† vote to stay in Europe was upheld by the Labour government of the time, although it was not a binding referendum, and was hailed as a â€Å"historic decision† by Prime Minister Harold Wilson (www.bbc.co.uk/news)[3]. The counter arguments to increased political participation and voter knowledge through referendums are that; in fact, referendums can cause voter fatigue and decrease participation, and that the public are ill equipped to make important political decisions. The first of these arguments relies on the premise that the public would be able to vote on all or a large number of policies. However, this move back to direct democracy is not desirable for the public or the government; presenting the public with such a large number of opportunities to vote could indeed cause voting fatigue. There is a compromise to be found between allowing the public to vote on all policy and not allowing them to vote on it at all. The latter of these criticisms on referendums concern voter knowledge. It is ignorant to assume that the electorate are either not informed, or are unable, to educate themselves on political issues put to them in referendums. If people are able to vote and presumably make an informed decision on which political party they wish to represent them they are equally able to do so in a referendum. Critics argue that information is distorted through the media prior to referendums, and this is a problem worth considering. During the first referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland two of Rupert Murdochs biggest selling newspapers The Irish Sun and The Sunday Times were seen as going â€Å"hell for leather on a No vote† (www.guardian.co.uk)[4]; similarly the media coverage on the 1975 Common Market Referendum was heavily biased to the â€Å"Yes† campaign, it has been estimated that twenty times the amount of money was available to this campaign than to the â€Å"No† campa ign (www.europeansinglecurrency.com/referendum)[5]. Although in these instances the media seemed to have an influence on the final outcome there are other, more fundamental, factors which influence peoples decisions, the American political scientist John Zaller encapsulates this idea; â€Å"Every opinion is a marriage of information and predisposition† (Zaller 1992:6). For referendums to be used effectively it is important that the circumstances in which they should be held are clearly defined and upheld by law. When considering this point one must take into account that referendums should not used in a way that, as many opponents argue, undermines the authority of the elected bodies in a representative democracy. An answer to this is that referendums should only be used in matters of constitutional importance and not for other policy decisions. It is, after all, constitutions which safeguard the fundamental rights of the electorate as well as preventing the misuse of power by elected bodies (Dahl 2000: 124-127). However, only allowing people to vote on constitutional changes is very limiting, especially if the issue directly influences the way in which they live, and there may also be instances in which the government wishes to hold a referendum on another issue, therefore a wider definition for circumstances must be found. It would be almost impo ssible to define exactly which policy areas the electorate should be able to vote on in referendums. There are obviously issues on which it would be inappropriate to have a referendum, taxes are an obvious example; there are complex issues on which the public would probably not have the time or adequate resources to inform themselves on and which have no real affect on them, for example defence policies. Therefore the best course of action would probably be to allow the elected body to decide in these instances which policies it is sensible to put to a referendum. Australia, in fact follows these basic guidelines for holding referendums to great success. Compulsory national referendums are â€Å"held to approve government-proposed changes to the Australian Constitution†, the constitution specifies this; furthermore the government can also conduct optional referendums or ‘plebiscites to decide on matters outside of the constitution (www.wikipedia.org)[6]. This system of conducting referendums is ideal because the electorate are guaranteed a vote on constitutional issues as well as being given the opportunity, when appropriate, to vote on other policy matters. Referendums provide a vital direct link between government and the electorate which is otherwise unseen in representative democracies. They can help to promote political participation as well as creating a better informed electorate; they also strengthen democracy in modern society. Yet referendums, despite all of this are often criticised for the way in which they weaken elected bodies and do not provide a true gauge on public opinion, largely due to media influence. However, as has been argued none of these arguments hold much weight, especially in the face of a system where the use of referendums have clear guidelines, as in Australia, to be used for constitutional amendments and wherever else is seen as fit by the elected bodies in power. Referendums are a tool which should be used more widely in todays political systems of democracy as they are a manageable and positive step towards a hybrid political system which effectively combines representative and direct democracy. Bibliography Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia (2007) (London: Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia, Inc.) Caramani, Daniele (2008) Comparative Politics (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Dahl, Robert. A. (2000) On Democracy (Yale: Yale University Press) Heywood, Andrew (2007) Politics third edition (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan) Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) 2nd edition revised (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Setala, Maija (1999) Referendums and Democratic Government: Normative Theory and the Analysis of Institutions (Basingstoke: Macmillan) Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman, Schlozman and Henry Brady (1995) Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics (Cambridge: Harvard University Press) Zaller, John (1992) The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) [1] â€Å"United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Voter Turnout International† Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2005 < http://www.idea.int/vt/country_view.cfm?country=GB> (13 Nov. 2009) [2] â€Å"Swiss Confederation Voter Turnout† International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2007 < http://www.idea.int/vt/country_view.cfm?id=42> (13 Nov. 2009) [3] â€Å"1975: UK embraces Europe on Referendum† 1975 < http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/6/newsid_2499000/2499297.stm> (13 Nov. 2009) [4] â€Å"NI votes NO in Irish referendum† 2009 < http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/01/ireland-referendum-rupert-murdoch> (13 Nov 2009) [5] â€Å"Was the 1975 Referendum Conducted Fairley† A British Referendum 2003 < http://www.europeansinglecurrency.com/referendum.htm> (13 Nov 2009) [6] â€Å"Federal Referendums† Referendums in Australia 2009 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_Australia> (13 Nov 2009)

Identifying core competencies and capabilities

Identifying core competencies and capabilities Using McKinseys 7S for Identifying core competencies and capabilities, discuss the ability of your chosen company current CEO in improving the companys products and customers perception of the year 2009 as well as the group understanding of the approach to strategy development at Wal-Mart since 2003. A core competency differentiates not only between firms but also inside a firm, it differentiates among several competencies. In other words, a core competency guides a firm recombine its competencies in responds to demands from the environment. The McKinseys 7S framework offers a useful tool for focusing on certain policy areas which are vital in implementation and control. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to identify the core competencies and capabilities of Wal-Mart using the McKinseys 7S framework as well as discuss how the current CEO is improving the companys products and customers perception by the year 2009. This report is also to analyse the 7S framework of McKinsey which includes 7 interdependent factors and they are categorized as either hard or soft elements. They includes: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, skills, style and staff and are useful in wide variety of situations, such as: Examine the likely effects of future changes within the company Improve the performance of a company Determine how best to implement a proposed strategy Align departments and processes during Merger and Acquisition FINDINGS/MAIN BODY HISTORY The McKinsey 7S framework was named after a consulting company, McKinsey and Company, which has conducted applied research in business and industry (Pascale Athos, 1981; Peters Waterman, 1982). All of the authors worked as consultants at McKinsey and Company; in the 1980s, they used the model to analyse over 70 large organisations. The McKinsey 7S Framework was created as a recognisable and easily remembered model in business. The seven factors or variables, which the authors term levers, all begin with the letter S: The McKinseys 7S framework is a value based management (VBM) model that describes how one can holistically and effectively organize a company and together, these factors determine the way a company operates. THE SEVEN ELEMENTS These seven elements or variables include structure, strategy, systems, skills, style, staff and shared values and are interdependent factors which as noted earlier are categorized as either hard or soft elements: This is shown below: HARD ELEMENTS:- Strategy Structure Systems SOFT ELEMENTS:- Shared Values Skills Style Staff HARD elements are easier to identify or define and management can directly influence them. These are IT systems and formal processes; strategy statements and organization charts. SOFT elements can be more difficult to describe, and are less tangible and more influenced by culture. However, these soft elements are as important as the hard elements for the success of the organisation. The way the model is presented in Figure 1 below shows the interdependency of the elements and indicates how a change in one element affects all the other elements, as such this explains why share values is placed in the middle. Figure 1: The McKinseys 7S Model The seven elements are briefly discussed below: SHARED VALUES: Here, all members of the organization share some common guiding concepts or ideas around which the business is built. This may be to make profits or to achieve excellence in their particular field. These values and common goals keep the employees working towards a common destination as a coherent team and are important to keep the team spirit alive. It is also called superordinate goals; these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work process. STRATEGY: This is the plan of action an organization prepared to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition. It could also be defined as the plan of action set by an organization to achieve its aims and objectives. Simply put, strategy is planning of organizational goals. It deals with essentially three questions: 1. Where is the organization presently? 2. Where do the organization wants to be and 3. How do they get there? As such, strategy is designed to transform the organization from the present position to the new position described by objectives, subject to constraints of the capabilities or the potential (Ansoff, 1965). STRUCTURE: This is the way the organization is structured as well as who reports to whom. It is the way the organizational units relate to each other. Organizations are structured in different ways depending on their objectives and culture. The structure of an organization often dictates the way they operates and performs (Waterman et al., 1980). Businesses have been structured in hierarchy way with different departments and divisions, each responsible for a specific task such as human resources management, production, sales or marketing. Many divisions of the management controlled the operations, with each answerable to the upper division of management. Although this is still the most widely used organizational structure, the recent trend is increasingly towards a flat structure where the work is done in teams of specialists rather than fixed departments. The idea is to make the organization more flexible and devolve the power by empowering the employees and eliminate the middle management layers (Boyle, 2007) SYSTEMS: This is the daily activities, procedures, processes and routines that characterize how important work is to be done. These processes are normally and strictly followed and are designed to achieve the organizations effectiveness. For instance, a firm may have a particular way of recruiting. STYLE: This refers to the cultural style of leadership adopted by management in achieving the organizations goals and objectives. STAFF: This refers to the employees and their general capabilities to ensure that the organization is successful. The importance of human resources has the central position in the strategy of the organization, away from the traditional model of capital and land. All leading organizations such as Wal-Mart, IBM, etc put extraordinary effort on recruiting the best staff, providing them with required training and mentoring support, and pushing their staff to limits in achieving excellence, and this forms the basis of these organizations strategy and competitiveHYPERLINK http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/general-business/competitive-advantage/competitiveadvantage.php HYPERLINK http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/general-business/competitive-advantage/competitiveadvantage.phpadvantage over their competitors. SKILLS: This is the distinctive capabilities of employees and or organization as a whole. It is the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the firm. That is, the core competencies, main or important activities of the employees. USING THE MCKINSEYS 7S MODEL TO ANALYSE AN ORGANIZATION The McKinsey 7S model is one that can be applied to almost any organizational or team effectiveness issue. If something within your organization or team is not working, this may mean that there is inconsistency between some of the elements identified by this classic model. Once these inconsistencies are revealed, you can work to align the internal elements to make sure they are all contributing to the shared goals and values. The process of analyzing where you are right now in terms of these elements is worthwhile in and of itself. But by taking this analysis to the next level and determining the ultimate state for each of the factors, you can really move your organization or team forward. The model covers almost all parts of business and all major parts of the organization as such it is very important to gather as much information as possible about the organization from all sources available such as press release, organizational news and reports, etc. Primary research such as interviews is more effective. CORE COMPETENCIES AND CAPABILITIES IN WAL-MART Core competencies are activities or processes that critically underpin the organizations competitive advantage. The primary aim for the firm is to recognize that competition between businesses is as much a race for competence as it is for the market power. Core competencies lead to the development of core products. Core products are not directly sold to end users but are used to build a larger number of end-user products. For example, motors are a core product that can be used in wide array of end products. The business units of the corporation each tap into the relatively few core products to develop a larger number of end user products based on the core product technology. The intersection of market opportunities with core competencies forms the basis for launching new businesses. Combining a set of core competencies in different ways and matching them to market opportunities, a corporation can launch different businesses. Without core competencies, a large corporation is just a collection of discrete businesses. Core competencies serve as the glue that bonds the business units together into a coherent portfolio. Core competencies arise from the integration of multiple technologies and the coordination of diverse production skills. Some examples include Wal-Marts Logistics and Hondas engines. There are three useful tests for identifying a core competence. A core competence should: Provide access to a wide variety of markets: This enables the creation of new products and services. For instance, ASDA has established a strong leadership in food retail industry. The core competence and capability that enable Wal-Mart to go into food and non food retailing products was a clear distinctive brand idea that focus on a well defined market segment. Contribute significantly to the end-product benefits: The organization makes a significant contribution to deliver customer benefit. To identify core competences in a market, the question of why is a customer willing to pay more or less for a product/service than another needs to be addressed. Difficult for competitors to imitate: There is need for core competence to be competitively unique; this shows the importance of product differentiation. For example, Wal-Mart has been recognised as a leading food retailer in UK and had a strong position within the retailing industry. To better understand how to develop core competencies, it is worthwhile to understand what they do not entail Outspending rivals on RD Sharing costs among business units Integrating vertically Applying this framework to Wal-Mart in order for the organization to be successful, has to base its business strategy on low cost leadership, they do not really differentiate themselves from competitors and provide no-frills self-service stores that provides lowest prices always. Wal-Mart has built enough power and influence with suppliers that they can dictates their prices and change suppliers manufacturing process so as to obtain with difficulty more and more savings for the consumer. They provide good customer service with low prices, in other words, Wal-Mart strength is low prices and no one allows such a supplier and distribution network like them that allows such low prices. When analysing Wal-Mart business and the 7S framework, they employ all the three hard elements: strategy, structure and systems, and due to their strength in these elements they have been so successful. As earlier mentioned, Wal-Mart overall strategy is to always provide lowest prices and they aim to provide a store that customers can shop under one roof and find everything they needed. This strategy of convenience shopping and lowest price has made Wal-Mart to be a business leader that it is. They also plan to continue to expand into markets not yet penetrated by major chains and some already saturated markets like California and New England. This strategy infiltrated the whole organization so that it encompasses all the other Ss and the other two Ss structure and systems support this strategy Wal-Mart has a system in place that helps it achieve its low price strategy every day. The most profitable and largest of these systems is Information technology system and it has employed computers, networking and internet to reduce inventories and waste and also speed deliveries. Wal-Mart also uses good structure that works with the systems to empower the low price strategy. Wal-Mart has design an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate regional office, all its plan and operation is from the home of Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart has designed an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate the regional office.   Everything for Wal-Mart is planned and operated in their home of Bentonville, AR.   This structure alone has saved Wal-Mart millions of dollars a year.   When Wal-Mart places stores in strategic locations and drives traffic using convenience and then combines the sales with its systems and structure, you get a highly efficient and well-oiled corporation that can cut costs to a bare-minimum which are then passed along to the consumer, hence fulfilling the strategy.   If Wal-Mart continues to dominate these three Ss, it will continue to dominate the retail market. THE CEOS ABILITY TO IMPROVE WALMARTS PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION BY 2009. In Wal-Mart international, Michael Duke CEO since February 2008 and his team continued to drive exceptional sales growth around the world, totalling $90.6billion at the end of the year. He said that Wal-Mart is well positioned for todays economy and future changing world with exceptionally strong management team and ability to execute the companys strategy, perform every day and deliver results, this success is attributed to the hard work of many people and the formal CEO, Lee Scott (2000-2008). Wal-Mart has a role to in terms of offering more efficient services to employers, helping customers save money through $4 prescription program, opening health clinics in our stores and engaging a broader public policy debate. Wal-Mart as a global company is better positioned today than ever before on its mission. By 2009, the Lee believes that customers everywhere in the world will continue to depend on Wal-Mart to save them money so they can live better, in respective of their age. The companys price leadership position helps those willing to improve their lives through hard work move up the ladder. The company owe every customer their very best lower prices, higher quality goods and a better store experience. Sustainability as a permanent culture in Wal-Mart has help t to remove waste, lower costs and provide savings to their customers. The CEO also ensure that Wal-Mart is committed to building more socially and environmentally responsible supply chain which will make a difference in responsible sourcing that no other retailer can make. THE APPROACH TO STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AT WAL-MART SINCE 2003. Wal-Mart made strategic attempts in its formulation to dominate the retail market with its present growth by expansion in the United State and internationally through creating widespread name recognition and customer satisfaction in relation to brand name and branching into new sectors of retailing. It is observed that Wal-Mart strives on three generic strategies namely, focus strategy, Differentiation strategy and overall cost leadership. Wal-Mart has firm infrastructure, well equipped human resources with management professionals as well as technologically too. The company operates on low price strategy which operated as everyday low prices (EDLP) and this helps to build customers trust. this strategy involves Wal-Mart purchase goods at lower prices and sell the goods t customers at much lower prices, the price is cut as low as possible, this brought about an increase in the profit by increasing the number of sales. This causes increased market competition and makes Wal-Mart compete with all its competitors till it dominates the market. Wal-Mart is expanding seriously and rapidly which is also its strategic goal. Wal-Mart employs over 1.3 associates, owns over 4000 stores out of which 3000 are in US and serves around 100 million customers weekly.  Wal-Mart has acquired many international stores and merged with some super stores like ASDA in UK. Wal-Mart far flung network of retail outlets has ensured that Wal-Mart interacts with and has impact on virtually every locality within US. The expanded strategy has led the hunger of Wal-Mart to many European Countries. It is learnt that three countries with no Wal-Mart stores became part of corporations international presence wherein the domestic retail chains were taken over by Wal-Mart including 122 Woolco stores in Canada, 21 Wertkauf stores in Germany and 229 ASDA units in United Kingdom. The takeover strategy by Wal-Mart keeps the company at forefront when entering into the new market and the number of competitors is also minimized. The strategies have helped the Wal-Mart to remain in number one position in international countries making it the largest retailer in the world. It is seen that Wal-Mart has significantly the Porters five force model where through proper strategic planning and strategic implementation has led to removal of barrier entry, rivalry from competitors and pricing norms. Wal-Mart with its low cost and ever expanding strategy has made a dramatic impact since 1962 when Sam Walton first started his business. With this strategy, Wal-Mart has now over 4000 stores and outlets in US and other countries through acquisition and mergers. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When you think of the discount retail industry, you think of the bigger name Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has built the industry into leader in a very competitive market, and has continue to set the bar for every company. But as of late Wal-Marts sales growth rate has been slipping, which is causing a major problem for them. For the past few years Wal-Mart has grown accustom to double digit sales growth rates, but recently they have been unable to match their previous success. Now Wal-Mart is faced with the challenge of regaining the success that they once had. To recapture these high growth rates it is important to understand what lead Wal-Mart to these high growth rates in the first place. When analyzing Wal-Mart externally you find that its 5 forces tend to have a positive effect on the company. The company has high barriers of entry, a moderate threat of rivalry with Target and incredible power over all its suppliers because Wal-Mart purchases so many products, the suppliers have little negotiating powers, and finally Wal-Mart technically has a great amount of power over its buyers because of its product variety and low prices. When analyzing Wal-Mart internally you discover may things that lead to their success. Probably the number one thing that led to success is their world class supply chain. Wal-Marts supply chain is remarkable and really allows them to cut cost by eliminating unneeded steps. For instance their supply chain is a high tech that can notify Wal-Marts suppliers directly (cutting out worker intervention) when inventory is low for certain products. Another internal strength that has lead to Wal-Marts success is its ability to focus on reducing costs to ensure everyday low prices. Wal-Mart has never drifted away from this motto which has led to Wal-Marts extensive self size and amount of products offered.

For the Love of High Heels Essay -- Shoes Fashion Essays

For the Love of High Heels As I watch a fellow student teeter down the stairs in the campus center, her normally flamboyant bounce is no where to be seen as she tensely grips the guardrail. She lowers herself delicately down, each step carefully calculated. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot- and she makes it to the bottom without mishap. The culprits encumbering her normally wild grace are easily discerned; her shoes. Her feet are wrapped up in four inch- plus a one inch platform to make for a total of five inches- fire engine red heels. They're strappy sandals that lace half way up her calves with a silk ribbon and have effectively made walking an ordeal. Why do we do this? Well darling, because "Shoes are hot!" (Benstock & Ferriss p1) That's right, shoes are hot, and the hottest ones of all are high heels. They're collected, worn, and loved by women across the globe. They're everywhere. They run rampant in books, calendars, photographs, album and movie covers, dangling in miniature precious metal versions from earlobes and chains, and let's not forget the most important place- women's closets. Shoes are no longer something one simply wears on their feet, but a passion, a hobby, one's personal statement, a source of authority, sexual independence and joy. They're a constant obsession in pop culture, endlessly talked about and fetishized in television, movies, song lyrics, and seem to be worn without fail by glamorous celebrities no matter the occasion. The most notorious of the shoe loving pop culture media is of the smash HBO series Sex in the City, in which shoes are one it's main themes. Physically high heel shoes, and specifically the stiletto, are the source of much debate. More and more studies... ...and Benstock write that there is "...satisfaction we take in having purchased a pair of shoes that 'is us,' that represents us... The fashionable dress of the Western world is one means whereby an always fragmentary self is glued together into a semblance of unified identity. Shoes serve as markers of gender, class, race, ethnicity, and even sexuality." (p4) The idea of piecing ourselves together with our things can be applied to any accessory or article of clothing, but I argue that shoes are more than that. Power, sexuality and sheer aesthetic pleasure contribute to a love of shoes. Janet Lyon reflects upon the mystery of the love of shoes writing, "How is one to account for this hypnotic allure, for so many generations of modernity's women, of the impractical, foot-deforming, outrageous shoe?....For fabulous shoes are indeed a joy." (Benstock & Ferriss p273)

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Essay -- Biography, Roman Emperor

Charles Hapsburg, who later became Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was born in the Flemish city of Ghent on February 24, 1500 (3) to Phillip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad (2). He had four sisters: Eleanor, Isabel, Mary, and Katherine. Ferdinand I was his only brother (7). His maternal grandparents were the very famous Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon who funded Columbus’s expeditions (6). His paternal grandfather was Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (7). Charles V was raised in the Netherlands without his parents (3). His aunt, Margaret of Austria raised him after the death of his father (9) due to the fact that his mother was insane and therefore incapable of caring for him (11). Adrian of Utrecht, who later became Pope Adrian VI, taught Charles V during his early years and became a mentor of sorts to him (8). Charles V married Isabel of Portugal in 1526. They were married for thirteen years and had three children named Mary, Joanna, and Phillip II (7). Charles V died on September 21, 1558 at the San Jeronimo de Yuste monastery in Spain (3) from malaria (4) nineteen years after his wife had passed away (7). Charles V gained control of the Netherlands and many other countries when his father passed away. At the age of 16, his grandfather, Ferdinand II died, leaving Charles V as joint ruler of Castile and the full ruler of Aragon, Naples, and Spanish America as well as multiple other kingdoms. The death of Ferdinand II opened the door for Charles V to become King Carlos I of Spain in 1516. In 1519 when Maximilian I died, Charles V was left with the Hapsburg domains and was elected Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (11). With all of the nations he inherited combined, his domain was estimated at four millio... ...is retirement, Charles went to live in a Spanish monastery until his death (3). Charles V essentially failed in all aspects of his universal empire plan (3). In the end, he was never able to stop the spread of the Reformation in his empire (5). Although he fell short of his own goals for his reign, people still remember him for his sense of duty, strength of will, and integrity (11). Although Charles V’s reign was not as successful as he would have liked, he is credited with carrying on the very powerful Hapsburg line. All of the children he fathered went on to continue it. His son, Phillip II, married Mary of England (7) who is also known as Bloody Mary (13). This marriage made him Queen Elizabeth I of England’s brother-in-law. Marriages of Charles V’s descendents to the royal elite of Europe assured the Hapsburg legacy for many generations to follow (7).

Slave Stuff Essays -- essays research papers

The slave trade in Uncle Tom’s Cabin Few books can truly be said to have altered the course of history, and even fewer can be said to have started an entire war. Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was one novel to do both. Abraham Lincoln said to Harriet Beecher Stowe upon meeting her, "So this is the little lady who made this big war.†. Uncle Tom’s Cabin had a tremendous effect on early 19th century thoughts of slavery; stirring abolitionist support in the north. The novel is a realistic, although fictional view of slavery with the images of brutal beatings and unfair slave practices. After reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin thousand of northerners became impassioned for the anti-slavery cause. Uncle Tom's Cabin helped eventually to turn the tide of public opinion against slavery in the 19th century( Taylor 1). This controversial novel was initially written to question slavery, convince people of its immorality and to promote the abolitionist cause. The novel’s rendering of the slave holding south is not entirely an accurate interpretation of what it was like though. Beecher over exaggerated and overlooked several facts in novel, especially pertaining to the practice of slave trading. To have her readers empathize more with the slaves, Beecher put the worst stories in and the cruelest practices of the slave trade depicted by run away slaves. Although most of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is very close to the reality of slavery, many aspects of the slave trade were portrayed inaccurately. One of the first miscalculated aspects of the slave trade is the reason for southern states involvement in the interstate slave trade. Stowe depicted Kentucky’s involvement in the slave trade due to the poor soil of the region and economic ties with the practice. She implied in the beginning half of the Novel that many Kentuckians resorted to being bondmen in the slave trade due to the infertile land of the Bluegrass Region. In Stowe’s Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, (a book designed to muffle the critics of Uncle Tom’s Cabin) she stated that â€Å"Slavery’s subsequent lack of economic viability†¦ [and] prevailing agricultural impoverishment are to blame for Kentucky’s involvement in the notorious traffic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stowe 254). On the contrary, Kentucky where the bulk of the slave trade was supposedly concentrated has long been blessed with great fertility. The high phosphorus content a... ...m promoted. Work Cited Harrison, Lowel H. â€Å"The Antislavery Movement in the deep south† UNC at Chapel Hill Libraries Online. 1978. University of North Carolina 5 Jan 2001 <http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/neh.html> Levy, Steven. Slavery in Kentucky. Lancaster Pennsylvania: New Printing Company, Negro universities Press 4-6 McDougle, Ivan E. â€Å"Sketches of America†. Black Studies at Howard University. 1994. 4 Jan 2001. <http://info.greenwood.com/cgi-bin/getidx.pl?SUBJECT=subjINBS> Smith, William Andrew. â€Å"Lectures on Philosophy and Practice of Slavery, as Exhibited in the Institution of Domestic Slavery in the United States: with the Duties of Masters to Slaves: Electronic Edition†. UNC at Chapel Hill Libraries Online. 1802-1870. University of North Carolina 5 Jan 2001 <http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/smith/smith.html>. Stowe, Harriet Beecher. The Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Boston, 1853; reprint, New York: Arno Press, 1969: 279 Taylor, Jeremiah. â€Å" Sold Down the River† Genealogy Magazine Online. 13 Nov 1998. Genealogy Magazine. Dec. 2000 <http://www.geneaologymag.com/acad/original/jeremiahtaylor98.htm>.

Features of Health Plans

There are five different health plan options that are available for people that want health coverage. Indemnity Plans let a patient see whoever they would like to see with no limit and there are pre-agreements required for few procedures. Preventative care is usually not covered with the plan and there is higher costs deductibles and can be a co-insurance. Health Maintenance Organizations or Homos only allow people to see providers that are within the HOMO system. The primary care physician has to make all referrals and manages all the care.There are no payments for out of plan non-emergency services but some care requires pre-authorizations. This plan features low escapements, there is a limited provider organization and pre- caution care is covered with this plan. Point of Service or POS plans will let a person see either network providers or out of organization providers. If a person sees a physician within the organization, the person will see a primary care physician. There feat ures of this plan are lower escapements for network providers; higher cost for out f organization providers and this plan covers pre-caution health care.Preferred Organization Provider or POP plans have higher costs out of organization providers that are seen. Preventative care coverage changes within the plan but is available. With this plan, a referral to another physician specialist is not required. There are some pre-authorizations required for other procedures and some fees are Involved or can be discounted within this type of plan. The fifth and last plan is Consumer- Driven Health Plan. This plan Is usually similar too POP plan but does have it differences.This plan increases the patient's Information of health care costs and the patient pays directly to provider until the high deductible Is met. I believe that the plan that offers greater financial benefits Is the HOMO. This plan has a limited network but doctors have a low payment plan. As far as a plan offering greater cov erage benefits I would think that the either Preferred Provider Organization, Point-of- Service, or the Consumer-Driven Health Plan; would be considered since we could choose a physician either from within the organization or outside of the organization.

Homer and his impact on the Greek Culture Essay

First seeds of poetry were born among the Greeks even before writing was invented. Poets were bards, chanting gripping narrative epic war poems and emotional ballads. Homer was a Greek poet, to whom are attributed the great epics, the Iliad, the story of the siege of Troy, and the Odyssey, the tale of Ulysses’ wanderings. The place of his birth is doubtful, probably a Greek colony on the coast of Asia Minor, traditionally is described as blind and is believed to have lived in Ionia around 800 BCE. Of the true Homer, nothing is positively known. Arguments have long raged over whether his works are in fact by the same hand, or have their origins in the lays of Homer and his followers (Homeridae). Earmarks of oral poetry in the works, such as formulaic phrases, make it believable that the contribution of Homer was to collect and record the ballads which had been passed on orally from storyteller to storyteller for centuries before his time. There seems little doubt that the works were originally based on current ballads which were much modified and extended. There is, however, another tradition that Homer’s poems were not written down and standardized until Peisistratus, tyrant of Athens, commissioned this work in the first half of the sixth century. Homer’s works appealed greatly to the Greeks of his time and even to the modern readers, due to the thrilling adventures and tragedies featured in them. Homer’s epics enhanced the ideas of heroism and courage, ideas which deeply fascinated the Greeks of the Dark Age Greece and satisfied their hunger for such compositions. Homer’s creations kept alive the traditional songs about the heroes of the Mycenaean age, which were naturally regarded by the Greeks of the time as the good old days. Homer’s contribution to the Greek Culture was enormous. From about 1200 B.C. and for seven hundred years until Plato’s his two famous epics were the basis of Greek religion and morals, the chief source of history, and even of  practical information on geography, metallurgy, navigation, and shipbuilding. Homer’s impact was so colossal that he is often referred to as the â€Å"Shaper of the Greek Spirit†. In Homer we find the beginnings of Greek humanism – a concern with man and his achievements . Homer was one of the few things the Greeks could agree on. The term arete emphasizes Homer’s ideals, arete stands for excellence on the battle field, courage and cunning, win fame and honor against impossible odds. The idea of arete so widely spread by Homer formed the foundation of the Greek view of the world. Homer’s impact on the Greek Culture was so tremendous that in the Hellenistic Age, after the death of Alexander the Great, educated Greeks continued to learn Homer by heart, the way people in the West would know the Bible, or as Muslims the Koran.

East Timor Assignment

Term 4 Economics Essay –Jack Stickley East Timor is a country surrounded by a picturesque and untouched landscape that has inhabited people for centuries. In today’s society however, East Timor has been economically left behind in comparison to other western world super powers. As the country attempts to rebuild its national identity following their separation from the Indonesia regime, certain obstacles threaten to stop their progress to become a developed nation.Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) can be commonly categorized by their lack of infrastructure and residential development, and visibly through the contrast to well developed countries of the Western world. The United Nations use the following criteria to identify LDC’s. Firstly, a low-income criterion based on a three-year average estimate of the GDP per capita, East Timor’s is under the required amount of $750 at $500. Secondly, a human resource weakness criterion involving a composite Au gmented Physical Quality of Life Index (APQLI), currently in East Timor the adult literacy rate is at 58. % a meek figure in comparison to Australia, a developed country, whose figure is 99%. Finally, there is an economic vulnerability criterion focusing on the instability certain factors including exports and agriculture. East Timor’s trade is out of balance with exports reaching $10 million as apposed to a large import figure of $202 million and, while the Timorese use their land effectively there is only 8. 2% of land area considered to be arable land for agriculture.These figures display that East Timor has the characteristics of a LDC as they continue to be economically undeveloped. East Timor is struggling to emerge onto the global stage as the country has been troubled by past incidents that interfere with the nations attempt to develop economically. The country faces immediate obstacles including agricultural difficulties, the lack of infrastructure due to their previ ous destruction and political unrest and corruption.There is a significantly small amount of skilled Labor in East Timor especially in the urban areas, which is why it is difficult to rebuild many parts of the country destroyed at the end of the Indonesian regime. The country is divided by different religions, traditions and language spoken making it difficult to have an equal economic system. Although primarily an agricultural country, in the past 30 years the economy has been structured to be dependant on external transfers, even for food.East Timor has serious problems of illiteracy; malnutrition and disease, problems that will be intensify in the future due to the anticipated rapid population growth of this youthful population. 70% of the population support themselves by subsistence agriculture including crop farming and fishing, meaning much of the exchange is in the form of barter. Due to East Timor’s relatively poor and fragile soils, constant population relocation and disruption due to colonial laws, production is low but marginally within the bounds of sustainability.East Timor is now faced with the challenges of the decrease in the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries, the decrease in global official development assistance (ODA) and the decrease in trade preferences. A major dilemma for East Timor is to regain an adequate standard of living and with a greater degree of self-sufficiency; a rather difficult task. For East Timor the challenge of achieving economic stability and development is certainly a daunting prospect.When taking steps forward economically it is essential that innovative strategies are produced and an alternative non-western development culture is created. With the world gripped by oil shortage The Timor Sea Treaty, which is split 90% to 10% in favour of Timor, will be useful in the development of the country. Accessing income is currently difficult for workers and therefore they don’t have t he capacity to invest or save what they do earn, but income can be earned and received through providing services and withholding this income from third parties that may interfere. East Timor is in desperate need of foreign dollars.A dependence on aid in the short term with an increased reliance on services in the medium to long term rather than the export of agricultural and manufactured commodities may be an optimum strategy for East Timor. Entrepreneurial skills need to be developed through a strong education system. Continued external support is required as the building blocks for East Timor to develop economically. The Government also has a significant role to play as it is crucial that the country adopts Macroeconomic policies which also generate productive work and income opportunities to develop sustainable livelihoods.It is important that the poor are assisted in their efforts to improve their farming and commodity production. East Timor is currently a country with economic , social and political difficulties and is a country that is fighting back following a difficult phase in the countries political life. However, if assistance is gained from other supporting countries, service and non-production activities gain majority in the economy the nation should be able to develop and be considered as a developed country. East Timor Assignment Term 4 Economics Essay –Jack Stickley East Timor is a country surrounded by a picturesque and untouched landscape that has inhabited people for centuries. In today’s society however, East Timor has been economically left behind in comparison to other western world super powers. As the country attempts to rebuild its national identity following their separation from the Indonesia regime, certain obstacles threaten to stop their progress to become a developed nation.Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) can be commonly categorized by their lack of infrastructure and residential development, and visibly through the contrast to well developed countries of the Western world. The United Nations use the following criteria to identify LDC’s. Firstly, a low-income criterion based on a three-year average estimate of the GDP per capita, East Timor’s is under the required amount of $750 at $500. Secondly, a human resource weakness criterion involving a composite Au gmented Physical Quality of Life Index (APQLI), currently in East Timor the adult literacy rate is at 58. % a meek figure in comparison to Australia, a developed country, whose figure is 99%. Finally, there is an economic vulnerability criterion focusing on the instability certain factors including exports and agriculture. East Timor’s trade is out of balance with exports reaching $10 million as apposed to a large import figure of $202 million and, while the Timorese use their land effectively there is only 8. 2% of land area considered to be arable land for agriculture.These figures display that East Timor has the characteristics of a LDC as they continue to be economically undeveloped. East Timor is struggling to emerge onto the global stage as the country has been troubled by past incidents that interfere with the nations attempt to develop economically. The country faces immediate obstacles including agricultural difficulties, the lack of infrastructure due to their previ ous destruction and political unrest and corruption.There is a significantly small amount of skilled Labor in East Timor especially in the urban areas, which is why it is difficult to rebuild many parts of the country destroyed at the end of the Indonesian regime. The country is divided by different religions, traditions and language spoken making it difficult to have an equal economic system. Although primarily an agricultural country, in the past 30 years the economy has been structured to be dependant on external transfers, even for food.East Timor has serious problems of illiteracy; malnutrition and disease, problems that will be intensify in the future due to the anticipated rapid population growth of this youthful population. 70% of the population support themselves by subsistence agriculture including crop farming and fishing, meaning much of the exchange is in the form of barter. Due to East Timor’s relatively poor and fragile soils, constant population relocation and disruption due to colonial laws, production is low but marginally within the bounds of sustainability.East Timor is now faced with the challenges of the decrease in the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries, the decrease in global official development assistance (ODA) and the decrease in trade preferences. A major dilemma for East Timor is to regain an adequate standard of living and with a greater degree of self-sufficiency; a rather difficult task. For East Timor the challenge of achieving economic stability and development is certainly a daunting prospect.When taking steps forward economically it is essential that innovative strategies are produced and an alternative non-western development culture is created. With the world gripped by oil shortage The Timor Sea Treaty, which is split 90% to 10% in favour of Timor, will be useful in the development of the country. Accessing income is currently difficult for workers and therefore they don’t have t he capacity to invest or save what they do earn, but income can be earned and received through providing services and withholding this income from third parties that may interfere. East Timor is in desperate need of foreign dollars.A dependence on aid in the short term with an increased reliance on services in the medium to long term rather than the export of agricultural and manufactured commodities may be an optimum strategy for East Timor. Entrepreneurial skills need to be developed through a strong education system. Continued external support is required as the building blocks for East Timor to develop economically. The Government also has a significant role to play as it is crucial that the country adopts Macroeconomic policies which also generate productive work and income opportunities to develop sustainable livelihoods.It is important that the poor are assisted in their efforts to improve their farming and commodity production. East Timor is currently a country with economic , social and political difficulties and is a country that is fighting back following a difficult phase in the countries political life. However, if assistance is gained from other supporting countries, service and non-production activities gain majority in the economy the nation should be able to develop and be considered as a developed country.

Check Point Personal Philosophy of Education

Checkpoint Personal Philosophy of Education Rachel Pearson AED 200 03/16/2013 Dr. Maloney Hunter-Lowe Philosophy of Education The Philosophy of education I would use would be Essentialism education. Essentialism hypothesis tells that there is a general nucleus of talents and information that an educated individual should have. I share the same opinion. I trust that there are certain talents that all people should have. The talents are basic talents however they are the starting point. Talents are building blocks that let children to continue stepping up to the next higher level of education that an individual should have.Instructional Philosophy I would have a behaviorist style in my class. The hypothesis of behaviorist is an educational and psychological hypothesis that states that one’s attitude is revealed by surroundings, not some one’s heredity. I believe that this is very significant because if an individual is in a bad surrounding, then their learning is slowed d own by that bad surrounding. If a child is in a good surrounding they are more willing to learn and they absorb the teachings better. Behaviorist or Constructive approach to instructionI personally love the opinion of having Essentialism and Behaviorist merged together. Those two are my personal philosophy in education. Essentialism philosophy and the behaviorist style combined bring out the reality that there are definitely talents required and that the surroundings must be precise for a child’s learning. These opinions will help me supervise my classroom better and assist with my instructional technique. When the four are combined, they will work fine with each other and make me a better teacher. Check Point Personal Philosophy of Education Checkpoint Personal Philosophy of Education Rachel Pearson AED 200 03/16/2013 Dr. Maloney Hunter-Lowe Philosophy of Education The Philosophy of education I would use would be Essentialism education. Essentialism hypothesis tells that there is a general nucleus of talents and information that an educated individual should have. I share the same opinion. I trust that there are certain talents that all people should have. The talents are basic talents however they are the starting point. Talents are building blocks that let children to continue stepping up to the next higher level of education that an individual should have.Instructional Philosophy I would have a behaviorist style in my class. The hypothesis of behaviorist is an educational and psychological hypothesis that states that one’s attitude is revealed by surroundings, not some one’s heredity. I believe that this is very significant because if an individual is in a bad surrounding, then their learning is slowed d own by that bad surrounding. If a child is in a good surrounding they are more willing to learn and they absorb the teachings better. Behaviorist or Constructive approach to instructionI personally love the opinion of having Essentialism and Behaviorist merged together. Those two are my personal philosophy in education. Essentialism philosophy and the behaviorist style combined bring out the reality that there are definitely talents required and that the surroundings must be precise for a child’s learning. These opinions will help me supervise my classroom better and assist with my instructional technique. When the four are combined, they will work fine with each other and make me a better teacher.

International services marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International services marketing - Essay Example Marketing services is different from marketing goods. As opposed to good, services are produced and consumed at the same time. This is because services have different characteristics from those associated with goods. Such characteristics include intangibility, inseparability, variability, and their lack of perishability. Therefore, the services are measured in terms of quality. Another difference between goods and services is the inseparability of services. This is because the services production cannot be alienated from the consumption process (Ahmadzadeh, et al., 2012). Services also tend to vary in aspects such as quality. These characteristics make marketing of services different from that of products. Therefore, success in marketing of services depends on relationship building. Service-based business rely on building trust, deliverability, the wants and needs, and the ability to convince customers that you are capable of driveling a service in time. However, marketing products i s different and mainly depends on factors such as price of the product and the quality of the product (Rao 2011). The marketing and trading of services across nations has been growing rapidly over the recent past. Export of services plays a critical role in trade balance, expansion of employment opportunities, and enhancing economic growth. However, the service economy is affected by factors such as export service capacity, limitation of resources required in service delivery. Such resource may include the human as well as financial capacity. Other factors affecting the service economy include behavioral and operative barriers. Moreover, language barrier affects intercultural service delivery due to poor interpretation of information (Fisk 1999). Export of services raises several issues. These issues include the privacy of the service consumers, the national security of the countries to which the services

Interation of Mass Media, Government, Media Owners Essay

Interation of Mass Media, Government, Media Owners - Essay Example It is also managed as strategic business information marketing. These days, Canada Media Directory (2011) listed 1,489 newspapers, 1,878 magazines, 245 television stations, 810 radio stations, 561 interactive websites, 1 alter native advertising media, and 211 registered out-of-home multimedia which is powerfully influencing Canada’s governance. This study will delve how media owners, government and journalists interact to develop Canadian media environment. Interactions of Institutions Decision-makings and communications are central in the processes for socio-political interactions, of exercising democratic governance, policy-direction or setting of social agenda. Everyday, Canadian mass media is providing information and analysis on issues or matters relating to governance, economy, ecology, cultural practices, and other social dynamics to generate public opinion and develop a collective agenda. Setting the agenda is essentially the converging area of mass media, the public and the policymakers. Such agenda may vary depending on dynamics and links. Media’s agenda is predicted by the nature of entertainment, or may use polling agenda or by the level of influence it wage about. Public’s agenda depends on the interest groups and the issue publicly advocated by them. The policy agenda on the other hand, refer to the interest and issues assumed by government authorities and discussed extensively by lawmakers. All these could be represented in varied and integrated agenda analysis (Soroka, 2011, pp.271-273). For instance, on issues on ecological problems, the mass media may use empirical indicators as measures in analyzing issues on forest denudation and imbalances of ecosystem which cost human lives and damages of properties; to persuade the public to make an ecological agenda and motivate the government to adopt measures and environmental protectionism as a policy. Indeed, the dynamics is vibrant and complex, but these interrelationships figu re how mass media’s role is considered supportive for social cohesion and development. Media is a powerful industry that bridge people, government, and its agencies through all medium of communication. It reports information on the state of affairs; provide contexts on issues that demand public participation, especially on issues directly affecting them. With factors of globalization threading part of world’s dynamics, regions and social divides are bridged by information technology’s revolution—an instrument which aided virtual convergence. The digitized and IT’s advancement hasten information accessibility at a tip of the finger. Political discourses can be viewed live through cables where issues can now be analyzed 24/7 in every home, in market areas and in commercial zones too. Such auger well to commerce too as products can be hastily introduced to consumers without the facilitation of middlemen, brokers or intermediaries. Media have virtually acted as the seller themselves; the mouthpieces of companies; an instrument to leverage in competition; and the market’s window of opportunities. Media is managed by stockholders through corporate policies and of reporters based on professional code of journalism and of constitutional guarantee. Recent developments in the exercise of these rights are in fact illustrated in some reporters demand for right to information to increase their access from sources, especially from

Computer Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer Crime - Essay Example They apply different techniques of payment like credit card, e-cheques, and shopper's card. Smart-cards and e-wallets are few techniques to protect customer's information and convenient and safe for transactions and processing of data. Privacy has also grown in stature similar to security concerns to keep the personal information of customer intact. Technology and outsourcing model of business has taken the pressure off from the management team to some extent. Encryption, VPN, Firewall, SSL and precautionary measure from customer is essential in keeping the security system in control (Ghosh, 2001). Customer follows the three mandatory steps for processing the transactions. He enters the details of credit card to the e-merchant or payment gateway that passes through secure socket layer (SSL) of server and digital certificate of online service provider. Once validation in the initial layers of security check is complete, details provided by customer is processed by associated bank that handles the complex security information collected in the payment gateway. This collects the details of order and customer through e-business associate to finally approve the transaction. Authentication is first step in privacy matters that can ensure that right pers

Entry Strategies and Exporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Entry Strategies and Exporting - Essay Example Consequently, the firm stands at the threshold of the next step which is taking its operations to the international level, studies both academic and market based have shown that the demand for quality but affordable clothing in parts of Europe and Asia is increasing and this is opportunity that M and W can profitably exploit. Given its expansive scale of production at home it has considerable economics of scale and therefore it can afford to confront new markets with lower prices. In addition the firm has a great deal of experience which is evinced by the many years of production behind it in addition to the obvious market dominance which has been forged through strategic thinking and experience. Notwithstanding, before making the commitment to venture into internationalization, the firm should take to account several factors, more so the advantages and disadvantages of this move. This is important because by making such considerations, it can be aptly placed to develop an open minded and critical strategic plan. Besides, no matter how practical or natural any business move may appear, the manager should first ensure that they are aware of the underling advantages and disadvantages so they can strategize with both in mind. The entry of a company into international business is takes two forms, it can venture indirectly when forced by circumstances or when the directors order that the firm should purchase or sell from foreign sources. On the other hand it could be direct in which case the company deliberately makes a move which in most cases is preceded by reconnaissance into the new market. Whichever the case, before a firm ventures into the import export business, they needs must carefully asses the disadvantages and advantages. The firm in question is interested in the latter model since the decision to export is one that has been done deliberately and indeed the primary objectives of these paper are geared towards establishing the strategic